Tag / Marvel

by jim

Post Mortem – Daredevil

On November 29, 2018, Netflix announced that they were cancelling Daredevil after 3 seasons.  The move coincides with the ending of most of the Marvel shows produced for Netflix at a time when the studio’s parent company, Disney, is looking to launch their own streaming service.

Daredevil was the first of a burgeoning stable of Marvel shows on Netflix, leading the way for Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher, and The Defenders.  While technically set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Netflix shows only tangentially referenced the events and the heroes of the movies, sometimes going to great lengths to avoid it.

New Marvel shows will be moving to Disney+ after it launches later this year and those are expected to be more closely tied to the MCU.  While it is technically possible for Daredevil to continue on that service, odds are against it.

by admin

2018: The Year In Movies

Movie_Reel_22

The loss of my annual long December vacation saw a slight downturn in movie watching for me, with my lowest total since 1988.  I managed to watch 55 movies last year, my seventh consecutive year under 100 and my lowest total since 1993.  Again, many things contributed to this, chiefly the insane amount of TV I’ve been watching, the greater effort made towards going out for walks, and the awful amount of time I spend either at work or getting to and from work.

Here’s a look back at the first 50 movies I did manage to watch last year and what recollection, if any, I have of them. The films are listed in the order I saw them.

The French Connection (1971)
Hailed as one of the best films of the 70s, I can’t say it plays well here in the 21st century.

Cobra (1986)
Somehow I missed this Stallone “classic” back in the day.

Table 19 (2017)
The misfit table at a wedding bands together to settle scored, both old and new.

Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2017)
The classic board game moves to the video age in this sequel.

Patriots Day (2017)
Mark Wahlberg plays the hero of the Boston Marathon bombing.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
It certainly took me a while to see the latest installment in this franchise.

Life (2017)
A team of scientists find proof that life once existed on Mars, potentially dooming life on Earth in the process.

Snatched (2017)
Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn go on vacation together and hijinks ensue.

People Like Us (2012)
When his father dies, Chris Pine learns that he had another family that needs some help.

The Layover (2017)
Two friends compete over a man when a hurricane turns their flight in to a road trip. Continue reading →

by admin

The Loss Of A Legend

On Monday, Stan Lee, the father of the Marvel Universe, passed away at the age of 95.  Through his work with Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and others, Lee created or co-created Black Panther, Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Mighty Thor, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil and Ant-Man, among countless other characters, and catapulted Marvel from a tiny venture into the world’s No. 1 publisher of comic books and, eventually, a multimedia giant.

Beginning in 1985, with the final issue of a TransFormers limited series that would eventually run 80 issues, through 2007’s One More Day story arc that concluded in Amazing Spider-Man 545, the worlds created by Lee provided 22 years of entertainment in comic book form and many more since thanks to the cinematic versions.  His loss will be felt for years to come.

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FOX Upfronts

For the second straight year, FOX has shifted their game plan, abandoning their single camera comedies and, instead, moving closer ideologically with its sister news network.  The end result is a fall schedule with only one show that interests me, and even that 9 unwatched episodes from this season still sitting on my DVR.

Monday has two returning shows, The Resident and 9-1-1, which didn’t pull me in last year.  The Gifted, based on Marvel’s X-Men characters, moves to Tuesdays, followed by a revamped Lethal Weapon.  Wednesday’s lineup remains consistent, with Empire followed by Star.

Thursdays get turned over to the NFL, as the much-reviled game moves over from CBS.  Friday has the revival of Tim Allen’s Last Man Standing and The Cool Kids, about a group of friends in a retirement community, followed by Hell’s Kitchen.  Sunday’s animated block remains mostly the same, with a new comedy, REL, closing off the night.

The second season of The Orville will return to Thursday after the NFL season.  Gotham will also appear at some point for its final season.  Also on tap for mid-season are The Passage, a post-apocalyptic thriller starring Mark-Paul Gosselar, Proven Innocent, a legal drama from Danny Strong, and the return of Cosmos.

Gone and mostly forgotten are Brooklyn Nine-Nine (which was saved by NBC), The Exorcist, Ghosted, Kicking & Screaming, The Last Man On Earth, LA To Vegas, Lucifer, The Mick, New Girl, Superhuman, Wayward Pines, and The X-Files.

by admin

Midseason Review – Fridays

old-tv-set1We finish up our look back at the fall season with Friday’s amazing slate of shows.

7:00

Blindspot – A 2 year time jump gives the third year show a soft reboot as it moves to the deadzone of Friday nights.

I don’t know how much of a future this show has.

Once Upon A Time – For some unknown reason, the show returns for its 7th season minus 6 cast members.

I still don’t understand the rationale for continuing the show.

8:00

Hawaii Five-0 – An eighth season of the show that doesn’t really impress, but doesn’t really disappoint, loses Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park from the main cast.

More of the same.

Jane The Virgin – The telenovela returns for its fourth season with a surprising move to Friday nights.

The quality is still there.

The Exorcist – FOX’s reboot of the movie franchise was surprisingly entertaining in its first season.  We shall see if they can keep it up for another year.

I didn’t make it back for this season.

Marvel’s Inhumans – With the rights to the X-Men tied up by FOX, Marvel has tried to make the Inhumans their new go-to team, both in the comics and now on television.  Early reviews show that this will not be a winning formula.

I made it through one painful episode.

9:00

Blue Bloods – The first family of the NYPD returns for an eighth season.

More of the same again.

by admin

2017: The Year In Movies

Movie_Reel_22

2017 saw a slight downturn in movie watching for me, down 5 from the year before.  I managed to watch 83 movies last year, my sixth consecutive year under 100.  Again, many things contributed to this, chiefly the insane amount of TV I’ve been watching, the greater effort made towards going out for walks, and the awful amount of time I spend either at work or getting to and from work.

Here’s a look back at the first 50 movies I did manage to watch last year and what recollection, if any, I have of them. The films are listed in the order I saw them.

Bang Bang Baby (2015)
A strange musical that I only watched due to an appearance by the lovely and talented Jane Levy.

Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016)
Two ne’er do wells try to get responsible dates for their sister’s wedding.

A Good Old Fashioned Orgy (2011)
A group of friends decide to bid farewell to their summer hangout by holding an orgy.

Bad Moms (2016)
A trio of moms that don’t have their shit together band together to take on the PTA.

Haunter (2013)
A horror flick starring Abigail Breslin that I have no recollection of.

Pay The Ghost (2015)
The latest direct-to-video smash from Nicolas Cage.

Cabin Fever (2016)
A remake of the 2002 “smash” hit.

Into The Forest (2016)
A power outage forces two sisters to learn how to survive alone in the wilderness.

Self/less (2015)
Ryan Reynolds stars as a man who starts to remember his past despite having a old man’s consciousness implanted into his body.

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016)
A sorority moves in next door to Seth Rogen in this sequel. Continue reading →

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You Ought To Be In (22) Pictures

Movie_Reel_22Many years ago, using the weekly TV guide that came with the Sunday Chicago Tribune, I started keeping track of all of the movies I had seen over the course of my lifetime.  The guide would list the two main stars for each movie, and that is a tradition that I’ve carried on in my database ever since.  So, given those guidelines, it is time to look at all of the actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1st.

Today, we continue with the 4 actors that have starred in 22 movies that I have seen, a total not seen 3 years ago.

Ben Affleck

A 3 spot rise for Affleck, thanks in part to his casting as Batman in the DC cinematic universe.  His most recent film that I’ve seen is The Accountant, which I watched earlier this year.

Sandra Bullock

A 4 spot rise for Bullock, who takes the reign as the highest placing actress.  Two films in both 2014 and 2016 have put her in the lead, with Our Brand Is Crisis and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close being the last things I have seen her in.

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. rises 2 spots, thanks to his work in the Marvel cinematic universe.  2016’s Captain America: Civil War would have been the last thing I have seen him in, at least as of July 1.

Harrison Ford

The return of Star Wars has pushed Ford up 1 spot, with his final appearance as Han Solo coming in 2015’s The Force Awakens.

by admin

2017 New Fall Season – Fridays

old-tv-set1Our final look at the new fall season gives us Friday’s amazing slate of shows.

7:00

Blindspot – A 2 year time jump gives the third year show a soft reboot as it moves to the deadzone of Friday nights.

Once Upon A Time – For some unknown reason, the show returns for its 7th season minus 6 cast members.

8:00

Hawaii Five-0 – An eighth season of the show that doesn’t really impress, but doesn’t really disappoint, loses Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park from the main cast.

Jane The Virgin – The telenovela returns for its fourth season with a surprising move to Friday nights.

The Exorcist – FOX’s reboot of the movie franchise was surprisingly entertaining in its first season.  We shall see if they can keep it up for another year.

Marvel’s Inhumans – With the rights to the X-Men tied up by FOX, Marvel has tried to make the Inhumans their new go-to team, both in the comics and now on television.  Early reviews show that this will not be a winning formula.

9:00

Blue Bloods – The first family of the NYPD returns for an eighth season.

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ABC Upfronts

ABC is shaking up their lineup this fall, with changes on every night save Thursday.  The week gets off to a familiar start with Dancing With The Stars, followed by The Good Doctor, a new medical drama about an autistic country doctor who moves to the big city.  Seriously.  The Tuesday night comedies get switched around somewhat, with black-ish moving over from Wednesdays, followed by The Mayor, about a young wrapper looking for his big break.  The night ends with The Gospel of Kevin, starring Jason Ritter, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, and J. August Richards.

Wednesday stays mostly the same, with American Housewife moving over from Tuesdays to take black-ish‘s place.  Thursdays stay exactly the same, with the three Shondaland shows remaining in place.  A revamped Friday kicks off with Once Upon A Time, which will be losing most of its main cast, followed by Marvel’s Inhumans, the most recent attempt to make the Inhumans happen.  Sunday goes mostly reality, with To Tell The Truth and Shark Tank moving over.  The night ends with Ten Days In The Valley, a new drama about a producer whose daughter goes missing.

Agents of SHIELD will take over for The Inhumans on Fridays after 8 weeks and Quantico will return at some point for an abbreviated 3rd season.  Also on the bench for mid-season are The Crossing, a drama about war refugees from America, Deception, about a magician who turns to the FBI which is in no way similar to The Mentalist, and For The People, about a set of new lawyers trying to find their way.  Comedies include Alex Inc, based on a podcast, and Splitting Up Together, starring Jenna Fischer.

Cancelled shows never to be seen again are The Real O’Neals, Imaginary Mary, The Catch, Dr. Ken, Last Man Standing, American Crime, Secrets and Lies, Time After Time, Notorious, and Conviction.