“Save the cheerleader, save the world.”
If you watched any major broadcast network TV during the mid-2000s, chances are you’ve seen the NBC show Heroes. In case you have it, here’s a brief overview of the show:
Heroes is the story of a group of individuals that gain powers after a solar eclipse. The powers range from invisibility to telekinesis and everything in between. The story follows these characters and their loved ones as they attempt to adjust to their newly found abilities and choose whether to use them for good or evil.
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| This is the man who brought back Horn-Rimmed Glasses. |
The first season and a half of Heroes had it on a trajectory of being one of the greatest non-cable television shows produced in years. It was well cast, had an intertwining storyline (despite the fact that nearly every character was written by a different writer[s]), and the production value was extremely high.
Unfortunately, the show was devastatingly impacted by the 2007-2008 Writer’s Guild of America strike during the middle of it’s second season. They were only able to produce 11 of their 24 scheduled episodes.
When Heroes finally came back to television, it was a shell of itself. Several times the show jumped the shark in an attempt to bolster ratings but they were unable to regain the momentum Heroes had during the first and second season.
I almost gave up on Heroes, but the fourth (and final) season was actually good. The protagonist was well developed and likeable (in a love to hate kind of way) and different from seasons past. The show also finally delved deeper into some characters who, up to that point, remained a complete mystery. The worst part of season four was that it ended on probably the show’s biggest cliffhangers.
I’m ready for that to play out.
But thanks be to the power of the internet, Netflix (where you can watch all of the seasons of Heroes),and the current obsession with superheroes in movies in television (see: Avengers, Green Arrow) a new life has breathed into this almost forgotten show. Earlier today, NBC teased a clip of the new series(mini?) Heroes Reborn.
I don’t know what it will be, or who will be in it, but this is something I’m going to be watching.
Here’s the vid (if it’s not working click here)
UPDATE 2/22/2014: According to TVline.com, this will be a 13 episode mini-series.
I know I’ve been on a bit of an hiatus, but I have a good excuse- actually I don’t. Anyway, everyone’s favorite wall crawler is back for the second installment of the reboot of the Spider-Man series. Check out the latest trailer below:
OK, after I watched this my first reaction was “didn’t they learn their lesson from Spider-Man 3 about having too many villains in one movie?” One bad guy is ideal, two is pushing it unless you have a two-and-a half hour movie, but three? Come on, Sony, there’s definitely not enough time to follow and/or care about most of the people in the movie.
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| The gang’s all here! |
Andrew Garfield is reprising his role as the Peter Parker, the undercover thirty-year old beat cop posing as a high school teenager misunderstood and super depressed New Yorker. I would’ve said wise-cracking but I think he only cracked one joke during the trailer, and it was pretty lame.
The coolest part about the trailer was by far Electro demolishing New York City; how is that place even standing after all of the movies that’ve destroyed it? Harry Osbourne looks creepy for no reason at all and his “Oscorp had you under surveillance” didn’t illicit what I presume to be the intended response of “OH CRAP! They know he’s Spider-Man!”
The Pacific Rim styled Rhino suit looked good in the 80 frames of the trailer it was in; I guess they don’t want to be tied down to a specific suit until May. It’s a sure thing that the production has some wiz intern on stand-by to completely change the suit, and he’ll get paid strictly with college credit, that’s some kinda future money, right?
All-in-all the effects looked cool and this will probably be as decent a movie as its predecessor, BONUS POINTS IF HE DOESN’T TOUCH A SKATEBOARD THIS MOVIE! Watch for the next trailer that I presume to be coming out in the coming months.
What do you guys think?
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| Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu———–!!!!!!!! |
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| Beautiful Sunrise |
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| Generic team A! |
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| “I saved the world, why couldn’t I save this pilot?!” |
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New ‘Batman’ Role Finally Cast
It appears that the search for the next silver screen Bruce Wayne has come to an end. According to variety.com, Ben Affleck has been chosen to portray the caped crusader in the upcoming Superman-Batman movie slated to hit theaters on July 17th, 2015.
What are your thoughts on the subject? I, for one, am anticipating whether or not Batman will sound like he’s from South Boston, although, anything will be better than Batman’s previous wheezy voice.
Comment below!
Editors Note: This was published earlier, but had to be taken down due to a news embargo.
In a World…, Independent Comedy, 2013
Plot: ‘In a World’ is a story about a voice coach following in her father’s footsteps and trying to make it in the male-dominated voice-over industry.
Thoughts: Produced, written, and directed by Lake Bell, this film was professionally done while still maintaining an “independent” feel. It was honest and relatable, allowing the audience to feel as if it was living in the world alongside Carol.
By far, the most impressive aspect of In a World was the acting. The talented assortment of characters didn’t overact by trying to do too much on a film that’s strong point was subtlety. There was a since of balance and a depth to the various relationships between characters, created through solid writing.
I was most impressed with Rob Corddry, who really showed off his range as an actor. I know he wasn’t the best in Hot Tub Time Machine, so it was nice seeing him bounce back, hopefully there will be more opportunities for us to see him in action.
Demetri Martin also played a genuine love interest for Carol, his performance was memorable, though every time I saw him on screen, I couldn’t help but think that Jason Schwartzman would have been perfect for the role (I guess Martin will start taking all of Schwartzman’s roles that he’s too old to do now).
Lake Bell as Carol was both real and funny. She portrayed the increasingly popular character of a woman who is a balanced combination of tough, goofy, and loving, perfectly. Her sometimes crude humor, that would be unflattering said by someone else, was endearing through her interpretation.
The overtone of the movie covers the often ignored topic of gender and sex inequalities. The realistic setting of men having control over an industry provides a look into our reality. As one who has seen this type of thing happen firsthand, Bell understood and translated the clique-ness of (in this case) the voice over market.
Larger themes at play include trust and honesty in relationships: the closeness between Carol and Dani, the distance between the sisters and their father and also their father’s girlfriend.
***Possible Spoiler: The one issue I take with one of the subplots is the scene in which Moe (Corddry) allows a woman to use his shower. I felt that this scene seemed a little pointless given the entire context of the film. I know that it was designed for the audience to feel like he would entertain an attractive woman, despite his obvious marriage, but the problem I have is that it never came to a head (no pun intended). The situation never gets exposed, he doesn’t admit his failing (or even show any odd feeling about the situation). I think that this scene could have been condensed to him checking someone out in passing and still have been just as effective. End of Spoiler***
There was a reason why this movie won the award for best screenplay at Sundance, the writing was clever and well thought-out. It reminded me more of a TV show rather than a movie and I think that that was a good thing. Though Bell stated the improvisations were a luxury that the production didn’t have time for, it felt like many of the comedians still maintained that style of improv humor.
One of the problems with the script was that it was too funny. The audience got accustomed to joke after joke that the first time something serious happened, everyone laughed before realizing that the scene wasn’t meant to be funny.
I also felt that the jabs taken at the women with high voices undermined the feminist message. A major facet point of feminism is that everyone has a right to be portrayed by their own standards. The entire joke of “sexy baby” voice counteracts that by stating that a woman talks a certain way rather than saying a woman can talk anyway she wants. The theater laughed, but had this been a room full of any ethnic group who didn’t speak in an “appropriate” way, this joke would have swiftly turned offensive.
It was also sad to see another white-washed cast. There was little diversity aside from Eva Longoria and one of the studio staff members. Independent movies are where we should take risks, but I’m saddened none were taken in this area (even though it was a low risk).
In a World… features a great cast, awesome story, and some spectacular voices. Lake Bell deserves a commendation for her first film being such a success and providing a great example of female success in the film/tv industry.
3.9/5
Plot: A boy and his young sister try to survive in wartime Japan.
The poignancy of this story lies in its sense of finality. From the start, we know the characters will die slow and painful deaths; our knowledge of this inevitability however does nothing to diminish the ache one feels for the young family. The slow pace of the film mirrors the hardships of war and the struggle to survive, and as Seita and Setsuko eventually succumb to malnourishment and starvation the viewer sees in war there is often no light at the end of the tunnel. The film chronicles Seita doing what he must to ensure the survival of himself and his sister through his descent into thievery and desperation. The only emotional reprieve in the film is the fireflies in the abandoned building the two inhabit; the bugs provide relief for Setsuko’s fear of the dark and cast a fanciful glow around their grim surroundings. The firefly symbolism is amazing, as the bugs burn brightly then quickly burn out – much like Seita and Setsuko’s short time on earth. 
The Film Chronicles