Meet Marvel’s All-New, All-Different Roster

You’ve met the A-Force, now Marvel is pulling out all the stops to introduce it’s “next big thing.” The line-up for Marvel’s All-New, All Different brand is going to be a mish-mash of some of your old favorites, and new characters you may have never seen before, so let’s dive in, shall we?

 

Here are a list of the characters, and which books you can find them in (that we know of). Clockwise, we have:

• Agent Phil Coulson (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.): These people have to report to somebody. He’s the guy with a gun surrounded by people with super powers.
• Spider-Gwen (Spider-Gwen): Gwen Stacy and her readers hit the jackpot when it was announced she would be a regular in the Marvel U.
• Spider-Man (Amazing Spider-Man): Yep, Peter Parker is still around, doing Spider-stuff. No surprise here.
• Iron Man (Superior Iron Man): Tony is on his way to becoming a total d-bag. Sorry, let me clarify – a totally unlikeable d-bag. The new suit suggests that he does not hold on to his symbiote-Extremis armor much longer.
• The Vision (Uncanny Avengers):
• Ultimate Spider-Man, Miles Morales (Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man): The end of the Ultimate universe means that Miles will have a new home alongside the 616 Peter Parker and a slew of familiar Spideys.
• Red Wolf (time travel back to 1972 for his 9-issue solo series): Not to use the “T” word, but I’m hoping this resurrected character isn’t a token move, just to sell books under the guise of diversity.
• Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel): Ain’t no party like a Ms. Marvel party cuz a Ms. Marvel party don’t stop.
• Thor, Jane Foster (Thor): After the recent reveal that the new Thor is Jane Foster, and that she is dying, what the heck will become of her going forward in the MU?
• Ant-Man, Scott Lang (Ant-Man): He’s not your father’s Ant-Man, that’s for sure. Scott Lang is twice as hilarious, and hasn’t created a killer robot – so he’s already winning that debate, in my books.
• Steve Rogers (Civil War): After passing on the mantle of Captain America, Steve Rogers is just an old man who knows how to do nothing but fight (I see you, Solid Snake!). Could he perhaps take over Nick Fury’s duties?
• Captain America, Sam Wilson (All-New Captain America, Captain America and the Mighty Avengers): The former Falcon has his work cut out for him if he’s going to remain in Rogers’ shadow. He’s fully capable, though, and has a bit of a mean streak I didn’t know about.
• Black Panther, T’Challa (New Avengers, Avengers): Even if it’s just to hype him up for his solo film, give this man something to do, Marvel! This is the guy who just recently went to war with Namor. T’Challa is a fan favorite in need of some resurrection, and Marvel doesn’t have to do much work to make that happen; he’s not Aquaman, for crying out loud.
• Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman): Another Spider-person carving a space of their own in the MU. She’s smart, sassy, and hopefully has a bigger role to play as an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. going forward.

UPDATE: A second team was announced today.

 

Same thing, clockwise from the top left, here is the second team and where you can find them in comic books:

• Doctor Spectrum (New Avengers): After being murdered by Black Bolt, she is making a comeback here.
• Rocket Raccoon (Groot): It wouldn’t be the MU without him at this point.
• Hyperion (Avengers): A new Hyperion joined the team with the Marvel NOW! reboot, one without the image of being a bootlegged Superman. I’m interested to see where he fits in the MU, but this new costume looks better than the previous ones.
• Iron Man: Is him being the centerpiece of both images a sign of something? It seems unlikely that Marvel would do that incidentally; could this be indicative of a two-Tony dynamic like the one from Ultimate End. Who doesn’t want more Iron Man?
• Daredevil (Daredevil): Oh. Em. Gee… Is that the Shadowlands version of Daredevil? I hope it’s not something lame, like just to emulate the homemade suit on the Netflix series. I would much like to see Matt Murdock back in control of the Hand.
• Doctor Strange (Secret Wars): He’s currently serving as Doom’s bitch-boy in the Secret Wars series, but that doesn’t mean he’ll stay like that. He’s still one of the most powerful beings in the universe, and seems to be carrying an Asgardian axe – one used specifically for kicking ass, and then taking names.
• Old Man Logan (Old Man Logan): Has Logan outgrown the X-Men? This very surly version of an already-very surly character is going to be an odd, but intriguing, fit in an MU with so many mutants and heroes in it. I’m thinking it will be like reading Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt with superheroes… if the role of Kimmy was played by Hugh Jackman.
• Star-Lord (Legendary Star-Lord, Guardians of the Galaxy): Last we saw Peter Quill, he proposed to Kitty Pryde… IN SPACE. Good luck following that one up, fellas. That’s a hell of a loose end.
• X-23 (All-New X-Men): Doesn’t really matter your take on the situation, but X-23 looks BAD ASS as the new Wolverine. Kudos to Marvel for bringing back the original colorway. Total fangasm for her taking over the mantle.
• Medusa (A-Force, Inhuman, Inhumans: Attilan Rising): This cutie with the long red hair is part of the A-Force, an all-new, all-female team of badass women, but more recognizable as part of the royal family of Attilan.
• Human Torch, Johnny Storm (Uncanny Inhumans): Johnny has had a ridiculous journey the past couple years. He died. He was resurrected. His spot on the team was taken by Spider-Man. He lost his powers. In short, it sucked to be Johnny Storm. That is, until some Terrigen Mist helped Johnny find his powers, and a new team.
• Karnak (New Avengers): Here’s a guy who doesn’t look like he belongs… You may remember this guy as the one who jumped out of a window and killed himself before the Terrigen Mist spread and created so many Inhumans.
• The Thing : Whether he’s feeling self-conscious about his rock-hard abs or just trying out a new fashion style, Ben Grimm is back and rocking a Guardians of the Galaxy suit – one that matches Rocket, who is perched on his shoulders.
• Citizen V: This guy (whomever it is taking up the mantle) is so flamboyantly patriotic, he’s like the Elton John of America. Even Steve Rogers is like, “dude, tone it down.” The concept of Citizen V (vee) has been around since World War II, and whose death led to the creation of super soldier Steve Rogers. His new iteration looks like the lovechild of Batman, Captain America and Spawn.

 

So Far This Week… January 29, 2014

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!

So far this week…

This is so last week, but I think there’s always time for a word from Kid President.

The Super Bowl is this Sunday (in case you’re living in a fantasy world where you’re not reminded that every day), and you know we’re going to be rooting for our Denver Broncos, but Floyd “Money” Mayweather is willing to put his money where his mouth is and put almost $10.5 million on the Orange Crush.

EMPIRE Magazine has just released an EPIC feature for the X-Men: Days of Future Past movie. There are 25 covers in all, chronicling a plethora of characters new and old. I think my brain might just explode in anticipation for this movie.

Better Call Saul will be an amazing show, I’m absolutely sure of it. Debuting in November as a Netflix original series, word has it that Johnathan Banks AKA Mike Ehrmentrout will be joining Bob Odenkirk on the show. No word on any other Bad cast members, but there’s sure to be plenty of guys that know a guy making an appearance.

A Million Ways to Die in the West, a Western-style comedy directed by and starring Seth McFarlane, dropped new posters showing off the main characters. The film hits theaters at the end of May 2014.

The CW’s Arrow show has been exploding with guest spots, as we’ve seen Bronze Tiger, Ra’s Al Ghul, Vertigo and Deathstroke. Adding to the list will be Nyssa, daughter of R’as Al Ghul and the return of Huntress.

In this great clip from the deleted scenes of Thor 2, in the scene where Chris Evans makes a guest appearance, Tom Hiddleston does his best Captain America impression. What a funny guy.

The Walking Dead Escape, a life-like obstacle course full of walkers that we were lucky enough to participate in during San Diego Comic-Con in 2012, will be holding a nation-wide tour. If you live in one of these lucky cities, I highly recommend checking it out.

Not to take away anything from Batman! Live, but Disney is firing back with Marvel Universe Live and I am all about it. The tour starts in July and continues on for the next couple years, not hitting Denver until 1/29/16.

Looking forward to some Star Wars dirt soon? Yeah, don’t count on it. They have JJ Abrams on lockdown!

In preparation for the upcoming Michael Bay Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, some new character models for The Shredder and the turtles have been released. And they look beautiful. I’m not feeling safe yet, but this is a good sign.

BBC has released pictures of the 12th Doctor in costume. Peter Capaldi looks pretty debonair. Whovians, weigh in!

Contrary to popular choice, upcoming PS4 game inFamous: Second Son will not have a multi-player mode – to which I say, “Good.” Judging by the detail we’ve seen in gameplay trailers, I could care less about another throw-away online mode.

Christoph Waltz shaved his glorious beard (and head. and eyebrows) for his role for the futuristic film, The Zero Theorem, about a man trying to find meaning in life. It will be released in the UK March 14, and should make its way to the states this year.

In other video-game news, Sony is working on a Playstation 1 and Playstation 2 emulator for the PS4. This could make a lot of people with a lot of unused games very happy. Can you say Intelligent Qube or NBA Street Vol. 2?

Got $100k (and rising) to blow? Need a place to keep that velociraptor until Valentine’s Day comes around? Somebody on eBay is selling a prop from Jurassic Park of the raptor cages used in the movie.

Hey NERDS! The 40th anniversary to the greatest table-top game in history, Dungeons and Dragons, was just a few days ago. Go roll yourself a 20.

Check back on Sunday to get a new round-up!

Written by Sherif Elkhatib

Diggin’ Through the Crates: Eminem “Rap God”

You know what’s more gangsta than some Hip-Hop? Hip-Hop with lyrics about comics! You may not know it, but there are tons of artists out in the world that are nerdy at heart. Underneath those expensive jackets and gold chains lie Superman S’s, Batman spotlights, and Spiderman webs that slide ever so subtly out of rappers’ mouths. Little do you know, those kids reading comic books in class are going to grow up to be rappers…yup…rappers. So it comes with great pleasure that I present to you all an addition to Hush that involves my two great loves – Hip-Hop and Comics, YO!

Artist: Eminem

Song: “Rap God”

Album: The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013)

Lyric: “Dale Earnhardt of the trailer park, the White Trash God/ Kneel before General Zod; this planet’s Krypton – no Asgard, Asgard/ So you be Thor and I’ll be Odin/ you rodent, I’m omnipotent”

Meaning/Character Reference:

“Rap God” is one of the newest hits that’s come from Slim Shady and it’s obvious that not only does he do his comic research and he is not ashamed to show it, but he also understand the chain of command in both the Marvel and DC world.

Let’s break it down: “Kneel before General Zod this planet’s Krypton, No Asgard, Asgard.” As many of you know, General Zod is the warlord of the lost planet of Krypton, and one of Superman’s ultimate enemies. Eminem has always portrayed his alter ego as the “Bad Guy,” so it would seem that General Zod is very appropriate. One of General Zod’s famous lines in comics is “Kneel before Zod” which is something he says to those he believe is inferior – which is everybody. Fun Fact: Michael Shannon, who plays the role of General Zod in Man of Steel, also plays the boyfriend of Eminem’s mom in 8 Mile…..OH SNAP!!

Seamlessly, Slim moves through universes and dimensions and winds up on Asgard, Asgard (which I can only assume is the capital of Asgard). Now that we are here, who would you think is the biggest badass in that universe? Thor, right? WRONG! Even though Thor is a powerful demi-god, and a premiere member of the Avengers; however, he is not the god of all gods. Odin, Thor’s father, is the greatest of them all. Even Thor knows his place in this world and bows to Odin. Eminem clearly wants the rap game to know that other rap god are still beneath him

BONUS LYRIC:

“And I should not be woken/ I’m the walking dead, but I’m just a talking head/ A zombie floating.”

Boom! I gave y’all a bonus lyric just because I can. Once again, Eminem displays his nerdiness by referencing a great comic book series and television show, The Walking Dead. In this rhyme, Em’ is basically saying that if you disturb him from his slumber, it’s only going to be bad news for you. Slim is immortal, y’all! Even if you cut his head off, it can’t stop him. He will still be a floating head inside the Governor’ fish tank rap battling any other undead head that challenges him. Eminem prove to be a rap god to the casket and past it.

That’s all for now. Check back next week for more Hip-Hop and Comics!

Written by Evan Lowe

Thor: The Dark World Review

Genre – Comic Book/Action/Fantasy

Director – Alan Taylor (Thor, the next Terminator film)
Cast – Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba
Alluring element – Rides off the coattails of The Avengers, Lots-o-Loki, Natalie freakin Portman 

Check it out if you liked – The Avengers, comic book movies, dry Whedonesque humor

 

Plot – 6
Acting – 8
Representation of Genre – 8 
Cinematography – 9
Effects/Environment – 9
Captivity – 8
Logical consistency – 7
Originality/Creativity – 7 
Soundtrack/Music – 8
Overall awesomeness – 7
Natalie Portman Tom Hiddleston offset - +5

Thor: The Dark World opened with $85.7 million worldwide – not bad for Disney. Acquiring the rights to Marvel films has secured their studios rank among the movie franchise greats. Fanboys can breath a collective sigh of relief. Our nightmares of Professor X sing-a-longs with teacups and woodland creatures can finally be laid to rest. The integrity of our beloved comics has, for the most part, been maintained with only a few noticeable slights along the way, ahem, Iron Man 3.

You lost me at gratuitous…. and totally worth it.

The story is cliché and simplistic, so lets get that out of the way. There was a war, the bad guys tried to obtain a weapon that would defeat the good guys and when they lost, the weapon was buried deep where no one could find it until an unlikely character stumbled upon it and was consumed by its power. The bad guys searched for it and they found it and before they could wield its true power, then they were defeated again by a brave warrior. So in other words, Thor 2 is basically a 120 minute version of The Lord Of The Rings. It even has elves, but its lack of original script is forgiven, more so tolerated, by its incredible CGI and the always adorable Natalie Portman.

Why be an astro-physicist when you can be The Phoenix.

Carrying an entire movie on one name can be a stressful task. Disney was betting on riding Hemsworth’s pecs to a big payday, but the box office can be unforgiving if an A-Lister can’t deliver. Leading roles are becoming exceptionally dull. The overtly moral, one-dimensional character apparently bores writers like Christopher Yost of Dark World. Man of Steel is a perfect example. I can hardly remember Henry Cavill even being in the movie, but Michael Shannon made me a life-long fan with his portrayal of General Zod (“I WILL FIND HIM!”). The list goes on: Kevin Bacon owned First Class, Alfred Molina in Spiderman 2, and we are all aware of Ledger’s glorious performance in The Dark Knight. With that being said, “I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose!” Thor 2 can attribute its success to its villain, played by Tom Hiddleston.

As a prisoner of Asgard he kept our attention, pacing his cell like a lion at the San Diego Zoo. His facial expressions read as predatory. Loki is a thinker. He is planning 3 moves ahead of the game. He took us by storm in Avengers. He stole every scene and was just as entertaining as Downing, if not more. He clearly has mastered the art of delivery, placing a breath where it is needed before a line for dramatic effect. It was such a relief to see an actor jump so effortlessly into a role. He is most definitely the best written character as well. Delivering beautiful rebuttal lines like:

Thor: I wish I could trust you.
Loki: Trust my rage.

In one scene he stabs Thor in a ruse to fool the Dark Elves. It was so well done that even the audience was fooled and we once again had a reason to hate and love his character.

This is that part where you give me my own movie.

The remaining cast does not disappoint. Idris Elba had my favorite scene as Heimdall, guardian of Bifrost, the rainbow bridge. At one point, he jumped from the bridge onto one of the Dark Elves warships in an attempt to thwart their invasion. He is a one man army. Plus his armor is sick! The always sarcastic Kat Dennings delivers a wonderfully dry comic relief role as Darcy Lewis, proving that Zooey Deschanel doesn’t have the market cornered for brunette hipsters. Rene Russo has clearly aged. No longer the MILF of the Thomas Crown days, she plays a great sentinel of Asgard wielding a sword to protect Jane Foster, played by Natalie Portman.

The real test of Thor will be whether or not the man with the hammer can defeat The Girl on Fire. The first Hunger Games movie opened at $152.5 million worldwide. Catching Fire will prove to be a good draw and take a large chunk of Thor’s future box office. Traditionally, a Hollywood heartthrob would have little to worry about keeping 14 year old girls and work-from-home moms in the seats, but with the over-all badassery and girl power of Katniss Everdeen on the other side of the aisle it is clear that Thor’s numbers will take a strong dip.

I was super excited for the release of The Dark World, mostly due to the extraordinary job done that was done with his character in The Avengers, so there was an expectation to begin with. Admittedly, I held the film to a higher standard going in. This score is almost all attributed to Hiddleston’s flawlessly deviant characterization of an inconspicuous comic villain. He needs a franchise. Hopefully he will make an appearance in Age of Ultron. I am still a little bummed that James Spader beat out Vin Diesel for the voice of Ultron, but hey, it could have been Affleck.

written by John Soweto

Monthly Movie Preview: November 2013

The blockbusters are coming! The blockbusters are coming! November stars off with a bang and keeps getting better. With some big movies on the horizon, it’s hard not to get excited about the action movies, the book-to-movie adaptations and family films coming your way this upcoming month.

November 1 – Ender’s Game

Starring: Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis

Based off the 1985 book of the same name, Ender’s Game is centered around a young boy who is enlisted into some weird child army to single-handedly eliminate an alien threat and save the world. This child prodigy, played by Asa Butterfield (Hugo‘s title actor), is a very advanced strategist and thinker for his age, which leads him to be outcasted a lot. The book focused on a lot of battle strategy and the “games” he plays to train himself – many of which I think kids would love to play. I’m thoroughly excited to see this movie and think it will translate into a beautiful District 9/Harry Potter sci-fi mash-up.

November 1 – Free Birds

Starring: Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Amy Poehler, Dwight Howard (for reals!)

Okay, so nobody roots for a turkey to win, but that may change after Free Birds comes out. Awkwardly just a few weeks before millions of pounds of turkey are devoured by Americans, Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson will lead an animated revolution to go back in time and “take turkeys off the menu.” TOO SOON. The trailer shows lots of good family fun, and enough jokes for adults to enjoy it as well. It looks worth checking out, but with all the other juggernaut films coming out the next few days, it might have served well to come out a little closer to Thanksgiving. Here’s to hoping their plan works!

November 1 – Last Vegas

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Kevin Kline, 50 Cent

Imagine Hangover forty years later. Seriously, that’s about it; it’s a little shallow, but with the star-power that comes with this movie, there should be enough momentum to carry it. Aimed towards a different demographic, expect a lot of old people jokes. Actually, that’s really all you should expect. It’s also time that I accept that Morgan Freeman and Robert De Niro are officially old. The scene with Morgan Freeman gathering the courage to jump out of his bedroom window is, and always be, hysterical. Again, with all these action epics out this month, I don’t expect this movie to do well, but will probably be worth a Netflix rental.

November 8 – The Armstrong LIe

Starring: Lance Armstrong’s missing testicle, Lance Armstrong

The Armstrong Lie begins with a humble story. Filmmaker Alex Gibney, enamored with the story of Lance Armstrong, was filming an inspiring documentary about the miracle comeback of an American cyclist. Of course, it ended up being too good to be true, as Armstrong was juicing/doping/whatever. So instead of calling it a day, Gibney gave Lance two middle fingers and decided to turn the positive documentary into one shaming him (although, I don’t know how much more shaming could be done). It’s a documentary I wish ESPN: 30 for 30 would have done, but I’m intrigued nonetheless.

November 8 – Thor: The Dark World

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba

Here comes Thor! It’s been a while since his forgettable movie debut, but the buzz from The Avengers is keeping this character in the spotlight for the time being. Chris Hemsworth does a convincing job as the Thunder God, but we will need more than just GC’ed monsters and backgrounds to make this a good film. The chemistry, as violent as it is, between Thor and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is among the best in all the comic book movies. Odin willing, there is enough substance in the story and supporting acting for this film to give Thor the props he deserves.

November 15 – The Book Thief

Starring: Sophie Nelisse, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson

The Book Thief is one of the best young adult novels to come out in recent years.  It can seem a little daunting to read because it has 500+ pages, but so do most of the Harry Potter books.  The Book Thief is so stellar because it is easy to read, yet incredibly thought provoking.  Narrated by Death, we follow a little girl named Liesel who is a German girl growing up under the Hitler regime.  She and her adoptive family are harboring a young Jewish man.  Liesel works around the town and steals books for she and her Jewish friend, Max to read.  Like many wartime stories, especially of such a heavy nature, it can be expected to cry a bit.  I highly recommend seeing this film if it has any resemblance to the book.

November 15 – The Wolf of Wall Street

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Jon Favreau

**UPDATE: It was just confirmed Tuesday that the film would be pushed back to Christmas Day so that Scorsese could kill some babies and try to get it from an NC-17 rating down to an R rating. Sad times, but a great Christmas movie awaits us.**

November 22 – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Donald Sutherland

Catching Fire was my favorite book in the trilogy.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t as impressed with the film adaptation of the first book of The Hunger Games trilogy.  And I’m sorry to still harp on this, but why does Peeta still have BOTH LEGS?!  Ok, ok, moving on.  I loved that the previews for Catching FIre only allowed us a glimpse of the Victory Tour for Katniss and Peeta, because it purposefully left out the second half of the book.  I’ll leave it a mystery here, in case you don’t know what happens to our heroine, but I’ll say that it will be worth it to meet a character named Finnick O’Dair, a winner of a previous Hunger Game.  Eeekkk…. nerd girl moment, here I come on November 22!

November 22 – Delivery Man

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Chris Pratt

It’s pretty hard for me to turn down a movie with Vince Vaughn.  In Delivery Man, Vaughn plays a man who learns he is the father to several hundred children due to a mix-up at a sperm bank.  He makes it his mission to have a little part in his kids lives. The movie is a remake of a French film named Starbuck. In time for the holiday season, the comedy with a little bit of a risque theme will most likely be the feel good movie of the month.

November 27 – Frozen

Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Johnathan Groff, Alan Tudyk

The previews for Disney Animated’s Frozen were so creative because they were little short films before the actual movie.  In fact, the first time I saw a preview this summer, I thought it was a short before the film.  The story is about a girl named Anna (Kristen Bell) who is on the search for her sister who has turned the kingdom into a permanent Winterland.  With the help of some wintertime friends, Anna embarks on her adventure.  The movie looks super cute and will be the perfect way to start the winter season.

November 27 – Oldboy

Starring: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Samuel L Jackson,

A movie that is a remake of a 2003 South Korean film that is based off a 1996 Japanese manga that stars Josh Brolin. It’s also directed by Spike Lee. Brolin plays a man captured and held prisoner, then forced to watch news update that pin him as the murderer of his wife (surprise!). For twenty years, he watches the world go by from his solitary confinement. Just when he begins to grow a Merlin-scale beard, he is released into the world. From there, it looks like a lot of crazy ensues, and he has sex with hot women and kills a lot of people. The preview kinda made me sad, as I realized that Brolin could easily play a Dark Knight Returns style Bruce Wayne (no knock to Affleck). The biggest story here isn’t going to be Brolin, though, it will be to see if Spike Lee still has the juice. Lee hasn’t really directed a good movie since 2006’s Inside Man and everybody expects big things from everything he puts out.

November 27 – Homefront

Starring: Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder, Kate Bosworth

Yet another book-to-movie adaptation of Chuck Logan’s book of the same name, Homefront stars Jason Statham (sidenote: thank God, because it’s been almost six months since I’ve seen Statham shoot anybody in a movie and I was beginning to go through withdrawals) as an undercover DEA agent who is harrassed because his daughter beat the crap out of a bully that happened to be the son of a meth kingpin, named Gator. Gator, played by James Franco, is not Heisenberg. He is a sloppy redneck, and I’m sure there is some elaborate speech where he tells us why his name is Gator. I can guarantee a large body count on Statham’s behalf, and creepily good acting by Franco, but it’s Winona Ryder that will steal the show…. too soon? Anyway, it will be a pretty good movie, but expect a pretty formulaic Statham movie.

November 29 – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Starring: Idris Elba, Naomie Harris,

Finally, Idris Elba gets his first solo starring role in a major motion picture – and it’s playing one of the greatest civil rights leaders of all time. I’m so excited to see The Wire’s Stringer Bell play Nelson Mandela – and not the South African rugby team (Invictus), not the 

Finally, Idris Elba gets his first starring role in a major motion picture – and it’s playing one of the greatest civil rights leaders of all time. I’m so excited to see Elba play Nelson Mandela. And it’s not as the head of the South African rugby team, it’s the man behind the revolution. This movie should give Elba much needed respect. Although I am bit concerned, as his trademark mustache was not casted for the part, I am glad that this is not a gimmicky portrayal to portray the freedom fighter; actually, this story is based off of Mandela’s own auto-biography. Cue K’Naan’s “Waving Flag;” it’s a wrap!

This month’s list brings us:

• 10 based off a true story or book to movie adaptations or sequels
• 3 “original” ideas

Join us next month, as we cover some of this year’s most anticipated films. Action, mayhem and wonder await us in December. Any other movies you are interested in that we did not cover this month? Let us know!

Written by Sherif Elkhatib and Adrian Puryear