Mr. Hakujin

I meant to try it last week but got into Peaky Blinders S3 and OITNB S5 instead. I'm hoping to get around to this sometime this week. I'll chime when I finish it up.

Just saw the new S4 trailer and was coming in to post it, but Newt beat me to it. It looks great. Sucks it's another 6 weeks until the premiere though...

Yeah, it was a killer season. Not GoT level, but still... Can't wait to see S4 and how this all ends (or doesn't) for Ezra & co.

It's probably one of the best sit-coms ever. Definitely in my top 10. I'm guessing Harmon's contributions to R&M are what finally motivated you to watch this series. Be prepared though...Harmon wasn't part of S5 and then he came back for a shortened, uneven S6 on Yahoo. I thought it had a decent finale. I also highly recommend the documentary HARMONTOWN. I believe it's still on Netflix.

Damn, at the "height" of wizard's circulation they were only just over 100,000? No wonder the magazine went under. I would've thought it would've been at least double those numbers at its apex. Guess the community was smaller than I thought. Also, that price tag was pretty high so I'm wondering if that number is just monthly subscribers. I'm sure for some of their bigger issues they would've had to of sold more than 100,000 copies, right? I want to say my first issue of wizard also had Spawn on the cover, but I'm not sure if it's the same one that Alex posted. I would have to do some serious digging to unearth my old Wizards. I do remember it had a poster of that Spawn cover that Todd McFarlane did after himself for Spiderman number one. That thing was on my wall for ages.

So we're ignoring the Sarah Connor Chronicles completely?

Agreed. And at least one scene with oversized shoulder pads.

S3 trailer dropped with a voice I don't really recognize from the show reading a rearranged and altered version of Leonard Cohen's "Democracy." Honestly, I've watched so much TV and film in the year since S2 aired that I really need to go back and read up again on S2 and rewatch the finale before S3 begins. Looking at my last post in here and I can't quite recall who Trenton & Mobley even are. The Muslim girl and fat white guy from FSociety?

It's as much a breakdown of what didn't work in the reboot as it is why the original is such a classic. So I dug the analysis of the latter. Also, Plinkett really hates Paul Feig. A lot. Maybe even more than George Lucas.

Yeah, saw that trailer before, ASC. However, It's not a technical Defenders trailer but rather a MARVEL on Netflix trailer. That tag on the end is likely a reference to his upcoming series and not a 100% confirmation he's showing up in Defenders.

Do we think Frank is going to make a cameo in Defenders to segue into the Punisher series? Seems like a safe bet, right? Also, was there anything that came out around SDCC'17 regarding the number of episodes for the series? I wanna say I remember reading it'd only be 4 episodes.

All the hype around S3 returning reminded me I never got around to watching S2! So I just finished rewatching S1 yesterday and am now finally on to squanching S2. This is much better than the storyboard version I found earlier this summer. I am in pain. Please help me!

Man, that's a bummer to hear about Atomic Blonde. Valerian is another film I was looking forward to seeing but got absolutely horrible reviews. *sigh* I'll probably still see Valerian this week for a matinee though because Luc Besson. Quick rundown of most of the films I have seen this summer: Chasing Coral - A+ Wonder Woman - A- Spidey Homecoming - A Guardians vol. 2 - A- Big Sick - B The Hero - B Baby Driver - B+ Dunkirk - B Alien Covenant - B- CHiPs - C Incredible Jessica James - C War for PotA - C+ King Arthur Legend of the Sword - C+ PotC Dead Men Tell No Tales - C It Comes at Night - C Bayformers 5 - D

Thanos looks like a California Raisin on steroids without his helmet. Cover that shit up, fam. Gone. :/

I watched the first episode and just haven't mustered up the interest to get around to the rest. Someone spoiled for me a big death that happens though...

When recently asked why bring back the show after five years, Larry David had the absolute perfect Larry David reply: "Why not?" List of guest stars confirmed for S9. I started rewatching S1 last week and S1E1 "Pants Tent" still holds up as comedy gold 17 years later.

Harrumph. No wonder I couldn't find any good shit when I was there.

James Gunn just came. Seriously though, I'm not sure if Gunn would like that or not. I think he definitely has a trilogy in mind for Peter Quill, and as long as he gets to do that he'll be happy. I was talking the other day with my friend who owns a comic shop, and he's defiantly certain that MCU Phase IV will involve the Silver Surfer and Fantastic 4. Actually, he's of the mind that silver surfer will show up in one of the two upcoming Avengers Infinitiy War films, but I don't see how that's going to happen unless it's the second one. Maybe. Feige worked magic with SONY and Spidey, maybe he can do the same with Fox & the F4 characters. But apparently not with Hulk and Universal though. I wonder if since the Mummy was such a colossal flop they'll try and work the Hulk into their new "monster verse"? Crazier shit has happened.

Axel's right in that the title of the film and the trailers are misleading. There is very little "war" or action in general in this film. I was with it all the way in the first two acts when it kind of felt like Logan--that is, a western but mashed up with apes and a revenge film though. But that third act totally lost me. Curious to read what others thought of the film. Dude, have you ever seen Beasts of the Southern Wild? I straight up had tears rolling down my face when I saw that movie in the theater for one scene, and that was on a second date. My date said she felt that she was getting "misty eyed" but never actually cried. Huh? Done, son! I can't be with anyone that couldn't shed a tear for Hushpuppy or her journey.

On a bit of a documentary kick this summer. Blackfish A+ Engaging and enlightening documentary on orcas in captivity and numerous injuries and deaths orcas have caused to their trainers while in captivity. The film centers round a case OSHA made against Sea World after trainer Dawn Brancheau was violently mutilated and killed in 2010 by the same orca that killed another female trainer 20 years prior. Chasing Coral A+ A Netflix documentary about the devastating effect global warming is having on the coral population around the world and why it is so important. This doc is not only beautifully shot and scored, but it did exactly what a great documentary is supposed to do: it entertained, connected, and educated the audience regarding the subject matter. Climate change and its effects will not lessen over night, but this doc left me feeling hopeful that we will make progress before it’s to late for the coral and us. Chaos on the Bridge A William Shatner made a documentary about ST:TNG? Yes he did. And it's awesome! I would’ve given this film an A+, but it needed about 20 more minutes. Seriously, I did not want this documentary to end. Writers, studio executives, producers, and actors from the series talk very candidly to Shatner as he does a surprisingly great job of interviewing them all. A total must see for any ST:TNG fan! GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling B+ It’s a short but sweet documentary on the surprisingly popular late 80s wrestling show and the men and women who brought it to life. It clearly inspired the creators of the Netflix series, and if you liked season one of the show then this is a must see. Going Clear A Excellent HBO doc on the history of Scientology and how its practices of intimidation, extortion, and outright abuse have made it a billion dollar institution. Know Your Enemy – Japan [1945] A Directed by Frank Capra and narrated by Walter Houston & Dana Andrews, this 1945 US military funded propaganda film starts off with a disclaimer about the “Nisei” or second generation Japanese-Americans born in America, who love America, and even fought for America in WWII, but then it ends with saying this film isn’t about them—it’s about “the Japs in Japan.” Damn. Netflix has some balls putting this up, but it’s an unfiltered look at a very specific point in American history. It’s propaganda for sure, but it’s also meant to explain to Americans (soldiers especially) exactly how Japan came to be an enemy of the USA. There were a few whitewashes I noticed, like the part about Commodore Perry “extending the hand of friendship” in order to open trade with Japan in the 1800s. However, there was a lot of accurate and surprisingly unbiased information considering the cultural climate in which this film was made. Secrets of Selfridges B This is a short PBS doc on American retail pioneer H.G. Selfridge who created the titular department store in London in the early 1900s. He was so good at retail that he revolutionized the way shopping was done all over the world and many of his techniques are still used today to get us to enjoy shopping so much that we just can’t stop. Huzzah consumerism! Starring Adam West A This entertaining documentary takes an unflinching look at the highs and lows of Adam West’s personal and professional lives. It is set around the premise of a superfan, and LA radio host, trying to get West a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Interspersed with the struggle to get him his recognition, is a look back on the career of the winsome and affable Adam West. The Pirate Bay - Away From Keyboard B This documentary about the Swedish trio of guys who started the massively popular torrent sharing site and their trial (and following round of appeals in Sweden circa 2008-2012) offers an interesting, if incomplete look at the lives of these three men at this time. It also focuses on how file sharing and Net Neutrality are interwoven in a fragile thread that big business wants to have global governments sever.

Here's the original article with the full rundown of the lawsuit. Damn that shit is complicated. Basically it's the same studio tactics of telling the talent they get a "percent of the profits" but then suddenly there are no "profits." Another article with Darabont's explanation/justification for the savage tone of his emails is here.

Count your blessings. I saw Apes tonight and it was disappointing. It was just so . . . boring. Second worst film I've seen this summer after Transformers 5.

Glad Amazon picked this up for a full season. The costume looks better than the pilot, but it's still off. The armor look is kind ameh. I dig Arthur's look though. Didn't get a good look at many supporting characters in the trailer, but I hope that doesn't mean we won't see any versions of the cartoon characters pop up.

I finally saw this last night and I have to say it was definitely the most fun I've ever had watching a Spidey movie. It's really second only to the first GOTG film in the sheer fun I had while watching it. I'd really have to rewatch Raimi's Spider-Man 2 before I could call Homecoming the "best" Spider-Man film though. But these two Spidey films certainly are damn close in overall quality. So, IMHO, it's not hyperbole at all when Panch says it's the best Spidey film of all time. You can make very, very solid arguments for that. I'll also say that this film is probably the only superhero film ever to really capture the tone of what it must be like for a young superhero. The exuberance and ignorance. When I got into Spidey comics Peter was already a married man, so I never read any high school Spidey comics until Miles Morales. (Really never read the Bendis & Bagley Ultimate Spidey comics, but I played the hell outta that game on the XBox back in the day.) I think this film does a great job of blending a bit of that Ultimate Spidey vibe in with the MCU. There were so many great Easter eggs and name drops in this film, too. I washed a couple of YouTube vids today and caught even more. I'll use that to segue into my few gripes about the film. Technically these aren't gripes so much as things I didn't even realize The film was missing until well after the show was over.