Fear The Walking Dead SN2 EP14 – ‘Wrath’

The build-up to several climactic battles made for a tense and explosive episode.

For much of the duration of the show, Travis has stood out as the one person least suited to life in the apocalypse. His reluctance in Season 1 to take up arms made sense, as it was reflective of the confusion the characters found themselves in. As the season ended, his merciful killing of ex-wife Liza signalled a potential shift in his approach to the apocalypse. If he could shoot dead a woman he loved, then surely he would be able to face fresh horrors each day. That unfortunately didn’t ring true, and Travis clung to the only person he felt he had left in the world, Chris. Fast forward through a series of turbulent and testing trials for the two, where Chris became more and more suited to the new world, and Travis less and less, to meet a man truly broken by what the world has become.

However much he didn’t want to admit it, a small part of Travis must have known he needed to let Chris go, but this didn’t prevent him from regressing into the husk of a man we once knew. This episode showed Travis as a man who has nothing left to lose. Whilst he might have refrained from violence and clung to the idea that the Walkers were just sick in earlier episodes to set an example for Chris, as soon as he learns Chris is gone he snaps into the person the apocalypse always wanted him to be.

Speaking of Chris, I was truly surprised that they decided to kill him off like they did. He was being built into a potential villain that I assumed Travis would have to face in the finale, so it was surprising instead to see the tables turned and Travis become kind of a villain himself. I’m sure for many though, Chris’s death was somewhat satisfying. A brutal car crash causing a mangled leg just to then be ungraciously shot in the head and left to rot in the middle of the road. I’m sure for many who felt disdain for Chris it could’ve been a lot worse, but there’s no denying how unexpected the event was. I believed Chris would die in the finale at the hands of Travis, but instead his death fuelled Travis’s transformation into the very thing he was trying to prevent Chris from becoming all this time.

The murder sequence of Brandon and Derek was disturbing from start to finish. There was no clean, glorified vision behind the fight, instead it was just messy and brutal and reflected Travis’s want to cause as much pain as possible to the people who had killed his son. It was one of the standout instances on the show where the camerawork and editing really helped to amplify what we were seeing. The multitude of quick cuts and violent nature of the camerawork moving all over the place emphasised the chaos of the scene. The only drawback was the slightly cheesy way in which Chris and Brandon were reflected to have died in the exact same position. The irony of Brandon’s situation was shown in the way he was brutally beaten to death by an enraged Travis, additional imagery wasn’t necessary, and if anything took away from the scene.

We also saw some more of Ofelia this episode and I just have no clue where her story is headed. The opening moments with her were exciting. She’s become one of the chief Walker slayers on the show, and despite my earlier qualms that she had no purpose, she’s now become quite the badass. It’s a shame then that her story isn’t going in a direction that has given us a reason to be excited yet. We now know she’s made it across the border into the US, in turn meeting or possibly even being captured by a man with a gun. It’s the fact that we don’t know which of those options it is, that makes the story fall flat. We can’t be worried for her because the man could be a good guy, and they haven’t even really created a good sense of mystery around it. I think the problem is that there was so much happening this episode. If we get more of this story in the finale it could work, likewise if we don’t the break until Season 3 will give plenty of time to build on the mystery around her story.

This episode also checked in on the Colonia, where things are finally starting to get more exciting. The warehouse bandits are preparing to take the Colonia but in a surprising moment of humanity gave fair warning to Nick so that people could escape. This was immediately subdued by grisly imagery of Francesco’s murdered family, and in all fairness was more as service to the plot than an accurate reflection of the Bandit’s nature as we’ve seen so far.

Nevertheless, Nick delivered the news back to Luciana and Alejandro which was when things really started to pick up. So far the Colonia has been represented as a place of peace, where nothing much ever goes wrong. Uncertainty breeds chaos however, and with the place on the brink of destruction things inevitably start to go wrong. An inside Walker attack signified the loss of control Alejandro has over every aspect of the Colonia, whilst it also brought about the truth of his immunity to the infection. As suspected, he wasn’t bit by a Walker at all, but by the drug addict he had tried to save when the apocalypse kicked off. In a feat of cunning and intelligence similar to what Eugene did in ‘The Walking Dead’, Alejandro used the bite to encourage people’s faith within him and persuade them to build up the Colonia around him. It was a satisfying reveal, set in motion by the fact that he is now truly bitten, so it will be interesting to see whether he will actually help protect the Colonia now that he knows he doesn’t have much time left.

Such a pivotal episode of the series must have more than a few standout moments, so other highlights include:

• It was nice to see Strand up and about again, but in the likely event that things go south at the Hotel, the effect of his injury has me increasingly worried about his ability to escape.

• The refugees were starting to get rather angry, so it’ll be interesting to see whether they cause trouble at the Hotel, or if something even more dangerous is on its way.

• I couldn’t tell who, but Travis looked like he caused some nasty damage to one of the Hotel group trying to stop his rampage. Hopefully whoever it was isn’t dead, but it’ll no doubt call into question his place at the Hotel. Well that and the fact he just beat some guys to death with his own two hands. That tends to make people a little uneasy around you.

• Alicia continues to prove herself as the best of the bunch. Her apology to Travis over the way she treated Chris was completely unnecessary on her part, but she did it anyway. Her diplomacy and general badassery are building her up to be the ultimate survivor, which of course makes me very worried for her going into the season finale.

• Walker Kill of the Week:

           Nick: ‘You Poked My Eye!’ Walker

So the penultimate episode of ‘Fear The Walking Dead’ Season 2 delivered on all fronts. Tensions between characters at the Colonia came to a dramatic climax as the group faces immediate danger both within and outside the walls. Meanwhile the shocking death of Chris transformed Travis into a raging death machine that further signalled his deterioration in this world. Heading into the finale, with the Colonia facing destruction, Travis’s place in the group in serious question, and Ofelia facing a mystery man with a powerful gun, you can be sure it’s gonna be one hell of a ride.

Luke Cage SN1 EP04 -‘Step In The Arena’

Some much needed backstory fuelled an introspective outing for Luke Cage.

Following the explosive cliffhanger of the previous episode, it would be easy to assume that this episode would contain a similar amount of action in exploring the aftermath. Instead, Luke Cage took a much calmer approach, that was no less stunning in what it brought to the show. Moments in the present were fleeting throughout the episode, to the point where some really weren’t needed at all. Instead we were treated to an origin story, as the evolution from Carl Lucas to Luke Cage was charted.

I’ll address the present scenes first as there isn’t too much to say about them, but there’s enough. I appreciated the moments with Luke and Connie as segways into different parts of his backstory, and there were some satisfying moments that came from Connie’s awe at Luke’s super strength. In contrast, the scenes with Misty and Scarfe felt unnecessary. Sure they discovered why the building came down, but it’s nothing the audience couldn’t have assumed they’d done. Really the purpose of Misty’s appearance within the episode was to all but confirm her suspicions about Luke. Given what she already knew though, I’m not sure this was necessary.

Zipping back to the past however, Luke’s origins were a surprising reveal. I’ve not read the comics, so I don’t know how it all played out there, but the way with which Luke got his powers was surprisingly simple. Talk of experiments throughout the episode were brilliantly misleading, as it turned out the prison doctor was just trialling a significantly advanced method of healing. That Luke’s powers were once again the result of an accident is reflective of the grounded, realistic nature of the show. Advanced science is present in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it would feel out of place on the street level Netflix shows. The doctor’s invention just bordered on the line, but it’s not an aspect I would want to see again on any of the shows. Agents of Shield and the movies deal with the science, Netflix deals with the simple (but effective) things.

Away from his actual origins, we got the build up to what actually put Luke in such a position. Imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, we saw through these flashbacks both a different Luke to the one in the present, but also one that is much the same. His penchant for not being very talkative is a direct result of him guarding himself in prison, whilst we also unfortunately paid witness to his tendency to endanger those he surrounds himself with. In this instance it was prison mate Squabbles and a fantastic returning Reeva.

Both were moving relationships to see unfold onscreen. Despite being adamant he wasn’t in need of a friend, the entertaining and lovable Squabbles eventually wore Luke down, to the point where he was willing to risk everything for him. It was another of those friendships whose end you can tell is nigh from a mile off. Squabbles was too darn loveable to be a long term survivor on the show, with the friendly banter between he and Luke regarding women and Bruce Lee providing some fun moments amidst the grim surroundings. Likewise, Luke’s burgeoning romance with Reeva showcased an intimacy unseen from Luke even in his relationship with Jessica. Both Squabbles and Reeva provided a much needed respite from the veritable gloom of the rest of the episode.

Reeva in particular is a character who it was hard to identify with, or feel any real sympathy for in her appearance in Jessica Jones. We always knew she important to Luke, but they could never truly show why because of his solo show. Well the wait for an answer was worth it, as she turned out to be one of the best characters around. She’s the kind of person who truly cares about everyone, and is using her own guilt to fuel her potential to help people. It’s a testament to the writing of the show that she is such a good character. She could have simply been a one note love interest for Luke, who we only sympathise with due to her connection with him. Instead they made Reeva her own character, undefined by her relationship with Luke. The way she interacted with the prisoners displayed a unique kind of courage, especially given her own background, whilst the air of mystery that still surrounds her ensures the audience wants to know more. It’s just a shame that she’s now dead, as she’s the kind of character I want around always.

Despite his friendships with both Squabbles and Reeva, Luke’s time in prison was not an easy one. A brutal underground Fight Club spoke to the political aspects of the show once again, reflecting its willingness to challenge preconceptions of what things are actually like. For profit prisons have been studied in detail on one of Netflix’s other popular shows ‘Orange is the New Black’, and here was another example of how corrupt they can be. It’s not necessarily saying that all prisons are running illegal Fight Clubs, but it reflects the greed that fuels these kinds of places. This was personified in the officer that targets Luke as his ‘Gladiator’. In using the people closest to him, the man effectively controls Luke, and proceeds to reap the benefit of the pain he causes. As an audience we’ve been conditioned to like characters such as Luke and Squabbles despite what they may have done to land them in prison, so it’s all the more effective when they’re hurt by the people we full on loathe.

There were lots of little details and some particularly fun Easter Eggs scattered throughout the episode, so other notable highlights include:

• We saw Luke’s connection to Shades here and ultimately I have to say it was a bit disappointing. His appearances in the present have painted him as an intelligent calculating character, so to see him in prison as a common thug was a little underwhelming. It’s understandable though why Luke was so averse to facing him, given he knows his real identity and took part in Squabbles’ death.

• Luke’s attire once he’d escaped prison was a nod to the character’s original appearance when he first debuted. As Luke rightly said, he looked like a damn fool.

• Bruce Lee vs Jet Li? Fiiight!

• It seemed like the show wasn’t quite done with the mysterious Doctor Burnstein. Or at least I doubt Luke was done with him.

• I found Luke’s declaration of his name to the TV cameras to be a little out of left field. He’s so far been so reserved and cagey, even to those around him, so that he would now be ready to announce himself to the world was surprising. Could this mean he’ll consider the hero for hire title?

This was another fantastic episode of Luke Cage that was much needed to fill in some of the mystery regarding Luke’s origins. His relationships with both Reeva and Squabbles showcased different sides to the character that were refreshing to see, whilst other character reveals such as that of Shades fell a little flat. With Luke now surely outed as a man with abilities, this could be a turning point for the character as his effectiveness can no longer be ignored.

The Weekend’s Top 10 Box Office Chart 30th September – 2nd October 2016

Hey movie fans! It’s that time again when we look at how the movies have been doing this weekend. Is Sully still clinging on in the top 10? Were people still flocking to Storks? Was Magnificent Seven still doing… um… magnificently? Let’s find out!

Chart Legend

Rank / Movie Title / Studio

W/E Gross = Weekend Gross /T/Gross= Total Gross /LW= Last Week

Green = UP / Red = DOWN / Blue = No Movement / Teal = New

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BOX OFFICE MOVIE CHART

1. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children/Fox

W/E Gross         T/Gross         LW

$28,500,000      $28,500,000    NEW

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2. Deepwater Horizon/ LG/S

W/E Gross          T/Gross        LW

$20,600,000       $20,600,000   NEW

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3. The Magnificent Seven (2016) / Sony

W/E Gross          T/Gross         LW

$15,700,000        $61,605,901    #1

 

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4. Storks / WB

W/E Gross        T/Gross           LW

$13,800,000         $38,811,274   #2

 

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5. Sully/ WB

W/E Gross        T/Gross            LW

$8,4000,00      $105,387,463       #3

 

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6. Masterminds/ Rela.

W/E Gross         T/Gross           LW

$6,600,000        $6,600,000       NEW

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7. Queen of Katwe / BV

W/E Gross        T/Gross           LW

$2,608,000        $3,011,009        #22

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8. Don’t Breathe / SGem

W/E Gross        T/Gross           LW

$2,375,000        $84,734,937      #7

 

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9. Bridget Jones’s Baby/ Universal

W/E Gross         T/Gross        LW

$2,330,000        $20,981,735     #4

 

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10. Snowden / ORF

W/E Gross T/Gross LW

$2,029,390        $18,729,637     #5

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So that’s it! Miss Peregrine soared to number 1 and Snowden just managed to keep its place in the top 10. See you next time!

Luke Cage SN1 EP03- ‘Who’s Gonna Take The Weight?’

The first big action sequence of the season saw Luke Cage explode into life.

For the first two episodes of its premiere season, Luke Cage has been fairly subdued. Though we’d been introduced to the Power Man himself back in Jessica Jones, the show still had a significant amount of world building to do to make sure we were properly invested in the character. We of course had the momentous scene at Pop’s Barbershop to tide viewers over in the action department, but we hadn’t really seen much of Luke using his powers. This was given reason from the off, with his still murky past and the damage his powers caused to those around him the principle reasons of his reluctance. With Pop’s death however came a re-evaluation of Luke’s stance, with the vigilante within coming out in full force.

This in turn fuelled an action packed episode, as Luke’s plan to avenge Pop sent him to some dark and dangerous places. In his need to honour Pop, Luke’s actions somewhat transformed him into the very people he hoped to stop. No he didn’t kill anybody, showing particular restraint for someone with that level of power, and yes he left most of the money for the police, but he still took some of it. At the end of the day it’s dirty money, and though Luke is using it in honourable ways, the means of its initial acquirement are still illegal. It presents an interesting moral quandary that ties into the political aspects of the show. So long as the money is being used for good, does it matter how it’s been acquired?

As I mentioned, after two episodes watching one of the strongest people on the planet not do much, the action scenes were incredibly exciting. However, they did feel a little clunky at times. It’s hard to showcase Luke’s immense strength in a grounded way that is in keeping with the gritty realism of the Netflix shows. As such, scenes like when Luke started swinging a sofa around felt a little off, as it still feels out of place in this universe. No doubt the fight scenes will increase in flair as the season goes on, as it’s understandable that not everything would work perfectly in the early stages. Nevertheless, Luke’s assault on Cottonmouth’s ‘Fort Knox’ was a thrilling affair from beginning to end. It was a standard fight, but Luke’s powers elevated simple punches and kicks to be much more visually exciting as his victims were sent flying. The only other downside to any scenes such as this is that they’re lacking tension. Luke’s durability makes him impervious to most anything, so the audience never feels worried for his safety.

This is alleviated by those Luke surrounds himself with. Since we can’t feel worried for Luke, we look to his bullet ready friends to get tense over. With Pop out of the picture, the honours fell to Barbershop Chess Master Bobby Fish, and Chinese restaurant owner Connie Lin. The final moments of the episodes placed the latter in the most immediate danger, as an emotive gesture from Cage was cut viciously short, whilst Fish now being in possession of some of Cottonmouth’s money potentially places him in the crosshairs. These are two characters we still know relatively little about, so that the writers have given us a reason to care for them in such a short amount of time is an impressive achievement.

Similarly, Chico was granted a redemption arc that also started to enamour the audience to him. The baby faced tough man wannabe has been the subject of some terrible mistakes, that once again called forth the political aspects of the show. So much stock within these first few episodes had been put upon the importance of having a safe place and a guiding hand in life, and Chico represents the extreme of what can happen when that is either taken for granted, or just not there at all. His stab at redemption signifies a man who has faced a great deal and is willing to escape the ugliness of the world. Too bad then that said ugliness has infected all facets of society, including those whom we turn to for safety, the Police.

Detective Scarfe represents the ultimate in corruption. The authority figure willing to abuse his power to satisfy his greed. This is made all the more powerful by the fact that the writers went to such lengths throughout this episode to paint him as a good man. So much so in fact that for a time he was up there with Fish and Lin as characters whose fates I was concerned about. His rapport with Misty and humorous nature placed him as a man to be trusted, leading to a shocking but satisfying reveal as he murdered Chico.

Of course as action packed as this episode was I didn’t have time to cover everything in detail, so other notable highlights include:

• I loved Misty and Scarfe’s whole conversation about vigilantism. I was firmly on the side of Scarfe, that if Luke can do all he did by himself without getting hurt that he should be allowed to go about his business. Had the police tried to take the building, it would have no doubt caused a number of needless casualties on both sides. Luke and Scarfe would definitely be team Captain America then.

• Misty is edging closer to uncovering Luke’s secret, but it’s still unclear what she’d do if she found out. She’s clearly against the way he does business, but no doubt once the truth about Scarfe emerges she’ll reconsider her views.

• I just can’t figure out Mariah. I truly believe her when she talks about building a vibrant community, but at the same time she has a certain dark quality that seems to be bubbling just beneath the surface. With all she’s campaigned for potentially on the line, will we see her true self emerge.

• The music continues to be a highlight of the show, specifically the ‘live’ performances. It helps that for most people, myself included, this is the most exposure they’ve had to this kind of music.

• I wonder how much Cottonmouth pays the Mortician to make bodies disappear. If I had to do that I’d want a sizeable amount. Especially given the condition some of them are no doubt in.

• So Cottonmouth just casually launched a rocket at the Chinese restaurant. Surely he could have been a tad subtler.

Episode 3 marked a pivotal moment for Luke Cage as mysteries began to unravel and Luke finally assumed the role of vigilante. The action sequences were thrilling, if a little clunky in places, whilst the writers made commendable efforts to develop supporting characters in order to give us reason to worry for them. Misty’s storyline took a significant step forward too, as she moved closer to discovering Luke’s secret and her partner turned out to be more than he seemed. With an explosive cliff-hanger ending it seems Luke Cage is starting to pick up the pace, as the fight against Cottonmouth gets even more personal.

The Cake is a Lie… But the Portal Movie is All True!

It’s hard to overstate my satisfaction – Captain Lensflair himself, J.J. Abrams has confirmed that the Portal and Half-Life movie adaptations are very much still alive, and that we can expect an announcement about Portal very soon.

Speaking to IGN on the red carpet, where he was promoting new series Westworld, Abrams said that production company Valve had been very busy with the projects and he hoped to be making an announcement in the not too distant future.

He didn’t give much away about the plot lines of either movie, but did say, “We are having some really interesting discussions with writers, many of whom…once you said you’re doing a movie or show about a specific thing that is a known quantity you start to find people who are rabid about these things. As someone who loves playing Half Life and Portal, what’s the movie of this, it’s incredible when you talk to someone who just ‘gets’ it, it’s like, oh my god, it’s really the seed for this incredible tree you’re growing.”

Let’s hope both adaptations are a huge success!

Follow me on Twitter @pixiewose

Archer is Literally Ending After Season 10

There’s good news, and there’s bad news… The good news is that animated spy comedy Archer has been renewed for 3 seasons, taking it through to 2019. The bad news is that creator Adam Reed has said once those three seasons have been made, that’s the end of the road for Sterling, Lana, Mallory and co.

Talking on the Murmur podcast, Reed said “The plan is to end Archer after Season 10. I don’t know that anybody has talked about that, but that is definitely my plan, is to do eight, nine, and 10 — and they’re gonna be each shorter seasons of just eight episodes — and then wind it up.”

It took a while for FX to renew the show, possibly because Reed initially said he planned to end it after season 8, however he then had what he called a “brain explosion” about how he could keep momentum for an additional two seasons.

He went on to assure fans that the three upcoming seasons would not only be different from each other, but also different to anything that had gone before. Considering the cliffhanger at the end of season 7, I’m really interested to see how they’re going to pick up when Archer returns early next year.

If you can’t wait that long, please enjoy some of my favourite Archer character’s best bits:

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Luke Cage SN1 EP02- ‘Code of the Streets’

The stakes were raised in a dramatic episode that conveyed the power of respect.

Going into its second episode, Luke Cage had the chance to delve deeper into some of these characters now that the introductions are done. As a result, characters such as Luke, Misty and Cottonmouth were given more depth, whilst the supporting cast cull that so often occurs on Marvel’s Netflix shows got well underway.

Let’s start with Luke Cage himself. We saw in Episode One that he was reluctant to use his abilities to be a hero, and this is where that choice truly has consequences. As Spiderman said in Civil War “If you have these powers and don’t use them, then bad things happen, that’s on you.” It’s a fact Luke comes to face all too soon with the tragic loss of Pop. I commented in my previous review that he was not long for the world (no father figure ever is), but even just knowing him for that short amount of time was heart-breaking enough. He exuded wisdom and guidance till his dying breath, and was the kind of character you root for before the hero truly becomes the hero.

With Pop’s death Luke decides to finally step up. The only wrinkle is that he’s not becoming a hero. This is developing into a story of cold, hard revenge, which places Luke in an interesting position. His current emotional state makes him irrational and unpredictable. He’s not set out to end Cottonmouth’s operation for the good of his community. He’s doing it for himself, in memory of Pop, which presents all kinds of possibilities. It’s already been mentioned he’s a fugitive, so why not cross another line?

It doesn’t help that his guiding hand is no longer around. As troubled as Luke appears to be, Pop seemed to be the only one that could set him on the right path. With him gone, his actions have become unpredictable, and as we saw from that ending, he’s a force to be reckoned with.

Elsewhere in the episode we started to learn more about the mysterious Misty Knight. She clearly has strong ties with the community, and a sense of connection and diplomacy her partner lacks, but she still remains an enigma. Pieces are starting to come together, her athletic aptitude, the Sherlock like way she studies a crime scene, but a clear picture has not yet formed, which makes her all the more interesting. As with the show itself, her endgame isn’t clear. She’s obviously tracking Cottonmouth, but is there a more personal reason for doing so.

As I said, the show’s endgame isn’t clear. Sure we know Luke’s going to go after Cottonmouth, but that’s not a conflict that can be sustained over 13 episodes, so clearly other elements will come into play. It’s this sense of the unknown that is so intriguing about Luke Cage. Daredevil and Jessica Jones both built their respective villains plans up before everything came to a head, but Cottonmouth doesn’t currently appear to have some big plan, and at the moment that’s alright. I’m happy to get to know these characters before the anticipation of a big city destroying event comes into focus.

It helps that significant depth was given to Cottonmouth’s character this episode. Before he felt a little one note. Simply an ambitious gangster craving power, but this episode showed he as a moral code, however skewed it may be. Many forms of media containing gangs and such convey the power of respect and a man’s word these people hold. Luke Cage is no different as Pop’s barbershop was described as ‘Switzerland’, the neutral zone where one could escape the chaos of the streets. Cottonmouth is a man who respects that’s how it needs to be, and as his background with Pop is revealed, respects him as a person as well. As it emerges Pop is dead as an indirect result of what he’s done, his subsequent actions reflect a man who has truly lost something meaningful. It elevates him from evil gangster to flawed human, introducing just enough sympathy into the audience’s mind as to make them question whether he can’t be save from this world he’s entrenched himself in.

Of course there was plenty to show as Luke Cage upped the ante for its second outing, so other notable highlights include:

• The show once again interspersed a fantastic musical performance with some smaller character moments that would have felt much more fragmented and unnecessary had this not tied them all together.

• Turk took a brief vacation from Hell’s Kitchen to visit Harlem. Seems he just can’t catch a break, but he must have a short memory given his comment about Hell’s Kitchen being safer. Given the increasing body count over their due to Daredevil and Jessica Jones, Harlem seems like a relative haven. Though I’m sure that’ll change in the episodes to come.

• The pacing sped way up here. I mentioned in this very section during my last review that I expected neither Pop nor the Barbershop would last long, I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon and at the exact same time.

• Cruel justice that Pop died and Chico survived, anyone wanna take bets on how long that’ll last though?

• Hoping to see more from both Misty and Councilwoman Mariah soon as they’ve been mostly side-lined at the moment. Mariah is another whose motives are unclear, but she’s no doubt more than she seems.

• It may sound wrong, but I admit I smiled gleefully when Cottonmouth threw his right-hand man off the roof. Deserved all he got killing Pop.

So in its second episode Luke Cage considerably upped the action as the fight against Cottonmouth got personal. With Luke’s moral guide gone there’s no knowing what path he’ll take to get justice, which places the show in a new and exciting position indeed. A considerable amount of character development shone new light on friend and foe alike, and with an old fashioned revenge plot underway, I look forward to seeing the true power of Luke Cage unfold.

Tim Burton’s Twitter Nightmare

Tim Burton‘s ill advised comments about diversity on Thursday meant he was trending on Twitter for all the wrong reasons. The veteran movie maker, and premier Johnny Depp employer, was doing the rounds promoting his latest cinematic offering Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, based on the 2011 bestseller by Ransom Riggs. Rachel Simon from online magazine Bustle asked the director why there was little diversity in the movie, and his comments didn’t exactly win him any fans…

“Nowadays, people are talking about it more, but things either call for things, or they don’t. I remember back when I was a child watching The Brady Bunch and they started to get all politically correct. Like, OK, let’s have an Asian child and a black. I used to get more offended by that than just… I grew up watching blaxploitation movies, right? And I said, that’s great. I didn’t go like, OK, there should be more white people in these movies.”

Many people took to social media to air their grievances about the Edward Scissorhands director’s comments, especially after the article noted that his movies rarely feature any non-white characters:

My favorite thing about that horrible Tim Burton interview is when he said he'd be racist if he DIDNT have an all white cast

— spooky street 🌕 (@vincentvanngoth) September 30, 2016

Hey Tim Burton (& others): Unless you're a blatant racist, EVERY film calls for #diversity, unless reasons prohibit inclusion. #21stCentury

— Chris Tashima (@christashima) September 30, 2016

If you say 'Tim Burton' three times, a goth white dude appears and mansplains to you how casting only white people isn't racist.

— Moorer less (@knownforms) September 29, 2016

To be honest, the film in question is set in Wales during WWII, so it probably wasn’t the most pertinent film to consider a diverse cast, but the question highlights a bigger problem in Hollywood: if a character carries no specific skin colour in the source material, why is it always assumed the character is white? For example, in the film Big Eyes, Walter and Margaret Keene are real people who were white, so it makes sense to cast white actors in those roles, however in ensemble films like Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Mars Attacks, any of the characters could have been non-white, so the idea of it being an ‘issue’ to cast a non-white actor is a bit of a flimsy excuse. Like, would casting a black actor as Mike Teavee or Harvey Dent really have made a difference to the narrative?

Billy Dee Williams who played Harvey Dent in Burton’s 1989 Batman movie has not commented on the scandal

Joking aside, Burton is clearly not as diverse as he could (should?) be, but he is by no means a white supremacist. As well as Williams‘ turn in Batman, he has also featured Jim Brown, Pam Grier, Michael Clarke Duncan, Evan Parke, Robert Guilaume, Ada and Arlene Tai, Deep Roy, James Hiroyuki Liao, James Saito and Samuel L Jackson in his work. I think the issue is less about what he has done in the past and more about what he has said. His comments come across insensitive and defensive, rather than reasoned. Seeing a diverse cast shouldn’t be a ‘thing’, it should be the norm. Maybe Burton can recover from this by becoming one of the directors that makes it less peculiar?

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was released in cinemas on 30th September 2016

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Stan Lee Filmed FOUR Cameos in One Day

If there’s one thing geeks like, it’s an Easter Egg. A cheeky nod to say ‘we know you’re a fan; here’s something just for you.’ Every time the line “Are we having fun yet?” is uttered in iZombie (a reference to the fantastic Rob Thomas show Party Down) I squeal a bit and grab my boyfriend’s arm. Possibly the most famous of all the nerdy Easter Eggs is the Stan Lee cameo in the Marvel movies. He’s avoided falling buildings, been a skeevy guy with a hot blonde lady friend, and delivered a parcel for ‘Mr Tony Stank’ among many memorable appearances in the franchise. And even though he’s no spring chicken, he’s not slowing down any time soon!

The LA Times reported that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said that Lee had filmed four cameos in one day, when answering questions at a recent Q&A session. Feige explained that the cameos are not just shoe-horned in, but are carefully planned out parts of each movie. He said that all of the cameos were unique and awesome in their own right

“We do not shoot random ones. They’re always very specific. A couple of months ago in Atlanta, he flew down and we shot four in one day — for four various projects.”

Feige is clearly in awe of the 93-year-old legend. He went on to say, “He was unbelievable. He was on fire. He came in, he sat here, he stood there, he stood in this window, and then he went home.”

Feige didn’t elaborate on which projects Lee had filmed the cameos for, however with the studio having films scheduled until 2020, he still has plenty of work ahead of him!

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Luke Cage SN1 EP01- ‘Moment of Truth’

A steady but engrossing premiere introduced us to the world of Luke Cage.

 

*Full Spoilers Ahead*

Wasn’t that something? After all the films and TV shows that have come before it, you could be forgiven for wondering just how Marvel was going to bring us yet another comic book property that still felt fresh and exciting. Well Luke Cage succeeds in being both of those things in a multitude of different ways, once again proving the genius of Marvel Studios.

The first thing that struck me about Luke Cage is how tonally different it feels to Marvel’s other Netflix shows. Daredevil and Jessica Jones are famous for the darkness that shrouds each episode, but whilst Luke Cage maintains that same level of gritty realism, the overall tone is somewhat brighter. This is immediately obvious, and I do mean immediately, as a sense of warmth is portrayed even in the opening credits. The warm yellow colours are in stark contrast to the dark reds of Daredevil and the cold purples of Jessica Jones, and this brighter atmosphere carries across to the opening scene. As the characters jovially chat about (forgive my ignorance) either Basketball or Baseball (maybe neither), a strong sense of fellowship and community is portrayed within their actions. The naturalistic nature of their conversation allows the audience to relate to them in ways that haven’t been entirely possible with the other Netflix shows.

The tone does darken as the episode goes on, but the show never loses the feeling of hope and togetherness. This is largely thanks to protagonist Cage. As powerful as the opening scene was for depicting tone, it also did a wonderful job of reintroducing us to Luke. Showrunner Cheo Coker rightly bypasses catching us up with what Luke’s been up to since Jessica Jones, instead giving us a man with a whole new set of problems. Cage struck an imposing but also intriguing figure throughout the opening scene. He is clearly a man trying to live a normal life, and his stuttered and ultimately unsuccessful attempts to engage in conversation with the barbershop folks reflect this. He may have amazing abilities, but at the end of the day is still a man struggling through life like the rest of us, and this was continuously emphasised throughout the episode.

Luke’s struggles with money and women put him in stark contrast with Cottonmouth. Both have power, so whilst Cottonmouth uses his to gain influence and grant himself luxuries, Luke shies away from his due to the damage it has caused, despite what he could gain from it. It’s the kind of hero-villain relationship that is used often, them being polar opposites of one another, but tweaked just enough so that it’s still exciting. What is that change? Well the fact that Cottonmouth isn’t at the top right now. He’s not really the man in charge. That’s a wrinkle personified by the character of Shades. It’s clear he’ll play a big part in Luke’s backstory, but as soon as Cottonmouth screws up he is subsequently always beside him. His story will be one of increasing his power then. Of becoming King. Having villains fight one another was glimpsed only briefly in Daredevil Season 2, so it once again pushes Luke Cage into fresh new territory.

This episode was about introducing us to Luke Cage’s world, so as such we were introduced to a lot of characters. Two standouts were Misty Knight and Mariah Dillard. Both are based upon pre-existing comic book characters, and both play a pivotal role in Luke’s story. Misty’s wisecracking badass detective persona was balanced by her flaws, and this is again what makes characters so great. Whilst on the job she has sex with Luke, a moment that looks set to cause problems going forward, but it is also a moment that will serve to keep the character grounded. Similarly, councilwoman Mariah Dillard is mixed up in illegal business and could easily see her power crumble. Adding these flaws to characters prevents them from being larger than life, they don’t have to be perfect, and it causes both victories and failures on their part to be all the more satisfying for the audience.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the place Luke Cage holds as a form of media in the current climate, where racial tensions are increasingly tested every day. I’m not a man of colour, so I won’t pretend to fully understand what people who are have to endure day to day, however I do understand the value Luke Cage has and the effect it could have on audiences. As a Marvel property Luke Cage has an enormous outreach, and the ability to both celebrate black culture and help a mainstream audience learn and understand the problems faced by all people of colour. The show paid reference to events and movements occurring in real life and this shouldn’t be shied away from. Luke Cage is the kind of show people need right now, and with any luck it will get people thinking about what’s going on in the world.

Of course there was plenty to see in this episode, so other highlights include:

• How great was the music? There were some standout pieces in there. I know the score is always used to emphasise the events onscreen, but the way it was used here just seemed more noticeable somehow.

• I didn’t catch his name but I liked the Barber. He’s obviously intended as a father figure to Luke, so that has me worried that he won’t make it to the end of the season, but the joyous outlook he has on life was refreshing, especially in contrast to Luke’s brooding.

• What do you reckon is gonna happen to the barbershop though? Given the history of these Netflix shows it doesn’t have long left to stand.

• References to ‘The Incident’ here. How long before Tony Stark just swoops down and says “Hi”. Please let that happen.

• There were some interesting flashes of Luke’s past here that will no doubt be explored later in the season, but it certainly signals a rich and interesting backstory, and carries on the tradition of the Netflix heroes being haunted by their past.

• The scene with Cottonmouth beating that guy to death was brutal, and certainly conveyed how unhinged his thirst for power is making him, though I doubt anything will ever top the car scene from Daredevil.

• Though he got his hands dirty this episode, both Cottonmouth and Mariah seem like the smart kind of villains, which is always enjoyable. Verdict’s still out on Shades though, who looks like he could go either way.

• I wouldn’t have minded if we weren’t given a full display of Luke’s power in the first episode, but I think it was necessary, especially to entice any new viewers. The whole scene was great as Luke overpowered the entire gang with a calm nonchalance, and the last standing member evoked a similarly fun scene from Iron Man 3.

So this was a stellar opening episode for Luke Cage, as he proved to be just the kind of hero we need right now. With a refreshing tone that clearly differentiates the show from its Netflix fellows, and a superb cast that promise to deliver an excellent story, it’s clear we’re in for a real treat with this one. The slow burn was necessary to establish this world and its characters, as it feels we barely scratched the surface of what’s to come, and I am very excited for that indeed.