When watching a Star Wars film, we get the sense that every seemingly insignificant cantina patron or X-Wing pilot is carrying with them untold stories, and that’s exactly what makes the franchise’s universe so rich. It’s also why the Expanded Universe is appealing to passionate fans; we get to learn more about ridiculously minor elements of the movies that are only tangentially connected to the main characters. For example, a random dude running by during the Cloud City escape in The Empire Strikes Back receives a full name (Willrow Hood), an elaborate personal history and plenty of devotees at every convention.
HBO's Veep is one of the funniest shows on television, an absurd parody depicting the day-to-day operations of a vice president and her staff. The West Wing this is not; our main characters don't deliver inspiring speeches about the nature of democracy or hold impassioned debates over the future of the country. Instead, they spend their entire day discussing what flavor of frozen yogurt Selina Meyer should eat during a photo op or dealing with a small blemish on the VP's face.
If there's anything all gamers can agree upon, it's that video game movies are generally pretty atrocious. This has been the case going all the way back to Super Mario Bros. in 1993, and it's just as true today. Typically, the best we can hope for is something mediocre but technically proficient, such as Prince of Persia, Resident Evil or Tomb Raider; never has there been a truly great adaptation that transcends the genre and becomes an excellent film in its own right.
Captain America: Civil War marks the beginning of Marvel's third phase, which is looking to be the studio's most ambitious work yet. After all, Phase 3 will encompass an astounding 11 movies to be released between 2016 and 2019, almost double the number of films in Phase 2. Considering how elaborate the Jenga tower that is the MCU has become, can Marvel actually pull it off? Or is this whole thing about to collapse in front of our eyes?
Most casual Star Wars fans don't think of the series' books as being an essential part of the story. These novels, they assume, are essentially glorified fan-fiction rushed onto store shelves in order to cash in on the success of the movies. Besides, even if a person hypothetically wanted to become immersed in this expanded universe, where would they start? Over 200 Star Wars books have been published throughout the past several decades. Talk about impenetrable, huh?
With Season 6, Game of Thrones has become more unpredictable than ever before. The HBO series infamous for indiscriminately offing lead characters is entering its final stretch, meaning all bets are off and absolutely anybody can be killed this year. In fact, Sunday night’s premiere already got the ball rolling, shocking us with the sudden demise of three heroes: Prince Doran, Areo Hotah, and Trystane Martell. Expect many more citizens of Westeros to bite the dust in the forthcoming weeks, especially considering it’s time the writers start axing superfluous characters and setting the end game in motion.
