CBS has announced its upcoming TV schedule, revealing that the long-running sitcom Two and a Half Men will come to an end with its 12th season, and that the network has also decided against picking up the How I Met Your Mother spin-off pilot How I Met Your Dad.

The Chuck Lorre-produced Two and a Half Men was at one point the highest-rated comedy series on television, before losing two of its stars in Charlie Sheen and Anghus T. Jones, leaving Jon Cryer as the only original cast member alongside Sheen’s replacement Ashton Kutcher.

As for How I Met Your Dad, it seems that all hope is not lost as 20th Century FOX TV, HIMYM creators Craig Thomas and Carter Bays, and producer Emily Spivey are set to shop the pilot to other networks and that some interest has already been shown.

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Following last night’s season two finale of Arrow, The CW debuted the very first promo for its upcoming DC superhero spin-off The Flash, which sees Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen demonstrating his powers as the fastest man alive to Oliver Queen’s (Stephen Amell) Green Arrow; check it out here…

After a particle accelerator causes a freak storm, CSI Investigator Barry Allen is struck by lightning and falls into a coma. Months later he awakens with the power of super speed, granting him the ability to move through Central City like an unseen guardian angel. Though initially excited by his newfound powers, Barry is shocked to discover he is not the only “meta-human” who was created in the wake of the accelerator explosion — and not everyone is using their new powers for good. Barry partners with S.T.A.R. Labs and dedicates his life to protect the innocent. For now, only a few close friends and associates know that Barry is literally the fastest man alive, but it won’t be long before the world learns what Barry Allen has become…The Flash.

The Flash sees Grant Gustin leading a cast that also includes Candice Patton (The Game) as Iris West, Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order) as Detective West, Patrick Sabongui (Almost Human) as David Singh, Danielle Panabaker (Friday the 13th) as Caitlin Snow / Killer Frost, Rick Gosnett (The Vampire Diaries) as Eddie Thawne, Broadway star Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon / Vibe, Michelle Harrison (Emily Owens, MD) as Nora Allen, Tom Cavanagh (Ed) as Harrison Wells and original Flash star John Wesley Shipp in an as-yet-unrevealed mystery role.

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2014 is shaping up to be a huge year for Elizabeth Olsen. After a string of indie successes, including the acclaimed Martha Marcy May Marlene, she’s set to feature in the blockbuster Godzilla this week, and is currently filming the hotly-anticipated Marvel sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron, which is set to arrive next Spring. In a recent interview Olsen has offered up a few thoughts on her role as Scarlet Witch, which will see her reuniting with Godzilla co-star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who will play Wanda’s brother Quicksilver.

“My character is incredible and absolutely out of her mind. [She's] incredibly passionate and thinks she’s in control more than she actually is. She’s stubborn and an epic woman who has not been created by a human yet. So it’s really fun to be a part of that and try and honour fans… I’m laughing all the time. The crazy thing is that it’s like, ‘I’m throwing sh*t with my hands, that’s cuckoo!’ But it’s also like, ‘We’re saving lives. And it’s very serious.’ There’s always that reminder that it’s very serious.”

Meanwhile, Mark Ruffalo has also spoken about his return as Bruce Banner and his angry alter-ego The Hulk, stating that: “It’s been pretty wild [getting those dots back on my face for Hulk]. The technology is really advanced, so we can do a lot more with the Hulk performance in particular than we could last time around. So I’m really excited about the stuff we’re doing right now with him and I feel like he’s got some really nice nuance stuff; kind of his own little arc(s?). The [Bruce] Banner stuff is great. Joss Whedon topped himself. It’s such a great, beautifully written script and really exciting and fun.”

Avengers: Age of Ultron is set for release in the UK on April 24th 2015 and North America on May 1st 2015, and sees Marvel veterans Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (The Incredible Hulk), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Don Cheadle (War Machine), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) and Paul Bettany (JARVIS / The Vision) joined in the cast by new MCU additions Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass 2) as Quicksilver, Elizabeth Olsen (Oldboy) as the Scarlet Witch, James Spader (The Blacklist) as Ultron and Thomas Kretschmann (Dracula) as Baron Strucker.

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Coming hot on the heels of the latest international one-sheet, Paramount Pictures has now dropped the second theatrical trailer for the upcoming Michael Bay sequel Transformers: Age of Extinction, which you can check out after the first official synopsis…

“TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION begins after an epic battle that left a great city torn, but with the world saved. As humanity picks up the pieces, a shadowy group reveals itself in an attempt to control the direction of history… while an ancient, powerful new menace sets Earth in its crosshairs. With help from a new cast of humans, Optimus Prime and the Autobots rise to meet their most fearsome challenge yet. In an incredible adventure, they are swept up in a war of good and evil, ultimately leading to a climactic battle across the world.”

Transformers: Age of Extinction sees Mark Wahlberg (Ted) leading a new cast that includes Jack Reynor (What Richard Did) and Nicola Peltz (Bates Motel), Stanley Tucci (Captain America: The First Avenger), Li Bingbing (Resident Evil: Retribution), Sophia Myles (Underworld), Victoria Summer (Saving Mr. Banks), Titus Welliver (Lost) and T.J. Miller (She’s Out of My League) alongside voice actors John Goodman (Inside Llewyn Davis), Ken Watanabe (Godzilla), John DiMaggio (Futurama), Mark Ryan (Transformers) and the returning Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, Robert Foxworth and Reno Wilson.

Transformers: Age of Extinction is set for release on June 27th in North America and July 10th in the UK.

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When it comes to superhero news, Marvel Studios has been quiet lately, taking a back seat to The Amazing Spider-Man 2, X-Men: Days of Future Past and Warner Bros.’ various TV / Batman vs. Superman / Justice League announcements. Well, to help us get through the lull, a new casting claim has emerged from rumour specialists Latino-Review, suggesting that Marvel is eying former Disney star Zac Efron for an unspecified role.

Efron – who can currently be seen alongside Seth Rogen in the comedy Bad Neighbours (that’s Neighbors to our American friends) – has apparently received a script for an upcoming Marvel project, although no further details are supplied. Presumably, if there’s any truth to the claims, said script would have to be either Ant-Man or Doctor Strange, unless they’re looking at him for a part in the upcoming Netflix series Daredevil.

As always, take this with a pinch of salt.

Would you like to see Zac Efron in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and if so in which role?

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Universal Pictures (UK) have joined forces with The Royal British Legion, the nation’s largest Armed Forces charity, to promote a range of DVDs that will raise money for the charity, with 50p from each unit sold going to the Legion for one year. Included in the range are…

* Inglourious Basterds
* Jarhead
* Born On The Fourth of July
* One of Our Aircraft is Missing
* Green Zone
* Birdsong
* All Quiet on the Western Front
* Churchill
* Sands of Two Jima

And, thanks to the lovely folk at Universal, we’re offering one Flickering Myth reader the chance to get their hands on the entire collection!

You can purchase the DVDs here.

To be in with a chance of winning, firstly make sure you like us on Facebook (or follow us on Twitter)…

By entering this competition you agree to our terms and conditions, which you can read here.

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Paramount Pictures has unveiled a new clip from the upcoming comedy 22 Jump Street, which sees Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum reuniting with directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller for the sequel to the 2012 hit 21 Jump Street; check it out below after the official synopsis….

After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) when they go deep undercover at a local college. But when Jenko meets a kindred spirit on the football team, and Schmidt infiltrates the bohemian art major scene, they begin to question their partnership. Now they don’t have to just crack the case – they have to figure out if they can have a mature relationship. If these two overgrown adolescents can grow from freshmen into real men, college might be the best thing that ever happened to them.

22 Jump Street is set for release on June 6th 2014 in the UK and on June 13th 2014 in the States, with a cast that also returning stars Ice Cube, Dave Franco, Rob Riggle and Nick Offerman alongside new cast additions Amber Stevens (Greek), Peter Stormare (Fargo), Wyatt Russell (This Is 40), Jillian Bell (Bridesmaids), Ashlyn McEvers (Star-Crossed) and original 21 Jump Street star Richard Grieco.

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With Gareth Edwards’ latest film Godzilla hitting UK cinemas today [read our review here], it seems an appropriate time for the release of the second trailer for Monsters: Dark Continent. The follow-up to Edwards’ 2010 debut sees Tom Green (Misfits) taking over directing duties, and features a cast that includes Johnny Harris (Welcome to the Punch), Sam Keeley (What Richard Did) and Joe Dempsie (Game of Thrones). Check out the new trailer after the official synopsis…

“Seven years on from the events of Monsters, and the ‘Infected Zones’ have spread worldwide. Humans have been knocked off the top of the food chain, with disparate communities struggling for survival. American soldiers are being sent abroad to protect US interests from the Monsters, but the war is far from being won.

Noah, a haunted soldier with several tours under his belt, is sent on a mission: an American soldier has gone rogue deep in the Infected Zone, and Noah must reach him and take him out. But when Noah’s unit and transport are destroyed, he finds himself with only a young and inexperienced cadet for company – the brother of the man Noah has been sent to kill.

The two soldiers must go on a life-altering journey through the dark heart of monster territory, accompanied by a young local woman to guide them. By the time the three of them reach their goal, they will have been forced to confront the fear that the true monsters on the planet may not be alien after all.“

Monsters: Dark Continent is released in the UK on September 26th.

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Matt Spencer-Skeen on who he wants to see in Marvel’s Agent Carter TV series….

Last week brought us the news that not only was Marvel’s current TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. getting a 2nd series but also that we would indeed be getting the long rumoured Agent Carter series. As someone who has remained a fan of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. despite its flaws, I have few doubts that this series will be even more successful.

With the series being called Agent Carter we can safely assume it will focus more on the established character fans already love from the MCU, whereas Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had to bring in a whole new group for us to get to know and empathise with, with connections to the wider MCU few and far between to start the series.

With this focus I foresee Agent Carter having far fewer teething issues and also being able to bring in some well liked other characters from the 40’s Marvel World without it feeling like mere fan service but actually driving the series plot (which is likely to be S.H.I.E.L.D.’s creation). Below is who I think deserves a place in the series.

Howard Stark

This one is admittedly a bit of a gimme. With his presence in the Agent Carter One-Shot he will be without a doubt be a recurring character on the show, however we are yet to have confirmation that Dominic Cooper will definitely be appearing. As a confirmed S.H.I.E.L.D. founder it’ll be interesting to see the early missions and aims of the fledgling organisation.

Dum Dum Dugan

Again a bit of a gimme, having appeared in the One-Shot as well and having said numerous times how much he’d love to reprise the role. Dum Dum definitely deserves more screen time as easily the most memorable of the Howling Commando’s outside of one Bucky Barnes. Speaking of which…

The Winter Soldier

Okay, I’m probably reaching now, but with Arnim Zola’s confirmation that he’d been used to ‘reshape history’ as HYDRA had seen fit and the likely presence of HYDRA in the background of this series is it crazy to think that we could get an appearance from the transformed Bucky Barnes? We know Sebastian Stan has a multi-picture deal, could that extend into the TV series?

Young(er) Nick Fury

What about another large part of S.H.I.E.L.D.? I’d love to see an encounter with a younger Nick Fury; they could use a younger actor or possibly they could even establish the idea of the Infinity formula and have Samuel L. Jackson make an appearance? It wouldn’t be too difficult to make him look perhaps 30 year younger and I enjoyed his action scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Remember in the comic books Fury is a WWII veteran and former leader of the Howling Commandos so this is possibly not all that farfetched.

Baron Strucker

Okay this is a definitely a reach, but with Agent Carter slated to come out before the Avengers: Age of Ultron and the confirmed presence of Baron Strucker and HYDRA I’d love to see Thomas Kretschmann show up at some point his small scene in the Captain America: The Winter Soldier post-credits having really whet my appetite. With the Red Skull’s disappearance could he be the man in the background pulling the strings?

So those are who I’d like to see, is there anyone else you’d like to see appear? Let us know in the comments below…

Matt Spencer-Skeen

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Generally, production companies hold off on official press releases until a casting has been confirmed, but that hasn’t stopped Alcon Entertainment from announcing that an offer is out to Harrison Ford to reprise his role of Rick Deckard in Ridley Scott’s planned sequel to Blade Runner.

“We believe that Hampton Fancher [Blade Runner] and Michael Green [Green Lantern] have crafted with Ridley Scott an extraordinary sequel to one of the greatest films of all time,” said Alcon co-founders Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson. “We would be honored, and we are hopeful, that Harrison will be part of our project.”

The story for Blade Runner 2 is being kept under wraps, but it’s been revealed that it will take place several decades after the conclusion of the original – which kind of kills off the whole ‘Deckard is a Replicant’ thing, despite Scott himself confirming that to have been the case.

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Scott Davis continues his look at 24: Live Another Day as he reviews episode 3.…

There is always a point when watching 24 when after the first few episodes have set-up the story, the threat and so on, that you know the day has truly begun. It’s like being on a roller-coaster ride and after the first few seconds of climbing or slow build-up, you reach that first turn or drop, and you know there is no going back.

As with the first two episodes, the new 12-episode format allows for a much sharper, more focused plotline, allowing the writers and directors an even more pulse-pounding flow of events than with the original series.

After the events of the double-bill beginning of LAD, we hit the ground running from the off, as the story strands start to unravel. After offing seemingly integral computer hacker Derrick Yates (Jospeh Millson), and stealing his drone device, his Russian girlfriend reveals herself as Simone Al-Harazi (Emily Berrington), daughter of the shadowy Margot (Fairley), who it seems is set to be one of the seasons big naughty’s. With more focus Margot and her siblings here, we learn of their intentions to utilize the drones under military control to hit big in the UK, with Euston Station, Parliament and Downing Street their big targets, taking down two governments simultaneously.

Hot on their trails though are of course Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) and Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub), whose intel from Chloe’s current employ, Open Cell, have helped them track down both Yates and Simone. Of course, this being 24, it would be amiss to expect a smooth, by-the-book apprehension, and as they close in, Simone manages to escape their clutches and return the device home.

Chloe, the closest to Simone as she exited Charing Cross Station, reveals her true reason for working for Open Cell and boss Adrian Cross (Michael Wincott): the death of her husband Morris and son Prescott, killed in a hit-an-run that while seemingly an accident, was directly targeted at Chloe for her involvement in season 8’s events.

A few paces behind, Kate Morgan (Yvonne Strahovski) and the CIA, trying desperately to determine what Jack’s involvement in the drone strikes are, or indeed any ulterior motives, and what he ultimately is after. Back at the flat complex in Ealing, they detain Basher (Tamer Hassan) who was the key figure in hiding Yates whilst he prepared his drone technology. Of course, such a leading figure in the set-up of Yates’ operation, Basher takes some convincing before spilling the beans.

Both they and Jack descend onto Parliament, where all roads are leading. President Heller (William Devane) is about to speak to the House regarding the drone strike, fearful of both what backlash waits from the British, and whether his ever-changing memory loss will ultimately be his downfall. Jack, posing as a intel officer, tries to enter Parliament to warn both Heller and the Prime Minister (Stephen Fry) of the impending threat, but is double-crossed by Adrian, evading capture by Morgan by firing on the huge crowds lining the streets outside, and enters the House.

For all the impetus LAD builds up through episode 3, it is the truly heart-breaking story of Chloe’s family that stands out here. Jack, almost disgusted that her gaze was averted from Simone, is almost as inconsolable as we feel in that moment, and reminds us that while he is as hard as nails, he is human after all.

Aside from this, it is a rip-roaring continuation of the show that has hugely impressed so far. Sutherland and Rajskub continue to anchor the show with energy and coolness; Stahovski and Fairley continue to impress, and the ever-reliable duo of Devane and Wincott add a touch of class to proceedings.

As the threats come into focus a little clearer, and those behind the attacks are slowly “revealed” with typical 24 mystery, what is clear is that the new show has so far delivered all the aspects we love, living up to the buzz pre-release, and leaving us wanting more as soon as the clock closes on another excellent hour. Can the pace be sustained? Only time will tell….

Scott Davis

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With filming set to get underway this coming week it seems things are finally heating up on the Batman vs. Superman front. A couple of days ago Zack Snyder gave us our first look at Ben Affleck’s Batman suited up next to the Batmobile, and now Jesse Eisenberg has spoken about his role as DC’s iconic villain Lex Luthor in the 2016 Man of Steel sequel.

“I don’t know the history as well as the people making the movie, so I guess it’s up to them to figure out how much they want to separate it from previous incarnations,” Eisenberg tells IGN. “But I will treat it like it’s its own role. There’s no way to play the history of the character played by other people, unless you do some kind of wink, but that doesn’t seem like a responsible way to act. So I will just do it as though it’s a character, in the same way you do a movie like The Double, which is a smaller movie — but you just kind of treat it like a character, and that’s probably the best course of action, I think.”

Asked about whether the opportunity to take centre stage as (presumably) the main villain in Warner’s DC universe was part of the appeal, Eisenberg responded by stating that, “The character’s really good, so it’s like doing anything else. They make a lot of those movies, so if you’re an actor in things, you will probably cross paths with it at some point. But the character’s written really well. It’s a really great role. The fact that it’s in a big movie, you know, it seems like a character that would be in any kind of movie. It just happens to be in a bigger, flashier kind of thing.”

Batman vs. Superman is set for release on May 6th 2016 with Zack Snyder directing a cast that includes returning Man of Steel stars Henry Cavill (Superman), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Diane Lane (Martha Kent) and Laurence Fishburne (Perry White) alongside Ben Affleck (Argo) as Batman, Gal Gadot (Fast & Furious 6) as Wonder Woman, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jesse Eisenberg (Now You See Me) as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons (The Borgias) as Alfred Pennyworth and Holly Hunter (The Piano), Callan Mulvey (300: Rise of an Empire), and Tao Okamoto (The Wolverine) in as-yet-unrevealed roles.

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Jessie Robertson reviews Locke & Key: Head Games #1 Hundred Penny Press Edition…

“Locke & Key might have recently wrapped but the series is still finding new audiences every month. Here’s a value-priced way to experience the start of the series’ second storyline, the critically acclaimed Head Games!”

First off, I’m not familiar with the history of this book but wanted to jump in and give it a try. From a lot of the dialogue, I can tell I’m far behind in mythos on this exact storyline. From what I gather, ghosts and keys play a big part of this comic; am I close?

There is a nice standalone story here from the perspective of a main character you don’t get very much, a septagenarian teacher named Joe Ridgeway. Finding a ghost of a student he thought disappeared thirty years ago shocks and startles him but awakens him to his old self, a student who shunned alone time with his girlfriend to write an amazing dissertation, seemingly just to prove to a professor that he could wow him with it. He has a dogged spirit that he had forgotten about since his wife had passed away. The opening scene is very telling as his white girlfriend (Mr. Ridgeway being African-American) jumps into the bottom of lake when feeling neglected and tells him he has to pull her out or she’ll drown herself, a very Woolf thing to do to prove something. And yet it is that memory that he calls back to mind as he encounters this ghost; that moment left an impression on him and solidified their relationship, even when, by the standards of forty years ago, they should not have been together because of prejudice and social distinctions.

I wasn’t all that into the over-arching story as you get to like and respect Mr. Ridgeway but his time with us is fleeting; and there are no redeeming qualities of the ghost student, Luke. The artwork I did enjoy though; the lines in Ridgeway’s face, the flicker of the TV screen against the younger boy, the characters weatherd looks. It’s not a style that suits everyone, but for this book I think it works; it brings a sense of solidity to the faces and places in the story.

Overall, it’s a good beginning to what I’m assuming are a strand of stories relating to this key Luke uses to move through solid walls but I don’t know if I’m that invested at this point. Think it may take further reading.

Jessie Robertson

The post Comic Book Review – Locke & Key: Head Games #1 Hundred Penny Press Edition appeared first on Flickering Myth.

Jessie Robertson reviews the season finale of Arrow season 2….

This is it. The Season two finale of Arrow; it’s all been leading up to this episode. To remind, there’s a list of perils looming over Ollie and team’s head as they head into this week: Who is Slade planning on killing to exact his revenge? Waller’s Drone Strike, did the Cure work on Roy, and the main question: Will Oliver kill Slade?

This is the big theme of the season is Oliver’s choice to move away from killing criminals to apprehending them, and he’s struggled the whole way with it. This episode does yet another good job of slamming that right in his face right from jump street when he finds out Slade has taken Laurel (believing her to be Oliver’s one true love- which he never confirms or denies.) Detective Lance straight tells him to his face, that was a failed effort and you need to kill him to save her. Then Sara shows up with her assassin squad led by her former lover Nyssa al Ghul. Again, she tells Oliver they kill and do not take orders from anyone else. Even he starts to believe he has no respite but to take Slade’s life but its’ one constant that keeps him on that track: Felicity. She comes through again for Oliver giving him an idea to keep Slade thinking he is smarter than Oliver, further solidifying the fact that Felicity is the heart of this team. More on them later.

We also get back to Thea, who did indeed shoot her father Malcolm Merlyn as was teased at the end of last weeks’ episode. Not only did it not kill him but he was proud that she did , as when Tommy had the chance to do it, he was “too weak” as Merlyn said. Thea hears from the newly awakened Roy (who was given a red mask similar to Oliver’s green one, another illusion to his “Red Arrow” moniker in DC Comics) for him to give his full apology. Merlyn warns her that he is like everyone else in her life, and can’t be trusted and these words stick with her. Roy even says “do you trust me?” and she says yes; then moments later she finds a bow and quiver of arrows (red, of course) under his bed and leaves him once and for all, into the waiting arms of Daddy Dearest Merlyn. Will she be going to train in the League of Assassins, or what other plans does Merlyn have for her? That will be a very interesting story in Season 3.

Diggle gets a little more to do here (although aside from the Suicide Squad stuff, he hasn’t had much going on this season) when Lyla shows up with a helicopter armed with a missile and blows the hell out of a bunch of Slade followers. She makes quite the entrance. Oliver puts them on Waller duty and they revel in getting to team up together. They break into ARGUS HQ and break out a few prisoners (including Floyd Lawton) to help take down Waller’s squad. She doesn’t relent easily and even reveals that Lyla is pregnant and Diggle will soon be a Daddy, another cool storyline I’m looking forward to.

Okay, back to the main story at hand, Oliver leads his team into battle armed with Mirakuru Cure-laced arrows to fight against Slade’s army. After Nyssa dispatches Isabel (who begs for death, happy she helped destroy Oliver’s life) he decrees no more killing tonight. Oliver had stashed Felicity in the abandoned Queen Mansion for safe keeping but she doesn’t want to be there. Oliver has to explain to her that Slade wants to kill the woman he loves and he won’t let that happen because he loves Felicity, so she must stay safe. It’s quite a moment and Felicity’s face and Oliver’s steady, soft delivery sell it huge.

Slade reveals, of course, that he’s doubled down and stayed one step ahead of Oliver again by capturing Felicity and Laurel both, which indicated he would make Oliver choose once again. But Slade has overplayed himself as Ollie set up Felicity as a decoy and she plunges a syringe full of the Cure into Slade’s neck. Then we have our final battle. It does a great job of mirroring their battle on the island, moving back and forth from the past to the present and it’s amazing how similarly they play out. Oliver is reminded that then, he had the chance to hit Slade with the cure but his anger overtook him and he put Slade’s eye out with an arrow, seemingly killing him. This time, he chooses the latter. Oliver seems to be twice the fighter Non-Mirakuru Slade is and successfully traps him against a stone pillar, spouting rhetoric, all of which Oliver is able to ignore. He tells Waller to call off the drone strike because Slade is captured once and for all.

The season ends with Oliver sort of slyly relishing in front of a beaten and broken (and noticeably more gray) Slade as he’s locked in a cell. Oliver has to climb a ladder and we see he’s imprisoned him back on their island in a bunker underground! Oliver, Felicity and Diggle all get ready to board their plane as Felicity laments that Oliver really had her going and he agreed, they all played their parts well, further delaying a romance or the admittance of feelings between them. She then asks, “Hey, when did Oliver learn how to fly a plane?” which takes us to the closing scene as when the Amazo burns down and sinks into the ocean (which showed Sara getting sucked into a whirlpool, ala the Queen’s Gambit) Oliver wakes up in a hotel in Hong Kong, with Amanda Waller in charge. So it looks like Oliver didn’t spend all five years on the island? Very interesting.

A few quick sidenotes: Sara goes back to the League in a very strange scene , the only one I didn’t care for at all in this closer. Her father kind of jokingly yells at Nyssa for taking his daughter away but everyone does realize she’s leaving to go be an assassin again right? They kill people and it’s played like this nice family moment. Giving Laurel her black leather jacket and her dad joking “Don’t get any ideas,” also came off flat for me. And the cliffhanger is Det. Lance starts feeling pain in his stomach and falls down bruised and spitting out blood. He’s one of the most solid characters on the show and it would hurt to lose him as a main character, so I don’t feel good about what’s going on there.

And we saw the Flash! It was a fun, goofy sort of one minute video of him and Oliver but it does set the tone for what his show will be like and I think it’s a good tone and counter balances Arrow (which I’d love to see as a double feature every week.)

Season 2 of Arrow topped Season 1 in terms of big story, numerous amount of characters being introduced, and even more people that know Oliver’s identity. The show looks to be going in even more directions for next season and I can’t wait.

Jessie Robertson

The post Arrow Season 2 – Episode 23 Review appeared first on Flickering Myth.

Last night we got our first look at The Flash with a brief promo following the season two finale of Arrow, and now we have a couple of new images from the spin-off featuring Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen in and out of costume, as well as an extended five-minute trailer for the upcoming DC series. Check them out below….

After a particle accelerator causes a freak storm, CSI Investigator Barry Allen is struck by lightning and falls into a coma. Months later he awakens with the power of super speed, granting him the ability to move through Central City like an unseen guardian angel. Though initially excited by his newfound powers, Barry is shocked to discover he is not the only “meta-human” who was created in the wake of the accelerator explosion — and not everyone is using their new powers for good. Barry partners with S.T.A.R. Labs and dedicates his life to protect the innocent. For now, only a few close friends and associates know that Barry is literally the fastest man alive, but it won’t be long before the world learns what Barry Allen has become…The Flash.

The Flash sees Grant Gustin leading a cast that also includes Candice Patton (The Game) as Iris West, Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order) as Detective West, Patrick Sabongui (Almost Human) as David Singh, Danielle Panabaker (Friday the 13th) as Caitlin Snow / Killer Frost, Rick Gosnett (The Vampire Diaries) as Eddie Thawne, Broadway star Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon / Vibe, Michelle Harrison (Emily Owens, MD) as Nora Allen, Tom Cavanagh (Ed) as Harrison Wells and original Flash star John Wesley Shipp in an as-yet-unrevealed mystery role.

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Ahead of its release this November, Lionsgate has given us our first look at the penultimate instalment in The Hunger Games franchise by launching the official website for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, which offers up images of Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright and Woody Harrelson…

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 sees Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) returning to the director’s chair alongside returning stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Willow Shields, Sam Claflin, Meta Golding, Jena Malone and Stef Dawson, while Moore is joined by fellow new additions Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) and Lily Rabe (American Horror Story).

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 is set for release on November 21st.

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Okay, so this one seems to be more speculation than rumour, but there’s talk circulating that the World’s Finest could find themselves up against another iconic DC villain besides Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor when Batman vs. Superman arrives in cinemas in 2016, which stems from an image posted to Instagram from director of photography Larry Fong which may – or may not – tease the inclusion of the Clown Prince of Crime…

With Ben Affleck’s Batman set to be portrayed as a grizzled veteran in the Man of Steel sequel, The Joker will surely already exist in the continuity (as will most Bat-villains, you’d have to assume), so it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to see some kind of reference to the Dark Knight’s arch-enemy, even if he doesn’t physically appear in the film (maybe building to his inclusion for Justice League?).

Of course, there’s also the possibility that they’re just looking to build even more buzz for the sequel by teasing DC’s most iconic villain. Or maybe a game of cards  got a little out of hand after Larry Fong caught Affleck card counting… Who knows?

Would you like to see The Joker in Batman vs. Superman or Justice League, and if so who could possibly step into Heath Ledger’s shoes? Let us know your thoughts…

Batman vs. Superman is set for release on May 6th 2016 with Zack Snyder directing a cast that includes returning Man of Steel stars Henry Cavill (Superman), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Diane Lane (Martha Kent) and Laurence Fishburne (Perry White) alongside Ben Affleck (Argo) as Batman, Gal Gadot (Fast & Furious 6) as Wonder Woman, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jesse Eisenberg (Now You See Me) as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons (The Borgias) as Alfred Pennyworth and Holly Hunter (The Piano), Callan Mulvey (300: Rise of an Empire), and Tao Okamoto (The Wolverine) in as-yet-unrevealed roles.

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The Fatale duo of writer Ed Brubaker (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and Sean Phillips (Criminal) are commencing their five-year deal with Image Comics with The Fade Out.  The first issue of the epic noir series will be 40 pages long and include exclusive back page articles. There will also be a 1940s oversized movie magazine replica variant cover plus 8 extra pages of behind-the-scenes art.

  The Fade Out weaves a tangled web through the underbelly of a 1948 Hollywood… A noir film stuck in endless reshoots. A writer plagued with nightmares from the war and a dangerous secret. An up-and-coming starlet’s suspicious death. And a maniacal studio mogul and his security chief who will do anything to keep the cameras rolling before the Post-War boom days come crashing down.

The Fade Out #1 arrives in stores on August 20, 2014 and is available to pre-order along with the movie magazine variant cover.

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Pitch Perfect 2 has added another new cast member to go along with the recent announcement that actress Hailee Steinfeld signed on to the film. Now it appears they have cast Steinfeld’s mom in the film in the form of Sons of Anarchy’s very own Katey Sagal.

No details to any aspect of the new film, other than Sagal will play Steinfeld’s mother, have been released thus far. Which leaves many possibilities as to how Sagal will fit into the film. Most likely she will probably just serve as another adult character but it would be great if she gets a chance to sing as she is a really great singer.

The majority of the cast from the previous film have already signed on for the sequel including Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Alexis Knapp, Hana Mae Lee and Adam DeVine with Elizabeth Banks set to direct. As long as they can make everything feel as fresh as the first film did then this is shaping up to be a solid sequel.

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Touchy Feely, 2013.

Written and Directed by Lynn Shelton.
Starring Rosemarie DeWitt, Ellen Page, Scoot McNairy, Ron Livingston, Allison Janney and Josh Pais.

SYNOPSIS:

A massage therapist is unable to do her job when stricken with a mysterious and sudden aversion to bodily contact. Meanwhile, her uptight brother’s floundering dental practice receives new life when clients seek out his healing touch.

Apparently the availability of healing hands is limited to one set per household. Writer/Director Lynn Shelton (Your Sister’s Sister), now almost notorious for her access to a stable of respected stars that really really want to make independent cinema, ploughs these connections to the hilt for her follow-up, Touchy Feely, a feature of 2013′s Sundance Festival which is now finally reaching our very own big, albeit limited, screens this weekend.

And looking at the line-up of featured players, you can almost feel the weight of Shelton’s piece here before you’ve even had a chance to view it. Page, Janney, DeWitt, Pais and McNairy will all be familiar to indie fans the world over, sitting atop, as they do, of a plethora of talent that chooses to ply its trade, for the most part, slightly under the radar. Occasionally, they all pop their respective heads up for a big paycheck, but only for long enough to enable them to pay the bills, whilst they do what they seem inexorably drawn to and clearly have an aching yearn to be a part of; making movies for the love of the artform, rather than be beholden to the numbers of bums they can coerce onto seats in darkened movie theatre.

This latest offering from the pen and eyeballs of Shelton is not for the impatient, it must be said quite plainly. At only an hour and a half, this study of a massage therapist’s quandry when she suddenly becomes unable to make physical contact with another human being is painfully slow. I had to watch my graciously provided copy in two parts over two nights because it was just so pedestrian. This in itself is not a crime, however, and there dozens of examples you could argue that move even slower than this effort but may be rightly held up as classics.

What Shelton appears to lack here is a motivation to keep on watching. There is little payoff throughout and the story, slim as it really is, never actually begs for attention. Janney and Pais are probably the two most magnetic players on screen here, but even their performances are so muted as to be almost incoherent. To begin with, you can be forgiven for thinking that Pais’ Paul, a softly spoken Dentist who, quite out of the blue, starts healing people in his chair that have suffered from debilitating pain for years without hope for improvement, is actually playing the part of a man with at least some form of mental or at least societal ailment. This proves not to be the case at all, but to begin with, it’s a little difficult to tell otherwise.

Janney’s healing Reiki practitioner is the most appealing of all the characters and it is unfortunate that she didn’t feature more regularly, only really appearing as a conduit to remove the negative energies from those that needed it the most. I found myself wishing I could lie down and let her work on me too.

At the time Paul begins to work the magic on the gums of the unfortunate, his practice is badly in need of a souped up customer base and word of mouth says his talent is worth visiting for. At one and the same time, Abby (Dewitt), Paul’s sister, loses her ability to physically connect and has to stop working on her massage clients. It is also at this point that she is due to move in with her boyfriend (McNairy) and this inability means that she is forced to think twice before committing to such a big step. This is the only time Shelton really toys with her audience. Is this loss of one siblings apparent healing power and the seemingly magically discovered talents of the other in any way connected?

Practically devoid of any real emotion, most of the characters here are given little opportunity to develop, locked in what seemed like their own private versions of need and personal well-being. With the exception of two scenes (Page & McNairy after the concert and Pais & DeWitt sharing a touching moment holding hands without saying a word towards the end of the film) there is little to get excited by in the actual acting department. The film is shot harmlessly enough by Shelton, but we are never really impressed by how the story is shown any more than the brief story itself.

Overall, this must go down as a rather uninspiring, lacklustre affair that doesn’t really do Shelton’s directing or writing skills justice. If you were impressed by Your Sister’s Sister, then you might rightly be expecting something a little more polished and satisfying from Shelton here, but this ‘difficult second film’ is just that.

Flickering Myth Rating: Film ★ ★ / Movie ★ ★

Steve Leadbetter

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