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The Fishing Hole: Aquaman and the Next Superman

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Welcome to the Fishing Hole, the ScreenFish Staff’s daily roundup of late breaking cinema/TV/pop culture news. Here’s what we’re talking about today . . .

Chris U.: $105 million for Aquaman as of Christmas Day. Momoa stays. Wonder if WB/DC will flip Justice League 2 on its head by making Momoa and Gadot the leads. Frankly, I’d use JL2 to introduce the new Batman and Superman.

Arnaldo R.: Or, scrap JL altogether and continue developing these characters solo and not force it like they have been. (GIF of Hannibal Lecter saying, “All good things come to those who wait.”)

Chris: “But…but…Marvel is pwning us! We have to respond!!!”

Arnaldo: (GIF of a ship sailing away with the caption, “Ship has sailed!”) LOL

Chris: Seriously, I’m all for it. Especially if they can erase BvS. I heard Flashpoint is supposed to handle that.

Arnaldo: I think that’s why it’s important to narrow the focus. These two work, focus on them for a while and slowly build. Plan for Marvel fatigue rather than speeding to catch it.

Chris: I DO need a proper Superman to ditch Routh’s stalkerness and Cavill’s moodiness.

Arnaldo: (thumbs-up)

Chris: Reeve was a friggin Boy Scout. Give us THAT! None of this whiny conflicted hero crap.

Steve N.: (GIF of Russell from “Up” waving) That’s who you want as Superman.

Chris: Supes need to confidently stop a nuke, save kids from a burning bus and save a cat! And SMILE the whole damn time. (GIF of a smile) And THAT will set you up for a proper Bats conflict: The Boy Scout vs The Rich Kid Rebel.

Steve: Bah. So simplistic. Dark Knight Returns (animated) did it great, without the simplicity.

Chris: Supes propensity to keep the law V Bats propensity to bend and break it.

Arnaldo: Supes doesn’t need to smile all the time. Making him more “human” is fine. He just doesn’t need to be “Batman.”

Chris: Simplistic. Bah that!

Steve: Bah.

Chris: All of y’all and your moody *** heroes. Sucking all the fun out of cinema. Which is why they hated on Aquadude. It had the utter audacity to be…FUN!

Steve: LOL. Superheroes reflect the voice of the nation. Supes is a Christ figure but that doesn’t mean grinning all the time.

Arnaldo: Moody isn’t about it for me. I want an in between. I don’t want someone rehashing Christopher Reeves or trying to be like him.

Chris: But you need his charm and charisma.

Steve: I agree with charm, yes. Cavill can do it. But he needs a script.

Arnaldo: Think Chris Evans Cap. Not an exact copy but basically that’s what Supes needs to be in DCEU.

Chris: I just don’t want the BS “I don’t wanna be a hero; the people hate me” crap. 100%, Arnaldo! Heck..CAP’s a dang Boy Scout. Went Rogue for his bestie. Would love to see Supes go rogue for Lois like Superman 2.

Arnaldo: That’s what Supes needs to be. Strong willed, but “clean.”

Chris: And not afraid of who he is. Snyder’s downfall was in Pa Kent shaming Clark for who he was. Suppressing it out of the fear of man’s reaction. Opposite of Glenn Ford. My son’s a natural at the trombone. I spent the entire Fall trying to get the kid to EMBRACE that. He was ashamed.

He eventually embraced it and got promoted to the highest level band in middle school. Supes 4.0 needs Pa Kent embracing his gift. So when it’s time to save the day, he does it with no shame.

Steve: I agree with the Cap analogy. But he’s realistic at heart. Pure at heart but bears the weight of the world. Reeves wasn’t like that. Cavill could go there with a good script.

Join the conversation! Agree or disagree with our band of ScreenFishers? Ready to challenge their POV? Feel free to share in the comments!

The Fishing Hole: Aquaman, Spidey, and Justice League

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Welcome to the Fishing Hole, the ScreenFish Staff’s daily roundup of late breaking cinema/TV/pop culture news.  Here’s what we’re talking about today . . .

Arnaldo R.: Soooo, I know we don’t put much stock in Rotten Tomatoes, but Bumblebee is 94%, Aquabro 68%, Poppins 77%.

Steve N.: I’m shocked that Poppins is so low considering the Top 10 lists it’s on.

Chris U.: Film criticism is about to take a turn. The disconnect between writer/audience is growing deeper with every release. Critics had us prepped for a horrifying experience w/Venom. $200 million U.S. So go figure.

Jacob S.: Venom was terrible. Just because people went to see it doesn’t mean it was any good. The critics were right.

Chris: Will Sony believe you? Or that $200 million they’re still counting? THAT’s the point.
(PS – Venom was GREAT!)

Arnaldo: I have not seen Venom…so can’t say on film itself.

Jacob: IMO it was so bad I couldn’t finish it. So, for perspective, what made it great for you? I reserve great for … much more than what I saw, so I’m curious.

Alan S: So are we really influencers?

Arnaldo: As for Sony, it depends what they internally thought it would make vs what it made.

Chris: We used to be [influencers]. Millennials are making up their own minds about such things.

Arnaldo: It’s kind of the Justice League viewpoint….did it make money…yes. should it based on characters and genre made more….also yes.

Jacob: Based on the amount of money that publicists are paying for even small options like us to go to film, talk to talent, and get review copy, the studios still think we are.

Chris: Justice League made over $200 million too.

Jacob: So will Aquaman.

Chris: But it’s recognized as a major disappointment when you consider the comps.

Arnaldo: But it should have way more is my point. And it made less than the studio hoped it would.

Jacob: I’m going to go see it, regardless of what critics say, and even though I think it looks terrible.

Chris: This was DC’s answer to Avengers. And in that regard, they took a FAT L

Jacob: But Venom – to this fanboy – couldn’t compete even though I like Hardy, because that was a story devoid of Spiderman … which is dumb.

Arnaldo: There aren’t that many villains that can carry a standalone film without their rival. Again, I haven’t seen Venom so just speaking hot air. LOL Once Venom is available to rent on Amazon I’ll watch it

Jacob: I’m reading Miles Morales comics because Spiderverse was so good. If I had gone from the movie to the comic and Morales was a white rich woman, I would’ve been frustrated.

Chris: Jacob just explained it.

Jacob: Works the same way being a fan of the comic and going to see a film that doesn’t actually carry its water.

Arnaldo: I’ve been a fan of Miles since he was released

Jacob: Sure, Harry Potter movies made a lot of money – but they’re not as good as the books

Chris: The stuff we are fans of we judge more harshly

Jacob: I had gotten to the point where I was over Spidey. Needed a new twist. Miles does that.

Arnaldo: (agrees)

Chris: About Aquadude

Jacob: Given that I follow sci-fi, comics, crime fiction, thriller fiction, tv, etc., everything that doesn’t measure up gets blasted. 🙂

Chris: He doesn’t come with high fanboy pressure to nail it

Arnaldo: I have plans to see Spidey, and an idea of an article after I see it, but I have to see it first or my article doesn’t work.

Jacob: The world didn’t need another white action figure, so I get Momoa. But they’re going to have to nail it or the underwater stuff is going to look like it was shot by us with a GoPro.

Chris: I think it’ll be fine.

Jacob: At this point, DC can’t settle for “fine”

Chris: They already have. Aquaman and WW is all they’re rolling with

Arnaldo: Aquaman has fanboys believe it or not

Chris: Supes is getting course corrected

Arnaldo: Aquabro I’m not sure of

Chris: Batty is getting course corrected. Justice League 2 is off the table for now

Jacob: I own a fair share of Aquaman comics

Arnaldo: They have to blow the Fanboys away for him to accepted, which is sad

Chris: They’re folded on the current JL path

Jacob: I was a swimmer through college… appreciate the swimming aspect

Chris: Back on their “see what sticks” hustle . . . Gal and Momoa are the only things sticking

Jacob: Momoa has carried a bunch of stuff Chris will never see . . . so they’re willing to take a risk.

Chris: Jacob . . . You know they fired Cavil from Supes, right?

Jacob: Fine with me

Arnaldo: WB is throwing darts hoping to hit bullseye or at least get close.

Chris: I know Momoa, dude.

Jacob: I didn’t mind him as much as Affleck. I meant he has all those Netflix shows

Arnaldo: You don’t green light that many different joker movies if you had an actual clue

Jacob: Small screen < big screen

Chris: Case closed. Thanks, Arnaldo. Multiple Joker movies . . . Birds of Prey BEFORE Suicide Squad sequel . . . “Throw it at the wall all over again”

Jacob: #noclue

Chris: Whatever sticks graduates to JL 2.0. Whatever doesn’t will get axed like Affleck and Cavil.

Arnaldo: I’m as tired of the Marvel comparison as the DC Fanboys are but…Marvel made a talking raccoon work. DC couldn’t make Batman and Superman work.

Chris: Because they planned for it 6 years before we saw it. Feige wouldn’t have done it if he wasn’t convinced it would work. Key word: PLANNING. What, again, IS the DC plan?

Arnaldo: Who knows. Same can be asked about Sony. Are they going to stick to Spidey villains without Spidey?

Chris: 1. Pray Aquaude eeks out $250 mil
2. Hope R-rated Birds Of Prey works
3. Keep Flash on hold while we wait for JK Rowling to finish the last 2 chapters of Fantastic Beasts
4. Hope they can eke out another $100 million or so off Shazam
Did I miss anything?

Jacob: If Venom had been R-rated, I might’ve bought in.

Chris: As far as Sony, I think they’re waiting for Endgame to play out first. If Disney doesn’t lock in Spidey for another team up, he’ll be a free agent to appear in their flicks.

Jacob: Most of the Netflix Marvel stuff is better than the DC feature

Chris: It was. Reshoots. Sony chickened out at the thought of an R rated movie connected to Spidey and ordered reshoots to tone Venom down. But everyone knows, including the lying director, that R was the original plan.

Jacob: Homecoming was darker than Venom.

Arnaldo: Sony knows what Marvel’s plans are for Spidey. They don’t sign that deal without being allowed to know some small details.

Chris: Hmmmmm

Arnaldo: AKA Marvel keeps him and Sony doesn’t

Chris: That’s breaking the law. Sony owns the rights which is why Venom is here. To keep the rights spinning. If Sony abandons Spideyverse movies for a certain period of time, rights roll back. That’s why we have the Silver and Black plan. The Mobius plan.

Arnaldo: You misunderstood. I’m not talking who owns the rights. I’m saying that Sony while still holding some/most of the rights basically conceded live action Spidey to Marvel.

Chris: Not the rights. I explained it years ago.

Arnaldo: They allow Marvel to use Spidey, aka they gave the keys to the car away while still holding the title. Sony is race car owner basically. Marvel is the driver. Sony has no plans to get behind the wheel as long as Marvel continues to kill it at the box office. Sony is happy to sit back and count the money.

Chris: So why make Venom, Mobius, Into The Spiderverse if they can just sit back and eat off of Marvel?

Arnaldo: Because they want their cake and eat it too, and Marvel has no plans with those characters.

Chris: All I’m saying . . . Don’t be shocked at Tom Holland cameos after Endgame.

Arnaldo: Yet his next Solo film is after Endgame…😏 If you mean in Morbius and Venom type of films….maybe but I highly doubt it. Feige isn’t going to let Sony control part of the MCU. Sony already set it up with Miles.

Chris: It’s coming.

Arnaldo: Different universes.

Chris: Miles is animated. This is live action. We will see how it all turns out. GO AQUADUDE!

Join the conversation!  Agree or disagree with our band of ScreenFishers?  Ready to challenge their POV?  Feel free to share in the comments!

The Fishing Hole: A Heartbreaking Avengers: Endgame Poster

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Welcome to the Fishing Hole, the ScreenFish Staff’s daily roundup of late breaking cinema/TV/pop culture news.  Here’s what we’re talking about today . . .

Arnaldo R. – Can a picture be any more heartbreaking?

(Cue Avengers poster)

Jacob S. – What is that?

Steve N. – Endgame Poster

AR: Avengers Endgame poster by Boss Logic

Looks like Hawkeye’s farm

So safe to say/assume….Hawkeyes family turned to dust

SN: I give them full credit for creating a cultural zeitgeist with that final battle. (Not sure if everyone in here has seen it yet.)

Heather J. – That is heart wrenching.

SN: (thumbs up)

Chris U. – Oh…my…****

That poster broke me

AR: Yup

SN: I’m so heartless, I laughed

LOL

I man it’s a beautifully sad poster. And the moment is poignant.

But we all know they’re coming back

CU: We don’t know HOW

AR: We all know Jesus is coming back and rejoice in it…. his death still is heartbreaking

SN: Agree

CU: And messing with us in our grief and suspense like this is brilliantly and horrible at the same time

@AR – For the win

SN: Oh yeah it’s great marketing

AR: (Pitch perfect “BOOM” GIF)

SN: Bah. You Jesus   it

HJ: Y’all.

SN: He already resurrected

HJ: And he did it so well

SN: He isn’t dead

JS: It’s a poster.  I’m wife @SN

AR: (Moana “Huh?” GIF)

JS: I own most of the graphic novel events from the last twenty years. With the exception of Old Man Logan, they all come back.

CU: AR’s Jesus analogy was better than your BvS one

JS: Cap, Batman, Superman.

ha! Jesus is Superman. But whatever.

Now when Arnaldo shares that on the site or on FB, I’ll be impressed

SN: Two things:

CU: Uh oh

HJ: Dun dun duuuuun

SN: 1) Though the film is infinitely better (pun intended), you can’t even compare the reckoning to Supes’ death for theology. Lol

2) and this is really just a question, tbh

JS: (technically it’s a sentence or sentence fragment but go ahead)

AR: Who compared Supes weak death tho?

SN: Arnaldo, you said it was better than my BvS analogy. That was my BvS analogy. Lol

AR: I did not say that…Chris did lol

JS: Actually, Christopher said that.

CU: I SAID Arnaldo’s comment was better

SN: Haha okay. I stand corrected

AR: I simply pointed out that although we know they come back, the impact of the loss is still heartbreaking…. similar to how we feel about Christ’s death even tho he rose from the grave

 

Join the conversation!  Agree or disagree with our band of ScreenFishers?  Ready to challenge their POV?  Feel free to share in the comments!

House with a Clock on its Walls Release Announced

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The magic returns!

Enjoy the delightfully thrilling tale of a mysterious house where things, including the inhabitants, are not what they seem to be. The House With a Clock in its Walls arrives on Digital on November 27, 2018, as well as on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on December 18, 2018. Based on the classic children’s book and praised as “creaky, freaky haunted-mansion fun” (LA Times), The House With a Clock in its Walls features over 60 minutes of bonus content including an alternate beginning and ending, stunning featurettes, deleted scenes, a hilarious gag reel, and feature commentary. Enchanting from start to finish, it’s the perfect adventure for families during the holidays.

Full of wonder and adventure, The House With a Clock in its Walls mesmerizes audiences of all ages and keeps the magic alive when stars Jack Black (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Kung Fu Panda), Cate Blanchett (Ocean’s 8, Thor: Ragnarok) and Owen Vaccaro (Daddy’s Home, Mother’s Day) arrive as Uncle Jonathan, Mrs. Zimmerman and Lewis Barnavelt. In the most unexpected places, fantastical events, miraculous twists and suspense filled moments ensue in this “zany kids adventure” (The Hollywood Reporter) that soon captivates adults as well. In the tradition of Amblin classics, master frightener and director Eli Roth’s The House With a Clock in its Walls is a family-friendly fantasy film that “stands alongside the ‘just for kids’ classics of the 1980’s and 1990’s” (Forbes).

In The House With a Clock in its Walls directed by Eli Roth (The Green Inferno, Cabin Fever), Lewis Barnavelt (Vaccaro) goes to live with his Uncle Jonathan (Black) in a creaky and creepy mansion with an eerie tick-tocking heart. But when Lewis soon finds out he’s in the presence of magic practiced by his uncle and neighbor Mrs. Zimmerman (Blanchett), his new town’s dreary aura boosts to life in an exciting and dangerous way. Based on the beloved children’s classic book written by John Bellairs and illustrated by Edward Gorey, The House With a Clock in its Walls is written by Eric Kripke (creator of TV’s “Supernatural”) and co-stars Kyle MacLachlan (“Twin Peaks,” Inside Out), Colleen Camp (Clue), Renée Elise Goldsberry (“One Life to Live”), and Sunny Suljic (Mid90s, The Killing of a Sacred Deer). It is produced by Mythology Entertainment’s Brad Fischer (Shutter Island) and James Vanderbilt (Zodiac), as well as Kripke.

BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVE TO BLU-RAY™, DVD & DIGITAL:
  • Warlocks and Witches – Go behind the scenes with the enchanting cast of The House with a Clock in Its Walls
    • Finding Lewis – A look at the casting of Owen Vaccaro
    • Jack’s Magical Journey – A look at the unique dynamism and magic that Jack Black brings to the character of Jonathan Barnavelt
    • The Great Cate – The cast discuss Cate Blanchett’s wonderful performance as Florence Zimmerman
    • The Terrifying Isaac Izard – Watch Kyle MacLachlan’s creepy evolution from living icon to undead-warlock
  • Movie Magic
    • The Ultimate Haunted House – Join filmmakers for a guided tour through the incredible house at the center of the film
    • Automatons Attack – A behind-the-scenes look at the mechanical horrors involved in this chilling sequence
    • Pumpkin Puke – Behind the scenes with the cast and an army of spooky, snarling, vomiting pumpkins
    • Moving Pieces – Filmmakers and cast discuss the amazing clock room set
      • Baby Jack – A behind-the-scenes look at the creepy Baby Jack sequence
  • Tick Tock: Bringing the Book to Life – Filmmakers discuss how they adapted the book for the big screen
  • Eli Roth: Director’s Journals – Director Eli Roth takes viewers behind the scenes
    • Candler Mansion
    • Newnan, GA
    • The Chair
    • Comrade Ivan
    • New Zebedee Elementary
    • Wrap Day
  • Owen Goes Behind the Scenes – Armed with his own camera, Owen guides viewers on his own journey behind-the-scenes of the movie
    • Around the Set
    • Behind the Camera
    • The Big Interview
    • Downtime on Set
  • Theme Song Challenge – Eli Roth and the cast are challenged to come up with a theme song for the film
  • Do You Know Jack Black? – The cast compete with each other to see who knows Jack Black the best
  • Abracadabra! – Eli Roth performs a magic trick for Owen Vaccaro
  • Jack Black’s Greatest Fear – Eli Roth and Owen Vaccaro play a prank on Jack Black
  • The Mighty Wurlitzer – Composer Nathan Barr discusses how he created the film’s unique and distinct score
BONUS FEATURES ON 4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAY™ DVD & DIGITAL:
  • Alternate Opening and Ending with Commentary by Director Eli Roth and Actor Jack Black available
    • Alternate Opening
    • Alternate Ending
  • Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Director Eli Roth and Actor Jack Black available
    • More Books, Please
    • A Horrible Practical Joke
    • Tarby Ditches Lewis
    • Eat Up
    • Play for Him
    • Get Out of the Way
    • Time Is of the Essence
    • The Clock That Never Breaks
    • 12 Minutes to Go
  • Gag Reel
  • Feature Commentary with Director Eli Roth and Actor Jack Black
The film will be available on 4K Ultra HD in a combo pack which includes 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray™, Blu-ray™ and Digital. The 4K Ultra HD disc will include the same bonus features as the Blu-ray™ version, all in stunning 4K resolution.

Destination Wedding: New One Sheet Released!

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Destination Wedding reunites two of Hollywood’s most adored stars, Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder, as the socially awkward Frank and Lindsay. When they meet on their way to a destination wedding, they soon discover they have a lot in common: they both hate the bride, the groom, the wedding, themselves, and most especially each other. As the weekend’s events continually force them together – and their cheerlessness immediately isolates them from the other guests – Frank and Lindsay find that if you verbally spar with someone long enough, anything can happen. When debate gives way to desire they must decide which is stronger: their hearts or their common sense.

With the release of their new one-sheet, Destination Wedding begins to officially ramp up their promotion of the film in anticipation of their late August release. Here, the art wisely focuses its attention on the connection (or tension) between its two stars, Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder. There’s a playful space between the iconic actors as the two leads share eye contact yet, at the same time, we see the distance between them in the form of the wine country.

Featured between them, the film’s tag line ‘check your baggage’ draws attention to their journey and potential issues along the way. More importantly, however, the phrase offers indication that their relationship brings their personal histories as well. Often, as we build relationships with others (romantic or otherwise), we fall prey to the damage that we have experienced in the past in ways that prevent us from connecting with others in the future.

In other words, it is our hurt keeps us divided.

The manner in which we deal with our past, whether through forgiveness of others or ourselves, often is a predictor of what we allow ourselves to experience moving forward. In this brief example, Reeves and Ryder have an undeniable connection–but will they be able to overcome their histories?

 

Destination Wedding will be released on August 31st, 2018.