Month: October 2021

The first image of the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts designs for the G-1 Autobots and Decepticons has been revealed. The Transformers live-action films, adapted from the cartoon and toy line of the same name, began in 2007 with the Michael Bay Transformers starring Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox. Rise of the Beasts, which is currently filming, is the seventh film in the franchise, including the successful 2018 spin-off film Bumblebee. The film was written by Darnell Metayer and Josh Peters and is directed by Steven Caple Jr., who previously helmed Creed II.

The film is based on Transformers: Beast Wars, the cartoon series from the ’90s. It’s a prequel that will introduce several new characters to the live-action universe, including Rhinox and the “beast mode” Optimus Primal, a captain of the Maximals. Other beloved characters like Bumblebee and Optimus Prime will also be appearing. Rise of the Beasts will also explore how Optimus Prime became devoted to protecting humanity.

On his Instagram, Steven Caple Jr. posted a first-look image of the designs for the first-generation Transformers. The first image displays the Autobots, decked out in pastels with retro designs, looking not dissimilar to vehicles James Bond would have driven back in the day. The second image shows the Decepticons looking menacing with more muted, militaristic colors. Indeed, one design looks almost exactly like the evil truck in Steven Spielberg’s Duel. Check out the images below:

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is set about seven years after the events of Bumblebee and follows two archaeologists who get mixed up in a war between the Maximals, the Predacons, and the Terrorcons. It’s set in Brooklyn and parts of Peru, including Machu Picchu, as revealed in the Instagram post. The film will star Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Vélez, Tobe Nwigwe, and Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime and Ron Perlman as Optimus Primal. Transformers 7 will storm theaters on June 24, 2022.

This new glimpse at the Autobots and Decepticons continues the trend of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts pushing for more accurate interpretations of the original Transformers from the animated series. Caple focuses on brighter, poppier colors and sleek designs over the complicated CGI-laden work the Michael Bay films were known for. This is also in line with the style of Bumblebee, the more stripped-down tale that Rise of the Beasts directly follows on the Transformers timeline.

Source: Tech Crunch

Padma Lakshmi and Gail Simmons, host and judge of Bravo’s Top Chef, took to the streets of Houston on a rainy Saturday as part of a mass nationwide women’s march in protest of Texas’ restrictive abortion law. Top Chef season 19 is currently filming in Houston, their second time in the Lone Star State in more than a decade, formerly filming in Austin, Dallas and San Antonio. The new season will feature a panel of all-star judges made up of former Top Chef contestants, and Padma and Gail will be joined by judge and chef Tom Colicchio.

The abortion law by the State of Texas has been a controversial topic that has sparked the attention of celebrities and even the federal government. Senate Bill 8 (SB 8), as it is formerly known, outlaws abortions after six weeks of pregnancy with no further leniencies in instances of rape or incest. Some shows have decided not to film in Texas, including an upcoming show from the creator of The Wire. As of September 9, the Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas to prevent them from enforcing Senate Bill 8, claiming it violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

The Women’s March was held in major cities on Saturday, including Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Houston, where Top Chef’s Padma and Gail led a large group of women shouting, “Our body, our choice!” in the march to City Hall. The duo took a break from filming to be a part of the protest, where they not only participated in the march but also spoke to a large audience. As reported by Houston’s local news outlet, CHRON, Padma recalled her own personal experiences where her mother had to have an abortion at Planned Parenthood after sustaining severe injuries from a car accident. “At that time, not only could my parents not afford another child, but her body could not physically sustain another pregnancy,” she said. “It’s out of love for me that they made the difficult decision to do what was right for our family and it’s out of love for my mother and all families that I stand here today, ready to fight.” Padma also revealed that she was raped when she was 16 years old. “My only saving grace was that I didn’t become pregnant,” she said. “I know how sexual violence can make people feel powerless, and this bill is a knife in the heart to those very same people.”

Gail shared that she had mixed feelings about filming the upcoming season of Top Chef in Houston due not only to the passing of SB 8 but also Texas’ voting rights restrictions. However, she told the crowd that the people of Houston’s stance on the bill contradicted that of the state’s, and it was important to recognize that. “I know that Houston is a deeply diverse and vibrant place,” said Gail. “I know that my beloved restaurant industry, let alone the women of Houston and all of Texas, need our support now more than ever and that personally choosing to back out of coming here would only serve to hurt the local people and the local economies that I set out in my career to uplift and stand behind.”

Padma and Gail didn’t come to Houston just to film Top Chef. These strong women used their voices to call upon local and national governments to stop SB 8 and to call out the Governor of Texas. The women were bringing the heat to the Women’s March and calling on the state officials to pack their knives and go.

Source: CHRON

Source: Tech Crunch

The House of the Dragon trailer reveals that it is fixing Game of Thrones’ Iron Throne mistake. The trailer shows a number of brief clips from the greatly-anticipated prequel series by HBO, one of which is a shot of the iconic metal seat — but looking quite different to the version audiences saw in the original show. The new throne is much wider, splaying out across the steps leading up to it, with sword points jutting out from the molten metal like the teeth of a dragon. Even the central chair is larger, more jagged, and far more imposing.

The Iron Throne is the central seat of power in Game of Thrones’ Westeros. Created for Aegon Targaryen after conquering the six kingdoms, the metal throne is said to be forged with dragon fire from the thousand swords of his enemies. The books by George R. R. Martin describe the chair as being huge and unsightly with steep metal steps leading up to the seat that was so dangerous, rulers couldn’t lean back against the sharp blades. The throne in HBO’s Game of Thrones, however, is much smaller than described, a hunk of molten steel sitting atop a short stone pedestal, as many sword hilts as blades decorating the backrest.

The Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon is making an Iron Throne that is much truer to the books than the original show’s version. Not only is the new throne more accurate to the source material, but it does a better job of serving as the intimidating symbol that it’s supposed to represent. It’s still not quite the monstrous structure described in the books, but it comes a lot closer than the comparatively casual-looking chair in HBO’s Game of Thrones.

The Iron Throne is not merely a seat of power, but a symbol of the conquest it took to establish the Targaryen dynasty. The melted swords surrendered or taken from Aegon’s foes serve as a reminder to all the members of the great houses of what happens to those who oppose the aptly named House of the Dragon. It also holds a message from Aegon to the Targaryen rulers to come, a deliberately sharp and dangerous chair to remind them that conquerors can never rest easy. The Game of Thrones version looks hard and severe but not very intimidating, and although its lack of comfort is mentioned on multiple occasions, numerous characters can be seen lounging nonchalantly in it. The House of the Dragon throne, however, looks genuinely dangerous, posing a serious threat to any who approach it — much less dare to sit upon it.

Although the Iron Throne in House of the Dragon is a lot more similar to the version in the books, it still is not quite the grotesque structure described in the source material. The pedestal is supposed to be steep and tall, allowing the rule to tower over the rest of the court. The danger of the chair still seems less extreme than the Iron Throne of the Game of Thrones books as well. The source material almost personifies the throne, recalling the countless rulers and members of the council it has cut. It’s even rumored that a Targaryen king who was found dead on the seat had been murdered by the throne itself. While the version in the trailer is a vast improvement on the original show, the new Iron Throne still lacks the proper size and a certain sinister aspect.

There are reasons that Game of Thrones provides a somewhat lackluster seat: it may have been a deliberate creative decision to showcase the decline of House Targaryen, or the initial production budget just didn’t room for a towering metal monolith. It also could have been a safety concern for the actors. Either way, the prequel series takes place during the prime years of the Targaryen dynasty, and it deserves the symbol of power and conquest that the books describe. Although it’s imperfect, the Iron Throne in the House of the Dragon trailer is certainly a massive improvement on that of Game of Thrones.

Source: Tech Crunch

With all the anarchy in the Gallagher household, it can be difficult to keep track of how old the characters in Shameless are from the beginning to the end of the show. When the comedy-drama series debuted on Showtime in 2011, all of the Gallagher kids (except for Fiona) were still minors. By the time the series wrapped up with the season 11 finale in the spring of 2021, all except Liam are adults with jobs and – in some cases – kids of their own.

Monica Gallagher had six children altogether before walking out on the family and leaving Fiona to take on the brunt of the parenting (even more so than she already had). In a rant in season 1, Frank helpfully spells out the age differences between the kids, saying that Monica left when Fiona was 14, Lip was 11, Ian was 10, Debbie was seven, Carl was five, and Liam was four months old. Of course, this being Frank, there’s probably some room for error in his calculation of the kids’ ages. Other clues in the show indicate that Fiona is actually around five years older than Lip, not three.

The Shameless timeline is notoriously riddled with continuity issues, which often makes it difficult to keep track of how much time passes between seasons and how old the various characters are. In an interview with EW, creator John Wells joked that the show is written on “Shameless time,” with some characters’ storylines taking place over a few days while others take place over several weeks. However, thanks to mentions of their age in dialogue it’s possible to pin down their ages when the story begins, and how old they are when things wrap up in the Shameless season 11 finale.

In Shameless season 1, Fiona is 21 years old, Lip is 16, Ian is 15, Debbie is 11, Carl is nine, and Liam is around 18 months old. Debbie’s daughter Franny, who was born when Debbie was 15, celebrates her fifth birthday in Shameless season 11, at which point Liam is about 11 years old. Putting these details together, it appears that around nine years pass between the start of Shameless season 1 and the end of season 11. By the time of the series finale, Fiona is 30, Lip is 25, Ian is 24, Debbie is 20, Carl is 18, and Liam is 11 years old. It should be noted that all of these ages are approximate, and could vary by a year or so. This is due to the show not only operating on its own time, but Shameless’ status as a TV series means that the number of seasons doesn’t always equate to the number of years that have passed since its debut. And because of the occasional continuity issues, it wasn’t always clear how old the characters were at certain points. However, there were enough clues and information given so that the ages were clearer by the end of Shameless’ run.

By the end of Shameless season 11 the Gallagher family got even bigger. Mickey Milkovich is around the same age as Lip Gallagher, which would make him around 25 years old when the story ends. As mentioned above, Debbie’s daughter Franny is five years old, having been born on the Gallaghers’ kitchen table in season 6. Lip’s son, Freddie, was born in the first episode of season 10 and therefore must be at least a year old by the series finale, since Ian and Mickey are celebrating the one-year anniversary of their wedding from the end of season 10. Fred is probably about the same age in the finale as Liam was at the start of Shameless season 1. That essentially brings the Gallagher household full circle with regards to their ages, as another generation is born.

Moving next door, Kevin and Veronica’s ages are never explicitly given at any point in the series, but they appear to be in their mid-to-late 20s in Shameless season 1. That puts them in their mid-to-late 30s by the time they pack up and get ready to move to Louisville in Shameless season 11. Their twin daughters, Amy and Jemma, were born in the season 4 finale, and Franny was conceived just a few episodes later, which means that Kevin and Veronica’s twins are about 6 years old by the end of the series.

Source: Tech Crunch

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for No Time To Die

The No Time To Die signal the end of Daniel Craig’s time as James Bond for one final adventure. The movie is the 25^th official James Bond film and the 5^th movie for Craig’s interpretation of the character over a 15 year period. Like every Bond movie to date, the new film features an elaborate and highly stylized opening sequence that foreshadows much of what’s to follow. Just as with all its predecessors, No Time To Die’s credits have a lot to unpack.

Dating back to Bond’s cinematic debut in 1962’s Dr. No (where there was a flurry of multi-colored dots flashing on the screen while the Bond theme played), the opening credits set the tone for the film. They are just as important fixtures for the James Bond franchise as the Gunbarrel or the title song that plays over them. Designer Maurice Binder was responsible for title sequences for 16 of the first 17 Bond films before Daniel Kleinman took over for Goldeneye onwards (with the exception of Quantum of Solace). Unsurprisingly, No Time To Die carries on the tradition.

Kleinman returns for his 8^th James Bond opening credits title sequence with No Time To Die, once again stylishly designing the sequence to convey the mindset of Bond, as well as the plot of the film. The key themes displayed are betrayal, and time, with numerous images of hourglasses and clocks throughout. The film itself takes inspiration from fan-favorite On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, including the song “We Have All the Time in the World”, referring to Bond and Madeleine spending the rest of their lives together. Bond utters the phase at the start of No Time To Die before a heart-wrenching call back to it in the finale. The hourglasses represent all the time in the world, but when they are broken so is Bond’s heart thinking (wrongly) that Madeleine has betrayed him.

Images of Vesper Lynd from Casino Royale are included alongside Madeleine, in order to tie her in with Vesper in the audience’s mind as both deceiving James Bond. Madeleine’s secret however is vastly different than the one Vesper kept from him. Throughout the opening credits the lyrics in Billie Eilish’s title song “No Time To Die” echo the theme of betrayal. Furthermore, Bond’s Aston Martin sinking is representative of him leaving behind his former life. The famous gadget-laden car is instantly recognizable and iconic as anything in the pantheon of Bond. To have it sink into the depths is powerful imagery that Bond has given up his days of saving the world for Queen and country.

Another feature of the opening credits is the DNA sequences using guns and bullet trails to mimic the double-helix structure. It’s impressive imagery and offers a hint at the importance of DNA in the film. The villain Safin uses a stolen nanobot bioweapon that spreads like a virus upon touch, and are coded to specific DNA strands so that they are only dangerous if programmed to an individual’s genetic code. On a deeper level, it could also represent Bond’s DNA, passed on through his and Madeleine’s daughter (the secret she kept from him).

Along with No Time To Die’s opening pre-title sequence, the opening credits are often mini-works of art in their own right. Kleinman’s in particular are often filled with easter eggs that are impossible to all take in in a single viewing. No Time To Die’s opening credits are no different, with references to Dr. No (the dots return), On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (the hourglasses), and even Thunderball (a diver is seen at one point) sprinkled throughout the expertly crafted sequence.

Source: Tech Crunch

Ever since The Simpsons first aired in 1989 it has stolen the hearts of families around the world, with years of adventures springing from its initial inception. Most new Simpsons storylines exist within the main canon of the television show, or offshoots from creator Matt Groening in some form or fashion such as movies or video games. However, The Simpsons has also inspired a number of fan-produced content, including a new manga-style fighting adventure in the form of a new webcomic that has taken Twitter by storm. 

SPRINGFIGHT! a Simpsons fan comic released by Joe Chouinard is a five-part webcomic posted on Twitter that brings the comedy fans have come to expect from The Simpsons and adds manga-style action. In the beginning, fans are told that Mr. Burns has died and his will states that his immense wealth will be left to the winner of a town-wide fighting tournament. All the regular Simpsons characters and side characters are participating, fighting each other much like characters in a Dragon Ball manga would, all for a chance at a grand fortune. As many familiar faces rise and fall on the panel, one man stands above the rest, and that man is none other than Homer Simpson. 

Homer uses the power of drunken hopelessness to win his way to the top of the tournament, and while that description may seem a bit heavy and sad for a Simpsons comic, that’s because it is and the story doesn’t shy away from that fact. The whole reason Homer is fighting in the tournament is because he and Marge got a divorce, and his family all but hates him. To prove to them he isn’t a loser, Homer has decided to win Burns’ tournament, using beer to numb the pain it takes to win. Homer only realizes his mistake after he faces his final challenger: his own son Bart. Halfway through their epic fight, Homer leaves the ring and forfeits the tournament and Bart takes home the gold, but in the end Homer’s the real winner. His family sees how hard he is trying to get back into their lives and once he vows to give up drinking he is given another chance to be the husband and father they all hoped he would be. 

SPRINGFIGHT! a Simpsons fan comic isn’t the only non-canonical Simpsons adventure that has sprung up in webcomic space. The fan made Those Springfield Kids by Mr. Spike R. Monster takes a similar approach to Simpsons character psychology as SPRINGFIGHT! but with a slight time jump and way less action. Those Springfield Kids explores the early high school life of Bart, Lisa, and the other younger characters present in the original Simpsons. While the series has its comedic moments, it certainly doesn’t hold any punches when tackling the traumatic drama present in the usually fantastical world in which The Simpsons takes place. 

While these Simpsons stories didn’t originate from the original creator Matt Groening and are therefore non-canon, they speak to how powerful The Simpsons is to fans even to this day. The Simpsons is one of the longest-running series on television, and even with the current competition in adult animation like Rick and Morty, Family Guy, and South Park, its characters and stories remain an inspiration to fans to create their own adventures with the characters they grew up with. Simpsons fan comic SPRINGFIGHT! is a manga-style fighting tournament with a deep dive into The Simpsons family dynamic that is a great tribute to the show that started it all.

Source: Joe Chouinard

Source: Tech Crunch

Speculation that 90 Day Fiancé couple Tania Maduro and Syngin Colchester are broken up has been confirmed by Tania in her latest Instagram post. For weeks, Syngin was rumored to have a new girlfriend and was reportedly filming the spin-off 90 Day: The Single Life, though both he and Tania had been cryptic in response to questions about their relationship status. Now, fans have a definitive answer following Tania recently revealing the truth about their marriage.

Fans have had their doubts about the couple since the start of their journey when South African Syngin moved to Connecticut to be with his fiancé Tania. There were many obstacles on Tania and Syngin’s journey to the altar, including Tania stating that her “soul mate” was her ex-boyfriend, not Syngin. Alas, they ultimately tied the knot at the end of 90 Day Fiancé season 7. The couple’s relationship has become increasingly rocky since then. Most recently, Syngin hinted at a breakup with Tania on social media by appearing in photos and videos with another woman.

Related: 90 Day Fiancé: Syngin’s Supposed Girlfriend Addresses Romance Rumors

Earlier on Sunday, Tania teased “more news coming today.” Though some fans thought the 90 Day Fiancé stars’ breakup rumor was mostly false, Tania has confirmed their split on Instagram. “Some rumors are true,” she said. “#SingleLife New Season was announced and yes I am single, [Syngin] is single – we’re all single!! Now don’t go all at once to his DMs ladies or he’ll never be able to sort them all out.” Tania also mentioned that she’d be launching a page on Unfiltrd, which is Stephanie Matto’s NSFW-content subscription platform, in just a few weeks.

Syngin and Tania played coy with their relationship status for weeks, so this is the first definitive answer they’ve given to fans’ questions regarding their marriage. The tone of Tania’s post is surprisingly lighthearted for someone whose relationship just ended, but the 90 Day Fiancé star has always been anything but conventional. Both Tania and Syngin seem to be on good terms, and Tania’s hinting of The Single Life season 2 indicates she and/or Syngin will be part of that cast.

Though the 90 Day Fiancé couple’s marriage is over, Tania and Syngin are in good spirits and seem eager to move on with their lives. Now, the couple is poised to join castmate Stephanie Matto on The Single Life season 2, so both of them have a plan when it comes to finding a new direction in life. The couple hasn’t revealed if there was anything in particular that precipitated the breakup, but it could be as simple as the two of them drifting apart.

Next: 90 Day Fiancé: Signs Syngin & Tania Were Always Going To Break Up

Source: Tania Maduro/Instagram

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In a video centered around the gaming-related inspirations behind the original God of War (2005), creator David Jaffe noted the title was almost a first-person experience. God of War’s Kratos slashed his way onto PlayStation platforms in the PS2 era, introducing players to an anti-hero with a haunted past and an equally harrowing future.

Though the violence and sex-focused mini-games garnered much of the public attention, God of War’s fast-paced hack-and-slash gameplay took the industry by storm in its own right. The action title bore similarities to Capcom’s Devil May Cry (2001), sure, but brought a wholly unique flair to the action-adventure formula, one that many a GoW clone would copy in the proceeding years. Interestingly, had God of War creator David Jaffe stayed true to his initial vision for the project, the franchise’s success may have taken a different turn entirely.

Related: God of War Creator Is Furious People Are Calling Kratos A Misogynist

On his YouTube channel, David Jaffe (via MP1st) uploaded a video highlighting the games that influenced the creation of God of War’s 2005 release. Jaffe stated that God of War’s locked-on third-person camera came courtesy of inspiration from Ico and Devil May Cry. “However… for about three months, I was seriously considering going first-person and the game I was looking at was a Dreamcast game… Maken X,” he said. Despite Maken X’s myriad shortcomings, the developer said it counted among the “few games where I saw melee combat done well in a first-person perspective.”

It would’ve been a cool way to differentiate God of War from other action titles at the time, yet Jaffe didn’t think first-person lent itself well to the “kind of emotion and combat and character building that I was hoping to do.” In hindsight, he doubts the idea would’ve lasted long enough to pitch to Lead Programmer Tim Moss. A DICE conference in Las Vegas where Ico and Devil May Cry were shown sparked Jaffe’s and Moss’ desire to focus on a locked third-person camera for God of War.

Evidently, Jaffe’s change of heart about the camera angle worked in God of War’s favor. Following the brand’s advent in 2005, Sony’s Santa Monica group helmed multiple sequels; meanwhile, Kratos also left his mark with a couple of handheld excursions on PSP.

God of War: Ascension launch in 2013 on PS3, leaving much to be desired in terms of a classic GoW experience. But instead of retreading old ground, the IP returned in 2018 with a brand-new setting, mature Kratos, and a different approach to gameplay. Another new outing, God of War: Ragnarök, should hit PS4 and PS5 sometime in 2022.

Next: God of War Ragnarök Narrative Director Addresses Angrboda Controversy

The original God of War is available to play in the remastered God of War Collection on PS3.

Source: David Jaffe/YouTube via MP1st

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Source: Tech Crunch