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On Thursday, October 4, 2018, nerds of all flavors gathered in the Jacob Javits Center in New York City for the start of the annual fanfest that is New York Comic Con. Among the usual offerings of screenings, photo ops, artwork and endless booths full of comics were the anime industry panels, offering previews of what fans can expect this fall in the world of subbed and dubbed new anime on the big and small screens. Courtesy of Viz Media, Funimation and Crunchyroll, here are my picks of most notable anime due to drop this season.

Black Clover : Season Two

If you missed the first season of this fantasy series, it stars two orphans, one of whom lacks the ability to use magic in a world where everyone does, and the other of whom is a magical prodigy. Both boys become rivals in their journey to achieve their dream of being the Wizard King. Sound familiar? Well, if you’re a fan of Naruto or My Hero Academia (and let’s be honest here, who isn’t?), then this kind of setup is going to sound very familiar. Another product of the popular Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, Black Clover hits all the notes we’d expect it to as a shonen — but there’s a good reason why that’s got so much appeal.

Radiant

Another one to satisfy your shonen needs, this anime is adapted from a French comic about a young wizard-in-training who is one of a few “infected” individuals who has survived contact with the toxic monsters that inhabit his world. The hero, Seth, aims to hunt the monsters, called Nemesis, but even more, he aims to find their home, Radiant, and defeat them on their turf.

Sword Art Online Alicization

Attack on Titan : Season Three

For those of you who claim your place as a proud member of the survey corps, you should receive your due praise for your bravery, fortitude and endurance in tackling this intense yet still wildly popular anime in which a walled-in society deals with the threat of giant, people-munching humanoid creatures called titans. Things get a lot more complicated from there, with conspiracies and betrayals and reveals and also a whole ton of traumatic deaths, but Titan fans should be sure to tune in this fall when season three premieres.

Dragon Ball Super : Broly

Fairy Tail : Final Season

If you’re like me, you had given up on this series, assuming it would be doomed to the same fate of so many others: the anime ended abruptly, its fans forever left in limbo waiting for any sense of closure. Alas, this adorable and lighthearted fantasy shonen about a guild of mages in a magical world of dragons and giants and god-like figures is back with its final season.

There’s more NYCC18 coverage to come as the weekend progresses. Follow us on Twitter, or Instagram for pictures and up to the minute updates.

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The post New York Comic Con Fall 2018 Anime Preview appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

This addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is entertaining, but it still has a lot of problems. A story of a snarky alien symbiote who bonds with the human body of a loser reporter (who could use a little backbone) is supposed to be entertaining. It’s just not supposed to take half a film to get there. Additionally, the two star leads Tom Hardy as that loser reporter Eddy Brock and Michelle Williams as his lawyer girlfriend Anne Weying are wasted in this film due to a few issues including a meandering first act and poor character development. And those are just a few of the problems I had with this film.

But, again, I must reiterate that it is entertaining. Despite its issues, Venom did hold my attention until the end. You definitely won’t sleep through this one. However, Director Ruben Fleischer’s depiction of the Marvel antihero is a broken and sometimes confusing mesh until Venom’s second act begins. That’s when the audience gets its superhero film. It’s just a matter of “too little, too late.”

A Waste of a Good Tom Hardy

Yet again, audiences are faced with a misappropriation of acting talents possessed by the swarthy and studly Tom Hardy (see any review of his misuse Legends). The entire first half of the film, the story tries very hard to build his character Eddie up to be a great reporter. But, Hardy looks uncomfortable and ill-suited to this Clark-Kentian treatment. He works with the role, keeping the audience’s attention as he pretends to play a grumbling ace reporter. Meanwhile, the audience is trying to figure out just what is going on with an Eddie who looks more at home in a biker bar than holding a microphone to report on metro desk pieces.

A Little Venom Makes the Movie Work Better

It gets weird after Eddie loses his jobs and stumbles around trying to find himself. We are also lost on what to think of this guy, at first. Hardy handles it all well, though. The mumbling, fumbling, pity party is convincing enough to hold our attention. But only just enough to get to the good parts—the parts that he was chosen for—to play the host to the alien symbiote.

Venom hits its stride when Hardy and Venom are bonded. The fight for the body is hilarious at times and does dip into the sympathetic as we see this man losing more and more of himself to the “parasite”. In fact, Hardy’s explanation of the weird behaviors as, “I have a parasite,” actually stirred ripples of laughter in the theater. Even his mumbling vocals that fans had a problem with during The Dark Knight Rises and Bane seem to work here on a character struggling to rest his body from an alien. Of course, his voice will be grossly affected. Hardy and Venom’s back and forth are also entertaining as the snarky body snatcher scares the hell out of the man he is inhabiting. The fact that Venom sees Eddie as a stupid meat suit only adds another layer of humor. I am just not sure if that humor is intentional. 

Where was this while they were putting Eddie’s backstory together though? Anne is equally ignored, leaving award-winning actress Michelle Williams to scramble like Hardy to pull the usable story out of a bad script. She too succeeds, which is also a credit to her talent as well. Like Hardy, Williams and her character seem mismatched (down to the bad blonde wig they placed her in) until Venom takes over their lives. Then, she gives Lois Lane a run for her money as a heroine who is anything but a damsel in distress. The point when Anne takes in Venom is a scene that she worked very well. Until that point, however, her character and the storyline she inhabits is undeveloped and seems a bit “thrown together.”

Other Issues—Do We Always have to Abuse the Stereotypes

I was disappointed to see that the film leaned on some stereotypes that could be dangerous in today’s political climate. At one point, a symbiote inhabited elderly Asian woman preys upon a “prim and proper” little blonde girl inside a public bathroom. Yes, the “crazed foreigner” preying upon a “wholesome White child” is part of the road Riot travels to his ultimate host. It’s also a centuries-old trope that still fuels White America’s fear of immigrants, POCs, and Black people.

That ultimate host is the villain Carlton Drake—a brown-skinned megalomaniac played by Riz Ahmed, who would fit in nicely at Armitage garden party in Get Out. As a post-surgical guest, of course. His progressive politics run so far left that Drake values the symbiote and his project over the poor people he claims to be helping. He is a very curious play on the character, but in Drake’s backstory, we see that the writers leaned on the “genius Indian kid with Tiger mom-like upbringing.” It seems that when people of color appear in Venom, they are connected to the story by a stereotypical trait. Surely the MCU knows that is not the only way to relate to an audience these days?

Unexpected Pros/Praise

I must say that I expected a lot of very bad CGI but got the opposite. Despite a few glimpses of obvious cartoonish work, Venom looked amazing in all the action scenes. Hardy’s disbelief and surprise at the use of his body only added to the entertainment in these scenes. When he really got used to the voices, the snark, and the symbiote’s taste for human heads, the antihero Venom really came to the surface.

The fight scenes were also intriguing, as was the humor that came out through the banter between Venom and Eddie. By the end of the film, the two characters are as good a fit together as the actor and the role.

Maybe Venom could be one of the first films that’s better in the sequel than many others before it. The MCU will have to tighten up that script work first.

Stay for not one, but two reveals in the credits. And don’t hold your breath for a Tom Holland cameo in the film.

Venom is playing in theaters everywhere now.

The post BGN Film Review: ‘Venom’ appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

After years of false starts and multiple actresses attached (including Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway) Warner Bros.’ Barbie movie is moving forward with Margot Robbie and (possibly) Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins. I know what you’re thinking: son of a bitch, does this mean we have to see the Barbie movie? Yes. Yes it does.

As someone who never played with Barbies (I was more of a TMNT girl) I can safely say that this movie has held zero interest for me. But damn, Robbie is not only a tremendous actress (I, Tonya was the best film of 2017, come at me) but she is a shrewd producer as well. It was Robbie who was instrumental in hiring Cathy Yan to direct Birds of Prey and she’s made it clear that it’s important for the film to feature a diverse cast.

And then there’s Jenkins, the highest paid female director in Hollywood and the force of nature behind the Wonder Woman franchise. Considering that Jenkins can write her own ticket and truly do whatever she wants, there must be a powerful draw to the project. Rumors were swirling about a feminist, empowering take on Barbie, and it must be true to attract this level of talent … right?

I’m also curious as to the tone of the film. It seems like they making it more of an adult comedy as opposed to a straight up kids flick (arguably the biggest audience for a Barbie movie). Or maybe they’ve found a way to thread to needle and make it appealing to everyone, like The LEGO Movie. I mean, let’s be real: when you first heard about The LEGO Movie you didn’t immediately think it would be a hilarious send-up of hero tropes, right? It seemed like a blatant cash grab, but to everyone’s surprise the film turned out to be wildly original and delightful. It goes to show that any concept, with a smart script and strong execution, can make an entertaining movie.

Will Barbie become a surprise hit that makes us rethink Mattel’s iconic do-it-all doll? Or will it be a big budget version of Life Size with Tyra Banks? I guess we’ll have to wait and find out.

(via Collider, image: Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

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In an extremely lengthy speech on the Senate floor this afternoon, Maine’s Republican Senator Susan Collins, previously a potential swing vote, announced she would be voting to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

Her vote is disappointing enough, but her speech was a giant middle finger to all survivors of sexual assault. She specifically dismissed the accusations made by Julie Swetnick as “outlandish” (despite the fact that Swetnick was questioned by neither the Senate nor the FBI). She also spoke of the constituents who reached out to tell her of their stories of assault.  And this is what she gave them in return.

Susan Collins says she has spoken w/ victims and “pledge[s] to do everything I can to make sure your daughters & granddaughters don’t go thru the same thing.”

… perhaps she could start by not installing an accused rapist nominated by an admitted sexual predator to the SCOTUS?

— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) October 5, 2018

“The #metoo movement is real. It matters,” @SenatorCollins says.

She, however, is going to viewed as a great villain by those in the movement.

— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) October 5, 2018

TLDR from Collins: my position is more important to me than supporting courageous survivors, women’s rights, and being able to look at myself in the mirror

— Kari Fleischauer (@karifleischauer) October 5, 2018

Collins wasn’t the only senator to announce a plan to vote yes in the full vote tomorrow. Jeff Flake also added his name to the now-majority.

BREAKING: Jeff Flake open to being visited by three ghosts before making final decision pic.twitter.com/KueM72Twdi

— Paul F. Tompkins (@PFTompkins) October 5, 2018

West Virginia’s Joe Manchin is also planning to vote yes on Kavanaugh–the only Democrat to do so. His reasoning is nonsensical and insulting. Both he and Collins attempted to express a belief that Dr. Blasey Ford was assaulted, but not by Kavanaugh. Though, when asked how sure she was that Kavanaugh was the boy who attacked her, Dr. Ford said “100%.” You do not get to say you believe her, but not that part. To deny she knows her attacker is to deny her entire story.

We have to give a deserved shout-out, though, to Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. She was the deep-red state’s first female senator, she’s up for re-election in November, she’s behind in the polls, and she knows voting against Kavanaugh will hurt her even worse. And she still stuck to her conscience.

My statement on U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh: pic.twitter.com/exZcK78JtF

— Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (@SenatorHeitkamp) October 4, 2018

• One year ago today, the New York Times published its exposé, accusing Harvey Weinstein of being an abusive sexual predator. This is a great look at how far we have (and haven’t) come. (via Vulture)
• Janelle Monae has joined the cast of the live-action Lady and the Tramp movie. (via Variety)
• An eight-year-old girl found an ancient sword in a lake which obviously means she’s the rightful heir to everything. We here at TMS welcome our new tiny ruler. (via CNN)
• The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded this year to Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad, who have been working to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. (via HuffPost)

(image: Sarah Rice/Getty Images)

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