The Weird Mind News room Episode 3: March 13th- 19th 2023

 *Insert News Room Music here*

Hello and a very warm welcome to the newest episode of the Weird mind news room with me as your host (like every other blog you will read from this blog channel). For those of you that have tuned in this is where I talk on the latest releases from the past week in media, show some trailers alongside it and talk on some media related news too so let's get to the first part of our story

What is New in release

Movies

Shazam Fury of the Gods

With the combined powers of Solomen, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury, Zachery Levi will don the red suit and white cape and become the superhero persona of Billy batson of Shazam! in a follow up to the 2019 original which sees Shazam and his family of heroes go up against the struggles of balancing their teenage lives while also dealing with superhero stuff, just as a trio of vengeful gods have returned to earth to try and claim the powers back from them as they were stolen from them long ago. The original was a charming and fun superhero movie in a film franchise of superhero films that were more tonally different and more serious where this first film was a more lighthearted and funny adventure that even had some elements of some dark imagery in it too, and while I have read some reviews saying that while it may not be as great as the original it still has that great charm and silliness with it and I will be giving this a look in the next few days to see how well it does.

TV Shows

Mandalorian season 3 episode 3

We continue the ongoing tales of Mando and Baby Grogu are continuing on their journey to become mandalorian again and remove the apostate titles that Mando has received with the help of Bo Katan and from the most recent episode that has been described as feeling like an Andor episode (something I may discuss in a future blog article if interested) this one does have that vibe to it being similar in tone, but I guess we will see what the story brings next for the characters of this expansive galaxy

Games

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon

everyone's favourite demon summoning, gun wielding witch is back, but this time however we are going back to the origins of the character and how she became the witch we all know and love and focused on the young Cereza as she takes a journey into the forbidden avalon forest with the aid of Chesire, her first demon, that possessed her stuffed toy as they travel through the strange woodlands to obtain the power to save her mother. Going off of the reception that the game has been getting it seems to be going down well and I am sure I will give it a try in the near future

Dark Pictures VR: Switchback

If you are looking for something to add to your new PlayStation VR and want something that is with a bit of a spooky vibe to it, then why not get yourself the new game in the Dark Pictures series with Switchback. While it may not be a lot like the original games in the anthology (the newest game is on the way out possibly this coming winter) and is more of an on rails shooter but in similar tone to their recent VR game Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, so if you want some high skills shrieks and improve some hand eye coordination, then this should be a fun time to use your VR headset.

Trailer Time roundup

Now let us have a look over some of the trailers that have shown up over the last week (this week was not the biggest amount of trailer but we will get what we got)

Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken

We have the first trailer of DreamWorks animations newest film and the first of 2 films they have this year and we focus a tale of Ruby Gillman, a normal teenager that wants to live a normal life, except that Ruby is actually one of the legendary sea creature of the kraken and will have to go up against their greatest enemy: the mermaids. While I would say that this has a feel of one of Pixar's recent movies of Luca, it also feels they are poking fun at one of Disney's classics where the villain of this film has a bit of a similar look to Ariel, but I guess we will find out when this releases in the summer

Chupa

Now we have a bit of a streamer release trailer that see's it go in the area of the mythical legend of the Chupacabra, which sees a young boy named Max finding a small Chpacabra at his uncle's home in Mexico and they must go on a great adventure to protect it and get it back home. While not the most original story, I am sure that it will be a nice little family adventure with an adorable looking Chupacabra and will see what happens when it releases in April.

Disney Speedstorm

It is time for an all new Racing game with your favourite Disney characters behind the wheel with Disney Speedstorm. This was announced a while back but had gone quiet since then but now we have a release date for the Beta dropping in Late April before releasing a short while later and I am sure this will be fun to give a go of when it does come out.

In Other News:

Now let us go to the stories that are more news related and not to trailers or releases

Oscar Winners

So the Oscars aired earlier in the week and it turned out to be a lot less messy and was actually a good show, sure there may have been some awkward bits but when has an award show ever gone smoothly. Anyway I talked on the oscars, predictions and problem with the nominees on this article here, but if you don't want to go through the whole thing, I did make a prediction list of the winners and was surprised by how many I was accurate with. I will list them know with my predictions and give the total of my accurate ones:

Best Picture: Everything, everywhere all at once (Winner: Everything, Everywhere, all at once)

Best Director: Spielberg, The Daniels or McDonagh (Winner: The Daniels)

Best Actor: Austin Butler or Brendan Fraiser (Winner: Brendan Fraiser)

Best Actress: Michelle Yeoh (Winner: Michelle Yeoh)
Best Supporting Actor: Ke Huy Quan (Winner: Ke Huy Quan)

Best Supporting Actress: Angela Bassett (Winner: Jamie Lee Curtis)

Best Original Screenplay: Banshees of Inisherin (Winner: Everything, Everywhere, all at once)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Glass Onion: a Knives Out Mystery (Winner: Women Talking) 

Best Animated Film: Undecisive (but most likely Pinocchio) (Winner: Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio)

Best International Film: The Quiet Girl (Winner: All Quiet on the Western Front)
Best Documentary Feature: Navalny (Winner: Navalny)

Best Documentary Short Subject: Martha Mitchell Effect (Winner: The Elephant whisperers)

Best Live Action Short Film: Le Pupille (Winner: The Irish Goodbye)

Best Animated Short Film: The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse (Winner: The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse)
Best Original Score: Babylon (Winner: All Quiet on the Western Front)
Best Original Song: 'Lift me Up' or 'Naatu Naatu' (Winner: Naatu Naatu from RRR)

Best Sound: All Quiet on the Western Front or Top Gun Maverick (Winner: Top Gun Maverick)
Best Production Design: All Quiet on the Western Front or Avatar The Way of Water (Winner: All Quiet on the Western Front)

Best Cinematography: All Quiet on the Western Front (Winner: All Quiet on the Western Front)
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Elvis or The Batman (Winner: The Whale)
Best Costume Design: Elvis or Everything, Everywhere all at once or Wakanda forever (Winner: Black Panther Wakanda Forever)
Best Film Editing: Everything Everywhere all at once or Top Gun Maverick (Winner: Everything, Everywhere, All at once)

Best Visual Effects: Avatar the way of water (Winner: Avatar the Way of Water)

Total Right: 15 out of 23. Percentage: 65.25%

While I watching it that late into the night I was very surprised by how many I actually predicted to be right and some that I knew not much about were going to be the ones I falter on and some like Makeup and Hair, Supporting Actress and Original Score was surprising wins on them as they were seen as some more likelier options (well the latter 2 anyway). It was also a shame that there was not much luck of the Irish as of the total 14 nominations, they only got a total of 1 but the nominees gave their charm and there was even an appearance of the Donkey from Banshees of Inisherin at the ceremony so there's that. But I think the show went successfully and will be interesting to predict the next award show nominees.

More Infected story needs more seasons

Now we had just come off of the finale of the fantastic first season of the Last Of Us HBO adaptation and while it was heading into the 3rd or 4th episode, it was announced that the show was renewed for a 2nd season and that it will be taking on the story of the highly devisive sequel that had a bit of a divide with those that loved the game (which is the side I am on and will read in my article review piece coming soon) and some that think it is a mess, too politically correct or "woke" or that it is terrible, but it seems to have died down a fair bit since its release in 2020. But it seems we are not just getting one season as the showrunners of Craig Mazin and Game Director Neil Druckmann has stated that Part 2's story is so big to try and make into 1 season and most likely will take more then one to fully tell the story, hinting we could be getting a season 3 and if by then a 3rd game is released or is in development at the same time as it, we could see that story and it could also help bring people back to the franchise and look at the 2nd game again and realize that maybe they were too harsh on it, but I guess we will find out when the next season starts filming sometime soon.

Tarantino's Swan Song

Quentin Tarantino is one of the most beloved Directors with some of his unique film visions and stories ever put to screen like Pulp Fiction, Inglorious B***ards, The Hateful 8 and his most recent film of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. But now he has confirmed to be making his 10th and final film that is titled 'The Film Critic'. Not much is known on what this film is going to be about and who will be starring in it, but he plans to start production sometime this fall and will keep updated when we hear more on this film as it develops.

A Director takes to the skies

It seems to be that Superman: The Man of Steel, has had it's bit of film adaptations and appearances over the decades and the appearance of said character has been quite a stumble as of late with his weird Cameo Appearances in Shazam, Peacemaker and Black Adam (one that will likely not be going anywhere now) but it seems after a decade of not having another solo film, he is taking to the skies once more with a new film Superman: Legacy, and we now have a confirmation of a writer and director and that is in James Gunn, who you may know as the director of the Guardians of the Galaxy Trilogy, The recent Suicide Squad and Peacemaker film and series as well as an attempt at a Superman Movie, but more of a graphic and violent horror in the form of Brightburn (which is a good time and honestly gets overlooked a lot and came out in the last 5 years). I do have good faith with Gunn as he seems to really care and values the characters he writes and directs in his movies and shows and especially given he is the co head of the new DCU plan of films and shows and games, I for one am excited to see how it plays out.

Snyder leaves a cryptic clue

If you have been a part of the internet over the last 5 or so years then you have probably seen the small army that Zack Snyder has culminated with wanting the release of his version of the 2017 Justice League (a version so rough that it caused quite a stir and possible investigations a short while afterwards) in the spring of 2021 (and a win of best fan moment at the Oscars last year, that should have went to something else entirely). But since the release they have wanted more and demanded through campaigns on Twitter and social media to get Snyder to come back to the DCEU and complete his plan for the films and has every fan saying anything from Warner and DC to come out after to be bad if it is not made by him. But anyway, getting off topic, recently Snyder has dropped a cryptic teaser for something involving his films of the DCEU and has fan going wild thinking he is completing the Snyderverse, but in reality he is just doing a 3 day special screenings of Man of Steel, BvS: Dawn of Justice and Justice league with some Q&A's afterwards. Unless something big something big is announced by then, we will update on this story

A remembrance of a fallen icon: Lance Reddick

Our Last piece of media news is a more somber piece of the tragic passing of an iconic actor in Lance Reddick. He tragically passed away on Friday March 17th from natural causes at the age of 60 in his home in LA. He was known for many different roles including as the character of Charon in the John Wick movies, with his role appearing in the upcoming Chapter 4 release. Others may know him for his role as Cedric Daniels on the acclaimed series of The Wire and a lot of other recent newcomers would have heard his vocal talents as Sylens in the Horizon series or more known as Commander Zavala in the Destinty games, where his legacy shall live on in memorial services made by players in recent days and plans for him to appear in future content for the series. His legend shall live on and may he Rest in Peace.

Well that is all we have for this weeks news discussion, join us next week for the next installment breakdown of the Weird Mind News room, but until then, goodnight and good news.

Signing off

Sam H