Review: The Ridiculous Six

Written by guest contributor Dave Fox

The Western genre has made something of a comeback in recent years. The likes of True Grit, Django Unchained and Slow West have shown that there's appetite amongst audiences for a good gunslinging yarn. The Ridiculous Six, Adam Sandler's first film in a four picture deal with online streaming service Netflix, jumps on that bangwagon as an attempted spoof of the classic Western The Magnificent Seven, but fails as both a comedy and even a coherent film.

Sandler plays Tommy, a.k.a White Knife, a white man raised by the Apache tribe after his mother's death. The film's plot, such as it is, begins when his estranged father, the outlaw Frank Stockburn (Nick Nolte) is kidnapped by Cicero (Danny Trejo) over the matter of $50,000. Tommy vows to make the money back and win his father's freedom. He resolves to steal the cash from the dishonourable and ropes in his half brothers Ramon (Rob Schneider), Li'l Pete (Taylor Lautner), Herm (Jorge Garcia), Danny (Luke Wilson) and Chico (Terry Crews) along for the ride.

I tried to go into this with an open mind, but knowing the background to the film made it difficult. Before the film's release on Netflix, it was allegedly passed on by three different studios. It's easy to see why when the scripts reads as though it was written by a purile teenage boy. Two prominent running jokes are Native American names ("Beaver Breath" and "No Bra" spring to mind) and a donkey with diarrhea. Each one of the Stockburn brothers is a broad stereotype, be it Li'l Pete the backwoods hick or Ramon, the Mexican who talks a lot about tacos. Sandler, meanwhile, gives a confused performance . His Tommy is a classic mystical, philosophical Native American - he aims for Eastwood-esque stoicism but lands squarely on the same somnambulant, bored performance he's been phoning in for decades now.

The bright spots are few and far between. Nick Notle plays his role with a twinkly-eyed charisma that suggests he thought he was in a different film entirely; Harvey Keitel chews the scenery with gusto as a malevolent saloon owner and John Turturro channels Peter Sellers as Abner Doubleday, the man who invents the rules of baseball (which calls "Sticky McShnickens") as he goes along. The baseball scene is incongruous because it's easily the film's funniest moment, and has absolutely nothing to do with the plot. It's funny purely because of Turturro, too, who does all the heavy lifting opposite a dead-eyed Sandler.

Aside from those small shafts of light, there's not much else to recommend. The only other entertaining thing to do while watching The Ridiculous Six is to spot the cameos from actors that could do so much better. Nolte, Trejo, Keitel and Turturro are joined by Will Forte, Chris Parnell, Jon Lovitz, Steve Buscemi and Norm McDonald for an easy payday while David Spade makes his customary appearance. Oh, and Vanilla Ice plays Mark Twain, which is about as logical as anything else here.

If The Ridiculous Six proves anything, it's that Sandler isn't about to up his game for his Netflix contract. If his next three films are this bad, he could single-handledly sink the company's reputation for producing exceptional original content. This film wants to be Blazing Saddles, but can't even match up to Seth MacFarlane's uneven A Million Ways To Die In The West. The truth is that there are hundreds upon hundreds of films to choose from on Netflix - and I would bet this overlong, unfunny, borderline offensive mess is the worst.

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Score: 1/5

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The Ridiculous Six Director: Frank Coraci Writers: Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler Studio: Netflix Running time: 119 minutes Release date: 12/11/15

Review: Spy

Written by guest contributor Cameron Gallagher

Spy is a hilarious movie that truly shows the funnier side of some great actors and actresses such as Rose Byrne, Jason Statham, Jude Law, and of course Melissa McCarthy. After seeing Melissa McCarthy’s “Tammy” and “Identity Thief” I had lost all faith in her, especially because she WROTE TAMMY which was the worst of the bunch, Spy proves to me that she is a talented comedic actress, but still a horrible writer.

Spy is about a, well spy, played by Jude Law who after an issue, is replaced by Melissa McCarthy, who basically has almost no field experience. Most people will get caught up in Melissa, but I found that Jason Statham and Rose Byrne truly blew me away in this film. They were DROP. DEAD. FUNNY. I mean Statham’s character was so funny, I couldn’t stop laughing through whole scenes! Rose Byrne is very vulgar in most scenes, so is the entire movie, but I found that it really worked for the film’s tone.

Beyond it being funny, this actually has an interesting story. It’s no James Bond, but it is fun. This is one of those movies, you see some things coming, but others are really interesting and keep you on your toes. Also, I loved how Spy really doesn’t take itself seriously, even though it gets quite serious. It almost picks fun at Bond style films, while succeeding in being one.

That being said, the film was predictable. It wasn’t anything that ruined the movie by any means, but got a little repetitive in some areas. Also there was a few plot holes that didn’t make much sense, like another female spy, who we thought we would see again, and did for about 2 seconds. It didn’t work, but wasn’t a make or break plot point.

Overall Spy is a hilarious film, that is DEFINITELY worth seeing with a group of family and friends who love comedy. Check it out yourself and tell me what you think!

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Score: 3/5

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Spy Director/Writer: Paul Feig Studio: 20^th Century Fox Runtime: 120 Minutes Release Date: 6/5/15

Review: Pixels

Written by guest contributor Cameron Gallagher

Adam Sandler makes absolutely stupid movies... but his last two films have actually impressed me. Most people are hating on Pixels, but I was excited for two reasons. After seeing his last film, The Cobbler, which I loved, and seeing the Nostalgic 80’s video games, I knew it would be downright stupid, but worth a watch. This was EXACTLY that!

Pixels is about a nerdy kid who loses a 1980’s Arcade Gaming Tournament, but after Aliens invade using 80’s arcade games as a front, his talent comes in handy. So, this movie is not a good movie when it comes to cinema except for two things. The visual effects were OUTSTANDING, and the story was well crafted to actually seem very realistic. Of course this film began with the idea of making 80’s video games come to life, but Adam Sandler came up with the perfect way. I love how a Time Capsule was taken as a threat and became this movie. It is so off but felt so real (the only real way this would make sense). So, yes it’s dumb, but worked.

Let’s talk about the visual effects for a minute. This film had so much over the top effects, but this also goes back to acting, NEVER ONCE did I look at this and say “Wow, that looks so CGI” or “Wow that is definitely on a green screen” Now of course it is CGI and green screening in some places, but even the pixels of the creatures seemed to have so much texture and light within the shots. I would believe they actually made a bunch of these as references for the actors to work with, but I know that is most likely not true. I was very impressed, even at the climax, where they are completely in a CGI world, they seemed to look way more real then another fully CGI film I know *cough* Phantom Menace *cough* But all joking aside, it was very impressive.

The problem with this film is in its simplicity and cliché comedy scenes. It basically is a recycled comedy with a new face. That being said, it was still very fun, well made, and just plain stupid. I’ll give Pixels 3/5 mainly for its visuals and fun atmosphere.

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Score: 3/5

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Pixels Director: Chris Columbus Writers: Tim Herlihy and Timothy Dowling Studio: Columbia Pictures Running Time: 106 Minutes Release Date: 7/24/15

Shout! Factory acquired animated feature "Snowtime!"

Shout! Factory, a multi-platform media company, and CarpeDiem Film & TV, Inc. have entered into a film deal to distribute the new animated featureSNOWTIME! in the United States. Produced by Marie-Claude Beauchamp (The Legend of Sarila) and directed by Jean-François Pouliot (La Grande Séduction), this captivating family adventure film will premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. SNOWTIME! features an exceptional English-language voice cast of Angela Gallupo (Being Human), Lucinda Davis (Winx Club), Sonja Ball (The Legend of Sarila), Don Shepherd (Blue Mountain State), Jenna Wheeler, Heidi Lynne Weeks (Heelix), Elisabeth MacRae, Holly Gauthier (Arthur) with Ross Lynch (Disney Channel’s hit series Austin & Ally and pop band R5) and Golden Globe®-winner Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy,Sideways). SNOWTIME! also boasts an enchanting movie soundtrack featuring international singing sensation Céline Dion and popular rock band Simple Plan. The announcement was made today by Shout! Factory’s founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos; and president of CarpeDiem Film & TV Marie-Claude Beauchamp.

Shout! Factory has secured all U.S. distribution rights to SNOWTIME!, including theatrical, broadcast, video-on-demand, digital and home entertainment rights. Shout! Factory plans a strategic rollout of this movie across multiple entertainment platforms, beginning with a theatrical launch in early 2016 through Shout’s kids & family entertainment imprint, Shout! Factory Kids.

“We’re thrilled about this new opportunity with CarpeDiem Film & TV. This beautifully made, highly entertaining feature is a very exciting addition to our library of new family films for 2016. We look forward to bringing Snowtime! to the big screen for movie-goers and across all major distribution platforms,” stated Melissa Boag, Senior Vice President of Kids & Family Entertainment at Shout! Factory.

“Shout! Factory is creating the opportunity for Snowtime! to touch the hearts of children and adults across America. We’re proud of our movie and proud of our association with Shout! Factory,” said Marie-Claude Beauchamp, President of CarpeDiem Film & TV.

“Snowtime! is that all too rare family film that brings together the wonder, mischief, playfulness and poignancy of childhood.  CarpeDiem has produced a film that will entertain generations,” said Shout’s Vice President of Acquisitions, Jordan Fields.

Movie synopsis

Based on the acclaimed live-action film classic La Guerre des Tuques (The Dog Who Stopped the War), SNOWTIME! is a captivating cinematic adventure about hope and friendship. The film explores the sometimes mercurial relations between friends during childhood, and the role that enthusiastic competition and energizing solidarity play in the lives of children.

A romp through childhood full of heart and humor. To amuse themselves during the winter school break, the kids in a small village decide to have a massive snowball fight. Luke and Sophie, both 11 years old, become the leaders of the opposing sides. Sophie and her cohorts defend an elaborate snow fort against the assault of Luke’s horde. Whichever side occupies the fort at the end of the winter break, wins. But what starts out as pure youthful fun and enthusiasm deteriorates into a more serious conflict, where children learn valuable life lessons on friendship, the importance of unity, and the emotional consequences of vicious rivalry. The film’s underlying message – neither side wins in war – is as relevant today as ever.

CAMP MOTION PICTURES ACQUIRES HORROR-COMEDY KILLER RACK

Leading independent home entertainment label Camp Motion Pictures announces the acquisition of director Gregory Lamberson’s newest film, KILLER RACK, written by Paul McGinnis.  The agreement for world-wide distribution of the film in all formats and markets was inked during the 2015 Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival, and commences immediately after KILLER RACK concludes its film festival circuit. KILLER RACK will be the fourth film by Lamberson to hit home entertainment on one of the POP Cinema / Camp Motion Pictures labels, titles currently available include SLIME CITY, NAKED FEAR, UNDYING LOVE and 2014’s dark comedy DRY BONES.  Films produced by Gregory Lamberson currently available in the POP Cinema / Camp Motion Pictures library include SNOW SHARK and THE LEGEND OF SIX FINGERS.

About Camp Motion Pictures A leading independent home entertainment label, Camp Motion Pictures showcases vintage and contemporary films that embody the Do-It-Yourself aesthetic of the 1980s, with an emphasis on storytelling and practical FX.  Notable releases include CALL GIRL OF CTHULHU, SLIME CITY, DRY BONES, ANIMOSITY, VIDEO VIOLENCE and THE CASEBOOK OF EDDIE BREWER.  Films from the Camp Motion Pictures library can be found on iTunes, Hulu, Netflix, Vudu, Shudder, Amazon.com, Redbox and at retail outlets FYE, Suncoast, Hastings and Family Video. For additional information on Camp Motion Pictures

To submit a film to one of the POP Cinema / Camp Motion Pictures home entertainment labels or to license a film for international markets contact Paige Davis at Paige@POPcinema.com

WB Animation Reveals -- LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes – Justice League: Cosmic Clash

It will take all the efforts of the Justice League – and a few of their super pals – to keep Brainiac from adding Earth to his miniaturized collection of planets in the all-new animated feature, LEGO^® DC Comics Super Heroes – Justice League: Cosmic Clash. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment and the LEGO Group, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 1, 2016 on Blu-ray^TM Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD. The Blu-ray^TM and DVD releases will include an exclusive Cosmic Boy LEGO^® figurine, while supplies last. LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes – Justice League: Cosmic Clash will be available on Blu-ray^TM Combo Pack for $24.98 SRP and DVD for $19.98 SRP.  The Blu-ray^TM Combo Pack includes a digital version of the movie on Digital HD with UltraViolet. Fans can also own LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes – Justice League: Cosmic Clash on Digital HD on February 9, via purchase from digital retailers.

The brilliant, hyper-obsessive-compulsive, super-computer Brainiac is combing the universe for new additions to his collection of worlds when he stumbles upon a ripe planet for his taking – Earth. But Brainiac quickly discovers Earth has a “firewall” – the Justice League. When Brainiac cleverly displaces several members of the Justice League to other time periods in Earth’s history, Batman, Flash and Cyborg must build and use the Cosmic Treadmill to race across time to retrieve their comrades – while members of the Legion of Super Heroes attempt to hold off Brainiac’s assault. Only time will tell in this battle for the fate of the Earth and the Justice League!

The cast of LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes – Justice League: Cosmic Clash features some of the top voiceover artists in the industry voicing the core Justice League heroes: Troy Baker (Batman), Nolan North (Superman), Grey Griffin (Wonder Woman), Josh Keaton (Green Lantern), Khary Payton (Cyborg) and James Arnold Taylor (The Flash). Phil LaMarr (Futurama, Static Shock, Pulp Fiction) joins the LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes realm as the voice of Brainiac. The Legion of Super-Heroes also assists the Justice League efforts, spotlighting the voices of Jessica DiCicco (Supergirl), Kari Walhgren (Saturn Girl), Yuri Lowenthal (Cosmic Boy) and Andy Milder (Lightning Lad). Also along for the fun is Phil Morris, reprising his Justice League role as Vandal Savage, and Jason Spisak as Captain Fear.

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes – Justice League: Cosmic Clash is directed by Rick Morales from a script by Jim Krieg. Sam Register, Jill Wilfert and Jason Cosler are executive producers. Benjamin Melniker & Michael Uslan are co-executive producers, and Brandon Vietti is supervising producer.

“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is excited to release LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes – Justice League: Cosmic Clash,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, WBHE Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing. “Fans of the LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes franchise can expect an action-packed and hilarious film as the Justice League battles to thwart Brainiac’s villainous plans”.

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes - Justice League: Cosmic Clash Special Features include:

• Featurette - “The Justice League: Caught On Camera” - They may be the world’s greatest crime fighters, but Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Cyborg and Supergirl test Batman’s patience by flubbing their lines, missing their cues and basically stinking up the screen literally!

DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes – Justice League: Cosmic Clash will be available for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on their favorite devices from select digital retailers including Amazon, CinemaNow, Flixster, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. Starting February 9, LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes – Justice League: Cosmic Clash will also be available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.

Review: Lucha Mexico

If you’re a wrestling fan, like a true wrestling fan, then you should be interested in Lucha Mexico. The film is a documentary about wrestling in Mexico, known Lucha Libre, which has become a familiar term these days. But what is the life like? How do the wrestlers live when they’re not in the ring? The film kind of answers those questions. To be quite honest it doesn’t dig into the behind the scenes as deeply as you’d probably like. No one takes off their masks to be open and honest in front of the camera and no one seems pressed to reveal anything that’s not just out there to find on the internet.

This is my only gripe with the film is that there doesn’t seem to be any pressure on the wrestlers to share. Some of them obviously can’t share that much with their masks on, but others seem to be very guarded about revealing too much. I imagine it’s a cultural thing or just not wanting the audience to see the real person outside of the ring since that ruins the magic. Whereas wrestling promotions in the States have all but ruined the allure of wrestling by humanizing their workers outside of the ring, Lucha keeps the magic by shielding their workers from the audience. It keeps it believable, but obviously posed an interesting problem for the filmmakers. Though I wish it got deeper, they did a lot with what they could get.

Even still, it’s interesting to watch. There’s a little bit of wrestling shown, but it’s the culture that’s captured that makes it interesting. To see how different and involved the fanbase is with the wrestlers.

There is also a lot to learn about Lucha. For instance, different locations hold more prestige than other locations. You want to be wrestling in certain locations, but as we see the wrestlers will go anywhere. One wrestler that the film follows is Shocker. He really provides a lot of substance for the film. We see him at the top of his game until an injury sidelines him. From there we witness his decline. It’s never said, but by the end of the film he’s wrestling a small venue in a field. I don’t believe this is the end of the road for him, but it was definitely a visual journey that we followed him on, rather than again anyone saying it out loud.

If you watch any kind of wrestling, then you know that there’s good guys and bad guys. Call this what you will, but there is a term for it in Lucha. If you’re a good guy, then you’re on the Tecnicos side and if you’re a bad guy you’re on the Rudos side. Now from what I understood from the film this is actually decided by the person that trains you (more on that in a minute). They determine it by how you wrestling in the ring and it doesn’t seem like you get to switch. In other wrestling around the world, wrestlers switch back and forth all the time (unless you’re John Cena). I found that particularly interesting considering how hated the Rudos are, but that they were seemingly stuck in that position their entire career.

As for the training, much like wrestling in the States and Japan, to make it on the big stage is a big pay-day. A lot of people want to do it, but not many make it. They talk to some of the trainers and they break down how few people make it through the training and how intense and long the training is. It sounds like you need someone else to support you financially if you’re even going to try for this. I do wish there was more time spent on this, but it was an interesting inclusion.

The film also dove into three wrestling companies and the different wrestlers at each company and their subtle differences between them. One of the biggest is CMLL, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, which is where Shocker and others worked. They also followed Triple A aka AAA which has grown in popularity in the States. The last company they spent time with was Perros del Mal, which will bring me into my next segment of the film.

In a strange turn of events there are two wrestlers that the film was following that died during filming. This offered a rare insight into their lives before their deaths a little insight afterwards. One wrestler, Fabian el Gitano, committed suicide which is only hinted about during the interviews, to get the full facts I had to go to the internet. The other is a fairly recent and famous death of Perro Aguayo Jr. in his match against Rey Myesterio Jr. Not that one death is sadder than the other, but Perro Aguayo Jr. actually had a company that was on the rise. Growing in popularity and looking to overtake a lot of the competition. The company continues today, but it was a tragic loss to the business side of the industry for sure.

There was a lot of interesting little facts picked up in the film. The masks are talked about and there’s a lot of insight provided there. Overall it was interesting because of these cultural unknowns. I don’t think the film needed to be quite as long as it was, but it was well-edited to keep your interest through and through.

The film isn’t just for wrestling fans. I know I lead with that, but it really is an interesting film for anyone that’s been curious about wrestling and in particular Mexico’s Lucha. It really is a style and culture of its own and so I can see people having an interest in it for that reason as well.

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Score: 4/5

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Lucha Mexico Director/Filmed/Edited: Alex Hammond & Ian Markiewicz Run Time: 98 Min Website

Review: Santa’s Little Helper

When I look at the Hollywood thought process behind a Christmas movie, rarely is the theme of the season the actual motivator. Instead the goal is to be added to the list of classics that network television will air in syndication for years and years to come. Add the DVD sales of the new pressing each year and suddenly you see that making a Christmas movie is actually a gift that keeps on giving… to the studios… financially. To put it simply, if you get a hit Christmas movie, it’s steady flow of revenue for years and years to come. Santa’s Little Helper is the WWE’s attempt at entering into this market and they’re smart to try. What wrestling fans wouldn’t want a WWE film to watch with their family? It’s a decent attempt and it may even win a few homes, but it’s a far cry from a Christmas classic. If anything, it just shows that the WWE can actually do a PG movie.

The story is about Dax, played by The Miz. He has some kind of job with a bank… it’s really unclear. He starts off the film by telling a youth center that they’re screwed and that they’ll be bulldozing the center on the 15^th of December. He goes to work and gets fired for being a jerk. No seriously, he’s good at his job but his competition says he’ll do both jobs and since no one likes him they fire him.

Santa, the real Santa that is, takes an interest in him and decides that he wants to give him the position of “Ho, Ho, Ho” aka “Santa’s Little Helper” aka the guy in charge of the magic and keeping things on schedule. Why? Well that’s asked several times in the movie, but never really answered because there’s a swerve at the end. Santa sends Billie, played by Annalynne, to test Dax and see if he has what it takes to be the Ho, Ho, Ho. He’s given really simple and kind of dumb tasks to do that wouldn’t really prove anything to anyone. Most of them involve not losing your temper which he doesn’t really succeed at.

Paige plays the rival elf Eleanor. She’s the daughter of the elf that had the Ho, Ho, Ho position before and she acts as a backup obstacle to the film when Dax makes it through his challenges.

One of the problems with the film is the budget. It was obviously low budget and as hard as it tried it never really felt like it was set during Christmas or even trying to deliver a Christmas message. The opening tells you it is, but then the rest just happens in what’s likely L.A…. or summer. We hardly see any snow and some of it is CG. Dax’s house has a lack of decorations which is explained by his backstory, but then the rest of the world does as well. There’s a trip to the old folk’s home and there are zero decorations. It looks like half of a set from something else. They’re also watching Total Diva’s in the middle of the day so I guess it was a repeat or something. The point is a Christmas movie should feel like Christmas and this one doesn’t. It tries to tell you it is, but seeing is believing.

The other big problem is the pacing. There’s a lot of just excess to every scene. There’s an entire subplot about the elf that runs the teleporter wearing other people’s clothes and they go to this joke twice. It was completely worthless and never once was it funny. Mostly because the actor came across as creepy rather than funny. Stalkers and killers wear other people’s clothes and pretend to be them… not elves. Whoever edited the film was clearly inexperienced and took what could have been a cute and forgivably dull film and made it long and boring.

The acting is actually decent. It’s not bad, it’s not great and clearly they were working with what they had. Santa is good, Billie is better. Annalynne actually cares the movie for the most part. She has cute moments, she has serious moments and while the movie doesn’t offer much of a range for her, it’s clear that she actually has one.

The Miz is actually pretty comfortable in the role. His turnaround from jerk to saint is way too quick which isn’t his fault since that’s the way the story goes, but at least he does well in both. If anything, he got a film to share with his kids and I’m sure that’s pretty cool for him. Sadly, I think if the story was better he could have done better. Paige is okay. She’s good at the snarky elf role. They make her lay it on way too thick and she ends up sounding like a broken record, but she’s good. They do un-empower her as quickly as the empower her in the story, but hey I’m not going to go all 2015 on a movie that’s only Christmas message is “don’t be a jerk.”

This film is really only going to appeal to two types of people: wrestling fans and people who really enjoy feel good films. It’s not enough of a Christmas movie to win over that audience more than once out of curiosity so I have a hard time saying it’s for them. It’s not a terrible movie, but it’s unfortunately not a very good one either. Again, the sad part is that it really was close to making its goal of being an instant classic, but the loose editing, the average direction and the dull script didn’t do it any favors.

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Score: 2/5

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Santa’s Little Helper Director: Gil Junger Writers: James Robert Johnston, Bennett Yellin Studios: Fox/WWE Films

Batman, A TellTale Game Series Coming in 2016

Leading developer and publisher of digital entertainment, Telltale Games, with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment, today announced an interactive episodic game series based onDC Comics' iconic Batman™ that is set to premiere in 2016. The official title for the Telltale series is yet to be revealed.

The episodic game series will premiere digitally on home consoles, PC/Mac, and mobile devices. Specific platform details are yet to be announced.

"At Telltale, we've been honored to bring our unique approach to interactive storytelling to some of the biggest entertainment franchises in the world, and we're excited to announce that we'll soon be exploring what it means to be Batman in an all-new series starting next year," said Kevin Bruner, Co-Founder and CEO of Telltale Games. "This iteration of Batman will give fans a first-hand opportunity to dive deeper into the complex life and mind of Bruce Wayne, the duality of his own identity, and the struggle of responsibility in saving a city overcome with corruption and villainy."

 

"Telltale has an established track record of creating award-winning content for some of the best properties in the world," said David Haddad, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.  "We look forward to working with the team as they deliver a new interactive way for fans and gamers to experience the rich narrative world of Batman."

For more information on Telltale Games, visit the official website, Facebook,and follow Telltale Games on twitter.com @TelltaleGames.

Batman v. Superman Trailer 2: "I Thought She Was With You"

I'm not posting this to be first. You've already seen it. I'm not posting this so you can hear my thoughts, I'll save that for the podcast. I'm posting this so you can have a safe place to talk about it on the internet. Love it. Hate it. You can talk about it without someone else on the internet coming here and bashing your shit into the mud. Which would make muddy shit. Anyway, what were your thoughts on the trailer that took the internet by storm and basically revealed the plot to the film?

Review: The Gift

Written by guest contributor Cameron Gallagher

The Gift is one of those movies that I would refer to as an mis-marketed “Ego” movie. And by this I feel like this film came about by Joel Edgerton saying “Hey, I should write a movie where I’m a creepy guy, who is maybe good and bad and make it a plot twist…. yeah” So I’m not trying to hate on this film just yet, but the best way to summarize this film, is it felt forced.  This film was marketed as though it should be a “Stalker” film, but in the end became like propaganda.

The Gift is about a married couple, where the husband runs into a weird old friend, who basically ends up stalking them. This film was praised at the box office and other review sites, but I’m honestly not sure why. The Gift felt so forced in every way. Let’s start at the script.

The script felt very forced in that it needed to be this “Psycho/Stalker” film with a plot twist, that in the end makes a bullying statement. It was very predictable. From the first moment the movie started and we introduce the main conflict, it was apparent that there was going to be a twist. But… the twist was honestly cliché. I knew it was coming the whole time and didn’t feel like there was any creativity in the plot behind what they were doing. It felt so much like Joel Edgerton was trying so hard to make a suspenseful stalker film with a plot twist and theme behind it all, but it was honestly boring, predictable, and seemed to try to highlight his acting, more than the plot.

The BIGGEST issue with this film is in its technicality. The is probably the worst edited film I have ever seen. Now although this seems like it would be a small issue, I found it amateur and obnoxious at times. I felt like half the cuts in this film were either too long or way to short. Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE long shots, but this film seemed like it was trying to convey more emotion, just by holding a shot down. The same goes for cinematography. It was boring and felt sloppy at times. There even was an audio issue in one scene with Jason Bateman’s mic, which I assume was hidden in his clothing.

But, enough hate. Jason Bateman was awesome. Probably his best performance so far. He truly was convincing in his character, despite it being a weak written character. He truly did make this film for me. Not enough to outweigh the bad, but he definitely made it more interesting.

All in all, The Gift is a suspenseful film, that I feel falls flat on its face when it comes to creating an intriguing plot, and not seem like a Bullying Statement. I will give The Gift 2/5 just for Jason Bateman. Make sure to check it out for yourself and tell me what you thought!

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Score: 2/5

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The Gift Director: Joel Edgerton Writer: Joel Edgerton Studio: Blumhouse Productions and Blue-Tongue Films Runtime: 108 Minutes Release Date: 7/30/15

Review: The Hallow

Written by guest contributor Cameron Gallagher

Fantasy Horror is a failing genre recently that was in need of a true flagship film. The Hallow is the closest it has come so far. The Hallow is about a couple and their new born who move to a rural Ireland town, due to the husbands work with trees and nature. Some weird neighbors warn them of The Hallow, and things get out of hand as The Hallow comes for them.

This film did a lot of things right for me. It was incredibly suspenseful. There were scenes in this film that had my heart POUNDING, and when I mean scenes, I mean like 20 minutes! The actors and location really help push this feeling. They truly make you feel like there are stakes. The location is not only beautiful, but very antique and original, which I found really pleasing.

I love the concept of a Fantasy driven horror/suspense film. I love that The Hallow is a creature that lives in the woods and steals babies. It felt so fun, but I was a little disappointed at how they went about The Hallow.

One of the things that makes films like Jaws and The Babadook so scary, is the lack of knowing what is out there. You don’t actually SEE the “Villain” or “Creature” until you are fully ready for it.  Building suspense is all about what we don’t know and know. I felt like this film showed The Hallow WAY too fast in the film. Also the CGI of The Hallow was a little bit dated looking.

My biggest issue with this film is it happens SO FAST! This was a real disappointment to me, because the film really built a suspenseful story and interesting new feeling plot, but then rushed right through it. This entire movie happens within like 2 days, and the climax seems to stretch over an hour. It felt so unbalanced to me, that I couldn’t feel “Oh, this is important” or if it was just another action scene.

The Hallow is honestly a great film though, that is very creepy and will be sure to scare people. Just the lack of pacing of bad CGI creature seen to early keep this from amazing so I’ll give it a 3/5. Definitely something to watch. Go check it out and tell me what you thought of it!

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Score: 3/5

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The Hallow Director: Corin Hardy Writers: Corin Hardy and Felipe Marino Studio: Entertainment One Running Time: 97 Minutes Release Date: 1/25/15

Rooster Teeth RWBY: Grimm Eclipse on Steam Early Access Today

RWBY: Grimm Eclipse, the game, is now available for Early Access purchase on Steam for $14.99 bit.ly/RWBY-GE. RWBY: Grimm Eclipse was greenlit after receiving over 70,000 “Yes” votes in only two days. This 4-player co-operative game was inspired by the extremely popular web series from Rooster Teeth, RWBY. Fans rallied around the idea of a game and Rooster Teeth listened. In July 2013 RWBY, the web series, became an instant cult classic, having garnered over 13 million views since its inception. RWBY’s iconic anime style and engaging story has continued to foster an amazing community. The community began to inquire about whether a game would ever be created. After internally debating the idea Rooster Teeth decided to give its fans what they wanted, RWBY: Grimm Eclipse. Employing the same anime style, adopting and expanding on the Remnant world, and bringing in the original voice actors, fans are sure to be entertained.

Michael Hadwin, Game Director, at Rooster Teeth Games had this to say about developing RWBY: Grimm Eclipse, “When you design a game around such a beloved series like RWBY, you really want to stay true to the heart of the story and characters. I'm proud to say we've meticulously crafted an experience very similar to playing an episode of the show and taken it a step further by adding new characters, story-lines and locations. Fans of RWBY will feel right at home, but are in for a treat as theRWBY universe expands into new directions. I hope our amazing community will be pleased as we explore this new adventure together.”

The RWBY: Grimm Eclipse trailer can be watched here. To purchase and learn more about RWBY: Grimm Eclipse head over to Steam today bit.ly/RWBY-GE

Kung Fu Panda Showdown of Legendary Legends Launches on XB1, PS4, 3DS and More Today

Worldwide video game publisher Little Orbit announced today that players can now fight it out alongside PO, Tigress, Monkey, Master Shifu and all of their favorite Kung Fu Panda characters in the epic brawler competition game, Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends.  The action-packed martial-arts challenge is available on PlayStation 4®, Xbox One™, PlayStation 3®, Xbox 360®, Nintendo 3DS™ and Steam (PC) starting today at both traditional and online retailers. The game will launch on Nintendo Wii U® on Dec. 15, 2015. The game ranges from $29.99 (PC and 3DS) to $39.99 (PS3, 360, Nintendo Wii U) and $49.99 (PS4, Xbox One). Developed by Vicious Cycle, Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends will bring fans a fresh and fist-pumping way to experience DreamWorks Animation's beloved franchise with explosive, fast-as-lightning action!  Up to four players can play in iconic locations throughout the Valley of Peace and beyond.  With challenging local and online multiplayer levels, fans will team up with dozens of playable Kung Fu Panda characters in the ultimate showdown to compete for pure awesomeness.

At launch, Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends will star 20 popular heroes and villains from the Kung Fu Panda universe. Following the release of the feature-film, Kung Fu Panda 3, four new unlockable characters will be available along with three brand new Kung Fu Panda unlockable locations!

"This game is full of family fun, with lovable characters to non-stop action it has something for everyone," said Matt Scott, CEO of Little Orbit.  "We're excited to bring this level of gameplay to the franchise and look forward to adding downloadable content at the film release date."

Check out the latest trailer here, https://youtu.be/jBmfDAg16yQ

Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends has a wide assortment of modes available for both single and multiplayer.  Single player includes Tournament of Legends, Practice and Tutorial modes while multiplayer features VS., Team Play, and Tag-Team. With unique fighting styles, special attacks, cool moves and individual "Awesome Attacks" for each character, there's no end to the mayhem!

For more information on this upcoming release, be sure to follow Little Orbit on Twitter and check out the Little Orbit Homepage.

Review: The Final Girls

Written by guest contributor Cameron Gallagher

Generally, when you mix genres like Horror and Comedy, you usually end up with something along the lines of The Wicker Man with Nicholas Cage…I’m kidding! But in all seriousness, it usually ends up either too funny or just plain ridiculous! After hearing about The Final Girls and seeing the trailer, I was a little worried, but the lineup seemed unstoppable. It seems like this film had a limited release, but I’m not sure why, because it was incredible!

The writing and acting what truly blew me away in this film! The story is about a girl who loses her mother in a car accident, but the twist is that her mother was the actress in the cult classic “Blood Bath”. After her friends convince her to see the movie in theaters for a convention, the theater burns down, and the main characters find themselves within the movie! One of the things that really blew me away with the writing and how they worked in the “rules” of the universe and how everything fell into place. One of the hardest parts of writing is avoiding clichés, but because of the movie being inside of a cliché horror film. They got to use those as building blocks, to make sure things made sense, but felt different.

From the moment this film started I was hooked! The story of the mother and daughter relationship is seriously heart wrenching. I have NEVER seen a movie where within the first 60 seconds I really felt the emotion and bond between the mother and daughter! It was so impactful, that later on in the film, when the issues come up that her mother dies in the film, that story becomes so serious, and truly sad at times! Of course this goes back to the amazing acting done by Taissa Farmiga and Malin Akerman. I honestly think that Taissa is one of the most underrated actresses out there right now! She really brought so much emotion and realism to this role, which is not easy when the film is a Comedy.

This film was HILARIOUS! I mean super funny. Clever writing and great performances really make this film so funny! That’s one of the things I loved about this move is it knew what it was. A Comedy. But never let go of dramatic character development and realism during its funny scenes! These characters we so genuine and funny, it really made watching the movie super fun!

From top to bottom this is an amazing Comedy, with great elements of suspense, but what really made this film for me was the story of the mother and daughter! Honestly some of the best acting and writing I’ve seen in a while! Oh yeah, and the ending is awesome too! Make sure to check it out and tell me what you think!

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Score: 4/5

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The Final Girls Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson Writer: M.A Fortin and Joshua John Miller Studio: Groundswell Productions Runtime: 92 Minutes Release Date: 10/9/15

Review: Trainwreck

Written by guest contributor Cameron Gallagher

So…This review is going to be kind of short. So after the insane amount of raving about this movie that I saw on social media and critic sites, I had to go see the film for myself! During the early scenes within this film I suddenly realized what I was about to watch… The “Amy Schumer Ramble Comedy “Show. I don’t like to hate on movies ever. Filmmaking is an amazing art that is very difficult. No matter how small or large the movie it takes massive amounts of work, and I commend ANYONE who does that. But, this film was horrible. I am in complete shock at the public and critics reviews of this movie. This film on Rotten Tomatoes is actually higher than Avengers: Age of Ultron, Pitch Perfect 2 (which I thought was hilarious) and even did better than Furious 7. Now I’m not saying these are Oscar winning films, but by the looks of Trainwreck you would think it would be one of these movies!

Trainwreck probably is one of the longest comedies I’ve ever seen. This movie is 100% Amy Schumer BANTER. One of the things I love about comedies is clever writing and witty jokes. This film is filled with “taking things so far until they become funny” but it’s failure is that none of it was funny. I was honestly very disappointed in Bill Hader’s performances as well.

One of my biggest issues with this film is in its morals. This movie is vulgar too. So many obnoxious, over the top, not sexual jokes, but honestly disgusting jokes. My wife and I could not believe people were laughing in the theater. Amy Schumer didn’t write this to be a through provoking film, or sentimental, this film was solely written for Amy Schumer to babble on until people think it’s “funny” and to market it that way. I was incredibly disappointed in the entire movie! This film definitely gets 1/5…But, don’t take my word for it, go watch it yourself and tell me what you thought!

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Score: 1/5

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Director: Judd Apatow Writer: Amy Schumer Studio: Universal Pictures/Apatow Productions RunTime: 124 Minutes

Review: Circle

Written by guest contributor Cameron Gallagher

Sometimes, every once in a while, we watch a movie, and after it is all over and done with, it stays with us. Circle is an incredibly thought-provoking movie that does just that. Circle is written and directed by Aaron Hann and Mario Miscione and tells the story of 50 strangers who awake to find themselves in a large circle, with no knowledge of what happened. After they begin to die and realize the pattern, the darkest thoughts of society will crutch the passengers in who “should” live and who to die.

After finding this film on iTunes for a very low price I decided to check it out for myself. I love films that have ambiguity. Films that make us think for weeks on end after the last line in the credits, are films that have succeeded! This film did just that. It really explores the humanity and reality within our world. The way we act and think, even if we are afraid to say that. This film succeeds in every way at exposing our deepest and darkest thoughts about others. Who we feel is “worthy” and who we feel doesn't deserve life as it is. The film feels very political, because most of its contents are based around stereotypes, which for me is a little bit of a downfall. Although I think it's a great exploration of human emotion and fear, it just seemed way to much of a coincidence that every controversial human characteristic has a represent invite in this film, but for me it wasn't something that got in the way of the suspenseful story.

Let's talk technicality quick. Cinematography was incredible! Especially because the film has one location. Acting is spot on. Everyone from old people to the little girl are spectacular in making me feel as though these people were truly in this situation. Granted, at times it seemed a little relaxed, but it's a film.

My few issues were in some of the script and effects. Although the script was compelling and suspenseful, to me I felt as though I knew nothing, I knew too much. For instance, this isn't a spoiler, but the film is obviously about aliens who are making humans decide who lives and dies. To me that ruined some of the question and suspense of the film. I feel if the filmmakers hadn't revealed that, I would have been in much more suspense as to what is going on. Also, the effects were…well not so hot. Not a massive issue, but disappointing.

The true disappointment in this film, came with its ending. Without spoiling anything, after over 87 minutes of suspense as to what would be this outcome, with what seemed like an almost “judgement-day” sort of vibe, came an insanely meaningless ending. Not to say it wasn't a surprise and thrilling, but it felt boring and forced. I wish there was more of a twist and meaning.

With all that being said, it was an incredibly suspenseful and thrilling film that really had my heart pumping. I felt its forced politics and boring ending was the only thing that held it back from being a real smash.. It is definitely enjoyable and a must see film. I hope you enjoyed this review and make sure to check it out for yourself and tell me what you thought of the film.

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Score: 3/5

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Circle (2015) Writer/Directors: Aaron Hann, Mario Miscione Run Time: 87 minutes

Review: The Peanuts Movie

Written by guest contributor Cameron Gallagher

The Peanuts movie is hands down one of the greatest animated films I have ever seen. After seeing the initial trailer with the new “3D” animation look, and feeling that horrible “Here we go. Let's ruin another classic” I was not interested. But after agreeing to see the movie with family, it was the best decision I made!

The Peanuts movie follows the oh so loved Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang in their adventures from, day to day but especially when a new girl comes to school! Now, one of the things I loved long ago about the Peanuts films, was they truly captured the feeling of being a kid. Not just in a literal sense because they are kids, but the questions and feelings we have that now is only a fragment of nostalgia. Playing in the snow, a new kid in school, fear of being laughed at. All of these things are things we went through as kids.

This movie was amazing in every aspect. The story was so riveting in that it told the story of “real” kids. Kids who think and feel! Kids that play outside and socialize with one another. One of the greatest things this film did was make itself timeless. Not an ounce of technology was involved and it felt like a movie that could have happened in 1950 or 2015. They stuck to the roots of not only the Peanuts but being a kid. Playing outside and talking with friends and I think this is a wonderful message and example for young kids to see!

Speaking of the message let's talk about that. The message is so great in this movie, without spoiling it, Charlie Brown feels very down on himself, but no matter what stays true to who he is and to be a kind person! This my friends is what makes a beautiful script! One that sends a playful and great message to viewers of any age.

This is an incredible deep and emotional movie. Not in a boring way, but really explores the emotions that kids face day to day. We forget as adults that kids feel too. They have emotions just as we do, because we are just older versions of kids. Charlie Brown has so much dimension to his character and I'm this film we really care about him. Not just because he is a classic icon, but because of the emotion the filmmakers have instilled in him.

But of course what about Snoopy and Woodstock? A riot! With a mixture of 3D style and Cartoon like animations, the dynamic duo was brought back to life in a truly comical and classic way! With a compelling side story and hilarious antics, these two are seriously a riot! One of the things I loved to is they used the original voice overs, and worked them into this film, due to the actors passing!

I don't want to say too much because the script is very tight around a certain subject, but this story has a wonderful ending that gave me joy like no other film before. The Peanuts is seriously a cinema treat for ANYONE! Adults, kids, parents, grandparents, friends, this movie is truly amazing! I don't usually believe in a perfect movie, but there is NOTHING bad I can say about it! An absolute must see movie! Make sure to go check it out and tell me what you thought of the Peanuts!

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Score: 5/5

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The Peanuts Movie (2015) Director: Steve Martino Writers: Bryna Schulz, Charles M. Schulz, Craig Schulz, Cornelius Uliano Studio: Blue Sky Media Run Time: 88min

The Complete Guide to 2016 Movies: Now Available on Amazon

After seeing the Avengers assemble for a second time, Ant-Man’s big screen debut and the triumphant return of the Jurassic Park franchise among many other memorable moments, 2015 quickly became an unforgettable year for many film fans. With this in mind it’s almost hard to believe that 2016 is shaping up to be an even bigger year, particularly for fans of comic-book movies who will find themselves with a wide selection of offerings including Deadpool, Captain America: Civil War, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and X-Men: Apocalypse among others. On top of this there are a bunch of other genre offerings ranging from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to Independence Day 2, as well as smaller films which perhaps aren’t grabbing the headlines but may well be worth your time nonetheless. With all these releases hitting theatres at an alarmingly fast rate it would be easy to feel overwhelmed with the choices available to you – if you’re thinking “if only there were some kind of guide which could help me to pick which films to go see” then you are in luck! (And if you weren’t thinking that please just go with me here). The Complete Guide to 2016 Movies: Volume 1 is the first book from David Craig, founder of The Entertainment Network – a website about films, comics and other cool things which has been running since 2011. Within its pages, you’ll find details on every single major studio release hitting theatres between January and June 2016 with commentary on which films are likely to be worth your time and which should be approached with caution. But that’s not all: The Complete Guide also offers fascinating insight into the production of some of next year’s biggest films, and their likelihood of box office success. The book is laid out in chronological order, meaning it can easily be your weekly source of information before heading out to see the latest release.

“My goodness, this book must be mine!” I hear the world cry out at the top of their lungs. Fortunately, the book is readily available right now from Amazon in most parts of the world, with all the details and links listed below. Thanks for reading our pitch, and if you do pick up a copy be sure to let us know what you think on Twitter @_thenetwork or on our Facebook page.

The Complete Guide to 2016 Movies: Volume 1 Author: David Craig Format: Paperback Pagecount: 108 Price: £4.99 (GBP), €6.50 (EUR), $7.50 (USD)

Henry Rollins talks about his role in Ian McGinty's WELCOME TO SHOWSIDE animated short

Modern Prometheus production company has released a video interview with icon Henry Rollins about his role in the company’s debut animated short film WELCOME TO SHOWSIDE from Ian McGinty. Rollins plays Frank, a lesser Nexus demon in the WELCOME TO SHOWSIDE short film, which takes viewers along on the adventures of Kit, a lovable kid with a monstrous secret: his dad is the Great Shadow King -- and Frank’s boss -- and he wants Kit to take over the family business of destroying the world. The animated short is based on Ian McGinty’s WELCOME TO SHOWSIDE, the creator owned comic book series by Z2 Comics; the series’ first issue is now available at local comic stores and online. In the newly released interview, Rollins says, “I think Frank has a stressful job...I would not be surprised if Frank was a straight up opera freak.” The Henry Rollins interview about WELCOME TO SHOWSIDE is available on YouTube.

The WELCOME TO SHOWSIDE animated short is widely available on YouTube. Modern Prometheus’ sister company Z2 Comics recently kicked off its new fall periodical line with the first issue of the WELCOME TO SHOWSIDE comic book series, now available at your local comic shop and online.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i8pWbTKAps