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Those still trying to fill The Midnight Club-sized hole left by its unceremonious cancellation can pause their rewatch cycle because Mike Flanagan season is upon us. Netflix has another delectable horror-drama to devour. And this one won’t leave you in a puddle of tears!
This fall, the writer-director and his longtime producing partner Trevor Macy (Midnight Mass) deliver the next Flana-verse installment with their highly-anticipated The Fall of the House of Usher. The master storyteller’s latest literary adaptation is inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, including the 1839 short story of the same name.
The Fall of the House of Usher is framed by wealthy businessman and CEO of Fortunato Pharmaceuticals Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood) having a tense face-to-face meeting with attorney C. Auguste Dupin (Carl Lumbly). Naturally, they have their sitdown in a creaky old house on a rainy night, an appropriately dreary Poe-like atmosphere. While Roderick’s being his charismatic, assertive self, it’s clear to Dupin (and the audience) that something, or someone, is haunting him. Understandable, considering all six of his children are dead.
As the Usher patriarch recounts the shocking fatalities of his offspring, the episodes jump between timelines going back weeks or sometimes decades. Even though we already know their ultimate fates, like Dupin, we’re hanging onto Roderick’s every word.
In flashbacks, we’re introduced to the multiracial Usher family — six adult children from five different mothers. His first love Annabel Lee (Katie Parker) is the mother of the two oldest siblings Frederick (Henry Thomas), the first in line to inherit Fortunato, and his sister Tamerlane (Samantha Sloyan), who is more accomplished and strategic. And yes, this does give them a superiority complex.
Victorine LaFourcade (T’Nia Miller) might be the most complicated of the bunch because her work in the medical field seems to come from a genuine motivation to help people, in the beginning at least. She can be sweet with her partner/colleague Dr. Alessandra Ruiz (Paola Nuñez). But that Usher blood prevents her from being an objectively good person.
Camille L’Espanaye (Kate Siegel, rocking killer makeup and gorgeous locks) has the taxing job of handling her family’s public image and endless controversies, which is unfortunate for her overworked and not-at-all-appreciated assistants Toby (Igby Rigney) and Tina (Aya Furukawa).
Napoleon “Leo” Usher’s (Rahul Kohli) thing is video games. He’s not an actual designer but more of an investor/socialite with a drug habit. His poor boyfriend Julius (Daniel Jun) has to put up with a lot. The youngest is Prospero “Perry” Usher (Sauriyan Sapkota) whom Frederick aptly calls “Gucci Caligula” at one point. He lacks the Usher ingenuity and is only interested in a hedonistic lifestyle.
Roderick’s twin sister Madeline Usher (Mary McDonnell) is seemingly more ruthless than her brother when it comes to their family business — and just about everything else. Their upbringing was less than ideal, and as they grew up, they became consumed by their ambition. Willa Fitzgerald and Flana-verse favorite Zach Gilford play the siblings during their younger years when they cross paths with the stranger who will return decades later to watch as the Usher empire quickly crumbles.
The mysterious Verna (Carla Gugino) is front and center to the death of each heir. In the trailer, she calls herself “Consequence” and tells Roderick, “Your family is a collection of stunted hearts whose time has come.” During production, Gugino described Verna to Tudum, “You could say she’s the executor of fate or the executor of karma.” Whether she’s killing them herself or somehow causing their deaths is unclear for most of the 8-episode run, so no spoilers here.
Mike Flanagan has plenty of death in his past work but nothing I would ever call gory. The same can’t be said for House of Usher, though. The deaths are horrific in the best way, and watching how the surreal scenarios play out is a major part of what makes this a fun series. Imagine the roaming specters from The Haunting of Hill House if they died in a Jigsaw trap or freaky Final Destination “accident.”
In the trailer, there’s a noticeably comedic tone to the series, with most of the dark humor stemming from the family dynamics of the heartless, self-centered Ushers. Viewers will also realize there’s a significant amount of sex, which isn’t usually prominent in other Flanagan projects. But it makes sense that characters living in opulence would be insatiable, or at least expectant, in all areas of life including sex.
One familiar element in a Flana-verse production is a star-studded cast of actors, the majority of whom have worked with the filmmaker before. Doctor Sleep’s Kyleigh Curran joined the cast as Lenore Usher, the daughter of Frederick and Morella “Morrie” (Crystal Balint), and the only family member who isn’t allergic to empathy.
New additions (that we hope to see in future projects) include the remarkable Mark Hamill as Arthur Pym, the Ushers’ intimidating attorney and all-around “fixer.” Both Mary McDonnell and Willa Fitzgerald perfectly embody the icy and highly intelligent Madeline Usher at different ages, delivering her biting dialogue with a chilling and amusing tone.
Flanagan’s consistently brilliant writing adds depth to unlikable characters that could easily come off as stereotypical, especially with all the (real and fictional) examples of wealthy narcissists we see on TV. He shares credit with his team of established and emerging writers — Emmy Grinwis (Snowfall), Justina Ireland (Dread Nation), Matt Johnson, Dani Parker (Midnight Mass), Rebecca Klingel (The Haunting of Bly Manor), James Flanagan (Midnight Mass), and Kiele Sanchez.
Bruce Greenwood performs a monologue about the phrase “when life gives you lemons,” made all the more captivating as the camera slowly zooms in on a closeup. It’s another signature of Flanagan who directed four episodes with Michael Fimognari (The Midnight Club), who also acts as the series cinematographer, at the helm of the other four.
As he did with authors Shirley Jackson in The Haunting of Hill House, Henry James in The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Christopher Pike in The Midnight Club, Flanagan interprets their elegant words, adds his signature style, and creates a stunning series. You’ll want to brush up on the poet if you hope to catch all of the references. Episodes are titled after other Poe stories but don’t necessarily follow the same narrative.
The Fall of the House of Usher is a character-driven exploration of family, karma, greed, corruption, and privilege told through a uniquely satirical and supernatural lens. Though the series falls outside of the Flana-verse emotional repertoire — terminally ill teens, heartbreaking queer love stories, the tragic Eleanor Crain — the gore and dark humor are an unexpected treat. Mike Flanagan never fails to hit the mark.
The first two episodes of The Fall of the House of Usher premiere at Fantastic Fest in September 2023. All 8 episodes begin streaming October 12 on Netflix.
Those still trying to fill The Midnight Club-sized hole left by its unceremonious cancellation can pause their rewatch cycle because Mike Flanagan season is upon us. Netflix has another delectable horror-drama to devour. And this one won’t leave you in a puddle of tears!
This fall, the writer-director and his longtime producing partner Trevor Macy (Midnight Mass) deliver the next Flana-verse installment with their highly-anticipated The Fall of the House of Usher. The master storyteller’s latest literary adaptation is inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, including the 1839 short story of the same name.
The Fall of the House of Usher is framed by wealthy businessman and CEO of Fortunato Pharmaceuticals Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood) having a tense face-to-face meeting with attorney C. Auguste Dupin (Carl Lumbly). Naturally, they have their sitdown in a creaky old house on a rainy night, an appropriately dreary Poe-like atmosphere. While Roderick’s being his charismatic, assertive self, it’s clear to Dupin (and the audience) that something, or someone, is haunting him. Understandable, considering all six of his children are dead.
As the Usher patriarch recounts the shocking fatalities of his offspring, the episodes jump between timelines going back weeks or sometimes decades. Even though we already know their ultimate fates, like Dupin, we’re hanging onto Roderick’s every word.
In flashbacks, we’re introduced to the multiracial Usher family — six adult children from five different mothers. His first love Annabel Lee (Katie Parker) is the mother of the two oldest siblings Frederick (Henry Thomas), the first in line to inherit Fortunato, and his sister Tamerlane (Samantha Sloyan), who is more accomplished and strategic. And yes, this does give them a superiority complex.
Victorine LaFourcade (T’Nia Miller) might be the most complicated of the bunch because her work in the medical field seems to come from a genuine motivation to help people, in the beginning at least. She can be sweet with her partner/colleague Dr. Alessandra Ruiz (Paola Nuñez). But that Usher blood prevents her from being an objectively good person.
Camille L’Espanaye (Kate Siegel, rocking killer makeup and gorgeous locks) has the taxing job of handling her family’s public image and endless controversies, which is unfortunate for her overworked and not-at-all-appreciated assistants Toby (Igby Rigney) and Tina (Aya Furukawa).
Napoleon “Leo” Usher’s (Rahul Kohli) thing is video games. He’s not an actual designer but more of an investor/socialite with a drug habit. His poor boyfriend Julius (Daniel Jun) has to put up with a lot. The youngest is Prospero “Perry” Usher (Sauriyan Sapkota) whom Frederick aptly calls “Gucci Caligula” at one point. He lacks the Usher ingenuity and is only interested in a hedonistic lifestyle.
Roderick’s twin sister Madeline Usher (Mary McDonnell) is seemingly more ruthless than her brother when it comes to their family business — and just about everything else. Their upbringing was less than ideal, and as they grew up, they became consumed by their ambition. Willa Fitzgerald and Flana-verse favorite Zach Gilford play the siblings during their younger years when they cross paths with the stranger who will return decades later to watch as the Usher empire quickly crumbles.
The mysterious Verna (Carla Gugino) is front and center to the death of each heir. In the trailer, she calls herself “Consequence” and tells Roderick, “Your family is a collection of stunted hearts whose time has come.” During production, Gugino described Verna to Tudum, “You could say she’s the executor of fate or the executor of karma.” Whether she’s killing them herself or somehow causing their deaths is unclear for most of the 8-episode run, so no spoilers here.
Mike Flanagan has plenty of death in his past work but nothing I would ever call gory. The same can’t be said for House of Usher, though. The deaths are horrific in the best way, and watching how the surreal scenarios play out is a major part of what makes this a fun series. Imagine the roaming specters from The Haunting of Hill House if they died in a Jigsaw trap or freaky Final Destination “accident.”
In the trailer, there’s a noticeably comedic tone to the series, with most of the dark humor stemming from the family dynamics of the heartless, self-centered Ushers. Viewers will also realize there’s a significant amount of sex, which isn’t usually prominent in other Flanagan projects. But it makes sense that characters living in opulence would be insatiable, or at least expectant, in all areas of life including sex.
One familiar element in a Flana-verse production is a star-studded cast of actors, the majority of whom have worked with the filmmaker before. Doctor Sleep’s Kyleigh Curran joined the cast as Lenore Usher, the daughter of Frederick and Morella “Morrie” (Crystal Balint), and the only family member who isn’t allergic to empathy.
New additions (that we hope to see in future projects) include the remarkable Mark Hamill as Arthur Pym, the Ushers’ intimidating attorney and all-around “fixer.” Both Mary McDonnell and Willa Fitzgerald perfectly embody the icy and highly intelligent Madeline Usher at different ages, delivering her biting dialogue with a chilling and amusing tone.
Flanagan’s consistently brilliant writing adds depth to unlikable characters that could easily come off as stereotypical, especially with all the (real and fictional) examples of wealthy narcissists we see on TV. He shares credit with his team of established and emerging writers — Emmy Grinwis (Snowfall), Justina Ireland (Dread Nation), Matt Johnson, Dani Parker (Midnight Mass), Rebecca Klingel (The Haunting of Bly Manor), James Flanagan (Midnight Mass), and Kiele Sanchez.
Bruce Greenwood performs a monologue about the phrase “when life gives you lemons,” made all the more captivating as the camera slowly zooms in on a closeup. It’s another signature of Flanagan who directed four episodes with Michael Fimognari (The Midnight Club), who also acts as the series cinematographer, at the helm of the other four.
As he did with authors Shirley Jackson in The Haunting of Hill House, Henry James in The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Christopher Pike in The Midnight Club, Flanagan interprets their elegant words, adds his signature style, and creates a stunning series. You’ll want to brush up on the poet if you hope to catch all of the references. Episodes are titled after other Poe stories but don’t necessarily follow the same narrative.
The Fall of the House of Usher is a character-driven exploration of family, karma, greed, corruption, and privilege told through a uniquely satirical and supernatural lens. Though the series falls outside of the Flana-verse emotional repertoire — terminally ill teens, heartbreaking queer love stories, the tragic Eleanor Crain — the gore and dark humor are an unexpected treat. Mike Flanagan never fails to hit the mark.
The first two episodes of The Fall of the House of Usher premiere at Fantastic Fest in September 2023. All 8 episodes begin streaming October 12 on Netflix.
The year is 1999. I am fourteen-years-old and watching Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle debut in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The man looks like the prototype for Captain America as he walks down the ramp in what will be his signature single decorated with the stars and stripes of the American flag. As I have watched Kurt jump between good guy and villain over the years, one thing remains constant; he never lets anyone forget that he won his Olympic medal “with a broken freaking neck.” I assumed he’s exaggerating as all professional wrestlers do, putting a hundred on ten. The year is now 2023, and I am thirty-eight-years old. I am watching Angle, the documentary about Kurt Angle’s life. I feel guilt as I see that not only was Kurt Angle not exaggerating about winning a gold medal with a broken neck, that’s not even the toughest part of his journey.
Angle takes us through the life of Kurt Angle from the very beginning. How he got into wrestling, his upbringing, the family he grew up with, and then his journey toward becoming not only a world champion wrestler but an Olympic gold medalist. We see Kurt Angle in a different light as he talks about his upbringing with his siblings, his closeness with his mother, his father being a stand-up man but also a high functioning alcoholic, the passing of his father, and then the drive that motivates him to rise through the ranks of amateur wrestling. It’s wild to go back and see this side of Kurt Angle, not only how he got into wrestling but his mentality that pushed him to want to become the very best at the sport.
“I didn’t come all this way just to say I came this far”
Watching this documentary, it feels as if we have a front row seat to the hero’s journey story structure of Kurt Angle’s life. The man competes at an entirely different level of wrestling, but then when he meets others on that level, he has to reinvent himself. We then see him under the tutelage of American Olympian and world champion David Schultz at the Foxcatcher facility. It is here where Kurt learns that his key to success is exhausting his opponent out. He then embarks on an absolutely spartan level exhaustion training regimen for two years. The regimen is so crazy that trainers have to watch him because he’ll over exhaust himself. As we see Kurt headed towards the Olympics, we see him having to deal with the murder of his mentor and friend David Schultz and then the injury to his neck.
If you’ve ever wondered what goes into the mentality of an Olympic athlete, Angle answers that question. The choices Kurt Angle makes in order to achieve his boyhood dream of becoming an Olympic gold medalist is as inspiring as it is frightening. Not only is Kurt’s neck injury serious, it’s life threatening. Knowing all that, Kurt Angle still said, “I hear you… but that Olympic gold medal tho.” Even when Kurt thought he couldn’t do it, his brother was there to tell him (much like his father did when he first got him into the sport), “Get up, you’re wrestling.” Angle makes you feel as if you’re seeing Kurt Angle going through the 12 labors of Hercules, except each labor is an opponent and obstacle he must overcome for his goal of Olympic gold.
“Damnit, I’ve been damaged but I can manage”
After completing his dream, Kurt Angle joins WWE as a professional wrestler. What I love about Kurt Angle and what his peers point out, is how he had no ego coming into pro wrestling. He was willing to not take himself too seriously, find his niche, then switch between being humorous and vicious. Kurt Angle can portray a goofy, naive, innocent goody two-shoes persona one minute or the most dangerous man in professional wrestling once he puts that mouth guard in. I always respected him due to his range and fearlessness to be the butt of the joke. I love pro wrestling because it tells a story of the illusion of hurt. Wrestlers go in and tell a physical story while at the same time protecting one another. Accidents happen, the pain is real that they feel but their job is to be illusionists with their physicality. Where wrestlers are careful with each other’s bodies, they’re all on their own when it comes to managing the pain of such a grueling sport and the toll it takes on your bod. A toll that can take people to dark spaces.
Kurt angle suffered a broken neck at the Olympics, but he would go through a series of neck fractures and breaks during his wrestling career. Watching the documentary, on the one hand, it’s so inspiring to see this man put everything into his craft. It’s also heartbreaking seeing how reliant Kurt becomes on painkillers in order to not only continue his profession but to just manage the day to day pain from putting his body on the line through the years. A while back, Jordan Calhoun was talking to me about the documentary Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off. The documentary focuses on Tony Hawk literally pushing himself in skateboarding past what his body can handle. As a documentary, Angle shows the aftermath of an athlete pushing themselves past their brink and how easily pain management with painkillers can turn into addiction.
Kurt talked about his sister’s addiction, reflected on his father’s alcoholism (only drinking when the kids were sleeping), and the pain he is constantly having to deal with due to his injuries. The Angle documentary offers a chance for Kurt Angle to reflect on his choice in self-medicating with pain killers. He doesn’t shy away from talking about the person he became while being dependent on pain killers, thinking he didn’t need help, and his wife snapping him back to reality.
As a documentary, Angle captures the tragedies, hurt, and loss Kurt Angle experienced in his journey to the Olympics and his career afterwards. Being able to see this Kurt alive and well to reflect on these periods of his life speaks wonders. Not many people can suffer a broken neck for Olympic gold, the loss of their friend and mentor, family members, and addiction. Seeing Kurt Angle still standing and being able to pull back the curtain, speak on these highs, lows, and tribulations that he went through is a testament to the hard work and never say die attitude the man has possessed all his life. We see Kurt Angle being strong enough to go the distance in his youth and risk it all, then years later in as a grizzled pro wrestling verteran, being strong enough to ask for and accept help to overcome his addiction.
The documentary serves not as a cautionary tale of the fall and rise of an Olympic hero but, in my opinion, the distance one goes for their dream and the issues that befall professional wrestlers as not only athletes but entertainers as well. Angle is a documentary where we see Kurt Angle pull an Andy Dufresne. Kurt crawled through a bunch of shit that life threw at him and came out the other side clean.
Angle is available to watch via Peacock streaming platform.
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The post ‘Angle’ Documentary Opens the Perspective on Kurt Angle appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Cyberpunk 2077 has had quite a journey since its initial release. At first, it disappointed players more than it wowed. But slowly, the game has gotten itself closer to where gamers hoped it would go initially. The new trailer for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, the upcoming expansion for the game, certainly looks promising. If nothing else, the new Cyberpunk 2077 addition features Idris Elba. It’s hard to complain about that. But beyond that, the graphics look good, the gameplay looks exciting, and hopefully, Phantom Liberty will turn a new page for Cyberpunk 2077. Check out the official trailer and the special Idris Elba-focused one below.
Idris Elba plays a major character in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, “sleeper agent Solomon Reed.” But also, he performs the song played in the background of the trailer. That’s true multi-talent.
The Cyberpunk 2077 expansion trailers also offer a synopsis of the expansion, allowing us to understand more about what we can expect from the game. It shares:
Phantom Liberty is an upcoming spy-thriller expansion for Cyberpunk 2077. Return as cyber-enhanced mercenary V and embark on a high-stakes mission of espionage and intrigue to save the NUSA President. In the dangerous district of Dogtown, you must forge alliances within a web of shattered loyalties and sinister political machinations. Do you have what it takes to survive?
A release further notes that players will take the role of V, “a cyber-enhanced mercenary for hire who is pulled into the world of spies and political intrigue, joined by sleeper agent Solomon Reed who is played by Idris Elba.” Well, at least we’ll have Elba as our companion in a dangerous world.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty will release on September 26. It will be available to play on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. You can now pre-order your copy. Good luck surviving to you. And good luck to Cyberpunk 2077; hopefully, Phantom Liberty has what it takes.
The post CYBERPUNK 2077: PHANTOM LIBERTY Trailers Reveal Idris Elba, New Gameplay, and More appeared first on Nerdist.
Final Fantasy XIV is already a hugely popular multiplayer online game, and now it’s headed to the table. Square Enix has announced the Final Fantasy XIV tabletop roleplaying set for next spring. They’re gearing this transition to tabletop roleplaying towards RPG newcomers with a comprehensive starter set that has everything you could need to run a game or explore the world of Eorzea as an adventurous player.
The Final Fantasy XIV TTRPG Starter Set comes with a player book, a gamemaster book that has three ready-to-go premade scenarios, premade character sheets, custom dice, an encounter map, and more. You can see many of the elements in the below image. The prewritten scenarios connect to Final Fantasy XIV‘s main story to make you feel even more a part of the world. Square Enix recommends five players, though as few as three could join the gaming party.
With four character sheets—for Warrior, White Mage, Dragoon, and Black Mage—already available, jumping in should be straightforward. The play system isn’t clear, though. The Starter Set‘s custom dice are six d20s and 10 d6s, so the system is likely a custom one.
The Final Fantasy XIV TTRPG Starter Set releases next May and costs $59.99. You can place a pre-order now.
The post FINAL FANTASY XIV Tabletop RPG Coming in 2024 appeared first on Nerdist.