by Miss Sally

Sometimes our old favorite movies resonate with us years later, triggering long-forgotten memories of a more innocent era. Other times, we stare in horror, wondering how our ten-year-old self could watch that trash, rewind and watch it again (e.g. Dumb and Dumber - really, little Miss Sally?).

How do these five Halloween-y kids’ movies hold up for nostalgic adult audiences?

The 1991 movie about the creepy-but-lovable family stands the test of age. The delightful mix of horror and humor totally works for an adult audience. I actually enjoyed rediscovering the bizarreness, and I confirmed that Wednesday and Morticia have the best lines.

This Wednesday moment is still topical today: 

The overacting, the slapstick humor, the special effects!  This movie fared reasonably well on our nostalgia test. Bette Midler really hams it up, but I credit Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy’s silliness for taking this movie from kitsch to classic. 

My gripe with the movie is that it could have ended three quarters of the way through, instead of dragging out a lukewarm storyline starring Thora Birch and two teenage L.L. Bean models. But it’s loud, it’s goofy, and the cheese factor keeps it fun for old fogeys like us.

I have to say, Ernest P. Worrell’s redneck shtick held up better than expected. Or maybe I’m just a sucker for hillbilly humor? Jim Varney delivers amusing lines like “How ‘bout a bumper sandwich, Boogerlips?” But the kid-oriented plot and terrible special effects translate poorly to adult standards. 

Pro tip: Whiskey makes the jokes funnier. May also cause snoring.

Best scene of the movie:

Marvel has announced the official title of the third Captain America movie: Captain America 3: Civil War. The film, co-starring Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., is set for release May 6, 2016 and will feature the Civil War storyline from the Marvel comic books as Variety first reported. And based on the picture below may include our new Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman!

Kevin Feige made these and other announcements at Marvel’s fan event in Hollywood moments ago - including Marvel's next phase of superhero movies, including long awaited features for the Black Panther (Chadwick Bosman), Captain Marvel (uncast), Doctor Strange (rumored, Benedict Cumberbatch), and The Inhumans.

The next Thor movie will be entitled Thor: Ragnarok  slated for July 28, 2017.

This moves the Guardians of the Galaxy 2  release to May 2017!

Full list of 'Phase 3' release dates:

Ant Man - July 17, 2015

Captain America 3: Civil War - May 6, 2016

Doctor Strange - Nov. 6, 2016

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 - May 5, 2017

Thor: Ragnarok - July 20, 2017

Black Panther - Nov. 3, 2017

The Avengers 3 - Infinity War: Part 1 - May 4, 2018

Captain Marvel - July 6, 2018

Inhumans - Nov. 2, 2018

The Avengers 3: Infinity War: Part 2 - 2019

by Lauren

First off, let me start by mentioning that during TONIGHT'S EPISODE we will get to see an exclusive scene from Avengers: Age of Ultron as a replacement for last week's leaked trailer.

Now, down to SHIELD business...

Episode 4 - "Face my Enemy"

I love Agent May and I love Coulson. This episode was a bounty of awesome with these two. The humor, the dancing, the fights - May kicking her own ass. Epic.

The plot (recovering a painting with the mysterious alien writing on it) was almost irrelevant to the amazing Whedon-esque character moments - played to perfection by Ming-Na Wen and Clark Gregg.  We don't know all the history between these two (was there ever romance?), but May refuses to kill Coulson if he ever goes full alien crazy.

Also, more excellent work this week by Iain De Caestecker (Fitz) as he struggles to rediscover his voice and rejoin the team. The scene at the end where he shares a beer with the guys and blurts out his ex-girlfriend story to them is so sweet. I hope this is a good sign for his continued recovery.

The tag at the end of the episode has Whitehall booby-trapping Raina and giving her 48hrs to bring him the obelisk or she dies. This story carries us into this week's episode... 

Episode 5 - "Hen in the Wolf House"

MOCKINGBIRD!

This week we meet an established SHIELD character of old,  Bobbi Morse - who in this universe is the ex-wife of mercenary recruit, Lance Hunter (not Hawkeye, like in the comics.) He is hoping we get some good banter out of these two while ass is being kicked in episodes to come.

Bobbi joins the team when she is forced to break cover (and kick butt) at HYDRA labs to save Simmons when her identity and loyalties are revealed by a very desperate Raina.

Basically up the creek without an obelisk, Raina is on the run from both Whitehall and Skye's bat-shit-crazy dad, so she makes a hard play for Coulson and SHIELD's protection. No one is buying it. She outs Simmons. No deal. She tries to sell info about Skye's father, no deal. She is resourceful though, so I doubt we've seen the last of her (especially since she now has a SHIELD tracker in her leg...)

In the end, Simmons returns to the playground and is reunited with Fitz - but will they ever be FitzSimmons again?! We may find out tonight!

For the SherLOCKED among us this is fantastic news!!!

(and WAY better than the previously rumored Joaquin Phoenix!)

It isn't a 100% done deal, but fingers crossed he will be staring in the stand-alone Doctor Strange feature film slated for 2016.

What do you think? Good? Bad? 

Sound off in the comments!

by Lauren

I've had a mad case of the scepticals about this movie - mostly because Into the Woods is my favorite musical of all time. I've heard rumors of plot changes - nope... I saw the cast list - okay...  I've seen the costume photos - meh... I saw the teaser trailer....umm...

But this new featurette has sold me. I am officially psyched up to see this. It looks beautiful, and what little singing the hint at sounds pretty good. Bring it on, Disney.

J.K. Rowling is returning to the wizarding world to focus on one of Harry Potter’s most twisted foes - DOLORES UMBRIDGE!

Oh, how I hate that woman - I've rarely hated a fictional character so much. It has always bothered me that she never really got a 'comeuppance' in the original books, so when I saw that the new short story will focus on her, I was hoping we'd get to see her brought to justice - but alas no. We will get her backstory.

Behold the glory of the leaked Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer and tremble!
Then start counting the days until May...

by Lauren

First off, it should surprise absolutely no one that The Flash was picked up by the CW for a full season!    Here's is last week's recap...

But Central City is chock full of super-powered villains with grudges. This week, Multiplex. A one-man army of clone drones out for vengeance against the corporate CEO who stole his research.

Most of this episode is dedicated to developing the relationship between Barry and Detective West. In "Arrow-style" flashbacks we see Barry growing up in The West house with Iris and Joe, struggling to understand why he can't see his dad in prison.

There are many great character scenes between Barry and Joe, and young Barry and his real dad, showing that the actors can carry the drama as well as the action. 

In the end, gaining Det. West's blessing to be a hero, gives Barry the boost he needs to defeat the bad guy(s). And so 'Team Flash' is officially born...

The episode concludes with the mysterious Dr. Wells straight up murdering evil CEO Simon Stagg for even being interested in 'the man in the red mask.' Seriously, what is this guy's deal!

I'll tell you one thing, the  folks over at The Flash sure know how to hook you into craving the next episode! Here's the preview for tonight's adventure...

by Jen

Any episode that opens with a drug-crazed homeless person running down the street with an ATM strapped to his back is going to be a good one, and this week’s episode of Gotham certainly doesn't disappoint - though I do question the wisdom of anyone, even a street guitarist, who elects to sniff the contents of a vial marked “Breathe Me” when it’s just dropped in his guitar case in lieu of a tip.

Anyhow, we learn that this vile drug gives the episode its name, and provides an even more detailed picture of Gotham’s seedy underbelly - this time in the form of corruption within Wayne Enterprises, rather than organized crime.

Which doesn't mean there isn't a mention of organized crime this week - indeed, it couldn't be Gotham if that was the case!  Penguin, thinking he’s in good with Marconi, spills the secrets of his past, and gets his face pummeled for his troubles - until James Gordon, brought in reluctantly by Marconi’s goons, backs him up.  I’m interested to see how this Gordon/Penguin alliance plays out in the long run.

On the other side of the organized crime fence, Fish Mooney is training her new secret weapon - and in the end of the episode we find out why; she’s made the girl into the perfect poison for Falcone.  It seems the old man will go down, one way or another.

But back to the plot - a rogue mad scientist is out to expose corruption inside Wayne Industries, and young Bruce Wayne is very nearly caught in the crossfire.  Of course Gordon and his partner come to the rescue, with Harvey Bullock providing comic relief in the form of an unexpected comment - “What is altruism?!” 

And the episode ends with Alfred sitting down to help young Master Bruce with his research, abandoning his quest to encourage Bruce to enjoy his childhood when he realizes there really is important work left undone by the death of the Waynes.

Tune in next week for the Halloween episode, which looks promising!

by Lauren

So a family Ichabod knew back in the day (who didn't he know?!) has a curse on them. Every first-born child on their 10th birthday is drawn into the woods by a Pied Piper's song to be trapped until they die in the forest so the Piper can make a new flute from their bones. Charming.

Of course, while Abbie and Ichabod are looking for the child, the new guy, Nick Hawley, is out looking for the flute - it's a valuable antiquity after all... This does not improve Ichabod's opinion of the 'heartless privateer' - even Abbie wasn't stupid enough to give him the 'in tact' bone flute as his payment for helping to find the girl.

He confronts Henry who reminds him he sold his soul to him with the blood-signed contract he didn't' read. Ooopsy.

Henry also turns out to be the buyer for Hawley's broken bone flute artifact - which he didn't need whole anyway. Ground to powder, I'm sure this is a key ingredient for something nasty in the future...

Tonight's episode...