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Tonight's 'Banshee' had more serial killing — and one of its best scenes ever
3 hours ago
A review of the penultimate Banshee — and thoughts on recent episodes of the series — coming up just as soon as my boss catches me saying something inappropriate in the workplace... "Eventually, the lie took over. I believed it. I was the sheriff. I was a cop, and I liked it. I fuckin' loved it... Somehow, it just felt right." -Hood You may recall at the start of the season, I worried that the serial killer storyline was the one thriller cliche that even this show couldn't breathe new life into. If anything, my frustration with the arc only grew over time, as it just kept moving through the same beats every one of these stories has going back at least to Silence of the Lambs — up to and including the moment where it seems like the heroes are about to move in on the killer, only they're going through another door in another place entirely. »
- Alan Sepinwall
Why ABC cancelled Agent Carter and kept Marvel's Agents of Shield
7 hours ago
Amidst this week's mass of cancellations was sadly, but not all that surprisingly, Marvel's Agent Carter on ABC. The network did choose to renew sister series Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., however, which has slightly better, though still lagging ratings. Disney owns ABC and Marvel Studios and it almost feels as if they're utilizing S.H.I.E.L.D. as a platform to advertise what they're doing in their cinematic universe. Meanwhile, much to fans' delight, Supergirl has officially moved from CBS to the CW, where many always felt it belonged in the first place. Here, Roth Cornet and Donna Dickens talk about what the recent shakeups say about comic book shows on networks in general. Take a look in the player above or below and chat with us here or on Twitter. Roth: @RothCornet Donna: @MildlyAmused »
- Roth Cornet
Is Friday the 13th a guilty pleasure or a stain on the face of horror?
8 hours ago
It's Friday the 13th! And we're celebrating by looking back on a franchise that left an indelible imprint on the horror genre. Here, Hitfix's own horror expert Chris Eggertsen joins Roth Cornet to debate the merits, or not, of Friday the 13th and it's uneven legacy. Take a look in the player above or below and chat with us here or on Twitter. Jason, Jason, Jason, Jason...kill, kill, kill, kill... Roth: @RothCornet Chris: @ChrisAtHitfix »
- Roth Cornet
How one homophobic slur stained 'Freddy vs. Jason's' legacy forever
10 hours ago
When I first watched Freddy vs. Jason in theaters, I didn't even blink when Kelly Rowland used the word "faggot" as a pejorative against Freddy Krueger. I was not politically engaged then, and certainly not thoughtful about the media's power to both shape and reinforce damaging notions about vulnerable groups -- even a group I happened to be a part of. In hindsight, the scene is shameful as hell. When Kia hurls the line "What kind of faggot runs around in a Christmas sweater?", she uses it as a term of denigration and emasculation; it is lobbed in an effort to diminish his power, just as it has been against Lgbt individuals throughout history. "You're not even scary," she follows up. Freddy goes on to semi-refute this by brutally murdering having Jason brutally murder her. If only he could have murdered that line, too. I bring this up because Bloody »
- Chris Eggertsen
We’ll see less of Jessica Jones in ‘Jessica Jones’ season 2
12 hours ago
While you’re mourning all the shows that were canceled yesterday, take comfort in the knowledge that you can still look forward to a second season of Jessica Jones on Netflix. Jessica Jones showrunner Melissa Rosenberg revealed a bit more about what we can expect from the Marvel series when she chatted with Nerdist. Season 2 will veer away from relying on having Jessica Jones in every scene. So there will likely be more scenes and storylines that give star Krysten Ritter a break and give more of the spotlight to characters like Trish (Hellcat!) and Will Simpson. “You have to earn secondary character stories. You have to flesh them out enough so they can eventually carry stories of their own, which is very much what season 1 was about,” Rosenberg told Nerdist. “So I’m hopeful I can at least give [Ritter] a day off in the six month period.” Rosenberg also »
- Emily Rome
'Walking Dead' stars come to aid of car crash victims
12 hours ago
They may be zombie killers on TV, but in real life, Norman Reedus and Steve Yeun appear to be nothing but Good Samaritans. TMZ is reporting that The Walking Dead stars were riding along on their motorcycles yesterday in Peachtree City, GA when they encountered a pretty decent fender bender. Reedus and Yeun stayed with those involved with the accident until paramedics came on the scene. The publication notes that the injuries were minor, and it’s safe to assume no zombies were anywhere near the location. Of course the presence of the two near the set of Twd has reignited questions about whether Daryl or Glenn were potential victims of Negan in the season finale. In the comic book, Glenn was the one who bit the dust, but in TV, anything is possible. The new season of The Walking Dead is likely to kick off later this year. »
- David Eckstein
In a perfect world, Lupita Nyong'o would be playing This character in Black Panther
13 hours ago
In very pleasing news for comic and movie fans, it was recently revealed that Lupita Nyong'o is in talks to join Chadwick Boseman in Marvel's upcoming Black Panther movie. With Creed helmer Ryan Coogler set to direct the film and Boseman's debut as the character in Captain America: Civil War, this is shaping up to be one of Marvel's most exciting projects to date. There's been a great deal of talk about who Nyong'o might play, as it's reported that she will serve as T'Challa's love interest in the film. As Hitfix's own Emily Rome points out, Monica Lynne is a comic-based love interest of Black Panther's, but she's a non-super character and if you've got Lupita Nyong'o, you're going to want her to play a someone who can get into a suit at some point. Many Marvel comics fans have already fanficed a Nyong'o turn as The X-Men's Storm. »
- Roth Cornet
Women can bust ghosts, but apparently girls can't play with 'Ghostbusters' toys
13 hours ago
This summer, Ghostbusters brings a whole new generation face-to-face with how cool it is to strap a proton pack to your back and take down the undead with style. But because we live in a world where men go into fits of hysteria over the gender of things like fictional busters of ghosts, we just can’t be excited to see Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon use MacGyver technology to save New York City. Instead, we see the Ghostbusters trailer taking home the dubious honor of Most Downvoted Trailer on YouTube. We see trolls going after the cast for visiting sick kids. But not all the sexism is overt. Sometimes — like with toys — it just subtlety reminds girls that they aren’t the target demographic even when the four main characters are women. With the release date drawing closer, Ghostbusters toys are trickling into stores. Author »
- Donna Dickens
Even in the age of Peak TV, lots of TV shows get canceled. Like today.
12 May 2016 7:51 PM, PDT
The reports of the death of cancellation may have been greatly exaggerated. At least on the broadcast networks. One of the odd but welcome side effects of the Peak TV phenomenon has been the TV industry's seeming reluctance to cancel shows regardless of ratings. If a show has any kind of critical or fan following, or there's any kind of marginal financial incentive to keep it around, shows that once would have died instantly — say, AMC's Halt and Catch Fire, or FX's Baskets — now get to return for another season, or more. Of course, that's happening on cable, where the business model is very different, or on the CW, which already renewed pretty much its whole lineup (save Containment, which was designed as a limited series that could return, but won't), and which often functions more like a cable outfit than an old-fashioned broadcaster. But for all that execs at »
- Alan Sepinwall
‘A to Z,’ Alan Tudyk, and Danny Pudi is why I’m excited about this DC Comics comedy
12 May 2016 5:44 PM, PDT
Powerless is the first series picked up for the 2016-2017 season that I’m really looking forward to. It’s set in the world of superheroes, but it’s not about superheroes — it’s a workplace comedy about the little guy caught in messes created by superheroes (mostly fringe DC Comics characters). Here’s the official logline: In the first comedy series set in the universe of DC Comics, Vanessa Hudgens (Grease Live, High School Musical) plays Emily, a spunky young insurance adjuster specializing in regular-people coverage against damage caused by the crime-fighting superheroes. It’s when she stands up to one of these larger-than-life figures (after an epic battle messes with her commute) that she accidentally becomes a cult “hero” in her own right … even if it’s just to her group of lovably quirky co-workers. Now, while she navigates her normal, everyday life against an explosive backdrop, Emily »
- Emily Rome
David Bowie's bizarre 'Twin Peaks' character was supposed to return in the new series
12 May 2016 4:10 PM, PDT
The late, great David Bowie made my list of 11 major omissions from that massive 217-name cast list for Showtime's forthcoming Twin Peaks revival, and -- adding insult to injury -- it turns out the Thin White Duke almost reprised his role as disappearing FBI agent Philip Jeffries from prequel film Fire Walk With Me before dying of cancer earlier this year. That news was spilled by cast member Harry Goaz (reprising his role as Deputy Andy Brennan) in a new interview with the Dallas Morning News: Goaz says David Bowie, who had a small role in the 1992 film spinoff Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, was set to return to make a cameo, but it didn’t happen before the musician’s death this year. This will no doubt come as fairly crushing news for Bowie fans and especially for Twin Peaks fans, particularly given that Jeffries' bizarre appearance in »
- Chris Eggertsen
Kurt Russell is so good he’s making Chris Pratt cry on the set of Guardians 2 of the Galaxy 2
12 May 2016 3:13 PM, PDT
We all know that Chris Pratt is amazing. The Guardians of the Galaxy star has become, truly, the hottest ticket in Hollywood. Between the success of Guardians and Jurassic World, Pratt’s name is mentioned as a possibility for nearly every franchise in existence: from Indiana Jones, to what is essentially the video game version of Indy, Uncharted (as Nathan Fillion once was). Even Pratt Pratt Pratt is brought to tears in the face of the man who is – in this woman’s opinion – the greatest action hero of all time (who is not also a real fighter): Kurt Russell. Director's James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol II went to 11 when it added Russell to the cast. Many are assuming he’ll portray Star-Lord’s mysterious father. If that’s so, he made his baby boy weep from happiness on his final day on set. Warning: The »
- Roth Cornet
It’s official: ‘Supergirl’ is flying to a new home on The CW
12 May 2016 2:22 PM, PDT
After a week of rumors, word is official now that Supergirl will get a second season, but it’ll come with a move from CBS to The CW. This expands The CW’s line-up of superhero shows to four: Supergirl will join The Flash, Arrow, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow on the network, which is jointly owned by CBS and Warner Bros. Production for Supergirl will move from Los Angeles to Vancouver, BC. Good news there: A repeat crossover with The Flash would be more feasible than the scheduling nightmare (but success!) that was taking Flash star Grant Gustin away from Vancouver to L.A. in the middle of the season. It’s unclear right now what other changes the network move would bring to Supergirl, though budget cuts are likely. We should hear more about it from The CW at the network’s upfront presentation next week. »
- Emily Rome
'Pacific Rim' sequel adds 'Jurassic World' writer to pen script
12 May 2016 12:37 PM, PDT
Just days after it was announced that robots would fight monsters in the big screen version of the board game Monsterpocalypse, Legendary Pictures revealed more of their plans for the strangely similar Pacific Rim sequel. THR.com is reporting that Derek Connolly will write Pacific Rim: Maelstrom, the follow-up to the 2013 movie. Daredevil Ep Steven DeKnight is already attached to direct. While Connolly is a relatively new writer, his resume is impressive, having written the mega-hit Jurassic World, and he has two movies in post production. Connolly will also write the Jurassic World sequel as well as Star Wars: Episode IX. The first Pacific Rim film did not fare well. Despite an estimated production budget of $190 million, the movie bombed domestically, making just $101 million. In fact, on its opening weekend, it lost out to Despicable Me 2 and Grown Ups 2. It performed much better overseas, bringing in just over $300 million, »
- David Eckstein
How Luca Guadagnino's 'Suspiria' remake will draw on the most horrifying chapter of the 20th century
12 May 2016 12:16 PM, PDT
At this point it's no secret that I Am Love director Luca Guadagnino is set to remake Dario Argento's 1977 horror classic Suspiria, and that the project will reunite him with his A Bigger Splash stars Tilda Swinton, Dakota Johnson and Ralph Fiennes. But I haven't yet heard Guadagnino speak on the reasoning behind his decision to set the remake in 1977, the year the original movie was released and also, presumably, set. Luckily I had the opportunity to pose that question while chatting with him about A Bigger Splash (which expands this weekend to additional theaters in NY and La as well as Philadelphia, Phoenix, Boston, Chicago, and Washington D.C). His answer was, to say the least, loaded. "It's a movie about a moment in time [in Germany] in which [there was] a great divide between those who wanted to forget the past and those who were demanding the older generation to confront the past, »
- Chris Eggertsen
Black Panther's Bodyguard Is the Red Hot Wicked Witch in NBC's Emerald City
12 May 2016 11:51 AM, PDT
Florence Kasumba commanded attention in the one Captain America: Civil War scene she was in, and she's set to turn heads again in NBC's Emerald City. Check out the first photo of her as East, a Wicked Witch. In Civil War, Kasumba was credited only as "Security Chief" but fans familiar with Black Panther's story from Marvel comics knew she was likely one of the Dora Milaje, a portion of Wakandan society held in high regard who serve as deadly bodyguards for the King. (HitFix's Emily Rome recently delved into their past.) While we hope to see much more of her, and other Dora Milaje, in Marvel's Black Panther film you can look forward to seeing Kasumba weekly on your television soon. Directed by Tarsem Singh (The Cell), the 10-episode Emerald City is yet another take on L. Frank Baum's Wizard of Oz books. Here's the summary: In Emerald City, »
- Jill Pantozzi
‘Supernatural’ star Jim Beaver gives us a dynamic ‘Richard III’ reading
12 May 2016 11:30 AM, PDT
It was in Vietnam, where he was serving in the Marines, that Jim Beaver had his first significant encounter with Shakespeare. “I was bored to death as most of us were there when we weren’t being terrified,” Beaver recalled. “And I stumbled across this old, beat-up edition of the complete works, and I thought, ‘I’ve heard this guy’s good. I’ll give it a read.’ And I did, and I thought it was fascinating.” Today, he still has that collection of Shakespeare’s complete works in his home. A couple years after finding that complete works, Beaver was back in the U.S., and as a college student in Oklahoma, he performed in a production of King Lear — that cemented his love of the Bard, said the actor, known best to Supernatural fans as Uncle Bobby and to HBO viewers as the prospector Whitney Ellsworth on Western drama Deadwood. »
- Emily Rome
'Suicide Squad' star Margot Robbie: I got 'the best character'
12 May 2016 11:13 AM, PDT
While so much of the attention for the upcoming anti-superhero movie Suicide Squad is centered on Jared Leto and his portrayal of The Joker, one cast member is convinced that part isn’t the one to watch. In an interview with Oyster, Margot Robbie, who plays Harley Quinn, said she’s certain she got the role to be envied. "I thought that I had the best character in the movie,” Robbie said. “I wouldn't trade my character in Suicide Squad for anyone else's." Robbie then went on to note that her fondness for comic books has grown in recent days, no doubt a result of landing the role. While she admits to not having read comics growing up, Robbie now calls herself “obsessed.” Suicide Squad, which stars Robbie, Leto, Will Smith and Viola Davis is set for an August 5 release. »
- David Eckstein
We have theories about who Lupita Nyong’o will play in ‘Black Panther’
12 May 2016 11:08 AM, PDT
Disney has turned to its own for its latest Marvel hire. Lupita Nyong’o is in talks for a part in Black Panther, The Hollywood Reporter revealed today. Nyong’o — who’s appeared in Disney’s new Jungle Book, upcoming film Queen of Katwe, and, of course, The Force Awakens as Maz Kanata — would star opposite Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa/Black Panther in the first standalone film for the character introduced to movie audiences in Captain America: Civil War. The Oscar winner’s character has not been revealed, but The Hollywood Reporter says she’ll play the Black Panther’s love interest. So that would lead us to believe she’s playing Ororo Munroe — a.k.a. Storm, Halle Berry’s character in the X-Men movies. Ororo is a notable love interest for T’Challa in the comics — though it’s not happily ever after for the pair. But »
- Emily Rome
Adult Swim to air 'Robot Chicken: The Walking Dead' special
12 May 2016 10:23 AM, PDT
Zombies and robots and chickens. Oh my! Adult Swim today announced plans for a Robot Chicken: The Walking Dead special. The show will be a collaboration between Rc creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich and Twd’s executive producer Robert Kirkman and showrunner Scott Gimple. Cartoon Network said that the episode will be “extra bloody,” as if that’s even possible. This is not the first time Robot Chicken has collaborated with major sci-fi and geek properties. In the past, the show has worked with Star Wars as well as stories from the DC Comics world. The air date has not yet been announced. »
- David Eckstein
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