Into the DC Murderverse: "SHAZAM!"

 "SHAZAM!" (2019)

Who would've thought that a character that is basically a Superman knock off with a complicated publishing history would help DC put out not only one of its best movies, but one of the best superhero movies ever. I said what I said. A touching, funny, action packed film about how the most loving families aren't necessarily families that you are born into but the families you make. 

Principal photography on "SHAZAM!" began on January 29, 2018 and concluded on May 11, 2018. The film stars Zachary Levi as Shazam, Asher Angel as Billy Batson, Mark Strong as Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, Jack Dylan Grazer as Frederick "Freddy" Freeman with Adam Brody playing the adult version, Djimon Honsou as the Wizard Shazam, Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley with Meagan Good playing the adult version, Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield with Michelle Borth playing the adult version, Ian Chen as Eugene Choi with Ross Butler playing the adult version, Joavan Armand as Pedro Pena with D.J. Cotrona playing the adult version, Marta Milans as Rosa Vasquez, Cooper Andrews as Victor Vasquez and John Glover as Mr. Sivana. The film was written by Henry Gayden. It was directed by David F. Sandberg. "SHAZAM!" was released on April 5, 2019.

A Long Time Ago, During the Clone Wars: "Bounty Hunters," "The Zillo Beast" & "The Zillo Beast Strikes Back"

 Star Wars The Clone Wars

We get a study in contrasts in regards to Jedi philosophy in these three episodes. We also get a good old fashioned beast rampage through a metropolitan area. So... win-win?

"In the Name of the Moon" Re-watch: "Love and Chased: Luna's Worst Day Ever" & "Umino's Resolve: I'll Protect Naru"

 Sailor Moon

I am kind of at a loss sometimes with these intros. Sometimes I have a lot to say or an idea that comes to me right away and sometimes I don't. Well, today, I don't. So let's get right into it.

"I Am the Night" Re-watch: "Legends of the Dark Knight" & "Girls Night Out"

 The New Batman Adventures

The two episodes I'm covering today are a bit of a departure from the norm and that is a good thing. It's great when shows try new things, even if they aren't totally successful. It shows that they don't want the show to become stagnant. Let's take a look at how successful these formula changes were in this case.

"The Truth Is Out There" Re-Watch: "Tooms" & "Born Again"

 The X-Files

Honestly, I am not sure what to write in this intro. So, I will just point out that Gillian posted a pic of her and David and her dog on Twitter and it was super cute. I love seeing them together, no matter what, even if it has nothing to do with the show. If you haven't seen the photo, definitely check it out. It' adorbs.

"foX-Men" Re-watch: X-Men

 "X-Men" (2000)

Believe it or not, there was a time when superhero films weren't the ubiquitous box office giants that they are today. After the box office dud and critical failure of "Batman & Robin," Studios weren't ready to take a chance on them, but 20th Century Fox had faith that a movie based on the reigning champs of the comics world would reinvigorate the genre and they weren't wrong. "X-Men" was the beginning of their take on the X-franchise that ended last year with the release of "The New Mutants." As we wait to see how the MCU is going to integrate Marvel's Merry Mutants into their shared universe, I thought it would be fun to re-watch and take a look back at the peaks and many valleys of this era beginning with the film that stated it all, 2000's "X-Men."

Principal photography on "X-Men" began on September 22, 1999 and ended on March 3, 2000. The film stars Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto, Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine, Halle Berry as Ororo Munroe/Storm, Famke Janssen as Jean Grey, James Marsden as Scott Summers/Cyclops, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as Raven Darkholme/Mystique, Bruce Davison as Senator Robert Kelly, Ray Park as Mortimer Toynbee/Toad, Tyler Mane as Victor Creed/Sabretooth, Shawn Ashmore as Bobby Drake/Iceman and Anna Paquin as Marie D'Ancanto/Rogue. The film was written by David Hayter. It was directed by Bryan Singer. "X-Men" was released on July 14, 2000.

"Hated and Feared" X-Men The Animated Series Re-watch: "Night of the Sentinels Parts 1 & 2"

 X-Men The Animated Series

This blog is supposed to be dedicated to my various nerdy interests. The things I consider to be a hardcore fanboy of and I realized that there is a real lack of one of my top 5 fandoms: the X-Men. If you have been reading my "Batman: The Animated Series" recaps from the beginning, first, Goddess bless you, secondly, you know that Batman was my first comic book fandom. It was "X-Men: the Animated Series" that turned me into a comic book fan and the X-Men the beating heart of that fandom that is still alive today.

"X-Men: The Animated Series" immediately hooked me. I felt a kinship to these mutants. It could be because I too felt like I was inherently different than everyone else, even if at 9 years old, I wasn't quite sure what that was. The X-Men are voices for anyone who felt in the minority. Who has been persecuted for being who they are, not accepted based on things they couldn't change. I immersed myself in the X-Men. If you're old enough, you might remember the Scholastic book orders that you'd get in elementary school. Shortly after "X-Men" premiered there was a guidebook that I begged my mom to buy and I wore that out. The X-Men have one of the most convoluted continuities of any comic book franchise and I could walk you through every single and twist and turn, every retcon, every horrible run, if you wanted me too. Trust me, you don't want me too. And it's all thanks to this animated series. 

"X-Men: The Animated Series" pulled heavily from the rich history of the comic it was based on. The team was an all-star roster but other famous mutants routinely made guest appearances. It relatively faithfully adapted major storylines like "Days of Future Past," "The Phoenix Saga" and "The Dark Phoenix Saga." It didn't shy away from adult subjects. The voice cast was stellar. It was one of, if not the first animated series to be serialized. Much like "B: TAS," a lot of modern day animated series owe a lot to "X-Men: The Animated Series." I'm very excited to experience this all over again. The show premiered with three special episodes aired weekly beginning October 31, 1992. It moved to it's regular Saturday morning perch on January 23, 1993. It ran for five seasons. I will be recapping these episodes in script order which is different than air date order so if you're following along on Disney+ you'll want to make sure you're watching the correct episode. Now, without further adieu, let's get to it.

Into the DC Murderverse: "Zack Snyder's Justice League"

"Zack Snyder's Justice League" (2021)

 

Well, you did it, Joe. You successfully bullied a major movie studio into releasing a new cut of a movie that came out 4 years ago. That's right, some of the most toxic fandoms in all of the fandoms (and that's saying something) after a years long campaign, got what they wanted. The release of The Snyder Cut of "Justice League." A 4 hour bloated magnum opus restoring Zack Snyder's "vision" after he left the project and Joss Whedon oversaw a Frankenstein's monster of tone that was unleashed on the unsuspecting public. So, hashtags work? I guess. We'll see how #RestoretheSnyderVerse fares. 

Principal photography on "Zack Snyder's Justice League" began in April 2016 and concluded in October 2016, (deja vu) with additional photography taking place in October 2020 costing an additional $70 million. The film stars Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman, Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash, Ray Fisher as Victor Stone/Cyborg, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Joe Morton as Silas Stone, Ryan Zheng as Ryan Choi, J.K. Simmons as Commissioner James Gordon, Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta, Amber Heard as Mera, Ciaran Hinds as Steppenwolf, Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko, Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, Ray Porter as Darkseid, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Harry Lennix as Calvin Stanwyck/Martian Manhunter, Billy Crudup as Henry Allen, Joe Manganiello as Slade Wilson/Deathstroke and Jared Leto as The Joker. The film was written by Chris Terrio. It was directed by Zack Snyder. "Zack Snyder's Justice League" was released exclusively on HBO Max on March 18, 2021.

A Long Time Ago, During the Clone Wars: "Holocron Heist," "Cargo of Doom" & "Children of the Force"

 Star Wars The Clone Wars

I feel like the second season of "The Clone Wars" is really where it becomes a must-see, fantastic addition to the "Star Wars" canon. I'm not sure what it was that changed. The writers stayed the same, but the show just feels more confident. Starting with season 2, each season had its own theme. Season 2 is "Rise of the Bounty Hunters." And now that we've left season one basically in the past, aside from episode 22 which will pop up down the road, I'm even more excited for this re-watch.

"In the Name of the Moon" Re-watch: "Total Chaos: The Messy Love Rectangle" & "Grandpa Loses Control: Rei in Danger"

 Sailor Moon

Spoiler alert. These two episodes are basically filler. You'll have that when you are producing 46 episodes of an anime television series. Not all filler is bad, though. So, let's dive right in.

"I Am the Night" Re-watch: "Old Wounds" & "The Demon Within"

 The New Batman Adventures

"The New Batman Adventures" can veer wildly from dark and broody to wacky and crazy and more in line with what you'd think of when you're watching a show aimed at children. These two episodes demonstrate that pretty well.

"The Truth Is Out There" Re-Watch: "Shapes" & "Darkness Falls"

 The X-Files

We are creeping closer to the end of the first season of "The X-Files." I have to say, this isn't my favorite season, but it is a really strong season. I just love season 2 and I think its where the show really hit its stride so I'm ready to get there!!

Re-Visiting the Marvel Cinematic Universe: WandaVision

 "WandaVision" (2021)

Flashback to the summer of 2019. "Avengers: Endgame" put a cap on the Infinity Saga and then "Spider-Man: Far From Home" capped Phase 3. At San Diego Comic Con, Marvel laid out its initial plans for Phase 4. Yes, we are going to have movies starting with "Black Widow" finally getting her own solo film but TV was also going to become a big part of the MCU phases going forward. It would start off with "The Falcon and the Winter Solider," "WandaVision" and "Loki." These would be shows that actual featured the principal big name stars of the MCU and would have actual repercussions on the films. It was an exciting time and then the Covid-19 pandemic hit and everything went to shit. We went a full year and half without any new MCU content. It was a dark time. That ended when it was announced that "WandaVision" would kick off Phase 4 and the new era of MCU television shows.

Principal photography on "WandaVision" began in November 2019 and production was halted in March 2020. It resumed in September 2020 and ended in November 2020. The show stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Paul Bettany as Vision, Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, Randall Park as Jimmy Woo, Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis and Evan Peters as Ralph Bohner. The show was created by Jan Shaeffer. "WandaVision" premiered on January 15, 2021 and the series finale aired on March 5, 2021.