Fanboys Anonymous

It's October 30th, which means two things: tomorrow is Halloween and DC's superhero mashup film Justice League is set to hit theaters in just over two weeks on November 16th.

With those in mind, along with having a girlfriend who just happens to look amazing in a Catwoman outfit, I knew for sure that yours truly needed to pick up a Batman costume for this year's Halloween party, and that's where Halloween Costumes came to the rescue.

The sponsors of our recent giveaway contest were kind enough to hook me up with one of their deluxe Justice League Batman costumes—my personal choice out of their variety of Justice League and Batman costumes as I wanted to be as timely as possible to capitalize on the hype of the upcoming movie.

A wise man once said, “Always be yourself, unless you can be Batman. Then be Batman.” We think it might have been Voltaire…

Being Batman is hard work. It requires billions of dollars in your checking account, a giant mansion that’s built on top of a cave that can be used as a base of operations and many years of martial arts training. You also need a butler, an acrobat sidekick with the same passion for justice that you have and a really cool car.

Well, chances are pretty good that you’re not a socialite with a tragic backstory and a multi-billion dollar bankroll, so being Batman might not always be easy. The good news is that we can help you be Batman! Just wear this Deluxe Tactical Batman costume, which is based on the Justice League movie, and you’ll be halfway there to becoming the iconic DC hero.

This adult Batman costume comes with everything you need to start your transformation into Bruce Wayne’s alter ego. It comes with a full jumpsuit that has muscle padding in the chest and arms, along with printed armor detailing. Attached boot covers and gauntlets help complete the look, making you look like a fully outfitted superhero with a hefty bankroll! Of course, it also comes with a belt and cape, as well as a Batman mask to hide your secret identity from the likes of The Joker and his goons. The only thing you’ll need to “be Batman” is some deadly gadgets and a lifetime of martial arts training. You’d better start working on both of those details while you wait for the costume to arrive at your doorstep!

• Justice League Adult Deluxe Tactical Batman Costume
• 100% polyester
• Jumpsuit has printed details and hook and loop fasteners in back
• Jumpsuit has padded chest and shoulders sculpted to look like muscles
• Cape made of lightweight fabric
• Cape is fastened securely to shoulders with hook and loop fasteners
• Belt has printed details
• Latex mask has elastic band to hold it securely
• Officially licensed
• Jumpsuit has attached boot covers

If you've followed Fanboys Anonymous for a while, you know by now that not only am I a massive Batman fan (favorite superhero ever), I'm also an apologist for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as I think the movie was just a few elements short of being perfect (ie, recast Lex Luthor and watch the Ultimate Edition and you've got an amazing movie).

What you may not know is that I've dressed as Batman numerous times throughout my Halloween experience and I was even that kid that used to wear the Batman cape and cowl around the house despite it being April and way past when I should have kept suiting up. I was adorable, and I was the night. Trust me.

Anyway, this Justice League variation was certainly a hit with my buddies and a great means to capitalize on a couples costume and fandom at the same time.



If you're trying to sort out a last minute costume or you want to get a heads up on next year, or you just want to buy a Batman costume because you're excited for the movie—whatever the case may be—make sure you check out Halloween Costumes and browse their site to check out not just their Dark Knight selection, but all the other things available, since you can pretty much find anything you're looking for.

Also, remember to check back here for a review of Justice League when the film comes out, and if you have any good stories or want to show off your Halloween costume from this year, drop a comment below!

Welcome to another edition of Fanboys Fix It, where instead of just complaining about what we don't like about something, we try to figure out how we can make it better.

With Spider-Man: Homecoming out on Blu-Ray, I had a chance to rewatch it for the first time since seeing it in theaters. Overall, I was a huge fan of the movie and there were only a couple of things that annoyed me, so on my rewatch, I was curious to see if those few errors were more or less annoying than before.

They were the same—shocking—but that prompted me to give a rewrite a crack to fix these problems in what is mostly a 90% perfect movie for what they were going for.

I love nearly everything about this film, from the inclusion of Damage Control, the references to Aaron Davis and multiple Shocker identities, having The Tinkerer and even down to the comedic tone.

So with that being the framework, keep in mind that my goal here is always to change as little as possible to make the movie as great as possible, so it isn't a complete rehaul of every idea, which is why you won't see a full-on fan fiction script below.

With that being said, what are the problems I do think are present with Spider-Man: Homecoming?

Core Problem #1: The Multitude of Michelle and Liz Problems

These are somewhat tied together with many facets to unpack...

MJ Instead of MG

First things first, no, Michelle is not Mary Jane. Don't try to be cutesy by calling her MJ. You can't just strip absolutely everything from a character, at the last second call them that character's nickname, and have that be okay. Didn't these people watch what happened with The Dark Knight Rises trying to pass off John Blake as Robin, which just pissed people off in all ways?

The representatives of Mary Jane Watson are pretty standard: she is a Caucasian girl roughly around Peter's age with red hair who is out of his league beautiful and eventually the love of his life. Sometimes, you can play around with the specifics like whether or not they grew up together, if she's sassier or sweeter, etc.

There was some backlash about the casting of Zendaya when it comes to her race. Admittedly, I wasn't a fan of it, as I didn't see the reason to necessarily change this (even though I'm all for doing that with certain characters, a la Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury is infinitely better than the other incarnation and I prefer my Iris and Wally West to be black as well, and Tilda Swinton was a great Ancient One, and Heimdall is an improvement, and so on and so forth). My issue was more so that she doesn't have any of Mary Jane's traits because even though Zendaya is attractive, they downplay that entirely and make her a creepy SJW loner type with no friends who looks like she barely mustered up the energy to roll out of bed in the morning and throw on yesterday's sweats, rather than some bombshell that she could have easily pulled off. She's a completely different character in every possible way, so just let her be a different character.

Also, if you're going to go with the Michelle name, why is she Michelle Jones? Why isn't she Michele Gonzales? Michele is a character from the comics and a love interest that could have been explored that we haven't seen in the films yet, like Carlie Cooper. Or, perhaps, if you don't want to have her be a love interest, you could have made that character more of a lesser entity and still referenced previous material by casting a Middle Eastern girl and making her Indira Daimonji, who would make perfect sense being that type of friend to Peter in that circle of friends. For that matter, if you wanted to, you could have made that character Debra Whitman, too, but I get the attempt at diversity, so I'll bypass Whitman as she's typically just another white blonde girl and that should be reserved for Gwen Stacy.

So for now, let's just move forward with this in mind: Michelle Jones is not MJ in this script. Instead, she is Michele Gonzales, and there's nothing at all referencing Mary Jane Watson whatsoever.

Liz Isn't Liz

Liz is absolutely nothing like she's typically presented, either, and that extends once more to a difference in both appearance as well as characteristics.

As far as the race change goes, I'm okay with that. Spider-Man's series was really generic in how his love interests for the longest time were solely white girls, so hey, the way I see it, leave Mary Jane and Gwen alone and you can alter the rest if you want. If you want to make Betty Brant Asian, I'm all for it, although I also think it's dumb that we have Betty Brant and Glory Grant, but that's another whole issue.

Liz, to me, is almost always a bitchy type. She and Sally Avril and others are best utilized as a pain in the ass "popular cheerleader stereotype" kind of character. If you wanted to go with someone with the traits of Liz in this film, you could have swapped her name out for Indira or Debra, who are much more academic.

The Vulture's Daughter

This absolutely had to have been a Sony note, since we know for the longest time, they wanted Spider-Man 4 with Sam Raimi to be about Vulture and his daughter, who would have been either Black Cat or something called Vulturess.

Clearly, they wanted to do this very, very badly. We've seen this type of mentality by studios before with how they're getting their Venom spinoff film, or how for years, the Terminator franchise kept toying with the idea of turning John Connor into a Terminator only to go ahead and do that for Terminator Genisys, which was awful.

I don't absolutely 100% hate the idea of Vulture having a daughter that has ties to Peter Parker, but I hate how it was shoehorned in there. It didn't need to happen, and it even less so needed to be Liz Allen of all people.

Her name in the movie is actually Liz Toomes, making her even less of Liz Allen, and just a random ass character they created. Meanwhile, there actually IS a daughter for Vulture elsewhere, named Valeria Toomes....so if she doesn't act like Liz and isn't named Liz, why isn't she Valeria????

With that in mind, let's correct the problem in one of three ways:

Solution #1 = Valeria Toomes

Instead of Liz Allen being Liz Toomes, you just have Valeria Toomes and Michele Gonzales be these two girls.

Valeria is whatever you want her to be. She's popular, she's bitchy, she's nice, she's smart, it doesn't matter. She's there just to be an object of Peter's affection and a motivational tool for he and Vulture anyway in the film.

Once Vulture is sent to jail, Valeria and her mom move, just like what happens in this film.

Peter, the whole time, has been focused on Valeria and has been ignoring Michele, but hey, there are sequels to come, so maybe those two kids will totally hit it off now that Valeria is out of the way and we clearly don't have Gwen or MJ to step in.

Solution #2 = Merge Them

Vulture is the stepfather to Michele Gonzalez. There is no Valeria/Liz. She doesn't move when he's arrested. You explain her erratic behavior by having her grow up with a guy that is a criminal.

The end...but with more of an explanation with solution #3....

Solution #3 = Switcharoo

Liz Allen, played by someone who is closer to Tom Holland's age, and named Liz Allen instead of Liz Toomes, is a completely different character in the film. She's the super hot popular queen of the land that is actually really bitchy, but Peter is transfixed by her and doesn't see this. All the meanwhile, he's been ignoring this girl Michele Gonzales who is a little eccentric, but much nicer to him, and who might have a crush on Peter.

Instead of getting to go to the dance with Liz, Peter "settles" for going with Ned and Michele as a "group stag" type deal as friends.

This is when we get the reveal that Vulture is Michele's stepfather, which explains why she's so goddamn weird, and suddenly, the girl in the background of the film is now so much more important, which is a better reveal.

At the end of the movie, Toomes gets sent to prison, but he has a decent relationship with Peter who not only saved his life, but also Michele's, and he also kind of commends him for befriending her even though she's an oddball. She doesn't move. She stays in New York, but now she has a better support system in Ned and Peter.

Liz, on the other hand, continues being her bitchy self and the difference isn't in her character, but in how Peter views her character. It's a lesson in how these types of people in high school sometimes turn out to never change and you don't need to deal with them the rest of your life, which is a lesson very rarely taught in movies even though it's truthful (although in my school experience, we didn't really have stereotypical jocks and cheerleaders like that, so....)

Oh. Also, Michele in any incarnation has a brother, Vin, who can either be seen having issues with Peter when he comes to pick her up for the dance or there can just be a passing reference to her saying that Vin doesn't like Peter. No biggie, just fan service and continuity.

Core Problem #2: Normal School / Characters

This idea of Peter being in a gifted school makes sense to a certain degree, but it also flies in the face of a lot of what is tantamount to the Peter Parker story.

One of the most fundamental concepts of the Spider-Man franchise is that Peter is a guy that has horrible luck and is never given the credit he deserves. He struggles in every aspect, but he still manages to find a way to be optimistic for the future and spread some laughs.

The kid loses his parents, then loses his uncle due to a decision he makes, fights crime and gets called a menace, is always struggling for money, is always criticized for being a bad friend when he's the total opposite, etc. "Brilliant but lazy" despite that being as far away from the truth as possible, for instance.

Why is he in a school filled with his peers when he should be an outsider who isn't given the chance to succeed?

Peter should be in a regular high school with a regular Flash Thompson who is totally not Tony Revolori, but more of the ilk of, I don't know, every other incarnation of the character ever, where he's a bit of a meathead jock who picks on him but eventually grows to respect him, rather than some intellectual rival?

Nitpick: Flash should throw the party, not Liz/Valeria/Michele. Flash doesn't want Peter there, and only agrees to let him come if he can produce Spider-Man to make an appearance. When he doesn't, Flash calls him a loser and voila.

These teachers in the normal school should have more references to the comic book characters as well. Just browse the bible and you'll see tons of teachers he's had in various media and insert their names instead of making up even more random ones.

For that matter, include more of those side characters that you don't have to do much with, but just round out the supporting crew. Jason Ionello popping up made me go "hmmm wow", so let's see Sally Avril and Seymour O'Reilly and Kenny Kong and Robbie Robertson and whatnot all hanging out. Nobody gives a shit who Brian "Tiny" McKeever really is, but why not allude to him by having a real quick cameo of someone as a hall monitor and then credit them as the character? It doesn't take much! Maybe instead of Betty Brant being the girl working on the news program, it's Danika Hart, too, since that's more up her alley.

Also, what's up with this weird amalgamation of Edward "Ned" Leeds and Ganke Lee? If you're going to do that, give us some supplemental material that turns into the skid by naming him Edward Ganke Lee, aka Ned.

For that matter, Harry Osborn should have at least been a contact on Peter's phone as an Easter egg. You didn't need to make him a full character in this film, but he needs to be someone in Peter's life.

Miscellaneous Extra Flaws & Nitpicking

Basically, those big problems above are the things that would have saved this movie and made it better as a whole, but there are smaller things that could have been changed as well. I'm obviously not going to nitpick every little detail, but a few things that stand out to me are as follows:

1. No Daily Bugle? –Like, at all??? Not even in the background?
2. No Netflix References? – Marvel's film and television sides clearly have issues with each other, but it isn't hard at all to throw each other a bone. One line of dialogue will make fans go crazy if you have Peter nervously say something about "the devil guy in Hell's Kitchen" or how he's not some public persona like Luke Cage. They live in the same city. Reference something.
3. Karen – The voice of the suit, nicknamed Karen, should be a reference to something in the comics, perhaps Madame Web instead.
4. Avengers Tower – If this is being sold, it better be a conversion into the Baxter Building. If not, I'm going to be pissed.
5. Washington Monument – This whole set piece felt like a contrived way to have a "save people" action scene at that point in the movie. It's out of place and it seems weird that more people can't connect the dots to Peter being Spider-Man. The decathlon should be closer to New York, perhaps upstate, to make it more convenient and easier and realistic.
6. Timeline – Lots of confusion about when this film takes place. To avoid that, just say "present day" and "The Battle of New York" instead of giving out specific years.
7. Spidey Sense - Um...where are you?

Well, there you have it—some insight into how I would have changed things in hindsight if I was magically given me the ability to do so. I might go back and edit this when the film comes out on Blu-Ray and I get a chance to watch it again (if I even want to rewatch it, that is) and either find out that my opinions have changed for the better or for the worse. Maybe I'll add things, maybe I'll tweak the current things, or maybe I'll see that I missed some details that justify the nitpicks and I'll remove them, but we'll have to see about that.

Halloween is coming up and if you're looking to dress up as a superhero, WWE superstar or anything else from pop culture, you definitely need to check out HalloweenCostumes.com

Smark Out Moment and Fanboys Anonymous are teaming up with Halloween Costumes for another contest where you can win a gift card that you can apply to anything the site has to offer, just by showing your support for our websites!

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Six winners will be chosen at random based on the Gleam competition module above. The first winner will receive $50 credit for HalloweenCostumes.com toward anything available on the site of their choosing, while five runner-ups will receive $10 in credit.

Halloween Costumes Gift Card Giveaway


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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 premiere episode of the television series Marvel's Inhumans, entitled "Behold...The Inhumans" and "Those Who Would Destroy Us"

STORY: C

Inherently, the Inhumans have always been one of the exemplary things that I'm not the biggest fan of in comics. They're kind of up their own ass, in a way. Everything reminds me of the fantasy genre, where there's tons of reliance upon a caste system, it's all very regal and traditional, and part of the kitsch value is that you're supposed to find it fun that there's a teleporting dog and a guy with hooves.

I don't.

I've always considered the Inhumans to be a poor man's Mutants, and since Marvel doesn't have the rights to the X-Men franchise, this is their "next best thing" so to speak.

I don't fault them for trying to go this route, and I probably would have tried a very similar thing if I were given the keys to the kingdom, but just because it's Marvel and the majority of what they do is amazing doesn't mean everything is a home run, and this is just boring and cheesy.

As far as this individual pilot goes, the first few minutes of it were really bad with exposition and much of what followed ended up being the same.

I also got no sense that this is in the same universe of the films, nor even Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Netflix shows. I guess they just don't give a shit, which is a shame. It isn't like the movies aren't doing a bang-up job of keeping continuity. They're even figuring out ways to do things like retroactively say Peter Parker was the kid in Iron Man 2 while this feels like it's more on par with Legion and what I'm assuming The Gifted will be (which I'm not looking forward to, by the way).

In theory, the idea of a brother becoming treasonous and overthrowing his king to usurp the throne and all that stuff is fine on paper, but it's not the best story for my personal tastes, and all the surrounding material just feels like hokum.

CHARACTERS/ACTING: D

Acting is a simple judgment: they're all pretty bad. That isn't just the main cast, but the extras and supporting roles as well. Everything just feels like the worst examples of CW acting.

Character-wise, we have such bland people in this first episode that I can't even explain much about what their traits are.

Crystal is dumb and hot, I guess? Karnak is the smart guy? Lockjaw is a fucking dog. Louise is the human counterpart and definitely nothing more than a writer's tool they realized they needed for future episodes to have the royal family connect to regular people. Medusa is...uh....something. Gorgon is just the tough guy.

Oddly, Black Bolt is the hero with the most character to him, in my mind, and he's a mute who doesn't even change his facial expressions.

Maximus is definitely the driving force and at least his #2 is hot.

Random note: what's with the rock wall dude who reminds me of Olmec from Legends of the Hidden Temple?

VISUALS (FX, MAKEUP, COSTUMES, SETS): D

Wow does this look fake. It's not the worst thing ever, so I can't give it an F, but it's pretty damn bad.

Attilan is so clearly CGI that it's like the transitioning shots of Gotham, which I've always hated.

Medusa's hair??? Did the same people work on that as the people that did the green screen effects for that one shot in The Defenders with the elevator?

Then there's Lockjaw...

Yeah, this is a fail, especially since they were supposed to be making this an IMAX gorgeous looking thing.

MUSIC & SOUND: C

To be honest, I didn't notice anything other than their use of "Paint It Black", which was interesting, but not as good as how Westworld did it.

TONE & ATMOSPHERE: C


ACTION: Why was everything so slow and choreographed? That was laughable. None of it had me on the edge of my seat. None of it was innovative or even standard for television action.

COMEDY: I didn't laugh once. Not even a chuckle or a smirk.

ROMANCE: So Medusa loves Black Bolt "because" and, well, I guess that's it.

FINAL GRADE: D

I thought there were problems with Iron Man 2. I think Thor: The Dark World is probably the weakest of the Marvel films (check my running ranking here). I was wrong in my prediction that Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man would be problematic, thankfully, as those movies are very fun. I didn't love Agent Carter and there are problems with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that bug me. The Netflix shows have been letting me down (particularly Iron Fist and The Defenders).

However, this is Marvel's first flop. This is genuinely BAD with few, if any redeeming qualities. I hate rooting against something, but I hope this doesn't last past its 8 episode breakdown, as I don't think it deserves to even go past that point just for an experiment.

I've had my fill of the Inhumans in general, but this was an opportunity to make me change my mind and be so good that it would convince me that we needed even more, and instead, it did the opposite. Now, I'm worried that The Runaways and Cloak and Dagger are going to be just as bad and just as unconnected.

I'm not sure which is a worse reasoning for how bad this is: that they might not have put any effort into it because they didn't care and they're resting on the laurels of the MCU's success, thinking they can just hit the snooze button and people will love it, or if they genuinely tried their hardest and it still came out this bad.

If it's the former, well, the critical response proves them wrong. If it's the latter, please don't hire any of these producers, writers and directors to work on anything else in the MCU ever again.

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 2017?

Blade Runner 2049

Synopsis: A young blade runner's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former blade runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.

Will I watch? = Maybe

My Little Pony: The Movie

Synopsis: A dark force threatens Ponyville, and the Mane 6 embark on an unforgettable journey beyond Equestria where they meet new friends and exciting challenges on a quest to use the magic of friendship to save their home.

Will I watch? = No

The Florida Project

Synopsis: Set over one summer, the film follows precocious 6-year-old Moonee as she courts mischief and adventure with her ragtag playmates and bonds with her rebellious but caring mother, all while living in the shadows of Disney World.

Will I watch? = No

Una

Synopsis: A woman confronts an older man, her former neighbour, to find out why he abandoned her after they had a sexual relationship when she was thirteen.

Will I watch? = No


The Snowman

Synopsis: Detective Harry Hole investigates the disappearance of a woman whose pink scarf is found wrapped around an ominous-looking snowman.

Will I watch? = No

Mother!

Synopsis: A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.

Will I watch? = No

Marshall

Synopsis: About a young Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, as he battles through one of his career-defining cases.

Will I watch? = No

The Foreigner

Synopsis: A humble businessman with a buried past seeks justice when his daughter is killed in an act of terrorism. A cat-and-mouse conflict ensues with a government official, whose past may hold clues to the killers' identities.

Will I watch? = No


Insidious: The Last Key

Synopsis: Parapsychologist Dr. Elise Rainier faces her most fearsome and personal haunting yet - in her own family home.

Will I watch? = No

Wonderstruck

Synopsis: The story of a young boy in the Midwest is told simultaneously with a tale about a young girl in New York from fifty years ago as they both seek the same mysterious connection.

Will I watch? = No

The Mountain Between Us

Synopsis: Stranded after a tragic plane crash, two strangers must forge a connection to survive the extreme elements of a remote snow covered mountain. When they realize help is not coming, they embark on a perilous journey across the wilderness.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Geostorm

Synopsis: When the network of satellites designed to control the global climate start to attack Earth, it's a race against the clock to uncover the real threat before a worldwide geostorm wipes out everything and everyone.

Will I watch? = No

Same Kind of Different as Me

Synopsis: International art dealer Ron Hall must befriend a dangerous homeless man in order to save his struggling marriage to his wife, a woman whose dreams will lead all three of them on the journey of their lives.

Will I watch? = No


Jigsaw

Synopsis: Bodies are turning up around the city, each having met a uniquely gruesome demise. As the investigation proceeds, evidence points to one man: John Kramer. But how can this be? The man known as Jigsaw has been dead for over a decade.

Will I watch? = No

All I See Is You

Synopsis: A blind woman's relationship with her husband changes when she regains her sight and discovers disturbing details about themselves.

Will I watch? = No


Well, woof. This is a bad month. I mean, really bad. I actually don't plan on seeing a single one of these movies in theaters. But hey, that's what makes this kind of fun sometimes, so let's give it a shot anyway and see which films make the cut.

6. The Snowman — Mother! looks like it's trying too hard and I wasn't as into Black Swan as other people were. Jigsaw...well, I learned my lesson with the previous films, so there's no way you're convincing me that this will be good. At least The Snowman has some potential.

5. Geostorm — This is clearly insane.

4. All I See is You — More so than any drama in the film itself, I'm more nervous about people overreacting to the movie and bitching and complaining that this is offensive to blind people.

3. The Foreigner — This is a horror heavy month, and I'm not a fan of that genre. Give me generic action over generic horror any day, even if a generic action film tends to be kind of blah. Jackie Chan is fun, though.

2. The Mountain Between Us — Normally, I don't like tension films, because I don't go to the movies to feel nervous. That's not my ideal form of entertainment. However, I was more into this trailer than all the others, for some reason.

1. Blade Runner 2049 — Admittedly, I fell asleep watching Blade Runner and it took me two times to watch it and I still didn't understand what was so great about it. It's been years since I've seen it, so maybe if I revisited it, I would appreciate it more, now that I'm older and more attuned. Generally speaking, this is the film that has a premise and a style that is much more my speed than anything else, so it tops the list.

It was recently clarified that the term DC Extended Universe (or DCEU) is actually not the official branding, and nobody within the company uses that term.

Of course, this may be an effort to move away from crossover films in general after more and more news reports keep coming out that DC is having too much of a struggle trying to sort out how their films link up, and how they may be wanting to distance themselves from the concept of one big shared universe in general.

So, keeping in mind that this is all potentially nonsense and DC could revert back to standalone films just because they didn't have the foresight and planning in mind to set up a proper outline before rushing into things, if we do see the shared universe continue, what should they call it?

Here are a few of my quick thoughts on some suggestions, just because I have nothing better to do but to brainstorm about things that someone else is being paid not to do, apparently.

DCU - DC Universe

The problem with this is that the DCU should refer to everything within the DC properties, including comics, television shows, films, animated movies, and so forth. There's nothing to distinguish it as being their connected films.

DCFU - DC Film Universe

What's funny about this, and the reason why they can't call it that, is because it has FU in it. People are already critical of how DC has handled their films, so to evoke a "fuck you" from the fan base would be disastrous.

DCCU - DC Cinematic Universe

Copying Marvel too much, eh?

DCMU - DC Movie Universe

This is the best possible option and my favorite, which I hope they adopt going forward.

It's simple, it tells you exactly what it points to (without running into an issue with people wondering if the TV shows are connected, cause they never, ever will be) and it doesn't complicate things with overly wordy language or unnecessarily confusing terms like "Extended" which never specified a damn thing.

DC Elseworlds

If this is going to be a situation where everything is only partially connected and some stories will be standalone while others won't be, just call it Elseworlds and be done with it.

Nothing

Let everyone be confused and think that everything's connected and then have to backtrack and explain things a million times like what you're doing now, not learning a single lesson along the way after all these years.

Also, cancel that Joker origin film. Nobody wants that.

Those are my thoughts on the issue, but what are your suggestions? Drop them in the comments below!

Welcome to another edition of Fanboys Fix It, where instead of just complaining about what we don't like about something, we try to figure out how we can make it better.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle was a massive disappointment for me and I couldn't help but feel after leaving the theater that there was a much better and more obvious trajectory that would have led the series in a much more solid direction that not only would have sit more comfortably with me, but could have also helped garner a higher rating from critics.

As such, I figured I would give it a crack to explain what I would do if I could go back in time knowing what I know now, and if I had the influence to change certain aspects of the story to craft what I feel would be a better film.

Keep in mind that my goal here is always to change as little as possible to make the movie as great as possible, so it isn't a complete rehaul of every idea, which is why you won't see a full-on fan fiction script below.

With that being said, how do you fix Kingsman: The Golden Circle?

Core Problem #1: Roxy

By no means should Roxy have died in this movie, under any circumstances. Not at the beginning, not in the middle, and not at the end, but CERTAINLY not at the beginning without doing a goddamn thing.

The first movie barely utilized her and this was their opportunity to fix that by having her actually be a valuable member of the team. In this modern culture where women empowerment is such a huge topic in films, they had an opportunity to give Eggsy a partner who doesn't have to be "his equal in every way" because she's not the protagonist, but she could be "as capable of an agent as Eggsy, bu tin different ways that compliment Eggsy and make them such a good pair."

My idea for Roxy in the film is that the events unfold where she is alive with Eggsy and Merlin after the attack on the agents. She continues to fight the good fight with them as a genuine member of their team who contributes just as much in certain ways. All the meanwhile, there's tension between Eggsy and Roxy because he's headstrong and cocky (in a good way, he gets results, but in a bad way, he's reckless) meanwhile she's the reliable cautious one (in a good way, she saves him from getting into too much of a mess, but in a bad way, she freezes up and that can be dangerous). Basically, this is a logical extension of their relationship from the first film to show how they still need some growing, but how they are growing as well.

There's also tension because they're partners, coworkers, friends, and there's clearly a chemistry beyond that. Yes, I'm shipping them. I know some people will criticize that idea by saying that she doesn't need to be his love interest, but why the hell does she need to not be? If you don't have an answer for that other than something political, it's not good storytelling and it isn't valid.

The story being told here is of Eggsy's increased ties to Kingsman and how it really is his life. By the end of the movie, he realizes his familial connections: Harry is like his father, Merlin is like his uncle, Roxy is his lover, and Tequila is like the older brother who picks on him or like his roughhouse hooligan buddies and best friends.

Roxy and Eggsy don't have to get married at the end, as that's rushing it. However, there could maybe be a kiss to just hint that that's where things are heading in the third film, which could at least in part deal with Eggsy having an uneasiness with his girlfriend being a spy and in danger while he doesn't want to give it up, etc etc etc.

Core Problem #2: Princess Tilde

There's absolutely no reason why she should be the love of his life who he gets married to in this movie.

The joke of the first film was a parody of the Bond girls where at the end of the movie, 007 ends up just having sex with some woman and it's good for a laugh. Tilde should have stayed entirely in that capacity.

The one and only appearance I would have had her make is some kind of a cameo for a quick laugh, like maybe she appears on his phone trying to call him for another shag or something and he just rejects the call (signifying a lack of commitment which could tie into his relationship with Roxy).

At most, if they felt they NEEDED to have her be a bigger character, she could be this ideal of a princess that Eggsy wants, but Tilde is actually a piece of shit that we slowly dislike more and more throughout the movie. By the end of it, Eggsy rejects her in favor of Roxy. The third film could have the quick cameo where she's brought up and we find out that she's become addicted to anal sex or something and by that point, we don't like her, so we're okay laughing at her expense.

Core Problem #3: Up the Ante on Familiar Jokes

When you are repeating something from before, the only way to have it have the same effect or better is to actually increase the value. With a joke, for instance, it tends to get less and less funny the more you hear it, so you have to make it funnier.

This film doesn't do that. When it repeats itself from before, it merely repeats itself. It's an echo, not a statement on the previous thing, outside of two instances that I can think of. One of which is when Eggsy and Harry are looking in the mirror at the end, but even that lacks the punch it should have because Princess Tilde is such a waste. The other is when Harry tries the "manners maketh the man" speech and isn't able to hit his target with the glass, which was executed much better.

Subverting the audience's expectations with previous jokes is the best way to get around it. Every joke that has a familiarity to it should be either a twist on the original one or it should be taking it to the next level, not just merely referencing it. If you're going to have an action set piece to a funny song, make it better than "Give It Up" was, not just something that reminds you of something better from the first movie.

Core Problem #4: The Replacement Arthur

At the end of the first film, Arthur has been killed because he was evil. Some time has passed, but I think this film would have benefited from Merlin being a temporary replacement for Arthur, while not actually being in that position.

Essentially, think of him as an interim boss. He's the most senior member of the team (outside of potentially some of the other random agents) and he's the most qualified to lead, but he is still Merlin. Being the tech guy is his bread and butter, not being the leader, so he's trying to do his best while dealing with two young recruits (Eggsy and Roxy) and seeking out a replacement Arthur.

You can even keep the struggle of him saying he wants to be in the field, and by the end of the film, he's realized his true passion is what he's been doing all along and he goes back to being the regular Merlin.

Meanwhile, Harry is rehabilitated and he becomes elected the new Arthur, which not only makes sense in the literal job capacity as Harry has shown that he has fantastic leadership capabilities, but it also solves the two Galahads problem which doesn't get resolved despite being specifically mentioned in the movie!!

Ideally, you can even hint at a romantic relationship between Ginger Ale and Merlin to illustrate how unified Kingsman and Statesman are at the end of the film, with them working side by side on missions rather than in the dark of each other.

Harry Harthur.

Miscellaneous Extra Flaws & Nitpicking

Basically, those big problems above are the things that would have saved this movie and made it better as a whole, but there are smaller things that could have been changed as well. I'm obviously not going to nitpick every little detail, but a few things that stand out to me are as follows:

1. The Ending Tease of Part 3 – My ideal ending would have included some kind of a tease that maybe other countries could branch out and create their own organizations that could pop up in the third installment, where we could see Canadian mounties or Italian mobster types and so forth.
2. The Best Friends – Just use the best friends from the first movie. Why have three brand new ones? Dumb.
3. Less Elton John – One or two jokes. That's it. This was overkill.
4. Keep Charlie Alive – Charlie shouldn't have died! He should have continued to be a pest in Eggsy's side in the third film, now with two robotic arms or maybe a robotic leg to coincide with the arm.
5. Robotic Eye – Poppy's cybernetics should have given Harry Hart (the new Arthur, mind you) a new eye that acted as the same functionality as the eyeglasses they wear with the screens on them. How did they miss this opportunity?
6. Hacking – Their watches can hack into Charlie's arm, but not the briefcase with the access code?

Well, there you have it—some insight into how I would have changed things in hindsight if I was magically given me the ability to do so. I might go back and edit this when the film comes out on Blu-Ray and I get a chance to watch it again (if I even want to rewatch it, that is) and either find out that my opinions have changed for the better or for the worse. Maybe I'll add things, maybe I'll tweak the current things, or maybe I'll see that I missed some details that justify the nitpicks and I'll remove them, but we'll have to see about that.

On the latest edition of the Fanboys Anonymous Reviewpoint podcast, host Tony Mango breaks down the hits and misses of Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

What were the positives and negatives of the film and did it live up to the hype, or was it a disappointment?

Check out the podcast below on YouTube, iTunes, and Stitcher. Make sure to subscribe and tell us your thoughts on the film in the comments below!

With their headquarters destroyed and the world held hostage, members of Kingsman find new allies when they discover a spy organization in the United States known as Statesman. In an adventure that tests their strength and wits, the elite secret agents from both sides of the pond band together to battle a ruthless enemy and save the day, something that's becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy.

The 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be taking place September 17, 2017,  hosted by Stephen Colbert at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles California, broadcast by CBS.

Stay tuned for updates on the list of the winners and results from all of the categories.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Atlanta (FX)
Black-ish (ABC)
Master of None (Netflix)
Modern Family (ABC)
Silicon Valley (HBO)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Veep (HBO)

WINNER: Veep (HBO)

Outstanding Drama Series

Better Call Saul (AMC)
The Crown (Netflix)
The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
House of Cards (Netflix)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
This Is Us (NBC)
Westworld (HBO)

WINNER: The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)

Outstanding Variety Talk Series

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)
Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

WINNER: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series

Billy on the Street (truTV)
Documentary Now! (IFC)
Drunk History (Comedy Central)
Portlandia (IFC)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Tracey Ullman's Show (HBO)

WINNER: Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Outstanding Limited Series

Big Little Lies (HBO)
Fargo (FX)
Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)
Genius (National Geographic)
The Night Of (HBO)

WINNER: Big Little Lies (HBO)

Outstanding Television Movie

Black Mirror: "San Junipero" (Netflix)
Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love (NBC)
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (HBO)
Sherlock: "The Lying Detective" (PBS)
The Wizard of Lies (HBO)

WINNER: Black Mirror: "San Junipero" (Netflix)

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program

The Amazing Race (CBS)
American Ninja Warrior (NBC)
Project Runway (Lifetime)
RuPaul's Drag Race (VH1)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Voice (NBC)

WINNER: The Voice (NBC)


Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson as Andre "Dre" Johnson, Sr. on Black-ish (ABC)
Aziz Ansari as Dev Shah on Master of None (Netflix)
Zach Galifianakis as Chip Baskets and Dale Baskets on Baskets (FX)
Donald Glover as Earnest "Earn" Marks on Atlanta (FX)
William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher on Shameless (Showtime)
Jeffrey Tambor as Maura Pfefferman on Transparent (Amazon)

WINNER: Donald Glover as Earnest "Earn" Marks on Atlanta (FX)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Pamela Adlon as Sam Fox on Better Things (FX)
Jane Fonda as Grace Hanson on Grace and Frankie (Netflix)
Allison Janney as Bonnie Plunkett on Mom (CBS)
Ellie Kemper as Kimmy Schmidt on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer on Veep (HBO)
Tracee Ellis Ross as Dr. Rainbow "Bow" Johnson on Black-ish (ABC)
Lily Tomlin as Frankie Bergstein on Grace and Frankie (Netflix)

WINNER: Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer on Veep (HBO)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson on This Is Us (NBC)
Anthony Hopkins as Robert Ford on Westworld (HBO)
Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill on Better Call Saul (AMC)
Matthew Rhys as Philip Jennings on The Americans (FX)
Liev Schreiber as Ray Donovan on Ray Donovan (Showtime)
Kevin Spacey as President Frank Underwood on House of Cards (Netflix)
Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson on This Is Us (NBC)

WINNER: Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson on This Is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Viola Davis as Annalise Keating on How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)
Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown (Netflix)
Elisabeth Moss as Offred on The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Keri Russell as Elizabeth Jennings on The Americans (FX)
Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores Abernathy on Westworld (HBO)
Robin Wright as President Claire Underwood on House of Cards (Netflix)

WINNER: Elisabeth Moss as Offred on The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Riz Ahmed as Nasir "Naz" Khan on The Night Of (HBO)
Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes on Sherlock: "The Lying Detective" (PBS)
Robert De Niro as Bernie Madoff on The Wizard of Lies (HBO)
Ewan McGregor as Ray Stussy and Emmit Stussy on Fargo (FX)
Geoffrey Rush as Albert Einstein on Genius (National Geographic)
John Turturro as John Stone on The Night Of (HBO)

WINNER: Riz Ahmed as Nasir "Naz" Khan on The Night Of (HBO)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Carrie Coon as Gloria Burgle on Fargo (FX)
Felicity Huffman as Jeanette Hesby on American Crime (ABC)
Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright on Big Little Lies (HBO)
Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford on Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)
Susan Sarandon as Bette Davis on Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)
Reese Witherspoon as Madeline Martha Mackenzie on Big Little Lies (HBO)

WINNER: Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright on Big Little Lies (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Louie Anderson as Christine Baskets on Baskets (FX)
Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Tituss Burgess as Titus Andromedon on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy on Modern Family (ABC)
Tony Hale as Gary Walsh on Veep (HBO)
Matt Walsh as Mike McLintock on Veep (HBO)

WINNER: Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Vanessa Bayer as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Anna Chlumsky as Amy Brookheimer on Veep (HBO)
Kathryn Hahn as Raquel Fein on Transparent (Amazon)
Leslie Jones as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Judith Light as Shelly Pfefferman on Transparent (Amazon)
Kate McKinnon as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (NBC)

WINNER: Kate McKinnon as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut on Better Call Saul (AMC)
Ron Cephas Jones as William H. Hill on This Is Us (NBC)
David Harbour as Jim Hopper on Stranger Things (Netflix)
Michael Kelly as Doug Stamper on House of Cards (Netflix)
John Lithgow as Winston Churchill on The Crown (Netflix)
Mandy Patinkin as Saul Berenson on Homeland (Showtime)
Jeffrey Wright as Bernard Lowe on Westworld (HBO)

WINNER: John Lithgow as Winston Churchill on The Crown (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Uzo Aduba as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren on Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven on Stranger Things (Netflix)
Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia on The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Chrissy Metz as Kate Pearson on This Is Us (NBC)
Thandie Newton as Maeve Millay on Westworld (HBO)
Samira Wiley as Moira on The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)

WINNER: Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia on The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Bill Camp as Dennis Box on The Night Of (HBO)
Alfred Molina as Robert Aldrich on Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)
Alexander Skarsgård as Perry Wright on Big Little Lies (HBO)
David Thewlis as V.M. Varga on Fargo (FX)
Stanley Tucci as Jack Warner on Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)
Michael K. Williams as Freddy Knight on The Night Of (HBO)

WINNER: Alexander Skarsgård as Perry Wright on Big Little Lies (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Judy Davis as Hedda Hopper on Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)
Laura Dern as Renata Klein on Big Little Lies (HBO)
Jackie Hoffman as Mamacita on Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)
Regina King as Kimara Walters on American Crime (ABC)
Michelle Pfeiffer as Ruth Madoff on The Wizard of Lies (HBO)
Shailene Woodley as Jane Chapman on Big Little Lies (HBO)

WINNER: Laura Dern as Renata Klein on Big Little Lies (HBO)


Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

Atlanta (Episode: "B.A.N."), Directed by Donald Glover (FX)
Silicon Valley (Episode: "Intellectual Property"), Directed by Jamie Babbit (HBO)
Silicon Valley (Episode: "Server Error"), Directed by Mike Judge (HBO)
Veep (Episode: "Blurb"), Directed by Morgan Sackett (HBO)
Veep (Episode: "Groundbreaking"), Directed by David Mandel (HBO)
Veep (Episode: "Justice"), Directed by Dale Stern (HBO)

WINNER: Atlanta (Episode: "B.A.N."), Directed by Donald Glover (FX)

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

Better Call Saul (Episode: "Witness"), Directed by Vince Gilligan (AMC)
The Crown (Episode: "Hyde Park Corner"), Directed by Stephen Daldry (Netflix)
The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Offred"), Directed by Reed Morano (Hulu)
The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "The Bridge"), Directed by Kate Dennis (Hulu)
Homeland (Episode: "America First"), Directed by Lesli Linka Glatter (Showtime)
Stranger Things (Episode: "Chapter One: The Vanishing Of Will Byers"), Directed by The Duffer Brothers (Netflix)
Westworld (Episode: "The Bicameral Mind"), Directed by Jonathan Nolan (HBO)

WINNER: The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Offred"), Directed by Reed Morano (Hulu)

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Presents Not The White House Correspondents' Dinner, Directed by Paul Pennolino (TBS)
Stephen Colbert's Live Election Night Democracy's Series Finale: Who's Going To Clean Up This Sh*t?, Directed by Jim Hoskinson (Showtime)
89th Academy Awards, Directed by Glenn Weiss (ABC)
Tony Bennett Celebrates 90: The Best Is Yet to Come, Directed by Jerry Foley (NBC)

WINNER: 89th Academy Awards, Directed by Glenn Weiss (ABC)

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series

Drunk History (Episode: "Hamilton"), Directed by Jeremy Konner & Derek Waters (Comedy Central)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (Episode: "The (RED) Show"), Directed by Andy Fisher (ABC)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Episode: "Multi-Level Marketing"), Directed by Paul Pennolino (HBO)
Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Jimmy Fallon"), Directed by Don Roy King (NBC)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (Episode: "Episode 0179"), Directed by Jim Hoskinson (CBS)

WINNER: Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Jimmy Fallon"), Directed by Don Roy King (NBC)

Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special

Big Little Lies, Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (HBO)
Fargo (Episode: "The Law of Vacant Places"), Directed by Noah Hawley (FX)
Feud: Bette and Joan (Episode: "And The Winner Is… (The Oscars of 1963)"), Directed by Ryan Murphy (FX)
Genius (Episode: "Einstein: Chapter One"), Directed by Ron Howard (National Geographic)
The Night Of (Episode: "The Art of War"), Directed by James Marsh (HBO)
The Night Of (Episode: "The Beach"), Directed by Steve Zaillian (HBO)

WINNER: Big Little Lies, Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (HBO)



Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Atlanta (Episode: "B.A.N."), Written by Donald Glover (FX)
Atlanta (Episode: "Streets on Lock"), Written by Stephen Glover (FX)
Silicon Valley (Episode: "Success Failure"), Written by Alec Berg (HBO)
Master of None (Episode: "Thanksgiving"), Written by Aziz Ansari & Lena Waithe (Netflix)
Veep (Episode: "Georgia"), Written by Billy Kimball (HBO)
Veep (Episode: "Groundbreaking"), Written by David Mandel (HBO)

WINNER: Master of None (Episode: "Thanksgiving"), Written by Aziz Ansari & Lena Waithe (Netflix)

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

The Americans (Episode: "The Soviet Division"), Written by Joel Fields & Joe Weisberg (FX)
Better Call Saul (Episode: "Chicanery"), Written by Gordon Smith (AMC)
The Crown (Episode: "Assassins"), Written by Peter Morgan (Netflix)
The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Offred"), Written by Bruce Miller (FX)
Stranger Things (Episode: "Chapter One: The Vanishing Of Will Byers"), Written by The Duffer Brothers (Netflix)
Westworld (Episode: "The Bicameral Mind"), Written by Lisa Joy & Jonathan Nolan (HBO)

WINNER: The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Offred"), Written by Bruce Miller (FX)

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Presents Not The White House Correspondents' Dinner (TBS)
Louis C.K. 2017, Written by Louis C.K. (Netflix)
Sarah Silverman: A Speck Of Dust, Written by Sarah Silverman (Netflix)
Stephen Colbert's Live Election Night Democracy's Series Finale: Who's Going To Clean Up This Sh*t? (Showtime)
70th Annual Tony Awards (CBS)

WINNER: Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Presents Not The White House Correspondents' Dinner (TBS)

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)

WINNER: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special

Big Little Lies, Written by David E. Kelley (HBO)
Black Mirror (Episode: "San Junipero"), Written by Charlie Brooker (Netflix)
Fargo (Episode: "The Law of Vacant Places"), Written by Noah Hawley (FX)
Feud: Bette and Joan (Episode: "And The Winner Is... (The Oscars of 1963)"), Written by Ryan Murphy
Feud: Bette and Joan (Episode: "Pilot"), Written by Jaffe Cohen, Michael Zam & Ryan Murphy
The Night Of (Episode: "The Call of the Wild"), Written by Richard Price and Steven Zaillian

WINNER: Black Mirror (Episode: "San Junipero"), Written by Charlie Brooker (Netflix)

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 September 2017?

Unlocked

Synopsis: A CIA interrogator is lured into a ruse that puts London at risk of a biological attack.

Will I watch? = No

Dolores

Synopsis: Dolores Huerta bucks 1950s gender conventions by starting the country's first farm worker's union with fellow organizer Cesar Chavez. What starts out as a struggle for racial and labor justice, soon becomes a fight for gender equality within the same union she is eventually forced to leave. As she wrestles with raising 11 children, three marriages, and is nearly beaten to death by a San Francisco tactical police squad, Dolores emerges with a vision that connects her new found feminism with racial and class justice.

Will I watch? = No

Viceroy's House

Synopsis: The final Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, is tasked with overseeing the transition of British India to independence, but meets with conflict as different sides clash in the face of monumental change.

Will I watch? = No

Hazlo Como Hombre

Synopsis: Raúl, Eduardo and Santiago have led a happy and "straight" life since their childhood, until, one day, Santiago confesses to them that he is gay.

Will I watch? = No

The Teacher

Synopsis: Since the arrival of the new teacher, Maria Drazdechova, to a Bratislava suburban school in the year of 1983, life has turned upside down for students and parents. The teacher's corrupted behavior and one of the students' suicide attempt that could be related to that matter, makes the school Principal call the students' parents for an urgent meeting that will suddenly put the future of all the families at stake. They are asked to sign a petition to move Miss Drazdechova out of the school. The teacher's high connections within the Communist Party makes everyone feel threatened, but at this point they have no choice but to make a decision: will they dare to go against Miss Drazdechova and stand up for what they believe in at any risk, or will they just remain silent and let things be?

Will I watch? = No

Temple

Synopsis: Three American tourists follow a mysterious map deep into the jungles of Japan searching for an ancient temple. When spirits entrap them, their adventure quickly becomes a horrific nightmare.

Will I watch? = No

Jackals

Synopsis: Set in the 1980s, an estranged family hires a cult deprogrammer to take back their teenage son from a murderous cult, but find themselves under siege when the cultists surround their cabin, demanding the boy back.

Will I watch? = No


It

Synopsis: A group of bullied kids with troubled family lives, band together when a monster, taking the appearance of a clown, begins hunting children.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Home Again

Synopsis: Life for a single mom in Los Angeles takes an unexpected turn when she allows three young guys to move in with her.

Will I watch? = No

The Good Catholic

Synopsis: Daniel loved his job as a small town priest more than anything. Then he met Jane. God help him.

Will I watch? = No

Poster Boys

Synopsis: Life of three men comes in trouble when their photos appear on advertisement for sterilization.

Will I watch? = No

9/11

Synopsis: A group of 5 people find themselves trapped in an elevator in the World Trade Center's North Tower on 9/11. They work together, never giving up hope, to try to escape before the unthinkable happens.

Will I watch? = No

School Life

Synopsis: Long careers are drawing to a close for John and Amanda, who teach Latin, English, and guitar at a stately home-turned-school, where they are legends with a mantra: "Reading. 'Rithmetic. Rock 'n' roll!" But leaving is the hardest lesson.

Will I watch? = No

Trophy

Synopsis: This in-depth look into the powerhouse industries of big-game hunting, breeding and wildlife conservation in the U.S. and Africa unravels the complex consequences of treating animals as commodities.

Will I watch? = No

The Unknown Girl

Synopsis: A woman gets obsessed with the case of a dead woman after learning that the woman had died shortly after having rung her door for help.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Napping Princess

Synopsis: Kokone has university exams to prepare for, but instead she dozes off. Even when her father is unceremoniously arrested prior to the Tokyo Olympics and the family is hiding away a mystery or two she finds herself taking refuge in sleep where thrills await her. Could there be more to her dreams?

Will I watch? = No


Mother!

Synopsis: A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.

Will I watch? = No

American Assassin

Synopsis: A story centered on counterterrorism agent Mitch Rapp.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Brad's Status

Synopsis: A father takes his son to tour colleges on the East Coast and meets up with an old friend who makes him feel inferior about his life's choices.

Will I watch? = No

Rebel in the Rye

Synopsis: The life of celebrated but reclusive author, J.D. Salinger, who gained worldwide fame with the publication of his novel, The Catcher in the Rye.

Will I watch? = No

All I See Is You

Synopsis: A blind woman's relationship with her husband changes when she regains her sight and discovers disturbing details about themselves.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Because Of Grácia

Synopsis: Two high-school couples explore friendship and dating along dissimilar lines, leading to courage and transformation for one teen and a personal crisis for another.

Will I watch? = No


Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Synopsis: When their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage, the Kingsman's journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organization in the US. These two elite secret organizations must band together to defeat a common enemy.

Will I watch? = Yes

The LEGO Ninjago Movie

Synopsis: Six young ninjas Lloyd, Jay, Kai, Cole, Zane and Nya are tasked with defending their island home, called Ninjago. By night, they're gifted warriors, using their skills and awesome fleet of vehicles to fight villains and monsters. By day, they're ordinary teens struggling against their greatest enemy: high school.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Battle of the Sexes

Synopsis: The true story of the 1973 tennis match between World number one Billie Jean King and ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Friend Request

Synopsis: When a college student unfriends a mysterious girl online, she finds herself fighting a demonic presence that wants to make her lonely by killing her closest friends.

Will I watch? = No

Victoria and Abdul

Synopsis: Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim.

Will I watch? = No

Stronger

Synopsis: A victim of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 helps the police track down the killers while struggling to recover from devastating trauma.

Will I watch? = No

Woodshock

Synopsis: A woman falls deeper into paranoia after taking a deadly drug.

Will I watch? = No

The Tiger Hunter

Synopsis: A young Indian man relocates to 1970s Chicago to become an engineer, but when his job falls through, resorts to an elaborate charade with misfit friends in order to woo his childhood sweetheart.

Will I watch? = No

The King's Choice

Synopsis: On the 9th of April 1940, the German war machine arrive in the city of Oslo. The Norwegian King faces a choice that will change his country forever.

Will I watch? = No

Bobbi Jene

Synopsis: "Bobbi Jene" is a love story, portraying the dilemmas and inevitable consequences of ambition. It is a film about a woman's fight for independence, a woman trying to succeed with her own art in the extremely competitive world of dance.

Will I watch? = No


American Made

Synopsis: A pilot lands work for the CIA and as a drug runner in the south during the 1980s.

Will I watch? = Yes

Flatliners

Synopsis: Five medical students, obsessed by what lies beyond the confines of life, embark on a daring experiment: by stopping their hearts for short periods, each triggers a near-death experience - giving them a firsthand account of the afterlife.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Super Dark Times

Synopsis: Teenagers Zach and Josh have been best friends their whole lives, but when a gruesome accident leads to a cover-up, the secret drives a wedge between them and propels them down a rabbit hole of escalating paranoia and violence.

Will I watch? = No

A Question of Faith

Synopsis: When tragedy strikes three families, their destiny forces them on a converging path to discover God's love, grace and mercy as the challenges of their fate could also resurrect their beliefs.

Will I watch? = No

Lucky

Synopsis: The spiritual journey of a ninety-year-old atheist.

Will I watch? = No

Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton

Synopsis: This is the remarkable story of an American icon who changed the sport of big wave surfing forever. Transcending the surf genre, this in-depth portrait of a hard-charging athlete explores the fear, courage and ambition that push a man to greatness-and the cost that comes with it.

Will I watch? = No


Which films make the cut?

6. Battle of the Sexes — I almost gave this spot to It, but I don't like horror movies and I think if push came to shove, I'd go with this one because I do have a horror-esque movie on this list already at #5. Battle of the Sexes looks like it's a bit of Oscar bait, but for not being interested at all in the history of this, nor tennis in general, the trailer had me thinking maybe.

5. Flatliners — Admittedly, I'd be more interested in this is if were more of a drama and less of a thriller, but the premise seems really cool and I'm curious how they try to explain the afterlife stuff.

4. American Assassin — I like Dylan O'Brien and Michael Keaton and I had actually written this movie down on my phone after seeing a trailer for it a few months back. This is definitely more of a rent later than a theater watch, but I still think it could be really solid.

3. American Made — Just like the aforementioned movie, this is something I wrote down in my phone at the theater when the trailer came on. I instantly knew it would be something that could be up my alley and I'm glad to see Tom Cruise doing something a little different.

2. The Lego Ninjago Movie — While I don't love the first movie as much as most people, I looooooved The Lego Batman Movie. I have no attachment to this Ninjago thing, nor do I even know what it is, but I'll give it a shot.

1. Kingsman: The Golden Circle — Just take my money already.

After 5 seasons of buildup, Marvel's The Defenders is finally here! This is the culmination of the adventures of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist which will see those four and their allies team up to save New York City from the evil threat of The Hand.

All 8 episodes will be released at 3am EST on Netflix and per usual, this post will be documenting my running commentary of thoughts as I binge watch every episode. I'll be adding notes almost as a stream of consciousness and when the series has concluded, I'll be wrapping everything up with a full season recap and review to see just how good or bad the overall package was and the hits and misses in a Reviewpoint podcast video.

So I invite you to follow along and to leave your thoughts in the comments below just the same!

Episode 1 - "The H Word"

- Starting off with Iron Fist after that season had so many struggles? Bold move, Marvel.
- The war you're fighting is in New York City. Of course it is. It's never in Barnum, Minnesota or something.
- ♫ Closing time. You don't have to go home, Jessica Jones, but you can't...stay...here. ♫
- So that whole cliffhanger of Luke Cage being in jail was just immediately rendered a moot point? Lazy.
- Foggy's haircut. Much better.
- Aaron, it's only going to get harder from here, because you're going to have to fight The Hand's offshoot called The Leg. Sorry pal.
- Every time I see a hallway, I expect to see a fight.
- These green screen shots of the earthquake remind me of Gotham and not in a good way.
- Hottie alert. We've got Elektra.
- So why isn't Tony Stark's Iron Legion helping with this earthquake?

Episode 2 - "Mean Right Hook"

- "Who are you?" / "I'm Batman....I mean, Blindman...I mean, Daredevil. Fuck, you saw my face. Forget I said that."
- Shout out to The Incident.
- "It's about fault." Oooh, Danny, bad choice of words right after an earthquake. C'mon, man.
- I still wish they'd throw out more references to the movies. I know we just got something about The Incident, but when talking about the FBI and Homeland Security investigating, would it kill them to say S.H.I.E.L.D. is as well? Or that Damage Control is cleaning up the earthquake?
- Turk!!!!!!! I love how this dude keeps showing up.
- Is it wrong that I feel no sense of danger for someone like Malcolm because I assume he's coming back for the next season of Jessica Jones and thus, won't be killed off here? Unintentional story block.
- Stick!!! The man!

Episode 3 - "Worst Behavior"

- Oh man, I have no idea what Alexandra is eating, but it looks like it could be amazing, or the worst dog food in the world. Also, this is clue #2 that she's pretty ancient.
- I still think the Black Sky name is weird. My original thought was that it would tie into a Blade appearance where it had something to do with vampires and the moonlight and resurrection. That still might pan out, even if Elektra isn't a true vampire or something. But c'mon, all the blood and coming back to life and all? Send Blade up in this shit.
- On the other side is darkness? Well that's depressing.
- That random wipe transition in the Elektra training scene was so jarring!
- Stick cuts off his own hand that easily and just basically grunts about it? Crazy old bastard.
- Stop me if you've heard this joke before. So a white guy, a black guy, a Hispanic girl and an Asian girl walk into a dojo...
- This poor fucking woman. All 3 kids. Goddamn.
- "Where's the fist?" I don't know, Stick. You're the one who cut it off. Where IS your fist? I'll be here all night, folks. Tip your waitress!
- We knew a hallway fight was inevitable at some point. It'd be hilarious if The Punisher just showed up here and started shooting since that's not the same type of thing you can pull off in a hallway action scene. Well, unless you're Hit-Girl.

Episode 4 - "Royal Dragon"

- Oh fuck, I'm going to want Chinese food again, aren't I?
- I like Danny as the comedic relief, like he's supposed to be in this group.
- "My name is Matthew." Perfect time for a pee break. By the way, I dig how the MCU treats secret identities. Realistically, a situation like this calls for protocol to be broken. The average person on the street knowing Luke Cage is one thing, but knowing who Daredevil is is a different thing. The other Defenders, though, need that info.
- We're halfway through this and nothing about IGH?
- Yup. Pork dumplings would be awesome right about now.
- Stick is going to die, isn't he?

Episode 5 - "Take Shelter"

- How come Danny's punches did nothing to Luke Cage but Elektra and everyone else can hurt him so easily?
- So Karen's definitely not going to die either. Colleen shouldn't bite the bullet. Claire is still a possibility, along with Stick.
- Looks like he won't be wearing any white hats any time soon.

Episode 6 - "Ashes, Ashes"

- Why do I feel like this in-fighting about Iron Fist is meant to pad the run time when they realized they didn't have an action beat for this episode? I hope it's for the fight to determine whether Daredevil leads the crew or not.
- Nevermind, Jessica is getting involved...and now Luke, so it's just Danny versus the world.
- Finally we're talking about the hole.
- "You should see my place." He can't, Jessica. He's blind. How insensitive...tsk tsk...
- I can't help feeling like Madame Gao is totally still who I'd rather have in charge instead of Alexandra. Gao FTW.
- Danny Rand and Luke Cage do belong together....as Heroes for Hire...like this series should go in the future instead of having solo extra seasons for each individual character. Give me an anthology Heroes for Hire thing where anybody can crossover at any time.
- So how do Jessica and Matt know that Stick is about to kill Danny?
- Fuuuuuuuuuuuck I knew Stick would end up dying. :(
- "We're not so different, you and I." - We couldn't escape that trope, could we?
- Yesssssssss Elektra you sexy minx you! But still, why did you kill Stick?

Episode 7 - "Fish in the Jailhouse"

- I assume this episode is going to make me want to eat fish, since we've already covered a bunch of other foods? Or maybe it'll make me want prison food.
- Still waiting on that Punisher appearance, guys.
- Is it wrong how often I get distracted by Simone Missick's giant boobs when she's in a scene? Jesus. Big fan.
- Did the Stan Lee cameo picture pass by yet?
- 3 on 3? Please tell me Luke Cage fights Madame Gao hahahaha.
- "You and I, we're the same." - Again?

Episode 8 - "The Defenders"

- Dragons? Dinosaurs?
- I really hope this ends with a full on Heroes for Hire organization being formed with all of these allies and heroes.
- Ooof, some more bad CGI green screen stuff going on here with that elevator and the tunnel.
- Yeah we're not going to get Iron Fist in costume or The Punisher, I guess. That's lame.
- Oh shit, Misty's arm! I guess Danny fronts the bill for the prosthetic?
- So how do they get Matt out of this one? Tune in to Daredevil season 3 folks!
- Hm. That's it? Well that feels underwhelming for a finale.