After 2021 saw the “small screen” grow even bigger thanks to the introduction of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and one South Korean phenomenon, 2022 is set to try it out all over again. Marvel is still set to be a factor this year with shows like Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk all pegged for releases on 2022. DC is also getting in on the action with The Suicide Squad‘s Peacemaker getting his own HBO Max show in January....
What a turnaround. They live long lives, vampires, but that doesn’t mean they take things slow. Philippe de Clermont went from antagonist to sweetheart in a single episode that covered a continent of emotional ground. What began in conflict ended in declarations of acceptance and forgiveness. If only we could all time travel our way to such closure with the people we’ve lost. Most families, admittedly, don’t have the de Clermonts’ baggage....
While the community response to the recent Activision Blizzard harassment lawsuit filed by the state of California has been largely supportive, this incident also sadly serves as the latest reminder that fan entitlement is capable of hijacking far more meaningful conversations. In case you missed it, the state of California recently filed a lawsuit against game publisher/developer Activision Blizzard following a two-year investigation into the company’s practices and policies. I highly recommend that you read the full investigation report or one of the many excellent breakdowns of that investigation that have since been published, but the very short explanation of this situation is that Activision Blizzard is being accused of fostering a work environment that is beyond horrifying....
It’s rare to find a piece of entertainment that so openly boasts about its influences. Yes, we as consumers recognize when a title has been influenced by another work, but for creators, there is a value – whether tangible or perceived – to originality. After all, there’s always a worry that the work that you do will be considered a “rip off” of something else. It’s not exactly bold to proclaim that Alan Wake is like a Stephen King book in game form, especially when Remedy Entertainment has been so open about the writer’s influence on project....
The speculated onscreen return of Daredevil, the blind lawyer vigilante, is an inevitable interview question for Cox, given the potential gravity of his answer. Thus, the English actor—the star of recently-released AMC+ crime drama Kin—was well-prepared when the crucial query came his way during a recent virtual interview with Sirius XM. While he is obviously in no position to provide a firm answer of any kind, Cox does present an intriguing array of hypothetical scenarios about what a Daredevil return—be it in Spider-Man: No Way Home or even a Disney+ revival series—could look like, containing potential grains of truth....
It’s not a subtle image. But then who comes to a Zack Snyder movie for that? During the bloody and marvelous opening credits to Army of the Dead, the alpha zombie they call Zeus (Richard Cetrone) earns his nickname while staring up at a statue of the ancient Greek god of thunder in front of the fictional Mount Olympus hotel and casino. Our Mr. Zombie+ may not be an actual god, but one alpha can clearly recognize another’s game, and as we eventually learn, “Zeus” will make the Greco-Roman themed high-rise his home in the months to come....
I ultimately feel like Back 4 Blood‘s card system offers it a creative edge over Left 4 Dead and every other Left 4 Dead-inspired game out there, but trying to build a complete deck can feel a little overwhelming. There are just so many possibilities to consider and the game doesn’t offer a ton of guidance in terms of where you should start and where you’re ultimately trying to end up....
The song about the country boy who could play guitar like ringing a bell could have referred to any number of musicians, from Buddy Holly to Bo Diddley or Ricky Nelson. But the singer-songwriting guitarist who penned the line was born at 2520 Goode Avenue, in St. Louis. Berry had already made his concession to white commercialism by changing the line “that little colored boy could play” to “that little country boy....
We’ve put together a guide to some of the best films the service has to offer. The Shudder catalogue is always growing and changing so we’ll keep this updated – head back for the latest additions and new suggestions. (All entries are available in both UK and US unless stated otherwise!) Absentia (2011) ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE US Antiviral (2012) ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK Brandon Cronenberg’s directorial debut is good-looking but icky body horror that delves into the world of celebrity obsession....
Dark/Web Lore Both seasons of Lore tell a handful of real life stories that illustrate the origins of some of our world’s spookiest legends and events. Narration combined with live action recreations present tales of vampirism, grave-robbing, werewolves, and more. Truth Seekers (Arrives Oct. 30) Frost stars as Gus, a lonely guy who works a boring job installing broadband. By night, however, Gus uses his a personal tragedy as inspiration to investigate all manner of the paranormal....
Black Mirror Season 5 Episode 1 As one of the most thematically complex Black Mirror episodes to date, “Striking Vipers” can be analyzed from many different perspectives and still be equally as rich. Thanks to some expertly delivered and smartly written dialogue as well as subtle but incredibly important background details, the story transcends the simple plot involving a virtual reality technology that allows the players of the fighting game that gives the episode its name to enter its immersive world....
Philip Larkin put it memorably, but there’s no need to take his word for it. We all know that characterful noses aren’t the only things carried down the generations. There are also the traits that no parent means to pass on: insecurities and neuroses absorbed in daily doses from age zero to left-home, that leach out involuntarily to our own kids when the time comes. For Martin Freeman’s character Paul in FX/Sky One comedy Breeders, it’s his anger and anxiety, inherited by son Luke (Alex Eastwood), and threatening to break their relationship....
While the legendary Hans Gruber sadly doesn’t make an appearance in Warzone (at least not quite yet), you can fulfill his exceptional thief ambitions by breaking into the Nakatomi Plaza vault and stealing the riches inside. Instead of bearer bonds, though (which were a strangely popular ’80s plot device), you’ll find a variety of Warzone goods that squads are already fighting over. If you want to join the race for the riches, then here’s what you need to know about unlocking the Nakatomi Plaza vault and opening the safety deposit boxes inside....
Counterpart Season 1 Episode 7 What are we to make of the latest episode of Counterpart? On the one hand, it laid bare the basic history and mechanisms of Project Indigo; on the other hand, it humanized Clare to such a degree that she’s neither entirely sympathetic nor completely vilified. The process she undergoes to become a sleeper agent is realistic in its avoidance of the Black Widow-style assassin-trained-since-birth scenario but in some ways also comes across as mundane because of its realism....
That cautious optimism doesn’t spring from the suspension of disbelief involved in accepting the idea that chunks of a spaceship could have almost supernatural effects, no two exactly the same; the prospect of episodic “piece of the week” stories in Debris is actually a welcome one. The tension that is established between the MI-6 and CIA agents tasked with containing the dangers posed by the debris is quite effective, and the allies-keeping-secrets dynamic definitely has staying power....
Dexter: New Blood Episode 5 If the first four episodes of Dexter: New Blood have been merely table setting, then “Runaway” is the episode in which the meal finally arrives. After last week’s season-best installment, “Runaway” is chock-full of close calls and game-changing reveals that will fundamentally change the second half of the show. Not only is Dexter possibly losing his grip on the newfound connection that he has with his son, but his entire assumed identity in Iron Lake appears to be in serious jeopardy....
The green light was a mixed bag of news for the sequel, as original director Scott Derrickson, who did great work on the first film, dropped out of directing Doctor Strange 2 – which has the intriguingly pulpy (and awesome) title of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – and none other than Spider-Man and Evil Dead director Sam Raimi took over helming it. Meanwhile, Michael Waldron, the lead writer of Disney+’s upcoming Marvel series, Loki, was brought aboard to work on the script....
It’s hard for any TV show to surprise me but when they opened that gift and discovered Scrooge was actually delivering coal all this time? I gasped. WHAT A BETRAYAL. Scrooge, how dare you! But… it made sense. DuckTales has done a lot of work in growing Scrooge from the person we first met in the premiere who only cared about money. He’s slowly grown to love his extended family and isn’t quite as much of a curmudgeon as he used to be....
At a glance it feels like we’ve seen this song and dance before. An army of white-armored soldiers stand in perfect square formations beneath the comings and goings of Offworld spaceships. They’re soldiers; the supposed elite; the Emperor’s very own Sardaukar hit squad. But to anyone who’s watched a Star Wars movie or nine, they’re not that threatening, right? This supposed scourge off the Empire—excuse me, Imperium—is built up to be unbeatable until our protagonists start mowing them down by the dozen....
Set just before Thomson, played by Jay Bulger, caught his stride with his 1971 novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream, the film conjures the energy of strange, new beginnings. Much of it is shot on vintage grade, grainy film stock, and it looks like the actors were free to taste at least medium grade, seedy, hemp stock, as well as mescaline, cocaine, and plain old tobacco, dipped in PCP....
