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REVIEW: The Lost City

REVIEW: The Lost City

The rom-com was considered a dead genre when it began to consume itself, generating imitations that paled with each iteration, the predictability unable to overcome the star power. There have been a few sparks of life here and there, but as a film genre, it’s more moribund than not.

So, it’s a bit of a surprise to see one of its queens, Sandra Bullock, starring in a glossy, big budget rom-com after moving away from them for so long. Here, she’s a producer and star and at one point considered it dated given the seven years it was in development (never a good sign). She was right, it is dated and somewhat tired and still as predictable as one would imagine. Still, The Lost City is the first of its kind in a while and when it arrived in March, we could all have used something light and dairy.

The film features Bullock as Loretta Sage, a best-selling writer of romances who feels a little bothered that the readers seem to be buying the books not for her prose but for the cover art, featuring model hunk Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum). She is coerced by her publisher Beth Hatten (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) to take Caprison on her latest book tour, something she hasn’t done since her husband died.

While on tour, she is taken by an eccentric billionaire, and criminal, Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), who believes her historic research used for the new bool can help him locate an actual lost city where the fabled Crown of Fire is located.

It’s Caprison to rescue but he’s just smart enough to know he can’t go on his own so he recruits a human tracker, Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt) to help find her. The action and mild hilarity ensue.

Clearly, writers Oren Uziel, Dana Fox, Adam Nee, and Aaron Nee (from a story by Seth Gordon) aspire to be as fresh and quirky, and fun as Romancing the Stone. The Nees also direct and it is certainly visually lush, but they fall short on the freshness. Bullock is fine, Tatum is solid, and Radcliffe is chewing the scenery with a laugh but it’s not marking any new territory in the genre. With so few rom-coms these days, and with Bullock still a crowd-pleasing performer, this is winds up as a slight diversion, a fine popcorn film where only the scenery deserves the big screen. This works just as fine at home.

The film is streaming and available on 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray/Digital HD combo pack from Paramount Home Entertainment. Given the lush settings and high gloss the story and cast deserve, the 2160p/Doby Vision UHD disc is superb on every level. It glistens on a home screen so every blade of grass and drop of water is pristine. This is a case where the 4K is markedly improved over the fine Blu-ray. We should be thankful that the Dolby Atmos soundtrack is equal to the challenge.

We have the usual assortment of special features, all in 1080p, none of which are extraordinary. We start with Dynamic Duo (10:42), focusing on Bullock and Tatum; Location Profile (7:09); Jungle Rescue (6:25); The Jumpsuit (3:41); Charcuterie (3:32); The Villains of The Lost City (5:29); Building The Lost City (7:23); Deleted Scenes (8:52 total); and, of course, Bloopers (5:33).

REVIEW: Adventure Game Comics: Leviathan

REVIEW: Adventure Game Comics: Leviathan

Adventure Game Comics: Leviathan
By Jason Shiga
144 pages/Amulet Books/14.99

Jason Shiga has been keeping readers guessing since his first Choose Your Own Adventure book, 2001’s The Last Supper. He’s gone on to produce similar works, including a wonderful maze for the cover of McSweeney’s. He’s back with a new one, Leviathan, aimed for 8-12-year-olds.

This time we’re taken on an odyssey across the Cobalt Isles as you attempt to defeat the dreaded Leviathan. These types of stories are hard enough to do as prose, made more complicated by making these graphics. Each page offers two to four options, keying you to go to the appropriate page. It’s cleverly constructed although you find yourself doing more page flipping than actual reading. This being a hardcover helps with the wear and tear. You may find yourself going back to the same page one once so familiarity can quickly occur.

The two-tone artwork is simple and easy to follow, with just enough detail to differentiate characters and settings. You are certainly not reading this for in-depth characterization and deep lessons on the human condition but it is a fun story with some nice twists and turn, seasoned with some humor.

Peter David and Joe Fixit Reunite in 2023

Peter David and Joe Fixit Reunite in 2023

New York, NY— July 20, 2022 — Known for his legendary and impactful run on INCREDIBLE HULK, superstar comics writer Peter David is proving his acclaimed work on the Hulk mythos is far from over! Having just finished an epic trilogy of limited series that told the grand saga of Hulk villain MAESTRO, David will now turn his attention to another iconic creation of his—JOE FIXIT! The fan-favorite Hulk persona that muscled his way through Las Vegas as a hedonistic bodyguard will star in his very own limited series set during David’s original time on the INCREDLBLE HULK. Joining David in this Sin City adventure will be artist Yildiray Cinar (The Marvels).

“When I created Joe Fixit decades ago, it was merely as a means to shake up the standard formula,” David explained. “Typically Bruce would have set up some sort of situation and he would be worried that the Hulk would inevitably show up and screw things up. The storyline with Joe flipped the formula on its head, and set up the Hulk with his great situation in Vegas and he was worried that Bruce would show up to screw things up. I had no idea that the character would have this much staying power, and that so much would eventually be done with him in the pages of the IMMORTAL HULK. I’m thrilled that Marvel has given me this opportunity to revisit with an old friend.” Check out an issue #1 cover by Cully Hamner below and stay tuned in the coming months for more news about JOE FIXIT’s long-awaited return.

JOE FIXIT #1

Written by PETER DAVID

Art by YILDIARY CINAR

Teaser Cover by CULLY HAMNER & JORDIE BELLAIRE

On Sale 2023

MARVEL CELEBRATES HALLOWEEN WITH TERRIFYING STORIES IN CRYPT OF SHADOWS #1!

MARVEL CELEBRATES HALLOWEEN WITH TERRIFYING STORIES IN CRYPT OF SHADOWS #1!

New York, NY — This October, join Marvel Comics and some of your favorite heroes for tales of fangs, claws and silent, stalking swamp creatures to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve in CRYPT OF SHADOWS #1! Paying homage to the original 1970s CRYPT OF SHADOWS anthology series, this giant-sized one-shot will feature a collection of stories that showcase just how creepy the Marvel Universe can be! Fans can expect supernatural adventures starring Moon Knight, Wolverine, Elsa Bloodstone, Man-Thing, and Werewolf by Night, plus the return of Bloodline, the daughter of Blade who made her first appearance earlier this year in FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: AVENGERS/X-MEN #1! Bringing the horror will be an incredible lineup of talent including former Marvel editor Chris Cooper, known for his groundbreaking work on the original DARKHOLD series, with a story featuring Morbius and the star of Cooper’s DARKHOLD saga, Victoria Montesi. Joining him with spine-chilling tales of their own will be creators Al Ewing, Danny Lore, Rebecca Roanhorse, Adam Warren, Chris Condon, Karen S. Darboe, Geoff Shaw, Ibrahim Moustafa, and more!

The heroes of the Marvel Universe spend most of their time in the bright sun, flying high above it all…but every once in a while, they venture into the darkness that lurks in the hidden corners of the world. There lurk the creatures, the monsters, the vampires…the ones who prey on innocence and goodness… Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more information about CRYPT OF SHADOWS including story details and creative team announcements. In the meantime, check out the main cover by Leinil Francis Yu and prepare yourself for the most terrifying comic book of the year when CRYPT OF SHADOWS #1 arrives in October!

Superman & Lois: The Complete Second Season Available on Disc 9/27

Superman & Lois: The Complete Second Season Available on Disc 9/27

BURBANK, CA – Ahead of the recently announced third season, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is set to release Superman & Lois: The Complete Second Season on Blu-rayTM and DVD September 27, 2022. Featuring all 15 action-packed episodes from the exciting second season plus brand-new bonus features, Superman & Lois: The Complete Second Season is priced to own at $19.99 SRP for the DVD ($24.99 in Canada) and $24.99 for the Blu-ray ($29.99 in Canada), which includes a digital copy (U.S. only). The show is also available to own on Digital via purchase from all major digital retailers and is streaming on HBO Max.

Season two of Superman & Lois opens with the dust still settling in Smallville following the shocking outcome of last season’s confrontation between Morgan Edge and Superman. With Smallville on the national map for the first time in the town’s history, Lois Lane faces fresh challenges in her latest journalistic endeavors, while Jordan and Jonathan also find themselves dealing with change.

Superman & Lois stars Tyler Hoechlin (Supergirl, Arrow), Elizabeth Tulloch (Supergirl, Grimm), Jordan Elsass (Little Fires Everywhere), Alex Garfin (New Amsterdam), Erik Valdez (Graceland), Inde Navarrette (13 Reasons Why), Wolé Parks (All American), Tayler Buck (Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living), Sofia Hasmik (All the Bright Places), with Dylan Walsh (Blue Bloods) and Emmanuelle Chriqui (Entourage). Based on the DC characters, and Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the series was developed by Greg Berlanti (Arrow, The Flash, Batwoman, Supergirl) and Todd Helbing (The Flash, Black Sails), who executive produce alongside Sarah Schechter (All American, Riverdale), Geoff Johns (Titans, DC’s Stargirl, Wonder Woman) and David Madden (Kung Fu, Save the Last Dance).

BLU-RAY & DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

  • Fractured: The Heart of Bizarro
  • The DC Heroes: Path to Glory

15 ONE-HOUR EPISODES

  1. What Lies Beneath
  2. The Ties That Bind
  3. The Thing in the Mines
  4. The Inverse Method
  5. Girl…You’ll be a Woman Soon
  6. Tried and True
  7. Anti-Hero
  8. Into Oblivion
  9. 30 Days and 30 Nights
  10. Bizarros in a Bizarro World
  11. Truth and Consequences
  12. Lies That Bind
  13. All is Lost
  14. Worlds War Bizarre
  15. Waiting for Superman

DIGITAL

Superman & Lois: The Complete Second Season is currently available to own on Digital. Digital purchase allows consumers to instantly stream and download to watch anywhere and anytime on their favorite devices. Digital movies and TV shows are available from various digital retailers including Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu and others.  

BASICS

Street Date: September 27, 2022

BD and DVD Presented in 16×9 widescreen format

Running Time: Approx. 705 minutes

EC Run Time: Approx. 27 minutes

DVD

Price: $19.99 SRP ($24.99 in Canada)

3-Discs (3 DVD-9s)

Audio – English (5.1)

Subtitles – English SDH

Blu-Ray

Price: $24.99 SRP ($29.99 in Canada)

3-Discs (3 BD-50s)

Audio – DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 – English

BD Subtitles – English SDH

WIFELIKE – In Select Theatres & Available On Digital August 12

WIFELIKE – In Select Theatres & Available On Digital August 12

A grieving detective in the near-future (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) hunts down criminals who trade artificial humans on the black market. In the fight to end AI exploitation, an underground resistance attempts to infiltrate him by sabotaging the programming of the artificial human assigned as his companion (Elena Kampouris) to behave like his late wife. She begins to question her reality as memories of a past life begin to surface in a world where nothing is as it seems.

Written and Directed By James Bird                           

Starring: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Elena Kampouris, Doron Bell, Agam Darshi, Sara Sampaio, Alix Villaret, Fletcher Donovan, CJ Perry, Stephen Lobo

Produced by Scott Karol, Steven Paul

Run Time: 105 minutes

Rating: Rated R for sexual content, nudity, violence and language

Synopsis: A grieving detective in the near-future (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) hunts down criminals who trade artificial humans on the black market. In the fight to end AI exploitation, an underground resistance attempts to infiltrate him by sabotaging the programming of the artificial human assigned as his companion (Elena Kampouris) to behave like his late wife. She begins to question her reality as memories of a past life begin to surface in a world where nothing is as it seems.

American Carnage arrives August 30 on Blu-ray and DVD

American Carnage arrives August 30 on Blu-ray and DVD

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The new horror-comedy American Carnage arrives August 30 on Blu-ray™ and DVD from Lionsgate. The political satire features Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far from Home, Night Teeth), Jenna Ortega (Scream, X, You), and Eric Dane (Euphoria,” “Grey’s Anatomy). American Carnage will be available for the suggested retail prices of $21.99 for Blu-ray (+ Digital), and $19.98 for DVD.
                                    
OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS
After a governor issues an executive order to arrest the children of undocumented immigrants, the newly detained youth are offered an opportunity to have their charges dropped by volunteering to provide care to the elderly. Once inside the eldercare facility, the volunteers discover the governor and the facility’s supervisor have cooked up a horrifyingly depraved conspiracy that endangers the young and the old in this twisted thriller-comedy.
 
BLU-RAY / DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

  • Audio Commentary by Writer-Director Diego Hallivis, Writer-Producer Julio Hallivis, and Producer Andrés Rosende
  • Behind the Scenes of American Carnage
    • The Story
    • The Meat of American Carnage
    • Latinx Representation in Hollywoood
  • Deleted Scenes
    • Big Splash
    • Spitting Facts

CAST
Jorge Lenderborg Jr.                 Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far from Home, Night Teeth
Jenna Ortega                            Scream, X, You
Allen Maldonado                     Black-ish, The Last O.G.
with Brett Cullen                     Lost, Devious Maids
and Eric Dane                          Euphoria, The Last Ship, Grey’s Anatomy

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Year of Production: 2022
Title Copyright: American Carnage  © 2021 Don’t Look Back Travel, LLC. All Rights Reserved. 
© 2022 Saban Films LLC. Artwork & Supplementary Materials. All Rights Reserved.
Type: New Release
Feature Run Time: 101
Rating: R
Genre: Twisted Thiller
Closed-Captioned: N/A
Subtitles: Spanish, English, English SDH
Feature Run Time: 101 Mins.
BD Format: 1080p High Definition 16×9 (2.39:1) Presentation
BD Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio™
DVD Format: 16×9 (2.39:1) Presentation
DVD Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Audio

Street Date: 8/30/22
Blu-ray™ (+ Digital): $21.99 SRP
DVD: $19.98 SRP

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Releases New Trailer

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Releases New Trailer

A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.  Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves brings the rich world and playful spirit of the legendary roleplaying game to the big screen in a hilarious and action-packed adventure.

Paramount has released a teaser trailer for the march 2023 release.

Directed by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley

Screenplay by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley and Michael Gilio

Story by Chris McKay & Michael Gilio

Based on HASBRO’S DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

Produced by Jeremy Latcham, p.g.a., Brian Goldner, Nick Meyer

Executive Producers: Denis L. Stewart, Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Chris Pine, Zev Foreman, Greg Mooradian

Cast: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Chloe Coleman, Daisy Head and Hugh Grant

REVIEW: DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Seventh and Final Season

REVIEW: DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Seventh and Final Season

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow didn’t start off being an off-the-wall ensemble, but as the various actors’ comedic talents lightened the dire circumstances, the producers pivoted and leaned into the absurdity. As a result, it became one of the freshest concepts on the CW, super-heroic action without as much angst (or shadow). When it worked, it was very entertaining but that came sporadically, oftentimes getting silly when they needed more restraint.

Still, the lovable ever-changing band of heroes has endured through seven seasons and unlike many shows, ended on a high note. All thirteen episodes of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Seventh and Final Season can be enjoyed on the Blu-ray box set from Warner Home Entertainment.

When last we left our stalwart misfits, a Waverider popped into the sky and destroyed the Waverider they were using. Now stranded in 1925, they have to adapt and find a way home. This leads them on a cross-country jaunt to find Dr. Gwyn Davies (Matt Ryan), the inventor of time travel. Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) and Ava Sharpe (Jes Macallan) are dubbed the Bullet Blondes, sisters in crime, prompting the nascent FBI to chase them, including J. Edgar Hoover (Giacomo Baessato), who turns out to be a robot suggesting something sinister is happening.  They also nicely handle the racism and sexism of the era.

Along the way, everyone gets their moment to shine as being stuck in one time period allows the writers to actually have the characters interact in new ways, deepening relationships. The odd relationship between Nate (Nick Zano) and Zari/Zari 2.0 (Tala Ashe) is resolved in a satisfactory manner. The odd friendship between Spooner (Lisseth Chavez) and Astra (Olivia Swann) is nicely handled. The best addition for this final season is Amy Louise Pemberton finally getting screentime as the AI Gideon made manifest thanks to a magical oops from Astra. Her fish-out-of-water naivete is refreshing. A less welcome addition was the return of Bishop (Raffi Barsoumian), who I just find annoying.

There is a very nicely handled 100th episode, directed by Lotz, that brings back Kendra Saunders (Ciara Renée), Jefferson “Jax” Jackson (Franz Drameh), Martin Stein (Victor Garber), Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh), Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller), Carter Hall (Falk Hentschel), and even Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvil) in a delightful way.

As things begin to wrap up in this short season, we get the sense that the crew was veering away from recognizable DC Comics sources. As a result, Donald Faison turning up as Booster Gold is a nice twist, although I wish more were done with him.

The frustrating part of the final episode is the tag, which leaves things in disarray. A risky gambit from the Berlanti stable knowing the CW was changing and DC’s shows were in danger. Sure enough, the cancellation came weeks after the final episode aired.

The shows look terrific with a solid 1080p high definition transfer with an equally fine DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track so home viewing will be enjoyable. The episodes are supported with the usually funny Gag Reel, some deleted scenes, the 2021 SDCC Legends panel, and a short featurette on the 100th episode.

Raptor: A Sokol Graphic Novel by Dave McKean

Raptor: A Sokol Graphic Novel by Dave McKean

Now I work in marketing, so I know not to trust marketing copy. (Don’t ask me how many times I’ve gotten something subtle wrong – or something obvious wrong.) But I have to look askance at the insistence of Raptor ‘s descriptive copy of being “Dave McKean’s first creator-owned character.”

I mean, this is still a world in which Cages  exists, right? Surely he didn’t do that as work-for-hire? (If he did, the world of comics is vastly more predatory and horrible than even I thought.) And there are original characters in things like Pictures That Tick  and his smutty book Celluloid , as well. So I wonder if that phrase is just puffery to say “hey, this is important” or if it’s using “creator-owned character” in the specifically comics sense of “a thing we expect to exploit in a lot of media for decades, starting now!”

In any case: Sokol! The sensational character find of 2021! A moody guy in a fantasy landscape who kills monsters, I think (mostly off-page) and then sometimes screws up handling the aftermath, letting the local villagers make things worse than the with-monster status quo!

Oh, and he’s not really the main character of this book, because it’s by Dave McKean, and nothing can be straightforward or not about the creation of art in a Dave McKean book. Arthur, who is some manner of late 19th century gentleman (he doesn’t seem to have to work, or at least doesn’t do anything in the course of this book) and who recently lost his lovely wife Amy, is writing the story of Sokol as a way to break his grief. His brother, Ed, would prefer that Arthur join his occult group instead, for the usual vague focus-your-mind and maybe transform-the-world aims.

The stories of Arthur and Sokol trade space on the page, with McKean’s elegant – sometimes too elegant, since he’s never seen a ten-dollar-word he couldn’t replace with a fifteen-dollar one – prose as captions to give atmosphere and some context to their experiences. It’s still McKean, though, so it’s moody and evocative, with wordless sequences in which dark birds transform into blue women who fuck (?!) one of the main characters in what I hope is meant to be creepy rather than happy.

Raptor is not as clearly about grief as I thought it would be, with Arthur’s mourning so central to it. Sokol does not seem to have lost anything, and his story has nothing to do with loss. The mystic rigmarole also does not seem to have anything to do with contacting the dead: it’s more the 19th century equivalent of aligning one’s chakras and becoming one with the numinous aether.

What we do get is a lot of scenes. Sokol tromps around, and may have been rewritten by Arthur (after meeting Arthur, because it’s that kind of book) to create a better ending to his first major story. (Or maybe this ending will be even worse; such is life.) Ed and Arthur sit around like clubmen discussing Very Serious Things, and stand and declaim at Tarot cards with the rest of the mystic group. There are scenes that are clearly Meaningful and Symbolic and possibly even Mystic themselves. None of this forms a conventional narrative, because Dave McKean.

Frankly, like a lot of McKean’s work, I don’t bother to do all the work to figure out just exactly what it is about. It’s moody and gorgeous and full of fancy words and fine feeling, and that’s fine: it doesn’t need to add up to anything. So I can tell you that I think McKean does intend it all to add up to something, but I could not tell you what that “something” is.

Perhaps the further adventures of this “creator-owned character” will give us all more context.

Reposted from The Antick Musings of G.B.H. Hornswoggler, Gent.