deerstalker

https://blackgirlnerds.com/amandla-stenberg-stars-in-the-queer-horror-romance-my-animal/

Bobbi Salvör Menuez (Euphoria) and Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies) ignite in this genre-bending supernatural love story. Tormented by a hidden family curse, Heather is forced to live a secluded life on the outskirts of a small town. When she falls for the rebellious Jonny, their connection threatens to unravel Heather’s suppressed desires, tempting her to unleash the animal within. 

https://blacknerdproblems.com/new-york-or-nah-tmnt-mutant-mayhem-review/

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is bringing back the heroes in a half-shell in a big way. Whether you’ve seen the many (many) ads, were a huge fan from back in the day, or are a new fan there’s something here for you. When I tell you the franchise is in good hands, it looks like these Renaissance-named ninjas are about to be around for a good long while.

Another One

I know that you know that everyone knows audiences are drowning in rehashed IPs. It’s as if there are no original ideas out there being produced (unless you look outside the big studios and focus on smaller indie or ethical studios like A24 who have already chosen to honor the demands set by the WGA & SAG-AFTRA strike). Despite the numerous sequels, spinoffs, and prequels, Mutant Mayhem delivers one hell of a reboot. Mind you, TMNT started as a comic book in 1984, then was an animated show in 1987, then the first movie in 1990. You can Google the rest of the numerous cartoons, newer comics, crossovers, video games, etc., and see the long legacy of the franchise. That said, this might be the best Turtles property so far.

Iconic Turtles Are Back

Mutant Mayhem is a dope return to form for the Ninja Turtles IP, the archetypes are so wonderfully modernized and terribly cute. Everything from the OG 80s comic is here in this movie. Gritty New York City? Check. Alienated high school-aged mutants living in the shadows? Check. A Black April O’Neil? Check.

What Mutant Mayhem brings to the table that sets it apart is what feels like the most genuine comradery the Turtle brothers have ever had across all of media. The way the core cast (Micah Abbey as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. as Michaelangelo, Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, and Brady Noon as Raphael) clicks is almost uncanny. It really feels like these young actors were recording a slice-of-life anime of any given Thursday with high school freshmen. They are a vibe, and it makes the whole movie so effortless and fun to watch.

Authentic NYC Or Nah?

There is a level of authenticity that drives this whole thing; it’s irrevocably and unmistakably NYC. From the cultural references, the acting, the art style, the music – the whole aesthetic feels cohesive. It almost felt as though one was looking through a New York-tinted lens. If you’re from the tri-state area, it’s gonna hit different.

The ‘imperfect’ art design is a stroke of genius. All of the asymmetries work right into the ‘teenage’ feel of the movie. Despite utilizing the same ‘dropped frames’ sketchbook animation effect made popular by the Spider-Verse movies, Mutant Mayhem manages to stand on its own. From the cityscape to the characters, the look just screams dystopian urban landscape and that was always the vision TMNT creators Kevin Eastman (easter egg hidden in the name of April’s school) and Peter Laird (easter egg in the neon sign where the turtles and April meet) had in mind. But Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in any of its forms is always a coming-of-age story. And coming-of-age these days looks a lot like this:

It is not lost on any real New Yorker that there’s an entirely improvised scene in the movie where the turtles start talking wild reckless in the vein of the homegrown Instagram sensation Sidetalk NYC. When the Ninja Turtles are talking about bacon, egg, and cheeses with puffer coats and Timbs – that just warmed my jaded, Bronx-raised heart. Or furthermore that the god of Chopped Cheeses made ‘the Ocky way’ gets a sponsored ad on Tik-Tok making a TMNT-themed bacon egg and cheese on a pizza?!? Can’t forget the bev (never, never, never). Oh nah, somebody did their homework, and east coast audiences are going to be so hyped.

@rah_money1

TMNT Bacon, Egg and Cheese THE OCKY WAY Watch the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: #MutantMayhem Only In Theatres August 2nd #ParamountPartner @ninjaswhoareturtles @Paramount Pictures

♬ original sound – General ock

What Ever Happened To…

Part of what makes Mutant Mayhem so entertaining is the stellar cast. Having Ice Cube and Paul Rudd in a movie together is something only Seth Rogen might be able to do. However, for the last fifteen years or so the lion’s share of animated flicks have used actors with big names to draw audiences into theatres. As a result, a lot of our favorite voice actors have been relegated to supporting roles or background work. Unfortunately, the success of yet another animated cluster of Hollywood talent will only reinforce that going forward. Perhaps after the strike, they’ll be some leverage for voice-centric actors to return to prominence.

Aight, So Boom

Mutant Mayhem is the goods people, it lands all of the important cultural nuances without beating you in the head while doing it. Between its cultural competency, the talent, the synergy between the turtles, and the New York City of it all – you’ll be hard pressed to find a more fun movie this year. It’s like Across The Spider-Verse but with none of the high stakes. No matter where you are in the forty-year mythos, this is a great place to jump back in.

Like TMNT? Find BNP’s other reviews of the franchise here.

Cover image via CNN

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The post New York or Nah?: ‘TMNT: Mutant Mayhem’ Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

https://www.thenerdelement.com/2023/08/17/the-nerd-element-talks-to-brendon-small/

It’s been ten years since the saga of Dethklok, the fictional death metal band at the center of the brutally funny and epic animated show, “Metalocalypse,” ended on a cliffhanger in “Metalocalypse – The Doomstar Requiem – A Klok Opera.” It seemed as if that would be it—Adult Swim had canceled the show and nixed a wrap-up set of episodes to give the show a proper send-off. Despite the show’s popularity—and the fact that it spawned a successful live version of Dethklok lead by the show’s co-creator, Brendon Small—it seemed done.

Small, however, never gave up the mission to finish Dethklok’s journey. The result is a full-length movie, “Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar,” which picks up where “The Doomstar Requiem” left off, with the band dealing (or not) with the events surrounding the rescue of their rhythm guitarist, Toki Wartooth (voiced by show co-creator Tommy Blacha).

Featuring a stacked cast which includes Small, Blacha, Mark Hamill, Juliet Mills, Malcolm McDowell, Amy Lee, and Jon Hamm, the film brings the band’s destiny to a deliciously satisfying conclusion.

The Nerd Element recently spoke to Small, who wrote and directed “Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar.” Because of the current strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, certain topics were off-limits; however, Small had plenty to share about directing the movie, some of the techniques used in the animation, and the music of Dethklok, including the new single, “Aortic Desecration,” that plays a big part in Dethklok’s journey.

The pride and love he feels for the ambitious project definitely shows. In addition to the film, there’s also a new album, “Dethalbum IV,” as well as the film’s soundtrack. As Small notes in our discussion, all three are important elements of the whole experience of “Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar.”

Small’s career includes another beloved animated show, “Home Movies,” which he co-created with Loren Bouchard, and he’s done lots of acting in shows such as “Bob’s Burgers,” “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” and “The Venture Bros.” In addition to Dethklok, Small has a solo musical project, Brendon Small’s Galaktikon, which includes fellow live-version Dethklok band members Gene Hoglan and Bryan Beller.

“Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar” will be available on Blu-Ray and digital on August 21, 2023. “Dethalbum IV” will be available on August 22, and the soundtrack to the film will be available on August 25, 2023. “Metalocalypse: The Complete Series” is already available for purchase.

See our Review of the movie Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar here

The post The Nerd Element Talks to: Brendon Small! appeared first on The Nerd Element.

https://nerdist.com/article/mcu-movies-you-can-skip-on-a-marvel-phase-rewatch/

Many MCU fans did a full franchise rewatch ahead of Avengers: Infinity War. That meant revisiting 18 movies, roughly ten years worth of Marvel Studios releases. Not an easy task, but far from an impossible one. That’s not the case anymore. As of this writing there have been 32 big screen entries in the series, with a whole lot more on the way. Wading through all of them again would take a whole lot of time. But do you even need to? If you’re not a completist, or simply want to/must cut back on your total viewing commitment, there are some you can omit on your next go-round. These are the nine MCU movies—including some of the best, most beloved in the series—you can now skip on a rewatch.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Right off the bat this list feels sacrilegious because we’re omitting the origin story for one of the MCU’s foundational characters. Plus, the movie is really good! But at this point there are few elements from Captain America: The First Avenger that still matter to the franchise’s future. And those do—like Bucky’s story—are explored in other entries. We gotta start somewhere, and the First Avenger is fittingly our first cut.

What to Do with the Time You Save Skipping Captain America: The First Avenger: Anything you want. And you can do it all day.

Iron Man 3

I’m an Iron Man 3 convert, but before Extremis played a minor role on the very forgettable Secret Invasion, what long term impact did this film have on anything that happened after? It ends with Tony destroying all of his extra suits, which he completely rebuilds by Civil War. His entire Iron Man 3 character arc is entirely undone immediately. None of the villains stuck around for future entries, either. The only real long-term impact came from Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery. He returned for more comic relief in Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings, a movie we’re not sure Disney even remembers it made.

What to Do with the Time You Save Skipping Iron Man 3: Read about why it should have been set at New Year’s Even instead of Christmas.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Forget being an Iron Man 3 convert. I am an Age of Ultron truther. The Avengers second film, arguably the one that most captures the feel of the team’s comic dynamic, is much better than it gets credit for. It also has the great James Spader as the titular sentient robot. But unless you just want to watch for pure enjoyment, the only thing you really need to remember from this film is what it means for Vision’s understanding of mankind. That gets covered in future films and shows.

What to Do with the Time You Save Skipping Avengers: Age of Ultron: Watch the Seinfeld episode Spader guest-starred on. It’s still hilarious and only 22 minutes.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Baby Groot, we’re sorry. We love you. We also love seeing Nebula take her first real steps towards becoming a hero. In fact, we love all the Guardians, including Mary Poppins, y’all. But if we’re looking to trim some time from a lengthy rewatch schedule we can leave out the second Guardians film, even if it’s still really good. Infinity War, Endgame, and their Holiday Special give us everything we need to know ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

What to Do with the Time You Save Skipping Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Dance off, bro.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

If you’re angry seeing Tom Holland’s first solo outing included on this list, I don’t blame you. I personally think it’s the best of his three movies. So why is it on this list then? Because the character development Peter Parker undergoes in his next two installments are considerably more important. In Far From Home he has to deal with no longer having his mentor Tony around, and No Way Home marks the death of Aunt May. Everything important from this first film is also addressed in those films. And let’s face it, it’s not like we don’t spend too much time watching Spider-Man movies in general. There’s no shortage of friendly neighborhood Spider-people in our lives.

What to Do with the Time You Save Skipping Spider-Man: Homecoming: Reach out and thank a teacher you definitely scarred as a kid.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

There’s an argument to be made the original Ant-Man is more skippable, especially because the sequel introduces both generations of the Wasp to the superhero franchise. But Scott Lang is still too important to the MCU to omit his origin story. It also matters more to the events of Quantumania than his second movie. And since he series’ third installment also covers all of the important stuff you need to know from Ant-Man and the Wasp, if you pass over it you’re not really missing anything other than meeting Ghost, who won’t seemingly appear again until Thunderbolts. See, you forgot about Ghost! And now you already remember everything you need to know about her.

What to Do with the Time You Save Skipping Ant-Man and the Wasp: We’re not legally allowed to say try your hand at burgling, but we can say, “Try something new and exciting that might be a little dangerous.” Then get back to us in 3-5 years to tell us how it went.

Black Widow

Black Widow is a beautiful farewell to Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff, an original MCU Avenger who sacrificed her life to save the entire universe. It also introduced Yelena and Red Guardian to the franchise, both of whom will return to the MCU soon. And yet, you don’t really need to watch this Infinity War prequel if you want to shorten your rewatch. It’s more a goodbye than another chapter in a story, and Yelena’s arc on Hawkeye covers her story.

What to Do with the Time You Save Skipping Black Widow: Visit Budapest, but for pleasure not work.

Eternals

Remember anything that happened in Eternals? No? Me neither, which is weird because I remember going to the theater to see it. Did Disney use the Men in Black Neuralyzer on us collectively to erase it from out memories? The MCU itself certainly hasn’t done anything to remind us that movie existed. Until it does you can leave it off your rewatch list.

What to Do with the Time You Save Skipping Eternals: Watch Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao’s Best Picture triumph Nomadland, a movie you won’t be able to forget.

Thor: Love and Thunder

Unlike Eternals we remember everything about Thor: Love and Thunder. Only by leaving it off our MCU rewatch can we start to remedy that.

What to Do with the Time You Save Skipping Thor: Love and Thunder: Watch Thor: Ragnarok a second time.

The post MCU Movies You Can Skip on a Rewatch appeared first on Nerdist.