SPOILER Magazine June 2021

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OUR TEAM Editor-in-Chief Galaxy Print Editor Art Director Sara Hope Kent Klarks Design and illustration Supervisor Ronald Garcia Design Manager Zerologhy Copy Editor Ethan Brehm

INSIDE OUR y UNIVERSE x a l a

by G Welcome back to another amazing issue of SPO!LER!

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With the outside world returning to a sense of normalcy, the fandom world is getting a new breath of life as well. Conventions are being planned and theaters are starting to open up just in time for the summer movie season. Here at SPO!LER we’re planning our own fan events for the future, as a chance to see all of you in person. So be on the lookout for that news on our social media pages.

We’re excited for this current issue of the magazine, which features actor and character profiles for the upcoming DC film The Suicide Squad. We’re giving you all a little taste of what’s to come with one of the Extended Universe’s biggest releases yet!

Our amazing team has also provided you tons of other great original content, packing these pages with interviews, movie reviews, comic book reviews, as well as other fun features.

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We truly wouldn’t be here without each and every one of you, and we can’t wait to continue this journey into the future.

I Love You All...

Galaxy Galaxy EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @ComicConRadio june 2021|

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table of contents

FEATURES

42 the suicide squad mega feature Meet the Squad

SPOILER MAGAZINE TABLE OF CONTENTS

the watch 12 covered in dust: a history of vhs

26 mortal kombat vs mortal kombat

120 hollywood 2.0

34 the adventure zone

the base 156 at the movies

176 Comic Book Review www.spoilermagazine.com | Follow us on Instagram: @SpoilerMedia

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imagine it’s 1972 and you’ve just watched a movie in theaters and fell in love with it. You go back to watch it again once, maybe twice more, but after a few months that movie leaves theaters, leaving you with no hope of ever seeing it again unless it winds up on television a few years later— but even then, with commercials or, if the film is R-rated, with edits.

The Godfather, which was easily the biggest release of 1972, eventually aired on TV two and a half years after its theatrical debut, but the three-hour movie was split up into two parts across two nights.

However, with a movie like, say, Deliverance—the fourth highest grossing movie of 1972—there would be no such chance, unless perhaps you had a projector and a 35mm print of the film.

Needless to say, this system was neither fun for the average movie fan nor the aspiring filmmaker, many of whom would go back to watch the movie several times and take copious notes in order to apply, in the case of The Godfather, director Francis

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Ford Coppola’s techniques to his or her own craft. Not to mention, if you lived in a small rural town with one single-screen theater, your chances of seeing independent or foreign films was essentially nil. This was not a conducive way to propagate enthusiasm and inspiration for art. If a fan of Vincent van Gogh wanted to copy his style, they could simply find an image of his painting in any library or encyclopedia. They could study it for hours, revisit it, develop different interpretations on the subject, and even go back and challenge their previous notions. Cinema at that time did not have the same ubiquity

Sony/Timetoast/Panasonic/TDK

BY ETHAN BREHM

or means for analysis unless you studied it in an academic setting.

Home video was the inevitable— and necessary—next stage in the medium’s evolution.

The ability to be able to choose which theatrical movies to watch from the comfort of your own home, beginning in the late-’70s, was not one that was born out of luxury, but necessity. At that time movies were really only available in two ways: in a cinema or on broadcast television— neither of which allowed for any sort of dissection or obsession.

Your tastes had to be the same as the populace, otherwise you were limited in how much you could enjoy the movies you loved. And even if the movie you loved was popular enough to get a TV deal in a few years, you wouldn’t be able to pause or rewind it. The advent of video tapes and being able to watch and rewatch movies at home not only elevated our enthusiasm for cinema, but manually encouraged an obsession for film for the first time on this broad of a scope.

Home video technology was easily one of the most important innovations in the entertainment industry, and the biggest since the dawn of television. The popularity of the VHS tape not only allowed for home media recording, but also the ability to watch virtually any movie you wanted from your own recliner. Simply put, the line between VHS and Netflix is clean and direct.

Home media paved the way for streaming and being able to fit all of this media into your own schedule instead of the other way around.

However, the road traversed prior to

the introduction of VHS was a little bumpier.

Modern home video technology dates back as early as 1951 when Bing Crosby, of all people, inquired to his recording engineer about the capability to record television in a similar way that you would record audio: reel-to-reel. Crosby approached electronics company Ampex to see if they could develop such a device. However, following a string of unsuccessful attempts, it wasn’t until 1956 when the first commercially viable video tape recorder (VTR) was made available in the form of the Ampex VRX1000, the first of the company’s line of quadruplex video recorders.

The problem? It cost $50,000… in 1956. The cost of a blank tape? $300. Needless to say, success in functionality and success in practicality proved to be two separate things. Only television networks were really buying the devices, and so history pressed onward.

The efforts that followed were focused less on convenience and compactness for the consumer than they were pure efficiency. It wasn’t until 1971 when JVC, Sony, and Matsushita Electric (now known as Panasonic) came together to develop a unified standard for the Japanese consumer and released the U-matic where the dual reels were actually housed in a plastic cassette cartridge. Unfortunately for consumers, the machine cost around $1,400 and blank tapes about $30. Not to mention the maximum recording time of 20 minutes to an hour for most tapes.

Meanwhile in 1972, Philips released their N1500, which was the first Video Cassette Recorder (VCR) that consumers could actually afford and use, although it lacked reliability and the desired duration (a 60 minute maximum recording limit).

Fortunately Philips evolved the VCR as other video formats took hold.

The three companies behind the U-matic eventually ended their

collaboration, with JVC starting work on their Video Home System, or VHS, technology and Sony beginning development for what would become Betamax—the biggest competitor to VHS, or vice versa.

Betamax saw a release in both Japan and the United States in 1975, and was easily the most reliable format at that point.

In 1976, JVC released the VHS in Japan, and in the United States in 1977, and was an instant competitor to Betamax. Betamax boasted a better picture and sound quality, but the tapes ran for half the length of a VHS. Not to mention, the Betamax machines could cost up to three times more than a VCR, which had now adopted the VHS as its primary format. Sony thought that consumers would prefer quality over accessibility, but as we see in today’s world where DVDs consistently outsell the higher quality Blu-rays of the same title, as a whole we prefer convenience and saving money over quality. Also, as the home user wanted to record shows and sports games on their television, the eventual 4-hour runtime of a VHS was much more favorable over

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Charles Band/King Solomon’s Mines/The Cannon Group/Chopping Mall/Concorde Pictures/Song of the South/Disney/Killer Shark/Monogram Pictures/I Was a Teenage Werewolf/American International Pictures/Let It Be

the 2-hour limit of a Betamax tape.

VHS would eventually win the video formatting war halfway through the next decade as all but Sony had now abandoned Betamax production in favor of VHS, and the war officially ended when Sony finally ceded and released their first VHS recorder in 1988, even though the company still continued to make Betamax well into the new millennium.

Prior to the first licensed movie releases by distributors in the late-’70s, the underground home video circuit was burgeoning with film enthusiasts taking it upon themselves to sell and trade recorded rarities. The origins of the tape collector can be found here.

1977 saw the first releases of older movies on home video formats, thanks to Magnetic Video cofounder Andre Blay, who acquired the licensing from 20th Century Fox to release fifty of their films, such as The Sound of Music, Patton, and M*A*S*H, for the home consumer.

But with a price tag upwards of $72 per tape brand new, people were less inclined to actually purchase any of these films, and so the video rental market was born.

With the added streams of revenue, the film industry actually saw a mini boom during this period.

Movie fans still wanted to see films on the big screen (televisions were barely surpassing the 30” mark back then), much like they do today (in the years prior to the pandemic, the number of theater tickets sold in the US remained fairly steady, even in the growing prevalence of streaming in our modern age). VHS didn’t stifle the movie theater industry, but actually gave studios, both large and

small, a reliable source of income and happened to correlate with the rise of the multiplex. More movies available meant more enthusiasm for movies. It was a win-win.

In 1978, one independent horror filmmaker, Charles Band, inspired by Blay and seeing a hole in the market that still needed to be filled, took it upon himself to start his own label, at the time called M.E.D.A., which acquired the distribution rights for independent cult cinema, horror, and exploitation. Suddenly a whole slew of obscure movies were available to audiences who would have never seen them otherwise.

notable movies only available on vhs

Song of the South (1946)

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Killer Shark (1950)

I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)

Let It Be (1970)

In 2013’s documentary Rewind This!, directed by Josh Johnson, Band explains, “The major studios caught on very slowly to video. And there were so many examples of independent films that were brand new to that audience, that were more desirable than the big studio films. So many times those little pictures would outperform—just in terms of video.”

As the horror industry was seeing its own boom, Band’s labels, and others of the sort, helped usher in a synonymity between VHS and the horror genre for many, which is even more intact today. And so the hordes of copycat Halloween and Friday the 13th slashers that were being produced—many of which were getting suffocatingly limited cinematic releases—were finding life in the home video format. And now teenagers who couldn’t get in to see these movies in theaters were able

Deadman’s Curve: The Jan and Dean Story (1978)

Godzilla 1985 (1984)

United Artists/Apple/Deadman’s Curve/CBS/Godzilla 1985/Toho/The Amazing Mr. Bickford/ Frank Zappa/Little Vegas/MacLand/Columbia Pictures/Meet the Applegates

The Amazing Mr. Bickford (1987)

Little Vegas (1990)

Meet the Applegates (1990)

Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme (1990)

I think, the greatest era of discovery,” laments film critic Drew McWeeney in a segment from Rewind This!

That’s not to say there weren’t tactics to get your attention. While provocative movie posters and cover art wasn’t a novel concept, it was also more essential than ever as a marketing technique when appealing to the home video consumer.

Outlandish, creepy, sensual, or just downright insane, the box art would often be the sole reason why a casual viewer would stumble upon and choose to rent a particular movie, and frequently be even better than the movie itself. Covers had a

Triton Pictures/Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme/Disney/Nightmare on the 13th Floor/USA Network/Muppet Classic Theater/Jim Henson Company

to view them at home.

In the documentary, Band compares the $100 million budget of Terminator 2 to the $400,000 one of his own Puppet Master: “It’s not an even playing field, but [at] the video store, they’re all on the same shelf; they’re all in the same-sized boxes.” Not only was home video changing the landscape of video absorption and accessibility, but now low-budget schlock was sharing the same space as the biggest Hollywood blockbusters or the latest Best Picture winners. For every Rambo and Raiders of the Lost Ark, there were a dozen cheap knockoffs that only ever saw the light of day in the video market. And with an easier outlet to release their movies, filmmakers were finding ways to make money using these alternative methods. It wasn’t just the major studios that were thriving during this era. Everyone was making money.

And so aspiring filmmakers saw the successes of Band’s Empire Pictures or their contemporary Troma Entertainment, whose films

were making millions of dollars in the home video market—NOT in movie theaters—and realized that with the right idea and the right people around them, they too might be as successful. This saw a deluge of oddities in the 1980s that rivaled nothing we’ll ever see again. The celebration of schlock was at an alltime high, which is a major factor for why tapeheads today vehemently prefer VHS to DVD or streaming.

Still today, many of these films have never been released in any other way.

During the rental era, selecting a movie to watch on a Friday night was never more democratic. Employees would suggest their favorites, sure, but you could peruse the shelves yourself and find something that piques your interest. The stores typically didn’t vet the tiles before purchasing them, so you could essentially select any movie without any political agendas or big corporate manipulation clouding or prohibiting their availability to you.

And since stores had to fill their shelves, they would often reach deep into the catalog to do so. “That was,

Nightmare on the 13th Floor (1990)

Muppet Classic Theater (1994)

way of ingraining themselves into our heads, decades later sparking a flourish of nostalgia just from looking at them. These VHS boxes were works of art in themselves, and today are another benefit over the generic-looking photoshop jobs of modern box art from DVDs. VHS tapes still look great on your shelf.

The 1980s saw an insane amount of popularity in the home video market, of which VHS was dominating. As distributors realized that consumers wanted to grow their own libraries instead of just renting the tapes, the prices dropped down to $19.95. And in 1982, the first home video camera was introduced, which made even easier the ability to create on a budget and on your own terms. This era turned into the

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closest thing in decades that we had to the Wild West in the film industry.

The rise of Blockbuster Video in the late-’80s and throughout the ‘90s marked the fall of the momand-pop video store. Blockbuster had a lot of options, but the more obscure titles became somewhat buried under the studio fodder.

They also had several copies of the more popular movies, as opposed to the smaller shops which had just one, maybe two. The lack of corporate involvement during the video rental days was seeming to disappear. Nevertheless, many people have fond memories of going to Blockbuster and discovering films they’d never heard of, and thus an entire new generation was born from the Tape Era. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. In 1997, Twister was the first movie released on the brand new DVD format, and by 2003 DVD sales surpassed that of VHS in the United States. And in 2006 A History of Violence was the last major release for the format.

A big advantage to DVD over its

predecessor is the obvious quality leap, as well as the access to special features. Although, as we’ve seen these days with many consumers abandoning physical media in favor of digital accessibility, the enthusiasm behind bonus content is waning—an irony that’s not lost on those advocates for VHS. While VHS tapes are more durable than DVDs, DVDs also don’t degrade over time like VHS. Every time you watch a movie on tape, it loses the already-inferior quality that’s there.

But many videophiles see those markings as part of the charm; there’s a cuteness to that lack of glossiness. Much like an old book, these tapes have a history, and to apply that subtext to watching a movie is to truly appreciate the shared experience of the medium and that of all who have watched that tape before you.

Blockbuster Video/Everything Is Terrible!/Jerry Maguire/Sony Pictures

Like with almost any kind of collection, VHS is directly connected to nostalgia and emotion. There’s a passionate enthusiasm behind the hobby that’s a common thread throughout any hobby—one that’s not necessarily tied to logic or reason. “There might be a more efficient way [to watch movies] that takes up less space than collecting a buncha tapes. But efficiency, in my estimation, has never equaled more fun,” says writer Zack Carlson in a segment from another documentary, Adjust Your Tracking: The Untold Story of the VHS Collector, directed

by Dan M. Kinem and Levi Peretic.

VHS and physical media will be alive for as long as the generations that are nostalgic about it are still here.

Today VHS has been commonly reduced to a punchline in some circles of ill-informed individuals, but the format dominated the home media market for over 20 years, which is insanely impressive in retrospect. “VHS had an unusually long life for a home video format,” McWeeny offers.

Vinyl records, which have enjoyed a major comeback over the last decade or so, don’t suffer the same mockery of VHS. However, despite what people think, much like VHS to DVD, the quality of vinyl is also technically inferior to that of its successor, the CD. Yet enthusiasts and collectors love those pops and crackles—the past lives that add appeal to the aesthetic. And unlike most vinyl, VHS tapes can be

acquired for a fraction of a dollar— you simply get more for your buck than you would purchasing movies on another format, digital rentals included.

Collecting VHS tapes today isn’t just about the futile chase of your past—although that might be a major factor—but of appreciating the lost gems of yesteryear. Essentially every movie that had survived into the ‘80s got a VHS release, and literally every movie that came out during the VHS heyday got a release as

well, including TV movies. On the other hand, there are thousands of films that have never made the jump to DVD or streaming (the latter of which has proven to be fickle and unreliable with their available options anyway), and likely never will as time pushes forward and forgets about them. Even some movies that have gotten a DVD release in the past are now out of print and hard to find, and easier/cheaper to come by on tape. The death of VHS could mean the death of all of those movies as well, and it’s weird to think that some of them could eventually be lost forever.

On a similar note, a lot of tape collecting is about the love of the strange and unusual. It’s about going to a thrift shop and passing on a copy of Titanic in favor of Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue. It’s about finding the strange and unusual in the mainstream. The artist collective Everything Is Terrible! has compiled a collection of over 15,000 Jerry Maguire tapes and even opened a pop-up video store art display back in 2017 displaying all of them on the shelves. Slashback Video, a similar exhibit that occurs annually in Burbank, CA, puts on display hundreds of horror films, mostly june 2021|

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passion for physical media done in a very physical way. There’s a sort of love that’s tied to the time it takes for someone to do something.

“The fact that people are collecting strictly through the internet is really sad, because it’s such an amazing experience when you walk into a store and you are truly spelunking.

You are an archaeologist of lowbrow culture,” says Carlson.

Another enthusiast and collector, Eric Fredrich propounds, “I like that aspect of difficulty. If it was simple, and I could just walk down to the store whenever I wanted and get it—there’s no challenge; there’s no appeal” (Adjust Your Tracking).

While most outsiders see physical media as obsolete, others, like those in this very niche community, like to find the Orwellian parallels in big corporations controlling our access to media. Ironically enough, several years ago, due to a licensing disagreement, the digital edition of George Orwell’s novel 1984 was removed from the Kindle libraries of people who had already purchased

the book.

Without physical media we are once again at the mercy of corporations who decide the availability of our favorite movies, shows, books, etc. It’s terrifying to imagine a world where I can’t just sit down and watch my favorite films without access to the internet, or simply if my subscribed streaming services decided to remove them for whatever reason. For real cinephiles, there is very much value to owning a physical copy of, at the very least, the movies we love the most. Otherwise, we’re just back at square one—except, of course, now we’re able to pause and rewind.

Josh Schafer/Lunchmeat VHS/Microwave Massacre/Muckler-Singer Productions/Midnight Video

from the ‘80s, in a retro style video store, celebrating the permeation of the genre during that era.

While there are a handful of actual-functioning video stores still alive where patrons can rent movies on tape, more and more are closing each year, with a few big losses during this pandemic. Austin’s Vulcan Video rewound its last tape a year ago, and its cross-town rival I Luv Videos closed its doors this past September, although its owner Conrad Bejarano, as well as locals and out-of-towners who make the pilgrimage, hopes that a rebirth is on the horizon. Alamo Drafthouse has opened up a free-of-charge video rental “store” called Video Vortex at their Los Angeles, Raleigh, and Brooklyn locations, with plans of doing the same at one of their Austin locations (powered by Vulcan Video’s inventory) once the pandemic goes away. Los Angeles’ own longtime establishment Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee closed its doors last May, but is looking for a new storefront once this all blows over.

If you’re in the Seattle area, you can still get a taste of the glory days at Scarecrow Video, which boasts nearly 15,000 VHS titles to rent, along with newer formats. Same goes for VisArt Video in Charlotte, North Carolina and Viva Video in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.

Likewise, the company Lunchmeat VHS has been committed for over a decade to perpetuating enthusiasm for the format with their fanzine, hosting tape swaps, and even releasing new movies on VHS, among other things.

Ultimately, VHS collecting is

home video format timeline 1956

1975

vrx-1000

betamax

1972

1971

vhs

u-matic

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1972

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1976

cartrivision matsushita vx

interview interview

COLLECTOR SPOTLIGHT Lunchmeat VHS’s own Josh Schafer provides us with the perspective of one of the most well-known collectors in the community. He details how he reignited his love for tapes nearly two decades ago, hypothesizes about the future of VHS, and tells us which tapes in his collection mean the most to him.

SPOILER: I love the term “Videovores.” Is that something you made up? What are the origins of that and what exactly does Videovores encompass?

JOSH SCHAFER: Oh, I’m glad to hear it! It’s fun, isn’t it? Yes, it was just something my brain spit out while writing one day, and liked it, and it stuck around. Or I should say “VHStuck!” I was and am a big fan of [the magazine] Famous Monsters, and that sort of cheesy wordplay, punny stuff, and quirky cultural language they used—it’s just always appealed to me. I thought it really

JOSH SCHAFER

created a sense of community in a way, and just made things more fun. It’s like any group of like-minded somebodies—you have a vernacular.

I just wanted to make up fun terms, and help expand the identity and culture of VHS enthusiasm.

I actually submitted it to Urban Dictionary in early 2012, and here’s the definition I gave it then: ”An individual who is intensely passionate about collecting, preserving, and most importantly watching the VHS video tape; a lover of VHS; an analog zealot” Really, I think it just means anyone who is enthusiastic about VHS tapes or is a VHS collector, but of a higher, more intense degree. The jury is out about whether it’s loved or not. It’s almost dead-even with up and down votes! You can’t please everyone, especially when concocting cultural neologisms.

time to kill, so I walked into this little news shop to grab a soda, a snack, peruse the comics, etc. On a bottom shelf, caked with dust, there was a row of VHS tapes. In that row, was the Midnight Video big box for Microwave Massacre. I remember picking it up and being like, “Oh, man, I remember this! Yo, this rules.”

I just remember falling in love with it at that moment, and thinking it was so cool. It was a dollar. And it was so rad. It gave me a kind of rush; this very distinct kind of excitement.

Anyway, that was the moment I kind of realized that VHS was one of the coolest things on the planet.

It’s very clear in my head. I visit that memory often.

SPOILER: Have you been collecting since you were young? Or did it resurge after a hiatus? If so, what got you into collecting again?

JOSH SCHAFER: I’ve always watched tapes. It’s how I grew up. I never stopped watching, or gathering VHS tapes. They always stayed viable in my media and movie consumption, and honestly, were integral in the expansion of my film exploration and knowledge. It definitely helped shape my tastes in a major way.

I think, if I had to pinpoint a time when I became a “collector” per se, it was when I was about 16 or 17. This was about 2002 or so. I was waiting for a friend at a stripmall. I had some

SPOILER: How many tapes are in your collection?

JOSH SCHAFER: I think I have about 3,000 in total. I had more, but after

2006

1978

blu-ray disc

laserdisc

1993

video cd

2006

hd dvd

1981

selectavision ced

2016

1996

4k ultra hd blu-ray

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JOSH SCHAFER moving three times in two years, I had to cut back a little. VHS tapes are heavy, dude, and they take up A LOT of space in a moving truck.

I’d also like to take this space to say it’s really not about quantity, but quality. It’s really about having a collection that satisfies you, and not anyone else. Do as you please.

Collect films that inspire, educate, entertain you, and most of all make you happy. I just feel like some people judge a collection by size rather than substance. I’ve seen collections that are only about 100 tapes, but they’re amazing. The curation is charming, diverse, and powerful. I’ve seen larger collections that don’t have that vibe. But yeah, I have about 3,000 tapes.

SPOILER: What’s your favorite genre?

JOSH SCHAFER: Horror, Comedy, Sport, Action, Sci-Fi, Experimental, Art House. I love special interest tapes, too. The fact that special interest can encompass anything and everything, it makes it one of the most fascinating and fun types of tapes to collect and explore.

SPOILER: Do you have a favorite tape?

JOSH SCHAFER: The tapes from when I was a kid. The stuff I’ve had for years. There’s a sentimental attachment to those. Similarly, the stuff recorded by my mom and dad, and my Grandmom. Home movies, of my 3rd grade play, my first day

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of school, a BBQ my parents had in the ‘90s. Those are so special to me. Probably not the answer you thought [laughs]. But I love those tapes the most.

Also, I was able to grab some tapes from my hometown video store (RIP Video Vision) when they were closing down around 2007 or so. Being able to grab tapes that I grew up renting and were circulated through my community, and putting them on my shelf forever—it’s pretty special. I love those tapes.

I have some other pre-record favorites, but I think my big box copy of Video Violence is a top contender for the ultimate fave. I met the director Gary Cohen and writer Paul Kaye when I worked on the “Diehard Videovore Edition” of that film. Paul and Gary signed it, and when Gary signed it, we had just met in person for the first time, and he thought my name was Jason.

So he signed it, “To Jason.” I told him my name was Josh, and he was like, “Oh no! I am so sorry!” And he grabbed the tape back, scribbled out “Jason” and wrote, “Josh” [laughs].

So my big box of Video Violence is now covered in a mess of Sharpie

scribbles and their autographs. It’s a wonderful memory, and a prized possession.

SPOILER: Which tape is your rarest?

JOSH SCHAFER: I would say either my copy of America’s Deadliest Home Video or Slaughterville.

Both of those releases are hard to find. I later worked with ADHV and had it issued on disc for the first time, and re-issued on VHS. Those are both out of print now.

I’ll be doing another VHS run of

Josh Schafer/Lunchmeat VHS/Video Violence/Camp Video/America’s Deadliest Home Video/Randum Video

SPOILER: How do you organize your collection?

JOSH SCHAFER: Mostly by genre.

I kind of have everything set up in a way where I just know where it is. I have a pretty photographic memory, I think, so it’s rare I can’t locate something, but sometimes things slip around here or there and it takes me a minute to find something [laughs]. But, to answer your question more directly, it’s by genre, but it’s loose. I also keep all of my clamshells together, large then small, and then I have a section for all of the newly pressed VHS from the past 15 years or so. Then I have a section for all my Star Classics.

JOSH SCHAFER that film soon, too. I [also] have lots of independently produced special interest and shot-on-video productions, and who really knows how many of those were produced, you know?

Rarity has become a bit of a misnomer in the VHS world. I think people call a hyped-up or coveted tape “rare” when it’s actually not that rare, but more just sought after. Rare has become this sort of catch-all term for cool tapes, even if they’re comparably not that scarce. But those I mentioned are probably the tapes that I can confirm have less than a couple hundred copies out there.

SPOILER: Any recent discoveries?

JOSH SCHAFER: Some of my favorite recent watches will be reviewed in the upcoming issue of Lunchmeat Magazine, and those are Long Gone, Billy Badd, and a few others like Interface and Wonderguy that were reviewed by my co-editor Ted Gilbert.

I recently found this tape at a thrift store that was labeled, “Steve’s Dance Lesson - Sept. 1993.” I had to take that home. There was no way I was leaving it there. How could you pass up something like that? I guess that’s just the Videovore in me. But that tape, it starts out with a blip of an infomercial for a cassette tape of the song “Who Will Save America’’—I can’t remember if that’s the actual name of the song, but it’s something to that effect. The picture goes blank for a second, but the sound from the commercial continues, and it indeed shows two people having a dance lesson. But that song, which is sung by a standard, almost generic choir, is being played over the top of this dance lesson, which is a strange juxtaposition. Even weirder, the song continues, but the footage suddenly switches to close-ups of scrap metal, spent bullets from what seems to be old wars, and then super close-ups of gun parts, all while “Who Will Save America” [still] plays on top.

It’s this randomly pieced footage set to this low-rent song about America. It feels a bit bizarre. It’s

almost like inadvertent video art. I think it was just someone playing with their video camera and accidentally taping over their dance lesson with footage of their firearms collection. But, man, what a strange video concoction, huh? That’s the beauty of VHS: You never know what you’re going to find next.

SPOILER: Favorite box art?

JOSH SCHAFER: Personally, Microwave Massacre is a perfect cover for me. That Midnight Video release just embodies what a horror VHS should be. This is a tough question because there are SO MANY I love. But for the sake of brevity and gut-feelings, it’s Microwave Massacre. I also love the Star Classics’ illustrated covers.

SPOILER: Favorite distribution labels?

JOSH SCHAFER: Star Classics, hands down. I became fascinated with this label years ago, and I’ve collected about 320 releases from them since then. They did everything from black and white public domain stuff, to public domain cartoons, to horror, action, sci-fi, documentary, drama, comedy, exercise tapes and sports how-to. Pretty much everything.

They were a budget sell-through label that was just churning them out. They’re just like the exemplary budget tape label; there’s this distinct charm to their releases.

They’re super fun to collect. As I said, their illustrated covers are some of my favorites. I could do a whole interview just on my interest in Star Classics [laughs]. They’re definitely

my favorite label to collect.

SPOILER: What’s your favorite movie about VHS? JOSH SCHAFER: Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project is probably one of the most fascinating and unforgettable docs I’ve ever seen, and it involves this incredible VHS collection. It’s powerful stuff. Definitely seek that one out if you haven’t seen it.

SPOILER: Weirdest find or the most so-bad-it’s-good?

JOSH SCHAFER: In the ‘90s, Blockbuster did this thing called The Kidprint Identification Video, which was essentially just footage of your kid answering a bunch of questions.

Child abduction was rampant then, and Blockbuster offered this service for free inside their stores for a while.

It was basically so if your kid went missing, you could share this video with them for identification. I found one of those tapes, and it was pretty weird [laughs], but also fascinating looking back. I wrote about it on the site years ago, about 2015. It’s still there and has much more info on it, along with images.

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SPOILER: Do you have any movies with an absurd amount of duplicates?

I know some collectors like having multiples of a certain movie.

JOSH SCHAFER: [laughs] Meathooking! Or that’s what some Tapeheads call it. I don’t, really. I have four copies of The Pit, and three copies of Weekend at Bernie’s, but that’s because they’re all a little different. One time a friend of mine put like 10 to 12 copies of You’ve Got Mail in my mailbox, though—an epic Tapehead prank. VHShout out to Devon Tuttle for that one.

SPOILER: Which tape are you still on the lookout for—your holy grail?

JOSH SCHAFER: There is this one Star Classics that I’ve never seen, but believe exists. For a certain chunk of SC releases, they did a photo cover and an illustrated cover. Movies like Shark, Gallery of Horrors, Alien Dead, The Prowler, Punk Rock Movie, etc., they all had photo covers and illustrated counterparts. Revenge of the Zombie is in that grouping, and it would make sense for it to have an illustrated cover, but I’ve only ever seen the photo cover art.

It should theoretically exist, but I’ve never seen it. I’d love to find that one day. That would be a major rewindinclined rush.

SPOILER: If you could have a VHS version of a modern movie, which one would it be?

JOSH SCHAFER: Kid 90. That

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should definitely be on VHS. It’s an incredible doc. I’d put it out if given the chance. That reminds me to write an email….

SPOILER: I know Lunchmeat released several modern movies on tape, but there aren’t many out there doing it that I could find. Do you think there’s a solid market out there for that if, say, large distribution companies wanted to start making them? Why do you think more labels aren’t releasing small batches on VHS? JOSH SCHAFER: There are a few others doing great rewind work for sure. I think it’s still a niche thing, but it’s expanding rapidly. VHS nostalgia is at a high level right now. It feels like a revival is starting to bloom.

To that point, I think the market is expanding for VHS. My releases do well, and they sell very quickly. I also don’t make that many in a run— anywhere from 50 to 250, depending on the title, so there’s a collectible aspect to it, too, for some people.

But I think the market is there, however relatively small. You just have to do the right titles. It has to be a good fit.

I’ve seen indie and underground filmmakers, experimental artists, rappers, death metal bands, and even major studios all use VHS as a platform, and it works. In smaller numbers, sure, but that’s what’s so cool about it. If it fits your art, your aesthetic, your story, or your

SPOILER: I love Adjust Your Tracking!

It’s crazy that the movie came out 8 years ago already! So much of the insight is still relevant in 2021. What was your involvement in that project and what was it like working on that?

JOSH SCHAFER: Hey, thanks! It is crazy! Time flies. I’m glad to hear you say that because I think it desperately needs an update! I’d love to do a “Part 2.” That’s really all [director] Dan Kinem, though. We’ve talked about it in passing, but I hope he does end up doing it. It would be incredible to look at everything nearly 10 years later and see how much everything has changed.

My involvement, as I recall, was really just securing some key interviews, providing contacts, that sort of thing. Kind of riffing on the structure, the message of the film,

Josh Schafer/Lunchmeat VHS/Adjust Your Tracking/VHShitfest/Romark Entertainment/Video Violence/Camp Video

vibe, putting your work on VHS just provides another platform, another way for people to connect with your output. And it gives the indie artist a product to sell, which you know isn’t necessarily the main reason to do it, but it always helps.

As far as making it into Target or Wal-Mart or something like that— that would be wild. I could see it happening. It would be a collectible before a piece of media for many, though, and I’m not sure how I feel about that. Never say never, but they aren’t making VCRs anymore, and that’s a huge thing to consider.

We definitely need to think about preserving VCRs. Without them, how can we watch tapes?

JOSH SCHAFER I think there will always be people who champion physical media and appreciate it. There will always be some weirdos out there who still like to read paperback books or watch VHS tapes.

with Dan and Levi [Peretic] and Matt [Desiderio]. I was really just there to help the film reach more people I think, and support in every way I could. Book screenings, push the culture around it, etc. It felt very organic. My co-producer, Matt Desiderio, actually went on the road with them to film, so he was much more involved in that process than I was. I wasn’t able to get away from my day job at that time to travel for weeks at a time, but I wished I could have gone. I’m just happy to be involved with it and contribute to creating a vision into the culture at, what felt like, a special time.

SPOILER: You do so much for the VHS community and in perpetuating the culture. What keeps you wanting to collect and continue to build this awareness? What does VHS mean to you?

JOSH SCHAFER: I just love it. It makes me happy. And I want to share that with people. VHS is such a big part of who we are, and where we came from. It shaped a lot of us. It was a revolutionary piece of media,

and I want people to think about that, or at least not forget. VHS holds so much information about us: our art, our history, our fears, joys, failures, achievements, and all our in-betweens. It captured everything from a particular time period, through a broad, yet idiosyncratic lens. It’s just an indispensable part of our history, and if we pay attention to it, I think it can still teach us a lot, in many different ways.

SPOILER: Why do you like physical media? What’s the biggest benefit over streaming, if any?

JOSH SCHAFER: I like that it’s real, in your hands, and you interact with it.

And using physical media, searching it out, buying an object, giving it space in your life—it’s a far more tactile and memorable experience than sitting on the couch staring into a screen and scrolling. Physical media offers something that can only be defined by experiencing it. I just hope people don’t lose sight of that.

SPOILER: Have you learned anything through collecting? If so, what?

JOSH SCHAFER: That it’s not what you find, but what you take from it.

SPOILER: Do you think physical media will ever truly die?

JOSH SCHAFER: I think it’ll look really different in 20 years, but I don’t think it’ll ever die completely, no.

SPOILER: What would you want noncollectors to know, if anything?

JOSH SCHAFER: You don’t have to have a collection of VHS to enjoy them. You can have five, or two, or just one. Or just have a friend who has some. It really just matters that you don’t forget entirely, and that you give yourself the chance to slip that tape out, feed it to the VCR, and then watch a favorite in 4:3 with some rad snacks. VHS is for everybody. It always has been, always will be. You just have to embrace it. And have a VCR [laughs].

SPOILER: Any tips for new collectors?

JOSH SCHAFER: Always check the tape matches the box, watch out for moldy reels, and if you find a Star Classics release, hit me up to see if I have it!

SPOILER: Do you have any future plans at the moment in terms of your collection?

JOSH SCHAFER: Well, I do miss running a video store, so I’m thinking I should just take my collection and open up my own. That seems like a VHSmart idea, right?

SPOILER: What’s in the works for Lunchmeat VHS that you can tell us about?

JOSH SCHAFER: So much! A new issue of the magazine, other VHScentric offshoot publications, about 15 to 20 more VHS releases over the course of this coming year, totally VHStylin’ Tapehead apparel, rewindinclined goodies galore, and once everything is cool, totally awesome VHS-driven events and screenings.

We can’t wait to press play on it all.

Best thing to do is keep an eye on our site and social media. Be sure to hit us up. We love talking tapes and making new friends.

Find Josh at LUNCHMEATVHS.COM or on Instagram @LUNCHMEATVHS june 2021|

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BY KIM KOO

the graphically gruesome 1992 8-bit fighting

game Mortal Kombat (spinal rip, anyone?) has spawned several cinematic offspring over the last quarter century.

These films have run the gamut of “decently told” to “movie-whomust-not-be-named.”

Twenty-six years after the first Mortal Kombat movie in 1995 comes the latest installment in the franchise, rebooting the cinematic universe. Let’s see how Mortal Kombat 1995 tests its might against Mortal Kombat 2021, hereafter referred to as MK 1995 and MK 2021 respectively.

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round 1

script MK 1995 and MK 2021 both open with fights that illuminate some backstory. But after that, these films take vastly different directions in bringing the Mortal Kombat world to life.

MK 1995 begins with the evil sorcerer and super-villain Shang Tsung (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) killing Chan (Steven Ho) in Outworld (non-Earth) and threatening Chan’s brother, Shaolin Monk Liu Kang (Robin Shou), in Liu Kang’s dream.

This provides the motivation for Liu Kang, who had fled from his destiny (“Men fighting a simple contest don’t decide these things”), to take his place as a fighter for Earthrealm. The film proceeds to introduce fighter Art (Kenneth Edwards), Black Dragon crime cartel mercenary Kano (Trever Goddard), Special Forces Major Jax (Gregory McKinney), Special Forces officer Sonya Blade (Brigette Wilson), and actor Johnny Cage (Linden Ashby) in

the first five minutes.

“A handful of people on a leaky boat are gonna save the world?” says Sonya.

“The fate of billions will depend upon you. Hahaha—sorry,” replies Lord Rayden (Christopher Lambert).

We’re ferried to an ancientlooking world of stone, flames, cloudy turbulent skies, and multi-realmness.

Rayden is the God of Lightning and Protector of Earthrealm, so he offers sage wisdom to help our heroes unleash their full potential. There are fights, team-building activities, and the promised Mortal Kombat tournament. Characters are developed enough and not annoying, we understand their motivations, and they develop relationships with each other. There’s a rhythm, rhyme, and reason. And the elements come together to provide a respectably entertaining film based on fighting video game lore.

Mortal Kombat/Warner Bros./HBO Max

MK 2021 is a bit like dating someone who shows a lot of promise, offers moments of fun and flexes enough redeeming qualities to keep you hoping for more substance, but later turns out to be a shallow individual with unbalanced behavior.

You want to say yes, but the vapid conversations and inability to provide a real connection are deal breakers.

It starts hot with the Scorpion vs.

Sub-Zero backstory. Hanzo Hasashi (Hiroyuki Sanada), the Shirai Ryu clan member who would later become Scorpion, is attacked by Bi-Han (Joe Taslim), who would later become Sub-Zero, and other members of the enemy clan Lin Kuei.

We leave the bloodied Hasashi compound with Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) rescuing the lone infant survivor and open on a descendant in modern day. Cole Young (Lewis Tan), newcomer to the MK world, is

an orphan and has-been MMA fighter oblivious to the significance of his birthmark. In this film the Chosen Ones are marked with a keloid version of the MK logo.

Sub-Zero appears and attacks Cole in what seems like a continuation of his quest to destroy the Hasashi bloodline—except Sub-Zero doesn’t actually know Cole is a descendent.

He is just executing anyone bearing the dragon mark. Jax (Mehcad Brooks), who is also searching for people with the mark, gets Cole and his family to safety and tells Cole to seek Sonya (Jessica McNamee) while he sacrifices himself in battling SubZero. Jax and Sonya have researched the tournament ever since Jax had a logo transferred onto him seven years ago. These markings are apparently transferable to whomever kills a Chosen One, although it’s not clear what happens should a Chosen One die a natural death. Sonya and Jax have been tracking all the Chosen Ones. We learn that most have already been killed and Sonya and Jax have only succeeded in “saving” one via chained imprisonment: Kano (Josh Lawson). Sonya, Kano, and Cole fly to Raiden’s temple where this version of our MK 1995 orphan hero Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) is now a coach for the Chosen Ones. He and Kung Lao (Max Huang) help fighters unlock their “arcanas”—special powers that give our combatants a fighting chance in the tournament.

As Shang Tsung (Chin Han) and his Outworld goons are taking out the Chosen Ones before the tournament to ensure their tenth consecutive victory in Mortal Kombat, individual battles ensue.

We eventually circle back to a summoned Hanzo Hasashi as

Scorpion, battling Bi-Han/Sub-Zero, with Cole.

Raiden declares the need to recruit more champions after Shang Tsung, who must have a tracking device on Raiden since he constantly appears whenever we see Raiden, promises to bring armies to their next meet up. As Cole packs up his locker to seek a Chosen One in Hollywood, we see a red movie poster on the wall featuring a fit-looking body wearing a “Cage” belt buckle. The end.

Wait, hold up hold up hold up—rewind. What about the MK tournament where the fate of Earthrealm was hanging precariously, one loss away from being claimed by Shang Tsung’s Outworld realm?

Where was the tournament?? Well, since Shang Tsung broke the rules and tried killing off the Chosen Ones preemtively before any tournament could happen, Earthrealm’s defenders tasked Raiden with sending Outworld’s fighters all over the world in order to take each one of them on individually in a pseudo”tournament.”

MK 2021 is like sex sans orgasm.

Unfinished. Liu Kang said, “Pain is the ultimate catalyst.” Well, we’re in pain. Will this lead to an improved sequel?

MK 1995: Sweep, sweep, sweep, jab, uppercut, butterfly kick.

winner

mk 1995

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round 3

music There is no question that the uber memorable “Techno Syndrome (Mortal Kombat)” song from MK 1995 has become iconic. Created for the home-console release of the classic Mortal Kombat arcade game, the frenetic techno backbeat and ominous voice dare anyone to test their might. Kyle Wyatt’s repeated rallying “Mortal Kombat!” cry solidifies its namesake and makes this song a powerful, non-drug-based stimulant. The film is suitably scored.

With music to party to, music to dance to, music to fight to, and music to save Earthrealm by, MK 1995 is the heavy favorite.

MK 2021 musical composer Benjamin Wallfisch uses a diluted derivative of “Techno Syndrome (Mortal Kombat)” and leaves no lasting musical memory.

MK 1995: jab, uppercut, roundhouse, spinal rip. Flawless Victory.

Winner

mk 1995

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Visuals MK 1995 has more ornate scenery.

The boat with which our trio travels Enter the Dragon-style to Rayden’s temple for training is a Gothiclooking sailboat with a serious dragon figurehead. The island itself vibes remote island in Thailand (which is where the film partly shot but I didn’t know that prior so...) with ornately carved temples, gargoyles, stone statues, and little flames burning everywhere. It’s all darkness aside from the early tournament rounds which take place in a palm tree-dotted beach, like these fights are just a fun summer beach activity without billions of human lives at

Mortal Kombat/Warner Bros./HBO Max

round 2

stake.

Special effects are limited. Rayden’s lightning bolts, his teleportation, flashing eyes. Shang Tsung’s shape shifting and soul play. Reptile.

Sub-Zero’s channeling of water and conversion to ice takes about as long as my refrigerator does to make ice cubes. Scorpion’s sentient rope dart alien head is a respectable bin of SFX, if not a funny interpretation of the video game.

Raiden’s temple in MK 2021 is accessed through a Petra-like world in a vast span of dry, sandy, and rocky terrain. Paintings depict the Mortal Kombat history. The setting is far less post-apocalyptic, maggotinfested dramatic than MK 1995.

MK 2021 earns its R rating. The gore and fatalities are top shelf supreme. Blood sprays, a heart rip, shattered limbs, sawed bodies, exploding head, fireballs, fire breathing, dragon flame, ice in all forms—these do not disappoint MK video game fans.

The phenomenal fatalities are deliciously violent. Kung Lao’s buzzsaw hat move splitting Nitara (Mel Jarnson) vertically in half is unrelentingly graphic. The introduction of “arcanas” brings in the characters’ video game powers.

round 4

key characters

Sonya’s purple energy power ring bursts shoot right through Mileena.

Jax’s bionic arms are capable of exploding heads with a clap. Liu Kang’s fireballs are warm-ups to his dragon flame. Sub-Zero’s abundant ice effects of sheet ice, ice shards, snow flakes, snow crystals, ice chunks, ice knives, ice crystals, ice webs, ice double are impressive and maybe just a touch much. Kung Lao’s soul suck shows impressively detailed deterioration.

MK 2021: Flying sidekick, hacksaw blade, dragon fire. Brutality.

The casting team largely kept the same specs from MK 1995 for MK 2021.

Shang Tsung is still a cheating sorcerer who will do whatever he can to tilt Mortal Kombat odds in Outrealm’s favor. MK 1995’s version has a strong villain presence with shape shifting powers.

MK 2021’s version is largely forgettable other than as a Raiden stalker.

Rather than battling guilt over the death of his brother and being destined to save Earthrealm, Liu Kang’s role is a combatant trainer in MK 2021—his brother’s death inconsequential to his duty to save Earthrealm. He is tasked with gathering all the champions of Earth and preparing them for the tournament.

MK 2021 Sonya has done seven years of research on the dragon mark that the Chosen Ones bear, unlike MK 1995 Sonya who hasn’t heard anything about Mortal Komabt. Sonya has uncovered some history on the tournament and her motivation seems to be curiosity instead of getting revenge on Kano for killing her partner. She becomes a Chosen One herself by killing Kano, instead of being chosen by Shang Tsung in MK 1995 for being beautiful.

MK 2021 Kano is lovingly described as a “complete f**king a**hole” and “lowlife piece of sh*t scumbag” by Shang Tsung’s crony Kabal (Daniel Nelson, voiced by Damon Herriman).

Kabal is like a less terrifying version of Bane. Kano has much more lines to showcase his arrogant, selfserving, and crude attitude. For him, money talks. Loudly. Sonya finishing him is a relief.

MK 2021 Raiden is more serious.

His lack of effort in stopping Shang Tsung’s decimation of the heroes of Earthrealm is bizarre, given his role as the protector of the Earthrealm.

Even if he has once again looked into everyone’s souls and knows who is truly worth saving, letting innocents die unfairly isn’t a respectable trait.

The lightning bolts he uses to teleport people reminds me of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure’s time traveling electricity tunnels.

MK 2021’s Sub-Zero is the standout

WINNER

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character. More than just a Shang Tsung pawn, this Sub-Zero brings a gravitas to scenes with incredible skill. You want to hate him but all the talent he brings to the table is too good. Fighting in a heavy suit didn’t stop Sub-Zero.

MK 1995: Punch, flying side kick, uppercut, side kick, bicycle kicks.

WINNER

MK 1995

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round 5

FIGHTS MK 1995 features fairly uncomplicated fights. The choreography is basic but then again, so are the original video game battles. Cage slices and blows up Scorpion. Art vs. Goro is a brutal, fist-to-face beat down. Johnny Cage drops in a split to deal a nut blow to Goro. Liu Kang bicycle kicks Reptile to death, one of his trademark game moves.

Even if prior battles were passable, the main event of Liu Kang vs. Shang Tsung is surprisingly un-epic. There isn’t even much fighting as Liu Kang punches and talks through their fight before summoning what looks like electrical bolts (arcana?) to finish Shang Tsung.

MK 2021 battles, again, earn the R rating. Phenomenally violent and graphic, with blood sprays common in animes, there are some fun battles. The opening features Hanzo Hasashi fighting invaders in his compound. Now 60-years-old, but filming at 58, Sanada’s Shorinji Kempo and Kyokushinkai karate skills are clear as he gracefully splits

skulls, amputates limbs, and shishkabobs bodies. He is goals. The battle between him and Taslim’s Sub-Zero is a beautiful dance that sets up a future encounter.

Cole Young vs. Goro: Goro is about to tear out Cole’s spine while his wife and daughter watch helplessly. Cole’s empowered and capable wife Allison (Laura Brent) takes an ax to Goro to save her husband. She succeeds in deflecting Goro’s attention long enough for Cole to finally activate his arcana. The strength bracelet his daughter made him weaves a second skin protective armor throughout his toned upper body, which Cole just goes with. Back to the battle, at first Goro basically resumes pummeling him, reminiscent of how Homer Simpson’s boxing strength is revealed to be his ability to absorb blows and tire out his opponents. The new wicker skin then turbo modes out two tonfas. Cole uses the bladed tonfa to amputate Goro’s upper right hand, gut him, then spear him through the right eye and brain.

Sonya earns a Fatality over Kano to earn his combatant mark and develop her trademark pink energy ring bursts which manifest from her forearms.

Cole challenges Mileena, who looks like a cross between a NOS4A2 vampire and Night Crawler, and even with all the handicaps, he needs help defeating her. A newly marked Sonya butterfly spins into the battle and debuts her unlocked energy rings to blast a hole through Mileena.

Liu Kang bicycle kicks Kabal to a tar pit and deploys his fire dragon Fatality to finish Kabal.

Jax earns a solid Fatality by bursting Reiko’s head like an overfilled water balloon after a series of blood-spraying punches.

But how about the best battle featuring Kung Lao vs. Nitara? Kung Lao’s roasting of Kano already make him a fun, likeable character. His sharp fighting skills and most game-like scenes make many a fangirl scream. Watching him frisbee his razor-edged hat is such fun. His aforementioned buzzsaw move sawing Nitara and spraying her blood everywhere is the most visual and memorable death in the entire film. Flawless victory, indeed!

The main card is a rematch between BiHan and Hanzo Hashoshi, now Sub-Zero and Scorpion, respectively. Plus Cole, who contributes in between trying to break his frozen family out of their ice coffins.

Every Sub-Zero appearance on screen gives a comforting “Ok, this movie’s gonna be alright” sense that grounds and saves the film. This balanced round does not disappoint. Scorpion faces the ice king with his kunai, more sharp toys, and harnessed fires of Hell. He finishes SubZero with a fire-breathing burn.

MK 2021: Roundhouse, Get Over Here!, uppercut, fire dragon, incineration.

WINNER

Mortal Kombat/Warner Bros./HBO Max

MK 2021

MK 1995 takes three out of five rounds to victory. The tournament-less MK 2021 is all flashy foreplay with little substance. The anticlimactic ending is a letdown. If there is going to be a second date adjustments have to be made.

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BY VANESSA BELLEW

FOR DIE-HARD FANS OF THE ADVENTURE ZONE,

a McElroy Family product that is part Actual Play podcast, part family game night, and part collaborative storytelling, The Adventure Zone: Graduation marks a distinct change from its first two seasons. That’s right, TAZ fans: Season 3 has a new Game Master.

This season’s story is designed and run by the sometimes criminally underused middlest brother Travis “Scraps” McElroy. Some facts about your boy Travis: He has the beard and the heart of a lion, which only makes it better when he rocks eyeliner, nail polish, and purple hair. He will gleefully be your joke punching bag forever, as long as he knows you love him.

The last two seasons have been run with great success by the sweet baby brother and “30 Under 30” Media Luminary Griffin “Ditto” McElroy, so it’s quite a risk handing off the mantle to anyone else. This reviewer, at least, was hoping hard for Travis to pull this off, which is why I am so relieved to announce

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that this is by far the most solid season pilot The Adventure Zone has ever had.

This is understandable, of course, because the first season’s pilot was never meant to be a pilot at all—it was supposed to be a bonus episode for donors to that year’s MaxFunDrive. Griffin cribbed a oneshot plot from Wizards of the Coast with no intention of building a larger story, but the McElroy brothers and the McElroy father had such a good time and the fandom enjoyed it so much that it went on to become an epic 69-episode arc (nice). This means that the series pilot (and

The Adventure Zone/First Second/Clint McElroy/Griffin McElroy/Travis McElroy/Justin McElroy/Carey Pietsch/Maximum Fun

therefore the season 1 pilot) is a lot of fumbling through Dungeons & Dragons rules and talking about characters without anyone taking anything too seriously. The season 2 campaign had been tested out in an earlier 5-episode mini-arc between seasons, so that season pilot was a return to an earlier set of circumstances and characters and not a true pilot at all. In a way, season 3’s pilot, released on Halloween 2019, is the first real season opener in The Adventure Zone history.

The McElroys mention a few times that this season has been in the works for at least 6 months, and you can absolutely tell. The world is rich and layered. The NPCs (non-playable characters) are carefully considered, their voices distinct, their personalities discernable. It’s a quirky medieval fantasy world in which heroes and villains are hired by local governments to fight each other (within a bureaucratically determined budget) to bring acclaim and tourism and excitement to the populace.

All heroes and villains must be accredited by the Heroic Oversight Guild (or H.O.G., a classic McElroy goof). If they break too many rules, they’re labeled as Evil and barred from working professionally except as teachers for the next generation.

The action takes place at the Annex, an afterthought addition to Heironymous Wiggenstaff’s School for Heroism and Villainy, where the sidekicks and henchmen are trained.

The college-aged PCs (playable characters) are ripe for hilarity and heart-felt shenanigans. Griffin plays

Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt, recently transferred from Clyde Nite’s Night Knight School after he developed magical powers and could no longer be a knight. He’s a fancyboy half-elf already set up to make a regular fool of himself for our entertainment, who thinks he was placed in the sidekicks program by mistake. Clint plays Argonaut “Argo” Keene, a water genasi with a handlebar mustache who is described as both roguish and a rogue. We haven’t learned much about him yet, but he’s a welcome foil to high-status Fitzroy and Justin’s mysterious addition. Justin, as usual, has managed to craft the most hilarious and most touching character in his seemingly effortless way. This time his PC is a firbolg with no name, but who the other two characters have currently nicknamed “Bud.” His voice is low and gravelly with an accent that verges on Eastern European. He’s a creature of few words and those words have so far been either funny or affecting. It’s

not the first time they’ve all played masculine-identifying characters and it won’t be the last, but something about their interactions in the first episode of the arc tells me I won’t mind.

It’s not perfect, but making things is hard, especially for the first time.

Travis’ tracking—that is, the reading of his opening narration—isn’t quite up to par with Griffin’s, but Griffin’s had years at the helm now as master storyteller. As GM, Travis leads his brothers and his dad through the world with carefully-orchestrated ease. It occasionally feels a little domineering, but as the McElroys have discussed in their The The Adventure Zone Zone episodes, that’s sometimes necessary to make a cohesive narrative. This isn’t a true Actual Play podcast and the strong hand the GMs get to take makes that clear. The episode revolves around the first day at this collegiate-style program, including meeting their new roommates (the three PCs are housed together), getting the hang

of the school rules and dynamics, meeting older students (and a latenight hazing), and an orientation luncheon. There are plenty of nods to Harry Potter because how could you avoid it? Fitzroy and “Bud” each get their moments to really shine, but so far we haven’t heard more than a few cursory things from Argo. It’s mostly Travis who comes out on top this time, having full-on arguments and interactions between NPCs without a hitch and so clearly that I was never confused about which character was saying what.

It’s a skill a lot of Game Masters shy away from and one that could easily become overwhelming, but if Travis manages to use his power responsibly, this promises to be a remarkably immersive campaign.

I’m not the only one who thinks so: Justin, Griffin, and Clint sound genuinely impressed and excited to play with him in this space.

So what does your middlest brother have in store for his family and his listeners in the months to come? I have some ideas, but I’d much rather trust Travis to take me on a buckwild ride.

To Travis McElroy, I say: Great job!

I’m rooting for you.

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SPOILER MAGAZINE

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BY VANESSA BELLEW

at the end of another season of The Adventure Zone, and one that may become a singularity in the annals of the podcast, at least as far as the Game Master is concerned.

If you know anything about The Adventure Zone, a pseudo-Actual Play storytelling Dungeons & Dragons (or D&D-adjacent) podcast started almost accidentally by that First Family of Podcasting, the McElroys, you know that for two out of its three campaigns, the Game Master has been sweet baby brother Griffin McElroy. He helmed the original season, an arc titled Balance, which is the campaign that launched a thousand side hustles, including a New York Times Best Seller List-topping series of graphic novels based on the podcast and an upcoming animated series on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock.

Balance was a magical confluence of hapless luck, genuine talent, and a charming family dynamic that grew organically from cartoonish Monty Python to something sweeping and emotionally charged. It never aimed to be those things, but as the players became more invested, as the Game

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The Adventure Zone/First Second/Clint McElroy/Griffin McElroy/Travis McElroy/Justin McElroy/Carey Pietsch/Maximum Fun

well, here we are, a year and a half later,

Master figured out the shape of the story he wanted to tell, the story naturally settled and deepened into a truly special storytelling experience.

Next came Amnesty, also GM’d

by Griffin, and using a D6 (six-sided die) game model called Monster of the Week. Whereas Balance was deeply collaborative and set in an ever-expanding universe that could hold even the wildest leaps of logic, Amnesty was set mainly in contemporary West Virginia (albeit with monsters and magic) and therefore subject to the physics, build, and morality of our contemporary world. Having finished Balance with momentum, character relationships, and high emotional stakes, the McElboys and the McElfather came into Amnesty with a lot of ideas, a lot of detail, and a very specific plot. While it was eventually more collaborative, it did involve the party splitting up a lot and was a narrower space to play in than the vast zaniness of Balance.

After being Game Master for 105 hour-long episodes and a handful of live shows, Griffin was exhausted. In addition to the extensive workload of GMing, he was also editing this

and several of their other podcasts, and writing original music for The Adventure Zone. So the McElroys decided on a pinch hitter. Oldest brother Justin has frequently and loudly proclaimed that he will never GM except for silly one-shots, so middlest brother Travis volunteered.

Now if you know anything about the Brothers McElroy, you know that though the three brothers have a hilarious and heartfelt dynamic together, they do tend to dunk on Travis the most. This is largely because middlest children are traditionally easy pickins in a family hierarchy and Travis is middle child to his very core. When his brothers gang up on him, it’s always with an understanding that it’s done with love and that it’s a structure that works well for their shows. Travis is bravely gung ho to be the low status clown in any recorded family interaction in a way that is genuinely selfless and lovely. Unfortunately, the fandom’s tendency to gang up on Travis is not necessarily done with a foundation of care or in a spirit of fun, and often without an eye to what dynamics the brothers exaggerate for comedic

effect. They all have their particular strengths and weaknesses, but Travis’ strengths often shine best in concert with his brothers and so go underappreciated.

For Travis to take over as Game Master, not only was he going to have to face resistance from the strange animosity against him within fan circles, but he was also going to have to contend with Griffin’s being a truly exceptional GM. Travis had also never run a long-form campaign. Being well-aware of all these things, Travis may have overprepared.

If there’s one main and valid complaint to be made about The Adventure Zone: Graduation, it’s that the world was already so colored in that there wasn’t much room for the other McElroys to play (a thing the fandom is quick to forget was also an issue with Amnesty). The story started in a school structure full of well-developed NPCs (nonplayable characters). If played just right, it could have worked well, but the player characters were confined to school rules and schedules and lacked a certain freedom and agency that truly collaborative storytelling requires. While that did often become an issue in the earlier episodes of the campaign—a sizable portion of their listenership dropped off in response— Travis’ learning curve was a steep one. He adapted beautifully, creating a plot arc that went beyond the scale of his original ideas and finding ease in a looser sketch of his planned adventures. By the end of the season, the climactic battle between the player characters and their archnemesis was a (appropriately) chaotic free-for-all where every few rounds of combat, everyone in the fight was transformed into kittens, each other, and, for one brief, shining moment...the McElroys themselves.

Ultimately, the argument can be made that in many respects this season was weaker than the other two in terms of cohesion and plot, but in the midst of that are some of the most touching and most hilarious moments of the entire podcast’s history.

Was The Adventure Zone: Graduation a success?

Given that making anything is difficult, telling a story is a monumental undertaking that requires practice and subtlety, and

building a story on the fly, without editing, collaboratively with your immediate family is an absolutely buckwild way to do that for the very first time, this particular listener would say that, yes, Graduation was a success. The first draft of any story isn’t going to be the best possible version of it, but the McElroys (and all Actual Play podcasts) are letting us enjoy the rough cuts of their teamwork and they’re doing it, for the most part, for free.

It’s worth noting here that while a passionate engagement with media we love can be one of the most joyful parts of nerdom, a modern version of that which includes direct and almost constant access to the creators themselves can lead to a sense of entitlement to the material and a dangerously cavalier attitude towards the mental health of the artists behind it. Travis admits that at a point in Graduation, the audience blowback and his own concerns about the season made him want to hand the reins to someone else entirely and walk away. He didn’t. He felt he owed it to his family and the story and the fans. Maybe we owe it to him, then, and so many of our other favorite creators, to follow that most important of the McElroy Midnight Amendments: “Be cool.”

If you’re looking for a deeper breakdown of what happened, why, and how the boys feel about it, check

out their season follow up episode of The The Adventure Zone Zone.

In addition to the usual questions about character choices and “when did you know such-and-such,” Griffin and Travis discuss narrative structure, GMing, and what they’ve learned as storytellers in a medium they, in many ways, are still actively inventing.

After swinging the pendulum of their efforts a little wildly during their first three campaigns, it seems like they’re finally coming into a group understanding of when they work best and how to achieve it. Griffin is GMing the next season, called Ethersea, but the McElroys will be building the world loosely at first, and they’ll be building it together.

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concept by galaxy

WRITTEN BY ETHAN BREHM AND ROBERT NAPOLITANO

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SPOILER MAGAZINE

the suicide squad

it´s no secret that dc´s first suicide squad film is nothing short of divisive among fans and critics alike. If we’ve learned nothing else from this year’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League it’s that a movie’s director should not always be the one to blame. David Ayer, who helmed the 2016 movie about a team of supervillains acquiescently assembled to stop some malevolent force, may have not been the issue either. He made what the studio wanted: a PG-13 action-comedy.

Although Ayer is a highly-talented director in his own right, there are two things he’s never really been known for throughout his career: PG-13 and comedy. Unfortunately, the director’s own vision was being tampered with and his unique style seemed stifled. The studio wanted something closer to Marvel’s own Guardians of the Galaxy, another story about a ragtag assemblage of anti-heros who set out to stop someone who’s objectively evil.

With the upcoming sequel, The Suicide Squad, everyone is older and wiser. Warner Bros. has discovered the value of a director’s vision—as evident with the aforementioned Snyder Cut—but moves forward with a new director. Enter James Gunn, the writer and director of both Guardians of the Galaxy movies and the brand new writer-director of the Suicide Squad sequel, replacing Ayer in both roles. Gunn has seen great success with his pair of Marvel movies, the first of which breathed new life into the superhero genre and gave it new direction. However, The Suicide Squad seems to be taking influence from perhaps another Marvel hero as well.

The new movie will be R-rated— something neither its predecessor, nor Guardians of the Galaxy is— seemingly taking tonal notes from

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2016’s Deadpool and its 2018 sequel.

Unhinged, off-kilter, and maybe a little bit raunchy, The Suicide Squad will be DC’s craziest yet.

Following a mostly-new batch of supervillains, the criminal strike team, Task Force X, will set out anew to the fictional South American island of Corto Maltese, where a former Nazi prison and laboratory is now operated by the tyrannical dictator Silvio Luna.

Our “heroes’” job is to destroy the facility and assassinate its leader.

With a cast that brings back Margot Robbie in the standout role of Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney as the rascal kleptomaniac Captain Boomerang, Joel Kinnaman as the troop’s leader Rick Flag, and Viola Davis as the hardnosed and controversial spearheader of Task Force X, the new movie also assembles an entirely new ensemble of favorites, including Idris Elba, John Cena, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Rooker, Peter Capaldi, Nathan Fillion, Pete Davidson, David Dastmalchian, Sean Gunn, and Alice Braga, among others—many of whom are unsung heroes in their own respective projects, perfectly fitting for this one.

Gunn has said in the past that the Suicide Squad comics have been the one DC property that he’s been eyeing for years now. And that, while most of the world seems to harp on the negative from the first film, he sees the positive that it was able to contribute, aiming to reinstate the good from the 2016 predecessor while also bringing his own unique touch to the project.

Watching the trailer for The Suicide Squad, it’s already obvious that this film will be something fresh and fun, with a sardonic and self-aware attitude, and most of all operating under its own vision—which is all we really want.

The Suicide Squad/DC/Warner Bros.

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James Gunn d es Gunn change ilmmaker Jam ns ia rd ua 2014’s G the game with e er w e w Although ies of the Galaxy. ov m o er rh here supe w ld or w a in st still e pa six at point, for th th by d, le ru d ha may have though things years, it felt as Marvel’s eau. However, reached a plat in mind. d other things newest entry ha co-wrote the movie and Gunn directed out a ole Perlman) ab (along with Nic isfit outlaws who band m e film, ragtag group of the universe. Th ore ve sa to er th ge am to ally, brandished set intergalactic used to than fans were irreverent tone dtrack. killer retro soun en’t and featured a er w ntemporaries y felt Not that it’s co ax al ians of the G cool, but Guard a superhero movie and like a comedy ving to without ever ha r. It y sl ou ne ta ul sim othe e tone for the compromise on it was h; as br as ce; it w ted the genre was in-your-fa th of fresh air ials, and revisi ea ec br Sp e he th T as w it r, which he also and colorful; ith 2010’s Supe push forward w to n ai ed ag ed ne e n the genr still remai a next level, and directed. n has solidified elevate to the s later. ar ye n ve se ese days, Gun her r Th ot he an ot t an ye l g ro in nt in co self, direct oject (or m pr hi r m fil fo e st m 17 fir s na 20 While not hi oject), e Galaxy film in perhero film pr uardians of th ), and G su 23 st 20 fir r s fo hi d t en ne ev more plan y his bigges e nl ai on rt nd ce (a as th w ties to e DC Guardians fluenced by gs his sensibili in in br ly ing vi w ea no H e. ith the upcom at that tim , Gunn began ed Universe w 0s ‘8 nd ’s e te 16 th Ex 20 of s to m el r sequ horror fil icide Squad, a d on er working unde t, Su re se he ca ba T , g ”) in he ak “t m his film inus the rtainmen (m te d En ua a Sq e om e iv Tr id ns ic of Su expa Lloyd Kaufman s. With Gunn’s eir projects, ic th m of co l ra 0s ve ‘8 ly e ul se th tif contributing to knack for beau and Juliet agination and 1996’s Tromeo im to see him y t ai bl w ta t n’ no t ca to os m aos, we This led ch . d er lle rm ro Fi nt or co rr ch fran ise and and 1999’s Te n voice to the as penning the ow s ch hi su , g in bs br jo g other writin Scooby-Doo two live-action the DCEU. scripts for the ’s Dawn of er yd Sn k ac Z l as g him movies, as wel entually landin ev e, ak m re d the Dea 2006’s ial feature with his first director y Slither. horror-comed actually penned In 2000, Gunn ero movie, his first superh

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margot robbie tcaught the shor , it or anyone who 11 20 in s Pan Am ar lived ABC serie ul ic rt pa in one star was clear that d ahea of ve a big career ha to g in go was ace in the , which took pl ow sh e Th r. he a group lved the lives of airline, 1960s and invo ular ants for the tit rever of flight attend es, but it will fo od is ep 14 ed tion only last ople’s introduc pe y an m as n e actress be know in America. Th ie bb Ro t go ar and to M arisma of a star ch l ra tu na e th had a seasoned and control of n tio ic nv co e th only though she was veteran, even her native 21-years-old. job outside of film Her first acting of ra led to a pletho ut bo Australia then A ’s 13 , such as 20 roles right away f of Wall Street, and Wol Time and The e world everyone in th then suddenly reason. od go r e. And fo m na r he ew kn st stand on tism doesn’t ju Robbie’s magne from her talents as a act its own or detr them. complements t bu , er e perform e decade sinc th Now almost a joyed en s m, Robbie ha most debut of Pan A e th of reer as one ca g in az am an d, with ses in Hollywoo d Once es tr ac le ab nk an ba Focus, I, Tonya, starring roles in d. oo w Holly Upon a Time in st Suicide arred in the fir st e sh In 2016 the show e where she stol Squad movie, nd for A .

Harley Quinn as super-villian , the m A n ’t catch Pa those who didn stand out amidst the to have actress’s ability the DC film may of us, in st ca e bl m se st en e re pected. For th been a bit unex ter was so ac ar ch er ing. H we saw it com solo film, e got her own popular that sh is one of only a handful d Birds of Prey, an quel, The Suicide se e th r fo rn tu to re Squad. e to see her shin We can’t wait r he t anot once again in ye rise er H r. blockbuste ry st du in this in has truly been enjoyable to witness.

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HARLEY QUINN

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hile researchin g the lunatics at Arkham Asy lum, the former psychiatric inte rn, Harleen Quinzel, becam e fascinated w ith one inmate in part icular: the Joke r. Frequently volunteering to an with the doctor alyze him, she pleaded s at Arkham fo r three months before she could trea t him. After he gained her sympathy durin g th sessions, he se duced her, caus eir ing her to fall madly in lo ve w him escape from ith him. After helping the asylum mor once, Harley en e than ded up in a cell of her very own. During an ea City, she fled an rthquake in Gotham d became Har ley Quinn, the sidekick of the Clown Prin ce of Crime himself.

This once mod el student and psychiatrist-tu aspiring rned-sociopath made her comic book de but back in 19 94 and has been a mainsta y in the DC un iverse ever since.

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ously he year. Most fam a er ov tle lit a ey, just films in movie Easy Mon ket.

10 20 e th in d starre an mar into the Americ who r before breaking to ac e th year for g in the 2011 was a big rin ar st t bu ational de rn te in s hi movies e e ad th m l as e Killing, as wel and The AMC series Th e Dragon Tattoo m. Since The Girl With th acclai each to critical wood’s Darkest Hour, as one of Holly n tio ta pu re s then, hi y. tors rose quickl most reliable ac ort list of contenders for sh He got on the Max: Fury Thor and Mad in s le ro ad le e th his recognition actor believed e th t bu , ad e, never Ro come in due tim lieve be in the US would ’t project he didn willing to join a s resume. hi g in ild bu of ke in just for the sa tta love what you do first go lades and After all, you’ve d then the acco an t, os m re fo He once and me eventually. co ill w on iti gn reco at I have to ly don’t feel th te lu so ab “I , id sa because it is at I can get just take any role th for something es. I’m looking try, and the United Stat ung in my artis yo ill st I’m g. in n there’s a interest ings even whe th do to re da I must e risks with risk for failure.” he’s taken thos s, ar ye e th r ve O d in. While rsonally, believe pe , he ts ec oj pr e RoboCop e to shine in th tim s hi d ha ’s he uad, Joel also 16’s Suicide Sq ental remake and 20 Malick’s experim ce en rr Te in n appeared d has still take ight of Cups an ars.

Kn ye a e am th dr er ov uctions always od an pr h am is nn ed Ki Sw el in in Jo roles tor has starred n actor’s actor, for TV side, the ac ntly hat to provide e w ce th re n tly t O ac os ex m s d know e stuff Hanna, an th n, l al bo ar es C do d w d , re Alte ankind ith a each scene, an eden to a series For All M + Sw TV in le rn pp Bo A . e ed th tic Cards as well. that goes unno father, the c on House of an ar ic de er m so A pi d -e an 15 r e Suicide Swedish mothe C’s upcoming Th le of Rick . He began his D ip In sh en tiz ci al ap opera, actor shares du r reprises his ro ng of Squad, the acto on a Swedish so cade ild ch a as room for this ga tor er e re th de ca a in t er ul ov ad r e fo Flag, th siness e around the ac a but left show bu ain in the early-‘00s after roes. But this tim he tiag an range with g in rn ce to show his before retu an ch a . s ol ha ho ly a sc real the character. studying at dram de, Kinnaman made quite er, sillier take on ht ca lig de a ly ar For ne e country, self in his hom uding a name for him , ts ss projec incl tle un co in g rin star ed in nine hen he appear w 09 20 in t in a st

joel kinnaman

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RICK FLAG

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ick Flag’s toug h ex dedication to hi terior and s service make the West Point grad uate the perfec candidate to le t ad a super-villa in task force.

Assigned to A .R.G.U.S. by D irector Amanda Walle r, Flag has rem ained loyal to his ruthless boss and the ta sk at hand.

He assisted he r in recruiting a team of prisoners for Ta sk Force X. The by-the-boo ks military spec fell in love with ialist June Moone af ter freeing her from poss ession of the m ystical being, Enchan tress—a mission that proved himself worthy of beco ming the field leader for Task Force X’s next job: destroying Jotu nh prison/experim eim, the old Nazi-built ent facility, free ing its war prisoners, and taking down its current tyrannical dict ator, Silvio Luna .

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lone

sylvester stal

y who tors alive toda here are few ac Stallone. y as Sylvester are as legendar e th that began in ing With a career nd la til around a lot un s of ‘60s, bouncing rd in 1974’s The Lo Winkler, ry a breakout role g alongside Hen wrote Flatbush starrin ne lo al 1976 when St the titular it wasn’t until r and starred as fo ay pl en re sc the struggling a film about a y, ck Ro in r xe bo s shot at ts a spontaneou ship. The fighter who ge pion yweight cham the world heav success as ve si as m a to be movie went on t for how in hed the bluepr then on well as establis om fr ld be told ou w s ie or st sports out. g part of arms were a bi The actor’s ch Academy Cliffhanger, Rocky won the as s es cc su is , Tango & Cash, ar joined th ra st e ob C th g d in an ud e incl and The Pictur , Judge Dredd, and Orson Award for Best an in M pl on ha C iti e ol rli em D ly Cha the years ong others. In nominated the ranks of on be am t, to lis le ia op ec pe Sp d hits with his only Welles as the allone still foun Screenplay the St , st at tion Be th d r te an af or ct n to old school ac ve es se ag d m ne for both Best A ho aw e sp os follow on-the-n y has since les and its two one ab ch nd ea same year. Rock pe in g Ex rin he t flicks, T Stallone star me of the mos sequels, with er in all of them hich featured so s in the history of rit w w s, en up re sc as mble cast and serving ambitious ense ’s Creed. . ke flu a ’t except for 2015 en cinema. accolades wer ing The Stallone’s early the face s in the upcom e ar m st co ne be lo al ld St ou tor w of the fishIn 1982 the ac d as the voice chise with ua an Sq fr s e id ou ic m Su or en k. The actor of yet another stallments in brid, King Shar in hy e fiv an m of hu st fir e James Gunn t First Blood, th d with director t a Vietnam ve ke ou or ab w s s axy Vol. rie ha se ians of the Gal t cops, rd up ua rr the Rambo film G co in s, ly el rt us ting, this previo n drug ca for another ou First s : ite bo who takes dow m un re Ra w ith no W 2 and erseas. nded Universe. and enemies ov ed in 1985 and inspiring in the DC Exte e tim as is the only le re II today, Stallone the ‘80s, Blood Part ds ut an ho st ug it ro s A th cats mber-one film countless copy ld go on to be incredibly ory to have a nu The Suicide st hi in r to ac ou e decades. If the way the franchise w five consecutiv cinema, paving in n tio ac ill make it six. in t l is tia on influen that mark, it w an protag ts hi ym d er ua ev ic Sq et th with the for the sympa g that decade rin du w sa e w that ard, and Hills Cop, Die H y rl ve Be of es lik Lethal Weapon. ‘80s and ‘90s, the e Throughout th e a king of m co be d actor ha with action cinema, ts hi of g a strin

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KING SHARK

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nown now as Ki ng Shark, the go shorts-wearin lf g humanoid sh ark was born Nanaue, to a human m and shark god other Chondrakha. In the comics he was discov ered by Superb oy and was even Aquaman ’s sidekick for a period of time.

His super stre ngth is perfect for effortlessly te aring a full-grow n man in half or eatin g hi his shark-like in m whole. Despite stincts, King Sh ark is really a lovable oaf with comic ally-low intelligence. H owever, he even tually turned to a life of crime and w as imprisoned in Belle Reve.

In The Suicide Squad, the fishrecruited by A .R.G.U.S. direct man is or Amanda Waller to join Ta sk Force X in at tempts to destroy Jotu nheim, the old Nazi-built prison/experim ent facility, free its war prisoners, and take down its current tyrannical dict ator, Silvio Luna .

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michael rooker

e s been one of th ichael Rooker ha ated actors of reci most underapp cades. Jumping the past four de as the title role a big way on the scene in rial Killer, : Portrait of a Se Henry in 1986’s Henry rer real life murde where he played r’s talents were noticed acto Lee Lucas, the inated was then nom instantly and he t Spirit Award for his en for an Independ all uphill. om there it was Fr . ce an m or rf the reliable pe came known as He instantly be in an tangible he is, bringing performer that bodies. In ery role he em conviction to ev the baseball movie Eight d in sissippi 1988 he starre featured in Mis as w d an , ut O Men an and e Gene Hackm id gs on al g in Burn Willem Dafoe.

0s and into e rest of the ‘8 Throughout th mmercial arred in both co Days of the ‘90s, he st as l darlings, such hits and critica bstone, m To r, ge an Cliffh Thunder, JFK, llowed, he fo at years th e th In . ts lra al tion films, and M r his roles in ac fo n ow kn e m beca rs, The 6th placement Kille Re e Th as ch su r.

Day, and Jumpe 06 when he starred in 20 til un It wasn’t of what is ither, the first Sl n’s James Gun the borations with now seven colla the actor’s filmmaker, that her burst. career saw anot Rooker has also n’s starred in Gun o lk Be Super, The t, Experimen d Brightburn, an

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ovies. of the Galaxy m ns ia rd ua G o the tw er plays e Galaxy Rook th of ns ia rd ua In G donta, and villain Yondu U ed ac -f ue bl e th mpelling show with a co then steals the quel. In that c in the 2017 se pisode arc redemption ar -e joyed a nice 14 time, he also en d.

Dea on The Walking , Rooker’s career has seen ns ia rd ua G e Sinc ason. and for good re , ce en rg su re a nice presence ral comforting tu na a g in id Prov e, Rooker ng masculine on ively ro st a as l el w as fect tors who can ef is one of few ac ances with both, and a orm imbue his perf crucial part he was such a hy w on hen we big reas l.

Galaxy Vo 2. W ter is e th of ns ia rd of Gua e charac en we know th see him on scre with roles in ng lo iquely. A un s, nd ha od oker starred in go ned projects, Ro tio en em or af e th d Love and ntasy Island an in last year’s Fa he provides latter of which -type Monsters, the at very fatherly th ith w t is on the protag upcoming also star in the as well as figure. He will lm us instal ent, rio Fu d an st Fa ninth tor will play d, where the ac nt. ua Sq e id ic Su The Sava mputer hacker the vigilante co

SAVANT

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nheriting a gian t fortune and be bored with his coming wealth, Brian D urlin, aka Savant, decide d to “clean up Gotham” using his com puter hacking skills to find criminals and savagely st op them.

However, he w as imprisoned in Belle Reve himself, since the approach did m police felt his unique ore harm than good.

Savant also ha d a side-hustle as a blackmail profi teer, masking his business as vigilantism.

Needless to sa y, he was no Batman.

In the upcomin g The Suicide Sq the anti-hero is uad, recruited by A .R.G.U.S. director Aman da Waller to jo in Task Force X in their missi on to Corto M altese to take down the former Nazi-p rison and assassinate Si lvio Luna.

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alice braga ut performance rom her breako City of God, in the 2002 film the Brazilian it was obvious g to be a star. native was goin ars she was g ye In the followin cally acclaimed iti cr in featured movies such as South American y God Knows.

Onl Lower City and made 2006 that she It wasn’t until ith w t bu uage de her English-lang to y ne ur Jo thriller ide the indie crime gs on al g rin ht, star the End of Nig and Mos Def. Brendan Fraser d year she starre The following ith in I Am opposite Will Sm ered even garn Legend, which s. n for the actres io greater attent in s rt pa on to play She then went en, M po Re r, ing Ove Redbelt, Cross ad, Rite, On the Ro Predators, The and Elysium. s exuded an Braga has alway ess with each hn undeniable toug of her roles; a and every one doesn’t come toughness that of compassion. at the sacrifice l film st year’s Marve However, in la s uses es tr ac e ts, th The New Mutan te demeanor na that compassio ilia e villainous Cec r th as us t agains ou s ce who convin Reyes, a doctor st be r he at she has protagonist th s a’ ag Br t. But it’s interest at hear rting smile that fo m co knack for a ce, and the audien , ro he tricks our her. into believing e ing The Suicid m co up e In th , ays Sol Soria a Squad, Braga pl ce chant resistan tough and tren unn G es rector Jam leader, who di ence es pr grounded describes as a crazy. amidst all the

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SOL SORIA

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iving under th e dictatorship of Silvio Luna in Corto Maltese, Sol So ria created the M altese Resistan to put an end ce to his tyrannic al ru Upon hearing of their mission le. , sh enthusiastic ab out joining Task e’s Force X in helping to assa ssinate him.

Created specifi cally for The Su Squad, Sol Soria icide is likely a gend erswapped take of the comic bo ok character, Juan Soria, who was a criminal recruited by A manda Waller out of Belle Reve. He grew up the Justice Leag being obsessed with ue, and after se verely injuring his ha nd and injectin g them with “nanites” to make them capable of unlocking any locked object, he tried out to become a m ember of the su perhero team himself— only to be reje cted, thus turning to a lif e of crime.

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e American isode arc on th g this ep nve se a with rin Office. It was du to the version of The in e lv de ould also w he at th e for the tim was a big year film world. 2007 his first major movie ed merican actor, who land Weeks Later, A 28 ith w ts 2008 ojec pr In . as hristm ter, and This C a case that Idris gs e ak an m G m fil d e ul hi co itc ou tor the Guy R est working ac he was cast in 2011 that Elba is the hard there would be t it wasn’t until bu , la ol d nR an ck d Ro oo the fandom in Hollyw s first foray into ld say you’re hi ou e r, w ad m ho w he le eimdall in Tho very few peop e man has been a fan favorite H o sequels th , as ld 0s ‘9 or e w th e wrong. Sinc ed in the tw erent d a hundred diff which he repris ge of Ultron an featured in over which he’s starred in. as Avengers: A l el w of as y an m , England, projects ity War. ys in his native Avengers: Infin starred in In the early da sh iti s the actor has Br r ar la ye pu e th po r on ve O s managing y Elba found jobs projects, alway l and Absolutel ve el si w as am m e Br m as so arisma shows such n undeniable ch y quickly rose ow rit s la hi pu g in po br is H to leveling up Fabulous. ed a spot as a ss to the table, nd ne la di ly ur al st tu d en an attached to. mily and he ev ything he’s been Elba has e soap opera Fa he er th ev on ly r al la er gu lit re series s side, teenage years, omentum on hi t Ever since his go he he still keeps re Affairs. With m he w S, something that e to the U d, ov Je m still D to so lly d al ca de iti ci de e cr oducing music le starring in th orming and pr rf d re pe , ar st up d an . his breakout ro even created series The Wire Up rn Tu to this day. He s rie acclaimed HBO high demand kept se comedy sh iti s hi Br e, 19 er 20 J. th in the From tclub D the next he played a nigh gher, and over Charlie where getting even hi find guest roles on s in some le ro d has ha ba ld El ou r, w ho T he g e de nc on Si deca g C, al der: Spirit of ch as Ghost Ri lfriends, The Bi ir su G , e ts lik ec s oj pr ow g sh bi fic Rim, The ometheus, Paci Pr e, nc ea ng Ve , Finding make, Zootopia Jungle Book re & Shaw, Beyond, Hobbs Dory, Star Trek projects cally acclaimed as well as criti dom, ng Walk to Free like Mandela: Lo elson Mandela himself, ed N where he play ame, this ation, Molly’s G N o N of Beasts e British th e Cowboy, and ossed year’s Concret gr ve movies ha is H . er th Lu s serie ica alone. in North Amer on lli bi .6 $3 over ars as Squad, Elba st In The Suicide cenary er m s e villainou th , rt po ds oo Bl the actor Force X. Now sk Ta s in jo ho w his insanely add this film to will be able to me. impressive resu

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obert DuBois, referred to as Bloodsport, is an expert mar ksman and assassin w ho was impris after a failed at oned tempt at killing Superman with a Kryptoni te bullet.

In the comics he veteran who su ’s a Vietnam War ffers from a m ental illness and plays as an unsuspecting pawn for Lex Luthor.

In The Suicide Squad, DuBois has a wife and daug hter whom he is estranged from. The Belle Reve prisoner has now been recruited as a member of the Task Force X strike team traveling to Corto Maltese to dest roy the Nazi-e ra prison/ experiment fa cility and assa ssinate its ruthless dictat or Silvio Luna.

As a de facto leader of the super-villa in squad, Bloodsport se ems to be one of the only criminals to ta ke his mission seriously, looking to mov e on with his lif e once it’s finished.

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nathan Fillion s become very athan Fillion ha over fandom world beloved in the lm co al M ring as his career. Star rite t-lived cult favo or sh e th on ds ol ov n m ie Reyn d its continuatio an fly re Fi s rie se actor’s anadian-born Serenity, the C ore and m n ow l has gr outsiders popularity leve passing year as more with each er who he is. the begin to discov York in his 20s, the Moving to New on on iti stant recogn Joey g in actor found in ay pl Life to Live ne O a er op soap inated for a re he was nom he w , an an ch Bu ow in 1997 y. He left the sh Daytime Emm om Two cast of the sitc and joined the as a series d a Pizza Place Guys, a Girl an regular. yed fly, Fillion enjo Following Fire er and ay Sl e Vampire th y ff Bu on ts stin finding sewives before popular Desperate Hou ry ve e th g role in rin ar st r he ot an tle, e-dramedy Cas 2009 ABC crim aracter. ed the titular ch d arcs where he play ha at followed, he Santa In the years th , ity ily, Commun on Modern Fam es of Unfortunate Seri d as the Clarita Diet, A 2018 has starre e nc si d an , ts Even procedural imetime police pr ’s BC A in ad le first The Rookie. en, the actor’s On the big scre Private 1998’s Saving big project was r eleven fo as nominated renity, Ryan, which w ’s After 2005 Se . ds ar w A y m s 2006 Acade in James Gunn’ ad le e th t go Fillion ell as 2007’s y Slither, as w ed om -c or rr ho Gunn in iting again with un re s, es tr ai W y Super. perhero comed 2010 for his su r has found e years the acto all, Throughout th sm ts both big and er egg roles in projec s or quick East eo m ca ng vi ha often arances including appe appearances, versity, in Monsters Uni a Se n: Percy Jackso s, of Monster s Deadpool, Car th 3, and bo

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(in two e Galaxy films Guardians of th e cameo and the other on separate roles: ene). sc d te le de n become a fu native has also n to on m Ed e Th al voice his phenomen r fo ed at br le ce g work on years, includin acting over the Dad, Gravity os., American The Venture Br th, and a Morty, Big Mou and DC l Falls, Rick and ve t of both Mar large assortmen releases. the actor’s uad is far from Sq e id ic Su he T e fit could project, but th o er rh pe su st fir long time rfect, and is a not be more pe atured in will finally be fe coming as he ic book g role in a com his first starrin d Belkin, e, he plays Floy adaptation. Her -Fall-Off-Boy” in the rm aka T.D.K., or “A arms ith detachable w an m a s, ic com . ns as weapo which he uses

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ot much is know n about T.D.K., including wha t his acronymou s name stands fo r. We do know he’s a metahum th at an who can pa inlessly detach his arm s at will and us e them as weapons in co mbat through telekinesis.

His arms cann ot be reattach ed to his body. Instead, new ones grow back in a few minutes.

In The Suicide Squad, T.D.K. is an inmate at Belle Reve and a recr uited member of Ta sk Force X. T.D.K. is likely adapted from Arm-FallOff-Boy, later known as Split ter, from the comics, but no t much is know n about him either.

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viola davis r actresses of ou ne of the best rned ea s ha is la Dav generation, Vio e of her accolades. In y on each and ever e ‘90s, acting since th en be e’s sh d, Amy, oo g w in ly Hol , Judg s in NYPD Blue le ro l al . In sm on ith rly w ea d Third Watch Steven in le ro Law & Order, an st big film fir r he ed nd la 1999 she first of five ut of Sight, the including Soderbergh’s O ak the filmm er, ith w ns tio ra cean’s Eleven, collabo med Traffic, O ai cl ac lly ca iti oduced). the cr a (which he pr an ri Sy d an s, ri Sola came in the ’ breakthrough In 2008, Davis reep and Philip gside Meryl St film Doubt, alon , where she earned her first an ough her Seymour Hoffm ination, even th utes. In m no d ar w A y Academ out 10 min only lasted ab ain for her role singular scene ed nominat ag be ld ou w e sh -list status and 2011 solidified her A ch hi w p, at she is el H he in T ehold name th us ho e th r he helped make films today. she’s starred in s ar ye e th ut s, Get On Througho itizen, Prisoner C ng di bi A w ured into such as La d. She also vent ua Sq e id ic Su How to Get Up, and the ABC series in g rin ar st , on on an Emmy televisi r, where she w de ur M ith W Away le. is award for her ro d in the performing arts, Dav ne ai t tr us Classically 1996 with Aug dway debut in to on go en th ld made her Broa . She wou rs ta ui G n ny ve To Wilson’s Se , earning two . theater career y II and Fences have a prolific s in King Hedle le ro r he of r n fo io Awards ie vers role in the mov avis won her With her 2017 ,D ay pl e on the stag st actor to earn Fences, based ge un yo e th g in m co first Oscar, be which includes wn of Acting,” ro C le rip “T e th , proving the y, and an Oscar ant forces a Tony, an Emm e most domin th of e on be title role in actress to ry. Last year’s st du in t en rr r fourth Oscar in our cu Bottom saw he k ac Bl ’s ey in Ma Ra nomination. ide Squad, g film The Suic in m co up e th In her role of Davis reprises ctor re di A.R.G.U.S. who r, le al Amanda W e th ds spearhea Task Force X program.

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AMANDA WALLE

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irector of A.R.G .U.S., or Advan ced Research Group Uniting Superhumans, Amanda Walle one of the mos r is t feared and re spected people in the U S government.

After Superman ’s death, Walle acknowledged r that mere hum ans would not be able to stop the power ful that are now a threat to our w beings orld. And so she came up w ith the idea fo r Task Force X, a team of ex pendable supe r-villains who will have their prison se ntences shortened for their cooperat ion—that is, if they survive.

Her squad’s fir st mission is successful, stop ping the demon Enchantress fr ic witch om de Waller is extrem stroying mankind. ely intelligent master at achi and a eving political agendas.

She’s not afraid to sacrifice mor al judgement for her overall goal s, and may have som e se Bruce Wayne th crets of her own. reatens her with Task Force X, bu ending t she will still as a new team to semble travel to Corto Maltese and destroy th e former Nazi prison, assassinating its tyrant Silvio Luna in the process.

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John cena u’d think John appearance, yo by ly le so ng udgi ly” kinda guy. ction movie on “a an e er w a Cen sensibilities actor’s comedic e th , ct fa in t, Bu in-demand ade him such an m ve ha t ha w are years. talent in recent er a decade, of WWE for ov ce fa ic The publ re y- cognized the most widel Cena is one of e. In the restlers of all tim t WWE professional w m rd for the os co re e th s ha ith Ric Flair ring, he 13 and is tied w ith w E s ip sh on pi Cham ip reigns in WW ld championsh or w t t os m os e m e th for ted th . He’s also gran history with 16 tion history with da un Fo h is -W A eak wishes in M sport, the over 650. transcends his at th a m is ar ch s become a With a turned-actor ha eet hl at al on non-fans alike. professi stling fans and re w the by e rit vo fan fa ck The Marine, 2006 action fli e til th un in ld g or in w ut Deb comedy e nture into the th ve ’t ed dn ay di pl r to ac ie, where he ov M e Th : on ed 2010 with Fr as a guest spot r’s dad, as well he would titular characte h. From there, yc Ps s rie se y ith a brief, the comed performance w ut ko ea br st fir sful 2015 film have his le in the succes ro d le ab or em ot on Parks an but m with a guest sp g on e al , th ck as re w Trainw 16 he same year. In 20 Recreation that . ve ay Night Li les where host of Saturd various guest ro s such as hi Aside from s in film lf, he’s starred ockers, he plays himse 2, Ferdinand, Bl e om H ’s dy ad n the music Sisters, D ing With Fire. O ay Pl d an , ee m called You Bumbleb a 2005 rap albu ed as le re he end, inum in sales. hich went plat w e, M e Se ’t for the Can to be a big year ed h at sl is 21 20 as F9, the nint projects such g bi e, ith is w ch r, an to fr ac ous the Fast & Furi installment in as well as an s, nd ie Fr n catio n where the comedy Va XProject Tractio so m fil n tio ac g will al upcomin ckie Chan. He Ja e id gs on al s thless killer he star Squad as the ru e id ic Su he T ed to as the be in Cena has referr ho w , er ak em Peac in America.” A “douchey Capta acemaker spin-off for Pe e in is set for releas on 22 20 January HBO Max.

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eacemaker is a mentally-unsta ble vigilante who murders in the name of peace. To hi m, the ends de justify the mea finitely ns. Born to a ra cist father and leader of a Nazi death cam p, the pistol-wielding “pacifist” was eventually captured and im prisoned in Be lle before being re cruited for Task Reve Force X. Looking forwar d to destroying former Nazi pr the ison in Corto M altese, Peacemaker is one of the few Su Squad membe rs excited abou icide t his new mission.

The others in Ta difficult to take sk Force X find it Peacemaker se riously and generally dislik e him.

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jai courtney tralia, in Sydney, Aus orn and raised alian d several Austr Jai Courtney di role in to his breakout projects prior ed the ay pl acher, where he orably em 2012’s Jack Re m rlie, who ha C , st ni go ta r in one brutal an r title characte ou t ns ai ag f of faces m. The ences in the fil of the best sequ ess was on full display, prow actor’s action and a scene. ability to comm Bruce s hi as w so d an ide starred alongs From there, he the fifth in n so e’s McLan Willis as John ries, A Good the Die Hard se installment of d. right, Day to Die Har star in his own n tio ac g in dd A bu les in action d a string of ro ye jo en r to ac the ries, where e Divergent se th as ch su s m fil ic Coulter, antagonistic Er e th ed ay pl he ying the Genisys portra and Terminator e years, Reese. Over th enigmatic Kyle d/or action several war an he’s starred in roken, The nb ankenstein, U films with I, Fr hief, as well T t es r Fi, Hon pe m Se n, io pt Exce Jolt, starring g 2021 release in m co up e th as le.

Kate Beckinsa Shia LaBeouf red alongside st In 2015 he ar an Down, r war thriller M in the non-linea me of the best acting of s so where he give eo in 2019’s also had a cam e H . er otorball his care th as one of e M el ng A le tt Ba Alita: in America, champions. great success Despite having to return back still continued s ha y ne rt ou C film there tive Australia to ny, where home to his na lo he starred in Fe n Film ia as well. In 2014 al tr ated for an Aus Film Critics he was nomin a d tion Award an Critics Associa s role. That ia Award for hi al tr us A of le Circ ssell Crowe’s featured in Ru so al as w he year iviner. t, The Water D bu de l ia or ct owcased re di the actor has sh In recent years, in ginn g ops as well, be his comedy ch icide Squad with the first Su , along movie in 2016 ter with his charac

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Prey. meo in Birds of making a fun ca ured in the sequel feat He’s also been mer: Ten American Sum ot H et W s comedy serie 20 20 ell as the w as r, te La s Year ney Buffaloed. comedy, Court No stranger to s biggest le in perhaps hi reprises his ro here he icide Squad, w film yet, The Su George “Digger” ain, plays, once ag erang, a Captain Boom a ak s, es f with a Harkn g ing dirtba thie ld ie w gan er boom mouth.

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eorge “Digger” Harkness developed a cr aft for building sophisticated boomerangs w he was a child hen as an escape fr om his abusive stepfa ther, eventually earning the nickname “Captain Boom erang.”

When he got ol der, the Austral ian-born criminal began robbing banks, ultimately being apprehen ded by The Flas h and imprisoned at Belle Reve. Th e rowdy and lippy prisoner then got recrui ted as part of Task Force X .

Perhaps the pa ragon of the Su Squad attitude, icide Captain Boom erang is a loose cannon who always th inks about himself first an d foremost. U pon landing in Midway City , Boomerang at tem to call Amanda Waller’s bluff ab pted out the nano-bombs im planted in thei r bodies and tricked fello w Slipknot into es Squad member caping, resulti ng bomb going of f and killing him in the .

He’s now part of the Task Fo rce X mission to Cor to Maltese.

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pete davidson e me hot onto th ete Davidson ca when he was way scene in a big ay Night Live at cast on Saturd that, his of 20. Prior to the young age ready al d success ha Code, early stand-up uy G on est spots gu m hi ed rn ea Out, esents: Wild ‘N Pr n no an C k ic N s of the Nine, and Friend Brooklyn NinePeople. audition the chance to Davidson got Bill r h cast membe for SNL throug e th d worked with Hader, who ha m fil g e upcomin comedian on th ought he would be th d gest Trainwreck, an One of the youn n. tio a great addi a d ever, he still ha cast members ming co be , m hi ead of long career ah bits g ith his recurrin e a fan favorite w or m t pdate. He go e on Weekend U th on t his bold se Bieber notoriety after Roast of Justin al tr en C y ed Com in 2015. s first son released hi In 2016, David n: SMD l Pete Davidso comedy specia 30 under to the Forbes and made it on atured en, he’s been fe 30 list. Since th ght ni te countless la his performing on d he is has just fin talk shows and on SNL. seventh season starred in such films ’s he r, As an acto ce, ime Adolescen T g Bi p, ed the as Set It U d in 2020 releas King and The Dirt, an he aphical film T semi-autobiogr hich he wrote along ,w of Staten Island , who also directed. tow with Judd Apa g The Suicide m In the upco in ertz, n plays Dick H so id av D d, ua Sq nt and , an overconfide aka Blackguard t suit ry with a comba goofy mercena s. and twin pistol

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skilled shoote r, Dick Hertz, al so known as Blac kguard, uses hi s tactical suit an d twin pistols off crimes until to pull he’s sent to Be lle Reve, later joining th e Task Force X strike team to Corto Malte se.

Mordantly cock y, Blackguard ha invincibility co s an mplex that aids him in taking ridiculou s risks, but alw ays with a smile on his fa ce.

In the comics, Blackguard was member of the a criminal group The 1000, who gave him a suit that coul d generate a mace and shie ld out of pure energy.

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peter capaldi n in reer that bega ith a storied ca in le ro l al ith a sm the early-80s w Apart Together, ng the TV film Livi break in 1985 g bi s hi w sa Peter Capaldi TV biopic Harrison in the e rg eo G g in play Following : A Love Story. ko Yo d an hn Jo US came ajor role in the m st fir s hi , at th Liaisons film Dangerous Malkovich. with the 1988 Close and John alongside Glenn ive became even more at s work The Glasgow-n rly-’90s with hi ea e th in ed iz Shoulder, recogn Soft Top Hard m fil sh iti Br e on th play for, rote the screen w so al he ch whi nd Awards, o BAFTA Scotla fka’s tw m hi g in rn ea Ka ort film, Franz ed him a as well as his sh rn ea ch hi w Life, It’s a Wonderful an Oscar in ards, including plethora of aw C series 1995. arred in the BB st he e, er th From m Bean, well the 1997 fil as , re he w er Nev r. Bean, until Atkinson as M an w t Ro g rin ar st rectorial debu feature film di s hi k ed an lm Fr he a t he ou rictly Sinatra ab in 2001 with St . onator Sinatra impers 05 when kout came in 20 ea br er Anoth lm Tucker co al role of M e th ed nd la di which Capal The Thick of It, om tc si C BB e in th inees, ree BAFTA nom earned him th wing the llo Fo . win in 2010 e on g in ud cl in en became s in 2012, he th end of the serie Doctor in rnation of the the twelfth inca held onto 2013, which he Doctor Who in s had until 2017. tor’s career ha ac e th , en th e Sinc roles on surgence, with yet another re orld War Z, W as ojects such pr e fil ro -p gh hi Christopher , Paddington, te ta Es h ft Fi he T ry of David Personal Histo Robin, and The a career that espite having ts, the Copperfield. D K-based projec U of y el rg la tural consists ing Capaldi’s na tic no ly al fin is world . lents first hand charms and ta g film In the upcomin d, ua The Suicide Sq e th s Capaldi play rThinker, a supe rpe su nt intellige villain.

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highly-intellige nt metahuman , the Thinker was gi through experim ven his powers entation at the Jotunheim labo ratory in Corto Maltese, where he was imprisoned. H e joins forces with Task Forc e X, reluctantly , to help assassinate th e tyrant dictat or Silvio Luna.

Thinker has ex treme intellect , afforded to him by the antennas and wires sticking out of his head , and also has powers of telekinesis and even mind cont rol, with the potential ab ility to control electricity as well.

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r

daniela melchio

e “Daniela know the nam f you don’t yet r native will soon. In he on the Melchior,” you st r s got he art es tr ac e th , al Portug went on to s in 2014, and esca, Ouro series Mulhere sa s like Mas Fr ow sh r he ot in Vida. In star ira, and Valor da The Black de er H A e, rd Ve in r first film role 2018 she got he is, and that same year Din Book of Father Mayer. t movie Parque hi e th on the starred in is s uese actres Now the Portug erica m A tardom here in The in path to supers le ro r upcoming as well. With he chior makes her debut Mel Suicide Squad, former Ratcatcher 2, a as es at St e th in mmunicate ho can now co exterminator w Following my of rodents. sk Force with her own ar in she will jo Ta e, ur pt ca ’s in the villa big mission.

X in their next

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RATCATCHER 2

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hen exterminat or-turned-villa in Otis Flannega n, also known as Ratcatcher, go t apprehended

by Batman in G otham City, hi s student Ratcatcher 2 us ed all that she learned to take up his mantle. Taught to communicate with rodents an d use them to help her com mit crimes, Ra tcatcher 2, whose real na me is not yet kn eventually got own, imprisoned at Belle Reve where she will join Task Force X in their mission to Cor to Maltese, bo nding closely with Bl oodsport.

Quiet and timid , and unexpected Ratcatcher 2 is crafty ly sneaky. She is a brand new character to the DC univ erse.

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debut ian’s big screen ch al tm as D id av t as sive of a projec is about as mas ayed a brief, but e pl er’s you can get. H e of Heath Ledg on as le ro le ab or k mem he Dar en in 2008’s T Joker’s henchm ogue, but al di y ly has an re ba e H . ht ig Kn ains of all rned into the br his face was bu atched that film. It’s that w the people who g that has served the tin ac al ci fa career in brilliant s decade-plus hi in l el w actor so us far. alchian the industry th but role, Dastm de s hi g in w llo Fo Denis llaboration with here he co st fir s hi d ha w 13’s Prisoners, Villeneuve in 20 g suspect in the child rrin played a red he year he The following y. or st n als, which abductio m ni e film, A ur at fe st fir s on his wrote hi ographical take bi to au an as serves diction. ruggle with ad own life and st eakout in the br r he yet anot d ha r to ac e Th ayed Kurt, an, where he pl -M nt A m fil 15 20 d member puter wizard an a Russian com reprise crew. He would On the of Scott Lang’s el qu . in the 2018 se curring the role again ries he had a re se ot bo re er Murdoc, MacGyv nistic assassin go ta an e th as red twice role he’s guest star h as Fl he T on and bra Kadabra. time traveler A al in im cr e th as 17 sequel atured in the 20 flix He was also fe Net 2049, the 2018 Blade Runner o game de vi e th as well at year, hit Bird Box, as r.

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sean gunn six, Sean he youngest of rated with bo lla Gunn has co r James his older brothe both ut ho ug ro many times th arred in st e H s. of their career , 1996’s Tromeo James’ first film d in has since acte and Juliet, and ral ve se d an per, The Specials, Su others. y for his long Known by man ls as on Gilmore Gir recurring role an Se Gleason, fan favorite Kirk ter for the 2020 ac ar reprised his ch : s, Gilmore Girls ie er is sequel min ut ho ug ro fe. Th A Year in the Li da tor has enjoye ac e th s, s the year ow ith roles on sh nice resume w n, Su e Rock from th like Angel, 3rd Bones. He also Yes, Dear, and ries comedy web se o co-created the tw s hi ith PG Porn w James Gunn’s n. ia and Br brothers James become wells ha r The acto e motion captur known for his ing as m or rf pe s, year work over the ians rd n in both Gua Rocket Raccoo rs: ge en ms, and Av so of the Galaxy fil al e H e. d Endgam g Infinity War an in m fil g rin anos du stood in for Th ng lo A . rdians of the first Gua he capture work, n io ot m with his ate, m , Yondu’s loyal played Kraglin well as ians movies, t for both Guard se is e Endgame. H r as a cameo in fo e or role once m to reprise the . ve and Thunder Lo 2022’s Thor: ill w he d Squa In The Suicide a e, aka Weasel, ro on M to play John in as transformed human who w ith w orphic weasel, an anthropom Bill ion inspired by a characterizat y nt ou e Bloom C the Cat from th comic strip.

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fter an experim ent gone wrong , respected univ ersity professo r John Monroe w as permanently turned into a hu manoid wease l. Weasel has the intellige nce as such an d often seems to have barely any hum an qualities left. After wre aking havoc as a criminal, Weasel is sent to Belle Reve pr ison. Due to his stupidity , he has absolu tely no qualms about joining Task Fo rce X and actually has no idea what’s go ing on at all.

Weasel can m ov instincts. His fle e quickly and has quick xibility and he ightened senses will serv e the team wel l during the Corto Maltese mission.

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FLula borg uTube launch of his Yo 07 20 e th ce in career ian Flula Borg’s channel, comed oted e up and up. Ro has been on th g, min the tion and perfor uc od pr ic us m in d ways to has always foun German-native ork. In 2008 usic into his w incorporate m test, and n Hypeman Con he won the Scio weet Potato Casserole” “S d chart. in 2011 his song ’s Next Big Soun itzki, rd oa llb Bi on hit #3 Now , his single “Dirk e Dallas That same year th ith w d ” coincide German Moses onship run and was pi Mavericks’ cham Considering the role .

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former German Olympic athlet e, Javelin, whose real name is unknown, is a criminal know weaponizing hi n for s javelins and sp ears, often with expl osives, impalin g and trapping his vi ctims or anyone el gets in his way . Once incarcer se who ated at Belle Reve, he is recr uited for Task Force X’s mission to Cor to Maltese.

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by Suicide Squa times, d member Deadshot, and another by the evil sorceress and Wonder Wom an nemesis, Circe.

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mayling ng a Singaporean orn in the UK to other, and a British m Chinese father wing ro G d. le well-trave is g N g lin ay M rl, and y Islands as a gi up in the Canar ly al tu ore, she even then in Singap reer in ca a ue US to purs e th to ed ov m entertainment. acting role g got her first In 2013, Maylin ide Aiden ter John, alongs in the film Mis atured as ere, she was fe Gillen. From th tial arts ar in the 2016 m 2017 the antagonist in as oodfight. It w t ec movie Lady Bl oj pr g her first bi ins’ nk that she landed Je y tt Pa Orana in of le ro e th ith se w also rved an, where she Wonder Wom G Award an and won a SA as a stuntwom en, she’s team. Since th with her stunt Book of Scorpion King: arvel starred in The m video ga e M e th as l el w as star in Souls also slated to e’s Sh e. rc Fo ke Stri the White film Legend of g in m co up e th Frank. ide Jason David gs on al n go ra ng Fu, D lt in Shaolin Ku With a black be physical herself on her Mayling prides d that d has mentione conditioning an me the female Arnold co she wants to be see , and can even er gg ne ze ar Schw nd villain. uad, herself as a Bo g The Suicide Sq arrior m In the upco in ien w s Mongal, an al the actress play to join Task ed and forced who was captur Force X.

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MONGAL

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warrior from th e alien planet Warworld, Mon gal is the daug hter of the warlord M ongol and a member of the Warzoon spec ies. became one of Warworld’s mos She t prolific conquerors, bu t upon arriving on Earth was captured and forced to join Task Force X in thei r Corto Maltese mission.

Mongal has su per strength on and is bulletpro Earth of, much like Su perman.

In the comics, she to kill Superman was sent to this planet for dishonorin g her tyrant father.

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INTERVIEW BY GALAXY INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

The sky’s the limit for Ashley Reyes.

The Long Island native just landed a starring role as Cordelia on season 3 of the hugely popular Starz series American Gods. While her face is on the promotional materials for the show, it’s yet to be seen what the arc for her character will be, but the actress ensures us that her part gets even bigger.

Growing up studying theater, Ashley moved to England for school and to pursue her craft even further. Now with a major spot on a major show, we’re excited to see what lies ahead for the young actress. She’s also starring in the upcoming film Slayers, a modern day horror-comedy that sounds like a techinspired House on Haunted Hill meets Dracula.

Ashley fills us in on what it’s like to be thrown into the deep end, so to speak, on her first major project, and how she got over her nerves her first day on set.

The actress discusses the paranormal, as well as her admiration for The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby. And Galaxy, a fellow New Yorker, also talks with her about the proper way to hold a pizza.

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erview erview SPOILER: How is it being on American Gods?

ASHLEY REYES: It’s been honestly amazing. I consider everyone to be family there. I had a wonderful time. This is actually my first TV job. I feel so lucky and lately overwhelmed. I’m so honored to be a part of it. I literally went from not getting any TV jobs—I was doing stage work for a few years and auditioning for TV—to suddenly being one of the leads on a huge TV show.

Ashley Reyes/IMDb/(cover): Ashley Reyes/Design Scene Magazine/Jenny Anderson

SPOILER: Are you getting recognized a lot now?

ASHLEY REYES: [laughs] Not quite yet. I don’t know if I’m there yet, but my part gets bigger on the show, so I think as things go along people will start warming to it. Occasionally I get the DMs like, “Big fan from Brazil!” I’m

ASHLEY REYES

like, “Someone knows who I am in Brazil?” It’s just crazy. People haven’t really recognized me. The show just came out a few weeks ago and everybody’s been in their houses. But otherwise, I have a lot of friends who call me when they turn on their TV and go to Amazon and it’s a giant poster with my face on it. I get a lot of texts saying, “Thanks for waking me up this morning!”

SPOILER: How does it feel being on the main poster?

ASHLEY REYES: Surreal. I don’t know if I’ve even digested it yet. It’s also one of those things where, if I see it, I kinda scroll by it really quickly because it’s so overwhelming [laughs]. But it’s amazing.

SPOILER: Do you watch yourself on

the show?

ASHLEY REYES: I do watch myself. At least with American Gods. Maybe the more jobs I do I won’t watch as much. Also, I just wanna see the show. It’s so good, and I love seeing everyone’s performances. But I do sit there when I’m on screen, holding my face, trying to peek through my fingers. It takes a lot for me to not judge myself. But I have to go easy on myself—it’s my first job. But I have to watch it, it’s so cool. Seeing yourself on TV is horrible because it’s like hearing your own voice in a recording, but it’s also the coolest thing in the world!

SPOILER: Were you nervous the first day on set?

ASHLEY REYES: Terrified. I was absolutely terrified. My pickup time was 3:45 a.m., and I didn’t sleep at all the night before. I got to my trailer and I was shaking. And I get out of the van that brought me to set, and it’s all of the producers, and Ian McShane is there, and Ricky Whittle, and I just didn’t know how to speak or move. I was just standing outside of the car not knowing what to do with my body until someone told me, “You know you can move.” But I was pretty nervous on my first day [laughs].

SPOILER: Which of your co-stars made you the most nervous?

ASHLEY REYES: When I first started it was definitely Ian. How could you not be intimidated by him? He’s a legend and he has this presence that you know when he’s in a room. I was very nervous about meeting him and working with him, but over time he became someone who I grew very close to and look up to a lot because he’s just fantastic and really taught me a lot on set. But every single one of the guest stars—you have Peter Stormare and Denis O’Hare—and every time I would see someone I would be a little starstruck.

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ASHLEY REYES SPOILER: What was your first scene like on American Gods?

ASHLEY REYES: At first it was scary, but I tapped into my theater training.

Actually a co-star, Bruce Langley, said to me before I started shooting, “You are trained for this. It’s the same thing you do on stage. Just do that in front of the camera.” I was really nervous. It was the scene with Ian where I came out of this van and was supposed to be very cool. It was only, like, six lines—not a big deal— but I think I must’ve rehearsed these six lines about a thousand times. I kept trying to hop into the car and hitting my leg on the car because I don’t get into the driver’s seat ever—I don’t drive. But throughout the day I started to warm up and Bruce’s words got into my head. I said, “Just act, Ashley. It’s just a scene. It’s not the end of the world. It’s just gonna be a minute in the entire show. Just get through it.” And from then on I felt way more comfortable on set.

SPOILER: Where did you grow up?

ASHLEY REYES: I grew up on Long Island. It was fine. I moved to England as soon as I could [laughs], for college. I did theater. I thought I would be doing Shakespeare for my entire life. But I couldn’t have asked for a better career. It’s

not at all what I thought I would be doing and I love it.

SPOILER: Did studying theater help you a lot?

ASHLEY REYES: Absolutely. My theater education helped me with understanding a character, just feeling confident in my ability to be able to perform a scene and understanding scenework. And also going to drama school, it kicks your ass! They’re really intense and you learn a lot about yourself. And as an actor, it gives you an edge up on actors who haven’t gone through that because it’s a tough business, and now I can handle direction and notes without taking it personally.

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SPOILER: Does the competitive nature of the industry stress you out sometimes?

ASHLEY REYES: Yeah, I think for me personally I don’t look at other people and go, “That’s the competition.” I look at myself and judge myself so harshly that I’m my own competition; I’m my own worst enemy. I love being in a business where I’m up against other people, because I’m usually the person in an audition room being like, “Oh my gosh, that person would be so good for this part! Why am I here? They should be doing it!” [laughs] So my biggest issue is myself and my own confidence and my own ego. I find it hard to compete with myself more than anything else.

Ashley Reyes/American Gods/Starz/IMDb

SPOILER: What advice can you give someone who’s starting out?

ASHLEY REYES: “Hold onto what makes you weird.” As soon as I tried to conform to what I thought other people wanted of me, I wasn’t getting jobs. I wasn’t doing anything, really. I was just trying so hard to make other people happy. Whereas when I embraced who I am and what makes me weird and different, that’s when I started working and getting success from it. “Just don’t listen to anyone who tells you you can’t do it, cuz that’s bull.”

SPOILER: Has American Gods taught you a lot about mythology?

ASHLEY REYES: Yes. I knew nothing about the whole god world. Starting to do this show, you learn so much about the Norse gods and things like that. And it does open your eyes. I grew up in a Jewish household and didn’t really explore other things, and this show has really taught me a lot.

SPOILER: Were your parents strict?

ASHLEY REYES: Not really. I went to Hebrew school. We went to temple for all the holidays and things like that. But outside of that, they were very good at being like, “You can make up your own mind once you’re older. This is just what we think and how we want to raise you.” I was pretty young when I started questioning everything—I think a lot of people are. But they were really great about saying, “You can come back to Judaism if you want to.”

really great!” And I wanna get better at it, and I wanna learn more, and I wanna do more TV. I can see myself really growing and really forming a career in TV. But I wanna experience the movie world as well. It all depends where the chips fall. I never

SPOILER: Do you think theater is still on your horizon once the world goes back to normal?

ASHLEY REYES: What a good question! I’m someone who loves to learn constantly. I love my job so much—I love acting so much, it doesn’t really matter the capacity, I just wanna do it all the time. I was raised doing theater and I love it so much—that’s my home—but now that I’m doing TV, I’m like, “This is

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ASHLEY REYES

thought I’d be doing this. I don’t know.

I’m excited to see where my career goes next.

Before the [pandemic] I was really feeling like I was starting to gain some traction, and saw a lot of growth in myself and my confidence, which led to a lot of doors being opened. Now since the world’s been closed, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But there are days where I’m like, “This is just the beginning of things.”

SPOILER: If you could choose DC or Marvel, which would you choose?

ASHLEY REYES: Mmm...Marvel! That was hard. That’s my gut instinct. DC is also coming out with some sick stuff, so it’s so hard to pick. But I’ve always loved Marvel movies.

SPOILER: Do you believe in ghosts?

ASHLEY REYES: Yes. Absolutely, hands down. I think I’ve had paranormal experiences. I think a lot of people do.

Growing up I always thought my house was haunted. I just always felt like we weren’t alone, and there were some real ghosts there.

SPOILER: Do you watch paranormal shows?

ASHLEY REYES: I don’t watch paranormal shows because I do believe in it. I can’t watch Paranormal Activity or anything like that because I would never go to sleep again. But I love true crime. I’m a big true crime fan. I love all true crime documentaries. I probably watch more documentaries than I do TV shows. When I was in high school I thought that I wanted to go into forensics or something like that.

SPOILER: Did you eat a lot of pizza growing up in Long Island?

ASHLEY REYES: I do love pizza. I’m a Joe’s person. I love Joe’s in Manhattan.

I love jalapeño and pepperoni pizza.

That’s probably my favorite kind. Do you fold your pizza or eat it flat?

SPOILER: Folding is the east coast thing! You fold, step back a little and let the oil drip everywhere, and then eat it.

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Not in Hollywood. They eat it straight.

ASHLEY REYES: Or with a fork and a knife.

SPOILER: And with pineapple.

ASHLEY REYES: [laughs] SPOILER: If you could emulate any actor, who would it be?

ASHLEY REYES: Vanessa Kirby, who plays Margaret on The Crown, I think she’s incredible. She’s another stage and screen actress. I think the way she’s able to transform into other characters is so charming and likable. And also the way she handles herself off screen—she just seems really cool. She’s someone I’d like to hang out with. She’s someone I look up to a lot. She seems like a boss.

SPOILER: Have you ever been to a convention?

ASHLEY REYES: Never. I did the virtual Comic Con this year. Unfortunately it wasn’t live and is not the same thing.

Everyone was telling me, “You have to do one [in person]! The energy is amazing! We all have such a good time and we get to meet everyone.” I was so jealous.

SPOILER: How have you been handling the apocalypse so far?

ASHLEY REYES: [laughs] Probably the same as everyone else. I’m trying to stay busy and productive. I’ve been cooking a lot. I’ve been writing.

SPOILER: You just had a cool feature on Ricky Whittle’s “Moon Monday.”

ASHLEY REYES: He’s such a good person to host things because he’s so charming. I really don’t have to do anything. I can just sit there and people will just watch him anyway [laughs].

SPOILER: If you could say anything to the fans out there, what would you say?

ASHLEY REYES: “I love you all. Thank you so much for watching the show!”

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D Jermaine Fowler is just a natural performer; he was born to do this. So when casting took place for this year’s Amazon Prime original Coming 2 America, the sequel to the 1988 Eddie Murphy film, the comedian was the perfect person for the job.

Playing the son of Murphy’s Prince Akeem, his talents are on full display.

Commanding the screen and going toe-to-toe with a comedy legend isn’t easy, but Jermaine never falters. He’s totally in his element.

With a passion for movies and for watching movies in theaters, the actor still doesn’t see Coming 2 America’s streaming release as a hindrance at all, but a blessing in disguise. “I believe everything happens for a reason. I’m glad the studio didn’t hold onto this movie until the theaters opened back up, because there were people who needed a good laugh. I definitely needed a good laugh,” he offers. The 1988 original has such a personal connection with so many people, so it’s fitting that those people can

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now share that experience with the younger generations in their family from the comfort of their own homes.

Theatrical release or not, Coming 2 America has been the marquee film for this first half of 2021. With Jermaine’s help, the movie went on to be the most successful streaming release in a year and the first Amazon original to top the company’s charts.

The actor began his career doing stand-up in his early 20s, inspired by Murphy himself, eventually releasing his own comedy special Give Em Hell Kid. And prior to Coming 2 America, Jermaine had already enjoyed success as an actor, writer, and/or producer on various shows and films such as Superior Donuts, The Eric Andre Show, Friends of the People, and Sorry to Bother You. You can tell Jermaine loves what he does for a living, always giving 1000% to his projects. However, the actor’s passion for the people in his life is even stronger. He exudes so much love and appreciation for those around him, including his kids, his family, and his friends, all of whom have made him the person he’s become and have helped get him to where he is today.

With us, he shares his plans for the future, including a hopeful spin-off film for Ruby Rhod from The Fifth Element, as well as the unlikely role Peter Jackson’s King Kong played in launching his career in show business.

Jermaine Fowler/Complex/Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic/(cover): Jermaine Fowler/GQ/Michael O’Brien Entertainment/IMDb

INTERVIEW BY GALAXY I INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

erview erview

interview interview

jermaine fowler SPOILER: How was your experience on Coming 2 America?

JERMAINE FOWLER: It was wonderful!

I had a lovely experience on that movie, dude. I had a great time with all the cast members. The director, Craig [Brewer] was awesome. It was great! I’ll never forget it.

SPOILER: They brought everybody back from the original movie.

JERMAINE FOWLER: It was extremely exciting. I look up to all those folks— especially Eddie [Murphy]. He’s the reason why I got into stand-up and the reason why I wanted to become an actor. So to be in his presence was truly incredible. It was honestly like being inside a dream.

SPOILER: How have things changed since the movie’s release?

JERMAINE FOWLER: There’s been a couple changes. There’s been an overwhelming amount of people online and social media, sending their love and support, saying how much they enjoyed the movie, and my role. I’d like to take the time to thank everyone who’s seen the movie and reached out to tell everyone involved how much they loved it. It’s been crazy. The press has been really nice. Everything sort of shifted now. I’m just blessed I’m able to take my dreams and continue to grow and do what I love to do.

SPOILER: Was it tough being with all those legends?

JERMAINE FOWLER: Not at all! Eddie and the director and producers, they looked at every audition tape, and they saw mine and thought I could bring something to the character and to the movie. And you have to look at that with pride. I definitely felt that I was there for a reason, and there to showcase what I could bring. So I didn’t really feel that chip on my shoulder. I felt like I was ready. I felt empowered by the cast and crew and everyone involved. I didn’t feel that imposter syndrome. That’s easy to fall into when you’re in that situation. I’ve heard horror stories about those moments. Luckily I didn’t feel like that. Everybody was so welcoming: Eddie and Shari [Headley]

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JErmaine fowler and John Amos and Arsenio [Hall]. I didn’t really feel that anxiety when I came to set.

SPOILER: What’s it like working alongside Eddie Murphy?

JERMAINE FOWLER: He’s brilliant. He’s everything I always knew he was. Just being in his presence is so different. Seeing him in his element, seeing him in the zone, seeing him reprise a character from 32 years ago, I’ve never seen that done before so seamlessly.

The man is not human. I love that guy. I love Eddie so much. I appreciate him for the opportunity and I thank him for seeing the potential in me and what I do. The guy knows talent.

The guy has always paid it back to Black comedians any chance that he can get—young Black comics.

I’m so grateful that I’m part of that Eddie Murphy lineage. It’s phenomenal. I get really emotional when I think about it. It means everything to me.

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SPOILER: Does performing with all these people in one room make you nervous?

JERMAINE FOWLER: No not at all. I get excited! Doing stand-up, I perform in front of crowds all the time. This is what I do! With standup, the only times I get worried are the nights I don’t have anything to talk about, like, “What the f**k am I gonna say?” Those are the moments I go, “This show might not go too well. I don’t know what I’m gonna do.”

That feeling sucks. But that’s the only time I get nervous. Other than that, if I’m bombing, I kinda just bring the audience down with me. It’s like what Patrice O’Neal said, “If I’m having a bad set, we’re all having a bad set.” I like to use those nerves, the positivity, and use them to my own benefit in most cases. I think it was Franklyn Ajaye who said, “If you’re nervous it’s a good thing. Use those nerves to stay on your toes and be more alert. Embrace them.” So I don’t think nervousness is a bad thing.

SPOILER: How funny is Leslie Jones?

JERMAINE FOWLER: Leslie’s amazing! Leslie is just awesome to work with—a true pleasure. I laughed every time we were together. A lot of the laughs on set, they captured them on film. A lot of the stuff we improvised together, the stuff she came up with, they kept a lot of it, and you can see our genuine reactions from them during the bloopers. That’s all we were doing, making each other laugh and having a good time.

SPOILER: So you did a lot of improvising?

JERMAINE FOWLER: All the time!

Any chance I can get—any line that I can improvise that makes sense within the context of the film and story, try it out! If it don’t work, do another take! No one knows the characters better than the actors and the writers—we’re the ones bringing the character to life. You have to understand just where you wanna

Jermaine Fowler/IMDb/Getty/GQ/Coming 2 America/Amazon Prime

take the character’s story and what layers you want to bring to them. I definitely wanted to bring certain layers to Lavelle’s character that weren’t on paper. I like to do that; I like to add context to whatever I’m doing, just so I can give it more life and fill it out a little bit more—it’s just fun for me that way.

all that matters. As long as I keep chasing my dreams, I just wanna motivate and inspire other people in my family, or other people in general, to go out and do what makes them happy and do what makes them feel fulfilled. I think that’s the most important thing right now.

SPOILER: What was the moment in life when you knew that you had to be a comedian?

JERMAINE FOWLER: It was the moment when I watched Eddie Murphy Raw in twelfth grade. That’s when I knew I wanted to do it. Before that, I was always into stand-up: Def Comedy Jam, Dave Chappelle specials, Martin, all that stuff.

However, it wasn’t until I realized I wasn’t gonna go to a traditional college that I decided to pursue it as a career opportunity.

SPOILER: Now that the movie’s out, what do you do in your normal day?

JERMAINE FOWLER: I wake up, hang out with my kids, change their diapers, feed them, watch cartoons.

Then I go write. I go create, develop projects that I love. I go watch a movie. I make a few calls, run some errands, go do therapy, meditate, stare at my vision board. And then at night, hang out with the kids again and watch a movie with them. And I do the same thing over and over again every day. I love what I do. It’s a beautiful life, man. I’m very blessed.

SPOILER: Was your family excited when they saw you in the movie?

JERMAINE FOWLER: They were very excited. Very happy, very proud. Any time my family can look at what I do with a smile on their face, it makes me happy. I love my family.

I love them very much. We’ve been through so much and will continue to go through hurdles, but as long as we have each other’s backs, that’s

SPOILER: As a comedian, do you always have to watch what you say with your kids?

JERMAINE FOWLER: It’s interesting because, with kids, you not only have to watch what you say, but you have to watch what you do. Kids watch and learn everything. I know how smart kids are, and how spongy they are. So I try to be mindful of what I say and do. At times it

gets hard. I’m not perfect, I make mistakes. But if you can be better than the person you were yesterday, that’s all that matters. That’s what I try to do. Stand-up has actually made me less needy. Stand-ups, we’re naturally very needy—we need to be told we’re funny, we’re good, we have the best set. That’s why we stick around after shows, because we’re needy, neurotic a**holes [laughs]. And when I had my kids, all that went out the window. I stopped giving a s**t. I don’t care about what people think about me [anymore]. I

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JErmaine fowler only care about what my kids think of me; I only care about how they turn out. I only care about them— that’s all I care about. It’s been an interesting shift. I feel different. I feel more focused and hungrier actually. I feel way different ever since the kids came around.

SPOILER: What would you tell your kids if they told you they wanted to be a comedian?

JERMAINE FOWLER: I’d say, “Where did I go wrong? What did I do?” [laughs] I say that jokingly, but they can be whatever they wanna be.

That’s my goal, to have them wake up one day and say that they wanna be whatever, and I’ll respond, “You have my full support, as long as it’s positive, and as long as it’s additive, and as long as it’s a contribution to the world,” something stand-up comedy definitely is, especially right now in this time. I didn’t really have that when I was younger. A lot of people wrote me off. I didn’t really have emotional support in that way when it came to close family members. However, I did have a gang of friends who drove me around everywhere, watched me bomb, and watched me be very frustrated with my career in the early days.

And to this day, they’ve been the most beautiful people I’ve ever been around. I love those guys. They’ll always have my love and support no matter what. That’s just how I came up. I know how important support is.

SPOILER: Do you feel like you have to keep grinding?

JERMAINE FOWLER: Every day.

Never goes away. The day that I start to feel complacent, it will be a dark day for me [laughs]. I’ll never feel that way. That’s the way I pride myself. I’ve always felt like there’s something I could be doing; there’s a story that I could be telling. I’ve always felt the grind is a 24/7 thing.

However, it’s important to just sit back and enjoy what you’ve done.

It’s okay to say, “I’m awesome. I did a great job. I’m doing the best I can.”

Don’t beat yourself up too much,

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because that’s not healthy either.

So finding a balance between being hungry and driven and embracing that grind is great. But also, be okay with the win. Be okay with saying, “Today was a good day.”

Chill out, relax, and enjoy those days because it’s very seldom you get to appreciate them.

SPOILER: When you heard “Prince Lavelle Junson” on set, how did it feel?

JERMAINE FOWLER: That was crazy, because it was so echoey and powerful. Paul [Bates] is amazing as Oha. And when I heard that, it echoed through me. Now that I’m off set I still hear it. When I walk into the store sometimes and people recognize me and go, “Prince Lavelle!” I’m like, “Oh wow, that’s crazy.” I don’t know what to say

sometimes.

SPOILER: Where do we go from here? What’s the next step for you?

JERMAINE FOWLER: We move forward. I wanna tell stories that people are afraid to tell. I wanna portray characters that people are afraid to portray. I don’t wanna repeat certain things that my predecessors have done. I wanna walk my own path and follow my

Jermaine Fowler/Coming 2 America/Amazon Prime/Getty Images/Tara Ziemba/Sorry to Bother You/Mirror Releasing/Focus Features

jermaine fowler

own gut. That’s what I wanna do.

That means finding shows in the TV space that I’m passionate about, which I’ve been working on, finding film roles that speak to me and I think will speak to other people— stories that mirror what’s been going on these days. These are things that I’m really hungry for. And they’re all happening. I’ve been working really hard to get to this place and I’m not done yet.

SPOILER: Would you ever wanna do sci-fi or superhero projects?

JERMAINE FOWLER: I love The Fifth Element and I’ve always wanted to do a story about Ruby Rhod. I’m trying to figure it out right now. I love sci-fi.

When my dad kicked me out of the house, the first thing I did was go see King Kong, and it was a three-hour movie. I love the movie theaters, so I would go to the movie theater

my dad kicked me out. And then I’m in the theater and I’m looking at Peter Jackson’s King Kong with Adrien Brody and Jack Black and Naomi Watts, and I’m like, “Wow, I want people to watch me in a theater with popcorn. That’s my goal.” I wanted a kid to watch a movie with me in it and just be inspired by whatever he’s watching, because that movie definitely inspired me to be like, “This is my goal, to have a gigantic movie in the summer.” Families would go watch it together and just have a good time watching it. I just want people to have a good time, man.

anytime I was having a bad day and just think about life. After King Kong, I just figured it out [laughs]. I gotta say, I appreciate my dad so much. I get my drive from my father. My dad has always been a driven man and a man with principles. Even though he didn’t really understand in the beginning that his son wanted to be a comedian, which in parent-translation is, “Hey, I wanna be a clown.” So as a dad, I’m sort of seeing where my dad was coming from. And I love him.

Without him, I wouldn’t be here. If he didn’t kick me out of the house to go see King Kong I probably wouldn’t be here now.

SPOILER: It’s all because of King Kong and your dad.

JERMAINE FOWLER: It’s true though!

I saw King Kong and I was like, “Alright, this is my life now. I’m gonna move in with my grandma, I’m gonna write some films, and I’m gonna take things seriously.” When I was 11, I saw the movie The Rock and that’s when I started watching movies all the time. I wrote a sequel to The Rock when I was 11-years-old. It was in a burgundy little binder. And after that I just always wanted to watch movies no matter what. I didn’t wanna be a stand-up comedian until after seeing Eddie Murphy Raw. And then after a couple nights on stage, me and my dad had a really bad argument and

SPOILER: Do you feel like COVID robbed you of that kind of experience with Coming 2 America in theaters?

JERMAINE FOWLER: I believe everything happens for a reason.

I’m glad the studio didn’t hold onto this movie until the theaters opened back up, because there were people who needed a good laugh. I definitely needed a good laugh. You can’t take that away from people. Especially with a comedy. Comedy is different.

Comedy, during certain times, it’s a little more important. I think people definitely need something to look at and smile and feel good. And I think this movie was that for a lot of folks. I’m glad families got together and got to enjoy it as a sequel. I’m sure there were grandparents talking to their kids about [the first movie from 1988]. And the young folks can share that with their family. And I think that’s why it was the highest streaming movie of the COVID era, because it makes people feel good and really connect with each other. I take a lot of pride in that. It wasn’t in the theater, but I think it was better for not being in the theater. I think we got the best possible result for it not being in the theater.

SPOILER: Let me say, when you do the Ruby Rhod movie, I want the first interview!

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INTERVIEW BY GALAXY INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

Jesse Kove/IMDb/(cover): Jesse Kove/IMDb/Bryan David Hall

If Cobra Kai wasn’t already a big reunion of the

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Karate Kid universe from the get-go, season 3 is the next level up. The reboot series, which has become a paradigm for the retro reboot in how it pays homage to its progenitor while also standing on its own as a well-written piece of entertainment, has ramped up with each sequential season. Season 2 saw the return of iconic villain John Kreese, played by Martin Kove, who’s now become a pillar of the show. And with this year’s season 3, Cobra Kai has once again released their best season yet.

In a very important episode, we time travel back to 1965 to when Kreese was a teenager.

He’s working as a busboy in a diner and finds a flyer to join the Army, which had been crumpled up and thrown on the floor by a classmate named David. David would become the tormentor of Kreese and the major catalyst for the journey he would go on, which would eventually lead to the world of The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai. In perfect Cobra Kai fashion, David is portrayed by none other than Martin’s son, Jesse Kove.

Jesse takes the time to

interview interview

Jesse kove serving our table, and I’m making fun of him, talking about his mom who unfortunately committed suicide.

And it’s pretty grueling. It was a very important scene. I think the writers really wanted to show the origins of Kreese. Everybody’s got a past, so to see Kreese get bullied is a really nice touch. Obviously, having gone through what he did and then going to the military, it strengthened him to become the warrior that he is today.

SPOILER: You kinda feel sorry for the guy at that moment.

JESSE KOVE: Right? You totally feel sorry for him. But I think that’s also something they wanted to do as well. Everybody, I think, has been bullied in some way or another. So to have a soft spot for Kreese, you obviously like the character more because they humanize him. He’s just a young man, like every other guy.

speak with us about his career in Hollywood, upcoming projects, his love of fandom life, and his close bond with his father. You can tell when you hear him speak about his dad that his love for him is overflowing, as well as his admiration for his legendary career and just the man that he is personally. It’s pretty inspirational.

A big nerd himself, the actor’s dream is to play Captain America someday. We can totally see it.

And with all the multiverses being tapped into these days, it’s definitely possible, canon-wise.

Jesse’s time on Cobra Kai is brief, but simply amazing. In one of the highlights of season 3, his character plays a crucial role in developing who John Kreese would become and evoking empathy from the viewer.

We all know the drama between Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai, but that episode really gives us an idea of why he is who he is. We didn’t want to press the actor too hard, but we have a good feeling about David’s reprisal on the series.

SPOILER: I saw season 3 of Cobra Kai, you’re a very bad bully. I was very upset at you, but it’s only acting, right?

JESSE KOVE: [laughs] What’s wrong with showing a little “no mercy”?

SPOILER: At first I thought you were young John Kreese, was that the whole idea?

JESSE KOVE: It’s funny, the writers and creators, Jon [Hurwitz], Josh [Heald], and Hayden [Schlossberg], they really wanted the audience to think that I was John Kreese at the very top of that episode. We’re in this flashback, 1965, and as soon as I walk in, I’m kinda mean. I bump Kreese’s shoulder and I sit down. I have a conversation with Betsy, my girlfriend, played by Emily Palmer, who’s just lovely, talking about the football game we just had. I go, “The opponent, we don’t show them mercy.” And automatically as an audience, you go, “Oh, that’s Kreese, who else would do that?”

And then they diverted to Kreese, who’s the busboy who’s actually

SPOILER: I love your dad, he’s one of the coolest dudes ever, but during season 3, I was like, “I hate this guy!” John Kreese can be such a bad person.

JESSE KOVE: Yeah, he jumps right in.

He’s so good. Fortunately, we’re able to see seasons before they release. I watched that episode probably four times. That was my favorite episode of the season. Those flashbacks to Kreese’s past, and then the war, and the history with the captain talking about his girlfriend. It’s this whole buildup of where he comes from, and then seeing this weak point in this diner and me tripping him on the floor, which is so humiliating as a young man, and everyone laughing at him. He was like the ugly duckling.

SPOILER: It must’ve been surreal for you to have a role in such an iconic franchise working apposite of your father’s legendary character.

JESSE KOVE: First of all, I wanna thank you for all your compliments on your show. I’m so humbled. It’s a really great experience. With my dad being part of the Karate Kid universe, it was never something I ever knew

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just a memorable day for both of us.

We’ll see. If they brought me back in to play, it would be so much fun.

JESSE KOVE

I would be a part of. Who would’ve known that I would end up being the bully to my dad’s legendary, iconic character who’s been around for 35 years? It was pretty amazing. When I found out I got that role, I couldn’t believe it. My mouth dropped. When he came on set that day, it was like this really surreal experience, him watching me talk to his younger self, played by Barrett Carnahan, who’s become a really good friend of mine—he and I have been enjoying this whole experience together.

Barrett and I really wanted to put our heart and soul into this because of how important it is. I mean, this is Karate Kid we’re talking about here! And now we’re on Cobra Kai. And then to see my dad watch me do all this stuff, I wanted to make him proud and honor his character, it was just nice to step into the legacy a little bit. It’s funny, Barrett and I stepped into the OG Karate Kid universe, even though we’re on Cobra Kai, which is really amazing.

SPOILER: I wish your character could have gone a little bit longer, maybe into the next season.

JESSE KOVE: Thank you, man. I appreciate that. It would be an honor

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and of course we’d have a great time.

I’d love to go back. The writers always have something up their sleeve. A lot of these Easter eggs that come out online about the show not a lot of people know. Did you know the yellow Ford I drove is from the original Karate Kid? That’s Ralph [Macchio]’s car, he owns it. It was given to him by [producer] Jerry Weintraub after Karate Kid. It was just amazing to drive that and the history of that car. It was incredible. And then that whole fight sequence, fighting the younger version of my father, which is hilarious, and then having him watch us while he was filming the whole thing on the side on his iPhone. He was so excited. They kept saying, “Marty! Get out of the shot!” It was

SPOILER: Are you getting a lot of people upset on social media because your character is so mean?

JESSE KOVE: It’s funny, people who are watching it, they’ll message me and go, “You’re an a**hole!” [laughs] I’m like, “Guys, I’m acting.” I really enjoy playing the villain—those are my favorite characters to play. But the fans of this world, they’re amazing.

There’s so much love that has come in. So many fans have written to me and they’re so excited about these flashback sequences. People have been asking me for a year if I was gonna be in the show, but I couldn’t say anything. I’d just say, “Yeah that would be so much fun. I’d love to do that.” Meanwhile I’m sitting here going, “I just can’t wait for these people to see what’s gonna come from this!” Barrett and I would talk to each other all the time leading up to it. We had a blast. We literally put our blood, sweat, and tears into that whole sequence. It’s amazing that people who grew up with these movies in the ‘80s can now watch it with their own kids. It’s a beautiful, generational show, which has never been done before. To make a TV show out of a trilogy with the same actors 35 years later, and then bring in a new age of children to come watch it. I see pictures of people on social media of their kids who are 5 doing karate moves. This is a show for everybody. It’s so nice. It’s definitely a blessing. It’s pretty amazing what the writers have done. The writers are nerds of the show, they just know what people want. They’re like, “WE want to see this, so we know that THEY want to see this.”

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JESSE KOVE SPOILER: Do people ever say you resemble Chris Evans?

JESSE KOVE: Yes, I get that all the time. It’s funny, I’m a big nerd myself, I have a big Captain America shield on my wall at home. I also have my Cobra Kai plaque as well. And my Harry Potter wand.

JESSE KOVE: Tough choice.

If Batman ever came up in my universe, I would literally pass out because I would love to do that in my life. But Marvel has just done such a great job and I do love their characters so much. If the role of Captain America came up again I would definitely love to step into those shoes.

SPOILER: What’s in the works for you now?

JESSE KOVE: I’ve got a bunch of projects coming up. I got another thriller coming out called Bring Me a Dream, about the Sandman who comes and haunts your dreams, that’s a really fun one. I just finished a Christmas movie that was on Lifetime, and another thriller I did on Lifetime as well. There’s this fun romantic comedy that I have coming out too. My girlfriend is really into painting and drawing, and I’d love to get more into that with her. It’s such a beautiful art, to create like that. There are other projects and scripts and movies I’m getting off the ground. My dad and I are always looking to work together. We have a Western that he and I are putting together right now. A lot of stuff is going on, and it’s really exciting.

SPOILER: Do you prefer acting or writing and producing?

JESSE KOVE: I love them both.

Wearing both hats is great. I’ve done it before. I’ve produced a couple

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Jesse Kove/D-Day/Cinedigm Entertainment Group/The Asylum/On Wings of Eagles/Archstone Distribution

SPOILER: If you could choose Marvel or DC, which would you choose?

movies. Being on set, being creative is so incredible and I love it, and definitely challenging. I definitely want to continue with the acting for now, and later on I’d love to pull a Ben Affleck and get into more directing. You’ve gotta have a lot of patience when you’re doing that [laughs], and I think as you get older you have more and more patience, so that’ll work for me. I love directing. It’s really amazing to direct actors and communicate with them and help them bring characters to life. I would love to direct my dad in something, it would be so incredible, and vice versa. And there are some

things in the works.

SPOILER: I really like the relationship you and your father have.

JESSE KOVE: We love working together. It’s really a blast. We just have each other’s backs. I want him to do well, he wants me to do well. We do our separate projects and then we can come together and do projects together as well. What’s funny is he never wanted me to get into the industry at all when I was younger, because it’s such a crazy industry.

And then when I was 18 I started wanting to do it professionally.

Having grown up on movie sets,

Jesse kove 2 dropped on Netflix, it was literally my dad and Billy and I having dinner together, and it was the night of [the release]. We were having Mexican food together, just laughing about where this has gone, now that it’s on Netflix. There’s a lot of love behind the show, tremendous heart. The friendship between all of them is pretty amazing. This show has run deeper than just what it is on the surface.

movie sets were like another home to me. I’m very comfortable being on set, it’s just part of my life and my blood—to be creative cinematically.

I just love it. And then we got to this point where we were able to work together and do projects together.

It’s been amazing. It’s still going strong, and being part of Cobra Kai is just the cherry on top.

SPOILER: The success of Cobra Kai is wild. I think it’s perfect timing for this show to be out. The passion is at an all-time high.

JESSE KOVE: It really is. It’s funny, I was literally looking at a billboard yesterday and, a lot of shows and movies you watch nowadays are filled with action and explosions and CGI, but you look at Cobra Kai and there’s never a weapon drawn in the show, there’s practically zero CGI, and it’s one of the most popular shows in the world. It just goes to show you that character and story are the most important things. It’s a generational story. I think it’s inspired a lot of kids to do martial arts and do sports and be competitive that way.

SPOILER: Everyone looks so great on Cobra Kai, so refreshed. The original Karate Kid movies came out in the ‘80s. Your dad looks very fit as well.

JESSE KOVE: Thank you, man. He doesn’t stop. He stays in shape.

We do workouts together. This show has kept everyone on point in keeping up with the martial arts and everything. The cool thing too is Billy [Zabka], Ralph, and my dad, they’re all great friends and talk to each other all the time. When season

SPOILER: What has your experience been like at conventions?

JESSE KOVE: I’ve been to so many with my dad, and of course with Billy as well. We’ve had such a good time. They love seeing their fans and interacting with them and hearing their stories, and what their characters meant to them throughout the years. I think one of the funniest stories I’ve heard is, my dad and Billy were in New York and it was snowing and they had been at the Con all day signing autographs and they just had to get outside. So they started walking to Times Square in the snow, and they happened to walk by these guys dressed like a stormtrooper and Darth Vader, and they recognized my dad and Billy.

And the Darth Vader took his helmet off and said, “Oh my God, we’re just the biggest fans of you guys.” And they ended up taking these photos with them, and it was this Star WarsKarate Kid crossover. It was hilarious!

I would really love if my dad played some evil character on The

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JESSE KOVE

SPOILER: All my lovely nerds right now are excited just hearing you say that.

JESSE KOVE: I am one of them.

Some people say, “It’s not good to say ‘nerd.’” But when I say “nerd” it means someone who geeks out over all this stuff. I’m literally looking at my Baby Yoda on my mantelpiece.

I’ve got all this stuff. To me, “nerd” is not the traditional person in the past with glasses. I’m 6’3” and lift weights, and may not look like your stereotypical nerd, but I am! I geek out over all this stuff the same. I’ve got a replica of the first Captain America comic book on my wall framed. We’re all the same. My dad is the biggest nerd. When we go to Comic Con, he can’t wait to go down to where they have all the memorabilia. He bargains with them and gets all these toys from the ‘50s that he hasn’t seen in years. He turns into a kid.

SPOILER: Do you believe in the paranormal?

JESSE KOVE: Oh yeah, 100%. I’ve had so many experiences with the paranormal, dude, it’s crazy. One of my dearest friends in the world is Weston Cage Coppola, his dad is Nicolas Cage. We basically grew up together from high school on.

We act together as well, he’s an incredible actor. We did a movie called D-Day: Battle of Omaha Beach together, he and I are leads, it’s an incredible story. And anyway, his dad had this famous haunted house that he owned in New Orleans called LaLaurie Mansion, and we went and stayed there one night.

They touched upon this house in American Horror Story. It was owned by Madame LaLaurie and she did terrible things unfortunately to people in this house. And I will just say that there were some crazy things that happened there that are unexplainable. Even before that, I

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Jesse Kove/IMDb

Mandalorian. If he said something like, “We don’t show mercy,” on one of the starships, that would be very funny. If I could play a Jedi or a Sith, that would be amazing too.

knew the paranormal stuff existed, but it was all confirmed for me when I stayed at that house. I remember one time Wes and I were like, “If there’s something in this room, let us know.” And all of a sudden this toy started lighting up and spinning around on wheels, and it had been sitting there for hours not doing anything. And there’s so much more. But I definitely believe in the paranormal for sure.

SPOILER: Is there a special message you wanna share with the fans out there?

JESSE KOVE: “Just keep watching Cobra Kai. So much great stuff is in store.

Season 4 is a real thing, so there’s so much going on with that, you guys are gonna be so happy. Follow me on Instagram and

Twitter @jessekove. I’m very active on there. We love the fans. Check me out, I’ve got a buncha new projects coming out I can’t wait for you guys to see. Hopefully I’ll be the next Captain America—who knows?

Keep your fingers crossed. I promise I’ll do it justice.”

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If it were up to Tyler Cotton, his series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina would have gone on forever. Unfortunately part 4 of the Netflix show, based on the Archie Comics character Sabrina Spellman, would be its last. The actor plays Melvin, a warlock high school student who was resurrected by Sabrina. Getting his

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start on the show in season 1, part 2, Tyler has become an integral part of the story.

A friend of the show, the actor returns to chat with Galaxy about the final eight episodes of the series, with the conversation venturing into topics about UFOs and aliens.

An old soul, Tyler also laments the current status of moviegoing, but is fortunate about the revival of the drive-in theater during the pandemic.

With such a magnetic screen presence and a savvy sense of humor, Tyler’s career is just getting started. He fills us in on some projects he has in the works. We can’t wait to see what’s next for him!

Tyler Cotton/IMDb/The Portrait Sessions/(cover): Tyler Cotton/Noah Asanias/Brad Everett Young/IMDb

INTERVIEW BY GALAXY INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

erview erview

interview interview

tyler cotton SPOILER: What’s been going on with you since we last spoke?

TYLER COTTON: I think I’ve been doing what most people have been doing during this time of isolation. I’ve just been binging a lot of movies and TV shows, and trying to stay as active as I can and creative as I can, reading a lot of books, and taking a lot of trips to my fridge to see what snacks I can eat.

SPOILER: I see your videos online and you’re always doing these cool workout routines and different things to keep busy. Were you still working out even when there were no gyms?

TYLER COTTON: I’m lucky that, right before coronavirus hit, I had gotten a set of free weights and resistance bands. So when everything shut down, I was like, “K, I gotta figure out how to do this.” I was lucky I had some sort of equipment in my apartment. So I just did whatever I could for my workouts and tried to stay active. Because I knew I was gonna be watching a lot of TV and eating junk food [laughs].

SPOILER: How’s the new season of Sabrina?

TYLER COTTON: It wasn’t long after we wrapped part 4 that everything locked down, so we were really lucky there.

Sabrina season 4 is really amazing.

SPOILER: I feel like this show could have gone another four or five seasons at least.

TYLER COTTON: It definitely could have. There’s so much with this world.

I had such a blast filming it. I love the cast and crew, and we all had so much fun on set. We all loved being there. It could go on forever and I would’ve been stoked. Throw me in that bowtie any day.

SPOILER: Why do you think the new season got released on New Year’s Eve? TYLER COTTON: I’m not sure. I’m not a part of all of that. I have no idea. Maybe just to start off 2021 on a high note: “Here’s the new season of Sabrina!”

SPOILER: Do you think with all these cool new platforms, there will be more jobs once things open up more?

TYLER COTTON: Yeah I think so. We’re

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tyler cotton kinda in a world of television and streaming now. I think with that, everyone is trying to make so many new original series. It’s really exciting to have so many new shows to: a) hopefully work on, and b) just as a fan of television and film, I’m really excited to be able to watch all of them.

SPOILER: Have you kissed anyone else on screen since your last big kiss?

TYLER COTTON: [laughs] I don’t wanna spoil anything for the new season of Sabrina, but I will say that there might be a potential love interest thing for Melvin. I’m not gonna say who or when, but there might be. Just keep an eye out. Oh, Melvin…

SPOILER: Last time you told us a couple paranormal stories that you had. Since then, has anything new happened in your life?

TYLER COTTON: Well I live in Vancouver, and there’s this mansion downtown, on the West End or something, and every time I walk

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Tyler Cotton/The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina/Netflix

SPOILER: Have things changed for you with the industry changing?

TYLER COTTON: A little bit. I’ve always really been into a lot of the behind the scenes stuff. I’ve always watched a lot of actor’s interviews.

I can kinda turn off my brain for some shows—you’re just in awe of it. But I’m really just thinking about the behind the scenes. I always think, “What does that script look like?” I’m really curious and really want to know their process behind everything. Abigail Cowen, who plays Dorcas on Sabrina, she has a new Netflix series coming out, and I’m so excited to watch that series.

There’s that aspect as well, where there’s people you know and love, and you can’t wait to watch their shows as well.

past it I’m always afraid to look inside, because apparently it’s super haunted. I just know that if I look into one of the windows one day, I’m gonna see someone staring back and it’s gonna freak me out.

I’m not superstitious, but I’m a little bit stitious. Nothing major to report though.

SPOILER: There’s a psychiatric hospital in Canada that’s used for dozens of shows and movies, and everyone who works on them says that the hospital is haunted. Have you ever experienced something like that?

TYLER COTTON: I haven’t. I had friends who did work in that hospital though. They were telling me about how creepy and eerie the whole thing was. They were like, “We couldn’t wait to get off of that set.”

I wouldn’t sleep. I’m such a scaredy cat. That would not be good.

SPOILER: What else is in the works for you?

TYLER COTTON: I gotta list, for sure. I’ve been writing a lot more, so just some more short films and series ideas that I’m really excited about. I’ve got a few friends together and we’re all gonna start working on

tyler cotton that to me a lot actually [laughs].

My brother is kinda the same. I’ve definitely heard it a few other times for sure.

SPOILER: Besides Sabrina, is there another show or movie that you would like to be on?

TYLER COTTON: That’s so tricky.

I would love to be part of the Star Wars universe. They just announced like ten new series. I’ve been such a fan for so long. My first acting paycheck that I got, I spent buying one of those heavy-duty lightsabers.

I’m a big comic book fan. I’d love to play Robin as well. Anything in the DC universe, or the Marvel universe even. these. And hopefully this year we’ll be able to start filming them and getting them off the ground.

SPOILER: Do you think the pandemic has changed the way people are willing to help others and support others?

TYLER COTTON: I think so. It’s such a difficult time for so many people, and it is really heartwarming to see so many people supporting each other. It’s been a really amazing thing to see.

SPOILER: I know you and your two friends are always doing some goofy stuff I see on Instagram. Anything new happening with them?

TYLER COTTON: Those are my best friends. When we were allowed to have a bubble, we were the only people that we saw. It was just the three of us who would hang out.

We would hang out basically every 14 days. We would hang out, wait 14 days, and hang out again. We’ve been playing a lot of video games [lately]. We played Among Us for quite some time, which is a very fun game that’s become so popular during the pandemic. It’s just a lot of playing video games, watching movies, and eating food.

TYLER COTTON: I’m gonna go see a movie in the theaters. I miss going to see movies in theaters. I love the theater. In Vancouver there’s a drivein theater that plays a movie every weekend. When it was open, and we were allowed to go, I would always check to see if there was a movie I was interested in. I never got the opportunity to go, which I’m really bummed about, but I’m happy that that existed. Every year in Vancouver they used to have outdoor theaters in a park, but they canceled those during the pandemic. I would like to see more drive-in theaters, even after the pandemic. I’ve only gone to one in my life and it was super fun.

SPOILER: I feel like you have an old soul. Do people ever tell you that?

TYLER COTTON: My mother says

SPOILER: If you had to choose DC or Marvel, which one would it be?

TYLER COTTON: I’m a really big DC fan, so I’d have to lean towards that.

It also depends on the character. I would love to play any of the Robins.

Nightwing would be super cool. On the other hand, I’m also a big fan of Spider-Man and X-Men. It would be cool to be an X-Men. But if I would have to choose, it would have to be DC. They’ve got a lot of cool projects that they’ve announced. I watch it all. I love all the comic book stuff.

I’m a big fan of the Titans TV show.

Stargirl is another amazing show.

SPOILER: What do you think about Robert Pattinson as the new Batman?

TYLER COTTON: It was rumored for a while before it was officially

SPOILER: What’s the first thing you’re gonna do when the pandemic is over?

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tyler cotton announced, and I was like, “I’m actually kinda excited for that.” I think it’s gonna be really good. When they released the teaser trailer, I lost my mind. I think it’s gonna be amazing, and he’s gonna do a really good job. With any casting, there’s gonna be people who are negative about it. But from what I saw in that teaser and everything I’ve read, I think he’s gonna be amazing.

SPOILER: Has Sabrina opened a lot of doors for you?

TYLER COTTON: It’s hard to gauge just because of the pandemic. So many auditions weren’t coming in and the industry shut down for some time. Slowly we’re getting auditions again now, but I think with Sabrina, going up for some bigger projects that I’m really excited about, I’ll get a script and go, “I have to be a part of this project!” Whether it pans out or not, the size of the roles have been going up for me I think.

Such a big part of this industry is you have to be persistent and stay passionate. What’s so great in this day and age is you have the ability to create your own content. I know so many talented actors who are struggling in this industry. But that one audition can change your life. I find that very comforting—it’s very scary, but it’s also super comforting.

There’s so many stories out there and I’m really excited to see them all.

An important thing in this industry is your community and who you surround yourself with. If you’ve got people around you, I think that helps so much.

SPOILER: You seem to have a great circle around you.

TYLER COTTON: We’ve got a TV series idea that we’re all really excited about and this year we’re trying to get it off its feet a bit more.

We all love acting and being on set, and we love to make things, so we’re like, “Why aren’t we doing that?

We’ve all got ideas. Let’s get together and create something we’re really excited about.”

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SPOILER: Has being on Sabrina given you a better edge in knowing what to do on creating your own projects?

TYLER COTTON: It definitely has.

Sabrina gave me so much experience that I hadn’t had before. Reading scripts helped me a lot with being able to come up with a complete story and characters. It’s been so helpful.

get a lot of messages on Instagram being like, “I saw you walking down the street.” I’m like, “Please, come up and say hi to me! It’s a lot less creepy than getting the message on Instagram. We’ll take a photo, we’ll talk. I’m totally down.” I respond to DMs every once in a while, but come say hi to me. I mean, right now, we’ll have to stand 6 feet apart.

SPOILER: Would you ever do voiceover work?

TYLER COTTON: I’m totally down to do voiceover work. Just the other day, I just listened to your interview with Ashley Eckstein, that was great.

I’m a big fan of her character Ahsoka Tano. I think everything she’s done with that character and building a whole career around it, I think that’s so amazing. She’s done such an amazing job. But voice acting would be a lot of fun.

SPOILER: Man, I can’t wait until the world is back to normal.

TYLER COTTON: It’s nice that right now there’s a light at the end of this tunnel. We’ve got the vaccines, which is really exciting and comforting. I think we will get a sense of normality again and people will be going to movies

SPOILER: Do you get recognized a lot?

TYLER COTTON: Not with COVID. But before the pandemic there have been times. I did a panel at the Fan Expo in Vancouver. I was walking around the floor and had a bunch of people come up to me. And I

Tyler Cotton/The Portrait Sessions/IMDb

and conventions. I love going to conventions. I had gone every year since 2010.

SPOILER: It’s weird that they could come out with a vaccine for coronavirus in less than a year. It makes you wonder if they really tried, they could come out with a cure for cancer or even just the common cold. Maybe I’m just being a conspiracy theorist.

TYLER COTTON: It could depend on the disease and virus. But I wanna know things. I wanna know all the secrets. They released these clips and videos of UFOs and these things about aliens during the pandemic.

I’m like, “Why aren’t we talking about this more?” Like, it wasn’t huge news. My curiosity is going wild.

SPOILER: And they’re coming from real news outlets too. It makes you wonder.

TYLER COTTON: I’m always really excited when they announce stuff like that. I’m like, “How is this going

to change things? What are we going to learn from this?” It’s super exciting. I wanna know what’s being hidden. Maybe that’s just because I watch a lot of TV and read a lot of comic books [laughs].

SPOILER: We can’t be alone in this universe.

TYLER COTTON: There’s gotta be something else, right? There’s no way. Again, technically it’s been confirmed. But I just wanna know.

I just wanna hop in an X-wing and fly to another planet. Technology is advancing so greatly now and it’s so exciting. There’s this YouTube channel where they created the first retractable lightsaber that actually cuts through steel. I mean, it’s still connected to a tank on the back, but we’re almost there! I just think about ten years from now and wonder where we’re gonna be.

SPOILER: Is there anything you wanna share with the fans before you go?

TYLER COTTON: I always gotta thank the fans. As a fan [myself], I understand the passion behind it all. I love it and I appreciate it.

I see everything that I’m tagged in. It’s super exciting to see fan art. I just love all the support of the show, and I’m really excited for the fans to see the last eight episodes. I think they’re some of our best.

And somehow this show managed to raise the stakes even more and it’s amazing.

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nobody Directed by: Ilya Naishuller Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Aleksey Serebryakov, Connie Nielsen

Bob Odenkirk’s career has had an unusual trajectory. Most casual fans don’t realize he began as a sketch comedy writer, working mostly behind the scenes for Saturday Night Live from 1987 to 1991 before leaving to pursue the performance side of the medium, bouncing around in the early-’90s until creating his own sketch comedy series, Mr. Show, alongside David Cross. Following the show’s three-year run, Odenkirk earned many spots in the sitcom circuit as a character actor, but never strayed far from his irreverent roots. That is, until 2009 when he landed the role of corrupt lawyer Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad, where

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he was asked to tone back his antics while still infusing his character with a wry humor erring on the darker side to match tone. Saul became a fan favorite and got his own spin-off show, Better Call Saul, sending the actor into household-name territory and earning him film roles in awards contenders such as The Post, Little Women, and Nebraska.

The arc of Odenkirk’s small comedian-turned-movie star is much different than, say, Chris Pratt—a funny man who’s become a phenomenon in his own right, with roles in big budget blockbusters, but still always exuding some level of numbskullery with his characters.

No. It’s more similar to Steve Carell, but even The Office alum has earned a level of expectation with his roles, leaning one way or the other depending on the project (and strangely enough Odenkirk played an uncanny doppelgänger of Carell’s Michael Scott on an episode of The Office). With Odenkirk, you never know what to expect— the unassuming, unpredictable demeanor that makes him the perfect fit for the starring role in Nobody.

Not a prestigious awards contender, per se, but a critical darling nonetheless, Nobody takes the John Wick concept and adds some flair, some levity, and a great deal of background.

A middle-aged man, Hutch (Odenkirk), and his family get their home burglarized one night. The crooks don’t take much, and everyone gets out of the ordeal basically unharmed, which we come to learn is by design. Hutch gets a jump on one of the invaders, with a golf club in his hand, but chooses to resist attacking her, even when her partner has his son in fisticuffs. The next day, everyone around him wonders why he didn’t attack. He even has to listen to people in his life insulting his manliness for not “protecting his family.” Little do they know, Hutch has some secrets.

A former assassin hired by government intelligence agencies, Hutch made the decision years ago to settle down and start a family, leaving that life behind him. We learn that he was essentially the most feared man in America by those who knew better.

Hutch attempts to let the homeinvasion incident slide away, freeing

Nobody/Universal Pictures

himself from any baggage that would come with it, along with any harm he could very easily inflict on those responsible. He reveals to his brother that the gun held at his head wasn’t loaded, and that he sensed these people needed the money more than he did. All is well and good until he discovers the burglars inadvertently stole his daughter’s prized kitty cat bracelet—a big no-no. He tracks them down at their home, only to find that they have a sick baby in the bedroom.

Feeling a little guilty, and frustrated that his pent-up aggression couldn’t get any release, Hutch leaves.

Luckily, on the bus ride home, he encounters a gang of thugs harassing a young lady. He decides to take out his anger on them, leaving all of them hospitalized, and killing one man in particular. The fatality was that of Russian drug lord Yulian Kuznetsov’s younger brother. Now Yulian (Aleksei Serebryakov) wants his revenge on Hutch and will stop at nothing to see him dead.

Interestingly enough, the script for Nobody is penned by Derek Kolstad, who wrote all three John Wick movies. But here, he benefits from a more fleshed out story from the get-go. Director Ilya Naishuller takes the deceptively intricate screenplay and makes it feel simple, in a good way—achieving this by working scene by scene to build this story rather than trying to use big strokes at the risk of the film collapsing under its own ambition. This isn’t a slow burn,

but one that could very much survive on its string of heart-pounding scenes alone if it had to, even if they hadn’t ever become infused with the satisfyingly juicy details that make this movie unforgettable, regardless of any certain familiarities.

Each scene explodes with a thrilling kinetic energy, revealing yet another bit of information to build the overall story. However, the onion-like unveiling doesn’t become frustratingly restrictive with its tunnel vision. Instead, Naishuller and Kolstad find ways to keep our interest while giving us information when we least expect it. In fact, in this regard Nobody actually benefits from the plainness of something like John Wick, as the audience has now come to accept having little-to-no backstory.

Naishuller draws parallels between Hutch and Yulian, both men dangerous, both men growing tired of the tedium of their current situation, and each getting revenge

for their family’s sake. Unlike Yulian, along with some other men who taunted our protagonist early on, Hutch has a great relationship with his own father and brother, played

by Christopher Lloyd and RZA, respectively. There’s a familial theme at the heart of this film and plenty of support for the importance of keeping your family close to your heart. Just like a cat, you have to work for their affection, but their loyalty and love always feel welldeserved because of it (I promise the cat metaphor is relevant to the movie).

The shootout action is pretty realistic, choreographed with intentional stumbles and missteps by our hero, and even weapon reloads worked into the fray, all still while having a lot of stylized fun in the vein of Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver with Louis Armstrong and Gerry & The Pacemakers crooning in the background.

Naishuller always has a firm grasp on where our character stands with his skill level, being out of commission for years. When

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“

Each scene explodes with a thrilling kinetic energy, revealing yet another bit of information to build the overall story.

“

Hutch has his first battle on the bus, he’s a little sloppy, as one would be after being out of practice for so long. However, as the film progresses, he gets back into form and slowly turns into the dangerous killer he once was. Exiting the second act, we catch a quick glimpse of an image on a pinball machine in the corner of the frame. The image? The Wolf Man. Moments later, the director makes a point to focus on the moon in the night sky, not yet full—but close. Hutch has not fully turned yet.

That final transformation is saved for the grand finale.

Odenkirk still possesses his wry tonguein-cheek delivery; his adept understanding of comedy and how to control it perfectly.

His presence here isn’t ironic, but very much deserved and believable. He’s in his element as the unassuming middle-aged father who can don a solid dad joke while masking his dark past. While everyone around him is great, Odenkirk is this movie.

Nobody isn’t a comedy, but its moments of levity subconsciously remind us that things are only going to get so bad here; so dark.

And sometimes that’s perfectly fine for a movie to do. Despite all the parallels and easy comparisons, John Wick this is not—and for the better. Even the title “John Wick” demands that the viewer now knows and remembers the name of its former nobody. “Nobody,” on the other hand, reminds you that this is a movie about a somebody who suggests you forget him at all costs.

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Nobody/Universal Pictures/The Father/Lionsgate

the father Directed by: Florian Zeller Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss If you’ve ever lived with or cared for someone who has dementia, you know how frustrating, suffocating, and life-sucking it can be. At times it’s difficult to see the humanity underneath the craggy and pugnacious exterior. If it’s a parent or grandparent, they’re often very different from the person you used to know them as before. Someone suffering from dementia, which is the general term for the severe decline of mental ability, becomes forgetful and easily confused, and tends to regress back to a state of toddlerhood, with desperate neediness conflicting with a stubborn desire for independence.

These symptoms have different levels and extremes, and can come and go.

Florian Zeller’s film The Father deals with a character with dementia.

Anthony, played by Anthony Hopkins, is an elderly man who has recently moved in with his daughter, Anne (Olivia Colman), and her husband, Paul (Rufus Sewell). Anthony keeps going through caregivers due to his difficult nature and refusal to be helped. Anne is very patient with her father considering the circumstances, but her husband resents him and his dependence on her because of how it inhibits their lives.

Anthony has unimaginable mood swings and tends to blame others for his own forgetfulness. His wristwatch, which he always places in the same “hiding spot” is never on his wrist—a reason he keeps using to fire his caregivers, thus rendering his daughter as his primary caregiver, perhaps by design.

We expect the characters who are dealing with Anthony to react bigger to these absurd situations and his frustrating tendencies, but those around our protagonist just smile and nod like they’ve heard it all before, pushing us even more in this world of disorientation and confusion.

As the film moves forward, we see two different versions of Anthony’s

reality. One where he remembers those in his life, and one where he doesn’t. Olivia Colman plays Anne, but there are times when we see a different actress (Olivia Williams) in the role, to Anthony’s confusion, even though he quickly accepts this as his new truth whenever it happens.

Certain events play out multiple times from different perspectives and with different actors in the same part.

Unlike a normal movie, the development of the character can neither improve nor regress in the typical way. Our protagonist is someone with a mental illness that gets better or worse seemingly at random. Even when the story evolves, Anthony doesn’t. So where we would expect things to ramp up, they might lean back a bit here, subverting our expectations and keeping us constantly on edge. Without too much focus on the progression of the plot as the story reveals itself, we’re truly able to experience what Anthony is going through unpinned to actual expectations of the typical cinematic structure.

Zeller never just leaves us hanging with this confusing narrative. The director and co-writer, who based this film on his own stage play, uses exactly one set for the flat we see in the film, but changes things around to create two different versions of the home. In one version—the real version of the flat, owned by

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should be seeing things from Anthony’s point of view the entire time, however there are moments where we’re unsure if we are viewing them from Anne’s. What we think are clever clues that we’re picking up on to ground our vantage point, are ultimately rendered meaningless and more confusing when it’s explained to us that even the scenes where Anthony isn’t present are supposed to be inside his own head. How would he be seeing events from Anne’s perspective? Is this something people with dementia actually experience?

At the end of the film when normally everything would come together, we’re still confused about certain elements of the story. We still aren’t clear which events or people are real or delusion. However, this could very well be the point. Zeller

The Father/Lionsgate

Anne—everything is designed and staged in a more objective manner: The furniture, the walls, even the color create a more drab reality.

In the other—Anthony’s delusive version, of which he believes he is the owner—things are set up to be more in line with our protagonist’s ideal interpretation of what he wants the flat to be like. He sees Anne’s home as his own used to look like and can’t tell the two apart. It’s here that we see scenes staged in a more subjective manner: The couch is facing away from us towards the wall; the designs on the cabinets and walls are patterned repetitively. In this way, real and delusion aren’t just a matter of the audience’s perspective, but of Anthony’s.

The Father plays out as a thriller of sorts. While it’s a character study more than anything else, we’re inside Anthony’s mind so much so that when he experiences disorientation and confusion, so do we. Although, where the film falters is in taking liberties with its perspective. We

doesn’t necessarily want us to have an easy answer about what is actual and what is made-up. The filmmaker intentionally keeps things ambiguous as we never actually leave Anthony’s mind. This can be frustrating, but that feeling supports our immersion in the illness being depicted, even if it puts an obstacle in front of the full emotional weight of the story.

But Hopkins and Colman put on such great performances that there are moments where that emotion pushes through those barricades and makes us feel them alongside our characters.

Hopkins, proving once again to be the best at conveying a wide array of emotion with such economic choices, fluctuates between bitingly sour and charmingly warm with the snap of a finger. And when he breaks down and sobs, we totally feel his agony. We see how his condition can be very frustrating and distancing, but with the actor’s help, we also see that he’s very much human.

Colman, as well, is phenomenal, maintaining so much control over her every facial tick. As her face says one thing, her eyebrows may start to say another, with her eyes and mouth meeting them there when the time is right. As the daughter of a man who’s all but a shell of who she once knew as her father, Anne is heroic and merciful. Even though there’s reason to believe they had a rocky relationship prior to his illness anyway, we really feel her burden and admire her unconditional love.

This may be the truest design of the

The Father is heartbreaking, heartwarming, and eye opening.

It’s not just a character study, but a character immersion. There’s a moment during the second act where Anthony looks out of his bedroom window—as he has a penchant for doing—and spots a young boy playing joyously on the sidewalk. Anthony, who hardly ever shows uncalculated joy, smiles to himself—so sweetly, so pensively. To him, the reality of his past might be unclear, but the feelings he remembers of happier days are still very much intact. He can remember those feelings, if nothing else. In that moment, he’s not a man with dementia, but one who’s in the twilight of his long life, just trying to find a brief respite from his prison.

In that moment, he’s living in the present. But that moment, despite bringing him solace, is all too fleeting.

“

Unlike a normal movie, the development of the character can neither improve nor regress in the typical way.

“

“strong female lead.”

The effective musical score by Ludovico Einaudi (Nomadland) remains minimal, still inserting itself when needing to convey tension or terror for Anthony.

With a story of this nature, where we might not always know how to feel or whether or not we should actually be confused, the music becomes absolutely vital.

The Father is a masterclass on how to adapt a play to the screen. Zeller, utilizing all of the pieces of filmmaking, plays with the conventions of cinema to bring his story to life and work alongside its subject matter. He invites us into his scenes late and makes us leave early, but then later on he might let us see the before or after of that same scene, ostensibly filling in the gaps of a story to have it make sense, but only serving to disorient us even further with a character change or context that ultimately becomes irrelevant.

However, as brilliant as Zeller is in putting us inside the mind of someone with dementia and

making us experience their confusion, it’s never quite clear enough in which parameters these events are taking place. Are they a dream? Are they just memories? Or are we seeing them unfold in a distorted sense of real time?

Unlike the ambiguous conclusion, these are things that should actually be answered. As it stands, the plot exists in space, never occupying a temporal orientation. It’s that unclarity that seems to be the only variable standing in the way of the audience fully grasping the story in a literal sense—regardless of what the plot is doing. Fortunately this movie overcomes every one of its missteps and compensates at almost every turn. This really is a great piece of cinema.

The Father reminds me of another recent film about dementia, Capone, which is about the final days of Al Capone (Tom Hardy) as he also suffers from the disease. However, in that movie, Capone’s confusion is treated as hallucinations, thus distancing what the protagonist is going through from the audience, rather than operating within reality, which would have actually connected us a lot more to his pain and frustration. The Father is a film that’s really grounded in its confusion as it properly captures the disorientation of dementia by taking place in a relatable setting. It’s easy to confuse the audience when the camera is fuzzy or shaky. But when these moments exist in a familiar environment with a composition that puts us in the room; in the mind, we can now see them for what they are and how they’re viewed: a perceived reality.

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Mortal Kombat Directed by: Simon McQuoid Cast: Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson

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not garnered the same positive retrospect. But with a focus on doubling down on the appeal to the in-crowd of fans over the casual moviegoer, the producers theoretically succeeded in doing just that with the 2021 installment.

The malevolent realm of Outworld has assembled an evil army to face Earthrealm in a once-in-a-generation tournament that would relinquish control of the planet over to them if they win. The rules given by the Elder Gods state that Outworld must win

ten tournaments in order to conquer Earth. They have won nine already.

Several mortals are chosen to defend Earth, but Outworld sorcerer Shang Tsung (Chin Han) has decided to break the rules and kill all of Earth’s fighters before the tournament even begins, catching them off guard.

Mortal Kombat/Warner Bros./HBO Max

With all the stress these days of movie studios trying to appease the gatekeepers of various fandom franchises while simultaneously attempting to appeal to the masses, Mortal Kombat, if nothing else, has never been hampered by such worries—an attitude that shows through in its latest release, the 2021 reboot of the film series based on the retro video game franchise.

The new movie is riddled with fan service and Easter eggs, and totally at the disregard of what “outsiders” might find entertaining. But don’t get it wrong, Mortal Kombat is a lot of fun, if you can manage to leave your Cynic’s Card at the door.

Originally released as a video game in 1992, Mortal Kombat saw the debut of its first film adaptation in 1995 which, despite mixed-to-negative reviews, was an aesthetic game changer that’s now become a paradigm of sorts for the decade’s anything-goes, techno-aggressive rave culture.

The sequel in 1997, which is arguably more enjoyable, has

Led by Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), god of thunder, these fighters must train together and awaken their “arcana,” or special power, before Outworld has a chance to defeat them.

Cole Young (Lewis Tan) is an aging MMA fighter with a direct link to legendary ninja Hanzo Hasashi, but has a hard time unlocking his own arcana. Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) is a former Special Forces officer who’s been privy to the Elder Gods tournaments for years, but must come to terms with the fact that she hasn’t been chosen to fight, lacking the dragon marking that designates those who are. Her partner, Jax (Mehcad Brooks), does possess the mark, and together they try to assemble the others before Shang Tsung’s minions get to them first.

They also capture Kano (Josh Lawson), a brash and brutish mercenary who doesn’t really care about the cause, even though he, too, has the dragon marking. Kano’s arc in this film is very unique. When he betrays his team, he doesn’t do so as a former good-guy-turnedbad, but as someone with villainous qualities from the start, and still someone who the protagonists thought could help them with their cause. After all, he’s from Earth too.

Wouldn’t he want to help save it?

Director Simon McQuoid sets it up so that we almost expect a traditional arc from Kano; that he will turn over a new leaf. He doesn’t. Eventually Kano switches sides to fight for Outworld, but still Lawson is the standout among the cast.

Although at times misplaced, the humor doesn’t overbear the stakes by trying to overcompensate for the serious tone. While each character is given a moment of levity or two, the comedy isn’t coming from everywhere, with the filmmakers wisely designating the vast majority of humor to one guy: Lawson. With help from McQuoid, the former improv student does an excellent job making his jokes flow within the scenes without

halting any momentum just to say his piece. He’s given all of the major laughs in the film and commands our attention in a way that fits with his mordant demeanor, but not with the stereotypical role of an antagonist.

Usually this role is given to one of the good guys, but McQuoid and writers Greg Russo and Dave Callaham let the villain handle pretty much all of the comedy, adding yet another layer of originality to Kano’s already-unique trajectory.

Despite a plot riddled with holes, Mortal Kombat does a good job establishing the confusing rules within the world. The final “tournament” features several simultaneous battles at once, but there’s a balance to the narrative so that it’s not just a bunch of scenes spliced together like a music video.

Instead, time is manipulated and compromised in a way that’s much better for the overall coherence of this sequence. The camerawork by DP Germain McMicking compliments the fights very well, knowing when to stay put from afar and when to move around and cut.

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Despite mostly-marginal performances, Mortal Kombat has an indescribable charm, much like many B-movies have. The thing with kung fu films is the leads are either hit or miss because, usually, they’re actual fighters in real life—not trained actors. And here, the fighting is so abundant that the sacrifice becomes worth it.

Implementing the arcana element of the video game, the film has a lot more places to go and the ride getting there is a lot of fun.

And where the ‘95 and ‘97 films were difficult to follow despite their intentionally outlandish delivery, asking us to turn off our brains while overloading us with convoluted exposition, the 2021 reboot is much more accessible on a foundational level for the casual viewer. Unless you’re obsessed with techno music and bad effects, the new film improves on its predecessors in every way.

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although it wisely realizes that the techno score might actually be a hindrance to its filmmaking style—maintaining the original’s soundstage-y feel and featuring subtle tinges of campy computer graphics when appropriate without disrupting the relatability of the world, even to a fault (Goro actually manages to look MORE realistic in the ‘95 film).

However, when the effects try to be effective, they work really well.

This reboot is a lot bloodier than in the past, more along the lines of a Tom Savini slasher than the PG-13 violence of its progenitors. But the gore is inventive in its gratuity; a hard-R with crafty kills, much like the video game which inspired it.

Where the ‘95 and ‘97 films were difficult to follow despite their intentionally outlandish delivery, asking us to turn off our brains while overloading us with convoluted exposition, the 2021 reboot is much more accessible on a foundational level for the casual viewer.

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Judas and the Black Messiah

Mortal Kombat/Warner Bros./HBO Max/Judas and the Black Messiah/Warner Bros.

Directed by: Shaka King Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons There’s a scene towards the end of Judas and the Black Messiah where our apparent protagonist—an FBI informant—is asked by his FBI handler to draw for him a picture of Black Panther chairman Fred Hampton’s apartment. Right away, our main character refuses to do so. We think it’s because he hasn’t been to the apartment himself and is afraid to admit that he’s essentially failed to get close to his target after all this time. After all, we’ve never seen him there, and this friendship he’s supposed to have been forming with Hampton doesn’t seem to be happening as successfully as it’s supposed to be. It turns out, our guesses are incorrect and the “Judas” in the situation doesn’t want to draw the picture for the FBI agent simply because he doesn’t want to give up his “friend.” This misconstruction of the situation is only one piece of evidence of how poorly the film develops the relationship it’s supposed to be developing first and foremost.

At the beginning of the story, in the late-’60s, Bill O’Neal (LaKeith Stanfield) gets arrested for impersonating an FBI agent and faces up to six years in prison.

However, real FBI agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) cuts him a deal that if he infiltrates the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party, led by Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), then he

will drop the charges. Bill, indifferent to politics and race wars, accepts.

Rather than showing Bill’s education and enlightenment through his time with the Panthers, director and co-writer Shaka King (along with Will Berson) focuses more on maintaining Bill’s dangerous levels of nonpartisanship and apathy, which ultimately leads to Hampton’s demise. We get the idea that throughout the film the character only ever convinces himself that he actually cares. And maybe he does end up with an actual opinion, but ultimately we never really know.

We can also venture to guess that King and Berson fail to understand their titular character enough to make presumptions about him, as evident by how little the audience

gets to know Bill. Stanfield does very well in his limited role, but is not given all that much to do outside of showcasing his own inherent charms.

The film goes to great lengths to depict Bill as indifferent and listless, and thus that’s exactly where all of his depth lies, or lack thereof.

Yet—credit to the performance— there’s something quite haunting about Bill’s ambivalence; something that needed to be supported a lot more by the filmmakers. Instead of being presented with a level of enigma surrounding his character, we’re met with an equivocation about his origins and his psyche.

The humanization of Hampton also feels empty and like a mere formality.

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Judas and the Black Messiah/Warner Bros.

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the iconic Black Panther chairman, and understandably so. Hampton was definitely of a different breed and a visionary for change, and that shows through here, but the viewer has the right to a realistic depiction of the man as well, and any failure to do so affects one of the only characters this movie cares enough to focus on, reaching a level of insurmountable worship with its approach to its hero.

Workshopped to avoid offending the families of the parties involved, the filmmakers never fully confront the duality of Hampton’s ministry: serving the underprivileged and marginalized on one hand, and aggressively calling for violence against not only anyone who crosses them, but every police officer, no matter who they are, on the other. King alludes at one point that Hampton’s literal commands shouldn’t be taken literally—not to

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mention the man himself is never shown wielding a firearm (that would have been blasphemous)— but also never outright shows the harmful effects of his words either. Never is it discussed how the violent “pretense” of Hampton’s lectures are becoming misconstrued, not just by the public and outsiders, but amongst some of his own followers as well.

The director builds tension well throughout the film, but there are times we have difficulty attaching ourselves to that tension. This not only impacts Hampton’s relationships with those closest to him, but also the “Judas” to his “Jesus.” As mentioned earlier, rather than focusing on the friendship between our two title characters, the focus here is mainly on Hampton, his budding relationship with his girlfriend (Dominique Fishback), and his goals for the Black Panthers. In regards to Hampton and Bill, we don’t really ever know how they feel about each other or if they even care about one another at all. So when the betrayal inevitably happens, we don’t feel like a friendship is being torn apart, instead that a Christfigure is meeting his demise. If we take it one step further to the

Biblical parallels this story is attempting to make, in the Bible there is actual heartbreak subtextualizing Judas’ betrayal of Jesus because the two men were very much friends.

Kaluuya is near-perfect in his portrayal of Hampton. The British actor nails the Panther’s vocal inflections and overall timbre without feeling like he’s trying hard to do an imitation or even conscious that he’s doing one in the first place.

King’s greatest success here is developing the relationship between Hampton and his partner Deborah Johnson (Dominique Fishback). Their bond is sweet, albeit hasty, and the complexities within Deborah’s mind are some of the most nuanced in the movie. Fishback is a warm presence amidst all the hate and chaos around her. The actress’ loving, motherly eyes and endearing charm overpower any deficiencies in her conviction as an actress and she becomes the most grounded aspect of the story.

Nobody besides Deborah stops to actually analyze their own situation.

The inner-conflict Bill wrestles with is hardly excavated enough for him to be our ostensible protagonist, and Hampton’s philosophies have already been decided, and apparently the writers don’t think that it’s necessary for him to grow any more as a human by this point—that he’s already peaked. In fact, at one point we do get the sense that his priorities are about to change, but there’s never evidence of this in the script, only by how the actor moves his face. Again, these filmmakers don’t want him to be an actual human, but a divine entity.

For a film that operates on such

Death Spa/Dark Sky Films/MPI

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King does a good job making a very watchable movie, although the themes are almost too narrow and most of the characters lack any ability to become more than either saintly or bland.

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a strong message, there is no personified antagonist throughout the film. You can say that the actual villain is racism and hate. Definitely.

But how are these conceptual antagonists any different than those of real life? Wouldn’t it be more effective if the villain were the obvious choice here? However, it’s not. And we’re tricked into thinking that he’s actually our main character the whole time, victimized by his circumstances, sure, but also the

one who catalyzed his circumstances in the first place. Bill is neither developed enough to be the real protagonist, nor vilified enough to be the villain.

Jesse Plemons’ character, Roy Mitchell, almost gets there. But also, much like our “Judas,” there’s too much uncertainty surrounding his morals and philosophies, which never become fleshed out much past indifference. He essentially devolves on a moral scale, but we never really see how or why.

There are two spoken lines that really sum up the film’s themes and serve as its thesis statements. The first is a quote taken from Hampton’s speech early on where he says, “Reform is just the masters teaching the slaves how to be better slaves.

Under reform, you can take the masters out and the slaves still be doin’ all the work for him.” This is held onto so tightly throughout the film in regards to Bill’s paid service for the FBI (even though Bill actually committed a crime to land him in that spot), and doubled down on during the final moments of the story as it wraps up.

The second comes from J. Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen)—a racist bigot who spearheaded the convicted corruption in the FBI to take down the Black Panthers—spoken to Roy: “You killed in Korea, not for country— maybe that’s why you enlisted—but you killed for survival.” This also applies to Bill. As a war in our nation was definitely underway, this man chose survival over any cause that was presented to him. However, in his case, he was stuck between both sides, with his life threatened no matter what he did. No matter his stance now, he already paid the consequences for his indifference months ago when his task began.

These are very intriguing themes to push, indeed. However Judas and the Black Messiah often forgets to tell its story regardless of them.

We get no sense that the movie is focused on anything else.

A film that’s pretty tangential to Judas and the Black Messiah in content, Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, might be a lessrealistic account of a situation like this. In the 2018 Best Picture nominee, a Black detective first goes undercover as a Panther, and then more prominently as a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Lee’s movie is not only better with showing the ins and outs of a hard-to-relate-to situation, but also with effectively conveying the emotional and psychological toll that this kind of infiltration takes on a person.

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the movie are inaccurate, but this approach has definitely put its factual integrity in question. We’re not just dealing with things as black and white as racism, but violence against police and government conspiracies. Moreover, we never dive into the complicated minutiae of the Black Panther leader’s stillcontroversial approach.

If Judas and the Black Messiah is a parallel on race relations of the Civil Rights Era, then it equally serves to show how far we’ve come in our country in terms of racism itself—even if we still have a long way to go—and makes us hopeful of how much more it will shrink over the next 50 years. It goes without saying that racism was extremely high in 1969, but when you compare the protesting and rioting of that period to today it’s funny how it seems to be of the same volume despite the amount of change that’s occurred thus far, and is still in the process of doing.

Fred Hampton was a unique spirit.

He had his flaws, sure (we assume), but he also made massive strides in his community and in changing the world around him, in only 21 years on this Earth. And he did this in a society that was far more a product of racism on a systemic level than

Judas and the Black Messiah/Warner Bros./Stowaway/Netflix/Those Who Wish Me Dead/Warner Bros.

Black Messiah is still a movie that most viewers will feel obligated to like. However, it’s not the content of the film that’s flawed, but the fashion in which it’s presented.

Judas and the Black Messiah is a film competent on every technical level. King does a good job making a very watchable movie, although the themes are almost too singular and most of the characters lack any ability to become more than either saintly or bland. The filmmaker takes one side of the argument during the production, as anyone should, but he lacks the objectivity required to properly make his argument or show real conviction from the opposing side enough to make this any more than propaganda. Take Aaron Sorkin’s latest, The Trial of the Chicago 7, which is very much an anti-racism and anti-war film. We know the director’s stance, yet he still makes an effort to fully flesh out his villains and the way they think, as well as certain characters who ride the line in the middle—whether it be the middle of the good side or the bad side, or both. Perhaps King doesn’t think that much of an argument needs to be had. And he’s not necessarily wrong. However, then why bother making a dramatized film about these real events?

Perhaps just make a documentary instead.

As it stands, Judas and the Black Messiah showcases the government’s heavy contribution at vilifying Hampton and the Black Panthers to the public, but the film’s inability to come off as slightly more objective hurts the impact that it has on those who might earnestly want to learn about a story and a person they aren’t familiar with.

Most free-thinking individuals will undoubtedly acknowledge that they’re being fed hagiography rather than biography. This is not to say that a lot of the facts in

the one we have today. The odds were even more against him back then than they would be in 2021. Yet he didn’t use his situation to make excuses, but to provoke others around him into doing the same as him.

Instead of highlighting the change in our country over the past 50 years and encouraging others to follow in Hampton’s footsteps in a world that has been made much easier to do so, Judas and the Black Messiah rarely offers much more than a call to anger.

And thus, the emotional resonance of a truly heartbreaking story gets detracted from by the stubborn overemphasis on certain ideals and a much-too-careful consideration of not offending anyone in the Hampton estate—which may be more of an unintentional mirroring of the meticulous cautions typically taken in our own real-life modern society than anything else. However, in the world of this movie, there are no good people on the wrong side, or bad people on the right side…unless, that is, you’re ambivalent to the cause, because then you might as well be dead.

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Promising Young Woman/Focus Features/Kid 90/Hulu/Bliss/Amazon/The Orange Years/Scott Barber/Adam Sweeney/Tom and Jerry/Warner Bros./HBO Max

Other Notable Releases

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Arctic (2018) In 2018’s Arctic, Mads Mikkelsen plays Overgård, a lone survivor of a plane crash in the Arctic Circle. We spend the first act of the film watching his dayto-day: fishing, mapping his surroundings, and hiking to a new spot to try signaling for help with his distress beacon.

It’s unclear how long exactly he’s been out here, but we see that it’s been at least a few weeks.

Where most characters would grow tired of the tedium of this boring and grueling routine, Overgård, who we learn is a military officer, seems like he’s made for such a task. Even as the audience itself grows weary, our protagonist pushes through.

Although, we are not the ones asked to adapt to these circumstances. We are merely spectators—and that’s stressful enough.

I’m sure you’ve heard before that the definition of “insanity” is doing the same thing over and over again with the expectation of a different result. However, in a barren, desolate landscape such as this, there doesn’t seem like there would be very

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Directed by: Joe Penna Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Maria Thelma Smáradóttir, Tintrinai Thikhasuk

many ways in which one’s environment could change— almost inviting repetition.

In most films, we see how a character’s actions change the environment around him. But here, director Joe Penna makes Arctic a film about how a man has no choice in the matter; how he’s forced to adapt to the changes the environment imposes on him and the

decisions he makes as it does.

Just as we begin feeling the tedium of his routine, things begin to change. In his quest to get saved, he notices a polar bear who breaks into his ice chest. And eventually, his beacon signals a helicopter flying by. However, due to the storm overhead, the vehicle

Arctic/Bleecker Street

his journey, we expect, to meeting up with Overgård later on in this story.

Reminiscent of Wind River and The Revenant in both its use of natural lighting and, tonally, the sense of determination through dire straits, the storyboarding and structure is most similar to the Robert Redford vehicle All Is Lost. Arctic remains very steady in its narrative, dipping only a tad in the final act as many plots of this nature have a tendency of doing, but the film satisfies on a visual, audial, and emotional level, becoming beautiful in its simplicity and a reminder of the impact other people can have on you, even if they can’t physically do anything.

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In most films, we see how a character’s actions change the environment around him. But here, director Joe Penna makes Arctic a film about how a man has no choice in the matter.

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crashes, killing the pilot. The only survivor is a woman (Maria Thelma Smáradóttir) who is unconscious and severely injured.

Overgård takes her back to his camp (the inside of his crashed plane) and tries to nurse her back to health. He learns that she doesn’t speak much English, and that she has in her possession an official map of the area. He sees that there’s some sort of base on the other side of the mountain, several miles away. He wraps the woman up, places her on a sled, and together they trek through the icy climate for a few days trying to survive the elements to get to safety.

Penna finds interesting ways to declare the passage of time, such as markings on a medicine bottle or assumptions we

can make about Overgård’s situation. We know that if he’d been stranded for a few months, or close to a year even, he would’ve come across the polar bear much sooner and not have been startled by its existence there.

Mikkelsen is very good in his singular role, not saying much, but reminding us why he’s simply one of the best actors alive. He doesn’t over-emote, with the highs and lows being few and far between. Most of his task is to remain stoic and show resolve, which the actor has the natural ability of doing.

Mikkelsen’s performance is crucial to this film, but Arctic doesn’t ever need to solely rely on it.

With a minimalist plot such as this, the technical facets become of even more importance to the storytelling.

The musical score by Joseph Trapanese features heartfelt and poignant low strings that convey the great emotional nuance of the story. However, the real highlight of this film is the cinematography by Tómas Örn Tómasson, which utilizes the Icelandic locale to showcase the serenity of our protagonist’s milieu. There’s an eeriness within this peacefulness and we experience that firsthand.

Penna uses some classic visual storytelling elements, such as diagonals to signify difficulty of movement, or frame imbalance of our protagonist lying in his bed, or the simple emphasis of Overgård’s red jacket within the white and brown palette of his surroundings. Or my favorite shot, when he first spots the polar bear from afar—its white coat a speck amidst the vast snow-blanketed canvas. We can barely see him there on the edge of the screen, as our storytellers wisely never show an undeserved close-up, but his lone movement from left to right along the ice symbolizes

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rounders (1998) Directed by: John Dahl Cast: Matt Damon, Edward Norton, Gretchen Mol

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gotten him the funds to send him to Las Vegas to compete in the World Series, he vows to his girlfriend Jo (Gretchen Mol) that he’s quitting poker for good. But many of us know that abandoning our passions isn’t all that easy.

Mike’s best friend, Worm (Edward Norton), is being released from prison. Mike owes Worm for not ratting him out years ago, which would have gotten him expelled from school. Worm is also a great poker player, but relies on cheap tricks and hustles to win big. Worm owed a giant debt before going into the slammer, so his release is anticipated by some real ruthless dudes.

Rounders/Miramax Films

If you’ve ever played poker, you’ll know how much pressure it puts on you. It’s a game that requires no physical gifts, yet pros judge how good you are based on one look at you. Poker is a solo game, but unlike something such as tennis, where your inadequacy is apparent immediately, there is some luck to poker if you’re playing at the smaller tables. Even a nudnik could find his way to increasing his bankroll at a table with small blinds. However, to make it big, you need to earn your money with some skill and the belief that barely any luck is needed at all.

But no matter how good or bad you are, one thing is a constant: Poker is a stressful game.

That stress is totally put on display in Rounders in a way I don’t think I’ve ever seen portrayed in film, with director John Dahl doing an excellent job mimicking that very stress of playing for high stakes—or more—holding a very conscious tone throughout the film. The 2006 Bond movie Casino Royale has a few nice scenes with some honest gambling intensity, and Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game brings the thrill at full force, but it doesn’t come from the perspective of one of the players.

Rounders, however, immerses you into its world and gets you to understand the psychology behind the game and its stakes, even if you’ve never played a hand in your life.

Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) is a really great poker player who dreams of turning pro someday soon. He’s also a law student on his way to becoming a lawyer. After a bad loss to Russian mobster and underground poker host, Teddy KGB (John Malkovich), which would have

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no problem admitting that he’s an aspiring professional poker player, but in our society—especially back in 1998—becoming a lawyer is much more “respectable.”

There are some great moments in this film that really touch upon societal expectations and following our dreams, no matter how misunderstood they are by those around us, or how these dreams are perceived as mere delusion.

The nuance in Rounders is well-realized, even if its themes are never quite as complicated.

However, the message may not have the filmmakers’ intended reach because of how deep they seem to bury it. Not really a hit upon its initial release, this movie has developed a serious cult-following over the years, especially within the poker community. Perhaps the intricacies are better understood and appreciated by people truly immersed in this world. It speaks to them. Although the film’s biggest accomplishment is how it also gives outsiders the opportunity to live in that world as well.

There are some great moments in this film that really touch upon societal expectations and following our dreams, no matter how misunderstood they are by those around us.

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However, KGB has recently bought Worm’s debt, so he actually owes it all to the Russian instead.

In the time Worm has been away, Mike has become highly respected in the underground poker circuit before his “retirement.” He’d become an honest player without the negative influence of his friend, but Worm is eager to change all that. The ex-con runs up more debt, but this time under Mike’s tab at clubs he used to frequent. Meanwhile, KGB wants his money back too. Mike intervenes for Worm, and now becomes involved with people he doesn’t want to be involved with, so the pair of them desperately try to achieve a winning streak to end all winning streaks.

Dahl never turns the audience’s back on their protagonist, maintaining a sort of unconditional love for him, somehow managing to show his ups and downs as commendable and making us sympathize with him in the process.

To most people, Mike’s passion can be mistaken as an addiction, but many of us have passions that could appear the same way.

Screenwriters David Levien and Brian Koppelman do a great job of utilizing Worm as a counterpoint to Mike within this stigmatic underground world. Worm is a true addict. He’s addicted to the thrill of gambling and the assurance of winning when he cheats. If it were socially acceptable, Mike would have

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SPOILER MAGAZINE

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DEADPOOL KILLS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #3

Written by: Cullen Bunn | art by: Dalibor Talajic | Colors by: Lee Loughridge We’ve already seen Spider-Man get his brains blown out, Thor drown in the rain, and The Hulk get decapitated, all by our favorite fast talking anti-hero. Knowing Deadpool will stop at nothing to finish off the rest of them is a given—how he’s going to do it is the question. Three issues in and I have to say, each kill has been unique in its own right and even though you know who’s gonna win, the creatives do a great job of keeping us invested in and curious about who’s next on Deadpool’s hit list.

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The bad

Bunn clearly knew he wanted to wrap this series up in four issues, which only sucks because there was so much room to dig in deeper and really explore why Deadpool gets off on being different than the rest of the Marvel Universe. He’s the black sheep, so to speak, but if the conflicts were just a little more personal this would be hands down my favorite comic book series of all time.

Deadpool/Marvel

The Good

The Veredict

The book lacks the depth most of us lean on to really become invested, but it makes up for it in bloodshed and humor. The art is on point, with a flow that’s nice and smooth, however I would’ve liked more of a back and forth.

Deadpool vs. Wolverine NEEDS to be epic. This series just seems to kill off its heavyweights one by one without much of a struggle.

It’s a very cool comic that every fan can enjoy, but it’s just a bit disappointing knowing that it has the potential to be even better.

score

8.5

Deadpool/Marvel

DEADPOOL KILLS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #4

Written by: Cullen Bunn | art by: Dalibor Talajic | colors by: Lee Loughridge

The Good

The look and style of this issue (and more importantly, the entire 4-part series) is everything you’d want in a comic book. It covers all the bases: blood splatter popping off the page, bits of humor juxtaposed with constant violence, and an ensemble of superheroes that would be impossible to top. If you can get on board with watching the heroes we grew up adoring get their asses handed to them by Deadpool, then there’s very, very little not to love about this series.

The bad

It’s not that it feels rushed because I’d argue that this issue

is paced the best of all four. Again, my only complaint is that it feels like the fights are too short, which is just a sign of how great it is, considering I only wanted more of it. If they wanted to drag out the back and forth between Deadpool and the entire Marvel Universe, I don’t think anybody would mind one bit.

The Veredict

I absolutely love this entire series.

If you’re a fan of witty humor, dynamic action, and superheroon-superhero violence, there’s zero chance you won’t enjoy this issue, along with the other three in the series. This isn’t the all-time best Deadpool series, but it’s pretty damn close. Even if you love all of Marvel’s heroes, there’s something oddly satisfying about Deadpool slaying these nearly-unbeatable superheroes who treat him as the outcast (even though that’s how he likes it).

score

9.5

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BATMAN: legends OF THE DARK KNIGHT

Written by: Howard Chaykin | art by: Gil Kane | Colors by: Steve Oliff It delivers the goods. That’s the best compliment I can give this issue. Despite having zero superpowers, TV and movies have helped turn Batman into the most popular superhero of all time. That means there’s a ton of Batman comics out there, a lot of which become watered down over the years. That’s bound to happen with certain comics, and lots of issues will get lost in the mix. Legends of the Dark Knight does a great job of being exactly what you want and expect out of your typical Batman comic: colorful art and loaded with fight sequences.

The bad

While it’s a solid arc, it doesn’t do anything to really separate itself from a traditional Batman comic.

That doesn’t mean it’s not a good book—it just means it’s not a great one.

The Veredict

The story relies heavily on what we already know about Batman.

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score

7.0

Considering how iconic he is, I think that’s the right move.

There’s no need to deep dive into Bruce Wayne’s background—we already know it. Instead, this issue is jam-packed with action which, especially for the younger readers, is exactly what the fans want. If you read ten Batman comics I can almost guarantee this will rank somewhere between three and six on your list. There’s nothing wrong with that. On the Batman curve, that makes it a very good read and definitely one I’d recommend, especially to newcomers or preteen-to-teen readers.

Batman/DC Comics

The Good

100 BULLETS

Staring at the Son (Part III) Written by: Brian Azzarello | art by: Eduardo Risso | Colors by: Patricia Mulvihill

This is the first comic book I’ve ever read where the use of colors is by far my favorite aspect. The whole art team killed it with this issue, but the stylistic use of colors is what takes this book to the next level. The blending of so much red and orange, filled in with the eerie dark tone is a perfect mood setter and something even the best comic books rarely utilize to their full potential.

The bad

I can sit here and nitpick at little things some people might not like. For instance, there’s a lot of explicit dialogue so it’s not a book suited for all ages. But if you’re 16

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100 Bullets/Vertigo/Wolverine/Marvel

The Good

or older and like comic books, the dialogue is only going to make it better. But to be honest I don’t have a bad thing to say about this book.

The Veredict

If you flip through this issue and don’t read a single word of it, it still kicks ass because of how good it looks and how pleasing it is to the eye. In any visual medium colors can set the tone as well, if not better, as any other tool at the artist’s disposal. Another thing I love about this comic is that you don’t have to be into superheroes to enjoy this. It’s pretty rare you’d be into comic books if you don’t like superheroes, but if for some reason that’s the case then this is an absolute must-read. It’s a gritty, badass, crime story of a comic book and I can’t say enough good things about it.

score

10.0

WOLVERINE

The Best There Is #2 Written by: Charlie Huston | art by: Juan Jose Ryp | colors by: Andres Mossa

The Good

It looks awesome. The artwork is on point. The way the violence and blood pops off the page makes the experience engaging. We’re also introduced to a villain I previously knew nothing about, which is always a nice change of pace.

Other than that, there’s very little to like about this one.

The bad

If the story lived up to the art, this book would be at least an 8 out of 10, minimum. Sadly, much like issue #1 from this series, it does not. Similarly to the fifth

installment of the Friday the 13th series, it’s just a cliche of the rest of them, so nothing stands out since it’s exactly what you knew it would be. Nothing more, nothing less. The problem with that blandness in a comic book is it renders the reading experience meaningless since you don’t remember what you just read as soon as you put the book down, regardless of how good it looks otherwise. This just feels like a comic we could do without and nobody would know the difference.

The Veredict

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a decent book, but unless you’re just flipping through to check out the art it’s definitely not a comic I would recommend. It’s right on par with the previous issue, so if you’re a fan of that one, you’ll enjoy this one too. However, if you were hoping this series gets better with the second installment, I’d say go check out the countless other options when it comes to Wolverine or X-Men.

score

5.0

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DEATHMATE Prologue

Written by: Cullen Bunn | Pencils by: Dalibor Talajic | Inks by: Lee Loughridge | Colors by: Lee Loughridge Right out the gate we have Gayle, a woman begging to be killed because all her friends have grown old and died and she feels alone in the world. One page in and the tone is already set, Solar must part with the woman he loves. The earlier we have reason to root for our hero, the better, which is what this book does so well.

The bad

The coherency of the story’s direction is a big weak spot. The majority of the dialogue feels loosely strung together. There’s so much action, but so little context for it all. The panels look cool, but when you can’t make sense of the bubbles, it’s hard to fully enjoy the story.

The Veredict

There’s a ton of cool imagery throughout, but the first half of the book becomes increasingly more confusing as it goes on. A little past the midpoint, when Solar wakes up in the year 1993, we get a better sense of where

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the story is headed. However, by that point, there are only a couple pages left. Fortunately, things look to be heading in the right direction as the prologue does a decent job of setting up issues 2 through 6. But when the reader spends half the book trying to figure out what’s at stake and what’s happening in general, its flaws become hard to rectify. The series clearly has potential, so I will hold my breath until after issue #2.

score

5.0

Deathmate/Valiant

The Good

SILVER SURFER In Thy Name #1

Written by: Simon Spurrier | art by: Tan Eng Huat | colors by: Jose Villarrubia Silver Surfer is one of the easiest heroes to root for. I’m part of the group that finds Silver Surfer wildly underrated, so maybe I’m a little biased, but this is a great comic for readers of all ages.

While anybody can enjoy it, it’s the perfect book for kids just getting into comics. As you get older your taste is likely to adapt and evolve, and suddenly cursing and bloodshed is like the coolest thing ever. But if you are looking for a fun, wholesome comic that looks good and delivers a meaningful story, this is it.

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The bad

There’s not a whole lot to knock if you ask me. It gets off to a slow start, yes, but for good reason. It’s to set the mood. There’s plenty of action to come, but Spurrier doesn’t throw it all at us at once.

If you’re big on violence and bloodshed, this isn’t an issue for you, but that doesn’t mean it lacks action by any means.

The Veredict

Indie comics aside, it’s rare to find a comic with this much heart.

That’s what I love about most Silver Surfer comics, but especially this series. He’s all alone in the galaxy and no matter how much good he does it always comes back to that simple fact. If you can find a way to get your readers to connect with a superhero so much so that they actually feel his pain (think when Peter Parker’s uncle dies in Spider-Man) it just gives your character a type of empathy that garners investment, even if it’s subtle. Silver Surfer is the perfect hero to create empathy for and the team did an excellent job of that in this issue.

score

9.0

Silver Surfer/Marvel

The Good

silver surfer in thy name #2

Written by: Simon Spurrier | art by: Tan Eng Huat | colors by: Jose Villarrubia

The Good

This issue (and the series thus far) does an incredible job of utilizing “show, don’t tell.” Of course you need some good dialogue, and this delivers on that end as well, but your eyes are constantly moving with the flow of the page and it makes the read not only enjoyable, but feel like it flies by.

These books are ideal for any kid that’s just getting into comics.

The bad

There are bits and pieces in the middle where so much is going on that a younger reader might get a little confused. And that’s normal, but still doesn’t always fit in with the target of this kick-ass comic book for kids of all ages.

The Veredict

Judging from these first two issues, I love where the series is headed. It’s more than entertaining enough to keep the young fans turning the pages, but again, what I really find special is the fact that the older the reader, the more likely they are to connect with the Silver Surfer and appreciate the depth that was given to him by the creators. There are a lot of great Silver Surfer comics, but so far this issue and series can stand toe-to-toe with any of them, bringing out the true essence of the character.

score

9.0

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