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  • EXCLUSIVE: Larry the Cable Guy on Reuniting with Owen Wilson for ‘Cars on the Road’

    EXCLUSIVE: Larry the Cable Guy on Reuniting with Owen Wilson for ‘Cars on the Road’

    There are many iconic duos in the world of cinema but many might have a fond childhood memory of the unlikely duo of race car Lightning McQueen and Radiator Spring’s sweetheart Mater. While we last saw the two together in the third Cars film back in 2017. Luckily, the duo return with their original voice actors once again reuniting, McQueen’s Owen Wilson and Mater’s Larry the Cable Guy.

    Having had the chance to interview Larry the Cable Guy during the press for the upcoming Disney+ series, Cars on the Road, the actor shared some insight into what it was like working with Owen Wilson again even with the pandemic keeping them apart. It sounds like their work dating back to 2006 has made it easy for them to know how the other voices their character even without being in the same room.

    The cool thing about Owen and I: we’ve done it for so long, we’ve done so many projects. I know which direction he’s going, and he knows which direction I’m going. So, if Owen’s in the studio and he throws out a new line and they put that in the script when I go up to do mine; obviously if they are reading Owen’s line to me, I already know which inflection Owen already used, I know what he sounds like in my head before I do mine. So, when I do my line I know it’s going to match to what he said, because we know each other’s inflection and we know what each other person is thinking because we’ve done it for so long.

    Larry the Cable Guy

    It sounds like the pandemic couldn’t keep the duo from bringing their iconic characters to life. There’s something about realizing just how long Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy have been working together. It also shows what kind of bond they have developed over the years.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Barbarian’ Director Explains Film’s Title

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Barbarian’ Director Explains Film’s Title

    Barbarian, an inventive new horror film from the mind of Zach Cregger, continues the longstanding tradition of giving spooky movies a one-word title. From Us to It to Misery, there are countless mononymous thrillers with a whole lot of meaning packed into only a few syllables. Ever since Barbarian was announced, internet sleuths have done their best to crack the code and figure out just how the title relates to the plot. However, according to the director, they may never truly get an answer.

    In an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, Cregger was asked if he could break down exactly how his latest directorial effort found its name. The creative, who also wrote the film, began by stating he enjoyed the mystique of not giving a direct answer. Luckily, Cregger did decide to explain the moment “Barbarian” was selected as the project’s label and how that impacted the movie going forward:

    I think it’s an intriguing title. I like the idea that when the movie is over it could inspire a debate as to what it’s referencing. There’s been a lot of theories online about how I probably landed on it. None of them are especially accurate. [laughs] Truth be told, I had to name the document something when I saved it the first time. I was writing the script and I had to write something to save it, or it was going to be called ‘Untitled Screenplay’, and so I wrote ‘Barbarian’ and then I got attached to it. Then the more I wrote… maybe the movie just sort of wrapped itself around that title. I’m really happy with it. I think it’s the right title, but it is mysterious.

    Zach Cregger

    After it was pointed out that most of the film takes place at 476 Barbary St., which feels like a potential play on the movie’s title (“Bar-bar-y-an”), Cregger conceded that might have been done on purpose. He elaborated, giving his most solid answer:

    I think that was probably what I was thinking. The first time I started writing, I named the street “Barbary Street”. So that probably was in my head. Like ‘Barbarian’, an inhabitant of this place.

    Zach Cregger

    Barbarian hits theaters on September 9th.

  • Funko Pop! Reveals New Look at ‘Secret Invasion’ Character

    Funko Pop! Reveals New Look at ‘Secret Invasion’ Character

    Marvel Studios is adapting one of Marvel Comics craziest event series in Secret Invasion. Expected to stream early in 2023, Marvel Studios Secret Invasion has been billed as a paranoia-filled spy thriller. And in the MCU, if spy games are involved, THE spy will be there. Samuel L. Jackson has been attached to the project since its earliest days (in fact, the series was initially described as a Nick Fury project) and while there hasn’t been much in the way of promotion, the actor has been front and center for what has been shown. Now, as part of a series of reveals of Funko Pops! that will be available at NYCC, a new look at Jackson’s Fury has been unleashed!

    As of the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Fury was known to be in space working with a group of friendly Skrulls while Talos was simming him on Earth. Secret Invasion will see Fury back on Earth, but becoming aware that not all Skrulls’ interests are aligned with those of Talos. Crew merch that surfaced earlier this year seemed to indicate that at least part of the comic event’s plot, which centered around a Skrull god and a prophecy that the Skrulls were destined to rule Earth, should make its way into the streaming series, perhaps hinting at the identity of some of the rivals Skrulls. It’s also recently been revealed that some of the events and characters look to be inspired by a recent comic miniseries titled Meet the Skrulls. So while the full plot hasn’t been revealed (fans are hopeful a trailer for Secret Invasion will come out of the upcoming D23 Expo), it seems that Nick Fury will have a a pretty full plate.

  • Initial ‘Cars on the Road’ Pitch Included “Twice as Many Stops”

    Initial ‘Cars on the Road’ Pitch Included “Twice as Many Stops”

    Productions change a lot from when they are initially pitched. While some pitches tend to focus on the overarching storyline and feeling the series is going for, others tend to have a stricter outline. In the case of Cars on the Road, it seems that they had quite a few episodes already mapped out as revealed by writer Steve Purcell, who pitched the series initially.

    In the official press conference for the series, he reveals that the biggest change was the number of episodes that made it into the final release. Purcell initially pitched twice as many stops before they started cutting down on what fits the story best. He doesn’t give away what they would’ve consisted of but it seems that they wanted to focus on finding a nice balance when bringing the series to life.

    Yeah. When I first pitched the idea, we had twice as many stops. And so we’ve sort of arrived at an order that we felt was working. And sometimes we would pull one out and put another one in, a different idea. Looking for just the right selection and the kind of, you know, alternating between day scenes and night scenes and kind of, you know, out in the desert opposed to in a forest or something like that. So it was really trying to structure it so it felt like a nice variety of places and it felt like you were going from one place to another along the way.

    Steve Purcell

    He does highlight that perhaps there’s more to come and teases that he has “10 more ideas sitting out there” that could be a part of another road trip for Mater and Lightning McQueen.

    But there’s still, you know, 10 more ideas sitting out there that we hadn’t used.

    Steve Purcell

    Given the Cars franchise’s success, it seems unlikely to expect this to be the last we see of them. So, we’ll have to see if the series’ upcoming Disney+ Day release will signal a second season renewal. Who knows if they might even have it planned and are just trying to build up the momentum once the series hits Disney+?

  • REVIEW: ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 5 is Ridiculously Delightful

    REVIEW: ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 5 is Ridiculously Delightful

    This is a spoiler-free review!

    Cobra Kai has always had a sense of ridiculousness to it, but Season 5 takes it up a notch in the best way possible.

    Most shows tend to falter as seasons go on. For some, it is in their sophomore seasons that they fall apart, while others begin to falter in latter seasons, seemingly struggling to maintain quality over the years. Cobra Kai, thankfully, managed to avoid the sophomore season curse and has only continued to become better with each new installment. Five seasons in, the Karate Kid spinoff appears to have more steam now than ever. The series understands what it wants to be and is willing to take risks. So, by the time the final episode of Cobra Kai‘s fifth season ends, viewers will find themselves desperately seeking Season 6 — which is currently thought to be the show’s final season.

    Season 5 of Cobra Kai picks up shortly after where Season 4 ends. Miguel has headed to Mexico in search of his biological father, Cobra Kai is riding high from winning the All Valley, and Johnny is still trying to mend his relationship with his son. But given that this is Cobra Kai, things don’t necessarily go as planned. Cobra Kai is still causing trouble – both the students and the senseis – and there will be repercussions felt throughout the entire season because of their actions. While prior seasons have focused on the relationship between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, Season 5 has put the focus on family and how our choices impact those around us. What we get to finally see is the weight of their choices. Both men are still incredibly, incredibly stubborn, but this season sees them move beyond being karate obsessed.

    This season puts a ton of focus on character growth. Season 5 of Cobra Kai takes its main cast and puts them into uncomfortable positions, forcing them to learn from their mistakes along the way. Surprisingly, while Johnny and Daniel do grow plenty, it’s the kids this go around that show the most growth. Which is a nice change. We’re so used to the story being centered around the adults, but Season 5 puts the kids in the spotlight. They’re reckless, they’re frustrating, but at the end of the day, they’re a lot different by season’s end. The most notable character arc this season belongs to Peyton List‘s Tory Nichols who has arguably the best (and most emotional) storyline this season. List leaves everything on the mat this season and deserves all of the praise she’s sure to receive.

    The season isn’t without its faults, of course. There are moments that do drag on seemingly more than necessary, and the things Silver manages to get away with can be quite frustrating. But the stumbles are minor, and the season always manages to recover from the tiny blows.

    As for the fight scenes this season, they’re not as great as they have been in the past. That isn’t to say there aren’t some highlights, though. After all, this is Cobra Kai and there will always be at least one insane fight included. Some of the fights are goofy, of course, but the hard-hitting fights are memorable – especially the big battle we see near the end. It’s the first time in the show’s history that audiences will find themselves unsure of the safety of some of their favorite characters. It’s both well-executed and well-cut. It’s a hell of a way to end what is easily the most ridiculous and yet fantastic season of Cobra Kai to date.

    Honestly, looking at where Cobra Kai is now, it’s easy to forget that the series started out as a YouTube original. It’s easily one of the best shows on television because it knows what it wants to be and doesn’t take itself too seriously. This is a karate series with great characters. The dojos and karate used to be the main selling point of the series, however, Season 5 does a hell of a job making it about the characters. The series has grown over the years into a far more confident version of itself and it shows.

    Overall, Season 5 of Cobra Kai is one of the best seasons to date. While the fight scenes aren’t the best, the season excels in its character work. It’s hard to believe a story about two warring dojos has managed to shine in its storytelling five seasons in, and yet, Cobra Kai has done so with ease. While the plan might’ve been for six seasons, Season 5 proves there is still plenty of story left to tell if the creatives are up for it. For now, fans can relax knowing their favorite karate series is back bigger and better than ever.

    Cobra Kai is now streaming on Netflix.

  • Book Review: ‘Space Trash’, Volume 1

    Book Review: ‘Space Trash’, Volume 1

    Space Trash: Vol. 1 hails from Jenn Woodall and tells the story of three kids – Stab, Yuki and Una – as they visit abstract locations while attending high school on the moon. It’s a fascinating premise that is full of promise with the three students discovering something that could change the course of their future forever.

    As a Mass Effect fan, I’ve often wondered how cool it would be to play as Commander Shepherd before they become the legend. Given that players can pick from three distinct backstories, a prequel taking us through each background would’ve been most welcome. So the highest compliment I can pay Space Trash is that it feels like that idea came to life. Introducing Stab, Yuki, and Una amidst some colorful supporting characters isn’t a novel choice, as they might as well be this novel’s Harry, Hermione, and Ron, but making all three of them come from underprivileged communities is a really good choice by Woodall because it allows for the eventual friendship forged to actually mean something. There’s trauma that these three have experienced, and it has made them who they are. It also will have an impact on who they become, and I’m really excited to see what surprising ways that unfolds. 

    Another cool thing the author does is to set the school the children attend in the backdrop of an Earth that has been abandoned. While this all-too-quick read doesn’t give us a lot of insight into this abandoned Earth, it does give us just enough in terms of what the planet meant to these characters for the loss to be felt. There’s also this feeling that they will try to return at some point, and that feeling does cloud the proceedings a bit as it feels like more set-up is needed for that to truly mean something. What the novel does set up better is the complex system that these children are living under: a mix of Hunger Games and Game of Thrones, this dynamic makes sense considering what happened that led to the creation of it.

    All of this set-up comes to life with creative color usage and writing that is top-notch. However, having 2091 look like 1980 didn’t really help set the story apart. You can’t sell a futuristic story and then not really set it in the future, and choosing to not do so really takes you out of a well-written story. The story has queer and non-binary characters, which is great for representation, and that’s always a plus. However, the lack of care given to this world made it hard for the characters to feel truly developed — much like the world they inhabited.

  • ‘House of the Dragon’-Episode 3 Recap

    ‘House of the Dragon’-Episode 3 Recap

    A Historically Accurate Royal Hunt

    One of the biggest plot points in this episode was Viserys’ royal hunt, where he and about half of the Red Keep went into the Kingswood to hunt down a rare white hart in celebration of his son Aegon’s second nameday. This is actually pretty accurate to what medieval royal hunts looked like, where the monarch would wait for his huntsmen to find their prey and the king would deliver the killing blow. So while this may be more in line with how it actually may have happened, we’ve already seen a king in Game of Thrones go hunting through the Kingswood, with nobody but a Kingsguard, his brother, and a cupbearer. Robert Baratheon has no time to sit in a tent when a boar the size of an elephant is waiting to gut him to pieces!

    Viserys chose to spend his time waiting for his prize drinking and getting into whisper shouting matches with his daughter, Otto Hightower, and a Lannister about the war in the Stepstones. Paddy Considine is really nailing the role of Viserys, trying to please everyone while drinking himself into a stupor, and in doing so, making things so much worse. And did anyone catch those missing fingers from the Iron Throne cut? Bad omen. Another note is that the hunters couldn’t track the white hart, they only found a brown one, and Viserys could not even cleanly kill the poor replacement. The rare white hart did appear for Rhaenyra, but she chose to let it go. Something to remember moving forward.

    A lot of time was spent this episode with Viserys combating different people (Hightower and Lannister) for questioning his line of succession. Viserys finally made a stand and cemented his daughter as heir, even confirming it to her. He did have a moment of weakness with Alicent in wondering if he had the made wrong choice in Rhaenyra, but then doubled down on his choice afterwards. This confirmation of Rhaenyra as heir should make her more interactive in court and around her family, but the lingering question remains: what happens between Rhaenyra and Aegon when Viserys is gone?

    Rhaenyra and Company

    The episode provided some quality one-on-one time with Criston and Rhaenyra, after Rhaenyra ran off and Cole had to go after her. A callback to King Robert showed up when a (much smaller) boar attacked Rhaenyra and Criston, but the Kingsguard knight made short work of it. It did make quite a striking visual with them arriving back at camp dragging the carcass and Rhaenyra being soaked in blood.

    Another significant dynamic to keep an eye on is the rivalry between Alicent and Rhaenyra. So far, Alicent has seemed very sympathetic towards Rhaenyra who is giving her the cold shoulder. How long will Alicent continue to play nice, especially with her father in her ear whispering that her own son Aegon should be heir and not her stepdaughter?

    War in the Stepstones

    A big difference between the show and the book is that Viserys was not supporting the Stepstones throughout the war. In Fire and Blood, Viserys was happy to pay for Corlys and Daemon’s war in order to keep him out of trouble. In the show, Corlys and Daemon are struggling, and were on their last legs before Viserys chose to send a small force. This minimal help drove Daemon into a rage and one last assault, basically soloing the Crab’s forces before Corlys’s army along with his son, Laenor, and his Dragon Seasmoke came to save the day. Laenor isn’t a warrior in Fire and Blood, he doesn’t even get knighted until he’s required to for marriage, so it’s quite a change from the books and something that probably should have been set up a little better to have a bigger impact.

    One major complaint about this episode is that Daemon’s duel with the Crabfeeder took place entirely offscreen. I was really looking forward to that, especially with the Crab looking like Jason Voorhees incarnate. Oh well. We’ll see how Viserys handles Daemon being the self-proclaimed King in the Narrow Sea next week.

  • The Morning After Huddle: September 6, 2022

    The Morning After Huddle: September 6, 2022

    Welcome to Week One of the 2022 NFL Season and to the Tuesday edition of The Morning After Huddle! There was secrecy. There was intrigue. At long last, the Steelers have a starting quarteback.

    Here’s what you need to know:

    • First, the Pittsburgh Steelers will roll with veteran Mitch Trubisky as the starting quarterback for Week One. Trubisky is also a captain along with T.J. Watt, Najee Harris, Cameron Heyward and Miles Killebrew. Perhaps even more intriguing is that rookie quarterback and first round draft pick Kenny Pickett is third on the depth chart, behind Mason Rudolph. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, despite the fact that Pickett was coming on in camp, nothing changes with Trubisky being the starter.
    • Moving along, Ryan Kerrigan is returning to the Washington Commanders after ten seasons with the team. Kerrigan is joining the staff as an Assistant Defensive Line Coach. Commanders writer Pete Haileys says Kerrigan will prioritize the lack of pass rush on Washington’s Defensive line.
    • Finally, below is your Key Signings and Trades Roundup from the last few days:

    Enjoy the week because football is back and that means we’ll be here with even more NFL news you want to know!

  • Zach Cregger Explains the Origin of ‘Barbarian’

    Zach Cregger Explains the Origin of ‘Barbarian’

    Barbarian is one of the year’s great mysteries. Aside from a few vague hints in the film’s marketing, nobody really seems to know what’s going to happen before the credits roll. The only definite is this – a woman is forced to confront a rather uncomfortable situation when the AirBnB she booked turns out to be inhabited by a complete stranger. Once she goes inside, all metaphorical Hell breaks loose, in a story crafted by the mind of director Zach Cregger.

    During a recent press conference promoting the movie, Cregger detailed how the basic premise came to be. He explained it was a specific chapter in a book that lead him to his original idea:

    I had read a book called the Gift of Fear by the security consultant, Gavin de Becker. There was a chapter in the book that was really primarily directed towards women and he was encouraging women to pay attention to these little minor red flags that men can give off in day-to-day situations. They can be very innocuous things that you might not notice. Things like complimenting you when it’s not necessarily appropriate or doing you a favor that you didn’t ask for or touching in a nonsexual way that’s not initiated by you. All these little things that seemingly don’t matter, but he was basically saying the gift of fear, it’s important to pay attention to these little red flags because you’re equipped with that to identify potential threats.

    Zach Cregger

    He continued, elaborating on how the selection grew to become an epiphany:

    As I was reading it, I just kind of had this epiphany that I don’t ever have to think about that kind of a thing, because I’m a man and because I have this level of privilege where I just don’t have to consider that half the population might be somebody that means to do me harm for no reason. I just realized I occupy a completely different psychic landscape than most women do. It was kind of a big moment for me.

    Zach Cregger

    It was at this point that Cregger formulated his film, taking the concept of red flags and stretching it into a feature-length script. From there, Cregger claims, the story began writing itself. The creative couldn’t give much more information without entering spoiler territory, but it’s still interesting to hear how a seemingly innocuous book excerpt could spiral into one of the year’s most unexpected movies.

    Barbarian hits theaters on September 9th.

  • ‘Barbarian’ Star Georgina Campbell on Working with Bill Skarsgård

    ‘Barbarian’ Star Georgina Campbell on Working with Bill Skarsgård

    Barbarian has a lot going for it, and that includes a bonafide horror star in Bill Skarsgård. The actor, who reached international fame for his portrayal of Pennywise the Clown in the most recent It adaptations, has been a major selling point of the film’s marketing. Working alongside him is Georgina Campbell, who achieved recognition with roles in projects like Black Mirror and His Dark Materials. During a recent press conference in support of Barbarian, the actress was asked what it was like to act with Skarsgård – with whom she shares plenty of scenes. Her response was nothing but positive:

    Well, honestly, it was just really exciting. I was very excited when I got the job. And then when I heard that Bill Skarsgård was going to be in it, and Justin Long, I was like, “Oh my God.” Jesus Christ, I’ve got to bring my A-game. So, I was just so excited when I met him. I’m a really huge fan of all of his work, and he’s just a dream to work with. He’s a really charismatic, charming guy. So, it’s very easy in those early scenes to kind of slowly be charmed by him. And also, we had just met each other, and then we went into a scenario where two people had just met each other. So, it’s quite easy in that situation to just let it naturally flow, and also naturally, as we are filming it, we are getting to know each other personally, as well as in work. So, it just kind of all worked really well, which, yeah, I’m glad I love those scenes at the beginning of the film

    Georgina Campbell

    Director Zach Cregger also commented on the pair’s natural chemistry, mentioning a scene in the film where both characters have to interact for a long period of time. According to the filmmaker, much of the scene was improvised, and the good vibes lasted even after the cameras stopped rolling. Hopefully, audiences are able to pick up on the duo’s success when Barbarian hits theaters on September 9th.