Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit is finally close on the horizon, and we have a new trailer and a poster to get fans ready. And the cast is incredible.
Check it out:
And here is the disorienting new poster:
I particularly enjoy the exchange between John Boyega and the military officer at the beginning of this trailer: “Don’t push it, man.” Enough said.
Along with Boyega, Detroit stars John Krasinski, Will Poulter, Jack Reynor, Hannah Murray, and Anthony Mackie. And Mark Boal, Bigelow’s go to screenwriter (Zero Dark Thirty, The Hurt Locker), is back for this one. This trailer is amazing, and Kathryn Bigelow is amazing.
Detroit could wind up being something very rare these days, a Best Picture hopeful released during the summer months. And August 4 no less. Regardless of the release date, this has the potential to be incredible.
2017 Is Turning Out To Be One Of The Craziest Years In WWE History
WWE is finally getting a welcomed change. Things are “shaking up”, if you will.
Last year’s Brand Draft divided the rosters of wrestlers and kicked in motion something that is now finally paying off. After 2017’s Superstar Shakeup and the aftermath of Wrestlemania, it’s important to look at where WWE will go from here.
Rosters:
MOVED TO RAW-
Apollo Crews, Miz/Maryse, Dean Ambrose, Curt Hawkins, Bray Wyatt, Kalisto, Rhyno & Heath Slater, Elias Samson, Alexa Bliss, Mickie James
MOVED TO SMACKDOWN- Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Epico & Primo, Jinder Mahal, Tamina Snuka, Charlotte, Rusev, Sin Cara, The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods)
Now that the Superstar Shake-up is completed, the rosters seem set. While a number of wrestlers switched brands, there is only a few notable changes.
Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt going to RAW is extremely refreshing. Also, putting Mickie James and Alexa Bliss on Monday Night’s seems like a genius choice. Debuting Elias Samson during this time is smart as it instantly puts his name in headlines. Sadly, a few “shakeup spots” were wasted on picks like Curt Hawkins and the Slater/Rhyno pairing.
Moving Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Charlotte will only help each wrestler shine. Monday Night Raw is where so many can get lost in the shuffle and I think Smackdown will eat up their talents. Also, imagine the Kevin Owens and ShinsukeNakamura feud! Speaking of Nakamura, he made his long awaited debut on the main roster following ‘Mania. He’ll prove to be the best NXT call-up ever.
Champions:
Wrestlemania 33 put in place the pieces that would be the current state of WWE Champions. The WWE Heavyweight Title and Universal Title both changed hands that evening, while the undercard more or less stayed the same.
The Superstar Shakeup put the Intercontinental Title on Raw when Dean Ambrose was drafted. It also caused Kevin Owens to bring the U.S. Title to Smackdown. The switches were obvious but instantly changes up the respective midcards.
Both Women’s Titles now have some fresh faces to combat for them as Alexa Bliss can take on Bayley, and Charlotte will easily dominate Smackdown. Also, expect to see Nia Jax be the Raw Women’s Champion within the year!
Tag Team wrestling for WWE still seems to be one of the weaker spots. Returning Hardy Boyz adds something fun to RAW but it seems temporary. Hopefully the amazing team of The Revival can become the brand’s main team. Smackdown was doing okay with their tag division but The New Day will only be a great foil to the brand’s more serious teams.
Feuds & Friendships:
Feuds:
Surprisingly, all the major feuds ended at Wrestlemania 33.
On the Monday Night RAW side, the top feud going forward seems to be Samoa Joe vs Seth Rollins. But I expect the impending Bray Wyatt and Finn Balor feud to trump all the rest. One of the biggest and brightest moments from Raw’s Superstar Shakeup episode is Braun Strowman annihilating Roman Reigns and setting up a great revenge for Reigns.
One of the funniest Superstar Shakeup moments was Kevin Owens thinking he was clear of his past by switching to Smackdown…only for enemy Sami Zayn to be drafted as well. The rest of Smackdown’s drama was cleared up from Wrestlemania 33 but a lot of new foes are being made. Love seeing Dolph Ziggler and Shinsuke Nakamura start a feud as Ziggler will be the best showcase of Nakamura’s “strong style”.
Friendships:
No tag teams were forced to split. No real pairings were torn apart. The Superstar Shakeup didn’t hurt any friends but did put some new faces in front of each other. Seeing The New Day on Smackdown is going to open up a whole new door to some amazing work.
There’s also hints that Alexa Bliss will be using Nia Jax as the muscle to her mouth. The women’s division needs a bit more pairings so this seems like a perfect fit. But, Smackdown seems like it’s every women for herself. Both shows have very different takes on their females and that’s great!
The Future:
Instead of being stagnate, the future of WWE is actually looking brighter.
The rise of NXT and the WWE Network started changing things but it wasn’t until the build of Wrestlemania 33 that I noticed the true shift. A lot of fresh faces shining while older names are starting to put over newer ones. It seems like the influence of Triple H’s new era is making itself known. Thankfully NXT won’t suffer as bad with the main roster stealing their talent and the main roster is using NXT’s big names as their next headliners!
What do you think? Does the landscape of WWE in 2017 look good?
“When all seems lost, a few brave souls can save everything we’ve ever known. Watch the new #Transformers trailer now.”
Are you looking forward to Transformers: The Last Knight? Although the movies are generally disliked by both fans and critics, they continue to rake in cash, which proves theres a market for these bloated, simple action flicks.
“The Last Knight shatters the core myths of the Transformers franchise, and redefines what it means to be a hero. Humans and Transformers are at war, Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Saving our world falls upon the shoulders of an unlikely alliance: Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg); Bumblebee; an English Lord (Sir Anthony Hopkins); and an Oxford Professor (Laura Haddock).
There comes a moment in everyone’s life when we are called upon to make a difference. In Transformers: The Last Knight, the hunted will become heroes. Heroes will become villains. Only one world will survive: theirs, or ours.”
Transformers: The Last Knight hits theaters on June 23, 2017.
The recently released trailer for Thor: Ragnarok is now Disney’s most viewed ever in 24 hours, according to The Hollywood Reporter; it brought in 136 million views in just a day.
Ragnarok beat out all of Disney’s other properties for this record, including the Star Wars and Pixar brands.
2017’s Beauty and the Beast was the previous record holder, and before it was Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Captain America: Civil War.
With Marvel now giving us more team up films, such as Ragnarok and Spider-Man: Homecoming, I’m sure the box office buzz will only continue to rise as we see more characters on screen together.
Now comes the question: what will have a bigger opening weeked – Thor: Ragnarok or Justice League? If you asked me a year ago, I would’ve said Justice League without hesitation. Now, however, I’m questioning that based on the sole enthusiasm around this one trailer.
“In Marvel Studios’ ‘Thor: Ragnarok’, Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok — the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization — at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger — the Incredible Hulk!”
Thor: Ragnarok stars Chris Hemsworth as the title character, Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Cate Blanchett as Hela, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Jamie Alexander as Ladie Sif, Idris Elba as Heimdall, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, and Jeff Goldblum as The Grandmaster. Taika Waititi is the director.
The film will hit theaters this Fall, on November 3.
When an actor is cast as a comic book character, it’s a common occurence to see said person brushing up on their knowledge of the character – this piece of news is no different.
Amber Heard, who’s playing Mera in Justice League and Aquaman, just posted a photo of the research she’s doing for the role.
Are you looking forward to Heard’s portrayal as Mera? Comment below, let us know!
“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 stars Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ben Affleck as Batman, Ezra Miller as Flash, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Amber Heard as Mera, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, and Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta.
The film is slated to hit theaters on November 17, 2017.
It seems it is definitely a great time to be a Stephen King fan. In addition to the recently released trailer for the new version of IT, we now have a trailer for Spike TV’s series take on The Mist, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly. Check it out below.
Horror movie fans will remember that The Mist was already adapted into a successful and well-received film by Frank Darabont. But this is a different, expanded story with all new characters.
Series creator Christian Torpe said:
I wanted to be respectful to the source material, but my feeling was there was already a great adaptation out there by Frank Darabont. The novella is 200 pages and one location, and we needed to change that to make an ongoing series. But we wanted to remain faithful to the heart of the story.
Sounds pretty cool! You can check out the rest of the lengthy interview over at EW.
What do you guys think? Can this concept be turned into a compelling, ongoing series? And can it stand (King puns intended!) on its own from the excellent film? Comment and discuss below!
Some behind the scenes footage has emerged of Marvel’s highly-anticipated Avengers: Infinity War, via JoBlo. The video gives viewers a first glimpse of Elizabeth Olson as Scarlet Witch doing battle. Check out the video below.
It doesn’t give very much away, but the clip certainly indicates the Scarlet Witch’s talents in battle. She is seen here engaging with an opponent wearing a motion caption suit but there are no clues as to who – or what – they are. The scene does appear to take place on a set representing an Earthly location, so read into that what you will…
There has been no plot revealed for Avengers: Infinity War just yet, but it will follow on from a decade of Avengers groundwork, with tons of characters and heaps of anticipation in the ultimate superhero mashup. Furthermore, it breaks industrial ground in that it is the first film to be shot entirely in IMAX, so prepare for an audiovisual feast of epic proportions!
Avengers: Infinity War is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and brings together an all-star cast including Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Brie Larson, Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Chris Evans, Vin Diesel, Paul Rudd, Zoe Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Elizabeth Olsen, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Sebastian Stan, Josh Brolin, Mark Ruffalo, Pom Klementieff. They are rumored to be joined by Peter Dinklage, Cobie Smulders and Chadwick Boseman.
Block out your diary, Avengers: Infinity War is due for release 4 May 2018.
Who do you think Elizabeth Olsen is fighting in this clip? Get the speculation going in the comments.
Sadly, if you were not born in 1989, this year marks the end of the 1980s decade. For those too young to remember, the year 1989 was a great time for films, and thus it makes it difficult to narrow things down.
Whether or not you were born in 1989, these films are important for their place in history. They have been chosen on how much of an impact they made on the world of cinema.
Glory
Glory concerns the racism black soldiers had to face in the Civil War, which makes their fight for freedom even more meaningful. The film boasts performances by Morgan Freeman, Matthew Broderick, and Denzel Washington. It also marks Washington’s first Oscar win.
Field Of Dreams
“If you build it, they will come.” With those words, Kevin Costner creates a baseball diamond in his corn fields. As a result, the ghosts of former ball players from the 1910s show up to start playing. This is one of Costner’s finest film roles, and Ray Liotta makes an impression as Shoeless Joe Jackson.
Batman
Who doesn’t love Michael Keaton as Batman?
Tim Burton succeeds in adapting the Dark Knight to the big screen. Michael Keaton’s take on Batman is a dark, brooding tour de force. Yet it is Jack Nicholson who steals the show as the Joker. Burton’s gothic atmosphere harkens to the original comics, and it feels like a world where a man would dress as a bat. The movie would pave the way for more comic book films.
Do The Right Thing
In Do The Right Thing, Spike Lee depicts rising racial tensions on a hot day in Brooklyn. The ensemble includes Danny Aiello, Samuel L. Jackson and John Turturro. Lee gives a good performance as Mookie, who’s trying to find direction in life. Danny Aiello’s turn as Sal is both complex and sympathetic. The story stays with you long after the film is over. It also begs the question of whether or not Mookie did the right thing.
Born On The Fourth Of July
This film depicts Tom Cruise at the height of his fame, and he proves his skill as a dramatic actor. Based on Ron Kovic’s life, the movie shows a man’s growth from a patriotic teen to an antiwar activist. Cruise gives a moving performance as Kovic, and it ranks among his best roles. It is Oliver Stone’s finest work as a director, and one of the best war films of all time.
Choosing these flicks was hard, so I came up with a runners-up list. It consists of Lethal Weapon 2, My Left Foot, Driving Miss Daisy, When Harry Met Sally, and Dead Poets Society. 1989 was a good year for cinema, and it is a nice way to close the decade.
Did your top films make the cut?
Like this article? Leave a comment below and let me know whatchu think. Also, don’t forget to share it with your friends.
We are mere days away from The Last Jedi trailer, but the Star Wars fandom already has a look at Supreme Leader Snoke in the new film, according to Comicbook.com.
Editor in Chief Jason Ward, of the blog “Making Star Wars“, shared what he learned about Snoke from a sneak preview at Last Jedi footage. Ward breaks down the details of both Snoke himself and his surroundings. Some details bring weight to our early Snoke theories following The Force Awakens, while some reveal new details we never had before.
It goes without saying (but we’ll say it anyway) that everything Ward shared is a spoiler for The Last Jedi. Stop here if you’re trying to stay clean before the movie drops. If you’re good to go, here’s what we’ve got on Snoke.
In The Force Awakens, the Supreme Leader is a shadowy, monochromatic hologram. Both he and Kylo stick to black and black alone for their wardrobes. In The Last Jedi, however, Snoke gets to express himself through his clothing, wearing a gold brocade robe and gold shoes to match. He uses red sparingly, to accent his metallic palate. Ward concludes: “…what he wears is probably insightful to his values and concerns as an evil being.”
Ward also points out that Snoke wears a large black ring on one of his shriveled up fingers. The ring is just as opulent as the rest of the Leader’s fashion choices, and Ward theorizes it may contain a Kyber crystal. Whether the crystal is his or was won/stolen/take off the dead body of someone else is left to our imaginations.
3. The Throne Room
Based on the details of Snoke and his surroundings, Ward points out that it’s quite obvious Snoke cares more about appearances and wealth than your average Sith. (Please do not compare him to Darth Vader the Drama Queen. That is not an average Sith.)
Snoke’s throne room is all done up in white and gold marble, which reflects the colors he chooses to wear. Doth the maiden protest too much, dressing himself in white rather than the classic Bad Guy Black? What angle are you playing, Snoke?
In order to keep all this fancy-ness safe, the Supreme Leader has a Guard. Unlike the Leader himself, however, the Guard is disappointingly bland in costume design. “The helmets are just solid red face shields to put it bluntly. I have no idea how most of them see anything. They’re faceless red guards in red armor with red capes and martial arts weapons. The new helmets do not take any design cues from the classic Royal Guards in look or shape.”
Ward explains further that while the guard LOOKS boring, they carry a variety of weapons, and will take part in their own action sequence in The Last Jedi.
2. The Knights Of Ren?
If the redshirts are Snoke’s personal Guard, then, Ward concludes, perhaps the Knights of Ren are nothing more than the same for Kylo Ren. “It is weird that there are other melee based guys in knight type outfits and they’re not the Knights of Ren.”
1. Meet the New Boss
The more we see of Snoke, the harder it is to draw lines from him to any other character in the Star Wars universe. The varied costuming, unique defenses and throne room (possibly located ON his gigantic Mega Destroyer), and emphasis on wealth makes it hard to pinpoint him as a resurrected character. We will definitely see him as a corporeal being in The Last Jedi, but his true identity remains a mystery. Anyone willing to step forward with a new theory of their own? Let us know in the comments below.
Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, from writer/director Rian Johnson, comes to theatres on December 15, 2017. Returning actors include Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux), Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Andy Serkis (Supreme Leader Snoke), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Lupita Nyong’o (Maz Kanata), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), and Carrie Fisher (General Leia Organa).
On Monday, ‘Sesame Street’ introduced, Julia, a little girl Muppet with autism and in doing so continued a long tradition of inclusiveness.
While breaking new ground isn’t anything new for ‘Sesame Street’, this is the first time the show struck a nerve with me. Two months ago, my son, Charles was diagnosed with autism. What stood out about the episode is that it didn’t seek to answer what autism was. However, it did attempt to eliminate any stigma associated with the diagnosis.
Summary
In this episode, we see Alan (Alan Muraoka) supervising Elmo, Abby, and Julia as they all try finger painting. Big Bird happens to walk up and asks what they are doing. He gets typical responses from his buddies (Elmo and Abby) but nothing out Julia. She just keeps finger painting completely ignoring his overtures of friendship. Big Bird immediately thinks that she is either shy or just doesn’t like him. Alan explains there’s much more to Julia than whether or not she’s shy or not and that she, in fact, has autism.
What Worked
The writers didn’t attempt to project any aspect of autism as being remotely simple. At one point in the episode, Big Bird asks Alan about autism and he’s initially stymied by the question. His response seemed all too real as there are times it’s hard to articulate what autism is. However, Alan’s eventual response to Big Bird’s question was perfect. He explained that Julia just handles things in a different way. Just phrasing things in that matter promotes a message of inclusion and positivity.
The episode didn’t just paint a rosy perception of autism. For example, many children with Autism have sensory issues and don’t like how things feel or different sounds. In this episode we see Julia struggling with using finger paints because she doesn’t like how they feel on her hand. She’s able to work around it by using a long paint brush. We also witness her being overwhelmed when the police siren goes off because of a sensitivity to sound. The other muppets are puzzled by this and Julia has to go to her happy place to calm down and feel better.
Julia’s speech patterns and mannerisms were extremely accurate as well. Julia repeated phrases multiple times and would move her arms up and down repeatedly when she was excited.
There is a scene where Big Bird tells Elmo and Abby that he’s never had a friend that was different like Julia. Elmo and Abby respond on how they are all different, and they’ve managed to stay friends. Such a powerful moment! It shows children that all kids are different, not just children with autism.
Overall
This episode didn’t seek to define children with autism by their diagnosis but by their actions. While Julia didn’t finger paint in the same manner that the other kids did, when she was done, she had wonderfully drawn a picture of her favorite stuffed Bunny. It’s what we do that makes us amazing! What a great message for everyone.
