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Category Archives: Mixed Media

Everything that isn’t related to comics.

Whitechapel bartender goes global with a Hal Jordan cocktail

If you’re creating a Hal Jordan cocktail you can’t get much more on the nose than making it an Aviation variation using Aviation American Gin. Whitechapel‘s Megan Daniel did exactly that for Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouse pop-up bar at London Cocktail Week.

The San Francisco bartender took top prize at Virgin Atlantic’s cocktail competition. The fierce but friendly competition asked 13 bartenders to create an original cocktail using Aviation Gin as the base spirit. Daniel’s Hal Jordan cocktail, a riff on the classic pre-Prohibition era Aviation cocktail, is described by Virgin Atlantic as “a beautiful riff on the classic Aviation. Simple and elegant in presentation.”

Hal Jordan Cocktail

Whitechapel’s Megan Daniel builds a Hal Jordan cocktail. Photo courtesy of Virgin Atlantic’s Ruby blog.

She stirred together a combination of Aviation American Gin, Pomp and Whimsy gin liqueur, Maraschino Luxardo, and lemon bitters. The cocktail bearing the alias of the first Green Lantern Space Sector 2814 will be served in Virgin Atlantic clubhouses around the globe.

As mentioned above, when it comes to designing a cocktail after Hal Jordan using Aviation American Gin in a Aviation variation is an inspired concept. In the comics, prior to becoming a member of the Green Lantern Corps and for a time while concealing his identity on Earth, Jordan is a fearless aviator. The base spirit of the cocktail, Aviation American Gin, is partially owned by Ryan Reynolds. The actor famously portrayed Hal Jordan in the 2011 Green Lantern film.

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DC Universe Subscription: First Impressions

DC Universe is the new digital portal putting the many media iterations of DC, from comics to shows to movies, literally at your fingertips. Is the DC Universe subscription worth the introductory cost of $74.99 per year or $7.99 per month? I signed up for a year and here are my first impressions.

DC Universe subscription

This isn’t Marvel Unlimited. DC fans have been waiting for a DC digital service similar to what Marvel offers ever since…well…since Marvel launched Marvel Unlimited. In this early version of DC Universe, the company is offering both more and less than Marvel Unlimited. DC wants fans to have one place to find comics, television shows, films, and character biographies. They’re also attempting to build a community through discussion forums, regular giveaways, and a daily streaming show.

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Krypton: Which DC Characters Could We See in Season Two?

Krypton opens an entire segment of the DC Universe that’s only been scratched by the other live-action shows (primarily through Supergirl). The Last Daughter of Krypton lives on Earth 38 where alien intervention is so common they have an entire organization, D.E.O., dedicated to Earth’s defense (most of our other heroes live on the alien-free Earth-One). Thanks to the season-ending cliffhanger of Krypton (which doesn’t take place in the Arrowverse) we can now look to the stars and beyond. In case you stopped watching after the first couple of episodes, here’s what you missed: General Zod, who traveled back in time under the ploy of stopping Brainiac from bottling Kandor (who the viewers had been led to believe had traveled back in time), is successful in his mission. He manages to alter the timeline so Kryptonians can conquer the stars thereby creating the possibility of more space-faring species and characters. It also, apparently, means a future without Superman.

One tiny catch, Krypton takes place 200 years before baby Superman was sent to Earth, so it does limit who could show up based on lifespan. Although Adam Strange could start playing with time travel to bring heroes back who could help restore the timeline and defeat Zod.

Assuming we’re solely dependent on what exists at the time of Krypton here are some of the alien species or characters who could make an appearance in future seasons of Krypton.

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New Halloween Trailer Creates An Awesome Shared Universe Infinite Loop

One of the most anticipated films of 2018’s Halloween season has to be the new entry in John Carpenter’s Halloween franchise. The film, which shares the same name as the original 1978 film and no sequel designation, ignores all of the various sequels (yes, even Halloween II) and remakes that followed.  Instead, it will pick up decades after the original with Jamie Lee Curtis returning to the role of Laurie Strode who is hell-bent on killing her little brother, Michael Meyers.

This isn’t the first time the Halloween franchise has ignored it’s own history. Notoriously, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, was a standalone storyline featuring only the moniker. It was likely a failed effort by Universal to leverage the Halloween branding for a series of feature films unrelated to trials and tribulations of Michael and Laurie. Read More »

Mandy Sneak Preview in Dublin

Be one of the first people to see Panos Cosmatos’ newest film at a Mandy sneak preview screening on September 13 in Dublin, California.

Mandy Sneak Preview

Join the members of Legion M, the worlds first fan-owned entertainment company, for a sneak preview screening of Mandy at Regal Hacienda in Dublin, California! Mandy is an action horror film directed by Panos Cosmatos (Beyond the Black Rainbow) starring Nicolas Cage and Andrea Riseborough (Birdman, Oblivion). It is one of the last films scored by Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (Arrival). Be one of the first to see what’s sure to become one of the most talked about films of the year.

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Star Wars: The Definitive Top 10 List

Fans of lists and Star Wars, we are currently in a rare moment of list making history when we have exactly 10 theatrically released, live-action Star Wars films*. Thanks to the May 25, 2018 release of Solo: A Star Wars Story we can create a perfect top 10 list. We truly live in wondrous times. Of course, this moment of perfection will come to an end on December 20, 2019 when Episode IX adds an eleventh theatrically released, live-action Star Wars film forcing fans to finally choose which prequel film to drop from the list.

I haven’t taken the time to rank the Star Wars films since 2006. At that time my top six would have probably looked like this:

  1. Empire Strikes Back
  2. Star Wars
  3. Return of the Jedi
  4. Revenge of the Sith
  5. The Phantom Menace
  6. Attack of the Clones

It wasn’t until Scott Aukerman posted the ultimate list of Star Wars films that I realized, “oh hey, we can make a perfect top 10.”

 

The comments on that thread are delicious.

After watching Solo I thought it was finally time to stare at a wall and consider my Star Wars top 10. However, before we get to that I need to tell you about the specific individual Star Wars fan that is me.

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20 Eye-Catching San Francisco Murals

Murals are seeing a sort of renaissance in San Francisco. Some business owners continue to wash away street art in an effort to raise property estimates. But an increasing number of business owners are seeing the benefit of showcasing and supporting the creation of murals.

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Chimichangas! Alamo Drafthouse Reveals Deadpool 2 Menu

Alamo Drafthouses across the country will celebrate Deadpool 2 arriving in theaters with a menu featuring Chimichangas and “TaKillYa” cocktails.

Alamo Drafthouse Deadpool 2

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Black Panther Inspires Disney to Fund STEM Initiative in Oakland

At this point everyone in Oakland has had a chance to catch Black Panther, right? In case you haven’t, but plan on doing so, I should note everything below in this post is a spoiler for the final Oakland-based scene of the film. Okay?

Black Panther is breaking all sorts of records and that means plenty of dollar bills for the Walt Disney Company. According to ComingSoon.net, the House of Mouse has decided to put some of that money back into the communities that have no doubt helped make Black Panther one of the most successful superhero films ever.

Disney plans to donate $1 million to the Boys and Girls Club of America to help expand the organizations STEM programs. Part of that investment includes helping to establish an Oakland-based STEM Center of Innovation. The move is a clear nod to the film’s ending where Wakanda starts making contact with the rest of the world by establishing a science center in Oakland. T’Challa’s wicked smart sister, Shuri, is tapped to lead the science outreach initiative.

Black Panther - Shuir smiling

The majority of the film takes place in the fictional nation of Wakanda, but it is an Oakland film at heart. The Bay Area city is the birthplace of director Ryan Coogler who made his Hollywood debut with the critically-acclaimed indie film Fruitvale Station. That film told the story of Oscar Grant who on New Year’s Eve 2009 was shot in the back and murdered by BART police.

In a statement, Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger noted that Black Panther is “sparking discussion, inspiring people young and old, and breaking down age-old industry myths.”

Disney’s money will additionally support STEM programs in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Harlem, Hartford, Memphis, New Orleans, Orlando, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Watts.

Marvel Returns to San Francisco for More “Ant-Man and The Wasp” Filming

On the heels of Thor crushing the box office this weekend, Marvel has returned to San Francisco to shoot more scenes for next year’s Ant-Man and The Wasp.

The film crew, operating under the moniker PYM Particles Productions shooting a movie called “Cherry Blue,” spent Monday down at Pier 39. Thanks to additional signage posted around North Beach we know more filming is planned for this coming Wednesday near the Transamerica Building.

 

This is at least the second time this year the company has been to the city to shoot scenes for the second film involving  Marvel’s smallest (and sometimes largest) superhero. In September, PYM Particles Productions spent a week flipping cars near Nob Hill.

Ant-Man and the Wasp will be released in theaters on July 6, 2018. Most of the first film’s cast will return including Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, and Michael Douglas. Both Michelle Pfieffer and Laurence Fishburne have signed on for the sequel.