THE HUNT Spoiler-Free Review; “[The Movie] Belongs To The Amazing Betty Gilpin”

Image

Originally set to be released last September, The Hunt was delayed due to online backlash (which, as per usual, was a result of people getting the complete wrong end of the stick and blowing things out of proportion). Well, after arriving in theaters just one week ago, the Coronavirus pandemic has forced Universal Pictures to make the thriller/horror satire available on Digital platforms months earlier than expected. When the film’s new release date was revealed, it was accompanied by a poster touting descriptions like, “Demented And Evil,” “A Disturbance To Our Country,” and “Not Appropriate.” The question is, does director Craig Zobel and writers Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof’s jabs at the political divide between the American left and right deserve such a skewering?

Not really! Yes, it points out the flaws in both sides of the argument, but no one here is really unfairly targeted, and it all feels like it’s meant in jest rather than a particularly serious look at a split in opinion which has torn the United States in half in recent years. Perhaps it’s easier not to be offended when you’re on the outside of that argument, but calling The Hunt “controversial” could be a step too far. 

The concept of a group of strangers being hunted by a “superior” one isn’t a new one, but there are lots of great ideas on offer here, some of which are surprisingly original. The Hunt delivers some killer twists, while the gory deaths are bound to well-received by horror fans. It goes without saying that there are plenty of casualties, and some big name cast members being killed off relatively early results in some jaw-dropping moments which makes it hard not to want to stick around to see what comes next. With the lines between both sides somewhat blurred (there are villains, but which side you fall on might depend), it’s not always easy to know who to root for; however, that’s where Betty Gilpin’s Crystal comes in. 

If you’ve watched GLOW, then you’ll know that the actress is great at what she does. Here, she delivers a real star-making performance, and proves that she’s someone who can hold her own as a lead. With any luck, we’ll see Gilpin’s profile continue to rise on the big screen moving forward as she definitely deserves better than The Grudge! Ike Barinholtz, Emma Roberts, Hilary Swank, Justin Hartley, and Ethan Suplee are all also memorable, but there’s only one person you’ll be talking about after the credits roll (particularly after an excellently choreographed fight scene during the final act). 

In some ways, The Hunt feels more like a TV pilot than a feature, and the fact it’s never really a full-blown horror movie or political satire leaves it hard to fully understand what Zobel was going for. The ideas here are clever, yes, but they’re never really explored beyond a surface level. Ultimately, it’s a concept which probably would have worked better over the course of eight episodes rather than ninety minutes. In fact, yes, this is a film that would almost certainly made a better TV show…and not just because spending more time with Gilpin’s badass military vet would have been a huge amount of fun. 

The Hunt belongs to the amazing Betty Gilpin, and while it delivers some big shocks and thrilling moments, it’s not quite as controversial as you might have been led to believe. 

Ke1

Powered by WPeMatico

Universal Refuses To Comment On The “Butthole Cut” Of CATS As More Bizarre Details Emerge

Image

Yesterday, we told you about a strange new Cats rumor which claimed that a “Butthole Cut” of Cats exists somewhere in the depths of Universal Pictures. 

Since then, the claims have gone viral, and Vanity Fair has decided to do some digging. They asked the person who first shared these bold claims for more intel and learned that he first heard of this alternate version of the poorly received musical around New Year’s. However, his anonymous VFX source has provided online personality Ben Mekler with a few extra details:

URGENT #ReleaseTheButtholeCut update/clarification, emailed to me by a CATS VFX crewmember who has asked to remain anonymous pic.twitter.com/nmta9CG08E

— ben mekler (@benmekler) March 18, 2020

From there, Vanity Fair reached out to Universal for comment, and a spokesperson for the film studio behind Cats started by saying the query was their “favorite email of ALL TIME” before adding that they can’t possibly say anything about the #ReleaseTheButtholeCut uprising. “Hopefully that will add to the magic and mythical nature of the cinematic treasure,” they added.

A spokesperson for Mill Film, the VFX company behind Cats, also refused to comment due to NDAs.
 
That’s probably not the answer you were hoping for, but in many ways, it just makes this already legendary alternate version of Cats even more highly sought after and mysterious! 
 
Click HERE for more #ReleaseTheButtholeCut news from CBM!

Powered by WPeMatico

Disney World And Disneyland Could Be Losing Up To $30 Million Per Day During COVID-19 Closure

Image

The entertainment industry is being hit by the coronavirus in a major way, and not even theme parks are safe from this pandemic. Recently, Disney decided to close the doors of both Disneyland in Anaheim, California and Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Disney Cruise Line has also suspended departures, and the pause button really has been hit on the most Magical Place on Earth! 

Described as “revenue-crushing decisions” by Variety, the site reveals that these forced closures (which are meant to help stem the COVID-19 outbreak) are going to result in major losses. 

“Theme parks, experiences (like cruises) and consumer products made up nearly half — 45% — of the company’s operating income last year,” they reveal. “Every day that Disney’s domestic parks are closed costs the company $20 million to $30 million, estimates Barclays’ Venkateshwar.”

Those are jaw-dropping numbers, and even though Disney has enough capital to recover, it’s no wonder that there are rumours Apple is hoping to swoop in and buy the company in its darkest hour.

That probably isn’t going to actually happen, but with the Parks set to remain closed until the end of this month and well into April as well, Disney must be stressed looking at their balance sheets! Fans are bound to flock back eventually, and if you plan on being among them, you should probably check out our Disney World guide for Marvel and Star Wars fans.

Click HERE for more Disney news from CBM!

Powered by WPeMatico

SUPERNATURAL Was Just Made Canon In The DC Comic Book Universe In TEEN TITANS #40

Image

We’re big fans of Supernatural here at CBM, so we definitely got a kick out of yesterday’s issue of Teen Titans #40. In the issue from Adam Glass, Robbie Thompson, Eduardo Pansica, Julio Ferreira, Marcelo Maiolo, and Rob Leigh, we see Damian Wayne explain to his teammates that they’re going to Hell, and Robin describes that as “a backdoor to Purgatory.”

Roundhouse then drops a references to The CW’s Supernatural, saying: “This is some straight-up Sam and Dean stuff.” Another apparent nod to the long-running series comes when Damian talks about a Book of the Damned, the DC Universe version of that familiar totem from the show.

It’s okay for Teen Titans to mention Supernatural like this because both The CW and DC Comics are owned by Warner Bros. Sam and Dean Wichester’sn adventures also played out in a short-lived comic book series from DC imprint Wildstorm in 2011 and 2012. It’s surprising there haven’t been more comics since then, especially as the TV show remains massively popular! 

Teen Titans #40 went on sale yesterday.
 
Click HERE for more Supernatural news from CBM!
 
121
 
“Djinn War” continues! Elias and his army of genies have begun their assault on heaven, and the only person capable of stopping him is his younger sister Djinn—who is currently trapped in purgatory. But Robin, Crush and the rest of the Teen Titans have a plan to bust her out—and the road to purgatory goes through hell itself. But how do you get to hell, you ask? Simple…you only have to die!

Powered by WPeMatico

HARLEY QUINN: Everything Is Bigger And Raunchier In The Exciting New Trailer For Season 2

Image

Following the events of the explosive season 1 finale, Harley Quinn and her crew are operating in a drastically changed Gotham, as Batman and the Joker are now seemingly out of the picture. And based on a new trailer for season 2, Harley and other Bat-Villains, are looking to capitalize on the new status quo.

Of course, in typical Harley Quinn fashion, these escapades will involve the usual over-the-top violence and humor that many have come to enjoy about the DC Universe series. And with Quinn seemingly facing off against fellow baddies like Bane, it’s clear things won’t be easy for her crew.

On top of revealing a few new plot details, the latest trailer also highlights some of the new faces that will appear in season 2, including Batgirl (Briana Cuoco), Catwoman (Sanaa Lathan), and Mr. Freeze (Alfred Molina). And while we don’t see the man himself, the shot of Tony Hale’s Dr. Psycho riding a Parademon has left many fans speculating whether we’ll see Harley encounter the mighty Darkseid.

Check out the exciting new footage below:

Season 2 of Harley Quinn is set to premiere on the DC Universe streaming service April 3rd.

Powered by WPeMatico

SOLO And MAN-WOLF Spinoffs Reportedly In Development As Part Of Sony’s Universe Of Marvel Characters

Image

The Illuminerdi has been sharing quite a few seemingly very reliable rumours as of late, and they’re now claiming to know of at least two more Spider-Man spinoffs on the way from Sony Pictures!

The SUMC (Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters) is clearly going to expand greatly over the next few years, and while it sounds like it’s still very early days for these movies, they’re definitely not necessarily characters we would have expected the studio to be prioritising from the wall-crawler’s world.

Apparently, both Solo and Man-Wolf are now being developed by Sony as their own movies. 

To call Solo an obscure character would probably be an understatement; also known as James Bourne, the counter-terrorism specialist is an expert fighter and marksman. He’s enhanced with cybernetic implants and can teleport short distances, so Sony clearly views this as a big action adventure. 

Man-Wolf, meanwhile, is astronaut John Jameson, the son of TheDailyBugle.net’s J. Jonah Jameson. After landing on the Moon, he found a mysterious lunar rock which transformed him into this uncontrollable beast. Needless to say, it’s easy to see how this could tie into everything from Venom to Morbius!

Time will tell whether these happen, but it’s definitely not hard to be intrigued by the projects…

Hit the “Next” button below to check out 10 feel-good
superhero movies to watch if you’re stuck at home!

10. Spider-Man 2

Spider-Man-2

This one is a classic. Sam Raimi does get a little dark at times, but for the most part, it’s a superhero movie from a far more innocent time with a tone in line with those early Spidey adventures from Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

Whether it’s a goofy Peter Parker walking around to the tune of “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” or the web-slinger battling Doctor Octopus atop a moving train, there’s loads here to love, and it’s no wonder many comic book fans still consider the 2004 release to be the best Spider-Man movie. 

Considering the fact that this came out around a decade and a half ago, the sequel still looks, well, spectacular, and it’s simply not possible to do anything other than have a great time watching this classic, old-school adventure.
 

9. The Incredible Hulk

Hulk

Look, we know The Incredible Hulk is pretty much the black sheep of the Marvel Studios family thanks to that very public falling out with star Edward Norton, but it’s dumb fun most of the time, and that final battle between the Jade Giant and Abomination remains an action-packed blast from start to finish. 

This reboot doesn’t boast the strongest of stories, and it’s never going to be remembered as fondly as Iron Man, but if you’re just looking to switch off and have a good time, you could do worse than The Incredible Hulk

With She-Hulk coming to Disney+ at some point in the not too distant future, now might also be a good time to revisit this early entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After all, characters like General “Thunderbolt” Ross and even The Leader are expected to make some sort of appearance there.
 

8. Ant-Man

Ant-Man

We’ll forever regret not getting to see Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man, as it would have surely been a unique and weird movie every bit as fun as the likes of Hot Fuzz and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

Still, Peyton Reed did an admirable enough job after boarding the project relatively late in the day, and Ant-Man stands out as one of the more enjoyable Marvel Cinematic Universe origin stories. 

It’s silly, full of inventive shrinking sequences, and boats an excellent comedic performance from Paul Rudd. Ant-Man and the Wasp is decent, but not quite as memorable as this first effort.
 

7. Venom

Venom

We didn’t exactly love Venom here at CBM, but the movie’s box office takings prove that it connected with audiences in a significant way. Honestly, it’s easy enough to see why that is. 

After all, while Venom doesn’t stick to the source material in terms of how Eddie Brock and his “other” are portrayed, it boasts a downright bizarre and easily watchable performance from Tom Hardy, not to mention a quirky tone which makes this unlike any other superhero movie on this list (who would have ever imagined Venom called Eddie a “p*ssy”?). 

Providing you don’t take it too seriously and just want to have a fun time watching what’s best described as a ridiculous popcorn flick, Venom is well-worth checking out again. 
 

6. Iron Man 3

Iron-Man-3

It’s been seven years since Iron Man 3 was released and we’re finally going to see the real Mandarin in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. With that in mind, can we finally move on from hating Shane Black’s comedic Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, and actually acknowledge its greatness?

The big “Trevor” twist was actually pretty funny, while this threequel as a whole took the comedic tone Joss Whedon added to this shared world with The Avengers and really ran with it. 

The sequence with Air Force One going down remains a jaw-dropping highlight, Tony Stark’s unexpected friendship with Harley Keener is undeniably touching, and that final battle with “The Mandarin” as Iron Man unleashes an entire army in a bid to save the President is downright awesome. 
 

5. The Avengers

Avengers1

Once upon a time, we simply couldn’t imagine a movie like The Avengers happening. If you were on this site in the early 2010s, you’ll know that everyone was taking a “we’ll believe it when we see it” approach to the Marvel Studios movie as it just didn’t seem like an actual, realistic possibility!

Well, it happened, and writer/director Joss Whedon managed to completely knock it out of the park.

As we mentioned above, the filmmaker introduced a somewhat more comedic tone to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with The Avengers, and what followed was an exciting, funny, and all-round enjoyable team-up movie which finally brought Earth’s Mightiest Heroes together on screen. Yes, the sequels were better, but this perhaps remains the most enjoyable instalment of the franchise.
 

4. Spider-Man: Far From Home

FFH

Spider-Man: Far From Home is a very different type of sequel to 2004’s Spider-Man 2, but it’s should definitely still be considered “feel-good” (even if it does kick off with Peter Parker mourning Tony Stark, something which looms large over a fairly large part of the movie if we’re being honest).

That aside, though, and whether we’re talking about those thrilling fights against Mysterio’s Elementals or the mind-blowing illusion sequence – which remains one of the best in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe’s history – there’s a lot of have fun with in a film every bit as good as Sam Raimi’s.

Throw in that cute love story between Peter and MJ, and even with a shocking cliffhanger ending, you’ll walk away from the Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel with a massive grin on your face.
 

3. Thor: Ragnarok

Ragnarok

The sudden shift in tone came as a surprise to a lot of fans, but Taika Waititi saved the Thor franchise with this threequel and delivered a colourful, vibrant adventure which also put the spotlight on The Hulk (adapting elements from the Planet Hulk storyline in the process). 

Korg remains a highlight, of course, and you’ll be laughing from start to finish watching this film. 

Mistakes were made here – the treatment of The Warriors Three and Odin’s demise, for example – but those are easy enough to forgive when everything else we see is so much damn fun. Watching the God of Thunder kick ass to the “Immigrant Song” is never anything other than a blast, while the addition of Jeff Goldbum obviously goes a long way in making this a feel-good hit. 
 

2. Deadpool

Deadpool

Deadpool is a little rough around the edges and full of crude humour, but the Merc with the Mouth’s (proper) big screen debut is still better than the disappointing sequel. Sure, it doesn’t include the likes of Cable and Domino, but it does feature a sweet love story between Wade Wilson and Vanessa, not to mention some huge laughs courtesy of Ryan Reynolds.

The actor really is on top form here, and you’ll be desperate to see his version of Deadpool in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by the time all is said and done. 

For a movie which was constantly having its budget cut by Fox, it also manages to excel in terms of action. Deadpool’s battle with “Francis” on that Helicarrier lookalike was excellent, while Colossus’ role should make any fan of the X-Men happy (certainly more so than going back and watching any of the X-Men movies). 
 

1. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Groot

Guardians of the Galaxy was an awesome ride with a killer soundtrack, but the sequel just manages to beat it. Sure, it gets a little bogged down in all the Ego stuff at times, but how can you not love the addition of Mantis to the franchise, not to mention Star-Lord’s touching relationship with Yondu. 

If nothing else, that wonderful opening sequence with Baby Groot dancing to “Mr. Blue Sky” will leave you smiling from ear to ear, as will the rest of the sentient tree’s antics throughout this sequel.

Baby Groot aside, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 remains one of the best Marvel Studios movies to date, and that soundtrack alone is bound to brighten your day. We could be waiting a while for Vol. 3 seeing as James Gunn is busy with The Suicide Squad, but it will take an awful lot to top this one. 

Powered by WPeMatico