Debut director Jonas Govaerts has created a really interesting looking horror film called Cub. The movie is showing at the Toronto Film Festival on September 10th, 11th, and 13th. It does not yet have a US release date, but I'm sure it will soon. Purely based on the violent and well-designed brutality in the trailer, it’s something horror fans should keep on their radar.

Synopsis: Troubled twelve-year-old Sam (Maurice Luijten) heads off on a summer camping trip with his Cub Scout troupe. When the highly imaginative boy claims to have seen a creature in the woods, his counsellors naturally assume that their campfire tales of a monster named Kai have gotten to him. But the danger Sam sees is all too real: watching from the darkness is a masked, feral child whose menacing snarl and quick movements go unnoticed by all except for Sam. As the mocking taunts of the other boys isolate Sam further from his pack, he becomes increasingly convinced that a terrible fate awaits them all.

In Cub, first-time feature director Jonas Govaerts draws on such influences as Lord of the Flies and The Devil’s Backbone to create a world filled with vivid childhood terrors. An atmosphere of danger and foreboding surrounds the young boys and their mostly clueless scout leaders, none of whom can see that they are the quarry in a sinister hunt — and as a series of ingenious booby traps start bloodily whittling down the troop’s numbers, it becomes clear that the boys are up against a foe far more formidable than even the perceptive Sam realizes.

Source: The Playlist and TIFF via /Film

Frankenstein’s monster is so familiar to us that we don’t even call him by his actual name. He preferred Adam, but we just call him Frankenstein, even though that was the name of the Doctor who created him. But it’s the monster, not the doctor who has taken hold in the popular imagination, and we’ve seen versions of him ranging from Boris Karloff to Herman Munster to this arthritis commercial (my all-time favorite prescription drug ad). This, however, is the original iteration, the frontispiece illustration from the first edition of Mary Shelley’s horror classic. Rather than the green stitched up skin quilt with neck bolts that we know and and love, he looks like a pretty normal guy, albeit oddly feminine.

The illustration is on display at The British Museum as part of an exhibit called "Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination." There are also various other imaginings of the monster on display, tracking the evolution of the figure. Greg Buzwell, curator of the British Library, said,

"In the book, the Creature is almost sympathetic. In the film, although we do get the sense he is misunderstood, the intention was to have a character who was quite frightening - hence the beefed-up physique, the clumpy boots, the macabre stitches and the bolts through the neck. He became a menacing figure.

"The Creature in the 1831 illustration is fairly close to what Shelley had in mind." 

The Exhibition ties in with the BBC’s “Gothic Season” a spate of programming including A Dark and Stormy Night: When Horror Was Born, about Byron’s challenge to Shelley that led to the creation of Frankenstein. Maybe that'll come stateside soon.

Source: The Telegraph via io9

I don’t know what the deal is with this so called “featurette” for The Maze Runner. It’s less a featurette and more of just a trailer with fancy titles. Don’t believe me? Watch it for yourself. The video (that’s what I’m calling it) is called “Survive,” and it uses the aforementioned fancy titles to lay out the rules of the Maze Runners. I was really disappointed to learn that the first rule of the Maze Runners wasn't "You do not talk about Maze Runners." I was equally let down to find out the second rule wasn't "You do not talk about Maze Runners."

When Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) wakes up trapped in a massive maze with a group of other boys, he has no memory of the outside world other than strange dreams about a mysterious organization known as W.C.K.D. Only by piecing together fragments of his past with clues he discovers in the maze can Thomas hope to uncover his true purpose and a way to escape. Based on the best-selling novel by James Dashner.

Ignoring the questionable labeling of media, I'm looking forward to this movie. To watch the previous clips, trailers, and a real featurette for the movie, click here. The Maze Runner hits theaters September 19, 2014.

Being Superman’s best friend is not without its perks. But being Superman’s ONLY friend would definitely have its drawbacks. In this DC Nation - Tales of Metropolis short, Jimmy Olsen vents about the Man of Steel to Clark Kent, unaware of who exactly he’s venting to and of the kind of disaster it could spell for him down the line.

Thanks to io9 for the find.

One of the coolest projects to come out of Disney’s purchase of Marvel is the animated feature adaptation of Big Hero 6. It’s different from anything we’ve seen come out of Disney animation before. I’m pretty excited about it.

Here is a new “Major” spot for the film. That’s the title of the spot. “Major.” It is not major like a 7 minute featurette. It is 18 seconds, and it is called “Major.” No, I don’t know why. Yes, it might be click-bait. Watch it anyway. Go on. It’s pretty good.

Inspired by the Marvel comics of the same name, and featuring comic-book style action, Big Hero 6 is a heartfelt comedy adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who learns to harness his genius—thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tamago, clean freak Wasabi No-Ginger, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to his closest companion—a cutting-edge robot named Baymax—and transforms the group into a band of high-tech heroes determined to solve the mystery.

You can catch it in theaters on November 7.

Thanks to ComicBook.com

I don’t know if your dad was super into detective shows, but mine was. Is. Also, he was a teacher, so all summer if I wanted to watch TV it was reruns of Mike Hammer. I honestly cried tears of joy when he discovered Homocide, because at least that was good. (Mike Hammer was so bad that my dad actually denies having ever watched it, but I was there. I remember it all too well.) Now that I’m a grown-ass woman with her own TV (and various other show-watching devices) I’m a little nostalgic for the many, many hours of my childhood spent watching every detective show that ever aired. Which is why I love this art series so so much.

Olivier Fritsch Gomez made these simple, fun illustrations of TV detectives, and they are pretty great. My favorite is Colombo, because the posing is so perfect. My only quibble is that Magnum’s shorts should be so much shorter. Also, he left out such classics as Spenser: for Hire, The Fall Guy, and Simon & Simon.

You can see even more fictional cops on his Deviant Art page here and his website here. Thanks to Xombie Dirge for the tip.

As a kid, the cantina scene in Star Wars was mind-blowing, because that single scene contained more aliens than I had ever seen in an entire movie. The scope of the world opened up for me as I imagined all the planets these aliens came from.

Chanoy got their hands on seven minutes of what looks like the rough assembly of the cantina scene. The quality is pretty bad and the sound cuts out several times, but as a fan, I found it super interesting to watch. We’ve also got a few photos and preproduction art via Movies.com.

Star Wars changed the world on May 25, 1977 (USA).

God Help the Girl was one of my favorite movies at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Written and directed by Belle and Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch, the film follows Eve, who is “low on self-esteem but high on fantasy, especially when it comes to music. Over the course of one Glasgow summer, she meets two similarly rootless souls, posh Cass and fastidious James, and together they form a pop group.” Also, it is an indie-pop musical. But it isn’t twee. Strong performances by Emily Browning, Olly Alexander, and Hannah Murray hold down a whimsical, emotionally resonant coming of age story. Also, the songs are really good.

The clip features the song "The Psychiatrist Is In," and it is from early in the film when Eve and James are just getting to know each other. 

God Help the Girl opens in select theaters and VOD on September 5.

Source: Vulture

This armored Batman by AltReaper looks like a modified Iron Man cosplay. It’s pretty apparent in the helmet's temples and jawline, and the shape of the chest plate that this was based on Iron Man. The color, ears, and huge bat symbol are obviously all Batman touches. It’s cool to see these two iconic heroes mashed-up. Source: Reddit via Fashionably Geek.

These movie posters by Rich Kelly are pretty fantastic. I think The Sword in the Stone is the worst Disney movie ever made, and I would still hang this on my wall. The poster is better than the movie, is what what I’m saying. I really love the way that even though his work is very distinctive, the style of each poster is driven by the movie. It’s hard to pick a favorite, although I do love the single ray of light on Llewyn Davis and the way the idyllic suburban street morphs into a snake on the Kings of Summer poster. I even love the fiddler on the Dave Matthews Band poster, and even under torture I would not agree to listen to their music. The Son of Frankenstein poster is a nice contrast to this. You can see more of his work here, and buy some prints here.

Thanks to The Art of Animation for the heads up.

Dan LuVisi used his twisted imagination to render characters from our childhoods in new nightmarish forms. Do not show these to children as it will likely ruin these characters for them. Someone please make a fan film with these creepy things fighting each other to the death and eating children. We have posted a few of these already, but I wanted to include them for the uninitiated.

Not all of Dan LuVisi’s work is fear-inducing, check out his portfolio and see for yourself.

Last month, the first official image of Gal Gadot in her Wonder Woman costume was simultaneously unveiled online and at the Warner Bros. Comic-Con panel for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Lynda Carter is the original and pretty much the only other actress to have played Wonder Woman — as long as you’re not counting the failed Adrianne Palicki pilot. Carter has seen the image of Gadot as Princess Diana of Themyscira and shared her thoughts on it with Access Hollywood.

"Well, I was missing the red, white and blue, I have to say. Maybe there's a lot more color in it than what we saw in the picture. It's almost impossible to play a superhero anyway. You can't. You just have to play a character that happens to do these amazing things. That's the only way you can do it. And the costumes all take care of themselves, but it was a little more – I'll have to wait and see. I hate to comment on something that I haven't seen and I'm very supportive of Gal Gadot. I'm very supportive of them doing Wonder Woman, putting her in any capacity. I think she needs to be out there. ... It's high time somebody took a chance and did it and so I'm really happy about that."

The response from fans about the costume has been mostly positive. I think most people realize that the character needs to be able to fit in the same world with the darker, updated versions of the title characters. Also, as CBM points out, the lack of color in the costume could be due to the filter on the photo. There were many premature complaints about Ben Affleck’s costume being “yet another” all-black version of Batman when, in actuality, only his cape and cowl are black. 

I’ve included a fan de-filtered photo of the Gadot image below so you can see what the costume may look like in more natural lighting.

Would you like to (a) covertly murder someone from behind or (b) slowly walk up to someone and eat their face off? If you answered (a) or (b), you’re wrong… and in need of some psychiatric help. The correct answer is (c), buy one of these hoodies.

This gory zombie zip-up and stealthy ninja pull-over have hoods that help you transform into one of the undead or an ancient Japanese spy. A zombie and ninja would actually make an interesting pairing for a buddy road trip movie. I would call it Brains, Chains, and Automobiles. Hollywood, you’re welcome.

Both hoodies are available from ThinkGeek (Zombie / Ninja) for $49.99. Thanks to FashionablyGeek for the find.

According to People.com, Patrick Warburton is set to reprise his role as the title character in The Tick, which is being revived on Amazon.

The Tick is a comic by Ben Edlund that was first adapted as a cartoon series in the mid ’90s before being turned into a live-action comedy. Despite receiving critical acclaim, the show only lasted one season before being cancelled by Fox in 2002. The show likely lacked the action and drama more mature audiences were expecting going up against a show like Smallville, which also debuted in 2001. It was also a little too adult for young fans of the animated TV series. The fact that Fox didn’t own the rights to all The Tick characters made the show feel even less familiar to those fans as well, with Die Fledermaus and American Maid being changed to Batmanuel and Captain Liberty. However, the series has since gained a cult following through DVD and streaming.

I watched every episode of the show when they initially aired on television. I rewatched the first few episodes of the show before writing this article and I have to say, it was way ahead of its time. It featured a mix of real and DIY superheroes and mostly focused on the in-between hijinks they would get into while not fighting crime. It's like Watchmen meets Kick-Ass, just minus all the violence and awkward sex scenes... mostly. It’s a great comedic concept that isn’t really being explored right now. With comic book properties being a hotter commodity than ever, perhaps The Tick could see a well-deserved longer life on Amazon. Warburton and the rest of the cast seemed born to play those roles. With the Seinfeld vet returning, hopefully the rest of the cast of costumed heroes, which included Nestor Carbonell (LOST, The Dark Knight), will be climbing back into their tights as well.

This piece of fan art by Meder Taab features DC’s Trinity at each other’s throats. You’ve got Batman throwing a batarang at Wonder Woman’s face while she lassos Superman, who apparently has terrible aim with his heat vision. In the background, Metropolis still looks to be in ruins after the Man of Steel’s last battle. This is why we can’t have nice things!

In case you missed it, earlier today we posted what original Wonder Woman Lynda Carter thinks of Gal Gadot’s costume in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Let us know your thoughts on who would win this superhero showdown in the comments section below. Thanks to CBM.

Sports bottles are normally pretty boring, but this robot sport bottle by Fred and Friends is really cool. They have a fun retro robot design by Winnif Pang. Use these to keep your geeky kid and or geeky adult hydrated. Made of food safe plastic, BPA free and PVC free. Available at Perpetual Kid for $10. Found via Geek Alerts.

Last week, Collider broke the news that Joaquin Phoenix is (still? again?) in final talks to play Doctor Strange for Marvel. Other movie scoopers immediately objected, saying that the deal was unlikely because Phoenix had serious objections to signing the long term contract Marvel requires (generally nine films, with at least two exceptions). Badass Digest has reported that Phoenix’s reservations go much deeper.

First of all, they report that Marvel planned to unveil the casting at San Diego Comic-Con, exactly the way they announced Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. Sources have told them that although Marvel did their best, they could not make the deal in time. Which is obvious, since six or so weeks later we still don’t have any official word on the role. 

Next they make a claim that sounds pretty credible: Phoenix isn’t sure he is capable of working on a Marvel movie. He may be one of the greatest actors of his generation, but “the Marvel Studios blockbuster machine is full of pre-viz and fight-viz and green screen and massive reshoots. It's not a world that's as comfortable for him, and he's just not certain he can do it.” If that is true, no wonder he’s balking at a multi-picture deal. Can you imagine entering that world, realizing that you hate it/are bad at it, and being stuck making 5-8 more movies? Nightmare scenario.

Knowing your limitations is a particular type of genius, and I kind of admire Phoenix for recognizing his own. At the same time, Marvel’s casting has been impeccable thus far, so if they are pursuing him this hard, I kind of hope he’ll take the part. Sarah Finn hasn’t let us down yet.

Don't Mess With Michonne, even in Monopoly

With the premiere of The Walking Dead only a month and change away, I decided it was time to get reacquainted with the zombie apocalypse, and what better way to do that than by playing a rousing game of monopoly. Not just any Monopoly, though, as we have to keep it themed, so it's all about Walking Dead Monopoly.

Also, I think I’ve set a record for how many times I have used Monopoly in the opening paragraph of any post ever. If not, well then, Monopoly (I’m really competitive).

Okay, back to business. Since we all know how the core game plays, there is no need to go over it ad nauseam, so for things like this I’ve developed a different type of review, a 5 things review. Here are the 5 things that stuck out most about Skybound and USAopoly's latest venture.

1.   The rules themselves are different in no way, shape, or form, and that is kind of a bummer. The main reason I play these themed boardgames is to play the game in a slightly varied way, or in some cases a completely different way, and I felt a little gypped here. Sure its good for a couple of playthroughs, but if you’re looking for more replayability, there isn’t really anything new to keep drawing you back. If you’re a Walking Dead fan, then there isn't any reason to not play this version when people come over, but that’s about it.

2. One highlight of this version was just how attached I became to owning certain properties. I couldn't care less about anything in the normal version that isn’t Park Place or Boardwalk, but here my wife and I were constantly fighting over locations like Rick's neighborhood, Woodbury, and Hershel's farm. This really did make the aspect of buying and selling property that much more meaningful.

3. The pieces themselves are all pretty good picks, including Rick's Hat, Michonne's Katana, Dale’s RV, a baseball bat with barb wire, the ominous telephone, and my personal favorite, a bucket full of zombie parts. The pieces are fine, but because they are dark grey they really mix in with the board, so numerous times we lost track of where our markers were.

4. Just one thing of note. It is not possible to watch Walking Dead while playing this game. You think it would add atmosphere, but it just ends up constantly distracting you. We tried, and by halfway through we had watched almost an entire episode and hadn’t moved our pieces in like 20 minutes. Not a good combination.

To answer your question, yes, that is Yukon Cornelius in the background.

5.     While the aethstics are right on, the gameplay variation is lacking, so here is my proposal for True Undead Mode.

True Undead Mode tries to evoke the constant tension that exists in the Walking Dead universe. There are always more zombies. Eventually everything will be taken over by the undead, you are just trying to make it as long as you can. The idea here is that after 10 turns, the zombie horde starts moving across the board and taking over territories. You have to fight them off of your properties with whatever money you've earned, as each bill corresponds to a different item (ones in the game are med kits, twenties are barrels of gas, hundred dollar bills are cartridges, you get the picture). After 10 turns are over and you've amassed all you can, you go into survival mode, using what resources you've gathered to outlast the other players. The game will wrap up in a couple of turns because of the scarcity, as every turn the zombies will attack another of your properties. Each property would have a defense value, and depending on dice rolls you can turn over a certain number of items to fend off the attack and last another round. While it would need a bit of tweaking of course, it could work really well, and be a fun alternative to the board and setup.

Well, there are my 2 cents. If you have any suggestions for True Undead Mode or just any comments in general, be sure to let us know. 

Who doesn't love chibi Avengers? You are correct, the answer is no one, so here's some slick and adorable art created by Sean Galloway and Brian Lawver. The original piece, which you can see below, was a commission for a fan. Once that was done Lawver bestowed upon it some beautiful paints, resulting in the snazzy image you see above. They both have some lovely work in their respective galleries, so make sure to take a look when you can. 

By the way, that is the slickest-looking Iron Man I think I've ever seen. I love that design, and I hope at some point Marvel adopts a similar look for its super hero squad version of the character. Just saying.

We’re just over a month away from the October 3 premiere of Star Wars Rebels, and we’re all pretty excited. Here’s a new clip, called "not What You Think," in which rapscallion Ezra Bridger encounters a downed TIE Fighter on the plains of Lothai. He seems very eager to help the pilot, but you should remember that Ezra is a con artist, so things might not be what they seem. 

Star Wars Rebels will premiere with a one hour special on Disney Channel, followed by a series on Disney XD. The animated series will help establish the world for Star Wars: Episode VII, so we'll be watching.