#caption is the name of that Of Monsters and Men album

[thee-radio-host-is-a-kookaburra]

my head is an animal

[tessatechaitea]

Teen Titans Spotlight #1: Starfire

Comics in 1986: "Let's begin our new series with Starfire battling Apartheid!" Asshole Fans in 2019: "Comics should go back to the good old days when they weren't political!"

Really, M&M's? Everyone? Haven't you heard about Apartheid?!

So far the craziest thing about this comic book to modern audiences is how boring M&M colors were in 1986. I suspect I don't have the maturity to comment on a story about Apartheid. Oh well! Let's do this! The story is called "Black and White" because, you see, Apartheid was about how whites and blacks experienced two disparate South Africas. It's also a play on how "black and white" is a way to describe issues that have easily recognizable positive and negative sides. It's probably racist that we automatically assume the black side is the negative side. Maybe that also plays into the title! Chess pieces are black and white too so maybe the title alludes to chess. Maybe something about pawns versus the gentry. Marv might even work in some bits about The Beatles seeing as how they're using that zebra crossing on the cover of Abbey Road. Starfire has just returned from Tamaran where she married that dweeby Prince Karras guy. He was Tamaran's version of Terry Long. I'm surprised more panels didn't show Starfire and Donna in the background giggling and holding their index fingers and thumb a teeny, tiny distance apart. Starfire didn't spend eighth grade on Earth so she never learned Earth geography. So instead of flying in from space and looking at Earth and going, "Okay, that's New York right there!", she winds up in South Africa. I bet she came at Earth upside down and got confused. It's easy to get confused in space where up and down don't exist in any objective way. Starfire descends upon a group of black people chanting "Informer" at a woman they eventually soak in gasoline and light on fire. Holy fuck! This comic book just got more real than all 114 issues of New Titans I just recently reread! Except maybe that part where Raven raped Starfire during Starfire's wedding. That was pretty heavy. The white police arrive to commit some justice. Unless I meant "racism" instead of "justice." Sometimes, living in America, it's hard to see the difference.

I bet this guy has a MAGA Twitter account.

How many of your racist family members often bring up black on black crime when discussing gun control or cops shooting unarmed black men? How many of those idiots don't think they're being racist when they bring up that argument and just think they're being logical? It's fucking racism, dudes. Cops killing unarmed black men has nothing to do with black men being killed by criminals who happen to share their same skin color. Nobody ever talks about "white on white" crime. That's just crime perpetuated by criminals against innocent people! But somehow a black person shooting another black person belongs in some kind of special category? Of course a black person is probably going to be the victim of a black criminal because America had this thing called white flight. It caused places to become poor black neighborhoods because white people couldn't handle having even one black neighbor. So people and businesses moved out, local governments ignored infrastructure of those areas (or purposefully simply just built freeways straight through them), and constantly sent the police in to hassle innocent people just trying to live their fucking lives. Systemic racism (and racists!) segregated the races in a fairly efficient manner. So when a black criminal looks for a victim in their neighborhood, of course they're going to almost certainly find a black victim! That's simply crime, not black on black crime. Maybe I would think differently if anybody ever at any time in any of these debates brought up white on white crime. Y'all realize that's the most prevalent crime there is, right? Which means whites are the biggest criminals of all. If you're, you know, going to argue that way, you stupid racist asshole. Plus saying black on black crime is just a way for people to intimate that most crime is caused by black people. "Even though they keep criming us whites, they still have time to crime up their own people!" This comic book taught me that South African police would use purple dye in water cannons to stain people during protests so that they can be identified later as people who participated in the riot that totally didn't erupt later due to the police being overly aggressive and also racist. Wolfman says people "affectionately" called it Purple Rain which led me down a rabbit hole to figure out which came first, the racist ploy to arrest as many people as possible or the Prince album. Apparently the dyed water was named after the Prince album. That's probably why it was an "affectionate" sobriquet.

I'm a little bit worried that Wolfman is about to "both sides" Apartheid.

Starfire winds up with the South African police who tell her all about how terrible South African blacks are and how she's going to get a medal for helping quell the protest. They also call the woman who burned to death a bitch so I'm getting the feeling that they're not really interested in any kind of justice or peace. It's quite possible that — hear me out on this — they just want to oppress the black citizens and make sure they know their place. But I don't want to jump to conclusions! I should wait until I hear their arguments in a frank and logical debate. "Please, white South Africans, explain to me how South Africa needs your violent tactics and racist attitudes to maintain peace and order. Also explain how peace and order aren't different from justice for everybody. I might be convinced to stop calling you racist if you debate well!"

This guy doesn't realize how true it is that he's teaching these black South Africans how to behave.

It would have been easy to read this, at one time, from a privileged position as a citizen of America and think that the white South Africans in this story were caricatures of racist monsters, playing up their terrible qualities to get the reader to sympathize with the plight of the black South Africans. But these caricatures of despicable and horrible systemic racism using tactics to dehumanize a segment of the population are absolute mirrors of Trump and his deplorables. "They're animals." "They're not like us." "They do not think." "They are like children." "They fight amongst themselves." "We are just securing the peace." "This is God's country." "They need to be taught how to behave." "Their flagrant disregard for the law must be stopped." And all of these statements are simply excuses to treat certain people as less than human. "They get what they deserve." I'm so fucking disappointed in so many Americans right now. Starfire is completely confused by everything she's seeing. In her confusion, some journalists get her to sort of say she's for Apartheid. Uh oh! The Teen Titans are going to get worse press than when they destroyed New York City while arguing with their parents about their curfew.

Starfire's response is me on Twitter every fucking day.

The South African leader, Racist McRacisthole, tells Starfire not to worry about the journalists because they're always asking terrible questions and lying about how awful everything is. But Starfire is all, "Just because I have big hair and big tits and my ass is hanging out, don't think I'm a fucking idiot! Not that I'm trying to say people who look like that are idiots! But I know terrible people like you, Mr. Racisthole, think like that! So I just want you to know that I see you! I see what you're doing and how you're trying to snow me with all this fucking dehumanizing garbage! You remind me of the Gordanians!" Then Starfire gets so angry and delivers such a passionate speech that her nose falls off.

"I'b not gobing do libben do yub liebs aby lobber!"

Starfire declares she never cared for politics and tells Governor Racisthole that she's leaving. But instead of going, "Good! Stop interfering with our terrible government!", he says, "I won't let you leave which will probably cause you to stay and help the oppressed!" Starfire hears a prisoner screaming in pain before she leaves and decides to stick around to help him. While doing so, she realizes that maybe she show these government officials real power! No, I don't mean she's going to flash her tits. Jesus. Some of you comic book nerds just don't stop, do you?! Sure, DC panders to your boners by putting Starfire in her underwear. But you do have the choice to stop being such creepy little fucks, you know?

Imagine reading this and instead of thinking, "You tell 'em, Starfire! Way to go!", you think, "Virtue signaler."

Starfire has some more thoughts from 1986 for us here in 2019. She just won't stop!

Virtue signaler!

I swear the rest of this commentary can just be scans of Starfire saying important shit.

I mean, if this 1986 comic book is an example of older comics that Comicsgaters want to go back to, I'm fucking up for that shit.

In the next panel that I'm not going to scan because I'll never finish reading this comic book if I scan every fucking panel, Starfire says, "Unwittingly, my father helped ruin our world by caving in to our enemies rather than fighting for what was right. I won't do that here on Earth. I've got to care." I should probably send that panel to Nancy Pelosi. Starfire frees all of the political prisoners and escorts them back to where they're forced to live outside the city. She tries to figure out what Apartheid means and Father Nelson Mandutu, the rebel leader the police have been searching for, tells her, "Ah, I see — you are trying to make sense of madness." It's as good a reason to dismiss people always pressing you to debate their terrible ideas and worthless topics. How can you win a debate against twisted logic and racist madness? Just ignore them when they call you a coward or an elitist when you refuse to debate. I was always taught that the best way to get shit off of your shoe is to scrape it off, not to get in an argument with it. Starfire follows Mandutu around for the day except for the one moment when he's kidnapped. When she goes to rescue him, she destroys an armory and discovers that Father Mandutu has been killed. BY HER! And there are cameras rolling! Totally not suspicious or anything! I bet we discover she was framed next issue! That's the kind of intelligent speculation you get from a Grandmaster Comic Book Reader like me. I can't be fooled even by the most subtle of plot twists! Teen Titans Spotlight #1: Starfire Rating: A. I should probably apologize to Marv Wolfman for all the insults I've made about his Teen Titans books. This was a well-written infotainment issue putting precisely the right character at the heart of an international travesty. And I thought a story about Apartheid was going to be boring! It's almost as if I forgot that every panel would have tons of side boob! Oh no! I just realized I'm one of those creepy little fucks!

[attract-mode-collective]

Not An April Fools Gag; That’s A Game Boy Advance With A GameCube Stick Affixed For Reals

What you're seeing is a modded GBA that I spotted on eBay. It's a real thing! Though it doesn't magically grant analogue control to all the digital input only games on the system, which is all of them for the record (sorry). Then again, it could be argued that the controls in WarioWare Twisted is technically analogue...

That aside aside, welcome to yet another recap of stuff posted over at the Attract Mode Twitter! Though this time it's gonna be a bit on the short side, relatively speaking; even I know covering two entire whole weeks has led to hard to handle Tumblr posts, so I'm going to try concentrating on just one week at a time/attempt weekly updates.

Let's see how well that goes...

Hey, it's SF2 IRL thanks to ARKit (via prostheticknowledge)...

At the time, when I first tweeted about it, there were only three left of Amanda Visell’s Player One Mario; no idea how many there are now...

When you can make a decision regarding lunch (via @Mechazawa)....

If you appreciate both the ease of slip-on sneakers and the taste of ghosts, then Games Glorious has something for you (via miki800.com)...

As a connoisseur of video games on the printed page, it is my goal to one day own a copy of Namco's newsletter that was distributed in game centers during the 80s & 90s, NG (via miki800)...

Remember that time Namco got someone from Yellow Magic Orchestra to hawk their wares (via namcomuseum)...

Both in print and on TV…

The YMO member in question, Haruomi Hosono, also did a Xevious remix album, which longtime readers of the blog will hopefully recall.

Sticking with Namco CMs, there’s a pair of longtime faves that I could have sworn I’ve already posted as well, yet cannot find. Though as noted, many times already, the search functionality here is broken.

So here’s a boy playing with his Famicom in the middle of the woods...

And here’s a girl playing with his Famicom in the middle of the woods...

Back to the subject of print, can’t seem to find any info on the Futabasha Fantasy Novel Series, which (I think) was a line of video game novelizations; this one appears to be written by the creator of Xevious himself (via shmups)...

The focus here is supposed to be the Lawson’s reward card with Kirby on it, but I am all about that Space Invaders whatever the heck it is (via miki800)...

Spent MANY hours at Japanese bookstores during my college years, flipping through Sega Saturn Magazine; seeing these VF Kids ads again makes me feel all warm & fuzzy (via thesegasource)...

This (what I believe to be a) farewell image of the face of the Saturn from the very first issue of Dreamcast Magazine, also gives me the feels (via oldgamemags)...

BTW, everyone knows the identity of Saturn's pitchman (Segata Sanshiro), but what about the Mega Drive's? (via yokosuka87)...

Back to the Saturn; I love how Sega want from Segata Sanshiro to Hidekazu Yukawa for the Dreamcast. This launch edition of the console, btw, was spotted at VideoGamesNewYork...

It's also where they Kira Kira Star Night DX for twice the asking price, as @gamespite)...

Speaking of music, to fully enjoy this animated gif of Eggman running…

… you need to have this song playing (via lunaticobscurity).

And to fully enjoy this image of Eggman on the sax…

... you need to have this song playing (via very-territorial-oak).

@ondoruragitan sez: "whoever designed that clown lady in ace attorney is probably the most horny artist to ever exist" (it's funny cuz it's true)...

So the big news these past few weeks, especially among video game folk my age, has been the end of the Toys R Us. Many have been sharing artifacts from the glory days, with my fave example being these old flyers, with the obvious highlight seeing all the original MSRP prices (via retrogamerblog)...

Oh, and don’t forget the gifs (via nintendroid)...

The following are more appropriate for my way, way overdue batch of game culture snapshots, but since we're on the subject of retail anyway; I recently stumbled across Nintendo's collab with Bloomingdale's that I had no idea even existed...

Took a bunch of pics, but unfortunately, due to the harsh lighting at the SoHo store, it was impossible to capture the women’s section, hence the abundance of men’s wear...

These women's sweatshirts are the best example of the line's overall design sensibilities, or lack thereof; it’s just a bunch of random Nintendo sprites on attire that is available at Bloomingdale's, period. That's all it aspires to be, nothing more...

... And that's a real shame, cuz aside from the quality of the clothing itself being high, some of the ho-hum looking designs could be really engaging with a few minor tweaks, like this b&w women's jacket with a very random assortment of b&w Super Mario World sprites...

In addition to clothing, you had accessories, like iPhone cases...

Plus sunglasses, which revealed Super Mario World playing on what appears to the naked eye to be a blank, white screen....

Speaking of Super Mario World, here's a hamster enjoying the game (via @kousuke_teppei)...

The lil guy also owns an original Famicom, and here we is playing Solomon's Key (thanks to @Topherocious for helping me to identify the game)...

Being that friend who is REALLY into video games means I'm asked a wide variety of questions from folks who are not, like why @beesmygod  is "freaking out" over a Sonic & Garfield two pack for the PC...

... I'll be honest, I don't really understand why either.

Here we have a mockup for an ad blocker that replaces banners with GBA screenshots, which I really want to see happen (via @tinycartridge)...

I also really want to see this happen too (via @truongasm)...

Back to Tiny Cart; that's where I found out that you no longer have to play emulated Tiger handheld games sans backgrounds...

Nothing beats a pic of a dimly lit arcade, especially when it's shot on ACTUAL film (via mendelpalace)...

As for this particular arcade show, @kappuru theorizes "it looks like cinestill film, or a filter designed to mimic it." (via parkerwoods)...

"WHO IS THIS NUN?! WHY DOES SHE LOOK SO SINISTER?" is a great KOF related question (via vice-s-assistant)...

And "BOWL BEFORE ME" is a great KOF related gag (via brondeef)...

"this is the best cosplay i’ve ever seen" is a a great costume play related observation made by lunaticobscurity...

"how to get away with playing super mario odyssey in class" is the caption given by retrogamerblog...

"Stardew Valley gave me 500 characters to use as my farm name, so I put down an entire 1-star amazon review for an Independence Day DVD" is the explanation given by @NoahHafford...

Hey, you never know, maybe one day a homebrew dev might make “Shinjuku-Nichome Gay District Serial Murders” a reality? (via mendelpalace)

When you’ve got one copy of Melee with two boxes, and one copy of Air Ride with zero boxes… just gotta improvise (via stellatuna)...

When you’ve got a killer Game Genie code but no paper to write it down on... and then you discover the code does something totally different (via theassortment)...

And when I asked what this 4koma featuring a Dreamcast VMU was all about, @JonahD was kind enough to explain: "VMUs are playing hide and seek, Black is seeking. One VMU thinks hiding in the controller would be good but it makes a bunch of noise and they’re found immediately" (via posthumanwanderings)...

Whereas I have yet to find out what all these Sonics are doing at a German airport (via sonicthehedgeblog)...

I normally don’t let the weather get to me, yet the constant cold weather in NYC over the past few weeks began taking its toll, to the point that I’m starting to resemble an upside down Super Famicom/European SNES (via sixteen-bit)...

I also really wish I could have checked out Sakura-Con, and not just cuz the weather is so much nicer in Seattle, but to pick up @alexisparade's Monster Factory zine...

I stared at gif illustrating the wacky perspective-related behavior of Super Mario 64’s trees for an entire day, no joke (via suppermariobroth)...

Here we have the rarely seen alternate angle of the internet famous "LAN party gamer duct-taped to the ceiling" photo (via reddit.com)...

Turning the clock back even further, here's yet another kind of party, one that doesn’t involve first person shooters but shoot ‘em ups; it’s the 1986 Hudson Caravan (via videogamesdensetsu)...

Recently, a modded NES Max controller showed up on Kotaku, in which the cycloid nub has been replaced with an analogue stick...

... Which actually appeared the day after I spotted that modded GBA at the very top of this page. I am also willing to admit the disappointment over my tweet not catching on as expected/hoped it would, hence why I'm sharing another pic...

At any rate, I was also reminded of my buddy Nick Santaniello's modded Jaguar controller, which allows for arcade perfect Tempest 2000 controls...

... Which in turned led to me republishing the post from which it hails from originally, my recap of Nick's Shmup Appreciation Night, for Medium (and also sharing additional pics on Twitter)...

BTW, for those wondering, based upon the last round of tweets; the kitchen isn’t just for playing old Mega Drive & PC Engine shmups… you can also play old Naomi fighting games (via internetflexin)...

Guess that's it for now? Sorry, but it finally feels like spring in NYC, and I feel the need to step away from the computer & enjoy weather! Just like Mega Man (via arcadequartermaster)...

[aion-rsa]

Marvel’s WandaVision Episode 5: MCU Easter Eggs and Reference Guide

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This article contains WandaVision spoilers through episode 5, possibly beyond, and for the wider MCU.

WandaVision episode 5, “On a Very Special Episode…” took everything we liked about the first two episodes and shook them up. For the first time, we have a fully blended approach to the storytelling, with the episode alternating between the altered “sitcom” reality of Westview, NJ and the actual, current MCU events. And then there’s that multiverse-shattering ending to contend with.

There’s a lot to break down with this week’s WandaVision, so we’d better get to it…

Sitcom Influences

WandaVision took us to the ‘80s this week, with a little Growing Pains, some Family Ties, and maybe a hint of Full House thrown in for good measure. The living room set itself looks very much like the standard seen on shows of the era, specifically Family Ties and Growing Pains.

Family Ties

The aging up of Billy and Tommy is much like Andy Keaton from Family Ties. In season 4, Andy was born and spent the whole season as a baby. As of the beginning of season 5, Andy was suddenly about 5 years old with zero explanation.

Also from Family Ties is the beginning of the opening credits, where it would show someone painting a colorless sketch of the family.

Bettany’s Michael Gross impression was extremely disturbing in how good it was a couple of times.

Growing Pains

Wanda and Vision getting vaguely horny for each other while doing regular domestic stuff is reminiscent of the way the parents would occasionally get it on on Growing Pains and Family Ties.

The sitcom theme lyrics and feel are extremely Growing Pains. And yes, as you might expect, they are very appropriate for these characters.

Here are the full lyrics for you (courtesy of the Disney+ closed caption feature):

“You wander the world with a vision…Of what life could be But then the years come and teach you…To just wait and see Forces may try to pull us apart…But nothing can phase me If you’re in my heart Crossing our fingers Singing a song We’re making it up as we go along Through the highs and lows We’ll be right, we’ll be wrong We’re making it up as we go along And there will be days…We won’t know which way to go But we’ll take it higher…You’re all I desire When the going gets tough…When push comes to shove We’re making it up Cuz we got love we got love we got love We got WandaVision”

Darcy also refers to Vision “playing Father Knows Best,” a callback to the sitcom style of the first episode.

We wrote in more detail about the sitcom influences of WandaVision episode 5 here.

Scarlet Witch

For the first time, we get the names of Wanda’s parents: Irina and Oleg Maximoff, but in the comics they were known as Django and Marya.

Wanda was born in 1989, the same year as Elizabeth Olsen.

We learn here that the “Scarlet Witch” codename has never been used in the MCU

Darcy refers to the anomaly as “the hex” after the hexagonal patterns that were noted in the previous episode. In the comics, Wanda’s powers are often referred to as “hex bolts.” She could also produce “hex spheres” and the town seems to be enveloped in a large one here.

Wanda’s accent, missing since Avengers: Age of Ultron, makes its triumphant return here.

Wanda talking to the kids about how “my brother is far away from here” is technically true: his corpse is…nowhere nearby. Although given how the episode ends, she could very well have been referring to another corner of the multiverse. We’ll get to that soon enough.

SWORD seems to refer to what’s going on as “The Maximoff Anomaly.”

Vision

We now know that Vision’s corpse is physically present in Westview and he isn’t just a manifestation of Wanda’s powers, nor was the horrific image of him glimpsed at the end of episode 3 a hallucination: it was Wanda seeing him as he really is.

Vision is working on a Commodore 64 at Computational Services. This early personal computer was a terrific gaming machine, with graphics and sound that were far better than early home gaming consoles of the era.

Vision apparently had a “living will” about what he didn’t want done with his body in the event of his untimely demise. Think of it like the MCU equivalent of a DNR. No, not a “do not reveal.” The other thing.

House of M

Before Agnes shows up the second time around, Vision is reading a newspaper with the headline, “LOCAL HOMEMAKERS INNOVATING RECIPES.” Moments later, he folds the newspaper in a way so that it only says “HOM.” HOM is short for the big Scarlet Witch comic event House of M.

The Twins

While it’s used as a setup for the twins inexplicably growing up, Wanda and Vision are horrified to find that the babies have simply vanished. In the comics, the first time we really get an idea that something is wrong with the children (as well as Wanda’s mental wellbeing) is when they show us that Billy and Tommy would cease to exist when Wanda wasn’t around.

This episode is the first to really feel like it’s borrowing a lot from Wanda’s most important story: the Dark Scarlet Witch story from Avengers West Coast. In that book, the first clue that something was wrong with Wanda was how the twins would disappear when she wasn’t looking a them. This would often happen when Agatha Harkness (presumably Agnes here) was babysitting for them. And later, Wanda’s personality started to shift towards full villainy and she was very cavalier about the use of her powers, something we start to see in this episode. 

For most of the episode, the twins are dressed in red and green. This more than a nod to their parents’ favored color schemes, but it appears to mirror the colors they adopt when they grow up to be superheroes themselves. William becomes the hex-wielding Wiccan, who favors red, while Tommy favors green (like his Uncle Pietro) as Speed.

Sparky

Poor Sparky. Good boy.

The name “Sparky” is a reference to Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta’s brilliant Vision story, in which Vision and his “family” (not the Maximoffs) move to the suburbs and try to live a “normal” life. Part of that includes a synthezoid canine named “Sparky.” He didn’t meet a good end there, either. Stop letting dogs die in our stories, you monsters! It’s too sad.

Lagos

This week’s commercial is for Lagos Brand Paper Towels, with the catchy slogan of:  “For when you make a mess you didn’t mean to.”

This references the opening scenes of Captain America: Civil War, when Wanda used her powers to stop Crossbones from detonating a bomb in a crowded marketplace. While she reduced the number of casualties overall, a number of innocent civilians still died when he exploded. It’s the first indication that Wanda’s grief and trauma in Westview are driven by far more than just the loss of her lover.

The Lagos ad is also another reference to the Infinity Stones. Previously, we’ve had the toaster (Power), the watch (Time) and the Tesseract-shaped bath powder (Space). Here, we have a red liquid spill in a sly nod to the Aether (Reality). Only the Mind and Soul stones to go – which means two more commercials.

X-Men

These are definitely not the only X-Men references in the episode (of course), but we’ll get to that big one down below…

The scene of Wanda confronting SWORD agents looks to be directly inspired by the scene in the first X-Men movie where the police try to take down Magneto. Much like Wanda, he uses his powers on their guns, causing them to be aimed at the cops themselves before escaping. Considering the payoff to this episode and Magneto’s role as Wanda and Pietro’s sometimes-father in the comics (not to mention Pietro’s definite father in the X-Men movies), this was more than likely set up. 

Vision says he was reading Charles Darwin’s “The Descent of Man” to one of the twins, a book that deals with evolution. (David Bowie voice) “Gotta make way for the homo superior!”

The Twilight Zone

Serious Twilight Zone “It’s a Good Life” vibes in the episode throughout, particularly when Agnes is visibly weirded out by Wanda with her “take it from the top” moment (unless she’s deliberately screwing with everyone), and the mailman telling the twins “your mom won’t let [Sparky] get far.”

Also, while we’re on the subject of The Twilight Zone, Agnes appears to live at the corner of Maple St. and Sherwood Drive. “The Monsters are due on Maple Street” is a notoriously paranoid unpacking of suburban paranoia.

Westview

The opening credits feature a “Greetings From Westview, NJ” postcard in a pretty common format, but one made most famous on the cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Greetings From Asbury Park” album.

We wrote more about Westview in general here.

“For the Children

Vision points out that there are “no other children in Westview,” which calls to mind the creepy “for the children” chant from back in episode 2. 

Captain Marvel

Darcy draws the connection between how both Wanda and Carol Danvers got their powers via an Infinity Stone. Similarly, they acknowledge Wanda almost took out Thanos in Avengers: Endgame but that this feels outside the scope of her powers. Still, the fact that both Wanda and Carol stood up to Thanos isn’t something that’s being glossed over in the MCU.

Note Monica’s reaction when the name “Captain Marvel” is said isn’t exactly what you’d call enthusiastic.

Monica Rambeau

Monica’s test results coming back blank seem pretty significant. Is this a signifier that her molecular structure has changed, whether from the blip or passing through the hex barrier? Are we witnessing Monica’s superheroic origin story in slow motion?

Who is the Villain of WandaVision, anyway?

Despite the implications from the end of episode 4, Wanda isn’t completely in control of what’s going on. At various points in the episode she seems to be manipulating everything, but at others seems to be completely immersed in this reality. 

But if she doesn’t remember how this all started, that sets up a potential villain reveal (or more than one) down the road.

What’s up with Agnes?

Agnes is complicit but was disturbed by Wanda’s ability to “resurrect” so how much can she really know? Unless, of course, she’s just “acting” this way to continue with her cover.

On the other hand, Agnes “helping out with the kids” is kind of in line with our Agatha Harkness theory for the character.

Reed Richards?

Monica mentions that she has a particular “aerospace engineer” in mind to call for help. Based on all the other subtle Fantastic Four clues that were in the fourth episode, could this individual be Reed Richards?

If they aren’t taking that big a swing, it could be Adam Bernard Brashear, known as “The Blue Marvel,” another prominent Marvel scientist, and one who has led the 616 version of the Ultimates with Monica on the team.

Evan Peters is Pietro

“She recast Pietro?”

Yes, you are indeed seeing Evan Peters returning as Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver here. This is (at least until it’s revealed that the MCU Wanda and Pietro were indeed mutants whose powers were merely “activated” by Strucker’s experiments) now officially the first appearance of a mutant/member of the X-Men in the MCU. Peters, of course, played Pietro in three films,X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix. While Aaron Taylor-Johnson played Pietro in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Peters played him in Days of Future Past, and he was generally more warmly-received by fans.

And does this indeed mean that Pietro is alive again, albeit in “recast” form? Or is Wanda so powerful that she ripped open a hole in the multiverse itself in order for her brother to “make a guest appearance” in Westview? This could very well be the first indication of what’s to come in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the possibly Spiderverse-y Spider-Man 3.

Unless…what if this isn’t Pietro at all? What if it’s someone manipulative merely taking the form of Pietro to mess with Wanda even further?

Also, Pietro’s “bad boy” appearance very much feels like it fits with the Family Ties aesthetic. His “New York tough guy” look and persona is much like Nick, Mallory’s idiot boyfriend.  Coincidentally, Nick also starred in an episode of the show where he got a dog and it died soon after from an accident.

We wrote much more about the shocking WandaVision episode 5 ending here.

We Are Kind of OK With the ’80s

Jazzercise was indeed a real thing, god help us.

For those of you thinking the internet was a whatever a reverse anachronism is, we made the same mistake too. But it turns out it has been around in some form since the 1960s, when the Advance Research Projects Agency (precursor to today’s US government mad science agency, DARPA) networked a few computers and sent messages back and forth. 

Unanswered Questions

Dennis the Mailman is back from episode 1. His little aside to the kids is an indicator that he is vaguely aware of what’s really going on. Not necessarily in a sinister way, but a reminder that the people of Westview aren’t really enjoying this.

One of the camera feeds we see is from Satellite 348. Avengers #348 had a Vision-centric cover and story.

Is there a significance to the stuffed animal on the chair at the beginning? I thought maybe it was a stuffed Bova or something, but I think it’s just a bunny.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Spot anything we missed? Let us know in the comments!

The post Marvel’s WandaVision Episode 5: MCU Easter Eggs and Reference Guide appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3pZW8jy

[thereviewsarein]

Every year we look forward to the packed schedule of country music that takes place at Boots & Hearts. We also sit and think and guess at who we’re going to see on stage when the festival rolls around in August… so, we’re back with our 2019 predictions.

This year my list has grown to 20 artists that I think have a legitimate chance to be booked to play at B&H in August 2019. Some of them may be longshots, but I truly don’t think that any of them are out of the question.

At the top of the list there are four legit headliner possibilities, and then we start to get into openers and afternoons and Front Porch stage slots that make for a complete weekend of good times. I’ve got bands and solo artists, women and men, and Canadians and Americans. It’s a full list, and we’d be happy to see all of them at Boots & Hearts.

There were also 10 or more other artists that would have been really easy to put on this list. It wasn’t easy to do this. So, if you have any predictions for Boots & Hearts 2019, leave a comment, and we can get some more names flowing!

Little Big Town

We’re still waiting for LBT to make their Boots & Hearts debut… and the time is right. Since their cancelled 2015 appearance, the award-winning quartet has become even bigger stars.

Their smooth harmonies and monster hits make for a great show, and they would make fantastic headliners any night of the festival.

Jason Aldean

It feels like a long, long time ago that Jason Aldean headlined Boots & Hearts. In reality, it was a rainy day and night in 2013, and we’d do it all over again.

The guitar-driven rockin’ country music of Aldean and his band bursts through the speakers and makes for a great party. And with 20 #1 singles and a long list of fan favourites on his resume, there would be no shortage of songs he could play that the crowd would love.



Sugarland

They’re back and we love it. And we would love it even more if Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush came north to play Boots & Hearts for the first time.

With classic hits like Baby Girl, Settlin’, All I Want To Do to go along with new jams Still The Same and Babe – we know Sugarland has got everything that 40,000 country music fans in Ontario could want on a summer night.

Darius Rucker

The Grand Ole Opry member and former Hootie and the Blowfish frontman has never played Boots & Hearts, and we think it’s about time.

Darius Rucker has some big, big hits that tens of thousands of country music fans could sing along to at the main stage. We’d love to be part of that choir.

Chad Brownlee

With a new team behind him and new music on the way, Chad Brownlee is ready for the Boots & Hearts main stage once again. The Canadian country star has always played to a warm reception at B&H, and we believe he’d get it again in 2019.

If we get more songs like Dear Drunk Me, this has gotta happen!

Maren Morris

With a second album on the way to follow up the success of 2016’s Hero and her huge 2018 hit The Middle with Zedd, Maren Morris is ready for Boots & Hearts if they’re ready for her.

Imagine yourself standing in a crowd of 30,000 or more country fans singing along to My Church and tell me you don’t get the goosebumps I get.

Cam

Her follow-up album may have been delayed, but if the Burning House singer has more new music like Diane to offer, we’re all in. And after her 2016 performance on the front porch stage, we would LOVE to see Cam on the main stage in 2019!

Dear Cam, please come back.

Luke Combs

Luke Combs light continues to shine brighter and brighter in Nashville and beyond. Fans are flocking to his shows across Canada and the United States, and as his songs burn up the charts and streaming services he is becoming a bonafide star.

He’s already got three #1s with Hurricane, When It Rains It Pours, and One Number Away, and by the time Boots & Hearts 2019 rolls around he could double that number!

Dan + Shay

After a crazy thunderstorm washed out Dan + Shay’s 2016 Boots & Hearts set on the Saturday night main stage (though they did come out and play with Keith Urban as special guests, and took over the late-night dance party) we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Tequila singers back at Boots.

With their career success only growing, and their fanbase in love with what they do, misters Smyers and Mooney would be welcome additions to the 2019 lineup.

Carly Pearce

The Hide The Wine and Every Little Thing singer is on her way to becoming a big, big, big star and Boots & Hearts would light up for her. We’ve seen her play stripped down and acoustic, and we’ve seen her on the Budweiser Stage in Toronto – and now we want to see Carly Pearce at the biggest festival of the summer.

There’s also time for one or two, or maybe even three singles to be released between now and then. And that means folks are going to know the words and be able to sing along loud!

Tebey

When we talked to Tebey backstage at Boots & Hearts 2018, he told us that he’d love to be back on the big stage for a full set. And we’d love to see it!

With Denim On Denim and Who’s Gonna Love You becoming two of his biggest hits, there’s momentum on Tebey’s side. And if that keeps up, there would be a whole lot of buzz in the air if he hit the stage in 2019.

Lauren Alaina

One of country music’s rising stars, Lauren Alaina is ready for Boots & Hearts. We’ve seen her up on stage, and she’s a lot of fun. She’s got a setlist that will get a summer festival crowd going. And, fans recognize her from country radio.

We could imagine Lauren Alaina in a late afternoon slot on the Front Porch stage, or an early evening spot on the main stage before the headliners get up in front of the big crowd.

Alee

In 2017 we saw Alee play on the main stage in the early afternoon. Since then she’s heard her name at the CCMA awards as a Female Artist of the Year nominee, she’s released new music, and we’re ready for more.

Alee is a Canadian talent that we should all be ready to hear more from and see on big stages from coast-to-coast.

Nice Horse

Nice Horse puts in work. Katie, Brandi, Krista, and Tara are full speed ahead on stage, online, and everywhere in between. They’re making a name for themselves with great shows, fun content, and award nominations.

And in 2019 we can see Nice Horse back at B&H doing their thing, and hopefully playing some new music.

Dan Davidson

Dan Davidson is a good time on stage. He’s got songs like Found and Barn Burner that get a crowd fired up and singing along. He exudes good vibes with a ton of energy and enthusiasm. And, we can very much imagine Dan playing at the Thursday night kick-off party.

That would be a lot of fun.

Hunter Brothers

If we’re going to talk about fun, we better talk about the Hunter Brothers.

These five brothers have all of the pieces and make great music together. Their harmonies are tight. Their playfulness is fantastic to watch. And with more and more recognition coming in the form of radio plays and tour spots with artists like Paul Brandt, the Hunter Brothers are putting themselves in a great position for a big jump.

Tenille Townes

Tenille Townes is blowing up on both sides of the border, and we should all expect more of that in the very near future. The Alberta native has made fans out of the Canadian country music crowd, and that’s not all.

The Grand Ole Opry loves Tenille Townes, and if casual observers are looking for a hint that they should get in on this, that’s it right there!

JJ Shiplett

JJ Shiplett has been talked about new music coming on social media… and we can’t wait. And we know we’re not the only ones excited, so it makes perfect sense to us for JJ to come back to Boots & Hearts, get on stage and play new songs and favourites from Something To Believe In.

You’ll catch us singing along for sure.

Tyler Rich

Tyler Rich is ready to make waves. He’s on the charts right now with The Difference, and it’s climbing. Folks are digging 11:11 and we’re anxious to see it rise as well. And the California native just dropped a four-song EP that we’re sure will grab some attention.

With a great team around him, Tyler Rich is on his way to big things, and what better way to do it than play at Boots & Hearts next summer?

The Dungarees

These Alberta boys are putting in work, and it’s paying off. With a growing reputation for great songs and a fun-loving attitude to go with them, we’re all in.

We first met The Dungarees during Canadian Country Music Week 2016, and in 2019, we’re ready for them on stage at Boots & Hearts. You should be too.



20 Boots & Hearts 2019 Artist Predictions Every year we look forward to the packed schedule of country music that takes place at…

[toptecharena]

Nicki Minaj deviates slightly from the overtly eccentric and forgettable character that recently appeared on 6ix9ine’s ‘Fefe’ to focus on blurring the lines between her pop and rap persona with the ”Queen” album.

Ever since she dropped her debut album, ”Pink Friday” in 2010, Nicki Minaj has thrived under the spotlight and helped shift the attention of hip-hop in the direction of female rappers yet again.

Her follow-up album, ”Pink Friday – Roman Reloaded” further amplified her bragging rights behind the mic, with the first signs of her evolution into being more than just a rap star at its most visible phase.

2014 was the last time prior to now that the Barbie blessed us with a project in ”The PinkPrint”, now four years later, she puts her mouth where the bars is by laying claim to the throne with her fourth studio album, ”Queens.”

  The ‘Queens’ album packs 19 tracks, features a number of collaborations from top artists like Eminem, Lil Wayne, Ariana Grande and The Weeknd as Nicki attempts to ride on powerful shoulders in her royal pursuit.

‘Ganja Burns’ is the opening track on Queens, and it is an effortlessly good song filled with subliminal lines as she raps,

”They done went to witch doctors to bury the Barbie, But I double back, kill bitches, bury the body,  And that go for anybody, you’ll be thoroughly sorry, I could wage war or I come in peace like Gandhi.”

As well as taking more direct shots aimed at Cardi B, who have been accused of employing ghostwriters in the past, ”Unlike a lot of these hoes, whether wack or lit, at least I can say I wrote every rap I spit”.

‘Majesty’ alongside Eminem and Labrinth fails to bring down the heavens the way you expect from the ‘unholy trinity’, while ‘Barbie Dreams’, which gets life off The Notorious B.I.G‘s  ‘Dreams’ comes with rather weak puns and disparaging lyrics filled with a list of men who can’t satisfy her.

‘Rich Sex’ with Lil Wayne is as bad as the title sounds, while ‘Bed’, a song she says was recorded over a year ago has Ariana Grande in her elements.

Previously released ‘Chun Li’ is inspired by the female character in the video game, Street Fighter with the famous yell, ”They need rappers like me, They need rappers like me, So they can get in their freaking keyboards, and make me the bad guy, Chun Li.”

‘LLC’ is that punchy song where the Queen pulls off the shiny gloves and goes in hard, and she teams up with Foxy Brown on ‘Coco Chanel’, which sees a subliminal thrown in the direction of Remy Ma.

The final song, ‘Inspirations Outro’ closes the project with attributes to names who have influenced her journey.

This is the first time in a while that Nicki is attempting to reawaken some of the lyrical energy that earned her praise on her ‘Monster’ verse, and it is quite understandable seeing there is some real competition to the throne this time.

The flow is as sharp as Nicki has been, her brilliance comes in moments and few lines, but there is obsession in her lyrics, that over-the-type sleepless obsession, there is also trying too much in her forced punch-lines, and then there is the threat of the opposition, which brings pressure to her doorsteps that she fails to shake off all through the album.

Queen is at-times enjoyable, other times confusing. The album’s shortcomings are largely visible because of the length of the project, stripped to 8 or 9 tracks, then this would have been a decent artistic and commercial statement.

In all, this album serves as a reminder of who she once was, and how far from the best she has fallen. As the curtains closed on the album, Nicki have not been able to convince all that her head is the perfect fit for the crown.

Rating: 3/5

Ratings

1-Dull 2-Boring 2.5-Average 3-Worth Checking Out 3.5-Hot 4-Smoking Hot 4.5-Amazing 5-Perfection

Go to Source Author: Ehis Ohunyon Album Review: Nicki Minaj’s head fails to fit perfectly into the crown on ‘Queen’ Album Nicki Minaj deviates slightly from the overtly eccentric and forgettable character that recently appeared on 6ix9ine's 'Fefe' to focus on blurring the lines between her pop and rap persona with the ''Queen'' album.

[movietvtechgeeks]

Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/andrea-menard-talks-supernatural-cuffing-jensen-ackles-music/

Andrea Menard talks 'Supernatural,' cuffing Jensen Ackles and her music

In the Season 13 premiere of Supernatural, we meet Sheriff Christine Barker, played by Andrea Menard. I absolutely adored her character, and certainly hope to see her again in future episodes (TPTB: hint, hint, nudge, nudge …) For those – Chuck forbid – who haven’t seen the premiere, tell us about your character. My character is Sheriff Christine Barker, and she has a young son – late teens. It’s just a small little regular town that she’s the Sheriff in … she keeps a good hold on the place. She’s very friendly and outgoing and manages to keep her deputies in line, and people trust her. And then this little weird event comes to town … the boys come to town. What happens is my son calls me, at the station to tell me that there is this naked kid outside of the place he works. There’s this weird naked kid and so he says come and get him, mom. I bring him down to the station and he’s not very vocal, and he’s not very coherent … he’s odd. So I figure since he doesn’t know how to answer my questions, I decide to fingerprint him. I figure well maybe he’ll be in the system somewhere. Just then, I get a phone call from one of the boys that someone knows he’s here, and that someone is looking for him, I happen to have his fingerprints run, and they are the weirdest non-human fingerprints I’ve ever seen. I know something’s up. Are you familiar with Supernatural at all? Oh yeah. Maybe not in the last couple of seasons, but I do know a few things. But you do know how they operate. Oh yeah. Why do you think Sam and Dean chose to tell Sheriff Barker the truth? I think that’s a really good question … I have no idea. I think that the episode that they had just come from at the end of the season, a lot of things went down. They have the feeling that their allies are leaving, you could say. They are losing their allies … I don’t know why he chose to tell me. I think she was easygoing; there was something trustworthy about her … I think they are needing some allies. And why do you think she reacted so well? Well, she has a teenage son. She has a teenage boy that brings home a lot of shocking stuff … he’s into drugs and he’s out doing his own stuff … she’s a sheriff, she’s probably seen some murders, seen some violence … so why not, why not monsters too. She’s seen a lot. I don’t think she’s seen monsters, but I think she’s seen a lot. Your character has one of the best lines – the one about there being no such thing as crazy – which is the rallying cry for fandoms everywhere. What are your thoughts on that? I think she’s a real compassionate woman – I don’t think she likes the labels … even though I may not look it, I am an indigenous woman and so is my son. He’s a person of colour. We know that people of colour and indigenous people have been name called since people touched foot on this continent. I think that with all of the voiceless that have come into the forefront; the ones that have had prejudice, the racism, and genderism, sexism and all of those different things going on right now in the media … she knows. This character knows there’s a lot of untold stories that don’t get told. Let’s not make a judgment until we know the real story. It’s very nice to see another strong female character on Supernatural, that doesn’t get killed in the end. Will we be seeing your character again sometime soon? Let’s just say I’m making a bid for it. The thing is, who knows what’s coming next … that’s always a secret, including a secret from me too. She’s alive … and she’s been told the story. I think there’s a good chance, but who knows. That’s up to you, that’s up to the writers and the audience, whether or not they liked here … I think people are liking her. Are you familiar with the spinoff for the Wayward Sisters? Yes, I have heard of it, yeah … I think she would be a very good addition to that. I do too. When I was on set, I was making my pitch for it … you know, I’m alive still … you need help; I’m there! Do you have any funny behind the scenes stories to share? As a stranger who came on a set – these guys have been together for 13 years … there’s a lot of shorthand among the crew … here’s the part that I wanted to be able to share. Is that they’re really good people and they are very likable young men and actors and respectful … the crew really like them. That goes a long way. If you’ve been together 13 years and you’re not very nice, you won’t have the same crew from year to year. You wouldn’t want to be there. They’re really well respected; it’s a good place to be and fun, funny … people laugh. I was really pleasantly surprised because you never know what you’re going to walk into. Whether you’re going to be the stranger … but I was welcomed in and there was lots of laughter and lots of camaraderie. I can honestly say that this is a great place to work. Would you say that the camaraderie was your favourite part about being on Supernatural? Yes, I think so. I mean I’m a fan of the show as well … I love it. I love the spooky, all the characters … I love it. So when I got to be on the show I was just happy to be play a strong character and to survive … I loved that part. I really liked knowing that there was a possibility of continuance and that meant part of the family. Being a fan of the show did you have any fangirl moments? Yeah, I had a fangirl moment. When I got to cuff Jensen. Not bad. Not bad. Look him straight in the eye. Kind of a fangirl moment. [caption id="attachment_50740" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Photo: Kristine Cofsky[/caption] Do you have any upcoming roles you’d like to share? I’m in a play at the Arts Club Theatre on Granville Island in Vancouver. It’s a brand new play, so it’s a debut, for Kevin Loring – who is a fabulous writer. He’s a Governor General award-winning writer, actually for his play Where the Blood Mixes. We just opened, October 11, and close November 5. It’s a powerful play, mostly indigenous cast. It sort of throws the Thanksgiving holiday on its ass. Have you been in very many plays in Vancouver? I haven’t done theatre in a while, I thought maybe I was done because I’m a singer as well. I have a few different careers – four albums, a couple of tours … I’m in a series called Blackstone which is on Netflix as well … it’s like the Native Sopranos, I like to say. There’s another series called Hard Rock Medical that’s on Aboriginal Peoples Television Network … I’ve done some series work, but I wasn’t doing a lot of plays … me coming back with a fantastic play and a good role … I’m really proud of this one. Andrea’s music is available on iTunes, and you can reach her at @andreamenard on Twitter. Check Out Our 2017 Holiday Gift Guide: [abcf-grid-gallery-custom-links id="50643"]

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