iZombie Review: “Zombie Knows Best”

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“No, no, no. If they want to eat brain mash, let them eat brain mash. In this house, we eat whole brains and solve murders.”

Often times on a television show the outsiders are the true anchors of the story. For over two seasons now Malcolm Goodwin’s portrayal of Clive Babineaux has been the most underappreciated performance of the series. Clive is a seemingly rooted person, but there is a side of him that is always underlying. How does a seemingly rational person believe for one second that the girl in the morgue is a psychic? That notion exists, because buried under that rough and tough cop exterior, the good detective is a believer with a hidden gooey center. This is why he ignored all the signs at first, but thankfully the detective figured out Liv’s secret so we could finally see “Team Z” whole.

Most of Goodwin’s storylines to this point have dealt with Clive suppressing his feelings, so you can understand how refreshing it was seeing Babineaux rattled at the death of his former neighbor Wally. Raised under the roof of an abusive father, Wally was taken in by Clive after the detective arrested dear ole’ Dad for hitting his mother. Clive took a liking to young Wallace, but couldn’t help but having eyes for his mom too.

Not to sound like a broken record, but again it is refreshing to see Goodwin play a younger, less jaded, more mustached Babineaux in the flashbacks. With his new boss grilling him about his relation with the dead bodies it was amazing watching the layers of Clive. Thank god Rob Thomas (not of matchbox 20, but there was this) has let Goodwin off the gruff leash and given him something to sink his teeth into. We are no closer to figuring out who murdered Wally, but at least there is some skins in the game now.

Fortunately, not everything was kid shootings and baby daddy drama, as we got some outstanding comic relief from Liv and Major. While Clive was dealing with Wally, the two zombies digested the brains of a recently murdered father and daughter. Liv and Major’s relationship has had many incarnations over the course of iZombie, but father and daughter were one no fans saw coming.

If Clive was the star of “Zombie Knows Best,” Robert Buckley’s Major was the MVP. Viewers expect Liv’s zany actions on the “thinkin’ stuff,” but to see Buckley go full on teenage girl was an absolute joy to behold! Surely, female (and some male I’m more than sure) viewers played the bathroom selfie scene back more than a few times, but the former One Tree Hill alum (R.I.P Q) gave us a peek at his comedic side. Also anytime you can hear a former college football player whine “I’m going to mercenary training GOD!” is a good time.

Liv was given the week off from the heavy lifting of the episode, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Rose McIver is brilliant weekly as Liv, but any great star needs to share the ball with the role players. Don’t worry though, Liv was still able to give a great heart to heart to Ravi thanks to the “dad brain.” Oh, and she solved the mystery, whose plot twist harkens back to Thomas’ other smash hit Veronica Mars. In the future, however, I think it would be smart for The CW to steer away from this. Comparisons of the show are bound to happen, but iZombie needs to carve a niche out of its own.

Brains for thought…

What did you all think of “Zombie Know Best?” Comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @themikeycuralli!

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Josh Brolin Cast as Cable in ‘Deadpool 2’

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Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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April 12, 2017

After a string of rumors and theories as to who will play Cable in Deadpool 2, it looks like Josh Brolin is the last man standing.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Brolin will play the photo negative to Ryan Reynolds’ merc with a mouth. From THR[Cable] is described as in many ways being the opposite of Deadpool: a man who is a leader and used to being obeyed, who is very controlled but with an aura of simmering violence. In the comics, Cable was from the future and was the adult son of Scott Summers.”

The barrage of people who were trying to land this role included Michael Shannon, David Harbour, and Don’t Breathe’s Stephen Lang. This will also mark Josh Brolin’s second Marvel property, as he will be Thanos for the upcoming Infinity Wars films (and beyond).

Josh Brolin feels like a solid fit. He’s a reliable performer, and his work in Sicario sort of fits in sideways with the Cable character. No qualms here.

Deadpool 2 will hit theaters in 2018.

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Let’s Have Some Fun, Rank the ‘Fast and Furious’ Films

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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April 12, 2017

The Fate of The Furious is coming out this weekend, the eighth entry into the little franchise that could… blow shit up and crash cars like a boss. Early critical returns aren’t too promising, but that doesn’t really matter. The Fast and Furious franchise has grown from a small Point Break cover song into a collage of high-octane, super spy action thriller franchise like no other. So let’s have some fun, I’ll rank them and you tell me if I’m spot on or I’m a complete idiot…

1Fast Five

Dwayne Johnson can resurrect just about any franchise he wants. And Fast Five was his crowning achievement. The inclusion of Johnson here, as Agent Hobbs, gives Diesel a worthy physical adversary. But beyond Johnson’s involvement, Fast Five strikes the perfect balance between absurd action and actual narrative competence. The safe-dragging scene here is one of the best in the entire series, and the Fast and Furious films were never better all the way around.

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Does ‘The Fate Of The Furious’ Finally Jump The Shark?

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

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The Bottom Line (Audio Summary)

The Fate of the Furious is the eighth movie in The Fast and the Furious franchise, in which series protagonist Dominic Toretto seemingly betrays his team to pull heists for a dreadlocked Charlize Theron. As the story unfolds, the family has to figure out if they can get Dom back, or if they’ll need to take him out. To make it to eight movies is no small feat, so how does this movie stack up against its predecessors?

What Worked

These movies are all about over-the-top action that defies the laws of physics. That’s proved true yet again, as Fate of the Furious has some of the franchise’s most insane and unbelievable stunt work yet. If that’s all you hope and need to get from this experience, then you’re in for a treat.

The chemistry among the team is also a big selling point to see Fate. It’s so much fun watching these characters interact, and after eight movies it’s no wonder the actors really do feel like family. Even new players like Scott Eastwood fall into place perfectly. The acting itself isn’t always great, in fact sometimes it’s downright bad, but the chemistry seems to make up for that.

Special shout outs go to Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham for delivering both the film’s best combat scenes and the most overall fun performances. The two fit so well into this franchise; hopefully they stick around for its duration.

Honestly, this movie has heart, which is the one thing that keeps this series alive. As dumb as the action can get, the characters and their relationships are compelling enough to make this more than just a paint-by-numbers blockbuster.

What Didn’t Work

Like I said, these flicks are about crazy stunts, and they have to top themselves with each movie. But there’s always a point in each movie where it seems they go just a hair too far. In Fate, that point comes in the climax where the team is speeding away from Russian separatists across ice. That in itself isn’t too far, and the car stunts are acceptable, but what the characters were able to do on the ice when they’re outside of their cars seemed like overkill. It’s hard to complain without spoilers, so you’ll have to see and judge for yourself.

The dialogue in this movie is also hands down some of the worst dialogue ever written. Granted, most folks don’t go see a Fast and the Furious movie for the dialogue, but it still needs to be pointed out. Some one liners were so contrived that they were actually distracting. If bad dialogue is something that takes you out of a movie and ruins the experience for you, maybe steer clear of Fate of the Furious. But if you’re a stickler for writing and dialogue, there’s a good chance you weren’t planning on seeing it anyway.

What are your thoughts on the Fast and the Furious franchise? Which film in the series is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

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Jude Law To Play Young Dumbledore In ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Sequel

By

Anthony Caruso

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April 12, 2017

Since it was announced that Albus Dumbledore would be appearing in the sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, fans have speculated who would be cast to play the younger version of the beloved Hogwarts’ Headmaster. Today, we got our answer.

Per Entertainment Weekly, Jude Law will pick up the famous wizard’s wand.

Continue

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New ‘Justice League’ Poster Unites Earth’s Greatest Heroes

By

Kieran McLean

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April 12, 2017

Warner Bros. and DC Comics have released another poster for Justice League, and while the image doesn’t feature Henry Cavill’s Superman it does give us a great look at the League assembled and together.

The image features Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg standing together looking into the bright light ahead. Much like the individual character posters, this promo seems to tease the brighter approach to these iconic characters from Director Zack Snyder.

fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Justice League is directed by Zack Snyder and stars Ben Affleck (Batman), Henry Cavill (Superman), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Ezra Miller (The Flash), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Ray Fisher (Cyborg), Ciarán Hinds (Steppenwolf), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Diane Lane (Martha Kent), Jeremy Irons (Alfred Pennyworth), J.K. Simmons (Commissioner Gordon), Amber Heard (Mera), Kiersey Clemons (Iris West) and Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor).

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Never Gonna Give You Hops: Rick Astley Has A Beer?

By

Devon Kenney

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April 12, 2017

Rick Astley

Yes. That Rick Astley

The 80s crooner has brewed his own beer with Danish microbrewery Mikkeller. April 13th marks the day of release for this wonderful beverage which also coincides with the sold out concert at Royal Albert Hall.

As bizarre as this all sounds, he is not the first musician to take a shot into the beverage business. Justin Timberlake is not just the face of 901 Sauza Tequila, but he actually is the maker too. Boy band Hanson found their way into the craft beer world, and now have ‘MMMHOPS’ to show just how big craft beer nerds they are.

But is anyone thinking ‘Rick Astley?’

Are we being ‘Rick Rolled’?

Actually, no. Mikkel Borg Bjergsø the founder of Mikkeller was a huge fan. It all started with a rumor of Rick living in Amager, Copenhagen.

“When I heard the news, I immediately thought we should brew a beer with him,” explains the brewer and founder of Mikkeller, Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, who as a pre-teen had posters of Rick Astley hanging on his wall in his childhood home in Nivå and hits such as ’Never Gonna Give You Up’ and ’Whenever You Need Somebody’ on repeat in the walkman.

As it turns out, Astley has been living in London, but that didn’t stop Bjergso from reaching out. They talked over Skype, and really the rest is history.

Red Lager with a touch of ginger like Astley himself. Astley’s Northern Hop will be only available through Mikkellers normal distribution, and at the Bottle Shop UK.

Unfortunately, us Americans won’t be able to get a hand on it, unless we have connections in the UK.

Learn more about the rad beer, along with other awesome beer news from BeerPulse.

Until next time beer snobs!

Go listen to the song.. you know you want to!

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ[/embedyt]

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Which Movies Make The Best Slots Games?

By

Don Draper

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April 12, 2017

Given that Hollywood are determined to squeeze every last dollar out of their movie releases, it’s no surprise to find that some films are licensed in some surprising places. So once they’ve sold their movies for licensed use as condoms, coffins and sleeping bags, what better than a good online slots game to really let that film iconography shine?

The 1963 movie Cleopatra was one of Hollywood’s most ambitious projects. Not only did it nearly manage to bankrupt 20th Century Fox, but it also killed the traditional blockbuster epic whilst doing so.

However, it wasn’t just immortal romance between its stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton that lives on, as key images and themes that dominated the Joseph L Mankiewicz-directed movie have managed to survive in the exotic Egyptian imagery of the Cleopatra online slots game over at the MrSmithCasino website.

What’s key to making the leap from the movie screen to the slots game is easily identifiable iconography. So whether it’s the towering ape of King Kong or the terrifying dinosaurs of Jurassic Park, they all manage to make the suitably monster-sized impression on the casino games. Furthermore, these titles lack a singular identifiable human star, so that they can all live on in an endless series of sequels for true cinematic and gaming immortality!

Whilst the rampaging gorillas and fearsome prehistoric creatures of these mainstream movies might be an attractive motif for slots game manufacturers to use, some developers have taken some alternative ideas.

For example, whilst the thought of a Bruce Lee slots game might sound a little anachronistic, it’s worthwhile mentioning that the martial arts star has appeared in many video games, including a controversial appearance in a UFC game that was created by EA Sports.

In addition to this, Bruce Lee is still a massive global star. And as the online revolution means that movies and games can cross borders with ease, it makes perfect sense for games developers to utilize stars who have an international appeal.

And surely there can’t be many more international or intergalactic stars that Superman. As well as being one of our most cherished comic book heroes, the fabled Kal-El from the planet Krypton has also made a pretty good showing at the casino by appearing in one of Mr. Smith Casino’s slots games. All of which shows just how versatile our favorite movie stars have become!

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The Power Of Movie Franchises

By

Don Draper

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April 12, 2017

The movie industry is never short of a few quid but when a studio manages to turn one of its features into a brand blown franchise, that is when the serious money can be made.

Huge money-spinning movie franchises are extremely prominent in the industry these days. Take for example the top 20 movies listed in the current all-time worldwide box office. No less than 17 of these movies all belong to a franchise in one form of another with their accumulated gross totaling billions. Even ‘Avatar’ director James Cameron, the movie that currently tops the list and looks to be almost untouchable at the moment, is busy preparing a reported 3 sequels to the action-packed sci-fi 3D epic which we will be able to look forward to in the near future.

If you have the ideas and you can build a rich and detailed universe around your movie, or the characters that populate it then you could be on to a winner. Building a successful franchise these days doesn’t appear to be that difficult but the stronger the theme of a movie and the more appeal it has across a diverse movie-going market the better chance it will have of growing and growing.

Take a look at ‘Star Wars’, arguably the biggest and richest movie franchise of all time. You can see why Disney was keen to buy this up and when you combine the merchandising with a number of new and exciting movies and spin-offs based on the ‘Star Wars’ series, you can just imagine how impactful this new partnership will be in terms of driving revenue and increasing their ticket sales at the box office in the future.

In more recent times the power of the franchise has been very substantial at the box office with the likes of huge hitters such as ‘The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit’, ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Twilight’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, ‘Transformers’ and the revived ‘Fast and Furious’ series all generating huge takings both domestically and internationally.

Whilst ticket sales and bums in seats play a massive part in future decisions for studios to decide whether sequels or prequels should be greenlit, it is often the post-release revenue that can be a game-changer. The majority of the franchises we mentioned here have all been able to take full advantage of merchandising opportunities, spin-offs and other marketing deals. It doesn’t matter if its collectibles, apparel, toys, online and board games or even casino game spinoffs like those at Play Cosmo, the opportunity to push a new brand into the market off the back of a popular movie release is a no-brainer.

When you consider just how big these franchises can grow you only need to look at the current trend of superhero and comic-book adaptations that are constantly popping up in theaters. There’s already a rich source of influence and iconic characters that can be found in the pages of Marvel comic books and when you begin blending these worlds together and bringing multiple leading characters together for special team-ups such as ‘The Avengers’ and the upcoming ‘Justice League’ movies the possibilities for continual franchises are endless.

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Bendis’ Messy ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ Run Ends With A Mess

By

Brandon J. Griffin

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April 12, 2017

The pride and joy of Marvel Comics, Brian Michael Bendis, has seen better days. He’s one of the most celebrated comic book writers of the last 20 years, but not everything can be gold. Bendis has been writing Guardians since 2013, his tenure now comes to a close in 2017. This messy Guardians Of The Galaxy run ends with another mess.

Star-Lord and his galaxy-guarding crew has been “grounded” since Civil War II, where their ship was destroyed. Thanos collaborates with his fellow cosmic villains and decides to invade Earth. Every hero on Earth is apparently busy, other than the Guardians. They defeat Thanos, Rocket puts a ship together, they finally get back to space.

The story here is boring and misguided, trying to get to the end as fast as possible. It’s full of half-hearted tying of loose ends and farewells that have no impact. The only purpose it serves is getting the core together and getting them back into space.

There are a total of eight artists on this one issue for some reason. Some of the pages are beautiful, including the best that “Space Venom” has ever looked. Other pages are as dull and uninspired as the story they’re telling.

One of the problems with Bendis’ Guardians is that instead of putting the team in cosmic situations and stories, he continuously forced Earth heroes into cosmic stories. It started with Iron Man in the very first arc Bendis wrote. From there the team included the likes of Kitty Pryde, Venom, The Thing, and Angela.

In the classic run by Abnett & Lanning, the lineup constantly evolved, but not until after the core was well established. It’s not that Bendis included non-cosmic heroes, it’s that the cosmic element took a back seat. The relationships between the core members were never fleshed out before they started crossing over with Iron Man and the X-Men. What readers will remember the most about these four years are “Space Venom” and that Kitty was engaged to Peter Quill (not a positive memory).

The best thing about this issue is that when it’s over, the core members of the team are leaving Earth behind. They’re also shedding the honorary members for good. I understand that without the Richards family, The Thing and Human Torch have to find something to do. It just didn’t work out the way Marvel wanted it to.

Brian Michael Bendis’ run wasn’t all bad, it got off to an okay start even with Iron Man being forced in there. It progressively got worse and worse, the biggest reason not even being his fault. After the success of the Guardians Of The Galaxy film, Marvel clearly wanted the tone and look of the comics to mirror the movie.

The characterizations for the entire team got farther and farther away from the Abnett versions the longer the series went on. Star-Lord especially has been almost completely morphed following the movie’s success. Every relaunch was another creative filter Marvel ran Star-Lord through, resulting in an annoyingly bored version of the one played by Chris Pratt.

Perhaps the issues with Bendis’ Guardians Of The Galaxy run aren’t even his fault. Marvel could have been limiting him from the start and pushing their MCU agenda into his ideas. Even so, halfway through his four years on the title, Bendis was clearly less interested and focused on the title and decided to eventually walk away.

Guardians Of The Galaxy #19 is a perfectly misguided ending to a messy run of comic book stories. There’s nothing carrying any weight, or worthy of note, outside of the team leaving Earth. Readers, along with these heroes, can finally move on.

If the taste left in readers’ mouths isn’t too overwhelming, we do have a new series to look forward to. Hopefully this will be the return to form for our beloved cosmic heroes we deserve.

What do you think of Bendis’ time on GOTG? Will you be reading the new series? Let us know in the comments below!

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