SPOILER Magazine November 2021

Meet your new sidekick gita is a first-of-its-kind hands-free robot that follows you and totes your gear.

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 Hi friends and fans! Welcome back to another wonderful issue of SPO!LER!

Staff Writers The Greatest Writing Team in Our Universe Ethan Brehm Tom Tormey Matthew Mclachlan Vanessa Bellew Robert Napolitano David Grand Phuong Pham Natalie Reade Michelle Fontana Moses Gamer Social Media Manager Thor the all mighty Advertising Ads@SpoilerMagazine.com Sponsorship sponsorship@SpoilerMagazine.com Press Please send all press releases to: press@SpoilerMagazine.com Please send all review material to: review@SpoilerMagazine.com Subscriptions For all subscription enquiries please contact: sub@SpoilerMagazine.com Check out our website for details on how to get our DIGITAL EDITION Circulation Do you want this magazine at your local book store, comic book hangout, toy shop, or anywhere else for that matter?

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SPOILER Magazine is printed in the USA SPOILER Magazine 7095 Hollywood Blvd Hollywood, California 90028 “Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening” - Galaxy

November is a huge month for us here at the magazine since it’s our anniversary. Three years ago we launched our humble little publication and have been able to see it grow into what it’s already become, with anticipation for how much bigger it will get in the years to come. And none of this would be possible without the undying love and support from all of you out there.

This month it’s a privilege to have the indelible Brec Bassinger, the star of DC’s Stargirl, on our cover. The young actress is already a force to be reckoned with, leading three separate series of her own by this point in her young career and continuing to rise up in Hollywood. We’ve also interviewed industry veterans such as Sean Kanan, Sylvia Hoeks, Mike Dopud, and Chrstopher Russell to help round out this star-studded issue.

We’re also excited to present to you our first ever SPO!LER TV and Movie Awards, recognizing entertainment brilliance from this past year. After looking at the nominees listed inside this issue, we encourage you all to vote on our social media pages and look to see who wins in our December mag.

Also, come join us next month as Comic Con Radio + SPO!LER invades Los Angeles Comic Con, held December 3rd through 5th at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Visit us to experience exclusive panels, meet amazing celebrity guests, and receive tons of cool giveaways with fantastic prizes (including cash) from our incredible sponsors!

As the holiday season quickly approaches, we hope all of you stay healthy and safe.

Thank you again for everything you’ve done to help make SPO!LER what it is and what it will become!

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

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table of contents

FEATURES

35 Brec Bassinger exclusive interview

SPOILER MAGAZINE TABLE OF CONTENTS

64 2021 Spoiler TV & Movie Awards

the watch

50 Sylvia Hoeks

14 Spider-Man 2

The Father of the Modern-Day Superhero Movie

26 LA Comic Con

Keeping the Pop Culture in Los Angeles

20 Space Jam

25th Anniversary

160 Christopher Russell

128 SEAN KANAN

152 Mike Dopud

the base

44 It Came from the Video Store!

136 at the movies

174 Comic Book Review

166 Second Chance Superhero Cinema

www.spoilermagazine.com | Follow us on Instagram: @SpoilerMedia

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BY ETHAN BREHM

how we’re currently living in the age of superheroes. With the MCU dominating the big screen since 2008 and informing, if not imposing, trends for every other franchise while giving them astronomical heights to live up to, it’s hard to imagine a cinematic landscape that was any different. Sam Raimi’s 2002 film Spider-Man broke a heck of a lot of ground, both in terms of scope and drawing the blueprint for how to craft an origins story. However, it would be his 2004 follow up SpiderMan 2 that would invent the style of the modern superhero film, with a direct line drawn to the MCU. Masterfully balancing the elements of action, humor, and heart, Raimi created something that anyone in their right mind would want to replicate, and the best superhero movies since, MCU or otherwise, have done just that. Of course, the genre has evolved a bit in two decades, but the blueprint is still very much on the table, and with very few edits.

As far as its role as a sequel, the film is a direct next chapter to the first—something that’s a far cry from the modern sequel, which tends to abandon any precepts of a serialized story that a movie about comic books would be expected to have.

Here, Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) has been living a double life the past

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Spider-Man 2:Sony Pictures;Marvel Comics/Spider-Man:Paramount;Marvel

I doubt i need to harp any more about

two years, never telling anyone that he’s Spider-Man, which by the way, doesn’t pay the bills. Overdue on his rent and unable to keep a job due to his nightmarish extracurriculars, Peter is beginning to lose some of his powers. As it turns out, he just needs to learn how to balance his life better, reconciling with the fact that in order to be a true hero, he must put his own wants and needs aside.

As we see, this is understandably difficult. His love interest, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), is engaged to be married and his best friend, Harry (James Franco), is still itching to get his revenge on the man who killed his father: Spider-Man. Meanwhile, genius scientist Doctor Octavius (Alfred Molina) is readying to unveil

his latest invention—funded by the company that Harry inherited—that allows his brain to control a set of robotic tentacles with his mind. But after things go terribly wrong, the device goes haywire, killing several people during the demonstration, including his own wife, and severing the chip that allows his brain to dominate over that of the artificial intelligence of the tentacles.

Naturally, he’s now a villain called Doctor Octopus.

It’s obvious that the success of the first film granted Raimi much more creative control this time around. Once again tapping into his early roots, the director

Yet believe it or not, comparing the two films becomes a moot point when you consider that one is a teen drama with a superhero twist, unrecognizable to the superhero fare that we have now, and its sequel is essentially the FATHER of the modern-day superhero movie.

SPIDEY IN THE THEATERS

shoots much of the action and suspense like a horror film, enabling him to summon his knack for dark humor in those instances. Even the villain, Doctor Octopus, is better suited for where those tendencies lean—almost as though he’s the unfortunate protagonist in an entirely different movie altogether.

The scene where he wreaks havoc in a hospital is reminiscent of a horror massacre, but without the blood.

Where the first movie is all about the what-ifs of a nerdy teenager suddenly obtaining superpowers, this one deals with how he balances those powers and responsibilities— and how maybe he’s even getting a little tired of them. Yet believe it or not, comparing the two films becomes a moot point when you consider that one is a teen drama with a superhero twist, unrecognizable to the superhero fare that we have now, and its sequel is essentially the father of the modern-day superhero movie (1978’s Superman would be considered the grandfather—it’s all very confusing).

There’s no doubt that when Tom Holland was preparing for his role

This December’s SpiderMan: No Way Home marks the ninth Spidey film in the last 19 years, but Raimi’s 2002 SpiderMan wasn’t technically the first time the hero graced the big screen (at least somewhere in the world).

SPIDER-MAN (1977) The made-for-TV film was the backdoor pilot for the 1978 series on CBS. Released theatrically overseas, Spider-Man was the first Marvel movie of any kind since the 1944 Captain America serials. Its two “sequels,” Spider-Man Strikes Back (1978) and Spider-Man: The Dragon’s Challenge (1979), were both composites of two-parter episodes of the show, but still earned box office revenues in several European territories.

SPIDER-MAN (1978) Also known as Japanese Spider-Man, the 24-minute movie was a theatrical spin-off of the Tōei series of the same name.

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Spider-Man 2:Sony Pictures;Marvel Comics/Spider-Man:Paramount;Marvel

in Spider-Man: Homecoming that he was specifically told to study Tobey Maguire, not in Raimi’s original Spider-Man, but in Spider-Man 2.

The first film leans heavily on the relationship dynamics between its characters, and therefore doesn’t rely on the actors as much as it does the interweaving story underneath them. In fact, the performances are probably the weakest aspect of the 2002 movie. But when trying to accomplish something as lofty as the tonal blends of Spider-Man 2, you need an actor who can take on all those tasks and tie them together while excelling at each one individually as well.

For the sequel, Maguire has more freedom in using his natural comedic instincts, but then also shows his range during the emotional scenes he has with either Aunt May, Mary Jane, or Harry. Even for the action, Raimi makes a point to have several sequences where the actor is not wearing his mask so that the audience can feel the character’s— and the actor’s—intensity. If Maguire weren’t nailing every single one of these facets, the film would simply not have worked.

For a movie released in 2004, it does show its age in places. Made at a time when CGI usually looked pretty bad, the film’s seams tend to show through. But still, you can tell Raimi is having fun with the new technology. And then there’s the batch of plot holes that crop up— ones that would never fly today—but again, they’re a product of their time and don’t ever affect the tone or betray the characters’ objectives.

As a master of economic action, Raimi reins in this massively ambitious endeavor so that even its flaws hardly ever matter—something only a few select movies have the rare privilege of benefitting from.

Bigger and badder than anything that came before it, Spider-Man 2 ups the stakes to fit its hero’s dilemma, scales back the Kirsten Dunst, and goes full carte blanche with its madness to become perfectly entertaining and entirely innovative.

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BY ETHAN BREHM

team up with the music video director for several of Michael Jackson’s biggest hits, you apparently get Space Jam, a surprisingly witty, soundtrackheavy family film featuring NBA’s sweetheart Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes. This month marks the 25th anniversary of the generationdefining classic which played by its own rules and has since become the benchmark for kids movies during their Golden Age in the ‘90s.

Warner Bros. was skeptical about updating the look of their iconic characters. But following a pair of

Basketball Movies That Star Basketball Players... As Basketball Players 22 I

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Fast Break (1979)

Eddie/He Got Game:Buena Vista Pictures/Like Mike:20th Century Studios/ Juwanna Man/Thunderstruck:Warner Bros.;NBA/UncleDrew:Lionsgate

when the writers of the santa clause and trading places successful Nike ads in 1992 and 1993 which starred Jordan alongside Bugs Bunny, the studio saw that modernizing the characters just might work. Production for Space Jam was greenlit, but paused for two years after MJ took a “break” from

The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979)

the NBA. It would be the athlete’s first movie deal.

Taking place during Jordan’s initial retirement from basketball in 1993 and following his time playing minor league baseball, Space Jam fictionalizes the story of why exactly he returned to the NBA in 1995. It turns out, MJ wasn’t all that good at baseball. I mean, he was no Michael Jordan. This reality is something that, with the benefit of a few years of hindsight, this movie heavily uses as context.

After a particularly rough game, Michael comes home to be with his family. His son asks him, “Did everyone get mad at you?” to which he responds, “No, worse. Everyone was real nice about it.” In 1993, MJ was so famous and popular that people loved him even when he sucked.

Meanwhile, the Looney Tunes need some help too. They challenge a team of diminutive evil aliens to a basketball match, but when the aliens steal powers from several of the NBA’s top stars, they become monstrous beasts, dubbed the “MonSTARS.” If the toons lose, they have to be slaves to the animated aliens on their home planet. So Bugs Bunny and the gang summon MJ into cartoon land where he helps them defeat their enemy.

There’s a very deliberate intent on grounding this film, despite the kooky premise, and it’s that attachment to reality that supplies much of the humor. The script never bothers with any niceties of Jordan’s acquiescence or outright skepticism that a cartoon basketball game

Blue Chips (1994)

Forget Paris (1995)

Eddie (1996)

Space Jam:Warner Bros./Fast Break:Columbia Pictures/The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh:United Artists/Blue Chips:Paramount/Forget Paris:Sony

against aliens is just insane. Instead, the athlete willingly goes along with the task, apparently without any hesitancy to abandon his life in the real world. There’s one line where he questions his latest career choice, but other than that, the ride he’s along for isn’t filled with any qualms at all.

We also see how the absurdity of Michael’s situation is never called out as such by those around him either.

In fact, there’s no human-to-human drama whatsoever. There’s nothing ever at stake for MJ as it relates to the plot—only for the Looney Tunes.

Rather, Michael willingly opens himself up to this bizarre opportunity and grows from it. As one of the most intriguing “flat” characters in film history, he almost serves as an active observer to the story, if he weren’t already the very heartbeat that’s driving it.

Space Jam knows very well that it’s a kids movie and so it focuses on the most important aspect of being one: goofy, innocent

Space Jam (1996)

He Got Game (1998)

iconic opening scene is exceptional, let alone for a family film, as young Michael Jordan shoots hoops with his father (Thom Barry), whose off-screen death years later is what propels the NBA player to retire.

Jordan is surprisingly good in this movie. Letting the others around him do all the emoting, he gives realistic reactions and stays within his own personality. In fact, he plays a crucial role in grounding the film. Even the human characters around him are looney (Bill Murray and Wayne Knight). Aside from the Looney Tunes themselves, Knight is one of the highlights in the role of Stan, MJ’s vaguely-defined assistant, but really serves as the stooge for Jordan to react to. Murray, also stooge-like, has an elongated cameo as himself, a friend of Jordan, giving us some of the best dialogue of the film, almost all of which is improvised.

Not getting enough credit for its prowess as an actual comedy, Space Jam utilizes its pieces well, even

entertainment. Despite some 2nd act woes during the titular basketball competition, director Joe Pytka and his writing team of Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Timothy Harris, and Herschel Weingrod provide a swift and memorable storyboard, even during the live-action segments.

Pytka’s experience in commercials and music videos well informs his economic pacing, but also his ability to capture the wonderful little moments along the way. The

Like Mike (2002)

Juwanna Mann (2002)

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with nearly half of the film residing in the cartoon world (as opposed to the 10 minutes in Roger Rabbit).

Here, the live-action characters pop in a set piece that, while inside of a Looney Tunes world, is more rooted in reality than you would think.

Prior to the release of the film in 1996, there was a question as to whether Looney Tunes could be relevant enough in a modern age to carry a film to box office success—a real-world narrative that also serves to parallel the in-movie conflict of its NBA superstar. Well, not only was the film a success, but it’s endured a lasting legacy 25 years later with a ubiquitous fanbase that’s more fervent now than ever.

Space Jam doesn’t just provide a new freshness for the Looney Tunes characters while also retaining the essence of the Warner Bros. properties, but it proves that these cartoons can still have a solid place in culture over five decades after their debut. And now looking back 25 years to this movie, the world of Looney Tunes continues to hold up, with their brand of antics still just as fun and entertaining.

Despite breaking some of the rules and diverging from expected cinematic conventions, Space Jam still feels like an actual movie, albeit a different kind of movie. Ultimately, this is a love letter to basketball.

While it’s very much presented as a giant advertisement for Looney Tunes and Nike, the story within comes together with cohesive unity as it connects the dots between MJ’s initial retirement and subsequent return to the NBA two years later. It fictionalizes his epiphany and even mirrors events that show his love for the game; a love for the game that subtextualizes everything else that this film does. And yet, it speaks as much to fellow basketball fanatics as it does to kids who just want goofy, and looney, entertainment.

What Jordan did by retiring at the top of his game was unprecedented.

It would have been an interesting story to follow in a cinematic medium, even if it had been told as a straightforward biography.

However, fictionalizing the events by adding Looney Tunes and truncating the two-year journey into what feels like only several days is perhaps even more unprecedented. You would assume that the flippancy of Space Jam would work against the authentic depth at its core. And yet somehow the film manages to keep its themes present, albeit subtle enough throughout that we never forget why MJ is doing all this in the first place. As it turns out, you can take the boy out of basketball, but you can’t take the basketball out of the boy.

Space Jam:Warner Bros./Ransom:Buena Vista/Star Trek: First Contact:ViacomCBS/Romeo + Juliet:20th Century Studios/The Mirror Has Two Faces:Sony/TriStar Pictures/ Set It Off:New Line/101 Dalmatians:Disney/Jingle All the Way:20th Century Studios/Sleepers:Warner Bros./High School High:TriStar Pictures

when its celluloid stars aren’t on the screen. With both animated and liveaction, the humor comes from the small details along the way.

When Stan is digging a 6-foot hole in the middle of the green on a golf course, a fellow golfer walks up to him and asks what he’s doing. He informs him that he’s “fixing a divot.”

Where a lesser film would simply just let the joke rest in Stan digging up a golf green itself, Space Jam sees its comedic scenario all the way through.

There’s also a hilarious montage later on where the five nowtalentless NBA players—Charles Barkley, Muggsy Bogues, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing, and Larry Johnson—are all having their identity crises. It’s exactly the kind of aftermath that would realistically happen following a group of professional basketball players suddenly, and simultaneously, not having any athleticism anymore.

Likewise, Pytka has an obvious understanding of the Looney Tunes dynamics, and the writers create a great rapport between the toons and MJ. Animation director Tony Cervone and his team fill the cartoon sequences with wacky gags and fresh cinematography to match the modern era, and the end result is a perfectly glossy, threedimensional, lived-in world that is Cartoon Land.

Eight years prior saw the release of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, a huge innovation in live-action/ cartoon crossovers. However, Space Jam—which is still the best incorporation of the technology since—takes things even further,

Box Office Top 10 for November 1996 Let’s travel back and take a look at what else was hot that month...

1. Ransom 2. Space Jam 3. Star Trek: First Contact 4. Romeo + Juliet 5. The Mirror Has Two Faces 6. Set It Off 7. 101 Dalmatians 8. Jingle All the Way 9. Sleepers 10. High School High

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the paradigm for great weather, and a mecca for the film and TV industries. It’s the single most populous city in California and the second most in the United States.

A major lodestone of the West Coast and the bellwether of culture, art, and entertainment, Los Angeles seems to have everything. But prior to 2011, it had yet to establish a major comic book convention.

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San Diego had its flagship ComicCon and New York had its own as well, but inexplicably, LA only had small, unknown events (all still great in their own right). Temecula native Regina Carpinelli and her two younger brothers noticed this absence and decided to change all that. And in November 2011, the very first Comikaze Expo was launched.

Held in Kentia Hall at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the

Los Angeles Comic Con/Chris DeMoulin/ Comikaze Entertainment

los angeles has long been KNOWN as a cultural hub, inaugural event was host to 35,000 attendees—humble compared to the 123,000 in 2019—and went off relatively without a hitch. Right away, guests could tell that this convention would have its own identity, reflecting the LA scene, with local artists, tattoo artists, and comic book dealers all converging to help make something special. It was a refreshing change of pace from the glossy coat of its competitors.

The event was also imbued with a nostalgic vibe, hosting various retro cast reunions, which have become a mainstay over the years.

That identity has held true ever since. In 2012, Carpinelli partnered with Marvel legend Stan Lee and his company POW! Entertainment, as well as Elvira herself, Cassandra Peterson, and was rebranded as

Stan Lee’s Comikaze. Although both icons were no strangers to fan conventions, they made Comikaze their home, setting the tone for what the annual event would really come to embody: comic books, horror, and nostalgia.

2012 would also include an appearance by Kevin Smith, where he recorded a live version of his podcast Fatman on Batman, featuring a guest appearance by the original Batman, Adam West. Smith would also become a mainstay almost every year from then on.

Renamed once again to Stan 2019 also saw numerous Lee’s L.A. Comic Con in 2016, the dedications to Stan Lee following his convention has continued to grow passing the year before, including a each year, but has still managed to memorial wall where guests could retain almost a write messages cult-like following. to the comic With the addition book icon and a When you look back of an entire panel discussion at the convention’s horror section in on the main 2019, cementing humble beginnings, it’s stage discussing its distinction his legacy. Lee almost impossible from other always felt the contemporaries, authenticity behind to believe that and an exhibit from LACC, which is that same honestLA’s own Petersen why he was so Automotive passionate about to-goodness, fanMuseum, LACC his partnership. driven mindset is still has become not Despite a only a celebration convention scene present today. of pop culture, that was muted but of the local across the globe community. And an entire decade in 2020, L.A. Comic Con is back later, it’s now a staple in downtown this year with its 10th outing this Los Angeles—a showcase of the December, where it will host over city’s own culture while symbiotically 800 vendors and dozens of celebrity giving it some back in the process. guests, including Zachary Levi,

Giancarlo Esposito, Jason David Frank, Bruce Campbell, Frank Miller, Will Friedle, and Nichelle Nichols in her final ever convention appearance, among many, many others.

Since day one, the mascot for L.A Comic Con has been an indelible octopus—now named Stanley following a fan-submitted contest last year—a visage that essentially alludes to the unruly pandemonium that its namesake metropolis has become defined by. But when you look back at the convention’s humble beginnings, it’s almost impossible to believe that that same honestto-goodness, fan-driven mindset is still present today. Known as the convention that’s “from fans, for fans,” LACC has always played by its own rules and embraced this sense of quirkiness, unwilling to compromise its mission for the sake of conforming to what all the other big conventions are doing. And ten years later, we’re continually reminded that, despite its gargantuan size, Los Angeles is still a lot smaller than it looks.

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Frank Miller Known for: Daredevil, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, Sin City, 300

Nichelle Nichols Known for: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

zachary levi

Tom Kenny

Known for: Shazam!, Tangled, Chuck, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Thor: Ragnarok

Rodger Bumpass

Known for: Sponge Bob SquarePants, Rocko’s Modern Life, The Powerpuff Girls, Spyro the Dragon, Mr. Show with Bob and David

Known for: SpongeBob SquarePants, Invader Zim, The Real Ghostbusters, Heavy Metal

Giancarlo Esposito Known for: Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian, Once Upon a Time, The Boys, Do the Right Thing

Ming-Na Wen Known for: Mulan (1998), ER, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett

Jason David Frank Known for: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, Power Rangers Zeo

David Yost Bruce Campbell Known for: The Evil Dead, Army of Darkness, Bubba HoTep, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., Burn Notice

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Rob Liefeld Known for: Co-Creator of Deadpool, The New Mutants, X-Force

Known for: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, Power Rangers Zeo

Michael Rosenbaum John Glover Known for: Smallville, Fear the Walking Dead, Shazam!, Batman & Robin, Gremlins 2: The New Batch

Tom Welling

Known for: Smallville, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Urban Legend, Justice League (2001 series), Justice League Unlimited

Known for: Smallville, Judging Amy, Cheaper by the Dozen, Draft Day

William Daniels Known for: Boy Meets World, St. Elsewhere, Knight Rider, The Graduate

Rider Strong Known for: Boy Meets World, Kim Possible, Cabin Fever, Pepper Dennis, Star vs. the Forces of Evil

Will Friedle Known for: Boy Meets World, Kim Possible, Batman Beyond, Ultimate Spider-Man, Transformers: Rescue Bots

Jim Starlin Known for: Infinity Gauntlet Saga, Creator of Thanos, Creator of Drax the Destroyer, Creator of Gamora, Co-Creator of Shang-Chi

Brian Azzarello Known for: 100 Bullets, Batman: Broken City, Spaceman

Jock Known for: The Losers (comic writer), Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Ex Machina

Casper Van Dien Gerard Way John Barrowman Known for: Doctor Who, Torchwood, Arrow

Known for: My Chemical Romance, Umbrella Academy (comic writer)

Known for: Starship Troopers, Sleepy Hollow (1999), One Life to Live, Watch Over Me

PLUS MANY MORE! Find out who else will be there by going to ComicConLA.com!

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inte inte INTERVIEW BY GALAXY INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

if you ask any actor or actress, they’ll tell you that getting the title role on two different TV shows is like getting struck by lightning twice.

And before she even turned 21, Brec Bassinger had already starred as Bella in Nickelodeon’s Bella and the Bulldogs and now as superhero Courtney Whitmore, aka Stargirl, in DC’s Stargirl, whose second season debuted on The CW back in August.

Brec joins the short list of actresses to ever do so—let alone this young.

And this success doesn’t go unnoticed by the actress, who’s constantly counting her blessings and looking to improve in her craft.

Brec speaks with the incisive clarity of a veteran twice her age (after all, she’s been in this industry for nearly a decade now), offering some great advice for aspiring young actors, speaking on the value of acting classes and always being willing to learn. But she also shares with us the tougher aspects of auditioning and the amount of rejection she’s faced despite her two big breaks.

Always so humble and with a great head on her shoulders, the young star is only in the sunrise of her career, of which Stargirl will undoubtedly level up even higher.

Starring in the upcoming films Saturday at the Starlight and The Man in the White Van, Brec continues to look ahead as she chats with Galaxy about what it’s like being part of the DC lineage, as well as her similarities to her character and how she handles being a role model.

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Brec Bassinger/Shannon Wright/Jack Junk/Manfred Baumann/Stargirl:Warner Bros.;DC Comics

erview erview

brec bassinger

SPOILER: How does it feel being Stargirl?

BREC BASSINGER: It’s so surreal.

I don’t think in my wildest dreams I ever thought I would get to be a superhero. It’s something that’s so special. It’s like your name gets put on this list. I’m forever part of the DC Universe. It was also so much more fun than I was ever expecting.

underappreciated characters to the forefront.

SPOILER: And this is the first ever time Stargirl has gotten her own show.

BREC BASSINGER: Yes! There have been two other actresses who have played Stargirl very quickly on other series [in Smallville and Legends of Tomorrow]. But there’s never been a show where she’s been celebrated and highlighted. I personally think she is so underrated. Even the JSA as a whole—which is a big part of Stargirl—they’re the first superhero group ever in comic book history.

So it’s been so fun to be part of a show that brings these underrated,

SPOILER: Do you miss them when you’re not filming?

BREC BASSINGER: Yes! Especially now since I’m not living in LA. But I do see them some! Yvette [Monreal] and I actually went on vacation over this past hiatus.

SPOILER: What’s it been like working on the show?

BREC BASSINGER: It’s a lot of hard work, but it is very rewarding! I have met some of my best friends who I believe will be in my life forever.

SPOILER: Season 2 is called “Summer School,” and it highlights these characters in a way that’s so relatable.

BREC BASSINGER: Growing up, one of my favorite superheroes was always Spider-Man, specifically the Tom Holland Spider-Man. The

first one came out when I was graduating high school, so I just loved seeing this guy balance high school while simultaneously balancing being a superhero.

And Stargirl has so much of that.

This group of kids who weren’t necessarily the popular kids— misfits you could say—coming together and becoming a group of superheroes. So you have someone to relate to, whether it’s the parents of these kids or the kids themselves.

Season 2 has a tonal change. It’s a lot darker. It still has the heart that makes our show, but there is a new horror aspect that the first season didn’t have.

SPOILER: It’s a very wholesome show as well.

BREC BASSINGER: Our showrunner Geoff Johns, he created the show in honor of his sister, Courtney Johns, who passed away. So obviously this show is very important to him, but he wanted to create a show that brought people together and didn’t have a lot of negativity.

And interestingly enough, our season 1 came out in the midst of the pandemic last May, and [the pandemic] was very scary, and is still scary, but all people wanted was new content to watch. They were just sitting at home with their families. And I had so many people reaching out saying that they looked forward to it every week and they would sit down and watch it with their kids, and it was a show that their kids liked that [the parents] could actually enjoy as well. So I think it did exactly what Geoff set out for it to do, probably even more so than he was expecting.

SPOILER: Do you feel a lot of pressure?

BREC BASSINGER: Yeah, of course I feel pressure, because Geoff means so much to me and the show means so much to me that

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SPOILER: How did it feel when you first became Stargirl and you started getting all of these fan messages and fan art and everything like that?

BREC BASSINGER: Well, I came from a Nickelodeon show, so I already kinda had a taste of getting recognized when I was going out, getting fan mail, people drawing pictures of me. And I’m not exaggerating, but just in the past month I’ve noticed I’m no longer getting recognized as Bella from Bella and the Bulldogs, but I’ve been recognized as, “Oh my gosh, you’re Stargirl!” and it’s been so fun to see the transition of the different audiences and the different demographics.

SPOILER: What does it feel like playing this role model that everyone looks up to?

BREC BASSINGER: I love it. Even in my personal life, I’m a very goaloriented person and I like to help people achieve their goals. And I feel like Courtney has a lot of that, so I pull from my own life. But even me as Brec, I pull things from Courtney.

The way she sees the best in people regardless of circumstances. In playing her, I feel like it’s a constant reminder to do that in my own life.

And also, I have to give so much credit to Geoff. Even from the beginning, he sat me down and said, “Brec, you have a responsibility on our set to be a leader. Not only on the show, but for the other cast members.” And he helped guide me so much throughout this process.

SPOILER: Do you feel pressure with that aspect as well?

BREC BASSINGER: I definitely feel pressure to perform and stay on top of my game, because it is hard. The

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Brec Bassinger/Shannon Wright/Jack Junk/Manfred Baumann/Stargirl:Warner Bros.;DC Comics

I want to do Courtney justice and what he sees of her legacy. And he’s so lovely. I’ve had these open, candid conversations with him and he always makes me feel like I’m doing what he wanted and how he envisioned it. And throughout the first and second seasons, I feel like I’ve gained this confidence.

hours we work are not for the faint of heart. But I think one of my best attributes is my self-awareness, so I’m also very good at not putting too much pressure on myself for the roles I play, because there’s only so much I can do as Brec. I mean, I’m not a superhero in real life, so I try not to give myself too big of expectations [laughs].

when we finally got the deal signed, I was over the moon. And then on set, I feel like I’ve learned so much from him. And Amy as well. She is just so humble and respectful and really just a beautiful artist, the way she balances her outside life and her artistry. I look up to both of them, not only as artists, but also as people.

SPOILER: You get to work with these legends as well. Your mom and stepdad are played by Amy Smart and Luke Wilson.

BREC BASSINGER: I remember the first time I met Luke Wilson, I was so nervous. Legally Blonde was one of my favorite movies growing up. I remember when Geoff was hoping to get him, he said, “I couldn’t envision anyone else to play Pat.” So

SPOILER: For those who haven’t seen the series, what is the premise of Stargirl?

BREC BASSINGER: A teenage girl, Courtney Whitmore, gets picked up and moved from Los Angeles with her blended family. She gets a new stepdad and stepbrother and they move to Nebraska. And she stumbles upon the Cosmic Staff, and she learns about her stepdad’s

brec bassinger quickly. The comedy scenes, which have made up most of my career up to this point, I just let them go with me. I think it’s fun once we get on a roll on set and we just keep that going once we’re off.

history with the superhero group the JSA. And the Cosmic Staff hasn’t worked for anyone since Starman died, and it now works for her. So, she takes on the responsibility of becoming Stargirl. And she starts a new Justice Society of America, but with different kids from her school.

Her stepdad has a giant robot, and he makes him her sidekick, which is a really fun dynamic [laughs].

But also, there’s this coming-of-age aspect from the high school and this beautiful heart from the family. And we go against super cool villains of course.

it makes our wins that much more deserved and that much more fulfilling, even for the viewer. It’s a bigger payoff.

SPOILER: Do these scenes ever linger after they yell cut?

BREC BASSINGER: I think it depends on the scene. If it’s an emotional scene, it will stay with me for the rest of the day, because I feel like I have to put myself in a place both physically and mentally where it’s very difficult to snap out of it really

SPOILER: What are the most memorable scenes you filmed?

BREC BASSINGER: The first Stargirl versus Brainwave fight in season 1—it was my first time wearing the suit on the show! Also, season 1, episode 11, when I give my dad the necklace—it was such an emotional scene for Courtney’s story and really impacted her, and was also very memorable for me. And then season 2, episode 6, the fight against the Injustice Unlimited. That fight scene was by far the biggest we’ve ever had and there were so many fun and crazy moments while filming!

SPOILER: Do you ever feel like people confuse you in real life with your characters?

BREC BASSINGER: [laughs] I feel like most of the people who watch our show are old enough to understand the difference. But even on set, sometimes people will call me Courtney—no one ever calls me Stargirl—and I’ll just turn around [and respond]. I mean, it’s hard though.

SPOILER: And I love how the series allows its heroes to fail and isn’t afraid to show their humanity.

BREC BASSINGER: Yeah, well, we’re all new superheroes; we are all rookies, especially in the first season. We don’t have teamwork skills, we barely know how to use our new powers, and we’re going up against a group of villains who have been doing this for years. So, I think it’s only reasonable that we get beat and have to learn. But I think NOVEMBER 2021|

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brec bassinger We have three names for almost every character: We have our real-life name, our character name, and our supername. And God bless our crew, because they have no luck [laughs]—there’s a lot against them.

SPOILER: Is there a piece of you in Courtney?

BREC BASSINGER: One hundred percent. Courtney and I have a lot of differences, but I feel we have even more similarities. My quirky sense of humor definitely sneaks through some.

Also, our overall belief in good. I do believe people are good, and I feel that’s one of the things that makes Courtney, Courtney.

SPOILER: Have you been to a convention yet?

BREC BASSINGER: That was one of the things I was most excited about when I was cast as Stargirl. I was like, “I’m gonna get to meet people who watch the show and are fans and it’s gonna be so fun!” But since our show debuted at the beginning of the pandemic, I have not gotten to go to a convention yet. It breaks my heart. It’s actually a conversation I’ve had with my loved ones because it weighs heavily on me.

I haven’t really gotten to meet very many people who watch Stargirl, so sometimes I’m like, “Do people actually watch it??”

SPOILER: They do!

BREC BASSINGER: [laughs] I know they do, but when we’re working 80 hours a week, I’m like, “Are people actually watching what we’re working hard on?”

But I cannot wait for the day when I can finally go to one. From a writer’s perspective, the slow burners always have the best payoff and storyline, and I feel like that is my life with conventions right now. I’m just waiting and it’s such a slow burn for when I’m gonna go. And when I finally get to go to one, it’s just going to be that much more fulfilling.

SPOILER: What got you into acting originally?

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BREC BASSINGER: I wanted to be an astronaut until I was about 6, and when I found out the moon wasn’t made of cheese, I didn’t wanna be an astronaut anymore. And at the time, I was in natural beauty pageants, and we had a talent portion, and I did ventriloquism.

I did a little sketch with my puppets—I know this sounds really silly, but it’s the truth—and I just loved performing in front of people. So around six-yearsold, I told my mom, “I’m gonna be an actress.” And after that, anytime anyone would come up to me and ask what I wanted to be when I was older, I would say, “I don’t want to be anything. I’m going to be an actress.” And so finally my mom put me in an acting class when I was 10, and I took acting classes like crazy for three years. And when I was 13, I went out to LA for the very first time to test out the waters. I had gotten an agent who told me to go out for a week to see how it goes. And it went really, really well. So I went back for a month, and I ended up booking The Haunted Hathaways, which was a really strong recurring role that kept bringing me back to LA, which allowed me to continue auditioning. And then I booked other stuff and the rest is history!

SPOILER: Was it hard getting into this industry at only 13?

BREC BASSINGER: I was so excited! The hardest time I’ve had so far in my career was getting an agent. I could not get an agent to save my life. I was sending out my headshots every month to every Texas agent for probably two years. We would never hear back. And so I’d spend more money on more headshots. And I told my mom, “I don’t care if I’m the girl on the swings in the background, I just want to act!” I just loved acting so much and I just wanted to do it. So in LA, just getting an audition felt like a win.

SPOILER: What advice would you give to someone trying to get into this industry?

BREC BASSINGER: I always like to ask my fellow actors, “How did you get into acting?” And I find the main

Brec Bassinger/Shannon Wright/Jack Junk/Manfred Baumann/Stargirl:Warner Bros.;DC Comics

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Brec Bassinger/Shannon Wright/Jack Junk/Manfred Baumann/Stargirl:Warner Bros.;DC Comics

consistency among all of us is “acting class.” We were all working on our craft, training, being around fellow actors, and through that, you meet people, you learn, and that’s where I finally met my manager who’s still my manager today, who finally helped me get an agent, which is the reason I came out to LA.

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SPOILER: Did you face a lot of rejection early on?

BREC BASSINGER: I would say I book probably only one out of every 100 auditions I go on.

About two weeks before I got the audition for Stargirl, I had screen tested for an Amazon show, and it was between me and one other girl. And I just thought, “This is gonna be my career! I’m moving to New Zealand! It’s gonna be such a wonderful experience.”

I loved the script and, I kid you not, it was the best audition I ever had. I went in and I went, “Okay, this is mine.”

And I didn’t get it. And at that moment I thought, “Well, maybe acting isn’t my thing.”

It was the first time I had ever put it into question because I was always so sure. But that one kind of just broke me.

It hurt a lot. And then I got the audition for Stargirl two weeks later, and I wasn’t even super excited about it. I was just being a Debbie Downer, a little negative. That being said, the audition was very secretive. There were like, fake names and they didn’t tell you where it was going.

So I was like, “Just another audition. I don’t know what this is.” But I ended up going and doing it, even though I was like, “I’m probably not gonna get it anyway,” which is so unlike me. I’m annoyingly optimistic [laughs]. But good thing I went and persevered for those two weeks.

brec bassinger bawling. We were just terrified.

SPOILER: Do you like Halloween?

BREC BASSINGER: I love it. One of my favorite holidays.

SPOILER: If you could be on any show other than Stargirl, what would it be?

BREC BASSINGER: Peaky Blinders.

SPOILER: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

BREC BASSINGER: I would want to be able to teleport. I value my time more than anything else and being able to skip traffic or travel would just be awesome!

SPOILER: If you could be Stargirl in real life, would you do it?

BREC BASSINGER: Absolutely! I want a Cosmic Staff!

SPOILER: But the grind never stops, does it?

BREC BASSINGER: Oh yeah. Like the film I’m on right now, I auditioned for it, I chemistry tested, I screen read—it was a whole process. I will say I probably have more opportunities now, but I’m still very much having to grind.

SPOILER: How do you get yourself in the right mindset before an audition?

BREC BASSINGER: I get extremely nervous. I’m a very nervous person in general. So definitely some deep breaths to calm myself. I say a little prayer, and then I go and do it.

SPOILER: What is your favorite food?

BREC BASSINGER: Pizza... No, no, no, wait! Steak.

SPOILER: What is your perfect date?

BREC BASSINGER: “April 25th: not too hot, not too cold, all you need

is a light jacket.” That’s a quote from Miss Congeniality [laughs]. But I’d say the perfect date is something adrenaline-filled. Like I’ve gone bungee jumping on a date. That was awesome!

SPOILER: If you could do anything right now, what would it be?

BREC BASSINGER: Take a walk along the beach.

SPOILER: Do you believe in ghosts or the paranormal?

BREC BASSINGER: Absolutely.

My friend and I were messing around with this app that made recordings go backwards and we were saying “murder” to try to get it to say “redrum,” which is “murder” backwards. And it wasn’t working because the sound isn’t like the spelling, and so we just started making noises—and I was only 13 and was being so stupid. And at the very end of this recording, there was this whisper. And I kid you not, I still have the recording, and it just went, “Redrum, redrum.” And we looked at each other and we just started

SPOILER: Did you learn anything new while working on the series that you can use in a practical situation?

BREC BASSINGER: Weird answer, but I have learned how to better care for my curls. They wanted Courtney to rock my natural curls, and our hair department has taught me so much about how to care and emphasize naturally curly hair.

SPOILER: Do you rather play the hero or the villain?

BREC BASSINGER: Funny enough, I’ve always wanted to play a villain!

Most of my career I have played the “girl next door” or “team leader,” and I think it would be so fun and really push me in my craft to play a villain.

SPOILER: Do you think social media has helped the superhero genre?

BREC BASSINGER: Most definitely.

Social media has given a way for comic book fans to connect. It’s like a giant comic book club!

SPOILER: If you were in a zombie apocalypse, what would your weapon of choice be?

BREC BASSINGER: A cast iron skillet. I’m gonna have a Tangled moment.

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the missing link between the original the blob from 1958, 1987’s The Monster Squad, and Wes Craven’s genredefining Scream from ’96 (as well as the opening scene from Scream 2), Popcorn rides the homage train of yesteryear, but does so with a kick of forward thinking and self-awareness.

That self-awareness, of course, would be reserved only for the viewer to partake in as they watch a crowded movie theater of intricatelycostumed patrons rollick and roar as campy old horror films marathon through the night. These moviegoers all go home unharmed, meanwhile, the teenage hosts of this screening have found themselves in the middle of their very own slasher.

One of the more enigmatic classics from that decade, the 1991 movie consists of two directors, one of which (the one who got fired after three weeks) is credited with writing the script. Mark Herrier took over for Alan Ormsby, and what’s stranger is that neither of them ever really had much of a career directing.

In fact, this is Herrier’s only fulllength feature. Ormsby had two

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Popcorn/Studio Three Film Corporation

BY ETHAN BREHM

others, although found success in screenwriting.

He flexes his chops here as Popcorn, despite containing somewhat-ordinary banter, has a well-fleshed-out story with incisively constructed lore. Our protagonist Maggie (Jill Schoelen) is an aspiring screenwriter and film student at the local university, where she and her classmates are trying to raise money for their department. They have the idea to put on an all-night film festival at the old, abandoned Dreamland Theater, playing low-budget retro classics, such as Mosquito and The Attack of the Amazing Electrified Man, but treating the audience to in-house effects, such as Odorama (smells permeating the venue) and Shock-O-Scope (where select patrons get mildly shocked by their seat cushions).

Maggie has also been having dreams lately about a strange man trying to kill a young girl as fire blazes around her. Upon setting up the festival, the students discover a mysterious roll of film that contains

an old experimental short called Possessor, which, upon watching the short, triggers something in Maggie and even features a scene that is eerily similar to an image from her dreams. Their professor (Tony Roberts) informs them that there was an old film cult years ago where its leader, Lanyard Gates, performed an in-person sacrifice of his own family on stage—in that very same theater—as the premiere of Possessor concluded.

With the festival underway, Maggie and her classmates entertain a packed house, but there’s something or someone evil lurking in the shadows. Even when we think we know what’s going on, the surprises always catch us off guard.

And then there are the trio of fictional B-movie titles that run throughout the event—send-ups of ‘50s horror films and the like, with William Castle-type gimmicks happening within the theater that would surely be popular if employed even today. Each of the three movies is unique in its own right, as if they were each made with a separate director and crew (Ormsby did actually direct these sequences particularly). Causing the audience at home to laugh right along with the rambunctious crowd at these fictional catastrophes, Ormsby really understands what makes these low budget films so much fun, and, together with Herrier, realizes the beauty of both bad and good.

The two directors (who are oddly complimentary of one another) draw that line between the diegetic footage in the theater and the actual movie around it.

Ormsby diverts our attention away from the slasher genre with his three in-world features—all of which lean more towards ‘50s sci-fi than anything that was popular around the time of its release. Herrier also refrains from poking fun at slashers themselves within the A-plot. And since self-parody is never on the movie’s radar, nor is it on the viewer’s.

Likewise, a lesser movie would’ve had these films-within-a-film covertly themed to match the framing story about Maggie, either through subtext or overt nods. Instead, we can get lost in the story without the sense that someone is pulling the strings and trying to be cute. It’s able to be

fun without being self-referential.

Popcorn itself is never laughably bad, and finds terror in its quality. The director is never afraid to have fun with his rompy premise, even going so far as to trick us into thinking that it’s actually a boilerplate slasher featuring horny teens. But really, it barely even toys with these schlocky tropes, confident enough in its crafty story and respectable because of its maturity.

While the characters are tapping into these lost cinema gimmicks of the past, the movie they inhabit is surprisingly gimmick-free. We don’t find a severed head in the popcorn maker or a dead body hanging from the marquee. Unlike something such as Death Spa or Terror Train or Chopping Mall, where the nature of the kills informs us that these films were each spawned from an idea or a location first, Popcorn, which could have very easily become a novelty, is inspired all the way through—its story and concept going hand in hand.

The acting is very serviceable across the board. Schoelen does a great job as a sympathetic and likeable Final Girl. Although she

remains relatively passive in the third act, she pushes for answers throughout the film and never allows for this plot to stagnate. Our gravelly-voiced villain is sinister, mysterious, and upon his big reveal, more grotesque than most of his horror contemporaries. If only Popcorn were more mainstream, celebrating his visage wouldn’t mean spoiling the twist entirely.

Filmed in Jamaica, Popcorn has a unique vibe already built in, pushed to the forefront with its music, featuring a dancehall soundtrack, an island-infused score composed by Paul Zaza, and even an appearance

by Lovindeer and Chalice as the in-house band for the film festival.

The energy never dies in this gem of a slasher, which hits every note with accuracy and precision. There’s simply nothing quite like it, yet the movie finds a familiarity enough to comfort any fan of the genre and cinema as a whole.

Popcorn is almost begging to be a cult favorite 30 years later.

Luckily the film has enjoyed a much warmer response in recent years than it did upon its initial release.

Perhaps by 1991, critics and fans were feeling fatigue from the slasher genre, no matter what it looked like. However, in hindsight we can see how seamless this narrative really is—perhaps even a progenitor of the modern-day neo-slasher.

From beginning to end, it’s a real joy, atmospheric in its setting and production design, evocative in its special effects, and tonally sound in blending all of its elements while also serving as a tribute to, not just to these ‘50s-era B-movies, but to the moviegoing experience.

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collector spotlight

Video stores aren’t dead; they’ve just evolved. In the last couple of years, cinephiles have found a way to spread their love for physical media by parlaying the success of those little lending libraries for books into ones for movies. In 2019, a former Blockbuster employee and VHS collector decided to repurpose Los Angeles’ abandoned newspaper dispensers, calling them Free Blockbuster.

Brock and Casey of Tapeheads [@tapeheadsla] were not even privy to Free Blockbuster when they got

inspiration to build their own lending library in the Los Angeles area. With the VHS and physical media movement stronger now more than ever, you could say it was kismet.

With its wooden case and overall painted visual appeal, Tapeheads is a little more refined, classy in its structure.

Their slogan is, “Borrow.

Swap. Steal.” And yet Brock and Casey still manage to keep their double-shelf case filled from end to end, which may very well be a microcosm of the passion and fervor embedded into the spirit of tape collectors all over.

interview interview

this point we only had some random tapes from Casey’s collection and a ton of DVDs from Brock. But we wanted to be primarily VHS, so we needed more tapes. On our days off, we’d hit up thrift stores and found people getting rid of boxes of tapes on Craigslist.

We came up with Tapeheads in December [2020], built the box in January, and launched in February.

After a couple weeks, we decided to go exclusively VHS. In June we launched our 2nd box, Tapeheads 2, at CineFile Video in Santa Monica.

VHS since you were young? Or did it resurge after a hiatus?

TAPEHEADS: We had a good amount of tapes when we were kids, but both went pretty hard with DVD and Blu-ray, so tapes took a back seat.

ETHAN: What are the origins of Tapeheads?

TAPEHEADS: We were walking around our neighborhood in Eagle Rock [California] and there’s a ton of Little Free Libraries by our place, so we started joking about making one for movies. We thought it was a funny idea but could also be cool and something people would actually get into.

We immediately reached out to Sean Muscles [@sean_muscles on IG] to make us a logo, and Casey started drawing plans for the box. At

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ETHAN: Your lending library has been a hit so far, and in much less than a year. What has that experience been like? How has it been different (or the same) than what you expected?

TAPEHEADS: We’re happy people have been into it! We didn’t know about Free Blockbuster or Video Honor System [other VHS lending libraries] when we started Tapeheads, but seeing how successful those boxes have been, it’s not a surprise that it’s going well for us. We didn’t expect so many people to donate boxes and boxes of tapes to us! It’s a little overwhelming!

ETHAN: Have you been collecting

ETHAN: What are your favorite genres?

TAPEHEADS: Erotic thrillers and sports.

ETHAN: Do you have a favorite tape?

TAPEHEADS: Get Over It, Stop Making Sense, and Clifford.

ETHAN: Rarest?

TAPEHEADS: Easily our sealed Academy screener of George of the Jungle that belonged to James Coburn apparently. His son donated his extensive tape collection to CineFile Video.

ETHAN: Any recent discoveries?

TAPEHEADS: 2 Days in the Valley and Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man. ETHAN: Favorite box art?

TAPEHEADS: Gallagher: Melon Crazy.

ETHAN: What’s your favorite movie about VHS?

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

TAPEHEADS: We haven’t watched it yet, but one of our donations came with a movie called Christmas in Connecticut. It’s a TV movie with Dyan Cannon and Kris Kristofferson and the only feature film directed by Arnold Schwarzenegger?! Waiting for the holidays to watch it.

ETHAN: Do you have any movies with an absurd number of duplicates?

TAPEHEADS: Oscar’s Greatest Moments 1971 to 1991 seems to have invaded Tapeheads HQ. We’re not sure why we have 8 of these.

We also got a huge donation of, like, 800 tapes from a man named Jerry who was moving from Santa Monica to Florida. (He ended up moving back.) He had a lot of doubles and triples of his favorite movies.

Fiddler on the Roof is one.

It also feels like any time we get a large donation or score a big box from someone getting rid of their tapes we get another copy of Dave.

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

TAPEHEADS: Street Trash.

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

TAPEHEADS: Nightcrawler or Fraud [2016].

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

TAPEHEADS: The box art on any VHS is most likely better than whatever frame grab streaming platforms use to promote a movie. Sometimes you get previews of other movies you haven’t even heard of or movies you forgot about.

ETHAN: Do you think VHS will make a comeback in the way vinyl has?

TAPEHEADS: Hard to say since there’s such a huge VHS community, but unless they start manufacturing VCRs again, it doesn’t feel like it will make a full comeback.

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

Tapeheads

TAPEHEADS: Caché [2005 Frenchlanguage film].

TAPEHEADS: We hope not, although there’s no way to know what the future holds. Maybe future generations won’t care about holding a book or a movie in their hands.

ETHAN: Any tips for new collectors?

TAPEHEADS: Come to Tapeheads!

ETHAN: What’s in store for Tapheads next? Will it just be the lending library for now or are there plans for opening that up to different endeavors?

TAPEHEADS: Nothing new actively in the works, but we hope to make more boxes in the future. We would also love to host public screenings on tape when it’s safe to do that.

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inte inte INTERVIEW BY GALAXY INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

Sylvia Hoeks, star of the Apple TV+ series See, where she plays the tyrannical and murderous Queen Kane in a world where everyone is blind. The Holland native grew up in a town with a population of about 3,000, managing to be the only member of her family glued to the TV set.

Working as a model prior to attending drama school, Sylvia is more than just a pretty face, and intends to bring depth and nuance to each character she portrays just the same. So perfect in her villainous roles with her willingness to unhinge, she also taps into the psyches of these antagonists in a way that only the best performers are able to do. Also starring in one of the biggest films in recent years, Blade Runner 2049, the actress has made quite a name for herself in the fandom world.

Able to get incredibly deep while also showcasing her genuine joy of life, Sylvia is truly on another level.

She’s one of the few celebrities who doesn’t shy away from her own authenticity, and yet still has such a jovial spirit that simultaneously embraces and defies modern cynicism. The conversation with the actress ranges from delightfully unpredictable to incisively insightful as she talks to Galaxy about all things, including See, which just finished wrapping its third season, and the importance of maintaining your identity in a modern world of subconscious emulation.

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Sylvia Hoeks/See:Apple Inc./(cover image): Sylvia Hoeks/See:Apple Inc./ANP

acting seemed like a natural choice for

erview erview SPOILER: You started modeling at 14. Was acting on your mind at that point?

SYLVIA HOEKS: Yes! I actually never really wanted to be a model. I was always a little shy, so the modeling did help me with presenting myself outwardly to people. I think if I hadn’t done the modeling, I would have never gotten into theater school, which I auditioned for when I was about 18. And I did four years of that. 19 was my first film experience. I really fell in love with the camera and the idea that you don’t have to do a lot for people to really understand what you’re feeling or sensing or thinking.

I always wanted to act. I was the only one in my family who was watching TV all the time [laughs].

It made me feel like I understood myself and the world better.

SPOILER: For fans out there, what is See about?

SYLVIA HOEKS: See is about a world 600 years in the future that has become blind because of a virus.

And it’s been blind for hundreds of years until now, when twins are born who can see, and that changes the whole scenario.

SPOILER: Is it hard playing a character who’s blind?

sylvia hoeks

SYLVIA HOEKS: In the beginning, there was a little bit of adjusting, but I actually really like it right now. When I do movies in between filming See, it’s actually pretty weird to look at the other actors [laughs]. It is interesting what other things come to you when you’re playing somebody who can’t see.

The other senses become much more important, so it was actually really fun to learn.

SPOILER: What is it like playing Queen Kane? How’d you come up with that voice?

SYLVIA HOEKS: I have a lot of fun with Queen Kane. She’s so much fun to play. She’s just ridiculous. I don’t know how the voice happened [laughs]. I was watching an interview with Lou Reed from back in the day and he was just kinda f**king around with journalists, and I kind of just took his voice and the way he was pronouncing stuff, and I sort of ran with it and that became the voice of Queen Kane.

SPOILER: How much of yourself is in Queen Kane?

SYLVIA HOEKS: [laughs] I think anything you can’t really sort out in real life because there’s too many

consequences, you just do it on set. I think in real life I’m maybe too nice of a person. Setting boundaries is hard, so I think just messing around with this character on set is just so much fun for me. It’s always fun to play a character that’s a long way away from you.

SPOILER: Do you think your character, Luv, in Blade Runner 2049 is a precursor to Queen Kane?

SYLVIA HOEKS: [laughs] I never thought of that, but I guess they both like to f**k around with people a little bit. Even though Luv is a robot, there are things that are a little bit f**ked up with her; there are some errors there. And with Queen Kane, I think there’s definitely some errors there, though they’re human. I just love to define how far I can go with that. With Luv, there were some opportunities to touch on that a little bit. And then with Queen Kane, who’s much more vocal, it has gone much further with the craziness. It’s a different way of portraying that. It definitely has been a study in mental illness I think.

SPOILER: Do you ever get exhausted at times?

SYLVIA HOEKS: Oh yeah, definitely.

But it’s always so much fun. And I’m genuinely interested in the psychology of the characters. I think if I weren’t an actor, I would have studied psychology. And I think what I always try to do is take people who, in our society, aren’t so easily understandable, and make them a little bit more understandable. That’s always my journey and I think that’s very important. Mental illness is something that’s not talked about enough openly. And that’s why it’s always so important for me to bring some sense of humor to the role of Queen Kane instead

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sylvia hoeks of her only being an evil queen.

Because, despite her wrongdoings and the way she thinks, I think it’s important to show young girls that women don’t always have to be sexy and smart to be interesting.

SPOILER: What advice would you give someone trying to be an actor?

SYLVIA HOEKS: These days, with social media, we’re driven so much by being seen and being heard.

It’s like your virtual life is more important than your actual life.

And I think what’s most important for young people is to also take time for yourself and not only be on TikTok or Instagram, but just be in your own life and notice what you notice, and have your drive be through the authenticity of how you look at the world instead of only looking at what other people think of the world through social media. I think it’s really important to find that within yourself. I think the only way you can be happy or give to other people is by your own authenticity. And it sounds like a cliché, but that’s the way they go.

We always want to look like other people, but the most interesting thing is your own authenticity.

SPOILER: What’s your favorite type of movie to act in?

SYLVIA HOEKS: I would say something like Dogtooth by Yorgos Lanthimos—all of his movies—I’m really a fan of his. Or Wes Anderson.

Or Denis Villeneuve, who I’ve worked with [on Blade Runner 2049], he’s just one of the best.

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Sylvia Hoeks/Bastiaan Van Musscher/See:Apple Inc./Alamy

SPOILER: What makes you smile and what scares you the most?

SYLVIA HOEKS: Well, my dogs crack me up every day because they are the most ridiculous animals.

With COVID, they got me through that whole year of having to be inside. I’m really happy that they were with me.

And what scares me the most is losing my loved ones. Not dying myself, but losing people while I’m still alive.

sylvia hoeks loved watching movies and going into that different universe. I understand that feeling and I’m so happy that people are excited about See or Blade Runner.

SPOILER: If you could work on any project, what would it be?

SYLVIA HOEKS: If they ever did a remake of The Piano Teacher with Isabelle Huppert, I would love to be in that. Or I’d love to play Ripley in a new Alien remake. What I love about Ridley Scott is the humor he brings in. And he always portrays strong women. I just love him.

SPOILER: Do you like sci-fi the most?

SYLVIA HOEKS: I do like sci-fi, but I also like more arthouse movies. I love to freestyle; I love to improvise.

SPOILER: Do you ever just sit in awe of the amazing production design on See? SYLVIA HOEKS: If you find yourself on set and you’re able to just pretend that you’re someone and just roll with it, that’s just fantastic. When I was young, my parents had a big garden and I would play in the trees and make my own treehouse and make my own little storylines. Now I’m doing that, and I get paid. It’s

ridiculous if you think about it. So I’m very lucky and I’m very grateful to get to do what I do. When you look at these big sets and you get to work with all these great actors and directors, it’s a dream come true really. I’m living my best life I think—is that how you say that? [laughs] SPOILER: What was your first experience like at a convention? Did it feel surreal to have people waiting in line to meet you?

SYLVIA HOEKS: Yes, that always is a surreal feeling. You always end up feeling like, “Are you talking to me?” and you look behind you if someone’s standing there [laughs].

Because you’re always yourself and you’re always still that little girl from a little village in Holland.

So it’s always a bit surreal because you love playing these characters, but you never see yourself as those characters. It’s interesting.

The first time was with Blade Runner, and it was just crazy how many people were so loving. The lines are so long. It feels weird. I’m always like, “You want a coffee?” [laughs]. I love that people are so enthusiastic. When I was a kid, I

SPOILER: Did you actually have to shave your head for Queen Kane?

SYLVIA HOEKS: Yes! That was actually my idea. I kinda wanted to make it more punk rock. I wanted to do it a little bit differently [from the typical evil queen]. Especially since it’s a blind world. And you know how a lot of people shave their heads after something traumatic happens to them, as sort of a new beginning?

I wanted to have her be like that because a lot of s**t happened to her before we meet her in the first episode. And I had told my husband about this, but I think he was a little bit distracted when I told him [laughs], and I came home from set with my head shaved and his face just dropped. He was pale. He looked at me like I had done the worst thing in the world to him [laughs]. Like, for a full year he couldn’t let it go. He was like, “You didn’t tell me!” and I was like, “I did tell you!” With actors, if you’re stuck with something when you play a character, like if you have to gain weight or lose weight or whatever you have to do, your family also goes through that same thing.

SPOILER: How did it feel getting your head shaved?

SYLVIA HOEKS: I had fun! I really wanted to see what that character would look like. First, we tried a mohawk, which I found to be a little bit too much, and also it’s not practical—why would a blind woman have a mohawk? So then we went

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sylvia hoeks

SPOILER: Do you believe in the paranormal?

SYLVIA HOEKS: Yes, but I’ve never experienced anything paranormal. Or I always just think that the sounds are coming from my dogs. I’m also not a person who would go and play with Ouija boards, because I do believe in it, so I won’t mess with it.

SPOILER: Of all the actors and actresses you’ve worked with, which one would you say made the biggest impression?

SYLVIA HOEKS: Just being on set with Harrison Ford, I was really peeing my pants. He’s just so funny, he made it so easy to work with him. Such a great guy. I had to really come to work because he was Harrison Ford! But he was just so wonderful. And another person I would say is Robin Wright. I had a scene in Blade Runner where I killed her. She’s such a badass lady. I grab her hand and I break that glass that she’s holding inside her hand. And I had been training for months, six days a week, six hours a day—I was all jacked up, I was really strong. So I just kept asking her, “Am I hurting you?” and she was like, “No, no!” I mean, I can’t believe I didn’t hurt her, but she was such a great sport about it.

SPOILER: What’s it like working with Jason Momoa?

SYLVIA HOEKS: I haven’t met anyone like him. He just keeps surprising me with who he is. He has so many sides to him. He’ll be so enthusiastic about a scene and so [into] it that it’s so much fun to play with him. He’s such a great guy. He always gives his all to every scene, and that’s really just the best when you’re on set with someone who’s there 100%.

SPOILER: Would you ever want to meet one of your characters in real life?

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SYLVIA HOEKS: I would love to meet either Queen Kane or Luv if there was a glass wall in between us [laughs] so I could ask them questions. That would be interesting. I just wouldn’t want to be killed by them necessarily—that’s always the risk. But I would love to meet Luv because I would want to understand more about what model she would be and if they were actually human genetics that created these human emotions that she has that she doesn’t know how to deal with.

SPOILER: Do you ever sing in the shower?

SYLVIA HOEKS: Oh yeah. And what I do, which my husband finds very annoying, is I keep repeating the same line over and over because I don’t know the words to the rest of the song.

SPOILER: What is the weirdest question you’ve ever gotten asked in an interview?

SYLVIA HOEKS: I was at a premiere once, and there was a presenter from some random program about sex who was [there asking questions], and I had no idea who he was. And I was expecting a question about the movie I was in, and they started asking sex questions on camera, like personal stuff. So I just backed up and showcased my dress and said, “Really nice, huh? This is made by…” [laughs] That was my only way out. I was very young, so I didn’t know how to deal with that. I was too nice.

SPOILER: What’s your favorite food?

SYLVIA HOEKS: Lasagna.

SPOILER: Is there anything you want to tell the fans out there?

SYLVIA HOEKS: I just want to thank them for watching See. It means a lot that there’s such a big following. We’re so excited and happy that you love it, so thank you all so much!

Sylvia Hoeks/Dirk-Jan van Dijk

with a shaved head, and I loved it. You can feel the wind on your skin. But I also learned how much guys are about hair [laughs].

+

F A N T O U R E X P E R I E N C E T O U R 2 0 2 1

THE TOUR Welcome to the COMIC CON RADIO + SPO!LER MAGAZINE FAN EXPERIENCE TOUR 2021!

This year we’re headed to seven amazing cities, visiting the top conventions across the United States in order to give attendees the memories they deserve. Reaching millions of fans with a unique experience in a way that only Comic Con Radio + SPO!LER can do, this year’s tour will be like no other.

Helping to make each event more memorable than they’ve ever been, what we’re doing has never been done before.

CONVENTION TOUR MAP Washingtong

utah

california texas

F A N

E X P E R I E N C E

new york

Illinois

florida

T O U R

2 0 2 1

VOTE @COMICCONRADIO 64 I

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luca cruella

malignant f9

last night in soho

the suicide squad no time to die

a quiet place part ii nobody

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

pig

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Craig Gillespie

James Gunn

Ilya Naishuller

John Krasinski

Michael Sarnoski

denis villeneuve

cruella

A Quiet Place Part II

the suicide squad

pig

James Wan

Malignant

Nobody

dune

Edgar Wright

Last Night in Soho

Flashback The Green Knight

CODA

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things

How It Ends

Old Henry OXYGEN

Pig

Werewolves Within Vicious Fun

Madelyn Grace Don’t Breathe 2

Thomasin McKenzie Last Night in Soho

Kathryn Newton

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things

Millicent Simmonds Emma Stone Cruella

A Quiet Place Part II

VOTE @COMICCONRADIO

nicolas cage

kevin hart

pig

Idris Elba

Fatherhood

bob odenkirk Nobody

The Suicide Squad

anthony ramos In the Heights

Daniela Melchior The Suicide Squad

Florence Pugh

Emma Thompson Cruella

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Anya Taylor-Joy

Black Widow

Last Night in Soho

Alfre Woodard Fatherhood

Benicio del Toro No Sudden Move

Joel Fry Cruella

Oscar Isaac Dune

Cillian Murphy A Quiet Place Part II

Rami Malek No Time to Die

Cruella

The Green Knight

Prisoners of the Ghostland

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Dune

Gunpowder Milkshake

The Suicide Squad

old

cruella

don’t breathe 2 f9

malignant Werewolves Within

Getting Strangled with Intestines Vicious Fun

jail cell freakout malignant

Buzzsaw Fatality A Candy-Vomiting Witch

Mortal Kombat

Nightbooks

Animatronics Coming to Life Willy’s Wonderland

The Addams Family 2

Luca

The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Raya and the Last Dragon

Vivo

Wish Dragon

Eric André and Lil Rel Howery Bad Trip

Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser Cruella

Kathryn Newton and Kyle Allen The Map of Tiny Perfect Things

black widow

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt Jungle Cruise

Maggie Q and Samuel L. Jackson

Old

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

The Protégé

The Suicide Squad

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Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff Scarlett Johansson - black Widow

Lewis Tan

Cole Young - Mortal Kombat

Black Widow/Yelena Belova Florence Pugh - Black Widow

Xu Shang-Chi

Simu Liu - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Bloodsport

Idris Elba - The Suicide Squad

Harley Quinn

Margot Robbie - The Suicide Squad

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Dominic Toretto and Company Cast of F9

Regan Abbott

Millicent Simmonds – A Quiet Place Part II

Zoe Levenson

Anna Kendrick – Stowaway

Hutch Mansell Bob Odenkirk – Nobody

SNAKE EYES

HENRY GOLDING – Snake Eyes

Dan Forester

Chris Pratt – The Tomorrow War

Zeus

Richard Cetrone – Army of the Dead

Kano

Josh Lawson – Mortal Kombat

Sub-Zero

Joe Taslim – Mortal Kombat

The Baroness

Emma Thompson – Cruella

Amanda Waller

Viola Davis – The Suicide Squad

Lyutsifer Safin

Rami Malek – No Time to Die

Bowling Alley Brawl Gunpowder Milkshake

Sub-Zero vs. Liu Kang Mortal Kombat

Bob Odenkirk on a Bus Nobody

Shang-Chi vs. The Mandarin Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Mary Elizabeth Winstead in a Kabuki RESTAURANT Kate

Freefalling from the Villain’s HQ in the Sky

Motorcycle Jumping Off a Cliff Onto a Plane

Black Widow

Infinite

Tarzan-Swinging on a Rope Bridge F9

A Car in Space

Defeating a Giant Starfish The Suicide Squad

F9

Winslow Fegley Nightbooks

Gavin Lewis Old Henry

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Madelyn Grace Don’t Breathe 2

Finn Little

Those Who Wish Me Dead

Melody Hurd Fatherhood

Miku Martineau Kate

Nicolas Cage PIG - WILLY’S WONDERLAND - PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND

Physical

Emily in Paris

The Flight Attendant

Ted Lasso

Cobra Kai WandaVision

Hacks SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

The Kominsky Method Girls5eva

SHAMELESS

Space Force

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Jason Sudeikis

Hank Azaria

Michael Douglas

William H. Macy

Anthony Anderson

Kenan Thompson

Ted Lasso

Shameless

Brockmire

Black-ish

The Kominsky Method

Kenan

VOTE @COMICCONRADIO

Don Cheadle

Larry David

Harvey Guillén

Black Monday

Curb Your Enthusiasm

What We Do in the Shadows

Steve Carell

Ramy Youssef

Alan Tudyk

Space Force

Ramy

Resident Alien

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Jean Smart

Aidy Bryant

Lily Collins

ZIWE FUMUDOH

Anjelica Bette Fellini

Mary Mouser

Hacks

Ziwe

Shrill

Teenage Bounty Hunters

Emily in Paris

Cobra Kai

Maddie Phillips

Teenage Bounty Hunters

Hailee Steinfeld

Kaley Cuoco

Dickinson

The Flight Attendant

Rose Byrne

Tracee Ellis Ross

Physical

Black-Ish

Allison Janney Mom

Awkwafina

Nora From Queens

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See

Foundation

The Handmaid’s Tale

The Nevers

JUPITER’S Legacy

Wandavision

Resident Alien

Invincible

For All Mankind

Shadow and Bone

Love, Death & Robots

Y: the Last Man

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Only Murders in the Building

Squid Game

Home Before Dark Big Sky Cruel Summer

One of Us is Lying Midnight Mass Lupin I know what you did last summer

Behind her eyes Shadow and Bone

Mare of Easttown

Alan Tudyk

Lee Pace

Shamier Anderson

Richard Dormer

Jason MOMOA

Jonathan Majors

Paul Bettany

Joel Kinnaman

Hamish Linklater

Resident Alien

The Watch

Wandavision

Foundation

See

For All MANKIND

Invasion

Lovecraft Country

Midnight Mass

Laura Donnelly

Olivia Williams

Leah Harvey

Golshifteh Farahani

Jessie Mei Li

Sylvia Hoeks

Brec Bassinger

Diane Guerrero

Elizabeth Olsen

The Nevers

Invasion

Stargirl

Katja Herbers Evil

The Nevers

Shadow and Bone

Doom Patrol

Foundation

SEE

Wandavision

Steve Martin

Only Murders in the Building

Omar Sy Lupin

Ryan Hurst

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Ben Barnes Shadow and Bone

Martin Short

Only Murders in the Building

Lee Jung-Jae Squid Game

Luke Evans

The Pembrokeshire Murders

Tom Ellis Lucifer

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Kate Winslet Mare of Easttown

Jessie Mei Li Shadow and Bone

Eve Hewson Behind Her Eyes

Joanne Davidson Line of Duty

Brooklynn Prince Home Before Dark

Selena Gomez

Only Murders in the Building

Olivia Holt Cruel Summer

Elizabeth Olsen Wandavision

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Clarice

Truth be Told

Cruel Summer

Tell Me Your Secrets

Behind Her Eyes

The Mosquito Coast

Squid Game

I know What you did last summer

The Handmaid’s Tale

Them

American Horror STORIES

The Walking Dead

Chucky

Midnight Mass

Chapelwaite

30 Coins Creepshow

SERVANT

You

Evil

Lisey’s Story The Haunted Museum

Kingdom

AMERICAN HORROR STORY

loki

Locke & Key

Shadow and Bone

The Nevers

Foundation

The Watch

Trickster

30 coins

Riverdale

Sweet Tooth

Loki

Pennyworth

JUPITER’S Legacy

Titans

Doom Patrol

The Boys

STARGIRL

The Flash

What If…?

Wandavision

Legends of Tomorrow

Batwoman

Superman & Lois

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James Spader THE BLACKLIST

Justin Theroux The Mosquito Coast

Taylor Kitsch The Defeated

Joel Oulette Trickster

Dominic Cooper Spy City

Penn Badgley You

Mike Colter

Adrian Grenier

Evil

Clickbait

Manolo Cardona Who Killed Sara?

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Harley Quinn Smith Cruel Summer

Eve Hewson Behind Her Eyes

Rebecca Breeds Clarice

Octavia Spencer Truth be Told

Lily Rabe

Tell Me Your Secrets

Olivia Holt Cruel Summer

Han So Hee My Name

Kylie BunBury Big Sky

Kaley Cuoco

The Flight Attendant

Katja Herbers Evil

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Norman Reedus The Walking Dead

Fear the Walking Dead

Lenny James

Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Hamish Linklater

Bashy

Adrien Brody

Midnight Mass

The Walking Dead

Chapelwaite

Them

Shamier Anderson Invasion

Lee JUNG-JAE Squid Game

Ryan KIERA Armstrong

Deborah Ayorinde

Nell Tiger Free

Lauren Ambrose

Katja Herbers

Eve Hewson

American Horror Story

Servant

Them

Evil

Golshifteh Farahani Invasion

Rosa Salazar

Servant

Behind her eyes

Brand New Cherry Flavor

Lee Pace

Jared Harris

Foundation

Ben Barnes

Foundation

Shadow and Bone

Owen Wilson

Tom Hiddleston

Loki

Loki

Shamier Anderson Invasion

Kayvan Novak

What We Do in the Shadows

Jared Padalecki Supernatural

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Jensen Ackles

Travis Fimmel Raised by Wolves

Supernatural

Sonequa Martin-Green

Amanda Collin

Star Trek: Discovery

Raised by Wolves

Natasia Demetriou What We Do in the Shadows

Laura Birn Foundation

Jodie Whittaker Doctor Who

Caity Lotz

Legends of Tomorrow

Laura Donnelly The nevers

Golshifteh Farahani Invasion

Danielle Rose Russell Legacies

Gugu Mbatha-Raw Loki

Karl urban The Boys

Josh Duhamel Jupiter’s Legacy

Tom Hiddleston Loki

Paul BETTANY Wandavision

Anthony Starr The Boys

Tom Ellis Lucifer

Tyler Hoechlin Superman & Lois

Anthony Mackie

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier

Grant Gustin The Flash

Cress Williams Black Lightning

Brenton Thwaites Titans

Sebastin Stan

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Melissa Benoist Supergirl

Brec Bassinger Stargirl

Diane Guerrero Doom Patrol

Elizabeth Olsen Wandavision

Aya Cash The Boys

VOTE @COMICCONRADIO

Javicia Leslie Batwoman

Leslie Bibb Jupiter’s Legacy

Candice Patton The Flash

Erin Moriarty The Boys

Caity Lotz

LEGENDS of Tomorrow

Anna Diop Titans

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Maid

The Queen’s Gambit

Halston

Mare of Easttown

Lupin

Midnight Mass

Behind her eyes

The White Lotus

Sweet tooth

The Serpent

Maid

The Morning Show Servant Bridgerton

The Mandalorian The Boys

LoveCraft Country Money Heist Squid Game Kin

The HANDMAID’S Tale

Ewan McGregor

PAUL BETTANY

Evan Peters

Robert Aramayo

Murray Bartlett

Tahar Rahim

Hamish Linklater

Tom Bateman

Halston

Behind Her Eyes

Midnight Mass

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WANDAVISION

The White Lotus

Behind Her Eyes

Mare of Easttown

The Serpent

Oscar Isaac

Scenes from a Marriage

Margaret Qualley

Anya Taylor

Maid

The QUEEN’S Gambit

Elizabeth Olsen WandaVision

Kate Winslet Mare of Easttown

Eve Hewson Behind Her Eyes

Andie Macdowell Maid

Samantha Sloyan Midnight Mass

Jessica Chastain Scenes from a Marriage

Simona Brown Behind Her Eyes

Nicole Kidman

Nine Perfect Strangers

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Charlie Cox Kin

Lee Jung-jae Squid Game

Jonathan Majors LoveCraft Country

Tobias Menzies The Crown

Michael K. Williams Lovecraft Country

Stephen Amell HEELS

Pedro Alonso Money Heist

Alvaro Morte Money Heist

Rupert Grint Servant

Lee Pace Foundation

Jim Sturgess Home Before Dark

Justin Theroux The Mosquito Coast

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Jurnee Smollett Lovecraft Country

Aunjanue Ellis Lovecraft Country

Reese Witherspoon The Morning show

Wunmi Mosaku LoveCraft Country

Clare Dunne Kin

Jennifer Aniston The Morning Show

Najwa Nimri Money Heist

Margaret Qualley Maid

Itziar Ituno Money Heist

Nell Tiger Free Servant

Ursula Corbero Money Heist

Lauren Ambrose Servant

Brooklynn Prince Home Before Dark

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Kin

Servant

Physical

The White Lotus

Superman & Lois

Invasion Shadow and Bone Wandavision

Foundation

Loki Heel Squid Game Y: The Last Man

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

Gossip Girl

PUNKY BREWSTER

COBRA KAI

Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.

Charmed

Animaniacs

iCARLY

The Wonder Years

VOTE @COMICCONRADIO

Shark

k Tank

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SPOILER MAGAZINE

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inte inte INTERVIEW BY GALAXY INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

WHAT DOES “FANDOM” REALLY MEAN? Is the term simply reserved for fans of the superhero, fantasy, and sci-fi genres? The fervent followers of soap operas would tell you otherwise. Just like comic book readers can spew out the lineage of Superman or Spider-Man, soap fans, who have a history that dates back just as far, if not further, are able to recount the complex character dynamics and story arcs of their favorite daytime shows.

As a SPO!LER first, we talk a little bit about soap operas in our interview with Sean Kanan, who famously portrayed Deacon Sharpe on The Bold and the Beautiful in the early ‘00s. And luckily, the actor has an amazing announcement for any of our soap-fan readers out there!

Of course, we also talk about his Emmy Award-winning show, Studio City, which he created and stars in, as well as The Karate Kid Part III, where he plays Mike Barnes, the foil for Daniel LaRusso.

Also promoting his new book, Way of the Cobra, the actor shares some of the unbelievably motivational lessons that you can find within those pages, taken from the mistakes Sean has made in his own life.

A convention veteran, Sean speaks on how they’ve changed over the past decade and the importance of fans to his own work, all while quoting some Gladiator in the process…

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erview erview SPOILER: Tell me about your history on The Bold and the Beautiful.

SEAN KANAN: I started in 2001 and was on for about five years playing Deacon Sharpe. And I’ve come back several times. Then I went over to The Young and the Restless and played Deacon Sharpe over there for about a year and a half. And I’ve got some exciting news that I’ve now rejoined the cast and I’m gonna be coming back to The Bold and the Beautiful! It’s very exciting. I’ve got so much history with the show, and it really does feel like home for me when I’m over there working.

Sean Kanan/The Young and the Restless:CBS/The Bold and the Beautiful:CBS/(cover image):Sean Kanan/Get Out Magazine

SPOILER: Do you think soap operas were more popular back in the day?

Or is it about the same now?

SEAN KANAN: That’s an interesting question. There are only four shows left now. And I think there’s been sort of a culling of the herd, where only the strong

SEAN KANAN

survive, so to speak. So there are fewer choices now, but still loyal, amazing, wonderful fans. The Bold and the Beautiful is syndicated in dozens and dozens of countries around the world, so its following is actually international. Its popularity has really maintained a solid presence in a lot of different markets. Back in the ‘80s, during the glory days of soaps, there were five or six shows in New York and there were five, six, seven shows out here in Los Angeles. And now there’s just four. I think with the advent of daytime talk shows and reality television, it created a really strong competition that ultimately forced some of the shows off the air. But the one I’m on is still on the air, so I’m happy!

long, we take what’s called “cuts.”

So we’ve learned a scene one way, and then on the fly, someone comes with a red pencil and says, “We’re gonna lose this, this, this, and this,” and you have to completely mentally recalibrate the structure of the scene. I guess it’s a skill set. But yesterday, one of the other actors and I were talking about it, saying how it’s insane that we’re actually able to do that.

Because I can’t seem to apply that anywhere else in my life [laughs]— that kind of structural thinking—but for some reason I can do it for television.

SPOILER: Is working on a soap opera pretty difficult, having to do a full episode every day?

SEAN KANAN: A lot of times what happens is, if a show is running

SEAN KANAN: I came back to General Hospital for the 50th anniversary in 2013. And it started as a black and white television show, and then ultimately evolved into what it is today. But they’ve been around for a very long time. Some even started as radio shows before making the jump to TV.

SPOILER: Soap operas have been around for such a long time. I don’t think a lot of people realize that.

SPOILER: You’ve been on so many shows and movies. Is there one that’s your favorite?

SEAN KANAN: Right now, I have a show on Amazon Prime called Studio City. It’s a show that I created. And we just won an Emmy for best show in our category.

So for me, that’s a really special project because I struggled for over a decade to get it made. And then to have it get special recognition, that’s special to me.

And of course, Karate Kid III stands out for a number of reasons, as well as some of the smaller films I’ve produced over my career. And

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SPOILER: Tell us about Studio City.

SEAN KANAN: Studio City is a digital series, and the episodes are between 12 and 17 minutes. The show centers around my character, Sam Stevens, who’s an aging soap star. And you think this guy’s got the world by the tail, and in the beginning he’s not the most likeable guy. But then you realize pretty quickly that he not only has a myriad of human flaws, but he’s facing all sorts of challenges that people in life do face, and that makes him relatable. He’s just this guy trying to figure it out. And at the end of the pilot episode, he’s reluctantly doing an autograph signing and this young girl comes up to him and informs him that she’s his daughter.

This guy’s whole life is turned upside down.

This show makes you laugh, it makes you cry. There’s a show within a show. He stars on the number 2 soap opera in the world, Hearts on Fire. And there’s different dynamics happening within the show compared to when he’s in the real world.

SPOILER: How did it feel winning the Emmy?

SEAN KANAN: I gotta be honest, it’s incredible. I’ve worked in television for over 30 years and I had never won one. And my wife, who’s also one of the executive producers and writers of the show, also won with me, so that was really special. I think there’s something to be said about the anticipation and the hope of winning something like tthat—building over a long period of time and then winning after all these years. As opposed to some young kid getting on a soap opera and then winning right out of the box, which doesn’t happen very often. But for me, [the wait] helped me appreciate it.

It really goes to the heart of my philosophy: “You can’t wait for your ship to come in, you’ve got to build the damn ship.” That’s something

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Sean Kanan/Karate Kid III:Columbia Pictures/Studio City:Amazon/ The Young and the Restless:CBS

playing Deacon Sharpe has been a tremendous experience for me too.

I try to find something special in everything that I do.

I talk about extensively in my new book, Way of the Cobra—not trying to make a segue to that [laughs], but I try to practice what I preach.

I’ve been really blessed. It’s been a remarkable year. If you would have told me at the beginning of the year all the blessings and wonderful things that would be in store for me, during a pandemic, I never would have believed it. The year started off with me doing back-to-back films with Bruce Willis. One of them just came out, called Survive the Game.

And the other one’s called Fortress, which I’m not sure is going to come out before the end of the year. And that’s how the year started, and honestly it’s only gotten better.

What I realized is, I’ve worked for a really long time, and I’ve worked diligently and smartly, and it doesn’t

always provide visible, tangible results. But all of a sudden, this year, everything came to fruition. And it highlights the philosophy that if you just keep working hard and keep grinding, even though you might not be seeing day-to-day results, there’s going to come a time when it really starts to bear fruit. And for me, it’s happening this year, and it’s really exciting.

SPOILER: Do you have any other projects in the pipeline?

SEAN KANAN: I do. I just finished a film for Lifetime, a terrific role. That’ll be coming out later this year. And I’ve got another big project that I’m starting in about 2 weeks. And my wife and I have several projects with our production company that are going into production early next year.

SEAN KANAN of the Cobra—it’s why I wrote it. I believe the information in that book is transformative.

So those are just four basic things that I started really putting into effect about three years ago, and it had a really profound effect on my life really quickly. And I started seeing a lot of really positive things.

In the course of a year, my second book became an Amazon bestseller and we got Studio City on the air.

I was overweight and I lost the weight. I don’t say this as a way to impress people, but to impress upon them what is possible.

It’s funny, you win that statue—a hunk of metal—and somehow it gives you some kind of a credibility that, on some level, they didn’t think you had before, and it does start to make it easier to get other things done. So, I’m really appreciative.

SPOILER: What advice can you give someone who wants to make their own projects like you have?

SEAN KANAN: I sort of distill things down to four basic pieces of information that I share with people when they say, “What can I do to be successful?” The first one is really simple, you learn it in kindergarten, it’s the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The second one is to act with compassion. You see an elderly lady and she’s taking a really long time in line at the pharmacy—I think everybody’s natural inclination in our current world is to get frustrated.

And you may not realize that that woman is making a decision of whether or not to get her husband’s medicine or to eat for that night.

You never know what private war someone is fighting. So just show each other a little bit more compassion. I think that helps in everything we do, whether it’s business or personal relationships.

The third thing is to act with integrity. Do what you say, say what you mean, and show up and do your job to the best of your ability.

If you can be a dependable person and held to account with your word, especially in the entertainment business, that’s something that sets you apart from a lot of other people.

And the last one is grind. By that I mean, get out of bed early, start your day a couple hours before the chaos of the outside world starts to bombard you. Center yourself with some meditation or visualization, organize your day, start to get some of your work out of the way. It reduces your stress and you’re not playing catch-up all day long.

This advice is in my book Way

SPOILER: Is this kind of motivational speaking something that you want to pursue more?

SEAN KANAN: I’m actually doing a lot of that right now. I do private coaching. Sure, I want to sell books, but I also want to get it into as many hands as possible because I believe that the information can help people lead better lives. It’s something I’m very committed to. I wrote this book because I’ve made every single mistake in it. And if I can save people from some of the pain and frustration that I’ve experienced, that’s something I’d really like to do.

SPOILER: How about any live shows?

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SEAN KANAN: With COVID it’s become difficult, but I have several scheduled right now. I like that instant reciprocity that you get from talking to an audience. I do stand-up comedy as well and I think there’s a little bit of a crossover with that, performing in front of a live audience.

SPOILER: The way society is today, with cancel culture and all that, do you think it’s harder to do stand-up comedy?

SEAN KANAN: I definitely think it is. If you’re a comedian who deals with a lot of social stuff, your job is to hold up a mirror to what’s going on in society. And if you’re going to be judged with the threat of, if somebody doesn’t like what you say then they’re going to cancel you and take away your livelihood and damage you and your family, I think it absolutely restricts the ability for comics to be completely honest.

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This whole cancel thing is crap! The concept of us having free speech is just that: a concept. Because free speech has taken a real shot in the gut, and I hope that the pendulum is gonna swing back around because ultimately it’s been really damaging.

SPOILER: Do you think social media and the access to celebrities these days is good or bad?

SEAN KANAN: There’s a cross section of entertainers who speak extremely candidly and with a megaphone about their beliefs on social media, and you definitely run a very serious risk of probably offending at least 50% of the population. I don’t believe that thing when people say, “Actors have no business giving their opinion.”

Actors have the right to give their opinions, not because they are actors, but because they’re citizens.

But you also have to treat it with responsibility and understand that,

in this current climate, there are some serious repercussions that can happen. I try not to talk about issues that are incendiary like that, because you’re not gonna change anyone’s mind. You’re either talking into an echo chamber that agrees with what you say or you’re going to inflame conflicting opinions and all it’s going to do is cause problems.

Most people read things like that to reinforce their own opinions.

SPOILER: Do you like going to conventions?

SEAN KANAN: First of all, I love the people watching. And second, I like interacting with the fans, listening to some of their thoughts on the things I’ve done. I think conventions are great. And it’s also great to see people out doing stuff. For so long, people have not been able to do that, so whenever people can go out and interact and socialize, I’m all for it as long as it’s being done safely.

SEAN KANAN

SPOILER: What was your first convention like?

SEAN KANAN: It’s a weird feeling.

You’re like, “Wait, where are they going? Who’s here?” [laughs] And then you realize, “Oh, wow, they’re coming for me!” I’m always flattered, I’m always humbled, especially with Karate Kid. I’m humbled that a character I played over three decades ago still has some relevance and some interest from the public. The whole thing’s a ride. You learn that a career is not generally a 50-yard dash, it’s a marathon. I just keep chuggin’ and can’t wait to see what’s next.

SPOILER: How has the convention experience changed from, say, a decade ago?

SEAN KANAN: I think the internet has allowed for more fans to connect. It’s allowed for better promotion of events. They’ve become more interactive. I think they’ve only gotten better and more exciting.

Sean Kanan/Studio City:Amazon/Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection

I just did one and I was there for 9 hours, which sounds like a really long time to be standing. But you just get so much energy from the people at the convention. And then you’re like, “Wow, a whole day has gone by and it was fantastic!” I’ve made some really nice friends too—people who were initially fans and interested in the projects I’ve done, and by the time we spend some time together, they’ve become friends. November 12th I’m going to be in England for Liverpool Comic Con.

SPOILER: If you had a choice, Marvel or DC? SEAN KANAN: I tend to lean towards Marvel. DC is a little dark for me. When I say dark, I mean the look of it. I think I prefer the Marvel look.

Growing up, I was always a Marvel guy and gravitated towards those superheroes. I loved Thor and Iron Man and Vision and Doctor Strange.

SPOILER: Do you believe in ghosts?

SEAN KANAN: That’s a really interesting question because I’ve been hired to create a paranormal reality show. And so I’m educating myself a lot about it. I think I’m smart enough to know that I don’t know everything, so I don’t really rule anything out. I’ve never had an experience with it, but you never know.

There’s a lot of university-level theses written on this stuff. It’s more than just a lot of these schlocky shows. We’re trying to figure out a way to do this where it’s reality and it’s not manufacturing events for entertainment. We don’t want to bamboozle the audience like some of those other shows.

SPOILER: Is there anything you want to tell the fans?

SEAN KANAN: I just wanna thank them so much. 99.9% of the fans that I meet have been really wonderful to me and super supportive over the course of my career.

Now more than ever, a lot of what I do is for the fans.

It’s like in Gladiator, when Proximo says to Maximus that if the crowd claps, that means they love you, and if it happens long enough then you will love them.

It’s true though! There’s this response you get from people who follow what you do, and it creates a sense of responsibility to continue to [work] and do better, and to up the bar and bring people great entertainment.

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dear evan hansen

DIRECTED BY: Stephen Chbosky / CAST: Ben Platt, Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever There may not be a more divisive film during these fall months than Dear Evan Hansen, based on the Tony Award-winning Broadway play.

Whether or not you will like the movie version, which follows a high schooler whose therapy-assigned note to himself gets mistaken as the suicide note of his depressed acquaintance, Connor Murphy (Colton Ryan), will depend on how much you empathize with its protagonist.

Ben Platt plays Evan Hansen, the writer of the forlorn letter that’s headed, “Dear Evan Hansen,” in which he talks lovingly about Connor’s sister, Zoe (Kaitlyn Dever), among other things that would portray Connor in a much more positive light than his family had ever expected—that is, if he had actually written it. The way the note is composed, it looks like Connor intended it to reach Evan, when in reality he stole it from the printer in

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the library. Played by Amy Adams and Danny Pino, Connor’s parents approach Evan with questions about their apparent friendship. He attempts to tell them the truth but is stricken with pity as he realizes that Connor didn’t actually leave a suicide note himself.

Evan and Connor are cut from the same cloth, both suffering from severe depression which hinders their ability to have any sort of social life, even preventing them from being friends themselves while Connor was alive. And since Connor

had no other friends to speak of, the Murphys invite Evan into their lives as a way to connect to their son, who they really didn’t know in recent years.

Inadvertently, Evan finds his own catharsis from making up stories to fill in the gaps of his own memory, strangely forming a bond with Connor after his death, just as his own made-up stories do for the Murphys. He now has a friend who, in his head, joined him in his adventures rather than having to remember a life filled with loneliness.

Eventually this allows him to come out of his shell socially, even helping to spearhead a suicide-prevention foundation in honor of Connor.

Zoe, on the other hand, still wants to see her brother as a monster, since the two were not close at all—a resistance to grieving that may be a subliminal sign for her that something’s not right with Evan’s stories.

At times, we’re so moved by the effect Evan is having on the

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The songs themselves, which expound with the streamof-conscious reflection typically found in pop punk lyrics, cut through the awkwardness that many of these conversations would have had if spoken normally.

Murphys that we forget his lies will all eventually come crashing down at some point. Fortunately, the big reveal does not simply happen because of leaked information, but through a scenario so unfortunate that Evan really doesn’t have a choice but to come forward with the truth.

Listening to him try to keep his secret is occasionally cringeworthy, but the fallout from his “mea culpa” is as smooth as possible for the audience. And Evan, now as a much more confident and matured person, is set free in a way that revealing the truth earlier would not have done.

Having a protagonist with crippling anxiety, the film finds ways for Evan to communicate through song. The songs themselves, which expound with the stream-of-conscious reflection typically found in pop punk lyrics, cut through the awkwardness that many of these conversations would have had if spoken normally.

Likewise, if the plot were to be riddled with characters pontificating every 15 minutes like they do while singing, the viewer would likely groan in agony if he weren’t already paralyzed from cringing.

The sound mixing in Dear Evan Hansen is among some of the best I’ve heard in a musical in recent years, perfectly mimicking the resonance, or lack thereof, of each room the characters are singing in,

with several numbers recorded live on set. This gets more interesting when Evan enters into a crowded gymnasium for his opening number, or when several different characters are singing the same song in different rooms, and we hear certain types of reverbs that aren’t necessarily common in musicals.

If anything, Dear Evan Hansen is a great example of how the medium of cinema is unique in its capabilities, able to translate a story in a way that a live stage play cannot. In “Sincerely, Me,” this new medium is used to create a hypothetical cutaway sequence as Evan writes fake emails to and from Connor. The film goes back in time and brings Connor back to life to replay different ridiculous scenarios that never actually happened as they become written and rewritten. Moreover, the inherent look and feel of a movie, versus a play, allows for any jumps in time to be less confusing.

The individual musical numbers, while catchy and peppy, tend to blend together with their melodies, leaving only three or four standing out, particularly the opening track, “Waving Through a Window,” which immediately sets the tone and informs us of Platt’s vocal prowess.

Unfortunately, the filmmakers betray the audience by undermining the most emotionally anticipated moment in the entire film with the recitative melodies of “Words Fail” rather than showing our character’s growth by having him actually face his issue head on through authentic communication.

The film’s biggest misstep isn’t

the age gap of its actors to their characters (because who cares?), but the preponderance of musical numbers that weigh down the narrative. With eleven individual musical breaks, there are simply too many songs for a drama such as this, where no giant set pieces or choreography are there to justify all the interruptions. The subtext underneath the story is thoughtprovoking enough not to require any sort of overexplaining. But when it comes to actual dialogue, we can see why the movie prefers to hide its sentiment in song. On their own, the

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Dear Evan Hansen:Universal

spoken words fall into conventional utilitarian verbiage and trite exposition, giving us lines such as, “You’re a senior in high school now, you should be able to order your own dinner.”

The actors are all very good regardless of the structured framework, finding inspiration from this unique scenario surrounding them. Despite any of the film’s safe choices elsewhere, its characters are drawn with depth and attrition, well-rounded in the way every main character should be in a drama like this, where intricate dynamics are crucial to making the story feel full and lived-in. We’re also able to see the misperceptions made by the general public, who may very well view these characters as mere archetypes and judge them as such, just as we do at that first dinner scene where Evan sits down with the Murphys.

Director Stephen Chbosky doesn’t ever paint on the sympathy, allowing us to get to know and love these characters through simply living with them. And while some of them may still be at odds with one another by the time the credits roll, it’s Evan’s view of them that matters most. Though Evan’s mom and Mrs. Murphy don’t like each other, the viewer is able to like both despite their flaws.

Each actor is phenomenal at conveying the complexities of his or her character. Platt, who played the role on stage as well, understands Evan in a way few actors ever understand their characters. Never flinching or faltering once, he becomes totally one with the socially inept protagonist, not judging him for his actions, yet creating a seamless transition throughout the film as Evan finds his confidence.

Julianne Moore, who plays Evan’s mother, has an uncanny way of convincing us that she’s as blind to her character’s subconscious as her character herself; giving a believability to unrealistic obliviousness. And then there’s Adams and Pino, each providing something unique to their role, which contrasts one another. Adams’

Cynthia is so perfect on the outside that it’s almost impossible to see her flaws, even though they’re still present. And Pino’s Larry is the exact opposite, a stepfather who almost seems like the indirect cause of Connor’s suicide, yet loving and compassionate enough, despite his faults, that he may have been the only one capable of putting him in rehab. And somehow, we end up sympathizing with him the more than anyone else.

Sometimes people’s crazy happens as a result of them trying to escape their own mistakes, which are agitated even more by not having anyone to listen to them.

This film is all about the value of having someone there to listen; someone to make you feel not alone. Evan’s choice not to tell the truth was not driven by malice, but by empathy. It’s only after he starts benefiting from his secrets—his popularity overshadowing Connor’s loss in the first place—that his moral decisions start to take a dip

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and the audience really starts to question his intent; when he himself stops listening to others is when he’s compromised his positive contribution.

Dear Evan Hansen explores a highly audacious concept, where the very moral dilemma at its core— whether felt by the protagonist or the audience themselves— inherently offers a lot of room to think and reflect. Connor’s death is a cautionary tale for Evan, even if he doesn’t see it that way initially. But it allows him to have a second chance, finding acceptance and meaning in his own life, and simultaneously discovering ways to put others first because of it. People often find hope in fallacies and mistruths, but this film greatly understands the value of that hope regardless, recognizing that you must still be able to separate it from the lies by which they are imprisoned. If you do a little searching, you just might find the real truth at the heart of it all.

Meet your new sidekick gita is a first-of-its-kind hands-free robot that follows you and totes your gear.

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kate

DIRECTED BY: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan/ CAST: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Woody Harrelson, Miku Patricia Martineau At some point we’re gonna have to stop comparing all these brooding, neon-infused, shoot-‘em-up revenge thrillers to John Wick. After all, the action genre was alive and well prior to 2014, and yet somehow, we act as though the Keanu Reeves hit is the end-all be-all paradigm for the genre (it’s not).

2021 alone produced a handful of female-led, brooding, neoninfused, shoot-‘em-up revenge thrillers specifically, with the likes of Gunpowder Milkshake, The Protégé, and Jolt. So then, when Netflix released Kate, many viewers were already experiencing an understandable fatigue. Not to mention, the filmmakers behind

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many of these recent projects can’t seem to avoid rehashing the same man-hating themes.

Kate almost gets there too (although it’s nowhere nearly as onthe-nose as Gunpowder Milkshake and its collective antagonist of just “men”), but almost acquiescently so. Halfheartedly included is the romanticization of the idea that men only hold women down. Yet, apparently it’s okay to be berated by another woman, as long as they’re no-nonsense bruisers who do what they want in the name of toughness.

The titular hero, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, is an assassin tasked with killing a member of the yakuza in Osaka, Japan. But when this traumatizes the man’s daughter, Ani (Miku Martineau), who was standing right next to him, Kate starts to reconsider her line of work.

Nearly a year later, she agrees to do one last job for her handler and mentor, Varrick (Woody Harrelson), but gets poisoned by a radioactive

substance and now only has one day to live. Surprisingly, she discovers that this all has a connection to the previous job in Osaka. Kate begrudgingly befriends Ani in order to work her way up the ladder to find the man responsible.

There are times when Kate’s motive isn’t strong enough. With only a day to live, her revenge seems more self-serving than it does poetic justice. However, it’s her journey to discovery where she’s finally able to reclaim her life. As we see, she’s spent her entire childhood and young adult life training to be an assassin. And now, it’s all come down to this, struggling to find true freedom as her time on Earth is almost over.

If you’re savvy enough, you might be able to predict the twist—not because of how the story is told, rather because of the performance of a particular actor. I won’t say who it is to preserve the reveal, but he’s miscast here. Playing his role more

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retro reactions

for acerbic comedy than as the scary menace he ought to be, this actor is not believable in his character’s fluctuation and his tell gives away the secret early on.

Director Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, who began his career as a visual effects artist, gives us some of the best fight sequences of the year, including a marquee brawl at a kabuki-themed restaurant where our protagonist takes down dozens of yakuza gangsters in a matter of

Always remembering that these are humans fighting, Nicolas-Troyan finds the balance between sleek, crafty motion with the camera and authentic, intentionally-flawed choreography that isn’t afraid to occasionally beat up on its hero. minutes. Always remembering that these are humans fighting, NicolasTroyan finds the balance between sleek, crafty motion with the camera and authentic, intentionally-flawed choreography that isn’t afraid to occasionally beat up on its hero. The

director doesn’t fall in love with quick cuts, but holds his shots so that we’re not cheated out of our role as the spectator. And when he’s able to mix in some highly-inventive gore effects, he makes sure we see them.

As our characters peruse the alleyways of Tokyo and dip in and out of various local hot spots, the string of scenes that transpires over the course of a single night has a seamless flow that’s sprinkled with inspired production design and fun moments, despite a curmudgeonly Kate.

The narrative meets an unfortunate dip along the third act, which figuratively traps our characters in an ominous, flickering office tower. Other than a few moments that match the rest of the film, this is the only time where its derivation is a problem; where homage becomes the answer rather than the question. Largely though, Kate brushes aside its influences and is able to stand on its own as uniquely and authentically stylish, proving that just because all art requires inspiration doesn’t mean it has to be defined by that influence if it’s entertaining enough.

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back to the future part ii (1989) If Back to the Future is a perfect movie, then Back to the Future Part II is pretty close—in its own way of course. It might not have the direct emotional resonance of the first film, but it’s still just as masterfully made. With a totally unpredictable, yet pristine storyboard, the 1989 sequel is so complimentary of the 1st film that it becomes an extension without ever detracting once.

Doc and Marty (Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox) travel 30 years into the elaborately-detailed future of 2015 to save Marty Jr. from committing a crime that would land him in prison. But when Biff (Tom F. Wilson) steals the DeLorean time machine to give his younger self a sports almanac, our heroes discover, upon returning to present-day 1985, that something has gone terribly, terribly wrong and they’re now living in a dystopian reality. Now they must travel back in time to 1955 to prevent Biff from ever giving Young Biff the almanac.

In any film, a director assembles his or her plot after long hours of deliberating on what’s necessary for their audience to see. Not only does Back to the Future

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Part II utilize the events from its predecessor, but it broadens that tailored plot by filling in all the gaps while perfectly relating it to the new premise at hand.

Quirky, chilling, dark, the film plays out like a fan fiction told on screen as we now watch Biff behind closed doors in this bizarro altreality that essentially humanizes its main villain, not with sympathy like a modern movie would do, but by putting us close to him and keeping us there in a way that’s starkly unsettling. Credit to Wilson for crafting such an enigmatic antagonist the first time around so that viewers now feel uneasy with being a (mc)fly on the wall during this second outing. The actor refrains from giving too many personal touches, not just so he doesn’t ruin the mystique of Biff, but to imply that perhaps there’s not much else underneath the crewcut hairdo and rolled-up sleeves—a masterclass in deliberate simplicity.

Most people gloss over what this movie accomplishes. Writers Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis (who also directs) find a hypothetical alternate version of their original story (“What if the villain used the time machine instead?”) and then make that their sequel.

Doubling down on ideas about the past’s stubbornness to still happen no matter what, Back to the Future Part II takes risks and does something unbelievably and audaciously different—much like the best sequels do—and yet finds a quintessential cohesion with its predecessor while still providing an entirely new experience, all with some of the coolest and most talked about production design of all time.

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the guilty

DIRECTED BY: Antoine Fuqua / CAST: Jake Gyllenhaal, Riley Keough, Peter Sarsgaard Containment thrillers seem like the obvious choice for pandemic film projects. Never mind the fact that Jake Gyllenhaal acquired the rights to the Danish film The Guilty not long after its release back in 2018. Partnering up with Antoine Fuqua, the man who directed him in the 2015 boxing film Southpaw, and hiring Nic Pizzolatto to pen the script, the actor/producer didn’t actually begin filming until last November, right as COVID cases were peaking once again in the US.

On set for only 11 days, Gyllenhaal was directed by Fuqua remotely through headsets, increasing the star’s sense of panic and anxiety as his character, Officer Joe Baylor, tries to save a woman and her children over the phone, with a computer being the only resource in front of him.

Joe is dealing with a lot. He’s going to trial the next morning for killing a young man in the line of duty. Meanwhile, his estranged wife doesn’t want him seeing their daughter, and the raging fires around Los Angeles are taking a toll on his severe asthma—the reason why he can leave his post as a 9-1-1 dispatcher. He was demoted a few months ago to this desk job, which mostly consists of reasoning with tripped-out junkies or people falling off their bikes. So when he gets a call from a whispering woman who’s been abducted, he nearly hangs up. It’s unclear how realistic Joe’s

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experience is with his callers, but nevertheless this is his experience as we understand it.

The woman on the call, Emily (voiced by Riley Keough), pretends to be talking to her young daughter on the phone, but Joe catches on quickly, sensing she’s in danger, and starts asking yes or no questions.

He also discovers that Emily’s two kids, a 6-year-old daughter and an infant son, are home by themselves.

With the little information he has, he goes back and forth between the Highway Patrol and local cops to piece together the story, all the while desperately seeking catharsis from this situation as it indirectly relates to his own.

Typically, when a filmmaker remakes a beloved foreign-language film for US audiences, much of the essence of the original gets lost in the Hollywood gloss. But Fuqua makes sure to hide the seams

with smooth editing that rests comfortably in the space where Joe resides, yielding a brisk pace with valuable suspense. The director keeps us up close to our protagonist with a shallow depth of field, blurring the characters close by—that is, unless they come into Joe’s limited scope and grab his attention.

The Guilty is really about people who feel trapped in the system, swallowed by one mistake, which may have very well been influenced by the compounding of a bunch of smaller missteps.

The film obviously breathes with Gyllenhaal’s performance, where the actor showcases once again his great naturalistic instincts as he curates his responses to everything around him and the information he’s receiving, turning his role into a character study when it may not have necessarily been designed that way originally.

The story underneath develops in clever ways with chilling reveals and unexpected twists all the way up to the end, taking us on a journey that becomes symbiotic with Joe. He’s no longer just a character affected by this terrible and, at times, painful scenario on the other side of the phone, but it truly feels like he possesses something unique enough to get this thing solved. And it’s his personal life experiences that inform the way he does so.

Almost the entirety of the dialogue in the film transpires over the phone, which is constructed so fluidly by Fuqua, film editor Jason Ballantine, and dialogue editor Micah Loken, but we must also not forget the incredible actors who lend only their voices for the other sides of these conversations, including Keough, Peter Sarsgaard, Eli Goree, Ethan Hawke, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and a host of others.

The Guilty is really about people who feel trapped in the system, swallowed by one mistake, which may have very well been influenced by the compounding of a bunch of smaller missteps. And surprisingly, the film finds sympathy for a police officer who makes a terrible mistake and regrets it, showing us that he does in fact value life after all.

We never really find out the full story behind Joe’s police shooting outside of a few details here and there, but the film concerns itself more with its protagonist finding his own honesty behind his actions rather than if he’s actually guilty.

Fuqua is consistent in telling his story objectively with very little attempt to sway the viewer, which is a main reason why this is a worthy remake, despite any claims of it “unnecessarily” rehashing the original.

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REMAKE METER: Remaking international successes is no novel concept. Here we match up some American remakes with their foreign-language counterparts…

Seven Samurai (1954, Japan)

Scent of a Woman (1974, Italy)

Wings of Desire

SCENT of a Woman (1992)

City of Angels (1998)

The Jackpot!

True Lies

Shall We Dance?

(1996, Japan)

Let the Right One In (2008, Sweden)

The Intouchables

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(1960)

(1987, Germany)

(1991, France)

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The Magnificent Seven

(1995)

Shall We Dance?

(2004)

Let Me In (2010)

The Upside

(2011, France)

(2017)

The Bélier Family

CODA

(2014, France)

(2021)

atm

Old Henry:Shout! Studios

AT THE MOVIES

old henry

DIRECTED BY: Potsy Ponciroli / CAST: Tim Blake Nelson, Scott Haze, Gavin Lewis It’s strange how much of a rush a film can give you when it suddenly connects itself to real life events, especially those of romanticized lore, catching up on the mystique that is the Old West and its elusive outlaws.

Early on in Old Henry, writer-director Potsy Ponciroli informs us that his protagonist has a secret—one that not even his teenage son knows about.

In 1906, a widowed farmer, Henry McCarty (Tim Blake Nelson), lives on his humble plot of land with his son, Wyatt (Gavin Lewis), who longs for adult responsibility. However, his father keeps a short leash on him, inexplicably not letting him fire a gun or ride off on his own outside of their farm.

There’s also a trio of roughnecks, led by Ketchum (Stephen Dorff), on the trail of a man named Curry (Scott Haze) who’s taken something of theirs.

Old Henry’s greatest achievement

is how it finds such a large scope within the small, myopic nature of its plot: A wounded man is found shot, nearly dead, not far from Henry’s home. Near the body is a pistol and a satchel filled with cash. Henry brings the man into his home and attempts to nurse him back to health. Not long after, Ketchum and his men knock on Henry’s door to inquire about Curry’s whereabouts.

With Ketchum and Curry both claiming to be lawmen, Henry finds himself in the middle of a dilemma, not sure who to trust. But as we

come to find out, trouble finds trouble. And as this story develops, we’re quickly able to telegraph the fun surprises in store.

Classifying itself as an “action Western,” Old Henry may be selling the wrong feature. While the final shootout is gripping and relentlessly realistic in its depiction of the slowness of death and the resiliency of humans’ willingness to live, it would be a misdirect to market this film as action-packed.

This low maintenance Western gets handed the same genteel touch as last year’s First Cow, finding authenticity in its simplicity.

Although, unlike First Cow and its humble, almost-square “Academy ratio,” Ponciroli and DP John Matysiak use a very wide aspect ratio (2.66:1), which broadens the horizon and heightens the tension during the several occasions when the villains approach from far away.

Unfortunately, the beautiful scenery

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tends to get washed out with low contrast and overall flattened coloring.

Prior to any historical connection, Old Henry seems to be just another low-concept Western—simple, if not boring in its presumed blandness.

But then secrets get unearthed,

Old Henry’s greatest achievement is how it finds such a large scope within the small, myopic nature of its PLOT. albeit gradually, and the movie recovers from a rough first act to really find its stride in the latter half.

Similarly, but not quite, to the 2010 drama Remember Me, which abruptly tosses in its polarizing twist at the very end, Old Henry rides on its otherwise-random hook and the story finds life because of it, even if it’s not always sustainable. At times failing to build up any poeticism with its extraordinary concept, the

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movie feels like it’s being dragged away from its inherent themes about retribution and regret in favor of a father-son motif that doesn’t completely get fleshed out.

Ultimately though, the hook gets complimented with moments of brilliant execution, such as the aforementioned shootout, a goosebumps-inducing reveal, and a meticulous pace that builds on an even keel. And it’s all tied together by a trifecta of reliable performances.

Old Henry is one of the rare films where the looks and personalities of the actors are just as crucial as their performances themselves. Nelson, who has found great success throughout his career in these dusty period pieces, is expectedly sturdy, even if not required to show a great

deal of range. Dorff is as charming of a villain as ever, perfectly countering Nelson’s scraggly mien. Throwing a wrench in it all is Haze’s Curry.

In-between two characters whose motives are fairly obvious despite their secrets, the actor does a great job navigating the complicated mind of his own character, whose ambiguity may just be the greatest source of tension we get.

Old Henry feels both big and small, important and invigorating, but also like it could use some more details to make it feel fuller.

Fortunately, Ponciroli never loses his grip, even if he leaves some questions unanswered. Still, the most interesting aspect of this story might not be the one told here at all.

I have a feeling the events that took place 25 years beforehand would have made an even more compelling movie.

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Old Henry:Shout! Studios/Cry Macho:Warner Bros.

AT THE MOVIES

cry macho

DIRECTED BY: Clint Eastwood / CAST: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam, Eduardo Minett There are few icons in cinema history as prolific as Clint Eastwood.

Following a career that spans over six decades, including over 30 feature films sitting in the director’s seat, his latest, Cry Macho, may not only be towards the bottom of that list and proof that he’s definitely past his peak, but also evidential of the inescapable magic that comes with anything he touches.

An aging horse breeder, Mike Milo (Eastwood), tasked by his former boss (Dwight Yoakam), heads to Mexico to essentially kidnap the man’s 13-year-old son from his abusive mother and bring him back to his father in Texas. Mike never questions his quest or his friend’s motives, but what’s even stranger is that the audience isn’t expected to question them either.

Once he arrives south of the border, he quickly finds Rafo (Eduardo Minett), a snappy-mouthed kid who drinks tequila and makes money entering his rooster, Macho,

into cock fights. While Rafo’s shotcaller mother (Fernanda Urrejola) is violently opposed to her son leaving, the boy stows away in the backseat of Mike’s car and together they head back to the States.

Eastwood tries tapping into the same dynamics with his young costar as he did in 2008’s Gran Torino, where he played a porch barker who befriends a young Asian boy.

His character in Cry Macho is much softer and agreeable. At the heart of both films are themes of manliness and what it means to be tough, and how hubris isn’t what defines your masculinity. And 13 years after perhaps his most unlikely tour de force, the 91-year-old film legend may now be the very epitome of a real man as he plays a character who’s frail from a life of macho posturing, finally able to understand the meaninglessness in all the strutting around.

The director teams up once again with Gran Torino screenwriter Nick

Schenk, who revised a script written nearly 50 years ago by N. Richard Nash, which he then turned into the 1975 novel. Cry Macho moves with the same ease of dialogue that Schenk is known for, but this time around characters prattle aimlessly throughout a plot that doesn’t feel complete. The themes are almost too faint to see, lightly tapping the ground as they land every so often, finally summed up at the end with a line or two of insightful verbiage.

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Most of this story is just observational, driven by sweetness and a belief that humans are inherently good. Although, unlike most slice-of-life narratives, Cry Macho actually has an immediate objective. Evading its actual premise, the film trots along with an ostensible hook about how a crass old man comes out of his shell to befriend a troubled young boy. Except, the boy isn’t all that troubled and the man isn’t all that curmudgeonly. To make matters worse, the two of them bond rather quickly because of their overall purity of heart, and so, the apparent conflict gets erased almost as soon as it’s introduced.

This only detracts from the real point, which isn’t that Mike is a crotchety old fart, but that he’s trying to find meaning in the sunset of his life. The former rodeo star injured his back some time ago and subsequently lost both his wife and his child in a car accident. And as his own American dream came and

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it’s directing itself, with only a DP behind the camera sending footage to an editor for post-production.

Eastwood does make certain savvy choices now and again, such as the way he captures the spark of each and every one of his actors, humanizing all of them. Or how he doesn’t give us all of the subtitles— the audience is an outsider just like Mike, and so we must have things translated for us as well, in the dark during certain conversations.

But then there are setups with no payoffs, such as an early scene where Rafo asks if he can wear Mike’s cowboy hat that never gets called back to, or a conversation with a deaf girl where Rafo asks what they’re talking about, to which Mike responds, “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Even the most casual moviegoer would expect this exchange to get flipped later on with the Spanish-speaking teen alienating Mike from a conversation himself.

Despite his old age, Clint Eastwood has usually managed to at least seem like he’s younger than he is. But in Cry Macho, for the first time ever, the actor looks really old, and his age is distracting. Even before he gets romantically paired with an actress

Cry Macho/Warner Bros.

At the heart of both films are themes of manliness and what it means to be tough, and how hubris isn’t what defines your masculinity.

went, he’s now discovering his piece of paradise and purpose in Mexico.

Yet Eastwood can never really figure out how to develop these characters, and as the final act hits, he actually seems to forget that there was ever any nuance and dimension to Mike and Rafo’s relationship. It concludes like the awkward ending of a phone conversation where neither person knows if he should hang up first (this is the reason why people never say “bye” in movies).

Cry Macho finds conflict, but it never finds tension—almost literally.

On their way back to the border, Mike and Rafo—who are being chased by the federales, mind you—keep stopping in these random diners to have coffee and beer. With hardly anything propelling the plot forward, the characters also have no urgency.

Even the quest itself doesn’t have a timeline. And without that pressure, it’s really hard to have a fully formed movie.

And yet, Eastwood doesn’t seem all that interested in those typical conventions—the same ones he’s mastered several times over the course of his long career. Although this time, the film almost seems like

functional wingman for Clint and has the charisma necessary for Hollywood, even if it makes him a little bit too likable for this particular role. Conversely, Traven is so undeniably endearing and motherly that she becomes the character we root for the most. We start not to care about the matters of our two leads if it means endangering Marta and her young grandchildren, who she’s raising following the death of their parents.

It might not be exciting or even good by traditional standards, but Cry Macho is interesting and peculiar enough to keep us watching. It’s almost an antithesis of the modern action movie, which often gets bogged down with cacophonous explosions and uninspired car chases that invite us to mentally check out.

Cry Macho is slow, uncomplicated, and rarely thought-provoking, but the genius in its DNA prevents it from ever flopping, even if we rarely notice that the genius is there.

c nearly 40 years his junior (God bless him), Eastwood moseys around, sleeps on the ground, gets tangled up with some local roughnecks, and rides a horse, all while the audience grimaces in fear of something terrible happening to the actor. In fact, this is the most suspense we feel throughout the entire movie.

Even when the film’s woes continue to add up, it’s able to entrance us with its scenic terrain and southwest basin and range topography. Cinematographer Ben Davis, who’s lifted every project he’s been a part of, from Tim Burton’s Dumbo to Seven Psychopaths, is really able to capture the depth of the landscape in New Mexico, where Cry Macho was filmed.

What people will undeniably remember most from this movie is the elderly Eastwood attracting a beautiful 50-year-old widow, Marta (Natalia Traven). However, it may go understated how important this age gap is to the film’s thesis statement.

Other Notable Releases

She doesn’t see his frailty, but a man who has a total acceptance of self, no longer needing to show off or impress.

Oddly enough, Eastwood was offered the part back in the late ‘80s but turned it down. The window of opportunity may have closed for making this film as good as it could possibly be, yet there are enough personal touches and moments of grace to where it’s likely the actordirector himself is pretty satisfied with the results.

His costar Eduardo Minett is a

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INTERVIEW BY GALAXY INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

Playing professional football for the CFL out of college and then transitioning to acting in his mid20s, now with nearly 200 different projects on his IMDb page, the multihyphenate has seemed to defy logic. Meeting the challenge of life with full force, Mike’s hard work and determination has paid off, yet he admits that his success is still highly attainable for anyone out there willing to put in the same effort.

Amassing credits on heavy-hitters such as Power, The 100, Arrow, and Stargate SG-1 on the small screen and X-Men: Days of Future Past, 2014’s Godzilla, and The Predator on the big, just to name a few, Mike is one of the busiest players in the game. Most recently starring in Syfy’s newest series Day of the Dead as Detective McDermott, the actor ensures us that his character’s arc will be one to keep an eye on throughout the ten-episode first season.

Despite playing some mean dudes on screen, Mike is one of the biggest sweethearts you’ll ever meet. Always humble and downto-earth, he manages to keep the conversation light as he discusses what it’s like to play these darker roles and how his time as an athlete has informed his life in Hollywood.

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Mike Dopud/(cover image):Mike Dopud/Dennys Ilic

MIKE DOPUD HAS LIVED TWO DREAMS ALREADY.

interview interview SPOILER: What got you into acting?

MIKE DOPUD: Growing up in Montreal, it was so farfetched to think you could be an actor. So I was an athlete first. And once my sports career was done, I said, “I wanna be an actor!” And I went into the union office and said, “Hey guys, what do I hafta do?” And they laughed [laughs].

I just asked them who the best agents were and if I needed headshots and that stuff. I was about 24, 25.

I have a bit of a background in stunt work and action fighting, so that was a good transition. When I got into the industry as an actor, they realized I had a background in athletics and that parlayed into acting.

From watching Escape from New York and Mad Max, I always wanted to be an actor, but I just didn’t know how to go about it. When I saw the original Mad Max, I thought, “Oh my God, this is the kind of world that I want to belong to.”

SPOILER: You played a member of the Serbian mafia on the show Power. You come from a Serbian background yourself.

How much of that influenced your role?

MIKE DOPUD: I tried to make him my own guy. There’s a kind of caricature of these gangsters and these tsars and all these people. And I’ve played some Russian bad guys and Serbian bad guys, and I just tried to get creative and have a bit of a different take with this character. But my background does help with speaking the language and just getting the feel for what these guys are like.

SPOILER: How was your experience on Power?

MIKE DOPUD: My experience was amazing, starting with Courtney Kemp and Gary Lennon, who were the creators and showrunners. From my first day shooting a scene in season 4 with Joseph Sikora, who was such a great scene partner and person, and he treated me with open arms. It’s hard sometimes when you come on to a show—they have their own things going on [already]—but Joe was like, “Okay, let’s do this!” And they treated me with open arms. I really have nothing but great things to say about them.

MIKE DOPUd

SPOILER: And before all this, you were a professional football player in Canada. Was that American football?

MIKE DOPUD: Yes. I went to Southern Illinois University and played football. The Canadian Football League employs a lot of Americans on the teams as well. It was a short-lived career, but I was there and had some injuries. But as my friend always says, “The day you sign your contract and are on the field actually playing in a game, you’ve made it!” And then I tried out for the World League, but the World League folded. And then I couldn’t pass the physical because I had surgery on my right knee, and I couldn’t get back to the CFL. And then I went to hockey for a little while.

SPOILER: And does that mindset of being an athlete ever help you with the roles that you get?

MIKE DOPUD: Absolutely. I had dinner with Omari Hardwick last night and we were talking about that—the fact that we both played high level football and we have this sort of “let’s do it” [mentality]. In whatever sport, when you play at a high level, you’ve had a lot of discipline and you’ve had a lot of drive to succeed. And that definitely helps in acting, because you get rejected so much. And there’s always things that change, so you learn to deal and adapt with the different changes that get thrown at you.

SPOILER: You’ve now made it in two highly competitive fields. Does the challenge drive you?

MIKE DOPUD: Yeah, my dad used to laugh at me and say, “Why do you always like to do things that are hard? You were playing hockey in Canada, where hockey players are revered, but then you decide to go play football in America? It doesn’t make sense!” And then when I decided to do acting, my dad just looked at me and went, “You know what? You make your own choices. I trust you. I know you’re gonna do well. I just don’t know why you do it sometimes, but I love you, and whatever you do, I’ll support you.”

SPOILER: Do you prefer working in TV or film better?

MIKE DOPUD: What I love about television

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MIKE DOPUd is you get a lot of time to create a character. You spend months coming up with ways to play the character and working on the relationships.

I love the steadiness of television.

But I have to tell you, when you’re filming a movie, especially the bigger budget films, you spend a lot of time making sure it’s right. You’ll spend days on a two-page scene, shooting every angle. But on television, a lot of times you’re on a tight schedule, so you end up not necessarily getting the opportunity to make the scene perfect like you do in film.

But I like both. And I think at the end of the day, I like the steadiness of television. I like working; I like moving. In film, sometimes the setups take forever.

SPOILER: Is there a particular scene from any of your projects that stands out the most?

MIKE DOPUD: I had just finished doing a play in Ontario, I flew in to do Power, and my first scene was this four-page walkand-talk with Joseph Sikora.

I literally finished the play on the Saturday night, I flew to New York on Sunday, and we shot Monday morning at 5:30 a.m. I didn’t have as much time to get ready for it, but I thought, “I’m in the groove, I feel good.” And the scene couldn’t have gone any better. Dennie Gordon was our director—she was wonderful. It was a splinter crew and just Joseph and me the whole day shooting.

He was a great scene partner and we just played off each other really well.

SPOILER: Tell us about your character on Day of the Dead.

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MIKE DOPUD: My character is Detective McDermott. He’s been going through a rough time. His wife has passed, and he’s turned to alcohol to soothe his pain. He’s just going through the motions day-to-day and isn’t really present for his son. Keenan Tracey plays my son, Cam. We’re not close at the beginning of the series. He’s dealing with the loss in a different way.

And my character gets called in to investigate a body that was found, and that’s where the chaos ensues.

Detective McDermott goes on quite a journey throughout those ten episodes. It’s gonna be something to behold.

SPOILER: If you met your younger self, what would you tell him?

MIKE DOPUD: I would tell him to

stay the course. “Trust the path.

It’s gonna be okay.” And I think I did that, for the most part. But there were times when I was like, “Gosh, I’m not making any money. What am I doing? This is crazy! I left a job that was paying me well. Why did I wanna be an actor?” And then all of a sudden you book that audition and you’re on set, and you realize, “This is where I’m supposed to be.”

SPOILER: What’s life’s biggest mystery to you?

MIKE DOPUD: So many things! I’m still trying to figure out how to be the best dad I can. Interesting thing, my daughter was the first girl to be born on my side of the family in 72 years. So having a daughter was really challenging for me, like, “How do I do this?” [laughs] And I love it!

Mike Dopud/In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale:20th Century Studios/Stargate:MGM/The 100:Warner Bros.;CBS

MIKE DOPUd

I love the journey I’m going through with my daughter—and my son. So, every day is a mystery; every day is an adventure, because you never know what’s gonna happen. I’ve also learned that you can’t plan too many things because life throws you curveballs all the time. Every time you think you know something, there’s the curveball thrown your way. But you figure out a way.

SPOILER: What advice would you give someone who wants to follow in your footsteps and be an actor?

MIKE DOPUD: Follow your heart and believe in yourself. And don’t be afraid of hard work. When I started acting, I went out and bought every acting book to try to learn and studied with the best acting coaches. I’ve always prided myself on hard work. You need to work hard in this industry. I think people wait to be discovered, but doing all the work will provide opportunities, and hopefully the opportunities will work in your favor.

SPOILER: What would your weapon of choice be during the apocalypse?

MIKE DOPUD: Do you remember the video game Asteroids? When something bad was gonna happen, you could just hit that hyperspace button. I always thought that would be cool. Something’s gonna get you and you just hit that button. The scary part is you never know where you’re gonna land.

fun to play. I’ve played everything from crazy drug dealers to crooked detectives to a cannibal on The 100.

On screen, you do all these terrible things and you get applauded.

Whereas in real life, you’d be thrown in jail.

SPOILER: If you could have a superpower in the real world, what would it be?

MIKE DOPUD: You know what would be cool? Being able to read minds [laughs]. But I guess it would suck in some ways too.

SPOILER: Does your job, getting lost in these different worlds on set, relieve a lot of stress for you? Or can it also give you a lot of stress?

MIKE DOPUD: A bit of both. This weekend I was doing a pilot called Abduction. It basically deals with the sex trade industry. I played the lead, Frank Johnson, who’s basically trying to stop these sex traffickers. And we infiltrate this one ring. But I’m also shooting a Hallmark Christmas movie where I play the lovable dad. You know, it’s Christmas time and the Hallmark world. And it was just the dichotomy of two extremes. So, I was a little bit stressed because I didn’t want any residual effects; I didn’t want the darkness of this one show to effect the lightness of this Christmas movie.

SPOILER: If you had a choice, would you want to be a superhero or a super villain?

MIKE DOPUD: I’ve never really played the superhero, so that would be really fun. But I think I’m better suited for the villain [laughs]. For whatever reason, I feel more at home as the villain. They’re so much

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MIKE DOPUd

SPOILER: Is it hard to play those darker roles?

MIKE DOPUD: Usually not so bad, but every once in a while when you’re playing a darker character, it may stay with you for a little bit, and you don’t even realize it. Then all of a sudden, the aura you’re in gets a little darker. But I’m not a method actor by any stretch, so I don’t need to live in that world—I find it exhausting actually. So, in a way it’s nice to move on to something light after doing something dark. For me, coming home to my kids takes me out of that dark place.

SPOILER: After you get a role, do you ever think about the other people who also audition for that same role?

MIKE DOPUD: At the beginning, when I started out, you go for auditions and they give a description of the character ahead of time, and you’re sitting there going, “I feel good about myself. I feel good about the way I look.” But then you’d walk into the audition room, and you’d look and everybody would be perfect. Like, “Oh my God, that guy looks perfect for the role! Oh my God, that guy looks even better! These guys look better than me.” But what I’ve learned through that is I can still play that description of the character. There might be better choices, people who are meaner looking or better looking, or bigger or stronger. There’s always gonna be someone better than you, so you just gotta believe in yourself and go, “Hopefully they see through that and I’m the right guy.”

SPOILER: Is there usually a piece of you in each character you play?

MIKE DOPUD: Yeah, absolutely. I played this character named Michael Vinson on The 100, and he was a cannibal. But he was a pretty interesting cat. He was kind of a good guy. But how do you play that? You have to dig into yourself and basically try to find something in you that can drive you as far as that

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character goes. Obviously I don’t eat people, but I had to find what it was that made him do that. So I think you have to put yourself in it, because that’s what makes your character so different.

SPOILER: Do you think social media has helped your career more?

MIKE DOPUD: At times it hurts in the sense of, it seems like if you don’t have millions of followers that you’re not a celebrity or a star. But I think it’s helped my career in terms of reaching the fans. I’ve had loyal fans since social media really started, so I guess the Stargate years. And a lot of those fans still follow my work. And sometimes people will send me a message saying they’ve been following me for years.

And I would never have known that if it weren’t for social media. People don’t mind commenting on social media, whereas in person they might not say something.

SPOILER: If you could give a message to all your fans in the world, what would it be?

MIKE DOPUD: I’ll start with a big “thank you!” I’m forever grateful that people actually watch what I do and seem to enjoy what I do. “Whatever you do in life, believe in yourself. Because if I can do it, you can do it. Just believe in yourself and you’ll get there.”

SPOILER: Are there any upcoming projects you’d like to talk about?

MIKE DOPUD: The Hallmark movie I’m doing is called A Very Merry Bridesmaid, which is a fun time with Emily Osment. And then there’s this little pilot, Abduction, which should be out, we’re hoping, next year.

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CHRISTOPHER RUSSEL IS NO STRANGER TO the George Romero zombie-verse. In 2005, he landed his first major role in Romero’s own Land of the Dead. Fast forward 16 years and he now stars in Syfy’s latest series Day of the Dead, the spiritual sibling of Land’s 1985 predecessor of the same name. He plays Trey Bowman, the adulterous and chowderheaded husband of the town mayor.

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Christopher Russell/Waldy Martens

INTERVIEW BY GALAXY INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

Despite recurring spots on Star Trek: Discovery, Van Helsing, and, of course, Supernatural, the Canadian actor now faces his biggest role yet with Day, the project itself standing out in the sea of horror television shows with its balance of the sardonic and the grotesque.

Christopher is perfect for the character, as we’ve learned he’s got his own natural wit that’s equal parts goofy and insightful. He talks with us about his latest project, how he got into acting, the best craft services he’s had, and the importance of keeping a minty breath on set.

erview erview

interview interview

christopher russell

SPOILER: What got you into acting?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: I feel like it was the movie Legend with Tom Cruise. It was one of his more obscure films, which he himself has denounced as being his least favorite of all his productions. But for me as a young boy, I remember watching it and going, “Man! I wanna do that! I wanna be able to run around and save the princess.” Then I was in preschool and they were doing a Nativity play for the parents at Christmastime and I got cast as the donkey. And I remember walking out to the audience towards the parents with my donkey ears and my little tail and getting the laughs, just feeling really encouraged about what I was doing. And I just wanted more of that feeling. So as I went through school, I just kept participating in every play I could. I was in the community theater, drama club. I was just such a fan of movies. Even from a young age, I paid attention to things that I don’t think most people did. Just the way the shots were set up and looking out for continuity errors [laughs]. So when I got out of high school, I went to the big city and got an agent and the rest is history.

SPOILER: Did you burn rubber, or did it take you a while to get where you’re at?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: It’s been a marathon and it’s still ongoing. When I first got into it, like most people, I had this false idea that if you just showed up, looked good, said some things, then you would get a job in film and television. And while that does apply to maybe 1% of actors out there, the rest of us are just slugging away audition after audition, taking classes, keeping up on current works that are out there—just hustling, really. They say it takes 15 years to become an overnight success, but I would argue it takes at least 20. And even then, sometimes it never happens. For myself, what I’ve come to learn is, I have to be in this business, not because I’m looking for accolades or respect, but [for the love of the craft]; to know I’ve done my best and that I’ve had an opportunity to participate in a medium that I’m fascinated with. So my goal from the beginning was to be a working actor; to be able to pay my bills as an actor. And at this point, mission accomplished [laughs].

SPOILER: How was it working with George A. Romero on Land of the Dead?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: Land of the Dead was one of my first professional acting roles. And I was literally transported to another world when

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christopher russell I got there. The set was incredible. The visuals alone inspired me to keep going because it was just so exciting to be a part of. And then as a young actor, to see Dennis Hopper and John Leguizamo at work was also inspiring. And George Romero himself was incredibly kind and encouraging as a director. He could steer you in the direction he wanted you to go in, almost making you think that it was your idea, even though it wasn’t [laughs].

It was a fun experience for sure.

SPOILER: Isn’t it wild that that was one of your first gigs, and now here you are, 16 years later, in Day of the Dead?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: When I got the part, I was like, “Hmm, I wonder if Land of the Dead has anything to do with it.” Like, if they wanted someone who worked with George Romero to be on set. But my part in Land of the Dead is pretty small.

Day of the Dead is so much fun to be a part of. They’re really going for it. [The show is] funny, but scary and thrilling, and really emotional. It’s got everything. Obviously, there are other zombie shows out there, but this one hits all the beats.

SPOILER: You’re Canadian. How was it getting roles back in the day compared to now?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: If you look at my resume, I sort of slowly worked my way up. The more work I put in, the more robust the roles got as the years progressed. I don’t know if it’s better now than it was back then. But I do know there was a point, with Smallville and Battlestar Galactica and Supernatural—shows like that were really good for local Canadian actors to get noticed in Hollywood—these were big shows globally that were doing a really good job of hiring a lot of the

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supporting roles in town. I don’t think there was one actor in Vancouver who wasn’t on Supernatural [laughs].

SPOILER: What’s your ideal gig?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: To be a number 5 on a call sheet for a long-running series, so the weight of the show isn’t entirely on my shoulders, but I get to participate in the storylines in an exciting way without there being any pressure should the show begin to fail at any point [laughs].

As long as everyone on set is happy to be there. I’ve been on sets where nobody wants to be there, and I’m like, “What’s the point? This is what we’ve been hustling for our whole lives.” That’s the worst feeling.

SPOILER: Is there ever a feeling, when working on a show for a long time, that you’re missing out on other things?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: Yeah, absolutely. That’s always a problem with this business. You spend so much time just saying yes to everything because you just want to work, and you don’t really care what it is. And then you get to a point where you have to make conscious decisions about which roles you say yes to. And it can be difficult because it’s not always clear if there’s going to be something on the other side if you turn something down. It’s a gamble. Like, “Okay, I’m not gonna do this because it’s very similar to something else I did and it’s gonna lock me in for a long time,” and then you just gotta pray the thing you really want is gonna come around the corner—and it might not. And then you spend 10 months unemployed [laughs]. So, at this point, I’m grateful to be a working actor.

SPOILER: For young actors out there, how hard is it to become a Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: I would say it’s 99.9% impossible. There are so many variables that have to come into play at the same time. You have to have a screen presence, you have to have a certain look for the moment, whatever it may be, you have to be in the right

Christopher Russell/Waldy Martens

christopher russell

SPOILER: Over the years, I’ve noticed that certain shows get all the marketing while other really great shows don’t seem to get that same treatment. Is this something you’ve noticed in the past?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: I have experienced it on a show that was really good, has a super high rating on IMDb, people who saw it really, really liked it, and [now] has a huge cult following, tons of really supportive fans. But if you look at it on a bigger scale, it was really small exposure when it could have been much better, and there are internal reasons why they didn’t push it more, which is unfortunate.

Something like Stranger Things, which got huge press and those kids are super famous now—and they deserve it, they’re all amazing! I don’t know how they cast that show, it’s incredible. But there’s also smaller shows that get zero press, that have an equally talented group of people working on it, that just kinda disappear.

SPOILER: What advice would you give your younger self from 20 years ago?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: “Stop frosting your tips, take out the cubic zirconia, drop the seashell choker necklace, and get back in acting class and stay outta the bar.” [laughs] SPOILER: Such a visual! Do you think nostalgia is ever dangerous?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: You can have a little bit of it and it can be a positive thing. Going back to Stranger Things, everything in the show is what the Duffer brothers grew up with in the ‘80s. It inspired

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Christopher Russell/Waldy Martens

story that resonates with enough people that creates that type of phenomenon, like Stranger Things became, or Brad Pitt poppin’ up in Thelma & Louise. You just have to have that iconic role that just sets you up. But for the rest of us, the more obtainable goal is to continue to get work. A lot of people get off the bus in LA and just say, “Where do I go to get famous?” [laughs]

them to make their own version of it. So, it can be productive in that way, but there’s also the other side of it where you just complain about the way things are now and wish it was like things were back then. Your memory of that time is tricking you, like, “Was it really that great? Was Atari really that good?” I dunno. I feel like it was. But if you had told me back in 1987 that you’d be able to play 3D-looking video games with people across the world, I would’ve been like, “Well, give me that now!”

But now that it’s here, people are buying refurbished Super Nintendos.

I think people just want what they don’t have.

SPOILER: Do you believe in the paranormal?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: Do I

believe in it in a straightforward way where spirits will appear to you in the same form that they were before they died? I dunno. But yeah, you can’t not believe in the paranormal, because as human beings, we have a consciousness. I’m speaking to you, but I’m also thinking at the same time. And I might be thinking different things than what I’m saying.

I can see images inside of my mind that I can’t see in front of me. There’s some type of energy happening in there. So, when my body dies, where does that energy go? Does it die with my body, or does it stay?

SPOILER: If you could choose, would you rather be a superhero or a super villain?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: I’m gonna be boring, but I’d say I’d be

christopher russell CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: I always have a toothbrush with me and, I call them actor mints, but I’m not gonna say what brand they are. But I have worked with people who have no shame in eating a tuna cup before a scene.

SPOILER: Does the status of the breath have to do with the nature of the scene?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: I have minty breath regardless of the scene, so you can count on me to be minty fresh no matter what.

SPOILER: If you could share something with the fans, what would you say? a superhero. Life would be a little easier for me if I didn’t have this problem, but I’m a little bit too compassionate. I understand that everyone, for the most part, is doing their best to make it through this life.

And if I had the ability to help out in a bigger way, then I would. I don’t wanna be the cause of more pain and misery. There’s enough forces out there to take care of that.

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: Star Trek: Discovery had the best craft services. Day of the Dead craft services, I’m sorry, guys, it wasn’t so good. But the catering [on Day], which does lunch and breakfast—the craft services does desserts, snacks, and everything else throughout the day—was phenomenal. They had music playing and they had so many options. It was actually the best ever.

SPOILER: What were the most memorable scenes from either Land of the Dead or Day of the Dead?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: Well, I can’t speak too much about Day of the Dead yet. But in Land of the Dead, definitely the zombie cage fight—that was pretty awesome. Asia Argento is in there scrapping with the zombies, which is a pretty cool take on the whole thing. Another scene would be when I’m patrolling the perimeter, and my sidekick and I hear something, and I shine a spotlight and say, “There’s nothing there, man,” when in fact, there is.

And then they get us—not to give anything away, but it’s an old movie.

SPOILER: How often do you worry about your breath on set?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: “I think that Day of the Dead is going to be some of the most fun you’ve ever had.

If you are a horror fan, if you hold onto any nostalgia from the zombie movies of yesteryear, or if you’re just wanting to watch something well-rounded, you’re in for a treat.

SPOILER: What’s your favorite food when working on set?

CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL: Chicken [laughs]. It keeps me goin’, all day, all night.

SPOILER: What’s the best craft services you’ve ever had?

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SPOILER MAGAZINE

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BY TOM TORMEY

Ghost Rider:Marvel;Sony Pictures/Dredd:Entertainment Film Distributors;United International Pictures/Batman Forever/Batman & Robin:DC;Warner Bros./Daredevil:Marvel/20th Century Studios

the term “superhero fatigue” was recently coined to describe

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the deluge of tights and capes that are continuously making their way onto the big screen, although we can certainly debate the term and the differences between “too many” and “a lot.” While there’s no mistaking that there are a number of superhero movies being churned out by the big studios on an annual basis, that definitely wasn’t the case prior to the birth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008. Superheroes on the silver screen were sporadic and hit-or-miss with audiences, critics, and financial success. Let’s take a look at five pieces of superhero cinema that missed the mark upon their original releases but deserve reconsideration.

5 dredd (2012) When I recommend Dredd to most fans, the first image that comes to mind is Sylvester Stallone’s Judge Dredd from 1995 and screams of, “I am the law,” in their best Stallone voice. The 2nd adaptation in 2012, Dredd, was a hit with critics and fans alike but somehow managed to greatly underperform at the box office, making it the only film on this list that wasn’t a financial success for its respective studio.

Karl Urban is amazing as the titular hero, but unfortunately, no matter how fast he rides his legendary bike, Lawmaster, he can’t escape the legacy of Stallone’s iconic outing in the same role. Admittedly, there’s not much in the way of the character development that moviegoers have become spoiled with these days, but the stylized violence, straightforward storyline, and sadistic villain are worth giving this film a second chance, or a first chance if you, like many others, didn’t know it existed.

4

batman forever (1995) batman & robin (1997) Coming off the cultural phenomena that were Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman and his 1992 follow-up Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin had impossibly large shoes to fill. Burton was out as the film’s director and Michael Keaton was out as the film’s lead.

Joel Schumacher was tasked with creating a lighthearted, familyapproved, toy-centric third film in the Bat-franchise, and the new cast was incredible. Batman Forever stars Val Kilmer and Chris O’Donnell as Batman and Robin, respectively, while the villainous Two-Face and the Riddler are played by none other than Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey, the latter of whom was at the peak of his massive stardom. Two years later, the fourth outing for the dynamic duo, simply called Batman & Robin, featured an equally amazing cast with George Clooney taking up the cape and cowl alongside a returning O’Donnell, with Arnold Schwarzenegger as the pun-tastic Mr. Freeze and Uma Thurman playing the seductive siren Poison Ivy. Although the films serve as sequels to the first two Batman movies, it’s “in spirit” at best. Flashy, fun, and full of corny one-liners, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin invoke the spirit of the Light Knight Adam West.

Comparing the two individually is something that we can’t help but do, but should we? Alone, each movie is entertaining in its own right, with its own exploration of

its Gotham set pieces. I also enjoy a Batman who enjoys being a hero; a Batman for whom the cape and cowl is not a burden, but rather a glorious responsibility that he willfully shoulders, and both Kilmer and Clooney, despite performances that have become divisive for fans, give lighter, almost jovial takes on the Caped Crusader. Batman Forever and Batman & Robin double down on thrill and excitement, and certainly deserve another look.

3 daredevil (2003) Ben Affleck is a talented actor and director. He also has the honor of putting on several super-suits on the silver screen throughout his illustrious career: He was Superman in 2006’s Hollywoodland, and then of course both Daredevil and Batman.

Admittedly, Affleck’s Daredevil doesn’t compare to Charlie Cox’s version of the character from the Netflix series, but he certainly does a praise-worthy job portraying the Man Without Fear. Along with his underrated performance, the action

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1ghost rider (2007) Sit back and enjoy the wild ride that is Nicolas Cage! Ghost Rider is definitely worth a second, third, and fourth viewing. The film suffers a good deal from the lack of a daunting and interesting villain.

Because while Peter Fonda plays a perfectly sinister Mephistopheles, Wes Bentley’s Blackheart comes across more like a petulant child than a centuries-old accumulation of evil. Main villain aside, the film finds brilliance in the chemistry between Cage and Eva Mendes, the special effects, and the over-thetop energy of Cage himself, all of which are enough to keep me glued to my seat again and again. And the marquee moment when Johnny Blaze first transforms into the Ghost Rider is cinematic perfection!

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2 fantastic four (2005)

fantastic four: rise of the silver surfer (2007) Anytime someone asks me my opinion on the best Fantastic Four film, I insist that it’s Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles. That movie has the perfect balance of family dynamics, incredible action, and a credible villain. Although, while we wait for Marvel’s First Family to enter the MCU, it’s the perfect time to give the original theatrical releases a second look. Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm is worth the follow-up viewing alone, as well as Doug Jones as the Silver Surfer, who shows up in the sequel.

The unfulfilling tease of Galactus as

a space cloud is still frustrating, but the playful dynamics between the familial heroes is worth the price of admission. Released around the same time as Christopher Nolan’s brooding Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, these two Fantastic Four entries surely caught audiences off guard, most of whom were probably expecting a dark and grim tale, unsure of what to make of these lighthearted and colorful films.

If these movies came out in the late ’80s, we’d still be singing their praises.

Ghost Rider:Marvel;Sony Pictures/Fantastic Four:Marvel;20th Century Studios

sequences and the mindful musical score by Graeme Revell compensate for the rushed storyline. I remember seeing Daredevil upon its 2003 release and loving it, confused by the backlash it received amongst fans of the character. Whether you don’t love the movie or believe it deserves a second chance, at least we can all agree that it should still hold a special place in the hearts and minds of superhero fans everywhere, because without it, the Marvel Cinematic Universe wouldn’t exist.

It was on this film that John Favreau approached Marvel executives about working on a superhero project of his own. Fast-forward a few years later and John and Marvel gave us Iron Man, thus birthing the MCU.

Meet your new sidekick gita is a first-of-its-kind hands-free robot that follows you and totes your gear.

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Writer: Joshua Williamson | Artist: Howard Porter | Colorist: Hi-Fi

what’s it about?

Deathstroke, along with Toyman II and Black Canary, is working for the Transparent Researchers United for Strategy and Technology, also known as T.R.U.S.T., hoping to earn a huge payday, take down H.I.V.E., and redeem himself in the process.

Their first mission is to infiltrate a sleeper town full of H.I.V.E. operatives and bring its Queen to justice. With an on-the-nose name like T.R.U.S.T., it’s clear that the organization’s motives are not quite what they seem. T.R.U.S.T. isn’t the only one keeping secrets; Slade’s also hiding something and it’s going to change the course of this series for good.

the good

Howard Porter’s art is crisp, stylized, and, along with HiFi’s colors, pops right off the page. I grew up reading Marv Wolfman’s Teen Titans series, so Deathstroke’s ambiguous status as a villain/hero has always interested me. It’s a defining character trait that goes hand in hand with his

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violent nature and iconic costume.

Seeing him on a team with Black Canary and the overjoyed Toyman II makes for some great reading.

The revelations throughout the issue and epilogue are enough to hook me for the remainder of the series. Quite often my critique of a series is based on its accessibility for new readers. That is not an issue here.

the bad

DC’s recent reliance on organizations with confusing and forgettable acronyms is irksome to me. They are a dime a dozen at this point. The plot points that accompany the organizations quickly find clichés such as, “Who is really behind the group and what are their real intentions?” That’s more of a personal grievance with DC comics rather than an indictment of Deathstroke Inc. All in all, the book is entertaining.

SCORE

8.5/10

Deathstroke Inc:DC Comics/10 Years to Death:AfterShock Comics

DEATHSTROKE INC #1

COMIC BOOK REVIEW |

10 YEARS TO DEATH Writer: Aaron Douglas | Artist: Cliff Richards | Colorist: Guy Major

what’s it about?

Inspired by true events, this eerie prison story combines the supernatural with the suspenseful in a wicked tale of revenge from beyond the grave inside a prison’s walls. Writer Aaron Douglas said, “This is a story born out of an experience I had as a young boy with one of my uncles and my dad.

I snuck to a spot in the house to listen to my uncle relate his tale to my dad. It confused and terrified me at the time, and to this day I still have a very creepy feeling inside when I tell it to people.

I think it is a fascinating story and whenever I tell it, people are enthralled and I want to share it with a wider audience. I hope this can achieve that.”

THE GOOD

Douglas is a tremendous talent and must be protected at all costs!

I often criticize books for their overreliance on exposition boxes, yet this one-shot is told almost entirely through them and I was captivated from the beginning.

10 Years to Death would’ve made for a perfect Tales from the Crypt

episode. At one point I thought to myself, “This is the perfect story to tell around a campfire,” and within pages, one of the characters asks the other to start a fire. Needless to say, I was a tad creeped out by the coincidence.

Aftershock is creating an excellent library of some of the best non-superhero books on the shelves. 10 Years to Death is what you get when you let your talents’ voices get heard.

THE BAD

While the ghost story puts shivers down my spine, the art, masterfully created by Cliff Richards, does not. Richards does a stellar job rendering the world that the story occupies, but the feeling of dread and suspense created by Douglas’ story is not echoed in the panels themselves, which are often bland and nondescript. I found myself rereading a page or series of panels to get a better understanding of the story. This is one of those cases where a talented writer and an equally talented artist’s visions don’t gel well together.

SCORE

7.0/10

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Writer: Danny Lore | Artist: Guido Guidi | Colorist: John-Paul Bove

what’s it about?

Transformers: Shattered Glass centers around “body scrapper” Blurr as he tracks down one of the last remaining Decepticon rebels and Megatron’s second in command, Starscream. Set in a world that radically alters the relationship between Cybertron’s greatest warriors, the series finds the heroic Autobots Ratchet, Optimus Prime, and Gold Bug reimagined as ruthless warlords. The fast, arrogant, and underhanded Blurr is on a mission to capture the equally arrogant Starscream. Will Blurr’s speed outmatch Starscream’s intelligence?

the good

Guido Guidi’s depiction of the Transformers is always amazing and captivating. His incarnations of the bots make for great panels and splash pages. Danny Lore does an equally amazing job establishing the Shattered Glass universe for us, a mirror universe where good is bad and bad is good. I grew up with Generation One Transformers, so as a fan, it was fun to see traditionally

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heroic characters depicted in sinister ways. This issue does a good job laying the foundation for future issues that will undoubtedly explore this universe further.

the BAD

As I mentioned earlier, Guidi’s art makes for great posters and splash pages, but in many panels comes across stiff and lifeless. In all fairness, breathing life into a decades-old franchise about sentient warring robot clans is a daunting task for even the most skilled artists and writers. Lore does an excellent job crafting the Shattered Glass universe, but ultimately, even for a lifelong fan such as myself, this issue doesn’t do much for me. If it were a one-shot, Iwouldn’t mind walking away from it now. I don’t see casual fans or fans that are new to the franchise picking up this series.

SCORE

7.0/10

Transformers:IDW Publishing;Hasbro;Takara Tomy/ Children of the Plague:Dark Horse Comics

TRANSFORMERS: SHATTERED GLASS #1

COMIC BOOK REVIEW |

CHILDREN OF THE PLAGUE Writer: Robert Love | Artist: Robert Love | Colorist: Jeffrey Kimbler

what’s it about?

When kids are suddenly infected with a disease from outer space and begin forming mysterious superpowers, they become “Children of the Plague.” These children are rounded up, tested on, and put into battle by the evil Valmount Corporation. Remy, a young female Indo-American infectee who develops powers of her own, must fight to free herself and her brother from a life of war and servitude. Can they find a way to free themselves?

the GOOD

Robert Love has crafted a simple, yet compelling story that is simultaneously fantastical and relatable, with characters who are easily identifiable. The setting is ambiguous in terms of time and

location, but understandable in its structure. Jeffrey Kimbler’s art meshes well with Love’s storytelling and art. At its core, Children of the Plague is about freedom, family, and revenge.

the BAD

Children of the Plague does a good job laying the foundation for a compelling journey that, based on the first issue, seems a tad too simplistic to get me excited about any further stories. This book ends with the promise that we’ll see Remy’s adventure continue, but to my surprise, this issue is a one-shot.

I’m hopeful that Dark Horse rethinks the one-shot label on the cover and gives Love’s storytelling and art a chance to develop because both show great potential.

SCORE

8.0/10

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Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johsnon | Artist: Cam Smith | Colorist: Guru-eFX

what’s it about?

Continuing where Extreme Carnage: Agony left off, Omega centers around the conclusion of Carnage’s evil plans, which, up to this point, have remained a mystery. Carnage is now fully in control of his younger siblings who are at his command. He has infiltrated Senator Arthur Krane’s anti-alien “Friends of Humanity” movement. Flash Thompson, aka Anti-Venom, is onto Carnage’s plan, but he may be too late to stop him.

THE GOOD

With Carnage now on the big screen in Venom: Let There Be Carnage, it’s great to see ol’ Kletus up to his

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vicious and vile ways in the Marvel Universe. Cam Smith’s art and Guru’s coloring work wonderfully together for striking visuals on each page.

Full disclosure, this is the first issue in the series I picked up and I had no problem piecing together what I had missed by skipping the previous seven. The word bubbles that accompany each of the symbiotes are tailor-made to match their speaker in font and color, allowing me to keep up with what was going on. Beautifully rendered, the violence is over-the-top and brilliant throughout the issue.

THE BAD

This book is the conclusion to the series, but an introduction for me. I’d imagine this issue to be a letdown for those heavily invested in the story. There are some cool moments and new characters introduced, but ultimately it isn’t much of a “conclusion.” The epilogue easily makes up a quarter of the book and only serves to further the launch of a new Venom series rather than giving readers a proper conclusion.

SCORE

7.5/10

Extreme Carnage:Marvel Comics/Star Wars Adventures:IDW Publishing;Disney;Lucasfilm

EXTREME CARNAGE: OMEGA #1

COMIC BOOK REVIEW |

STAR WARS ADVENTURES: GHOSTS OF VADER’S CASTLE #2 Writer: Cavan Scott | Artist: Francesco Francavilla & Derek Charm | Colorist: Francesco Francavilla & Derek Charm

THE GOOD

what’s it about?

Join Cavan Scott, Francesco Francavilla, and a host of classic Star Wars artists in the epic conclusion to the Vader’s Castle saga! Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts of Vader’s Castle is a horror-packed, star-studded, five-week event guaranteed to haunt your dreams. In issue #2, Lina searches for the missing Milo and Crater and runs into… Jaxxon! He reveals that he, too, has been having nightmares, but of vicious Wookiees bigger than mountains! It seems the ghosts of Vader’s castle are haunting everyone’s dreams...

Imagine if Bugs Bunny were green and an intergalactic bounty hunter— that’s Jaxxon T. Tumperakki. First introduced in Marvel’s Star Wars comics from the ‘70s, much to the dismay of George Lucas, Jaxxon has remained a popular character with Star Wars fans. I enjoy seeing him whenever he manages to pop up.

This issue’s use of two artists and colorists works well to highlight the differences between the main story and the “nightmare” sequences.

Ghosts of Vader’s Castle appears to be to the Star Wars universe what “Treehouse of Horror” is to the Simpsons: tales full of characters we know and love (like Chewie and Han) presented in an unusual way (like a fifty-foot tall Chewie and Han!).

of the story rather than the comic itself. Instead of being consumed as single issues, Ghosts of Vader’s Castle would work best as a collected graphic novel. Needless to say, if you’re a casual fan of Star Wars or are woefully unfamiliar with the property, regardless of your age, this book is not for you. There is an assumption here that you are more than familiar with the characters and setting, which a new fan would find overwhelming.

SCORE

7.0/10

THE BAD

This story, although clearly part of a larger five-issue event, lacks the ability to stand on its own. While the story is fun, it’s less than memorable outside of a few sight gags, like seeing a giant mutated Chewbacca and Han Solo. My critiques are more an indictment of the presentation

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Robyn Hood:Zenescope/Adventureman:Image Comics

ROBYN HOOD: NIGHT OF THE HUNTER Writer: Joe Brusha | Artist: Rodrigo Xavier | Colorist: Juan Manuel Rodriguez

what’s is about?

Robyn has taken on all types of evil, from sleazy and seemingly untouchable billionaires to monsterworshipping cults and crazed psychopaths, though one thing remains a constant: She has always come out on top. But when she becomes the target of a mysterious hunter out for blood and Robyn’s head, all the luck and skill in the world might not be enough to stop her from becoming a trophy for this demented predator!

THE GOOD

This is my first time reading a Robyn Hood book and I was impressed to say the least. Rodrigo Xavier’s art is so fluid and works beautifully with Juan Manuel Rodriguez’s colors.

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Joe Brusha’s writing is executed splendidly, even if you’re like me and just joining in on the fun. Zenescope has been publishing Robyn Hood comics for close to a decade as part of their Grimm Fairy Tales universe, and I’m a little ashamed to say, I’d never heard of her. This book does a great job delving into Robyn’s powers and abilities, as well as establishing her character. I will definitely need to explore this series further.

THE BAD

Brusha’s writing is great, but never quite gives us a sense of drama or tension. I never quite feel that the issue’s villain, the Viper, is ever much of a threat, although that’s probably done willfully as the real tension in the book seems to be an internal conflict with Robyn learning to control and channel her own abilities.

I genuinely enjoyed this book all the way through, from its writing to its art and colors.

SCORE

9.0/10

COMIC BOOK REVIEW |

ADVENTUREMAN #1 Writer: Matt Fraction | Artist: Rachel Dodson | Colorist: Terry Dodson

what’s is about?

Revisit how the legend of the greatest pulp hero of them all, Adventureman, ended in a heartbreaking cliffhanger with our hero facing execution at the vile hand of his ultra-nemesis Baron Bizarre on the eve of the Macabrapocalypse... or did it?!? Eighty years after his apparent demise, single mother Claire and her Adventurefan son Tommy seem to be the only two people alive who remember the thrilling Adventureman sagas...but from that memory burns the Spark of Resurrection! Where his story ended… her story begins!

THE GOOD

Matt Fraction is a master of dialogue.

It’s rare to read a book with so many unique characters and yet still be

able to recognize each of them by their speech patterns. This might be easy to do on screen, but in a book or a comic, it’s extremely difficult and Fraction does it skillfully. I never read his X-Men run with Terry and Rachel Dodson, but if it’s anything like what they’re delivering in Adventureman, I definitely need to revisit it. Terry and Rachel’s art and coloring are heroes in their own right. I can’t explain it, but the ghostly Phaedra Phantom’s translucent word bubbles are so clever. Every panel pops off the page and the attention to detail in this book is amazing.

THE BAD

It’s hard to search for something that needs improvement in this book. It sets up two distinct yet connected storylines wonderfully. I’m eager to read and see more of the supporting characters as well as the main cast. I know this book came out close to a year ago and I’m just getting around to it now, but I’m hooking and heading back to my local comic book shop for more. Adventureman #1 is my book of the month.

SCORE

9.5/10

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King Spawn:Image Comics

KING SPAWN #1 Writer: Sean Lewis & Todd McFarlane | Artist: Todd McFarlane, Javier Fernandez, Brett Booth, Stephen Segovia, Marcio Takara, & Philip Tan | Colorist: FCO Plascencia

what’s is about?

A historical new ongoing Spawn series begins! The launch of this book, nearly three decades in the making, further expands the Spawn Universe with a growing presence of Hell, Heaven, and Heroes here on Earth. A classic villain from Spawn’s past has begun asserting his powers on Earth by corrupting as many souls as possible. And only Spawn knows that he even exists. Continuing the dramatic battles from Spawn’s Universe #1, this is where it all begins!

THE GOOD

This is a big book! The primary story centers around a school explosion that kills numerous children. Spawn instinctively knows something bigger is going down and sets out on a quest to find out more and stop any further loss of life.

The backup stories feature Haunt, Nightmare Spawn, Komox, the Hero, and Gunslinger Spawn. Despite the multitude of stories, they are all seemingly connected—some more clearly than others. The art is amazing and atmospheric as well as

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beautifully colored. The pacing of the main Spawn story is brisk and engaging. Whether you’ve been following Spawn since 1992 or just jumping on, King Spawn is a fun ride that has a little something for everyone.

THE BAD

I don’t want to be “that guy,” but I’ve always found Todd McFarlane’s writing to be… off. That’s the best word to describe how I feel when I read his dialogue. It may be his turn of phrase or his sentence structure, but I always find it off-putting. I know Haunt is a fan favorite, and although this is the first Haunt story I’ve ever read, I thought his short backup story was the weakest entry in the otherwise well-assembled book. His inclusion in this issue should have been an opportunity to introduce him to a new audience, but it was far from welcoming.

SCORE

9.0/10

COMIC BOOK REVIEW |

KING SPAWN #2 Writer: Sean Lewis & Todd McFarlane | Artist: Todd McFarlane & Javier Fernandez Colorist: FCO Plascencia

what’s is about?

One of the most vile and horrific villains in the Spawn mythology returns: Billy Kincaid—now simply called Kincaid. But his new campaign to murder is more than it seems. Like everyone else in Spawn’s Universe, battle lines have been drawn and allout war is about to be unleashed.

THE GOOD

Issue #2 of King Spawn is a much more subdued and centered story than the one we got in the previous issue. Gone are the cavalcade of backup stories and guest artists and writers. What we are left with is a tale that focuses on Spawn and his

crew of characters, both new and old, as they search for the answers to the mysteries surrounding the fanatical killing of children. We are reintroduced to Kincaid, someone I haven’t seen since Spawn’s initial run in the ‘90s, and he’s just as creepy as ever. The art is excellent as expected with this series, but still not without its flaws…

THE BAD

I’m not going to harp on the dialogue of Spawn books since it hasn’t changed much in close to 30 years and it sells better than most titles.

Between the Kincaid recap page and several splash pages featuring Spawn in all his hellish glory, not enough can be said about the beautiful art in this book, however, there are a handful of panels that seem out of place and confusing. One panel, for instance, features a cityscape, a few dialogue boxes, and big red smudge that only later did I realize was meant to be Spawn’s cape from afar. I applaud the artists for taking bold risks, but sometimes it doesn’t pan out.

Fortunately in this book, most panels are masterfully rendered.

SCORE

9.0/10

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