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We’ve already gone over all the many reasons why Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe might end up going on to become the Golden Age of all comic book movies – and, indeed, that remains a very likely possibility. However, there’s also the chance that the 10(!) movies Marvel plans on releasing over the next three years might end up having the exact opposite effect, that of sabotaging the longevity of the MCU, specifically, or undermining the superhero film’s time in the spotlight, generally....

There are bad movies, and there are good movies. There are the movies the critics like, and the ones they pan. Sometimes, critics can be unnecessarily harsh towards a film. But we get why they can be that way - they’re paid to professionally analyze film and to suss out the good from the bad, and so sometimes their criticism can seem hyperbolic or nit-picky. Critics usually get it right, and the merit-based recommendations they make are echoed by the general public....

Rotten Tomatoes became the first (or at least the most successful) of its kind when it promoted the idea of aggregated movie and television reviews. The concept of the “Tomatometer” marks TV shows based on a minimum of twenty reviews, with five reviews needing to come from Top Critics. Those with a Certified Fresh badge are noted as the most successful films that are praised by critics, and more importantly, fans....

It’s no secret that Hollywood looks all over the place for inspiration, and one of their main sources for ideas is the world of literature. Books already have characters with great story arcs and, usually, interesting problems that they need to overcome — and, if the studio is really lucky, a large and devoted fan following. There have been plenty of mainstream book to film adaptations that have gone on to be huge hits....

13 Reasons Why season 1 adapted Jay Asher’s book of the same name, depicting the events that lead up to the suicide of Hannah Baker. Upon her death, Hannah left behind 13 retro cassette tapes, each listing ‘reasons why’ she took her own life. More specifically, these ‘reasons’ were actually people whose actions had contributed to her decision. 13 Reasons Why was a huge hit, despite much controversy surrounding the show and criticism from parenting groups who said it glorified suicide....

Sometimes no matter how hard they try, actors just can’t seem to break away from the public perception they’ve built up over their careers. For the performers of this list, that career has been spent playing some of the biggest bads of the screen. From the cerebral manipulator to the most psychotic killers imaginable, they’ve provided some of the most memorable antagonists in cinematic history, though they’ve rarely gotten the credit they deserve....

When it comes to mainstream superheroes, you don’t get much scarier than Batman. While he’s far from the only superhero who models himself after a creepy-crawling critter that most people aren’t happy to find in their attic, Batman knowingly embraces the most menacing aspects of his totem animal. Between flying through the night and preying on his criminal victims, just about the only thing Batman doesn’t do is drink their blood… well, except in that one story, which we’ll get to here in a bit....

Historically, superhero comics haven’t been known for their subtlety. Originally meant to appeal to children, and stuck with 4-color printing, heroes and villains were dressed in garish outfits composed of bright colors (and often according to a simple, general rule). Publishers work to stay relevant, and that often resulted in costumes created or changed to look hip for that era… which also meant the costume would look dated immediately. A dated costume or garish costume isn’t always a bad thing....

Who expected this year to be yet another amazing year of games? Following 2017s superb showing, the gaming community likely didn’t expect 2018 to be at all capable of matching that same level of quality. Thankfully, much to everyone’s surprise, the industry was determined to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke. From Insomniac’s Spider-Man to Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2, the year provided titles that either somehow met the colossal expectations set for them or ones that came out of nowhere to blow the minds of gamers worldwide....

The Matrix changed everything that people expected from blockbuster action movies when it hit theaters in 1999. While tons of directors tried to copy the Wachowski’s style, and the aspects of the movie seems a bit old now, at the time it was revolutionary. The Wachowskis couldn’t even reach the same level of success after the movie, even with two very brain-consuming sequels. However, it wasn’t the action and bullet time choreography that caused the sequels to fall into the abyss – but instead, it was the overcomplicated storyline....

In the mid-1990s, movie audiences were being served a preppy, bubblegum world of teenagerdom, much thanks to the release of teen-flick favorite Clueless. This was a landscape filled with parties, expensive clothes, and love-sick high-schoolers chasing after one another. Then, in 1996, something different came along. The Craft was released in May of that year and instantly bewitched audiences with its alternative depiction of what it’s like to be a teenage girl....

The American Film Institute has announced its official lists of films and television programs that will be honored at the AFI Awards on January 5, 2018. Each year, the AFI Awards honors the best-of-the-best ten films and ten television programs which represent the year’s most significant accomplishments in the art of the moving image. Last year, honorees included films Arrival, La La Land, Moonlight, TV programs like The Crown, Game of Thrones, Stranger Things and more....

Sponsored by MacStadium: Head over to MacStadium for more on its cloud services, and Mac virtualization with MacStadium’s Orka 2.0. Stories discussed in this episode: Extreme sports Apple Watch model – waterproofing patent Tesla CEO Elon Musk buys near 10% stake in Twitter – Electrek Hulu adds SharePlay for iPhone and iPad users Follow Chance: Twitter: @ChanceHMiller Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Overcast RSS Stitcher TuneIn Google Play Don’t miss out on our other daily podcasts:...

Adam Driver revealed that The Dead Don’t Die was inspired by real-life zombies. The new horror/comedy from Jim Jarmusch isn’t exactly a by-the-books zombie film, but it certainly has a lot to say about the world, projected through the lens of the undead. In The Dead Don’t Die, zombies wreak havoc on the small town of Centerville. In an attempt to keep everyone safe - to the best of their abilities, at least - Chief Cliff Robertson (Bill Murray), Officer Ronnie Peterson (Adam Driver), and Officer Mindy Morrison (Chloë Sevigny) band together with all the weapons and skills they have at their disposal....

Vengeance calls. #AgentsofSHIELD pic.twitter.com/Ge2EJiwumu— Agents of SHIELD (@AgentsofSHIELD) September 15, 2016 The long summer movie season has come to an end. While we might not get a spectacle movie every weekend at the theaters, it does mean that it’s time for superhero television to come back to the airwaves. Many other superhero shows’ new seasons aren’t scheduled to return until October, however Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been steadily revving audiences up for their September return for months....

[SPOILERS for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 3 ahead.] - ABC/Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. essentially went through a partial reboot during its first season when Captain America: The Winter Soldier was released in theaters - as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization was officially dissolved and had to take the ongoing battle with Hydra underground. S.H.I.E.LD. season 2 was already well into its own Inhumans-centered storyline by the time Avengers: Age of Ultron hit theaters in 2015, but the show still featured a firm connection to that film all the same (even though Age of Ultron’s corresponding impact on season 2 was minimal, like the effect that Thor: The Dark World had on season 1)....

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 5 is essentially a mystery story. Coulson and his team have arrived in the aftermath of the world’s destruction and must learn what terrible forces shattered the planet like an eggshell, so that they can go back in time and prevent the disaster from happening in the first place. There’s just one problem: all records that might have explained how Earth was destroyed have been lost. The agents’ sole guide has been Robin, the time-lost seer who experiences time out of sync....

This decade was a fantastic decade for horror. Horror has always remained popular in the mainstream, These movies ventured to be more than that, to be a good movie as well as a good horror movie. This decade, especially the latter half, served as a bit of a renaissance for the horror genre thanks in large part to Blumhouse and independent studios like A24. It has always been a good time to be a horror fan, but no one can deny last decade was an especially great era for the genre....

One of the most successful modern sitcoms, How I Met Your Mother managed to pull off a truly impressive feat. It was popular enough to receive huge ratings while also attracting the kind of following that is more common for smaller, cult shows. Over the years, the series’ biggest fans even bought several books based on things like Barney’s Bro Code and his infamous Playbook. While there is no doubt that the friendships shared among the core 5 How I Met Your Mother characters were hugely important, the show was still largely based around romantic couplings....

The Death Eaters were the stuff of nightmares for those of us who grew up on Harry Potter - and even those who didn’t have probably heard of them. They were followers of the Dark Lord Voldemort, who believed that pure, magical blood should rule over all and they were very vocal about it when they rallied around Voldemort, going as far as to torture, blackmail, and murder those who disagreed....