Movie News

Movie News

Catch up on the latest Movie News, where we bring you updates on upcoming blockbusters, casting announcements, exclusive trailers, and box office reports. Explore articles featuring in-depth movie reviews, interviews, and insider scoops on the biggest releases in Hollywood and beyond. Whether you’re into action, drama, sci-fi, or indie films, this is your go-to source for all things movies.

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Movie News

Review: Super Crooks #1

Mark Millar not only assaults us this week with the wrap up of Kick-Ass 2, he literally punches us in the face with his brand new villain-centric book — Supercrooks!

Supercrooks, is the tale of Johnny Bolt and his crew of unlucky criminals who are sick and tired of being taken down by heroes. While other cadres of villains seem to have set themselves up quite nicely over the years, forming a hierarchy, Johnny is constantly getting the shake down. When their mentor crosses the wrong people, Johnny and his ex-fiancee decide there is only one thing they can do to save him, hit the score of their lives where there are no super heroes to mess up their plans — in Spain! 

Mark Millar is constantly bringing something fresh to the genre while nodding to aspects that came before. Johnny and his crew are reminiscent of the Flash’s Rogues Gallery, and Gladiator is Captain America if he actually had balls! Not that these characters can be confined into such tight comparisons, they are quite unique unto themselves! I love how frail and pathetic Johnny and his cohorts seem to be compared to the other characters in the book. It makes them think harder, trying to out guile the hierarchy that seems to run all aspects of their world. It gives them an underdog feel that makes you root for them, and yet, you can’t help but want to see them fail miserably just so their faces get smashed yet again!

That’s exactly what you can expect from a Millar book, a cunning story with a razors edge that will draw you in and then kick you in the balls! It is pure cerebral viciousness at its finest! You won’t find another book on the racks today that will make you think, cringe, applaud and scream “Holy $#!%!” quite like Supercrooks will! Well, except for Kick-Ass that is!

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Movie News

Advanced Review: Ragemoor #1

Our good friends at Dark Horse have found it in their hearts to bestow a bevy of advance copies of this weeks books to the CBN offices. Hopefully, you checked out my other advanced review for the latest issue of B.P.R.D., Mike Mignola has been doing some amazing stuff! But Ragemoor, though within the horror genre, is not something from the mind of Mike Mignola. No my friends, it is from the classic horror duo of Jan Strnad and Richard Corben!

Ragemoor is steeped in pure classic horror and you will enjoy each and every black and white stunning page! Cut from the same vein as Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, or more recently Stephen King’s Rose Red, Ragemoor is about a monolithic castle that is more alive than some of it’s inhabitants. Built on blood and pain, it seethes and grows without the help of man. It’s own demonic rage is fuel enough to render itself larger with each passing day! And when a long lost uncle comes back to claim ownership, Ragemoor has plans all it’s own!

Horror fans have yet again been blessed with the artistic talent of Richard Corben! At seventy-one years old, Mr. Corben is still turning out some of the most amazing art I have ever seen! His skill is unprecedented, challenging the most artistic talent in the field today, and inspiring those itching to break into the business. Combined with the compelling tale by Jan Strnad, this duo has created a contemporary classic that nods to the past while forging the future of horror comics. You are literally waiting for Vincent Price to enter the panel, putting his stamp of approval upon a book that can bridge the gap between then and now. If you are remotely interested in the horror genre at all, this is the book that will make you an instant fan for life! I cannot recommend it enough!

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Movie News

Advanced Review: B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth: The Long Death #2

2012 is the year the Mignolaverse all goes to hell — quite literally! With the “death” of Hellboy, the evolution/de-evolution of Abe Sapien, the wayward roaming of Liz Sherman and the impending doom of Fenix, there is only one being that can help off set the hordes of evil knocking on reality’s door — Johann Kraus! But instead of leading his squad against the forces of evil, Johann wanders away on a mission of revenge. Seeking to find Captain Daimio might not cost him anything, but it will cost his squad much more than they are willing to lose! 

Mike Mignola and James Harred have created a tale that is astonishing! We all know Mignola can spin an amazing story about the occult and the warriors that stand tall against the forces of evil, but this book is all about James Harred! The art is utterly amazing! There is a fluidity, a naturalness to it that makes every page feel alive. Even the most grotesque scenes, and there are a lot of them, have a unique quality that helps transcend past the written tale of the book. B.P.R.D. books have always had an extremely high caliber of artists waiting in the wings, but as of now, James Harred has taken top billing on my list! Not to be left out in all the artistic praise, check out the viciously outstanding cover by Duncan Fegredo and Dave Stewart — this is why people are afraid of the dark!

This is an extremely pleasing read filled with all the outlandish horror aspects we have become accustomed to without being complacent. B.P.R.D. fans will be pleasantly surprised with the return of a certain “monster” and all the references to past storylines, but new readers will have a hard time feeling comfortable in the vastness of the Mignolaverse. But anyone can enjoy the creative, artistic talent of James Harred, and no other book can boast having a final battle quite like this one! I have read comics for twenty-five years and have never seen anything like it! 

If you have never read a B.P.R.D. book before, I recommend picking up a bundle of trades and get in on a fantastic series before it all goes to hell!

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Movie News

Review: The Strange Talent of Luther Strode #6 (of 6)

This is the end of one of the coolest new books to be released from the Image stable in a long time! Jordan and Moore created something that was an all out gore filled slugfest! But the brutality of the book would have meant nothing if Jordan had not made us care so much about these characters right from the start! It was a true character piece that made you ponder just how a semi-introverted teenager would deal with the sudden onset of certain “talents.” But the best aspect, is how Jordan built a great cast of secondary characters that are as critical to the story as Luther Strode himself, sometimes even more so! The flesh rending and complete carnage that assaults you throughout, is just icing on the cake!

The series finale has Luther finally go toe to toe with the Librarian, not only for the life of his mother, but for the very humanity of Luther himself! What ensues, is one of the most insanely grotesque battles that I have ever seen in a comic series! At least Felipe Sobreiro only had to spend money on red paint this month! The tragic end of this tale will leave you thinking about how far things have spiraled out of control. A young man only wanted to be able to protect his mother from an abusive husband, what happens to him is horrific and shocking. Does the loss of our loved ones define who we will become or is it the sheer loss of our own humanity that will make us strive to be more than we ever were before? Either way, Luther will transcend all that he was at the beginning of this tale six issues ago! 

I will miss this book immensely, not just for the pure adrenaline rush of the over the top violence, but for the finely crafted characters as well. It will be tough knowing that I won’t be able to sit down each month with Pete and Petra and especially Luther, but I am thankful just to have met them in the first place!  I had the pleasure of meeting both Justin Jordan and Tradd Moore at last year’s NYCC, and these two complete opposite geniuses, will undoubtedly have more coming to us in the future about a certain Mr. Strode. But until October comes, and we can get our hands on The Legend of Luther Strode, just pull up a cozy chair and dive into a great medley of chaotic fun brought to you in the iconic Image way!

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Movie News Reviews

GameFest!: An Introduction to “The Art of Video Games”

The Art of Video Games: An Introduction

Smithsonian American Art Museum 2012

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:939:]]The Art of Video Games exhibit is the brain child of Chris Melissinos a veteran producer in the gaming industry who currently serves as Sun Microsystems’ Chief Evangelist and Chief gaming officer.  This exhibit showcases the AV art of gaming from its birth to current manifestation mostly through a multitude of TV and projection booth installations that not only displays the software, but the hardware as well.  This opening weekend is being supplemented by GameFest!, a three day festival featuring open game playing, live music inspired by gaming, movie screenings and panel discussions with current industry professionals.  The lineup of industry notables is quite impressive: Don Daglow, RJ Mical, Mike Mika, Rand Miller, Keith Robinson, Paul Barnett, Mark DeLoura, Ken Levine, Kelly Santiago, Nolan Bushnell, Hideo Kojima and Robin Hunicke. 

Recognition by the Smithsonian is clear evidence of gaming and gaming culture as a significant presence within American culture beyond some taboo cult.  Art is clearly in the eyes of the beholder and while today’s AAA games rival major Hollywood films in terms of production value, the fundamentals of combining malleable imagery with sound, music and text has been a part of the video game at every stage of its evolution.  When the status of “the observer” gets elevated to “the player” the impact of the art within a video game on the individual becomes much more tangible due to the level of interactivity with said art through mechanical control devices such as joysticks, gamepads, motion control and wireless motion tracking. 

The art of the video game represents a collision of creative activities, in and of themselves, considered to be art forms such as programming, drawing, orchestrating, acting, cinematography and writing.  As media entertainment is in constant flux due to the rapid development of technological capability, the video game is merely an additional link in the chain of communication that binds humanity together; linking the creator(s) with the rest of the world.  The potential for influential social commentary remains relatively untapped as video games have not become regularly referenced in the discourse of human behavior such as literature and the cinema.  However, the gaming industry seems to be heading in that direction as games become more cinematic in its pursuit of narrative synergy with the player.

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Movie News

Super Hero Squad Online: Update For March 17, 2012: Captain America

Squaddies Assemble!

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:938:]]With The Avengers movie approaching ever closer and a brand new comic on the shelves — Avengers Assemble, was there any question that the latest character to be released for Super Hero Squad Online would be the first Avenger! That’s right, the newest character is none other than — Captain America, Super Soldier! Draped in his WWII fighting uniform, pretty much the same one from the Captain America movie, you can now take the fight to the frontlines for a mere 600 gold! 

But having Cap join the ranks of your squad isn’t the only update for this week! S.H.S.O. has also released two new card quests that revolve around yet another classic Avenger — the Scarlett Witch! Each quest will set you back 200 gold, but it’s well worth it if you are looking to acquire some magic based cards for your decks!

But the best news from S.H.S.O. are the upcoming teasers they are sending to us! Coming soon, two more Avengers will be released to fans and they are amazing! First up will be everyone’s favorite archer — Hawkeye! Now you can take out a bevy of villains with a quiver of trick arrows! Secondly, we will see one of the most nostalgic characters come to the gaming world — ever! The original Iron Man suit, Iron Man MK I, will crash onto the screen in the upcoming months! And there is even more! The new loading screen also teases Scott Lang Ant-Man and everyone’s favorite android — the Vision! 

As releases continue, I will have full reports as to when and how you can grab all the latest updates for a great game that helps bring comic memories for parents and children alike! It’s Hero Up Time! 

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Movie News

Review: Suicide Squad #7

The “Hunt For Harley Quinn” storyline wraps up this issue with a dramatic conclusion that will leave you breathless! Not only that, Adam Glass gives us Harley’s secret origin in which we witness just how far one has to fall in order to survive life with the Joker!

Did someone say Joker? This book is the only place you can actually see more of the Joker than just his torn off face hanging on a wall! Not that you won’t see that flapping piece of flesh in this book either, because you will, but you are finally witness to The New 52 version of one of DC’s most maniacal villains. And the things he does to impress the girls is a little over the edge! 

But that is what this book is all about! Suicide Squad revolves around a cast of villains, recruited by Amanda Waller, to do jobs that are just too dirty for anyone else to do. And if they happen to get out of line? Boom!! The nano bombs in their blood explode into a fiery mess, leaving an opening on the squad for new blood. Adam Glass has taken the classic concept of this “team” book and thrown out the rule book! It is a viscous, brutal book teeming with excitement and, at times — hilarity! Glass really draws you into these characters. He creates an aura of desperation where not only do you want to see what the characters do best, in all it’s bloody glory, but you actually root for them to survive every mission. And that therein lies the rub! This book, especially this issue, sees a lot of characters perish from beginning frame to end panel. Some you are shocked by the demented way Glass achieves his goal, while others, characters we have grown quite fond of — we are completely astounded by! This book will rock you each and every month!

Adam Glass is as insane as his cast of characters and when you read this issue, you will completely agree with me! But that is what makes this book so damn fun! Crazy clowns, assassins, exploding heads, killer sharks and — the Joker! Everything you need for a cozy night in!

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Movie News

Review: Avengers Assemble #1

(Reader Warning: You MUST read Avengers #24 BEFORE you read this book! Unless, you haven’t been reading the Avengers books before this one!) 

 

The Marvel machine has began rolling yet again, and with The Avengers movie looming in the distance, did anyone believe they were not going to try to milk it for all its worth? We will be continually berated with Avengers-centric books for the next few months, and this book is just the tip of the iceberg! Since Bendis will be leaving his other two Avengers books after A vs. X, I guess Marvel couldn’t trust anyone else with their most precious baby, and gave him an all new series to forge into the future. But was it really worth creating a whole new series just to revolve around the characters in The Avengers movie? That’s debatable.

Was the story good? Sure. It was a very, “We love the Avengers and everything they do!” story. The publicly ostracized team from The Avengers and New Avengers no longer exists. They are media darlings yet again, the public loves them and the camaraderie between team members is at its highest. The team ups are fun and witty with an overwhelming feeling of classic Avengers stories, and you can’t help but feel the excitement come right off the page! The battle scenes are explosive and Bagley’s art is at the pinnacle of his talent! And together, Bendis and Bagley, have actually made the Zodiac come off as total bad asses! That is no small feet, my friends!

But does the great art and fun story really warrant a whole new series? No! Especially since this story has nothing to do with the current stories that are going on in any of the Avengers books or their off-shoots! “Dead” Thor is back in all his glory, the public outrage against the team has been squashed and everything seems to be as right as rain. This book should have come out in two weeks! At least that way the solo books and the other Avengers titles could have wrapped up their current storylines and this one would have made more sense. But we all know “time is money,” and Disney needs to see a little more green on the table from their acquisition!

All in all, this book is fun! And if you have never read an Avengers story before but wanted to check them out — this is the perfect book to do so! You will get all the excitement you have been waiting for wrapped up in a nice little package! But if you have been a long time Avengers fan, shelling out another four bucks to see a story that is a complete deviation from the current storylines — it might not be worth it. I, personally, thought it was a nice change of pace from the darker stories currently going on, but the break from continuity was quite irksome! Especially since I read this issue before Avengers #24! But let’s face it folks, this is just another money grab by Marvel and it doesn’t really matter what us fans think! They will give us what we want as long as they tell us what we want! Nuff‘ said!

For another take, read M.E. Byron Brewer’s review of “Avengers Assemble” #1!

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Movie News

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile for March 14th, 2012

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

( A weekly quick pick of the five titles that should reside at the top of your pull list. In no particular order!)

I do the research, you reap the reward! Before you head out to your favorite shop today, be sure to add these five titles to your list of goodies. Forget that apple a day nonsense, this “DOC’s” prescription for good health starts with these top five books of the week!

 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:869:]]1. Saga #1:  Brian K. Vaughan makes a triumphant return to comics with a book that is epic in scope and execution! Think Star Wars meets Romeo and Juliet within the world of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman! Told you it was epic!

2. Suicide Squad #7:  We get to see Harley Quinn’s full “New 52” origin in this one and it ain’t pretty, kids! Adam Glass pulls no punches and that’s perfectly fine by me!

3. Lobster Johnson: The Burning Hand #3 (of 5):  Our pulp hero has to confront the diabolical Black Flame! But Lobster may have been overconfident in his abilities as he watches an ally fall! Great book! 

4. Avengers #24:  This might have been a little too fast paced but it is still pretty damn good! Bendis finally reveals just how good ol’ Norman Osborn can take on the Avengers all on his own! Can anyone say, “Corn roll Hulk”?

5. Wolverine and the X-Men #7: Jason Aaron is insane! This book has a little bit of everything that no one would have ever put together! Plus, a new student will have to become something they have fought so hard to never become — a killer!

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Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: John Carter (2012)

The First Blockbuster of 2012?

A Film Review of John Carter

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:868:]]There’s something to be said about prior knowledge on the viewer’s part, Hollywood film adaptations of that prior knowledge and the resulting experience the viewer has at the theater.  There are very few film adaptations of popular licenses that I know absolutely nothing about before buying my ticket.  I knew nothing about the story of John Carter, its significance or the fact it was created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the man who invented Tarzan.  All I had was movie-trailer speculation and the assumption this film was some kind of science-fiction featuring a super-man (of sorts) being the main character who saves the day in some way.  Although these story elements have been done ad nauseam by Hollywood, it was enough to lure me to the theater.  Upon leaving the cinema, I could not help but think that if I was a member of the John Carter cult-club, I probably would have been much more impressed with what I saw.  I would have appreciated all the references, understood the character relations, accepted the dialogue and above all, forgiven the plot gaps.  It led me to conclude that my fan-boy tendencies for certain licensed adaptations actually led to fluffier interpretations rather than meticulous scrutiny.  This fact is the reason why I didn’t absolutely loathe some film adaptations that are often berated for being, generally speaking, terrible: (the first) Resident Evil and Green Lantern.  My esteemed colleague at CBN, Mr. Chris Bushley, often jokes with me that my film criticism is too tough and causes me to “hate” every movie.  To that I say thee “NAY!” but my weakness as a fan-boy will be expunged with better efficiency to leave the fluff at the door in future reviews of films I’m personally anticipating.  As of now, The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises are officially put on notice.   

As for John Carter (the film) there’s a very specific reason why it is being promoted as “the first blockbuster of 2012.”  It happens to be the same reason why it is being released in March, a full two months prior to the beginning of the actual blockbuster season in May.  The reason is because John Carter cannot compete with the actual blockbusters of the summer.  It doesn’t have the star power, it doesn’t have the spectacle and it doesn’t have the compelling story.  Sure, John Carter looks good on paper: pretty boy with abs as lead?  Check.  Sexy babe?  Check.  Action and explosions?  Check.  Aliens and plenty of CG?  Check.  Mickey Mouse’s bottomless pockets to bankroll.  Double check!   John Carter proves that there is no such thing as a “sure thing,” and despite having no significant competition at the box office, it was no match for the previous week’s incumbent champion: The Lorax (a Dr. Seuss animated film well before the beginning of Easter season when these films tend to dominate).  This movie had a production budget estimated at around $250 million and yielded a paltry $30 million on its opening weekend with guaranteed diminishing returns every additional day it spends in theaters.  This is not the kind of money that gets spent on a film that barely approaches a cult following, and the mouse is frowning atop his gigantic golf ball in Orlando.  The two main culprits are 1) Bad marketing (films like Super 8 can clearly relate) and 2) Bad filmmaking (ahem, Green Lantern). 

Word of mouth can play a role in sales for any film, but its only real affect tends to put well made, well reviewed films that much more over the top (see Harry Potter films and Avatar).  The fact that nobody’s talking about John Carter is as damning as negative commentary, both of which you can blame squarely on Disney and Buena Vista for barely making half the promotional effort it consistently makes for all its animated features.  The most impressive thing about this entire project was the teaser trailer that was released last year because it built up the whole mystery of some prophesized messiah on an unknown world theme; none of which was actually part of the story in John Carter.  Disney has some kind of major malfunction with selling live action/adventure/sci-fi because the brand of the mouse can, IN NO WAY, be blemished by the stain of excessive violence, graphic content and adult situations.  For all the cool things that came with the Tron franchise — from experimental filmmaking, to “digital” effects, to thought provoking story and philosophy, those films did not blow the box office away, and the fact that the mouse has no interest in getting down in the mud to wrestle with the elephants (not commit to harder PG-13 types of stories) must be a factor and is worth discussing.  John Carter is so eerily reminiscent of Tron in just about every way save for one: Everything you see in JC has been done before, EVERYTHING. 

Writer-director Andrew Stanton teamed up with Mark Andrews to create the screenplay adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ A Princess of Mars.  My special note to the reader: “Get to know your writers!” because understanding why a film flies or fails begins with the authors/adapters.  Stanton’s writing credits include Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Monster’s Inc., and Finding Nemo, while Andrews is coming from Samurai Jack and Star Wars: Clone Wars.  Knowing this is particularly interesting seeing how the story of John Carter is laid out and executed in a manner befitting most cartoons: rapidly, without explanation and requiring a healthy amount of faith and acceptance to get through it.  One of Syd Field’s rules to screenwriting suggests that the writer ought to begin the story of the script as close to or interrupting the action as possible.  This creates a hook, without which an audience can be lost to disinterest.  The problem with John Carter’s story is that the only thing that exists in the beginning of the film is the hook with zero foundation in establishing the character, why he exists where he exists, why he behaves a certain way and just what the heck is driving him.  Before the audience learns anything relevant or sympathetic about John, BOOM, he’s on Mars and the rest of the time the audience is just playing catch up. 

John is constantly (and literally) bounding about from one group of characters to the next because he’s caught up in a storm of confusion, which would be interesting if the “fish out of water” angle wasn’t so conveniently and effortlessly dealt with by the biggest BS plot device this side of “midichlorians.”  In the mean time, all these other people John interacts with are very casually introduced because their visual stereotypes are meant to tell their whole stories: green people with tusks and loincloths are “savage,” less cultured, tribes-people while humanoids dressed like the cast of 300 who use technology are the ruling class.   There are no camp-fire, getting-to-know-you scenes that clearly identify and engage the main characters into each other’s conflicts.  The constant need for walking, riding, shooting, flying, etc. from one place to the other simply does not permit this film’s own story to connect to the audience.  The entire plot’s structure plays out like four, half-hour episodes of a cartoon series strung together.  Stanton and Andrews did not even write this live action/sci-fi adaptation like their successful cartoons as they were clearly going for Star Wars, but in their haste to project a plot arc for an entire trilogy they managed to misplace all sense of character, adding to the overall irrelevance of the story and the absurd manner in which it was presented. 

The action, digital graphics and effects are all but carbon-copied from the Star Wars prequel trilogy.  Even John’s ability to jump like MJ on space-aged cocaine-steroids starts off as moderately annoying and ends up being blandly overused.  There is nothing visceral, or even “super” about it.  ‘Nuff said.

When the core of your cast is transplanted from a film of the past noteworthy for its inability to meet expectations (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), this doesn’t traditionally bode well for most films.  Thankfully Lynn Collins (previously Kayla Silverfox, now Princess Dejah Thoris) holds up her end of lead acting responsibility.  Picture Megan Fox with less plastic on her body and face with a brain and talent and this only begins to describe Lynn Collins as an actress.  Although she is called upon to engage in some swordplay and fisticuffs, the most impressive aspect of her performance was her dialogue.  Who knew authentic Martians spoke with an English accent?  Regardless, Collins is quite flawless, featuring a level of speaking proficiency that can only be harnessed at institutions like Julliard and being cast in numerous Shakespearean stage plays.  It goes without saying that she is simply breathtaking to look at on the screen, but as seductive as she is both visually and vocally, Dejah Thoris (as a character) doesn’t do much beyond prototypical warrior-princess activity.  The past 10 years have seen women that play “the babe” in action films have a more action-oriented role to place them on par with their male leads.  However, it’s starting to get a little dull if all these women do is throw a few punches only to be waiting to be saved in the end.  Collins’ performance produced undeniable girl-power infused with a regal respectability, but unfortunately it ends there as her inability to generate sparks with John Carter highlights every romantic scene with the high-beams of awkwardness.

The male leads stand in stark contrast to Lynn Collins’ quality performance as captured by the camera.  Mark Strong (previously Sinestro, now Matai Shang) is John Carter’s big bad, and the man seems to be all too comfortable with playing the villain in just about every film he has been cast.  Far too little is revealed about his character to the audience to effectively break down his performance because I couldn’t tell you if acting like a monotone devil showing little (if any) emotion of any sort was the appropriate choice for that character.  That is exactly what Strong delivered and although he did a fine job doing so, I prefer my villains to be a lot more dynamic than that. 

This leads us to Taylor Kitsch (previously Gambit, now John Carter) who plays JC himself: a former soldier in the Confederate army, turn gold prospector, who has a way with Native Americans, a knack for combat and a penchant for getting into trouble.  Oh, and he seems to have a permanent case of male PMS.   As I mentioned before, the details of the plot are few and far between in explaining the “what’s”, “where’s” and “why’s,” but are even less when filtering the plot through John Carter’s eyes.  In fact, without dialogue in the script specifically telling the audience about Carter’s past, there’s nothing in Kitsch’s performance that shows he’s a southerner, a soldier, or a man of ANY former level of respectability.  Kitsch doesn’t speak with a southern accent, displays no form of period specific sword play technique when combating and shows no evidence of being former military by his demeanor or dialogue.  Kitsch’s John Carter comes off like some vagabond cowboy who is consistently pissed off, doesn’t care at all for authority and only has one thing on his mind: gold.  Of course, these are all explained away by the story about 20 minutes before the final credits roll, but better choices in performance could have reconciled such a lackluster rationale.  Kitsch does fine with his character’s physicality, but struggles with even simple dialogue.  I feel like I catch Kitsch thinking when he says his lines rather than simply being in character and speaking organically. 

Push comes to shove, people who know the John Carter mythos will appreciate this movie because they will understand everything they see and everything they hear.  I got about 50% of it while completely losing interest in the other half.  This is not an adaptation that seeks a solid, fictional foundation that any viewer can find relatable or intriguing, which is a shame because the world of John Carter is much more exotic than what this film portrays and it shows at the box office.

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Movie News

Super Hero Squad Online: It’s Hero Up Time! March Update #2! Pure Elektra!

Squaddies Assemble!

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:836:]]

Super Hero Squad Online has been really pushing the “street” level characters as of late, and yesterday saw yet another one make their dynamic debut! For the sale price of a mere 300 gold pieces, you can get your grubby little hands on — “Pure Elektra!”

Stemming from the pages of Daredevil, this white costumed vigilante had her soul purified when Daredevil attempted to revive her from the dead using Hand magic. Though the attempt failed at the time, when she did return in the “Fall From Grace” storyline (DD vol.1 #319- 325) it was with this new white attire! What a totally cool looking character!

Although Elektra is my daughter’s favorite character in the game, “Because she can ‘double-jump’ dad!” I am not too sure we are going to pick this one up! Since the “normal” Elektra is already ours, are there any differences that the “Pure Elektra” character can bring to the table besides the white costume? The description of the new character just states, “She can become camouflage in winter conditions.” Wait, what?! I really wish they would let you know some attributes to the characters before you shell out some hard earned gold for them! If anyone does get this character, drop us a line in the comments below and tell us what you think!

With all the recent “street” related themes going on, “Lil Thunder” and I are curious to see if there might not be another “white” costumed vigilante coming soon. So, c’mon Marvel, we want — Moon Knight! Nuff’ said!

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Movie News

Review: Swamp Thing #7

Swamp Thing is a character that has a certain aura about it. Never a forerunner for DC, it was always a cult classic, something hidden from the mainstream — something secret. It was that same sense of taboo that let creators open their minds up to new possibilities for the character, the shackles of bigger named characters never restrained their work.  They were free to create a vast array of situations, ones that challenged the status quo. And so, in the eyes of many, he was a character that surpassed his more well known brethren.

But now, in the capable hands of Scott Snyder, Swamp Thing and it’s fans no longer need to stay a secret. The playing field has been leveled and Swamp Thing has emerged as the quintessential book to read every month! The legend of what was, has now become a legend in it’s own time!

Swamp Thing #7 brings Alec Holland’s quest to stop the Rot to a drastic conclusion. The Parliament of Trees has been torn apart, dying, they curse Alec for his indecision and save him long enough to prolong his own death. But it is not out of mercy that they stave off his attackers, they only extend his life in order to extend his agony. How did things go so wrong and how will they be rectified? The only thing left to change the course of the inevitable — war!

Disturbing and yet wholly satisfying, Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette have created a utopia of the macabre! A wretched symphony of story and art that will completely assault and astound you! I am so pleased that DC had the foresight to open up genres again that challenged the status quo of “super hero” comics. Snyder and Paquette have created a book that, without a doubt, will go down as one of the classics in comic history. It is so visceral, moving and appalling at the same time, challenging the reader to diversify their tastes of what “normal” books can be. 

Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire are on a collision course against the Rot! The Swamp Thing and Animal Man crossover is looming before us and it all begins here! 

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Movie News

Review: Age Of Apocalypse #1

Ripping from the pages of Rick Remender’s Uncanny X-Force, comes a new tale of everyone’s favorite alternate timeline — Age Of Apocalypse!

The 90’s are back in full swing and I am loving it! Set a decade after the events of the original A.O.A. storyline that rocked the mutant world, this timeline is far worse off than we have ever seen! Weapon Omega has inherited the Apocalypse seed and now Wolverine is far more tyrannical than Apocalypse ever was! Mutantkind has finally won over mankind and the war amongst themselves has become more vicious than anyone could have imagined. A caste system has emerged and every mutant is now judged worthy or unworthy of even the most common rights. As the dystopian cities crumble even further and mutant eats mutant, it is the perfect time for the all human rebellion to begin. One that will be led by — The X-Terminated!

Although the “kick-off” storyline to this book was originally helmed by fan fave Rick Remender in the pages of Uncanny X-Force, David Lapham brings a depth to the story that makes this a completely engrossing read! Told from the first person perspective of Harper Simmons, a reporter from the Marvel 616 that was teleported to the A.O.A., we get to see and hear all the horrific deeds from the angle of an outsider; someone who can compare the atrocities to events in his own world. It is that same perspective that can allow casual readers of the new series to feel vested in the story and stay focused on what is unfolding before them. And what unfolds is astonishing!

The X-Terminated crew are some of the coolest looking characters that have come out in a long time! Normal humans that only rely on their strength of will, extensive training, weapons and guile to bring the fight for freedom to their mutant oppressors — this team is completely bad ass! But it’s not just the creation of cool characters that moves the story to new heights, it is the focus on detail, the melding of classic A.O.A. characters and situations and the overall richness of story that Lapham brings to the table. Combined with , one of my favorite artists, Roberto de La Torre’s brutally aggressive art, this book will be an instant fan favorite. And speaking of de La Torre’s art, it was a complete joy to see him render Daredevil again, or should I say Keeper Murdock!

This is a great book with a completely shocking reveal at the end! If you haven’t read the original A.O.A. stories, or especially Uncanny X-Force #19.1, you may become lost with all the content within the book. But there is enough action and intrigue woven in that you can probably work your way through with out a hitch. 

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Movie News

Review: Animal Man #7

Steve Pugh makes his triumphant return to Animal Man after a seventeen year hiatus! 

Jeff Lemire and Travel Foreman have created a brilliant book that pushes the boundaries of what is to be expected of a comic book. Every month, this dramatic team has crafted something more awe inspiring than the last. Now, sadly, we are given the last issue that Travel Foreman will draw for Animal Man. For personal reasons, that we detailed in an article before, Travel will be stepping in on art chores for Birds of Prey. Though I wish him luck on his new endeavor, I will sorely miss his distinct style. 

Now, on to the book! This has been one of my favorite issues so far. While being on the run from the pursuing Rot, we get the chance to feel the family dynamic of the Bakers. From the mother-in-law’s speech about how insane all of their lives have become, to the bond that resides between Buddy and his son; Lemire has truly brought a weight to these characters that makes us genuinely fear for their lives. The sense of dread is palpable on every page, but it is the dream sequence that makes this issue truly stand out! Being a huge Vertigo fan, I was overjoyed at the characters used to portray the horrific future that awaits our hero and his family. Especially a certain mage with a smoking addiction!

Lemire has set his Animal Man on a collision course with Scott Snyder’s Swamp Thing and the winner will be all of us! Horror books have never been done this well before! Smart, engaging and repulsive all at the same time, Animal Man will instantly become one of your top books every month.  

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Movie News

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile for March 7th, 2012

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

(A weekly quick pick of the five titles that should reside at the top of your pull list. In no particular order!)

 

I do the research, you reap the reward! Before you head out to your favorite shop today, be sure to add these five titles to your list of goodies. Forget that apple a day nonsense, this “DOC’s” prescription for good health starts with these top five books of the week!

 

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1.  Supurbia #1 (of 4):  BOOM! Studios new mini about the inner workings of a super hero community and all the secrets it holds, hits stands today! Be one of the first to get a glimpse of how “real” things can get! Check out my advanced review here for all the details!

2.  Animal Man #7:  Jeff Lemiere’s tale of Buddy Baker’s quest against the demonic Rot, has been some of the best stories on the shelves each month! But this issue’s dream sequence brings some very Vertigo-esque characters into the fold, bald Constantine anyone?

3. Swamp Thing #7:  Alec Holland has failed the Parliament of Trees and now all is lost! Unless, there is a way to summon the Swamp Thing! Scott Snyder’s collision course with Jeff Lemiere’s Animal Man takes a giant leap in this issue!

4. Age Of Apocalypse #1:  Stemming from the pages of Rick Remender’s Uncanny X-Force, A.O.A., follows the quest of the X-Terminated against the tyrannical Weapon Omega! Any A.O.A. fan must get this book! The final page reveal is worth it alone!

5. Fairest #1:  From the pages of Fables, Bill Willingham’s new book that focuses on the fairer sex debuts today! Any Fables fan will thoroughly enjoy the tales of characters that have been lost from the regular series. Plus, cosmic fans will definitely recognize the inker — Andy Lanning!

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Movie News

It’s Hero Up Time! Super Hero Squad Online March 5th Update!

Squaddies Assemble!

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:794:]]That’s right Squaddies, February gave us a ton of updates for our favorite MMO geared for our little ones, and now it looks like March is going to be much of the same! I actually received an e-mail from Super Hero Squad Online on March 1st regarding it’s new update, but it has been quite hectic here at the CBN offices as of late! So without further ado, here we go!

After logging in, you will see a box on the left hand side of the screen that says: Redeem A Code. Enter the word “GOODIES” into the box and your account will be credited with a vast array of treats. You will receive one of each of the following in game consumables: STINK BOMB, WINTER STORM, RAISE THE ROOF, PLASMA ORB, HOLIDAY LIGHT SHOW and the ever popular — HERO UP(LEVEL UP) POTION! Now, these little treats can only be used in the main boards of The Daily Bugle, Villainville, The Baxter Building or Asgard; not on missions! But they are fun all the same! It’s a nice little way to make the main boards more interesting and the best part is — THEY ARE ALL FREE! If you really enjoy any of these goodies in particular, they can all be purchased in the shopping center for a few silver pieces, but that HERO UP(LEVEL UP) POTION will cost you some gold! But if you really need to level up one character quickly, it’s the fastest way to do it!

So Squaddies, if you have any new codes or updates you would like to share with your fellow heroes, head on over to the forums and let us know! And please make sure your codes are up to date — there are enough sites putting up out dated codes out there! Here at CBN, we only give out the good stuff!

Head on over to to heroup.com to play!

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Movie News

Advanced Review: Supurbia #1 (of 4)

Our good friends over at BOOM! Studios have kindly sent the CBN offices copies of their newest mini-series — Supurbia!

This mini is being dubbed as, “The Real Housewives” of super hero comics, but I sincerely hold it in much higher regard than that. Yes, they both have predominantly female casts and have a suburban setting, but the similarities end there. Where the mind numbing T.V. series revolves around high class tramps and their petty fights, Supurbia gives you an engrossing look into the lives of super hero families in a community where they can feel safe to be who they truly are. Their secrets and sins unfold before us as we follow the cast of players from the super team, Meta Legion, through a normal day. But as Eve and Robert, a.k.a. Bulldog, White get introduced into the welcoming arms of the community, something sinister lurks within the confines of this safe haven. Something that will threaten to destroy them all!

I found this book to be a wonderful amalgam of the “real life” super hero style, that has become so popular as of late, and classic Fantastic Four tales of family dynamics. It also has all the typical archetypes that readers can instantly familiarize themselves with. The roles of the omnipotent super being, wealthy billionaire, powerful Amazonian warrior, reformed super villain, scientific genius, battled scarred icon and sidekick turned lead character are all there for us to ponder and appreciate. But Grace Randolph doesn’t just fall back on the tried and true versions of these archetypes, she spins fresh ideas into them and pushes the envelope of what these super heroes might be like for “real.” For instance, Batu a warrior princess, has her family hunt for their meals and is emotionally detached from her son because men, in her eyes, are too weak to be bothered with. Alexis Fritsche, the wife of the billionaire Night Fox, finds out a disturbing secret between her husband and his sidekick, one that could ruin the Fritsche Foundation’s reputation. The situations Randolph drops her characters into are humorous, insightful, disturbing and above all else — “real.” She easily entrances you into the world she has created in a mere 32 pages, fleshing out all the players to make you feel vested in them instead of an eavesdropper on the outskirts of her ideas. Russell Dauterman’s art is fun and engaging, bringing the perfect feel to Randolph’s unique tale. It is playful, yet dangerous — a true treat for the eyes!

If you are looking for something that gives you a closer look into the lives of super heroes when the gloves come off — this is the perfect book for you! It is fast paced and provocative, making you re-think the status quo of the comic book genre. Supurbia may look like a fluff piece from the outside but it is a hearty story from cover to cover. So, check out the world of Supurbia — it’s scandalous!

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Movie News

Your Replacement For Comic Book Men On Sunday Night — Full Metal Jousting!

From Blah To — Bang!

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:789:]]If you are like me, and are looking for something that can satiate the hunger for more action after The Walking Dead on Sunday nights, I have just the thing for you — Full Metal Jousting!

Instead of wasting an hour of your life watching Kevin Smith’s lackluster series, Comic Book Men, turn to The History Channel and check out something that will get your adrenaline pumping! If you enjoy medieval weaponry, A Knight’s Tale or dudes getting the hell knocked out of them, you have to check out this series. It is testosterone personified!

Starting at 10p.m. Eastern, Full Metal Jousting, is a stylized “game show” where sixteen men are divided into teams of eight and choose their steeds that will lead them into battle. From varying backgrounds, these men are trained on jousting fundamentals by some of the best jousters in the world. From push-ups, getting hammered with a battering ram and actually getting slammed with an aluminum baseball bat as they ride, these guys go through it all! Finally, through a series of jousts, the teams will eventually be whittled down until only two men remain. Those two final “knights” will battle to see who will be the $100,000 winner and general badass extraordinaire! 

Though there is the normal “reality” show set-up, where everyone lives in the same household, the general teaching of jousting and the battles, more than make up for the fraternity drama. Especially, when the jousters gear up into their ancient Iron Man suits of armor! Over eighty pounds of metal, it takes socket wrenches and screw drivers to harness the warriors into their suits, and you have to check out their helmets! It looks like Iron Man vs. Dr.Fate on horses! Too cool! 

So, if you have an itchy remote finger after The Walking Dead on AMC, turn on over to The History Channel and have your ten o’clock hour go from blah to bang! Blood, guts and suits of armor await you this Sunday night, where one knight takes a trip to the hospital after being smashed off his horse! Full Metal Jousting may not be comic related, but it sure as hell beats five guys talking about which version of Catwoman they would rather have sex with. I hope they don’t get any paper cuts! Ouch!

“Full Metal Jousting” airs Sundays at 10/9c.

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Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Act Of Valor (2012)

An Act of Valor is the Call of Duty

A Film Review of Act of Valor

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

           

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:786:]]If for some reason the title of this film review is somewhat confusing, let me be quite clear.  Act of Valor is the unofficial Call of Duty (Modern Warfare) film adaptation.  It takes all but five minutes into this film to realize this, but then I kind of got that impression by identifying the major demographic that populated the theater as I searched for my seat: males 13-18.  Which is exactly the kind of people the US military covets among all else because war films are just about as old as filmmaking, and to this day they serve agendas beyond shear entertainment; namely glorification and recruitment.  It’s not just the fact that this film has to do with contemporary warfare that has young men marching to the theaters.  I believe it’s because of this film’s strong visual connection with Call of Duty style videogames and the “game-ification” of the violence in war from said games that accounts for the attraction.  I seriously doubt that anyone in the audience not named Lawrence Napoli would have any interest in sitting through a war film like Patton (1970 – and one of the greatest films [war or otherwise] of all time).  In that regard, I almost disqualify Act of Valor as a “war film” because it does not contain a traditional narrative, doesn’t feature any unique characters and is quite disciplined in its action sequences not going “over the top.”  Act of Valor is a war simulation film in that it delivers a dramatic (yet fictional) slice of life of the exceptional American operators who are proficient at more than just doing calisthenics and chilling out on American bases.  These men exist to kill the enemy (accent on KILL), and American security and the rule of global law and order are better served because of their efforts.

I was quite satisfied with the action throughout this film, but the viewer better be okay with a healthy dose of the first person perspective.  If not, you may find this film a bit off-putting.  Every action sequence cuts to this camera angle on multiple occasions, but the editors mix in enough traditional dolly, crane and steady-cam shots to dissuade motion sickness.  No, this isn’t a modern warfare version of Paranormal Activity, but be prepared when the bullets start flying.  And speaking of those bullets, everything about the gunplay from the setup to the engagement and execution of the enemy on screen is the very definition of professionalism.  Of course, one would expect that of active duty Navy SEALs, but doing it in real life is different than doing it for entertainment.  Authenticity is this film’s number one strength and it really shines through not just in the action, but in the subtle yet effective performances of the SEALs themselves.  There’s no “Mother Goose” this (from Top Gun) or “saving Private Ryan” that in how the men address each other on and off mission.  Their dialogue comes off as casual and matter of fact despite the downtime between explosions and body counts.  Perhaps what is most amazing about these soldiers is despite their destructive force, they have an ability to “flip the switch off” for each other and their families.  Although this dichotomy is not explored fully (only hinted at towards the beginning of the film) it exists to show that these types of people are as real as the sacrifices some make on the ever changing and unforgiving battlefield.

An interesting fact about this film is that it is surprisingly removed from the typical big dollars of Hollywood studios which seem to go hand in hand with films that feature huge effects, big explosions, cool looking vehicles and well choreographed action.  The distributors for Act of Valor are an amalgam of companies from Canada, Turkey, Singapore, India, Thailand, Switzerland and yes, also the USA (thank you Relativity Media).  This is quite interesting seeing how this film is very American-centric as being identified as “the good guys,” and I wonder if every country of origin for those distributors maintains that sentiment within its respective populations.  Countries like the UK may be partners in the global anti-terrorist initiative, but seeing this film will not inspire the British to pump their chests and get fired up about contributing to the cause.  This film has that exact effect on Americans so I would challenge any up and coming investigative journalist to track the money that funded Act of Valor beyond the distributors because it is an effective piece of propaganda.  Let’s just say that I would not be surprised to find a Pentagon bank account at the end of that chain.  At the very least, the military brass must have given the SEALs permission to be movie stars for however long the production took.  It’s not like they could fit in a few hours of film shooting at their leisure after working their day jobs.   

Do you want to know another area where this film channels Call of Duty directly?  The general plot seems to have been a direct composite of every game’s story.  The bad guys in Call of Duty are one of or a combination of Nazis, Russians or terrorists.  Act of Valor doesn’t exactly throw me a curve by featuring a Makirov wanna-be who converts to extremist Islam and uses his Russian connections to proliferate his own personal brand of terror.  My boy Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw over at The Escapist and Zero Punctuation could easily copy/paste his comedic criticism of Modern Warfare 3 and have it apply to Act of Valor’s cookie-cutter story.  The rest of this non-linear tale fills out with standard issue “this is the plan to kill the bad guys,” “the killing of the bad guys,” rinsing and repeating save for one area of intrigue that does not get explained in the script.  The Russian/Muslim bad guy uses neither Russians nor Arabs as recruits for his agents of death and it raises a very significant point about the current state of the “war on terror.”  The entire Third World is a hotbed for terrorist recruitment, and that message hasn’t exactly been front page material in the American media as evidenced by most of its video coverage concerning terrorist activity being siphoned off of Al Jazeera’s network.  Had this film delved more into this issue, it certainly would have been much more intelligent in exposing the truth that the face of terror knows no ethnicity, creed or country of origin. 

As for the acting . . . well like I said earlier, it’s mostly authentic soldier type back and forth along with the prescribed level of military terminology, acronyms and jargon.  However, don’t expect any moving performances outside of “fragging out!” because you won’t find it.  Even the Hollywood performers that fill in the non-SEAL roles like Roselyn Sanchez (what the heck is she doing in this film?) can’t deliver much due to limitations of the story.  The SEALs are the true stars and their acting ability, though filled with effort, lacks.  The best scene in the entire movie is between the SEAL interrogator and Christo; equal parts amusing, frightening and dramatic.

Act of Valor is “the number one movie in America” the same way every action film manages to attain that title so don’t go see this movie because it happens to be trending right now.  I would, however, recommend this film to anyone that wants a glimpse of more authentic military activity, how the responsibilities of the US armed forces are distinctly global in nature and the numerous differences between “operators” and “grunts.”  The action is solid, the story is basic and a message of duty, sacrifice, brotherhood and determination holds it all together.  Hawks will love Act of Valor.  Doves will not.

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Movie News

It’s Hero Up Time! A Look At The Marvel Super Hero Squad MMO

Squaddies Assemble!

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

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For those of us who grew up reading comics, it gave us a passion that few hobbies could ever rival. One that followed us from awkward teenage years through adulthood, and now we get the chance to see our beloved hobby take on a whole new meaning in the eyes of our children. What better way to bond with them than to sit and read about the very same heroes we cherished as children ourselves. My four year old daughter and I love hanging out and reading Marvel’s Wizard Of Oz series, and especially, DC’s Tiny Titans. And now we have discovered, I know this has been around for awhile but she’s only four, another way to enjoy our shared interests — Marvel’s Super Hero Squad Online! 

A scaled down MMO, S.H.S.O., is a great way to have your children interact with not only the characters they read about, but other fans as well. A free and safe environment, the game lets you take control of your favorite heroes and have them traverse four different locales to find coins, tickets and character balloons that will help “level up” your characters. You can also go on missions to defeat villains and earn experience points, battle players in Pokemon style card games, go shopping for other heroes and swag, decorate your very own headquarters from paint to furniture and even visit the arcade to play exclusive mini games! All in all, it’s a great time! 

You can become a Jr. S.H.I.E.L.D. member for a monthly fee, there are varying degrees and benefits, or just play for free! Whichever way you do it, it’s guaranteed fun! 

My new “Squaddies Assemble” article, will let you know when updates occur to the game. Since there have been so many this month, I will put them in random numerical order:

1.  Released for Valentine’s Day, you can now get Daredevil and Elektra card games for around two hundred gold each!

2.  Villain’s Fury booster packs were available for a limited time for free using the code: VillainsFury!

3.  Just in time for his horrible sequel, Ghost Rider is now available for purchase! He will set you back 1,200 gold but he is AWESOME!

4.  The new classic Daredevil, in original red and yellow costume, is now available for only 350 gold!

5.  Not to be outshone by his more heroic nemesis, the Bullseye mission is now available for purchase for a mere 200 gold coins!

6.  February is definitely “street” themed, and who is more street than — The Punisher! 600 gold will get you cartoon Frank Castle, aw yeah!

7.  Sale of the century! Classic Daredevil, Scarlet Witch, Mr. Fantastic, Valkyrie and, everyone’s favorite, Nova are all on sale for 300 gold!

8.  Now your Squaddies have a voice of their own! Helmed by most of the voice talents from The Super Hero Squad Show, all your characters can now talk!

(Update! Just yesterday S.H.S.O. gave us two brand new updates for Leap Day! Luke Cage is now available for purchase for 300 gold [the cheapest regular priced character ever!] and a new Kingpin mission is available for 200 gold! I told you anything can happen on Leap Day!)

With some very big months ahead for Marvel, I think they have some movies coming out or something, there is just no telling what updates will occur for this fantastic game. But rest assured, the “DOC” and “Lil’ Thunder” will be here to keep you informed of everything! So stop reading this, call your little super heroes together and head on over to HeroUp.com for some great family fun!

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Movie News

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile for February 29th, 2012

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

(A weekly quick pick of the five titles that should reside at the top of your pull list. In no particular order!)

 

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I do the research, you reap the reward! Before you head out to your favorite shop today, be sure to add these five books to your list of goodies. Forget that apple a day nonsense, this “DOC’s” prescription to good health begins with these top five books of the week!

1.  Moon Knight #10:  Echo is dead, Moon Knight is in a hospital under police custody and Madame Masque has set her sights on retrieving the stolen Ultron armor! This book may be going out, but Bendis is definitely having it go out with a — BANG!

2.  Invincible #89:  Invincible goes Ultimate Spidey style with this one and the status quo will never be the same again! Kirkman brings the cosmic back to the forefront — at least one company does! Check out the full review.

3.  The Walking Dead #94:  Kirkman does it again and sets us all up for a world of hurt! Is Jesus truly a peace bringer or a “piece” bringer? Only time will tell but it all starts here! Check ou my full review for more speculation! Full review!

4.  Tiny Titans #49:  The penultimate book of the Eisner award winning series by Art Baltazar and Franco! The all “Squishy” issue is the perfect read for parents and children that incorporates current storylines into their banter. Like how Beast Boy and Robin discuss how Superman no longer wears “red undies” on his costume! Aw Yeah Titans!

5.  Justice League #6:  This is the best of the best and the type of story that reminds us how good comics can be! Plus, a back up story featuring Pandora and The Phantom Stranger! Does Pandora look a little familiar to anyone else or is it just me? Maybe I’m just over Zealous! Check out my review here!

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Movie News

Advanced Review: Justice League #6

There is only one word that can be used to properly describe Justice League #6. It is a word that I have only used once before to review a book. It is a word that has lost it’s impact in recent years, becoming a type of catchphrase in social media, used by people that cannot see it’s true scope. By definition it means:

1. A literary or dramatic composition that resembles an extended narrative poem, celebrating the feats of a legendary or traditional hero. 2. Surpassing the usual or ordinary, particularly in scope or size. 3. Heroic and impressive in quality.

Geoff Johns and Jim Lee have brought together the Justice League for the first time — once again! Few of us remember the original origins of the Justice League, but no one will forget it the second time around! Darkseid has conquered many planets before and now he has his sights on earth. He says he is here for “her” and will stop at nothing to obtain his goal. He would have destroyed us easily, if not for the seven strangers that have aligned themselves to stand against him. Now they will stop at nothing to send Darkseid back to where he came from!

The scope of this tale is the exact reason why I started reading comics! The adrenaline, the art, the characterization and the pure heroism that leaves you breathless; these are the things that capture the soul of the comics industry! A whispered cheer escapes your lips as Superman slams into Darkseid. Amazement glazes over your eyes as Cyborg finds that he is more than the sum of his mechanical parts. And euphoria floods every pore of your body as the Justice League stands before you, and their adoring public, for the first time. An unstable team of individuals that would die for the very world they call home. It is “super hero” comics at it’s finest hour, spinning glimpses of nostalgia into something amazing for the future. One that I hope will see Johns and Lee teaming together for a very long time!

So, to return to my original statement, the only word that can describe, not only the sum of the book but every individual page, is — EPIC!      

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Movie News

Advanced Review: The Walking Dead #94

Our good friends at Image have once again graced us with an advanced look at one of the best books on the shelves each and every month — The Walking Dead

Issue 94 brings us part two of the” A Larger World” storyline, in which a man named Jesus has offered to extend a hand of peace and trade to Rick and his community. But can Rick really trust someone who trounced two of his best fighters all in the name of peace? Maybe, maybe not, but this one man will surely change the outcome of the lives they have been leading thus far.

Kirkman has been on a slow burn lately, setting the pieces of his creation in exact placement for something big to happen. And the character of Jesus will be the catalyst for either misery or happiness! Andrea has quite the ominous speech in this issue about who has survived, so ominous in fact that you cringe as she is speaking — wishing she had never opened her mouth. Moments such as this is exactly why this book has been so good for so long. Kirkman can dredge up emotions in readers so effortlessly that you forget you are reading a comic book. Carl’s complete emotional numbness for human life is so jarring that it almost seems he is no longer human himself. One can only ponder the amount of emotional damage this young boy is riddled with, and fear what he could do to “protect” the ones around him. Fear, contempt — and especially with this issue — trust all come into play making you ponder, as Rick does, the ability to have faith in another persons motives. In a world that has done away with rules and most courtesies, can you openly trust someone you don’t know, or for that matter, someone you thought you knew? 

With Rick, Andrea, Michonne, Glen (and a surprise guest) escorting Jesus to the “Hilltop,” there is no one left at the community to stop Abraham from executing his own plans – plans that will remove Rick from a seat of power and leave Abraham as the new “leader.” With issue 100 looming off in the distance, one can only ponder the possibilities Kirkman has up his sleeve. Will Abraham take this opportunity to overthrow his “friend” or will Jesus do it for him? Will the community actually befriend another town and create a barter system that will benefit everyone? Whatever it is, Kirkman will surely leave us agape with shock as he always does! And with only four original characters left from issue one, I fear the worst!

As Sean Connery once said, “Jesus was a carpenter!” but he never knew this Jesus — and he is badass!
 

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Movie News Reviews

The 2012 Oscars: Results and Opinions

The State of Hollywood

2012 Oscar Fallout

 

(Editor’s Note: CBN’s movie reviewer, Lawrence Napoli, offers his views and opinions on the movie biz in his column, “The State Of Hollywood.”)

 

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So the 2012 Academy Awards are here to celebrate the previous year’s best examples of filmmaking. You’ll excuse me right now if I’ll just give a nice big yawn for boredom because the cold hard fact is that this past year doesn’t even come close to matching the excellence of 2011’s lineup.  There were so many well made films that year that had such high entertainment value that I was compelled to see every single one of them.  How many of the nominees for this year’s Oscars have I been compelled to see?  NOT every single one of them.  Sure, the summer of 2011 was one heck of an event (generally speaking), but the poignant films that will all be represented this night just didn’t grab me, and with limited time and finances, even I cannot indulge in literally “every” single film. That being said, I’m still very interested in the results of this show as movies maintain their status as my passion in life.

The obligatory video intro that pokes fun of last year’s films with Billy Crystal had a pretty standard array of jokes, but Billy just seemed to make them work better than previous hosts of the past.  Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that he’s done this 8 times before this year?

Billy’s opening monologue/sing and dance number wasn’t as good as his video intro to the program.  My favorite of all time remains Hugh Jackman’s number.

 

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Best Cinematography – Hugo and Robert Richardson.

Best Art Direction – Hugo and Dante Ferreti   

Best Costume Design – The Artist and Mark Bridges (from Niagara Falls!  Go Western New York!)

Best Makeup – The Iron Lady and Mark Coulier

Best Foreign Language Film – A Separation (Iran)

Best Supporting Actress – The Help and Octavia Spencer w/ Christian Bale (The Dark Knight Rises) as Presenter

 

The first test screen audience spoof starring the cast of Best in Show was kind of funny, but only if you’re into that dry American humor. 

Best Film Editing – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall

Best Sound Editing – Hugo and Philip Stockton  

Best Sound Mixing – Hugo and Tom Flieschman

 

Cirque Du Soleil’s performance – It was pretty neat how they began swinging out into the audience, not so cool how one of them fell down pretty early on in the number, but certainly showcased the awesome art of acrobatics and gymnastics better than most professionals.  I didn’t exactly get how their “dance” was meant to be a homage to “going to the movies,” but whatever.

 

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Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow’s presentation of best documentary was hilarious in that it was 100% Tony Stark ego meeting Pepper Potts’ need to maintain control which made a relatively dull category, a tad more interesting.

Best documentary feature – Undefeated and TJ Martin and co.  A little frat boy nonsensical cursing that was muted out, and the specter of Damon and Afleck still cannot escape the Oscars.

 

Chris Rock loves animation?  He has a nice way of showing it by mocking the fact he gets paid “a million dollars” for doing voice-overs when the fact of the matter that is that most VO actors struggle to make a living (just not Nolan North).  Just because some no-name casting director thought Chris Rock’s geeky, squeaky voice would be perfect for a cartoon doesn’t necessarily meant he had any genuine artistic contribution to any film he simply read lines for.  I get he was trying to make a joke, but he came off like an ignorant knucklehead. 

Best animated feature – Rango and Gore Verbinski

 

Ben Stiller and Emma Stone = great, comedic co-presentation.  Ben still tries to evoke comedy out of playing the straight man and allows his partner to generate all the laughs.  Emma Stone continues to solidify herself as one of my favorite women in all of Hollywood.

Best visual effects – Hugo and Rob Legato

 

Best supporting actor – Beginners, and Christopher Plummer wins his FIRST OSCAR!!!  Way to go Chris!  What a great thank you speech and it’s about time you got recognition for a hall of fame acting career while avoiding the undesirable “lifetime achievement” Oscar. 

 

Billy Crystal’s “I know what everyone is thinking” was pretty funny:

1) Brad Pitt – “This show better not go too late, I’ve got 6 parent-teacher conferences in the morning.”

2) Morgan Freeman – Random quotes from March of the Penguins mixed with The Shawshank Redemption

3) The dog from The Artist – “If I had ‘em, I’d like ‘em.”

4) Nick Nolte – “Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh.”

 

They paired Penelope Cruz with the one person in the world who has an uglier nose than her: Owen Wilson!  Naturally, they present a best music Oscar.

Best original score – The Artist and Ludvic Bourge

 

Will Ferrell and Zach Galafianakis come marching up from the orchestra pit smashing cymbals and wearing all white tuxedos.  The funniest part was Galafianakis mispronouncing his own last name as they both introduced themselves to the audience.

Best original song – Man or Muppet and Brett Mckenzie

 

Angelina Jolie gives a sexy pose, sticks her leg out from that hot black dress, says “good evening” and the audience responds, but upon closer inspection of Jolie herself, her arms look severely anorexic and I can’t imagine the lack of meat she is hiding beneath the dress.  They say the camera adds 20 pounds?  In her case it subtracted 20 off a frame that had no more than 110 originally.

Best adapted screenplay – The Descendants, and Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon trying to do their best Angelina Jolie impersonation.

Best original screenplay – Midnight in Paris, and Woody Allen was a no show to pick up his Oscar, but he probably gives two sh*ts about the Academy.

 

The cast of Bridesmaids presents the next 3 awards in character.  It was funnier than Ferrell and Galafianakis, but not by much.

Best live action short – The Shore and Terry George

Best documentary feature – Saving Face and Daniel Junge

Best animated short film – The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore and William Joyce and Branden Oldenburg

 

Michael Douglas presents:

Best Director – The Artist’s Michel Hazanavicius

 

Meryl Streep presents the board of governor Oscars to:

Dick Smith (makeup), James Earl Jones, Oprah Winfrey

In memoriam sequence to What a Wonderful World – Clearly, the most difficult part of the evening, and the Academy did the right thing by giving the nod to Whitney Houston.  BUT, what I don’t understand is acknowledging Steve Jobs.  What Hollywood production was he ever associated with?  Aside from making filthy amounts of money on computing and bringing Final Cut Pro to regular consumers (which is significant) I don’t see how he belongs on the Academy’s radar.  Brilliant human being?  No question there, but it’s like the Academy honoring the passing of some amazing scientist, humanitarian, politician, or (insert profession outside of Hollywood here) and I think this move was purely political.

 

Natalie Portman presents:

Best Actor – The Artist’s Jean Dujardin.  Side note: this reminded me of Roberto Benigni winning for Life Is Beautiful (1997), and it took a film that was so unconventional that it literally came out of nowhere to take the Oscars by storm.  Only time will tell Jean, like Roberto before him, never returns to the Oscar stage again.

 

Colin Firth presents:

Best Actress – The Iron Lady’s Meryl Streep.  17 Nominations and this being only her 3rd victory seems a little strange.  She really is the best film actress of America for the past 40 years and no one else comes close to the quality and diversity of her body of work. 

 

Tom Cruise presents:

Best Picture: The Artist is perhaps the most anti-climactic end to an Academy Awards because everyone and their mother knew this was going to happen.  And why not?  It’s all we’ve been hearing about for the past month or so, and although I have no issue with this picture winning over the rest, there is something worth mentioning.  The Academy has shown a propensity for giving props to retro productions.  The most recent was a return to musicals that began with Moulin Rouge! (2001), and although that film did not win best picture that year (because it was especially strange) it certainly opened the door wide open for Chicago to do so the very next year.  The brilliance of a silent film is not the same stuff of a brilliant “talkie,” so in a way, it isn’t exactly fair to be judging all nine of these films in the same category.  Sound in the filmmaking process has become almost as important as producing the images that make the moving picture, and for a film like this to win tosses theoretical mud in the faces of those who won for best sound editing and mixing.  Regardless, I am certain this film was deserving of victory and I intend to see The Artist at my earliest convenience.  You’ll only hear again from me on this matter if what I encounter is a film that was severely hyped and what it actually delivered was a cornucopia of over indulgence.

 

Final thoughts:

All in all, the 84th Academy Awards went off without a hitch, and you can attribute this to the veteran leadership of one Billy Crystal.  He may not have much left in the tank to sell films by himself, but the man knows how to host the Oscars.  In this man’s humble opinion there is Bob Hope, Billy Crystal and no one else that have done this job with class, comedy and calm.  Crystal was quick with the one-liners and in tandem with some fairly entertaining presenters, the overall pace of the show never lagged.  The only other highlight of the evening was how Sash Sacha Baron Cohen (as The Dictator) dumped fake Kim Jong Il ashes all over Ryan Seacrest, and I’m sure that ruined his tux enough to force him into an unexpected costume change.  Anything that knocks out that prissy punk Seacrest gets a thumbs up in my book.  Well done Borat, well done.  Hugo took home the largest number of Oscars, but The Artist was the best. 

The State of Hollywood

2012 Oscar Fallout

 

(Editor’s Note: CBN’s movie reviewer, Lawrence Napoli, offers his views and opinions on the movie biz in his column, “The State Of Hollywood.”)

 

pic

So the 2012 Academy Awards are here to celebrate the previous year’s best examples of filmmaking. You’ll excuse me right now if I’ll just give a nice big yawn for boredom because the cold hard fact is that this past year doesn’t even come close to matching the excellence of 2011’s lineup.  There were so many well made films that year that had such high entertainment value that I was compelled to see every single one of them.  How many of the nominees for this year’s Oscars have I been compelled to see?  NOT every single one of them.  Sure, the summer of 2011 was one heck of an event (generally speaking), but the poignant films that will all be represented this night just didn’t grab me, and with limited time and finances, even I cannot indulge in literally “every” single film. That being said, I’m still very interested in the results of this show as movies maintain their status as my passion in life.

The obligatory video intro that pokes fun of last year’s films with Billy Crystal had a pretty standard array of jokes, but Billy just seemed to make them work better than previous hosts of the past.  Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that he’s done this 8 times before this year?

Billy’s opening monologue/sing and dance number wasn’t as good as his video intro to the program.  My favorite of all time remains Hugh Jackman’s number.

 

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Best Cinematography – Hugo and Robert Richardson.

Best Art Direction – Hugo and Dante Ferreti   

Best Costume Design – The Artist and Mark Bridges (from Niagara Falls!  Go Western New York!)

Best Makeup – The Iron Lady and Mark Coulier

Best Foreign Language Film – A Separation (Iran)

Best Supporting Actress – The Help and Octavia Spencer w/ Christian Bale (The Dark Knight Rises) as Presenter

 

The first test screen audience spoof starring the cast of Best in Show was kind of funny, but only if you’re into that dry American humor. 

Best Film Editing – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall

Best Sound Editing – Hugo and Philip Stockton  

Best Sound Mixing – Hugo and Tom Flieschman

 

Cirque Du Soleil’s performance – It was pretty neat how they began swinging out into the audience, not so cool how one of them fell down pretty early on in the number, but certainly showcased the awesome art of acrobatics and gymnastics better than most professionals.  I didn’t exactly get how their “dance” was meant to be a homage to “going to the movies,” but whatever.

 

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Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow’s presentation of best documentary was hilarious in that it was 100% Tony Stark ego meeting Pepper Potts’ need to maintain control which made a relatively dull category, a tad more interesting.

Best documentary feature – Undefeated and TJ Martin and co.  A little frat boy nonsensical cursing that was muted out, and the specter of Damon and Afleck still cannot escape the Oscars.

 

Chris Rock loves animation?  He has a nice way of showing it by mocking the fact he gets paid “a million dollars” for doing voice-overs when the fact of the matter that is that most VO actors struggle to make a living (just not Nolan North).  Just because some no-name casting director thought Chris Rock’s geeky, squeaky voice would be perfect for a cartoon doesn’t necessarily meant he had any genuine artistic contribution to any film he simply read lines for.  I get he was trying to make a joke, but he came off like an ignorant knucklehead. 

Best animated feature – Rango and Gore Verbinski

 

Ben Stiller and Emma Stone = great, comedic co-presentation.  Ben still tries to evoke comedy out of playing the straight man and allows his partner to generate all the laughs.  Emma Stone continues to solidify herself as one of my favorite women in all of Hollywood.

Best visual effects – Hugo and Rob Legato

 

Best supporting actor – Beginners, and Christopher Plummer wins his FIRST OSCAR!!!  Way to go Chris!  What a great thank you speech and it’s about time you got recognition for a hall of fame acting career while avoiding the undesirable “lifetime achievement” Oscar. 

 

Billy Crystal’s “I know what everyone is thinking” was pretty funny:

1) Brad Pitt – “This show better not go too late, I’ve got 6 parent-teacher conferences in the morning.”

2) Morgan Freeman – Random quotes from March of the Penguins mixed with The Shawshank Redemption

3) The dog from The Artist – “If I had ‘em, I’d like ‘em.”

4) Nick Nolte – “Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh.”

 

They paired Penelope Cruz with the one person in the world who has an uglier nose than her: Owen Wilson!  Naturally, they present a best music Oscar.

Best original score – The Artist and Ludvic Bourge

 

Will Ferrell and Zach Galafianakis come marching up from the orchestra pit smashing cymbals and wearing all white tuxedos.  The funniest part was Galafianakis mispronouncing his own last name as they both introduced themselves to the audience.

Best original song – Man or Muppet and Brett Mckenzie

 

Angelina Jolie gives a sexy pose, sticks her leg out from that hot black dress, says “good evening” and the audience responds, but upon closer inspection of Jolie herself, her arms look severely anorexic and I can’t imagine the lack of meat she is hiding beneath the dress.  They say the camera adds 20 pounds?  In her case it subtracted 20 off a frame that had no more than 110 originally.

Best adapted screenplay – The Descendants, and Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon trying to do their best Angelina Jolie impersonation.

Best original screenplay – Midnight in Paris, and Woody Allen was a no show to pick up his Oscar, but he probably gives two sh*ts about the Academy.

 

The cast of Bridesmaids presents the next 3 awards in character.  It was funnier than Ferrell and Galafianakis, but not by much.

Best live action short – The Shore and Terry George

Best documentary feature – Saving Face and Daniel Junge

Best animated short film – The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore and William Joyce and Branden Oldenburg

 

Michael Douglas presents:

Best Director – The Artist’s Michel Hazanavicius

 

Meryl Streep presents the board of governor Oscars to:

Dick Smith (makeup), James Earl Jones, Oprah Winfrey

In memoriam sequence to What a Wonderful World – Clearly, the most difficult part of the evening, and the Academy did the right thing by giving the nod to Whitney Houston.  BUT, what I don’t understand is acknowledging Steve Jobs.  What Hollywood production was he ever associated with?  Aside from making filthy amounts of money on computing and bringing Final Cut Pro to regular consumers (which is significant) I don’t see how he belongs on the Academy’s radar.  Brilliant human being?  No question there, but it’s like the Academy honoring the passing of some amazing scientist, humanitarian, politician, or (insert profession outside of Hollywood here) and I think this move was purely political.

 

Natalie Portman presents:

Best Actor – The Artist’s Jean Dujardin.  Side note: this reminded me of Roberto Benigni winning for Life Is Beautiful (1997), and it took a film that was so unconventional that it literally came out of nowhere to take the Oscars by storm.  Only time will tell Jean, like Roberto before him, never returns to the Oscar stage again.

 

Colin Firth presents:

Best Actress – The Iron Lady’s Meryl Streep.  17 Nominations and this being only her 3rd victory seems a little strange.  She really is the best film actress of America for the past 40 years and no one else comes close to the quality and diversity of her body of work. 

 

Tom Cruise presents:

Best Picture: The Artist is perhaps the most anti-climactic end to an Academy Awards because everyone and their mother knew this was going to happen.  And why not?  It’s all we’ve been hearing about for the past month or so, and although I have no issue with this picture winning over the rest, there is something worth mentioning.  The Academy has shown a propensity for giving props to retro productions.  The most recent was a return to musicals that began with Moulin Rouge! (2001), and although that film did not win best picture that year (because it was especially strange) it certainly opened the door wide open for Chicago to do so the very next year.  The brilliance of a silent film is not the same stuff of a brilliant “talkie,” so in a way, it isn’t exactly fair to be judging all nine of these films in the same category.  Sound in the filmmaking process has become almost as important as producing the images that make the moving picture, and for a film like this to win tosses theoretical mud in the faces of those who won for best sound editing and mixing.  Regardless, I am certain this film was deserving of victory and I intend to see The Artist at my earliest convenience.  You’ll only hear again from me on this matter if what I encounter is a film that was severely hyped and what it actually delivered was a cornucopia of over indulgence.

 

Final thoughts:

All in all, the 84th Academy Awards went off without a hitch, and you can attribute this to the veteran leadership of one Billy Crystal.  He may not have much left in the tank to sell films by himself, but the man knows how to host the Oscars.  In this man’s humble opinion there is Bob Hope, Billy Crystal and no one else that have done this job with class, comedy and calm.  Crystal was quick with the one-liners and in tandem with some fairly entertaining presenters, the overall pace of the show never lagged.  The only other highlight of the evening was how Sash Sacha Baron Cohen (as The Dictator) dumped fake Kim Jong Il ashes all over Ryan Seacrest, and I’m sure that ruined his tux enough to force him into an unexpected costume change.  Anything that knocks out that prissy punk Seacrest gets a thumbs up in my book.  Well done Borat, well done.  Hugo took home the largest number of Oscars, but The Artist was the best. 

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Movie News Reviews

2012 Oscars: Is That Blood or Red on the Carpet?

Do we really need to break down the red carpet intro’s?

You bet!

 

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Rooney Mara – Wow.  She needs to fire her hair dresser and makeup person because when you looked 10 times hotter in every scene of the Nightmare on Elm Street remake than you did on Oscar night, something is terribly, terribly wrong!  She worked the dress because she’s got a great butt

Octavia Spencer – She had a simple dress that was pretty enough for a woman not sporting the typical Hollywood-actress-anorexic body type.  What else can I say?  She’s no Halle Berry and speaking of which. . .

Jonah Hill – Someone has to bring their mom to Oscar night and it’s fitting it would be him because (insert random babe here) is really interested in Jonah for his personality and not, I repeat NOT, for his money.

Milla Jovovich – This is her first time at the Oscars.  What!?  Well, she made the most out of it with a sexy and elegant, yet simple dress.  She looked really good, but then she looks really good with zombies draped all over her in every Resident Evil film regardless of how crappy they all, in fact, were.

Christopher Plummer – It is kind of difficult for men to not look good in tuxedos, but my man Chris looked like he was going to break in half as he walked the red line.  Was that a purple velvet  suit or will he be appearing in The Dark Knight Rises as the Joker after Batman travels to Gotham 2099 to see how well he aged.

Emma Stone – I couldn’t tell if she was wearing a human sized bow that was used to gift wrap a new car for a boyfriend/girlfriend or if she just cut out some arm holes from the carpet in her apartment.  Not a normal dress, but then she’s not normal Hollywood.

Viola Davis – Rocking a very green (and very atypical) dress from Vera Wang, Viola shows off the demeanor of a true leading woman in Hollywood land.  She could have easily pulled off a riskier/sexier dress, but I respect her choice here.

Michelle Williams – Ho hum here.  She was mildly attractive . . . on the first season of Dawson’s Creek.

Melissa McCarthy – Two thoughts probably entered everyone’s mind: 1) I’d much rather be looking at Jenny and 2) Waiting for a Nancy Grace inappropriate fart moment. 

Kristen Wiig & no name co-writer of Bridesmaids – Plain Janes taking each other to the Oscars were very quaint and makes me think of one thing: if a shabby comedy like Epic Movie or Scary Movie X made a sh*t load of money it shouldn’t have, the cast of those films would be parading around that year at the Academy Awards.

Tina Fey – She shows off perhaps a little more skin than she ought to have and proves that she should never go out in public without her sexy black rimmed glasses.  Throw the contacts away Tina Fey!

Colin Firth – Yeah, I guess he has to be here to present for best actress.  Do British actors not named Patrick Stewart need to be introduced to the invention of “the comb” or “the brush?”

J-Lo – Anyone else annoyed by her talking about how she grew up in the Bronx?  She’s as far removed from that person as this planet is from Pluto.  Why is she even here tonight?  Did the Academy create a category just for American Idol this year?

Nick Nolte – LMFAO!  I couldn’t tell if he was drunk or high but he clearly had no idea where he was, in desperate need of someone to escort him to his hover-round and seems to have replaced Jack Nicholson as the completely f*cked up old man of the evening.

Zach Galifianakis  – Although he wasn’t technically on the red carpet, his preshow appearance is further evidence of comics who were formerly fat slobs becoming much trimmer thanks to (insert amazing Hollywood fat reduction plan [surgery] here).  I miss fat Drew.

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Penelope Cruz – Loved the dress, liked the hair, annoyed by the accent and hated the nose.

Cameron Diaz – Perhaps Oscar night was also “reunite the cast of Vanilla Sky” night?  I loved how the camera panned up her dress from the bottom up to her torso and then up to her face and then I cringed because the only way to make her clown face look normal is if a cream pie got thrown into it.

Jason Siegel – First time at the Oscars and it shows, but I don’t know why they are here.  Oh, I guess they wrote that Muppet movie, but don’t expect him and his co-writer to make off like bandits the way former Hollywood frat boys Matt Damon and Ben Afleck did for Good Will Hunting.

Bradley Cooper – Channeling his inner Tom Selleck, look-wise.  Has a masterful Christopher Walken impersonation.  The voice is spot on!  I wonder how many actors/impersonators do their Chris Walken for the actual Chris Walken.

Gweneth Paltrow – Making the future safe and respectable for the extremely skinny everywhere.  She still looks pretty damn hot and should never, ever consider changing her hair color from blonde.  Her dress kind of looked like a bed sheet, but it worked for me.

Glenn Close – I guess she didn’t get the memo that Oscar night was formal wear, not business formal, as in the business blazers her father probably wore at the office.  Pure train wreck.

George Clooney – Stacy Kiebler looked friggin’ amazing!  And she also towers over the diminuitive old man/Peter Pan who’s starting to show much more of the former in his face than the latter.

Brad Pitt – Sans Angelina Jolie?!?!?  It looks like he’s interested in taking script ideas for the sequel to Legends of the Fall.

Sandra Bullock – Another actress not going for a proper dress on Oscar night which is curious because she still has the body to show off a “sexy times” dress.

Angelina Jolie – Hot looking black dress, but the brown hair!  GAG!  Black or blond sweetheart, but not in between.

Natalie Portman – Good God she looked amazing in that classy red dress.  She was tiny and cute and surprisingly busty, but I give all the credit to a solid water bra. 

Tom Hanks – Needs to lose that white goatee ASAP!

Chris Rock – Not too late to shoot Billy Crystal and take over?  Who’s running the show for ABC’s coverage of the Academy Awards and why did he/she choose Chris Rock as the last celeb to give commentary before the show begins?  So he’s sporting a little spikier, robust ‘fro one would expect on a younger man and that’s all I can say about this random infusion of irrelevance.  All I want to know is when does Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan show up?

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Movie News Reviews

Shepard Commander: Alert! This is the Mass Effect 3 demo review

Shepard Commander: Alert!

These Are My Impressions of the Mass Effect 3 Demo

 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:750:]]I’ve had just about a week with BioWare’s first taste of the overall goodness that is the Mass Effect 3 demo and after even this short period of time, I must say that I am hooked.  I was modestly amused with the single player demo in that I was able to detect the noticeable difference in the combat flow, an improved AI and the new character animations Shepard engages in beyond running to waist high cover and throwing single elbows for melee strikes.  Then came the multiplayer component that released on February 17th and the fun factor went up a hundred fold.  When this concept was first presented by BioWare it was met with a wide array of skepticism, disinterest and in some instances, outright rage for what was perceived by fans and critics as the company cow-towing to formulaic game development.  Mass Effect is and always shall be an enveloping, dramatic, and action-driven role playing adventure that feels like you are controlling the characters of a cinematic, sci-fi saga.  “It doesn’t need multiplayer!” said the antagonists.  “Why must every game try to be like CoD just to make crazy profit?” queried the doubters.  “How much will this take away from the single player campaign?” asked the fans.  Although we don’t know how well the final product will ultimately play, this demo delivers a good amount of answers to the naysayers while simultaneously raising new concerns in even the most devoted fan boys such as myself. 

 

“The Good” about single player:

1) I played through the two chapters with every class using both male and female Shepards and they each played differently enough to necessitate different strategies in surviving and advancing.

2) The dialogue/discussion sequences look better than ever so long as BioWare keeps the “I should go’s” and excessive “Shepard” references to a minimum.  I expect a much greater degree of drama during these sections as the entire universe is under siege, but I wonder how well the tension can be eased when I presume moments of levity will be very scarce.

3) The combat plays like Mass Effect 2, but it is much faster, or rather, it can be much faster.  The amount of damage your Shepard-build can absorb will determine how direct you can be in firefights.  Rushing into and out of cover is a vast improvement and the addition of combat rolling in all four directions adds a welcome and dynamic means of averting disaster on the battlefield.

4) The game just looks so beautiful.  Every area of detail from environments to enemies to weapon effects and cut scenes has been upgraded.  The lighting effects from both “natural” and “unnatural” sources are particularly satisfying.

5) The AI has sharper teeth!  I’m not just talking about the inclusion of heavier ordinance such as the Atlas mechs.  It’s the support units that will give you headaches.  Enemy troopers will drop smoke bombs obscuring vision and disallowing biotic “lock-on” attacks, while others setup portable turrets at key choke points – while still others try to flank you and your party.  The fact that the AI is no longer stupid has me concerned for my “insane” difficulty play through.

 

“The Bad” about single player:

1) Shepard still rotates on his x-axis with the proficiency of a tank.  With the increased emphasis on close-quarter-combat, the ability to turn slightly (but swiftly) to face up the opposition has never been more necessary.  Too bad the player still can’t do this.  It gives me nightmarish flashbacks to the frustrating lateral movement of Resident Evil 5.

2) I’m not sold on grenades.  For the classes that have “grenade” abilities, they require skill points to unlock and upgrade just like any other biotic/tech/combat skills.  The problem is you need to find ammo dumps or enemy drops to replenish your supply.  Explosives can be very useful for crowd control situations, but I can’t help but think that maxing out self-renewing skills would be more reliable.

3) Shepard’s squad is still dumb.  One would think if the enemy AI got an infusion of grey matter that the player’s squad mates would at least get a taste, right?  Wrong.  I still had to direct Garrus and Liara to focus on the biggest threats on the field AND force them to use their very useful abilities to do so effectively.  I understand there’s a reason they call him/her “Commander” Shepard, but his team ought to be experienced enough to use proximity mines on groups of enemies without being ordered to do so.

4) Sticking to cover sometimes leads to sticky situations.  Going into cover all but triggers the enemy AI to advance and flank quickly, but getting out of cover to counter a flanking move is not nearly as responsive.  If perhaps movement was dictated strictly by the left analog stick independently from the camera angle (like Uncharted’s 1, 2 and 3) this wouldn’t be a problem at all.

5) Choice of combat class is a player-controlled handicap system.  When you account for a more dangerous AI and unreliable teammates, how the player dominates the field as Shepard is the name of the game.  Although some new skills have been added to every class they aren’t enough to make every class as viable as they were in ME2.  The three most important combat abilities in Mass Effect 3 are distraction, evasion and protection; thus the ranking of each class from weakest to strongest is as follows: Vanguard, Adept, Soldier, Engineer, Infiltrator, and Sentinel. 

 

“The Good” about multiplayer:

1) The ability to play as non-humans is an absolute thrill!  Having Drell, Asari, Turians, Quarians, Krogans, and Salarians in your party for past Mass Effect games does not compare to actually being a Drell, Asari, Turian, Quarian, Krogan or Salarian.  Each species have different pools of skills to dump points into as well as having unique movement/melee animations that will more than likely have veteran players avoiding human characters like the plague.

2) The co-op “survival” mode is challenging and unpredictable.  Players that are used to ME2 controls will have no problems picking up on all the subtle differences of every species, but regardless of individual skill, teamwork is the only thing that will see a safe extraction even on the lowest difficulty and the reward for clearing stages is a massive experience and credit bonus.  With experience bonuses given to every action like revivals, headshots, biotic kills, etc., this game rewards the player for contributing to the team.  Although kills can still be “stolen” by teammates, a point system is in place to give a proportional reward to each player depending on how much damage was dealt before the final blow.  It is quite refreshing to finally encounter a multiplayer mode that encourages non-douche-bag game play.

3) The baseball card pack unlocking system is surprisingly satisfying.  I mentioned that the player earns credits in addition to experience for clearing stages.  Experience allows the character’s abilities to grow in strength and versatility, but items must be purchased, but not in the manner in which gamers have become accustomed.  The player purchases starter, recruit and veteran “packs” with their credits which contain a random selection of items like new weapons, weapon modifications, ammo/armor boosts, health/revival packs and new characters to play as.  Some players may dislike the fact that luck plays a large role in them getting what they want, but they can take solace in two facts: 1- useless duplicates are fairly rare and 2- you have as good a chance at getting something awesome on your first pack as your 20th provided you always purchase veteran packs at 20K a piece.

4)  Experience that is earned within each combat class does not need to be re-earned to build new character unlocks within the same category.  On our preview podcast for Mass Effect 3, our associate Kevin brought up a valid concern for multiplayer being that the level cap is only 20 and therefore putting a glaring limitation on the player’s motivation to keep on playing.  My counter to that statement was that there were 6 classes, times 20 levels of advancement, times 4 species per class to build which yields 480 levels to be gained.  That is a very daunting number to achieve and thankfully not necessary.  When you get to level 20 in the soldier class as a human (only humans are available at the start) and you unlock the much coveted Krogan soldier, you do not begin from scratch if you want to use that character.  You do get all the experience points a level 20 would have to distribute as you see fit which is an excellent benefit seeing how max level non-humans are vital in completing the higher difficulties of multiplayer.

5) Modification and specialization is a huge strength.  Character uniforms will be able to alter colors, highlights and patterns to make every player’s team of specialists look unique.  Every gun has 2 modification slots to give the player enhanced stability, damage output, increased rate of fire and larger clip sizes.  Regardless of class, any character can bring any 2 guns into combat they have unlocked thus far (although I recommend picking 1 as your favorite in order to enjoy an increased power recharge bonus). 

 

“The Bad” about multiplayer:

1) Match making is broken and needs to be fixed ASAP!  If the player has three other friends to make a full squad with, you’ll have no problems making private matches and knocking out multiple rounds of play quickly.  Selecting “quick match” as a solo player is laughable in terms of “quickness.”  The majority of the time had me jumping into a lobby with only one other player and it would take forever to fill in the other 2 public slots – if at all.  Players can jump in and out of matches at will, but host migration is a wretched collection of load screens which can result in outright disconnection.  The amount of real time wasted in waiting for proper matches to be formed can become very frustrating.

2)   Connectivity of every player to multiplayer matches seems temperamental at best.  Another common sight in the matchmaking lobby is every player selecting the “ready” button with the exception of one.  At first I thought this was simply the result of some tool that is AFK or fooling around with his or her load-out for an unreasonable amount of time.  As this became a common theme I began to believe that it was the result of shoddy connections.  The game will randomly kick the player out of active games at a rate that is not problematic save for this fact: any progress the player has made is instantly nullified as the only way to save progress is by going all the way or having your whole party get wiped out within proper game menus. 

3) The X button is far too glitchy.  On the PS3, the X button is the all encompassing environment interaction key that is necessary to depress in order to go into and out of cover, revive teammates, execute combat rolls and engage/disarm devices that need to be hacked within the match.  Getting the X button to do what you actually want in crowds of enemies is terrible.  Reviving a teammate that is right next to waist-high cover is almost impossible.  Hacking devices that are next to walls requires spamming X because the game didn’t register the first 10 times you pressed it.  This shouldn’t be a problem for PC gamers by remapping actions to different keys, but counsel controllers have severe button limitations.

4) End game multiplayer motivation seems lacking.  It’s true that earning a combined 120 levels divided by 6 combat classes will take a healthy amount of time to accomplish.  Skilled players will have no problems doing this in casual plays sessions in less than 2 weeks.  The reward for multiplayer is advancement.  The reward for advancement is building a strong squad of specialists for Shepard to deploy in some manner during the single player campaign.  Where does that leave the player after that?  The answer lies in clearing stages at higher difficulty levels.  Silver challenges require 4 squad mates at level 10 at least to have a reasonable chance to win and gold challenges require everyone at max level, complimentary classes and players on top of their individual games to have a snowball’s chance in hell.  As of now, there doesn’t appear to be a point to subjecting yourself to that brutality other than pride and without a trophy or achievement to showcase the accomplishment, I don’t see many players being interested in participating at those higher difficulties.

5) Nobody seems interested in using headsets for this multiplayer mode.  Especially on higher difficulties, communication is vital in clearing these maps as there is no “radar” to exploit and unless the squad battles like a tight-knit Spartan phalanx, knowing precisely where downed teammates are located is pretty important info.  The two maps available for this demo are not particularly large so keeping tabs on your squad mates is less of an issue, but if maps get larger, players need to take advantage of this free communication option.  Also, if someone on your team is annoying, an option for muting them NEEDS to be included.  It exists in virtually every other multiplayer game.

 

So that’s the bottom line on the Mass Effect 3 demo.  Unfortunately, none of the progress that is achieved in the multiplayer portion will carry over to the full game, but that’s no reason to ignore this very fun demo.  It gives the player a risk free opportunity to experiment with class development within a virtual environment that is far less forgiving than previous installments.  The potential for EA and BioWare to reap massive profit on this piece of fictional entertainment has all been laid in the groundwork of ever intriguing replay options.  Although no demo is flawless, hopefully BioWare can make some patch alterations to iron out the minor yet noticeable wrinkles in an otherwise silky smooth video game experience.

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Movie News

Review: Wolverine and the X-Men #6

Kitty Pryde’s pregnancy is a fallacy, she is really infected with microscopic Brood that will kill her from the inside out! Wolverine and Kid Omega have traveled to the far reaches of space in order to beat the house on Planet Sin and save the school from financial ruin. And finally, the same school Wolverine is so desperately trying to save, has been attacked by a very large alien and his Brood bloodhounds!

Jason Aaron has officially dove off the deep end and there is no turning back! As chaotic as his book sounds, it is quite a pleasing read. Humor hangs on the fringe of all the stylized action, making it one of those books that will bring a grin to your face even as our heroes are trounced page after page. From high brow intellectualism to bathroom humor, Aaron creates a book that will keep you on your toes, never fully sure of the eventual outcome! 

My only qualm about this book is the relationship between Kid Omega and Wolverine. In Wolverine and the X-Men, they have a tense relationship: punk kid that lashes out but secretly craves the attention, and a mentor that isn’t afraid to kick your ass. They are an odd pairing that feed off of each other, a delinquent and his delinquent “father.” But in Wolverine and the X-Men: Alpha and Omega, Kid Omega is out to literally kill Wolverine! Taking over his mind and hiding his body so the other students won’t find their beloved headmaster. Having these two dynamics so completely different is the reason why readers get frustrated with the industry so often these days. All we need is some consistency and we will be complacent.

Though I am still waiting for the day when Chris Bachalo returns to art chores, this book is still the number one X book on the shelves. Witty, thought-provoking and boundary pushing, Aaron has created something that is unique in the X world, and everyone should check out his cavalcade of chaos!

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Movie News

Review: The Flash #6

Everyone knows the saying “Everything old is new again,” but is it always better? Today we get to ponder that very question as The Flash #6 debuts The New 52’s version of — Captain Cold!

I want to take a moment to thank Francis Manapul for his awe-inspiring artistic chores on this series. His page layouts and ingenious construction of panels is some of the best work I have ever seen! He incorporates ever aspect of the page, even the headlines, into something completely unique, and as a fan I am blown away each and every week!

Now on with the show! Issue six debuts the “new”Captain Cold. “New” because he looks different, but he is essentially the same old Rogues leader we know and love. He is bigger, stronger, and no longer needs to use his “cold” guns to emit freezing temperatures where he may, but the new outfit — AWFUL! It reminds me of something you would see in a Vanilla Ice video, all pun intended! Organic ice, sleeveless hoodie? The nineties are officially back kids!

But when you look past the easily mockable costume change, the story is what really counts. Manapul has been creating a great new niche in the Flash mythos over the past five issues! Making Barry responsible for tearing the very fabric of time when he taps into the speed force for too long — brilliant! It opens up new doorways for potential stories and weakens the Flash in ways no rogue could ever have. Barry finally has to adhere to a series of checks and balances which could tear the world apart if he doesn’t. Manapul is putting his personal stamp on one of DC’s greatest characters, and I couldn’t be happier!

But that “new” Captain Cold? I will use a direct quote from Barry Allen himself, “I liked him better with the guns.”

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Movie News

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile for February 22, 2012

The DOC’s Top Of The Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

(A weekly “quick pick” of the five titles that should reside at the top of your pull list. In no particular order!)

 

batman the dark knight #6I do the research, you reap the reward! Before you head out to your favorite shop today, be sure to add these five books to your list of goodies. Forget that apple a day nonsense, this “DOC’s” prescription to good health begins with these top five titles of the week!

1.  Torso (Graphic Novel):  Originally published in 2000 from Image, Bendis‘ look at the true story of Elliot Ness’ chase of America’s first serial killer, gets the hardcover treatment through Marvel’s Icon imprint! This is true crime writing at it’s finest!

2.  Invincible Ultimate Collection #7:  Kirkman’s second biggest hit, and cosmic fans number one book, hits the shelves today! If you are a fan of anything good in comics — this ones for you! Sketches, comments and covers to every trade and issue, make this one massive book of cosmic goodness!

3.  American Vampire #24:  Travis vs. Skinner Sweet — in a brawl to the death! Need I say more! Snyder just keeps the good times rolling with this introspective look into the vampire hunter Travis’ past.

4.  The Dark Knight #6:  We all know how nasty Bane can be, but the DCnU Bane is bigger, badder and … smarter? It’s going to be a long night for Batman as he battles his biggest threat yet! David Finch’s cover is worth the price of admission alone!

5.  Dark Horse Presents #9:  This issue has everything to please any type of comic fan! You get a Mike Mignola Lobster Johnson story, an adapted version of Edgar Allen Poe’s The City In The Sea by Richard Corben and the debut of novelist, Caitlin R. Kiernan’s, Alabaster: Wolves! Throw in, one of my favorites, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne by Rich Johnston, and you have 80 pages of pure comic nirvana! Read the full review.

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Movie News

AMC Trumps Ratings On Bad Shows: The Walking Dead Previews On Comic Book Men

“The Herded Sheep”

By:  Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

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After last week’s midseason premiere of The Walking Dead, Kevin Smith’s Comic Book Men hit the airways. I was really looking forward to a show that would spotlight our glorious hobby while adding in all the hilarity of a Kevin Smith production. But, alas, I apparently set my standards too high. By the first commercial break I was pretty much over the Pawn Stars duplicate, looking only forward to the following week’s preview for The Walking Dead

Yes, AMC put the preview for episode nine of The Walking Dead in the first commercial break of Comic Book Men. Smart, very smart actually! How better to spike the ratings of a brand new show than to pull along the enraptured audience from one of their smash hit series! Just embed the previews for the next week within the new show’s commercial break, instead of at the conclusion of said show as per usual, and you have an instant ratings cushion! Brilliant for them, not so much for us. I would really love to see how drastic the ratings fell immediately after The Walking Dead preview concluded — because I was out of there faster than a fat kid in dodge ball!

So, I was thrilled this week as episode nine of The Walking Dead concluded, and we were graced with previews for episode ten immediately after! Until, AMC revealed that a sneak peak of episode ten would be shown during Comic Book Men! “Noooo! Well, I guess I could watch until the first commercial break,” I slyly convinced myself. But as I watched Kevin Smith and his collection of oddities amuse themselves with discussions of future self defilement and which super powers they would like to have, I realized I had been herded into a corral once again. If donkey wants the carrot, he pulls the wagon I guess! So, as the first and second commercial breaks fell by the wayside I looked at the clock. Finally, thirty-six minutes into this mind numbing “comic book show” I was given what I had come for — The Walking Dead sneak peak! All twenty-five seconds of it! I had spent thirty-six minutes watching forty-somethings attempt to play hockey, for a whopping twenty-five seconds of my favorite show! I will admit it openly, you got me AMC — but never again!

We here at the CBN offices offer to you a vast array of comic book, movie, game and television information. So, if you don’t enjoy having to wade through shows that you could care less about just to get your fix of the ones you do — I suggest this. Check out your favorite previews and sneak peaks here! Why should a mediocre show get trumped up ratings just because you want to see something from another show?! Let it falter, let the creators know that their product is not as good as the numbers show so that they can make it a better product! I am a huge fan of Kevin Smith, from his movies to the comics he has done, but this show just is not good, and it should not reap the rewards from a highly better show. AMC is smart, let’s be smarter and not fall into the trap they have set for us again. If you like Comic Book Men, great, enjoy it, but if the only reason you have it on is to see snippets of The Walking Dead — turn the channel! We will have it all for you here later and you won’t have to feel like a sheep anymore!

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