SHERLOCK: The Top 6 Episodes Ranked


A hero is only as compelling as his villains. In the case of the Series Sherlock, a great villain has to be as brilliant as the titular consulting detective. The 6 Best Episodes of Sherlock offer the most genius, psychotic, and diabolical adversaries challenging Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) to his greatest mysteries (or “Games”).

If you missed Part 1, Sherlock: Every Episode Ranked #13-#7, you can read that HERE.

SPOILERS through the final episode of Sherlock follow.

Now… On to the Top 6 Episodes of Sherlock!

6. ‘His Last Vow ‘- Season 3, Episode 3hislastvow Charles Augustus Magnussen (Lars Mikkelsen) is the first strong villain to follow the death of Moriarty, which took place 3 episodes (or a whole season) earlier than ‘His Last Vow.’ Magnussen is a master of due to Applegate, his luxurious compound where he keeps compromising material on everyone from members of the British Government to John Watson’s (Martin Freeman) new wife Mary (Amanda Abbington). Why Mary? Well, because she’s actually a Super-Spy with a dark past that threatens to unravel her marriage with John. The twist comes when Sherlock and John finally arrive at Applegate, only to learn that Magnussen keeps all his blackmail material in his head; his “mind palace,” the same device Sherlock uses to catalog all the information necessary to solve any case. This doppelganger aspect is a valiant attempt to create a strong villain in a post-Moriary world. In the end, Magnussen’s biggest threat to Sherlock becomes the blood on the great detective’s hands following his shooting Magnussen in the head to protect Mary’s secrets.

5. ‘The Lying Detective’ – Season 4, Episode 2maxresdefault-1‘The Lying Detective’ (a play on Arthur Conan Doyle’s story, ‘The Dying Detective’) presents a villain, Culverton Smith (Tobey Jones), who shares little more than a name with the source material. In the story, Smith is a killer, but expanded to a philanthropist serial killer for the episode . Separated from John after Mary’s death in the previous episode, ‘The Six Thatchers,’ Sherlock is brought a mystery by the “daughter” of Culverton Smith. She recounts the time her father drugged her and his closest colleges in order to tell them he wanted to kill “Somebody.” Said mystery is solved in the most entertaining and visual manor since ‘His Last Vow,’ recognizing Sherlock‘s strengths. It turns out “Somebody” means “Anybody” and Sherlock, while literally dying due to a drug-bender brought on by boredom, decides to confront Culverton directly, in public. A glorious, verbal game of cat-and-mouse ensues right in front of unknowing, innocent people without them realizing Culverton and Holmes are discussing the fact Smith is a serial killer. Very formidable and clever, indeed.

4. ‘A Scandal in Belgravia’ – Season 2, Episode 1sherlock_2x01_a_scandal_in_belgravia_720__0847In Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories Irene Adler (Lara Pulver), aka “The Woman,” leaves the most lasting impression on Sherlock’s life, aside from Dr. Jim Moriarty. First appearing in the short story ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’ (hence the name of this episode), Adler is the only woman to “beat” Holmes. Adler is the closest thing Sherlock has to a lover or significant other, using her sexuality as a weapon before eventually warming up to him as just in time for Sherlock to exploit her affection to outsmart her. Let’s just say the never consummate the relationship. Of course, when her password is “I Am SHER-Locked,” there is certainly some sort of sparks between the two master-minds. Great mysteries with fantastic deductions speckle the episode, with Moriary makes a fleeting, yet very welcome and classic appearance.

3. ‘The Final Problem’ – Season 4, Episode 3sherlock_s4_preview_posterThough the title comes from the original story where Moriarty and Holmes fall to their “death” from the Reichenbach Falls, the episode of the same name features the beyond terrifying Eurus Holmes (Sian Brooke), sister to MyCroft (Mark Gatiss) and Sherlock, and invention of Gatiss and Steven Moffat. Eurus was locked away at such a young age that Sherlock can’t remember his sister/blocked all memories of her, due to a heinous crime relating to another of the series’ long-standing mysteries, “Redbeard.” The most brilliant (and most disturbed) of all three Holmes siblings, Eurus has been locked away nearly her entire life, but manages to trick Sherlock, Watson, and even Mycroft to confirm her incarceration by coming to her at the super-secret, isolated, extreme security prison of Sherrinford. Eurus has set a trap, with the help of Moriarty, five years previous, subjecting the unlikely trio to a maze of mysteries within the maximum security prison at a pace only matched by ‘The Great Game.’ These challenges serve as Moriarty’s “Final Problem,” testing Sherlock’s deductions, relationships, and even emotions.  Andrew Scott gets to reprise Sherlock’s greatest adversary, if only in flashback form, and it is glorious! I love the intensity of the episode, with the highest stakes of the series and the great challenge of Sherlock’s most personal and (possibly) final villain. The reveal that Redbeard wasn’t Sherlock’s lost dog, but his best friend, murdered by Eurus during their childhood is heartbreaking. On the other hand, the greatest treat ‘The Final Problem’ delivers is watching the usually cold Mycroft interact and modify the dynamic of Sherlock and John, humanizing him in the process and proving he is actually weaker than his younger brother.

2. ‘The Reichenbach Fall’ – Season 2, Episode 3Moriarty and Sherlock JailedDr. Jim Moriarty. There has never been a stronger TV villain than Andrew Scott’s completely unique take on one of history’s most classic fictional villains. ‘The Reichenbach Fall’ serves as a reference to the waterfall where Moriarty and Sherlock plunged to their deaths together in the original story, ‘The Final Problem.’ In fact, the scene is recreated in modern times by playing out on a roof at the end of the episode. Though ‘The Reichenbach Fall’ offers a pretty solid mystery: How did Moriarty steal the Crown Jewels while also opening the vault at the Bank of England and all the cells at Pentonville Prison? And… does Moriarty even exist at all? As Sherlock solves a series of mysteries not unlike the next episode on the list, for the first time, he becomes a suspect and goes on the run until he can prove Moriarty is not a figment of his overactive imagination.  No other episode features more Moriarty than this episode, and every frame is an absolute delight. I really do think Andrew Scott is the break-out actor of the series, even more than the amazing Benedict Cumberbatch.

1. ‘The Great Game’ – Season 1, Episode 3maxresdefault-2‘The Great Game,’ the final of Season 1, is by far the strongest, most face paced, most clever and entertaining episode of the entire series of Sherlock. Before he even knows who is behind this ultimate “game,” Sherlock rushes from case to case with much excitement, ranging from a mystery from his childhood to several in which he needs to aid of his allies who fill in the blanks that Sherlock’s Mind Palace doesn’t have room for. Any of these mysteries on their own would make for a great episode, but with so many in quick succession, we get to see the full of extent of what “Play Time” looks like to the world’s greatest detective. Though Moriarty doesn’t make an appearance until the last scene, the build-up is well worth the wait, as we get our first look at the aforementioned unparalleled performance Andrew Scott brings to the world’s 1st Consulting Criminal. The essential episode of Sherlock!

That’s all… for now. Moriarty will likely never return, but there is a chance that eventually, we may see more Sherlock Holmes and John Watson in a potential, but not assured, 5th season.

SHERLOCK: Every Episode Ranked – #13-#7


Sherlock has proven to be one of the greatest TV dramas, either domestic or from across the pond. With a unique 90-minute episode format, though there are only 3 episodes a season, each is basically a feature length movie. Sherlock recently aired the its fourth and possibly final season, for a total of only 13 episodes. This makes the series one of the easier shows to rank in its entirety, to which I have no objections!

For the uninitiated, the BBC program Sherlock takes classic stories and characters from Arthur Conan Doyle’s original work and updates them for the modern world. Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) uses cell phones and twitter, John Watson (Martin Freeman) blogs their adventures, and Mycroft Holmes (co-creator Mark Gatiss) is thin due to new age diets . Updating Sherlock Holmes for the 21st Century may sound like a mistake, but thanks to incredible actors, high production values, and writers nearly as brilliant as Sherlock himself, the series is certainly the most essential adaptation of the one of fictions greatest characters.

Let’s explore these 13 episodes of Sherlock, ranking them from “Decent” to “Perfection.”

There will be Spoilers ahead!

13. ‘The Blind Banker’ – Season 1, Episode 2the-blind-bakerSherlock grabbed everyone’s attention from the very first episode in 2010. The being said, the first season is by far the weakest, starting and finishing strong, but lagging in the second episode. ‘The Blind Baker’ continues the fascinating updates to the characters and fun visual flairs such as the way Sherlock Holmes’ deductions are visually explored, but the writing just isn’t as clever as in Episode 1. The mystery is forgettable, and unlike most episodes, there is no development/evolution of Sherlock’s abilities. ‘The Blind Banker’s only saving grace is a brief hint at Moriarty, with a simple assassination and a card that reads ‘M.’

12. ‘The Empty Hearse’ – Season 3, Episode 1sherlock_s03e01_1080p_kissthemgoodbye_net_1719‘The Empty Hearse’ is another episode with a forgettable mystery.  This major flaw is partially counteracted by the 1st act, in which Sherlock reveals to John that he faked his death, only to be pummeled by the good Doctor.  The plethora of ridiculous conspiracy theories for how Sherlock survived his fall also makes for some very amusing Sherlock moments. But alas, the 1st act is not enough to save the 60 minutes that follow.

11. ‘The Hounds of Baskerville’ – Season 2, Episode 2hounds-of-baskerville‘The Hound of Baskerville’ starring Basil Rathbone is surely the most famous adaptation of a Sherlock Holmes novel, but in Season 2, creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat decided to take another crack at it. The episode is only one of two that has supernatural elements, that is until they are revealed to be  a combination of tricks and science by Mr. Holmes. The way the episode approaches the modern twist isn’t my favorite, and there is no strong adversary for Holmes to face, making for what I consider to be one of the stranger and less balanced episodes.

10. ‘The Six Thatchers’ – Season 4, Episode 1Sherlock - early releaseThough it features a game-changing moment for the series that ushers in the dark tone and high stakes of Season 4, ‘The Six Thatchers’ has several deficiencies that detract from the episode. It does start strong with a wonderful mini-mystery that only creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat could concoct involving a burned up car with a hidden body. Unfortunately, once the six Thatcher busts are smashed, Sherlock shifts a little too far into 007 territory, losing sight of what makes the series great. Bogged down in flashbacks, ‘The Six Thatchers’ just isn’t as clever as it thinks it is. 

9. ‘A Study in Pink’ – Season 1, Episode 1726ec97540fbThe episode that started it all, ‘A Study in Pink,’ is a fairly straight-forward adaption of Doyle’s story, ‘A Study in Scarlet.’ Though Sherlock’s opponent isn’t as prolific as in the episodes that follow, this list has finally reached the episodes with memorable mysteries!

Who doesn’t like an origin story? This is it; the meeting of legends Sherlock Holmes and his new flatmate and partner in Detective work, John Watson. The high functioning sociopath Sherlock slowly begins to soften through his budding friendship with the empathetic John Watson. Numerous characters that we will fall in love with are introduced, including newcomer Molly Hooper (Louise Brealey) and classic characters like Mrs. Hudson (Una Stubbs) and  Greg Lestrade (Rupert Graves). The most fun is the introduction of series stand-out Mycroft Holmes, used as a Moriraty fake-out. This is also obviously the 1st time we see “Sherlock Vision;” those visual cues that define the show in every episode that follows. 

8. ‘The Abominable Bride’ – Holiday Special (between Seasons 3 & 4)maxresdefault‘The Abominable Bride’ is an episode of Sherlock unlike any other, set in Victorian London instead of the 21st Century. A highlight is how the origin story is quickly repeated, closer to the original text, without the twists and updates introduced in ‘A Study in Pink.’ Initially, this episode appears to be stand-alone and not Canon, but in the end the mystery of Moriarty’s apparent “survival” after a self-inflicted bullet to the head is examined through the lens of a century old case. The most exciting scene of the episode happens at the real Reichenbach Falls, the location that Moriary and Sherlock fall to their death in Arthur Conan Doyle’s original story, ‘The Adventure of the Final Problem.’

7. ‘The Sign of Three’ – Season 3, Episode 2mast-sherlock-s3-ep2-synopsis-hiresIn ‘The Sign of Three’ Sherlock solves a mystery in the most unique and fun way yet, as part of a never-ending wedding toast for Watson and his bride Mary (Amanda Abbington). It’s not just the levity and humor surrounding the setting of Sherlock’s deductions that I love; ‘The Sign of Three’ also presents Sherlock’s process in the most visually pleasing and groundbreaking manor in the series. Sherlock profiles potential killers in his “Mind Palace,” including a Court Room of the mind. Balancing humor with a fun mystery, ‘The Sign of Three’ begins the greatest episodes of Sherlock!

But, which episode will be #1? Find out now in ‘The Top 6 Episodes of Sherlock!’

8 (Days) Of TV’s Best Christmas Specials Of The 21st Century!


Welcome to a very special episode of Breaking Geek: A Breaking Geek Christmas!

I’m not a very merry guy; I hate Christmas music, movies, and TV shows, though I do love getting free shit. My favorite “Christmas” movies are simply films set on Christmas, including Lethal Weapon and Die Hard. I especially hate those “Very Special Christmas” episodes nearly every series forces out every year, like a Christmas turd. I’m tired of watching families and friends coming together for a disgustingly sweet episode, all their worries and conflict gone for just one week of a Season.

These 8 Christmas Specials are more my speed;  Less cheer, more cynicism and darkness. My kind of Christmas.

There are NO SPOILERS ahead, just enough info to get you excited about these very unique Christmas specials.

8. Black Mirror, ‘White Christmas’ (2014) – Available on NetflixBlack Mirror White Christmas Jon HammBlack Mirror is an anthology show, like The Twilight Zone, known for its twisted and dark interpretation of the not-so-distant future where the horrors of technology have gone awry. ‘White Christmas,’ is perhaps the most disturbing episode of the entire series, wrapped up in colorful paper and a pretty bow. After living in an isolated cabin for five years, Matt (Jon Hamm) and Potter (Rafe Spall) share the horror stories that drove them into isolation over a Christmas meal. I can’t go into greater detail without spoiling the episode, but the gist of it is that the the two men find themselves alone on Christmas because because they were literally “Blocked” in real life. Something much darker is lingering under the surface, waiting to be revealed. Perhaps the scariest Christmas special you will ever see!

7. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, ‘A Very Sunny Christmas’ (2009) – Amazon PrimeA Very Sunny Christmas The Gang With PresentsSpeaking of Christmas specials that aren’t so merry, ‘A Very Sunny Christmas’ offers the same cynicism and asshole characters you expect It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The gang never ends up in a happy place in any other episode, so why should Christmas be any different?

In this episode, longer and Rated R, Dennis (Glenn Howerton) and Dee (Kaitlin Olson) try to teach their father Frank (Danny DeVito) a lesson about Christmas after he ruined all their perfect Christmas gifts in childhood by keeping them for himself. Meanwhile, Charlie (Charlie Day) and Mac (Rob McElhenney) try to set things right with a neighbor who’s gifts Mac’s family stole during his childhood. This episode is the 1st to delve into all of the characters’ history, featuring child versions of Charlie, Mac, Dee and Dennis! ‘A Very Sunny Christmas’ has Charlie brutally attacking a Mall Santa Claus, due to the fact men dressed as Santa would fuck his Mom every Christmas, a gory stop-motion sequence in the vein of Frosty The Snowman, and Frank being sown into a couch, only to emerge sweaty and naked. And the gang learns nothing… not even about Christmas.

6. Sherlock, ‘The Abominable Bride’ (Jan 1st, 2016) – Amazon PrimeSherlock: The Abominable Bride Christmas SpecialReady for a Christmas mystery? Though billed at a Christmas special, like in Die Hard and Lethal Weapon, Christmas is more of a setting than a theme in ‘The Abominable Bride.’ Rather than being set in modern day like the rest of the series, ‘The Abominable Bride’ takes place in the late 1800’s, with more classic interpretations of Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Watson (Martin Freeman). Sherlock investigates the case of a Bride rising from the dead to kill her husband, relating to the modern mystery of how Moriarty (Andrew Scott) can possibly return from death after a self inflicted bullet to the head. Too dark for Christmas? Not at all! Elementary, my dear reader.

5. Curb Your Enthusiasm, ‘Mary, Jospeh and Larry’ (2002)Joseph, Mary and Larry Curb Your Enthusiasm Christmas There’s a pubic hair stuck in Larry David’s throat! Cheryl wants to buy a Christmas Tree for their Jewish household! Larry’s housekeeper won’t keep her mouth shut about his private plans! Larry covers for Jeff when Susie finds out about some late night phone calls! Christmas tipping goes awry when Larry accidentally tips the same guy twice at the Club and his housekeeper finds out the gardener received more Christmas money! Larry’s in-laws (including Kaitlin Olsen, from Always Sunny) invade his house, bringing a ginger bread manger of which Larry eats the baby Jesus and his virgin mother Mary! It’s amazing how much material Curb Your Enthusiasm can fit into the 1st 11 minutes of a 30 minute episode. As it always goes on Curb Your Enthusiasm, all these events collide and things continue to spiral out of control as Larry attempts to fix everything, only to ruin Christmas for everyone. Typical brilliant Curb episode that’s more naughty than nice.

4. Arrested Development, ‘Afternoon Delight’ (2004)Arrested Development Afternoon Afternoon Delight Christmas SpecialSky rockets in flight, Afternoon Delight! Leave it to Arrested Development, my favorite TV show of all time, to tie a surprisingly dirty song and marijuana (a strain named Afternoon Deelight) to Christmas. GOB (Will Arnett), currently the president of the Bluth Company, starts wearing his father’s $60,000 suit (“Come On!”) and sets out to provide his depressed employees with a great Christmas party! As always happens when GOB is in charge, everything falls apart and it’s up to his brother Michael (Jason Bateman) to put everything back together. Featuring Micheal singing the poorly chosen ‘Afternoon Delight’ with his niece, the first appearance of the Banana Suit, and a very stoned Lucille Bluth (Jessica Walters), this expertly written episode contains some of the most classic moments from the groundbreaking series.

3. South Park, ‘Woodland Critter’s Christmas’ (2004) – Hulu, SouthParkStudios.comSouth Park Woodland Critter's Christmas Stan and Animals“Hail, Satan!”

The best of the many South Park Christmas episodes, ‘Woodland Critter Christmas’ features rhyming narration, in the style of Dr. Seuss, driving Stan through the story while outright contradicting his words and feelings on the matter. After killing a mountain lion to ensure the immaculate conception of the virgin Porkupiney the porkupine, Stan quickly learns these adorable animals’ savior is actually the spawn of Satan. After all, who else would have sex with a porcupine? After witnessing their sacrifice of Rabbitty the Rabitt and the ensuing Blood Orgy, Stan must teach the mountain lion cubs how to preform an abortion to save us all. It wouldn’t be South Park without a Blood Orgy, right? Definitely the most inappropriate Christmas episode you’ll find anywhere!

2. Community, Regional Holiday Music (2011) – HuluCommunity Regional Holiday Music Christmas SpecialCommunity CRUSHES it with its Christmas episodes. In season 3, Community brings the Holiday Cheer with original Christmas songs, dissing the now forgotten show Glee in the process. After Jeff (Joel McHale) shuts down Greendale’s Glee Club by reporting them for using unlicensed music, Glee Club Instructor Cory Radison (Taran Killam, SNL), or “Mr. Rad,” recruits the study group to fill in for the Glee Club for a 2nd time (the last Glee Club died in a bus crash). Of course, none of them want to be involved, as their last experience was like “being on Ecstasy.” Abed (Danny Pudi), well intentioned and always seeking a perfect Christmas, is seduced by Mr. Rad’s infectious singing and goes on to spread the cheer (or glee) across the study group through songs. The songs include one about glee, a rap from Troy (Donald Glover aka the rapper Childish Gambino) about being a Jehovah’s Witness that was merely pretending to be into Christmas, and Annie’s (Alison Brie) sexy parody of ‘Santa Baby.’ As with all the specials on this list, certain revelations lead to a dark ending, without glee. And to think, “they were this close to Regionals!”

Abed: What if you were a Jehovah’s witness

That was merely pretending to be into Christmas?

Gathering clues and blending in

To take down the holidays from within?

Troy: You mean like a spy investigating?

Making it seem like I’m celebrating- when actually I’m infiltrating Santa’s operation?

Troy: YOIP! Going deep cover past enemy lines,

Making everybody think I’m on the christ-a-mas side,

Rockin’ warm sweaters,

Hangin’ big ass lights,

If the fat man could see me yo it’s gotta look right

I’ll watch all the TV specials that I never could,

I’ll even cry during the sad ones like James Bond would

And when the big night comes it’s time to set the bait,

Cold milk, hot cookies,

Decorative plates!

And he’ll come down the chi-muh-ney

And it will be just him and me

But he won’t know we’re enemies ’cause I’ll play sincere

Bring a trap, like that,

Hug him tight, get on his lap

And tell him he can come back every year.

‘Cause I am Jehovah’s most secret witness

So I might have to dedicate my life to Christmas

And act just like I love it ’til the day I die!

Abed: A-B-E-D

Connoisseur of Christmas

On the spectrum?

None of your business

Thoughts too fast to comprehend

Just wanna do right

By my friend

If years were seasons, this December

Would be the December

Of our December

More blueprints than Howard Hughes,

But if there are blueprints,

How do we choose?

We have to be happy to get to the end,

We have to save Christmas to save our friends–

Both: We have to save Christmas to save our friends,

We have to save Christmas to save our friends!

1. Community, ‘Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas’ (2010)Community Abed's Uncontrollable ChristmasThis episode is truly the most magical Christmas special of all time! A season before ‘Regional Holiday Music,’ Community delivers another wholly original musical, this time in a glorious, fully animated, stop-motion episode. Paying homage to Rudolf the Rednose Reindeer and The Nightmare Before Christmas (my other favorite “Christmas” movie), ‘Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas’ explores the source of the mental breakdown which has Abed seeing the whole world in claymation. It includes Willy Wonka-esque songs ejecting members of the study group from Abed’s dangerous hallucinations one at a time. The episode even features a remote control Christmas pterodactyl and the line, “Somewhere Tim Burton just got a boner.” Sincerely dark like every special on this list, this ending does provides the most Christmas cheer.

Make haste, there’s not a moment to waste! Only a little over a month to check out all these unconventional Christmas classics.

The 11 Best Movies To Watch This Halloween!


Halloween is a day for Trick or Treating, candy, and parties with women wearing the most revealing costumes imaginable.  Or, if you’re like me, it’s the perfect night for a good movie… or two… or ten! Here the 10 films I’d most recommend this Halloween 2016!

You will find that my list is fairly unique with far more unconventional and lesser known choices instead of the obvious titles like Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc.

Just don’t ask my why mine goes to 11…(Hint: I couldn’t it down to 10)

 

11) 28 Days Later28-weeks-later-cillain-murphy-empty-londonBest straight-up zombie movie. Period. Danny Boyle’s zombies even more frightening than the traditional model, capable of incredible speed, the ability to walk up stairs and climb ladder, and infecting others in seconds by spitting blood at them, in addition to the classic bite. The opening sequence with a completely abandoned London is an astounding image that is hard to forget. Finally, the most important rule of zombie movies is present: the zombies aren’t as dangerous as the other survivors (especially the military). Bloody good scares.

10) Army of Darknessarmy-of-darkness-bruce-cambell-ash-and-bad-ashMy list is full of horror/comedy hybrids. Even the most traditional of horror movies on this contains some laughs (except for 28 Days Later). I don’t always watch horror, but when I do, I like it with a splash of comedy. Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead trilogy set the standard for full on horror with some ridiculous laughs, with the 1st film arriving in 1981, predating any of the other movies on this list. The third film, Army of Darkness wasn’t released until 1992 and it upped the comedy considerably from even the grossly hilarious Evil Dead 2. Never has someone uttered as many  delicious one-liners than Bruce Campbell as Ash. There are skeletons, possessions, graveyards, and not just evil mini versions of Ash… but an actual full-sized Evil Ash (or “Bad Ash”). Raimi’s unique style oozes throughout the film; his own little quirks are nearly as recognizable as Tim Burton’s.

9) Shuan of the Deadshaun-of-the-dead-simon-pegg-nick-frost-pretending-to-be-zombiesShaun of the Dead (like all Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg collaborations),puts comedy 1st, yet still plays by all the rules of the genre. Shaun of the Dead is not a parody of zombie movies as much as it is love-letter to the genre with comedy. It’s the movie that put director Edgar Wright and actors Simon Pegg & Nick Frost on the international stage, leading to other amazing parody/homages Hot Fuzz and The World’s End, so you know it’s good!  Not as terrifying a zombie movie as 28 Days Later, but still full of scares… balanced gently with laughs.

8 & 7) Ghostbusters (1984) & Ghostbusters (2016)ghostbusters-1984-finale-line-upThe original Ghostbusters from 1984 is a given, especially on a list with a comedy twist. Like Shaun of the Dead, this classic was conceived as a comedy movie first, but went on to embrace paranormal scares with great special effects… at the time. It’s not the scariest movie about ghosts, but it is the most iconic. You don’t need to sold on this one; Ghostbusters is a true Halloween Classic with hilarious performances by Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson.

This year’s reboot, also titled Ghostbusters, is not nearly as good as the original, but still has a lot of great laughs with creative, modern twists on the original film. It may be less scary than the original, throwing it further into comedy territory, but the blockbuster is still a fun watch; an especially useful pick if your friend insists on modern special effects. Besides, Kate McKinnon as Holtzmann and Chris Hemsworth as Kevin are the two funniest performances of the year.

6) The Nightmare Before Christmasthe-nightmare-before-christmas-jack-and-sallyIt’s a Halloween Movie! And a Christmas Movie… but totally a Halloween Movie! My boss says it is just a Christmas Movie, but he is wrong. Dead wrong.

With stunning animation directed by stop-motion genius Henry Selick, music written, conducted, and sung by Danny Elfman, and the touching story of a man skeleton experiencing a mid-death crisis, seeking new purpose in his life. Plus… it’s also for kids! The Nightmare Before Christmas is a beautify Disney movie that looks amazing in HD; as you can see the very materials the sets and characters where physically made of! My favorite animated film.

5 & 4) Scream & Scream 2scream-2-ghostface-at-the-toiletBesides 28 Days Later, the Scream films (ONLY the 1st two!) are the most full blown horror movies on my list. Scream was a game-changer for the genre in the 90’s; a horror movie that was so meta it had a character literally explain the rules of a horror film. With this level of self-awareness, the first two Scream movies were able to subvert said rules, providing plenty of fright misdirects while still delivering on the gory promise of a slasher film. No one is safe! The fact this formula worked two times is a testament to the sequel, which was able to feel fresh and bring “the rules of a sequel” into the mix. Scream‘s not a respectful parody like Shaun of the Dead, but rather a full-on horror flick with A+ scares, blood, and that self-aware twist.

3) Cabin in the WoodsCW-0089_DF-02291Cabin in the Woods came along in 2012 and took Meta to the next level! Co-Written by the great Joss Whedon, Cabin in the Woods also introduces all the rules only to subvert them. There’s an order in which each archetypal character must die (the jock, the loose girl, the stoner, the virgin… etc), but that doesn’t mean it’s followed. Cabin in the Woods take this idea of extreme self-awareness a bit farther, dissecting not just one horror sub-genre, but instead examining the many types of scares that cross cultures. Best of all, the film is half horror cliches and half office workplace comedy. It’s impossible to explain without spoiling the movie, but let’s just say it’s just as interesting watching Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford go about their extremely odd and disturbing job as it is watching Chris Hemsworth and friends try to survive in their cabin in the woods.

2) Fright Night (2011)fright-night-david-tennant-and-anton-yelchinOh, 2011’s remake of Fright Night, you would be on so many people’s Halloween lists if anyone had seen you. You’re forgotten, not bad.

I always thought Fright Night was a horror/comedy, but my friends will tell you it’s just horror. Perhaps the comedy I see comes from the brilliance of David Tennant as Peter Vincent, the “Vampire Hunter,” and Collin Farrell chewing the scenery as Jerry the Vampire. It’s the late, great Anton Yelchin’s best movie, taking a story about Vampires and spinning the location of Las Vegas, a city full of half-empty neighborhoods due to the housing crisis,into a character that adds fun, creative twists. An overlooked horror movie about Vampires, of course the “new” Fright Night on my list!

1) The Frightenersthe-frighteners-grim-reaperThree Halloweens ago, I wrote an entire post about The Frighteners. Not if there’s anything more to say today then I did in 1,000 words three years ago. Peter Jackson’s classic is at the top of my list for a reason. My list is ranked in order from least recommended to most, so if you only have time for one movie this Halloween, give The Frighteners a chance! Like Fright Night, it simply slipped under the radar in 1996. Hey… that makes this the 20th Anniversary of The Frighteners! Now you have no excuse!

I know I’ll be watching it…

5 Groovy Facts About BALANCE OF TERROR


Balance of Terror is widely considered one of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS for short). The 14th episode of the series, Balance of Terror aired on December 15th, 1966, involving a game of cat-and-mouse between the USS Enterprise and a Romulan Bird of Prey. The episode was the first to feature a large scale battle between two Starships; all the preceding episodes involved face-to-face encounters with aliens, viruses, and not one, but two “Evil Captain Kirks” (a robot Kirk in What Are Little Girls Made Of? and a Kirk split into good and evil halves in The Enemy Within). This space battle defined the style of engagement between the Enterprise and enemy ships, influencing everything from the finale of Wrath of Khan to 2009’s Star Trek.

Balance of Terror is set to define the future of Star Trek on TV in 2017, so let’s take a look at 5 GROOVY facts from 1966!

A New Threatromulans-from-balance-of-terror-to-star-trek-2009The Romulans are a staple of the Star Trek universe, serving as the Federation’s most formidable and well-known alien race, behind only the infamous Klingons, in the 23rd Century. Balance of Terror is the 1st time the audience and the human race have ever seen a Romulan (though it may have been retconned since). During the Earth-Romulan War, a century before the events of TOS, there was no visual communication between the Federation and the Romulan Empire.

Today, even youngsters who have only seen the new films kick-started by J.J. Abrams can point out a Romulan. In 2009’s Star Trek, the Enterprise and her crew faced Nero (Eric Bana) and his crew, who both killed Kirk’s father and destroyed Spock’s home planet of Vulcan. Though their design has been updated many times since December 1966, Romulans remain a mainstay of the Star Trek universe.

Lend Me Your Ears!romulans-balanceofterrorRomulans and Vulcans share a common ancestry, so the make-up department used the same ear prosthetic to create Romulans that was applied to Leonard Nemoy to play Mr. Spock. Did you know that due to budget and time constraints, not all the actors playing Romulans were given the distinctive pointy ears? The less prominent Romulans were given helmets instead; re-purposed Roman Helmet props from the studio’s biblical movies on the 1950s. Who says you can’t just redress an old prop designed to look two centuries into one that is meant to be used 2,000 years in the future?

Good Romulans Make For Better Vulcansmark-lenard-as-romulan-and-vulcanEveryone knows actor Max Lenard went from playing the Romulan Commander in Balance of Terror to playing not just any Vulcan, but Spock’s own father Sarek in the episode Journey to Babel in 1967 (Everyone knows this)! Yet, Lenard was not the only actor from Balance of Terror to go from Romulan to Vulcan… Lawrence Montaigne also went on to play a Vulcan with a personal relation to Spock; his rival Stonn in 1967’s Amok Time. Fascinating. “Common Ancestry” indeed!

Max Lenard also had the chance to take it a step further, playing a Klingon Captain in 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture, making him the 1st actor to play all three of TOS‘s primary alien species. Vulcans and Klingons were not as fulfilling to Lenard, who said, “The Romulan Commander was one of the best roles I ever had on TV…In many ways, I did enjoy that role [Sarek], but I think the more demanding role and the better acting role was the Romulan Commander”.

The Enemy Belowthe-enemy-below-1957-posterBalance of Terror is based on the plot of the 1957 film, The Enemy Below. Set during World War II, the film focuses on a  deadly game of “cat-and-mouse” (sound familiar?) between an American Destroyer and a German U-Boat. The Enterprise obviously played the role of the American Destroyer, with the U-Boat subbed out for the Romulan Bird of Prey; both enemy vessels able to avoid detection, whether it be submerging under the ocean having a cloaking device. As in The Enemy Below, both captains are evenly matched, with the hero having to overcome his opponent through his superior strategy.

A “Touchstone” for Star Trek: Discovery

the-uss-discovery-star-trek-discovery-2017
The USS Discovery from 2017’s STAR TREK: DISCOVERY

In 2017 a new series set a decade before TOS, Star Trek: Discovery (or STD… which is unfortunate), is set to air. We know little about the show besides the aforementioned time period, the fact it will be more serialized with a more connected season structure, will feature the USS Discovery, and be the 1st series told from the perspective of a female First Officer instead of the ship’s Captain.

Showrunner Bryan Fuller did Tweet this interesting piece of information back in September:

A FAVORITE TOS EPISODE “BALANCE OF TERROR” IS A TOUCHSTONE FOR THE STORY ARC

See? I told you Balance of Terror is a fan favorite!

What exactly Fuller is referring to remains a bit of a mystery. Some think this means the new show will feature the Earth-Romulan War, though this is unlikely as said conflict took place a century before the events of STD and TOS. Though Balance of Terror establishes that Romulans and Humans haven’t made contact in 100 years, my hope is the show explores events similar to the beloved episode, with the Romulans attacking Federation outposts surrounding Earth as a prelude to a planned Earth-Romulan War II that the crew of the Discovery must prevent. Just throw in some mumbo-jumbo about the Federation covering it up as to not cause panic. Retcon!romulans-star-trek-tos-balance-of-terrorOthers believe “Touchstone,” in this case, implies that Fuller and his team are simply shooting to replicate the quality of Balance of Terror. Or maybe they’ll just borrow the plot involving cat-and-mouse space warfare, this time drawn out over a season. Fuller has also said that the show will feature an event we’ve “heard referred to but have never seen.” Unless the time-period we’ve been given for STD is wrong, we won’t be seeing the Earth-Romulan War, but either way hopefully we get plenty of Romulans!

Such a strong alien opponent’s existence should not be limited to simply 1966’s Balance of Terror through 2009’s Star Trek. Romulans will hopefully be terrorizing us for decades to come!

The 5 Best Geeks In Film & TV


I’ve proven, without a doubt, Geek and Nerd can be used interchangeably. Now I am free to move with my list of The 5 Most Accurate Geeks in Film and Television! Any Hollywood Writer and Studio Exec can create Geek characters for the masses to enjoy, but those of us who are truly Geeks will notice the difference between characters that feel authentic and those who are simply insulting stereotypes. (Clue: all the characters on the following list were created by Geeks… for Geeks).

The intention of this post is to celebrate the authentic fictional geeks, so rather than list a all the bad stereotypes, I’d just like to point to just one TV Show with poorly crafted Geeks. The Big Bang Theory is one of the most watched comedies on Television, but because of this, it delivers watered down Nerds without any truth behind them. These “Geeks” may be almost impossibly smart, love science, go to the comic shop, and talk in what sounds like so “Gibberish,” but they’re simple stereotypes meant to deliver giant numbers for America’s most watched Network, in a show produced by NOT uber-Geek, Chuck Lorre. They’re just fit the preconceived of what regular folk think Geeks are like.

With all sorts of movies and TV shows centering around geeks, aimed at smaller, more specific audiences in the age of a thousand cable and internet channels to watch, we’re getting more characters every year that feel authentic, even to the Nerdiest of Geeks.

Here are the Top 5 “spot-on” Geeks!

5) Tim Bisley (Simon Pegg), Spacedtim-bisely-spaced-simon-peggTim Bisley is the Geek on this list most likely survive in normal society and least likely to stick out like a sore thumb. Spaced was co-created in 1999 by Simon Pegg, who also played one of the two most central protagonists: Tim Bisley. This character was created at the beginning of Geekdom’s rise to mainstream; the year Star Wars returned and two years before Spider-Man became the first Comic Book Movie to set Box Office records in over a decade.

Today, Tim would be your most basic form of mainstream Geek; he wants to be an illustrator, smokes weed and gets philosophical about Star Wars, wears T-Shirts with geeky references, loves Zombies, worked at a Comic Book Shop, and had a very special theory about Star Trek:

…Sure as day follows night, sure as eggs is eggs, sure as every odd-numbered Star Trek movie is shit.

17 years later, Tim still feels very authentic to my own personal experiences in 2016.

4) Bodie (Jason Lee), Mallrats, Jay and Silent Bob Strike BackJason Lee As Brodie Jay And Silent Bob Strike BackCreated by the King of the Geeks, Kevin Smith, Brodie (not the only lead in Mallrats named after a Jaws character) is based off Smith’s friend Walter Flanagan, with whom Smith would search for Comics all across New Jersey.

Brodie, like Tim, isn’t so socially awkward that he can’t act mostly normal in public. Instead, his Geekiest qualities come from his interests and devotion to them. Tell me you haven’t seen a larger comic book collection (on screen or otherwise) as his Mother’s basement full of long boxes. Between the events of Mallrats and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Brodie even opened his own comic shop! Putting Sega Genesis over his girlfriend, spending his free time in Malls and Flea Markets, discussing superhero antimony with Stan Lee, Brodie is a geek that comes from a very real place. He’s just attractive and outgoing enough to have a girlfriend that is out of his league. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t a geek!

3) Abed (Danny Pudi), Community5-best-geeks-abed-danny-pudi-communityThese last 3 “Top Geeks” on my list are socially awkward to a point of not being able to fit in, but that does not make them stereotypes.

Abed from Community is a film geek to the most extreme degree. Who’s to say if it’s his Autism or simple movie obsession and lack of caring what his “normal” peers think of him that make Abed so “weird?” I relate to Abed more than any other character on this list. He soaks up movie knowledge and quotes it faster than a Kevin Smith character while also digging deeper into its philosophy than Tim. The only time Abed seems normal is when he’s pretending to be someone else (like Han Solo), something I think a lot of fellow Geeks can liken to acting not being yourself in public.

Abed isn’t just into stereotypical Geek Culture like Inspector Spacetime (a play on Dr. Who), he also loves Cougar Town!  And he doesn’t fall under the archetype as super-smart Nerd; his intelligence lies in pop culture subjects like determining who’s the boss on Who’s The Boss?

2 & 1) Moss (Chris O’Dowd) & Roy (Richard Ayodade), The IT Crowd5-best-geeks-moss-and-roy-it-crowdThe last two come as a pair! Moss, Roy, and the TV show on which they appear, like all the good Geeks & media on this list, are not only created by Geeks, they are tailor made for this smaller “society,” not the millions watching CBS. Their content is better enjoyed if you are familiar with what the references and understand some of their struggles. In The IT Crowd we see the dynamic of a “bromance” between two Geeks that is just as threatening to their social status as their other characteristics. I have a friend with whom I discuss comics so in depth that anyone trying to follow is at a loss; that’s Moss and Roy in a nutshell. Two incredibly “weird” heteosexual life-partners.

Both work in the IT Department, making them the two smartest nerds on this list, in a very Geeky area of expertise. Roy is closer to Tim or Brodie than Abed. Though he is a little stranger than Tim or Brodie, he can still manage the attractive girlfriend… until they learn too much about him. Similar to Abed, Roy has an inability to understand social situations, but instead of complete awkwardness this makes him seem uncaring and vain. That’s another type of Geek I’m familiar with and can relate to! And, of course,he has a new reference on his T-Shirt every episode.

Moss is more of the poindexter of the group, smarter than Roy with computers and the like, but just as socially inept as Abed. Moss is the only one on the list without a T-Shirt, preferring the classic Nerd-style of a button-up shirt and tie with giant black glasses and an Egon-esque haircut. Like Abed, he’s the extreme case of being so “out of it” that he lives in his own Geektacular World, and will likely never fit in and have a “normal” life. He’s hopelessly Moss.5-best-geeks-moss-it-crowdThe entertainment world is not limited to these 5 accurate portrayals of Geeks. These days, there are authentic Geeks anywhere you look… except CBS.

THE BATMAN: 5 Characters I DON’T Want To See!


The Batman (title confirmed by Ben Affleck… though he did say he may change it)  is coming (in 18 months if you believe Random WB Exec #52)!  Written by an Academy Award winning writer (Affleck) and directed by & starring the director and star (Affleck!) of the Academy Award winning film Argo, The Batman is DC’s best chance at finally knocking a DC Extended Universe movie out of the park! In addition to cinema’s greatest Batman actor (AFFLECK!), we know The Batman features Deathstroke (Joe Manganiello),  my favorite version of Alfred Pennyworth (Jeremy Irons), and Commissioner Jim Gordon (J.K. Simmons).

I’ve already made a list of “5 Batman Villains New to Cinema I DO want to See in The Batman”  – Part 1 and Part 2 – but now I’ve deemed it necessary to list 5 Batman Characters I DON’T want to see in the film.

5. CATWOMAN4-big-screen-catwomanIn both the films and the comics, Catwoman is played out. She is not be the only prominent character who’s had more than one cinematic go-around (Harvey Dent/Two-Face has had 3 cinematic incarnations, if you count Billy Dee Williams’ 5 minutes as Dent in Batman), but we have seen her four (4!) times: Adam West’s Batman, Batman Returns, Catwoman, The Dark Knight Rises. Making matters worse, the latest version (Anne Hathaway) was forgettable, incorrectly characterized, and poorly used overall. “Don’t you want to see her done right?” you may ask. “No, not this character.”

In addition to being the most used big screen Batman villain,  Catwoman/Selina Kyle has a relationship with Batman/Bruce Wayne far too complex and impossible to shoehorn in unless she gets about half the screen-time. Michelle Pfeiffer had more screen-time than perhaps even Michael Keaton, crushing both identities and her relationship with Batman in Batman Returns. There are much better female characters to use, like Poison Ivy. I hope she shows up eventually!

4. HARLEY QUINNharley-quinn-margot-robbie-the-batmanNo, this isn’t a sexist list. In fact, it’s the opposite, as the two female characters are not among the three I want to see the least! The three I really don’t want to see are all total bros.

We’ve seen what was basically a Harley Quinn movie in Suicide Squad. And according to WB, we’re getting a Harley Quinn solo movie down the line, with Margot Robbie returning to star as Quinn, and the possibility of a focus on female characters like Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Batgirl, etc. There is already plenty of Harley Quinn to come in the DCEU, so why waste The Batman‘s running-time with her? Like with Catwoman, do something new!

Most importantly, I don’t want The Batman turned into a bloody Hot Topic commercial. The costume designer behind Suicide Sqaud should be fired.Or given a bigger budget?

3. NIGHTWING / ANY Other “Bat Family” MembernightwingBatman will have spent plenty of time with allies by the time we get to The Batman. He worked with Superman and Wonder Woman in the climax of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and he’s just one in a crowd of several more powerful heroes in 2017’s Justice League. He already has the required Gordon and Alfred on his side. While I wouldn’t mind adding Harvey Dent (the DA, not the criminal boss) as a supporting character, I want to see Batman physically fight crime on his own for the first time in the DCEU. Leave the team-ups to the multiple Justice League movies they will make.

I don’t want to see ANYONE from the Bat Family which includes Batgirl, Batwoman, multiple Robins, etc. Among the two most likely to show up, is Dick Grayson aka Nightwing. Grayson was Batman’s 1st Robin, who upon growing up adopted his own title, Nightwing, both striking out on his own and assisting Batman when he needs it. Zack Snyder already confirmed the Robin Costume we see in BvS is Jason Todd’s (more on him next), but in the comics, before Tood came Grayson. The DCEU will hopefully be simplified, eliminating Grayson all together, making Jason Todd the only Robin referenced in these movies.

2. RED HOOD / ANY version of Jason Toddjason-todd-robin-red-hood-the-batmanI just don’t want these movie to get crowded with too much history and complicated relationships!

In the comics, Jason Todd was the 2nd Robin, only to be murdered by the Joker.Through the magic of comic books, Todd came back with a vendetta against Batman, pissed Batman continues to not kill Joker & other villains even though Joker murdered him. He fights crime and wants the Joker’s head, but Red Hood and Batman do not see eye-to-eye; Red Hood using guns to kill villains and Batman usually doesn’t like guns.

In Batman V Superman, we saw Jason Todd’s Robin costume, with “Ha-Ha Joke’s On You Batman!” spray painted on it, memorialized in the Batcave. Suicide Squad delivered a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Easter Egg confirming Harley Quinn herself may have done the act in the DCEU. Leave it at that! No flash-backs to Todd and Batman fighting crime, and no appearance of Red Hood, who needs a movie dedicated to him alone IF we do ever see him (I hope we won’t). And, for God’s Sake, no weird mash-up character revealing Deathstroke is Jason Todd. Yuck!

1. Jared Letos’ JOKERjared-leto-joker-tattoosI don’t like this version of the Joker, I just don’t. I don’t like the Gangster angle and Jared Leto made the strangest choices. They were brave, like Heath Ledger’s, but it backfired for Leto. Normally I would say the Joker should be in at least one of each Batman Actor’s films, but honestly, I never want to see Jared Leto’s Joker in the DCEU ever again.

Is it too late to recast the role? If we could get Walton Goggins involved, I say we give his Joker ALL the screen time! Just look at the dude laugh! (For examples of him playing a laughing psychopath, watch American Ultra or Vice Principals.)walton-goggins-for-new-jokerBest part is, about half the pictures on Google Images are of Goggins laughing.

Consider it, DC?

5 Unused BATMAN Villains That Need To Appear In The DCEU – PART 2


You’ve read “5 Unused Batman Villains That Need To Appear In the DCEU, Part 1” featuring the Court of Owls and Clayface? And now you want to know who my 3 top choices are for who I’d like Ben Affleck to eventually face in the DC Extended Universe? Here we go with the 2nd and final part!

3. Victor Zsaszthe-batman-victor-zsasz-2 Okay, I’m cheating a wee bit here, as Victor Zsasz appeared briefly in Chrisopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. It was a cameo mostly by name only; we watch Jonathan Crane (Cillian Murphy) get the serial killer transferred to Arkham early in the film, only to see him again once when Ra’s Al Ghul’s men break the inmates out of Arkham in the finale. But we never see Zsasz in action… or with his trademark look.

Zsasz is a serial killer who cuts a mark on his body to represent everyone he’s murdered. Like Clayface, he has no personal hatred for Batman, besides being a criminal, but he is pure evil. Focusing on women and children, preferably little girls, Zsasz has hundreds of cuts on his body, as he is very good at what he does. Oh, and he’s just plain nuts, if the cutting and murdering didn’t tip you off.

A while back, it was rumored that Zsasz would be used in Batman V Superman as a villain Batman (Ben Affleck) faces in the beginning of the film to establish his role as the protector of Gotham. Though that rumor proved to be false, I suggest nothing more than that in The Batman; just have Batman take down Zsasz before Deathstroke (Joe Magliano)  comes to town.

2. Black Maskthe-batman-black-maskYes, Black Mask is wearing a mask; he is not a Red Skull wanna be. Like Clayface, there have been more than one Black Mask since his first appearance in 1985 (which actually makes him one of the newer villains in Batman’s 77 year history). The most well known incarnation is Roman Sionis, the head of one of the gangs in Gotham, The False Face Society. Sionis is interesting as he can fill the role of a regular crime boss like Falcone or Maroni, while also dressing like one of the “freaks” Gotham is known for. If they wanted, the creative team behind the DCEU could simply use Black Mask as a crime boss Batman is trying to take down. He’d be the perfect villain to hire Deathstroke to help him do away with Batman.

Of course, Black Mask doesn’t just sit on his ass like Falcone, he can face Batman directly with his trademark double automatic pistols and sword. Sionis is skilled in hand-to-hand combat and is a brilliant strategist that rivals Batman.

Black Mask has had different abilities and histories with Bruce Wayne that could be utilized to make him less of a mobster and more of a super-villain with personal vendetta against Batman. In the New 52, his mask has hypnosis-like mind control abilities and Sionis used toxin filled masks to kill his victims, leaving their faces blackened and shriveled like a skull (or his own mask). In his initial appearance, Roman’s parents had a “friendship” with Martha and Thomas Wayne, while secretly hating them. This “friendship” lead them to force young Sionis to become friends with young Bruce Wayne. Such a relationship would certainly make things more interesting as the relationship between Roman and Bruce could be explored against the backdrop of Black Mask’s hatred towards Batman.

1. Hugo StrangeHugo StrangeIf I don’t see Hugo Strange appear in a Batman film soon, I’m going to lose my mind! (Something Strange would be fine with).

Hugo is an oldie, but a goodie, appearing in Detective Comics #36, predating Catwoman or even The Joker. He’s the 1st and most notable of the villains that figured out Bruce Wayne is Batman over the decades, which has made him an incredibly dangerous adversary. Sometimes he is a simple psychologist (or a famous one), though he has also run Arkham Asylum in various iterations, another power move most villains haven’t pulled off.

My favorite Hugo Strange story comes from Batman: Prey (also one of my favorite Batman Graphic Novels overall).  In this version, Strange is a brilliant Psychologist who promises Gotham he can uncover Batman’s secret identity, leading to his being hired as a Police Consultant with access to all of the police records. Strange correctly surmises that Batman is a result of great trauma, so he uses said files to narrow down who in Gotham could actually be Batman. Strange attempts to use Scarecrow as a pawn (which doesn’t end well for poor old Hugo) and brainwashes GCPD Sargent Max Cort to become a violent vigilante, The Night-Scourge, who will stop at nothing to kill Batman. Strange’s obsession with Batman is explored in this story as well, including a scene where Strange himself dresses as the Bat. hugo-strange-preyStrange would work particularly well with Deathstroke. Deathstroke’s origin could be tweaked so he is less a mercenary and more a product of Hugo Strange’s hypnosis and obsession, just like Night-Scourge. Or, if Strange is head of Arkham in the DCEU, he could also be responsible for releasing Deathstroke to do his dirty work. It would be fun to watch a movie where there is the actual threat of Batman’s secret identity going public, and, if Deathstroke had said information it would make him an even bigger threat for the Dark Knight.

So that’s my wish-list for which Batman Villains I hope appear either alongside Deathstroke in The Batman or later in the DCEU. I hope either Ben Affleck or Geoff Jones is listening (they’re not… to me at least)!

5 Unused BATMAN Villains That Need To Appear In The DCEU – PART 1


Now that the DC Extended Universe has given us a new version of Batman and Gotham, it’s time to break out some new characters in celebration! It has already been announced that Joe Magliano (True Blood, Magic Mike) will be playing the mercenary Deathstroke in The Batman, Batman’s 1st solo outing in the DCEU, with Ben Affleck writing, directing, and starring as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Deathstroke is a decent choice, but he’s not on my list of wants, as Batman has perhaps the most extensive Rogue’s Gallery of any character (comics or otherwise) and I feel there are plenty of stronger characters that have been ignored by the Batman films up to this point.

Yes, I would love to see better versions of The Riddler, Poison Ivy, and Penguin, and I would welcome new versions of Harvey Dent/Two-Face and Scarecrow, but here are are the 1st two of five Batman villains that we have yet to see on the silver screen that would mesh perfectly with the current DCEU. Though you wouldn’t want to throw more than one of my choices into The Batman, adding just one of these overlooked villains would compliment Deathstroke in interesting ways.

I only have the space to cover two of my five choices this post, as The Court of Owls requires more explanation than the rest; being the only villains on the list that have only been a part of the Rogues Gallery for 5 years.

Speaking of which:

5. The Court Of Owlsthe-batman-who-are-the-court-of-owlsThe Court of Owls were introduced as one of the first villains in 2011’s premiere of DC Comics’ “Reboot,” The New 52. Created by writer Scott Snyder (not Zack!) and artist Greg Capullo, the men behind nearly all issues of the incredible New 52 run of ‘Batman,’ The Court of Owls are an organized crime group and secret society the likes of which Batman has never faced. Organized crime is nothing new in Gotham, but the Court has secretly controlled Gotham since Colonial times. Made up of Gotham’s oldest and wealthiest families, they have used money and political power to shape Gotham to their liking, having an even greater influence on the city than the legacy of the Waynes. Completely unknown to Gotham’s great protector Batman and his alter ego Bruce Wayne who seeks to improve his city with his fortune, they have bases and hideouts based all over the city, even in Wayne structures. Their existence is but a fairy tale to even Bruce, living on mainly though a nursery rhyme:

Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time,
Ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime.
They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed.
Speak not a whispered word about them, or they’ll send the Talon for your head.

the-batman-court-of-owls-family-portraitTalons are their deadly assassins, basically an army of undead soldiers selected by the Court of Owls over the centuries,  kept in a “deep sleep” until needed. When called upon, this army is dangerous indeed, not stopped by bullets, knives, or most of Batman’s tricks, because… well… I did say they were, “basically undead.”

I would want to see the Court of Owls used as a sort of secret cult (which it is), controlling Gotham right below Batman’s nose. When Batman and/or Bruce Wayne push too hard to improve Gotham, the Court would push back, declaring war on both sides of Batman’s psyche. I suggest ditching the Talons all together. After all, with the Court secretly calling all the shots, they could make Hell for Batman and Bruce without an army, and it makes perfect sense for them to hire or trick Deathstroke. Deathstroke could even be revealed as the movie version of a Talon; stripping away the supernatural elements and making him their personal solider.

 

4. Clayfacethe-batman-clayface-vs-batmanUnlike the Court of Owls, Clayface has been a Batman mainstay for over 50 years. In that span of time, there have been many versions Clayface, but my favorite representation was how he was interpreted for Batman: The Animated Series in the 90’s. Without going into every version of the character,  Basil Karlo is a well known actor (often presented as washed up or recently fired) who undergoes an experiment/accident that leaves him in the form of a giant mud monster. The powers that come with such a transformation give him super-strength and the ability to shape-shift to impersonate anyone; Batman’s friends and foes, or even Bruce Wayne himself!

Unlike Joker or Two-Face, Clayface has no real personal vendetta against Batman, aside from being thrown into Arkham by the Caped Crusader (like everyone else). He’s also not pure evil. Though different versions of the character often turn to crime before his transformation, Clayface is involved with pettier crimes like robbing a bank or getting revenge against those who have wronged him in the Movie Business.clayface-the-batmanClayface could be used a number of different ways with Deathstroke. He could pose as a fake Bruce Wayne after Deathstroke takes Batman out of the picture (for a time, Batman obviously comes back and wins in the end). He could be a secondary villain who torments Batman between  Deathsroke attacks, or even serve as the villain Batman fights in the opening act, before Deathstroke is on the scene. He could even be an ally to Batman, like in this year’s run of Detective Comics following the latest “Soft Reboot,” Rebirth, becoming Bruce Wayne or Batman to serve as a false target for Deathstroke. The possibilities are nearly endless when the people Clayface can become are.

Come back soon for my top 3 picks for who should appear in either the DCEU or even The Batman alongside Deathstroke. The best is yet to come!

Casting Swamp Thing and Etrigan the Demon in JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK (aka ‘DARK UNIVERSE’)


Justice League Dark is coming! The live-action DCEU film, currently titled Dark Universe, brings together the most powerful users of magic in the DC Universe to fight a threat the normal Justice League can’t fight, or even comprehend. I’ve already decided to cast Matt Ryan as Constantine the Hellblazer, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Zatanna the magician, and Armie Hammer as Deadman the… well… literal dead man (a ghost!), in my last post. But now, my friends, it is time to decide who is best suited to play JLD’s least human characters, Swamp Thing and Etrigan the Demon!

Part of the fun with these last two characters is that their creation will rely heavily on CGI or extreme make-up effects. Because, well, Constantine wears a coat and tie, Zatanna has fishnet stockings, and Deadman is just a pale, ghostly while bald gentleman, while these other two are literal monsters. And while Matt Ryan is a complete unknown for most, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Armie Hammer have yet to carry a blockbuster of this size, this time I present two incredibly bankable movie stars to set Warner Brothers’ mind at ease.

Etrigan the Demon/ Jason Blood – Idris ElbaIdris Elba as Etrigan the Demon Jason BloodThe NEW 52 rewrote Etrigan The Demon’s history a bit, and it’s safe to assume that any big screen version of the character will stick closer to DC’s most recent iteration. Etrigan worked for Lucifer himself before the dark ages, eventually leading a revolution against the Fallen One. Meanwhile, Jason Blood was a scribe for Merlin (yes, the Merlin of Camelot), unhappy with his life; both full of rage and a desire to amount to greater things. For reasons that are too intricate to go into here, Merlin and Lucifer decided to merge Etrigan and Jason. A little like Bruce Banner and the Hulk, the two sides learn to coexist… eventually, as they are immortal. Etrigan has belonged to groups like Justice League Dark over the centuries, including the “Demon Knights,” who he attempted to betray to earn back favor with Lucifer. Things didn’t exactly go Etrigan’s way, as he was sealed beneath London by his “teammates” until the modern day, when he will surely be unearthed just in time to save the day (or betray JLD and become the main  villain, Enchantress style). The little information on Dark Universe we have suggests that whatever evil Justice League Dark faces comes from Etrigan’s past, centuries before the likes of John Constantine and Zatanna were born.

As alluded to, sometimes Etrigan appears as a horned demon with fangs and claws, though when Jason Blood, he is all too human. Etrigan has super strength than can match Wonder Woman or Superman.  His powers don’t end there; he’s a nasty cocktail of magic with telepathy, precognition, and super speed, able to produce energy blasts and breath fire like a dragon. His healing factor would make Wolverine jealous, and he actually takes pain as pleasure, so he can take quite the lickin’ and keep on tickin’. When in human form, Jason shares some of these abilities including precognition and telepathy, and is quite skilled at hand-to-hand combat.

Now, you could go full CG with Etrigan, but I think a more fitting approach would be heavy make-up and prosthetics, in the vein of Hellboy or Suicide Squad‘s  Killer Croc. You need someone with a big frame, who can pull off the physicality, act through heavy make-up, and bring both characters an old soul. Ron Pearlman, who played Hellboy, is way too on the nose, but I was inspired by another movie that required heavy make-up, Star Trek Beyond. Idris Elba is the perfect size to bring Etrigan to life, especially if he goes on one of those world famous superhero work-outs & diet. And, yeah, you’d do him up in a similar way to his character Krall from Beyond, only with horns and bigger claws. Then, let Idris Elba do what he does best; act the shit out of this role! As Jason Blood, Elba would also impress; a very world weary man who has seen centuries pass. Is it also too on the nose because of the similarities to Krall in Star Trek Beyond? Maybe, but it’s also perfect casting; Elba’s done it before and who doesn’t want to see him appear in a superhero horror film?

 

Swamp Thing – Liam NeesonLiam Neeson as Swamp Thing Justice League DarkMaybe even more so than John Constantine, Swamp Thing is the most well known character in Justice League Dark. After all, only these two have had live action movies AND TV shows starring them. Swamp Thing and Constantine both originated in Vertigo Comics, kind of a harder, darker version of DC, before being brought into the fold of the greater DC Universe. Swamp Thing was created in 1971, but mastermind Alan Moore (‘Watchmen,’ ‘The Killing Joke’) breathed new life into the character in the 1980’s, also creating Constantine in the pages of ‘Swamp Thing.’

More or less, Swamp Thing was a man who has lost his human self in the form of a plant monster, but unlike Etrigan/Jason Blood there is no returning to human form for poor Mr. Thing (this does make him more like Marvel’s The Thing from Fantastic Four, and less like the Hulk). Though he sometimes pines for his lost humanity, Swamp Thing has a special connection to “The Green” (basically the life force of nature) and does whatever he can to protect it. His interests line up with whatever is best for The Green, and not mankind, so Constantine usually has to trick Swamp Thing to gain his assistance. Swamp Thing can inhabit any sort of body grown from plants and is able to heal himself quickly through his connection to The Green. He can also transport himself nearly instantly through nature, across the globe if need be, growing a new body on the other end. He’s nearly as strong as Etrigan the Demon and can control any form or plant life, using it as a weapon, akin to Poison Ivy. He is weakened when removed completely from nature.

Sure, you could just grab a Mo-Cap actor like Andy Serkis to voice and move like Swamp Thing, but even though it is kind of essential that this character go CG rather than heavy make-up, I would still like to cast an actor with the physicality and voice to bring Swamp Thing to life. Liam Neeson seems perfect. Have him throw on a gravely voice, and move like a giant mesh of plants, almost like a more stocky Groot. Unlike Groot, DC should use motion capture; just because Liam Neeson has never done it before, doesn’t mean he can’t give it a go, as even Independent Movie darling Mark Ruffalo has a blast acting like the Hulk in silly Mo-Cap pajamas. Sure, WB won’t be super stoked with casting Neeson only to never show his face, but that’s the modern age of movie making, folks!

 

Daniel Craig as Frankenstein Justice League Dark UniverseI wanted to include a bonus casting or two, but alas, we’ve run out of time. I will leave you with this… how about Daniel Craig as Frankenstein? Though it is unlikely we will see this character in Dark Universe, Frankenstein’s monster himself is sometimes a member of JLD… and he carries a big fucking sword. Daniel Craig has the right look!

Casting JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK (aka ‘DARK UNIVERSE’) – Constantine, Zatanna, and Deadman


Justice League Dark is coming to the DCEU (DC Extended Universe)!… Though it may be titled Dark Universe, in order to avoid confusion among the uninitiated, who may mistakenly think the team is literally a “dark/evil” version of the Justice League. In reality, JLD is group of magically inclined individuals (NOT Superheros, if you listen to John Constantine) who have to come together to save the world from villains who also deal with magic and the occult… like Enchantress (who you already saw in Suicide Squad). These are the sorts of villains that are literally out of Superman’s league. Originally developed by  Guillermo del Toro, who was the ideal director for this magical mix of Dr. Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy (forget Suicide Squad), and the horror genre, Doug Liman is now at the helm (Edge of Tomorrow, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Identity), after jumping the ship on Fox’s X-Men spinoff, Gambit.Justice League Dark Volume 1 CoverSimilar to the Avengers and Task Force X (aka the “Suicide Squad”), Justice League Dark has a rotating cast of characters, unlike Justice League which really hasn’t changed much in 20 years. That being said, we’re told to expect the following characters in Dark Universe: fan favorites John Constantine (aka the Hellblazer) & Swamp Thing, Zatanna, Deadman, and Etrigan the Demon. Other members in the comic have included Katana (played by Karen Fukuhara in Suicide Squad), Frankenstein’s Monster (really!), Vampire Andrew Bennett (from the comic, ‘I, Vampire’), Madame Xanadu, Black Orchid, and Shade the Changing Man, among several others.

Here we’ll focus on dream casting for the “confirmed” (assumed?) five Justice League Dark members: Constantine, Swamp Thing, Zatanna, Deadman, and Etrigan the Demon. I’ll tell you a bit about each character and suggest who the perfect actor is to play the role!

 

John Constantine – Matt RyanMatt Ryan John Constantine Justice League Dark UniverseJohn Constantine is a charming, blond, Irishman, a mage, warlock, and self proclaimed “Master of the Dark Arts.” He’s also a womanizer (though he is bi-sexual), a scoundrel, a cheat, a drunk, a chain-smoker, and really not much of a leader… though he is the unofficial face of Justice League Dark.

Constantine’s childhood origin has been retold many times, but always results in some sort of grisly, demon related death of his parents. Part of a band in his early 20’s, Constantine began to research magic and the occult with his band-mates and friends, quickly becoming adept at all sorts of sorcery and exorcisms before he knew the cost. Constantine is scarred after accidentally damning a close friend’s girl, Astra, to hell during a botched exorcism. He lives on borrowed time, himself being damned to Hell as a result of the Astra incident, trying to make good in an attempt to save his soul. He fights demons and other more nefarious mages, defeating them often at the cost of the lives or souls of those he loves.John Constantine New 52 Like any good”Superhero Team” (again, don’t use the “S” word in front of Constantine), expect these characters to butt heads; none of them are exactly team players. That being said, Constantine would be the 1st to stab any of his teammates in the back, or play them without laying out his plan, or strike out on his own all together.When the chips fall though, John will sacrifice himself to save those he loves, if he hasn’t lost them already.

The thing is, we already have the definitive John Constantine, Matt Ryan, who played the Hellblazer in the 2014/2015 NBC show, Constantine. Though not a movie star you can sell a movie on (Marvel keeps proving you don’t need movie stars to sell a great concept like this), I once ranked Matt Ryan’s casting as the most accurate to the comic of all the superhero movies and TV shows.  He’s bloody perfect! He’s got the charm, he’s a bit of an oddball, and he really commits the the absurdity of casting a spell in Latin… and he looks exactly like the character. Ryan has returned to play Constantine in an episode of Arrow, as well as the upcoming Warner Bros. Animation Original Movie, Justice League Dark (yes, an animated version of the comic is also on the horizon). He was del Toro’s 1st choice for the role when del Toro was still planning to direct and there is a lot of pressure from Constantine fans online, for good reason.

Runner-Up: Colin FarrellColin Ferrell as John Constantine Justice League Dark I only include one because WB, who has relied more on established stars than Marvel, may balk at the idea of casting Ryan as their lead. Colin Ferrell has been mentioned many times, and he’s a solid second choice; another charming Irishman with a dark side. We’ve just go to bleach his hair!

 

 

Zatanna – Mary Elizabeth WinsteadMary Elizabeth Winstead as Zatanna Justice League DarkZatanna is a powerful magician, both of the performing variety and kind you don’t want to mess with in a magic fight. Unlike Constantine, her powers are genetic; her father was a world famous magician and his disappearance/death ties into her origin. In the comics she was once a member of the actual Justice League, though this is very unlikely to be explored in the DCEU. Zatanna’s also has a romantic history with Constantine, which is likely to be included in the film. He’s burned her (not literally), bad, as he does with everyone in his life. Whenever John betrays the team or goes off on his own, it is Zatanna who picks up the slack. You could make the argument she is the leader of the Justice League Dark, more-so than Constantine.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead (10 Cloverfield Lane, Live Free or Die Hard) really fits the bill as Zatanna. Resembling your comic counterpart isn’t a requirement these days, but it doesn’t hurt. Winstead is a rising star, already appearing in another underrated comic adaptation, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. She could play a strong, confident heroine who can hold her own against Constantine and whatever evil lurks in Dark Universe. Zatanna is also the optimist, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead seems like the perfect combo of all these things.

 

Deadman/ Boston Brand – Armie HammerDeadman Boston Brand Armie HammerBoston Brand, like Dick Grayson, the original Robin, was a trapeze artist, but unlike Dick, he’s dead. Get it? “Deadman!”  He’s a ghost who can possess both friend and foe, either to control them or simply root through their brain to get the information he needs.  Only those skilled in magic, like the members of Justice League Dark and his foes, can even see him. Deadman does whatever a ghost can; walk through walls, go fully invisible, and even fly. Being a former acrobat, he’s pretty handy in a fight, whether it’s against a supernatural spirit or even a goon on the street… if he’s possessing said goon’s friend.

Though all the members of Justice League Dark have a… well… dark side, Boston is the quickest to crack a smile, and not a sadistic grin like Constantine. Casting Deadman is tricky, because you could go any direction. If you went old, he basically looks like Bruce Willis, and I also considered someone with more of a background in comedy, like Donald Glover.Deadman Justice League DarkIn the end I’m going with Armie Hammer (The Social Network, Lone Ranger, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.). Hammer wowed audiences with his portrayal of the Mark Zuckerberg’s nemeses, the Winklevoss twins, but his blockbusters just haven’t clicked with audiences. I personally love The Lone Ranger and think Hammer deserves yet another shot. He can do serious and still be a little silly. Maybe a team movie where he doesn’t have to carry all the weight is what’s best for him at this point (he was cast in George Miller’s Justice League film before the Writers’ Strike killed it). Besides, who’s going to argue about a ghost with a perfect jawline?

 

This article is getting long in the tooth, but I still have perhaps the two most interesting characters yet to cast,  Swamp Thing and  Etrigan the Demon, which will both require some sort of CG or extreme make-up to pull off. Who knows, maybe next time I’ll throw in a bonus character or two, like Black Orchid or Frankenstein.

A Layman’s Guide To The Returning Characters In CIVIL WAR: #TeamIronMan


If you are going to see Captain America: Civil War this weekend, or if you’re trying to figure out a few Civil War moments after seeing the film, and you haven’t memorized all the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films like myself; this catch-up will help you better understand the film’s many character threads and relationships!

This time it’s all #TeamIronMan (Read #TeamCap Guide HERE); those that alley with Tony Stark or share his viewpoints about the Sokovia Accords. Why is Tony Stark so guilty? Haven’t we seen William Hurt in these films before? What’s Vision’s deal again, Age of Ultron was so confusing!?!

Never fear! I’m here for you with a guide to all the returning players in Captain America: Civil War, from Iron Man to Thunderbolt Ross (Yes, William Hurt is a returning actor!). NO SPOILERS for Civil War. Many Spoilers for any earlier MCU film including the character we’re discussing.

Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.)Captain America Civil War Tony Stark Iron Man Robert Downey JrMovies He’s In: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron

Powers: Super Intelligence allowing him to design weaponized suits allowing him flight, super-strength, and a wealth of weapons.

His Story So Far: Tony Stark has a lot to feel guilty for. As he admits to in the opening of Iron Man 3, he creates his own demons. He was the 1st Avenger made public in the modern age. He feels like he started it all, as he says in Age of Ultron.

Going into 2008’s Iron Man, Stark Industries was mainly a weapons manufacturer; that is until Tony Stark found himself wounded by one of the weapons his company produced. With shrapnel headed toward his heart, Stark invents a small version of the Arc Reactor, which keeps the shrapnel from reaching his heart. Not content with this, Tony utilizes the power of the Arc Reactor to power his Iron Man suits, of which he’s had over 45 since the 1st film.  He also scrapped the weapons program at Stark Industries due to guilt over the death of American soldiers, killed with the very weapons he created.

All of Stark’s enemies seem to be a creation of his actions, from those responding to his tech, to those challenging his power, or even those he screwed over in the past. We’re talking his old mentor Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger (Iron Man), Ivan Vanko/Whiplash & Justin Hammer (Iron Man 2), and Aldrich Killian (Iron Man 3). And that’s before we even get to Ultron!

Stark has experienced a lot since he announced to the world he was Iron Man, including great trauma following the Battle of New York in which he had to fly a nuclear bomb through an alien wormhole to save Earth (the one problem he didn’t create). He’s guilty over Stark Industries weapons, those he’s screwed who have become enemies (like Aldrich Killian), and most importantly, his creation of Ultron; an artificial intelligence that attempts to destroy the world by using the European City of Sokovia as a meteor. His guilt runs even deeper than that, based on the vision Scarlet Witch shows him in Age of Ultron, he’s convinced he will fail the Avengers, leading to their deaths and the impending invasion of Earth (Thanos is out there, ya’ll).

Such guilt leads to stupid decisions like creating Ultron, who ended up destroying Sokovia with countless civilian lives lost. By the end of Age of Ultron, Tony “retires” again, hoping to live a quiet life with his girlfriend and head of Stark Industries, Pepper Potts.  This after destroying all his suits in Iron Man 3 and having the Arc Reactor removed from his chest as a sign of good faith towards Pepper.

Finally, it is worth noting Tony has had a rocky relationship with his father, Howard Stark, who served along with Captain America during WWII and founded S.H.I.E.L.D. with Peggy Carter.

War Machine/James Rhodes (Don Cheadle)Captain America Civil War War Machine James Rhodes Don CheadleMovies He’s In: Iron Man (played by Terrance Howard), Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3 (as Iron Patriot), Avengers: Age of Ultron

Powers: Not a scientific genius, but a well trained soldier in a suit with just as many weapons (if not more) as Iron Man.

His Story So Far: James Rhodes is a Colonel in the US Airforce and a long time friend of Tony Stark (long before Stark became Iron Man). Rhodes eventually got an Iron Man suit of his own when he stole one of Tony’s in Iron Man 2, only to have it retrofitted with more weapons by Justin Hammer.  Since then, he’s also been Iron Patriot, assisting Stark in defeating supervillains in both Iron Man 2 & 3, no matter his suit’s name. Unlike Stark, he starts as an officially sanctioned Military Weapon flying hundreds of missions for the US Government: he’s a soldier at heart, like Steve Rogers (albeit, with different outlooks on modern day governing bodies). He was even given the opportunity to help the Avengers at the Battle of Sokovia in Avengers: Age of Ultron, becoming a full fledged member of Captain America’s New Avengers by the end of the film.

Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlet Johansson) Captain America Civil War War Black Widow FightsMovies She’s In: Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Powers: Perhaps S.H.I.E.L.D.’s most lethal agent, she is extremely skilled in hand to hand combat. Also has “Stingers,” weapons that literally shock the enemy.

Her Story So Far: Black Widow is always the double Agent. Guilty over her past as an assassin, she has defected to S.H.I.E.L.D. after S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Clint Barton/Hawkeye recruited her instead of killing her on a mission. She has shown loyalty to S.H.I.E.L.D. and after its collapse, Steve Rogers/Captain America. She was on the run with him after he was made a wanted man in The Winter Soldier, and she helped bring down the Hydra infected S.H.I.E.L.D. by dumping all its secrets onto the internet (“It’s trending.”).

Black Widow has always been a full fledged member of the Avengers, including in Age of Ultron, where she helped save the world,again, at the expense of Sokovia which was blown to smithereens. Black Widow has had close relationships with Hawkeye and Steve Rogers, but the only one she’s truly shown affection for was Bruce Banner, who disappeared after the events of Ultron.

Vision (Paul Bettany)Captain America Civil War War Vision Paul BettanyMovies He’s In: Avengers: Age of Ultron

Powers: Like Scarlet Witch, his powers are hard to lock down. He’s a “Synthetic,” with elements of Jarvis and Ultron’s psyche, powered by the “life respecting” Mind Stone on his forehead. Can phase in and out of physical forms to pass through walls and people, and can shoot a laser of sorts from his Mind Gem. Oh… and he can fly/hover.

His Story So Far: Paul Bettany started by playing JARVIS in Iron Man 1, 2, & 3, The Avengers, and even the beginning of Age of Ultron. JARVIS is Tony Stark’s program (not quite artificial intelligence) that runs his lab and his suits, named after his father, Howard Stark’s Butler. He’s been comic relief and a sort of sidekick for Stark since Iron Man (2008), becoming a weird combo of JARVIS’ personality, Ultron’s intelligence, and the Mind Stone’s power in the form of a “Synthetic” (robot of sorts) super being that has the already mentioned abilities.

Vision’s powers come from the Mind Stone, which was originally cased in Loki’s staff, also used to give Scarlet With her abilities.  Based on that and his rescue of Scarlet Witch in Age of Ultron, the two share a close kinship; neither sure of the origin of their powers or their limits. Though he’s the only being, besides Thor, “worthy” enough to lift that Hammer, showing his attentions are good, he struggles to fit in with his “human” counterparts and makes his decisions entirely based on the loss of life. He is even regretful when killing Ultron, only doing it because he believes in life, knowing Ultron wishes to extinguish it.

General Thunder Bolt Ross (William Hurt)Captain America Civil War War Thunderbolt Ross William HurtMovies He’s In: The Incredible Hulk

Powers: Formally a General hellbent on stopping Bruce Banner/The Hulk, now he has the political powers that come with being the Secretary of State.

His Story So Far: Yes, Thunderbolt Ross is finally back; the 1st time since 2008’s Incredible Hulk. A General in that film, Ross is known for his hatred of The Hulk, especially since his daughter was dating Bruce Banner at the time of his “accident,” that turned Banner into a raging green monster.

While he doesn’t fight along #TeamIronMan, as you’ve seen in the trailers, Ross is now the Secretary of the State forcing the Sokovia Accords on The Avengers, who he sees as vigilantes now that S.H.I.E.L.D. and The World Security Council are gone.

Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Tom Holland) NO SPOILERS!Captain America Civil War Review Spider-ManMovies He’s In: 0!

Powers: Does whatever a spider can!

His Story So Far: This is a new Spider-Man! Don’t expect Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield! The MCU has a brand new Spider-Man, with none of the events in Sam Raimi’s three Spider-Man films or the two Amazing Spider-Mans having any impact on this Captain America: Civil War. We all know his backstory: bit by a radioactive Spider, letting Uncle Ben die by not taking action in a robbery… that’s all you need to know!

Black Panther/T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) NO SPOILERS!Captain America Civil War Black Panther Chadwick BosemanMovies He’s In: 0! 

Powers: Wait and see!

His Story So Far: Nada!  Zilch! This is a brand new character you’ve never seen on the screen before. So I won’t say anything here, except… be prepare for something amazing!

Pepper Pots (Gweneth Paltrow)Iron Man 3 Pepper Potts Gwneth PaltrowMovies She’s In: Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Iron Man 3.

Powers: None (anymore, she was kick-ass in Iron Man 3!). Tony Stark’s girlfriend and head of Stark Industries.

Her Story So Far: From Tony Stark’s Personal Assistant to head of Stark Industries, Pepper Potts has come a long way.  While Iron Man avoided having the two hook up, in Iron Man 2 Tony and Pepper finally kissed… and the rest is history. In Iron Man 3, Potts was bothered by Tony Stark’s obsession with his suits, leading him to destroy them all at the end. But since then, he’s not only came out of retirement in Age of Ultron, he created a robot that tried to wipe out the human race… you fill in the blanks…

Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper, Jon Slattery)Ant-Man Howard Stark john Slattery.pngMovies He’s In: Iron Man 2 (Slattery), Captain America: The First Avenger (Cooper), Ant-Man (Slattery), Agent Carter (ABC TV Show – Cooper)

Powers: Smarter than his son? Creator of Captain America’s Vibranium Shield.

His Story So Far: Neither #TeamCap, nor #TeamIronMan, just an important character from each hero’s past. After helping Steve Rogers during WWII and becoming and alley to Peggy Carter even after Captain America was lost (for 70 years), Howard was a founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. And… he was kind of a dick to his son. In Iron Man 2 he is shown as a father that cared more about his work than his son, while in Ant-Man shows him as a S.H.I.E.L.D. leader who desperately wants the OG Ant-Man, Hank Pym, to join S.H.I.E.L.D./give up his technology.  That’s why Hank Pym instills in new Ant-Man, Scott Lang, that you never trust a  Stark!

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) & The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo)The Avengers Thor and the HulkMovie’s They’re In: Doesn’t matter! They’re MIA in Captain America: Civil War!

There you go, between this article and that about #TeamCap, you should know all you need to know about every returning character in Captain America: Civil War!

You’re welcome.

A Layman’s Guide To The Returning Characters In CIVIL WAR: #TeamCap


Captain America: Civil War is a bona fide hit! It made $179.1 Million opening weekend, Critics love it, and I love it! If you are going to see Civil War this weekend, or if you’re trying to figure out a few Civil War moments after seeing the film, and you haven’t memorized all the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films like myself; this catch-up will help you better understand the film’s many character threads and relationships.

We’ll start with #TeamCap; those that alley with Steve Rogers or are tied to the Captain America films (like Brock Rumlow). Why did Ant-Man and Falcon have that exchange? Why is Bucky such a polarizing a figure? Who is that burned dude? Haven’t I seen that Blond Agent before? What’s Scarlet Witch’s deal again, Age of Ultron was so confusing!?!

Never fear! I’m here for you with a guide to all the returning players in Captain America: Civil War, from Captain America to Agent 13. NO SPOILERS for Civil War. Many Spoilers for any earlier MCU film including the character we’re discussing.

Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans)nullMovies He’s In: Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World (sort of…), Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron

Powers: Super strength, enhanced reflexes, fast metabolism/healing (the man can’t get drunk), leadership skills, superhuman morality (I say that counts), a Shield made of the strongest metal on Earth, Vibranium.

His Story So Far: Steve Rogers was too scrawny to serve with his life-long friend Bucky in WWII, so he underwent an experiment in which a “Super Soldier Serum” not only made him the beefiest Avenger, but taller (along with the powers listed above)! After rescuing Bucky from the hands of Hydra, the two proved their bond was just as strong on the battlefield as it was growing up. Now known as Captain America, Steve Rogers receives his Vibranium Shield from Tony Stark’s father, Howard, a friend of his during the Great War. During the events of The First Avenger, Steve Rogers watches Bucky plummet to his assumed death. Rogers defeats the head of Hydra, Red Skull, stopping his attempt to to conquer the planet. In the process, Captain America crashes into the Arctic and is frozen for 70 years.

Captain America is awakened in an age of superheros (or “the enhanced”) in which a man with a weaponized suit of armor, a giant green monster, and an Alien with God-like powers are all known to the world. Under the direction of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., the four heroes are brought together with two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to form The Avengers, just in time to stop an alien invasion. Though the aliens are dead, New York is decimated by damage from the battle. Even in saving the world,  Steve Rogers has reservations about organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D and the World Security Council which governs it.

Following the climatic Battle of New York in The Avengers, Steve Rogers finds himself as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., carrying out missions for Nick Fury and his bosses, Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) and the World Security Council. While working for S.H.I.E.L.D. Rogers comes to blows with The Winter Soldier, a Hydra Agent who has been carrying out assassinations for the evil organization for years. Captain America learns that the Winter Soldier is actually Bucky, who survived the fall during WWII due to Hydra experimenting on him, was given a metal arm, brainwashed, and was frozen and then unfrozen for decades to carry out said assassinations. Cap also learns that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been Hydra all along (more or less), lead by Alexander Pierce who is himself controlling the Winter Soldier/Brain-Washed Bucky. With the help of allies including Black Widow, Sam Wilson/Falcon, Agent 13, and Nick Fury, Captain America destroys three automated Helicarriers that are targeting all of Hydra’s potential enemies. In the process, his team sends all three flying ships crashing into Washington DC below, with many casualties. Pierce is brought down, but not before killing the World Security Council and leading to the end of S.H.I.E.L.D. In the finale, The Winter Soldier and Steve Rogers fight, the latter refusing to kill his old friend in hopes he will remember him. In the end, Bucky does save Rogers from drowning, before disappearing without a trace. Let’s just say the whole process cemented Rogers’ concerns about government organizations and their control

In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America fights alongside his old teammates to defeat the evil Artificial Intelligence, Ultron, created by Tony Stark and bent on destroying the human race. Rogers and The Avengers stop Ultron, but at the expense of a European City known as Sokovia. The death toll in Sokovia is higher than ever and by the end of the film Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye, and Tony Stark/Iron Man leave the team in favor of Steve Rogers’ led “New Avegners,” made up of Black Widow, War Machine, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, and Vision.

The Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan)Captain America Civil War Bucky Barnes The Winter SoldierMovies He’s In: Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Powers: Super strength, a metal arm that can even deflect bullets.

His Story So Far: Bucky Barnes grew up with Steve Rogers before he was Captain America, being the only one there for his friend when Steve lost his parents. Enlisting without his scrawny friend, Bucky’s unit is captured by Hydra. Captain America rescues his old friend, but not before Hydra’s best scientist, Dr. Armin Zola, experiments on poor Bucky. Bucky serves alongside Rogers in a unit known as The Howling Commandos, until he falls from a train-car into a canyon with a freezing river.

Bucky is rescued by Hydra, who experiment on him further, replacing a limb he lost in his fall with a metal arm. Now The Winter Solider, he is brainwashed and used by Hydra as an assassin for decades, kept in cryosleep  between missions. Eventually, The Winter Soldier battles his old friend, Steve Rogers/Captain America, confused when he is called Bucky. The Winter Soldier is brainwashed again and sent to prevent Captain America and his allies from crippling Hydra’s Helicarriers. The two old friends fight, and with Steve Rogers refusing to kill his old friend, he is defeated and plunges into the water below. The Winter Soldier rescues Steve Rogers, and though at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we do not know what Buck remembers as we see him inspecting his own memorial in the Smithsonian’s Captain America Exhibit.

Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie)Captain America Civil War Sam Wilson Falcon Anthony MackieMovies He’s In: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man

Powers: Special Flight Suit that resembles a Falcon, with wings that can act as a Shield, and googles which increase his eye sight.

His Story So Far: In The Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson is a Veteran who meets Steve Rogers, and the pair quickly become friends. When Captain America learns S.H.I.E.L.D. is actually Hydra, he seeks out Wilson as his number of allies are limited. Falcon more than pulls his weight, taking down one of the Helicarriers, before having his wing ripped off and being thrown from a Helicarrier by the Winter Soldier. Falcon survives the fall and fights Hydra Agent Brock Rumlow in the S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ building, winning only when the building collapses and he escapes!

In Age of Ultron, Sam Wilson is carrying on the search for Bucky following the events of The Winter Soldier. At the end of the film though, Falcon is revealed to be one of Captain America’s New Avengers. Finally, in Ant-Man, Falcon is beaten by Scott Lang/Ant-Man while trying to defend the New Avengers Compound. Wilson takes note of the tiny Superhero, in case he is ever needed to assist the Avengers.

Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner)Captain America Civil War Hawkeye Clint Barton Jeremy RennerMovies He’s In: Thor, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron

Superpowers: Best character with a bow and arrow in the history of cinema (suck it, Legolas  and Katniss!). Also has a variety of arrows for many uses.

His Story So Far: Hawkeye is a former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent who served with the Avengers in both the 1st film and Age of Ultron. In Ultron, he is saved by Scarlet Witch’s brother, Quicksilver at the cost of Quicksilver’s life. For this reason and the pep talk he gave Scarlet Witch during the battle that destroyed Sokovia, he has become closer to her than perhaps anyone but Vision. Clint Barton has a secret family kept even off S.H.I.E.L.D.’s books which he retires to at the end of Age of Ultron.

Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen)Captain America Civil War Scarlet Witch Wanda Maximoff Elizabeth OlsenMovies She’s In: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (post-credits scene), Avengers: Age of Ultron

Powers: The true limits of Scarlet Witch’s powers are unknown. She is able to move objects with her mind, create telekinetic shields, and induce crippling images of your worst nightmare.

Her Story So Far: Wanda Maximoff and her brother volunteered to be experimented on by Hydra after a bomb made by Stark Industries kills her parents. Using Loki’s Staff from The Avengers, she and her brother are the only survivors of Hydra’s experiment, endowed with extraordinary powers making them the newest “Enhanced.” Due to their hate for Stark, “The Twins” team with Ultron until Scarlet Witch realizes his goal is to destroy the world. Siding with The Avengers, she helps defeat Ultron, but at the cost of her brother’s life and her entire city, Sokovia.

Wanda shares a special relationship with Vision because their powers both come from the same place; Loki’s Staff revealed to be the Mind Stone. She also sees Hawkeye as a sort of mentor after his speech to her during the Battle of Sokovia. By the end of Age of Ultron, Scarlet Witch is a member of the New Avengers.

Ant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd)Captain America Civil War Ant-Man Scott Lang On Arrow Paul RuddMovies He’s In: Ant-Man

Powers: The ability to shrink and return to normal size instantly at the push of a button, with extreme super-strength and speed when tiny. Can also “control”Ants with his helmet.

His Story So Far: Scott Lang is a known felon, recruited by the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym, to take up his mantle and save the world. Ant-Man fights Falcon and wins, when he is sent to the Avengers compound to steal some Stark Tech. Taught by Hank Pym never to trust a Stark, Lang still hears through the grapevine at the end of the film that there may be an Avenger interested in recruiting him.

Agent 13/Sharon (Emily VanCamp)Captain America Civil War Agent 13 Sharon Carter Emily VanCamp and Martin FreemanMovies She’s In: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Powers: None, but a former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent with incredible fighting skill.

Her Story So Far: Sharon aka Agent 13, was the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Nick Fury put in charge of watching Captain America prior to the fall of Hydra. Living across the hall from Rogers, posing as a nurse, Agent 13 is the 1st to respond when Nick Fury is shot by the Winter Soldier in Steve Rogers’ apartment. After Hydra was revealed to be S.H.I.E.L.D. she was one of the primary Agents that sided with Captain America in order to take down the Hydra Agents and prevent the launch of Hydra’s lethal Helicarriers. Though there was some sexual tension between her and Rogers, and Black Widow recommended to Steve that he ask her out, the pair have never even kissed.

Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell)Captain America: The First AvengerMovies She’s In: Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Ant-ManAgent Carter (MCU Short), Agent Carter (ABC TV Series)

Superpowers: None, strong WWII Agent and Founder of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Her Story So Far: Peggy Carter was partially responsible for selecting scrawny Steve Rogers for the Super Soldier Program. She served with Rogers and Howard Stark during WWII, the latter two being S.H.I.E.L.D.’s founding members. Peggy was in love with Steve, but she never got that dance she was promised when Steve Rogers plunged that plane into the Arctic, saving the world. She was an important Agent during the Cold War as well, being an important decision maker at S.H.I.E.L.D. through the 80’s. When Steve Rogers finally catches up with her after he is unfrozen in The Winter Soldier,  she is an old woman in a hospital bed, suffering from extreme dementia. At least these two have kissed (when she was young, you sicko!).

Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo)Brock Rumlow Captain America The Winter Soldier Frank GrilloMovies He’s In: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Powers: None, just a well trained special forces Hydra Agent who worked with Captain America long enough to know his moves and what makes him tick.

His Story So Far: This one isn’t #TeamCap at all, but a villain from the Captain America film franchise. Brock Rumlow was Captain America’s right hand man as leader of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team STRIKE. He ran countless missions with Steve Rogers and was the first one sent to take in Captain America when Rogers started having doubts about S.H.I.E.L.D. When Hydra was revealed, he fought to defend it, coming to blows with Sam Wilson before having S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ dropped on him. Though badly burned, at the end of Winter Soldier, we see that Rumlow has survived.Brock Rumlow Burned Captain America The Winter Soldier

That’s really all you need to know about all the characters that make up #TeamCap (more or less)! Read our Leyman’s Guide to #TeamIronMan NOW!

The Best and Worst Scenes in BATMAN V SUPERMAN


Previously on “The Best and Worst of Batman V Superman”: The Cast.

This Time: The Strongest… and Weakest… Scenes!

It’s time again to look at the good and the bad. Because there is good in Batman v Superman yet.

There are SPOILERS ahead for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (unlike my Spoiler Free Review), so be warned!

 

Best: Artistic Take on the Wayne MurderBatman V Superman Dawn of Justice Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Thomas WayneMy initial review was glowing when it came to the style in which Director Zack Snyder filmed the Wayne Murder. I don’t want to rehash my review too much, so let’s keep this brief.

The Wayne Murder has never been presented in such a visually stunning manner, from choices like breaking Martha Wayne’s Pearl Necklace with the hammer of the gun, to the overall color/look of the scene. And featuring Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Comedian in Snyder’s Watchmen) playing Thomas Wayne… well, that’s a slam dunk!

… if you have to show the damn scene again…

 

Worst: The Wayne Murder Happens Again… Again… AgainWayne Murder Batman V Superman Dawn of JusticeThe problem is that this scene never needed to be in the movie! We all know Jesus died on the Cross, Peter Parker let Uncle Ben get shot (basically), and Thomas and Martha Wayne died in Crime Alley following a showing of The Mark of Zorro.

And we don’t just see the scene at the beginning of BvS, oh no!  Snyder cuts back to the retread of a retread of a retread of the scene later in the film to drive home a point (“Martha…”).

Warner Brothers, please don’t show us the death of the Lego Waynes in next year’s The Lego Batman Movie!

 

Best: Batman Superman (Finally) FightBatman V Superman Dawn of Justice Henry Cavill Superman Pushs Ben Affleck BatmanThe title promises one thing; Batman (Ben Affleck) will fight Superman (Henry Cavill), as ridiculous a premise as that sounds (A Man Vs a “God?”… okay…  maybe the trailers and have covered that issue already).

Surprisingly, in a movie called Batman V Superman, the title players only physically fight once… and it’s not until the 3 rd act. While it was wise to save the climatic fight for what should have been the end of the movie (more on that later), I’m surprised there wasn’t a 2nd, less climatic clash earlier in the movie like every other superhero movie (likely even Captain America: Civil War). There was Batman’s “Knightmare” which doesn’t count because it was a dream(vision?) with Batman only fighting  Superman’s Soldiers… before Superman ripped out his heart. The only other in costume encounter was the stern warning from Superman to Batman not to go to the Bat Signal when it was next turned on. The two heroes didn’t fight in that scene either. Sure, Superman crashed the Batmobile, but he did it by just standing there…Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Batman Faces Superman bat Mobile Gas StationBy the time we do get to the long awaited fight it is as glorious as the trailer teased. In fact, it’s one of the more wonderful scenes in an otherwise surprisingly action-lite two and a half hour film. The visuals are still astounding (that Frank Miller inspired “Iron” Batsuit sure looks pretty in the rain) and the strategies The Dark Knight employs against The Man of Steel are entertaining; making you believe Batman really could beat Superman as a brilliant strategist… and with some weaponized Kryptonite gas… and spear!

It’s an extremely entertaining scene from the moment Superman lands to the final moment: “Martha.”

 

Worst: Why Batman and Superman FightBatman V Superman Dawn of Justice Lex Luthor Jesse Eisenberg on RooftopBatman and Superman fighting over ideologies is enough! Writers Zack Snyder and Chris Terrio go overboard with unnecessary pressure pushing DC’s two biggest characters to brawl.

Bruce Wayne doesn’t trust Superman because the latter is all powerful. Clark Kent does not approve of the (murderous) Batman’s methods and “reign of terror.” Superman even warns Batman midway through the film that next time the Bat Signal is turned on he should stay home. So, when Batman prepares for battle and shines the Bat Signal in the sky to attract Superman’s attention, that should be enough!

Why does Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) have to kidnap Martha Kent and order Superman to kill the Bat?

Answer: He doesn’t. But none of Luthor’s plans make sense in Batman V Superman. His characters complete lack of logic is one of the most frustrating parts of the film.

 

Best: Battle of Metropolis I (Zod)Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Review Ben Affleck Bruce Wayne MetrpolisEveryone’s least favorite part about Man of Steel has become my favorite scene in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. I also covered this scene in my initial review, so I will again be brief.

For the first time ever, we’re given Bruce Wayne: True Action Hero. He drives a Jeep between collapsing buildings, witnesses Wayne Finances collapse with his “family” inside, and runs into the 9/11-esque all-encompassing ash to help the surviving victims.

The destruction is on a whole new scale from Bruce Wayne’s point of view, both in the amount of destruction we witness and the bigger focus on loss of life. It’s really cool to see odd Spaceships without needing any sort of exposition as to why they are there and what each one does; Man of Steel covered that. Most importantly, this event is all Bruce Wayne really needed to decide to declare war on Superman.

 

Worst: Battle of Metropolis II (Doomsday)Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice DoomsdayJust as boring and overblown as the Battle of Metropolis was at the end of Man of Steel (not to be confused with the Bruce Wayne’s POV version in BvS), the finale to Batman V Superman is so bad it is mostly responsible for making what could have been a great Batman film into a measly 6 out of 10.

Everything is wrong with this scene. Even the visuals take a massive dip from what is otherwise a beautiful film. Really, the movie is a 0 out of 10 following the actual fight between Batman and Superman, with the notable exception of the amazing Bat Combat we see in the Warehouse scene when Batman rescues Martha Kent.

Doomsday looks like an Orc. The landscape is simply fire… burning rubble everywhere with no discernible landmarks. Yet we’re assured multiple times by cutaways to the military that everywhere Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) fight Doomsday is uninhabited; a severe overreaction to the destructive finale of Man of Steel.Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Review Final BattleGone is the “realism” (as much as could be expected at least) present in Batman and Superman’s fight and other action scenes. Instead, we have characters like Wonder Woman launching themselves across the battlefield (it’s hard to tell how far when everything is on fire…) in what looks like a video game… or a half-assed scene tacked on an otherwise polished movie.

One of the scene’s biggest crimes? Not giving Batman anything to do but distract Doomsday and run, unlike the Avengers films which give even mortals like Hawkeye and Black Widow something to contribute. Sure, there’s the obligatory final moment when all three heroes must work in unison to kill Doomsday, not unlike the first Fantastic Four film (a comparison you do not want). Wonder Woman on the lasso, Superman with the Kryptonite Spear, and Batman’s last Kryptonite Gas bomb! VICTORY (Sort of…)

Awful final fight. Really ruins an otherwise decent film.

 

I can write about Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice for days. And I just might do so!

Until Next Time…

The Best and Worst Cast Members of BATMAN V SUPERMAN


While I didn’t hate Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, I didn’t exactly love it, giving it a measly 6 out of 10 in my review (which is more generous than most). I did, however, love elements of the film, so I thought I’d cover the best of BvS, countering with the film’s worst elements for a nice and balanced 2nd look at the film.

Warning! Unlike my review, this post will contain SPOILERS!

In this edition I’ll cover the cast, from the title characters down to Alfred Pennyworth and other supporting characters.

 

Best: Batffleck & Bruce WayneBatman V Superman Dawn of Justice Ben Affleck Under The CowlWhile every review for Batman V Superman loves Gal Gadot’s take on Wonder Woman, nearly as many praise Ben Affleck for presenting what most are calling the best Batman we’ve ever seen on the silver screen. I would agree 100%; it is possible to have the best Batman in what is far from the best Batman movie.

Actors in the past have been great at Batman but less stellar at Bruce Wayne and vice versa. Ben Affleck didn’t just deliver the best Batman, but also the best Bruce Wayne (which is probably the more difficult of the two roles). Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Grapel HookThis Batman may kill… and kill… and kill… but what else is new? Batman on the big screen has been a downright serial killer, from 1989’s Batman to even the Nolan films. The latter tried to make his “One Rule” a thematic element… while allowing Bats to kill all the same. BvS never apologizes for this choice; the version of Batman that Snyder and co-writer Chris Terrio choose to use is a grizzled vet who has fought crime in Gotham for over twenty years, destroying his patience and reducing his faith that “Men Are Good” in the process. If man is not good, why not murder baddies? (I do someday want a Batman movie where he doesn’t kill… for real).Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Ben Affleck Knightmare FightBatffleck is imposing in every way, from his stature (Affleck was partially picked because he was taller than Henry Cavill’s Superman) to his terrifying voice that uses a modulator in order to avoid Christian Bale’s worst Batman trait: The Bat Voice. He’s gigantic, with Thor/Captain America sized muscles that make every Batman actor before look scrawny, even Bale. This Batman’s fighting style is smooth, fast, yet brutal in a way that seems to emulate the amazing combat of the Arkham video games and capture the feel of the comics in a way that Batman movies never have. His training sequence looked mind-boggling difficult. And his aforementioned dark(er) outlook on life completes the package: one badass, brutal Bat. Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Ben Affleck Bruce Wayne At Wayne GravesMeanwhile, Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne has more depth than any before. He’s not awkward like Michael Keaton or a half assed-cover story for his true Bat Identity like Christian Bale’s version. He’s charming when he needs to be, brooding like any good Bruce Wayne (but not too brooding, another poor choice made by Bale) and… a hero. Even when he’s not in the Batsuit, hidden under the curtain of night, Bruce Wayne is just as much an action hero as his alter-ego, from his heroics at the opening Battle of Metropolis to perusing the criminal underground to steal data from Luthor’s lead henchmen (you know, that Russian Dude).Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Bruce Wayne Ben Affleck Metropolis YellLong story short: Ben Affleck is the first actor to rock the roles of Batman AND Bruce Wayne.

 

Worst: Superman & Clark KentBatman V Superman Dawn of Justice Henry CavillSuperman continues to disappoint, maintaining the weaknesses that made his character feel “off” in Man of Steel. In fact, Henry Cavill seems to have gotten worse at the role, making decisions that seem completely off the mark for the character, especially considering Superman is supposed to be less brooding and have more faith in humanity than Batman.Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Clark Kent Henry CavillCavill’s worst offense? Clark Kent is downright cocky. While Cavill said in interviews that he felt that Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of Clark Kent was so downright clumsy that he would draw more attention to himself than is smart when you are a superhero by night (correction: in Goddamn daylight) who doesn’t bother to wear a mask. In an effort to fix what he sees as a problem the character has had, Cavill over compensates and completely misses the mark, making Clark Kent waaaay too cocky and not the humble man he should be when he’s not wearing (dull) red and blue.

It’s as though Cavill forgot to leave the cockiness of Napoleon Solo on the set of 2015’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

 

Best: The New Supporting Cast – Jeremy Irons, Jesse Eisenberg, Gal GadotBatman V Superman Dawn of Justice Ben Affleck Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth Jeremy IronsBatman V Superman must have had a different casting director than Man of Steel because the difference in casts are night and day, day and night (Thanks, Lex luthor, for that).

Let’s start with the Batman Universe’s 2nd most featured character, Alfred Pennyworth, played by Jeremy Irons this go around. With an older Bruce Wayne/Batman than ever before, and the 1st big screen Alfred without White Hair, the age gap between the damaged boy and his butler (now, more of a guardian, mechanic, and even sidekick) has never been slimmer. And while Michael Caine made a fantastic Alfred who was far less conventional/clichéd than Micheal Gough in the two Tim Burton and two Joel Schumacher films, Jeremy Irons does it even better. He’s more hands on from designing/fixing up the helmet under Batman’s cowl (complete with voice modulator that even makes Alfred sound terrifying) to piloting the Batwing remotely during the warehouse fight.Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Review Alfred Pennyworth Jeremy IronsAgain, while Michael Cane’s Alfred and Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne had great chemistry, it doesn’t hold a candle to the relationship of Jeremy Iron’s Alfred and Affleck’s Bruce. They really feel like an old married couple who have been doing this crime fighting thing for 20 years, with Alfred no longer trying to talk Batman out of being Batman. But do not fear, he but is just as sarcastic about the whole situation as Caine.Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Lex Luthor Drinks Jesse Eisenberg Though most people would disagree, I also found Jesse Eisenberg’s younger, unconventional Lex Luthor  just as enjoyable as Skyfall/SPECTRE’s twenty-something Q; a real breath of fresh air. I love how he played the character, cocky at moments (like his introductory shot where he makes a basket 1st try), condescending (feeding a Military General a cherry Jolly Rancher or addressing Holly Hunter’s Senator Finch), awkward (stumbling through that speech at his Gala), and downright psychotic (Lois Lane was right!). Unlike the usual Genius-Billionaire-Rea- Estate-Mogul  we are accustomed to, Eisenberg’s Luthor is not a stable man… at all. And it works!

It’s not Jesse Eisenberg’s fault that the script makes Luthor’s plans unfollowable.Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Wonder Woman Finally, while I wasn’t as gaga for Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince/Wonder Woman as most, the character was a welcome addition to the film. Though I know little about the character, it seems like Gadot nailed it.  

 

Worst: The Man of Steel Returning Cast – Amy Adams, Henry Lennix, Lawrence Fishburne, Kevin CostnerBatman V Superman Dawn of Justice Lois Lane Amy Adams Henry Cavill Clark Kent Perry White I hate to speak in absolutes, but NONE of the returning cast from Man of Steel brings anything interesting to the Batman V Superman. Maybe the reason isn’t a different casting director, but character fatigue (already) as we’ve seen all these cats in Man of Steel. Of course, it’s also possible (and very likely) that Luthor, Alfred, and Wonder Woman are just more complex characters than the following two dimensional place holders.Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Henry Cavill Saves Lois Lane Amy Adams Amy Adams may have been the victim of a bad script, but she didn’t save the role of Lois Lane like Jesse Eisenberg did with Lex Luthor. She’s the victim most the film (Superman saves her 3 times!) and her lack of investigative reporting skills make you wonder how she figured out Superman’s identity in the first film! How long does it take to track a bullet back to Lex Luthor and LexCorp, really? Worst of all, her performance doesn’t add any weight to Superman’s death at the end of the film. Somber Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince lingering the background carry more emotion than Clark Kent’s girl.Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Perry WhiteEveryone else is also just so “Meh.” Henry Lennix is great on NBC’s The Blacklist, but is the world’s most boring Military General in Batman V Superman. Lawrence Fishburne plays Daily Planet Editor Perry White as though he has never read a Superman Comic, but once watched J.K. Simmons as Daily Bugle Editor J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man nearly 15 years ago and said, “I’ll do that!”

Worst of all is Kevin Costner who gets to appear as the figment a dream (in a movie full of them). A farmer telling a story about a farm incident that has little to do with the plot, unexplainably on the top of a mountain? This does seem to be a theme as there are a lot of stories/metaphors that don’t make any sense in BvS. The role is certainly a stretch (not) for Costner , who often plays farmers and doesn’t seem to realize he’s in a move in which someone invested $250 million dollars.Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Michaek Shannon as Zod CorpseMichael Shannon as Zod is actually the best cast member to return…and he’s just a corpse!

 

But that’s not all the Best and the Worst of Batman V Superman! Yes, we all know there is a lot to cover in the “Worst” department, but there is actually more in the “Best” column as well, I swear!

Want more? Read “The Best and Worst Scenes In Batman V Superman” Now!

Cinema’s 8 Most Nefarious Organizations: From #8. Death Eaters to #5. S.P.E.C.T.R.E.


Evil organizations are all the craze these days on the silver screen, taking center stage in at least four 2015 Major Blockbusters: Avengers: Age of Ultron, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, SPECTRE (ha), and the forthcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Nothing like a whole industry of villains and evil doers, often, but not always, operating in the shadows. And though several of the “organizations” chosen are literally companies, they also fit the mold of “Nefarious Organizations.” Not just any company will do, but these certainly more than your simple morally corrupt businesses.

I’ve gone ahead and ranked them, most effective to least.

Let’s start with #8 through #5!

 

8. Death Eaters from the Harry Potter Franchise

Voldemort takes a cue or two from S.P.E.C.T.R.E., but instead of rings they all got matching tattoos!
Voldemort takes a cue or two from S.P.E.C.T.R.E., but instead of rings they all got matching tattoos!

I’m not even a Harry Potter fan (I’ve read 6 and 1/2 of the books, but never made it far enough in the film franchise to see said organization), but my roommate tells me I should look past my own interests, and the Death Eaters were the 1st Evil Organization I could think of outside my traditional Geek World (which would be mostly Marvel Comic Book Evil Organizations…).

Death Eaters definitely qualify as a Nefarious Organization, one that, like the best of them (that follow), have members at every level of government, Hogwarts, and even that weird Magical Bank with the trolls. Not a lot is  scarier than a group of zealots awaiting and/or aiding the return of their evil leader: He who must not be named!

 

7. OSCORP Industries from The Amazing Spider-Man FilmsOscorp Tower from The Amazing Spider-Man

In Sam Raimi’s original films, Oscorp was simply the company that Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe) would experiment on himself… and kill… to remain in control and keep profitable. In Marc Webb’s Amazing Spider-Man films, the corporation is responsible for a man-lizard, an electricity man, a mutated head of the company, and a series of enhanced soldier suits based on animals including a rhinoceros, a vulture, and an octopus. Oscorp Super Soldier Suits Vulture and Doc Ock

A little hokey, sure, but it actually makes more sense than the original 2002 Spider-Man. Think about the major superhero villains these days. Tony Stark’s genius leads to Iron Monger, Whiplash, Extemis, and Ultron. The Super Soldier serum administered by the same scientist creates both Red Skull and Captain America. Batman’s appearance brings the Joker into the world as a direct response to his theatrical vigilantism. But in Spider-Man, it’s simply a hard to believe coincidence (even if you’ve bought into a man who can stick to walls and swing from webs) that Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) was bitten by a radioactive spider the very same night that Norman Osborn accidentally turns himself into a crazy super soldier to save his company. Ridiculous!

Mending this storytelling shortfall, Oscorp is behind all the foes Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker faces, whether that be an overreaction or not. Certainly qualifying the company that Norman Osborn built a spot on this list!

 

6. InGen from the The Lost World: Jurassic Park & Jurassic WorldJurassic World InGen Helicopter and Hoskins Vincent D'Nofrio

InGen didn’t seem like such a bad company when John Hammond was around. But since he hit his death bed, other forces within the corporation have put profits above human safety… and worse.

It starts with Hammond’s nephew in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, who will stop at nothing to grab dinosaurs out of their new “natural” habitat on Isla Sorna, a.k.a. “Site B” and present them to the masses. Even when the star exhibit, a full grown T-Rex, wrecks havoc in San Diego.

Even worse, Dr. Henry Wu (B.D. Wong) and Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofiro) clearly have a real shady deal going on behind the scenes of the theme park, Jurassic World. Hoskin’s obsession with military applications for carnivores and Dr. Wu’s gene-splicing skills offer even more trouble than in the 1st Jurassic World film, paving the way for a trilogy of InGen’s evil doings!

 

5. S.P.E.C.T.R.E. from the 007 FranchiseSpectre Trailer Ring Logo

No matching tattoos here, but of course Agents of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. have matching jewelry!

S.P.E.C.T.R.E. has been on the big screen longer than any other Nefarious Organization on this list, originating in Sean Connery’s days only to be revived this year in Daniel Craig’s world. S.P.E.C.T.R.E. stands for Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion (like with do-gooder organization S.H.I.E.L.D., someone just really wanted to spell SPECTRE, albeit incorrectly).

Now, if you read my review for SPECTRE, you know the film was lacking… a lot. In fact, S.P.E.C.T.R.E., the supposed ultimate Nefarious Organization of all time, doesn’t get its due in the 2015 007 film. While Daniel Craig’s 007 movies have improved on every aspect of the character from Casino Royale through Skyfall, S.P.E.C.T.R.E. does not live up to the organization Connery built (well, fought) back in the 60’s.

Perhaps if the film SPECTRE was better, this ultimate Evil Organization would have landed on the better half of the list. After all, it is the original shadow group with tentacles in every countries government on all ends of the globe, controlling resources, governments, and intelligence rather than always seeking to start WWIII like later Bond villains.Star Wars The Force Awakens Final Trailer #3 The New Order Stormtroopers and General Hux

And that’s a wrap! For now… Check back later when I reveal The Top 4 Nefarious Organizations in Cinema, including H.Y.D.R.A. and The First Order, formally the Galactic Empire!

A Modern Guide To Movie Going (Holiday Season 2015 & Beyond)!


We’re falling into the Holiday Movie Season, kicked off  last weekend by the mediocre SPECTRE and The Peanuts Movie. Things will start to get crazy with the release of Mocking Jay Part 2 and Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur, all culminating with the biggest movie release of all time: Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Whether Star Wars is pulling you out of your Netflix hole, or you’ve been going to the movies all year long enjoying hits like Mad Max: Fury Road, Jurassic World, and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, you will find this Guide To Movie Going in the 21st Century! extremely useful.

Trust me. I work at a Movie Theater. And I got to a lot of Movies!

Don’t use Fandango!

I have worked at two of the three major theater chains in the United States and there is one constant: DON’T USE FANDANGO!Fandango Bag Puppets

It’s almost a dirty little secret, especially since the “Pre-Show” at my chain has a Fandango commercial! But we (theater chains) don’t want you to use it! It’s not always accurate, for whatever reason, so you’ll get stuck with tickets to a showtime that doesn’t exist!

Always use the theater chains’ direct website, where tickets are on sale, the surcharge is no larger than Fandango’s, and the times are actually accurate! I’m talking www.cinemark.com or www.amctheatres.com. I don’t know Regal’s website…

I guess it’s not too hard to tell which of the three chains I didn’t work for!

Make sure you check Movie Times for the day you are going!!!

We no longer live in an era where Movie Showtimes are the same from Friday through Thursday. Theaters have events now. And almost all movies get an early evening release on Thursdays (gone are the days when only movies like Star Wars got midnight releases). Showtimes change day to day.

Sherlock The Abdominable Bride Christmas SpecialWe’ve got Live Concerts, Classic Series Films, Live Sporting Events (including Video Game tournaments…), and Special Screenings like the Dr. Who and Sherlock Christmas Specials coming up in late December/early January. Very, very rarely will all three Weekend Days have the same showtimes, even more rare on weekdays!  

Don’t look up today’s times if you’re going to a movie tomorrow! Check the day you are going, otherwise you may show up for a showtime that doesn’t exist.

And NEVER look up said showtimes on Fandango!!!

Double Check Movie Times the day you are going!!!

Unless you have tickets in hand, double check the showtime the day of the movie. Sometimes theaters will “Wild Cat” a showtime, meaning we may cancel a showtime of The Intern to make room for another showing of SPECTRE. It’s very, very rare, but it does happen!

Know your Theater Chains and the Brands that fall under their Umbrella. amc theatres logo

Let’s break this down fast so you don’t try to use a Gift Card at the wrong Chain:

AMC is AMC Theatres. As the company has acquired other companies like Kerasotes, they rename the theaters so it’s simple. AMC Gift Cards work at all AMC locations, NOT at any theater lacking the AMC name.

Cinemark and Regal keep most the names of the theater chains they have purchased. So…

Regal LogoRegal is also known as United Artists Theatres and Edwards Theatres.

Cinemark LogoCinemark also has locations called Century Theatres, Rave, Tinseltown, & CineArts.

Know where your gift cards will work by understanding the above hierarchy!

IMAX is no longer the only Big, Loud Screen in Town.

You’re going to want to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens on something big!

A few years ago Regal, AMC, and Cinemark decided to make their own, “Premium Format” to compete with IMAX, which had begun incensing it’s name to Theater Chains without actually delivering the full “IMAX Experience.” IMAX Screens of old were 70mm format, taller than they were wide, but now IMAX is just a name plastered on screens that run floor to ceiling with incredibly large speakers. I noticed the change seeing The Dark Knight 1st on a real IMAX Screen, with the image Christopher Nolan intended, and then seeing it on one of the “fake” Digital IMAX Screens that cut most of Nolan’s superior image.IMAX Comparison

Well, the three chains succeeded… partially… instead each creating their own “Premium Format” to save on IMAX licencing fees. AMC called theirs ETX, Regal went with RTX, and Cinemark features X D (have to space the letters or WordPress makes a XD face. 😦 ). All are just as good as Digital IMAX… unless it is one of the dozen or so “True” IMAX Screens left in the US.

Reserved Seating is on the way… and here to stay!

If you don’t have it already, the Industry is moving toward “Reserved Seating,” meaning you pick your seats when you buy your ticket. Don’t fight it, don’t whine, Reserved Seating will be the standard by the end of 2016, and it ain’t going anywhere!

Reserved Seating is the perfect tool to buy tickets in advance. If you bought Star Wars tickets the minute they went online after that Monday Night Football trailer for my theater, then you also picked your seats, which means you can show up minutes before showtime, no waiting in a looooong line for hours, and still have the best seat in the house.Star Wars The Force Awakens Final Trailer #3 Han Solo and Chewbacca

And it doesn’t really change the movie going experience on a day-to-day basis. What’s the difference between picking a seat at Box Office vs. when you walk into the auditorium? You’re going to pick the same seats… unless they are already sold… which is no different than walking in and seeing another guest already sitting where you like to sit. In fact, picking seats at Box Office let’s you see what’s left in a nearly Sold Out show! Don’t walk in blind, caught with only the front row. Know what’s left before dropping a dime.

Don’t be a Dummy. No Masks or Fake Weapons, Dummy!

Star Wars fans are whining about not being able to wear their Chewbacca, Stormtrooper, or Darth Vader (or Kylo Ren!) masks. And they can’t bring in fake guns. Or Lightsabers.Star Wars The Force Awakens Final Trailer #3 Finn Removes Stormtrooper Helmet

Look, I’m a Fanboy who dressed as Captain America for the entirety of the 1st Avengers opening weekend as a theater manager. I was dressed like Batman the night a theater not 30 miles from my own theater was shot up. Your sadness over losing masks and Lighsabers is not nearly as severe as the sadness of losing a loved one.

Stop being a Goddamn Baby and welcome to the 21st Century!

And that’s all you need to know! Here’s your handy-dandy guide to movie going, still good in 2016!

The 5 Most Accurate Comic Book Character Castings In Film and TV


Everyone’s a Super Hero these days… or at least a character based on a comic iteration, be they a powerless vigilante or a supporting character. Playing just “3 Degrees of Marvel” is easier than “6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon.”

There are many memorable superhero performances that have redefined comic book characters. Who can imagine anyone but Hugh Jackman playing Logan / Wolverine? Is it possible to think of the Joker without conquering images of Heath Ledger? Even now that we’ve seen Chris Cooper as Norman Osborne in the failure that was The Amazing Spider-Man 2, who could forget Willam Dafoe from 2002’s original Spider-Man film?Hugh Jackman as The Wolverine in X-Men: Days of Future Past

Sure, great performances all, but not exactly accurate depictions of the character. Wolverine is about four feet tall in the comic; Tom Cruise would actually be a more accurate portrayal of the character (not that he would be ideal either).

What I’ve collected, is a list of the most accurate casting choices of comic book characters, not the “best” or most “memorable.” Not the biggest characters or Super Heros, necessarily, but the best characters minor otherwise. These are the castings that can’t keep a Geek from smiling because he couldn’t imagine a better interpretation himself when first reading a comic. And after seeing it, this actor will always become the character’s voice when reading decades of comics to come.

5) Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron ManRobert Downey Jr as Tony Stark in Iron Man

Most people use RDJ as Tony Stark as the industry standard of comic book casting… and they ain’t wrong! I just managed to find 4 other castings that are even more accurate.

It turns out that Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark… both on screen and doing interviews. He has all the charm and brilliance that defines Tony Stark, bringing the darker edge of the character into play in Avengers: Age of Ultron, in which writer/director Joss Whedon labels Stark as the villain in the film’s commentary.

RDJ pulls off both sides of Stark, the hero who regrets his own and companies’ past as “War Mongers” and the man so tortured by his experience bringing a Nuke through a wormhole to outer-space that he creates the greatest villain the Avengers have ever faced, and will further be driven to oppose teammate Captain America (Chris Evans) in Captain America: Civil War.

Donwey Jr. is both the perfect physical rendition of Stark as well as a man who share’s Stark’s darker, “less sober” past.

4) Mark Hamill as The Jokermark hamill as joker and batman from batman the animated series

No silver screen actor can touch Mark Hamill’s interpretation of Batman’s nemesis, The Joker, started in Batman: The Animated Series and lifted to nirvana in the Video Game, Batman: Arkham Knight (as well as the franchises earlier chapters, Arkham Asylum & Arkham City).

Hamill’s joker just has more… fun. Hamill has worked an almost endless versions of the laugh, also bringing the Joker’s voice in and out; letting the madness seep from his performance.

Though Animated, Hamill’s Joker is also the most accurate; a man with a giant grin, but none of those scars the film version of the Joker mysteriously decided to use. With the exception of 1989’s Batman and 2008’s The Dark Knight, The Joker has never had scars (Thankfully it looks as though Jared Leto’s Joker will repair this remedy… though  his appearance calls to question how accurate his performance will be).

Hamill offers the most fun interpretation of the unstable Joker, with an animated face that can’t be topped by any of the feature presentations of Batman’s greatest nemesis.

3) JK Simmons as J. Jonah JamesonJK Simmons as J Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man

There comes a casting every now and then, that is so legendary that not even a reboot of  a franchise can top the original. In the case of The Amazing Spider-Man films, the creative talent realized that J. Jonah Jameson was so well cast by J.J. Simmons, that they didn’t even attempt to offer a new take on the character.

J.K. Simmons timing is so perfect, his look so accurate, that it is impossible to read a Spider-Man comic today without hearing the actor’s voice. He’s Spider-Man’s perfect hater, an actor I would still recommend Marvel Studios use for their 2nd “reboot” of Marvel’s Webslinger.

2) Donal Logue as Harvey BullockHarvey Bullock On Gotham

Fox’s Gotham is really the 1st time I’ve seen Jim Gordon’s partner and eventual right-hand-man portrayed by a live-action actor. Even Christopher Nolan, who used the Dark Knight Trilogy to reintroduce us to lost Detective Comics characters like Lucious Fox, failed to produce Harvey Bolluck, an essential character in the comic realm.

Benjamin McKenzie was a hard sell as Jim Gordon, as his most famous role was from female teen show The O.C., but he’s worked out fine. On the other hand, Donal Logue, best known from an equally “shitty” comedy Grounded For Life, lives and breaths Harvey Bolluck into existence in a way that makes the comic impossible to read without hearing Logue’s voice.

A drunk with a conscience and extreme loyalty to his partner, Logue is incredible as Batman essential Harvey Bolluck.

1) Matt Ryan as John ConstantineMatt Ryan as John Constantine

Finally, we arrive at the best of the best; Matt Ryan as DC Comic’s (formally Vertigo’s) John Constantine! Forget Keanu Reeves who was terribly cast in the big-screen version of DC’s best “master of the dark arts!” Matt Ryan plays the character with the coy cockiness and James Bond-esque womanizer that perfectly reflect the comic counterpart, right down to his appearance.

This is the prime example of an actor breathing life into a formally written & drawn character with no real voice. I know can’t read Justice League Dark or John Constantine: Hellbazler without hearing… and even picturing Matt Ryan. I’d never enjoyed the aforementioned film… or comic until I saw Matt Ryan play Constantine. And since them, he has become one of my most favorite comic characters of all!

There you have it, the 5 most ACCURATE Comic Book Castings… of all time! It may not be the main characters you expected, but these supporting and less known-“Heroes” could not be better represented on the screen!

7 Best 007 Films #3 – #1: A New Take on Bond


With SPECTRE right around the corner, it’s time to celebrate Bond, James Bond.

I’ve compiled a list of my 7 favorite 007 movies. You can check out the 1st part of the list by clicking HERE: #7 – #4.  Now it’s time to reveal my final 3 James Bond movies I hold in highest regard.

3. GoldeneyeGoldeneye 007 James Bond Pierce Brosnan Sean Bean 006 Alec Trevelyan

Goldeneye was my favorite 007 movie until the age of Daniel Craig. Oddly enough, I’d seen several Bond movies before Goldeneye, including the more recent Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough, and it was the Nintendo 64 game of the same name that lead me to the movie. And though Gamers can all agree Goldeneye is a great game, it’s an even better movie!

Goldeneye was released in 1995, the 1st 007 movie following the collapse of the Soviet Union… who had served as the main Bond villains since SMERSH in Sean Connery’s days. The franchise had laid dormant between films for the longest period on record, returning with a new M played by Judi Dench and a new 007 for the 90’s, Pierce Brosnan.

The movie doesn’t age as well as Connery’s films, laced with cheesy 90’s music in a few ridiculous scenes; especially the car race (not chase) between Bond and Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen). Look, another great, cheesy “Bond girl” name!Goldeneye Alec Trevelyan 006 Dish Drop

All that taken into consideration, Goldeneye is my 3rd favorite Bond movie due to it’s amazing villain (either my favorite or second favorite 007 villain… it’s hard to lock it down) and just as incredible plot.

Sean Bean plays 006, Alec Trevelyn, left to die by Pierce Brosnan in the 1st scene only to return as head of a master-plan to use the Goldeneye weapons satellite with an EMP device that could cripple a city. No world domination here. As James suggests, Trevelyn is a common thief, though the former 006 has something bigger planned; erasing all the bank records and the like by turning the Goldeneye satellite on London.

Similar to Robert Shaw in From Russia With Love, 006/Alec Trevelyn is the ultimate doppelganger, a former partner of Bond’s, with his skill-set, charm, and even the very same gadgets (though his watch provided by Q branch is a slightly older model). Sean Bean is one of my favorite actors due to this role and he’s the perfect man to play the ultimate anti-007 (Bean was on the shortlist to play 007 when Brosnan got  the gig).

 

2. Casino Royale

Casino Royale James Bond 007 Daniel Craig Mads Mikkelsen Le Chiffre Felix Leiter Jeffrey Wright Play Poker

Casino Royale reinvented 007 in a way that no other new Bond actor ever did. Borrowing heavily from the Bourne franchise, Daniel Craig wasn’t just the 1st blond Bond, he was the most brutal. M calls Craig’s 007 “a blunt instrument,” not the sophisticated Bond we were accustomed to. This darker, more realistic take on 007 was a direct response to how cheesy the Pierce Brosnan movies had gotten by Die Another Day.

In an era of dark reboots, including Batman Begins, the ruthless Daniel Craig 007 was a welcome change. We get to see James Bond become the 007 we know and love today… and get to see again on November 6th! Take this exchange for example of where Daniel Craig’s Bond starts:

“Vodka-Martini.”

“Shaken or stirred?”

“Do I look like I give a damn?”

The Vesper (Eva Green) origin tale is the 1st time the franchise had dabbled in 007’s past (the 1st book of the franchise, Casino Royale could only be made into a movie through a partnership with Sony) and boy-howdy did it make the decades old character more interesting than ever before! We get to see why he treats women like playthings and trusts no one. Though he is not fully the 007 we know by the end of the film, he does earn the words:

“The name’s Bond, James Bond.”

Casino Royale Bond, James Bond FinaleThe movie’s plot is simple, but great; again, we’re not talking about starting World War III or using a Nuclear Device. Plus, the idea of a shady organization that will become Quantum… and the SPECTRE is immediatly introudced and wonderfully explored: Bond doesn’t even get a chance to kill Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), who is an interesting villain in his own right as he “cries” blood. Instead, Mr. White cleans up his own mess.

The groundwork is laid for great characters that carried over to Quantum of Solace (as discussed last time), including CIA Agent Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), ally Rene Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini), and Mr. White. Of course, M is back as well, but she remains Dame Judi Dench… for now. Q and Moneypenny are absent, but that’s why Skyfall exists!

Casino Royale also brings back the detective element from Dr. No in a way it hasn’t been explored in 50 years. Though the film has excellent action set-pieces, it’s really about 007 following a series of clues that lead him to a poker game with only the highest of stake. He’s a true detective in this one.

 

1.Skyfallskyfall 007 james bond javier bardem silva melted face

I reuse this joke from Pineapple Express too often, but if Goldeneye had a baby with Casino Royale, then you’ve got Skyfall. (Whew, didn’t have to use the part about “the result of baby fucking.”)

Simply put, Skyfall is the best written, directed, and acted 007 film. It even includes a bunch of winks to old-school Bond; the film being released on the 50th anniversary of the film franchise.

Right off the bat we’re treated to the greatest pre-credits sequence yet; Bond chasing down a villain with MI6 secrets, first with a motorcycle on building rooftops and ending up on top of a train with 007 being shot by Moneypenny (Naomie Harris). The movie continues at a pace somewhere between the slower Casino Royale and the non-stop action of Quantum of Solace.

Silva (Javier Bardem) is the villain I said earlier I can’t decide if I like more or less than Alec Trevelyn. In fact, Silva and 006 have a lot in common; both are former agents who worked for M, though Silva never worked with Bond, so he has less in common with 007 than 006 did. Regardless, his hatred/obsession with M, a mother of sorts that betrayed him and left him to die, drives his madness, even causing him to compare 007 to himself as the other “survivor” or “rat.” In fact, Silva’s speech about how his grandmother rid her island of rats is one of the strongest villain monologues in recent cinema.

His rat metaphor is the delicious glue (I know… you’re not supposed to eat glue…) that holds the story together. Again, we have an incredibly small plot when compared to the days of Pierce Brosnan; Silva just wants to kill M… and himself… at the same time. 007 is just the man in the way.

James Bond 007 Daniel Craig at Skyfall HomeThrough his protection of M, we learn more about Bond’s past, which of course is one of Casino Royale‘s strengths, taking us to Skyfall, James Bond’s childhood home. We get to see the grave markers of his parents including “Andrew Bond,” putting to rest the silly fan theory that James Bond is a code-name like 007, not each actor’s character’s actual name. How silly!

by the end of the Skyfall, the final pieces of the James Bond universe fall into place with a new Q (Ben Whinshaw), the aforementioned Moneypenny, and a brand new M (Ralph Fiennes).

My only gripe, and it’s a small one, is that there is no mention of Quantum or any mysterious organization, something that is present in the three other Daniel Craig starring films. But, honestly, that would have muddled the film’s perfect plot and pacing

SPECTRE HQ 007 Christoph Waltz Daniel CraigBesides, the trailer for SPECTRE suggests that Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz) and Quantum/SPECTRE have been behind all of 007’s pain.  So, when SPECTRE drops on November 6th here in the states, we’ll know exactly what pain Oberhauser and SPECTRE have wrought!

The 7 Best 007 Films # 7 – # 4: Sean Connery Begins


It’s mid-October, so we are merely weeks away from what will likely (hopefully?) be one of the greatest Bond movies, SPECTRE.

Don’t count my chickens before they hatch, you say?

Let’s start counting anyway! You have Daniel Craig, the best 007 (don’t crucify me for that, just because Sean Connery played James Bond 1st, doesn’t automatically make him the best), director Sam Mendes hot off Skyfall, and Academy Award Winning villain actor Javier Bardem replaced by an equally (if not more) enjoyable double Oscar Winner Christoph Waltz. What could go wrong? Hell, SPECTRE has Dave Bautista of Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy fame playing a very classic feeling henchman with some flavor.

Again, I’m counting unhatched Indominus Rexs… err… chickens before they hatch. But at least I have these seven hatch-lings: The 7 Best 007 movies from Dr. No through Skyfall.

In order to keep this post a manageable length, we’ll cover my 7th favorite through 4th.

7. Dr. Nodr no sean connery james bond 007

The very 1st 007 film, Dr. No sets most the pieces in place for a franchise that has gone strong (mostly… mostly) for 50 years. Sean Connery clearly establishes the tone for all the James Bond actors that followed (even Daniel Craig’s less-sophisticated, more “blunt instrument” portrayal).

Dr. No‘s real strength is showing us the super-spy/detective side of 007, with less gadgets but a perfect Bond Girl in name and body – Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder – as well as a villain that sets the tone of all the SPECTRE and SMERSH eccentric agents that follow – Joseph Wiseman as the title character, Dr. No.dr no james bond ursula andress honey Honey Ryder

The focus on 007’s skills as a spy and detective aren’t featured as front-and-center again until Casino Royale. My favorite scene, which really sets up Bond’s skill-set, comes when he places a hair on the door to his hotel room, allowing him to tell if his room was entered and tampered with. No film that follows has shown cool spy techniques in the same way as Dr. No, instead focusing on faster paced stories with more action, gadgets, and sexy women.

The franchise is still finding it’s footing at this point, almost a rough draft of the franchise before Goldfinger established the franchise’s more popular and enduring elements.

6. Quantum of Solacequantum of solace daniel craig 007 james bond

I know, I know, Quantum of Solace is a pretty dumb Bond movie when it comes to the writing and overall plot; nearly a phoned in 007 film like all but one of Pierce Brosnan’s adventures. I blame the writer’s strike for that, though the film is still enjoyable as hell, even with its faults.

I argue Quantum of Solace is the perfect companion piece to Casino Royale; the latter serving as a slower story re-introducing the character and his origin with Vesper (Eva Green) and the former balancing it out with full-on action in every scene and the continuation of whatever Mr. White’s organization was in Casino Royale. Quantum is also one of the only “direct-sequels” that references and builds off the previous Bond film, giving it an extra element of intrigue. That means we also get more character/actor carryover from one film to the next with Jesper Christensen back as the aforementioned Mr. White, Jeffrey Wright back as Felix Leiter, and even Giancarlo Giannini as Rene Mathis.Mr White Quantum of Solace With M and James Bond 007 Daniel Craig

Spoiler Alert (not), the shady organization is called Quantum (hence one of the franchise’s worst titles) and will eventually become SPECTRE (the studio making 007 films didn’t have the rights to the name SPECTRE at the time). I love the set-up for this organization that has infiltrated every government, starting with Mr. White escaping and continuing with the reveal of Quantum at the Opera (one of the franchise’s most artistic scenes).

Mathieu Amalric as Dominic Greene (yes, apparently all Quantum agents have colorful last names… literally) is an underrated villain with his eccentricities and  role within the Quantum organization. The final action scene is the film’s 2nd best, with Greene showing the rodent he is in the sloppy/angry battle with 007 that has him slicing his own foot with an axe. Plus, there was something weird going on between him and his #1 henchman, that was never unnecessarily explained.

5. Goldfinger

goldfinger-james-bond-007-sean-connery-white-tuxedo

Goldfinger is the 1st Bond film to have ALL the elements in place. Q-branch gadgets like a car with an ejector seat. A Bond girl with a not-so-subtle name, Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman). Another title super-villain – Gert Fröbe as Auric Goldfinger, with a strange obsession with gold, a laser, and a ridiculously amazing evil-plan. The 1st amazing henchman, Oddjob (Harold Sakata), who throws a sharp hat (no, not a shoe… that was Random Task in Austin Powers). And that classic dialogue.

“Do you expect me to talk?”

“No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!”

Everything we’ve watched for the last 50 years that wasn’t established in Dr. No, was put in place by Goldfinger; the ultimate Bond formula to stick to.

Those Goldfinger Fans looking forward to SPECTRE will likely recognize Daniel Craig’s new getup on the poster is borrowed from Sean Connery in the above photo.

4. From Russia With Love

From Russia With Love James Bond 007 Sean Connery Robert Shaw Grant

From Russia With Love has one of the greatest SPECTRE agents 007 has ever faced, Robert Shaw (of Jaws fame) playing Grant, 007’s perfect doppelganger. And there is not archetype of villain I enjoy more than a doppelganger; a villain that reflects the hero in nearly every way. Robert Shaw’s character really is the opposite side of the Sean Connery coin. Dashing, brutal, and just serving his “country” (or, rather, organization).

No scene in the film sticks out in my mind like the train sequence between Sean Connery and Robert Shaw, one of the most classic showdowns in 007’s history.

So that’s a start; my 4th through 7th favorite 007 films.

Read about Numbers 3 through 1 NOW… Not that you can’t guess where the list is going…