Daredevil Ep. 18 Kinbaku Review

Picking up after last episode’s cliffhanger, Matt Murdock has connected with Elektra Natchios, an old flame. As is normal on this show, we get a backstory for the characters. Murdock met Elektra at a society party. He sized her up as an uptown girl getting tired of her uptown boys (Okay, he didn’t quote Billy Joel, but that’s an accurate description). He finds out that she’s more into danger than he thought, even insisting on breaking into the Murdock gym to have sexy times. This is one of the rare episodes to have good and bad in it so let’s break it down.

Bad: This episode is light on action. There is not one scene featuring Daredevil in action, or Matt in his Daredevil outfit. Also, there’s no Punisher. There are some B-plots that are thrown out – Karen investigating the Punisher and Foggy trying to hook up with an old flame that don’t add to much… at least in this episode.

Good: The scenes between Elektra and Matt are decent – it’s pretty clear they’re doing X-rated stuff, but the show knows when to show and when to imply. At first, it seems like these scenes will drag, but as Daredevil often does, the show throws a curveball. Elektra and Matt break into a house. We think it’s just Elekta’s wildside, but she reveals a surprise: The man who murdered Matt’s father. This is the highlight of the episode and justified a somewhat slow start: We learn Elektra is not just some bored elitist who wants to break a few rules. We learn she is dangerous. The scene where Matt meets his father’s murderer is tense, and reveals a lot about Matt’s character – he attacks the guy but eventually calls the police.

Overall, Kinbaku is a decent episode, but the weak link of the season so far. After four home runs, a hit to second seemed inevitable. For a few great moments, and for continuing the story, this episode still comes recommended.

Luke Cage SN1 EP07-‘Manifest’

A shocking episode saw a significant shift in the status-quo.

Oh my. As we entered the halfway point of the season there was a sense that it was the calm before the storm, as everyone figured out their moves before the real war started. Though Cottonmouth promptly entered and exited jail, his operation was on the rocks. As a result, Mariah’s career hit a wall, and Luke was allowed a moment of relative piece…that lasted all of two minutes. From the very beginning this episode felt like a transitional period. Everything before was fluff compared to what’s coming next, and boy did that ring true.

Rather than skip to that shock ending, let’s discuss some of the other key moments from this episode. Misty was given a strong showing throughout this episode, but her character still continues to conflict. The material with her new captain, though limited, was great as it became clear we were viewing two women of very strong character. Their obvious shared past will no doubt be explored down the line, but for now it was fun viewing two people with such clear animosity towards one another. It’s just a shame then that her new captain pushed her to pursue Luke. As great as Misty can be as a character, all her material to do with Luke is frustrating. In a show about a vigilante, seeing fellow protagonists go against him is more of an annoyance of anything else. It’s possible that Misty’s insistence on trusting the system is rooted in events from her past, but until such time a proper explanation for her attitudes are given, the character will continue to be a problem.

Whilst Misty continued to push for justice, Luke was quite ready to run away. With jailtime off the table, Cottonmouth put everything he had into finishing Luke once and for all, revealing facts about Luke’s past in order to blackmail him into working. It was an interesting move on Cottonmouth’s part as it didn’t guarantee Luke would fall in line, however it did help conclude a running thread from episode one. Ever since we met him Luke’s wanted to hide away from being a hero, to stay in the shadows. Here then, Claire finally pushed him in the right direction. Her role in the series is larger than I thought it would be, but it’s paying off dividends. The problem with Luke is that he’s quite happy to run away from a bad situation if it will affect the little bubble of secrecy he’s created around himself. Claire then acts as the guiding hand he so desperately needs. This first came in the form of Pop, then Bobby Fish, and now Claire. It stresses that Luke is still human. He’s just as reliant on others as the rest of us, maybe even a little more so, and it adds yet another layer of depth to an already layered character.

Luke’s ultimate decision to stay despite the consequences means we’ve likely seen the last of his brooding, non-committal days, and the hero for hire is about to come out in full force. Or at least he might’ve had he not been shot with the only bullet in the world that can harm him. I expected this to come into play at some point in the future, but certainly not yet. There’s a whole other villain yet to appear in the series, and given the rather ominous way he lurks in the shadows, his introduction had to be big. This moment here then acts as the prelude to the inevitable horror Diamondback will rain down upon our heroes. The first time actually seeing Luke get hurt was always going to be a pivotal moment for the series, and given the seriousness of the way in which it was done, there’s the chance for things to get crazy before he’s fighting fit again.

Speaking of crazy, let’s move over to the meat behind this episode, and the reason I’ve seen so many people proclaim it as the best one. We were finally given a rather surprising backstory to Cottonmouth this episode, and in a trope that has become all too common in TV, he died soon after.

Yup. I’m still processing that too.

I always assumed Cottonmouth would stick around, at least until the final episode, with Diamondback taking his place during a stint in prison. After all, Cottonmouth was billed as the main villain. However, it turns out that the true villain was lurking in the background all this time, and her name is Mariah Dillard. The moment she snaps and starts beating Cottonmouth was one of those truly shocking moments of television. There was no real build-up to it. The audience had been conditioned to believe Cottonmouth would be staying put. It was just plain shocking.

Through the terrific flashbacks we got to witness first-hand the somewhat disturbing and notorious legacy the infamous Mama Mabel built for herself, as well as how this shaped both Cottonmouth and Mariah. There’s been hints throughout the season that Cottonmouth isn’t all that comfortable with what he does. It was interesting to learn then that he was once a musical prodigy, but he let the wrong people influence him and he turned to a life of crime. It was surprising to her him say all that out loud before he met his ultimate demise, but it was clearly something he had always kept bottled up. At the end of the day, Cottonmouth knew he could’ve been something better, and that realisation is tragic in its own right.

It’s the same realisation that Mariah came to this episode, just with a little help from Shades. Her brutal murder of Cottonmouth was the beginning of what promises to be a very raw, but very powerful transformation. She was clearly shaken by what she did, but her actions have made the character more exciting than ever. Now that we’ve seen her commit such a violent act, it will make her political spin all the more interesting to watch, and promises more of the same going forward.

In such a shocking and eventful episode there are bound to be moments that are looked over, so other notable highlights include:

• I love the casual way Luke just walks up to criminals now. It’s a true reflection of his power, and it also helps that it’s hilarious.

• This episode was actually big on the funny. Some exceptional quotes: “I’m really tired of buying new clothes” and “*Pointing at hoodie* Do you have this in double XL?”

• Shades continues to be such an intriguing character. His role was stepped up this episode, but he’s just that one character that always simply seems to be there. No big purpose, he’s just there. I wonder what his end game is?

• I feel like it’s been a while since I commended the music, which is wrong of me because the music continues to be epic. The way they tie it into the visuals is just so unique.

• The brutality of Cottonmouth’s murder has to be commented on again. Whilst Mariah might have always been shielded from what Mama Mabel had going on, you got the sense during the flashbacks that she was silently noting everything that went on. And wow did it mess her up!

So Luke Cage’s most shocking episode yet marked a significant shift in power going forward. With Cottonmouth well and truly out of the picture, it’s time for Mariah to step out of the shadows, whilst the ever ominous Diamondback inches closer towards and appearance. Luke seemed to finally accept his role as hero with some pushing from Claire, but contending with a serious wound, Harlem is up for the taking.

 

Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events

‘At times the world may seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe that there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough. and what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events may in fact be the first steps of a journey.’ Many of you who have read Lemony Snicket‘s novels, titled A Series of Unfortunate Events, or those of you who have watched the movie, which was released in 2004, will be surprised to learn another remake has been made.

Back in November of 2014, Netflix announced its plans to adapt the A Series of Unfortunate Events novels into a new, original TV series. Daniel Handler (that’s the author’s real name) is serving as executive producer for the show. All eight episodes of the show will be released worldwide on Netflix on January 13, 2016 — that’s just three months away!

Who can you expect to star in this peculiar tale?

• Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf
• Malina Weissman as Violet Baudelaire
• Louis Hynes as Klaus Baudelaire
• John DeSantis as Bald Man
• Usman Ally as Hook-Handed Man

Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf

Here’s the trailer. Enjoy it if you dare…

 

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Are you excited for another spectacular Netflix series? After watching Stranger Things I have high expectations for all that Netflix has to offer. Are you sad it’s only eight episodes? Excited to see another adaptation? I’d love to know! Comment below or tweet me @SohoDoll. And as always, ‘Reading is one form of escape. Running for your life is another.’ -Lemony Snicket

Is Coal Hill Academy The New Hogwarts? Class Episodes One And Two Synopsises Revealed

A pair of synopsises have been revealed for the first two episodes of Class and it al sounds a bit Harry Potter.

For Tonight We Might Die

It’s a new term at Coal Hill Academy, and students are preparing for their Autumn Prom. But when the school comes under attack from the monstrous Shadow Kin, four alienated students must form an unlikely alliance to defeat them.

Charlie (Greg Austin) , April (Sophie Hopkins), Ram (Fady Elsayed) and Tanya (Vivian Oparah), assisted by their physics teacher Miss Quill (Katherine Kelly), are now charged with a great responsibility by the mysterious alien known as ‘The Doctor (Peter Capaldi)’: to guard against the creatures of nightmare, who want nothing more than to find a way through to Earth and take it for their own.

And this incursion is only the beginning…

Teachers assisting against an alien menace? Does that remind anyone else of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2? And then there’s the shadowy force attacking the school, which bares obvious similarities to the Dementors.

Of course, in the context of the Whoniverse this isn’t the first time teachers from Coal Hill have fought an alien menace. Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright travelled with the First Doctor from 1963 until 1965. There was even an agent of the Black Guardian  called The Shadow, whom the Fourth Doctor and Mary Tamm’s Romana encountered on the final part of their quest for the Key To Time in 1979’s The Armageddon Factor. 

Whether the Shadow Kin has any connections to The Shadow remains to be seen, however it is perhaps unlikely.

The Coach With The Dragon Tattoo

Following the tragic events at the Prom, a devastated Ram isolates himself from the other three as he struggles with his new reality. Desperate to hold himself together on the football pitch, when he thinks he witnesses someone getting skinned alive he’s convinced he’s cracking up.

But when Tanya, Charlie and April are all confronted with the same thing: a horrific, monstrous, skin-peeling dragon, they know that they’re under attack. The gang must pull together to fight against the monster, and try to keep Coal Hill safe.

The synopsis mentions a ‘football pitch’, which makes me wonder if Football will play a similar part to Quidditch in the Harry Potter series as a sport that Ram (like Harry with Quidditch) excels at.

Also: could the skin-peeling dragon be a species from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorious (the home planet of the Slitheen, who are well-known for skinning their victims)? It is certainly within the realms of possibility, given that The Sarah Jane Adventures introduced the Raxacoricofallapatorians known as the ‘Blatheens‘.

The first school term at Class will start on 22nd October 2016, with the first two episodes made available on BBC3 Online. You can see the teaser trailer (which features a tear that looks significantly similar to the Crack In Time from Series 5) below:

 

 

Life size Harley Quinn to be at New York Comic Con

To those people who take the time to make life-sized or giant sculptures with Lego pieces, woooooooow. Talk about the patience, time, and creativity these people have to do these projects. It just blows my mind really.

Well to add to the Lego Land of awesomeness, they are showcasing a life-sized Harley Quinn, and she will be making her debut at the New York Comic Con. Standing at 5’3”, weighing in at 63 lbs (lucky chick), and consists of 12,789 bricks total…. Oh and she only took 120 hours to build… Holy Cow…. She looks awesome! Beautifully detailed with red and blue pigtails, face mask, plus her trusty mallet. This life-sized Quinn is a masterpiece for sure and should be a hit at Comic Con.

Here are the pictures of this lovely lady, take a gander my friends and tell me what you think. ^_^

TRACE – A Dr. Who Fan Film Web Series Episode 8

Director: Johnny K. Wu

Producers: Johnny K. Wu, Peter Sampson, Cynthia Graham, Jeff Yanik

Associate Producer: Jason L. Wang

Script: Johnny K. Wu
Inspired by BBC’s Doctor Who’s TV Series

UK Script Consultant: Dale Who
US Script Consultant: Shawn Wickens

Composer Ep 4: Solo Deep
Composer Ep 1-3, 5-9: Aryavarta Kumar

CAST:
AGENT 451- Jason L. Wang
AGENT 577- Justin McDonough
THE DOCTOR – Donn R. Nottage
COMMANDER COLLINS – Keith Collins II
AGENT 0 – Donna Williams
AGENT 310 – John Cosma
AGENT 430 – Andy Sedgwick
THE MASTER – Philip Saad
SERGEANT HART (UNIT) – Taylor Nelms
SERGEANT KAZ (UNIT) – Joe Abazia
SILURIAN 1 (UNIT) – Shelby Brunn
SILURIAN 2 (UNIT) – Shawn Ray Sterba
MILITARY MAN I (UNIT) – Ben Zgorecki
MILITARY MAN II (UNIT) – John Fecek
U.N.I.T. GUARD (Sgt. Smith) – Davis Aguila
U.N.I.T. GUARD (Sgt. Karl) – Danea Rhodes
GENERAL MALEK (UNIT) – Assad Khaishgi
GOOD AGENT 1 – Terry Giancaterino
GOOD AGENT 2 – Terry Wylie
GOOD AGENT 4 – Michael Vitovich
GOOD AGENT 5 – AGENT 650 – Mary Corbett
BAD AGENT 1 – Dana Langshaw
BAD AGENT 2 – Grace Langshaw
BAD AGENT 3 – Rainn Chintala
BAD AGENT 4 – Dylan McCaughin
BAD AGENT 5 – Andrew Santin
Doctor Who – Mark Otloski

CREW:
Cinematographer: Mike Bacanu & Jeff Yanik
Script Supervisor: Cynthia Graham
Assistant Director: Joe Yost
Lighting Director: Peter Sampson
Camera Assistant: Jeffrey Wexler, Stephen Morgan, Mikey Tell
Casting Director: Jason L. Wang
Wardrobe: Mary Corbett
Boom/Sound: Terry Giancaterino
Photographers: Erin Smith, Donn Nottage
EMS/Medic/Safety: Todd Metzendorf

2nd Unit Director: Peter Samspon
2nd Unit DP: Stephen Morgan

Prop Master: William Cruz Morales
Assistant Props: Mikey Tell, Joe Yost, Jason L. Wang, Johnny K. Wu, Mike Bacanu

Production Assistant: Stephen Miller, Nancy Weaver, Mike Anderson, Mark Stavnicky, P.L. Wong

Fight Coordinator: Keith Collins II

Fight Choreography: Jason L. Wang, Justin McDonough, John Cosma, Andrew Sedgwick

Practical VFX: Joseph Shaw

Craft Services: Raymond Elkin, Josh Everard, Mark Pittenger

Catering: Koko Bakery, Li Wah Chinese Restaurant, StrEat Mobile Bistro

Editor: Jason L. Wang, Johnny K. Wu
VFX Compositor: Jason L. Wang, Johnny K. Wu, John W. Bolt Jr.
VFX Animation: William Cruz Morales

Doctor Who Opening: Dan Hildebrand

Sound FX: Vidas Pliodzinskas, Johnny K. Wu
Colorist/Grading: Johnny K. Wu

Poster Design: Donn R. Nottage

Behind the Scenes: Joe Kowalski
Thanks:

Adam Evans
Angel Marie
Ariel Saulog
Assad Khaishgi
Barbara and Ray Hing
Benjamin Zgorecki
Bernadette Gillota
Branislav Tatalovic
Brian Bockhoff
Chris Axelrod
Chris Fecek
Cynthia Brookins
Dale Who
Dan Hanson
Dana Aritonovich
Daniel Bauen
David James
Dave Stone Jr.
Dave & Mary Ann Colegrove
Davis Aguila
DOJ
Don Oon C F
Donna Kase
Dorjan Scott
Ed Hom
Eleny de Velasquez
Ella Fong
Eric Olsen
Fadi Kdayssi
Fan Wang
Flora Mark
Frank R Chloupek
Gadi Zamir
Huili Shi
Izzy Schachner
Jen and Vi Huynh
John Fecek
John Iwasz
John Maslowski
John Pusztay
Joseph Michael Gyulay
Joseph P Meissner and Ryan Gia Hoa
Josh Everard
Julie Temple
Julius Farkas
Karen Workman
Katarzyna Kochany
Keith L Collins II
Ken Carpenter
Kristina Michelle
Kyle Znamenak
Dave Fleming
Lord John Fecek, The Assembler of The Avengers
Marc Moser
Margaret Wong
Mary D Welgs
Mary Ellen Tomazic
Meiling Parker
Michael Brunstedt
Michael Mendoza
Michele Laskowski
Michelle Asher
Mike Fecek
Miriam Bennett
Ng Seow Kin
Norman Henke
Ook Kai Yuen
Peter Fields
Porche Robinson
Randy Hom
Ray and Shan Chan
Ray Hing
Ray Szuch
Raymond Elkin
Renee Dopoulos Nottage
Richard Q. Woodland
Robert L Coppedge
Robert M. Messinger
Russell Emanuel
Ryan Colegrove
Sapna Kumar
Scott T. Morrison
Sheng Liu
Sourideth Sam Xongmixay
Spark
Sylvia and Jeffrey Jones
T L Firth
Tom Luthala
Tom Shafer
Tom West
Victoria Zak
Wallace J Lanci
Wayne & Lisa Wong
William M. Johns
AbbyShot Clothiers
Came-TV
Cleveland Camera Rentals
Ron Fuller / Imageline Studios
ImageLab Media
IndieGogo
Lake Erie Gymnastics School
Karate Institute of Mentor
Tyler Village
Wok on the Wild Side

Filmed in
Cleveland, Ohio
Pepper Pike, Ohio
Lakewood, Ohio
Creative House Studios

Equipment Used:
3 x Panasonic GH4
Canon 70D
Canon 5D Mark iii
Came-TV 7500 Gimbal
FocusShifter
and many other toys…

Edited on
Adobe Master Collections CS6

Color grading with
Red Giant Software Packages

Media Design Imaging
http://www.mdifilm.com

Luke Cage SN1 EP06-‘Suckas Need Bodyguards’

Cottonmouth hits rock bottom as allies become enemies in a thrilling episode.

Detective Scarfe has been one of the standout characters of Luke Cage. His blend of sarcasm and genuine care for Misty despite his wrongdoings highlighted him as a character you immediately warmed to. Unfortunately, being the partner of one of the leads, and then a corrupt one at that, his days were clearly numbered. As a side note, I find that with each subsequent Marvel/Netflix show it’s getting easier to spot who will die. The shows have fallen into a realm of predictability that can become slightly distracting, so I hope they shake things up with Iron Fist. Regarding Scarfe however, his path to redemption turned out to be rather unpredictable.

From his solo meeting with Cottonmouth at the start of the episode it was clear things were never going to go well for Scarfe, but something about his motivation seemed off, especially as we learnt more about his backstory. In a moment that’s all too common on TV shows nowadays, we learnt a heck of a lot about Scarfe right before he died, primarily that he had a son who had also died. It was in learning that, that Scarfe’s motivation of made less sense. Before it was easy to assume Scarfe was just greedy. It was in trying to squeeze Cottonmouth for an extra $100,000 that resulted in his untimely demise, but as soon as it was revealed he had a son, the pieces fell into place.

From the beginning, Scarfe’s behaviour towards Cottonmouth has always been pretty reckless, something which made even less sense in learning he wasn’t the only Detective on Cottonmouth’s payroll. In a brilliant feat of subverting expectations then, it became clear that Scarfe almost wanted to die. As Misty noted “He’s always cracking jokes, but never smiles.” The death of his son, partially caused by him, left Scarfe living an empty existence. It explains his recklessness with Cottonmouth. The want for money in an attempt to fill the void in his life. And why his relationship with Misty was so strong. In a way, she was a surrogate son. Whereas everyone else in the precinct treated her like a girl, Scarfe initially treated her like the son he never got to help grow. What seemed like just another run of the mill dirty cop story, turned out to be a moving reflection of the effect of loss upon a person. It all came together as in an easy to miss moment he uttered he would see his son again. Scarfe didn’t necessarily want to die once it came down to it, but he always had the hope that his death would bring with it another chance to be with his son, and that was a truly touching moment.

Whilst Scarfe may now be gone, his partner Misty is finally developing into a stronger character. Before now, her obsession with Luke has sapped the character of everything that made her great in episode one, so it was great to see her focus finally shift back to Cottonmouth. She got to be a detective again rather than stalking the streets after Luke, and the way she figured out and ultimately overpowered Detective Perez placed her as a force to be reckoned with. Her bond with Scarfe really shone through this episode, and showed a more intimate side to her that we hadn’t seen before. Sure we saw she was sad at Pop’s death, but there was an indication that Scarfe was an even more powerful figure in her life. He was the only one that believed in her to begin with, so I’d hate to be anyone who gets on the wrong side of her now. On the other hand, with Cottonmouth now in jail it’s possible she’ll set all her sights on Luke, something that really should be left alone.

Much of this episode embraced the form of a thriller. There was always the chance that Detective Scarfe could survive, so the chase sequences were exciting to behold. The locations used emphasised the excitement, with the busy road chase creating a sense of chaos as the stakes were raised, whilst the darkened, narrow, twisting hallways of the building they escaped into created a claustrophobic, hopeless atmosphere. It helps that there was a character present in these scenes whose safety truly hung in the balance. With Luke everything-proof, and Detective Scarfe on his way out, there had to be a defenceless character around to make the scenes worthwhile and exciting. Which is where Claire came into the story. She continues to be an awesome character that connects the otherwise isolated worlds of the Netflix shows. Her time in this episode pushed her closer to becoming the Night Nurse, as she displayed some terrific skills, whilst also pushing Luke to embrace his inner hero. She’s the kind of person who can get through to people, show them a better way, and if she sticks around on Luke Cage for any length of time, could be the catalyst Luke needs to push him that one step further.

There were some pretty significant goings on in this episode that I didn’t even touch on, so other notable highlights include:

• The breakfast scene between Luke and Fish was a fun little moment, as Fish brings out a different side to Luke that is all together more fun. As such it has me severely worried for Fish’s safety. I don’t think I could handle it if they killed him off too.

• After lurking in the background for a couple of episodes, Alfre Woodard’s Councilwoman Mariah Dillard made a significant comeback this episode. I say comeback only in the most general of terms, as her political career actually hit quite a speedbump. It’s terrific to see the two sides to her, as both politician and Cottonmouth’s cousin, but there were hints of a deeper character going on here. It seems the character is not quite stable, and you can see that behind her eyes is something just waiting to snap. She’s not your conventional villain, in that whilst most villains like her just think they are doing the right thing, the ambitions she has would actually be the right thing. With the impending struggles in her political career though, we might just be about to see the beast snap.

• These Marvel/Netflix shows really don’t shy away from highlighting corruption do they? I swear if real life was actually that corrupt, which it no doubt is, it’s a wonder everything isn’t just a wreck!

• Loved how Claire turned down Luke’s suggestion to ‘get coffee’. She knows what you mean Luke, don’t go try playing that.

• We saw a rather dark side to Luke this episode as he got close to killing Scarfe himself. I didn’t get the notion that Chico meant that much to him, but I suppose it was the fact that Pop died trying to protect him that sent Luke over the edge. Still this was unsettling to watch, and says that there’s maybe more to Luke than we know.

A thrilling episode of Luke Cage saw the unfortunate loss of standout character Scarfe, but a loss that will hopefully propel Misty forward to becoming an altogether better character. An exciting chase scene provided the thrills of the episode, whilst the continued appearance of Claire Temple pushed her closer toward the Night Nurse mantle, as she herself pushed Luke to do more with his powers. With Cottonmouth now in jail, the series has truly reached the point where the heroes are victorious, so I wonder just how long that will last?

Kingsman 2 will be Crazier than the first Movie

To say Kingsman: The Secret Service was crazy entertaining movie. So when writer Jane Goldman says the sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle will be “more crazy” than the first, well…you have to wonder how.  Goldman co-wrote the both movies with Matthew Vaughn. While on the press tour for her latest film, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Goldman had a little to say about the upcoming spy sequel.

Goldman told Collider,  “It’s more crazy than the first one, if such a thing is possible, it’s pretty crazy.  We’re very fortunate to have Julianne Moore playing the villain and she’s incredible. I think that people who enjoyed the first one won’t be disappointed.   It’s not about trying to do something more shocking, or more out there, it’s about hopefully that freshness and surprise to action scenes, so they don’t go in the direction you think they’re going in.”

Kingsman: The Secret Service was a big hit in 2015 that followed the lovable and street smart Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin (Taron Egerton) in his training to become of a British secret agent for the Kingsman.  This film made a star out of Egerton (Eddie the Eagle) and introduced the world to Sofia Boutella (Star Trek Beyond), who portrayed the dangerous Gazelle. The film also stared Colin Firth (Bridget Jones’s Baby), Mark Strong (The Imitation Game), and Michael Caine (Now You See Me 2) as agents of Kingsman with codes names from King Arthur’s court.  Samuel L. Jackson (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children) was the awesomely hilarious villain Richmond Valentine, who had an awesome lisp and was sickened by violence. The movie was based on the comic book The Secret Service, created by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar. 

Kingsman: The Golden Circle will follow Eggsy  (Egerton), Roxie/Lancelot (Sophie Cookson) and Merlin (Strong) to the states where they will work with the Statesman, the US counterpart to the Kingsman.  Halle Berry will portray Statesman Ginger and Moore is the evil American mastermind, Poppy.  The movie also stars Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, Jeff Bridges, Elton John and…surprise…Colin Firth (SPOILER………..Firth’s character died in the first movie).

The sequel is set to release in June 2017. While no official trailer or photos have been release, please enjoy these photos of Channing Tatum on set.

Regular Show: In Space S8 E6 ‘Ugly Moons’

In space the head of the space tree is working out when he is called by a subordinate.  He is suddenly mooned by a group of  men in another space city. He calls Muscle Man in to help prank his archenemy.

He tells Muscleman that he will have everything at his disposal. Mitch is excited to prank in space of course. They go to see Dr.Prankenstein which ends up including a Young Frankenstein reference. He  then calls in his friends in an A-Team style reference.

The operation is going to be called Operation Slime Bomb. They are going to drop them off at key points to totally slime the ship.  The foes prank the head of the tree again and moon our heroes. The heroes begin the operation they get into the space bush and head to their drop points. They are quickly captured by the enemy but Mitch sets off his bombs which is quickly disarmed.

Pranking has always been a part of Mitch’s character so I can’t see him failing. They are sent back to the ship and yelled at by the leader. It is hilarious because now that they have this boss, even Benson is yelled at.

The real prank was in the giant bottle which the enemy took from them. Muscleman then moons the slime coated villains. Of course he was able to defeat them, he is certainly the greatest prankster. Just another solid episode on this final season.

It’s Time To Start The Fans! The Crystal Maze Returns This October

Channel 4 have revealed the air date for Stand Up To Cancer’s celebrity special of The Crystal Maze. The Crystal Maze will return on the Sunday 16th October at 9pm. A new promotional picture has also been released:

 

Possibly the most surprising thing about this promotional picture is that presenter Stephen Merchant is now bald!

His new appearance looks like a strange hybrid of Richard O’Brien, Heston Blumenthal and Harry Hill. Maybe that was the real ‘hybrid’ that The Doctor was afraid of in Series 9 of Doctor Who?

If so, who could blame him?

The celebrity special features Rio Ferdinand as the team captain and Michelle Keegan, Sara Cox, Josh Widdicombe and Jonnie Peacock as his teammates playing minigames to earn their crystals that will ultimately give them more time in the Crystal Dome. Once in the dome they will attempt to grab gold tokens, which will be converted into money for charity. The special was filmed at The Crystal Maze Live Experience.

It is currently unknown whether the one-off special will lead to a series.