I’m not entirely sure what I can ask of Ridley Scott at this point. He’s made four or five honest-to-goodness classics and inspired an entire generation of science-fiction films. He doesn’t owe me anything and I’ll watch just about anything he puts out because I have that kind of faith in him as a filmmaker. He’s made a scary film with Alien: Covenant, but not one that I find particularly interesting. Scott seems obsessed with giving me lore I don’t want instead of a higher concentration of scenes with scary aliens.
It’s impressive that they made the grossest Alien movie yet. The one with the most visceral body horror. They topped the terribleness of the chestburster in this one by making the alien birth process less discrete and more, for lack of a better word, fluid-y. I don’t think it’s particularly worthwhile to discuss the particulars of the plot further. There are scary aliens, some you’ll recognize and some you won’t, that chase a bunch of humans you never quite care about around a distant planet that is suspiciously earth-like. This suspicion is both in the film and in the audience because it sure is cheaper to film in a planet that happens to be covered with plants from earth. There are other things to be scared of, it isn’t important really as long as you find something in each scene potentially terrifying. It definitely works as a horror movie; it will never be mistaken for a better Ridley Scott film.
Alien: Covenant is a movie carried by Michael Fassbender. Playing a robot that struggles with showing emotion seems like a big challenge as an actor, and playing two that each have different motivations and different ways of hinting at their true intentions is just an incredible performance. This prequel franchise is going to succeed or fail based on the audience willing to come and see more Alien-based horror, but artistically they’re inescapably linked to Fassbender at this point. I wouldn’t go see the next one (and there shouldn’t be a next one but we’ll get there) without him. He’s almost bigger than the Aliens at this point, even if I would kick him to the curb in a heartbeat for more Ripley.
The flaw in this movie is that I could not possibly care less about the origins of the Xenomoprhs. I didn’t watch any other Alien movie thinking “if only we knew where these things came from” or anything like that. Any explanation is going to make them less scary. A bump in the dark is more scary than anything you could show on camera. I won’t tell you the origins of the Xenomorphs, that would be cruel, but it’s not as good as whatever you had in your head, or even the non-explanation of “they’re just some terrifying aliens, those exist” that I had always assumed was the truth. This is a movie answering a question I never asked and don’t care about what they have to tell me.
I wish I knew why they thought Alien prequels were more interesting than Alien sequels. That what we want from a science-fiction horror franchise is less fantastical technology and more exposition. I wonder if the whole Alien braintrust learned the wrong lesson from Resurrection and have decided they can’t move further in to the future. I would rather watch an Alien without Weyland or synthetics or any of that rather than have more needless exposition shoveled on me. That’s not what they’re making though so I have to make do with what we have— a legitimately scary movie with one tour de force performance and a fair amount of useless prattle. Better than all the bad movies we’ll see this year full of useless prattle, I suppose.
Comics creator Thom Zahler is known for his entertaining and insightful romantic and relationship comics, particularly Love and Capes, a superhero romance that starts with Superman-adjacent hero The Crusader deciding to tell his non-superpowered girlfriend the truth about his dual identities; and Long Distance, a tale about a couple who meet in an airport and have to figure out how to successfully have, you guessed it, a long distance relationship. Both books contain a healthy serving of shrewd commentary on human interactions and romance, but don’t sacrifice the fun of humor or pop culture references to the need for drama.
I appreciate these stories not only in themselves, but also because sometimes the medium of comics as a whole seems to be overshadowed by the all-encompassing, never-ending, and dramatically violent superhero stories of the Big Two, Marvel and DC. Don’t get me wrong – I love me some good superhero comics and action – but sometimes I think people forget there’s anything else. We need creators like Thom to remind us.
And now, here he is doing that again, with IDW’s Time & Vine, his latest creator-owned foray into the examination of human relationships – and this time in a setting I really wish I lived in. Why? Because the nexus of Time & Vine is a historic winery that contains a wine cellar full of very, very special bottles of wine – namely wine that, when consumed, transports the drinkers back to the time in which it was bottled. Seriously. A cool old place full of wine and time travel! Who wouldn’t want to live there?? (Other neat details I love from this fifteen-page issue #1 preview include the mysterious fashion magic of the winery, which changes the clothes and hairstyles of the time-travelers to those they would have chosen if they lived in the time they traveled to – but keeps the clothing colors the same. And also the OSHA reference. Because who doesn’t love a good OSHA reference?)
The core characters who people this amazing setting are Jack, the older gentleman who owns the winery and knows how it operates, and Megan, a young history teacher who is going through some tough family times and could use an exciting distraction. When Jack lets Megan in on the secret of the wine cellar, Adventures Ensue. We don’t know too much about those, as yet, but Thom has said this is a story about family – and given his previous work, I’m sure it will be interesting to see the characters’ interactions unfold. I know I’ll be super excited to drink in more of this story, and can’t wait to consume the whole thing!
Thom and I have known each other for years now, and I’ve enjoyed his comics for some time, so it was fun to finally do a one-on-one with him about his work. Here’s our nifty Q&A:
ESW: Where did you start when crafting this tale – with the setting, the human story you wanted to tell, or both?
TZ: A lot of it came as a result of talking with Kurt Busiek on Twitter. There was some joke about doing a comic about a winery and then the idea of a winery as a gateway to time travel just appeared to me. The human story was my starting point and that came pretty quickly, or at least I thought it did. Once I got into it, I realized Megan’s story needed some work and that went in a completely different direction than I expected. But the framework of the story, and the heart of it, remained the same. I had the structure for the arc and the time travel mechanics worked out quickly. I always knew it was going to be in New York, but I did have to research those specifics to see how the wine industry worked across the years.
ESW: As your latest creator-owned series, Time & Vine seems to both stick with a dynamic you are known for – i.e. the human interactions being the focus, but housed within a fun premise or setting – and be at variance with Love and Capes and Long Distance, where the two main characters were also the romantic leads. From the preview, it seems clear that Jack and Megan quickly establish a mentor/mentee or father/daughter-style dynamic. But are we going to see them having romantic adventures of their own within the story? Or is the focus more on family as a whole? What inspired that angle?
TZ: Megan and Jack are definitely a mentor/mentee dynamic. I wanted to write a book that focused on a relationship that wasn’t a romance this time. It’s much more about family: the ones we have and the ones we choose. I try to do something different each time with each story. Love and Capes was about a relationship going to the next level. Long Distance was about one starting out in a way that Love and Capes wasn’t.
Jack’s romance is the engine that drives the book. We’re going to see the history of his relationship play out non-linearly as they bounce through time. It’s very much the tree that the rest of the story hangs off of. As for Megan, let’s just say she meets at least one interesting person along the way.
ESW: In your past and present work, do you see a trajectory in your view of relationships and how to write or portray them? How do you think your past writing or personal experiences have influenced this work? And what tips would you share with creators who want to do what you do?
TZ: I don’t know about a trajectory, but I try to make sure I have a range. I don’t want to keep telling the same story over and over. So I try to focus on different types of relationships and different aspects of them. I worry that, if I’m not careful, I’ll write the same couple with different names in different stories. Jack’s love is a very different love and experience than I’ve written before.
My personal relationships definitely influence my writing. They can’t not. You write what you know and what you’ve experienced, either from borrowing from what’s happened or writing what you thought could or should have happened.
ESW: The preview is definitely, recognizably, your artistic style – but are there visual things you did differently or tried out in this story that we haven’t seen before?
TZ: Very much so! First is that I’ve brought on Luigi Anderson as the colorist for this project. It means I’m not doing colors or tones for the first time, and that’s very different for me. Luigi is bringing a style and a look that I’m not capable of, and it’s creating something very dynamic. I’ve loved the collaboration and what he’s doing with the pages.
As far as my style, I always try to tweak my style a little bit on each project to better suit it. Long Distance had an Archie level of cartooning to it, and Love and Capes was even more stylized. Here, I wanted something a trifle more realistic. It’s still cartoony, hopefully in the best Darwyn Cooke sense of the word, but the world is a little more straightforward than other work I’ve done.
ESW: Are there challenges or benefits to being both writer and artist on a book?
TZ: The thing I watch out for is writing easy scenes to draw. I’m always on the lookout for that cheat. I write the story that needs to be told and then I draw it. I don’t want to take shortcuts. There are times where artist me hates writer me, but when that happens, I know I’m writing the best product.
I do enjoy doing both. I’m not the artist to draw every book I write, but when I feel I am, there’s a synergy that’s hard to achieve otherwise. It’s streamlined, since I know exactly what I mean when I tell me I want to do something. It can make those things go really smoothly. And, if I do it right, there’s a purity to the end product that you don’t get in most collaborations.
ESW: What do you hope readers most enjoy or take away from Time & Vine?
TZ: That wine is awesome!
First, I hope they have a good time. I want to tell a story that people enjoy and that sticks with them in some way. I’ve been lucky enough that my past projects have done that, and that’s always heartwarming.
But this story is about the breadth of relationships, the choices we make and the time we have. If it makes someone take a second look at something they’ve done, or appreciate something in their lives in a new light, just for a moment, I’ll have done my job.
ESW: Anything else you’d like to tell us about this book or your future work?
TZ: Just a thank you, to the readers who read my work and to IDW for publishing it. I have a loyal core of readers who appreciate what I’ve done these last few years. Together, they have allowed me to tell these personal stories in a venue I otherwise would not have had. I hope I’m doing something worthwhile, and I couldn’t do it without them.
I have another new project that will be starting really soon, but that hasn’t been announced yet. When it is, I’ll be sure to let you know!
ESW: Super! Thanks, Thom, for your time and great answers!
If you want to know more about the process behind the story, Thom has also been posting about his inspirations in several blog entries on his website. And if you want to order Time & Vine from your local shop, you can get issue #1, due out July 5 with a cover price of $4.99 for 48 pages, by using Diamond code MAY17 0517 (or MAY17 0518 for the alternate cover, also by Thom).
And now, you can also see both covers for Issue #2 right here! In this issue, I’m told, Jack starts teaching Megan the rules of time travel, while winery employee Darren teaches her all about the winery. And Megan takes her first solo trip back in time to the ‘80s, where she discovers a startling family secret!
Here are the cool Issue #2 covers, both by Thom:
Cover A:
Cover B:
So get ready to check out Thom Zahler’s Time & Vine by pre-ordering now (possibly with a glass of wine in hand just to, ya know, get in the mood), and until next time, Servo Lectio!
Never Land will always be / The home of youth and joy / And liberty
I’ll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up
Not me! Not me! No sir! Not me!
I just returned from a family reunion, and it was just about the only type I’d go to. It was a reunion of the various staff members of the Chicago Seed, the high-circulation “underground” newspaper published between and 1974.
This gathering of geriatric hippie revolutionary writers and artists was prompted by the recent deaths of two Seedlings: Snappy Skippy Williamson and Jayze Jay Lynch . I discussed the passing of my two long-time friends in this space; click on the above links if you missed those columns or if you have the desire to commit my words to memory.
Joining the Seed staff in January 1969 was the single most important step I have taken in my life, short of marrying Linda. I was 18 years old, a political organizer, a professional writer (thanks to those $5.00 checks from the SkokieNews), a counter-cultural warrior and a kid tired of being pushed around by the jocks and the holy-holies. Within a few months, I was recruited to join the staff of the Conspiracy Trial. By the end of the year I was on radio as well. I did a whole lot of travelling and speechifying and fundraising for the Conspiracy Trial, all the while continuing to write for the Seed, as well as for New York’s East Village Other, the Los Angeles Free Press, the Berkeley Barb and, later, the Berkeley Tribe, the New York Rat (awesome name, edited by the gifted Jeff Shero), Liberation News Service, and the Black Panther Party newspaper.
Yes, you read that last part right. In 1970 it was easier for a white hippie boy to write for the Black Panther Party than, say, a black person to write for the hallowed-but-hypocritical Village Voice at that same time. If all you know about the Black Panther Party is what our popular media reported back then – largely quotes from the professional liars at J. Edgar Hoover’s F.B.I. – then you don’t know shit about the BPP back then. But I digress.
I was fortunate enough to work under the tutelage of Abe Peck, the finest editor I’ve ever had. He went on to work for Rolling Stone, The Chicago Daily News and The Chicago Sun-Times before becoming a full professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
I would have attended this reunion if Abe had been the only person there.
Like many such publications, The Seed was a combination of left-wing politics (as defined at the time) and the then-burgeoning youth culture. I covered both sides, as did most of my cohorts. Under the tutelage of editor Abe and, later, Marshall Rosenthal, I became a better writer. I also learned layout and design and I learned how to edit comics though my work with Skip and Jay and others.
Almost 50 years later, I look back at those seminal days with fondness and pride. But, as fate will have it, I doubt I’d seen most of those folks in the past, oh, 40 years or so. Walking in the Atlantic Bar’s party room was a bit of a challenge: all of us were five decades older, and most of us kinda look it. We had name tags, but our eyesight was no longer strong enough to make identification easy in the darkened bar. Many were retired or semi-retired. Most of us had kids, many had grandkids. Of course, Jay and Skip weren’t the only ones too deceased to make it to the party, and that’s sad. Some of us had seen others of us at sundry memorials, but in the aggregate the roll call for the dead was excruciating. That’s part of growing up.
But… That’s the one thing most all of us still had in common. Not just our politics and our many, many shared experiences, good and bad, but the fact that hardly any of us grew up completely. It was clear that we maintain the strong and important values we held back in the Sixties, tempered somewhat by experience.
Otherwise, we are still Peter Pan, flying through the skies with pen – well, laptop computer – at the ready, trying to help make the world a better place. We continue to grabble with the concept of “fairness,” which is something kids bitch about as they realize the world is not fair and something adults tell kids is just the way it is.
It is not. The adults are wrong. We Peter Pans know better. We know what should be and we have a good idea of how to get there. If you think that’s a foolish or unnecessary journey, wait a few months and ask any of the 24 million people who no longer have health insurance. Ask any of the women and men who had been dependent upon Planned Parenthood for significant portions of their health care. Ask any native-born American with a Muslim or Hispanic heritage.
We need more Peter Pans.
ComicMix readers should get this. We all want to fly.
BURBANK, CA (May 23, 2017) – Put on your devilish grin as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment brings home the hit series Lucifer: The Complete Second Season on DVD on August 22, 2017. Lucifer delivers over 6.2 million Total Viewers weekly, and is the #3 scripted series on FOX with Households and Total Viewers*. “Lucifans” can binge on all 18 hell-raising episodes from the second season, and indulge in thrilling extras including the 2016 Comic-Con Panel, a new featurette, a hilarious gag reel, and never-before-seen deleted scenes. Lucifer: The Complete Second Season will be available at all major retailers, and is priced to own at $39.99 SRP.
*Source: Nielsen National TV View Live + 7 Day Ratings, excluding repeats, specials, and <5 telecasts; 16-17 Season To-Date = 9/19/16-4/16/17
Lucifer: The Complete Second Season will also be available on Blu-rayTM courtesy of Warner Archive Collection. The Blu-rayTM release includes all bonus features on the DVD, and is also arriving August 22, 2017. Warner Archive Blu-ray releases are easily found at Amazon.com and all major online retailers.
In Season Two, Lucifer Morningstar and LAPD Detective Chloe Decker are back solving murders on L.A.’s white-hot streets, with their relationship growing deeper, closer, and more awkward for them both. To add fuel to the fire, Lucifer’s mum, Charlotte, escapes Hell, bringing along a ton of emotional baggage: Now Lucifer and his angel brother, Amenadiel — with whom Lucifer has serious sibling issues — must work together to deal with mommy dearest. Meanwhile, Dr. Linda, therapist and confidante to Lucifer, Amenadiel and Maze, is having a devil of a time doling out some of the most bizarre advice ever. Tensions (including the sexual kind) are sizzling in all 18 frighteningly fun, frivolous adventures. Welcome to Devil time!
“From powerhouse producers Jerry Bruckheimer Television, we are excited to heat up your home entertainment centers with the next installment of the critically acclaimed series,” said Rosemary Markson, WBHE Senior Vice President, Television Marketing. “Just in time for the third season premiere on FOX, loyal Lucifer fans can indulge on all hell-bent moments from the second season and hellacious extras.”
The series stars Tom Ellis (Rush, EastEnders), Lauren German (Chicago Fire), Kevin Alejandro (Southland, True Blood), DB Woodside (Suits, 24), Lesley-Ann Brandt (The Librarians), Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica, Powers), Aimee Garcia (The George Lopez Show, Dexter), Scarlett Estevez (Daddy’s Home), and Rachael Harris (The Hangover, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid). Based upon the characters created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg for Vertigo from DC Entertainment, Lucifer is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television. Tom Kapinos (Californication) developed the series and serves as executive consultant. Returning for a third season on FOX, the series is executive produced by Jerry Bruckheimer (CSI franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean films), Jonathan Littman (The Amazing Race, CSI franchise), Joe Henderson (White Collar, Almost Human), Ildy Modrovich (CSI: Miami, Californication), Len Wiseman (Underworld films) and Sheri Elwood (Call Me Fitz).
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
Lucifer: 2016 Comic-Con Panel
Reinventing Lucifer in the City of Angels
Deleted Scenes
Gag Reel
18 ONE-HOUR EPISODES
Everything’s Coming Up Lucifer
Liar, Liar, Slutty Dress on Fire
Sin-Eater
Lady Parts
The Weaponizer
Monster
My Little Monkey
Trip to Stabby Town
Homewrecker
Quid Pro Ho
Stewardess Interruptus
Love Handles
A Good Day to Die
Candy Morningstar
Deceptive Little Parasite
God Johnson
Sympathy for the Goddess
The Good, the Bad and the Crispy
DIGITAL HD
Lucifer: The Complete Second Seasonis also currently available to own on Digital HD. Digital HD allows consumers to instantly stream and download all episodes to watch anywhere and anytime on their favorite devices. Digital HD is available from various digital retailers including Amazon Video, CinemaNow, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others.
DVD BASICS
Street Date: August 22, 2017
Price: $39.99 SRP
Presented in 16×9 widescreen format
Running Time: Feature: Approx. 792 min
Enhanced Content: Approx. 60 min
3 DVD-9s
Audio – English (5.1)
Subtitles – Eng SDH and French
BURBANK, CA (May 19, 2017) – Scooby and the gang are back to solve a brand new supernatural crime mystery in LEGO® Scooby-Doo!: Blowout Beach Bash! Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and The LEGO Group, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on July 11, 2017 on Blu-rayTM Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD.
Scooby-Doo! and his pals Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy are no strangers to solving spooky mysteries filled with all types of ghouls and goblins. This time is no different. As Scooby-Doo! and his friends are on their way to Blowout Beach for a real swinging beach party in the Mystery Machine, the Ghost Pirates threaten to ruin the gang’s good vibes. It is up to Scooby and the gang to get the party back on track, without missing a beat. This all-new original movie LEGO® Scooby-Doo!: Blowout Beach Bash will be available on DVD, Blu-Ray combo pack and digital HD for the first time ever for kids to enjoy.
LEGO® Scooby-Doo!: Blowout Beach Bash! features a veteran voice cast: Frank Welker (Be Cool Scooby-Doo!), Grey Griffin (Be Cool Scooby-Doo!), Kate Micucci (Be Cool Scooby-Doo!) and Matthew Lillard (Be Cool Scooby-Doo!) . The film was executive produced by Sam Register (Teen Titans Go!), Jill Wilfert (The LEGO®Batman Movie), Robert Fewkes (LEGO®DC Super Hero Girls), Jason Cosler (LEGO®DC Comics Super Heroes: Gotham City Breakout) and directed by Ethan Spaulding (Justice League: Throne of Atlantis) from a script written by Emily Brundige (Teen Titans Go!) and Aaron Preacher (Comedy Bang Bang). Rick Morales (LEGO® Scooby-Doo!: Haunted Hollywood) serves as producer.
BASICS
Street Date: July 25, 2017
Run Time: 72 minutes
Blu-ray Combo Price: $24.98 SRP
DVD Price: $19.98 SRP
DVD Audio – English
This past weekend was the inaugural Five Points Festival at Pier 36 here in Manhattan. It’s a brand new fan convention organized by Clutter and Midtown Comics. The festival focused on comics and toys on the Saturday and Sunday, with the Designer Toy Awards Friday night, which is run by Clutter. I went with ComicMix’s own Molly Jackson, and we both ended up enjoying the show.
In honor of this being the Five Points Festival, here are my five points about the show.
Great comics guests for a first time show! Midtown Comics really stepped up to bring in a few out of towners like Bryan Lee O’Malley and James Tynion IV, local or pseudo local heavy hitters that don’t appear here too often like Greg Capullo and Sean Gordon Murphy, industry legends that go back to the dawn of the Bronze Age of comics like Joe Staton who I just chatted with here at ComicMix a couple of ago, and indie comics people like Tee Franklin, a champion of diversity. Fans of Midtown Comics who have been to a lot of their signings over the years would be familiar with many of the names, but they went above and beyond to bring in a great line up for a first year show.
The toys. Molly is far more toy literate than me, but walking around the convention with her was like getting a 101 class in toys. Everything from Funko Pops for about $10 to one of a kind designer toys worth several hundred dollars were on display. They had toy sculptors at tables doing signings and incredibly designed and carefully detailed figures with lines just waiting to see them. It made me wish I was a bit more into toys, but then I remembered I don’t have that much room at home to put them anyway.
The food trucks. They had a nice fenced off area you could access after getting into Pier 36 with a good half a dozen food trucks. The first day we were there we went with some amazing BBQ sandwiches and the second day we had Phil’s Steaks. Molly’s order got delayed at Phil’s Steaks and they upgraded her sandwich and gave her a free order of fries. Couldn’t have asked for better service. Molly and I agreed that they could have used more tables and chairs outside for all the hungry con goers. Hopefully next year.
No panels. Okay, I know some people don’t care about panels and would rather just walk the show floor. I get that, and I’ve done that at my fair share of shows as well. I also get that the venue maybe wasn’t equipped for room big enough and quiet enough to hold panels. They are one of my favorite things to go to at a convention though, and with all the big names in comics and toys that were available it really would have been great to see a few panels. Nothing crazy. Maybe like how MoCCA Fest does it where they just have two panel rooms and a few panels in each room a day. I bitch and moan about conventions that have panels off site, but maybe next year having some panels taking place down the road from the venue would be a good idea. It almost feels like a waste to have Nick Spencer, Scott Snyder, Bryan Lee O’Malley and all these big names and to not get to see them talk about their latest projects. On the plus side, we didn’t have to endure panel audience questions in which people talk about themselves for minutes on end then don’t end up really asking a question. Maybe Molly and I should have a panel about panel questions one day. I don’t know if we’ll take any questions though.
The venue. Pier 36, while possibly not being able to hold panels in it, was a perfectly sized venue for this convention. The con felt well attended without it becoming impossible to move in the venue, you could hear everyone, easily accessible bathrooms without long waits, perfect temperature inside (for me at least), a separate area reserved as a lounge for guests, and a charging station for exhibitors. It really was a nice set up in many ways. A fancy press lounge would have been nice, but as I was there with a Press Pass I’m a bit biased about that. The venue only suffers in that it’s a bit out of the way for most people. The only train close to it is the F and it’s about a ten minute walk from there. And because the F was a bit of a mess this past weekend it took some people a while to get there. I know that’s outside of the control of the convention, but if it is at Pier 36 again next year make sure to give yourself a little extra travel time.
Overall, I really enjoyed Five Points Festival. It was a good show in it’s own right, many of the comic guests and other vendors seemed to do well with sales, and this show fills a void left after ReedPOP stopped doing Special Edition NYC which was a fun show that I miss and was in some ways more fun than NYCC.
Anyway, I haven’t watched the new Twin Peaks yet, so I have to get going. No spoilers please!
Variety reports that Zack Snyder is stepping away from Justice League in order to deal with the death of his daughter. Joss Whedon, director of Marvel’s The Avengers who recently announced to direct Batgirl, will oversee the remainder of the film.
Snyder’s daughter died of suicide in March and the director, along with his wife Deborah, who is also a producer on the film, have decided to take a break from the film in order to deal with the sudden tragedy.
Filming on “Justice League” had already finished, and Snyder was in the throes of post-production in order to meet the film’s Nov. 17 release date. Whedon will now oversee a handful of reshoots that had already been scheduled prior to Synder’s daughter’s death, as well as the post-production process.
There are no plans to push the release date at this time. The film stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ezra Miller as the Flash, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and Ray Fisher as Cyborg.
Autumn Snyder died by suicide in March at age 20. Her death has been kept private, even as the movie was put on a two-week break for the Snyder family to deal with the tragedy.
To celebrate the upcoming release of John Wick: Chapter 2 on Digital HD 5/23 and 4K, Blu-ray and DVD 6/13, there will be a special “Tribute to Those Killed by John Wick” Facebook Live stream hosted by Abram Tarasov (Peter Stormare from John Wick 2). This special event will stream live at Facebook.com/JohnWickMovie on 5/23 1PM EST/10AM PST.
BURBANK, CA (May 22, 2017) – Unlock the mystery and dive into small town secrets as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases Riverdale: The Complete First Season on DVD on August 15, 2017. Premiering with 2.4 million viewers, The CW’s top new show across all major demos* is created by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Glee, Big Love), produced by Greg Berlanti (The Flash, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Blindspot), and stars KJ Apa (Shortland Street), Lili Reinhart (The Kings of Summer), Camila Mendes (Randy Doe), Cole Sprouse (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody), Marisol Nichols (Big Momma’s House 2), Madelaine Petsch (The Curse of Sleeping Beauty), Ashleigh Murray (Deidra & Laney Rob a Train), Mädchen Amick (Twin Peaks), and Luke Perry (Beverly Hills 90210). Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is also an executive producer, along with Sarah Schechter (Arrow, Blindspot, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), and Jon Goldwater (Publisher/CEO, Archie Comics). The release contains all 13 gripping episodes from the first season, and includes new bonus content, and never-before-seen deleted scenes, and a gag reel. Riverdale: The Complete First Season is priced to own at $39.99 SRP. Riverdale: The Complete First Season is also available to own on Digital HD via purchase from digital retailers.
*Source: Nielsen National TV View Live + 7 Day Ratings, excluding repeats, specials; 16-17 Season To-Date = 9/19/16-1/29/17
Riverdale: The Complete First Season will also be available on Blu-rayTM courtesy of Warner Archive Collection. The Blu-rayTM release includes all bonus features on the DVD and is also arriving August 15, 2017. Warner Archive Blu-ray releases are found at Amazon.com and all online retailers.
Based on the characters from Archie Comics, Riverdale gives a subversive take on small-town life. Things aren’t always what you expect in Riverdale. As a new school year begins, the town is reeling from the tragic death of high school golden boy Jason Blossom. The summer’s events made all-American teen Archie Andrews realize that he wants to pursue a career in music, but his fractured friendship with Jughead Jones, and Josie McCoy’s focus on her own band leaves Archie without a mentor. Meanwhile, girl-next-door Betty Cooper is not ready to reveal her true feelings for Archie, and new student, Veronica Lodge, has an undeniable spark with Betty’s crush. And then there’s Cheryl Blossom, Riverdale’s queen bee, who stirs up trouble amongst Archie, Betty and Veronica. But is Cheryl hiding something about the mysterious death of her twin brother, Jason? Riverdale may look like a quiet, sleepy town, but there’s so much more to the story.
“Riverdale is full of nostalgic Archie elements, but this all-new series brings viewers mystery, seduction, and corruption; and would probably make the original gang blush,” said Rosemary Markson, WBHE Senior Vice President, Television Marketing. “We’re thrilled to offer fans this dark, subversive pleasure – along with exclusive DVD and Blu-ray bonus content – just in time for the second season premiere on The CW.”
SPECIAL FEATURES
Riverdale: 2016 Comic-Con Panel
Riverdale: The New Normal
Riverdale: The Ultimate Sin
I Got You – musical piece
These Are Moments I Remember – musical piece
Gag Reel
Deleted Scenes
13 ONE-HOUR EPISODES
Chapter One: “The River’s Edge”
Chapter Two: “A Touch of Evil”
Chapter Three: “Body Double”
Chapter Four: “The Last Picture Show”
Chapter Five: “Heart of Darkness”
Chapter Six: “Faster, Pussycats! Kill! Kill!”
Chapter Seven: “In a Lonely Place”
Chapter Eight: “The Outsiders”
Chapter Nine: “La Grande Illusion”
Chapter Ten: “The Lost Weekend”
Chapter Eleven: “To Riverdale and Back Again”
Chapter Twelve: “Anatomy of a Murder”
Chapter Thirteen: “The Sweet Hereafter”
BASICS
Street Date: August 15, 2017
Order Due Date: July 11, 2017
Price: $39.99 SRP
3 DVD-9s
Audio – English (5.1)
Subtitles – English, French, Spanish
Presented in 16×9 widescreen format
Running Time: Feature: Approx 572 min
Enhanced Content: Approx 46 min
The trailer for Get Out intrigued me but ultimately I chose not to see it in the theater because it seemed a bit more of a thriller than I desired. But then lots of people I knew were recommending it, as were the critics. I was impressed by the 99% fresh Rotten Tomatoes score so when the opportunity came to review the film on disc, I decided to give it a shot.
I have never seen anything Jordan Peele has done but appreciate his work here as both writer and director. The film’s first two-thirds are very strong as everything appears idyllically normal with a loving, upper crust family welcoming the daughter’s boyfriend for a weekend visit. But, in many, many subtle ways, there’s also something very unnerving just below the surface. The house too perfect (despite the “black mold” in the basement), the dad just a tad too accommodating, and the maid a might too subservient.
Increasingly, things feel “off” and you get an unsettling feeling without fully knowing what is happening. Is it supernatural in nature? Is it white supremacy gone off the deep end? You get the clues slowly and by the time you figure it out, the film goes off the rails and devolves into standard horror fare, undercutting and spoiling the marvelous tone Peele established.
The movie stars Daniel Kaluuya as Chris Washington, a well-balanced, loving black boyfriend to Rose Armitage (Allison Williams). She has not told her parents, Dean (Bradley Whtiford) and Missy (Catherine Keener), that she has been dating a black man, which at first feels remarkably modern but is actually the first warning sign. The first real sign that not everything is right comes with the arrival of Rose’s brother Jeremy (Caleb Landry Jones).
At the party the following day, the various friends seem particularly taken with Chris, who grins and bares it, while people recreate that uneasy feeling I first got when I watched Mandingo, checking him out. And that’s when the racist themes really get an airing in a nice variety of exchanges. But what about the maid Georgina (Betty Gabriel) and the handyman Walter (Marcus Henderson)? They’re the only other black people on hand and neither one seems welcoming; in fact, it’s the opposite. That raises new questions.
Chris shares his concerns with his pal, TSA Agent Rod Williams (Lil Rel Howery), so when he disappears for two days and can’t be reached, Rod goes into detective mode. Unfortunately, his concerns are laughed at by Detective Latoya (Erika Alexander). This in itself is a reflection of how black issues can be overlooked by authorities, even black ones,
The performances are well-mannered and downright creepy at times with high marks to Kaluuya and Williams, who get the most to do with their characters. Peele makes us uncomfortable with the very normalcy of the race relations along with the class structure on display. He doesn’t get showy…until that final third.
We then have the usual assortment of over-the-top blood and mess, predictable thrills, and an anticipated climax. What’s interesting about the film’s end comes with the Special Features which offers up a vastly differently final scene that changes the tone and the optional commentary from Peele explains his choices. While I’m reviewing this as a straight thriller, others have viewed it as a satire but it doesn’t entirely work on that level given the horror undercurrents driving the characters and issues of race.
The film is out now from Universal Home Entertainment in a variety of packages including the Blu-ray, DVD< Digital HD Combo Pack. The high definition transfer is crisp, clear, and colorful with an excellent audio track,
Along with the alternate ending, there are a score of deleted scenes including seven different versions of the actual end scene, showcasing Howery’s adlib skills. A few of the other scenes would have helped the film and again, these come with optional Peele thoughts. There is the far more perfunctory Unveiling the Horror of Get Out: Behind the Scenes and an engaging Q&A Discussion with Peele & Cast, hosted by Chance the Rapper. Finally, there’s an okay Feature Commentary from Peele.
