Injustice is a Injustice! Salty review

 

The DC Injustice Franchise consists of a comic series and two hit video games. So when an animated movie was announced it sounds like an easy alley-oop for Warner entertainment. So why did this animated film so bad? When it comes to animated movies DC has been knocking it out of the park. Even their weaker films like Batman: Year One. The quality of the adaptation is still good. Injustice is a great series with great characters and somehow, they screwed it all up. Let’s talk about the Injustice of  Injustice.

The comic series of the same name is pretty vast and tells a great story. The issue is when you adopt a 400 plus page series into a less than 90-minute film your gonna have a bad time. The oversimplification of the story is insulting if you a fan of the comic or video games series. It’s like watching people who know nothing about the comic but a few plot points. They take creative leaps that are just plain dumb. They kill off the Flash in the first 2 minutes in a way that still makes no sense. 

 

Watch our Amazing interview with Sharean Morishita!

Mind you if you a fan of the series you know he plays a big part in the game since it covers the multiverse. Only to at the end plus a Dues ex Machina using the multiverse anyway. The director is Matt Peters a first-timer. He has done storyboard work on a lot of animated series. I think they should have gone with someone more seasoned like Sam Liu  I thought the voice acting was okay but nothing memorable except for the voice of superman who played by Justin Hartley who played Aquaman a few times in the Smallville series. The violence is also watered down. After Joker’s death, everything thing goes from rated R right back to PG-13. Why? This was a violent comic series and game. Heroes and villains die in horrible ways except for Nightwing he died like a moron. 

This movie was a failure on many fronts. It was a bad adaptation of the video game and comic. The inexperience of the writers is insulting. One of the writers is behind Batman: Hush, which was divisive at most but at the least, it was respectful to the material. This film is not worth any amount of time. Go to your local comic book shop and buy the set or at the very least watch a YouTube channel of the cutscenes. Avoid this one.

Injustice Final Grade: D ( the animation was done well)      

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10 Horror Comics That Will Give You Nightmares

 Some of the most frightening and chilling stories that we can find are in comic books. Though they're not as old as horror novels, horror comics have managed to capture the hearts and minds of those who enjoy a good fright. The following 10 horror comics will keep you up late at night with their spine-tingling tales and horrific imagery. 

A lot of people know horror and Halloween go hand-in-hand, but what happens when the season is over?

1.) Stray Dogs

    Just Imagine your dog living your best life being a fun carefree...dog just then a serial killer comes and rips it all away from you and takes you to his house to live out the rest of your days. This is the premise of Stray Dogs. A different take on the serial killer vibe is that the victim can't communicate to nobody except some of the other victims in the house

2.) Joe Hill: Graphic Novel collection

    One of the new masters of horror comics Joe Hill released a collection just for the fans. If you liked Basket full of Heads, The Doll House Family, The Low Low Woods, or anything else this collection is just for you. 

3.) Abbott 1973 

Check our Elena Abbot tough in your face new reporter turned supernatural crime-fighter with the help of a supernatural savior. Together they have to save Detroit but how far will she go.

4.) Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears

    This is the prequel to Ghost Rider: Road to Damnation. In this, we follow Travis Parham ex- Soldier in the confederate army. He thought he has seen the worst hell had to throw at him little does he knows it goes deeper and vengeance is on its way.

5.) Baby Teeth

    Having a baby for any young woman is scary. But sixteen-year-old Sadie Ritter should be terrified with her giving birth to the antichrist this little bundle of joy is hell-bent on bringing nothing but suffering to mankind. (got to love a kid with ambitions.)

6.) Something is killing the children

    All hope seems lost for Archer’s Peak when children start to go missing. Then a mysterious woman arrives who tells the citizens that creatures from our nightmares are behind all this chaos- and she will kill whatever is killing the children 

7.) Killadelphia

    Jimmy’s investigation of his father's murder leads him to uncover the President of the United States who is long-thought dead, John Adams as being responsible for causing this outbreak. of Fucking Vampires. And in my city.

8.) The Conjuring

    Jessica a seemingly normal college freshman can shake the feeling that something is watching her. Soon she finds out that something evil is after her and won't stop until it has her. But why her? This is DC attempt at horror and this is definitely a great series to start with.

9.) Spawn Dark Horror

    Al Simmons is back and he's sending every demon back to hell and every angel back to heaven. All eight issues are here for you beautifully wrapped. So you don't have to go hunting the other issues down.

10.) The Nice House on the Lake

    Walter is weird but his house is gorgeous and after a hard year his friends need a vacay. So when he sent the invite they jumped on the chance to go to this beautiful house on the lake. But Walter has something else in mind for the party 

So tell me are you scared? Are you going to grab any of these titles? What are your favorite Horror comics? Let me know in the comments. While you are here listen to our podcast with the amazing La Deva Arazel We talk witchcraft and other amazing spooky things. 

Read our review on the new Halloween Movie

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Halloween Kills- A Salty Review

 The Halloween franchise has been through a lot. Some of it is good but most of it is bad. I don't know what the oddest moment has been, to be honest. Was it Kung Fu Busta Rhymes or was it Season on the witch or that one about the cult the series lost its way? Rob Zombie rebooted it in 2007 and fans including myself were split on how good/ bad it was. At least until the follow-up, we all agreed it was bad. In 2016 there was talk about rebooting the franchise again with Danny Mcbride as one of the writers. 

This guy  I know looks like a goofball but so did Jordan Peele. Mcbride and his team who were also comedy writers had a more daunting task. Peele did something very original whereas these guys are trying to save a franchise. 

They succeeded by making a daring choice of erasing the franchise. Their movie was a direct sequel from the 1978 film and everything we’ve seen since then ….. never happened. Laurie is an older PTSD-riddled survivor that has been waiting for his return. The film delivered and left a Lil something on the end that could only mean one thing sequels!!! But could Halloween KIlls make the magic happen again with a good sequel? The same team of writers. The same director is back. Maybe it could work?

  

The film starts minutes after the first film. So don’t try to be one of those folks who just watch a sequel without watching the original. The tone of the film is very different this time around. The film has made the entire town a character in this film. The town wants Myers dead as well. The film gets moves away from Laurie being at the center of the story by literally sideling her and focusing on other characters like Tommy Doyle and a few others you saw in the background in the first film.

watch our scary good interview with La Deva Arazel

The kills are stepped up in a big way this time around. They’re funny and gory and some are are easter eggs to the Halloween legacy.

The only thing I question right now is, what’s up with Michael Myers? In this movie, you cannot tell if the townspeople are incompetent or Myers also got some John Wick skills while surviving the fire.  He comes out of the burning building and kills 6 firefighters. You saw the trailer!!! I’m not gonna get into anymore because that’s spoiler territory. But it feels like they might be going into the supernatural side of things because this movie is way darker than I expected it to be. The movie was beautifully shot and directed the script had its moments but overall it’s quite good. Made the town a part of the story. Everyone’s performance was top tier.  I wish I had a better understanding of Myers but then again maybe that was the point. Leave me with more questions than answers. The also shows the downside of a lynch mob I don’t want this to turn into an afterschool special so I will leave that to you. When it came to giving the movie its grade wasn’t sure what it deserved it took some time but I stand by it. I think this movie a good scary time at the theaters ( or at home on Peacock) can be great popcorn fodder.

Halloween Kills final grade: B-      

If you're looking for another killer good time read our Top 10 Horror Comics 

And download our podcast with the beautiful and scary La Deva Arazel 

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Outsourcing Creativity AKA Star Wars Visions

 

The Star Wars franchise has been through a lot over the last 7 years and most of it wasn't good. Four out of five of the last movies were a farce, a faint shadow of how good it used to be. You can have great effects but it cannot save a crappy story. By the time Rise of Skywalker came out I was just relieved that I didn't have to think about them for a while. When The Mandalorian happened I saw hope. There are still a lot of stories to be told in the universe. I recently sat down to watch Star Wars Visions, an Anthology piece adapted from a book series. It's done with several different Anime studios telling their own unique stories from a galaxy far far away.

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I won't be breaking down every single story. It's something you will have to see for yourself but there are a few stories that stand in the forefront that need to be mentioned by name.

1. The first episode, if you go in order of the program, The Duel is a great start. If you are a fan of The Mandalorian this 11-minute piece is right up your alley. It has very little dialogue and most of it sounds like it could have come out of a Sergio Leone film with Clint Eastwood. Colors are used sparingly. Giving it a Sin City vibe that works so well. When the action starts it doesn't stop till it's over. 
   

1. The Twins is an insane overtop battle that takes the science we know in Stars Wars and throws it to the wind. This wild battle of the ages is brought to you by the same studio behind Kill la Kill. It's a great spectacle to behold. 

1. 
   
   Tatooine Rhapsody is an awesome idea for a kid-friendly Star Wars adventure. A BAnd of misfits led a padawan that survived order 66 put together a band. It has action, good music and they made Boba Fett adorable. What's not to love?

1. 
   
   Lop and Ocho is a story that's worth expanding on. You have a rabbit female character that has a cool design in a world that looks familiar and foreign at the same time. But still in the Star Wars universe. There is also a story about family and the sacrifices people make to save the ones they love.

Listen to the podcast on our thoughts on Star Wars Vision here

    

The studios did a great job. Then again these are some of the top anime studios in the game right now. The Duel was done by Kamikaze Douga the weebs will recognize this as the studio behind JoJo's Bizarre adventure. The twins were done by studio trigger. They also did another piece in there called The Elder which would be my honorable mention. The voice acting is top-notch across the board. If you have a good ear you will be able to catch most of them. It has David Harbour, Simu Liu, Neil Patrick Harris, and Joseph Gordon Levit. We also have Masi Oka, Lorianne Toussaint, and Masako Nozawa. There are a great whos whos of the acting and voice acting world bringing these characters to life. 

  

In the midst of all of this, I can't help but think 

These two really did screw up Star Wars!! They took no planning or care with what they have. I saw more creativity in these shorts than in six hours of what they tried to show me. Sure we have a few new series coming out on Disney plus but for how long until they interfere and mess everything up. Maybe Visions can be that chance to see what the rest of the world can do with Star Wars cause apparently, she doesn't.  

STAR WARS VISIONS final grade: A+  Press play and watch what the team thought about it

 

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Squid Game review (spoiler lite)

Okay, I guess everyone is finally up to watching some real Battle royale style programming because all of sudden everyone is talking about Squid Game, and so am I. It's a certified hit. What is it? Who's in it, and why it works so damn well. I wanna try and talk about the series without giving away spoilers. 

In these modern times, let's be honest, the struggle is real. We're still dealing with the aftershock of 2020 while still dealing with a global pandemic. A lot of us are feeling the pinch in our pockets and the show creator knows. We meet several characters from different walks of life who all have one thing in common. They are broke!!! ( like college freshman year ramen is breakfast, lunch and dinner broke). Each character you meet will have their own tale of woe that resonates with us.

You could be a defector from North Korea that needs money to save her brother like Sae - Byeok. 

Trying to visit his daughter in America after not being able to provide for her, or take care of your sick mother like Gi-Hun.

Live to the hype that your friends and family have been saying about you for years. All while dodging the police like Sang Woo.

Maybe you like one last adrenaline rush? You're at the end of life and wanna go out in an amazing way like Oh II-Nam.

These folks and many more have signed away their rights for a chance to win 39 million dollars in a secret location. Who has what it takes to win it all? Who has what it takes to survive? 

A lot of folks have been comparing it to the Japanese Netflix series Alice in Borderland. This is fair because both are about strangers trapped in life-death games. The devil is in the details. In borderland, there is a strong sci-fi element lasers from the sky killing off players. 

Whereas in Squid Game you have these guys armed to the teeth to put a bullet in someone. Story aside, they are shot differently as well. 

Squid game is constantly hitting you with bright, vibrant colors. It gives a sense of voyeurism that this is entertaining to watch from inside the show. The cinematography is amazing, it is beautifully shot, and the accompanying music is a chef's kiss to mayhem. Alice in borderland feels like it was done guerilla-style at times, and other times it feels like a windscreen stage. It's good, but it didn't draw me in. Alice in borderland set us up for the long haul on the game alone. A whole season and we still don't know how many players there are. Squid game keeps us updated. It started with 456 players. The visual effects in the Squid game are beautiful, mostly practical, and the CGI looks really good. It really is a must-see TV.

My only issue is how do you follow up on this? I think I've done a very good job not spoiling the show.  I've given you just a sampling of what the Squid Game is about, but let me make a few things clear; This is not for children or folks with weak sensibilities. If you thought the Hunger Games were extreme, THIS IS NOT FOR YOU. If you're still here please watch and pay attention because whoever your favorite character will be probably won't survive. 

It's like a very weird look into the possible future of “reality” shows. 

Squid Game: Final Grade A. Might be tempted to binge-watch!

Be sure to subscribe to our youtube chael for the latest game, movies, and show trailers. Plus plenty Tomfoolery, and shenanigans with our Amerime Junkies Podcast

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Return of the Cons Back at Otakon 2021!

In 2020 life hit the pause button, the pandemic hit the world like something we've never seen before. Movies had been postponed a year, we found out about Joe Exotic and conventions have been canceled. As 2021 rolled in we now have a vaccination, mask mandates, and the return of a few cons. So when I saw that Otakon was returning this year I knew I had to see this. I've always been a fan of Otakon and would love to be at a con again. Also, it would be nice to see my friends outside of a zoom meeting. Otakon 2021: The return of the con.

The Convention is still taking place in Washington D.C. Despite being in the nation's capital I'm quite nostalgic for its Baltimore setting. The Baltimore convention center has been home to Otakon for many years but is currently in the middle of an expansion project. One day we hope to return to Baltimore but for now, DC has been a very welcoming city. Lucky for us congress is usually on vacation but that would be a sight to see. 

  

Conventions have a bad stigma when it comes to hygiene. Especially in the gaming area. Sadly 

the stereotype associated with it tends to be more true than false. Smelling like corn chips, farts, and sweat. But the guidelines set by the con made a big difference. There was no mandatory vaccine ID checkpoint but there was a mask mandate that everyone followed to a T. Most cosplayers made sure their mask matched the cosplay. Masks are also part of some Japanese fashion subcultures so it wasn't a big deal. There were more hand sanitizers than ever and everyone was carrying their own. Since everyone was wearing masks if the game room had a smell I wouldn't be able to tell you.

When they announced they were doing the con I honestly wasn't sure if there were gonna be guests. I already was under the assumption that no one was flying in from Japan. The Guest came to have fun. We had great interviews with Adam Macarthur, Ricco Fajardo, and Joe Zieja three hard-working voice actors in the industry. Be sure to check out our interview with them here (183) Otakon 2021 - YouTube   Don’t forget to subscribe!! Also had a chance to talk to some cosplayers as well and everyone was very happy to be back at Otakon. Otakon had just over 70 days to plan and execute this convention which was a staggering challenge. How did it turn out? In 2019 they had 28’430 attendees in 2021 not even 90 days to pull it off 25’543 people showed up and showed out. That is amazing!!! It also shows how strong the fans are and how strong Otakon is. 

There were so many panels to sit in on. I found myself relaxing and doing origami for a bit. I did LARPing (live-action role play) for the second time in my life and I did better than the last. I enjoyed playing a new rail shooter in the game which made me wanna go to an arcade. It was great just to catch up with some old friends as well. Now that we're back in the regular world. We go back to our day to live, all while keeping our eyes tuned in about the Delta variant not sure what the future holds. But I'd like to thank Otakon for giving me a sense of normal, if only for a few days. It wasn't perfect but it was good to be back.  

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