In the latest episode of the FilmKind Podcast, Kieran discusses and reviews Life, the new science-fiction thriller from director Daniel Espinosa. Was this movie a complete rip-off of the Alien franchise? Was it worth the stress? Listen to my spoiler-free review and find out!
The FilmKind Podcast is an awesome new show discussing the latest movies and movie related content. With amazing weekly episodes and detailed reviews!
Listen to the FilmKind Podcasts review of Life below!
Astronauts (Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds) aboard the International Space Station are on the cutting edge of one of the most important discoveries in human history: the first evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. As members of the crew conduct their research, the rapidly evolving life-form proves far more intelligent and terrifying than anyone could have imagined.
For more episodes of the FilmKind Podcast, check out the links below!
With the recent release of Makoto Shinkai’s Kimi no Na ha (Your Name), his exposure in America is slowly coming to light. Taking the top spot for highest grossing Anime film from Miyazaki’s Spirited away, the spotlights finally shine on the genius Makoto Shinkai.
Shinkai’s first piece, Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Bashou (The Place Promised in Our Early Days), debuted in 2004. Ever since then Shinkai has continued to improve and received accolades accordingly. Truly breaking out with Byousoku Go Centimeter (5 Centimeters Per Second), everyone seemed to know that he was something special. Not quite yet comparable to Miyazaki but well on his way.
If you have seen a Shinkai film, it is unmistakable as to what he delivers in comparison to others. The breathtaking scenery with a focus on details that the naked eye might miss. Being able to take the simplistic and turn it into picture-perfect settings has become the Shinkai trademark. In some respects, it feels as though Miyazaki and Shinkai stand at polar opposites when it comes to production. While Miyazaki is recognized for his characters and story, Shinkai has taken the artwork route as his claim to fame.
Is Shinkai the next Miyazaki?
With the onset of the Shinkai wave already upon us, will Makoto Shinkai take the role of the next great anime film producer? To some extent he already is, but where Miyazaki had shown is what Shinkai currently lacks. To date, Makoto Shinkai has produced either Slice of Life or Romance based films, limiting his current repertoire. While it has aided him in drawing lifelike images due to extensive research of said areas, it makes the most memorable thing about the movies its realism. Maybe that is why his storytelling avoids fantasy to focus on the relatable. Miyazaki, on the other hand, was heralded for his storytelling in combination with characters. This was only personified further with an animation style fitting the times.
It seems almost fitting since Miyazaki will eventually retire even though his actions seem to say different. Shinkai, now 44 years old, still has many more years before retirement and we can expect more masterpieces to emerge. With the modern appeal that Makoto Shinkai has produced, it begs the question if his stories will always reflect his realistic animation values. Will he continue to write on more relatable topics set in the overused high school setting or take a risk and create outside of his comfort zone? Either way, it seems that Shinkai has set the table to become the modern Hayao Miyazaki for the anime industry.
Disney/Pixar’s Cars 3 Road to the Races Tour made a stop in Tampa this week, and fans were eager to see what was in store for the third film. Among the showcase of merchandise and Cars themed activities, Disney/Pixar showed a twelve-minute sneak peak of Cars 3. Here are five things that stood out about one the summer’s most anticipated releases.
1So Close
Cars 3 is attempting to get fans closer to the action than ever before. In the clips that were shown at the event, we saw multiple close-up shots of the tires, the race wall, and how close the races truly are. Previously, the focus was placed more on the surroundings these characters inhabited and not on the actual cars themselves. This certainly is a welcomed change.
Bedrock is in ruins and its citizens believe their mayor, Clod the Destroyer, is to blame! Meanwhile, Bamm-Bamm develops his first crush. Can his best friend Pebbles help him get the girl?
Writing
Again the description is only half right about what is happening in this issue. Clod the Destroyer does ruin the city but there is nothing about Bamm-Bamm getting a crush. Instead, it features Barney and Fred loving chick flicks such as “Bridges of Madistone County” (which was pretty funny) as Wilma’s art lands her a job. Also, tragedy strikes a member of the cast.
It’s amazing how much we’ve grown attached to these characters. Even though it wasn’t one of the main cast, it does feel like a friend is lost in the course of the issue. Luckily, knowing how much of a dower point this would be, the rest of the issue is peppered with comedy. Jokes about people in power being stupid and the aforementioned sub-plot about the guys sneaking off to watch films in disguise are very amusing. Mark Russell once again delivers a powerful issue which will leave people talking about what is going on in the world and at the same time make them laugh their heads off.
Artwork
Steven Pugh on art and Chris Chuckry on colors are the perfect team to work on this issue. Their combined efforts deliver a perfect punch of comedy and drama which helps you to laugh and cry at the same time. Also, the pair did a fantastic job with the different dinosaurs drawn in this issue. If there ever is a chance of a reboot of the old series Dino Riders, these two need to be on it.
Conclusion
You’re probably getting sick of this site saying the same thing over and over again, but “Read this book.” It’s just too good not to talk about, especially when the quality hasn’t diminished for a single issue. It’s depressing this series only has two more issues left because if they kept up the quality at this magnitude, the audience would probably keep reading to issue #100.
The nominees for the 2017 Webby Awards were announced Tuesday. The Webbys recognize videos, websites, and podcasts that beamed into our internet-connected devices.
Amidst a completely divided internet on topics related to politics and culture progression, humor was something that united audiences. Funny or Die’s Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis featuring Hillary Clinton, Lebron: the Musical, and Marty McFly & Doc Brown visit Jimmy Kimmel Live were nominated in the viral video category.
Other nominees include Lady Gaga and Intel’s tribute to David Bowie, Stranger Things on Netflix, and Pokemon Go.
The organizations earning the highest number of nominations this year include Google (16), BBC (12), National Geographic (12), HBO (10), ESPN (9), the New York Times (9), Squarespace (7), BuzzFeed (7), CollegeHumor (5), and The Onion (4).
You can find the entire list of 2017 nominees here.
Each Webby category features two awards. The Webby Award, as voted by members of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). The People’s Voice Award, however, are selected by you… the people.
“Webby Nominees are using the internet in incredible ways to bring people together through humor, emotion, innovation, empathy, passion, optimism and eccentricity — all of the elements that make for truly great internet,” said Webby Awards executive director David-Michel Davies. “In a year marked by so much discord and divisiveness, the Webby Awards is honored to recognized the work and efforts of our nominees as they explore new ways to use the internet to inform our world and bring people together.”
Established in 1996, when the web browser of choice was Netscape Navigator, The Webbys honor excellence in various web media categories. These include Websites, Film & Video, Advertising, Media & PR, Social, Mobile Sites & Apps, and Podcasts & Digital Audio.
Some of last year’s winners include Lena Dunham, Tyler Oakley, and Krysten Ritter. The awards are handed out by members of the IADAS, which includes Kevin Spacey, Questlove, and Jimmy Kimmel.
Winners are announced on April 25. Clips of the show will be available on demand at webbyawards.com shortly thereafter.
What would you nominate for a Webby? Let us know in the comments!
The Justice League is being assembled for the first time in cinematic history, and we finally know who they’ll be fighting. Zack Snyder’s Justice League will see Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Superman (Henry Cavill), The Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) fight the general of Darkseid’s army, Steppenwolf.
In a new interview with The Independent UK, Game of Thrones star Ciarán Hinds confirmed that he will portray Steppenwolf in Justice League and offered some interesting new details about the character. Steppenwolf is a DC Comics villain that a lot of audience members might not know, but from the sounds of things, he’ll be a really interesting and layered character.
“He’s old, tired, still trying to get out of his own enslavement to Darkseid, [but] he has to keep on this line to try and take over worlds.”
For month’s we’ve wondered what Steppenwolf will actually look like when we see him in Justice League, and until now we weren’t 100% sure how the character will be put on screen. According to Hinds, Steppenwolf will be created using motion-capture and CGI, but we will get to see certain elements of the actor.
“Basically they’re going to construct something, digitally, and then they will use my eyes and mouth.”
It’s not surprising to hear that Steppenwolf will be created using motion-capture technology. Snyder is known for using a lot of CGI in these movies and a god-like character like Steppenwolf will definitely benefit from some CGI creation.
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).
Justice League lands in theaters on November 17, 2017!
Marvel is preparing to once again expand its television universe! The television adaptation of Marvel’s New Warriors has been given a straight-to-series order at Freeform. The show will mark Marvel’s first live-action, scripted comedy series.
Freeform has ordered ten 30-minute-long episodes, which will premiere on the network in 2018. New Warriors is about a group of young individuals with powers, who work and live together to make a real difference in the world, even though their powers don’t compare to other superhero teams like The Avengers.
The series will also feature the fan-favorite superhero, Squirrel Girl a.k.a Doreen Green. The character has the powers of a Squirrel meaning she is incredibly acrobatic and has the ability to communicate with Squirrels.
New Warriors will be the second Marvel television series to premiere on Freeform. The network will also air the upcoming Cloak & Dagger series starring Aubrey Joseph and Olivia Holt.
Marvel’s head of television and series executive producer Jeph Loeb discussed the addition of the New Warriors to Freeforms scheduling. See what he had to say below!
“’Marvel’s New Warriors’ have always been fan favorites and now particularly with the addition of Squirrel Girl, they are Marvel Television favorites as well, After the amazing experience we’ve had with Freeform on ‘Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger’ we can’t think of a better place for our young heroes.”
The series doesn’t have an exact release date but will land in 2018.
Iron Fist is probably one of the most controversial project Marvel has produced. Many have decried the series, many calling it Marvel’s first bomb. However, a large amount of complaints were not completely based off the content of the series. The majority of complaint around the show is centered on race. Particularly, the casting of a white man as Iron Fist has upset many. People wanted Danny Rand to be an Asian, character, instead of a white man.
The big issue around Rand’s casting, for many, is the “white savior” narrative. It’s the trope of a white hero coming in to save a non-white nation. The reason it’s problematic is it implies non-white people require a white man to save them. This is the same scandal that surrounds movies like The Great Wall or Ghost in the Shell. The perception of Iron Fist, along with the previously mentioned films, was that it follows this problematic trope.
However, that isn’t the case. Once you watch the entirety of Iron Fist, you see this trope isn’t applicable. The majority of the series is set in New York City, and K’un-Lun is only mentioned. Danny Rand is, at most, a savior of other white people. Most of the time, he’s trying to save himself from The Hand, and he doesn’t always do a particularly good job of it. He also wasn’t the savior of K’un-Lun – in fact, he’s viewed as a failure. As far as the monks are concerned, he’s more of a white screw-up than savior.
So why did this conversation start in the first place? Iron Fist does not fit the description that has people in such a tizzy. Perhaps it’s the overlap of people who were angered by Doctor Strange‘s Ancient One. The Ancient One, originally a male Tibetan monk, was portrayed by Tilda Swinton – neither Tibetan nor male – in the 2016 film. The current political climate has also whipped people into a frenzy, leading to ridiculous comparisons between Danny Rand and Donald Trump. This conversation about race extends far beyond Finn Jones’ Iron Fist. The debate has been in the zeitgeist for years now, reaching a boiling point now.
Fact of the matter is, Marvel has a lot of white protagonists. Netflix has done a great job balancing out the cast of headliners, but it’s still just two out of five heroes. If you broaden the scope, to cover all of Marvel’s leading characters, the numbers become more damning. Below is a picture of 30 Marvel characters central to the MCU, most confirmed for Infinity War, along with the Netflix protagonists. Of those 30 characters, 22 are white, or voiced by white actors. Only 8 primary characters are non-white, and of those 8, only ONE is Asian. That character is Wong, one of the sidekicks in Doctor Strange. It’s no wonder people are angry about the lack of Asian representation in Marvel.
But what does this debate have to do with Danny Rand specifically? Well, in truth, it doesn’t. Danny Rand has, for his entire existence, been a white man. There’s no clear reason why Iron Fist specifically should be Asian. Focusing too much on Finn Jones weakens the overall argument around non-white representation in Marvel media. What people should keep in mind is the broader cast of Marvel characters, and how few of them are diverse faces.
Particularly, the disparity between diverse leads and supporting casts is troubling. Out of the titular Marvel heroes that have their own titles, next to none of them are non-white. It sends the message that non-white people can be sidekicks, NOT heroes. In the first Avengers movie, the only non-white, top-billed actor was Samuel L. Jackson, and he didn’t even play a superhero. Guardians features several non-white stars, but the face of the team is undoubtedly Star-Lord.
So is the answer, then, to make EVERY character non-white? This solution doesn’t make a lot of sense either. The perception of these characters would always be seen through the “race-bending” lens. No matter how good the shows were, there would always be the specter of being previously white. Furthermore, a character being non-white doesn’t automatically fix a show. If Iron Fist had been Asian, that wouldn’t have fixed the lack of a dominating, main villain in the show. Shoehorning in diversity isn’t always the best way to remedy the larger problem in the industry. So many Marvel characters were originally white guys, and race-swapping now seems more motivated by pity than by a commitment to change.
These themes are evident in the current feud around the comics. Marvel comics have recently tried replacing many of its titular characters with diverse alternates. Heroes like Iron Man, Thor, and Hulk had their mantles passed onto women and minorities. The comics didn’t sell well, and now the originals are returning to the forefront. Marvel’s VP of Sales, David Gabriel, alleged this was because comic fans have a problem with diversity in general. However, looking at the evidence, this doesn’t seem to ring true.
The larger problem with making characters diverse is that it shouldn’t be the sole focus. Making a character non-white or female doesn’t automatically make them the best. It’s wonderful that companies are trying to incorporate more non-white protagonists, and hopefully Marvel will try other initiatives. But broadly changing all the primary characters to diverse alternatives doesn’t immediately make the comic better. As important as diversity is, there’s more that goes into comics, movies, or TV series than that.
So how could this lack of diverse protagonists be remedied? One way is to give more non-white characters their own films or series. Shang-Chi, for example, could be an additional Defender. Perhaps ABC could do a spin-off series for their Ghost Rider. Or Netflix could do a ‘Hero for Hire’ series with Colleen Wing and Misty Knight. There are plenty of non-white protagonists Marvel could draw on. They just have to choose to do so.
Having a diverse cast for a television series is better than having a cast of a singular race. However, it is not the SOLE quantifier of quality. Diverse leads should be put into well-written movies and television series. Additionally, Marvel should either try to create new characters, or work of pre-established non-white characters. We live in a boom of super hero content, and Marvel is pushing out as much content as they can. It only seems right to put on for new voices, creating diverse characters that can give Marvel socially-conscious variety.
5 Rabbit Cervercia is a wonder in the industrial parts of Bedford, Illinois. You wouldn’t think a brewery would be smushed in such an off color area. This place gives you life the from the moment you walk in the door.
The layout is an open concept. From the tap room, you can see the brewery where the beers are made. At another corner is the bottling line. With the Latin American influence everywhere; from the walls to the tap handles.
‘You can not make everyone happy, you are not a beer’
5 Rabbit: The Beers
What is found in the tap house and out for distributing does differ, but they have core cervesas.
5 Lizard- Witbier style, with citrus and passionfruit. It differs from the normal wheats of it’s kind. With a little bit of spice, the exotic flavor pulls through, making a heavenly pairing. 4.3% ABV
Ironica IPA- Part of the Gringolandia series. Modern IPA with Citra, Azacca, and Amarillo dry hops. A more American approach made with a bit of extra love. 6.66% ABV
5 Vulture-Oaxacan-Style Dark Ale brewed with piloncillo sugar and chile ancho. Rich flavor and spice finish. Dark beer fans, as well as spice enthusiasts, will love it. ABV 6.4%
Super Pils- Another Gringolandia series, Imperial German Pilsner. Tastes like a pilsner, drinks like an IPA. Cool, crisp, refreshing and packs a punch. 7.2% ABV
Their beers are only half the story. They made the Chicago Tribune by pulling out their beers from the Trump hotel bar, Rebar. After the comments Trump made about those from Mexico, founder Andres Araya had enough. Read the article in its entirety, you’ll thank me later.
5 Rabbit excels. The brewery is breathtaking, the beer is tasteful and full of character, and the founder is just a badass.
If you’re ever in the area, do yourself a favor. For ten dollars you can get a tour, a pint, and a glass to keep.
Brooklyn’s Finest is a morose, foreboding police thriller painted on a broad canvas, a film with a trio of strong central performances and a ton of weight on its shoulders. And in the spring of 2010 it came and went with a big shrug of indifference.
These things happen, and despite its incredible cast – all of whom are giving the material their full attention – and all the crime drama ingredients, Brooklyn’s Finest may have been a little too dark and unforgiving to catch a wide audience. And make no mistake, these are the bleakest of circumstances surrounding our three police officers. But the film itself is beautifully shot in the shadows, and leans into a threatening atmosphere with such gusto and conviction it’s hard to deny the engaging storytelling on display.
Some dismissed the film because it was heavy on the clichés. And it is; but I’ve always contended that clichés are entirely acceptable as long as they are crafted with style and executed with substance. Brooklyn’s Finest checks off all of the crime drama cop archetypes. Richard Gere’s Eddie is a burnout beat cop whom nobody in the department likes. He’s seven days to retirement, and every morning he wakes up, takes a shot of whiskey, and practices blowing his head off with his empty gun. And, in some sort of dark parallel Pretty Woman universe, Eddie’s only human connection comes from a prostitute whom he tries to rescue, only to find out she may not necessarily want his help.
Don Cheadle is Tango, an undercover cop who’s too deep, in need of a desk job because the lines between cops and killers has started to blur too intensely. His wife has filed for divorce, and his friendship with Caz (Wesley Snipes), a drug dealer, has complicated his exit strategy. And it doesn’t help that his superior, Bill (the fantastic Will Patton), and an aggressive FBI agent (the even more fantastic Ellen Barkin) benefit more from Tango staying undercover than him pushing pencils.
The third officer is Sal (Ethan Hawke), a deeply catholic cop with a ridiculous number of children, two more on the way, and a house being taken over by black mold. Sal is desperate for help, in serious need of some cash to put a downpayment on a new, bigger house. So he finds this cash in his undercover work, and his drug busts, only they don’t seem to be working out that well. His first sack of cash he grabs after killing a goon (Vincent D’Onofrio) has some blood on it. In his second attempt at a pay day, Sal loses track of the guy with the money in a drug bust. And so Sal’s desperation intensifies, and his plight is made tactile by Hawke, who exudes nervous ticks and pent up rage in every scene. He’s ready to explode.
And explode the story does, as these three troubled policemen plummet towards their inevitable fates. Everyone involved is sinking their teeth into the nihilistic tone of Michael C. Martin’s screenplay, and it may turn some off. But for those who lock into these disparate tales, where lines of right and just blur, this film deserves a second chance.
Brooklyn’s Finest takes us into the darkest of hearts, probably darker than the truth. But who really knows? It isn’t a perfect film by any measure, but it’s odd the way Fuqua’s film almost never even existed in theaters. These things happen, I supppose.
