Coming Soon! Funko Directors - Ava DuVernay

Celebrate the Oscar-nominated and Emmy winning filmmaker who became the first black woman to have a film nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards with Selma and who is the top-grossing black woman director in American box office history with A Wrinkle in Time. She has even had a collector’s edition Barbie doll in her likeness sold out in 16 minutes in 2017. Through her arts collective ARRAY, DuVernay amplifies the experience of people of color and women of all kinds on screen through her film and TV projects, including Selma, 13th, A Wrinkle in Time, Queen Sugar and When They See Us.

We don't cover a lot of Funko products, because in all honesty, they don't need the coverage, and we aren't hardcore collectors. However, this is really cool. I like how Funko is highlighting the people who help bring our favorite pop culture franchises to life. I'm also excited for them to include more female directors. Who would you like to see them make a Pop! of? And do you want us to cover more Funko products? 

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Like what you just read? Let us know in the comments below and keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! 

Brand New Ghostbusters Theme Song By Fall Out Boy Ft. Missy Elliott Is Now Online

There's something strange in the internet, who you gonna call? Fall Out Boy and Missy Elliott! Take a listen:

If you pre-order the Ghostbusters Original Motion Picture soundtrack today, June 23rd, through iTunes, Amazon, or GooglePlay, you will instantly receive this. Otherwise, you have to wait until the soundtrack is available on July 15th. 

What do you think of the song? 

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Independence Day: Resurgence Super Bowl Commercial

Also making a showing at the Super Bowl is an Independence Day: Resurgence trailer.

I haven't really been excited about this, because I don't think we need a sequel, but the trailer looks good, and if you're going to debut a patriotic commercial, there's no better place to do so than at the Super Bowl.

I don't know if I'm 100% sold on the movie, but this has made me more interested. What do you think? 

Independence Day: Resurgence opens June 24, 2016

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Captain America: Civil War Super Bowl Trailer

United we stand! Divided we fall! Which side will you choose? Team Cap or Team Iron Man?

Can we all agree that no matter which side we choose, this looks like it's going to be a great movie?

Captain America: Civil War opens May 6th. See you there!

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[IGH] at the Movies: World War Z

The other night, Wilderowens and I attended a screening of World War Z. I wasn't in the best of moods, thanks to bad weather and some disorganization with the people running the event, so my already low expectations, were running even lower when the movie started, but I love when a movie surprises me.

The first thing I noticed was how much better the 3D was on this compared to Man of Steel. Without any fancy tricks, there was a lot of depth to the film. Five minutes in and I was already thinking, "This is how you do 3D." Was it necessary? No. But unlike Man of Steel, where the 3D did absolutely nothing to enhance the film, WWZ used it well. There were many beautiful and interesting shots that were enhanced by the 3D.

I loved the international feel of the movie. Brad Pitt's character, Gerry, goes all over the globe, and I thought it really opened up the story. So many zombie movies stay in such a small area that it becomes easy to forget that there are attacks all over. WWZ made sure you understood that this was a worldwide situation. *SIDE NOTE - It was so nice to see New York not get destroyed for once. You get a brief glimpse, but none of the real action happens in New York and I was so happy about that. I know NY is iconic, but it gets really tiresome to see the places you walk by get destroyed on a regular basis. * 

Daniella Kertesz & Brad Pitt

This is really Brad Pitt's movie. There are several supporting characters, but because Brad Pitt was constantly on the move, they didn’t get to stick around long enough. I enjoyed his interactions with his family. When he's talking to his kids, you could see that he's only partially acting because his paternal nature was just naturally coming out. This wasn't the type of role I had expected from him. I thought he'd be playing more of an action hero, but he didn't. Gerry was a guy who had been in action and could handle himself, but he's no Stallone or Schwarzenegger. He's not looking for a fight; he's looking for answers. If anything, Daniella Kertesz' Segen was much more of a badass than he was. She's a relative newcomer, having done some work in Israel, but I think we're going to be seeing a lot more of her. Of all the other actors in the movie, she was the standout. 

The real reason why WWZ surprised me is because I didn't expect it to be as tense as it was. The writing team, which consisted of Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Goddard, Damon Lindelof, and J. Michael Stracznski, and director Marc Forster, understood that what's scary is not necessarily lots of blood and guts flying around while the zombies eat, though that is pretty scary. What really messes with the mind are the quiet moments. Those moments where the audience knows something is about to happen, but the characters don't, so everyone is holding their breath, waiting for them to find out. It's also

not always showing everything and letting our imaginations run wild. That's what WWZ did. It created suspense. I'm not ashamed to admit there were a few moments where I had to cover my eyes because I couldn't handle the buildup. In a way, WWZ reminded me of the old horror movies for the 1930's and 40's - some cheesy effects, (the climbing zombies looked weird, and the other zombies didn't look great until the end, when they had more close ups) but delivers on suspense and thrills. 

I haven't read the book yet, so I can't tell you how it compares, but the way I see it, any movie that causes me to reevaluate my zombie apocalypse survival plan is a good one. Give it try. 

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[IGH] At The Movies: Trust Me

Editor's Note: Welcome PoohBear, our newest contributor!  PoohBear is joining reviewing Trust Me, which she and I saw at TriBeCa Film Festival this year.  As a note, Clark Gregg was there and we kinda followed him around after his Q&A.  It wasn't stalking because other people were doing it too.  ~ Wilderowens

By PoohBear

My first thought was "I have to see Trust Me because Agent Coulson, I mean, Clark Gregg, directed, wrote and starred in this." Who wouldn't want to? Next thought, "I've seen him in a couple other things like "…Adventures of Old Christine", in addition to the Marvel franchise, so he'll be pretty good in this."  

Review: Jack the Giant Slayer

This past Wednesday, Mister Jackal from InnerCity Geeks and I got a chance to see Jack the Giant Slayer before it hit theaters.  The film, based on the classic fairy-tale stars Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ewan McGregor, and Stanley Tucci.

See what we thought of the latest fairytale story.

Review: Side Effects

Last week, Mister Jackal of InnerCity Geeks and I got a chance to attend an early screening of Side Effects. No wait, not an early screening, it was the frelling NYC premiere! Any night where the movie gets a live introduction from Steven Soderbergh is pretty awesome.

Here are our takes on Side Effects.

Review: Warm Bodies

We lucked out and were able to see the newest zombie flick a few weeks early. Warm Bodies is being portrayed as a funny teen love story, but does it hold up to the hype?

What's the deal with Phase 3? Our Top Ten Hopes!

Give a big hearty welcome to our newest contributor ladyvader99!  You should know her awesome brain thoughts from IHOGeek!

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By ladyvader99

If you’ve paid attention to what Marvel’s been up to, you’ll notice the words “Phase 2″ lurking over the collective films coming out from 2013-2015 which include Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Captain America 2, Avengers 2, Ant-Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy. While this might be the first time we all squeal over impending sequels and trilogies, the fangirl within can’t help but look off into what the future might hold as this is the best time to be a comic geek. Hundreds of heroes are waiting in the wings with years of story telling just begging to be brought to the big screen. While I would personally LOVE a buddy cop type of flick with Nick Fury and Agent “Cheese” Coulson, I’m going to try to be realistic in my wish list below. These are in addition to whatever other installments of Thor, Captain America, and Avengers Marvel decides to have greenlit, so let’s take a look, shall we?

[IGH] at the Movies: Men In Black III

We got a chance to check out the next chapter of the MIB franchise, Men In Black III.  Was it a worthy sequel for us?  Let's see what we both thought....


Wilderowens' review


The MIB films have been filled with a fun and whimsical feeling. However, I went into this film with an impending sense of dread. With sequel after sequel scrambling for a few bucks, I was afraid to see this. Plus, the time travel storyline has been done so many times.  I was wrong to be worried though. Sonnenfeld did manage to keep this franchise fun and whimsical throughout. He handled the time travel gracefully and had plenty of funny one liners to keep the audience entertained.

[IGH] at the Movies: The Avengers

Yes, we got to see The Avengers early. We are that cool. "Marvel" at our awesomeness. But enough bragging, here is what we thought.

Wilderowens' Thoughts

Marvel has been soundly beating DC on the big screen for the past few years and they just raised the bar.  The Avengers was everything you could want in a superhero flick.

For all of the Joss naysayers, you were so wrong. Our man Whedon stayed true to the characters while adding his own brand of humor in the mix. Each character was explored and had a path to walk through the film.

IGH at the Movies: Cabin In The Woods

Cabin In The Woods is the latest piece from Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard. It's a horror/thriller about five college kids that go stay at a cabin....in the woods. I would give you more to the synopsis, but it would spoil it for you. Really, this film is filled with so much interweaving detail that it is hard to talk about! Basically I can say someone dies.

I tend to get so into movies that I stopped watching horror for my sanity. I only broke this rule because of Joss. So glad I did. This is such a good movie that it was worth the scared feeling. It is a film that I am still thinking about, even days later. CitW just stays with you, like a fungus you have grown to love.

The acting was spot on, with lines delivered right and sold perfectly. My particular faves were Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford. They both stood out in their roles and conveyed varying emotions at the drop of a hat. This film is also jam-packed with Whedon staples, including a brief scene with the intern , played by Tom Lenk!

So go see this, even if you are terrified. (My cure for being scared is watching a few episodes of Community.) Totally worth the money and time to check out the Cabin In The Woods.

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IGH at the Movies: Hunger Games

The Hunger Games opened on March 23^rd, and I was there for a midnight showing, prepared to get my review of it out for all of you. So why did it take me so long to write my review? Well, as luck would have it, during what I think is the most emotional moment of the movie the film broke. For those of you who have already seen the movie, it broke right between the moment in the Games and the moment in the District (if that makes sense).  It involves the three-finger salute. The film broke so badly, we had to switch theaters and after that, it was really difficult to get sucked back into the movie. I had to wait until I could see it again, which I finally did yesterday. So, without further ado, I present my somewhat late review of The Hunger Games.

I love this movie. I think it has an incredibly strong script, great cast, and is extremely well executed, but having read the books several times over, it was hard at times to separate the movie from the books. In fact, I would go so far as to say this is a movie you should see BEFORE reading the books, so you don’t fall into the trap I did.  Seeing it again helped me look at the movie with a fresh perspective. So, let’s talk about the movie.


                             SPOILERS!!!!!

We'll start with the cast. You could not ask for a better cast. Jennifer Lawrence was made for this role. She is Katniss Everdeen. I cannot think of anyone else who could have played the role as well as she did. She makes me excited for the other movies.

The boys – Josh Hutchinson as Peeta and Liam Hemsworth as Gale. Liam is only on screen for moments, yet he makes an impression, and Josh really surprised me. I didn’t know what to expect with him. It bothers me a little bit that he doesn’t meet the physical representation I had in my mind, and his mouth hangs open a lot, but he’s Peeta. The moment I was completely sold was when he did his interview with Caesar Flickerman. They shared a laugh, and then sat as mirror images of each other. I don’t know if that was a director’s note or improved, but it worked. My only question about him is did anyone else think he looked like he stepped out of the old Hawaii Five-0 when he was in that blue suit? Maybe it was the sleepiness, but that’s all I could think about at that moment.

In adaptations I do prefer the characters to look similar to how they are described in the books. Donald Sutherland as President Snow did not look at all like I had originally thought, BUT he embodies the character in spirit so well, that it doesn’t matter at all. The same goes for Woody Harrelson as Haymitch. For some reason, I saw Haymitch more like a combination of Presidents Taft, Cleveland, and Teddy Roosevelt. Don’t ask me why, I’ll never know. But Woody did a great job. His character was changed a bit. Haymitch is supposed to be a sloppy, fall down drunk, and it’s a great comedic element to an otherwise, horrific story, but here, he’s not. Now he’s more of a manipulator and actual mentor. He’s in it. One great scene is showing him schmoozing with people trying to get sponsors. It works really well, and it shows that he genuinely cares about the outcome of the Games. Still, I would have like to see him fall down at least once.

Elizabeth Banks is brilliant as Effie. I like her better in the books, but that is more of a script issue than anything Elizabeth did. The physical transformation she went through is quite impressive.

There was a lot of controversy surrounding the casting of Rue, which made absolutely no sense, given that she was actually cast from the description in the book, but regardless of all of that, Amandla Stenberg was everything I could have imagined Rue to be, and she did an amazing job.

I could go on about the rest of the cast, but that would take forever, so I’ll just say, everyone brought their A game to this. I know certain scenes were changed because you can’t have this strong a cast and not give them anything to do. It wouldn’t make sense. *Side note – check out Wes Bentley’s beard. It’s a sight to behold and it’s all his. *

Let’s move on to the design and scenery.

From the first moment you see District 12, you feel as if you are in the world of Panem. Aside from the casting of Jennifer Lawrence (we’ll get to that in a moment), this had to be the most spot-on accomplishment of the movie. The dreary poverty of the districts compared to the crazy opulence of the Capitol successfully set the stage for the impending rebellion.

My first thought upon seeing the Capitol was it was like Atlantis. The structures gave the impression of a city on the water. In that first moment, I was like Peeta, overwhelmed by its extravagance.

I loved the training room. I’ll talk more about the plot in a moment, but I loved how the Gamemakers were above everyone watching down on them, because it helped make Katniss’ somewhat underwhelming private session more interesting.
The arena was well done, but I was disappointed in the Cornucopia. The book describes it as gold, and it was a black/silver monstrous thing. It made for an interesting contrast with the rest of the surroundings, but it’s one of the few design elements I believe could have been better executed.

The other element that was good but could have been better was the fire outfit. Before the movie came out, it was one of the most discussed pieces. Designers were creating their own image of it, and I think compared to some of their ideas, the movie version was a little bit of a fail. It was good, but not great. It didn’t make a big impression. Heck, some of Effie’s clothes made a bigger impression than that.

Speaking of, the Capitol clothes were a little insane. It was like as if one had stepped into The Wizard of Oz in that first moment when Dorothy lands in Oz, opens thedoor, and finds everything in Technicolor. So many colors.

But enough about that, let’s talk about the most important aspect of the movie: the plot.

There are several minor characters missing such as Greasy Mae, Darius, and Madge. I think I miss Madge the most, but it’s understandable why they were cut. I just wish they had been there because they helped give more insight into Katniss.

The mockingjay pin – its meaning and how it was used was completely
altered. It becomes the symbol of the revolution, but they hid it in the movie. Instead of Cinna talking about how unfair it was that Katniss had to go through the games and secretly attaching the pin, he could have had a line about keeping it as her token, and she could remain oblivious until the next movie.

I’m being a little nitpicky, I know, but that was the overall feeling I kept having. There were little moments and lines that were taken out, but if they had been kept in, relationships could have become deeper, and situations could have taken on a different context. Perfect example is Peeta doesn’t say anything about blood poisoning. In book one, the blood poisoning line is practically a throwaway line, but in book three, it has a special and important meaning. Or the moment when Katniss and Peeta gang up on Haymitch for the first time. They do it together in the book, but in the movie, it’s just Katniss and the knife. Having that moment would have shown them acting as a team for the first time, and then they wouldn’t have had to have that weird moment on the chariot where Katniss flinched away from taking Peeta’s hand. It’s little things like these that took me out of the movie a bit.

Time was sped up for the games. What should have taken weeks seemed to take only a few days. The two most noticeable events are the riot in District 11, which does not happen until book 2, and Peeta and Katniss in the cave. The cave was important because of how it developed their relationship. We all know Peeta was nuts about Katniss, but no one could be sure of her feelings for him until he was dying. It felt rushed. And by moving the District 11 riot up, we are denied them giving Katniss the bread that was meant for Rue, and I’m not sure if they will be able to have certain scenes that were in book two in the movie.

I don’t want you to think I thought all changes were bad. One of my favorites was to show Seneca Crane in the control room, and Caesar Flickerman giving us the play-by-plays. Loved the trackerjacker explanation. It was a stroke of genius. Showing just how much of a “reality show” the games were really helped set the stage for what’s to come in the next movies.

One of the biggest differences I saw was that Katniss understands just how messed up the Games is. I felt her anguish over Rue, but when she saluted the cameras, it felt like she knew how defiant she was being, and the same goes for at the end with berries. She appeared to be more cunning in the movie, whereas in the books, she doesn’t understand how important her actions are and what they mean to the rest of the Districts. It makes me wonder how she is going to be portrayed in the other movies.

It’s these little changes that made me at times sad for their lack of inclusion, but also hopeful and excited to see how the other movies are going to turn out. Even though The Hunger Games has lost its director, I believe if the next one keeps the tone, then we are going to be treated to something incredible.

So, if you haven’t seen The Hunger Games yet, get yourself to a theater. If you have, go see it again. It’s worth it.

IGH at the Movies: American Reunion

Brought to you by our friend Mister Jackal over at Inner City Geeks

They're Baaaaaack!

This week in theaters, Jim, Michelle, Finch, Kevin, Vicky, Oz, Heather, Jim's dad and Stifler are all back in the latest installment to the American Pie franchise, American Reunion. If you can't really tell by title, this movie is based around the Class of '99 high school reunion. American Reunion is written and directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, best known for the Harold & Kumar series, bring us a great addition to the series that has entertained many people for over a decade.

Best In Show

Editor’s Note: Since the amazing Christopher Guest celebrated his birthday this past Sunday, here is a look back at one of his amazing films.  And no, it’s not Princess Bride!  Our fav contributor Teacup takes a look at the hilarious Best In Show!  Happy Birthday Chris!

I recently sat down to watch Best In Show, a comedy by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy. Best in Show follows five dogs and each their eccentric owners on their quest to win 'Best in Show' at the fictional Mayflower Kennel Dog Club Show. Guest and Levy's other works include the cult classic This is Spinal Tap and A Mighty Wind.

 

The film is in documentary style, or, to be more specific, mockumentary style, parodying both the people who attend and compete in dog shows and the documentary style itself. Presenting the story in documentary style is a storytelling choice I'm not usually fond of, but Best in Show makes it work. The documentary style, in which the actors speak to the camera and help tell the story, makes a film more intimate, as if you're being spoken to by the actors on screen, creating a deeper connection between the audience and the actors. It also allows the filmmaker to treat their subject matter in a completely serious matter, which is great for a comedy. Each neurotic character trait and each awkward moment is intensified by the supposed 'real life' aspect of the 'documentary.' And Best In Show is definitely full of awkward moments and neurotic character traits.

Streaming Wars: Amazon Prime

By Teacup

Streaming movies and television online is the next step in entertainment, so it's not surprising that many websites are now offering paid subscriptions to streaming content. Netflix, until recently, was on top of that throne, but their recent decision to split their previously combined lending and streaming service lead to the collapse of their monopoly on mainstream streaming content. They still may be on top, but their lead is nowhere near what it once was. Coming in closely behind are websites such as Hulu and Youtube, but a curious new contender has shown itself in the past year. Amazon.com, international shopping behemoth, added a video streaming service to the list of features for users with an Amazon Prime account.

After receiving so many emails in my inbox about this new service, I finally caved and purchased myself a Prime account. But I let it sit for a good couple of months, because I had a thesis to finish and a pile of school books to read, which took precedence. Finally, thesis turned in and pile of books demolished, I started at the beginning of the content Amazon had acquired and went all the way through to the end.

The Dark Knight Rises First Official Trailer is Out!

Look what hit the internet!





I don't know about you, but I just went from excited to jumping up and down giddy! I can't wait for next summer. Are you as excited as me?

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Hunger Games - Katniss' Fire Dress

The release of The Hunger Games is only about three months away, so naturally excitement is building. I'm trying to keep on top of the info that's coming out, because I love the books (currently on my fifth rereading of the trilogy), and I came across this article on InStyle magazine's website depicting several big name designers vision of the infamous fire dress. This is the outfit that introduces Katniss as "The Girl on Fire" and is one of the more highly anticipated moments of the movie. I'm a traditionalist when it comes to big moments in adapted works and I want them "as is" when on the screen. Some of the designs are not that at all but they are beautiful, and a few I would love to see on the runways. Here's a peek.

This is my favorite avant-garde design. It's by The Blonds and as you can see, they certainly capture the "on fire" aspect of the outfit. Aside for the book calling for something simpler, my biggest reason for why this isn't the right design for the movie is by making it so extreme now, it would make it very difficult to top this when part 2 comes out and Katniss is outfitted in something far more extravagant that the first fire outfit.

Then there is this design from Tadashi Shoji. I fell in love with this dress. It's gorgeous. I want to wear it. It's just not what the book describes. Not even close. However, I believe this dress should be made. I think it would be popular.


So did any of these designers come close? Any of them capture the feel of the book while creating a piece that could translate well to the screen? There were three designers I think came close - Christian Siriano, Christian Cota, and Charlotte Ronson. The Christians designs were wonderful. They kept it simple, true to the color scheme (black) and made it look good, but ultimately, I think it is this by Ronson that wins my vote.

Katniss does not really wear a dress in the book. She wears a simple black unitard with lace up boots and a cape that's lit on fire. This interpretation is true to the book but is altered just enough that it would look incredible on screen. It would make the splash it's supposed.


What do you think, gentle readers? Do you like these or do you have a different preference? Does this make you more excited for the movie? To see the other designs, check out the article here, and let us know what you think.

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The Muppets Review

“It's time to play the music."

The Muppets are here, and they’ve arrived in style!

I love the Muppets. My childhood is filled with Muppet-y good memories. The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, Muppet Babies, and the movies – I watched them all, repeatedly. I always wanted to reenact the scene with Miss Piggy and Joan Rivers in the department store in Muppets Take Manhattan. It just looked like sooooo much fun!

When I first heard about this movie, I was really worried. I remember Space Jam, and what it did for Looney Tunes (not much). I didn’t want that to happen to my beloved characters. I started to feel a little bit better when I heard how much of a “Muppet enthusiast” Jason Segel was, but still weary. So, when I got the opportunity to go to an advanced screening of The Muppets this past weekend, I couldn’t turn it down. If it was great then I got early viewing bragging rights and if it sucked, I got a free movie.

I am happy to report it did NOT suck. In fact, it left me wanting more!

Mild Spoilers Ahead!!!