Yesterday

Yesterday is a feel-good summer movie with a non-traditional leading man, an intriguing idea, and a terrific soundtrack. The film has everything it needs to succeed, but, despite being thoroughly entertaining for much of its running time, never reaches the heights it should given what it has to work with. Even enjoying Yesterday for what it is, it's hard not to be at least a bit disappointed for what it might have been.

The set-up is simple. A struggling musician (Himesh Patel) wakes up to a world where only he remembers the Beatles. Remembering enough of their music to pass off some of their hits as his own, he finds fame and popularity for the first time while feeling the weight of his lie and the the ever-increasing pressure to continue to produce more and more of the band's hits. Although it does corner our protagonist into only one likely outcome, leaving little room for surprises (other than one small twist involving the recurring appearance of a pair of ominous characters), when director Danny Boyle's film stays focused on Jack Malik's (Patel) musical rise to stardom (and the humorous moments involved, such as trying to remember the lyrics to "Elanor Rigby") the movie is everything you want for light summer viewing.

Wondercon 2019 Cosplay Music Video (Part 6)

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Beast of Vargu

The latest one-shot takes Hellboy to 1962 Romania where a series of sightings over the years, along with some recent disappearances, seem to point to some truth behind the legends of a monster tied to the Castle Vargu in the Carpathian Mountains. Any doubts Hellboy had to the legends are soon put to rest by the thorough butt-kicking he receives at the hands of the creature who is in fact devil-worshiper Costache Szilagy who returns from the pit every few years to murder and send more souls to Hell.

Legion - Chapter 20

Legion opens its Third Season not with David (Dan Stevens) but with the introduction of a time traveler who we will come to know as Switch (Lauren Tsai). Going even more psychedelic and strange in the first 20 minutes, "Chapter 20" oddly becomes more linear once its storyline becomes less so as Switch travels back in time to save David's life and the singular point-of-view splits from her to several other characters. Most of the first-half of the episode involves Switch following clues which lead to a hippie commune and an eventual meeting with David, a man she never completely trusts. The sudden attack by Division 3 on David's compound not only leads to Switch traveling back in time in an attempt to save his life but also forces her to chose a side in a war that, until now, she didn't even know existed.

Usagi Yojimbo #1

After several years at Dark Horse Comics, Usagi Yojimbo finds a new home at IDW. Usagi Yojimbo #1 opens with the warrior Sasuké killing the demons of Mount Funai and being sent by the ghostly Lord Shoki to Kuroyama Mura where Miyamoto Usagi is enjoying a stage performance with similar themes. Usagi is in awe of the Bunraku puppeteers and their prowess, but as the final page foreshadows there is much more going on than meets the eye.

Disney Card Trader - Awesome Pack 5

Also check out Pack 1, Pack 2, Pack 3, and Pack 4.

Scooby-Doo! Team-Up #48

Mystery, Inc. heads to Central City to help investigate an appearance of the ghost of a super-villain who recently returned. However, Scooby-Doo and the gang weren't called in by the Flash (who apparently is off-world with the Justice League) but instead by his most notorious foes - The Rogues.

16 Bit Scenes - Avengers Endgame Final Battle

Toy Story 4

At some point Disney and Pixar may go too far with the Toy Story franchise and jump the proverbial shark which always seems to be lurking just around the corner of the next sequel. Thankfully, that day is not today. Despite the fitting conclusion Toy Story 3 offered to the franchise in having the toys find new life with a new owner, Toy Story 4 comes up with a new story that (while not as emotional as either the second or third entries into the franchise) provides an abundance of quirky and zany humor reminiscent of the original Toy Story.

Team USA v. Team UK - Dodgeball (The Late Late Show)

Thursday with Vanellope von Schweetz

You can follow Littlejem on Instagram and support her on Patreon.

Red Sonja: Birth of the She-Devil #1

Although still well known for her exploits, the version of Red Sonja we see in Red Sonja: Birth of the She-Devil #1 isn't quite yet the legend she will become. The story reunites Sonja with Ozzyus in the search for her friend, and Ozzyus' other pupil, Shashana. Also looming just over the horizon is the demon conqueror Raka as the next challenge in Sonja's path.

This is Comicpalooza 2019 Cosplay Music Video

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan - Black 22

While the episode does continue the storyline in Paris following the bombing and Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) and Greer (Wendell Pierce) continuing to pursue Ali (Haaz Sleiman) across the city, the focus of the show's third episode shifts away from its title character for much of the storyline. "Black 22" offers a long look at Ari spending time with an old friend who offers him temporary refuge and patches up his wounds while also struggling with Suleiman's (Ali Suliman) orders to leave no witnesses behind. While Ali's soul may still be saved, according to the Cold War logic of Tom Clancy adapted to the series, any attempt to portray Suleiman as a nuanced character is abandoned in this episode as it firmly entrenches him as the villain both overseas and in his own home.

Silver Surfer: Black #1

The first issue of Silver Surfer: Black catches up with the missing character after his disappearance in Guardians of the Galaxy #1. In the first few pages of the new mini-series, we see the Silver Surfer save other heroes from the black hole in space before falling into the abyss.

Batman & the Outsiders #2

With Sofia Ramos under the temporary care of Kaliber, Batman sends the Outsiders to reach the girl before the minions of Ra's al Ghul can find her. Even with the timely arrival of the Outsiders as back-up, Kaliber can't keep Ra's acolyte Ishmael from Sofia who, given the chance to run, decides to stand her ground.

DC Bombshells Cosplay Music Video

Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider #9

Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider #9 opens with our hero waking to deal with the fallout of last issue's bombing. While Gwen's quick thinking saved her band, the same can't be said for the bomb's effect on much of the audience. Spending time helping survivors get medical attention only increases Gwen's anger to seek out the person responsible and inflict some justice.

Hanna - City

"City" offers the first major divergences of the series from the source material as Hanna (Esme Creed-Miles) and Erik (Joel Kinnaman) reconnect in Berlin and he brings in his old Army contacts to plan a hit on Marissa (Mireille Enos). Unlike in the film where both Hanna and Erik believe she killed the real Marissa, Hanna recognizes the deception from the show's second episode allowing her father to gather support on a contingency plan to trap their foe. Despite Marissa being able to turn one of Erik's old friends by offering to settle his substantial debts, the episode still concludes with Marissa staring down the barrel of Erik's gun.

Elementary - Red Light, Green Light

"Red Light, Green Light" offers a few twists as Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) and Watson (Lucy Liu) investigate a traffic accident which initially appears to be an act of terrorism, then looks more like a gang attack, but after further investigation proves to be nothing more that the tragic result of some sophisticated corporate espionage. The main story is memorable for Captain Dwyer (Rob Bartlett) getting an upclose look at his consultants accusing a group of federal agents of being responsible for the accident as a way to further their own goals to take down a local gang as well as the return of Castle's Jon Huertas reprising his role as a (now former) member of the gang.

Blood & Treasure - The Brotherhood of Serapis

"The Brotherhood of Serapis" makes quick work of both Danny (Matt Barr) being trapped in the tomb and Lexi (Sofia Pernas) being kidnapped by a secret cult determined to keep the location of Cleopatra's tomb a mystery. As Danny is rescued by Jay Reece (John Larroquette), who has become the series De Ex Machina at this point, and his men, Lexi agrees to work with the Brotherhood who want Farouk (Oded Fehr) dead just as much as she does. A couple white lies later and Danny and Lexi are back in action breaking into the Egyptian government and tracking Farouk who has stolen the recovered antiquities in order to pay for the the search for Cleopatra. None of the recurring characters make an appearance here, although Dr. Ana Castillo (Alicia Coppola) abandons the project in a sequence that is either genuine, and just badly scripted, or means she is continuing the job for Farouk.

Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Adapted from the comic book mini-series, Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brings the Teenage Mutant Turtles to Gotham City on the trail of the Shredder (Andrew Kishino) and the Foot Clan who are on a crime spree which Batman (Troy Baker) has just become aware. The movie offers the obligatory misunderstanding pitting Batman versus the Turtles for a time before realizing they are both on the same side and need to team-up to stop Shredder and his new business partner Ra's al Ghul (Cas Anvar) who plans to use the Ooze to destroy Gotham.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #5

Xander Harris is a vampire. However, their may still be hope for one of the original Scoobies as Giles comes up with a possible way to save their friend's soul before the demon takes over completely. With Xander being turned within the first four issues of the new series we definitely see an even larger break with the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer continuity. At this point writer Jordie Bellaire and artist Dan Mora have me unsure just how this will turn out. While this last-second, available through Anya's magic shop, offers hope, I do wonder just what the creators of the new Buffy have in mind for Xander as the story unfolds.

Colossalcon 2019 Waterpark Cosplay Party (Part 1)

Black Cat #1

Black Cat #1 introduces us to our main character in the middle of a heist by Felicia Hardy which is as much about her skill as a thief as her ability to use that reputation for misdirection in order to snag the big score. The issue ends with the introduction of the Black Fox who trained Felicia's father. A far younger version of the character also appears in the back-up story "The Black Fox in Leaving Miami" which shows the thief's skill and guile in stealing from Dracula.

First Look - Frozen II

We now have our first full-length trailer for the upcoming sequel to 2013's Frozen in which Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad all return to reprise their roles. Frozen II opens in theaters on November 22nd.

Thursday with Kay Kay Rose

You can follow her on Instagram.

Good Omens - Hard Times / Saturday Morning Funtime

Anathema (Adria Arjona) unknowing befriends the very child she is looking for while also exposing the Antichrist to a boatload of conspiracy theories which have unexpected consequences for reality (as a nuclear reactor loses its reactor, the appearance of aliens, the Kraken, Tibetan spies tunneling under England, and Atlantis all suddenly appear). Towards the end of "Saturday Morning Funtime," Adam begins to understand his effect on the world and a burning need to enforce his will on Earth (albeit a far goofier will than Hell had originally intended). "Hard Times" takes a look at the relationship of Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and Crowley (David Tennant) and how it has evolved over the millennia from the Garden of Eden until today. Although almost never able to admit their true feelings for each other, we see both make sacrifices to help the other over the centuries as they have each made Earth, rather than Heaven or Hell, their home.

FanimeCon 2019 Cosplay Highlights

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan - French Connection

After returning home, Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) and Greer (Wendell Pierce) continue to investigate Suleiman (Ali Suliman). Despite being commended on their work, the politics of the CIA create some conflict about who will continue to head the investigation forcing Jack to choose between the boss he's not sure he can trust and his boss' boss (Timothy Hutton) who is more interest in who gets the credit than the actual capture of the the terrorist. Choosing the moral move rather than the offer to jump up the ladder, Jack's latest lead sends the two men to Paris where Ali (Haaz Sleiman) is collecting the money necessary to complete Suleiman's work.

SHAZAM! #6

There's quite a bit happening here as the family is still separated in pairs across the various magical lands. While Billy and Mary are able to break free of King Kid's control, the comic takes an unusual turn as attempting to reunite with the other heroes the pair are returned to the real world where an unexpected surprise awaits.

Star Wars Adventures #22

Set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi, "A Matter of Perception" takes Princess Leia, R2-D2, and C-3PO to the planet Nothoiin where Rebel Intelligence has reported sightings of Stormtroopers and are worried they might discover what the Rebels are up to in that sector.

Wondercon 2019 Cosplay Music Video (Part 5)

Hanna - Friend

The second episode of the series starts not with Hanna (Esme Creed-Miles), and her recent capture, but with the introduction of Sophie (Rhianne Barret) and her family. Following a scene showcasing the family's normal dysfunction hitting the road on vacation, only then does the story circle back to Hanna interrogated at the CIA black site. As in the movie, Marissa (Mireille Enos) makes use of a stand-in (Michelle Duncan) that allows Hanna to believe she has successfully killed the person responsible for her mother's death prior to escaping the facility. The chance meeting between Sophie and Hanna not only allows Hanna to escape the desert (and later Morocco) but also get a glimpse at a more "normal" family and her first taste of friendship.

Elementary - The Price of Admission

Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) and Watson (Lucy Liu) investigate the murder at a shady storage facility technically not part of the United States where all manner of clients store goods they don't wish to to pass through customs. Early investigation points to the victim breaking into various storage lockers and blackmailing his clients over their secrets, which Holmes believes got the man killed. Looking further into the information the blackmailer stumbled upon leads to world stakes involving the fragile peace between Ethiopia and its neighboring country, which have been fighting over a disputed stretch of land for years. The fact that the solution to the problem comes from Holmes' off-screen call with his father, rather than any real detective work is a bit of a letdown (as is the unexplained red herring of the break-in of the coin collector's cases which could hardly have led to strong blackmail material).

Alyson Tabbitha - Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) Cosplay Tutorial

Monday with Jessica Michél Serfaty

Follow her on Instagram.

Blood & Treasure - The Secret of Macho Grande

Danny (Matt Barr) and Lexi (Sofia Pernas) head to Germany in search of the castle where the Nazis hid Cleopatra's sarcophagus during WWII. Although they have found the latest clue before Farouk (Oded Fehr), his men are close behind. "The Secret of Macho Grande" plays up the clues and secret tombs and our intrepid explorer and his ex-girlfriend thief discover hidden code by a a secret society pointing them to yet another location on their treasure hunt. The episode is notable for Lexi coming face-to-face with the man responsible for her father's death and Danny getting trapped in the tomb as the enemy absconds with his ex. Given what we've seen so far, I'm betting neither will be much of an obstacle for too long. Flashbacks bring back James Callis as antiquities dealer Simon Hardwick, suggesting he's more involved in the web of Cleopatra, Farouk, Danny, and Lexi than his initial appearance suggested.

Daredevil #6

Two things have been true for Matt Murdock for most of the character's comic run. First, he is a lawyer (mostly defense attorney, though he has dabbled as a prosecutor). (He was also mayor and the head of the Hand... the less said about both the better). Second, he enjoys putting on red spandex and jumping off of rooftops. Neither of these things is true in the latest incarnation.

Good Omens - The Book

The second episode of Good Omens introduces a few more characters into the fold as it jauntily strolls towards the end of the world. Adria Arjona (Pacific Rim: Uprising, Emerald City) is introduced as Anathama Device, the last decedent of witch Agnes Nutter (Josie Lawrence) who prophesied all that has happened and all that is yet to come. Despite knowing where to look, Anathama doesn't recognize the Antichrist when she runs into Adam and his friends (or an angel and demon when she runs into them later that night). The explanation for the trouble in finding the boy comes from Crowley (David Tennant) who offhandedly remarks on the the spawn of Satan's adaptive camouflage in place to hide his existence until the time is right. We also get a flashback to Agnes as well, and her book of predictions which gives the episode its title and unexpectedly falls into the hands Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) when Crowley runs over Anathama with his car.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix - The Last Stand (Really This Time)

Abandoning any further attempts to reconnect with the original timeline in Bryan Singer's X-Men, Dark Phoenix offers Sony a second chance at the "Dark Phoenix Saga," so thoroughly botched in X-Men: The Last Stand. Set in the early 1990s where the X-Men have gone from outcasts to national heroes, the film centers around Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner as X-Man Jean Grey struggling to deal with new powers after exposure to a cosmic entity that overwhelms her personality and breaks down walls in her mind meant to hide traumatic events.

Zorro: Sacrilege #1

While further issues promise to take the mini-series down another strange occult/demonic storyline, the first issue of Zorro: Sacrilege is more classic Zorro storytelling involving the powerful taking advantage of the poor (some of whom are forced to work in the dangerous mine and others who are given specific commands by those in power). The issue finds Don Diego on the road, traveling to a monastery in Santa Leticia after a personal loss and still keeping up the pretense of the oblivious lazy landowner.

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan - Pilot

In Amazon's Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, John Krasinski becomes the latest actor to step into the shoes of Tom Clancy's most famous character. The show's pilot episode introduces us to CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Krasinski) who follows several overseas bank transfers back to who he believes to be a terrorist on the rise known as Suleiman. The show's first episode takes awhile to get going spending too much time in Ryan's office and featuring the character getting off on the wrong foot with his new boss (Wendell Pierce) who, when Ryan's hunch pays off, decides to take him into the field to help question a pair of suspects who they believe may be tied to the terrorist network.

Angel #1

The first issue of Angel (discounting the zero issue, which was more of a tease about Angel's time before heading to Sunnydale) feels a bit disconnected with the new Buffyverse, making it hard to judge where exactly it fits in the greater scheme of things. Despite the character's first appearance being in the current BOOM! Studios Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic, the storyline here follows a completely different path.

Hanna - Forest

There's a double-edge sword to consider when elongated a two-hour movie into an eight-hour series. On one hand you are able to expand and go into more depth than the original film could ever hope to have done. On the other, events can feel drawn-out longer than necessary by those who remember the pacing of the (far shorter) story. Although I like the idea of Hanna, the Amazon series adapted from the film of the same name, the first episode is mostly uneventful focusing on Hanna's (Esme Creed-Miles) life in the wilderness and one reckless choice which changes her world forever and alerts the outside world to her existence. Pretty much all set-up, "Forest" focuses on glimpses of Hanna's training by her father (Joel Kinnaman) far away from the prying eyes of the world after he and his wife (Joanna Kulig) stole Hanna before fleeing into the woods on a journey only Erik and his daughter would survive.

G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #262

G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #262 isn't a great issue for members of Cobra. Desto and the Baroness' attempt to take out Revanche ends poorly for the pair when they find themselves up against an artificial intelligence that takes control them both. Now, what does it have planned?

The Wild Storm #23

The Wild Storm #23 picks up at the exact moment where the previous issue left off, with the a giant Jenny Mei Sparks made out of electricity swatting down flying saucers. Seriously, do you need to know anything more? Okay, then...

Disney Card Trader - Awesome Pack 4

Also check out Pack 1, Pack 2, and Pack 3.

Elementary - Gutshot

For a show that has included an underlining message about moving forward, the final season of Elementary awkwardly takes two-steps back as Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) and Watson's (Lucy Liu) London adventures are apparently done after a single episode. Returning to New York to investigate the shooting of Captain Gregson (Aidan Quinn), Joan publicly joins Marcus (Jon Michael Hill) in the investigation while Holmes hides in the shadows to avoid apprehension by the FBI. Although the episode begins with the assumption that both detectives would return to London following the apprehension of Gregson's shooter, it appears the pair will be remaining in New York for the foreseeable future. While the move to London threatened a big shake-up for the show it also offered new avenues for both Holmes and Watson in London. That, apparently, is not what the writers had in mind for our characters.

Emerald City Comic Con Cosplay Music Video (Part 2)

Good Omens - In The Beginning

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch is a terrifically amusing novel from Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman about an angel and demon coming together in an attempt to save the Earth from Armageddon. Adapted as a six-part Amazon series, the first episode introduces us to both the angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and the demon Crowley (David Tennant) who have grown quite comfortable on Earth sine being stationed there before Eve plucked the apple from the tree in the Garden of Eden. Having formed an unlikely friendship in their shared exile, neither is all that keen on the coming of the Antichrist and the end of the world. After a brief set-up, including the pair's first meeting, "In The Beginning" jumps forward eleven years prior to present day when Crowley is tapped to deliver the baby Antichrist into the arms of the human couple who will unknowingly raise it to destroy the world. As latch-ditch plans go, this one isn't so bad... but then fate steps in.

Wondercon 2019 Cosplay Music Video (Part 3)