FOUR EYES REVIEW / Pig

Welcome back to another “Four Eyes” review. We take this moment to share 2 opinions on a single geek topic.

Below both Justin and Jenny will each dive into what they thought about Nicolas Cage’s movie Pig. Join us for an interesting recap.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on social media using #foureyesreview

MOVIE: Pig

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin

RELEASE DATE: July 16th, 2021

WHERE TO WATCH (as of September 2021): Theaters / VOD Rental on Amazon Prime - slatted for streaming later on Hulu

FROM JUSTIN POMERVILLE:

The last time I talked about Nicolas Cage, it was about how I was not a fan of Willy’s Wonderland and if you are interested in the reasons, please go check out the Four Eyes Review.

This time, I’m here to talk about his latest feature from Neon, Pig.

Directed by Michael Snaroski in what seems to be his first big feature film, Pig is the story of a master chef, Rob (Nicolas Cage), living in the seclusion of the woods with his truffle sniffing pig. One night, men break into Rob’s cabin and take the pig. Rob now must go back into civilization with the reluctant help of Amir, played by Alex Wolff (Hereditary, Jumanji films).

From the trailer, this film felt like it would be an intense action style flick that follows a similar plot like John Wick. On the surface, that is sort of true but his film is so much deeper and meaningful than that. Throughout the hour and a half runtime, you are taken on an emotional journey where Cage hones in on his more serious acting techniques. There is no over-the-top theatrics or crazy Nic Cage moments that people gif into oblivion. 

This is just a story about loss and holding onto the things we love before they're gone. Learning to be happy with yourself and with what you do. Knowing that you are living to your full potential without sacrificing to make everyone else happy. 

This film is an emotional journey and I’m not afraid to admit that I cried when it finished. We are so used to Cage being attached to so many insane films over the years, that we forget how much of an amazing actor he really is. I hope that down the road, he does more projects like these. I highly recommend you see this film if you can.

Nicolas Cage as Rob in Pig

FROM JENNY ROBINSON:

I can safely say that amongst friends, everyone knows I am not the biggest Nick Cage fan. Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s a tremendously talented actor but his choice in roles sometimes leaves me less than excited. He seems to thrive in the SUPER strange and eclectic movies (e.g. Color Out of Space, Mandy, Willy’s Wonderland), yet I enjoy the more direct characters (e.g. Raising Arizona or Leaving Las Vegas). I am not sure where Pig lands in those black and white categories. It may need to be placed within those vast shades of grey that fall in-between. 

As you may have guessed, I did not rush out to see Pig. “Why do I need to see John Wick but with Nicolas Cage and a Pig instead of Keanu and a puppy?” is what went through my mind. It takes a lot to motivate me to jump for Cage and after what felt like a million messages telling me I had to watch this, I finally did.

It was way better than I anticipated. The reason is that instead of a violent crime movie the trailers had me believe, it was more just a sad accumulation of a mysterious man’s life and his beloved pig. The violence almost feels out of place in spots where the determination of the character was a better fit throughout. 

Nicolas Cage has some top notch emotional scenes throughout the movie. Some moments had me (as the audience) relating intensely to his despair. It’s a very sad story about rejection and forgiving ones self even if ultimately leading to tragic heartache. The only happy ending this story left me with was similar to ripping the bandaid off giving a potential chance to heal. This applies for all parties involved. 

That being said, this movie was weird but Cage is weird. 

I also feel that Alex Wolff steals the show. His character Amir is dramatically more relatable and empathetic than Cage’s Robin Feld. Following Amir’s struggle for respect (in his fathers eyes) brought such a secondary layer to the movie. Adam Arkin’s portrayal of Amir’s father Darius also just doubles down on the emotional and unexpected reaction of what deceptively appears to be cookie-cutter characters yet are much more complex. 

So in summary, I give this a thumbs up. It’s not your average Nicolas Cage film. It’s emotional and way more than just about a pig.

Rob played by Nicolas Cage and Amir played by Alex Wolff

Headlines / Black Widow vs The Mouse

Covered by: Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure)

In any other year, a film like Black Widow would have done huge numbers at the box office. Since this isn’t any other year, the 24th film in the expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe has struggled in theaters, only making around $368M, and is predicted to unlikely gross much more in its theatrical run. No doubt, one of the facts related to this low box office gross was due to Disney deciding to release the film same day on Disney+ for a premium price. Now Scarlet Johannson, the film's star, has decided to sue the House of Mouse for a breach of contract.

Johannson claims that she is owed money because she was guaranteed a percentage of that box office gross for the film. According the suit filed “Disney intentionally induced Marvel’s breach of the agreement, without justification, in order to prevent Ms. Johansson from realizing the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel.” Shortly after this reached the news, Disney fired back with their own statement, saying “[this is] especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.” The company said it “fully complied with Ms. Johansson’s contract and furthermore, the release of Black Widow on Disney+ with Premier Access has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20 million she has received to date.”

Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow

The statement made by Disney is an obvious smokescreen to turn the blame on the actress and away from Disney. Disney’s new CEO Bob Chapek has decided to stand by his decision to release the film on Disney+ at the same time. Chapek claims that Disney’s former CEO Bob Iger is behind him on this decision, something The Wrap has heard is not true, claiming that Iger has said they’ve “bungled” this whole thing. 

Among the parties supposedly not happy is Marvel CCO Keven Feige, who pushed hard for an exclusive theatrical release of Black Widow.  At the time of this writing, no official statements from either Iger or Feige have been released.

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow with Taskmaster

On the surface it’s easy for the general consumer to look at this and say that it’s just a greedy millionaire suing a mega corporation but this could have far reaching ramifications. If Disney is willing to breach a contract and deny one of the biggest stars in the world the money she’s owed, then what’s to stop them from doing this to a smaller creator?

This could also set a precedent with other companies. For example, Warner Bros releasing their films on HBOMax for no extra cost (same day as in theaters) has forecasted doom for Dune at the box office. Perhaps what Johansson is doing could embolden Denis Villeneuve to demand the money he would have gotten had the movie had an exclusive theatrical run (of course depending on the verbiage of that contract or renegotiations).

So far during these unprecedented times, F9: The Fast Saga seems to be the exception and not the rule. That could be because Universal gave it an exclusive theatrical release, or it could just have been a random fluke. The narrative of what is a “flop” is going to have to change as we once again enter unprecedented times, that’s for sure. 

One thing is certain, if studios insist on releasing major tentpole movies, the filmmakers and stars need to get the proper compensation.

Movie Review / The Green Knight

MOVIE: The Green Knight

STARRING: Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Erin Kellyman, Barry Keoghan, Ralph Ineson, Sean Harris, Joel Edgerton

RELEASE DATE: July 30th, 2021 (Theaters) / August 19th, 2021 (VOD)

WHERE TO WATCH: Theaters / VOD Rental (Amazon Prime, Apple, Google Play, FandangoNow)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

The Green Knight is the latest film by David Lowery, whose other films up to this point have included 2016’s “Pete’s Dragon” and 2017’s “A Ghost Story”. This film is also an adaptation of the poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In short, this film is probably one of the best films that have come out of A24’s library, in my honest opinion.

"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", from the Cotton Nero A.x manuscript

As the title of the poem states, the film is about King Arthur’s nephew, Gawain (played by Dev Patel), who accepts to play a game by The Green Knight on Christmas Day.  The game is simple, strike a blow to the Green Knight and then you claim his ax. However, Gawain must return to the Knight’s castle in one calendar year's time and give the knight the same courtesy in letting him strike an equal blow to Gawain. 

Gawain played by Dev Patel

After Gawain beheads the Green Knight, Gawain waits almost the entire year until he decides to go on the adventure. Along the way, Gawain finds himself meeting interesting characters, each one being a test of the 5 virtues of what it means to be a knight; friendship, generosity, chastity, courtesy, and piety.

This film is very beautiful in every way. Although it is a slow-moving film, it never feels like you are waiting for the next scene to happen. They give you time to take in the splendor of the scenery. They pull you in with the great score from Daniel Hart that accompanies the film. I don’t want to spoil too much about the film because I want everyone to go check it out. So, I highly recommend you check it out and see what you think.

Movie Review / Guilt, Grief and Self-Hatred: How three new female-directed horror films intersect

1 ) Saint Maud

DIRECTOR: Rose Glass

STARRING: Morfydd Clark, Caoilfhionn Dunne, Jennifer Ehle, Marcus Hutton, Carl Prekopp, Lily Frazer, Lily Knight

RELEASE DATE: January 29th, 2021

WHERE TO WATCH (as of August 2021): Hulu

2 ) Censor

DIRECTOR: Prano Bailey Bond

STARRING: Niamh Algar, Michael Smiley, Nicholas Burns, Vincent franklin, SophiaLa Porta, Adrian Schiller

RELEASE DATE: June 11th, 2021

WHERE TO WATCH (as of August 2021): Amazon Prime Video (rental)

3 ) The Stylist

DIRECTOR: Jill Gevargizian

STARRING: Najarra Townsend, Jennifer Seward, Lindsay Solomon, Angela Dupuie, Brea Grant, Davis DeRock

RELEASE DATE: February 21st, 2021

WHERE TO WATCH (as of August 2021): Amazon Prime Video (rental)

by Dave Palamaro

The protagonist as the outcast/anti-hero used to be mostly the realm of male film directors (think Taxi Driver, Joker, Fight Club, Goodfellas etc.). But three new female horror directors are showing audiences that complex, emotionally damaged main characters need not be gender specific. Thank God for that because their films (Saint Maud, Censor and The Stylist) are a revelation.

***SPOILERS AHEAD FOR SAINT MAUD, CENSOR AND THE STYLIST***

Disturbed Heroes

Saint Maud, Censor and The Stylist all have one major element in common: they showcase female lead characters that are emotionally damaged, socially distant and possibly a danger to themselves or others. Where these characters differ, however, is why each of them reached such a state.

(Morfyd Clark plays Maud in Saint Maud)

In Saint Maud, directed by Rose Glass, Maud (played by Morfyd Clark) is a young nurse who experienced a traumatic event in her past that cost a patient their life. She blames herself for this death since the patient was in her care at the time. The shock and guilt she feels spins Maud out of her normal orbit and into a self-imposed extreme form of catholicism.

(Julie Ehle in Saint Maud)

She finds a new patient to save in terminal cancer victim Amanda (played by Julie Ehle). Saving Amanda’s soul soon becomes Maud’s mission. She believes that converting Amanda to catholicism before she succumbs to her cancer will make up for her failing to save the life of her previous patient. But Maud’s methods for this would-be salvation turn out to be...well, extreme.

(Niamh Algar as Enid in Censor)

Prano Bailey Bond’s Censor, Enid (Niamh Algar) is a seemingly emotionally healthy young woman. She works as a film censor in 1980’s England and spends her days watching endless “video nasties” (British horror films from the 1980’s). Her job is to determine which of these horror films are fit for public consumption, and if they are, which parts of the movies to cut out.

All seems normal until we meet her parents. We discover that Enid’s sister went missing years ago. It turns out that Enid blames herself for the disappearance of her sibling because she was with her sister when it happened. Enid’s parents want to move on and forget about their lost child (even presenting their missing daughter’s death certificate to Enid at dinner).

But Enid, not so much. She believes that her sister is out there somewhere and nothing her parents do will shake her from this belief.

(Niamh Algar in Censor)

Clearly, Enid’s personal mission is to find her lost sister. At some point she thinks she sees her sister (now an adult) in one of the “video nasties” she’s evaluating for work.

From that point on, any good intentions Enid has to locate her lost sibling quickly turns into an unhealthy obsession.

(Najarra Townsend plays Claire the stylist in The Stylist)

Unlike Maud or Enid, Claire (Najarra Townsend) in The Stylist isn’t given a reason (at least on-screen) as to why she is so damaged.

Director/writer Jill Gevargizian shows us who Claire really is in the very first scene.

Claire is a hair stylist who drugs and surgically scalps her clients. She then uses their hair as a macabre wig to act out her fantasies of being other people. In this way, Claire can be anyone she chooses. Anyone but herself. Why does she do this?

In several scenes it is very clear that Claire hates herself to an almost unimaginable degree. She puts up a good front to those in her public life but in private, she brings self-loathing to a whole new level.

(Najarra Townsend and Brea Grant in The Stylist)

When Claire is hired to do her friend Olivia’s (Brea Grant) wedding hair, it seems that she might finally be making a real connection with another human being. It appears that this just might be enough to break the murderous hamster wheel she’s trapped in. But director Gevargizian doesn’t give us such an easy way out of Claire’s psychosis.

Does anybody ever really get what they want?

So does Maud (Saint Maud), Enid (Censor) and Claire (The Stylist) get what they want by the end of their respective stories? Well, yes and no.

Directors Rose, Bailey-Bond and Gevargizian leave it up to the audience to decide if their damaged female protagonists achieve their goals by the end of their respective journeys.

Which is only fitting, as these films are as complex as their main characters. These three talented directors have shown audiences that mentally and emotionally challenging characters are not just for men anymore.

Ratings:

Saint Maud: 9.5/10

Censor: 8.5/10

The Stylist: 8/10

Dave Palamaro is a filmmaker known for Murder Made Easy (2019) and In Heaven There Is No Beer (2014).

Movie Review / JOLT

MOVIE: Jolt (Amazon Original)

STARRING: Kate Beckinsale, Jai Courtney, Laverne Cox, Stanley Tucci, Lili Rich, Bobby Cannavale, David Bradley, Susan Sarandon

RELEASE DATE: July 23rd, 2021

WHERE TO WATCH: Amazon Prime

By Animated Annie @hessian_hellcat

Jolt is my 2nd favorite action movie of 2021, seconded only to Nobody. The movie kicks off with our heroine, Lindy, as a child unlike any other. She’s overly triggered by mean people, and has some solid super strength and anger to boot. After some traumatizing years being experimented on and tortured, she finally finds a bandaid type treatment with the help of her shrink, Dr. Munchin, played by Stanley Tucci. 

Everything seems to finally be coming together for Lindy (played by Kate Beckinsale, who looks amazing as always), until it isn’t. She absolutely slayed every one of her action scenes. With every imagined & actual fight, I was grinning ear to ear, and fully engulfed. Some of her triggers had me cackling, and were very relatable. I’ve definitely dreamed of doing some of the same things.

Laverne Cox was my 2nd favorite character, as Detective Nevin. Knocking out some solid humor as a brutally honest, by the book detective partnered with the endearing Detective Vicars (Bobby Canavale).

I did have the story figured out less than halfway through, but that didn’t take any of the fun out of the movie for me. Jolt is witty, action packed, solidly casted, and well written. Hopefully we will be getting a sequel/franchise. The ending gave us our first onscreen view of the movies narrator (no spoilers), and a quick bonus scene in the credits with a character I really enjoyed that we only got a few minutes of. All of this makes me think we will, so I’ll be crossing my fingers!

Movie Review / Blood Red Sky

MOVIE: Blood Red Sky (A Netflix Film)

STARRING: Peri Baumeister, Carl Anton Koch, Alexander Scheer, Kais Setti, Gordon Brown, Dominic Purcell, Graham McTavish

RELEASE DATE: July 23rd, 2021

WHERE TO WATCH: Netflix

By Patrick Nagy

Let me preface this review by stating, I’m not very into horror movies in general. Then again, I don’t know if I would categorize this film as “horror”. It’s more like an action flick with a supernatural twist. There will be a few spoilers, but trust me, there is still plenty of surprises to see.

The Netflix original film Blood Red Sky revolves around Nadja (played by German actress Peri Baumeister) and her son Elias (Carl Anton Koch) traveling from abroad to New York to seek treatment for Nadja’s “condition”. It isn’t fully explained yet what her issue may be as she sneaks off to the bathroom mid-flight to inject herself with some sort of serum, which appears to cause her much pain. The entire experience and journey seem to be very desperate for Nadja.

Somewhere over the Atlantic tragedy strikes when it is revealed some of the passengers and crew aren’t what they appear. In a very gruesome and violent takeover of the plane’s cabin and cockpit, this group of terrorists make their intensions clear that this plane is theirs, and there will be no shenanigans or heroes. The leader of the terrorist group is Berg (played by Prison Break actor Dominic Purcell) and they do an all right job of fleshing out his character, even though he’s a little two dimensional with your classic tropes. For example, forcing prisoners to read a written statement condemning a government or political group, planning to crash the plane in a populated area…you know…terrorist stuff. The more interesting part is his merry band of mercenaries. You have the sensible one, the angry one, the violent one, and then there’s Eightball (played by Alexander Scheer). He’s a real problem. The wild card. The psychotic killer that seems to enjoy inflicting pain and chaos. Unfortunately one of Eightball’s random targets is Nadja’s son Elias. During a scuffle for Elias, Nadja is injured and forced to reveal her secret she’s been fighting so hard to conceal.

Without giving away too much, you can picture the madness that ensues after a full blown Nosferatu style vampire is thrown into your classic hostage film! Picture the 1996 Kurt Russell film Executive Decision meets The Strain.

What I liked most about this movie and the character of Nadja, is the pain she’s going through to save her son and the plane. With every drop of blood, every kill, she’s loses herself a little. She’s afraid of Elias seeing her this way. No hair, fangs, pointed ears, and covered in blood…a monster. Her greater fear is losing him to the disaster that is unfurling.

We do get some flashbacks from time to time of a car break down and an old farm house in the German wilderness. Piece by piece these memories explain how Nadja became this way. They also reveal an ominous warning from an old farmer that she must end this vampire disease for good. This foreshadowing really helps explain who Nadja is (or at least was), and why she is fighting so hard to get back to some sort of normal. It adds a lot of sympathy and strife to her character. Imagine going through an uncertain future not even knowing what you’re becoming or how to stop it. Would you do anything and everything to just feel normal again?

During the battle it becomes very apparent everyone Nadja takes down or consumes her blood will also be infected. She does her best to stop the spread, but you can imagine what happens next. Now our anti-heroine has one more HUGE thing to worry about! How will Nadja save her son (without scaring the living daylights out of him), save the plane, and stop a vampire outbreak! This really takes anyone’s fear of flying to a ridiculous level.

Blood Red Sky may not be for the squeamish, but if you are looking for Action / Thriller plus Vampires, this is the film for you! It was done very well which is saying a lot because you can just picture how badly it could have gone from the pitch meeting to screen.

Shot in English and German overdub, Blood Red Sky is available on Netflix streaming now.

Audio Book Review / Devolution by Max Brooks

DEVOLUTION: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre

Book Release Date: 05/20/21

Audio Release Date: 06/16/20

CAST: Judy Greer, Max Brooks, Jeff Daniels, Nathan Fillion, Mira Furlan, Terry Gross, Kimberly Guerrero, Kate Mulgrew, Kai Ryssdal, Steven Weber

By Jenny Robinson

You had me at Big Foot. 

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, we would hear the stories of the Sasquatch. Some stories had a lone friendly beast, and others had aggressive shrewdness monsters. I personally always want the Progressive Insurance type of Big Foot, friend of man (or at least if man ever saw them). In true character, Max Brooks dives into the latter monster version. 

I usually do Max Brooks books as audiobooks. His tales fit well with a full cast due to his journalistic approach in storytelling. Listening to World War Z or Devolution feels like watching a documentary or reading a private journal first hand. Devolution fit that mold perfectly. 

Devolution revolves around my biggest fear while growing up near Seattle. What would happen if Mt. Rainer erupted? Many of the suburban towns around the city sit in the valleys that were formed last time it went BOOM! The environmental crusaders around the area makes remote living a desired life choice with a contradiction towards a lot of tech dependency. When you add all those elements together, you can see how it would be a picture perfect world, or a disaster waiting to happen. The town of Greenloop sets a perfect backdrop to this thriller for that exact reason.

The story is mostly told through the journal pages of Kate Holland (read by Judy Greer). It’s the first hand account of what happened in Greenloop once Rainer blew. Her account is told from her journal and reads more like a conversation directly with her character. Greer emotes the fear and uncertainty of Kate in a way that had me both annoyed and empathetic to her Souther Californian based character. As the story develops though, Brooks gives hints at some hidden strengths I didn’t initially see. Listening to this character evolve through the mayhem was an entertaining journey that allows a lot of revelations in hind-sight. 

The story begins simply with an article sent to a journalist (read by Max Brooks) titled “Bigfoot Destroys Town”. Nathan Fillion dives into the articles author Frank McCray’s character who is in search of his missing sister Kate. Chapter by chapter, the narration alternates from Kate’s viewpoint to those of Frank, Senior Ranger Josephine Schell (played by Kimberly Guerrero) and other researcher’s survivalist theories. Kate’s story becomes more of a flashback as it progresses. The narrator and supporting cast lead the story as more educational and instructional than fiction normally shows. This writing style works so well as a listener. I felt as if I was deep in Kate’s story, yet breaking away every chapter’s end for knowledgeable insight.

Majority of this story rotates around the idea of survivalism. If you had no way to Google how to grow food, could you? What if you couldn’t access maps online, or use a compass not connected to wi-fi? If you knew nothing of an animal’s behavior, are you protecting yourself in the best way or endangering yourself? Do you have an escape route? Do you have supplies to survive a few days or months if stranded? We are told all the time to have a plan organized incase of a disaster, yet very few people do.

So now we have a story of city folk without internet, limited survival skills, and living in a secluded area overran by the hardships of nature because they didn’t think about what could happen. That idea is scary enough. How do you extend the small amount of food each home has when the drones and Amazon vans can no longer deliver more? How do you keep the power grid on? All of these (and more) are vary valid and crucial questions posed in this story. Now, let’s throw in gigantic smart ape-like creatures that think you are dinner. 

Listening to each actor of this considerable cast adjust their characters through the horrific events makes for a truly chilling listen. There is a theme where the weak find strength and those who appeared strong become the weakest. Whether you read or listen, I encourage the horror fan in everyone to dive into this one. I really enjoyed the migration of modern man meets ancient Sasquatch.

Excerpt from the book:

At present, I have no physical evidence to validate the story you are about to read. Maybe I’ve been duped by Frank McCray, or maybe we’ve both been duped by Josephine Schell. I will let you, the reader, judge for yourself if the following pages seem reasonably plausible, and like me, if they reawaken a terror long buried under the bed of youth.

FOUR EYES REVIEW / Willy's Wonderland

Welcome back to another “Four Eyes” review. We take this moment to share 2 opinions on a single geek topic.

Below both Allan and Justin will each dive into what they thought about Nicolas Cage’s movie Willy’s Wonderland. Join us for a LOVE/HATE recap. Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on social media using #foureyesreview

MOVIE: Willy’s Wonderland

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Emily Tosta, Beth Grant

RELEASE DATE: February 12th, 2021

WHERE TO WATCH (as of July 2021): Hulu

FROM ALLAN DAVID:

Plot: An out-of-towner’s (Nicolas Cage) car runs over police road spikes. He is stuck in an old country town. To pay for the repairs, all he must do is spend the night cleaning up Willy’s Wonderland (a Chuck E Cheese/Five Nights at Freddy’s type of restaurant). The kids in this town sure know how to have a party. Oh, don’t worry, , that’s not blood on the walls that’s fruit punch.

My Thoughts: Nicolas Cage delivers an Oscar worthy performance as The Janitor. In one of his best roles since Raising Arizona, Nick (that’s what his friends call him) gives depth and complexity to the Janitor. He doesn’t utter a word throughout the entire movie. Which is fine by me.  The Janitor faces off against killer robots. No not the Terminator kind, but the soft fluffy kind. The kind you want to have at your kid’s party. Oh wait…

This movie has a little of everything. Angry townsfolk, blood, robots, superb acting by said robots, and lots of laughs, blood, and pinball. Lots and lots of pinball.

Should you watch it? Hell yes!!! Get off your computer right now and watch Willy’s Wonderland!!! 

FROM JUSTIN POMERVILLE:

I first need to preface that I am a huge Nicolas Cage fan. Cage has this uncanny ability to resurrect his career no matter what. With this ability, he has turned out such amazing and interesting films like Mom and Dad, Mandy, and Color Out Of Space. However, he also has been the butt of a lot of jokes because of the volume of films he has made that have been less than stellar. One such film is Willy’s Wonderland.

Willy’s Wonderland had a simple idea: What if Nicolas Cage was in Five Nights At Freddy's? Cage is the silent protagonist who’s vehicle is disabled outside of a tiny town. He is tasked to clean a run-down “Chuck E. Cheese” style joint called “Willy’s Wonderland”. But, what he doesn’t know is that he is locked in overnight with possessed murderous animatronics.

It’s a creative idea for sure but fails to be entertaining. I don’t mind if your main character is a silent, mysterious type. As someone who is viewing this film, usually by the end of the film we would have learned something about our hero. We learn nothing. He spends the whole movie cleaning, playing pinball, drinking a soda every hour, and killing animatronics. The only interesting element to his personality is that killing is nothing to him. He’s not even surprised that there are giant robotic murder machines. They are a minor inconvenience to him, at best.

Between the shaky camera fights, the illogical character choices and confusing dialogue, this movie is definitely not the worst in Cage’s repertoire. Would I watch it again? No way. However, for those of you who do enjoy it (Allan), I’m glad you do. And I have some amazing news for you, Aftershock Comics is making a prequel comic series this fall. Now you have something to look forward to (and hopefully finally some backstory on The Janitor).

Book Review / Relentless by Jonathan Maberry

RELENTLESS

Release Date: 07/13/21

By Jenny Robinson

** This article will have minor spoilers to previous books **

Over the past 12 years, we have followed Joe Ledger’s mission in preventing one possible apocalypse after another. From keeping a lid on Sief Al Din all the way through to RAGE, Ledger and Echo/Rogue teams have stopped the world from becoming ashes. Strangely in those years and books, I find it easy to forget how Joe has always been rooted in tragedy, redemption and revenge. What has drawn me to this written evolution of Joe is that his redemption is based within honor and promise. His revenge is ultimately granted but at a price. His tragedy is forever on going, yet in spite of it all we can win. He can still see the light. 

Relentless felt different. Relentless is exactly that…relentless.

Let’s start this by saying that I believe this book is completely about Joe, and not so much about Ledger. Not Cowboy or Outlaw. No matter which direction, Book 2 of Rogue Team International focuses more on Joe’s internal war and the effects it has on his relationships. To date there are well over 25 stories that involve Joe. Even though each story has been co-piloted by his Modern Man, the Cop and the Killer (depending on who is telling the story - The Warrior), Joe has always been behind the wheel. Relentless flips that concept on its head.

We have walked “through the valley of the shadow” so many times before with Joe. Each step showing more and more cracks in his patched up veneer. An example I keep thinking about is the events at the end of The Dragon Factory where Joe was left riddled in pain after the loss of Grace, only to be followed by the short story Dog Days with the introduction of Ghost. Ghost’s and Ledger’s story both start rooted in revenge, inadvertently leading to a journey of healing and vindication. The events leading up to Relentless were larger and way more damaging. As readers, we feel we know Joe Ledger. When he is knocked down, he will get back up. We’ve seen it over and over again. This book was the first time I feared how, and if he would actually get back on his feet? What state of mind would/could we find him in? In some cases, dramatic foreshadowing to the events can be found in those previous books. In The King of Plagues, Mr. Church tells Joe “We are of a kind, Captain, and neither of us is holding a candle against the darkness. Like the unknown and unseen enemy we fight, people like you and me, we are the darkness.”

This fourth passenger now in Joe’s head “The Darkness” is fueled and fed by the mutual loathing between Ledger and Santoro. Rafael Santoro has been a constant since his introduction with the Seven Kings. The proven confidence of the Spaniard has always played out in a sort of background sense. RAGE/Relentless brings that to the foreground. The absolute hatred Santoro and Ledger have for each other became paramount. Santoro has always been a force but somewhat shadowed by the larger names like Hugo Vox and Kuga. With Rafael directly murdering Joe’s family, he struck the most disruptive personal blow Joe has ever taken. Personally speaking, Kuga took a back seat in this story. Kuga's self-confident attitude in comparison to Santoro’s self-assertiveness cannot compete. Santoro is and always has been a monster. 

I enjoyed how Joe’s story is told largely by others in Relentless. It has that “outside looking in” sensibility. The supporting cast show more of who Joe Ledger truly is than he ever could. It refreshes the importance of family and simple togetherness. There are so many examples of sacrifice within this story which drives in the importance of that fact. In my unexpected surprise, some of my favorite parts was in Toy’s development in Relentless. I believe it is some of the most enlightening and captivating character growth. Toys possesses a lot of parallels with Ledger. Both men’s love toward Junie Flynn being a big reason for both’s salvation. I wonder how Toys would have landed if he grew up with a support system like Joe, or how Joe would have turned out vice versa. Those conversations between those who love or hate Joe felt to me like closing the circle of the tragic events at the end of RAGE. Those secondary character’s role in that support circle being the deciding point on how and if Joe can overcome his obstacles, and see the light again.

The surprising twist is the inclusion of Mr. Sunday within the terrifying evil and science that exists in this world. The supernatural throwbacks and wicked wrongfulness Mr. Sunday brings only add to the terror. This has me excited and mortified for what happens next. Concerning (you know who), I feel our beloved characters are waiting for the other shoe to drop. The idea of his return is almost unbearable. 

This unabated story started early with the tech of Dog’s of War, and ultimately joined with the bio-terrorism in Rage. That convergence will take time to recover from.  My only question is… will they all be able to? Will the stakes of the war continue to grow, and become impossible? The past always finds it’s way back.

In conclusion, let’s continue the previous quote above from Mr. Church to Joe Ledger,

“In some ways we are more like the things we're fighting than the people we're protecting. Granted our motives are better--from our perspective--but we wait in the shadows for our unseen enemy to make a move against those innocents with candles. And by that light we take aim.”

For more coverage, please check out Matt’s (Two Broke Geeks) review Fourteenth Interlude: Matt Reviews Jonathan Maberry's "Relentless"

Find more about Jonathan Maberry at www.jonathanmaberry.com

Macmillan Publishers / Relentless - A Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International Novel (Rogue Team International Series Volume 2).

Queen Mary Dark Harbor 2019

Mazes, monsters, and hidden bars...oh my! The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor is back and Atomic Geekdom's own Jenny and Patrick take it on with help from our friend Director Dave Palamaro. It's a scary good time! (evil laugh)

The Walking Dead at Paley Fest 2019

On March 22nd 2019, Atomic Geekdom hit the red carpet to talk with the cast of AMC’s The Walking Dead. Join us on the red carpet and dive into the characters first hand. Season 9 has been a gift to us comic book readers with its adaptation of the comic. It was a blast talking with the cast on how they see their characters and where they want them to go.

Atomic Geekdom would like to give a BIG shout out and thank you to Paley Center for yet another great year of fan coverage with Paley Fest. The organization provides such considerable attention to media that we are truly grateful. Please be sure to check out their site (www.paleycenter.org) for membership opportunities and other upcoming events.

Photo: © Michael Bulbenko for The Paley Center for Media

LA COMIC CON 2018

Los Angeles Haunted Hayride

This was my first time doing the Haunted Hayride. It has been on my list for years now since it screams Los Angeles. A haunt deep in Griffith Park at the old zoo, that alone is the makings of something great. 

What I really enjoyed about this one was the community feel. It is much mellower than some of the other haunts, but I think that is what gives it some charm. Kids and adults alike can enjoy and be scared without any lasting trauma (but some keeping with some good jump scares). The kids we encountered were excited, parents were wide-eyed, and everyone having a blast. They do such a great job with costumes and set design, that gives it chemistry unlike any other. Piled in the back of a tractor full of hay, we round the trail with something new at every turn. The actors are what really bring this to life. From zombie rock stars to killer bikers, each embraced their rolls and had the spectators closest to the edge of the cart shrieking with terror and delight. I sat in the center and had an absolute blast watching everyone trying to avoid the ghouls as they lean in.

There are a few mazes to partake in as well. The “Trick or Treat” maze was a more safe for the younger crowds. Each door you approach had some new character to make you jump and interact with. On the opposite side of the spectrum was the “House of Shadows” maze. I will warn anyone with light sensitivity issues to maybe avoid. It took me a good half hour to get my head refocused when done. Noise, strobe lights, dead ends and mischievous characters leading you astray, by the end I felt the walls were moving on me. So in summary it gives you anxiety, which is what an intense maze should. 

Take a ride through the woods of L.A. and enjoy being scared within nature.

Article by: Jenny Robinson / Video by: Patrick Nagy / Photos by: Scott Feinblatt