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5 Awesome Character Posters For STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

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Lucasfilm and Disney have released a great series of new character posters for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The posters feature Han Solo, Princess Leia, Rey, Finn, and Kylo Ren. This is actually our best look at Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia yet. 

To check out all of our other Star Wars: The Force Awakens-related news, click here.

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These posters showed up on the official Star Wars Facebook, the official Star Wars Movie Facebook, and the social media sites of John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Fisher.


DEADPOOL Writers Reveal James Cameron and David Fincher Helped Get The Movie Made

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As if we didn't already love James Cameron and David Fincher enough already, now we can (partially) thank them for getting the upcoming Deadpool film off the ground.

Collider spoke with writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who have been desperately working to get this movie made for the past six years, and they were very candid about the development process:

Reese: There were some really low moments. One of the lowest moments was when we turned in the script on the day The Avengers came out, a Friday, and The Avengers made what, over 200 and some million dollars opening weekend? And we thought for sure, “How do you read this script as an executive on that particular weekend and not greenlight this Monday morning?” and instead we got the word on Monday morning that Fox was gonna kind of rethink, given the success of The Avengers, rethink Deadpool possibly within the context of an ensemble as opposed to by himself, and we just went, “Ugh!” so that was a low moment.

But ultimately, it came down to getting the support of the right people at the right time:

Reese: It’s funny, greenlight decisions come down to people, people make the decision, obviously. But maybe not so obviously in the sense that you need that right combination of people, and it wasn’t until we had Jim Gianopulos, Stacy Snider, Emma Watts, and Simon Kinberg, that group of people, to come together and say, ‘Ok, now’s the time.” And we’re really lucky in that retrospect that I didn’t get made in a previous iteration because it might have been PG-13, or an executive who was doing it maybe because they thought the market was didn’t really get it. I think we finally got the right combination of people at Fox who just supported us 1000%, and I think because of that we’re all gonna get the Deadpool we always hoped for.

Wernick says at one point, he, Reese, director Tim Miller, and star Ryan Reynolds went as far as to beg the head of the studio to give them a greenlight:

WERNICK: Yeah. It all ultimately worked out. But if you were to track the email chain from Rhett, myself, Ryan, and Tim, over the course of 5, 6 years we all never gave up. We pushed, and pushed, and pushed, and sent emails where we over step boundaries all the time in terms of like, Jim Gianopulos got it like, ‘Please we’re grown men, we’re begging”.

But here's the part you're probably here to read about: how Cameron and Fincher helped them out:

REESE: And we had some angels on our shoulder too, this movie had some very quiet unsung heroes. One of them was Jim Cameron, who’s a friend of Tim Miller, and read the script at a key moment a few years back. He said he would read it and we were like, [Sarcastically] “Oh yeah, he will read it.” And literally he read it that night and got back to us the next morning.
WERNICK: He was procrastinating I think on Avatar 2.
REESE: But he read it and he went to Jim Gianopulos and he got it on the radar in a really big way. David Fincher was another guy who was a big help for us, he’s also a friend of Tim’s, and he loved the script and he pushed forward with the executives at certain key moments. Having guys like Fincher and Cameron pushing certainly didn’t hurt and we very well might not be sitting here if it hadn’t been for those two guys.
WERNICK: The ultimate angel on our shoulder really was Simon Kinberg. When he came aboard it really did kind of move what was delayed to blazing superhero speed and “let’s make this movie”.
REESE: Yeah. I mean, I think Simon in a way was probably most responsible, just his understanding of comics, his understanding of this character.
WERNICK: And the trust that Fox has in him.

The whole interview is worth checking out for big Deadpool fans if you have a few spare minutes, but I think it's cool that big shots like Cameron and Fincher took time out of their schedules to go to bat for their friend who had never directed a feature before. When you're sitting in the theater for Deadpool on opening day and the lights dim right before the movie starts, you should thank your lucky stars that these guys were on Tim Miller's side — otherwise, this movie might still be languishing in development hell.

SUPERGIRL Is No More "Girly" Or "Teen Drama" Than ARROW or THE FLASH

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Let's be honest, Supergirl had a lot more to prove than all of the new DC live action series combined. It was a show based on the world's greatest superhero's cousin...and she's a girl. I was going through comments and fan complaints from posts before release and I came across some of the following...

Wow this looks awful I almost forgot I was watching a superhero tv trailer and thought I was watching another annoying American sitcom.
Seeing the preview only confirms my decision to not watch this show
Awful, awful, awful! It's like they've tried to tailor or to a female audience, but just wound up insulting them. Ditzy, dumb blonde routine was particularly annoying.
Why does she look like Supergirls mom?
Action looks good. Everything else looks like its target audience are 12 year old girls. Quite bizarre mix come think of it.

Hey look, I'm no SJW or anything like that but damn you guys were wayyyy harsher on this than I ever saw when Arrow and The Flash were making their way out. Those who made those comments likely are not watching the show now, and they're missing out. We're two episodes in and Supergirl is looking solid alongside its DC counterparts, and while it's not entirely similar, it's different in many good ways. It's also similar in every bad way Arrow and Flash can be.

Yeah, Kara Zor-El can occasionally be bubbly, but she's a hero who, for the first time, is able to use her powers. She has every damn right to be bubbly! Thus far I have not thought Melissa Benoist's portrayal of The Woman Of Steel has ever been unjustified or over the top. In fact, in two episodes, she's far more dialed down than Felicity Smoak ever will be.

Let's address the "girl teen drama" argument as well. Teen dramas are ANNOYING. They contain...well, I won't just make up a definition to fit my own agenda, so let's search Google.

The popular alpha-female leader: Kara Zor-El
The popular alpha-male leader - good at sports, highly intelligent: Oliver Queen/Barry Allen
The nerd - clever, socially incompetent: Felicity Smoak/Caitlin Snow/Winn Schott
Token black/ethnic girl/guy - angry/cool: John Diggle/Cisco Ramon/Jimmy Olsen
The misunderstood guy/girl that is an individual and has better morals: Roy Harper...yeah, Roy.

You are watching a series created and developed for television by the same guy who made Everwood and Dawson's Creek, and you really think one's different than the other? Guys, the superhero genre may be the cheesiest and most cornball genre of them all. It's still damn good, and you shouldn't be ashamed, but those who dismiss Supergirl saying it's a "teen drama" are flat-out dismissing that this is true across the board.

C'mon, guys...we have fan videos that look like this with tens of thousands of views...

Why was Oliver laying pipe any chance he could get the first two seasons? Why was Barry so consumed with his love for Iris and drama when he just discovered he's the fastest man alive? WHY DOES LAUREL DO 90% OF THE STUPID S*** THAT SHE DOES?! We are watching because it's engaging, it's dramatic, and while it may walk like a teen drama, talk like a teen drama, and employ the same actors as a teen drama, we still love it. That's fine!

Another factor is that it's been awhile since we've had a female superhero front and center. I find it hilarious that it's acceptable for a woman superhero to be brash, cold, sexy, angry...but if she's cute and bubbly, Jesus, someone stop the presses. I'm not saying anything is wrong with the former stereotyped female character (in fact I'm stoked for Jessica Jones), but not all women (or men) are cut from the same cloth. It's welcome to see a different take on female heroes.

For those who are willing to give it another shot, let me tell you what I love about Supergirl. First off, I love the fact that we are getting an alternate look into the Superman mythos. This show is already going above and beyond in doing its best to inform us on the world of Krypton. This isn't Supergirl saving the world, this is aliens vs. humans who just realized they have a newfound weapon in Supergirl.

Another thing I'm really a fan of is the production value. If you like the meta powers in The Flash, this show is that on steroids. Everything looks a lot cleaner, and the increased budget over its predecessors shows.

In the name of fairness, the constant references to Superman are as forced as they are unavoidable, but I'm hoping with time they'll begin to fade. Other than that, I'm plugged in and I love the direction this show is heading. Give it a shot if you haven't yet...I think you'll be surprised.

More Magical FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Photos Released

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After weeks of Star Wars craziness and hours of reborn Warcraft excitement, it’s time to get excited about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them!

Earlier today, we shared the first photo of the highly-anticipated Harry Potter spin-off, and now we have a few more treats for all of the Potter fans who hope to get bits of magic once again.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them features Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) who plays as world-famous magizoologist Newt Scamander, Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice) as Tina; Alison Sudol (Dig, Transparent) as Tina’s sister, Queenie; Dan Fogler as Jacob; Jenn Murray (Brooklyn) as Chastity; Ezra Miller (Trainwreck) as Credence; Colin Farrell (True Detective) as Graves; Samantha Morton (In America) as Mary Lou; and Faith Wood-Blagrove as Modesty.

Have a look inside the new magical world of J.K. Rowling!

Source: EW

DOCTOR WHO May Be Joining THE LEGO MOVIE 2

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It looks like The LEGO Movie franchise is about to get even more awesome with the possible addition of Doctor Who in the upcoming sequel. BBC made a deal with Warner Bros. to include Doctor Who in the video game Lego Dimensions and it also got its own Lego playset.

The LEGO Movie 2 is being directed by Rob Schrab, and he recently appeared on the Harmontown podcast. While on the show, he teased that the studio and the team behind the film are currently in talks with the BBC to negotiate an appearance by the Doctor in the sequel.

Since they've made deals in the past with the Doctor, it seems like there's a good chance that the Doctor may be joining Emmet, Wyldstyle, and the rest of the gang in the film. There's no doubt that The LEGO Movie 2 is going to be filled with a ridiculous amount of other pop-culture character cameos.

There's no word on what incarnation of The Doctor they would use, and if his appearance would be more than just a cameo. But it would be pretty cool if whatever Doctor they use had a decent-sized role, similar to how Batman was used in the first film.

Via: io9

BAD SANTA 2 Gets MEAN GIRLS Director and More Returning Cast Members

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A few days ago, word came out that after spending years in development hell, Bad Santa 2 is actually happening and star Billy Bob Thornton will return to reprise his role as drunken mall Santa Willie Soke. At the time, we didn't know much other than that Thornton would be back and filming would begin in January for a holiday 2016 release, but now THR has some more news about the movie and fans will likely be pleased to hear it.

First up, Mark Waters (Mean Girls) has been hired to direct this sequel. (/Film pointed me to this awesome interview with original director Terry Zwigoff in which he talks about his bad experience making the 2003 film, so it's no surprise he's not coming back for more.) He has some decent comedy chops, but hopefully the script (written by Johnny Rosenthal, Doug Ellin, and Shauna Cross) is sharp enough to do most of the heavy lifting.

Next, both Tony Cox (Willie's partner Marcus) and Brett Kelly (The Kid) have closed deals to return in the sequel, so fans will see some more familiar faces aside from just Thornton's mean mug. No word yet on a possible return for Lauren Graham (who may be busy with the newly-resurrected Gilmore Girls), but THR notes that the producers are currently on the hunt for a female lead.

Are you looking forward to this sequel?

INDIVISIBLE Set to Feature Array of Other Indie Game Characters

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Originally Posted on GameTyrant

One of the best things about indie games: the people who pour their blood, sweat, and tears into these projects get to retain all of the rights to their creations. This means when developers are really digging each other's jams their characters can make guest appearances in a totally unrelated title... View Full Post on GameTyrant

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Unused Concept Art For STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS Used in STAR WARS REBELS

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As most of you already know, a lot of the designs for Star Wars Rebels came from a lot of unused concept art from the original trilogy created by Ralph McQuarrie. The talent behind the animated series is also looking at new unused concept art that was done for Star Wars: The Force Awakens for inspiration on developing certain characters for Rebels.

A recent episode of Star Wars Rebels featured a character that was actually based on a character that originally designed for J.J. Abrams’ upcoming movie. Today we have a piece of concept art of that character that was created by Industrial Light & Magic senior art director Christian Alzmann, who also helped design BB-8.

The character goes by the name of the Fifth Brother, who was one of the Inquisitors sent out by the Emperor and Darth Vader to help stop the rebellion against the Empire before the events of A New HopeWookieepedia adds that the character is "content to kill any Jedi he found rather than use them for information or traps against the wider rebellion." The character on the show is voiced by actor Philip Anthony-Rodriguez.

There's no information on how the character would have been used in The Force Awakens, but it's not hard to think that he may have been a part of the Knights of Ren. The concept art above comes from Star Wars Rebels' Facebook page (via /Film).


PRIMER Director Shane Carruth Nabs Incredible Cast For His First Studio Film, THE MODERN OCEAN

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Shane Carruth's movies aren't like the typical Hollywood fare that gets churned through the system. With Primer and Upstream Color (both on Netflix now), he made the kind of specific, intelligent, head-scratching, and very personal films that scare studios away, so it's sort of surprising that he's moving away from his indie roots for The Modern Ocean, his first studio movie. Not surprising, however, is the fact that such a talented filmmaker has secured a hell of a talented cast for his new project.

THR reports that Anne Hathaway, Keanu Reeves, Daniel Radcliffe, Chloe Grace Moretz, Tom Holland, Asa Butterfield, Jeff Goldblum and young Beasts of No Nation star Abraham Attah have all signed on for the movie, which is being described as an "adventure drama" with a 200-page script that's full of pictures and diagrams — which, knowing the intricacies of Carruth's previous films, makes complete sense.

The storyline revolves around vengeance and the fierce competition for valuable shipping routes and priceless materials that converge in a spectacular battle on the rolling decks of behemoth cargo ships.
"This epic tale, fraught with danger and intrigue, takes us from the ancient trading houses of Algeria to the darkest depths of the ocean floor," said FilmNation.

Carruth has such a singular voice that I'd have seen his next project just out of sheer curiosity, so adding a stellar cast on top of that is just a bonus as far as I'm concerned. It's clear that the actors are fans of his dream-like style, and I'm intrigued to see how Carruth handles the pressure of a movie that's much larger in scale than anything he's done before.

That's No Moon, It's a Death Star Waffle Maker

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ThinkGeek's new waffle maker creates delicious replicas of Star Wars' Death Star, perfect for those mornings when you're hungry enough to eat an entire space station. You can pick one of these up for $39.99, but watch out — a bunch of Alderaanians left bad reviews, and I don't think things turned out too well for them.

Kevin Spacey Follows Ansel Elgort To BABY DRIVER and BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB

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Deadline reports that Oscar-winning House of Cards star Kevin Spacey has joined the cast of two new movies, both of which coincidentally star young up-and-comer Ansel Elgort in a leading role.

First up, he's joining Edgar Wright's new action movie musical Baby Driver, in which he'll reportedly play a crime boss that convinces the title character (Elgort) to be a getaway driver for him. The outlet originally reported that Jamie Foxx was going to be playing the crime lord in that film, but though he's supposedly still in the movie, I guess this role has gone to Spacey and Foxx will be playing someone else. (It's unclear. Thanks, Deadline.) Jon Hamm plays a cop-killing bank robber and Lily James will play a waitress who is the female lead/love interest. The movie is scheduled to skid into theaters on March 17th, 2017, and you can read much more about it right here.

Next, Spacey will star in Billionaire Boys Club, which has Elgort and Kingsman: The Secret Service star Taron Egerton lined up as the leads. Variety has a good synopsis:

Elgort will play financial genius Joe Hunt and Egerton will portray tennis pro Dean Karny. The film will follow the true story of the rise and fall of two outsiders, whose investment pool propelledthem into the upper echelons of Los Angeles in the early 1980s.
With Hunt’s math skills and Karny’s connections to the powerful and privileged trust fund offspring, the duo convinced a clique of ex-classmates from the Harvard School for Boys to invest in the Billionaire Boys Club — leading to the duo becoming stars of the Los Angeles social scene. Their lavish lifestyle and impressive returns obscured a snowballing fraud with the Ponzi scheme beginning to collapse when an investment by Beverly Hills high-roller Ron Levin turned out to be worthless.

As long as the paperwork goes through, Spacey will star as Ron Levin in the film, which is being directed by Wonderland helmer James Cox.

I think it's pretty obvious that everyone here is going to be looking forward to Baby Driver more than Billionaire Boys Club, but the latter could still end up being a good movie in its own right. Adding Spacey is certainly a step in the right direction.

Supercut: Every Single Gadget in The James Bond Franchise

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With Spectre hitting theaters this Friday (my review is coming soon), it's no surprise that the internet if focused on all things involving international superspy James Bond. The gadgets of the Bond movies have left an indelible mark on pop culture and have become one of the defining characteristics of the franchise, and Burger Fiction has put together a supercut of every gadget that ever appeared in the 23 previous movies.

What's your favorite Bond gadget ever? I'm partial to the Aston Martin DB5 (classic), but I'd love to hear some of your selections in the comments below.

Allison Williams Will Star in Jordan Peele's Horror Film GET OUT

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Looks like Jordan Peele has found one of his "girls" for his new movie. Deadline reports that Allison Williams (Girls, Peter Pan Live) has been cast in Peele's upcoming horror film Get Out. The movie, written and directed by the former Comedy Central star, will explore racial in America as it follows a black man who visits his white girlfriend's family's house. Williams' role wasn't officially unveiled, but I'm assuming she'll play the lead character's girlfriend.

Deadline claims this will be Williams' feature film debut, but her IMDb says she starred in a 2014 movie called College Musical. I tuned in to about five minutes of Peter Pan Live and quickly turned it off because I could not subject myself to any more of it (how did anyone make it all the way through that monstrosity?), and I've only seen two or three episodes of Girls, so I'm not exactly qualified to judge Williams' acting ability, but hopefully she'll fit right in with the vibe Peele and Blumhouse Productions are going for here. From the brief description we've gotten, it sounds like it might be similar to Adam Wingard's You're Next, a fantastic horror film from a couple of years ago. Here's hoping this film is as good as that one.

First Trailer For Steven Soderbergh's Starz TV Show THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE

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Starz earned some cultural relevance by bringing Sam Raimi's Ash vs. Evil Dead to life, and now the network is in business with another auteur filmmaker. Steven Soderbergh is turning his 2009 film The Girlfriend Experience (which starred adult film star Sasha Grey) into a Starz TV show, and since he's busy with his own Cinemax show The Knick, he's executive producing this one and handing most of the creative control to indie filmmakers Amy Seimetz and Lodge Kerrigan.

The show stars Riley Keough and dives into the secret world of women who provide high-cost GFEs (Girlfriend Experiences). It's set to debut on Starz sometime next year, and this new trailer does a pretty good job of setting the vibe of what we can expect. Check it out below and let us know what you think.

Christine Reade (Riley Keough) is a second year student at Chicago-Burnham Law School and a new intern at the prestigious firm of Kirkland & Allen. Working hard to establish herself at the firm, her focus quickly shifts when a classmate introduces her to the world of transactional relationships. Known as GFEs, they are women who provide “The Girlfriend Experience”—emotional and sexual relationships at a very high price. Juggling two very different lives, Christine quickly finds herself drawn into the GFE world, attracted to the rush of control and intimacy.

Steven Soderbergh, Philip Fleishman, Lodge Kerrigan and Amy Seimetz are Executive Producers. Lodge Kerrigan and Amy Seimetz wrote and directed all 13 episodes.

New GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Follow-Up Coming Without Fincher, Craig, or Mara

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Sony Pictures is moving forward with another The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo film, but it’s not what fans were all hoping for. THR has learned that the new film will not be based on the sequel, The Girl Who Played With Fire. It will be an adaptation of the fourth book in the Millennium series that was written after Stieg Larsson's death, which is called The Girl in the Spider’s Web.

The report goes on to reveal that David Fincher, Daniel Craig, and Rooney Mara will not be back for the project. The movie that those three individuals put together was great! It’s a shame that the studio has decided to not include them in their future plans of the franchise.

The producers of the first film, Scott Rudin and Amy Pascal, are still on board to help develop it, and apparently the studio sees this as an opportunity to start the franchise over again. They are now in talks with Steven Knight (Burnt) to adapt the novel for the big screen.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web was written by David Lagercrantz, who was hired to write it after Larsson passed away. The book became a big hit and the story follows hacker Lisbeth Salander and investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist as they find themselves at the center of a tangled web of spies, cyber criminals, and corrupt governments.

It sounds like if the movie is a success, the studio will eventually move forward with The Girl Who Played With Fire. The report explains:

“The move doesn't mean Girl Who Played With Fire is altogether dead. After all, Sony paid mid-seven figures for Steven Zaillian's script for Girl Who Played With Fire, one of the most expensive adaptations to date. But the plan for now is for Spider's Web to precede Girl Who Played With Fire. And once again, the role of Salander will be hotly pursued by Hollywood's young actresses.
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According to The Wrap, the studio is looking at casting Alicia Vikander in the role of Lisbeth Salander. Vikander has been in films such as The Danish Girl, Ex Machina, Anna Karenina, A Royal Affair, The Man From U.N.C.L.E, and most recently Bradley Cooper’s Burnt. She’s a solid actress that I think will be fine in the role, but I was really hoping Mara would come back to reprise the part. It will be interesting to see how this next film turns out, but without the original talent on board to bring it to life, I’m not expecting anything as good as Fincher's versions.

While we wait for more information on the project, here’s the synopsis for the new book below:

In this adrenaline-charged thriller, genius-hacker Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist face a dangerous new threat and must again join forces.
Late one night, Blomkvist receives a phone call from a trusted source claiming to have information vital to the United States. The source has been in contact with a young female super hacker–a hacker resembling someone Blomkvist knows all too well. The implications are staggering.
Blomkvist, in desperate need of a scoop for Millennium, turns to Lisbeth for help. She, as usual, has her own agenda. In The Girl in the Spider’s Web, the duo who thrilled 80 million readers in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest meet again in an extraordinary and uniquely of-the-moment thriller.

FALLOUT 4 and Its Awesome New Graphical Achievements

Review: Stylish SPECTRE Spends Too Much Time Referencing Bond's Past and Not Enough Perfecting His Present

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Here's a little secret: most James Bond movies are pretty bad. That's not me trying to be contrarian or trying to rile anyone up, it's just my honest opinion. I think the majority of viewers (excluding true Bond obsessives who have seen all of the movies enough times to know better) have an inflated view of this series' overall quality. Until two years ago, I know I certainly did.

I grew up watching a Bond movie here and there with my dad during those holiday marathons, eventually catching most of them on cable and occasionally renting one to fill in a blind spot. For nearly thirty years, I believed that most of the Bond movies fell in the "good" to "great" category, largely because the idea of James Bond is so much better than what we ever actually see on screen. The amalgamation of all of the different actors' personalities — Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan, and Craig — combined with immaculate production design, stylish suits, global jet-setting, explosive action, and gorgeous women, has become the cultural legacy of the character, and it's rare that people (again, outside of Bond obsessives) really talk about the series in any detail outside of those terms. In most circles, Bond films don't inspire the same kinds of in-depth discussions as, say, Star Wars or the Marvel movies.

Two years ago, my wife and I started a project: we watched one Bond movie per month, catching up with all 23 movies in the series leading up to the 24th, Spectre, which I knew at the time would be coming out in November of 2015. (We also watched Never Say Never Again just for kicks.) I doubt the casual Bond fan has consumed the movies like this, but for me it produced a surprising result: after a lifetime of thinking I was a Bond fan, I discovered that most of these movies are actually not very good. The plots are needlessly convoluted, the villains' plans are often ludicrous, and Bond is never quite the combination of suave, physical, funny, and emotional that society holds him up to be. Yes, certain actors nail certain aspects of his character, but they never manage to check off all of those boxes. The formulaic elements of the franchise become glaringly obvious when watching the movies back to back instead of catching a couple of them every few years on TV, and it got to the point where it felt like we'd seen the same movie five or six times but with slight tweaks and variations added to minimally change it up. The series has its moments, but I came away from the experience disappointed in this franchise's overall quality.

Everyone has their favorite Bond, and by and large that preference is tied to the first interaction you had with the movies. Goldeneye was the first one I saw in theaters, so Brosnan was my favorite for a few years until I went back and really got into the back catalogue, at which point Connery took the top spot. But now, Daniel Craig has edged him out, and even though I don't like Quantum of Solace, I think Casino Royale and Skyfall are among the top 10 best Bond entries of all time.

Which brings us to Spectre, a film with a handful of big problems but one that still easily slides into another of those top 10 slots. It kicks off with a cool long continuous shot in Mexico City, where Bond has gone rogue in order to foil an attack on a stadium. M (Ralph Fiennes) is pissed that 007 blows up some buildings while on vacation, but he's angrier about the fact that a cocky young government agent named C (Andrew Scott) wants to shut down the Double O program in favor of a worldwide surveillance system that he's trying to convince allied governments to adopt. (Side note: screenwriters, please give the whole "Snowden/surveillance state" thing a rest. It's already become tiresome.)

The reason Bond has kept his secrets close to the vest is that he doesn't trust anyone — he suspects there's a larger game being played and begrudgingly includes Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) in his plans so they can help him find the truth. They help a little, but I would have loved to have seen more of them, since Harris and Whishaw are so great in the roles. But perhaps no one is as wasted as Monica Bellucci, who has about five minutes of screen time early on before never being mentioned again.

I won't get into a big plot summary — if you're a fan of the franchise, you're going to see this regardless of what I say about it, so I'll leave some of the ins and outs for you to discover on your own.

If nothing else, Spectre absolutely loves paying homage to Bond movies of the past. Watching every film in the series leading up to this one uniquely positioned me to be able to pinpoint some of Spectre's references that might have gone over my head without those earlier films kicking around in my brain. A train fight? That's a nod to From Russia With Love! A snowy chase scene through the Alps near an isolated building on a mountaintop? Shades of On Her Majesty's Secret Service! Some of its references are more overt: Dave Bautista's Mr. Hinx is very clearly an updated take on Richard Kiel's Jaws (Bautista's a silent force who stabs people's eyes out with his metallic nails instead of chomping them to death with his teeth), and at one point Bond is strapped to a torture table that recalled the iconic laser scene in Goldfinger. And then, of course, there's the big one. The one I'm going to need to spoil the last half of the film in order to talk about.

(Spoilers ahead.)

Despite a media campaign in which Christoph Waltz emphatically denied that he was playing Bond's greatest nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, this movie pulled a Star Trek Into Darkness on us. Waltz isn't only Franz Oberhauser, he's Blofeld, just like Benedict Cumberbatch wasn't only John Harrison, he was Khan. It's almost the exact same situation, and I'll never know why the filmmakers decided that playing this as some kind of reveal would be a good idea — the only people who paid any attention to whether or not Waltz would be Blofeld were diehard fans, and the general public probably doesn't even remember who the character is. Why wouldn't they just come out and say "Spectre is going to be about the origins of Blofeld!" Fans would have been excited, not rolling their eyes when it's finally revealed late in the movie. It's a weird decision that probably won't have a hint of impact with the general public, and all it did was make a bunch of diehard fans angry at being deceived for no reason.

That's not even to mention the weirdly personal tone this now casts over the entire Daniel Craig run. It's revealed that Bond stayed with the Oberhausers for two years after his parents died in a climbing accident, and Franz's dad ended up liking James more than his own son. So Franz, now going by the name Blofeld, killed his father and became an international terrorist who's somehow responsible — it's never quite explained how — for every bad thing in Bond's life, including the events of Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall. But there's never any real meaning behind this reveal, no larger truth illustrated by Blofeld and SPECTRE being the shadowy organization behind it all. This should be something that completely recontextualizes everything we've seen in the previous Craig movies, something that turns Bond's world upside down and blows the audiences' collective mind, but instead it just sort of plays like, "Huh. OK then." The peek behind the government's curtain in The Bourne Legacy was more satisfying and had bigger implications than this.

I might as well go ahead and get the rest of my complaints out of the way. The movie is at least 15 minutes too long, a good portion of which could have been trimmed from shootouts and chase scenes without altering the point of those scenes — in fact, shaving a few shots might have actually made a few of them more effective. How many times do we need to see a helicopter spin above Mexico City? This movie will test your patience trying to find out.

Lea Seydoux is fine as Dr. Madeleine Swann, but like most Bond girls, her relationship with 007 seemed rushed and not fully formed. She pales in comparison to Eva Green's turn in Casino Royale, since Green played a character that could actually keep up with him. (Nobody does it better [ha!] than Vesper Lynd, except maybe Tracy in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.) Swann always feels like she's barely hanging on, but Bond decides she's worth leaving the agency for at the end? C'mon.

Listing all of these complaints makes it sound like I enjoyed the film much less than I actually did. It's just that after Skyfall, I had very high hopes for this movie, and I think its script dropped the ball in some pretty big ways. Most of the other stuff — costumes, locations, cinematography — were up to and even exceeded franchise standards. It's still a (mostly) enjoyable movie. Weirdly, it really feels like Sam Mendes wanted to make a Christopher Nolan Batman film and this was as close as he could come. (I was reminded of The Dark Knight several times, with Bond/Blofeld as a Batman/Joker analogue.) I've seen a lot of hate out there already for Spectre, but even factoring in my myriad issues with it, I'm still convinced a majority of the other Bond movies are far, far worse.

Bryan Fuller Explains that AMERICAN GODS will be “Marvel Universe with Gods”

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Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies, Hannibal) is deep in development on a new series based on Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. In a recent interview with Crave, Fuller talked about his plans for the series and revealed that he was inspired by Marvel when creating his upcoming show, and he really plans on embracing what Marvel has done:

“[W]hat we’re looking at with American Gods is developing a Marvel Universe, not with superheroes but with gods. As detailed and integrated as the Marvel Universe is, and doing that with deities is something that excited all of us...
"In success we may have spin-offs of American Gods that follow lesser gods in greater detail than you might in the main series, but there’s all sorts of potential for this show that we’re very excited about and I hope the audience is as enthusiastic as we are so we can bring those dreams to fruition."

Marvel Studios has been very successful with how they run things, and I can see it working out extremely well with American Gods. Fuller went on to explain how the show will deal with the delicate subject matter of religion: 

“There’s conversations in the writer’s room that we are having on this show that I’ve never had in a writer’s room before, because we’re actually given the ability to talk about fate and belief, and the rules which we use to navigate society being challenged in a fashion that is not anti-religion, but not necessarily letting religion off the hook entirely...
"So it’s very important to us in the show to not be making fun of anybody for their religious beliefs because we all have some sort of belief-like thing in our brain that could arguably be delusional, whether it’s ghosts or gods or whatever superstition, black cats, walking under ladders, et cetera.” 

The plot centers on "a war brewing between old and new gods: the traditional gods of biblical and mythological roots from around the world steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs. Its protagonist, Shadow Moon, is an ex-con who becomes bodyguard and traveling partner to Mr. Wednesday, a conman but in reality one of the older gods, on a cross-country mission to gather his forces in preparation to battle the new deities."

I’m excited to see how this turns out, and if anyone can turn it into a very cool show, it’s Fuller. American Gods premieres on the Starz network in 2017.

Review - JAMES BOND #1: VARGR

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Writer Warren Ellis | Artist Jason Masters

Colors Guy Major | Letters Simon Bowland

Merging the pedigrees and lineage of Warren Ellis and James Bond seems like a brilliant pairing. For the most part the partnership succeeds, though I’m not ready to say I'm completely sold on this iteration of 007 just yet. 

Sam Mendes' vision of Bond serves as the basis here, featuring an agent who balances a ruthless efficiency with a moderate amount of charm. This version of James resonates much more than his predecessors due to his flashes of vulnerability, small as they be. The problem being dealt with at the beginning of issue #1 is personal to James, and as such, the brutality and aggression he brings to this fight is intense. Without those moments, there isn't much substance to the character, but I really would have liked to have seen more of it.

While I’m not sure a shovel could actually almost slice open someone’s foot, it still delivered the point that this wasn’t just an ordinary kill for 007. It meant much more than that.

MI6, and specifically the 00 program, is the other focal point. While M seems to be unimpressed with James' overall performance, he recognizes that 007’s services are still needed. The new scrutiny on the department seems to be a long-running subplot, and it does result in some interesting effects, such as a new mandate that no one, even 00s, can carry guns within the United Kingdom. If new wrinkles like this are constantly introduced throughout, this could lead to increased moments of improvisation on Bond's part, which I personally would be a fan of.

To be frank, my biggest qualm with the book so far is the distinct lack of any likable characters. Sure stalwarts like Moneypenny and Q are good for a laugh or two, but there was still something missing from their depictions that I couldn't put my finger on, but it was there. M is straight to business, and James himself seems to whine more than he charms. After the first part of the issue, I had a hard time getting invested in these characters. So far this Bond is at his best when he is actually doing his job, and not when he is interacting with his supporting cast.

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Bond isn’t the star of the book anyway, because the art team of Jason Masters and Guy Majors steals the show throughout the first issue. Their styles and use of shadow and color are a perfect fit for the story Ellis is telling, and they nimbly maneuver between moonlit gunfights and the bright hallways and pressed suits of MI6 headquarters with ease. The art really impressed here.

While the book didn't impress on all fronts, it still has a ton of potential, so I will definitely still come back for issue #2. 

Drax Will Be Even More “Badass” in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2

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James Gunn is currently prepping Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 for production, and last week we learned a new character will be joining the galactic adventure. That character is Mantis, and she will be played by Pom Klementieff. Of course, most of the original cast is set to return, and one character a lot of fans are looking forward to seeing back up on the big screen is Drax.

Dave Bautista’s Drax was a huge surprise, and he ended up winning over the fans in a way that wasn’t expected. Well, it sounds like the character is going to be even more badass in the sequel, but he will still have the amusing charm that we all enjoyed. In a recent interview with Cinema Blend, the actor talked about his character, saying:

“I haven’t read the script, and I’m being completely honest when I say that, but I think, having talked to James [Gunn] about the film, I know he’s… I hate to give any spoilers, but I know he’s really going to focus on Drax being a badass. He’s still not really going to get metaphors, even though he thinks he does, but he’ll still be that very literal Drax, but I think you’re going to see a lot more badass Drax.”

There’s nothing wrong with focusing on Drax’s badassery. If that’s true, it means that we’re going to get even more scenes of him wreaking havoc. When asked about the film's story, this is how he replied:

“As far as the storyline as a whole, I honestly don’t know, and if I did know obviously I wouldn’t tell you, but I hope they’ll continue on with that path, and – fingers crossed as a fan – I hope that it will tie in with The Avengers somewhere down the road. I’ve only heard rumors, but I’m being honest, and I’ve been honest in the past, I hope that it ends up there because I would love to go there.”

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will be moving into production early next year, and it will be released in theaters on May 5th, 2017. The next time we see Bautista on the big screen will be in Spectre this coming weekend.

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