Wonder Woman The Movie--Finally! + More

I can't believe this day has actually come. Wonder Woman is finally coming to the big screen on June 23, 2017. It's happening, it's finally happening. I just can't believe it. Yes, 2017 is a while away, but I'm just glad that it's on the books. DC Comics, you have restored my faith in comic books. I would say thank you, but the only thing I can say is "it's about time." I'm a DC fan, but I've admired how dynamic Marvel has been in recent years. For the past 40 years, DC's focus has primarily been Batman and Superman--and that's it. I'm glad DC has finally taken a page out of Marvel's playbook and cracked open their woefully underused catalog. Now Marvel can finally take a page from DC, stop making excuses, and make a 'Black Widow' film. Rant over. Now, if only DC can hire a director that is "not" Zack Synder. That is all. The full DC film schedule is listed below:

'Batman versus Superman' - March 25, 2016
'Suicide Squad' - August 5, 2016
'Wonder Woman' - June 23, 2017
'Justice League' - November 17, 2017
'Flash' - March 23, 2018
'Aquaman' - June 27, 2018
'Shazam' - April 5, 2019
'Justice League 2' - June 14, 2019
'Cyborg' - April 3, 2020
'Green Lantern' - June 19, 2020

Since I'm on a DC love fest (not to worry it won't last long), I have to give kudos to the new DC series, 'Gotham.' Perhaps my 'Wonder Woman' bitterness had spilled over into all things DC, but I had very low expectations for 'Gotham.' The previews of baby Catwoman, Bruce Wayne, and Poison Ivy, did it no favors. I essentially wrote off 'Gotham' as another cheesy comic book show. Nothing could be further from the truth. 'Gotham' is actually quite entertaining with a wonderful cast. I love having low expectations for something, only to be pleasantly surprised. The old adage is true, "never judge a show by its crappy trailer."

One of the best things about the show is Robin Lord Taylor's portrayal as Oswald Cobblepot (aka the Penguin). 'Gotham's strength is treating the characters with realism, and removing all of the theatricality. Gothams' Penguin is a whiny, ruthless, cold blooded killer, sans the umbrella and top hat; the Riddler is a creepy forensic pathologist; baby Catwoman is a street kid and a pick pocket; and baby Poison Ivy comes from an abusive home. Another bright spot has been Jada Pinkett Smith's portrayal of a non-canon character, Fish Mooney. Mooney is a brutal crime boss, with Cobblepot in her crosshairs. Ben McKenzie formerly of the ('OC' and most recently 'Southland') is solid as a youthful Jim Gordon and character actor Donal Logue is perfectly cast as Gordon's jaded mentor, Harvey Bullock (not to be confused with Harvey Dent). 'Gotham' now has a semi-permanent place on my DVR.

'American Horror Story' (AHS) returns with a new anthology titled "Freakshow." Admittedly, AHS runs hot and cold for me. The first season was great, the second season (Asylum) was dreary and cold, the third season (Coven) was luke-warm, but the fourth season is burning white hot. Set in 1953, rural Florida, the incredible Jessica Lange is Elsa Mars, owner of a traveling freakshow. Business ain't what it used to be and freakshow carnies are a dying breed. Imagine Elsa's luck when she comes across Siamese twins, Bette and Dot (played by the wonderful Sarah Paulson).

Along with Lange and Paulson, all of the familiar faces are back (Evan Peters, Frances Conroy, Angela Bassett, and Kathy Bates), along with a few new ones (Michael Chiklis as the most notable new face). And did someone say Patti LaBelle? Yes, my jaw dropped when I saw Patti sashay across the screen. Patti will be in four episodes this season.

This is perhaps my favorite thing about AHS. A new theme with new characters every year prevents the show from becoming stale. I'm not a Ryan Murphy fan, but this was a brilliant idea. I can't believe no one else has thought of it. Seeing these wonderful actors play different characters every season is a real treat. I'm sure it's also a treat for them to not get stuck in one role for too long.

So far this year's 'Carnivale' theme has been outlandishly good and has already struck a nerve. The Clowns Association of America aren't happy with the portrayal of clowns on AHS: Freakshow. I think the Clowns Association of America needs to lighten up. It's a horror show anthology with all types of creepy things. Clowns are scary--oh--yes--they are.

'Supernatural' Season 10 returns. I have loved this show for years, primarily for Jensen Ackles (Dean), who really anchors the show. After 10 years on the air, the show has had a few iffy seasons, but for the most part the show has been incredibly entertaining, and an unlikely offspring of the 'X-Files.' (For those who don't know, 'Supernatural' and 'X-Files' have shared producers, cast, and even similar storylines. There are a multitude of articles on the subject.)

The first two episodes of Season 10 have been refreshing. Dean is on a rampage with the King of Hell played by Mark Sheppard. They're drinking their way through the navel of America and hitting all of the best karaoke bars. Sheppard continues to be a bright spot on the show. After five years of guest roles, he's finally been bumped up to a regular this year. I had the pleasure of seeing him at a convention a few years ago. He is really just as delightful and cheeky onscreen as he is off screen.

That said, it's time for this show to end. After 10 years, there's only so many times Sam and Dean Winchester can be possessed; fight angels and demons, deal with freaks of the week; die terrible deaths; go to heaven, hell, or purgatory. Ten years is a long time. I almost can't believe I've been watching this show this long. Most shows are lucky to get two or three seasons, let alone ten. It's been a beautiful ride, so I hope they go out with a bang and not a whimper.

Season 5 of 'The Walking Dead' has brought me back into the fold "temporarily." I have been hate watching that show for a while, but even I have to admit that the Season 5 premiere was bloody fantastic. If you haven't seen it, I don't want to spoil it for you, but it was probably one of the best episodes I've seen in a long time. This fact makes me sad, because no doubt it will only be downhill from here. That's what typically happens, the powers that be give us one really fantastic episode to keep us hooked, and then feed us crap for the rest of the season. I'm hoping that the Season 5 premiere is a taste of things to come. Click the link for a behind the scenes view of Season 5 of 'The Walking Dead.'

This is the film I have been waiting to see all year. I'm remain hopeful that 'Interstellar' will be the next big scifi movie of the era. Early reviews indicate that 'Interstellar' is the next '2001: A Space Odyssey.' Christopher Nolan and his brother and writing partner, Jonathan Nolan, really challenged themselves with this film. It took four years to write the script. While writing it, Jonathan studied at the California Institute of Technology to get a grasp of the physics. Seriously, four years and attending college...for a movie? Amazing. The idea for 'Interstellar' came from producer Lynda Probst and theoretical physicist Kip Thorne. Entertainment Weekly has already seen the film and remains impressed. Read more about 'Interstellar' in this week's EW. Imagine that, a hollywood film that is not a remake, a sequel, or based on a comic book. Wow.

AMC is introducing a new show called 'Humans,' based on the Swedish drama of the same name. 'Humans' is a scifi show about "synths" or high-tech robotic servants. William Hurt has been cast in a major role, as a man with a "synth" son. If I remember correctly, Hurt had a similar role in Speilberg's 'AI: Artificial Intelligence.'

Watch this 1 minute horror film...creepy. If you are a parent with a young child, this micro horror film will seriously creep you out. It's very well done.

Cosplay
New York's Comic Con had some great cosplay. My favorite being Rocket the Raccoon from 'Guardians of the Galaxy'

And lest I forget, Dorkly has an honest guide to cosplay. If you've ever done cospaly, you know that Dorkly nailed this one.