The year is over and we're already moving on to 2018, but before we begin to forget about the year that was, a few of us here at Atomic Geekdom decided to live in the past for this article. Here's our choices for the best of 2017 in Film, TV, Books, Music, and more!
Wrestle Kingdom 12: New Japan Goes All In
In recent years, New Japan Pro Wrestling’s “Wrestle Kingdom” event has evolved into the premier showcase of professional wrestling from around the world. Held every year on January 4th in the Tokyo Dome, Wrestle Kingdom is New Japan’s biggest show of the year. Throughout these last few years, New Japan has also taken many steps forward in their global expansion with the advent of the New Japan World streaming service, a television deal with Mark Cuban’s AXS TV, and working relationships with various independent wrestling companies from around the world. This year’s Wrestle Kingdom event, however, feels different. Granted I’m a bit newer to puroresu, I think it’s safe to say that New Japan have taken an unexpected approach to Wrestle Kingdom 12. They are taking some big risks and going all in with their biggest show of the year.
Disney Buys 20th Century Fox
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Official Trailer
Avengers Infinity War Teaser Trailer
After 10 years, 18 films, and over 30 characters introduced among the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we have finally reached the film that everyone was talking about since we first saw Thanos in the end credit scene of the first Avenger film; Avengers: Infinity War teaser trailer. If you have not seen it yet, here it is:
The Walking Dead Readies For War!
Marvel and DC Movie Release Cheat Sheet
It's Almost Time to Gaze Into The "Black Mirror" Again.
I have been hooked on Black Mirror ever since I saw the very first episode (you know the one. Don't pretend you don't. It's that episode!). Charlie Brooker's dark, though-provoking, Twilight Zone-esque series about the potential dangers of technology in society is absolutely one of the best shows of the past few years and I am dying to see the upcoming fourth season.
The Hype For "Stranger Things 2" is Real!
The first of Stranger Things was a pop culture phenomenon. The '80s throwback style reminiscent of classic horror films, the stellar cast of child actors and adult actors alike, the superb writing, it all combined to capture the world. And now it's coming back, dropping on October 27th just in time for Halloween!
Anti-Review: War For The Planet Of The Apes
When 20th Century Fox rebooted Planet of the Apes in 2001 the movie going audience breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, Planet of the Apes had been returned to it’s former glory and in the capable hands of Tim Burton. But despite the critical success that Apes was, Fox and Burton never moved forward with a sequel. Perhaps they were afraid they would be unable to match the success of the first. That turned out to be a valid concern.
Anti-Review: The Dark Tower
Every once in awhile a movie based on a book hits theaters and blows critics and fans away. These are rare occurrences as most films based on books are flops. Just look at The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Silence of the Lambs and The Godfather. All films based on works of print that failed to live up to the source material. Then out of nowhere we are graced with the likes of Eragon, The Golden Compass and The Giver that take the source material and elevate it to unforeseen heights. We can now add The Dark Tower to this list of cinematic achievements.
Review: Marvel's The Defenders
Obi-Wan Kenobi Movie In Development!
Finn Bálor Funko Pop Challenge!
Official Domino And Cable Photos Released!
MOVIE REVIEWS, MOVIES, SUPERHEROES
Anti-Review: Catwoman
MOVIES, MOVIE REVIEWS, SUPERHEROES
Anti-Review: Spider-Man Homecoming
"IT": The First Full Trailer
by Matt Spaulding
The first full trailer for new adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel, It, arrived today and it's jammed packed with terror!
Much like in the first teaser, in this trailer we're given a glimpse of the Losers Club: Ben, Beverly, Bill, Eddie, Mike, Stan and Richie as well as Georgie, the catalyst for the Losers' fight against Pennywise. And, of course, Pennywise himself is pretty heavily featured, being the main monster of the movie.
Other story elements introduced in this trailer are Patrick Hockstetter, a bully who falls prey to It, as well as a very quick flash of Henry Bowers and his notorious switch-blade knife. We also get plenty of terror as Pennywise pops out a few times, a very dead Georgie chants "you'll float, too" and flashes of creatures and blood fly across the screen.
And while this trailer is very promising, I still have a few reservations going into this flick. I have read the novel several times, and will probably listen to it all the way through again before the film comes out. It's one of my favorite novels of all time, if not my number one favorite. It is a fantastic horror novel in which very little of the horror comes from the monster. The real horror of It is very deep: it's the horror of losing childhood innocence, of child abuse, of spousal abuse, of growing old, of racism, of forgetting. It's a novel that affects me deeply on an emotional level and I'm a bit nervous that a lot of the true horror of It will be lost in the jumps scares and blood this trailer promises. But, then again, the true horror of It is pretty hard to convey in a trailer, so it just might be there after all.
Check it out for yourself below and go see It in theaters on September 8th!
SDCC 2017 / Day 3 Wrap-Up
RIP to the Zombie Godfather
I write this with a heavy heart since I just found out that George A. Romero has passed away.
It is hard to be a fan of horror and not give a huge amount of tribute to Night of the Living Dead. The year it came out (1968), it shined against competitive films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes and Rosemary’s Baby. Black and white film was not too old at that time, but the way the movie was captured set a creepy nostalgia to the chills you felt. And it was zombies. Romero will always be the Godfather of Zombie films.