NOC Review: ‘Thunderbolts*’ is Marvel at its Most Mature and Emotionally Complex

April 29, 2025May 1, 2025 Mike Manalo

Superheroes have trauma. That’s not an original idea. However, what happens when these superheroes have to face something more real and unsolvable than saving the world, such as actual depression and mental health issues? You get something greater than your average superhero popcorn blockbuster. That’s where Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* truly excels.

Marvel, Movies

‘Thunderbolts*’ Teaser Trailer Gives the “Bad Guys” New Life

September 23, 2024September 23, 2024 Laura Sirikul

Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* just released a teaser trailer and poster featuring depressed baddies Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) alongside the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits — Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Bob (Lewis Pullman).

Interview, Movies

Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson on How ‘A Different Man’ Tackles Identity and What They Learned

September 21, 2024September 21, 2024 Sophia Soto

Sebastian Stan, who also serves as an executive producer, and Adam Pearson star in A24’s A Different Man. The new thriller is now playing in select theaters and will be released nationwide on October 4.

Movies, Reviews

‘A Different Man’ is Body Horror Comfortable In Its Own Skin

September 16, 2024September 17, 2024 Michael Lee

Body horrors often tap into who we are and perceive ourselves to be as we watch the characters on screen change as they go through bodily transformations for the better or mutilations for the worse. The images that appear before us range from subtle to unsettling, yet, like most great horrors, are a powerful kind of social commentary with something to say.

Movies, Trailers

Watch the Official Trailer for A24’s ‘A Different Man’

July 16, 2024July 17, 2024 Sophia Soto

Ready for a new A24 trailer? Aaron Schimberg’s A Different Man stars Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, and Adam Pearson. The new dark comedy will be released in theaters on September 20.

Movies, Streaming

Watch the Official Trailer for ‘Fresh’ Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan

February 15, 2022 Sophia Soto

Searchlight Pictures has shared the official trailer and artwork for Fresh. The film, by Mimi Cave, stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan. Be sure to mark your calendars: Fresh begins streaming March 4 on Hulu.

Movies

Watch the New Trailer for New Espionage Thriller, ‘The 355’

October 8, 2021October 12, 2021 Sophia Soto

The 355 is directed by Simon Kinberg with screenplay by Theresa Rebeck and Kinberg, from a story by Rebeck. The espionage thriller stars Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Bingbing Fan, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong’o, Édgar Ramirez, and Sebastian Stan. The 355 will be released in theaters on January 7.

Music, Streaming, Television

First Look: Lily James is Unrecognizable as Pamela Anderson for Hulu’s ‘Pam & Tommy’

May 7, 2021May 15, 2021 Laura Sirikul

Having a Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee film surrounding their infamous sex tape from the ‘90s was not on my 2021 Bingo card, but here we are.

Hard N.O.C. Life, Movies, Streaming

Hard NOC Life 214: Oscars So What

April 26, 2021May 15, 2021 Hard NOC Media

Before Dominic, Jamal, Keith, and Britney break down the finale for Disney+’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, the trailer for Shang-Chi, or the #1 movie in America, Mortal Kombat, the crew has to talk about all the WTF moments from Sunday’s Oscars telecast!

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Marvel, Movies, Streaming1 Comment

UPDATED: Cap is Back! ‘Captain America 4’ in the Works with Malcolm Spellman

April 26, 2021May 15, 2021 Mike Manalo

It’s not a spoiler alert to say A LOT happens in six episodes of the epic The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series. So it would make sense for the story to continue in some way, shape, or form to explore everything it sets up. As such, it’s not surprising that today via The Hollywood Reporter it was announced that showrunner Malcolm Spellman is teaming up with staff writer Dalan Musson to write the fourth installment in the Captain America franchise.

Hard N.O.C. Life, Marvel, Streaming

Hard NOC Life 213: One World, One Dovich (with Desmond Chiam)

April 19, 2021May 15, 2021 Hard NOC Media

Dominic, Jamal, Keith, and Britney analyze the penultimate episode of Disney+’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier with an actual Flagsmasher! Desmond Chiam, who plays Dovich on the series, sits in with the crew to talk about rebellion, revolution, and representation. He also talks about Cap’s shield, an irrational fear of water, and also nerding out on JRPG video games!

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Movies

‘Monday’ Starring Sebastian Stan and Denise Gough Is Finally Here

April 16, 2021April 16, 2021 Sophia Soto

Need a new film for tonight? Sebastian Stan and Denise Gough have you covered; Monday is officially playing select theaters and available to watch from the comfort of your home! The film officially debuted at TIFF 2020 and has finally been released for the world to enjoy.

Marvel, Reviews, Streaming, Television2 Comments

NOC Review: ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Goes for Grounded Over Grandiose

March 18, 2021May 15, 2021 Mike Manalo

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST EPISODE OF MARVEL STUDIOS’ THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER

It’s easy to see why The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was originally intended to be the first of the Disney+ Marvel Studios series before WandaVision. And it is because, by comparison, it is a safer show and an easy toe dip for Marvel Studios into the world of serialized streaming shows. Many may see that as a bad thing, but, frankly, it’s not. The greatest joy in seeing the Marvel Cinematic Universe unfold the past 13 years is we can have a gritty political thriller like Captain America: The Winter Soldier AND a cosmic space opera like Guardians of the Galaxy, and have it all make sense together. And here we see that level of versatility on display again. The sheer fact that there’s room in our world for an insane, reality-bending sitcom/drama show about grief, and a realistic action drama about two people and their insecurities regarding living up to the mantle of their closest friend is nothing short of amazing.

Marvel, Television

How ‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ Will Explore Deeper Themes in Six Episodes

March 15, 2021August 18, 2021 Laura Sirikul

When showrunner Malcolm Spellman first signed onto The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, he was told that it would be the first television series to come out on Disney+. This meant Spellman had to figure out how to bring the Marvel filmmaker experience to the silver screen. Working with director Kari Skogland, Spellman knew he wanted to bring the action but also bring a lot of the serious implications of being a hero post-Blip, surviving PTSD, and the weight of possibly being a Black Captain America.

Marvel, Television

‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ Star Anthony Mackie Wants In on the ‘Blade’ Movies

March 14, 2021April 24, 2021 Laura Sirikul

Anthony Mackie is very happy to have been given the chance to explore Sam “Falcon” Wilson’s storyline further in Disney+’s Marvel’s Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Being from Louisiana himself, Mackie was excited to explore Sam’s hometown.

“Because that’s the best state in the union,” laughed Mackie during The Falcon and The Winter Soldier global press conference this morning. “And, New Orleans is the best city in the world.”

Movies, Reviews

NRW Review: ‘The Devil All The Time’

September 29, 2020September 30, 2020 Patrick Strange

The NRW Crew of Robert J. Medina and Steve Escobar review and discuss the latest Netflix film release, The Devil All The Time. You can catch The Devil All The Time currently streaming on Netflix!

Marvel, Movies4 Comments

Thankful for the Captain America: Civil War Trailer

November 25, 2015November 25, 2015 Keith Chow

Last night on a special all-Marvel edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live (corporate synergy, yay!), stars Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. were on to hype next summer’s Captain America: Civil War. Unsurprisingly, Disney and Marvel Studios used the opportunity to unveil the hotly anticipated first trailer, and predictably, the internet lost its shit. But in a good way!

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Marvel, Movies, Reviews6 Comments

NOC Reviews ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’

April 7, 2014April 27, 2021 Brandon Easton

Saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier and really have nothing bad to say at all. There were a few issues with story logic but outside of minor nitpicks, I’d have to say this is as good as The Avengers and definitely the best “solo” Marvel Cinematic Universe movie to date.

The best way to describe this movie is “balanced.” It achieved an almost perfect balance between comic book-style action, humor, character development, and story sophistication. Taking a page from the Robert Ludlum/Tom Clancy school of 1970s-era Cold War espionage pop culture storytelling, The Winter Soldier (at the very least) establishes a formula for Marvel Studios that, if used repeatedly, should guarantee the cinematic dominance of Marvel IPs for the next generation.

Minor spoilers follow.