Caitlin how could you turn to the dark side nooooooooooo – Skatronixxx
The CW recently revealed a new image of actress Danielle Panabaker in her Killer Frost guise for the first time since the brief glimpse at the end of The Flash first season.
In an episode of CBS’s The Talk on Friday, the actress revealed the stages it took to get the look right: ‘Our first suit was a one-peice, kind of like Catwoman, but it didn’t feel quite right. So we changed it to be a top and these really coool elather pants. And the hair was awesome.’
As fans know, Caitlin Snow becomes the classic Flash foe as a result of an encounter with Damien Darhk’s villanous HIVE organisation. A character recently debuted in Arrow season 4 alongisde his ‘Ghosts’, henchmen that make up the mystical organisation.
In a press conference at New York Comic-Con at the start of this month, the actor portraying Darhk in the new season, Neal McDonough; revealed that Damien is to be featured prominently across all three DC shows with the villan receiving a flash-back episode on the hotly anticipated ‘Legends Of Tomorrow’ that debuts next year.
The episode will feature the new tram travelling back 40 years, where McDonough quips ‘I look exactly the same in 1975 but you see he’s not as confident, and doesn’t have such an agenda … as he does now.’
With this information signalling that Dahks agenda will radiate throughout the Arrow-verse, it seems reasonable to assume that Caitlin Snow’s transformation will come sooner rather than later. Given that an already confirmed second team-up episode between Arrow and The Flash is scheduled for later this year before the Christmas holiday hiatus in the states.
But what do you think Arrow-Flash fans. Is it too soon to turn beloved Caitlin into a villan on the show? Or would a change in character present the chance to show a villans perspective on the show?
Lionsgate Finds Its Blue Ranger
January 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
So that leaves one ranger left! Bring on the Yellow Ranger
Lionsgate recently announced that RJ Cyler will be suiting up as the Blue Ranger for their resequel of Power Rangers.
RJ Cyler (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) joins Lundi Lun, Naomi Scott and Dace Montgomery for the feature that will be directed by Dean Israelite. According to project Almanac (2014) director, the film we be a ‘mature yet playful’ adapatation of the Power Ranger franchise.
I wanted James Van Der Beek *sulks – Skatronixxx
For all things Mighty Morphin stick with @mitch_rated only at skatronixxx.com
Lionsgate Finds Its Black Ranger
January 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Another day, another Power Ranger announcement yay!
You wait a generation for a new movie Ranger and you get two in the same week. As news spreads that Lionsgate have found their new leader and Red Ranger in the form of Dacre Montgomery for their reboot, re-imagining … oh heck, lets just call it an re-sequel for now shall we. They go ahead and also cast the new Black Ranger.
It was announced via the Power Rangers Movie Twitter account that Ludi Lin would don the helmet as the new Black Ranger. I relative new comer, Lin’s acting credentials include various Tv movies and an appearance on the Netflix original show Marco Polo (2014).
Lin joins the growing cast of the new Power Rangers Movie that goes into production sometime next year which will be helmed by Project Almanac (2014) Director Dean Israelite.
Who was your fave Black ranger?
For all your Power Rangers news stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx.com
In Defence Of Season 3 Of Arrow
January 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Why was season 3 of Arrow slated so much?
Okay, I fess up. I recently marathoned through all 23 epsiodes that made up the much maligned season 3 of everyone’s favourite emerald archer. And I have to say … it really isn’t as bad as everyone likes to think.
I’m not going to lie, the season has its issues, which I will go into but overall Arrow took brave decisions that will pay off in the long run.
Is that Superman … nope it’s Ray Palmer
Is that Superman, no wait it’s Iron Man, oh no it’s DC’s The Atom
On the face of it, billionaire-tech-genuis Ray ‘The Atom’ Palmer was nothing more than a rebound for Felicity Smoak after Ollie felt he couldn’t be the Arrow and be in a relationship with her. This label however comes as a detriment to the character that Brandon Routh moulded into a three dimensional human being, even with the little material he was given. I will admit that hindsight is 20-20. Perhaps if I didn’t know that Ray Palmer was about to star in the fourth spin-off to Arrow (Legends of Tomorrow) thus giving us the oppertunity to get to know the character further. I wouldn’t have invested much patience into caring for The Atom. But Palmers snarky-wittism and comic relief was wasted when he was paired with Felicity. A big no-no with Arrow-Heads (if that is not a fandom term MAKE IT HAPPEN INTERNET) who have been shipping Oliver and Felicity for quite a while now.
In a way, I suppose your acceptance of Ray is a comment on where you place value on romantic relationships in Arrow. If you ship Oliver and Felicity, then her attraction with Palmer mar both your perceptions of the pair. I mean I kinda like them together so Ray comes off as a great addition to the team. And I feel sorry for the guy when Felicity eventually goes back to Ollie. I know he is the Arrow and can do the bar-thing … but Ray is fricking DC Iron man, that counts for something right?
Overall Palmer was an interesting and necessary addition to the story of season 3. As an introduction to the character it makes me eager to see how he interacts with the eclectic personalities that make up the Legends of Tomorrow team when it debuts next year.
Exit Laurel … Enter Black Canary
Who is your favourite Black Canary? Sara or Laurel?
Oliver Queen’s former flame Laurel Lance has been a bone of contention for fans since day one, in no small part down to the audience expectations vs the purpose of the Arrow when it comes to justice in Starling City. Throw in the arguably more popular character of Sara Lance dressed to the nines as the first incarnation of the Canary in season 2. Then Laurel automatically becomes the less cool Lance sibling in comparison.
So the decision to murder a fan-favourite like Sara in the opening to season 3 was a brave move but allowed Laurel to take her place as the Black Canary. The hero that she was destined to become.
I’m all for the slow burn when it comes to seeing someone become a hardened super hero. My years of watching origin films have taught me that the payoff is often worth the squeeze of training montages and heroes crawling up walls (Haha Spiderman reference). That being said Laurel’s self defence classes with former vigilante Ted ‘Wildcat’ Grant suffered from a non-comital by the show runners. Maybe they were worried about dedicating so much time to Laurel, which ultimately works against them. I’m not asking for another awkward romance (hello season 1 Tommy drama) but maybe a more trial and error process to her vigilante training involving Wildcat before Laurel was launched head-first into a fist fight with Vinnie Jones would’ve been eaiser to believe.
Regardless of what opinion of Laurel you subscribe too. It was about time she took control of her destiny. Treated as a victim for far too long, from guilt over Sara’s apparent death on the Queen’s gambit to her battle with alcohol abuse. It was refreshing to see a positive aspect to Laurel’s character development on the show other than self pitying.
Although I wouldn’t go as far as to say that Laurel’s transformation into Black Canary has made her a fan favourite on the show. Her evolution as a character was much needed with season 3’s overall darker tone suited to Laurel’s family tragedy. With her transformation into the canary just beginning hopefully the writers can explore other aspects to her personality. Let’s just hope that with the many sidekicks that surround the Arrow going into season 4, Laurel doesn’t get lost in the ranks.
What about that ‘League’ though?
Why has no one mentioned Batman yet?
For a mythical organisation that has been teased since the shows beginning. The League of Assassins needed to pay off big time and although they felt inept at times. The League’s presence certainly transformed our core core group in irreversible ways.
Through Ra’s Al-Ghul transforming Ollie into a soulless assassin the later half ot the season, to killing Thea in order to force Ollie into becoming Heir to the Demon. The Leagues perhaps was served best in showing what Malcolm Merlyn has been running away from all these years.
With John Barrowman becoming regular on season3, it enabled us to see the shades of grey that Merlin operates within. Season 3 was arguable Merlin’s story of growth evident in the character receiving a flashback episode that made us better understand the reason why he joined the League in the first place. Not out of a lust for power, that he ultimately craves today, but from deep sadness of loss and the realisation that he wasn’t strong enough to save his wife and protect his family from tragedy. Through us experiencing the Leagues brutal ways, it allowed us to better understand Malcolm as a product of his environment. Whether we still understand it is a matter for debate but those moments he shared with Thea this season shows a nurturing side still buried deep within.
With the League of Assassins proving a vital story trope for the show so far, it is only a matter of time before they will rear their ugly head again. Which given the epic encounters that team Arrow have had against them so far. I’m all in.
With Season 4 currently airing we will have to wait and see how the Arrow and his team recovering from such a dark season3. I’m only guessing but I bet it will involve a lot of fighting and hoods. Just a guess, you know … but true.
For all things Arrow stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx.com
Power Rangers Finds Its Red Ranger
January 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Why does he remind me of a young Chris Evans?
As evident with recent articles it’s no secret that I’m all in when it comes to Lionsgate Power Rangers reboot, reimagining or sequeal … It’s still not entirely clear what the damn movie is all about.
Regardless, I grew up Mighty Morphin’, high kicking and Megazord fighting the hell out of the show. So to hear that Lionsgate have found thier new Red Ranger is news worth shouting from the rooftops.
Problem is Dacre Montgomery is a relative unknown to tinsel town so the background I have to share is limited but aint he pretty though.
News on the Red Ranger comes hot on the heels of the Pink Ranger casting. Where Lionsgate shared via Twitter that The Martian Naomi Scott would be slipping into that tight spandex when filming begins next year.
Well hello Pink Ranger 😉
For all your Power Rangers news stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx.com
Two X-Men Tv Series Announced by 20th Century Fox
January 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
In todays gender equal society should they be called X-People?
With Fox announcing thier two new X-Men related shows coming to a Tv screen near you you. I thought I’d take time out of my busy-ish schedule and give me opinion on the new shows and what they might entail using my miss spent youth of reading X-Men comics and generally Geeking -out over every morsel of new stuff we get from our Mutant friends. Pro-Mutant and Proud baby.
Fox and The Hellfire Club
Skatronixxx will be happy if Emma Frost is in it *faints*
The first of two shows will air on Fox’s own channel and will centre around the formation of the Hellfire Club. That evil faction of Mutants lead bu the Bacon guy from Footloose in Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class. The press release revealed some story details about a young special agent who learns that a ‘power-hungry woman with extraordinary abilities is working with a clandestine society of millionaires to take over the world’. With this series set during the 60’s I can’t help but experience deja vu when considered that this was the premise for The Hellfire Club within Vaughn’s 2011 film. Could this be a prequel to that? It sounds logical when the description for the ‘power-hungry woman’ could be a veiled attempt to disguise the character as the one and only Emma Frost.
Ah Emma Frost. A Seminal part of X-Men comic lore has been somewhat maligned and mishandled within Fox’s X-Men cinematic universe. From her semi-quasi and later redacted entrance in Wolverine Origins (2009) played by Tahnya Tozzi. To the prettyu weak characterisation of Frost played by January Jones (that one-out-of-Mad Men) in First Class. My favourite bad-girl-turned-good has recieved a bum deal when it comes to character adaptation on screen. The Emma Frost that I know was rebooted by Grant Morrison’s stellar comic-book run with the New X-Men (2001) whose no-nonsense attitude and cold persona a carry over to Joss Whedon’s run as writer for the Astonoshing X-Men (2005). Who whose portrayal evolved into an infiltrator for the new Hellfire Club yet became a key member of the X-Men who constantly had to compete with good and bd sides of ehr nature. Think Darth vader if he wore white and had a really noce rack. With X-Men producers Lauren Schuler Donner, Simon Kinsberg and Bryan Singer producing the new series; it leads me to believe that the connection to films may obviously be front of mind for these people. Coupled with the fact that Fox is not only funding the series but airing it also, it basically serves as free advertising for thier cinematic universe. When casting for the main female antagonist is announced, we will get an idea of where this iteration of X-men lore is going. But a cat-and-mouse game with a secret agent and a Mutant on opposing sides, sounds like Homeland with powers, which gets a big thumbs up from me.
Breaking Legion
This one looks different, good different
The second show sounds more experimental than an obvious hit. With a character who is probably more familiar with ardent comic book fans than the general masses. This show that will appear on FX has an intriguing if not worrisome central figure that may see an uphill battle when the show comes to air.
‘The pilot introduces the story of David Haller: Since he was a teenager. David has struggled with mental illness. Diagnosed as schizophrenic, David ha sbeen in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. But after a strange encounter with a fellow patient, he’s confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real.’
To uninitiated, David Haller is Charles Xavier’s son whose telepathic abilities may-or-may-not (it’s never explicitly stated in the comics) have lead to his schizophrenia. Either way, David often reverts to his numerous personalities that all despise his father and the Mutant-human utopia that he fights for.
Legion is an interested if not progressive character to centralise within a show that could serve to catapult an often misunderstood condition like mental illness into the consciousness of the masses. The problem is that David is often placed as a villan within the X-Men mythos with no small part being because of his severe mental faculties that often causes him to be unable to disassociate good from bad.
I can’t deny that the character would make fascinating television if handled properly, I just don’t see who the audience for the show is besides those Legion fans. Is there enough of them out there to make this a hit? I suppose in order to hook those would-be converts is how the show works format wise. A Breakign Bad style of show could work for such a complicated character, with deep character explorations in over-arching stourylines would work but I still believe that those types of audiences is still such a niche market to gamble an X-Men show on.
Either way I am quietly confident that with the combined efforts of FX and Bryan Singer that they can produce a character driven narrative in the same vein as Breaking Bad but with the visual style of Hannibal, but that’s just my wishlist.
It is reported that The Hellfire series is in development while Legion has been ordered to pilot, which confirms that 20th Century Fox and Marvel have been in negotiations for some time, with Fox’s Dana Walden mentioning that they were talking with mavel back in August. While Fox owns the rights to any movie produced X-Men product Marvel still owns the Tv rights for the characters, which means Marvel has already signed off on the proposed plans for Fox’s X-Men Tv series.
With an endorsement from Marvel, Im quietly eager to see these shows when they air.
Legendary And Warner Confirm Shared King Kong & Godzilla Universe
January 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Tom Hiddleston and the Cadbury gorilla, what more could women want?
Two reboots, check. A shared universe, check. Commence Monster-Mash franchise, check-check-check. Rumours have been circulating for a while now that the planned Legendary produced Kong: Skull Island was the beginning of a planned shared universe involving Legendary’s critically acclaimed reboot of Godzilla. Those rumours were proven right today with the announcement of a Marvel-like Universe with the two Goliath’s and as-of-yet unannounced monster buddies.
In a press release for both companies, they outlined their vision going forward: “All-powerful monsters become towering heroes for a new generation, revealing a mythology that brings together Godzilla and Legendary’s King Kong in an ecosystem of other giant super-species, both classic and new. Monarch, the human organisation that uncovered Godzilla in the 2014 film, will expand their mission across multiple releases.”
This announcement retroactively makes Godzilla an origin story for the organisation Monarch who seem pivotal in the franchise going forward. Of course you will all remember that Bryan Cranston played what everyone assumed was a big role in the Godzilla reboot after coming off his starring role as Walter White in the hugely popular Breaking Bad only to **Spoilers** die earlier on in the film. I can only assume that the producers are kicking themselves given that Cranston’s Joe Brody would have served as a perfect protagonist for the franchise going forward. I hope my bitterness comes across. Stupid Legendary.
With Godzilla (2014) serving as the starting point for the franchise, the upcoming Kong: Skull Island will serve as the second film and reboot for the giant ape. Followed by Godzilla 2 (2018) and Godzilla vs. King Kong serving as the Monster-Assemble movie in 2020. Production on Kong: Skull Island begins next week (October 19th) with a cast including Tom Hiddleston, Sam Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman, Tian Jing, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, John Ortiz, Shea Whigham and Toby Kebbell.
Let’s hope they bring back these special effects, just kidding 😉
With this announcement cementing the franchise going forward, eagle eyed viewers will be watching Kong carefully to see if groundwork is laid for the franchises future. If any actor is a contender for taking the monster franchise forward on his back, Tom Hiddleston seems likely given that his run with Marvel is often served on an appearance demand basis. Could the British actor have his eyes set for another franchise in the future? We will have to see when Kong: Skull Island is released in 2018.
The New Power Rangers Movie: 5 Things That Could Be Awesome
January 26, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Who’s your fave Power Ranger?
With the news out of Lionsgate that their Power Rangers Movie would carry on the long history that is more than 20 years of Power Ranger awesome-ness. It got me thinking about possible advantageous storylines and plot points that would benefit from fitting into the Power Rangers continuity rather than planting a flag pole with the ever easy route of Reboot-mania.
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1. Is that a Power Ranger or are you just pleased to see me?
Zordon is happy to see you
Number one on the Hitlist is the obvious cameo opportunities that arise from continuing the Rangers saga. With reports indicating that the current crop of young Rangers known as The Dino Charge Rangers (an on-the-nose yet respectful homage to the original Mighty Morphin era) will be popping up in a passing-of-the-mantle opening scene. Wouldn’t it be great if the cameo’s didn’t stop there?
As any fan of the series know Saban are unafraid to crossover Rangers from one iteration to other, with a common practice of having one or two crossover episode per-season. Or sometimes casting a fan favourite in a whole season such as Tommy Oliver’s return in 2004’s Dino Thunder as mentor Doctor ‘O and the new black ranger, I know, weird right?
So what stops Lionsgate from digging deep into the plethora of past Rangers and use as integral parts of the story or just a fun nod to the millions of fans out there who’d get a kick outta seeing their favourite Ranger return. I mean, we all got one right?
2. The ‘Franks’ effect
Would you want to see the ‘iconic’ Tommy Oliver in the movie?
Since his turn as everyones first and favourite Green Ranger Tommy Oliver. Jason David Franks has been unable to shake-off that Green Helmet which has overshadowed much of his career away from the Rangers screen. Whats cool about Franks however is that he is still totally stoked to be ‘Your’ Green Ranger. A consummate professional still to this day, he is forever a fixture at numerous comic-cons and Power Ranger centric events. Franks service to the Power Rangers franchise should be recognised with a significant role in the new film.
Not only would his stature and history with the series bring gravitas to the film but it will attract those 90’s kids that would get a serious nostalgia trip from seeing Franks’ Tommy Oliver on the big screen again.
After all, no one can deliver the often corny lines that come part and parcel with the Power Rangers with a po-faced and serious attitude to back it up than Franks.
3. Whats in a Name?
Are the names important?
I’m swinging wild with this one but hear me out. According to a release character description of the central five teenagers in the film that had some very familiar names to an audience of a certain 90’s era. It lead many to believe that Jason, Billy, Zack, Kimberly and Trini would once again return to our screens with new faces in a reboot of the Mighty Morphin era of the show. A kibosh however was thrown on that theory when Lionsgate confirmed that this movie would serve as a continuation of the series. But what if it wasn’t?
I ponder that question because reports from the studio also liken their movie to a reboot in the same vain as Doctor Who’s very own reboot-ish that bullet pointed the end of the classic era of Who with a new story going forward but still acknowledged what came before.
My best bet would indicate that this is the course of action that Lionsgate will indeed follow but what about those pesky names?
Many others have guessed that their could be a mystical explanation for the names, possible a parentage connection that if you ask me sounds too hokey to be a viable candidate. No, I believe that those names have been chosen as an obvious full-stop indicator in a fresh start for a Movie cinematic universe that will grow alongside the tv one.
My evidence? I have none other than I don’t see Lionsgate wasting time on an origin movie for five movie characters if they only end up passing on their powers to the next Tv Rangers at the films end or indeed the next Tv series start.
4. Two Teams, One Universe
Two teams? And yes this episode did happen!
The film landscape of the modern era has evolved. With the success of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe no new blockbuster these’s days is a one off. With everyone playing catch up to create their own universe that expands from film and Tv, to books and even graphic novels. DC is well underway with a quick construction of the Justice League in Dawn of Justice and those funny-men of the Ghostbusters are also jumping head-first into the franchise pool with an all-female movie reboot coming next year. With a rumoured new younger-hotter male team in the pipeline and an animated feature in the offing. And thats not forgetting Harry Potter, Fast and Furious, Star Wars, Star Trek, and The Hungers Games franchised to-the-nines … phew.
So are you telling me that Lionsgate wont go that route with a new kick-ass team of Power Rangers?
Of course Saban would continue to produce new combinations of Power Rangers for their Tv audience but that doesn’t stop Lionsgate from starting their own story that compliments both universes. With the Rangers already getting a graphic novel sometime in the future, it seems that Saban and Lionsgate already have the groundwork for a shared universe already in the works. All is left is for the Movie to complete the trifecta.
5. That Short Film
If you haven’t see this I seriously recommend it – @Skatronixxx
This list could hardly be relevant without mentioning that short film which took the internet by storm but in the process, infuriated Saban who eventually succeeded in getting the film taken off Vimeo and YouTube due to copyright infringement.
That aside, producer Adi Shankar defended the film as his comment on Hollywoods obsession with reboots and their total lack of empathy for the source material. Demonstrated in the shorts hyperbolic violence and brief nudity which obviously serves as an oxymoron to what Saban’s Power Rangers are all about. Comic-book violence that takes place within a structured reality where good always triumphant over evil.
Although critical acclaimed with some former Rangers cast praising the film, it stands to reason that a Shankar-esque big screen Power Ranger film seems unlikely. It is ironic however that Lionsgate’s chosen director Dean Israelite (Project Almanac) has been quoted as stating that the film will be “mature but also completely playful”. Indicating that obviously the film will be kid friendly but there may be more darker tones for adult viewers than you would initially assume.
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With the big screen return on The Power Rangers scheduled for release in 2017 and filming starting some-time next year. Stay tuned for updates for you favourite mighty-morphin’ team as we get it.
SKATRONIXXX’S THOUGHTS:- Wow what an great debut piece for the site @mitch_rated ! What do you think readers? Do you have any thoughts on a possible Power Rangers movie? If so let me @skatronixxx and @mitch_rated know on Twitter now
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