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‘Person of Interest’ Season 5 Episode 1 Recap and Review: B.S.O.D.

By
Kevin Finnerty
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Person of Interest Season 5 Episode 1
Michael Emerson as Harold Finch and Jim Caviezel as John Reese in ‘Person of Interest’ (Photo: Barbara Nitke ©2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc)

“What are we dealing with here, Finch?” asks Reese (Jim Caviezel). “Uncharted waters, Mr. Reese,” replies Harold Finch (Michael Emerson) as the two men have just boarded the New York ferry to avoid any surveillance from the AI called Samaritan in the fifth and final season opener of CBS’s action crime series, Person of Interest.

As the episode begins, it’s pitch black, and somewhere, a phone rings. The screen begins to light up to show the team’s hideout – the hidden subway base – but it’s empty. No computers, equipment, or the subway car are anywhere to be seen. The phone’s answered by a recording from Root (Amy Acker) that says, “If you can hear this, you’re alone. The only thing left is the sound of my voice. I don’t know if any of us made it. Did we win? Did we lose? I don’t know but either way, if you’re hearing this know one thing…it’s over. So let me tell you what we did to fight back.”

The scene then flashes back to the day after the season four finale with the team having split up and on foot. Reese is carrying the memory and battery of what’s left of Finch’s Machine in the special indestructible briefcase while being hunted by Samaritan agents. He uses his special talents, mainly arm-to-arm fighting and of course his firearm, to wound and stop the agents while making his way to the ferry to try to get out of sight from every camera in New York – all of which are now being controlled by the AI Samaritan.

Just as Reese is actually losing to one of Samaritan’s thugs, Mr. Finch knocks the man out and boards the ferry with Reese after briefly flashing back to when his best friend and business partner Nathan Ingram (Brett Cullen) was killed by a ferry bomb a few years ago. Reese and Harold agree that the best course of action is to head back to the subway hideout. There they’ll try to save the Machine and get it back online, even though Finch is doubtful and pessimistic about their chances.

Meanwhile, ex enemy turned ally Root is struggling to stay under the radar because Samaritan knows all her old false IDs. After she wins a firefight with two thugs the AI sends after her, Root tries to use the subway but Samaritan’s eye sees her via the cameras on the train and sends a news alert to a few passengers saying Root is a dangerous criminal. Soon Root is taking down the passengers trying to be heroes. As she walks out of the subway car, Root looks right at the security camera and says to Samaritan, “You can just call me Root, bitch.” She then steals a shotgun from a cop and heads for the hideout of an old acquaintance of hers to get a new ID for cover. While at her old friend’s warehouse, Root notices that his men are going through recycled computer equipment because they have found some malware buried in the firmware and think it’s the NSA. (Boy, are they wrong!)

At the police precinct, Fusco (Kevin Chapman) is being questioned about the deaths of Dominic and Elias. At first, the FBI agent and Internal Affairs suspect that Fusco killed both men for some reason. Fusco tries to tell the two men that there was another shooter that night – a sniper who killed Dominic – but they aren’t buying it, even though it’s the truth.

Person of Interest Season 5 Episode 1
Michael Emerson and Jim Caviezel in ‘Person of Interest’ (Photo: John Paul Filo ©2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. )

Reese and Finch finally make it back to their subway hideout and Reese gets a call from Fusco telling him about the Feds and Internal Affairs investigating him. Finch tells Reese that if Samaritan is behind the sniper taking out Dominic, it will most likely get rid of any witnesses, so Fusco should stop telling anyone about what really happened. Reese tells Lionel to just stay quiet and try to ride out the investigation. He also asks Fusco to look for any weird fights or altercations being reported around the city. When John gets to the police station, he finds out from Fusco that the test the FBI ran on his gun shows the bullets that killed Dominic came from his gun.

The FBI agent told Fusco he killed one of the FBI’s top 10 most wanted men while he was trying to escape. He’s in the clear. Reese tells Fusco to take the win and he’ll fill him in on what’s going on later. He asks for the police info he wanted, and Fusco tells him about a lady taking down three guys on a subway, which prompts Reese to quickly leave the station.

Back at the subway base, Harold is trying to connect the Machine, but before he’s ready the machine comes alive and begins to try to decompress itself. Finch tries to disconnect the Machine because he doesn’t have enough memory, drives, or firmware for the Machine to decompress correctly but is badly shocked in the process and knocked out. Side note: During the episode, Finch keeps thinking back to 2006 when he was questioning whether to put the Machine online the way it was or cripple it by erasing its memory every night at midnight and the moral and ethical ramifications of his actions.

It seems Root’s old friend does get her a new ID but also cuts a deal with some of Samaritan‘s agents. They enter the warehouse and kill Root’s friend and his associates. One of them tells Root that this will be the last ID she ever gets and asks her where her comrades are, meaning Finch and Reese. “You’re about to find out,” says Root as a smoke bomb comes rolling through on the floor. Yes, Reese has tracked Root down just in time to save her. Together the two gunfight their way out of the warehouse taking with them 300 computer drives to help the Machine come back online. Root turns to John and says, “I always knew you had a soft spot for me.”

When Root and Reese get back to the subway hideout they find Finch, who was saved by Bear the dog from the small fire created when he shorted out the computer, distraught and realizing he made a horrible mistake back in 2006 when he wrote the code to erase the Machine’s memory every night at midnight. Root and John show Harold the drives they took and the three comrades begin to build the master computer the Machine needs to run. They fire up the Machine and she starts to decompress, but the heat from all the drives is too much. The system begins overheating.

Root and Finch don’t know what to do but Reese quickly goes up to the street and borrows some liquid nitrogen. He comes back down and tells them that phone and cable workers use it to cool the phone lines during construction. Reese uses it on the drives and cools them down so the Machine can complete its decompressing. The last scene shows Finch getting close to the screen of the machine with Root and John standing behind him. Finch asks the Machine if it can see him and a blinking light goes on.

Person of Interest Season 5 Episode 1 Review:

Action-packed and suspenseful, season five episode one, titled “B.S.O.D.,” kicks off the final season of CBS’s cloak-and-dagger crime thriller series with the three main characters staying just a few steps ahead of the evil AI Samaritan’s goons and reconnecting to each other and, hopefully, their beloved Machine. The episode has a fast and hectic pace to it while also starting with a very bleak and ominous tone.

The cast is flawless in their performances in roles they now own, and they continue to have wonderful chemistry together. Caviezel’s performance as Reese is, of course, perfect, with the intense look and the hilarious one-liners he delivers in character to infuse a little humor in a deadly situation much the way Secret Agent 007 does in his films. A perfect example of this is the scene where Finch and Reese need to enter their secret subway hideout but a city worker is blocking them as he tries to get a candy bar from the vending machine, which is actually the secret door when the correct code is pushed. Reese knocks him out while Finch shows displeasure about his actions and Reese simply says, “What? Sugar is bad for you.”

Michael Emerson is fantastic as Finch, the billionaire genius software tech who desperately wants to atone for his mistakes and bring the Machine – his child – back to life. Every scene with Emerson is filled with underlying mixed emotions and he portrays it superbly. Amy Acker is mesmerizing as Root, the once dangerous enemy to Team Machine and is now a trusted and loved comrade. She’s tough, smart, and extremely lethal, but now also loyal to Harold and John and would sacrifice herself for them which is a huge leap for her character. Acker’s character Root and her performance add another dimension to the show and more emotional depth that wasn’t there the first two seasons.

With the Machine seeming to wake up and our heroes still being hunted by Samaritan and its agents, it’s going to be very interesting and exciting to see how Finch, Reese, Root, and the Machine plan to fight back.

GRADE: B+

Person of Interest Season 5 Recaps:




‘The Shallows’ Trailer #2: Blake Lively Battles a Shark

By
Rebecca Murray
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The Shallows Blake Lively
Blake Lively in ‘The Shallows’ (Photo by Vince Valitutti © 2016 CTMG, Inc.)
The new trailer for The Shallows should have people thinking twice before surfing or swimming in secluded areas. Blake Lively (The Age of Adaline) stars as a surfer who’s stranded not far from the beach after a shark decides to make her his next meal. Written by Anthony Jaswinski and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan, Non-Stop, Run All Night), the cast of the shark attack thriller also includes Óscar Jaenada (The Losers) and Sedona Legge. Columbia Pictures is releasing The Shallows in theaters on June 24, 2016.

The Plot: In the taut thriller The Shallows, when Nancy (Blake Lively) is surfing on a secluded beach, she finds herself on the feeding ground of a great white shark. Though she is stranded only 200 yards from shore, survival proves to be the ultimate test of wills, requiring all of Nancy’s ingenuity, resourcefulness, and fortitude.

Watch The Shallows full length trailer:

‘The Flash’ Season 2 Episode 20 Recap: Rupture

By
Rebecca Murray
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The Flash Grant Gustin
Grant Gustin as Barry Allen in ‘The Flash’ (Photo: Bettina Strauss © 2016 The CW Network)

The CW’s The Flash season two episode 20 finds Central City in desperate need of a speedster. Unfortunately, Barry’s no longer able fill that role after giving his speed to Zoom in exchange for Wally’s freedom in episode 19. With Zoom now able to travel freely between Earth-1 and Earth-2 with Caitlin as his hostage, episode 20’s set up to be a pivotal turning point in the series. So many questions remain to be answered and there’s only three episodes left after episode 20 titled ‘Rupture.’

The Recap:

Barry (Grant Gustin) is not a speedster anymore but Cisco (Carlos Valdes) has figured out a way to project a The Flash hologram to chase villains in Barry’s place. It has a few bugs but Cisco’s gaming abilities really come in handy when it comes to controlling the hologram and making bad guys think it’s actually The Flash out there on the streets. Dr. Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) arrives to toss a wet blanket on the hologram plan, telling Barry, Cisco, and Iris (Candice Patton) that someone is bound to figure it out soon when The Flash doesn’t actually touch anybody or pursue anyone indoors. Talk about your buzzkill, but Cisco’s not going to let it get him down. Wells is stuck on the idea of a new particle accelerator explosion, but the team’s not catching what Wells is throwing down. Yet Earth-2 Wells remains adamant that he knows how to get Barry back his speed and it won’t mean causing any damage to the city. He’ll use all of Earth-1 Wells’ findings to make sure he gets it right. And, most importantly, he reminds them that what they’re doing now won’t bring Caitlin back.


Barry heads out for some R&R with his dad, Henry (John Wesley Shipp). The cabin’s warm and homey, and best of all it’s away from all the problems in the city. Barry explains how and why he lost his speedster powers and that Jay Garrick is Zoom and he has Caitlin. “Garrick?” says Henry, “My mom’s maiden name.” Barry explains that Wells wants him to get his powers back, but his dad doesn’t think that’s a very safe option. He’s proud of Barry, but wonders if he really needs those powers.

Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Cisco cracks a Fringe joke that Jesse (Violett Beane) doesn’t get and then he gets into yet another argument with Wells over the whole ‘let’s zap Barry again’ idea. Cisco vibes and sees his brother in Earth-2 and, upset, he leaves as Henry and Barry arrive. Henry might be back for good.

Joe (Jesse L Martin) and Wally (Keiynan Lonsdale) are at the station chatting about the future and Wally’s newfound desire to help people after meeting The Flash. Joe tells him engineering is much safer and just then his point is proven as Zoom shows up with Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) in tow. She tells him not to hurt them and Zoom actually listens to her but then issues a warning that the city is his. “Anyone who disobeys me will meet their end,” he says.

Joe heads over to S.T.A.R. Labs and Wells says Zoom brought Caitlin with him to show power. On Earth-2 Zoom killed a bunch of policeman then gathered up all the meta-humans to work for him. Those who wouldn’t, he killed. The police are outside the precinct while Caitlin’s inside, and Joe thinks as long as Caitlin’s there Zoom won’t kill any cops. Wells doesn’t think so and even moving the cops won’t save them. Only Barry getting his powers back will save the city. Wells has become a broken record on that topic.

Caitlin’s handcuffed to a desk in the precinct, and Zoom reveals he’s going to kill people – but not everyone. He also says he brought her with him because he doesn’t want to be alone anymore. She, unwisely, says she’ll never be with him, but Zoom’s convinced she will. He thinks there’s darkness inside her. Off he goes and immediately Caitlin looks for a way to free herself.

Cisco meets up with his brother at a bar, letting him know he had a feeling he should check in with him. They talk about their time kidnapped by Snark and the conversation goes downhill from there.

Joe makes sure Wally and Jesse are safely locked up in one of S.T.A.R. Labs’ rooms while Wells continues to work on trying to get Barry his speed back. Henry walks in and is surprised Joe and Wells are still talking about possible ways to make Barry a speedster once again. Henry doesn’t want Barry injured – or dead – and thinks Wells should stop messing with things out of his control. And even if he gets his speed back, Henry doesn’t want Barry to go up against Zoom again. Barry, who has been listening in, tells them it’s his decision to make.

The Flash Season 2 Nicholas Gonzalez
Nicholas Gonzalez in ‘The Flash’ (Photo: Bettina Strauss © 2016 The CW Network, LLC)

Back at the bar, Cisco’s forced into paying the tab and then rushes out after seeing a news report that Zoom’s at the CCPD. Just as Cisco and his brother are about to take off, a motorcycle explodes into flames in the parking lot and a meta-human appears, announcing himself by saying, “Hello, Vibe.” It’s Dante’s doppelgänger and he’s pissed Vibe killed Reverb on Earth-2. Dante’s freaked out by the whole thing and says, “I knew there was something wrong. Every time I see you we get attacked by lunatics with crazy weapons!” The new meta-human uses his scythe fire-starting weapon to set more vehicles on fire and then breaks into the back of the S.T.A.R. Labs van. Fortunately, Cisco is able to run him over and get away.

Wells says the new meta-human is Rupture, and Cisco can’t believe Zoom lied and said he killed Reverb. Barry says they need to figure out a way to get rid of the scythe, and Wells quietly tells Barry he knows what he needs to do. Barry steps out and Iris follows him, discussing the pros and cons of going through Wells’ process of getting back his speed. Iris admits she doesn’t want to go through seeing Barry hurt again, and then she – finally – tells him she has feelings for him! “I can’t help but wondering if maybe we were meant to be together,” says Iris. When Barry confessed his feelings last year she wasn’t available, but now she is. He wants to know why she’s saying this now and Iris admits it’s because she wants him to know it doesn’t matter if he’s The Flash or not. She wants to see if she has a future with Barry, with or without the speed.

Back at the station, Caitlin’s managed to get her hands on a cell phone when Zoom shows up again. Rupture returns and tells him he’s still hunting Vibe, but Zoom wants him to put that aside for a minute and show the police that he’s not sparing their lives. Zoom tells Caitlin he needs to teach them a lesson. She asks why he changes his voice and he says it’s because he’s nothing but a monster. After he leaves, she texts the Lab to alert them Rupture is going to attack the cops at Jitters (their temporary headquarters).

At S.T.A.R. Labs the message is received and Barry’s decided that it’s just too risky for the entire city if something goes wrong with Wells’ particle accelerator plan. He won’t do it, and they need to get to Zoom without The Flash.

The officers, plus Barry, prepare for the attack. They need to stop Rupture but before he arrives Barry wants to know if Joe thinks he made the right choice. Joe says he doesn’t know, but Barry has to live with the decision.

At S.T.A.R. Labs, Dante finds a note that says Cisco went to another Earth. They fight about that, and that he didn’t tell his family that he went. Cisco then has to tell him about his powers…and his brother figures out he’s a meta-human. Cisco says he sees things now and he called his brother because he saw a vision of him during a vibe. Cisco takes off, telling his brother to wait for him there.

Cisco and Barry are set up outside of Jitters when Rupture breaks through the front. The Flash’s hologram takes him on, running circles around him before acting like he took a hit. Distracted, that’s when Joe and the other officers take Rupture down.

Zoom figures out Caitlin warned them and knows she betrayed him. He puts on his mask and takes off to finish the job at Jitters. He kills most of the officers before Barry rushes in. Joe and Captain Singh (Patrick Sabongui) are still alive, with Joe holding onto Rupture. Barry pleads with him and Zoom kills Rupture, telling him he’s a bigger disappointment than his brother. He picks up the TV camera and tells the viewers The Flash is a hologram and there’s no one left to protect the city from him. He looks at Barry and says, “You’re only alive because of Caitlin. Try something like this again and my affection for her won’t stop me from killing you or the rest of the city.”

Dante and Cisco have been watching the broadcast from S.T.A.R. Labs and Dante figures out why Cisco went to Earth-2. They hug it out.

Wells says next up is the recruitment of meta-humans and now that The Flash isn’t around, they are all free to show themselves. “They’ll start coming out of the woodwork,” says Cisco. Wells wants to know what more evidence they need, and Barry says he will do it. He left the city unprotected and now he needs his powers back because he has to stop Zoom, no matter the cost.

Wells is ready and Cisco explains how it works. It’ll be directed just at Barry instead of the whole city, but they’ll also need Barry to be struck by lightning. Wells tells Cisco to get the wand and Cisco asks if he means the one he built for Mark Mardon. “No, the one you built for the Harry Potter convention,” says Wells. “How do you know about the Harry Potter convention?” asks Cisco, and Wells tells him of course he meant the Mardon wand. Up to the rooftop Cisco goes to be a lightning rod. Wells wants him to start a lightning storm, which sounds a bit dangerous to Cisco.

Barry’s clamped in and ready to go. He tells Joe he’ll be fine and Iris says whatever happens won’t change how she feels about him. Henry gives him one last opportunity to stop this, but Barry, crying, says he needs his speed to be the best version possible of himself. Tears streaming down his face, he tells Wells he’s ready. Wells fires it up and the doors close.

Meanwhile in the secure room, Wally and Jesse have figured out a way to break out.

Wells releases chemicals into Barry’s system to make sure he’s exactly the same as he was the night of the accident. Cisco shouts Expecto Patronum and channels the lightning. It’s working, but Zoom sees the lightning strike and races over. Barry’s in the middle of the explosion and he seems to disintegrate. In the hallway, Jesse and Wally are hit with the explosion too and are knocked to the floor, unconscious. Cisco makes it into the lab as the doors to the particle accelerator open to reveal Barry’s gone. Iris cries out, Joe is in tears, and Henry wants to know what they did to his son. In comes Zoom, picking up The Flash’s burnt suit and telling them job well done, they killed Barry.

The preview for the upcoming episodes show Barry is stuck in another dimension or somewhere in the speed force.

‘Blues Brothers’ Animated Series From Dan Aykroyd in the Works

By
Rebecca Murray
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Blues Brothers

Original Blues Brother Dan Aykroyd, Judy Belushi, and Anne Beatts (SNL) are creating and executive producing a primetime animated The Blues Brothers series. Bento Box Entertainment (Bob’s Burgers) is developing and producing the animated comedy series, with Bento Box’s Scott Greenberg and Joel Kuwahara involved as executive producers along with Rehab Entertainment’s John W. Hyde and Blues Brothers’ manager Eric Gardner.


“It is such a privilege for us to be able to produce the work of the very same people who played such an instrumental role in creating one of the most iconic, multi-faceted comedy and music brands of all time,” said Greenberg. “Now we all have the rare opportunity to translate the timeless comic genius of Dan and John from live-action to animation, while offering an entirely new generation of Blues Brothers fans the chance to appreciate them.”

“It’s so great to accelerate Jake and Elwood at digital speed into the 21st Century via the outstanding creative group at Bento Box. The show will be the Blues Brothers living in America and utilizing all new technology to make and promote their own records, seek out and record new artists and avoid law enforcement – and all while fighting for truth, justice and a better breakfast sandwich,” added Aykroyd.

The Blues Brothers – Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi – made their debut on SNL in 1978 during an episode hosted by former SNL cast member Steve Martin. The duo snagged an Atlantic Records recording contract which led to a nationwide tour and the recording of their Briefcase Full of Blues live album. The Blues Brothers movie directed by John Landis arrived in 1980, grossing $100 million during its theatrical release.

Details on The Blues Brothers series: The series chronicles the music, mayhem and comedy adventures of Jake and Elwood Blues, along with the characters within their master blues band. Join the journey as the boys take their act on the road and back to that same old place, sweet home Chicago. As Elwood Blues, in announcer mode, has oft said of the Blues Brothers, “And now, ladies and gentlemen, living history is going to be made.”

‘Bad Moms’ Trailer: It Feels So Good to Be Bad

By
Rebecca Murray
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Bad Moms Cast Photo
Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, and Kathryn Hahn in ‘Bad Moms’ (Photo © 2016 STX Productions, LLC.)

Think Mean Girls but with adults in place of the high schoolers and you’ve got Bad Moms written and directed by The Hangover writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The cast of the female-driven R-rated comedy includes Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Jay Hernandez, Clark Duke, Annie Mumolo, Jada Pinkett Smith and Christina Applegate.

STX Entertainment’s Bad Moms will open in theaters on July 29, 2016.

The Plot: In this new comedy from the writers of The Hangover, Amy has a seemingly perfect life – a great marriage, over-achieving kids, a beautiful home and a career. However she’s over-worked, over-committed and exhausted to the point that she’s about to snap. Fed up, she joins forces with two other over-stressed moms on a quest to liberate themselves from conventional responsibilities – going on a wild, un-mom-like binge of long overdue freedom, fun and self-indulgence – putting them on a collision course with PTA Queen Bee Gwendolyn and her clique of devoted perfect moms.

Watch the Bad Moms trailer:




Broad Green Gets ‘Entering Hades’ with Michael Fassbender

By
Rebecca Murray
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Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender at the ‘Steve Jobs’ Closing Night Gala during the BFI London Film Festival (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images for BFI)

John Leakes’ novel Entering Hades is being adapted for the big screen with Michael Fassbender potentially starring and Broad Green Pictures and Storyscape Entertainment now on board to produce. Daniel Emmerson and Conor McCaughan of Fassbender’s DMC Film will be teaming up with Storyscape’s Bob Cooper and Richard Saperstein to bring Leakes’ true crime book to the screen, with Oscar winner Alexander Dinelaris (Birdman, The Revenant) currently at work on the screenplay.

“With Bob and Richard’s vision and Michael’s keen ability to bring captivating characters to the big screen, we are confident that Entering Hades will be an entertaining thriller that draws a big audience,” stated Gabriel and Daniel Hammond, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Broad Green Pictures.


“This is exactly the kind of elevated commercial material that we are looking to produce through our deal with Broad Green,” added Cooper and Saperstein. “Michael Fassbender is one of today’s most talented actors and we are thrilled to be in partnership with him, as well as Conor and Daniel, to bring this extraordinary story to the screen.”

Two-time Oscar nominee Fassbender (12 Years a Slave, Steve Jobs) has X-Men: Apocalypse, The Light Between Oceans, and Assassin’s Creed heading to theaters this year. He recently completed work on The Snowman and Trespass Against Us, and is currently working on Alien: Covenant with Ridley Scott.

The Plot: Entering Hades is the true story of Jack Unterweger, a celebrated Austrian journalist and best-selling author who led a double life investigating murders by day and killing by night – amassing a body count of 11 people across multiple continents.

‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows’ New Trailer: More Megan Fox, More Turtle Action

By
Rebecca Murray
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Stephen Amell Megan Fox Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Out of the Shadows
Stephen Amell as Casey Jones and Megan Fox as April O’Neil in ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows’ (Photo © 2015 Paramount Pictures)

Paramount Pictures has released a new trailer for the action comedy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (aka Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2) directed by David Green (Earth to Echo). Megan Fox once again leads the cast along with Will Arnett, with support from Stephen Amell, Tyler Perry, Laura Linney, Brian Tee, Stephen “Sheamus” Farrelly, and Gary Anthony Williams. The Turtles are played by Alan Ritchson as Raphael, Noel Fisher as Michelangelo, Pete Ploszek at Leonardo, and Jeremy Howard as Donatello. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows will open in theaters on June 3, 2016.

The Plot: Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael return to theaters this summer to battle bigger, badder villains, alongside April O’Neil (Megan Fox), Vern Fenwick (Will Arnett), and a newcomer: the hockey-masked vigilante Casey Jones (Stephen Amell). After supervillain Shredder escapes custody, he joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) and two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (WWE Superstar Stephen “Sheamus” Farrelly), to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world. As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: the notorious Krang.

Watch the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 trailer

‘Gotham’ Season 2 Episode 19 Recap and Review: Azrael

By
Kevin Finnerty
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Gotham Season 2 Episode 19 Ben McKenzie
Ben McKenzie in ‘Gotham’ season 2 (Photo by Jeff Neumann © 2016 Fox Broadcasting Co)

“There’s not much sense in bringing back the dead if they come back crazy,” says Ms. Peabody (Tonya Pinkins) to Dr. Hugo Strange (BD Wong) as they both watch the once-dead Theo Galavan (James Frain) writing scribbles on the walls in the blood of those he murdered in episode 19 of season two of FOX’s gritty comic-book inspired crime thriller, Gotham.

As the episode begins, Hugo is enjoying watching his newly resurrected experiment screaming and acting insane in his cell while Peabody is clearly starting to question Dr. Strange’s experiments. The scribbles on the wall are from the Order of St. Dumas sacred text but it is clear Galavan seems to be completely disconnected to who he once was. Dr. Strange is notified that he has a visitor…Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie).

Back in Dr. Strange’s office, Gordon says he’s working for a client and is looking into the experiments done at Pinewood back when Dr. Strange worked there. Hugo tries to tell Gordon he was just a low-level researcher and that all the horrible experiments went on without his knowledge. He also claims to have been one of the few who demanded Thomas Wayne shut down Pinewood when he found out about the experiments. Jim doesn’t believe Hugo and tells him he believes Dr. Strange was in charge of the experiments back then. Hugo asks Gordon why he’s looking into this at all and reminds him he’s not a cop anymore.

Jim insists it’s for his client who Hugo realizes is young Bruce Wayne. Dr. Strange tells Gordon the real reason he’s pursuing this case is that he’s hoping to find some sort of redemption in solving it. Gordon says that’s not it, but Dr. Strange tells Jim that he has “tells” that indicate to the doctor that he is lying. Gordon hands Hugo an envelope saying there is a court order in it to exhume Victor Fries’ body. Dr. Strange becomes uncomfortable and tells Gordon that Fries was cremated. Gordon smiles at Hugo and tells him he has tells too. “I just needed to know that you were lying and now I do,” says the ex-detective turned unlicensed private investigator. After Gordon leaves, Hugo opens the envelope to see nothing inside.

In another part of Arkham, Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) is figuring out how to manipulate other inmates and get them on his side by befriending some and defending others. He sees Gordon leaving and tells him that he won’t be in Arkham long, that getting out is like figuring out one big puzzle. Hugo and Peabody are discussing Gordon and Ed overhears, offering to help in taking the ex-detective down. Hugo and Peabody are surprised with Nygma’s offer as well as the way he seems to be becoming the top inmate among his group. Ed says they just wanted to be listened to, that everyone has a story. Dr. Strange latches onto those words and has an idea he wants to try out on Galavan.

Gotham Season 2 Episode 19 James Frain
James Frain in ‘Gotham’ (Photo © 2016 Fox Broadcasting Co)

Hugo decides to give Galavan a new backstory, telling him that he’s really Azrael, a 12th century warrior who served a man named Dumas. Azrael was resurrected to fight evil and follow the orders of Hugo. Of course, who does Hugo send Galavan aka Azrael after? Jim Gordon.

Hugo and Peabody feed more fiction into Azrael’s mind, using classic pieces of fiction including Alice in Wonderland. He’s made a sword named “Sword of Sin” and brings in a patient to test Azrael’s willingness to obey his new master. Passing the test, Azrael has a new suit of armor, a helmet, a cape, and his sword, and is released out into Gotham to kill Gordon.

At Wayne Manor, Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) is arguing with Jim and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) that they shouldn’t waste time trying to get concrete evidence on Hugo but should take action against him now. Bullock tells Bruce without solid evidence Capt. Barnes (Michael Chiklis) would just toss the case before any District Attorney had a chance to look at it. Bruce tells Gordon they need to handle Hugo the way Jim handled Galvan.

At this, Jim asks Harvey to give them a few minutes. Gordon tells Bruce that is out of the equation. He never wants Bruce to know what it feels like to take an unarmed man’s life. He tells the young man if he did what he’s suggesting, it will haunt him for the rest of his days and push him closer to becoming the evil he’s trying to stop. Gordon asks Bruce to trust him and leave it to him to handle.

When Bullock, Gordon, and Bruce try to explain to Capt. Barnes what Dr. Hugo Strange is really doing at Arkham with his weird unlawful experiments Barnes doesn’t believe a word and tells Jim he’s through with him because he knows that he once again is lying. Jim pulls Barnes aside for a minute to try to get him to listen to him one-on-one. As the arguing continues, who should show up but Azrael shouting for the death of Jim Gordon.

Both Gordon and Barnes look at each other and then back at Azrael. They point their pistols at him and Barnes tells the cloaked and sword-wielding figure to drop the weapon. During the fight it’s obvious that Azrael is much stronger and agile, leaping from beams and climbing up walls since he was reanimated. His outfit is also bullet-proof so Gordon and Barnes can’t get a clean shot. Bullock hears the shots and comes running in with some cops and Bruce following. Azrael leaps and climbs easily up the walls and beams to an escape. Bruce witnesses the masked, cloaked figure’s escape and it’s obvious a part of him is both intrigued and impressed by him. (Another element of developing the future Bat has just occurred.)

Back at the GCPD, Gordon, Bruce, and Bullock are trying to convince Barnes that this new sword-wielding nut is a creation of Dr. Strange but Barnes still won’t listen. He finally has Bruce escorted out and Gordon locked up in the holding cage while he sends out almost all his officers to find and bring in the swordsman. This is just the opportunity Azrael needs, and he kills the power to the GCPD. “A blackout,” says Barnes to Gordon who replies, “I don’t think so.” Azrael comes crashing through the big glass window on the second floor and demands Barnes to give him Gordon. Of course, Barnes refuses and the fight is on. Barnes has one of his officers let Jim out just in time for the officer to be cut in two by Azrael’s sword. Barnes empties his gun into Azrael who collapses, but after a few seconds he slowly stands up (cue creepy horror movie music). Jim tells Barnes he needs stronger firepower so Barnes tells Gordon he’ll lead Azrael up to the roof so Jim can get a much stronger gun.

Barnes gets to the roof and uses a long pipe to bolt the door, but Azrael easily breaks it open with his new strength. Azrael and Barnes fight with Barnes using a metal pipe against Azrael’s sword which he actually hits hard enough to break. Azrael’s mask comes off and Barnes is shocked to see Galavan’s face. Azrael takes his broken sword blade and stabs Barnes. Gordon arrives on the roof and is also shocked to see that Azrael is in fact Galavan. Jim uses the cannon gun he found to blast Azrael off the roof and down onto the coroner’s van parked below, with Azrael’s fall caught on camera during a live news report. Azrael gets down off the van and disappears into the night. Gordon holds the dying Barnes, telling him to look at him and stay with him. Barnes half-smiles as he coughs and tells Jim, “You’re a pain in the ass,” to which Jim responds, “So are you.” And with that Capt. Barnes dies.

Across Gotham, citizens watch the news report and see Galavan as Azrael rise from his fall and run off into the night. Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor), still sipping wine with at least a week-old corpse still in the dining room, is tuned in to the broadcast as are Tabitha (Jessica Lucas) and Butch (Drew Powell) who’s getting more and more concerned over Barbara’s weird behavior. Bruce and Alfred (Sean Pertwee) also have the TV tuned to the news and Bruce is very upset because he knows that Dr. Strange is behind it. “What the hell is happening to our city?” asks Alfred to which Bruce replies, “Nothing good.”

The episode ends with Nygma discovering, with the help of a few of the inmates, the secret elevator from Arkham that leads down into Indian Hill. Ed walks out of the elevator and into the hall leading to the rooms where Dr. Strange has his experiments, repeatedly saying, “Oh my,” as he walks by the cells.

Review of Gotham Season 2 Episode 19:

Action-packed, very dark, and with two over-the-top performances, episode 19 of season two titled “Azrael” reveals the origin story of one of Gotham’s lesser-known villains while making his antics part of the inspiration for the eventual birth of the Batman. The stand-out performance in this episode goes to BD Wong as Dr. Hugo Strange who realizes for the first time since the character’s introduction that he has been played and is now the focus of a police investigation. Wong portrays subtly the uneasiness and concern Dr. Strange is feeling during his cat and mouse interrogation with Gordon. By far it’s been BD Wong’s wonderful performance as the mad doctor Hugo that has made his character the second most interesting villain in the show. Ed Nygma aka the Riddler is still the most fascinating villain in Gotham these days.

One character sorely missed in this episode was Selina (Camren Bicondova). She’s become not just a supporting character but a main one, after developing feelings for and a true friendship with Bruce. She’s also fun to watch interact with the rest of the main characters. Not even having one scene with her leaves a feeling of emptiness with the episode. Couldn’t they have snuck in a quick scene of her watching Galavan revealed to be Azrael?

With Azrael loose in Gotham and on the hunt for Gordon and with the death of Capt. Barnes, it’s going to be interesting to see how Jim, Harvey, Bruce, and Alfred stop the sword-wielding monster and the mad doctor pulling his strings.

GRADE: B-




‘Damien’ Season 1 Episode 9 Recap: The Devil You Know

By
Rebecca Murray
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Damien Bradley James
Bradley James in A&E’s ‘Damien’ (Photo by Ben Mark Holzberg / Copyright 2016)

Episode nine of A&E’s Damien was legitimately horrifying, with the final 15 or so minutes delivering nightmare-inducing thrills. Season one’s been a carefully paced build as Damien Thorn (Bradley James) struggles with the possibility that he is, in fact, the Antichrist. Episodes one through eight have given the audience something completely unexpected: a Damien we can root for even as the evidence piles up and the story moves toward its inevitable conclusion.

The penultimate episode airing on May 2, 2016 and titled ‘The Devil You Know’ escalated the tension and placed Damien in a position that forced him to confront the truth about his destiny. Episode nine featured Bradley James’ best performance in the series to date and set the stage for an epic season one finale set to air on Monday, May 9th.

Damien episode nine recap:

Veronica (Melanie Scrofano) hasn’t checked in and Ann’s worried something’s happened to her daughter who was supposed to be doing surveillance. The last number dialed was to Amani (Omid Abtahi) and you can bet he’ll soon be getting a visit from Ann (Barbara Hershey) or her associates.

It looked like Veronica was either dead or on death’s door at the end of episode eight, but in episode nine we quickly learn she’s in pain and bleeding profusely but still hanging in there. Sister Greta (Robin Weigert) won’t let Simone (Megalyn Echikunwoke) take her to the hospital or call a doctor, believing it’s more important to heal her spiritual state than treat her potentially fatal gunshot wound. Greta wants to show Veronica the light, but Simone’s still very confused and upset because she’ll die without medical assistance.

Back at Damien’s place, Amani’s going over the list of unexplainable deaths that in some way involve Damien. He’s not buying Damien’s theory that there’s an unseen force behind the body count, and Damien throws in the massacre in Africa and flooding in Bangladesh to further prove his point. Damien even thinks he can pinpoint the exact moment when things went to hell, literally. His presence causes bad things to happen and Amani, ever the reasonable best friend, says people used to blame lightning on a pissed-off dude on a mountain.

With the help of alcohol, they attempt to come up with a rational explanation. And then, just to prove how much he cares for and supports his friend, Amani tells Damien he’s in – no matter what. The only concrete suggestions/plan of action that comes out of this session involves Sister Greta. Amani believes Damien should meet with Sister Greta and in one of the episode’s only lighter moments, Damien says that might be opening a can of worms even worse than Ann Rutledge. “The Devil you know…” says Damien.

Before they wrap up their talk, Damien asks about Amani about Veronica and what she’s said about her mom. Amani confirms Veronica’s not happy with the ‘prodigal son’ because her mom has devoted her life to him at the expense of a loving relationship with her daughter. Damien wants Amani to get close to Veronica again in order to get more information and find out anything that could be used against Ann. He needs someone on the inside and Amani, who is truly showing he’s all in when it comes to Damien, agrees to reach out to Veronica.

The sole non-religious figure who has any kind of handle on the situation is in deep trouble at work. Detective Shay’s superiors believe he’s become a liability to the department after the death of Charles Powell (Joe Doyle) by Damien Thorn’s psychiatrist, Dr. Matthews (Claire Rankin). Shay (David Meunier) tries to explain his obsession with Damien, saying, “Weird shit happens around this jerkoff all the time!” Shay still hasn’t put two and two together and come up with the Devil, but he knows there’s a darkness around Damien and the cluster of murders do not make sense. He reminds the higher-ups that he’s had to survive a dog attack, the near-drowning of his son, and he nearly died in a car fire. That doesn’t change their minds and they request his gun and badge.

Damien Melanie Scrofano and Robin Weigert
Melanie Scrofano and Robin Weigert in ‘Damien’ (Photo by George Kraychk / Copyright 2016)

Sister Greta continues to pray for Veronica’s soul, an act which causes Veronica to request they all rot in hell. She reveals that her mom has fawned over Damien his whole life but only met him a couple of weeks ago. “Faith drives us to do evil things,” says Veronica, telling Greta and Simone that Ann has fawned over Damien his entire life but only had the opportunity to actually interact with him a few weeks ago. Simone, apparently believing Veronica is in a confessional mood, wants to know about her sister’s death but Veronica chalks that one up to a greater power.

Veronica does say it’s possible Simone can walk away unhurt if she helps her by calling her mom. Otherwise, she’ll soon be joining her sister. Greta tells her Veronica is in service to the devil and her mom made her an assassin. “Is that a mother’s love?” asks Sister Greta and Veronica responds by grabbing her throat and attempting to choke her. Simone separates the two, but it’s obvious she wants to get help for Veronica before she dies from her wound.

The lieutenant heads over to Damien’s house to let him know Shay had to use deadly force against Dr. Matthews at the precinct after she stabbed a murder suspect. Damien asks, “She killed Charles Powell?” and the Lt. wonders how he knew about Powell and if he knows of any connection between Powell and the doctor. Not only could they find any mention of Powell at her office, they also couldn’t find any notes on her sessions with Damien. Damien’s also informed that Shay has been relieved from duty and that it might be wise to file a restraining order. Damien says he’ll think about it.

After he leaves, Damien calls Simone and asks to meet the nun. Simone doesn’t think that’s a good idea, but Damien is pretty much out of options at this point.

Simone introduces Damien to Sister Greta, saying that her job is to investigate things for the Vatican. Sister Greta asks to see Damien’s Mark of the Beast. He shows her and she responds with a hug, saying, “Oh, you poor man,” adding, “Do not believe them that you are the Devil, the son of Satan, son of Light. You are God’s child.”

Damien seems to be slightly relieved by this turn of events, telling her she’s the only one who’s said that but that he’s not a man of faith and only believes what he’s seen. She asks what he’s seen and explains he witnessed seven wounded soldiers speaking in unison. They quoted from the Bible, talking about the Beast and Hell, and Sister Greta gets extremely agitated, realizing he’s discussing the seven-headed dragon. “This appeared to you?” she asks, and Damien says it did – and it wasn’t the first time. He remembers something appeared when Kelly died, too, and that it grabbed her and pulled her under. Damien needs someone to believe him and asks Greta if she can help. She embraces him, saying, “That’s why I’m here.”

Meanwhile, Amani calls Veronica to see if they can talk. As he’s making the call, he’s approached by masked men who throw him into a car.

Sister Greta, Damien, and Simone walk down the hall and Simone blurts out that Ann’s daughter is there, dying. Damien’s worried because Ann will definitely come for her. Sister Greta sends Simone off to tend to Veronica and walks away with Damien.

Simone finds Veronica still alive but now tied to the bed. She promises to get her out of there and tries the door, but now she’s also locked in the room.

Amani’s brought to Ann who wants to know where her daughter is. Amani pulls the ‘don’t screw with me, I’m friends with Damien’ card, but it doesn’t work. “You’re a small man who took a wrong turn in a theater and somehow wandered onto the stage. Don’t dare think yourself a player,” says Ann. She wants her daughter but Amani, truthfully, doesn’t know where she is. (His call went straight to voice mail.) She then asks about the nun from the Vatican who’s there to kill Damien. Again, Amani responds that he knows nothing. Amani, not quite down with the threats, says he thinks Damien might kill Ann for kidnapping him. Ann knows those are empty threats and cares more about getting to the nun before she can kill Veronica and/or Damien. The only way to save Damien is to tell her the nun’s location. Amani finally gives in and agrees to take her to the nun.

Meanwhile, Damien wonders what will happen if he’s actually the Antichrist. Sister Greta says then that would be God’s will and he must have faith. God has a plan and his might be to bring about the second coming of Christ. She tells him he’s been chosen, and he wonders why she makes that sound like a good thing. He wants to know why she would devote herself to a God like that, that would make him into someone whose life results in countless deaths. She says the demon within him won’t let go, stabbing him in the stomach with one of the Daggers of Megiddo. She then wraps him in thorns, binding his body. She does so without gloves and both she and Damien are bloodied by the time she’s done with this gruesome task.

Veronica calls out for her mother and then Simone hears a noise outside. It’s howling. She tries the door again but it’s no use.

Back with the good detective, Shay is looking over photos associated with Damien and the murders, placing them all over the floor of his home as he organizes his ‘case.’ Patrick comes in and Shay says they’re in danger. He was mauled by a dog, Jacob almost died, and he almost burned to death, and none of those events were accidents. Neither were the deaths in the photos. Patrick thinks he’s losing it and young Jacob walks in just then, asking about the monsters. Shay grabs him and tells him there are real monsters, which proves to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for Patrick.

He’s heard enough and is taking Jacob to his brother’s house. Jacob gives Shay a quick hug and whispers, “The Devil did it,” while smiling. Patrick didn’t hear the exchange but Shay is now more freaked out than ever before. He looks down and sees his gun on the floor, barrel pointed toward a photo of Damien’s face. Shay gets up and goes to the front door yelling for Patrick as he hears the car pulling out, but a Rottweiler attacks the screen door barring his exit. By the time he grabs his gun, the dog’s no longer there.

Veronica, still tied to the bed, screams for help. The door opens and Simone whacks the women from behind as she approaches Veronica on the bed. Veronica’s in bad shape but Simone is able to help her down the hall.

Unable to move, Damien quietly, desperately begs Sister Greta to stop. She turns his face away from her and uses a blade to slice open the skin under his tattoo. Lifting up the flap, she sees the tattoo is not just on his skin but also carved into his skull. He turns toward her and continues begging. She gently kisses his forehead.

Simone leads Veronica outside as inside the nuns prey over Damien’s body. He looks weak as Sister Greta makes the sign of the cross on his forehead. “If I die, this passes on to another,” he gasps. “Put your faith in Christ, you must be reborn,” she replies. He’s then lowered into a deep pit, continuously pleading with her not to do it. His pleas fall on deaf ears and so he begins screaming incredibly loudly, loud enough for Simone and Veronica to hear him from outside. Simone leaves Veronica by a tree and goes back for Damien. The thorns cut into him as he struggles to free himself. Sister Greta prays over the pit while down below Damien’s seeing grotesque faces emerge from the rocks and walls surrounding him.

Alone and bleeding by a tree, Veronica’s flashlight goes off, leaving her in the pitch-black night. The howls sound closer and she tries to stand. She’s weak but manages to walk a few feet before roots and limbs pull her down, wrapping themselves around her body. One even works its way into the gunshot wound, through her body, and out her mouth.

Ann, Amani, and one of Ann’s associates arrive at the church and come across Veronica but it’s too late. She’s dead with a massive branch jutting out of her mouth. Ann falls to her knees and Amani begins crying.

Shay, on the verge of a complete mental breakdown, goes to Damien’s house but of course he’s not there. He looks through Damien’s photos, finding the negatives Charles sent as well as other disturbing photos. He begins to hear his son’s voice saying someone is hurting him. He then hears howling coming from the drain in the sink, bending closer until he sees alive in the drain. Laughter follows him as he spins around the apartment.

Meanwhile, Damien is still struggling in the pit and again sees the faces of the wounded soldiers who spoke to him about the Beast and Hell. Instead of his life flashing before his eyes, Damien sees the deaths he’s been associated with as Sister Greta and her assistants continue to pray up above. Simone races up, calling out for Damien but is stopped and restrained before she can reach the edge of the pit. Down below, Damien growls – yes, it’s incredibly eerie – and makes unearthly noises.

Incredibly, he crawls out of the pit, not terribly bloody. He heads straight for Sister Greta and she pulls out the dagger as if to stab him again. He doesn’t stop but continues to steadily advance. She tries to stab him but he easily stops her, turning the blade on her and stabbing her in the stomach before surprisingly gently lowering her to the ground. He stares at her as she’s dying but then turns to see the people holding Simone. They scatter and he grabs Simone’s hand and leads her away.




Summer Movie Preview 2016: Superheroes, Mutants, and Fish

By
Kevin Finnerty
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Suicide Squad Cast Photo
‘Suicide Squad’ cast photo (Photo Courtesy of David Ayer / WB)

We’ve hit that time of year when the weather starts to warm up and people are once again heading to the beach, lighting up barbecues, planning vacations, and – as always – heading to the multiplex to get their popcorn, candy, and soda fix while watching the summer blockbusters. All of which means it’s time once again for the Summer Movie Preview. This year superheroes fight among themselves in a Civil War, everyone’s favorite forgetful fish is going out on a new adventure, aliens from space who humans once defeated are back for a rematch, the paranormal investigating couple take on another terrifying case, and the former amnesic assassin Bourne is back in business.

Here’s a look at some of the big films coming to theaters over the summer of 2016. The following list is in release date order and showcases movies that have generated the most pre-release buzz as they head into theaters in May, June, July, and August.

MAY

Captain America Civil War PosterCAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (May 6) – Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, and Sebastian Stan
Plot: Political involvement in the Avengers causes the team to split, with one group led by Captain America going rogue and the other led by Iron Man wanting to follow the government’s new rules.
Outlook: Already expected to be the biggest hit of the summer and getting rave early reviews from critics and audiences, Civil War will most likely be the most successful film yet in the Marvel Franchise. And unlike some other comic book-inspired movies, this one deserves its huge box office take.

MONEY MONSTER (May 13) – Starring George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O’Connell, and Caitriona Balfe
Plot: Financial TV host Lee Gates and his producer Patty are put in an extremely dangerous situation when an irate investor takes over the studio while Lee is live on the air.
Outlook: Hopefully Clooney and Roberts will have the star power to take a ‘Made for Television’-type familiar plot and energize it to draw audiences to the theater to watch the drama unfold.

THE NICE GUYS (May 20) – Starring Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe, and Kim Basinger
Plot: Set in the ’70s, a private eye and a muscle for hire team up to investigate a murder and the disappearance of a young girl in Los Angeles.
Outlook: If the film is half as funny as the trailers, and the chemistry on display in the trailers between Gosling and Crowe holds up throughout the entire running time, this will be without a doubt the laugh-out-loud buddy comedy of the summer. Cross your fingers that prediction comes true.

THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE (May 20) – Starring Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, and Bill Hader
Plot: Why are the birds so angry and just where do those mysterious green pigs come from? This animated comedy hopes to answer those questions.
Outlook: An animated film based on a phone app…seriously?! At least it’s loaded with a talented voice cast and the trailers and special videos promoting the movie don’t rely on viewers needing to know anything about the Rovio game on which it’s based.

NEIGHBORS 2: SORORITY RISING (May 20) – Starring Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Dave Franco
Plot: A sorority moves in next door and turns out to be much worse than the fraternity that occupied the house before it. Mac and Kelly are forced to turn to someone who has intimate knowledge on how to take down unwanted college neighbors: their old nemesis, Teddy.
Outlook: In my opinion the first film wasn’t very funny so this looks to be another laughless turkey. However, Showbiz Junkies editor Rebecca Murray loved the original film and has high hopes for the sequel which does an interesting gender swap of the antagonists.

ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (May 27) – Starring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Anne Hathaway
Plot: Alice Kingsleigh must return to Underland and her friends the White Rabbit, Absolem, and the Cheshire Cat to help the Mad Hatter recover his Muchness by borrowing a metallic globe from the Grand Clock.
Outlook: There doesn’t seem to be a lot of people clamoring for a sequel to Alice in Wonderland yet Disney is giving us one anyway. Will it have a hard time finding an audience? The original film opened five years ago and crossed the billion dollar mark, but that was when the combo of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp was enough to get people to sit up and take notice. Burton didn’t direct the sequel and the trailers have concentrated on Sacha Baron Cohen’s character, Time, rather than on Depp’s Mad Hatter. If it rakes in half of what the original made, Disney should call it a wrap on the Alice in Wonderland franchise at least for now.

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE (May 27) – Starring Michael Fassbender, Jame McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, and Oscar Isaac
Plot: When the very first mutant (Apocalypse) re-emerges and is disillusioned with the current state of the world, he recruits other powerful X-Men including Magneto to destroy humanity. Once again it’s up to the heroic X-Men to stop Apocalypse and his followers from wiping out all humans.
Outlook: With a strong cast returning to reprise their roles and the addition of Oscar Isaac as the evil, powerful Apocalypse, this could be the best X-Men film since X-Men 2.

JUNE

TMNT2 Donatello posterTEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS (June 3) – Starring Will Arnett, Megan Fox, and Stephen Amell
Plot: The heroes in a half shell return to once again eat pizza and fit bad guys.
Outline: If you liked the first TMNT film, then there’s no reason to think you won’t like the sequel which is pretty much just more of the same. For those who aren’t already into the Turtles, there’s no reason to start trying to figure out their appeal with this film.

THE CONJURING 2 (JUNE 10) – Starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, and Frances O’Connor
Plot: Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren travel to London to help a single mother and her four children fight against some malevolent spirits.
Outlook: With the original The Conjuring stars and director returning, this sequel should be just as eerie and terrifying as the original and should have audiences feeling the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end. BOO!

WARCRAFT (June 10) – Starring Travis Fimmel, Toby Kebbell, Dominic Cooper, Paula Patton, and Ben Foster
Plot: Orc warriors invade the peaceful realm of Azeroth looking for a new home. Civilizations are at stake and unlikely heroes will emerge.
Outlook: Video game-inspired movies don’t normally fare well in theaters (the Resident Evil franchise is one of the rare exceptions), and based on the trailers this action adventure film doesn’t look like it will score at the box office with an audience outside those who are into the game that spawned it.

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE (JUNE 17) – Starring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Amy Ryan, and Aaron Paul
Plot: A mild-mannered accountant is thrown into the world of international espionage after reconnecting with an old friend through Facebook.
Outlook: If the film is half as funny as the trailers, this should be a very entertaining comedy. Johnson and Hart are an unlikely comedic team, but their physical differences should provide for some great one-liners.

FINDING DORY (June 17) – Featuring the Voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Michael Sheen, and Idris Elba
Plot: The lovable but forgetful blue tang fish sets out on an adventure to find her family with the help of her friends.
Outlook: With the major leads returning to voice the characters they brought to life in the first film, and the original writers of Finding Nemo penning the script for this much-anticipated overdue sequel, Finding Dory will most likely be the animated film to beat this year and possibly one of the best sequels in years.

FREE STATE OF JONES (JUNE 24) – Starring Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, and Keri Russell
Plot: In Jones County, Mississippi, Newt Knight joins forces with other farmers and a group of slaves to lead a rebellion against the Confederacy.
Outlook: This Civil War tale looks powerful, intense, and bloody. Free State of Jones might be one of the first of the year’s theatrical releases to be considered for the Oscar race, but its timing as a mid-June release is strange.

INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE (JUNE 24) – Starring Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Liam Hemsworth, and Vivica A Fox
Plot: 20 years after the first Independence Day invasion, the aliens return for a rematch with newer and more powerful technology. It will once again fall to a brave few to find a way to save mankind from extinction.
Outlook: Looking darker, grittier, and more serious than the first film, Independence Day: Resurgence might just accomplish what few sequels do…surpass the original. And at least no one can accuse 20th Century Fox of quickly rushing a sequel to cash in on the first film’s box office.

JULY

The BFG PosterTHE BFG (July 1) – Starring Mark Rylance, Rebecca Hall, Jemaine Clement, and Ruby Barnhill
Plot: A girl named Sophie meets a big friendly giant who, despite looking very intimidating, is kind-hearted. Soon, an unlikely friendship begins.
Outlook: With Steven Spielberg directing and Rylance playing the BFG, this should be the fantasy adventure that family audiences will find magical. Based on Roald Dahl’s beloved book, The BFG reunites Spielberg and Rylance who previously worked together on Bridge of Spies which earned Rylance a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

THE LEGEND OF TARZAN (July 1) – Starring Alexander Skarsgard, Margot Robbie, Djimon Hounsou, and Christoph Waltz
Plot: Tarzan returns to the Congo as a trade emissary but is unaware that he’s actually a pawn in a Belgian Captain’s deadly plot.
Outlook: With a strong cast and impressive special effects, The Legend of Tarzan is shaping up to be the first entertaining Tarzan film since Disney’s animated version back in 1999. Plus, as I’m reminded by female friends, you can never have too much of a shirtless Alexander Skarsgard.

MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES (July 8) – Starring Zac Efron, Adam DeVine, and Anna Kendrick
Plot: Two brothers place an online ad to find respectable dates for their sister’s wedding and end up hooking up with two dates from hell.
Outlook: If the trailer is any indication of what the movie is actually going to be like, then it will be loud, gross, and occasionally obnoxious. Showbiz Junkies editor Rebecca Murray was able to see lengthy clips from the film during this year’s CinemaCon in Vegas and the packed audience of 5,000ish members of the National Association of Theater Owners ate it up, responding with some of the longest rounds of clapping heard during the week-long event. Definitely earning its hard R rating, this adults only comedy is like a date-driven The Hangover minus the Vegas setting.

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS (JULY 8) – Featuring the Voices of Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, Ellie Kemper, and Eric Stonestreet
Plot: This animated animal comedy takes place in Manhattan and finds Max’s position as his mom’s favorite pet in jeopardy when she brings home a dog she adopted from the shelter to be Max’s new best friend.
Outlook: Who doesn’t want to know what their pets do when they leave for the day? The Secret Life of Pets comes from the creators of Despicable Me and features adorable cats, dogs, birds, and bunnies, as well as humor that works for both kids and adults. It might just be the perfect way to beat the summer heat but the big question is this: Will its release launch with a Take Your Pets to the Theater Day?

THE INFILTRATOR (July 13) – Starring Bryan Cranston, Diane Kruger, and John Leguizamo
Plot: The Infiltrator is inspired by the true story of undercover agent Robert Mazur who was responsible for exposing the biggest money-laundering and drug-dealing connection involving Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.
Outlook: With what looks to be another strong performance by Bryan Cranston and a solid supporting cast, The Infiltrator might be the most engaging cop film about drug smuggling since The French Connection.

GHOSTBUSTERS (JULY 15) – Starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, and Chris Hemsworth
Plot: A paranormal researcher, a physicist, a nuclear engineer, and a cab driver team up to fight ghosts in this female led reboot of the 1984 classic comedy.
Outlook: The trailers are short on laughs and the special effects are completely unimpressive. This will most likely be the big bomb of the summer, and it’s already earned the distinction of being the most disliked movie trailer in history on YouTube. The Ghostbusters trailer currently sits at #23 on YouTube’s all-time disliked videos list with nearly 500,000 thumbs down votes. For those who love these kind of stats, Justin Bieber’s “Baby” is the most disliked video ever.

ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE (July 22) – Featuring the Voices of Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, and Queen Latifah
Plot: Manny, Diego, Sid, and the rest of the gang have to leave their home and set out on another adventure in order to save themselves from a cosmic event set in motion accidentally by the nut-obsessed but lovable Scrat.
Outlook: What was once a very funny and inventive idea for an animated adventure with original and likeable characters already started to lose steam in the last two installments. Here’s hoping number 5 will be the last of the franchise and a worthy way to say goodbye to these crazy, wild, and goofy animals.

STAR TREK BEYOND (July 22) – Starring Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Zach Quinto, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Karl Urban, and Idris Elba
Plot: Stranded on a hostile planet, Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy and the rest of the Enterprise crew face off against a new alien enemy.
Outlook: Many diehard Star Trek fans hated the minute and a half teaser trailer that debuted a few months ago signaling this particular voyage of the Enterprise is going to have a tough row to hoe to live up to its predecessors.

JASON BOURNE (July 29) – Starring Matt Damon, Alicia Vikander, Julia Stiles, and Tommy Lee Jones
Plot: The new Bourne film finds the CIA’s most lethal former operative drawn out of the shadows.
Outlook: With Damon and Stiles back in the roles they created and Paul Greengrass back directing, Jason Bourne‘s looking to re-energize the stagnant franchise by delivering an action-packed thriller. The trailers are long on action, short on story, but isn’t watching Matt Damon kick ass as Jason Bourne what drives people to theaters? Story is important, but the action sequences are what Bourne films are known for and this film looks like Damon and Greengrass are out to prove there’s a legitimate reason for doing yet another Bourne story.

AUGUST

SUICIDE SQUAD (August 5) – Starring Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, and Jai Courtney
Plot: A secret government agency recruits imprisoned supervillains for a special highly secret Black Ops mission in exchange for clemency. However, the mission will most likely lead to their deaths.
Outlook: It’s The Dirty Dozen only with some of the biggest villains from the DC comics universe. Should be the big movie hit in theaters in August.

Michael Keaton in The Founder
Michael Keaton in The Weinstein Company’s ‘The Founder.’

THE FOUNDER (August 5) – Starring Michael Keaton and Laura Dern
Plot: Milkshake mixer salesman Ray Kroc transforms a small chain of fast food restaurants into the multibillion dollar McDonald’s corporation that it is today.
Outlook: This just might be the role and performance that earns Michael Keaton his Oscar.

PETE’S DRAGON (August 12) – Starring Oakes Fegley, Robert Redford, and Bryce Dallas Howard
Plot: The adventures of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliot who just happens to be a dragon.
Outlook: The first trailer didn’t do much to build the hype and if Disney wants this one to be a hit, they better have created the best CG dragon to ever grace the silver screen. If not, there’s no legitimate reason for a new Pete’s Dragon movie.

WAR DOGS (August 19) – Starring Jonah Hill and Miles Teller
Plot: The true story of two young men who won a $300 million contract from the Pentagon to arm America’s allies in Afghanistan.
Outlook: A dramedy about two nerdy obnoxious gun runners with no conscious. Yawn. It may be better than the initial trailer, and there’s a ray of hope in the fact it’s directed by The Hangover‘s Todd Phillips.

BEN-HUR (August 19) – Starring Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell, and Morgan Freeman
Plot: A falsely accused Jewish Prince survives years of slavery to seek vengeance on his Roman best friend who betrayed him.
Outlook: How can they even hope to match, let alone top, the 1959 classic Ben Hur film which starred Charlton Heston and was directed by William Wyler? Given the current dislike of remakes, unless a better trailer’s on the way in the near future this version of the classic story won’t be finishing first at the box office.

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