Day: September 22, 2021

In J. W. Rinzler‘s new book Howard Kazanjian: A Producer’s Life, about the producer of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Star Wars editor Marcia Lucas does not mince words in voicing her dislike of the Disney-produced Star Wars films, believing that those in charge of the franchise “don’t get it.”

Lucas made her name as an editor working on Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. She went on to be nominated for an Oscar for George Lucas‘ film American Graffiti and won the award for her work on the original Star Wars. She was also an editor on The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, though she was uncredited for the former.

In her quote from Rinzler’s book, Lucas says that she likes the President of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy as a person, but doesn’t think she or director J.J Abrams, who directed The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker, understand the magic of the iconic sci-fi series:

“I like Kathleen. I always liked her. She was full of beans. She was really smart and really bright. Really wonderful woman. And I liked her husband, Frank. I liked them a lot. Now that she’s running Lucasfilm and making movies, it seems to me that Kathy Kennedy and J.J. Abrams don’t have a clue about ‘Star Wars.’ They don’t get it. And JJ Abrams is writing these stories — when I saw that movie where they kill Han Solo, I was furious. I was furious when they killed Han Solo. Absolutely, positively there was no rhyme or reason to it. I thought, You don’t get the Jedi story. You don’t get the magic of ‘Star Wars.’ You’re getting rid of Han Solo?”

RELATED: Watch Mark Hamill Back on Set as Luke Skywalker in ‘Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Mandalorian’ Clip

Lucas goes on to be highly critical of the decision to kill Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi:

“They have Luke disintegrate. They killed Han Solo. They killed Luke Skywalker. And they don’t have Princess Leia anymore. And they’re spitting out movies every year. And they think it’s important to appeal to a woman’s audience, so now their main character is this female, who’s supposed to have Jedi powers, but we don’t know how she got Jedi powers, or who she is. It sucks. The storylines are terrible. Just terrible. Awful. You can quote me…JJ Abrams, Kathy Kennedy — talk to me.’”

The interview took place between the releases of The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, so these excerpts don’t provide any insight on how the famed editor felt about the ending of the Skywalker Saga, though from her past comments, it would be hard to believe that her impressions of the sequel films have changed. Rinzler, unfortunately, passed away on July 28, missing the publication of his new book. Howard Kazanjian: A Producer’s Life was published on September 14.

Justin Lin’s got a lot to celebrate and enjoy right now with the success of F9: The Fast Saga, but you know how it goes with these massive film franchises; we can’t help but be a little greedy and look to the future! It was recently announced that the next installment in the main saga, Fast and Furious 10, will make its way into theaters in the Spring of 2023, with Vin Diesel revealing that filming will begin in January of 2022.

While we don’t have a release date for the final film, Fast and Furious 11,Tyrese Gibson did reveal that the plan is to shoot these last two installments back to back. While I’d like to bet Lin and the folks at Universal know what they’re doing with this hugely successful franchise, filming two massive blockbusters one after the next is bound to feel like a bit of a marathon for Lin and the Fast family.

While celebrating the digital and Blu-ray release of the F9 director’s cut, I got the chance to catch up with Lin and asked him about the potential challenges that could come with filming Fast 10 and 11 back to back. He began:

“There’s an ambition of what we want to do and there’s also real world issues that we’re encountering. But I feel like, for me, I don’t want to be greedy. I want to do what’s best for the process.”

RELATED: An ‘F9’ Director’s Cut Is Coming to 4K Blu-ray With More Cardi B, Flashbacks, and Tanks

Lin also took a moment to emphasize the importance of the story structure they’re rolling with for these final two films. Fast and Furious 10 and 11 won’t be two separate stories, but rather, one chapter told over the course of two films. Here’s how Lin put it:

“The idea of the last chapter being two films is correct. I have to say, I’m so glad — because I think when I first entered this franchise, a sequel was not a given. You had to earn it, you know? And so to be sitting here talking to you and go, ‘Oh yeah, there’s gonna be two more movies!’ I’m like, ‘Wow.’ It means a lot. So, every day when I wake up, I’m trying to reconfigure and make sure hopefully whatever we’re talking about process wise is gonna yield the best result. But I think having one chapter in two movies is correct. That’s where I sit today.”

Looking for even more from Lin? Be sure to check out our full chat at the top of this article to hear more about his priorities when putting a director’s cut together and also about his attention to detail as a creator. The F9 director’s cut will be available to own on digital, Blu-ray and 4K UHD on September 21st.

Well, it’s that time of the year again. You know, the one where we sit down and eat frightening food and scary drinks? Doesn’t ring any bells? Well, Universal Studios Hollywood is making sure that you can have your helping of their traditional Halloween-themed dishes at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights.

Halloween Horror Nights is an event that, on selected dates, will serve frightening feasts, terrifying treats, and monstrous merchandise named after or inspired by some of Universal Studios’ most famous – and scariest – characters. These events run on selected nights all the way to October 31 – and Universal recommends parkgoers to buy their tickets in advance because Halloween Nights tend to sell out.

 

RELATED: Universal Studios Hollywood Reveals Full Halloween Horror Nights Lineup, Including ‘The Purge’ Terror Tram

Nothing says “family dinner” like a restaurant run by cannibals. If you are a fan of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre maze, the infamous Leatherface Texas Family BBQ will be waiting for you to die — I mean, dine with grilled favorites like:

• BBQ Pork Ribs
• BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich served with crinkle-cut fries
• Texas Chili & Cheese Nachos: Texas Chili with smoked brisket and chuck roast topped with cheese, pickled jalapeños and sour cream drizzle
• 22” Monster Hot Dog
• Sweet Dessert “Bloody” Funnel Fingers with Powdered Sugar & Strawberry Sauce
• Specialty Cocktails

Since we mentioned dying, you can make a pit-stop to celebrate the dead and toast the living at Plaza de los Muertos. Inspired by Los Angeles’ diverse culture, Little Cocina is set up with a choice of draft and canned beers, as well as handcrafted cocktails (Marigold Floral Crown, Smoked Margarita, and The Chamoy Fireball) served in a festive light-up skull mug. It also includes:

• Beef Birria Tacos with Red Sauce
• Green Chili & Cheese Tamale, served with salsa roja
• Grilled Elote Corn brushed with a lime butter and topped with spices
• Horchata Churro Bites
• Chamoy Pineapple Spears

Just because it’s prehistoric doesn’t mean it’s not scary. Get ready to dine at the Terror Lab, in the shadow of Jurassic World – The Ride. Modeled after an experimental test lab gone bad, the Terror Lab’s menu features:

• French Bread Pizzas: house-made hoagie roll topped with either cheese or pepperoni
• Mixed Drinks on ice (Vodka Mule, Rum Mai Tai, Paloma, Margarita)
• Specialty Cocktail, including one with an insect lollipop
• Seasonal “Halloween Horror Nights” Beers

A French-themed bistro will be adjacent to the Universal Plaza. Classic horror fans will enjoy imbibing on a variety of wines or the signature Sangria along with French-inspired grab-and-go items such as assorted Quiche or ham and brie baguette sandwich and Halloween Horror Nights-themed cookies.

If you thought Minions would sit this one out, you thought wrong. The Minion Café will be dressed appropriately for Halloween, with Despicable decorations and limited release items, including a Seasonal Felonious Float and a collectible Minion Pumpkin Popcorn Bucket.

There’s a lot more to discover on Halloween Horror Nights, from special Dufftoberfest in Springfield, U.S.A. to Voodoo Doughnuts at Universal CityWalk and collectible souvenir items. You can plan your whole experience ahead on the Halloween Horror Nights website.

Halloween Horror Nights dates are September 17-19, 23-26, 30 and October 1-3, 7-10, 14-17, 21-24, 28-31.

You can watch a short trailer for the event below:

 

Funimation has a lot of exciting anime planned for their fall lineup. More than 20 shows are expected to air, including returning anime favorites like Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation and Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon to brand new and exciting series such as Ranking of Kings, The Heike Story, and The Vampire Dies in No Time. All shows will have a subbed or dubbed version.

Sadly, one of the most anticipated anime of the season, Demon Slayer season 2 is not on the list yet, as it has not received a release date. We do know that the new season is expected this Fall, so hopefully, it will not take long for Funimation to specify a release date for it.

RELATED: ‘Violet Evergarden: the Movie’ Trailer Reveals the End of Netlix’s Tearjerking Anime

New series viewers can look forward to are:

The Heiki Story, airing September 15 – Biwa who is taken by the powerful Taira Clan, also known as the Heike, after their leader sees her amazing psychic abilities. However, all Biwa sees is a hopeless future of bloodshed, violence, and civil war. This anime is based on the 12th-century epic, Heike Monogatari.

Selection Project, airing October 1 – Idols are all the rage with this one. Nine girls enter the 7th annual “Selection Project,” a tv show that helps the girls purse their dreams to become idols.

Mieruko-chan, airing October 3 – The plot is seemingly simple: Miko can see dead people, but she chooses to ignore them, which leads to a variety of interesting results.

The Vampire Dies in No Time, airing October 4 – The world’s weakest vampire, Draluc, unwillingly aids legendary vampire hunter Ronaldo in his hilarious adventures to take down vampires, axe-wielding editors, and more.

Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside, airing October 6 – The story follows Red, who is kicked out of his adventuring party. The title pretty much explains it all.

Taisho Otome Fairy Tale, airing October 8 – Shime Tamahiko, exiled due to his disability, meets his arranged bride who upends his lonely life.

Ranking of Kings, airing October 14 – Boji, a deaf prince and heir to the throne, looks forward to the future. He sets on an adventure with a friend to become the greatest king ever.

Rumble Garanndoll – This anime depicts a Japan where manga, anime, and idols are outlawed by alternate-world invaders who have taken over. The protagonist, Hosomichi joins a team of female freedom fighters made up of pilots and otakus.

Anime returning this season are:

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon-The Second Act, airing October 2 – lost twins reunite and together discover a dark secret about themselves.

Muschoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 2nd cour – a story about an underachiever who is given a chance to start over when he gets reincarnated as an infant.

Included in the fall lineup are some anime that will continue airing from this summer, as well:

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 2 Part 2 – With Rimuru and the Jura Tempest Federation recovering from dark events that unfolded, the question is whether Demon Lord Clayman will finally be punished.

One Piece – Luffy continues on his adventure to claim the greatest treasure on Earth and become king of all Pirates.

Obey Me! – Lucifer and Satan, along with other five princes of hell attempt to manage their everyday lives at their demon academy.

Scarlet Nexus – Based in a future alternate reality and brain-based technology and society, this anime follows The Other Suppression Force, a team of people with supernatural abilities who have joined together to combat Earth’s enemies, mutants from the Extinction Belt. The game is based on the popular video game series of the same name.

KEEP READING: ‘Demon Slayer: Mugen Train’ Limited Edition Blu-ray Release Includes Audio Commentary and More

It looks like HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us will be relying more heavily on its video game origins than we originally thought. According to a new, updated production list from the Director’s Guild of Canada, Neil Druckmann — who served as writer and creative director on the original 2013 game — is listed as one of five directors for the upcoming series, currently shooting in Calgary.

Druckmann is listed with four other directors for the series, including co-writer and showrunner Craig Mazin, and Kantemir Balagov, who has already been confirmed to direct the show’s pilot, Peter Hoar and Jasmila Žbanić. Druckmann is already serving as co-writer and executive producer on the series, but now it looks like he’ll be wearing three hats over the course of the series, lending his creative vision to work behind the camera as well.

RELATED: ‘The Last of Us’ HBO Series Casts ‘Mindhunter’s Anna Torv as Tess

It’s unclear whether Druckmann will direct a single episode or multiple, as the production list is not a complete breakdown, but having the person responsible for leading development on the PlayStation hit behind the camera is huge news for the series. With Druckmann serving as both writer and director, long-time fans of The Last of Us can certainly look forward to an adaptation that remains true to the spirit of the games that they fell in love with.

However, the DGC breakdown also confirms that production on the series is set to finish on June 8, 2022, meaning that, with no concrete release date, we have quite a long while to go before we see Joel and Ellie on our TV screens — played by Games of Thrones alums Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. Also joining the cast are Gabriel Luna, Jeffrey Pierce, Anna Torv, and Merle Dandridge, reprising her role as Marlene, whom she voiced in the original game.