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.
The upcoming UFO-centric ‘found-footage’ film Phoenix Forgotten released its new trailer. Check it out here:
The flick, produced by Alien: Covenant’s Ridley Scott, directed by Justin Barber, and co-written Barber and T.S. Nowlin, is rated PG-13 for “terror, peril, and some language.”
Since The Blair Witch Project terrified audiences with its realistic approach to storytelling back in 1999, major and independent studios alike attempted to find success in the genre – for better or worse. There have been a few successful flicks since, such as Cloverfield, V/H/S/, and Paranormal Activity. Will Phoenix Forgotten follow the trend of popular found footage films? With Ridley Scott on as producer, it’s quite possible.
The film is based on the “true” events of March 13, 1997, when several mysterious lights appeared over Phoenix, Arizona. This phenomenon is known as “The Phoenix Lights,” and remains the most famous UFO sighting in history.
Here is the plot synopsis:
“In the spring of 1997, several residents of Phoenix, Arizona claimed to witness mysterious lights in the sky. This phenomenon, which became known as “The Phoenix Lights,” remains the most famous UFO sighting in American history. On July 23, 1997, three high school student filmmakers went missing while camping in the desert outside Phoenix. The purpose of their trip was to document their investigation into the Phoenix Lights. They were never seen again. Twenty years later, Sarah Bishop, a documentary filmmaker and younger sibling of one of the missing, returns to Phoenix to delve into the their disappearances and the emotional trauma left on those that knew them. Nothing can prepare her for the shocking discovery of a tape from the night her brother and his friends disappeared.”
Phoenix Forgotten hits theaters April 21.
Are you fond of found footage flicks like Phoenix Forgotten? Share your favorite in the comments!
Last year in Cologne, Germany, millions gathered, and millions more watched live as 16 teams battled it out for the world championship. At stake was a one million dollar prize. It wasn’t a football (aka soccer) match or a football game but a gathering of eSports fans. Competitive video games are growing rapidly in popularity with estimates in the millions of fans. Competitive video games have been around for as long as the industry itself. The history of eSports, however, is shrouded in mystery and by goofy 80s TV shows.
Let’s look back at the history of competitive video games …
1972
Original Spacewar! “console.”
In the 1960s, a group of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology created Spacewar. The game featured two players in a battle among the stars and is considered one of the most influential games ever. Back in the early 70s, Stanford University put together a competition between students called the Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics (ISO). The winner of ISO would get bragging rights as well as a year subscription to Rolling Stone magazine.
1980
Atari 2600 Controller.
Four years after ISO, video games were still a wildly unstable, niche market few people understood. Local arcades held small competitions, keeping the spirit of competitive gaming alive. In 1976, Atari brought gaming home like never before and made video games A LOT more popular. By 1980, the Space Invaders Championships, an official competition by Atari, drew 10,000 competitors from around the United States.
By 1982, Atari was at its peak. Arcades were centers where the cool kids hung out. Okay, fine, we thought we were cool. Every day, arcades filled with newer, more advanced game machines. Each one was drastically more impressive than the last.
1982-1984
80s Arcades were dimly lit dungeons of awesome.
In 1982, Atari made an ill-advised deal to create a video game based on the Steven Spielberg blockbuster film E.T. The Extraterrestrial. The deal, worth millions, brought video games fully into the mainstream. Video games were wildly popular. So much so, Starcade was born.
Starcade was a short-lived television game show that centered around video games. Competitors would stand at arcade machines and use their time to get the highest possible score. Three rounds, plus a bonus round, would eliminate players until one was named the champion. Starcade proved that competitive gaming was feasible and entertaining. Although to be fair, the show also aged quickly, featured hosts who were clueless about video games, and only lasted two seasons.
The abrupt end of the show was, in part, due to the implosion of Atari and the E.T. deal. However, the implosion of Atari was mostly due to more powerful arcade machines of the time. Gamers wanted bigger and better graphics which Atari’s hardware could not provide, even after upgrades. And of course, there was also Nintendo.
For the rest of the 80s, competitive gaming popped up here and there. After Nintendo had debuted (in the U.S.) in 1985, competitions for Mario, Tetris, and other games became more frequent.
The 1990s – The Internet
What f*ck is the Internet?
As the 80s were closing out, a new thing called the “Internet” was gaining widespread use. New video game consoles like the Super Famicom (Japan’s name for the Super Nintendo) and Sega Genesis promised to use this Internet to connect players like never before. Efforts from both systems were gimmicky at best. However, PC gaming made use of the web. Early games like Netrek (the great grandaddy of the MOBA genre) allowed players to compete from miles apart.
By the mid-90s, this Internet thing seemed to be taking hold. So did competitive gaming. Nintendo and Blockbuster Video (Netflix of the 90s) held yearly competitions. In the UK, GamesMaster and Australia’s A*mazing carried the torch of Starcade featuring video games on a game show.
In 1997, a possibly unrelated event occurred in Asia. A financial crisis swept the region. To boost employment and revamp the ailing country, South Korea upgraded the country’s entire network. As things turned around, many unemployed Koreans turned to gaming to pass the time. The faster internet allowed these people to play a lot. More players meant a fast-growing market that was served by new businesses, namely, Internet Cafes. By the end of the 20th century, competitive gaming was a robust industry in South Korea with games like Diablo and Starcraft leading the way.
21st Century & Beyond
ESL 2016 Championships with one million dollars on the line!
Gaming’s skyrocketing popularity paved the way for not only more game shows but an entire network, G4, that was devoted to the industry. Entering the 21st century, gaming companies looked at the oncoming wave of competitive gaming and continued to feed into it. In 2016, a live competitive event in the game Counterstrike: Global Offensive, drew more than 30 million viewers.
Talk of eSports, particularly to “real” sports fans still receives scoffs. It’s similar to the early treatment of wrestling. Today, though everyone knows wrestling is “fake,” the sport is admired for the extraordinary athleticism of its athletes. Competitive gamers sit, and to onlookers, it doesn’t look like much is going on. But the same sense of focus that makes a hockey player or high-flying wrestler great also applies to an eSport “athlete.” It’s not large muscles taking a pounding; it’s precise muscles firing off in bursts a fraction of a second long in a brilliant dance of hand-eye coordination. Whether you’re on the side of mocking it or watching it, eSports are here to stay. At 80 million fans and growing, it’s also clearly the sport of the future.
USA Today wrote up a preview of Spider-Man: Homecoming, and included in the piece was some new quotes from stars Tom Holland and Jacob Batalon. The actors discussed their characters’ friendship in the film.
Batalon:
“He understands Peter’s life and he thinks he’s the one who can help him deal with being a crimefighter and deal with girls.”
Holland:
“It’s nice to be able to make up excuses of why he has to get out but then share a beat with Ned and be like, ‘I’m gonna go swing through New York’ — the wink-wink scenario.”
Are you looking forward to seeing the characters interact in Spider-Man: Homecoming? Comment below, let us know!
“A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.”
The summer movie season isn’t what it used to be. A few years ago, studios would only release big blockbusters between the months of May and September to capitalize on the fact that children have more free time in the summer to see films because they’re off from school. That just isn’t the case anymore. While many huge event movies are still released in this time frame, most studios have no trouble anymore with releasing big films throughout the rest of the year as well now that it’s been proven that movies have the potential to make truckloads of money regardless of what month they’re released. This year alone, Beauty and the Beast, Logan, Kong: Skull Island, and The Lego Batman Movie have already been released prior to the start of the summer movie season, and some of the most anticipated films of the year will be released after said season concludes, including It, Blade Runner 2049, Thor: Ragnorak, Justice League, and – of course – Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Despite this, there is still something extremely exciting for film nerds once the summer movie season kicks off. Since we’re now a month away from its start, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the five films – and three honorable mentions – I’m most anticipating being released this year between May 1st and September 4th.
Not much is known about the new planets in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but according to Makingstarwars.net, we might have some new information.
The outlet is reporting that the scenes filmed in Dubrovnik, Croatia, take place on a planet called “Canto Bight”.
As MSW points out, Canto Bight could be a code name. However, since it was described as “casino-like”, the code name would’ve likely been something more blatant, like “Vegas”.
What do you think about this potential planet name? Have you been keeping up with rumors regarding The Last Jedi? Comment below, let us know!
Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters on December 15, 2017.
