NIC GAUGE / Outcast

MOVIE: Outcast

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Hayden Christensen, Liu Yifei, Bill Su, Andy On, Coco Wang, Anoja Dias, Wiliam Herbert, Shane P. Zhang

RELEASE DATE: February 6th, 2015

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

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Gallain (Nicolas Cage) and Jacob (Hayden Christensen) in Outcast.

There are very few movies that I have seen that make me outright ask “What is going on?”. I can use that phrase with a few Nicolas Cage films from that “middle era” time of his career. Films that have been at the bottom of the Nic Gauge usually are littered with them. So, spoiler alert early on: Outcast is one of them.

The plot takes place during the Crusades. A young commander Jacob, (played by Hayden Christensen) leads an army to slaughter an Arab City. Soldier Gallain (played by Cage) pleads with Jacob to leave the people alone. Instead, Jacob exiles him for abandoning God’s will. Three years later in Song, China, a dying emperor names his youngest child, Prince Zhao (played by Bill Su Jianhang) as his successor,. This angers his older brother, Prince Shing (played by Andy On). Zhao escapes with his sister, Lian (played by Liu Yifei) where they must venture out to the emperor’s guards to be saved. They meet Jacob and Gallain on their adventure, and two swear to protect the young king-to-be from Shing and his Black Gaurd army.

Gallain (Nicolas Cage) in Outcast.

Outcast is a laughable film. It’s an action film that suffers from an incohesive script, terrible action sequences, and a cast that overall, feels bored and lifeless. Hayden Christensen over the years, has been a punching bag for his acting capabilities, and unfortunately, this film does not help. He lacks emotion. Every facial expression is the same, having a very sunken sad look. Nicolas Cage’s performance is not that great as well and almost comical with an over-the-top British accent. Unlike Cage’s normal flare, he felt very boring on screen. 

The film is about 90 minutes (too) long, and Cage is only in it for roughly 25 minutes overall. So, although this is a Nic Cage film, it felt a lot like he was not a huge focus. Which is fine. It’s similar to his role in Jiu Jitsu, where he was the top-billed actor, but was barely in it. Because of that and having a lack of anything else really to say about this film, it will go near the bottom of “Hot Mess” on the Nic Gauge.

NIC GAUGE / Renfield

MOVIE: Renfield

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Nicolas Hoult, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Brandon Scott Jones, Jenna Kanell, Bess Rous, Shohreh Aghdashloo

RELEASE DATE: April 14th, 2023

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

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Dracula (Nicolas Cage) in Renfield.

Growing up, I was exposed to the old Universal Monster films. Personally, Creature from the Black Lagoon is my favorite, but Dracula has always been a close second. When it was announced that Nicolas Cage was playing Dracula in a modern-day version of the classic film, I was extremely excited. At the time of writing this, it was still in some theaters, but I had to wait till it became available on VOD in order to enjoy it, due to the lack of theaters near me actually playing it. At that time, I have heard many things about this film that had me confused about what kind of experience I was in for.

After centuries of servitude to Dracula (Cage), Renfield (played by Nicolas Hoult) has had enough of his boss and is desperate to have a life out of his shadow. While going to meetings to learn about his codependency issues, he finally gets the power to find his voice, if only for a short time. When Renfield has a run-in with a crime family and befriends a cop named Rebecca (played by Awkwafina), Dracula soon learns how weak Renfield has become and decides to take matters into his own hands.

Dracula (Nicolas Cage) and Ella (Shohreh Aghdashloo) in Renfield.

Overall, this movie was everything I expected it to be. More of a comedy than a horror film, with lots of violence, and somewhat good humor. Cage and Hoult are obviously the most interesting characters of the film, Cage specifically because of how over the top he played Dracula. However, everyone else in this film kind of fell flat for me. Awkwafina and Ben Schwartz (who plays one of the crime bosses) have the majority of the more “comedic” moments. I use quotation marks because although they are mainly known for being comedy actors, I didn’t really find their jokes and timing great.

Tedward Lobo (Ben Schwartz) and Dracula (Nicolas Cage) in Renfield.

The other problems I had were, for a film that is 1½ hour runtime, the story feels nonexistent. They rush through a lot of plot with hardly any story to tell. Just characters giving their backstories so it can be used as plot fodder later. I wish they spent more time on the character’s relationships with each other. Even the Dracula/Renfield relationship felt like it suffered from pacing. The runtime felt like it was more dedicated to violence and fighting. Which, although fun to watch with creative kills, the cartoonish effects of the blood spraying off bodies was too distracting.

Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) and Dracula (Nicolas Cage) in Renfield.

Yes, this film was fun, but not as strong as I hoped it would be. Cage carries this film and as I said earlier, the violence and fighting are fun. But the story and effects bring it down a significant level. This film is going to the lower end of “Good” on the Nic Gauge.

COUNT DOWN #27: Iron Man’s PTSD

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. 

• Iron Man’s PTSD •

MOMENT# 27

MOVIE: Iron Man 3

DIRECTORS: Shane Black

WRITERS: Drew Pearce & Shane Black

Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) in Iron Man 3.

Marvel is often considered a comic book company with more relatable superheroes. Readers point to Spider-Man’s struggles or Iron Man’s alcoholism as examples of this. The heroes of the Marvel universe would often go through similar personal struggles that the readers would. This allows readers to relate to the characters in a way that they felt they couldn’t with characters like Superman or Green Lantern. Translating this to the MCU was instrumental in the long-running success of the franchise. In the third Iron Man film, Tony Stark is reeling from the events of The Avengers and can’t find a way to move past his near-death experience. In short, he had PTSD.

Iron Man 3 is a curious anomaly in the MCU. While Marvel had already been sold to Disney by the time of The Avengers, Iron Man 3 was still produced by Paramount Pictures. Shane Black stepped in to direct this film when Jon Favreau declined to return. It was the first of the solo franchises to finish their trilogy, which left the future of Iron Man in question until Avengers: Age of Ultron. The hype coming off of The Avengers also propelled this film to $1 billion. Finally, while it’s seen somewhat of a reevaluation over the years, it’s still not remembered all that fondly by the larger fandom. All this is to say that the history surrounding Iron Man 3 is kind of weird. Seriously, it’s the only film in the Infinity Saga that had a separate cut screened for Chinese audiences (But that’s a whole other thing).

In Iron Man 3, Tony is having trouble moving on from the Battle of New York. During the battle, Tony took a nuclear bomb through the portal and nearly didn’t make it back. Now that things have gone back to normal, he’s having trouble going back to his life. “You experience things and then they’re over and you still can’t explain them,” he says to Pepper after she confronts him. While this is happening, a series of bombings are taking place around the United States that are being linked to a terrorist known as The Mandarin. Tony takes it upon himself to uncover The Mandarin’s true plans but he’s having a difficult time due to his undiagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in Iron Man 3.

PTSD is largely considered to be a disorder that only develops in soldiers that have seen combat. But it’s far more common than that. PTSD can develop in any person who’s been exposed to a traumatic event. Sexual assault, car crashes, domestic violence, or emotional abuse can all result in PTSD or its symptoms. It stands to reason then that any man who suffers a near-death experience would develop this disorder. Tony experiences all the hallmark symptoms and doesn’t know how to handle them. During one severe anxiety attack, he denies it happened and runs away. He can’t sleep because his nightmares are plagued with the memories of the battle and the move that almost cost him his life. Of course, this is also a science fiction superhero movie, so the movie uses Tony’s suits as an allegory. He’s trying to make sure that he’s prepared for next time, rather than dealing with the issue he’s dealing with now.

These days, mental disorders like PTSD are taken more seriously than they used to be and this is actually where Iron Man 3 fails. Pepper and Rhodey don’t take Tony’s illness seriously. Pepper’s reactions are pretty common for partners of people who suffer from PTSD in fairness. She loves Tony but can’t understand why he’s changed. Rhodey’s reactions are a bit more questionable since he’ll sometimes make a joke at Starks expense. It’s only strange because Rhodey is a soldier, but this was indicative of the time. Things have gotten better over the years, but these misgivings don’t negate the importance of Iron Man 3 showing Tony with PTSD. Art has a profound effect on the world and can lead to a path of normalization for things that aren’t considered “normal” (for lack of a better word). Iron Man 3 proudly made it known that the battle didn’t end for Stark when the Avengers went for Shawarama, it continued into his everyday life.

Tony Start/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) in Iron Man 3.

Throughout the movie, Tony learns to open up about his problems which aren’t easy. Luckily the trials that Tony is put through in the movie, send him on a clear path of healing and he’s able to learn to cope and live with the disorder (although it does lead to him making Ultron…). By destroying all his new Iron Man suits, Tony symbolically learns that he doesn’t need them anymore and that there is a clearer and safer path to healing. Something that every person who suffers from PTSD would like to learn. Through this hero, PTSD victims see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Iron Man 3 is a far more important entry in the Infinity Saga than people are willing to give it credit for. Truthfully it’s time for the narrative around Iron Man 3 to change. It’s a well-shot, well-written film, with great action set pieces, and a story about a hero struggling with a disorder that millions struggle with. Marvel likes to say it’s home to the relatable hero, and Iron Man 3 delivered one of the most relatable stories that had ever been seen in a superhero film at that point. Because of this, Iron Man’s PTSD remains an important moment in the Infinity Saga.

SOPHIA'S SECOND LOOK: Drop Dead Fred

By Sophia Anita Reyes ( @sophia_toto_girlpower )

I recently rewatched Drop Dead Fred, the 1991 dark comedy/fantasy film for the first time since I was about 11 years old. I am unsure why I had such fond happy memories of this misunderstood box office flop. After watching the film as a 34 year old woman, I was in an immobile physical state of shock. I sat there for about 10 mins alternating from sobbing my eyes out, to staring at the wall with my mouth wide open thinking “What the hell did I just watch?” and “What are these feelings I am feeling?!” 

Drop Dead Fred is about a grown woman named Elizabth whose agent of chaos, childhood imaginary friend Fred, comes back to help her take control of her life. Her life that is very much in the hands of her ultra dominant, power tripping mother who Fred likes to call “the Mega bitch”, and her manipulative weasel like fiancé. The film has many flashbacks of the destruction and ruin that Fred and Elizabth caused, which drove her mother to insanity. 

Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall) and Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Phoebe Cates) in Drop Dead Fred.

I have this gut feeling that there is one important question that no one asked on set or during production, not the producers, the actors, or even the director. The question is, who is this movie for? Is it for kids? The whole family? Or the scariest answer.. is it for me? After I was able to come out of my immobile state of shock, I realized that the film is a grotesque but beautiful guide on how to love your younger self by battling your childhood trauma. That’s when I also realized that yes, this film is for me, someone who has had trouble challenging authority since a young age and staying away from manipulative weasels. Along with being a movie that will completely just fuck with your un-dealt emotions, it is kind of a cinematic masterpiece in itself. The story progression, character development, set design, special effects makeup, et cetera, are all flawless. There are no holes in this film, no dull moments. The most powerful scene is at the very end when Elizabeth becomes so overwhelmed with her trauma that she passes out and takes a trip into her imagination and back to her childhood home with Fred, where it is time to face her biggest fears.

Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Phoebe Cates) and Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall) in Drop Dead Fred.

The inside of the immaculate house is enormous and dark. Menacing shadows looming everywhere and furniture with edges so sharp they look like they could cut you. Elizabeth uses her imagination to navigate the intimidating home. Standing there as a grown woman she puts her hands on her temples, shuts her eyes. Suddenly a giant beautiful tree grows in the middle of the foyer. This particular moment really gutted me. Seeing a grown woman confidently tap into her imagination to solve a problem was a shocking sight to see. Using your imagination is what children do, not adults. We grew up, we are not allowed to be silly or fantastical anymore. Fred and Elizabeth climb the tree, but unfortunately her mother is waiting at the top of the stairs, guarding Elizabeth's childhood bedroom door, not allowing them to pass. 

Elizabeth fearlessly screams “I’m not afraid of you!” in her mother’s face and after hearing this, the mother bursts into epic flames. At this point, my face is soaked with tears, how could this film get under my skin any deeper than it already has? Well you just wait. 

 In the beginning of the film, Elizabeth's mother has had enough of her tiny daughter’s rebellion and duct tapes Fred back into his jack in the box so he can never escape again. When grown up Elizabth opens the bedroom door that her mother was guarding, she finds her childhood self duct taped to the bed. Elizabeth tears the duct tape away and gives her younger self a big hug, telling her “we don’t have to be afraid anymore”. The duct tape represents the constricting restraint that the mother had over Elizabeth, and the tearing represents Elizabeth using her voice and taking the power back.  Do you understand now why I was in such a state of vulnerability and shock?

Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall) and Elizabeth’s mother Polly (Marsha Mason) in Drop Dead Fred.

To be honest, I’m not surprised that his film was a giant flop. No one understood it, but most importantly, no one cared to try and understand it. If they did, they would see that it is a beautifully dark film that challenges its audience to be vulnerable, and to not be ashamed of using your imagination. 

NIC GAUGE / The Frozen Ground

MOVIE: The Frozen Ground

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Vanessa Hudgens, 50 Cent, Radha Mitchel, Dean Norris, Gia Mantegna, Olga Valentian

RELEASE DATE: August 23rd, 2013

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

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Sgt. Jack Halcombe (Nicolas Cage) in The Frozen Ground.

I have never really fallen for films that start with the “based on a true story”. Most of the time, they do have some merit, but for obvious reasons, to make it entertaining for the audience, certain aspects will be embellished. Obviously, names, places, and events will be changed in certain cases in order to protect people, and I understand that. But, I still don’t put 100% face value beyond these films and how much they decide to change or enhance.

The Frozen Ground is based on the crimes of real-life serial killer Robert Hansen. Detective Jack Halcombe (played by Cage) discovers the body of a young woman buried in the Alaskan wilderness, which leads him to a string of similar murders linked to Robert Hansen (played by John Cusack). However, due to lack of evidence, nothing ever stuck to convict until a young girl named Cindy (played by Vanessa Hudgens) escaped Hansen’s grasp. She provides Halcombe with the means to reopen the cases and go after Hansen again.

Sgt. Lyle Haugsven (Dean Norris) and Sgt. Jack Halcombe (Nicolas Cage) in The Frozen Ground.

The film itself is fine. Cage, Hudgens, and Cusack pull out really good performances for a film that is overall, fine. I don’t know how much of this film is true, but while looking up the events, it seems the majority may be. So, in reviewing this film, I honestly don’t want to give too much praise to a serial killer. So, going to keep this short and sweet by saying that this film will land smack dab in the middle of “OK” on the Nic Gauge.

Star Trek Needs Star Trek: Legacy

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

It’s a crazy time to be a Star Trek fan right now. Five shows have been released since 2017’s Star Trek: Discovery with a sixth one on the way. Currently Star Trek: Picard is airing its third and final season which sees the return of the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. This season has been better received than the previous two seasons and that’s got the fans begging for more. Turns out the showrunner for this season of Star Trek: Picard has plans to continue the story, should Paramount be interested, through a show called Star Trek: Legacy.

When Star Trek: Picard first aired on CBS All Access (Which became Paramount+) in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the series saw an older retired Jean-Luc Picard now living in his family's vineyard, content with making wine for the rest of his life. But a young being, who claimed to be Data’s daughter, sought him out and set him off on a new journey that took him to new worlds with a new crew. This season was ran by Michael Chabon, who would leave during the production of season 2 due to a massive contract he signed to develop more in the world of Star Trek. This, however, has yet to come of anything. Terry Matalas took over the show and season 2 was released in 2022. That season saw Q return to help Picard come to terms with the death of his mother. As ambitious as those two seasons were, they were generally not loved by the fandom at large. But season 3 had a lot of promise.

After being contacted by Beverly Crusher, Picard reconnects with Captain William Riker to help him find her. While this is going on, Raffi, a character introduced in the first season, is uncovering a plot to destroy the Federation. This is all connected and sets the stage for a story that would be filled with nostalgic callbacks, returning cast, and exciting new characters. Terry Matalas and his crew of writers, production designers, directors, and more, crafted a season that harkened back to the 90s era of Trek, which is commonly referred to as the golden age. Star Trek: Picard season 3 is capable of standing on its own without the support of the first two seasons and operates as a legacy sequel to not just Star Trek: The Next Generation, but Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. 

William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek: Picard

With any legacy sequel, there need to be characters to pick up the mantle from the older generation. That’s where Star Trek: Picard truly shines. While some characters already had kids, like Worf’s long-forgotten son Alexander, or Riker and Troi’s daughter Kestra, this season introduces Jack Crusher as the son of Picard and Beverly. What’s more, this season also introduces Geordi’s children in the form of Alandra and Sydney LaForge. The frustrating thing about these characters is that fans like them. They like them a lot and there are not that many episodes left with them (1 at the time of this writing). It’s a good problem to have, certainly, but many fans are wondering if these characters will ever be seen again.

Lt. Commander La Forge (LeVar Burton) and Alandra La Forge (Mica Burton) in Star Trek: Picard

This is where Star Trek: Legacy comes in. Terry Matalas’ proposed spin-off of Star Trek: Picard would pick up after the events of the series and seemingly feature these characters that fans have fallen in love with. Matalas is talking to everyone about this show (except for me) in the hopes of gaining interest in it. When speaking with TrekMovie.com he spoke about how he feels the 25th century, the year that Star Trek: Picard is set, is the present day of the Star Trek universe, and that he would love to explore what the century looks like around the galaxy. “Boy, wouldn’t you want to check in with the Klingon Empire? Wouldn’t you want to check in with Deep Space Nine and The Doctor [from Voyager] and everything that went on with the Berman-verse?” He adds that he would like to “explore the galaxy and sort of get back to the Next Gen roots of storytelling” and that that is the “kind of version of Star Trek I’d like to see, with this group of characters that we’re seeing”.

Strangely enough, this is not new territory for fans. When Star Trek: Discovery aired its second season, it introduced Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, the second captain of the USS Enterprise. Captain Pike took command of the USS Discovery for a mission to search for Spock, whose disappearance was related to a mission that threatened the galaxy. Anson Mount’s Captain Pike and the other two returning characters Spock and Number One were so well received that fans began demanding a series focused on them. Eventually, Paramount+ gave in to fan demand and greenlit Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in May of 2020. When it was released in 2022, it was an instant hit with new and old fans alike. Now, Trek fans are being called on once again to campaign for Star Trek: Legacy. 

Paramount+ has already announced a new show in the form of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, but that’ll most likely be set in the future of Star Trek: Discovery, which leaves a gap of time not being explored by the franchise. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set in the mid-23rd century, just before Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: Lower Decks and Prodigy are set in the early 2380s, which technically makes every Star Trek show on the air a prequel series. There’s still plenty of room for a series set in the early 25th century, the “present” of the Star Trek timeline as Terry Matalas said. The show could continue to explore strange new worlds and pick up characters that fans haven’t seen in ages. Characters from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine like Ezrie Dax, Bashir, or even Miles O’Brien (who let's face it, should have been in this season of Star Trek: Picard). There is plenty of room for a show that deals with nostalgia while also paving the way for the “next generation”.

There is a legitimate fear with Star Trek: Legacy that is worth bringing up. Star Trek has never been a nostalgia machine. It’s always been a franchise that’s more concerned with moving forward than backward. In fairness, this changed with the 2009 film Star Trek, and the current era has been struggling with that ever since. Both the first seasons of Star Trek: Discovery and Picard were less concerned with nostalgia than doing something new and the fans were not receptive to that. Sure, it probably had more to do with creative choices, but studios often take the wrong lessons from these things. Star Trek: Lower Decks is a show built upon reference jokes to past Trek and was very well received when it launched. So Star Trek: Legacy could be more interested in looking backward than forwards. Ideally, that wouldn’t be the case. The show would hopefully not center around nostalgia and only sprinkle it in when the story called for it. For the most part, that is how season 3 of Star Trek: Picard has been structured so there’s no reason to think that Star Trek: Legacy would be any different.

Following a story about the kids of the crew of Enterprise D is incredibly appealing because they’re good characters that fans have enjoyed. Perhaps Kestra Troi-Riker joins the USS Titan with Sydney LaForge at the helm and her sister Alandra in Engineering. Captain Seven of Nine and her first officer/girlfriend Commander Raffi Musiker at the conn. The cast is already there and waiting to explore the final frontier of the 25th century. Hell, maybe they’ll finally remember Alexander. One thing is for sure, if this is the last time we see these new characters, it’ll be a shame.

COUNT DOWN #28: The Hellicarrier

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 Hellicarrier •

MOMENT# 28

MOVIE: The Avengers

DIRECTORS: Joss Whedon

WRITERS: Joss Whedon & Zak Penn

Bruce Banner / Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Steve Rogers / Captain America (Chris Evans) in The Avengers.

Most fans would argue that the MCU’s early success came from them taking the source material seriously where other comic book films hadn’t. Something that’s overlooked in that argument is the way early MCU writers and directors were able to interpret and reinvent the source material and make them more digestible to the mainstream audience. Captain America didn’t wear red, white, and blue spandex, instead wore a red, white, and blue military uniform. Thor wasn’t a god, he was an alien. There are many examples of this that led comic book fans to believe that the more outlandish elements would never be adapted. But then a giant aircraft carrier lifted out of the ocean and into the sky.

The Avengers came out in 2012 and was the final film of what became known as “Phase One”. It saw the heroes of the previous movies unite to save the world from the evil Loki and his army of Chitauri warriors. The movie also shines more light on the mysterious organization that had been introduced in the background of the previous films called S.H.I.E.L.D. While Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury had appeared in every phase one movie with the exception of The Incredible Hulk, much about the organization he ran was still a mystery. Comic book fans were left wondering if the flying base that S.H.I.E.L.D. and Fury called home would ever make an appearance in the new franchise. Luckily they didn’t have to wait long.

The Helicarrier is a flying aircraft carrier originally created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the pages of Strange Tales #135, all the way back in 1965. It’s often depicted as the signature ship for S.H.I.E.L.D. and is one of the most iconic vehicles in Marvel Comics. Because of its iconic status, fans had hoped that Marvel Studios would find a way to incorporate it down the line. While it certainly seemed a little unreasonable to expect it in the first Avengers movie, perhaps it was possible the flying ship could show up in the second or third. Luckily Kevin Feige and co. were just as eager to incorporate it as fans were.

In order to deal with the threat of Loki, Fury assembles the mightiest heroes of Earth on an aircraft career in the middle of the ocean. Just after Captain America and Bruce Banner meet on the carrier, Natasha tells them to head inside because it’ll get hard to breathe. Certainly, a weird thing to say about an aircraft carrier. Steve wonders if they’re in some fancy new submarine, but the truth was much cooler (or “worse” as Banner puts it). As the water around the ship begins to swirl, four large turbine engines rise out of the water. With these engines in place, the aircraft carrier rises out of the ocean and into the air, revealing the Helicariar to millions of people watching The Avengers.

The Hellicarrier in The Avengers.

It’s hard to understate how big of a deal this moment was in 2012. The Dark Knight trilogy and X-Men films were some of the biggest names in comics, but both seemed to be ashamed of their source material. Audiences were conditioned to believe that the source material was “silly” and that the medium of film could legitimize it by stripping away the more fantastical elements. Compared to the things that Marvel Studios is doing now, the Hellicarier is small potatoes, but in 2012 it rewrote the brain chemistry of every comic fan watching. These things weren’t “silly” anymore. A Hellicarier was featured in a movie that made over $1 billion.

The Hellicarier was the first in a long line of promises that Marvel Studios would make to their fans. By including the Hellicarier in The Avengers, the creatives behind Marvel were telling the audience that nothing was off limits anymore. Comic books weren’t something to be ashamed of when making the adaptations, they were something to be taken seriously. Sure, the Hellicarier isn’t the reason why The Avengers passed the billion-dollar mark, but fans could rest easy knowing that the comics they loved were respected.

Will Willow Return From Beyond The Shattered Sea?

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

In 1988 Lucasfilm released a new fantasy epic directed by Ron Howard called Willow. The film starred Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer and followed their journey to protect a baby, named Elora Dannon, who was prophesied to save the world. Warwick Davis played the titular character of Willow, a Nelwyn who yearns to be a sorcerer. The movie was a moderate success but didn’t kickstart a new fantasy franchise. But discussions for a sequel TV series picked up in 2005 with the series going into official pre-production in 2019. Finally, Willow was released on Disney+ in 2022 only to be canceled a few months later.

Acting as a legacy sequel to the 1988 film, Willow sees the return of Warwick Davis as Willow Ufgood. He’s called upon when Queen Sorsha’s son is taken by an evil witch known as the Crone. The series introduces new characters to the franchise such as Boorman, Graydon, and Kit and reintroduces Elora Dannon as a young girl with no knowledge of who she was meant to be. During their quest, Willow has to train Elora to fight the Crone and learn the secrets of the new villains, The Order of the Wyrm.

Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) in Willow.

For a number of weeks after its release, Willow was one of the top 10 most streamed shows and its critic score on Rotten Tomatoes was a respectable 86%. The show received plenty of praise for its humor, action, and queer romance at the center. It’s not often that family fantasy shows center around a lesbian romance. It consisted of likable characters and respected the world of the movie in ways that allowed it to grow and expand. The final episode ended with a tease that this story would span three seasons, which proved that there was confidence and a plan. So it came as a blow when Deadline reported that Willow had been canceled by Disney+.

Willow isn’t the first show to get that axe from Disney+. With the streaming bubble looking like it’s about to burst, many streaming services are cutting down on the amount of shows they produce exclusively. Long gone are the days when streaming shows would grow an audiences, but now the days of content overload might be behind us. Shows like Big Shot and Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (another legacy sequel) were canceled shortly before this news about Willow dropped. But, according to showrunner Jonathan Kasden (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), hope is not lost.

Kasden went to Twitter after this news dropped to explain the circumstances surrounding Willow’s future. According to the showrunner, Disney and Lucasfilm are still interested in the show but season 2 wasn’t going to film in 2023. The decision was made to release the cast and crew from their contracts so that they may pursue other opportunities while the writing staff polishes the scripts for the next season. He compared the wait for season 2 to the 34-year wait between the movie and the show, which didn’t give the confidence he was likely hoping it would. If this was just a case of letting contracts laps, then no one told the actors. Throughout the day when the news of its cancelation dropped, the actors took to social media to console each other and fans about the disappointing news. If Kasden was truly confident that there would another season, perhaps he should have told his cast first.

Jade (Erin Kellyman) and Princess Tanthalos (Ruby Cruz) in Willow.

A rumor came out recently that Bob Iger, who was recently reinstated as head of Disney, mandated that Lucasfilm focus on developing Star Wars projects and not any others. What the general public at large may not be aware of, is that Lucasfilm has three original IP’s that belong to their company: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Willow. While Disney+ has become home to many successful Star Wars shows and a new Indiana Jones movie is being released this year, Lucasfilm has struggled when it comes to where they want to take Star Wars on the big screen. Every few months, a director and writer are hired to develop a new film only for them to leave months later. Perhaps the cancelation of Willow is a casualty of that. Should this rumored mandate be true, then Lucasfilm would only be allowed to make and produce Star Wars related films and shows, and their other IP would just go back on the shelf collecting dust. There’s no room for three seasons of Willow when there’s a Star Wars movie to be made.

There are a lot of potential reasons for why Willow could have been canceled. There’s also the hopeful possibility that it hasn’t been, and besides, plenty of shows have been saved from cancelation before. A show like Willow doesn’t come along every day. Its cancelation follows a concerning trend of sapphic-centered TV shows being canceled (this news dropped days after it was reported that A League of Their Own was “canceled”). But with a writers strike on the horizon and streaming services hemorrhaging money, Willow is just very likely to be just another casualty of the end of the golden age of streaming.

NIC GAUGE / The Humanity Bureau

MOVIE: The Humanity Bureau

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Jakob Davies, Destee Klyne, Sarah Lind, Hugh Dillon, Vicelous Reon, Nikolas Filipovic, Kurt Max Runte

RELEASE DATE: April 6th, 2018

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Peacock, Ruku, Tubi, Pluto TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Noah Kross (Nicolas Cage) and Rachel Weller (Sarah Lind) in The Humanity Bureau.

I always find it interesting to look at the world we live in and when there is a movie that comes out that is based on the future. Especially when you get close to when that future film has taken place. Great examples are The Purge which takes place in 2022, Soylent Green which also takes place in 2022, and Blade Runner which takes place in 2019. My point is, we like to see if the events actually come about, even in a joking manner. Considering how things on Earth currently have been going, it will be interesting to see if the events of The Humanity Bureau come to pass, even just a sliver of it.

It’s the year 2030, and global warming and economic recession have turned a majority of the American Midwest into a deserted wasteland. In order to combat this, a government agency called the Humanity Bureau was born. Its purpose is to exile members of society that they deemed unproductive and banish them to a colony called New Eden. Humanity Bureau caseworker, Noah Kross (played by Cage) is investigating a case appeal by single mother Rachel (played by Sarah Lind) and son Lukas (played by Jakob Davies). Kross learns the truth of what New Eden actually is and decides to protect Rachel and Lukas from Kross’s boss, Adam Westinghouse (played by Hugh Dillon).

Noah Kross (Nicolas Cage) in The Humanity Bureau.

As I said before, when movies take place in the future actually reach that time frame, we like to revisit those movies and compare if those films got it right. Obviously, we haven’t been eating people like in Soylent Green and we don’t have a lot of the technology that is showcased in Bladerunner, but with something like global warming, The Humanity Bureau does kind of hit a little closer to home. However, we won’t know for sure until we get there.

Beyond that, this film is very much a cut-and-paste Nicolas Cage thriller. Cage’s character gets invested in a woman for some reason, goes against his work to protect her, and gun fights and car chases ensue. The CGI in this film is not the greatest, especially the green screen behind Cage while he is driving. Because of its generic nature overall and the uneventful acting and plot, it will rank pretty low on the Nic Gauge. However, the kind of social commentary on global warming does give it a slight leg up from some others, so it sits in the middle of “Terrible”.

INTERVIEW / Actor & Recording Artist - Jovan Armand

We have a very special episode this week with a very special guest. Kyle and Dave are joined by one of the stars of the recently released Shazam: Fury of the Gods, Jovan Armand. Jovan joins us to talk about the new movie, how he was cast in the original film, and what got him into acting. He also talks about his new song that he recorded and is available NOW!

Interview can also be found on your favorite podcast app at Atomic Geekdom @atomicgeekdom

Star Trek: Discovery Cancelled - Is Star Trek’s New Golden Age Over?

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

Initially developed for CBS All Access, Star Trek: Discovery launched in 2017 and ushered in a new era for the long-dormant Star Trek franchise. Since then, four seasons of Star Trek: Discovery have aired and its success has launched four (five if you count Star Trek: Short Trecks) other Star Trek shows including Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Picard. For lack of a better term, Star Trek has been experiencing a new golden age. But Paramount+ decided to end its flagship Star Trek show with its upcoming fifth season, which paints a worrying picture when paired with Star Trek: Picard ending after its third season.

Star Trek: Discovery was announced in 2015 and was originally developed by Brian Fuller and Alex Kurtzman. Rumors suggest that the show was intended to be anthological in nature which meant every season would follow a new crew at various points in the Star Trek timeline. Eventually, Fuller left the project due to creative differences and was replaced by Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts. Akiva Goldsman provided support for the first season but eventually left to develop Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. After the first season, Star Trek: Discovery would see creative shuffles between almost every season. For example, Berg and Harberts were fired during the production of the second season and Alex Kurtzman replaced them as showrunner. Speculation surrounding this move suggested it was because Kurtzman knew his upcoming reboot of The Mummy was going to flop. During the third season, Kurtzman was joined by Michelle Paradise, who eventually took over as the sole showrunner for the fourth and upcoming fifth season.

Saru (Doug Jones), Captain Michael Brown (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Discovery Crew in Star Trek: Discovery.

Star Trek is well known for being an episodic adventure series that deals with philosophical and political questions but Star Trek: Discovery decided to break the traditional mold in order to bring the franchise into the streaming age. Television has changed drastically since Star Trek: Enterprise went off the air in 2005. The seasons are shorter, the budgets are higher, and serialized television has taken over streaming services. So in order to bring the series to the streaming age, Star Trek: Discovery told the story of Michael Burnham, Spock's half-sister played by Sonequa Martin-Green, who gets recruited to the USS Discovery during the first year of the Klingon-Federation war. The series was set around ten years before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series but eventually moved to the 32nd century due to some time travel shenanigans. 

During its run, Star Trek: Discovery has had to deal with a certain amount of trolling from a segment of the online Star Trek fandom. While many of the newer Star Trek show dealt with people claiming that none of it was “real Trek”, Star Trek: Discovery got the brunt of it due, in part, to it being the most progressive of the shows. At the end of every season, right-wing and spiteful YouTube personalities would claim that “inside sources” are saying the show was going to get canceled, only for the show to get renewed. Fans of Discovery also received an unfair amount of harassment just for being fans of “NuTrek”. While the “wrong” side of the Trek fandom is celebrating this cancellation, the show's fans are mourning it and preparing for a barrage of unearned victory laps.

Saru (Doug Jones), Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) in Star Trek: Discovery.

Recently Paramount announced that they were going to put less money into Paramount+, which is echoing many streaming services at the moment. It’s not hard to see that the streaming bubble may be about to pop, with almost every service bleeding money with very little coming in. Paramount+ recently lost a few subscribers just before Star Trek: Picard began its third season. All this begins to paint a pretty reasonable picture for Star Trek: Discovery’s cancelation considering it’s a particularly expensive show. These days, it’s difficult for streaming shows to make it past three seasons so Star Trek: Discovery making it to five is by no means anything to scoff at. It’s unlikely any of the current shows reach the seven seasons that the 90s shows did. 

With the news that Star Trek: Discovery will be canceled, also came the news that it will premier in 2024 and undergo a certain amount of reshoots. These reshoots are going to allow the season finale to serve as a series finale. It’s lucky that Paramount+ decided to do this since it would give fans the closure they need for these characters they’ve come to love. So many shows, especially streaming shows are left with cliffhanger endings that will never get resolved. Unfortunately, it never felt like Star Trek: Discovery lived up to its potential when it made the jump to the 32nd century. Exploring an era of the Star Trek timeline that had never been explored before should have provided the writers with plenty of new material. But it began to feel restrained by its serialized format and the 32nd century it left largely unexplored. For this reason, it’s hard not to feel upset by the news of this cancelation.

What’s more worrying is the state of the Star Trek franchise moving forward. With Star Trek: Picard ended after its third season wraps up, and now the news of Star Trek: Discovery, the franchise only has one live-action show left. The fan-favorite Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is all but guaranteed to receive a third season, but many are wondering, will Star Trek’s future ly in animation. As far as the future of the franchise, the only guaranteed new project is a scripted podcast based on scripts for a canceled Khan TV series. Other than that, there are only two rumored shows and a guarantee from Alex Kurtzman that there are more coming. Star Trek Day is coming around in April, so there may be some announcements. Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Prodigy have upcoming seasons, so all is not lost. But one wonders if this is the beginning of the end of Star Trek’s new golden age.

NIC GAUGE / Kill Chain

MOVIE: Kill Chain

STARRING: Anabelle Acosta, Angie Cepeda, Nicolas Cage, Luna Baxter, Ryan Kwanten, Pedro Calvo

RELEASE DATE: October 18th, 2019

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

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Araña (Nicolas Cage) in Kill Chain.

You ever watch a movie that just has a bunch of stuff happening, but yet it feels like nothing actually happened? Or that the point of the movie got lost somewhere between the script to film? 2019’s Kill Chain feels like that kind of movie.

This film’s synopsis can be summed up in one sentence; A shootout between two hitmen begins an evening of murder, betrayal, and revenge amongst a crooked gang of police, gangsters, assassins, and mercenaries. I don’t know what else to add to this. It’s one of those films where it had so many subplots that only come together at the end. By coming together, I mean they had no other way to make this film end in a reasonable manner. 

Cage’s character becomes the most important person because although he is only in the movie for approximately 30 minutes of the 1hr. 30 runtime, he set into motion all the events that lead the very specific characters to his location. Characters that are specific yet not important enough to give them all actual names. Only 5 cast members (including Cage) had names. All other supporting “important” characters had names like “The Very Bad Woman”, “The Old Sniper, “The Curious Assasin”, and “The Woman in Red”. I use quotation marks around “important” because although they have lines and progress the story, they have no significant role in this film. 

Araña (Nicolas Cage) and Gigi’s Friend (Jon Mack) in Kill Chain.

This movie was a chore to get through and even Cage could not save it. Because I don't really have much left to say about this entry, Kill Chain is listed in the lower end of “Hot Mess” on the Nic Gauge.

BOOK REVIEW / Antimatter Blues By Edward Ashton (A Mickey 7 Novel)

Antimatter Blues: A Mickey 7 Novel by Edward Ashton

Release Date: 03/14/23

Published by St.Martin’s Press/ Macmillan

By Jenny Robinson

** POTENTIAL MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD **

Last year, I had the opportunity to read and review Mickey 7, the first book in this series (you can find my review of that first book HERE). Mickey had quite the adventure communicating with the local “Creepers” while trying (and failing) to stay off Commander Marshall’s radar. As we have learned, Mickey doesn’t always think through his actions before it lands him in some interesting positions.

At the start of this book, Mickey is now a retired Expendable because Commander Marshall believes Mickey is the only one that can prevent the natives in using the bomb left behind in the first book. No more being killed and remade for this guy! Life has became pretty quiet. That is until the Dome he resides in needs the bomb back. The bomb is made from Antimatter and their small colony is in dire need of that fuel. If Mickey gives it back, there will be no reason to keep him alive. If he doesn’t, then everyone dies.

The first book was an epitome sci-fi about clones. Mickey being an Expendable, has had many clones, and our favorite protagonist, Mickey 7 made it through to the end of the first story. The moral aspect of cloning a person brings up some intriguing debates in Mickey 7, and a reason why Marshal is not a big fan of our lead character. Antimatter Blues has whispers of that original concept but switches gears to revolve more around military and diplomacy. Mickey is not proficient in either.

Although I enjoyed Mickey 7, I found Antimatter Blues to be way more engaging. I was no longer following to see Mickey (which ever rendition) sneak by while screwing something up. He has learned a lot, and his decisions are more conscious of the risks than before. Life almost has more meaning. His community has become important. I appreciate the great deal of attention some of the secondary characters received. All through the first story, I was convinced that Berto was not a stalwart supporter of Mickey. Now we are able to learn a bit more about him, and help explain his missing background. Same can be said of Nasha and Cat. This book has a more ensemble of cast than the first and adds spice where it once felt missing.

Without spoiling too much, I must say that the Niflheim natives (Creepers) made this book incredibly enjoyable. Being the first contact of communication with an alien race, I appreciated the fumbles and triumph that Mickey’s crew encountered. We are able to leave the dome and explore the planet where Edward Ashton excels in his world building.

Knowing that Mickey 7 will soon be a motion picture, I do hope that it merges both books. Mickey 7 now feels as if it was a great set up with Antimatter Blues being the exciting climax. It’ll be thrilling to see the native creatures and “Speaker” on the big screen!

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. You can find him online at edwardashton.com or on Twitter @edashtonwriting.

MOVIE REVIEW / Cocaine Bear

By DeeDee Baldwin

** This article contains mild spoilers. **

There is a scene at the beginning of director Elizabeth Banks’ Cocaine Bear when a hiker’s bitten-off lower leg is flung into frame, and the viewer thinks, “Should I be laughing at this?” It’s the first of many such moments to come.

Horror-comedy is, of course, nothing new. Cocaine Bear follows in the bloody footsteps of cult classics like the Evil Dead series, Tucker and Dale vs Evil, and even, in some respects, Fargo. “What is it in the human condition,” asks author Bruce G. Hallenbeck in Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914-2008, “that makes us want to laugh at the darkness around us?” If we laugh in horror at a woman’s foot sticking out of a woodchipper or at a man’s dismembered body falling from a tree, is something wrong with us?

Sari (Keri Russell) in Cocaine Bear.

Not at all. "The common misconception about laughter is that laughter is, for the most part, a response to humor," researcher Diana Mahony told ABC’s Joseph Brownstein in 2008. Rather, laughter is more like “a steam gauge, where a buildup of feelings prompts an outburst.” This is why some people smile or laugh at funerals or when they’re around a friend who is crying. They aren’t sadistic, and they don’t suffer from antisocial personality disorder. In the perceived absence of other outlets—especially because so many people are extremely uncomfortable crying around others—laughter might be all they have left. Most of us have watched horror movies, even ones that are meant to be totally serious, and laughed at an intense death scene. Did young people in your movie theater laugh when Boromir wept in Fellowship of the Ring or when Katniss sobbed and screamed at her sister’s cat in Mockingjay – Part 2? Intense emotions like grief and fear can be too overwhelming for some people to process. The more effectively such intensity is conveyed, the more likely you are to hear giggles in your theater.

But laughter in movies like Cocaine Bear or Tucker and Dale isn’t only an outlet for big feelings. It is the intended response. There is obvious humor like Margo Martindale’s “dusty beaver,” the billboard advertising a glory hole, and the coked-out bear collapsing, exhausted, on top of a man. There is an ambulance sequence that ratchets up both tension and absurdity until the viewer is simultaneously hiding her eyes and laughing like a valve releasing steam. In one wry scene, a character mentions his two friends (both dead, unknown to him), and Banks cuts to a shot of their corpses that looks like a macabre Halloween yard display. 

Stache (Aaron Holiday) and Jr. (O’Shea Jackson) in Cocaine Bear.

While most of the movie’s deaths are comedic in their horror, not all are played for laughs. One character’s death is quiet, dignified, and poignant – and it is well-earned. For another towards the end, Banks goes all-in on the gore, but there’s more schadenfreude than humor in it.

Cocaine Bear is a comedy in the most classical definition of the term: a humorous take on flawed humans—Aristotle’s “inferior people”—and their foibles, with the requisite happy ending. It is also a morality play in which each of our heroes must fall and be redeemed. I use the term “heroes” lightly; one of them is, after all, a hired gun for a drug lord. Children learn not to skip school and do drugs, and career criminals ride off with a cute little dog. If it took some decapitations, stray body parts from legs to fingers, and a disemboweling, isn’t the most important thing that we’re all better humans in the end? Dante would say yes.

Oh, and I’m forgetting the most important part of this comedic, horrific morality play: it will leave you cheering for a coked-up bear family. And that’s the best part of all.

BOOK REVIEW + INTERVIEW / Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry

Matt and Jenny were joined again by author Jonathan Maberry to discuss his January 10th, 2023 release of his 2nd book in the Kagen the Damned Trilogy - Son of the Poison Rose. Watch/Listen to our interview and get an inside look at the continuation of the story, characters and future conclusion of the series.

Join the conversation in the comments and on social media.

For a recap of our previous coverage of Kagen the Damned, visit our AG Book Club post of the first book in the series: BOOK REVIEW + INTERVIEW / Kagen The Damned By Jonathan Maberry

For audio, please check out the Atomic Geekdom Podcast to listen in.

Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry

Release Date: 01/10/2023

Published by St.Martin’s Press/ Macmillan

By Jenny Robinson

** POTIENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD FOR BOOK 1: KAGEN THE DAMNED **

In the world of geek culture, sometimes the second act out ranks the first. It can be argued that Star Wars: Empire Strikes back is better than New Hope, or that LOTR: Two Towers is superior to Fellowship of the Ring, etc. Would the second book in the Kagen Trilogy live up to those examples? I am here to tell you simply, YES.

The first book, Kagen the Damned was released in May of 2022. We were left with a cliff hanger after Kagen discovers that the nefarious Witch-King was none other than his beloved brother Herepath. We learn that Miri is gone, Ryssa is alone, sorcery is at play, and some of the Gods are awake and ready. I recall being very curious of how some of the characters would continue as the story expanded into this second book. More importantly, I became both concerned and excited that magic was back.

Unlike its predecessor, this story took some time at the start to consider the emotional toll each character now carries and where they may go in order to find either solace or vengeance. Kagen is no longer the wallowing drunk we met after the fall of the Empire. He’s becoming more calculated, and determined. His oath is reinstated when he realizes the Princess’s children, Alleyn and Desalyn by some miracle are alive. With his renewed commitment, he must save them despite their odd unexplainable alter egos with the Witch-King. With Tuke and Filia at his side, Kagen devises a plan. Even Tuke (one of my personal favorites), is less rambunctious in his support of Kagen’s goal to kill the Witch-King. He proves to be a more level-headed and confident co-advisor with Filia.

My best-loved contrivance in Maberry’s writing is how the characters come off the page and are relatable. His heroes have dark flaws and the villains have captivating nobility. This rings true to most all, but one. The Prince of Games, or as Joe Ledger fans call him - Nicodemus. His introduction in the Kagen saga is such a gift to the readers, including surprising mention of him also being called “Flagg” (for those King fans). I knew before starting that trickster would make an appearance but honestly, I was startled by how large of a roll he played in this tale. The Witch-King expected and welcomed his counsel within many of the chapters. True to his nature, he added dreadful manipulations not only for Kagen’s journey, but for the Witch-King as well.

This book is rooted in love. It poses the same question to all it’s characters. What would they do for love? Kagen has the most branches rooting from that question. He spends this book plotting his revenge for the death of his beloved family, seeking retribution for the betrayal of his once loved brother, all while also embracing his infatuation with the faerie, Lady Maralina (whom we met in the first book at the Tower of Sarsis). Tuke and Filia form a deeper and inestimable bond throughout the book, making the stakes of this journey with Kagen more uncompromising. As we follow Ryssa through the chapters, we are embraced by her grief of loosing Miri. Her heartbreak transforming her each chapter as she becomes “The Widow”. The biggest revelation of the heart I found was with Herepath. Throughout, we learn mostly about him from Kagen’s dreams and memories. We puzzle over the events of what could drive a man to this extent. This book dives into that tragedy and suggests that love may have been what changed Herepath from the man Kagen once admired to the man he now strains to kill.

Son of the Poison Rose has an incredible climax in the last chapters. A lot of the conundrums I carried over from from the first book begin to come together in a scenery of violence and epic sorcery. I want to leave the rest vague as to avoid any spoilers but Razor Knights, the Undead, The Bloody Bastards, and so much more make the last 100 pages fly by. I am left with even more anticipation for the next installment than I had after the first. This is no longer a simple revenge tale. Kagen the Damned has layers that are yet to be exposed.

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.

NIC GAUGE / Con Air

MOVIE: Con Air

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich, Steve Buscemi, Monica Potter, Danny Trejo, Ving Rhames, Dave Chappelle

RELEASE DATE: June 2nd, 1997

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

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) in Con Air.

When you use a randomizer to pick out these movies, you are left at the mercy of what comes up. Over the past couple of rounds, it has seemed to be stuck on the late 2000s to now. And boy, it has been an interesting journey, with plenty more to go. So, it’s always a joy when you finally come across what is considered a “Classic 90’s Cage” film. This week's edition is about Con Air.

Cameron Poe (played by Cage) is a newly paroled ex-con hitching ride on a prisoner transport plane to get home to see his wife and kid. Unfortunately, this transport is also carrying some of the most vicious criminals around, including ring-leader Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom (played by John Malkovich), Nathan Jones (played by Ving Rhames), and Garland Greene (played by Steve Buscemi). Cyrus and company take over the plane and plan a daring escape. It’s up to Poe and U.S. Marshal Agent Vince Larkin (played by John Cusack) to bring them all down

Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) and Cyrus “The Virus” Grisom (John Malkovich) in Con Air.

This movie is another one that I have extremely fond memories of. Full of action and suspense, this film checks all the boxes of what can make a great action film; explosions, gun fights, fun fight scenes, and the addition of having an insanely talented cast. Cage and Malkovich work very well together. The only minor negative is that, although I love Cage, he has a terrible southern accent that sounds more like Forrest Gump at points.

Because this movie was one of the first ones I have seen next to “Face/Off” that has brought me such fond memories, I was a little nervous to see if it still lived up to the expectations. Fortunately, it still is a great film and lands right on the edge between “Bloody Awesome” and “Good”.

Lost In Linkin Park Nostalgia

If you know anything about me, you’ll know I love Linkin Park. I’ve been a huge fan since day one. Not to say I was a fan of them before they were called Linkin Park when they were called Hybrid Theory or Xero, but the first time I heard One Step Closer I was hooked. I rushed to my super old computer, dialed up America Online, booted up Napster and was ready to see what other songs I could find. Low and behold, there was a fresh debut album. I downloaded, burned the CD and popped it into my CD player stereo. I was a changed young man. The next day I was in Best Buy purchasing the actual CD and playing it loudly in my car the whole drive home and have been to this day. Since that time, the band has released seven studio albums, three live albums, two compilation albums, two remix albums, three soundtrack albums, 12 video albums, 10 extended plays, 25 singles, 20 promo singles, and 68 music videos (according to Wikipedia at least). And as of February 09, 2023, we’ve been treated to an additional unreleased track titled “Lost” that is being included on the upcoming 20th Anniversary of Meteora box set available on Linkin Park’s website.

Photo: Revolver

With the release of this new song and the box set, we get more press for the remaining members of the band. Since Chester’s passing, they haven’t said much in the way of creating new music or touring. They did one final show as a tribute to Chester by inviting friends of the band to step into singer’s role and perform. This included some great Linkin Park classics and newer songs that fans hadn’t had the chance to see performed live. Now, Shinoda and the crew are getting asked about the chance for new music. They haven’t confirmed it, but again they have made steps towards that process which begins with getting them all in the same room together and that is what happened when it came to putting things together for this Meteora box set releasing in April.

Back to the topic of a new Linkin Park song. It’s bittersweet, right? I ache for new Linkin Park music, but hearing Chester’s voice does hit me harder every time I hear it now, especially when it’s a new song with such powerful lyrics. Lyrics that are written with such care like in the new song “Lost”. The story Mike and Chester tell with their lyrics is very personal and it’s universally relatable. We’ve all felt pain, we’ve all dealt with anxiety, depression, sadness, loneliness, betrayal, paranoia. It’s all there in the songs. The songs aren’t meant to drive you to depression but to express that you’re not alone. You don’t have to go through it all by yourself. The sad story of Chester is that he appeared always so happy and fun when on stage, on camera or with his friends and family. He seemingly had found it all; Fame, fortune, success, a loving family, right? But depression is deep and no amount of money or fame can take it all away.

To many, Chester had one of the most powerful and beautiful voices in the history of modern music. Not only will his talent for singing be missed, but for relating to the masses with his words. He spoke the truth along with Mike Shinoda, writing about their lives and experiences. Take the music out of it and read some lyrics. There is pain there and we can all identify with that pain. The band was somehow able to imbue their music with these powerful feelings, instruments and led by Chester’s dynamic engine of a voice. As Mike Shinoda said, '“He was born to do this.”

So here we are. Die hard LP fans are getting a special treat with this release of fresh lyrics and music from what I feel to be one of the biggest bands of the century. From the second I heard Hybrid Theory, I made a choice to learn guitar and sing in a band. My roommate and I had dreams of what it would be like performing on the road. I have notebooks of songs and lyrics still with me to this day, writing while working various jobs in my life.

Fast forward to 2017. I never signed a record deal but I played a lot of shows with my best friends and it was a shining moment in my little life. It wasn’t until Chester passed that I realized I need help. That my depression isn’t something I’ll just pull myself out of like the generations before me would tell us to do. No, I needed to speak to someone and I did. I still talk to a professional and I am on some medicine, but I’m no longer as hopeless and alone as I had been at one time. I beg you, if you’re suffering, seek help. Talk to someone. There will always be someone there to listen and to help. Even if its a stranger like one of us through the Atomic Geekdom Twitter DM.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a United States-based suicide prevention network of over 200+ crisis centers that provides 24/7 service via a toll-free hotline with the number 9-8-8. It is available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

If you or someone you need may be feeling depressed, hopeless, lost, alone or any of these things, here’s some information on how you can find help. Please speak with someone.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support via phone or chat for people in distress, resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. Includes information on finding your local crisis center.

Phone: 988

Website: http://suicidepreventionlifeline.org

COUNT DOWN #29: T’Challa Learns A Hard 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. 

• T’Challa Learns A Hard Truth •

MOMENT# 29

MOVIE: Black Panther

DIRECTORS: Ryan Coogler

WRITERS: Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole

Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) and T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) in Black Panther.

Kingsman: The Secret Service (bear with me) is about a secret organization trying to stop a man from fixing the problem of global warming. That’s a really reductive way of looking at it, especially when you consider that Valentine was going to kill most of the people of the world with the exception of the rich and famous. But Valentine was looking to stop global warming and when he was defeated, all the rich and famous people who sided with him were killed and the Kingsman went on to have another adventure. So what’s the point of this? Well, Kingsman: The Secret Service isn’t interested in fixing the problem of global warming, it just wanted to give the villain a relatable motivation.

There’s an adage in storytelling that says “villains are the heroes in their own stories.” Very often, villains will be given motivations that allow audiences to sympathize with them. However, sometimes storytellers could go too far and create a villain that is undeniably right. The only way to make a villain like that evil is to make them do something that pushes them over the line. Often time’s it’s murder. Valentine was right, but his way of fixing the problem would have killed billions of people. Ra’s Al Ghul in Batman Begins was right, but he was going to destroy Gotham. Flagsmasher from Falcon and the Winter Soldier was right, but she blew up a hospital. Over and over again, there are examples of this trend happening in films and television shows. This is where Erik Killmonger comes in.

Killmonger was introduced in 2018's Black Panther. Played by Michael B. Jordan, the character was a Wakandan whose father was killed by King T’Chaka. He spent his entire life outside the walls (or forcefield) of Wakanda and saw what kind of injustices were happening around the world. He knew that Wakanda had the means to stop all of it, but their isolationist policies forbid them from interfering. Killmonger sought to take control of Wakanda, in part to avenge his father's death, but also to supply the oppressed peoples of the world the means to rise up and dethrone their oppressors. But if all Killmonger wants to do is help oppressed people from around the world, then why is he the villain? The simple answer is that he’s also a cold-blooded killer.

T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) in Black Panther.

How are Killmonger's motivations any different than Poppy (Kingsman: The Golden Circle’s villain), who just wants marijuana to be legal, or Valentine who just wants to stop global warming? To bring it to the same franchise, how is Killmonger any different than Flagsmasher who wanted to protect the multination communities that were created during the Blip? In truth, he’s not, but he has a greater impact than all those examples and many other examples across countless franchises. He positively impacts T’Challa and changes T’Challa’s worldview.

When T’Challa was crowned king, he reserved himself to keeping Wakanda to their isolationist ways, but when confronted with the sacrifices Wakanda has had to make in order to remain isolated, he knew things had to change. Killmonger is the representation of those sacrifices. He is the embodiment of the sins of the father coming back to haunt the son. Wakanda has sacrificed too much to remain the same for all these years and it’s time for them to step out of the shadows and help the world. Not with violence like Killmonger wanted, but with support like outreach programs and sharing of technologies. 

If it wasn’t for Killmonger, T’Challa may have allowed Wakanda to remain an isolationist nation. Killmonger may have been a villain, but he was right and T’Challa knew that he had to do something. He couldn’t just defeat Killmonger and call it a day like so many heroes before him. He had to see the problem that created Killmonger and work to fix it. The handling of Killmonger is a seminal moment in the MCU and film history. The character should be looked at as a template for creating villains who want to positively change the world. The hero shouldn’t just ignore what the villain was trying to accomplish, he should work towards the same goal but the right way and with less bloodshed. It’s often said that a hero is only as good as its villain and Killmonger is one hell of a villain.

A New Dawn For DC

By Brandon T. McClure

The new Co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn promised to tell audiences what his plans are for this new era of DC in January of 2023. True to his word, on the last day of January, Gunn revealed part of the first chapter of his and Peter Safran’s new plan. This new plan is separated into chapters with the first one titled “Gods and Monsters” and looks to revitalize the DC slate with a combination of prestige television shows, animated television shows, and of course big budget blockbuster films. This new first chapter for DC’s cinematic universe is the most ambitious one yet and potentially the most exciting.

To kick things off, James Gunn talked about the remaining DC films that are releasing in 2023. Gunn and Safran had inherited four films that are meant to release this year, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and finally Blue Beatle. These films can be considered a prelude to the upcoming chapter one but Gunn was clear that they do fit in with his new vision. The Flash was always meant to reboot the DC film franchise anyway. The actors from these movies are also likely to return, especially Momoa who Safran stated is working on Aquaman 3. Gunn also put to rest the rumors that Jason Momoa would be playing Lobo.

While many characters are being recast, many are not. Gunn made it clear that The Flash would not lead to a complete reboot. The door is open for the likes of Zachary Levi, Gal Gadot, and even Ezra Miller to return. In the case of Miller, the new heads of DC Studios are willing to keep conversations open with the actor while they go through their recovery. Miller became a very controversial figure lately, so it makes sense that they would be more cautious with them going forward.

The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Supergirl (Sasha Calle) in The Flash.

Then Gunn began to talk about what the initial projects of his first chapter are going to be. He started with a new animated series called Creature Commandos. This new animated series will be written by Gunn and will feature Amanda Waller creating a team of supernatural heroes which include Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein, Rick Flag Sr, Doctor Phosphorus, Weasel, and more. When it comes to the cast of this series, the hope is to cast actors who will be able to play the same characters in live-action. Marvel attempted the same thing with What If…? but had to settle for sound-a-likes for some parts. Gunn made it clear that the hope is that the actors will remain consistent through film, television, animation, and video games.

Film, TV, and animation connected is old hat at this point. While Marvel hasn’t committed to connecting their animated shows, including the upcoming Spider-Man: Freshman Year, they are slowly developing a multimedia franchise through theatrical and streaming distribution. Connecting video games is the big question mark here. When Insomniac was developing Spider-Man for the PlayStation 4, they were not required to make sure that it was the same Spider-Man that Tom Holland played. So the question of how much these video games will connect remain. It’s possible that the output of games that Gunn wants to connect to his new franchise would be separate from “Elseworlds” games. Because DC Studios is now controlling everything DC-related, video games would just be developed through their vision and not necessarily connected to their shared universe.

James Gunn mentioned that his goal for the new DC cinematic universe was to make sure that anything not a part of the same universe, is specifically labeled as an Elseworlds. Movie franchises like The Batman and Joker were explicitly mentioned, as well as Teen Titans Go. It’s interesting that he specifically felt that Teen Titans Go needed to be mentioned since it’s very unlikely audiences think the show takes place in the same world as Peacemaker. But with so many DC shows ending, such as Doom Patrol and the entire Arrowverse, perhaps there will be fewer shows developed that will take place outside of the new “aligned continuity” that James Gunn and Peter Safran are developing. 

While they may have inherited the Elseworlds films and shows, they seem to be willing to embrace them. This could attract filmmakers uninterested in being part of a shared universe and allow them to develop moves outside of “Gods and Monsters”. Gunn and Safran are already willing to have two different actors play Batman so who’s to say how far that will go. The sky is, potentially, the limit. The same is true for the relatively popular DC original animated films that WB has been putting out for over a decade. Unlike the previous regime, everything now falls under DC Studios. This includes shows and direct to BluRay animated movies. With Gunn and Safran overseeing everything in a way that Walter Hamada was not, only time will tell how long these films continue. They don’t make a lot of money for the company and it may not be worth it to keep them up after a while.

The rest of Gunn’s plan includes a new Superman film called Superman: Legacy, a series based on Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller called Waller, a horror film centered around Swamp Thing, and many more. These projects are already exciting, and when they are paired with a live-action Green Lantern TV series centered around John Stewart and Hal Jordan, titled Lanterns, and a movie based on Tom Kings Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow mini-series, it’s clear this is a line-up of projects developed by a long time fan of comic books. James Gunn clearly reads comic books and keeps up with them. His inclusion as the head of DC Studios is every comic book fan's dream. He has the power to read a comic book and immediately green-lights a movie based on that same comic. 

Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) in Suicide Squad.

The Brave and the Bold is another movie that was announced. This film will introduce the new Batman of this continuity. Robin has been absent from Batman adaptations since 1997’s Batman and Robin and it’s time to change that. This film will introduce Damian Wayne, the biological son of Batman and the current Robin in the comics. While that is certainly exciting for fans of Grant Morrison’s seminal run on Batman, Safran went on to say that this film will also introduce characters from the Bat-Family. Batman adaptations have kept him alone for decades and it’s wonderful that there will be a Batman film that will touch on the thing that has made his comic book counterpart so endearing, his family. It’s too early to say which of his family will turn up, but at this point, they’re all on the table.

Back in the early days of Marvel Studios, there was a story group that helped develop the franchise and doctor scripts. This story group was disbanded after the very public falling out that happened when Edgar Wright left Ant-Man. Similar to those old Marvel Studios days, Gunn and Safran brought on writers to help develop chapter one including Drew Goddard (The Martian), Jeremy Slater (Moon Knight), Christina Hobson (The Flash), Christal Henry (Watchmen 2019), and Tom King (Mister Miracle). Gunn indicated that some of these writers would continue working on projects, including Henry, who is co-showrunning Waller with Jeremy Carver, who was the creator behind the recently canceled Doom Patrol series.

Damian Wayne from Grant Morrison’s Batman (illustrated by Andy Kubert).

Something that was very important for Gunn and Safran to reiterate was that the goal of all these projects is to make sure that story comes first. Gunn called out other superhero films as not having third acts written by the time they’re shooting. A problem that many fans have picked up on through the years. In Gunn’s new regime, he vows to not let this be the case. It’s telling that only Superman: Legacy has a release date in this regard. Not committing to a release date, allows them to take their time and not put pressure on writers to finish the script in time to make a date that’s only two years away. Gunn was not pulling any punches during his interviews, clearly calling out Marvel when he made his story comments. 

Gunn might have ruffled some feathers, however. Not only did he throw thinly veiled comments towards Marvel, but also the previous regime. “As everyone here probably knows, the history of DC is pretty messed up, it was fucked up,” he said. While Walter Hamada made sure that the films he produced were the visions of the filmmakers, Gunn feels that DC was just handing out IP to anyone who would smile at them. He specifically mentions Birds of Prey and Black Adam but also his own The Suicide Squad. “No one was minding the mint, they were just giving away IP like they were party favors to any creators that smiled at them,” he said. Many of the films he’s referring to are well-liked and the filmmakers put a lot of effort into making them work, so it might not have been the smartest move to throw shade their way. This is especially apparent when referring to the canceled Batgirl film as something that would “hurt the DC brand.” While that’s a little hard to believe, perhaps it’s time to let the filmmakers, who worked hard on the movie, move on.

It’s unclear what kind of shows could be coming next from DC, but Gunn mentioned the Arrowverse as part of the “messed up” history of DC. Frankly, this was an unfair jab at a series of shows that created a beloved universe for many years. But with that coming to an end, and Superman & Lois only having one or two more seasons left (according to Gunn and Safran), there are not many DC shows left (Harley Quinn remains the lone survivor from the DC Universe days) Clearly, prestige TV shows are going to be very important to Chapter 1 going forward, but could we see more unrelated shows? Besides the Penguin series, it sounds like DC shows won’t be as frequent as they used to be. Perhaps it’s fitting the Arrowverse is ending, since it could mark the end of an era of DC television, the likes of which we might not see again. For every Pennyworth: The Origins of Batman’s Butler, there was a Doom Patrol, so it wasn’t all bad, after all, many of the Arrowverse stars are iconic. Time will tell when the next Elsworlds TV series will be, but the frequency will be drastically reduced.

Robotman (Brendan Fraser), Negative Man (MattBomer), Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero), Cyborg (Joivan Wade), Elasti-Girl (April Bowlby) and Chief (Timothy Dalton) in Doom Patrol.

Something that should be apparent at this point is that Gunn is taking all the lessons he learned from the Guardians of the Galaxy films and incorporating them on a bigger scale. Marvel, for all their success, remains somewhat controversial with some of their choices of creative talent. Not in the way that they’re bad or problematic, but their insistence to hire inexperienced writers to develop their shows and sometimes movies have begun to weigh on their fanbase. This looks to be something Gunn isn’t too keen to repeat. While the creative teams behind most of the projects have not been revealed, the creative talent for Waller indicates that Gunn is looking to hire experienced creatives and not first-time showrunners.

This desire is one of the ways he’s hoping to avoid superhero fatigue, which he believes to be a real thing. Recently, studios have been more interested in making release dates that are set before creative teams have been assembled. It’s something that Marvel has become pretty adept at, but Gunn, who is primarily a writer, wants to be sure that no movie will be made before a screenplay is finished. “I’ve seen it happen again and again — it’s a mess, it’s the primary reason for the deterioration in the quality of films today, versus 20-30 years ago,” he said referring to studios being more concerned with hitting release dates. Gunn and Safran believe that if more care was put into the writing process, then they can avoid superhero fatigue, or as Safran put it “bad movie fatigue.”

This “Gods and Monsters” lineup is a dream come true for comic book fans no doubt, but it’s also DC’s last shot. This will be the third time they have set up the pieces to build a shared universe and if this doesn’t work then it’ll be very difficult to convince the general audience to care. As it stands, DC Studios already has an uphill battle ahead of them. With each regime change, the hill gets higher. Gunn and Safran are clearly very passionate about this lineup of films and believe that this is going to be the winning formula. Time will tell if that’s true, but there are a lot of big promises being made that could very well prove to be empty.

Here’s a list of the titles:

Creature Commandoes

Waller

Superman: Legacy

Lanterns

The Authority

Paradise Lost

The Brave and the Bold

Booster Gold

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

Swamp Thing

NIC GAUGE / The Old Way

MOVIE: The Old Way

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Noah Le Gros, Clint Howard, Dean Armstrong, Kerry Knuppe, Shiloh Fernandez, Abraham Benrubi

RELEASE DATE: January 6th, 2023

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

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Cotton Briggs (Nicolas Cage) and Brooke (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) in The Old Way.

New year, new Cage! That’s how the saying goes, right? Anyway, sorry for the hiatus, but I am back with more Nicolas Cage goodness. Starting off with what I believe to be his first western ever that came out beginning of this year, The Old Way.

The plot of this film is Colton Briggs (played by Cage) was an outlaw and murderer. After killing the father of a young James McCallister, he unintentionally set in motion James’s revenge plot. 20 years later, James McCallister (played by Noah Le Gos) finds the home of reformed Colton Briggs, and murders his wife as a message. Briggs and his daughter, Brooke (played by Ryan Keira Armstrong) then set out to find James and his gang and take them down once and for all.

Cotton Briggs (Nicolas Cage) in The Old Way.

The plot is as simple as it can be. A revenge western that makes Briggs feel like a cowboy version of John Wick. Brooke’s character development throughout the film felt shoehorned and out of place for me personally. She is made out to be this unfeeling, emotionless child that is supposed to mirror her father. Sadly, it’s not very flushed out and was made to try to add more to this simple story. James McCallister also feels like a one-note villain, whose whole motivation is to take everything away from Briggs. It felt very old school, but not in a good way. You’ve seen this kind of plot over and over again. With a run time of 1 hour and 35 minutes, I know they were just trying to finish the story. You can already see the writing on the wall on how it will play out.

Overall, for a western, it’s fine. Cage does a decent job. But because of how simple it is as a whole, this film sits at the lower end of OK on the Nic Gauge.