NIC GAUGE / National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

MOVIE: National Treasure: Book of Secrets

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Jon Voight, Ed Harris, Helen Mirren, Harvey Kaitel

RELEASE DATE: December 21st, 2007

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Disney+, Amazon Prime, AppleTV, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage), Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) and Patrick Gats (Jon Voight) in National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets.

Not going to lie, I had high expectations going into National Treasure: Book of Secrets. I really enjoyed the first movie more than I thought I would, but I was curious about how they could possibly top stealing the Declaration of Independence. Well, it turns out, it’s pretty easy to top. For another first-time watch, let’s see how Book of Secrets stacks up to the first.

Ben Gates (Cage) and his father (played by Jon Voight) are talking about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the missing pages of John Wilkes Booth’s diary that possibly could lead to a lost golden city. They are blindsided by Mitch Wilkinson (played by Ed Harris) who claims to have proof that Gates’ ancestor was actually a conspirator in the shooting of Lincoln. Now, both Gates (father and son) must team back up with Abigail and Riley to go on another treasure hunt in order to clear their family name.

Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) in National Treasure: Book of Secrets,

I’ll start with my positive thoughts. The addition of Ed Harris as the villain and Helen Mirren playing Ben Gates’ mother adds more fun element to the film. I’m used to Harris playing villains, and most of the time, he usually steals the show. Helen Mirren and Jon Voight’s chemistry as a divorced couple is pretty cute. Their relationship slowly coming back together as Ben and Abigail's relationship is on the rocks, which pairs well. Ben and Abigail's turmoil stems from … I guess an argument over the usage of the word “So” and it’s context. It’s not very clear.

Emily Appleton (Helen Mirren) and Patrick Gates (Jon Voight) in National Treasure: Book of Secrets.

That leads to my negatives. National Treasure: Book of Secrets is seven minutes shorter than the first one, clocking in at 2 hours and 4 minutes yet it feels like it goes on forever. The first film felt like every scene had a purpose to keep the film moving. This felt like they had time to kill at certain points. Some scenes felt stretched out and made me ask, “Do I need to remember any of this?” The scene where Gates “kidnaps” the President was both interesting and boring at the same time, to use as an example. The one main chase sequence in the entire film even feels like a filler scene. Nothing interesting happens for 90% of it.

This film felt more filler than actual story overall with some really good beats thrown in. Because I found myself fading in and out at times, this falls more into the lower end of “OK” on the Nic Gauge.

NIC GAUGE / National Treasure

MOVIE: National Treasure

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Sean Bean, Justin Bartha, Harvey Kaitel

RELEASE DATE: November 19th, 2004

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Disney+, Amazon Prime, AppleTV, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage) in National Treasure.

In the words of the greatest treasure/artifact hunter, Indiana Jones, “It belongs in a museum”. If you have seen an Indiana Jones film, then you already know how these kinds of films go. Once again, I am here to admit to everyone, this was my first time watching National Treasure. So, you already have a rough idea of what the next film will be, but what did I think of this heavily memed film?

Historian and code-breaker, Ben Gates (played by Nic Cage) and treasure hunter, Ian Howe (played by Sean Bean), have been on the hunt for an ancient treasure. Their latest clue causes a rift in their partnership as they have to look at the back of The Declaration of Independence. Ian decides to leave Ben and his colleague Riley (played by Justin Bartha) for dead when he decides to steal the historic document. Ben survives and decides that in order to keep the Declaration and treasure out of Ian’s hands, he would need to steal it first. While in the act of stealing it, he accidentally gets curator, Abigail Chase (played by Diane Kruger) involved. With her help and the Declaration in hand, Ben goes on the greatest treasure hunt in American history.

Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger), Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) and Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) in National Treasure.

This film overall is fine. I did enjoy it, but it just makes me think about how it’s just an upgraded version of the aforementioned Indiana Jones series. That’s not a bad thing to say, because I do enjoy treasure hunt films, especially when it involves booby-trapped rooms and such and that is something this film lacked. Where were the booby traps?! Just a minor gripe, but still a gripe. 

Speaking of gripes, my main one was actually in the villain of the film, Ian Howe. He is considered to be just as resourceful as Ben when it comes to figuring out where to go next for clues in this film. Yet, he ends up doing the bare minimum and still finds a way to catch up to Ben at every turn. There is a scene where Ben gets a whole clue/riddle by sending a kid into a museum to decipher letters, then spending 10 minutes talking it out before figuring out where to go. Ian on the other hand, just gets the last four letters of the clue from the kid and uses the internet to use the top search as the answer.

Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) and Ian Howe (Sean Bean) in National Treasure.

My overall feelings about this film are that it is acted well by everyone, the action and suspense were alright, but there are a couple of minor details that bugged me. Not enough to make it unenjoyable, but just enough that it made me question some of the choices that were made. I’ll be curious to see how this affects my first viewing of the sequel. National Treasure sits in the middle of “Good” on the Nic Gauge.

COUNT DOWN #33: The After Party

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 After Party •

MOMENT# 33

MOVIE: Avengers: Age of Ultron

DIRECTORS: Joss Whedon

WRITERS: Joss Whedon

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Rhodey (Don Cheadle) in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

In Marvel’s first team-up film, The Avengers, the six heroes introduced in the previous five films united to stop a threat none of them could stop alone. In the final two team-up films, the heroes of the Earth were scattered and forced to face a villain they weren’t prepared for. Only one film prior to that showed the heroes as a team, and more than that, friends: Avengers: Age of Ultron. 

In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tony and Bruce are working with Loki’s scepter from the first film to find a way to harness the power so they can finally activate Ultron. Ultron was meant to be a protector program. “I see a suit of armor around the entire world”, Tony tells Bruce when he’s trying to convince Bruce to help him. After many trials, it doesn’t look like it’s going to work, so the two of them join the party happening in Avengers Tower. Many friends and heroes are at this party, but by the end of the night, it’s just a few close friends sharing a drink.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) share a drink in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Before Ultron crashes the party, the gang is trying to figure out the secret to Thor’s enchanted hammer and Thor invites them to try and lift it. One by one, the men of the group try to lift the hammer while Natasha and Maria Hill sit back and watch them, amused. Stark and Rhody use parts of their armor and Banner pretends to Hulk out but Thor can’t help but laugh at his friend's attempts. It’s all in good fun as they continue to laugh and drink and throw playful jabs at each other. They’ve been fighting Hydra together since the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and earned this fun. None of them were able to lift it…almost.

This moment also has the distinction of teasing the audience with the most excellent bit of fan service yet to come: Captain America wielding Thor’s hammer. When Steve gets up to try his hand at lifting the hammer, it moves ever so slightly. Its movement is signified by a squeak of the table and Thor’s changed expression from joyfulness to confusion. Could Captain America also be worthy of Mjölnir? That answer wouldn’t come for a number of years, but it was enough to make audiences very excited for what was to come.

Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) attempting to lift Mjölnir in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Avengers: Age of Ultron has the only scene in the franchise where the Avengers have fun goofing off together. Every time they’re together from this point onward, it’s because something has forced them together. This after-party scene shows them as friends, not co-workers who get together every once in a while to save the world. They enjoy being around each other. It’s a simple scene but it sets the tone for the team. When you see them banter with each other on the battlefield, like Thor and Captain America do very often, you understand that it’s coming from a place of camaraderie. With all the world-ending stakes the Avengers have had to deal with, it’s a shame more scenes like this weren’t peppered into the rest of the Infinity Saga.

NIC GAUGE / Valley Girl

MOVIE: Valley Girl

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Deborah Foreman, EG Daily, Michelle Meyrink, Heidi Holicker, Tina Theberge, Lee Purcell, Michael Bowen, Cameron Dye

RELEASE DATE: April 29th, 1983

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

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Julie (Deborah Foreman) and Randy (Nicolas Cage) in Valley Girl.

It’s time for another edition of “classic" Nic Cage films that I have never seen”.

This week’s film is Valley Girl. I’m open to all kinds of films. I do find myself more geared towards horror/action/comedy-style films. There are very few instances where I find myself into romance, especially romantic comedies. From earlier entries, I did find myself enjoying Moonstruck and Honeymoon In Vegas but also hating Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Where will this film fall?

This is another 80’s troped film that follows preppy San Fernando Valley girl Julie (played by Deborah Foreman) as she falls in love for edgy Hollywood punk named Randy (played by Cage). However, she finds herself conflicted, trying to choose if she wants to be with someone who goes against everything she grew up to understand. It’s her pink-clad rich family and friends vs the punk rock street lifestyle. Which will she choose?

Julie (Deborah Foreman) and Randy (Nicolas Cage) in Valley Girl.

I try to go into all films with an open mind. I can usually find myself pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately, this film fell into the latter collection of “meh” to “bad” films. I’ll start with the positives. I like the comparisons between the sleek, pink, classy style of the higher class/popular kids versus the darker, dirtier, grit of the punk world. I also really enjoyed the music.

Beyond that, this film feels like they had enough of a script for a short story-style film, but had to pad it out to give it an hour and a half runtime. It could easily be my impatience with the film's usage of pacing, and I do understand that this film was made in the early 80s, but there is so much dead air in this film. People have conversations that have nothing to do with anything, that you only catch bits, long shots of footage of the street of Hollywood, and the majority of this film felt like it took place in one house for one party scene. 

Julie (Deborah Foreman) and Randy (Nicolas Cage) in Valley Girl.

The acting in this film is very hollow as well. Not even crazy Cage could save it. The majority of the time he is on screen, he looks bored. I want to believe that was the choice of portraying Randy, but it didn’t feel genuine. The other actors appeared like they were just going through the motions to keep the film moving. There is also a really confusing element about a secondary character that pursues the interest of the mother of the girl that is into him. To add to the awkwardness, the guy and the daughter end up together anyway without any real build.

In summary, overall film felt drawn out and the acting was very bland in general. This film ends up on closer to “Terrible” than “Ok” on the Nic Gauge.

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON 2022

By Jenny Robinson

We finally made it back!!!

July 20th - July 24th, SDCC returned to the San Diego Convention center after being postponed for two years due to Covid. It was hard to know what to expect. The world is slowly coming out of a pandemic so crowds and events are still a bit iffy. I debated whether it would be mellow due to society’s “social distancing” habits or absolute mayhem because we’ve been shut in too long. Well, it was a bit of both.

The great thing is that those participating were in high spirits. Everyone I encountered has prepared to be patient, excited for all the new exclusives and delighted to chat about all the geeky things they saw. SDCC has always been one of the best communities I have seen. This year was no different. It was also a strange year where Hall H was only partially packed on a Friday afternoon but packed late on Sunday. The lines were long but worth the wait. It’s an unwritten rule that you need to go into this convention with the understanding that it will be impossible to do and see everything.

This year had Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Netflix, HBO, FX, SyFy, and others all participating in exclusive parties and/or off-site events. You could walk through the House of the Dragon and sit on the Iron Throne. You could participate in new employee orientation at Luman Industries through Apple TV'+’s activation from Severance. Attendees grabbed glowing green Dragon’s Brew at the Paramount+ Dungeons and Dragons Tavern. The IMDB boat was in full swing and Amazon released their new trailer for the highly anticipated Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series and threw a special party for the fans. The list goes on and on.

Panels this year saw the likes of Dwayne The Rock Johnson as DCs “Black Adam”, the last “Walking Dead” panel, the “What We Do in the Shadows” cast and crew, AND THE MIGHTY RETURN OF MARVEL TO HALL H! They came in swinging with not only the announcement of the end of Phase 4, but Phase 5 and 6 as well! As I said earlier, there was just too much to take it all in.

WELCOME BACK!!!

Watch our “recap” video to get a quick view of Jenny’s weekend HERE.

To revisit Atomic Geekdom’s daily coverage, check out our links below.

WEDNESDAY - Preview Night

THURSDAY 7/21

FRIDAY 7/22

SATURDAY 7/23

COUNT DOWN #34: If He Be Worthy

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. 

• If He Be Worthy •

MOMENT# 34

MOVIE: Thor

DIRECTORS: Kenneth Branagh

WRITERS: Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz & Don Payne

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in Thor.

“Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” These are the words inscribed on the side of the mighty hammer Mjolnir by the All-father Odin. While they do appear in Norse mythologies, they play a large role in the MCU’s 4th film, 2011’s Thor. This film would introduce the famous Norse god to mainstream audiences and pave the way for his future adventures with his fellow Avengers.

Thor is a relatively simple film when you strip it back to its bones. Thor has been raised to be the greatest warrior in all of Asgard and will soon take up his father's role as king. But a group of Frost Giants ruin Thor’s big day and he seeks revenge with his brother Loki, and his friends Sif, Vostag, Hogan, and Fandral. The six of them go to Joutenheim and accidentally spark the fires of war between Asgard and the Frost Giants, something which Odin wished to avoid. After a heated argument between the God of Thunder and the All-Father, Odin strips Thor of his power and banishes him to Earth, to seemingly live the rest of his life as a mortal. 

What does it really mean to be worthy of the hammer? When Odin strips Thor of his godliness, he calls him a vain, greedy, and cruel boy and laments that Thor's warrior heart has blinded him to what Odin had taught him. Thor needed to learn humility and to think with his head and not his heart. He wanted glory and to be feared and worshipped throughout the nine realms, but that is not how a king, or a god, should behave.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in Thor.

As a film, Thor is very lean, it has very little fat. Thor needed to learn a certain lesson and he does, very quickly after arriving on Earth. When he couldn’t pick up his hammer again, he realized he was no longer worthy and what that truly meant after he saw the words inscribed on the side of his former weapon. No more will he soar through the skies as the God of Thunder or dine in the banquet halls of Asgard. Now he will be forced to live out a mortal life on Earth. But it’s not all bad, he’s grown to love a woman named Jane Foster and has grown fond of the people he’s met.

Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in Thor.

Now it’s time for one more test, however, in the form of the Destroyer. Loki, afraid that Thor will return to Asgard, sends Asgard's greatest weapon, the Destroyer to Earth to kill his adoptive brother once and for all. As the Destroyer lays waste to the town, Sif, and the Warriors Three, Thor attempts to do the unexpected, and apologize. He approaches the Destroyer, apologizing to his brother for all the wrongs he had caused all his life, knowing that his life could very well end. Thor knew the battle could not be won with strength, but with words of compassion. Through his sacrifice, he finally became worthy. Mjolnir exploded out of the ground and charged toward its former and future wielder and in one of the greatest moments in the first Thor film and the MCU, he caught it and reclaimed his mantle as the God of Thunder.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in Thor.

Thor grabbing the hammer out of the air is a good old-fashioned fist-pumping moment. An early moment in the history of the MCU where the audience could cheer for the hero. The character of Thor has seen a lot of changes over the years, but the first film stands as a solid foundation to build up the God of Thunder. The one thing that needed to work in the film was Thor's redemption and, thankfully, by the time that hammer shoots up from the ground, audiences were reassured that it did.

NIC GAUGE / Grand Isle

MOVIE: Grand Isle

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, KaDee Strickland, Luke Benward, Kelsey Grammer, Zulay Henao, Oliver Trevena, Emily Marie Palmer, Beatrice Hernandez

RELEASE DATE: December 6th, 2019

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

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Fancy (KaDee Strickland) and Walter (Nicolas Cage) in Grand Isle

Grand Isle came up this week for the Nic Gauge and before I started it, I was curious what critics thought of it. Every once in a while, I like to look at reviews, but I never really post them. This one was interesting. Most critics thought this film was terrible, but there are also a lot of reviews from moviegoers that paise this action/thriller. So, going into this, I knew this would be an interesting watch, and interesting it was.

Detective Jones (played by Kelsey Grammer) is holding a battered and bruised former sailor Buddy (played by Luke Benward) in an interrogation room. Buddy is forced to tell Jones about what happened to a murdered body he was found with the day before. We are then watching the events of the day before as Buddy arrives at a house owned by a hard-drinking Veteran named Walter (played by Cage) and his wife, Fancy (played by KaDee Strickland). Buddy is hired by Walter to fix a fence, but when a hurricane warning is put into effect, Buddy is trapped in their house. where he learns about Walter and Fancy’s increasing dislike for each other. He finds himself stuck between a woman trying to seduce him, and a man unhinged from the choices of his wife.

Walter (Nicolas Cage) in Grande Isle.

Grand Isle had some interesting moments, but as an overall film, seemed to lack when it came to having enough action and/or thrills. There is more to the plot, mainly the real reason for Walter and Nancy’s weird actions, but instead of letting those beats play out, they just tell you through audio clues throughout the film. By the third act, you learn that they have been kidnapping teens and forcing them to have children because Fancy cannot get pregnant. And because you are told this throughout the film, it takes out any suspense or surprise by the end.

Walter (Nicolas Cage) and Lisa (Emily Marie Palmer) in Grand Isle.

Although the plot and script left me with much to be desired, everyone’s acting abilities do make it enjoyable. Nic Cage’s performance is not as crazy as we are used to, but he does teeter on the edge for a few moments. KaDee Strickland steals the movie with her performance. Being able to show off her “disgust” for her husband as well as keeping all her secrets close to her chest, baiting us to learn more. Because of that, this film lands in the middle of “OK” on the Nic Gauge.

BOOK REVIEW + INTERVIEW / Upgrade By Blake Crouch

Jenny had a Fan-tastic opportunity to sit down with bestselling author, Blake Crouch. Atomic Geekdom’s friend Nicole Reid joined the Q&A as they discussed his July 12th, 2022 release UPGRADE. Check out the full interview below or on YouTube (HERE) and the AG podcast (HERE).

Join the conversation in the comments and on social media.

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UPGRADE by Blake Crouch

Release Date: 07/12/2022

Published by Penguin Random House

By Jenny Robinson

What happens when a cure becomes a plague? When can you forgive yourself of your inadvertent crimes against nature? How do you survive in the ripples of the disaster? And what would happen if your DNA was highjacked? UPGRADE is a fast paced story that follows Logan Ramsey. He is a family man confronting each those questions.

The storyline takes place in a world recovering from a famine. Due to gene editing, much of the world’s crops were destroyed by science gone wrong. Already, I began to have that sense of storytelling anxiety that oddly makes me love suspense books. Logan’s mother was the prestigious gene-editing biologist behind this disaster. She was a force to be reckoned with. Her scientific creations were meant to help save the planet, but instead backfired and killed millions. Logan had worked along side his mother and carried the weight of regret from that mistake. To atone, he then became a federal agent once he was released from prison. He began working to put a stop to the outlaw geneticist popping up after the disaster and who were using his mother’s science.

The plot picks up quickly during a raid that leaves Logan suspiciously injured. During and after the recovery, he begins to notice changes in his thoughts and reflexes. The realization hits hard when he understands that he also has been exposed to his mother’s science. His progression begins to move faster. He has been upgraded. I raced through those chapters as Logan ran from authorities while searching for who was responsible for this conspiracy. This is where I truly loved the character development. Friends from his work were now his foe, family becomes endangered and questionable. Those questions kept piling up. The plot is intense.

There is a lot to unpack as we learn about these characters. Layer upon layer of moral dilemmas for everyone involved. It made for a riveting story. The tough and moral life questions are another reason why I loved this book. The idea of attempting something that could make the world dramatically better, while running the risk of destroying it, make for an exciting read. Logan’s mental scars and guilt from his past endeavors drive home a since of humanity as he struggles through those risks. Logan is the star of the story (obviously). Sub-characters like his mother Miriam, sister Kara, and partner Nadine fell a little flat in comparison but their stories were crucial to establishing the fine line between the heroes and villains. Those characters highlighted the reasons why Logan Ramsey is such an important protagonist.

It’s true that my favorite stories are those that wrap themselves in reality, where the fiction feels plausible. Upgrade, for example feels a lot like what we are currently seeing with CRISPR technology. We may realistically be able to start editing our genes to enhance ourselves but the questions remains…should we, and at what cost? Crouch writes in a way that you do not need to know the science to understand the plot, and I appreciate that. The research and terminology are quite impressing and encouraged me to reach towards Google to dive more into that science I enjoy that in his writing, you can understand the science simply by the “good vs evil” in the uses. He also successfully overlays the protagonists righteous ambition to those facts. It’s a common trend in his books to guide the reader through complex theories that makes sense due to the character’s journeys. As a reader, you struggle with the “rights and wrongs” of the events along side Logan, page by page.

Crouch’s UPGRADE is a legit, hard hitting sci-fi thriller that teeters on dystopian. UPGRADE has a ton of suspense, intrigue, and characters that will draw the reader in and make them question their own beliefs.

As I finish each Blake Crouch book, I am left anxiously awaiting what next gripping scenario he’s cooking up next. From my love of the parallel universes of Dark Matter, mind-bending memories in Recursion, and moral dilemmas of Upgrade, I am sure I’ll be mentally and morally tested. In my book, that’s a win.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BLAKE CROUCH is a bestselling novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of a dozen novels, most recently, Dark Matter, Recursion, and Upgrade, for which he is also writing the movie for Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners. His international-bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy was adapted into a television series for FOX, executive produced by M. Night Shyamalan, that was Summer 2015’s #1 show. With Chad Hodge, Crouch also created Good Behavior, the TNT show starring Michelle Dockery based on his Letty Dobesh novellas. His novel, Recursion, is currently being developed as a Netflix series by Shonda Rhimes and Matt Reeves, and Skydance is developing a film adaptation of his novella, Summer Frost, based on Crouch’s script. His novels have been translated into forty languages and his short fiction has appeared in numerous publications including Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and Cemetery Dance. At the moment, Crouch is writing a new book and creating a nine-episode adaptation of his novel Dark Matter, for Apple TV+. Blake lives in Colorado.

The best way to stay apprised of new releases is to follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

COUNT DOWN #35: Stark Learns The Truth

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. 

• Stark Learns The Truth•

MOMENT# 35

MOVIE: Captain America: Civil War

DIRECTORS: Joe and Anthony Russo

WRITERS: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely

Howard Stark (John Slattery) and The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) in Captain America: Civil War.

The relationship between Captain America and Iron Man is a rather complicated one. While the two of them grew a friendship, it was always on a rocky foundation. Steve trusted that Stark would take a bullet for him and vice versa but it would only take a push to break their partnership. This push came in the form of a coordinated attack by Helmut Zemo in Captain America: Civil War. This attack would send ripples through the MCU and pave the way for Thanos’ victory in Avengers: Infinity War.

Ever since Captain America: The Winter Soldier, audiences had been privy to the information that Bucky Barnes, as the Winter Soldier, was responsible for the death of Howard and Maria Stark. The third Captain America film takes this quick expository moment and makes it the crux of the plot. All throughout the movie, Zemo is trying to get his hands on information that happened on December 16, 1991. A reason that isn’t made clear until later. While this is happening, the government is trying to have the Avengers sign the Sokovia Accords, which would put the heroes under government control. This is the first time that Steve and Stark would come to blows.

Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr. ) in Captain America: Civil War.

The major fight scene of the movie happens towards the end of the second act as Bucky and Steve are trying to get to Siberia to stop Zemo from awakening sleeping super soldiers. All the while Iron Man is trying to stop them because Bucky was framed for the murder of King T’Chaka. There are a lot of moving parts in Captain America: Civil War, but they culminate with Iron Man, Captain America, and Bucky in an abandoned Hydra base in Siberia looking for Zemo. Only to find that the real plan was to reveal to Stark that Bucky was the one who murdered his parents, and worse, Steve knew. 

This throws Stark into a blind rage as he tries to avenge the death of his parents. In his mind, Bucky robbed him of ever reconciling with his parents. From the beginning of the movie, it’s made clear that Stark regrets how his last interaction went with them and now he has someone to blame. What’s almost worse is that Steve and Howard were friends, so how could Howard's idol betray him like that? Steve, of course, tries to reason with his friend by explaining that Bucky was brainwashed but all Stark can see is the murderer, exclaiming “he killed my mom”.

Captain America (Chris Evans) and Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) in Captain America: Civil War.

It’s likely that Stark and Steve would have come to blows over something sooner or later, but this was irreparable damage in Stark’s mind. Not only did Steve betray him but Howard as well. Zemo’s actions successfully tore the very fabric of the Avengers apart. United they could stop any foe, but divided was another story. If Thanos had come to Earth to face a united Avengers, they may have very well been able to fend off the Mad Titan, but thanks to Zemo, Thanos met very little resistance.

NIC GAUGE / Fast Times At Ridgemont High

MOVIE: Fast Times At Ridgemont High

STARRING: Sean Penn, Phoebe Cates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Nicolas Cage, Forest Whitaker

RELEASE DATE: August 13th, 1982

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

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Every legend has a beginning.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High is the feature-film debut of Nicolas Cage. He has a very insignificant role as one of the main character’s buddies. He has maybe one line total in the entire film, but I felt that in order to be fair with the Nic Gauge, his first appearance should be included.

A brief history lesson about me and this film. I had never seen it. Over the years, I always found the reputation of this film confusing. I have heard so much about it and how it’s amazing. I also work in a store that buys and sells movies, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High is the most returned/sold back film that has ever come across my doorway. This is over the course of 10+ years in this business. So, the Nic Gauge chose this film for this week, so let’s see if I can finally unravel the enigma of this film.

Brad’s Buds, played by Michael Wyle (left) and Nicolas Cage (right) working at Captain Hook Fish & Chips in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Made in 1982, the plot of the film is the generic high school cliche. In California, at Ridgemont High, a group of teenagers are looking for something as part of the discoveries in their lives. The pothead Jeff Spicoli (played by Sean Penn) dreams of becoming a great surfer in Hawaii. His history teacher Mr. Hand (played by Ray Walston) gives him a hard time. The fifteen-year-old virgin Stacy Hamilton (played by Jennifer Jason Leigh) wants to have sex. The shy Mark Ratner (played by Brian Backer) is into Stacy. Stacy’s brother Brad Hamilton (played by Judge Reinhold) works as a fast-food employee to pay for his Cadillac. Brad wants to break up with his girlfriend Lisa (played by Amanda Wyss) because he is senior and wants to date other girls. Throughout the semester, they have surprises and make discoveries about friendship and love.

This film has an amazing cast. Not only do you have the previously mentioned notable actors including Nic Cage, but Forest Whitaker as the star quarterback of the school is also included. That is probably all I can positively say about this film. Overall, I am bias and not really into the high school films. This film is also definitely a product of the times. The comedy is out of date, using derogatory terms for cheap laughs, and having onscreen nudity between a 15-year-old girl and a 26-year-old man is bizarre and crass. I believe this film could not be made today. Those elements made it not funny and I found myself bored. It is more than likely because of the current climate in the world helped make this film unenjoyable for me. It was better than other Nic Gauge films on here, but this sits in “Terrible”.

COUNT DOWN #36: The Cameo

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 Cameo•

MOMENT# 36

MOVIE: Iron Man thru Avengers: Endgame

DIRECTORS: various

WRITERS: various

Captain Marvel’s opening title card in tribute to Stan Lee

Probably one of the most enjoyable parts of seeing a Marvel Cinematic Universe film was seeing what kind of Stan Lee cameo would show up. From Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame, Lee was a consistent figure in the lives of MCU fans. However, in November of 2018, Stan Lee passed away at the age of 95. With his legacy cemented in the halls of history, there was nothing more the great man could bestow on the world, and in March of 2019, Captain Marvel surprised audiences with a touching tribute.

The Marvel Studios logo has changed a lot over the years. Different composers from Brian Tyler to Michael Giacchino would even compose new fanfare whenever it changed. Captain Marvel opens with the same title card, but this time it packed a bigger emotional punch. Normally clips of previous MCU films would play as the words revealed the Marvel Studios logo, but this time it was every single Stan Lee cameo

Stan Lee in Captain America: Civl War

Since Marvel Studios knew how important the cameos had become, they were almost a signature moment in each film. They would often bend over backward to make sure he didn’t miss one. One time, around the filming of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, director James Gun was hired to film multiple cameos to be inserted into upcoming films. The reason was simply that the rapid filming of the Marvel movies would surely become too difficult to keep up with for the aging celebrity. The cameos were too important to miss.

Marvel fans love to make a mountain out of a molehill (which isn’t a bad thing) and because of that, a popular fan theory began spreading like wildfire. As the MCU expanded into the cosmic realm, fans began to wonder if Stan Lee was meant to be Uatu, the Watcher. Since the Watcher only observed important moments, it seemed to make a certain amount of sense for long-time fans. The theory became so popular that Marvel Studios decided to make a version of it canon. For Lee’s cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, he’s seen talking to various Watchers in a space suit and is credited as “Watcher informant”. That was one of the many times Marvel would go out of their way to make a fan theory canon. Uatu would be introduced in Phase 4 played by Jeffrey Wright.

Stan Lee as the “Watcher Informant” in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2

With such a long legacy and a beloved figure, Marvel’s tribute to him in Captain Marvel hit all the right marks. It was exactly the kind of thing audiences needed to see after his passing. Now anyone who goes to watch Captain Marvel on physical media or Disney+ will always be reminded of the most famous cameo in cinema history. Lee’s cameos exist in the bubble of The Infinity Saga and are some of the most charming and humorous moments of each film. From Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame, there’s just no denying how crucial his face was in defining the Infinity Saga.

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NIC GAUGE / Snake Eyes

MOVIE: Snake Eyes

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Gary Sinise, Carla Gugino, John Heard, Stan Shaw, Kevin Dunn

RELEASE DATE: August 7th, 1998

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

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Rick Santoro (Nicolas Cage) in Snake Eyes

It’s been a while since I have revisited a Nic Cage movie that is attached to a high-profile director. So, thank you number randomizer for giving me this gift that is Snake Eyes. This movie was made in the golden years of Cage’s career in 1998 and was directed by Brian De Palma. If you are not familiar with his work, here is a list of other films Palma has directed; Carrie, Scarface, The Untouchables, Carlito’s Way, and Mission Impossible. Will Snake Eyes live up to those films? Sort of.

The plot is corrupt Atlantic City police detective, Rick Santoro (played by Cage) is attending a high-profile boxing match with his friend, Navy Commander Kevin Dunne (played by Gary Sinise). Dunne is working on security detail for Defense Secretary Charles Kirkland. When the boxing match is underway, an assassin kills the Defense Secretary and the arena is locked down while Santoro and Dunne work to solve who not only killed him but who set it up.

Rick Santoro (Nicolas Cage) and Commander Kevin Dune (Gary Sinise) in Snake Eyes

This film is pretty good but has a few negatives. Because it all takes place in a span of a couple of hours, it makes the stakes feel higher. Especially because Cage’s role in the film is probably one of the more chaotic characters he has played. The first 15 minutes of the film is just setting up Cage’s persona as a high-rolling, corrupted cop that is cheating on his wife. He is treated to be the most sympathetic character of the film and that part doesn’t really work. I do not feel like I should cheer for a guy who takes bribes, lets low-level drug dealers work, and hits on women. But, here we are.

Although I have complaints about Cage’s character, it doesn’t bring down the action aspect of this film. It finds a good mix of thriller and action that gives it great pacing. Gary Sinise’s role as the stoic commander does play well against Cage’s over-the-top charismatics. The overall story is fine. This film is going to sit in the upper “OK” section of The Nic Gauge.

COUNT DOWN # 37: Ant-Thony: A Loyal Steed

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. 

• Ant-thony: A Loyal Steed•

MOMENT# 37

MOVIE: Ant-Man

DIRECTORS: Peyton Reed

WRITERS: Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Adam McKay, & Paul Rudd

For most films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s pretty smooth sailing. A film is announced, it’s filmed, and then released. Before Marvel Studios was the juggernaut it is now, Kevin Feige appeared with Jon Favreau and Edgar Wright in a small room at San Diego Comic-Con to talk about the future of Marvel on film. That future consisted of Iron Man, directed by Jon Favreau, and Ant-Man, directed by Edgar Wright. After many false starts, Edgar Wright's departure and many added movies, Ant-Man was finally ready, now with Peyton Reed at the helm. Phase two of the MCU ended with 2015’s Ant-Man, and with it, a surprising star was born.

The Peyton Reed-directed film took a Batman Beyond style approach to the character of Ant-Man. Instead of starting with the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym (played by Michael Douglas), the movie introduced the second version, Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd). Hank Pym was a successful scientist, who was secretly a superhero in the 70s, but now he needs Scott's help to prevent Darren Cross (played by Corey Stoll) from developing the Yellowjacket suit. Cross had discovered the secret to Pyms shrinking abilities and now looked to sell it as a weapon. As Scott learns of the abilities of the Ant-Man, he makes a friend in the form of a carpenter ant named Ant-thony.

Scott Lang grows very close to Ant-thony and so does the audience. As most people probably know, when you assign a name to something, you instinctively grow an attachment to it. Unfortunately, Scotts new friends was not long for the world. Ant-thony is shot out of the sky by Cross just before the climactic battle and she’s killed. It’s a sad scene as Scott yells for his fallen comrade and a single wing falls to the ground. The loss of Ant-thony made for a surprisingly emotional moment for the film. Audiences would often talk about how surprised they were that they felt such emotion from an ant’s death. It may have been a cheap move, but it worked.

The creatives behind the MCU often like to “get in on the jokes” and much of that began with Ant-thony. Scott's loyal steed was a huge hit with people, so much so that the MCU wiki makes her out to be a far more crucial part of the movie than she was. The creatives behind the MCU like to give off the feeling that they’re the audience's friend which likely contributed to such a loyal fanbase. They aren’t a studio out to make money, they’re a friend that you go to visit a few times a year. When something like Ant-thony begins to create a social media presence, they’ll lean into it in a way that feels like you’re talking to your friends. A recent example is when they released an hour-long video of Baron Zemo’s dance from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. 

Social media engagement is a big deal in today's world, and often companies will try to give off the impression that they’re “just one of the guys”. If Ant-Man had been released during phase 4, Ant-thony would likely have gotten a character poster in the vein of Alligator Loki or Pizza Dog. A lot of this kind of buddy behavior from the MCU started with Ant-thony. The female carpenter ant with a male name proved to be an influential internet sensation that not only allowed the MCU to feel like a friend, but also served as a precursor for many of the anthropomorphized MCU animal sidekicks we see today.

NIC GAUGE / Looking Glass

MOVIE: Looking Glass

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Robin Tunney, Marc Blucas, Ernie Lively, Jacque Gray, Kassia Conway, Bill Bolender, Bary Jay Minoff

RELEASE DATE: February 16th, 2018

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

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Ray (Nicolas Cage) and Maggie (Robin Tunney) in Looking Glass

Motels always have a spooky/creepy vibe. They have been used as a location for many horror/thriller films. So, in 2018, Looking Glass decided to build on those thoughts. Did it succeed in being a good thriller film? Not even close.

Maggie (Robin Tunney) and Ray (Nicolas Cage) in Looking Glass

The plot is Ray (played by Cage) and his wife Maggie (played by Robin Tunney) purchase a motel from the shady previous owner, Ben (played by Bill Bolender). Thinking the motel would help their own relationship, Ray finds out that he may have bitten off more than he can chew when the regular residents start showing up. Then, he finds a hidden room with a two-way mirror that looks into one specific room where he finds people doing sexual acts. When a random murder happens, an officer comes sniffing around. It’s up to Ray to put the pieces together.

Ray (Nicolas Cage) in Looking Glass

This movie is forgettable at best. It’s better than some of the other Cage films, but there are weird transitions in tone and character development. There is a fleeting moment of Ray and Maggie talking about their dead child and who was to blame. The actual two-way mirror that this movie seems built around is just an afterthought the majority of the time. There are also a total of 13 cast members, and only three are important to the story. Everyone else is just there and doesn’t further the plot at all. This is typical for some, but every other character that had lines felt underutilized. They might have been put in as figurative red herrings, but they had multiple scenes with no progress or payoff to make a character guilty or not.

There, that’s it. This film will be in the bottom end of “Terrible” on the Nic Gauge.

Indominous Rex: The Perfect Jurassic Antagonist

By Brandon T. McClure

One of the opening scenes of Jurassic Park III has Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil) giving a lecture to a group of people about the new discoveries that fossilized remains have revealed about raptors. He takes a question about the point of paleontology since there are two islands that hold real living dinosaurs. Grant responds to this young man by saying “what John Hammond and InGen did at Jurassic Park is create genetically engineered theme park monsters. Nothing more and nothing less.” This line would prove to be the entire thesis on which Jurassic World would be based. A thesis perfectly encapsulated by one dinosaur: Indominous Rex.

Since scientists are constantly discovering new things about the animals that lived 65 million years ago, the science that the Jurassic franchise is based on is wildly out of date. Jurassic Park is a technical marvel that continues to age like a fine wine every year, but paleo communities are constantly pointing out the various inaccuracies and it’s only gotten worse as the franchise continued well into the 21st century. By the time Jurassic World was developed, the many scientific theories about the creatures had become irrefutable, so then why don’t the dinosaurs of Jurassic World reflect the new scientific evidence? Why didn’t the Jurassic franchise update with the times? The reasons for this are at the very heart of what the Indominous Rex represents. 

Indominous Rex in Jurassic World

John Hammond's vision of what Jurassic Park could be was a wonderful place filled with majestic creatures that haven’t been seen in millions of years. That park failed, but you can’t put the genie back in the bottle. Now that Jurassic World was open for ten years, visiting a dinosaur had become like visiting an elephant at the local zoo. In order to keep visitors interested, Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan), the owner of the park, requested a new dinosaur be built from scratch. A completely unnatural scientific creation that would be bigger and scarier than anything the natural prehistoric world could reveal. The Indominous Rex was designed by splicing together a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a Velociraptor, multiple other dinosaurs, and various modern animals that gave it unpredictable genetic traits, such as the ability to camouflage. Indominous Rex is not a dinosaur, she’s a “theme park monster”. She’s the bastardization of John Hammond's vision and the very idea of Jurassic Park taken to its most extreme.

 Jurassic World reminds the audience that it’s a thematic feature of the franchise that the dinosaurs don’t look “scientifically accurate.” Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong) spells it out in a heated exchange with Masrani by simply saying “nothing in Jurassic World is natural”. Thanks to the gaps in the genetic codes that needed to be filled, the animals would never look the exact way they did 65 million years ago. A concept that was also explored in the TellTale point and click adventure game, Jurassic Park: The Game. In a way, every dinosaur on the island is some kind of hybrid, it’s just far less pronounced. For example, Blue is revealed to be genetically defective in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which is why she’s more responsive than other raptors.

Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum), Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) in Jurassic World: Dominion

As Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum) says in Jurassic Park, “your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.” At the time Dr. Malcom was talking about reviving dangerous super predators that haven’t been alive for millions of years, but now that line could apply to the scientists of Jurassic World. The new park could plan for any eventuality, they had multiple contingency plans in case the known dinosaurs got loose. The Indominous Rex was an unknown dinosaur, capable of abilities that were unpredictable. A genetically cloned dinosaur has millions of years of genetic coding that allows them to inherently know how to act and live. The Indominous, however, had none of that and had to discover it on her own. She had no genetic evolution encoded in her DNA and therefore had no concept of her place in the world.

The confusion in the Indominous Rex’s genetic code makes her far more dangerous than other dinosaurs. She doesn’t kill to hunt like a normal predator, she kills “for sport”. Everyone who ran and designed Jurassic World was so high on their own success that they felt they could handle anything. They knew they could design a dinosaur from scratch but, once again, they failed to ask if they should. Creation is a dangerous power that is incredibly unpredictable. They abused that power, and it fought back. In one single night, everything that was so carefully controlled and built was destroyed and returned to nature. Life will always find a way.

The Indominous Rex is the natural final step to the underlying theme laid out in Jurassic Park. She’s an unholy creature. Everything about her is trying to make the audience's skin crawl. Her skin is unnaturally white and her roar is strategically designed to make the audience uncomfortable. Her head is reminiscent of a skull and her jaw can open unnaturally wide. The Indominous may have been built from the genetic structure of real animals, but nothing about her is right. She is the antithesis of nature and the very thing the Jurassic franchise warns against. In another world, the Indominous Rex would have been a concept saved for Jurassic World: Dominion. Now that the hybrid dinosaur concept has been exploited three times (counting Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous), audiences are rather disinterested in the idea. The Jurassic franchise has always needed a “villain” dinosaur and they developed the perfect one far too soon. She truly was a “theme park monster.”

COUNT DOWN #38: A BATTLE IN REVERSE

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. 

• A BATTLE IN REVERSE•

MOMENT# 38

MOVIE: Doctor Strange

DIRECTORS: Scott Derrickson

WRITERS: Jon Spaihts, Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill

Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) & Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in Doctor Strange

With a franchise as vast as the Marvel Cinematic Universe there will always be critics. “The Marvel Formula” is something that gets thrown around a lot when people critique the franchise, but it tends to mean different things to different people. It could mean that they don’t like “MCU humor” or that they don’t like how the films are structured. In this case, the third act of a Marvel film is criticized for sharing the same beats as any other film. Perhaps you’ve heard this one before: A hero with a certain ability squares off with the villain of the same specific ability in a dreary location with a lot of CG to bring the overly choreographed fight to life. That might be true for a number of their origin films, but not all of them. A few have strayed from this “formula” throughout the years, in this case, Doctor Strange.

Doctor Strange was the second film in Phase Three. The origin story for the future Sorcerer Supreme saw the brilliant, but arrogant surgeon, Dr. Stephen Strange get into a horrific car crash (which honestly should deserve a moment on its own) that cost him the use of his hands. He goes on to spend his entire fortune trying to find a way to heal his hands again, but nothing worked. Finally, he found his way to Kamar-Taj, where he was taken in to learn the mystic arts. There he meets Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Wong (Benedict Wong), and the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). Turns out, he had a natural gift for it, even learning to wield the legendary Eye of Agamotto. When a former Master of the Mystic Arts, Kaecellius (Mads Mikkelsen), becomes a zealot of Dormomu of the Dark Dimension, he begins a plan to bring the Dark Dimension to Earth. When Strange and Mordo catch up with him, it’s already too late.

Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) and Doctor Strange in Doctor Strange

In an almost complete disregard for the “formula”, the final act of Doctor Strange begins after Kaecellius has already won the day. Earth is lost. The only way to fix it is to reverse it, so Strange activates the Eye of Agamotto (which is actually the Time Stone) and leads into one of the most unique third acts in Marvel’s history. While Strange, Mordo, and a resurrected Wong are fighting, the city is repairing itself while cars and people fly past them in reverse. The fight between the sorcerers is moving forward in time and they’re able to use the “anti-destruction” to their advantage, sometimes trapping someone in a new fixed wall or climbing up a scaffold that’s reassembling. It would have been easy for something like this to devolve into unintelligible noise, but every step of the fight was so expertly choreographed that the audience never gets lost. Instead, they’re allowed to marvel at the expert visuals on display. Doctor Strange doesn’t even end with a fight scene, it ends with the main character dying hundreds of times. While in the Dark Dimension, Strange traps him and Dormammu in a time loop that can’t be broken. This wears Dormammu out and the lord of the Dark Dimension just gives up his conquest of Earth. 

Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) with the Eye of Agamotto in Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange is a movie filled with an inventive visual flair that helps it stand out from the rest of the films in the franchise. The filmmakers seemed to want to make a deliberate effort in making the film feel as unique as possible. It felt like Marvel Studios had begun to take some of the discourse around the franchise to heart and wanted to be better. Marvel cultivated a loyal audience and in order to keep them interested, they had to stray from the “formula” and Doctor Strange was an important first step.

NIC GAUGE / Mom And Dad

MOVIE: Mom And Dad

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Selma Blair, Anne Winters, Zackary Arthur, Robert T. Cunningham, Olivia Crocicchia

RELEASE DATE: September 9th, 2017

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

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Kendall Ryan (Selma Blair) and Brent Ryan (Nicolas Cage) in Mom and Dad

Parenting is supposed to be considered one of the great accomplishments in life by some people. The ability to bring new life into the world and shape them so they can continue to make the most out of their lives. But, this week’s Nic Gauge film asks the question, what if your parents actually try to kill you?

This film’s plot is extremely simple. The main story is Brent (played by Cage) and his wife, Kendall (played by Selma Blair) are stuck in a lifeless and loveless marriage with their children, Carly (played by Anne Winters) and Josh (played by Zackary Arthur). On this specific day, with no real explanation, all the parents around the world are trying to murder their kids. Josh and Carly must now figure out how to survive their parents’ ongoing murdering ways.

The beauty of this plot's simplicity is that it’s just a modern zombie film, but instead of zombies, it’s your parents. It’s never explained the switch that makes them become murderers, but the parents are still able to go about their daily routines afterward as if nothing happened. Most of the time, that would be a major plot hole, because there is no real conclusion about how this has happened. By the end, there still is no answer. It’s just a self-contained film, much like many zombie films. The weird part is that is the point throughout the film. Each member of the family has a flashback about something that has some sort relevance to the plot, but barely. An example is Brent being angry that he can’t have a man cave and destroying a brand new pool table he just finished building.

Brent Ryan (Nicolas Cage) in Mom and Dad

The acting is ok overall. Nic Cage as a performer, and as usual for his films, steals the show. His dedication to being partially caring and trapped in his marriage is very obvious. But when the “turn” happens, he does change over to the more insane kind of Cage we are used to. Combined with Selma Blair’s acting of being the grounded smart parent/killer, they have great moments together. This film lands firmly on the edge of “Good” and “OK” on the Nic Gauge.

OPINION / Return of the Summer Blockbuster…sort of

By Patrick Nagy

It’s Memorial Day Weekend in the United States. A time we remember the soldiers of wars and battles past. It’s also is a time that feels like the kickoff of summer and since 1975, it’s the time of the Blockbuster! Technically the first Summer Blockbuster film Jaws was released on June 20th, but two years later Star Wars set the stage for what would be the launchpad for the big summer movie releases. Rambo: First Blood Part II, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, X-Men Days of Future Past, Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End, Mission Impossible, Men in Black III, The Hangover II, Beverly Hills Cop II, Back to the Future III, Return of the Jedi…if it was a sequel to a success or featured a mega action star, it would be out Memorial Day Weekend.

Jaws

This year is a little different though. After two years of a pandemic, vast technology improvements, and just a basic shift on how entertainment is thought of and produced, the Summer Blockbuster is coming home. To your home that is. Sure there is still a push to get people back to theaters like the current release of the long awaited Top Gun: Maverick, but some of the most anticipated releases are from the streaming services. 

Disney+ comes out swinging with the unexpectedly adult humored Chip `N Dales Rescue Rangers full length film and the expanse of the Skywalker Star Wars timeline with Ewan McGregor starring in the Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series.

Chip `N Dales Rescue Rangers - Disney+

Paramount+ pushed up the streaming date of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 having only released less than two months ago in theaters.

HBO Max followed suit by releasing Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore hoping to find new life for the Harry Potter prequel after a disappointing theater run.

Netflix probably has the most anticipated return with the fourth season of their wildly popular Stranger Things franchise. Sticking with the batch release method, binge watchers should rejoice this three day weekend.

Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Max (Sadie Sink) in Stranger Things S4

The point is, things are changing. In some ways entertainment is changing for the better, and in other ways not so much. Is this the last gasp of the super event movie theater summer Blockbuster we all come to love over the past 47 years? Is it the end of waiting in line for tickets to see that one big event movie opening day? The end of cheering, screaming, and applauding in sold out showings for our favorite characters on bigger than life screens while we sip on incredibly huge sodas while downing popcorn, and Junior Mints?

I sure hope not.

Television and films are better than ever, and I’m grateful for the convenience of streaming high definition images onto my large screen in the comfort of my living room, but next year when things are hopefully a little safer, I hope to go to the theater of rabid fans to see the next anticipated Summer Blockbuster. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 perhaps?! 

Disney Marvel - Guardians of the Galaxy

NIC GAUGE / Joe

MOVIE: Joe

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Tye Sheridan, Gary Poulter, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Roderick L. Polk, Adriene Mishler

RELEASE DATE: April 9th, 2014

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

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Gary (Tye Sheridan) and Joe Ransom (Nicolas Cage) in Joe.

Seeing Nicolas Cage doing serious dramatic roles really is a sight. I always reference Pig because he really shows a full spectrum of talent in that film. So, it’s always refreshing when you find another film that has a similar feel, much like today’s film, Joe. 

The plot follows Joe (played by Cage) who is a foreman for a Texas tree poisoning crew as he gets involved in the life of 15-year-old Gary (played by Tye Sheridan). He hires Gary and learns about his life as a penniless boy trying to provide for his mother and daughter while dealing with his abusive drunk father, Wade (played by Gary Poulter). While helping Gary to overcome his challenges and put him on a path of greater purpose, Joe himself is dealing with his inner demons as he finds himself stuck in a mess he made of his life.

Joe (Nicolas Cage) and Gary (Tye Sheridan) in Joe.

Watching Joe and Gary’s interactions with each other is great. You can see the chemistry they build off the “elder teaching the youth” troupe. I use that loosely because although the overall story is that, there is an inner laying storyline that pulls you out of it. This is because it’s a Nic Cage film in the early 2010s and there has to be some action. That action just feels out of place, because it comes out of nowhere.

Wille (Ronnie Gene Blevins) and Gary (Tye Sheridan) in Joe.

This film is based on a book of the same name, and I’m sure it is better explained there. The side story is a guy named Willie (played by Ronnie Gene Blevins) is mad at Joe for fighting him in a bar. Willie also comes across Gary and insults his family, which results in Gary beating him up. Willie then decides that both of them need to “learn a lesson” and spends the film seeking revenge. Willie’s whole arc is odd, out of place, and also super petty if you really pay attention. Willie’s not a crime boss or some guy of great power. He is just a guy. Because of Willie’s storyline, that drops Joe into the lower end of “Good” on the Nic Gauge.

COUNT DOWN #39: HE WENT FOR THE HEAD

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. 

• HE WENT FOR THE HEAD•

MOMENT# 39

MOVIE: Avengers: End Game

DIRECTORS: Joe and Anthony Russo

WRITERS: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Avengers: Infinity War

Throughout the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor has suffered a great deal of loss. Thor lost his parents, his brother, his hammer, and his planet before Avengers: Infinity War. When Thanos arrived, he lost half his people, his brother (again), and half of all life in the universe. In Thor’s quest for revenge on the Mad Titan, he got close to ending Thanos before he could use the stones, but crucially, he did not go for the head. Thor wanted Thanos to suffer and it cost the lives of trillions of species. 

The events of Avengers: Infinity War was difficult for many heroes. There was so much lost to them by the end of the film. When Avengers: Endgame begins, Thor and the remaining heroes travel to New Titan with the plan to get the Infinity Stones from Thanos and return the population that was lost. Thanos, now living peacefully on a farm, has been weakened from using the stones, so it was unlikely he would be able to put up much of a fight. When they arrive, the heroes successfully subdue the villain, only to find the stone are no longer in the gauntlet. In his moment of triumph, Thanos used the power of the Infinity Stones to destroy the stones themselves, making it impossible for anyone to undo what had been done. In his rage, Thor swung Stormbreaker and removed Thanos’ head from his body. He went for the head.

Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Avengers: Endgame

Even before they left the Earth, it was clear that Thor had blamed himself for the loss of life that Thanos had caused. The line “you should have gone for the head” has surely rung in his ears ever since that fateful day on the Wakandan battlefield. This was a mistake he made sure he would never repeat, but the damage had already been done. Without the Infinity Stones, it would be impossible to bring back the friends and loved ones that were lost. Everything was hopeless. As Thor left Thanos’ little farm, Thor could only blame himself. In Thor's mind, trillions of lives were on his hands.

Up until Avengers: Endgame, Thor had been bouncing back from his losses. There was always another battle and there was always a path to victory. But now that path was closed to him. Taking that path away from the character, allowed the character to go in an unpredictable direction. Audiences expected to see Thor as he had always been but were shocked to see the shell that had taken its place. In his loss, Thor fell into a deep depression and for five years, indulged in temporary serotonin hits that excess food and drink provided. But nothing could ever fill the hole of loss that he felt.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in Avengers: Endgame

Dubbed “Bro Thor” by many, he’s actually a deep, introspective look at how depression can consume a person. Thor was vulnerable, unable to rule his people, unable to leave his home, and prone to fits of tears. It was a major departure for the character, but something that helped to normalize the type of extreme depression that many watching surely face. Allowing such a boastful character as Thor to show this type of vulnerability created an opportunity to represent mental health in a way that hadn’t been done in blockbuster filmmaking. All because he didn’t go for the head.