Weird Mind News Room Episode 102: Feb 3rd - 9th

 *Part Music, Part Dance, all groovy*

Hello again to all of you wondrously wonderful people once again to the newest edition of the weekly series of Weird Mind News Room where of course this week we will be taking a look into the discussion of some of the New Releases for the week, a handful of exciting trailers (some connected to Superbowl) and an odd story or 2, but lets not waste a lot of time as we have a bit to discuss and lets talk on all things media.

All Action, mix and match New releases required

Movies

Dog Man

Starting off on all of the new releases for this week with the first of the big new releases of the animated films for this year with the new attempt at a popular series of books getting the big screen adaptation that will consist of Part Man, Part Dog, All action and all hero too as we have recieved the newest film from Dreamworks animation with their take on Dog Man. The film is based on Captain Underpants author Dav Plikey's popular sequel series of a Police officer and canine companion who end up getting injured on a job who through a hairbrained but life saving surgery that will fuse the 2 of them together and while Dog Man learns to embrace his new identity, he must soon take on the job to stop feline supervillain Petey the Cat from cloning himself and going on a crime spree. Reception on this film has been really well recieved with praise to the visuals, gags, story and message to the film, even if there is a little mix on the full story outcome and for some mixed appeal on the latter half of the story but is a fun time for the kids and families and if you are up for a barking good time then you can catch this new film out now in cinemas.

September 5th

The next film is not much of a more light hearted affair but rather a much darker part of history and more of a true story tale told from a specific perspective to the harrowing events that took place over 50 years ago as we have the new newsroom based true story thriller of September 5. The film will be telling the true story of the hostage event that happened during the 1972 Munich Olympics that saw masked figures hold the Islam Olympics team hostage and told from the perspective of the news team that covered the footage around the clock in showing the terror to the world but also may put the lives of those in the building at stake. Reception on this films title has seen a very positive reception with praise on the focus and perspective of the whole event and performances of the case, that while it may be a touchy subject to focus on considering the figures having the conflict in this is very prevalent today, it is still a tragedy that deserves to be seen (and get nominated for an Oscar as well) and if you want to see the ordeal for yourself then you can catch this new film out now in cinemas.  

Love Hurts

Now we go for something that has a little more action and the star of a madcap Oscar winning film who had disappeared from the limelight for a bit of time is back to headline his first major motion picture as Key Huy Quan is back to face the actions of his past in the new action of Love Hurts. The film will tell a tale of a former hitman turned realtor of Marvin Gable having to return back to the world he left behind when he learns his brother is hunting him down when he reunites with his former partner of Rose and must hone his skills again to protect that new life and legacy. Reception on this title is unfortunately on the weaker side of things that while the performances and action are decently praised, the by the numbers plot and concept has been something we have seen a lot of in the last little while and it is starting to show its age, but if you are up for something with a bit of love and some action, then you can also catch this new film out now in cinemas.

Bring them down

The last of the films for this week is one that I have seen a bit too much of in the ads (where its the same trailer played every time I watch something on YouTube most times) that has a bit of a confusing narrative tone but has a setting of my homeland appeal as we have the newest film from the distributor of Mubi with the new film of Bring them down. the film follows a shepherding family in Ireland as they face conflicts on multiple levels with dealing with internal discord, family tensions and a rival farmer while grappling with cultural and generational issues. Reception on this title has been very highly praised with the highlights aiming to the story and performances, particularly of leads of Christopher Abbott and Barry Keoghan and has a sense of a good fueled drama to it all and if you are up for something with a bit more of a drama of the countryside, then you can catch this new film out now as well in cinemas.

Video Games

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

The last of the new releases for this week is the only new game for this week as we head back to the olden days of the realm of knights and royalty and fighting for the career and lives that will be affected from tyranny as Henry is back again with the long awaited sequel to Kingdom Come Deliverance. The game will continue from the first games narrative as you take control once again of Henry, the son of a Blacksmith, on his journey to save his home and kingdom from the invading armies of the Holy Roman Empire and Bohemian Crown from the rule of Sigismund, the king of Hungary and Croatia. Reception for this follow up like the first title has recieved some very strong critical praise, with positives to the narrative, combat, historical accuracy and visuals and is seen already as one of this years best games and if you are up to playing the title yourself, it is now available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Trailers fit for the whole family

Fantastic 4 First Steps

So we start off the trailers for this week is one that has been long awaited, a film that has been a hope to see make a splash into the massive cinematic universe that will have big potential for the ongoing narrative and after a long wait, we have finally seen the first appearance of the first family of comics as we recieved the first trailer for the upcoming MCU title of Fantastic 4 First Steps. The film will see us take a trip to an alternate 1960s era inspired New York in a more retro-futuristic setting as it will follow the Fantastic 4 teaming up to protect the world from the looming threat of the planet-devouring cosmic entity of Galactus and his herald of the Silver Surfer while also coming to terms with their new gifted powers and coming together as a new found family. So this one has been on my radar for a while as its not the first time we have seen these characters being attempted in an adaptation with each form of the mid 2000s duology trying but falling a little short and the 2015 Fant4stic being a clash of 2 different concepts leading to a complete mess and conflict BTS, but with this new entry it is giving a true sense of hope and from the looks of the characters, the setting and tone and visuals it is looking dare I say Fantastic (Especially the Thing and have to wonder if that Bear Reference was intentional with who is playing him) but I guess we will see the hopeful future real soon as the film will be hitting cinemas from July 25th. 

The Plankton Movie

This week is a jump back and forth between Live action and animation array as the first of the animated side of things is taking us back to the bottom of the ocean to a little town that homes a very happy sea sponge for an all new adventure, but we are not focusing on him this time around but rather we are looking to the villain of the series as the small one eyed antagonist is getting his own full length feature as we have recieved a trailer for the new Spongebob film of The Plankton Movie. The film will follow the titular villain as his plans for world domination are put to a halt when his computer Wife, Karen, decides to take charge which will see him team up with his frenemy of Spongebob and his friends working together to stop her and help rekindle the relationship of the one eyed menace and his computer wife. So similar in case with the last Spongebob film that released on the streamer, this one also got hit with being fully leaked online and released a few days after that first one (and let me tell you that last one was really not good) but from those that have seen it, it is seen as a whole lot better then the Sandy film and given the voice of Plankton wrote this movie and the story is his idea makes it feel more focused and I think it may be a worthwhile watch and we do not have to wait too long for this either as the film is hitting Netflix in about a months time on March 7th.

Jurassic World Rebirth

The next trailer for the week is showing us no matter how long something has been seen as dormant or extinct in this world, somehow as Jeff Goldblum's character of Ian Malcolm says "Life finds a way" as we are returning to a franchise that is seen as 65 million years in the making to tell a new story that is its own separate tale and see some new form of mutation take hold as we have the trailer for the new film of Jurassic World Rebirth. This new film will be set 5 years after Dominion and the worlds climate has evolved to become more inhospitable for the Dino's where they now reside in more remote tropical locales. The film will follow Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), a Covert Op, who is hired by a pharmaceutical company to work with DR Henry Loomis (Johnathon Bailey) and Henry Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) on a top secret mission to a forbidden island that was the original research facility for Jurassic Park and locate the 3 largest Prehistoric species of the land, sea and air and extract some DNA samples in the hopes of being used to create some revolutionary drug that will save countless lives. However this expedition is not going to be easy as while the planet has evolved over the years, so has these creatures to where a new breed of mutations have now begun to take shape. So yes that was quite the description for the film but I think from the idea it gives a sense of a bigger sclae and adventure and while the likes of the series has lost appeal, the focus of the director for this film is the same man who started the Godzilla Monsterverse series and made one of the best Disney based Star Wars films so I have hope with this project and the visuals are going to be really great and I will give some hope for this project for the moment and its not too long to go as the film will be rebirthed into cinemas from July 2nd.

Smurfs

The last trailer for this week is a return to a new take on a series that has seen a focus of 3 films based on this IP of characters in the last 15 years and where I feel if you take a shot every time they say a particular word in this trailer or film that you would be completely wasted very quickly, as things are about to get a hole lot more blue as we have recieved a trailer for the upcoming new take on the Smurfs. The film will see the Smurfs of Smurf Village deal with the affects of their wise leader of Papa Smurf be taken by mysterious forces that are caused by the evil wizards of Razamel and Gargamel, that will see Smurfette (that did you know was being played by Rhianna) lead a team on a mission into the real world to save him and with the help of some new friends, will see the Smurfs learn and discover what defines their destiny to save the universe. So the case I wondered was how they were going to approach this new film as we had 2 live action takes in the early 2010s and then an animated one a few years back and the likes of blending the 2 of animation and live action makes total sense and I like the aesthetic of the animation and approach they are going with this that has a little hint of some other animated films animations like Mutant Mayhem or Spider-verse type styles and the more expansive multiverse of characters is an interesting idea and I am kind of intrigued and interested in it for the moment. I am sure it will be worth a watch in due time (as well as regret deciding a drinking game for how many times they say Smurf in the film) but I guess we can see when it all comes together with the film releasing into cinemas from July 18th.

News that brings home the Milk

A Vampire Slayer is coming back (not the nightwalker but the teen slayer)

So starting off of the news stories for this week is with the announcement of a project with the return of a popular series of a tv show that many may see the appeal of coming back when its is a case that we see a lot of revivals and reboots and spin offs happen for everything. Now if there was anything that was of a focus throughout the 90s and 2000s was besides the likes of the courtroom dramas, sitcoms and other variety shows, there was a case one of the genres that saw the appeal with the realm of shows that dealt with elements of fantasy or supernatural with shows like the X-Files, Supernatural, Vampire Diaries and Sabrina the Teenage Witch just to name a few, but there was one that had seen a mass cult following and appeal (and also the creation of a fanpage of one person posting over 40,000 posts by herself over a few years of this one show) and that was of course with the series of Buffy the Vampire slayer and many have grown attached to the story and characters led by a young and upcoming star of Sarah Michelle Geller. Well there is some news from this week that may appeal to a lot of people and could be a mixed appeal of the outcome as it was announced on Monday that a planned sequel revival of Buffy the vampire slayer was in the works with main star Sarah Michelle Geller coming back as Buffy and the pilot is being directed by Oscar winning director of Chloe Zhao who directed Nomadland and Eternals. So I am sure there may be some appeal to the project for those that love the series and the cult following it has gained over the last few years and maybe could tie into the characters from that audible book series with stars from the original series as well but it is hard to say. The main question that may see some concern is whether or not the appeal will still be there if there is no involvement with the original creator of Joss Whedon, but with all of the drama and allegations that came after the Justice League fiasco and other stuff, it may seem best to leave them out of it and have someone possibly write a better depiction and character for the female cat members (a common issue brought up from the works of the original creator) but I guess we will see overtime how they lead into a new series and if the appeal of this Vampire slayer is still alive after all this time.

But what are your thoughts to all of this and would you be all up for a new reboot of Buffy the vampire slayer or do you see this as a possible mixed appeal and feel something else should be made instead? Let me know what you think of it all down below in the comments and we can discuss what you want from this new revival.

A casting of a controversial musician and a release date for a game from a now unpopular studio

So the next story that we have to discuss about for this week is a mix of a confirmed casting discussion about what is coming up for a new project and the other is a possible leaked release date for an upcoming project that many have wondered when we were seeing come out and we can delve into what we know for these 2 projects now so lets delve into them in particular.

The first of the pieces will focus on some of the casting rumours and this is in the area of another upcoming project from an acclaimed director and this is with the planned 4 films all based on each member of the Beatles. Now while the full cast of the 4 members have not been fully finalized with the only confirmations is Barry Keoghan and Ringo and Paul Mescal set to play Paul, with the likes of George and John still waiting to be confirmed, but that hasn't stopped the concept of another figure of this group getting a focus as well and one that was seen as a controversial figure for the group that may have affected the dynamic and that was the partner of the late John Lennon of musician Yoko Ono and the rumoured cast choice for this role is with Emmy winning actress of Anna Sawai, who you may know for her role in the acclaimed series of Shogun and personally that is not a bad choice for the role as I think she would fit well to the character and could give a really great performance as someone that many seen as a figure that caused the separation of one of the most influential bands of the 20th century. Now at this moment, this is just a bit of speculation and nothing has been fully finalized as of right now, but I am sure we will get the confirmation of a few names and faces and round out the rest of the casts for these 4 films and see them all enter production real soon for a release sometime in 2027 and will update on any word if something comes along.

As for the one other piece for this story is with a focus of a possible release date being leaked for an upcoming anticipated remake project was unclear if it was supposed to be part of a planned video game direct or for a specific day to be unveiled but it seemed to have been leaked by one of the studios online stores itself as going off of a leaked trailer and a release date posting on the PlayStation store, the planned upcoming remake of Metal Gear Solid Snake eater seems to have gotten itself a release date projected for August 28th of this year, putting it as a late summer early fall season release which is when the big competition for these titles will start to come out. I am surprised in my own sense that it is this long away as for a while, the rumour floating about for sometime last year that it was aiming for a late 2024 release and then many saw as a release by the end of the Fiscal year but I get with something like this of a title so beloved from over 20 years ago now that they would want to make it the very best in its product so the length for this makes a bit of sense. Now it could all be a case that was the initial plan but could change with the proper release of the trailer but I am sure we can learn in due time if it does or not but for the time being we can put it down for the placeholder date until proper confirmation, but either way I am excited to play for the thrill of this title once again sometime this year.

But what do you think of these 2 rumours, do you think Anna is a good choice for Yoko or who do you see better play her and do you see this being the official release date for MGS Delta? Let me know your predictions and choices for both down below in the comments.

Cockerel's Chatter, An iconic internet channel and company is reborn

The last of the news stories that we have for this week is one area of topic that we have not had for a bit of time is with a focus of some internet news and this is with a story that I did not expect to see a return after the last time I talked about this but I guess stranger things have happened before. SO to give some context, about a year ago or a couple of months ago I talked about how the giant internet media company of Rooster Teeth had announced that they were shutting down along with all of its programs and channels by May of last year when it was first brought up in March and it was kind of a sad day as while I was not around for the entire run they were a presence online, I knew of their work and had seen some stuff from their channels over the last decade or so (especially in the side of one of their channels that I followed from their old company of the long defunct Machinima) and wondered what is the next place to watch an array of content, but after the new from earlier this week in a way, it seems the reports of this companies demise was a bit exaggerated as it was announced through a press release and a little video on their dormant YouTube channel that the company was coming back sometime this year and that it was now back under the ownership of one of the original founders of Burnie Burns who initially sold the company to Fullscreen in 2014 and then just recently bought the rights back with his company of Box canyon production just this week and seeing its return seems like a positive thing for the moment. Now as of writing it is unclear what parts or properties will make a return with this reacquisition with some of them unclear with returning as of yet like Achievement Hunter, Funhaus, Slo-Mo Guys, On the Spot, LetsPlay and many more properties and if some of its original members will come back or some new properties become part of the brand but for right now it is early days but I am sure we will learn more in due time.

But what are your thoughts about this in particular and are you excited for the return of this long running Internet company and what properties or channels do you hope to see return? Le me know what you think of it all down below.

And with all of that, this end the 102nd edition of my Weird Mind News Room series and I do hope that you have enjoyed my content for another week. Let me know your thoughts on all of the content and releases for this week down below and as always I hope you all stay being wonderful people and have a great day everyday and I will see you all in the next episode :)

Take care, Keep being you, Signing off

Sam H :)