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FORTNITE: Disney Meets DAWN OF THE DEAD In Mixed Bag Tower Defense

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Fortnite

Tower defense and a dash of procedurally generated maps come together in this hodgepodge of brightly candy-colored zombie slaying gameplay. I’ll be the first to say, that procedurally generated games are not my thing. I can deal with MINECRAFT but outside of that, I’m just not into that sort of thing. I’ll also be the first to tell you that, the zombie genre has become stale and oversaturated for me as of late. AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD and countless other zombie infected formats have long since removed the charm and welcomed pace of early George Romero films. That is why I find a lot of my enjoyment of Epic Games FORTNITE to be such an on again off again surprise.

I have to add that this review is for the game in early access form. Many of you know that means a lot of things can get glitchy or in some cases can mean the game isn’t fully thought out yet. We will absolutely return for another review when the full final build of FORTNITE is released.

The setup is nice and simple enough. The earth has been enveloped in an apocalyptic mysterious purple fog that turns mankind into zombie-like creatures called Husks. These husks wear their victims skin like an American Apparel hoodie. So, hordes of these guys are roaming the face of the earth looking for more folks to turn. Your job, as one of a small group of survivors is to use resources to build in order to protect and upgrade a dome shield that keeps the Husks and fog out.

Primarily, for the first few hours I spent a lot of time familiarizing myself with the messy RPG upgrading tree system, learning how to build and well, that is about it. See, the first few hours are painfully simple in terms of gameplay. You and three other teammates are placed on a procedurally generated map, and spend the first half of the mission gathering resources and building a fortress around your objective, and the second half you and the group fight off hordes of Husks until time runs out and your mission is accomplished. For the most part, that is all there is to gameplay in this early access build. As you can imagine this gets intensely repetitive at a pretty quick rate.

Even when mission objectives are different, the approach remains the same. Basically, it always boils down to: get resources, find the so-and-so, then build to protect the so-and-so and fight off Husks to protect the so-and-so. Then mission accomplished rinse and repeat.

The design is really alluring, in its color scheme and there is even some fun to be had in the first few hours. The problem is you hit a wall due to what the early access build gives. A large part of this comes from teammate focus. When I’m dropped into a map, I begin harvesting resources and then start building a fortress. Sometimes, and even most times, your teammates will have different plans. Some go straight for the objective without building, some lollygag and do neither and some overbuild. If you have a group of four friends to play with and a unified direction, things tend to be a lot more immersive and fun, but playing with strangers makes goals ambiguous as heck.

Between missions, there is a lot going on your home screen. Here you are able to level up your character, assemble a team of ‘survivors’ to assist in protecting your fortress, and build weapons from blueprints. There is even a pretty cute random loot container that comes in the shape of a lama piñata. The problem here is that there is an overwhelming amount of this stuff and you are introduced to the jumble all at once. Seriously, this screen has a ton of stuff to sort through and for the number of things that are shown here, I found very little of it makes a notable difference once you begin a mission.

Once the hordes of husks start coming your way, all the cool weaponry that you equipped is made kinda useless by the us of simple melee weapons. It seems when people run out of bullets they discover that the whole time, they could have been running in and slicing/beating the hell out of the husks using swords or rakes. That aspect really killed the excitement over new guns for me. Why spend resources on that shiny new grenade launcher when you can just run in with a sword and make quick work of them baddies in half the time.

The building system itself is pretty rad. You are able to choose from floors, stairs, walls and ceilings, as well as the ability to choose brick, wood, or metal materials. From there you can lay traps to assist in case the husks get a little too close to your base for comfort. The sky is the literal limit as far as building goes, I built a towering fortress that would have made Sauron proud at one point. For me, the building took some getting used to but was ultimately the strongest part of the game. The problem is that after spending all that time building, the husks hardly ever posed enough of a threat to break into my fortress.

FORTNITE, has plenty of potential, but seems pretty scrambled on its scales of introducing too much info and properly balancing the gameplay mechanics therein. Over the 30 hours that I put in, the game fluctuated between being a blast and being a bore. At its height, a team would work together and have to use more than just a sword against the seldom challenging hordes of husks, at its worst the objective was scattered among teammates and the enemy could be taken down by simple melee button-mashing.  I know there is a game in there somewhere though, otherwise I wouldn’t have put in as much time as I did. With several patches being added over the rest of the year, the game has the potential to be great when its final build is released. Once the full version drops, you guys can totally expect another review.

FORTNITE early access is now available on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

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‘Strange Darling’ Featuring Kyle Gallner and Willa Fitzgerald Lands Nationwide Release [Watch Clip]

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Strange Darling Kyle Gallner

‘Strange Darling,’ a standout film featuring Kyle Gallner, who is nominated for an iHorror award for his performance in ‘The Passenger,’ and Willa Fitzgerald, has been acquired for a wide theatrical release in the United States by Magenta Light Studios, a new enterprise from veteran producer Bob Yari. This announcement, brought to us by Variety, follows the film’s successful premiere at Fantastic Fest in 2023, where it was universally praised for its creative storytelling and compelling performances, achieving a perfect score of 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes from 14 reviews.

Strange Darling – Movie Clip

Directed by JT Mollner, ‘Strange Darling‘ is a thrilling narrative of a spontaneous hookup that takes an unexpected and terrifying turn. The film is notable for its innovative narrative structure and the exceptional acting of its leads. Mollner, known for his 2016 Sundance entry “Outlaws and Angels,” has once again employed 35mm for this project, cementing his reputation as a filmmaker with a distinct visual and narrative style. He is currently involved in adapting Stephen King’s novel “The Long Walk” in collaboration with director Francis Lawrence.

Bob Yari expressed his enthusiasm for the film’s upcoming release, scheduled for August 23rd, highlighting the unique qualities that make ‘Strange Darling’ a significant addition to the horror genre. “We are thrilled to be bringing nationwide theatrical audiences this unique and exceptional film with terrific performances by Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner. This second feature from talented writer-director JT Mollner is destined to become a cult classic that defies conventional storytelling,” Yari told Variety.

Variety’s review of the film from Fantastic Fest lauds Mollner’s approach, saying, “Mollner shows himself to be more forward-thinking than most of his genre peers. He’s clearly a student of the game, one who studied his forebears’ lessons with adroitness to better prepare himself to put his own mark on them.” This praise underlines Mollner’s deliberate and thoughtful engagement with the genre, promising audiences a film that is both reflective and innovative.

Strange Darling

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Sydney Sweeney’s ‘Barbarella’ Revival Forges Ahead

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Sydney Sweeney Barbarella

Sydney Sweeney has confirmed the ongoing progress of the much-anticipated reboot of Barbarella. The project, which sees Sweeney not only starring but also executive producing, aims to breathe new life into the iconic character that first captured audiences’ imaginations in the 1960s. However, amid speculation, Sweeney remains tight-lipped about the possible involvement of celebrated director Edgar Wright in the project.

During her appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Sweeney shared her enthusiasm for the project and the character of Barbarella, stating, “It is. I mean, Barbarella is just such a fun character to explore. She really just embraces her femininity and her sexuality, and I love that. She uses sex as a weapon and I think it’s such an interesting way into a sci-fi world. I’ve always wanted to do sci-fi. So we’ll see what happens.“

Sydney Sweeney confirms her Barbarella reboot is still in the works

Barbarella, originally a creation of Jean-Claude Forest for V Magazine in 1962, was transformed into a cinematic icon by Jane Fonda under the direction of Roger Vardim in 1968. Despite a sequel, Barbarella Goes Down, never seeing the light of day, the character has remained a symbol of sci-fi allure and adventurous spirit.

Over the decades, several high-profile names including Rose McGowan, Halle Berry, and Kate Beckinsale were floated as potential leads for a reboot, with directors Robert Rodriguez and Robert Luketic, and writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade previously attached to revive the franchise. Unfortunately, none of these iterations made it past the conceptual stage.

Barbarella

The film’s progress took a promising turn approximately eighteen months ago when Sony Pictures announced its decision to cast Sydney Sweeney in the titular role, a move that Sweeney herself has suggested was facilitated by her involvement in Madame Web, also under Sony’s banner. This strategic decision was aimed at fostering a beneficial relationship with the studio, specifically with the Barbarella reboot in mind.

When probed about Edgar Wright’s potential directorial role, Sweeney adeptly sidestepped, merely noting that Wright has become an acquaintance. This has left fans and industry watchers speculating about the extent of his involvement, if any, in the project.

Barbarella is known for its adventurous tales of a young woman traversing the galaxy, engaging in escapades that often incorporate elements of sexuality—a theme Sweeney seems eager to explore. Her commitment to reimagining Barbarella for a new generation, while staying true to the character’s original essence, sounds like the making of a great reboot.

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‘The First Omen’ Almost Received an NC-17 Rating

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the first omen trailer

Set for an April 5 theater release, ‘The First Omen’ carries an R-rating, a classification that was almost not achieved. Arkasha Stevenson, in her inaugural feature film directorial role, faced a formidable challenge in securing this rating for the prequel to the esteemed franchise. It seems the filmmakers had to contend with the ratings board to prevent the film from being saddled with an NC-17 rating. In a revealing conversation with Fangoria, Stevenson described the ordeal as ‘a long battle’, one not waged over traditional concerns such as gore. Instead, the crux of the controversy centered around the depiction of the female anatomy.

Stevenson’s vision for “The First Omen” delves deep into the theme of dehumanization, particularly through the lens of forced birthing. “The horror in that situation is how dehumanized that woman is”, Stevenson explains, emphasizing the significance of presenting the female body in a non-sexualized light to address themes of forced reproduction authentically. This commitment to realism nearly landed the film an NC-17 rating, sparking a prolonged negotiation with the MPA. “This has been my life for a year and a half, fighting for the shot. It’s the theme of our film. It’s the female body being violated from the inside outwards”, she states, highlighting the importance of the scene to the film’s core message.

The First Omen Movie Poster – by Creepy Duck Design

Producers David Goyer and Keith Levine supported Stevenson’s battle, encountering what they perceived as a double standard in the ratings process. Levine reveals, “We had to go back and forth with the ratings board five times. Weirdly, avoiding the NC-17 made it more intense”, pointing out how the struggle with the ratings board inadvertently intensified the final product. Goyer adds, “There is more permissiveness when dealing with male protagonists, particularly in body horror”, suggesting a gender bias in how body horror is evaluated.

The film’s bold approach to challenging viewers’ perceptions extends beyond the ratings controversy. Co-writer Tim Smith notes the intention to subvert expectations traditionally associated with The Omen franchise, aiming to surprise audiences with a fresh narrative focus. “One of the big things we were excited to do was to kind of pull the rug out from under people’s expectations”, Smith says, underscoring the creative team’s desire to explore new thematic ground.

Nell Tiger Free, known for her role in “Servant”, leads the cast of “The First Omen”, set for release by 20th Century Studios on April 5. The movie follows a young American woman dispatched to Rome for church service, where she stumbles upon a sinister force that shakes her faith to its core and reveals a chilling plot aimed at summoning evil incarnate.

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