Happy New Year Bingerinos! Yeah, I just made that word up, but it’s a new year and I think it’s time for some new words! Surely, we’re all probably tired of hearing about Star Wars, and if you aren’t then you’re going to have to find more about it elsewhere. After getting through Star Wars canon comics, I am now ready to move on to canonical fiction, but I don’t often review those here. So, what this does leave us with are some new comics that I got my hands on in this new year, though they may be from 2015! Some were some great surprises to read, and a couple of them were not so great. I’ve challenged myself to read 365 books this year, which is significantly less than I’ve read in years past. I’m currently in my last week as a librarian, so the book flow is going to slow down, but I’ll be sure to keep up for all of you so that I can continue to deliver on the Comic Binge! I finished this past year with 612 books read, which is absolutely insane, but I probably wouldn’t have done it without the help of of Binging! So without any further ado, let’s take a look at some of my first reads so far in 2016.
Grant Morrison is someone who I will follow through any literary journey, whether it be comic books, fiction, or an interview. Anything the man touches is instantly bound to be a cult classic or something like you’ve never seen or heard before. Truly, he’s a genius when it comes to storytelling, and I think it’s on us when we don’t understand the concepts that he’s trying to grasp for. He’s truly ahead of his time, and I have no doubt that a lot of his stories will gain much appreciation in the future, especially those that seem to make little sense now. Annihilator is his latest independent effort outside of the world of title comics and superheroes and such. I’ve been dying to read this, and it really did not disappoint. The first thing that I have to mention is the artwork, which is absolutely stunning. Frazer Irving has worked with Morrison before, the only title that I’ve read being Batman Incorporated, but it seems that their visions align very well. This book was drop dead gorgeous, and every page had me absolutely invested. What Grant Morrison starts here is a story of an eccentric writer, who lives an exceedingly extravagant life. This writer has seemingly become desensitized to the world around him, yet somehow still draws from it to create the next big story. As he hits a strange case of writer’s block, he discovers an information void within his brain that has his days numbered. As new characters emerge and others shift and change around, everything you begin to know, becomes no more. This book was crazy, to say the least. I was trapped somewhere between confused and blissfully delighted by the time the book was over. The art is totally captivating, and Morrison weaves a tale like none other in the comics world. If you’re familiar with Grant Morrison, and like to give his stuff a go, I say it’s totally worth the time. If you’re looking for a simple read, this one will not be for you, but I’d be damned if I didn’t tell you to at least flip through the freaking thing. This book was an outstanding read for the beginning of the year, and as usual I’ll continue to keep my eye out for more original work from this brilliant madman.
Ms. Marvel is certainly a book not missing out on praise for featuring a strong, female main character, on top of being a minority figure as well. I give all credit where credit is due on this, because this title is absolutely refreshing to see, especially in the Marvel universe where this kind of diversity seems to be majorly lacking. We all know I couldn’t stand young reboots of Young Avengers and such with gay characters and whatnot, not because of their life choices, but the writers’ inability to bring these characters to life and have meaning. What Ms. Marvel does right is create a character that we can have sympathy for in her dark times, but also belief that she is truly super-powered and will make it through whatever challenge arises next. After this third volume, I had little hope that the magic of the first two volumes was going to resurrect itself. While this didn’t entirely happen in the fourth volume titled Last Days, it brought back some of what made the title so great in the first place. The book is very reminiscent to me of a good Spider-Man tale. When he’s faced with more than just a super villain. When problems are no more than your family not believing in the human being side of you, and when love seems all too scary and far away from making any sense. Kamala Khan is an extraordinary young woman who takes it upon herself to become greater than anyone believes she can be, and sometimes that anyone can include her. She gets a visit from her “predecessor” in this book, whom she spends a lot of time with and tries to gain some clarity from. This also leads Carol Danvers to learn a bit from her, and we see Kamala deal with fallout of impending doom. Her family is in danger, and she’s in danger of her family. Her growth as a character to this point, and her strong ties to her family make her an easily accessible character for any reader, and this is what I enjoy most about Ms. Marvel. What this book could have used was a better villain than an evil ex-boyfriend, and maybe a little more peril than her brother’s kidnapping because with her strong family, it was hard to believe he was ever in danger of being taken away. Without these things in the background, it makes the foreground seem a little less appealing, however well-written and easily inspiring it can be. Otherwise, this title has seen a brief resurgence and we’ll see if Kamala returns elsewhere and sticks around after this impending event.
Last night I took a crack at New Suicide Squad‘s first volume Pure Insanity, which is a reboot title and abandons what was made well-known in the long-running New 52 series. The title in my opinion is also severely misleading. What I had expected to see in this book was sort of a set-up using the characters that will be featured in the upcoming film. This is not at all what this book is, so don’t pick it up expecting similar things. It’s merely a reboot, featuring some of the traditional characters and some new faces, and even some new faces with old faces. Harley Quinn is obviously heavily used, but has been now pitted against Joker’s Daughter. Joker’s Daughter is known to have found Joker’s face from the New 52 story arcs, and now wears his face around because she sees him and part of herself. Obviously, Quinn does not take to this well, and it results is several great cat fights between the two. Unfortunately, this is probably the best part of the book, and otherwise we have villains like Deadshot, Black Manta, and the returning Amanda Waller. What struck me most about this book was the heavy use and story-telling for the character of Amanda Waller. Not only was Waller featured as much, if not more than the Suicide Squad crew itself, there was a much heavier focus on her stories and surrounding characters. I think the last thing that people read Suicide Squad for is Amanda Waller and a bunch of desk jockeys in suits working against her. I surely didn’t read Suicide Squad for this, and I don’t think people care all too much about who she is and who’s playing her in the new film. Some fans may like the character, but overall people are reading this book for Harley Quinn and other villains. I was pretty disappointed in this book, with my expectations let down, and lack of a real good story here it was a hard book to get into. There was some good action and a humorous moment or too that make up for what the title lacks, but I’m definitely not in any hurry to continue with this one. Bring on the film reboot version… ASAP.
A year ago I did something bold. Something daring. Possibly something alcohol influenced. Instead of doing the typical “top 10” of the year, I decided to review EVERYTHING from 2015 all in one article. It took some time and ultimately was my way of summing up how I felt about the year. While it’s impossible to see absolutely everything by the end of the year (despite the recent alleged availability of certain films) I did my best, these past few weeks especially, to see the stuff that people this year went gaga over. What did I find? Overall, a pretty average year in movies. This was a year filled with filmmakers trying to tickle our nostalgia funny-bone over and over again, with only a few real good hits. We’re finally nearing the over-saturation of the superhero film and some of the year’s best movies went virtually unnoticed. Here goes nuthin’.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – N/A
I’m getting this one out of the way right now because Star Wars: The Force Awakens comes with a ton of baggage. Look, the original trilogy occupies a really special place in my mind. I describe it like this: the OT goes on a shelf away from all other films because of how those movies made me feel when I was a kid. I don’t really like to rate those movies the way I rate other films because they mean so much to me. As such, I could nitpick TFA to death (as I could also do to Jedi) but the hits are far greater than the misses. The most important element was nailed, which was making the flick better than the prequels. For that alone the movie is a triumph in my book and, as such, TFA deserves to be put right next to the original trilogy as a movie that makes me feel like a kid again, and really what else did I want from it?
It Follows – 4/10
If I were to give out an award for “Film I Most Wanted To Love” I would give it to It Follows. The story of a spirit/ghost/specter that follows you no matter what you do, transferred via sexual intercourse, is a decent concept for an 80’s throwback horror-thriller. The problem here is that the movie doesn’t have much beyond the initial concept and peters out quick. The ending especially is so incredibly stupid that I have serious issues with the logic of the writer. A decent time but nothing that I can recommend.
Crimson Peak – 6/10
When it comes to Guillermo Del Toro I find myself in the minority. I actually think Hellboy: The Golden Army is FAR AND AWAY his best film. I enjoy the rest of his filmography but the meticulous care and love for the material is on display with TGA. Here, we have another fantastic looking Del Toro film that, as soon as you start to peel back the layers, has very little to do with any sort of supernatural elements. As a throwback to the hammer horror days, Crimson Peak is pitch-perfect, but like the Hammer horror films it’s all style and little substance. I didn’t care much for the main story and hoped there was more to the mystery of what was going on than what we were given. Far from an awful film, especially on a technical level, but left me wanting a lot more.
Jurassic World – 6/10
Possibly the most hated film on Binge Media, Jurassic World, rightfully, was dethroned by TFA as the highest grossing film, highest grossing opening weekend and blah blah blah. Jurassic World was ultimately a nice retread of the themes present in the first two Park films but without basic movie logic applied. Bryce Dallas Howard gave the worst performance of the year and the trained raptors are still a tough pill to swallow, but in my opinion as simple popcorn fun the movie was fine. I think a lot of the backlash on this movie is because it wasn’t particularly well made, and I get that, but I think if you take a movie like this and put it up against a lot of the other shit coming out (i.e. Battleship, Transformers, etc.) I’d rather see young people buying tickets to a Park film than those other franchises.
Dope – 6/10
Someone once said that one of the most important functions of a film is being relatable to the viewer. As such, Dope is a tough movie for me because I don’t really see myself in any of the characters. I think this has less to do with the physical differences between us and more to do with the circumstances these characters find themselves in. Comedy is a tough thing to nail, and if the slightest thing isn’t working with it, typically, the jokes fall flat. I didn’t find much funny about Dope, but I did appreciate the social commentary the movie provides. One of the more unique movies of the year for certain, but one that I couldn’t quite grasp.
Ted 2 – 7/10
I make no reservations about the fact that I loved Ted. Yes, I’m in the target demographic for it (Baaahston sports fan, Rhode Island pride ala Seth MacFarlane) but I really found the first Ted to have a handful of great one-liners. Ted 2 was a movie that I loved just as much as the first. From the throwaway gags like referencing Jurassic Park while looking at a field of weed to the glorious Tom Brady cameo (and it is glorious) Ted 2 is a pretty fantastic comedy in a year largely devoid of good ones.
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation – 7/10
M:I 5 was ok. That’s about all I have to say about it. What the filmmakers did was, essentially, take the blueprint of what worked for Ghost Protocol and did all the same things, including the lackluster villain. I will watch Ethan Hunt until they decide to stop putting him on the screen but I do have one big issue with this film. So much fanfare was made about the fact that Tom Cruise latched onto a plane while it took off for a stunt in this film. While the stunt was ok in terms of what Cruise physically did for the role the scene pales in comparison to the brilliantly shot Burj Khalifa sequence in Ghost Protocol. The Khalifa climb was integral to what was happening in the story, while here in Rogue Nation the plane scene was mostly a throwaway cold-open joke, and I didn’t like that. It seemed like sensationalism for its own sake rather than the story, and the rest of the movie didn’t really match that scene’s level of spectacle, for me. Here’s hoping the next one FINALLY has a villain worth watching.
The End of the Tour – 7/10
I feel like this type of movie comes out every year, but when it is well made it tends to be one of the year’s best. The interview of David Foster Wallace by Dave Lipsky is, much like the book Infinite Jest itself, a famous moment in hipster culture. Jest is the book that everybody owned but few actually read, and the Rolling Stone interview is the stuff of pop culture legend becuase of the fact that it was never published. The movie does a great job humanizing both writers, with Lipsky’s sheer awe and jealousy of Wallace’s success and easygoing nature conflicting with Wallace’s own confusion and misunderstanding of himself. This isn’t a great film, but it’s an interesting movie for certain.
Mississippi Grind – 7/10
If you like Ben Mendelsohn or Ryan Reynolds then Mississippi Grind is your kind of movie. A through and through character study, the loose story at play concerns Mendelsohn needing to come up with a sum of money. Reynolds, a fellow gambler, decides to partner with Mendelsohn and travel to a bunch of backroom parlors up and down the coast winning the money they need. This is the kind of movie that asks nothing of the viewer and delivers some quality entertainment, just don’t expect the themes to be more challenging than “Gambling is tough”.
Misery Loves Comedy – 7/10
Solid documentary about the nature of depression in comedians lives and how strife informs humor. This is one of those docs that includes talking heads from all across the board such as Jemaine Clement, Nick Swardson, Jon Favreau, Kevin Smith, Martin Short and many others. Directed by Kevin Pollak, it’s easy to look at this documentary and criticize it for being one-note, but as a collection of thoughts from many different comedians it’s a pretty rousing success.
Furious 7 – 7/10
A blast of a movie to kick off the summer, Furious 7 had to stick the landing for Paul Walker’s sake. While a decent action flick, it’s actually even more interesting to watch the film and try to spot where they had to use a CGI Paul Walker throughout the film. Despite that, you get a lot of great moments, including The Rock who is arguably the most entertaining movie star working today. The formula, however, is starting to wear thin, and it’s time to shake up this franchise again before the format gets stale.
Avengers: Age of Ultron – 7/10
AoU was supposed to be the next big thing from Marvel but it proved to be too simplistic and sequel-baitey for its own good. The character development for characters like Hawkeye and The Vision was ok (Paul Bettany’s my boy, goin way back) but most of the film suffered from trying to spin too many plates. It’s also kind of upsetting that for the second film in a row they can’t quite figure out how to integrate Thor in a meaningful way, so they just take him out of the plot for a while until the script needs him again. I found Ultron to be less of a menace than the trailers made him out to be, which was also a let-down.
The Wolfpack – 7/10
A fascinating slice of life encumbered by some boring filmmaking, The Wolfpack is one of the stranger documentaries you’re likely to see. The story of the Angulo boys’ “captivity” in a New York apartment is strange but made all the more strange when their warden/father explains his reasoning for keeping them inside for their entire lives. I found the boys to be especially creative in making their version of The Dark Knight batsuit out of cardboard and sponges. A good documentary that could have used a more innovative filmmaker to keep it interesting.
The Gift – 7/10
This is one of those rare cases where I didn’t find anything in The Gift that wasn’t done well but the film just sort of stalled out for me. I think it has more to do with the fact that this type of story has been told to death and that the movie is no more than a glossed-up Twilight Zone episode, but that being said it works really well. Edgerton proved, more than anything else, that his talents as a director may actually exceed his acting skills, and I look forward to his next picture.
Black Mass – 7/10
I’ll stand by the fact that this is still the performance of the year. Depp is back in a big way, it’s just a shame that the movie around him isn’t a better one. Black Mass is a good film, but nowhere near as good as the source material dictates it to be. The sad truth is that at the end of the day The Departed is still the better Whitey Bulger movie, even though ‘technically’ it’s not a Whitey Bulger movie (even though it is). See it to reinvigorate your faith in Depp as a dramatic actor.
Sicario – 7/10
Another let-down in a year full of them, Sicario was visually stunning. Roger Deakins is the kind of cinematographer where, at this point, I stand up and take notice when I see a film of his. Simply put no one else this year put images on the screen as breathtaking as the silhouetted show against a rainbow sky seen near the end of this film. That alone makes this one worth the price of admission. That being said, there are some pretty huge character issues that this film should have addressed. Emily Blunt’s character is criminally half-baked and I hope that there’s a director’s cut in the pipeline to fix some of the issues I have with the film.
Bone Tomahawk – 7/10
The most horrifying thing I’ve ever seen in a movie occurs in this film. I’ve seen Salo, I’ve seen I Spit on your Grave, but I’ve never seen anything so cruel and seemingly real than what occurs in this film. It was so bad that I actually shut the movie off and revisited it weeks later. Bone Tomahawk is a very well directed debut film from S. Craig Zahler featuring one of the better ensemble casts this year. His claustrophobic direction coupled with the sheer brutality of what goes down in this film is what makes it so impressive, even if, in my opinion, he took it a little too far over the edge. I expect great things from this director down the road.
Spectre – 7/10
Another franchise film that caught a ton of flack this year, Spectre was entertaining and a nice throwback to the Bond films of yesteryear. In a year where nostalgia and sequels ran rampant, Spectre was too long for its own good. Sam Mendes clearly had some great ideas but failed to reign them in a bit and make a more concise film, which is my biggest complaint with the movie. I loved Christoph Waltz and what they did with his character, although I did find it to be highly telegraphed. Spectre is no Skyfall, but how could it ever be?
Creed – 7/10
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; I’m no fan of the Rocky films. I find the franchise to be redundant and repetitive with few even realizing that the original Rocky is essentially a remake/reworking of Somebody Up There Likes Me. If I were to rate the original, I’d give it a 7/10 for being innovative and fresh for the time, and as such I liked Creed in the same way I liked Rocky, no more and no less. Creed was a decent extension of the franchise with a solid performance from Michael B. Jordan and Stallone, who no doubt will get all sorts of accolades for actually acting for the first time in his career (whatever). I just don’t connect with these films, but I did love the angle at which they connected Adonis to Apollo.
The Martian – 7/10
Everyone’s favorite movie of the year was ok. It was just ok. In a year where films were mostly lackluster The Martian stands out as a crowd-pleaser across the board but it was a very safe and easy film. Damon gives a great performance, and I thought a lot of the elements at play worked well, but for fucks sake there is almost no conflict here. Does anyone watching this movie actually believe that Watney won’t be rescued at any point? Is there a single dissenting opinion or adversarial element in the entire film? Again, this is a safe movie, but one that is entertaining and ultimately deserves mention on a year-end list.
I Am Big Bird: The Carol Spinney Story – 7/10
I had no idea Big Bird was such a big deal. Carol Spinney, a guy whom I had seen in a few documentaries here and there, is a real innovator of his craft, and this documentary, while ultimately light on hard-hitting details, is a great look at a living legend. Seeing Spinney working the puppet of Big Bird and his process of becoming the character is fascinating, as is the archival footage of Jim Henson and Frank Oz. This is a great, sentimental documentary that deserves a watch from anyone who is a fan of Sesame Street, Henson’s other work or even Star Wars as that is briefly touched upon here as well.
Ant-Man – 8/10
Taking the mantle of superhero movie of the year is Ant-Man. I figured that Paul Rudd in a Marvel film was too good to be true, but thankfully it was a match made in heaven. Rudd is great as Scott Lang, and as such Michael Douglas is equally great as Hank Pym. Out of an impressively structured script Ant-Man managed to relate well to the overall Marvel universe while also being its own story. It was also refreshing to see a Marvel movie not end with a giant air/space battle.
An Honest Liar – 8/10
My second-favorite documentary of the year, An Honest Liar is the story of The Amazing Randi, magician and defrauder of fakes. James Randi, a Canadian-born performer, has a story that is as fascinating as it is deceptive. His personal life comes into focus and, without spoiling anything, is just as if not more interesting than his professional one. I have an affinity for people who seek truth above all else, and Randi is a lifelong champion of that. Particularly his targeting of self-help gurus and televangelists is pretty noble.
Roger Waters The Wall – 8/10
I was lucky enough to see Roger Waters’ The Wall at Fenway Park back in 2012. It still stands as the greatest live event I’ve ever been to. There was an immersive factor to the performance that is completely unrivaled. Cut to this year when the obligatory movie version of the performance was released. Now there are differences in the performance, with the filmmakers curiously leaving out several key moments for one reason or another. I really liked the inclusion of Waters’ grappling with the loss of his father and grandfather. It’s actually a unique situation where the art is morphing over time and gaining new meaning through life experience for both Waters’ and myself as a member of the audience. This is a very solid concert film that should be seen by all fans.
Kingsman: The Secret Service – 8/10
Kingsman kicked off the year of the spy film in glorious fashion, and to me it never got better than this. Fun, shocking and entertaining, Kingsman had everything I wanted and a little more. The Freebird scene is the stuff of legend, with it being a brilliant opera of violence. Samuel L. put forth one of his more entertaining performances with his Mike Tyson-esque lisp and usual hilarious cadence. I loved Kingsman and absolutely think it’s one of the better films of the year.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl – 8/10
Every few years a nice, sweet little indie film with lots of heart bursts onto the scene. This year, Me and Earl is that indie film. While strikingly similar to Dope in several ways, Me and Earl centers around a couple of film geeks who collect Criterion Collection movies and imitate Werner Herzog. If that doesn’t get your cinephile boner raging I don’t know what will. The story, centered around a girl who has cancer and the experience through the eyes of the lead character is very sobering. While not a depressing film it does feel incredibly real and heartfelt. You can’t help but wonder if the filmmaker experienced this himself, hence his knowledge of the situation.
Steve Jobs – 8/10
The award for most surprising film of the year goes to Steve Jobs. Firstly, I’m a fan of the Fassbender General and I think he’s one of the top actors working today. Secondly, The Social Network is one of the most rewatchable movies I know of due to the fantastic script, so the fact that Aaron Sorkin attacked this was great. Thirdly, Danny Boyle’s movies are largely hit-or-miss for me, with his filmic structure having real issues in the third act of many of his films. Still though, in spite of himself, Boyle plays this movie mostly straight and gives us the most entertaining script of the year. This movie could have been about anyone, not necessarily Steve Jobs, and it still would have been a success. To anyone with trepidation about watching this, throw that right out the window now as it is worth your time.
7 Days In Hell – 8/10
An HBO short film, yes, but still a pretty fantastic little gem, 7 Days In hell really harkened back to the glory days of Christopher Guest. I’ve been waiting for years for Guest to put something together in the vein of Best in Show or A Mighty Wind (or the immortal Spinal Tap) but it seems that Samberg took the concept and ran with it. The story of these rival tennis players squaring off in a match for the ages is hilarious and, without spoiling anything, pretty god-damned shocking. If you haven’t checked this out yet, you need to.
Spotlight – 8/10
I’m a little torn on Spotlight after giving it some time to breathe. On the one hand, the script here is very good and these sort of muckraking stories will always have a place in the cinema landscape due to their structure and nature. That being said, there’s almost no visual identity to this film at all. This could have been a lifetime movie and the source material, despite how repulsive and repugnant it is, never elevates the film to having any meaning outside of the journalism process.
The Hateful Eight – 9/10
I am, through and through, a Tarantino mark. In my opinion he’s only made one bad film (Death Proof). While my feelings are still very fresh on The Hateful Eight, I will be the first to admit that the film is not perfect. There is a lot of exposition that takes its time building tension and, while the dialogue is well written, Tarantino’s prose is a little tougher to swallow without the prevalence of pop culture references and the old nod/wink to the camera he is so good at doing. All that being said, I enjoyed the hell out of the movie (I saw it in the 70mm Roadshow presentation). The entire cast is perfect and well rounded, as is no surprise with Quentin’s films. I have to say that above all else the music is what most drew me in. Rather than a western score, Morricone built a horror movie theme and even worked some of his unused score from The Thing into it. Hateful Eight is Tarantino’s toughest pill to swallow, as I think a lot of people are going to be turned off by the sloooooooooooow burn of it, but especially after a second viewing this is cemented as one of my favorite films of the year.
Inside Out – 9/10
Pixar, you had me at hello. Inside Out is yet another phenomenal entry into their oeuvre. Not since Up has one of their films hit me so hard in the feels. The creativity of how the brain is processing all these different emotions and feelings is really spectacular and cements the studio as the most creative out there. While not all of their films are hits anymore, the ones that are are so in spectacular fashion.
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief – 9/10
My favorite documentary of the year, Going Clear was a documentary that I watched at least three separate times. The story of Scientology is fascinating to me, and this serves a brilliant companion piece to The Master. I actually went to Clearwater, FL this year and saw the Ft. Harrison Hotel in person. It’s just as creepy in broad daylight as you think it might be. This is a fascinating, sometimes maddening story that makes you as angry at the US Government as it does Scientologists.
Kung Fury – 9/10
Another short film that packed more of a punch than most feature-length films this year, Kung Fury was the cheesy, action-packed extravaganza that no one realized it could be. Another film I’ve watched several times this year, Kung Fury packs a hell of a punch in a short amount of time. Triceracop, the Kung Fuhrer and Barbarianna are all part of this elaborate, insane story that is every bit as satisfying as it is awesome.
Beasts Of No Nation – 9/10
Some films are so important that you can’t help but respect them. Beasts Of No Nation is an incredibly morbid, well-made and disturbing movie, the likes of which we see once a decade. Operating on a level of evil rivaling Amon Goethe in Schindler’s List, Idris Elba gives one of the year’s greatest performances as the Commandant, the nameless leader of a group of child soldiers in some part of Africa. He is at once despicable and pathetic, but also opportunistic and truly evil. Agu, the lead character, is put through the ringer in this film, becoming a part of a band of children taken from their homes and made into cold-blooded killers. The film never shies away from the disturbing and grotesque details of what these kids are forced to do, but it also doesn’t sensationalize them either. Once again, Fukunaga delivers another great long-take, this one being much more disturbing than the one we saw on True Detective. A truly phenomenal, important film that should be required viewing for any film fans this year.
Ex Machina – 9/10
Some of my favorite movies are the ones that take a simple concept and bring it to its logical conclusion. While you could argue that elements of Ex Machina have been done before, the film is so well made, both visually and aurally, that it hit all the right notes for me. I love a great science fiction story, and Ex Machina absolutely is one. The idea of true AI and the structure of this film very smartly set you up for one thing while pulling you in the opposite direction by the end. Oscar Isaac (my boy, goin’ way back) and Domnhall Gleeson both turn in good performances with Isaac’s being the more showy of the two. Alicia Vikander, the AI, is also pretty spectacular, with some of her scenes being duly disturbing and vulnerable. I loved Ex Machina and am always fascinated by truly phenomenal sci-fi forays. This is one of them, and for me one of the year’s best.
Mad Max: Fury Road – 9/10
No surprise here, as I’m sure many others will have this atop their list, but I simply didn’t see many movies I loved more this year than Mad Max: Fury Road. As a moderate fan of The Road Warrior and neither of the other two Mad Max films, Fury Road was the perfect shot of adrenaline the franchise needed to give it some new life. I’ve heard the complaints about the film not focusing on Max or how it was too simplistic but I implore those of you who believe that to go back and watch The Road Warrior. Max was a secondary character there and that film is regarded as the best in the franchise, so really, what are you complaining about? Fury Road had everything I wanted from it and a little more, making it one of my favorites this year.
What We Do In The Shadows – 9/10
All due respect to Mad Max, THIS was my favorite movie of the year. By taking the mockumentary approach and using it on a group of vampires who are completely out of touch with modern times was brilliant, but the filmmaking on display here is also fantastic. Written by the brain-trust behind Flight of the Conchords (and technically a movie I saw last year even though it wasn’t in this country until early this year), WWDITS almost immediately entered the conversation of greatest comedies I’ve ever seen upon the first viewing. There are too many amazing scenes, and it’s endlessly quotable. If you haven’t seen this yet, get on it.
That’s it for 2015 Bingers (?). I have yet to see quite a few flicks but as it stands this is what I’ve got. As far as what I’m looking forward to next year? I’m curious about Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, if only for Affleck’s portrayal of the Bat. The new Coen Brothers flick Hail Caesar looks promising and, of course, the next Star Wars film looks pretty fascinating to me. Let me know what you think in the comments below, Happy New Year to all of you and, as always, Binge On!
What did you all do on Christmas Day? Let me rephrase. What did all you normal people do on Christmas Day? Probably spend it with loved ones and get drunk in front of the TV watching either basketball or movies. What did Jason and I do? We got drunk and taped our final Binge Movie Aftertaste of the year.
Since Jason had just gotten out of Star Wars Episode VII, we decided to give a brief description of our initial feelings towards it. Though we also share our story of the time a couple days before when we recorded this exact portion of the podcast together at a resort hotel room, only to have it come out sounding like shit, resulting in us having to record it again.
We then give our top ten films of 2015 lists. Something you should know. You probably won’t find the majority of these choices on anyone else’s list. Is that a bad thing? Let us know.
We also spend some time at the end of the show giving a few examples of what we have planned for the first few months of the year, and the immediate future of the show. Thanks to all of you for your continued support. We have tinkered with the format a bit, and all the Binge listeners have been nothing but supportive. We will continue to keep things rolling on the show, and hopefully give you all some updates on our own film careers as well. Things are heating up, and you all are more than partly to thank for that.
Listen, drink, and enjoy. We hope everyone has an awesome and safe new year.
It’s been a week since most of us have gone to see the new episode of the Star Wars saga, and if you’re anything like me you’re really feeling a galaxy sized gap in your heart. It feels as if nothing can fill the void that is left behind after walking out of the theater, other than another viewing of The Force Awakens. I have to say, I was probably the most satisfied by Episode VII, than I have been by another movie in a long time. This movie had a way of cutting to the core of your heart of nerdiness, and just giving you an amazing time at the theaters. Sure, it had a few things to nitpick at, but really overall I can’t find myself wanting to watch another movie any more than I want to watch this one. I loved Kylo Ren, and BB-8 was the absolute boss. Finn was an excellent new addition, and Rey looks to be a very important new character. Poe was the fighter of a lifetime, and his bromance with Finn was applause-worthy. There were so many other great moments in the movie to make it one of the best of the year, and I’m finding it difficult to have a drink or vice that can please me greater than this film. However, I did finish up the rest of the Star Wars canon-worthy comic books that I had ready to read, and boy did I save the best for last. So if you’re looking to get your Star Wars fix and maybe can’t make it to the movies, try to get your hands on these excellent Star Wars comics in the meantime. We can only hope that the Blu-ray release for this film comes sooner rather than later… Before we delve in, I hope everyone has a Merry Bingemas, Christmas, and a Happy Holiday this week/weekend!!!
First up this week was Star Wars: Darth Vader, which seems to be a series that will follow Darth Vader’s quest for knowledge. It ended up connecting with the main title, which I will review here shortly. This first volume opened up with Vader having a visit and small chat with Jabba the Hutt. Jabba unfortunately believes himself more powerful than he really is, and it opened the book with a ton of suspense. Vader and Jabba have a war of words, albeit in disguise as pleasantry, other than Vader’s matter-of-fact statements about Jabba’s stupidity to believe he can best the Sith lord. The book opening like this put me right in the mood to read the rest, and it really sets the tone for the book. It’s a dark, suspenseful, brooding type of book that obviously follows our favorite Sith master Darth Vader and his evil exploits. Watching the battle of wits between the two in the beginning was a lot of fun, and it only gets better from there. As Vader is on the search for the man who attacks the Empire from underneath them, he eventually comes to find out the name of his attacker. Much to his surprise, it is a familiar name that literally causes the glass around him to fracture and show just how tormented Vader is about to be by his past. Those of us who are familiar with the films obviously know about all of this lore, but the book really helps to solidify some of what is in the movies, and gives us some behind the scenes of what Vader was up to in between. I really enjoyed this book, and I’ve recommended it to all Star Wars fans. This book does tie into the main Marvel title in the last scene I mentioned here, and honestly the next book was even better.
Marvel’s Star Wars title has been around for awhile. There were already Star Wars comics in the past under the Marvel banner, and I’ve tried to read them. The ones I read that were any good to me were some of the newer ones with newer characters, but unfortunately those are now no longer canon. I’m not sure about the state of the original Marvel Comics series, but I would imagine that they have to be some sort of canon considering their owner and also their content. They started as adaptations of the original trilogy of films, and some of those issues are contained within the new canon hardcovers so I guess we will see in due time. Skywalker Strikes is the first volume of the new Marvel series, and it was a seriously good book. It opens with Han making his way into an Empire base as a smuggler, and somehow no one questions his company. As the book continues to open, we see that Han, Leia, Luke, and R2 have decided to try and attack the Empire at its heart. Luke ends up splitting from the rest as things go haywire and Vader arrives on the base. As Luke continues to learn the powers of the Force, he is assisted by his former master and tries to get revenge on Vader. All the while, C-3PO is stuck in a tough predicament with the Millenium Falcon off site, where he was supposed to come from to rescue the crew. This all evolves into another small story in the back half of the book, and we have some surprising new canonical revelations about some of our most familiar characters. This book was outstanding, and the art was awesome. I seriously cannot wait for more of Marvel’s Star Wars.
Last but not least was the comic book that was part of the Journey to the Force Awakens movement, Shattered Empire. This book chronicles the time after the Emperor’s death, where we see Luke and company tackling the remaining sects of the Empire. I’m not sure if the first two books spoiled me a bit, but this one was a little less entertaining. You learn a little bit about some future characters, but we also get some hints at what is going on in The Force Awakens. I have two big theories that spun out of the new film, and I’m not going to spoil them here. However, one of my theories receives some evidence in this book and I’m really glad to see it, because it proves that I’m not crazy for thinking what I have been about a certain new character. I would welcome those who are curious to ask below and maybe we can have a small discussion about the revelations, but holy crap is it awesome. Also present is a mirage of Darth Maul, which I find very suspicious and wonder how he’s going to tie into future stories as he’s obviously still around and haunting the Force. We return to Naboo, and a lot of story follows Leia as well as she ties up some of her responsibilities as royalty. The art was the main thing that I found unpleasing to the eye here, because some of the time the characters have a very manga-esque appearance and I’m not too crazy about that for these characters. One full page in particular had Luke with some very funky looking eyes, but otherwise again the art is beautiful. Also, much like all of the other books listed above and before, the covers are outstanding and the alternates are even better. If you’re looking for your next Star Wars fix like me, and maybe don’t like to read the book hefty books, these three comic books here will provide plenty of new story, characters, and joy to your galaxy.
And here you thought no more Star Wars nonsense from BingeMedia.net. HA! In what I hope to become the future avenue of (Working On A Title) Wednesday, I get together with long time listener Pete MC and we discuss some Star Wars. We get into our theater experiences, our spoiler filled feelings about the film, and even our thoughts on where it is going to go. We even get into the craziness that is it’s current box office domination. Well what are you waiting for, you know you want more Star Wars, so here it is.
We saved one of the biggest and best shows for the last of the year. Who doesn’t want over four hours of Ammon, Moreno, and Law getting in the Christmas spirit by drinking until they no talk good any more.
Google Voice kicks things off with some of our favorite listeners yelling at us, making amends with us, and accidentally butt-dialing us while talking to their kids.
TV Round-Up is eventful, to say the least, when Law raves about The Affair and Ammon and Moreno continue to be The Leftovers Buddies. They also break down the season finale of Fargo and compare it as a whole to the first season and try to guess what’s ahead for the third season. Also – Jessica Jones.
Movie Homework has the boys watching SCROOGED and discovering that Carol Kane is one of the most annoying actresses in the history of cinema, that everybody should watch John Murray in MOVING VIOLATIONS, and that Mary Lou Retton is the most 80s thing ever.
What Did You Watch is STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS as Law gives his lightly tread upon thoughts of the film without spoilers of any sort. Stay tuned for an after-the-credits segment where Law goes full spoiler mode with Moreno (The Spoiler Absorber) and gives his in-depth review of the film. Moreno checks out ANT MAN and, along with Ammon, gives an aggressive accent review of AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON. Law also reviews ROOM.
Everybody have a great Holiday and sloppy New Year! Be safe!
0:02:45-Last show of the year, folks. Don’t cry, you cocksucker. Law and Moreno fife over the X-Mas intro sounder from Pete MC. For good reason! Update: Sampson is still gay. STAR WARS! It’s a thing.
0:36:20-GOOGLE VOICE. Leave voicemails, not emails. Thanks dickhead.
1:14:05-TV ROUND UP. Transition from Google Voice leads into talk about The Affair. Law continues making love to Ash vs. Evil Dead. Fargo’s season finale gets dissected. Moreno and Ammon are butt….no…wait…Leftover buddies. Jessica Jones is good shit, make no(se) bones about it. Tangent about Law going to a comedy club. Nobody cares.
2:12:05-MOVIE HOMEWORK. Talk about the Netflix Fuller House series trailer. Because Full House is a goddamn masterpiece. Yes, really. No. Maybe not. OH HELL I DON’T KNOW, JIM LAW. Anyway, homework was Scrooged. Niagra falls, Frankie Angel.
2:37:00-WHAT DID YOU WATCH? Law kicks things off with discussion of some flick called The Force Awakens. He then continues with his viewing of Room.
3:02:43-ACCENT REVIEWS. Moreno and Ammo review Ahvehnjurs: Ahge of Uhltrhohn (translated-Avengers: Age of Ultron). Moreno continues on the Marvel movie route with Ant-Man. Ammon revisited Love Actually, Star Trek Into Darkness, and he shits all over the Buddy the Elf musical or something.
3:29:00 Live sounder to lead into to SPOILER ALERT. STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS.
Merry Christmas you filthy cocksuckers. And a Happy Fucking New Year.
Being a fan of something is a weird relationship. Despite the fact that you’re nothing more than a nagging little kid at a franchise’s knee, you simply cannot resist getting into something. Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, Marvel…these are all world-renowned franchises that have devoted followings. This month it’s been all Star Wars around these parts, and now that the day is upon us we can finally go to our local theater and watch the film. I, personally, have not seen it yet, as I pre-ordered tickets for a Saturday night showing, and I’m completely fine with that. I’m a working adult and I’d rather take my time and enjoy the film amongst friends, hence the Saturday choice. What really annoys me, however, is the propensity of the dark side of fandom in relation to The Force Awakens. No matter how normal and “in” movie fans are, there are always groups of fans that will try and ruin the experience for everyone else. TFA is a film predicated upon the mystery of what it is, so that has caused a weird minority of fans to spoil the movie on all forms of social media. I, unfortunately, have been spoiled, which I wouldn’t care about all that much if I was asking for it, but it’s the way in which I was spoiled that’s really upsetting.
To understand where I’m coming from you have to go back to December 17th, 2015 (yesterday, as I write this). Part of my job is keeping an eye on social media, specifically Facebook, to correspond with clients as they comment on photos and status updates. Because of this, I get updates directly to my phone when someone comments on various Facebook business pages that I’m connected to. One such update happened yesterday, prompting me to log in and check the message. When I did that, the worst thing imaginable happened. It seemed as though someone spammed the page with a huge spoiler for The Force Awakens. I have not yet seen the film, so I don’t know if the spoiler is true, but if I were a betting man I’d go all in on it being legitimate.
You see, I was doing my job avoiding what I could. I stayed away from Reddit, I kept an eye on sources that were reporting potential spoiler locations on sites like ESPN but I wasn’t trying to be a dick about it. If I saw something, I saw something and that’s that. As Morpheus says, “There’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path”. I’ve seen The Shawshank Redemption at least ten times in my life but I keep watching it, not because I know what’s going to happen but because the journey is always satisfying. That same sentiment is something I believe in a lot of movies, but with Star Wars there was such a focus on keeping everything a mystery that made it part of the fun. I’ve been robbed of that in a really weird and specific way. But honestly, what kind of dickless son of a bitch does that?
Is there a certain kind of satisfaction in knowing that you ruined a communal experience for someone else? Do you need the attention? Did your parents abuse you or something and forever alter your definition of social norms? A sincere fuck you to anyone posting spoilers for the biggest movie of this generation. There’s no good reason for it, you’re not gaining anything and you’re just being a social media terrorist. No one likes you and you smell.
Maybe the thing that I saw won’t come true and someone out there is an absolute Photoshop maestro. Again, I have yet to see the film and this entire article could be a reaction to something that isn’t even relevant, but to those of you out there who aren’t cool about these things, get a fucking life. Seriously, crawl back into the crevice you were birthed out of and die, forever. Seriously. Nothing you do or say is worth anything anymore you heartless, no good, STD-infested, shark-skinned two-faced bald-dicked maggot fucker.
Welcome back to the Comic Binge ladies and gentlemen! The week of Awakening of the Force is finally upon us, and I have been doing some prep work throughout the week and even the last few months for this moment. I’ve never been a super fan by any means, but like almost any other person in the world, the Wars have held a special place in my heart because it truly is that awesome. Being that I’m a reader, I’ve always had an interest in picking up the Star Wars books to read, but I never knew where to start. What is now the Legends or Extended Universe stories, were so expansive and bountiful, that it was hard to find a place to jump in. Now with the Mouse’s actions to make all of that irrelevant, I have been working my tail off to try to read the newly canonized materials published in the last year or so. I got through some of the books but not all, and so I’ve tabled a few for post-movie hangovers of Star Wars cravings. However, I have accumulated all of the volumes that have been published so far of Star Wars comics that are officially considered canon. I’m a bit more optimistic with the comics than I am the actual tales of fiction in 300 pages of words, because I’ve only enjoyed one of those that I’ve read so far, which was Dark Disciple. I have also read Tarkin and New Dawn, neither of which really stood out to me as great stories, but they were decent enough to have read. I had to table the rest to do these comics, and I hope to pick them back up after I see the movie. Lords of the Sith will likely be next, so let me know what you think about the new Star Wars canon below, if you’ve had a chance to read any of the books yet! But without any further ado, here is my breakdown of the first half of the comics I’ve read in preparations for Episode VII this weekend!
First Star Wars comic that I got my hands on to check out was one that came out pre-canonization of the Mouse, and that is Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir. I obviously had reasons other than canon to read this book and Darth Maul is my favorite character in the entire Star Wars Universe. It’s really unfortunate that he was so quickly disposed of in the movies, but he lives on here and in the Clone Wars show, and for good reason. He’s a badass character and he really has a great story too. Son of Dathomir was actually a Clone Wars script that never made it to the show, as of its writing, and was produced into this great one-shot story of a comic. Darth Maul’s past is explored a bit and we see his mother for the first time, at least to my knowledge. Darth Maul is taken prisoner but escapes, and then it’s time for him to start wreaking havoc again. He is accompanied by two heroes/villains that look sort of like Boba, but not really. The overall book was a pretty decent read and I enjoyed the art. Anything that fleshes out the awesome character of Darth Maul is always a plus, so this is definitely a must-read for his fans. Otherwise, it’s still a great Star Wars book, definitely check it out. I do wonder if it was made canon because of its Clone Wars affiliation, or if my hope of his return with his metal lower half will eventually show up in the live action films again. That would be the day… If Kylo and Maul teamed up for an Episode IX, I would be in fucking heaven and a half.
Next up was Kanan: The Last Padawan, which spins off of another one of the canonized Star Wars shows in Star Wars: Rebels. Kanan is the jedi who accompanies Ezra and the crew throughout the show on all of their missions. This book gives a sort of history on how he became to be the “responsible” adult in the crew that he now belongs in in Rebels. Kanan has a very interesting backstory, and it was really interesting to read how his life spiraled out of Order 66 from Palpatine at the end of Episode II. Kanan is his chosen name, and he has been through so much that he has chosen to use his Jedi-half only when necessary. Instructed as a youngling, he quickly learned how to survive in a post-Palpatine world. I think this story had a lot of great drama, and introduced us to some great characters. I’m really bad at learning new worlds and people in stories, but I was totally invested in this book. The drama was top-notch and you really feel for this Jedi padawan that is left to his own devices after his people are destroyed and taken over by the new Empire. I would highly recommend it to those who are looking to expand their Star Wars horizons, and especially those who are a fan of the Rebels show. The art was pretty great in this book too, and it really made the book a good read. I am looking forward to more canon Kanan. Also this book had excellent covers, but really all of the books I’m reviewing here today had some pretty ballin’ covers, so I think it’s just the artistic value of Star Wars being put on display in many of the covers and their variants.
Last and pretty much the least in my Star Wars comic adventuring this week was the Princess Leia title, named after the character of course. I’m not sure if the two previous books spoiled me by the time I got to this one, but I was pretty unimpressed with the book in its entirety. There is no clear villain in the story. There doesn’t seem to be any clear plot or conflict that I picked up on, or at least anything that drew the reader in. It was pretty much a book for book’s sake, and that’s when you get comics like these. Fortunately, I think it’s a one-shot story like the Darth Maul book, so hopefully there won’t be more of this to suffer through. I’ll admit that this was the one book I was worried about when looking at the new titles coming out from Marvel Comics, but there are truly so many others that could go wrong like Chewbacca or Lando that I figured there must be good stories to tell. Mark Waid was behind this one, who is a proven writer at this point, but there just was nothing here to go off of. I was pretty bummed about the lack of story and awesomeness in this book, and there are not really any good surrounding characters to make up for it. To pile on to the book too, the art was pretty atrocious. It serves well for a cutesy type of look, but even if it was supposed to fit with Leia, it just gave the book no additional power at all. So overall, I was pretty disappointed with this book and there’s not much to highlight other than failures. I hope the other standalone character comics live up to hype of their names, because I don’t think I can take another one like this one.
Okay, so this week was an experimental one over here at the GameCast. Batch decided that instead of recording with us he would rather get engaged, so he missed the fun. Totally serious. Congrats buddy. What he missed out on was the first “Commentary” edition of the show. You’ll understand the quotes when you get there. While playing Star Wars Battlefront (even we couldn’t help ourselves) Episode IV brags about being an Xbox owner, they discuss the early days of game cheats, what they’ve been playing, and reveal the special NYE movie commentary. Yes, you have to listen if you want to know what it will be. Check out all the shenanigans below and yes, there are purposely two links this week. Fucking technology.