Fan-Cast: What I Believe A Warner Bros. Flash Film Series Should Be Like

Superhero movies are practically everywhere in the film industry now a days, and now almost all of the most well known heroes including Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, Batman, Superman, and The Avengers themselves have all had a chance to get onto the big screen with great talented actors portraying them, memorable villains, and spectacular directors bringing their stories right off the page. But one of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to superhero films is why there hasn't even been a Flash film yet? Well while it seems Green Lantern has practically ruined the chances of a Flash film getting off the ground, I've developed my own ideas for a Flash film series that would hopefully be a lead up to a Justice League film in the future. 

So I basically want to see a total of four films in the Flash series, which should give us enough time to see both Barry Allen and Wally West as The Flash as well as the main members of their rogues gallery and the members of the Speed Force. The first film should basically be an origin story for Barry Allen and how he became the Flash as well as pitting him against Eobard Thawne aka Professor Zoom who has the same powers as Barry. Barry along with his nephew Wally he received the same powers as him done the identities of The Flash and Kid Flash facing off against their evil equivalents Professor Zoom and the reverse Kid Flash aka Inertia.

The second film of the series should pit Barry and Wally against the leader of Flash's Rogues gallery which is none other than Captain Cold and their first introduction the Max Mercury and the members of the Speed Force. The third film of the series would have the two now being pushed to their limitations of Flash's entire rogues gallery of villains and an unexpected arrival of a future Wally West now as the second Flash. He would be coming back to prevent the death of his aunt Iris West at the hands of Professor Zoom and the Rogues but the three eventually fail at their mission and are unable to save her (Similar to the comic storyline). This leaves our hero at a low point giving up the mantle of the Flash and passing it on to Wally West.

The sequel should take place years later and be based on The Flash: Rebirth story line. Barry Allen has since died and Wally is now The Flash with Bart Allen now as Impulse aka the new Kid Flash. That is where Barry Allen is revived and fights along with the current Flash, Wally West to identify a disruption in the Speed Force. Somewhere along the line the movie should have cameos by Superman (Owain Yeoman) and Green Lantern (Ryan Reynolds). The film will finally unite all the members of the Speed Force including Barry, Wally (As Kid Flash), adult Wally, Max Mercury, Impulse, and the original Flash Guy Garrick. The series should then end with both adult Wally and Barry traveling to the future and meeting the future third Flash who is revealed to be none other than Bart Allen/Impulse. And now for the cast:

                                 

Professor Zoom/Eobard Twane-Paul Bettany

As in my proposed Flash films Professor Zoom would be the primary villain, I really needed an actor who can give a great and menacing portrayal and really give off a threat for our Flash. Paul Bettany is a fantastic versatile actor who fits just that description, and he hasn't yet been given a strong villain role which I think he'd be great for.

Zoom/Hunter Zolomon-Ben Foster

For Hunter Zolomon I needed a younger actor who could bring us a more psychotic villain for our heroes, and Ben Foster has proven himself over the years by portraying roles with that characterization, as seen in Alpha Dog. But what really got me thinking Ben Foster would be a great superhero villain was his performance as Charlie Prince in 3: 10 to Yuma, which makes me believe he'd bring a lot of personality to the role and won't be overshadowed by Bettany in any way.

Impulse/Kid Flash/Bart Allen-Callan McAuliffe

After seeing him in Flipped and I Am Number Four, there's no doubt that McAuliffe is a great young talent in Hollywood, and he'd make a great superhero. He fits Bart Allen personality wise perfectly, and he'd really give us a fun energetic Impulse that's perfectly accurate to the comics.

Inertia/ Reverse Impulse-Jack Quaid

Like with both of the Zooms, I really needed someone vicious and menacing to pull of Inertia which are qualities that are very hard to find in a young actor. I eventually decided on Quaid, as shown in his performance as Marvel one of the Career tributes in The Hunger Games he was able to make the character very maniacal and mean spirited with barely any lines, so imagine what he could do with such a key role this time around.

ALLIES:

Superman/Clark Kent-Owain Yeoman

Somewhere along the lines in a Flash series I'd love to see a Superman or Clark Kent cameo come along. Superman and Flash have always been known to be a bit competitive when it comes to their speed so it'd be very interesting to see it portrayed on screen, and would give a great scene both visually and humorously. I decided not to go with the obvious choice of Henry Cavill who's playing him in Man of Steel for creative purposes, and if there was anyone else I'd want to see in the role it would've been Yeoman who always gives a great performance on The Mentalist and has Superman and Clark's character traits and physicality down.

Reprising The Role Of Green Lantern/ Hal Jordan- Ryan Reynolds

Okay, okay, so we all know Green Lantern was not a good film at all, but in all fairness Reynolds wasn't the weakest link of the film by a long shit. While it would be better for Warner Bros. to just reboot the franchise at this point, chances are they won't for productivity issues and their rush to a Justice League movie. But I don't want Green Lantern's solo film to effect his character in a DC Cinematic Universe, and the friendship between Hal Jordan and Barry Allen has always been a profound one in the comics. It would only make sense for Hal to appear in a Flash film, and having him portrayed by Reynolds seems to be the only way for it to happen.

THE ROGUES

Captain Cold-Michael Massee

Behind Zoom, Captain Cold is by far the villain that possess the biggest threat to the Flash of all the Rogues, so ideally he needs an actor that can portray him just as menacing as he should be. Massee is a great actor at playing cold villains and he's extremely underrated despite the fact that he brings a level on physiological complexion to his villainous characters. While it had seemed he was going to play Norman Osborn in The Amazing Spider-Man series (Something I was very excited to see) Chris Cooper (The Muppets) has since been casted in the role so that leaves Massee vacant to take on another superhero villain and who better than the leader of the Rogues himself; Captain Cold.

Heatwave-Logan Marshall Green

Heatwave is a pretty badass villain of the Flash that has just been made even more badass in the New 52, so  he's an ideal pick for a big screen Flash villain. Marshall-Green is a great actor as he displayed with his role in Ridley Scott's Prometheus and he reminds be a lot of a young Tom Hardy which is exactly the type of actor I picture in a role like Heatwave.

Weather Wizard-Andy Serkis

Andy Serkis is probably one of the most underrated actors of our time who's played such iconic motion capture roles as Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Gollum in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings series. But what most people don't know is that Serkis is a great actor outside of motion capture as well although he sadly hasn't been given a big blockbuster to show case his none mo-cap acting talent in. Well I think he'd play a great villain for the Flash with Weather Wizard and it'd finally give him the chance to showcase his variety with his acting abilities.

Trickster-Seann William Scott

Trickster is easily the most hilarious of the Flash's rogues gallery and he could provide audiences with one of the funniest movie villains ever. To bring Trickster to life we really need an actor who can bring the laughs just as much as the writing will and who better than Stifler himself. Scott has proven time and time again that he's one of the funniest actors around at playing Trickster type characters such as in American Pie, Role Models, and Dude Where's My Car, so he'd be the ideal choice for the role with out a doubt.

Captain Boomerang-Jason Clarke

Captain Boomerang as his name presumes isn't exactly the coolest villain out there, but DC has at least improved him in the comics more recently from his original appearance. None the less Boomerang would be another fun villain to have the Flash face off against but he also needs an actor who can bring a lot of seriousness and threatening persona that's need for any on screen villain. I finally decided on Jason Clarke, who has a rising career ahead of him after recently starring in Zero Dark Thirty and now playing the lead in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, but not only is he Australian like Boomerang but he can make the character much more menacing then he would be other wise and really provide and entertaining villain.

Mirror Master-Alexis Denisof

While Denisof starred in a minor role in The Avengers lat year as the Chituari "The Other", it doesn't make it impossible for him to play a DC villain as well. Denisof is an awesome actor who has proven himself numerous times in a number of Joss Whedon's works including Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Dollhouse. Not only that but Denisof voiced Mirror Master himself in both Justice League: Unlimited and Justice League: Doom and it's been the vest version of the character I've ever seen, so I'd love to see it again but this time on the big screen.

The Top-Bruce Campbell

While there had always been rumors that we'd eventually see Campbell as a Spider-Man villain in one of Sam Raimi's films (Rumored to be Mysterio) we never had the chance to see it happen. But with a film like the Flash comedic villains are the perfect fit for the Speedster to face off against, and while the Top may not be the coolest villain around Campbell would bring so much presence and personality to him like he did as Ash in Evil Dead that'd you'd almost forget The Top was as lame as he is and instead enjoy the character.

SPEED FORCE AND OTHER SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

Jay Garrick-Bruce Greenwood

Having been the first Flash of them all, it's only fair for Guy Garrick to have a role in a Flash movie series as a sort of mentor/father figure for Barry Allen. Bruce Greenwood fits the bill perfectly, and he'd bring the warm mentor qualities that I'd want for the role as well as some humor and banter between him Barry and Wally, and the more old school character. He'd be able to bring a similar relationship between him and Barry to that of his character Captain Pike with James T. Kirk in Star Trek. I also think Greenwood would be very believable as a man who was previously a superhero and is now handing down the mantel.

Linda Park- Grace Park

Grace Park is a phenomenal actress on Hawaii Five-0 and is almost a scene stealer most of the time and she works very well opposite both Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan. I think she'd give off a very strong and independent performance as Linda and she'd make her more than just Wally West's girlfriend and give her a lot of personality and character. 

Iris West-Kate Mara

While I had always thought Amy Adams would've been a great Iris West, she's obviously preoccupied playing Superman's love interest Lois Lane now in Man of Steel. So I decided on a new actress for the role which is Kate Mara, who's a great actress and has starred in such films as Iron Man 2 and 127 Hours but hasn't really been given a big role in any of these films. She fits the character if Iris perfectly and is the right age to work opposite my Barry Allen choice and continue on through the whole series of Flash films.

Max Mercury- Michael Keaton

John Slattery is usually cast as Max, but I'd thought I would get a more creative pick for the role of the most experienced of the speedsters, and who better than Michael Keaton himself. Keaton's obviously no stranger to playing a superhero as we know from Tim Burton's Batman, and it'd be great to see him back as a superhero and especially a DC one. Keaton seems to be making a comeback with roles in movies such as Need for Speed and the RoboCop reboot so it'd be fitting for him to have a role in a big block buster series like the Flash.

Adult Bart Allen/Flash-Mark-Paul Gosselaar

I personally feel that a Flash series should definitely involve time travel as it's one of his most key powers and with time travel also comes seeing past and future versions of certain characters, and one of these characters I believe should be an adult Bart Allen as the third Flash. It wouldn't be a large part but I feel it'd be a nice way to end the series showing the Bart will eventually take up the mantle, and maybe having him meet Barry and Wally and having all three of the Flashes all together in one place would be an awesome way to end a spectacular saga of The Flash. Gosselaar is obviously best known for his work as Zack Morris on Saved By The Bell, but since he's shown his more dramatic side on NYPD Blue and Raising the Bar. I think he'd be great alongside my other Flash choices, and he fits an older version of Callan McAuliffe well.

Kid Flash/Young Wally West- Dave Franco

Dave Franco had been my choice for a young Wally West for a long time my only concern now is that he might be too old for the role already being in his twenties to portray a "Kid" Flash and it woudn't be a big enough gap in age between him and my adult Wally West choice. None the less Franco has proven his comedic chops on both Scrubs and in 21 Jump Street and he'd really bring a lot of great humor to the film. He's also very believable as a younger version of my adult Wally West choice.

 Or Young Wally West/Kid Flash-Gabriel Basso

Since I still have concerns that Franco may be too old to play a teenage version of Wally West I've decided to go with a second and younger choice. Basso is a very talented young actor who has already established himself in a more comedic role in Super 8 as well as a more dramatic part in Kings of the Summer.  He fits the more teenage Wally well, as well as better physically resembling the character. My only problem with Basso as a young Wally is that he really doesn't look like my adult Wally choice where as Franco does.

Barry Allen/ The Flash-Scott Speedman

The Flash himself was actually the hardest role to cast, because honestly I couldn't even decide on which Flash to start off the series with. Originally I was going to go with Wally West to start the series since I loved his comedic touch to the team in the Justice League cartoon, but after a while I realized that you can't just skip over Barry Allen, and quite frankly he's also a very interesting character too. So after read the New 52 I went with Barry, and Speedman was the first person to come to mind. I could see him having great chemistry with my entire supporting cast, and he could still offer some comedic moments even if he isn't playing Wally. He's a great actor who can no doubt pull off the serious forensic scientist side of Barry, as well as the superhero Flash himself. 

And Wally West/The Flash-Mike Vogel

There's a lot of actors I considered for Wally West as he's one of the funniest and most free spirited heroes to ever grace a comic book so I really needed an actor that could translate those same traits on screen. I finally decided on Vogel he has the exact likable and funny personality Wally needs as well as the qualities of a hero in a blockbuster film. An adult Wally would obviously come later in the series after we've already seen him as Barry's sidekick as Kid Flash, so I needed an actor that could also show us a more matured version of Wally then his days as Kid Flash and one that would show qualities reminiscent of his mentor Barry and I think Vogel has all that down and displays some of the same personality traits as Speedman which would help make the Wally and Barry relationship feel much more realistic.

Music by Michael Giacchino

Giacchino is by far one of my favorite film composers around, and not only does he have the perfect tone and pace of music for a Flash film but he has also worked with my director choice numerous times in the past. Giacchino's score have a fast paced and light hearted feel to them that is exactly the type of music that fits a Flash film and is a great contrast from the usual darker superhero film scores such as Hans Zimmer's Dark Knight score (Which I love too but doesn't fit a character like The Flash). A perfect example of Giacchino's fast paced scores can be heard in both his Incredibles and John Carter scores but mainly in the race sequences of his Speed Racer score.

Directed by Brad Bird

While I considered a few other directors including Michael Gondry and Neil Burger, Brad Bird without a doubt is the perfect man for the job. He understands just about every element it would take to make a successful Flash film, and Bird has yet to direct a movie that hasn't impressed with highly praised animated films such as The Incredibles, The Iron Giant, and Ratatouille, as well as his live action film Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. He's proven that he understand how to tell an epic cinematic superhero tale through The Incredibles as well as his sense of jaw dropping action with Ghost Protocol. If there's any person I'd want a Flash series to be in the hands of it'd be Bird for sure.

So what do you think of my ideas for a Flash movie series? Do you have any ideas or casting suggestions of your own?

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Editorial: In My Opinion - My Views on Opinions of Movies

Well I'd like to start off by saying hi, I'm the new contributor to this excellent blog. I'll be called Alkazor, or Al. I'd thought before I get started with a review I'd just do this little piece about opinions and movies.When asked my favourite movie I reply with Back to the Future, as it is my favourite. I won't go into it much just now but it's just the comedy, characters and rewatchability which makes this such a great film. However, and this has happened at least three times, when I tell people this they often are startled. "Really?" they say, "I'm surprised." They don't deny it as a great movie, they just don't think it's the best, or they wouldn't expect it to be my favourite. But of course, we're perfectly entitled to have favourite movies because of opinion.

It got me thinking what opinion is when talking about movies. The Academy Awards for example, when choosing Best Picture are not judging their favourite movie of the year, nor the most enjoyable, but the most dramatically and technically astounding. Very rarely has a movie I wanted to win Best Picture ever been nominated, let alone win. (that said I absolutely loved Argo) And despite the flaws in the Academy Awards system and judges, most years they do pick the 'best' movie of the year, even if I preferred five others.

So this is where opinion comes in. If we are to look at it simply you could argue it's about what genres you like, for example I love superhero movies and one of my friends does not, therefore I love the Iron Man franchise and he less so. But that doesn't stop me liking Green Lantern movie (I'm so so sorry) and literally everyone else on the planet (except for, as Rotten Tomatoes informs me, Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times) hating it. Now we reach the first type of opinion, Agreeing to Disagree. I didn't think Green Lantern was the best movie ever, but I enjoyed watching it, I bought the DVD and if I watched it again I think I would enjoy it once more. What this means is I know that it has flaws, and I know why lots of people hate it, and I accept that it may be a sub-standard, dumb movie. But be that as it may, it's a sub-standard dumb movie that I like. I'm not asking anyone to like it because, most likely, it's a bad film.  And most people are fine with that. So everything's fine. But as long as I'm allowed to enjoy it, I'm happy. I don't want anyone else to join my legions of Kenneth and I in our quest for critical recognition of the super-awesome absolute gem that is Green Lantern.

But genres may not be all there is. The great Looper/Hunger Games Debate of 2012 between me and my friends saw to this. I'm all game for adolescent teens beating the bejesus out of each other with oppression blaring in our eardrums, as were my friends for a bit of science-fiction-action-time-travel-Bruce Willis-extravaganza. So why after we had seen both, were they in awe of The Hunger Games and shunned Looper as just an average movie despite all the hype, whereas I was the exact opposite? Now I'm not going to start the whole Looper plot-hole fight because personally as long as I don't notice plot-holes in a movie I'm fine, I can suspend my disbelief. But I loved Looper (as does Kenneth Turan, coincidentally). It was tense, fun, enjoyable and I really liked the ending. Then there's The Hunger Games, which for me, like The Amazing Spider-Man and Avatar I enjoyed watching but as soon as I stepped out the theatre I was like "Wait what that makes no sense and is dumb." It was an average movie, an enjoyable one, but still average (again, my dear friend Kenneth agrees) .This is still under the Agreeing to Disagree part of opinions, as I can understand why people don't like Looper and they can understand why I don't like The Hunger Games, but it sort of contradicts the genres point as they were both science fiction action movies. Which were executed pretty well, I'll admit. Opinion just decided to split our interests.


Then there's the second type of opinions, the What, seriously? type. I was sitting with my friend one day telling him my favourite movies and the film Donnie Darko (if you haven't seen it, check it out, it's so god damn good) and my friend immediately said, "No, I'm sorry, I hated it." I thought, how could this be? It had everything, psychological horror and science-fiction, time travel, a troubled main character looking for purpose played so very well by Jake Gyllenhaal, what wasn't to like?

Apparently, everything for my friend. While I'm not saying he should like it, I'm not forcing people to like films, I just didn't understand what was wrong. My friend in question likes all those elements as I do, maybe he just doesn't like the way they came together or maybe there was one thing that wasn't well done and it made it all fall apart.

My uncle has similar film tastes to mine and Donnie Darko is also one of his favourites. When talking to him about it, it seemed to almost convince me that I was right, and it was the fantastic film I thought it to be. But if you hop on to Rotten Tomatoes and dance your fingers over the keyboard to enter Back to the Future you'll see it currently stands on 97%. It's not a perfect movie, there's never going to be a perfect movie, at the end of the day your movie will impress some people and others not, that's life get over it. Opinion is what makes movies good, and what makes some movies better than others. That's why we have favourites. Because there may never be a perfect movie. But you can get damn well close.

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Movie Crossovers For Both G.I. Joe/Transformers And Pacific Rim/Godzilla Being Considered

If there's one thing that will guarantee big bucks at the box office, it's getting many well known actors and characters into on big action movie, a formula proven very successful by Marvel's The Avengers just last year. With the release of G.I. Joe Retaliation just last week, a third film has already been announced to be in the works after the sequel scored big at the box office, but it seems another project may also be in store for the franchise. Now it seems producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura is considering putting two of his properties; G.I. Joe and Transformers together in one film. In the meantime, Guillermo Del Toro, director of this summer's Pacific Rim, is also contemplating the idea of doing a crossover film with Gareth Edward's new Godzilla reboot. But will we be seeing the stars of these films all teamed up in one movie, and what type of plot will they use to get all these characters together? 

The G.I. Joe/Transformers crossover seems to be the much less surprising of the two, as both franchises are created by Hasbro, produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and are big money makers for Paramount Pictures. With Michael Bay's Transformers 4 set to be release summer of 2014 without Shia LaBeouf's Sam Witwicky leading the cast, it's likely the film could be focusing more on the NET division of the military from the series. It's still unknown just who Mark Wahlberg will be playing in Transformers 4, but many have assumed he will in fact be playing a soldier in the NET division, which is further supported by cats member Tyrese Gibson returning as NET soldier "Epps" for the first three films.

With Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson now practically leading the G.I. Joe series as Roadblock, if this crossover film really does come together then we'll be able to see The Rock reteaming with Wahlberg, as they'll both be starring in Michael Bay's Pain and Gain. Now depending on how much chemistry the two have on Pain and Gain, it seems a safe bet that Paramount is really considering the cash advantages of reteaming both Wahlberg and Johnson, especially if Michael Bay also directs the crossover film. Teaming up the Joes and the NET soldiers against a common threat lead by both Cobra Commander and Megatron seems like the type of plot we can expect to see if the crossover film goes through.

Now as for the other giant mechanical robots hitting the big screen this summer in Pacific Rim, director Guillermo Del Toro has brought up the possibility of a crossover film. Just a few weeks ago Gareth Edward's Godzilla reboot rolled into production for a 2014 release date. Godzilla also seems to have a very military based film, pitting the army against the giant reptile in an all out war. The film already has a very impressive cast which includes Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Ken Wantanabe (Inception), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum), Richard T. Jones (Super 8), Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky), and Aaron Taylor Johnson (Kick-Ass) in the lead role of a soldier in the army fending off Godzilla.

While Gareth Edward's still hasn't commented on the possibility (We wouldn't expect him to since he's currently focused on the movie at hand), it isn't too far fetched of an idea. Both properties are being produced by Legendary Pictures, and Guillermo Del Toro made Pacific Rim in the first place to acknowledge his inspiration from Japanese monster films, most notably the original Ishiro Honda Godzilla film. The plot of Pacific Rim even involves the government using giant robots called Jaguers controlled by two soldiers to fight off monsters called Kaiju, which is the exact species that Godzilla belongs too. So pitting Jaguers against THE Godzilla itself would actually make a lot more sense then a sequel of them just fitting more random Kaijus. There's also the fact that the original Godzilla franchise itself has been famous for pitting Godzilla against another threat of large scale such as King Kong Vs Godzilla, Mothra Vs Godzilla, Godzilla Vs Destoroyah, Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla, and more.

So what do you think of a Pacific Rim/Godzilla crossover? What about a G.I. Joe/Transformers one?

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Review: Evil Dead Will Swallow Your Soul, Y’know – In A Fun Way! Guest Post By Aaron

Guest Post by Aaron of TheCodeIsZeek.com. To bring some up to speed, I am a huge fan of the original Evil Dead trilogy. These films, directed by Sam “Spider-Man” Raimi and starring Bruce “Don’t Call Me Ash” Campbell, are ones that I watch every year in a marathon session and are known as cult favorites among many horror film fans. The idea of a remake could have been seen as sacrilege for a fan such as myself, but the fact that Raimi, Campbell, and producer Rob Tapert were behind the idea and heavily involved with the production made me hopeful. Given how the film played out, my optimism paid off, as this new Evil Dead is a wild ride that holds onto the spirit of the original, while amping up the quality of the blood, gore, dismembered limbs, vomit, and overall terror we see, thanks to the latest in modern technology when it comes to making this kind of movie. All of this and the film still managed to combine characters who take this stuff seriously with the wild and crazy fun seen in the film’s direction.

Evil Dead starts off with a familiar story, as five friends head to a remote cabin in the woods for a weekend-long trip. The reasons are a little different than normal however, as the purpose of this trip is to get Mia (Jane Levy) to stop doing drugs, by way of a “giving it up cold turkey” approach. Mia is joined by her friends Eric and Olivia (Lou Taylor Pucci and Jessica Lucas), her brother David (Shiloh Fernandez), and David’s girlfriend, Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore). The cabin they all stay in is an old family property (or at least some kind of timeshare), that David and Mia grew up with. Now, as much as an issue it is to keep Mia from doing something drastic as she goes through withdrawal, much, much worse things are in store for these people, as a trip to the cellar leads to the discovery of a book wrapped in barbed wire. The obvious thought would be to not open, let alone read from this book, but just that is done and it unleashes something very evil from within the woods. Soon, everyone in the cabin is subject to pure terror via possession or brutal attacks from those who are possessed. One can only hope that these people brought a change of clothes, because things are going to get messy.

After having watched the film, I can see what the appeal was in remaking the first film (and incorporating several elements from its sequel). Given that the first film was made by amateurs and starred amateurs, it is not surprising that the acting seen is not great and the effects are certainly dated. The real strength that remains intact for The Evil Dead is Sam Raimi’s frenetic direction. That film is fantastically innovative with its use of the camera and the overall intensity of its production. Evil Dead fortunately has a few good things in its corner, going in. The film has actors with experience, a big enough budget and improved technology to make the nasty stuff look proper nasty, and a lot of inventiveness from director and co-writer Fede Alvarez, who is clearly a huge fan of the franchise.

What this new film lacks in the way of true inventiveness, it makes up for in its overall “go for it” attitude that is quite present throughout. Alvarez has a good handle on how to make this a new and unique take on the series that is scattered with references to the original film, for sure, but certainly stands on its own and is readily accessible for everyone…who is a fan of very gory horror films. I may have seen this sort of story before, but it is presentation that is key and the work done to make this a pretty horrific film is very effective. For being such a dark and serious minded film (and I will address this in a bit), there is a great level of energy in it, which really keeps the film moving, as we witness some pretty crazy stuff going on in this cabin. Alvarez adds many of his own stylistic touches, such as the way he drops all sound in some instances, has the camera move fluidly in obscure manners, different from Raimi's ways, and finds places where he can just let his camera observe the horror occurring. With that, he also replicates some key shots, such as the POV shots of the woods, which many fans love.

Maybe one of the biggest compliments I can pay to Evil Dead is how I did not think of Cabin in the Woods, while watching it. I will say that Cabin in the Woods, one of the best films from 2012, set up certain points of view in regards to horror movie and how to regard them, ruining many in their wake in some instances, given how familiar certain plots and the threats involved are. Sitting through Evil Dead, I was not so much concerned with the thesis statement-turned horror film, conceived by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, so much as I was concerned with whether or not a girl would be alright, after forcing a box cutter on her own tongue. Credit goes to the filmmakers for keeping me so wrapped up in the atmosphere and story created by the film. To speak of said atmosphere and the overall vibe that the film goes for, I think there is a lot of concern as to whether this film will be “funny” in the same way the original is.  For that, I can only say that The Evil Dead was not built as a humorous feature when it was originally released.  It plays as a straight up horror film that happened to capture the imaginations of a drive-in horror crowd.  It has since become a more humorous feature to watch, but not because of its tone.  Evil Dead is the same way.  No one is trying to be funny in the film, but the mood does know how to straddle the line between deadly serious and over-the-top; most notably in regards to the very effective score by Roque Banos.

Wisely, this new film chose not to have a new “Ash”. Ash is the quintessential character of the original films and this new film avoids having to deal with the comparison. Instead, we have a pretty capable cast in terms of their performances, regardless of how bad certain decisions they make turn out to be.The story also sets up a good amount of proper cause for the characters to be where they are, let alone remain in the area. Now, this isn’t the deepest character study, but there was a good amount of effort put forward to have me give a damn for these people (and really resent the one guy who not only reads from the evil book that was locked in freaking barbed wire, but tries to translate it). There may be a lack of a truly charismatic lead such as Ash this time around, but it really wasn’t until Evil Dead 2 that Ash became such an iconic character, for those who are truly concerned with this factor.

To get back to the gore and nastiness of it all, I can say that that is generally not the kind of thing I go for in horror films. I am not a splatter guy and I also tend to not like seeing certain levels of mean-spiritedness. With that said, the Evil Dead films are my weakness, because for whatever reason, I get on board with what they have to offer. We see a ton of crazy effects of this film (all achieved practically, rather than through the use of CG) and it is shocking, gross, ridiculous, and kinda awesome all at the same time. And regarding the evil creatures and those who are possessed, rules generally do not apply, meaning that practically everything is possible and people suffer horrible because of it. That’s really one of my few quarrels with this film, given that it tries to establish some boundaries, rather than embrace the truly all-out mayhem seen in Raimi’s films. It is not too much of an issue however, because certain established scenarios lead to a final 15 minutes, which is full of utter horror brilliance.

While the deadites may try to take the souls out of the characters in the film, this film was not a soulless production. I had a lot of fun with this new Evil Dead and I think it has to do with how no one held back.It is certainly darker, in a sense, than the first film, but having the characters take everything serious in the midst of a film that indicates its inherit craziness via the crazy camera zooms and angles, along with the ridiculous amount of nasty stuff seen, makes for an Evil Dead film that I can get behind. Maybe in years to come we can look back at this film as a camp fest (much like the original), despite the fact that it plays as an effective horror film in its direction. For now, I will easily settle for this being a worthy companion film to The Evil Dead, whose tagline described it as “the ultimate experience in grueling terror.”This new film may not be “The most terrifying film you will ever experience,” as its tagline suggests, but it is pretty damn horrific in a very good way

Aaron gives Evil Dead 4 out of 5 stars:

Aaron is a writer/reviewer for WhySoBlu.com and TheCodeIsZeek.com. Follow him on Twitter@AaronsPS3. He also co-hosts a podcast,Out Now with Aaron and Abe, available via iTunes or at HHWLOD.com.

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Michael Bay's Ninja Turtles Casts Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, Noel Fisher, and Will Arnett

Well since it's conception, Michael Bay's produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot, also known as 'Ninja Turtles' hasn't exactly been shaping up to be a dream TMNT movie. First there's the fact that the movie's been delayed twice, secondly Battle: LA and Wrath of the Titans director Jonathan Liebsman signed on to head the film, and most horrifying was the leaked draft of the script that was released which involved alien Ninja Turtles and Shredder and the Foot being nothing more than a military unit. Our first casting news for the film was that of Megan Fox (Transformers) signing on to portray April O'Neil and actor Alan Ritchson (Hunger Games: Catching Fire) as Raphael, but now there's news that the rest of the turtle roles have been filled. Jeremy Howard has been cast as Donatello, Noel Fisher (Battle: LA) as Michelangelo, Pete Ploszek (Park's and Recreation) as Leonardo, and Will Arnett (Arrested Development) in an unspecified role.

The first casting announcement came just last month via Michael Bay's official website that he would be reteaming with Megan Fox for Ninja Turtles, but the role she was playing had not yet been specified. Well now we have confirmation that Fox is in fact playing April O'Neil, the human companion of the Ninja Turtles along with her boyfriend Casey Jones (Who has yet to be cast). The casting comes as a big surprise as Fox has a well publicized feud with Bay during the filming of the Transformers series going as far to comparing working with him to working with Hitler, and she was later replaced by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. None the less it seems Bay and Fox have been able to settle their differences for Ninja Turtles, although it probably helps that Bay isn't actually the director on this one and Jonathan Liebsman is.

After Fox's surprising casting came the casting of Alan Ritchson, best known for his performance as Aquaman on Smallville as the hot tempered brother of the Ninja Turtles Raphael. Now he is joined by actors  Jeremy Howard who is quite unknown but has starred in movies such as The Grinch and Galaxy Quest as the brains of the team Donatello, as well as also relatively unknown actor Pete Ploszek who has starred in an episode of Park and Recreation as the team's leader Leonardo, and Noel Fisher who has already worked with Liebsman on Battle: Los Angeles. The choices aren't exactly fitting in my eye but then again I've never seen Ploszek or Howard act, and I'm only familiar with Fisher from his young performance as bully Troy McKenzie in Max Keeble's Big Move. So in other words it'd be unfair to judge how they'd be in these roles yet.

Now we do know that Bay has spoken about how the Turtle's will be done in the movie, which will be using the mo-cap technology similar to the one used in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Avatar. Ritchson, Plostek, Howard, and Fisher will all probably be providing their likeness to the Turtles themselves (Such as their facial expressions, features, etc. in Turtle form) as well as also voicing the actors and maybe even providing for some of the martial art moves that the Turtles are known for. While the roles of the main Turtles were the most important to fill, there's still many supporting character that have yet to be cast such as the Turtle's sensei Master Splinter, April's boyfriend Casey Jones, and the main antagonist Shredder himself. Will Arnett, best known for his work on TV shows Arrest Development and 30 Rock has also joined the cast in an unspecified role, but it's been rumored that he's playing one of two roles. Either Vernon Kitbash, best known for being the snobby cameraman of April O'Neill in the original eighties cartoon, or Agent Bishop who was a popular character from the 2003 animated TMNT series who was the leader of the Earth Protection Force (Which fits with the alien based plot Bay and Liebsman seem to be going with for Ninja Turtles). 

So what do you think of the casting for Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donatello? Are you happy with Bay and Liebsman's choices? And who do you think Arnett will be playing?

Ninja Turtles is set to hit theaters June 6, 2014

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Fan-Cast: Top New Recruits I Want To See Join The Avengers 2 And Who Should Play Them

Like with any big blockbuster film, now that after years of anticipation The Avengers has finally been released, all audiences and fans alike can think about is the sequel. Well while it's still too early to really know any bit of information on the sequel, what I can tell you from having been a fan of the comics is that there will always be new faces joining the ranks of the Avengers team, and with Marvel already setting up Phase 2 of their Cinematic Universe, I can assure you that new characters will be introduced, and they will be for a reason. So I've decided to put together my own list of characters that I'd like to see join Earth's Mightiest next time around on the big screen, and my personal choices for those roles.

1. Ant-Man/Hank Pym-Ewan McGregor

While many movie goers have come to accept the line-up featured on the big screen this summer to have been the original Avengers, in reality this isn't the case. Neither Hawkeye nore Black Widow were original members of the team, but the famous super couple of Janet Van Dyne and Hank Pym aka Wasp and Ant-Man were. Neither Ant-Man or Wasp have been featured in the MCU yet, but with an Edgar Wright (Shaun of Dead, Scott Pilgrim) directed Ant-Man film already set up for Marvel's Phase 2, it's safe to say we'll finally be seeing them as part of the team. Ewan McGregor was not my original choice for the role, as I had considered Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight), Simon Baker (The Mentalist), and Patrick Wilson (Watchmen), but after hearing the suggestion of McGregor for the role I quickly caught on with the pick. McGregor was easily the best part of the Star Wars prequels, really carrying his own as a young Obi Wan Kenobi and he gave the role a lot more emotion and depth then even Alec Guinness did. After seeing him in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, I think Ewan is the perfect pick for Hank Pym, and it'd be great to see him interact with Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner and Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark.

2. Black Panther/T'Challa-Chadwick Boseman

Black Panther is easily one of the most well rounded Marvel superheroes ever, rivaling that of only Captain America himself. T'Challa's contributions and sacrifice for the team would be an excellent addition, as we saw in the Ultimate Avengers 2 animated film. Not only would T'Challa himself bring a lot to the table, but his home of Wakanda, Africa would be a great and different setting to introduce into the MCU, and maybe even use as the back drop for Avengers 2. While I had originally been all for actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (Serenity) taking on the mantle of the Black Panther, especially given his past with Joss Whedon, I decided that he's now too old to play the young prince of Wakanda. Chadwick is a very unknown actor currently, but he has a lot of talent that will be showcased soon in his portrayal of Jackie Robinson in 42. Just looking at the trailers and footage from the film, Boseman seems to have a very mature and likable persona as Jackie, which is something that is definitely need for a role like T'Challa. On top of that, I really wanted an actor that would work well opposite Chris Evan's Steve Rogers, and I think Chadwick is just the man for the job and he would bring even more younger talent to The Avengers line-up.

3. Luke Cage-Michael Jai White

Luke Cage has always been a favorite of mine, and he plays a key part in the Marvel comic universe having been a core member of the New Avengers, so it would only make sense that he'd have a key role in the MCU too. As a bullet proof man with super human strength Cage is like The Thing and Wolverine in one package (Give or take a few abilities of course). None the less Cage would be a great addition to the team, and while Terry Crews has always been a fan favorite for the part, my personal pick is none other than Michael Jai White. White is no stranger to comic book movies having already starred as Spawn and having a small role in The Dark Knight, but it's time for him to finally get a big lead as a hero and I think he was born to play Cage. Not only does he have the look, height, and physique down but White is also an expert in martial arts which would definitely make from great combat scenes in an Avengers action sequence during the film.

4. The Vision-Benedict Cumberbatch

As soon as Agent Phil Coulson died in The Avengers, rumors began speculated that we hadn't seen the last of Coulson. Word had spread the Coulson's brain wave patterns would be transferred to an artificial intelligence robot from the comics known as Vision. While the idea was far fetched, considering the fact that Hank Pym hasn't even been introduced yet and he invents the Vision, plus the brain wave patterns of the Vision in the comics belong to that of Wonder Man. So now that it seems Coulson will be back for Joss Whedon's planned SHIELD TV show, it seems the Vision rumors weren't exactly on point, but that doesn't mean we still shouldn't see the character. Now that we are finally getting an Ant-Man movie, we may finally get to see the Avengers take on Ultron, and android invented by Hank that basically goes rogue. Having Vision on the team would make a lot of sense to help the team take on Ultron, and wouldn't definitely make for an exciting match-up on screen. Now for a character like Vision, he would be heavily CGI based so we'd need an actor with a really profound and fitting voice to take on the part, and who better then Cumberbatch he has recently voiced Smaug in Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy and the villain John Harrison in Star Trek Into Darkness.

5. Dr. Strange/Stephen Strange-Luke Evans

Ever since the release of Thor, the chances of a Doctor Strange movie have become much more likely, after Thor has already introduced audiences to a more fantasy based and magic filled side of the MCU. Since the Warlock's Eye was spotted in Odin's vault during Thor, the Doc Strange movie has been inevitable, and he's own solo film can practically confirm him a spot of the Avengers roster. Although according to Kevin Fiege it seems we won't be seeing a Dr. Strange movie till Phase 3, rumors have circulated that a pre-Sorcerer Supreme Stephen Strange will be a part of Thor: Dark World. If this is true, I know just the guy who should play him and that's Luke Evans. Evans has proven himself to be an outstanding actor that fits the profile of Strange perfectly, and while many would type cast Johnny Depp into the role, Evans would be able to bring a much more interesting and accurate version of the character to life. Evan's hasn't been getting put in the best of film's lately which include Immortals, Three Musketeers, and Robin Hood, but now he's finally landed himself a role in the Hobbit trilogy which will hopefully help him grab Marvel's notice for the role of Strange.

6. Nova/Rick Rider-Scott Porter

Nova is easily one of the most badass heroes Marvel has to offer and one of the most deserving of big screen treatment. With Marvel now releasing Guardians of the Galaxy, chances of Nova making an appearance in the MCU are very high, but we still have yet to know whether he'll be appearing in GOTG or not. The line-up according to Marvel's released concept art at Comic Con includes only Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot, but rumors have pointed to the stars in the concept art shown at Comic Con that are nearly identical to the symbol of the Nova Corps. Nova has always been the most Earth bound of any member of GOTG, which is why he really isn't a consistent member, but of all the GOTG members Nova would be the most likely to cross pass with The Avengers and eventually join the team. Guardians would be a good way to introduce him to audiences for a bigger role as an Avengers member in a later film, and later appearances in Guardians sequels. As for who should play the role, Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights, Speed Racer) has openly expressed interest in the part, being a comic book fan himself, and he fits the part very well too. Now that Chris Pratt has been casted as Star-Lord, Porter seems to be a good fit for Nova age wise and would work well along Pratt on screen. 

So who would you like to see in Avengers 2? Do you agree with my casting choices?

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