Scarlett Johansson Talks Black Widow’s Objectification In MCU

The way that MCU movies framed Black Widow back in the days of Iron Man 2 and Marvel’s The Avengers and the way we look at her now, a decade later, are very different. With Black Widow less than a month away, star Scarlett Johansson is looking back at the character’s evolution in a new interview with Collider.

“You look back at Iron Man 2 and while it was really fun and had a lot of great moments in it, the character is so sexualized, you know?” Johansson said. “Really talked about like she’s a piece of something, like a possession or a thing or whatever, like a piece of ass, really. And even Tony refers to her as something like that at one point.”

“[Tony] at one point calls her a piece of meat and maybe at that time that actually felt like a compliment. Because my thinking was different,” Johansson continued. “Now people, young girls, are getting a much more positive message, but it’s been incredible to be a part of that shift and be able to come out the other side and be a part of that old story, but also progress, evolve. I think it’s pretty cool.”

Johansson also talks about Black Widow’s objectification as it pertains to the character’s internal development.

“I think actually Natasha uses her sexuality as a means to feel, sort of manipulate a situation and then be coquettish and sly, and then she’s going to take your legs out, right? She’s going to be seductive in this way, and that’s her power; her power’s in her sexuality, and then that changed over time, right?” Johansson said. “Her strength was actually her vulnerability. In Endgame she sacrifices herself out of love. She saves her friend, she saves everyone. And I think just being in that kind of headspace and being able to make taht decision, that selfless act, is so incredibly powerful.”

The interview is long and Johansson talks about a variety of topics, so it’s worth a read in addition to these tidbits. Tickets for Black Widow are on sale ahead of its theatrical debut on on July 9, when it also hits Disney+ Premier Access. In the meantime, read up on what the director had to say about her inspirations going into the movie and what Black Widow will look like in IMAX. Don’t forget to check out the latest trailer, either.

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Lego Batman 2 Isn’t Happening Due To Rights Issues

DC Comics and Lego have been close for years, with the two brands coming together to create four games and a dozen direct-to-video movies and shows. One of the biggest productions from the two companies, though, was the 2017 Lego Batman Movie. We won’t be getting a sequel, though, and it comes down to rights, Collider reports.

“Because Lego has left Warner Bros. and is now over at Universal (as of April 2020), there probably won’t be a Lego Batman sequel, unfortunately. I’m so sorry to say that, but I don’t think they’ll be making a Lego Batman 2,” said Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay. In other words for the movie to happen, Warner Bros. would have to let Universal make a movie with their most profitable character–the one they’re too conservative to make even a sex joke with, let alone trust someone else with a whole movie. Alternatively, Universal would have to let Warner Bros. make a Lego movie despite the studio’s exclusive deal.

Now Playing: Lego Batman – Trailer 4

The movie was in the early stages when the changeover happened. According to McKay, none other than Dan Harmon, creator of NBC’s Community and Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty, was writing the film with Michael Waldron.

It was “a story about Batman’s relationship to the Justice League now, as well as formative moments of the Justice League then,” McKay said, along with developing Batman’s relationship with Superman. The film was meant to be about friendship and change, McKay said.

“It was about how hard it is to change. To commit to change. To stay on the new road you’ve carved for yourself,” he said. Movies like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse had also influenced Warner Bros. to give the writers more room to take Batman seriously in the Lego context.

While Lego Batman 2 isn’t happening, Matt Reeves’ film, The Batman, has finished filming. We’ve seen just a couple teasers for the movie, but we’re already picking them apart for all the Easter eggs we can find. The Batman is currently scheduled to release on March 4, 2022.

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Werewolves Within: The Movie Review

Werewolves Within will have a limited theatrical release on June 25 and will be available on VOD on July 2.

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Loosely based on Ubisoft’s multiplayer VR game from 2016, Werewolves Within borrows the social deduction elements from that party game to present a silly, suspenseful “whodunnit” horror-comedy. Tonally, the film doesn’t hit every comedy beat it’s aiming for, as the lines between parody and satire get blurred, but overall it’s a fierce fun time.

A blinding snowstorm and debilitating blackout trap a small group of bickering New Englanders in a remote cabin. Fueled by paranoia and ulterior motives, the gossipy gang must figure out who among them might secretly be a snarly, ravenous werewolf bent on killing and devouring the rest. That is if werewolves are even a real thing and it’s not just the work of a psycho faking wolf attacks. On paper, it’s a promising premise rife with opportunity for violent blunders and lethal misunderstandings.

And for the most part, Werewolves Within delivers, but occasionally it falls just short of huge laughs. It’s good, but there’s an even funnier film buried beneath this one. Or an even scarier one. Perhaps director Josh Ruben felt leaning too far in one direction would undercut the scares or the laughs, but trying to balance both evenly winds up taking a bite out of the final product.

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Veep’s Sam Richardson (who also serves as executive producer) and Other Space’s Milana Vayntrub headline a goofy ensemble featuring Michaela Watkins (The Unicorn), Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story), Michael Chernus (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Catherine Curtin (Stranger Things), and more, each sort of representing a niche crackpot category of rustic small-town living.

As bucolic Beaverfield’s new park ranger, Finn, Richardson gets to be our eyes for the film’s first act, embodying a do-right doofus in all the wonderful ways Richardson can while Vayntrub’s friendly, flirty mail carrier, Cecily, catches him up on all the local gossip. Richardson and Vayntrub possess top-notch banter chops, and their characters are the least cartoonish, so the film plays at its strongest whenever they’re anchoring a scene. And Richardson is very good at reacting to absurdities in a way that makes them feel grounded and germane, be they character eccentricities or surprise atrocities.

The murder mystery element of Werewolves Within, which at times runs like Knives Out and at other times like Hot Fuzz, carries a lot of the movie, allowing the story to stretch to the point where you as the viewer may even begin to doubt whether or not there is an actual werewolf stalking the cast. The film very much utilizes the idea that the true monsters may reside inside us and that when human survival instinct kicks in, logic and empathy quickly exit. It does it so well that the ending could have gone either way and it would have still worked just fine.

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As far as the breadth of characters goes, some operate as if they’re in different movies from one another, and a few feel as if they’re in a different story than Finn and Cecily. It’s this imbalance, where the film can’t seem to decide if it’s lampooning certain archetypes or lovingly embracing them, that Werewolves Within trips up a bit. Michaela Watkins is great, but sometimes her crafting-obsessed Antifa-fearing Fur Mama, Trish, clashes too much with the drier, more deadpan humor also working.

Werewolves Within is a nice breather in a summer filled with more horror movies than usual (due to 2020’s mass delays). It’s cool and cutely cruel while also tossing in a clever twist or two. As a movie adaptation of a game, there’s not much here that necessarily tethers it to the Ubisoft game, nor are there ample Easter Eggs or hidden references, but that works out for the best.

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Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train Headed to Funimation Next Week After Breaking Box Office Records

After an astonishingly successful box office run during a sluggish time for movie theaters, Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train is about to head to streaming. Funimation has announced that the hit film will stream exclusively on its platform, starting on June 22 in the United States and Canada and on June 23 in Australia and New Zealand.

Funimation will make Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train available in both its English dub and its original Japanese dub with English subtitles.

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The announcement comes at the tail-end of a spectacular North American theatrical run for the R-rated anime. The film has earned over $48 million in the United States and Canada since its debut on April 23. Along with having the highest grossing foreign language debut in U.S. box office history with $34.1 million, Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train has become the highest-grossing anime film of all time worldwide, topping $500 million. Spirited Away sits at a distant second with a $395.58 million gross. Additionally, Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train is also the highest-grossing film in Japanese box office history.

“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train has been a runaway success since it opened last year, galvanizing fans and attracting a whole new generation to anime,” said Asa Suehira, Chief Content Officer for Funimation Global Group. “With the addition of the movie, fans can take a deep dive into the franchise watching the first season of the television series, three special television episodes and now the feature-length film from their homes or on the go.”

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In our review of Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train, IGN gave the film a 7, saying that “jaw-dropping visuals alone make [the movie] well worth a watch, even if the film stumbles a bit at the climax.” For more about Demon Slayer, read about how the new movie sets the stage for Season 2 of the main series.

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J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

Aussie Deals: Amazon Prime Day 2021 – Early Video Game Deals

Amazon Prime Day 2021 runs June 21 – 22. That’s right, as it has been in recent years, Prime Day is a two-day event. And just like always, you can expect to see discounts on a vast swath of items at the online retailer. Among those discounts, Amazon tends to deliver all kinds of video game deals during its annual sale event.

The only catch is that, once the deals start, you’ll need a Prime membership to get the sale prices (start a 30-day free trial). Some early Prime Day video game deals are already going live, though, and they’re available to everybody. Read on to see what discounts are available now.

Early Prime Day Nintendo Switch Deals

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Early Prime Day PlayStation Deals

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Early Prime Day Xbox Deals

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Free Amazon Prime Trial

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The first thing you need to know about Prime Day 2021 is that you can’t get any of the discounts if you’re not a Prime member.

Fortunately, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Prime. Once you do that, you can take full advantage of all the Prime Day deals you want. Better yet, if you choose not to continue your membership, you can cancel before the 30 days are up. You’ll still get the discounts on what you bought, but you won’t have to pay anything at all.

Even if you’re not eligible for the free trial, perhaps because you’ve used it before, you can still pay for a month of Prime ($12.99) to get the Prime Day deals, and then cancel after the sale ends.

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Sign up to get the best Aussie gaming deals sent straight to your inbox!

Amazon Prime Day 2021: What to Expect for Gaming Laptops and PCs, Monitors, Hard Drives, SSDs, Routers, and More

Amazon Prime Day 2021 runs from June 21-22 this year, which is less than a week away. We should expect plenty of great deals on PC gear, including gaming and workstation laptops and desktop computers, tablets, monitors, hard drives and SSDs, routers, headsets, and much more. Unfortunately, none of these deals have started just yet. It’s possible that some stragglers might go live early, but usually PC-related deals don’t actually go live until Prime Day proper.

For those of you who are looking for Prime Day deals on RTX 30 series video cards or RTX 30 series equipped PCs, we hate to say that it’s very unlikely to happen. The demand is so high and supply is so low that there’s simply no reason for Amazon to offer further incentive than simply carrying anything in stock. That said, although video cards themselves are impossible to find, Amazon does have a fair share of reasonably priced pre-built gaming PCs and laptops currently available. These are from recognizable brands like Skytech, Razer, MSI, ASUS, and more. We’ve listed them out here since they go out of stock farily quickly. Stay tuned for actual Prime Day deals within the week.

Skytech RTX 30 Series Gaming PCs

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Razer RTX 30 Series Gaming Laptops

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RTX 30 Series Gaming Laptops

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Xbox Won E3 2021 According to New IGN Poll

With E3 2021 now officially in the books, it’s time to take stock of video games’ biggest week. In a poll IGN posted on Twitter, you chose Xbox/Bethesda as your consensus favorite E3 showcase.

Microsoft’s conference drew a majority of the 76,386 votes placed, garnering 56.4% of the votes. Nintendo’s followed in second with 33.8% for its annual Nintendo Direct.

Ubisoft was also included in the poll, drawing 4.1% of votes. A fourth option titled “Something Else (Tell Us!)” garnered 5.7% of votes, inspiring responses citing other events like Devolver Digital’s showcase and Take-Two Interactive’s presentation discussing diversity in the video game industry.

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Bethesda took the lead during the Xbox showcase, revealing a deeper look at Starfield and setting a November 11, 2022 release date for the Xbox exclusive. After that, Microsoft returned to some of its biggest franchises, revealing multiplayer footage of Halo Infinite and announcing the Mexico-set Forza Horizon 5. Both titles are set to release later this year.

Beyond those headliners, the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase continued with numerous reveals, including Redfall, a new vampire shooter from Dishonored developer Arkane Studios, new gameplay footage from Battlefield 2042 and Far Cry 6, additions to Xbox Game Pass, and release dates for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Psychonauts 2, and Diablo 2 Resurrected.

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For a complete breakdown of everything announced at the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, read our roundup here. Additionally, we have E3 2021 breakdowns of everything announced at this year’s Nintendo Direct and Ubisoft Forward, as well as a comprehensive recap of everything that got announced during this year’s online-only event.

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J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment and gaming writer.

Kevin Can F**k Himself Premiere Review: “Living the Dream”

The series premiere of Kevin Can F**K Himself is currently available to stream on AMC+. The series will make its cable debut on AMC on Sunday, June 20.

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The genre-hopping elements of AMC’s Kevin Can F**K Himself may have landed with a little more “oomph” had the world of beloved sitcom tropes not been explored recently on Marvel’s WandaVision, but given that this series is weaving in and out of a manipulative marriage, taking stinging swipes at the very particular breed of TV comedy husband, there’s still a lot of gold to mine. And with Emmy-winner Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek) headlining, as the “put upon” suburban wife saddled with a man-child, this dramedy is a bizarre, insightful winner.

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Murphy’s Allison is an overly accepting wife, who is 10 years into her marriage with Kevin (Eric Petersen), a cable TV installer perfectly happy with his relationship’s lack of growth, his own lack of goals, and his inability to recognize Allison as a true partner. For most scenes between Allison and Kevin, Kevin Can F**K Himself presents itself as a tried and true three-camera sitcom, giving us mirthful moments one could easily imagine playing out on past shows featuring Kevin James, Jim Belushi, Ray Romano, and countless other hapless halves of “idiot groom/nagging bride” pairings over the years.

Whether the cliche of the buffoonish hubby — which can be traced back to The Honeymooners and Ralph and Ed’s get-rich-quick schemes — was a reflection of society, informing said society, or both, is what’s being examined here. A snake eating its own tail, the art is a reflection of relationships while also shaping what people seek in relationships. When Allison leaves the room and is away from Kevin, the color drains from the screen and the show shifts to a single-camera drama where she finds herself alone and unfulfilled. The true, damaging effects of a “Well, I love the big lug” or “I can fix him” mindset are laid bare as we watch Allison desperately crave the basic minimum from Kevin.

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Even Allison’s dream of moving to a new, fancier neighborhood still involves her pouring Kevin a beer, just in a better glass. Thinking a move will help them reboot and restart is also a common relationship mistake, which lets us know that Kevin Can F**K Himself isn’t just holding up a microscope to sitcoms but also broader pitfalls of unhealthy couples.

Murphy shines, playing a very different character than the one that garnered her acclaim on Schitt’s Creek while also still being able to embody someone experiencing profound change. The first episode, “Living the Dream,” signals that the show has a lot of promise, though it’ll be interesting to see if this genre mash-up can hold through a full season without growing stale. It’s a fun and unique concept but also one that can grow weary if left on autopilot. There’s also an element here involving Allison not just wanting to be angry with Kevin, or leave Kevin, but wanting to kill Kevin and that heightened addition sort of square pegs a cartoonish cog into the story that doesn’t fully gel with the rest.

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In “Living the Dream,” Allison carries the weight of her 10-year anniversary, having to tolerate another debaucherous “anniveserager” instead of spending quality time together. On top of this, borrowing from the sitcom realm, she must also throw a separate “boring” party for Kevin’s stuffy boss and entertain the man while everyone else has a good time in the backyard. While this feels very much like sitcom hi-jinx we’re accustomed to, stark revelations fill the third act as Allison begins to realize that Kevin has gaslighted her into thinking she’s lesser than she is. “Do I never finish things or does he take things from me?” is a line that hits like a hard slap, as does her realization that his inaccurate criticisms have trapped her inside a prison of anxiety. So here, out of the gate, the juxtaposition of sitcom silliness and emotional heaviness works well. Whether or not it has legs, in the long run, remains to be seen.

It will also be interesting to watch how Allison’s relationship with next-door neighbor Patty (Mary Hollis Inboden) evolves over the course of the show. At first, Patty’s just a part of the wise-cracking riff-raff that fills the sitcom side of the series, but the show permits Allison to interact with Patty in the darker “alone” world too and it’s here that Patty’s allowed to shift from the beer-swigging spouse of Kevin’s best friend into someone who maybe finds solidarity in Allison’s angst. Allison and Patty’s dynamic also makes room for others to join in on the ennui, away from the TV comedy coma. Kevin, as the white whale antagonist, will most likely be the last to transition over but it’ll be worth it when it does.

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