DC Animation continues to create successful stories of the characters of the DC Universe. Here is a good example of giving everyone a great Superman movie.

It has been reported recently that the good folks at Warner Brothers are not anxious to do a Superman movie because they believed that he is not a character that the world can relate to these days. That is certainly poppycock as this amazing animated film can attest.

Another look at the origin of Superman, Man of Tomorrow shows us the first few appearances of Superman (Darren Criss) and place him in conflict with a monster accidentally created at Star Labs during Superman’s fight with alien bounty hunter Lobo (Ryan Hurst).

The monster, an accidentally mutated janitor named Roy Jones (the one and only Grant Ward from Agents of SHIELD, Brett Dalton), gained absorption powers and became the animated version of Parasite.

Parasite forced Superman to team up with Lex Luthor (Zachary Quinto) and the Martian Manhunter (Ike Amadi) to try and protect Metropolis.

I liked a lot of the slight adjustments to the normal Superman story here. The inclusion of Lobo and J’onn J’onzz made this surprising and the manner in which the movie used Lex Luthor was original. Lois Lane (Alexandria Daddario) was also just a little tweaked from what we are used to and it made Lois even more likable.

The animation was different than what we were used to in other DC movies and I kind of dug it. It had that comic book feel to it, without being the normally clunky animation used by the studio.

There really is no excuse for WB to ignore the calls for a new live-action Superman movie. Superman is absolutely a character that can be relatable to the masses. Superman: Man of Tomorrow adapted a successful comic series into a fantastic animated movie. It also included themes that are straight out of today’s society (aliens- fear around them). Superman has been around for decades for a reason.

4.5 stars 

I saw a story online today about a video on Vimeo that became the number one movie of the day on June 10th according to Box Office Mojo and it is a fascinating story.

Apparently, in an effort to try an reach a lifelong dream, Christian Nilsson and Eric Tabach were able to create a horror movie using the Zoom platform and a group of YouTubers called Unsubscribe.  Then, they rented out a theater, the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center in Long Island, and purchased all of the tickets themselves.

With that strategy, their film reportedly made $25,000 in box office tallies, with a budget of $0.

Is it a technicality?  Of course.  Unsubscribe did not actually earn any money from that streaming, but the promotion certainly could lead to more.  It lead to me renting the video on Vimeo this morning, so they at least made themselves $3.99.

Here is the trailer:

I watched this video this morning and I thought they did a really good job.  The horror film focused in on the culture of today’s world in how people are obsessed with followers on different social media accounts and how they would do practically anything to increase that number.

It is the troll called Whitey (Ozark’s Charlie Tahan) who is looking to delete these accounts and, perhaps, the YouTubers as well.

As it is a short film (30 minutes), the specifics are not developed as much as it could be, but what is here is really strong.  The YouTubers do a decent job in their performances and are believable.

Along with Tabach, other YouTubers involved in the story included Tyler Brash, Sneako, Zach Kornfeld, Thomas Brag and the Yes, Theory guys and Lauren Brodauf.  Toss in actress  Michelle Khare, who has been cast in a new HBO Max series and there is quite a compilation of YouTube commenters.

The final scene of Unsubscribe adopted one of the worst of the horror tropes and brought the film down somewhat.  However, it was an interesting short that really had a comment on the YouTube and other social media culture.  The film had an “Unfriended” feel about it, but for what was brought in to this film, it is worth a watch.

I have been a fan of the podcast Fatman Beyond for awhile now.  I love listening to Kevin Smith tell a story and comment on the pieces of pop culture that I embrace.  However, that podcast is more than just Kevin Smith regaling us with his wit and stories.  His co-host may be the heart of the show.

Marc Bernardin has been a writer for Entertainment Weekly, the LA Times and many television programs.  His voice on Fatman Beyond is one of intelligence and passion, mixed with a vast realism of the world at large.  He both balances discussions with Smith and enriches them at the same time.  During Smith’s tour with his latest movie Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, Bernardin took over the podcast, altered the title to Blackman Beyond, and did not miss a step.

With COVID-19 ravaging the country and quarantine driving some to drastic action, Marc Bernardin decided that he would find the positive direction that would help the world.

Contacting some of the top genre actors in the business, Marc organized a new web site called The Plague Nerdalogues.  Famous people recreating famous monologues from the greatest “nerd” cinema of all time on video.  By requesting a one-time donation of whatever you can afford, you have access to the list of videos.

Now the second wave of videos are hitting.  The first group of videos raised money for No Kid Hungry, a national campaign run by Share Our Strength to focus on child hunger and poverty in the world.  The second wave is raising money for the Black Lives Matter charity.

The videos, which include both the waves, are found on the website, http://theplaguenerdalogues.com.  Just some of the celebrities involved include Kevin Smith, Jorge Garcia, Jonathan Frakes, Grant Gustin, Will Forte, Phil LaMarr, Alan Smyth, Gary Anthony Williams etc.  They are performing monologues from movies & TV such as Game of Thrones, Star Trek, Avengers: Endgame, V for Vendetta, The Silence of the Lambs, etc.

Will Forte as Bryan Mills from Taken was unlike anything I expected.  As a huge LOST fan, I loved Jorge Garcia as Caesar from Conquest of the Planet of the Apes.  There is a monologue from the Batman 1966 movie is hilarious.  I have not had a chance to watch everything available, but these look just tremendous.

Marc Bernardin should be commended for his efforts to make something that can help the situation of the world during this time of uncertainty.

During this time of social distancing, I have been interested in seeing as many movies as I can.  Sure the theaters are closed and all of the big time movies are being pushed back to the fall or 2021, but I was sure that there would be plenty of great movies on streaming to fill my time.  And that is basically true.

However, I have found an issue.  On Netflix, I have tried to watch two separate films that I could not finish because I could not stand it any more.  These movies, The Platform and The Decline, were both of interest to me, but I could not finish them, and it was for one reason.

Dubbing.

Both of these movies are foreign language films that have versions of them on Netflix with English language speaking dubbed over the actual language.  I hated that.

Why do I hate this?  Here are the reasons.

1.  It is terribly distracting.  I find myself watching the actors’ mouths instead of paying too close of attention to what they are saying.
2. The voice acting is not the same as the original voice.  It does not match the actor and it loses emotion.  I used to not watch movies with subtitles because I did not want to read a movie, but I can’t tell you how much I prefer that to what I am seeing on these films on Netflix.
3. I have found it way too easy to lose interest in the films with these dubbing.

Why do the films decide to do this?  I assume that the people in charge believe that viewers would not watch a movie with subtitles.  I wish there was a way to choose one way or the other.  If I want to watch without dubbing, it would be cool to be able to do it.

Either way, I have not been able to stick it out with these films.  It has been a shock to me when I watch the films with the subtitles because after a while, the subtitles seem to disappear and I do not even realize that I am reading any longer.

So I find the films like Parasite, Train to Busan, Old Boy, films that I have recently watched, are much more entertaining for me than those that have been dubbed.  I would not have thought that even last year.

Okay, maybe that is a bit of hyperbole.

At least, I hope it is hyperbole.

The Coronavirus, also called COVID-19, is spreading across the planet at a rapid speed and it is something that is hard to fathom.  Especially for someone like me, who lives in the middle of the country.  Many of these viruses and diseases from the past years always felt like something that they talked about on the news, but had little to no impact on my life.

However, with COVID-19, that is a totally different situation.

This virus has been deemed a worldwide pandemic and it has started to spread across the United States of America.  There are cases here in Iowa and we have even had some schools closing for a few weeks.  The feeling of the impending virus is a reality.

And now it is affecting the Geek Nation as well.

A Quiet Place II, The New Mutants, Mulan, Fast 9 release dates have been postponed over the fear that box office receipts would be negatively influenced.  Falcon & Winter Soldier had to cancel their shoot over seas in The Prague.  Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were revealed to have caught the virus and are currently in quarantine in Australia.  Marvel Studio’s Shang Chi has been shut down when their director, Destin Daniel Cretton, has self-isolated.

The list of canceled or postponed events continued with the 2020 Canada Film Festival, the 58th Ann Arbor Film Festival, Disneyland, late night TV shows such as Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers, Universal Studios Hollywood theme park, Ebertfest, Wondercon, Broadway, 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony, TCM Classic Film Festival, 2020 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, CinemaCon 2020, PaleyFest 2020,  SXSW 2020, among others.

While, at this point, Wrestlemania 36 is still scheduled, but there are rumors that it will be postponed soon.  MLB has canceled the remainder of the spring training games and has delayed the start of the season.  NBA has closed down for a month and then will reassess.  NHL is closed. The March Madness Basketball Men and Women Tournament has been canceled as has all the NCAA tournaments in any sports.  The Masters golf competition is closed.  There is speculation that the Olympics that are to be held in Japan will also be canceled.

And this is just the beginning.

It has affected my own viewing habits too.  I am currently getting over a cold and I have a nagging cough.  I have avoided going to the movie theater, not because I am afraid to catch the virus, but because I did not want other audience members looking cross at me every time I coughed.

Or worse.  Because the world is going a tad crazy here.  Fights in stores over toilet paper truly makes me wonder what kind of post-apocalyptic future we could truly handle.  Is the fight over toilet paper an American thing or did this happen in Italy or other European countries when that country was shut down?

Hopefully, all of this preemptive maneuvers help to minimize the effect and the exposure of the virus.  Remember to wash your hands and be safe.

2020 is off the charts right now.

I’m off to watch Netflix….

Nominees…

WORST PICTURE
Cats
The Fanatic
The Haunting of Sharon Tate
A Madea Family Funeral
Rambo: Last Blood

WORST ACTOR
James Franco / Zeroville
David Harbour / Hellboy
Matthew McConaughey / Serenity
Sylvester Stallone / Rambo: Last Blood
John Travolta / The Fanatic & Trading Paint

WORST ACTRESS
Hilary Duff / The Haunting of Sharon Tate
Anne Hathaway / The Hustle & Serenity
Francesca Hayward / Cats
Tyler Perry / (As Medea) A Madea Family Funeral
Rebel Wilson / The Hustle

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain / Dark Phoenix
Cassi Davis / A Madea Family Funeral
Judi Dench / Cats
Fenessa Pineda / Rambo: First Blood
Rebel Wilson / Cats

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR
James Corden / Cats
Tyler Perry / A Madea Family Funeral (as “Joe”)
Tyler Perry / A Madea Family Funeral (as “Uncle Heathrow”)
Seth Rogan / Zeroville
Bruce Willis / Glass

WORST SCREEN COMBO
Any Two Half-Feline/Half-Human Hairballs / Cats
Jason Derulo & His CGI-Neutered “Bulge” / Cats
Tyler Perry & Tyler Perry (or Tyler Perry) / A Madea Family Funeral
Sylvester Stallone & His Impotent Rage / Rambo: Last Blood
John Travolta & Any Screenplay He Accepts

WORST DIRECTOR
Fred Durst / The Fanatic
James Franco / Zeroville
Adrian Grunberg / Rambo: Last Blood
Tom Hooper / Cats
Neil Marshall / Hellboy

WORST SCREENPLAY
Cats / Screenplay by Lee Hall and Tom Hooper
The Haunting of Sharon Tate / Written by Danial Farrands
Hellboy / Screenplay by Andrew Cosby
A Madea Family Funeral / Written by Tyler Perry
Rambo: Last Blood / Screenplay by Matthew Cirulnick and Sylvester Stallone

WORST REMAKE, RIP-OFF or SEQUEL
Dark Phoenix
Godzilla, King of the Monsters
Hellboy 
A Madea Family Funeral
Rambo: Last Blood

WORST RECKLESS DISREGARD for HUMAN LIFE and PUBLIC PROPERTY
(New Category for 2019)
Dragged Across Concrete
The Haunting of Sharon Tate
Hellboy 
Joker
Rambo: Last Blood

RAZZIE REDEEMER AWARD
Eddie Murphy / Dolemite Is My Name
Keanu Reeves / John Wick 3 & Toy Story 4
Adam Sandler / Uncut Gems
Jennifer Lopez / Hustlers
Will Smith / Aladdin

Hey everyone.  Oscars are tomorrow night and I am going to make my official predictions.  I usually do not do very well on these so well see how it goes.  However, I do think there are several of these awards that are easy to predict this year.  I will give my “Will Win” and “Should win” picks for each category.

I had a chance to see the five live action shorts and five animated shorts that were nominated for Oscars this year today and I enjoyed them.  I thought the animated ones were considerably better than the live actions ones although the live action shorts were decent.

This is going to be my order for these shorts.  I will also follow up each list with which one I believe is going to win the Oscar.

Best Live-Action Short Film

#5.  Brotherhood.  A man returned from fighting is Syria with ISIS and arrives into a conflict with his father.  I did not like this one much at all.  The performances were fine.

#4.  Saria.  The true story of a group of orphans from an orphanage in Guatemala that attempted to flee to the US only to be recaptured.  Two sisters, including the titular Saria, are the focus of the tale.

#3.  Nefta Football Club.  A couple of kids intercepted a shipment of drugs crossing the border by accident and they do something total unexpected with them.  I enjoyed the structure of the film and it had some wildly funny moments.  I am torn between this one being #3 or this one being #2.

#2.  A Sister.  Or Une Soeur (Belgium).  A woman calls for help in the back seat of a car and the tension is ratcheted up to an unbearable height.

#1.  The Neighbors’ Window.  A couple can see right into the window of their neighbors and spend time watching the life of their neighbors play out.

The Neighbors’ Window was the most entertaining of the five film, and had an intriguing twist at the end.  It did feel somewhat shaky at the very beginning because at first the husband seemed focused on the neighbors and then the wife got mad.  Then she became focused too.  That was a bit odd.  I really liked the Belgium film A Sister, but the ending seemed a little anticlimactic for as anxiety-ridden the film had been.  Nefta Football Club was really fun and probably has the best ending of the bunch.

However… my choice for what the Academy will give the Oscar to is…

Will Win:  Saria.  This is the true story that the Oscars seem to love and the relevance in the world today will take this to the gold.

Best Animated Shorts.

#5.  Daughter.  A daughter recalls her relationship with her father in a hospital room and there is a bird involved.  The animation was interesting as the characters looked like paper mache puppets, but it got old real quickly.

#4.  Sister.  This one was actually about the Chinese plan to only allow a family to have one child.  It had some interesting moments with an annoying little girl bothering her older brother but the realization of what was happening felt preachy and fell flat for me.

#3.  Kitbull.  Charming and sweet, Kitbull is the relationship between a stray kitten and a pitbull.  This one was fun and cool to watch, but did not have that deeper message that the top two have.  This was highly entertaining though.

#2.  Memorable.  A man is losing his memory slowly.  Though never specifically stated, I immediately thought it was from Alzheimer’s Disease (though it could be another form of dementia too).  Artistically beautiful, particularly at the very end.

#1.  Hair Love.  I love this short.  The story of a little black girl who needs to have her hair done and only her father can do it.  This is so charming and heart-felt.  I had used it in my class to work on inferences and it was so great.

I loved Hair Love.  One of the greatest parts of this is the normalization of the African-American father who has dreadlocks and tattoos, but is shown as any other person.  It is funny and deeply moving.  Memorable was feeling heavy-handed and manipulative to me for the first half of the short, but my opinion changed at the end with one of the most remarkably artistic and beautiful scenes as our main character tries to paint the woman who he does not remember is his wife.  It is truly a powerful moment.  Kitbull is great and you can check it out on Disney + but it does not match the top two.

Will Win: Hair Love.  I think this one has the buzz about it, but it would not surprise me if Memorable sneaks in and snatches that Oscar away.  The others are simply also-rans.

January in the movie world is always a month where the movie studios dump the films that are not … good.  Studios give us those films that are not expected to do much or maybe that has been waiting on the shelf.

January is notorious for bad movies.  Unfortunately, 2020 was especially poor.  In fact, I would go as far as to say that there may be 4-5 films released in January 2020 that could end up int he Top 10 Worst list at the end of the year.

There were two good movies in the month.  Bad Boys for Life surprised me in how good it was.  When I first heard that Bad Boys for Life was being released in January, I knew what to expect.  It was able to overcome those expectations.  The other great movie in January was streamed on Amazon Prime.  It was called Troop Zero.  A third film, Guy Ritchie’s The Gentleman was okay, the end of the film really saving it.

Then there are the Oscar films that come out wide in January, but these do not count.  1917, Just Mercy, Pain and Glory.  These are 2019 films that I only see in January.

The rest of the films…

The Grudge (2020).  Dolittle.  The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson.  Gretel & Hansel.  Underwater.  The Turning.  The Rhythm Section.  A Fall From Grace.

Eight of them.  Some of these are just horrendous.  The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, which I streamed on Vudu, is perhaps in the Top 10 of my all-time worst list.  Dolittle had Robert Downey Jr and yet it was just a a trainwreck of a film.  The Grudge is a reboot that should have stayed unbooted.

Personally I was kind of enjoying The Turning until the ending sent that film tumbling off the cliff.  Netflix’s A Fall From Grace was probably the best of this sorry bunch.  Gretel & Hansel looked great but that does not excuse the lack of story.  Saw The Rhythm Section today and found it needlessly convoluted.

Thankfully, today marks the beginning of February.  Next week is the Birds of Prey film and things will now pick up… hopefully.