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AN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS SITE BY FANS FOR FANS #JOINTHE CRUSADE as Geek Crusade tracks all your favorite TV Shows and Movies from rumour to screen. We provide up to date fandoms news for Sherlock, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Marvel and DC movies...

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Maisie Williams brought Charles & Keith's $39 handbag to the Emmys

Singapore made it to Monday’s Emmys red carpet, thanks to Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams a.ka. Arya Stark.

According to The Telegraph, Williams accessorised her custom-made embroidered Markus Lupfer gown, green shadow and ruffled Louboutins with a vintage-inspired pouch from Singapore’s own Charles & Keith.

Credit: REX

The triangle-shaped evening bag with a chain strap and gold tassel attached to the zip is available in Singapore stores for $39. Which is a steal for an Emmy look. 

Also, if black is not your colour, consider going for the bronze version that Williams spotted at the BAFTA tea party.

Credit: REX

But don’t consider too long. We expect Charles and Keith to sell out of these two bags very soon. 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I just spotted my next two bags.

Update: These bags are sold out on Charles and Keith’s online store. But fear not, they are still available in their retail stores. But they are going quickly!

Credit: Screengrab from Charles & Keith online store

Bronze: Sold out in all retails stores except Plaza Singapura and City Link Mall 

Black: Still available in all retail stores. But stocks are low at the Marina Bay Sands and Bedok Mall outlets.

This article was first published on Geek Crusade.

Gillian Ang is the co-founder of Geek Crusade, a pop-culture news website dedicated to tracking all your favorite TV Shows and movies from rumour to screen. #Jointhecrusade for up to date fandom news for Sherlock, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Marvel and DC movies and many, many more. Tweets go out at @geekcrusade. The views expressed are her own.

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‘Deadpool’ isn’t the first subversive superhero movie — here are four of the best

It hasn’t even opened in Singapore yet, but Deadpool is already getting rave reviews for its offbeat meta humour, no-holds-barred violence and just downright craziness. Even its marketing campaign has gotten high praise, capitalising on the wacky nature of its leading man. 

There’s also talk that the Director’s Cut of the movie will be “even more raw”. But Deadpool is far from the first movie to subvert the superhero genre. Here are four superhero movies that completely confounded expectations.

1. The Incredibles (2004)

If Watchmen was the graphic novel that redefined superhero comics forever, The Incredibles arguably did the same for superhero movies. But it did it in a more fun, (much) less dark and really kinda adorable way.

Ostensibly the story of a retired superhero couple living in suburbia, it quickly turns into a deconstruction of superhero mythology. If “deconstruction” sounds like a really big word, just bear in mind that this movie is overwhelmingly FUN.

There are so many things to love about this movie, from Edna Mode’s “No capes!” admonition, to the baby sitter freaking out over baby Jack Jack, to the dinner scene where the family ends up using their powers to fight.

2. Kick-Ass (2010)

A hero without any actual powers who orders his costume online and becomes famous via social media? A teenage villain called The Motherf***er? An 11-year-old superheroine who makes liberal use of the C-word?

If Kick-Ass (based on the Mark Millar/John Romita Jr comic) had come out in the 60s, it would have given censors a heart attack, then been promptly banned. But modern audiences got the joke, and it became a critically lauded parody of the superhero genre and modern-day pop culture.

Plus, Nicolas Cage has rarely been better as one Big Daddy a.k.a. a Batman and Adam West spoof, all rolled into one.

3. Mystery Men (1999)

A commercial flop, Mystery Men was probably years ahead of its time. It’s the story of a group of inept superheros in Champion City, led by Mr Furious (Ben Stiller), The Shoveler (William H. Macy) and The Blue Raja (Hank Azaria).

Just consider their powers. The Bowler (Janeane Garofalo) has a magic bowling ball. The Blue Raja fights with forks and spoons. While Mr Furious gets, well, really angry. And just check out the name of the bad guy: Casanova Frankenstein, played by Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush, who’s having the time of his life.

4. Unbreakable (2000)

Security guard David Dunn’s (Bruce Willis) promising football career was ruined by a car accident — or was it? It turns out he has special powers that he’s been hiding his whole life, and Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) is determined to put him on the path to heroism. 

Other than the stellar performances from Willis and Jackson and the sometimes unbearable tension, there’s more than a few nudge-nudge-wink-wink moments. Price draws his inspiration from real-life comic books and even divines Dunn’s weakness through the same medium. Then it all ends with THAT TWIST.

Gillian Ang is the co-founder of Geek Crusade, a pop-culture news website dedicated to tracking all your favorite TV Shows and movies from rumour to screen. #Jointhecrusade for up to date fandom news for Sherlock, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Marvel and DC movies and many, many more. Tweets go out at @geekcrusade. The views expressed are her own.

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5 actors who almost played iconic roles

News broke earlier this week that Olivia Munn originally auditioned for Deadpool, before she was ultimately cast as Psylocke in the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse. 

Munn may have gone on to better things, but it got us thinking: Which are the actors who almost played iconic roles? And what happened to them in the end? This lot have all done pretty well for themselves - some have even gone on to play other iconic roles. 

1. Pierce Brosnan as Batman

“That’s right, I could have been Bruce Wayne.” Photo: ABC News

Now, this is WILD. During a Reddit AMA last year, the former James Bond was asked he had ever been considered for the role of the Dark Knight. Brosnan’s answer took many by surprise. 

“Yes, I did. I went and met with Tim Burton for the role of Batman. But I just couldn't really take it seriously, any man who wears his underpants outside his pants just cannot be taken seriously. That was my foolish take on it. It was a joke, I thought. But how wrong was I?”

Pierce Brosnan ultimately went on to play James Bond four times. But the very thought of him as billionaire playboy and masked vigilante is enough to make us weak-kneed.

2. David Bowie as The Joker

“What, me in make up?” Photo: thecomeback.com

This is something that could definitely have worked. Bowie may have passed on, but his legacy in music and film is one that stretches back decades. And back in 1989, he was almost offered yet another iconic role: The Joker, Batman’s bete noir. 

According to WhatCulture, screenwriter Sam Hamm said at the time, “Bowie would be kind of neat because he’s very funny when he does sinister roles”. The role ultimately went to Jack Nicholson, while the late Heath Ledger later put in the definitive Joker performance. 

As for Bowie - well, he was busy becoming a living legend. 

3. James Franco as Spider-Man

“Once I kill him, the role will be mine.” Photo: Sony Pictures

We all know that James Franco played Harry Osborn a.k.a. the Green Goblin in the Spider-Man movies. But did you know that he originally auditioned to play the title character? He even got as far as the screen tests, before the role ultimately went to Tobey Maguire. 

Franco has since gone to become a writer/photographer/academic/model/director, and was even nominated for an Oscar for his role in 127 Hours. While the role of Spider-Man has since gone to Andrew Garfield (dumped after two movies, the poor thing), and now Tom Holland. 

4. Russell Crowe as Wolverine

“What do you mean you want claws? Photo: DreamWorks Pictures

It’s well established in geek folklore by now: Russell Crowe was the first choice to play the mutant Wolverine in the first X-Men movie. He rejected it and recommended a fellow Australian named Hugh Jackman, and the rest is history. 

As for Crowe, he’s done all right for himself in the 16 years since - he won an Oscar, did more than a few great movies and also played a certain Jor-el a.k.a. the father of Superman. 

5. Bradley Cooper as Green Lantern

Cooper’s been very open about this - he lost out on the lead role in the 2011 Green Lantern reboot to Ryan Reynolds, after making it to the final list of contenders. But given how poorly the movie was received, Cooper really dodged a bullet there. 

Cooper has since gone from high-profile project to high-profile project, starring alongside big names like Jennifer Lawrence and Christian Bale, and getting nominated for an Oscar. Oh, and he was the voice of Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy too. 

Meanwhile, Reynolds has gone on to play the role he was born to play: Deadpool, and it’s already gotten rave reviews.

Source: Wikipedia, Whatculture, The Telegraph, Upvoted

Gillian Ang is the co-founder of Geek Crusade, a pop-culture news website dedicated to tracking all your favorite TV Shows and movies from rumour to screen. #Jointhecrusade for up to date fandom news for Sherlock, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Marvel and DC movies and many, many more. Tweets go out at @geekcrusade. The views expressed are her own.

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The 5 stages of reactions to the Star Wars trailer

If you’re one of the five people on the planet who still hasn’t seen the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer and borne witness to all those awesome, awesome moments, we chart your likely reaction to this glorious trailer.

Jaw dropping

Yes, you will be just like this adorable Vader puppy when you hear the score, and the chills start running down your spine. That’s the effect the Force has on your body.

Screaming

It starts somewhere around the one-minute mark when you hear Han Solo’s voice. Then it gets a little louder when the Millennium Falcon starts bobbing and weaving.

After that, when you actually see Han’s face and those X-wings and TIE Fighters and Kylo Ren, your screams reach a crescendo. That’s round about the time your colleagues in the office start calling the cops.

Crying

Something must have got in my eye. It’s nothing really, and OMIGOD IS THAT HAN AND LEIA HUGGING???? I WANT TO TELL YOU I LOVE YOU AND HEAR YOU TELL ME YOU KNOW WHAT’S WRONG WITH MY TEAR DUCTS DAMN YOU GEORGE LUCAS!!!!!!!!!!!

Anger

That sudden realisation hits you: you still have to wait till December 17 before the movie comes out. And then you get angry. Very angry.

Clicking on play repeatedly

GET HERE ALREADY, DECEMBER 17!!!!!!!!

Gillian Ang is the co-founder of Geek Crusade, a pop-culture news website dedicated to tracking all your favorite TV Shows and movies from rumour to screen. #Jointhecrusade for up to date fandom news for Sherlock, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Marvel and DC movies and many, many more. Tweets go out at @geekcrusade. The views expressed are her own.

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Actors who keep doing the same thing again. And again. And again

Some actors have made an entire career out of playing the same role over and over again. Here are four of the best. 

Matt Damon

From Saving Private Ryan to Interstellar to the currently playing The Martian, there’s been a long cinematic history of saving Matt Damon.

And the Matt Damon rescue missions aren’t limited to just these shows - if he’s not being saved, then he saves himself. For example, in Good Will Hunting, Damon gets saved from his psychological baggage by Robin Williams in dramatic-movie-mode. 

And in the Bourne trilogy, he saves himself from amnesia and government spooks. If this keeps up, he’ll save himself again in the fifth Bourne movie coming out in 2016. (Mark your calendars, geeks!) 

Sean Bean

Game of Thrones fans had a rude shock when Sean Bean’s Ned Stark lost his head in season 1. But if they had kept track of Bean’s career, they would have known that Stark’s death was a forgone conclusion once the ill-fated Bean was cast. After all, Bean has died no less than 16 times on screen.

He had his throat cut in Caravaggio, was crushed by a burning antenna in Goldeneye and shot full of arrows in Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. But his favourite manner of demise by far is successfully catching bullets with his body: we counted nine deaths from bullets.

Repeat after me: One does not simply die and die again. Unless, of course, you are Sean Bean. Then you will always die.

Will Smith

Let it be known that all of us are indebted to Will Smith. From Independence Day to Men In Black to I, Robot, Smith has saved, or help save, the world from aliens, robot squids and zombies for the last 20 years. 

And his heroic tendencies know no bounds. Even when playing Deadshot, a villain, Will Smith still manages to say “Let’s go save the world”, in the Suicide Squad trailer.

Smith’s heroism runs in the family too. In After Earth, Will Smith and his son Jayden play father-and-son team Kital and Cypher Raige (yes, really), who are stranded on post-apocalyptic Earth. Jayden eventually signals for help and saves the world. Sadly, the Smith family’s world-saving skills couldn’t save this movie.

Tom Cruise

(Source: Paramount Pictures)

It must be said that Tom Cruise isn’t afraid of making bold career choices, playing everything from embittered Vietnam War veteran to sex motivational speaker to maniacal studio head. 

Nevertheless, starting with Top Gun, he’s made almost an entire career out of playing the cocky maverick who gets humbled, then redeems himself in the final act to save the day. 

Cruise was a cocky conman with a tender heart in Rain Man, a cocky race car driver in Days of Thunder, a cocky military lawyer in A Few Good Men and a cocky sports agent in Jerry Maguire. You know he’s going to do it again and again - but who can resist that million dollar smile once he flashes it?

Gillian Ang is the co-founder of Geek Crusade, a pop-culture news website dedicated to tracking all your favorite TV Shows and movies from rumour to screen. #Jointhecrusade for up to date fandom news for Sherlock, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Marvel and DC movies and many, many more. Tweets go out at @geekcrusade. The views expressed are her own.

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5 ways Fear The Walking Dead differs from The Walking Dead

So the first 3 episodes of Fear The Walking Dead, a spin off of The Walking Dead are out, and it’s pretty damn awesome (see our review for the pilot).

But it’s not just TWD 2.0. Here’s five important differences between the two shows. 

1. Zero woods. Concrete Jungle

(Source: AMC)

Unlike the lush woods of Atlanta, Fear the Walking Dead is set in concrete jungle of Los Angeles. The urban setting of FTWD, with no woods, an extremely dense population and lots of cars brings more story telling possibilities in a zombie apocalypse. 

As discussed in our Zombie Survival School course, urban survival is a whole different ball game. Food, water and shelter, which can be found in the woods  with the right hunting gear, is less straightforward in the city. After all the canned foods and bottled water are gone, urbanites without rural survival skills will find it tough to  survive. 

Also, if World War Z taught us anything, it’s that a dense population accelerates the spread of infection, making survival and escape that much more difficult. 

And we haven’t even started talking about car gridlocks and the lack of cover in the spacious city boulevards. In short, expect the characters in FTWD to curse their urban setting. 

2. The zombies are not (quite) here yet.

(Source: AMC)

Some critics have complained about the lack of zombies in Fear’s pilot, but we need to bear in mind that Fear’s timeline is different from that of the original series. 

Unlike The Walking Dead, which opens with Rick Grimes waking up to a world that is already overrun by zombies, Fear The Walking Dead will jump back in time to look at how the world was at the start of the zombie apocalypse. 

In other words, what was the world doing when Rick was sleeping.

3. People are trying to help, not kill, the zombies

(Source: AMC)

One of the best tidbits to come out of our Interviews with the Fear cast,is that people’s first instinct at the start of the walker apocalypse is to try and help the afflicted, because they think that they’re sick. 

Simply put: They don’t fully understand what is going on. But when all the pieces fall together, the viewer and the characters will experience the same kind of horror: the realisation that the world as they known it has come to an end.

4. The zombies in Fear are not quite the same as in TWD

(Source: AMC)

When the zombies finally appear in masses in Fear, they will be very different from what is portrayed in the original show. Remember that Fear is set much earlier than The Walking Dead, this means that the zombies in the show are fresher and less decayed. It also means that bashing a zombie in the skull - the preferred kill method of TWD might be hard to execute because the  skulls are still hard at the early onset of the outbreak.  

5. Family driven, not character driven

Fear’s story telling is focused on a dysfunctional family with normal problems. Divorced dad Travis (Cliff Curtis) and school counsellor Madison (Kim Dickens) are a middle-aged couple in Los Angeles, just trying to bring their two families together.

Kim’s daughter Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) is doing well in school, but son Nick (Frank Dillane) is a junkie who can’t kick the habit.

The focus on family suggests that the arrival of the apocalypse could be the catalyst to unite them. If that is the case, that would be the reverse of the Walking Dead, which has mostly shown us families being torn apart by the apocalypse.

Gillian Ang is the co-founder of Geek Crusade, a pop-culture news website dedicated to tracking all your favorite TV Shows and movies from rumour to screen. #Jointhecrusade for up to date fandom news for Sherlock, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Marvel and DC movies and many, many more. Tweets go out at@geekcrusade. The views expressed are her own.

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5 Singapore landmarks that star in Hitman: Agent 47

This is the week where you take your patriotic souls and spend good money to watch Hitman: Agent 47: Hollywood’s SG50 gift to the Singapore Tourism Board.  

And according to it, this is the draw of Singapore: Warm, has advanced medical technologies, people speak English, Tamil and Chinese and has orchids. 

We stalked the production last May, and it was a joy trying to piece together filming locations we covered with the scenes in the movie.

Also, it’s such fun seeing Singapore landmarks in a Hollywood movie. Here are some of the landmarks I spotted. Did you see them too?

1. Parkroyal at Pickering

(Source: Parkroyal at Pickering)

Aside from being the hotel where the stars from Hitman stayed, Parkroyal at Pickering had the full Hollywood treatment. Its exterior, lobby, swimming pool, lift and the car park entrance all turned up in the movie. 

Oh, and there’s that gratuitous shot of Hannah Ware swimming in the pool against the Singapore skyline.  Sorry to burst your bubble, but we are pretty sure that was a stunt double’s back  you were looking at.

(Source: Youtube)

Fun fact: If you peer really closely at the windows where Agent 47 fights off intruders in the hotel room, you might just see Parliament house and the Supreme Court winking at you.

2. ITE Central

(Source: Youtube)

If you look really closely at the scene where Agent 47 and Katia fight off gunmen in a factory/hangar, you can see the ITE logo peeking at you.  

ITE Central College has its own aerospace hanger and these two vehicles  (blue and orange) belong to ITE too. So, don’t be deceived by the film editing: that shot was filmed in Singapore, and not Berlin like the film editors would like you to think.

3. Marina Barrage

(Source: www.news.gov.sg)

When we broke news that Angelababy was cast in Agent 47, we had hopes that she wouldn’t be that token Asian character. Sadly, she was. 

Angelababy’s moment of Hollywood glory was limited to her making calls from Marina Barrage. And now we will always have the mental image that Angelababy is waiting 24/7 at the Marina Barrage to call someone.

4. Gardens by the Bay

(Source: Gardens by the Bay)

Forget the newly UNESCO Heritage-crowned Botanical Gardens - the staggering views at Gardens by the Bay were what drew first-time director Aleksander Bach to shoot in Singapore. 

The Cloud Forest and the OCBC skywalk get their 5 minutues of fame, as orchids and supertrees anchor a core emotional scene where a character reunites with her father.  

Also, In a hilariously, badly cut scene, the father and daughter walk seamlessly from the bridge in the Cloud Dome to the Skywalk. It’s a feat that is not only physically impossible but also silly, especially when you consider that the Cloud Forest’s temperature is much more pleasing that being out in the scorching sun.

5. Robinson Road

(Source: Youtube)

Car chase scenes are de rigeur for all action movies, and Hitman: Agent 47 is no different - a key action scene takes place in the middle of Robinson Road

Background: Robinson Road was closed for four days last year to accommodate the filming of a key action scene, and most of the cars in the traffic are Comfort Delgro cabs.  

In case you were wondering, the cab drivers there are real: The drivers told us that they had been asked by the company to drive their cabs to the set.

So if you had trouble booking Comfort last year, know that their cabs were busy at a Hollywood production.

Gillian Ang is the co-founder of Geek Crusade, a pop-culture news website dedicated to tracking all your favorite TV Shows and movies from rumour to screen. #Jointhecrusade for up to date fandom news for Sherlock, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Marvel and DC movies and many, many more. Tweets go out at @geekcrusade. The views expressed are her own. 

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5 comic book characters who changed race in the movies

As Fantastic Four gears up for release this week, some fans of the comics are still unhappy that Johnny Storm - a character originally written with blond hair and blue eyes - is being played by Michael B Jordan, a black man. (Fun Fact: Chris Evans was Johnny Storm before he turned into Captain America)

When asked about this last week, Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee brushed away talk of racism: 

“I don't think it had to do with racial prejudice as much as they don't like things changed...I always figure change is good if it improves a thing.” 

While the jury is still out on Michael B Jordan’s Human Torch, here’s five characters who proved that race doesn’t matter in casting.

1. Nick Fury in all the Marvel Movies

(Source: ComicBookMovie.com)

Nicky Fury might have started off as white in the comics, but in 2001, The Ultimates team of writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch changed that. 

The duo re-imagined Fury in the likeness of Samuel L. Jackson, who was in their opinion “the coolest man alive”. Jackson contacted Marvel after seeing his likeness in the comic and asked for a part in any eventual movie. 

Now, Samuel L Jackson is Nick Fury personified.

2. Kingpin in Daredevil (2003)

(Source: Screenrant)

In the comics, Wilson Fisk a.k.a. The Kingpin is an utterly ruthless crime lord built like a sumo wrestler who can literally crush men with his bare hands. 

Step forward, Michael Clarke Duncan. With that incredible bass voice and a coiled air of menace, he was the one bright, shining spot in an otherwise rubbish movie. 

Duncan has since passed on, and Kingpin’s now played by Vincent D’Onofrio, a white actor. But Duncan’s achievement still stands. 

 3. Ben Urich in Daredevil (2015)

Let’s face it, the colour of Urich’s skin has absolutely nothing to do with who he is as a character. Urich is an older, worn out, and yet still idealistic journalist, who’s also devoted to his wife. 

Vondie Curtis-Hall’s portrayal in the Netflix series is spot on. He’s all of these things and more, taking on the powers that be with immense courage - just like in the comics. 

4.  Heimdall in the Thor movies

(Source: ComicBookMovie.com)

This was a particularly bold man, given that the mythos of Thor is directly based on Scandinavian (i.e. white) mythology. In the comics, Heimdall is the guardian of the rainbow bridge between Asgard (home of the gods) and Midgard (Earth). 

But when you cast an actor as talented and charismatic as Idris Elba, he could play the guardian dog and still be outstanding. 

5. Iris West in The Flash

(Source: Videshimagazine)

Iris West is the love of Barry Allen’s life, the proverbial good-woman-behind-every-wife. Unfortunately, the writers at The CW seem to have seen all that and thought: ‘Let’s make the TV version of Iris fulfill every female stereotype’.

Indecisive? Check. Whiney? Check. Damsel in distress? Check. Candice Patton tries her best, but any actress, regardless of ethnicity, would struggle with such a burden. 

Gillian Ang is the co-founder of Geek Crusade, a pop-culture news website dedicated to tracking all your favorite TV Shows and movies from rumour to screen.#Jointhecrusade for up to date fandom news for Sherlock, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Marvel and DC movies and many, many more. Tweets go out at@geekcrusade. The views expressed are her own.

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5 reasons Rebecca Ferguson stole our hearts

Let’s face facts. The Mission: Impossible franchise is all about Tom Cruise‘s Ethan Hunt – the unluckiest spy in the world – pushing the limits to impress moviegoers. 

But if you’ve watched Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, it’s very likely that your hearts were stolen by newcomer Rebecca Ferguson. As the enigmatic Ilsa Faust, she keeps Hunt (and the audience) guessing where her loyalties lie.

While it seems like a Mission: Impossible tradition to swap out its female lead for each new installment, here are 5 reasons they should keep the Swedish-British beauty around.

SPOILERS AHEAD

1. She’s grounded

(Source: Paramount Pictures )

Unlike other movies that have women running in heels - yes Jurassic World, I'm looking at you - Faust displays common sense when she demands that Hunt helps her remove her shoes before she sprints barefoot across rooftops.

And the girl in me likes that she always takes care of her shoes. Her shoes are with her even when she gets thrown out of a car!

2. She’s no damsel in distress

(Source: Entertainment Pictures)

Unlike Thandie Newton and Michelle Monaghan in previous MI movies, whom Hunt had to rescue, it’s the other way round: Faust totally saves Hunt’s ass from certain death. Twice.

To show that it's no fluke, she also wins a knife slugfest with a thug and wins the day with her signature move: Using her thighs to knock people out.

3. She has badass bike riding skills

(Source: Paramount Pictures )

Girl gets chased by bad men on bike. Good guy goes to the rescue, takes the other bikers out and saves the girl before her bike crashes. Does this movie trope sound familiar? Well, Ilsa Faust just isn’t going to stand for that.

That particular trope applies all the way to the end, when Faust stops Hunt with the ballsiest of moves – disembarking from her bike and standing in the middle of the road right in the path of his bike. 

The end result? Hunt crashes his bike and Faust rides off into the sunset unhurt.

4. She is Cruise's equal

(Source: Paramount Pictures )

In Mission: Impossible 2, femme fatale Nyah’s (Thandie Newton) role was to sleep with Hunt and as well as the villain. In part 3, Jules (Michelle Monaghan) was required to get kidnapped by the baddie and scream a lot. 

Ilsa Faust is destined for far greater things than that. She possesses the right blend of cunning, quiet allure and physicality, which allows her to be Hunt’s equal. And the two of them don’t even kiss!

5. She has old school glamour 

(Source: Paramount Pictures)

Think of old-time movie stars like Ingmar Bergman and Lauren Bacall, and you’ll know what I mean. Faust is gorgeous, sensual and can reduce you to a quivering wreck with one look from those piercing blue eyes. 

And unlike modern day stars, she doesn’t even need to show a lot of flesh to do it (that yellow dress with thigh-high slit notwithstanding). When I grow up, I want to be just like her.

Gillian Ang is the co-founder of Geek Crusade, a pop-culture news website dedicated to tracking all your favorite TV Shows and movies from rumour to screen.#Jointhecrusade for up to date fandom news for Sherlock, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Marvel and DC movies and many, many more. Tweets go out at@geekcrusade. The views expressed are her own.

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Throw-down: The battle of Disneyland’s geek attractions

With last week’s announcement that Disneyland Shanghai will include attractions devoted to the Marvel and Star Wars universes, the battle of Disneyland’s geek attractions is about to hit the next level.

Who will triumph? Will old favourites Disneyland California/ Tokyo keep the crown? Or will the Asian upstarts, Hong Kong and Shanghai, snatch it away?

Disneyland Shanghai

Disney is creating three new experiences for the Shanghai park: Star Wars Launch Bay, Marvel Universe and TRON Lightcycle Power Run.

(Source: Disney)

In Star Wars Launch Bay, visitors can meet the heroes and villains of the sci-fi saga, visit intergalactic set-pieces, view props from the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and go on a 3D simulator ride based on the Skywalker story.

At Marvel Universe, you can attend a multimedia mission briefing in the world of Marvel, meet popular Marvel superheroes, and learn to draw your favourite characters in the style of comic book artists. In other words, this is either a kiddy ride or  a kick ass S.H.I.E.L.D. agent training exhibit like Marvel's Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. 

Always wanted to ride a Tron Lightcycle? Disneyland Shanghai is fulfilling your fantasy. This TRON Lightcycle Power Run gives you more movement than all the other 3D simulator rides we’ve showcased. In other words, this is the coolest geek attraction ever.

(Source: Disney)

What we’re wishing for:

Please let the Marvel Universe be more Marvel's Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. and less Iron Man Hall of Armour.

Disneyland Hong Kong: Iron Man Experience

(Source: Disney/ Marvel)

Opening in late 2016, this is the very first Disney attraction based on a Marvel character. Modelled on the idea of visiting the Start Expo (Iron Man 2), the exhibit will feature Stark’s Iron Man suits and his many other innovations. 

Upon entering the 3-D motion simulator ride vehicle, visitors will take flight with Iron Man on an epic adventure that takes place in the streets and skies of Hong Kong. 

What we’re wishing for: 

Tony Stark to make a grand entrance in his suit and dance for his adoring crowd. 

Or we could just settle for Jarvis to welcome us into the ride.

Disneyland Tokyo/California: Star Tours—The Adventures Continue

Star Tours is a 3D, motion-simulated space flight that launches you into the world of Star Wars. Your ride takes place aboard a Starspeeder 1000 - piloted by C-3PO, no less - that will take you to destinations such as the ice planet Hoth or the deserts of Tatooine. You may also encounter beloved characters such as Darth Vader, Princess Leia and - no, it’s not a trap - Admiral Ackbar!

The rides were updated in 2011, and are unlikely to be refreshed for the foreseeable future. 

Verdict:

Disneyland Shanghai 3: Disneyland Hong Kong 1: Disneyland Tokyo: 1. 

Is your inner geek trembling with excitement yet? Then you should consider that a Hunger Games theme park is coming to Dubai, not to mention the BBC’s plans for a theme park featuring the likes of Doctor Who and Sherlock. 

Gillian Ang is the co-founder of Geek Crusade, a pop-culture news website dedicated to tracking all your favorite TV Shows and movies from rumour to screen. #Jointhecrusade for up to date fandom news for Sherlock, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Marvel and DC movies and many, many more. Tweets go out at @geekcrusade. The views expressed are her own.

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The troubled 10 year production timeline of Marvel’s Ant-Man

Marvel’s Ant-Man might be all about shrinking proportions, but it’s production timeline is anything. Its 10-year gestation period was peppered with delays, rewrites, and a high-profile director jumping ship. 

Here’s all you need to know about Ant-Man’s slow crawl to the finish line.

(Marvel Studios)

2005

Marvel overhauls its approach to movies and announces plans to self-produce movie adaptations of ten different characters, including Ant-man, under its own Marvel Studios banner. 

At same time, Edgar Wright and writer Joe Cornish are given the go-ahead for their treatment for an Ant-Man movie, by top execs Kevin Feige and Avi Arad.

2006

Marvel officially announces the Ant-Man movie at San Diego Comic-Con in July.

2007

Ant-Man remains in a holding pattern while the second draft of the script is being worked on.

2008

Wright shares with Empire that the second draft of the script has deviated from their original crime-story treatment, Ant-Man is not going to be a superhero spoof, but more of a “full-on action adventure sci-film but with a comedic element”.

2010

Marvel assembles the core cast for its upcoming Avengers movie at San Diego Comic Con. But Ant-Man is not one of the characters involved, despite being a key member of the Avengers in the comics. Rumours begin circulating that the production is in trouble.

2011

By now, Wright and Cornish have written three drafts of the script.

2012

(Source: Screenplay.com)

At San Diego Comic-Con, Wright confirms that Ant-Man is still on and screens some unfinished test footage he directed. (P.S: Geek Crusade was there to witness the unveiling in Hall H!)

In the later part of the year, Marvel announces that Ant-Man will be released on November 6, 2015.

2013

Even though Henry Pym (the original Ant-Man) built Ultron in the original comics, Ant-Man is not part of The Avengers: Age of Ultron which is announced at San Diego Comic Con. Wright announces that Ant-Man’s script is finally complete, and it will not feature Utron.  He starts prepping for production and Marvel moves the Ant-Man release date to July 31, 2015. 

Marvel relocates the shooting of Ant-Man from the U.K to the U.S due to a dispute over filming on protected land. Paul Rudd signs on to play Ant-Man, but production is delayed so that Wright can finish The World’s End first.

2014

Ant-Man’s release date is changed for the third time to July 17, 2015, and more cast members are announced. Wright and Cornish deliver a fifth draft of the script in March. The villain’s name has, by this point, been changed to Yellowjacket, a confusing choice as it was also a codename for Pym in the comics.

With just weeks before the start of shooting, Wright and Cornish are told that the  studio wants to do a draft of the script without their involvement. Wright is not pleased with the draft script he receives. 

Wright quits the project.

Joss Whedon, in a show of camadiere, tweets a captionless image of himself holding up a Cornetto ice-cream (A reference to Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy).  

(Source: Twitter/ Joss Whedon)

Wright responds by tweeting, and deleting, a picture of a sad Buster Keaton eating a Cornetto with the caption, “Selfie.”

(Source: Twitter/ Edgar Wright)

After rumours that Adam McKay turned down the offer, Marvel announces that Peyton Reed is the new director of the Ant-Man movie, with McKay on scripting duties. (Paul Rudd will eventually contribute to the writing too) Marvel’s Phase 3 rolls on.

In an interview with The Guardian, Feige defends the loss of Edgar Wright, saying:

“Peyton is going to do a tremendous job and the cast is tremendously dedicated and the script is getting into amazing shape. You wouldn’t expect a producer to say anything different, but when that movie comes out it will be the absolute best version of Ant-Man that could have existed.”

Filming on Ant-Man wraps with this tweet from Reed

  And that’s it! Principal photography on ANT-MAN is now complete. The ants have left the building. Stay tuned…

2015

Ant-Man opens in #1 in the box office with an opening weekend gross of $58M. But what’s more exciting for fan boys is its end credit scene (spoiler!) that serves as a direct bridge to Captain America: Civil War.

Gillian Ang is the co-founder of Geek Crusade, a pop-culture news website dedicated to tracking all your favorite TV Shows and movies from rumour to screen. #Jointhecrusade for up to date fandom news for Sherlock, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Marvel and DC movies and many, many more. Tweets go out at @geekcrusade. The views expressed are her own.

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Suicide Squad trailer just proves that Will Smith can’t stop saving the world.

Fans thought they were experiencing deja vu when Deadshot, played by Will Smith, uttered “Let’s go save the world” in the Suicide Squad trailer. That’s because Will Smith has said some variation of that in so many of his films. 

It just goes to show: Will Smith can’t stop himself from saving the world. Even when playing a villain, Smith can’t supress his heroic tendencies. 

And we should all be thankful for that. After all, Smith is the very reason we have survived aliens, robot squids and zombies for the last 20 years.

Here’s what Will Smith has saved the world from:

Aliens: Independence Day (1996)

(© 20th Century Fox)

Aliens are coming to invade Earth and they are set on destroying it. But fear not, for Captain Steven Hiller and his jet save the world from aliens with the help of Jeff Goldblum and the president. You will never look at fireworks in the same light again.

Aliens again: Men in Black I, II and III (1997/ 2002/ 2012)

(© Sony Pictures)

James Edwards, an NYPD detective, is chosen to join a top secret task force that polices extra terrestrial affairs on Earth. With the help of Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones), he keeps the nasty aliens at bay. 

Robots: I, Robot (2004)

(© 20th Century Fox)

In 2035 AD, robots are everyday objects that are programmed to live alongside humans. Detective Del Spooner discovers the horrifying truth that robots have feels and they can kill humans. But thankfully for all of humanity, Spooner squashes the robot uprising and saves the world. yawns.

Zombies: I am Legend (2007)

(© Warner Brothers)

A strange disease has killed most of the people on earth or turned them into kinda-sorta zombies. Military scientist and lone survivor Robert Neville works valiantly to discover a cure for the disease, aided by his trusty dog. Spoiler alert: He succeeds. Yet again

Aliens, yet again: After Earth (2013)

(© Sony Pictures)

Will Smith brings his son Jayden in on the saving the world thingy! The Smiths play father-and-son team Kital and Cypher Raige (yes, those are really their names), who are stranded on post-apocalyptic Earth. Jayden eventually signals for help and saves the world. But there was no saving this movie.

?: Suicide Squad (2016)

(© Warner Brothers)

It’s unclear what the Suicide squad would be saving the world from. But one thing is for certain, Smith wouldn’t be saving the world alone. He will have help from fellow cast members such as Margo Robbie, who plays Harley Quinn. 

Gillian Ang is the co-founder of Geek Crusade, a pop-culture news website dedicated to tracking all your favorite TV Shows and movies from rumour to screen. #Jointhecrusade for up to date fandom news for Sherlock, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Marvel and DC movies and many, many more. Tweets go out at @geekcrusade. The views expressed are her own.

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Batman V Superman Trailer is really all about Batman

The Batman V Superman Trailer, first unveiled at San Diego Comic Con last week, thrilled the interwebs. But despite the title, the trailer is not about  the Justice League, or even Superman.

The true star is Batman, and the trailer is all about answering these 5 questions.

1. Where was Batman in Man of Steel?

Bruce Wayne was on the ground in Metropolis. The trailer shows Bruce watching as Kyroptonian heat vision cuts through a building. Then it cuts to Superman and Zod flying out of it, bringing the towering skyscraper down behind them like a block of jenga bricks.

But why is Bruce Wayne so angry? Metropolis isn’t Gotham City. Or is it?

During the SDCC Hall H panel with Warner brothers, we learned from Director Zach Snyder that Gotham and Metropolis are “ sister cities” in the new DC Entertainment universe. This means it’s very likely that the fight spilled over to Gotham City.

The wreckage confirms that Wayne Financials was one of the buildings destroyed, and the loss of his employees to the battle is what propels Batman’s conflict with Superman.

2. How are they going to explain the Dark Knight Trilogy?

4 words: “20 years in Gotham”

3. What is Batman doing now?

“This Bat vigilante is a one-man reign of terror” - Clark Kent

As alluded in Ben Affleck’s interview with Entertainment Weekly, Batman is at “the end of his run and maybe the end of his life. There’s this sort of world-weariness to it.”

And we see how increasingly embittered Batman becomes, who manifests his rage by branding criminals he apprehends.

4. Where is Robin?

At one point in the trailer, we see Bruce Wayne gaze at a suit which has “Haha, Joke’s on you Batman,” scrawled all over it. But that is not the Batsuit - the “R” on the left chest area suggest that the suit might be Robin’s.

And if you  look closely enough there seems to be two bullet holes in Robin’s suit, which suggest that the suit is battle-worn. This might just mean that that suit in a case is some sort of a Robin Memorial. Sobs.

5. Who is Alfred now?

Jeremy Irons takes over the role of the dependable Alfred Pennyworth. With no Wayne Manor to mind, Irons has suggested that his version of Alfred would be more hands-on and less of a Butler.

Oh what a sidekick he would be: Bringing tea and weapons at the same time!

Gillian Ang is the co-founder of Geek Crusade, a pop-culture news website dedicated to tracking all your favorite TV Shows and movies from rumour to screen. #Jointhecrusade for up to date fandom news for Sherlock, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Marvel and DC movies and many, many more. Tweets go out at @geekcrusade. The views expressed are her own.