Mike Flanagan’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ Could Be a Major Formula Shift

October 6, 2021October 7, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

Mike Flanagan’s name might sound too new to add to the list of legendary horror writers. He’s been developing some truly horrific ideas for over two decades now, finding success in suspenseful thrillers like Hush and Oculus, or in multi-layered horror dramas like The Haunting Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, or Midnight Mass. Yet there are undoubtedly some who would still hesitate to put his name next to the likes of Stephen King, Bram Stoker, or Mary Shelley.

Movies, Streaming

Colman Domingo and Chris Rock Lead the Cast of ‘Rustin’ Biopic

October 5, 2021October 5, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

Many heroes are lost to time, but legends never die. Bayard Rustin isn’t a name people know as well as Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X. But much like his fellow Freedom Riders and speakers for justice, that kind of notoriety probably wouldn’t have interested Rustin all that much. Nevertheless, it’s a name we’ll all hopefully be getting more familiar with thanks to a new biopic from the ingenious mind of George C. Wolfe.

Streaming, Television

Gwendoline Christie Joins the Spooky Cast of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’

September 21, 2021September 22, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

From the cold fronts of Westeros, to the chilling halls of Nevermore Academy. Gwendoline Christie joins the cast of Wednesday — the brand new Netflix series — as Larissa Reems.

Movies, Streaming

Nothing is Black and White in Monochromatic Trailer for ‘Passing’

September 21, 2021September 23, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

Being “white-passing” comes with a certain kind of privilege. One that can mean the difference between a life of discrimination or a life of luxury. Such a privilege is the topic of discussion in Passing, the brand new film based on the book by Nella Larsen, coming to Netflix and select theaters later this year.

DC Comics, Podcasts

DC’s ‘Batman Unburied’ Finds Its Riddler in Hasan Minhaj

September 15, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

The Batman Unburied podcast has just gotten a little bigger. Previously, it was reported that Winston Duke (Black Panther, Us) would voice Bruce Wayne/Batman, while Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter) would voice his trusted butler/father figure Alfred. The two are headlining the podcast written by David S. Goyer, which promises an original story that tests the limits of Batman’s physical strength as well as his mental capabilities as Gotham City’s greatest protector.

Comics, Marvel

New ‘Amazing Spider-Man Beyond’ Trailer Introduces a Familiar Comic Face

September 14, 2021September 14, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

Spider-Man has had some truly iconic moments in his comic book history. From Peter Parker’s initial debut as the wall-crawling webhead in Amazing Fantasy #15 in 1962, to the introduction of the vast Spider-Verse in 2014. Arguably one of his most controversial moments was during the “Clone Saga.”

Horror, Movies

‘Candyman’ and the Importance of On-Screen Black Positivity

September 5, 2021September 4, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

So it’s August 24, 2021. Well, obviously not today, unless I finally caught a time traveler in the act, but that was the day I saw Candyman in theaters. Which for the sake of this article, is a very important date.

DC Comics, Movies

In Retrospect: ‘Birds of Prey’ and the Un-Fantabulous Omission of One Cathy Yan

August 13, 2021August 13, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

I don’t typically like to compare movies. Sure, most films of recent are either a reboot, sequel or adaptation. At the very least, they take reference from kind of source material. But some movies are more comparable than others, like Suicide Squad (2016) and The Suicide Squad (2021). However, aside from confusingly similar titles, a couple of returning players, and a similar world-saving plot, these two movies have almost nothing in common.

Marvel, Movies, Streaming

We Was Kangs: On Jonathan Majors’ Lively ‘Loki’ Performance

July 28, 2021November 18, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

It has been a minute since the season one finale for Loki aired. These last few Loki-less Wednesdays [not counting the making-of special last week] have been brutal, but they’ve allowed me to take a sort of reflective look at the Marvel series.

DC Comics, Podcasts

Winston Duke and Jason Isaacs Headline ‘Batman Unburied’

July 27, 2021July 29, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

Let’s face it folks, there’s a lot of Batman stuff out there. I don’t have to really tell you that. All you need to do is turn a corner and about twenty different Batmen will show up asking you to vote them as the best Caper Crusader (spoiler alert, it will forever be Kevin Conroy and TV’s Adam West in a landslide tie).

Martial Arts, Movies

‘Snake Eyes’ Rolls High With Experimental Take on Classic Character’s Origin

July 23, 2021July 23, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

I couldn’t tell you much about the G.I. Joe universe. I know the pamphlet description: a group of U.S. anti-terrorists militants devoted to truth, justice, and never skipping leg day. I know that there are not one, but two live-action movies that I remember seeing, but couldn’t recite either premise even under pressure. And now, I know that whatever those other movies were doing, they were definitely focusing on the wrong Joe.

Marvel, Streaming, Television

Loki’s Bisexuality and How to Move Forward in the MCU

June 28, 2021August 11, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

With three episodes in and I’m already obsessively hooked on Marvel’s Loki, even more than the previous two Marvel Disney+ shows. The first episode, and every episode after, has gotten me into a new little weekly routine.

Comics, Marvel

Marvel Celebrates Miles Morales’ 10th Anniversary with Variant Covers

June 23, 2021June 23, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

Like most folk, I’m not too keen on reminders of my ever-increasing age. But this one, well, it’s not too bad of a milestone reminder.

Miles Morales, Marvel’s best Spider-Man, debuted nearly 10 years ago! You read that right, it’s been almost a decade since Miles inherited the Spidey title from Peter Parker and immediately one upped the kid from Queens.

Interview, Television

Lukita Maxwell on That Shocking ‘Genera+ion’ Finale

June 17, 2021June 17, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

HBO Max’s hit show Genera+ion is finally coming back this Pride month! Season 1 is finishing up its second half, starting with episode 9 today!

The NOC got to talk to some of the cast in anticipation of the second half’s premiere, including Lukita Maxwell, aka Delilah herself! Delilah had one of the most shocking and tear-jerking plotlines during the first half of the season, and I got to (virtually) sit down and talk with Lukita about it as well as what we can expect to see when the show returns.

Interview, Television

Nathanya Alexander on How ‘Genera+ion’ Speaks to Gen Z

June 17, 2021June 17, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

The NOC is celebrating Pride month as loud as we can, and as part of that celebration, I got to sit down (virtually of course) with Nathanya Alexander, one of the stars of Genera+ion! Nathanya plays Arianna, the bold and perhaps a little too honest member of the gang.

Comics, Reviews

‘Adora and the Distance’ is an Inspiration

June 15, 2021June 15, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

The classic “Hero’s Journey” is probably one of the most common and cliche methods of storytelling in media. It’s everywhere, and pretty hard to avoid, as the foreword for Adora and the Distance demonstrates. From Star Wars to Back to the Future, the majority of tales out there feature the classic story of a (usually white male) protagonist going on an impossible journey in order to stop the forces of evil from ruining his life as he knows it.

Interview, Streaming

Frankie Rodriguez Represents on ‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’

June 13, 2021June 14, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

If you have Disney+, you might have heard of a little show called High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. That tongue twisting title, which will be abbreviated to HSMTMTS from now on, headlines the story of the next generation of Disney’s premiere high school musical group.

Streaming, Television

HBO Max Celebrates Pride 2021 By Shining A Light On LGBTQ+ Representation

June 2, 2021June 29, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

Happy Pride month everyone! Like most month-long celebrations of a minority group, Pride really is something we should be appreciating all year round. But a month with the spotlight shining on the LGBTQ+ community around the world is definitely something to get excited about.

We still have a long way to go before anyone can say that LGBTQ representation in media is as present as it is not, but if you’re looking for some incredible examples of Pride in entertainment, all you need is an HBO Max subscription.

Comics, Interview, Marvel

A Talk With Marc Bernardin About His Version of Peter Parker in ‘The Amazing Shutterbug’

June 1, 2021June 11, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

With great power, comes great responsibility. A timeless phrase with a powerful meaning. While it didn’t originate in comics, it was the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man that solidified the adage, transforming it into one of the most iconic comic book lines of all time.

Even if you haven’t ingested a single piece of Spidey content, the famous line tied heavily to Pete’s Uncle Ben has probably been ingrained in your memory by now. The line has been a major part of Peter Parker’s life for years, guiding the troubled hero through his hardest moments and reminding him why he dons the suit every day. But what happens when you don’t have great power anymore? What would Peter Parker do if he never became Spider-Man?

Streaming, Television

Here’s the Trailer & Key Art for HBO Max’s ‘Genera+ion’ Returning June 17

May 27, 2021June 11, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

Oh, high school.

For a lot of us, it was both the best time of our lives, and a waking nightmare. But that’s part of what makes the high school experience so interesting to look back on, and why shows like Genera+ion are so entertaining.

Comics, Marvel, Reviews

‘Reptil #1’ Review: Meet The Family

May 27, 2021May 31, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

It’s finally here! Reptil #1 finally hit comic book shelves last Tuesday, reintroducing fans to a longtime member of Marvel’s heroes gallery. Humberto Lopez, a.k.a Reptil, finally gets his own solo series, taking us deeper into the life of the teenage dino-shifting hero. But the emphasis isn’t on Beto’s life as a superhero. Amidst the disbanding of the Avengers Academy team and the world-changing effects of Kamala’s Law, writer Terry Blas takes on a personal journey for Beto — introducing us to several members of his family and delivering a comic proud to represent the Latinx community in a fresh, inspiring way.

Marvel, Movies1 Comment

Didn’t See That Coming: Aaron Taylor-Johnson Returns to Marvel with Sony’s ‘Kraven The Hunter’

May 26, 2021May 27, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

Aaron Taylor-Johnson brought one of Marvel’s fastest superheroes to life in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. We all know how that ended, but though his time with the character was short-lived, Johnson’s take amassed a fanbase that arguably rivals his Kick Ass co-star Evan Peters’ version from the X-Men films.

Now, ATJ is returning to the Marvel universe, but instead of speeding alongside the world’s finest, he’ll be taking his sweet time hunting them down; starting with Spider-Man.

Comics, Interview, Marvel

A Talk with ‘Reptil’ Writer Terry Blas about Marvel’s Shelf-Slashing New Series

May 26, 2021June 11, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

Let’s admit it, we all went through weird, unexplainable phases as children. Some of us really loved cartoons, some of us collected Pokemon cards, and if you were like me, you were really into dinosaurs. Perhaps even a bit too much into them.