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  • REVIEW: IMDb TV’s ‘Bug Out’ is ‘Tiger King’ Lite

    REVIEW: IMDb TV’s ‘Bug Out’ is ‘Tiger King’ Lite

    In 2020, at the height of a global pandemic, the nation found a strange amount of comfort in the wild antics of living fake person Joe Exotic and his divisive rival Carole Baskin. Netflix introduced its subscribers to a secret, underground world of big cats and cutthroat politics by way of Tiger King, the once-limited documentary series that took popular culture by storm. While it’s hard to say exactly why that series was a hit with so many viewers, it feels like it had something to do with its willingness to proclaim “at least you’re not them” in a time when society really needed to hear it. Unfortunately for IMDb TV’s Bug Out, a new free-to-stream docuseries with equally ambitious “I bet you didn’t know these people existed” energy, that time has passed. Or at the very least, it probably won’t come back for ‘Tiger King Lite‘.

    It may be unfair to compare the underdog Bug Out to it’s wildly successful forefather, but it’s a hard thing to avoid when the new series is so obviously trying to accomplish all of the same things, albeit with a new skin. The overall concept is eerily similar, with a plot revolving around immense criminal activity that takes place within the confines of a universe the audience has presumably never seen before. Instead of giant midwestern compounds filled with deadly felines, viewers are taken inside of the suburban Philadelphia Insectarium, a building filled to the brim with wacky characters and exotic creepy crawlers. Here, we are told, is where an infamous bug heist took place, resulting in the theft of countless insects worth over $50,000 combined. The investigation into what may have happened, on the part of both the police detectives and the documentarians, opens a door into the unrevealed underworld of black market bug trafficking and all the unexpected worldwide connections that come with it.

    Much like Tiger King before it, Bug Out relies heavily on two things to keep the audience interested; slowly fleshing out it’s increasingly bizarre universe and embellishing the sort of larger-than-life personalities that inhabit it. The difference in the initial topic is, where King managed to bring all of it’s universal offshoots back to the main storyline, Bug often finds itself going on long tangents that lead to nowhere. While tales of the Mexican tarantula cartel and legendary Japanese butterfly dealers are certainly intriguing enough to keep people from changing the channel, they don’t really resolve in any sort of fulfilling payoff. The series’ four episodes often feel like multiple separate stories stacked on top of a base mystery that isn’t actually all that complicated. Latter revelations in the show’s prime case make it clear just how much of the production is simply exaggerated fluff, resulting in a diminished feeling that can only be described as the equivalent to “this meeting could have been an email.”

    As for the cast of Odd Fellows that viewers will meet along their journey, only a few of them are really able to live up to the entertaining heights the synopsis for the series promised. For the most part, these aren’t the cartoonish characters that make it easy for viewers to love or hate. Sure, there are a couple standouts that linger in the mind for a while after the credits roll. Yet, where King had a collection of vile ne’er-do-wells for the audience to rally against and a handful of benighted bystanders to get behind, Bug just has a lot of people who are doing their best. The majority of the interviewees had very little to do with the crimes at hand, and are mostly just normal folks impacted rather negatively by the actions of the documentary’s few major players. Of course, their appearances and interests may not align with the standards of the common man, but that alone does not make them appropriate storytelling fodder. Yes, there is a personal and professional rivalry that tries to be on par with Exotic and Baskin, but there just isn’t enough there to make the conflict soar.

    Ultimately, Bug Out is carried mostly by the pure delightful x-factor that comes with learning about an abnormal way of life. The docuseries goes to great lengths to convince the audience of its own merits, and ironically, its most lasting moments are found in the segues director Ben Feldman uses in an attempt to prove the main storyline’s worth. It wants so desperately to be the next big thing, it spends too much time trying to replicate what came before it. Every face worth remembering and concept most ingraining comes from the sidebars into the deeper world of the bug trade, where the documentary might have been better off focusing on. It’s not what the employees of the Philadelphia Insectarium have to do with the loss of 7,000 bugs that will keep people coming back after each and every episode. It’s what they dabble in during their free time, and in the museum’s back rooms, that’s truly worth watching.

  • ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Moving Forward, Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder Returning

    ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Moving Forward, Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder Returning

    Back in 1988, Tim Burton made waves with his film Beetlejuice. It featured Michael Keaton in the titular role as the ghoul guide of the dead. The film saw Beetlejuice assist a newly deceased couple haunting what was once their home as a new family moves in. For a while, there have been conflicting reports if a sequel to the hit film would become a reality, and it seems none other than Brad Pitt is the one to make it a reality.

    It’s being reported that Brad Pitt will produce Beetlejuice 2 through his production company Plan B and that they hope to have cameras rolling on the project by this summer. Its also been confirmed that the film will indeed feature the return of Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, who will be reprising their respective roles.

    There is no word on if Tim Burton will join them to direct the project. There have been multiple attempts at a sequel to the film with Jonathan Gems hired to write a screenplay back in 1990, but nothing came of the project as Keaton and Burton had moved their focus to Batman Returns. In 2011, another attempt was made with Seth Grahame-Smith set to pen a script for a sequel, and then again in 2017 Mike Vukadinovich was hired to rewrite Smith‘s script but was later confirmed in 2019 by a Warner Bros. spokesperson that the sequel was not in active development.

    Source: The Ankler, Twitter, Fiction Horizon

  • Zack Snyder’s ‘Rebel Moon’ Adds Rupert Friend and Stuart Martin

    Zack Snyder’s ‘Rebel Moon’ Adds Rupert Friend and Stuart Martin

    Zack Snyder continues his work to expand his tenure at Netflix with a new space opera film titled Rebel Moon. What originally started a Star Wars pitch, is going to become a unique storyline that takes inspiration from classic Samurai films to offer us a story that may be unlike those that came before it. The film has already garnered an impressive cast but has now added two more in the form of Anatomy of a Scandal‘s Rupert Friend and Stuart Martin of Army of Thieves fame.

    https://twitter.com/netflixgeeked/status/1498382521054203908?s=21

    It is worth highlighting that Friend is set to play a lead bad guy in the upcoming film. There are still no details on what role exactly he might be tackling, but we still know very little about the project outside of a rough draft of its core storyline. It’ll be fun to see Snyder attempt a space storyline, as he’s always been in his best element in a storyline that allows for him to unleash his full creativity. Plus, it seems that Netflix is very open to letting him have free reign on his projects, which certainly helps his approach. We just recently got some artwork teasing the project and we’re still a few months away from it actually releasing, but it’s cast and the concept do sound promising for those looking forward to a new space-centric storyline to push the genre forward.

    Source: Twitter, The Hollywood Reporter

  • Patrick Stewart Talks How Professor X Would Interact With Doctor Strange

    Patrick Stewart Talks How Professor X Would Interact With Doctor Strange

    After a long bout of denials, Patrick Stewart finally confirmed that it was him in the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer. He would still not confirm that the character is, in fact, Professor X but during an interview with Jake’s Takes he did offer his insight into how the famous X-Man founder would confront Strange. In a way, he is teasing the approach he may have taken with the character once he comes face-to-face with the almost Sorcerer Supreme in the sequel. He highlights that Professor X would be a bit more cautious when it comes to the good doctor, even if he has good intentions.

    Professor X would be extraordinarily cautious and watchful and perhaps be a little insecure because there’s something that is potentially dangerous about this man.

    Patrick Stewart

    Professor X has always been a rather hesitant person when it came to threats. He isn’t going to jump headfirst into trouble, especially with someone as powerful as Doctor Strange. We don’t know how much the Illuminati know in the upcoming sequel, but if they have him on trial, something is definitely going very wrong throughout the multiversal storyline. Who knows if they might even have the wrong version captured, as we see many Variant throughout the trailers. For now, we can only speculate.

    Source: YouTube

  • Patrick Stewart Confirms ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Super Bowl Trailer Appearance

    Patrick Stewart Confirms ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Super Bowl Trailer Appearance

    It’s been pretty obvious that Patrick Stewart‘s short voice cameo in the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Super Bowl trailer may have broken the Internet. He was long rumored to appear, and Marvel Studios knew exactly how to embrace it to get people even more riled up for the project. At first, the actor denied that being his voice but in an interview with Jake’s Takes he finally confirmed that the voice and earlobe we see during the trailer belong to him.

    actually didn’t recognize my own voice, it sounded different. Whether I had a cold or something at the time, I don’t know. But I was astonished, and all they saw was the back of my shoulder, and I think my earlobe, nothing else. There would have been so many connections made. But, uh, it pleased me.

    Patrick Stewart

    I think many of us have automatically made the connection that it was him when we first heard the voice, especially how iconic Stewart‘s portrayal has been of Professor X throughout the X-Men films. But, it makes sense that he might not have even recognized his own voice given that we hear ourselves quite a bit different than others do. Who knows if the voice clip played is even in the final film, but there’s no doubt now that he’ll indeed make his appearance at some point throughout Strange’s travel through the multiverse of madness.

    You can check out the full interview from Jake’s Takes here:

    UPDATING

    Source: YouTube via The Direct

  • The DCEU Should Develop ‘The Secret Six’

    The DCEU Should Develop ‘The Secret Six’

    Over the past few years, the DC Extended Universe has gone through a bit of a development period with a few leadership changes and course corrections. It took a while, but things in the DCEU finally feel consistent and projects that are announced are happening, resulting in the shared universe finally finding its groove. In the past year, we’ve seen the DCEU march into mature content, led by James Gunn projects The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, opening a window of opportunity for another niche team from DC Comics.

    Back in 2005, comic book writer Gail Simone took over The Secret Six, an off-beat team introduced all the way back in 1968, and reinvented them, making them instantly more interesting than before. The difference between the two incarnations is that Simone’s was comprised of mostly villains and mercenaries who took on jobs of questionable morality. She introduced this new team in the villain crossover event Villains United, where the new Six would be comprised of Catman, Scandal Savage, Cheshire, Deadshot, Ragdoll, and a Parademon, all villains who refused to join Luthor’s society of supervillains.

    In the few years, the DCEU has done something the MCU has yet to attempt: making R-rated projects for mature audiences. With this shift came a willingness to explore more mature content with their characters and they’ve seen resounding success. WhileThe Suicide Squad didn’t do gangbusters at the box office, it soared on streaming, quickly becoming the highest viewed DC film on the service, topping Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Wonder Woman: 1984. Following the success of The Suicide Squad, its spinoff, Peacemaker, followed probably the most disliked character from the film and crushed it on HBO Max.

    With success like this DC and WB should be gazing through their gallery of characters to find their next big thing, and should look no further than The Secret Six. Consisting of a colorful cast of characters with a few revolving chairs, the Six are one of DC Comics’ hidden gems and could be perfect for another trip down the R-rated avenue the DCEU has been visiting. The comics feature a much more mature, violent, and at times vulgar tone than many other comics and the series would work quite well as a streaming series on HBO Max.

    The current path of the DCEU seems as promising as ever and should continue to pull from the obscure regions of their universe to make some new household names. Characters like Catman, Ragdoll, Scandal Savage, Jeanette, and Black Alice could quickly become fan favorites. The series could also feature the return of Will Smith’s Floyd Lawton, as well as King Shark, and even introduce new heavy hitters like Bane. Never did we think someone like Peacemaker would make his way to screens around the world but here we are. Let’s give The Secret Six a chance.

  • Anthony Mackie’s ‘Twisted Metal’ Heading to Peacock as Half-Hour Comedy Series

    Anthony Mackie’s ‘Twisted Metal’ Heading to Peacock as Half-Hour Comedy Series

    It’s been a while since we last heard anything on the live-action adaptation of the iconic PlayStation game, Twisted Metal. Well, it seems after a long bout of silence, the Anthonie Mackie produced series is moving forward with Cobra Kai‘s Michael Jonathan Smith serving as showrunner. Peacock will become its new home, and the series is described as a half-hour comedy. Will Arnett and Marc Forman are also involved as executive producers via Electric Avenue production company. NBC’s President for Scripted Content, Lisa Katz, shared her enthusiasm for the project’s potential:

    Twisted Metal has been a global phenomenon for more than 25 years but it was the creative vision for this live-action adaptation, led by Michael Jonathan Smith, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, that blew us away. Also Anthony Mackie starring made it undeniable project:

    Lisa Katz

    Mackie will take on the role of John Doe, a milkman who has a lead foot on his pedal. Without any memories, he may have found his home in a community obsessed with vehicle mayhem. His only way to join is to transport a package across the post-apocalyptic wasteland. It’s unclear how many of the iconic characters from the gaming franchise might make their way to the series, but as the show has only now been greenlit, we’ll see what they’ll reveal once the casting moves forward. Still, the idea of the series as a half-hour comedy would fit well to allow the series to focus on the twisted aspect of Twisted Metal.

    Source: Deadline

  • First ‘The Batman’ Reviews Are Overwhelmingly Positive

    First ‘The Batman’ Reviews Are Overwhelmingly Positive

    The Batman reviews have finally arrived as the Warner Bros. embargo lifts. It looks like it left quite an impression with critics and viewers, who highlight that it might be the most definite take on the character. Some have pointed out that the length is working against it a bit, but it’s a Batman story that takes a lot of inspiration from its comic roots while offering something even more grounded than The Dark Knight. There’s also a lot of praise going to the film’s score, which adds to the darker take on Gotham and its protector.

    Check out the various online reactions here:

  • Taking One Last Look Back at Marvel’s Netflix Era

    Taking One Last Look Back at Marvel’s Netflix Era

    It was 2013, Marvel had just recently finished wrapping up their first phase of films with the release of Avengers in 2012. Agents of Shield, Marvel’s first TV program set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, had just premiered. After the success of the Avengers team-up, Marvel was obviously looking to capitalize on the momentum by setting up new teams, on the big screen and on TV. With that, Netflix and Marvel announced a smorgasbord of new shows set within the MCU, starting with Daredevil and culminating in a Defenders team-up, similar to the strategy that made Avengers as big as it did.

    Now, all of these years later, the Netflix era is over, with all shows in their wheelhouse being canceled. The shows are leaving Netflix to take their place in Disney’s streaming services, and the characters are being integrated into the MCU proper after debates about their status in the canon. I want to take this time to take a look back on this era of the MCU, to appreciate what it brought us, and to theorize about where we go from here.

    When Daredevil was announced, I was 16 – a teenager already obsessed with Marvel after liking the characters when I was younger – but fell in love with them through the MCU’s first introduction in Iron Man when I was 11. When news came of that these series are M-rated, with blood and gore and more adult themes, you can guess how excited I was. The possibility of Marvel always having something going on. Different themes from action adventures, comedies to even horror seemed promising, especially with the atmosphere promised from the initial reveals and fanfare. We know now that this dream wouldn’t come to fruition until Disney+, and even then, new genres are still only being played with. The hype and possibilities were high over my head in 2013, creating the vision of a perfect MCU.

    Daredevil delivered on its promises. When it was released in 2015, I was a senior in High School. At the time, I was overhyped for the new shows and the anticipation was killing me. Finally, the show launches, and I’m there watching day one. Oh boy, did the show start slow for someone that was hyped as I was. However, after the second episode, I was hooked. Easily becoming my favorite TV show at the time, Daredevil was exactly what I wanted. Following one of my favorite characters, witnessing awesome combat with all the blood a teenager could want, and all set within the MCU. What more could a person ask for? The rest of the shows didn’t matter to me since I didn’t know the characters, Daredevil was what mattered to me, and not only did it deliver, it almost immediately was ordered for a second season. So, I was content.

    I was content until Jessica Jones released in late 2015 and showed me that Daredevil was just the tip of the iceberg. Without any knowledge of Jessica or her villain, it didn’t immediately click with the show as I did with Daredevil. I was, of course, going to give it a try. From the first episode, Jessica’s attitude and sarcasm gripped me. Being a bit of a sarcastic person myself – emphasis on a bit – and growing up with more of the same, I love characters that speak their mind. Not only did her character grip me, but the ominous Purple Man has stood firm in my top 10 villains of all time. The abilities of the character on top of the stellar performance by David Tennant is definitely a force to be reckoned with. However, aside from the two lead characters, Jessica Jones also introduced me to the incredible Luke Cage, and apparently, I wasn’t the only fan impressed with the character. Originally slated to be the last show to premiere before The Defenders, Marvel wanted to ride on the momentum of the new fan-favorite character being introduced in Jessica Jones and fast tracked production.

    Arriving in 2016, Luke Cage followed up the storyline established in Jessica Jones. At this point, I was addicted with Netflix’s Marvel properties during my time in college. After two absolutely steller seasons of Daredevil and the arrival of the Punisher into the fold, as well as a tremendously good season of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage had a lot to deliver. Arriving with positive reception, I look back at that time and remember the fans not welcoming the show with open arms like with the two previous entries. Likely due to Cage’s decline in the second half of the season, the show was great, I even skipped a lab class to binge it in my college library, but it was the first minor dip from Marvel and Netflix. The show also introduced Iron Fist, which fully lead to the decline.

    Iron Fist was constantly criticized and for good reason. The fighting choreography is lackluster at best, the writing was sloppy, and the entirety of the first season is a definite stain on Marvel’s pretty great track record. At this point only having negative reviews for Thor: The Dark World and The Incredible Hulk on the movie side of things and the lukewarm reception to Agents of Shield, Iron Fist definitely marked a critical point for Marvel TV. Lead by Scott Buck, the show ended with fans severely disappointed. I remember going into the show incredibly hyped after everything so far. Reviews started to hit the day before, but most of them were only for the first few episodes. So, I thought maybe it gets better. Even with some good characters, the show just did not deliver. Leading into The Defenders, this was definitely a bad look and a momentum killer going into the long promised team-up.

    The Defenders launched on my birthday in 2017. Even after Iron Fist, I remember being cautiously optimistic. Even if that show wasn’t great, this one was no longer in Scott Buck‘shands and has had time to develop. Alas, the show launched to mostly positive reactions, but suffered from pacing issues, a pretty lackluster story, and a crutch of once again using the Hand as villains. The show definitely could have delivered on those initial great seasons of TV that lead us there. It was said to be the least viewed show of the Netflix-Marvel shows, with a considerable drop in viewership. To me, this marked the downfall of the Netflix-Marvel era, even if we still got some great projects after.

    Following The Defenders, Marvel and Netflix attempted to capitalize on the success of the previous shows, without the major team-up this time. Daredevil got an incredible third season, largely considered to be one of the best seasons of Marvel TV to this day. Jessica Jones received two more seasons after an agonizingly long wait. Luke Cage and Iron Fist got another season each. Daredevil even received a spinoff in the form of two seasons of the gruesome series The Punisher. Even a few more spinoffs like Heroes for Hire were rumored. The Netflix shows looked to be getting back on track, and then in October 2018, the cancellations began.

    Shortly after its second season, which started to deliver a more quality experience compared to the first Iron Fist was cancelled by Netflix. Considering it was the worst reviewed show in the bunch, and rumors were flying of a possible Heroes for Hire spinoff, doom and gloom didn’t quite set in yet. Then, just a week later, Luke Cage was the second causality. Once again thanks to the Heroes for Hire rumors, fans felt like this could just be in anticipation of that show, I mean, both of those characters are in the team in the comics.

    Then came December 2018: Daredevil, the flagship show in Netflix’s Marvel arsenal, was cancelled despite a critically acclaimed and adored third season. At this point, we all knew the Netflix era was over. The Punisher and Jessica Jones both ended their final seasons and were also added to the cancellations. By February 2019, all of the Netflix Marvel shows were cancelled, finishing the era for good.

    Up until recently, you could watch the back catalog of these shows on their original home over at Netflix, but as the deal ends, Disney is regaining those rights. They are expected to remove the shows in March 2022 and move the shows to their international streaming services like Disney+, Star+, and Hulu. A definitive home is not yet known.

    While the Netflix Marvel era might be done, the characters they shaped and the stories they have built are not forgotten. From Matt Murdock appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home to Wilson Fisk’s return in Hawkeye, it is clear that the story of these beloved characters may be just starting. The history will always be there for generations of new True Believers to adore, but their return may be some of my most anticipated moments in the MCU even with things like Secret Invasion coming up. I literally grew up with these characters as you can tell from my writing above, and I cannot wait for a new generation of Marvel fans, even if just a few years later, to discover these stories for themselves.

  • New Batch of ‘One Piece’ Set Photos Teases Luffy’s Flashback

    New Batch of ‘One Piece’ Set Photos Teases Luffy’s Flashback

    We’ve long wondered how the live-action adaptation of One Piece is tackling in its adaptation of the original manga. When production started, not much was known with Nami actress Emily Rudd being the first to join the production. Now, a slew of new set photos is finding their way online featuring the Marines and even our first look at Shank’s ship, the Red Force. The latest addition of flashbacks may hint that they are currently preparing to film the flashback to Luffy’s childhood.

    @OP_Netflix_Fan has shared a new batch of set photos that tease various windmills in the background. Now, fans of the original manga will instantly recognize it as the small village known as Foosha Village – better known for the West as Windmill Village. It’s part of the Goa Kingdom and was first introduced in the Romance Dawn arc when we first meet Luffy and Shanks.

    It’s further proof that they might be tackling his origin story next. As we’ve seen Alvida’s ship, the series isn’t shooting everything in order but they don’t have to restrict themselves to a specific order. So, the origin could be explored in a second or third episode. Hopefully, it doesn’t closely follow Netflix’s conventions of having an entire episode that mainly focuses on flashbacks ahead of the finale.

    What’s uncertain is if the series might take inspiration from the Post-War arc and also include references to the Goa Kingdom, or even Sabo and Ace. For now, it’s quite fun to speculate even if there’s still some time until the series will probably release on Netflix. Still, these set photos are quite promising and it will be great to see how they bring this series to life.

    Source: Twitter