The Code Is Zeek

This week’s episode of Out Now with Aaron and Abe is a gladiator match between reviewers. The guys are joined by Scott Mendelson and Jay Cluitt to talk Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice . Lots of time is spent making sense of this latest superhero epic, with lots of fun countering the emotional turmoil Aaron seems to go through. Among topics covered, we have a fun round of Know Everybody ( 5:20 ), some Out Now Quickies™ ( 6:57 ), Trailer Talk for The Lego Batman Movie ( 16:40 ), the main review ( 22:20 ), Out Now Feedback ( 1:15:33 ), and Games ( 1:38:24 ). We then wrap things up ( 1:44:27 ) and end it all with some bloopers ( 1:55:46 ), following this week’s close out song.  So now, if you’ve got an hour or so to kill… You can also find links to the episode at AudioBoom .  Subscribe via iTunes HERE

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is finally in theaters and the results are pretty mixed. It is unfortunate for this movie to not be everything we would have liked, but so be it. That said, enjoy my review along with my big essay on all the actors who portrayed Batman over the years. I also have a couple other reviews in this week's recap, along with some podcasts and a look at what's now on Blu-ray. There's a lot of great stuff to enjoy and I certainly worked hard on it, so read up! In Theaters Now: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice -  http://whysoblu.com/the- batman-v-superman-movie- review/ (It seems to be lacking fun, but plenty of cinematic spectacle) I Saw The Light - http://whysoblu.com/i-saw- the-light-movie-review/ (An unfortunately dull biopic about Hank Williams) Midnight Special -  http://whysoblu.com/ midnight-special-movie-review/ (Some really strong sci-fi) Here's The Archive Of Every Review Throughout The Year(s) -...

With just one day left until Warner Brothers officially releases Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice on the masses, it feels right to go over the cinematic portrayals of Batman over the past few decades. Having seen the latest incarnation brought to life by Ben Affleck , looking back on the other actors shows a variety of interpretations of a tormented soul who dons a cape and cowl to take on the crime plaguing his city. Regardless of what fans of the different comic variations of the Caped Crusader believe, there has never been one way to play Batman, but it has always been interesting to see the contrasting takes.

Riding in on a wave of negative reviews leading up to the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice , Batman looks to be in need of some better news. Fortunately, Warner Brothers have deemed this the time to release the trailer for his next standalone theatrical film. It also happens to be an animated comedy based on the version that made for one of the best parts of The Lego Movie . The Lego Batman Movie is coming in 2017 and it looks to be a delightful spin-off of continued darkness.

This week’s episode of Out Now with Aaron and Abe is another faction trial. The guys are joined by Jordan Rath and Kevin Taft to talk The Divergent Series: Allegiant . The guys go over the film and whether or not this series has been worth it, along with other fun things. Among topics covered, we have a fun round of Know Everybody ( 3:27 ), some Out Now Quickies™ ( 6:12 ), Trailer Talk for Ben-Hur ( 10:30 ), the main review ( 17:59 ), Out Now Feedback ( 43:45 ), and Games ( 59:48 ). We then wrap things up ( 1:07:22 ) and end it all with some bloopers ( 1:15:27 ), following this week’s close out song.  So now, if you’ve got an hour or so to kill… You can also find links to the episode at AudioBoom .  Subscribe via iTunes HERE

It’s time for the Bat, the Cat, and the Mendelson. It’s another commentary track and Aaron is joined by Brandon Peters, Randy Shaffer and Scott Mendelson to talk Batman Returns . This is the third Batman commentary track Out Now has handled for those keeping track and this one is every bit as fun as the others. Listen here to enjoy the gang’s musings on what if’s and great info about this film’s legacy and how things changed since. There’s also plenty of discussion about Burton, the cast and more in this fun listen. Important Note:   This commentary may feature both juvenile uses of language and jokes that may be considered un-PC.  We of course are just trying to have a fun time… So now, if you’ve got an hour to kill… You can also find links to the episode at AudioBoom .  Subscribe via iTunes HERE

In case you were worried we were not getting enough YA adaptations sequels, The Divergent Series: Allegiant is here to remind you how bland some of these films really are. Yes, this entry in a not-great series is unsurprisingly not-great. That said, there are other things out, which I've covered in the two podcasts posted this week. I would mention Midnight Special as well, but I haven't seen it yet (seeing it tonight with my girlfriend and we expect to enjoy it very much, actually). There are also plenty of new releases on Blu-ray, along with several trailer posts. Dig in and enjoy! In Theaters Now: The Divergent Series: Allegiant -  http://whysoblu.com/ allegiant-movie-review/ (A series to shrug at) Midnight Special -  http://whysoblu.com/midnight-special-movie-review/ (Great, original sci-fi) Here's The Archive Of Every Review Throughout The Year(s) -  http://www.thecodeiszeek. com/p/review-archive.html

This special bonus episode is a good one for those wanting some in-depth discussion. Aaron is joined by Film Studies Prof. Mike Dillon to discuss thoughts on the quality, themes and more in regards to Eye in the Sky , a thrilling drama focused on the use of drone strikes. The film was directed by Gavin Hood and stars Helen Mirren , Alan Rickman , Aaron Paul and Barkhad Abdi . Listen in to hear thoughts on a variety of things concerning the film, other related films and some random tangents regarding Ghosbusters . So now, if you’ve got an hour to kill… You can also find links to the episode at AudioBoom .  Subscribe via iTunes HERE

I guess I picked the right time to start doing these write-ups, as we have lots of big movies coming and new trailers for all of them. X-Men Apocalypse  is among the films looking to clean-up this summer and I have to wonder if it really can do that. Days of Future Past   was a solid hit, but it also had the "let's bring everyone back together again" vibe to help it out.  Apocalypse  will be riding on that film's reception to ideally be another big event, so long as the other superhero films don't overshadow it.

After dealing with the Gods of Egypt  and watching Joseph Fiennes explore all who have Risen, we are now going to check in on Ben-Hur . Headed by one of the worst mainstream directors in Hollywood, Timur Bekmambetov ( Wanted, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter ), this flashy remake looks to be giving all the teenagers what they want in a hip new adaptation of the most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century.

This week’s episode of Out Now with Aaron and Abe is a real barn burner. The guys are joined by Alan Aguilera and Peter Paras to talk 10 Cloverfield Lane . The guys go over the film and eventually dive into spoiler territory as well (there’s a warning beforehand). Among topics covered, we have a fun round of Know Everybody ( 3:15 ), some Out Now Quickies™ ( 11:25 ), Trailer Talk for Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping ( 18:43 ), the main review ( 28:26 ), Out Now Feedback ( 1:19:32 ), and Games ( 1:36:55 ). We then wrap things up ( 1:42:57 ) and end it all with some bloopers ( 1:50:51 ), following this week’s close out song.  So now, if you’ve got an hour or so to kill… You can also find links to the episode at AudioBoom .  Subscribe via iTunes HERE

Despite a lapse in quality in more recent years, I'm still one to get excited for new Tim Burton films. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children  does not exactly look like a new Burton classic, but I am intrigued. Based on what we are shown in this initial trailer, it is easy to make comparisons to X-Men  and any YA adventure adaptation, but now we get to see how Burton would handle that kind of story. It doesn't hurt that the original novel has been adapted for the screen by Jane Goldman ( X-Men: First Class, Stardust ).

The latest top secret J.J. Abrams project, 10 Cloverfield Lane, arrives in theaters this weekend and it is another success. The film works as a spiritual sequel to Cloverfield , but easily stands as its own thing. Also out in limited release is Eye in the Sky , which is worth a watch as well. Plenty of new releases on Blu-ray/DVD this week, so be sure to check out the reviews I have for all of those. Fun podcast this week to listen to as well. And I even put together a couple essays - a short one about the new Civil War  trailer and a long one about video game movies. Enjoy it all! In Theaters Now: 10 Cloverfield Lane -  http://whysoblu.com/10- cloverfield-lane-movie-review/ (Solid performances, simple setup, good thriller) Eye In The Sky -  http://whysoblu.com/eye-in- the-sky-movie-review/ (Real tension for a neat premise) Knight of Cups -  http://whysoblu.com/knight- of-cups-movie-review/ (A dreamy trip through LA, spreading wider ...

To provide a quick recap: video game movies suck. That is not even a general statement, as they have been continually bad, with very few approaching the semblance of what makes a good film. I can argue plenty about why 1995’s Mortal Kombat is the only one that comes close to being decent, but ever since 1993’s Super Mario Bros . , we seen nothing but  sub-par  efforts. It is ridiculous to not have even  accidentally  seen a film that is better than campy fun or a guilty pleasure, but here we are. However, 2016 seems to be in the strange position of producing multiple video game adaptations that could actually be good.

"I can do this all day." Captain America: The First Avenger still ranks quite high for me, as far as the MCU films are concerned. The Winter Soldier is pretty great too, but I really responded to what First Avenger was going for, combined with its retro look, thanks to Joe " The Rocketee r" Johnston 's direction. Regardless of the comparisons between these two flicks though, what matters is how much I like the big screen take on Captain America. That's why I'm so excited for Captain America: Civil Wa r. This film looks like it has it all and given the huge reveal in the last seconds of this latest trailer, this may actually be everything necessary.

This week’s episode of Out Now with Aaron and Abe is a double header featuring lots of death and animals. The guys are joined by Scott Mendelson and Zaki Hasan to talk London Has Fallen and Zootopia . The guys go over the film and some tangential chatter related to slow burn horror films. Among topics covered, we have a fun round of Know Everybody ( 6:10 ), some Out Now Quickies™ ( 12:29 ), Trailer Talk for Ghostbusters ( 25:01 ), the main reviews ( 33:14 ) and ( 57:23 ), Out Now Feedback ( 1:20:27 ), and Games ( 1:31:28 ). We then wrap things up ( 1:36:14 ) and end it all with some bloopers ( 1:53:45 ), following this week’s close out song.  So now, if you’ve got an hour or so to kill… You can also find links to the episode at AudioBoom .  Subscribe via iTunes HERE

The Oscars have come and gone and now we can get back to new movies. First up is Zootopia , a brilliant effort from Disney. We also have the very needless sequel, London Has Fallen . Tina Fey shines in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot . And there are also two smaller films, The Wave , a disaster film from Norway and Terrence Malick's latest, Knight of Cups . That's a lot of new releases, but you can also enjoy some strong films making their way to Blu-ray as well, as Creed and the Oscar-winning Room  are both now available. I also have a couple new podcasts and some thoughts on the Ghostbusters trailer. It's a packed week, but enjoy what I've put together. In Theaters Now: Zootopia -  http://whysoblu.com/ zootopia-movie-review/ (Disney's best film in years) London Has Fallen -  http://whysoblu.com/london- has-fallen-movie-review/ (At points it's offensively bad) Whiskey Tango Foxtrot -  http://whysoblu.com/whiskey- tango-foxtrot-movie-review/...

Consider this something new, as I see lots of trailers and tend to have an opinion on them. Future trailer-related posts will not be this long, but just to get some early thoughts out of the way; while I am smart enough to know a trailer does not speak for an entire film, it is an interesting art that I am always intrigued by. Lately I've been doing a lot to avoid certain trailers for films I will no doubt see, but that's not an absolute for every movie. With that in mind, it's time to take a look at the debut footage for Ghostbusters .