Scream 6 - Everything We Know So Far (Spoilers)

With filming currently underway for the untitled sixth installment of the Scream franchise, I thought now would be a good time to do something of a rundown of what we know about the upcoming movie for now. Without further ado, here we go.

Story Details: In the past we've had movies that have taken place outside of Woodsboro with mixed results and we know that this movie the action will take place in New York City with a mixture of returning and new characters caught in the crossfire of Ghostface yet again. Set pics have indicated a winter setting but others have also specifically pointed towards Halloween. We do know that the younger surviving cast from the previous movie will be attending college. Of course before I get into who will be returning, I have to talk about who won't be.

Sidney No More: In news that's something of a downer, this upcoming movie will be the first movie not to feature Neve Campbell's legacy survivor, Sidney Prescott. Yes, the issue boiled down to a pay dispute and yes, the studio are idiots not to pay her. Also yes to the fact that a Scream movie not featuring the iconic Final Woman is going to feel off, even if she had been underused in the 2022 movie and the story has moved beyond Sidney Prescott. Hopefully the writers don't give Sidney an offscreen death and if this movie does well, maybe the character can return in a seventh installment. As for who will be returning, you won't be too shocked.

Returning For Another Slice: Considering that they all made it out of the events of the previous movie alive (just about), our returning main cast will comprise of Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding as Samantha and Tara Carpenter and Mindy and Chad Martin-Meeks will be experiencing life in the Big Apple as well as a new Ghostface(s) to boot. Also returning will be Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers, making her the only actor along with Roger L. Jackson's Ghostface to have featured in every movie of the franchise so far. Last but definitely not least will be the return of Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed. A popular character from the fourth movie who had been confirmed alive in the fifth movie, it'll be interesting to see Kirby will factor into the events of this one.

New Blood: It wouldn't be a new Scream movie without some new blood added into the mix and while it's likely that more casting could be announced in due course, it's been confirmed that Dermot Mulrooney, Josh Segarra, Jack Champion, Liana Liberato, Devyn Nekoda and Henry Czerny have been cast in undisclosed roles for now. Both James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick have written the script with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet returning to directing the movie. 

Filming for the currently untitled sixth Scream movie is taking place in Montreal and will hit theatres from March 31st 2023.

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x14: "Worlds War Bizarre"

 

Written by Michael Narducci

Directed by Sheelin Choksey

Lois: "What happened to our home?"

Clark: "This isn't our home. It's the house from the other Earth."

One more episode left to go and things are definitely getting a bit Bizarro here, aren't they? Despite having limited screen time in the penultimate episode of this season, Ally certainly made her presence felt by going full steam ahead with her plan to merge two Earths together. The final scene definitely showed she was getting close to completion.

As for Superman, Ally had definitely done a number on his powers with him spending most of the episode struggling to recharge and unable to defend both the world and even his own family from the Inverse Jon-El and Lana from attacking them. It's a good job for Superman that both Jordan and mostly Natalie were in his corner while John tried to stop Ally's big scheme.

Of course, John didn't succeed in stopping Ally but he did manage to keep Natalie out of her way. For a brief moment, I did assume the worst and thought he had perished, only for the last scene to reveal him to be still alive. With less than a day to go, Superman will need to get his powers back pronto before Ally succeeds in meeting both worlds.

Speaking of the imminent merger, it's probably good that both Lois and Chrissy were honest with Lana about what Ally's plans and that Lana in return told everyone else what was happening. Of course having the former mayor trying to derail Lana was annoying but expected. Then again, we did have Superman appear at the town meeting to confirm Lana's information nonetheless.

Keeping with Lana for a bit, I was disappointed that she didn't get any big scenes with her own doppelganger and the way she handled Sarah finding out about Jordan's powers left a lot to be desired, I really don't want Sarah and Jordan to get back together but she seemed to handle the idea of her ex-boyfriend having powers a lot better than Lana did with Clark two episodes ago.

My last point that going into next season this show needs to handle the Cushings a lot better with the main stories. Lana needs to get past her feelings on Superman's powers and the Kents not telling her and Sarah the same too. The show either needs to drop Kyle as a character or have him and Lana get back together. Likewise it might not hurt to have Chrissy more on side too. Not to mention that both John and Natalie need to stick around. Sam can go either way to be honest.

- Lucy was working with analysts to try and figure out a way to stop Ally. The most useful thing she's done all season and it's off screen.

- Jon-El had the perfect chance to grab Jonathan and merge with him but was more fixated on taking his daddy issues out on our Superman instead. I thought for a moment that Inverse Lana had killed him.

- This show has often been influenced by Man Of Steel and the fight scenes definitely were riffing from that movie.

- Chronology: Few days after the events of the previous episode. 

Worlds War Bizarre have set up the stage for one hell of a merger. Can Ally really bring two worlds together? Will Superman and company manage to stop her in time? Will there be casualties this time around compared to last season? It's a good job there's only one episode left to go.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Running Up That Hill, Two Cassies And One Last Fairground Ride

 Yup, this is gonna be a tad longer than usual, so buckle in.

911: Season 5 has been pretty steady without too much boat rocking, only for there to be an arc with new character being a sort of serial killer with a saviour complex that put both Hen and Howie in danger and made Bobby question his own judgement. Other than that, there was a fire at the 911 centre that killed off Claudette, Hen and Karen getting remarried, Eddie coming back to the station and Buck ending things with Taylor. 

Derry Girls: The final three episodes of this show ended the series on one hell of a high note. From a delightful change in pace with the mothers getting a flashback episode of their own to a Halloween night ending in the death of Clare's father and then the hour long finale focusing on the Good Friday Agreement. This show absolutely nailed the landing with a series finale that did the the characters justice as they head off into an unknown but promising future. 

Love, Victor: I watched the third and final season in the space of two days and for a final season, I think that it did a good job of ending things with the characters. Victor and Benji might have had various obstacles in their way but it did make sense for them to be the endgame couple here. In terms of couples we also got Lucy and Lake, Rahim and Connor, Mia and Andrew and maybe even Felix and Pilar again. While I do feel the slight reduction in episodes might have speeded things up too quickly, overall this was a nice show to have watched.

Stranger Things: The first seven episodes of the fourth season of this show really took things to new and exciting heights. I mean, villain wise, Vecna is definitely up there with some of the scariest seen on this show and the way held connected to most of the different characters this season has been impressive. From trying to terrorise both Max and Nancy to a shared history with Eleven and the way his brutal actions put new characters like Eddie in the frame, he's definitely made one hell of an impression. I can't wait to see how the final two episodes wrap up his story and get Joyce, Murray and Hopper back into the main action of the season.

The Boys: The first four episodes of Season 3 have been quite the ride. I thought Homelander was terrible in the first two seasons but this season so far has not only made him even more unhinged than usual, but at every turn he's managed to undermine and outsmart every one else around. Then there's Billy and Hughie road testing the Temp V compound while searching for Soldier Boy while Maeve and Starlight conspire against Homelander. It's been gripping stuff so far.

The Flash: Now that we're into the final hurtle of episodes, it feels like an effort has been made to make things more interesting. How about one good Thawne who is in love with the speedster soon to be known as Fast Track while the other bad Thawne works with the now suddenly evil Deon? Not to mention the lack of Iris has been surprisingly good for the show. Not everything works as Diggle's two year plot was sloppily resolved, Cecile's now going down the vigilante path and Caitlin and Mark'a plan to resurrect Frost also feels rather tedious.

The Flight Attendant: I absolutely loved the first season of this show and thought it was a gem in HBO Max's crown but I hate to admit that I've been struggling with the second season. Five episodes in and it's been something of an almighty slump in quality. Cassie's recklessness while sympathetic beforehand has more ridiculous this season while having to deal with a doppelganger as well. On the plus side, Max and Annie are delightful as is Cassie's sponsor Brenda, but the Megan subplot and not enough Miranda have been low points this season.

• Charlie Carver and Billie Lourd will appear in the eleventh season of American Horror Story. The theme has yet to be revealed but the setting is 70s/80s New York.
• Cody Fern and Judith Light will appear in episodes of American Horror Stories second season. The show will be released on Hulu from July 21st.
• UK Viewers will be able to see The First Lady on Paramount+.
• AMC are interested in more spin-offs for Breaking Bad now that Better Call Saul is ending.
• Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo will star in the upcoming Apple TV series, Criminal  Record.
• Wilderness, an upcoming series for Amazon Prime will have both Jenna Coleman and Oliver Cohen-Jackson as leads.
• The CW have cancelled Charmed, Legacies, Dynasty, Roswell: New Mexico to name a few series.
• HBO Max have cancelled JJ Abrams Demimonde as well as both Raised By Wolves and Made For Love.
• Game Of Thrones have a sequel series focusing on Jon Snow in early development for HBO.
• Nicola Coughlin and Luke Newton's characters, Penelope and Colin will be the love story of the third season of Bridgerton.

Doctor Who - Neil Patrick Harris Joins 60th Anniversary Celebrations And It's Meeping Time

Last month we learned that Ncuti Gatwa was cast as the next Doctor while David Tennant and Catherine Tate were confirmed for the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who. Needless to say, more new information has been officially announced.

Neil Patrick Harris, best known for his roles in Doogie Howser and How I Met Your Mother has been cast in the 60th anniversary in a yet to be disclosed role. However going from an Instagram exchange between Harris and showrunner Russell T. Davies, Neil will play a great enemy of the Doctor. Going by the picture released, could Neil be playing the Celestial Toymaker, a role previously played by Michael Gough back in 1966? It would be an interesting choice for a return for the diamond celebration. Harris has previously worked with Davies on It's A Sin and I can't wait to see what chaos he'll bring to the Doctor when the two of them cross paths in 2023.

Speaking of chaos, recent set pics have pointed to a very random but inspired selection of villains that will be appearing in the first of three specials. Beep the Meep, a rather adorable but dangerous furry villain who originated in the comics (as well as an audio titled The Ratings War) along with the Wrarth Warriors. Both have been spotted on set and as baddies, they're such a delightfully bonkers choice to go with for the Doctor (David Tennant), Donna (Catherine Tate) and the latter's extended family to go up against.

The first special, nearing completion seems to be a present day alien invasion story with UNIT soldiers also being spotted on set. The special will also be directed by Rachel Talalay, who last directed Peter Capaldi's final three episodes back in 2017. As for whether or not other former Doctors and/or companions will be returning for any other specials, we'll have to keep an eye. Saying that, it feels good to be excited about the show's future.

NPH's Casting: https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a40275481/doctor-who-60th-anniversary-neil-patrick-harris/

Doctor Who is still filming for the next two months with it's 60th anniversary. The final special with Jodie Whittaker's Doctor will air on BBC1 and BBCAmerica from October. Exact date tbc.

My Review of Big Boys - Series 1 (2022)

It's Pride Month and there will be some LGBT themed posts on this blog this month and to get the ball rolling, here's your first one.

Written by Jack Rooke

Directed by Jim Archer

Jack: "Hi, I'm Jack. This was me in 2013. A closed mummy's boy with newly dead dad and a crap perm.When I got into uni, it was a big deal."

When it comes to LGBT content, Channel 4's history has been somewhat better than most. This as been a channel responsible for shows such as Queer As Folk, Sugar Rush, Cucumber and as recent as last year, It's A Sin. Now the channel can proudly add this sweet natured comedy into the mix as well.

Created by writer Jack Rooke and based off his book, Good Grief, Happy Hour, Love Letters, this delightful six part series focused on a somewhat fictionalised version of the author, also named Jack (Dylan Llewellyn). In this series, Jack has lost his father, Laurie (Ian Burfield) and has been a support for his mother, Peggy (Camille Coduri) but the time has come for him to embark on a journalism degree at Brent University and it's there where he finds himself not only coming to terms with his own sexuality but also meeting a set of friends that change him for the better.

The people in question including the rather laddish Danny (Jon Pointing), feminist Corinne (Izuka Hoyle) as well as LGBT activist, Yemi (Olisa Odele). While Jack has a great bond with both Corinne and Yemi throughout the series, it's his friendship with Danny that's essentially the lynchpin of the entire series. It's a beautifully handed friendship from start to finish with the show's unabashed depiction of Danny's mental health and less idyllic family background, along with failing grades. Both Jack and Danny bring out the absolute best in one another with Llewellyn and Pointing playing off each other brilliantly. 

Of course with this series also focusing on Jack's embracing the fact that he's a gay man, there's some brilliant scenes as he navigated into the gay world around him. Yemi served as a mentor along with Danny as a wingman of sorts but it's Jack's discovery of himself that led to some truly priceless moments. These included accidentally swallowing poppers, getting ashes on a hook up as well as fantasising about his hunky tutor Tim (Robert Gilbert) in his briefs to name a few.

As for the family side, there's the new family that Jack made with his new friends and there's also the one he's grown up with. Camille Coduri won over so many people as Jackie Tyler during her time on Doctor Who and she's wonderful to watch here as Peggy. The bond between her and Jack was lovely to watch as well as the way she not only accepted his sexuality but her kindness towards Danny. She's such a lovable character to watch.

Speaking of relatives, while we also met Jack's cousin, Sharon (Harriet Webb) and Nanny Bingo (Annette Badland), there was also time spent in showing audiences Danny's relationship with his grandmother, Iris (Sheila Reid). Danny's closeness to his grandmother and his despair as she no longer was able to look after herself was another poignant moment in this series and while we didn't really learn too much about Yemi, we got some context on Corinne's past with her brother, which also informed her relationship with Danny as well.

- Series creator, Jack Rooke also narrated the series. 

- The episode titles for this show were Hello You, I Wanna Take You To A Gay Bar, Merry Sexmas, Dad I Did Drugs, What A Bummer and The Letter.

- Did Tim know that Jack fancied him? He did give the impression that he did in some scenes. The character was a bit of a jerk but I did like that he tried to get Danny to appeal to remain in the university after the latter failed first year.

- Katy Wix was also rather fun to watch as campus guide, Jules, though comparing herself to Obama was a bit of a no no.

- Channel 4 did burn this series off in three double bills in a Thursday 10pm slot. They should push this series like they did with Derry Girls if it gets a second series.

- Chronology: The series took place between 2011 to 2014.

Big Boys turned out to be an absolute belter of a series. Genuinely funny, genuinely touching, smartly written and laced with brilliant references, this show was immensely enjoyable from start to finish. Dylan Llewellyn and Jon Pointing are fantastic to watch as Jack and Danny. I feel some might have slept on the show due to it's later timeslot, but I really do hope Channel 4 gives it a second series. If you haven't seen it, go watch it now.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x13: "All Is Lost"

 

Written by Kristi Korzec

Directed by Elaine Mongeon

Natalie: "But Ally is still out there. We need Superman."

John: "Then until he comes back, we are all gonna have to step up."

Last week I mentioned the lack of referring to Ally as Parasite, so this episode only went and had Lois be the one to refer to Ally as such. Ally also lived up to her title, not only through her flashbacks with Lucy but also through her latest encounter with Superman, which definitely didn't end well for him.

With two episodes left to go, Superman has been drained, Ally will go ahead and try to merge two worlds and everyone else will have to pull together if they want to have a hoping help of stopping her grand scheme. On the plus side, at least Lucy has finally seen Ally for who she really is, even if it almost took Sam nearly being killed to open her eyes. 

The flashbacks between Lucy and Ally did what they needed and showed how Ally was able to make Lucy dependent on her, while in a single way turning Lucy against her sister and father. I've not really liked the way Lucy has been written on this show compared to her depiction on Supergirl but at least she's finally turned a corner.

As for Lana, she's firmly in the camp of keeping her distance from Kents and was even a tad harsh with Jordan too, even of his neediness with Sarah has grated a bit. I did however like her talking to Kyle after the Sarah singing bit and it does look like with her doppelganger coming back to kill Superman, it should give Lana something interesting to do in the last two episodes.

As for Natalie, this episode saw her stepping up in a big way. John found her suit and tried/failed to dissuade her from suiting up but at the same time also had to rely on her help with saving Superman and getting away from Ally. Of course, Nat wasn't the only kid of a superhero getting to spread their wings this week. 

While it was brief, we did get to have a training scene between Superman and Jordan and far more enjoyable to watch than the latter moping over Sarah. However it did seem like Jonathan was excluded from things as he couldn't hide his own hurt feelings over Superman and Jordan bonding over powers.

- Lois lied to Chrissy about Clark wanting a job at the Gazette and it looked like Chrissy was planning on letting Clark down.

-  The way Mama Lane has been mentioned this season, I really wouldn't be shocked if she pops up next season.

- Looks like we're getting one more break before the final two episodes air uninterrupted. 

- Chronology: A flashback into five years ago when Lucy and Ally first met. 

All Is Lost definitely left our title hero in a rather dicey predicament while Ally herself has managed to prove that she doesn't need a pendant to merge both worlds. These remaining episodes have to resolve this storyline in a satisfying way, but no doubt they will.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x12: "Lies That Bind"

 

Written by Rina Mimoun

Directed by David Mahmoudieh

Inverse Tal-Rho: "I should've listened to my brother. You're no saviour."

Ally: "Not yet, but I will be."

And we're back again from another month long break with an episode that while not quite as stunning as the previous ones did have some good moments attached to it. Anyways, let's address the cliff hanger from the previous episode first.

Lana has now become aware of Clark and Superman being the same person and naturally, she didn't take the news as well as possible. As we'l as being frustrated with Clark keeping his secret for too long, she also blamed Lois for not confiding in her earlier. Personally, I was on Lois's side even if I could see why Lana was angry with her.

However Lois did fill Lana in on everything else such as Jordan having powers, Lana's own Inverse self and of course, Ally's general scheme. Lana came close to confiding in Sarah about everything but instead chose to distance herself from Lois and Clark for the time being. I do hope they don't drag that for too long though.

Speaking of Ally, she came to get the pendant and was met with the combination of Superman, Steel and Tal-Rho and the pendant wound up getting destroyed. Ally then vented her anger out on her version of Tal-Rho with him getting reduced to a husk by the end of this episode. That action might wind up costing her the other Lana when the latter learns what became of her husband.

As for Tal-Rho in this version, he might have escaped but it really does feel like the groundwork has been lain for him to turn a new leaf. He even attempted to apologise to Lois and she wound up in his corner while both Sam and John remain skeptical of him. If he makes it in the remaining episodes, maybe he might get a chance to be part of his brother's family after all.

Last but not least, we had a good team effort with Natalie, Jonathan and Jordan as the three tried to get X-Kryptonite to help with the suit Natalie made. It was nice to see the three of them working together, even of their plan wasn't the smartest or even successful, due to Jordan's misuse of his powers. As for Jon-El, he's still pretty much Team Ally in spite of Superman's best efforts to reason with him.

- Kyle assumed that Lana was dating someone else but on the plus side, he did get Sarah a chance to sing in public.

- Anyone else get a tiny bit frustrated that the episode wouldn't directly refer to Ally as Parasite, considering that's exactly who she's meant to be here?

- Lois admitted that prior to Lana she didn't have any female friends.

- Chronology: From where the previous episode left off. We also got some flashbacks to Clark and Lana as kids, teenagers and previous scenes from the first season.

Lies That Bind wasn't quote as strong as it could've been and while Lana's reaction to the massive information dump she got was believable, it was disappointing as well. With the pendant out of action, I do wonder what they're going to do with Ally's for the remainder of the season though.

Rating: 7 out of 10

DCEU Blog - Wonder Twins Deactivated, Gotham Knights A Go And More

Well, we are definitely living in some murky times with DC as certain projects are getting the axe, others are unknown and one we probably didn't need has gotten the go ahead. Let's break it down, shall we?

Wonder Twins went from announcing it's leading cast to being dropped in the ace of a fortnight. The movie will no longer go ahead. The budget was reported to be 75 million, which David Zaslav felt was too much for a streaming movie.

Amber Heard has admitted that her role in Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom has been reduced to ten minutes of screen time while the movie itself will have both Arthur and Orm working together.

Though yet to be confirmed, it's likely that Batgirl will now be a theatrical release. Jacob Scipio has confirmed he will be playing mob boss Anthony Bressi in the movie.

Filming outdoors has confirmed the costume reveal for Blue Beetle. Carlos Ponce, Jon Z and Mercy have also been added to the cast.

Black Adam's first trailer will be released on June 8th while Funko Pips have revealed the first look of the villain Sabbac, played by Marwan Kenzari.

The comic tie in for The Flash has been put on hold until closer to the movie's release in 2023.

HBO Max are considering a project focusing on Amanda Waller to be written by the Watchmen series writers as well as executive produced by James Gunn and Viola Davis.

Seth Green will now voice the role of Thunderbolt for the upcoming season of Stargirl. The third season will air in the autumn and have a murder mystery storyline.

It seems the while scripts for the Constantine and Madame X series have been submitted, there's rumours that the WB and David Zaslav are getting frustrated with JJ Abrams lack of movement with his DC projects.

The CW have picked up Gotham Knight for a series, but the show will debut in 2023, along with the next seasons of The Flash and Superman And Lois.

The current seasons of both Superman And Lois and The Flash will conclude on June 28th and 29th, respectively.

Naomi has been cancelled after one season.

A rumoured casting call for the upcoming The Penguin may see the limited series featuring a version of Clayface.

That's it for this month. Oh and be sure to check out the 2022 DC Pride, released today.

Doctor Who - 60th Anniversary Filming Begins (Massive Spoilers)

It's been a while since there has been major excitement in the world of Doctor Who, and while we're still months away from Jodie Whittaker's final episode airing (which will be 90 minutes, according to Russell T. Davies), it's still time to look at the future and it's certainly exciting.

In possibly the worst kept secret going, it was finally confirmed that David Tennant and Catherine Tate will be reprising their roles as the Tenth Doctor (or is he another version?) and Donna Temple-Noble for the 60th anniversary. The diamond celebration in question has been rumoured to be comprising of three specials, due to air in 2023.

With both actors currently filming, executive producer and showrunner Russell T. Davies teased certainly possibilities as to why this beloved duo are back. Teases include a forgotten story, a parallel universe, a fllashback or even a dream sequence. However other bits of casting does seem to point to the Doctor and Donna reunion being more of a present day scenario.

Meanwhile we can add a new face to the Doctor Who universe as well as a welcomed return of another one. While filming pics have confirmed the return of Bernard Cribbins as Donna's grandfather, Wilfred Mott, the BBC themselves didn't confirm his appearance. 

However, the BBC did confirm that Heartstopper's Yasmin Finney has been cast in the special, playing a character with a very familiar name. In a press release, Finney's character was confirmed to be named Rose and despite the lack of a surname, it has some fans (myself included) speculating that this Rose might be the daughter of Donna Temple-Noble. Russell T. Davies for now hasn't confirmed anything but it seems like the most logical guess at this moment.

As for Ncuti Gatwa, between the fourth season of Sex Education as well as filming Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie, it's going to be a while before he will starting filming for Doctor Who. In the past week, we've seen former cast members congratulate him on bagging the role as the new Doctor with Gatwa even thanking fans for their support. In terms of what will lie ahead for the new Doctor, it's still early days for any major news but at last week's BAFTA's, Russell T. Davies did confirm some new monsters while Ncuti himself suggested bringing back the Master. We're in for some truly exciting times ahead.

Filming for the 60th anniversary specials will continue during the summer with filming for the fourteenth series due to start towards the end of the year. The 13th Doctor's final special will air in October on BBC1 and BBCAmerica respectively.

My Review of Friday The 13th (1980)

 

Written by Victor Miller And Ron Kurz

Directed by Sean S. Cunningham

Mrs. Voorhees: "Kill her, Mommy! Kill her! Don't let her get away, Mommy! Don't let her live! I won't, Jason, I won't."

I've been waiting for an appropriate to review this movie and guess what, that has finally come. There are many classic horror franchises I've touched on with this blog and now, it's time to pay attention to one that I previously haven't.

As a franchise, this has been one with a lot of movies, most of which have gotten more batshit that you almost forget how grounded and rather straightforward this original feature truly was. A simple tale of mother's desire for revenge following the death of her son at the hands of irresponsible workers at a summer camp.

Pamela Voorhees (Betsy Palmer) was a mother trying to provide for her son, Jason (Ari Lehman) by working as a cook at the camp in question. However when her son drown while the workers weren't doing their job, she snapped and went on one hell of a killing spree. As a result, the camp closed down and she kept an eye on things from afar.

However over two decades later, the camp reopened with a new generation of workers, all as hedonistic as the previous ones and Pamela decided to pick up where she left off. Needless to say, most of the young cast, including Kevin Bacon found themselves being taken out by the grieving and rather murderous mother, still avenging her son all these years later.

Of course, while Pamela had plenty of characters to kill at will, at least one character had to pose a threat to her murder spree. Every horror franchise needs a final girl and while this one has a few of them (and a final boy in later movies), the ball got rolling with fellow camp worker, Alice Hardy (Adrienne King) who came afoul of Mrs Voorhees and managed to live to tell the tale.

I wouldn't say Alice was the most compelling of final girls in either the horror genre in general or even this franchise but she does a decent job but it's undoubtedly Betsy Palmer's Pamela Voorhees that's the most compelling. A sympathetic but deeply psychotic villain with a wonderfully over the top performance, making the character truly memorable despite being overshadowed by her not so dead son from the second movie onwards.

- Is this the only horror franchise where the signature killer was not actually the main villain of their first movie?

- Betsy Palmer originally thought the movie was a 'piece of shit' but has seemingly softened towards it in later years.

- There have been rumours of the movie being inspired by the real life Lake Bodom murders in Finland back in 1960.

- Chronology: July 1957 for the flashbacks and June 1980 for the present day stuff.

Friday The 13th's a modest start to a horror franchise that will take  many crazy turns before coming to a halt. The story's a simple but effective one, with solid performances from the leads and the right amount of gore and scares.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Blundering Up A Deathstorm

Usual thing, it's been a while but here are some shows I've watched in the meantime.

911: Season 5 has been ticking over rather nicely as a season with the last few episodes adding some new recruits to the station with Lucy and Jonah, Buck's relationship with Taylor revealing more on her own past and the much needed returns of both Maddie and Howie along with Eddie dealing with his past traumas. As usual, there's some way cases along the way and heartwarming moments from various characters. 

Bridgerton: Season 1 of this glossy period piece was appointment television and one of the biggest boosts for Netflix and Season 2 managed to do it all over again. I thought the show  might have trouble topping the Daphne/Simon story but the Anthony/Kate (and Edwina, breaking from book lore) managed to be even more compelling while the consequences of Lady Whistledown's getting on Queen Charlotte's nerves definitely came to a head during an incredible confrontation between Penelope and Eloise.Other highlights included Benedict getting high as a kite, the flashbacks for Papa Bridgerton, Newton the dog and of course, Lady Featherington trying to outsmart Jack throughout the season. Needless to say, I'll definitely be watching the next season.

Derry Girls: Four episodes into the third and final series of this gem of a show and it's been some of the best comedy in the last decade. While creator Lisa McGee is definitely right to end the show on a high instead of overextending it's natural life span, I am going to miss these characters and I know, there's three episodes left to go but still. So far, this series we've had the girls and James pass their GSCEs along with talent shows, train journeys and clearing out the wrong house. Not to mention sublime guest appearances from the likes of Liam Neeson, Damien Molony, Amy Huberman, Sinead Keenan and Conleth Hill. I'm confident the finale will absolutely stick the landing. 

Killing Eve: What an absolute train wreck of a final season this turned out to be. If you thought that Game Of Thrones ended on a bad note, then this one surpassed it. This whole season was little more than an absolute snorefest and I had a horrible feeling the moment the show decided to go there with Eve and Villanelle, something would undercut it. Needless to say it did and in a rather spectacularly bad way. Both Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer tried their best but not even their talents alone could say this season from ending the show on a needlessly unpleasant note.

Moon Knight: On to the sixth Disney+ MCU show and I have to be honest, this one was something of a mixed bag for me. While Oscar Isaac does a great job as Steven Grant/Mr Knight and Marc Spector/Moon Knight (and very briefly, Jake Lockley), the pacing for this show felt somewhat sluggish in parts and it really took a while for things to properly get going. Still, we got a good villain with Ethan Hawke's Arthur Darrow, Kayla's transformation into Scarlet Scarab was nicely handled and I'm all for more horror and supernatural elements in the MCU.

The Flash: Quick note: I'll see out the remaining episodes of this season but after that, I am done with this series. I've been trying my best but I've genuinely gotten to the point where I can no longer watch this show. It's become far too much of a chore to sit through and it desperately needs to end now, regardless of it's ratings on the CW. The Deathstorm arc was mostly a mess,, Frost's death had no real impact and the time sickness story with Iris has been dragging out for far too long. The only plus has been brief returns of Sue, Ronnie and Eddie in recent episodes. 

• Max Greenfield, Gabourey Sidibe, Nico Greetham, Bella Thorne and Dominique Jackson are some of the actors appearing in the second season of American Horror Stories.
• American Horror Story's eleventh season has been rumoured to have some filming in New York, a first for the series.
• House Of The Dragon will premiere on HBO from August 21st and on SkyAtlantic the next day.
• Jack Ryan will end after four seasons on Amazon.
• Filming for the seventh season of Outlander has begun while the sixth season has recently finished airing on Starz.
• And Just Like That has been renewed for a second season.
• The Nancy Drew spin off, Tom Swift will premiere on the CW from May 31st.
• Maisie Williams will star in the upcoming Apple show, The New Look.
• Julia has been renewed for a second season by HBO Max.
• Jason Isaacs and Lior Raz have joined Apple anthology series, The Crowded Room.

Doctor Who - Ncuti Gatwa Is The 14th Doctor

It's been nearly ten months since the BBC announced that Jodie Whittaker would be stepping down from the role as the Doctor and with her final special due to air in October, now seemed to be the right time to be looking towards the future.

Today, the BBC announced that Sex Education actor Ncuti Gatwa will be taking on the role of the next Doctor, succeeding Whittaker in the role. Gatwa, who currently will be filming the fourth season of the hit Netflix series, will then start filming for the fourteenth series of Doctor Who towards the end of the year. However, going by some of returning showrunner Russell T.Davies comments, it does seem we will be seeing the new Doctor in the rumoured 2023 specials, which will comprise of the show's 60th anniversary celebrations.

Upon his casting, Ncuti Gatwa had this to say about taking on the iconic role .... 

"This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care. I will endeavour my upmost to do the same.

Russell T. Davies also added ....

"Sometimes talent walks through the door and it's so bright and bold and brilliant, I just stand back in awe and thank my lucky stars."

This is certainly the start of an interesting new era for the show and with production well underway, we can expect more announcements of the next few months. Are you excited?

Fourteenth Doctor Announcement: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61371123

Doctor Who will begin filming for the 60th anniversary this month with Series 14 due to film later this year. The  next special will air in October, marking the departure of the 13th Doctor.

My Review of Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)

 

Written by Michael Waldron

Directed by Sam Raimi

Wanda (to Strange): "You break the rules and become a hero. I do the same and I become the enemy. That doesn't seem fair."

Ah, yes, the double standards of what can and can't be done with the laws of magic. Are both Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizbeth Olsen) both in the wrong for their meddling of magic? Well, the obvious answer would be yes and this movie definitely explores the consequences of recent magical decisions the pair have made.

For Wanda, she's been in an exile of sorts since the events of Westview but since the finale of her own Disney+ show she also became the Scarlet Witch and found herself in possession of the Darkhold. That possession hasn't done wonders for her sense of judgement either as she had a singular mission in mind for this movie and anyone unfortunate enough to get in her way didn't stand a chance.

To start Wanda does have a sympathetic motivation in the sense that all she wanted to do was to reunite with her sons, Tommy (Jett Klyne) and Billy (Julian Hilliard) but in order to do, not only did Wanda need to travel to the Multiverse for her goal, but she needed to absorb the power of dimension hopping America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) in order to do so, this putting her in direct conflict with both Strange and the actual, Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong) and the more the latter two oppose Wanda, the less reasonable she became as a result.

Seeing Wanda in full villain mode and make no mistake, she's absolutely the villain of the piece was fascinating to see unfold. Elizabeth Olsen definitely didn't hold back as Wanda resorted to every trick in the Darkhold and a creepy temple in order to achieve her goal and if you didn't know this was a Sam Raimi movie beforehand, you definitely did as soon as Wanda started piling the bodies in a bid to get to America Chavez.

A part of me was surprised with how dark Wanda truly went in the movie because while she rightly pointed Strange's hypocrisy, it certainly took until the last minute and thanks to America to truly see the error of her ways. Will we see Wanda again after the events of this movie? I have no doubt but it's certainly going to take a lot to get her back on the lunchbox after her antics in this one.

As for Stephen himself, it wasn't that long ago he had helped cause havoc with the Multiverse himself and here when he wasn't attending the wedding of ex-girlfriend Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), he found himself taking on the tole of protector of America Chavez (someone who hasn't met more than one Strange) and trying to reason with Wanda before trying to track down the antithesis of the Darkhold.

Strange's arrogance was something the movie needed to challenge and it did it here rather nicely. Yes, we had Wanda calling him out on his own hypocrisy as we did with the variants of Christine and Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) but it really the Illuminati scene comprising of variants of Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Reed Richards (John Krasinski), Black Bolt (Anson Mount), Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell) and Captain Marvel (Lashanna Lynch)that truly highlighted the dangers of a Strange unchecked. 

Benedict Cumberbatch definitely brought his A game to this movie and seeing some of the Strange variants was a delight to behold. With Stephen gaining closure over his failed romance with Christine, bringing about the end of Wanda's reign of terror and mentoring America, this movie covered a lot of needed ground with the character. Not to mention the fact that his own dabbling with the Darkhold will clearly have it's own consequences down the line.

- Being a Sam Raimi movie, of course Bruce Campbell made an appearance as a pizza ball vendor who cam afoul of one of Strange's more pettier of spells. It wore off in the post credit scene.

- The mid credit scene introduced Charlize Theron as Clea while reminding audiences that Strange will be getting a third movie.

- America is the only version with no Multiverse equivalent. We also learned that her mothers were lost when she first used her powers by accident.

- Spider-Man was referenced by Strange and Wong but America had no idea who he was. 

-  We did briefly get to see Shuma-Growth, but due to a right issue, the character was renamed Gargantos.

- Chronology: Not long after the events of WandaVision and Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness might not have been loaded with the maximum amount of cameos that I think we were all guilty of setting ourselves up for,but at the same time, the ones we got actually worked and the focus on both Stephen and Wanda made the movie all the more better to watch. Both Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen knocked it out of the park here and Sam Raimi gave the MCU a much needed shake up in terms of what can be done with this franchise. I hope this won't be the past time we see his talents here.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x11: "Truth And Consequences"

 

Written by Andrew N. Wong

Directed by David Ramsey

Lana (to Clark): "You're Superman?"

With another month long break to contend with before the final four episodes of the season, we certainly needed a good moment to end on with this episode. Fortunately that came with Lana finally learning that her best friend is Superman and as far as I'm concerned, it wasn't a moment too soon.

Being on the Bizarro world certainly got Clark thinking about the pros and cons of maintaining his secret life and with Jonathan largely pointing out the cons aspect of it, the time had finally come to at least tell someone of note. Lana of course made the most sense to do so.

She's been both Clark's best friend and his ex-girlfriend and like Sarah with Jordan, Lana was also aware that there was a side to Clark that he wasn't being honest about. Clark being evasive with Lana and the latter getting kidnapped by Jon-El also made the moment more timely too. How will Lana react to her best friend being Superman?

Come to think, Lana might have more to worry about as her Bizarro version made an appearance in Smallville and went toe to toe with John and Natalie. While she seemingly got sent back to her own world, there's no way that Lana won't be encountering her doppelganger before the season finale. That in itself should be a fun confrontation to see.

As for the rest of the episode, with everything going on, Jordan really had the worst timing with Sarah as I actually didn't blame the latter for not wanting to deal with him. Fortunately Jordan did have better scenes with his battle with Jon-El and even managed to hold his own during those fight scenes. Jon-El however didn't go back to his own world.

As for John and Natalie, their working together was nice as was their confrontation with the Bizarro Lana but there does seem to be the issue of John not entirely letting Natalie know everything he's planning. Then again, Natalie also went his back too.

- Sarah ended up getting a nice car from her parents. I loved the conversation that both her and Lois before the latter realised Jon-El had taken Lana.

- I'm also surprised that Jon-El didn't out Clark to Lana.

- No Kyle, Chrissy or Sam this week.

- Chronology: 33 days since Superman had gone through the portal.

Truth And Consequences did a good job with it's title here. We saw the consequences of Clark maintaining his secret with Jon-El's presence ultimately forcing his hand into letting Lana in on things. With only,four episodes left, it's going to be interesting to see how this storyline will get wrapped up.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Constantine: The House Of Mystery (2022)

 

Written by Ernie Altbacker

Directed by Matt Peters

Constantine (to the Spectre): "I accept my punishment. No more tricks."

It's been less than a year since John Constantine (Matt Ryan) got benched from Legends Of Tomorrow and only a few days since the show's cancellation was announced. Fortunately,in animation form, this particular version of the character has some life left in them as this particular showcase demonstrated.

Following the events of Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, the Spectre (Lou Diamond Phillps) has decided that John can spend eternity in the House of Mystery for his interference in the universe. While it's later revealed that the Spectre's decision was meant to be merciful, Constantine's experience was anything but that.

Trapped in the magical house, Constantine had all of his friends and even a family with Zatanna and two kids named Della and Jack but rather repeatedly they turned into demons. Also repeatedly was the way that Constantine kept getting himself killed by his loved ones every time he learned more about his punishment.

The deaths are inventive and if this was a live action feature, they'd be wonderfully gory, silly and definitely meriting an R Rating. Saying that, I've never been a fan of the Constantine/Zatanna pairing and nor do I buy the 'love of my life' bit here. With the comics embracing Constantine with male characters in varying continuities, it's high time these animated movies did similar and no, a joke about King Shark doesn't cut it. Get with the times, DC animated.

Outside of that though, we did get an amusing bit where Constantine managed to set Nergal, Beezelbum and Ashok against one another in order to escape the House of Mystery. It's a classic Constantine bit, followed by a revealing confrontation with the Spectre and Constantine getting a grim reminder that the universe isn't quite done with him yet. 

- The showcase clocks in at 26 minutes with accompanying shorts for Blue Beetle/The Question  and The Losers and Kamandi.

- I really don't like the animation for Constantine in this one. Definitely a downgrade compared to his previous looks in the animated universe.

- Let's just say toilet water can be used for a spell when no other source of water is available.

- Chronology: A hell of a time for Constantine in his predicament. 

Constantine: The House Of Mystery has it's moments. Some top notch voice acting, inventive kills (loved the tree eating him) and proper consequences for previous actions. It's solid stuff and hopefully a reassuring sign that even if we've lost Matt Ryan in live action, we still have him in animated form as John Constantine for the foreseeable future.

Rating: 7 out of 10

DCEU Blog - The Batman Gets A Sequel, CW Wield The Axe And More

It's been a hell of a month for DC fans. Some highs, interesting developments and possible disappointments, depending on your feelings for the CW side of things.

Thanks to CinemaCon, we now know for definite that The Batman will definitely be getting a sequel with both Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson confirmed to return.

The Batman has currently grossed over $750 million worldwide and even managed to pull in 4.1 million during it's first week on HBO Max.

The movie will also be available in DVD/Blu-Ray from June 13th.

Meanwhile The Penguin will begin filming  from June onwards, so expecting casting news in the next few weeks.

Bad tiding for the CW as both Batwoman and Legends Of Tomorrow have been cancelled and there's likely more axings to come.

Harley Quinn will not only return for it's third season on HBO Max during the summer but it'll be getting a spin-off focusing on Kite Man and other minor baddies titled Noonans.

Rahart Adams has been cast as Brody for the upcoming Gotham Knights show. 

Rumours are that the Constantine series for HBO Max will film from September onwards and will be eight episodes. Filming is expected for the UK and Morocco.

KJ Apa and Isabel May have been as the Wonder Twins for the HBO Max movie. Filming is due to begin in July.

Abrams and Coates long rumoured Superman movie will now not be a period piece and could feature Ultra-Humanite as the main antagonist. Emphasis on rumour.

Speaking of our favourite, Kryptonian, a younger version of the character will appear in The Flash movie. 

Kevin Conroy has written a story for the upcoming DCPride issue, due out the end of next month.

Susan Sarandon will now play Victoria Kord for the Blue Beetle movie. Filming has begun.

Shazam! Fury Of The Gods will now be released on December 21st. Thanks to CinemaCon, Wonder Woman has also been confirmed for the movie.

Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom has had a test screening. It seems that Mera's role has been reduced, Arthur and Orm are teaming up and Black Manta has leveled up as a threat.

Charlize Theron might be bringing the Aqualad novel, You Brought Me To The Ocean as a series for HBO Max.

Yup, it's been a hell of a month. What will the next one bring us?

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x10: "Bizarros In A Bizarro World"

 

Written by  Brent Fletcher And Todd Helbing

Directed by Louis Shaw Milito

Lois: "Why are you here?"

Jon-El (re Jonathan): "For him."

After a month of the air and given that the previous episode was a Superman lite affair, this one had plenty of our favourite Kryptonian, albeit in a bizarro world not of his own. Yup, we finally got to see what this world was like that Ally was so desperate to merge with and some interesting creative choices were made here.

Notably with the boys themselves. It made sense for the Inverse version of events to have Jordan without powers and Jonathan not only having them, but abusing them too. Jonathan definitely had his daddy issues to work out and with his own father dead, he didn't mind taking some of them out on our Superman for good measure.

A big issue being a killer. Jonathan killed his own world's version of Anderson at Ally's behest before doing away with our version too, around the same the latter found a redemption of sorts. Oh and he's now on our world and quite eager to merge with our Jonathan as we got back to that cliff hanger from the previous episode.

Then there was the Inverse of Lois, who enabled her husband's recklessness and fame seeking until it became too much and she took Jordan away from him. She seemed to be as determined to save her family from Ally as ours does but wasn't really able to do anything about Jonathan getting under Ally's control. 

As for Anderson, I spent so much of the season actively hating his guts that his deaths actually surprised me in a pleasant way. Twice by Jonathan and also after he finally realised why Superman kept secrets from him. I have to admit, I actually wish he hadn't died now.

Last but not least, the Tal-Rho bits of this episode were great stuff. His excitement at being an uncle, marrying his version of Lana, getting swayed into Ally's cause and then realising he needed to let our Superman stop her. This show has found a brilliant way of utilising the character this season. 

- As expected, the opening and closing titles had fun going backwards to emphasis the bizarro nature of this episode.

- I'm surprised we didn't get Inverse versions of Kyle, John, Natalie and Sarah in this one but it might have been for timing or feeling they weren't needed.

- Jonathan got the classic Superboy look (one of them at least) but rejected the name. 

- Chronology: From where the previous episode left off from Superman's viewpoint and the cliff hanger from previous episode too.

Bizarros In A Bizarro World understood the assignment and had fun with the results. A part of me wished the episode had been a little longer as I was enjoying watching the differences on display but there's a mission to stop Ally and somehow redeem Jon-El. I guess we should get on with both of those to be fair.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Doctor Who's "Legend Of The Sea Devils"

 

Written by Chris Chibnall And Ella Road

Directed by Haolu Wang

The Doctor (to Yaz): "I wish this would go on forever."

First of all, Happy Easter everyone and for the second time in the show's history, here's an Easter special, though unlike Planet Of The Dead, don't expect a reference to the event here. Instead we have something of a maritime adventure, which again isn't a first for the show.

It's deeply amusing that Chris Chibnall spent all of his first series avoiding past monsters to a blinding fault, only for his latter two series to feature as many of returning monsters as possible. This time, it's the Sea Devils getting an update as they serve as the only antagonists for this somewhat half baked story.

The Doctor, Yaz and Dan find themselves in an early 19th Century Chinese village and it's not long before desperate pirate Queen Madam Ching (Crystal Yu) has inadvertently released the leading Sea Devil (Craige Els) and incurred the wrath of young villager Ying Ki (Marlowe Chan-Reeves). However it doesn't take long for Ching to force both Ying Ki and Dan into becoming her new crew members while the Doctor and Yaz take a journey back a few hundred years.

Their journey gave the Doctor and Yaz a fair bit to mull over. Namely witnessing the Sea Devils forcing a deal with another pirate, Ji-Hun (Arthur Lee) and punishing him after he retaliated a betrayal. There was also the fact that Ying Ki held in possession an artifact needed for the Sea Devils predictable scheme while Madam Ching had her own reasons to get possession of Flor de la Mar treasure. 

The Sea Devils were overdue a return in a post 2005 and design wise, it's mostly faithful to their original look. Craige Els does a solid job as the lead Sea Devil but the story itself definitely felt somewhat all over the place with the resolution being somewhat hastily resolved for it's own good. It definitely could've done with an extra five or ten minutes.

As for our main players, Dan had some great moments with Ying Ki and Madam Ching as well as a phone call with a certain character but it was the Doctor and Yaz confronting their own feelings that dominated this episode. Regeneration is certainly on the Doctor's mind and this episode slightly hammered that point home. It also reminded audiences that any potential Doctor/Companion romance will always be doomed, so for me there's definitely no way that won't repeat with this Doctor and Yaz.

- This episode was a last minute addition to the schedule and the only one this series with a new co-writer.

- We learned that Dan is 42 in this episode and we got to briefly see Diane again, who seemed to be missing Dan.

- I'm genuinely surprised we didn't get a reference to the Silurians in this one.

- I figured out fast the Sea Devils took Ji-Hun's ship. The underwater scenes with the TARDIS did look good though.

- While the title for the final special wasn't revealed, a trailer did show the return of various characters such as the Master, Ashad/Cybermen, Daleks, Vinder, Kate Stewart as well as Tegan Jovanka and Ace McShane.

- Chronology: Both 1533 for Ji-Hun and 1807 for Madam Ching.

Legend Of The Sea Devils had the makings of an entertaining Easter special and while it certainly wasn't horrible as such, it was undeniably a very under cooked and rushed story. Unfortunately that's been an ongoing problem with this era but here's hoping the last story can end this era on a better note.

Rating: 6 out of 10