The Walking Dead S08E12 Recap: ‘The Key’

March 19, 2018

Summary:

It’s like the show-writer’s read my mind as to what we needed to feel on this show that can be SO constantly dismal. My entire recap last week pushed that point home with the death of Dr. Carson at the end of, an otherwise, somewhat upbeat episode. The saviors are preparing a biological/psychological attack on the hilltop amounting to basically throwing walker parts and guts over the fence. Negan stresses that this is only to scare, not to injure, so they get in line and the war can end. This doesn’t sit well with his right hand, Simon, who massacred the trash kingdom the week prior after being told only to kill one member as a show of force. Things are not going well at the sanctuary and the smell of mutiny is in the air. The episode begins with the saviors on their way to hilltop when Rick, who’s acting as a lookout, sees their caravan and runs Negan off the road, separating him from the rest of his crew. Simon and Dwight peel off to find the big man, it’s here that Simon’s intent starts to be known. He thinks Negan is being too soft and needs to be replaced, he wants Dwight to join him. Meanwhile at the hilltop a mysterious stranger leaves a cryptic note asking for food and vinyl records in exchange for the key to life. Maggie, Enid, and Michonne venture out to see if this is real or a trap and end up finding what looks like an elementary school principal and two enforcers offering knowledge for trade. In the background of this is a cat and mouse chase between Rick and Negan after they wreck their cars. This episode was a breath of fresh air and added a large number of things the series is sorely missing. Here they are.

The Good:

– Rick and Daryl’s bromance continues. After their fallout a few episodes back, we have not seen much of these two bro’ing out. Daryl, who continues to show the most interesting story arc of any character since season 1 seeks out Rick to express his condolences. What follows is one of the most touching moments between two men in the series. The emotion isn’t on the surface but rather in the unsaid moments between the two. Daryl has almost always been Judith’s fiercest protector. Rick, in his Rick ways, acknowledges that and the two share a macho version of “what would I do without you” and part ways.

– Georgie’s whole storyline is something we need SO bad in this series. An altruistic moral good character. She’s not good to the point of naive but she knows what the world needs and how it needs to get there. Not to mention she provides Maggie and the hilltop with everything they need, both short and long-term. Her knowledge for trade is a book of medieval techniques for getting the world running again, aqueducts, farming, building, etc. A literal goldmine of life-saving techniques. Add to that she provides them with most of the food she and her companions have stored, effectively saving Hilltop from immediate starvation. There is an air of future evil around her but just a touch. I’ll be severely disappointed if she doesn’t turn into the only truly good person on the show. She can’t turn evil and she can’t be killed or the storyline is ruined

– Finally a return to real ACTION! Negan and Rick’s scenes bring some seriously needed adrenaline to the show. Starting with a car chase and ending with a fist fight in a burning store room full of walkers this was easily the best set of action scenes in the last two seasons. The time for slow burn is done, we need some creative action scenes that actively use the apocalyptic landscape and that’s exactly what they’ve done here.

– Negan. I know many people have soured on JDM’s version of the character but this episode jumped him forwarded by leaps and bounds. Thanks to the Simon side plot we get a much clearer picture of a man that genuinely thinks he’s the good guy. A guy that, at his core, wants to save people even if his methods miss the mark. A guy that has been severely affected by the events of the apocalypse and doesn’t relish his position like he leads on. There are people much worse than him out there and that’s something that needs to be known.

The Bad

– Not much to list this week…more of a gripe with the prop department really. How has it been nearly two seasons since Glenn died and Maggie STILL doesn’t have a discernable baby bump? I mean I get that she won’t be huge thanks to malnutrition but come on, you have to put it out there. If for no other reason it will up the stakes of everything she does. Her visit out to meet Georgie would have been much more perilous if you were visually reminded of the baby she’s carrying.

The Dead

– I said, GOD DAMN, this set the bar high for most nausea inducing episode. We get a lot of time with the walkers this episode and they used them pretty damn creatively. The flaming walkers attacking Rick and Negan made a standard scene SO much more claustrophobic then it would have been otherwise. The real trophy goes to the opening of the episode when the saviors are preparing their biological assault. Extended shots of walkers been stabbed, decapitated, and most graphically, disemboweled will make even the biggest gore hound squirm in his seat.

Review: ‘I Kill Giants, A Wondrous Coming Of Age Story For Aspiring Warriors Everywhere

John Nolan

March 19, 2018

Movies about kids who escape grief and family trauma through a world of pure fantasy are nothing new, from Where the Wild Things Are to 2016’s excellent A Monster Calls. The latter film will be what first-time director Anders Walter’s I Kill Giants will draw comparisons to, both featuring similarly troubled youths whose encounters with humungous creatures change their lives forever. But it’s important to note that Joe Kelly’s graphic novel from which the film is based actually predates Patrick Ness’ book, and the film adaptation by Walter is thrilling and heartfelt, more than capable of standing on its own regardless.

One of the film’s greatest and most unique attributes is its star, Madison Wolfe, and her performance as the troubled and quirky Barbara Thorson. Dressed in clashing pinks, blues, and magenta with a pair of bunny ears on her head, Barbara has dedicated her life to protecting her small hometown from the scourge of invading giants. A D&D fanatic who has learned more than her share from the game, she wields fantastic weapons and sets unusual traps to lure and catch them, these creatures that only she can see. The people in her neighborhood think she’s nuts, and of course it has made her a bullied pariah at school where guidance counselor Mrs. Molle (Zoe Saldana, the film’s biggest name by far) tries to help in any way she can.

Kelly, who penned the adaptation himself, takes us through the sensitive contours of Barbara’s home life, while constantly teasing whether the giants she sees are real or figments of an over-active imagination. There’s a distinct lack of parental supervision in the home, with only an overworked older sister (Imogen Poots) managing things and two older brothers who loaf around playing video games. Already an outcast just about everywhere else, Barbara finds it’s pretty much the same situation at home because her outlandish antics are causing problems for her siblings. It’s weird when the neighbors see your sister hanging out at the top of telephone poles.

So it’s no wonder she escapes out into a world where she is in full control. And what a world it is. While the budgetary constraints are obvious, Walter, who has an Oscar for Best Liv-Action Short Film under his belt, uses CGI sparingly but effectively in creating the vast array of giants that come stomping into town. But Walter saves his best for capturing the one-foot-in-reality world Barbara finds herself in. The greying skies, crashing waves of the coastline, and the gloomy woods are like alternate realities for Barbara to lose herself in.

Kelly’s screenplay captures the cruel way in which kids treat one another in school, and how devastating its impact can be. A film about dealing with sorrow and loneliness, it can be a touch too gloomy at times as we see Barbara’s struggle to relate with the people around her. There’s a devastating scene in which she uses puppets to try and communicate her feelings with her sister, and another where she blows up at Sophia (Sydney Wade), the new girl in town and Barbara’s only real friend. But there’s also a ray of hope that shines through, and Barbara’s offbeat personality makes for a fun clash with her disbelieving peers.

There are a couple of mysteries that hang over the story, the most important dealing with the true source of Barbara’s unhappiness. The answer comes swiftly and tenderly, perhaps too tenderly, bordering on mawkishness. But I like that there are no easy answers presented for Barbara, because a tough girl like her wouldn’t stand for it, anyway.

Between A Wrinkle in Time and I Kill Giants we’re looking at a great moment for girls everywhere to find warrior protagonists they can look up to, and perhaps see something of themselves in. But this is a movie boys can also be entertained by and find value in, because we all wish there was a way we could keep the monsters of sorrow away with just a swing of a sword.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Box Office: ‘Tomb Raider’ Unearths $126M Worldwide, ‘I Can Only Imagine’ Surprises With $17M

John Nolan

March 18, 2018

1. Black Panther– $27M/$605.4M
Standing strong for the fifth straight week is Marvel’s Black Panther, which has now surpassed $600M domestic and nears $1.2B. At this rate there’s a chance it could still be in theaters when Avengers: Infinity War comes through next month. I’ll be interested to see how Disney handles that situation.
2. Tomb Raider (review)- $23.5M
The rebooted Tomb Raider franchise with Alicia Vikander in the lead role of Lara Croft opened with a decent $23M domestic. That’s not terrible but hardly a great launching point, especially when you consider Angelina Jolie’s sequel The Cradle of Life opened with $21M and that was what killed hope for future movies. That said, this version has the benefit of a strong international market that added $102M into the mix. So even if the film does just okay here, overall we’re probably looking at a modest success for Warner Bros.
3. I Can Only Imagine– $17M
Emerging like a spiritual RKO outta nowhere was the faith-based drama I Can Only Imagine, which was neither screened for press or had marketed to wide audiences. Roadside Attractions scored their biggest debut ever and, if it holds up, could surpass Manchester by the Sea as their highest-grossing release. The film stars Dennis Quaid, Trace Adkins, Cloris Leachman, and newcomer J. Michael Finley, telling the story of the origin of the titular MercyMe song. Roadside targeted the Christian audience with this one and clearly they hit the right sweet spot. The faith-based genre has been rolling now for a few years consistently, so remember that the next time someone tells you Hollywood only appeals to us heathen liberals.
4. A Wrinkle in Time– $16.5M/$61M
Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time isn’t holding on to its audience as well as it needed to after last week’s disappointing debut. The big budget, starry adaptation slipped 50% and earned $16.5M. With overseas grosses it now has $71M worldwide. The good news is DuVernay isn’t paying the price for this as she was just hired to do New Gods for Warner Bros.
5. Love, Simon (review)- $11.5M
I was hoping for a whopper debut from Greg Berlanti’s teen romance Love, Simon. Not only is it the first major studio release with a gay teenage lead, but it’s just a terrific movie that should appeal to just about everybody. But $11M will have to do, and it actually isn’t a bad start. The film has great reviews from critics and audiences, leading me to think it’ll be sticking around for a while. At least we know it didn’t lose any audience to I Can Only Imagine, right? Probably not.
6. Game Night– $5.5M/$54.1M
7. Peter Rabbit– $5.2M/$102.4M
8. Strangers: Prey at Night– $4.8M/$18.6M
9. Red Sparrow– $4.4M/$39.5M
10. Death Wish– $3.3M/$29.9M

‘Gotham’ Recap S4E14 – ‘Reunion’

John Nolan

March 16, 2018

This week’s episode of Gotham
shows Ivy continue her path towards the city’s destruction, Bruce continuing
his journey, Sofia making a power move, and the ongoing Ed vs. Riddler saga. No
better time than the present to dive right in!

Ivy story arc – “I’m
giving your city back to the plants, starting with the people who have hurt me”:

Ivy’s first stop during this week’s Gotham is the bar that Harvey works at. Luckily for Harvey, he
isn’t there – but Ivy decides to leave him a message by killing all of the
people in the bar with her new super plant. Lucius investigates the crime scene
and realizes that Ivy used the Lazarus water to increase the potency of her
plants. Jim comes and tells Lucius that Harvey killed Ivy’s father and now it
is clear why she went to that bar in the first place. Jim warns Harvey about
this and invites him to work with the GCPD to find Ivy, but Harvey declines and
wants to keep rolling solo.

Ivy sends a recorded message to the Gotham news that they
play to the masses where she threatens anyone that has ever wronged her and
shows the body of someone who has been killed by her hyper potent plant. Jim
notices a sign behind Ivy in the video that clues him in to where she is, and
the GCPD break into her apartment looking for her while Harvey goes to question
his contacts in the narrows. In the apartment they find dozens of empty plant
pots showing that Ivy’s threat is real. She has used the Lazarus water to
create a ton of the high potent plants to help her take down the city. Jim notices that Ivy’s closet is full of nice gowns and starts to think that
she is planning on enacting her plan on a high class social event. Selina is
also at the apartment and tells him that her plan is to reason with Ivy, but
Jim does not think that is possible.

Harvey calls Jim and tells him that he has a lead on Ivy,
getting him to come to the cellar of a bar. It turns out that Ivy used her
perfume on Harvey to lure Jim to her so she could kill two birds with one
stone. Ivy orders Harvey to kill Jim and then shoot himself in the head. Jim
manages to pull a fast one on Harvey and knocks him out. When Harvey wakes up
he is no longer under Ivy’s influence. He tells Jim that he is tired of blaming
Jim for what happened and that the blame rests on his shoulders. Jim realizes
that the event Ivy is targeting is the annual dinner for the Thomas and Martha
Wayne Foundation – it is always nice when a lot of our characters are in the
same place at the same time… it tends to bring out the fun for everyone.

My thoughts:

Crazy Ivy is at it again. She really will stop at nothing
and is willing to kill anyone and everyone for her plants. This new Lazarus
water roided out plant is fantastic and brutal. I’m sure there will be many
more people added to her “garden” before the season is over. The scene in the
beer cellar was not only important for Jim and Harvey to begin to mend fences,
but it was just a great scene in general. Harvey taking responsibility for what
has transpired between him and Jim is a big step forward and hopefully it leads
to Harvey being back on the force. He is a great character and the show can
only benefit from having more Harvey on it.

Bruce story arc – “I
know who I am, I’ve seen what’s inside me”:

Bruce opens the case that houses his mask and suit and
throws the mask in the fire. He is clearly still conflicted on his purpose.
Alfred agrees to meet Bruce and Bruce quickly asks for Alfred’s help. Alfred
essentially tells Bruce to go kick rocks. Bruce tries to convince Alfred that
he has changed, but Alfred wants to see it – not just hear Bruce say it. Bruce
wants Alfred to come to the Wayne foundation event that evening, but Alfred
refuses.

Alfred changes his mind and decides to come to the event.
Bruce sees him walk in and changes his speech to make it an apology to Alfred.
After the speech, Bruce approaches Alfred thinking that this gesture was enough
for them to be able to put the past behind him. Alfred is not there yet and
tells Bruce he can’t truly help him until Bruce accepts who he really is. Bruce
has another hissy fit and storms out, moments before Ivy takes control of the
party and takes everyone hostage. The GCPD intervene and Bruce decides that he
can’t just stand by and watch. He takes a bullet proof vest and mask from one
of Ivy’s fallen henchmen and goes to rescue Alfred and take him to safety.
Alfred refuses to go and he tells Bruce that this is exactly who he is and he
needs to help those that need him, not just Alfred. Bruce heeds his advice and
goes to help the rest of the guests at the dinner.

Bruce immediately takes down another thug, but Jim thinks
Bruce is one of Ivy’s men and shoots him – luckily for us, Bruce gets hit in the
bullet proof vest. Jim chases Bruce, but he manages to escape off the roof.
Back at the mansion, Bruce tells Alfred he wants to help people – even if he
has to accept every part of himself, good and bad. That’s good enough for
Alfred who tells Bruce he is finally home.

After the dinner, Ivy goes back to her apartment where
Selina is waiting for her. Ivy takes a vial containing the last of the Lazarus
water to make more plants, but Selina whips it out of her hand. Selina ends up
getting the vial and destroys it. Ivy lunges are her and grabs her around the
neck to scratch her, but Selina puts a knife to Ivy’s stomach and it seems like
they are at a stalemate. Selina drops the knife in a sign of friendship and Ivy
tells her not to get in her way again and storms out of the apartment.

My thoughts:

I wasn’t expecting this, I thought Bruce’s hallucinations
would put him back on track – but it seems like he will need more than a little
plant hallucination trip to be ready to get back on the Batman path. During
the meeting with Bruce, Alfred really stood his ground. It was great
that Alfred is not just hopping back at the opportunity to be at Bruce’s
side and pretend like nothing happened. It is important to teach him that his
actions have consequences and Alfred knows this. After the fundraiser, it is
looking like Bruce and Alfred have finally been able to get over the hump and
Bruce can get back to his Batman training. Party boy Bruce was fun, but after
we got that glimpse of the Bat during Bruce’s hallucinations – that’s all we really
want, right? It also seems like Ivy and Selina have used up the last of their
good graces that stemmed from their prior friendship. Selina may be a thief,
but she still knows right from wrong whereas Ivy is just a lunatic. I imagine
these two will be pitted against each other numerous times before this season
is done.

Sofia vs. Lee story
arc – “Since we’re family, I’m only going to do one hand”:

Sophia invites Lee over and they reminisce briefly about
Mario. Sofia tells Lee that the Falcone’s are all about family and that Lee is part
of theirs. Lee doesn’t buy that that is the only reason Sofia wanted her over
and asked what this meeting was really about. That’s when the true Sofia comes
out and she tells Lee that she wants ~~the Lannisters~~ (whoops!) the
narrows to “bend the knee.” She wants a 30% tax from the narrows of any legal
and illegal income. Lee tells her this isn’t possible and most of the people of
the narrows need every single dime coming in to survive.

Ed takes a little break from yelling at the Riddler (or just
yelling at nothing to anyone else that sees him) to help Lee figure out what
Sofia’s motives are. They send some narrows kids out to find out what she might
be after. The kids report back that Jim and Sofia had a relationship and Lee
decides to use that information to her benefit and invites Sofia to the narrows
for a meeting. In the meantime, Ed is threatening to kill himself so the
Riddler doesn’t have the ability to take over and try to hurt Lee anymore. He gets a letter
from Penguin and he doesn’t really understand why. Riddler convinces Ed to
check himself into Arkham instead of killing himself, which will keep Lee safe
as well. Penguin greets Ed at Arkham and it turns out that his letter was a
secret message to the Riddler to convince Ed to go to Arkham, and it worked. Penguin
is able to coax the Riddler personality to take control of Ed so the Riddler is
back!

Sofia comes to the narrows to meet with Lee and discuss
their arrangement. Instead of 30% of the narrows income, Lee offers Jim Gordon
to Sofia. She tells her that she knows of crimes he has committed that Sofia
can use to control Jim. Sofia instead decides a more targeted approach – her
men kill all of Lee’s men and Sofia puts Samson in charge of the narrows.
Before leaving she takes a hammer and crushes Lee’s hand. Jim gets a call that
Lee is in the hospital and rushes to see her. He knows that Sofia did this and
that enough is enough. Jim goes back to the precinct where Harvey is waiting. Jim
comes clean to Harvey that he screwed up and asks for his help to make it
right. He tells Harvey about Sofia hiring Pyg and that he knew about it and
covered it up. Jim pledges to take her down, and when Jim makes a pledge – it usually
comes to fruition.

My thoughts:

First off, as much as I liked the dumb Ed narrative, I was
ready for the Riddler to be back. Once the Riddler visions came back into play
and there was a lot of Ed yelling back and forth, it was time for one persona
to full take over. Secondly, Sofia is straight evil. Who doesn’t love Lee!? Her
poor hand! Jim is about to go ape shit on Sofia and her criminal enterprise and
it is going to be a sight to behold.

Next week on Gotham:

Selina visits Bruce and asks for help, most likely in
dealing with Ivy and her madness. It looks like Riddler and Penguin both escape
Arkham. It seems like next week there will also be gunshots galore with Jim and
Sofia pitted against each other. Somehow Jim gets shot and we see Sofia holding
him at gunpoint telling him to beg for his life. How the hell did all of THAT
happen!?!?

A24 Sets ‘Native Son’ Adaptation With Ashton Sanders And Nick Robinson Starring

John Nolan

March 16, 2018

The tastemakers at A24 can’t seem to do anything wrong right now. After a glorious awards season that saw their films in contention everywhere, in particular Lady Bird, they’ve kept the momentum going with buzzy pickups like Eighth Grade, Hereditary, and more. Now they’re keeping that momentum going with a timely adaptation of Richard Wright’s acclaimed novel about race, poverty, and violence, Native Son.

This one is moving quickly, too, with a cast and crew already in place. Moonlight‘s Ashton Sanders will star as Bigger Thomas, a 20-year-old African-American from the poverty-stricken South Side of Chicago in the 1930s who accidentally kills a white woman out of fear, and his subsequent flight from justice and eventual incarceration. The book chronicles the systemic factors that make Bigger’s predicament an inevitability, not just for him but most blacks in his situation.

Behind the camera will be conceptual artist Rashid Johnson working from a script by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. Rounding out the cast is an impressive group that includes Margaret Qualley (The Leftovers) Nick Robinson (Love, Simon), KiKi Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk), and Bill Camp (The Night Of) with Straight Outta Compton cinematographer Matthew Libatique part of the team. Wow.

Clearly this is a film A24 will be positioning as a major awards player, and with all of the pieces in place expect cameras to roll soon.

‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Trailer: Marvel’s Heroes Unite For Their Biggest Fight Yet

John Nolan

March 16, 2018

“The entire time I knew him, he only ever had one goal. To wipe out half the universe.”

Suffice it to say, Gamora (Zoe Saldana) isn’t talking about Captain America (Chris Evans) in the grim opening moments of the new Avengers: Infinity War trailer. Hard to believe that Marvel could get any bigger than Black Panther, but this is the story they’ve been building to for a decade, the big, universe spanning battle against Thanos, holder of the Infinity Gauntlet.

The latest trailer is all about the marshalling of the Avengers’ forces to face Josh Brolin’s purple baddie. The Guardians of the Galaxy finally join the squad, with Star-Lord making a clown of himself in front of Spider-Man and Tony Stark, and Captain America making his way to Wakanda for a face-to-face with Black Panther. You think Marvel put in a few more Black Panther characters in this footage maybe? Of course they did. We also see what looks like a flashback to Thanos and a young Gamora, a glimpse at his other “children” the Black Order, and so much more. This is going to be nuts and I can’t wait!

Here’s the synopsis:

As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos (Josh Brolin). A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment – the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.

Avengers: Infinity War opens April 27th.

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Punch Drunk Critics

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‘Gotham’ Recap S4E14 – ‘Reunion’

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‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Trailer: Marvel’s Heroes Unite For Their Biggest Fight Yet