Author: RDT

Comic-Con Trailers

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This weekend was San Diego International Comic-Con. An annual gathering for comics and really all things pop culture. Coming out of it, we got a ton of new trailer releases. We’ve posted the big ones below, with our thoughts. Take a look and let us know what you think, too!

Movies

Wonder Woman

Loren: HOLY SH*T!!! I know I’m one of the biggest detractors of the DCEU out there but c’mon this looks pretty amazing. She totally nails the part, the WWI stuff looks awesome, they seem to get all the right story beats from her origin. This is like Thor meets the first Captain America, in all the right ways. I really hope this doesn’t suck.

RDT: Well shit, have they finally gotten it right? That trailer is pretty awesome and I haven’t been this excited for a superhero movie, at least a DC one, in a while. Badass.

Jen: This will absolutely get my $15 (wait, is that how much a movie costs nowadays?) I have waited a long time to see Wonder Woman on the big screen and, so far, nothing here makes me anything but hopeful. #girlpower

Dr. Strange

Loren: Amazing cast, the effects look great, trippy concepts, this may be another tough one to blend into the MCU but I can’t wait to see them try. Plus we finally see the Cloak of Levitation and some of the more traditional spells from the comics in action. The hype is real.

RDT: This just looks so damn cool. I know a little about Dr. Strange, but he’s never been my superhero jam. Though I am intrigued to see how they bring in magic to what has primarily been a sci-fi universe.

Jen: I’m really most interested in how they’re going to tie this in with the existing MCU. There is a strong Inception feel to this which doesn’t bother me, but is hard not to notice. Let’s face it, there’s no way anyone who reads this website and listens to this podcast is going to skip this movie, right?

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Loren: That was super fun. I love the idea of looking at a different era of the Harry Potter universe. Being set in the 20’s and in New York adds a nice wrinkle to the already established universe.

RDT: Taking what is essentially a glossary and turning it into a planned trilogy of films…it worries me. But JK Rowling scripting and that pretty cool trailer alleviate that worry a bit. The Harry Potter movies actually seems to lend themselves to a cinematic universe. Not everything has to be a battle with “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”

Jen: Yes, yes, yes! I have no reservations, I’m buying my tickets as soon as they’re on sale. The period is fantastic. The cast is fantastic. This is universe building at its best. While the first Harry Potter film suffered from having to give us the rules of the world, we can now we can jump right in with a new time period, country, characters, and story and they already feel familiar to us. Fantastic.

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Weekend Watch – 7/22/16

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Welcome to the Weekend Watch. Where we try to point you towards the best ways to spend your viewing time (or, at least, steer you clear of the garbage).

Movies

Star Trek Beyond

Loren: These trailers are god-awful, let’s just be clear about that. I will say, that for as much of a sci-fi geek as I am, I’ve never been a Trekkie (Trekker?). I watched a little bit of the Original Series and a fair amount of Next Generation, but never got into DS9 (maybe I’ll give it another shot), watched more Voyager than I care to admit, and worked on season 2 of Enterprise. None of that made me a huge fan. But, the 2009 film turned that around a little bit, not a lot, but a little bit. It was more my speed. I don’t even hate Into Darkness as much as most people. I am cautiously optimistic about this one.

RDT: I just don’t know. I thought the first one was ok…ish (admittedly, I had big nerd issues with it. But it is kind of a fun watch). The second is not good at all (I don’t care what Rotten Tomatoes says…). And the trailers for this made it look like more of the same, but with more motorbikes. But it’s currently at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes (see previous Rotten Tomatoes comment, though), and I do enjoy Justin Lin as a director. I mean, we’re talking about it this week on the podcast. So I’m definitely seeing it regardless. I’m just not sure I want to see it.

Rick: I have to echo everyone’s trepidation. The early trailers and talk of late reshoots had me concerned. Having seen the finished product, I have to say that those concerns were (mostly) unfounded. This is the most “Star Trek” of the new series. It’s not a Star Wars movie masking as a Trek tale. Apart from the opening scene (prepare yourselves. It’s bad.), I had a smile on my face the whole time. There’s an emphasis on relationships, exploration, and the unknown. We get a welcome and resourceful new character in Sofia Boutella’s Jayla, and the action sequences are pretty spectacular. The aforementioned reshoots add a small subplot that actually helps from a character standpoint. A rarity to be sure. The nods to the older series are tastefully done and not shoehorned in like Into Darkness (there’s even one for Enterprise fans). The only real demerits to hand out are for the Bourne-like coverage of the hand-to-hand combat, and the lack of screen time for the villain. The latter seems to be an epidemic among modern sci-fi/fantasy films. You cast a compelling actor (in this case, Idris Elba), cover them in makeup, then barely use them. I don’t get the logic. His story, at least, has a nice turn. I just wish he wasn’t given short shrift. Despite those quibbles, it’s worth watching. There’s no end credits tag, but stick around until the cast crawl starts. I got a little misty-eyed.

Jen: This trailer is certainly an improvement over the first couple they put out. I’ve always been into Trek and I did really enjoy the first movie in this new series. The second, meh. Simon Pegg is a highlight though, and he did co-write this one. I have hope. I’m actually more interested in the 4th one with the return of Christopher Hemsworth, now that I can get behind 100%.

Ice Age: Collision Course

Loren: What the actual f*ck. How are they on 5 of these? This one just looks like they’ve completely given up. Also, give that damn Saber-Tooth Squirrel his acorn for god’s sake. Pass.

RDT: Wait, they’re in space now???? How did this franchise get to space before The Fast and The Furious?!?!?!?

Rick: I’ve seen a couple of the movies in this series over the years. They’re okay and good for a few laughs. Frankly, the Scrat sections are my favorite. Very reminiscent of old Wile E. Coyote shorts. I won’t see this in theaters, but I’ll probably check it out down the line.

Jen: I have a toddler.

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Episode #24- We aren’t afraid of any ghosts.

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This week, our good friend Jen sits in for Loren and we talk Ghostbusters (SPOILERS @ 54:30), female-centric reboots (sort of) and all the news!

  • How does Matt Damon feel about the inevitable Bourne reboot?
  • Will Harry Potter return to theaters?
  • Why is Hobbs in prison orange?
  • The Universal Monsters cinematic universe is well underway.
  • Will Pokemon Go to the movies?
  • An actual Pennywise picture.
  • Episode VIII has wrapped…for now.
  • Han Solo cast, and it’s exactly who we thought it would be.
  • Is Rogue One crawling or not?
  • Kid Flash revealed!
  • Snapper Carr and Maggie Sawyer join Supergirl!
  • Pete becomes Patricia in the new MacGyver.
  • Bloodline and Catastrophe renewed (should we be watching these shows?)
  • #Sixseasonsandamovie
  • Battlefield to become a tv series.
  • Wonder Woman!!!!
  • X-Men heading to Fox

All that, a few tangents and an in depth chat about the new Ghostbusters (again, SPOILERS @ 54:30).

As always, please check us out on Facebook and Twitter.

And don’t forget to rate/review on iTunes. We’d really appreciate it.

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Weekend Watch – 7/15/16

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Welcome to the Weekend Watch. Where we try to point you towards the best ways to spend your viewing time (or, at least, steer you clear of the garbage).

FYI, Loren is still off galavanting in London with The Lady™ and wasn’t available at all. But we’ll have some cool Star Wars: Celebration pics going up throughout the weekend.

Movies

Ghostbusters

RDT: We’re finally here. For good or for bad, this has been a long time coming. Though I do feel it unnecessary, I will say I don’t have the white-hot hate for this movie that much of the internet seems to. With curiosity both hesitant and hopeful, I’m going in with as much of an open mind as I can. In fact, I already have my ticket for Friday night (and we’re talking about it on the podcast this weekend).

Rick: I went to the first screening I could get into. There will be no spoilers. Given the cast and the writing talent involved, I had high hopes for this. Then the trailer hit, and I wavered. Then the second trailer hit, and I wavered more. And news broke it was a remake, not a sequel. Then I sank. There is absolutely no need to remake Ghostbusters. A sequel is justifiable, but a remake is entirely unnecessary. However, I wanted to give it a fair shake. I’m not going to review this based on its quality as a remake (there’s not enough room here). Looking at it as if it were an original, 2016-created idea, the movie is flat. Most of the jokes either don’t land or are pushed that one extra line (or pratfall) and rendered unfunny. The film’s best idea is squandered by a lackluster and anticlimactic ending. Basically, it fails on the writing level, which is surprising given that Katie Dippold & Paul Feig’s The Heat is one of the best comedies in recent memory. On the positive, Kate McKinnon and Chris Hemsworth are great. They look like the only ones who are having any fun in this movie. Personally, I can’t really recommend it outside of a rental, but draw your own conclusions. Like with The Force Awakens, I might turn out to be the lone dissenter in a sea of positivity. Oh, and in case you were wondering, there’s a post-credits tag.

Jen: I have so many thoughts! I didn’t love this trailer (why make it *look* like a sequel when it’s actually a reboot) BUT it was not the worst trailer I’ve ever seen and the “let’s go” line makes me laugh every time, maybe it’s my particular brand of humor? I’ve got my ticket for Friday as well and am excited and hopeful!

The Infiltrator

RDT: Looks a little clichéd (“Promise me this is the last one…”). But still, great cast. I’m sure I’ll check it out eventually.

Rick: I caught a screening earlier this week. Overall, it’s good. It’s an interesting story with strong performances all around. The film’s greatest attributes are the near-constant feeling of tension and the fact that *gasp* there’s actual character development. Who’d’ve thunk it? It does suffer from the “beleaguered cop’s wife” trope, but there’s so much else going on in the story that was almost bound to happen. Regardless, it’s worth a watch.

Jen: Every single drug cartel movie feels the same to me. A story condemning cocaine trafficking told by storytellers who are clearly high on the stuff. This one seems different and I enjoyed the trailer more than I thought I would, thanks largely to Bryan Cranston. That man can make anything watchable.

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Episode #23 – Goonies R Good Enough

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This week, Chad steps in for Loren and we figure out if superhero fatigue is real (it’s not). But first, the news.

  • Goonies 2? Two-nies?
  • Flatliners resuscitated
  • Another Rogue One trailer
  • Alien prequels! Alien sequels! We got them all!
  • Batman ’66:Batman Begins :: Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers:???
  • Star Trek Beyond bits
  • Assassin’s Creed not about the money
  • CW airing Supergirl season 1 leading up to debut of season 2
  • John Barrowman on all The CW
  • Supernatural Forever
  • Game of Thrones delayed
  • Netflix/CW in bed together
  • Warriors, come out and play…on Hulu
  • Batman: Killing Joke gets a 1-night release
  • Who will be Iris West in The Flash movie?
  • Spider-Selfie, plus more casting
  • Gambit gets a shoot date

All that and a few tangents.

As always, please check us out on Facebook and Twitter.

And don’t forget to rate/review us on iTunes. We’d really appreciate it.

 

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Weekend Watch – 7/8/16

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Welcome to the Weekend Watch. Where we try to point you towards the best ways to spend your viewing time (or, at least, steer you clear of the garbage).

FYI, Loren is off galavanting in London with The Lady™. As such, he was only able to weigh in on a couple things.

Movies

The Secret Life of Pets

Loren: I’m almost positive I won’t see this in the theater but The Lady™ and I are animal people so it’s a pretty sure bet.

RDT: Looks cute. Like Toy Story but with pets. Still, I think I’ll probably wait until streaming.

Rick: It looks fun, but it borrows a lot from the first Toy Story. I’ll catch it on video.

Jen: If this came out two years from now, when my daughter was fully potty-trained and “not screaming in a dark room filled with strangers- trained” we’d be seeing this in the theater. Instead, we’ll watch it one million times on demand. It doesn’t grab me as much as Zootopia, but there are some laughs there.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

Loren: For some reason I’m not as into this as I feel like I should be. But the word on the street is it’s pretty good. I’ll check it out eventually.

RDT: I love this cast (Anna, call me), and it looks (kinda) funny. But it’s just not grabbing me. I’ll see it, just not in theaters.

Rick: This feels like every other party-oriented comedy that’s come out in the last ten years. I just can’t bring myself to care about it.

Jen: Five bucks says that at the 30 minute mark a character accidentally drinks a cup filled with a bodily fluid. But it is nice to finally have Hollywood accept that women can be self-obsessed, stoned, porn-addicted party-crashers too! #feminism

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Episode #22 – The Podcast at the End of the (Cinematic) Universe

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This week, we’re talking cinematic universes. What’s good? What’s bad? What’s next? But first, the news!

  • I aint afraid of no Lyft!
  • IT production begins. Pennywise revealed?
  • Minecraft movie release date
  • Tetris trilogy???
  • Wreck-It Ralph returns
  • So does Spy?
  • Pixar going OG
  • More Rogue One thoughts
  • Is Han Solo the best?
  • Mad Max kommt nach Deutschland
  • Another week, another round of Arrow/Flash casting
  • Who will inhabit Krypton?
  • Preacher gets bigger in season 2
  • 12 Monkeys picked up for season 3
  • As is Casual
  • Star Trek streaming thoughts
  • Netflix getting Lost in Space
  • YouTube Stepping Up (2 the streets?)
  • Justice League: Damage Control: Part 2
  • Spidey has batwings, and new cast members
  • Deadpool and Spidey take a few shots at The Legal Proceeding
  • Anna Kendrick, Squirrel Girl?
  • Are Fox and Marvel still talking? (They still should be!)

All that, plus more tangents than usual.

As always, please check us out on Facebook and Twitter.

And don’t forget to rate/review on iTunes. We’d really appreciate it!

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Weekend Watch – 7/1/16

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Welcome to the Weekend Watch. Where we try to point you towards the best ways to spend your viewing time (or, at least, steer you clear of the garbage).

Movies

The BFG

Loren: I seem to recall reading the book when I was a kid but I don’t remember too much about it. I don’t know how I feel about the look of this movie. I may see it on Netflix a few years down the road, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

RDT: Return of classic Spielberg? Reviews seem to say so (somewhat, at least). I’m so behind on movies though, I don’t think I’ll rush right out. But I’ll see it eventually.

Rick: Is “meh” an acceptable response?

Jen: See Rick’s answer above. I want to care about this movie. I just don’t.

The Purge: Election Year

Loren: I purposefully didn’t see the original Purge because it looked a little too “torture porn” for my taste. I did want to see the sequel where they took that concept and turned it into an action, survival movie. Same can be said for this one. At some point maybe I’ll go back and watch 2 and then Election Year.

RDT: The first one was pretty much horror, right, Rick? I guess this one and the last one are more like violent, action thrillers…? As of now, this one is the best reviewed (currently 61% on Rotten Tomatoes). I feel weird jumping into a franchise three movies in though. And I don’t like horror. Basically, I’m saying I have no idea if I’m ever going to see this movie or not.

Rick: I have never seen any of the Purge movies. I may go back and watch them one day, but I’m not super interested in them.

Jen: I am fascinated that they are releasing a movie, in an election year, about murdering people, and co-opting the tagline of a major candidate for public office to promote said murders. And no one is suing anyone about it. I love love LOVE me some Elizabeth Mitchell. I never saw the other films, but if anything gets me to vote yes (see what I did there?) for this one, it’ll be her.

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Episode #21 – All the news that’s fit to print.

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This week, as we welcome The Lady™ to the podcast (covering for RDT), it’s all news all the time.

  • Lego Movie 2 on the move
  • Zordon likes the blue meth and the Power Rangers get a poster (that looks nothing like the Power Rangers)
  • Tons of Rogue One character info
  • New Ghostbusters theme c/o Fallout Boy and Missy Elliot
  • Ghost Rider coming to SHIELD?
  • Vickie Vale gets an aunt
  • Poison Ivy gets older
  • MADTv cast revealed
  • Arrow, Legends and Supergirl casting
  • Vinyl and Penny Dreadful cancelled as Archer renewed and Mr. Robot expanded
  • Star Trek series details
  • Step Up stepping up to YouTube
  • Justice League: Damage Control
  • Spider-Man: Homecoming casting galore, plus a spinoff?
  • And are Marvel and Fox talking? (If not, they should be!)

All that and the usual tangents.

As always, please check out our Facebook and our Twitter.

And, please, rate and review on iTunes (and tell your friends about us!). We’d really appreciate it!

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Weekend Watch – 6/24/16

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Welcome to the Weekend Watch. Where we try to point you towards the best ways to spend your viewing time (or, at least, steer you clear of the garbage).

Movies

Independence Day: Resurgence

Loren: Maybe it’s just me but I’m not super into this. I’m not all about the wanton destruction of cities, hence my feelings on Man of Steel. I guess Roland Emmerich and I have a difference of opinion on movies. And that’s fine.

RDT: Nostalgically, I do, kind of, want to see this. But, like Loren says above, I’m also pretty burnt out on city after city after city being destroyed. I dunno, maybe I’ll just see Finding Dory instead.

Rick: I’m down with this. I enjoy me some disaster movies, even the lower-tier Irwin Allen efforts (I’m looking at you, The Swarm). I actually appreciate that they waited twenty years to make a sequel. Not to get all high-minded about it, but it makes sense from a storytelling standpoint. Whether it’s good or not remains to be seen but, for me, all it needs to be is a ridiculous popcorn movie and I’ll be satisfied.

Jen: I had trouble with the mass casualties in the first one so I don’t think my feelings on this will be any different. On the other hand, Jeff Goldblum’s still got it. One the other, other hand, Lesser Hemsworth doesn’t. On the other, other, other hand, what is “it” anyway? I’m running out of hands.

The Shallows

Loren: That’s a surprisingly good trailer. Look, we all knew Blake Lively was attractive, but I won’t lie, I wasn’t sure she could hold a movie on her own. Hopefully this proves me wrong. I did see a review headline that said this was better than Jaws. I kinda highly doubt that, though.

RDT: I don’t swim in the ocean. Literally, I will not go in past my knees. Why? Because there are things in there. Living things. Things that will eat me (and, based on my diet, one can only assume I would be delicious). Does that mean I won’t see this movie? Dunno. Maybe. Maybe not. **shrugs**

Rick: I feel like this is just a big budget riff on Open Water. Given Sony’s track record with quality movies lately, I have my doubts.

Jen: Is Jaws on Netflix? I really could watch that again right now. I think I’d be more interested if it wasn’t yet another shark movie. Couldn’t it be, I don’t know, a rogue sea lion or something?

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