NIC GAUGE / The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

MOVIE: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Lily Mo Sheen, Ike Barinholtz, Alessandra Mastronardi, Tiffany Haddish, Neil Patrick Harris, Sharon Horgan

RELEASE DATE: April 22nd, 2022

WHERE TO WATCH: In Theaters (as of May 1st, 2022)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

You never really know what to expect these days going into a new Nic Cage film. Gathering from his newer films, it feels like anything (and everything) could be on the table. Mandy, Prisoners of the Ghostland, Pig, and even Willy’s Wonderland clearly show (and can be argued) that Nic Cage will do anything that comes across his path. That makes The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent such a delight, or even more of a breath of fresh air for Cage. It also really cements the fact that he can do any kind of film, and pull out a great performance, even if some of his films are not up to par. After the last couple films I have reviewed, it was time for a more positive review of an insanely fun film.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a film where the plot starts out extremely simple, but then takes a weird turn that blends the realms of fiction and non-fiction. Nicolas Cage plays himself as he tries to land his next acting role. As his hope diminish, he gets an offer to get paid one million dollars to go to the birthday party for his biggest, wealthiest fan, Javi (played by Pedro Pascal). While at this party, Cage is approached by CIA operatives Vivian (played by Tiffany Haddish) & Martin (played by Ike Barinholtz). He is told that Javi is the leader of an international gun smuggling operation and has kidnapped the daughter of an anti-crime politician. They need his help to find her. Unsure about his feelings, Cage starts becoming friends with Javi and second-guesses if Javi truly is as evil as they say he is.

Nicolas Cage (as himself) with Javi (Pedro Pascal) in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.

The movie is hilarious from start to finish. Both Javi and Cage look like they are having the best time making this film. You can really feel the budding friendship throughout. They have great comedic timing, amazing chemistry, and just make the most out of all their time. The script is really funny, being extremely self-aware about Cage’s acting history, including this film as well. It really hits the nail on the head about the current climate of film these days, while also winking to the audience about the insanity that is going to come forward.

My favorite part by far is Nic Cage interacting with a younger version of himself. His younger self is more erratic and more over the top than his current self and it makes me laugh every time. Current Cage does not let off the gas with his acting either, not going full insane Cage as we have seen, but having small gut-busting outbursts throughout the film. 

As of right now, this is the best comedy film I have seen Cage in, and because of that reason, this film is in the high “Bloody Awesome” of the Nic Gauge.

What The Baby-Sitters Club’s Cancellation Can Tell Us About Netflix

By Brandon T. McClure

Back in March of this year (2022), Netflix surprisingly canceled one of its most well-received series, The Baby-Sitters Club. The Netflix original series about a group of young girls who form a Baby-Sitters Club in their hometown exceeded Netflix's expectations and even won a few awards. So why was it canceled? Rachel Shukert, the creator of the Netflix adaptation, may have the answer to this and other mysterious cancellations. In an interview with Vulture.com, she speculated that “For whatever reason, the right people didn’t watch it at the right time for Netflix right now.”

The Baby-Sitters Club was an adaptation of the long-running Ann M. Martin book series of the same name. Both seasons currently sit at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and some reports claim it was a hit with the internal viewing numbers. Once upon a time, Netflix used to let shows last 5-6 seasons but then it was 3 and now a show is lucky to get to 2 seasons. While Shukert doesn’t know the exact reason for the changes in Netflix’s model, she speculates that viewers only have one weekend to secure a show's future. “Completion rates are a big deal,” she begins to say “and our show takes longer to complete because it’s for a younger audience. Parents don’t necessarily let kids sit and watch six hours of television at a time — probably rightly!” A show like The Baby-Sitters Club doesn’t reach the kind of audience that is able or willing to binge an entire season in a weekend. It appeals more to a younger audience than something like The Witcher or Locke & Key. “They want people to watch it a certain way, and they want shows that people will watch that way — not shows that people want to watch in their own way,” she continues, noting a stark change from their “wait and see approach” from years past. 

This is a problem unique to Netflix as well. Most of the major streaming services have found huge success with the weekly release model. Take Peacemaker or WandaVision for example. The weekly releases of these shows created appointment TV that allowed the shows to grow and build an audience. Perhaps it’s not in the cards for Netflix to adopt that type of model right now, but a case could be made that it’s doing more harm than good at this point. “I think we had the bad luck to come out at about the same time as Squid Game, which showed them how crazy numbers could get. Numbers that were totally respectable and successful last year were suddenly seen in a different way,” she said, while also adding that The Baby-Sitters Club had better numbers than a show like Succession on HBO.

Another issue that Shukert cites is how Netflix does things internationally. “The truth is that when your show does very well in North America, as ours does, as far as Netflix is concerned, pretty much everybody who’s going to have Netflix [in North America] has it. They’re looking to drive subscriber growth in other parts of the world where this IP doesn’t have much recognition,” she continues. Basically confirming what most have theorized at this point, which is that Netflix isn’t getting new subscribers in North America and are looking for opportunities to grow in other parts of the world.

It’s really a shame that Netflix did this to The Baby-Sitters Club since it fills a specific role in entertainment that rarely gets touched on. When she was asked about whether or not it’s easier to dismiss shows about young girls, specifically citing the discussions around Pixar’s Turning Red, Shukert responded by saying “Girls are expected to go straight from Doc McStuffins to Euphoria.” She went on to note that “People are extremely uncomfortable with this period in girls’ lives,” specifically referring to the time when they aren’t a child but also not an adult. “The Baby-Sitters Club speaks to so many girls because it meets them where they are. It’s not about adults telling them who they are. It’s not really about boys, although they have crushes, which is a realistic part of life at that age.” She went on to say “There’s something about stories geared to this age that always felt like hindsight from adults, as opposed to what it actually feels like to be that age. What we could do with The Baby-Sitters Club was make the girls as smart and interesting and mature as girls are without making it all about how other people see them. It’s about how they see themselves.”

From an outside perspective, Netflix’s practices seem erratic. Where once stood a place for creatives to make the projects they want with the idea that Netflix will let the audience find them, now stands a slaughterhouse where two-season critical darlings go to die. Due to some weird numbers in the algorithm, many didn’t even know a second season of the series was released. Having worked on a number of Netflix projects, Rachel Shukert can only speculate what practice Netflix is using now. But with Netflix looking to lose two million subscribers and other streaming services finding great success with their original programming, perhaps it's time for Netflix to overhaul its model.

NIC GAUGE / Deadfall

MOVIE: Deadfall

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Michael Biehn, Charlie Sheen, James Coburn, Sarah Trigger, Peter Fonda, Talia Shire

RELEASE DATE: October 8th, 1993

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Eddie (Nicolas Cage) in Deadfall.

Deadfall is a crime/drama that was directed in 1993 by Christopher Coppola. The film was influenced by an American hardcore punk band, Snot, that had a song of the same name. As mentioned in my last article, Nicolas Cage’s character “Eddie King” appeared in 2017’s Arsenal, but his first appearance was in this film. That is really all the fun facts there are on this film.

The plot is about con-artist, Joe Donan (played by Michael Biehn). Joe accidentally kills his father Mike (played by James Corburn) during a sting where his blank bullets were replaced with live rounds. In Mike’s last words, he sends Joe on a mystery involving Mike’s brother, Lou Donan (also played by Corburn). Lou is also a con-artist and Joe works his way into Lou’s operation to figure out what Mike was talking about. In the process, Joe falls in love with the girlfriend of Lou’s assistant, Eddie (played by Cage). Joe gets roped into Lou’s biggest con, which reflects the same way his father died, and he must choose a side.

Eddie (Nicolas Cage) with is girlfriend Diane (Sarah Trigger) in Deadfall.

This film also is not very good, however, it has some weird moments that make it endearing… sort of. The script is terrible. It’s cookie-cutter dialogue that is just there as glue to keep the film from falling apart. There didn’t seem to be any budget because there are scenes in Santa Monica, CA where they keep mentioning how busy the place is, yet they only use 10 background actors that I think get recycled throughout the film. They also have lots of shots of prop money, clearly just out in the open.

But, the main entertainment in this film is obviously Nic Cage as Eddie. He is insane in this film. Overacting, lots of yelling, angrily dry humping a bed, making weird noises while sniffing coke, and pulling out some hilarious fighting moves. The sad part is (*spoiler alert) he dies with 40 minutes left in the film by getting his face melted off in a deep fryer. Which makes it weird looking back to last weeks film. Eddie appears in Arsenal as the exact same kind of character.

Because of that, Charlie Sheen’s amazing outfit, and that there is a guy who has a scissor for a hand, this film will place on the border of “Terrible” and “Hot Mess”.

COUNT DOWN #40: “AVENGERS…” NOT YET

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• “AVENGERS…” NOT YET•

MOMENT# 40

MOVIE: Avengers: Age of Ultron

DIRECTORS: Joss Whedon

WRITERS: Joss Whedon

The Avengers used to change up their roster pretty frequently in the comics, so in the second Avengers movie, Avengers: Age of Ultron, the creatives behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe decided to shake-up the team from the one originally introduced in 2012's The Avengers. As Captain America looked out onto his new team of heroes, which now consisted of Black Widow, The Vision, Wanda Maximoff, The Falcon and War Machine, he proudly called for them with the iconic line “Avengers…” and the film cut to credits.

The end of Avengers: Age of Ultron was buzzing with hints to the new status quo of the MCU’s premier team. Thor and Iron Man have seemingly left the group, Hawkeye apparently retired to be with his family, and Captain America with Black Widow were left with a brand new team. The Avengers had moved out of the tower in the heart of New York and relocated into the Avengers Compound. The compound was buzzing with characters like Maria Hill and Eric Selvig, implying a vast organization to replace S.H.I.E.L.D. As always, fans couldn’t help but speculate and dream for what the next Avengers story would be. Then the MCU revealed them.

The new Avengers were an exciting group of characters to lead into the next story. Sam Wilson/The Falcon was a fan favorite coming out of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Rhodey/War Machine deserved a seat at that table since Iron Man 2. Wanda and Vision were newly introduced to the franchise with Avengers: Age of Ultron, but the promise of furthering their development was enough at the time. As the film was coming to end, there was only one way to call upon this new team, or so audiences thought.

But then the credits rolled.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olson), Quicksilver(Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Thor (Chis Hemsworth), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner)

Marvel certainly enjoyed playing with the audience expectations for the iconic line. It truly felt like Captain America was finally going to say it. There were surely many rolled eyes and disappointed groans from the audience. After all, it had been two movies and the line had never been said. The closest audiences had was Iron Man saying “Avengers, time to work for a living”, which isn’t as catchy.

This playful tease wasn’t just a moment, it was a promise. They had to hold the line from audiences so that when it was said, it would matter. The next phase of the MCU (Phase 3) wouldn’t be announced for another couple of months, so the journey that these new Avengers could go on was nothing but speculation and expectations. Only the creatives behind the scenes knew when the next Avengers movie would be released. So the questio was how long would audiences need to wait before they heard Captain America exclaim his famous line? Expectations have always been the thing that kept the MCU train moving from one movie to the next, but eventually the expectation had to pay off. Eventually Captain America would have to say “Avengers…

NIC GAUGE / Arsenal

MOVIE: Arsenal

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Adrian Grenier, Johnathon Schaech, Megan Leonard, Lydia Hull

RELEASE DATE: January 6th, 2017

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (HBOMax, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Eddie King (Nicolas Cage) in Arsenal.

Oh, look at that! We are back to the “straight-to-dvd” section of Nic Cage’s catalog. We are here with 2017’s Arsenal. This film is one of the few I have seen where Cage plays the villain. Not only does he play the villain, but his character actually first appears in an earlier Cage film called, Deadfall (which gives you a hint on next week’s film).

Most of these straight-to-home video reviews will probably be shorter reviews because in researching, they just don’t have much going on except for the bombardment of not so pleasant reviews. In this case, Arsenal does fall into the category of a bad film. But how bad is it? The plot is as follows: JP (played by Adrian Grenier) is a wealthy construction worker whose deadbeat older brother, Mikey (played by Johnathon Schaech), gets kidnapped and held for ransom by a sort-of mobster, Eddie King (played by Cage). JP now must save his brother and get rid of Eddie before others get hurt.

JP (Adrian Grenier) and Mickey (Johnathon Schaech) in Arsenal.

This is a very typical action thriller film that was very predictable. The script is beyond mediocre, especially with character building, or even structure for that matter. The only story that needed to be told was “how far will you go to save your brother” and although that criteria was met, it felt lackluster. Nothing felt like it had any real stakes. The fight scenes were nothing to write home about and the gun fight at the end of the film is probably the funniest thing with the usage of slow-motion bullets. It includes a slow-motion shot of a guy getting hit in the testicles with shotgun rounds. Yes, that was a scene that made it into this film.

Eddie King (Nicolas Cage) in Arsenal.

But of course, this whole review page is about Nic Cage’s performance right? His role, albeit being the main antagonist, had very little to do with this film. With the time he did have, he pulled out as much screaming at random times as he could manage. Honestly, his performance fell on deaf ears because I could not stop looking at the hilarious looking prosthetic nose he had. I know I pick these films at random, but next week is going to be Deadfall because I need to know if Cage’s character does more in that film because this was just awful. It lands in the middle of “Hot Mess” on the Nic Gauge.

Book Review / Micky 7 By Edward Ashton

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

Release Date: 02/15/22

Published by St.Martin’s Press/ Macmillan

By Jenny Robinson

When a book starts with “This is gonna be my stupidest death ever”, you know you’re in for a ride. When you add in the fact that Bong Joon Ho (director of Oscar-winning Parasite) has signed on for the big screen adaptation with Robert Pattinson in talks to star, it’s an easy decision for a must-read. Page-by-page, I felt as if this was written exactly for that purpose. I normally gravitate towards stories that dive deep into the emotional thoughts of a character, but this felt as if we were to be simply a spectator as Mickey fumbles through the plot. For a story written in first-person perspective, I developed a very unique companionship with Micky 7.

I’ll admit, the protagonist in this book felt oddly real in his average “nothing special” human way. Normally, main characters are written to be abundantly awesome, but not Mickey. We follow Micky 7, who is the seventh iteration of himself. You see, Micky took a job where he’s suppose to die, more than once. He’s not dumb, but also not overly skilled in anything useful. He probably should have spent more time weighing the pros and cons of current troubles versus that of a job where you are expected to die. As we learn more about Micky, it seems he has a habit of replacing one problem with another. On the new struggling colony on the planet Niflheim, Mickey’s job is to be an Expendable. He is to go into dangerous situations or medical experiment and wait to see what happens, which is usually death. Each time he dies, they regrow, reboot and start all over, hence the number after his name. If he remembers to log his conscience, then the next “him” has most of his memories.

This is the part of the story I enjoyed the most due to the may variables that could happen. If he backs his brain up before the mission but dies after, how does he remember not to make the same mistake again? What happens if everyone thinks you’re dead, abandons you and just makes another Mickey? Of course, this is the strong plot point where he must secretly coexist with himself. We continue to follow him, learning about how he ended up in this mess, why people dislike him and the relationships a simple man makes along the way. He’s so average, except for his Expendable role, that it’s easy to take him for granted, but nice to be surprised when he does something interesting.

Taking the back seat in the plot, the native alien creatures known as the “Critters” have awesome possibilities of being both allies and villains. I have high hopes that they will have a larger and more interesting role in future books. I am assuming this is the start of a growing series. Ashton tickles your interest with these aliens early on. Dialogue revolving around these creatures allow you to start building a curiosity. The coolest part is how they are written in a way that explains them pretty well yet still leaves you with a ton of questions. I appreciate the restraint of not allowing the reader all the information but also giving just enough to formulate ideas as we read along.

With that said, this ends on a note that there may be more to come. At first, I was a bit bummed as I wasn’t prepared to commit myself to a new series. In hindsight, I think the book is written perfectly for a quick continuous read, sparking a desire to continue and accompany the characters through this new world. With a 304 page count, it flows fast but leaves a lot left to be discovered in the story. I am extremely intrigued on how this will play out in both future potential books and in movie format. I am preparing my popcorn now to be ready.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Edward Ashton (Photo Credit: JustTeeJay (JustTeeJay.com)

Edward Ashton (he/him) is the author of the novels Three Days in April, The End of Ordinary, and Mickey7, as well as of short stories which have appeared in venues ranging from the newsletter of an Italian sausage company to Escape Pod, Analog, and Fireside Fiction. He lives in upstate New York in a cabin in the woods (not that cabin in the woods) with his wife, a variable number of daughters, and an adorably mopey dog named Max. In his free time, he enjoys cancer research, teaching quantum physics to sullen graduate students, and whittling.

COUNT DOWN #41: OBADIAH STANE’S TURN

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• OBADIAH STANE’S TURN•

MOMENT# 41

MOVIE: Iron Man

DIRECTORS: Jon Favreau

WRITERS: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, John August & Matt Holloway

Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) in Iron Man.

There’s a trope in storytelling called “The Rival” and it’s one that the MCU has been utilizing pretty much since the beginning. There are many different ways the trope can be used but it’s primarily the reason why so many MCU villains share similar powers with the heroes. Oftentimes the rival will start the story as a friend or mentor of the protagonist and will have a heel-face turn in the middle of the movie to present himself as the antagonist of the story. This is the role that Obadiah Stane takes in 2008’s Iron Man. 

In Iron Man, Jeff Bridges plays Obadiah Stane. He is Tony Stark's mentor and surrogate father figure after Tony’s parents had died. When Howard Stark (Tony’s father) was killed, Stane took over Stark Industries until Tony was of age to take control of the business himself. When Tony Stark returns after being captured at the beginning of the film, Stane is blindsided by Tony's decision to move Stark Industries away from weapons development. Stane appears pretty interested in the miniature arc reactor that Tony built while in the cave of his captives, but deceptively plays the role of the loyal friend up until Pepper discovers the truth.

Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) in Iron Man.

Stane assumes his role as the villain of the story by stealing the arc reactor from Tony’s chest and placing it in a new suit of armor Stane built from the MKI suit recovered in the desert. His ultimate goal is to reverse engineer the technology but Tony ultimately is able to don his Iron Man suit and confront his rival. Eventually, Tony and Pepper are able to defeat Obadiah Stane and then S.H.I.E.L.D. takes him, never to be seen again.

“We’re ironmongers Tony '' Obadiah proudly proclaims. In the comics, IronMonger is Obadiah Stane’s supervillain's name. He can’t comprehend why Tony would want to be a hero and save lives. In his mind, he and Tony were the same. The two make and sell weapons. Obadiah Stane represents what Tony Stark could have become if he was never captured by the Ten Rings. Tony fears that if he never saw what was happening with his weapons, he would have turn out just like Obadiah Stane. By being the dark mirror of Tony Stark, Stane helps Tony complete his journey to becoming Iron Man.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) in Iron Man.

Stane was the beginning of a long line of villains that would be mirrors for the heroes in the MCU. Everyone from Whiplash to Kaecilius and even Loki would fill the role of “The Rival” as the MCU began to expand. The writers of the franchise would begin to lean on it a bit too much as the franchise grew and after a few movies, a common criticism was that the MCU relied too heavily on villains who had the same powers as the heroes. IronMonger continues to be a high point for these villains.

NIC GAUGE / The Wicker Man

MOVIE: The Wicker Man

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Ellen Burstyn, Kate Beahan, Leelee Sobieski, Molly Parker, Frances Conroy

RELEASE DATE: September 1st, 2006

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Sister Rose / Sister Thorn (Molly Parker) and Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage) in The Wicker Man.

From what I see from this list of films, Nic Cage really had not done many horror films until later in his career. There are probably some early films that I just have yet to see, but just from what I have so far, older Cage means more diversity within the genres. Back in 2006, Cage did star in arguably one of the most memed/gifed horror films; a remake of the 1973 cult classic The Wicker Man. Seriously, I’ll get into the specific piece that has been mocked, but if you are a fan of Cage and this film, you know exactly which scene I’m talking about.

After being forced to take time off from a car accident involving a young girl, police officer Edward Malus (played by Cage) gets a letter from his ex-fiancé, Willow Woodward’s (played by Kate Beahan) daughter is missing on a secluded island and has asked for his help in finding her. Upon arrival, Malus starts to realize that there is more going on than just a missing girl. He discovers hardly any men, an insane love for harvest festivals, and dead bodies. It’s not till we get to the third act that we learn he was tricked to come to the island. He is to be a human sacrifice to ensure a bountiful harvest.

Dr. T.H. Moss (Frances Conroy) and the island’s residents in The Wicker Man.

It’s not a very good film. In the first ten minutes, Cage fails to save a small girl and her mom from a burning car that ends up exploding and killing them. That scene keeps being brought back up throughout the film since he is now attempting to save a different girl. He is plagued with nightmares that replay in his head, so you understand his determination to find her. However, later in the film, you find out the missing girl is actually his daughter. He thoughts still goes back to the dead girl in the car though. It all feels very backward in terms of motivation.

The film also feels to be more of a comedy because of how Cage plays up some of the scenes. He gets into a fight with one woman and kicks her so hard, she flies across the room. It was as if she was hit by someone with super strength. Cage’s weird romance with his ex-wife is just awkward and off-putting. But the biggest thing is the “Not The Bees!” scene. Cage is captured and has a cage put on his head with CGI bees flying in to cover his face while he screams. It’s terrible. Just insanely bad visual effects that will make you laugh.

Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage) in The Wicker Man.

I do give this movie more crap than praise. However, it still is much better than some of the other films in his catalog. So, with that, this film is going to sit in the lower end of “Terrible” on the Nic Gauge.

CON LIFE / Wondercon 2022

WONDERCON 2022

By Jenny Robinson-Nagy

It feels good to finally (hopefully) see the light at the end of this pandemic’s tunnel. After two years of cancelations due to Covid, on April 1st (no fools joke here) Wondercon returned to the Anaheim Convention Center. 

It was nice to see some safety protocols still in place with a vaccine card (or negative test) check-point and masks still required inside despite the mandate being lifted. Everyone was super cooperative and in high spirits. Cosplayers gravitated to the outdoor entrance while the floor was packed with commerce. It’s great to have Wondercon back!

Although it felt slightly smaller than 2019, there was still a good chunk of entertainment coverage, great panels and awesome vendors.  Highlights included panels for Woke, Undone, and The Bob’s Burgers Movie. It had astounding shopping opportunities at Funko’s Freddy’s Beach Batch, SuperEmoFriends and Jo3bot, just to name a few. It was hard for me to keep my wallet in my bag. I walked out of there scoring a couple awesome @maggielove.washere prints and an absolutely adorable Ren & Stimpy skirt (that HAS POCKETS!!!) from @brittneebraun.

It was such an inviting experience and so refreshing to see people so happy. It’s hard to predict how these upcoming conventions will land as we become more comfortable back out in the world, but Wondercon did a thumbs-up job in being a good transition con. Now, BRING ON SDCC - I am ready!

COUNT DOWN #42: WHERE IS NICK FURY?

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• WHERE IS NICK FURY?•

MOMENT# 42

MOVIE: Spider-Man: Far From Hom

DIRECTORS: Jon Watts

WRITERS: Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Special Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Peter Parker (Tom Holland) in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

The final post-credits scene of The Infinity Saga was unlike any other. Spider-Man: Far From Home sees Peter Parker team up with Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and Mysterio, but it would turn out that all three of these characters were not what they seemed. Nick Fury has been a staple in the MCU since the beginning, he was the glue that held Phase One together. So after more than 10 films, audiences had become very aware of how Samuel L. Jackson played the character, and something seemed off about him this time.

In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter comes into possession of Tony’s glasses, which came equipped with E.D.I.T.H. since he was expected to be the next Iron Man. Nick Fury had recruited Peter so that he could help a new hero, Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), defeat an extra-dimensional threat from his universe. Turns out, Mysterio was just a former Stark employee who was interested in stealing the glasses for himself so he could become the next “Iron Man” instead. Mysterio had everyone fooled, including Fury, which seemed rather unlikely. Fury was normally one step ahead of the game. It was clear that something was off about Fury. He was short-tempered, easily fooled, and surrounded himself with people that appeared sketchy at best.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Spider-Man: Far From Home had two post-credits scenes, one that changed the future of Spider-Man, and another that reframed the entire movie. After the events of this film, Fury and Hill are seen driving silently together. As the scene goes on, they begin to shape-shift into Talos and Soren (the Skrulls from Captain Marvel). Sharon Blynn and Ben Mendelsohn reprise their roles as the main Skrulls for a quick cameo that changed how audiences would look back at the movie they just watched. What’s more, at the very end of the scene, it’s revealed that Fury has been on some sort of spaceship, probably since the events of Avengers: Endgame.

Soren (Sharon Blynn) and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

This was a unique moment, even for the MCU. The movie was over, the story done. Then a major revelation made the audience have to rethink the entire movie and how they engaged with it. Upon a rewatch, audiences would be able to pick up on the things that Samuel L. Jackson does to make the performance of Fury feel different, such as his remark towards Captain Marvel. Not only did this decontextualize the entire movie up to this point, but it also left audiences with a huge question…What the hell is Fury doing? With plans for Phase 4 not quite known at the time, fans were left to wildly speculate on what big plan Fury could be setting up.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) on a virtual beach in the Spider-Man: Far From Home post-credits.

After being introduced to the Skrulls in Captain Marvel that same year, no one expected the characters to return so soon. Especially since within the MCU, it had been 29 years since the events of Captain Marvel. Setting up the future had become an old hat for the MCU at this point, but recontextualizing a film you just watched was a very surprising moment. Samuel L. Jackson and Colbie Smulders were able to play their characters differently enough for audiences to be suspicious. Even though Spider-Man: Far From Home was saying goodbye to The Infinity Saga, the storytellers at Marvel still found one final way to keep audiences on their toes.

NIC GAUGE / Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

MOVIE: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Violante Placido, Ciarán Hinds, Idris Elba, Johnny Whitworth

RELEASE DATE: February 17th, 2012

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Hulu, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Because Ghost Rider made about $230 million at the box offices, the studio decided to go ahead and make a sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. If you remember from last week’s article, I was not a fan of the first one. Would the sequel surpass the it and Johnny Blaze be more of a household name that can carry an ongoing franchise? I’ll answer that for you, not even close. This is the first time I have watched this film. I remember when the trailer came out, the biggest selling point was it would be darker, but also humorous. I remember one scene in particular, Ghost Rider was urinating fire on the side of the road. From there, I knew what I should expect from this mess.

Ghost Rider: Spirt of Vengeance trailer scene where Ghost Rider is peeing fire.

The plot is Johnny Blaze hiding out in Europe, struggling with controlling the Ghost Rider. A priest named Moreau (played by Idris Elba) finds Johnny and makes a deal with him. If Johnny can rescue a boy named Danny (played by Fergus Riodran) from Mephisto (played by Ciarán Hinds), he will free Blaze from the Ghost Rider.

I talked about how in the first film, Ghost Rider felt like there was very little plot for a film that was a little over 2 hours. This film was an hour and a half long and still felt like not much happened. The big difference was that they filled the movie with a lot of action; fight scenes, car chases, and explosions. However, the special effects were kind of choppy and was overused. They made almost everything feel like a big action sequence, even scenes like injecting a needle in someone’s arm or simply walking in a dramatic fashion.

Johnny Blaze (played by Nicolas Cage) with Kurdish (played by Sorin Tofan) in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

The story is odd too. By the end of the first film, Johnny is starting to learn how to control Ghost Rider. Yet in this film, he still acts as if he has no clue how it works. They had a flashback moment of young Johnny making the deal with Mephisto.Instead of using the same scene from the first film, they made a completely different scene with different props. Due to replacing the actor who portrayed Mephisto, they re-did the scene. This made it feel more like a soft reboot versus a sequel.

The only positive thing I can say about this film is that I actually like the design of Ghost Rider, but that doesn’t save this film. Much like the urinating scene, this film goes right down the toilet and is going in the lower end of the “Hot Mess” section of the Nic Gauge.

COUNT DOWN #43: THE SECRET AVENGERS

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• THE SECRET AVENGERS •

MOMENT# 43

MOVIE: Avengers: Infinity War

DIRECTORS: Joe & Anthony Russo

WRITERS: Christopher Marcus & Stephen McFeely

Surprise entrance by Captain America (Chis Evans) in Avengers: Infinity War.

Some defining moments are insightful and speak to the metatextual way the Marvel Cinematic Universe has informed the audience's relationship with it. Others are just plain cool. At the end of Captain America: Civil War, a rift formed between the Avengers. The heroes who fought with Captain America were labeled fugitives from the law, and while some took a deal to be with their families, others did not. Going into Avengers: Infinity War, the MCU was in a very different place, one that made audiences eager to see how they’ll come together to face the greatest threat they’ve ever known. 

During one of Vision and Wanda’s secret rendezvous, they were attacked by Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive, with the goal of retrieving the Mind Stone in Vision’s head. Normally, Vision and Wanda are two of the most powerful Avengers, but this attack put them on the back foot and they found it difficult to recover. When it looked like all was lost, a figure emerged from the shadows to help turn the battle. A now bearded Steve Rogers, with the help of Sam Wilson and Natasha Romanoff, was able to fight the invaders back. The Secret Avengers had turned the tide. In fairness they’re not called that in the film, but it’s fairly clear they’re meant to be a loose adaptation of the group from the comics. 

Vision (played by Paul Bettany) and Wanda Maximoff (played by Elizabeth Olson) in Avengers: Infinity War.

One thing that became difficult to discern over the years was whether or not these characters had done anything between the events of the films. Very often it felt like the characters of the MCU were stuck in stasis until their next appearance and rarely did it feel like they had lives or adventures between them. Seeing Captain America, The Falcon and Black Widow work so well as a team of three, helped audiences feel like they had been going around the world, being the heroes we knew they had to be. After all, Steve Rogers isn’t the kind of man who would let the government stop him from doing the right thing. 

Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (played by Scarlett Johansson), The Falcon/Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie) and Captain America/Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans) in Avengers: Infinity War.

There’s another reason that makes this moment important: It’s really cool! Avengers: Infinity War had audiences cheering many times over the course of its runtime, but seeing Captain America come out of the shadows with that gorgeous beard and Alan Silvestri’s Avengers theme playing in the background was just one of those special moments people would be talking about for years to come. Even though audiences often gravitated towards the MCU because of their characters, oftentimes we get rewarded with some epic comic book action. Something that makes the MCU very special is how it doesn’t shy away from comic book elements. They always looked for ways to make what seemed impossible to translate from the page, possible. 

Sometimes moments are important, not because of what they imply for a character or a story, but because of how they make you feel. Watching Captain (bearded) America walk out of those shadows certainly was a feeling. More than that, by the time Avengers: Infinity War rolled into theaters, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had begun to feel like a living world. So surely, there had to be adventures in between the major events, right? Luckily everything about the Secret Avengers’ appearance in the film hints at further escapades, from how they fight together, to their clothes and that glorious beard. After this moment, we finally got a sense that they had lives outside the events of the films.

NIC GAUGE / Ghost Rider

MOVIE: Ghost Rider

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Sam Elliott, Matt Long, Raquel Alessi, Brett Cullen, Peter Fonda, Donal Logue

RELEASE DATE: February 16th, 2007

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Hulu, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Back in the early 2000s, Marvel was not the big-time film production studio that it is now. They sold off characters to other companies that wanted to try and make superhero films. In 2000, Fox’s X-Men film kickstarted the superhero film phenomena. In 2002, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man came out and was also a huge success. Some of the other films that followed didn’t fare so well. 2003’s Daredevil, 2004’s Punisher, and 2005’s Fantastic Four were all considered flops. Then in 2007, Ghost Rider was brought to the big screen and I remember being kind of excited about it. I consider Ghost Rider to be in my top 5 favorite Marvel characters. How well did it actually hold up? In all honesty, not that well.

The plot is roughly based on the Marvel comics. Motorcyclist Johnny Blaze (played by Nicolas Cage) makes a deal with Mephisto (played by Peter Fonda). If Mephisto saves Blaze’s father’s life from cancer, in return, Blaze will be the new Ghost Rider. Years later, Mephisto calls upon Blaze to go and kill his son, Blackheart (played by Wes Bentley) before Blackheart can get his hands on a missing contract that has the power to overthrow Mephisto.

Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider.

The main problem with this film was that Ghost Rider is a darker Marvel super hero that (on paper) sounded like a good gritty character that could go up against more well-known properties like Spider-Man and X-Men. Unfortunately, for a bloated film that runs just a little over 2 hours, there isn’t much happening until about halfway through. The first 15 minutes are dedicated to Johnny’s childhood and the deal with Mephisto. Then a good chunk of this film is Johnny’s on-off relationship with Roxanne (played by Eva Mendez). It just feels very unbalanced for a superhero film.

The special demonic effects are extremely laughable. Ghost Rider itself keeps changing size and shape throughout the film. All the lesser demons had a blurry effect that made them hard to make out at times. In addition, Blackheart was a lazy special effects piece. It appeared as if they just overlayed a demon/monster face on top of the actor’s. Also, Cage’s acting is a little nuts as he pretends to be on fire for his transformation. It’s just overall a bad time.

Blackheart (played by Wes Bentley) in Ghost Rider.

Overall, I hope Ghost Rider gets a much deserved re-do in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (that is not Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). With characters like Moon Knight and Blade getting more attention, Ghost Rider would be a great addition. Just maybe don’t get Cage to come back. As for this film on the Nic Gauge, it will be placed firmly on the lower end of “Terrible”.

NEWS / Captain Kirk is Coming to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

By Brandon T. McClure

Leaked photos of Paul Wesley on the set of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 are now out there. The internet was interested in who this new character could be. Trek Culture even speculated that this could be Matt Decker, the character made famous by the late William Windom in the original Star Trek season 2 episode The Doomsday Machine. But Paramount+ has now gone ahead and exclusively revealed that Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley is playing none other than Captain James T. Kirk. 

Wesley is the third actor to play Captain Kirk after William Shatner’s iconic character and Chris Pine in the later rebooted franchise. Curiously, his uniform suggests that he’s already been promoted to Captain. There’s been no canonical reference to when Kirk was promoted, but it’s been assumed for some time that it was when he took command of the Enterprise. Since it’s unlikely he’s taking over the Enterprise from Captain Pike this early, could they be introducing him as the captain of the USS Farragut? The set images show him with a different badge than the ones worn by the Enterprise crew. This could indicate they’re returning to a scrapped Star Trek: The Original Series idea where each ship had its own special badge.

At any rate, it's unlikely Paramount+ would have announced this role so early, before season 1 has even aired, if the photos hadn’t been leaked. Surely Captain Kirk was so far from everyone's minds, that they could have kept this a secret a little longer. It’s not like many people were going to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in the hopes of seeing Captain Kirk. The benefits of a show like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is that there has been so little in canon about Captain Pike, and this was the chance for audiences to see what adventures he went on before his accident.

In Star Trek, few characters are as famous as Captain James T. Kirk. Between William Shatner and Chris Pine, the character has starred in two TV shows (Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Animated Series) and ten movies (Star Trek: The Motion Picture to Star Trek: Generations and the three reboot movies). So for a new Star Trek series to return to the Captain Kirk character, even briefly, on the surface feels unnecessary. After all, are fans really that hungry for the early adventures of James T. Kirk?

Captain Kirk is such a powerful figure in Star Trek, that his presence could overshadow Pike and his crew, in the same way that Anson Mount overshadowed the cast of Star Trek: Discovery. Questions still remain, though, since Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is said to be more episodic than the other current Star Trek shows, how much of a role will Paul Wesley play in the series? It’s unclear how long the show-runners envision the show lasting, but if this is them introducing Kirk to replace Pike, then it would be a shame.

NIC GAUGE / Honeymoon In Vegas

MOVIE: Honeymoon In Vegas

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, James Caan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Pat Morita, Peter Boyle, Anne Bancroft

RELEASE DATE: August 28th, 1992

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Apple TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

An Elvis impersonator with Jack Singe (played by Nicolas Cage) in Honeymoon In Vegas.

Who doesn’t love a good romantic comedy about getting married in Las Vegas? Las Vegas just has a reputation. Do you want to get married fast and either win or lose a bunch of money in the process? Vegas is the place to be! Do you want to be surrounded by an ocean of Elvis Presley impersonators? Again, you go to Vegas. Surprisingly for my one trip there, I didn’t see a single Elvis so I ask the question, “Did I truly have a Las Vegas experience?” In tune to Sin City’s famous reputation, Honeymoon In Vegas is exactly the kind of romantic comedy film you would expect.

The plot is Jack Singer (Nicolas Cage) is convinced that marriage will ruin your life. He is dating Betsy Nolan (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) when he finally decides to pull the trigger and takes her to Las Vegas to elope. Upon arrival, they are spotted by gambler and con man, Tommy Korman (played by James Caan). Korman realizes that Betsy looks a lot like his deceased wife and decides to try and take her from Jack. He tricks Jack into accepting a game of poker. Jack looses $65,000. Korman makes a deal that if he can spend the weekend with Betsy, he will forget about the debt. When Betsy starts falling for Korman, it’s up to Jack to get her back.

Tommy Korman (played by James Caan) and Jack Singer (played by Nicolas Cage) in Honeymoon In Vegas.

It’s a light-hearted romantic comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Unfortunately, I believe it can feel outdated and modern audience may have difficulties connecting. Watching this now almost feels like cartoons with stories of the villain kidnaping a girl and forcing them to love the bad guy. I know there are probably some newer films that still use that plot point, but I believe we have evolved to a point where it’s not the main focus of contemporary romantic comedies.

Betsy Nolan (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) and Jack Singer (played by Nicolas Cage) in Honeymoon In Vegas.

That being said, it’s an entertaining film. I had never seen it, so as a first-time watcher, it did the job of being fun. As always, Cage’s acting throughout the film is hilarious. There was never a point where he overacted….too much. There were a couple of moments in the later parts of the film when he tries to find Betsy, that he just chews the scene. But this was nowhere near the “Full Cage” level of acting.

There really wasn’t too much about this film that needed to be said, except now I feel like I need to go back to Vegas and find myself an Elvis impersonator. I would put this on the higher end of “Good” on the “Nic Gauge”.

Now, who wants to go and get eloped in Vegas? Maybe I’ll jump out of a plane for you.

COUNT DOWN #44: A SUPRISE CAMEO

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• A SUPRISE CAMEO •

MOMENT# 44

MOVIE: The Incredible Hulk

DIRECTORS: Louis Leterrier

WRITERS: Zak Penn

Often considered the MCU’s forgotten stepchild, The Incredible Hulk came out just a few weeks after Iron Man. Back then, The Incredible Hulk was considered the safe bet, so putting the two films so close together was to ensure that if Iron Man failed, the investors would still get some of their money back. After the post-credits tease at the end of the MCU’s first film, the second film released by Marvel Studios had some eyes on it. Was this film going to reference any events from Iron Man? No one was really sure what to make of this film, especially with the 2003 film still fresh in people's minds. That all changed with one cameo (not that one).

The Incredible Hulk acts as a loose reboot for the Hulk. Since The Hulk, directed by Ang Lee, was still relatively new, Marvel Studios decided not to retell the origin of the titular character. Instead, we meet Bruce Banner (this time played by Edward Norton) already having been exposed to the gamma radiation that caused him to hulk out. He’s trying to live a quiet life while learning to suppress his anger and hopefully find a cure. General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) manages to track him down and, with the help of Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), flushes him out of hiding. You know how the rest goes, Hulk and Abomination have a big brawl in Harlem and they set up Samuel Sterns to become the Leader (which still hasn’t paid off).

Since this was before the post-credit scene precedent was set, the end of The Incredible Hulk sees General Ross drinking his sorrows away at a bar when, unexpectedly, Robert Downey Jr. walks into the movie reprising his role as Tony Stark. Even with some of the references to Stark Industries and S.H.I.E.L.D., this cameo came as a surprise. For years, audiences would hope for crossovers but understood that it was unlikely to happen. Spider-Man would never meet the X-Men and Christian Bale’s Batman wouldn’t meet Brandon Routh’s Superman. That just wasn’t how the game was played back then. Sure, Marvel had promised that wouldn’t be the case anymore just six weeks early, but what form that would take, was another question altogether

General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (played by William Hurt) in The Incredible Hulk post-credit scene.

It was electrifying walking out of that theater. The possibilities really did feel endless. Even though it wasn’t expected, it was entirely possible that you could be watching Thor or Captain America: The First Avenger and any Marvel hero could walk into the movie. This cameo showed audiences that Marvel was confident that this could work, and it began to fill their growing audience with trust.

General Ross (William Hurt) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in the post-credit scene of The Incredible Hulk.

Nowadays, seeing these kinds of characters interact is practically any-given Tuesday in the MCU, the discussion around Phase 4 has been dominated by what cameos are going to appear next. This cameo was unlike anything audiences had ever seen. This was a clear message to audiences, the Avengers were coming. Not only were you going to see your favorite heroes on the big screen, but Marvel was determined to fulfill your dreams of seeing them interact with each other.

Why Pixar?

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

On January 7, 2022, Disney announced that the latest film from Pixar Animation, Turning Red, was going to skip its theatrical release, and instead be released exclusively on Disney+ at no extra cost. This move follows similar decisions for the likes of Pixar’s 2020’s Soul and 2021’s Luca. It’s no secret that Disney is putting a lot of effort into building the Disney+ library, but this isn’t happening as frequently as other studios under Disney’s umbrella. Marvel and Disney Animation, for example, are guaranteed to receive exclusive theatrical windows, so why isn’t Pixar getting the same treatment?

When the announcement came for Soul, it was a surprise, but Disney framed it as a “Christmas gift” to the fans who have been waiting patiently for the film's release. Since 2020 was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, people were stuck inside as everything was closed, including movie theaters. Even though Disney had successfully rolled out Mulan with a $29.99 one-time payment, Disney seemed unsure if they were going to continue that financial approach for their future releases. Soul ended up being a big streaming hit for Disney+ and that seemed to be the end of it. That was until March of 2021, when Luca was announced to be heading straight to Disney+ at no extra cost.

Disney Pixar 2021 Luca animated film.

Luca was a major surprise, while theaters were struggling, they were at least open. At the time, the move was criticized because other movies had been released as a hybrid model. Cruella, Raya and the Last Dragon, and Black Widow all had theater releases as well as same day streaming on Disney+ at an added cost of $29.99. If Disney truly felt that Luca’s box office performance would be negatively impacted by the pandemic, then why didn’t they decide on a hybrid model or at the very least, a premier release?

Insiders at Pixar have already spoken about these perplexed decisions. Many felt confused and hurt after they poured so much love into the creation of an anticipated hit, that they were baffled it wouldn’t get to be seen in the format that it was made for. Pixar was being treated as a Disney+ content generator and not the major box office draw it had been countless times since Toy Story. Of course, there were some saying that it’s nice that kids could safely see the film, and that is true, but then why wasn’t the same concession made to Raya and the Last Dragon, which had a hybrid release, or Encanto which was released exclusively in theaters?

Meilin “Mei” Lee from Disney Pixar’s Turning Red.

After Luca, Disney stopped the hybrid model and released all of their major tentpoles, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, and Encanto exclusively in theaters. So then, why not Turning Red? Pixar’s latest film about a young girl who begins to turn into a giant red panda was all set for its March theater release date, before Disney once again pulled the rug out from under Pixar. To the many animators at Pixar, this seemed to have come without a warning, and certainly to the audiences who were excited to see a new Pixar film on the big screen. No real explanation has been given to why this is, and it’s unlikely any explanation would be believed.

While many studios these days rely on recognizable IP (intellectual property) to get audiences into theaters, Pixar only ever had to rely on their name. A Pixar film was a guaranteed box office hit, and if something like The Good Dinosaur wasn’t a hit, then a film like Inside Out would be. Their focus on original animated films that the whole family could love has put them at the top of the animation industry for decades now. They are more than a content generator for Disney to shuffle onto Disney+. They are a staple in the homes of peoples of all generations. They are the metric by which other animation studios are compared to. With Lightyear’s June release date fast approaching, many are left wondering if the rug will be pulled out once again and Lightyear will be the fourth Pixar film to release exclusively on Disney+ at no extra cost. Unfortunately, the decision to move Turning Red has created a precedent that could potentially change Pixar’s entire future.

Disney Pixar’s Turning Red.

NIC GAUGE / Primal

MOVIE: Primal

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Famke Janssen, Kevin Durand, LaMonica Garett, Michael Imperioli, Jeremy Nazario, Drake Shannon, Braulio Castillo Jr.

RELEASE DATE: November 8th, 2019

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Hulu, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Frank Walsh (Nicolas Cage), Morales (Braulio Castillo Jr) and Dr. Ellen Taylor (Famke Janssen) in Primal.

Primal was a straight to DVD release in November of 2019 that stars Nic Cage, Famke Janssen (of “X-Men” fame), and Kevin Durand (who has been in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” as The Blob). This film came as part of a group of other straight to DVD releases from Cage after Color Out Of Space went to theaters. Most of the time, straight to DVD films are usually considered not to have the budget for a theater release and/or just not being strong enough contenders for theaters that they just skip right to mass production. Primal is one of those films that I found underwhelming and overall cheap in terms of production, fitting that mold.

The plot of Primal is this; big-game hunter Frank Walsh (played by Cage) catches a rare white jaguar in the Brazilian rainforest, loads it on a container ship to illegally bring it back to the states and sell it to a zoo, in hence to make a fortune. On that same ship, US Marshals are bringing in notorious political assassin and ex-special forces operative, Richard Loffer (played by Durand). When Loffer breaks out and lets loose Walsh’s animals, it’s up to Walsh and the US Marshals to get everything back under control before Loffer kills everybody.

The White Jaguar in Primal

This film is pretty bad. 90% of the animals are CGI and they look like they were made with early 2001 graphics. More so, he main problems are the acting and writing in this film. Characters make horrible choices. There’s a scene where everyone who is working on the boat is locked in one room and is learning about Loffer’s escape, and the engineers have to leave to keep the ship running. In the midst of that, Loffer shows up in the engine room and asks the engineers about how to power the boat. The engineers just tell him how to even-though, they should know he’s Loffer as he was not with the rest of the crew and marshals. There is also one child actor who’s skill is laughable. Everything he does is incredibly flat and has no emotion. There is even a moment where Loffer goes to grab the kid’s head to hold him hostage, and the kid visibly leans over for Loffer to predictably grab it. The only (sort-of) saving grace of this film is the overacting of both Cage and Durand. Their fight scenes are extremely comical, especially Cage’s reaction to a single punch or kick. Because of their acting, this film is in the upper section of “Terrible” on the Nic Gauge.

FOUR EYES REVIEW / The Batman

Welcome back to another “Four Eyes” review. We take this moment to share 2 opinions on a single geek topic.

Below both Justin and Dave will each dive into what they thought about Matt Reeve’s The Batman. Join us for a “Fan”-tastic, gushing with praise, recap.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on social media using #foureyesreview

MOVIE: The Batman

STARRING: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravits, Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright, Barry Keoghan, Andy Serkis

RELEASE DATE: March 4th, 2022

WHERE TO WATCH (as of March 2022): Theaters (Streaming on HBO Max on April 19th, 2022)

FROM JUSTIN POMERVILLE:

Cue the 60’s Batman theme song, because our favorite caped crusader is back again on the big screen. When The Batman was first announced with Robert Pattison as Bruce Wayne/Batman, I was a little hesitant. It wasn’t Pattison’s acting capabilities, but more or less the direction this film was going to go. As time went on and the more information released, it became clear that Pattison (and director Matt Reeves) had a clear vision of what exactly this Batman story would be and how it would stand out from the rest of the pack. Their story, as well as the overall style and feel, was told in a fantastic way that kept you on the edge of your seat.

The main plot focuses on a young Bruce Wayne who has only been Batman for a few years. That is the biggest difference, and because of that, we got a very different kind of Batman. We get a Batman that was still learning what exactly it means to be the hero Gotham needs. His fighting style, detective work, even his gadgets are still being honed and crafted. His interactions with the rest of the characters is fabulous as he learns to form relationships in order to become that better hero. This is the kind of Batman story where we actually get to watch Batman’s growth. With that growth, we learn how it affects Gotham and lays out the beginning rise of his rogue gallery.

Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne in Warner Brother’s 2022 release of The Batman.

Bruce’s relationships with both Selena Kyle (played by Zoë Kravitz) and Jim Gordon (played by Jefferey Wright) were meticulously put together. They all intertwine with each other flawlessly and it never felt forced to move the film forward. We got to see the beginning romance between Bruce and Selena as well as the trust and friendship (which is what I would call it) between Bruce and Jim as they work the murder case. Everyone’s role played out great and left me wanting to see the next step in their evolution.

Everyone’s performance was top-notch, but a couple really stood out. Paul Dano’s portrayal of The Riddler was maybe my favorite because they took such a weird villain in the comic whose whole bit is elaborate traps that can be solved by riddles, and they made him dangerous, smart and gave his whole character a fresh direction. He became visually terrifying in his mask, giving him a Zodiac killer vibe, but with the intelligence that is just as scary. The Riddler has been that character in the comics that in recent years has been taken more seriously, but this representation took it to a new level.

Jim Gordon (played by Jeffrey Wright) and Batman (played by Robert Pattinson) in The Batman.

The overall feel of this film is thrilling, Gotham felt claustrophobic and gave you a real sense of how dangerous the place is. The soundtrack is just insane and fits with the tone. Reeves littered this movie with Easter eggs and Batman lore that could make this a solid franchise going froward (if he so chooses to go in that direction). This wasn’t just a superhero movie. This was a thriller detective film that just so happened to involve Batman. That is something we don’t see very often. You can’t really compare it to the others,. If I had to choose, this may have become my new favorite Batman film.

FROM DAVE CLARK:

For as long as I can remember, my two favorite comic book properties have been the X-Men and Batman. I remember my excitement to see Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989. I would have to wait for the VHS but I was still very excited to see this larger-than-life hero played out in movie form. For me it wasn’t about world building or easter eggs. It was about seeing my favorite superhero take it to his most feared enemy on the big screen. It would then lead to the greatest animated series in the history of Batman cartoons. It would define comic book movies for a very long time and we’d set the scale as to who would portray Batman, The Joker, Alfred, Gordon, and so on. They’d be rated alongside the cast of the original film and even Adam West’s Batman. Here we are. We are in the twenty-first century and I’m getting the seventh actor to portray Batman/Bruce Wayne in live action form.

Robert Pattinson as The Batman.

I was extremely apprehensive when they announced the casting and idea behind this film so soon after Ben Affleck’s portrayal in Justice League. It started when Matt Reeves joined as Writer and Director after Affleck dropped from being the Director. Then Affleck dropped out altogether, opening the door for Robert Pattinson. Pattinson was a man I thought as horrible at acting based solely off the Twilight films alone. For the record, I was wrong and the actors are not to blame fully for those films being so bad. So many of them would go on to have amazing careers, including Pattinson. Recently, I loved him in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet. Pattinson taking over the cape and cowl for this potential new take of the story gave me confidence in the capable creative hands of Matt Reeves.

This film is now not only my favorite Batman film, but it may also very well be one of my all-time favorite films ever. It establishes our Batman as a great detective, though not the greatest, not yet at least. He’s still not the polished Dark Knight as it is only his third year on the job. However, right from the title screen, we’re getting a Batman film with narration. We’re treated with an inner monologue from Batman explaining his thoughts and observations, which in turn end up being the vocalization of his ritual of writing in a journal during this Gotham Experiment he calls being the Batman. While there has been Batman narrating before, this felt different. It felt stronger and a more intimate look into the mind of Batman. Without getting too long winded, the portrayal of every character in this film was done with respect and knowledge of the source material.

Robert Pattinson as The Batman.

The music throughout set the tone and was perfectly fit for a Gotham that no person would choose to live in unless they had no other choice. Each character had their own theme and they worked well to establish the tone of their character in the scene. The music and sound production was stellar. You felt every punch, every footfall from Batman as he emerged from the darkness. You felt the car chase with every crash and explosion.

I really could gush about this movie for thousands of words but I’m going to cut myself short and direct you to our podcast we’ll be releasing this week (link to come) with our more detailed review of The Batman. This was a strong Batman movie, and best of all - it’s simply just a great movie overall. It’s a crime thriller about a desperate chase of a maniacal serial killer who has a political agenda to expose the city’s corruption at its core. The inspiration for this film from Zodiac, Seven, and Chinatown can be noticed even after the credits have rolled. It’s safe to say, we’re in good hands for the future of Batman and his Rogues Gallery and perhaps his extended Bat-family. The future is bright in a dark dank Gotham.

NIC GAUGE / World Trade Center

MOVIE: World Trade Center

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Michael Peña, Will Jimeno, Anthony Piccininni, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Jay Hernandez, Michael Shannon

RELEASE DATE: August 9th, 2006

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Apple TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

(L to R) Maggie Gyllenhaal (as Allison Jimeno), Maria Bello (as Donna McLoughlin, Michael Peña (as Will Jimeo) and Nicolas Cage (as John McLoughlin) in Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center.

World Trade Center was a film I wasn’t entirely sure how to approach among the ranks of Nicolas Cage films. This film is nestled in with the group of questionable films that he has made in the 2000s, many of which I still need to get to (if you have been keeping track). This is the only film in the group that involves real-life events and is probably one of the stronger performances of Cage’s career. The film was directed by Oliver Stone, known for directing many films like Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, and Natural Born Killers. This film also had input from the real police officers the story revolves around; Will Jimeno and John Mcloughlin. Both officers, along with their wives, were in the writing room as well as took part in the overall production of the film.

The film is about Port Authority Police officers Will Jimeno (played by Micheal Peña) and Sergeant John Mcloughlin (played by Nic Cage). They are part of a group of officers that are responding to the World Trade Center as the North Tower was hit by the plane. As they prepare to enter the building to help with evacuation, the South Tower comes down, trapping them in an elevator shaft under the rubble. Throughout the film, we keep switching from their perspective to that of their wives; Allison Jimeno (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) and Donna Mcloughlin (played by Maria Bello). The wives are left in the dark about their husband’s lives.

Nicolas Cage as Sergeant John McLoughlin in World Trade Center.

I’m going to keep it short about this film because I’m not comfortable doing a deep dive into a 9/11 film. The film is first rate. It’s a part of American history and felt very much like a time capsule. Seeing the horrific events from the perspective of those who were involved firsthand, painting a picture that I felt was needed. Also, the film has a strong overall narrative of humanity in a time of need. The visuals of firemen, officers, and military from around the U.S. banding together to help the survivors calls attention to that point . There’s not much really to say in terms of what I expected from this film. It’s obvious what you are watching.

On the “Nic Gauge” this sits comfortably on the higher end of “Good”.