By visiting our site, you agree to our privacy policy regarding cookies, tracking statistics, etc.

Home Blog Page 54

The Top Ten Mother’s Day Films of All-Time

By
Matt Perri
-
0

For every holiday there exists a list of accompanying films. Mother’s Day is no exception. Through out the years, there have been plenty of films that have shown audiences the role of a mother from several different perspectives, which I believe is important.

The films you’ll see here cover several genres. Some are comedies. Some are dramas. Some are horror, action or science fiction. What remains constant is the overall theme: these are stories of mothers who want the best for their children as well as the rest of their families.

Once again, this list doesn’t include TV films but may include a short film or two. As always, if you’re not in agreement or have a movie you wanna talk about, holla at ya’ boy in the comments.

These are my Top Ten Mother’s Day Films of All-Time.

10) Jerry Maguire (1996)

WHY’S IT ON THE LIST?

Yes, the movie’s main character is a guy (played by Tom Cruise, no less). But the movie’s heart and soul revolves around two mothers: Dorothy Boyd, played by Renee Zellweger and Marcee Tidwell, played by Regina King. Both actresses bring Oscar-caliber performances (the wouldn’t win them for this film, but would for films later in their careers) to their roles as the two work to balance their children and the men in their lives. Zellweger plays Boyd to a tee, a single mother who has “been to the puppet show and seen the strings”, according to Jerry’s only client, Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding, Jr.). She doesn’t mind the company from men but her entire life is her son, Ray (Jonathan Lipnicki) who she brings up in a home with her somewhat obtuse but protective sister, Laurel. (Bonnie Hunt). It’s never what’s best for her, it’s what’s best for Ray. For Marcee, she already has a strong presence among her children (the part where she immediately disciplines her son for shouting “THAT’S MY MOFO” during one of his dad’s football games is so true to life) and watching her fight for her family is absolute thing of beauty.

BEST SCENE

Jerry has been negotiating Rod’s NFL contract…which has turned out to be far less than what Rod and his wife were expecting. Rod is visibly upset and heartbroken. Marcee is fed up with Jerry’s inability to get Rod paid what he’s worth and threatens to dump Jerry for his former employer — until Dorothy reminds the family that Jerry is broke, working for the Tidwells for free and he actually, truly cares for the family, unlike his competition. A shaken Rod begins to accept his fate as a paycheck player — until Marcee centers him and reminds him of who he truly is. The scene is emotionally satisfying and beautiful and reminds viewers that behind most good men is an incredibly strong woman.

9) The Kids Are All Right (2010)

WHY’S IT ON THE LIST?

A married same-sex couple (Annette Bening, Julianne Moore) invites the sperm donor (Mark Ruffalo), who is biologically responsible for the creation of their kids, to dinner and, soon, into their family which starts well but begins to become complicated. Jules (Moore) is bisexual and feels underappreciated by Nic (Bening) and ends up having an affair with Paul, the donor (Ruffalo) while Nic struggles to keep the fabric of her family intact as her kids are becoming adults with the oldest getting ready for college. The movie features incredible performances by all involved and shows viewers that family and motherhood isn’t always black and white.

BEST SCENE

The dinner scene where Nic grills Paul about his lack of education and disdain for college — all which Paul explains in front of Joni, Nic’s college bound daughter. Both mothers and children can identify with this scene.

8) The Joy Luck Club (1993)

WHY’S IT ON THE LIST?

It examines the stories of four Chinese women, born in the United States, to their mothers who were all immigrants from China. The film is emotionally harrowing as each mother and daughter examine their pasts which end up leading to a strengthening of their respective relationships.

BEST SCENE

The emotional showdown between Suyuan Woo (Kieu Chinh) and her daughter, June Woo (Ming-Na Wen) as June tearfully admits that she has come in far below her mother’s expectations — which weren’t expectations at all. Suyuan explains to June what she really wanted for her daughter and also tells her why she’s most proud of June.

7) Postcards From the Edge (1990)

WHY’S IT ON THE LIST?

Call this the darker sister of 1983’s “Terms of Endearment”. Adapted by the late Carrie Fisher from her own “semi-autobiography”, it tells the story of actress Suzanne Vale (Meryl Streep) who is attempting to restart her life after getting out of rehab in an attempt to kick a Cocaine-Percodan addiction. But, in order to return to work, she’s ordered to live with a “responsible adult” who will keep her in line because the studio’s insurance won’t cover her otherwise. This puts her on a collision course with her controlling, obnoxious mother, Doris (Shirley MacLaine) who treats her like a little kid. Ironically, it takes Doris’s drinking problem for them to reconcile in a film that’s difficult to watch but is no less compelling and hits home for anyone who has had to go back home after taking a personal fall.

BEST SCENE

The scene where Suzanne is told that she has to live with somebody “responsible” which nearly erupts into a verbal spat between mother and daughter right in front of Vale’s studio head.

6) Terms of Endearment (1983)

WHY’S IT ON THE LIST?

It’s one of the greatest mother-daughter films of all-time and one that’s impeccably cast, written and directed, all despite the ironic notion that Debra Winger and Shirley MacLaine didn’t get along on set. It tells the story of Emma Horton (Winger) who clashes with her domineering mother (MacLaine) on a near-daily basis. Emma marries a bookish college professor (Jeff Daniels) and ends up in financial trouble which goes hand in hand with eventual marital discord. Despite being at odds with her mother, Emma remains close to her because it’s a bond that can never truly be broken, which is the ultimate lesson here. MacLaine is excellent as Aurora, a strong woman who will claw, bite and scratch for her kid, despite the fact that Emma is sometimes biting, clawing and scratching to get away from her. The movie does the service of showing us that the strict, tough love we get from our mothers is often for the best.

BEST SCENE

Easily, Aurora losing her patience with the hospital nursing staff and she screams at them for being complacent and apathetic towards her dying daughter by delaying her shot for the unrelenting pain Emma is going through. This scene, alone, shows why MacLaine won the Oscar for this film.

5) The Babadook (2014)

WHY’S IT ON THE LIST?

As much as it’s a slow-burn horror flick with some of the most creepy, original visuals ever captured on film, it’s very much a metaphor about the trials of motherhood, showcasing the frustration, the stress and the outright horror when a parent is plagued by something they are unable to grasp, leaving them unable to stop it or help their child. Essie Davis’s performance as Amelia Vanek is incredible as she plays a mother who is forced to bring her 6 year old son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman), up by herself after the tragic death of her husband. After reading a mysterious pop-up book called “Mr. Babadook” to him at her son’s request, Samuel becomes inexplicably haunted by the titular character, a creepy, pale-looking humanoid with a top hat and taloned fingers or claws. But is it really haunting Samuel? Or is this a manifestation of Amelia’s miserable psyche? Regardless, the movie stays with you long after it’s over and should resonate with any mother who has ever been frustrated with parenting.

BEST SCENE

Amelia vs. The Babadook, presented without commentary.

4) Juno (2007)

WHY’S IT ON THE LIST?

It gives you the perspective of motherhood from the eyes of a 16-year-old teenager named Juno (Ellen Page) who had sex with a high school friend (Michael Cera) and became pregnant. At 16, you’re barely ready to get up for school, let alone being a parent and the film explores Juno’s journey as she goes from shrugging teen to responsible mother. The cast is excellent, rounded out by the great J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney who play Juno’s incredibly supportive parents, Mac and Bran, respectively. The clever (and sometimes quirky) script is written by Diablo Cody, who was influenced by her own high school experiences.

BEST SCENE

Juno reveals the news of her pregnancy to her parents, a scene that’s as awkward as it is humorous and incredibly real.

3) Baby Boom (1987)

WHY’S IT ON THE LIST?

J.C. Wiatt is a businesswoman who has it all: a go-getter attitude which has propelled her into a six-figure job and a beautiful residence in the bustling city of New York. She’s even set to inherit a little something from a deceased family member…which ends up being the one thing she doesn’t have which unravels everything she’s built: a baby girl. Diane Keaton’s performance is outstanding and elevates a comedy which, on paper, looks basic and by-the-numbers. To judge it that way is at any movie fan’s peril. In “Baby Boom”, Keaton gives us a successful businesswoman knocked off her pedestal and forced to summon motherly instincts she didn’t know she had before rebuilding what she lost and sticking it to a world run by men by showing them that women really do have the ability to run the world around them. The film is hilarious, exhausting, and rewarding and will resonate with any 9-to-5 Mom who has ever had to balance work with the children who depend on them.

BEST SCENE

Wiatt has moved to the country after living in the big city for so long…and she’s not used to the many issues which come with it like caving roofs, broken radiators and dry wells all during the incredibly cold and snowy East Coast winter seasons. Here, she finally reaches the end of her rope when she figures out she has no more well water and can’t simply “fill it up with more”. (Sorry for the quality. For some reason, MGM doesn’t have many clips and won’t allow people to upload them.)

2) Auntie Mame (1958)

WHY’S IT ON THE LIST?

So many reasons. Rosalind Russell gives what I consider to be the performance of her career which should have won her the Best Actress Oscar she was nominated for. The film is based on Patrick Dennis’s novel of the same name and is about a young boy by the name of Patrick (Jan Handzlik – young/Roger Smith – older) who, following the death of his father, is tasked to live with his Aunt, one Mame Dennis, a free-spirited, eccentric and adventurous woman whose personal mantra is “Life is banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!” The film follows Mame as she guides Patrick through life and teaches him how to truly live much to the chagrin of Patrick’s trustee, Dwight Babcock who wants Patrick brought up “properly” like his father wanted. Despite the chaotic, care-free occurrences in Mame’s residence, Patrick learns about the cultures of the world around him — but eventually nearly succumbs to the outside world Mame does her best to avoid. The movie is absolute magic, filmed in glorious and colorful 70 millimeter (and cannot be experienced any other way) and features some of the sharpest writing and quick-witted dialogue I’ve seen in a film. But more importantly, the bond between Mame and Patrick is undeniable and the film has the ability to make you double over in laughter as well as make you cry tears of bittersweet joy.

BEST SCENE

The part where Mame immediately becomes a mother by tucking Patrick in during his first night there is great…but the confrontation between Mame and a much older Patrick has so much power to it.

1) Mother (1996)

MOTHER, Debbie Reynolds, Albert Brooks, 1996

WHY’S IT ON THE LIST?

“Mother” covers everything. It’s about a science fiction writer named John Henderson (Albert Brooks, who also wrote and directed the film) who has just gone through his second divorce and can’t figure out why his relationships end in failure — so he conducts an experiment: he decides to go and live with his mother, Beatrice Henderson (Debbie Reynolds, in her first starring role since the 1960’s) to see if maybe there was something he missed in his relationship with her. Everything here is down to earth. Everything is believable from the minor debates and passive aggressive exchanges between John and his mom which includes everything from how to properly clean a room to the incredulousness of Beatrice’s grocery list (and the contents of her fridge). Reynolds plays Beatrice as an elderly mother who has accepted her failures in life and is set in her ways while John has come to her, seemingly too late, to try to unearth and unlock any further pearls of wisdom she might have for him. This was peak Albert Brooks with regard to his writing and directing. He basically plays himself here, the easy-going, yet terribly analytical son who most moviegoers would identify with and Reynolds is flawless, giving a performance that somehow went overlooked by just about every single awards organization. “Mother” is the best Mother’s Day Film of All-Time.

BEST SCENE

I have to combine two clips because it’s all one scene. John is offered a late-night snack as he settles into his first night back at his Mom’s. This is priceless.

HONORABLE MENTION

Bao (2018) – From Pixar. A short animated film, telling the story of a Chinese mother living in Canada whose homemade steamed bun (or “Baozi”) comes to life, prompting her to raise it from infant to adult. The film seems strange until the final, emotional reveal of the overall metaphor of a mother at odds with her estranged son.

Aliens (1986) – A feminist’s action film with Sigourney Weaver battling aliens while playing a surrogate mother to a young girl who has survived the alien takeover of her colony. It’s not your typical “Mother’s Day film”, per se, but still showcases a strong bond between a mother and a would-be daughter.

Psycho (1960) – Classic Hitchcock. Anthony Hopkins plays the Norman Bates, an adult who never truly grew up thanks to a domineering mother who always kept him under her thumb and mentally scarred him so much, he was never truly able to let her go…saying any more than that would be criminal.

As Good As It Gets (1997) – I would have included it in the Top Ten except that the relationship between Carol (Helen Hunt) and her son, Spencer (Jesse James) doesn’t really take center stage. When it does, though, it’s very moving and any mother would identify with Carol as she cares for her son, who has a major problem with asthma and is seemingly unable to improve his health.

One Fine Day (1996) – This would have also been in the Top Ten, except it’s more of a co-op between two very caring parents, played by George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer. It is one film that any parent can identify with as it features a story about two parents who are forced to look after each other’s kids after they miss the ride to their school field trip. The film is exhausting as the kids drive both parents crazy as they attempt to balance them and their professional lives. Severely underrated and I have no idea why the film was a failure with critics or the box office.

‘What We Do In The Shadows’ Review: Episode 7- … Left Alive.

By
Robert Kijowski
-
0

Picking up where we left off from the last episode, we find the triumvirate of trifle (Nandor, Laszlo and Nadja) still high as kites off of drugged blood. In this syrupy stupor, they literally break their erstwhile Master, Baron Afanas (Doug Jones) in twain, thus ensuring an undignified finality to a vampire so revered, his honorific was “the Undying”. As a gesture of good faith, Laszlo eeks out a modest piece of Earth as Baron’s final resting spot, wedged betwixt Laszlo’s two favorite Vaginal topiaries- that of his wife and that of his mother.

Freshly sober, the trio for the life of them can’t recall how this all came to pass. Guillermo’s (Harvey Guillen) lips are sealed tighter than the sepulchre Baron once called a bed. It is at this point we are met with an Unkindness the likes of which none of the vampires experienced before, prompting them to seek refuge inside. This grand spectacle is simply a harkening from Vampiric Council. The Council’s Herald, played mightily by the awesome Kristen Schaal, summons the party animals (hisssss) to a tribunal concerning the Baron’s untimely demise. The Vampiric Council exists to administer punishment to those willing to step out of the Vampiric Code… so naturally Laszlo (Matt Berry), the epicurean of the house is pretty acquainted with the likes of them. I mean, he turned a baby (a baby!) into a Prisoner of the Night out of no deeper purpose than simply trying to cure boredom. I will say that this particular joke was fantastic, as in my estimation, the mythos of babies being turned had never been broached before. The act is wrong on a few levels but the joke itself is amazing on all the right ones.

As the nightwalkers with Guillermo approach the Temple Of the Blood Devourers (which is nothing more than a commercial building, I assume because the rent was reasonable), they brace themselves. With the demeanor of a rookie’s being called down to the Principal’s office, they part ways with Guillermo, as he has his own dungeon awaiting him.

Nadja, Laszlo and Nandor come face to face with Vasilika the Defiler (Alexandra Henrikson) and Dave Bautista (Garrett the Vampire). Oh, that’s not a typo. The moment I saw them, I just saw a fanged up Drax. This isn’t a bad thing. The guy actually knows how to play a quiet intensity, which I much enjoy. They break the ice asking about Baron and Nandor the Loosest spills the beans. They were just volleying about the idea “as a joke” to Merc him if they feared for their existence. They beg for clemency, as the Council would throw shade at if they saw it, but these two vampires, behind a desk, with a big tome staring at them are living out their sentence. Vasilika makes perfect sense as her title precedes her, but Garrett was framed for turning a baby into the perpetual crapping his pants and not able to experience growing up vampire he is now. I think Lazslo in that moment was not crapping but shitting himself, as Garrett was pretty intent on finding which person he is doing the time for. Wonderful joke though.

Back in a dank backroom, Guillermo meets the other familiars. We’ve now a familiar feeling of how shoddy the familiars are treated, as they had barely operable space in The Sassy Cat. Granted, the company at least has a veggie spread and coffee, so Guillermo seems to be moving up- only he’s not. In the group, they lob lore of Success Stories, familiars that were granted immortality… though not one attendee could say they’ve ever met one.

This table is set for the House of Staten Island. After being treated to an elaborately choreographed dance number, the gang finally meets their presiding judges. This is where I nearly lost it as I was treated to one of the coolest meta-humor jokes in all of my days in entertainment.

Knowing that Viago (Taika Waititi), Vladislav (Jemaine Clement) and Deacon (Jonny Brugh) would make an appearance, as this world coincides with theirs, I was not expecting the boss of this international cabal of DNA diners to be none other than Tilda (Only Lovers Left Alive). As a Jaramusch fan, my heart started racing. It only got better as the “Dark Greetings” amongst them included Evan (True Blood), Paul (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Danny (From Dusk till Dawn), a subpar Skype connection from Wesley (Blade) and the icing on the Red Velvet cake, Colin (Mark Proksch) weighed in on their ‘alleged’ transgression.

As a great follow up, there was a great funny about who skipped out of the trial: Rob (I assume Robert Pattison… or maybe Rob Lowe. You can’t be looking that young for that age), Keifer (The Lost Boys) and Tom & Brad (Interview with the Vampire).

I have to say that this caliber of cameos is stunning and mindblowing for a show that is on its first season. Thankfully, it’s been renewed for a second go around, so I am excite, son.

Upon the testimony of Baron’s familiar, they go to the person I think is the lifeblood of the domicile- Guillermo. Though he’s always the bridesmaid, he admits that he’s the culprit in what would otherwise be considered a killing. To his advantage, the Council believes not a singular second of his word, but I’m sure he has alternate intentions. It’s now or never. He’s either turned or killed. At this point, he doesn’t care. That’s when his Master steps up and incriminates his housemates, proclaiming they all killed the Baron.

As the only thing for the Council to carry out swift justice, they tailor theirs to his- exposure to sunlight.

Going through the Green Mile (Black Mile? Semi-Lit Mile?) Laszlo attempts to make a break, leading to an interesting fight that defies physics. Ultimately, they are wrangled up only to face their slow and painful dispatching… in a well which is pretty fucked up.

As Nandor, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Laszlo await their sunny fate, they make a few confessions and laments. Upon dawn break, they begin to feel exactly what the Baron felt. Is this the end of- NOPE. Colin with an oversized umbrella bought from Home Depot swoops in like a noble bat and saves the day. Did you really think he was going to let them suffer?

At this point, we know Colin Robinson is the bat version of a cur or a gnat or anything we don’t want around us, so he savors each moment and feeds off their energy. On the “ride home” (three bats in a box), he pesters them a bit. It’s a Sunshine Day for them.. well at least for one of them.

‘Pokemon Detective Pikachu’ Review: I Choose You!

By
Christian Angeles
-
0
Detective Pikachu On The Case!
Detective Pikachu (RYAN REYNOLDS) in Legendary Pictures’ and Warner Bros. Pictures’ comedy adventure “POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

‘Pokemon Detective Pikachu’ provides some laughs, a basic storyline, and a whole lot of nostalgia. Conveying a story that’s fun, but somewhat forgettable, except to the most casual Pokémon fans.

Yes, I meant casual. Because the most die-hard fanatics probably won’t find much to this Pokemon film. Though the average moviegoer will probably find it entertaining – albeit also, downright condescending. The movie often takes its time reminding the audience what they’re doing per scene. Almost acting as an introduction into the world of Pokemon – while neglecting that fact that most of the people watching, already know what Pokemon are. Which is strange given the fan service to the first generation, featured.

It begins with Tim, our hero, who hasn’t been able to find a Pokemon partner throughout his entire life. Now an adult, he’s given up his dreams of pokemon and decided to focus on his career instead. That is until he discovers that his father, a respected detective working at Rhyme City, has passed in an automobile accident. While going through the motions of clearing out his dad’s belongings at his apartment, Tim then encounters his father’s fellow detective partner, Pikachu. He then discovers an investigative reporter, a mysterious chemical, and the strange ability to converse with Detective Pikachu; who like every good detective, finds that there’s something nefarious afoot about dad’s disappearance.

The premise of Detective Pikachu was predictable and formulaic. With a lot of exposition conveniently detailed through flashbacks and memories. This is a movie that sets the bar low and is an easily followed story for children. So, expect convenient plot devices and memory simulations galore. The movie pushes forward without very much conflict between-scenes. You’ll see the typical chase or hunt for clues, which is often saved by quippy one-liners and jokes by movie’s true star: Ryan Reynolds. Who besides the Pokemon, salvages just about all the enjoyable things about this movie.

Yet outside of Detective Pikachu’s scenes, the dramatic undertones conveyed feel lost to the viewer, in a film which is cuter than it is dire. Being too predictable to be of much interest. Still, I will admit that the effects were compelling to look at, which was a great distraction from some of the boring plot points. Particularly a sequence in the middle of the movie involving a laboratory and the groundbreaking techniques that were used.

There are also very few references to the anime or videogames – save for the utilization of Pokemon, itself. In this world, Pokemon co-exist with humans in harmony, living in the wonderous metropolis of Rhyme city. The blend of Pokemon and technology is beautiful to look at, though is sort of an amalgam of popular cities such as New York and Tokyo. Though I will admit, the moments that Pokemon are on the screen doing simple, and often, unrelated things, are probably the best moments of the film.

Speaking of which, the movie was shot on film. Drawing many comparisons to ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ in early reviews. The technique has been both praised and criticized yet serves two primary reasons. For one, the color scheme in the movie is more vibrant – highlighting brighter palates that recaptures the nostalgia of childhood very well. As Pokemon are diversely colorful creatures. Second, is that it makes the contrasts more believable by frame-by-frame comparison between the Pokemon and Humans. Which is good, as there wasn’t really a moment of confusion in animation, that took you out of the movie.

A common comparison of the film versus digital debate would be to look at the difference between Pikachu versus the new trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog. Film is a little more settling for my personal tastes; However, textures do seem quite better captured on Digital. Which is something critics complained about, as they were grainy for this movie.

It should be noted that a lot of the reasons this movie was made was because of the success of 2014’s Godzilla and the release of the game Pokemon Go. It’s a smart idea in terms of studio execution, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it does financially well, though the story was bad and the acting was mostly forgettable.

Which is why I’m not even going to mention the subplots or characters in this review – as anything about it might be a spoiler for a film with little substance. But hey, there’s cool-looking Pokemon.

You Can Watch Detective Pikachu in theatres right now

‘The Twilight Zone’ review: ‘Not All Men’

By
Matt Perri
-
4

THE TWILIGHT ZONE
Season 1, Episode 7
“Not All Men”
Available on CBS All-Access (new episodes uploaded every Thursday)
GRADE: C

Annie (Taissa Farmiga) is a somewhat meek and slightly insecure woman who doesn’t like rocking the boat. She’s too nice to say no to anyone for fear that they’ll see her in a different light, as undeserving as that is all in the name of living up to her reputation as a self-described “team player”. Unfortunately, this means that she’s taken advantage of in both her personal and professional life which means guys like Dylan (Luke Kirby) are easily able to work past her initial defenses when asking for a date under the pretense of “viewing a meteor shower”. Even before it’s revealed that the rocks shooting into our atmosphere mess with men and make them into horrible monsters, Dylan’s presented as a bit of a douchebag hipster bachelor who plays Lionel Richie music on a vinyl turntable while waxing on about “comic connections” in a wince-inducing attempt to lube Annie up. Even though he gets her consent before he even puts a hand on her back, it’s the Evil Rock From Space that seems to push Dylan into getting a bit to handsy with Annie and she bolts from his place only to witness Dylan smashing up in his place while roaring in anger after she leaves.

And Annie’s gotta work with this guy, according to her boss.

The new “Twilight Zone” has been nothing if not incendiary, pulling no punches each week to show you a world we’re living in. Some episodes work (“Replay”, “The Wunderkind”) while some fall flat on their face (“Nightmare at 30,000 Feet”, “Six Degrees of Freedom”). If you hadn’t guessed by the title, “Not All Men” aims to raise some eyebrows and ends up somewhere in between.

After suffering her boss’s condescending orders (she just can’t rise in the company unless she works with Dylan), she has to suffer again with him through dinner because he also happens to be a friend of her sister, Martha (Reha Seehorn). Additionally, Annie’s insecurities are on full display here as she’s slightly outside her comfort zone. Her birthday gift to her sister (a 9-inch skillet) is awkwardly accepted by Martha and you’re not quite sure if she’s genuinely happy with the gift or if she wants to take it back to the store. Regardless, Annie quickly assures her that the receipt’s included with it, so there’s that. And if you think that’s awkward, it’s revealed, by Annie’s boss, that Annie will soon be working with Dylan, something Annie is visibly affected by given how Annie’s already seen his true colors.

The episode doesn’t take off until Annie joins her sister at a local bar where they shoot the shit by talking about men and ogling some of them from a distance, an ironic twist, which shows how the best of intentions can lead to disaster even amongst the trust and guidance of sisters. it isn’t long before the men in the bar become violent (drinking booze spiked with residue from the meteors for some reason) and begin fighting which spills outside and pushes Annie and Martha to get the hell out of there — but not before Annie reveals that she was groped and violently assaulted by Dylan the previous night. The women attract the attention of a motorcyclist who, in his alien space rock anger, follows them home where an infected Mike “deals with him” — by straight up murdering the motorcyclist.

But the rock only infects men, not women.

SNL writer Heather Anne Campbell wrote “Not All Men” and if she sounds familiar, it’s because she also wrote last week’s episode, “Six Degrees of Freedom”, with Glen Morgan. This is her first solo effort and it’s more than a little obvious that there’s something she wants to say here. The problem is that even though she’s been gifted with a sharp director in Christina Choe and great leads in Farmiga and Seehorn, Campbell doesn’t seem to know how to get her message across. On one hand, it gives off a great 50’s horror movie vibe with some genuinely tense moments (the bit where Mike has completely lost it and tries to get Martha to blow out her birthday candles is beautifully shot in low light and executed with flair by Ike Barinholtz) but on the other, it feels like a dark comedy/satire, which is all well and good except that Campbell can’t quite seamlessly meld the two together which makes the proceedings uneven, leaving us with a concept which feels forced right out of the gate and is increasingly less subtle as it goes along.

And just like last week, the twist (discussed at the end of the article, as usual) is aggravating. Last week, I said that I welcomed something that ran contrary to what viewers had seen or heard. This week, the show does just that — except that it doesn’t make any sense and seems to be there for the sake of simply having a final twist.

It’s frustrating because the episode wants to be important. It wants to be a clever allegory of the “#MeToo” era and how it feels to be a woman and it does a great job with the latter, delivering a portrait of victimized women, albeit in short bursts. But even with a vaunted platform like “The Twilight Zone”, Campbell squanders a huge opportunity with “Not All Men”. Instead of presenting us with an undeniable statement everyone can agree on and remember for years to come, everything is reduced to a silly shaggy dog story.

LOST IN THE ZONE

  • So, the big twist (SPOILERS…YOU KNOW THE DRILL…CLICK AND DRAG THE INVISIBLE TEXT): The Evil Alien Space Rocks apparently DON’T turn men into misogynist murders. It’s a placebo. They just don’t do it. And their gay friend knows how to “control himself”, like all men should even though he had one of the rocks in his pocket the whole time. God, that’s aggravating to type out and just further hammers home what I said above. Look, it’s obvious the rocks were at fault. The women aren’t idiots. You clearly see the rock having an effect on their faces with bulging veins and evil-looking eyes. Then you tell everyone “just kidding”? Is Campbell trying to tell us that the rocks are a metaphor for something we use to excuse reprehensible male behavior? And if they don’t have any effect, why is everyone able to see the physical appearance of the infected men change? And if the men in question always had that inside them, it’s hard to believe Martha wouldn’t notice that her husband is a psychotic murderer, especially since he’s so “woke”.
  • And speaking of: why in the world is the town’s bartender serving shots with the rock inside the glass? I’m confused as to why that would even be a thing.
  • EASTER EGGS:
    • “10:15” makes an appearance on a sticky note reminder to call a doctor later in the day.
    • That doctor’s name is “Dr. Romero”, which I’d like to think is a homage to the late George A. Romero, director of “Night of the Living Dead” and the original incarnation of “The Crazies”, both of which obviously inspired the concept of the episode.
    • One of the “angry men” Annie sees is trying to push a straw into a Busy Bee Cafe cup, a callback to the classic episode “Nick of Time”.
    • The news station at the end is “Whipple News”, the ongoing callback to “The Brain Center at Whipple’s”.
    • The biker who follows Annie and Martha home has the alien logo from the classic episode “Black Leather Jackets” on his helmet. That episode also has a plot similar to this one.
    • The gas pump Annie and Martha hide behind during the looting has a sticker that says “MAPLE STREET” on it, which is a callback to the classic episode “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street”.

‘Long Shot’ Review: A Surprising Well-Rounded Comedy

By
Christian Angeles
-
0
Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron Smile and wave high, the two dressed in silly looking street attire
Image Courtesy of Lionsgate

An original approach to the tried-and-true romantic comedy, ‘Long Shot’ goes beyond political satire by utilizing varying styles of humor. Delivering a surprisingly well-rounded comedy.

Directed by frequent Seth Rogan collaborator: Jonathan Levine (Snatch, Warm Bodies, 50-50), what’s unique about this movie is that even though it takes place within the political landscape, the jokes don’t overtly rely on political humor. Less ‘Last Week Tonight’ with John Oliver and more Hugh Grant from ‘Love Actually’ – the movie is a tried-and-true romantic comedy, though one with a surprisingly level of depth. Its jokes flowing naturally out of awkward history, the nature of relationships, and oddly fitting chemistry – especially between Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen.

Charlize Theron stars as Charlotte Field, a Secretary of State who is being potentially vetted to become the next President of the United States. Charlotte is sharply focused on her big career ambitions. She’s one of the most influential women in the world, who more than showcases her prowess in the political landscape. Yet, it often comes at the cost of her own authenticity. As Charlotte frequently finds herself consistently making calculated decisions, sacrificing her own self-interests and self-care, all for the sake of playing the political game. Yes, she’s successful but she’s also actually rather lonely.

We then meet the prototypical Seth Rogen character, Fred Flarsky. An honorable yet sketchy journalist, whose integrity for the truth and embrace of living authentically, comes with the cost of being somewhat of an unbearable character. Like most of Rogen’s characters, Fred is a stoner and drug user who likes to speak his mind. Yet Fred is also somebody with a surprising amount of integrity, taking a severe career dive once he’s discovered his company’s been bought out by this movie’s equivalent of ‘Breitbart’ news.

Old childhood friends with a one-time history, Charlotte and Fred meet again through a chance encounter, listening to the band ‘Boys II Men’ (who were amazing) perform at a luxury banquet Fred’s best friend had taken him drinking.  We then get the rom-com meet-cute and begin to see the two reenter each other’s lives, rekindling a spark that’s always been there, yet was never fully addressed in their past lives.

It’s an odd yet cute cliché, but it works surprisingly well for this film. Simply because the chemistry between both actors is convincing. When the movie progresses into its second act, and we learn about their similar likes and shared history, we can’t help but sympathize with them as a couple. It’s an oddball pairing for sure, but it complements each other very well – as the two indirectly support each other’s beliefs and strengths, in a surprisingly healthy way – especially for modern Hollywood’s standards. Which is what makes the romance interesting. What’s great, is that we’re in on it from the audience’s perspective viewing their relationship from the inside. It’s the outside world that sees this pairing as gross and forbidden, which serves as the actual story’s antagonist.

And yes, it’s easy to dismiss this movie as your usual slob meets dream woman, Judd Apatow style of comedy. Which wouldn’t be entirely false, except that it misses the point. That this isn’t about Seth Rogen’s ‘Fred Flarsky’, it’s about Charlize Theron’s ‘Charlotte Field. The political intrigues of her world and those in power and how fascinating it is, yet also, detrimental to one’s personal hopes and dreams. Showcasing that the journey to the top can be a lonely pursuit that comes at too great of a cost to one’s integrity, worst of all, one’s convictions – which anyone who follows politics can attest.

Because politicians compromise and can never fully deliver as promised, something the movie knowingly acknowledges. So, what’s great about the theme, is that it eventually tells us that ‘it’s okay to be ourselves’. That sometimes, embracing your truth and being brave by being vulnerable, can potentially lead to a life of happiness…

That it’s okay to admit that you deserve to be loved.

And while it’s a hard to swallow, Hollywood message, never-the-less, it’s a good one. Which is why this movie is a romantic comedy first. One that just happens to take place within a political environment.

Comedy First

In an era full of polarizing opinion, where gibes and jabs could have easily been pitted between left and right, the movie instead chooses to make fun of the nature of political intensity. Yet, still, all the while, prove not to ignorant – embracing how difficult it must be to be in politics. It’s a safeguarded approach to satire but it works. As the movie seems to poke fun at the overall atmosphere in the US. Yet always, makes the comedy come first.

The jokes rely on character-driven histories and relationships, awkward reminiscing and vocalizing needs and desires – all while still balancing professional public appearances. There’s a constant pushing thread between pursuing career dreams and allowing yourself to open and be deserving of love in this move, and the film blends the two rather well.

And it’s not just typical Seth Rogen stoner jokes. It’s also some physical comedy, toilet humor, relationship driven nuances, and shockingly dirty secrets. Plus, it has all the fun beats you’d typically get from a Romantic Comedy. And one very R-rated scene that I think a majority of critics were surprised about, especially in how the creators got away with it (you’ll see it coming when it happens).

Stellar Performances

Again, I can’t stress enough: what sells this film is the chemistry between its actors. Definitely between Theron and Rogen, but also, with surprisingly stellar performances through its talented supporting cast.

In an obvious allusion towards Donald Trump, Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) plays acting President of The United States. One who once played so compelling of a President on TV, that we won the actual Presidential Election. Exhausted with how difficult the job has proven itself to be after two years, he seeks to quit the Presidency to pursue a career in Hollywood as a Movie Star. Odenkirk portrays a narcissistic president who’s simply there out of self-interest, utilizing a bit of that ‘Saul Goodman’ persona.

Andy Serkis (Black Panther, Lord of The Rings) stars as Parker Wembly, a parody of Steve Bannon who abuses his power to push his corporate agenda. He serves as the film’s semi-antagonist, though is more of a hurdle to showcase our characters strengths, rather than an immediate threat. Serkis is somewhat unrecognizable in this movie (think Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder level of make-up), but lately, he has shown a surprising level of range as of late. Mostly remembered for his CGI performance as Gollum in the Lord of The Rings franchise – Serkis has now performed compelling yet somewhat unrecognizable side characters in the major blockbuster movies: Black Panther, Planet of The Apes, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Showcasing a broad level of range of which the actor deserves credit.

O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton) excels as Lance, Fred’s super supportive best friend. With excellent comradery between Lance and Fred, Jackson steals the show as Fred’s lovingly sympathetic support system – he’s really good to his down-on-his-luck friend. Yet, what’s unique about this delivery of sympathy, without spoiling the film, is how it serves as a device to recontextualize Fred and Lance’s relationship. It’s very well done and gets us to address a tough topic in today’s America. Though it only works because of a very well-done portrayal utilizing O’Shea’s charisma, showcasing that he’s not too much of a chip off the old ice block (Get it? Because his father is Ice Cube…).

Which brings us to our main characters, Theron and Rogen. Charlize is a proven, academy award winning talent who’s starred in so many cultural gems such as ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ and ‘Monster’. She’s also proven in her comedic chops again-and-again throughout her career, as we’ve already witnessed in ‘A Million Ways to Die In The West’ and ‘Arrested Development’. In this movie, Charlize plays a powerful and well-together woman, but one who hasn’t really had time to herself in ages. When she finally sees a potential chance to reconnect to her old self through Rogen’s character, she capitalizes on it – playing the role of a proactive protagonist, truly on top of her game. Atop of this, it’s the moments of strength but calculated vulnerability that makes her character charming. As her openness comes naturally when she and Rogen share the screen. They have great communication and very flirty chemistry, which is why you quickly root for the both-of-them.

Likewise, Rogen has really come into own as a dramatic actor. He plays similar drug stoner characters often but has also shown dramatic capabilities in the movies ‘Knocked Up’ ‘Take This Waltz’ and ‘Steve Jobs’. He does a good job an underdog and his party scenes with Charlize Theron really deliver some of the funniest comedy bits about the movie.

New Landscapes

Despite the movie’s refreshing take on the Romantic Comedy, this movie is projected to be a box office flop, as it was crushed by week two of Avengers: Endgame. As non-blockbuster movie titles struggle with the increase in movie prices killing ticket sales of films outside of big budget productions.

To be honest, middle budget films seem to fare better on streaming. It’s a safer market and has many applications, such as Netflix, Hulu, Prime, Disney+, AppleTV+, Youtube Red, and HBO GO (wow, even I have to admit this is too much).

Still, I firmly believe that there’s definitely a place for the Romantic Comedy in theatres. But for it to continue, it’ll need support from viewers such as yourselves.

Final Score: 9/10

You Can Watch ‘Long Shot’ in Theatres Right Now

 

 

‘Cobra Kai’ review: ‘Fire and Ice’

By
Matt Perri
-
0

COBRA KAI
Season 2, Episode 3
“Fire and Ice”
Available on YouTube Premium
GRADE: B

Daniel (Ralph Macchio) is in tune with modern times. He’s a successful car salesman and owner of his own dealership. Part of selling cars is selling yourself, so he’s able to make homemade commercials about Miyagi-Do Karate and make them go viral. The issue? Today’s youth thrives on instant gratification and isn’t going to sweat in the Southern California heat, painting fences and sanding decks. They want Cobra Kai Karate, something Johnny (William Zabka) excels at teaching…except, unlike LaRusso, he has no idea how to sell himself, can’t find the Internet or even locate the power button on the used Dell laptop he thought was “an Apple” which he bought at a local pawn shop (whom he calls for tech support when the device confounds him at every turn.)

But despite the facetious propaganda war being fought by LaRusso and Lawrence in the form of competing video ads and ridiculously bombastic posturing in front of live audiences, “Fire and Ice” is best when it delves into the characters . Last episode, Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) discovered that Robby (Tanner Buchanan) is Johnny’s son, something Miguel isn’t happy about, especially after he and Hawk (Jacob Bertrand) were disciplined for attacking him at the Karate tourney in a such a cheap manner. Here, the confrontation between Miguel and Johnny (with “Hawk” backing up Miguel) is only given a minute and it’s something Johnny squashes immediately in the same angry, dismissive manner with which he handles most of his major issues.

It doesn’t help that Kreese (Martin Kove) has begun to harass Johnny about the situation with Robby. Just as Kreese was able to goad Johnny into responding to LaRusso’s viral video with a video of his own, one might think Johnny might fall into the same mental trap…but then a funny thing happens: Johnny invites Miguel to dinner at a local burger joint where Johnny sheds his anger and opens up about Robby. He was born in the hospital across the street after Robby’s mother had been in labor for nearly 24 hours. Johnny was young and stupid and full of rage at the time, having just lost his mother. He was also smashed that night and couldn’t work up the courage to swallow his pride and visit his newborn son. Johnny’s voice cracks and his eyes well up and the scene just rips your heart out. The lesson, Johnny reasons, is that he won’t fail Miguel because Miguel is his redemption. He’s the chance to put right what is wrong.

Unfortunately, the story isn’t as compelling on the LaRusso side of things. Daniel’s ad, while popular, has angered his wife (Courtney Henggeler) because Daniel used their 3rd Quarter dealership budget to make it. Additionally, nobody is showing up at Miyagi-Do which prompts Daniel to do some impromptu show-and-tell at a local city fair. How Daniel pulls off a show in a matter of hours with such high production value is never fully explained. Nor is it explained how Cobra Kai manages to do the exact same thing at the same location. But that’s “Cobra Kai”. The show dazzles you with introspective, layered characters and the dynamics between them and then you’re watching a bunch of kids kick boards in half to 80’s metal music while their banner flows in the background.

Still, “Fire and Ice” is a solid episode and the show continues to cruise thanks to amazing performances from an insanely talented cast and writing which turns their respective characters on their heads.

OTHER STUFF THAT EXISTS IN THIS DOJO

  • We’ve barely seen Daniel and Amanda’s other kid (Griffin Santopietro) this season. He wasn’t much of a factor last season and I’m confused as to why he’s even in this series if he isn’t playing much of a role beyond holding a portable gaming device and acting apathetic all the time.
  • Johnny’s introduction to technology and discovery of the Internet is priceless. He immediately starts off by Googling “hot babes”, moves into looking up 80’s action flicks and then, like most Internet n00bs, discovers the fringe conspiracy corners of the web which proclaim that “DINOSAURS BUILT THE PYRAMIDS”. (“I KNEW it!” says a naive Johnny.)
  • His lack of understanding with regard to musical rights is great. When Aisha, one of his students, is told to post Johnny’s video to YouTube with the AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” dubbed into the background, Aisha explains that it’s going to cost them money to be able to use the song. “No,” says Johnny. “I already own the cassette tape. It’s in my car.”
  • We get another callback to the first three films. One of Daniel’s Karate demos involves chopping through several sheets of ice — just like he did in “The Karate Kid, Part II”.
  • Kreese’s line: “Hmph. Miyagi-Do Karate…I should have taken care of that old bastard when I had the chance.” Except…Kreese had two chances. He failed at both. But isn’t it like a bully to talk smack behind somebody’s back?
  • Daniel’s video gets immediate backlash for being “culturally insensitive”, despite the fact that Danielle fully respects and honors Mr. Miyagi’s traditions, techniques and teachings. “They’re calling me ‘LaRacist’!” got a nice laugh from me.

Supertrash: “American Dreamer”/ “Egg MacGuffin”

By
Alyssa Berkowitz
-
0

This week on Supertrash, Alyssa and Jen continue to gush about their love for Nia in ‘Supergirl’ 4.19 “American Alien” and learning more about Rebecca Silver in ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ 4.13 “Egg MacGuffin”

First and foremost, we apologize for missing the past few week’s show notes. But they are back!

Listen to “Supertrash: “American Dreamer”/ “Egg MacGuffin”” on Spreaker.

Intro: 0:00
Supergirl: 1:20
Legends of Tomorrow: 37:54

Supergirl:

Lena saying “Bastard”

Legends:

Ava raising up a glass to cheers Nora!

Supertrash

Don’t forget we have launched a Supertrash Patreon, so if you want to support us while also receiving some cool stuff, be sure to check it out! Supertrash Podcast Patreon

Be sure to follow Supertrash and the hosts on Twitter:

Supertrash Podcast: @SuperTrashCast
Jen: @JenStayrook
Alyssa: @TVwithAPB

‘Busy Tonight’ Cancelled by E!… and I am devastated

By
Alyssa Berkowitz
-
0
Busy Philips

Today it was announced that E! has canceled Busy Philipps’ late night show Busy Tonight and I am devastated. One of my favorite things in the morning, while laying in bed before forcing myself to start the day, is to see what new clips are posted on the Busy Tonight YouTube channel. Busy Philipps hosted the show from a large comfy couch, often with her legs curled underneath her, as she sat and chatted with her guests. When she walked onto her living room-esque set to greet the audience at the top of the show, it felt like she was inviting us into her home, in a way almost reminiscent of Mr. Rogers. As a viewer, it felt like you were just watching two people chat instead of a staged and structured interview. Many of her guests were her friends or people she knew, but that is expected for how long she has been in this industry. But what struck me the most is how genuinely interested Philipps was in all of her guests and all of their stories.

Luckily, Philipps is not giving up on her show and is trying to find Busy Tonight a new home. As Busy Philipps was also just nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award for best TV Host of the year, I pray to the TV gods that she is able to.

I do not have the lovely angelic voice of Busy, so instead of singing my farewell, I will leave you with my favorite Busy Tonight clip:

‘Tuca and Bertie’ Review: A Colorfully Crazy Comedy

By
Christian Angeles
-
0
Bertie and Tuca riding a Jet ski, names in captions next to them.
If you get a chance this week, I highly recommend checking out ‘Tuca and Bertie’, Netflix’s newest animated comedy series created by Lisa Hanawalt: the brilliant cartoonist behind ‘Bojack Horseman’.

An original take on adult animation by Lisa Hanawalt, ‘Tuca and Bertie’ defies expectations in a fashion similar to children’s series such as Adventure Time – providing a kooky and the crazy world that can go above and beyond the lines of the surreal and real – all for the sake of comedy. This series breaks rules and is unapologetic in flipping the literal bird toward the modern patriarchy. Showcasing that women, too, can be as gross-out-funny in adult animation and can feature characters written with greater depth – beyond one-dimensional objects.

 For a detailed analysis featuring spoilers, TV Talk Episode 10 discusses the first three episodes of ‘Tuca and Bertie’ on TheWorkprint podcast. Available here, iTunes and GooglePlay.

The story is about the best friendship of two 30-year-old birdwomen: Tuca (Tiffany Haddish), a cocky, care-free toucan, and Bertie, an anxious, daydreaming songbird (Ali Wong). This show deals with the struggles of maintaining adult relationships in your 30s. However, it’s different by design and deals with adulthood it in a way no other series has ever before. Providing vignettes of information, not through diatribe and dialogues, but by zany animation. The comedy is designed to shock and awe you. Yet, it’s also meant to make you think about the people in your life right now.

Atop of this, the show features an almost entirely all-female cast and consistently excels on presenting the audience with original styles of comedy and animation.  It’s hard for me to say when a series provides something original, especially in an era of streaming where almost every tried-and-true cliché is aired somewhere – if not in live TV, then via streaming.

Which is why ‘Tuca and Bertie’ is refreshing because there really is nothing else like it.

Tuca and Bertie on top of their apartment, movie poster style
Image; Netflix

 

Characters

Last fall, I examined ‘Bojack Horseman’ regarding the #MeToo movement right here. Whereas ‘Bojack’ is one of my all-time favorites because of its take on self-loathing and celebrity, ‘Tuca and Bertie’ chooses to differentiate itself by steering away from self-destruction and looking more at the pitfalls of self-creation and reinvention. A great theme in your 30s.

The main characters the show are Bertie (voiced by Ali Wong), an anxious little song thrush struggling between her boring data analysis job and dreams of becoming a professional baker. She wants to live an exciting life; Yet, while she is stable, she desires more than her basic routine she is living but is also incredibly scared of rejection. Her daydreams being safer than the reality of having to pursue them. She lives with her over-supportive boyfriend Speckle (voiced by Steven Yeun), who’s trying really hard to make their relationship work, but is nothing shy of a pushover, bending to Bertie’s every need.

Bringing the noise and fun into their world, is Tuca (voiced by Tiffany Haddish), a loud and in-your-face Toucan with no job or responsibilities, who is Bertie’s best friend. Tuca provides a vibrant energy into Bertie’s life, providing emotional and inspirational support; yet Tuca also comes with her own degree of irresponsible baggage. Especially as she navigates her recent sobriety.

 

Animation

If I haven’t stressed enough, you should see this series for the animation style, alone. It plays around with different formulas and isn’t afraid to try new things. This includes utilizing stop motion, playing with hand puppets, and even deconstructing things made of felt string.

Its palate is colorful and reminiscent of a fun children’s series in that it utilizes many bright tones. It gives the series a surprising depth and feeling where almost anything is possible. While at the same time, making us mourn over the sins of the past and the restrictions of adulthood. Playfully acknowledging heavy topics such as career choices, getting older, growing apart, and having to decide what to do with the rest of one’s life.

Still, for the most part, the animation is lively rather than melodramatic. It’s also very cognizant of female bodies and empowerment. Featuring a surprising amount of physical comedy but also, an incredible number of butts and boobs. And not necessarily, in a sexualized fashion, as even buildings can have boobs in this world. Why? I don’t know, but maybe ask ‘Rick and Morty’ why everything looks phallic.

Also, if you enjoy food, this season heavily features Bertie baking many different goods. Often, in exaggerated and exciting fashion (think Anime). Plus, Tuca loves to eat, and there are many visual sight gags involving foodie living in the big city.

 

Story Telling

What’s great about ‘Tuca and Bertie’ is that it’s consistently breaking walls and established world rules. Taking basic concepts like gravity, or even night/day, and then breaking them almost immediately – in strange, yet hilarious fashion. There are a lot of set-up gags and Easter Eggs to catch. It’s hard not to pay attention every second of this series because, if you do, you’ll miss one of the many visual gags and jokes.

To add to the hilarity, the show goes beyond anthropomorphic animals like in ‘Bojack Horseman’. In this series, ANYTHING CAN BE A PERSON, which is in my opinion, is truly funny. It’s jarring but also unbelievably hilarious, as the show consistently breaks lines of possibility. This includes physical plant people, equipment people, and STDs that can become a jam/funk band. There’s even a moment early on in the series, about a titty (yes, I’m talking about a woman’s breast) getting pissed off because of workplace harassment, to the point where they call it quits for the day, physically leave, and go for a drink at the bar.

It’s insane! But at the same time, fantastic. Yet it only balances because with every ridiculous moment, comes an equally dramatic relationship, and problems that feel all too real within your 30s.

You Can Watch ‘Tuca and Bertie’ streaming on Netflix

FINAL SCORE: 9.6/10

Fear The Bogeyman

Finally, if you listen to the podcast, you’ll hear me, and my Illustrator talk about a comic series I’m currently writing called: Fear The Bogeyman. It’s an action-horror series about a character who has to face his fears quite literally, in a world where anxieties and insecurities manifest themselves into actual physical monsters.  I’ll be throwing the occasional updates about the series on Monomythic and my soon to be developed portfolio website, where you can see some of my writing works available for free.

 

 

‘Avengers: Endgame’ Podcast Review

By
Christian Angeles
-
0
The Avengers in Civilian Attire focus in to plan for what's ahead.
Don Cheadle, Robert Downey Jr., Bradley Cooper, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, and Karen Gillan in Avengers: Endgame (2019). Photo Credit: Marvel Studios.

In this special episode over at ‘The Workprint’ podcast, available on iTunes and Google Play, Bilal, Jen, and Christian review ‘Avengers: Endgame’ – the conclusion to Marvel’s Infinity Saga encompassing 22 Marvel franchise movies and over a decade’s worth of storytelling.

Overall, it’s hard not to enjoy the finale to this series. Especially, because at this rate, it’s going to enter the history books as one of the greatest cinematic accomplishments of all-time. The characters are beloved. The story grand. It’s nothing shy of an epic journey told over the course of a decade. A fantastic film experience, which is something that all three of us, mostly agreed upon.

Still, we found some issues with the movie. You can listen to the podcast to hear what we found somewhat troublesome (though I’d personally still rate it a 9.3/10).

Warning: There Will Be Spoilers In This Podcast

We here at The Workprint had much to say about Endgame and we hope you enjoy this podcast, as well as our various other coverages of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s epic finale. Which as we speak is on the verge of becoming the highest grossing film of all-time.

  • For a spoiler-free review, you can also click here to read Matt DeGroot’s article on Avengers: Endgame.
  • You can also read Matt Perri’s coverage and recaps of everything Marvel has released to build-up to this special conclusion, in his special feature: The Road to Avenger’s Endgame.

Excelsior, Readers and Listeners!

 

You can watch Avengers: Endgame in theatres right now

‘Chambers’ Review: Excellent Representation Can’t Salvage Horrible Execution.

By
Christian Angeles
-
0
Sasha in blue hues of lighting, with Becky highlighted inside of her in red
The Following is a Spoiler-Free Review

Featuring the first Native American woman to star in a lead role in both Television and Movie history; excellent representation doesn’t make up for ‘Chambers’ lackluster script and meandering subplots.

For a detailed analysis featuring spoilers, TV Talk Episode 9 discusses ‘Chambers’ on TheWorkprint podcast. Available here and on iTunes and GooglePlay.

A Netflix supernatural horror series that debuted on April 26th. ‘Chambers’ is the story of Sasha (Sivan Alyra Rose), a heart transplant survivor whose life becomes seemingly possessed by the spirit of her teenage heart donor, Becky (Lilliya Scarlett Reid). Haunted by the girl’s untimely death, she seeks to discover the mysterious circumstances behind Becky’s past about how she died, but more importantly: why?

What transpires is a mystery that forays into the exploration of magic, shamanism, mysticism, energy chakras, and the occult – in just about every poorly explored magical trope you could imagine. This is surrealist horror at some of its finest. All set in the deep south of New Mexico.

Sasha being carried to help by TJ. Image Credit: Netflix

The story begins with Sasha, a modern Native American teenager living a regular, lower-class life. She is tremendously talented and has a wonderful boyfriend named, TJ (Griffin Powell-Arcand) – who is also a fellow mixed Native American. She lives a difficult life being raised by her uncle, but is mostly happy, up until the night she chooses to lose her virginity.

In the process of starting this special moment, Sasha nearly dies of a heart attack while losing her virginity. Luckily, she is brought into a hospital in time, where recently deceased teen, Becky Lefevre, is able to have her heart transplanted thanks to the consent of the Lefevre family. Yet, all is very much not what it seems as Sasha is soon haunted by strange visions and minor losses of control, taking on fragmented memories and the personality traits of Becky, herself. She soon meets Becky’s parents, who are oddly enough, more than willing to financially provide this amazing life meant for their daughter, directly toward Sasha. This includes both Becky’s car and her acceptance into the town’s most elite private school.

There are a lot of intriguing themes going on for the show at the series’ beginning. Issues such as identity crises, classism, Native American representation, and fun high school experiences: all told from an underrepresented perspective (Sasha’s). Likewise, the beginning oddities and eccentricities, seem to stem more from the setting’s well-to-do white neighbors, in a fashion similar to the pandered stylings Jordan Peele – as there’s just something odd with the white community of this town. Acknowledged especially, once Sasha delves deeply into Becky’s world, and we see the odd new-age practices and luxuries of the students in her private school.

However, that’s where the series begins and somewhat ends in terms of racial and class exploration. The middle episode segments of the series are, by and large, a clustered mess. With a very incoherent story and a facile attempt in being representative of the ethnically diverse cast’s culture. Saturated in between these moments, are attempts of providing surrealist horror featuring greatly disturbing imagery, gross-out cardiovascular body horror, and mild explorations into mysterious organizations. Though it’s mostly based on assumptions and appears somewhat randomly.

There’s an obvious disconnect in this series. And without listing spoilers, let’s just say that the horror takes an improvisational style to its shock. The scares are less relevant to the story and take more of a ‘yes and’ approach to the types of horror it uses for each scenario. Allowing for any sort of scare possible, yet also, making the set-ups at times: utterly nonsensical.

Part of this has to do with the fact that by covering ‘teenage youth’ in the modern sense, the series also freely embraces substance abuse, including the use of psychedelic drugs. So we don’t fully know what’s the reality we’re experiencing here in the series. Add in various layers of reality augmented tropes such as possession, split memories, and several caricatures of psychotic people – and you have a show that’s given free rein to be creative in respects to its horror. Which is great to look at but in my opinion, actually harms the series, as there’s no context to anything. Worst of all is when it comes to confrontation, as I counted more than a dozen scenes where characters just accepted the dire circumstances or half-explained and half-explored situations. All for the sake of exposition (which there is a lot of)  and introducing new horror elements.

Simply put, a lot of this show just doesn’t make sense.

Chambers features some of the worst writing I’ve seen on TV. There are times where it takes itself too seriously, and other times, where the explanations and payoffs just weren’t warranted nor earned. The series often conveniently explains and tells the audience what it wants and where it’s going – leaving little room for conflict between characters nor character motivation. Rather, it pushes a ridiculous subplot after subplot. All for the sake of a cool horror scene. Still, the cast is fantastic (Seriously, not a single bad performance) with what they’re given, and the cinematography is excellent. It’s all just a terrible script with more than your share of awful themes, pushed by a showrunner who doesn’t seem to be doing a good job at all in my opinion.

Final Score: 4/10

You can watch ‘Chambers’ on Netflix right now

‘The Twilight Zone’ review: ‘Six Degrees of Freedom’

By
Matt Perri
-
0

THE TWILIGHT ZONE
Season 1, Episode 6
“Six Degrees of Freedom”
Available on CBS All-Access (new episodes uploaded every Thursday)
GRADE: C+

Because Earth is on the brink of socio-political and geological disaster, America’s on a mission to Mars in “Six Degrees of Freedom”, the sixth episode of CBS’s latest reboot of “The Twilight Zone”. The crew is hyped up and, like any disciplined space crew does, blasts the song “Family” by The Interrupters while waiting for launch. That’s when they get some troubling news: North Korea and Russia have seemingly joined forces and have arbitrarily launched nukes at the United States — and America’s sent about 10 times the firepower in return, so all’s well that ends well! An inspiring episode of Star Trek, this is not, not that it’s meant to be. The crew’s watchers on the ground have ordered the launch be scrapped and that everyone “evacuate” immediately — but the crew, headed by Alexa Brant (Wanda DeWise), makes a decision, indicative of a good family: take off, leave Earth and see if the mission to Mars ends up becoming their salvation.

From here, we learn that it’s gonna take nearly a year to reach Mars and that the crew can survive in space for about a few years beyond that. What does the crew do to pass the time? At first, they hope against hope, attempting to make contact with someone, anyone, on planet Earth. The phone systems are still up, so that means human beings survived, right? Not so, says Jerry, their Mission Specialist (Jefferson White). The type of nukes used were designed to incinerate humans but leave infrastructure mostly undamaged. Further phone calls are not allowed, per Brant, because the crew must accept that human and most other life on Earth has perished. With months left in their travels, the crew continues with life as usual, exercising, keeping house, taking notes and having the occasional sexual tryst, something Brant gives Ray and Casey, her engineer and pilot, respectively, hell for: there cannot be new life on board the ship because that would mean a shorter survival time for the crew.

As the landing date gets closer, the crew discusses music and scientific theory and while Brant’s “family” seems to be getting stronger despite overwhelming death and destruction on their home planet, it starts to become clear that Jerry’s not ok. Starting to develop a look reminiscent of somebody who’s been through the wringer, he records random notes and mathematical equations in a small black book, something that all comes to a head when a solar flare erupts and heads for the ship, threatening all life on the Good Ship Bradbury — but Jerry doesn’t believe it. While everyone else races to their posts in an attempt to avert certain death, Jerry does nothing and attempts to break down his reasoning for being apathetic in short bullet points: the chances of an attack from North Korea are next to impossible, the toilet system on the ship didn’t have crystallization in the rim via the cleaning system, and his Stylus pen was floating at one point, which it shouldn’t have been doing. Add that to the strange humanoid image he saw coming from a touchpad aboard the ship and you have a simulation designed to test stress levels in extreme environments. In other words, none of what the crew is going through is actually happening — and they’re being watched by the people testing them.

But is that true? Or has Jerry lost his mind? Doesn’t matter, because there he goes, toward the airlock, to prove this is all a farce…

After five episodes giving us comedians, mp3 players and cameras with supernatural powers, aliens in jail cells, and children running the country, “The Twilight Zone” provides us with some good, hard science fiction, which is most welcome for a show that often saw its past protagonists journeying into space and beyond. Almost nothing feels cheap here. The special effects, atmosphere and performances sell the hell out of the episode which, right out of the gate, puts us right in the middle of things. The launch scene hooks you right off the bat, establishing Brant and her crew as close-knit, which is immediately challenged once it’s revealed that the country is under attack. Engines roar, tensions rise between the astronauts — yet Brant’s “family” is still able to make the difficult decision of leaving the planet together. The characters’ needs and wants are beautifully established and just about every action that takes place is based on real motivation as wrong-headed or sleazy as certain actions might turn out to be. But the main highlight of the episode is Jerry’s breakdown as the solar flare threatens to kill everyone on-board, providing us with a ship that’s about to go to hell, sparking and shaking and coming apart, which mirrors Jerry’s mental state as he rants about probability and theory. It’s an amazing scene.

But while the episode appears to be headed for greatness, such a goal turns out to be illusory, suffering from the the writers’ insistence on filling most of a near hour-long running time (clocking in at just over 50 minutes long, one of this show’s biggest weaknesses) with characters who pontificate endlessly in the most self-aware manner, doing the disservice of figuratively screaming “THERE WILL BE A TWIST ENDING”. It’s so heavy at times, it takes you right out of the episode and feels like you’ve just crossed over into a social media page where armchair analysts and fans spend their time discussing popular theories and guessing endings for their favorite television shows. One of the most aggravating things about the episode is the final twist (discussed in “LOST IN THE ZONE”). Instead of being an original thought which runs contrary to what we’ve been hearing for an hour, it’s an amalgam of every character’s ideas. Furthermore, it’s somewhat vague to boot, besides the moral which rips off a classic episode I’m sick to death of mentioning every other week.

“Six Degrees of Freedom” isn’t a complete waste of time. It tells a good story (with some great intensity and fantastic visuals, recalling great science fiction such as “Alien”, “Solaris” and “2001: a space odyssey”), but it feels like a retread of better science fiction and this show has done so much better.

LOST IN THE ZONE

  • Ok, so here’s the twist. Let’s talk about it. (SPOILERS: Swipe to see them.): Jerry was kinda right. They were in some sort of simulation or they were being tested — but by aliens. But, hey, we made it to Mars and the aliens have decided that we “deserve salvation” for working through tragedy together to arrive at and screw up another planet. That’s…nice. It’s a reverse of “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” where the aliens screw with people who go nuts and kill each other, which makes the aliens determine that humans are assholes. So, yay! Progress! Whether or not it’s a simulation or if Jerry was rescued is unclear. It’s also still downbeat because, y’know, Earth was destroyed and it’s hard to shake that feeling…or has it? 
  • Jerry makes a reference to the 1938 radio broadcast of “War of the Worlds”, which is said to have caused a panic in a bunch of people who mistook it as real due to anxieties stemming from rumors of a major World War being fought against Nazi Germany. This is an immediate indicator that Jerry thinks things on-board the Bradbury aren’t real. And speaking of that ship name…
  • The ship is named after science-fiction/fantasy writer Ray Bradbury who gave us “Something Wicked This Way Comes”, “The Martian Chronicles”, “I Sing the Body Electric”, “The Illustrated Man” and, of course, the great “Fahrenheit 451”. The aforementioned “I Sing the Body Electric” was made into a classic Twilight Zone which saw the writer adapting his own story into the show’s script. A few of his works would also be adapted for the 1985 re-boot of the show.
  • Bradbury’s influence is never felt more than when the crew of the ship finds out that some communication systems on Earth are still up and working. This recalls Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains”, where the planet has been wrecked by a nuclear holocaust but one house (which runs on automated functions) still runs as normal.
  • It should be mentioned that this show has been renewed for a second season. While I’m not overly impressed with it, I look forward to seeing whether that capital can be utilized to produce episodes with a batter quality of writing.
  • ME (after watching this episode): Well…that was an episode that’s fairly apolitical that nobody can argue about. Looks like we’re trending away from socio-political themes and I won’t get a bunch of hate mail in my inbox anymo–.
    (Sees title of next episode, called “Not All Men”, featuring violent, aggressive men whose rage was brought on by an alien plant.)
    ME: FUUUUUUUUUUUU–.
  • And, now, your Easter Eggs:
    • Whipple is all over the place here. You know the drill. They make a bunch of electronic stuff humans use in this “universe”, including the space technology seen in this episode. This is a reference to “The Brain Center at Whipple’s” and I don’t understand the constant callbacks to that episode. It’s not very good and it’s been beaten into the ground here.
    • The toy airplane one of the crew members holds has the name “Goldstar” on it. That’s the plane Adam Scott and William Shatner flew in their Twilight Zone “Nightnares”. 
    • One of the Mission Briefings’s first four numbers is “1015”, a recurring number throughout this series.

‘What We Do In the Shadows’ Review- Episode 6: Founding Father

By
Robert Kijowski
-
0
Najda (Natasia Demetriou) is living that Night Lyfe.

Benjamin Franklin had once writ: “Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.” Ever a wise and prescient man, homeboy also treaded the wild side of life. Attending the goings-on at London’s fabled Hellfire Club, he knew how to entertain as well as be entertained. Share and share alike, am I right? On this week’s episode of What We Do In The Shadows (FX), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), Laszlo (Matt Berry) and Nandor (Kavan Novak) are left in the dark as to what do with their eminence, Baron Afanas (Doug Jones). I wonder if ole’ Benny boy would’ve sung the same tune if he had let an ancient Vampire into his domicile. On second thought, he would’ve. He was all about that freaky-deak shit.

We open in on the group deciding what to do with the Baron, as he’s come to remind them of their mission, yet he’s not left. As Guillermo is tasked to retrieve Roses for Baron’s cotillion in this New World, the others flounder. An admission that they control a paltry two street radius is most likely not to satiate the mercurial nature of a Vampire Most High. To be fair, the climate of the house is that though world domination sounds like a pretty bad-ass way of existence, it’s really not even that exciting. They are all over it. I suppose when you’ve lead intrepid lifetimes chockablock with times violent, passionate and even more violent and more passionate, the subjugation of the humans seems almost pedestrian and archaic.

Awakening from his what’s probably the equivalent to the slumber of a college kid, Baron simply informs the group that being away for so long has made him long for an exciting night about town, among commoners. The group grows a little worried, as Baron’s appearance would undercut their enjoyment of anonymity among the potential food and friends. They have no choice but to capitulate, growing suspicious of Baron’s intent. Is this all a ruse and are they all the main course tonight? What if Baron just ‘missed dinner’ and was never heard from again?

After a quick makeover, compliments of daywalker Colin (Mark Proksch), the four set flight for the night, with Baron almost nailing it. Ya can’t wear a NJ Devil’s cap in Islander’s country, man! It was a rookie mistake on Colin’s part, but then again, it is Colin so the headwear works for annoyance sake alone. It probably serves as a wearable Tap if humans were barrels for the guy.

Feeling good, feeling right Baron is ready to- CHOMP! In broad moonlight, Afanas just goes hog on a dude clearly urinating in an alley. Now this is a rule of the universe in a past episode they’ve alluded to before. Depending on the mood on whom you feed, that is transferred to you. I guess the same goes for what flows through ones’ bloodstream at the time of feeding. Logically, I like this rule. It makes for more fun with the characters and gives the writers more places to explore.

As the others clearly notice this and try to help this newfound babe (I mean come on, he’s a relic in the now… Ya might as well call him a newborn) find his footing like a little faun, Laszlo goes in for the kill.. The two others take pity on Baron and get him to another bar. His alcohol is wearing off Baron-need-his-Baba… SHOTS!

Caught (not yet Red Mouthed) in the bathroom, Baron’s about to take this shot (human upended), but is caught by the others. In an almost guilty moment, the others agree. All of a sudden, things are a bit better! All are yucking it up compliments of the intemperate shot (I can only imagine his BAC was like a damn Arnold Palmer. Fifty percent alcohol, fifty blood.) All four got pretty hammered, but they didn’t stop there. You want night life? These guys INVENTED night life.

After a maudlin admission of Baron’s that he’s not actually a Baron but it’s more of a mocking mantle (Barren) due to lack of genetalia, the crew has pity on him. They volunteer to be his surrogates. We drunkenly traipse on to the next bar, a cozy hole in the wall. There, Baron laments that he’s grown cold and tired of what used to make him happy- plunder, violence. He wants to feel something. On a side note, I’ve seen this in Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive. Being alive for so long and doing what you presumably love can even make the undead feel dead. Still on the buzz, Baron admits that he was actually going to kill them. It’s uncomfortable for the reason that Nandor, who for being once a feared warlord is more like a labrador now, admits that they were in a plot to kill him too.

This leads to them in uncomfortable backtracking that only makes things funnier. Of course Baron’s going to have the last laugh, making his hosts uncomfortable. He’s drunk now, but that ain’t the only thing he’ll be ‘fore the night is done. He wants more. He wants… a good ole tristate slice.

With massive protestation from the others knowing its ramifications, Baron chomps onto something red but not human- a classic coal-fired slice of Tri State Za. What can only be described as the water jet pack videos gone wrong on Youtube, if the propulsion was his own torrential vomit. This is one of the funniest visual gags in the series because it goes above and beyond what they’d done in the movie or on a previous episode with Nadja consuming a kernel of popped corn. With that out of his system, the Baron only wants more…

They all attend a rave and feast on the party-goers DNA. Tripping balls, having drunk drugged blood. This is their time. They drink up the night as well as the life inhabiting it.

Their evening winds down with a session of Karoake, Baron belting out a quite heartfelt rendition of the Zombies’ “Time Of The Season”. A clock stops for nobody though, not even for the Felons of the Flesh. Once Nadja sings a song from the Old World acapella, Baron is reminded of the time and demands everyone retire.

Ambling into the house before sunrise like a couple of teenagers out for a ‘sleep over’, they are met by Colin, just getting up for work. They try to coax a most cozy Baron back into his tomb but feeling anew with a new lease on existence, he plays with the prospect of the sunlight. Inebriated and struggling to get his coat off, he hilariously stumbles down some stairs. He’s okay though. He recomposes himself and extracts a little totem he took from a dollar store before. He misses the simple things. Wait, nope, he just broke a rail crashing down to the main floor. Nope, he’s okay.

The entrance Guillermo (Harvey Guillen) bearing dual bouquets of roses and the emergence of piercing sunlight immolates Baron to a crisp pretty quickly, leaving the others gobsmacked. The bright side (outside of that which dispatched Baron Afanas) is that Roses are funeral appropriate.

What We Do In The Shadows airs on FX Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

‘Cobra Kai’ review: ‘Back in Black’

By
Matt Perri
-
0

COBRA KAI
Season 2, Episode 2
“Back in Black”
Available on YouTube Premium
GRADE: B-

Johnny (William Zabka) has paid off a cement truck driver to allow him to use his cement truck for an awfully dangerous exercise. He demands that his students get inside the mixer and use their combined strength to spin it by hand. Even Kreese (Martin Kove) who wrote the book on how to abuse students, looks incredulous and uncomfortable. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” Johnny assures him as Kreese eyeballs him. Johnny’s behavior shouldn’t surprise us. Last season, he nearly drowned Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) in a swimming pool while teaching him about leg strength, so…on the other side of things, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) teaches his daughter Sam (Mary Mouser) and his prize student Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan) about doing moves at the same time while maintaining balance. He does this by making them stand on a wooden raft in the middle of a pond and has them kick and punch and “sense each other’s movements”.

The second episode of “Cobra Kai” eschews the heavy emotional stuff seen in the first episode and goes for a lighter tone, churning out a pretty silly second episode that’s here to say “Why train in a dojo when you can just make your students do mostly ineffective, borderline illegal stuff that looks like it was lifted from ‘No Retreat, No Surrender’?” The entire episode feels like one huge training montage, starting with a montage of Miguel and Johnny working on Johnny’s badass Dodge Challenger set to, if the title of the episode was any indication, AC/DC’s “Back in Black”. This is off-set by the aforementioned cement truck exercise which is followed by a scene where LaRusso’s automotive competitors are “starting to catch up” since Daniel has been devoting attention to Miyagi-Do Karate. So, it’s off to the dealership for Daniel and his wife so we can have a montage about selling cars, which is nice, but doesn’t add up to anything beyond giving Amanda (Courtney Henggeler) something to do besides come along for the ride and occasionally play devil’s advocate to Daniel’s endless enthusiasm.

Luckily, there are bits of characterization thrown in to remind everyone what the show was built on and the episode is only so happy to tick all the boxes on the checklist: Robby’s mom, Shannon (Diora Baird), is running off to Mexico with a guy who’s gonna pay her rent…and not much else. When the electricity goes out in their place, Robby simply buys a lantern and attempts to eat cereal with water since the milk in the fridge has spoiled. This doesn’t sit well with Daniel who, like Mr. Miyagi before him, can’t let someone suffer. This ties into the first showdown between Johnny and Daniel since the first season and it’s a lot of fun to watch, for what there is of it when Daniel verbally spars with Kreese for the first time since “The Karate Kid, Part III”:

KREESE: Well, what do ya’ know? The gang’s all back together…well, almost all of us…
(Daniel looks pensive at Kreese’s backhanded remark about Miyagi no longer being alive.)
KREESE (semi-sarcastically): My condolences…
DANIEL: You’re lucky he’s not here…how’re your knuckles doing there, Kreese?
(We get a flashback from the 80’s of Kreese attempting to punch Mr. Miyagi and missing, smashing a car window instead. Back in the present, Kreese balls his fist, then puts it at his side. He grimaces and glares at Daniel.)

Sheer brilliance.

The problem with it is that it’s immediately snuffed out by characterizations that make little sense. When Johnny asks Daniel what he’s doing at the strip mall where Cobra Kai is located, Daniel simply walks away saying he got an answer to a question he was going to ask. To review: Daniel’s mission was to go to Johnny to tell him that Robby is living in virtual squalor — but can’t because he saw Kreese? Shouldn’t the well being of Johnny’s son be a higher priority? It makes for interesting melodrama, sure, but it also makes Daniel look incredibly bitter for somebody who won this fight years ago and proved himself to both Johnny and Kreese. Then again, like that raft in the middle of the pond at Miyagi’s, balance is always key and giving up Robby to Johnny might upset that balance.

The final scene is the ultimate tease and works so well due to the sheer amount of history and chemistry between the three original film leads. Don’t get me wrong, I like Robbie and Sam and Amanda but they’re so squeaky clean that when they’re on screen, it feels like we’re watching a Karate Kid off-shoot on the Disney Channel. This show is a fairly well-managed dance card of entertaining moments and characters but it’s Macchio, Kove and Zabka who provide the glue that holds it all together.

I just wish there was more of them.

OTHER STUFF THAT EXISTS IN THIS DOJO

  • In the final scene, Kreese tries to put up a united front when he puts his hand on Johnny’s shoulder while telling Daniel he’s about to witness the rise of Cobra Kai — only to see Johnny forcefully pull his shoulder away from Kreese. It’s a small moment. but one that tells us that Johnny has not fully accepted Kreese back into his life and is torn between his old ways and the angel on his shoulder who is pushing him to be better.
  • This is also hammered home when Johnny tells his students that they can “go to places they never dreamed of” if they keep pushing forward. It’s far too positive coming from somebody like Johnny and it’s in contrast with Kreese’s menacing tone and demeanor, telling Johnny’s students that they better listen to what he has to say for their own sakes.
  • Look, all I’m saying is that all the wannabe Mortal Kombat music in the world isn’t going to help two actors look good kicking and punching on a goddamn raft. When Robby kicks, he looks exactly how I look when I kick: knee bent with the other leg wobbling under my old, fat body. Even as Sam and Robby make progress, it’s unimpressive. Hopefully, it leads somewhere.
  • Man, the line about Miyagi not being there is legit sad. It’s meant to be a meta-tribute, one of several that we get, per episode. I often wonder what Pat Morita would have thought about this show or if he would have been on it if he was still alive. 
  • While I’m at it…do we need to have Johnny and Kreese keep using the word “pussy” to describe everyone they don’t like or think is soft? Call me what you will. Every single time I want to like Johnny, that resets each time he calls his students a derogatory name and it’s even more unbelievable that his female students don’t say anything about it. I get they’re just actors reciting lines from a script but there’s a sense that when the heels say this stuff (including Kreese throwing Conservative MAGA rhetoric at the Mexican clerk at the convenience store next to Cobra Kai) that the writers actually legitimately think like that in real life and Johnny and Kreese are just outlets for their misogyny and are attempting to cater to that audience. Just a thought.

‘Bonding’ Review: Sex Work For Fun

By
Christian Angeles
-
0
Zoe Levin in leather interviewing a potential new client
Bonding follows the story of a NYC grad student (Zoe Levin, featured above) moonlighting as a dominatrix, who enlists her gay best friend from high school to be her assistant. Image courtesy of Netflix.

This is a review of Netflix’s new original series ‘Bonding’, an open-minded show that takes a surprisingly light-hearted approach towards BDSM sex work. Featuring bondage as a form of liberation from heteronormative androcentrism, embracing ‘woke’ sexuality, through strapping-in and strapping-on. Metaphorically, but also, quite literally…

You Can Stream BONDiNG on Netflix 

‘Bonding’ follows the story of two New York best friends working in the BDSM community. Tiff (Zoe Levin), a dominatrix and graduate student of clinical psychology, and Pete (Brendan Scannell), Tiff’s gay best friend who’s a stand-up comedian – though one with rent and money issues after being financially cut-off from his parents.

Tiff recruits Pete to be her BDSM aid in engaging with clients and occasionally visiting them on location – all for some serious cash. Together, they attend to the needs of some intriguing patrons with very particular perversions. Open to most bizarre forms of sexuality, the duo never engage in prostitution themselves, but rather, serve mostly in the roles of kink fulfiller and dominatrix.

After all, someone needs to wear the furry, whip the submissive, or finger the butthole. The latter of which is really the most we get in terms of sexual engagement in the series.

Created by Rightor Doyle (Barry, You’re The Worst), the show is loosely based on his life experiences in NYC getting by as a Dominatrix’s assistant. It’s sort of his odd love story about being a young gay man in New York, with lots of closeted hang-ups, and how entering this BDSM community helped liberate himself emotionally, sexually, and even professionally.

Yet, despite this being his story, the series mostly focuses on Tiffany. A rather interesting yet polarizing character. Tiffany acts bolder in her Dominatrix life but is very introverted in terms of her personal one. She’s very staunch about honesty in regards to kinks, but by episode three, we see her own troubled sexual history and conceptualized shame regarding her sex life, as she believed sex was the only worthwhile thing of value about her character. Loosely giving it away rather haphazardly in her young adulthood – which she regrets.

This brings us to an immediate problem about the series: everything about Tiff’s work is technically a reenactment of her personal trauma. She’s trying to take ownership of her past through her studies in psychology (the academic classes seem more authentic than the BDSM), yet soon finds, that her course is run by pretentious assholes. Her experiences as a dominatrix, are seemingly worth more than the education she’s spending her wages on.

I must admit, this show does an oddly good job showing some of the fallacies I’ve personally seen in academic psychology (I’ve seen my share of pompous assholes in my psych days). It also makes the material fun by shying away from kink shaming. You will see bondage ropes and strap-on dildos. Odd fetishes and burlesque shows. The nudity in the series is surprisingly PG-13. It’s rather censored despite the show’s mature themes, yet ironically, is also rather open with its intentions in regards to sexual encounters – which is a great message in embracing the first step of open communication.

Yet, this strong point is also the show’s problem: that it comes off as comedic fiction. This, unfortunately, undermines the show’s potentially coercive undertones in BDSM and DOM/SUB relationships. Refusing to take on the responsibilities in association with trauma and consent in sexual partnerships and encounters – all for the sake of character and comedy. Yes, this show is funny. But it also misses the point of kinky sex in that it lacks a LOT of communicative discourse. Openness and honesty are the first steps in this community but are only useful with dialogue and understanding. Something the series tends to ignore.

I’m not sure if it’s the runtime, or if it’s because establishing consent, rules of BDSM, and boundaries/safe spaces are just not funny material to the showrunner, but it’s a blatant problem if you’re trying to put a positive portrayal of BDSM and sex work in the modern era…

Which is why the BDSM and sex work community absolutely HATED this series – as they felt underrepresented. Whereas something like Cam was a somewhat authentic portrayal of a cam girl’s life, and Sex Education discussed the roles of communication and needs in intimacy – this series is more about laughing about the kinks that they’re trying desperately not to shame. All while working out the kinks of its main characters’ personal lives through traditional story sitcom format. Still, its a fun setting. But it’s also one that can feel superficial. Undermining the lives of actual Doms and Subs for the sake of comedy and forcing sitcom-styled awkwardness.

In short, how geeks feel about the ‘Big Bang Theory’ or how women living in NYC feel about ‘Girls’, is how sex workers feel about ‘Bonding’. Which is to say: it’s fun to watch but represents some of the fabricated worst in its subjects. All for the sake of entertainment.

Final Score: 7.0/10

‘Cobra Kai’ review: ‘Mercy Part II’

By
Matt Perri
-
0

COBRA KAI
Season 2, Episode 1
“Mercy Part II”
Available on YouTube Premium
GRADE: A

An older, slightly wiser John Lawrence (William Zabka) stands in front of his dojo mirror, looking at his own image. He begins to remember the past, almost as if the mirror is showing it to him. Sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove) has just awarded a young John Lawrence his blue belt — but he’s berating John instead of congratulating him on his promotion. John stands there, listening to his sensei’s venom. He’s shaking and crying. There’s something going on with John’s screwed up home life and it’s manifesting itself here and all he needs is a father figure — but Kreese doesn’t want to hear it. For him, any such emotion is weakness and it makes somebody a loser. He screams in John’s face, making him admit, through his tears, that he’s really a winner. As the scene crescendos, we’re back in the present. The older Johnny stares at himself in the mirror, the brand-new one put in to replace the one that Kreese put him through when the two reunited at the beginning of the episode. The one where, in the broken shards, Johnny could see the moment where Kreese had attempted to choke him out after losing to Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) over 30 years ago…and in darkly ironic fashion, that moment saves the lives of both Kreese and Johnny.

Because, this time around, Johnny was the one succumbing to his hatred and choking out Kreese.

In “Mercy Part II”, the opening act of the second season of “Cobra Kai”, we’re reminded of just how deep Johnny’s scars run. Despite winning the All-Valley Karate Tournament and putting Cobra Kai back on the map, Johnny can’t help but feel like his victory was invalid thanks to his students’ antics. His top student, Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) attacked Robby (Tanner Buchanan), exploiting his injured shoulder, something Miguel’s family wasn’t fond of and found alarming. That’s when Kreese reemerges to offer his assistance to Johnny who refuses to take it. The end result leaves both men down on the mat and out of breath while sprinklers are set off by a trash fire burning in the corner, courtesy of Kreese’s smoldering cigar being knocked into it during their fight. His students walk in the next day, impressed by what they think are signs of their sensei’s “victory party” after having one themselves at a local Applebee’s.

Even when he’s a winner, Johnny is still a loser, fighting ghosts he can’t get away from.

On the LaRusso side of things, Daniel takes the loss and uses it as an opportunity for growth. With Johnny’s son, Robby, under his wing, the two re-make the late Mr. Miyagi’s former residence into a karate studio with all of Miyagi’s old touches: a Japanese garden, banners which teach the importance of focus and pacifism unless attacked. and a pond with a single wooden deck which floats with perfect balance on top of the water. With youth comes inexperienced, uncontrolled exuberance which can easily lead one to unfortunate disaster or euphoric deliverance depending on the guidance in that person’s life. Even when he isn’t teaching Karate, Daniel attempts to be there for everyone, passing on sage wisdom about love to his daughter Samantha (Mary Mouser) who is heartbroken over her break-up with Miguel (see Season 1). Daniel is correct when he tells her that “there’s always someone you think the world revolves around” until things end with that person but he soon finds out that Samantha lost Miguel because she feels as if the Cobra Kai mentality brainwashed her and her other friends, leaving Daniel dumbfounded.

“Mercy Part II” is a great start to the second season of “Cobra Kai”, carrying with it excellent pacing and emotional heft thanks to a great script and excellent performances by everyone involved. Macchio and Zabka spoil us here, giving heartfelt performances and reprise their role with every bit of soul they can muster. It’s a joy to watch the two of them: Daniel, ever so positive and Johnny, full of regret and longing for a time long since past. But the real treat is actor Martin Kove who has joined the cast, reprising his role as former Cobra Kai Sensei John Kreese and besides looking appropriately older, he hasn’t lost a step. Like Johnny, he’s stuck in the past, his scars unbelievably deeper than Johnny’s by virtue of having served in Vietnam and then, after the events of “The Karate Kid, Part III”, voluntarily making the rounds training soldiers in military hotspots around the world.

In a diner, Kreese tells Johnny all about the behavior of cold-blooded animals, particularly, a snake. The behavior of “brumation”, he explains, is when a snake digs a hole in the ground to survive the ice cold winter months — but he doesn’t sleep. Instead, the snake waits, staying awake the entire time, waiting for the perfect chance to emerge. “That time is now,” Kreese tells a skeptical Johnny who rebuffs him almost immediately. It isn’t until Kreese finally opens up to Johnny near the end of the episode, apologizing for his past misdeeds with such a sincerity, that Johnny invites him back into the fold. We, the audience, are led to believe Kreese has grown older and wiser, having shed his old skin and finally becoming the father Johnny never had — but then we see the slick smile on his face when his back is to Lawrence.

The snake in brumation has successfully emerged from the cold.

It’s in “Mercy Part II” where we find both Daniel and Johnny at a crossroads, the martial arts equivalent of the Hatfields and the McCoys…or if you want to get even more nerdy, Magento and Professor X. Both men have unique styles born of their particular upbringing and both are ready to bring up a new generation of fighters using those styles. But what do the two have in them? Daniel’s daughter doesn’t want to fight her own friends and his wife doesn’t want him picking a fight with Johnny who, himself, is undergoing a personal identity crisis and seemingly rejecting who he once was in the name of honor.

it’s episodes like these that make “Cobra Kai” live up to its name.

OTHER STUFF THAT EXISTS IN THIS DOJO:

  • Welcome to my reviews for “Cobra Kai”! I believe I’m going to post a new review for each episode each Wednesday, so stay tuned!
  • Great callbacks to the original films here:
    • Kreese: “But I like that…I like that…”
    • The Japanese drum from Okinawa from “The Karate Kid, Part II”
    • The flashback involving Miyagi teaching Daniel about what the banners mean while Daniel does the same for Robby in the present.
  • I love the party inside Applebee’s. That’s such a high school teenage hangout and the “fake ID not fooling the waitress” bit rings so true.

‘What We Do In The Shadows’ Review: Episode 5- Back To Life

By
Robert Kijowski
-
0
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS -- "Animal Control" -- Season 1, Episode 5 (Airs April 24, 10:00 pm e/p) Pictured: Mark Proksch as Colin Robinson, Kayvan Novak as Nandor, Harvey Guillen as Guillermo. CR: Russ Martin/FX

Do relationships stagnate? Sure, but this is usually due to decimation of the spice in the union. We have catchy nomenclature for that- the Seven Year Itch. However, when you and yours have lived for centuries, how do you make it work? Ya just do.. but that sounds pretty pedestrian and even ghoulish when it comes to something as romantic as the Vampire. In this episode of What We Do In The Shadows (FX), Nadja (Natasia Demitriou) takes back her man… before picking up her husband.

Languishing in the Isle of Staten, she along with her night-walker betrothed maintains a status quo. However, she’s like me in my mid 20s with my girlfriend- chomping at the bit to go out, get wild and do something you might regret only making for an even better story you regale kinfolk with when you’re hosting boring dinner parties. Laszlo (Matt Berry) seems relatively content with going home and engaging in a bit of the carnal desire after a night’s stroll, but the embers in Nadja are not fine with that. In an attempt to secure his wife’s non-beating heart, he attempts to feed as she watches. It doesn’t get her blood pumping, but it does it boiling.

As Laszlo hilariously is beaten within near inches of his headache (I mean, they’re immortal, so they can’t die by a human hand) with of all things, the most humiliating of instruments with which to dispatch a pest (broom), we cut more to Nadja, getting her lustful fix on Jeff Sucker (get it?)

If you’ll remember from the Pilot, Jeff (Jake McDorman) is the object of Nadja’s affections, as she is emotionally cheating on Las with Jeff. Having this storied and romantic history with his previous incarnations as Gregor (Carpathian warlord and a steed among the many) before Laszlo, human iteration of Gregor is a simple but honest and kind Gatekeeper. He literally checks the gate for a parking garage. Nadja’s hot-blooded nature is pining for the past and forgetting about the present, as she tries to spark his older, more derring-do side up. Nadja the Aggressor.

Laszlo, now remanded to Staten Island Animal Control, of which Nandor (Kayvan Novak), familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillen) and Colin (Mark Proksch) are informed of the situation. This is a jail-break, however, amongst the trio have no experience in and it shows.

We actually see one of the rules of the Romantic Undead as they have to be invited into an edifice. Colin cites that it’s not really a thing but I was so glad that Guillermo merely says that mythos or fact, it’s just rude to enter a building without asking permission. Granted, public buildings should be fair game.. but even if ya know the person inside, though it would seem customary to just traipse in all willy nilly- there should be some protocol.

Fresh off of work for the night, Jeff saunters into the night with Nadja at a Carnival. I think that they could not have in the script picked a better place. How could something set up and taken down be more apropos than a carnival. There, Jeff wins Nadja multiple items but not the most important- her interest. She knew deep down this was simply a soul in a vessel and that her attempts at jogging his memory of past wins is lost, so she uses some of her old tricks and (for the life of me wasn’t used in vampire lore yet) used her power to rejigger his memories of past lives.

Thus ensues a very funny showing of Jeff’s past lives, which are basically a thousand times cooler than ours could ever be. They finally meet, Nadja and Gregor through what can only be described as an actors reel It’s amazing. Nadja and Gregor- that would make for a weird rom-com title in theatres, but I would so watch it.

Back at Gen-Pop aka Animal Control room, Nandor finds a way to get in to save his brethren… by being a captured as a dog. I’m sure a lot of his thought went into that and by a lot I mean a little. I love the guy. He means well and has interesting powers but goes off the cuff. If being impulsive was a trait, it feeds more into his adorability.. and Lazslo’s being angered at being captured makes friends with a few of the caged. Win-win.

Ultimately, though we see Gregor through Jeff wanting to ravish Nadja on the dank parking lot pavement, it only takes one cell phone ring to bring her back to reality.

As far as episodes go thus far, I really liked the fact they focused more on Nadja. I hoped that Jeff wasn’t just a throwaway joke in the first episode and they did some interesting things with her powers, of which we didn’t really get to see until now.  I don’t see it as strong as the Manhattan Vampire episode, however, but I think that it’s truly finding its stride and for it, I am eternally grateful for.

 

‘The Twilight Zone’ review: ‘The Wunderkind’

By
Matt Perri
-
0

THE TWILIGHT ZONE
Season 1, Episode 5
“The Wunderkind”
Available on CBS All-Access (new episodes uploaded every Thursday)
GRADE: B+

President-elect Oliver Foley (Jacob Tremblay) steps into the Oval Office for the first time, his eyes bright with childlike wonder. He immediately sits at the President’s desk and kicks his feet up and says that he needs to start keeping his promises to the American people. His first order of business: free video games for every American. His advisors look at one another and tell him that there are more important matters at hand. Oliver doesn’t care. He wants free video games for all Americans. Again, he’s told that Congress isn’t going to allow that just yet mainly because the National Debt is out of control and, besides, even if it were possible, gaming companies aren’t just going to give away their video games. Impatient and irrational, Oliver immediately proposes threatening them with major tax hikes that will “put them out of business in a day”. They still balk which makes Oliver bristle. He angrily declares that if it doesn’t happen, he will get people that will make it happen because Oliver gets what Oliver wants. And the American people should have free video games, he declares to a dumbfounded room with but one question on all their minds:

“How did we get here?”

The fifth episode of CBS’s Twilight Zone re-boot gives us “The Wunderkind”, the story about campaign manager Raff Hanks (John Cho), an egotistical campaign manager who has been dubbed “The Wunderkind” for his uncanny skill of getting unelectable people elected. After finally seeing one of his candidates fail miserably, Hanks collapses, becoming a full-fledged alcoholic with no future. The bar has the news on and is running a peculiar story: an 11-year-old boy named Oliver Foley has announced his candidacy for President on YouTube. His campaign promises? Longer weekends and Christmas breaks, more jobs and, of course, free video games for everyone. It’s a joke, right? Not to the American public. They’re all fed up with the imperfect adults running things, fed up with all the lies, with all the politics. They need somebody who “speaks the truth”. Hanks’ eyes light up…he’s back in business.

Oliver is precocious and persuasive and his cuteness overshadows his mental shortcomings — but only for so long. He gets destroyed in his first debate because while he thinks taxes are “good, except when they’re bad”, that’s not an actual answer to the question, “What are you going to do about taxes?” As Hanks braces for another political disaster that will surely sink his career, Oliver’s dying family dog enters the picture — and, like a seasoned running back, the ever-crafty Hanks finds his opening and exploits the unfortunate matter: new campaign ads showing his dog running through sunny meadows while captioning the moment “I WILL HIRE NICE PEOPLE” and “MORE JOBS” and, seriously, who can’t get behind that? You can’t disagree with a dying dog, can you? No, you can’t. Just like you can’t disagree with Oliver’s catchy, feel-good Justin Bieber-esque music videos where he encourages young people to vote…but there’s always the undercurrent of regret: Oliver throws temper tantrums behind the scenes when he doesn’t get what he wants and, when he eventually becomes President, anyone who disagrees with him is dubbed a “traitor” and, thanks to Oliver’s non-stop control over the political narrative (he uses YouTube to air his grievances), the public buys and parrots his declarations to a mass media who hungrily eats the opinions up and regurgitates them, ad nauseam, for the sake of ratings.

Where “The Wunderkind” stumbles, perhaps, is that it might be too clever for its own good. Since Donald Trump was elected in 2016, life for many an American has felt like a living Twilight Zone episode. We’ve already seen countless parodies and skits satirizing Trump and we’ve seen memes featuring black and white images of Donald Trump sitting at his desk with Rod Serling in the foreground, explaining that we were now in The Twilight Zone on social media. So, while it was just a matter of time before a situation like this became fodder for science fiction and fantasy writers, it may feel old hat to the casual viwer. Despite this, the cast and writing. is sharp, with Jacob Tremblay playing Oliver much like Bill Mumy played the young Anthony Fremont in the classic episode “It’s a Good Life”, giving us somebody who’s way in over his head but doesn’t know it because nobody has the guts to tell a child they can’t follow their dreams? John Cho shines as the cocky Raff Hanks, a man who sells himself to people who have no choice but to sell themselves to THE people but whose successful brainchild eventually becomes his undoing.

The episode is written by comedy scribe Andrew Guest (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, “Community”), and while the metaphors on display aren’t exactly subtle, they were never meant to be. Guest’s entire motive is to show us where we actually are when we’re done laughing at Alec Baldwin on Saturday Night Live. And he’s only so happy to ask viewers if they’re really happy with what we’ve helped wrought as a society.

And hasn’t that always been the point of this show?

LOST IN THE ZONE

  • Gotta love one of Oliver’s campaign promises: “Less Star Wars movies”…maybe he IS ready for public office after all…
  • You might have missed it during the Iowa Caucus celebration bit where all the news outlets were reporting Oliver’s first victory: there’s a Russian reporter on scene, relaying the news on State Media. Heh.
  • It’s good to see veteran actor John Larroquette as “Stevens”, Hanks’ Presidential hopeful. He’s great even for the few seconds where he’s chewing up the scene by declaring that he’s losing states he should have won.
  • I also love the bit where one of Oliver’s handlers says the word “fuck” and everyone else yells “SWEARING!” It’s almost as if the show’s aware of the concerns over the R-Rated nature of the show.
  • SPOILERS (SWIPE TO SEE): One of Oliver’s newly-enacted laws was the outlawing of adult doctors, with Oliver replacing them with children. The episode ends with the Secret Service taking Hanks out after he refuses to toe the Presidential line and go along with the President’s childish antics, something Oliver twists to be “treason”. The episode is told in flashback form with Hanks lying on a stretcher, waiting for an undisclosed medical procedure to occur. When the doctor finally shows up, it’s a kid and he carelessly attempts to operate on Hanks with an incredibly sharp-looking knife. The curtain goes up, leaving us with Hanks screaming in pain. It’s a pretty good twist because it reminds us that we reap what we sow and that our decisions can come back to bite us.
  • Here are this week’s Easter Eggs:
    • Oliver drinks from a cup with the Busy Bee Cafe logo on it. The cafe was featured in the classic episode, “Nick of Time” and was also featured in the recent episode, “Replay”.
    • Oliver’s campaign is reported on “Whipple News” and Whipple also makes his pinball machine. The Whipple brand has been seen in recent episodes and the name comes from the classic episode “The Brain Center at Whipple’s”.

‘Avengers: Endgame’ Review: Going Out On A High Note

By
Matt DeGroot
-
0

I feel like I need to kick this review off by saying this is bound to be one of the hardest reviews I’ve ever had to write. There are dozens and dozens of plot points and character moments that I want to rave and cheer about at the top of my lungs but…I can’t. And I won’t.

Avengers: Endgame has been the rare film so steeped in secrecy that even the most well-read internet fanboy doesn’t really have that much clue about what goes down in it. The trailers did a remarkable job of mostly only using content from roughly the first 15 or 20 minutes, which is something so unheard of in the film business that I didn’t believe it until I saw it for myself. And in case you’re not doing the math, at three hours in length there’s a WHOLE LOT of movie remaining to be revealed. And that’s honestly how it should be. So those of you reading this who don’t want anything spoiled have nothing to fear. I’m going to proceed by tiptoeing around every possible story moment not shown in trailers even though my inner self is still uncontrollably geeking out about them.

With the exception of quick cold-open scene, Avengers: Endgame picks up three weeks after the devastating climax of Avengers: Infinity War when the villainous warlord Thanos snapped his fingers and dusted half of the universe’s population. As a result, Tony Stark/Iron Man and Nebula have been stranded in outer space with little hope of rescue. Back on Earth, a surviving group of heroes made up of Captain America, Black Widow, War Machine, Bruce Banner, Thor, and Rocket Raccoon struggle to cope with their failure despite meeting up with Captain Marvel who has answered Nick Fury’s emergency beacon all too late.

Our heroes are desperate to right the incredible wrong done by Thanos and the film wastes little time in giving them an opportunity to try. But despite the breakneck pace that sets in, Directors Joe and Anthony Russo do a masterful job of making viewers feel the full weight of what has happened. It is abundantly clear that the world has changed and everyone is struggling to cope with that trauma. As a fan of the HBO series The Leftovers I found myself slotting that entire series into this world and imagining all the ways in which society would be falling apart. It ain’t pretty.

Have no fear though. This is still a Marvel movie and there are plenty of laughs to be had. The screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely packs in more one-liners and comic scenarios than you can shake an infinity gauntlet at, but the Russo Brothers are able to masterfully weave them in without them feeling jarring to the deadly serious stakes of the story. This, and the immense juggling act of servicing all of the characters on display is what I admire most about these latest Avengers films. By all accounts they should be overstuffed and incoherent messes with far too much going on for anyone to follow or enjoy, but by some miracle these filmmakers pull it off! These movies are so fun to watch that it’s easy to forget what a herculean task it is to write and execute a project this complex while keeping it satisfying. For that reason alone I don’t think it’s radical to start talking about a Best Picture nomination for this when the end of the year rolls around.

And what can I say about this amazing cast that hasn’t already been said? Over the course of now 22 films we’ve seen everyone fully grow into their respective roles and make them iconic. Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans both deliver career-best performances while everyone from Scarlett Johansson, Karen Gillan, Paul Rudd, and Chris Hemsworth just bowled me over work that deftly balanced comedy with pathos. I could go on forever and include even more names of people that knocked me out but then we’d be swimming back in those murky, spoiler waters again so I’ll stop gushing now.

It goes without saying that the film is also visually stunning with incredible special effects and action set pieces that will blow your geeky mind berries. I’m pretty sure I was sitting on the edge of my seat covering my mouth at the wonder unfolding before me for the last 30 minutes or so. There are moments of pure euphoria that I still can’t stop thinking about 12 hours later. You will clap. You will cheer. And you will most certainly cry tears of both joy and sadness.

It is wild to think that all of this was born out of a throwaway scene at the end of Iron Man 11 long years ago. So much has changed for the worse in the world in those ensuing years, but there’s always been some comfort in knowing that a couple times a year we’d be able to spend some time with a handful of these characters and forget about the troubles of the real world for a few hours. That is what going to the movies is all about. Kevin Feige and the team at Marvel Studios have done something truly unparalleled in the history of cinema with this Cinematic Universe they’ve created and even though we say farewell to some components of it with this film, Avengers: Endgame is a milestone achievement in popular culture that will endure as long as stories are told.

Grade: A

 

The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: MCU TV Shows (Part 3 – Hulu/FreeForm)

By
Matt Perri
-
0

Greetings and salutations!

With the release of “Avengers: Endgame”, we’re going to take a look at everything within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (henceforth known as “The MCU”) that has led up to the moment Thanos did “The Snap”. We’ll do a small synopsis of each film, we’ll give you some Easter Eggs and the significance of each film as it relates to the grand scheme of things and we’ll tell you whether or not you should watch or skip the content in question.

Do be aware: this is for the fans who have pretty much seen everything the MCU has to offer, but if you’re that kinda person who doesn’t want to watch 25 movies and 12 TV shows spanning about 36 seasons or so, this is for you, too. Beware, though: HERE THERE BE SPOILERS. You’ve had several years to prep for the new flick. Back out now. Or, join us if you want a bit of a capsule of each film.

If you missed the past recaps, you can catch up here:

The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: The MCU, Phase One
The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: The MCU, Phase Two
The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: MCU TV Shows (Part 1 – ABC)
The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: MCU TV Shows (Part 2 – Netflix)

So, without further ado, let’s get into it..

RUNAWAYS (2017 – present; Hulu)

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT?

Think your parents are evil? Well…some actually are. When six unassuming teens delve deep into the private lives of their parents, they find out much more about them than they bargained for. As the group’s suspicions increase, the parents can’t help but notice. With each revelation, the bond between Alex (Rhenzy Feliz), Nico (Lyrica Okano), Karolina (Virginia Gardner), Gert (Ariela Barer) Molly (Allegra Acosta) and Chase (Gregg Sulkin) grows — as do their newly discovered super powers. They realize that they’re the only ones standing in the way of PRIDE, the mysterious organization their parents belong to that seeks to re-make the world in their vision.

WORTH WATCHING?

This is definitely “new era” Marvel. Like their protagonists, they’re the youngest Marvel property in the entire MCU with regard to source material. It’s a very clever premise, giving new meaning to the phrase “my parents are evil and they suck”. The characters are all engaging and have great chemistry. My only issue is that it feels like a young adult retread of “Avengers” or “Guardians” or “The Defenders”. But, everyone has their start. The actors playing the parents are great (as are the kids) and they’re headed up by veteran actor Julian McMahon who plays Jonah, an alien who wants to bring about a world re-made. I don’t love the show, but I’m intrigued and will continue to watch it.

HOW DOES IT TIE INTO THE MCU?

  • Not really a connection, per se, but…curiously, a reference is made to Barack Obama. We know that, in the MCU, the current President is Matthew Ellis (James Sadler). According to MCU lore, Obama was defeated in 2012 by Ellis. By the second season, we learn that Donald Trump is President in the MCU.
  • “The Mountains of Wakanda” are mentioned by Alex in an episode.
  • We see a Roxxon Oil sign that says “Hollywood Offices opening soon!”
  • There’s a reference to Doctor Strange’s “Dark Dimension” during season 2.

CLOAK AND DAGGER (2018 – present; FreeForm)

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT?

A few years back, a Roxxon Gulf Refinery Rig suffers mechanical and system failures due to a heavy storm which causes it to collapse, causing a rupture in a pipe that releases an unknown energy into a local bay. As if linked by fate, a very young Tandy Bowen (Olivia Holt) and Tyrone Johnson (Aubrey Johnson) end up within range of that blast and acquire unique abilities: Tandy can control light and use it as a weapon and Tyrone inherits the power of darkness, able to teleport and absorb matter into a dark dimension. Together, the are “Cloak & Dagger”, the keepers of light and darkness.

WORTH WATCHING?

YES. This is Marvel’s youngest series and it’s incredibly well produced, written and acted for having a younger target audience. Both of the leads are compelling and have great chemistry. The characters may border on the obscure but Marvel has a knack of re-imagining their older characters and making them accessible for modern audiences. The only annoying portion of the show comes from the overuse of arbitrary pop tunes that riddle the show’s soundtrack like a rash. If you’ve watched ANY fictional original series on MTV, you know what I’m getting at. Beyond that, this is probably Marvel’s best series next to “Agents of SHIELD”.

HOW DOES IT TIE INTO THE MCU?

  • The Roxxon Corporation is indirectly responsible for endowing Tandy and Tyrone with their powers. In this series, we witness just how corrupt and evil this corporation truly is as they will gladly resort to murder in order to cover their tracks.
  • Tyrone can control Zero Matter, the substance last seen being utilized by Whitney Frost in the second season of “Agent Carter”.
  • When Dagger confronts the head of Roxxon Gulf Refinery, he tells her that his company is “simply trying to compete with the Starks and Rands of the world.”
  • Detective Brigid O’Reilly (Emma Lahana) mentions Misty Knight, Luke Cage’s police friend, while Misty mentions that she misses working with Brigid and that she “moved to New Orleans”.

That’s it for now! Join us tomorrow when we go over the third and current phase of the MCU!

The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: MCU TV Shows (Part 2 – Netflix)

By
Matt Perri
-
0

Greetings and salutations!

With the release of “Avengers: Endgame”, we’re going to take a look at everything within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (henceforth known as “The MCU”) that has led up to the moment Thanos did “The Snap”. We’ll do a small synopsis of each film, we’ll give you some Easter Eggs and the significance of each film as it relates to the grand scheme of things and we’ll tell you whether or not you should watch or skip the content in question.

Do be aware: this is for the fans who have pretty much seen everything the MCU has to offer, but if you’re that kinda person who doesn’t want to watch 25 movies and 12 TV shows spanning about 36 seasons or so, this is for you, too. Beware, though: HERE THERE BE SPOILERS. You’ve had several years to prep for the new flick. Back out now. Or, join us if you want a bit of a capsule of each film.

If you missed the past recaps, you can catch up here:

The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: The MCU, Phase One
The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: The MCU, Phase Two
The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: MCU TV Shows (Part 1 – ABC)

So, something a touch different this time: because these shows are definitely set in the same “microverse”, I’m going to do the “MCU Connections” last and that will combine all five shows since I will simply be repeating myself.

So, without further ado, let’s get into it..

DAREDEVIL (2015 – 2018)

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT?

By day (I love that, “by day”), Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) is a lawyer who serves the public. He’s also blind, having been so since he was a young boy, following an unfortunate incident with a chemical truck that crashed and nearly struck him. By night, Murdock is known as “The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen”, a crime-fighting vigilante who has tuned his other senses to compensate for his lack of vision. Along the way, he has to deal with the menacing “Kingpin” in Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) and a group of supernatural ninjas known as “The Hand”.

WORTH WATCHING?

Hell yes. “Daredevil” erases all the pain of the terrible Ben Affleck version from the last 90’s and gives us the hero as he was meant to be: dark and gritty and, at times, mean but always with pathos. The inclusion of Father Paul Lantom (Peter McRobbie) provides for a nice dichotomy to Matt’s violent ways and the rust-and-haloden color scheme, straight out of the comics, is a beautiful touch. The series was abruptly and inexplicably cancelled even though the series was critically acclaimed and extremely popular and an extensive amount of work was being done for the 4th season with the cast signed through five years. There are rumors that Disney will revive the series on their new streaming service but this isn’t a sure thing.

JESSICA JONES (2015 – 2019)

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT?

Krysten Ritter stars as the titular “Jessica Jones”, a former superhero who gave up that life after The Battle of New York made a lot of people hateful toward human beings with abilities. That combined with the ironic murder of an innocent woman at her hands while she was under the influence of Kilgrave (David Tennant), a man with the power to make people do whatever he wants them to do has left her cynical, mean, with a heavy dependence on alcohol and a shell of her former self. Regardless, she works as a private detective where she occasionally uses her powers for good.

WORTH WATCHING?

Yes, if you can handle the same level of violence “Daredevil” offered up. At times, it gets so bad, it’s horrific (the finale where Jessica finds Kilgrave’s father cut to pieces with one of his arms sticking out of a garbage disposal is just gratuitous) and there are times when Jones is so abrasive (even toward a fellow addict), you nearly give up on the series but her sisterly connection to Trish (Rachael Taylor) is what makes the show tick and Luke Cage (Mike Colter) makes for a great outlet for her more lusty side. The second season  The second season is more story-driven and talky and deals with Jessica and her long, lost mother and is a bit of a slog to get through so I can’t totally recommend it if that isn’t your thing. Like Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, The Punisher and The Defenders, this was cancelled as well despite its popularity. Still a solid show.

LUKE CAGE (2016 – 2018)

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT?

A former ex-con, Luke Cage (Mike Colter) underwent an experimental procedure to heal his prison wounds and enhance his body, not unlike Captain America. After escaping from Seagate Prison, Cage sheds his old persona, alters his appearance and lays low in Harlem to rebuild his life. After thwarting several crimes and becoming extremely popular within his community, however, it’s apparent that Cage can’t hide forever — and attracts the attention of Harlem’s gangster element who will stop at nothing to bring him down.

WORTH WATCHING?

To a point. After “Daredevil” and “Jessica Jones”, I got a bit fatigued with the Marvel TV properties. Colfer makes a great Cage. He looks and plays the part well. His supporting cast is great and I love the feel of the show, especially the sense of community and the sense that we finally got a series with a black superhero rather than resorting to making another white superhero series to add to the existing pile. Unfortunately, the first season doesn’t have the focus of “Jessica Jones” or “Daredevil” and comes off as uneven. The second season is better than the first with an interesting finale which makes the viewer wonder whether or not Cage will succumb to darker impulses, despite his intentions to be great. As mentioned, the series was cancelled despite popularity and viewership.

IRON FIST (2017 – 2018)

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT?

Years ago, Danny Rand (Finn Jones) and his family were involved in a deadly plane crash high above China. Miraculously, Danny survived and was taken in by the inhabitants of the hidden city of K’un-Lun where he was trained in advanced martial arts and learned how to harness the power of the mystical Iron Fist. Years later, when he comes back to confront the people who have taken over his company, he is gaslit into thinking he’s an insane person, proving that he not only has to fight off physical opponents but also fight for his legacy.

WORTH WATCHING?

This series received a lot of grief when it came out because 1) critics felt the series was boring and made for the sake of setting up “The Defenders” and 2) for some reason, there was a whole debate about changing Danny Rand from a white man to Asian American man in order to continue the “diversity” Marvel had been showing with Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. At one point, Rand was compared to Donald Trump simply because they had the notion of both being “white billionaires”. Fans are weird, folks. Whatever the case, I thought the show was decent and I loved Jones playing up Danny’s child-like wonder and nostalgia, even in adulthood. The first season ended with a thud but the second season picked up the pace. It was a solid entry but “Daredevil” simply eclipsed everything Netflix put out. As mentioned, “Iron Fist” was cancelled despite popularity.

THE PUNISHER (2017 – 2019)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

Years ago, Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) was with his wife and kids in Central Park. Unbeknownst to him, a hit had been ordered on Frank by members of his former military team because they believed he leaked information about the illegal torture and killing of a Jihadist militant during Frank’s years in the service. A firefight ensued involving three different gangs and Frank’s entire family was gunned down as a result. Frank was also hit — but survived and plotted his revenge against the people involved in the hit. A self-described “asshole prick” who “just wanted to hurt people”, Frank has no remorse and enacts violent justice his own way. The series sees him doing so and also uncovering corruption at the highest levels of law enforcement.

WORTH WATCHING?

I barely got through it. I’ve never much liked the character. Nothing wrong with Bernthal. He plays a very conflicted version of the character, thus I could never truly believe that he was that icy, deadly assassin the comics made him out to be. The second season is even more boring, taking the “Bruce Banner as a fugitive” approach to things as Castle, now presumed dead, attempts to help a young girl out of trouble. Overall, the series feels pointless and arbitrary and since he’s not a “hero” in the traditional sense, the series doesn’t really have the promise of anything else released before it. Thankfully, the show was cancelled, It’s the only Netflix property I really don’t care about or wish would come back.

THE DEFENDERS (2017 – ???)

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT?

It’s the Mini-Avengers! When Alexandra (Sigourney Weaver), the leader of “The Hand”, threatens to use her minions take over New York, the only thing standing in their way are…these guys. Matt Murdock (Cox), Jessica Jones (Ritter), Luke Cage (Colter) and Danny Rand (Jones) don’t get along but must work together for the sake of New York and the world.

WORTH WATCHING?

Sure. I mean, you’ve come this far, right? The series is good and wraps up the “Phase One” story arcs of each character (if one could consider them “phases”) but the plot seems all too familiar as Murdock already dealt with The Hand in the second season of “Daredevil”. The four main heroes all have excellent chemistry (the Chinese restaurant where they finally have a “summit” is great) and Weaver shines as the ice-cold, matter-of-fact Alexandra but one might wonder if Elektra (Élodie Yung) might have been an extraneous cog in an already crowded machine. For what it’s worth, I enjoyed the series but with the future of the four main heroes’ series in doubt, so goes this show.

So…now that we’ve gotten all that out of the way…

HOW DOES IT TIE INTO THE MCU?

  • If you haven’t figured it out already, every hero in the Netflix collection lives in the same smaller mini-universe.
    • The Punisher debuts in the 2nd Season of “Daredevil” before going to his own series.
    • Luke Cage debuts in “Jessica Jones” before going to his own series.
    • Stick (Scott Glenn), the man who trained Murdock and Elektra is seen in “Daredevil” and “The Defenders”.
    • Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) appears in “Daredevil”, “The Defenders” and “The Punisher”.
    • Elektra appears in “Daredevil” and “The Defenders”.
    • Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) appears in every single Marvel Netflix series.
  • The promo materials for Daredevil show Avengers Tower in the city background — even though the tower itself is nowhere to be found in any of the series, much to the confusion of the MCU fans.
  • Several major heroes’ names are dropped including Tony Stark, Hulk and Captain America and nearly every series has referenced The Battle for New York in 2012 as “The Incident”.
  • The explosion Wilson Fisk’s people cause in Hell’s Kitchen in the first season of “Daredevil” makes the news and runs across WHIH’s running news feed at the bottom of a screen in “Agents of SHIELD”.
  • Justin Hammer’s company was found selling Chitauri weapons to street gangsters in “Luke Cage”.
  • The Roxxon Corporation is seen in the first season of “Daredevil” as the company counter-sues a man who is dying because he was exposed to chemicals at one of their sites.

Join us a bit later as we cover the remainder of Marvel’s TV properties in Part 3!

The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: The MCU, Phase Three

By
Matt Perri
-
0

Greetings and salutations!

With the release of “Avengers: Endgame”, we’re going to take a look at everything within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (henceforth known as “The MCU”) that has led up to the moment Thanos did “The Snap”. We’ll do a small synopsis of each film, we’ll give you some Easter Eggs and the significance of each film as it relates to the grand scheme of things and we’ll tell you whether or not you should watch or skip the content in question.

Do be aware: this is for the fans who have pretty much seen everything the MCU has to offer, but if you’re that kinda person who doesn’t want to watch 25 movies and 12 TV shows spanning about 36 seasons or so, this is for you, too. Beware, though: HERE THERE BE SPOILERS. You’ve had several years to prep for the new flick. Back out now. Or, join us if you want a bit of a capsule of each film.

If you missed the past recaps, you can catch up here:

The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: The MCU, Phase One
The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: The MCU, Phase Two
The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: MCU TV Shows (Part 1 – ABC)
The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: MCU TV Shows (Part 2 – Netflix)
The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: MCU TV Shows (Part 3 – Hulu/FreeForm)

So, without further ado, let’s get into it..

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016)

WHICH ONE IS THIS?

So, our heroes are basically responsible for a lot oft he wanton destruction caused, even if their intentions are good. After another mission goes south, the government has the Avengers sign the “Sokovia Accord” which will monitor the heroes and all “enhanced” individuals. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), not knowing who to trust, fresh off the HYDRA/SHIELD corruption debacle, is not having it. Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), who feels guilty about helping to create Ultron and causing death and misery, IS in favor of it. Half the heroes get behind Cap and the other half, behind Stark. And you can see where this is headed.

HOW DOES THIS TIE INTO THE MCU?

How DOESN’T it?!

  • This marks the debut appearances of both T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland). T’Challa is overseeing the Accord signing in Vienna while Stark needs Parker’s assistance to stop Rogers.
  • Falcon (Anthony Mackie) recruits Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) to join Rogers’ team solely based on the fight they had in “Ant-Man”.
  • Bucky (Sebastian Stan) gets put in custody and has some sense knocked into him, joining Cap’s team.
  • The film marks the death of Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). Her eulogy is given by her great niece…Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp, Cap’s next door neighbor. It’s because of Peggy that Cap chooses to fight the Accord.
  • The big dude from “The Winter Soldier”, Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo)? He makes his villainous debut in the film as “Crossbones”.
  • Ross (William Hurt) is back and he’s no longer a General. He’s now the Secretary of State and has a ton of pull.
  • CIA Operative Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) debuts here. His part is small in this film but he has a much wider role in “Black Panther”.
  • Bucky reminisces about an old flame he had back int he 40’s named “Dot”…which may be a reference to Dottie (Bridget Regan), the Russian-trained super spy from the first season of “Agent Carter”.
  • When Rogers and Stark have their final battle, Stark wonders just how far Rogers is willing to go. Rogers replies with “I could do this all day!” This is the line used by Rogers on more than a few occasions, starting with the first Captain America film.
  • We get to witness the demise of Howard Stark (John Slattery) and his wife at the hands of a corrupted Bucky in 1991.

THOUGHTS

It’s a fun movie. I just wish it was a two-part event like “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Endgame” because the entire “Civil War” storyline was epic. Housing it within one film felt cheap. And while the final battle between our heroes is impressive, it feels like overkill seeing as though we just had a huge multi-hero spectacle in “Age of Ultron”. That, and it’s weird not to explain why Thor is missing from the festivities. I suppose it’s unnecessary to have Thor there since he could just shrug and say “Screw you guys, I’m going back to Asgard,” but there’s nothing about him. Hulk, I could understand because he’s obvious sad over losing control of things and he wants to be left alone but the Thor thing sticks out. Also, yay for Spider-Man and Black Panther…it’s just odd to not have them in their own films first. Man, I sound spoiled…

DOCTOR STRANGE (2016)

WHICH ONE IS THIS?

In an ironic twist, brilliant, yet arrogant neurosurgeon Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is left crippled after driving carelessly on a one lane highway at night. The accident causes tremors in his hands, leaving him unable to perform the steady-handed, pinpoint surgical procedures he was capable of before. Expensive procedures to improve his health do nothing and he soon finds himself near penniless. About to give up, he finds out about a mysterious patient (Benjamin Bratt) who was once a paraplegic but has full use of his legs again. Strange follows his path and ends up in a strange land where he learns to become a metaphysical wizard with control over the all-important Time Stone.

HOW DOES THIS TIE INTO THE MCU?

  • Avengers Tower can be seen in the New York City skyline during the film.
  • Dr. Strange takes a call from his nurse about potential patients. One of them is a “35 year old Air Force Colonel who crushed his spine”. This is a reference to Col. Rhodes who had that injury in the movie above, “Captain America: Civil War”.
  • The author of “The Book of Cagliostro” studied the teachings written in “The Book of Sins” AKA “The Darkhold”, a book seen in ABC’s “Agents of SHIELD”.
  • Tina Minoru is the wielder of “The Staff of One”. Minoru is seen again in the Hulu show “Runaways” and the staff eventually gets passed to her daughter Nico.
  • As mentioned, this is an introduction the Time Stone. This would be the fifth Infinity stone we’ve seen of the six.
  • Thor needs help finding Odin who has gone missing. He enlists the help of Strange, seen in a mid-credits sequence.

THOUGHTS

I had fun with this film. Once again, this was a deviation from the “Fab Four” rotation, so to speak. I liked the idea that the Avengers had things pretty well in hand — but that there was this whole other universe of people who could be a barrier between the forces of good and evil. It reminds you that the Avengers aren’t invincible and that there’s more to it than simply blasting aliens and making Nazi off-shoots pay. Doctor Strange will also become a huge cog in the bigger picture.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOL. 2 (2017)

WHICH ONE IS THIS?

It takes place right after the first film. Basically, the Guardians end up running afoul of a race of beings when Rocket (being Rocket) pilfers some batteries from their world. In the ensuing outer space dogfight, the Guardians end up with their ship damaged on a nearby planet — and the benefactor who came to their rescue reveals themselves to be the father (Kurt Russell) of Peter Quill (Chris Pratt).

HOW DOES THIS TIE INTO THE MCU?

  • Howard the Duck is back! He’s talking to a girl on Contraxia in the movie.
  • Who’s that in the Enclave’s chamber during the end credits? That’s Adam Warlock in there.

THOUGHTS:

Watch this movie. For the love of god and all that is holy, watch this movie. It’s one of the most satisfying MCU films made. If not THE most satisfying. It expands upon the characters we know, offers us new ones, gives us a story about family and sacrifice, it gives us a fantastic soundtrack and it’s just plain beautiful to look at. It reminds me of the first Avengers film in terms of positive energy and feeling.

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (2017)

WHICH ONE IS THIS?

Behold: the third Spider-Man re-boot in the last couple decades! This one sees Spidey (Holland) thoroughly etched into the overall MCU. He’s fresh off his success with Tony Stark (Downey, Jr.) in “Civil War” and all he wants to do is prove himself to be one of the big guys. All Tony wants him to do is lay low and save the city at a local level. Peter Parker will get his chance when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) turns up, running off hacked hardware from the Chitauri (that’s just a plot convenience that keeps on giving, isn’t it?) which he uses to perform some incredible heists.

HOW DOES THIS TIE INTO THE MCU?

  • Tony Stark, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) all have appearances in the film. Tony basically supplies Peter with his suit and tech while Hogan takes care of Peter in Tony’s absence.
  • Avengers Tower and Stark Industries play a fairly big role in the film as Stark’s stuff is the Vulture’s target.
  • The film’s prologue takes place just days after the Avengers fought off Loki and the Chitauri warriors.
  • The people opposing Adrian Toomes/Vulture are part of the “United States Department of Damage Control”. Marvel is supposed to have a TV show, out soon, which focuses on this department.
  • Remember the little kid who aims his glowing Iron Man hand at one of Hammer’s drones in “Iron Man 2”? That was supposed to be a young Peter Parker.
  • A photo of Howard Stark (John Slattery) can be seen in the hallway of Peter’s school.
  • Near the photo of Stark, we can also see a photo of Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) from the first “Captain America” film.
  • A teacher makes his students sit through motivational speech videos from the “now fugitive Captain America”.
  • There’s a row of photos in Peter’s chemistry class showing famous scientists. The most modern scientist shown is Dr. Bruce Banner.
  • The property next to the Thai restaurant Peter and his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) eat at is “The Korean Church of Asgard”, meaning that New York has embraced Thor as a “god” of sorts.
  • Donald Glover plays Aaron Davis who is the uncle of Miles Morales, the kid who eventually takes up the Spider-Man mantle. Morales is confirmed (but not seen) when Davis mentions that “he has a nephew who lives in the city.”
  • Kenneth Choi plays “Principal Morita” in the film. We later learn that Morita is the grandson of Howling Commando member, “Jim Morita”.

THOUGHTS

Call it Spider-Fatigue. This is the third re-boot of Spider-Man. I’m happy he’s in the MCU and I’m overjoyed they finally got him right what with the impulsive behavior and trash-talking while fighting (I have no idea how or why Sony left that out) but the story is by-the-numbers, Peter’s friends are uninteresting (and horribly mis-cast — that’s not MJ and Flash is supposed to be a bullying type, not some sniveling rich wimp) and while it’s awesome to see Michael Keaton in a starring role after all these years, his character and gimmick just have that whiff of Sony Overkill. Plus, I don’t like that Peter’s intellect is watered down and that Tony supplies him with all his weapons and suits. It gets progressively worse on that front when we see him again in Infinity War. Tony overshadows things so much, that Spider-Man feels like an Iron Man off-shoot. That’s not to say it isn’t entertaining. It’s just so-so.

THOR: RAGNAROK (2017)

WHICH ONE IS THIS?

Everything in Thor-land changes. “Ragnarok” has been in the works for some time. The prophecy says that all of Asgard will be destroyed. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) thinks he’s prevented it by killing a fire demon named Surtur. When he returns to Asgard, he finds Heimdall (Idris Elba) and Odin (Anthony Hopkins) apparently not too fond of Thor anymore. When Thor exposes “Odin” as Loki (Tom Hiddleston), he forces Loki to help him find Odin. With the help of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), the two locate Odin who has run off to Norway. When asked why, he reveals 1) He’s dying and 2) when he dies, Thor’s sister, Odin’s first born, Hela (Cate Blanchett) will be released from the prison Odin put her in years ago. When this comes to pass, Thor fights his sister — only to find that she’s more powerful than he is. She destroys the Mjolnir and Thor and Loki flee. Hela conquers Asgard, killing Thor’s “Warriors Three” in the process. Thor ends up banished to a junk planet run by the eccentric “Grandmaster” (Jeff Goldblum) and finds out that the Master’s biggest sports gladiator is a familiar friend of his…who isn’t quite the same as he was. And Thor will need all the help he can get to overcome Hela.

EASTER EGGS

  • The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Doctor Strange are found in the film. The Hulk is the Grandmaster’s prize gladiator on the junk planet of Sakaar and Strange helps Loki and Thor find Odin.
  • The Hulk has a vocabulary! He’s able to say full sentences but in broken English. This will come into play in Avengers: Endgame.
  • Banner has been The Hulk ever since Sokovia (“Avengers: Age of Ultron”). The only reason he changes back is because of the accidental activation of a message from Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) on board the Avengers’ Quinjet.
  • Hulk smashes Thor into the arena cement the same exact way he did to Loki in the original “Avengers” film, much to the delight of Loki, watching from the stands.
  • After Hela conquers Asgard, she tears down everything Odin has built and invades his trinket vault. When she finds the object that seemingly appears to be the Infinity Gauntlet, she knocks it to the floor and proclaims that it’s a fake. This was to explain why the Gauntlet was seen in the last Thor film, confusing fans.
  • When Valkyrie says that the trip from Sakaar to Asgard will take over a year, she suggests “re-fueling on Xandar” — the planet where the Power Stone was hidden at the end of the first “Guardians” film.
  • That giant ship Thor and Loki encounter in space belongs to Thanos and it’s the moment where “Infinity War” begins.

THOUGHTS

I still don’t know what to think of the movie. I liked the original’s simplicity. The sequel sucked on toast. This one doesn’t take itself seriously and that’s most welcome. There’s only so much mileage one can get from playing it straight with Thor. My only wish was that it wasn’t some joke-a-minute, off-beat action comedy a’la “Guardians”. But, that’s what we get. It almost feels like sibling of those movies. It was nice to finally see Hulk getting some major screen time after Marvel all but booted him from their universe. I liked the angle with Hela. I just wish there was more foreshadowing earlier in the series for her big entrance but I guess you can’t get better than her destroying the Mjolnir for ultimate effect. I liked it. It’s clever.

BLACK PANTHER (2018)

WHICH ONE IS THIS?

We were introduced to the Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) in “Civil War”. Here, T’Challa returns to his homeland of Wakanda, a highly advanced civilization which was built using Vibranium, the same element Captain America’s shield is made of. Here, he finally becomes king, replacing the former king T’Chaka (John Kani) who was killed in “Civil War”. After T’Challa uncovers a plot involving stolen and smuggled Wakanda weaponry, he finds that the man behind it is Erik Stevens, “The Killmonger” (Michael B. Jordan), the son of of a man who was killed by T’Chaka for betraying Wakanda. Killmonger ends up challenging T’Challa for the throne and the mantle of the Black Panther — and ends up winning, nearly killing T’Challa in the process. With his right to the throne gone and weapons about to be supplied around the world, T’Challa must find a way to stop the plot, defeat Killmonger and take back the throne for control of the fate of Wakanda and the world.

EASTER EGGS

  • Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) returns, reprising his role in “Civil War”.
  • Bucky (Stan) is back and Shuri (Letitia Wright) is in charge of deprogramming him of his murderous ways.
  • Ulysses Kraue (Andy Serkis) is also back, reprising his character from “Age of Ultron”. Here, he’s working with Killmonger to smuggle weapons around the world.
  • New York, London and Hong Kong are specifically mentioned as places where Killmonger’s forces are. Those three cities are where Doctor Strange’s sanctums are.

THOUGHTS

This is so much different than the other Marvel films. Yes, it has familiar characters but there’s a very real story being told, one having to do with honor, dignity and tradition and it’s handled with such finesse by director Ryan Coogler who did “Fruitvale Station” and “Creed”. It’s a huge breath of fresh air from a studio that, up until this point, was showing signs of being overly formulaic with their creations.

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018)

WHICH ONE IS THIS?

This is the one where everything begins to change. Thanos (Josh Brolin) has been hinted at in about a half dozen movies. Gravitron was warned about him in the 5th season of “Agents of SHIELD”. He’s not screwing around. Thanos wants to eliminate half the life in the universe so that the universe can have a do-over of sorts. It’s not personal. It’s just business. Except, nothing is “business” to our heroes. By the time we join Thanos, he’s already destroyed Thor (Hemsworth) and Loki’s (Hiddleston) ship from “Thor: Ragnarok”. Thanos already has the Power Stone, having wrecked Xandar to get it. The Hulk tries to sucker punch Thanos and end things early — but Thanos defeats him easily with just his speed and fists. When the ship ambush ends, Thanos also obtains the Space Stone from a reluctant Loki — who is then killed by Thanos for betraying him. Thanos sends his thugs to get the remaining stones on Earth in the Time Stone, held by Doctor Strange (Cumberbatch) and Mind Stone, held by Vision (Paul Bettany) while he goes to Knowhere to get the Reality Stone held by The Collector and the Soul Stone on a distant planet. As the damage and bodies mount and Thanos manages to collect each and every Stone, what remains of the Avengers find that they can barely hold Thanos’ forces back — and if they can’t hold back his minions, they face a hell of a challenge in Thanos, himself.

EASTER EGGS

  • I’m only covering one: Nick Fury and Maria Hill turn to dust after the end credits. Just before he goes, Fury activates a pager…which contacts Captain Marvel for help.

THOUGHTS

This was just an incredible film. We all knew Thanos was on his way and what his plans were. This is the moment where the first half of the payoff arrives. The opening, where Thanos drags Thor around like a rag doll, beats Hulk in a fistfight and murders both Heimdall (Elba) and Loki shows you just how powerful Thanos is. He’s not the dime-a-dozen Chitauri or fallible like Ultron. He’s the real deal, the alien behind everything that’s come to pass. Yes, he’s armed with what is essentially a module which allows him unlimited cheat codes but it’s Thanos’ cunning and cruelty that make him who he is, not the Gauntlet. In order to obtain the Soul Stone, for instance, he straight up murders Gamora by throwing her off the cliff on Planet Vormir, killing what he truly loved. Moments like that also make him a somewhat sympathetic character — though his misguided view of what’s “right” overwhelms any goodwill he might have had in that respect. Once the movie gets going, it never quits. The opening battle in New York is awesome to watch with Iron Man (Downey, Jr.), Spider-Man (Holland), and Doctor Strange joining forces to beat back Thanos’ minions. The witty dialogue that comes from Stark and Parker are just pitch perfect. The moment where Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Bettany) defend the Mind Stone together is fantastic, too. When things look dark, Captain America (Evans) returns along with Widow (Johansson) and Falcon (Mackie), showing that friends help friends in need even when bridges may have been burned. But it’s the big final battle in Wakanda between the forces of good and evil that steals the show with a great comeback from Thor who comes armed with his new weapon, the Stormbreaker. It’s incredible to watch the ebb and flow of the big fight and exciting to see once divided and separated allies come together for the greater good. The movie ends, of course, on a bit of a down note, much like “The Empire Strikes Back” — but that’s to be expected. There’s one more Avengers film left to go…

ANT-MAN & THE WASP (2018)

WHICH ONE IS THIS?

The first of two palate cleansers. Taking place just before and during “Infinity War”, this one sees Scott Lang (Rudd) on the last leg of his house arrest and away from the superhero duties he indulged in, in “Civil War”. Having been extradited back to the U.S. after taking a plea deal, if Lang breaks his house arrest, he goes to prison for 20 years. Additionally, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his daughter Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) are fugitives from the law for giving Lang the technology with which to fight. After having a strange dream about Pym’s thought to be dead wife, Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer), Lang leaves a message for Pym, telling him about the dream…which prompts Hope to kidnap Lang. It turns out Lang had the dream at the same time Pym opened a tunnel to the Quantum Realm — and Pym believes his wife is still alive and needs to be found.

EASTER EGGS

  • Dr. Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne) was once a hero named “Goliath” which was born of “Project Goliath”, one of the few projects Tony Stark asks for details on in “Iron Man 2”.
  • The ending shows Pym, Janet and Hope outside the Quantum Realm with Lang inside it. When he asks to get pulled back out of it, he gets no response…and we’re shown why: Pym, Hope and Janet have turned to dust, victims of Thanos’ snap.

THOUGHTS

This was better than the first film and a wonderful addition to the MCU. The car chase in the middle of San Francisco is absolute insane bliss. The humor is spot on and the final tie-in to “Infinity War” is most welcome. The only problem I have with it is “Ghost” (Hannah John-Kamen) who looks less like an MCU villain and more like something you’d see on a PS4 video game box. Her gimmick is neat but she doesn’t feel like she belongs here and seems more suited for something like “Agents of SHIELD”.

CAPTAIN MARVEL (2019)

WHICH ONE IS THIS?

Years ago, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) and her co-pilot/scientist Wendy Lawson (Annette Bening) crashed an experimental jet during a test flight near Nevada. Upon attempting to destroy the engine to keep it way from the Kree, who were in pursuit, Danvers accidentally absorbs the energy from the blast and loses her memories. Instead of leaving her there, the Kree kidnap Danvers and make use of her on their planet. For the next six years, Danvers would take the name “Vers” and live with the Kree, completely unaware of her past…up until she encounters the Skrulls. After attempting to make sense of her past memories, she ends up crash landing on Earth, which catches the attention of a very young Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and his protege, Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg). At first, they don’t know what to make of her but they quickly learn that Vers is an ally and a friend.

EASTER EGGS

  • Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) returns here, reprising his character from “Guardians”.
  • Carol’s fighter pilot callsign is…”Avenger”. This inspires the name for Fury’s initiative involving super-powered heroes.
  • The Tesseract is back in this film. Goose the Cat “swallows” it for safekeeping.
  • The origins of Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. are here, involving Fury’s search for better forms of energy which eventually triangulate on the Tesseract.
  • The mid-credits scene shows the remaining Avengers who survived the Thanos Snap trying to figure out the old pager Fury used to call Captain Marvel. Marvel appears seconds later, demanding to know where Fury is.
  • Also, it’s nice to see Coulson again. I know he’ll be back in “Agents of SHIELD” but not as himself.
  • We learn that Fury lost an eye because of Goose scratching it.

THOUGHTS

A slightly off-beat film that ends up being a mixture of a superhero movie and a buddy cop picture. It has a slightly muddled opening with the Kree vs. Skrull thing but gets progressively better once Vers lands on Earth and ends up working alongside Nick Fury. The movie answers some questions about the origins of Project PEGASUS and also gives us the further adventures of the Tesseract. The plot is a bit sub-standard and throw-away with politics between the Kree and the Skrulls being front and center. Ultimately, it’s the bond between Vers, her friends and her relationship with SHIELD that matters. Overall, it’s a good B-film for the MCU and the last one before the cherry on top…

This has been your look at every phase and TV show in the MCU. I’d like to thank everyone who stuck around and I hope you enjoyed the recapping!

The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: MCU TV Shows (Part 1 – ABC)

By
Matt Perri
-
0

Greetings and salutations!

With the release of “Avengers: Endgame”, we’re going to take a look at everything within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (henceforth known as “The MCU”) that has led up to the moment Thanos did “The Snap”. We’ll do a small synopsis of each film, we’ll give you some Easter Eggs and the significance of each film as it relates to the grand scheme of things and we’ll tell you whether or not you should watch or skip the content in question.

Do be aware: this is for the fans who have pretty much seen everything the MCU has to offer, but if you’re that kinda person who doesn’t want to watch 25 movies and 12 TV shows spanning about 36 seasons or so, this is for you, too. Beware, though: HERE THERE BE SPOILERS. You’ve had several years to prep for the new flick. Back out now. Or, join us if you want a bit of a capsule of each film.

If you missed the past recaps, you can catch up here:

The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: The MCU, Phase One
The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: The MCU, Phase Two

So, without further ado, let’s get into it…

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013 – Present)

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT?

You wanna know what S.H.I.E.L.D. does besides zoom around in badass flying aircraft carriers? This is the show for you. Starring Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson (yes, you read that right), the show examines the everyday lives of Coulson and his team as they travel around the world in order to investigate strange happenings and prevent the proliferation of objects and artifacts that don’t have any business in a civilian’s hands. The opening year sees a seemingly resurrected Agent Phil Coulson (Gregg) leading a team consisting of hotshot super spy Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), the stoic but dedicated Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) and the two science officers Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons (Iain Daestecker & Elizabeth Henstridge, respectively). Their first mission involves the tracking of a man with superhuman abilities named Mike Peterson (J. August Richards) who is down on his luck despite his heroic efforts. Slowly being driven mad by the Extremis-based “Centipede Serum” that powers him, he attracts the attention of his handlers who seek to kill him — but Coulson and his team are hip to this and make attempts to prevent this. Drawn into the entire mess is Skye(Chloe Bennet), a skilled computer hacker who runs with a group of conspiracy theorists called “The Rising Tide”. At first, Coulson and Ward arrest her to simply get her out of their hair — but Coulson sees something more in her and eventually recruits her as the final piece of his team. And away we go…

HOW DOES IT TIE INTO THE MCU?

  • While the first season of the show starts out formulaic (going for a “villain/artifact of the week” type of thing) a conspiracy emerges that takes priority over everything else, one that’s bigger than Coulson and SHIELD and may serve to sink the organization. What starts as a simple series of incidents ends up being a calculated plot by a person known as “The Clairvoyant”, who always seems to be a step ahead of Coulson and his team. It seems that the Clairvoyant is obsessed with figuring out how Coulson survived and was brought back to life following his “death” at the hands of Loki (please see “Avengers – 2012” in the Phase One article). The problem is that Coulson doesn’t know much about his comeback beyond taking a rehab trip to Tahiti which he constantly describes as “a magical place” to anyone who asks. But the truth is far more dark and sinister. As the season progresses, it’s clear that Coulson never went to Tahiti and, instead, we learn that he was brought back to life using a top secret medical procedure dubbed “Project T.A.H.I.T.I.”. Using a serum extracted from a Kree alien, Coulson was put back together, literally kicking and screaming. What’s even more mysterious is that the attempt to bring Coulson back was approved by Director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), himself, something Coulson cannot believe.
  • Extremis is integrated into a new serum called “Centipede” but makes the people who use it mentally unstable. This also ties into the introduction of the “Deathlok” program when Mike Peterson (J. August Richards) becomes the first Deathlok.
  • The opening of the 8th episode (entitled “The Well”) shows Coulson and his agents cleaning up the aftermath of Thor’s battle with the Dark Elves in Greenwich.
  • Lady Sif (Jaimie Alexander) of Asgard joins Coulson and his agents to take down Lorilei (Elena Satine), an escaped female Asgardian prisoner who has the power to hypnotize men.
  • The meat of the season deals with HYDRA’s resurgence (which coincides directly with “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” – see Phase Two article for this) and SHIELD’s near-collapse. While it first appears that Agent May is part of HYDRA, it turns out to be Grant Ward who has infiltrated Coulson’s team — and he’s being helped by John Garrett (Bill Paxton), Ward’s former S.O.. Together, the two use the chaos to break into a top secret SHIELD holding facility to grab several supernatural artifacts SHIELD captured over the last few decades AND let a bunch of enhanced prisoners free. The season culminates in a battle against Garrett and Ward, which sees Fitz and Simmons stranded in a major ocean, underwater in a water-tight chamber. Eventually, Fury, still undercover, finds Coulson and helps him bring down Garrett for good.
  • SHIELD Agents Jasper Sitwell (Maximiliano Hernandez), Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), and Felix Blake (Titus Welliver) also have appearances leading up to the collapse of SHIELD.
  • Skye is made an official SHIELD Agent just before the collapse of the organization.
  • Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) is revealed as the lead SSR Agent who apprehended the evil Daniel Whitehall and secured the Obelisk.
  • Lady Sif makes another appearance in Season 2, helping Coulson deal with one of the Inhumans.
  • President Matthew Ellis appears in an address to the nation condemning Inhumans’ actions and comes up with a plan to deal with the threat.
  • Roxxon continues to have a presence throughout the MCU, with one of their gas stations appearing in “Repairs”. The company is also mentioned in “The Writing on the Wall”.
  • “The Absorbing Man” seen in Season 2 is none other than Carl “The Crusher” Creel — the very same one Jack Murdock (the father of Matt Murdock in Marvel’s Daredevil) beat in the ring before he was murdered by the gangsters who attempted to fix his fight.
  • Ever wonder how the Avengers knew about the location of Loki’s scepter in “Age of Ultron”? That’s because Coulson and his agents found it and notified Maria Hill of its location.
  • Ghost Rider makes his MCU debut in the 4th season. Not only that but, like Doctor Strange, he has mastered the ability to open up  how to open up inter-dimensional portals.
  • The Kree have a major presence in the 5th season, taking over what’s left of Earth and eventually attempt to deal with Graviton when he uses his Gravitonium-fueled powers for evil.
  • We get to see young Agent Sitwell in a HYDRA training facility.
  • A young Baron Von Strucker (who was seen in “Age of Ultron”) makes an appearance in Agents of SHIELD in the same episode.

WORTH WATCHING?

Yes. This is Marvel’s most consistently good show. When you start the series, it seems a little gratuitous with all the references and name-dropping of things the show obviously can’t afford on its budget. But once the Clairvoyant angle kicks in, the show begins to hold your attention. The first season is an exhausting adventure, helped, in large part, by the HYDRA angle. The second season is a mixed bag which makes you want to scream what with all the Inhuman crap that goes on forever but it more than makes up for it with a strong 3rd, 4th and 5th year. The third concerns a giant monolith that transports people to other dimensions, albeit forcefully. Jemma becomes its victim and she has to be rescued and that’s compelling as hell. The 4th year is a touch uneven with Ghost Rider for one half and the HYDRA Framework on the other half but the two tie together nicely. The 5th and current year features the Agents going forward in time to an alternate future where Earth has been destroyed thanks to Skye’s developed powers and the finale is solid with Coulson’s swan song. Overall, Agents of SHIELD is the best Marvel TV property to date.

AGENT CARTER (2015 – 2016)

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT?

You know all about Peggy Carter, the Agent from the SSR who helped Captain America during World War II? Here’s her series, which details her adventures and life, post-Cap.

HOW DOES IT TIE INTO THE MCU?

  • Howard Stark is in deep trouble. He’s suspected of selling weapons to America’s enemies. He shows up in the series to help Peggy clear his name.
  • Stark assigns his butler, Edwin Jarvis, to assist Peggy when needed. Obviously, this is where Howard’s son, Tony got the inspiration for his A.I., “J.A.R.V.I.S.”. Jarvis is like you might picture him: a proper English butler.
  • Anton Vanko appears in the series. Anton is the father of Ivan Vanko who torments Tony Stark in “Iron Man 2”. Thanks to the Stark family, Anton was disgraced and kicked out of America for selling secrets. This is part of the reason Ivan hates Tony so much.
  • We get to see the early version of the Russian training facility that Natasha Romanoff eventually ends up in.
  • Dum Dum Dugan (Neal McDonough) appears in an episode to help Peggy infiltrate one of the Russian sleeper training centers.
  • Red Skull assistant Arnim Zola (Tobey Jones) makes an appearance at the end of Season 1, sharing a prison cell with the hypnotic Johann Fennhoff (Ralph Brown).
  • Once again, Roxxon makes an appearance in the film and…well, disappears after Jarvis and Peggy blow up one of their refineries.
  • Peggy finds a box labeled “PROPERTY OF A. ERSKINE”. Dr. Erskine (Stanley Tucci) was the man who helped Steve Rogers become Captain America.

WORTH WATCHING?

Most definitely. The first season is far better than an off-the-wall, hokey, uneven second season, though, mainly because it’s more grounded than the second. Everyone in the series is well cast and Atwell shines, portraying Carter as a tough, independent female who has a soft spot rarely seen. Unfortunately, the series was cancelled by ABC due to low ratings.

INHUMANS (2017 – 2018)

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT?

It’s about 8 hours or so of your life that you’ll never get back. It’s about “The Royal Family of Inhumans” who basically get kicked out of their post-modern digs and exiled to, of all places, Earth. To be more specific, Hawaii. If I were them, I wouldn’t return by choice. But they need to because the guy taking over on their world is a jerk, so…

HOW DOES IT TIE INTO THE MCU?

  • The Kree, if we’re really reaching. That’s about it.

WORTH WATCHING?

Look at the picture above. Just look at it. Then ask that question again. This is one of the most obscure Marvel factions ever to be featured. Marvel took a risk with “Guardians of the Galaxy” but this isn’t that. If I’m being generous, the first episode is a lot of fun. The remainder of the series isn’t and I couldn’t wait for it to end. Thankfully, ABC gave the show a mercy killing after just one short season. And it didn’t feel short at all.

We will be back with Part II of this series which will take a look at Marvel Netflix properties…

The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: MCU, Phase Two

By
Matt Perri
-
0

Greetings and salutations!

With the release of “Avengers: Endgame”, we’re going to take a look at everything within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (henceforth known as “The MCU”) that has led up to the moment Thanos did “The Snap”. We’ll do a small synopsis of each film, we’ll give you some Easter Eggs and the significance of each film as it relates to the grand scheme of things and we’ll tell you whether or not you should watch or skip the content in question.

Do be aware: this is for the fans who have pretty much seen everything the MCU has to offer, but if you’re that kinda person who doesn’t want to watch 25 movies and 12 TV shows spanning about 36 seasons or so, this is for you, too. Beware, though: HERE THERE BE SPOILERS. You’ve had several years to prep for the new flick. Back out now. Or, join us if you want a bit of a capsule of each film.

If you missed the first recap, you can catch up here:

The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: The MCU, Phase One

So, without further ado, let’s get into it…

IRON MAN 3 (2012)

WHICH ONE IS THIS?

In my opinion, the best of the three Iron Man films. Jon Favreau gave up the reins which were picked up by the legendary Shane Black, the mastermind behind Lethal Weapon, The Long Kiss Goodnight and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. It kicks off Phase Two of the MCU by giving us a worn out Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) who hasn’t been sleeping well since helping stop the Loki and the Chitauri in New York, so he spends his waking hours building a small armada of Iron Man suits, each one with a different gimmick or purpose. And just in time, too: remember the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), the leader of the Ten Rings terror group? He’s finally shown up to wreak havoc in the United States, with the promise of a large attack on Christmas. What’s worse is that after Tony angrily challenges him to a fight on live TV, the Mandarin sends his goons to wipe out Tony and his entire Malibu mansion and nearly succeeds, leaving Stark homeless and without the necessary resources he relies on.

EASTER EGGS

  • Who’s that dude in the glasses trying to get Tony’s attention at the party in Bern, Switzerland? Ho Yinsen! That’s who! If you don’t remember Yinsen, he’s the kind man that Stark would meet in a cave nine years later after nearly being killed in Afghanistan. Here, it’s 1999 and Stark has no idea who the man could be or possibly know that he will save Stark’s life nearly a decade later.
  • Thomas, the account from Roxxon, gets shot in the head by The Mandarin. As is explained, President Matthew Ellis prevented the Roxxon Corporation from every seeing a day in court after another scandal rocked the controversial energy giant.
  • We will revisit the Extremis/Centipede Project in Marvel’s “Agents of SHIELD”. That’s going to be detailed in the next article.
  • One of Tony’s many new suits is a big, bulky one that Stark dubs “The Hulkbuster”, made juuuuust in case Banner goes rogue and can’t be stopped by any other means, scenario that actually comes into play a little later…
  • Throughout the film, you hear Stark occasionally narrating the tale we’re witnessing. The post-credit sequence reveals that he’s been telling the story to none other than Dr. Bruce Banner who Stark thinks has psych training. Banner, though, fell asleep through 99 percent of story and tells Stark that he doesn’t have the temperament to listen to long, boring tales — which doesn’t stop Stark from starting another long, boring story.
  • We learn about The Mandarin’s fate later on in the short film “All Hail the King”.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO THE MCU?

It’s a standalone story without any real stakes (especially since The Mandarin turns out to be something much different than we thought) but it gives us the Extremis sub-plot which eventually allows stark to remove the Arc Reactor and the shrapnel within his chest. It also shows us that Stark is more than capable of building an army of Iron Men if need be. This Iron Man was the best of the series and it’s mainly due to a more freestyle energy which is indicative of Shane Black’s films. Black wrote the great “Lethal Weapon”, “The Long Kiss Goodnight” and “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang”, all of which featured the “buddy cop” motif and extremely witty dialogue. And better yet, the movie is set at Christmas, much like most of his other films. The result is an almost retro-90’s movie that has some fun moments, some great lines and some awesome action that only Black is known for.

THOR: THE DARK WORLD (2013)

WHICH ONE WAS THIS?

The worst of the MCU films. And it isn’t even close. I’ve seen this film five times and I still have no idea what the hell was going on. Something about dark elves attempting to re-create the universe in the image of their leader using “a liquefied Infinity Stone” (I have no idea how you “liquefy” a stone and then have it return to the same consistency it once was but here we are) called “The Aether”. This gas or liquid or what have you somehow opens portals because the stone itself bends reality. 5.000 years later, the Aether invades the good Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) which is…bad. I guess. The Elves return to kick some Asgardian ass which is really odd, considering they couldn’t even do it thousands of years ago, armed with the Reality Stone, but, hey, they’re telling us Asgard’s in danger, it’s in danger. Basically, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has to get Jane Foster to, uh…pass the stone, so to speak and defeat the Dark Elves. Hopefully, in reverse order and untelevised on closed circuit TV. I hate this movie.

EASTER EGGS

  • We have the Reality Stone in play now, marking the third of six. Since the Tesseract is already on Asgard, the Asgardians take it to Tivan, the Collector for safekeeping since having more than one Infinity Stone in one place is unwise.
  • Jane Foster gets to slap the shit out of Loki for attacking New York and for pretty much being Loki.
  • Among Loki’s many disguises: Captain America. It’s amusing to see and hear Chris Evans mocking himself in his own voice.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO THE MCU?

Not very. It’s a big, dumb movie involving space elves who want to take over the universe using a stone turned into vapor that’s meant to destroy the universe. How the stone is able to “destroy the universe” isn’t fully explained since it’s a stone that bends reality, but I guess when it’s “vapor”, anything can happen. The only thing of note here is 1) Thor’s mom is killed. Yay. And 2) The Collector now has the Reality Stone which will come into play in the next phase. You can skip this one. Like, really, watch the scene with The Collector and shut it off. There’s nothing more to it.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014)

“Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier”..L to R: Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) © 2014 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

WHICH ONE WAS THIS?

The one with the first big shift in the MCU and the best Captain America film of the three and, perhaps, the best film of the MCU. Here, we have Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) working directly for SHIELD as a field operative alongside Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). After a mission is nearly compromised thanks to Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) giving Romanoff orders Rogers wasn’t privy to, Rogers confronts Fury about keeping secrets, prompting Fury to show him plans made up by SHIELD to keep the public safe by targeting enemies from miles away using a top secret satellite system. Cappy isn’t impressed. And after he’s unable to access the data he ordered Romanoff to steal, Fury becomes as suspicious as Rogers is about things. After requesting a delay of the targeting program from his boss Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), Fury is attacked out in public by a squad of phony police officers and mysterious masked man. After escaping, he visits Rogers and attempts to tell him that SHIELD has been compromised — but is shot by the same mysterious figure who attempted to kill him earlier. Even worse: SHIELD now considers Rogers to be an “enemy agent” and makes an attempt to subdue and arrest him. Now on the run and short on allies, Captain America’s only play is to figure out who is in charge of the conspiracy to wipe out SHIELD’s top operatives, but SHIELD itself, and with it, change the balance of world power.

EASTER EGGS

  • This film coincides with about two or three episodes of “Agents of SHIELD”. A fan actually cut together those episodes and The Winter Soldier into a huge supercut. I don’t think that exists online anymore but it happened. That crossover is the one and only time a Marvel film played DIRECTLY into a series of episodes of a Marvel TV series. See below for more.
  • Seems everyone’s been telling Cap what he missed while he was out. Among his list of things he “needs to look into”: Rocky, Star Wars, Steve Jobs, and Marvin Gaye’s “Trouble Man” album, the song that plays later in the film when Cap is waking up in the hospital.
  • Hey, it’s return of Senator Stern from Iron Man 2, played by the late, great Garry Shandling! And it’s revealed that, along with a few others, he’s an agent of HYDRA…
  • Also back is Hayley Atwell playing the elderly Peggy Carter. It’s a bittersweet reunion seeing as though she and Rogers waited for years for this moment.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO THE MCU?

HUGE. Let me count the ways…

  • SHIELD is compromised and corrupted by a resurgent HYDRA. This deeply impacts what occurs on “Agents of SHIELD” which sees SHIELD imploding and in chaos thanks to the events in The Winter Soldier.
  • Fury is alive but has faked his death so he can take care of business without being suspected. We’ll see him show up in the AOS First Season finale.
  • Peggy Carter is in her last days, suffering from dementia and headed for death…but just like Luke wasn’t the last Skywalker, Peggy isn’t the last Carter…
  • The Winter Soldier…is Bucky, Steve’s best friend who Steve had assumed was killed in action back in World War II. After he “died”, HYDRA used the Super Soldier serum to bring him back to life and repair his arm. Bucky recognizes Steve and can’t quite bring himself to kill his old friend. His fate and his greater character angle will be revealed a bit later.
  • Due to the chaos, the Mind Stone is now under the control of HYDRA out in Europe (which is not good) — and we get our look at The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, two enhanced “twins” who are ready to wreak havoc soon. We will see more of them soon…

This was a fantastic film. It was as if Marvel gave us their take on a Tom Clancy novel and unleashed it on an unsuspecting fan base. The action sequences are top notch, the story well told and it’s a hell of a ride, especially given the stakes at hand.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014)

WHICH ONE WAS THIS?

This was the one that was totally unexpected. The one Marvel property that after a few years of rotating Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Captain and Captain America, fans were greeted with an obscure batch of characters called “The Guardians of the Galaxy”. The film tells the story of an Indiana Jones-esque junk collector in Peter Quill, AKA “Star Lord” (Chris Pratt) who steals a mysterious orb which forces him to cross paths with three renegades in the skilled assassin Gamora (Saldana) and two bounty hunters in Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel). When all three are arrested, they meet Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), a criminal who has been hunting the Kree warlord, Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) in order to exact revenge for the murder of his wife and daughter at Ronan’s hands. After escaping prison, Quill brings them on board his vessel with the understanding that the orb Quill stole will be sold to a buyer on Knowhere, whom Gamora knows…which turns out to be The Collector (Benicio Del Toro). When the Collector opens the orb, the team discovers that it contains The Power Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones, which The Collector provides a history of, impromptu. The sale is void, however, when Tivan’s assistant, Carina, grabs the stone and destroys much of The Collector’s shop, along with herself. Before the Guardians can get away with the stone, Ronan and his minions show up to take the stone with the intention of destroying the nearby world of Xandar and then Thanos (Josh Brolin) right after that for perceived insolence in the eyes of Ronan, prompting the Guardians to band together for the first time to stop Ronan from destroying everything and everyone.

EASTER EGGS

  • So, we’ve been introduced to Space Stone, the Mind Stone, and the Reality Stone. Here, we get the Power Stone, something that actually SOUNDS like it could destroy everything unlike the Water Vapor Stone from Thor: The Dark World. By the end of the film, the Power Stone is put in a secure vault on Xandar for safekeeping…more on that later in Phase Three.
  • We have our second Thanos sighting. Gamora and Nebula work for Ronan the Accuser and Ronan isn’t happy that Gamora has gone rogue. Gamora, as it turns out, is the adopted daughter of Thanos, just like Nebula.
  • Howard the Duck makes his first appearance in the MCU in a post-credits sequence. Turns out The Collector had his egg in his collection which hatched shortly after Carina’s ill-advised possession of the Power Stone.
  • Knowhere is made up of a decapitated Celestial’s head. We’ll learn more about the Celestials in Phase Three and how is relates to Peter.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO THE MCU?

Important enough. This is the origin of the team and the introduction (and hiding) of the Power Stone. The film, however, wasn’t one of my favorite entries. It’s fun to watch and extremely clever but I don’t think director James Gunn’s vision is totally realized until the sequel which, for me, is an absolute slice of comic book heaven. Still, this movie was a HUGE hit with the MCU fan base and prompted a couple more appearances for the characters.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (2015)

WHICH ONE WAS THIS?

The big culmination of Phase 2 of the MCU which is weird since it’s followed by one more film and an origin story to boot. In the wake of the events of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, The Avengers learn that HYDRA is in possession of Loki’s scepter which contains the Mind Stone. After getting it back (and running into HYDRA’s two enhanced soldiers in the field who play with Stark’s mind and make him hallucinate about the apocalypse) Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) conclude that the Mind Stone contains artificial intelligence neurons…so, logically, they extract those neurons for use in their “Ultron” protection program because nothing could POSSIBLY go wrong when messing around with A.I….and it does. Stark’s system gives birth to an actual Ultron (voiced by James Spader) who not only takes control of Stark’s “Iron Legion” army of robots but also seemingly takes out JARVIS, Stark’s A.I., as well. Ultron immediately uses the Legion to attack the Avengers and steals the scepter (with the Mind Stone) and takes it to Sokovia. When the Avengers pursue, Wanda, one of the enhanced twins (Elizabeth Olsen) manages to subdue Captain America (Evans), Black Widow (Johansson), and Thor (Hemsworth) by giving them disturbing visions — and then drives Banner to madness, causing him to go on an uncontrollable rampage, turning him against his friends. The battle destroys portions of Sokovia and costs lives which turns the public against The Avengers, pushing them into hiding and forcing them to do some soul-searching. As they regroup at Hawkeye’s (Jeremy Renner) secret off-grid home with his wife and child, Banner and Romanoff make plans to get away from their current lives and run away together. Thor vacates Earth to investigate what his visions mean. Hawkeye is already trying to escape the life and everything seems to be in flux which is a shame since Ultron is attempting to make a new synthetic being with his consciousness uploaded to the Mind Stone. Just go with it. If you can “liquefy” a stone, you can certainly upload data to it just like a USB drive.

EASTER EGGS

  • Ultron attempts to get Vibranium (the stuff Captain America’s shield is made from) from a seller who stole it from Wakanda, home of the Black Panther.
  • Ulysses Klaw, the man who attempts to give Ultron his Vibranium, loses his hand to Ultron in the film. In the comics, Klaw gets a synthetic arm from Wakanda to replace it.
  • Good lord, ok…so, basically, Wanda and her brother, Quicksilver are children of Magneto in the comics. The problem is that Disney doesn’t have the rights to the separate X-Men Film Universe. Fox does. Logically, Magneto doesn’t exist in this universe. So Strucker of HYDRA had to stand in as their “father” who gave them their powers. With Disney’s purchase of Fox, it’s gonna be interesting to see if Quicksilver does make an appearance in the MCU along with the rest of the X-Men.
  • Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson talk about a “missing persons case”. This is in reference to the disappearance of Bucky, the Winter Soldier…more on that in Phase 3.
  • Thor’s visions (courtesy of Wanda the Scarlet Witch) foreshadow the coming events in Thor: Ragnarok. We will learn more about that in Phase 3.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO THE MCU?

Pretty important. This Avengers film begins with the team at the top of their game, working like a well-oiled machine and even throwing a swanky party to celebrate — then the cracks begin to show and, by the time it’s all over, the public isn’t sure about them anymore and they don’t care who it was that caused the damage in South Africa or Europe. The Hulk has run off, leaving Romanoff alone after the two were due to run off together. Hawkeye is semi-retired. Quicksilver is dead. Thor is going home to deal with family issues and Stark has taken his ball and gone home as well. The good news? SHIELD has made a comeback. Nick Fury (Jackson) has returned, the Avengers have created a new being with the Mind Stone named “Vision” (Paul Bettany) and he, Wanda, Rhodes (Don Cheadle) and Falcon have all joined the team to take up the empty spots. The more ominous news, however, is that Thanos is tired of waiting for Earth to succumb to major threats — and he finally dons the Infinity Gauntlet, beginning his quest to find all six Infinity Stones. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” has a lot going on. It’s not as simplistic as the first Avengers film and the villain isn’t as compelling or interesting, ironic since James Spader makes for a menacing Ultron. Part of the issue is that there wasn’t really a lead up to any of this and you don’t get the sense that this is a blow-off. Instead, the movie introduces new heroes and plot points which will have significance in the future. Still, it’s enjoyable if not totally perfect.

ANT-MAN (2015)

WHICH ONE WAS THIS?

The introduction to the newest hero: Ant-Man. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is a burglar out on parole. A loving father, he just wants to see his daughter but can’t due to his lack of custody or visitation rights. Unable to provide child support because he lacks employment, he reluctantly agrees to commit another burglary with his friend, Luis (Michael Peña) only to find out that the safe they end up robbing contains what appears to be a motorcycle suit and helmet. Stealing the suit anyhow, Lang discovers that it comes with a mechanism that shrinks the wearer down to the size of an ant. After inadvertently going on an adventure while shrunk down, Scott freaks out and tries to return the suit to the house he stole it from, only to discover that the owner knows it was stolen — and it’s none other than scientist and former SHIELD agent, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). As a scientist, Pym invented “The Pym Particle” which allows the shrinking of a human being down to a tiny fraction of their original size — but allows them to retain their normal strength which, more or less, makes them the perfect weapon. Pym, however, left SHIELD abruptly after his wife shrunk down to sub-atomic size and was lost to him, seemingly forever. As Pym is no longer youthful enough to be Ant-Man, he wants Lang to take up the mantle — and just in time, too: Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) has a plan to make an off-shoot of the Pym Particle so that he can make his own army of military battle suits, forcing Pym into a proxy battle with Cross using Lang as his weapon of choice.

EASTER EGGS

  • We get a nice prologue set in 1989, showing a younger version of Pym as he visits Howard Stark (John Slattery) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) at SHIELD. It’s nice to see them again. It’s also nice to see an undamaged Triskelion — still under construction here.
  • Falcon (Anthony Mackie) has a small part in the film and appears to take on Ant-Man after Lang attempts to infiltrate the new SHIELD headquarters in New York.
  • There’s a great moment when Lang asks Pym why they don’t just call in the Avengers to deal with Pym’s issues. Pym angrily replies that they don’t need the Avengers because “they’re too busy dropping cities from the sky”, a reference to the climatic event in “Avengers: Age of Ultron”.
  • The Wasp is teased in a flashback sequence where Pym and his wife disable a nuke, mid-flight. The character is teased again when Pym psses the suit on to Hope (Evangeline Lilly), his daughter.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO THE MCU?

It’s your typical origin story but it’s a fun one and Hank Pym finally gets his moment in the sun. Additionally, with Stark out of the Avengers, Sam tells Steve Rogers (Evans) in a post-credits sequence that he “knows a guy who can help” after they finally locate Bucky. Seems like Falcon was impressed enough with Scott that he believes Scott could be one of the Avengers…the reason why this movie comes after the last Avengers movie was because Edgar Wright was attached to direct the film but was dropped due to creative differences. The movie’s release date was moved up a couple times as a result. As it stands, this is fun B-level MCU fodder and a solid and clever action film. The final battle between Cross and Lang is really cool, taking place in Lang’s daughter’s room — but in smaller size so as not to wreck anything.

OTHER REQUIRED MCU PHASE TWO VIEWING:

“All Hail the King” – This is a post-mortem following the events of “Iron Man 3” and gives us the fate of Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), the actor who played the role of “The Mandarin”. Here, he’s in prison and well protected by another prisoner. He also has a fan base who always requests that he does the Mandarin’s intimidating threat (“YOU’LL NEVER SEE ME COMING…”) and agrees to an interview with a journalist who wants to review all that he’s been through in his life. It soon becomes apparent that the journalist is not who he says he is and is only there to kidnap Slattery so that the REAL Mandarin can see him and make him pay for his mockery…something that the addle-brained Slattery doesn’t get because he is the Mandarin and all this is confusing to him…also in the same prison is Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) who seems to have a romantic “acquaintance” in another male prisoner. And he still thinks he and Tony Stark are friends. Easily, one of the best Marvel One-Shots ever done. And, incidentally, the last one, which is unfortunate.

Well, that’s it for Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Join us tomorrow when we take a break to check out the various Marvel TV shows!

The Road to ‘Avengers – Endgame’: MCU, Phase One

By
Matt Perri
-
0

Greetings and salutations!

With the release of “Avengers: Endgame”, we’re going to take a look at everything within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (henceforth known as “The MCU”) that has led up to the moment Thanos did “The Snap”. We’ll do a small synopsis of each film, we’ll give you some Easter Eggs and the significance of each film as it relates to the grand scheme of things and we’ll tell you whether or not you should watch or skip the content in question.

Do be aware: this is for the fans who have pretty much seen everything the MCU has to offer, but if you’re that kinda person who doesn’t want to watch 25 movies and 12 TV shows spanning about 36 seasons or so, this is for you, too. Beware, though: HERE THERE BE SPOILERS. You’ve had several years to prep for the new flick. Back out now. Or, join us if you want a bit of a capsule of each film.

So, without further ado, let’s get into it…

IRON MAN (2008)

WHICH ONE IS THIS?

The one that started the entire MCU. After 18 years, a slew of horrible “Batman and Robin” type ideas for the character and almost a dozen writers (including Avengers helmer Joss Whedon and filmmaker Quentin Tarantino), Jon Favreau was hired to direct the film. Robert Downey, Jr. was chosen to play Tony Stark because, as Favreau put it, “Robert has overcome obstacles that went beyond his career…that’s Tony Stark.” It was a fantastic choice. Downey plays Stark with the right mix of arrogance and confidence required of the character while also showing a humble side he hides from the public. Here, we get Stark’s origin story: he’s a weapons maker whose weapons are predominantly used in the U.S. military’s arsenal. After nearly getting taken out by an ambush coordinated by the terrorist organization, The Ten Rings, Stark is kidnapped and given an ultimatum: make weapons for the organization or die. After building a miniature electromagnet and embedding it in his chest to keep shrapnel from entering his heart, Stark engineers his escape by building a robotic suit powered by said device. Upon his return to the United States, Stark creates “Iron Man”, a more sleek, weaponized version of the suit he used to escape. This is much to the delight of his business partner, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) who wants to further line his pockets after Stark announces the end of the company’s weapons manufacturing program and much to the chagrin of his secretary/handler, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) who doesn’t want to work for somebody who will end up dead from his adventures in the suit.

EASTER EGGS

Let’s see…

  • James Rhodes (Terrence Howard), Stark’s military liaison and close friend eyeballs Tony’s “Mark II” suit, one he would later don and become “War Machine”.
  • The man who helps Tony in the cave is Ho Yinsen. Ho tells Tony that the two of them met once before — at a big convention in Bern, Switzerland in 1999. Stark, however, was plastered at the time as the conference coincided with New Year’s Eve and doubled as a party. We’ll see that story in Phase 2.
  • Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson — did I mention this universe has fantastic casting?) open us up to a wider universe by introducing Stark to the idea of joining The Avengers. We’ll get more into that as we go along.
  • There’s a building seen in the background during Iron Man’s fight with Stane in the Iron Monger suit. The company’s name is “Roxxon”. This is an oil corporation which is responsible for several evils throughout the MCU and is also responsible for endowing Tandy Bowen and Tyrone Johnson with superpowers…but more on that later.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO THE MCU?

Very. Although Iron Man wasn’t the first “superhero” in this “universe” (Captain America & Captain Marvel pre-dated Stark’s activities according to the chronology), his antics push Nick Fury to start recruiting for the “Avengers Initiative”, a sub-plot that runs in the background courtesy of S.H.I.E.L.D. (which stands for “Strategic Homeland Intervention and Enforcement Logistics Division)” Agent Phil Coulson.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008)

WHICH ONE IS THIS?

The pseudo-origin of the Hulk. Bruce Banner (Ed Norton) is already on the run from General Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt), living in Brazil. Ross wants Banner so that he can mine Banner’s body to make a Super Soldier program. When he doesn’t get his way, Ross turns to one of his own, a soldier named Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth). Using serum generated by research done by Ross’s scientists, Ross injects Blonsky, giving him all enhanced everything. Meanwhile, after being forced out of hiding and arriving back in the United States, Banner attempts to gain access to his old research at Culver University and reunites with his old flame, the daughter of General Ross, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) which further complicates things, seeing as though Betty can’t stand her father and Ross hates Banner. There’s a big action sequence at Culver University where Ross tries (again) and fails (again) to nab the Hulk and a great showdown between a mutated Blonsky and the Hulk.

EASTER EGGS

So many…

  • The entire film is a homage to the 70’s television show of the same name. This means…
    • Norton’s entire look from hair style to wardrobe is modeled from the late Bill Bixby who played Banner in the old show.
    • We get the “sad theme” that played over the credits of the old show whenever Banner had to move to another town once his cover was blown.
    • The opening credit sequence shows you snippets of how Banner became the Hulk. This includes a scene where Banner is in a chair with a green laser in the shape of crosshairs over his eye. This is lifted directly from the show.
    • That’s Lou Ferrigno playing the muscled security guard who Norton gives a free pizza to. Ferrigno played the Hulk in the old series because CGI wasn’t an option back then. Ferrigno reprises his role with his voice only,
  • This is one three MCU Phase 1 films involved in a comic book tie-in called “Fury’s Big Week” which shows the story of Nick Fury as he wheels and deals behind the scenes. The tie-in gives us further insight to certain characters and shows why decisions by Fury, Coulson and SHIELD are made. We will talk about these references as we go along.
  • At the end of the film, we see Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) confront a half-in-the-bag General Ross and tells him that “they’re putting a team together”. At first, one would think Stark is requesting Ross’s help in securing The Hulk but, as the short film, “The Consultant” makes clear, Ross and his people want The Abomination (Tim Roth) to join the team, much to SHIELD’s anger. Stark is there to make sure that doesn’t happen.
  • Ty Burrell plays “Leonard Samson” who, by all means, should become “Doc Samson”, a “frenemy” of Banner/Hulk. Sadly, this plot has not been utilized.
  • Tim Blake Nelson plays Doctor Samuel Sterns who, in the film, is exposed to blood containing radiation. It’s hinted in both the film and “Fury’s Big Week” that this was intended to transform Sterns into one of Hulk’s enemies, “The Leader”.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO THE MCU?

I’ve heard people say that you can skip this film. I disagree. First, it’s a great nostalgic homage to the old series which I loved growing up. Secondly (and I’m probably in the minority here), Norton makes for a better Bruce Banner than Mark Ruffalo does. All due respect to Ruffalo, despite him being a great actor, dude’s a pretty boy, so I just don’t buy him as a total geek doctor type. Even in the comics, Banner is dweeby. It’s a shame, really, that Norton chose not to reprise his role. Anyway, it’s a solid supporting feature within the MCU and gives you some idea that Banner is tortured and doesn’t want any part of the beast that resides inside him. Plus, the big brawl between Hulk and The Abomination is a balls out great.

IRON MAN 2 (2010)

WHICH ONE IS THIS?

The sequel to the smash hit that was 2008’s Iron Man. Here, we find that everything is aces with Tony Stark: his Iron Man technology has privatized world peace (much to the chagrin of the U.S. Department of Defense), he’s more popular than he’s ever been and he’s still tinkering…which all well and good because Stark is dying of the substance powering that magnet in his chest and only has a few days left before he’s fatally poisoned. Because there’s no cure for what he’s got and Stark has stopped giving a shit about his own well-being, he becomes reckless and causes a scene at his birthday party which endangers his guests. His friend James “Rhodey” Rhodes (now played by Don Cheadle) resorts to stealing the Mark II in order to stop Stark from his own self-destruction and transforms the armor into “War Machine”, a more bulked up version of Stark’s original design. Meanwhile, weapons designer Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) wants to cut in on Tony’s action, creating his own army of robotic drones with the help of Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), a computer hacker and engineer whose father was wronged by Stark’s family back in the 1950’s. Also, we get our first look at Natasha Romanoff, AKA “Black Widow” (Scarlett Johansson), one of Fury’s best spies who helps Stark and his friends in a pinch. Also, Pepper Potts (Paltrow) is now the CEO of Stark Industries and all’s well that ends well when Stark discovers a new element that powers his Arc Reactor and cures the poison in his blood at the same time. Because he’s a damn genius, that’s why.

EASTER EGGS

Oh man…

  • So, again, this ties into “Fury’s Big Week” as well as to Thor and The Incredible Hulk…
  • We learn that Coulson (Gregg) has been investigating some sort of anomaly in New Mexico, something Fury (Jackson) makes reference to when he confronts Stark in the donut shop. Later, because the energy storms over that region are becoming more intense and register as unnatural, Coulson is re-assigned to the area to investigate…more on that later.
  • The resolution where Fury debriefs Stark features a scene where Stark has several screens up in front of him. One of the screens plays a news clip showing the aftermath of the “Incident at Culver University” which, if you read the last bit about the Hulk, you should recognize as the battle between Ross’s troops and the Hulk.
  • On another screen: a map of Africa…with a red dot on it…foreshadowing the possible location of Wakanda, Black Panther’s homeland.
  • An incomplete version of Captain America’s shield is among the things SHIELD brings to Tony to study. It’s cute how Coulson nearly geeks out — he’s a huge fan of Cap.
  • Ivan obtained his ticket to the Monaco race via The Mandarin, the leader of The Ten Rings…who we will see a bit later.
  • We get a glimpse of an older (now deceased) Howard Stark (John Slattery) through film reels. We will see him again many times throughout our journey.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO THE MCU?

It’s pretty important only because it gives us more of an idea of how much ground SHIELD covers…but that’s about it. There’s a lot going on in this movie and it’s a bit of a mess. First, Ivan’s a really boring, one-note villain, which is ironic considering Rourke was back on top of his game following a slew of personal issues that saw him barely making ends meet enough to survive and he wanted this role “to challenge the audience”. I sense more could have been made of the character had we focused more on Ivan’s hatred and not Tony’s disease and SHIELD’s needs and Justin Hammer. Instead, we got a mumbling, nearly unintelligible Rourke doing a terrible Russian accent while yelling about a pet bird and pretending to type on a computer. You know things are bad when Ivan’s supposed to be “Whiplash” — but that name is never mentioned once even though he has the Whiplash gimmick. Sam Rockwell steals the show out from under him as the overly loquacious, hyperactive Justin Hammer. He ends up being more of a foe than Ivan is. Overall, this felt like a commercial for bigger, better films to come. Still fun if you want to see how Rhodes became War Machine and how Stark created a new suit. We also learn that Stark is denied membership to The Avenger Initiative due to his overall behavior — but that he stays on with SHIELD as a consultant.

THOR (2011)

WHICH ONE IS THIS?

Our introduction to Thor (Chris Hemsworth), an Asgardian demi-god who is on the cusp of ruling his kingdom before his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), kicks him out for attempting to go to war with an entire race of beings because a militant faction decided to infiltrate Asgard on their own. Stop me if you’ve heard that one. Banished to Earth indefinitely, Thor makes friends with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her friends in an attempt to see if there’s a way back to his home world and that, right quick: his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has designs on the throne and wants it for himself. Added to the fun is Phil Coulson (Gregg) who has just been reassigned to area (see “Iron Man 2”) to investigate the energy storms above New Mexico. If you hadn’t guessed, it was because the worlds of Asgard and Earth were about to become connected. Also, we get the introduction of Black Widow’s partner, Clint Barton, AKA “Hawkeye”, a SHIELD agent who is extremely proficient with a bow and arrow and has impeccable aim.

EASTER EGGS

  • Blah, blah, blah, Fury’s Big Week, blah, blah blah…the cool thing is that we get a bit of an epilogue at it pertains to the giant Destroyer robot that SHIELD captures after Thor brings it down during the film’s climax. SHIELD’s scientists are told, by Coulson, to make the Destroyer “100 times smaller with a trigger added to it”. That weapon will show up later…
  • The town of “Puente Antiguo” means “Old Bridge” which is a reference to the Bifrost between Earth and Asgard.
  • The Tesseract is introduced in the final post-credits scene. This is hugely important for reasons below.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO THE MCU?

Important because it gives us our first glimpse of Thor, a major arm of the original Avengers, and also gives us a quick tease of “The Tesseract”, a cube with unlimited power which was kept in Odin’s collection on Asgard for some time before ending up on Earth, stolen by the Nazis and eventually recovered by Howard Stark, given to Mar-vell before ending up with the Kree — and ending up back with SHIELD again. But what powers the Tesseract? That will be revealed much later…we also get our first look at Loki, Thor’s brother, who will come back into play when Phase 1 culminates in “The Avengers”. this is one of the most enjoyable and underrated films in the MCU.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011)

WHICH ONE IS THIS?

The origin of Steve Rogers, AKA “Captain America” (Chris Evans). A Brooklyn native and all-around patriot, all Rogers wanted to do was serve his country. During World War II, he tried several times to get enlisted but couldn’t due to health issues and his size. He didn’t have the muscle nor the strength. But Rogers DID have the heart. Enter Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) who gives Rogers the ability to be what he’s always wanted to be: a hero. Aided by SSR Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Howard Stark (Tony’s father, played by Dominic Cooper) and his team of “Howling Commandos”, Rogers helps shift the war in America’s favor which puts him on a collision course with The Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), a Nazi who has stolen the aforementioned Tesseract in order to harness its power to make advanced weaponry that will turn the tide of the war.

EASTER EGGS

Several…

  • First, the “Super Soldier” program eventually inspired later attempts to replicate it. This, of course, led to The Red Skull’s appearance, the accidental unleashing of The Hulk in Bruce Banner (Norton/Ruffalo) and The Abomination in Emil Blonsky (Roth)…and one more person…the serum also inspired Project Centipede which came from a mixture of that serum and the Extremis formula…but we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We’ll learn about that last person and Extremis a little later.
  • The Tesseract is back in all its glory, making energy weapons that are used to vaporize objects and people. At the end of the film, it falls into the ocean but is recovered, post-war, by Howard Stark and his crew.
  • Howard Stark, Tony Stark’s father, is seen here, only much younger. He’s a flirty, womanizing fool…but brilliant, just like his son ends up being. He’s the dominant weapons manufacturer for the U.S., something even Colonel Phillips acknowledges when he says that they can’t run afoul of him.
  • We are also introduced to Agent Peggy Carter, an officer for the Strategic Scientific Reserve, a classified spy agency and weapons division which later becomes SHIELD. Peggy is intelligent and strong and we will see more of her in her own TV series.
  • Once again, we get a cameo from Nick Fury (Jackson) as he chases down Rogers after Rogers escapes a SHIELD facility after waking from a decades-long coma.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO THE MCU?

Extremely important. Captain America is a staple in this series and a huge part of the founding members of The Avengers. That, and this movie stands as a building block for many of the characters and set pieces we’ve come to know throughout the MCU from the Tesseract to Howard Stark to Peggy Carter. We also meet Bucky, Captain America’s best friend who meets a very tragic end…but, of course, that’s not the end of the story…and, of course, this culminates in our final film…

THE AVENGERS (2012)

WHICH ONE IS THIS?

The epic conclusion to Phase One of the MCU. To refresh: Thor (Hemsworth) has returned to Asgard and the Bifrost is being repaired. Tony Stark (Downey) is just a “consultant” for SHIELD, Banner’s (Ruffalo) in hiding, away from General Ross (Hurt) or anyone else, using his skills as a doctor to help the sick in India — who Romanoff (Johansson) locates. Captain America (Evans) is awake and living in modern times. There is no “Avenger Initiative” because Fury (Jackson) failed to get everyone he was eyeballing together into a team. And it couldn’t have come at a worse time: Thor’s brother, Loki (Hiddleston), has arrived on Earth via The Tesseract and takes control of both Erik Selvig (last seen in “Thor”) and Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) by way of a mystical Chitauri scepter. Loki steals the cube and makes an attempt to stabilize it — but runs into Captain America and Iron Man who manage to subdue him, prompting Thor to confront his brother about his recent behavior. Meanwhile, Fury has re-activated the Avenger Protocol due to Loki’s actions, as an attempt to unite Thor, Banner, Stark and Rogers, all of whom are highly reluctant to team up due to clashing attitudes, egos and personal desires. It’s only when Fury’s Hellicarrier is attacked by Loki’s troops and Agent Coulson (Gregg) is seemingly killed that The Avengers realize that they have no choice but to unite because the fate of the planet depends on it.

EASTER EGGS

  • Remember the part where Coulson told his scientists to make the Destroyer weapon “100 times smaller and with a trigger”? We finally get to see that weapon in action during Loki’s escape.
  • We have our very first look at Thanos!!! He’s there, in the mid-credits scene, grinning from ear to ear after it’s revealed that Earth has a team of defenders who won’t stand by and allow evil to triumph.
  • Project PEGASUS, the mission to get to the bottom of the Tesseract started after the arrival of Captain Marvel, is destroyed thanks to Loki’s actions.
  • Loki’s scepter is powered by The Mind Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones. It was bestowed to Loki by Thanos in order to help conquer Earth.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO THE MCU?

The battle for Earth and everything? That’s pretty damn important. Plus, it’s revealed that this was Thanos’ first attempt to conquer the planet so as to make his job a lot easier. If everything before this was your regular old ballgame, then this is the All-Star Game where we get to see everyone do their thing all at once. This is one of the best films in the entire MCU — beautifully simplistic and gives the audience exactly what they want — good overcoming evil with a sense of hope and the ushering in of a new era. Great stuff.

OTHER MCU PHASE ONE VIEWING

Marvel released about a half dozen short films on various home releases of their MCU films. They tell smaller stories that aren’t really required but fun nonetheless:

  • “The Consultant” – Following the events of “Thor”, “Iron Man 2” and “The Incredible Hulk”, Agent Coulson (Gregg) meets with Agent Sitwell (Maximiliano Hernandez) at a roadside diner. The World Security Council apparently wants The Abomination to be part of The Avengers, so Coulson sends Stark (Downey) to dissuade General Ross from releasing him to SHIELD. This utilizes the mid-credits sequence from “The Incredible Hulk” with Ross and Stark in the bar.
  • “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer” – On his way to landing site of Thor’s hammer, Agent Coulson (Gregg) stops for gas at a Roxxon station. There, he thwarts a heist of the adjoining convenience store, then leaves.
  • “Agent Carter” – A short film detailing Agent Peggy Carter (Atwell) as she takes control of an assignment after her department heads put it on hold. This might be the only notable short next to “All Hail the King” (which we will get to a bit later) because it directly leads to Howard Stark hiring her as the head of SHIELD, as a result, much to her boss’s disgust.
  • “Item 47” – A short film about a couple who uses Chitauri weaponry to rob a series of banks — which puts them on SHIELD’s radar.

Join us tomorrow as we go over Phase Two of the MCU!

‘The Twilight Zone’ review: ‘A Traveler’

By
Matt Perri
-
0
"A Traveler" -- Pictured: Steven Yeun as The Traveler of CBS All Access series THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Photo Cr: Robert Falconer/CBS © 2018 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved.

THE TWILIGHT ZONE
Season 1, Episode 4
“A Traveler”
Available on CBS All-Access (new episodes uploaded every Thursday)
GRADE: C+

If there’s something I’ve learned in all my years of watching every single incarnation of this show, it’s that it often comes maddeningly close to a point — then fumbles at the last minute, squandering everything that came before it.

Such is the case with “A Traveler”, the fourth episode in Jordan Peele’s re-boot of “The Twilight Zone”.

That isn’t to say that the rest of the episode is a lot of fun: it’s Christmas time in the sleepy little town of Iglaak, Alaska and the town’s local police Captain, Lane Pendleton (Greg Kinnear) is throwing his annual Christmas party for the town’s residents, which includes his yearly tradition of pardoning a prisoner who resides within his precinct’s jail cells. The winner this year is the alcoholic brother of Lane’s deputy, Yuka (Marika Sila) both of whom can’t stand Pendleton due to his obnoxious behavior and penchant for exploiting those around him in a casually racist manner.

Imagine Pendleton and Yuka’s surprise when they discover somebody in their jail cells in the form of “A. Traveler” (Steven Yeun), a fairly unassuming man whose presence is nonetheless unsettling due to his unrelenting smugness and the mere fact that the jail was supposed to be empty. Alas, Traveler has the cult of personality on his side and easily works himself into Pendleton’s fold through flattery — EVERYONE knows who Lane Pendleton is, according to Traveler. Everyone knows about his epic Christmas parties and his yearly pardons and Lane is practically a celebrity where ever Traveler, who claims to be a YouTube celebrity who travels all over the world, ends up. This is especially true, he says, in Russia where he’s uber-popular, something which causes Pendleton to bristle just slightly.

Half in the bag from both booze and holiday cheer, however, Pendleton buys Traveler’s story and makes him his annual pardon, which doesn’t surprise Yuka who knows her boss is susceptible to having his ego stroked like one pets a cat, and she immediately goes on a quest to find out more about their surprise guest. This, despite the fact that the townies warm up to Traveler as he takes selfies and sings Christmas karaoke with them. All of this is undercut, of course, when Traveler decides to reveal small secrets about the residents of the town which causes them to turn against one another. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

“A Traveler” — Pictured: Marika Sila as Yuka of CBS All Access series THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Photo Cr: Robert Falconer/CBS © 2018 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved.

The episode has a fantastic atmosphere, something this particular series succeeds at on a regular basis. The town has an unreliable power grid which causes routine power spikes, causing the lights to flicker or shut off completely for a couple seconds. This adds a sense of unease which perfectly compliments Traveler’s presence and gives us a sense of impending danger. That menacing also provides for a nice dichotomy: it runs contrary to the Christmas setting which is cheery and bright and magical by default. The jail scenes are fantastic, recalling the first seasons of “The X-Files” when Mulder and Scully were nearly bathed in shadow while chasing aliens down dark hallways.

“A Traveler” is also anchored by great performances all around. Kinnear’s Lane Pendleton is a man stuck in his ways, old and world-weary which clashes with Yuka’s more liberal ideals primarily because she has roots in this area and traditions of her own that Pendleton doesn’t even come close to respecting. Sila does a great job as portraying Yuka as somebody who begrudgingly acquiesces to her boss’s behavior no matter how bad he gets — but has her reasons for doing so, which are later revealed by Traveler. As Traveler, Steven Yeun is in his element, stealing every single scene he’s in. Yeun plays Traveler not unlike a praying mantis: a soft-spoken businessman whose seemingly kind behavior is undercut by an undeniable sense of malevolence. While his behavior never seems to manifest in violence, there’s always the sense that he could end your life in seconds and not feel the least bit sorry. It’s beautifully unnerving.

Where the episode falls short, however, is the lack of identity. While the episode recalls classics like “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” (I’ve got to stop mentioning that episode) and “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?”, the episode doesn’t seem to know exactly what it is or what it’s trying to say. Is it an indictment of how easily we’re seduced by those who have ulterior motives? Is this a statement or satire on traditions and beliefs? Is it about the dangers of fear? Nothing seems clear, even when we get the final reveal which, while welcome, doesn’t help clear things up.

Inspiration and utilization of bits and pieces of other episodes is one thing but, ultimately, “A Traveler” seems just a little lost.

LOST IN THE ZONE

  • And speaking of traditions…ok, look…I’m not the type who dislikes swearing. I’ve watched (and seen) some heavy shit (see?) in my time and I am accepting of these things and I swear like a goddamn sailor…but the swearing in this episode is just beyond unnecessary. In “Replay”, the swearing was believable because the viewer was most likely saying “oh, shit” at the very same time Nina was saying it whenever Officer Laskey appeared on screen. Here, you have characters dropping the word “fuck” like they have a quota to meet. It’s annoying.
  • That ending…(SPOILERS, CLICK AND DRAG TO SEE IT): So, Traveler is an alien from another planet whose race of beings has come to take out the little relay station that provides power to the town. They’re gonna take over and we’re all supposed to be ok with our new alien overlords. I don’t have an issue with this ending. I only brought it up because I love the bit where Traveler (in alien form) is just chilling with Yuka’s brother in jail and eating Christmas pie, a sign that Traveler has found a new, favorite tradition.
  • Jordan Peele’s ending narration was wooden and painful. At one point (the “fateful present” line), it sounds like he’s doing a first read off of cue cards.
  • Here’s this week’s Easter Eggs:
    • “The Dummy” appears on wrapping paper.
    • The doll from “Living Doll” also randomly appears as does a doll of the “gremlin” from “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”.
    • At one point, Traveler introduces himself as “Marius Constant”. Constant is the man behind the famous Twilight Zone theme song.
    • One of the characters here is named “Ida Lupino”. Lupino was an actress who starred in the classic episode “The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine” and would later come back to become the only woman to ever direct an original series episode: “The Masks”, fitting since Ana Lily Amirpour is the first woman to direct a re-boot episode.
    • Another character is named “Dotty Matheson”. The last name is a homage to Richard Matheson who wrote a bulk of the original series episodes with Charles Beaumont and Rod Serling. Matheson also wrote the novels “Stir of Echoes”, “I Am Legend”, “Hell House”, “What Dreams May Come”, “Somewhere in Time” and “Duel”.

‘What We Do In The Shadows’ Review: Episode 4- Burned. Notice?

By
Robert Kijowski
-
0
Simon the Devious (Nick Kroll) toasting to what will inevitably be... his toasting. What We Do In The Shadows (FX)

Webster defines dominion as sovereignty and ownership. Both are powerful terms. I define “Dominion” as a Sisters of Mercy banger- it’s a powerful song. For our quartet of cadavers sanguine, dominion is a tract of real estate that extends two streets and five houses.  This immediately presents a problem, as the cadre putting up the most venerable vampire, The Baron (Doug Jones), were already called to the principal’s office once. They need to make moves and they need to make them now, even if a wearable witch’s asshole is on the line (more about that later) in What We Do In The Shadows (FX).

Diving head-first into the fourth episode, we Cold Open with LARPER Jenna (Beanie Feldstein) who Nadja’s snack/friend from episode 1.02. Found nearly rigored by her roommate and about to ferried away by the first responders, she comes to in mid-daylight and books it, confused and followed by a burgeoning dark cloud. I’m personally glad that Jenna was not simply abandoned by the writers as something they might revisit. I think her resurrection (just in time for Easter!) is an entre into the bigger picture and sets the stage for the rest of the episode.

Meanwhile, back at the house, Guillermo is still loving his life as Nandor’s familiar. He wants to put the past in the past and is trying to get past Nandor’s cocktease of turning him into a hemovore, but you can sense there’s still a droplet of resentment residing, which I can’t help but feel a little bad for. However, as we all know in life, it’s the thirstiest that don’t get drunk.. Oh, it’s just me? Moving on…

Laszlo’s surveyed the territory they have command over and it only spans a matter of blocks, they all decide to form an alliance in New York, proper. I’m sorry Staten Island, but not even your residents like you. You’re basically the Sacramento of the East. Just sayin’.

In order to accomplish this (eventual) dominance, Nadja and her beloved set their sights on Simon the Devious (Nick Kroll), a King of the Manhattan vamps. They’ve experience with the bloke on their voyage to the New World, that latter a bit more than the former. Having risen through the ranks, Simon is a lord of the night-life… Literally. Owning busiest club, the Sassy Cat, in the busiest borough of the busiest city in the world, he’s without question their best shot to ratchet things up. All three adorn their best raiments… save for ironically the dandiest. Laszlo dons a sentient hat which nearly looks like the Sorting Hat in Harry Potters (only made of Witch Flesh) because he knows it would get under Simon’s skin.

Sometimes we make bad sartorial choices in life. I’ve mismatched socks before. I’ve worn clashing colors. This wasn’t one of those choices. Outside of looking like something nearly out of Final Fantasy, Nadja hates the damn thing. It’s not the best well read hat but it can bleed.. which I think is kind of cool, but it’s cursed. Since when did something that isn’t supposed to bleed bleeds? The hat takes the life of Laszlo’s familiar before we trek out and also takes the life out of his style. It’s just a horrible thing.

Continuing on its mission, the hat happens to snare Laszlo and Nadja in traffic and more entertainingly, ensnare actual Laszlo in a Cab door. This door was kind of done before with Hitch and I’m sure other things, but this works because it goes a little further. If Hitch’s joke was funny, this was funnier.

Now into the club, Laszlo is put off by what he used to remember the club as. Always the pooper on the birthday cake, the Remora to their shark, Colin joins in. In here, we can consider Nandor’s title ‘the Dickish’ because he wants to find a friend, but he already has a familiar that he seemingly tosses off to the side, possibly giving him breadcrumbs of joy. Nandor had finally found possibly an actual hookup but Colin cock-blocks him I’m sure because he just lost his girl in the latter episode. That vampire is now more dangerous than ya think. Much as I like Colin, I am more on Nandor’s, though he’s still being cold as the blood runs through his veins to Guillermo. Guillermo decides to possibly get a little bit of space and ‘go to the bathroom’. This is where things take flight.

While searching for the bathroom, he happens upon a Sex Room and finally, the familiar room. What can only be described as a warehouse breakroom, we meet a few of his familiars, including Colby, a familiar to a pair of 400 year old vamps that take the form of children. When hearing the info Colby’s been dispensing on how familiars now work (an implied unionization), Guillermo goes back onto the floor. He is propositioned with a thirsty vampire down to clown.. until Nandor flaccidly intercedes and through a meek protesting against his familiar going to the Dark Side. Unimpressed but impassioned, Guillermo storms out and is ready to quit this way of life, leaving Nandor at an impasse because he’s been summoned along with Laszlo.

After making Lazslo feel awkward with the carnal history of his now betrothed, Simon introduces his crew.. and oh, does he roll deep. We are treated to the best roll call ever presented in a half hour show- Big Vlad, Abadon, Empusa, the Freak Sisters (not related), Little Vlad (the guy’s a fucking maniac),  Mr. Fifties, contortionist “S”, Evil Steve, Freakfest Tony, Blag Vlad the Exsanguinator, The Silent One, Asian Mike, Chunt, Jane the Soulless, Egrad the Filth, Horvac the Pit Master, Gonthrapple and his brother Krellsac, Wesley Pyschs, Desdemonda the Shrieker, Len (the accountant) and Count Rapula, whom is a 300 year old fang holder that’s been spitting only for the last 28 years.

As Simon has a small swath of their borough over a barrel, only the most agreeable would be on the table for negotiation- which Simon gutted Laszlo by asking him to give over his beloved head-piece- the horrific hat. Though reticent at first,  he relinquishes the hat to it’s ‘rightful owner’ and what comes next could only be described as an (accidental?) act of violence when Simon is feeling this new sweet ass piece de resistance. Aim for the sky bro, aim for that sky.

We end on a bit of a poignant and conciliatory note when Nandor finds Guillermo, tries to make things right by performing a Superman/Lois Lane/Jack/Rose move. On brand, the Relentless slips up, drops down his friend and winds up during visitation hours in the ER. Guillermo is still down for the Count. As luck/fate/curse would have it, the next room over is Simon’s. Upon being reunited with his long lost love (let’s be honest, outside of being cursed, Nadja’s a little jelly), Laszlo realizes that death would befall Guillermo if he sports the only article of clothing in the world which has an active bleeding period. Screw it, he takes it anyway.

Thus ensues the takeaway from this episode which is that it rocked. Tom Scharpling, famed for his legendarily funny and still ongoing show, The Best Show used to be a writer on Monk (USA) and Divorce (HBO) in addition to writing for outliers like Tom Goes To The Mayor [adult swim]. This due knows what equates to funny and it’s front an center in this episode.

My whole takeaway from this spicy episode is: keep safe your own, don’t trust others, shoot for the stars, life is what you make it, keep your friends tight/enemies tighter (all those idiotic platitudes)… and maybe keep an eye out for Little Vlad (he’s a fucking maniac!).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEod3Y1QRFs

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote Movie Review

By
Jad Kaado
-
0
Our Heroes, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza
Photo Credit: IMDB

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is a fun film guaranteed for cult status among film fans but not the masterpiece that it couldn’t been back in the day.  Then again, what can you expect of a film that has been in development hell for almost 30 years?

Although the project has suffered, and fans still dream of what could have been, Terry Gilliam provides an enjoyable but loose adaption of the book Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes that is filled with a convoluted plot, dream sequences, impressive action scenes, and a couple of questionable romances.

Gilliam provides a fun alternative to mainstream cinema, akin to Julie Taymor’s Across the Universe, or Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, that is reminiscent of his earlier work.

The story follows commercial film director, Toby (Adam Driver), who is tasked with filming an advertisement for a big account featuring the characters Don Quixote and his noble sidekick, Sancho Panza.

The irony is that the film shoot is in the same village where Toby used local actors to direct a student art house film on Don Quixote ten years prior.

Toby escapes his set after feeling stressed out and decides to go on a nostalgic trip to rediscover the area and people he worked with, eventually discovering that his project had a detrimental impact on the locals.

He discovers soon that Angelica (Joana Ribeiro), the now 25-year-old love interest of Toby, whom he met on set from his original film and was smitten with, has left the town to pursue a decadent lifestyle.

Toby then discovers the second victim of his artistic pursuit, Javier (Jonathan Pryce), the lowly cobbler who never left his role and still believes that he is the real Don Quixote.

After a series of comical events, which includes a fire and police chase, the two protagonists are set off on an adventure to rescue Angelica (and Dulcinea del Toboso?) from the clutches of an evil Russian oligarch, all while Toby is trying to get himself and Javier back to their respective places.

Even though the plot is entertaining enough for the movie to work, it really isn’t the strong suit of the overall film.  It is clever enough in the way that it presents itself, shifting between reality and fantasy worlds; however, it is formulaic in the extent that you determine what happens (cough title of film cough) and recalls back to the plot of The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. The use of few jokes, appearing sparingly throughout the film, doesn’t strengthen the film either.

The movie is also interspersed with fantastical dream sequences that play a part of the story that harken back to the aesthetic of the original book, such as the famous windmill scene and the armor worn by Don Quixote.

The movie’s strength; however, lies within the individual performances.  Jonathan Pryce, a Gilliam regular, is an absolute delight, bringing much life to the character of Don Quixote and absurdity in the film.

Adam Driver also provides a stellar performance as Toby/Sancho Panza.  Driver shows audiences that he has the skillset to be able to perform in different genres, establishing himself similarly to Adrian Brody within the field.

The film also boasts an impressive and interesting supporting cast including Stellan Skarsgard and Olga Kurylenko.  The casting of local actors, such as Joana Ribeiro, Jordi Molla (from Blow), and Sergi Lopez (from Pan’s Labyrinth) is also a treat for fans of both fantasy and foreign films.

Additional aspects of the movie, such as custom and set designs of the movie, as well as the natural scenery of the Canary Islands, are definitely worth the view and pleasantly adds on to overall experience of the movie.

Overall, if you are looking for a fun and entertaining period piece, a follower of the Gilliam School of Film, or just something completely different, then definitely check out The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.

It’s not going to be winning any awards any time soon, but it definitely put a smile on my face and made me nostalgic for the action adventure comedy flicks.  I give it a solid B.

6 Unforgettable Moments on ‘The Magicians’ Season 4 Finale

By
Nicole C
-
0
THE MAGICIANS -- "The Seam" Episode 413 -- Pictured: Jason Ralph as Quentin Coldwater -- (Photo by: Eike Schroter/SYFY)

The season four finale of The Magicians is bittersweet as we say goodbye to a beloved character. Read below for six unforgettable moments that make this episode one of the finest hours on television.

******SPOILERS AHEAD

Julia Becomes Human Again

Alice, Quentin, and Penny 23 arrive at the Neitherlands branch where they confront the powerful siblings. First they tackle sister monster where the phosphomancer knocks the other woman against the wall and then the traveler appears behind with the axe to the back. Her essence then gets sucked into one of the bottles with Alice and Q casting the super powered incorporate bond. Julia now back to herself however is still alive but she’s in constant pain because her body is trying to heal the cut but the axe caused a magical wound that keeps re-opening. The group unfortunately though does not have enough power to also deal with The Monster so they travel to the reservoir where Everett has already drained it.

Penny 23 then seeks help from The Binder (he’s back!) but the former librarian says that a choice needs to be made whether to make Julia fully a goddess again or back to her human self. Unfortunately, the patient had also been sedated to ease her constant pain. Penny 23 understands that this should be her choice but under the circumstances he makes it for her and he chooses for her to return to mortality. When she awakens, she’s incredibly upset that he made that decision for her but is unable to hate him when he confesses that he was being selfish because he couldn’t watch her go through that pain and he didn’t want to lose her again. Julia ends up telling him to just stay with her for awhile and let her be mad at him. However, there was one upside from having the powerful entity inhabit her body, she tells Quentin that the siblings wanted to take the fight to their parents the old gods (and eradicate the humans in the process through some kind of nuclear winter) and they had found a scroll that acted as a key. The scroll was left insider Julia’s jacket pocket.

Josh is No Longer a Dying Fish, Accidentally Activates the Scroll

Josh finally returns to his own human form and Margo admits her love for him in the most Margo-like fashion. Their problems are far from over however as Penny 23 returns without Eliot and the ex-high king of Fillory is understandably mad as hell because he broke his promise to her. As the two are fighting Josh tries to stay out of the way by attending to some fish sticks because he is starving. He casts a spell that becomes way more powerful and likely he got charged up when he touched the reservoir prior to his fish state.

Margo and Josh then catch up with Q at the Physical Kids cabin where Mr. Hoberman suggests that they let Everett rip The Monster out of Eliot. Margo though angrily counters that would kill her best friend and she walks away to cool off. It’s kind of amazing how much Josh understands her, explaining to the other man that she’s more pissed at herself for being so pissed. Quentin agrees though that any plan where Eliot dies is off the table. Suddenly The Monster appears looking for his sister and the scroll. The magical item is casually on the window bench and he makes a grab for it but accidentally uses his magic on it and a portal is created. The two men jump inside and it closes before The Monster can follow. Dean Fogg then appears and casts a spell of disorientation and the powerful entity is sent to a forest.

Josh and Q find themselves inside a generic office greeted by balloons and a man dressed for golfing. The golfer congratulates them for this amazing achievement and jokes in binary code to which the two magicians are thoroughly confused. Turns out the scroll was a part of some kind of super ridiculously difficult quest and they accidentally solved it through Josh’s still super charged magic. The guy is late for tee time and is about to leave when they beg for just five minutes to hear them out. This intermediary explains that the old gods will not give two figs about their situation even if their angry creations are out for their blood. We discover that there was no real reason why the siblings even got created. However, he does have a suggestion to throw the duo into the seam since they can’t be killed. Josh and Q have no idea what that is and so the dude has to guide them to the answer. It’s a place in between this universe and the anti-verse where everything is dead (the Underworld?). But where could that be? Oh well it seems that the seam leaked and created a pocket world where everything is backwards and lifeless, aka the Mirror World. The golfer confirms that anything they throw into the seam will never come back again. He gives them some cake and sends the two back to Earth.

Eliot Returns

Q and Josh explain their little trip and the possible solution to their problem. Alice luckily has a good idea of where the seam in the Mirror World is because she came across a door that even as a niffin she knew she shouldn’t enter. There is still however the issue of how they can contain The Monster till they can get the bottles into the seam and Kady suggests that they use a cooperative spell utilizing Hedge Witches and anyone else they can rally to perform the deed all around the world. With this plan Penny 23, Quentin, and Margo go to the forest where The Monster has been sent to. The godly sibling has realized that there is a lot of beauty in the human world and is a lot of sympathetic than we’ve previously seen him. Margo rolls her fairy eye to him as a look out, with Q serving as a distraction (then teleported away by Penny 23) and the Fillorian ex-high king comes in from the rear with the axe to the gut. The Monster’s essence is then trapped in the bottle with the signal given for the global casting. Meanwhile Margo is screaming at Eliot to hold on as he is losing a lot of blood but he returns to consciousness and is rushed to Brakebills. There Professor Lipson is able to perform regular old surgery on him that saves his life.

The Seam

In the meantime, Alice, Q, and Penny 23 travel into the Mirror World to locate the seam. When they enter the door, it is a version of the lab at Brakebills. Inside is a large mirror that is covered and as Penny 23 and Quentin remove the sheet, a black void like image is shown. Q throws the first bottle in and as he is getting ready to chuck in the second one, Everett arrives. The wannabe god tells them that the other bottle belongs to him and that the younger magician needs to hand it over because he has the power now to control what’s inside and he won’t be like the other gods. As Q tries to hurl the object into the seam however, Everett throws a telescope at the mirror, effectively cracking it. Mr. Coldwater then appeases the elder man, saying that he gets it, all the while looking at Alice and Penny 23. He then says take her, do it now and the traveler automatically grabs the ex-niffin and pulls her towards the door. What happens next is so incredibly powerful as Q uses his gift to repair the mirror to throw in the last bottle and at the same time because magic doesn’t work correctly in this realm there is a massive after blast that kills both him and Everett. Everything is in slow motion as the two men die and Alice screams in horror. In the aftermath, magic once again flows.

Quentin Dies

Penny 40 walks down a corridor towards an elevator and when it opens, he greets the person inside saying it’s been awhile. We discover it is Quentin and he’s in the Underworld. The two former classmates find themselves inside a room we’ve seen before, “Secrets taken to the grave.” Penny 40 gives Q a cup of hot chocolate and the other man is trying to process what just happened to him. The magician states that this is where he can’t lie and the traveler confirms that this is the place where his whole life is revealed but it only means something if he reveals it to himself. Hand me the tissues because I about to cry a river. Q then admits that he’s been in and out of hospitals his whole life with lots of suicidal thoughts and notes. There were lots of medication and therapy but that all went away when he went to Brakebills. Yet he asks if he did something brave to save his friends or did he finally just find a way to die? Penny 40 then says its ok, he sees that they are going need the deluxe package but that’s no surprise. He then tells Q let’s go and the two men stand outside what may be the Physical Kids cabin. Around a campfire fire are Alice, Kady, Julia, Penny 23, and Dean Fogg. Q tries to go to his friends but is stopped by Penny 40, he’s only meant to watch.

Alice says that she doesn’t know what to say as she holds the cup that Q mended at Brakebills South before tossing it into the fire. Before they left for their final mission, she told him that she believes they are stronger together and so none of this talk that only one of them should go into the Mirror World. He had agreed and the two embarked on what would be their last ride together. Kady then casts a spell we’ve seen before (hello Under Pressure) and the group sings a beautiful acoustic rendition of Take on Me by A-ha which reduced me to a messy puddle of tears. The Hedge Witch leader then tosses in Fillory and Further book 4 that Plover recently signed and joins the song (Jade Tailor who has the voice of an angel). Penny 23 throws in one of the eggs they used to get over their attachment to the dragon egg. Then a recovering Eliot begins a verse as he is helped by Margo towards the fire and why won’t my eyes stop leaking? Margo adds Q’s Fillorian crown to the makeshift pyre. Dean Fogg contributes Q’s Brakebills form and we flashback to him signing it in season one. Penny 40 tells him that he should has his answer now and that the story is just starting for their friends but it won’t be the same because of him. Quentin Coldwater didn’t just save their lives, he changed their lives as much they changed his. Eliot then takes a peach out of his pocket, takes a bite and throws it in as well. Ugh my heart. Penny 40 then gently says it’s time for them to go but Q asks for one more moment and he cries as the group sings one last verse before turning around and leaving.

Everything Changes Again

Back inside the room within the Underworld, Q asks if the others will be ok up there. Penny 40 then reveals what happens to the gang where Zelda is shown in the Library but tells Sheila that she can’t be the one to lead the organization and they need to find Alice Quinn. Meanwhile Margo and Eliot have returned to Fillory only to find out that it’s been 300 years since Fen and Josh were overthrown by someone called the dark king. We also find out that something weird is going on with magic back on Earth where there are a lot of lights on Fogg’s globe and Professor Lipson’s simple spell goes awry. Lastly however Quentin is most worried about Julia who’s become just an ordinary human again. We see that she’s the only one left at the campfire crying for the loss of her bff and as she throws in his deck of cards it explodes into the air in a moment similar to Q’s first display of real magic in the pilot. Julia asks if this is Q but then comes to realize that she’s the one controlling the cards. Penny 23 then approaches her and she looks at him in wonder that magic has come back to her. In the Underworld, Quentin understands that magic comes from pain and it was grief from his death that allowed her to access this part of herself again.

We say goodbye to Q as Penny 40 escorts him to his final destination and sends him off with an Underworld metro card.

Final Thoughts

This was such an emotionally gut wrenching episode. It was beautiful, bittersweet, and bold as all hell. What an incredible ride this season has been and it has never failed to make me laugh, gasp, and be on the edge of my seat with well crafted narratives, unexpected plot twists, complicated characters, excellent choices in music, and unforgettable lines. With Quentin’s death and the departure of Jason Ralph from the show, his storyline comes to an end (or does it??) but what a send off! I feel like we are saying goodbye to this incarnation of The Magicians and it will never be the same with Q gone, but he made a profound impact on the series. It has been a long time since I felt the emotional loss of a character and bravo for this amazing execution.

When season five returns its going to be a brand new beast with Julia seemingly taking over as the main character and I for one am looking forward to this next chapter.

The Magicians airs on Syfy Wednesdays at 9/8 central.

‘The Magicians’ Says Goodbye to One of Their Own

By
Bilal Mian
-
0
The Magicians Is Quentin Dead

The Magicians has always delivered shocking moments in the world of magic over the course of four seasons. Death has always been a familiar face, but characters have always found a way back in one form or another. Unfortunately, for one of our favorite Brakebills students, there is no coming back from their noble sacrifice.

In season four’s finale, “No Better To Be Safe Than Sorry,” fans of The Magicians find themselves saying goodbye to Quentin Coldwater. It’s hard to stomach and I know I felt like I got punched in the gut when it occurred. The death though will seem to be sticking as The Magicians executive producers John McNamara, Sera Gamble, and Henry Alonso Myers had the following to say:

“The Magicians has always been a fantastical show about real life — with a generous dose of magic to keep it all feeling less like bitter medicine and more like raiding a weirdly delicious pantry at 2am (probably while a bit drunk). That has been our approach to Season 4, knowing that we want to explore the most confounding, harsh and messy aspects of adulthood in our story. At the top of that list: facing your own mortality, and experiencing the death of someone you love. Before we began this season, we entered into a creative conversation that included the writers, executive producer and director Chris Fisher, Lev Grossman, our partners at UCP and SYFY, and Jason Ralph. The choice for Jason to leave the
show was arrived at mutually, with much respect for the story, fans of the show, and a shared sense of deliberate, essential creative risk. We want The Magicians to visit strange and fascinating new places, and we know we can’t get there by treading the same garden path others have before us. So, we did the thing you’re not supposed to do — we killed the character who’s supposed to be “safe.” In real life, none of us are safe.

When we first met Quentin Coldwater, he was in a mental hospital, contending with painful questions of life and death. This season, we saw the rare opportunity to complete his arc, bringing him to a real understanding of the incalculable value of his own life. Quentin, and we, got to see the truth: there is no such thing as a Minor Mending. The smallest action can ripple out in powerful ways we may never fully know.”

The Magicians Is Quentin Dead

The loss of Quentin is one that personally is still sitting with me for hours. The bonfire scene earns its emotional payoff and had me nearly bawling my eyes out, though I’m sure many of you probably did. The Magicians will return next year for the fifth season and while the story may move on from Quentin’s death, I know it will stick with me for a long time to come.

 

 

 

1...535455...123Page 54 of 123

Copyright © 2022 The Workprint