Daily Archives: February 14, 2012

Movie News & Opinions

Transformers 4: Michael Bay Returns in 2014

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So a few months back I wrote a Transformers article about Michael Bay possibly coming back for one or two sequels with the Robots in Disguise, even though he had already said that the third one would be the last of them. Days later Michael Bay came out and dispelled any rumors about himself returning to any more Transformers flicks. I didn’t even bother to update the article or write a follow up one because I was so sure this particular article would be coming, just not so soon. Check out the snippet below from IGN:

Paramount Pictures has now issued a press release officially announcing Michael Bay’s involvement:

Paramount Pictures announced today that director Michael Bay has signed a two-picture deal with the studio, which will commence this spring with the filming of Pain and Gain, and will be followed by the next installment in the hit Transformers franchise.

Following Pain and Gain, Bay will bring audiences a new take on the Transformers franchise as he begins production on the fourth installment in the hit series of movies based on the best-selling Hasbro toyline. The third, and most recent installment of the franchise, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Is the fourth highest global grossing film of all time with 1.124 billion dollars of worldwide box office success. Directed by Bay, the movie will re-unite the filmmaking team from the hit franchise, including producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Don Murphy, Tom DeSanto and Ian Bryce; and executive producers Steven Spielberg, Bay, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian. Paramount Pictures will release the film on June 29th, 2014. 

 

So there you have it. That explosion-whore Michael Bay will be returning to explode even more, all over giant robots once again. Man, that sounded so dirty. But seriously, like Bay was going to pass up on this billion dollar franchise that is such a sure thing for him. This guy’s purpose in life is to make movies like this and the sooner he realizes that, then the better off we will all be. Don’t get me wrong, I hope that this Pain and Gain, Wahlberg-Bay-The Rock collaboration is at least a worthwhile movie to go see. I just don’t have very high hopes for anything besides napalm and half naked chicks from Michael Bay.

 

So until 2014 let the speculation begin about which actors shall return, which transformers shall kick ass and what form the story shall take! I for one am totally excited for another Transformers movie to come out. I enjoyed the third installment because it went back to it’s roots of non-stop action and a story that you could set your mind on cruise control for, unlike Revenge of the Fallen where you had to set your brain off completely to enjoy the toilet humor and bogus ass story. What’s everyone else thinking? Has the transformer franchise run its course or is everyone psyched for a new one? Comment below!

Movie Trailers

Abraham Lincoln: The Most Ass-Kickingest President

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The crazy success of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has created the market for a slew of similarly themed books starring historical or fictional characters versus the Occult. The first of these to hit the big screen will be Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, ahead of the proto-generator Pride and Prejudice and Zombies which isn’t scheduled to come out until 2013. Well, the trailer is out and the first thing that’s apparent is that AL:VH is swinging for the fences.

Continue reading Abraham Lincoln: The Most Ass-Kickingest President →

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Dark Horse Review – Star Wars: Agent of the Empire #1-3

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After trying to catch up with the Star Wars comic scene over the last month, I’ve come to the conclusion that Agent of the Empire: Iron Eclipse may be one of, if not the best one out there. Sure, Knights of the Old Republic is excellent so far and Dark Times is cool and very…dark. But Agent of the Empire is an awesome blend of Star Wars and James Bond.

Star Wars has been delving into different sub genres with it’s books and comics as of late, starting with the successful Joel Schrieber written Death Troopers and Red Harvest in the horror department. Shadow Games by Michael Reaves and Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff is a mystery of sorts involving Dash Rendar and a famous ‘holo star’. Agent of the Empire is an espionage tale in the galaxy far, far away that succeeds at almost every level. It’s almost what the Knights of the Old Republic: The Lost Suns wanted to be but just sort of fell flat. In my opinion, as much as I love them, it’s a story that doesn’t have to rely on Jedi and Sith constantly being in the picture. There actually hasn’t been one in the first three issues and I doubt that there will be since it takes place after Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and at the height of Imperial power in the galaxy.

The story follows Jahan Cross, a no-nonsense undercover Imperial Agent who is busy at the beginning investigating a fellow Imperial who turns him onto a lead involving a project called Iron Eclipse. The project just so happens to be a project started by ex-pirate and veteran of the self titled Stark Hyperspace War, Iaco Stark. At this point in the Star Wars universe, Iaco is now dead and his business and fortune tended to by his son Iaclyn. Jahan falls into a web of treachery and deceit that with any luck will lead him to the Iron Eclipse, which we as a reader are still not close to figuring out by the end of issue three. However, by the end of the issue we are promised that it shall be revealed in the next issue. Jahan is in dangerous territory as his investigation takes him to Iaco Stark’s surviving family’s home in the Corporate Sector where they deal with their own problems without Imperial intervention.

Agent of the Empire is just an altogether fun ride for any Star Wars enthusiast and even for those only a little into Star Wars. It has some familiar faces in it, but none that you as a reader have to know much back story on to enjoy the series. Aside from Han and Chewie showing up, die-hard fans will notice Armand Isard is the head man in charge of Imperial Security at this point. And for those who remember Iaco Stark, I myself don’t believe that he is actually dead. His “widower” Dah’lis mentioned that he was decapitated working on his Eclipse project but the head was never found. Could it be that Iaco just lives on in a different way such as Darth Vader and General Grievous did? Or is his brain being used for some other reason? I may be wrong, but I don’t count anyone out in Star Wars unless there is a body present and accounted for. Or in Iaco’s case, a whole body.

I was surprised at one point where Jahan is trying to get in good with Iaco’s widower Dah’lis and obtain information about Eclipse, not because there is the mere mention of sex, but because it was one of the most revealing scenes in Star Wars that I’ve seen in all of the years. Not that I am complaining, more power to them just as long as they don’t go into full-blown porno-mode. This is Star Wars after all. But then again, maybe that is the next genre they’ll make the foray into…

I give Agent of the Empire a five out of five grizzlies, whether it’s single issues or the first three issues together.

The series has a great storyline going, multiple intriguing characters throughout it besides Han and Chewie, not to mention some great action scenes. I honestly can’t wait until issue four and the reveal of Iron Eclipse, whatever the hell it is.

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DC COMICS REVIEW – PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE #1-5

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These five issues were a fairly fast read and they were quite excellent. In this limited series we are treated to quite the introspection of one of Batman’s more prominent rogues; Oswald Cobblepot A.K.A The Penguin. The whole thing almost read like a non-crappy version of Tim Burton’s Batman Returns movie, showing us bits and pieces of Penguin’s birth and childhood intermingled with some of his more ruthless crimes against the people of Gotham, all for the sake of a piece of Oswald’s past that I wasn’t even aware was still around. Yes in this series, Penguin had not only a mother and a father, but three older brothers as well. Oswald was born a bit ugly for his father’s taste, but his mother treated him like her spoiled baby until the day she died, which is much later than you’d think.

Oswald Cobblepot is shown as a ruthless Gotham crimelord in the series and one who takes great pleasure in taking away the things closest to those who slight him. And by slight I mean slight. He completely ruins the lives of a couple people just for saying the wrong thing to him. He is a far cry from the information source to Batman that he has been portrayed as over probably the past decade. Oswald is essentially a bully, taking his aggression out on others just because he has the means in some twisted way of paying back the world for his brothers and others picking on him as a child. He’s one sick puppy this time around, save for the biggest bully of all who Oswald still fears and hates with a passion… Batman. It’s not clear if the Batman in this series is Bruce Wayne or Dick Grayson but it almost doesn’t matter. To almost the degree of the Gotham Central series, Batman is more of a plot device and background character that anything.

Most of the story focuses on Oswald’s past and his present with a certain woman named Cassandra who is, wouldn’t you believe it, totally blind. Who else could legitimately get with the Penguin besides a blind woman? Cassandra thinks the world of Oswald in this book and it’s actually a little tragic how the whole thing ends up.

Oswald’s mother was also a very interesting part of the story, as several of Penguins brutal crimes in the story revolve around getting his dying mother gifts of jewelry. The art and story of the series were both brilliantly executed, though sometimes I had to look hard at what was drawn in a couple panels. Some of the art like the subject matter itself was very dark. I can’t actually believe I’m saying this, but is it possible that a Batman story be too dark? Though this was a great character study of the Penguin through his own eyes, it was ultimately depressing and a little sick at times. Like in Batman Returns, Penguin targets children with his rocket weapons and has multiple people executed for world famous jewelry. The flashback scenes where it was revealed what really happened to the other three Cobblepot brothers was just downright twisted, but made for a damn good bit of story telling.

I guarantee that you’ll never look at the Penguin the same again when you read a Batman comic. I give Penguin: Pain and Prejudice a 4.5 out of 5 grizzlies and recommend it to any bat fans out there.  As long as your old enough to handle the violence. Maybe the younglings can stick to Batman animated comics. I would have given it a 5 out of 5 but it was just way too dark, even for a Batman comic.