News Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Were Getting an R-Rated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie Because What Is Reality Anymore? Its time to order a pizzaof vengeance. By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on April 11‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share During their CinemaCon panel today‚ Paramount Pictures burdened us with the news that an R-rated live-action film based on the comic run Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin is in the works. The movie will be solidly in the adults-only camp‚ which means it will be chock full of violence‚ gore‚ and death! I feel bad for the parents‚ however‚ who miss the memo that these turtles aint for kiddos and take their eight-year-old to see it.Granted‚ the original TMNT comics were darker‚ grittier affairs than the animated and live-action adaptions weve gotten on screen. But the average moviegoer doesnt know that. The Last Ronin is also a more recent comic seriesit ran from 2020 to 2022 and was penned by TMNT creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. According to Variety‚ Eastman and Tom Waltz (writer of two TMNT video games: 2014s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and 2016s TMNT: Mutants in Manhattan) penned the script adaptation.Heres the synopsis‚ per Variety:Set in a bleak‚ dystopian future in which Oroku Hiroto‚ the grandson of the Turtles arch-nemesis‚ Shredder‚ rules New York City as a totalitarian despot. Hiroto has killed all but one of the Turtles‚ as well as their mentor‚ Splinter; the remaining Turtle seeks revenge by wielding all four of their signature weapons.Uh oh‚ everyones dead! And to my uninitiated eye this premise reads like fanfic of the more family-friendly fare most people know‚ which I admit makes me more intrigued.No news yet on who will play the surviving Turtle or when the film will go into production‚ much less make its way to a theater near you. [end-mark]The post Were Getting an R-Rated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie Because What Is Reality Anymore? appeared first on Reactor.

Column Close Reads Considering the Perfect Knits of Coraline Have you ever contemplated the effort it takes to make an iconic costume? By Michelle Jaworski | Published on April 11‚ 2024 Credit: LAIKA Studios Comment 2 Share New Share Credit: LAIKA Studios Welcome to Close Reads! Leah Schnelbach and guest authors will dig into the tiny‚ weird moments of pop culturefrom books to theme songs to viral internet hitsthat have burrowed into our minds‚ found rent-stabilized apartments‚ started community gardens‚ and refused to be forced out by corporate interests. This time out‚ Michelle Jaworski breaks out the knitting needles (and possibly some extra buttons) to talk about Coralines amazing tiny sweaters.Have you ever contemplated the effort it takes to make that famous and immediately eye-popping sweater or knitted garment that appeared on the screen (and just became your new obsession)?Sometimes‚ a film or TV shows costume designer mightpurchase itbefore purposely ruining it to illustrate a characters utter disregard for taking care of their things. Sometimes‚ a knitter willmake it by hand‚ putting care into items that populate a lived-in world or turn into themost iconic part of a characters costume. Sometimes‚ the inclusion feels so effortless and invisible that nobody else seems to appreciate it how you do.And then theres sometimes an instance where a film is so painstakingly crafted with such detail‚ care‚ and precision before you even consider the knitwear that it blows your mind when you finally get around to it. A film like LAIKA Studios 2009 stop-motion animated classicCoralinefrom stop-motion legend Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas‚Wendell &;amp; Wild) and based on the 2002 novel by Neil Gaimanand its perfectly tiny‚ hand-knitted sweater might do that to you.Introduced about 45 minutes into the film‚ Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning)‚ the 11-year-old heroine ofCoraline‚ sneaks through the hidden door in her new home to another world‚ one which offers affectionate parents‚ presents‚ delectable food‚ and instant entertainment. Her Other Mother (Teri Hatcher) and Other Father (John Hodgman)‚ who look and sound just like her real parents save for the black buttons sewn into their eyesockets‚ arent home. But her Other Mother left Coraline a gift: A new outfit made just for her‚ and an invitation to visit their neighbors after lunch.Whats in the box? A bright and sparkling blue sweater imbued with silver stars that catch your eye in the light‚ black corduroy pants‚ and boots much closer in hue to Coralines iconic blue bob. After donning this outfit‚ Coraline witnesses the full spectacle of this other world with a showstopping performance‚ as well as the Other Mothers cruelty. She learns the truth of what the Other Mother plans to do with her with the only light coming from the glow of the sweaters stars and the three young ghosts who fell victim to the Other Mother before her. And even as Coraline and Other Wybie (Robert Bailey Jr.) are captivated by the show Coralines neighbors put on‚ you cant keep your eyes off that sweater.Credit: LAIKA StudiosAs a knitted piece of clothing‚ Coralines sweater is deceptively simple. Its a pullover that limits itself to a single combination of thread (compared to the multi-colored striped gloves Coraline tries on in a store in our world) and doesnt contain flourishes like cables; the stars were attached after the fact. Coralines costumes often stand out with whichever world shes inhabitingshes usually the most colorful person in the room in the real worlds gloomy atmosphere and appears to dim the more time she spends in the fantastical Other Worldand the chameleonic nature of the sparkly thread used to knit it further amplifies that. The stars also glow in the dark‚ making it look even cooler.Coralines sweater was captivating enough in its own right that as part of the films marketing‚ Jenn Jarvis was tasked with creating a human-sized patternwith both children and adult sizes includedgeared toward fans who wanted to make a sweater of their own; Jarvis pattern is no longer officially online‚ but you can find it if you know where to look.Its Althea Crome‚ a fiber artist whos been making conceptual knitted garments (meaning without a set pattern) on a miniature scale for decades‚ who is responsible for creating that original starry sweater and Coralines striped gloves; shes listed as Knitwear Creator in the films credits. According to a 2009 interview with The Oregonian‚ Crome said that LAIKAs costuming department contacted her about making knitted pieces for the film‚ which involved weeks of searching to find the right combination of threadsa mix of holographic and polyesterto match what LAIKA had in mind. Once Crome got the go-ahead to knit the sweater‚ she was sent a version of Coralines body to make it fit on the puppet; she eventually made 14 sweaters and six pairs of gloves for LAIKA.But that doesnt begin to cover the scale of it. Its one thing to hear or read about it. Its another to view Cromes documentation of her work on Coraline‚ which includes photos of the threads she used or photos of what it looks like for her to knit something on that scale. Its another to watch Crome fully in her element‚ which we can do courtesy of a LAIKA behind-the-scenes video where she discusses her miniature knitting.I think knitters are often fascinated by the fact that I use such tiny needles‚ Chrome says in the video. Some of the needles are almost the dimension of a human hair.Um yes?Im in awe of what Crome has created not just because‚ as she put it‚ she shrunk a craft or skill into something so tiny it asks the viewer to imagine how it was done. Ive been knitting for about seven years‚ so even before you shrink a hand-knitted garment‚ the wheels turn to calculate what goes into making something like a sweater or pair of gloves. My eyes are straining from the sheer thought.But Cromes work only amplifies that. To put it in perspective‚ the smallest set of knitting needles I own is a US 0‚ which has a diameter of 2mm; I might use them to work on a pair of socks or gloves. Its kind of easy to misplace them‚ or accidentally break one of those needles if its made of a material like wood. Crome knits with needles so thin that she compared their fineness to human hair.Credit: LAIKA StudiosCromes needles are much smaller‚ the thread much thinner‚ and the scale is on a minuscule level (the entire span of the sweater is about four inches). One of Coralines gloves‚ measured from cuff to fingertip‚ isnt much bigger than one of our fingernails. I can see Crome knitting on needles small enough to be used for sewing or embroidery‚ and I see what the result of that is on the screen‚ but all this time later‚ my mind still can barely comprehend it.Its that level of fine detail that makes Coralines world of stop-motion come to life. Even if youre not thinking about the sweaters as often as I might be‚ its the kind of element that feeds into making Coralines more nightmarish elements feel that much more real.[end-mark]The post Considering the Perfect Knits of &;lt;em&;gt;Coraline&;lt;/em&;gt; appeared first on Reactor.

News Star Trek Star Trek Origin Film Is Finally Happening! Gets 2025 Release Window So many possibilities! By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on April 11‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share Star Trek is finally going to boldly head back to the big screen! During the Paramount Pictures panel today at CinemaCon (via /Film)‚ news broke that a new Trek movie‚ which has been framed as an origin story‚ will be helmed by Toby Haynes. Haynes previous credits include directing episodes of Andor as well as the Black Mirror episode USS Callister‚ a brutal riff on the Star Trek franchise that explores the toxic side of the fandom. The writer for the film is Seth Grahame-Smith‚ whose previous credits include the underrated Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and The LEGO Batman Movie.Even more exciting is the news that this origin film is officially happening in the near future (or a least is a much surer thing than the fourth movie starring Chris Pine as Kirk seems to be). Production on the film is set to start later this year and will premiere in theaters sometime in 2025. This prequel cant help but raise questions about how it will affect the canonical Star Trek timeline(s). Will this story tie into the Star Trek: Enterprise series? As such‚ will Scott Bakulas Jonathan Archer (pictured above) make an appearance‚ perhaps as one of the first presidents of the Federation? Or will this film completely rewrite the timeline/create a new one just like J.J. Abrams did with his films starring Pine as Kirk?Time will tell! And it looks like well get our answers sometime next year. [end-mark]The post Star Trek Origin Film Is Finally Happening! Gets 2025 Release Window appeared first on Reactor.

Book Recommendations Nordic Visions Nordic Visions Provides a Unique Overview of Contemporary Nordic SF‚ Fantasy‚ and Horror A recent anthology celebrates a broad range of short stories‚ from ghost stories to fairy tales to alien planets By Rowdy Geirsson | Published on April 11‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share Nordic Visions is an anthology of speculative fiction stories written by Nordic authors and edited by Margrt Helgadttir. Released by Solaris Books in the fall of 2023‚ the books sixteen short stories are drawn from all of the Nordic nations and the Faroe Islands‚ an autonomous territory of Denmark. Taken as a whole‚ the anthology presents a compelling cross-section of original sci-fi‚ fantasy‚ and horror originating in a part of the world best known internationally for crime fiction and childrens books.Helgadttirs introduction provides an informative overview of Nordic speculative fiction as a whole and positions the genre within the broader context of the Nordic literary tradition‚ while also delineating some of the cultural and historical differences found in each of the countries comprising the region. The short stories themselves are organized by country and they cover a wide range of themesreaders will encounter ghosts‚ far-flung planets‚ dystopian societies‚ mythological characters‚ fairy tale enchantments‚ and more. While covering a broad range‚ the selection of stories leans a bit heavier towards science fiction than fantasy‚ and some entries are‚ naturally‚ stronger than others (as is generally the case with any collection or anthology). Buy the Book Nordic Visions edited by Margrt Helgadttir The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction Buy Book Nordic Visions edited by Margrt Helgadttir The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget Nonetheless‚ Nordic Visions provides an excellent introduction to writers of speculative fiction from a region that tends to be overlooked in the genre. Most of the authors featured have also written full-length novels‚ many of which have been translated into English. A short bio of each author is provided at the end of the book‚ which serves as a useful guide for anyone who might wish to check out more of the selected authors other works. And if youre interested in seeking out longer works of Nordic speculative fiction‚ be sure to also check out my earlier piece on Exploring Nordic Speculative Fiction in Five Novels.Without further ado‚ heres an overview of some of the many highlights found in Nordic VisionsShe by John Ajvide LindqvistA very clever little story that opens the anthology after Helgadttirs introduction. Written by the only author in the collection to have made a bit of a splash in English language literature (Lindqvist is the author of Let the Right One In)‚ She is essentially a ghost story centered around the haunting of a new house built by a married couple in Sweden. As tends to be Lindqvists habit‚ he subverts the usual tropes of his chosen genre‚ in this instance by connecting the narrative to the horrors of World War II and shining some light on the darker side of modern Swedish history in the process.Sing by Karin TidbeckSing is a futuristic story set on the former mining planet of Kiruna (anyone familiar with Sweden should appreciate the name) thats dominated by a parasitic ecosystem. The story follows the companionship of Aino‚ an outcast tailor‚ and Petr‚ a temporary visitor to Ainos tiny village. Petr cant communicate in the planets native singing language and as he digs deeper into how he might learn it‚ the disturbing nature of the planets ecosystem is revealed. Sing originally appeared on Reactor (then Tor.com) in 2013 and can be read here.The Cormorant by Tone AlmhjellThe Cormorant is Nordic Visions ode to the fairy tale‚ and is in fact based on one from the early 20th century by Regine Normann‚ who was something of a Norwegian Hans Christian Andersen (thus the tale is a modern age original story rather than a Grimm Brothers- or Asbjrnsen/Moe-style record of a much older one). The Cormorant follows a mother and daughter who live apart in isolation from the rest of their coastal village until an innocent but pivotal act triggers a chain reaction that upends their lives. A thickening sense of mystery propels the story forward towards a very effective‚ magical‚ and somewhat unsettling conclusion.A Bird Does Not Sing Because It Has an Answer by Johanna SinisaloJohanna Sinisalo‚ the author of Troll: A Love Story and the original story behind the film Iron Sky‚ is a highly original sci-fi writer and A Bird Does Not Sing Because It Has an Answer is no exception. This story is set in a future with very few wilderness areas remaining and focuses on a single character who is responsible for using advanced electronics to study the behavior of birds but of course‚ things dont go quite as they should. This one is very compelling and ends on a wonderfully twisted note of cynicism.The Wings That Slice the Sky by Emmi ItrantaThe Wings That Slice the Sky is a splendid little retelling of The Kalevala‚ the Finnish national epic and primary source of Finnish mythology. It starts with a description of the painting The Defense of the Sampo by Akseli Gallen-Kallela‚ which visually depicts Louhi‚ the storys first-person narrator‚ as she is typically portrayed: a wicked‚ winged monster. The following pages then proceed to tell Louhis side of the story. The Wings That Slice the Sky is basically Finlands answer to Genevieve Gornichecs retelling of Norse mythology in The Witchs Heart‚ only provided in short story form rather than a full-length novel.[end-mark]The post &;lt;i&;gt;Nordic Visions&;lt;/i&;gt; Provides a Unique Overview of Contemporary Nordic SF‚ Fantasy‚ and Horror appeared first on Reactor.

News The Running Man Glen Powell to Star in Edgar Wrights Adaptation of Richard Bachmans The Running Man By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on April 11‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share Its been over three years since we found out that Edgar Wright was directing another adaptation of Richard Bachman/Stephen Kings The Running Man. Today at the Paramount Pictures panel at CinemaCon (via The Hollywood Reporter)‚ however‚ we found out not only that the movie is still happening‚ but that Glen Powell has signed on to star in the lead role‚ the part that Arnold Schwarzenegger took on in the 1987 adaptation.The Running Man‚ which King wrote in 1985 under his Bachman pen name‚ takes place in a future dystopia (which‚ by the way‚ was the year 2025)‚ where the U.S. government runs a gladiatorial game show where a group of killers try to hunt down and kill a contestant. The longer one lives‚ the more money one makes. One man‚ the titular running man‚ enters the game to try to raise money for his sick daughter and manages to rip the game apart from the inside.Powell will play that man. The actor is currently set to star in the upcoming tornado sequel Twisters (pictured above) and also had roles in Top Gun: Maverick‚ Hidden Figures and a recurring part in Scream Queens.No news yet on when this version of The Running Man will make its way to theaters. [end-mark]The post Glen Powell to Star in Edgar Wrights Adaptation of Richard Bachmans &;lt;i&;gt;The Running Man&;lt;/i&;gt; appeared first on Reactor.

News Transformers G.I. Joe and Transformers Living Together (Maybe) in New Crossover Movie A vital‚ nay‚ NECESSARY film‚ were sure. By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on April 11‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share If you saw the end-credit scene from Transformers: Rise of the Beasts‚ you knew that a Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover movie was likely in the works. At CinemaCon today‚ Paramount Pictures made it official (via Deadline): Were getting a blockbuster at some point in the future that will include aliens who can turn into cars and/or mecha beasts AND G.I. Joe soldiers doing whatever G.I. Joe soldiers do.While the film is now official‚ Paramount didnt share any news about who would be directing this‚ though the idea apparently came from Rise of the Beasts director Steven Caple Jr and it will be executive produced by none other than Steven Spielberg. The story for the film is also reportedly based on the 1980s run of comics based on the two Hasbro brands.The first time G.I. Joe and Transformers shared a page was in 1987s aptly named G.I. Joe and the Transformers. The four-issue mini-series saw the Autobots and the G.I. Joes (a.k.a. the good guys) face off against the Decepticons and Cobra (a.k.a. the bad guys). There also appears to be some friendly fire where Bumblebee gets destroyed(!) and reanimated/rebuilt under a different name‚ and the changing of sides by one key group‚ making it three against one in a battle to save Earth from sure destruction.How closely the movie ties to this plot remains to be seen. But the comic run sounds like something that could make for a blockbuster film. They just better not fuck with Bumblebee too much (see the wonderful Transformer pictured above)‚ as they are the best character in the franchise. No news yet on when the movie will go into production or make its way to the big screen. [end-mark]The post G.I. Joe and Transformers Living Together (Maybe) in New Crossover Movie appeared first on Reactor.

Nestled in southeastern California‚ Joshua Tree National Park boasts a landscape of rugged beauty and a rich history. From its tumultuous origins among miners to the shadowy era of Charles Manson and the legendary tales of Gram Parsons‚ the parks past is a captivating blend of allure and danger. The parks legacy also lingers in []The post 10 Tragic Disappearances and Deaths in Joshua Tree National Park appeared first on Listverse.

Pop culture has become so fractured over the past decade or so that the idea of a monoculture now seems to be a thing of the past. Sure‚ you still have massive juggernauts like the Marvel Cinematic Universe which appear to have fans everywhere. But for the most part‚ the internet has allowed people to []The post 10 Niche Subcultures That Are More Popular Than You Might Think appeared first on Listverse.

For decades‚ historians have tried to faithfully recreate what historical figures may have looked like in real life. Now‚ thanks to modern technology‚ digital artists such as Daniel Voshart can gather evidence based on busts‚ drawings‚ and even coins to create photorealistic versions of past people. Stuck in quarantine‚ Voshart decided to re-create Roman Emperors in his "; Roman Emperor Project.";Source

A father and son in Yorkshire‚ England loved to grab their metal detectors and hit the fields every weekend. For six years‚ they never found anything substantial beyond buttons and scraps of metal. But one day in January 2007‚ their lives and the lives of British historians changed forever. What looked like a single silver coin in the mud turned out to be a much larger treasure.Source