Weird Mind News Room Episode 107: March 10th - 16th

 *music for being older and for a close feel of sadness*

Hello again to all of your wonderful people as its another week of talking in the series of Weird Mind News Room where we talk about the usual affair of New Releases, Trailers and News Stories for this week that also comes with the slight aging of me of being something funnier then 24 and just trying my best to be emotionally stable when I really don't feel anything. But lets not focus on that and lets delve into what we have to talk about this week in all things media.

New Releases of all over the place

Movies

The Electric State

Our big release film for this week is with a film that is taking us to the realm of the big streaming giant that will have us going back in time to the days before the dawn of the new century for a time in an alternate past where it is time for the rise of the machines but in a misunderstood way as we have the new Russo Brothers film of The Electric State. The film will be set in an alternate history version of 1994 America and based on the graphic novel of the same name and sees a world changed from the outset and affects of a conflict between man and robots that nearly wiped them out or have them ostracized. This film will follow Michelle who is approached by a small robot who claims to know her missing brother and with the help of the bot and some other survivors including a man named Keats will head off on a journey across the country to find her brother who she believed to have died and also help the robots in a rise up against the conflict that had affected their lives and programming. Reception on this new film has not been really that well recieved that while praise has been given to the visual aesthetics and some respect of looks to the original art book, the performances, story and the eye watering production budget were some of the big issue problems to be seen and could've been used for more respect of the original artbook / graphic novel but if you want to check it out for yourself then you can check it out now on Netflix.

In the Lost Lands

Now for this week most of these films are ones I do not know too much on (besides one that is to be talked later) and will fly through a fair amount of them this week and we start with the newest film and creation from the Mind of Game of Thrones creator of George R.R Martin with the new film of In the Lost Lands. The film will follow a witch travelling to the place known as the Lost Lands on a journey for the search for a magical power that will allow a person to transform themselves into a werewolf. Reception on this title has seen another mixed of underwhelming reception as while the concept and ideas from Martin had great potential and appeal, the execution from the director feels much to be desired and had some alright performances from the main leads of Bautista and Milla Jocovich and if you want something of a classic popcorn flick then you can see this film out now in cinemas.

Ne Zha 2

Now for the next film is one that I can give a little bit of a focus to as there is a bit to talk on it and for once it is the first focus of a foreign language film that I may count for this week or more next week given its actual release as we have the all new animae animated film of Ne Zha 2. Based on chinese mythology and the novel of Investiture of the Gods and follow the separation of the souls of Ne zha and Ao bing from the events of a catastrophe and will see the former character go on a journey while trying to disguise himself from becoming an immortal to find a magical elixir to resotore his dragon friend back to health. The reception on this film has seen some massive critical acclaim with praise to its visuals, the story and its action set pieces and since its release in china earlier this year has seen a pop cultural phenomenon that is now the highest grossing animated film of all time, the first to cross 2 billion and most of that just coming from one market which is impressive and if you want to check it out for yourself then you can catch this film out now in cinemas with previews and release properly next week.  

Black Bag

Now to the rest of the films for this week, the next release is in the focus of the new spy thriller known simply as Black Bag. The film will follow intelligence agent of George Woodhouse who must soon face the ultimate test of Loyalty to his marriage or his country when its learned that his beloved wife Kathryn is suspected of betraying her nation. Reception on this title has been seeing very strong high praise with focus on its ensemble cast, dry wit appeal and sleek style and appeal making it one of the best reviewed films of this year and if you want an all new spy film to get invested into then you can catch this new film out now in cinemas.

Last Breath

The 2nd last new release for this week is taking us for a deep plunge that will bring that fear to the depths of the ocean with the new true story thriller of Last Breath. The film will tell the true story of a group of seasoned deep sea divers who will battle against the raging elements to rescue a fellow crewmate who's trapped hundreds of feet below the oceans surface. Reception on this title has also seen some decently well recieved reception with praise for its focus on the true events that occoured and the performances of the leads of Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu and Finn Cole and if you are up for a film with a bit of truth and give you a sense of dread for the ocean depths then you can catch this one as well in cinemas.

Opus

Besides the likes of the release of the 3rd season to the wheel of time and of the new entry of the WWE games, the final release of focus is bringing a sense of horror and how some figures in the industry can have a following that may be of a concern with the last new release of this week known simply as Opus. The film will see a young writer travelling to a compound of a legendary singer who disappeared over 30 years ago returns with a new album. Soon surrounded by a cult of sycophants and intoxicated journalists, she soon finds herself in the middle of his twisted plot. Reception on this one has been a bit of a mixed to underwhelming reception that while the cast and concept is well interesting, it takes its time to really get going and feels lacking in its horror elements but if you want to take a trip to an album party then you can catch this new film out now in cinemas.

Trailers far and wide

Lilo and Stitch

The first of the trailers that we have for this week in the focus of discussion is with the continued return to the realm of content that has seen a new take on classic stories as we have another new edition of a live action take on a classic animated film and this one is going to be a bit more of a cosmic endeavor and it all comes in something this dangerous being cute and fluffy as after a few teasers that called back to the original marketing, we have finally recieved the first trailer for the new live action retelling of Lilo and Stitch. For those uninitiated about this games plot, the story follows Lilo, a little Hawaiian girl who is a bit of a loner and odd child who must deal with the dilemma of being cared by her big sister from losing custody of her from child services will get a surprise of a visit and befriending of a small blue creature named stitch who it turns out to be an alien experiment on the run from the galactic federation and from his creator and while he was designed to be a creature that destroys, it will soon learn about the importance of family and ohana along the way. So it is a case that the likes of these live action films can have a mixed appeal and outcome with some having their issues or complaints (which we can see from the discussion of one that is releasing next week) but this one I think so far looks great and has a decent sense of charm to the entire production so far from what I can see (and given it is being helmed by the director of Marcel the Shell with shoes on which is such a wholesome little film). The only issue I have is mainly that the visuals of Pleakly in their alien form looks a little too shiny or not fully finished rendering and that they are not giving him his iconic outfit changes but besides all of that it looks like it may be charming and we can see this small little furball cause some chaos very soon as the film will be releasing into cinemas on May 23rd.

F1

The 2nd trailer for this week is about to really feel the need.... the need for speed as this new film will explore the sport that is all about going fast and being the best as after a bit of quietness for this project, we finally saw the release of an all new trailer for the upcoming film on F1. This film will follow Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) who had a terrible crash back in the 1990s and forced to retire from F1 and race in other disciplines. He soon comes out of retirement when an old friend (Javier Bardem) asks him to mentor a rookie prodigy Joshua Pierce on the major team of AXPGP and while they may not get along, they will soon come together to prove their skill and worth in the worlds fastest and deadliest sport. SO I have seen a fair bit of F1 and I can tell the ideal focus for this film makes sense and given it is being directed by the guy that gave us the surprisingly really great Top Gun sequel and it is showing from the footage that it may be something that will be worth experiencing on the biggest screen possible and I for one see some interest and appeal to this and will for sure give this a look into when the film releases in a few months time on June 25th.

Black Mirror Season 7

For the 3rd trailer for this week is with a focus to a series that has a discussion that back in the early season the likes of its stories seemed like fever dreams that would be terrifying to expect in the real world but as the series go on it becomes a near feeling of close to reality and they still work their appeal as Charlie Brooker has returned once again to delve into the messed up ideals of reality in some twisted ways and themes as we have gotten the trailer for the upcoming 7th season of Black Mirror. The series of course will continue the focus of being an anthology series and focus on stories and topics based on some strange and twisted concepts of reality and give them a focus of the limelight in this day and age and see a bunch of big name stars come together to tell these tales as one off stories or continue the narratives of some episodes of the past few seasons. It is to say with this show is that it is a mystery as to what we may get that may be as simple as a story of kidnapping or dangers of tech and can lead to some having some deep messages about our society as a whole then we expect or start up some conversations about the meaning of it all as it may differ depending on the person that watches them and with a focus of some big name stars this season like Peter Capaldi, Awkafina, Chris O'Dowd, Issa Rae, Paul Giamatti, Rashida Jones and many more on this bumper season that has been promised to feel more like OG Black Mirror and I am sure we can see if that is the case as the new season will be hitting Netflix in just under a months time on April 10th.

Freakier Friday

And the final trailer for this week is giving us the feeling that on some of those days we may experience a feeling like we are just not ourselves (I have had that feeling for the last few days and I just want to end it cause I feel nothing) but in this case a twist of fate and a freak situation will see some iconic faces get mixed up all over again and adding a few more to that as well as after 20+ years since the original story took place we have finally gotten a follow up as we recieved the trailer for the upcoming sequel of Freakier Friday. The film will see the return of mother and daughter Tess and Anna who discover that the likes of Lightning may indeed strike twice in a rare occasion as the experience they had 2 decades ago seems to take hold again and see them swap bodies but instead of just the 2 of them, it also now involves Anna's older daughters. So in all case I can say that the original film with Lohan and Curtis was enjoyable back in the day and a bit of a Disney Channel classic and the idea of a follow up makes a bit of sense but also is the case we have seen a fair few of these body swap films over the last little while since the original (and a few from Disney themselves) but maybe its a case that this one can provide the appeal of nostalgia from those that grew up with the original or maybe can have something new to stand out to the others but I guess we will find out overtime as things will be getting twisted when the film releases into cinemas from August 8th.

News to try and bring it back up in mood

A New Young hero getting tangled with the spider and a trip to the beach planned for June

So this week their is not a major amount of story topics for this week to talk on as we have a selection of small stories that we can focus on for this week. (I did initially have a hope of talking on stuff that were about the Mario day celebrations but all that was seen was a new Giant Mario Kart build coming out in May that I will be buying when possible). In the focus of this first one will be a bit of a casting announcement and a release date for a project from a game highly anticipated from a lot of people but we can get in the focus on discussion on what was announced from this week.

So the first of the focus is with the casting news as it is a rumoured one that was discussed about 3 months ago around Christmas and then was given some form of confirmation but is still a little vague but it was a talk in the realm of superheroes as it was announced this week that Stranger Things, Fear Street and The Whale star Sadie Sink has been cast in the upcoming 4th entry of the MCU Spider-Man film. Now the question as to who she will be playing in this film is unknown but there has been a bit of discussion and speculation as to who she is playing with one being the rumoured casting she was first approached about of playing the X-Men character of Jean Gray which could be a possibility but the introduction in a Spider-Man film feels odd. Another one pushed was her playing MJ but again there is already someone playing MJ in the series which is Holland's possible new wife of Zendaya, but the case of her being an alternate universe MJ could make sense. I feel the case of the X-Men or the push of 2 other characters could make more sense and that is either with the character of Fire-Star or even the introduction of Gwen Stacy as the option, but as of right now it is all speculation and a wonder as to who she will play but I am sure we will learn more in due time between now and by the time the production on the film starts in the summer before its release in July 2026.

As on the basis of the release date focus for this week, after a bit of speculation and a fair bit of silence on the game, the man himself of Hideo Kojima has returned from the realm of being cool on social media and brought with him an all new look and official release date for the sequel to Death Stranding which now has a release date of June 26th 2025 this year. In the 10 minute clip it showed some clips of the story, a bit of the updated visuals and gameplay footage mixed in of all of the new creatures and things we will come across on this vast journey across the severed lands and I think it does look pretty cool and I appreciate Mr Kojima for making some cool ideas and concepts in his games and I will give this a look into around the games release this summer and may try and give an in-depth look again at the original title but I look forward to see how this will come about in due time.

But what do you think of these 2 stories, who do you see Sadie Sink play in the MCU and will you be playing the new sequel of Death Stranding and what were your opinions on the first game in the series? Let me know what you think of it all down below in the comments.

Which do you prefer: A scary aggressive dog or some big old bug creatures

As for the 2nd of the stories for this week is with a focus of some new projects of 2 new attempts at films or stories that had already been made in the past getting a new take from some new but familiar faces that may appeal but lets not waste too much time on that and lets get to talking on the project itself.

The first of these announcements is with the focus of a new take and focus to the characters and stories created by the master of horror storytelling and that is of course with a new take based on a story from Stephen King and this is another attempt at a story that has already seen a film adaptation from a long time ago as it was announced this week that Netflix is making a new remake of the classic horror story of Cujo. Now nothing else major was announced from this unveiling besides that case that the film will be produced by the director of Barbarian which gives it a bit more of a focused chance of being unsettling and scary outcomes and I am sure more people will become more involved with the project in due time and I am sure a new modern update of the original story will come around in due time and when we do see anything I will update in a later piece.

As for the other new project announcement will see you doing your part for your country and kind in the near future as there was an announcement on Friday of this week that Neil Blomkamp is in the process of making a new film take based on Starship Troopers. Now it has been established that the film is not going to be a focus on being a remake of the classic 90s movie but instead it is looking to be more faithful and focused towards the classic novel from 1959. Now I do like the ideal approach of just the classic story approach and I am sure that it may work out and I feel they can also add in a little bit of the classic campiness of it all from the 90s film and I am sure we will learn more about the project in die time and when anything else comes from this film and its production then I will also update this project as well down the line.

But with that I want to know your thoughts on these projects, are you up for a new take on Cujo and Starship troopers or do you feel it should be more new original ideas and leave the original takes on the film as it is. Let me knows on the projects down below in the comments.

Special Segment: Needing a bit of Pure Craic

So it has been a little while but we now have an all new piece to talk on for the focus of the special segment after a bit of time and this one is an update to a product that I talked about a little while ago that has recieved an update. Now I believe it was at the end of last year that I talked about a fellow Irish creator of Irish Panda Queen who had been in development with creating a new energy drink based item known as Pure Craic and I will provide some update in the future when it would come along. Well it seems to have finally entered the realm of production and sales as they have now officially launched the product back last weekend and the item is available to buy in 3 different size pouch options of a 16, 24 or 32 and vary from 25 - 45 euro for a bag with little pouches of this energy drink and I thought I would share the support (granted I am not sponsored by them but if they want to sponsor me I can try and promote). Now at the moment it is in pre-order form for international markets and will be available soon and I believe it is available from where I am from and if you want to check it out for yourself and support them then you can find them on Instagram @PureCraic and then find the website on that Insta page or at Purecraic.ie and place your order ad give support to some small creators in the process and help make it a success and tell them Sam sent you.

And now with all of that this brings it to the end of the 107th edition of Weird Mind News Room and I hope that you will enjoy this rambles for another week. Let me know your thoughts on everything discussed down below in the comments 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 (hopefully)

Take Care, keep being you, signing off

Sam H :)