Joker: Joaquin Phoenix Open to a Sequel
While Joker may not have much of an official connection to Robert Pattinson’s upcoming Batman movie, actor Joaquin Phoenix seems to be open to the idea of a sequel for the clown prince of crime.
In an interview on Popcorn with Peter Travers (roughly the 21 minute mark), while discussing whether or not Joker was a dream role, Phoenix seemed to imply that he and director Todd Philips were eager to explore more of the character’s possibilities, at least with the current film.
“I talked to Todd a lot about what else we might be able to do, in general, just to work together, but also specifically, if there’s something else we can do with Joker that might be interesting,” Phoenix said. “So, it ended up being a dream role. It’s nothing that I really wanted to do prior to working on this movie. I don’t know that there is
Hearthstone Pro Banned After Calling For Hong Kong Liberation During Stream
Update:
Following the interview, Blizzard has announced that Ng Wai "blitzchung" Chung was in violation of the 2019 Hearthstone Grandmasters Official Competition rules. Blizzard says it will remove Blitzchung from the Grandmasters, and he will not receive prize money for his performance in Grandmasters Season 2.
Furthermore, Blitzchung has been banned from Hearthstone esports for 12 months starting on October 5, 2019. Both casters have also lost their contracts with Blizzard.
According to Blizzard, Blitzchung's actions during the interview violated Rules section 6.1 (o) which reads:
"Engaging in any act that, in Blizzard's sole discretion, brings you into public disrepute, offends a portion or group of the pulic, or otherwise damages Blizzard image will result in removal from Grandmasters and reduction of the player's prize total to $0 USD, in addition to other remedies which may be provided for under the Handbook and BLizzard's Website Terms."
Control Confronts Us With A Very Specific Type of Horror: A Lack of Control
Remedy’s Control is a game about recognizing our inability to have a firm grip on an indifferent universe, yet reaching out to grab it anyway. It is a game about items closely connected with our world but which are still off: Something gnaws at the edges of what we know, scratches at the corners of what we can know, and whispers of a layer of brutality and cold indifference we refuse to acknowledge blankets all existence.
It is a game about existential dread, and this constant awareness of that which we can never grasp is central to the weird and the ‘New Weird’ subgenre of horror. The dread father of the genre, HP Lovecraft, gave this particular type of weirdness a definition and distinction from other brands of horror. For Lovecraft, the true weird tale was more than merely “bloody bones, or a sheeted form clanking chains.” It had to do with the creation of the inexplicable, the realisation of constant dread, the nagging notion of “unknown forces”.
Dark Horse Reveals New Game of Thrones and Metal Gear Statues
Dark Horse and First 4 Figures partnered up to bring fans an impressive NYCC booth. If your collection is in need of more Game of Thrones, The Witcher or Metal Gear figures, Dark Horse has something for you in the pipeline. Especially if you're in the market for a chibi Metal Gear Solid statue.
Check out the slideshow gallery below for a closer look at the new statues and figurines in the works from the two companies:
While some of the statues shown at NYCC would easily break the bank for most collectors (XM Studios' $500 Justice League statues come to mind), Dark Horse's lineup is much more on the affordable end of the spectrum. Their display focused on new additions to the The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Game of Thrones Premium Figure lines, which are smaller scale PVC statues priced in the $50-60 range.
Update: Viral Joker Outtake of Joaquin Phoenix’s Outburst Confirmed as Prank
Update 10/08: Joker cinematographer Lawrence Sher has given new context to the viral outtake of Joaquin Phoenix yelling at him on-set of the DC film, confirming, "it was a bit."
In a recent interview with Business Insider, Sher (aka the "Larry" referenced in the Jimmy Kimmel clip) explained that the outburst was staged, as Phoenix wanted to pull a prank on director Todd Phillips by appearing to get into a verbal disagreement with a member of the crew.
"It was a bit. Joaquin is actually a super playful guy and loose," Sher said, adding, "he's such a good actor that nobody even got it on set. He played it too straight."
South Park Banned in China
Long-running animated comedy South Park has generated a new international controversy, with the series now completely banned in China in the wake of its most recent episode.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, all South Park-related content, from video clips to discussion threads, have been scrubbed from Chinese websites. The Chinese government has apparently cracked down on all South Park-related content online, whether official or fan-based.
Randy Marsh attracts the wrath of the Chinese government in "Band in China."
PlayStation 4’s Newest Update Adds Remote Play for Android Devices
PlayStation 4 system software update version 7.00 launches later this week and brings the maximum number of party users from 8 to 16, adds a new Chat Transcription feature for US users, and allows for Remote Play on smartphones and tablets running Android 5.0 or higher.
PlayStation.Blog shared the details of this new update that also improves the Remote Play experience for iOS users by allowing users to choose to display the controller at all times and lock the screen orientation.
Android users looking to start using Remote Play will need to download the PS4 Remote Play App from the Google Play store.
Samuel L. Jackson Responds to Martin Scorsese’s Comments on Marvel Films
Samuel L. Jackson is the latest to respond to Martin Scorsese's comments about how Marvel movies are "not cinema."
Speaking to Variety, Jackson defended Marvel films against the director's criticisms.
“I mean that’s like saying Bugs Bunny ain’t funny," Jackson told Variety. "Films are films. Everybody doesn’t like his stuff either."
“Everybody’s got an opinion, so I mean it’s okay," Jackson continued. "Ain’t going to stop nobody from making movies.”
Peaky Blinders Season 5 Ending Explained
Full spoilers follow for Peaky Blinders Season 5, which premiered in the US via Netflix on October 4. The season was released in the UK on BBC One on August 25.
Peaky Blinders, centered around the notorious Birmingham gang led by Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy), closed Season 5 with a particularly shocking reveal and a powerful betrayal. The season finale also featured a riveting chat between Tommy and Winston Churchill, Polly's resignation from the gang, the murder of Aidan Gillen's Aberama Gold, and the return of Grace (Annabelle Wallis), tempting Tommy to join her in death. To break it all down, IGN spoke to Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight about the climactic Season 5 ending, and what's in store for the final two seasons.
Vin Diesel’s Bloodshot Revealed… in Action Figure Form
The Valiant superhero universe is finally making the jump to the big screen in next year's Bloodshot movie. While we're still waiting for the first trailer to drop, we did get our first glimpse of Vin Diesel's title character at NYCC. The catch? It was in the form of an action figure.
Check out the slideshow gallery below for a closer look at McFarlane Toys' upcoming Bloodshot figure (now updated with official promo pics from McFarlane Toys):
The figure gives us a much better idea of how Bloodshot's iconic look will be adapted for the film. Bloodshot's distinctive ivory white skin and tactical uniform have made the jump to live-action, though his traditional chest emblem has been replaced by a bleeding version. Another key change is that Bloodshot's close-cropped haircut has been swapped out for a completely bald look. In fact, it looks like Diesel's Bloodshot may have been rendered completely hairless thanks to his super-soldier transformation.