FDI Cast 104: The One About Gina
We talk about Gina because we were big supporters of her initial inclusion in The Mandalorian cast and now we definitely are not. How do we fandom when some of your faves suck?
Tag: Pedro Pascal
The Middle Geeks Episode 21: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ and its MENA Issues
We are joined by the wonderful Hanna Flint to discuss Wonder Woman 1984 in this special bonus episode! We discuss the various ups and downs of the film, how well we thought the actors did with the script and story they had, and whether this movie did Diana Prince/Wonder Woman justice. We also discuss the many racist and Orientalist aspects of its depiction of Egypt and Egyptian people, and how detrimental it is for MENA representation. There’s a LOT to discuss, and we go through it all. Enjoy listening!
Spoilers for Wonder Woman 1984 begin around 11:26.
TW for discussion of rape and sexual assault 11:44 -12:57
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What the Season 2 Finale Means for the Future of ‘The Mandalorian’
A year ago, when Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon emerged from a wrecked Tie Fighter wielding the Darksaber in the end-credits stinger to season one of The Mandalorian, it was a signal to the audience that season two would tie more directly to established Star Wars canon than initially expected. Fast forward to the end of season two and it’s safe to say no one was prepared for just how extensive those ties would be.
In a season full of cameos and call backs to every installment of the franchise’s four-decade history — from the return of Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett to the live action debuts of Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan and Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano — The Mandalorian season two proved to be as integral a part of the Skywalker Saga as each of the episodes released in theaters since 1977. None more so than the events of the second season finale, titled “The Rescue.” Spoilers for The Mandalorian season two finale from here on out.
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NOC Review: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ Wish Granted
So real talk time: I’m sure this won’t make me very popular, but I’m not a fan of 2017’s Wonder Woman. I think it’s a movie with a lot of really good ideas, some really terrible villains, a lot of bad acting (the terrible, cartoony “Boris and Natasha Show” that is Danny Huston and Dr. Poison, along with Mortal Kombat Lupin at the end), and a terrible final act that invalidates some of the best themes introduced in the first two-thirds of the movie (Steve explains to Diana that wars don’t just end because one person dies, then 20 minutes later she kills Ares and the war ends). So for me to go into Wonder Woman 1984 expecting more of the same, but coming out, not just surprised, but actually quite happy should be a testament to how much I think the film improves on its predecessor. As a film, I think it’s not only going to make the millions of fans of the first happy, but also make believers out of the skeptical, like myself. And that, I think, all comes from the incredible storyteller that is Patty Jenkins (with a great assist from Geoff Johns).
**Please note, it’s a bit difficult to get into the intricacies of what I liked about the movie without diving into some spoilers, so please be warned, and feel free to skip ahead to the final verdict if you don’t want details spoiled for you! (Then come back and read this after you see it.)**
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Bringing the ‘Wonder’ Back with Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot of ‘Wonder Woman 1984’
You may be looking at the title of this article and saying to yourself, “yeah… but what does that really mean?” Truth be told part of it was my self-indulgent way of pretending to be clever by using the double entendre about the long-awaited screen return of Diana Prince, courtesy of the amazing duo of director Patty Jenkins and star Gal Gadot. But the other part of said entendre is truly to acknowledge the truth about how challenging this year has been, and that after all we’ve been through, we deserve the treat and comfort of a celluloid (or digital) superhero spectacle at a time like this — particularly in the most appropriate form of Wonder Woman; a hero who embodies love, compassion, and understanding. And by bringing Wonder Woman 1984 to theaters and into our homes on December 25, so we can enjoy the continuing adventures of Princess Diana of Themyscira, that’s exactly what Jenkins and Gadot have done.
We had the great honor of participating in a conversation with these two powerful filmmakers recently to discuss their upcoming Christmas present to us, and what it means to them (as well as us fans). Here’s what they had to say:
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DC FanDome: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ Dazzles!
By Contributing Writer, Stephanie Wu
Wonder Woman 1984’s second trailer debuted at DC FanDome, kicking off DC Comic’s first virtual fan event. With a generous sprinkle of sweet moments shared by Diana and a much more wondrous Steve after their reunion, the film’s second trailer featured several fight sequences and gives a solid glimpse at Cheetah, Diana’s colleague-turned-villain played by Kristen Wiig.
Hard NOC Life: Is ‘The Mandalorian’ Maclunky?
Dominic and Keith weigh the pros and cons of Disney+ and review The Mandalorian on this week’s Hard NOC Life.
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‘The Mandalorian’ is an A+ ‘Star Wars’ Story
For fans of Star Wars, today will be a day long remembered.
The arrival of Disney+, the Mouse House’s foray into the Streaming Wars, is finally here! And with it comes the first live action Star Wars television show to hold people over for the month between now and Rise of Skywalker in December. Luckily, that show is The Mandalorian, and it’s one of the best incarnations of Star Wars mythology to ever be put to film.
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‘The Mandalorian’ Serves Up a Bunch of Easter Eggs
Star Wars fans are already excited over the anticipated release of Disney+ on November 12 because it will premiere the first episode of The Mandalorian, a whole new story about a lone Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) five years after the fall of the Empire.
With an entire new story and new characters, Star Wars fans may be looking for any reminiscence of the Star Wars canonical history.
“I didn’t realize there were a lot of [Easter eggs]. I guess there is,” Executive producer and writer Jon Favreau mused during The Mandalorian press conference last month.
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Hard NOC Life: The Rise of Star Wars Celebration
On a new episode of Hard NOC Life, our intrepid Star Wars correspondent Constance Gibbs reports back on her snowy adventure in Chicago for Star Wars Celebration.
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The Great Wall Review: Is It Worth The Watch?
Originally posted at Black Girl Nerds
All that is lacking in substance is made up for with gorgeous imagery in a Zhang Yimou’s new and pointless film, The Great Wall. Whomever his set people are, give them all the awards because they bring their A-game when it comes to costume and set design. But I digress.
I’m not sure what I expected, but I certainly wasn’t expecting the Silk Road version of Edge of Tomorrow featuring giant Komodo Dragons. Shouldn’t a larger budget allow more time to work on perfecting the CGI? How many Adobe-editing programs did they use to get these monsters to look as fake and silly as they do? Zhang Yimou should stick to martial arts dramas because he is out of his element with The Great Wall.
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