In A Fish Called Wanda, the British and American comedy gulf was filled, making it one of the most popular comedies of all time. River Phoenix rose up and cheered after he was defeated by Kevin Kline at the 1989 Academy Awards, as did the critics and the crowd, who were said to have died of laughter. Its impact was so enormous that the four stars who partnered on a follow-up effort couldn't win. Although genetically distinct from its siblings, Fierce Creatures could never be considered an independent entity, and as a result, its qualities were unnoticed.


Among the stars of Fierce Creatures are John Cleese, Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Michael Palin. One of the most common villains in '80s and '90s films is Octopus Inc., a huge evil company that controls the lives of most of the film's key characters. What started as a failing zoo in England is now a flagship attraction for a franchise that includes Rollo Lee (Cleese), the former police officer-turned-director; Vince (Kline), the loathsome manchild heir to Octopus boss Rod McCain (also Kline); and Willa Weston (Curtis), who is assigned to turn the place around. One of the zoo's animal caretakers, Bugsy (Palin), is a vocal opponent of the corporate barbarism he sees around him. Their different outlooks on life are shaped by how much they enjoy (or don't love) their jobs.

Fierce Creatures, like any John Cleese production, presents a scathing critique of some parts of society, this time focusing on commercialism and the overriding importance of profit. It's clear that Rollo has been tasked with turning the zoo around, but instead of meeting his new colleagues one-on-one, the exec makes a formal presentation (with with visual aids) outlining earnings objectives, percentages, and his great plan to do so: ferocious animals. In an attempt to persuade him of the risks that the smaller animals offer, the zoo's keepers resort to amusingly severe tactics in order to convince him otherwise. Everyone wants the zoo to stay open and, if possible, succeed.

Under Vince's leadership, the company's strategies for achieving its objectives deteriorate rapidly. First, like a Formula One driver, the keepers' khaki uniforms are patchworked with brightly colored sponsorship insignia. Later, the uniforms are completely replaced with animal fancy dress, with the ladies donning leotards and headpieces and the males donning pot-bellied penguin suits. Big crude ads cover every square inch of the zoo. Tigers wear Smirnoff Vodka jackets. Bruce Springsteen has sponsored a tortoise. Animated animals are even installed in the cages by Vince. Overall, he simply cares about meeting his father's minimal expectations so that he may inherit a large sum of money and then steal some more. As far as I'm concerned, animal welfare and customer pleasure are secondary considerations.

ferocious beasts jessica curtis is the name of the actress All images are copyrighted by Universal Pictures
Vince's dislikeability and ensuing feud with Rollo are critical to the film's success. He is self-centered, sexist, and self-assured in his sexual skills, all of which contribute to his overall lack of self-confidence. So, when Willa and Rollo's chemistry is clear, he can't bear the thought of being passed over in favor of someone he considers "strange and repulsive". Rollo and Vince have a recurring joke in which Rollo gives the idea that he has wild orgies with female caretakers (and occasionally even the animals) and Vince takes this as a personal assault to his manhood, moaning, "How does he get three girls?!?" Where did the third one go? Otto-like sociopathy and terrific physical delivery are Kline's trademarks in this Otto character, which he effortlessly slips back into. Kline takes on the task of keeping a character this unlikable and amusing, and he succeeds.

The movie hits a snag when it comes to Willa's love aspirations. Both Cleese and Kline flirt with Wanda, but she never quite commits to any of them. Randomly, she'll ramp up the charm when it's appropriate for her to be irritated by the males around her. Then when they genuinely earn her attention, she is aloof with them. An genuine conclusion, in which the two guys momentarily hash out their disagreements, would be a welcome addition to the love triangle. When it is recommended that Vince walk away with the billions of dollars his father left behind and let Rollo to be with Willa, the rivalry dissolves almost instantly. The protagonists, despite their vast differences and contentious connections, join in a shared cause and depart pleased in their own ways in this short conversation.

An entertaining climax to the narrative is provided by the film's denouement, although one that isn't completely plausible. Rod Almighty, Vince's father, arrives to the zoo to dismiss him in person before the cops arrive since he has been stealing money from the zoo. After a freak accident leaves Rod dead and the others scrambling to clean it up, they realize that the police are just minutes away. A highly improbable switcheroo, in which they disguise Vince as his father using cotton wool and flea spray, and he is forced to improvise his way out of difficulty, ensues. His play ends in a staged suicide that would explain away the dead corpse; it’s all quite cunning and hilarious, except for the three uniformed coppers who simply stand about exchanging looks as Vince repeatedly states his plans to end it and locks himself in a tool shed. He says, "Sorry, we didn't realize," when they eventually break in and find the genuine dead corpse. The Naked Gun's several face-palming clips are here.

picture of ferocious animals

All images are copyrighted by Universal Pictures
Of course, the facts of the issue are ignored: wouldn't a little inspection reveal the difference between the wound and the angle of attack?... Would the cops face disciplinary action for failing to intervene in a suicide attempt? An autopsy would be unable to identify these additional injuries given the tumbling, pressing and tugging on Rod's body. Suspension of disbelief is required for this film, in the great tradition of Monty Python's Flying Circus and the like. Even Wanda needed this to some extent: George's violent courtroom outburst, Otto's survival of being steamrolled, and finding parking at Heathrow airport's front door.

Some of the material is childish and fails to connect. It's one of Rod's minor idiosyncrasies that after he stops talking, he burps or farts. Cleese's scripts are known for being high-brow and sophisticated, but this one seems to be a touch too low-brow for the Cleese brand. Similarly, Rollo's uncontrollable need for Willa leads to a slew of Freudian errors that would make any schoolboy scream, most of which are on breasts and nuts. In the face of Vince's antics and the caustic interjections of some of the keepers, notably Palin as Bugsy and Robert Lindsay as Lotterby, they may be forgiven." Palin, who has previously played roles like the Ex-Leper from Life of Brian and the Yorkshire protestant from The Meaning of Life, is the highly informed contrarian who is constantly lurking in the shadows, waiting to burst out and lecture Rollo about his cynical business techniques. When it comes to the Piranhas of the Desert, Lotterby, the cantankerous cockney, is the genius behind the numerous ruses. He even sends out a dire warning about the capacity of meerkats to strip a human cadaver bare.

The zoo's whole cast, in fact, enhances the impact of Rod's ruthless attitude and Vince's selfishness by rounding out the environment of the zoo. As a result, the audience is able to predict their particular responses to various situations. Despite his little stature, Reggie (Ronnie Corbett) is an exuberant sea lion keeper; Pip (Cynthia Cleese) cares for tiny animals and often carries a cuddly creature; and Cub (Bond girl Carey Lowell) quickly succumbs to Rollo's emotional blackmail. Wanda star Maria Aitken is Rollo's overbearing secretary, as seen in her role as Wendy. The leads have a lot of fun playing off of the different staff members, and they're given a lot of wonderful material to work with.

a film about violent monsters Jamie Lee Curtis Photograph All images are copyrighted by Universal Pictures
In the end, a picture, even with John Cleese at the helm, is a collection of many moving parts. Charles Crichton, an Ealing Studios icon who directed masterpieces including The Lavender Hill Mob, directed Wanda. When reshoots were needed, TV director Robert Young couldn't be found, so Fred Schepisi of Roxanne and Mr. Baseball fame stepped in. Fierce Creatures suffers from a lack of coherence and linearity. Even though it's absurd, the denouement, crafted by Schepisi, is the most funny element of the film, and it provides a satisfying climax to an otherwise sluggish narrative.

There's no way A Fish Called Wanda compares to Fierce Creatures. But if you take away everything else that made Wanda great, you're left with just four outstanding comedy performers. As demonstrated by Wanda's 1988 talk show appearances, these two had known each other for a long time. Cleese Curtis Kline & Palin give the script the heart and chemistry it needs, even when the script stumbles. It's not as well-written and directed as Wanda, and it doesn't quite capture the spirit of the time or culture in which it was made, but it does have a home-run feel to it that's full of enthusiasm and good times. Like an old Monty Python film or television special, it's not the best the gang has done, but it's still fun to watch.

The Halloween franchise and Michael Myers are a perfect combination for October. While the Shape was not in 1982's Season of the Witch, he was really there in one form or another Cochran's "Hills ran crimson" speech is intercut with a clip from 1978 horror film Halloween. For the first time, in 1988, the man known as the "Silent Hunter" reappeared in all his stalking, intimidating glory. Myers isn't the only character to get attention because of his 40-year-long history as a horror villain. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), not Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence), has subsequently become the series' most recognizable face.

A heroine has taken center stage even without her: watch out for Kara (Marianne Hagan) and Sara (Sarah Jessica Parker) (Bianca Kajlich). But there are two Final Girls who rise to the occasion of becoming the finest heroines of the series. Danielle Harris plays Jamie Lloyd, and Ellie Cornell portrays her love interests, Jamie Lloyd and Rachel Carruthers in the series. It's a pity they weren't treated better because of their superior status.


After a decade that witnessed the growth and decline of the slasher genre, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) had the difficult task of revitalizing a franchise. After Jamie Lee Curtis' departure from the series, director Dwight Little and writers Alan B. McElroy had to come up with new protagonists. Even Laurie and her female friends can't understand Rachel as an adolescent. Rachel had a lot on her plate before the day went to bad, including dealing with a guy, a cruel girl, and babysitting a foster sister. Until now, Jamie had been the series' youngest protagonist. She's being relentlessly tormented by classmates who don't seem to care that her uncle is a fugitive from justice. Rachel takes her up within seconds of her weeping, demonstrating a forced maturity. The movie truly shines when it comes to the relationship between Rachel and Jamie. As might be expected of any typical adolescent, Rachel begins her time caring for Jamie with resentment.


The next morning, she's transformed into a fierce protector of Jamie's life. In The Return of Michael Myers, a major tension set piece serves as a prime illustration of this technique in action. As they flee the Meeker home, Rachel carries Jamie on her back while attempting to avoid slipping on the slick roof tiles. "You have to be cautious when the leads begin performing stunt stuff," Cornell remarked in an interview. "The free-fall was the one thing they wouldn't let me do. They sent in a stuntwoman equipped with a cord to help them out. Climbing, sliding, and everything of it was done by us." Because everything seemed to be genuine, the experience was enhanced. The tension passages are so intense because of Jamie and Rachel's developing sisterly closeness. Jamie's assault on her foster mother (Rachel's birth mother) also makes the conclusion of the film a sad place to finish the credits.

The following year saw the release of Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers. Everything that was meticulously build up in the previous chapter is now completely ruined. Michael kills Rachel with a pair of scissors before the thirty-minute mark. The murder isn't as gruesome as the initial proposal written down by Ellie Cornell: It was very disrespectful for her character, so I asked them to rework it." They revised it since it wasn't well-considered or respectable. It wasn't until years later that Moustapha Akkad confessed to regretting the death of his co-producer. That was a pretty kind gesture on her part. There was a blowback that he didn't know about."


Jamie's attack on Mrs. Carruthers was an afterthought, since Michael Myers was once again cast as the main antagonist. I read the screenplay and was shocked to see that I'm silent for more than half the film. While speaking with IGN, Harris was reminded of this. "At first, I was perplexed. Suddenly, I can't speak! What am I missing?' Afterwards, I was excited because I'd be able to practice signing. "That's what I came up with." That doesn't make things any easier for Jamie. She has a premonition that Tina (Wendy Kaplan) will die, and she attempts to warn Tina before she too meets her end at the hands of Dr. Loomis. As she enters the Haddonfield police station for the last time, she discovers that someone has saved Michael, leaving the others to die. The poster for The Revenge of Michael Myers showed both Michael and Jamie as a subtle reminder of how important Jamie's role was to the film. In an IGN interview, Harris just discovered this fact. Jamie, like Rachel, will face a similar misfortune in the second installment.

Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers was released in 1995 after a problematic production and several reshoots. There was never much of a shift in the importance placed on Jamie over the course of the novel. Cult of Thorn abduct Jamie, played this time by J. C. Brandy, and force her to give birth to Michael's child as they hold her against her will. When it comes to Jamie's death, it doesn't matter whether you're watching the Theatrical or Producer's Cut; Tommy Doyle and Kara Strode take over. Only Dr. Loomis has been around since the events of Halloween 4 re-started the whole franchise. But the absence of Danielle Harris from the film is striking for a different reason.


Harris didn't decide not to return voluntarily; she was left with no choice but to do so. Only if she became legally emancipated could the producers have permitted her to return. It's what Harris did, and it cost him thousands of dollars. Then she got the script. "I was pleasantly surprised by the writing. I was, after all, carrying Michael's child. Just a year before, I'd starred in Last Boy Scout and had just finished Roseanne, so it was like, "Oh gosh...," for me and my mother. Despite her hesitation, Harris was certain that her role would not be taken over by another actor. My lawyer's fees alone would not have covered half of their offer, so I began haggling." 'You die in the first act,' the Miramax business affairs person stated at the time. Your weekly salary was $1500, and your character is a scale character."

It's possible that Cornell, recalling the events of Halloween 5, would have recommended a different ending for her character: "Like when I struck him with the truck, there's no way he could have survived that, but of course he did because he's Michael Myers...." 'You guys, be cautious.' would have been my advice had I been more experienced and fearless. There is no going back."" Curse failed, but Jamie Lee Curtis returned to salvage the series on its 20th anniversary with H20, and she did it one again in 2018. Despite the fact that Michael Myers will always be a magnet for Halloween audiences, human beings are essential to level the playing field. A "blank, pallid, emotionless visage, with the blackest eyes" describe this murderer. Despite Myers' eerie blankness, he requires an opposing force to counteract it. Ellie Cornell and Danielle Harris were responsible for these duties in 1988. When Laurie Strode first saw Myers, she was a teenager who was completely out of her depth. She battled on her own, and she prevailed. Rachel and Jamie had each other. One of the things that made viewers cheer for them was the fact that they were brothers and sisters. The possibility exists that this will be addressed in a future retcon.

Adapting Roger Corman's 1960 B-movie thriller The Little Shop of Horrors into a musical was the worst idea producer David Geffen had ever heard. That said, he opted to stage Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's Little Shop of Horrors Off-Broadway musical, and it was a wise decision. Geffen agreed to produce the film version after the stage production was a huge hit. Geffen, on the other hand, realized from the start that the musical couldn't be altered completely. Although he informed Ashman and director Frank Oz that the musical's gloomy finale would have to be adjusted for the movie, he allowed them to shoot Ashman's ending regardless of his warning. The film's finale was reshot for a more lighter finish after two disastrous test screenings confirmed Geffen correct. A remake of Ashman is in the works, but may viewers today be prepared for Ashman's conclusion?


As a whole, Little Shop of Horrors has been a long and winding road, particularly when it comes to its eventual destination. When he realized that the studio set where he shot Buckets of Blood had no other projects scheduled after the film's completion, he decided to make his first Little Shop of Horrors. This film, which was produced in only two days and became Hollywood's most famous joke, was conceived by him and screenwriter Charles B. Griffith as a joke about a plant that eats humans. In spite of reports to the contrary, Corman maintains that he was only testing the waters. Black comedy B-movie earned great reviews and went on to have a long run on television, when a young Howard Ashman first saw it.

little-shop-of-horrors-1960Image courtesy of American International Pictures.
Mr. Rosewater, Ashman, and Menken were itching to get their creative juices flowing again after working together on God Bless You. Little Shop of Horrors was shown to Ashman and Menken by Corman and it was clear to them that the narrative had the potential for a musical. The ending of the stage musical differs significantly from the ending of the 1960 film, but the majority of the story beats are the same. Corman's picture concluded with Seymour Krelboined (Jonathan Haze), the protagonist, being apprehended by the police and devoured by his plant "Audrey Jr." Ashman takes that bleak finale and amplifies it for his musical. audience members feared for Seymour Krelborn (Lee Wilkof), Audrey (Ellen Greene), and Mr. Mushnik when Ashman and Menken premiered their piece at WPA Theater (Hy Anzell). In contrast, only Seymour dies in their '60s picture. The plant Audrey II (Ron Taylor) devours all three in the stage musical as it becomes larger and stronger. After that, the plant's cuttings are sold all throughout the country, and it spreads like wildfire. The musical song "Don't Feed the Plants" serves as a reminder to the audience of the story's moral lesson towards the conclusion of the production.

Class conflict and the human condition are key topics in Ashman's work. Commodity fetishism is savagely critiqued at the musical's conclusion. So desperate is Seymour that he puts his values aside and conducts deeds he knows to be immoral, as shown by his frequent and melodious internal battles. Seymour's greed increases and swells until it engulfs him and Audrey, the woman he loves. Audrey II becomes a symbol for this. The tragedy serves as a sobering example of how pursuing material wealth and affluence at the expense of one's core values may lead to disastrous consequences. It's a passionate appeal to the audience, embodied by the plants, not to feed the plants no matter what they promise, that concludes the show. For Ashman, the audience is almost begged not to pursue wealth at the cost of one's community and those closest to one's heart – lest they pay the price.

little-shop-of-horrors-audrey-seymourImage courtesy of Warner Bros.
Little Shop of Horrors' 1986 film adaptation, named Little Shop of Horrors, was written by Ashman, and Oz agreed with Ashman on the significance of keeping this finale. After Seymour (Rick Moranis) fails to rescue Audrey from Audrey II (Levi Stubbs), who kills her in his arms, as in the show, Audrey (Ellen Greene) is fed to the plant. Plants are omnivorous, and Seymour is devoured by one of them when he attempts to destroy it. Little Shop of Horrors is a darker place than ever before, thanks to Ashman and Oz's efforts to amplify the darkness and horror. Seymour muses over taking his own life in the wake of Audrey's passing. A lengthy montage showing enormous Audrey II plants destroying New York City in a raucous rampage was created by effects designers Richard Conway and Bran Ferren to highlight Oz's triumph at the climax of the novel. Both Ashman and Oz believed their epic tragedy was set to sweep the country, despite Geffen's cautions. However, this was before the film's test screenings went abysmal.

The Little Shop of Horrors crew was forced to rework the finale after the test screenings yielded just a 13% recommendation rating. Audrey II is killed by an electrocution thanks to a last-minute intervention by Seymour. This is a new ending that Ashman came up with. Seymour and Audrey embrace the 1950s American ideal that the stage musical lambasts with brilliant tongue-in-cheek humour without a smidge of irony. An uncertain finish with a view of an Audrey II pod in Seymour and Audrey's garden bed is traded for the explicit nature of the original cut's warning. With this gloomy undertone, viewers at that time found it appropriate to combine the story's macabre elements with an otherwise happy ending. Upon its first release, the picture brought in $39 million. This was deemed an underperformance by the studio, but in 1987, the picture was a smashing success on home video. The film was nominated for multiple prizes and received high acclaim from film critic Robert Ebert, who predicted that it would become a cult hit.

Frank Oz recalls the initial test screenings that inspired the reshoots in an interview with Collider in 2017: Each and every number was met with a round of applause." Everything about it was great. Because to the plant killing Ellen and Rick (and so winning), this conclusion did not go well. It's hard to believe it's been that long. The conclusion was not gratifying, which I understand and so did Howard. I believe it might work better now if we had a less cynical time.

little-shop-of-horrorsImage courtesy of Warner Bros.
As the character of Oz refers to, since the year 1986, the American moviegoing public's cultural awareness has grown dramatically. Moviegoers started to see depictions of the terrible realities Americans had to face in the following years. When The Dark Knight was released in 2008 it was praised for its depiction of the dark and gritty side of superheroes, with a villain who acted as an unequivocal terrorist and a fight that rested on the delicate line between chaos and order. Moral ambiguity became common knowledge among Americans in the decade after 9/11, while public support for the United States' role in the Middle East dwindled throughout that time period.

This cynical shift in attitude was extensively reflected in the techniques of Hollywood's greatest films, which were influenced by the American audience's skepticism and sadness. Disastrous movies, hyperreal war scenarios, dismal dystopias and postapocalyptic landscapes abounded in the years after the chaotic news reports from 2000-2010. It has become increasingly usual in American films for a morally ambiguous hero to face repercussions for his deeds. We, as viewers, no longer expect our favorite characters to end up in a perfect situation. When asked by the Guardian, film scholar Jamsheed Akrami said, "These movies are more appealing than ever because we're living in such an anxious moment. For a few hours at a time, most of us appear to seek mental respite by immersing ourselves in gloom and despair. Catharsis may occur as a result of the encounter.

Disasters and violence aren't the only things that have us gripped with fear in this anxious day. The last 40 years have seen enormous developments in society, technology, and politics. Hollywood’s recent trend with films that depict wholesale destruction is likely popular at the box office because they resonate with America’s deep-seated angst in the face of widespread transformation. With a total of five films in the series, it's safe to say that moviegoers are no longer afraid to indulge in fantasies of widespread mayhem and bloodshed.

Cinematic escapism has evolved significantly throughout the years. Our desire for an idealistic picture of a better future has evolved to include a desire to witness the darker aspects of our own life on the big screen. Threats like this are generally overcome by a heroic character who the audience can identify and empathize with. In the past, Hollywood's threats were unique symbols of whatever dread dominated a film's zeitgeist, but now they are all-encompassing. Take the second-highest earning movie of all time, Avengers: Endgame, as an excellent illustration of this. There is no doubt about it, yet the subject matter of the picture illustrates a striking argument about how current consumers enjoy movies. In this film, half of the universe's population is wiped off by an inconceivable calamity, which is only repaired by the death of the franchise's most adored protagonist.

No moviegoers in 2022 are likely to shy away from Ashman's initial conclusion. Honestly, we've seen worse at this point. Warner Bros. has announced a remake of the 1986 classic Little Shop of Horrors, presenting a once-in-a-lifetime chance for filmmakers. Ashman’s original finale may be achieved on the big screen in a huge, operatic epic. Even Frank Oz, with his 23-minute plant rampage, couldn't have imagined how far a Little Shop remake might go with its star power (Taron Egerton, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Billy Porter). It might finally do what Oz and Ashman failed to achieve in their time: convince moviegoers to embrace and implement the emotional message of the stage musical's conclusion. For now, it's unclear whether Warner Bros. will take advantage of this chance, and moviegoers may never see a new version of the picture at all. When it comes to Seymour and Audrey's horrific destiny in the Little Shop remake, we'll be ready for anything it throws at us.

Their most well-known cartoon is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Jazz Age. They were largely responsible for launching the career of Superman as a cinematic star. They were Walt Disney's archrivals in the realm of animation before Pixar and DreamWorks. After being taken over and renamed by its distributor and steadily depleted by its distributor during World War II, Fleischer Studios did meet an unfortunate end. The lack of commercial savvy and animosity between brothers Dave and Max Fleischer trumped all other factors, including talent and some of the best cartoon characters ever created. It was a heartbreaking way to end a magnificent narrative of triumph.


Animation pioneers were the Fleischers. A young Max became a cartoonist at Bray Studios after being inspired by a fortuitous viewing of Winsor McCay's 1914 "Gertie the Dinosaur." As an inventor, he quickly invented the rotoscope, a device for displaying live-action video so that animators could trace the movement. This method, known as "rotoscoping," is known to have a mixed reputation among cartoonists since it may result in rigid and unnatural motion that conflicts with the character's design. However, when it was first developed, it was a major advance. Animation, with the rare exception of "Gertie," was a novelty in a theatrical program, a display of basic humor, rubbery motion, and a careless disregard for physical laws. The rotoscope gave animation a fluidity and authenticity it had never had before.




Max teamed up with his younger brother Dave to demonstrate his newest creation. Dave had his own clown suit for infrequent appearances at Coney Island, and the brothers developed a series of cartoons featuring an animated clown coming out of the page to interact with Max in the cartoons. Koko, the hero of the Out of the Inkwell series, was the perfect mix of risk-taking and wide acclaim. Koko was such a success that the Fleischers were able to keep her when they left Bray Productions to start their own company, initially as Out of the Inkwell Films, and then as Fleischer Studios.



Max and Dave were the sole proprietors of the new studio, but their other siblings helped out in different roles. Max was the official producer and Dave was the official director. In the cartoons, they were attributed as such. Nevertheless, Max maintained a public image of being the studio's hands-on parental head while Dave was forced to participate in business activities as a co-owner. Dave's cartoons would benefit from Max's innovations, so he kept working on them. It's possible to have a ball bounce across the words in a string. Disney and Mickey Mouse are often given credit for introducing sound to animated cartoons with their "Sing-Along" segments, which were popular song parodies (though it must be said the sound system Disney used worked better and more seamlessly integrated with the footage).



Fleischer Studios, on the other hand, was more than just a place for novelty films and TV shows. Because they were the progeny of immigrants who had made New York City their permanent home, the Fleischers' studio thrived and prospered throughout the Great Depression, and their cartoons represented this cultural upheaval. The most well-known of their creations, Betty Boop, was a parody of flappers. Cab Calloway, for example, often appeared in her films, which were often used as promotional platforms for the jazz musician. A series based on the comic strip "Popeye" by E. C. Segar transplanted the character into an urban environment and reveled in humor and brutality when he wasn't on the open seas. Surrealist and Expressionism were echoed in the backgrounds and suppleness of the Fleischers' figures. A free, spontaneous approach to the studio's way of recording speech, which was frequently recorded post-synced to the animation rather than prerecorded allowed for some of the New York attitude to be represented.



Betty Boop cartoons in the 1930s helped bring back this sense of humor. During the era of Hays Code censorship, her sexual exploits were scrutinized for anything "immoral." Betty's film career came to an end before the 1920s were through because of the demise of flapper culture, a double whammy. When it came to getting around Hollywood, Popeye was a hit with audiences and gave an awful vegetable an acclaim it didn't deserve. The Fleischers' answer to Disney's multiplane camera: turntable miniature sets that the animated cast could move through. He starred in three two-reel Technicolor spectaculars adapted from One Thousand and One Nights. For a while, Popeye's cartoons outperformed Mickey Mouse's in terms of popularity and money. These are some of the top cartoons of their period.



However, the Fleischers had more than one advantage against Disney in the battle for animation dominance. Theirs was the more venerable studio, with its headquarters in the heart of the cartooning world. As a child, Walt Disney was inspired to become an animator by Out of the Inkwell's gimmick. It was after the success of Mickey Mouse and the Silly Symphonies that Disney's fame became brighter among industry professionals. From New York to California, artists were drawn to the studio's reputation for high quality and pushing the frontiers of the medium, its sunny setting, and its numerous employment possibilities. At Disney, a number of Fleischer animators defected and developed and mastered if not created almost every technique in the animator's arsenal. His intuition about a three-strip Technicolor exclusive agreement and the potential of a feature-length animation both paid off for Walt.



Because he was self-sufficient, Walt could afford to take such risks. Color and full-length films were also possibilities for Max. However, he and Dave had not been in charge of their own studio since the mid-20s. Max's hands were restricted by Paramount's tight-fisted attitude toward developments like color, which he had to deal with on a daily basis. Paramount would only budge when Disney had established a track record of success and had earned a profit on each subsequent project. When it came to the Fleischers, they weren't afraid to play dirty. Retiring Vice President warned Max that his arrangement with Paramount would leave the studio in a disadvantageous position, but he was ignored.


Their dependence on Paramount meant that the distributor might have influence on the substance of the Fleischers' films. An average of one cartoon per week was produced by the studio at the peak of output. Paramount requested Disney-style pictures as Disney's popularity grew, and the results were predictable ripoffs. Popeye, on the other hand, was so popular that Paramount refused to give it any more time or money, even as they pleaded for more.



The morale and working conditions at Fleischer Studios were adversely impacted by all of these demands, which Max and Dave failed to address until it was too late. In 1937, there was a big animation strike at the studio. The Fleischers were getting ready to move to Miami, in part to get away from the unions and in part to attempt to match Disney's draw of a nicer climate. It was also appealing because of tax benefits and the opportunity to create a new, cutting edge studio. However, the Fleischers depended on Paramount for money to pay the transfer and the building of their new facility, and if things didn't work out, it would only be the Fleischers who would be responsible.



There were so many creative and commercial conflicts whirling around them that Max and Dave's relationship started to fall apart. Max had a fatherly and cerebral demeanor, whereas Dave had an extroverted and streetwise one. When it came to credit and content, Max was ready to let their option on Popeye expire and go on to more serious filmmaking, but Dave believed it was insane to forsake their greatest celebrity, according to historian Ray Pointer. After gaining control of the cartoons in 1939, Dave had his name appear much larger on the title cards and excluded Max from the creative process. When Max found out about Dave's romance with his secretary, the two brothers became estranged. They couldn't stand one other any more and told Paramount that they couldn't work together anymore.


The Fleischers' relocation to Florida was never going to be the new start they had hoped for because of the toxicity in the air, but it turned out to be a bad financial choice. It pushed them farther away from New York's crucial infrastructure while delivering little savings. Additionally, the Fleischers' effort to break into feature films with Gulliver's Travels coincided with the relocation. For Gulliver's Travels, Paramount supplied far less funding and time than Disney did for Snow White. As if that wasn't bad enough, they purposefully suppressed critical information regarding the film's performance ahead of contract negotiations. The non-Popeye shorts started losing money under Dave's direct control. The Man of Steel provided a lifeline in the form of nine superb Superman cartoons that enlarged his ability to jump tall buildings in a single bound into flight, but they failed to generate enough revenue to pay off the Fleischers' obligations to Paramount.



In the middle of filming Mr. Bug Goes to Town, the Fleischers' penultimate movie, the final straw was pulled. Mr. Bug, like Gulliver's Travels, premiered in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, which was hurried and uninspiring in every way except for the animation. It was impossible for a movie about bugs attempting to move in such setting to attract the public's attention, hence the project failed. Dave left the company at the end of 1941, and Paramount asked Max to quit soon thereafter. Before it closed its doors in the 1960s, they had turned the studio they had bought into a formulaic exercise ground zero for Popeye, Superman, and every other series they'd ever started as Famous Studios before selling it.



The Fleischers fled to California after being cut off from their studio and their picture rights. Dave worked as a technician at Universal before going back to making cartoons for Columbia and Republic, while Max focused on his inventions and lecturing. The statute of limitations thwarted their attempt to sue Paramount for credit they were owed for their movie. Even after Max's son Richard Fleischer made peace with Walt Disney, their personal animosity persisted. Max and Dave, on the other hand, never made amends.

The Darjeeling Limited critiques the Eat Pray Love-style travelogue with a sympathetic analysis of misunderstanding and sorrow as it follows three brothers called Francis, Peter, and Jack as they go on a journey of spiritual development and family reunification in India. Even though The Darjeeling Limited has long been regarded a small Wes Anderson film, it has become a beloved part of the Andersonian jigsaw, serving as a bridge between Anderson's family-oriented character studies of his early work, and the more detailed ensemble pieces of his later work. The Darjeeling Limited is Anderson's most visually stunning picture to date, and it uses that visual flair to tell a heartfelt and multifaceted story of development and loss.

It has been said that Anderson's focus on the brothers' mistaken attitude to cultural experiences in The Darjeeling Limited depicts the "lost in translation" experience of jointly grieving the death of their father, despite the film's worldwide viewpoint. A methodical meditation on the ever-changing process of grief, The Darjeeling Limited utilizes Anderson's narrative doubling between the village funeral and the short film of the father's funeral at the film's center. This, combined with Anderson's use of the train as a symbol of personal loss makes The Darjeeling Limited an effective meditation.


To depict their brothers' journey of self-discovery and reconciliation, Anderson draws on the richness of local Indian culture while also indicting the protagonists' willful ignorance of their relationship with a bereaved family and their place in the world at large. Anderson uses the perspective of curious visitors to the region while also paying reverent homage to the richness of Indian sociocultural rhythms across the country. To wit, Anderson chronicles the brothers' spiritual journey, which includes stops to Hindu temples, a Catholic convent in the Alps, and many more in between.

Anderson hints to the devastating legacy of Western colonialism in India by comparing the influence of Eastern and Western faiths on diverse communities and landscapes. This attacks the brothers' originally selfish feeling of self-actualization via their privileged experiences in another nation. Three central brothers can find both solace and peace through their educational international experiences thanks to Anderson's deft yet subtle shifting of the central narrative from the misguided "travelogue voyeurism" and into the nuanced personal experiences of "lost in translation," which is a delicate but powerful shift in perspective.

As a whole, the film's second act is one of its most emotionally and conceptually complex, with a little boy's death paralleled to the loss of their father. At the youngster's burial, after Jack had tried and failed in his attempt to save him from an onrushing river, his fellow villagers ask Francis, Peter, and Jack to show their forgiveness and wish for reconciliation for their failure to save the boy. Short vignette based on Jack's semi-autobiographical short tale shows the brothers arguing about their family automobile and their mother's absence on their trip to the burial of their father in India. After their father's death, the brothers' relationship begins to deteriorate, and the spectator sees it play out in real-time as the micronarrative progresses.

Image courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
Through these shared experiences, the characters and the viewer develop a stronger knowledge of growth through mourning rather than isolation because of loss. As the brothers' erroneous involvement with Indian culture and foreign rituals becomes clearer, the parallel paths of the family burial and the funeral of a stranger demonstrate how sadness can impede clear communication and portray the familiar as alien. In spite of this, the film is a contemplation on working through loss with loved ones rather than fighting to conquer suffering alone, thanks to the compassion of strangers and the brothers' hard-won humility.

Along with the film's poignant narrative beats, Anderson's use of the train as a metaphor for sorrow and loss elevates The Darjeeling Limited to the status of one of cinema's most beautiful elegy. For all of The Darjeeling Limited, Anderson uses a train as a metaphor for sorrow, which gives the brothers the opportunity to reflect on their own grief journey and their role in the wider universe. Toward the conclusion of the film, a long-take tracking view across the railway carriages of numerous minor characters helps the audience to imagine the universe of the film beyond the three brothers' insular trip through India.


Long take tracking shots reveal a variety of minor characters, including Jack's ex-girlfriend Rita, Francis's assistant Brendan, and Peter's wife, all seated in train car-like setups in their houses or means of transportation. Anderson and his team instead use the sequence as an atmospheric break from the film's primary trajectory, representing the brother's journey of mourning by stressing the world's continuing movement beyond them.

This section is marked aside as a narrative impossibility since it occurs outside the brother's experiences in India, and instead of typical railway compartments, the production designers employ parts of residences, hotels, and airline cabins to represent the locational dissonance amongst linked characters. Anderson explores the existentialist of processing personal loss by showing how little the brothers' position in the world is during their train journey, which parallels the cycles of grieving with the seemingly endlessness of the brothers' train journey.

Only three films have been released by Robert Eggers, yet his personal brand is as strong as it has ever been. There is a well-established image of a "Robert Eggers movie" thanks to films like The Witch and The Lighthouse, released in 2015 and 2019, respectively: evocative period pieces steeped in legend and brought to life via an obsession with authenticity. Fans across many genres have fallen in love with his meticulous vision and determination to do things the hard way. A sign of how much people were anticipating Eggers' next film, The Northman, is that it would be an action-packed historical epic rather than a horror film.

However, despite the fact that both The Witch and The Lighthouse are clearly Eggers, they are quite distinct. The Lighthouse is black-and-white, whereas The Witch is color. Unlike The Lighthouse, which only has two people, The Witch is centered on a young, female protagonist (plus an amorous, possibly nonexistent mermaid.) Both The Witch and The Lighthouse are dark comedies, but The Lighthouse is an unhinged and hilarious one with plenty of unexpected slapstick. When it comes to dealing with uncertainty, they adopt two quite different tacks.

Horror filmmakers, in particular, use ambiguity as a powerful tool in their toolbox. Short-term and long-term tension may be created through ambiguity; it can leave tempting breadcrumbs for the viewer, and it can conclude the movie on a haunting note. ambiguity Uncertainty may be a powerful tool when used well, but when used incorrectly, it can be jarring and detract from an audience's enjoyment of a film. It's no wonder, however, that Eggers' first two films make masterful use of ambiguity. This is remarkable since his two methods for dealing with uncertainty both indicate something about Eggers' approach to folklore that is worth noting.


Eggers' study into the lives of Puritan colonists, in particular the Salem witch trials, served as inspiration for The Witch. It's important to keep in mind that the Puritans were not only fearful of the supernatural at the time of the witch trials; they actually believed in the threat that witches posed. Witches weren't just mythological creatures to them; they represented a real danger to their way of life. Witches are never questioned; only whether or not these ladies were witches is. To the Puritans, folklore was the actual world, thus there was no difference between the two concepts.

In The Witch, the central family is dealing with this. Puritan William (Ralph Ineson) exiled them because of his ornery disposition, but they've already established themselves as a very religious and superstitious family. While they first blame a wolf for the disappearance of their son, Samuel, when odd events continue to occur, they have little problem thinking that evil powers are at work. No doubt is thrown on them by Eggers, who presents everything at face value, from a pig breastfeeding blood to Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) floating into the night air. Despite the fact that the video may be interpreted as a prolonged psychotic episode, there is significantly more evidence to indicate the existence of the supernatural.

It's not as simple as it seems in The Lighthouse. For starters, unlike the Witch family, the individuals in this story don't all believe in the supernatural. In contrast to Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson), Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) is an ancient sea dog with superstitions to match. When Winslow defies Wake's warning not to kill a bird, he is smacked in the face by Wake. His dislike of "old wives' stories" causes conflict between him and his partner, Wake. It's not apparent which of the two is "correct," though, assuming one of them is.

The Lighthouse stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe.
In truth, hardly much in The Lighthouse is made crystal plain. Did the seagull Winslow shot in a moment of wrath spell their doom? In what way does Winslow see the relevance of scrimshaw? Is it truly the "enchantment in the light" that's driving them both insane here? Is it a combination of isolation and alcohol-induced insanity, or is there something else going on? Were they both crazy from the start? In the end, Wake posits that Winslow's lengthy hallucination in the Canadian woods may be the cause of this whole mess. Audiences may consider a wide range of compelling hypotheses and explanations, but there is no definitive correct solution.

However, in both The Witch and The Lighthouse, "the proper solution" is of secondary importance. Even if the narrative had a "mundane" explanation, it would be just as terrifying as if it were truly magical. The Puritan family believes in witches; Wake believes in Neptune and a magical lighthouse; Winslow doesn't believe in anything, at least not at the beginning. But regardless of whether or not they believe in the supernatural, their destiny remain the same. Their belief in witches is like an umbrella in a hurricane: they all perish, save for Thomasin who becomes a witch and joins the coven. Arcane nautical doctrine is the cause of Thomas Wake being hacked to death, and his comrade Winslow is lured into the frenzy into a death worse than death.

Because of this, the folklore may or may not be genuine in the movie's reality, but it doesn't have to be true for it to be deadly, which is how Eggers uses ambiguity so well. According to his films, folklore portrays an ancient and inexorable power that predates mankind itself. You can't control everything, and this image serves as a reminder of how little and weak you are in the grand scheme of things — even now.

To make a documentary, there should be more to it than merely retelling the past and depending on the charm and interesting tales of your talking heads. Films like Edgar Wright's The Sparks Brothers show that documentaries can be just as creative as fiction when they're done effectively.

Music documentary The Velvet Underground by Todd Haynes emphasizes the value of innovation when it comes to capturing the spirit of its subject matter. When it comes to the presentation of the groundbreaking band, the documentary takes care to honor their avant-garde flare by using split screen graphics, Andy Warhol pictures, and cutting-edge editing techniques to tell the tale of the band while also portraying their sense of style. With a camera and an editing suite, director Todd Haynes obviously intended to replicate what the Velvets were doing as Lou Reed explains in the documentary. The Velvets, like Kerouac, Burroughs, and Hubert Selby Jr., were pioneers in avant-garde music with drums and guitar.

The audience doesn't have to wait long to understand where they are after hearing the dissonant guitar over a Baudelaire quotation, staccato editing that sounds like a scratched record cutting between bits of a song, and the long-held Warhol photo of Lou Reed. The audience is quickly immersed in the band's frenetic energy because to Haynes' ability to put them right in the middle of it. Furthermore, the usage of Reed's profile on split screen with an abbreviated tale of Reed's childhood to begin the video not only lends a Velvet Underground and Warhol-esque visual flare to the documentary, but also makes it seem immensely more intimate and heartbreaking. When Reed sees the photographs next to him, he begins to reflect and open up, despite the fact that he was tragically killed in a car accident. The juxtaposition of youthful John Cale (a fellow founding member of the band) next to Reed's gaunt and somewhat lanky-haired image emphasizes the band's obviously distinct and unusual beginnings.


Featured image is courtesy of Apple TV+.
In the video, the juxtapositions appear less forced than in other documentaries that seek to do the same, and frequently resemble the Surrealistic subconscious images that Cale was so interested in exploring musically. A broad range of archival material is used in these photos by Haynes, ranging from vintage advertising to snippets from Maya Deren's arthouse films, so that the eclecticism and vast range of inspirations that went into this band can be felt throughout the narrative. When you think of the best film of the year, The French Dispatch comes to mind. This is the documentary equivalent, with everything from stop-motion animation, different aspect ratios and negative coloration to the usage of overlay pictures being used.

Such approaches aren't only for the sake of it, though, as they're employed to accurately portray the band's era and their mindset at the time of the film. Unlike Jonas Mekas, an avant-garde filmmaker affiliated with the band, Haynes provides us a glimpse into the vivacity of 42nd Street in the early sixties with a series of handheld images of the city's lights and streets. A kaleidoscopic grid of artists and the different arts fills the screen as the interviewee speaks explicitly about the booming cultural environment. This surrounds you in this sensation of inescapable culture.


These aesthetic touches are not unnecessary, but rather enable the band's development to be traced without ever becoming stale, which is a credit to their own musical explorations. In addition, Haynes uses vintage footage in a creative way, when a typical music doc could utilize it as a default. When the documentary comes to the part when it details Reed dismissing Andy Warhol from the band, it serves as an excellent illustration of this. Haynes shows us archival film of an especially wistful-looking Warhol letting go of a balloon and watching it drift into the sky over the stories of other band members. Filmmakers have used old material in a manner that makes it relevant rather than just convenient, giving viewers a clear sense of where they were in their band's history at the time and what it means to them moving forward.

Later, when John Cale leaves the band, a similar moment occurs, but Haynes chooses not to utilize the old footage; instead, the editing and sound design convey the atmosphere of the band's new period. Momentarily, the editing calms down and the mesmerizing images fade away, indicating a more contemplative approach to music from the band's younger members.


Featured image is courtesy of Apple TV+.
In light of Tom Dicillo's When You're Strange documentary on The Doors, the ingenuity of this documentary's use of archival video is all the more apparent when comparing the two films. It seems that DiCillo places vintage film of the band over a timeline-driven narrative, interspersed with freeze-framed shots that nearly always indicate precisely who/what is being addressed. Due to DiCillo's decision to take a more formulaic approach, his film falls short of Haynes' in terms of conveying the band's and the era's frenetic intensity. Even though Cale's comment in the film "wait, the music isn't supporting up what these lyrics are about," Haynes appears to almost lean into it as he himself assures that his cinematography is backing up precisely what it is that made The Velvet Underground so intriguing and distinctive.

However, When You're Strange seems considerably more focused with the plain chronology than anything like the vicarious journey you go on as both viewer and band member with Haynes' film. A multicolored, allegorical mosaic of nature and life concludes Haynes' film, while DiCillo's video finishes with a modest summary of The Doors' active years and amount of albums sold. To conclude the film on such a daring note, Haynes has created a frenzied montage that perfectly captures the band's energy, creative attitudes, and accomplishments, as well as the period in which they lived. Although the avant-garde frame through which Haynes creates the band demonstrates just how vital proper direction is even when outside the medium of fiction, all these attitudes and features may not have shown through.

Known for his award-winning picture The Lighthouse and instant classic horror flick The Witch, Robert Eggers began his career in New York theater. Those who have followed his work for some time now have something to cheer about with the publication of The Northman, a historical fiction adventure set in Scandinavia. Sjón, a well-known Icelandic poet and writer, and Eggers collaborated on the script for the future film. William Shakespeare drew inspiration for Hamlet from the mythology of Amleth, which forms the basis of this project.

The Viking prince Amleth is played by Alexander Skarsgrd, son of Nicole Kidman's Queen Gudrn and King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke). Claes Bang plays Amleth, a man on a never-ending search for revenge after his uncle, Fjölnir, murdered his father. An Oscar winner who collaborated with Eggers on The Witch, Anya Taylor-Joy, plays as a supporting character in the film, Olga, who encounters Amleth on his perilous quest. Along with Willem Dafoe and Icelandic singer Björk, the film stars Kate Dickie as Halldora the Pict and Björk as Heimir the Fool.

The Northman is a fascinating thriller that will have spectators on their toes as Amleth risked everything to avenge his father's reputation and restore his realm in a bloody, violent, and brutally realistic depiction of the Viking Age. However, this isn't the only scenario that takes viewers to a different era or even a new plot that uses Vikings. We've compiled a list of eleven movies that have some of the same characteristics as The Northman, whether it's in terms of genre, historical period, or narrative.


Warrior No. 13
Epic in scope, The 13th Warrior, released in 1999, is a look at what happens when two worlds collide. Ahmad ibn Fadlan (Antonio Banderas), a Muslim pilgrim in the 10th century, becomes an envoy for Baghdad to the Vikings in Volga Bulgars, played by Banderas. When he joins a group of Viking warriors, his function as an envoy is swiftly transformed, and he becomes the group's thirteenth warrior, fulfilling a prophesy. It is directed by Die Hard's John McTiernan, who brings the Viking Age to life in a manner that The Northman does not.

Thor's Hammer Reigns
Valhalla Rising, a 2009 film set in Scandinavian Scotland, takes viewers on a journey. Dr. Hannibal Lector's Mads Mikkelson plays One-Eye, a captured Norse warrior. In One-Eye, Maarten Stevenson plays a little child who helps him escape. Christian Crusaders, who are looking for new recruits, escort the fleeing pair on a journey to the Holy Land. The historical fiction piece's title is a Viking twist on the Kenneth Anger films Scorpio Rising and Lucifer Rising.. Viewers will be reminded of The Northman's very own fighter, Amleth, in terms of talent and revenge when they see One-Eye in Valhalla Rising's history. The film is directed by Drive and The Neon Demon director Nicolas Winding Refn.

The Final King
A still from THE LAST KING shows Jakob Oftebro as the titular character.
Sámi director Nils Gaup directs The Last King, an upcoming Norwegian production. As shown in this film, Haakon Haakonson, the rightful successor to the Norwegian crown, was successfully delivered to Trondheim from Lillehammer by Birkebeiner rebels. During the year 1204, the Baglers deposed King Haakon of Norway. There are two Birkebeins who have been sent to guard the king's hidden heir, Torstein (Kristofer Hivju) and Skjervald (Jakob Oftebro). Based on much more accurate historical facts than The Northman, The Last King deserves your attention for its portrayal of medieval drama and the survival of an ancient royal lineage.


Into the Wild
The Revenant Image of Leonardo DiCaprio. The film was distributed by 20th Century Fox
The Revenant, a historical survival tale that won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture of 2015, comes next. A Michael Punke book, "The Song of Hugh Glass," and a 1915 poem, "The Song of Hugh Glass," both of which relate the narrative and myth of frontiersman Hugh Glass, are the basis for the film. Fur trapper Glass is brought to life by Leonardo DiCaprio's three-time Golden Globe Award-winning performance. He is left to die from his wounds after being viciously attacked by a grizzly bear, and his group is now headed by John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy). On his death-defying endeavor to avenge himself, Glass is like Amleth from The Northman. Known for his efforts on the Death Trilogy and other projects, Alejandro G. Iárritu is the director and co-writer of The Revenant.


It's impossible to discuss violent vengeance flicks, particularly historical dramas, without bringing up Gladiator from the year 2000. Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) earned an Academy Award for his performance in this film. He wants to hand over the reins of authority to Maximus rather than his son, Commodus, in 180 AD, Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Joaquin Phoenix). This is the discovery that leads to Commodus' death, the establishment of himself as the Emperor, and the execution of Maximus' wife and sons. As a gladiator, Maximus loses everything he ever held dear to him, including his dignity and self-respect. It is through Maximus' plotting to get vengeance on Commodus that Amleth's tenacity and drive are brought to life for viewers. Award-winning and gory masterpiece made by Alien and Blade Runner director Ridley Scott.

'Braveheart' was directed, co-produced, and starring Mel Gibson as the main character in the 1995 movie. William Wallace, a Scottish knight, played a key role in the First War of Scottish Independence. Heavily inspired Braveheart, the epic poem The Actes and Deidis of William Wallace was written by a 15th-century minstrel, known as Blind Harry, some 172 years after Wallace's death.

Actor Mel Gibson portrays a bitter Wallace who organizes a revolt against King Edward I following the murders of his loved ones at the hands of English invaders. As in The Northman, Amleth leads a rebellion against the usurping forces. It won five Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, and one Golden Globe Award for its portrayal of the life of William Wallace.


In the Life and Death of Don Juan
It's no surprise that Kevin Reynolds, the director of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Fandango, is behind The Count of Monte Cristo. French novelist Alexandre Dumas's enduring masterpiece The Brothers Grimm was adapted for the screen by the same name. A well-known actor like Jim Caviezel (The Passion of Christ, Person of Interest) portrays Edmund Dantés, a man who has been wrongfully imprisoned. Dantés escapes jail, acquires wealth, and returns to France as the Count of Monte Cristo over the course of many years. Retaliation against those who deceived him is what he aims to exact with this persona. It's not as bloody as The Northman, but it does contain one man's cunning long game to reclaim what was taken from him. The Count of Monte Cristo

Conan the Barbarian is a character in Conan the Barbarian.
Character Conan the Barbarian was conceived by American novelist Robert E. Howard in the early 20th century and would go on to inspire many Arnold Schwarzenegger movies in the 1980s and 1990s. Rebooting the series in 2011, Marcus Nispel helmed Conan the Barbarian. Son of a barbarian chieftan, Conan (Joseph Mommoa) witnesses the slaughter of his whole tribe at the hands of Khalor Zym (Jason Momoa) (Stephen Lang). Zym is on a necromancy mission, and Conan sets out to stop him at any means in order to exact vengeance on him for his tribe's death. Conan the Barbarian is a high fantasy or sword and sorcery film, making it distinct from the other films on this list. It's also comparable to The Northman's Amleth in that Conan is an abrasive and brutal warrior who is obsessed with retribution.

Beowulf
Beowulf's story is rooted in folklore, much as that of the Northman. For the 2007 film Beowulf, English writers Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary were inspired by the Beowulf legend to develop the film's script. King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) sends the Geatish warrior Beowulf (Ray Winstone) to Denmark, where he fights with the title character. By law, the king has ordered Beowulf (Crispin Glover), who is a warrior and a hero, to kill the man-beast Grendel (Crispin Glover). Despite Beowulf's success, the demon mother of Grendel (Angelina Jolie) attacks him. On this list, Beowulf is the only film that isn't shot using live-action, but is instead animated using 3D computer graphics.

a bald eagle
Jeremy Brock's 2011 historical fiction film The Eagle was inspired on the 120 AD unexplained disappearance of Legio IX Hispana, an imperial Roman legion. Marcus Flavius Aquila (Channing Tatum) is a Roman centurion whose father was a member of the Ninth Legion that went missing. Marcus sets off for Scotland in search of the legion's eagle standard, determined to restore dignity to his father's name. Marcus He and his slave, Esca, a Brigante who hails from Britain, put their lives at jeopardy in order to complete their mission. An interesting new take on the Ninth Legion's story, The Eagle is less about vengeance and more about honoring the fallen soldiers.

The Way to Happiness
The Salvation, a 2014 Western directed by Danish filmmaker Kristian Levring, was released in 2015. Mads Mikkelsen, who also played the lead role in Valhalla Rising, is a Danish immigrant named Jon, who joined his brother Peter in the United States in 1864. (Mikael Persbrandt). Upon arriving at the continent, Jon's family is killed by a group of criminals. As a result of Jon's actions, Delarue (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a powerful land baron who will use all of his resources to bring about Jon's demise, becomes enraged. Unlike The Northman, which depicts Nordic regions and the Viking Age, The Salvation depicts the Western Frontier and its lawless judicial system in a brutally realistic light.

The movies Lady Bird and Stand By Me come to mind when you think of "coming-of-age" films. You probably don't think of them as being associated with psychedelic dream sequences or flying stone giants. Most of these stories center on the protagonists' quest to "discover themselves" throughout their adolescence. In his creative film Mirrormask, director Dave McKean, on the other hand, decides to push this cliche into uncharted territory. You didn't realize you needed something like Mirrormask, a blend of Twilight-style weirdness and the hypnotic dreaming state of Labyrinth.

When Stephanie Leonidas' Helena Campbell (Stephanie Leonidas) leaves the circus, she's a disturbed artist who has a deep-seated dislike of her family's profession as a traveling circus. After years of being forced to perform in her parents' touring show with them, she has become resentful and bitter. Helena is overcome with regret after a confrontation with her mother in which she cries, "I wish you die." Her mother is abruptly transported to the hospital. Helena continues to lose herself in her fantasy while the circus workers wonder what will become of their trip without Mrs. Campbell (Gina McKee). What follows is a crazy, trance-like journey into a new universe. With the help of a devastating black sludge and an alternate universe setting, McKean guides the audience through Helena's journey to overcome her feelings of worthlessness and repair the seemingly broken relationship with her mother, all while allowing the audience to see her uniqueness in the process.




Image courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Pictures
Helena is startled awake in the middle of the night by the sound of violin music early in her journey. It is out in the hallway that she encounters a trio of street artists, and she decides to investigate. One plays an unsettling tune against the cement wall as the others juggle nearby. The faces of the three males are completely obscured by the masks they're wearing. The spectator is introduced to Helena's psychological battle with identity right away. Paper mache is used to depict the cliché of "wearing a mask" in a very literal way.

This material will be revisited later on when we see the violinist turn to stone while Helena speaks with him about his music. Helena is dragged inside a weird library by one of the guys, as the tar engulfs the third man. While Helena and her savior plan an escape from the pitch-black interior, the darkness is held at bay. One of the exits leads to an impressionistic metropolis, which is similar to the afterlife in Robin Williams' What Dreams May Come. As a result, Helena is transported to a state of lucidity where she discovers who she really is.

Helena quickly finds that she has been replaced with an evil-twin that is now threatening her life back home in the parallel reality. In every mirror or window, Helena sees a glimpse of this evil disguised as her own face. McKean seems to employ this aspect to show Helena's detachment from the image she sees in the mirror, at least in part. Helena sees her twin as a visible depiction of the fact that she is continuously mimicking another person in her daily life. Helena's appearance on the outside is really a façade she wears to satisfy her family and friends. As a result, Helena's twin is a real manifestation of her own selfishness and teenage unhappiness.


Image courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Pictures
It becomes clear to the audience as the story unfolds what Helena must overcome. White and black queens (both played by McKee) rule distinct kingdoms in her "dream" scene. The dark queen's daughter, Helena's twin, escapes her mother's clutches, uprooting her kingdom in the process. Her parents want to subjugate her and McKean shows it via this dissent, which shows Helena's dismay. She unleashed her anger on the realm to rein in her unruly child - Mrs.argumentative Campbell's conduct embodied — by unleashing the black queen. The queen uses magic to create this black poison, which she then unleashes into the world in an attempt to wipe out the white queen, whom she suspects of hiding her kidnapped daughter. Using this sludge, Helena expresses her feelings of being engulfed by an identity that she can not recognize. Trying to fit a specific mold, in this example, as a circus performer, has left her feeling empty.

A "Mirrormask" taken by Helena's twin serves as a key to awakening the white queen, an alternate form of her mother who seems to be Mrs. Campbell's loving side. Before Helena can help rescue the queen and mend her connection with her mother, she has to regain her "mirror" - her confidence in herself. A multitude of challenges await her on her voyage through the weird realms, and her ability as a performer is essential in overcoming them. Helena discovers that she may flourish as her own self while accepting her parents' teachings. She recognizes that she can be more than just a performer; she can be anything she chooses to be at any given moment.

picture of a mirror mask in closeup, courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn
After a last fight with her double, Helena finally finds the key to freedom, which she retrieves from her own mirror. Helena must wear the mirror mask in order to bring her twin back into the dream world and fight her. As a result of this chain of events, Helena's internal fight to comply is effectively over. New insights emerge as Helena adapts to her new identity, helping her to begin forging her own path once again.

When it comes to McKean's depiction of teenage development, he deviates from the typical aesthetics and aspects of the genre. Films that deviate from the stereotypical representation of adolescence (John Hughes' characters aren't all dealing with boy-drama like this) provide an engaging viewing experience. It's a dreamlike look at a 15-year-journey old's through hard inner development, family strife, and her eventual rise to self-affirmation. Helena enters her dream as a broken, wounded young lady, but she emerges a whole new person, eager to be the finest version of herself. It's a narrative that will stay with you long after you've seen it, thanks to McKean's wacky visuals and thought-provoking storyline twists.

Zombies have been a staple of cinema since Victor Halperin's iconic pre-Code horror picture White Zombie was released in 1932. These undead, made famous by George Romeo's Night of the Living Dead, have been a go-to target of horror authors looking to inject their own unique flavor into the genre. They're an ideal foil for heroes brandishing shotguns as they slay them in the sake of bloody mayhem. But with an almost ninety-year history, it would be understandable if there were no new aspects to investigate. From Shaun of the Dead and Warm Bodies to Dawn of the Dead and Anna and the Apocalypse, zombies have infested every imaginable genre in film and then some. Zombies may seem hopeless, but even the most damaged automobiles may be revived with the skilled technician. As an example, Henry Hobson's 2015 post-apocalyptic horror thriller Maggie succeeds in making zombies fresh again.


The Vogel family's plight is the center of Maggie, rather than the gore and gorefest that is the norm in the horror genre. Maggie is more like a play than a horror film. When Maggie (Abigail Breslin) gets bitten by a zombie, the film follows her as she is taken into a terrifying quarantine facility for the remaining weeks of her life. She and her father Wade (Arnold Schwarzenegger) return to their house, where she intends to make the most of what time she has left. In spite of the film's occasional use of gore, Hobson is more interested in subtler moments that have a mumblecore drama-like quality. To put it another way, it's a novel take on the zombie genre, and it makes Maggie stand out from the pack of generic zombie flicks.

The location of Maggie is by far the most distinguishing feature of the novel. Maggie chooses a world that is slowly returning to normalcy rather than a future in which society has collapsed and we can enjoy all the high-octane violence we've come to adore. Public services such as the police and hospitals, the electricity system and telephone lines, and regular features of pre-zombie life (such as talking heads on television whining about the government, or adolescents slipping out of the home to go partying with their pals) are beginning to return. Not everything has gone back to normal, of course. As long as zombies are roaming the country, big cities are under strong limitations, and the death sentence of a bite still hangs large over everyone, there is a sense that things will change soon. It's even been suggested that a vaccination for the apocalypse may be developed. Zombie-infected worlds are typical tropes in this genre, but few depict them as close to becoming reality as this film does. It's a refreshing change of pace from the normal misery of this genre to hear that things may (and will) get better.


In contrast, the film's central theme is that the zombie apocalypse is coming to an end. All survivors have a shared agreement that everyone must do their bit to guarantee that normalcy may return after the previous few years of suffering. As a result, the number of people who refuse to go to a hospital for the infection after being bitten is very low. Since a bite may take up to several weeks before turning a victim, people who are unlucky enough to be infected typically prefer to delay turning themselves in for the time being while making the most of their remaining time. This is the predicament Maggie finds herself in, and the core of the film is built around her attempts to reconcile with her father while lamenting the futility of her position as a ticking clock approaches.

Hobson is able to avoid many of the faults of earlier zombie films by altering the scene from a full-fledged apocalypse to a world where the infected are treated as patients getting palliative care for a deadly ailment. Hobson, on the other hand, isn't interested in rehashing a common zombie narrative, such as someone getting bitten and then attempting to cover it up (which generally ends with them turning at the most inconvenient time). Right out of the start, everyone knows that Maggie has an illness. Bobby, Maggie's younger half-brother who understands that Maggie is ill but doesn't know why, comforts her in an early scene. It's a great sequence that could easily be adapted to a medical drama with just a few minor alterations. With their discourse about something that should only exist in dreams, like Bobby mentioning that it temporarily spread across his school like a common cold, their harmless dialogue is transformed into an extremely horrific scenario, and one that no gory-filled action sequence could duplicate.

The picture revolves on Maggie's change, and the length of time it takes just adds to the terror. While David Cronenberg's body-horror classic The Fly was known for its sluggish progression from human to zombie, this film opts for a more gradual transformation that matches that of the film. When Maggie falls off a swing and breaks one of her fingers, she bleeds a black fluid instead of blood because she is infected. In her revulsion, she severs her finger, but her difficulties only become worse when she discovers maggots in her arm. Maggie's transformation from innocent girl to cannibalistic monster is horrible to behold, and the film doesn't shy away from the specifics, resulting in a tremendous symphony for her. The film's most emotional parts are the extended interactions between Maggie and her father, in which Maggie has already accepted her destiny but Wade continues to believe that she may still win. Maggie is considerably more credible than previous zombie movies because it focuses on only two individuals as they come to terms with the dreadful predicament they find themselves in, and because the two of them address this scenario with total seriousness despite the fundamental unbelievability of it all.

Earlier characters' reactions to Maggie change as her metamorphosis progresses, demonstrating another another aspect in which the film differs from other works in the genre. In contrast to the grownups (save for her father), the younger characters are considerably more accepting and open to her presence. It isn't mentioned that there is an equal number of infected and healthy persons present at a campfire attended by Maggie and other youngsters. Instead they’re all just teens, hanging around and getting drunk and doing stuff their parents would disapprove of. As adults can recall a period when devastation wasn't a constant presence in the world, they're naturally wary of zombies, but youngsters who have no or few recollections of a pre-zombie world are less concerned. It’s an idea that would have drastic consequences for a world even after the apocalypse has ended, and while Maggie is unable to explore it in great depth due to the limited time the titular character has left, the fact it is even brought it up provokes an interesting debate that few zombie films bother to address.

The film's realistic approach extends to its action sequences, which are so underwhelming in relation to what the genre is known for that acknowledging them seems awkward. Wade is forced to use an axe to slay two zombies that break into his garden. It's hard to imagine a more unsettling sight than that of Arnold Schwarzenegger brandishing such a lethal weapon as he prepares to protect his family from the cannibalistic evil. The physical anguish he experiences while murdering them is evident, and the guilt he displays later reveals the harsh consequences of such an incident that other films typically ignore. It's not enjoyable to kill a zombie. After the deceased have been laid to rest, the pain lingers on for a long time, making it all the more unbearable since he knows that his daughter may be next. The zombies are so weak that they can't even stand a chance. Their only option is to stand there and writhe in agony, watching helplessly as Wade takes their lives in one swift motion. Although the selection of Arnold Schwarzenegger in such a tragic part may first appear unexpected, he lends a worn aspect to the character that a more conventional casting would have failed to deliver. Schwarzenegger's identity as a legendary action actor is well-known, but the Schwarzenegger we see in Maggie is far beyond retirement age, so it's understandable that he isn't performing his typical routine. Wade's visage still shows his background, allowing Hobson to concentrate on the character in the present rather than a lengthy biography. The film's outstanding performance is Abigail Breslin as Schwarzenegger's daughter, Abigail Breslin.

For as long as movies exist, zombies will continue to be one of the most popular adversaries for authors throughout the globe. A return to its former glory as an important subgenre of horror may take some time, given the genre's recent decrease in popularity compared to its early 21th-century heyday. When it happens, I hope that future films will find inspiration in more innovative ideas like Maggie rather than relying on mindless action and outdated tropes of earlier entrants. Because of its realistic tone and distinct location, it's certainly worth a second look for anyone who aren't already familiar with this genre.

The fifth episode of the Indiana Jones film series has officially wrapped production after years of rumors and conjecture. Prior to the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas hinted about a fifth feature. It's worth noting, though, that the creation of Indiana Jones 5 went through a number of twists and turns. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg chose to stand down as director after a number of screenwriters presented their ideas.

The identity of the film's major adversary is one of the film's most intriguing mysteries. Everyone involved with the movie has been tight-lipped about the narrative, even though a number of interesting stars have signed on. Who is Indy's next villain? Is Mads Mikkelsen still capable of becoming a terrific villain? No one knows what Phoebe Waller-Bridge has in store for us. Do you recognize this person? Boyd Holbrook, anyone? Is it Antonio Banderas you see in the picture?

The bar is set high for Harrison Ford's next adversary. Some of the franchise's most terrible villains have come from this series. List of Indy movie antagonists arranged by number of appearances.


A ninth character in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is Antonin Dovchenko (2008)

Critics panned Kingdom of the Crystal Skull because they felt it didn't treat Indy with respect. As opposed to the weak and approachable Indy from the previous three films, the Soviet Union Colonel Antonin Dovchenko was suddenly a superman who could withstand being constantly beaten by Indy (Igor Jijikine). Dovchenko is drab in the worst possible way. Big, dumb, CGI-laden moron, he's one of the poorest moments in the series.

The Temple of Doom's Mola Ram (1984)

In this instance, the Indiana Jones series just hasn't held up over time. The prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Temple of Doom, was significantly darker since Spielberg and Lucas were dealing with personal troubles at the time of filming. It veered away from the historical setting of the previous film in favor of the fantastical and ludicrous. He may be having a good time, but Amrish Pari is simply a crazy guy. A racially inappropriate portrayal of Mola Ram is deplorable.

Raiders of the Lost Ark, Herman Deitrich (1981)

Nazis are usually a good choice for a terrible person. Herman Deitrich (Wolf Kahler) is as bit as vicious as the other Raiders of the Lost Ark antagonists, yet he lacks the same level of charismatic charisma. Adding a military danger to Indy's quest is the goal of Dietrich's mission. It's difficult to tell him apart from the other numbskull fascists Indy takes down.

a. Lao Tzu in the Tomb of Doom (1984)

One of the film's highlights is the nightclub launch of The Temple of Doom. At the Club Obi-Wan, Indy seduces singer Willie Scott (Kate Capshew), Spielberg recreated a James Bond-style opening. Lao Che (Roy Chiao), the club's proprietor, is a 1930s mobster. A feat any 007 villain would be proud of, he even manages to poison Indy's drink.

In The Last Crusade, Ernst Vogel plays (1989)

Michael Byrne's Michael Vogel (Michael Byrne) in The Last Crusade is everything that Dovchenko isn't. When it comes to fighting, Vogel is just as brutal of a strategist as he is when it comes to throwing punches. It was refreshing to have a villain in addition to Walter Donovan, the film's primary adversary, who was more likable. In one of the most memorable deaths in the saga, he plunges to his death from a cliff.

4. The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull's Irina Spalko (2008)

Irina Spalko, Cate Blanchett's character in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, is one of the few highlights of the film. Blanchette's eccentric Russian accent is the perfect tribute to classic espionage thrillers from the 1950s, despite the fact that many of the '50s influences don't work. In spite of the fact that no one wanted to watch an Indiana Jones movie in which he battles Martians, Blanchette manages to sell Spalko's fixation with the occult. In spite of the shoddy CGI, the sword battle between Spalko and Mutt Williams (Shia Labeouf) is a lot of fun.

A major character in Raiders of the Lost Ark is Major Toht (1981)

Sturmbannführer Arnold Ernst Toht is the most diabolical of all of Indiana Jones' foes (Ronald Lacey). When he believes he's cornered Indy, the Nazi Major exults in his victory. When he's finally beaten, it's much more fun. Toht's hatred of Indy's guts extends beyond his status as a fascist monster. Toht is severely burnt as he attempts to pick up Marion's flaming medallion after they fight in Marion Ravenwood's (Karen Allen) tavern.

Secondly, Walter Donovan in "The Last Crusade" (1989)

This is a fun fact: Julian Glover is the only actor to have portrayed a villain in the Star Wars, James Bond, and Indiana Jones series. The most wicked of the three main characters is Walter Donovan. When he first teases Indy with knowledge about Henry Jones Sr., he persuades him to begin his quest for the Holy Grail (Sean Connery). His next action is to kill Indy's father, which leads to the suspenseful climax, in which he momentarily discovers the Holy Grail. Donovan "made a mistake" in his decision.

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark's René Belloq (1981)

Only Rene Belloq (Paul Freeman), a French archeologist, can match Indy's wit. Belloq, in many respects, is the antithesis of Indy. For his own financial advantage, he hunts out old architects, and he doesn't give a damn who they wind up with. What drives Bellouq to his quest for power is the same thing that drives Indy to his quest for gold. When the Ark of the Covenant truly "melts" his schemes, his avarice defeats him.

The TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) franchise has endured for decades. Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's 1980s comic book work gave birth to the Heroes in a Half Shell. Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo are four anthropomorphic crime-fighting turtles in the series. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were a big hit despite their outlandish premise, leading to a slew of related products such as toys, television series, movies, and video games. The franchise is still popular today, and Seth Rogen is working on a film adaptation of the series. But first, let's take a look back at some of the most memorable Turtles movies of all time.


Ninja Turtles III: Return of the Turtles (1993)

With Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, director Michael Bay officially put an end to the first trilogy of TMNT films. According to IMDB, it's still the worst-reviewed Turtles film of all time. When April O'Neil (Paige Turco) and the turtles purchase an antique magic scepter, they go back in time to ancient Japan. The time travel narrative is performed in a foolish manner, despite the franchise's inherent silliness. Changing the method of time travel alone would be an upgrade in a TMNT story, which usually focuses more on odd technology than outright magic.

Weak script and inferior cinematography marred what might have been a terrific picture. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop was responsible for the effects in the first two movies but not the third, resulting to a significant decline in quality.

6. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles remake film, which premiered in 2014, was immediately met with criticism. Many Transformers fans were disappointed when Michael Bay was selected to create the film, after seeing his perspective on the property. Disappointing were also the designs of the turtles themselves. Faces that resembled those of World's Strongest Man contenders and bodies that resembled adolescent crime-fighters were a far cry from what they seemed to be. Even if it wasn't a terrible film, TMNT fans have a wealth of better alternatives.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (2016)

Out of the Shadows had a higher rating from critics than its 2014 predecessor, but its box office performance was far less impressive. The third film in the reboot series was planned, but it was scrapped following the second film's failure. The Krang, Bebop and Rocksteady, and Baxter Stockman are just a few of the many beloved characters appearing in Out of the Shadows. Overall, the film is a disappointment. In this version, the action is fast-paced and the tone is lighter, but the plot is still convoluted, and the turtles remain unsightly.

"The Secret of the Ooze" from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle II (1991)

After Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1990, a sequel called The Secret of the Ooze was made. It follows the Turtles as they fight Shredder and the Rahzar and Tokka mutant beasts in this movie. While its predecessor was gritty, Ooze takes a more whimsical approach. If you're an adult who didn't grow up with the film, you may not get as much out of it as you would if you were a child. However, if you're a fan of Vanilla Ice and cheesy '90s pop, you'll like the movie.

TMNT is number four (2007)

Since the previous Turtles film had been released 14 years earlier, the announcement of TMNT in 2007 was met with much excitement. It was going to be the first Turtles feature entirely done in computer-generated imagery, and it is still the only one. Breaking with tradition, the Turtles are seen living on their own in TMNT. Donatello becomes an IT consultant after defeating Shredder; Mikey becomes a birthday party magician; Leonardo moves to Central America for training; and Raphael becomes a vigilante on his own after the team's victory against the villain. But when evil strikes again, the brothers must put their differences aside and work together to preserve the planet. Despite the film's darker tone, it is a very enjoyable and unusual Turtles adventure. This film is a must-see for every lover of the turtles.

In the third Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles battle (2019)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans may have missed this. Comic book heroes Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles team together in this 2019 DTV crossover. Bats and the Ninja Turtles join forces to combat Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assassins in this action-adventure flick. You won't be able to put the movie down since it seamlessly combines the two series. There are no holds barred in the combat sequences, which is why the picture was given a PG-13 classification. The film Batman vs. TMNT earned overwhelmingly positive reviews from both reviewers and moviegoers alike, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a perfect score of 100 percent. Do yourself a favor and see this movie if you're a fan of the Turtles or Batman.

2. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the Turtles' debut appearance on the big screen. Jim Henson's Creature Shop was contracted by filmmaker Steve Barron to bring Leo, Raph, Donny and Mikey to life. However, Henson said that the Turtles were the most complex animals he had ever worked on, yet he still managed to produce some amazing results .'s Even though The Heroes in a Half Shell came out better than anybody could have anticipated, it was Henson's last production before his death.

Along with its fantastic costumes, the picture offers a wonderful tale replete with wacky humor and action-packed scenes that have inspired many succeeding TMNT films. It was a box office hit despite a mixed reception from reviewers. Until The Blair Witch Project surpassed it in 1999, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the highest grossing independent film, earning $202 million on a $13.5 million budget.

Turtles will always be a part of my life (2009)

Turtles Forever was released in 2009. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is a celebration of the franchise and a love letter to its devoted followers. There is an amazing interplay between the ninja characters from 1987, 2003, and Mirage comic books in this epic crossover. Everything about this film is fantastic: the characters' relationships, the storyline, the fighting, and the visuals. This is a must-see film for fans of any age of the Turtles.

In the concluding sequences of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most prevalent screenplay flaw is subverted.

"Doctor Strange"
Maximoff's Wanda


Spoilers for Doctor Strange: The Multiverse of Madness follow. Use at own risk.


As a result, the MCU's most-complained scripting error is addressed in Doctor Strange in the Multiverses of Madness, making it one of its greatest films.
Director Sam Raimi, known for his work on such classics as Evil Dead and the Spider-Man saga, is well-known for his penchant for using horror tropes and iconography in his films.
One of Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness's most pivotal moments occurs as Stephen Strange and America Chavez (Benedict Cumberbatch) face battle against the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen).


To stop Wanda Maximoff from attempting to use America Chavez's abilities to traverse the cosmos, Doctor Strange "dreamwalks" into the body of Defender Strange, the variation he killed. 
Zombified Strange encourages Chavez to unleash her full potential and transfer the Scarlet Witch to Earth-838, the Illuminati's homeworld.
That universe's Wanda Maximoff is brought to tears by Scarlet Witch as she terrorises her own children, Billy and Tommy.
In Doctor Strange's Multiverse of Madness conclusion, she seemingly sacrifices herself in the process of destroying the Darkhold in all realities and bringing down the temple at Mount Wundagore.





Sam Raimi and colleagues made a wise decision by concluding The Multiverse of Madness with an emotional conversation rather than a massive battle, gigantic monster fight, or laser in the sky.
Even initiatives like WandaVision, which started off as something new and exciting in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, have since devolved into large-scale generic hero vs villain fights a la Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Avengers.
When it comes to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness focusing on the interaction between its enemy and two protagonists, it feels new and deserved.

Zombie Doctor Strange in the Madness Multiverse


Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness shares this uncommon, controlled finish with its predecessor, Doctor Strange, although being handled by separate filmmakers.
In that film, Strange uses the Time Stone to bind Dormammu in a time loop within the Dark Dimension, defeating the inter-dimensional creature.
Both films demonstrate that the MCU's endings may transcend the conventional finale clichés and give thrilling, different finishes instead of third-act destruction. both films.
As seen by the spectacular end of Avengers: Endgame, a last fight isn't always necessary.
However, this should not be the norm in the MCU.


This lesson has been learnt by other Phase 4 MCU programmes.
Loki finishes with a lengthy conversation between Loki, Sylvie, and He Who Remains, which sets up the MCU's multiverse conflict and Kang.
Marvel screenwriters should trust themselves to develop interesting, innovative, and character-driven endings, as demonstrated by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, as well as Loki and Dr. Strange. 

 

"The script was incredibly amazing," says actress Léa Seydoux, who was slated to star in the aborted Gambit movie alongside Channing Tatum. 

Through the eyes of TC Phillips 

Published one hour and twenty minutes ago. 

MCU 

X-Men films continue to include Channing Tatum as Gambit. 

Léa Seydoux, a French actress, recently revealed about her role in the cancelled Gambit movie that was supposed to feature Channing Tatum as the mutant. 

In 2014, Fox revealed plans for a standalone Gambit film, with an October 2016 release date planned as part of the company's long-running X-Men series. 

Tatum, who was also slated to produce, approached a number of possible filmmakers who each turned him down. The movie would eventually run into a host of development hurdles. 

Tatum finally got Rise of the Planet of the Apes filmmaker Rupert Wyatt to direct the project in June 2015, but he would only stay in the post for three months before he left. 

While searching for a successor, Fox settled on Doug Liman, who would later leave the film and be replaced by Gore Verbinski, who had worked on Pirates of the Caribbean and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, among others. 

Verbinksi would follow in the footsteps of his predecessors and leave the picture without a director for a third time. 

It wasn't long after this point that Disney began its takeover of Fox, and the project was formally put on hold until that merger was complete. 

The movie was eventually cancelled and never released in May of 2019. 

Related: X-Men: Apocalypse Should Keep Channing Tatum As Gambit in the MCU 

IndieWire talked with Seydoux, who was originally cast as Tatum's love interest in the film, about the original script. 

"They wanted to make it more of a comedy, but the screenplay I read was incredibly fantastic," she says. 

You may read her entire post here:. 

The story was excellent. 

They intended to make it more of a comedy, although there were some hilarious elements in it. 

In my opinion, individuals in the United States are more imaginative. 

I've been approached about projects that are far apart from my previous work and I'm just, 'Oh. 

Interesting.’ 

I enjoy the feeling that I am able to adapt to new situations. 

That's a whole new world to me! 

The Gambit Channing Tatum 

Of course, the concern for many Marvel fans today is whether or not Tatum's version of the character will continue to exist in the MCU. 

Doctor Strange has just lately brought back Patrick Stewart's Professor Charles Xavier, so there's little doubt that this is a possibility. 

Despite this brief cameo appearance, just how Marvel Studios may incorporate the X-Men back into the MCU is still a hot issue of dispute. 

In theory, Tatum may have a shot at portraying Creole mutant, but there is no guarantee. 

Regardless of what fans think, it's safe to say that Fox's initial ideas for the Gambit film signify little in the context of today's MCU. 

Rumors and fan speculations abound as to how Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios will use the X-Men characters, but whatever they decide will be considerably different from the concepts planned before to the Disney/Fox merger. 

For now, perhaps Tatum's shelved Gambit picture can pique interest in bringing the idea back to life. 

 

The Illuminati and Charlize Theron's Clea are introduced in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness official film. 

Benedict Cumberbatch returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in the studio's next blockbuster, after his appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming. 

America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) is being pursued by the Scarlet Witch throughout the film, and he must defend her at all costs (Elizabeth Olsen). 

There is no better way for Marvel Studios to go deeper into the cosmos than with Doctor Strange: The Multiversity of Madness. 

As a result, a slew of new characters with ties to the MCU are introduced in the film. 

With Hayley Atwell as Captain Carter, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo, and Maria Rambeau's Captain Marvel as Maria Rambeau with Black Bolt, Mister Fantastic, and Professor X as the other members of the Illuminati on Earth-838 (Patrick Stewart). 

Theron makes her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Clea in the post-credits sequence of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which also introduces us to the super-secret squad. 

Also of Interest: Eight Years Before Doctor Strange 2's Best Scene, The X-Men Movies Did It. 

Marvel Studios has revealed new video from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which has been in cinemas for a few weeks and shows the Illuminati confronting Strange for the first time. 

Clea's entry in the MCU is also included in the video, which was published by Doctor Strange's official Twitter account. 

Take a look at this video: 

The original post may be found here. 

Four of Earth-838 Illuminati's six members have already been shown in previously released official footage. 

Even in this footage, Mister Fantastic and Professor X are nowhere to be found. 

It's odd that Marvel Studios isn't in the film, given that it's been a long time since the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and many fans already know about their involvement in the film. 

Considering that the existence of Charles Xavier was announced through the movie's promotion, there's no need to keep him a secret now that his cameo has been confirmed. 

Even if all of the members of Doctor Strange's Illuminati squad were still alive, the chances of seeing this identical lineup again in the MCU are minimal to none. 

Theron has been vocal about Clea's appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness for a long time now.. 

Marvel Studios has already made use of a promotional image of Clea and Doctor Strange in the film, so her inclusion in this new promo trailer isn't a surprise in the least. 

Her look, for the most part, doesn't disclose anything new. 

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we have no clue where she and Doctor Strange will go next based on what we know from the comics. 

Theron's cameo is a huge deal since it confirms her affiliation with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.