As we honor the men and women of the Armed Forces on Veteran’s Day in the United States, Tom Cruise, Paramount Pictures, and Skydance Entertainment are keeping audiences entertained with a thrilling teaser trailer and poster for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. The action-packed trailer features Ethan Hunt (Cruise) in his most dangerous mission yet, with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance as he defies gravity, embraces the unknown, and saves the world.
Look, we all know Barbie looks at porn. She’s an adult woman, it’s no big deal. But it’s maybe more of an issue when she starts leaving tabs open all over the merch sold to kids. This is what’s happened on the boxes for two Wicked movie tie-in Barbie dolls.
Look, we all know Barbie looks at porn. She’s an adult woman, it’s no big deal. But it’s maybe more of an issue when she starts leaving tabs open all over the merch sold to kids. This is what’s happened on the boxes for two Wicked movie tie-in Barbie dolls.
Plot: Yellowstone chronicles the Dutton family who controls the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States. Amid shifting alliances, unsolved murders, open wounds, and hard-earned respect – the ranch is in constant conflict with those it borders – an expanding town, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park.
Review (SPOILER WARNING): In the almost two years since the eighth episode of Yellowstone‘s fifth season premiered, fans have waited to learn the fate of John Dutton. Kevin Costner entered a very publicized feud with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, which was tied to his salary and time away from the series to direct his passion project, Horizon: An American Saga. The first part of that film has come and gone from theaters, but we have still been waiting to see how the second part of Yellowstone‘s fifth and final season would address Costner’s departure. Last night, we finally found out. Simulcast on Paramount Network, Logo, TV Land, and MTV, Yellowstone‘s mid-season premiere revealed that John Dutton, the Governor of Montana, is dead. While Costner’s face is not seen, Sheridan makes it abundantly clear that the patriarch of the Dutton clan will not be returning to wrap up the series’ final run.
As with the final season of Game of Thrones, advanced screeners were not made available for the premiere episode of Yellowstone, titled “Desire is All You Need.” What is noticeable when watching the episode is the accommodations made to the plot to fit in with the lack of Costner’s involvement in these episodes. The episode opens with Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Kayce (Luke Grimes) arriving at the Governor’s residence to a slew of police cars with a cordon to the building. Using his badge as Livestock Commissioner, Kayce and Beth enter to find their father’s body, positioned to make it look like a suicide. Of course, we also see Jamie (West Bentley) receive a phone call confirming the death of his adoptive father. The emotional response from Bentley and Reilly is jarringly realistic and shows how close this cast has become over their years working together. Beth, of course, has an instinct that Jamie is behind the assassination, which sets in motion what is bound to be a massive showdown in the final episodes.
But that is pretty much all we get of substance in this episode. Outside of the opening and closing minutes, the mid-season premiere of Yellowstone flashes back six weeks before the point where the previous episode left off. We follow Rip (Cole Hauser) and his crew heading to Texas for their temporary relocation. The shift to Texas allows for an appearance from Jimmy (Jefferson White) and crew from the 6666 Ranch, another no-so-subtle reminder that a spin-off set there is still in the works from Taylor Sheridan. The Texas plot spends time showcasing the stark geographic difference between the southern state and the mountains of Montana. It allows Rip to wax philosophically on the fading life of cowboys and ranchers. It is a sad moment when he talks about solar farms and importing beef from Brazil, but it also feels a bit like filler after the lengthy wait to visit these characters again. We see Beth get out of community service by drinking and smoking her usual way, but this episode is about it for Beth and Rip.
We get a brief scene with Monica (Kelsey Asbille) and Kayce relocating to a remote ranch on the Dutton property, which features an ominous visit from a wolf in the distance. We also see Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) scouting the future location of a pipeline through the reservation. The little moments show the quiet on the Dutton Ranch as Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith) looks for things to keep the remaining cowboys busy. At the same time, Rip is in Texas pads the episode before the big sequence featuring Sara Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) meeting with a mysterious man named Grant (Matt Gerald), where they orchestrated the death of John Dutton. It is an intriguingly complex meeting that shows the cutthroat nature of Atwood before it revisits the present day as she meets with Jamie while dressed in lingerie. Jamie reveals that he did not think she would have his father killed, but she convinces him it is for the best. Her cold-blooded nature continues to make Atwood a formidable foe for Beth, but I would not want to be in the middle of that showdown.
The mid-season premiere was written by Taylor Sheridan, who manages the smaller, quieter elements that have always made Yellowstone intriguing to watch between murder scenes, backstabbing, and intrigue. For anyone who does not work on a ranch or in the wide expanses of America, there is a romantic element of cowboy life that Yellowstone beautifully displays. Taylor Sheridan also never lets us forget that the privilege of living the way most Americans do comes on the backs of men like Rip, Lloyd, and the others who work the Dutton Ranch. This monumental episode was directed by Christine Alexandra Voros, who helmed eight other episodes of Yellowstone, as well as entries in 1883 and Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Sheridan has confidence in Voros’ ability to capture the somber in equal measure with the dramatic, which they pull off to great effect with this episode.
The death of John Dutton, which most of us knew was a foregone conclusion, was still handled with a dramatic grace that kept it a shocking moment in Yellowstone history. I had hoped we would see Kevin Costner back in some capacity, but his departure made that impossible. Compared to other series that have handled killing off the main character, like Roseanne and House of Cards, Yellowstone makes it a vital and central part of the plot without ignoring the elephant in the room. Kudos to Taylor Sheridan for making the death feel like it would always happen, even if it did crop up sooner than expected. It is tough to tell how the remaining episodes of this season will compare to this one, but at least Yellowstone is back to keep our Sundays exciting.
Yellowstone debuts new episodes Sundays on Paramount Network.
Fifteen years after the script to Nick Cave’s proposed sequel to Gladiator leaked, an official follow-up finally rides into cinemas, courtesy of Sir Ridley and screenwriter David Scarpa (who also wrote All The Money in the World and Napoleon) and featuring considerably less Christ-killing that the Bad Seed intended. The coup of casting man-of-the-moment Paul Mescal as the heir to Russell Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius all but ensures legions of Gen Z and Millenial fans will be flocking to cinemas, alongside folks for whom the Roman Empire is their Roman Empire. Johnny-Come-Lately sequels to Scott properties are nothing new (Blade Runner 2049 directed by Denis Villeneuve, Prometheus and Alien Covenant overseen by Scott) but a Gladiator follow-up seems like a particularly interesting proposition considering most of the main characters had died by the end of the first film.
This leaves Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), who has shacked up with General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) after sending her son Lucius – the blond moppet played by Spencer Treat Clark in Scott’s 2000 film – away for his own safety. Lucius, now a strapping 20-something, lives a simple life in Numidia with his wife, until the Roman army rocks up at the behest of twin emperors Caracalla and Geta (Fred Hechinger and Joseph Quinn) and start swinging swords. After losing his wife to one of General Acacius’s arrows, Lucius finds himself on a slave ship bound for Rome, where he is promptly bought by cheerful slaver Macrinus (Denzel Washington) who sees his potential as a gladiator.
Perhaps this all sounds a bit familiar to those who have seen Sir Rid’s original. A beardy bloke with a vaguely British accent wants revenge after his home and family are murdered at the hands of Rome; said beardy bloke ends up hacking his way to vengeance as a gladiator. The sequel does hit a lot of the same plot points as the original, with the unfortunate caveat that – with the exceptions of Washington and Nielsen – none of the cast are very good. The normally reliable Mescal is a pale imitation of Crowe, although it’s down to the uninspired script rather than his acting – Lucius has little emotional range beyond rage, and while this works to grand effect in the early gladiator battle between Lucius and a bunch of bloodthirsty baboons, the wind goes out of his sails quickly.
Much has been made of the scale in this sequel too, particularly the epic Colosseum naval battle featuring a load of sharks, but these setpieces are frustratingly short – there’s a lot of build-up to big moments that are over in a flash. Similarly, tension between characters seems to evaporate all too easily, meaning it’s hard to really see any weight in their words or actions. This, combined with the flimsy conceit that a fundamentally corrupt institution can be changed from the inside out with a few good men, means that Gladiator II lacks both the gravitas and simple but satisfying narrative arc which made its foundation such a refreshing epic.
It’s a case of throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks; Washington’s gleefully opportunistic villain is fun, but Quinn and Hechinger are giving two half impressions of a whole Joaquin Phoenix, and Pedro Pascal – imminently charming off-screen – has all the dramatic flair of a dull sword. Despite occasional flashes of inspiration – the baboon fight, some pleasingly visceral gore – this sequel lacks both the impact of its inspiration and the fresh ideas necessary to stand on its own two feet.
ANTICIPATION.
As an avowed Late Scott fan, I’m locked in. 4
ENJOYMENT.
Really peaks with the baboon fight. 3
IN RETROSPECT.
Not a complete write-off, but certainly not the triumph we deserved. 2
Directed by
Ridley Scott
Starring
Paul Mescal,
Pedro Pascal,
Fred Hechinger,
Connie Nielsen,
Denzel Washington
PLOT: Sixteen years after the death of Maximus in the Coliseum, the now-grown Lucius (Paul Mescal), who is secretly the heir to the Roman Empire, finds himself enslaved and forced to fight in the Coliseum while Rome crumbles under the leadership of two tyrannical brothers, Emperor Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Emperor Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).
REVIEW: In my estimation, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator is one of the best historical dramas ever made. When it came out in 2000, it was immediately hailed as a classic, making star Russell Crowe a household name. In the twenty-four years since its release, it’s been often imitated but never equaled. Now, Ridley Scott is back for a lavish sequel, which is being rightly acclaimed as one of his best films in the last twenty years.
While Gladiator II isn’t the instant classic the original was, it’s nonetheless a highly entertaining, faithful sequel, jam-packed with action and spectacle. There hasn’t been a lavish, action-driven historical drama done on this scale in some time, with Scott, despite his advancing age, as energetic and kinetic a director as ever.
One thing that surprised me about Gladiator II is how directly it follows the original (as opposed to early sequel concepts – which were more out there). Given the intervening years, one might have assumed Ridley Scott would have made it more of a standalone entry, but instead, it demands that audiences be very familiar with the original. The animated opening credits portray several of the original film’s classic sequences to refresh the audience’s memory. Still, Scott and writer David Scarpa clearly expect audience members to remember the original quite well.
It would be interesting to watch them back to back, as Scott’s done his best to recapture the flavour and style of the first film. He even repurposes much of Hans Zimmer’s original score despite the composer passing on composing duties to Harry Gregson-Williams. This gives the film a nice sense of continuity, as does the fact that the movies also share the same DP, John Mathieson, while some of the original cast members, including Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi, are back.
One key difference between the two movies is that Gladiator II is less of a hero’s journey for Paul Mescal’s Lucius, with the film not anchored on him like the original was on Crowe. He’s more part of an ensemble here, with Lucius’s journey from family man to slave to Gladiator seeming to take place over a matter of months rather than the years Maximus toiled in the arena.
Mescal’s gotten himself into amazing shape here and really excels in the action scenes, with one hand-to-hand battle early on, which takes place in the home of a Roman senator, especially good. If anything, Gladiator II is even more action-heavy than the original, with Scott opting for wilder set pieces meant to evoke Rome’s growing depravity. Mescal fights everything from rhinos to sharks to baboons this time, although the issue with the bigger set pieces is that Lucius starts to come off as almost a superhero, as opposed to the very mortal Maximus.
Much of the film focuses on Denzel Washington’s Macrinus, a former slave who, over the course of the film, uses his wealth and power in a Machiavellian scheme to take over Rome. Washington, playing a rare villain, seems like he’s having the time of his life as the constantly scheming former slave. Yet, Washington never makes him a cartoon character, with him kind of the other side of the coin compared to Richard Harris’s Marcus Areulius in the first film, with the two sharing a vision for a new Rome, even if the latter’s is more apocalyptic.
Pedro Pascal also has a good role as the new husband of Nielsen’s Lucilla, a sympathetic Roman general who, through a twist of fate, finds himself marked for death by Lucius, with their climactic battle in the arena being an inevitability. Pascal fits nicely into the period epic milieu and could likely lead a film like this on his own, with him doing a good job depicting the character’s torn loyalties. Finally, Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger have fun as the two depraved emperors who make Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus seem reasonable by comparison.
While Gladiator II doesn’t quite gain the instant classic status it aspires to, it’s still a brilliantly made historical epic with a superb ensemble cast and some amazing action. The 150-minute running time blazes by (perhaps too quickly – I hope there’s a longer cut someday) and leaves the door open for a third film, which might do a nice job rounding out what could be a great trilogy about the fall of the Roman Empire. As it is, this is one of the most purely entertaining films of the year and a must-see for fans of the original.
Plot: From the expansive universe of Dune, created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert, and 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, Dune: Prophecy follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit.
Review: Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Dune has proven that once considered unadaptable, Frank Herbert’s novels could make for critical and commercial successes in the right creative hands. With the first film nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards and Dune: Part Two destined for the same honor, the franchise’s future has never been more in the zeitgeist. Seizing the opportunity to explore other formats and media, Warner Bros and HBO have developed Dune: Prophecy. This prequel series explains the origins of the mystical sect seen in the films known as the Bene Gesserit. Chronicling the familiar Houses of Harkonnen, Atreides, and Corrino, Dune: Prophecy takes a cue from series like Game of Thrones to explore the palace intrigue of royal families, commoners rising through the ranks, backstabbing, and destiny to deepen the mythology of Dune beyond the planet of Arrakis.
Having seen four of the six episodes that comprise the first season of Dune: Prophecy, I am torn about how this series fits alongside the feature films. As far as plot elements, Dune: Prophecy shares a lot in common with the Games of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon, as both series namecheck ancestors of characters from the main series while dramatizing events that are key to the events of the films set in the distant past. As fans of the Dune novels know, one hundred centuries before the first book, a war was waged between the humans and the thinking machines that were destroying them. Dune: Prophecy picks up one hundred and sixteen years after that war, The Butlerian Jihad, as House Corrino has taken control of the Imperium. Familiar Houses like Harkonnen and Atreides exist but are lesser compared to the major families. Much of this series is set at the seat of the Imperium, where Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong) rules alongside his consort, Empress Natalya (Jodhi May). Javicco is preparing his daughter, Princess Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina), for indoctrination into the Sisterhood of the Bene Gesserit and marriage to forge a bond with House Richese. This comes when soldier Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel) returns from Arakkis with a message for the Emperor.
The first episode of Dune: Prophecy sets the foundation for how Reverend Mother Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson) and her sister Tula (Olivia Williams) shape the next generation of Truthsayers to control the various Houses behind the scenes. We meet young Sisters, including Theodosia (Jade Anouka), Emeline (Aoife Hinds), Lila (Chloe Lea), and more, as they learn the ways of the Sisterhood while questioning the potentially dangerous leadership of Valya and Tula, which unfolds via flashbacks to how they gained control of the Bene Gesserit. We also see how a shocking event at the end of the premiere episode puts Emperor Javicco’s control at risk and how Desmond Hart plays a key role in what is to come. The atmosphere of the series feels more opulent than the setting of Arrakis, as the Emperor lives on Salusa Secundus, a planet briefly seen as training grounds for soldiers in the Dune films. On Salusa Secundus, we see the nightlife of the aristocracy, which involves nightclubs teeming with spice usage and lots of sex. We also visit each House’s home planet, ranging from forested (Atreides) to frozen (Harkonnen).
The lack of technology is seen briefly in a sequence showing the downfall of machines with robotics factoring into the plot. There are also connections to the Dune films as we see swordmasters using training shields, some shots of massive sandworms, and the mind-controlling skill known as The Voice by the Bene Gesserit. There are also references to elements from the sequel novel, Dune Messiah, that I will not spoil here as it is a major plot twist. Needless to say, there is a lot to unpack in this short season, and by the fourth episode, I am still unsure how they will pull it all together with just two chapters remaining. I can say that fans of the prequel novels by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Andersen, both of whom are credited as executive producers on Dune: Prophecy, will find a lot of changes from the published books. Like HBO’s adaptations of George R.R. Martin’s novels, this series draws the books’ main timeline and plot points and includes many characters from them. It also has new creations that are original to this series and expand on elements from the thirteen prequel books.
Some of the elements of Dune: Prophecy are intriguing, such as the skill shown by Desmond Hart, which has no equivalent in the book series. The power hierarchy within the Imperium is interesting, but what we see inside The Sisterhood is far more interesting than the palace intrigue and political conversations between the established Houses we know by name and the multiple new families you have to try and keep straight. The Harkonnens are much different than the bald, powerful empire seen in the films, but knowing they are monsters makes it hard to root for them here. Equally, the similarities between this series and Game of Thrones purely from a structural standpoint make this series feel a bit derivative rather than an interesting foray deeper into the mythology of Dune. Travis Fimmel does some interesting work as the standalone character in the story, while Mark Strong feels like he is sleepwalking through his character. Emily Watson and Olivia Williams have an intriguing dynamic in their story arcs, but they do not have enough time to work together on screen.
Director Anna Foerster (Westworld, Outlander) helmed the first episode and the final two, with John Cameron (Severance) helming the second episode and Richard J. Lewis (Westworld) helming episodes three and four. None of these three directors are anywhere close to the visual grandeur of what Denis Villeneuve brought to the Dune films, making Dune: Prophecy feel smaller than the films that bring viewers to this story. Alison Schapker (Fringe, Lost, Westworld) serves as showrunner after co-creating the series with Diane Ademu-John (The Haunting of Bly Manor), and the pair manages to give the female characters their due in a show that previously carried the subtitle The Sisterhood. Scott Z. Burns and Dune co-screenwriter Jon Spaihts are credited as executive producers, while Villeneuve is not. Volker Bertelmann (All Quiet on the Western Front) does not come close to Hans Zimmer’s memorable score but does lend some gravitas to the series.
Dune: Prophecy is a well-made series with high production values and a solid cast of veterans and newcomers, but it cannot help but feel like a replica of Game of Thrones set in outer space. With a limited run of episodes for the first season, I expected more from this series, which spends each episode too heavily reliant on characters talking to each other rather than providing a compelling argument for telling this story rather than other periods from the ten thousand years before Paul Atreides arrived on Arrakis. Frank Herbert’s novels were not shy from sexual content and focused heavily on conversations about political action rather than actual action, so Dune: Prophecy does not stray far from the source material. However, audiences flocked to HBO’s Game of Thrones because it was compelling, interesting, and a unique world to visit with characters to root for. While Dune: Prophecy certainly has the potential to achieve the first two, none of these characters are worth caring about. If you loved the Dune movies, this is worth watching to learn more background instead of reading thousands of pages, but it is not nearly as interesting or entertaining as the feature films.
45 years ago, Ken Foree faced off with the undead in one of the greatest zombie movies ever made, the George A. Romero classic Dawn of the Dead. Now, Foree has written a zombie story of his own – and it’s coming our way in the form of a graphic novel called Descendants of the Undead! Copies of the 30 page first issue are available for pre-order through a Kickstarter campaign that has greatly surpassed its initial goal and still has ten days to go. You can check out the campaign at THIS LINK.
The first issue of Descendants of the Undead is said to begin “a terrifying series that incorporates the mayhem of zombies with striking visuals and electrifying characters – both human and not! We meet ‘Dad’, a seasoned zombie survivor, the patriarch of a straggly group of teenagers on an isolated island occupied by an advanced form of zombies. The surviving group are haunted by the supernatural catastrophic outbreak years prior. The first installment, written by Ken Foree, is rich with heart stopping thrills and terror, enhanced by eerie, dynamic visuals from a passionate creative team. It includes: Amone Linsamouth – Art director who coordinates the artists’ contributions of style and creativity to the project as well providing her own eerie artistry. Vincentius Matthew – Senior Concept Artist at Studios whose craftsmanship with color highlights every page. JamTronArt – Passionate sketcher/penciler who not only creates the foundation and adds stunning dimension to the comic. Kai Lun Qu – Cover artist whose talent contributed to the award winning Marvel game, SNAP. Amy Linsamouth – Editor/letterer with an award winning writing background. Ken Foree – Writer and legendary horror star, known for leading roles in Dawn of the Dead, Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, The Devil’s Rejects, Halloween (2007), etc.“
In addition to receiving the comic, Kickstarter backers will also have “access to exciting and exclusive awards, including limited edition prints, behind the scenes content, original artwork and a chance to have your name listed in the comic. There will be more surprises as the campaign progresses.“
Descendants of the Undead has the following synopsis: THE REAL HORROR CONSUMES FROM WITHIN. Twenty years ago, when a group of survivors fled the zombies ravaging the mainland, they commandeered a ship and sought refuge on a distant island. They hoped to find safety among the lush vegetation, fresh water, and sprawling landscapes. But the island harbored its own dark secret: its native inhabitants were infected with the same ravenous disease. Now during the present, the brutal nightmare against the flesh-eating hordes left only a handful of adults alive among the survivors is a man with the moniker “Dad.” Because of his seniority, he leads the children of the original settlers. These teenagers are the new generation of young zombie hunters, born into a world of carnage; honing their skills and instincts in ways their predecessors never could. Their resilience and resourcefulness may yet keep Dad alive. But across the island, something strange is happening with the flesh-eaters. The monsters are more organized and dangerous, turning the island into a fatal battleground. Scarred by the trauma of the initial outbreak in his past, Dad fights a mental battle, struggling to become the leader the new generation needs. He can either succumb to his madness or rise to the challenge and guide his chosen family to safety. With danger lurking around every corner, the island’s inhabitants face their greatest threat yet—a father figure whose inner demons may be deadlier than the zombies around them.
Does Descendants of the Undead sound interesting to you, and will you be pre-ordering the first issue through the Kickstarter campaign? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
