#its an opinion of the ''not everything is about bruce wayne'' variety so... you know. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

iwritethat · 5 years

Text

Bruce Wayne: Ladies Man

A/N: A bit of Batman because I don’t have enough on here.

>>>>——————————>

It was simply a side job, in Gotham such honest living was difficult to come by so when an old friend of the family offered you a waitress position at their bar you couldn't refuse whilst getting through school at 16. Who wouldn't want to earn some cash right? Surprisingly they upheld a few laws, like not letting you serve alcohol but if you remained then it would be something you'd learn among other things.

After 2 years, one interesting thing about the job was the vast variety of customers the bar attracted. You intermingled with the likes of Gotham royalty, both of upper class and the underground depending on the day and being a long term employee meant they remembered your name whether you liked it or not. Unfortunately, due to your uncanny ability to charm just about anyone, you were the pub favourite often requested to serve and the owner adhered to the requests of the wealthy for obvious reason - plus they tipped you generously.

Among these was young bachelor Bruce Wayne, you were on a first name basis with how often his friends came in clubbing. They weren't 21 but money and fake IDs do the talking. Although you cared not for their names, it was Bruce who seemed more mysterious and calculating than he'd ever let on.

Tonight he sat at the bar in contemplation, a member of his group snogging the face off of some lass rather lazily in your opinion.

"I'm surprised you aren't indulging in the same luxuries." You casually addressed your friend, sliding your platter onto the bar and leaning on it beside him gesturing to the aforementioned pair.

"I'm not great at charming women yet. The status does it all for me right now."

"You can't rely on that! You're Bruce Wayne, I expect you to be smooth and have me falling at your feet. What if there's a girl you really like who won't care for your status hm?" He raised a brow at your playful tone, but you'd captured his interest as you usually did unintentionally.

"I don't know, I haven't met one yet."

"Alright then we're going to prepare for that day so she'll be wanting more. C’mon, show me." You patted the bar for emphasis, smirking at his suddenly confused expression.

"Right here, now?"

"Dazzle me." Came your simple yet upbeat response as you gestured him to bring it.

"Okay fine. So uh... you come here often?" Bruce attempted rather awkwardly, leaning against the bar in a way he thought to be seductive as you remained unreadably silent.

"Pfffttt that's the best you've got?" You couldn't hold your laughter for long, head falling into your arms on the bar to stifle them.

"No - no! (Y/n) it's not that funny..." He hummed, lightly nudging your arm to regain your full attention.

"You're right, I just - it was so bad. You're so crap at flirting it hurts!"

"Oh? How would you do it then?" For someone so young, he was challenging and you would be lying if you said you didn't enjoy it.

You ran your hands through your hair, fingers gently grazing his arm with a gentle bite of your lip.

"Now now, we can't have you falling for a mere waitress now can we?"

"You're not just a waitress (Y/n)..." His gaze followed you around the bar as you now learnt over it with a courteous smirk.

"Right there - you watched me walk away, I already have you hooked right?"

"Wait - that didn't - you didn't use a pick up line or anything! How does that even count?" Bruce looked back and forth, stammering once coming to the realisation that you'd charmed him so easily whilst you leaned back to clean a glass.

"Look, chances are that pickup lines are only going to be laughed about and to break the ice anyway, after that you've just gotta be yourself. The people who are worth it will stick around." You gave a haphazard shrug with a genuine smile on your lips and you nodded to the billionaire across from you. It always caught him off guard, the amount of wisdom you held for someone only his age.

"Like you?"

"There are better people in the world than me Bruce Wayne."

—

The air was bitter as you stood outside the usually welcome doors of your workplace, ones that remained closed due to recent occurrences. You held the keys and deed between your fingers, fiddling due to the unfamiliar weight of newfound responsibility - the owner was always a mysterious man, striking resemblance to a character from Kingsman adorned with a British accent and designer suits. Even so his death came as a shock, his Will stating that his bar and all its contents be passed on to you even more baffling.

"The only thing you'll catch out here is a cold." A calm but witty voice commented, the man now standing beside you expecting your signature snark.

"What are you doing here?"

"I heard the news, and I thought you might like some company doing this. I know you could handle it but I'm here." Bruce casually answered, your friendship remained constant through the years even if surprising. It seemed you just couldn’t get rid of each other.

"Is it a nightclub? Pub? Restaurant? A combination of all that? Is that even legal? I can't run this place - I don't even know what the hell it is! And the customers - they’re... well, some of them are illegal..." You grimaced at your overwhelmed outburst, palm slipping from the door it once had the intention of opening.

"Hey, why don't you come over to the Manor? I've got the evening free and we can go through it all together, and I'll attempt to lighten you up as we go." You were carefully torn from the door, the millionaire holding your hands in his, the warmth a welcome comfort from the breeze of Gotham.

"The key word in there was 'attempt', wasn't it?" You met his concerned gaze now, tone holding expectant sarcasm despite remaining laced with defeat.

"It has been said that my brooding can get in the way." Bruce responded, hand rubbing the back of his neck out of what you assumed was embarrassment.

"Sounds fun, lead the way oh rich one." You released a half hearted chuckled as the male rolled his eyes, offering his arm to you. However, the foreign soft whisper that followed caught him off guard so much so that he almost made a spelling error on the email currently cancelling tonight’s scheduled meeting.

"And thanks Bruce... for everything."

You spent the night at the Manor, delving into your insecurities and Bruce aided in the business side of things where he could in aid of settling at least some of the worries you had. Afterwards you enjoyed one another’s company, catching up on the weeks events as well as the unfurling of his newest addition to the household over the fanciest champagne and 5* meal courtesy of Alfred who you’d convinced to dine with you also.

In a month or so with Bruce’s support you were able to apply your extensive knowledge of the business into running it as your predecessor had and since the regulars knew you already it made it much easier as profits rolled in rather substantially. Now you knew how the old manager could afford his luxury suits.

Tonight though, Bruce made an appearance looking rather despondent and almost exhausted which may not be so obvious to surrounding staff or those not close to him but of course, you were an exception.

Naturally, you leaned on the opposite side of the bar, promoting a weak smile after you’d asked what was bothering the man.

"A business deal didn't go quite how I expected, and it kept me up all night." Bruce summarised, strategically avoiding the details regarding Penguin.

"Then I believe you need some cheering up, I hope you don't have any plans because they are now cancelled~"

"The Manor is free, I can get some strawberrry champagne (Y/n) -"

"Nope, it's my turn. You're about to find out how us commoners spend our evenings."

Without another word you walked him to your spacious apartment which was only around the corner, the hefty bar profits kept it well furnished and your cupboards stocked - even so, you convinced the billionaire to lower his standards to order in which you paid for against his protest.

"I'm paying this time, you're the one whose had it rough recently so I'm treating you. That's what friends are for, besides this food is a little below your pay grade don't you think?" You laughed as you filtered through your movie collection before finding a perfect selection for the night.

"If you think that after adopting Dick that I haven't been subjected to takeout then you're sorely mistaken. I quite enjoy it actually." The billionaire replied rather smugly, slowly growing accustomed to the relaxing atmosphere you and your home radiated. Bruce, for once, felt oddly content.

The movie began and ended, the time filled with idle conversation of which grew deeper as the credits rolled and continued whilst you pottered in the kitchen. Moments later you emerged with a tray, Bruce opening his mouth and closing it being too taken aback to comment.

"I present to you, Chocolat de (L/n)." Came your dramatic voice, accent where necessary to add charm.

Bruce shot you an amused glance, carefully taking on of the two tall mugs from the tray you held - the hot chocolate topped with cream, marshmallows and a flake - very appealing to the eye and tastebuds. It was practically famous in your club.

"(Y/n)?! This is - incredible.”

“Why thank you, only the best for you right?”

He smiled at that, a genuine smile that he’d hoped expressed his immense gratitude right about now.

“That must be why I have you then.”

“Ah, now that is a smooth line. Being in my company has improved your skills huh?” You wittily countered, though Bruce only offered a hopeless yet content sigh.

Clearly they weren’t as effective as you believed.

Bruce seemed refreshed after leaving that night, he’d emphasised his regret of not being able to see you in person to thank you properly over the various texts you’d exchanged in the past week - although, as you were wiping down the counter after an early close you were not expecting the uncanny interruption.

An hallowing echo against the oak bar captured your attention, finding a sheepish bachelor at it’s origin.

"What's this?" You inquired as you picked up the item he’d placed down moments ago, inspecting it precariously.

"It's premium Raspberry Ripple White Hot Chocolate - I thought we could try it, together."

"How on Earth do you get as many women as you do with vague attempts like that hm?" An amused brow was raised in his direction, the action relaxing the millionaire more than he’d admit.

"I'm much smoother when I don't actually have genuine feelings for someone, as such I suppose you don't get the privilege of cliché pick up lines. So what do you say (Y/n)?” It was unorthodox yes, but judging by your quiet laugh he assumed it was the way you’d want it.

"You had me at 'Do you come here often?'"

-BONUS-

"You're saying that line worked." Bruce taunted from his place by the Manors kitchen island, you sipping your drink with a nonchalant argument.

"It did not. It was awful."

"I had this all semi planned from the beginning (Y/n)." He smugly replied, tone basking in the victory of the overly drawn out ‘plan’.

"Hah! I refuse to believe this is how you predicted things to go when we first became friends." It was possible but it had been years since you’d first met, he could not have suspected you’d ever end up together this far ahead.

"You're correct Miss (Y/n), Master Bruce spent the entire evening whining about how he'd embarrassed himself in front of you after your little competition and that it was near impossible to win your affections. A common occurrence whenever he visited your bar really..." The loyal butler unceremoniously intervened, pride radiating from his unwanted revelation as he entered the kitchen.

"Alfred." Bruce released a defeated groan as he had you wrapped around his finger for a second, something he’d wanted to relish in for a few seconds before Alfred had besotted you with the truth.

You however, were pleased with the information, winking at your partner with a gracious smirk befalling your lips.

"Knew it."

#bruce wayne #bruce wayne x reader #bruce wayne imagine #batman x reader #batman imagine #dc #dc imagine

177 notes · View notes

briangroth27 · 5 years

Text

Joker Review

I was not excited to see Joker based on the trailers that seemed determined to excuse and justify Joker’s (Joaquin Phoenix) madness and motives with a sympathetic light. While it is well-shot and well-acted—and if you enjoyed it, I’m glad you got something positive out of the experience—I thought the movie confirmed my impression of the trailers and I wasn’t a fan.

Full Spoilers…

Arthur Fleck is a sad, lonely man with vague mental illnesses who can’t catch a break in life or love. His life does suck and he does get dealt several bad and unfair hands, but nothing this movie did convinced me to feel sorry for him because I know the monster he’s going to become. It’s the same way I don’t care about real-world rapists’ “bright futures” being put in jeopardy by being held accountable for their crimes and have no sympathy for mass shooters’ sad histories of being turned down for dates. In the end, society is a problem, but how Arthur reacts to it is all on him and what he becomes is reprehensible, so I found it impossible to connect to him even before the villainy. Maybe if he were an original character—or even a Batman villain who does have a spark of good intentions and true tragedy to them, like Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, or Two-Face—I would’ve cared about him, but the Joker has far too much baggage to be painted as a tragic figure, and drawing this character so close to being an anti-hero who’s right to act like he does is gross. Even if the adoration he gets from the rioting crowds after the car accident is his imagination (much like he imagined Sophie (Zazie Beetz) thought stalking her was charming at the beginning of their “relationship”), he still felt that hero-worship throughout the movie from the protesters adopting his clown persona so I don’t think it makes a big difference if that one post-accident scene was real or not.

I didn’t like the choice to make most of his laughter part of his illness either, as that took a huge part of the character’s outlook/personality and sense of “humor” away by making it something uncontrollable. It’s also an antiquated and harmful view of mental illness in a time when we’re fully aware that mentally ill people are far more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators. Continuing to draw mentally ill people as violent criminals is something that needs to be addressed and updated in the larger Batman canon too. Like so many other choices here, explaining his laughter takes away the scariness the character previously had. I have no problem knowing who Joker used to be, but knowing why he does what he does (even just trying to convince us that he’s an “agent of chaos”) is too much information in my opinion. My preferred Joker is one who’s unpredictable and incomprehensible, where trying to puzzle out his motives either leaves you dead or drives you insane (like it did Harley Quinn). I also want more variety in his crimes, not just a series of revenge killings for personal slights and abuses. Give me everything from trying to patent Joker Fish to deadly laughing gas attacks to just wanting to pie Batman in the face for Christmas. During his big debut on TV in this film, I was wishing we could see a classic caper instead (even though yes, hijacking a TV show is something Joker would do). Confining Joker’s victims to people who personally attacked him also takes away from the threat he poses: if you treated him well, you’re totally fine here.

While escalation to more indiscriminate victims is possible, as one of my sisters pointed out, the movie works really hard to justify everything he does with grounded motives in what feels like an attempt to say “see, anyone really could be pushed to this breaking point!” It’s not enough that Arthur’s co-workers don’t like him, one of them (Glenn Fleshler) has to essentially trick him into getting fired. Arthur’s obsessive love of TV personality Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) turning dark can’t just be a result of Arthur being a stalker who dreams of being a comedian even though he’s not funny, Murray also has to personally insult Arthur in front of the city/nation. It’s not bad enough that Arthur’s mom (Frances Conroy) abused and lied to him his whole life, but his secret “father” Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen) also has to be a horrible rich person. I totally get that Thomas would be furious about Arthur touching Bruce (Dante Pereira-Olson) and I’d be enraged too, but Thomas’ anti-poor sentiments set him against Arthur’s social situation and in the end it felt like we weren’t supposed to see his and Martha’s (Carrie Louise Putrello) deaths as a tragedy, but as a reaction to the way they treated the lower classes (since the riot is so closely tied to the way Arthur reacts). On a side note, Martha really just isn’t ever going to speak or contribute to a story at all beyond being a victim, is she? Anyway, my reading of Joker’s “you wouldn’t get the joke” line at the end of the movie was that the Arkham interview scene occurs after Batman had appeared and everyone’s favorite “badass” hero grew up to protect the system (the “care to explain the joke?” question is intercut with scenes of the Wayne murders). This Bruce would totally embody the “Batman’s a wealthy guy who beats up poor people” take that’s been going around for the past few years (just imagine how this Thomas was raising Bruce, instead of the good man that Thomas usually is), particularly since it was apparently someone protesting for fair wages and equality that murdered his parents. The clothing styles do look the same in that interview scene as in the rest of the film, rather than being 90s styles or later, but arresting some fashions and technology even as time moves on is hardly a new design choice for a Batman movie/animated series. Even if that’s not the joke that Arthur means in that final scene, I fully believe that’s the Batman that would come out of these events, and who wants that?

If the joke that Arthur references is that the world put all this meaning on him that he didn’t intend, it’s not a very good joke because he has a whole speech explaining that on TV. I believe Joker when he says he’s not political—he’ll take revenge on anyone, rich and poor alike—but having the protesters adopt his ideology and imagery is a really weird choice given who he is in the comics. Even though he doesn’t have anything to do with the protests themselves (though he does egg on the riots during his speech, as what he says about his own mistreatment by society is also what they’re feeling about theirs), the filmmakers saddling “his” movement with the language of the real-life left (like "resist") is extremely questionable: why are the filmmakers trying to make this monster a heroic inspiration (even if misunderstood) for what would be the social justice side? In The Killing Joke, Joker argues that one bad day will drive anyone insane, which seems to be what this movie wants to say too (with “insanity” framed as a “reasonable” reaction to a broken system). However, the end of The Killing Joke reaffirms that the world isn’t like Joker and one bad day won’t push most people to villainy, since he fails to break Gordon, Barbara, and (once it became an in-continuity tale) Batman. Joker has no one to make that argument, and instead has Joker give a speech on TV about how it’s totally justifiable to go on a murder spree in reaction to being mistreated because “this is what you get.” No thanks.

If the “joke” is that none of this happened at all, well then…why are we here watching his self-indulgent delusions of persecution and oppression?

If they wanted to make a movie about a sympathetic man turned bad by a cold system that hurts people who do nothing but get sick, they should’ve made a Mr. Freeze movie. A film about someone who goes to increasingly extreme lengths to change the world for the better while being labeled as crazy by society? Get a Poison Ivy film into production. Want to explore a villain with good intentions and a society divided between the rich and poor, with how you’re treated by people, the law, and the world left up to chance on how you were born? Then this should’ve been a Two-Face movie. There’s merit to saying that there are problems with our social system and that it fails people who have no other support network, for sure. And lots of bad guys have been successfully drawn with some core good idea that they take off the rails into full-blown villainy as they commit increasingly evil acts. The Joker is not one of those villains. He doesn’t have a logical point and shouldn’t be painted as right in any way.

Again, on a technical and performance level Joker is a well-made movie and I’m glad if you found something worthwhile here, but I vehemently disagree with its entire premise of making the Joker understandable and especially with trying to paint him as something of an anti-hero with a twisted point who’s justified in acting the way he does. I was bored and couldn’t get past the knowledge of what Joker becomes. This is just not for me. Oh well; on to the next movie!

Check out more of my reviews, opinions, and original short stories here!

0 notes

yesterdanereviews · 7 years

Photo

Batman (1966)

Film review #250

SYNOPSIS: The caped crusader and crimefighter Batman, and the boy wonder Robin are protecting Gotham City from the various villains that plague it. When they are lured into a trap with an exploding shark, they make a shocking discovery: that four of the cities most nefarious villains: The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler and Catwoman have joined forces in a scheme to conquer the world. Batman and Robin are in a race against time to find out what their plan is and to stop it before it is too late...

THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: Batman is a 1966 film and a movie adaptation of the TV series of the same name. There’s no need to introduce the characters or the premise, so the film starts off with a quick voice-over explaining that Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson become Batman and Robin, and they go fight crime...there’s really nothing else that needs to be said; no origin stories, just straight into the plot. The film was released after the end of the show’s first season, so viewers would be well aware of the premise and the characters. The film opens up immediately into the action, with Batman and Robin jumping into the Batmobile, to get into the Batcopter, to respond to information that a yacht owned by Commodore Schmidlapp, is in some sort of peril. batman and Robin fly over the yacht only to find that it is a trap, and the yacht is just an illusion. batman is then attacked by a shark, but fortunately Robin hands him the Anti-shark bat spray to release it just before it explodes. If you’re not familiar with the 60s TV series rendition of Batman, then perhaps this campy silliness may seem ludicrous, but the series focused on a bizarre, campy, pop art setup which was actually rather close to the comic books of the time. It never takes itself too seriously, which is perfectly reasonable for a film about a crimefighter dressed as a bat when you think about it. The film is all about having fun with crazy situations. That said there’s also some more poignant moments, as the film addresses issues such as the irresponsible selling of weapons, and celebrating the diversity of people as they come together to resolve their differences: It’s silly, campy, but still manages to have a powerful message.

Batman and Robin conclude that the trap could only have been concocted by four of their arch nemeses teaming up for some diabolical plan; and they turn out to be right. The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler and Catwoman have united to take over the world, and they are using Schmidlapp’s invention (Who they have kidnapped, although he doesn’t realise it), which can suck all the moisture out of someone’s body, leaving them a pile of dust. While this is the overall plot of the film, it feels more like a mix of shorter sequences put together, which gives the film a lot of variety as each of the villains comes up with scheme after scheme to thwart Batman and Robin, leading to some memorable scenes and lines (”Some days you just can’t get rid of a bomb...”). There’s plenty of variety throughout the film, and lots of creative perils that our heroes get into, which leaves you guessing how they are going to get out of it: being so ludicrous in its setup, the film can often surprise you.

The film stays true to the TV show, but with an increased budget, it makes use of some more elaborate scenes, such as the use of the Batcopter, Batcycle and Batboat, and the fighting on board a submarine. The sets are colourful, and also full of details that rewards those that pay attention. It’s a product of its time, but it still holds up because it has a quality and style that doesn’t try to be cutting edge, but a timeless adventure of good vs evil. There’s an awful lot that is crammed into this film, but because everything is executed in such a silly and bombastic manner one does not feel overwhelmed, and can enjoy the film for what it is.

In my opinion, Batman is the quintessential superhero film: it packs in lots of story, heroism, villainous schemes and striking characters and just lets them be what they are. The good guys are good without any need for a reason to fight crime. The bad guys are bad guys just because they want to be bad, not because of a tragic backstory that forces them to be evil; they are bad because they want to be, and perhaps that’s what makes them the most menacing sort of villain. It’s straight up good vs evil, and that’s what superhero stories are all about. Perhaps over the years the characters have had to evolve as anything does to keep the franchise from going stale, but for the time, I think the world needed superheoes just fighting the good fight wearing underwear over their tights...actually, it really still does.

It tells this story through fun setups, colourful characters, and over-the-top stunts that make it enjoyable. It’s hard for me to find a flaw in the film; perhaps the story is a little loose, and you may be baffled by the silliness of the premise if you’re used to the dark and grittier renditions of Batman (and pretty much any superhero), but Batman knows what it wants to be and unashamedly sets out to accomplish it. Any superhero fan should watch this at least once, just to see that they don’t all have to be deep, brooding sagas with conflicted characters, and can just be plain fun and adventurous, and funnily enough, this is probably the closest interpretation of the comics and characters of that time that has been made. Give yourself the opportunity to just have some fun with this one, you won’t regret it.

(Dedicated to Adam West)

#movie #movie review #batman #adam west #burt ward #film #film review #1966 film

0 notes

theretroperspective-blog · 7 years

Text

Let It B

Ah, the B-movie. It had been a source of entertainment for many a stood-up date or theater talk-back participant about as long as the genre has existed. But what IS a B-movie? We've all seen 'em ( and know almost instantly when we have), but what makes a film "B"? What does a movie need in order to be "B"? And what of the iconic B actor? Who chooses to have a career that, in its basest form, means 'sub-par'? B-ACK STORY B-movies (the term) first came about during Hollywood's Golden Age. The name was for movies meant for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom-half of a double feature. In the later '20's (27-28), during the final days of the silent era, the production cost of feature films from major studios averaged between $190'000 to $275'000. During the time when bigger budgeted films weren't being made, studios still had to pay for sound stages, actors they had on retainer, and hired crew. These studios would make low-budget (i.e. lower quality) flicks in order to make extra cash as well as continue to use their people (mostly to keep them from fleeing to other studios), and would sell these lower films alongside their major productions. In laymens' terms, a B-movie is much like the B-side of an album. (For my youngun's, albums are what music USED to come on. Questions at the bottom, please.) Basically these smaller, cheaper flicks got put into theaters to cover run times between bigger pictures. This then led to micro-budgeted studios creating their own B-movies to sell to the studios at cost (usually producing them at around $30'000 and recouping cost plus). All of this comes about, again, due to the end of the silent era. During that time films were preceded by live acts and a variety of short films and news reels. Once sound became law, those were mostly dropped, and in came cartoons and serials, which were followed by a double feature, the first being the B-film, mainly to draw more money from the viewer. But the major studios soon caught on, developing B-units to produce those less expensive films on-site, nearly killing the indie studios (until the indie-wave of the 70's, but that's another blog). With this came the game of BLOCK BOOKING; or, to get access to a studios' more profitable features, theaters would HAVE to also buy their B-movie in a double-feature set. Along with this insidious scheme came BLIND BOOKING, where theaters would have to take the B-movie sight-unseen. In this way studios were assured a good profit on the lower-grade flick, no matter how awful it might be. The innocent years of Hollywood folks! However, many B-movies were serials, with an actor continuing to play the same character in each, such as the 'Andy Hardy' films staring Mickey Rooney. MOVING ON While the original meaning of the term B-movie ended with the double-feature production ceasing in the 50's, the term is still used for films that don't quite meet A-level criteria. "B-movie" now brings connotations of lower-quality films - which isn't ALWAYS true... To quote Wiki: "In it's current usage, the term has somewhat contradictory connotations; it may signal an opinion that a certain movie is (a) a genre film with minimal artistic ambitions ("Sharknado"), or (b) a lively, energetic film uninhibited by the constraints imposed on more expensive projects and unburdened by the conventions of putatively 'serious' independent film ("Turbo Kid"). Or, in more basic terms: A B-movie is a low-budget commercial film that's NOT art house. The term is now also used for high-budgeted flicks with exploitation-style content (such as much of Tarantino's work). But much good has come from the B-movie genre! Some high profile directors like Jonathan Demme began with B-movies. And it's where many A-level actors got their starts. Recent Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio got his start in "Critters 3". "June Bug" star Amy Adams got through in "Cruel Intentions 2". And Charlize Theron didn't even have a line in "Children of the Corn 3 : Urban Harvest". And one of the more well known is Jennifer Aniston's turn in the cult classic (and where's my blog on those?) "Leprechaun". And neat-o, there's my segway! BACTORS Both John Wayne and Jack Nicholsen got their start in B-movies, too. As well as our former president Ronald Reagan, who was a B-movie star before he ran our country. But there are MANY actors who are known simply for their B-movie work alone. Here's a list of them (in no order other than as I remember them). PJ SOLES: I know her from the 1979 "Rock 'n' Roll Highschool", about a young girl who idolized one of the world's greatest bands, the Ramones; but she also played the tomboy menace Norma in "Carrie", and doomed-to-die friend Lynda in "Halloween". CRISPIN GLOVER: He became a Hollywood staple, and Lorraine's 'density' in "Back to the Future" as George McFly, and recently was the Red Knave in Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland", but Glover got his start way back in 81 in a TV movie called "Best of Times", and as the star of the cult hit "Willard". MEG FOSTER: She was a woman looking for love - round 2 - in "The Step Father 2", and played 'Holly' in "They Live" alongside Rowdy Piper, but is most recognized portraying Evil-Lyn in the live-action He-Man movie, "Masters of the Universe". CLINT HOWARD: The brother of director Ron Howard, Clint began as a child actor, but has continued with films like "The Ice-Scream Man", "The Fun House Massacre", and "Nobody Gets Out Alive". TOM SAVINI: Tom was originally a SFX creator for "Friday the 13th", but he's also had quite the acting career in films like "Creep Show 2", "From Dusk 'till Dawn", and "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". BRAD DOURIF: He's now a part of the "Lord of the Rings" legacy since playing Wormtongue in "The Two Towers", but he's always been well known by voice, if not face, as Chuckey in every single "Child's Play" film in the franchise. He also stared alongside Jack Nicholsen in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". MICHAEL IRONSIDE: Most recently he portrayed the zealot Zeus in the fantastic "Turbo Kid", but Ironside's been working since the 70's, including "Scanners", "The Hitchhiker", and a personal favorite, the TV show "Sea Quest". CHRISTOPHER LAMBERT: The one and only true 'Highlander', Lambert's also known for playing Lord Rayden in the live-action version of "Mortal Kombat". CLANCY BROWN: I first spotted him in "Highlander" as well, playing psychopath Victor Kruger, but Brown's gone on to have a formidable career on-screen as well as with voice work, playing Lex Luthor in the animated "Superman" series. But I also knew him as Drew's step-dad Gus from "Pet Semetary 2". BRUCE CAMPBELL: Probably the most recognized B-movie actor of all time, Campbell started in the "Evil Dead" series, and has continued being our hero in shows like "Burn Notice" and "Ash VS. the Evil Dead". This might be where I'd say "All hail the king, baby!", but you get what I'm saying. Moving on. BUT THEY'RE A TO US 'We all have different opinions' blah-blah, 'they're like assholes' yadda-yadda. But there have been B-movies that have, through that grand test of time, been elevated to A-level status by their fans. Usually they're referred to as 'Cult Classics', but we all know we'd watch them in leu of some of the newer, block-busting behemoths of today, given the choice. Maybe it's because of previously stated stars, maybe it's the special effects, or maybe they're just so off the beaten path that we just can't help but fall in love with their weirdness. So here are some of the best - no real order, and nowhere close to the total list. THE EVIL DEAD SERIES There's lots of arguments over whether the original film "Evil Dead" should be included, but Sam Rami's occult trilogy is deeply beloved. From the supreme low-budget gore to Bruce Campbell's chin, this series holds one of the highest Rotten Tomatoes scores on the site, even beating out it's recent remake. Eat it, Dead-its! IRON SKY What IS it with Nazi's?? Why do we like watching them die so damn much? Think it was the genocide? Pretty sure it was the genocide. What-ever, this film's premise is enough. Nazi's waiting on the dark side of the moon to launch a final attack on Earth. Wow. I'm pretty certain I know THAT'S how the funding came through. DEATH BED: THE BED THAT EATS I don't know a film fan that hasn't seen this movie. Its premise is its title. It's a bed. It eats people. SHARKNADO There's FOUR of these fucking movies. No wait, FIVE. I don't get it, but it hit a large enough portion of viewers. Welcome back, Tara Reid. THE BLOB Classic (in general and actual terms) B-movie fare. A gigantic blob that consumes everything in its way. First appearing in the 50's with a young Steve McQueen, it got remade in the 80's and is supposedly being remade again. ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES So, mutant tomatoes decide to start eating us. Vegetarians in the 70's were shaking in their faux suede shoes, I'm sure. BASKET CASE Oh man, do I love this one. A man is born with a homicidal deformed Siamese twin that gets detached via surgery, so the two brothers decide to go after those that separated them. And the deformed one gets carried around in a basket. GET IT?!?! POULTRYGEIST:NIGHT OF THE CHICKEN DEAD Full disclosure - I know one of the SFX guys who worked on this Troma feature. Just look for the talking shit sandwich. BEASTMASTER A guy who can talk to animals goes after a power hungry war lord who sacrifices children. And man-bats. TROLL 2 The best- worst movie ever made. But sadly, no trolls. Just goblins. Please go check some of these films out. PLEASE. You're just hating yourself if you don't. So B-movies live on, as they should. Because we all need to be reminded of what a mediocre world we really live in.

#b-movies #film #education #fun.

0 notes

furederiko · 8 years

Photo

Today's a very 'cool date*', so to celebrate that, here's a Random-News-Digest!!! :D *) Uhm... it IS 17.02.2017 right?

Disney Live Action

Are you familiar with Niki Caro? I don't, but I know her name because she's one of the contenders to direct Marvel Studios' upcoming "Captain Marvel". In fact, somehow I'm rooting for her to take the job, after knowing her 'feminist' portofolio. Unfortunately, there's a possibility that we might need to cross off her name from the list. Why? Because Walt Disney Studio has just signed her up to do something else. A project that sounds equally feminist. What is that? Their live action adaptation for "Mulan". It seems many are already excited with this news too!

Of course, nothing much has changed since we last heard any news about the movie. At the time, Disney was said to be conducting search for Chinese actress for the lead role. But we haven't heard any development of it. Nevertheless, it's good to know that the project has an official helmer now. More importantly, the hiring of Caro sets a positive difference to SONY's version that will be led by a male director. For now, it's uncertain whether one version will be better than the other or not. We'll just have to wait and see. And while we wait for more updates about this project, we'll just have to make do with "Beauty and the Beast" that is soon to greet us. I hope that movie will be as wonderful as "Cinderella", or as great as "The Jungle Book". Crossing my fingers!

DC Films

Right now, "The LEGO Batman Movie" is cashing success here and there, with brimming praises from audience and critics alike. Sadly, on the other side, a dark shadow is looming over the live action side. It's so 'dark', that I actually don't want to talk about this... ugh, 'Cinematic Universe' too much. But sometimes, the temptation to analyze what's happening is just too strong for me to handle.

Fresh off the departure of Ben Affleck from directing "The Batman", another sign of storm has hit the project. As reported by Forbes, looks like Affleck stepping out of the director's chair is not enough for Warner Bros. Why? They want to completely ditch the script he wrote with Geoff Johns too! If you're a DC fan, and more than that, enjoyed his performance as Batman in DC Films latest two titles, then probably it's time to get worried. Joining "The Flash" that has been given a page-one rewrite by Joby Harold, script for "The Batman" might also get similar treatment. This isn't surprising though, because whoever is assigned as the new director would want to do it anyway, and it seems WB wants to have a fresh start with the project. Beside, the script we are talking about was already rewritten by Chris Terrio, who we all know has done an 'amazing job' for "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice".

Speaking of director, the report mentioned that Matt Reeves, famously known for his "Cloverfield" and "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes", was in negotiation to take over the directorial duty. A current frontrunner, at least. Of course, that could be considered as old news now. Variety has confirmed this, and added that while no deal has been made yet, Reeves has already committed to the project. Assuming he doesn't walk out, of course, because we know that has happened more than once.

These decisions effectively pulled both movies from their initial... I mean, planned release dates. "The Flash" will never going to make its March 2018 date, and Cyborg's inclusion in the story has been put under question. What was once relied on Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher's chemistry, needs to be reevaluated with audience's response, especially when "Justice League" arrives later this year. "The Batman" will not likely be released in 2018 too, much to the disappointment of many (including yours truly). Because WB is more likely to give it an opening in 2019 instead. In my opinion, if these delays are necessary to produce a better product, then why not? It'd be much wiser for WB to craft a quality movie and gets them 'right' instead of rushing one, so that we can put a stop on discussing problems in the DC Films. Not because we hate DC and pro to the competitor, but because it's all for the better. Beside, we might already have James Wan's "Aquaman" and "Gotham City Sirens" in their place. For the record (but I'm sure you know this already), I don't have any ounce of interest for the former, and lost any bit I have for the latter due to knowing that... ugh, David Ayer is handling it. Bully lead actor and bully director? I'll pass.

Thing is, the possible rewrite for "The Batman" also indicated another problem. Mainly, for Affleck's standing in it. Remember, I said last week that him directing the next solo movie has been part of the deal he made with WB. To my knowledge at the very least, and that presumably included writing the script too. But now, not only has he stepped back from directing, his script is getting reworked as well. If you ask me, those are negative indications of something else. What is it? Yes, signs that he (just like Jared Leto who had openly voiced disappointment with "Suicide Squad") is burnt out and might walk out from playing the role as well. Mind you, this not official, so don't be alarmed just yet. That's just the message I get from these reports, and well, one that not only me, but practically anyone would easily come to assumption. But when you think of it closely, this theory DOES make perfect sense, and I don't think I would be surprised if such turnout is the case. With "Justice League", he HAS already made three DC Films, and yet, it has already been two strikes down. His involvement has been a pretty demanding process, and he already DID look pretty bummed out after the disaster that was "BvS". Not to mention, the actual drama on his personal life must be affleck... er affecting his concentration too.

Adding flame to the fire, Collider Talk (via Playlist) recently stated that "Ben Affleck, make no mistake, he wants out. He doesn’t want to be Batman anymore.". That Affleck IS in active discussions to remove himself from his DCEU deal. OUCH! Sure, take this information with a 'grain of salt', but as I said, it's not even hard for any of us to put all the pieces together and come to a similar conclusion. Try putting yourself in his shoes, and you'd no doubt understand the urge to just walk away in peace. If anything, "The Batman" might very well be his last picture as Bruce Wayne. Hmmm... this gets me thinking. Why not just kill him off in "Justice League" then? They've done the same before with Superman, right? I bet this stunt would cause a great buzz to help boost interest for the movie. Because frankly, eventhough it is meant to be a first-time ensemble movie, the Zack Snyder's movie doesn't even sound... interesting. Bad strategy? Perhaps...

DC Animations

Can we say that WB is doing better in the animation department? Perhaps. Once again, "The LEGO Batman Movie" is the example. Although, after finally seeing "Justice League Dark" over the weekend, I can't be too certain about it anymore. I won't say much, but let's just say I was quite disappointed by how that movie turned out. I even thought to give up completely on future direct-to-video movies, because frankly, well, they aren't working for me, as much as they used to be anymore. However, there IS at least one more title that I'm willing to check out. And that is the upcoming "Teen Titans: Judas Contract".

When I saw the trailer (courtesy of IGN) for this upcoming movie, a glitter of hope sparkled in my eyes. Finally, at long last, WB Animation is confident enough to stamp the Titans' name into their own movie. Remember "Justice League vs Teen Titans"? That was a good movie, but definitely a misleading title! I don't think they need to stamp Justice League on everything, and furthermore, incorporate Batman on anything they release (which is one of my major issues with "JL Dark"). Have faith in other characters, and let them shine in their own. "Judas Contract" is already showing positive direction towards that, obviously taking its cue on the "Young Justice" series. Sure, we have two members of the Bat-family in its core, but it's Dick Grayson's Nightwing and Damian Wayne's Robin we are talking about here. Characters who usually get gypped A LOT in any entertainments that is not comic. So it's more than high time for them to take the spotlight... on their own! Of course, I remain wary and not counting on too much with this movie. I have a feeling that WB Animation will try to unnecessarily snuck in Batman somehow, and I will undeniably cringe when that happens. But I'm biased for Nightwing (even if he's Red and not Blue this time around *sigh*), and I think that alone is more than enough as a reason for me to see this movie. At least to respect my favorite boy wonder...

Ghost in the Shell

Paramount Pictures has released the first official trailer for the movie. If past teaser have all focused on the character of the Major, who is played by Scarlett Johansson, or the setting, and the nude-but-not-really actions, this one showcased what the story is all about. If you're initially on the fence about it, well... you might still be in... one? No, seriously, nothing really change for yours truly.... Ahahaha. I have to admit though, even if I'm still not sold about it, this latest trailer did look much better than the previous teasers. At the very least, now I can say that "Hey, this movie might be good". I won't go running to the theatre to check it out, but I'm now 100% sure that I'll give it a try whenever it hits home video. Who knows, this could be the surprise hit that Hollywood has been searching for...

Bubbles

Last year (precisely on March), a biopic project involving the late Michael Jackson's chimpanzee Bubbles made the headline. Dan Harmon was said to be working on it, with a script from Isaac Adamson. If that sounded a little surreal to be true, well, it IS happening. Deadline reported (via Birth.Movies.Death) that the movie has secured directors to start production. Yes, directors, in plurals. And the names will give you a pleasant surprise! After completing "Thor: Ragnarok", Taika Waititi will be working on this movie. He's not alone, because he will be collaborating with Mark Gustafson, whose past portofolio includes the Oscar nominated "Fantastic Mr. Fox", and he will be co-directing "Pinnochio" with Guillermo del Toro soon. Several trades have mentioned that Adamson's script for this stop-motion animated movie was one of the "weirdest, funniest, most unlikely projects currently kicking around Hollywood". Now with Waititi's signature style of comedy, Gustafson's experience in the stop-motion style, and Harmon producing through his Starburns Industries (that created the Oscar nominated "Anomalisa"!), this project has risen to be one of the most promising title to look out in Hollywood right now. There aren't any more details about when it will start production or when it will be released, but let's just say, I won't be surprised if it's running for Oscar as soon as it hits the market...

X-Men Universe

'Superhero Fatigue'. I used to think that such sentiment was exaggerated, just an odd fad, and truth be told, I also don't feel that it's happening in the world. But unfortunately, thanks to all these DC Films news, and also FOX's lousy take on their Marvel properties, I'm starting to feel that I have finally caught one. I mean, I couldn't even get excited for "Logan", no matter how hard I try.

Moreso about the other X-Men property, namely the one Simon Kinberg is working on. You know, the one rumored to be called "X-Men: Supernova". If you've been wondering why I haven't been talking about it... well, that's because I sincerely couldn't care less. Was genuinely intrigued about the 'reboot', but it all went away upon learning that the same people are still in charge. The whole soft reboot headline felt nothing more than just a mere 'click-bait' attempt to attract attention... to gain back the franchise's fading popularity.

Anyway, My Entertainment World claimed that an official synopsis for the movie has been released. True to the rumor, it will focus on Jean Grey and her once again, downfall to the Phoenix Force. That synopsis strikes me as 'odd', particularly the "been on adventures that spanned galaxies" bit, considering it has never happened. But this is FOX we're talking about, so nothing has ever make any good sense, particularly in terms of continuity. This secrecy in development feels 'weird' too, and only reminded me of... yes, the disaster that was 2015's "Fant4stic Four". The rumor also mentioned that the movie will begin filming in Montreal in June. Interestingly, the synopsis points out that Professor X might be involved too. IF, and only if, this movie is indeed a continuation of that forgettable "X-Men: Apocalypse", then will James McAvoy and Sophie Turner return to play Prof. X and Greay? We'll just have to wait and find out. But one thing for certain, I doubt anyone is even asking for this movie...

Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios released the first official TV spot for "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2", and many had said that the 30-seconds piece contains a new footage. Hold on, 'many SAID'? Yes, because I haven't personally seen it yet. I'll be watching the movie anyway, so I don't need any reassurances to do so. As I've said before, when I've completely set my mind to see a movie, I will avoid any marketing or promotional materials to not get myself spoiled too much. I've done the opposite before, and I've ruined my own viewing experience. That's certainly not something I would do again!

On a side note, The Hollywood Reporter reported something VERY interesting about the movie. The site stated that Marvel Studios had conducted a test screening for the movie, and the feedback of the audience? A 'Perfect 100' score. That is AMAZING! The site compared it to "Iron Man 3" and "The Avengers" that previously scored high 90s. It can be considered as a new achievement for the Studio, although I doubt anyone would be surprised by it. But they also cautioned, that this result can't actually be compared with other non-Marvel movies, because it's the Studios' own style of "friends and families screenings". Other Studios might not use the same approach, and you can read the article to check how other movies performed and whether their score a good indication of the release product or not. Nevertheless, this is a great assurance, especially for Marvel fans who have been faithful with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Remember, eventhough "Iron Man 3" ended up as a bit polarizing, "The Avengers" was universally acclaimed. Both movies were equally crowd-pleasers.

"Thor: Ragnarok" has finally begun to show its might too! Inline with the Valentine's Day release of "Doctor Strange" Bluray (and digital download), some exciting concept arts from Chris Hemsworth's third solo movie have been revealed. We get to see how Cate Blanchett's Hela would look (EERIE and CREEPY!!!) and it even hinted that she might pursue Thor and Tom Hiddleston's Loki to Earth (New York, perhaps?). We get to see a VERY cool image of Mark Ruffalo's Gladiator Hulk in the arena with Thor. And shots of Waititi behind the camera, in a scene that strongly hinted the presence of Surtur, the Fire Demon of Muspelheim. If that's not enough, an official second trailer for "Team Thor" Mockumentary has been released on Marvel's Youtube channel. This special parody is available in the Bluray as well.

"Black Panther" had equally shown its fangs! The same featurette that could be seen through "Doctor Strange" Bluray, also gave several concept arts for the fictional country of Wakanda. And it looked nothing but GORGEOUS. This nation has been said to be a mixture of traditional African culture and advanced technology, and well, it's more than obvious that's indeed the case. It felt like Thor's hometow... er homerealm Asgard that exists on Earth! Just the look of this concept art alone is enough to make me want to see the movie right away!

Last but not least, Marvel Studios have officially released production announcement for "Avengers: Infinity War". You can view (yes view, not read) this announcement on Youtube or Twitter. Mind you, it didn't reveal who will or will not be in the movie. Like perhaps possibly confirming the inclusion of Benicio Del Toro's The Collector, or Michael Douglas' Hank Pym aside from his obvious return in the upcoming "Ant-Man and the Wasp" (that will begin production in Summer)? Nope. None of that.

It did however, confirmed several reports about the movie. Yes, the movie will feature the union of the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy. And yes, Spider-Man WILL be in the movie. I mean, why else would Robert Downey Jr., Chris Pratt, and Tom Holland be the face of the announcement? LOL. That setting too, it looks oddly familiar to a particular... nightmarish scene in "Avengers: Age of Ultron", indicating that Tony Stark probably never hallucinated when he was hexed in that movie. Anthony Mackie's Falcon, Sebastian Stan's Winter Soldier, and Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch are all subtly confirmed via a quick glimpse of character cards. While both Thor and Bradley Cooper-voiced Rocket Raccoon are confirmed via a really cool concept art. One that showed the two working TOGETHER side by side. WOW!

Suffice to say, this announcement wasn't like they normally do. There are still plenty of questions, but it's enough to bring a storm of hype to MCU's fans. Here's hoping we'll get more confirmation, even unofficial, of who will be in the movie. I'm particularly curious about the new characters that will debut in it. Could we be seeing, a particular Atlantean jerk too? Hmmm... that would be neat. Why bring that up, you ask? Go check the last two paragraphs on Marvel TV section, okay! Carry on...

LEGO Movies / Series

Last week, I ranted a bit about "The LEGO Ninjago Movie". I have also mentioned how the movie had sort of flown under the radar for me. That trend seemed to be continuing, as I just discovered that an official trailer for the movie has even been released! I won't say much about this movie, because my concern about it... remains intact. The design alone is enough to rub me in the wrong way. I want to get excited for this, but for the time being I just simply can't. Desperately need more persuasions...

More importantly, I'm very surprised to know that the franchise has begun airing its 7th Season... since December! I know I didn't follow the news for "The LEGO Ninjago" TV Series dilligently, but how... HOW could something I've been patiently waiting for, happened behind my back. Great Gawd!!! Turns out, the "Day of the Departed" special that put Cole on the centerpiece, was immediately followed by this new 10-episodes story that's focusing on Kai and Nya. It looks intriguing, and I'm expecting good things too, since this TV series has only continued to outdo itself in each new season. I just hope I can watch it soon... *sigh*.

Marvel TV

More casting announcements! And they've come in big numbers too, considering both Marvel's "Runaways" and Marvel's "Cloak and Dagger" require an ensemble cast.

The former in particular. We know that 6 young actors have been confirmed for the Hulu Project before. Problem is, in the comics, the antagonist for this team of runaways is called "The Pride" and it consists of... their own parents. Yep, that means we will need 12 more actors to fill in their roles. And well, faithful to the source material, that's exactly what has happened. At least, 10 of them for now. Marvel TV officially announced that Ryan Sands, Angel Parker, Brittany Ishibashi, James Yaegashi, Kevin Weisman, Brigid Brannagh, Annie Wersching, Kip Pardue, James Marsters, and Ever Carradine have joined the show. Sands and Parker are set to portray Geoffrey and Catherine Wilder, the parents of Alex. Ishibashi and Yaegashi are set to play Tina and Robert Minoru, the non-mystic-warriors(?) parents of Nico. Weisman and Brannagh have been cast as Dale and Stacey Yorkes, the parents of Gert. Wersching and Pardue will play Leslie and Frank Dean, the... human(?) parents of Karolina. Last but not least, Marsters and Carradine will play Victor and Janet Stein, the parents for the team's smart-jock Chase.

You can read their character description on the announcement, and well... as noted by the '?'s, it has sparked some questions. Especially to fans who have read the comics. The one that has gotten people talking, would be Ishibashi's role as Tina Minoru. Why? Because a character by the same name has already debuted in "Doctor Strange"! She was played by actress Linda Louse Duan, a Master of Mystic Arts in Kamar-Taj, and assuming the prelude comic is canon (it SHOULD be, IMHO), one of the core protectors of Sanctum Santorums. On the same level of Daniel Drumm, Kaecillius, and Wong himself. Is the character being recast for the show then? That's a possibility. After all, Duan's Chinese, while Ishibashi is Japanese, a more race-appropriate actress for the character. What's bugging me however, is how she's being described as "A perfectionist 'tiger mom.' In her professional life, she is a brilliant innovator and ruthless CEO". Wait, WHAT? Is that even... the SAME character?

This reveal, led to a polarizing discussion of one important thing: whether this show exists in the MCU or not. Honestly, when I heard that this title has been developed for TV (it was previously for a movie), I immediately thought this would be a great place to intersect both the movie and TV side. An "It's all connected" move, that has gone into oblivion following the internal affair between both divisions. Particularly because there IS a character that breathes in both side. So if you ask me, the re-casting (if that's really the case) of Tina Minoru sounds like a wasted opportunity on that part. Is it difficult to call the same actress for the role? I do have another theory about this though. I believe, and this is just speculation only, this "Runaways" TV series is NOT AT ALL related with the movie side. In fact, it might exist in its own continuity, a separate universe that might be a completely different plane from the world of "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.", and the Netflix shows. After all, that IS the major purpose of "Doctor Strange", right? To open the MCU's floodgate for... *drumrolls* MULTIVERSE. That will make a lot of sense.

Besides, technically speaking, Hulu is its own streaming provider, that is NOT related to ABC or Disney. Even if ABC Signature Studios is co-producing this series. Think of it like "Gotham", "Lucifer" or "Preacher" that each take place in their own individual worlds. NOT connected to "Arrow" or "The Flash" at the slightest. One other thing, if I'm not mistaken, one of the character is supposed to be a mutant. And we fully aware, that mutants don't exist in the MCU. CAN'T exist in it. By changing a bit of the character's backstory, Marvel TV can dodge the copyright problem fairly easily. They have made a deal with FOX for "Legion" anyway. So yeah, I'm very certain that this theory is indeed the case. A bit disappointing, because Marvel TV had missed a huge potential to cross-polinate between movies and tv shows, but I really don't mind. If anything, now I don't really need to push myself see it anymore. I mean, why should I invest my time on it, when it's not connected? For now, let's just wait for confirmation about this from Jeph Loeb. I'm SURE somebody from entertainment sites would go ahead and ask him this particular question.

As for "Cloak and Dagger", Andrea Roth, Gloria Reuben, Miles Mussenden, Carl Lundstedt, James Saito, and J.D. Evermore have officially joined the cast. Roth will portray Melissa Bowen, who is Tandy's mother. Reuben and Mussenden will play Adina and Michael Johnson, obviously the parents for Tyrone. Lundstedt is playing Liam, who is described as "Tandy's partner in crime while moonlighting as her boyfriend". Basically, the third-wheel, right? Saito is playing Dr. Bernard Sanjo, who has 'unusual relationship' with Tyrone. Lastly, Evermore will play Detective Connors who MIGHT be the one tracking down Tandy and Tyrone. The casting of Lundstedt and Evermore was previously 'scooped' by Deadline.

This might sound pessimistic, but my interest for "Cloak and Dagger" only continues to fade out thanks to this announcement. Why? It feels more and more that the show's going to be... what the word... 'generic'? Especially after reading the description for Lundstedt's character. I think I immediately subconsciously uttered "Oh boy, this is going to be another Glee bully character" after reading the news. Not that I hated that teenage musical show, but... you know, I... Oh well, I shouldn't have expected something more than that, should I? My bad, I guess.

Are you satisfied with these new casting announcements? NOPE? Well, I agree, because you shouldn't. Because there's still one show that only continues to be a mystery until now: Marvel's "The Inhumans". Why haven't we heard the cast names for Inhumans' Royal Family? Or at least scoops about it? What's taking so long, or why the long delay? Latest report by Reel News Hawaii have stated that production for the mini-series will commence very soon in Hawaii. I think, possibly at the start of March. According to the site, the working title is called "Project Next", and the production team has rented a large, unused Naval facility to house props. Production itself, will take place in the Kapolei-Kalaeloa-West Oahu area, which is west of Honolulu.

Interestingly, and this might just be me overthinking stuff, is the 'choice of words' Reel News Hawaii used to describe the soundstage: "The new Marvel Studios Oahu (I like the sound of that). This is where "The Inhumans" backlot/soundstage & production offices are in Kalaeloa". Nothing wrong with that? Indeed. But observe how they used "Marvel Studios" instead of "Marvel's Studio". Are they playfully making a mistake by referring to Kevin Feige's movie division? OR... it IS being produced by that division instead of Marvel TV? Hmmmm. Here's hoping we'll get an official confirmation about this very soon, alongside that long-awaited casting announcement. Marvel's "The Inhumans" will debut in IMAX on September 4, followed by a TV series on ABC starting on September 26.

Last but not least, a new intriguing rumor has sparked earlier today from the same source, regarding the same Oahu-based studio. What is that? That Marvel is secretly working on... "Sub-Mariner"!!! Obviously, this means the arrogant Namor McKenzie, who is a crucial character in the Marvel comics. Now, now..., there isn't any solid evidence about this yet, apart from a tweet comparing the character with DC's Aquaman. Not to mention, the site cautioned that this is merely a rumor, and could've easily mistaken this report since Triton of the Inhumans has an ability that's almost completely similar to Namor.

Sure, Benedict Cumberbatch has hinted the arrival of the Illuminati in the MCU, and Namor is one of its member (could he debut in... "Avengers: Infinity War" then? Hmmmmm). Sure, Production Weekly has just added credibility to this rumor by listing the title "Sub-Mariner". But it's still worth noted that the site placed it on both Movies and TV Shows category, which indicated that they might NOT be sure what this is all about. Heck, that's exactly the same reason why I'm putting it here. Because it's still unclear. I personally would have preferred this to be a movie, due to massive special effects that will be used, but even I'm not too certain about it. After all, "The Inhumans" required the same thing, but ended up as a TV series instead. Hmmm. As always, grains of salt. At least until we have an official announcement, or scoops from trusted trades. Till then, let's just speculate away...

Netflix

LOL. Mere hours after my last R-N-D went up, Netflix released the official trailer for Marvel's "Iron Fist". I could've included that, right?

The good part? We finally get to see Finn Jones' Danny Rand showcasing his mystical Iron Fist power. Which looks AMAZING, at least for me. The bad part? Not everyone's a fan of the plot. Why? Because many of them immediately compared it to none other than... CW's "Arrow". Just when I thought I was alone having superhero fatigue, turns out others are feeling the same! LOL. Of course, this doesn't mean that "Iron Fist" will be a perfect carbon copy of the CW series. I personally don't feel that the two even share similarities THAT much, not to mention "Arrow" itself is already stealing... er I mean adapting the story of Batman, not its own source material. And remember, people who watch "Arrow" AFTER seeing "Iron Fist", would obviously say the other way around. Am I right?

Anyway, MCUExchange had posted a detailed breakdown to this trailer, and pointed out that "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" alumn Ramon Rodriguez (don't remember? He played that annoying Shia LaBeouf's roommate?) MIGHT be playing a secret important character in it. Could he be playing Davos, the Steel Serpent? I don't see why not. It makes sense even, especially with the odd veil of secrecy about his involvement. Erik LaRay Harvey's Diamondback, anyone? What do you think? Guess we'll just have to wait until March 17 to find out. For now, go ahead and check out the Final Defender's first featurette that was published via Twitter.

Meanwhile, Marvel's "The Defenders" continues filming, and looks like we'll be getting a scene of Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock, Mike Colter's Luke Cage, and Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones... commuting the subway together. My only reaction for these candid images was... WHERE'S DANNY?!!!! One more thing, don't expect this much anticipated mini series to arrive before June. Why? Netflix already has a tight schedule of release dates until June 9, and not a sign of "The Defenders". My guess? It'll arrive in August, considering Marvel has "Spider-Man: Homecoming" in July. They can release it at the same month though, making it a New York-based month for Marvel.

The second season of "Stranger Things" might have 'suffered' the same delay. After all, it won't arrive until Halloween, right? Not to worry though, if you're already aching to get your doze of the creepy Upside-Down, a few official(?) images from the new season have hit the internet. It looks the threat of the supernatural isn't over yet, and Will Byers' return only triggers more problem. After all, almost everyone look scared in these images.

As for how many season we'll be getting for this series? Ross and Matt Duffer Brothers spoke to Entertainment Weekly and revealed that it might go on to last four of five seasons. That means, assuming it's released in a yearly basis, it will last until 2020. I bet the kids will be in senior high school when the time comes! LOL. It's not a fixed plan though, and things can change along the way. But they have planned a "finite ending" for it, and don't want the show "runs out of gas and they lose it because they’re losing interest. You wanna end when you’re on top.". That's a good approach. After all, many are already concerned, and have been voicing disagreements to even have this second season, especially because of how good the ending was. As always, we'll see what happens next.

One last thing before I wrap up this category. "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" Season 3 has a release date! YAAAY! Netflix has even released an official teaser, and this one is focused on Titus Andromedon. Did this teaser just hint that he's no longer with Mikey? Oh noooes. I'm always annoyed when a show puts a twist on its great couple *sigh*. Anyways, I'm a fan of this irresistble unbreakable show, so of course I'm excited about it. Now I only need to wait patiently until May 19, right? Dang it, can I make it? That's TOO LONG... XD

Kyoukai no Rinne

Hey, it's the only anime category in this post! Ahahaha. Okay, this will be brief. NHK has officially announced the premiere date for the 3rd season of "Kyoukai no Rinne". The season will begin airing every Sunday, starting on April 9, 2017. Two new voice actors will be joining the season as well. Miyuki Sawashiro will be playing Anematsuri Annette Hitomi, who is the lady that was already hinted in the post credit scene of Season 2's finale. Prolific voice actress Megumi Hayashibara will be playing Otome Rokudou, who is none other than Rinne's own mother. Her casting would make for a nice nod to Rumiko Takahashi's former work, considering both her and Kappei Yamaguchi (who is voicing Rinne's father Sabato) voiced the different genders of one Ranma Saotome in "Ranma 1/2"!!! We already have Yukino Satsuki, a.k.a Kagome Higurashi in "Inu Yasha", who's been voicing Rinne's ageless grandmother Tamako. Wouldn't it be more awesome if we're getting even more 'Takahashi-alumni' in this show? Noriko Hidaka, Rei Sakuma, Kikuko Inoue, and/or Minami Takayama perhaps? That'd totally made my day... XD

Street Fighter

Looks like that fan-speculation might be true after all! Helen/Kolin has been revealed to be the 2nd character (if we count Akuma) of the 2nd DLC lines for "Street Fighter V". Or as CAPCOM said it, 2nd Season. The good news is, Kolin's a new character that hasn't been playable before, but the bad news is, she's NOT exactly new, considering she has already debuted in "Street Fighter III" albeit as minor character.

Kolin, as she should be referred to by now (she used the name Helen to avoid spoilering the game's connection to SFIII), played a plot-moving part in the "A Shadow Falls" Cinematic Expansion. She served as an intermediary of the Illuminati, reporting to Urien, and well, resurrected Charlie Nash and used the poor-sod to bring down M. Bison and his Shadaloo Empire. All for the sake of her master Gill. This character will be available on February 28, and will arrive with her own Story Mode, variety of costumes, "Premium Battle" feature, and "Nostalgia" costumes. She will be using the martial art of Russian's Systema, and also utilizing the power of ice, which as far as I remember can be considered as new. Design-wise, it does seem that she's getting a face makeover. Depending on user's preference, this could be either good or bad. CAPCOM UK's Matt Edwards has revealed how the game's character select screen would look with the addition of the latest 2 DLCs.

CAPCOM promised to reveal the remaining four characters 'every other month' beginning in February, which means the last character will arrive in October at the earliest. Looks like the company is dodging the bullets in advance, learning from their past mistake of failing to fulfill their own promise for a monthly release. Letting players know ahead that they won't be getting more characters soon, can be considered a wise movie. However, I don't know if Akuma, Kolin, and these 4 'completely new' characters would even manage to satisfy fans. Especially in such extended duration of release. Personally? I'm NOT too impressed with Kolin, due to many reasons. Not just her, but the remaining 4 characters too, assuming the speculation is 100% correct. Really, I'd be more grateful if we get veteran fan-beloved fighters like Sagat, Cody Travers, or Sakura Kasugano instead. Or even better, a 100% new character that hasn't been seen anywhere before. A blank canvas, if you will. From what I've been reading online, I'm definitely not alone in this. Could this be the title's last straw for many players? That seems to be the case. Let's not jynx it too early though, we can never tell what might happen tomorrow...

Pokemon (Pocket Monsters)

The Johto Pokemon has arrived in "Pokemon GO"! When Niantic first announced it on the official trailer, I didn't think it would arrive this fast. Yep, in case you missed it, the latest update (version 0.57.2 for Android and 1.27.2 for iOS) has been made available THIS MORNING (my timezone), and yes, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, and all the new species from "Pokemon Gold, Silver & Crystal" are now available in the wilderness. Trust me, I've encountered Chikorita, HootHoot, Wooper, Chinchou, and others with my own eyes. Darn it, those are the exact Pokemon types I would love to obtain, some are my all-time favorites *cries in joy*. There will be a long seemingly-infinite loading process once you've executed the update, but don't worry and just wait for a while, and you'll get all the features working.

I know what you're thinking. It took 2 damn months after the first baby-batch was released! But this update came with massive changes too, so why the long frowning face? In the official release note, Niantic has confirmed several features that they have revealed several days ago: - Over 80 additional Johto Pokemon. Is this everyone? There are 100 new Species in Johto. If we count out the 6 Legendaries (since not even the Kanto ones have been available), we only get 94. Remember, we already had 8 species before via Eggs (Pichu, Togepi, Cleffa, Igglybuff, Elekid, Magby, and Smoochum, Togetic), which leaves us with 86. Note the word 'OVER'? Yep, this is basically every species then! - Gender-specific variations are now available. You can check this on your Pokemon status page. I wonder if this will lead towards "Breeding" feature then? Hmmm... - PokeBall and Berry selection carousels, are added to the encounter screen, which might take a while to get used to. There are also two new Berries available, the Nanab and Pinap. Nanab can slow a wild Pokemon's movements, while Pinap will double the amount of Candy that is earned when capturing the Pokemon. I personally haven't seen these Berries in effects so far, but it's there. Niantic has posted official screenshots for them. You can also... 'catch' it on the announcement trailer. LOL. - There will be bonus Candies for catching evolved Pokemon. Something the App should've implemented since day one! *sigh*. Oh and yeah, you're still going to need them too. Some Kanto Pokemon can be evolved into new forms, but with a catch. You not only need the right amount of Candies, but also a "Specific Item" to do so! So if you want, you can evolve that drool-ugly Gloom into the adorably charming Bellosom this very instant. As long as you have the Sun Stone!!! OUCH!!! Now it's going to be a real challenge to get Scizor, Politoed, Slowking, Kingdra, and some others *sigh*. These items will be obtainable through PokeStops, so it all relies on pure luck. Which is NOT so good for players who are running low on one. Oh well, at least Crobat, Espeon, and Umbreon won't be as hard to get. - New encounter mechanics. Some Pokemon will be more 'tricky' to catch, with random movements that might surprise you. For example, Yanma will fly around making it hard to focus your throw, while Remoraid will swim around from left to right, causing you to have problem in aiming the Pokeball. I haven't noticed anything else, but this is a nice change nonetheless. - New Avatar outfit and accessory, which is a nice touch because that trainer jacket looks boring. Unfortunately, several casual clothings are available if you... purchase them with Coins. Yep, it's NOT free, and that's a little bummer. Oh well, at least there's an option to not wear hats and gloves now. I don't recall it was possible before. Now if only we have more hairstyles, and also body size, "Pokemon GO" can end up looking more diverse like the recent handheld titles, right? Hope Niantic is hearing this. - New night-mode map are added too. These ones I can't state for sure, because it's not yet night in my time. - New encounter music? I could've sworn nothing changes. Perhaps only for the night mode? Hmmm.

It remains to be seen, whether this update will boost back the game into popularity. Would players who have given up, return to see new faces and enjoy the new features? I think the more important question is, how long will this hype stays on? Let's just hope that Niantic will find a way to keep their players interested and invested. To celebrate this long awaited update, Niantic will be giving 'discount' to purchase Pokemon Storage update. Which makes perfect sense (and should've been FREE of charge, IMHO), because we're going to need it more than ever now. This sale only last from February 16 to 28 though, so you need to be quick. So what are you waiting for? Hurry up, get out there, and start getting more Pokemon in your city. If only there's a "Trading" feature though... *winks*

0 notes

furederiko · 8 years

Photo

After a whole month* of absence, the Random-News-Digest has returned! It's the 1st of the month and also for the year 2017. *) Technically, it's around 2 months, since my last R-N-D was published on December 12th, 2016.

NOTE: Starting with this post, expect to see several news to be put in a joint category. For example, all things related to Marvel Studios will be put as one section, while Marvel TV's shows will be a separate one. Occasionally, some will show up as a standalone though, it all depends on the situations and conditions. It's an attempt to make the post more... shorter and concised. That's the intention, at least. LOL.

Disney Live Action

Back in the 90s, the classic animated movie "Beauty and the Beast" had an original song by the same name, that became a huge memorable hit. With combination of powerful vocals by then-rising star Celine Dion, and well-known soul singer Peabo Bryson, the duet took the world by storm. I doubt there's even anyone who have never heard of this song. Which is why, it's a huge task for the current generation of singers to deliver this song with the same amount of heft, as part of this year's live action remake.

And that privilege has been given to Arianna Grande and John Legend, while Dion herself contributed a new solo song "How Does a Moment Last Forever" to the movie's soundtrack. Walt Disney Pictures officially released an audio-only VEVO for this 2017's version duet, and if you have ever had any doubts about the quality of both Grande and Oscar Winner Legend, then well... you can stop worrying. I admit, they don't sound like Dion and Bryson. But you know what? A good singer needs to make a song their own, and in that regard, Grande and Legend have succeeded. All the while, the classic vibe and feel of the romantic song remains in tact. Uhmm... scratch that, they also made it sound... modern too. Sure, the music feels oddly like... karaoke, but when Legend's voice came in I felt the exact same shivers I had when I listened to the original for the first time.

You can also listen to the song, while it's serenading the movie's Final Trailer. Yep, Disney has released one last marketing push for the movie, although in my opinion it's really NOT necessary. And trust me, I advise you (especially those who have NEVER seen the animated version) to NOT watch it. Because well... it practically spoiled like 80% of what's going to happen in it *sigh*. Thankfully, aside from a few seconds of Emma Watson singing "Something There", none of the musical numbers have been used in the trailers. Which is perfectly GOOD, because I prefer hearing them directly in the theatres. Okaaaaay... I might have spoken a little TOO SOON. The Golden Globe TV spot has already featured Watson's version of her Belle's solo number by the same title... "Belle". Dang it Disney, STOP IT... just STOP! I know it's completely my fault for running into that video, but pleeeaseee! Keep everything else a surprise, okay?! *sigh*

DC Films

In case you've been living under a rock (which is perfectly cool, by the way, it's your choice), or have been removed from modern civilizations for the past few weeks (which is... also cool, because sometimes a retreat to the wilderness IS necessary), actor Ben Affleck has stepped back from directing the next Batman solo movie. Yes, eventhough I believe that's part of the deal when he jumped in to play grumpy murderous Bruce Wayne for DC Films. Talking to Variety, Affleck stated that he chose to focus on the lead actor role and handed over the directorial duty to someone else. Why? Is it because the costume will be too uncomfortable for him to work both side? That's a possibility. Perhaps he went a little anxious after his much-buzzed movie "Live by Night" failed to please... practically everyone? Or is it because, there's a brewing storm behind "Justice League" that gave him... cold feet? No matter the reason behind it, I think this is a huge loss for a potentially-great movie.

Then again, not just the studio (as proven by them trusting Zack Snyder and David Ayer over and over again), apparently the fans are more desperate and concerned about having the movie MADE, instead of having the right people come in to ensure its QUALITY. Proof? Immediately after the news went large, many fansites wasted no time to speculate and fan-cast their favorite directors, whom they hope will replace Affleck in the directorial chair. Although I bet the seat is still warm, Affleck's name faded from everyone's head so quickly! My condolences to him for experiencing what Tim Miller had with the second "Deadpool" movie. So yeah, one thing for sure, that tentatively titled "The Batman" WILL definitely see the light of day. Right now, Warner Bros is actively looking for Affleck's replacement, assuming they want to be on time for their schedule to release the movie next year (alongside James Wan's "Aquaman" and Margot Robbie's "Gotham City Siren"), of course.

Meanwhile, the same thing isn't happening with the other movie, "The Flash". After two consecutive directors walked out due to 'creative differences', WB has decided to do a page-one rewrite of the script, which if I recall correctly was done by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Who, by the way, were initially considered to direct the movie too, before moving on to "Han Solo: A Star Wars Story" at Disney. Joby Harold, a guy whose name I'm NOT familiar with has been tasked to do this ordea... er, I mean responsibility. This means, highly likely it will NOT be released in 2018 as previously planned. Why? Not only things will be restarted from scratch, lead actor Ezra Miller has a commitment to star in the second installment of "Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them", and the production is expected to begin around July. As I've said in November, the earliest for him to start working in this movie is Fall 2017 for a release date of Winter 2018. But that was when there's an existing script ready to be filmed.

What's happening with "The Batman", "The Flash", and the wise delay of "Justice League 2" (should we even be surprised? They kept releasing more uninspiring still from the movie) only proves that WB has yet managed to have proper footings with their DC adaptations. Let's just hope that those are just minor necessary setbacks from the DC Universe in order to move smoothly in the future. After all, "Green Lantern Corps" has hired Justin Rhodes and everyone's favorite person David Goyer to write the screenplay, while "Shazam" and "Black Adam" have been reported to be made into separate movies to accommodate more of Dwayne Johnson's star-power.

LEGO Movies

Feel free to call this shameless bragging, but I trust my gut instinct. Many times it has proven to be correct. A recent good example of this, is my genuine hype as soon as I saw the first trailer for "The LEGO Batman Movie". Ignoring the obvious fact that I always have a soft spot for LEGO's animated adaptation, I had this feeling that the movie will be fantastic. Which was, a complete opposite to when I saw any (yes, all) of the live action DC Films so far (don't get me wrong, 'DC Films' obviously refers to ones released prior to Nolan's trilogy). Guess what? Critics are loving the movie too!

The Guardian called it "a relentlessly funny superhero movie". Variety called it as "kicky, bedazzling, and super-fun". Den of Geek said that it's "a second straight victory for the Lego franchise on the big screen", and similar to Polygon, likened it to the famous "The Dark Knight". IGN gave it an 8,5 out of 10 score. You can check out many other sites to read their thoughts on the movie. As of writing, its RottenTomatoes' accumulated score (remember, the site only aggregates score from various places, not rates their own) is sitting at a comfy 98% out of 40 critics. Something that neither "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Suicide Squad" were able to accomplish. Nope, both started out under 50%!!! Of course, this score will fluctuate in the coming days and weeks, and it is the final score that will actually count more. But really, this IS a great sign.

You know what is the lesson that I hope WB would learn from this success? HIRE THE RIGHT MAN for the job and RESPECT the source material! Stop relying on snobbish arrogant hacks like Zack Snyder, David Ayer, and the likes who wants to have their way without honoring the comics. Hire the right people and DC Films will no doubt be equally a success. And now that I think about it... on a lesser note, why not focus on animations instead? Back during the Bruce Timm era, their DC properties have been nailing the animated superhero market for years. Completely towering over the competitor Marvel by a huge margin. Yet they somehow decided to focus on the dark, gritty, and gloomy live action adaptations (thanks to New 52), with ripple effects that ran through many mediums, including the DC animation movies (starting with "Justice League: Flashpoint"). That's when DC direct-to-videos animated movies became... dull and boring as well. "The LEGO Batman Movie" is a return to the fun escapades, an easy proof of what DC should've done. This movie, alongside the carefree "Justice League: Action" series are exactly what WB needs for their DC properties! Assuming they want to win over fans of all ages, of course.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'm going to be able to watch this movie at the theatres. With the current financial condition, I will need to wait until the home video is released. But hearing positive praises and recommendations from critics is already enough to make me happy. As in, FINALLY, there's a theatrical DC movie that's worth-watching after "The Dark Knight". If you're not convinced just yet, check out the 'technical' "Behind the Brick" featurette for the movie, or the fun "Gotham Cribs" specially hosted by Batman and his... uhm, roommate Bruce Wayne (who gives some shirtless fanservice too... Wooooo!!! XD). Want a song instead? Check out the official LEGO Batman theme, in the tune of "Everything is Awesome" from "The LEGO Movie". Yes, even if you're not a DC fan, according to critics, if you loved "The LEGO Movie" then high chance you're going to love this movie as well!

To complement the movie's success... there's also a recent news regarding "The LEGO Ninjago Movie". Yep, a title that will be released this year, the one I've completely forgotten about. Just yesterday, USA Today exclusively shared sneak peaks of the movie, and well it looked... uhmm... weird. I didn't have issues when I first saw the image of Garmadon, or Sensei Wu. But when I saw the Ninja, I seriously gasped. Honestly? I'm NOT too keen on how they look... different compared to the TV ones. WHY the need to change their hairstyle? To make more merchandise? Also, do we need big name actors to bring them to life? What's the problem of using the exact voice cast of the TV series? Do their their names not... selling enough? I have to say, as a devoted fans of the franchise, this reveal somewhat annoyed me.

Yes. The report also confirmed the voice cast. I have to use the word 'confirmed' because apparently, these names have already been leaked/revealed back in June 2016. Courtesy of fansite Brickset, who stumbled upon the names during the Licensing Expo 2016. I'm genuinely surprised that it went off radar that easily, particularly mine, who had seen all six seasons of the show and can't wait to see more. Anyway, the cast consists of Jackie Chan as Sensei Wu, and the newly announced Justin Theroux as Garmadon the big bad. The ever talented Michael Peña will voice Kai, Kumail Nanjiani as Jay, Zach Woods as Zane, and Fred Armisen as Cole. Garmadon's son (assuming the movie follows the plot of the series) Lloyd is confirmed to be the lead protagonist, and will be voiced by Dave Franco. While Abbi Jacobson is set to voice the odd-haired Nya, who (once again, assuming it's similar to the series) is Kai's sister. While admittedly these are great names, somehow I feel like some of them are... voicing the wrong character. For example, I figure Peña should be the one doing Cole (considering many fans have likened the character as hispanic), while Franco's playful voice would be better as Jay or even Kai instead of Lloyd. Jackie Chan is a terrific actor, but him as Wu? Hmmm....

But that's not all that concerns me. It's what Franco said that made me worried. "They may be really cool as ninjas and the Ninjago world adores them, but at school they’re the geeks and nerds who are ignored.". At... SCHOOL? And NERDS? Huh? People who are clueless about the franchise might find this to be 'good', but I honestly wonder if fans would be pleased with these changes. I know I'm not *sigh*. Oh well, I can only hope this movie will not prevent the 7th season from happening, because I'm more looking forward to that one. "The LEGO Ninjago Movie" is set to arrive on September 22nd, 2017.

Marvel Studios

It's Super Bowl time of the year, a time where people came or tune in TV for sport, and movie studios used it to tag along for promotions. True to the earlier report, Disney released two new trailers for their upcoming movies. Everyone's easy guess, was that "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" is one of that, considering it's among the House of Mouse's first Summer movie of the year. And well, that was correct, with the other one belonged to "Pirates of the Carribean 5". Not long after USA Today released several new official images (which looked really good, especially Mantis), Disney officially released the Super Bowl trailer online.

It became the most watched and talked about trailer throughout the game, and true to director James Gunn's tease, fans have gotten their first look of Elizabeth Debicki's villainous Ayesha. To be honest, I never thought it's really that hard to imagine how she would look. Just photoshop Debicki with a golden skin, and you have Ayesha! Surprisingly though, she looked... a little different than the one shown in the official LEGO tie-in sets. Perhaps because in the trailer, she's covering her long wavy golden locks in that royal helme... er, tiara thingy? That might be the case. Don't believe me? Go ahead and check out the trailer's breakdown, courtesy of SlashFilm. Kurt Russel's Ego the Living Planet is the only character we have yet seen so far. Perhaps Marvel Studios is intent on keeping him longer in the dark to avoid... giving away too much of the story?

Marvel Studios also released a new official poster to accompany the trailer, and well... it also looked really good. Brilliantly artistic, I should say, because it works well with the 'Volume 2' title and also Chris Pratt's Star-Lord's personal signature. Despite looking funky, it does not go excessively beyond borderline ridiculous like those... uhm skwad ones (Yeeessh!!! who designed those?). Embargo for the set visits have also been lifted, and various entertainment sites have begun running their reports. Haven't had time to read these set visits, but will do it later today when I have the time. Or tomorrow. But to be honest, I don't need to know more about this movie. I'm already sold about it even before it is announced. LOL. With Gunn himself confirming on social media that Tyler Bates' score for the movie has been completed, it looks like the movie is very close to finish. After all, it will premiere earlier in various countries. I think it'll arrive in April here too! I'm personally curious and can't wait to hear responses from the early screening!

Skipping "Spider-Man: Homecoming", and moving on to "Thor: Ragnarok", director Taika Waititi has confirmed that actor Sam Neill will indeed have a role, albeit minor in his upcoming movie. And he's not alone as an alumn from "Hunt of the Wilderpeople", because he will be accompanied by another actor from the movie. Who is it? Waititi himself!!! LOL. In case you forgot, this quirky director is also an actor, and he did have a brief but really memorable part in that critically-acclaimed movie. Revealing what he played in "Hunt of the Wilderpeople" might be regarded as spoiler, so you've just got to see that movie yourself to know what it is (don't worry, it's HIGHLY recommended). But if you're looking for a quick sample to know whether the New Zealander can act or not, back in 2011 he played Hal Jordan's best friend in the critically-panned "Green Lantern". Arguably not the best example of his talent, but it'll suffice. Especially because he's one of the element that was good in that... uhm, 'bad' movie. My problem with "Thor: Ragnarok", is that up until now, we haven't had a teaser nor trailer for it! I was counting on the Super Bowl for the teaser, but that's not the case. So how the tone and everything else will fit is still everyone's guess. I do trust Marvel Studios though. I'm sure they fully believe in Waititi, so perhaps we should all just follow suit and rest at ease.

Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther" has begun production last month under the working title "Motherland". Through its official announcement, Marvel Studios confirmed that Andy Serkis will return to reprise his role as Ulysses Klaue. Martin Freeman was also confirmed to return as Everett Ross, but this isn't new since he has been spotted alongside lead actor Chadwick Boseman, and actresses Lupita Nyong'o and Danai Gurira before. In the comics, both characters are closely related to Wakanda, so their inclusion is more than obvious. The movie is also expected to have a big action scene in Busan, South Korea. Does this mean we can expect Claudia Kim to reprise her role as Dr. Helen Cho as well? Eventhough the movie has a high-calliber cast that makes everyone (including mine) shakes head in awe, this movie is still lacking some Asian-colors, am I right? Then again, Busan might simply work as a stand-in for the high tech nation of Wakanda, so the movie's setting might not necessarily take place in the East Asian country. I really shouldn't get my hopes up too soon.

At the same time, the much-anticipated "Avengers: Infinity War" has also begun production. This movie will be filmed concurrently along with the currently UNTITLED Avengers movie, that is set to be released on May 2019. Not just in Atlanta, the film will also shoot in several locations around the world, like London, Scotland, and likely others. Oddly, Marvel Studios has yet to release an official cast announcement for the movie. Possibly to avoid spoilering the story, or some other technical reason. So while we wait for that to happen, all we can do is observe movements and activites of Marvel Cinematic Universe's various actors on social medias to guess whether they are in it or not. Some names like Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Olsen, Jeremy Renner, Benedict Wong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementief, and others have been confirmed thanks to keen-eyed fans. This include possible new cast members, like Peter Dinklage who is widely speculated to play Pip the Troll thanks to his newly dyed red hair. Expect to hear more of this behind the scene scoops throughout the production. If checking various social medias sounds exhausting, not to worry, because fansite MCUExchange has been keeping track of who's in and who's not. You can follow their updates for convenience.

During the set visit for "Vol 2", Marvel Studios' president Kevin Feige also revealed that Josh Brolin's Thanos will serve as the 'main character' of the movie. This is an interesting approach, and a conscious decision by the Studio as a response to the frequent criticism about their 'weak' antagonist characters. Feige is clearly aware of this much-talked about complaints, "A big criticism of ours is that we focus on the heroes more than the villains, I think that’s probably true. I don’t think it will always be true.". It'll be intriguing to see how this applies to "Infinity War", and moreso, critics and especially audience's reaction to it.

Marvel TV

Marvel TV has officially announced the core cast of their two upcoming shows! And both of them are YA titles...

The first one arrived for Freeform (formerly ABC family) and Marvel TV's first collaboration: Marvel's "Cloak and Dagger". MCUExchange initially ran a report mentioning Debbie Ryan and "Heroes" alumn Noah Gray-Cabey as the contenders, but the official press announcement immediately debunked that just a few days after. Young actor Aubrey Joseph has been cast as Tyrone Johnson, who will possess a 'dark' power to teleport others using his Cloak. While former Disney Channel's Olivia Holt has been cast as Tandy Bowen, who is able to manifest the power of 'light' in form of daggers. Just like the comics, the show will focus on both late teens's struggle with their new powers, as they fall in love with one another. Really, it's a YA love story, not unlike... "Twilight"?

Marvel TV's Jeph Loeb and showrunner/Executive Producer Joe Pokaski voiced their excitement and praises for the two young actors. In my opinion? I think the two looks great for the characters, particularly Holt. I'm not too keen on Joseph, but at least this one's much better than the previously rumored actor. Looks-wise, of course.

The second one, came for the more anticipated "Marvel's Runaways". Marvel TV officially announced that their collaboration with Hulu will star: Rhenzy Feliz as the nerdy African-American Alex Wilder, Lyrica Okano as the goth Nico Minoru (Sister Grimm), Virginia Gardner as the model-perfect Karolina Dean (Lucy in the Sky), Ariela Barer as the brash social justice warrior Gert Yorkes (Arsenic), Gregg Sulkin as the seemingly-dumb jock with untapped engineering skill Chase Stein (Talkback), and Allegra Acosta as the innocent Molly Hernandez. There isn't an official word yet, but this show has said to be ordered straight-to-series by Hulu.

To be honest, I'm not fluent with the comic series, and I haven't heard or seen any performances of these actors. But judging from their headshots alone, and comparing it to the character images the internet freely provided, I believe they look spot-on! They already looked like they jumped out of the comics, if you ask me, and with a simple touch of makeup, they will be even similar. So yeah, even I feel impressed by these names. And when people who are familiar with the series are saying good things, it seems more and more certain that the series will be good. Not to mention, Brian K. Vaughn who co-create the comics himself is onboard as Executive Consultant. This obviously gives audience a much higher assurance. For now, no names are confirmed for their 'villain' parents yet, nor whether this live action version of Nico will have any familial connection with Linda Louise Duan's Tina Minoru who debuted in last year's "Doctor Strange". I think it would be wise if they are indeed mother and daughter, to establish the show's place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But I'm not counting on anything, considering the gap that's been developing between the movie and TV side.

If the recent report could be trusted, then both series will begin production this month. "Cloak and Dagger" will start filming on February 14 (which makes sense, since it's a love story), with a working title "Shadows". It will take place in New Orleans, which is a change from the comic's setting, and the show is set to arrive next year. It is unclear when "Runaways" will begin production, but the show is expected to debut earlier, which is this Fall. Its working title is called "Rugrats".

Speaking of production, if another recent report is also valid, then Marvel TV's third new show is expected to begin production soon. Yep, Marvel's "Inhumans" is said to begin filming next month, between Chicago and Los Angeles. I'm not too sure about the source, but it makes sense considering the show has set a surprisingly fixed IMAX debut date in September. Not just those two areas, there was a report that said the series will also be filmed in Hawaii. Assuming these reports are true, that means we can also expect to hear casting announcement for Marvel's royal family pretty soon.

Marvel TV has already hired a director in Roel Reine to direct the first two episodes (which will be shot as an IMAX movie format), with a familiar Marvel TV-Netflix collaborator's name, Scott Buck as the showrunner. Although the Dutch director's name is still fairly unheard, and his portofolio in the US isn't actually... encouraging, he has indeed won the Dutch equivalent to an Oscar for a theatrical feature entitled "The Delivery". So perhaps, it's already in good hands? Anyways, that means all we need now is the cast, which for me personally, might very well be the make-or-break element of them all. Two actresses have been rumored so far, based on their social media activities, and honestly, I don't think they are a good fit. But rumor is just rumor until proven otherwise. So while I'm feeling genuinely worried, I can somehow be hopeful too.

If I had to choose which one I want to watch among these three, it's the second show that intrigues me most. "Runaways" easily comes on top, due to the talents alone. "Inhumans" comes next, though as I said, I can't help but feel more worried about it more than the others. I'm not too sure whether Marvel TV has the chops or creds to deliver such grand scale, but that's just a subjective perspective. "Cloak and Dagger" comes third is on list, eventhough I'm a fan of the characters in the comics. I don't know why, but I'm just not feeling it for some reasons. I hope I'm just alone thinking that way though, because expecting a new show to fail so early is just too despicable of an act for me to pull off. Of course, I also don't have any accounts for both Freeform or Hulu, and not planning to obtain ones just to watch one show. So the chances of me seeing two of these shows are VERY slim. Thanks to that, in the end "Inhumans" will likely be the one I'd end up watching. But let's just wait and see what happens when the time comes, all right?

Netflix

As for the Netflix side of Marvel, there are buzzes that we'll be getting a new trailer for Marvel's "Iron Fist" soon. Which is not surprising, considering all 13 episodes of the show will premiere in just a month and a week away! Several new official images have been released, showcasing the core cast of the series with no additional details whatsoever. This new series is the one I'm looking forward the most among the 'Netflix Defenders', so I'm crossing my fingers that it wouldn't disappoint.

At the same time, production for the next two shows continues to roll. Gettyimages has provided behind the scene photos of Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock and Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones together for Marvel's "The Defenders", possibly reenacting a particular scene from the comics. There are mentions that the production will also shoot on Staten Island, which feature a scene with Mike Colter's Luke Cage. The mini-series has been confirmed (through Entertainment Weekly) to be released in Summer, so we can expect the production to wrap up really soon. This announcement practically confirmed that Frank Castle's show will take the Fall schedule, and that the character miiiight not be in the mini series. Much to many fans dismay, of course, including me.

Meanwhile, identity of Sigourney Weaver's character has yet to be revealed as well. EW only revealed her character's name as Alexandra, which can refer to practically anyone, comic book rooted or not. Showrunner Marco Ramirez only stated vaguely that Weaver's Alexandra is "a very powerful force in New York City. She’s everything Sigourney is: sophisticated, intellectual, dangerous.". Once again, that can mean anyone... or anything, since we're dealing with The Hands. Personally, I'm leaning towards a politician who wants to regulate vigilantes and people with abilities. That would rhyme really well with the aftermath of "Captain America: Civil War", as well as what's happening in "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.". But that's just me and my theory. Don't quote me on that! LOL.

Another candid images of the production for Marvel's "The Punisher" has been making rounds in the internet. These images raised some... concerns among fans, because Jon Bernthal has been seen holding flowers. Hmmm... does this mean he's visiting a grave? Problem is, an old one (his family), or NEW grave (of a cast member, or character from previous series). Don't forget, this show is now expected to arrive at Fall. That means they might still be working on halfway through the series. Worth noted though, that filming doesn't necessarily follow the chronologic of the show. So whatever scene he's filming might always come from a needed flashback, something that occurs in the 2nd arc, or something that might happen later in the series' epilogue.

For the non-Marvel, Netflix has officially released the first trailer for the highly-anticipated second season of "Stranger Things" during Super Bowl. What a surprising move! This came directly on the heels of them releasing an official image from the show, that highlighted the children leads in their time-setting-appropriate Ghostbusters cosplay. I haven't seen this trailer myself (have to wait until after 1:00AM to be able to use bigger datacharge), but response to it have been... great. Too great even, so I'm REALLY curious. But you know what? I don't really need to see it anyway. I've already fallen in love with this show, so there's really no question whether I'm looking forward to see next or not. Problem is... season 2 will not arrive until Halloween. Well, that's a long wait, huh? *sigh*

Oh well, can't help it. Guess now I only need confirmation of when the 3rd season of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" will arrive, and I'm practically good to go!

0 notes