We explore whether DC Universe’s lineup of content is enough to stand out in today’s streaming landscape.
Opinion: The Problems Marvel’s Netflix Shows Need to Fix
Remember the good old days, back in 2013, when we were all excited at the prospect of an interconnected universe of Marvel shows that would end in an epic crossover, á la The Avengers? Shows that might even tie in with the movies? When the first season of Daredevil premiered in 2015, its approach to the superhero origin story and gritty tone was met with wide acclaim – it even got the r/Arrow sub-reddit to temporarily become a Daredevil forum right after season 2 premiered.
Daredevil gave us a gut-punching, back-flipping first season with the best fight scene in a confined space since Oldboy, a thrilling story with all the darkness and broodiness of Arrow (but a more grown-up approach), and one of the best TV villains in recent memory. It was followed by Jessica Jones, which was applauded for its complex themes and strong cast – but then came a series of misfires, from the disappointing conclusion of Luke Cage Season 1 to the soulless Iron Fist. And when The Defenders finally assembled for their long-awaited team up, the result was a muddled, anticlimactic mess that squandered most of the goodwill that fans had for the concept.
CEO Of Company Behind LaCroix Sued For Allegedly Groping 2 Male Pilots
The pilots accused Nick Caporella, head of the National Beverage Corp., of least 30 incidents of unwanted touching.
Thor: Dark World Director Attached To Sopranos Prequel Movie
HBO’s classic gangster drama The Sopranos, widely credited as one of the most influential TV shows of all time, is on the way back. The show ended in 2007, but in recent months there have been reports of a prequel movie being in development. It has now been reported that Thor: The Dark World‘s Alan Taylor will direct the film.
According to Variety, Taylor will helm the film, which is titled The Many Saints of Newark. The script has been written by Sopranos creator David Chase, alongside Lawrence Konner, who also worked on the show. The site states that the movie is set is in Newark, New Jersey, during the 1960s, at a time when there was a lot of racial tension between African-American and Italian residents. Although no casting news has been announced, the film is expected to feature younger versions of some of the characters from The Sopranos.
Thor: The Dark World and last year’s sci-fi flop Terminator: Genysis are Taylor’s highest profile credits, but he also has an impressive background in TV. He directed multiple episodes of The Sopranos as well as acclaimed shows such as Game of Thrones, Mad Men, and Boardwalk Empire.
The Sopranos ran for 86 episodes, from 1999 to 2007. The late James Gandolfini starred as mob boss Tony Soprano, a role for which he won three Emmys and a Golden Globe. The show itself was the first cable show ever to be nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, and was crucial in pushing HBO towards original programming.
First Details on New Intellivision Console Controller, Games
You might have missed it, but just before E3 2018 a new challenger entered the console war: The Intellivision is returning nearly four decades after it initially launched.
The original Intellivision, released as a competitor to the Atari VCS in 1979, had a much better controller than the Atari and a great library of often oddball games. According to current Intellivision Entertainment president, Tommy Tallarico, the controller and games remain the focus of the next-generation Intellivision. Speaking to IGN at E3 2018, Tallarico shared a few new details about the console, its controller, its planned library, and his vision for what could make it a success alongside modern PCs, phones, consoles, and even its resurrected rival, the upcoming re-launched Atari VCS.
The Celeste Speedrun That Was Physically Impossible
Summer Games Done Quick (SGDQ) concluded recently and, as it does every year, it went out with an excellent lineup of impressive speedruns and a remarkable load of cash for charity.
One of our favorite runs of the event this time around was the incredible Celeste Any% TAS. While most speedruns are executed by skilled human players, TASBot runs are a little different – they are run by a robot.
TASBot, to be exact.
TASBot, June 2018. Credit: Games Done Quick.
Migrant Women Reportedly Kept From Speaking To Nielsen As She Toured Facility
They said they were moved to a soccer field for two hours in broiling heat.
Do Batman and Catwoman Actually Get Married?
Batman #50 chronicled the long-awaited wedding of Batman and Catwoman, and there were definitely some surprises along the way.
Warning: this article contains spoilers for Batman #50 and Catwoman #1!
The big day finally arrived in this issue. But rather than spend a small portion of is fortune on a lavish ceremony, Bruce elected to hold a very small, intimate ceremony on the rooftop where he and Selina shared so much time together. Only three others were chosen to attend – the officiant Judge Wolfman, Alfred and Selina’s old partner, Holly Robinson.
Fortnite’s New Emote Adds Some Sparkle Into Your Life
In time for 4th of July celebrations, Epic Games has released a new emote for Fortnite. As with most of Fortnite’s emotes, it’s a simple and charming little animation that has your character light up a sparkler, wave it about for a little bit, and then toss it aside.
You can buy the Sparkler emote from the in-game item shop for 200 V-Bucks. Take a look below to see the animation in action, courtesy of the official Fortnite Twitter account.
Light up the night with the new Sparkler emote.
Available now! pic.twitter.com/ooJWBt5PqI— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) July 3, 2018
In related news, Fortnite: Battle Royale has been updated with the Playground LTM (limited-time mode). Although the mode originally launched on June 28, it was taken offline after server issues arose. A week of testing and bug fixing later and Epic has made Playground LTM available again on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile.
Playground is designed to be a “low-pressure environment” similar to a private server. It enables players to explore the map and hang out with up to three friends, free from the risk of being eliminated by other people. It’s a good place to check out weapons, practice, and refine strategies.
A Fortnite update (version 4.5) has also added a few new weapons to the Save the World and Battle Royale modes. Perhaps most notable among these is the Drum Gun for the Battle Royale mode, which is described as a “hybrid weapon that combines the stopping power of a rifle with the suppressive ability and fire rate of an SMG.” On top of that, there’s the Stink Bomb and Stars and Stripes Heroes. You can find out more about all the new Fortnite update and see the full patch notes here.
Fortnite Season 5 is set to start on Thursday, July 12, at 1 AM PDT / 4 AM EDT / 9 AM BST / 6 PM AET. Players can still finish up Season 4’s challenges to level up their Battle Pass and unlock any remaining rewards. If you need help completing the challenges, take a look at our full Season 4 challenge guide.
Here’s Every Creepy Mask From The Purge to The First Purge, Ranked
Today is the anniversary of America’s birth. But it’s also the release day for The First Purge, because the filmmakers have the subtlety of a lead pipe. Perhaps if this continues, this will be the new Independence Day tradition, the way the Saw movies always debuted on Halloween.
Today, in celebration of America’s independence, we’re ranking the disturbing, unsettling masks from the Purge franchise. It’s the central irony of the films; Purging is supposed to be an annual release of everyone’s true selves, but lots of people hide their faces while doing it.
Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Stay safe out there.
35. The Weird Cone Mask Guy: The Purge: Election Year
He’s a member of Uncle Sam’s crew from the third movie. I don’t even know what this is. It’s definitely the worst costume amongst a bunch of fantastic ones.
34. The Demon Mouth: The Purge: Anarchy
Apparently, this guy is a WWE fan and loves Finn Balor. It’s nice to know that wrasslin’ survives America’s collapse.
33. The Raver Skull Girl: The First Purge
From what we can see from the trailer, the first annual Purge started out with a massive rave and not nearly as much killing as one might expect. But take a look at Raver Skull Girl. She definitely knows what’s up.
32. Benjamin Franklin: The Purge: Election Year
No doubt, the booziest of our founding fathers would have embraced the annual Purge. Inventing the Franklin stove has nothing on state-sanctioned murder.
31. The Blackface Purger: The Purge: Election Year
This was the first mask in the third movie, and it let us know that Election Year would be a much more obvious satire of America. It’s based off a well-known racial caricature, right down to its wide eyes and pitch-black face.
30. The Statue of Liberty (Version 2.0): The First Purge
This was the promotional poster for the fourth movie. But it’s more cool-looking than creepy, and it’s definitely a step down from the Lady Liberty in the third movie.
29. The Clownface Girl: The Purge: Election Year
She’s one of the Candy Bar Girl lackeys from the third movie. She’s a typical “scary clown.” Other Purgers spent a little more time on their costumes the night beforehand, though. C+.
28. The Mace Wielder: The Purge: Election Year
This is a confusing tangle of metal and wire, like he just walked out of a second-rate Thunderdome.
27. George Washington: The Purge: Election Year
The founding father of our country went from chopping down cherry trees to chopping off heads.
26. Anime Lamb Girl: The Purge: Election Year
A minor member of Candy Bar Girl’s crew, Anime Lamb Girl is there in one scene and gone in the next. Maybe she got smart and went home.
25. Patrick Henry: The Purge: Election Year
“Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
24. The Lingerie Model: The Purge: Election Year
One of Candy Bar Girl’s lackeys, she was the sexiest Venom symbiote on Purge night.
23. The Salesman: The Purge: Election Year
This guy deserves an elbow to the mouth for jumping in front of and startling his potential customers. It’s hard enough to deal with the annual Purge without this guy messing with you before sunset.
22. The Window Man: The First Purge
That’s just unwholesome. What the hell is that? We don’t know. And we don’t want to know.
21. The Deformed School Boy: The Purge
Preppy jock meets Eyes Wide Shut. This was the best screencap of him from the entire film; he took a bullet to the head almost immediately after entering the Sandin household. Unfortunately for him, creepiness doesn’t equate to peripheral vision.
19. & 20. The Two Skipping Girls: The Purge
The Purge was the last film cameo for Joan Rivers, seen here with daughter Melissa. (Not really, but can you see the resemblance?)
18. The Blue-Faced Ape Man: The Purge: Anarchy
This primate with an overbite had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-him appearance, but was definitely scary. The filmmakers paid careful attention to lighting him; the half-in-light, half-in-shadow effect is an oldie but a goodie.
17. The Bird Flipper: The Purge
He’s upset, because not only is he deformed, he also has a receding hairline.
16. The Massive Raver Devil: The First Purge
The filmmakers finally got tired of beating around the bush. They put a big ol’ Satan head right in the trailer for the new movie.
15. Chainsaw Girl: The Purge: Election Year
Wearing a surgical mask whilst brandishing a chainsaw was a particularly witty, dark-humored joke in the third movie.
14. The Interrupter: The Purge
The design of this guy’s mask is actually pretty scary. But The Interrupter lasts too fleetingly to make an impact. He rants for exactly three seconds before Polite Leader gets tired of listening to his crap and shuts him up, permanently.
13. The Hipster Lumberjack: The Purge
Of course the Seattle hipsters are part of our dystopian future.
12. The Flukeman: The First Purge
Apparently, the massive Flukeman from The X-Files took a break from popping out of toilets to star in this new film.
11. The Polite Leader: The Purge
He only wears his mask for a few seconds before taking it off for the remainder of the movie. But the gang’s leader probably has the most iconic look, because he was used in all the promotional shots. The actor, Rhys Wakefield, has such an expressive face, that he looks more exaggerated with his mask off than on.
10. The Half-Skull Biker: The Purge: Anarchy
Aside from the God Leader’s, this is the scariest mask from the second film. The missing jaw makes him look a bit like Shao Kahn, if Shao Kahn decided to join a biker gang.
9. The Guy in the Hoodie: The Purge
Here’s the worst jump scare of the first film–the payoff after stumbling aimlessly in the dark for 40 minutes.
8. The Motorcyclist: The Purge: Anarchy
Vroooooom!! The weird fencing-helmet-meets-motorcycle-helmet looks terrifying.
7. Abraham Lincoln: The Purge: Election Year
Born in a log cabin from humble means, Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, is widely considered our greatest president, thanks to his firm leadership, preservation of our Union, and good humor.
6. Uncle Sam: The Purge: Election Year
Uncle Sam didn’t need help looking more freaky than he already is. “I WANT YOU! To participate in the annual Purge!”
5. The Big Pig: The Purge: Election Year
A massive, stuffed, bloody pig costume is disturbing enough. But the oversized pacifier crammed into its mouth seals the deal.
4. Betsy Ross: The Purge: Election Year
After sewing the first American flag, Betsy Ross loved it so much that she painted it on her face.
3. The Candy Bar Girl: The Purge Election Year
This is why you don’t piss anybody off the day before the annual Purge. If I had a store, and I saw someone stealing a candy bar? She can take the whole box, as far as I’m concerned. Just don’t show up with your fabulous, murderous crew the following day.
2. The Waving God: The Purge: Anarchy
The leader of the main gang from the second movie, he makes the most of his screen-time with a weak, cloying wave that sent chills down our spines.
1. The Statue of Liberty: The Purge: Election Year
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Lady Liberty (Version 1.0) has a DIY, punk rock look to her, with light-up, X-ed out eyes and a burnt looking face. She’s a perfect send-up and subversion of America under the New Founding Fathers, and that’s what makes her No. 1.