Category Archives: Comic Book Adaptations

Deadshot To Appear In CW’s Arrow

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The CW recently revealed that DC Comics villian Deadshot will in fact appear in their upcoming TV series “Arrow,” an adaptation of The Green Arrow comic series. Canadian actor Michael Rowe will portray the villain in the third episode, “Lone Gunmen.”

Rowe joins Kelly Hu, who will portray China White, and Deathstroke to round out the early list of bad guys Arrow will face.

Executive producer Marc Guggenheim (Green Lantern) explained that Arrow’s take on the character would be more faithful to the source material than DC’s last CW show, Smallville.

“You’ll definitely see the red eye piece, which is the most distinctive, iconic feature of that character, and I will say that with no slam to ‘Smallville’ intended, it’s a much more faithful version of Deadshot than the Deadshot that was in ‘Smallville’.”

But, Guggenheim explains, the show will take liberties with the character.

“In the same way that the pilot is a more grounded and realistic take on the material, our Deadshot is a more grounded and realistic take on the character than the fully costumed and masked super-villain that you see in the comics.”

Guggenheim also spoke about why he cast the unknown Rowe in the role in regards to his physical stature.

“Deadshot doesn’t speak much, so he has to have that physicality,” he says.

Stephen Amell (HBO’s Hung), who will portray the Arrow in the series, says Arrow’s relationship with Deadshot will be complicated.

“I can tell you that they are going to be after some of the same people,” Amell says. “Oliver does have a code. Obviously, it doesn’t include ‘no killing,’ as we’ve established so far, but there is a code. I don’t think Deadshot has it. I don’t think he respects his methods, which puts him in Oliver’s sights.”

The plot to Arrow sees billionaire Oliver Queen returning home with after being marooned on a remote island for five years. When he returns he has a mysterious new agenda, and a lethal skill set he will use to fight a war on crime.

Arrow will premiere Wednesday October 10 at 8 p.m.

The series co-stars Colin Donnell as Tommy, Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, with Susanna Thompson as Moira Queen and Paul Blackthorne as Detective Quentin Lance. Greg Berlanti (Green Lantern), Andrew Kreisberg (Warehouse 13, Fringe), and David Nutter (Smallville, Game Of Thrones) will also join Guggenheim as  co-executive producers.

Walking Dead Game Now Available on iOS

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Fans of the “Walking Dead” series can now experience the apocalypse on the go; the first episode of the critically acclaimed video game based on the comic book series has finally been released for iOS download.

Walking Dead: The Game (not to be confused with the app that allows you to read the comic series) follows Lee Everett, an original character created for the game, through his adventures in a world overrun by zombies.

The game was developed by Telltale Games, who previously developed games based on other hits shows like “CSI” and “Law & Order.” Uncharacteristic of other games in the zombie genre, the game is not action-based, but rather focuses on the stories and the characters.

Series regulars (and fan favorites) like Glenn and Hershel Greene will also make cameo appearances in the video game.

This allows fans of the series something else to be emotionally invested in while we count down the days till October 14, when Season 3 premieres.

As for what took Telltale so long to reach iOS gamers, according to http://www.idigitaltimes.com, “Telltale has taken the time to integrate their new interface design into the iOS version of their Walking Dead game. In other words, the company took the extra time to make sure the iOS version had a more intuitive experience by seamlessly blending the game’s actions into the environment.”

Walking Dead: The Game episode one, “A New Day,” is now supported on the following iOS devices: iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, and 4th Generation iPods and above.

Four more episodes are planned to be released in the coming months.

The Dark Knight Rises Logo

The Dark Knight Rises Tops Box Office For A Second Week

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The Dark Knight Rises Logo

The Dark Knight Rises topped the Box Office Report for the second weekend in a row since its release. The Dark Knight Rises dropped in sales Friday, partially due to the Olympics according to ComingSoon, but grossed an estimated $64.1 million on Saturday.

Internationally, the film has made $248.2 million for a worldwide total of $537.3 million.

It wasn’t an easy week for box office newcomers though, as both Adam Sandler’s That’s My Boy and the musical Rock of Ages failed to reach the top 12.

20th Century Fox’s Ice Age: Continental Drift took second place again, dropping 35% in its third weekend, and earning $13.3 million. It has earned $564.8 million globally.

Another newcomer, The Watch, took third place this weekend, earning 13 million in 3,168 theaters. The comedy, which stars Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and British comic Richard Aoyade, earned just over $4,100 per site.

The fourth installment of the dance franchise Step Up Revolution came in second place Friday with $4.8 million, but fell to fourth place for the weekend with $11.8 million. So far, the film has earned less than its predecessor, Step Up 3D, which opened to $15.8 million two years ago.

Seth MacFarlane’s comedy Ted, starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis, came in fifth place. It has earned $193.6 million in five weeks.

Another superhero took spot number six this weekend. The Amazing Spider-Man earned $6.8 million, bringing the film to a total of $654 million worldwide.

Disney-Pixar’s Brave came in seventh place with $4.2 million, and Magic Mike dropped to eighth place iwth $2.6 million.

Oliver Stone’s crime drama Savages took ninth place with $1.8 million, and Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom rounded out the top 10 in its 10th week.

For a more in-depth look at the box office results, visit http://www.comingsoon.net/boxoffice/.

An Illustrative Review of The Dark Knight Rises

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Why are you interested in this adaptation?

Rachel-

No one who reads our column will be surprised that I am a huge Batman fan. I think I was introduced to Batman through the excellent Batman: The Animated Series as a kid, but since Saturday morning episodes weren’t enough for me I was also picking up whatever comics I could get my hands on.

I love Batman. I love the whole Bat Family! They’re all so DAMAGED!

Needless to say, I’ve seen Nolan’s Batman Begins (I FELL ASLEEP in the theater watching that, you guys…I own it, though, so I’ve since seen it several times. I hate it. I HATE IT), and it’s not my cup of tea. Nolan’s obsession with making Batman realistic, the made-up character of Rachel…. The Dark Knight is much better and far more watchable, but I still feel like Nolan’s take on Batman is more like a Bond film with a different suit and not a comic book movie. I’m interested in The Dark Knight Rises because I want the Nolan trilogy to end. That’s kind of harsh. But it’s true. I’ve sat through the other two and I’m going for some Batman kicks.

Elena-

Can we change the question to be “why are you not interested”?  Because I am not interested.  Do you guys remember how when The Dark Knight came out in theaters, everyone loved it—and I mean everyone—except there was always that one token friend or friend of a friend that you had who didn’t like it, but they were such a minority they were almost the exception that proved the rule?  Y’all recall that?  I was that one friend.  I was the one person I and all of my friends knew who didn’t like the movie.

I liked the first one okay.  I don’t have a strong attachment to Batman or any of the old manifestations, so I didn’t mind the attempt to make it more realistic and less comics.  Whatever.  The directing was good, and the story didn’t piss me off.

The Dark Knight was awful for me. Too long by about an hour, waaaaay too many ancillary and pointless plotlines, and I guess it made me dislike Batman’s entire ethos because it is clearly not preventing awful people from doing awful things but rather punishing them for doing awful things.  Totally different thing.  Drop the Joker off the building, city-destroying disaster averted.  Oh, wait, what’s that, it would be immoral to do it?  Look, I’m as libertarian as it gets on civil liberties, I respect things like due process more than 99% of politicians would like, but that’s if you’re acting within the law—it’s to prevent the government from trampling your rights.  In the context, Batman has SEEN the Joker plan atrocities and LAUGH.  And his decision as a goddamned vigilante is to not kill him when he has the chance?  THE FUCK?  And then that shit went on for a whole nother 90 minutes before it was over.  It’s the closest I’ve come to walking out of a movie in recent memory.

I’m still traumatized by that one.

So I was only enthused about TDKR in the abstract, in the sense that if it exists to finance Nolan’s next Inception then I am all on board with him making it…I just don’t want to see it.  The one thing that would make me want to see it would be if it turns out to be, as the title suggests, Batman giving up his morality to actually be a dark knight who kills the motherfuckers before they can burn his ghetto to the ground.  Give me THAT movie, and MAYBE I will go see it.

What would make it awesome?

Elena-

I believe I just answered that question.  Abstain from redundancy.

Rachel-

What would make it awesome is if Batman is in the movie? The other two films show Bruce having to discover then rediscover Batman. If Batman has to re-Batman again in another hour and a half of “inner struggle” about how Gotham doesn’t need Batman…I will freak out.

I’m hoping for some Catwoman action. Out-smarting all these tech obsessed boys would also be great.

What would make it suck?

Rachel-

I know already that it’s going to be three hours long…so that will probably suck. Only because I know how the Nolan Batman films can DRAG, and sitting there for three hours while Batman batrasps at me and moons over dead fakeRachel will suuuuuck.

I’m really nervous about Bane. Why is Bane British? Why can I not understand him in the trailers? What’s going on with his aerosol mask?  Is this movie going to be one unintelligible guy shouting at another unintelligible guy with Anne Hathaway making stupid jokes in between?

Elena-

It will suck if it is as needlessly overcomplicated as the second one was.  That many plotlines that are ancillary to the main story are basically masturbation fodder.  Which, fine, if you’re into that sort of thing, but I’m not, so save it for the director’s cut and let me skate out of this with only two hours of my life lost and not three, k thx bye.

Thoughts on casting/production?

Rachel-

I am ambivalent about Tom Hardy. He’s cloned Captain Picard from Stark Trek: Nemesis. He has puffy lips. Those lips will supposedly never be seen as he is playing Bane, and Nolan’s version of Bane is a dude permanently hooked up to Darth Vader’s respiratory machine. I don’t know why. Will we learn why?

Elena-

Wait, Tom Hardy is Bane?  Suddenly I almost want to see this!  Hardy is still on my automatic-cred list because of Bronson.  It’s going to take a few more stinkers from him for that glamour to wear off…although he does seem to be trying pretty hard to just play the same character every time now.  I guess that’s ergonomic.  Maybe Bane will add some range to his recent portfolio.

Rachel-

Anne Hathaway as Catwoman is both really interesting and really terrifying. Hathaway has that old-fashioned brunette with a round face look that Nolan casts IN ALL OF HIS FILMS. The Catwoman costume I’ve seen is OK. It’s a black jumpsuit with stupid-ass goggle cat-ear things. There appears to be no whip. She also wears RIDICULOUS shoes. Nolan is so obsessed with making everything hyper-realistic, but he’s got Catwoman in shoes she wouldn’t be able to climb around buildings on. So I’m going to assume that she doesn’t climb around buildings and she just wiggle-walks everywhere…hopefully while flipping everyone off. Her casting is definitely a callback to Julie Newmar rather than the Darwyn Cooke design with the head gear, goggles, and short hair.

Elena-

Gotta be honest, Hathaway is a challenge for me. She is one of those actresses that I can never see as the character; I always just see her as Anne Hathaway, even though I think she actually is kind of okay at acting?  Maybe?  So she seems pretty much like a terrible choice to me for Catwoman.  But I don’t know who would do it better so why not?

Reaction to film: ***Spoilers Abound***

Elena-

So.  Convince me to see this one. If you can.

Rachel-

Welp….

That was…that was, well actually it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Yes, Batman did have to re-Batman his Batman for two hours. WHY? WHY CAN’T HE JUST BE BATMAN?

Bruce has spent the last eight years being a shut-in with a cane (why he needs the cane is unknown, because he seemed FINE at the end of the last film…I guess he was shot?) even though, and this is the fundamental part of Batman that Nolan seems to not understand, Bruce would never STOP being Batman. This is an issue that comes again and again in the film, culminating in an ending where Bruce permanently gives up Batman.

WHAAAT?

That’s just a Batcation, right? Bruce is going to get bored in about 12 seconds (five seconds after Selina realizes spending all her time with a no-longer-super-rich dude not stealing things suuuucks) and head back to Gotham and the mansion he left to the city for a Vigilante Orphan Boys Home. He’ll go down into the Batcave and let notRobin know how to sign in to the Batcomputer and then call out to Alfred, who would also HAVE NEVER LEFT BRUCE, “Alfred! Bring me another Orphan Boy!”

And all will be well with the world.

Wedging Bane in as Talia’s protector and tying it all back to the League of Shadows in Batman Begins felt a little forced, an attempt by Nolan to bring his trilogy full circle. (I see what you did there, you Lazaraus Pit hater! GHOST LIAM NEESON CAN BITE ME!)  However, I still appreciated the fact that Nolan dipped more into the comics for TDKR than in his previous Batman films. Several scenes seemed pulled straight from the comics, if not in meaning then at least in visual language.

I still found Bane to be absolutely unintelligible.  I got maybe every fifth word. It was incredibly frustrating. Nolan’s attempt to make Bane more intelligible seems to have been to just up his dialogue track by 200 percent and give us the finger. Thanks. That didn’t help at all! It just made Bane seem like he was being dubbed in and mixed by a telenovela team.

Elena…I know you are not into Batman, so I want to make it clear: ROBIN’S NAME IS NOT ROBIN. His name is also not John. I…don’t understand how this happened. Nolan is so anti-Robin that he’ll make up a dissatisfied cop character and…NAME him Robin? IT’S SO WEIRD! There are plenty of actual Robin name’s to choose from but…well, what’s wrong with naming him Richard?

If he was worried that his heavy-handed foreshadowing throughout the film was ruining the surprise, then keep the John name and change the “actual” name stupidest last line for a movie ever from “Robin” to “Richard.” What? Was he worried that people who didn’t know DICK about Batman wouldn’t get the reference?

Here’s a thing…

…How about you shouldn’t CARE! If my mom watched that movie and didn’t get why having him named “Richard” (assuming “Dick” was too old fashioned) was related to the character taking on the Batmantle, as it were…WHO CARES?! My mom isn’t watching this film. You know who is? FANS. People for whom the reference is a Google or a lean over to the person next to them away if they didn’t get it already.

ROBIN IS NOT HIS NAME. That would like me becoming “Rachel Gal” and then attempting to have a secret identity.

UGH. THAT WAS REALLY ANNOYING.

I think the people who are really into the Nolan Batman films are fine. I’m glad they enjoy them. I’m glad that they can watch those films and read the comics and not have issues. I’m not one of those people. I don’t think an adaptation should slavishly follow the source material, but I do think that the main identifying characteristics and personality of the most important characters should make it from page to screen.

Nolan’s Batman has always been a tool for Bruce Wayne to go from damaged child to well-adjusted adult. Batman is something that holds Bruce back, if Nolan’s Alfred is to be believed. In actuality Batman has always been more than a mask and more than a symbol. Batman IS Bruce Wayne. The play boy, the rich kid…he is the tool of Batman. Bruce is the mask. Nolan doesn’t think this, and so I’ll never like these movies as much as some of you, but I respect that Nolan has ushered in an era of comic book movies as more than comedy action flicks. They should be as topical and inspiring as the comics. Hopefully though, the next Batman reboot won’t take it QUITE so seriously. I’d like to see a Gotham that has room in it for a Batman that never gives up.

Elena-

Even your fake enthusiasm was not enough to sell me on this one.  Maybe some pictures might help?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Dark Knight Rises Doesn’t Disappoint – Review

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Last night I excitedly headed to the BIG theater in my city to see a movie I just couldn’t wait for, The Dark Knight Rises. I want to preface this review by saying that I went into this movie with high expectations. After the impressive film, The Dark Knight, I felt like this film, the ending of a trilogy, had to be better than the previous, though I had in my mind it might be an impossible standard.

However, The Dark Knight Rises does NOT disappoint. I will say that I did not think it was better, but it was on par and as good as the previous installment.

The film pulls the audience in very early on with the almost immediate introduction of Bane. We are only a few minutes into the film when we are introduced to the main “villain” of this tale and with it the story quickly begins its jaunty three hour ride. Not to mention I was ecstatic to see Petyr Baelish make an appearance ( or  Aidan Gillen for you non Game of Thrones watchers.)

We also are very quickly introduced to Anne Hathaway’s character, Selina Kyle/ Catwoman. I was totally against her in the role from the minute her casting was announced. It wasn’t that I didn’t think she couldn’t handle the role, I just have never really liked her in her other projects. (I also have a spot in my heart that is taken by Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.) BUT, Hathaway’s performance was almost flawless. She portrayed the sultry, confident cat burglar who is actually not evil, isn’t a villain. I also found her to be a great foil for Batman/Bruce Wayne. Her ideals and actions are opposite his but deep down they are very similar – they want to get out on their own terms. You can see the chemistry between the actors from the get go and it only grows through out the film.

JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT. (need I say more?)

YES. THIS.

Also his acting was fantastic and I sense Night Wing on the horizon.

This movie did make me feel like an idiot though. Not in the way you think. There is a HUGE twist at the end, that still surprised me. After it was revealed, I felt dumb for not seeing it sooner. It might have to do with some misdirection by some of the cast members in interviews, but I was definitely caught off guard by the big reveal. I won’t give it away here because you deserve to experience it on your own if you reading this before seeing the film.

One thing that I disliked what the time framing. After Bane comes to power and Batman (is somewhere else entirely) there is no frame of reference of how much time is passing. We can ASSUME it is at the least a few weeks, but there is no real knowledge of it has been week, months, or even a year. It’s not like I was some cliched montage or some equally annoying shit, I just want some frame of reference. We only find out how long it has been right before the action is about go down and someone outright says it. But it takes to long to establish that more than a few weeks as passed. I found it to be slightly lazy on either the Director’s part or the screenwriters part.  However, while cinematically, this bothered me, it in no way hindered the actual movie for me.

Most of all, this film was a great addition to the trilogy as awhole. It flowed seamlessly from the end of The Dark Knight to create something you can watch back to back without missing a beat. It looks similar to the first two and was just as action packed and character oriented as the rest.

Also: TEARS WERE SHED. The ending was PERFECT. Tears of sadness followed by tears of joy. (There is just something so heartbreaking about watching Alfred blubber that released the floodgates of tear waterfall.) The ending gives closure to  not just this film but the entire trilogy. It packs everything up in a neat little bow while closing the stories of some characters and opening the doors of others.

Seriously, who can watch him breakdown and not at least tear up?

The Dark Knight Rises Unsurprisingly Leads Box Office

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Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises reached the top of the box office charts over the weekend despite the deadly shootings in Aurora, Colo. at the Friday midnight screening.

Warner Bros., followed by all major studios, decided to withhold box office estimates throughout the weekend out of sensitivity to the families of the Aurora victims, but released the report Monday.

The third and final installment in Nolan’s Batman trilogy earned $160.9 million from 4,404 theaters. This is the best opening ever for a 2D title, beating The Dark Knight’s $158.4 million opening, and the third largest overall domestically, behind Marvel’s The Avengers at $207.4 million and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2 at $169.2 million.

The film earned $75.5 million on Friday, $44.9 million on Saturday and $40.2 million on Sunday. It earned $88 million from 17 international markets for a worldwide total of $249 million after one weekend.

IMAX screens contributed $4.8 million overseas, according to ComingSoon.

Trailing the Caped Crusader in the box office report is Ice Age: Continental Drift (last week’s #1), which dropped 56.2 percent in ticket sales and earned $20.4 million. The sequel has earned $88.8 million after two weeks.

The film’s worldwide total is now at $529.3 million. Rounding out the top three is another superhero flick, Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man. Spidey dropped 68.6 percent in its third weekend, earning $10.9 million.

To see ComingSoon’s entire report, click here.

Inside Look At The Marvel Universe Boxset

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Marvel has released a new trailer for its upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe box set. It shows viewers how all of the discs and extras are stored, as well as the surprises inside the back of the case.

Check out the video below:

The following content is included in the 10-disc set:

Marvel’s The Avengers (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)

Released: May 2012

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson

“Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. brings together a team of super humans to form The Avengers to help save the Earth from Loki and his army.”

Captain America: The First Avenger (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-Ray)

Released: July 2011

Starring: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving and Samuel L. Jackson

“After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending the USA’s ideals.”

Thor (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-Ray)

Released: May 2011

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman

“The powerful but arrogant warrior Thor is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.”

Iron Man 2 (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-Ray)

Released: May 2010

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke and Gwyneth Paltrow

“Because of his superhero alter ego, Tony Stark must contend with deadly issues involving the government, his own friends and new enemies.”

The Incredible Hulk (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)

Released: June 2008

Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler and Tim Roth

“Dr. Bruce Banner, thanks to a gamma ray experiment gone wrong, transforms into a giant green-skinned hulk whenever his pulse rate gets too high. Meanwhile, a soldier uses the same technology to become an evil version of the original.”

Iron Man (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)

Released: May 2008

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard

“When wealthy industrialist Tony Stark is forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident, he ultimately decides to use its technology to fight against evil.”

Bonus Disc- The Phase One Archives (Blu-ray)

Collectible packaging with exclusive memorabilia from the Marvel Cinematic Universe

The set will be released Sept. 25, but it can be preordered on Amazon now for $139.96.

Three Popular Shows Have Three Terrible Television Mothers

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Anyone who reads any kind of entertainment news, or really ever turns on a television, knows that HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” “True Blood,” and AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” are incredibly popular. They have dominated award shows, viewership has been through the roof, they include impressive casts, and people generally can’t stop talking about them.

All three shows house some of the worst TV mother’s. It seems each of these characters have their own self interest in mind rather than their child and continually do harm to that child whether physically or emotionally. In short, they are the worst. But we can’t blame the writing, these moms are adaptations of characters from written work, they were written to be terrible for a reason.

(It is also weird that all three characters start with the letter “L”)

So here is a countdown of the three worst television mothers.

3. Lysa Arryn/Tully (Game of Thrones)

Looking at Lysa’s character from both the TV standpoint and ASOIAF, it is painfully obvious for the audience and other characters that Lysa does not have her son’s best interest in mind.

She creepily continues to breastfeed her son, Robert, in a way that could be a poster for attachment parenting, though the biggest issue is her continual overprotection and isolationism of the son. She also denies the boy almost nothing, giving in to his whims, basically teaching him nothing of the real world outside the Vale.

Her mental instability and paranoia have resulted in her secluding herself and her son in the Eyrie.  Even though she has a chance to send Robert to be fostered else where (where he would be kept safe), she denies, keeping the weakling son in her arms and at her breast. Robert is getting no training on how to defend himself in a world where everyone dies pretty damn quickly and often.

ASOIAF Spoiler Ahead

Because of Lysa’s extreme overprotection of Robert, when she dies, he becomes also mentally unstable attempting to latch on to whatever maternal figure he can find.

Lysa is not the worst mother out there, but in the world that they live in, he needs to learn to fight, to be brave, not to rely on others to keep him safe. Sansa learned that lesson the hard way, and Robert will too.

2. Lettie Mae (True Blood)

I had reservations about putting her on this list because while she is TERRIBLE, she appears infrequently. However, last weeks episode proved just how awful Lettie Mae can be.

Mother to Tara Thornton (who is in her own right annoying), Lettie Mae has done some serious mind fucking over the years. An abusive alcoholic, Lettie Mae spent Tara’s life neglecting her, beating her, and verbally abusing her. yet she uses her bond as her mother to excersize control over Tara, such as getting her to give her money for an exorcism. While this ended up working psychologically to help Lettie Maw recover from addiction, it doesn’t save their relationship in the long run.

When Tara is distraught over the death of Eggs, Lettie Maw is more preoccupied with getting with the Reverend than helping her daughter. Tara then almost commits suicide while Lettie is failing to keep an eye on her.

After she married the Reverend, Lettie Mae disowns Tara as she is an embarrassment to the preacher’s wife (though being fucking nuts isn’t for some reason?)

Lettie Mae can be cited as one of the reasons Tara is “so screwed up” as an adult. Tara has followed in her mothers footsteps with alcoholism in the past as well as having low self esteem and being generally cold hearted and mean to those who try to get close to her. I think it is reasonable to believe that if Tara had a mother like Gran she would have turned out a little better.

Instead we have a character that hardly anyone likes and who seems to be angry all the time. UGH. Thanks a lot Lettie Mae, lets hope the Reverend doesn’t find a new younger wife and divorce you like he did his previous wife. (I also want to point out that even though she has been :saved” she still walks around and talks like she is drunk ALL THE TIME.)

1. Lori (The Walking Dead)

We all know this list isn’t complete with out Lori. There is so many reasons why we love to hate her. (Not to mention the actress, Sarah Wayne Callies, portrays the character perfectly.)

Let start with the Shane situation. Even in the post-apocalyptic world, you shouldn’t sleep with your husband’s best friend. Plenty of others are not out getting it on zombie style during the apocalypse and yet she chose to do the horizontal dance with Shane (not even Daryl c’mon hasn’t she seen Boondock Saints?) Shane becomes surrogate father for her son Carl, yet when Rick shows up, she doesn’t even want Shane around. She never considered that Carl might want/need Shane around as he had been there, bonding with him. Instead she pushes Shane away, instigating more and more animosity among the group.

And the biggest reason of all. SHE NEVER KEEPS TRACK OF CARL. What kind of mother does this? One is selfish and manipulative. She is also against her son learning vital survival skills in a world where protecting oneself is KEY. She also never really connects with her son in their trying times or listens to what he has to say. Carl is consistently getting away from the group, because lets face it he is still a KID even in the apocalyptic world, yet Lori never seems to notice and remains obvious to the location of her child.

She says she is first and foremost a mother, yet she exceedingly fails in the role.

The Future of Lori and Rick In The Walking Dead Season 3

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The prison setting for season three of the incredibly popular AMC series, “The Walking Dead,” seems to be the safest  hideout yet for the band of survivors. However, the relationships with in the group are becoming questionable. Specifically the relationship of Rick and Lori.

Fans may wonder what Rick sees in Lori let alone how he deals with her constantly putting members of the group (and their son) in danger.

Their marriage has been falling apart from the beginning of the series, but fans saw a huge turning point when Lori told Rick to kill her former lover Shane and then turned her back on him once Shane was dead.

Glen Mazzara, the show’s executive producer reveals a little bit about their relationship in the aftermath of Shane’s death.

“Part of that horror you saw in that last episode was revulsion in her part in that. I think she blames herself. I don’t know if she did intend to put Rick in motion, but she did. They have to deal with that.”

Let us not forget that Lori is pregnant with a child that may or may not be Shane’s. This is already a huge issue but this isn’t the real world anymore where they can simply separate due to “irreconcilable differences” or “my wife is whore.” Their marriage is put on the forefront of the entire band of survivors.

 “They don’t know whose child that is,” Mazzara continues. “They have to figure out what they can do. They can’t get divorced. How do you repair that marriage in front of everybody? It’s such a tight group. It affects everybody in the group, that strife within that marriage.”

It may seem that nothing short of a miracle can bring the post apocalyptic family back together but Sarah Wayne Callies, the actress that plays the much fan despised Lori, says that the key to rebuilding their family is common ground.

 “Lori’s fear is that, in killing Shane, Rick became Shane and that he’s turned into a man who’s not a humane, compassionate person, but somebody who is now somewhat cold and bloodthirsty,” she says. “But Rick’s fear is that Lori will reject him and will refuse to see that everything he’s doing for her he’s doing out of love for her and his family. The two of them are so mired in self-hatred and shame right now that they can’t reach out to one another. That’s a big rift to find a way to cross.”

Lori’s role in the upcoming season will also be more subdued due to her pregnancy. But the question on many fans minds is whether or not her pregnancy will lead to her being more active in the life of her child. Will she know where he is? Will she redeem herself out of the ranks of television’s worst mothers?

“A big role for her is seeking redemption and she’s very anxious to make sure that her pregnancy doesn’t end up putting anyone in jeopardy,” Callie says. “She wants to make sure that good people don’t put themselves in danger to protect her because she feels deeply unworthy of that right now. At the same time, she’s got a real desire to create a home. Whereas Rick can see a fortress, Lori is the one who turns that fortress into a home. That’s her goal.”

All this is amplified by the impending doom they face every day as well as the rest of the group looking up to the couple for not only friendship but also guidance and hope.

Even though the Ricktatorship seems harsh, it may be the best way for the group to survive at the moment. Andrew Lincoln, the actor who plays Rick, revealed some insight behind Rick’s decisions and the effects on the group.

“I think he’s become more uncompromising certainly in the third season,” Lincoln says. “He’s sick and tired of people dragging their heels and talking. He’s had to kill his best friend for this group of people. He’s furious and he’s conflicted. That’s human. Certainly in the first six episodes of Season 3, the pressure that they’re under is enormous.”

Don’t worry, however, Lincoln states that Rick will not become another Shane. Despite his anger, his unhappiness and his strained relationship with his family, he will primarily try to act for the betterment of the group.

“[Rick] is a man that begins in one place as a sheriff – he couldn’t be more of an embodiment of law and order – and he just gets thrown into this leadership role. You’re sort of still rooting for this guy, though actually he hasn’t made some of the greatest decisions, because he’s driven by a moral center still.”

Fans of the comic book series already know that season 3 brings a major turning point in not only the story but also within the relationship of Rick and Lori.

(WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE COMICS OR IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW THE FUTURE OF THE SERIES.)

Callies also spoke about why her death in the comics was not subverted in the television series and why it was so important that her story line stay true to the source material. She revealed that her death has a profound and vital effect on Rick.

 “On a show like The Walking Dead, you know that your very first scene brings you one scene closer to the scene where you’re going to get iced,” Callies says. “That’s just the nature of the beast. [Former showrunner] Frank Darabont and I actually — before he was tragically and unfairly removed from the show — we used to argue about it. I argued that it was necessary to kill Lori. I feel very strongly that for all of the other deviations that we have from the script that we may have from the comic book, killing Lori does something to Rick that is vital for the story and that can’t be done any other way. I’ve said from the beginning, not only am I OK with Lori dying, but I think she has to. I’ve played this character with an eye toward an end.”

A lot is in store for the family of “The Walking Dead. The third season of The Walking Dead, will premiere Sunday, Oct. 14 at 9/8c on AMC.

 

The Walking Dead To Be Featured At Halloween Horror Nights Experience

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Robert Kirkman’s “The Walking Dead” has become the first television series to be featured at Universal Studios and its Orlando counterpart’s Halloween Horror Nights experience.

The event will include mazes designed to resemble the post-apocalyptic world of the AMC series. The sets will be elaborate, and will include iconic locations and scenes from the show, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Walkers” will also be wandering around both parks.

“We want people to experience the same terror of the walker-filled reality our characters faced in Seasons 1 and 2 — and will continue to face in our third season,” said Greg Nicotero, co-executive producer and special effects makeup artist. “Our collaboration with Universal’s creative teams is exciting as we work to truly capture the essence of the show.”

Halloween Horror Nights has been an annual event for Universal Studios for more than 20 years, featuring stage shows, mazes and other interactive events.

Season three of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” will begin Oct. 14.