Sunday, April 8, 2018

WRESTLEMANIA 34 PREDICTIONS


ALL IMAGES ARE OWNED BY AND PROPERTY OF WWE.



So today is WRESTLEMANIA 34. The event, held in New Orleans, looks to be one of the biggest cards in WWE history. so before you get to watch it, check my preview and predictions of the granddaddy of sports entertainment!!








Mustafa Ali vs. Cedric Alexander

-The Heart vs The Soul of 205 Live, this match has the potential to be one of the best of the card. Ali is the man with all the momentum but Cedric is considered the uncrowned champion. I see this getting a lot of time and Cedric pulling it out at the end. Don't be shocked if you see this match-up again though in the very near future.

Prediction : NEW CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION : Cedric Alexander






Randy Orton vs. Bob Roode vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Rusev

- No way does Rusev lose on Rusev Day. Strike while the iron is hot.

Prediction : NEW US CHAMP : Rusev






Braun Strowman /? vs. The Bar

- The question is not if Braun is winning the belts but who is going to be his partner? Lots of names have been thrown out but I'm going to Walk With Elias myself.


Prediction : NEW RAW TAG CHAMPS : BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNN and ELIAS







Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax

- This is one match that a lot of people are excited about but for me it's just going to be a okay match on the card. Everything screams that Nia is going to destroy Alexa for the title. I see Nia winning but I think it might be the dreaded "DQ finish" The title change will come later on I believe.

Prediction : Nia Jax by D-Q






The Usos vs. The New Day vs. Bludgeon Brothers

Prediction : The Usos








The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins

- Proud papa Miz is going into this one with extra motivation to showcase his skills against two of his toughest foes. A potential showstealer, the early money is on Rollins winning this one. I'm going to go with the man with biggest package.....excuse me, chip on his shoulder : The Leader of Balor Club.

Prediction : NEW I-C CHAMP :Finn Balor




Daniel Bryan/Shane McMahon vs. Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens

- First off, I hate the stipulation that Sami/KO have to win to get their jobs back. Daniel Bryan's first match back in three years and you add that stip? Come on. Now I see Daniel wrestling his guts out only to have Shane's weird sweaty face betray him because he's a McMahon.

Prediction : Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens










Women's Battle Royal

- The big story of this battle royal for a long time was its name but thankfully that is behind us now. The main story of this match is the Bayley/Sasha Banks rivalry. These two have been buliding to a big blow-out and Wrestlemania seems like a good place for this to happen. Expect some excellent performances here but I see neither Sasha or Bayley winning. Gut feeling is that if a NXT Wrestler isn't brought up for this match, expect a upset from someone unexpected.

Prediction : Sonya Deville





Charlotte vs. Asuka

- This is the match that could either steal the show or a complete bust. Asuka's streak being on the line feels almost more important than the title. A Carmella cash-in is not out of the question but I see Asuka winning both the title and fending off Carmella's attempt. 

Prediction : NEW SD WOMEN'S CHAMPION : Asuka








Andre Battle Royal

- Sheesh. I have zero clue about this one honestly. Sorry.

Prediction :....Karl Anderson, I guess?








Kurt Angle/Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H/Stephanie McMahon

- This big match on the card getting the most mainstream buzz, this one might or might not be the main event. Ronda's first test in wrestling is a big one but expect Paul and Kurt to work most of the match before Ronda does her thing to Steoh and comes out a winner in her first match.


Prediction : Kurt Angle/Ronda Rousey







AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura 

- The rematch that half the fans have wanted to see for years (More on the other rematch thew other half have wanted to see in a second). Expect both men to pull out all the stops and Nakamura to win a grueling battle. AJ's ready to move on and Shinsuke has to get the ball to see if he can run with it eventually. This is the best way to do it.

Prediction : NEW WWE CHAMP : Shinsuke Nakamura







Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns

In what could be Lesnar's last WWE Match (Stop me if you heard that before), this is most likely the main event. After a long wait since their last match at Mania 31, it's time for the collision to happen. IN what should be a 5-10 minute match at most, I expect Roman to win a hoss fight and once again hold up a title while confetti rains down.


Prediction : NEW UNIVERSAL CHAMP : Roman Reigns
















Thursday, March 2, 2017

2017 Saturn Awards Nominations!




The 2017 Saturn Awards nominees for tv and film were announced today. This is one of my favorite awards as they honor all different forms of pop culture from comic book adaptations to sci-fi/fantasy.


 The Flash, Westworld and The Walking Dead are among the tv shows with multiple nominees as Rouge One is getting much love on the movie side.

Here are the categories and nominees with my pick in BOLD.

FILM:
Best Comic-to-Motion Picture Release:
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Warner Bros.)
Captain America: Civil War (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Deadpool (20th Century Fox)
Doctor Strange (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Suicide Squad (Warner Bros.)
X-Men: Apocalypse (20th Century Fox)



Best Science Fiction Film Release:
Arrival (Paramount)
Independence Day: Resurgence (20th Century Fox)
Midnight Special (Warner Bros.)
Passengers (Sony)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney Studios)
Star Trek Beyond (Paramount)
Best Fantasy Film Release:
The BFG (Walt Disney Studios)
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Warner Bros.)
Ghostbusters (Sony)
The Jungle Book (Walt Disney Studios)
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (20th Century Fox)
A Monster Calls (Focus Features)
Pete’s Dragon (Walt Disney Studios)
Best Horror Film Release:
The Autopsy of Jane Doe (IFC Midnight)
The Conjuring 2 (New Line / Warner Bros.)
Demon (The Orchard)
Don’t Breathe (Screen Gems / Sony)
Ouija: Origin of Evil (Universal)
Train to Busan (Well Go USA)
The Witch (A24)
Best Action/Adventure Film Release:
Allied (Paramount)
Gold (The Weinstein Company)
Hacksaw Ridge (Lionsgate)
Hidden Figures (20th Century Fox)
The Legend of Tarzan (Warner Bros.)
The Magnificent Seven (Sony)
The Nice Guys (Warner Bros.)
Best Thriller Film Release:
10 Cloverfield Lane (Paramount)
The Accountant (Warner Bros.)
The Girl on the Train (Universal)
Jason Bourne (Universal)
Hell or High Water (Lionsgate / CBS Films)
The Shallows (Sony)
Split (Universal)
Best Actor in a Film:
Chris Evans “Captain America: Civil War” (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Benedict Cumberbatch “Doctor Strange” (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Chris Pratt “Passengers” (Sony)
Ryan Reynolds “Deadpool” (20th Century Fox)
Mark Rylance “The BFG” (Walt Disney Studios)
Chris Pine “Star Trek Beyond” (Paramount)
Matthew McConaughey “Gold” (The Weinstein Company)
Best Actress in a Film:
Amy Adams “Arrival” (Paramount)
Emily Blunt “The Girl on the Train” (Universal)
Taraji P. Henson “Hidden Figures” (20th Century Fox)
Jennifer Lawrence “Passengers” (Sony)
Felicity Jones “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney Studios)
Narges Rashidi “Under the Shadow” (Vertical Entertainment)
Mary Elizabeth Winstead “10 Cloverfield Lane” (Paramount)
Best Supporting Actor in a Film:
Chadwick Boseman “Captain America: Civil War” (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Dan Fogler “Fantastic Beasts and
Where to Find Them” (Warner Bros.)
John Goodman “10 Cloverfield Lane” (Paramount)
Diego Luna “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”(Lucasfilm / Walt Disney Studios)
Zachary Quinto “Star Trek Beyond” (Paramount)
Christopher Walken “The Jungle Book” (Walt Disney Studios)
Best Supporting Actress in a Film:
Scarlett Johansson “Captain America: Civil War” (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Tilda Swinton “Doctor Strange” (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Margot Robbie “Suicide Squad” (Warner Bros.)
Kate McKinnon “Ghostbusters” (Sony)
Betty Buckley “Split” (Universal)
Bryce Dallas Howard “Gold” (The Weinstein Company)
Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Film:
Ruby Barnhill “The BFG” (Walt Disney Studios)
Julian Dennison “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” (The Orchard)
Tom Holland “Captain America: Civil War” (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Lewis MacDougall “A Monster Calls” (Focus Features)
Neel Sethi “The Jungle Book” (Walt Disney Studios)
Anya Taylor-Joy “The Witch” (A24)
Best Film Direction:
Scott Derrickson “Doctor Strange” (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Gareth Edwards “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney Studios)
Jon Favreau “The Jungle Book” (Walt Disney Studios)
Anthony Russo, Joe Russo “Captain America: Civil War” (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Bryan Singer “X-Men: Apocalypse” (20th Century Fox)
Steven Spielberg “The BFG” (Walt Disney Studios)
Denis Villeneuve “Arrival” (Paramount)
Best Film Screenplay:
Melissa Mathison “The BFG” (Walt Disney Studios)
Eric Heisserer “Arrival” (Paramount)
Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick “Deadpool” (20th Century Fox)
Jon Spaihts, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill “Doctor Strange” (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Taylor Sheridan “Hell or High Water” (Lionsgate / CBS Films)
Chris Weitz, Tony Gilroy “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney Studios)
Best Film Editing:
Jeffrey Ford, Matthew Schmidt “Captain America: Civil War” (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
John Gilroy, Colin Goudie, Jabez Olssen “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney Studios)
Stefan Grube “10 Cloverfield Lane” (Paramount)
Michael Kahn “The BFG” (Walt Disney Studios)
Mark Livolsi “The Jungle Book” (Walt Disney Studios)
Joe Walker “Arrival” (Paramount)
Best Film Production Design:
Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg “The BFG” (Walt Disney Studios)
Doug Chiang, Neil Lamont “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney Studios)
Stuart Craig “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (Warner Bros.)Guy Hendrix Dyas “Passengers” (Sony)
Owen Paterson “Captain America: Civil War” (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Charles Wood “Doctor Strange” (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Best Film Music:
Michael Giacchino “Doctor Strange” (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Michael Giacchino “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney Studios)James Newton Howard “Fantastic Beasts and
Where to Find Them” (Warner Bros.)
Justin Hurwitz “La La Land” (Lionsgate)
Thomas Newman “Passengers” (Sony)
John Williams “The BFG” (Walt Disney Studios)
Best Film Costume Design:
Colleen Atwood “Alice Through the Looking Glass” (Walt Disney Studios)
Colleen Atwood “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (Warner Bros.)Alexandra Byrne “Doctor Strange” (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
David Crossman, Glyn Dillon “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney Studios)
Sang-gyeong Jo “The Handmaiden” (Amazon Studios / Magnolia)
Joanna Johnston “The BFG” (Walt Disney Studios)
Best Film Make-Up:
Jeremy Whitewood “Doctor Strange” (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Nicky Knowles “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (Warner Bros.)
Amy Byrne “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney Studios)
Monica Huppert, Joel Harlow “Star Trek Beyond” (Paramount)Allan Apone, Jo-Ann MacNeil, Marta Roggero “Suicide Squad” (Warner Bros.)
Charles Carter, Rita Ciccozzi, Rosalina Da Silva “X-Men: Apocalypse” (20th Century Fox)
Best Film Special / Visual Effects:
Louis Morin, Ryal Cosgrove “Arrival” (Paramount)
Joe Letteri, Joel Whist “The BFG” Stephane Ceretti, Richard Bluff, Vincent Cirelli, Paul Corbould “Doctor Strange” (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Tim Burke, Christian Manz, David Watkins “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (Warner Bros.)
Rober Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones, Dan Lemmon “The Jungle Book” (Walt Disney Studios)
John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal Hickel, Neil Corbould “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney Studios)
Best Independent Film Release:
Eye in the Sky (Entertainment One)
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (The Orchard)La La Land (Lionsgate)
Lion (The Weinstein Company)
The Ones Below (Magnolia)
Remember (A24)
Best International Film Release:
Elle (Sony Pictures Classics)
The Handmaiden (Amazon / Magnolia)In Order of Disappearance (Magnolia)
The Mermaid (Sony)
Shin Godzilla (Funimation)
Under the Shadow (Vertical Entertainment)
Best Animated Film Release:
Finding Dory (Pixar / Walt Disney Studios)
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV (Sony)
Moana (Walt Disney Studios)
Sing (Universal)
Trolls (20 th Century Fox)
Zootopia (Walt Disney Studios)
TELEVISION:
Best Science Fiction Television Series:
The 100 (The CW)
Colony (USA)
The Expanse (SyFy)
Falling Water (USA)
Incorporated (SyFy)
Timeless (NBC)
Westworld (HBO)
Best Fantasy Television Series:
Beyond (Freeform)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
The Good Place (NBC)
Lucifer (Fox)The Magicians (SyFy)
Outlander (Starz)
Preacher (AMC)
Best Horror Television Series:
American Horror Story: Roanoke (FX)
Ash vs. Evil Dead (Starz)The Exorcist (Fox)
Fear the Walking Dead (AMC)
Teen Wolf (MTV)
The Vampire Diaries (The CW)
The Walking Dead (AMC)
Best Action/Thriller Television Series:
Animal Kingdom (TNT)
Bates Motel (A&E)
Designated Survivor (ABC)
The Librarians (TNT)
Mr. Robot (USA)
Riverdale (The CW)
Underground (WGN America)
Best Superhero Adaptation Television Series:
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)Arrow (The CW)
Flash, The (The CW)
Gotham (Fox)
Legion (FX)
Supergirl (The CW)
Best Presentation on Television:
11.22.63 (Hulu)Channel Zero (SyFy)
Doctor Who: The Return of Dr. Mysterio (BBC America)
Mars (National Geographic)
The Night Manager (AMC)
Rats (Discovery Channel)
Best New Media Television Series:
Bosch (Amazon)
Marvel’s Daredevil (Netflix)
Marvel’s Luke Cage (Netflix)
The Man in the High Castle (Amazon)
A Series of Unfortunate Events (Netflix)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
Best Actor on a Television Series:
Bruce Campbell “Ash vs. Evil Dead” (Starz)
Mike Colter “Marvel’s Luke Cage” (Netflix)
Charlie Cox “Marvel’s Daredevil” (Netflix)
Grant Gustin “The Flash” (The CW)
Sam Heughan “Outlander” (Starz)
Freddie Highmore “Bates Motel” (A&E)Andrew Lincoln “The Walking Dead” (AMC)
Best Actress on a Television Series:
Melissa Benoist “Supergirl” (The CW)Caitriona Balfe “Outlander” (Starz)
Kim Dickens “Fear the Walking Dead” (AMC)
Vera Farmiga “Bates Motel” (A&E)
Lena Headey “Game of Thrones” (HBO)
Sarah Paulson “American Horror Story: Roanoke” (FX)
Winona Ryder “Stranger Things” (Netflix)
Best Supporting Actor on a Television Series:
Linden Ashby “Teen Wolf” (MTV)
Mehcad Brooks “Supergirl” (The CW)
Kit Harrington “Game of Thrones” (HBO)
Ed Harris “Westworld” (HBO)
Lee Majors “Ash vs. Evil Dead” (Starz)
Norman Reedus “The Walking Dead” (AMC)
Jeffrey Wright “Westworld” (HBO)
Best Supporting Actress on a Television Series:
Kathy Bates “American Horror Story: Roanoke” (FX)
Danai Gurira “The Walking Dead” (AMC)
Melissa McBride “The Walking Dead” (AMC)
Thandie Newton “Westworld” (HBO)Candice Patton “The Flash” (The CW)
Adina Porter “American Horror Story: Roanoke” (FX)
Evan Rachel Wood “Westworld” (HBO)
Best Younger Actor on a Television Series:
K.J. Apa “Riverdale” (The CW)
Millie Bobby Brown “Stranger Things” (Netflix)Max Charles “The Strain” (FX)
Alicia Debnam-Carey “Fear the Walking Dead” (AMC)
Lorenzo James Henrie “Fear the Walking Dead” (AMC)
Chandler Riggs “The Walking Dead” (AMC)
Best Guest Performance on a Television Series:
Ian Bohen “Teen Wolf” (MTV)
Tyler Hoechlin “Supergirl” (The CW)
Anthony Hopkins “Westworld” (HBO)Leslie Jordan “American Horror Story: Roanoke” (FX)
Jeffrey Dean Morgan “The Walking Dead” (AMC)
Dominique Pinon “Outlander” (Starz)
Best Animated Series or Film on Television:
Bojack Horseman (Netflix)
Family Guy (Fox)
The Little Prince (Netflix)
The Simpsons (Fox)
Star Wars: Rebels (Disney XD)Trollhunters

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Riverdale series premiere review
 Chapter One: The River’s edge 
by Simon (@Suypro)




This is a very different Riverdale from the one that you might know. In fact, I wonder whether or not this show should have any connection to Archie at all. The characters are vastly different, the tone is kind-of weird and their connection also are not the ones you’d expect from them. In fact, if you make a few casting changes, or just ask the lead to not change his hair color, and change the names, no one would think to connect this to the Archie comics. I know that this was just a way to attract viewership, hey, it worked on me, but it still feels like a cheat.

The episode:
So anyway, we start with some beautiful establishing shots of Riverdale as a town. And I have to give credits to the director here, Lee Toland Krieger, for recreating images you might see in the Archie comics.

Oh, Jason Blossom dies. Cheryl is sad, I guess.

The song playing before the boat trip is a very romantic song, which is creepy. Between that and the “He was my soulmate” comment from Cheryl later on, I really think that we have an incest situation going on here. Or maybe not, because of how hard they push this theory down our throat. But this is a CW/Berlanti show, subtlety is not their strong suit.

The episode does something interesting where it introduces most of the leads before Archie. This is good, since everyone expects to see Archie first.

Jughead is narrating this whole thing, well in theory he is writing it. And we see a glimpse of him after Jason’s death.

At the same time, we see Alice Cooper, Betty’s mom. She is also the second worst. And she blames everything that happened to her other daughter on Jason.

Veronica just appears into town with her mom after her father gets in trouble with the law because of embezzlement.

Then we get Betty and Kevin. Betty just came back from her internship, which apparently lasted all summer. This is surprising because WHO THE FUCK gives an internship to a 14-15 year old girl? Anyway, Kevin is introduced as the token gay best friend, which is something that they at least allude to later on. Given how he is in the comics, it is weird to see him as such a cliché gay character here, but it doesn’t hurt him. He’s good.

And finally we meet Archie.  He worked construction with his dad over the summer. He also got into a sexual relationship with his teacher, Miss Grundy, who is in her early 30s. Let me remind you, because I myself forgot because of how the actors look, that Archie is supposed to be 14 OR 15 YEARS OLD. Gross.  She is the number 1 worst btw.


Few things made me as mad as Archie completely ignoring HIS BEST FRIENDS THAT HE HASN’T SEEN ALL SUMMER, because a hot girl entered Pop’s. But, they all meet and Archie is very interested. Much to the dismay of Betty. (and mine)

The next day, we get a scene between Archie and his dad. The biggest problem with this scene is how absolutely terrible the sound is during the start of it. Listen to the portion where Archie goes down the stairs and speak to his dog. This is terrible ADR(Automatic dialogue replacement). Compare it to the rest of the discussion and cry.

We get two filler hallway scenes. And then Archie goes to see Josie and the Pussycats to get some help with his new passion he discovered during the summer: MUSIC! Their singing is live here and it was really good. Josie turns him down with the best-bad pun nickname “Justin Gingerlake”.

Then the hallway scene continues but with some good stuff now. “Is he your boyfriend?” “No, we’re just friends” “No, he’s straight.”  Also, Kevin tells us that Archie/Betty are endgame. So Veronica decides Betty should invite him to the dance.

Seeing how Archie and Miss Grundy first had sex is gross and I really do not understand this storyline it infuriates every time I see it. GET IT THE FUCK OUT OF MY FACE. Remember: This 30s lady WAS ATTRACTED TO A 14-15YEAR OLD. I DON’T CARE HOW MUCH PUBERTY HIT. WTF. If we want to take something positive from this scene: There are some interesting shots in it. The ones in the car are very beautifully shot. And the focus change as Grundy turns around is great.

Blah blah blah adults speaking, booooorrriiinnnnngggg. Blah blah blah.

Now we hear Archie’s song for the first time. And the few we hear of it is actually good.  Not fantastic, but good. The way the music changes from being non-diegetic to diegetic* as Veronica gets closer to the table is very well done. Simple, but great.

(*Characters in-universe also hear it when it is diegetic, and we usually see the source from where the music is coming from)
Cheryl shows up and is really great at her fake-kindness. I also have to praise her half-hidden insult at veronica “Betty already has so much on her plate right now” she says, as she looks at her plate in disgust. (it is kind of ridiculous since she’s eating a salad, but still funny) And her asking for a “Follow for Follow” in real life is probably the saddest thing I have ever seen. Please tell me people don’t actually do that. PLEASE.

Archie goes to make Miss Grundy, the music teacher, hear his music because he wants help with it. REMINDER THAT THEY HAVE SLEPT TOGETHER. MULTIPLE TIMES. She makes a good choice for once, and refuses.

And then we learn that they heard a gunshot the day Jason died. Miss Grundy, being the worst, tries to convince Archie that the sound was fireworks. And say that they have to hide it because oh HOW would they ever explain that they were together. But this is dumb. One of them could report it. Alone. And say that they were alone. Finding a reason to be alone in the woods wouldn’t be hard. I was taking a walk.

Finally, the best, and worst scene.

Worst: That queerbaiting. WHY. WHHHHYYYYYYYY. I do not believe for a second that they’ll get together ever. That kiss was beautiful. And they had more chemistry during it than that other kiss later in the episode. But it’s still never going to happen.

Best: Veronica totally backing up Betty and squashing Cheryl with the best line of the episode. “Betty and I come as a matching set. You want one, you take us both. You wanted fire? Sorry, Cheryl Bombshell, my specialty is ice.” So campy, but so great. In a world where we never see enough genuine friendships between women. THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL.

Then Veronica reveals that she wants to be a better person, which is why she wants to hang out with Betty so bad. She’s on a good path, honestly.

Veronica pushes Betty into inviting Archie to the dance. Which she does. Inviting both Veronica and Archie. Archie refuses for a while, Betty accepts but Veronica pushes him into it. And calls him Archiekins. Which is a beautiful comics call out.


Betty is happy. And her mother is terrible. Betty is tired of being perfect. (remember this for later on, this is VERY important)
Archie wants to do music, but he’s stuck between football and working with his dad and playing football. He tried hiding music from both of these and now his dad is mad at him, but tells him he should make a choice one way or another.



At the dance, Veronica leaves Betty and Archie alone to “go get punch”.  So, of course, Archie decides to go talk to Miss Grundy to force her into helping him with his music. Which she agrees to, because she’s an idiot.

Archie comes back. And after some pressure from Kevin and Veronica, Betty reveals her feeling. Only for Archie to be awkward and basically not really respond. He even turns to Miss Grundy during the awkward silence.

Apparently Cheryl is also Sabrina the Teenage witch, because she manages to convince Archie, Betty and Veronica to go to her party after this. And she wants to play seven minutes in heaven. And Archie goes first. It (not really) lands on Veronica

Let’s take a pause here. Her plan was to bring them to her house, pick Archie to play seven minutes in heaven and then have it land on Veronica???? Thank god, her bottle spinning skills are nearly 100% accurate.

They go into the closet and resist for a while by talking but then GASP, they kiss. They come out and are shocked to find Betty gone.
Bonus gay possibilities from the scene: Archie asks if she had a boyfriend, she says no. But she also says later that she was in love with someone at some point.

For some reason, Archie thinks that heartbroken Betty would go hide at Pop’s. But hey, we finally get an Archie/Jughead scene. And it is a great one. And we also learn that Archie messed up this relationship as well. By not talking to him after SOMETHING happened.  Archie seems really good at messing shit up.

Archie goes to Betty’s house and, SURPRISE, she’s there! She asks him if he loves her. Or even likes her. (That’s the sound of my heart breaking) He says that he DOES love her, but that she’s way too good for him. So perfect. (We agree on that one, Betty is waaayy too good)

We end with Kevin about to do some totally-not-gay-naked-stuff with a football player called Moose. And oops Jason’s body. With clear bullet hole on his forehead.

Jughead does a little voiceover telling us shit’s about to start going down rather quickly. See you next week Riverdale.


Actors
I don’t really like any of the adult cast.
Mädchen Amick as Alice Cooper. She can do so much better.  She overacts a lot here.
Marisol Nichols as Hermione Lodge. I don’t remember seeing her in anything else. But she doesn’t really sound genuine in most of her scenes. But I don’t know if she can do better, we’ll see.
Luke Perry as Fred Andrews. The best of the adults. He still has a few weak spots, but at least he does have some good scenes. I.E. Talking with Archie on the porch.
All of the “teens” are at least good.
Ashleigh Murray as Josie McCoy. She has a very short scene, in which she’s good. And she has a good voice, which really matters for that role.
Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones. He also has a very short scene, in which he is very good. Not sure how good the voice-over is.
Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom. In some scenes she is very good and in others it all feel forced.
K. J. Apa as Archie Andrews. He is never bad, but he is not always good. But I think it might be mostly due to him not being used to hiding his accent and getting used to the role.
Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper. Always good.
Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge. Always good. Sometimes amazing. I now worship her.
Characters
Miss Grundy and her entire storyline better disappear as soon as possible.
Alice Cooper is a terrible mother and should also disappear quickly.
Hermione Lodge and Luke Perry are fine.
Josie McCoy is amazing and should be there at all times to crush Archie.
Jughead Jones is still too background-ish in the episode to have a clear opinion on him.
Archie Andrews is kind of terrible. He makes all the wrong choices and treats Betty like crap. But I guess that’s fine because he can only improve.
Betty Cooper is great and too good for Archie.
Veronica Lodge is kind-of in the middle. In theory, she also backstabbed Betty when she kissed Archie. But to be fair, she’s only known her for a few days.  So it’s hard for me to judge her as hard as Archie.
Theory
Betty opened to the idea of not being perfect because of “bad girl” Veronica. And then Archie tells her that she’s too perfect for him, so I think Betty will go down a path of becoming wild. I just hope she doesn’t go too far.
I only put four people as NOT being the killer. And these are Miss Grundy and Archie, because they were together doing gross things when the shot was heard. Jughead because there is no way that the “creepy” teen is actually the killer. Cheryl is also not the killer because it would be too obvious.
Rating
Overall a good and fun episode of television. 7/10
Conclusion
 This was a terrible review, but I had fun to writing it. If anyone read all the way to here, CONGRATULATIONS.

Friday, December 30, 2016

2017 in both movies and TV looks to have a ton of wonderful things that will come out and in this post I will highlight just 5 things that I am looking forward to in the year of 2017.


WONDER WOMAN















One of the most anticipated movies of 2017 without a doubt is Wonder Woman. We got a taste of Gal Godot's Amazon in Superman vs Batman. Many agreed that she was one of the best parts of the film in her short screen time.

Now in June, Diana gets her own film and I can't wait. With a strong supporting cast led by Chris Pine and Robin Wright and the talented Patty Jenkins directing, my hope is that Wonder Woman can raise the DC movies up to the level of the Marvel films. This female-led super hero movie will also be in my prediction the best super-hero movie of 2017.


LEGION











Helmed by the creative genius behind the "Fargo" TV series, Legion is my most anticipated new TV show of 2017. Dan Stevens plays David Haller , son of Professor Charles Xavier, who finds that he might just be more than a mentally ill patient. Aubrey Plaza and Jean Smart are just a few of the supporting cast joining Stevens. This show looks like it might be the fun, psychedelic, slightly comic book-ish show that we have all been waiting for.


Star Wars: Episode VIII

















Star Wars: Episode VIII is the most anticipated film of 2017. Continuing from where The Force Awakens left off, Rey meeting Luke Skywalker, Episode VIII brings us some new visions in the form of director Rian Johnson.

Getting to see Rey, Finn, Poe and Luke would be enough to get the emotions of Star Wars fan up.  However there will be even more tears this time around when General Leia will be on the screen after the sudden passing of Carrie Fisher. Seeing one of Carrie's last performances on the screen will bring a wave of emotions to all fans and I can promise I will cry the first time I see her on the screen.


The DEFENDERS












In a no-brainer winning move, The Defenders series brings together Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist in a highly-awaited crossover event. Not only do we get them together but also many fan-favorite supporting characters from these series including Karen Page, Trish Walker and Claire Temple back as well. Add in Sigourney Weaver as a mysterious villain and you have all the ingredients to not leave your home till you have watched this multiple times.



Kingsman: The Golden Circle



















The sequel to breakout hit Kingsman, The Golden Circle brings back Eggsy , Merlin and Roxy as they head to the USA to stop a criminal mastermind played by the legendary Julianne Moore.

The Additions of Moore, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal and Halle Berry add spark to the movie. But the return of Colin Firth's Harry Hart adds a bit of mystery to the film. Many called the first Kingsman film one of their favorite movies of 2014 so the expectations have been boosted for this one. Thankfully Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn are back for this one and once again I am excited to see how much Eggsy has grown as a Kingsman.



Wednesday, November 23, 2016

2016 is has been one big flaming pile of shit but on this holiday as most everyone else does, I look for things to give thanks to via article post.

So right now I'm going to highlight some of the things in movies, tv or just random that made me forget how crappy a year this has been.  So my choices are the following :

-the "San Junipero" episode of Black Mirror

-Season 3 finale of From Dusk Till Dawn 


- The touching final seasons of Person of Interest and Carmilla







-Finding out about shows like Poldark and the awesome Demelza on there



- *My only Sports one*
Seeing my favorite quarterback ride off into the sunset a Super Bowl champion

-the wit and wisdom of Mike Lawson on Pitch



-the continued genius of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 

                       

- Fun enjoyable shows like Wynonna Earp 



- Wrestling that makes me feel like a kid again






-Shows that make me think like Westworld



- Healthy TV relationships like Fitzsimmons, Captain Swan and Jake and Amy from Brooklyn 99

















- The Airport scene in Civil War


- Amy Adams's performance in Arrival


- Sing Street



These are just some of the things in tv, sports and movies I am thankful for. Have a Great Thanksgiving holiday everybody!!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Charles Dulaney

Friday, November 18, 2016

Best TV Characters of 2016 (PART 2)


Here we go with Part 2 of BEST TV CHARACTERS OF 2016!!

                                  Alex Danvers

LGBTQ story lines are still a rare thing on network television in 2016 (Seriously we can do better) However, Supergirl is in the middle of one with Alex Danvers figuring out that she is gay and it is one of the best things on tv right now.

A lot of the credit for this goes to Chyler Leigh. The writers have written a wonderful story arc of Alex slowly come to realize her sexuality through her crush on Detective Maggie Sawyer. Their scenes together have been both cute and highly emotional as our hearts broke alongside Alex when Maggie just wanted to be friends as she wasn't ready for a relationship yet. Chyler's ability to show how hurt this made Alex just by facial expressions make her one of the most underrated actresses on television right now.

But we have also gotten to see the hard side of realizing one's sexuality and the emotions of opening up about it to the people you love.  Some of the best scenes of the year have come from just a simple conversation between Alex and Kara just talking. It is refreshing that they supported each other positively without the tv trope of "WHAT WHAT WHY?" 

That Alex showed strength in coming out as gay is what tv role models can and should be. I know it's never smooth sailing for someone to reveal their sexuality but for me Alex Danvers serves as a role model to everyone in the LGBTQ community. 

                GREG SERRANO

I was never the biggest Greg fan on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend but I'll be damned if his short but powerful arc in the beginning of season 2 didn't turn me around. 

Santino Fontana always delivered on Crazy Ex when it was time to sing terrific songs like "Settle for Me" or "Greg's Drinking Song" but he never gets enough credit for nailing dramatic scenes. Whether it was standing up at his AA meeting and painfully telling what lead him to finally seeking out help for himself to his farewell to not only Josh and his friends but Rebecca as well. 

In that scene Greg realized that although he truly loves Rebecca, he knows that for both of them the best thing that he can do is get on that plane to Atlanta. It was truly a beautiful and heartbreaking moment as we all got to see Greg have a emotional breakthrough. 

It's a credit to the writers, Rachel Bloom and Santino that they were able to give Greg Serrano as good a farewell story arc in such little time without any of it feeling unearned. I don't know if we will ever see Greg again but if we do it will be wonderful to see.




          
                    

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

BEST TV CHARACTERS OF 2016 PART 1

2016 in television has seen some really terrific highs and some very low lows. This post is the first of a few that is going to highlight some of the best characters that graced our televisions/laptops/ however you watch tv shows now. My first choice starts with a character on a very popular HBO series.


              MAEVE



Westworld has been a successful hit for HBO and while many actors have delivered great performances from Evan Rachel Wood to Anthony Hopkins, Thandie Newton's Maeve has been a standout week in and week out.

A long-time host at the park, Maeve's story arc of slowly realizing what is happening to her and deciding to fight back about it is one of the best things on the show. Episode 6 was a highlight as Maeve got to see firsthand what she truly is. Through just wonderful facial reactions, Thandie was able to show all of Maeve's emotions from shock as she glimpsed at the world she lived in truly looked like to rage at seeing her friend and fellow host Clementine being "retired".

A lot of credit goes to Thandie for getting you to root for Maeve while also keeping her the ruthless madam the creators programmed her to be. I hope by the end of season 1 we get to see a free Maeve and what havoc she will wreak on Westworld.






  LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR


When people talk about the show Lucifer, most describe it as "A good, fun show" Lately though everyone has been talking about how great a performance Tom Ellis is giving as the devil Lucifer in this season.

In just a few episodes we have seen Lucifer, a man who always bristles from emotion with a sarcastic jab dealing with some heavy heavy family problems. His mom returns and Lucifer is struggling with her in his life but we see that he does care for her.  Later, when his brother Ariel arrives to give a ultimatum to Lucifer to send her back to hell or he'll kill Chloe, the detective that Lucifer cares about more than anyone else, Lucifer ends up killing Ariel and going into a emotional tailspin.

I have love how vulnerable the show has made Lucifer without losing the smug side. We have got to see more of Lucifer's emotions in some fantastic scenes whether it is Lucifer trying to bond with Detective Douche(Dan) , get drunk and breaking down over killing his brother to his doctor or the emotional hug he reciprocates to Chloe when Chloe thanks him for his help in avenging her father's murder. (the ongoing friendship between Lucifer and Chloe as they continue to bond and work together has been the perfect example of a slow burn)

As season 2 continues , it looks as if things will not get any easier for Lucifer with his mom and brother trying to lure him to try to get to heaven. I know it is unlikely that Tom will get any awards for his performance and ability to convey different emotions in just one scene but it is one of the best in network television.



Thanks for reading and part 2 will be coming very soon!!