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  • Black Widow: An Evolving Avenger With An Upcoming Solo Movie

    Black Widow: An Evolving Avenger With An Upcoming Solo Movie

    Like many highly anticipated movies in 2020, Black Widow’s standalone film has been delayed due to COVID-19. Although this means eager fans are having to wait until November to see one of their favorite superheroes in action, it also allows for an in-depth discussion of Black Widow and her now intergral role in the MCU. This is the approach taken by Clayburn Griffin and Nikhil Kasbekar, the hosts of the nerd-adjacent and superhero-focused podcast, We Understood That Reference. The first episode of their podcast is dedicated to the development of the Black Widow character. 

    Despite the fact that Black Widow is now a beloved avenger with an upcoming solo movie, Clayburn and Nikhil pose the question– was Black Widow always considered a good guy? The answer seems to be a complicated one as she was a grey character for awhile. Black Widow joined the Avengers Team in #29 of the Marve comics and actually started off as an Iron Man villain, which began her rise from antihero to good guy. Clayburn suggests that Black Widow’s character complexity also partially stems from the fact that she has always seemed very “S.H.I.E.L.D.-like.” He states: “She seems like a character that is not so much a superhero, but more of a company man.”   

    Black Widow’s initial introduction to the MCU seems to be due to her easy backstory as well as Marvel’s need for a female character to round out the Avengers. Now, she has become one of the most important avengers, especially considering her role in End Game with her self-sacrifice to save the whole universe. 

    It is also interesting to note that Black Widow’s integral role was not established by Marvel Comics, but rather Marvel Studios and its parent company Disney. In their Black Widow episode, Nikhil explains that the Wasp was a much bigger character in the comics and was a founding member of the avengers and really filled the female role that Black Widow occupies today. Black Widow’s role became more prominent because the superheroes chosen to be on screen by Marvel are actually based on who would sell the most action figures. Apparently, the Wasp didn’t cut it and Black Widow began her rise to fame.

    When considering beloved superhero movies, it would be unfair to not acknowledge the actor who brings the character to life. That being said, it is undeniable that Scarlett Johansson elevates Black Widow herself and shares the responsibility of making her a household name, not only through her fame but also with her intriguing and compelling portrayal of the character. 

    If you would like to learn more about Black Widow’s evolution in anticipation of the upcoming film and consider more aspects of her character (like the development of her look and if the MCU has made good use of her skills as well as the ways she compare with other female icons) check out the We Understood That Reference podcast. They also cover superhero movies and comic book stuff in general. You can find them on their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts.  They’re all over the place!

  • Bella Thorne Edition: Bits & Pieces

    Bella Thorne Edition: Bits & Pieces

    Bella Thorne Edition: Bits & Pieces – Widow’s Point, Gregory Lamberson’s highly-anticipated, award-winning adaptation of the book of the same name, premieres on DVD and Digital in the USA and Canada September 1 via 101 Films. Craig Sheffer (A River Runs Through It, Nightbreed) leads the cast of the film, alongside KateLynn E. Newberry (Homecoming Revenge).

    The powerful, timely thriller WATCH LIST, from Dark Star Pictures and Uncork’d Entertainment, arrives in virtual theaters friday before an On Demand release September 1. The film expands into more theaters August 28.

    Since 1962, the name ‘007’ and ‘James Bond’ is one everyone in your household knows. The international man of mystery, the constant espionage of thrills and an agent who never encountered a villain he could not defeat. Over the years, many critics and Bond fans have ranked the success of each and every film and some have been criticised as not a true Bond film. 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHMZlSF2iBI&feature=youtu.be
    https://vimeo.com/381253052/7f0f5cfc8c

    A raw and audacious fly-on-the-wall expose documentary on the life of a long-haul airline captain, DTF charts filmmaker Al Bailey, who follows a widowed airline pilot around the planet as he searches to find new love via the dating app Tinder. The well-intended quest spirals into a controversial cautionary tale of one man’s addictive and outlandish behavior in a bubble of vice and depravity that conflicts with his consummate professionalism.

    David Blech wanted to be remembered for creating an industry that saves millions of lives. Instead, he finds himself $11 million dollars in debt, struggling to keep his family afloat and awaiting a jail sentence. Mental Illness and addiction are the powerful nemeses that threaten to bring down the one-time biotech titan as he races to develop a potential cure for Alzheimer’s Disease that could reverse his fortunes and rebuild his legacy.

    Claire (Lena Olin) lives a quiet domestic life in the Hamptons as the wife of celebrated artist Richard Smythson (Bruce Dern). Once a promising painter herself, Claire now lives in the shadow of her husband’s illustrious career. While preparing work for his final show, Richard’s moods become increasingly erratic, and he is diagnosed with dementia. As his memory and behavior deteriorate, she shields his condition from the art community while trying to reconnect him with his estranged daughter and grandson from a previous marriage. Challenged by the loss of her world as she knew it, Claire must now decide whether to stand with Richard on the sidelines or step into the spotlight herself. 

    After waking up convinced that she is going to die tomorrow, Amy’s (Kate Lyn Sheil, You’re Next) carefully mended life begins to unravel. Following a visit from her initially pragmatic friend Jane (Jane Adams, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), it becomes clear that Amy’s delusions of certain death have become contagious to those around her. Amy and her friends’ lives begin to spiral out of control in a tantalising descent into madness. 

    Munro Films has confirmed the release of their insane, action packed thriller, Voodoo Apocalypse. The tribute to 70s grindhouse will be available on Digital Download from 9th November and will be available across iTunes, Amazon, Google, Microsoft with more to be confirmed.

    Based on the inspiring true story of Virginia Walden Ford’s fight to create positive educational opportunities for African-American students in Washington D.C., Miss Virginia is a gripping drama about community empowerment with a powerhouse central performance from Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black).

    Emily is a recovering cancer survivor of three years. Faced with her fear of getting sick again, her best friend Nina plans a weekend away. Six friends venture out to a country holiday house to party over a weekend. Cut off from the rest of the world they soon learn the inhabitants are unsettling red neck individuals who terrorize and humiliate travelers. At the same time a para-normal monster seen as the faceless man haunts the house pushing the friends to their limits.

    Fueled with determination and a passion for science, a bright young girl builds a rocket ship to the moon to prove the existence of a legendary Moon Goddess. There she ends up on an unexpected quest, and discovers a whimsical land of fantastical creatures. Directed by animation legend Glen Keane, and produced by Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou, Over the Moon is an exhilarating musical adventure about moving forward, embracing the unexpected, and the power of imagination. The film stars Cathy Ang, Phillipa Soo, Ken Jeong, John Cho, Ruthie Ann Miles, Sandra Oh, Robert G. Chiu, Margaret Cho, and Kimiko Glenn.

    Sky Cinema are excited to launch the official main trailer for The Secret Garden, a Sky original starring Colin Firth, Julie Walters and introducing Dixie Egerickx, who plays the beloved character Mary Lennox. Step into a magical world of nature and imagination whenThe Secret Garden comes to cinemas and Sky Cinema across the UK and Ireland on 23rd October.

  • Brittany S Mason: Interview

    Brittany S Mason: Interview

    Brittany S Mason is a fashion model based in Los Angeles. Today we had the opportunity to catch up with her! By Eleanor Klein.

    Tell us a little about you & your background in modeling. How did you get into modeling?

    I always wanted to model growing up, and the first time I felt like I might be good at it was when I took my senior photos, I treated it like a photoshoot. And then years later I participated in a beauty pageant at my college and there was a photoshoot they had to promote the pageant, and that went very well. After that, I remember a friend asked to take pictures of me and I initially said nobody convinced me to, and a few days later we took pictures around the campus and I thought of it as a real photoshoot.

    After that, I really became interested in modeling, and I googled how to become a model, and started finding different photographers on Social media to Collaborate with since all the articles that I read said to build my portfolio. And from there on I started reaching out to different photographers that I wanted to shoot with and with lots of persistence and dedication, I eventually got to where I’m at now.

    What has been your biggest setback to date & how did you overcome it?

    The biggest setback I had was : years ago when I first started modeling, I remember a celebrity stylist reaching out to work with me, and I remember her offering me money as compensation for the shoot if I was able to make it that day. I made it to the shoot location, But unfortunately she had booked other models prior to my arrival. I was on time for the shoot, but  somebody had hacked my email address and deleted her cancellation email to me so I never received it until later on.

    I overcame this eventually by realizing that it was just one opportunity missed and that there would be plenty of other opportunities to come. At the time I was devastated because I had never been paid for a job before and I thought that that would be the only opportunity but I was wrong about that. I almost quit modeling but luckily I had supportive friends that encouraged me not to.

    What has been your favorite job to date and why?

    As far as favorite jobs go, I can’t pick one but my top two favorites were shooting for Scott Barnes cosmetics and dose of colors. I really enjoyed them because everybody was really sweet and I enjoyed working with those teams and they are a couple of my favorite brands.

    What projects are you currently working on? 

    Currently, I am working on updating my YouTube with more beauty and fashion content!

    You can follow Brittany on Instagram

  • Apocalypse ’45: Review

    Apocalypse ’45: Review

    On December 7th 1941, Japan attacked US Navy base, Pearl Harbor that triggered the Pacific War between the US and Japan which ended with the bombing of Hiroshima on August 6th 1945 which is known throughout the world as VJ Day.

    Using footage through World War Two from the attack on Pearl Harbor to the bombing and aftermath of the effects of the Hiroshima bomb, Apocalypse ’45 tells the story through images that have been digitally enhanced and colourised and the voices of some of the American soldiers themselves who are still alive to tell the tale.

    Apocalypse ’45 guides the audience through the narrative of the second world war and using the first hand experiences of the American soldiers (some of Japanese descent themselves) to recall the atrocities that they witnessed and can never forget 75 years later.

    Hearing the voices of the men that served and their different opinions on what they had to endure is an enlightening and heart-breaking thing to watch. Because although there are times where they talk about their experiences so frankly, every so often the emotions behind their words comes flooding out.

    Some talk about the regret they felt at the time for having to do the things that they were ordered to do, whilst others talk about looking back and the things that haunt them still to this day. A truly sobering account that many of us can’t even imagine having to go through.

    The amount of footage that Apocalypse ’45 has is truly astounding and the way it has painstakingly restored and been able to be put into order to tell a narrative is truly impressive. Also, the colours of the footage are so vivid, bright and realistic that the audience may soon forget that the likelihood or this footage being shot in colour in the first place was practically zero.

    Apocalypse ’45 is a timely documentary that reminds us of the horrific repercussions of war and although what happened in Hiroshima put an end to World War Two, the question is still raised as to the ethical value of ending something so dramatically.

  • To The Stars: Review

    To The Stars: Review

    By Nick Boyd.

    “To the Stars,” a coming-of-age film that takes place in 1960s Oklahoma, is a touching, heartbreaking look at female friendship in the high-school years.  Maggie Richmond (Liana Liberato) is the new girl in town who takes it upon herself to immediately stick up for Iris Deerborne (Kara Hayward), who is an outsider because of her appearance and awkwardness.  

    Maggie (who is hiding a secret) lies to the gossipy mean girls by saying that her dad (played by Tony Hale) is a photographer for the magazine “Life,” sometimes taking pictures of Marilyn Monroe, when in fact he works for an agriculture magazine and has moved his family to give his daughter a fresh start.  She and Iris develop a genuine friendship and connect on a deep, emotional level, sometimes taking late night swims in a pond where their friendship flourishes.  Both are nonconformists fighting their own family struggles – Iris with an alcoholic mother and Maggie with a father who beats her.

    A classmate of Iris’ named Jeff Owings (Lucas Jade Zumann) works on Iris’ family farm in his spare time and subtly tries to make it known to Iris that he likes her.  He is another outsider of sorts who does not seem to have any friends but comes across as likeable, genuine, and someone who cares about Iris. 

    An interaction at a school dance where Jeff asks Iris if she wants to dance and she hesitates because of how she would come across on the dance floor perfectly captures the insecurities that those like Iris face.  When Jeff says to Iris that she is the only person in town who is not a phony (which seems like a reference to the novel “The Catcher in the Rye”), he poignantly makes clear how he admires that she stays true to herself.

    Much of the town’s gossip takes place at a beauty salon, run at the home of Hazel Atkins (Adelaide Clemens), a lonely young woman who listens to a lot of what is going on, but we come to learn is a very private person who is trying to conform to the constrained confines of her life.

    The movie is an uncompromising sociological portrait of small town fiercely conservative America and the value systems in place.  It also zeroes in on the cruelty that goes on in high school and the bigotry that takes hold under rigidly held beliefs.  

    While not an easy watch at times, the performances are strong and what the characters are experiencing is movingly depicted.  The power of female friendship and heartbreak and the tentative steps toward first love are subtly portrayed with characters we come to truly care about.