Fanboys Anonymous

Reviewpoint Ep 21 - Spectre Movie Review

Posted by Anthony Mango - Sunday, November 8, 2015

Episode 21 of the Fanboys Anonymous Reviewpoint podcast reviews the 24th film in the James Bond film franchise: Spectre. What do we think were the hits and misses from the film? How does it stand in comparison to previous films in the Daniel Craig era and what direction will the series go after this?

Hosted by Tony Mango joined by Caroline Oliveira

You can check out the podcast below on YouTube, iTunes, and Stitcher. Make sure to subscribe!

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Minute Man Reviews Spectre 007 Film in 60 Seconds

Posted by Anthony Mango - Friday, November 6, 2015

On the premiere episode of Minute Man Reviews hosted by Tony Mango, the latest installment in the James Bond film franchise Spectre is given a full review in under 60 seconds.

Check out the video below and be sure to subscribe and leave your comments on what you thought of Spectre!

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SPECTRE Easter Eggs List of Homages & References to James Bond Films of the Past

Posted by Anthony Mango

One of the many reasons why I loved the newest installment in the James Bond franchise, Spectre, so much was because of the winks and nods to previous elements of the series. Among my biggest gripes about Casino Royale (which I am actually quite fond of) and Quantum of Solace (which I think is a piece of crap in some ways) was how much of an attempt they made to shun what came before them. Instead of ordering a vodka martini—shaken, not stirred—Bond says lines like "Do I look like I give a damn?" or "What is it that I'm having?" That's about as frustrating as Uncle Ben coming close to saying "with great power comes great responsibility" but not actually delivering that exact line. I'm looking at you, Amazing Spider-Man.

Even Skyfall, which took a huge step forward in an effort to go back to the past with the inclusion of the classic mission briefing office, a male M, a new Q, and a new Moneypenny, still couldn't resist scoffing at the exploding Parker pen from GoldenEye and insisting that things were different. Nobody must have given Q the memo that the fingerprint gun was already used in License to Kill and the GPS tracker was in Goldfinger, but that's beside the point.

Spectre managed to have tons of references to the films of different eras, and as I was watching the film, each one of them that I spotted made me giddy with joy and confused my friends who aren't as into the franchise as I am. To help break down just why there were so many times that I was giggling like a schoolgirl, I figured I would compile a list to show off just why this was the film for a James Bond fan.

*NOTE: Some of these listed below are definitely planned, while others may actually just be me jumping to a conclusion and weren't actually intentional. I also may be missing some, so if you know of any others that aren't on this list, please send them our way in the comments!

James Bond Spectre movie homages Easter Eggs

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW

Keeping the Continuity

Before we list the things that are homages, we should establish the difference between those kinds of references and the ones that are within the actual continuity of the movies. These Daniel Craig films do a much better job at keeping things together, where they are actual sequels to each other instead of more randomized followups. For example, Bond still has M's bulldog paperweight thing that she gave him in Skyfall. Characters like Vesper Lynd, Le Chiffre, Dominic Greene, and Raoul Silva are referenced, as is Felix Leiter. It's nice to see that the integrity of the series hasn't been muddied up yet.

The Obvious S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Connections

The S.P.E.C.T.R.E. organization itself makes its return, as does its leader, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Although he's not referred to as Number 1 in this movie, he's given his trademark eye scar from You Only Live Twice as well as his white cat and is first seen in the shadows sitting at a conference table, similar to how we were introduced to him in From Russia With Love and Thunderball before getting our first good look at him.

The Opening Gun Barrel

Before the Daniel Craig era, every James Bond film opened with the iconic gun barrel sequence. The music changed slightly from time to time, the actors were different (sometimes not even being the guy who played Bond himself, as the first three films used stuntman Bob Simmons instead of Sean Connery.

With Casino Royale, though, this stopped happening, which greatly annoyed me. I somewhat understood the lack of it for the first reboot, but when it wasn't the opening for Quantum of Solace or Skyfall, it got under my skin. Thankfully, this is restored to the start of the film for Spectre, which made me thrilled right off the bat.

James Bond Will Return

Just as the beginning's got its traditions, so too does the end of a 007 film. Even though it means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things, as we know the franchise isn't going to die any time soon, I made sure to stay for the full credits to check out the usual "James Bond will return" text, which has followed every film in some fashion. Although they can't name the next movie like they used to, it's still reassuring to see those words and know that in a few years, Bond will be back in some form.

Something Comma Something

Have you ever noticed that the two most iconic lines of dialogue from the James Bond character both use the pattern "____, _____" in some way? It took four films, but finally, Daniel Craig's Bond was able to say both "Bond, James Bond" and "shaken, not stirred" in Spectre rather than dancing around it.

Aston Martin DB5

Easily the most iconic vehicle from the Bond series is the Aston Martin, particularly the DB5 model which became synonymous with 007 in Goldfinger. Since that film, it's been used several times to varying degrees, including Skyfall. It makes another appearance here, and after Bond points out the make and model of a Rolls-Royce earlier in the movie and waits for his baby to be restored, it gives off the vibe that the DB5 is going nowhere. It appears to have taken on a new life as Bond's preferred car, similar to how he was attached to his Beretta 418 before taking up the Walther PPK and later, P99. If Bond were to drive off into the sunset, it would definitely be in this car.

009's Bad Luck

The 00 agents are the best of the best, and since 007 is our protagonist, it's no surprise that he's at the top of that group, even. In fact, the only one who seems to be close to a match to his skill level is 008, who has yet to be killed in any of the films, probably because he's described as "a good man, more careful than Bond" in the novel Goldfinger. Some don't have that much luck, however, and the worst of them all is poor 009. One of them is killed in Octopussy while dressed as a clown, of all things. In The World is Not Enough, 009 somehow found a way to fail his task of killing Renard after putting a bullet through his head. In the novel Deadly Double, another 009 is killed, and yet another bites the dust in Serpent's Tooth.

While 009 does not get killed in Spectre, he does get his car stolen by 007 and made fun of for having bad taste in music. Poor guy.

Madeleine Swann = Tracy Bond / On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Did anybody else get the feeling that Léa Seydoux's character Madeleine Swann was very reminiscent of Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo, aka Tracy Draco, aka Tracy Bond from On Her Majesty's Secret Service? Tracy is the daughter of Marc-Ange Draco, head of the Union Corse crime syndicate. Madeleine is the daughter of Mr. White, who is a member of Quantum, which is a subdivision of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Both of them have an action sequence in a snowy area, both want to resist Bond's charms, and both fall deeply for him in a way that convinces him to seemingly leave the spy game. Also, for extra added measure, On Her Majesty's Secret Service ends with Tracy and Bond driving off and her being killed by Blofeld, while Spectre ends with Madeleine and Bond driving off and her having been almost killed by Blofeld had Bond not been able to save her.

Moneypenny's Love Life

The relationship between Bond and Moneypenny has always been one of flirtation leading absolutely nowhere. Usually, it's Moneypenny expressing her frustration that Bond doesn't take her out or give her flowers or something, but every so often, Bond gets jealous. In GoldenEye, for example, Bond interrogates Moneypenny on the clothes she's wearing and the date she was going on. In Spectre, Bond overhears that there's a man sleeping over at Moneypenny's place and calls her out on it. By the way, was it just me, or was that supposed to be Denbigh that she was sleeping with and that plot point was just dropped?

Pristine Order

The recurring joke for Q Branch's weapons is that they're not making it back to the lab in top shape. Just as Desmond Llewelyn and John Cleese before him, Ben Whishaw's Q dislikes Bond's destructiveness, stating that when it comes to the car, he asked for it to come back "in one piece," not for "one piece" to come back.

River Thames Boat Sequence

In both this film and The World is Not Enough, Bond emerges from MI6 headquarters in a boat and proceeds to chase a villain on the River Thames. Bonus points for how both also involve the villain trying to get away in an aerial vehicle that eventually proves itself unsuccessful as it explodes—a hot air balloon in The World is Not Enough and a helicopter in Spectre.

Live and Let Die, Repeat

Excuse the Edge of Tomorrow pun—I couldn't resist. In Live and Let Die, one of the primary villains is the voodoo priest Baron Samedi. The opening of Spectre revolves around the Day of the Dead, involving many people dressed up as masked skeletons. Although the cultures are different, I would not be surprised at all if someone on the production crew managed to sneak in an actual Baron Samedi costume among the crowd.

Train Fight

Perhaps the most beloved fight between Bond and one of his villains is the train fight with Red Grant in From Russia With Love. Clearly, Sam Mendes and company have a fondness for that, as the henchman Hinx meets his demise while battling 007 in a train in a more modern and smashy-smashy take on the scenario.

Moonraker Control Room

This may be a stretch, but there is a scene where Blofeld is showing off a room filled with tons of people working at stations with monitors with surveillance all over the world. The first thing I thought of when seeing this set design was of something similar in Moonraker. Since there are no clear photos of this scene from Spectre yet, I can't post a comparison, but if you've already seen the film or if you plan on seeing it, look out for something that looks similar to this:

James Bond set design Moonraker space station

Did You Expect Me to Talk?

Everybody knows the scene in Goldfinger where Bond is strapped to the table and the laser is about to cut him to shreds. In Spectre, Blofeld has Bond strapped to what looks like a dentistry chair and threatens him with several needles and drills.

Ejector Seat

Speaking of Goldfinger, Bond has an ejector seat in his car which he uses to dispatch one of the villains. In Spectre, Bond uses his ejector seat on himself so he can escape the car and the clutches of Mr. Hinx.

White Tuxedo and Red Carnation

Another from Goldfinger was Bond's suit during the train sequence, which was a white tuxedo finished off by a red carnation.

Do You Know How to Use One of These?

In GoldenEye, Bond hands a gun to Natalya and asks if she knows how to use one. She proceeds to load it properly without any instruction, much to Bond's surprise. In Spectre, Bond assumes Madeleine has never used one before and goes so far as to point out where the trigger is. To his surprise, she dismantles it, explaining that she's used one before.

Hole of Operations

In You Only Live Twice, S.P.E.C.T.R.E.'s base of operations is a volcano, which erupts. In Spectre, they've made a base out of a crater that was formed from a meteorite. Take a guess as to whether or not it explodes.

The Hildebrand Rarity

A safe house in Spectre brandishes the name Hildebrand and states that it deals with rarities, which is an obvious reference to The Hildebrand Rarity—a short story which was included in the collection dubbed For Your Eyes Only. Thankfully, there's no subplot in this film about a fish.

Michael G. Wilson

Although I actually don't know for sure whether or not he's in this movie, Michael G. Wilson has made his cameo a regular Easter egg, so I have to imagine he's there somewhere. Perhaps he's in the meeting with the Nine Eyes? I'll be looking out for him on my second viewing for sure.

That's about all I could spot, but did you notice any others? Tell us in the comments below!

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Making the Grade: Spectre Review Report Card

Posted by Anthony Mango - Thursday, November 5, 2015

Welcome to the latest edition of Making the Grade—a review format segment here on Fanboys Anonymous where we break down the five major components of something and give it a score based on the standard report card lineup: A, B, C, D, and F for a total failure.

The next report card is for the 24th film in the James Bond film franchise, entitled Spectre.

HD 007 Spectre photos screen shots poster

Spectre—directed by Sam Mendes; written by John Logan (screenplay and story), Neal Purvis (screenplay and story), Robert Wade (screenplay and story), Jez Butterworth (screenplay), Ian Fleming (characters); starring Daniel Craig (James Bond), Christoph Waltz (Oberhauser), Léa Seydoux (Madeleine Swann), Ralph Fiennes (M / Gareth Mallory), Monica Bellucci (Lucia), Ben Whishaw (Q), Naomie Harris (Moneypenny), Dave Bautista (Hinx), Andrew Scott (C), Rory Kinnear (Bill Tanner) and Jesper Christensen (Mr. White).

WARNING - SPOILERS BELOW

CHARACTERS: A–

One of the things that I enjoyed immensely about this movie was how much of a callback it was to previous films in the franchise. After Skyfall, it seemed like we were getting back to the core cast, as we now have M, Q, Moneypenny, and Tanner to round out the MI6 team. However, this film took that to the next level, giving us the classic powerhouse henchman Hinx, who evokes memories of Jaws, Oddjob, and others that came before him. We have Ernst Stavro Blofeld and the S.P.E.C.T.R.E. organization, which was sorely missing. Lucia's role is one we've seen many times before, as the woman who despises her criminal husband and leaks information to Bond in exchange for one night of fiery passion. Madeleine Swann handles herself well but doesn't upstage Bond in any way, which is a great mix of wanting to get away from the frankly sexist portrayals of women in the past while also not forgetting that 007 is our hero, not the Bond girls. Max Denbigh is a true sniveling twit that you see working alongside the villains all the time. This movie nails the tropes of Bond characters one after another.

ACTING: B

Bond films are never the absolute strongest when it comes to acting, as there isn't much of a range to play around with. You're never going to get Oscar-worthy performances out of anything that happens in any of these films, no matter how iconic a certain character might be. Basically, it has to boil down to whether you believe these actors were cast correctly for the characters they were putting up on the screen within the 007 universe.

In my opinion, yes, they were. When he was originally cast as James Bond, I thought I would hate Daniel Craig, but I've warmed up to him. Still, I've never felt that he was fully the character until this film. Christoph Waltz is such a perfect choice for Blofeld that I'm even willing to admit I was wrong when I said in the past that this was Kevin Spacey's part to play. Monica Bellucci is super sexy and Léa Seydoux has a different sort of charm about her that I found intriguing. Our supporting cast all have their fun moments as well. I'm warming up to Ben Whishaw's nerdy pushover Q and Naomie Harris's resourceful Moneypenny very much, as well as the take Ralph Fiennes has on M as a more hands-on boss.

VISUALS (FX, MAKEUP, COSTUMES, SETS): B+

Sets were beautiful, visual effects didn't stand out to me as odd in any way, the costumes were distinct for each location (particularly the opening sequence) and I'm digging Blofeld's scar. Well done.

MUSIC & SOUND: B+

"Writing's on the Wall" is not as good as "Skyfall" in my mind, but it's a damn good entry in the pantheon of Bond themes. One of my complaints about Skyfall's soundtrack was that Thomas Newman—a composer who has done many scores I absolutely love—didn't match up to David Arnold's from the past. I still maintain that Arnold is better, but I wasn't taken aback as much this time around by what Newman had to offer. Perhaps he's grown more comfortable or just made some different decisions. Until I've re-listened to the score isolated and on its own, I should reserve some judgment, but as far as first impressions go, I have no complaints.

TONE (ACTION, ROMANCE, COMEDY): A+

ACTION: The action this time around felt more about the intensity than it did the stunt work, but that's not a complaint. The car chase was a lot of fun in particular, and I loved the fight inside the train, which may not measure up to the one in From Russia With Love for the people who can't let go of the nostalgia, but I feel it was on par.

COMEDY: I can't think of a single time that I was supposed to laugh in this film but didn't. Granted, nothing was an uproarious belly-laugh, nor did I have tears in my eyes from chuckling so hard, but the Bond films aren't comedies to begin with. This was a nice balance.

ROMANCE: Admittedly, Bond's seduction of Lucia felt a bit rushed, but I found his relationship with Madeleine to be pretty interesting. The idea of Bond shacking up with someone from a psychiatric background brings a new dimension to a Bond girl relationship that we haven't seen before. Oddly enough, though, my favorite part of the romance in this film was the connectivity regarding Vesper Lynd and even M (although that's a mother/son relationship rather than a romantic one). The flirtatiousness between Bond and Moneypenny was something that I had fun with, too, as that's a staple of the franchise.

FINAL GRADE: A

While I certainly expect no major attention from the Academy Awards, I do think Spectre is in my top favorite films of the year. As a huge Bond fan, this movie was just served up on a platter for me to have fun with. All of the references to previous aspects of the franchise made me grin from ear to ear, and the opening gun barrel alone got me to literally jump out of my seat a bit with excitement. There's no way I couldn't love this film, so I recommend it wholeheartedly for serious 007 fans. That being said, the friends I saw this with aren't nearly as into the series as I am, and they still enjoyed it, so don't feel as though you have to have seen the previous 23 films and read all the books to like it. We started off this year with a great spy movie in Kingsman and we're ending it with another in Spectre. Sam Mendes, you better do another one of these!

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF SPECTRE?

LEAVE YOUR REPORT CARD IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

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The Dace Man Show Ep 124 - Sleep is for The Birds

Posted by The Dace Man - Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular nation! Check out episode 124 of The Dace Man Show with hosts Chris "The Dace Man" Dace, Frank Ward, Gibby and Patty McTitties!!

::SPORTS NEWS::

The NHL, MLB, NFL, and our favorite: curling!

::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY::

Gibby brings the class to the show with weird things going on in the world!

::FRANK'S CORNER::

Frank-tastic facts for your everyday life

::CELEB NEWS::

Dace is back, and he's packing a punch since he's on some diet pills and Red Bull. Get ready Hollywood!

Plus the occasional game of Who Said It, the crowning of The Doucebag of The Week, and much, much more, only on The Dace Man Show.

As always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn), as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and, of course,the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case a comfy seat in front of your computer—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!

Listen live to The Dace Man Show every Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST on Mega Powers Radio.

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Wed, Bed or Dead: James Bond Girls Edition

Posted by Anthony Mango - Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Welcome to the first edition of Wed, Bed, or Dead—a new segment here for Fanboys Anonymous which follows the methodology of games such as "Marry, Fuck, or Kill," also known as "Kill, Bang, Marry" or any of the other alternative names.

If you're unfamiliar with these games, here are the rules: three men or women will be pitted against each other and you are forced to place each of them into a specific category of your choosing. You cannot double up on any category, replace people, or anything else. You must pick one to "Wed" (marry), one to "Bed" (have sex with), and for "Dead" (kill)—in theory, of course.

Without further ado, let's kickstart this!

Marry Fuck Kill Bond girls who would you bang kill marry

Wed, Bed, or Dead: James Bond Girls

Honey Rider vs. Tracy Bond vs. Vesper Lynd

There are a few reasons why I chose these three women for my first venture into this segment. Clearly, one is that James Bond is a timely subject right now, with the release of Spectre coming soon. I've been a huge fan of the 007 franchise for a long, long time, and I've debated these questions with my friends many times. As to why these three women were chosen from the bevy of Bond girls—many of whom I'm even more attracted to—these three stand out as the most important of the series. Honey Rider was the first Bond girl, appearing in Dr. No, and many consider her the best simply by seniority. Tracy was Bond's true love, the woman he actually married in both the books and the films. Vesper Lynd is sort of a combination of the two, as she was the first Bond girl in the books, the first primary girl in the Daniel Craig reboot of the films, and she was a serious enough relationship for Bond that he was willing to walk away from MI6 to spend the rest of his life with her. If you're going to pick three women to represent the franchise, you're much better off discussing these three instead of some of the more forgettable ones like Dink, Chew Mee, and whomever that woman was in Skyfall who is literally just referred to as "Bond's lover" in the credits.

I'd have to imagine that, from Bond's perspective, the easiest one to start with is Wed: Tracy. After all, out of dozens upon dozens of women, she is the only one he's legitimately married; his marriage to Kissy Suzuki was a sham. There are multiple times where Tracy is brought up in other films to show that she's one of Bond's weak emotional subjects, which never happens with regard to other women. One of his many women who never show up again is Honey Rider, and she would probably be his Bed choice. When he sees her, you immediately can tell what he has on his mind. He gets what he wants and then she's yesterday's news. Vesper Lynd, on the other hand, is someone he gets severely attached to, and then she betrays him. Although he tries to save her life and mourns her death in Quantum of Solace, there are times in which he acts very cold with regard to her. His words at the end of Casino Royale are the perfect demonstration of his feelings: "Why should I need more time? The job's done and the bitch is dead." Ouch, man.

At the end of Quantum of Solace, he drops her necklace (an Algerian love knot—symbolism, much?) to signify that he's officially moved on. Vesper's not referenced in Skyfall. I'd assume given this game, Bond would give her the Death sentence.

My Votes

Wedding Proposal = Vesper Lynd
Bedroom Invitation = Honey Rider
Death Sentence = Tracy Bond

For these games, I like to use a three-point criteria of Attraction, Personality and Wildcard. Attraction and Personality are pretty self-explanatory, focusing on their looks and what goes on behind the scenes. Something like their intelligence, character traits, behavioral attitude, and so forth would go under Personality, while their physical appearance and sexiness make up the bulk of Attraction. As far as Wildcard goes, those could be any other factors that take away or add to someone's appeal.

Let's start with the Death sentence. Diana Rigg, who played Tracy, is certainly not unattractive, but I think she's the least attractive of the three, which gives her a big mountain to climb. A good thing for her Wildcard is that she's rich as hell, but there are negative elements to this. The reason she has wealth is because she's a crook who comes from a crime syndicate her father, Marc-Ange Draco, runs. Teresa Draco would go on to marry Count Giulio di Vicenzo—a thief and a cheat who dies in a car crash with one of his mistresses. At the start of our story, she's not Tracy Bond, but Contessa Teresa Draco di Vicenzo, and if you think that's already enough baggage to deal with, get a load of this: we first see her attempting suicide by drowning because her child from her previous marriage has died from spinal meningitis. Holy shit, that is this a lot to deal with, particularly for someone who is such a stuck-up spoiled brat for most of the movie. She's annoying as hell at times, and although she makes up for it at other times, I know I'd never propose to her. She works for someone as damaged as James Bond, but while they have all the time in the world (figuratively, as she's only Mrs. Bond for a few hours maximum), I have all the reason in the world to call Blofeld and Irma Bunt a taxi and tell them Tracy's whereabouts.

Since Tracy has all that against her and is someone I ruled out for Wed, she had to be either Bed or Dead, but as I mentioned, the two others are more attractive to me. Bed, then, goes to Honey Rider, who is pretty unoffensive, but pretty boring as well. She is the product of an era in which the series had a more misogynist tone to it, and women were objectified more than ever. Nowadays the women have actual plots and purposes for being in the stories (thank god) as well as opportunities to show moments of heroism and intelligence. Honey Rider is literally "some hot babe" and that's it. Ursula Andress was attractive, so they cast her to look sexy and be someone who Bond could save. Her voice is dubbed over because they cared more about her looks than her acting ability. She has one of the most iconic and often replicated scenes from 007 history, where she comes out of the ocean and walks up to the beach in a white bikini with a knife attached to her hip. After that, she (by which I mean the woman who dubbed her voice) sings about mango trees—woo! Mango!—and bitches about seashells for a while before either being held captive or running around the island attempting to escape captivity. A good looking woman who has nothing to offer on the personality spectrum means she's the clear Bed option.

And then there's Vesper, the smartest of the bunch who doesn't just match wits with 007, she surpasses him. Intelligence is big for me, and when I was first watching Casino Royale, her introductory scene immediately got my attention by the way she demonstrated hers. That's not all she showed off, either; there's literally a scene dedicated to her distracting the men just because of a dress she's wearing, which speaks volumes to how attractive she is. Can you blame them?

Yes, there are some negatives, such as the whole "evil, manipulative traitor" thing. However, she does regret her actions, tries to circumvent James getting injured by all means, and only becomes aligned with the villains out of love to begin with. Her intentions are good, even if she goes about them in the entirely wrong fashion. Instead of the shower scene being about lust like it is with Sévérine in Skyfall, it's where Vesper shows her vulnerability, and I'll admit that I can fall for that from time to time.

So from my perspective, Vesper Lynd can learn what I can do with my little finger (I am hers, after all), Honey Rider can climb up my mango tree and Tracy can go hang out in that grave, but what do you think? What are your choices for Wed, Bed or Dead with these three Bond girls?

Tell us who you picked for what in the comments below as well as suggestions for the next edition!

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6 Flicks Picks for November 2015 Movie Release Schedule

Posted by Anthony Mango - Sunday, November 1, 2015

Welcome to another edition of 6 Flicks Picks, wherein I list all of the upcoming films scheduled to be released in the United States this month and break down which ones I'll be watching in theaters, which ones I'll wait to rent at home, and which ones I'll be skipping entirely. At the end of the list, I'll choose which six films stand out to me as the ones I would be most willing to see, even if there are more or fewer than six that actually interest me.

Note: The information and release dates below come primarily from the expanded nationwide U.S. release dates on IMDB as well as some other outlets if possible. Thus some information may be different or inaccurate. If I am missing some of the limited releases or the dates conflict in any way, please let me know in the comments below, and I will confirm and adjust/correct as needed.

Without further ado, a new month means a new set of films, so what's coming to theaters in November 2015?

RELEASE DATE: November 6, 2015

Spectre

Synopsis: A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

Will I watch? = Yes, a million times over, yes

The Peanuts Movie

Synopsis: Snoopy embarks upon his greatest mission as he and his team take to the skies to pursue their archnemesis, while his best pal Charlie Brown begins his own epic quest back home.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Spotlight

Synopsis: The true story of how The Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and the coverup within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.

Will I watch? = No

The Outskirts

Synopsis: After falling victim to a humiliating prank by the high school "queen bee," best friends and world-class geeks Mindy and Jodi decide to get their revenge by uniting the outcasts of the school against her and her circle of friends.

Will I watch? = No

Trumbo

Synopsis: The successful career of Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo comes to an end when he is blacklisted in the 1940s for being a Communist.

Will I watch? = No

Brooklyn

Synopsis: In 1950s Ireland and New York, young Ellis Lacey has to choose between two men and two countries.

Will I watch? = No

Miss You Already

Synopsis: The friendship between two lifelong girlfriends is put to the test when one starts a family and the other falls ill.

Will I watch? = No

Theeb

Synopsis: In the Ottoman province of Hijaz during World War I, a young Bedouin boy experiences a greatly hastened coming of age as he embarks on a perilous desert journey to guide a British officer to his secret destination.

Will I watch? = No

My Nazi Legacy

Synopsis: Three men travel together across Europe. For two of them the journey involves a confrontation with the acts of their fathers, who were both senior Nazi officers. For the third, the eminent human rights lawyer and author Philippe Sands, it means visiting the place where much of his own Jewish family was destroyed by the fathers of the other two men. It is an emotional and , psychological exploration of three men wrestling with their past, the present of Europe, and conflicting versions of the truth.

Will I watch? = No

RELEASE DATE: November 13, 2015

By the Sea

Synopsis: Set in France during the mid-1970s, Vanessa, a former dancer, and her husband Roland, an American writer, travel the country together. They seem to be growing apart, but when they linger in one quiet, seaside town they begin to draw close to some of its more vibrant inhabitants, such as a local bar/café keeper and a hotel owner.

Will I watch? = No

The 33

Synopsis: Based on a real-life event. A gold and copper mine collapses, trapping 33 miners underground for 69 days.

Will I watch? = No

Love the Coopers

Synopsis: When four generations of the Cooper clan come together for their annual Christmas Eve celebration, a series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn the night upside down, leading them all toward a surprising rediscovery of family bonds and the spirit of the holiday.

Will I watch? = No

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo

Synopsis: A king who is loved by his subjects wants to lead a normal life away from all the responsibilities and his kingdom, while his stepbrother plans to steal the throne from him. But things are changed when the king finds a common man who looks exactly like him and they swap identities with each other temporarily.

Will I watch? = No

James White

Synopsis: A coming-of-age story about a young New Yorker struggling to take control of his reckless, self-destructive behavior in the face of momentous family challenges.

Will I watch? = No

Ingrid Bergman in Her Own Words

Synopsis: A captivating look behind the scenes of the remarkable life of a young Swedish girl who became one of the most celebrated actresses of American and world cinema.

Will I watch? = No

My All American

Synopsis: Freddie Steinmark, an underdog on the gridiron, faces the toughest challenge of his life after leading his team to a championship season.

Will I watch? = No

Kilo Two Bravo

Synopsis: At Kajaki Dam in 2006, a company of young British soldiers encounter an unexpected, terrifying enemy: a dried-out river bed where under every step lies the possibility of an antipersonnel mine that could cost you your leg—or your life.

Will I watch? = No

RELEASE DATE: November 20, 2015

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2

Synopsis: After being symbolized as the "Mockingjay," Katniss Everdeen and District 13 engage in an all-out revolution against the autocratic Capitol.

Will I watch? = Yes

The Night Before

Synopsis: In New York City for their annual tradition of Christmas Eve debauchery, three lifelong best friends set out to find the holy grail of Christmas parties because their yearly reunion might be coming to an end.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Secret in Their Eyes

Synopsis: A tight-knit team of rising investigators, along with their supervisor, is suddenly torn apart when they discover that one of their own teenage daughters has been brutally murdered.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Legend

Synopsis: The story of the identical twin gangsters Reggie and Ronnie Kray, two of the most notorious criminals in British history, and their organized crime empire in the East End of London during the 1960s.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Carol

Synopsis: Set in 1950s New York, a department-store clerk who dreams of a better life falls for an older, married woman.

Will I watch? = No

#Horror

Synopsis: Inspired by actual events, a group of 12-year-old girls face a night of horror when the compulsive addiction of an online social media game turns a moment of cyberbullying into a night of insanity.

Will I watch? = No

RELEASE DATE: November 27, 2015

The Good Dinosaur

Synopsis: An epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Creed

Synopsis: The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.

Will I watch? = Yes

Victor Frankenstein

Synopsis: Told from Igor's perspective, we see the troubled young assistant's dark origins, his redemptive friendship with the young medical student Viktor Von Frankenstein, and become eyewitnesses to the emergence of how Frankenstein became the man—and the legend—we know today.

Will I watch? = Yes

The Danish Girl

Synopsis: The remarkable love story inspired by the lives of artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda's marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili's groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.

Will I watch? = No

I Saw the Light

Synopsis: A biography of Hank Williams.

Will I watch? = No

Janis: Little Girl Blue

Synopsis: currently n/a.

Will I watch? = No

Killing Them Softly

Synopsis: In the early 2000s, two brothers found tremendous success when their company began selling a device that has been called "the biggest revolution in law enforcement since the radio." But as their company grew, they made decisions that would have lasting impact on both the public and their increasingly skeptical customer base.

Will I watch? = No

6 FLICKS PICKS

Based on all of the information above, if I had to pick six movies to check out, which films would make the cut?

6. The Peanuts Movie or The Good Dinosaur — While I don't expect to pay to see some of the movies on this list in theaters, I do know that I won't be paying to see both of these films in November. Both have their positives, but at the same time, neither really strike me as must-see material. I have no problem with films geared toward children if they're still just flat-out good movies (see: damn near every Pixar film out there), but I do think I have a limit of how often I can watch them. My instinct is to say that I would sooner check out The Good Dinosaur rather than The Peanuts Movie, but the determining factor will be the buzz versus the ratings. If one of them is rated clearly above the other in terms of quality, then that will win out. If they're about even, I'll have to see what the other trailers are able to do to hook me.

5. Legend — When it comes to Legend, I'm getting the feeling it may be overrated. Of course, I say that without having seen any of the film and not knowing all that much about it, but from what I have seen, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Tom Hardy's performance is the only real positive that helps boost the perception of the film. That being said, looking at the list of the films coming out in November, this definitely does stand out as a potential watch.

4. Victor Frankenstein — There's something about this movie that really intrigues me. I'm not fascinated by this story, as I've seen it a million times already, but I still am curious about this interpretation. Despite an imperfect record, Max Landis has been able to sell me on various pitches over the past few years, so if this is something he was passionate about, I'm sold.

3. Creed — Holy shit, I care about Rocky Balboa? When the hell did that happen? I've never been huge on this franchise, and when Rocky Balboa came out, I saw it in theaters mostly because my buddy wanted to go. I enjoyed it enough to not feel angry that I spent money on it, but I'm actually legitimately interested in Creed in more ways than one. Will Rocky die? Is there a scene where Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan frolic in the ocean? Why is Milo Ventimiglia not involved? This is easily my third most anticipated movie of November, even though at the beginning of the year, I didn't have it down as a movie I wanted to see at all in 2015.

2. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 — I got into the Katniss Everdeen story late; the second film, Catching Fire, was the first one I saw in theaters. [Relax, I watched the first film the night before rather than seeing things out of order.] I thought the third film was okay at first, but with time I've realized just how disappointing it was. This story didn't need to be split into two movies, even if that makes more sense financially. Here's hoping this final film makes up for the previous one and takes the series out with a bang.

1. Spectre — I purchased my tickets for this weeks ago, and I actually already have plans to see it a second time. The James Bond franchise is one of my absolute favorites. I've been a fan of the character since I was in sixth grade [that's about 16 or 17 years ago, for those of you who are counting]. With Skyfall, they started to address some of the things that had bugged me about Daniel Craig's run with the character. Now that Q and Moneypenny are in the mix, the next step is to reintroduce Ernst Stavro Blofeld, so as soon as the title to this movie was announced, I was ecstatic. There's potential for this to be my favorite Bond film ever, so not only was it a guarantee that I would buy advanced tickets for opening night, but my friends and I have already decided when we're having a special screening just for us so we can geek out with just each other as well.

WHICH MOVIES ARE YOU INTERESTED IN CHECKING OUT?

TELL US IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

6 Flicks Picks, editorial, feature, list, movies

WWE 2K16 Review for PS4

Posted by Wago - Friday, October 30, 2015

It's that time of year again—the weather is getting colder, Halloween is right around the corner, and the latest WWE game has come out. Much like Halloween, WWE 2K16 is full of tricks and treats.

When it comes to a wrestling game, there are a lot of unique modes and customizations available to you. But without solid in-ring action, it doesn't matter. As for this title, its gameplay has seen a slight improvement. While at this stage many fans want a new engine, WWE 2K16 delivers an merely improved version of the previous year's gameplay.

The game itself takes a slower and more realistic approach; the moves, reversals, chain wrestling, and several other small details have this title as close to a WWE match as possible. For the diehard WWE fans, this is great. However, a lot of restrictions that make this different from a typical fighting game might have the casual fan disinterested. I appreciate the attention to detail, but I've grown tired of playing the same gameplay every year. It makes the replay ability limited. Should the Yuke's development team get phased out, one can hope 2K will change this up and make things fresh.

WWE 2K16 offers plenty of modes and options this year as opposed to the previous year. I wish I could give them credit for this. But they were just modes that were in older titles and should never have been taken out! Thus no truly "new" modes have come out, but some favorites have returned. You can once again create championships, arenas, and shows. Giving credit where it's due, all these modes have been improved significantly. Creating a superstar is definitely an improvement upon last year's game as well, but not by a huge margin. Overall, the community of creators will be much happier this year, and hopefully this is a step in the right direction.

A mode that made its debut last year was My Career Mode, which returns this year and has gone through several changes. Instead of feeling as though you're grinding through pointless matches, you can dictate your custom superstar's story throughout your career. Choosing lines of dialogue from several options in interviews will change your personality and relationships. You're given options to assault other wrestlers and choose your stance on the Authority stable that rules WWE. You can even pick which title you want to rank in as you fight to be number one contender. If some of the voice acting wasn't so terrible, I believe I could lose myself in this mode. But Rene Young's alien face and terrible dialogue are terrible, much like several other scenes in this mode. A for effort, B- in execution, but they're getting there.

I'll make this brief: WWE Universe mode is pretty much the same thing as last year. It adds some of the personality traits introduced in My Career mode, but overall you're playing the same thing. You can choose participants to rival each other and play throughout their matches on shows you can customize. It's also kind of buggy at times, which can be a letdown. But that's nothing new.

This year's cover art was of Stone Cold Steve Austin. In this year's 2K Showcase, we follow the career of Austin, playing through matches and moments in which he participated. Each match begins with a video package explaining the background behind the conflict. Overall the game does a decent reenactment of Austin's career, but the mode doesn't take too long to complete, and much like previous showcase modes, it has zero replay ability. It would be nice to see next year's game focus on a more in-depth My Career mode rather than giving us another history lesson.

WWE 2K16 is by no means a bad game, but it's the game we should have gotten last year. WWE 2K15 proved to be a disappointment, and 2K16 has added an inkling of hope, but one thing really irritates me: several small bugs plague this game. It obviously suffers from a lack of beta testing and care and reproduces several glitches that already existed in previous titles, ranging from graphical issues to modes not working right. It's getting tiresome. To be blunt, I'm getting sick of your shit, WWE.

If you've been growing tired of the series' repetitiveness, then you might want to give WWE 2K16 a miss. Otherwise WWE 2K16 offers solid gameplay, lots of customization, and overall a decent wrestling game that'll give you a couple of months of fun. I give it a 6.5/10, a little above average, but nothing special.

So do you agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments section below!

Kaboom.

editorial, feature, review, video games

FA Movie Club Ep 19 - Wes Craven Film Recommendations

Posted by Anthony Mango

For the October edition of the FA Movie Club podcast (episode #19), Fanboys Anonymous recommends which horror films from the late great Wes Craven should be on your list for this upcoming Halloween if you choose to marathon different scary movies in honor of the genre icon.

Should you watch all of the Scream or Freddy Kreuger movies, or should you spice things up with some other films? Which of his lesser known projects should you be aware of? Which versions of The Hills Have Eyes and The Last House on the Left are better?

Find out by watching the podcast on YouTube below or listening through your iTunes or Stitcher feed and make sure to subscribe!

Fanboys Anonymous Movie Club
Episode 19 - Wes Craven

PANELISTS:
Tony Mango (host)
Caroline Oliveira

RECORDING DATE: 10/29/2015

Wes Craven Halloween movie recommendations

feature, Movie Club, movies, podcast, shows

Is Callum Oliver Tommy's Son in Saban's Power Rangers?

Posted by Anthony Mango

When it was originally announced that we would be getting a new Power Rangers film, I was skeptical but optimistic. As a kid, I loved the original series before tuning out during the Zeo phase, but it's still remained a fond memory and something of intense nostalgia that I wished could be resurrected.

The potential was all there for them to make a more serious incarnation that could take the franchise to the next level for a brand new generation, but with recent reports about the casting, I no longer have as much faith as I previously did.

Collider has reported that the film's budget is $35 million—which seems a bit low for something that would require a big special effects battle between a giant monster and the Megazord—and that the title has been changed to Saban's Power Rangers—which just seems ridiculous to me. Yes, it's not as silly as Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, but what was wrong with Power Rangers by itself sans the accreditation?

Before I rant too much on that, there are bigger stories to dive into. So far, four of the actors for the project have been announced along with the colors they will be representing. Naomi Scott will be the Pink Ranger, Ludi Lin will be the Black Ranger, RJ Cyler will be the Blue Ranger, and Dacre Montgomery will be the Red Ranger. The Yellow Ranger has yet to be announced, for some reason, but should be coming soon.

It was speculated that there would be changes to the characters to avoid the jokes of the past where the Asian girl was the Yellow Ranger and the black boy was the Black Ranger, and once Ludi Lin was revealed, we could tell that things weren't the way they used to be and there was a chance that these characters weren't the original ones at all.

Now that more information has been released, things are getting interesting, and there's one thing in particular that I have on my mind.

Dacre Montgomery Tommy's son Callum Oliver Saban's Power Rangers

That's a bombshell that we'll get into in a bit, but first, we need to backtrack. The announcement I'm referring to deals with the names of the characters who will make up our new team of Power Rangers.

Ludi Lin's Black Ranger, instead of Zack Taylor, will be Oscar Fernandez. RJ Cyler's Blue Ranger will be named Brian Olson rather than Billy Cranston. Gone are the days of Kimberly Hart being the Pink Ranger (though she will remain in the hearts of every male who had a crush on her, such as myself), as our new Pterodactyl, Naomi Scott, will be Priya Patel. Our uncast Yellow Ranger will not be Trini Kwan but Teyana Jones. Most importantly, the leader of our team, the Red Ranger Dacre Montgomery, will be Callum Oliver.

Hold on a second—Oliver? For those who don't know or can't remember why that detail stands out, I present to you something that you do know:

Green Ranger turns Megaforce Power Rangers Tommy Oliver

The man.

That right there is the face of the franchise; the most legendary Power Ranger of them all; the biggest badass this side of the Morphing Grid. That man is Tommy Oliver, who came into the series as the Green Ranger but would eventually lead the team as the White Ranger, White Ninja Ranger, Zeo Ranger V (Red), Red Turbo Ranger, and Black Dino Ranger, and somehow find time to be a paleontologist.

It's far too coincidental for them to have chosen the Oliver surname and for this report to refer to these characters' powers as Tyrannosaurus, Pterodactyl, Triceratops, Mastodon, and Sabretooth Tiger—the original lineup. Nothing of the sort has been confirmed, but all signs seem to point to Callum Oliver being Tommy's son in this new film. I don't know how old Dacre Montgomery is, but Jason David Frank (Tommy) is 42 and the character of Callum is supposed to be 17. The age difference is enough where Tommy could have had a kid at age 25 with either of his love interests (Kimberly Hart and Katherine Hillard), and Callum would be at the right age now. Also, since both of his potential mothers were blonde, that could explain where Dacre gets his looks, since he doesn't resemble Tommy to a super remarkable level.

Although I haven't watched any of the numerous seasons since the Zeo group, I've kept up with the lore to an extent, and the way Tommy is viewed in later incarnations is basically as a god among men. They speak of him as being the greatest to ever lace up the boots and look at his example as what to strive for. He's been brought back multiple times to help out, provide wisdom and guidance, and get the fandom to go SQUEE!!!

While most cast members from the franchise have either faded into obscurity or moved on to other projects and put this behind them, Jason David Frank has still kept a good rapport with the fans and the creators. Similar to how Leonard Nimoy was used in the reboot for Star Trek, he could be brought in for this new film in that fashion, and he's hinted at making an appearance multiple times. At the very least, he could be used to endorse this new team so the audience can accept them a bit more, but what if the plans for him are much greater? What if Callum is his son and that's even more of a reason why he would appear? For that matter, what if Tommy is killed off by the new villains to show just how powerful they are? He could sacrifice himself à la Obi-Wan Kenobi and instead of being a Force ghost, he could be the new Zordon who brings back the original powers instead of this being a full-on reboot that acts as though what came before it never happened.

As much as I fear what's going to happen with this movie, the name Callum Oliver and the potential for Tommy's legacy to carry on has calmed some of those fears. Until the finished product is released—or at least more information is leaked—I won't be sure whether I should buy or sell this new film, but at the very least, it's keeping my attention.

What do you think of this theory? Would you like to see Callum Oliver turn out to be Tommy's son, or would you rather see a completely fresh reboot? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

editorial, Fan Theories, feature, movies, news

Will Punisher Netflix Series Replace Iron Fist for Marvel's Defenders?

Posted by Anthony Mango

A rumor is floating around the net from Peel the Orange that Marvel is considering replacing the upcoming Iron Fist Netflix television series with one that would follow The Punisher.

According to their unnamed source:

Marvel can't quite seem to figure out how to put Iron Fist into the equation and time is running out. They're very pleased with Jon Bernthal's portrayal of Frank Castle for Season 2 of Daredevil and know that the fans have a great appreciation for the character. They also know that a Punisher series would be much cheaper and more marketable. They have a contract with Netflix and have to do something. It appears that for this phase of shows, time is running thin for Iron Fist.

I don't know whether to believe this or not, but I definitely see how it makes sense. Originally, we were told that the plan was to release four shows (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist), which would culminate in a crossover of The Defenders, similar to how the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) used the films between Iron Man and Captain America: The First Avenger to lead into The Avengers. Already, we've seen a deviation from that formula, as we're getting a second season of Daredevil, so it's obviously a somewhat malleable plan and not 100% set in stone with no flexibility.

Also working in this rumor's favor is how little has been announced for Iron Fist. We don't even know who is playing the titular character, Danny Rand! Since there's been a big change in management with the separation of Kevin Feige and Jeph Loeb's respective film and television control, this might be a side effect of that. For example, if Iron Fist is a hero who they feel might be better suited for a movie, which takes priority over the TV show, that may be why we're hearing about Punisher or possibly even Moon Knight taking his place in the Netflix lineup.

I'm hoping this both is and isn't the case. While I think the Netflix version of Punisher is going to be the best we've ever seen, and I do want to see a series dedicated to the character, I don't want to push Iron Fist out of the way in order to do so. Moon Knight can wait until after The Defenders, which I still think should be retitled Heroes for Hire so they can use the name The Defenders for a secondary group comprised of Blade, Ghost Rider, Morbius, Doctor Strange, et al. Just as the film division had one film per year, which eventually expanded to two, and is now at three, why can't the Netflix shows do the same?

Originally, we had Daredevil in April. In November, we'll get Jessica Jones. Next year, we'll be getting Daredevil season 2 and Luke Cage, which should include the Jessica Jones character and is already filming. Assuming Daredevil gets released in the spring of 2016, why can't Luke Cage come in the summer rather than the fall, and a Punisher show come out sometime like December? For good measurement, Matt Murdock could be used as a supporting character in Frank Castle's story to the reverse degree of what's happening with this season of Daredevil, just to keep that character as the connective thread. Then, in the spring of 2017, Iron Fist could be released, leading into a summer release of The Defenders (ahem, Heroes for Hire, ahem) and characters like Moon Knight could be explored in the fall of 2017.

Iron Fist just has too many ties to these characters to be pushed aside and not involved in this plan somehow. He and Luke Cage are always bro-ing it up, and we've already had references to K'un-L'un in Daredevil with Madame Gao. Daredevil's story does have some mystical elements to it with The Hand, but nowhere near as much as Iron Fist can bring to the table. Jessica Jones and Luke Cage have superpowers but are still pretty street-level, and Punisher is about as far from other planes of existence and immortal Himalayan warriors as possible, so what would bring all of these people together if not something more otherworldly from the Iron Fist side of things?

Here's hoping the half of this rumor about Iron Fist being cancelled turns out to be false, but the part that says Punisher will get his own series turns out to be true.

What do you think of this situation? Should Iron Fist be swept aside for more Punisher?
How would you like to see Moon Knight incorporated in this universe?

Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Punisher series Netflix Iron Fist cancelled

editorial, feature, news, tv

4 MCU Villains Held Hostage by Fox's Fantastic 4 Rights

Posted by Anthony Mango

Ever since Fantastic 4 bombed at the box office—and truthfully, even beforehand when it appeared as though it was bound to fail—it's been questioned whether or not the rights to those characters would be given back to Disney so they could fold them into the proper Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

With the recent news that two television series from the X-Men franchise would be created, but with very little information about exactly what went down to create this deal, it's added more fuel to the speculation fire. Fox didn't have the television rights, so what did they offer Marvel in return? Was this just a scenario where they simply paid up, or did they give up film rights to some of their own characters in exchange?

I'm majorly hoping for the latter, and for multiple reasons—not the least of which is the potential to include more villains into the MCU. Far too many great characters are under Fox's control and will not be used in a way that does them justice, whereas I believe the team at Disney would know what to do with them.

Just to give you an indication of what we're missing out on, here are just four of the villains who are sadly currently off limits.

Doctor Doom

Let's get the most obvious one out of the way first, shall we? So far, we've yet to see Victor Von Doom translated properly to the big screen. Julian McMahon did his best with the horrible material he was given, and Toby Kebbell was given even less to work with in the latest train wreck. Clearly, Fox doesn't understand the character, but Kevin Feige and those responsible for the MCU have proven time and again that they do get who these heroes and villains are. Yes, they make adjustments here and there to fit the stories being told, but even the most major ones rarely are injustices, with the exception of The Mandarin. Even then, they released a short video to retcon the idea and establish that their previous version of The Mandarin isn't the real character, leaving room for a better rendition of the classic villain to be brought to life in the future.

Under the MCU's care, there's far more potential than ever for Doctor Doom to be as close as he'll ever possibly be to his true self in a movie. He's not the most physically strong villain out there, but he's one of the most intelligent and frequently finds himself with fingers in every pot. During this most recent big crossover event, he's at the forefront of the destruction and reconstruction of the entire multiverse itself. I'm pretty sure that qualifies as being a worthwhile villain for the MCU, don't you?

Kang the Conqueror, a.k.a. Rama-Tut, a.k.a. Nathaniel Richards

Although we don't know exactly what is in store for Avengers: Infinity War, we do know that it will be a somewhat solid endpoint in some capacity. The powers that be have indicated that they do have a plan going forward, but that there would be at least some sense of a conclusion. Considering that this storyline will involve Thanos—one of the biggest and most powerful villains in all of Marvel's history—wielding the Infinity Gauntlet, which literally reshapes the entire universe as we know it, it's hard to imagine what would be left to look forward to with Phase 4.

Kang the Conqueror is a villain who could replace Thanos as the Big Bad. He's a top-tier-caliber character who always brings a foreboding message about the future he comes from. The first time we see him could be a generic tease, where he's looking at the superheroes from our present—his past—and talking about how he needs to rewrite history. It worked for X-Men: Days of Future Past, so why not use a timeline story for the MCU?

Conveniently, because he is a distant relative of Reed Richards, he could be a perfect way to reintroduce the Fantastic 4 characters to the audience without having to do another standalone movie. Nathaniel Richards could be looking at his family tree and tracing his roots in connection to whatever the big crisis is that we're building up to, which would put the Fantastic 4 at the epicenter of the problem. The Baxter Building could be built as a response to Stark's tower, and if Robert Downey Jr. doesn't return as Iron Man, Reed Richards could help fill the gap as the top scientist on the team. With someone like Kang, it would give him yet another reason to be in this universe on top of that, so everybody wins.

Galactus and the Silver Surfer/Abraxas

Speaking of someone being the next Big Bad, you can't get much bigger than Galactus, as the character is literally a planet-devouring giant. Clearly, the MCU has been expanding into more cosmic territories over the past few installments with the Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the upcoming Captain Marvel and Infinity War films. The Infinity Gauntlet is a byproduct of the creation of the universe, and so is Galactus.

If you're unfamiliar with his backstory, he was originally Galan and was a resident of the universe before our current one. To put things as simply as possible, when that ended, he stuck around as a cosmic force that helped take out the trash. Galactus consumes planets, but his higher purpose is to keep the entity Abraxas at bay. Basically, Galactus is one of the worst, most destructive beings ever to exist, yet he's a necessary evil to prevent the embodiment of destruction itself from manifesting. How's that for a twist at the end of our story, where Galactus ends up being the good guy?

Of course, you can't have Galactus without the Silver Surfer, as the latter's story is tied directly to the former's. If you watched Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, you know that tale already, but unfortunately sat through a bad film that didn't capture the scope of the story properly. That movie made Galactus a freaking cloud and we shall never speak of it again, but Silver Surfer's origin and a new introduction to Galactus could be amazing. Even if they were to go with the Ultimate Marvel version of Gah Lak Tus, I would trust Disney's ability to pull it off more than Fox's.

Annihilus

Perhaps the basic allure of the universe would have lost some of its impact by Phase 4 and there would be a need to introduce a new element to the equation. The next frontier would have to be The Negative Zone, as alternate dimensions would still be relatively untapped at this point unless Doctor Strange and Ant-Man and the Wasp do a number on this concept.

Annihilus is a villain from Fantastic 4 that is responsible for a huge crossover event called The Annihilation Wave, wherein he commanded a huge armada of warships and crossed over from the Negative Zone to our regular universe through The Crunch, which is basically the connection point between those two realms.

That story alone has such a large scope that it incorporates the Nova Corps (whom we've seen already), Silver Surfer (read above for how he'd be in this universe), and entities like The Watcher, which is a character to examine another day, especially if it turns out Stan Lee's been playing it this whole time. It could easily be the end to Phase 5 if Galactus is used for Phase 4, and maybe Kang is the end of things with Phase 6, having grown up in a universe that was devastated by the Annihilation Wave's aftermath.

This isn't even including the characters whose film rights are so muddled up that nobody can really tell where they stand. We know that the Super Skrull is under Fantastic 4 control, but not necessarily the Skrulls themselves. Does that mean we could see them in the MCU to help broaden the lore of the Kree, or will Disney continue to play it safe and not use them? There are bound to be ways to strengthen the use of the Inhumans before their feature film comes out, as those characters made their debut in Fantastic 4 as well. Although Namor is supposedly controlled by Universal, he has very strong ties to the Fantastic 4 and it certainly wouldn't hurt Disney's chances to have him at their disposal if they had the Fantastic 4 rights. For that matter, who owns Molecule Man, The High Evolutionary, or Ego the Living Planet? Can we get a "Secret Wars" storyline, or is the MCU unable to use The Beyonder?

There are so many possibilities that open up for the MCU if the rights to the Fantastic 4 characters were transferred over to Disney's control. If they remain with Fox, I think their track record has proven it's unlikely anything decent will come from it. Personally, I have zero interest in a crossover between the Fantastic 4 and the X-Men, nor do I want to see yet another reboot in a standalone universe. These characters have always been better as supporting roles in a bigger playground rather than the be-all/end-all of their own little bubble. If the third time wasn't the charm for Fox's Fantastic 4, how would a fourth film would be any different?

It's time for Fox to admit defeat, give up their control, and hand the reigns over to people who know what they're doing before we see the franchise's credibility drop down to a level where it can't be salvaged.

What's on your mind about this situation? Should Fox give these characters back to the proper MCU? Which villains would you like to see incorporated into that world, and how do you think they should be introduced? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

editorial, feature, list, movies

The Dace Man Show Ep 123 - Serellan LLC Creators of Epsilon

Posted by The Dace Man - Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular nation! Check out episode 123 of The Dace Man Show with hosts Chris "The Dace Man" Dace, Frank Ward, and Gibby!!

Halo 5 Reviews, Walkthrough and Gameplay

::SPORTS NEWS::

The NHL, MLB, NFL, and our favorite: curling!

::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY::

Gibby brings the class to the show with weird things going on in the world!

::FRANK'S CORNER::

Frank-tastic facts for your everyday life

::CELEB NEWS::

Dace is back, and he's packing a punch since he's on some diet pills and Red Bull. Get ready Hollywood!

Plus the occasional game of Who Said It, the crowning of The Doucebag of The Week, and much, much more, only on The Dace Man Show.

Listen live to The Dace Man Show every Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST on Mega Powers Radio.

archived shows, podcast, shows, The Dace Man Show

Where are All the Marvel Video Games?

Posted by Anthony Mango

While I'm far from what anyone would consider a true gamer, I am known to enjoy video games from time to time, particularly if they deal with subject matter I'm fond of. As a kid, I can't count how many games I would play a game just because I loved the intellectual property that was tied into it in some fashion—despite how bad the game actually looked. If you had repackaged the NES Batman game from 1989 as something other than Batman, I likely never would have played it. The fact that it had that Batman logo on it, however, meant that I owned the game.

My lack of interest for things like Call of Duty and Halo combined with my history of playing games solely because I'm a fan of the source material leaves me wondering something significant about today's video game market: Where are all the Marvel video games?

list of Marvel superhero games coming out

Considering how popular the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is and how the merchandise for those characters extends into nearly every possible nook and cranny of our lives, the lack of games seems like a big, gaping hole in the equation. Video games are insanely popular, yet Marvel isn't capitalizing. Whereas DC's Batman had four groundbreaking games with the Arkham series, The Avengers sat by and did nothing.

Sure, there are of course some games out there, as evidenced by Wikipedia's list of the games based on Marvel properties. Marvel's website itself has a section dedicated to games and the internet is filled with emulators and the like. Searching for Marvel video games can even bring up the type of online video games on the casino spectrum like slot machines, poker and so on. If there's an audience for it, why isn't the mainstream supplying for that demand?

Marvel is owned by Disney—one of the biggest corporations on the planet with more money than they could possibly know what to do with. With that kind of cushion, it's not like they would go bankrupt over a failed video game (particularly one with a built-in core audience), so it seems ludicrous that they aren't putting something out there to tie in with these film releases.

Instead, they seem to be fixated on mobile gaming platforms, which is not a bad idea but strikes me as an odd basket to put all of your eggs into. As far as MCU films go, the last one to receive a video game around its release was Guardians of the Galaxy: The Universal Weapon—a Disney Interactive game for Android, iOS, and Windows phones. Despite loving the movie and trying to keep my finger on the pulse of these things, I had never heard of this game until I looked at Wikipedia. The game before that was Captain America the Winter Soldier: The Official Game, this time produced by Gameloft and only for Android and iOS. The bulk of the list from 2012 onward revolves around phones rather than consoles. From an outsider's perspective, when I think of gaming on my phone, I think of microtransactions with stuff like Candy Crush or other similar simple puzzle games, not anything that has the proper scope of these modern-day mythologies.

If you're looking for a more standard video game based on a Marvel superhero, you have to ignore Disney's camp and instead check out The Amazing Spider-Man 2, released by Activision in 2014. This did have a release on iOS and Android, but more importantly was also on Windows, 3DS, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Granted, it was not well received by critics and sits with a 58 rating on Metacritic, but that failure was not the reason for the lack of console games in general.

Before Spidey's game, there was Deadpool in 2013 for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Windows, a standalone project that didn't capitalize on anything other than word of mouth about The Merc with the Mouth. Around this same timeframe there was still some buzz about a motion picture being made, but nowhere near as much as there is now that the film will be released in a few months. Why is there no tie-in currently in development and set to come out in the summer of 2016, after that movie makes millions of dollars and creates a whole new audience for the character?

Marvel Activision Deadpool game rated M for Mature

Everyone gets a film but Deadpool for years, but Deadpool gets a game when nobody else gets one.

Deadpool's film rights are owned by Fox, and Spider-Man's at the time were fully under Sony's control and are now shared in part with Disney. Clearly, we can't blame one film studio's influence on the lack of game development, otherwise we'd be seeing the blatant marketing campaign of an X-Men game on Xbox or Fantastic 4 on PS4.

There are two games of note that I have not mentioned yet: Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes and the upcoming Lego Marvel's Avengers.

The former, if we're honest, is not a video game—it's a method to sell toys. This is one of those games built to get kids to want to collect all of the figures so the parents spend as much money as possible. I don't blame Disney for doing this; they're a business and they should be looking to earn as much money as possible. However, I can't call this a legitimate video game in the same sense as the awesome Spider-Man 2 game was for PS2 and its other platforms. As far as the Lego game goes, that was developed by TT Games and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. How Warner Bros.—the feuding company that controls DC Comics characters—is in bed with Marvel and those heroes is astonishing and interesting to think about, but this strikes me more as Marvel not wanting to be ignored in the Lego craze than wanting to have a game based on their properties.

So what's the deal? If the franchise is a proven draw and there's more than enough money to put these games into production, why is Marvel only doing a few simplistic phone games like Marvel: Contest of Champions and Marvel: Future Fight instead of playing with the big boys on the consoles? Whatever the reason, it seems to be intentional, and the rationale behind it is completely lost on me.

Do you agree that Marvel should be making more video games? If so, which characters would you like to see be featured? Are there any storylines you want adapted from current or future movies or the comics themselves? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

editorial, feature, video games

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