Anghus Houvouras wonders how many Phases Marvel can reach before it has to hit the reset button with a reboot of the Cinematic Universe… Guardians of the Galaxy is a huge hit. Everything with Marvel above the title is a money maker and a fan-favorite. As they prepare to launch a sequel to The Avengers […]
The End of Comic-Con: How the once mighty event lost its relevance
Anghus Houvouras on Comic-Con and how the once mighty event lost is relevance… Rome was once the center of the Universe. A place of innovation, inspiration, and cultural relevance which the world had never seen. The capital of an empire that influenced every society it conquered. Now it’s a city in Italy where tourists go […]
Monster Mash-Up: What can we expect from a shared Universal Monster universe?
Anghus Houvouras on what we can expect from a shared Universal Monsters universe… The franchise wars continue. Every studio is rummaging through their intellectual property library looking for anything they can turn into a multi-picture franchise or a shared cinematic universe. Enter Universal Studios with their announcement this week that their most famous Monsters will […]
The plot to Star Wars: Episode VII revealed?
Devin Faraci over at Badassdigest is claiming that he has the ‘exclusive’ plot details to Star Wars: Episode VII. While I’m doubting their veracity, there is still an outside chance that some of this could potentially constitute spoilers (in a world where pigs fly). Faraci says… “Imagine the standard Star Wars crawl, and when it […]
Second Opinion – Snowpiercer (2013)
Snowpiercer, 2013. Directed by Joon-ho Bong Starring Chris Evans, Kang-ho Song, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Jamie, Bell, Ed Harris and Octavia Spencer. SYNOPSIS: Set in a future where a failed climate-change experiment kills all life on the planet except for a lucky few who boarded the Snowpiercer, a train that travels around the globe, where […]
Thor looks like a lady, Captain America is black, and the perils of corporate synergy…
Anghus Houvouras on the perils of corporate synergy… I have an aversion to corporate synergy, and this week I find myself cringing at a lot of media streaming across my screen. Disney-owned Marvel Comics made a announcement that Thor would swap genders later this year ditching his fifty year old penis for a shiny new […]
Wolverine is going to die, and I couldn’t care less
Anghus Houvouras on why he couldn’t care less about the upcoming Death of Wolverine… When I first start reading comic books, the idea of a character dying seemed so epic. Our superheroes always seemed immortal. The idea that one of them or their supporting cast could cease to exist was a grim reality that had […]
Comic Book Review – New Suicide Squad #1
Anghus Houvouras reviews New Suicide Squad #1…. The world has changed for Task Force X, a.k.a. the Suicide Squad. Director Amanda Waller no longer has the autonomy she once had. New members disrupt the team dynamic. And the team takes on an international scope. New members Joker’s Daughter, Deathstroke and Black Manta join Harley Quinn […]
Doubling Down on Disappointment: Pacific Rim 2
Anghus Houvouras on Legendary Pictures’ decision to double down on Pacific Rim 2… $400 million. That’s the line. The threshold your movie has to cross in order for your big budget studio tent-pole film to be considered for a franchise. The veritable break-even number for films that in this risk averse studio system will warrant […]
Is Transformers: Age of Extinction the smartest movie of the year?
Anghus Houvouras on why Transformers: Age of Extinction is the smartest movie of the year (warning: spoilers ahead)…. Michael Bay is the personification of a pinata. He’s this bright, garish, candy filled monstrosity which people take way too much pleasure taking swings at. Critics might talk about how bad his success is for filmmaking, but […]