Excelsior!
Last Week in Pop Culture 008, 1st week of November 2018
I really can't be punctual for this. Better late than never, right? I'll try again next week ...
As always, please do download my podcast for an auditory companion to this recap (83.4 MB). This goes one for over an hour and a half with the abundance of topic I cover. The rundown and timestamp can be found here.
Bare in mind that the podcast has some delineation since I based it on my blog rather than this particular entry, but rest assured that I cover most of the topics included here. Here's my accumulated news list for last week.
Just like Roy Wood Jr. always said, this "is for the culture."
"The painting possibly depicts a species of wild cattle known as a banteng. The new dates suggest figurative rock art depicting the natural world evolved in different parts of the world at roughly the same time.
"We know that modern humans arrived [around 40,000 years ago] in Europe, but they were in South-East Asia at least 20,000 years before that and also Australia," Dr Maxime Aubert said.
The caves are known to contain thousands of images of animals such as banteng and the extinct tapir, as well as hand stencils and symbols.
The team used techniques that detect uranium and thorium levels to gauge when layers of calcium carbonate were deposited under and over paintings, to give them maximum and minimum dates."
Please do read the article for the full breakdown, with additional coverage of the hand stencils and human figures.
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03. Animated (+Deadpool) roundup:
Once Upon a Deadpool, Paddington 3, Shrek reboot & Super Mario Bros.
- Once Upon a Deadpool [December 16th] -
Where or not it is an obligation to the studio to provide PG-13 Deadpool film or a backdoor effort to try to bring him into the current MCU after the completion of the merger, I am just glad that they are doing it in parts for charity, with $1 dollar of every ticket sold to be donated to the F*ck (temporarily changed to Fudge) Cancer charity. The the Princess Bride framing device with Fred Savage is quite ingenious really, keeping in theme with the Holidays theme as well as allowing him to censor himself throughout the film.
- Paddington 3 -
I was afraid to watch the original since the trailer made it up to be all about a bumbling idiot that cause crazy antics by being the fish out of water but I was proven to be incorrect as the first is full of heart and wonder, with the followup doing what other sequels seldom can, being better than the predecessor. While they have plans on how to continue the story, I hesitate a bit when I learn Paul King will maybe not return to finish up the trilogy. I hope he will though since he is the one who is steering this project in the right direction in the first place.
- Shrek reboot -
Well, it's only a matter of time. The last Shrek film (Forever After) is eight years ago while the last in-universe film (Puss in Boots) is released in 2011 and although it has maintain its popularity by being used in the online pop culture lexicons, you will understand if they view it having diminish in value since its heyday. With Illumination overseeing it after NBCUniversal purchased DreamWorks Animation two years ago, now we have the brain behind Despicable Me and Minions, Chris Meledandri, tasked to revive this universe back up again, possibly with a soft reboot with the original cast possibly returning while setting up new characters and directions to go in future iterations ... or at least that's what I have so.
- Super Mario Bros. CGI film is a collaboration between Nintendo x Illumination -
Shigeru Miyamoto will oversee this ambitious project closely as opposed to their first live action attempt back in 1993 that shouldn't have been mentioned in the first place, but as George Santayana said, "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." As I've mentioned in my podcast, I am hoping they will learn from how they approach to adapt Castlevania for the Netflix animated series: cherry pick character and elements from the game's decades-long run and apply them in a new cohesive separated storyline that can stand on its own, paying homage to its origins while reinventing where they see fit.
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04. Arctic by Joe Penna starring Mads Mikkelsen [01st February, 2019]
While I am always up for any film starring the enigmatic Danish actor, I want to highlight another up-and-coming director that originated from Youtube in Joe Penna, with this upcoming film making waves in the film circuit and Cannes specifically. Just like how Bo Burnham excel in his directorial debut with Eighth Grade, I am glad to see how talents able to fulfill their dream and live up to their potential by successfully taking the first step into the filmmaking industry. With his followup being Stowaway starring Anna Kendrick, a trip to Mars with a stowaway being the main variable, I am looking forward to see where his career will go next.
06. Google walkout
It happened a couple of week ago if I'm not mistaken but since Google hasn't agree to all of the demands of the organizers, it is still poignant to highlight this still unresolved issue. You can read through the history behind the movement from the article but the most recent issues of the company not properly punish the higher-ups who abused their powers to sexually harass the employees (some are even getting payouts and promoted!) and the still widespread discrimination of the opposite sex and other minorities just give these people more fuel to stand up together and let their voices heard. And I applaud them for that.
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07. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 13 finale's dance sequence
Even if you are not a regular viewer of the series, you should watch this scene purely out of respect for the impeccable camerawork and the choreography of the modern/contemporary dance itself ...
08. Missing Link, LAIKA's next feature! [April 12th, 2019]
I am always behind the studio's relentless effort to put the art of stopmotion at the forefront and while the decision to lean on the more on the humour (as the trailer suggested) might be divisive to some especially the die-hard fans, I for once welcome the change of tactics since their track record is filled with movies with admittedly more serious tones compared to other conventional animated films. What do you think of the trailer and do you think this will be more successful compared to their previous works? With the new approach being coupled with their recent deals to make merchandises off of their movies, I do believe they will succeed.
09. list of bestselling games for each 90s gaming console by Mat Piscatella
Here's my combined version of the images for easier reading:
Just like how I mentioned in the podcast, I bought two of the consoles listed here and play quite conventional games on them. Let me know which console you did bought before and what was your most played game on aforementioned console? Did any of the games make the list?
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11. Superman and Lois Lane's first official look of the upcoming CW's Flarrowverse crossover
I'm just excited to see how the crossover will be, as Ruby Rose's Batwoman will be introduced alongside Elizabeth Tulloch's Lois Lane opposite Tyler Hoechlin's Superman. I'm hoping they will get their spinoffs shows respectively eventually ...
12. the Haunting of Hill House's episode six breakdown
As much buzz as you've heard of the series (and I've heard a lot of positive stuff), I think this series is excellent and works as an effective psychological family drama more than straight up horror series. If you are interested to watch it but a bit hesitant, just tune in for this episode six a perfect representation of the show, with five uncut long shots that plays into the theme perfectly.
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<x>. obituary: Stan Lee, December 28, 1922 - November 11th, 2018. Excelsior!
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<x>. World War One one hundred Armistice anniversary
Let's have a moment of silence to pay respect to the almost forty millions lives lost in the wake of the Great War ...
If you are interested to learn more, I will list a number of sites you can visit to educate yourself:.
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~Fin~
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