We're a little over a month away from watching Gareth Edwards' Godzilla wreak havoc and cause massive destruction. Legendary Pictures has a new TV spot for the film that features a voiceover from a terrified Elizabeth Olsen. Godzilla comes out on May 16th, and it looks like fans are going to love it.
Somehow, when none of us were looking, The CW became the preeminent geek network. I know. I’m as surprised as anyone, but maybe we shouldn’t be. The CW was created when both networks that aired Buffy the Vampire Slayer merged, after all. But still, how did this happen?
The CW launched in 2006 with shows like Gilmore Girls, America’s Next Top Model, Seventh Heaven, and One Tree Hill. Geekish programming had a small foothold on Thursday with Smallville and Supernatural, but the rest was tween girl bait (except for Friday Night Smackdown, aimed at… whoever watches pro wresting). One of their only two new shows was Hidden Palms, a wannabe The O.C. And they continued that way for awhile, making glossy teen soaps like Gossip Girl and 90210.
Contrast that with their current lineup, which includes Star-Crossed, The Tomorrow People, The Originals, Beauty and the Beast, Arrow, The 100, Supernatural, and Vampire Diaries. Every single one of those shows is either science fiction or horror-fantasy. Even Reign, a completely ahistorical romp through Mary, Queen of Scots’ french years, has a subplot about a blood cult that worships some sort of vampirish creature in the woods. The only old CW holdouts I can find on the schedule are America’s Next Top Model (which has to be a cash cow given its syndication deals), the Gilmore-esque Hart of Dixie, and Who’s Line Is It Anyway? That schedule is an unrivaled geek paradise. Not even Syfy can compete.
Some of the new shows are glossy teen soaps like the old shows, but it’s way more fun to watch a lot of pretty teen angst when half of them are aliens who crash-landed on our planet seven years ago. Or have psionic powers because they are hyper-evolved as well as hot. Most of the writers at GeekTyrant watch (and love) Arrow, which is a much better comic book series than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and we’re definitely curious about the upcoming Flash. Our writer Mick has been banging the drum for The Tomorrow People pretty loudly, and I’m about to make the case that you should be watching The 100.
Here’s the premise: About 100 years after a nuclear war made the Earth uninhabitable, what remains of humanity is living on a spaceship called the Ark, orbiting the planet until it is safe to return. The Ark and its resources are tightly governed by a small executive council. For adults, every crime is a capital offense, and juvenile offenders are held prisoner until their 18th birthday. But the Ark’s life support systems aren’t working, and they are running out of oxygen generations earlier than planned, so they send the juvenile prisoners, all 100 of them, down to the surface to see if things have cooled off enough to return.
The show splits its time between fighting amongst the adult council up in space, where the more extreme officials want to start population reduction, and teenagers running riot on earth, with conflict between Clarke, who is very The Girl Who Owned a City (If you get that reference I will kiss you on the lips at Comic-Con. Ok, not really.), and Bellamy, who is a very, very bad person. Three episodes in, Bellamy seems to have the upper hand, because teenagers are dumbasses. There are also radiation super-charged mutant species to fight off, and maybe some humans who missed the bus to the Ark.
The action on the ground is a little bit Lost-ish, but without the mystical elements that guarantee an unsatisfying conclusion. The explanation for the weirdo creatures is built into the premise. And a bunch of attractive, hormonal teens who have already been proven to make bad decisions are always going to get themselves into enough scrapes to keep things interesting. Plus, the evil, population culling Vice-Chancellor is played by the amazing Henry Ian Cusick, who, luckily, isn’t a mustache-twirling villain. All of the conflict on the Ark comes from very principled people following the logic of their ideals, which is a lot more interesting than outright narcissism-driven malevolence.
It is a very fun show, and it is on TV tonight. So after you watch Arrow (you are watching Arrow, right?), keep the TV on to see if The 100 is your bag. If post-apocalyptic survival shows aren't your thing, I can also make the case for Star-Crossed. Or Reign (although that's a so-bad-it's-good kind of thing). S.E. Hinton is all over twitter making the case for Supernatural. There's a little something for every kind of geek on The CW, which is weird and surprising and also kind of amazing.
Here's something I never thought I'd see in a million years… Samuel L. Jackson performing a slam poem about the popular 1990s sitcom Boy Meets World. The actor took the stage on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to bring us this hilarious awesomeness. In it he references several classic moments from the series that I'm sure fans are going to love. Jackson does admit during his interview with Fallon that he has never actually watched Boy Meets World.
The rush of new and interesting JRPG’s is something I’m thoroughly enjoying, and that trend continues with the upcoming Fairy Fencer F from Compile Heart and NIS America. The game is coming over to the States sometime this year, but was released in 2013 in Japan. The battle system is turn based, and in addition to normal attacks, each character has access to a unique special ability as well as an ability that transforms them into a stronger second form. This second form significantly raises their stats, but can only be activated once their tension meter is filled. The player is also able to change the parameters of the dungeons they visit, making tweaks like more experience points or more currency. You are able to do this by using influence that you build up in the game over time.
The cast consists of Fang and Tiara, who are the main protagonists, but along the way your party grows substantially, even at some point including a bear named Pipin with a sword sticking out of his head, which is a sentence that in itself is fantastic. Take a look at the trailer for the English release and don’t forget to peep some screens from the Japanese version further down below.
Here's a wonderful, charming animated short film called "Bibo." It was directed by Anton Chistiakov, and here's a story description for the moving short:
It started as an idea about a lonely robot who sells ice cream. In order to survive in a severe reality he recreates an imaginary world where he lives every day, like he did during the best time of his life.
The film is beautifully animated, and it was screened at a lot of film festivals over last year, winning many awards. I think you'll like this, so I hope you enjoy.
Here's a great movie mashup that shows Superman saving Sandra Bullock's character in Gravity. This was actually an April Fool's Day joke from yesterday that went something like this...
An alternate version of the opening scene from "Gravity." This version of the scene was rejected by the suits at Warner Bros. despite Alfonso Cuaron's requests that it remain in the picture because of copyright issues with DC Comics.
The video turned out to be quite entertaining. Make sure to watch all the way through to the end… it's my favorite part. Enjoy!
Amy Adams, in my opinion, is one of the best actresses working today. She is adaptable and has covered almost every genre except sci-fi, and the way things are shaping up, she will be able to check that off of her list soon.
Deadline announced that Adams is close to signing onto Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi thriller Story of Your Life. Here is the synopsis:
The thriller takes place after alien crafts land around the world. An expert linguist is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat. As she learns to communicate with the aliens, she begins experiencing vivid flashbacks that become the key to unlocking the greater mystery about the true purpose of their visit.
I am sure there is more to it than meets the eye. Reading this synopsis, you get images of a ton of different sci-fi movies that you have seen before. I do have faith that with Villeneuve at the wheel there is much more to this story. His movie Prisoners is one of the most haunting films that I have seen in a while, so I have no doubts in his skills. Signing Adams to star in it doesn’t hurt either.
We will definitely keep you posted on this one.
Until Next Time…
Billy Out!
FOX teamed up with Pringles for a little X-Men: Days of Future Past promotion. Thanks to that partnership, we have six behind the scenes videos for the Bryan Singer-directed movie for you to watch. The videos cover three tours of various sets, a clip that focuses on the plot, a video that centers on the epic cast, and another that is about Singer coming back to the X-Men franchise. As you might imagine, they include tons of interviews, behind the scenes footage, and even new footage from the film that hasn't been released until now. The movie is scheduled to be released on May 23rd.
This is a teaser trailer for a cool-looking fan film called Deathstroke: Arkham Assassin. The short looks like it was really well made, and it's sure to entertain the fans.
Taking place prior to the events in "Batman: Arkham Origins"… A bounty is placed on Batman by crime lord Black Mask, drawing eight of the world's greatest assassins to Gotham City on Christmas Eve... The most formidable of which is Deathstroke, who provides a bloody and violent demonstration of his skills for Black Mask.
The full short will be released next week. We'll make sure to get it on the site for you when it's available.
Time to get excited for this year's summer of movie awesomeness! We've got a ton of great films to look forward to in the coming months. YouTube user AMONymousVideos has created a great 3-minute montage featuring 20 films that will be released in the next four months, and it's sure to get you pumped up!
Jack Bauer is back, dammit! Kiefer Sutherland graces the cover of the upcoming issue of Entertainment Weekly. They've also released a behind the scenes featurette for fans of the series to check out. In an interview with the Sutherland he said,
“It was very stressful, making the choice to come back. That sense of responsibility to the show has not dissipated at all. When we started out, I said to [director Jon Cassar] to watch me like a hawk. If there was something that wasn’t feeling right, don’t wait to see if it works its way out. I was very scared I couldn’t remember Jack. It had been awhile.”
He went on to talk about his "Dammit" catchphrase, explaining,
“No one ever wrote a ‘dammit’ or anything. It was a button to a scene that I would just kind of throw in as a nervous reaction to whatever was happening. And then it just became this thing.”
The 12 episode event will premiere on FOX on May 5th!
Gallery 1988 is holding a series of Ghostbusters art shows to commemorate the film's 30th Anniversary. It's a traveling art show that will go to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Diego. The two illustrations you see here will be a part of the show. The one above was created by Joshua Budich and the one below is by Anthony Petrie. Below the art I've included the dates and locations that have been revealed so far.
Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary Art Show: New York - April 19 – 26
69 Leonard Street (bewteen Church & Broadway), New York, NY 10013
Opening reception: April 19 7-10 p.m.
Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary Art Show: Los Angeles - May 17 – June 1st
Gallery 1988 (West), 7308 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Opening reception: May 17 7-10 p.m.
The show will hit Chicago on June 20-22 and, finally, San Diego Comic-Con July 23-27.
Thanks to MTV we have a new featurette for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 called "Secrets of Electro Revealed." If you couldn't tell from the title, it focuses on Jaimie Foxx's villainous character. It includes interviews with the cast and crew and also features footage from the highly anticipated sequel.
I just came across these awesome Batgirl Beyond illustrations by Annie Wu. In case you're wondering, this actually exists as a comic. I just hadn't come across it until today, and I wanted to share it with you just in case you missed it too. I absolutely love the character design for this character.
"Batgirl Beyond" part 1 of 3. There's an all-new Batgirl kicking butt in Neo-Gotham! But is she friend or foe? And what is her secret identity? One thing's for sure...Commissioner Barbara Gordon is going to get some answers!
If you want to download the digital comics for the three part comic series click here.
MTV has been developing a TV series based on the Scream franchise, and the network has started the casting process. Thanks to TV Line, we have plot information and character details on four of the series regulars.
The pilot episode was written by Jill Blotevogel (Ravenswood, Harper’s Island, Eureka). The reports also says that the series "kicks off with a YouTube video going viral, which will have adverse repercussions for teenager Audrey and seemingly serve as the catalyst for a murder that opens up a window to [her] town’s troubled past.”
There's still no word on who will be directing the pilot, but I know the network has been working hard trying to get Wes Craven on board.
Here are the character breakdowns:
- Harper Duval: A 16-year-old beauty “who’s a little too introverted and intellectual to be a social butterfly” but has nevertheless been annointed by the popular crowd to be one of their own. “She feels guilty that she has drifted away from former best friend Audrey,” but at least she’s got a Gilmore Girls-esque relationship with mom Maggie to keep her sane.
- Audrey Jesen: Haper’s former BFF is described as “the bi-curious daughter of a Lutheran pastor” who’s “more arresting-looking than pretty.” This “artsy loner” dreams of being a filmmaker and shares a close bond with tech genius Noah.
- Noah Foster: Audrey’s closest confidante is “creative, brilliant and tech-savvy enough to be the next Steve Jobs.” Lucky for him, he’s got a great sense of humor (“a la John Cusack in his teen prime”) that helps him navigate the halls of his high school. What’s more, Noah possesses “an encyclopedic knowledge of books, films, TV, apps, etc.”
- Margaret “Maggie” Duval: Harper’s mom, in her early to mid-40s, is the town’s medical examiner, “a grown-up science geek who plays down her beauty.” Maggie spends a lot of her time trying to make up for the fact that Harper’s dad abandoned them. Oh, and she’s harboring “a dark secret from her past.”
I don't watch MTV at all, but because I'm a fan of the Scream franchise I'll give the series a try.
Disney released this new banner for Angelina Jolie's Maleficent. As you can see, it features various characters, creatures, and settings from the highly anticipated movie. There's a lot of excitement for this film, and it's likely to be a huge hit for Disney. Maleficent is set to hit theaters on May 30th, 2014. Here's the synopsis:
From Disney comes “Maleficent”—the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the 1959 classic “Sleeping Beauty.” A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land’s fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal—an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king’s successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom—and perhaps to Maleficent’s true happiness as well.
Check out this incredibly radical animated Ghost Rider art created by Brittany Whittington. I'd love to see more of this superhero from the artist. This is based on the character design used in the Marvel Now! revamp that was released last week.
Johnny Knoxville has been cast to provide the voice of Leonardo in Michael Bay and Jonathan Liebesman's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. It was also announced that Tony Shalhoub will provide the voice of Master Splinter.
Pete Ploszek played the role of Leonardo while they were shooting the film, and Seinfeld‘s Danny Woodburn played Splinter. According to Deadline, the actors were always open to changing the voicing component and that those actors were only "guaranteed to physically perform the roles in costume."
Knoxville and Shalhoub are fun choices to voice these characters. There's no word on whether more actors will be cast to voice the other turtles, but it's definitely a possibility.
"The city needs heroes. Darkness has settled over New York City as Shredder and his evil Foot Clan have an iron grip on everything from the police to the politicians. The future is grim until four unlikely outcast brothers rise from the sewers and discover their destiny as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Turtles must work with fearless reporter April and her wise-cracking cameraman Vern Fenwick to save the city and unravel Shredder’s diabolical plan."
The movie comes out on August 8th, and to watch the trailer for the film again, click here.
It's no secret that Marvel likes to plan ahead. Last summer Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said that their future movie plans stretched all the way to 2021, which seemed a long way off. Now in a recent interview with Businessweek, Feige mentioned a "map" on his office wall that includes their movie plans explaining that it was "like looking through the Hubble telescope," and it goes even further into the future than 2021.
"You go, 'What’s happening back there? I can sort of see it. They printed out a new one recently that went to 2028."
2028?! Damn, that's quite a timeline they have to work with! That's fourteen years of Marvel movies ahead of us! They have thousands of characters to choose from, so who knows what movies we will see... the top executives at Marvel know, I guess. There are just an insane number of possibilities, including spin-off movies for Avengers: Age of Ultron and Guardians of the Galaxy.
I really wish I could see that "map" on Feige's wall. Whatever is on that wall is probably in some stage of early development. After seeing Captain America: The Winter Soldier, my excitement for the Marvel cinematic universe is through the roof, and I'm so excited for the future they are planning for the fans!
What are some other films that you'd like to see Marvel put out?
Bryan Singer’s X-Men: Days of Future Past is inching closer to its May 23rd release, and any previously released images are being chewed up in Photoshop and regurgitated back to us. How many different sunsets and skylines do these characters need to be standing in front of? Are they all on vacation taking the lamest, same-face selfies and throwing every single Instagram filter on them? (#timetraveling) And they’re not even being consistent with how they are repackaging these posters. The poster above features Magneto’s future and past self with Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender standing stoically together. The second poster features Wolverine with his past self, who, as we all know, was a hot, body-painted Jennifer Lawrence… wait, that can’t be right. Something must have gone terribly wrong with the space-time continuum.
via: Den of Geek
