Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Monday, October 21, 2019
Welcome to another edition of Predicting the Plot wherein I try my best to guess how an upcoming movie is going to play out from start to finish with as many details as I can possibly give, based entirely on the previews and lead-up material I've seen.
I might be dead wrong. I may get some things right. In any way, I encourage you to give your predictions just the same in the comments below.
For this edition, I'll be tackling one of the many sequels to my favorite movie of all time (Terminator 2: Judgment Day), which is the upcoming Terminator: Dark Fate.
Oh boy...you're not going to like this one, and neither am I...
The movie starts with either the typical recap of the Skynet future or we jump right into T2.
A terminator (Carl) kills John Connor. Mabye they show that he was a senator like in the other ending (the GOOD ending of this franchise). Maybe he's a junkie loser like in Rise of the Machines. More likely, though, knowing that there's a little kid in this film for reference, it'll probably be the young John from right after T2.
The point is, they're totally going to kill off John because this entire movie is going to be about beating you over the head with this concept of female empowerment and a "changing of the guard" like The Force Awakens / The Last Jedi where everything is a copycat of what it was before, but this time, they make the original character that was the savior a waste of space because they want to bring in a new character as the real savior.
Sarah spends the rest of her life not knowing what to do. John's dead. No Judgment Day. She has no purpose, other than hunting down terminators. Maybe Carl is the one that killed John and he has no purpose, either, and they see eye to eye like that. It'll be stupid, but this movie is going to be stupid, so I'm not counting anything out.
We're introduced to Dani Ramos. She's either a spitfire and TOTES TOUGH and can handle herself and has no real progression throughout the film because they're too afraid of making her appear weak, or she's a carbon copy of the Sarah Connor treatment in that she's the one at first who is screaming and needs protection until she bucks up.
She has a brother. Who cares?
She's attacked by Gabriel Luna's character. Surprise, he's a terminator. What the fuck is a terminator? Well, to explain that, here's the new modified cyborg woman Grace to explain the new future and how things have changed.
They "only postponed" Judgment Day, like before, and changed the details. Now, it's not Skynet, it's something else. With John dead, Dani is the new savior. Skynet 2.0 is SO MUCH WORSE YOU GUYS because they tell us it is.
Note: This is when everyone should realize that they just want to reskin the previous thing and say that their idea is even better, exactly like Star Wars has.
What is fundamentally the difference between John and the new protagonist? She's new, younger and a Latina woman. What's different between Skynet 2.0 and Skynet? Nothing, just like how The First Order is 100% the Empire. What's the difference between Grace and Arnold's T2 terminator? At its core, nothing, because both are just "robot thing that protects the hero". But Grace is a woman, so there's a sisterhood going on with her, Dani and Sarah. I wouldn't even be surprised if they say something about how in the future, they don't need men. At least they do have one difference in that one is an enhanced human and the other is an android, but that alone is like saying we should make a whole movie around remaking Terminator 3 and keep all the details the same except this time, Kate Brewster can be a human doctor instead of a vet. WHOLE DIFFERENT MOVIE GUYS, SERIOUSLY...
Anyway, back on track.
So they fight and fight and fight. Arnold's terminator sacrifices himself I guess, or Sarah does. Or both. Probably Arnold, because that way, they don't kill off one of the female characters and they can keep Sarah for another film if they're able to do another one. It's easier to kill Arnold because they can always have another and bring him back if they want, but they've killed Sarah multiple times before, too, and whatever. She's the one that makes the most sense as far as having it hit the audience harder, so let's predict that she's bites the bullet.
They kill the Gabriel Luna.
Ominous thing about how the future isn't certain but with the new savior of humanity now all tough and determined, she'll be ready to fight.
MAYBE if they want to backtrack on this, they tease something about John Connor still possibly being alive so that they can have a sequel where he's taking on Sarah's spot as the guide to help them out and possibly die. That's if they didn't do something blatant like have Carl take a shotgun and blow his head off.
Terminator theme plays in the credits, if we're lucky. Maybe not anywhere else in the movie.
Everyone watching goes "ugh...well, it wasn't as bad as that Genisys title or T3, but it still sucks compared to T1 and T2" and we continue the cycle of bad Terminator films and I die a little more inside, and if you complain about it, you're clearly only hating it because you obviously hate women—not that you could ever be opposed to the idea of taking a movie and going against its whole purpose to copy and paste it purely for the sake of unoriginality and trying to appeal to "woke culture" stuff and mask your negative reviews with a shield of #feminism.
There is no fate but what we make for ourselves. It's a shame this franchise was perfect and chose to take a dark fate of bad sequels to ruin it and make the ratio more bad films than good ones.
I'll say it right now: if this movie is nothing but a thinly-veiled excuse to say "the future is female" and literally serves no purpose but to replace John Connor with Dani Ramos because she happens to be Latina, I don't think I'll even bother doing a Reviewpoint.
That's what I'm expecting to happen, but what do you think?
Give your predictions and thoughts on my guesses in the comments below!
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Saturday, October 19, 2019
Welcome to the latest edition of Making the Grade—a review format segment here on Fanboys Anonymous where we break down the 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 Zombieland: Double Tap—the sequel to the 2009 zombie comedy that I surprisingly enjoyed quite a bit, despite not being a fan of the zombie genre.
Zombieland: Double Tap
Directed by Ruben Fleischer
Written by Dave Callaham, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
STARRING: Woody Harrelson (Tallahassee), Jesse Eisenberg (Columbus), Emma Stone (Wichita), Abigail Breslin (Little Rock), Zoey Deutch (Madison), Avan Jogia (Berkeley), Luke Wilson (Albuquerque), Thomas Middleditch (Flagstaff) and Rosario Dawson (Nevada)
WARNING - SPOILERS BELOW
STORYTELLING SUBJECTS
STORY: B+
Simple and effective. Let's progress the relationship between Columbus and Wichita, give Little Rock the position of the child Tallahassee lost in a way, and advance the zombies to a more threatening level while still poking fun at how some of them are Homers.
CHARACTERS: A
The four lead characters from the last time are all the same, which is exactly what I (and I'm sure most people) were hoping to see. They didn't deviate from the formula that worked before, which allowed this movie to be a true sequel and not something different.
HUUUUGE fan of Zoey Deutch's Madison. She was such a pleasant surprise for this movie and a great extra character to throw into the group to test their reactions. It was also fun to see her kind of replace Little Rock, as she's the worst part of both movies, and putting her on the sidelines to make room for Madison was a big step in the right direction.
I also loved Flagstaff and Albuquerque as the doppelganger versions of Tallahassee and Columbus. That was a true highlight part of the movie.
TONE / ATMOSPHERE: A
ACTION: Rock solid. The zombie killing scenes were over the top, frenetic and fun.
COMEDY: My girlfriend and I seemed to be the only ones to really seem to get all the jokes in our theater, for whatever reason. I laughed. She laughed. Lots of other people seemed to just sit there. Thumbs up in my book.
ROMANCE: There isn't really "romance" per say, but the love interest aspects of the movie are what they're supposed to be for this type of film.
TECHNICAL SUBJECTS
ACTING: B+
Zoey Deutch kills it. She's the best of the bunch. Everyone else reports and does their job perfectly well for what is fitting. Nobody will get an Oscar nomination, but that's totally okay.
VISUALS (FX, MAKEUP, COSTUMES, SETS): B+
The zombies look realistic and there's a consistent look throughout both movies. All the scenery seems justifiably beaten down. Everyone's grungy enough (minus Madison, which is the point). Solid.
AUDIO (MUSIC / SOUND): Satisfactory
I don't really know how to grade this, as for some reason, I'm drawing a blank on any specifics. I know Elvis was a part of the film with the plot and all, but I'm not a fan of Elvis, although that's not necessary or should weigh into the whole grade. Since I don't remember anything bad nor anything great, I'll just say that this was a satisfactory thing, without an actual grade to tie it down into something more specific.
EXTRA CREDIT
MARKETING / TRAILERS / POLITICS / SERIES DIRECTION / ETC:
+ Nice choice in naming the film Double Tap.
+ LOVED how Flagstaff had commandments instead of rules. That whole bit was one of my favorite parts of the film.
+ Big fan of how they didn't kill anybody off. Had they done that, I think it would have been a mistake. Who knows if they'll make a third one of these or not, but at least now they have the option.
FINAL GRADE & ASSESSMENT
GRADE: B+ (Pass)
Exactly what I was hoping for. If you're a fan of the first film, you're going to enjoy this one, too. In an era where lots of sequels can be massively disappointing and go in the direct opposite of what they should be, it's nice to see someone wait 10 years and actually deliver.
Welcome to another edition of WEEK IN GEEK here at Fanboys Anonymous—a rundown of some of the events, news and stories that went down over the past few days in the geek culture spectrum.
Here are some of the topics I felt like voicing my opinions about:
Zoe Kravitz Cast as Catwoman
They wanted her. They got her. She wouldn't have been my first choice out of everyone in Hollywood, but hey, she might be able to pull it off.
Naomie Harris Cast as Shriek for Venom 2
Supposedly, Shriek is going to be another villain in Venom 2, played by Naomie Harris. That makes sense. She was part of the Maximum Carnage deal and they could use her as someone that he tracks down at the start of the film while Carnage break out or something like that. Harris will play the part well, too. Thumbs up.
Kevin Feige is Chief Creative Officer of ALL of Marvel
WOW. Credit where it's due, as this guy knows what he's doing. Good on Marvel for letting him take control over every little aspect. I hope this doesn't overwhelm him and take him out of commission for paying attention to the littler details by being bogged down on smaller projects that build up, but I trust he'll do a great job.
Inhumans Being Recast?
Vin Diesel as Black Bolt and Aaron Taylor-Johnson returning, but not as Quicksilver, as Maximus. Hm. Very interesting. Ignoring the television show is the right move, for sure. But I don't know if Johnson for Maximus would be the best thing, as people can still associate him with Quicksilver. Plus, why wouldn't WandaVision include a reference to him?
No More Jonah Hill for Batman / Seth Rogen for Penguin? / Paul Dano Cast as Riddler
Apparently, Hill is no longer in negotiation to play Penguin or Riddler, but Seth Rogen might be looked at for Penguin. I still think this is a bad idea. Having people who are on the more comedic side makes me think they aren't taking that character seriously enough. I also just don't picture Rogen as Penguin.
But now, they've reported that Paul Dano will be Riddler. THIS is good. I think he'll do a great job.
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Sunday, October 13, 2019
Welcome to another edition of WEEK IN GEEK here at Fanboys Anonymous—a rundown of some of the events, news and stories that went down over the past few days in the geek culture spectrum.
Here are some of the topics I felt like voicing my opinions about:
Rumor: Disney Offers $4-5 billion for Spider-Man Rights
Take it, Sony. Just take it. Your movie ideas are garbage and there's no way you'll be able to survive screwing things up. Your reputation will be TRASHED if you take Tom Holland and Spider-Man away from the MCU just to put out your crappy Sinister Six film you've been wanting to do. It's not going to work. With these rumors that Apple may buy Sony, now is the time to sell, too. If that happens, the rights revert back to Disney anyway, for free. Sell now while you can get billions of dollars outright for it and a lot of good faith from the public that you can then bargain for more money from Apple.
I feel like deep fake stuff is equally super dangerous for fraud purposes as well as incredibly awesome to do things that we'd never have seen before. This wouldn't have been at the top of my list, haha, but it's still very cool. Now someone needs to get on something like Clint Eastwood as Batman and Tom Cruise as Superman and Jake Gyllenhaal as Spider-Man.
How is Titans Season 2 SO Much Better Than Season 1?
I've been sleeping on mentioning this, but goddamn, season 2 of Titans is a VASTLY superior show to the first season. It's like night and day. Conner, the most recent episode, was great. The one before that was even better. It's like they finally decided to be a Titans show instead of some weird offshoot horror thing.
Betty Ross May Return to She-Hulk TV Series
Liv Tyler could be returning as Betty Ross on the She-Hulk show, which is just awesome. I thought she was a great choice for the role and did well in The Incredible Hulk, and since that's still in continuity, they should have been referencing it here and there. Now that Natasha is gone and Bruce has come to terms with Hulk, they really should revisit the idea of him getting back together with Betty for good. He deserves to be happy.
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Saturday, October 12, 2019
As requested through our Patreon "Pick Your Poison" tier by Guest Five, Fanboys Anonymous is providing you with another edition of the FanTracks podcast, this time for the classic animated spin-off film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm from Batman: The Animated Series.
For copyright reasons, we cannot provide the movie itself, but after a short introduction, you will be told when to sync your copy of the film so you can following along with us and listen to our thoughts on the movie as we crack some jokes, expose plot holes, and discuss anything else that comes to our minds for commentary.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Release Date: December 25, 1993
Directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm
Written by Alan Burnett (story and screenplay), Paul Dini (screenplay), Martin Pasko (screenplay), and Michael Reaves (screenplay)
Starring Kevin Conroy (Bruce Wayne / Batman), Dana Delany (Andrea Beaumont), Stacy Keach (Phantasm / Carly Beaumont), Hart Bochner (Arthur Reeves), Abe Vigoda (Salvatore Valestra), Dick Miller (Chuckie Sol), John P. Ryan (Buzz Bronski), Efream Zimbalist Jr. (Alfred), Bob Hastings (Commissioner Gordon), Robert Costanzo (Detective Bullock) and Mark Hamill (Joker)
FanTracks Episode 24 hosted by Tony Mango along with Robert DeFelice
Make sure to subscribe/follow on whatever platform you're listening, leave your comments on the videos or this post, share this with your friends and geek out with us!
The latest in the line of animated DC direct-to-video films is Wonder Woman: Bloodlines. Is it worth the watch, or should it be skipped?
Welcome to the latest edition of Making the Grade—a review format segment here on Fanboys Anonymous where we break down the 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.
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines
Directed by Justin Copeland and Sam Liu
Written by William Moulton Marston (Wonder Woman created by) and Mairghread Scott (screenplay)
STARRING: Rosario Dawson (Diana Prince / Wonder Woman), Jeffrey Donovan (Steve Trevor), Marie Avgeropoulos (Vanessa Kapatelis / Silver Swan), Adrienne C. Moore (Etta Candy), Kimberly Brooks (Cheetah, Giganta), Courtenay Taylor (Doctor Poison), Constance Zimmer (Veronica Cale), Nia Vardalos (Julia Kapatelis), Cree Summer (Hippolyta), Ray Chase (Lead Bandit), Mozhan Marnò (Doctor Cyber) and Michael Dorn (Ferdinand the Minotaur)
WARNING - SPOILERS BELOW
STORYTELLING SUBJECTS
STORY: C–
This started out great, but quickly turned into something I couldn't get invested in. Trying to track the journey of Vanessa Kapatelis as a side character for such a generic plot that has nothing to sink your teeth into just wasn't enough for me.
CHARACTERS: C
Diana was great. No complaints there at all.
Steve Trevor was good, but maybe a little bit too jokey.
Etta completely stole the show, although there were times where I felt as though they went over the top with making her the one with all the great beats.
Cheetah, Giganta...do-nothing. Ferdinand felt like an odd inclusion just for the sake of it.
Doctor Poison and Doctor Cyber were awful. They were more like G.I. Joe villains from the cartoon series and way too over the top.
I was never familiar with Silver Swan and I guess her arc was okay, albeit contrived and forced to an eye-rolling level.
TONE / ATMOSPHERE: B–
ACTION: Solid action. The best part about this.
COMEDY: Etta and Steve had some lines. This isn't supposed to be a comedy, so that was good enough.
ROMANCE: For the most part, Diana and Steve are only a couple because they're a couple. There isn't much chemistry to build on, beyond just knowing the source material.
TECHNICAL SUBJECTS
ACTING: C
All of these things can be earnest or over the top. For Rosario Dawson, for instance, she was great. For the whole Doctor Poison character, it was too campy for my tastes.
VISUALS (FX, MAKEUP, COSTUMES, SETS): A
For an animated film like this, it's pretty much the art style. Every movie in this DC universe from the past few years that follows the same continuity is all pretty much perfect as far as character designs go, so I'm a big fan of that presentation.
AUDIO (MUSIC / SOUND): C+
Nothing memorable, but no complaints.
EXTRA CREDIT NOTES
I loved Diana's steadfast heroism in the opening. All too often, she has to take a backseat to Superman in Justice League material and by default, must be somewhat of an antagonist who is rough around the edges compared to his boy scout attitude. Here, she's 100% full-force hero. Very good.
It took 18 minutes to get to the credits? Points deducted.
I think there's something to this version of Etta, where she's more capable and has more agency. I do think they went over the top in some regards, though, so if they toned that down a bit, I think it would be a pretty fantastic new iteration of a character I've never had much fondness for.
FINAL GRADE & ASSESSMENT
GRADE: C (Pass)
This film was fine, but I'm never going to watch it again, nor would I recommend it as anything close to something like Batman: Hush or some of the better ones. It needed more meat on its bones and a better overall story.
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Saturday, October 5, 2019
Welcome to another edition of WEEK IN GEEK here at Fanboys Anonymous—a rundown of some of the events, news and stories that went down over the past few days in the geek culture spectrum.
Here are some of the topics I felt like voicing my opinions about:
Clerks III Back on Schedule
Yesssssssss!!!!!!!!! Round out the View Askewniverse with the one that started it all (assuming Mallrats 2 isn't happening) by bringing in Randal and Dante and so on the way it should go down. So awesome to hear that this is back in the works.
Birds of Prey Official Trailer #1
Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooddddd this looks like shit. I don't like anything about this. Even Harley Quinn seems like they've taken her in the wrong direction and she shouldn't be the focal point and her look is so off and ugh. Screw this "quirky for the sake of quirky, girl power will give us the inability to be criticized even though we have Black Mask without a goddamn black mask" film.
Just look at this image. Tell me if this superhero movie looks like it fits more in the early 2000s X-Men era where studio executives felt like they couldn't actually embrace who these characters are and had to "ground" them into "reality" by making them "dark" and "gritty" or if Warner Bros have learned ANYTHING from the massive success of a series like the MCU, which isn't perfect, but knocks it out of the park 90% of the time. Meanwhile, 90% of the time when a DC film is announced, we have to assume it isn't even happening at all, or if it does, it'll be crap like this.
Terrible.
Disney Will No Longer Run Commercials for Netflix
A lot of buzz is going around about Disney refusing to show ads for Netflix material on properties like ABC, Freeform and so on. To me, this just makes sense from a business perspective. They're the competition when it comes to Disney+ and the streaming platforms. Why would they want to advertise shows that people will want to subscribe to the alternative service to see? That's like USA running commercials for AEW on TNT during the WWE NXT program. Oh wait, they did that? Yeah, they were stupid enough to do that and that might have hurt their ratings. Duh!
The Infinity Saga Box Set is $550
You've got to be kidding me. There's no way in hell that's worth that much. It has 23 movies, sure, and some bonus extra stuff that nobody really needs, but good lord, $600 after taxes? Nope. Nope. Nope. Noooooooooooooope. But I do still want it, even though I'm not going to buy it.
No Time to Die Poster
A generic poster for the next James Bond film, No Time to Die, was released. It's just Daniel Craig in a suit looking off to the side. There's really nothing to it. I hate posters like this that are just an actor. We know he's in it. Sell me on the movie by giving me something other than "Yup, it's a Bond film."
General Swanwick Was Supposed to be Martian Manhunter
Zack Snyder confirmed that in Man of Steel, the character of General Swanwick was supposed to be revealed at some point in Justice League to be Martian Manhunter. I knew it.
On the latest edition of the Fanboys Anonymous REVIEWPOINT podcast, host Tony Mango breaks down the hits and misses of Joker by discussing what worked, what didn't, and whether you should see it or skip it.
JOKER (2019):
DIRECTED BY
Todd Phillips
WRITTEN BY
Todd Phillips and Scott Silver
STARRING:
Joaquin Phoenix (Arthur Fleck), Robert De Niro (Murray Franklin), Zazie Beetz (Sophie Dumond), Frances Conroy (Penny Fleck), Brett Cullen (Thomas Wayne), Glenn Fleshler (Randall), Leigh Gill (Gary), Shea Whigham (Detective Burke), Marc Maron (Genge Ufland), and Brian Tyree Henry (Carl)
Failed comedian Arthur Fleck encounters violent thugs while wandering the streets of Gotham City dressed as a clown. Disregarded by society, Fleck begins a slow dissent into madness as he transforms into the criminal mastermind known as the Joker.
Make sure to subscribe/follow on whatever platform you're listening, leave your comments on the videos or this post, share this with your friends and geek out with us!
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Welcome to another edition of 6 Flicks Picks, wherein I list all of the upcoming films that are scheduled to be released in the United States for the month which is about to begin 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 out on entirely. After going through the list, I'll choose which six films stand out to me as the ones I want to see the most, even if there are more or less than six that interest me.
Note: The list below is based primarily off the expanded nationwide USA release dates on IMDB as well as some other random outlets if possible, so some information may be different. If I am missing some of the limited releases or the dates conflict in some fashion, please let me know in the comments below and any adjustments and corrections will be made!
Without further ado, another new month means another new set of films, so what's coming soon to theaters in October 2019?
RELEASE DATE: October 4, 2019
Joker
Synopsis: An original standalone origin story of the iconic villain not seen before on the big screen, it's a gritty character study of Arthur Fleck, a man disregarded by society, and a broader cautionary tale.
Will I watch? = Yes
Pain and Glory
Synopsis: A film director reflects on the choices he's made in life as past and present come crashing down around him.
Will I watch? = No
War
Synopsis: Two secret agents, a mentor & his protege on opposite ends of the spectrum, lock horns with the security of the nation on the line.
Will I watch? = No
Roger Waters: Us + Them
Synopsis: A look at Roger Waters' 2017-2018 concert tour.
Will I watch? = No
RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2019
Gemini Man
Synopsis: An over-the-hill hitman faces off against a younger clone of himself.
Will I watch? = Yes
The Addams Family
Synopsis: An animated version of Charles Addams' series of cartoons about a peculiar, ghoulish family.
Will I watch? = No
Parasite
Synopsis: All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.
Will I watch? = No
RELEASE DATE: October 18, 2019
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Synopsis: Maleficent and her goddaughter Aurora begin to question the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies, and dark new forces at play.
Will I watch? = No
Zombieland: Double Tap
Synopsis: Columbus, Tallahasse, Wichita, and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family.
Will I watch? = Yes
Jojo Rabbit
Synopsis: A young boy in Hitler's army finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.
Will I watch? = No
The Lighthouse
Synopsis: The story of two lighthouse keepers on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.
Will I watch? = No
Greener Grass
Synopsis: Suburban soccer moms find themselves constantly competing against each other in their personal lives as their kids settle their differences on the field.
Will I watch? = No
RELEASE DATE: October 25, 2019
Black and Blue
Synopsis: 'Black and Blue' is an action thriller about a rookie cop (Naomie Harris) who inadvertently captures the murder of a young drug dealer on her body cam. After realizing that the murder was committed by corrupt cops, she teams up with the one person from her community who is willing to help her (Tyrese Gibson) as she tries to escape both the criminals out for revenge and the police who are desperate to destroy the incriminating footage.
Will I watch? = No
Countdown
Synopsis: When a nurse downloads an app that claims to predict exactly when a person is going to die, it tells her she only has three days to live. With time ticking away and a figure haunting her, she must find a way to save her life before time runs out.
Will I watch? = No
The Last Full Measure
Synopsis: Thirty-four years after his death, Airman William H. Pitsenbarger, Jr. ("Pits") is awarded the nation's highest military honor, for his actions on the battlefield.
Will I watch? = No
The Aeronauts
Synopsis: Pilot Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones) and scientist James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne) find themselves in an epic fight for survival while attempting to make discoveries in a hot air balloon.
Will I watch? = No
Frankie
Synopsis: Three generations grappling with a life-changing experience during one day of a vacation in Sintra, Portugal, a historic town known for its dense gardens and fairy-tale villas and palaces.
Will I watch? = No
6 FLICKS PICKS
Which films make the cut? Well, this is a month with not a lot going on. There are only three movies I actually plan on seeing and the other three picks are stretching it.
6. Black and Blue — Countdown sounds more interesting, but I can't find a single trailer for it, so it had to get bumped. Black and Blue feels like someone just wanted to tap into the #BlackLivesMatter vs. #BlueLivesMatter argument and there might not be more substance beyond that. But maybe the performances are good, as the cast seems well-rounded.
5. The Addams Family — This looks awful. I hate the animation and the jokes haven't made me laugh except for the one about the tree. But I liked the two movies as a kid, so it gets a pass, even if I know I'm not actually going to see it.
4. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil — I saw the first. I guess I'd see the second on this weak month.
3. Zombieland: Double Tap — I enjoyed the first one far more than I thought I would, so I'll definitely check this out.
2. Gemini Man — Interesting premise. Fun trailer. Cool song. Good cast. Yup. I'm in.
1. Joker — It's a movie about my favorite villain in all of fiction. Of course I'm seeing this. I feel like it'll either be a masterpiece Elseworlds tale or the biggest masturbatory waste of potential, but so far, it looks beyond interesting, and I'm pumped.
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Friday, September 27, 2019
Welcome to another edition of WEEK IN GEEK here at Fanboys Anonymous—a rundown of some of the events, news and stories that went down over the past few days in the geek culture spectrum.
Here are some of the topics I felt like voicing my opinions about:
Jeffrey Wright for Commissioner Gordon in The Batman
I'm not sure how I feel about this. I'm a big fan of Wright and I think he'd be a great actor in a lot of things, but I don't know if that's how I picture Jim Gordon. Of course, the first obvious thing is the race change, which I'm sure is the one and only thing upsetting some people. I've always thought that there's some flexibility with some characters and that I'm open to the idea of changing a race or gender of a character if it can work out, but it seems like there was specifically a play to do that no matter what, with the rumors of the casting decisions all being in that direction. That, to me, is kind of strange, but whatever—if you're just 100% vehemently against even entertaining that idea, I'll never convince you that you should maybe hear out the concept, and if you're 100% saying it has to be done, I'll never be able to convince you that maybe going in that direction "just to be different" might not be the best "change for the sake of change" argument.
More so, I don't think Wright tends to play as over the top as I think of Gordon. That's what throws me off about this. When I think Gordon, I think that he can't be as gruff and low-energy as Batman is when they're talking and that he needs to be a little more lively, and I haven't seen that from Wright. He tends to speak quietly and come off cool, and Gordon isn't "cool" to me. That's what is throwing me off, more so than the race change that will be the bigger part of this discussion for most people. But I do like Wright and for now, I have to just see how they go. This could be the best thing in the movie, and I do think it's a step up from Mahershala Ali, who I just could not see in that role the more I thought about it.
Jonah Hill in The Batman
Rumor has it he might be The Riddler? Pft...come on. He's not The Riddler. In no way do I look at Jonah Hill and think "Yup, Edward Nygma." That's just making me nervous now about everything. I'm starting to get the feeling the casting director or Matt Reeves himself has some wacky ideas that are risks similar to Jesse Eisenberg for Lex Luthor, and we all see how that worked out poorly.
George Lucas Hates The Force Awakens
In Bob Iger's new book, he talked about how George Lucas thought they would use his outline for the next films and was really hurt that they decided not to. Then, he criticized The Force Awakens, saying that there wasn't anything different in the movie from what he had done before.
He's right.
For all the gruff Lucas gets when it comes to some of the mistakes from the six films he did, like how it's weird that they did the Luke and Leia kiss only to reveal they're brother and sister, or how stupid Jar Jar Binks is, or the bad acting in the prequels, there are some seriously amazing things about those movies and the overall story is wonderful, with some big technological advancements and a different feel to the eras. None of that happened with this new group, at all. They've proven themselves to be a cover band who ruins the lyrics and melody of what they're trying to copy and want to write off the predecessors as not being as good as themselves while being unable to do anything on their own without that foundation.
No More Ghost Rider TV Series
It was previously reported that Ghost Rider would be getting a TV show spin-off. Now, that's no longer going forward, due to so-called creative differences of some kind that we naturally don't know the specifics behind.
Good. I don't think this could sustain itself as a television series. The budget would be crazy or the CGI would be awful, and there are only so many stories you can tell that don't run the concept into the ground. I'd rather see a Ghost Rider film in the MCU, or, better yet, a team-up movie of darker characters by bringing Blade, Ghost Rider and others into one film than doing separate things.
Spider-Man Staying in the MCU!!!
YESSSSS! I have a handful of major gripes with the way these two movies have happened (namely the way they've wasted characters just for the sake of throwing their name out there, like how MJ is not at all MJ and I hate Zendaya's snarky emo girl character, or how it's a shame we don't have a single reference to Uncle Ben, etc) but there was no way I wanted to see Tom Holland's Spider-Man leave the MCU.
I wish Disney just bought out all the rights to the whole network of characters, as I still think Sony's films are going to be awful and I wish they could do things like have Beetle pop up in Thunderbolts for the MCU and such, but hey, I'll take what I can get for now. Very cool!
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Sunday, September 22, 2019
The 71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be taking place September 22, 2019 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles California, broadcast by Fox.
Stay tuned for updates on the list of the winners and results from all of the categories.
PROGRAM CATEGORIES
Outstanding Comedy Series
Barry (HBO) Fleabag (Amazon) The Good Place (NBC) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) Russian Doll (Netflix) Schitt's Creek (Pop) Veep (HBO)
WINNER:Fleabag (Amazon)
Outstanding Drama Series
Better Call Saul (AMC) Bodyguard (Netflix) Game of Thrones (HBO) Killing Eve (BBC America) Ozark (Netflix) Pose (FX) Succession (HBO) This Is Us (NBC)
WINNER:Game of Thrones (HBO)
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central) Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS) Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS) The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
WINNER:Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
At Home with Amy Sedaris (truTV) Documentary Now! (IFC) Drunk History (Comedy Central) I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman (Hulu) Saturday Night Live (NBC) Who Is America? (Showtime)
WINNER:Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Outstanding Limited Series
Chernobyl (HBO) Escape at Dannemora (Showtime) Fosse/Verdon (FX) Sharp Objects (HBO) When They See Us (Netflix)
WINNER:Chernobyl (HBO)
Outstanding Television Movie
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (Netflix) Brexit (HBO) Deadwood (HBO) King Lear (Prime Video) My Dinner With Hervé (HBO)
WINNER:Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (Netflix)
Outstanding Competition Program
The Amazing Race (CBS) American Ninja Warrior (NBC) Nailed It! (Netflix) RuPaul's Drag Race (VH1) Top Chef (Bravo) The Voice (NBC)
WINNER:RuPaul's Drag Race (VH1)
ACTING CATEGORIES
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson as Andre "Dre" Johnson, Sr. on Black-ish (ABC)
Don Cheadle as Mo Monroe on Black Monday (Showtime)
Ted Danson as Michael on The Good Place (NBC)
Michael Douglas as Sandy Kominsky on The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
Bill Hader as Barry Berkman / Barry Block on Barry (HBO)
Eugene Levy as Johnny Rose on Schitt's Creek (Pop)
WINNER: Bill Hader as Barry Berkman / Barry Block on Barry (HBO)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate as Jen Harding on Dead to Me (Netflix)
Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam "Midge" Maisel on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer on Veep (HBO)
Natasha Lyonne as Nadia Vulvokov on Russian Doll (Netflix)
Catherine O'Hara as Moira Rose on Schitt's Creek (Pop)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Fleabag on Fleabag (Amazon)
WINNER: Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Fleabag on Fleabag (Amazon)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Bateman as Martin "Marty" Byrde on Ozark (Netflix)
Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson on This Is Us (NBC)
Kit Harington as Jon Snow on Game of Thrones (HBO)
Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman on Better Call Saul (AMC)
Billy Porter as Pray Tell on Pose (FX)
Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson on This Is Us (NBC)
WINNER: Billy Porter as Pray Tell on Pose (FX)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones (HBO)
Jodie Comer as Oksana Astankova / Villanelle on Killing Eve (BBC America)
Viola Davis as Annalise Keating on How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)
Laura Linney as Wendy Byrde on Ozark (Netflix)
Mandy Moore as Rebecca Pearson on This Is Us (NBC)
Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri on Killing Eve (BBC America)
Robin Wright as Claire Underwood on House of Cards (Netflix)
WINNER: Jodie Comer as Oksana Astankova / Villanelle on Killing Eve (BBC America)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Mahershala Ali as Wayne Hays on True Detective (HBO)
Hugh Grant as Jeremy Thorpe on A Very English Scandal (Amazon)
Benicio del Toro as Richard Matt in Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)
Jared Harris as Valery Legasov in Chernobyl (HBO)
Jharrel Jerome as Korey Wise in When They See Us (Netflix)
Sam Rockwell as Bob Fosse in Fosse/Verdon (FX)
WINNER: Jharrel Jerome as Korey Wise in When They See Us (Netflix)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Amy Adams as Camille Preaker on Sharp Objects (HBO)
Patricia Arquette as Joyce "Tilly" Mitchell on Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)
Aunjanue Ellis as Sharonne Salaam on When They See Us (Netflix)
Joey King as Gypsy Rose Blanchard on The Act (Hulu)
Niecy Nash as Delores Wise on When They See Us (Netflix)
Michelle Williams as Gwen Verdon on Fosse/Verdon (FX)
WINNER: Michelle Williams as Gwen Verdon on Fosse/Verdon (FX)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Alan Arkin as Norman Newlander in The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
Anthony Carrigan as NoHo Hank in Barry (HBO)
Tony Hale as Gary Walsh in Veep (HBO)
Stephen Root as Monroe Fuches in Barry (HBO)
Tony Shalhoub as Abe Weissman in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Henry Winkler as Gene Cousineau in Barry (HBO)
WINNER: Tony Shalhoub as Abe Weissman in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Anna Chlumsky as Amy Brookheimer in Veep (HBO)
Sian Clifford as Claire in Fleabag (Amazon)
Olivia Colman as Godmother in Fleabag (Amazon)
Betty Gilpin as Debbie Eagan in GLOW (Netflix)
Sarah Goldberg as Sally Reed in Barry (HBO)
Marin Hinkle as Rose Weissman in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Kate McKinnon as various characters in Saturday Night Live (NBC)
WINNER: Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy in Game of Thrones (HBO)
Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut in Better Call Saul (AMC)
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones (HBO)
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones (HBO)
Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring in Better Call Saul (AMC)
Michael Kelly as Doug Stamper in House of Cards (Netflix)
Chris Sullivan as Toby Damon in This Is Us (NBC)
WINNER: Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones (HBO)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones (HBO)
Julia Garner as Ruth Langmore in Ozark (Netflix)
Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones (HBO)
Fiona Shaw as Carolyn Martens in Killing Eve (BBC America)
Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones (HBO)
Maisie Williams as Arya Stark in Game of Thrones (HBO)
WINNER: Julia Garner as Ruth Langmore in Ozark (Netflix)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Asante Blackk as Kevin Richardson in When They See Us (Netflix)
Paul Dano as David Sweat in Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)
John Leguizamo as Raymond Santana, Sr. in When They See Us (Netflix)
Stellan Skarsgård as Boris Shcherbina in Chernobyl (HBO)
Ben Whishaw as Norman Josiffe / Norman Scott in A Very English Scandal (Amazon)
Michael K. Williams as Bobby McCray in When They See Us (Netflix)
WINNER: Ben Whishaw as Norman Josiffe / Norman Scott in A Very English Scandal (Amazon)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Patricia Arquette as Dee Dee Blanchard on The Act (Hulu)
Marsha Stephanie Blake as Linda McCray on When They See Us (Netflix)
Patricia Clarkson as Adora Crellin on Sharp Objects (HBO)
Vera Farmiga as Elizabeth Lederer on When They See Us (Netflix)
Margaret Qualley as Ann Reinking on Fosse/Verdon (FX)
Emily Watson as Ulana Khomyuk on Chernobyl (HBO)
WINNER: Patricia Arquette as Dee Dee Blanchard on The Act (Hulu)
DIRECTING CATEGORIES
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Barry (Episode: "The Audition"), directed by Alec Berg (HBO) Barry (Episode: "ronny/lily"), directed by Bill Hader (HBO) The Big Bang Theory (Episode: "The Stockholm Syndrome"), directed by Mark Cendrowski (CBS) Fleabag (Episode: "Episode 1"), directed by Harry Bradbeer (Amazon) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "All Alone"), directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino (Amazon) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "We're Going to the Catskills!"), directed by Daniel Palladino (Amazon)
WINNER:Fleabag (Episode: "Episode 1"), directed by Harry Bradbeer (Amazon)
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Last of the Starks"), directed by David Nutter (HBO) Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Long Night"), directed by Miguel Sapochnik (HBO) Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Iron Throne"), directed by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss (HBO) The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Holly"), directed by Daina Reid (Hulu) Killing Eve (Episode: "Desperate Times"), directed by Lisa Brühlmann (BBC America) Ozark (Episode: "Reparations"), directed by Jason Bateman (Netflix) Succession (Episode: "Celebration"), directed by Adam McKay (HBO)
WINNER:Ozark (Episode: "Reparations"), directed by Jason Bateman (Netflix)
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special
Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live From Liverpool, directed by Ben Winston (CBS) Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé, directed by Ed Burke and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (Netflix) Live In Front Of A Studio Audience: Norman Lear's 'All In The Family' And 'The Jeffersons', directed by James Burrows and Andy Fisher (ABC) Springsteen On Broadway, directed by Thom Zimny (Netflix) The Oscars, directed by Glenn Weiss (ABC)
WINNER:Springsteen On Broadway, directed by Thom Zimny (Netflix)
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series
Documentary Now! (Episode: "Waiting for the Artist"), directed by Alex Buono and Rhys Thomas (IFC) Drunk History (Episode: "Are You Afraid of the Drunk?"), directed by Derek Waters (Comedy Central) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Episode: "Psychics"), directed by Paul Pennolino (HBO) The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (Episode: "Live Midterm Election Show") directed by Jim Hoskinson (CBS) Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Adam Sandler"), directed by Don Roy King (NBC) Who Is America? (Episode: "Episode 102"), directed by Sacha Baron Cohen, Nathan Fielder, Daniel Gray Longino, and Dan Mazer (Showtime)
WINNER:Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Adam Sandler"), directed by Don Roy King (NBC)
Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special
Chernobyl, directed by Johan Renck (HBO) Escape at Dannemora, directed by Ben Stiller (Showtime) Fosse/Verdon (Episode: "Glory"), directed by Jessica Yu (FX) Fosse/Verdon (Episode: "Who's Got the Pain"), directed by Thomas Kail (FX) A Very English Scandal, directed by Stephen Frears (Amazon) When They See Us, directed by Ava DuVernay (Netflix)
WINNER:Chernobyl, directed by Johan Renck (HBO)
WRITING CATEGORIES
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Barry (Episode: "ronny/lily"), written by Alec Berg & Bill Hader (HBO) Fleabag (Episode: "Episode 1"), written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Amazon) PEN15 (Episode: "Anna Ishii-Peters"), written by Maya Erskine & Anna Konkle (Hulu) Russian Doll (Episode: "Nothing In This World Is Easy"), written by Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland, & Amy Poehler (Netflix) Russian Doll (Episode: "A Warm Body"), written by Allison Silverman (Netflix) The Good Place (Episode: "Janet(s)"), written by Josh Siegal & Dylan Morgan (NBC) Veep (Episode: "Veep"), written by David Mandel (HBO)
WINNER:Fleabag (Episode: "Episode 1"), written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Amazon)
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Better Call Saul (Episode: "Winner"), written by Peter Gould & Thomas Schnauz (AMC) Bodyguard (Episode: "Episode 1"), written by Jed Mercurio (Netflix) Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Iron Throne"), written by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss (HBO) The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Holly"), written by Bruce Miller & Kira Snyder (Hulu) Killing Eve (Episode: "Nice and Neat"), written by Emerald Fennell (BBC America) Succession (Episode: "Nobody Is Ever Missing"), written by Jesse Armstrong (HBO)
WINNER:Succession (Episode: "Nobody Is Ever Missing"), written by Jesse Armstrong (HBO)
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special
Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh, written by Adam Sandler (Netflix) Amy Schumer Growing, written by Amy Schumer (Netflix) Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live From Liverpool (CBS) Hannah Gadsby: Nanette, written by Hannah Gadsby (Netflix) Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé, written by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (Netflix) Wanda Sykes: Not Normal, written by Wanda Sykes (Netflix)
WINNER:Hannah Gadsby: Nanette, written by Hannah Gadsby (Netflix)
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
Documentary Now! (IFC) Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC) Saturday Night Live (NBC) The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
WINNER:Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special
Chernobyl, written by Craig Mazin (HBO) Escape at Dannemora (Episode: "Part 6"), written by Brett Johnson & Michael Tolkin & Jerry Stahl (Showtime) Escape at Dannemora (Episode: "Part 7"), written by Brett Johnson & Michael Tolkin (Showtime) Fosse/Verdon (Episode: "Providence"), written by Joel Fields & Steven Levenson (FX) A Very English Scandal, written by Russell T Davies (Amazon) When They See Us (Episode: "Part Four"), written by Ava DuVernay & Michael Starrbury (Netflix)
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Saturday, September 21, 2019
Welcome to another edition of WEEK IN GEEK here at Fanboys Anonymous—a rundown of some of the events, news and stories that went down over the past few days in the geek culture spectrum.
Here are some of the topics I felt like voicing my opinions about:
Tony Stark Will Return (Kind of) in Black Widow
It was revealed in a somewhat casual manner that Robert Downey Jr would be reprising the role of Tony Stark for Black Widow in what we can assume will be a cameo. This is because the movie is set after Civil War and before Infinity War, so he would naturally be alive.
Very cool. I hate the idea that they did this movie now, rather than before Infinity War came out, but if they're going to do it, they at least needed to do it right and not pretend like it's a post-Endgame type scenario, and this will go a long way in reminding people that it's of a different time frame.
Jurassic World: Battle at Big Rock
Very interesting that they decided to do this short. People don't do shorts. Maybe they're looking for an Oscar to drive up interest before the third film? Maybe they just really, really liked this idea and figured "screw it, let's do a short instead of trying to make a whole movie out of this" or something?
Realistically, this couldn't have been a long movie unless they padded out the whole idea of a new family and all, which would have been a little too much like Jurassic World. It isn't worth all that just to set up and pay off a little girl using a crossbow.
But I did like the footage in the credits of the dinosaurs showing up in regular spots throughout the world. Very cool way to ease into the next movie.
Peacock
NBC will (of course) have its own streaming service, which will be named Peacock. They plan on doing reboots of a bunch of shows like Saved By the Bell and The Office, because these past few years have shown that executives have no ideas other than to redo things that were done before.
They also want to rip off the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe by trying to tie different TV shows together to make an "NBC Comedy Universe"...which can't possibly work out well. Even though plenty of shows used to be connected by backdoor pilots and everything, and that's worked a lot in the past, that was a different structure than what the MCU brings to the table. They can't just have Brooklyn Nine-Nine cross over with A.P. Bio and say "that'll work, because Captain America and Iron Man did."
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Friday, September 20, 2019
Welcome to the latest edition of Making the Grade—a review format segment here on Fanboys Anonymous where we break down the 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 film Ad Astra.
Ad Astra—directed by James Gray; written by James Gray and Ethan Gross; starring Brad Pitt (Roy McBride), Liv Tyler (Eve McBride), Ruth Negga (Helen Lantos), Tommy Lee Jones (Clifford McBride), Anne McDaniels (Shunga Hologram) and Donald Sutherland (Colonel Pruitt).
WARNING - SPOILERS BELOW
STORYTELLING SUBJECTS
STORY: B+
This was simple, yet effective—a three-pronged story of someone dealing with the repressed feelings of losing his father, along with the search for life to justify our existence and the secrecy that goes along with how the government would handle these major issues.
As it isn't super complicated, this isn't something that I feel needs to be broken down and studied by every angle. If you like the sound of those themes, then you get what you're looking for.
CHARACTERS: C–
There really only is one character, who is essentially devoid of emotion. It's hard to really break down the cast that are there for just a handful of scenes. I did like the transition of Roy from entirely mute to someone who can feel again, but that isn't something I can give a B or anything to.
TONE / ATMOSPHERE: A–
ACTION: The lunar chase and other moments are tense (and I'm not a big fan of tension movies). This isn't an "action film" selling itself like a new Fast and Furious film, so this suffices.
COMEDY: There aren't really any jokes here, but it's not a comedy, so...
ROMANCE: For the most part, the "romance" of the film is an underlying soft one and not a focal point the way it normally would be in some other dramas. I think it's still very effective.
Basically, this is a drama that has a bit of mystery and philosophy intertwined, which is what I was looking for, based on the trailers.
TECHNICAL SUBJECTS
ACTING: B–
I bought it. Everyone felt like real people. There are no Oscar-guaranteed performances or anything, but rock solid performances to go around.
VISUALS (FX, MAKEUP, COSTUMES, SETS): A
Wonderful scenery that showed the vast emptiness of space and really made me uncomfortable, yet at the same time, in awe of its beauty. Equal to that, every set felt real and at no point were they on a different ship or in a room that didn't seem logical and functional.
AUDIO (MUSIC / SOUND): A–
Sound design in a space movie is all about using silence. They pulled it off super well.
EXTRA CREDIT
MARKETING / TRAILERS / POLITICS / SERIES DIRECTION / ETC:
Bonus points for the overall message. We may be alone in the universe (we may not, as only part of it was explored) but even if that's the case, it's not as if love and the human condition isn't already so wonderful that it can't be celebrated. There's something to be said about missing out on what's right in front of you while searching for more.
FINAL GRADE & ASSESSMENT
GRADE: B (Pass)
This is not at all the type of movie I will be begging to sit down and watch again, but that's because of how heavy it is. It's a one-time think piece that I'm very glad to have seen and would recommend to others, but only when they're in the mood for some existential exploration. I can't imagine someone trying to decide on a Saturday night whether they want to pop on an Avengers film, a Judd Apatow movie or Ad Astra, as it's an entirely different animal. But it was certainly good and if you're on the fence about it, check it out!
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Monday, September 16, 2019
Welcome to another edition of Predicting the Plot wherein I try my best to guess how an upcoming movie is going to play out from start to finish with as many details as I can possibly give, based entirely on the previews and lead-up material I've seen.
I might be dead wrong. I may get some things right. In any way, I encourage you to give your predictions just the same in the comments below.
For this edition, I'll be tackling my fan theory of what Todd Phillips is bringing us with the upcoming movie Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix as the iconic Clown Prince of Crime...maybe.
It's important to note that I haven't seen The King of Comedy, which I feel this will take some inspiration from. I have seen Taxi Driver, though, many many moons ago.
So let's start with the synopsis we've been given:
Failed comedian Arthur Fleck encounters violent thugs while wandering the streets of Gotham City dressed as a clown. Disregarded by society, Fleck begins a slow dissent into madness as he transforms into the criminal mastermind known as the Joker.
The movie starts with Arthur as a boy. His mom Penny (Frances Conroy) and dad are weird, at best. They could be the argumentative type and his dad could be abusive. Or, perhaps they even skip that and show that he and his mom are alone because his dad left them. Remember this idea and keep in mind the concept of a stepfather.
Penny has ticks or is psychotic or schizophrenic or something that we can attribute to her genetics passing on a predisposition to Arthur that he's going to have to grow up with, and we can already tell that as a boy, he has his social problems and such. This could be when he first manifests his Pseudobulbar affect (ie, how he laughs uncontrollably at random times when stressed).
Arthur is fixated on comedians. That calms him down. One of them is his idol, Murray Franklin (Robert DeNiro).
Arthur wants to be a stand-up comic, but he sucks at it. He tries to go on stage, but gets heckled and possibly even abused in some fashion. We know at some point, he's dressed as a clown, spinning a sign and gets picked on and beaten up, so this seems to be a run of the mill type thing. He's a loser, and that's going to weigh on him.
Over the years, Penny got so bad that she had to be transferred to Arkham Asylum, and/or Arthur has to receive check-ups. I don't see a doctor on the cast list, so I don't think Arthur is seeing a physician for a bunch of times in the movie, but we do see "Arkham State Hospital Clerk" played by Brian Tyree Henry. He's a name, so that must mean he's in at least a handful of scenes and is probably the go-to person to talk to when Arthur visits his mom.
Somewhere along the way, Arthur starts flirting with Sophie Dumond (Zazie Beetz) even if she's not flirting back. Whether it's mutual and he screws it up or it's one-sided and she eventually has to tell him she's not interested, the point is that his love life goals will be shattered toward the breaking point.
Meanwhile, Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen)—who, in this version, instead of being a humanitarian and younger, is an older Donald Trump type playboy asshole politician—is running for office and is all the talk. Arthur gets the idea in his mind that Wayne is his father. He even meets up with Young Bruce Wayne (Dante Pereira-Olson) and that's where we have that scene of the two at the gate of Wayne Manor. Arthur thinks Bruce is his younger brother.
He isn't. Thomas Wayne isn't his father. His mother just made that up to either give him a false sense of value, or she's so deluded that she believed it herself, but it isn't true. None of this is true. Arthur is just a failure and a mistake.
So he snaps. He becomes The Joker and gets on television and kills everyone. This incites revolution and everyone maybe even kills Thomas Wayne, if Arthur hasn't already done that. The end.
If there's anything after that, if we're lucky, it would be really cool for them to show someone in a Batman costume and Joker being arrested or something. Then, there's some sort of tease that none of this was real and he tosses out the line about how if he'd like to have a past, he'd like for it to be multiple choice, and the whole thing is basically bullshit because The Joker doesn't have an origin story and it wouldn't make any sense for him to be 30+ years older than Batman, nor for Bruce to have a father who is 63 around the time Thomas and Martha are killed as they're normally around 30-40 range...50 max.
Either the whole movie is meaningless, or it ends with him becoming The Joker in a metaphorical sense and not obviously actually the character that fights Batman, as there isn't a Batman, and it's just a film about the interesting villain without having to frame it in the context of what makes Joker who he is, similar to how if someone wrote a movie about Edward Nygma being into riddles and becoming a criminal that the GCPD try to stop, but can't, and there's no Batman. Or, if there was a movie about Doomsday destroying the world without a Superman (ie, any monster movie that has ever existed that ends in gloom).
That's what I'm expecting to happen, but what do you think?
Give your predictions and thoughts on my guesses in the comments below!
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Saturday, September 14, 2019
Welcome to another edition of WEEK IN GEEK here at Fanboys Anonymous—a rundown of some of the events, news and stories that went down over the past few days in the geek culture spectrum.
Here are some of the topics I felt like voicing my opinions about:
Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop?
Rumor has it the new Hawkeye will be played by Hailee Steinfeld. I'm not really familiar with the Kate Bishop character to say anything about the personality or anything like that, but in theory, this seems like a good pick. Steinfeld is a talented actress, popular enough to bring attention to the role, and young enough to be worth investing in.
Face/Off Reboot
For some reason, they think it's a good idea to reboot Face/Off. I hate producers who get paid to say such simplistic ideas and not actually use their brains. Just because a movie has value to it doesn't mean you can copy and paste and make a billion dollars!
Face/Off is a cult classic because it's ridiculous. It can't work with two random other people than Nicolas Cage and John Travolta. It can't work in 2019. All this is going to be is like the Total Recall reboot, where nobody enjoys it and it doesn't work out well.
Young Avengers / Champions Coming to Disney+
Kate Bishop. Stature. Ms. Marvel. Yup, they're definitely gearing up for Young Avengers, and I'm curious who else they would put in the mix. They can't use Spider-Man. Maybe Shuri? Amadeus Cho? Could they pull something weird out of WandaVision by having Wiccan, Speed and Viv? Will what's his face from Iron Man 3 become Iron Lad or will they have Ironheart come into play here? Patriot could be someone who is inspired by Falcon/Cap. Hulkling probably wouldn't work.
Hayley Atwell Will Be Female Lead in Mission: Impossible 7 and 8
Rebecca Ferguson will be returning, I'm sure, so now I'm left to assume Atwell is actually playing the villain of the next two movies. That could be neat to see her play opposite of how we've seen her as Peggy Carter.
Movie Pass
After dying what seems to be nine different deaths or more, it seems as though Movie Pass is finally done. CEO Mitch Lowe gave what was essentially the "we'd like to continue, but we can't, so don't count us out entirely if you want to be part of this in the future, but yeah, we're suspending everything and going under" speech.
I guess the Director of Barketing didn't work out. Bad dog.
As requested through our Patreon "Pick Your Poison" tier, Fanboys Anonymous is providing you with another edition of the FanTracks podcast, this time for Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
For copyright reasons, we cannot provide the movie itself, but after a short introduction, you will be told when to sync your copy of the film so you can following along with us and listen to our thoughts on the movie as we crack some jokes, expose plot holes, and discuss anything else that comes to our minds for commentary.
Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Release Date: March 31, 2019
Directed by Jake Castorena
Written by Marly Halpern-Graser
Starring Troy Baker (Bruce Wayne / Batman, The Joker), Eric Bauza (Leonardo), Darren Criss (Raphael), Baron Vaughn (Donatello), Kyle Mooney (Michelangelo), Ben Giroux (Damian Wayne / Robin), Rachel Bloom (Barbara Gordon / Batgirl), Brian George (Alfred Pennyworth)
FanTracks Episode 23 hosted by Tony Mango along with Robert DeFelice .
Make sure to subscribe/follow on whatever platform you're listening, leave your comments on the videos or this post, share this with your friends and geek out with us!
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Monday, September 9, 2019
Welcome to another edition of WEEK IN GEEK here at Fanboys Anonymous—a rundown of some of the events, news and stories that went down over the past few days in the geek culture spectrum.
Here are some of the topics I felt like voicing my opinions about:
Bad Boys for Life Trailer
This looks to be pretty much exactly what the other movies are, which is a good thing. That's what fans of the previous two films want to see, as opposed to something super different.
I'll probably check it out. Even though I've never been amazed by the previous ones, they were fine.
It Chapter Two Review
I'm not a big horror person, as I've mentioned many times in the past, but this story works well because it's more of a coming of age tale disguised as a horror flick, in a way. I enjoyed the 1990 cheesy TV version enough to want to see this remake and liked that, too, so I knew I would see this. Thankfully, it kept up its end of the bargain. I got out of it exactly what I was hoping to get and wasn't underwhelmed.
Awesome casting all around. Each actor really felt like the older version of the kids we had seen a few years back.
Possible Jim Gordons
The rumor mill says there are a few people who have met with Matt Reeves for the part of Commissioner Gordon. Mahershala Ali, Giancarlo Esposito and Jamie Foxx are the group. All three could play the role, but I think Ali has enough on his plate with Blade, Esposito seems a little too villainous for my tastes and Foxx I'm just not feeling as having the ability to tone down his coolness factor. Gordon shouldn't be the cool guy.
Slow News Week
Is it just me, or was nothing really going on this week, again? At least, there wasn't much I felt interested in talking about that I came across, that's for sure.
