So That's What the Playoffs Are Like, Huh!

You know when you have random thoughts of "I really want to get away" or "We should totally do this"? You know when you pose those types of questions on Facebook and people respond, yet nothing comes of it? Well Saturday afternoon I posed such a question. "Anyone want to go see a Mets game Sunday?" I had some interested responders, and I thought nothing would come of it. But one friend was serious. And thanks to her, and my credit card, we went!

Dusty Baker on TBS

We left Binghamton a little before 3pm. Now, due to traffic (most of which might have been due to the NY Jets game just ending) and a random detour through a New Jersey town (thanks to Rosie, my GPS), it took us over an hour longer than we anticipated to get to Citi Field from Binghamton. Almost four and a half hours to be precise (or as precise as an almost allows).

BUT NONE OF THAT MATTERS!

We were there! We were at a New York Mets playoff home game! Our teams first playoff run in nine years! Excited doesn't even begin to describe it!

Former Mets on TBS:
Gary Sheffield and Pedro Martinez

The crowd was electric. People were chanting, cheering, and anticipating the start of the game. The lineups were announced, with the Chicago Cubs receiving nonstop boos, and our home-team Mets receiving almost all cheers (the lone standout was for Lucas Duda, who received his typical "Duuuuu" chant which sounds like boos, but aren't, but might have been considering his recent struggles, but anyways)! The crowd was ready, the teams were ready, I was ready.

Noah Syndergaard came out throwing gas! 97 on the black to start the game. Ground ball to Murphy, bobbled, but recovered in time for the first out. Crowd roaring, but still holding back like it was waiting for something. Strike three, and more roaring. Single, and it was like air out of a bag. Strike three again, and AC/DC's thunderstruck plays. The crowd on their feet, but still holding back. Still waiting. Then Curtis "Grandy" Granderson comes up to leadoff for the Mets. After falling behind, he hits a single in the hole. Not a single fan has sat down yet. Then the Captain comes up, and David Wright launches a ball over the center fielder's head and one bounces it off the wall. Grandy scores, Wright to second. Crowd jumping and waving. Mets up 1-0.

Travis d'Arnaud bruised the Apple in Game 1

But the place still seemed like it was waiting for something. Or someone. And that someone was now up to the plate, the only player this crowd cared about. Daniel Murphy. The guy who almost single handedly won the NLDS for the Mets, homering off of the two best pitchers in baseball three times. The guy who the night prior, during Game 1 of the NLCS, homered again off of the former Red Sox pitcher, Jon Lester, to help lead the Mets to a Game 1 victory. This guy, Murph, was right on the first pitch fastball from Arrieta. He hooked a slider low and inside right down the line, pulling it foul, feet from the foul pole. He scoffed at Arrieta's fastball outside. And then he did it. He knelt down, struck the curve ball inches from the ground, and hooked it over the wall for a two-run homerun! He did it! Again! Murphy hit a homerun! He tied a franchise playoff record!

The stadium finally erupted to highest decibel, shaking the building to its core! Everyone was jumping, screaming, hugging, embracing friends and strangers alike. You couldn't hear. You couldn't see, aside from a sea of orange and blue waving like a storm over everyone and everything. Daniel Murphy continued not only his hot hitting during the postseason, but he continued to etch his name into the upper echelon of Mets players. A level of fan favoritism usually associated with the likes of Seaver, Gooden, and Piazza. A place Team Captain David Wright has been working his way towards for eleven seasons. Murphy was doing it all in a matter of weeks. And he took a well deserved curtain call to chants of "MVP".

The rest of the game fed off the ferocity of that first inning, with the momentum never leaving the Mets side. Mid-season pick-up, Yoenis Cespedes, drove in the fourth Mets run in the third, and the rest was Thor (Syndergaard). He dropped the hammer on the Cubbies, going five and two-thirds solid innings giving up only one run while striking out nine. The crowd almost never sat down, standing whenever a strikeout was coming, or when a play was made. Orange towels waving nonstop.

When the game was over, the atmosphere was not. Fans couldn't stop talking about the game, the team, the pitching, and Murphy. Everyone left the stadium to a chorus of "Let's Go Mets" and "Daniel Murphy! MVP!". Connections were made throughout the night to people you've never met before. You'll never meet them again, but you'll both remember that night you went to that game. That night your team won.

Experiencing a playoff game is one thing. Experiencing one cheering for a team you've loved your whole life, a team who has gone through such ugly lows, surrounded by thousands of people who have struggled through those lows right along with you and the team, and are now experiencing winning at its finest and most fun, is a whole other feeling. I cannot even begin to put it into words due to the inability to fully describe how the last nine years have felt: Carlos Beltran's called strike three. Two collapses. Two General Managers. Three Managers. Bernie Maddoff. Reyes leaving in the 3rd inning, and leaving the Mets, while winning a batting title. RA Dickey winning the CY Young award while pitching for one of the worst teams in baseball. Castillo's dropped pop up. Jason Bay, Brad Emaus, Chris Young, Oliver Perez. The list is endless, and yet its only nine years of the franchise's entire existence. All of that was forgiven and forgotten for most fans the second they won the division this year. But for me, it wasn't until I was there. Standing, surrounded by thousands of other fans, wearing orange and blue, that I realized this is real. This team is real. They're winning. It won't stop, and we don't want it to.

Let's Go Mets!

Stay Tuned!

5 Years, 3 Studios, 32 Movies!: 2019 & 2020

A little double action here! Sorry I haven't posted in a while, was a little busy focusing on the Mets allowing the Dodgers to play a couple extra game in 2015 before their season ends tonight (yeah, I'm pretty hopeful!)

A quick recap: Marvel Studios (the MCU), FOX (their X-Men universe surrounding Marvel's mutants), and Warner Bros. (DC Comics based movie adaptations), with a cameo from SONY (they share the movie rights with Marvel for Spider-Man), are leading the way with superhero/comic book adaptations, and in doing so are creating universes of movies surrounding those properties allowing the characters to interact. It is essentially the comic book world visualized through a movie, and it is awesome! Two of those studios, Marvel and Warner Bros., have movie dated slotted through 2020, meaning they may not have announced a movie yet, but they have dates saved for them so that competing studios cannot use those dates (well a studio can use the date, but, financially speaking, it is not in their best interest. For more on that, read this).

So here we go!

2019
Captain Marvel (March 8) Director: ?
Not much is known about this solo movie from Marvel. Marvel has a good duo writing it: Meg LeFauve (who also wrote Pixar's successful 2015 film Inside Out) and Nicole Perlman (who also wrote Marvel's successful 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy). Having two successful female writers is important for Marvel's strongest female character (and arguably their strongest in general), and its been obvious that they would also like to tab a female director for this movie as well. Now who will play the talented Carol Danvers? Rumors point to two solid candidates: Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow) and Rebecca Ferguson (Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation). Both are successful female stars right now with an aptitude for action, so both are entirely capable candidates. One dark horse candidate I DO NOT want to see as our Ms. Marvel: Ronda Rousey (she just cannot act...)

Shazam(!) (April 5) Director: ?
Now regardless if this movie's title contains an exclamation or not not-withstanding, this movie is an interesting one. The lead hero, a DC character by the name of Billy Batson, is a child who by exclaiming the magic word "Shazam!" turns into the adult hero Shazam (originally called Captain Marvel, but changed due to Marvel beating them to the name). Now to the interesting part: Shazam's arch-enemy is a being by the name of Black Adam, and DC has tabbed no other than Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to play the anti-hero. The Rock is franchise gold, and is arguably the biggest star out there right now. Plus he vied for the role through social media (something his friend Vin Diesel is doing right now with Marvel), so he is obviously committed.

Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 (May 3) Director: Joe and Anthony Russo
Now I have previously touched on this when talking about Part 1 in 2018, but this movie is going to be huge. Like I said before, I expect the first movie to end with the New Avengers losing terribly to Thanos. This second movie I believe will tie all loose ends together: Thor will save the universe and (as recently reported) find Hulk and bring him back to Earth, Captain Marvel will have her powers now and be nearly indestructible, Doctor Strange will have discovered something to help stop Thanos, the Guardians of the Galaxy will make their way back to Star-Lord's home in search of Thanos, etc. All of the Earth's heroes will be coming together for Part 2, and it will be epic. HOWEVER! (And this is a big however) I am worried. Big time! I love the MCU unabashedly, but there are almost dozens of superheroes that will need screen-time in this movie. It is going to be crowded, and I'm worried it cannot be pulled off. Good thing I have four years to ease my worries...

The Justice League Part Two (June 14) Director: Zack Snyder
Another part deux! This time its for the DC universe, and this is the follow up to the 2017 film. Now, with there being a lot less history leading up to this film than there is with Marvel's Infinity War. Because of this, nobody can speculate on whats going on. Rumor has it Darkseid is the main villain in this one, but who knows! All we know is expect Batman to continue to be the leader of this team seeing as how DC/WB only knows how to promote that character (which is okay, because he's the only DC hero that matters).

Inhumans (July 12) Director: ?
This movie has recently had a lot of drama surrounding it, and nobody is even on tab to direct or star. Despite the rumors, this movie is still happening (for now...), and it will be based off the secret royal Inhuman family. Now, I've mentioned Vin Diesel is lobbying for a role with Marvel, and the king of the Inhumans is it: Black Bolt. He would carry the star power necessary to drive this movie at the box office, and having him signed on will guarantee the movie still is made. Now, since the seeds of this movie are being sowed in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., here's to hoping we get an appearance from Chloe Bennet's Daisey Johnson/Quake.

2020
Cyborg (April 3) Director: ?
Cyborg is expected to appear in The Justice League movies, and maybe even appear before then, but this is his solo film. Starring up-and-comer (and Broadway star) Ray Fisher, this movie is a wild-card. This character is not very well known, however, there are rumors he can lead into another DC team movie: Teen Titans. Having a live action Teen Titans movie is very intriguing, so hoping for that might make me excited for this movie.

Untitled Marvel Studios Film (May 1) Director: ?
The first of three announced dates for a Marvel movie, my guess this movie will be a tent-pole/sequel film due to its May release. My guess: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. (You heard it hear first!)

Untitled Marvel Studios Film (June 10) Director: ?
Here's number two! This movie could easily be a tent-pole/sequel as much as it could be a solo movie. My guess: Spider-Man 2 or a Nova movie.

Green Lantern Corps. (June 19) Director: ?
Not much is known about this film, but the title is intriguing. What it teases is that we can expect all of the main Green Lantern's in one film: Hal Jordan, John Stewart (not the comedian haha), Guy Gardner, and maybe more! Tyrese Gibson has publicly been lobbying for the role of John Stewart.

Untitled Marvel Studios Film (November 6) Director: ?
And finally, number three. My guess: a sequel to Doctor Strange or Black Panther, or a Defenders movie (Marvel's street-level heroes who can be seen on Netflix), or even a spin-off of Guardians into the cosmic realm.

So there it is! Every superhero/comic book adaptation coming to you over the next 5 years! All 32 of them! If you're as big as a nerd as me, then I know you're super excited and ready.

Stay Tuned!

Daredevil Season Two Teaser

This past week, Marvel has released what can be considered two things: a recap of the first season of Daredevil, and a teaser for the second season!

If you've followed me at all (or talked to me in person), you know I LOVED season one of this show. In my opinion, it is a must watch for anyone, regardless if you're into superheros. What Arrow did for DC/WB on television, Daredevil is doing for Marvel. And you can color me excited!

Now for the season two tease, it looks amazing! Obviously just a short tease, but it gets me (and hopefully you) really excited about what is to come, with both Punisher (played by Jon Bernthal) and Elektra (played by Elodie Yung) coming on board! It is going to be one wild ride, and it will be interesting to see what villain could possibly make Daredevil, Punisher and Elektra work together. Stay Tuned!

You can check out the video below!

Quick Review: The Martian

Holy crap that was a good movie! I'm not going to go as far as saying Ridley Scott is back (seeing as how we don't give the same credence to one hit wonders), but by God he's crafted a masterpiece. This film is emotional, its visuals are breathtaking, every nuance is handled gloriously, and to put it simply: it makes sense.
(I had a little more time to bring you this review, so it is a little more thought out than my previous one!)
The Rundown:
Matt Damon: Most Best Actor Oscars nominations usually are given to actors who do a spectacular job in a movie, yet are surrounded by a cast that is equally good, so that the movie doesn't work unless everyone works. The cast as a whole is great in The Martian (and I'll get to them in a moment), but this movie does not work without Matt Damon. You believe he his Mark Watney, as much as Mark Watney is Matt Damon. You have faith in him, you cheer for him, and you go hand in hand with him on this mission. This movie might work with a completely different supporting cast, but it certainly does not work without Matt Damon. Take that Batfleck.

On Earth: The cast that makes up NASA, as well as the other organizations involved, is world-class. Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave), Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings), Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids), Donald Glover (Community), and Benedict Wong (Prometheus) each embody their character so beautifully. Daniels as the hard-nosed head of NASA. Ejiofor (who can be seen in the upcoming Doctor Strange movie), Bean (who it was nice to see not die for once), Wiig (who did a nice job handling more dramatic fare), and Wong (who I have a feeling might be showing up in more movies now) as what seems like the true brains of the operation. And when Glover makes an appearance, you just know whats coming (a plot-point used often in space movies), yet it is done so well that you are okay with it. And finally, Sherlock will notice an appearance by Jonathan Aris.

The Crew: No captain is strong without a strong crew, and Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) captains an impressive crew. It was nice to see the pilot also being the joker (seeing as how the pilot in every other movie seems like they have a stick up their ass). Michael Pena (End of Watch), though not as funny as in Ant-Man, does an excellent job breaking the ice. I do hope his star is rising in Hollywood, because I always enjoy watching him. I think this might be the team/family dynamic Kate Mara (House of Cards) was looking for in the failed Fantastic Four movie. I would have liked to have seen more of her, but the scenes she is in she does a fine job. Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) might finally be getting some serious Hollywood recognition, and having a film like this on his resume will only help. And finally, Aksel Hennie (Hercules) is essentially a no-name, but does fine job providing some "explosive" muscle to this group. But like I said, this crew is captain by a strong captain. Chastain has proven multiple times now she can play a strong role, essentially breaking many gender walls. Expect her to show up in many more movies as a leading lady.

Now, we don't actually get to see this crew really in action until the third act, and what an act it is. That is some of the most thrilling cinema I have seen in a long time. I was actually moving around in my seat because of how nervous I became. The credit most certainly should go to Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods), who drafted an incredible screenplay, which climaxed so beautifully in the third act. He has become quite a sought after writer/director over the last couple years, so expect to hear his name a lot more.

And finally, the thing that I enjoyed about this movie most: science (bitch?). Interstellar was a good movie. The science in it made sense, but only after watching it a couple times to really be able to follow. The same is not true for this movie! All of the science in this movie made sense as you are watching. There are even moments where you want to scream out an idea right before a character does, because you have been thinking right along with them. Not many movies can do that, and it is because of this that (despite a few F-bombs and a few more assumed ones) that you can take kids to see this, which is something that I couldn't say the same for with Interstellar.

I don't know if this movie will win a Best Picture Oscar, but it deserves the consideration. Its thrilling, funny, smart and really well done. And I highly recommend it!

Stay Tuned!

5 Years, 3 Studios, 32 Movies!: 2018

So here we are, where things get interesting! I previously let ya'll know that Marvel Studios made an announcement about a new movie in 2018 (along with three unnamed films in 2010), which shifted other film dates around!

2018 is a big year for Marvel, FOX, and DC/WB. Five out of the seven films coming out that year are new properties, so this will be the big test for these studios to create films that will aid in future success past their 2020 releases. Plus, each week of July will see a new film be released! That is a busy month! Here's to hoping that fatigue in the genre won't have kicked in, yet!

So here we go!

Black Panther (February 16) Director: ?
Not much is known about this movie, other than it stars Chadwick Boseman as the titular hero, T'Challa/Black Panther. The character would have already made his debut in the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War, but this solo film promises to flesh out who the character is and delve into the politics of his secretive country, Wakanda. Expect to see Andy Serkis in the film as Ulysses Klaue (who previous appeared in the 2015 film Avengers: Age of Ultron), as it is his character that forces T'Challa to lead his country and take up the mantle as Black Panther. Director wise, this film has struck out twice now. Originally, Selma director Ava DuVernay was in talks to direct this film, but she ultimately passed. Then rumors circulated that Straight Outta Compton director F. Gary Gray was being sought to direct, but he just signed on to direct Furious 8 for Universal. He could still hypothetically come on to direct Black Panther, but scheduling would definitely be tight.

The Flash (March 23) Director: Seth Grahame-Smith
Not to be confused with the highly successful CW show of the same name, this will be first DC/WB stand-alone film that doesn't revolve around one of the big three. All that is really known up to this point is that it stars up-and-comer Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash, and that his suit might be more technical similar to that of the video game Injustice: Gods Among Us.

Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (May 4) Directors: Joe and Anthony Russo
So here we go! Everything the MCU has been leading to pretty much since the first Iron Man film in 2008, ten years later will culminate in an epic saga! (can you tell I'm excited?!) Thanos (played by Josh Brolin), has been scouring the universe for the Infinity Stones (the McGuffin's scattered throughout Marvel films) and his reign of terror will lead him straight to Earth. Now being that this is the first of two films, expectation is that not all the Avengers will unite in this one. Also, expect a HUGE cliff hanger, because how else will it lead into Part 2?! Finally, it has been announced that the Russo Bros. will direct this film entirely with all new IMAX digital cameras, which will create a film-going experience that will only be fully realized in theaters. Everyone wins! (except the Avengers, they're probably get their asses kicked this film...)

Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 6) Director: ?
The follow up to the successful 2015 solo film stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne/The Wasp. That is all we know. I sort of expect either Ant-Man director Peyton Reed to return for the follow up, or that Adam McKay will take over after turning down the first (but writing most of the script with buddy Paul Rudd). Being that this is one of two "solo" films in between the Infinity movies, expect part of the story to deal with the aftermath of Part 1. Or not! Nobody knows right now!

Untitled Marvel/FOX Film (July 13) Director: ?
Absolutely nothing is known about this film at the moment aside from it's release date. Expect this movie to be a new property set in the existing X-Men universe FOX has created. Rumors are that it will be a New Mutants film directed by Josh Boone. Another rumor is that it will be an X-Factor film. Both teams are separate from the regular X-Men team, but are fully comprised of mutants. This movie, regardless of the property, will be very important for FOX, as X-Men: Apocalypse looks to be the end of the trilogy starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult. Any or all of those stars may return for future films, but, starting with Gambit, FOX is looking to expand its universe past the normal X-Men team.

Untitled Animated Spider-Man Film (July 20) Director: ?
Independent from the live-action film world, SONY is developing an animated Spider-Man film. Phil Lord and Chris Miller are writing a treatment and are producing, but they probably will not direct due to scheduling conflicts (they are scheduled to direct a young Han Solo Star Wars film). That is all we know.

Aquaman (July 27) Director: James Wan
This won't be the blonde, orange and green superhero you know from the comics! Jason Momoa will be playing the title character (previously appearing in Batman v Superman and The Justice League Part One), and his take promises to be, for lack of a better term, bad ass!

Now originally, Marvel's Captain Marvel was supposed to be released in November of 2018. However, when the Ant-Man news was announced, it was also announced that Captain Marvel was moving to 2019. Because of this, and because there are so many films releasing in July, I expect one or two of them to budge and move to later that year. My money is that they will be the X-Men spinoff and animated Spider-Man movies, because neither are fully fledged out and could use the extra time. Plus the other two properties, Ant-Man and Aquaman (what a crossover that would be!) are known properties with characters that have already appeared so the studios will expect success from them. Also, this is three years from now! So anything could happen!

Up next 2019, so Stay Tuned!

Quick Review: Everest

Wow!
So its a rainy Friday afternoon and I decided why not go see a movie, right? So I choose Everest (in 3D) and oh my god! This movie was beyond unbelievable. The scenes of the mountain played out like an IMAX documentary. And drama, and acting, was amazing and not over the top at all.
Quick rundown:
Jason Clarke is phenomenal in this movie. This guy impresses me more and more that I see him. His character, Rob, really drives the story.
Josh Brolin plays a character that surprised me. Whatever you're expecting from him gets blown away (pun intended!).
Sam Worthington I believe is a little wasted in this movie. However the cast is already so crowded and full of such phenomenal actors. Such as Robin Wright making an appearance as a strong willed Texan wife.
And finally, impressed with Kiera Knightley. I usually am annoyed with her but she did a good job in a limited role. Same goes for Jake Gyllenhaal. Usually a leading man, he does a phenomenal job in a supporting role.
So yeah, I highly recommend Everest (especially in 3D, and I usually done enjoy 3D). Go see it before its too late!

5 Years, 3 Studios, 32 Movies!: 2017

So previously, I ran down the superhero movies coming out in 2016, which is going to be a huge year. Three of the six movies coming out next year feature six superhero/villains or more! That is a lot of stories to juggle, as well as a lot of set up for future movies. 2017 brings us seven (possibly eight) new superhero movies.

But first! If you noticed that the title changed (from 28 to 32 movies), then cheers to you! What happened is today, October 8, Marvel announced four new movies! First off is a sequel to this year's Ant-Man, titled Ant-Man and the Wasp (more on this film later when we get to 2018 segment). The other three films are as of now unannounced. This just means Marvel is staking out those dates (all three of which are in 2020), as to deter other studios from grabbing those dates, as well as allowing them so room to shuffle future projects around. I'll speculate more come the 2020 segment! (And I would not be surprised to see DC/WB step up with some dates of their own in response...)

So now for your 2017 films! Disclaimer, as we move forward, through 2020, each film will have less and less known about it. Speculation will ensue!

The Lego Batman Movie (February 20) Director: Chris McKay

Warner Bros. surprised the world in 2014 with the animated success, The Lego Movie, featuring an ensemble of an amazing cast and directed by the two hottest directors around, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. One of the standouts of that movie was their lego-fied version of Batman, voiced by Will Arnett. Come 2017, Lego Batman will have his very own standalone movie, featuring Michael Cera as his kid sidekick, Lego Robin, and Zach Galifianakis as his arch-nemesis, Lego Joker. This film, if the 2014 movie is any indication, will absolutely kill at the box office, further proving who DC's most important character is.

I just really enjoy Lego Batman

Untitled Wolverine Sequel (March 3) Director: James Mangold
Not much is known about FOX's sequel to the popular 2013 solo film, other than the obvious: it will star Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine. Now there are quite a few rumors surrounding this movie. First that this movie will adapt the famous comic storyline Old Man Logan. That story sees Logan traveling cross country with a blind Hawkeye. Rights issues between Marvel and FOX will limit how much of the story can be adapted, but the general idea of the story could be used. Other rumors include that Patrick Stewart will co-star as Prof. Xavier, and that Liev Schreiber will reprise his role as Logan's rival, Victor Creed. Here is to hoping that this movie is Wolverine's best, seeing that Jackman stated this would be his last as the character.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (May 5) Director: James Gunn
In 2014, Marvel surprised the world with adapting an obscure comicbook team nobody heard of and making perhaps the most popular space opera since Star Wars. Now they're bring back the whole gang for some more nonsensical fun: Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Starlord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket Raccoon, and Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, as well as director James Gunn. This movie promises to reveal the cosmic identity of Peter Quill's father, as well as set the stage for the cosmic portion of the next Avengers movie(s). Look for Karen Gillan (Nebula), Michael Rooker (Yondu Udonta), John C. Reilly (Corpsman Dey), and Benicio Del Toro (The Collector) to be announced to return. Plus that title is amazing!

Fantastic Four 2 (June 9) Director: ?
So, uhh, yeah. The absolute debacle that was 2015's Fantastic Four was embarrassing for FOX (you can catch up on what happened with that here). I will not at all be surprised if this movie is announced as not happening, and that FOX is moving an X-Men universe film to this spot. I only say that because with how bad the first turned out, nobody will rush out to see the sequel, yet this is a prime summer date for a studio and FOX wouldn't want to lose that. Now the only thing going for the sequel is the cast that comprises their titular heroes: Miles Teller as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, Kate Mara Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, and Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm/Thing. Those are four highly successful actors right now, not to mention Toby Kebbell who plays the villain Victor Von Doom/Dr. Doom (although he'll need a makeover for fans to be happy). My money is FOX sits on this property for seven years before deciding to make another FF movie, at which time Marvel could get the movie rights back.

Wonder Woman (June 23) Director: Patty Jenkins
From the sad to the exciting! The first female lead superhero movie since 2005 (which was Elektra, so does it really count?) stars Gal Gadot as the titular hero, otherwise known as Diana Prince. Chris Pine is also signed on to co-star as (love interest) Steve Treavor, however it is rumored that this movie will feature a different time period for each act, so my bet is Pine doesn't show up until the end of the movie. The prospect of this movie is exciting, but I will hold my excitement until I see Batman v Superman to fully understand Gadot as Wonder Woman. Here's to hoping she pulls it off! Plus having a female director should help!

Untitled Spider-Man Reboot #2 (July 28) Director: Jon Watts

Okay, so the title doesn't scream success (haha), but this is one of Marvel Studios' most exciting projects coming out over the next five years! Back in February, it was announced that SONY and Marvel would share the movie rights to Spider-Man. This allows the webslinger to appear alongside the Avengers, as well as have a character like Tony Stark appear in the solo Spider-Man film. Little is known about this film, with it having no official title and all, but we do know that Peter Parker will be a teenager in highschool, be portrayed by the young up-and-comer Tom Holland (who you might remember is first appearing in Civil War), and that his Aunt May will be played by Marisa Tomei. Now I am hoping Miles Morales (another character who played Spider-Man in the comics) makes an appearance/cameo, probably not as a webslinger, but only because his last name was teased in the Netflix series Marvel's Daredevil (which is amazing!).

Thor: Ragnarok (November 3) Director: Taika Waititi
Despite having a virtual "no name" as a director, this might be Marvel's most important film in Phase 3 leading up to The Avengers: Infinity War (Avengers 3). Chris Hemsworth returns as the titular hero, and it is rumored his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) will start the end of days known in Norse mythology as Ragnarok. Expect Lady Sif (Jaimie Alexander) and the Warriors Three, Volstagg (Ray Stevenson), Fandral (Zachary Levi) and Hogun (Tadanobu Asano), to return, as well as Heimdall (Idris Elba). Now it is unknown how much of the movie will occur on Earth, but if any of it does, expect the return of Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) and Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard). If this movie does play out the "end of days" story, then the entire MCU could drastically change overnight. Very Exciting leading into 2018.

The Justice League Part One (November 17) Director: Zack Snyder

Please let this happen!

This is the event film of 2018! Marvel has made two successful Avengers movies and are leading up to their third, but now DC/WB is in the crossover event film game! After Batman v Superman sets up this world in 2016, Justice League (Part One) will bring together DC's greatest heroes against an as of now unknown threat. Staring Henry Cavill (Clark Kent/Superman), Ben Affleck (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Jason Momoa (Arthur Curry/Aquaman), Gal Gadot (Diana Prince/Wonder Woman), Ray Fisher (Victor Stone/Cyborg), Ezra Miller (Barry Allen/The Flash), and maybe even a new Green Lantern. Expect this movie to make all the money!

So that is the amazing year of 2017! Could 2018 be any better?! You betcha! Stay Tuned!

5 Years, 3 Studios, 28 Movies!: 2016

The next five years are going to be the most exciting era for cinema. Between the return/revival of the Star Wars and Jurassic Park franchises, the next generation of hopeful video-game adaptations such as Assassin's Creed (staring Michael Fassbender) and Warcraft, and the expansion of the Harry Potter universe, franchises are the newest and most successful trend. Plus smaller studio and Indie hits will always be littered throughout. However, the real way studios are hoping to make most of their money comes from one genre: comic book/superhero adaptations. Marvel Comics and DC Comics have always been the main players in the comic world, and now their movies are the biggest financial success in the movie world.

A Little Background
The 1990s weren't the greatest era for superhero movies. Tim Burton essentially ruined the Batman franchise at the time, and Marvel, other than the sudo-successful Blade movies, was putting out straight to video movies. Come the new millennium though, Marvel, through FOX, SONY, and Marvel Studios, helped put superhero movies back on the map. FOX came out with the ensemble X-Men movie in 2000, helping launch the career of some guy named Hugh Jackman, and SONY came out with the Toby Maguire lead Spider-Man in 2002. Marvel was leading the field. In 2008, they opened their own studio and gambled with the Robert Downey, Jr. lead Iron Man. Thus, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was created and, eleven movies and three television shows later, is still going strong. However, FOX still owns the movie rights to the X-Men, with seven movies in that franchise, and Fantastic Four, which they have not handled as well. On the other hand, SONY currently shares the movie rights to Spider-Man with Marvel Studios ever since a deal was reached after SONY's embarrassing email leak in late 2014. Continued success is all but guaranteed.

DC Comics adaptations have always belonged to one studio, Warner Bros. As I mentioned before, they let one director ruin Batman in the 90s, but they needed to catch up to Marvel. In 2005, they tried again with Batman, this time with a man named Christopher Nolan. Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy was one of the most successful of the last decade, and seen as an outlier in a genre ruled by Marvel. DC/WB had their misses though. The Bryan Singer (who directed X-Men) directed, Brandon Routh lead Superman Returns in 2006 was not a huge hit, and even less can be said of the Ryan Reynolds lead Green Lantern in 2011. They were still trailing Marvel and needed to create a cohesive universe similar to Marvel, and in doing so they entrusted their greatest hero to Zack Snyder (he directed the amazing 300 and Watchmen movies). The Superman origin movie, Man of Steel, came out in 2013 to great critic success. Thus, DC/WB had the start of their cinematic universe.

Now! These three (sort of four) studios are producing TWENTY-EIGHT movies over the next five years! Lets dive in and take a look, shall we!? Our first installment deals with 2016! A HUGE year, not only because we will see the most movies in a calendar year to date, but also due to the magnitude of each movie and what they mean for the genre going forward.

Deadpool (February 12): Director: Tim Miller

FOX gets things started off with the first R-Rated comic adaptation since 2013. Starring Ryan Reynolds as the red clad super-soldier, this movie promises to be violent and hilarious! It will have connections to the X-Men movie universe, but don't expect it to be a family affair. Also starring Morena Baccarin (of Gotham and Firefly fame), Gina Carano (the former Muay Thai champion turned action star), and T.J. Miller (stars in Silicon Valley on HBO), with musical score from Junkie XL (who did the amazing Mad Max; Fury Road soundtrack). If this movie is successful, which it most assuredly will be, than we could possibly see future R-Rated superhero movies that are a part of their respective universes.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (March 25) Director: Zack Snyder

Warner Bros. next step in creating their DC cinematic universe is introducing all of the big players. Henry Cavill returns as Superman, but we will be introduced to a new, yet older and rugged, Batman in Ben Affleck. Will these two stay enemies, or will Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor be the real enemy? Plus the first ever cinematic appearance of Wonder Woman, played by Gal Gadot, and Aquaman, played by Jason Momoa, will help expand this cinematic universe going forward. With rumored appearances from The Flash, Cyborg, as well as the supporting cast of characters that comes with each superhero, this movie is going to be massive. How could a movie get any bigger?!

Captain America: Civil War (May 6) Directors: Joe and Anthony Russo
Marvel Studios sees DC's BvS and raises them! This movie will feature the most comic book characters of any movie ever! Chris Evan's Steve Rogers/Captain America and Robert Downey, Jr.'s Tony Stark/Iron Man will be at odds over how the Avengers should be handled: are they an entity unto themselves away from the politics of the world, or should they be monitored and controlled by the government? The teams are set! Team Cap: Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), and Sharon Carter/Agent 13 (Emily VanCamp). Team Iron Man: Natasha Romanov/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), James Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle), The Vision (Paul Bettany), and introducing T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). The wildcard of the group is Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch. However! There will be real villains in this movie! Frank Grillo returns as Brock Rumlow/Crossbones, and Daniel Brühl comes on as Baron Zemo. And lest we forget! Peter Parker/Spider-Man is making his MCU debut, played by the up-and-coming Tom Holland. The ramifications of this film are huge, as the results will help drive the next several stand-alone movies leading up to the forthcoming Avengers movie! It's all connected! Now for real this time, I don't think a movie can get any bigger...

X-Men: Apocalypse (May 27) Director: Bryan Singer
FOX is back, this time looking to end the world! This follow up to X-Men: Days of Future Past sees everyone's favorite mutants going up against their biggest foe yet, Apocalypse (played by Oscar Isaac). Jennifer Lawrence (Raven/Mystique), Michael Fassbender (Erik Lensherr/Magneto), James McAvoy (Prof. Charles Xavier), Nicholas Hoult (Hank McCoy/Beast), Evan Peters (Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver), and Lucas Till (Alex Summers/Havok) all return. Will newcomers Olivia Munn (Betsy Braddock/Psylocke), Sophie Turner (Jean Grey), Tye Sheridan (Scott Summers/Cyclops) Kodi Smit-McPhee (Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler), Alexandra Shipp (Ororo Munroe/Storm), Lana Condor (Jubilation Lee/Jubilee) Ben Hardy (Warren Worthington III/Angel) be on side of good or evil? All shall be revealed in this new timeline created out of the events from DoFP. And damn, I thought we were about to get bigger than Civil War...

Suicide Squad (August 5) Director: David Ayer
Enough of the superheroes! DC/WB is bringing the supervillains! Amanda Waller (played by Viola Davis), will bring together the worlds most dangerous individuals to create a team that will going on some of the most dangerous missions in return commuted sentences. Lead by Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Floyd Lawton/Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Waylon Jones/Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), Tattooed Man (Common), and Tatsu Yamashiro/Katana (Karen Fukuhara), along with others, presumably, will look to take down one of two characters, if not both: Cara Delevigne's Enchantress and Jared Leto's The Joker! This movie will be a great, action packed, sort of "Dirty Dozen" comic book movie. And to add to it, Affleck's Batman will be making an appearance. If this movie is successful, besides sequels, maybe Marvel will make a Thunderbolt movie! It could solve their villain problem...even George R.R. Martin thinks so...

Gambit (October 7) Director: ?
Now that we got the huge movies out of the way, now onto some smaller fare. Gambit has a lot of promise. He's a fan favorite among comic fans, especially those from the 90s who remember him from the cartoon series, and Channing Tatum is signed on to star as the titular mutant hero, otherwise known as Remy LeBeau. FOX even has Léa Seydoux (who burst onto the scene in the international favorite Blue is the Warmest Color, and will star in the newest James Bond movie, Spectre) poised to play an undisclosed female lead role. Unfortunately, the movie (as of today) is due out in exactly a year and they do not currently have a director after Rupert Wyatt dropped out a couple weeks ago. FOX is gambling at the moment on this property, considering they hope Tatum can do for the franchise moving forward what Hugh Jackman has done since 2000. 

Doctor Strange (November 4) Director: Scott Derrickson

Now back over to the MCU! This movie might be the most anticipated solo superhero movie since Iron Man. Originally, Marvel had Joaquin Phoenix set to lead the movie as titular Dr. Stephen Strange. However, when he dropped out, Marvel did one better (in my opinion): they signed on Benedict Cumberbatch! Doctor Strange promises to introduce MCU fans to some pretty far out concepts, such as magic and alternative dimensions/realities. Plus, we should be introduced to either the Soul or Time stone which are two of the six McGuffin's that are driving the MCU toward the third Avengers movie(s). Co-starring Rachel McAdams (undisclosed female lead role), Tilda Swinton (The Ancient One, whom Doctor Strange learns his magic from), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Baron Mordo, Strange's rival), with Mads Mikkelsen rumored, and being directed by a gentleman with a successfully heavy horror background, color me excited!

Welp, that wraps up 2016! Its going to be an exciting year! Just add on The Hateful Eight, The Revenant, Zoolander 2, Triple 9, London Has Fallen, Zootopia, The Jungle Book, Neighbors 2, Angry Birds, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, Finding Dory, Independence Day Resurgence, Ghostbusters, Star Trek Beyond, Bourne 5, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Moana, Star Wars: Rogue One, Assassin's Creed, and So! Much! More! 
Stay Tuned! 
Up next: 2017...

Fear the Expected

It may have only been six episodes, but Fear the Walking Dead is the spin-off we deserve, and by god do we need it!

Those who watch this show are obvious, avid The Walking Dead fans. If you aren't, I do not blame you for being hooked since the first episode. We open the series with an idea that hasn't really been discussed fully in this "universe", drug addiction. Frank Dillane (who plays Nick), really tackles the role of an abuser, and the writers do not shy away from it. The fact that he is an addict will be one that will be a part of the show until his character ultimately meets his demise (because in the Walking Dead universe, nobody is safe). We will get to see in the coming seasons how he will deal with his addiction while in a world where any weakness might be your downfall. Nonetheless, Nick's drug addiction isn't the best part of the show. The best part of the show is fear. In all sorts of ways, and thus the show is rightly titled.

If you are a fan of The Walking Dead, then you know what perils are coming for our characters. However, in their world, they simply don't. If this apocalypse were to actually occur, how would people react? If your loved ones changed, would you immediately decide to cause devastating blunt trauma to their head? If the police came across a walker in the streets during the early days, would their first reaction be to shoot it in the head? (Now, actually, in today's geopolitical world where cops are shooting everyone....) The answer is no. And the shows cast and crew do a great job of expressing that. One of the seasons best scenes is the news footage of the walker on the thruway, where it attacks an EMT and then the cops shoot it a dozen times before finally taking it down. If an apocalypse were to actually happen, that is how we'd all find out: on the news or on social media, and the show informed its characters in just that way. The walkers in FtWD are handled like the Emperor in Star Wars: we know they exist, we know they're dangerous, and we got fleeting glimpses of them until the end where they come out in full force! (no pun intended, and unfortunately there is no Darth Walker who can take them out to save the day...).

My one gripe with the show is how the military was handled. They did a great job of showing off the dick Lt. Moyers (played by Jamie McShane), but they did not show much kind-heartedness from any of the rest of the soldiers. Even Ofelia (Mercedes Mason) and Andrew's (Shawn Hatosy) relationship seemed more circumstantial than legitimate, to the point you don't really feel for Andrew when Daniel (Ruben Blades) is torturing him for information.

The main focus of the show, on the other hand, is the family dynamic between the main characters. Madison (Kim Dickens), Travis (Cliff Curtis), and Liza (Elizabeth Rodriguez) are trying to keep their families together even before the outbreak. Seeing the apocalypse unfold through the eyes of a family drama was unique and refreshing, as the character focus was a welcome reprieve from the dreary world that is TWD. Nick, Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) and Chris (Lorenzo James Henrie) are normal kids, aside from the drug addiction, and are not ready for a world of running and survival. They are innocent and naive, similar to how Maggie, Beth and Carl (fucking Carl...) were before they learned to protect themselves and fight back. It will be interesting to see if the twist at the end will help propel them into a mindset where they will actively try to protect themselves, especially Chris's character.

Fear the Walking Dead is completely different from The Walking Dead, and that is what audiences want. This show needs to stand on its own, and it is well on its way after only six episodes. The crisp shores of Los Angeles are a welcome site, and The Abigail, Victor Strand's (Colman Domingo) yacht, will hopefully lead the characters to a world much different from Georgia's rain soaked woods. And it will be interesting to see how the web series, Flight 462, meets up with our wayward survivors. This is all very exciting, and even more so considering Season 6 of TWD starts this coming weekend!