It’s been five years since the Mass Effect 3 ended Commander Shepard’s fight against the intergalactic menace known as the Reapers. While there were many who didn’t like how the trilogy ended by way of choosing which color circle it was still a satisfying conclusion to one of best game series in recent memory.
One bittersweet note was the fact that it was the last game that I played co-cooperatively with long-time site video game writer Semtex Skittle who passed away a year after the game’s release.
From what I’ve seen of Mass Effect: Andromeda since it was first announced two years ago this looks like a new direction in the series that Semtex Skittle would’ve found refreshing and worth revisiting the game universe.
This launch trailer for Mass Effect: Andromeda definitely follows in the cinematic trailers of it’s three previous entries. Here’s to hoping that this new story in the series lives up to the original trilogy’s legacy.
We found out tonight that the great Sir John Hurt passed away at the age of 77.
For some their memory of him was in the role of the Elephant Man. For the younger set it might be as Hellboy’s adopted father Professor Broom. Some might even remember him as Chancellor Sutler from V for Vendetta. They were all great roles, but my very first memory of him is from a film that helped shaped my love for horror and sci-fi. It was a film that was influenced the impressionable mind of a pre-teen.
This film is and will always be Ridley Scott’s haunted house in space sci-fi horror film, Alien.
Sir John Hurt as the doomed crew-member Kane would make such an impact in my impressionable mind as a child not when he first appears on-screen, but when the titular creature makes it’s first appearance in what I can only describe as an explosive birthing scene.
The year of 2016 has taken many of the music scene’s greatest. Prince, David Bowie and Glenn Frey just to name a few taken too soon. Now, George Michael joins his musical brethren as news of his passing on Christmas Day was announced and confirmed.
There’s not much to say other than any kid growing up during the late 80’s knew and listened to George Michael in some capacity or another. While he became famous as part of the British boy band WHAM! it was when he branched out on his own as a solo act that he hit megastar status. His solo debut album, Faith, would reach multi-platinum levels and each single released from the album and each video that ran in circulation on MTV would become instant hits.
My favorite song of his and this goes to his many excellent post-modern videos, would be the third single released from his debut album, “Father Figure.”.
Father Figure
That’s all I wanted
Something special, something sacred
In your eyes
For just one moment
To be bold and naked
At your side
Sometimes I think that you’ll never
Understand me (understand me)
Maybe this time is forever
Say it can be, woah
That’s all you wanted
Something special, someone sacred
In your life
Just for one moment
To be warm and naked
At my side
Sometimes I think that you’ll never
Understand me (understand me)
But something tells me together
We’d be happy, woah baby
I will be your father figure (oh baby)
Put your tiny hand in mine (I’d love to)
I will be your preacher teacher (be your daddy)
Anything you have in mind (it would make me)
I will be your father figure (very happy)
I have had enough of crime (please let me)
I will be the one who loves you
Till the end of time
That’s all I wanted
But sometimes love can be mistaken
For a crime
That’s all I wanted
Just to see my baby’s
Blue-eyed shine
This time I think that my lover
Understands me (understands me)
If we have faith in each other
Then we can be strong, baby
I will be your father figure
Put your tiny hand in mine (my baby)
I will be your preacher teacher
Anything you have in mind
I will be your father figure
I have had enough of crime
I will be the one who loves you
Till the end of time
If you are the desert, I’ll be the sea
If you ever hunger, hunger for me
Whatever you ask for, that’s what I’ll be
So when you remember the ones who have lied
Who said that they cared
But then laughed as you cried
Beautiful darling
Don’t think of me
Because all I ever wanted
It’s in your eyes
Baby, baby
And love can’t lie, no
(Greet me with the eyes of a child)
My love is always telling me so (Heaven is a kiss and a smile)
Just hold on, hold on
And won’t let you go, my baby
I will be your father figure
Put your tiny hand in mine
I will be your preacher teacher
Anything you have in mind
I will be your father figure
And I have had enough of crime
So I am gonna love you
Till the end of time
(I will be your father) I will be your (I will be your preacher) Father (I will be your father) I’ll be your daddy, whoa
I will be the one who loves you
Till the end of time
We celebrate the 7th year anniversary of the site and we continue a yearly holiday ritual over here at Through the Shattered Lens. I present to all of you readers, visitors and passer-byes the greatest holiday film ever created since forever, ever. I know it’s one that resident anime contributor pantsukudasai56 looks forward to each and every Christmas.
It is a film full of joy and happiness. Of giving and sharing with loved ones that which matters most. This is a film that best describes what Through the Shattered Lens stands for and works towards.
It even has a scene straight out of a Disney classic.
So, from all of us at Through the Shattered Lens….
There’s been many a voice out in the virtual world that has been disappointed with the first half of The Walking Dead in it’s seventh season. It had a season premiere that was nihilistic and emotionally-draining. The follow-up episodes have been a mixed bag with some calling the 4th episode one of the worst of the season.
Tonight saw the mid-season finale as the chess pieces that had been moving since that season premiere starts to take form. Yet, for all the doom and gloom of lower ratings and subpar episodes the show continues to be the most-watched show on cable. Part of that could be due to many viewers so fully invested in the show that they have hope the series will right itself and have a better second-half. The other part seems to come from the very people who have been proclaiming that the show has worn out it’s welcome yet continue to watch as a sort of schadenfreude. They want to see the show crash and burn and wait for the moment when it loses everyone.
Well, tonight probably won’t be it since it finally tied together the first-half of the season and got Rick to stop moping around and get thangs done. It also saw the reuniting of the show’s bromance as Daryl and Rick finally reunited in the end.
Which brings us to the latest “Song of the Day” courtesy of R&B stalwarts Peaches & Herb and their biggest hit, “Reunited.”
Reunited
I was a fool to ever leave your side Me minus you is such a lonely ride The breakup we had Has made me lonesome and sad I realize I love you ’cause I want you bad, hey, hey
I spent the evening with the radio Regret the moment that I let you go Our quarrel was such A way of learning so much I know now that I love you ’cause I need your touch, hey, hey
Reunited and it feels so good Reunited ’cause we understood There’s one perfect fit And, sugar, this one is it We both are so excited ‘Cause we’re reunited, hey, hey
I sat here staring at the same old wall Came back to life just when I got your call I wished I could climb Right through the telephone line And give you what you want so you will still be mine, hey, hey
I can’t go cheating, honey, I can’t play I found it very hard to stay away As we reminisce On precious moments like this I’m glad we’re back together, ’cause I missed your kiss, hey, hey
Reunited and it feels so good Reunited ’cause we understood There’s one perfect fit And, sugar, this one is it We both are so excited ‘Cause we’re reunited, hey, hey
Yeah, yeah, yeah Baby
Oh, lover, lover, this is solid love And you’re exactly what I’m dreaming of All through the day And all through the night I’ll give you all the love I have with all my might, hey, hey
Reunited and it feels so good Reunited ’cause we understood There’s one perfect fit And, sugar, this one is it We both are so excited ‘Cause we’re reunited, hey, hey
Ooh, listen baby I won’t ever make you cry I won’t let one day go by Without holding you Without kissing you Without loving you Reunited
You’re my everything Only you know how to free All the love there is in me I wanna let you know I won’t let you go I wanna let you know I won’t let you go Reunited
Ooh, feels so good
Reunited and it feels so good Reunited ’cause we understood There’s one perfect fit And, sugar, this one is it We both are so excited ‘Cause we’re reunited, hey, hey
It’s been rumored that the Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer will appear in front of Rogue One: Star Wars Story. It’s logical considering Sony has let Spider-Man to play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe sandbox which also happens to share spot in the Walt Disney Empire with Lucasfilm. Yet, we don’t have to wait for next week’s Rogue One to see this trailer. Like all superhero blockbuster films the trailers themselves get their premiere on-line (after a live premiere on Jimmy KimmelLive) and this is no different with the first official trailer for Spider-Man: Homecoming.
So, without further ado, here’s not one, but two trailers for Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Domestic: this one definitely focuses more on the high school aspect of Spider-Man’s life.
International: this one a bit more action-packed with a focus on Spider-Man’s heroics and more time showcasing the villains.
James Gunn finally unleashes the first full teaser trailer for his upcoming space opera superhero film out on May 2017. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 remains one of the 2017’s highly-anticipated films and looking back at how the first film there’s a great chance this band of galactic misfits’ next adventure could join the billion-dollar club. Not bad for a film that earned its popularity on the shoulders of a talking, psychotic raccoon and a talking tree (if I remember correctly, that tree made Lisa Marie cry).
This teaser trailer definitely focuses on the smallest member of the team in Baby Groot and from the reaction on the internet since the teaser trailer’s release it might have just broken the internet in some fashion. The humor from the first film looks to return as well with the cast staying the same and more in tuned with one another.
As all teaser trailer should do, this one doesn’t reveal much of the film’s plot. Just enough action and great visuals to whet the appetites of those already eagerly awaiting the film to arrive.
Consider appetites to be whetted.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is set for release on May 5, 2017 in 3D and IMAX everywhere in the galaxy.
Anyone who grew up during the late 80’s and through the early 90’s saw the return to it’s Golden Age of Disney animation. The Little Mermaid was the first to start it, but it was the follow-up animated film Beauty and the Beast which announced loudly that Disney was back after years upon years of lackluster and underwhelming animated films.
Disney is now in the midst of another era of dominating the film industry with both it’s live-action and animated films. Recent years saw Disney take some of its classic animated films of the past and adapt them into live-action films. We’ve gotten live-action version of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty (redone as Maleficent)
Next in line is the upcoming live-action adaptation of Disney’s own animated film (which itself was an adaptation of earlier films of the same title and premise) of Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson, Dan Stevens and Luke Evans taking on the three iconic roles of Belle, the Beast and Gaston.
Beauty and the Beast is set to invite all as its guests on March 17, 2017.
Here’s a little horror anime music video to help decompress after last night’s very nihilistic and emotional draining season premiere of The Walking Dead.
It’s from amv creator Xophilarus and combines Halsey’s song “Control” with the horror anime Gakkou Gurashi (surprise it’s about zombies!). The series itself was reviewed by site anime contributor pantsukudasai56. Yes, for some the zombie subgenre has started to feel overplayed and overused. But if there’s one thing the two co-founders of this site never truly get tired of are good zombie fiction and Gakkou Gurashi is such a thing.
“There are two types of beings in the universe. Those who dance and those who do not.”
Another brief break from our regularly scheduled horror programming courtesy of Marvel Studios and James Gunn (and the rockin’ sweet poster of the whole Guardians looking like they’re about to drop the hottest 80’s rock album in history).
Guardians of the Galaxy was a surprise hit for Marvel Studios in 2014. It was an obscure Marvel Comics property that many thought would finally end the long streak of box-office success for Marvel Studios and it’s growing and ever-expanding Cinematic Universe. Instead, it was a huge hit with audiences and critics, alike.
This was the film that finally cemented the arrival of a juggernaut blockbuster studio. One that ended up tying Warner Bros. and DC Studios into so many knots in trying to keep up. If Marvel Studios could make a film that had a talking raccoon and tree who spoke only one phrase into a major hit then surely a film with Batman and Superman sharing the screen would be a mega-success.
Now, we have to wait until the start of the 2017 Summer film season to see what new cosmic adventures and hi-jinks Star-Lord and his Guardians of the Galaxy have been getting into.
Until then James Gunn has released this sneak peek (pretty much a teaser trailer) into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (he did promise there will be an official trailer coming soon).
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is set for a May 5, 2017 in theaters everywhere.
Through the Shattered Lens 