Weird Mind News Room Episode 157: Feb 23rd - March 1st

 *do you like Scary Music?*

Well hello hello once again to all of you fine and wonderful people, my name is Sam and I welcome you once again to the newest episode of Weird Mind News Room where for this week we will be focusing on more of the New Releases, some trailers and a variety of News stories in the focus of this week has to offer, so let me stop the intros and lets get to the focus of talking on all things media for another week.

New releases that I'm certain will not have drama attached

Movies

Scream 7

(Before I get into this first one I want to preface I do not support some of the decisions that this production company made and some that seem to neglect that supporting the change will make it worse and should've been left as is after the behind the scenes layers of disaster it made since then)

Now on the first new release of this week is asking that usual question about the ideals of wondering if you like Scary Movies? but it seems it looks like it may be a point that people are becoming accustomed to this question at this point in time cause it looks like we are going onto the discussion that we went from meta commentary of Slashers, sequels, reboots and bigger budgets to where its now hitting back home and looking to burn it all down as its time for the killer in the iconic mask to return once more with the release of Scream 7. The film will be seeing the new form of the iconic Ghostface killer emerging in the quiet town where Sidney Prescott has built a new life, her darkest fears are realized as her daughter becomes the next target. Determined to protect her family, Sidney must face the horrors of her past to put an end to the bloodshed once and for all. Reception on this 7th entry has not been the most well recieved and as of writing is currently the lowest rated entry of the series with critiques on the over elaborate plot and too much reliance on nostalgia from the series, alongside a whole drama and controversy that has cursed this production for about 3 years now, though some elements of the performances of the returning Neve Cambell and a kill or 2 in this entry was well liked. Now I'm not one that is really interested much in this series but if you want to see it and look past the drama then you can check it out now in cinemas.

The Testament of Ann Lee

For the 2nd film of the week is technically a little here and there as some say it came out this week and some say last week but I will add it here as we have a film that has had its share of appearing at some of the award season of this year that will be bringing us back to a historical period in time and focus of their rise to power and shaped the way of life for Women and country as we have the release of the new Historical Musical based film of the Testament of Ann Lee. The Film will follow the titular character (Amanda Seyfried) who revered by her followers, she will go on a journey to preach on the focus of gender and social equality as the founder of the devotional sect of the shakers during the 18th century. Reception on this film has seen a lot of very strong praise, with highlights to the narrative, the performances (particularly with Seyfried being highlighted) and of the musical numbers and seen as one of last years and this years best films and if you want to learn the tale of this figure then you can also check this film out now in cinemas. 

TV Shows

Scrubs Revival

For the first of the shows for this week is seeing that it has been quite a while and it may be well due for a long overdue checkup on your health (which I fully understand avoiding cause medical bills can be very expensive) but it looks like it has been quite a while since we have made a trip to this specific hospital but it looks like some familiars are still working their magic touch to make us better when necessary as we are returning to Sacred Heart hospital after nearly 15+ years as we have the release of the new reboot to Scrubs. The new season will see the return of JD, Turk, Elliot and some other familiar faces as they navigate through life and middle age at Sacred Heart Medical and will blend a sense of Nostalgia with something new as they must also navigate and help train and mentor new staff and interns in a more changed medical landscape. Reception on this new season so far seems to be very well recieved with praise on the return of the humour, tone and appeal of the series that seems to be a lot more structured and has fixed the complaints of the final season of the original series and if you are ready for your medical checkup you can catch the first 2 episodes now on Hulu and Disney+ with a new episode releasing every Wednesday.

Monarch Legacy of Monsters Season 2

On the 2nd show of the week is taking us to the realm of a titan based scale for this next series as we have heard of many legends of titans and mysteries of a company that have proven to be a case that it is still many new secrets of creatures great and small still to be discovered as after a 2 year gap we have the release of the upcoming 2nd season of the popular monsterverse series of Monarch Legacy of Monsters. This season will pick up with the fate of Monarch and the world hanging in the balance as this new season reveals buried secrets that reunite the heroes and villains on Kong's Skull Island and to a new mysterious village where a mythical Titan will rise from the sea. Reception for the 2nd season so far has gotten some well recieved reception with praise on the continuing story, visuals and characters, even if reception at the moment is a lower then season 1 it is still a success and if you want to return to this world then you can catch the first episode now on Apple Tv+ with a new episode releasing every Friday.

Bridgerton Season 4 Volume 2

For the last of the shows for this week will be back to the realm of high class, mystery, romance, steamy love and a fair bit of fucking is back for the 2nd time around as we have the release now of the 2nd volume to complete the rest of the 4th season of Bridgerton. This will of course continue the cinderella type love story between Sophie Beck and Benedict Bridgerton and how they will work around Sophie's overbearing Step Mother and help to find their happily ever after. Reception on the 2nd part of the season is very well recieved and seen as a strong ending to the season that started off a little slow and ends in a loving ending and some great reveal twist to entice people back for another season and if you want to see the love story continue and find out the ending yourself then you can catch the full season out now on Netflix.

Video Games

Resident Evil Requiem (RE9)

And for the last of the new releases for this week and the only game title of this week is a big one, a title many of us have been waiting for well over 5 years for and a return to a series that will not stay dead as a new wave of infection is about to take hold and it will come down to duo of heroes, one new and one fan favourite, to solve this case and restore the world for certain destruction as we finally have the release of the 9th numbered entry in this long running series with Resident Evil Requiem. The game will have you play as FBI tech analyst Grace Ashcroft who is dispatched to investigate a series of strange death discovered at the Wrenwood hotel, a location where her mother Alyssa had died 8 years prior as well as the case also finding yourself back in Raccoon City, which has been about 3 decades since the destruction of the city at the end of RE3 and try to learn the secrets and solve this mystery of a virus taking a toll of many innocent lives. But she will not be alone as she will soon cross paths with a familiar face who survived that city outbreak and has some secrets and ordeals waiting to be resolved.

Reception on this new entry in the series has seen some very high strong reception with praise on the story, gameplay differences per playable character, visuals and for a return to form of the series and seen now as the best reviewed entry of the series and already seen as a Game of the Year contender (which I have agreed from a small play so far in my first ever stream) and if you want to play it for yourself then you can play it now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2 and PC.

Trailers of other realms

The Backrooms

So the first of the trailers of this week is one that initially I was thinking it was going to just be put in the news section for this week on the release date but the small teaser for this appeared as it it caused an anomaly and sucked us down into a strange and unsettling but familiar feeling place, as it is time for another YouTuber to make their presence into the world of film and cinema and while you think its someone new, it is actually a project that got them very popular on the site itself getting a full fledged movie as we have the release of the first trailer for the film by Kane Parsons for the film version of The Backrooms. Based on the Creepypasta and video series by Parsons, the film will follow a therapist who will soon be entering a strange and unsettling world found in a department store in search of finding her missing patient. So I remember someone special to me had introduced me to this project and was invested in the whole concept from the onset from the strange way you are suddenly pulled into this world, its maze like aesthetic that feels familiar but also very scary and just the expanding lore he created (before the internet went a little too wild with it all) but I will always thank them for introducing it to me and their wonderful curiosities. On the likes of the film, I have been interested to follow this since its announcement about 2 or 3 years ago and wondered would it work well as a full length film, though the videos he has made varies from around 30 seconds to the longest being about 45 minutes, but maybe with some familiar actors and from what I heard was ok test screenings it could be worth a watch and thankfully its not too long away from that release as the film will be making a trek to this place from the 29th of May.

Mortal Kombat II

For the 2nd trailer of this week is time to see the case of the bringing together for another round of some of the most powerful people and fighters to come together to fight for a particular cause and for all to test their might with a new but famous Mortal about to be in over his head as its time for Round 2 as we have the release of the new trailer for Mortal Kombat II. The film will follow on from the first reboot film and follow the fan favourite champions, which now includes them recruiting the legendary action film star Johnny Cage, as they are pitted against one another in the ultimate battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders. So in a case of anything I can say that the films based on this series (the live action ones in particular, the animated ones are solid) I see the case of the original as a classic and the follow up as a massive downgrade. The newest one that came out I feel had some great potential that may be a little lacking in the narrative side but it was showing the potential of going all out in the bloody ordeal and it really seems they have it in lock with a more likable character from the series and showing more of a layered form to Cage this time around and where the first trailer was all out crazy, this one has more focus to a narrative while also having that flair to the games and honestly it looks really exciting and I will be checking this out for sure and you can as well as the 2nd round will be making its way to cinemas from the 15th of May.

Pokémon Winds and Waves

So the last of the trailer for this week was initially going to be one that was set for the news section but looking over the announcements, it was mainly just some new updates to already released content on mobile and console, but there was one focus at the very end that did bring a lot of appeal and a new generation is about to begin as coming in on Pokémon Day, we were given the official unveiling of the Gen 10 title of Pokémon Winds and Waves. The new game will be the latest generation title for the series and will have you as your custom Pokémon trainer as you travel across what looks like a vast island location full of vast lush jungles and wide ocean and reefs to obtain and be the greatest Pokémon master of the lands, sea and air with the selection of new Starters at your disposal. So It has been quite a minute since the unveiling of the newest generation of the series and it looks like with that time and focus since then that they have proven they can make anything look really nice and shiny and from the small tease alone, it does look visually beautiful, some of the Pokémon look great and the new starters I really vibe with from Browt, Gecqua and PomBon (who is only in this world for less then 2 days and I will protect that dog with my life) and I hope they really go all in on this entry in particular but I guess we will see in due time as it is still a bit away as the newest entry will be releasing on Switch 2 sometime next year.

News  to rebuild from the past

The Highs and questionable Lows of the Baftas

So for the first of the stories that we have for this week, we have a little bit of an awards round up in the focus for the moment as last weekend saw the annual Bafta award take place across the pond and it is a case I do want to talk about them in the form of what was the big winners of the night, some slight highlights and also briefly talk on some small dramas of the night that have blown a little out of proportion but we will get to all of them when we can so lets see what the night had to offer.

So on the big winners of the night, the film getting the most award wins of the night went with One Battle After Another winning 6 awards of its 13 Nominations including best film, Best Director, Adapted Screenplay and for supporting Actor for Sean Penn which with that last win there is making the supporting actor category for the Oscars a more complicated race. Then tying for 2nd with 3 wins each was with Sinners which won for Best Score, Original Screenplay and for Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku, which also makes the supporting actress category a bit of a competition, and the other big winner was the only real British win was for the film of I Swear winning for best casting and for Robert Aramayo winning for best Lead actor and rising star which I felt was well deserving and I am sure when the film releases in the US (which if I am aware is set for Release in April I believe) that it will have a chance of some more real big award wins at the Oscars or Globes for next year. There was some surprises and a big snub with one of the films that got completely snubbed was Marty Supreme with it walking away with no award wins of the night, despite the 11 nominations which may be the biggest snub in Bafta history. As for the like of British side of things, the film Hamnet helped a little more on that side with it winning for best British film and also for Britain based, but Irish actress Jessie Buckley winning for best lead actress, which in most case I will say is the locked winner for the best actress win for sure this year but will be surprised from a sudden shakeup but who knows. Lastly its not an award but a award presenter that stole the show and our hearts cause Paddington Bear himself from the new stage musical came out on stage to present an award for best Family film and honestly the Oscars have got 3 weeks to find someone that can outdo Paddington as a presenter cause its quite the high bar.

Now of course there was some big bits of drama from the night as well that I will give some insight on briefly and mainly consist of 3 bits. Firstly there was the complaints that it was lacking in British talent getting nominated in the category with a lot more American made or led films getting the nominations, especially in the acting categories as it was only Aramayo in lead Actor, none in Lead Actress, one in Supporting Actor but was faring better in the supporting Actress with 3 of the nominees being from Britain and I feel it makes sense that this is the British award show but gets more overlooked in the nominations and hopefully there is more of a balance following this show. Now the big drama that occoured on the night came from the producers of the BBC as during the broadcast, one of the attendees, John Davidson (the man that the film of I Swear was based on) who has Tourette's had a tic that occoured during the broadcast and from that accidentally said a racial slur towards Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo who was on stage to present best visual effects and the situation occoured where the BBC left it uncensored. Now in this case to understand Tourette's is a condition that will cause those to have tics and not have control fully of what they will say and this was not done out of malice or racial intention but was a sudden tic that came upon Davidson and was an accident and himself and many Tourette's based charities and foundations have come out in solidarity of apologizing and to explain the condition and also in some form to condemn the BBC for not censoring the slur, as the case that the show had a 2 hour delay and recorded early so this could've been easily cut out. This sense of things could've been censored or cut out as there was another point that caused a lot of debate and issues as someone's acceptance speech was cut off as he mentioned Free Palestine in his speech and feel that its a double edged sword with the BBC from allowing a racial slur to be left in while cutting out a belief that many of us will support in the horrific genocide that is continuing to occour (I believe there was another joke cut out that was told by host Alan Cummings about comparing some themes from Zootopia 2 to the political climate in America but I didn't know on this and I am not getting into that at all) and this has now caused an investigation into the broadcaster about the whole ordeal. I do feel sympathy for Davidson for the tics and condition as Tourette's is a condition that is not often given a lot of focus or many understand but will affect them in not being able to fully control what they say and I feel it for Jordan and Lindo as I can understand having to deal with some racial remarks must be a lot to deal with and I would be more mad at the Broadcaster for the whole ordeal and some better respect for both of them should be given and not be seeing it as overblown by some that think this was intentional by the outburst of the remark. But looking past that, I will say the awards presented on the night did do well and will be well worth seeing what will have its chance in the next ceremony next year.

But what do you make of the awards, do you think the wins were deserved and what did you hope would win or get nominated (also I apologize if how I describe the situation that occoured was a little messy I was trying as best I can to explain it and support Davidson, Jordon and Lindo and not the broadcaster), but let me know what you think down below.

Some dates for Heroes and some castings of others

Now the next story in focus for this week is a bit of a Hodge Podge roundup as we will be giving a focus in this weeks one mainly in the area of some casting additions as well as one or 2 release date announcements or changes that may have occoured from this week, but we can delve into those now and see what was given to us from the week in entertainment.

So we will start off with the release date change and announcements and the first one I see as being a title that many are very excited to get the official title in focus of when we can expect this event as the claws are coming out soon as the title of the upcoming Marvel game from Insomniac based on Wolverine has been confirmed for release on September 15th of this year, fitting in the time setting of the Fall 2026 that was set for this year. Now personally I see this as being a solid date for the title for giving it a bit of time to play this new game from the Marvel universe of games before any title from November gets absolutely overlooked or shadowed by the biggest game of the year of Grand Theft Auto 6 but I am very much excited for this title as the first bit of footage looks proper solid and I know we are expecting to get a new look this spring and I am all for seeing some all out gameplay for the title soon enough and it really does look great and will be for sure picking this up when it releases in September (and I am so tempted to wear my custom Wolverine Mask into the game shop to pick it up).

As for the 2nd release date in focus for this week is one that we have already initially gotten a date for in the past but instead of a confirmed date, it is seeing the hiring of a certain PI being held back a little longer then expected as it was announced earlier this week that the planned new FPS of Mouse P.I for Hire has been delayed by an extra month and will now be coming out on April 16th from its initially planned March 19th release date. Now its not to do with adding some more new features or extra pieces into the title but rather it is to give it that extra time to polish the title and make sure all bugs and errors and problems are ironed out before the game is ready to hit the store shelves which I fully get and understand the case of wanting to make sure the game is released in a proper solid state and I can do with the small delay overall as I will be busy with some other titles in the process and every bit of footage I have seen for this game has me more and more enticed overall and I will be for sure given a proper look into this when I am hired for a job when it comes knocking in April.

Moving over now to the casting news and we will start with a series that has already been well deep into the story narrative that they had set out to establish and in this case I am sure it will be getting even more creepy and Kooky, Possibly a little more spooky, and maybe a little loopy as we talk about a member of the Addams Family as there was a discusssion that the 3rd season of the show was well into production as of this week with a focus of the confirmed cast members making a return from the previous seasons but there is one more new addition to the roster and its a familiar face in the world of media created by Tim Burton as it was announced that Winona Ryder has been cast in the upcoming 3rd season of the show and is confirmed to be portraying the character of Tabitha and joining the rest of the cast from Jenna Ortega, Emma Meyers, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luiz Guzman and also another new addition of Eva Green set to portray the role of Aunt Ophelia so it looks like a fair bit of a stacked cast growing more and more with each season. It will be intriguing to see if this season will turn it all around as the 2nd season was one that people were a little more mixed on over the well liked season 1 but I am sure we can get an idea of that in due time. Overall I will keep an eye on the production for when we can expect the new season (and given the series is now being filmed in Ireland, if I can find my way onto the set as an extra or something) but I guess we will find out in due time but if anymore new additions or cast is provided I will bring them up in a later episode.

As for the next casting, we are keeping it in some form of the horror but we are moving it over a little to the realm of the supernatural and Sci-Fi as we have gotten an official update on the planned new take on the X-Files that is being made by Sinners and Creed director Ryan Coogler. Now the series has been in the works for a little while now with him developing the project shortly after or possibly a bit before his recent award season winning film has been making the rounds and I feel he will make an interesting take on this beloved series from the 90s and many had wondered if we would have any idea of when we would start hearing some first concepts of a cast joining the fray. Well thankfully that changed this week with the first casting addition of the project as it was announced that The Piano Lesson and I Saw the TV glow actress of Danielle Deadwyler has been cast in the show in an undisclosed role. Now its unclear if it will be a case that she could be a main lead as the new series version of Dana Scully or someone in the department that they work for but I am sure we will get an idea of that in due course cause I feel it would make the most sense with Coogler at the helm, as well as him confirming this week that he will be writing and directing the Pilot episode as well. I am interested to see his take on the series as I am sure he will have a unique vision to the overall project but I guess we will see in due time and if there is anymore new updates on this project or more new cast announcements I will provide them in a later episode.

The last of the casting announcements is once again taking us back to the world of adaptions and for this case we are stepping back to the era of the Norse Gods as we are once again talking on the upcoming adaption of the God of War Series. Now there is two bits to talk about and that is our official first look and the confirmed casting of another lead and I will start with the casting. Initially I mentioned a little while ago that Boots actor Max Parker will be portraying the role of Baldur, who is somewhat of the main antagonist of the 2018 title, but that was soon changed where it was confirmed now that the actor will be portraying the role of Heimdall who appears in the Ragnarok sequel and he would be casted at a later date. Well it was finally given that later date as they have found a replacement for the unkillable god as it was confirmed that Jurassic World Rebirth and Deadpool actor Ed Skerin has been cast as Baldur for the series. Personally I do not mind his portrayal of the character as I can see him fit the look and I am sure he will have the build for the character, but most question I have is if the character will have much of a presence in this series as it seems that a lot of the castings have been for characters in the 2nd reboot game but maybe they are adding in aspects of the 2018 game but I guess we will find out in due time. Now as for the first Look.

I thought initially it was still a bit of time before they would start filming but on Friday we got the official first look at both Kratos and Atreus in the series and I think personally it does look decent, though it also looks a little weird or off. I think from the look of the characters and design is that they look really great and accurate to the games, even if Atreus looks a little younger then I expected and I feel they need to maybe fix his hair style but overall I liked the look, but on the way it looks weird, initially I thought that it was an AI picture before I saw it was published by the official accounts and stars and its mainly from the perception I saw from looking at Kratos cause it looked like he was added in or feels really in focus. I think as a first image, I feel it would've worked a little better if it was a case that they gave the focus on the God of War himself in a more menacing look to really sell it cause I am still a little excited but also look a little off, maybe I need to see some footage rather then an image to sell me more on it but I will keep my hope on this outcome. Now at the moment we have no clue on when we can expect this project now or if there is still more cast to be announced but you know I will update when I do hear anything.

For the last of this Hodge Podge collection of stories is sort of its own separate entity compared to the one presented to us in terms of Casting and Dates as we are talking a little on some franchising for this last one. So we have seen many different forms of universes and franchises from the MCU, the ill fated DCEU, the new DCU, the short lived Dark Universe and a fair bit more, but in this case we are talking on another franchise that has gotten some form of news and that is the Sony universe of Marvel characters. Now to say this universe has been one that is full of ups and downs as we have seen a franchise of about 6 total films with a Venom trilogy, Kraven, Madame Web and Morbius and from the whole ordeal the series has been full of poor reception, mixed appeal of box office and some sense of Meme material and it seemed from the release of Kraven that was where it was all going to end..... until just news this week as it was announced that Sony is planning to reboot this universe in some form of way. Now its unclear if it will be the likes of bringing these versions of the characters back for more follow ups with having Kraven, Morbius, Venom and Vulture becoming the starting form of a Sinister Six and bringing in another 2 additions for the group or even if the case about being recasted and even possibly bringing in a Spider-Man to go against these villains and anti-heroes given there has been a lot of discussion to bring back Andrew Garfield's take on the character to give him a proper trilogy and to have him be the sonyverse Spidey. The other approach they could go with this reboot is if they keep it in the animated form as I mentioned about an animated film based on Venom is in the works last week and given the success of the first 2 in the Spider-verse trilogy, it could have its appeal with its very interesting art style for those films but how things are on the idea of where things are going I really have no clue on the outcome for the moment but I will give a look that hopefully they will work it out for the better. Now currently it is all early days and nothing has been set in stone yet, but if there is any new updates I will let you know in a later episode.

But what do you think of all of these stories, are you going to be picking up Wolverine day one or later this year, are you excited for the new Mouse PI game, do you think Winona Ryder will fit well into the Wednesday series and will she have a bit presence in the new season, who do you see Danielle play in the new X-Files series, what are your thoughts on Skerin as Baldur and on that first look image and do you see the planned reboot of the Sony-verse being a success or another mess once again? Let me know what you think down below in the comments.

This news does not make me Smile

So this last story is one that has hurt me this week, a story that has put me in a low mood when it was their job to make people smile cause we have some new relating to one of the most beloved shows of recent memory. On Thursday morning, Adult Swim socials and YouTube released a video that had Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel / Psychicpebbles came on and announced some sad news that Smiling Friends has officially come to an end with the conclusion of Season 3. Now this has seen a lot of upset online as so many people have seen this show as a beacon of light, entertainment and humour when it is needed most and also the ordeal that the show was also announced back at Annecy to be getting a renewal for a 4th and 5th season where it seemed they were aiming to end it with that 5th season. Personally I am distraught about it ending as this show has really helped me through some really tough times and I have followed these creatives for a long time that to see it come to an end is sad but I understand that it was not by Adult Swim's doing, but rather this was all a decision by the creatives themselves that they made what they wanted for the time being and plan to still work together on new projects for the studio. It is however not the end as it is confirmed that for a while of another 2 episodes for this season was thrown about and that was confirmed with this announcement with a 9th and 10th episode for this season both dropping on April 12th to wrap it all up. Now the vagueness of it all that to resolve confusion is that its not been cancelled, they are just ending it for the time being but have also said they may return back to this show in the future (as they also talked a little about wanting to make a full length film as a conclusion maybe but I may be wrong) and some (and even to a small amount myself) believe that this is actually all a very long elaborate April Fools joke and that a 4th season is dropping in April instead but I guess we will see by the 12th itself of the outcome. If it is the end of the series for the moment then I just want to thank the creatives for bringing us such a funny, inventive and visually creative show of fun adventures and all the animators and production for making this show and for making many of us like myself smile when we needed it most.

But what are your thoughts on all of this, do you think that the show is ending or is this an elaborate April Fools Prank and will we see these characters again in the future? Let me know what you think down below and we can discuss it there.

And with all of that, this bring us to the end of the 157th edition of Weird Mind News Room and I do hope that you enjoyed the ramblings for another week. Let me know your thoughts on all of these 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 :)