The early reviews are in for Dark Phoenix, the twelfth and final installment of the X-Men series – and, um, they’re not exactly glowing. The film currently has an abysmal 19% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and a slew of eviscerating reviews to go along with it.
Most fans weren’t expecting the 19-year franchise to come to a satisfying end, given that Dark Phoenix‘s release date was pushed back from it’s original November date. But any dash of hope has been quickly squashed by early reviews.
The script’s writing is a main point of contention. “There’s way too much darkness, and not enough quicksilver wit,” says Michael O’Sullivan of The Washington Post. “…this plays out with all the pizzazz of a bowl of soggy cereal,” says Jo Berry of Movies4Kids. Yikes.
Emily Asher-Perrin of Tor.com is one of many reviewers to point out the missteps taken with Jean Grey, the main character played by Game of Thrones‘ Sophie Turner. “[The film] has no real interest in making Jean Grey the central character of her own film,” she writes.
Even the film’s star studded cast (Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy) couldn’t save Dark Phoenix, according to reviewers. “What’s truly amazing about “Dark Phoenix” is watching the charismatic, award-winning, star-packed cast flail about in this poorly written nonsense cartoon,” writes Katie Walsh of the Tribune News Service.
Few reviewers had anything positive to say about the film, but many are still determined to make their own assumptions. “I don’t care about the #DarkPhoenix reviews,” writes one on Twitter. “I’ll watch it for myself and decide if I liked it or not.”
Decide for yourself on June 7, 2019, when Dark Phoenix hits theaters nationwide.
This article originally appeared on Fatherly. Follow @FatherlyHQ on Twitter.
Game of Thrones may have come to an end on HBO Sunday night but the saga continues off-screen, in the yet-unfinished series of books penned by George R.R. Martin which inspired the hit show. On May 20, 2019, the author reacted to the finale and also hinted at what’s to come for fans.
“Let me say this much — last night was an ending, but it was also a beginning,” Martin wrote in a post on his website, Not a Blog. “There are characters who never made it onto the screen at all, and others who died in the show but still live in the books… if nothing else, the readers will learn what happened to Jeyne Poole, Lady Stoneheart, Penny and her pig, Skahaz Shavepate, Arianne Martell, Darkstar, Victarion Greyjoy, Ser Garlan the Gallant, Aegon VI, and a myriad of other characters both great and small that viewers of the show never had the chance to meet.”
George R. R. Martin speaking at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con International, for “Game of Thrones”, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.
The 70-year-old went on to add that he’s still working on the next installment in the series, The Winds of Winter, which was originally supposed to be published in 2015. “Winter is coming, I told you, long ago… and so it is,” he promised. “[The next book] is very late, I know, I know, but it will be done. I won’t say when, I’ve tried that before, only to burn you all and jinx myself… but I will finish it.”
And that won’t even be the last book. Martin said that fans can also expect A Dream of Spring to round out what he thinks will be a total of 3,000 pages between the final two reads.
As for whether the books will end the same way as the show, Martin remained vague, saying, “well… yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes.”
This article originally appeared on Fatherly. Follow @FatherlyHQ on Twitter.
Iran’s state TV broadcast a photo of an actor from”Zero Dark Thirty” to illustrate a claim that the CIA officer that inspired the character had been killed.
One of those CIA operatives was Michael D’Andrea, state TV said, according to BBC Monitoring, which first reported the claims made on Iranian TV.
Iranian TV did not provide any evidence for its claim that D’Andrea was killed Monday.
But instead of airing a photograph of the real D’Andrea, Iran’s Channel One chose to show the face of Fredric Lehne, a US actor who played a character inspired by D’Andrea in the 2012 movie “Zero Dark Thirty.” The movie is a dramatization of the US assassination of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.It is not know if the choice of photo was an error, or a last resort due to a lack of available photographs of D’Andrea.
The network also said D’Andrea “had a key role in killing Iranian general Qasem Soleiman,” according to BBC Monitoring.
The movie details the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden following the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.
Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” hit theaters in 1982, but it takes place in Los Angeles of November 2019.
The movie showed audience member in 1982 a dystopian future world, one where the earth is dark and polluted. Blade runners, like Harrison Ford’s character, are tasked with tracking down human-like robots called replicants, and killing, or “retiring,” them.
Some things the film predicted about 2019 have turned out to be mostly right. Although the earth isn’t in as bad of shape as it is in the movie, climate change is an increasingly pressing issue. Robots play bigger roles in our lives than ever before, and voice assistant are fairly common. But, not every prediction in the 1982 film has come true, at least not yet.
Here are five things the movie got wrong about 2019.
(Screenshot)
1. The movie predicted flying cars, and we’re not even close.
Some companies have built prototypes for flying vehicles that are branded as “flying cars” or “flying taxis,” but they’re far less capable than those in “Blade Runner.” More progress has been made creating and testing self-driving cars.
2. We would have robots that are so human-like, they require a test to distinguish between humans and robots.
Despite recent advances in AI, we don’t have replicants, and modern robots are definitely not easily mistaken for humans.
(Blade Runner)
3. In Blade Runner’s 2019, smoking was still common, even indoors.
Many states in the US have banned or limited smoking indoors in a public space, including California, which is where “Blade Runner” is set.
The movie didn’t see the rise of vaping coming.
(Blade Runner Warner Bros)
4. In the film, people have colonized parts of space.
Today, despite the hopes of tech execs like Elon Musk, we’re still years away from that being a reality.
(Blade Runner Warner Bros)
5. Polaroids play an important role in the film, and digital photos don’t really exist.
Polaroids are still around today, but they’re mostly for fun and not anyone’s primary way of taking and storing photos.
This article originally appeared on Business Insider. Follow @BusinessInsider on Twitter.
HBO’s “Game of Thrones” includes numerous historical allusions.
Some of the references are more obvious than others.
“A Song of Ice and Fire” author George R.R. Martin has frequently expressed his own interest in history.
As they say, truth is often stranger than fiction.
That’s something that “A Song of Ice and Fire” author George R.R. Martin — whose work was adapted into HBO’s hit series “Game of Thrones — clearly understands.
So it’s not surprising that his most famous work is chock full of historical allusions.
Here are just a few historical references included in “Game of Thrones”:
The fight between the Starks and the Lannisters should ring a bell for any medieval scholar
HBO
The War of the Roses might not have a terribly intimidating name, but it was a bloody conflict that sent England spiraling into disunity and chaos during the latter part of the fifteenth century.
The war was primarily fought between the House of York and the House of Lancaster.
Sound familiar?
Like their fictional counterparts, the Lancaster faction won the war after much death and scheming.
However, ultimately, it was the House of Tudor that prevailed and won the throne. They adopted the Tudor rose as their emblem, a combination of the white rose of York and the red rose of Lancaster.
The Battle of the Bastards is a twist on a famous Carthaginian victory
That famous 216 CE battle is now regarded as one of the most impressive tactical victories of all time. After spending two years rampaging about the Italian peninsula, Carthaginian leader Hannibal Barca cemented his status as a military legend by surrounding and defeating his enemies with a much smaller force.
Ramsay’s forces used a similar pincer movement during the Battle of the Bastards. Jon was ultimately able to subvert the historical model and break free of Ramsay’s circle of death, with the help of reinforcements from the Eyrie.
In Hannibal’s case, the Roman legions were butchered, leaving up to 70,000 dead, including Roman consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus.
Paullus’ son-in-law Scipio Africanus would ultimately defeat Hannibal once and for all at Zama.
The Boltons share their habit of skinning people alive with an ancient regime
HBO
Getting flayed alive is probably one of the worst ways to go out.
But this antagonist’s gruesome hobby didn’t simply come from the dark side of Martin’s imagination.
In fact, one ancient kingdom was famous for skinning its enemies.
According to the blog History Buff, the Assyrian King Ashurnasirpal II claimed to have “flayed as many nobles as had rebelled against me and draped their skins over the pile of corpses; some I spread out within the pile, some I erected on stakes upon the pile … I flayed many right through my land and draped their skins over the walls.”
Yikes.
Westeros’ colossal ice wall has a real-world counterpart
HBO
Martin first thought of the Wall on a trip to Scotland.
“I stood on Hadrian’s Wall and tried to imagine what it would be like to be a Roman soldier sent here from Italy or Antioch,” Martin told the SF Site. “To stand here, to gaze off into the distance, not knowing what might emerge from the forest.”
Hadrian’s Wall was hardly an imposing ice wall. And it didn’t protect England from scary, winter zombies. Construction on it began in 122 CE, ostensibly to separate the Romans from the native Britons.
The blog “The History Behind Game of Thrones” explains that the Westerosi Wall and the initial treatment of the Wildlings mirrors “the Roman perception of the native Britons as the ‘Other’ — a distancing strategy employed to dehumanize, alienate, exclude and justify ill treatment of groups outside of one’s own.”
There have been several Red Wedding-style attacks throughout the centuries
A strikingly similar attack took place in Ireland in 1574.
An Irish chieftain named Sir Brian mac Felim Ó Néill ruled over the kingdom of Clannabuidhe and had previously been knighted by the English Crown. When he lost the Queen’s favor, he began to fight against the English invaders. Eventually, however, he invited Walter Devereux, the Earl of Essex, to his castle to discuss peace terms over a Christmas feast, according to Wayne E. Lee’s “Barbarians and Brothers.”
At the Earl’s signal, Sir Brian, his wife, and the rest of his family were seized, while 200 of their followers were indiscriminately slaughtered.
Sir Brian Ó Néill and his family were all subsequently executed.
A similar situation occurred in Scotland, during the 1692 Massacre of Glencoe.
Captain Robert Campbell and 120 of his men were given hospitality at Clan MacDonalds’ castle. After two weeks, a message arrived ordering Campbell to attack, according to Britannica.
One winter’s night, the soldiers played cards with their victims and bid them pleasant dreams, as usual. Then they massacred all the MacDonald men they could find, including the chief.
Another Red Wedding-esque incident — the similarly-named Black Dinner — went down in Scotland in 1440. Advisers of the 10-year-old King James II grew concerned that Clan Douglas was growing too bold and powerful, according to the Week.
These advisers invited the 16-year-old Earl of Douglas and his younger brother to come over to Edinburgh Castle. The king and the Douglases had an enjoyable time. Nothing seemed amiss.
Then, at the end of the dinner, the severed head of a bull — a symbol of Clan Douglas — was tossed on the table. Like the “Rains of Castamere” at the Red Wedding, this was the signal. Much to the young king’s horror, his two friends were dragged outside, put through a mock trial, and decapitated.
The “Miracle at Dunkirk,” when 338,000 troops were evacuated in Operation Dynamo where optimistic estimates topped out at 45,000 might be rescued, was a turning point for the allies, allowing them to salvage troops that would fight in North Africa, at D-Day, and beyond.
In 7 steps, here’s how the British Expeditionary Force was trapped on the beaches of France and then rescued in Operation Dynamo.
1. The Brits arrive on the continent
British troops from the 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, march through Cherbourg, France, in late 1939. (Photo: Imperial War Museums)
The military maneuvers and buildup between the two sides were dubbed the “Phoney War.” Belgium, the Netherlands, and other countries across Europe prepared for the likelihood of a German invasion.
2. The Germans invade
On May 10, 1940, the “Phoney War” came to a violent end as the Germans invaded the Netherlands and Belgium. The Germans quickly took ground and captured bridgeheads on the River Meuse, allowing them to invade France through the Ardennes Forest.
3. Allied countries collapse
Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium was thought to be one of the strongest forts in the world in 1940. German paratroopers exploited weaknesses to capture it in hours. (Photo: Public Domain)
The German blitzkrieg advanced faster and harder than most Allied leaders could believe, and countries quickly collapsed. One of the world’s greatest forts was captured in Belgium in only hours. The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and others surrendered within weeks.
4. The French and British withdraw towards the beaches
As army after army and country after country surrendered to the German war machine, those still fighting were forced to withdraw further and further east and north. They were pushed against the beaches of France. Panzer forces attacked and captured the French deep-water ports at Boulogne and Calais on May 25 and 26, limiting the potential evacuation options.
5. The Panzers stop
German panzers invade western Belgium in May 1940. (Photo: German Federal Archives)
The 48-hour timeline was agreed upon because it was the longest that forces could reliably hold out against German armor. But the German tanks had mysteriously stopped their push towards Dunkirk itself on May 23 by order of Gen. Ewald von Kleist. The next day, a full “stop order” was given by Hitler.
The Allies responded by quickly shoring up their defenses as best they could. What was a loose line of troops on May 23, likely to be brushed aside quickly, became a much more formidable line of dug in but exhausted forces.
One of the most shocking events in the evacuations began on May 27 when the Royal Navy requisitioned small vessels for use in the evacuations. Most of the ships were manned by the Royal Navy, but some ship owners insisted that they would pilot their craft to assist in the evacuation.
The British Army evacuation from Dunkirk (Source: Public Domain)
The fleets of navy and civilian vessels crossed back and forth across the English Channel, rescuing about 338,000 troops, mostly British and French, by June 4 when Operation Dynamo ended.
Learn more about the events of May and June 1940 in the video below:
Audiences across the globe love to grab their popcorn, sit down in front of the big screen and watch an intense action film that is so vivid they forget they’re spectators in a narrative story. With all the explosions and epic dialogue film directors pride themselves on recording, taking the story to the next level with a hand-to-hand fight scene just might be what an action-packed movie needs to become legendary.
Although great hand-to-hand fight scenes are complicated to produce, a few films managed to pull the epic close-quarter battles off.
When moviegoers showed up to the theaters to watch one of Tarantino’s first films, they knew they were going to get clever dialogue and a whole bunch of “f” bombs. Little did they know, two non-martial artists (Uma Thurman and Vivica A. Fox) were about to treat the audience to a badass hand-to-hand fight scene that would get temporarily interrupted by a young girl.
Since both women are warriors, they continued to battle it out, even with a little girl in the house.
Bringing a knife to a pen fight in ‘The Bourne Identity’
Before this film, Matt Damon wasn’t known for doing many action films, unless you count the third act of Steven Spielberg’s war epic Saving Private Ryan, which he had done four years prior.
However, once Damon stepped in the role of a government spy who had lost his memory, audiences were pleasantly surprised by the Good Will Hunting star as he got down-and-dirty for his dope fight scene.
We don’t think we have to setup how f*cking cool this movie is, so we won’t, but whoever the hell thought Keanu Reeves could scrap it out like a Kung Fu master was beyond everyone.
If you thought you could predict that, well, then you’re a liar.
The scenes where Neo took on Agent Smith were over-the-top outstanding and proved that Johnny Utah from Point Break could save the world as the chosen one.
In 2003, Chan-wook Park directed a gritty film about a man who was kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years before being let go, only to learn that he must find his captor within the next five days.
If you haven’t seen this film, watch it this weekend. You’re missing out. But if you don’t have time, at least watch this single shot fight scene where the protagonist beats the sh*t out of everyone with a hammer.
Tony Jaa breaks everyone’s bones in ‘The Protector’
The Protector stars Maui Thai legend Tony Jaa, whose character has his childhood elephant stolen from him and he embarks on a violent mission to retrieve his best friend.
This brutal action flick pulls no punches as Jaa honestly kicks the sh*t out of everyone he encounters, especially a room full of bad guys — who he eliminates in a matter of minutes.
Jackie Chan fights a warehouse full of thugs in ‘Rumble in the Bronx’
If we need to introduce how badass Jackie Chan is, then you need to get out more. The Kung Fu legend has choreographed some of the coolest looking fight scenes ever. His unique personality and fighting ability look like poetry in motion.
In 1995’s Rumble in the Bronx, Chan takes on a warehouse full of New York thugs and uses his environment as a weapon to defeat his troubled aggressors.
Bruce Lee goes up against Chuck Norris ‘Way of the Dragon’
What else can we say besides legend vs. legend? It’s cinematic hand-to-hand combat at its very best. We’re done talking about it. Watch it for yourself.
There are a lot of great moments in Spider-Man: Far From Home, but there is one very specific and hilarious scene in which Peter Parker very confidently misidentifies AC/DC’s killer song “Back in Black” by saying “I love Led Zeppelin!” And though this seems like a funny throwaway, this is actually the exact moment where Far From Home brings the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe full-circle. You may have thought Avengers: Endgame was the end of this era of Marvel movies, but really, the latest Spidey flick is the real ending. And that’s because it wraps up multiple storylines about the only character who can never return to these movies — Iron Man.
If you squint through those special Tony Stark high-tech glasses, Spider-Man: Far From Home actually reads as Iron Man 4, and that’s because a huge chunk of the movie is about how Peter Parker deals not only with a world without Tony Stark; but more specifically, a world which Iron Man created. Spoiler alert, but the entire conflict of Far From Home revolves around disgruntled former employees of Tony Stark; people who either got yelled at by Jeff Bridges in the very first Iron Man movie in 2008, or in the case of Jake Gyllenhaal’s Quentin Beck, had their inventions hijacked and turned into holographic therapy for Stark.
Like the next generation of young Marvel fans who are just getting into all this superhero stuff, Peter Parker inherits the mixed legacy of Tony Stark whether he likes it or not. Because this version of Spidey doesn’t really have a fatherly-Uncle Ben figure, Iron Man was Peter’s next-best-thing to a dad. And in Far From Home, all the mistakes Tony made become Spider-Man’s problem. Happy Hogan reminds Peter that although Iron Man was great that he was also “all over the place,” which is a nice way of saying Tony Stark was actually kind of a douchebag and may have given Peter and the rest of the world more than they really want to deal with. Anyone who has had been saddled with messiness after the death of a parent knows how this goes. For Spidey, his personal life is totally compromised in the post-credits scene (in which his secret identity is revealed) all of which is, indirectly, Tony Stark’s fault. In fact, the seeds for Peter inheriting Tony’s problems are sewn in Spidey’s first official MCU appearance; in Captain America: Civil War. Back then, Tony recruited Peter to help him reign-in Cap, but we now know this movie also was where Tony ignorantly turns Beck into a bad guy.
Which brings us back to that AC/DC track; “Back in Black.” This is the song that opens the very first moments of 2008’s Iron Man;Tony Stark sits in the back of a humvee speeding through Afghanistan, drinking a cocktail, acting like jerky the millionaire arms-dealer that he is. From that point, Tony’s caravan gets attacked, and through the course of the movie, and a lot of snarky one-liners, he eventually becomes a slightly better person and you know, Iron Man. In fact, just like Far From Home, that film famously ended with Tony Stark revealing his identity in a press conference. And now, unwillingly, Peter Parker has become the new Iron Man insofar as his identity has been revealed too, albeit not by choice. Either way, Peter’s journey is very similar to Tony’s at this point, the only difference is Peter didn’t get much of a choice in the matter, whereas Tony did.
Despite everything that happened to Tony Stark, Captain America and Black Widow throughout all of their Marvel movie adventures, for the most part, these characters read as adults, and in the case of Tony and Natasha, adults who were not innocent people, like at all. But Peter Parker is the opposite of this. Even after everything, he’s been through in five movies, he’s basically still at the beginning of his hero’s journey. Which is why Far From Home is both an ending for the old Marvel movies and the beginning of the new ones.
It’s unclear what new Avengers movies will look like in 2020 and beyond, but because Tony is 100 percent dead and Steve Rogers is 100 percent living in the past in secret, the big recognizable heroes of Iron Man and Captain America won’t be around. (Also that rumored Black Widow movie is thought to be a prequel?) In any case, if the new Avengers are Captain Marvel, maybe Hulk, Falcon, and Bucky, then it seems like Spidey might become their defacto leader. After all, once you’re secret identity is revealed, you’ve got nowhere to be other than with other superheroes.
The musical cues and plot similarities of Spider-Man: Far From Home help to complete Tony Stark’s story one movie after his onscreen death. But, our incumbent Peter Parker isn’t Tony Stark. Like at all. He doesn’t really know who AC/DC is, even if he likes the music. This Peter is the face of the future of the next big round of Marvel movies, and in some ways, that’s reassuring. The MCU began with a tortured man-baby who drank too much and said sexist things. That guy accidentally became a hero, and of course, because of that journey of redemption, we all love Tony Stark. But now, it seems Marvel is going to do stories about different types of heroes, and those people, like Peter Parker, might be a little bit better than the generation before them. Marvel is done with the old guys. It’s time to give the kids a shot.
Luckily, as Far From Home proves, the kids are more than all right. They’re better than us.
This article originally appeared on Fatherly. Follow @FatherlyHQ on Twitter.
BILOXI, Miss. — The airmen of Keesler Air Force Base were treated to a special screening of the upcoming film ‘Deepwater Horizon,’ as well as a visit from stars Kate Hudson, Kurt Russell and director Pete Berg (‘Lone Survivor’).
“Deepwater Horizon” tells the story of an explosion and oil spill on an offshore oil rig of the same name. The 2010 incident in the Gulf of Mexico was one of the world’s largest man-made disasters. Berg’s film honors the brave men and women whose heroism would save many on board. Along with Russell and Hudson, the film stars Mark Wahlberg, John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez, and Dylan O’Brien.
Kurt Russell, Pete Berg, and Kate Hudson with assembled airmen at Keesler Air Force Base. | Photo courtesy of Lionsgate
In addition introducing the screening, Hudson, Russell, and Berg spent time touring the base, meeting troops and their families along top ranking military officials and got an up close view WC-130J aircraft.
Kurt Russell, Pete Berg, and Kate Hudson pose with assembled airmen in front of a WC-130J aircraft. | Photo courtesy of Lionsgate
Kurt Russell meets an airman at Keesler Air Force Base. | Photo courtesy of Lionsgate
Kate Hudson meets an airman at Keesler Air Force Base. | Photo courtesy of Lionsgate
‘Deepwater Horizon’ opens nationwide September 30. Watch the trailer below.
Two F/A-18 Super Hornets tore past an air traffic control tower at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada June 2109 during filming for the “Top Gun: Maverick,” a sequel to the classic 1980s fighter jet flick.
Kyle Fleming, who captured the spectacular flyby on video, told The Aviationist that it was necessary to recreate the iconic “buzz the tower” scene from the first “Top Gun” film.
Here’s the scene from the 1986 film starring Tom Cruise, who will reappear in the sequel.
A public affairs spokesman for NAS Fallon confirmed to Business Insider that Paramount Pictures was out at the air base from June 10 through June 28, 2019, filming air operations using both in-jet and external cameras.
The spokesman explained that while he say what they were doing, he couldn’t detail how the footage would be used in the film. Paramount Pictures media relations division could not be reached for comment.
Production of the new film started in 2018.
The sequel scheduled for release summer 2020 will see Cruise again play the role of hotshot pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, now a Navy captain who is expected to be mentoring a new class of pilots, including the son of his deceased naval flight officer Lt. j.g. Nick “Goose” Bradshaw.
This article originally appeared on Business Insider. Follow @BusinessInsider on Twitter.
Being clean shaven every day in the military is an absolute must — unless you’re a special forces operator and are allowed to grow out a manly beard. Every morning, men (and some women) wake up during with a 5 o’clock shadow that is required to disappear before morning muster.
But the day you signed your DD-214 and no longer fall under the rules and regulations of shaving, it’s time to grow out that impressive separation beard — just because you can.
Not every beard is right for the individual. With several types of styles to choose from, it’s necessary to grow one that fits your specific personality. Don’t worry, we’re here to help you pick one out that fits your unique look.
Not to be mistaken for the “Homeless Man,” this style says “I work my ass for a living, but it’s usually somewhere outside in the cold.” It’s popular for keeping your face warm and catching food crumbs.
You may take his life, but you’ll never take his separation beard!
2. The Chuck Norris
One of our favorites, this traditional style relays to the world that not only can you be rugged, but you take enough time to trim up. This typically looks good enough to step into the boardroom for a presentation, then head right out to the gun range.
Chuck Norris doesn’t shave — he orders his beard to stop growing.
3. The “I’m not too worried about it”
This unique look informs the world you’re just chilling, you’re in no hurry, and whatever happens, happens.
Named after the talent actor-comedian Zack Galifianakis, this ensures your fellow man that you’re a hard worker, but you know how to crack a good joke and don’t take life too seriously.
5. The Fuzz
Not everyone can grow a full separation beard — some of us grow them in thin-to-thick patches.
This doesn’t inform the world you have low testosterone (the male’s dominant hormone) because it isn’t a facial hair growth factor — dihydrotestosterone is the chemical that promotes thick beard growth and unfortunately is linked to hair loss. Bummer!
We still respect your commitment.
You get points for trying.
6. The Shaggy
A fashionable look for those who received their separation paperwork and ran straight to the bar, leaving their razor or clipper behind in the barracks.
Writers Gil Kenan and Jason Reitman have made a very, very smart decision.
By the looks of things, they’re giving the belovéd Ghostbusters universe a complete makeover by honing in on supernatural mystery while still maintaining the comedic levity of the original film. After the underwhelming 2016 reboot (ahhhh there was so much potential there and yet…so much disappointment), it looks like Juno’s Reitman (who will also direct) just might strike the perfect chord for this franchise.
Hop in your Ectomobile (because the kids in this film sure do) and let’s go for a ride:
Opening on a sleepy rural town plagued by unexplainable earthquakes, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a true sequel to the original films, including references to the supernatural activity of the 80s.
Single mother Carrie Coon (who is fantastic in everything she does — did you see Gone Girl? Why isn’t everyone talking about her at every moment?) and her kids (Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard and The Haunting of Hill House’s Mckenna Grace, who is also a killer talent) inherit a family farmhouse that’s definitely definitely haunted.
With the help of Paul Rudd, they learn that they are descended from an OG Ghostbuster, which explains the ghost traps and Ectomobile on the property.
I’d watch him do anything. Honestly, anything. He’s perfect.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Sony Pictures
The trailer hints at a great Stranger Things-like vibe, which is very sexy right now, mixed with just the right amount of nostalgia and humor. And if that’s not enough to tingle your Twinkie then I’ll remind you that the film is rumored to include cameos from Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife will open in theaters July 2020.
Hollywood has the ability to spark every veteran’s imagination and when the big screen explores what future militaries may become, it’s enough to make even the most content retiree dream of taking the oath all over again.
Let’s explore the fantastic armies any veteran would love to be a part of.
Now, they aren’t human, but they are badass. A Spartan-esque class of alien warriors whose greatest pride is their fighting lineage.
As for leadership, well, if the captain of any Klingon vessel is seen as too weak or unable to perform, it’s the first officer’s duty to kill him and take his place.
4. United Defense Force – The Edge of Tomorrow
It’s not the leadership, tactics, or the personnel’s esprit de corps that makes this future army enviable, it’s the standard-issue armaments that make us wargasm.
Mech-warriors. They issue you the tech to become a f*cking mech-warrior.
3. The Resistance – Terminator 2
They were all that was left of humanity after Skynet nuked the planet, leaving only the hardest humans to band together under the game-changing leadership of John Connor.
2. The U.S. Colonial Marine Corps – Aliens
If you haven’t dreamed of being a part of this platoon of barrel-chested, xenomorph-eradicating, smoke-breathing badasses, then you either haven’t seen Aliens or you are wrong.
The source material for this sci-fi classic is on the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ reading list for Valhalla’s sake. Everyone fights and no one quits in this testament to warrior virtue.
To quote the son of President Gerald Ford (who plays a character in the movie),
“We are going in with the first wave! Just means more bugs for us to kill. You smash the entire area. You kill anything that has more than two legs, you get me?!”
