Saturday, December 31, 2022

Avatar: The Way of Water Theatrical Review.

 

When I saw James Cameron’s original feature Avatar, I enjoyed it. At the time don’t think anyone had created such rich ecosystem that felt real with such detail on one alien moon, (Pandora is a moon of a gas giant the size of Saturn minus the rings known as Polyphemus because it had a single swirling storm resembling the one on Jupiter otherwise known as the eye.) So when interstellar ships head out to Pandora, they are really heading to the planet Polyphemus, which is located in the Goldilocks zone of it’s star system and that is part of the reason why that life exists on it’s moon Pandora. Now when the Blu-ray box set containing the theatrical, extended and expanded cuts of Avatar  was released, I purchased it like everyone did and then I put it on a shelf and forgot about it for thirteen years.

Now as Avatar: The Way Of Water was nearing it’s theatrical premiere, it struck me as odd that only at this time was I finally watched the Blu-ray Disc  of the original. I have seen lesser films multiple times in my life so why was it that it took thirteen years for me to watch a Blu-ray Disc of Avatar and then I finally started to watch it and at just about three hours, I found that rewatching Avatar took me three days to get through. Considering the last time I saw the film was 2009, I began to wonder why? Well more often than not I find a lot of people purchase movies on various formats and then they put it on a shelf and never watch at. So as a consumer and a reviewer I know for a fact that a lot of people buy movies they never watch again if at all. It is something that I think just happens and there are very few films I watch over and over again so it is not James Cameron’s fault and it is not the fault of Avatar. I can watch Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders Of The Lost Ark and The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston multiple times over and not become bored, but the Ewok parts before the climactic battle in Return Of The Jedi are portions fast forward through and I can’t watch Charlton Heston in Ben-Hur without fast forwarding past some of the romantic scenes because as good as Ben-Hur is, those talkie romance scenes slow the film down and that is why The Ten Commandments is in my opinion, the more entertaining film. Cecil B. DeMille was right when he said everything in the book of Exodus is the perfect source for creating a drama that has everything, plus I still like Ben-Hur. It is a good film, but it does not hold up as well as The Ten Commandments and the same holds true of Jedi when compared to Star Wars and Empire. Some films simply hold up better over time than others and while Avatar is a good movie, the longest version of that film is the version to skip.

A good sequel gives the audience something it wants while offering enough new ideas and changes to make one feel like they are getting a real continuation as opposed to a rehashing of old concepts in a new background and this brings me to Avatar: The Way Of Water, which when you take away all the effects and cosmetics the film is essentially the same story as Avatar and offers little new intrigue that was not previously explored in the first film and it leaves too many points where I found it hard to suspend my disbelief as a result. Collectively it is beautiful to look at, but the human characters are almost constantly greedy, callous, and downright stupid to make the film feel less original and more silly. 

Pandora might as well be Solaris in terms of world really being one organism that the Navi are perfectly in sync with it. Problems I have with the film include though not necessarily limited to the lack of well rounded characters, the fact that if humans have the technology to grow alien and human hybrids and nowc can imprint of your consciousness and permanently install it into an Avatar then why can’t they clone human bodies to do the same? Either way the copy that inhabits the cloned body only has the memories of everything before they uploaded their mind into the mainframe I guess, but this does mean when you die you die and these Avatars are not reincarnations or even reanimated hybrids, they are closer to replicants and who is to state that if your copy exists in one form then why wouldn’t it exist in another? Outside of petty revenge, what else is there for these new Avatars to live for once they no longer are needed? Why would massing RDA frigates and cargo ships not come back to Pandora better prepared to take on the creatures of that world? If the wild life linked to the consciousness of Pandora are implied to attack invading humans on sight, yet the humans who survived the first one, but were allowed to stay are not attacked then that implies that Pandora can differentiate between what it sees as something hostile and something non threatening, then how stupid is Pandora when some wolf like creature that are part of that link do not attack the new Avatars wearing human clothing and carry big weapons? I think that if you got a bunch of blue humanoid aliens with sunglasses and marine clothing as well as guns then they are up to no good. So again I ask what is the world’s perceptual limitations? Also with all the advanced technology the RDA has at it’s disposal, why don’t they just attack the enemy from space and then land? That makes more sense than to waste resources building another human outpost and not have pacified for at least a portion of so it’s safer for everyone? Jake Sully is a fugitive that committed treason against his own species, he literally should be brought back to Earth to face charges of crimes against humanity. How he would he get back to Pandora and to get back to his family and what would he find once he arrived back there? That is a lot more compelling than rehashing the original story all be it with a few new cosmetics. I have stated it before and I will state it again here, remove the cosmetics from Iron Man (2008) and what you have is a reworked reimagining of Batman Begins and Avatar: The Way Of Water is not even that. It is almost literally Avatar told with a new location and considering it took thirteen years to make, Cameras should have addressed these issues and others. Just because a sequel grosses a billion dollars doesn’t mean it’s not without any problems anymore than power is sufficient evidence of truth. I realize the protagonists have to be relatable, but why do all the other life forms have four eyes and about six limbs, but the Navi have two eyes?

Avatar: The Way Of Water is not a terrible movie, it is just not particularly original. Hopefully these issues and more will be addressed and fixed before the holiday season of 2024 when the next Avatar will be released. Avatar: The Way Of Water is in it’s third week of theatrical release at the time of this posting.

(C) Copyright 2022 By Mark A. Rivera

All Rights Reserved.

Saturday, December 24, 2022

My Top Five Genre Films of 2022.

This year for me personally 2022 was a year of quality over quantity when it comes to theatrical releases so I have a top five instead of a top ten. Please keep in mind that my tastes may not be yours so rather than get annoyed about me not listing something you liked, why don’t you share your top ten, five or whatever the number is for your 2022 in the comment section below. Thank you. 


Here are my top five genre films of 2022.


1) David Cronenberg’s Crimes Of The Future.


2) NOPE.


3) Black Adam.


4) Bones and all.


5) The Menu.

My Top Ten Genre Television Programs of 2022.

My top ten Genre Television Programs of 2022 are:


1) Better Call Saul Final Season (AMC)


2) Andor Season One (Disney Plus)


3) The Handmaid’s Tale Season Five (Hulu)


4) House of the Dragon Season One (HBO Max)


5) The Expanse The Final Season (Amazon Prime Video)


6) Peacemaker Season One (HBO MAX)


7) The Offer (Paramount Plus)


8) Tales of the Walking Dead Season One (AMC)


9) Prey (Hulu)


10) WestWorld Season 4: The Choice/Raised By Wolves Season 2 (HBO MAX)

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

New HBO Max Brand Spot Highlights Platform’s Expansive 2023 Original Programming Lineup

 

Spot Features New Footage From Anticipated Series Including “True Detective: Night Country,” “Warrior,” “Love & Death,” “The Gilded Age,” “And Just Like That…” And More

HBO Max released today a new brand spot featuring highly anticipated HBO and Max Originals coming to the platform in 2023.
 
This brand spot showcases new HBO Originals including drama series The Last of Us, debuting January 15, limited series White House Plumbers, debuting in March, and The IdolTrue Detective: Night Country and Rain Dogs. Featured Max Originals include the adult animated series Velma, coming January 12, the limited series Love & Deathand Full Circle and the return of Warrior.
 
The spot also features returning favorites including HBO Original drama series SuccessionPerry MasonThe Gilded Age and Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, as well as HBO Original comedies BarrySomebody SomewhereThe Righteous Gemstones, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Returning Max Originals highlighted in the spot include Emmy®-winning comedy HacksAnd Just Like That…, Our Flag Means DeathJuliaThe Other Two, and more.
 
Below is a full list of all titles showcased in the new HBO Max brand spot:
*Indicates a new title debuting in 2023
 
And Just Like That… (Max Original Comedy Series)
Barry (HBO Original Comedy Series)
A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO Original Comedy Series)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO Original Comedy Series)
Doom Patrol (Max Original Series)
The Gilded Age (HBO Original Drama Series)
Hacks (Max Original Comedy Series)
Hard Knocks In Season: The Arizona Cardinals(HBO Original Unscripted Series)
Harley Quinn (Max Original Animated Series)
How To With John Wilson (HBO Original Comedy Series)
*The Idol (HBO Original Drama Series)
Julia (Max Original Series)
*The Last of Us (HBO Original Drama Series) debuts January 15
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO Original Late-Night Series) returns in February
*Love & Death (Max Original Limited Series)
The Other Two (Max Original Comedy Series)
Our Flag Means Death (Max Original Comedy Series)
*Full Circle (Max Original Limited Series)
Perry Mason (HBO Original Drama Series) debuts March 6
*Rain Dogs (HBO Original Comedy Series)
Rap Sh!t (Max Original Comedy Series)
Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO Unscripted Series) returns January 20
The Righteous Gemstones (HBO Original Comedy Series)
Somebody Somewhere (HBO Original Comedy Series)
Succession (HBO Original Drama Series)
Titans (Max Original Series)
Tokyo Vice (Max Original Drama Series)
True Detective: Night Country (HBO Original Drama Series)
*Velma (Max Original Adult Animated Series) debuts January 12
Warrior (Max Original Drama Series)
*White House Plumbers (HBO Original Limited Series) debuts March 2023
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty(HBO Original Drama Series)
 
HBO Max introduces this brand spot after a prolific 2022 of award-winning and record-breaking titles that included the debut of the HBO Original series and specials House of the Dragon, The Rehearsal, Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel and more, along with new seasons of The White LotusEuphoria and Industry as well as Max Original fan favorites Peacemaker, The Sex Lives of College Girls and Love, Lizzo.
 
Most HBO subscribers in the U.S. have access to the HBO Max app as part of their HBO subscription and can visit HBOMax.com for more details. Additionally, new and returning subscribers have access to HBO Max starting at $9.99 a month or $99.99 for the year for HBO Max With Ads (16% savings). The HBO Max Ad-Free subscription is currently $14.99 a month or $149.99 for the year (16% savings).

Sunday, December 18, 2022

Thank you everyone and cheers!

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Quanza and Happy Holidays in general to everyone here at GenreOnline.net and everywhere else too. Cheers!

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Star Trek : Strange New Worlds ARRIVES ON BLU-RAYTM, DVD AND LIMITED-EDITION BLU-RAYTM STEELBOOK ON MARCH 21, 2023



SEASON ONE

ARRIVES ON BLU-RAYTM, DVD AND LIMITED-EDITION BLU-RAYTM STEELBOOK ON MARCH 21, 2023

The Paramount+ Original Series Arrives with Over 90 Minutes of Special Features, Including Cast and Crew Interviews, Deleted Scenes and Gag Reel

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (December 14, 2022) – “The best Star Trek show in decades” (SlashFilm), STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS: SEASON ONE arrives on Blu-ray, DVD and limited- edition Blu-Ray Steelbook on March 21, 2023 from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment. Fans can enjoy every out-of-this-world episode from the first season of the Paramount+ original series with the collection featuring over 90 minutes of special features, including exclusive-to-home-entertainment cast and crew interviews, gag reel, deleted scenes and more.

The debut season of STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The series features fan favorites from season two of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock. The series follows Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock and Number One in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.

The STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS Blu-ray, DVD and limited-edition Blu-Ray Steelbook offers over 90 minutes of special features, including content exclusive to home entertainment:

● PIKE’S PEAK (Exclusive) - Anson Mount takes fans through his journey as Captain Christopher Pike in the first season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, providing a glimpse into his portrayal with intimate footage throughout the season.

  1


● WORLD BUILDING - Led by Production Designer Jonathan Lee and his team, the season’s production design utilized cutting-edge technology to create worlds prior to shoots, allowing the actors to fully immerse themselves into scenes rather than imagine the worlds around them in a green room. Through interviews with producers, cast and crew, fans will learn about the expertise involved in the development process and how the powerful technology was seamlessly integrated into the show.

● EXPLORING NEW WORLDS (Exclusive) - Fans will explore the storylines and characters that bring Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to life with writers, cast and crew.,

● COMMENTARY: ANSON MOUNT & AKIVA GOLDSMAN - STRANGE NEW WORLDS (Exclusive)

● DELETED SCENES (Exclusive)

● GAG REEL (Exclusive)

The collections will be released internationally on the following dates:

• United Kingdom – March 20, 2023

• Australia – March 29, 2023

STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS also stars Jess Bush (“Playing for Keeps”) as Nurse Christine Chapel, Christina Chong (“Heirs of the Night”) as La’an Noonien- Singh, Celia Rose Gooding (Broadway Whodunit: All Hallows' Eve) as Cadet Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia (“Bull”) as Lt. Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun (Dune) as Dr. M’Benga.

The script for the series premiere was written by Akiva

Goldsman with the story by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman

and Jenny Lumet. Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers serve

as co-showrunners, with Goldsman directing the premiere

episode. Goldsman, Kurtzman and Lumet serve as executive

producers in addition to Alonso Myers, Heather Kadin, Frank

Siracusa, John Weber, Eugene Roddenberry, Trevor Roth and Aaron Baiers. The series is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment.

STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., U.K., Latin America, Australia, South Korea, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The series airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Portugal, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia,

 Page 2 of 4


Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Episodes:

● 101:

● 102:

● 103:

● 104:

● 105:

● 106:

● 107:

● 108:

● 109:

● 110:

“Strange New Worlds” “Children of the Comet” “Ghosts of Illyria” “Memento Mori” “Spock Amok”

“Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach” “The Serene Squall”

“The Elysian Kingdom”

“All Those Who Wander”

“A Quality of Mercy”

STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS: SEASON ONE Blu-ray, DVD and Blu-ray Steelbook are presented in widescreen format, and offer English SDH and French subtitles. The Blu-ray and Blu-ray Steelbook include English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 5.1 Dolby Digital in French, and the DVD features 5.1 Dolby Digital audio in English and French.

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

FIRST LOOK AND DATE ANNOUNCEMENT: Hulu Original "How I Met Your Father"

 

FIRST LOOK AND DATE ANNOUNCEMENT: 
Hulu Original
"How I Met Your Father" 

The Hulu Original series "How I Met Your Father" returns for its second season with one episode onTuesday, January 24. New episodes will follow weekly, only on Hulu. 

 

SYNOPSISIn the near future, Sophie (Duff) is telling her son the story of how she met his father: a story that catapults us back to the present where Sophie and her close-knit group of friends are in the midst of figuring out who they are, what they want out of life, and how to fall in love in the age of dating apps and limitless options.

CAST: The series stars Hilary Duff, Christopher Lowell, Francia Raisa, Tom Ainsley, Tien Tran, Suraj Sharma as well as recurring stars, Kim Cattrall, Daniel Augustin, Ashley Reyes and Josh Peck

CREDITS: ‘How I Met Your Father’ is written by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger. Executive producers for “How I Met Your Father” include Aptaker, Berger, Carter Bays, Craig Thomas, Pam Fryman, and Adam Londy. Duff will serve as a producer. “How I Met Your Father” is a production of 20th Television.


SOCIAL:
@HIMYFonHulu | #HIMYF 

Sunday, December 11, 2022

Photos from the Armageddon Time New York Special Screening Hosted by SEAN PENN Actors Jeremy Strong & Tovah Feldshuh in attendance Conversation with Jeremy Strong moderated by Tom McCarthy




 



Quotes from the Q&A:


 “A stunning movie - well captured, deeply felt.. in some ways incredibly simple but deeply profound and moving… flawlessly pulled off”

- Tom McCarthy


 “James was very permissive, and gave us a lot of latitude and ownership over something that’s so personal to him.”

- Jeremy Strong


 “The first thing [James] said to us was whatever you do, don’t nail it. Surprise me, disappoint me, make mistakes, but don’t nail it, just search.”

- Jeremy Strong


“Anne’s performance was really wonderful, it totally felt like a different person in a really honest way.”

 - Tom McCarthy


 “I think in a lot of ways the movie is about integrity, the impossibility and the difficulty of living with integrity”

- Jeremy Strong


The New York Special Screening & Reception took place at

the Roxy Cinema on December 10th SYNOPSIS

From acclaimed filmmaker James Gray, ARMAGEDDON TIME is a deeply personal story on the strength of family, the complexity of friendship and the generational pursuit of the American Dream. The film features an all-star cast including Anthony Hopkins, Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong.

 

Release Date: October 28, 2022 (limited); November 11, 2022 (wide)

Running Time: 114 minutes

Cast: Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong, Anthony Hopkins, Banks Repeta, Jaylin Webb, Tovah Feldshuh

Written and Directed by: James Gray

Produced by: James Gray, Marc Butan, Anthony Katagas, Rodrigo Teixeira, Alan Terpin

Executive Producers: Francesco Civita, Gustavo Debs, Beto Gauss, Rodrigo Gutierrez, Alex Hughes, Marco Tulio Kehdi, Riccardo Maddalosso, Lourenço Sant'Anna, Doug Torres                       

                     

Follow on Social Media:

Instagram: @focusfeatures

Twitter: @FocusFeatures

Facebook: @FocusFeatures

Thursday, December 8, 2022

BATMAN/SPAWN IS ALMOST HERE! CHECK OUT THE FIRST 6 PAGES AHEAD OF DECEMBER 13 RELEASE!

 


                      Cover By: Todd McFarlane & Greg Capullo


Tempe, Ariz., December 8, 2022 — The comic event of the year is almost upon us! BATMAN/SPAWN is set for release on December 13, 2022

The new release sees McFarlane and his longtime teammate, Greg Capullo (legendary SPAWN and BATMAN artist), come together for this long-awaited team-up. With Capullo penciling and McFarlane writing/inking, this crossover is sure to capture audiences attention with captivating artwork and fresh storylines.

"Two dark heroes, cursed by tragedy, find their paths again crossing...but not by choice! What sinister foe is at work, pitting the Dark Knight against the Hellspawn? From the shadows of Gotham City to New York City, this epic event is the blockbuster you've been waiting almost three decades for!"

It’s been nearly 30 years since the McFarlane teamed up with esteemed artist, Frank Miller to bring the first BATMAN/SPAWN crossover (1994) and this second crossover book will prove to be just as memorable as the first.

SPAWN and BATMAN are comic industry staples, both of which set industry record and sustaining popularity for decades and will continue to do so.

Todd McFarlane's SPAWN is one of the world's best-selling comic books, with hundreds of millions sold worldwide in more than 120 countries. The title's 1992 debut sold 1.7 million copies, an unprecedented feat for an independent comic. In 2019, McFarlane made history with "SPAWN #300" and record-breaking "SPAWN #301". The release of which earned the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the world's "Longest-running Creator-owned Superhero Comic Book Series.”  

BATMAN/SPAWN #1 Hits shelves on DECEMBER 13th! CHECK OUT THE FIRST 6 PAGES BELOW

New York One News Visits Historic Alpine Cinemas In Bay Ridge Repost.