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  • REVIEW [Untranslated]: ‘I Am Groot’ I Am Groot

    REVIEW [Untranslated]: ‘I Am Groot’ I Am Groot

    *For a translated version of this review – click here*

    I am Groot I Am Groot, I am Groot. I Am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot I am Groot. I am Groot I am Groot, I am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot. I am Groot I am Groot I am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot I am Groot. I am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot. I am Groot, I am Groot I Am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot I am Groot. I am Groot I am Groot I am Groot.

    I am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot. I am Groot I am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot, I am Groot I Am Groot I am Groot. I am Groot I am Groot I am Groot. I am Groot I am Groot I Am Groot I am Groot I am Groot. I am Groot I am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot. I am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot. I am Groot I am Groot I am Groot, I am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot I am Groot.

    I am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot. I Am Groot I am Groot I am Groot, I am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot. I am Groot, I am Groot. I am Groot, I am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot. I am Groot, I-am-Groot-I-am-Groot, I am Groot, I Am Groot I am Groot I am Groot, I am Groot, I am Groot. I am Groot I am Groot, I am Groot, I am Groot. I am Groot I am Groot I am Groot.

    I am Groot I am Groot, I Am Groot I am Groot I Am Groot+, I am Groot. I am Groot I-am-Groot I am Groot, I am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot. I am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot. I am Groot, I am Groot. I am Groot, I am Groot, I am Groot I am Groot.

  • REVIEW [Translated]: ‘I Am Groot’ is Just the Cutest

    REVIEW [Translated]: ‘I Am Groot’ is Just the Cutest

    *For an original, untranslated version of this review – click here*

    The first-ever Guardians of the Galaxy spin-off has arrived, and it’s just about the cutest thing ever. I Am Groot, also the first starring vehicle for Vin Diesel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is a CG-animated mini-show from the minds of Ryan Little and Kirsten Lepore. It’s first season consists of five short episodes, each only a few minutes long, that mostly feature Baby Groot stumbling his way through an adorable series of shenanigans across the galaxy. While the project is technically canon to the wider MCU, it more or less functions as entirely it’s own affair. There is no prerequisite viewing, aside from maybe the aforementioned Guardians films, and there is no pressure to understand anything important. It’s really just Baby Groot being Baby Groot for a solid 20 minutes.

    Obviously, this is not a serious show made for grown-up adults. That doesn’t mean an adult can’t love it, because this series is the definition of lovable, but nobody should go into I Am Groot expecting a deep dive into the character’s origin or personal beliefs. Instead, one should anticipate hearty laughter and a little bit of water to come out of their leaky eyes. It’s essentially the opening dance sequence from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 stretched out long enough to give it its own title. Anyone with a child who loves Groot will want to turn this on immediately because it will likely become that kid’s new favorite show. Diesel‘s endearing, pocket-sized hero pulls out all of his signature moves. From antagonizing equally delightful intergalactic creatures to performing the most destructive arts-and-crafts time ever, Groot does it all with the sweetest, most amusing big eyes and tiny smile the universe has ever seen.

    That being said, these shorts are genuinely worth the watch for parents and children alike. I Am Groot can be viewed as an entertaining, educational project designed for toddlers, using Baby Groot and the problems he runs into as great examples of overcoming adversity. Granted, Groot is not a well-behaved baby. He is, however, wildly entertaining and sure to give kids a good chuckle. On the parental, or adult-who-doesn’t-have-kids-but-likes-Marvel-a-lot, side of things, I Am Groot is an undeniably charming look into a corner of the Marvel Universe that, frankly, nobody ever thought they would see. The only other Marvel character to make an appearance is Groot’s best friend and father figure, Rocket Raccoon, voiced again by Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper. Isolating Groot from his peers allows viewers to take a rather interesting peak at what sort of chaos the little tree can cause when left completely unattended.

    Although nothing too special, I Am Groot does earn it’s place as part of the Disney+ catalogue, and will probably leave young ones wanting more. The shorts have the potential to be a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it chapter for the MCU, and may be the sort of thing people forget about after a single viewing, but it will ultimately be the response from the target audience that determines it’s longevity. More episodes have been confirmed to be on the way, so perhaps this is just the beginning of many Groot solo adventures down the line. Either way, it’s not anything worth stressing about. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy Baby Groot in all his precious glory.

  • Brett Goldstein Says Hercules Casting Was “Out of the Blue”

    Brett Goldstein Says Hercules Casting Was “Out of the Blue”

    While Thor: Love and Thunder revealed several storylines that could be further explored in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one was particularly on display in the film’s first tag. In it, Ted Lasso standout actor Brett Goldstein appeared teasingly as the Greek God and son of Zeus, Hercules. In an interview with The Playlist, the actor opened up about how his casting was almost as much of a surprise to him as his reveal was for the audience:

    “No, I didn’t know what it was for. I was told that some Marvel people would like to have a Zoom with you, and I met with them, and it was just so surreal because…it was literally out of the blue one night, and I was very busy, and it was like, ‘Can you make time for a Zoom?’ ‘Yes, sure.’ And they go on Zoom, and they just told me what you see in the film, which is the sort of opened with, ‘So Russell Crowe is Zeus,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, OK, go on.’ And blah, blah, blah. And then they turn around, and they reveal, ‘It’s Hercules; it’s you.’ And I went, ‘What?’ Just like, ‘Are you serious? Are you f**king with me? Is this a wind-up?’ So yeah, it was as surprising to me as I think it has been to other people.”

    Brett Goldstein

    Goldstein went on to reveal that he had to shoot his cameo two weeks after he was offered the part. While that could certainly be a rush for anyone, the actor was particularly concerned about how little time he had to get in shape for the role of a Greek God. He said:

    “…when I spoke to Taika, I said, ‘You know I’m basically like a skinny comedian?’ I said, ‘When is this filming?’ It was like in two weeks, and I was like, ‘I mean, I’ll do my best, but two weeks feels …’ I said, ‘He doesn’t have to be as big as Thor, does he?’ And look, on the day, I mean, I’m doing 400 pushups that day. I was fit to explode. I did the best I could on that day, yeah.”

    Brett Goldstein

    Thor: Love and Thunder is currently playing in theaters.

    Source: The Playlist

  • The Morning After Huddle: August 10, 2022

    The Morning After Huddle: August 10, 2022

    Guess what day it is? GUESS WHAT DAY IT IS? (insert cheesy Geico commercial reference) Welcome to your Wednesday edition of The Morning After Huddle! I don’t know about you, but I don’t have $4.65 billion laying around. However, if you’re Rob Walton, maybe you do.

    Here’s what you need to know:

    • As you know, the sale of the Broncos with a stacked ownership team, lead by Rob Walton (son of Sam Walton who created Walmart), has been a hot topic in NFL circles for many weeks. Yesterday, the sale became complete for a mere $4.65 billion. Check your notes because that’s a new American record for the sale of a sports franchise! I’m pretty sure this is the next Infinity Stone in the Walton collection.
    • Moving right along, Marshawn Lynch and Frank Gore are in hot water this morning. Lynch will be charged with driving under the influence after officers stopped him early Monday morning in Las Vegas. Frank Gore will be charged with simple assault stemming from an arrest in New Jersey. We will update these stories as more details are released.
    • Finally, your Key Signings Roundup:
      • TRADE REQUEST
        • Things are really spicy in Chicago. Bears LB Roquan Smith is requesting a trade. Smith took to social media yesterday stating that he lost trust with the organization and a deal presented to him had de-escalators in it that not a single player out of the 94 non-QB players in the league with $15 million+ contracts has
      • Something to keep an eye on – Rams coach Sean McVay is getting a new contract, but will reveal full details once GM Les Snead receives his deal
      • Full League Roster Moves from Tuesday

    That’s it for today! Catch us tomorrow for more things you want to know!

  • NFL Weekly Vibe Check: NY Jets

    NFL Weekly Vibe Check: NY Jets

    The NY Jets are in uncharted territory. They seem to be in this weird twilight zone where they are having positive reactions from the talking heads around the league and encouraging results from their staff and players. Not to mention when they have been in the news for non-football-related activities, for the first time in a long time, the public discourse is positive. This isn’t the same LOL-Jets we’ve been used to. So yes, maybe it’s a little early for a vibe check and a look at some newsworthy events surrounding the Jets with rose-colored glasses. However, to play Devil’s advocate, in seasons past it hasn’t been far off to already start emulating Ethan Hawke in First Reformed and start journaling in an empty room with a full bottle. While this isn’t going to be a breakdown of all the passes Wilson threw in 7 on 7 or anything like that, this is going to be a quick look at some of the recent stories surrounding the Jets and some of their key players.

    First and foremost, let’s talk about Mekhi Becton. ALL OFFSEASON we heard that, despite his constant workout videos, pictures he took with fans, and his own word, he was out of shape and overweight. ALL OFFSEASON. While he may not have been able to rehab as well as he or the team wanted after his injury in week 1 of last year, the media story surrounding him was that it never got any better. Seeing the tweets from the beat writers you would expect Becton to literally have to be wheeled up to camp fresh off losing the starring role in Deron Aronofsky’s The Whale to Brendan Fraser. In most years, the doom tweeting and borderline gaslighting of the fans with the Becton story would have become a self-fulfilling prophecy. In any other year in the past 10, he would have rolled up to camp overweight and underprepared. However, this year? This time? He came looking ready, in shape, and the scary mountain of a man he was drafted to be. Becton switching to Right Tackle and lining up next to AVT could and should form a terrifying wall for the next 10 plus years. Becton showing up, and proving the beat wrong, is step one to making that prediction a reality. *Sigh* and then he got hurt. I will be off crying on a cliff.

    Last, but not certainly not least, Zach Wilson was recently in the news. Now, I’m not going to rehash what anyone who has a twitter or was near a phone or tv for a week knows. I’m not going to debate the validity of the rumor (it’s almost certainly not true). However, one thing did stand out: the Jets were in the news, they were being joked about, their player was in the headlines and it was not another buttfumble, another seeing ghosts, or a mono situation. This was a harmless, silly off-season story. So why even address it? Well, this is the first time in a long time I can remember the Jets being in the news for something non-football related that wasn’t used to run the boring LOL Jets takes and jokes. This is just as an important piece to the vibe check as Becton actually being good to go up until yesterday. The view around this team is changing. The vibes around this team are changing, and they are changing for the better.

  • REPORT: ‘Black Panther’s Costume Designer Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    REPORT: ‘Black Panther’s Costume Designer Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    We’ve long been waiting for any real update on the upcoming adaptation of Blade, as Marvel Studios attempts to give the iconic franchise its own MCU spin. Mahershala Ali is set to take on the titular role. Bassam Tariq is set to direct an adaptation from writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour but there’s still been no real update on when exactly it may ramp up production.

    Luckily, it seems we may have gotten a small update on the project, as according to Sky News’ Will Mavity, the costume designer for Black Panther and Malcolm X, Ruth E. Carter, has joined the production to continue her work. She also recently worked on projects like Dolemite Is My Name and Coming 2 America, and went on to win an Academy Award for her costume work on the first Black Panther film. so, she makes for a great addition to the production team.

    Carter makes for a great addition and it’ll be interesting to see what she brings to the table. Blade as a character has been heavily defined by his look introduced in the Wesley Snipes films. So, they may take inspiration from that and add a few unique flourishes to make it stand out from its predecessor. We’ll have to wait and see for now, as we wait for any official update from Marvel.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Birds of Prey’ Spinoff Still in Development as Warner Bros. Discovery reshuffles DC Line-Up

    ‘Birds of Prey’ Spinoff Still in Development as Warner Bros. Discovery reshuffles DC Line-Up

    The future of Warner Bros. remains in shambles, as many have no idea what future DC projects are in some form of development or another. The random cancelation of Batgirl has left many scratching their heads about what exactly it means for many of the projects currently in some form of development or another. Among them was the Birds of Prey spinoff that would focus on Jurnee Smollett‘s Black Canary.

    The project is going to be written by Mischa Green, who has worked with Smollett on other projects in the past. As many DC projects are getting taken down or at least their future in question, there are a lot of questions about how they’ll handle their projects. They are seemingly moving away from HBO Max movie releases, which might mean Black Canary might be a theatrical release.

    Of course, they may turn it into a TV series and find a new home over at HBO. Yet, it’s difficult to say with just how they are going to approach these projects moving forward. There’s also the question if it not having started thee project could give them the pivot to find the fitting home for it moving forward. Here’s hoping the wait isn’t too long for an official update on the project.

    Source: TV Line

  • ‘Black Panther 2’ Still Undergoing Reshoots Even After San Diego Comic-Con

    ‘Black Panther 2’ Still Undergoing Reshoots Even After San Diego Comic-Con

    We’ve known some time ago that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever went through quite a few reshoots earlier this year. Even during principal photography, they have faced some hardship due to continued delays even throughout the reshoot process. As of now, it seems that they are still working on adding some minor tweaks to add the final touches to the project.

    Namor actor Tenoch Huerta has revealed that they are even adding minor sequences right now, as they were busy with reshoots even after attending San Diego Comic-Con to show off the first trailer. He revealed it during an interview with W Radio, as translated by Twitter user @chavernand.

    To be honest, my life hasn’t changed that much. I’m doing reshoots that are like little missing pieces, like the take of a hand, a movement, some new framing. Like little things to do at the end of every movie, and that sometimes you need to do them again. As a matter of fact, that same day at the end of our presentation at Comic-Con, we went back to the studios, to keep working, so I haven’t had that much spare time. I’ve been working all these days, I think this is my first day off… kind of.

    Tenoch Huerta

    There’s no word if they are still actively working on the film, especially as the type of reshoots isn’t specified at the moment. He does seem to be hinting that they are only adapting “little missing pieces” which means that these might not be massive adaptations. Still, the first trailer made quite the statement, and here’s hoping that further teases continue building up towards the official release in November.

    Source: W Radio via Twitter

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Extended Cut Ticket Sales Delayed

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Extended Cut Ticket Sales Delayed

    After the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Sony decided to release an extended cut of the film in theaters nearly nine months after the original film debuted in December of 2021. Spider-Man: No Way Home “The More Fun Stuff Version” is expected to add about 15 minutes of footage to the original 148-minute cut. It is not clear what exactly will be added in the extended cut, but the theatrical release is scheduled to swing into theaters on September 2, 2022.

    While it was previously announced that tickets for “The More Fun Stuff Version” would go on sale today, August 9, many would-be ticket holders were confused when they were unable to purchase any tickets. Luckily, it does not appear that the release date for the extended cut has moved, but Fandango’s Erik Davis confirmed in a tweet that ticket sales have indeed been delayed. Unfortunately, however, there does not seem to be a known date on which the tickets will actually go on sale:

    Considering the release of “The More Fun Stuff Version” is mere weeks away, presumably, ticket sales will be re-announced relatively soon. Given Sony’s recent record with poorly re-releasing its films with Morbius, the success or lack thereof of the release of No Way Home’s extended cut—with the original film already available on digital—will be significant for the studio.

    Spider-Man: No Way Home “The More Fun Stuff Version” is set to release in theaters on September 2, 2022.

    Source: Twitter

  • Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Working on Live-Action ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Movie

    Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Working on Live-Action ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Movie

    It looks like the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie is finally moving forward, as Blumhouse founder shared a new picture sharing that he’s actively working with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop on an upcoming project. While he doesn’t give away what exactly it is going to be, he does state that their “expertise with animatronics is absolutely killer” and a close look at the desk confirms they are already preparing the animatronics for Five Nights at Freddy’s.

    The bowtie technically gives away that it’s Freddy but we don’t know if they might mix things up with some new animatronics. The three toes and green coloring could hint at Happy Frog. There’s no real core story they can directly adapt from the games, but as it seems to be a cleaner design, we might explore the earlier days of the pizza place. Perhaps we see what it was like before the vanishing of children turned it into the horror house that it is known for in the games.

    The surprising revelation is that the project is moving forward after all. While Jason Blum teased that movement was happening in the film, it did lose its director. Chris Columbus was originally attached. There were seemingly some complications with the creator Scott Cawthon not signing off on the script, which he was involved with writing, and here’s hoping we might get an announcement soon.

    Source: Twitter