AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Erin

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

By Erin

From Marvel Studios comes the eagerly anticipated “Avengers: Infinity War,” which is the third installment in the “Avengers” franchise and the 19th Marvel Studios film to date. The release also marks the 10-year anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which began with the release of “Iron Man” in 2008.“Avengers: Infinity War” picks up as the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, but a dangerous menace has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos. A despot of intergalactic infamy, Thanos will stop at nothing to collect all six Infinity Stones in his quest to wield unimaginable power and his twisted will on all of humanity.

This past Sunday the press junket for the Avengers: Infinity War took place in Beverly Hills. It was way different from any other junket any of us had ever been to before. The crowd was abuzz and filled with wonder as there were 20 celebrities on the list of appearing talent, but no set up for where everyone would be sitting. Just a big black curtain with the Avengers logo on it. Were they going to make a grand appearance by flying down from the ceiling or through the big black curtain? So many possibilities, Marvel always keeps you guessing!

If you’ve seen Thor: Ragnarok, then you know who the Grandmaster is, Jeff Goldblum. This was a pleasant surprise as this was not something we were told about. In bingo type fashion, he began to randomly choose ping-pong balls with a guest’s name or category on it. As we had less than an hour, this was a great way to make sure everyone would have a chance to speak. There were lots of questions, but not many real answers to make a long story short. Here’s all who were in attendance.

Dave Bautista (“Drax”)

Paul Bettany (“Vision”)

Chadwick Boseman (“T’Challa / Black Panther”)

Josh Brolin (“Thanos”)

Don Cheadle (“James Rhodes / War Machine”)

Benedict Cumberbatch (“Dr Stephen Strange”)

Robert Downey Jr. (“Tony Stark / Iron Man”)

Winston Duke (“M’Baku”)

Danai Gurira (“Okoye”)

Chris Hemsworth (“Thor”)

Tom Hiddleston “Loki”)

Holland (“Peter Parker / Spider-Man”)

Scarlett Johansson (“Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow”)

Pom Klementieff (“Mantis”)

Anthony Mackie (“Sam Wilson / Falcon”)

Elizabeth Olsen (“Wanda Maximoff / Scarlett Witch”)

Chris Pratt (“Peter Quill / Star-Lord”)

Mark Ruffalo (“Bruce Banner / The Hulk”)

Zoe Saldana (“Gamora”)

Sebastian Stan (“Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier”)

Letitia Wright (“Shuri”)

Director Anthony Russo

Director Joe Russo

Producer Kevin Feige

We learned that they like bass fishing and there were some interesting fashion questions, but there were no spoilers, comments or information given out about the movie at all. The cast all commented that they knew nothing about the script and that they have never seen it.

Here is some fun info about the film though (no spoilers though of course) from the notes from the film!

*”Avengers: Infinity War” has been 10 years in the making, and putting together the greatest ensemble of Super Hero characters was the job of directors Anthony and Joe Russo, who were tapped by Kevin Feige to helm the studios’ biggest film to date

*“The story of ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ is the result of everything we’ve ever done to this point,” said Kevin Feige. “It is the unprecedented culmination of a series of storylines interlinked together, which had never been done before.”

*In the cosmos, the most powerful items one can possess are the Infinity Stones. Thanos learns of the stones and believes if he can secure all six, he can rule the universe. “The Infinity Stones represent the six different elements of the universe that create all life and power the universe,” explains Joe Russo. “The Infinity Stones in the movie represent the only way for Thanos to bring balance to the universe on the grand and cosmic scale he envisions in a permanent fashion.”

*With the Infinity Gauntlet securely on his left hand, Thanos begins his quest to fill the gauntlet with the stones, and thus begins the Avengers’ urgent mission to stop him by any means—and at any cost.

Marvel’s Black Panther Movie

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Erin

Marvel’s Black Panther

By Erin

The time has finally come! The next installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Panther, is out! In 2016, we welcomed T’Challa/Black Panther to the big screen and he was introduced to us in “Captain America: Civil War,” the record-breaking hit film that pitted the Avengers against one another. When the Black Panther character debuted in the ’60s it was a daring move for the Marvel bullpen of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby to introduce this new character, an African character who is smarter than many of the other heroes and is stronger than most of the other heroes. To be able to put that on the big screen fifty years later is incredibly exciting to see!

Over the years, plans for rolling out a “Black Panther” chapter into the Marvel Studios pipeline had been discussed, but it ultimately came to fruitation when Feige opted to showcase Black Panther in “Civil War” as a springboard for a stand-alone feature film, so here we are with this masterpiece.

Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) ©Marvel Studios 2018

“Black Panther” follows T’Challa who, afer the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, he returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to take his rightful place as King. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life. It’s a very powerful film and I wanted to share some fun facts about the film before (or after if you’ve already seen it!) you head out to go see it.

Marvel’s Black Panther character made his debut in the comic book world in “Fantastic Four Vol. 1” Issue 52, published in 1966.
An important part of the Black Panther lore incorporated into the film is the Dora Milaje, the cadre of strong fierce women who serve as the personal security force to the King and royal family. These tall, statuesque, bald-headed warrior women, who move as one, command attention wherever they go.
Led by Danai Gurira’s character, Okoye, the Dora Milaje security force features an international contingent of women from all over the world, including Florence Kasumba who returns to play Ayo, a character that first appeared in Marvel Studios’ “Captain America: Civil War.” The Dora Milaje were cast from a pool of actresses, stunt women and Broadway dancers so that each individual Dora could have specialized skills that they brought to the table.

Okoye (Danai Gurira), Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Ayo (Florence Kasumba) Photo: Matt Kennedy© Marvel Studios 2018

Thor: Ragnarok Review

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Erin

Thor: Ragnarok

By Devon

Vivid. Dazzling. Flashy. Intense. All words that come to mind when I watch the new Thor: Ragnarok, coming to theaters today, November 3^rd.

This third Thor film begins with a battle going on between Thor and Surtur, a fire demon. Thor learns that his father, Odin, is no longer on Asgard, and that the realm itself will soon fall to Ragnarok if Surtur places his crown on the Eternal Flame. Ultimately, Thor defeats Surtur and makes his way to Asgard, believing Ragnarok has been prevented. However, coming to Asgard, he finds his brother, Loki, posing as Odin; they travel together to Earth where they find Stephen Strange. Stephen leads them to a dying Odin, who explains that his firstborn daughter, Hela, will be released upon his passing.

Marvel Studios’ THOR: RAGNAROK..L to R: Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston)..Ph: Film Frame..©Marvel Studios 2017

The movie advances from there, introducing several new and lovable characters along the way. From the very beginning of the movie, I knew this was going to have a very different feel from the others in the Thor storyline. If you read my post about the press junket I attended where I was able to interview members of the cast from this movie, you’ll remember me saying that Taika Waititi worked with the entire cast wanting to give this movie “a new sensibility.”

There’s definitely a lot more humor in this movie than in the others; in a good way, of course. Chris Hemsworth portrays a much more witty Thor than we’ve seen before, and it definitely sets a good balance between the comedic side and the dark and dramatic side. I never would’ve pinned Chris Hemsworth as the next to come out as a comedic outbreak, but he sure proved that he was. His wit and charisma that plays along with most characters he comes into contact with throughout the movie put such a different spin on the entire Thor series of the MCU, but I think it was a necessary twist given how dark the previous Thor was. But of course, that all gets balanced out as well, with the introduction of Hela, Cate Blanchett’s character. Hela is Odin’s firstborn daughter, the goddess of death. She is dark and mysterious, and has Thor and Loki confused as to her existence and where she even came from, as all history of her in Asgard has been hidden away since her imprisonment. Adorning head-to-toe black and a headdress that reminds the crowd of horns, she manifests weapons and was able to destroy Thor’s beloved hammer within minutes of being introduced to her. She’s such a powerful villain that leaves all of the heroes wondering how to defeat her, and Cate Blanchett really pushes that narrative with such an impressive and dominant portrayal, she definitely steals the show when she’s on screen.

One of the new characters we met was Valkyrie, played by Tessa Thompson, a mercenary who we find capturing Thor and taking him to serve the Grandmaster, played by Jeff Goldblum, who is the ruler of this planet named Sakaar. Tessa Thompson did a wonderful job portraying Valkyrie, who once defended Asgard against Hela long ago, and now works for the Grandmaster. Valkyrie is a very strong character, both physically and mentally, as she easily holds her own against the likes of both Thor and Loki. Not only in character though, Tessa’s portrayal is so strong that she doesn’t just fall to a side character, she’s so well integrated that it actually leaves you wanting more from her. If the idea of a stand-alone Valkyrie movie were to come to fruition, I think it would do some wonderful justice in building up such a powerful female hero.

Jeff Goldblum as the Grandmaster is the twisted, eccentric ruler of Sakaar. The Grandmaster was such an amusing character to watch, being both somewhat sarcastic but also somewhat sadistic, in a way where he pins warriors together to fight tooth and nail in his Contest of Champions. Watching Jeff portray the Grandmaster, you can definitely tell he took the idea and ran with it. I definitely think his talent as a jazz musician added to the character improvisation as well, with the way the Grandmaster talks and sways when he walks.

Marvel Studios Thor: Ragnarok..L to R: Topaz (Rachel House), Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson)..Photo: Jasin Boland..©Marvel Studios 2017

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AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR