Netflix Invites Us To Spend One Filthy & Hilarious Hour With Jim Norton’s ‘Mouthful of Shame’

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April 14, 2017

It’s #FunnyFriday, because why not, right? It seems there’s a day for everything these days. As the great Orange Beast known as Trump marches the world into war, the rest of us need to take a breath and enjoy a laugh. Politics aside, Netflix is aware of this need and is releasing a comedy special every week. That’s where MFR comes in. We’re reviewing each and every one, on Fridays, just in time to enjoy a weekend laugh. This week, Netflix cheated and released a 2015 Mike Epps stand-up. So we’re going back to one we missed in March from comedian Jim Norton.

Enjoying standup comedy is kind of like meeting that friend who just “clicks” with you. Comedians have a unique style, rhythm, and pool of subject matter. Viewers will either connect or they won’t. But once you do, the connection is usually life-long. Perhaps the comedian is less funny one time or another, but it’s rare that a viewer turns away entirely from someone they’ve enjoyed in the past. How does this relate to Jim Norton? Well, he’s hilarious, if you click with him. But he’s not afraid of speaking his mind, and his style of comedy is not for everyone.

Norton’s 2017 Netflix comedy special entitled “Mouthful of Shame” is loaded with what makes Norton one of the best standup comics. Topics range from romance to sex and Norton’s superbly smart and often filthy routine goes to town with it.

From the very start, after a hilarious intro including famous friends, Ricky Gervais, Louis CK, and Robert De Niro, Norton dives into his strange fame. He’s not “Kevin Hart famous, ” but he’s famous in the sense that women recognize him as either an entertainer or creepy stalker.

Dicks, transgender sex, perversion, childhood,
there’s no place Norton stories will avoid.

Norton’s effortless style is reminiscent of that one friend everyone has. And that one friend is the guy or girl who says the most inappropriate things at usually the most inopportune time. People are shocked, maybe ashamed, but can’t fault the friend because what they said was honest. That’s Norton in a nutshell except his timing couldn’t be any better.

In a bit midway through, Norton talks about AIDS and his degrees of separation from Charlie Sheen. According to Norton, he’s shared four lovers with Sheen. Norton keeps three of the people private, but one, pornstar Bree Olsen, he speaks about publicly (and vice versa). Norton though, takes an interesting turn, explaining how he’s never personally taken an AIDS test because he’s scared. He turns it into jokes about how he just visits with old lovers regularly, and if they’re fine, then he’s okay too. But what a legitimate, fundamental fear to touch upon that so many people share whether it’s avoiding a test for a deadly disease or something less fatal but still soul-wrenching or otherwise scary.

Dicks, transgender sex, perversion, childhood, there’s no place Norton stories will avoid. Sometimes Norton makes us cringe from the detail he puts into a bit, other times he makes viewers think. Throughout it all, if we become friends with Norton’s stage presence, he’ll keep us laughing.

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‘Rifftrax’ Hits Shlock Gold With ‘Samurai Cop’

By

Anthony Wendel

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SPOILER ALERT

It’s time for Rifftrax! The trio of Michael J. Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy are back to find humor out of some of the worst cinema they can find. Today though they have found something truly magnificent in terms of just how bad a film they brought. This train wreck is known as Samurai Cop, complete with a short about the importance of Manners In School.

Manners In School

Once again the guys have been able to uncover a lost PSA film which features some type of bizarre animated character teaching a human a valuable life lesson. In this case, Chakly, a talking chalk drawing teaches a boy named Larry about how he needs to have manners while in school. The jokes from the trio about Larry’s behavior being closer to a psychopath than a jerk are hilarious. Larry also takes the time to erase Chalky by the end of the short and of course the comedy was on poignant here as well.

Samurai Cop

A vicious gang known as the Katana are the new heads of the Cocaine Trade in LA. To combat this threat, a Cop from San Diego named Joe Marshall (Matt Hannon) is brought into even the odds. Joe’s skills and his intense training have earned him the nickname of Samurai and together with new partner Frank (Mark Frazer), they will work to stop the Katanas from taking over the city.

To a riff a film is not as easy as people think it is. You can’t simply just put on a bad movie and expect to find the humor in it. It has to have a special mixture of poorly written script, bad acting, and insanely bad production work. Luckily, Samurai Cop has all this and more!

First off the script feels like it was written by a ten year old who just discovered swear words. The direction is beyond abysmal to the point you start to ask if they did any second shots of these scenes. The production is garbage, to the point audio doesn’t sync up at times, the soundtrack sounds like it was made for an old Nintendo Game, and the special effects don’t even look halfway believable. A man gets his arm chopped off in the least believable way put to film.

This could all be saved if there was a cast which had exceptional skill and were able to truly move the soul with their performance. Unfortunately, this film features actors giving some of the worst performances seen in awhile. Did any of them have any training? There so much awkward mugging at the camera you could make a drinking game out of it. Few lines delivered throughout the film are actually delivered in a way a normal person would talk.

As always when it comes to Rifftrax, the worse the film is the more the trio has to to work with and they really soar with everything Samurai Cop gives them. This is some of the best comedy they have done in years and was the perfect way to start off the new year of shows they have planned. This material is the new level of quality they will need to strive for as they move forward in the future. The film goes a little long but thanks to all the jokes it never feels stretched out or awkward. This was truly an event Rifftrax fans need to experience.

Conclusion

Thus Samurai Cop, a film so bad, it was used for so much humor came to a close. It is only a shame they didn’t make more of it. It will take the trio a long time to find a movie lacking quality and substance like this one. Wait…this has thing has a sequel…starring Tommy Wiseau….RIFFTRAX! You are needed once more!

Rifftrax: Samurai Cop was presented through Fathom Events.

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The Importance of Rey in Star Wars: The Last Jedi

By

Merinda Brayfield

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April 14, 2017

I’ll start this with a caveat. I’m not the worlds biggest Star Wars fan. I’ve seen all the movies, read a couple books, but I’ve never really got into the Expanded Universe, played the games, or watched the spinoffs. However, I am a lifelong science fiction fan, and this new Star Wars trailer was amazing.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB4I68XVPzQ[/embedyt]

There have been complaints from some corners about Rey in The Force Awakens, and then Jyn Erso in Rogue One. But as a female fan I must say it means the world to me. As someone who grew up in the 80s and 90s, female science fiction heroes were few and far between. Okay, Ripley, but I never actually saw Aliens because I was a kid when it came out.

So, to see a female character, with a lightsaber, training, in a movie that any young girl could see, is amazing. I felt similarly with last years Ghostbusters, another movie that drew complaints. It is important to see yourself on the big screen, and as the main hero every now and again. Rogue One was fantastic, but Jyn was one woman among a sea of men. Rey will probably be the same, but, again, she’s a hero.

There have been a growing number of female characters in the past years. But often they’re still secondary, in the background kicking ass and being pretty. Black Widow comes to mind. Mystique is another.

For young girls, almost every movie they see, every book they read, every television show they watch, the hero is almost invariably a (white) male. There’s Disney, sure, but even with those the female hero is usually some kind of Princess. Rey is just a kid from a garbage heap of a planet. Yeah she has a mysterious background, but she gets to rise up from her background just like male characters do.

And the poster. Rey front and center. Okay, smaller than the men, but still, standing tall and strong and not turned into a pinup.

This is so important for girls to see. And men too, really. Girls should know that they can be heroes too, and that it’s not only boys that get to hold the lightsaber.

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Is The Bendu Lurking In The Star Wars: The Last Jedi Teaser?

By

Erik Amaya

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April 14, 2017

The day has finally come. Director Rian Johnson unleashed the first teaser for December 15th’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi. And while revealing some startling new images, ship designs and one epic moment of Force training, it also offered a few images that may echo or directly reference Star Wars animated series, games and even the Expanded Universe. All of this is wild speculation, of course, but let’s take a look:

1. “The Balance”

The Balance of the Force tantalized fans from the moment the phrase became a rumored Episode I title. And though it is still unclear what that concept alluded to in the prequel trilogy actually meant, invoking it in the teaser means the Balance still matters. The teaser reintroduces this concept by adding it to the litany of the Light and the Darkness. It also follows this strange image:

While it’s impossible to guess the scale of this image, the textures and design are indicative of the Bendu. The character was introduced on Star Wars Rebels this past season and claimed to represent a balance between light and dark. When viewers last saw him, he was injured, but vanished before Admiral Thrawn could kill him. Will he somehow offer a third path to Rey away from the absolutes?

2. The Jedi Order

And while we’re speculating on an obscure image, let’s talk about one more direct. As Rey mentions the Balance, we clearly see the logo of the Jedi Order for the first time in a Star Wars film. It first appeared in the Expanded Universe era and adopted by the MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. It was quickly embraced by fans. Wander a comic-con parking lot and you’ll see it on the back of numerous cars and trucks.

But it is curious that this image appears, presumably, on a planet The Force Awakens claims is the ancient home of the Jedi. In The Old Republic, that planet is called Tython. Said to be in the Deep Core, it has a much larger landmass than the ocean world Rey saw in her visions. According to The Force Awakens junior novelization, this ocean world is called Ahch-To. Of course, no name is set in stone until it is uttered in a film, so Ahch-To and Tython could be the same world. Even if it’s light years away from the Deep Core.

3. The New Jedi Order

J.J. Abrams made visual flashbacks part of Star Wars‘ movie grammar. With that in mind, this shot could be what Luke was seeing in Rey’s vision of him during The Force Awakens. If so, it is a rather dramatic conclusion to the New Jedi Order. One wonders if Kyle Katarn’s body is in the flaming wreckage.

Many of the EU novels and games focused on Luke’s attempts to reestablish the Jedi. From The Force Awakens, we know Luke tried to do the same in cannon. And from his ominous words at the end of the teaser, it seems he wants nothing more to do with the Jedi, old or new.

Will Rey walk him back from that stance? Or will Balance finally be achieved with both the Sith and the Jedi completely destroyed? Will Rey have to find a way to negotiate the Ashla and the Bogan without thousands of years of Jedi wisdom? What do you think? Post your thoughts below.

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Check Out The First Official Trailer For ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’!

By

Anthony Caruso

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April 14, 2017

Star Wars Celebration 2017 is happening right now in Orlando, Florida, and Disney and Lucasfilm decided to celebrate the occasion by releasing the first official trailer for the highly anticipated, upcoming Episode VIII, Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Though just a teaser, it offers up a glimpses at the return of Rey, Finn, Poe, BB-8, Kylo Ren, and – of course – Luke Skywalker! Thankfully, however, it doesn’t reveal too much about what to expect when the gang flies back into movie theaters later this year on December 15th.

In addition, a new poster for the film was released, which you can check out below.

How excited are you for The Last Jedi? Will you be there opening night? Was the trailer enough to whet your appetite for now, or were you hoping for more? Leave a comment below and let me know!

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DC’s ‘Batgirl’ – Potential Leads for Solo Film

By

Jon Barr - TV Editor

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April 14, 2017

DC has announced that Batgirl will get her own upcoming film. Joss Whedon is set to direct the film, but no stars are attached yet. It’s hard to say exactly what direction DC will go with the character without more details. However, it seems likely the character will skew younger, a la Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Additionally, Whedon will probably pick someone who can do both action and comedy. The director’s previous projects have all blended the two, so Batgirl will likely follow suit.

Ideal Batgirl protagonists have a history of action films and a twist of comedy. Additionally, they should probably be a big name, in order to sell the franchise to casual DC fans. Holland’s Spider-Man got introduced in Civil War, but Batgirl may not have that luxury. Keeping all this in mind, it’s hard to pinpoint the perfect Batgirl actress. As far as best guesses go, here are potential picks for DC’s teenage caped crusader.

7Emilia Clarke

Emilia Clarke The Game of Thrones actress is a huge name in the entertainment world. The HBO series will be wrapping up soon, as only two seasons are left. Therefor, Clarke is probably looking out for other projects. She’s definitely most known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen, but that’s far from her only acting cred. She’ll be in the upcoming Han Solo film, which could give her more action chops. She’s done a big action movie before, but let’s not talk about that. The Batgirl film could benefit from a big name like The Mother of Dragons.

6Hailee Steinfeld

Hailee Steinfeld is one of the freshest faces on this list. She stars in The Edge of Seventeen, a movie that got some serious award buzz last year. Steinfeld also starred in Ender’s Game, True Grit, and, uh, the “Bad Blood” music video. Also, like Emilia Clarke, she starred in a not-so-hot action film. But now that she’s proven her acting game is on point, and has showcased action movie capabilities, it could make her a serious contender.

5Abigail Breslin

Abigail Breslin

Breslin hasn’t starred in many projects, but she has consistently put in great performances. She’s been in Zombieland, Scream Queens, Final Girl, and Little Miss Sunshine. Breslin also starred alongside Hailee Steinfeld in Ender’s Game. Her resume is storied, and she’s tackled several genres. Breslin could definitely pull off the badass younger Batgirl, and could also deliver Whedon’s quippy dialogue.

4Jane Levy

Jane Levy

Jane Levy has done a lot of great work in recent horror films. Her most recent credits include Don’t Breathe and the Evil Dead remake. It may not be superhero action experience, but it does require similar skills. She was also the star of Suburgatory, which means she’s got good name value. Plus, she’s a recognizable redhead, a well-known trait of Barbara Gordon. Avoiding awkward red-haired wigs is definitely a plus.

3Lyndsy Fonseca

Lyndsy Fonseca is a somewhat more obscure face. She hasn’t had as many starring roles as the other choices. But she’s appeared in many big projects that you might know. For instance, Fonseca played the love interest in teenage superhero flick Kick-Ass. She’s also appeared in the CW’s Nikita reboot, and Marvel’s short-lived Agent Carter series. Fonseca fits a great age range and action-comedy experience to make a great Batgirl.

2Brittany Snow

Brittany Snow This casting choice is the biggest reach. Snow hasn’t been in an action film like the others. She has done a lot of comedy, in projects like Pitch Perfect and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Snow will also be in the upcoming crime drama Hangman, and is in drama film Call Me Crazy: A Five Film. Depending on how much Whedon leans on the comedy, Brittany Snow could make a good Batgirl. Plus, we know Whedon has a thing for musicals, and Snow is no stranger to those.

1Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts has risen the ranks of young Hollywood stars. She’s starred in projects like Nerve, Meet the Millers, and Palo Alto. Roberts has also been a star player of Fox’s Scream Queens series. She probably has the most name value on the list, aside from maybe Emilia Clarke. Now many of her starring roles were Disney kid flicks like Aquamarine and Hotel for Dogs. They may not be anyone’s favorites, but she knows how to carry a female-driven semi-comedic role.

WHO WOULD YOU CAST AS BATGIRL? LET US KNOW YOUR CHOICES IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

Review: ‘The Fate of the Furious’ High Octane Brainless Entertainment

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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The Fate of the Furious is the most ridiculous and improbable installment of this franchise, but it was still highly entertaining.

Summary

The film starts with Dom (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) enjoying all that Havana has to offer on their delayed honeymoon. A cousin gets in deep with a “Car Shark” and rather than just allow them to work it out, Dom offers to help settle the matter with a little race around what is referred to as the “Cuban” mile. Dom’s victory was short lived as he runs into a mysterious woman named Cipher (Charlize Theron). Cipher appears to have some information that ultimately persuades Dom to betray his family and join her criminal operation. The next 2/3 of the film is a mixture of his crew coming to terms with Dom’s betrayal and Vin Diesel’s attempts to appear conflicted.

Acting

Anyone who chooses to see this picture in hopes of witnessing some great acting might want to rethink their life choices. Charlize Theron and Vin Diesel both put forth serviceable efforts. Theron’s performance gives Cipher some depth which makes her at least interesting. However, the character never leaves the friendly confines of her flying fortress, which kills any character development. Diesel attempts to project being conflicted over betraying his family, but only succeeds in making us want the “old Dominic” back. Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson provide brief moments of comedic relief. Michelle Rodriguez’s character is perennially mad at the world, but at least this time she has a good reason to be. The Rock’s character, Hobbs, settles into the role of doing completely unrealistic acts in the name of defeating the enemy.

Direction/Writing

Director F. Gary Gray certainly showed that he’s more than capable handling a massive budget of $250 million. The Fate of the Furious proceeds with relentless ferocity: flashes of destruction involving million dollar cars, tanks on ice, and the Rock just kicking a torpedo to the side. Gray brought the audience in closer with his technique of shooting in close during the most intense action sequences. His technique originated when he shot The Italian Job in 2003. One example is during the sequence when Dom’s team is getting away from the German authorities. As the Germans get closer to the group, they release two wrecking balls going in different directions. The shot first started from the vantage point of the wrecking ball and quickly transitioned to a tight shot of the police car being destroyed.

The biggest problem facing The Fate of the Furious is how the narrative is constructed. In the past, the story centered around Dominic and Brian. The give and take between these two characters gave those movies heart. Even when Brian (played by the late Paul Walker) was written off, the dynamic between Dom and Hobbs had at least a similar feel to it. In this picture, our hero is now the bad guy, and it throws the dynamic of the film off. While the reason why Dom ends up turning against his team is totally legit, Vin Diesel doesn’t sell the story line at all. Furthermore, this puts much of the heavy lifting in the film with an ensemble that has yet to show they can carry the load. It would have been better if Cipher had ended up killing Dom and Hobbs took over the group seeking vengeance.

Overall

The Fate of the Furious falls just short of the high standards set by the franchise. That’s not to say the film isn’t entertaining. In fact, everyone should go see it this weekend. Just go into the theater with diminished expectations and make sure to turn off your brain before you sit down.

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Watch: “A Tribute To Carrie Fisher”, From Star Wars Celebration 2017

By

Aric Sweeny

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April 14, 2017

Star Wars Celebration 2017 is in full swing. Today, April 14, is when we get news related to The Last Jedi and future films. Yesterday, however, was for reflection.

The company’s official Youtube channel posted a tribute video that was aired for Carrie Fisher.

Fisher tragically passed away on December 27, 2016. She will always be looked at as an inspiration for young women getting into film.

May the force be with you.

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About Last Night – Episode 8: ‘The Fate Of The Furious’ Video Review

By

EJ Moreno

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April 14, 2017

Monkeys Fighting Robots Exclusive: ‘The Fate Of The Furious’ Video Review

About Last Night is a movie review show, where movie critic EJ Moreno talks about the film he saw last night. This week’s episode is about the film ‘The Fate of The Furious‘.

The eighth episode of About Last Night dives in the eighth installment in ‘The Fast And The Furious’ franchise. Could these films become the American version of the Bond series?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szD4C6b_DhM

The film stars Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Kurt Russell, Scott Eastwood, Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren.

It’s written by Chris Morgan and directed by F. Gary Gray.

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Check out ‘The Fate of The Furious‘, in theaters now!

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Her Universe Announces New Lines at Star Wars Celebration

By

Karen Walsh

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April 14, 2017

Her Universe has been one of the femmegeek standards since it opened in 2010. Every time I went to Star Wars Weekends (insert moment of silence), one of the things I’d search for was Ms. Eckstein’s newest pieces. I even bought a dress to have her sign just so that I could meet her.

So color me nerdly happy when I woke up this morning to see that Laughing Place reported a whole new line of Her Universe stuff that’s in the hopper. (Check out the original for the discussions from the panel and some stuff that didn’t make it into this post!)

Y’all check this out. First, and I say this from a place of love, I never want to another article of clothing if I can’t have the hoodie below. I mean, you people are basically going to have to deal with a naked from the waist up me if I don’t get this when it comes out. It’s BB-8 everyone. B.B.8. (You may not know me well enough yet? But I have something that someone might call… well, I like passion. Everyone else uses “obsession.” Haters.)

There’s also some really great Stars Wars stuff that isn’t BB-8 based. The new AT-AT skirt looks kind of amazing. Laughing Place mentioned the poodle skirt design, but I thought that was just the shape. It wasn’t until I went back and looked at it that I said, “Dude, riiiigggght. AT-ATs look like dogs. Poodles are dogs. I get it now!” The idea is just the kind of referential design brilliance that Her Universe does so well.

These kinds of references have meaning for femmegeeks in the workplace. Her Universe manages to abstract fandom to make it fit in with daily life while making it completely recognizable to the nerd girl. These patterns come in perfect for women wanting to rep their fandoms in the office. Take a look at the Alice in Wonderland magic teacup inspired works here. Really? If I still worked corporate, I could crazy rep my fandom and the conservative insurance industry would have no idea what I was doing. It’s like being an undercover geek. Totally, beautifully, femmely subserversive.

Then we have things like the Haunted Mansion inspired stuff. To be honest, I almost almost wish I had a wedding to go to. (No, not really…I hate weddings. But you get the fancy idea.) The lines on these and the designs make them perfect fancy wear. Honestly, I love the pink one the most because it reminds me of Anna from Frozen.

All in all, it’s exciting to see where Her Universe is taking these new designs. I love the fandoms that they rep. I also like seeing them go a little further to be able to add more types of fans and more styles.

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