Yesterday saw a surprise demo drop for Persona developer Atlus’s latest game, Metaphor: ReFantazio. The enormous fantasy RPG is due out October 11, but roughly six hours of the game are already available, across consoles and PC. Except, it turns out that PC version isn’t working out so well.
Yesterday saw a surprise demo drop for Persona developer Atlus’s latest game, Metaphor: ReFantazio. The enormous fantasy RPG is due out October 11, but roughly six hours of the game are already available, across consoles and PC. Except, it turns out that PC version isn’t working out so well.
PLOT: WWE experienced record-breaking highs and crushing lows under Vince McMahon’s leadership and the mogul’s controversial reign.
REVIEW: When you think about Professional Wrestling, the images of Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, and Stone Cold Steve Austin likely spring to the forefront. Yet arguably the most important person in the history of the business is former WWE owner Vincent Kennedy McMahon Jr. Through his Mr. McMahon character, he was able to become the most villainous figure in all of wrestling. But it turns out that villainous persona wasn’t far off from the real-life man. Bill Simmons takes aim at it all in his Netflix documentary, Mr. McMahon.
What started as a puff piece about the CEO of the company became a different monster entirely after allegations surfaced against Vince in 2022. The documentary had actually already been completed, only for them to have to add additional material based on the allegations. And honestly, had this controversy not happened, Mr. McMahon would have been the most vanilla doc possible. There are some brutal talking points but the rest can be a bit of a slog to get to them. Rather than a doc focused on Vince, it really shifts into telling the history of WWE more often than not. Some of it is necessary as the viewer needs context for the depraved stuff happening behind the scenes by showing the depraved stuff happening on screen. But as a lifelong wrestling fan, it mostly feels old hat.
The doc establishes early that Vince is an unreliable narrator but that could be said for most in the wrestling world. Notorious overindulger, Hulk Hogan continues his streak of fibbing about events, then nonchalantly talking about how he destroyed a possible wrestling union. He just can’t seem to get the carny out of him. The same could be said of most of the talking heads, who have a history of falsely portraying events. They are wrestlers after all. The line between reality and kayfabe has always been a bit complicated.
One of the most disturbing moments comes when discussing the first ever women’s referee Rita Chatterton (known as Rita Marie in the ring). She had accused Vince of rape in the 80s, which sadly never went anywhere. But it’s very telling that, on camera, Vince says “It wasn’t rape… But if I had, the statute of limitations has run out.” Combine that with the episode stinger that stated, after the statute of limitations for rape had time passed removed, Chatterton sued again—this time Vince settled for millions. Certainly points towards a bit of guilt. Then the Janel Grant allegations are enough to make my stomach turn over.
Anyone who has been paying attention to the world of professional wrestling over the last twenty years isn’t going to be too shocked by the revelations in Mr. McMahon. The first five episodes go over basic info that has been floating around wrestling forums for years. But those on the outside of that world are certainly going to be in for a storm of information. It isn’t until episode 6 that we finally get into the new allegations against McMahon. Given that these haven’t been the subject matter of countless documentaries like the other incidents, this is where the most intrigue lies in the entire documentary. The allegations are truly horrendous. And it’s really the one episode that’s essential viewing.
As a big wrestling fan, this documentary feels more like an attempt to bring the general public up to speed on the crazy stuff McMahon has done over the years. But any hardcore wrestling fan is already going to know the information presented here. It’s well-produced and edited, but the info is mostly the same as we’ve been hearing for decades. If anything, if any of these stories interest you, I’d recommend looking into them further as there are other docs that go fully into these tragedies in more detail. Mr. McMahon is a mostly surface level at an ego-maniac, intent on power and control. I wouldn’t be surprised to see an additional episode in a few years with all the fallout from the many lawsuits against McMahon. Because this is clearly just the beginning of THAT story.
MR. MCMAHON IS STREAMING ON NETFLIX ON SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2024.
The post Mr. McMahon Review: Is this the definitive WWE doc? appeared first on JoBlo.
How do you follow up on some of the most critically acclaimed games of the past decade? Many thought that Nintendo couldn’t surpass the sheer open-world wonder and physics toy-box creativity that made The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild such a revelation. However, Nintendo seemed to do just that with Tears of the…
How do you follow up on some of the most critically acclaimed games of the past decade? Many thought that Nintendo couldn’t surpass the sheer open-world wonder and physics toy-box creativity that made The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild such a revelation. However, Nintendo seemed to do just that with Tears of the…
PLOT: Author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.
REVIEW: I need to get it right out of the way that I’m not the biggest fan of the original 1979 Tobe Hooper version of Salem’s Lot. The story is interesting but I find it to be a 3-hour slog with about 15 minutes of cool moments. So I was ecstatic to see it finally get the remake treatment. Or rather, I was glad to see the book adapted another time, to try and get it right (they tried again in 2004 with another so-so miniseries). This would have been the first big-screen adaptation of the novel, but it was delayed for years, with Warner Bros eventually cancelling its theatrical release in favour of streaming release on Max.
For those who have never read the book or seen either prior adaptation, Salem’s Lot follows Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) as he returns to his hometown. Hoping to find inspiration for his next book, he finds his arrival coincides with that of a dark force descending upon the town: an ancient vampire intent on taking over Jerusalem’s Lot. As more and more townsfolk are converted, it becomes a ticking time bomb. But Ben’s isn’t the only story we follow, as we get an IT-like juvenile plotline with Jordan Preston Carter’s Mark Petrie. Mark has a wisdom beyond his years quality to him, and he’s solid in the role even if the character does often feel like he’s maybe a little too in control of situations for his age (hence the similarities to IT – with the director Gary Dauberman having famously written that two-part film).
After a stellar performance earlier this year in Skincare, Pullman continues to be great in whatever he does and he anchors the movie. His romance with Makenzie Leigh‘s Susan hits the right level of smitten. I was very excited to see Bill Camp get such a featured role as he’s always been so underrated. The other acting is a little stiff throughout, with some stilted performances amongst some people having fun with it. Young Nicholas Crovetti seemed to relish getting to play a bad guy and it was entertaining. King-regular, William Sadler appears as a police officer but it’s a pretty unrewarding role. Alfre Woodard feels more like she’s checking off a box versus contributing to the narrative.
Some of the scares have potential, with some really cool buildup moments but nearly every single one ends on a lame jump scare. And it’s one of those jump scares where the scene just immediately ends. Which means there’s no satisfying payoff to any of these tense moments. It sucks because I was really enjoying the simplicity of the story. The CGI can be a bit distracting, with enhancements on nearly all of the horror elements. Then there’s Kurt Barlow, the head vampire, whose appearance looks like a Halloween mask of the classic Nosferatu-like being. He’s often overlit and the cinematography highlights the very rubbery-looking mask. It’s a big disappointment.
And while there’s potential with the romance between Susan and Ben, it ultimately falls flat in the end. As soon as it starts to blossom, the film switches gears and becomes IT switching over to the B-plot. Every character feels shortchanged and there’s not a good balance in the shuffling of all the storylines. There’s just not enough time to dig into any dramatic elements, proving that maybe a miniseries really is the only way to tackle the material. The changes don’t necessarily ruin the film (the Drive-In Movie Theater sequence was great) but the execution feels sloppy and uninspired.
Ultimately I was really disappointed with Salem’s Lot. There’s clearly a reason that this movie was shelved for years. I was hoping they’d finally be able to crack the code when it comes to adapting this novel. But it still just hasn’t happened, and at this point, I’m afraid it never will. Apparently, a simple story about a vampire taking over a small town is just too much for a feature film. Guess we’ll try again in another twenty years.
SALEM’S LOT IS EXCLUSIVELY PLAYING ON MAX STARTING ON OCTOBER 3RD, 2024.
The post Salem’s Lot (2024) Review: Was this long-delayed Stephen King adaptation worth the wait? appeared first on JoBlo.
PLOT: Author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.
REVIEW: I need to get it right out of the way that I’m not the biggest fan of the original 1979 Tobe Hooper version of Salem’s Lot. The story is interesting but I find it to be a 3-hour slog with about 15 minutes of cool moments. So I was ecstatic to see it finally get the remake treatment. Or rather, I was glad to see the book adapted another time, to try and get it right (they tried again in 2004 with another so-so miniseries). This would have been the first big-screen adaptation of the novel, but it was delayed for years, with Warner Bros eventually cancelling its theatrical release in favour of streaming release on Max.
For those who have never read the book or seen either prior adaptation, Salem’s Lot follows Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) as he returns to his hometown. Hoping to find inspiration for his next book, he finds his arrival coincides with that of a dark force descending upon the town: an ancient vampire intent on taking over Jerusalem’s Lot. As more and more townsfolk are converted, it becomes a ticking time bomb. But Ben’s isn’t the only story we follow, as we get an IT-like juvenile plotline with Jordan Preston Carter’s Mark Petrie. Mark has a wisdom beyond his years quality to him, and he’s solid in the role even if the character does often feel like he’s maybe a little too in control of situations for his age (hence the similarities to IT – with the director Gary Dauberman having famously written that two-part film).
After a stellar performance earlier this year in Skincare, Pullman continues to be great in whatever he does and he anchors the movie. His romance with Makenzie Leigh‘s Susan hits the right level of smitten. I was very excited to see Bill Camp get such a featured role as he’s always been so underrated. The other acting is a little stiff throughout, with some stilted performances amongst some people having fun with it. Young Nicholas Crovetti seemed to relish getting to play a bad guy and it was entertaining. King-regular, William Sadler appears as a police officer but it’s a pretty unrewarding role. Alfre Woodard feels more like she’s checking off a box versus contributing to the narrative.
Some of the scares have potential, with some really cool buildup moments but nearly every single one ends on a lame jump scare. And it’s one of those jump scares where the scene just immediately ends. Which means there’s no satisfying payoff to any of these tense moments. It sucks because I was really enjoying the simplicity of the story. The CGI can be a bit distracting, with enhancements on nearly all of the horror elements. Then there’s Kurt Barlow, the head vampire, whose appearance looks like a Halloween mask of the classic Nosferatu-like being. He’s often overlit and the cinematography highlights the very rubbery-looking mask. It’s a big disappointment.
And while there’s potential with the romance between Susan and Ben, it ultimately falls flat in the end. As soon as it starts to blossom, the film switches gears and becomes IT switching over to the B-plot. Every character feels shortchanged and there’s not a good balance in the shuffling of all the storylines. There’s just not enough time to dig into any dramatic elements, proving that maybe a miniseries really is the only way to tackle the material. The changes don’t necessarily ruin the film (the Drive-In Movie Theater sequence was great) but the execution feels sloppy and uninspired.
Ultimately I was really disappointed with Salem’s Lot. There’s clearly a reason that this movie was shelved for years. I was hoping they’d finally be able to crack the code when it comes to adapting this novel. But it still just hasn’t happened, and at this point, I’m afraid it never will. Apparently, a simple story about a vampire taking over a small town is just too much for a feature film. Guess we’ll try again in another twenty years.
SALEM’S LOT IS EXCLUSIVELY PLAYING ON MAX STARTING ON OCTOBER 3RD, 2024.
The post Salem’s Lot (2024) Review: Was this long-delayed Stephen King adaptation worth the wait? appeared first on JoBlo.
Mel Gibson has been developing two high-profile sequels — Lethal Weapon 5 and The Passion of the Christ 2 — but he isn’t sure which project he’ll direct first.
“I don’t know, and that’s the funny thing,” Gibson told ComicBook.com. “I mean, there’s various obstacles to getting any film up on its feet, and not just budgetary, but there’s like, there’s 1,000,001 reason why something goes and why it doesn’t. So it’s really kind of a crapshoot at this point what goes first and which came first, whether it’s the chicken or the egg.“
Richard Donner directed the first four movies in the Lethal Weapon franchise, but after he passed away, the responsibility for the fifth installment fell to Gibson. “I’m going to direct the fifth film in the Lethal Weapon series. You know, Richard Donner, who did the other four, sadly passed away. He was a good friend, and he kind of tasked me with carrying the flag home on that one,” Gibson said earlier this summer. “It’ll be an honor for me to do that. He [Richard Donner] had gotten a fair way into the screenplay, so we’ve used what was there, and we kept poking at it, working at it a little. I’m pretty happy with it, it’s good, I had a lot of fun doing it.” In addition to directing, Gibson would also reprise his role of Martin Riggs alongside Danny Glover as Roger Murtaugh.
As for The Passion of the Christ 2, Gibson was recently doing some location scouting for the project. Jim Caviezel is expected to return as Jesus Christ, with the story focusing on the events surrounding the resurrection. Last year, Gibson teased that he was working on two very different versions of the script. “I have two scripts and one of them is very structured and very strong script and kind of more what should expect and the other is like an acid trip,” Gibson said. “Because you’re going into other realms and stuff. I mean you’re in hell and you’re watching the angels fall. It’s like crazy.“
Our next helping of Gibson will arrive with Flight Risk, an action thriller he directed from a script by Jared Rosenberg. The film stars Mark Wahlberg as a pilot transporting an Air Marshall (Michelle Dockery) who is accompanying a fugitive (Topher Grace) to trial. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness, tensions soar, and trust is tested, as not everyone on board is who they seem. The film will hit theaters on January 24, 2025.
Also, you should keep an eye out on JoBlo next week, as we’ll be posting our own exclusive interview with Mel Gibson. Stay tuned!
Would you like to see Mel Gibson direct Lethal Weapon 5 or The Passion of the Christ 2 as his next project?
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Samuel L. Jackson gave audiences their first hint that the Marvel Cinematic Universe was going to be more significant than they imagined. The actor first appeared as Nick Fury at the end of Iron Man, telling Tony Stark that he’d become part of a bigger universe. This was the first of Jackson’s nine-picture deal with Marvel Studios. The actor told GQ that not only was he shocked by the deal, but that he stayed alive long enough to see them all get made.
“I knew I had a nine-picture deal,” Jackson said. “[Marvel Studios president] Kevin [Feige] said that: ‘We’re going to offer you a nine-picture deal.’ How long do you have to stay alive to make nine movies? It’s not the quickest process in the world. I didn’t know they were going to make nine movies in like two and a half years. That’s kind of crazy! Oh shit, I’m using up my contracts. It worked out.“
Jackson reached the end of that initial nine-picture deal with Captain Marvel but has returned for more Marvel movies, including Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and The Marvels. He also took center stage in the Secret Invasion series on Disney+.
That’s a lot of Marvel movies, but Jackson told The LA Times in 2022 that he’d rather focus on doing what makes him happy rather than chasing awards. “I was never going to let the Oscars be a measure of my success or failure as an actor,” Jackson said. “My yardstick of success is my happiness: Am I satisfied with what I’m doing? I’m not doing statue-chasing movies. You know [whispers]: ‘If you do this movie, you’ll win an Oscar.’ No, thanks. I’d rather be Nick Fury. Or having fun being Mace Windu with a lightsaber in my hand.“
Jackson continued, “As jaded as I wanted to be about it, you know thinking, ‘Well, I should have won an Oscar for this or should have won for that and it didn’t happen,’ once I got over it many years ago, it wasn’t a big deal for me. I always have fun going to the Oscars. I always look forward to getting a gift basket for being a presenter. [Laughs] I give stuff to my relatives; my daughter and my wife would take stuff out. It’s cool.”
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Break out the marmalade sandwiches! The upcoming Paddington in Peru won’t be the last we see of the adorable bear, as StudioCanal revealed that they’re already in the early stages of working on Paddington 4. Not only will there be a new sequel, but a new Paddington TV series in the works as well.
“We are also working on a new TV series and a new movie to come in 2027, ’28,” said Françoise Guyonnet, CEO of StudioCanal Kids & Family, noting that 2028 will mark the 70th anniversary of the franchise. “Of course, the big event for the StudioCanal family is the release of Paddington in Peru.” The first two Paddington movies were just some of the most delightful films I’ve ever watched. It remains to be seen if Paddington in Peru will live up to the lofty heights of its predecessors, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Paddington 4.
Paddington in Peru “follows Paddington and the Brown family as they visit Aunt Lucy in Peru. A thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and to the mountain peaks of Peru.” Ben Whishaw returns to voice Paddington, with Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas, and Imelda Staunton rounding out the cast.
Paul King, who directed the first two movies, didn’t return for Paddington in Peru as he made the difficult choice to helm Wonka instead. “It was really difficult, because I’d spent eight years with the bear and I felt such incredible love for him,” King said. “He’s an animated character, and the design and the love that went into every single follicle was labor intensive and done with such heart. So it’s kind of like sending your kid off to school and going, ‘I hope you’ll be okay!’ But I also know it was the right thing to do.“
Paul King added that “because there’s so much Paddington source material, you could make 50 Paddington movies. I’d be a hundred years old and still doing Paddington.” If there was only enough source material to make two or three films, King said that things might have been different, but he was “really pleased” with where they left Paddington after the second movie and that it was “time to let go and give somebody else a shot.“
Paddington in Peru will debut in the U.K. on November 8th, followed by a U.S. release on January 17th.
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