NIC GAUGE / 211

MOVIE: 211

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Weston Coppola Cage, Michael Rainey Jr., Dwayne Cameron, Cory Hardrict, Alexandra Dinu, Sophia Skelton, Ori Pfeffer

RELEASE DATE: June 8t, 2018

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Hulu, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Officer Mike Chandler (Nicolas Cage) in 211

Code 211 over police radio means armed robbery in progress. In 2018, that code was turned into a crime-action film directed by York Shackelton. One of the most notable things about this film is that not only does it have Nicolas Cage, but also has his son, Weston Coppola Cage playing one of the antagonists. The film has a 4% on Rotten Tomatoes, but does it really deserve that rating? Personally, that might be a tad bit gracious.

The plot of 211 is police officers Mike (played by Cage) and his son-in-law, Steve (played by Dwayne Cameron) take a high-school student, Kenny (played by Micheal Rainy Jr.) on a ride-along to teach him about making the wrong decisions. While on the ride-along, they accidentally find themselves uncovering an armed robbery at a bank from 4 men who were in the special forces. Now they must protect themselves as well protect Kenny in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Mike (Nicolas Cage) in 211

This is going to be a pretty short review because this movie is terrible. You might as well call this film, “Everyone’s SAG Cards” because this film hardly has any good actors and is filled with overacting background extras and I assume some “breakout” supporting actors. There is no chemistry among the weaving storylines that feel rushed. The camera work is laughable, especially scenes where snipers are looking through scopes and somehow can see through car doors.

Cage’s performance in this is subpar at best. His whole story arc is he refuses to talk to his daughter after his wife dies of cancer, and he refuses to retire from the force. That character development is all thrown at you in the first 10 minutes of the film and is just tossed aside for the rest. This movie is an hour and a half long and nothing about it hooks you in to care about anyone. This film is going on the lower end of “Hot Mess” on the Nic Gauge.

BOOK REVIEW + INTERVIEW / Kagen the Damned by Jonathan Maberry

Matt and Jenny were joined by author Jonathan Maberry to discuss his May 10th, 2022 release of his fantasy Kagen the Damned. Watch our youtube interview to get an inside look at the story, characters and future of the series. Join the conversation in the comments and on social media.

For audio, please check out the 2 Broke Geeks Podcast to listen in.

Kagen The Damned by Jonathan Maberry

Release Date: 05/10/2022

Published by St.Martin’s Press/ Macmillan

By Jenny Robinson

The definition of a fantasy story Is “imaginative fiction dependent for effects on strangeness of setting (such as other worlds or times) and of characters (such as supernatural or unnatural beings). 

In Jonathan Maberry’s Kagen the Damned, all of those boxes have been checked. In his first venture in this genre, Maberry refuses to hold back and brings his dark style of storytelling to a strange magically violent world. 

Kagen the Damned is set some fifty thousand years into the future. The world we know today is no longer and is forgotten. The landscape has changed assumably by natural catastrophes and the people seem more primitive. Our cars have been long replaced back to horses. Instead of guns, they wield swords and daggers. This world does not appear to even have ghosts of our time, or at least anything they can recognize as a period of lost experiences. This erasing of history is a very poignant and repetitive theme in this tale and relates much to the epic fantasy world Kagen belongs to.

It takes no time to jump right into the mayhem when the Silver Empire falls to the Witch King within the first chapter. Kagen Vale is introduced to the horrors of the overthrown empire at the same time as the reader, stumbling to make sense of the wickedness around him. He is an oath-sworn captain of this fallen empire who has to come to terms that his oath had been broken, he has failed. He is damned. 

What I appreciate in Maberry’s writing style is that he doesn’t shy away from having his lead characters embracing tremendous flaws. They are our heroes page-by-page, yet you’ll find some of their actions can be disappointing and not expected for such an idol. Kagen proves that even the damned can entwine themselves in their shame but strive for vengeance and redemption. Kagen’s development from a drunken mess to an aspiring hero felt truly honest as I followed along beside him. There is a real life honesty in many of Maberry’s characters as we are introduced to them. An example I enjoyed was in the side adventure of Miri and Ryssa which created visually beautiful environments and a relatable innocence to the women. We are gifted with humor as well as an unexpected humility in Kagen’s friend Tuke as he teaches Kagen the world of thieves. Adding in Filia’s knack for stubbornness and loyalty, they all feel well rounded and with purpose.  

The big story arch is the reintroduction of the long banished use of magic. For many in this world, magic and monster were things from fairytales. Following the story as the characters have their world views turned upside down and the realization that monsters are real, was an absolute treat. There are mysteries from chapter to chapter. We keep track of who are friends or foe. We fall in love with Kagen’s companions, his allies and loves. We develop mistrust and understanding for some of the villains, the monsters and the main antagonist - The Witch King. 

Saying that I am super excited for this to now be a series would be an understatement. I am very anxious to find out what happens next. Will the characters that I now cherish be able to handle a world with Gods, vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, thieves, assassins and more? A world where magic can burn everything down, or make it beautifully grow?

Kagen The Damned will continue with the second book Son of the Poison Rose that is schedule to be released January 10th, 2023 and I can’t wait!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times best-seller, five-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, anthology editor, comic book writer, executive producer, magazine feature writer, playwright, and writing teacher/lecturer. He is the editor of Weird Tales Magazine and president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers. He is the recipient of the Inkpot Award, three Scribe Awards, and was named one of the Today’s Top Ten Horror Writers. His books have been sold to more than thirty countries. He writes in several genres including thriller, horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and mystery; and he writes for adults, middle grade, and young adult.

INTERLUDE #1: The Defenders Saga: A Loving Tribute

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The Defenders Saga could generate a list of 50 defining moments all on its own, but this series isn’t about that. However, it felt like a disservice to not mention them at all since they’re so beloved. So while you wait for entry 39, here’s an interlude about one of the most exciting television endeavors in Marvel’s history. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE. 

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• The Defenders Saga: A Loving Tribute •

INTERLUDE # 1

SHOWS: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, The Defenders, The Punisher

Show Runners: Steven S. DeKnight, Doug Petrie, Marco Ramirez, Erik Oleson, Melissa Rosenberg, Scott Reynolds, Cheo Hodari Coker, Scott Buck, M. Raven Metzner & Steve Lightfoot

Luke Cage (Mike Colter), Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) and Iron Fist (Finn Jones) in The Defenders.

Disney+ wasn’t Marvel’s first attempt to bring their sprawling cinematic universe to the small screen. In 2013, Marvel Television announced that they had made a deal with Netflix to produce new shows set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The plan was simple; mirror what Marvel Studios had done to build up to The Avengers, only this time with four, thirteen-episode seasons that would attempt to build the same momentum as the films but for a new team of heroes known as the Defenders. For the most part, it worked.

Fans of the franchise had been hoping that Marvel would tackle more mature subject matter for a while. So when it was announced that four shows would premier on Netflix and build up to a mini-series called The Defenders, the fans couldn’t wait. These shows were Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage. These characters were strategically picked to be ones that Feige and company over at Marvel Studios didn’t have current plans to use and wouldn’t necessarily affect the larger story. Not only that, but they were street-level heroes looking to tell the same types of stories that the old Marvel Knights comic imprint did in its height. These shows were planned to be darker and would attempt to tackle deeper subject matter, which would offer audiences a new side of the MCU.

In 2015, Netflix and Marvel Television kicked it off by introducing the world to their new Matt Murdock/Daredevil with the release of Daredevil Season One. After the rights to the character had reverted to Marvel Entertainment, executives were eager to get a new adaptation of the character off the ground. Something that would ideally be far removed from the 2003 film starring Ben Affleck. It was an instant hit, with Charlie Cox being immediately accepted as the perfect Matt Murdock. Many would argue that Charlie Cox embodied the role of Matt Murdock in the same way that Robert Downey Jr. or Christopher Reeve embodied Iron Man or Superman respectively. To this day, Daredevil continues to be the most fondly remembered of the Defenders shows due to its strong writing, stylish directing, and engaging characters. The success of Daredevil led to a slight change in the plan, and a second season was fast-tracked to air after the first season of Jessica Jones. Unfortunately, due in part to Steven S. DeKnight being replaced as showrunner, the reception to the second season was more lukewarm than the first. Luckily the third season fared much better.

Matt Murdock aka Daredevil played by Charlie Cox in Daredevil

Unlike the other shows that would air on Netflix, Jessica Jones was originally developed for ABC. The series started its long road to air in 2010 as AKA Jessica Jones. Melissa Rosenberg had developed the show for ABC and continued with it on Netflix from 2015 to its cancellation in 2019. Back then, she had seemingly developed a more faithful adaptation of the comic series Alias than the one that made it to Netflix. Much like the Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos comic, the ABC version of the show would have Luke Cage play a large role as well as Carol Danvers’ Ms. Marvel (her promotion to Captain Marvel wouldn’t happen for two years), who would be Jessica’s best friend. Rosenberg also had long plans for the show and mentioned that Luke and Jessica’s daughter, Danielle, would show up down the line. When ABC passed on the show, Marvel Television decided to include the long-gestating series in a pitch that included Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Daredevil to streaming services. When Netflix picked it up, the show went through heavy rewrites, most notably to remove Carol Danvers and replace her with Patsy Walker, who is known as Hellcat in the comics. This change was most likely due in part because Marvel Studios had become interested in a movie centered around Carol Danvers after she became Captain Marvel in the comics.

Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones

One of Old Spice’s most popular spokesmen, Isaiah Mustafa, began campaigning for Luke Cage due to his love of the character (there’s a proof of concept trailer online). Sadly, that campaign didn’t come to fruition and Mike Colter was cast as the title character. Colter would make his debut in Jessica Jones before headlining his own series. With three of the title characters cast, it just left Danny Rand, the Iron Fist. Eventually, the role went to Game of Thrones alum Finn Jones, but unfortunately for him, this is where the cracks began to form. Saddled with a poor showrunner and his disinterest in learning any martial arts, Iron Fist debuted with less than stellar reviews and it is currently the only Defenders series to be rated “Rotten” on Rotten Tomatoes. By the time Iron Fist rolled around, the momentum was beginning to falter. While outside of Iron Fist, the shows received generally favorable reviews, a common complaint about the pacing and length of the shows began to form. Many felt the plots of the shows could be stronger with shorter seasons and lamented how they were stretching the shows to fill thirteen episodes. Iron Fist would be the last show to air before The Defenders, with the season plot line directly leading into the upcoming mini-series.

Danny Rand/Iron Fist (Finn Rand) and Luke Cage (Mike Colter) in The Defenders.

Much like Sarah Finn, the Casting Director for Marvel Studios since Iron Man, The Defenders Casting Director, Julie Schubert was able to find the perfect actor for each of these new heroes. A major reason why the MCU was so successful is due to its casting and the Defenders Saga had to live up to that. Thankfully, Schubert was more than up for the task and successfully helped bring some fantastic new heroes, and a few of the best villains, the MCU has ever seen. Actors like Kristen Ritter as the hard-as-nails superhero/private eye Jessica Jones, Mike Coulter as the powerful Luke Cage, Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing in Iron Fist and John Bernthal as The Punisher (Sorry Finn Jones…). A lot of the time, these shows were only as strong as their villains and Schubert was also able to cast some true powerhouse talent such as Mahershala Ali (who will soon be seen as Blade) as Cottonmouth, Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, and David Tennant as Killgrave (known as The Purple Man in the comics). To this day, Kingpin and Killgrave are considered to be some of the best villains in the MCU, able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Loki and Thanos.

Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) in Daredevil

The stage was set and much like The Avengers before it, The Defenders united these new fan-favorite heroes. Even though Iron Fist was not the ideal launching point for this crossover event, The Defenders was still a success. Fans had enjoyed seeing this side of the MCU and were eager to see where the journey took them… that is until they weren’t. The second “phase” of the Defenders Saga didn’t fare too well, with many having jumped off by the time The Punisher spin-off series launched in 2017 and began to steadily decline from there. While The Punisher’s viewing numbers were still good, since Frank Castle was a well-liked character, the writing was on the wall by that point. At the time, it seemed unlikely that Netflix would cancel the shows since they hadn’t yet gained the reputation they currently have. By February 2019, seemingly without any warning to the writer's teams, Netflix pull the plug. Most of the teams had prepared pitches for upcoming seasons and enough of them had earned back some goodwill with the likes of Daredevil season three and, surprisingly, Iron Fist season two, that it seemed like a sure thing they would receive a renewal order.

There are several reasons why these cancellations could have happened and it’s unlikely any true version of the story will be told anytime soon. Viewing numbers is a big deal for Netflix and they never release accurate numbers to the public, so perhaps Netflix felt it wasn’t worth the money due to the declining audience. Another potential reason is that the decision could have been a retaliation to Disney’s planned streaming service Disney+, which they were planning on producing MCU shows for. More likely, however, is that it came down to a deal. Disney was probably not interested in producing shows for an independent platform anymore and chose not to renew the contract they had already signed with Netflix. This deal could also be the reason why Netflix no longer has the shows on its platform. Why would Disney want to direct traffic away from Disney+ after all? Following the cancelation, Disney would dissolve Marvel Television and move its responsibilities to Marvel Studios, which now produces every Marvel-related TV series, including multiple high-budget MCU shows a year.

There’s been a lot of talk over the years, even while the shows were on, if these would be considered canon to the films. Outside of a few passing references to “The Incident” (The Battle of New York) and The Raft, there wasn’t much reference made to the larger MCU. Many were beginning to wonder if these characters would ever get to interact with the likes of Captain America or Iron Man. Jeph Loeb, the producer in charge of Marvel Television, certainly felt it was an inevitability that the two worlds would eventually interact but Kevin Feige was always a little deflective about the canonicity of the shows. Early interviews had Feige talking about how the characters in the show were part of the MCU “toolbox” and there were apparently discussions of including the Defenders in Avengers: Endgame, but there was never any hard stance on it. Feige probably had enough on his plate rather than to worry about what was happening with projects he wasn’t producing. Trying to weave together the evolving plot lines of these shows with the films was most likely more trouble than it was worth. But he knew that these shows and especially these characters (maybe not Danny Rand) had a great number of fans, and Kevin Feige always respects the fans. So, when the opportunity presented itself, he got to make good on his promise and included Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Hawkeye respectively. Finally putting an end to the debate once and for all by making it clear that if these characters show up, and they will, it’ll be these actors.

For the first time in Netflix’s long history, shows they produced are no longer available on their service. Luckily they were immediately moved to Disney+ so new fans can follow Kingpin from Hawkeye back to Daredevil without moving to another streaming service (something that was certainly strategic). Disney+ has a curated Marvel section that has many subheadings. Each phase has its section, for example, as well as a Marvel Legacy category for things like the Fox-produced Marvel films, and a Timeline order for anyone interested in going from Captain America: The First Avenger to Captain Marvel by way of the Agent Carter short film. Many couldn’t wait to see how the Defenders shows would fit into the timeline, only to find out that they wouldn’t be included. Instead, they have their own sub-category called The Defenders Saga. Because of the ambiguous nature of the show's place in MCU canon and the amount of time they cover, placing them anywhere in the timeline would be a difficult task to undertake. But giving them their saga, something like The Infinity Saga, makes it clear that they’re just as important, and validates their status in the canon. They weren’t produced by Marvel Studios, and it would be difficult for them to be easily incorporated into past MCU canon, but their saga definition allows audiences to put the canon debate to rest and acknowledge them as something unique and important all on their own. After all, it’s 2025 in the MCU, so it’s not like it matters anymore.

Phase Four is an exciting time for Marvel fans, including fans of the Defenders Saga. Rumors of Jessica Jones being in She-Hulk and Daredevil in Echo are all over the internet. Thanks to this, a whole new audience can find these shows and these beloved characters, because make no mistake, these characters are just as beloved as Iron Man or Captain America (well…again, maybe not Danny Rand) and fans have always wanted them to interact with the larger MCU. When Kevin Feige said, during the press tour for Spider-Man: No Way Home, that should Daredevil show up again, it would be Charlie Cox. That gave fans hope again. From Daredevil season one to Jessica Jones season three, and everything in between, the moment in time when Netflix had multiple MCU TV shows that introduced beloved heroes and villains was truly special. It’s exciting that this moment and these characters will no doubt continue to be validated as we continue this journey through Phase Four.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Casts The First Captain Of The Enterprise

By Brandon T. McClure

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is upon us! The fifth Star Trek series to air in this era will reintroduce fans to the characters of Captain Christopher Pike, Number One, and Spock, as well as a number of new and old characters alike. Now that the show is close, Paramount+ has announced another captain of the Enterprise will be appearing in the show. Robert April has been revealed to be making his live-action debut in the upcoming series and Adrian Holmes has been cast as the character.

For long-time fans, this name is familiar, but might not be familiar to new ones. Robert April first debuted in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode The Counter-Clock Incident where it was revealed that he commanded the Enterprise on her first five-year mission, which began in 2245. The events of The Counter-Clock Incident see the Enterprise escorting Commodore Robert April to the planet Babel where Federation ambassadors await. The purpose of the mission is to forcefully retire April, who’s grown to retirement age. When the Enterprise enters a negative universe, everyone on board begins to get younger. Since April is much older than the rest of the crew, he’s able to take command and save the ship and her crew. Since this one appearance, the character of April has only appeared a number of times, most notably in books and comics. 

Star Trek: The Animated Series exists in a strange place in the canon of Star Trek. In the 1980s, Gene Roddenberry himself disowned the series and didn’t consider it to be a canonical part of his franchise. It’s not too clear why he did this, though. Some sources have stated that he was just never happy with the finished product. But his request to strike the series from the official canon coincided with him losing control of Star Trek: The Next Generation, so it could have been in retaliation to that. Over the years, however, elements from the series would be considered canon, even if the show itself wasn’t. Things like the Caitian alien species, Kirk’s middle name being Tiberius, the aforementioned Robert April, and a few other things have been incorporated into canon over the years.

This is a very deep-cut character for anyone who isn’t familiar with the in-universe history of the Enterprise. April was a highly decorated captain before his promotion. After the completion of his five-year mission, he received the said promotion, and his first officer, Christopher Pike, took command of the Enterprise. Pike would go on to command the famous ship in three five-year missions before his own promotion sometime before 2265. It was at this point that command of the ship was given to Captain Kirk, where he would go on his own five-year mission (the events of Star Trek: The Original Series) before accepting a promotion of his own. 

Robert April (Adrian Holmes) in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

The casting of Robert April has proven to be a hot topic around the internet. Adrian Holmes, a black actor, is playing a character who first appeared to be white. But it’s important to note that since Star Trek: The Animated Series is not considered to be canon, the only thing that audiences have ever been told about Robert April is his name, and that’s it. If canon is so important to those who are outraged about this, then let the record be put straight right now.

Adrian Holmes has been wowing critics with his turn as Uncle Phil in Bel-Air and it’s truly exciting to see him as Robert April in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Now all three Enterprise captains can share the screen together for the first time ever. It’s doubtful April will have a significant role in the series, but surely with the casting of Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk, the destined captain of the Enterprise, it would seem a missed opportunity to not get them all together.

NIC GAUGE / Between Worlds

MOVIE: Between Worlds

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Penelope Mitchell, Franka Potente, Hopper Jack Penn, Garrett Clayton, Lydia Hearst

RELEASE DATE: December 21st, 2018

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Apple TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Joe (Nicolas Cage) and Billie (Penelope Mitchell) in Between Worlds

Have you ever watched a movie and think to yourself, “Wow….that was an idea that they actually ran with”? I feel like you could ask that question about a lot of the later Nic Cage catalog. But hear me out when I say that 2018’s Between Worlds is up there with one of the weirder premises and one of the most outlandish scenes that is equal parts uncomfortable, hilarious, and stupid. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Between Worlds is a supernatural thriller that follows truck driver Joe (played by Cage) who is haunted by the memories of his dead wife, Mary (played by Lydia Hearst). He meets Julie (played by Franka Potente) who has the ability to cross over to the spirit realm. She asks Joe to choke her so she may cross over to retrieve the wandering soul of her dying daughter, Billie (played by Penelope Mitchell). Joe and Julie begin dating, but as Penelope is recovering, she slowly becomes more and more infatuated with Joe. Slowly, Joe realizes that the soul they brought back was not her daughter, but that of his wife Mary. And she refuses to let Joe leave her again.

I’m not going to sugarcoat this, the plot is garbage with a bunch of plot holes and erratic pacing. It’s never explained how Julie has supernatural powers, and no one even is curious how this is possible. The script is all over the place as well. It felt like they ran out of time for filming so they cherry-picked the scenes to make the best story, but failed to make them come together in a cohesive way. The acting is terrible across the board. Even Cage can’t pull a good performance out of this. He overacts in his usual Cage fashion, yet it doesn’t help anything within the scenes, which is saying something. 

Joe (Nicolas Cage) and Julie (Franka Potente) in Between Worlds.

I mentioned at the beginning that this film contains one of the most insane scenes I have seen. Now, I will tell you what that scene is. In all honesty, I don’t think you guys need to check this film out, but you do need to know about this. There is a scene where Joe ends up having sex with Billie, while at the same time, Joe is having sex with Mary in some sort of memory. In the middle of it, Mary/Billie asks Joe to talk dirty to her by speaking about memories. Joe then pulls out a book that is titled “Memories by Nicolas Cage” and begins reading abstract nonsense bits out of it. This whole scene was uncomfortable and what I would call a “WTF” moment. That scene couldn’t even save this film.

As of now on Nic Gauge, this beats out Willy’s Wonderland as the worst of the worst at the bottom of “Hot Mess”.

Jurassic World's Joker?

By Brandon T. McClure

The ending of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom promised a very different sequel. In the final moments of the 5th film in the long-running franchise that started with Jurassic Park, Maisie triumphantly decided that these animals deserved to live and freed them to roam the world. Jurassic World: Dominion picks up that thread and returns to a world now changed by these new dinosaurs roaming free. There are a number of new dinosaurs being introduced to the franchise with this film, including one of the largest carnivores that ever walked the Earth: the Giganotosaurus.

Giganotosaurus in Jurassic World Dominion

Fans who saw the IMAX screening of F9: The Fast Saga will probably remember the Jurassic World: Prologue that was available to see for a limited time. It introduced audiences to the prehistoric version of the Giganotosaurus (It’s the one that killed poor Rexy in her past life). Recently director Colin Trevorrow expanded more on what the Giganotosaurus’ role in Jurassic World: Dominion will be by explaining that the enormous dinosaur just “wants to watch the world burn”. With this quote, Trevorrow is channeling Michael Cain’s Alfred Pennyworth from The Dark Knight. He explained that he wanted something that felt like the Joker. But that’s certainly an odd way to describe something that is essentially an animal.

Interestingly, this goes back to a struggle that the Jurassic World films have been facing since the first reboot in 2015. An issue that might have even started in Jurassic World III. Villain dinosaurs have always been important for the franchise. In order to go through any sort of challenges, characters like Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) have to go up against some of the most dangerous predators this world has ever seen. The first two films, Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park relied on the Velociraptors with a healthy dose of Tyrannosaurus Rex action. Not wanting to go back to that well for a third time, director Joe Johnston and writers Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne, and Jim Taylor, used the Spinosaurus and had him kill the Tyrannosaurus Rex to show how dangerous this new dinosaur could be.

Talk of a 4th Jurassic Park film started almost immediately after Jurassic Park III was released. From the beginning, talk of hybrid dinosaurs had dominated the discussions around the film. Initially, concept art pointed to the idea that there would be human/dinosaur hybrids that would be used in some sort of war scenario. Eventually, Colin Trevorrow came on board the project, and that idea evolved into the Indominus Rex. Not wanting to repeat the mistakes fans felt Jurassic Park III made by killing the Tyrannosaurus Rex and a plotline that relied heavily on hero Velociraptors, the Indominous Rex was created to fill the role of the “villain” dinosaur. The Indominous Rex was a large predator that was exploring its place in the world and was created because Masrani, the company that took over InGen, wanted to create something that would scare the visitors who they felt were beginning to get bored with the standard dinosaurs. It was an idea that was handled to the best of their abilities.

Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) in Jurassic World Dominion

In total, the franchise has created three hybrid dinosaurs. One being the Scorpious Rex from the Netflix animated spin-off Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. Another included the Indo-Raptor from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom which was portrayed as a truly evil and unhinged monster. Quite honestly, Indo-Raptor was not unlike the Joker. It’s refreshing that the creative team for Jurassic World: Dominion didn’t want to go back to the hybrid dinosaur route and going bigger makes a certain amount of sense, so it can go up against Rexy. But giving it the kind of motivation that villains in superhero films have seems like an odd choice for something that has something more in common with a crocodile than a person.

These carnivorous dinosaurs see humans and other animals as food. They’re essentially predators at the top of the food chain. Describing one of the newer dinosaurs like the “Joker” of the Jurassic World franchise creates the idea that it’s an intensely smart and calculating creature that assigns preemptive thought to everything that it does. But, it’s not like the Giganotosaurus has some sort of endgame plan. The franchise isn’t a superhero story and it’s not one with supervillains. The Raptors from the first two films wanted to eat the main characters, the Spinosaurus wanted to eat the main characters, the Indominous Rex and the Indo-Raptor wanted to kill the main characters, and so on. So why is the Giganotosaurus the one that is assigned something more than what has come before? What make’s this animal so special?

Jurassic World Dominion hits theaters on June 10th, 2022.

NIC GAUGE / The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

MOVIE: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Lily Mo Sheen, Ike Barinholtz, Alessandra Mastronardi, Tiffany Haddish, Neil Patrick Harris, Sharon Horgan

RELEASE DATE: April 22nd, 2022

WHERE TO WATCH: In Theaters (as of May 1st, 2022)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

You never really know what to expect these days going into a new Nic Cage film. Gathering from his newer films, it feels like anything (and everything) could be on the table. Mandy, Prisoners of the Ghostland, Pig, and even Willy’s Wonderland clearly show (and can be argued) that Nic Cage will do anything that comes across his path. That makes The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent such a delight, or even more of a breath of fresh air for Cage. It also really cements the fact that he can do any kind of film, and pull out a great performance, even if some of his films are not up to par. After the last couple films I have reviewed, it was time for a more positive review of an insanely fun film.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a film where the plot starts out extremely simple, but then takes a weird turn that blends the realms of fiction and non-fiction. Nicolas Cage plays himself as he tries to land his next acting role. As his hope diminish, he gets an offer to get paid one million dollars to go to the birthday party for his biggest, wealthiest fan, Javi (played by Pedro Pascal). While at this party, Cage is approached by CIA operatives Vivian (played by Tiffany Haddish) & Martin (played by Ike Barinholtz). He is told that Javi is the leader of an international gun smuggling operation and has kidnapped the daughter of an anti-crime politician. They need his help to find her. Unsure about his feelings, Cage starts becoming friends with Javi and second-guesses if Javi truly is as evil as they say he is.

Nicolas Cage (as himself) with Javi (Pedro Pascal) in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.

The movie is hilarious from start to finish. Both Javi and Cage look like they are having the best time making this film. You can really feel the budding friendship throughout. They have great comedic timing, amazing chemistry, and just make the most out of all their time. The script is really funny, being extremely self-aware about Cage’s acting history, including this film as well. It really hits the nail on the head about the current climate of film these days, while also winking to the audience about the insanity that is going to come forward.

My favorite part by far is Nic Cage interacting with a younger version of himself. His younger self is more erratic and more over the top than his current self and it makes me laugh every time. Current Cage does not let off the gas with his acting either, not going full insane Cage as we have seen, but having small gut-busting outbursts throughout the film. 

As of right now, this is the best comedy film I have seen Cage in, and because of that reason, this film is in the high “Bloody Awesome” of the Nic Gauge.

What The Baby-Sitters Club’s Cancellation Can Tell Us About Netflix

By Brandon T. McClure

Back in March of this year (2022), Netflix surprisingly canceled one of its most well-received series, The Baby-Sitters Club. The Netflix original series about a group of young girls who form a Baby-Sitters Club in their hometown exceeded Netflix's expectations and even won a few awards. So why was it canceled? Rachel Shukert, the creator of the Netflix adaptation, may have the answer to this and other mysterious cancellations. In an interview with Vulture.com, she speculated that “For whatever reason, the right people didn’t watch it at the right time for Netflix right now.”

The Baby-Sitters Club was an adaptation of the long-running Ann M. Martin book series of the same name. Both seasons currently sit at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and some reports claim it was a hit with the internal viewing numbers. Once upon a time, Netflix used to let shows last 5-6 seasons but then it was 3 and now a show is lucky to get to 2 seasons. While Shukert doesn’t know the exact reason for the changes in Netflix’s model, she speculates that viewers only have one weekend to secure a show's future. “Completion rates are a big deal,” she begins to say “and our show takes longer to complete because it’s for a younger audience. Parents don’t necessarily let kids sit and watch six hours of television at a time — probably rightly!” A show like The Baby-Sitters Club doesn’t reach the kind of audience that is able or willing to binge an entire season in a weekend. It appeals more to a younger audience than something like The Witcher or Locke & Key. “They want people to watch it a certain way, and they want shows that people will watch that way — not shows that people want to watch in their own way,” she continues, noting a stark change from their “wait and see approach” from years past. 

This is a problem unique to Netflix as well. Most of the major streaming services have found huge success with the weekly release model. Take Peacemaker or WandaVision for example. The weekly releases of these shows created appointment TV that allowed the shows to grow and build an audience. Perhaps it’s not in the cards for Netflix to adopt that type of model right now, but a case could be made that it’s doing more harm than good at this point. “I think we had the bad luck to come out at about the same time as Squid Game, which showed them how crazy numbers could get. Numbers that were totally respectable and successful last year were suddenly seen in a different way,” she said, while also adding that The Baby-Sitters Club had better numbers than a show like Succession on HBO.

Another issue that Shukert cites is how Netflix does things internationally. “The truth is that when your show does very well in North America, as ours does, as far as Netflix is concerned, pretty much everybody who’s going to have Netflix [in North America] has it. They’re looking to drive subscriber growth in other parts of the world where this IP doesn’t have much recognition,” she continues. Basically confirming what most have theorized at this point, which is that Netflix isn’t getting new subscribers in North America and are looking for opportunities to grow in other parts of the world.

It’s really a shame that Netflix did this to The Baby-Sitters Club since it fills a specific role in entertainment that rarely gets touched on. When she was asked about whether or not it’s easier to dismiss shows about young girls, specifically citing the discussions around Pixar’s Turning Red, Shukert responded by saying “Girls are expected to go straight from Doc McStuffins to Euphoria.” She went on to note that “People are extremely uncomfortable with this period in girls’ lives,” specifically referring to the time when they aren’t a child but also not an adult. “The Baby-Sitters Club speaks to so many girls because it meets them where they are. It’s not about adults telling them who they are. It’s not really about boys, although they have crushes, which is a realistic part of life at that age.” She went on to say “There’s something about stories geared to this age that always felt like hindsight from adults, as opposed to what it actually feels like to be that age. What we could do with The Baby-Sitters Club was make the girls as smart and interesting and mature as girls are without making it all about how other people see them. It’s about how they see themselves.”

From an outside perspective, Netflix’s practices seem erratic. Where once stood a place for creatives to make the projects they want with the idea that Netflix will let the audience find them, now stands a slaughterhouse where two-season critical darlings go to die. Due to some weird numbers in the algorithm, many didn’t even know a second season of the series was released. Having worked on a number of Netflix projects, Rachel Shukert can only speculate what practice Netflix is using now. But with Netflix looking to lose two million subscribers and other streaming services finding great success with their original programming, perhaps it's time for Netflix to overhaul its model.

NIC GAUGE / Deadfall

MOVIE: Deadfall

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Michael Biehn, Charlie Sheen, James Coburn, Sarah Trigger, Peter Fonda, Talia Shire

RELEASE DATE: October 8th, 1993

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Eddie (Nicolas Cage) in Deadfall.

Deadfall is a crime/drama that was directed in 1993 by Christopher Coppola. The film was influenced by an American hardcore punk band, Snot, that had a song of the same name. As mentioned in my last article, Nicolas Cage’s character “Eddie King” appeared in 2017’s Arsenal, but his first appearance was in this film. That is really all the fun facts there are on this film.

The plot is about con-artist, Joe Donan (played by Michael Biehn). Joe accidentally kills his father Mike (played by James Corburn) during a sting where his blank bullets were replaced with live rounds. In Mike’s last words, he sends Joe on a mystery involving Mike’s brother, Lou Donan (also played by Corburn). Lou is also a con-artist and Joe works his way into Lou’s operation to figure out what Mike was talking about. In the process, Joe falls in love with the girlfriend of Lou’s assistant, Eddie (played by Cage). Joe gets roped into Lou’s biggest con, which reflects the same way his father died, and he must choose a side.

Eddie (Nicolas Cage) with is girlfriend Diane (Sarah Trigger) in Deadfall.

This film also is not very good, however, it has some weird moments that make it endearing… sort of. The script is terrible. It’s cookie-cutter dialogue that is just there as glue to keep the film from falling apart. There didn’t seem to be any budget because there are scenes in Santa Monica, CA where they keep mentioning how busy the place is, yet they only use 10 background actors that I think get recycled throughout the film. They also have lots of shots of prop money, clearly just out in the open.

But, the main entertainment in this film is obviously Nic Cage as Eddie. He is insane in this film. Overacting, lots of yelling, angrily dry humping a bed, making weird noises while sniffing coke, and pulling out some hilarious fighting moves. The sad part is (*spoiler alert) he dies with 40 minutes left in the film by getting his face melted off in a deep fryer. Which makes it weird looking back to last weeks film. Eddie appears in Arsenal as the exact same kind of character.

Because of that, Charlie Sheen’s amazing outfit, and that there is a guy who has a scissor for a hand, this film will place on the border of “Terrible” and “Hot Mess”.

COUNT DOWN #40: “AVENGERS…” NOT YET

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• “AVENGERS…” NOT YET•

MOMENT# 40

MOVIE: Avengers: Age of Ultron

DIRECTORS: Joss Whedon

WRITERS: Joss Whedon

The Avengers used to change up their roster pretty frequently in the comics, so in the second Avengers movie, Avengers: Age of Ultron, the creatives behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe decided to shake-up the team from the one originally introduced in 2012's The Avengers. As Captain America looked out onto his new team of heroes, which now consisted of Black Widow, The Vision, Wanda Maximoff, The Falcon and War Machine, he proudly called for them with the iconic line “Avengers…” and the film cut to credits.

The end of Avengers: Age of Ultron was buzzing with hints to the new status quo of the MCU’s premier team. Thor and Iron Man have seemingly left the group, Hawkeye apparently retired to be with his family, and Captain America with Black Widow were left with a brand new team. The Avengers had moved out of the tower in the heart of New York and relocated into the Avengers Compound. The compound was buzzing with characters like Maria Hill and Eric Selvig, implying a vast organization to replace S.H.I.E.L.D. As always, fans couldn’t help but speculate and dream for what the next Avengers story would be. Then the MCU revealed them.

The new Avengers were an exciting group of characters to lead into the next story. Sam Wilson/The Falcon was a fan favorite coming out of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Rhodey/War Machine deserved a seat at that table since Iron Man 2. Wanda and Vision were newly introduced to the franchise with Avengers: Age of Ultron, but the promise of furthering their development was enough at the time. As the film was coming to end, there was only one way to call upon this new team, or so audiences thought.

But then the credits rolled.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olson), Quicksilver(Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Thor (Chis Hemsworth), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner)

Marvel certainly enjoyed playing with the audience expectations for the iconic line. It truly felt like Captain America was finally going to say it. There were surely many rolled eyes and disappointed groans from the audience. After all, it had been two movies and the line had never been said. The closest audiences had was Iron Man saying “Avengers, time to work for a living”, which isn’t as catchy.

This playful tease wasn’t just a moment, it was a promise. They had to hold the line from audiences so that when it was said, it would matter. The next phase of the MCU (Phase 3) wouldn’t be announced for another couple of months, so the journey that these new Avengers could go on was nothing but speculation and expectations. Only the creatives behind the scenes knew when the next Avengers movie would be released. So the questio was how long would audiences need to wait before they heard Captain America exclaim his famous line? Expectations have always been the thing that kept the MCU train moving from one movie to the next, but eventually the expectation had to pay off. Eventually Captain America would have to say “Avengers…

NIC GAUGE / Arsenal

MOVIE: Arsenal

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Adrian Grenier, Johnathon Schaech, Megan Leonard, Lydia Hull

RELEASE DATE: January 6th, 2017

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (HBOMax, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Eddie King (Nicolas Cage) in Arsenal.

Oh, look at that! We are back to the “straight-to-dvd” section of Nic Cage’s catalog. We are here with 2017’s Arsenal. This film is one of the few I have seen where Cage plays the villain. Not only does he play the villain, but his character actually first appears in an earlier Cage film called, Deadfall (which gives you a hint on next week’s film).

Most of these straight-to-home video reviews will probably be shorter reviews because in researching, they just don’t have much going on except for the bombardment of not so pleasant reviews. In this case, Arsenal does fall into the category of a bad film. But how bad is it? The plot is as follows: JP (played by Adrian Grenier) is a wealthy construction worker whose deadbeat older brother, Mikey (played by Johnathon Schaech), gets kidnapped and held for ransom by a sort-of mobster, Eddie King (played by Cage). JP now must save his brother and get rid of Eddie before others get hurt.

JP (Adrian Grenier) and Mickey (Johnathon Schaech) in Arsenal.

This is a very typical action thriller film that was very predictable. The script is beyond mediocre, especially with character building, or even structure for that matter. The only story that needed to be told was “how far will you go to save your brother” and although that criteria was met, it felt lackluster. Nothing felt like it had any real stakes. The fight scenes were nothing to write home about and the gun fight at the end of the film is probably the funniest thing with the usage of slow-motion bullets. It includes a slow-motion shot of a guy getting hit in the testicles with shotgun rounds. Yes, that was a scene that made it into this film.

Eddie King (Nicolas Cage) in Arsenal.

But of course, this whole review page is about Nic Cage’s performance right? His role, albeit being the main antagonist, had very little to do with this film. With the time he did have, he pulled out as much screaming at random times as he could manage. Honestly, his performance fell on deaf ears because I could not stop looking at the hilarious looking prosthetic nose he had. I know I pick these films at random, but next week is going to be Deadfall because I need to know if Cage’s character does more in that film because this was just awful. It lands in the middle of “Hot Mess” on the Nic Gauge.

Book Review / Micky 7 By Edward Ashton

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

Release Date: 02/15/22

Published by St.Martin’s Press/ Macmillan

By Jenny Robinson

When a book starts with “This is gonna be my stupidest death ever”, you know you’re in for a ride. When you add in the fact that Bong Joon Ho (director of Oscar-winning Parasite) has signed on for the big screen adaptation with Robert Pattinson in talks to star, it’s an easy decision for a must-read. Page-by-page, I felt as if this was written exactly for that purpose. I normally gravitate towards stories that dive deep into the emotional thoughts of a character, but this felt as if we were to be simply a spectator as Mickey fumbles through the plot. For a story written in first-person perspective, I developed a very unique companionship with Micky 7.

I’ll admit, the protagonist in this book felt oddly real in his average “nothing special” human way. Normally, main characters are written to be abundantly awesome, but not Mickey. We follow Micky 7, who is the seventh iteration of himself. You see, Micky took a job where he’s suppose to die, more than once. He’s not dumb, but also not overly skilled in anything useful. He probably should have spent more time weighing the pros and cons of current troubles versus that of a job where you are expected to die. As we learn more about Micky, it seems he has a habit of replacing one problem with another. On the new struggling colony on the planet Niflheim, Mickey’s job is to be an Expendable. He is to go into dangerous situations or medical experiment and wait to see what happens, which is usually death. Each time he dies, they regrow, reboot and start all over, hence the number after his name. If he remembers to log his conscience, then the next “him” has most of his memories.

This is the part of the story I enjoyed the most due to the may variables that could happen. If he backs his brain up before the mission but dies after, how does he remember not to make the same mistake again? What happens if everyone thinks you’re dead, abandons you and just makes another Mickey? Of course, this is the strong plot point where he must secretly coexist with himself. We continue to follow him, learning about how he ended up in this mess, why people dislike him and the relationships a simple man makes along the way. He’s so average, except for his Expendable role, that it’s easy to take him for granted, but nice to be surprised when he does something interesting.

Taking the back seat in the plot, the native alien creatures known as the “Critters” have awesome possibilities of being both allies and villains. I have high hopes that they will have a larger and more interesting role in future books. I am assuming this is the start of a growing series. Ashton tickles your interest with these aliens early on. Dialogue revolving around these creatures allow you to start building a curiosity. The coolest part is how they are written in a way that explains them pretty well yet still leaves you with a ton of questions. I appreciate the restraint of not allowing the reader all the information but also giving just enough to formulate ideas as we read along.

With that said, this ends on a note that there may be more to come. At first, I was a bit bummed as I wasn’t prepared to commit myself to a new series. In hindsight, I think the book is written perfectly for a quick continuous read, sparking a desire to continue and accompany the characters through this new world. With a 304 page count, it flows fast but leaves a lot left to be discovered in the story. I am extremely intrigued on how this will play out in both future potential books and in movie format. I am preparing my popcorn now to be ready.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Edward Ashton (Photo Credit: JustTeeJay (JustTeeJay.com)

Edward Ashton (he/him) is the author of the novels Three Days in April, The End of Ordinary, and Mickey7, as well as of short stories which have appeared in venues ranging from the newsletter of an Italian sausage company to Escape Pod, Analog, and Fireside Fiction. He lives in upstate New York in a cabin in the woods (not that cabin in the woods) with his wife, a variable number of daughters, and an adorably mopey dog named Max. In his free time, he enjoys cancer research, teaching quantum physics to sullen graduate students, and whittling.

COUNT DOWN #41: OBADIAH STANE’S TURN

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• OBADIAH STANE’S TURN•

MOMENT# 41

MOVIE: Iron Man

DIRECTORS: Jon Favreau

WRITERS: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, John August & Matt Holloway

Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) in Iron Man.

There’s a trope in storytelling called “The Rival” and it’s one that the MCU has been utilizing pretty much since the beginning. There are many different ways the trope can be used but it’s primarily the reason why so many MCU villains share similar powers with the heroes. Oftentimes the rival will start the story as a friend or mentor of the protagonist and will have a heel-face turn in the middle of the movie to present himself as the antagonist of the story. This is the role that Obadiah Stane takes in 2008’s Iron Man. 

In Iron Man, Jeff Bridges plays Obadiah Stane. He is Tony Stark's mentor and surrogate father figure after Tony’s parents had died. When Howard Stark (Tony’s father) was killed, Stane took over Stark Industries until Tony was of age to take control of the business himself. When Tony Stark returns after being captured at the beginning of the film, Stane is blindsided by Tony's decision to move Stark Industries away from weapons development. Stane appears pretty interested in the miniature arc reactor that Tony built while in the cave of his captives, but deceptively plays the role of the loyal friend up until Pepper discovers the truth.

Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) in Iron Man.

Stane assumes his role as the villain of the story by stealing the arc reactor from Tony’s chest and placing it in a new suit of armor Stane built from the MKI suit recovered in the desert. His ultimate goal is to reverse engineer the technology but Tony ultimately is able to don his Iron Man suit and confront his rival. Eventually, Tony and Pepper are able to defeat Obadiah Stane and then S.H.I.E.L.D. takes him, never to be seen again.

“We’re ironmongers Tony '' Obadiah proudly proclaims. In the comics, IronMonger is Obadiah Stane’s supervillain's name. He can’t comprehend why Tony would want to be a hero and save lives. In his mind, he and Tony were the same. The two make and sell weapons. Obadiah Stane represents what Tony Stark could have become if he was never captured by the Ten Rings. Tony fears that if he never saw what was happening with his weapons, he would have turn out just like Obadiah Stane. By being the dark mirror of Tony Stark, Stane helps Tony complete his journey to becoming Iron Man.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) in Iron Man.

Stane was the beginning of a long line of villains that would be mirrors for the heroes in the MCU. Everyone from Whiplash to Kaecilius and even Loki would fill the role of “The Rival” as the MCU began to expand. The writers of the franchise would begin to lean on it a bit too much as the franchise grew and after a few movies, a common criticism was that the MCU relied too heavily on villains who had the same powers as the heroes. IronMonger continues to be a high point for these villains.

NIC GAUGE / The Wicker Man

MOVIE: The Wicker Man

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Ellen Burstyn, Kate Beahan, Leelee Sobieski, Molly Parker, Frances Conroy

RELEASE DATE: September 1st, 2006

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Sister Rose / Sister Thorn (Molly Parker) and Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage) in The Wicker Man.

From what I see from this list of films, Nic Cage really had not done many horror films until later in his career. There are probably some early films that I just have yet to see, but just from what I have so far, older Cage means more diversity within the genres. Back in 2006, Cage did star in arguably one of the most memed/gifed horror films; a remake of the 1973 cult classic The Wicker Man. Seriously, I’ll get into the specific piece that has been mocked, but if you are a fan of Cage and this film, you know exactly which scene I’m talking about.

After being forced to take time off from a car accident involving a young girl, police officer Edward Malus (played by Cage) gets a letter from his ex-fiancé, Willow Woodward’s (played by Kate Beahan) daughter is missing on a secluded island and has asked for his help in finding her. Upon arrival, Malus starts to realize that there is more going on than just a missing girl. He discovers hardly any men, an insane love for harvest festivals, and dead bodies. It’s not till we get to the third act that we learn he was tricked to come to the island. He is to be a human sacrifice to ensure a bountiful harvest.

Dr. T.H. Moss (Frances Conroy) and the island’s residents in The Wicker Man.

It’s not a very good film. In the first ten minutes, Cage fails to save a small girl and her mom from a burning car that ends up exploding and killing them. That scene keeps being brought back up throughout the film since he is now attempting to save a different girl. He is plagued with nightmares that replay in his head, so you understand his determination to find her. However, later in the film, you find out the missing girl is actually his daughter. He thoughts still goes back to the dead girl in the car though. It all feels very backward in terms of motivation.

The film also feels to be more of a comedy because of how Cage plays up some of the scenes. He gets into a fight with one woman and kicks her so hard, she flies across the room. It was as if she was hit by someone with super strength. Cage’s weird romance with his ex-wife is just awkward and off-putting. But the biggest thing is the “Not The Bees!” scene. Cage is captured and has a cage put on his head with CGI bees flying in to cover his face while he screams. It’s terrible. Just insanely bad visual effects that will make you laugh.

Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage) in The Wicker Man.

I do give this movie more crap than praise. However, it still is much better than some of the other films in his catalog. So, with that, this film is going to sit in the lower end of “Terrible” on the Nic Gauge.

CON LIFE / Wondercon 2022

WONDERCON 2022

By Jenny Robinson-Nagy

It feels good to finally (hopefully) see the light at the end of this pandemic’s tunnel. After two years of cancelations due to Covid, on April 1st (no fools joke here) Wondercon returned to the Anaheim Convention Center. 

It was nice to see some safety protocols still in place with a vaccine card (or negative test) check-point and masks still required inside despite the mandate being lifted. Everyone was super cooperative and in high spirits. Cosplayers gravitated to the outdoor entrance while the floor was packed with commerce. It’s great to have Wondercon back!

Although it felt slightly smaller than 2019, there was still a good chunk of entertainment coverage, great panels and awesome vendors.  Highlights included panels for Woke, Undone, and The Bob’s Burgers Movie. It had astounding shopping opportunities at Funko’s Freddy’s Beach Batch, SuperEmoFriends and Jo3bot, just to name a few. It was hard for me to keep my wallet in my bag. I walked out of there scoring a couple awesome @maggielove.washere prints and an absolutely adorable Ren & Stimpy skirt (that HAS POCKETS!!!) from @brittneebraun.

It was such an inviting experience and so refreshing to see people so happy. It’s hard to predict how these upcoming conventions will land as we become more comfortable back out in the world, but Wondercon did a thumbs-up job in being a good transition con. Now, BRING ON SDCC - I am ready!

COUNT DOWN #42: WHERE IS NICK FURY?

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• WHERE IS NICK FURY?•

MOMENT# 42

MOVIE: Spider-Man: Far From Hom

DIRECTORS: Jon Watts

WRITERS: Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Special Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Peter Parker (Tom Holland) in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

The final post-credits scene of The Infinity Saga was unlike any other. Spider-Man: Far From Home sees Peter Parker team up with Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and Mysterio, but it would turn out that all three of these characters were not what they seemed. Nick Fury has been a staple in the MCU since the beginning, he was the glue that held Phase One together. So after more than 10 films, audiences had become very aware of how Samuel L. Jackson played the character, and something seemed off about him this time.

In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter comes into possession of Tony’s glasses, which came equipped with E.D.I.T.H. since he was expected to be the next Iron Man. Nick Fury had recruited Peter so that he could help a new hero, Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), defeat an extra-dimensional threat from his universe. Turns out, Mysterio was just a former Stark employee who was interested in stealing the glasses for himself so he could become the next “Iron Man” instead. Mysterio had everyone fooled, including Fury, which seemed rather unlikely. Fury was normally one step ahead of the game. It was clear that something was off about Fury. He was short-tempered, easily fooled, and surrounded himself with people that appeared sketchy at best.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Spider-Man: Far From Home had two post-credits scenes, one that changed the future of Spider-Man, and another that reframed the entire movie. After the events of this film, Fury and Hill are seen driving silently together. As the scene goes on, they begin to shape-shift into Talos and Soren (the Skrulls from Captain Marvel). Sharon Blynn and Ben Mendelsohn reprise their roles as the main Skrulls for a quick cameo that changed how audiences would look back at the movie they just watched. What’s more, at the very end of the scene, it’s revealed that Fury has been on some sort of spaceship, probably since the events of Avengers: Endgame.

Soren (Sharon Blynn) and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

This was a unique moment, even for the MCU. The movie was over, the story done. Then a major revelation made the audience have to rethink the entire movie and how they engaged with it. Upon a rewatch, audiences would be able to pick up on the things that Samuel L. Jackson does to make the performance of Fury feel different, such as his remark towards Captain Marvel. Not only did this decontextualize the entire movie up to this point, but it also left audiences with a huge question…What the hell is Fury doing? With plans for Phase 4 not quite known at the time, fans were left to wildly speculate on what big plan Fury could be setting up.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) on a virtual beach in the Spider-Man: Far From Home post-credits.

After being introduced to the Skrulls in Captain Marvel that same year, no one expected the characters to return so soon. Especially since within the MCU, it had been 29 years since the events of Captain Marvel. Setting up the future had become an old hat for the MCU at this point, but recontextualizing a film you just watched was a very surprising moment. Samuel L. Jackson and Colbie Smulders were able to play their characters differently enough for audiences to be suspicious. Even though Spider-Man: Far From Home was saying goodbye to The Infinity Saga, the storytellers at Marvel still found one final way to keep audiences on their toes.

NIC GAUGE / Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

MOVIE: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Violante Placido, Ciarán Hinds, Idris Elba, Johnny Whitworth

RELEASE DATE: February 17th, 2012

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Hulu, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Because Ghost Rider made about $230 million at the box offices, the studio decided to go ahead and make a sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. If you remember from last week’s article, I was not a fan of the first one. Would the sequel surpass the it and Johnny Blaze be more of a household name that can carry an ongoing franchise? I’ll answer that for you, not even close. This is the first time I have watched this film. I remember when the trailer came out, the biggest selling point was it would be darker, but also humorous. I remember one scene in particular, Ghost Rider was urinating fire on the side of the road. From there, I knew what I should expect from this mess.

Ghost Rider: Spirt of Vengeance trailer scene where Ghost Rider is peeing fire.

The plot is Johnny Blaze hiding out in Europe, struggling with controlling the Ghost Rider. A priest named Moreau (played by Idris Elba) finds Johnny and makes a deal with him. If Johnny can rescue a boy named Danny (played by Fergus Riodran) from Mephisto (played by Ciarán Hinds), he will free Blaze from the Ghost Rider.

I talked about how in the first film, Ghost Rider felt like there was very little plot for a film that was a little over 2 hours. This film was an hour and a half long and still felt like not much happened. The big difference was that they filled the movie with a lot of action; fight scenes, car chases, and explosions. However, the special effects were kind of choppy and was overused. They made almost everything feel like a big action sequence, even scenes like injecting a needle in someone’s arm or simply walking in a dramatic fashion.

Johnny Blaze (played by Nicolas Cage) with Kurdish (played by Sorin Tofan) in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

The story is odd too. By the end of the first film, Johnny is starting to learn how to control Ghost Rider. Yet in this film, he still acts as if he has no clue how it works. They had a flashback moment of young Johnny making the deal with Mephisto.Instead of using the same scene from the first film, they made a completely different scene with different props. Due to replacing the actor who portrayed Mephisto, they re-did the scene. This made it feel more like a soft reboot versus a sequel.

The only positive thing I can say about this film is that I actually like the design of Ghost Rider, but that doesn’t save this film. Much like the urinating scene, this film goes right down the toilet and is going in the lower end of the “Hot Mess” section of the Nic Gauge.

COUNT DOWN #43: THE SECRET AVENGERS

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• THE SECRET AVENGERS •

MOMENT# 43

MOVIE: Avengers: Infinity War

DIRECTORS: Joe & Anthony Russo

WRITERS: Christopher Marcus & Stephen McFeely

Surprise entrance by Captain America (Chis Evans) in Avengers: Infinity War.

Some defining moments are insightful and speak to the metatextual way the Marvel Cinematic Universe has informed the audience's relationship with it. Others are just plain cool. At the end of Captain America: Civil War, a rift formed between the Avengers. The heroes who fought with Captain America were labeled fugitives from the law, and while some took a deal to be with their families, others did not. Going into Avengers: Infinity War, the MCU was in a very different place, one that made audiences eager to see how they’ll come together to face the greatest threat they’ve ever known. 

During one of Vision and Wanda’s secret rendezvous, they were attacked by Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive, with the goal of retrieving the Mind Stone in Vision’s head. Normally, Vision and Wanda are two of the most powerful Avengers, but this attack put them on the back foot and they found it difficult to recover. When it looked like all was lost, a figure emerged from the shadows to help turn the battle. A now bearded Steve Rogers, with the help of Sam Wilson and Natasha Romanoff, was able to fight the invaders back. The Secret Avengers had turned the tide. In fairness they’re not called that in the film, but it’s fairly clear they’re meant to be a loose adaptation of the group from the comics. 

Vision (played by Paul Bettany) and Wanda Maximoff (played by Elizabeth Olson) in Avengers: Infinity War.

One thing that became difficult to discern over the years was whether or not these characters had done anything between the events of the films. Very often it felt like the characters of the MCU were stuck in stasis until their next appearance and rarely did it feel like they had lives or adventures between them. Seeing Captain America, The Falcon and Black Widow work so well as a team of three, helped audiences feel like they had been going around the world, being the heroes we knew they had to be. After all, Steve Rogers isn’t the kind of man who would let the government stop him from doing the right thing. 

Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (played by Scarlett Johansson), The Falcon/Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie) and Captain America/Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans) in Avengers: Infinity War.

There’s another reason that makes this moment important: It’s really cool! Avengers: Infinity War had audiences cheering many times over the course of its runtime, but seeing Captain America come out of the shadows with that gorgeous beard and Alan Silvestri’s Avengers theme playing in the background was just one of those special moments people would be talking about for years to come. Even though audiences often gravitated towards the MCU because of their characters, oftentimes we get rewarded with some epic comic book action. Something that makes the MCU very special is how it doesn’t shy away from comic book elements. They always looked for ways to make what seemed impossible to translate from the page, possible. 

Sometimes moments are important, not because of what they imply for a character or a story, but because of how they make you feel. Watching Captain (bearded) America walk out of those shadows certainly was a feeling. More than that, by the time Avengers: Infinity War rolled into theaters, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had begun to feel like a living world. So surely, there had to be adventures in between the major events, right? Luckily everything about the Secret Avengers’ appearance in the film hints at further escapades, from how they fight together, to their clothes and that glorious beard. After this moment, we finally got a sense that they had lives outside the events of the films.

NIC GAUGE / Ghost Rider

MOVIE: Ghost Rider

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Sam Elliott, Matt Long, Raquel Alessi, Brett Cullen, Peter Fonda, Donal Logue

RELEASE DATE: February 16th, 2007

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Hulu, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Back in the early 2000s, Marvel was not the big-time film production studio that it is now. They sold off characters to other companies that wanted to try and make superhero films. In 2000, Fox’s X-Men film kickstarted the superhero film phenomena. In 2002, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man came out and was also a huge success. Some of the other films that followed didn’t fare so well. 2003’s Daredevil, 2004’s Punisher, and 2005’s Fantastic Four were all considered flops. Then in 2007, Ghost Rider was brought to the big screen and I remember being kind of excited about it. I consider Ghost Rider to be in my top 5 favorite Marvel characters. How well did it actually hold up? In all honesty, not that well.

The plot is roughly based on the Marvel comics. Motorcyclist Johnny Blaze (played by Nicolas Cage) makes a deal with Mephisto (played by Peter Fonda). If Mephisto saves Blaze’s father’s life from cancer, in return, Blaze will be the new Ghost Rider. Years later, Mephisto calls upon Blaze to go and kill his son, Blackheart (played by Wes Bentley) before Blackheart can get his hands on a missing contract that has the power to overthrow Mephisto.

Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider.

The main problem with this film was that Ghost Rider is a darker Marvel super hero that (on paper) sounded like a good gritty character that could go up against more well-known properties like Spider-Man and X-Men. Unfortunately, for a bloated film that runs just a little over 2 hours, there isn’t much happening until about halfway through. The first 15 minutes are dedicated to Johnny’s childhood and the deal with Mephisto. Then a good chunk of this film is Johnny’s on-off relationship with Roxanne (played by Eva Mendez). It just feels very unbalanced for a superhero film.

The special demonic effects are extremely laughable. Ghost Rider itself keeps changing size and shape throughout the film. All the lesser demons had a blurry effect that made them hard to make out at times. In addition, Blackheart was a lazy special effects piece. It appeared as if they just overlayed a demon/monster face on top of the actor’s. Also, Cage’s acting is a little nuts as he pretends to be on fire for his transformation. It’s just overall a bad time.

Blackheart (played by Wes Bentley) in Ghost Rider.

Overall, I hope Ghost Rider gets a much deserved re-do in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (that is not Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). With characters like Moon Knight and Blade getting more attention, Ghost Rider would be a great addition. Just maybe don’t get Cage to come back. As for this film on the Nic Gauge, it will be placed firmly on the lower end of “Terrible”.

NEWS / Captain Kirk is Coming to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

By Brandon T. McClure

Leaked photos of Paul Wesley on the set of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 are now out there. The internet was interested in who this new character could be. Trek Culture even speculated that this could be Matt Decker, the character made famous by the late William Windom in the original Star Trek season 2 episode The Doomsday Machine. But Paramount+ has now gone ahead and exclusively revealed that Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley is playing none other than Captain James T. Kirk. 

Wesley is the third actor to play Captain Kirk after William Shatner’s iconic character and Chris Pine in the later rebooted franchise. Curiously, his uniform suggests that he’s already been promoted to Captain. There’s been no canonical reference to when Kirk was promoted, but it’s been assumed for some time that it was when he took command of the Enterprise. Since it’s unlikely he’s taking over the Enterprise from Captain Pike this early, could they be introducing him as the captain of the USS Farragut? The set images show him with a different badge than the ones worn by the Enterprise crew. This could indicate they’re returning to a scrapped Star Trek: The Original Series idea where each ship had its own special badge.

At any rate, it's unlikely Paramount+ would have announced this role so early, before season 1 has even aired, if the photos hadn’t been leaked. Surely Captain Kirk was so far from everyone's minds, that they could have kept this a secret a little longer. It’s not like many people were going to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in the hopes of seeing Captain Kirk. The benefits of a show like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is that there has been so little in canon about Captain Pike, and this was the chance for audiences to see what adventures he went on before his accident.

In Star Trek, few characters are as famous as Captain James T. Kirk. Between William Shatner and Chris Pine, the character has starred in two TV shows (Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Animated Series) and ten movies (Star Trek: The Motion Picture to Star Trek: Generations and the three reboot movies). So for a new Star Trek series to return to the Captain Kirk character, even briefly, on the surface feels unnecessary. After all, are fans really that hungry for the early adventures of James T. Kirk?

Captain Kirk is such a powerful figure in Star Trek, that his presence could overshadow Pike and his crew, in the same way that Anson Mount overshadowed the cast of Star Trek: Discovery. Questions still remain, though, since Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is said to be more episodic than the other current Star Trek shows, how much of a role will Paul Wesley play in the series? It’s unclear how long the show-runners envision the show lasting, but if this is them introducing Kirk to replace Pike, then it would be a shame.