Black Mirror Returns To Fill The Dark, Twisted Cyber Hole In Your Heart

It started with a cryptic tweet from the official Black Mirror account and then Variety verified what most believed the tweet to mean. Black Mirror is going to return with a new season on October 21st with 12 new episodes. If you haven’t seen Black Mirror yet then stop reading and get on Netflix and start binging the series.

Black Mirror is an anthology series that is the successor to the Twilight Zone mantle. The series is only two seasons long that contain 3 episodes each plus a Christmas special so its an easy weekend binge which you should start like right now. Each episode tells a standalone story that deals with how technology can change and warp individual lives and society as a whole. From an episode that shows a dystopian society where you’re either a human turbine or a contestant on a reality show that chews you up and spits you out alive, to a mans decent into madness from becoming obsessed with a tech implant. The christmas special kind of ties all the plot threads to reveal a series wide twist that the stories you watched are actually connected in some way or another.

The return of Black Mirror with 12 episodes is a welcome change that I await with a little trepidation. The first two seasons and christmas special are an excellent example of less is more. The short format keeps the series tight and very focused plot wise. There are no such things as filler episodes in a 3 episode run and the detail put into each serves to keep them new and distinct but helps maintain the same tone throughout the series. Hopefully that will stay in play with a 12 episode run. October 21st can’t get here soon enough.

Marvel And Netflix Announce Daredevil Season 3 At San Diego Comic Con

Daredevil fans rejoice after months of speculation as to will they or wont they. Marvel and Netflix FINALLY confirmed the news yesterday at San Diego Comic Con that Daredevil will be returning for a third series.

The news was confirmed by  Joe Quesada on the Marvel panel where they discussed other topics such as Luke Cage and Iron Fist.

There has been much speculation as to whether the show would return for a third series, many fans will agree that the second series was a further development from the first introducing us to characters such as The Punisher and Elektra. Who could we expect to see in the third series? One could only speculate.

Are you as psyched as us for the return of Daredevil? Check out the official announcement video below.

 

 

Marvel’s Iron Fist Trailer Released At San Diego Comic Con

 

Marvel fans rejoice! The much anticipated trailer for Netflix’s new show Iron Fist has been released. The trailer was released by Marvel at San Diego Comic Con and the new series stars Game Of Thrones actor Finn Jones (Loras Tyrell) as Danny Rand.

Who or what is Iron Fist aka Danny Rand? He is a billionaire Buddhist monk who’s father Wendell discovers the mystical city of K’un-L’un. Whilst in the city Wendell saves the city’s rulers life (Lord Tuan). Flash forward 10 years and Wendell takes his wife and young son Daniel on an expedition to the city and the story of Iron Fist is born!

Well you didn’t think I was going to give you all the spoilers did you? You’ll have to watch the show to find out more 😛

Are you as psyched as I am? Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think!

Rick Remender’s Deadly Class TV Series Adaptation To Be Produced By Russo Brothers

Rick Remender

Deadly Class is Image comic book by writer Rick Remender and artist Wes Craig that Debuted in January 2014. Deadly Class is a coming-of-age story that takes place in the 1980’s; that follows a group of high school students attending King’s Dominion School for the Deadly Arts, which trains the deadliest assassins in the world.

Wes Craig

Deadline.com has reported that Sony Pictures TV is behind the TV series adaptation of Deadly Class with Captian America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War directors John and Anthony Russo as the show’s producers.

The TV adaption will be written by Rick Remender and Miles Field. Adam Targum and Mike Larroca will be the showrunners. Sony is currently getting ready to find a home for the series on either a major network or streaming service. (i hope they get on Netflix)

Remender is a highly talented writer in the comic book industry. I recommend picking up Deadly Class (ongoing), Black Sceience (ongoing), his run on Uncanny X-force, and  Venom.

 

Seven to Eternity is Rick’s newest project with artist Jerome Opena and is scheduled to be released September 21st, 2016. Pre-order cut off is August 29th 

Story Synopsis via Imagecomics.com:

“The God of Whispers has spread an omnipresent paranoia to every corner of the kingdom of Zhal; his spies hide in every hall spreading mistrust and fear. Adam Osidis, a dying knight from a disgraced house, must choose between joining a hopeless band of magic users in their desperate bid to free their world of the evil God, or accepting his promise to give Adam everything his heart desires. “

 

Stay tuned for more SDCC coverage.

Daredevil SN1 EP9 – ‘ Speak Of The Devil ‘

This review does contain spoilers. You’ve been warned.

From the opening moment of Daredevil being hit in the face, this episode makes it clear that it will hit viewers head on and not back down. These fight scenes between the devil and a Japanese assailant are inter-cut between the main plot. Matt is facing another crisis – he knows he has to take out Fisk for the good of the city however he has another dilemma not just from a legal standpoint but from his faith. Murdock talking with his priest offer great emotional intensity and create conflict.

Matt tries to bring down Kingpin both in and out of costume. Ben Urich approaches them with an article that exposes Fisk. However, Murdock knows there has to be some validation or Fisk will have a libel case. So we do see scenes of Matt working undercover as Matt, which is a unique touch. The plot about Nelson and Murdock trying to tackle Fisk legally works because Karen and Foggy have a little more action after feeling like side characters in so many episodes. They have more emotional stakes as they are coping with the death of Elena, one of their first clients. She died because of Fisk’s poorly built houses which is giving them a little more legal standing. Unfortunately for them, Fisk is still able to put on his public facade.

Daredevil is in action. As the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, Matt circumvents the law – as he does – to track down the men Kingpin is working with. This leads to the aforementioned BRUTAL fight. The assassin wields a weapon which tears Matt apart – plenty of blood is shown. We even see someone set on fire! Adding injury to injury, the Devil has his first one-on-one battle with Kingpin. This is not some climatic battle of honor – Kingpin mercilessly whales on the Devil in another gruesome battle with Matt just barely escaping after taking some serious hits. The cherry on the sundae is that after everything this episode ends on a huge cliffhanger with Foggy discovering Matt under the mask.

This episode is just the total package – great psychology and character development. The action scenes are intense and it builds suspense for the next episode.

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).

Daredevil SN1 EP7 – ‘Stick’

After the ante was raised in the last few episodes, Daredevil still has some high standards to live up to. The opening scene affirms that this show is still not pulling its punching. A Japanese gangster is running frantically only to be confronted by a man with a sword. The man unapologetically cuts off the hoodlum’s arm before interrogating him. Even after acquiring the info he needs, the man with the sword murders the Japanese gangster. This man, as the name implies, is Stick. Much of the episode is centered around him and shines some light on Daredevil’s origins.

Admittedly, I know little about Stick’s personality in the comics, but what works about this interpretation is how real this character seems. We’ve seen trainer characters before – there have been characters who are kind of gruff and bust the heroes’ chops and there are mystical characters who know these ancient fighting moves. Stick is a good balance between these common tropes. He shows off some great fighting skills, but he has a real world attitude – he jokes around with Matt (usually at Matt’s expense) and likes to kick back beers. He has a unique world philosophy where he feels his and Matt’s blindness are gifts because it gives them an experience of the world that most people don’t have, but at the same time has a bitter attitude that demonstrates how the world has hardened him. Veteran actor Sam Sheppard dons the role and his gruff, no-nonsense attitude makes this character feel like a genuine human.

Stick is not the only character who is fleshed out. This episode delves into Murdock’s origins. We learn how Stick trained Matt to hone his techniques – he does not just taste vanilla. He tastes the beans, the chemicals and what was on the hands of the man who scooped it. Stick and Daredevil are on the trail of Japanese gangster. There is a unique contrast in philosophy. Stick has been hardened to believe that killing is the only way while Murdock is violent but believes there are limits. The two have some impressive fight scenes. These are cleverly contrasted with scenes of Stick training a young Murdock. We see Stick capture Murdock in a hold then that is cut to Stick holding a young Matt in the same hold, where they discuss philosophy, which cuts back to Matt and Stick fighting in the present.

The fighting scenes are again intense. In the early scenes, we see Matt having a hard time holding his own against the more experienced Stick while later they know each other so well that they can match each other. The writers knew what cards to play – when Stick confronts the thug, it is appropriately violent. However, even though there are scenes where a young Matt is smacked around by Stick, it never feels excessive or made me squeemish. While continuity is present, this episode actually works as a good standalone story and an excellent origin tale.

Daredevil SN1 Ep6 – ‘Condemned’

After the titanic cliffhanger from the previous, some serious cards were laid on the table. Naturally, those cards were played immediately. Picking up immediately where “World on Fire” left off, every character is scrambling to deal with the aftermath of the bombings. Daredevil has fought off the police and has kidnapped one of Fisk’s hoods. Claire is coping with the many people who have flooded the hospital in light of the violence. Foggy and Karen are tending to Foggy’s wounds while Fisk admires his handywork.

As that synopsis implies, this is the most action-heavy episode so far. This is noteworthy for being the first time Matt spends the entire episode in costume. There is action, with Matt having to fight off police under Fisk’s take or those who just get in his way. Much of the episode is spent with Daredevil trying to probe information from the thug he kidnapped. This is not as easy as it sounds. The thug is wounded and Daredevil has to call on Claire to figure out how to heal him, even using a flair to cauterize a wound. This hood does not go down without a fight – literally. There is an intense fight scene between Matt and the hood.

This is a great game of mental chess between the two. Knowing the police are on the trail and the violence is still occurring, there is an underlying feeling that something can go wrong at any moment. This episode also features the first encounter between Murdock and Fisk. It is only a walkie-talkie conversation, but it is effective. The characters learn about each other and their conversation reveals the similarities and differences in their personalities. This is a good scene as it gives a taste of these two meeting, but whets our appetites for more. Even though he spends most of the time riding in a limo, once again Fisk’s presence is engaging. Knowing how violent and aggressive he can be, it is unnerving watching how calm he is during this entire ordeal. The scenes with Foggy, Karen and Claire help give this episode a little breathing room so it’s not non-stop action. Overall “Condemned” ups the ante with a stellar episode that will leave viewers on the edge of their seat.

Marvel’s ‘Luke Cage’ On Netflix is Heading to Comic-Con

San Diego Comic-Con is the yearly event for fans of all things comic and nerdy – with tickets selling insanely fast, incredible line ups and exclusive sneak peeks at the most anticipated upcoming tv-shows and movies, it’s the place to be every Summer.

So it should come as no surprise to Marvel fans that Marvel’s Luke Cage will be making an appearance at SDCC next month. Joining the debut for the upcoming series, the main man Mike Colter (The Good Wife, Salt, Jessica Jones), alongside Alfre Woodward (State of Affairs, 12 Years a Slave, True Blood) who will be playing Mariah Dillard, a politician who wants to usher in a new age for the streets of Harlem where she grew up. Also joining them will be Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy, Cloverfield, Meth Head), who will be playing Shades, AKA Alvarez and and showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker.

Further casting for the show includes Rosario Dawson (Rent, Sin City, Death Proof) reprising her role as Claire Temple (seen in Daredevil and Jessica Jones), Sonia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Outlaw, Donas de Casa Desesperadas) as her mother, Soledad Temple; Frank Whaley (Pulp Fiction, Vacancy, Under the Dome) has been cast as Detective Scarfe and Simone Missick (The Road to Sundance, Black Card, Ray Donovan) as Misty Knight.

Luke Cage first made his appearance in the first season of Marvel’s Jessica Jones, a bartender who Jones is drawn towards due to her ties to the murder of his wife. During the series, Jessica and Luke strike up a relationship, and she comes to learn of his unbreakable skin and superhuman strength. Luke Cage will be exploring Luke’s story as a wrongly accused man who escapes prison. He’s a fugitive, trying to keep a low profile and rebuild his life. But soon, he’ll be forced to confront the past he’s tried to keep behind him.

Marvel intend to show preview footage from Luke Cage during their panel at SDCC, which many fans are excited for, especially since all we’ve had so far is the short (but oh so very sweet) trailer for the show.

At present, Jessica Jones leading lady Krysten Ritter isn’t due to make an appearance with the cast.

Luke Cage is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on September 30th 2016.

Daredevil SN1 EP5 – ‘ World On Fire ‘

This episode works by lulling the viewer into a false sense of security. It starts out like a day at the office for these characters. Foggy and Nelson take on a new client. Fisk and Vanessa have another dinner date. Matt and Claire conflict over their ideologies.

Even before the big action happens, this episode works. Naturally the dialogue scenes flesh out characters. We learn about Fisk’s unique honor system and bizarre but sincere affection for Vanessa. There is a great scene where Matt reveals how he uses his senses to “see” – as the title implies, he is able to build pictures in his mind that resemble fire. These scenes also effectively show the unusual comparisons and contrasts between Daredevil and Kingpin. Both are men who genuinely believe what they are doing, and both are willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish their goals.

These calms scenes are good, but they last long enough to lure us into thinking things will be normal – a few scenes with Daredevil in action and all. Then, Fisk’s plan goes into action and parts of Hell’s Kitchen begin going boom. Suddenly all these characters we’ve recognized either for the last few episodes or just this episode – are in real jeopardy. As everyone is scrambling to either figure out what is going on or simply survive, Daredevil springs into action. After trying to fight the real villains, Daredevil is cornered by the police. Every episode in the first season has been excellent, but this is the episode that works as a great turning point. Action scenes and romance/dialogue scenes are used to pace this episode and build suspense.