Martyn and Gerrod bring you the latest in entertainment news, as well as a review of the new Nicolas Cage film, The unbearable weight of massive talent.
The podcast Smartlink.
Artwork by Beeble Pete. Adapted by Penny Smallshire.
Running Down Corridors can be found here.
We sound familiar can be found here, More than just an impression can be found here.
Comedians talking about football can be found here, Cister Act here.
It’s rarely a good sign, when the press screening for a film is the day before its release. So I attended the screening for this with very low expectations and those expectations were met.
“Morbius” is a very lacklustre and anti-climactic addition to the Sony Marvel universe. Jared Leto stars as Dr. Michael Morbius, a famed blood disease specialist who becomes a superhuman with vampiric abilities after his work goes awry.
Unfortunately, “Morbius” fails to elevate the originality of its comic book inspiration and instead relies on formulaic storytelling and forgettable characters. The lack of atmosphere and striking resonance robs the film of its ability to captivate and engage its audience. Despite the film’s special effects, they do little to salvage it from its poor craftsmanship and dull storytelling.
The one bright spot is Matt Smith’s portrayal of Morbius’s lifelong friend, Milo. Smith seems to be having an absolute blast in the role, injecting a much-needed dose of energy and charisma into the otherwise lackluster proceedings. Despite the script’s shortcomings, Smith’s performance is a testament to his talent as an actor and his ability to inject life into even the most underwritten of characters. While this may not be the vehicle that propels Smith to Hollywood stardom, his presence is certainly a welcome one in an otherwise forgettable film.
An amusing aspect is the film’s attempt to pass off London tube stations as New York City subways. Despite the best efforts of the production design team, the tube stations are unmistakably British. It is a reminder that no matter how big the budget or talented the crew, some details are just too difficult to fake convincingly.
The post-credit scenes add another layer of confusion around the Spider-Man anti-hero, leaving audiences with more questions than answers. It is a shame that even with ample time to rework its flaws, “Morbius” struggles to manifest its quality. As such, Sony Pictures has succeeded only in draining life from this vampire film, leaving it a forgettable addition to the Marvel Studios canon.
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Martyn and Gerrord are joined by Antoni Pearce. The dynamic trio talk about The Batman. Spoilers are contained within, obviously.
The podcast Smartlink.
Artwork by Beeble Pete. Adapted by Penny Smallshire.
We sound familiar can be found here, More than just an impression can be found here.
Comedians talking about football can be found here, Cister Act here.
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In just a few short years, Lizzie Hopley has cemented herself as one of the most consistent writers on the Big Finish roster. Returning to the Torchwood range for the first time since 2017, she gives us an interesting morality tale about care homes, loneliness, the treatment of elderly people and, the existential crisis of an AI.
Torchwood: Sonny follows fan-favourite Rhys (Kai Owen) as he enlists his mum, Brenda (Nerys Hughes) into helping Torchwood investigate a new fleet of robots, in a care home. At first, Brenda isn’t too pleased about this. But as time goes on, she becomes more and more dependent on her robot, named Sonny.
I had almost expected this to be a tale of robots taking over and attempting to enslave humanity. But Lizzie Hopley is so much smarter than that. She knows we’ve seen that trope a thousand times before. Instead of making us fear what robots could do to us, she makes us fear what robots could reveal about us.
Kai Owen, Nerys Hughes, and Steven Kynman are all terrific, and their relationships are convincing from the start. We all know Hughes is a particularly talented actress, but she absolutely shines in this audio. She portrays Brenda with such a raw vulnerability, that feels like an emotional gut-punch at times. There’s a wonderful complexity to Brenda, that I hope we get more of in the future. The supporting cast is also exceptionally strong, with Amerjit Deu, in particular, doing a fantastic job as Prudeep.
Sonny is not only a brilliantly comedic script, it’s also a deep exploration of what it means to feel isolated. Hopley manages to convey the monotony of being in a care home, without the story being boring. Lisa Bowerman’s direction is flawless and keeps the story going at exactly the right pace, this is all beautifully accompanied by Steve Wright’s soundtrack.
I’ve said it before, but I think it bears repeating. Torchwood on Big Finish is Torchwood at its absolute best.
Torchwood: Sonny is available to buy from the Big Finish website.
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Synopsis:
We all know that billionaire Bruce Wayne is secretly Gotham City’s vigilante detective and protector, The Batman—but what road led him there? Find out in Before The Batman: An Original Movie Novel, which includes an exciting original story of Bruce Wayne’s early adventures on his way to becoming The Batman!
Written by David Lewman, Before The Batman, is a young adult novel, which essentially acts as a prequel to The Batman. It follows a 17-year-old Bruce Wayne, about a decade and a half before he dons the cape and cowl.
Given the target audience, this isn’t a complex read. I blitzed through it in about 90 minutes. However, I had a lot more fun with this than I anticipated. It’s an intriguing look at Batman’s early years, laying the groundwork for the universe of the film, without rehashing what we’ve previously seen. We learn a bit more about Alfred and his military days, as well as The Riddler and the parallels between him and Bruce Wayne.
The book isn’t a required read before seeing the film, but it does a great job of expanding the mythology that’s established in the film.
The book includes a few behind-the-scenes images from the film, as well as a small poster.
The Foo Fighters, one of the most successful rock bands of all time, are facing a major hurdle. They are struggling to write their 10th studio album, and are in desperate need of inspiration. Lead singer Dave Grohl, always eager to try something new, suggests that they record in an ominous mansion known for its supernatural activity. The band agrees, thinking that the creepy death atmosphere and eerie acoustics of the mansion will spark their creative juices.
As soon as they enter the mansion, strange occurrences begin to happen. The band members start seeing apparitions and experiencing unexplainable events. They soon realise that they are not alone in the mansion and that supernatural forces are at play.
Despite the danger, the band decides to continue recording in the mansion. As they try to navigate the creepy surroundings, they also deal with their own interpersonal issues. Celebrity cameos and unexpected plot twists add to the suspense and humor of the film.
Studio 666 is a mixed bag, part-comedy, part-horror, and part-90s slasher throwback. The plot is formulaic, but the characters are lovable and relatable. The acting may not be Oscar-worthy, but the band members’ chemistry is palpable. The film is a proper B-movie, reminiscent of the classics from decades ago.
Studio 666 is a fun and entertaining ride, perfect for fans of the band and lovers of classic horror-comedies.
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It’s weird being a Spider-Man fan, I’m old enough to remember the original reaction to ‘The clone saga’. People hated it, they hated there was a Spider-Man that wasn’t Peter Parker. Nowdays, the appeal of the character seems to be that there are thousands of variations.
Written by J.M. DeMatteis, Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #1, picks up shortly after Ben Reilly took over the mantle of Spider-Man from Peter Parker (before to the Beyond Saga), and he’s having identity issues.
The resurrection of Carrion, a living virus, as well as other villains from Peter’s past, doesn’t help matters.
DeMatteis transports the reader to the aftermath of the clone saga and tells a compelling story about a conflicted hero attempting to figure out who and what he truly is.
I adored the story’s complexities and Ben’s internal battle. His personality is intriguing, and the darkness within him makes the reader interested in his decisions. I’m really looking forward to seeing where this tale leads, and the conclusion of this issue has piqued my interest even more.
With its amazing attention to detail and unique, engaging style, David Baldeon’s art continues to excite and impress. His work manages to convey character feelings, as well as fantastic action and catches the 90s vibe.
Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #1 is a solid issue. It’s almost as if Ben Reilly has come full circle, since his first appearance so many decades ago, and this is a great example of how successfully the character can be handled.
There’s a lot to be explored, and this series feels like it might be the ultimate piece of proof that his long-ago creation was, in fact, a great idea.
Listen to our review of Spider-Man: No way home here.
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Scream 2022 is a “re-quel,” part reboot and part sequel, which brings back some familiar faces while introducing a new cast of characters.
I must admit, I had our reservations going into this film. It’s been 25 years since the original Scream hit cinemas and made a lasting impact on the horror genre. Could this new take live up to its predecessor’s legacy?
After watching the film, I can say with confidence that it does deliver some thrills and chills. The film’s brutality is certainly a step up from the previous installments, with plenty of blood and gore to satisfy horror fans. However, I do have some reservations.
Firstly, the film can be quite silly at times, with tenuous links to the original and some questionable plot points. It’s not always clear if the film is trying to pay homage to its predecessors or simply rehashing old ideas.
On the other hand, the film is still chock-full of horror references and genre awareness, which is sure to please die-hard fans. The co-directors do an excellent job of inserting nods to Wes Craven’s work and playing with genre conventions.
The cast also delivers strong performances, particularly Melissa Barrera as Sam and Jenna Ortega as Tara. They have great chemistry and bring a fresh energy to the film. It’s also great to see Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courtney Cox return to their iconic roles.
Overall, Scream 2022 is a fun and entertaining horror movie that will satisfy fans of the genre. While it may not have the same impact as the original, it’s still a solid addition to the franchise.
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Martyn, Chris and Sam discuss the latest New Year’s Day special of Doctor Who, Eve of the Daleks.
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This weekend, fan-favourite Cobra Kai returns to Netflix for its fourth series.
In this series, we see Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) pair up with his long-term enemy, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). The duo has put aside their differences and merged their classes, in order of giving their students a chance at winning the tournament against the Cobra Kai dojo, now managed by John Kreese (Martin Kove).
This was never going to be an easy match, especially now that Kreese’s old war buddy, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) has returned. Everyone is on the edge and unsure of what to expect.
This series returns to a more character-driven narrative, that some fans may have felt was missing from series 3. Thomas Ian Griffith is clearly having the time of his life, playing a complete psychopath and he’s exactly what the show needed. Johnny’s estranged son, Robbie (Tanner Buchanan) has joined Cobra Kai and is teaching them everything he learned from Daniel and Miyagi-Do. Samatha (Mary Mouser) has fully embraced Johnny’s “strike-first” attitude.
There are some twists and turns that I won’t spoil here. We also get to see a lot more of Daniel’s son, Anthony LaRusso (Griffin Santopietro). This is nice, as he’s mostly just been in the background for a lot of the show. We’re also introduced to a new character, Kenny (Dallas Dupree Young).
It’s a fantastic set of episodes that move the story forward and set up the future of the franchise. I came away from this extremely excited for series 5. However, the first eight episodes do sometimes feel like they’re just treading water until the tournament in the last two.
Series 5 has already been greenlit, so I can’t wait to see where they take this franchise next.
Cobra Kai returns to Netflix on New Year’s Eve.
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