Following the poster release of the much anticipated Sherlock Christmas Special, a brand new teaser was shown at San Diego Comic Con. From deerstalker to snowy streets to silly facial hair, the teaser would make any Sherlock fan tremble with excitement. The teaser shows that while the special will take place in Victorian times, it still holds much of the same modern, British wit the show is known for. It also seems to be poking fun at itself with Watson’s mustache as well as calling out some of the original text’s sexism. Mrs. Hudson objects to Watson’s depictions of her as a simple housemaid in his stories, arguing with him about it as they enter the house. While fans still have two odd years until series four, this teaser for the soon(ish) Christmas special is a good way to combat the hiatus blues.
Unfortunately, show stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Mark Gatiss and Andrew Scott weren’t able to make it to the convention. Cumberbatch is tied up with playing Hamlet in London, Scott is working on “Spectre 007” and rumors are that Freeman is filming on the next Marvel-related flick. However, Scott, Cumberbatch and Gatiss sent their love and apologies through a witty video.
The Christmas special will be shown in select theaters across the globe alongside its Television release, a smart move given how long the episode will be (90 minutes.) Sherlock always feels more like a mini movie anyway, so it’s no surprise the BCC is finally giving it the large screen it deserves.
Stephen Moffat gave a few hints at the Sherlock panel at SDCC about the fourth series coming out in 2017 saying, “We know very clearly what stories we’re doing for the next season… and the never-stop-crying cliffhangers.” He also said that series four of Sherlock will include even more emotional turmoil for fans who can expect to be “sucker punched into emotional devastation.” He said this with a big smile on his face, which can only mean one thing. Grab the tissues. Gather the alcohol. Prep your ice cream scoops. We’re in for it.
Videos belong to the BBC and Andrew Scott. Feature photo by www.mirror.co.uk.
After the month of October brought us a handful of diverse, good movies, we come to the barren wasteland that is November. Aside from a new Oscar contenders, indie films and family blockbusters, this November looks to be a relatively quiet one. Take advantage of the time off and go see one of these movies!
November 7 – Big Hero 6
Starring: Ryan Potter, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., TJ Miller, Maya Rudolph, Alan Tudyk
The powerhouse combo of Marvel and Disney have teamed up to bring us the newest, and probably one of the best, animated feature of the year. Big Hero 6 is based on a comic series of the same name, chronicling the adventures of Hiro Takachiho, a kid genius who is forced to join a group of superheroes to save Tokyo. The comic seems much darker, with its roots engrained in the aftermath of WWII. The Disney movie will be a light version, using similar characters, but giving a lot of heart to inflatable robot Baymax, the robot who wants to help people. I don’t know if it was the first trailer released, or the epic song they play during the preview, but I’m pretty sure this is the kind of inspirational animation that I might need to bring my box of tissues to. – Adrian
November 7 – Interstellar
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Wes Bentley (Seneca Crane from The Hunger Games)
The mad genius Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan at it again. After a couple years off from directing, the legendary filmmaker who brought us Momento and The Dark Knight trilogy is taking us out of this world in Interstellar. This film focuses on space travel, and Earth’s need for a sustainable life source. To add to the validity of the storyline, physicist and longtime colleague of Stephen Hawking was brought in as scientific consultant to the movie. While Interstellar has some star power attached to it in Oscar-winners Matthew McConaughey, it will no doubt rely on its heavy sci-fi elements and beautiful effects to bring people in. Look for this film to be as awe-inspiring visually as it is in subject, so this might be the one time that you pay the extra bump to see this movie in iMAX. – Sherif
November 14 – Foxcatcher
Starring: Steve Carrell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo
Who would have known that the only thing keeping Steve Carrell from looking like a total sex offender was his eyebrows? Carrell, who takes a step outside his normal funny-man role (waaay further than The Way, Way Back), plays a creepy millionaire who sponsor wrestling brothers Mark and Dave Schultz to win a gold medal as part of “Team Foxcatcher.” In real life, the story of the Schultz brothers is one of triumph turns tragedy, and has already been subject of a book called Wrestling With Madness. Long story short, sponsor John Eleuthère du Pont (Carrell) becomes schizophrenic and murders Dave. While I hope that this doesn’t become another platform movie for mental illness, I hear that the movie is chilling and suspenseful; some great performances by trio of stars here could really take this movie from cliché to something with substances. – Sherif
November 14 – Beyond the Lights
Starring: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver, Danny Glover, Machine Gun Kelly
The movie is a romantic drama which is both written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. When the pressures of stardom pushes Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) to attempt suicide, Kaz (Nate Parker), a police officer, saves her from throwing herself off a building. A romance soon buds as both are pressured by fame and family who threaten their relationship. I like the preview. I am a sucker for romantic dramas and the story looks engaging enough. I don’t know if it’s a romance to blow use out of the park, but it looks like an emotionally-fulfilling movie. It also has some great actors that I know I’ll get a lot of entertainment out of. I might not go to the theater to see if, but I will definitely see it when it come out on DVD. – Jené
November 14 – Dumb and Dumber To
Starring: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Laurie Holden (Andrea from The Walking Dead)
So… Is Jeff Daniels low on money? Did Jim Carrey lose a bet? I can’t see any other reason that these guys would want to get together and do this absolutely laughable movie – and not the type of movie that you laugh with. The only thing that I’m really glad to see back here is the dog van. I was a huge fan of the original Dumb and Dumber, and even snickered at Dumb and Dumberer, but from the trailers, this looked like another recycled bastardization of a classic 90’s film. If you’re really hoping for some nostalgia, cross your fingers and hope that the Farrelly brothers can bring back the magic, but chances are you will be better off seeing Big Hero 6 and Interstellar for the second time instead. – Sherif
November 21 – Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Pete Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s CGI’d face, Donald Sutherland, Natalie Dormer
The wait is almost over! Mockingjay is here, but not to its fullest; we will have to wait a whole year for Part 2 to be released. But what we have is the beginning of the Revolution. While I loved the book Mockingjay it is one of the few books I have read that I thought, “I would love to see this on the big screen.” The battles are sure to cause goosebumps, Katniss’s use of celebrity is sure to produce a fire within her young audience, and the deaths of beloved characters may start tears in the eyes of tweens around the country. While the first two movies were aimed toward a younger generation of girls, I feel that Mockingjay becomes very adult – much like Harry Potter did at the end. I know that this movie will create the same atmosphere; the marketing strategy is brilliant by using the same marketing campaign that President Snow uses on the people of Panem – a direct attribute of the mature nature of the story. – Adrian
November 21 – V/H/S: Viral
Starring: Emilia Ares Zoryan, Emmy Argo, Gregg Bishop, Nick Blanco, Dan Caudill, Angela Garcia, Amanda Hall, Justin Welborn
VHS: Viral is the third installment in only two years to the relatively well received found footage VHS series. Like the others in the series, VHS: Viral will include one overarching storyline as well as a handful of individual stories. This time around, we’ll meet a group of fame hungry young people as they take to the streets to try and get some footage of the runaway ice cream truck that has captivated all of Los Angeles. Yes, you read that right. While the main storyline sounds like a bad version of Twisted Metal, the short stories within the movie range from really intriguing (Parallel Monsters, about monsters within parallel universes) to just plain the stupidest thing I have ever heard (Dante the Great, about an actual magic cape). VHS: Viral seems to be the weakest addition so far, this time even attracting the least exciting directors for each short. Judging from the trailer it seem like it will have its moments, but where the other films had somewhat weak segments and awesome segments, it’s seems the juxtaposition this time around will be just alright and god awful. I’ll give it a shot, because I always do, but I’ll probably hate myself for it. – Keriann
November 21 – The Imitation Game
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister from Game of Thrones)
Get ready to learn somethin’ ‘Murica. Unlike the flurry of WWII movies made in recent years, The Imitation Game follows a British group of scientists who use computer science via the Enigma machine to break the Germans advanced communication codes. Spearheaded by Alan Turing, the group uses their technological prowess to learn the codes created by the Nazis. Based on the true events, the film is sure to shed some light on the major contributions of other countries in the war. Turing is credited with making some of the biggest contributions and advancements in the war, possibly stopping the war from continuing for an estimated two to four years longer. If you want to learn more about Alan Turing’s life (warning: it ain’t pretty), I highly recommend checking out The Enigma by Andrew Hodges from your local library. – Adrian
November 26 – Horrible Bosses 2
Starring: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Chris Pine, Christoph Waltz, Kevin Spacey, Jonathan Banks (Mike from Breaking Bad), Keegan-Michael Key (Key from Key & Peele)
Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis are back to commit crimes against employers for a second time in Horrible Bosses2. If you saw the original Horrible Bosses, you know that the three of them have excellent chemistry and they are one of the funniest groupings of comedic actors I’ve seen. Director Sean Anders looks like he knows how to do a sequel right. He took what was already a funny movie and just built upon it well. He brought back the main cast of characters and kept the favorites in Jamie Foxx and Kevin Spacey. Jennifer Anniston is also back but….meh. They also bring the talents of Christoph Waltz and Chris Pine. You wouldn’t expect to see Waltz in a comedy but I have a feeling he’ll be good. I liked him in The Green Hornet, yeah I said it. Chris Pine looks like Gary from Team America: World Peace. This time instead of trying to kill their bosses they’re the bosses. When Christoph Waltz comes around to take over their company with some slick investments the trio decides to get their hands a little dirty again with a terribly misguided kidnapping of Gary Pine. Horrible Bosses 2 looks to be a very successful sequel, which can be hard to do with comedies, just ask Will Ferrell. Takes some time around Thanksgiving to see this one.
November 26 – The Penguins of Madagascar
Starring: Tom McGrath, John DiMaggio, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Malkovich, Ken Jeong
The lovable quartet of special ops penguins make their return after stealing hearts in the Madagascar trilogy, as well as getting their own cartoon series. As far as family movies go for the holiday, this is it, and that’s not a bad thing. Penguins of Madagascar could be a hit, and 20th Century Fox is really pulling out all the stops to make sure that it is, accompanying the movie with a video game and a comic book mini-series. I don’t think the train has already left the station just yet for Madagascar, but with the lackluster reception of Madagascar 3, this definitely feels like more of a desperate attempt to gain back an audience than a capitalization on a growing franchise. Nevertheless, Penguins of Madagascar is sure to guarantee some good laughs and a sure-fire way to entertain the whole family during your Thanksgiving Day break. – Sherif
With the expansion of Hush Comics, we have decided to give bi-weekly news updates. Anything we find news-worthy will be posted here bi-weekly. Have anything to add? Post it in the comments!
This week, we’re excited about several new books out, but none moreso than Ms. Marvel, which has been rebooted and features a young Muslim girl as the superhero. Read this article by The Washington Post to see why this is a BFD.
The Lex Luthor story line in the new Batman vs. Superman movie is going to be similar to something we’ve seen before.
The late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman still had a vital scene to film to complete the Mockingjay – Part II film. So what are they to do? Three words: C.G.I.
Kick-Ass news! John Romita Jr. will be coming to DC Comics to do Superman with Geoff Johns this summer. The team-up could give the Man of Steel a much-needed boost.
Voting for the 2014 Comic Alliance Readers’ Choice Awards ends soon! Go vote and feel validated!
Can anybody smell what The Rock is cooking? You can’t just Tweet out #JohnStewartCanStillWhupSupermansAss without people thinking that you will be playing the Green Lantern John Stewart in an upcoming movie.
The fairy-tale world is on fire right now – figuratively, of course. Zooey Deschanel will be producing an animated sitcom called Queen of Everything to FOX.
Long-running show Psych has been cancelled just a couple months into their eight season; the last episode airs March 26th.
Try to keep up here. The Flash’s new spin-off series, which begins filming in March, has found an actress to play Iris West, who is the love interest of Barry Allen, who is the Flash (shhhh!); her name is Candice Patton and she was in a show called The Game they also chose Broadway actor Carlos Valdez, who will play Vibe, a young and inexperienced hero who can emit powerful vibrations from his arms. He must be a hit with the ladies… Whoo, that was fast.
The next-gen release of Disney Infinity 2 will feature both Marvel and Star Wars characters. If you were looking for an excuse to buy the game, there it is!
Speaking of Star Wars, Disney has already announced that they will introduce the brand-new Star Wars Rebels series by way of original Disney Channel movie this Summer.
Sunny Day, Sweepin’ the clouds aw-Kahhhhn!!! Benedict Cumberbatch stopped by to join the cast of Sesame Street.
Bill Nye, who is like, the Guy, when it comes to science, had a debate with best-selling Christian author Ken Ham to discuss Evolutionism vs Creationism. It’s a lengthy and intelligent debate held by NPR, so get some sleep, get your grand-dad’s pipe out and watch the debate here.
It might be the news about how crappy Sochi is doing, I was just thinking the other day that there haven’t been any good movies about an Olympic tragedy in a while. Enter Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill, who will both co-star in a film about the 1996 Atlanta bomber.
Assassin’s Creed: Freedom Cry will be its own $15 downloadable game, meaning you won’t have to buy AC4 to get in on the action. I hope they do this with every game’s DLC going forward. Arrrrrr.
FX’s Archer is about to dead a whole lot better, as The Walking Dead‘s Lauren Cohan (Maggie) will be joining the show for multiple episodes. She describes her character as “a wealthy corrupt President’s wife who is vaguely European.” SOLD.
If you’ve read our “Shut Up and Take My Money” article on RetroFit gaming systems, then you will geek out when the RetroFit TRIO comes out in the next couple months.
So… who is going to beat the living f*** out of George Zimmerman? There were apparently 15,000 people who applied to fight Zimmerman. What a scumbag… Details of the fight will be announced in a week.
Ubisoft had a little debacle with the trademark name of their high-profile game Watch Dogs when somebody had fraudulently filed to dissolve the trademark name of the upcoming game. Ubisoft is trying to correct the issue and it should not impede the game’s release.
They’re talking about another Duke Nukem game. Oh God, Why?? Just let it die!
Genre – Sci-fi, Adventure
Director – J.J. Abrams
Cast – Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch
Alluring element – The next edition of one of the most beloved space-adventure franchises of all time
Check It Out If You Liked – Star Trek (new and old), Star Wars, Pretty much anything with the word “Star” in the title
SCORECARD (each category ranked on a 10-point scale):
Plot – 8
Acting – 9
Representation of Genre –10
Cinematography – 9
Effects/Environment – 10
Captivity – 9
Logical consistency – 8
Originality/Creativity – 7
Soundtrack/Music – 8
Overall awesomeness – 9
Fellow Hushers… I am ashamed. As the closing credits rolled for Into Darkness I felt only SHAME coursing through my veins! …Shame upon MYSELF!! Shame that I, a self-proclaimed sci-fi buff have not given more of my devotion to the glorious story that is Star Trek. As some of you may be aware, I’m a ride-or-die Star Wars fan. I’ve been using this fact to excuse my vast lack of knowledge about all things Star Trek for some time. I’ve never seen an entire season of any one of the many TV series and I’ve only seen one Star Trek movie – the 2009 reboot and predecessor to Into Darkness. At the same time, I’m not completely ignorant. I do know all the major characters and their roles, I’ve got a decent hold of the different alien species and planets, and I understand the premise of Star Fleet and the basic storyline. I’ve got the fundamentals, you could say. After seeing the newest Star Trek film, I am no longer satisfied by having just the fundamentals. Into Darkness has convinced me to cut the excuses and dive headlong into the vast body of the Star Trek universe. I vow that before the end of the year I will join the ranks of Trekkies out there. My point being – Star Trek: Into Darkness is an awesome film and you’d be a damned fool to miss it. Keep in mind folks that this is all coming from a SW Fan Boy.
Into Darkness starts out with the Enterprise crew as we left them at the end of Abrams first Star Trek film. Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Bones, Scotty, Chekov, and Sulu are all in action and on a mission! The opening sequence lands the team on planet Nibiru. A vibrant and bizarre jungle world with an indigenous and underdeveloped population whose very existence is threatened by an enormous volcano on the verge of a massive eruption. Not only that, but those same natives the team is out to save happen to be quite unfriendly and aggressive. Mix in that the Enterprise crew cannot allow themselves (or their vastly superior technology) to be seen by the locals and it all makes for an amazingly captivating start. The film then transitions into what will be the main plot. We’re taken back to Earth and in London where a devious and mysterious plan begins to take form under the direction of one man – John Harrison. Harrison begins committing acts of deadly terror aimed at Star Fleet. This eventually kicks Kirk and crew into gear to go out and hunt this man down. And to aid him in his mission Star Fleet Admiral Marcus provides the Enterprise with new, top-secret torpedoes. This all seems great to Kirk, but to the Enterprise’s lead engineer, Scotty this all seems very, very bad. Let me tell you from personal experience folks, it’s not a good idea to ignore an engineer’s recommendation. As the manhunt gets underway, the situation evolves as stunning revelations begin to surface. Before long the Enterprise team is faced with extreme challenges that if left unbeaten could throw the entire galaxy into unfathomable chaos and destruction.
I loved the 2009 Star Trek. It was so well executed in the way it allowed for new fans and old fans to enjoy the revamp without tarnishing the origin stories. The bar was set high for the imminent sequel. Well, as high as a “sequel bar” can possibly be set, because, face it, sequels are never better than the original. Right?-WRONG! Okay, 99 percent of the time the sequel isn’t better, but folks I’ve got to say that Into Darkness may be part of that 1 percent (and this is a 1 percent I’m actually willing to get behind). At the very least I’d say that it was of equal caliber. This is not to say that Into Darkness was just more of the same. The movie makers did a great job of taking familiar characters in a well-established universe and creating something new. Again, I can’t speak in context to ALL of the Star Trek stories, but in relation to the 2009 Star Trek this new film was just as exciting and intense. I’ll go out on a limb and say that fans more dedicated than I were pleased with, or at least appreciated, what Abrams and team put together. [SPOILER ALERT: I especially think true fans will appreciate the surprising twist of John Harrison’s true identity. Though I’ve never seen the movie, every nerd in the galaxy knows the merciless and deadly cunning of…KHANNN!!! END SPOILER ALERT]
The whole film felt like one big roller coaster ride – if you like roller coasters that is. So many things went right! The action scenes were powerful, but not overwhelming. The plot drove the movie and in good pace. The effects stunningly accentuated every detail and moment. The characters undergo constant growth and development. The bad guys are relatable which makes them scarier. Oh now I’m just gushing. <<both hands on cheeks>> It’s difficult to find critique in this film. I will say that some aspects of the story were predictable and others somewhat misplaced. None of it is distracting, however, and all of it carries purpose. I wish I had a Trekkie sitting next to me as I wrote this so I could ask their opinion and critique of Into Darkness, but to the average sci-fi lover’s mind and eye, this film is excellent. Hush Comics gives Star Trek: Into Darkness an 87 out of 100. This summer is going to be hot people, and I’m not talking about the weather. Start off in great fashion by going to see Into Darkness in theaters. Being a Fan Boy, my usual sign off is “may the Force be with you.” But, just this once I’ll leave you with “live long and prosper.” Hush on Hushers!
Hush Comics 