San Diego Comic Con 2016 Funko Pop Exclusives! All Of Them!

Let’s face it, everyone loves Funko Pops, they are this generations version of the Beanie Babies. They are cute, collectible and there seems to be no end to them. I started collecting them forSkatronixxx Jr but stopped after realising that I’d never be able to collect them all. Would I still continue collecting them? Sure if I had the money, but alas I have temporarily put my Funko Pop collection on hold, it doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy looking at them though!

There are however hardcore Funko fans out there and  the company knows this, that’s why they are aiming to bombard those lucky people who are going to San Diego Comic Con or SDCC with at least nine waves of exclusive figures.

What’s more having the ‘Funko Limited Edition 2016 Comic Con‘ sticker is a prize possesion for any serious collector and a cool trinket for the causal fan.

On Skatronixxx.com I’ll be bringing you updates about the Funko Pop, with all the exclusives released, I thought I’d treat you to a slideshow of all the Funko Pops on offer 🙂

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Independence Day: Resurgence Review

Much like the aliens featured in Independence Day: Resurgence, Roland Emmerich returns to exact vengeance on this beloved franchise. I’m glad Will Smith got out when he could.

Suicide Squad Tracking For A 125 million+ Opening Weekend.

Multiple sources have revealed that Warner Bros. anti-hero action flick is tracking for a gigantic 125+million opening weekend. This would put the film miles ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy which opened back in 2014 with $94.3 million. It would also be the biggest opening for an August release. Should the film receive stellar reviews, it can easily surpass Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice opening, which opened to a hefty $166million+ back in March but was given a cold shoulder by fans and critics. Though the DC film Universe is in full swing and has been a commercial success, it has yet to offer a critically acclaimed epic, and with Suicide Squad coming out, things could change for the better. Superhero fans will be hoping that the movie does well and shifts the genre in a new direction, with possibly more studios taking risks as the Warners have been.

It feels good to be bad…Assemble a team of the world’s most dangerous, incarcerated Super Villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government’s disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller has determined only a secretly convened group of disparate, despicable individuals with next to nothing to lose will do. However, once they realize they weren’t picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it’s every man for himself?

From Writer and Director David Ayer, Suicide Squad stars Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jared Leto as the Joker, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller. Ben Affleck is set to reprise his role as Gotham’s watchful protector, the Batman, in what seems to be more than a cameo.

Based on characters by DC comics, the film also stars Jai Courtney (Insurgent), Cara Delevingne ( Paper Towns), Scott eastwood ( Fury), Karen Fukuhara in her feature film debut, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Thor: The Dark World) , Adam Beach ( Cowboys and Aliens), and Jay Hernandez (Takers). Charles Roven, Richard Chuckle will produce the epic, with Deborah and Zack Snyder, Colin Wilson and Geoff Johns serving as executive producers.

Tickets are on sale as of today. The film will roll in theaters on August 5 2016.

Check out the previous trailer released for the film.

SPOILERS: Ghostbusters Post-Credits Sequence – what could it mean?

One of the things I wanted to talk about in the review was the Ghostbusters post-credits sequence, however I didn’t feel it would be right to spoil it for those who have yet to see the movie. So instead I have decided to explore it in a separate article. If you have yet to see the Ghostbusters reboot and are planning to avoid spoilers, then stop reading now.

In the post-credits sequence, we see Patty listening to a tape in their new firehouse headquarters when she turns to the others and asks ‘Who is Zuul?’. For those who don’t know, Zuul – also known as ‘The Gatekeeper’ – is a demigod from the 1984 Ghostbusters who appears in the fridge at Dana Barrett’s apartment. She is subsequently possessed by the demonic entity and later his real form is revealed as that of a ‘Terror Dog’ (gargoyle-like figures who bear a vague resemblance to dogs).

So what could the Zuul tease mean?

Well, here are a few possibilities…

Gozer returns

Another thing about Zuul is that she was the servant to the God of Destruction, Gozer the Gozerian. Could we therefore see a Gozer return in a Ghostbusters (2016) sequel?

Given that the reboot features the likes of Slimer and Stay Puft Marshmallow Man (as a parade balloon), I’d say there is a pretty good chance. Featuring Gozer in the first film would have been a mistake considering that Gozer was the main antagonist of the 1984 original. The second Ghostbusters film on the other hand didn’t feature Gozer, so there is less chance it would be seen as staying too close to the original if a sequel to the 2016 film were to feature her as the main antagonist. I doubt they would bring Zuul back alone as the demigod wouldn’t have as much of a purpose without Gozer also making an appearance; the only thing that makes me question the idea is that in the 1984 film she asks the Ghostbusters to choose what form their ‘destructor’ will take. This has already been done with Rowan’s Ghost taking on the appearance of the Ghostbusters logo and I doubt they would want to do it again. Making their sequel appear as little more than a rehash of their first film would be a bad idea as it would suggest writer Kate Dippold has a limited imagination (which I am sure is not the case).

The original Ghostbusters still exist

Admittedly this is the most far-fetched of the theories given how contradictory it would be to Paul Feig’s vision but what if the original Ghostbusters do exist in the same universe after all?

Could it be that the tape Patty is listening to was left behind by the previous occupiers of the firehouse and the previous occupiers were Peter Venkman and co?

It would be one massive coincidence that a Ghostbusting business would set up shop in a firehouse that was previously used for a Ghostbusting business. Then there’s the issue that Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver all cameo as different characters in the movie. But what if there’s a reason behind all this?

A popular theory on the internet is that Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson are taking on different jobs and identities in order to hide from their past lives as paranormal investigators. We find out in the movie that the government has covered up past supernatural incidents, so maybe they were labelled as hoaxers – just like the female Ghostbusters?

Peter Venkman changed his name to Martin Heiss and pretended to be a sceptic so nobody would work out his true identity, Ray Stantz became a taxi driver (explaining how he knows what class two vapours and class four apparitions are) and Winston Zeddemore started a funeral service. Annie Potts’ hotel receptionist isn’t named so she could easily be Janine from the original Ghostbusters. As for Sigourney Weaver, maybe Rebecca Gorin is Dana Barrett’s sister and they share a familial resemblance?

Could it also be that the firehouse’s rent is so astronomically high as to prevent a new business moving in and accidentally releasing the ghosts from the containment unit housed inside, inadvertently creating mass hysteria?

There is one major plot hole with that theory: if the containment unit still existed inside the firehouse, then why didn’t Rowan use it to free the already-contained ghosts instead of creating his own machine to release them?

It would however explain how Slimer happens to exist in this universe; maybe somebody accidentally let him out of the firehouse and that’s what prompted the firehouse’s rent to increase?

There is one thing that supports this theory – in Columbia University there is a bust of Egon Spengler in shot as Erin leaves after being fired from her job as professor.

 

The original Ghostbusters return…in a multiverse

There has been talk for a while of a Ghostbusters Cinematic Universe and Gozer is an entity from another dimension, so could it be the character of Gozer who links the 1984 and 2016 Ghostbusters universes together?

Zuul and Gozer both had to travel outside their dimensions to terrorise Peter, Ray, Egon and Winston, therefore if they were to return it is possible that some form of dimensional travel would be established in order to allow various Ghostbusting teams to team up.  Paul Feig has previously expressed interest in the multiverse concept and when asked about the shared universe Ivan Reitman recently stated in an interview ‘I do think some kind of continuity and some kind of relationship should be created, and we’re working on that’ so it is possible that with the female Ghostbusters’ origin story out of the way they may decide to cross them over with the original Ghostbusters.

The reboot has already seen the likes of portals to another world and the original Ghostbusters themselves travel to another dimension in the 2009 videogame. It is a direction that already has precedent for taking place and is perhaps more likely than the cameo characters being revealed as Peter and his team all along. The multiverse concept would make them parallel versions of their characters in the 1984 universe; an idea that already makes a lot of sense given Bill Murray’s role as a skeptic. It would be fun to see a sequel that explores who Abby, Jillian, Erin and Patty are in the other universe – would they still be a group of extremely knowledgable women or would they be little more than secretaries similar to Janine in the 1984 Ghostbusters?

A multiverse would also allow them to bring in live-action takes on the cartoons – 1986’s The Real Ghostbusters, 1997’s The Extreme Ghostbusters and the upcoming animated series Ecto-Force. Imagine a blond Egon meeting Jillian Holtzmann (who shares a very similar look to him)? Or Ray Stantz commenting on his more ginger counterpart? There would be huge potential for comedic moments and would help draw more interest to other areas of the Ghostbusters brand.

It’s just a cool reference

Another possibility is that the scene was merely filmed as a fun reference to the 1984 Ghostbusters. During the credits there are numerous scenes that play which were clearly in the film at some point but for some reason or another were cut from the main narrative. This could be another one of those scenes; after all, the film is full of references to the 1984 original it is based on. Mentioning Zuul may be no different to Slimer eating food from a hot dog cart or Ray Parker Jnr’s Ghostbusters playing after the opening sequence of the film.

Maybe I am simply over-analysing and the scene means nothing other than ‘Hey, remember the 1984 Ghostbusters?’. It is fun to speculate however and I like to think that somewhere out there Paul Feig is sitting in a basement laughing deviously as he plots Gozer’s return.

There is no Feig, only Zuul….

 

Marvel-ous TV at SDCC

Marvel TV will be kicking off their panels with a marvellous signing event at the Marvel Booth #2329 on Thursday July 21, beginning with the Marvel/Netflix joint effort Marvel’s Luke Cage at 3:15 pm.  The executive producers Cheo Hodari Coker and Jeph Loeb will be joined by cast members Mike Colter (Luke Cage), Alfre Woodard (Mariah Dillard), Mahershala Ali (Cornell Stokes), Theo Rossi (Alvarez), Frank Whaley (Detective Scarfe) and Simone Missick (Misty Knight).

T’s Summer Binge-Watch Guide: Highlander

Obviously, I’m talking about the tv series not the movies.  However, the first movie is really worth watching as well (the others … with the exception of Endgame?  Not so much).  The pilot episode “The Gathering” is a great passing of the torch from movie hero Connor MacLeod to television hero Duncan MacLeod.  They explain things quite nicely.  Over the course of 6 seasons they had several different openings, but they kept the same awesome theme song…. Princes of the Universe by Queen, which was the theme song of the movies as well.

As you can tell, I couldn’t pick my favorite of the openings… that’s why I included all the different ones in the article.  This show was and still is highly underrated!  I watched it when it was on television and truth be told I was a little in love with Adrian Paul/Duncan MacLeod. (I even follow Adrian on twitter…. don’t judge me.)  Some of my favorite episodes were the ones with Fitz (played by The Who’s Roger Daltrey), an immortal friend of Duncan’s and the ones with Amanda, another immortal friend/lover.  When the show was on television, I watched all the way til the season finale of Season 5… then I refused to watch the last season out of pure stubbornness, mostly because I was pissed off.  So, I recently binged this one to see how things ended.

Premise of the show:  Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod is an immortal (and he’s not the only one) who can only die if you cut off his head, but since he’s kind of attached to it, you won’t take it without a fight.  Each episode usually sees an evil immortal coming after Duncan, which has basically been the way of things for 400 years.  Oh?  Did I forget to mention that Duncan is over 400 years old?  Hmmm.  I’m sure I mentioned that.

Primary Cast:

Adrian Paul … Duncan MacLeod

Stan Kirsch … Richie Ryan

Jim Byrnes … Joe Dawson

Alexandra Vandernoot … Tessa Noel

Peter Wingfield … Adam Pierson/Methos

Elizabeth Gracen … Amanda

Pros:  Um…. Adrian Paul is HAWT.  Also, there’s a lot of great sword fights and action, good vs evil, even some romance.  There’s great flashback period pieces that show how Duncan has spent the last 400 years.  AND, let’s not forget the great music by Queen.

Cons:  The only con I can think of is the one that made me quit watching when it was on television… but that involves a huge spoiler and I don’t want to ruin it for all of you.  You’ll know it when you see it.

The show spawned a spin off, Highlander: The Raven (about Amanda) and two movies.  In fact, the show is part of a huge franchise that includes the 3 original movies, the television show, an animated series, the Amanda spin off, and the final two movies.

There were 119 episodes total, and you can watch them on Hulu or on Youtube.

Some trivia about the show…  Elizabeth Gracen is a former Miss Arkansas & Miss America.  Also, Christopher Lambert (Connor MacLeod from the original movies) was originally offered $50,000 to appear in the pilot episode, but French investors weren’t happy with the amount so they had him written out.  However, that ticked off some German investors who threatened to scrap the whole project if Lambert wasn’t in the episode.  So, they went back to the original script.  But, all the hassle pissed of Lambert, who then demanded $500,000 …. for just 3 days work.

Let me know what you thought of this show in the comments!

The Expanse SN1 EP2 – ‘The Big Empty’

‘The Big Empty’ opens with a flashback to the moment Holden meets Adè (pronounced AH-DAY), the new navigator of The Cant. In Episode 1, she’s the woman Holden is in a casual relationship with. The flashback quickly ends with Adè whispering,

“There’s something you should know…”

before we burst back into the action as Holden and the small shuttle crew are attempting to escape the debris field caused by the destruction of The Cant.

After a few moments of tense action where the shuttle is hit by debris and the crew tossed about, things finally calm down when the pilot Alex manages to get them through the field.

Afterward, Holden immediately causes an argument by ordering Alex to follow the mysterious ship. Unfortunately, the rest of the crew does not want to follow and they no longer feel that Holden is the ranking officer given the new circumstances.

Frustrated, Holden storms off.

When Holden has calmed down, he and the rest discuss what their next move is going to be. They’re trapped in a small vessel and far away from any help. To top it all off, they’ve found a breach in the shuttle’s hull.

After the initial panic of the discovery, Holden and Burton head outside to fix the breach. They find that things may be worse than they thought. While outside, Holden and Burton enter a tense understanding of each other. Burton’s motivations become clearer. He explains a bit about himself and why he’s so loyal to Naomi.

Inside the shuttle, Naomi, Alex, and Shed (the medic) have had to shut off the oxygen supply and put on their space suits. Alex’s suit oxygen begins to get dangerously low. With the crew in danger of losing their only pilot, Shed has to spring into action and solve the problem. Eventually, he stabilizes Alex’s suit by sharing his oxygen while Holden and Burton manage to fix the hull breach.

They rush back in and pressurize the cabin just in time to revive Shed who’d passed out from lack of oxygen.

Getting through this tough situation together brings the members of the shuttle crew closer together.

With problem one fixed, they turn to overcoming problem 2: no radio service. Naomi speculates she can repair the radio with spare parts.

Still low on air, the crew gets to dismantling any unnecessary components.

While working, the crew discovers that the shuttle is actually a top grade Martian ship which has been disguised. They begin to believe The Cant was attacked by the Martians who were using stealth technology. Possibly to recover the shuttle.

Eventually, they get the radio working and send out a distress signal.

With oxygen getting lower and lower, their distress signal is finally picked up. But the rescue ship is further away than hoped, meaning the stranded crew will be extremely low on air by the time their rescuers arrive.

It also turns out the rescue ship is The Donnager, the flagship of the Martian navy.

Back on Ceres Station. The Belt.

We pick up with Miller who’s still in the beginning phase of his investigation into the disappearance of Julie Mao. He heads to Mao’s apartment to see what he can find. Using his do-it-all future phone he’s able to gain entry and change his voice to unlock Julie’s security system.

He replays her last message which is from her father. We find out a bit more about Julie through the message. She’s apparently from a well-to-do family. Her father is unhappy with her for leaving home to take up with less affluent friends. He threatens to cut her off.

From Julie’s response to her father, she does not get along with him. She’s decided she doesn’t need him or his money.

Miller continues to explore the apartment. Before leaving he notices a hamster running on a wheel. It doesn’t occur to him that, mysteriously, the hamster is not in a cage and that it has blood red eyes.

Later, Miller and his new partner, Havelock, are called to the nicer part of Ceres Station to answer a complaint about the water supply being tapped into.

To investigate, the two of them head to the level where the water supply pipes are situated. While there, they find a bunch of punk kids who have tapped into the pipes and are siphoning water away for themselves.

Miller and Havelock scuffle with the kids before capturing one. Miller questions the kid and soon takes pity on him and lets him go. It seems Miller comes from a similar background.

During this short conversation we first hear mention of the Outer Planets Alliance (OPA). The OPA is either a pro-belter social movement or a terrorist group, depending on who you’re talking to.

The United Nations. Earth.

We’re now introduced to Sadavir Errinwright (Shawn Doyle) the UN Undersecretary General who’s grilling Chrisjen Avarasala for torturing the belter, Heikki Sobong, who they captured in EP 1. Errinwright commands Avarasala to put Heikki Sobong in a water tank where he’ll feel lighter and closer to the gravity he’s used to in the belt.

She does so, then continues to question Sobong now that he’s more willing to talk. She’s still curious to know what he was doing and why. He refuses to cooperate and Avarasal finds out nothing.

Neither does the audience. The circumstances of the prisoner’s capture are not yet clear. It’s possible he was smuggling stealth technology.

Avarasala decides to send Sobong away for further questioning. Unfortunately, Sobong kills himself on the shuttle by escaping from his restraints and letting the g-force crush him.

What’s Next?

The episode concludes as we see Havelock slink back to the brothel he and Miller were called to in the first episode to investigate a murder. He’s meeting with the same prostitute who they questioned.

Meanwhile, Miller heads to the docks where Julie Mao worked to see if he can get any more information on her. He’s told she was pretty tough and that she was stationed on The Scopuli.

Back at his apartment, Miller researches Julie Mao’s dating profile to find out who she may have been with before she disappeared. He doesn’t get anywhere, but in a photo he notices a scar on her face which he thinks may be a an important clue.

Before the five stranded shuttle members are picked up, Holden causes another controversy by recording a message telling what has happened to The Cant. In the message, he names the Martians as the attackers. To the rest of the survivors dismay, he sends the message.

Shortly after, they are boarded by the Martians and taken prisoner.

 

It’s The Summer of Steven (Universe)

We were promised an awesome summer filled with Steven Universe starting mid-June all the way till August. But for some reason (possibly due to the episode leaks, and other major events happening on the channel, looking at you teen titans go/PPG crossover) Cartoon Network delayed the summer of Steven event till next week, and I simply can’t wait to see it!

Warner Bros TV Heads To SDCC 2016 With An Impressive 21 Shows

Warner Brothers Television show they are a forced to be reckoned with, bringing a record number of 21 show line-up to San Diego Comic Con. They are bringing fan-favourites like The Big Bang Theory and The Vampire Diaries, the long-list of comic book shows from the DCTV universe, and a bunch of newbies like Frequency and Riverdale. There is sure to be many reveals, exclusives and celebrities, with WBTV offering the ultimate fan experience, with panel sessions, free autograph signings and exclusive pilot screenings of their upcoming shows. Those in attendance are;

On Wednesday July 20^th

“Preview Night” at 6.00pm – 10.00pm in Ballroom 20, WBTV will host exclusive world premiere screenings of the pilots of the most highly anticipated series of 2016-17 – Riverdale, Powerless, People of Earth, Frequency and Time after Time –as well as a brand new episode of Teen Titans Go! and the debut of Justice League Action.

On Thursday July 21^st

Teen Titans Go! panel at 10.15am – 11.15am in Room 6DE – Video presentation and Q&A with producers Aaron Horvath and Pete Michail, with voice cast members Greg Cipes, Scott Menville, Khary Payton and Tara Strong.

Justice League Action panel at 12.00 – 1.00pm in Room 25ABC – Video Presentation and Q&A with voice cast members Kevin Conroy and Diedrich Bader, and producers Butch Lukic, Alan Burnett.

On Friday July 22^nd

Inside The Big Bang Theory Writers Room at 10.00am – 11.00am in Ballroom 20 – With the shows season 10 beginning in September, the writers and producers look back on season 9 with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look, and may have a few surprise guests.

The 100 panel at 12.30 – 1.30pm in Ballroom 20 – Video presentation and Q&A moderated by Eric Goldman with the series stars Eliza Taylor, Bob Morley, Marie Avgeropoulos, Henry Ian Cusick, Lindsey Morgan, Christopher Larkin and EP Jason Rothenberg, returning for their fourth consecutive year. With ALIE defeated and the clock ticking as earths radiation levels are rising, how will our heroes survive, the panel will include teases of what’s to come in season 4.

People of Earth panel at 2.00 – 2.30pm in Room 6BCF – Pilot Screening and Q&A with series star Wyatt Cenac and EP’s David Jenkins and Greg Daniels. People of Earth is a comedy series about a support group of alien abductees. Check out the trailer below:

Powerless panel at 2.30 – 3.00pm in Room 6BCF – Pilot Screenings followed by a Q&A with cast members Vanessa Hudgens, Danny Pudi, Alan Tudyk and EP Ben Queen, and EP/Director Michael Patrick Jann. Powerless is a comedy set in the DC universe, and follows an insurance adjuster (Vanessa Hudgens) specialising in regular-people coverage against damage caused when superheores and villians treat the city like their personal battle ground. ‘It’s a superhero world. We just live in it.’ Check out the Trailer below:

iZOMBIE panel at 5.30 – 6.30pm in Ballroom 20 – Video presentation and Q&A with Rose McIver and other series stars and producers TBA. After the heart-pounding season 2 finale, the panel will reveal exclusive details on what’s to come next season.

 

On Saturday July 23^rd 

The Vampire Diaries panel at 11.00 – 11.45am in Ballroom 20 – Ian Somerhalder and more series stars and producers TBA return for their 8^th consecutive year with exclusive detail reveals and Q&A.

Blindspot panel at 12.00 – 12.45pm in Indigo Ballroom – Video presentation and Q&A with series stars Sullivan Stapleton, Jaimie Alexander and writer/executive producer Martin Gero. The explosive season 1 finale left us with a shocking cliffhanger and so many questions, what will happen now Weller has arrested Jane? Will we find out Jane’s identity next season? The panel is sure to give us some clues into what we can expect next season.

The Originals panel at 12.50 – 1.25pm in Indigo Ballroom – Joseph Morgan and more series stars and producers TBA return to SDCC to tease us on what’s to come in season 4, plus a Q&A.

Lucifer panel at 1.30 – 2.05pm in Indigo Ballroom – Sneak peek and Q&A with Tom Ellis and more series stars TBA, and executive producers Joe Henderson and Ildy Modrovich. Season 2 is sure to be devilishly good.

Gotham panel at 2.10 – 3.00pm in Indigo Ballroom – Video presentation followed by Q&A with Ben McKenzie and more series stars and producers TBA. Set in the DC universe while Bruce Wayne is only a teenager, it follows Jim Gordon in the origin story of DC famous heroes and villains. The stakes will be higher than ever with supervillains flooding Gotham City in Season 2.

Supergirl panel at 3.30 – 4.15pm in Ballroom 20 – Video presentation and Q&A with Melissa Benoist and more series stars and producers TBA, discussing the shows move to the CW and what this could mean for the other CW DC shows. Going into its 2^nd season, we are desperate to find out who’s in that pod, what happened to Jeremiah and our first look at the new superman.

Legends of Tomorrow panel at 4.15 – 5.00pm in Ballroom 20 – Video presentation and Q&A with series stars Brandon Routh, Caity Lotz, Victor Garber and more stars and producers TBA. Going into season 2, who will join the team aboard the Waverider? How will Rex Tyler and the Justice Society of America fit into the teams next mission? Some of these questions may very well be answered during the panel.

The Flash panel at 5.00 – 5.45pm in Ballroom 20 – Video presentation and Q&A with Grant Gustin and more series stars and producers TBA, who can hopefully shed some light on how the timeline will work next season after Barry made the shocking decision to go back in time and save his mother.

Arrow panel at 5.45 – 6.30pm in Ballroom 20 – Returning to SDCC for 5^th consecutive year with a Video presentation and Q&A with Stephen Amell and more series stars and producers TBA, a lively discussion on the upcoming season will likely cover how Oliver will cope juggling his duties as the Green Arrow and as the newly appointed mayor of Star City.

Riverdale panel at 6.30 – 7.20pm in Room 6BCF – Pilot Screening and Q&A with series stars and executive producers. Based on the Archie Comics, this TV adaption makes its SDCC debut with teases of what we can expect from this new upcoming show. ‘Things aren’t always what you would expect in Riverdale.’ It may look like a quiet, sleepy town, but there are dangers in the shadows. Starring Archie Comics iconic characters such as Archie Andrews (KJ Apa), Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse – The Suite Life, Friends, Big Daddy), Betty Cooper (Lilli Reinhart – The Kings of Summer) and more.

Frequency panel at 7.25 – 8.15pm in Room 6BCF – Pilot Screening and Q&A with series stars Peyton List (The Tomorrow People, The Flash), Riley Smith (Nashville, The Messengers) and Mekhi Phifer (Torchwood, ER) along with EP’s Jeremy Carver (Supernatural) and Jennifer Gwartz (Lethal Weapon, Veronica Marz). Frequency is about Detective Raimy Sullivan (Peyton List) who somehow finds she can talk to her dad two decades in the past through his old vintage radio where they may defy fate and change the course of destiny. Check out the awesome trailer below:

Time after Time panel at 8.20 – 9.15pm in Room 6BCF – Pilot Screening and Q&A with series stars Freddie Stroma (Harry Potter films, Pitch Perfect, GOT, UnREAL) and Genesis Rodriguez (Identity Thief, Man on a Ledge, Entourage), and EP’s Kevin Williamson (The Vampire Diaries, Dawson’s Creek, The Following) and Marcos Siega (Blindspot, The Following, The Vampire Diaries). Chronicles the epic adventures of young H.G. Wells, there’s a time machine, Jack the Ripper, so basically all hell will break loose. Check out the trailer below:

 

 

On Sunday July 24^th

Supernatural panel at 11.15am – 12.15pm in Hall H – Exclusive video presentation that includes seires highlights and special features from the Supernatural: The Complete Eleventh Season DVD due to be released on September 6^th. Also, a Q&A with series stars Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins and Mark A. Sheppard, with EP’s Robert Singer and Andrew Dabb discussing what we can expect in season 12 with moderators Rob Benedict and Richard Speight.

Animaniacs Live! at 3.00 – 4.15pm in Room 6DE – With voice cast Rob Paulsen, Tress MacNeille and Jess Harnell, along with songwriter Randy Rogel as they perform songs from the beloved animated series.

Skatronixxx.com will keep you updated with all the latest SDCC news.

 

Ghostbusters (2016) Review

For months on end, Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters has been hit with criticism – both from sexists and those just generally opposed to the idea of the original Ghostbusters not returning – but this review isn’t about that. I may feel sympathy for Paul Feig and the cast because of the amount of unnecessary abuse they have faced from those who cannot accept that there are funny female comedians out there but I would never take it into account when reviewing a movie. I review films on here or on my Dalekbuster Screen 5 blog site based on their own merit and not on the hate campaigns that may or may not surround them.

The Ghostbusters reboot follows Columbia University professor Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig), who is approached to investigate the haunted Eldridge Mansion by historian Ed Mulgrave (Ed Begley Jnr) after reading her book Ghosts of our Past: Both Literally and Figuratively. Erin is initially confused as she didn’t publish the book however before long she realises her co-author Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) must be to blame and sets off to confront her. There she meets nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon) and after Erin tells them about Ed’s request to investigate the mansion they set off to confront the ghost of Gertrude Eldridge (Bess Rous), who was locked in the cellar after murdering a bunch of people in the building. Their encounter is recorded and uploaded to YouTube. Erin is fired by her boss Harold Filmore (Charles Dance) as they don’t consider the study of paranormal proper science. Abby and Jillian hope their boss Dean (Steve Higgins) will be more lenient due to their workplace being a less prestigious university but they are soon shown the door. Together Jillian, Abby and Erin decide to start a Ghostbusting business and set up shop at a Zhu’s chinese restaurant after finding their first choice – a rather familiar firehouse – too expensive. They hire Australian Kevin (Chris Hemsworth) as their receptionist and before long are visited by their first client, Patty (Leslie Jones), who saw a ghost in the subway where she works. Through their investigations they find a guy called Rowan (Neil Casey) has been building devices to magnify paranormal presence and they set off to trap the ghosts he is releasing.

I hadn’t seen any Paul Feig films before but after watching this movie it isn’t hard to see why he has earned such a reputation as a highly-regarded comedy director. The Ghostbusters Reboot may not be as good as the 1984 original but it is a much more deserving follow-up than the 1989 sequel Ghostbusters 2. Whereas the sequel lacked the memorable lines of the original, the Reboot features many pieces of dialogue which I feel over time may gain an iconic status. One of my favourite lines was ‘Rowan, pick up your virginity from the lost and found!’, spoken by Abby during the confrontation with Rowan’s Ghost. This is a line that I feel could become the new generation’s ‘This man has no dick!’ as it has the same wit and charm of the quoted line from the original.

The directing of this film shows a clear understanding of what made the 1984 Ghostbusters work so well. Paul Feig has completely grasped that the comedy from Ghostbusters comes from the scary situations the characters are thrown into rather than it being a parody of the horror genre. The events of the film feel genuine for the characters who interact in it and this is reflected in the score by Theodore Shapiro, which feels more like a soundtrack for a horror movie than a comedy. There’s no silly ‘wah wahs’ (despite the noise Jillian Holtzmann makes at the failed proton stream during the subway sequence) or music that cries ‘THIS IS FUNNY’; instead the soundtrack consists of music that could easily have been taken from The Shining or The Blair Witch Project. You get the sense that the reboot could have taken a darker, more serious edge and it puts into context what Paul Feig had said in an early interview about taking inspiration from The Walking Dead. Talking about influences, I am sure he must have been inspired by a certain other show too.

The show I am referring to is Doctor Who. There is a scene in the film where Patty is chased by a plastic dummy that reminds me a lot of the Autons from the show. I am not certain if it is a deliberate reference but it does feel as though it could be an in-joke from the director. Indeed, the movie’s approach is very similar to that of Doctor Who – particularly the 2005 revival. Like the popular BBC1 show, the Ghostbusters Reboot uses the notion of ‘hiding behind the sofa’ (or in this case, ‘hiding behind the cinema seat’) in that amid the more light-hearted elements it deliberately sets out to scare you. There are a few jump scares scattered through the film and it helps to establish how serious the ghost threat is. The film also ingeniously follows the way Doctor Who’s 2005 Revival introduced its brand to a new audience: just like the episode Rose saw the debut of a new Doctor, Ghostbusters (2016) doesn’t bring back the original team but instead showcases a new one in order to familiarise a new generation with the concept of Proton Packs and PKE Meters. This is a wise decision as it doesn’t alienate those who are new to the Ghostbusters brand. There is no reason why the old team cannot be brought back later on anyway, especially when there are already plans to establish a Ghostbusters Cinematic Universe. Whose to say Ghostbusters (2016) can’t be a parallel universe from Ghostbusters (1984)? Personally I would rather see a new audience introduced to Ghostbusters with the 1984 Ghostbusters returning later on than Peter, Ray and Winston to be brought back in a third movie that alienates those unfamiliar with the brand and ultimately becomes a flop.

Of course it is possible that the Reboot could be a flop anyway but on the strength of the cast I hope otherwise. The four leading ladies have a huge amount of chemistry together and as with the original four it feels like lightning in a bottle. Kristen Wiig is much funnier than the trailers give her credit for. Many of her best moments are left out of the trailers and suffice to say she makes for a better lead than I had expected. Melissa McCarthy is more entertaining than her trailer appearances also, although the standouts of the Ghostbusters are unsurprisingly Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. Kate McKinnon is wonderfully quirky as Jillian Holtzmann; one scene sees her eating Pringles whilst Erin confronts the ghost of Gertrude. Leslie Jones certainly is not the racist stereotype the reboot haters like to claim; she may not be a scientist but she proves to be extremely knowledgable about the history of New York and is therefore no less intelligent than the other Ghostbusters. Patty feels like a progressive step forward for acting roles within the black community and I hope to see more black actors given the opportunity to play characters like her.

The star of the reboot is rather ironically one of the male cast members. Chris Hemsworth is a revelation as Kevin; he is brilliantly endearing as the bumbling idiot and for someone who is known more as a dramatic actor provides some of the film’s biggest laughs. The scene where Kevin displays some of the logos he has created for the Ghostbusting business including a female ghost with big boobs and an ‘invisible ghost holding a hot dog’ is comedy gold. If this sounds sexist towards the male gender, I can assure you it isn’t. Everybody who isn’t a Ghostbuster be it male or female is portrayed as an idiot, which to be fair is pretty accurate to the present time given that we’re living in a world where Boris Johnson is foreign secretary of the United Kingdom and Donald Trump is running for president of the United States.

Another complaint I have heard is that the cameos and references to the 1984 original take you out of the film. This wasn’t the case for me. Whilst many of the cameos didn’t add much to the movie they didn’t ruin the cinema experience for me either. They were just there, with the exception of Bill Murray, who has a slightly bigger and more important role as skeptic Martin Heiss. Bill Murray is definitely the most meaningful of the cameos; whilst his character is significantly different to Peter Venkman it is fun to see him play the complete opposite of Peter. Martin Heiss is probably the closest to this movie’s Walter Peck, although there is no direct copy of the character. Whilst Walter was acting under authority, Martin’s motivations come more from his disbelief of the paranormal. This nicely ties in with Erin’s character arc of wanting others to trust that she has seen ghosts, which date back to when she experienced her first ghostly encounter as a child and nobody believed her.

Rowan is definitely not the under-developed villain many claim either. To me, his motivations made perfect sense – Rowan had been bullied all his life and wanted to exact revenge on the world for the way it had treated him. He is more a sympathetic villain than a moustache-twirling bad guy. Some of the criticisms for his character come from how he is able to build complex paranormal machinery similar to the technology created by Jillian Holtzmann. This is explained in the film; Rowan had studied Abby and Erin’s book Ghosts From Our Past and used this new knowledge gained from the reading to make his machines. As for those who complain about a certain sacrifice Rowan makes when he is told by the Ghostbusters the police are arriving at the scene, it is revealed that it was always a part of his plan. Another thing to note is that Rowan’s Ghost isn’t easily defeated; it takes more than a shoot at the private parts. They have to make the portal to another dimension bigger for one – Rowan is initially shown to be ‘too powerful’ to be drawn into the portal that opens up in New York.

My biggest gripe with this film is the way it relegates what should be an important scene to the end credits. During the credits, a possessed Kevin is shown leading soldiers in a dance sequence. This was removed from an earlier point of the film and explains why the same soldiers are placed into such odd positions by Kevin when they are under his possession. With no context, any members of the audience who decide to leave during the end credits will wonder what the sequence in the film with Kevin and the soldiers was about as it makes little sense until the credits play. The dance is a fun moment that could have worked nicely during the ghost battle in New York and the way it is relegated to the credits feels like an attempt by the studio to convince cinema-goers to stay until the end of the film. I am guessing they were worried viewers would miss the numerous mid-credits scenes and decided to include it to give them a reason to stay in the auditorium. There is still a problem that some may leave before the end credits however and miss the last tantalising scene; perhaps they should have announced in the press that there would be scenes during the credits instead?

Overall, Ghostbusters (2016) is a fun reboot of the 1984 original and feels like a more natural follow-up for the first film than Ghostbusters 2. Paul Feig seems to have a perfect understanding of what made the original Ghostbusters work so well; the comedy comes from the scary situations the characters are placed into rather than a parody of the horror genre. Like Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters (2016)’s cast have a natural chemistry together and provide many laughs; they are the perfect ensemble and I doubt Sony would be able to find any actors more suitable for the franchise going forward than Melissa McCarthy and company. It seems like a lot of inspiration has been taken from Doctor Who (especially in the opening tour guide scene) and the way it sets out to scare its audience whilst offering a comforting blanket in the form of its heroes, as well as the strategy taken by the 2005 Revival to introduce an existing brand to a new audience. Kate McKinnon and Chris Hemsworth are the star performances; both offer the movie’s most hilarious moments be it eating Pringles in the face of danger or coming up with terrible logo designs. The only major problem is the way a major sequence becomes little more than a scene played during the credits. Kevin’s dance sequence really should have been a part of the movie’s story as its exclusion leaves a small hole in the narrative that doesn’t really make sense.

If you decide to see this film, make sure you see it in 3D; the 3D effects are spectacular – proton streams, slime and ghostly hands all come out of the screen – and the film would likely feel flat without them. Ghostbusters (2016) seems to have been made with the 3D effects in mind much in the same way as James Cameron intended Avatar to be seen in the format.

Simply put: this is one film you don’t want to miss in 3D. The power of Sean compels you!