Film

March 2020 Movie Preview

Published

4 years ago

March 7, 2020

After a small, but very enjoyable February, March is here with a bevy of films. Don’t worry, I, your ever present guide, are here once again to inform you. Just stay with me.

March 6^th
Onward: Oh, look! It’s Disney and Pixar doing what Disney and Pixar do. You know what you’re going to get with this duo; a solid story, laughs, great animation, and a star-studded cast which will always include the legendary John Ratzenberger. You and I both know that you’ll either be in the theater checking it alone, or with family.

Mark Wahlberg and Winston Duke, Spence Confidential

Spenser Confidential: I’ll be the first to admit that this one came out of left field. I had heard nothing about it, but once I saw the trailer, I was immediately in. Working alongside Peter Berg once again, Spenser Confidential stars Mark Wahlberg and Winston Duke in this action-comedy. Mark does well in these type of films. Premiering on Netflix, this will probably do large numbers and be somewhat of a constant joy for those watching it.

The Banker: Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Mackie, and the always-enjoyable Nia Long. This BLACK EXCELLENCE! The Banker tells the story of Joe Morris (Jackson) and Bernard Garrett (Mackie) as two of the first African-American bankers in the United States. Premiering on Apple+, I’d do my best to catch it in it’s limited theatrical release before it streams exclusively on Apple+. This is a story that needed to be told and my only annoyance is that it wasn’t released during Black History Month.

Friday the 13^th – Count ‘em, there are nine films being released on this date and one of them has to be some form of horror or thriller and you know that I’m checking it out. Here’s what you should check out.

Bloodshot: Based off of the Valiant comic book of the same name, Bloodshot, stars Vin Diesel as the eponymous hero. Expect a standard story and lots of action. This could be the start of many other Valiant comics being brought to the live screen. I’m not overly excited to see it, but I know I’ll enjoy the ride.

Lost Girls: Netflix sure knows how to pick them. This quiet drama mystery film stars Amy Ryan, who’s been out of the limelight, as a mother who will not stop until her missing daughter is found. While looking for her, she and law enforcement happen upon the Long Island serial killer who’s been killing sex workers. I have a feeling I’ll be able to sit back and get lost in the story, the hunt, and the chase.

Betty Gilpin, The Hunt

The Hunt: You may have heard of this gem. Based on the 1924 short story, The Most Dangerous Game, It was supposed to be released late last year, but was shelved due in part to the Dayton and El Paso shootings, and outrage from the right-wing. You’d think that there would be some sort of edit, but producer Jason Blum stated, “Not one frame was changed.” and you quickly have the most talked about film of 2020. This film is very political when that’s not it’s biggest intent. Go see this movie. This is the film I’m most excited to see this month.

March 20^th

Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe, A Quiet Place, Part II

A Quiet Place, Part II: I didn’t think this film needed a sequel, but I’ll watch it. The original cast is back minus the matriarch, John Krasinski [who is in the director’s chair once again], and they’re joined by Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou. After finding the creatures weakness, the family along with their newborn, are making their way to survive. They come across other survivors and we’ll learn that there may be some things more dangerous than the creatures. A Quiet Place was such a welcome surprise, so the sequel gets the benefit of doubt this time around.

March 27^th

Liu Yifei, Mulan

Mulan: Disney keeps churning out these live-action adaptations of their animated films, but this looks to be the first one to receive high critical acclaim. I, for one, love the original Mulan film in large part due to the music and Eddie Murphy. There’s no music or Eddie Murphy here however I am extremely excited for this one. The action will be there but it’s the story that’s getting the main focus as it should. The action shouldn’t overtake the story. Mulan’s story is the driving force. Disney might finally get it right.

Top 3 Must-See
1. The Hunt
2. A Quiet Place, Part II
3. Mulan (2020)

Related Topics:comic Featured Film march mulan preview

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Film

The Magnificent Seven!

Published

3 years ago

March 20, 2021

Jeremy Pierce

With the Snyder Cut of Justice League finally being released this month, I thought it’d be fun to take a look at all of the live-action incarnations of comics greatest superhero team. No, I didn’t stutter and you know I’m right. If you don’t know, the Justice League consists of the greatest heroes in DC Comics. “The Magnificent Seven” as they’re know are comprised of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter with Manhunter later being replaced by Cyborg in updated and current versions of the team. They come together when just one hero isn’t enough. If you’re like a lot of mainstream fans, you’ll most likely know the team from the astounding and near perfect animated series that aired on Cartoon Network but that’s not why we’re here. Let’s get into the meat and potatoes of it all.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League | Official Trailer #2 | HBO Max – YouTube

Honorable Mention

Justice League: Mortal

This incarnation of the team never came to fruition. Famed director George Miller was attached to direct with a budget of around $220 million. The casting left something to be desired. D.J. Catrona was cast as Superman, Armie Hammer as Batman, Megan Gale as Wonder Woman, and Teresa Palmer, whom auditioned for the Wonder Woman role, was cast as Talia al Ghul. I’m only on board with Armie Hammer as the Caped Crusader, but everyone else can kick rocks. They don’t make a lick of sense and that especially goes for Teresa Palmer as the Daughter of the Demon. Two of the better casting choices, Common as Green Lantern John Stewart and Adam Brody as the Barry Allen version of the Flash, are solid but I honestly believe that Brody would have been better served as Wally West. The best casting decision was Jay Baruchel as Maxwell Lord.

There were many reasons that this movie didn’t come forth. The Writers Strike happened and production had to be delayed for three months which caused the options of the cast to lapse. The movie was supposed to be filmed in Australia but the Australian government denied Warner Bros a 40% tax rebate as they felt that there weren’t enough Australian actors hired. There were more delays and the success of The Dark Knight caused Warner Bros to focus on singular films.

Justice League

If the reviews are to be believed, then the Joss Whedon directed version of the film will be long forgotten. Joss Whedon had to finish Snyder’s film due to a family tragedy. He ended up cutting much of what Snyder intended including removing a majority Cyborg’s scenes and story as he was clearly intended to be the focal point of the film. If you’ve seen one Joss Whedon film or TV show, then you’ve seen them all and you know what to expect and that is very much true here. What Snyder had set forth has largely been forgotten with Whedon putting his usual flair on the writing. If you’ve been living under a rock then you know all about the claims made by Ray Fisher. The racism, the treatment by Whedon, and so much more. The less said about this film, the better.

Legends of the Superheroes

This 1979 two-part television special featured the most famous Batman and Robin at the time, the late Adam West and Burt Ward. Other heroes included Black Canary, Captain Marvel [now Shazam], Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Huntress and many more. This one was mostly played for laughs.

Smallville

The decades long comic book series had their own version of the League featuring Clark Kent, the Flash, Cyborg, Green Arrow, and Aquaman. The characters were all introduced in previous episodes where they were given proper introductions. Chloe Sullivan, Clark’s long time best friend, acted as the surrogate Oracle using the code name “Watchtower”. Later in the series, they were joined by Black Canary and Martian Manhunter with Manhunter having a prominent tutor-like role on the show. Smallville also gave us the first time live-action iteration of the Justice Society of America.

Arrowverse

A combination of the CW Arrowverse shows, this Justice League featured characters from the various shows. With the ending of Crisis on Infinite Earths, the amalgamation of Earth-Prime (Earth-1, Earth-38, and Black Lightning’s Earth) needed a team for such an occasion where one hero wouldn’t be enough. Taking on the Anti-Monitor, all of the heroes were needed. If you know DC Comics, you know that when the words “Crisis” are uttered, it’s about to go down, In the end, our heroes were successful but not without suffering a great loss. Oliver Queen after becoming the Spectre, sacrificed himself for the greater good. The Arrowverse team consists of White Canary, The Flash, Supergirl, Batwoman, Martian Manhunter, Black Lightning, Superman, and an empty seat to honor the man who started it all, Green Arrow.

Film

Godzilla vs. Kong – Official Trailer

Published

3 years ago

January 24, 2021

MC Staff

The long awaited clash of the titans is here! Check out the trailer below for Godzilla vs Kong! Who do you have your bets on? Who will emerge victorious? Find out on HBO Max March 26, 2021.