World’s Best Media

PODCAST: Is There A Place For Small Cinema Anymore?

Published on November 12, 2019December 1, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

This week, I was thrilled to get my old friend and frequent collaborator Michael Cole back on The World’s Best Podcast. Mike Cole wanted to discuss the comments recently made by several prominent filmmakers, that seem to ask: is there a place for great, smaller films in this blockbuster world?

In other news, some very exciting casting announcements have been made regarding director Matt Reeves’ upcoming film, The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne. My readers and listeners know what a huge Batman fan I am and I’ve got to say, every new piece of news that I hear about this project, makes me even more excited to see it. Sure, I’ll have to wait for it’s Summer 2021 release date, but there are plenty of other cool and thrilling projects coming down the pipe between now and then. I do want to reiterate that those of you who may have doubts about Robert Pattinson in this role, are going to be pleasantly surprised. I think Pattinson is going to do a fantastic job. With a story that’s rumored to focus on the tortured and scarred psychology of Bruce Wayne as well as his skills as The World’s Greatest Detective, I think Pattinson is going to crush it in this role. Anyway, Mike and I go down the roster the roles that have been cast (or heavily rumored to have been cast) and give our take on each of the recently announced parts.

Bringing up The Batman is a great excuse to showcase one of my favorite artists working right now, BossLogic. You may have seen his work online before, I’ve posted his work on this site many times. He made up a very cool poster for movie, as well as pieces on the different actors supposedly up for roles in The Batman and what they’d look like as the iconic allies and enemies of The Dark Knight’s world. Take a look here:

Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot (The Penguin)

We recorded two episodes, but I’m releasing the second of the two podcasts first. The subjects that we discuss in this podcast are still pretty relevant and fresh in peoples minds right now. I felt that if I waited to share this episode, it just might not be as enjoyable to the fans a week from now. Part One of the podcast has a pretty broad topic, so we’ll be releasing that one later in the week

Listen here or subscribe on Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/ITunes: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/19932530

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-worlds-best-podcast/id1246038441?i=1000456338398

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=65174129&autoplay=1

Thanks for listening! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, which go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again!

-Paul

FIRST LOOK: The Villain of Crisis On Infinite Earths:The Anti-Monitor! New Character Photos! & More!

Published on November 9, 2019December 1, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

This poster was done by my favorite artists, BossLogic. It’s a direct homage to one of the most famous images in Crisis On Infinite Earths, which I’ve posted below.

Left: The famous Death of Supergirl image from Crisis On Infinite Earth; Right: A promo poster for a Season 2 Supergirl episode, that directly referenced this iconic comic book image.

The CW’s Ultimate DC Superhero Crossover: Crisis On Infinite Earths is coming! This is like DC‘s version of endgame in many ways. The Arrowverse , like the MCU after Endgame, will be fundamentally altered. Heroes will live. Heroes will die. They’ve been building to this since the very first episode of The Flash. I’ve loved every annual crossover The Arrowverse has done, but this is one of the most iconic stories in the history of comics, I just really hope they knock it out of the park with this one. Despite the looming threat he’s been posing for more then a year and a half, we have yet to see the biggest bad, The Anti-Monitor himself, in the flesh. Well, we don’t have to wait any longer due to this exclusive, very cool unveiling of the character from EW.com. Take a look!

You may notice how similar he looks to The Monitor, that’s because not only are they played by the same actor (Lamonica Garret), but they’re also brothers. The Monitor, The Anti-Monitor, and a being called The Forger (though don’t expect to be seeing him popping up), were three of the first living beings in creation. Each brother was tasked with a sacred duty by their Mother, the creator of the entire Multiverse. However, these roles and duties sometimes brought the brothers in conflict with one another, like in Crisis. The Anti-Monitor needs to destroy The Multiverse and The Monitor will stop at nothing to ensure that he does not succeed.

Though not quite as exciting as the reveal of The Anti-Monitor, official photos have been unveiled to show a few characters we know, but in a way we’ve never seen them before. First, there’s Digg’s wife Lyla Michaels (The Head of A.R.G.US.) as the character, Harbinger. I knew actress Audrey Marie Anderson, who plays Lyla, would be playing a character called Harbinger in Crisis. Without saying too much, Harbinger had a role to play in the original Crisis On Infinite Earths. When I heard Anderson would be playing Harbinger. I assumed that this was one of Lyla’s doppelgängers from another Earth, but considering that her call sign on missions has always been Harbinger and the recent reveal that she is actually working with The Monitor, makes me think that this is probably the Lyla and we know from Earth-1. Then we have an image of what seems to be a new “Wells”, as the character Pariah. I don’t wanna say too much about Pariah and the role he plays in Crisis from the source material, for fear of accidentally spoiling certain key plot points. However, like Lyla, when Tom Cavanaugh was revealed to be playing Pariah, I initially thought Pariah would be just another version of Wells from The Multiverse, but with the recent introduction of Nash Wells (and he is very personal, intense desire to find and learn more about The Monitor, to some thus far unknown end). I don’t think it’s too far of a stretch to say that Nash Wells is Pariah.

It’s also been revealed that the iconic DC character The Spectre will appear in the crossover. The Spectre is one of the most powerful and terrifying beings in the DC Universe. Regarded as literally the right hand of God, he is the spirit of vengeance personified. While neither good nor evil, his immense power and tendency to deal out brutal punishment to those he sees as evil, make him one of the most feared beings in The Multiverse. The Spectre needs to bond with the spirit of a recently dead human, most famously crooked cop Jim Corrigan. Which is the iteration of the character we will be seeing in Crisis, played by Stephen Lobo.

The Spectre is a being that exist on a completely different power level than even the strongest DC characters and he doesn’t bother to get involved in “minor” mortal events. So, his presence in Crisis means that the shit has REALLY hit the fan. Regardless of how it all turns out, this is going to be a blast to watch! So don’t miss the full schedule for each show that’s part of the crossover, which I’ve posted below.

It’s always fun to see John Constantine interacting with other characters from the Arrowverse. He always mixes things up in a fun way. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to hook up with Oliver‘s daughter, Mia. Which would be pretty funny. Plus, Jonah Hex is always excellent!

It all begins with the first 3 Parts of the 5-Part crossover, with Supergirl on Sunday, Dec. 8, followed by Batwoman on Monday, Dec. 9, and The Flash on Tuesday, Dec. 10. When the show’s return from the annual winter break, the final 2 chapters of the crossover will continue on Tuesday, Jan. 14, with Arrow at 8 p.m., and conclude with Legends of Tomorrow at 9 p.m.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, which go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again!

-Paul

NEW TRAILER & IMAGES: Netflix’s The Witcher!

Published on November 5, 2019December 1, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

The various streaming services have been absolutely fucking crushing it this year with their original programming. With only a few exceptions, all of my favorite shows of the year have all come from Netflix, Amazon Prime, and even DC Universe. I’m talking about shows like; The Umbrella Academy, Good Omens, Young Justice, Stranger Things 3, The Boys, Titans, Jessica Jones, Doom Patrol. Each and every one of those shows are spectacular (with the possible exception of the flawed, but still great, Titans)! In my opinion, this is the year streaming’s content stepped things up big time and the year isn’t even over yet! We still have The Mandalorian to look forward to, as well as the subject of today’s article: Netflix’s The Witcher!

The Witcher, hitting Netflix on 12/20, is one of the most highly anticipated genre projects of the year. It took a while, but Netflix finally announced the 12/20 release date for The Witcher last week. A brand new trailer accompanying the release date announcement, which you can watch below. In my opinion, it looks spectacular. Though some people are fans of this story and these characters through The Witcher video game series, those games were based on a series of classic fantasy novels. It’s the fantasy novel that the series is adapting.

You can tell from the trailer how much care and attention went into creating this brand new fantasy world. If I didn’t know this was a streaming series, I’d probably think it was a movie. If The Witcher is a success, it will be yet another example of how some of the most exciting storytelling in genre entertainment is being done on TV, rather than in film.

Even though I’ve never read the books that the show is based on, I’ve been looking forward to this series pretty much since it was announced a few years ago. It has so much that is right up my alley. Whether it’s Abraham Van Helsing from Bram Stoker‘s classic novel Dracula or Sam and Dean Winchester in the TV series Supernatural, I love stories about people who hunt monsters. As much as I enjoy the monster hunters, I love a really cool monster/creature even more and it looks like this new series has that in spades! I’ve always been drawn to stories involving magic, monsters, and bad ass sword fighters. Despite the fact that some people have criticized his casting in this role, I love Henry Cavill and I think he looks fantastic as the show’s anti-hero Geralt of Rivia. If The Witcher is able to stick the landing and give us a truly great show, this will have been, without a doubt the best year so far for excellent content from streaming services. Something tells me The Witcher is really going to deliver. Please comment below and let me know what streaming services you’ve been really digging these days! Check out the trailer right here:

PODCAST: Terminator: Dark Fate Review!

Published on November 2, 2019December 1, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

Much like the killer robots we see in these films, The Terminator franchise refuses to die. That’s right, folks! Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton have returned to kick Terminator ass and blow shit up in the latest entry in the iconic action series. Director Tim Miller (Deadpool) and Producer James Cameron chose to ignore the previous sequels and pick up right where T2 left off. Does Dark Fate return the franchise to the glory days of Terminator 2: Judgment Day? Or is this another failed attempt to revive a tired film series? Find out here in my review of, Terminator: Dark Fate!

Listen here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/19801657 Or subscribe on Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/iTunes!

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-worlds-best-podcast/id1246038441?i=1000455671780

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=64990799&autoplay=1

-Paul

We’re also continuing our attempt to bring attention to fundraising for cancer research and support for people fighting cancer and their families. At the beginning of the episode, we announced that we’d calling attention to a great charity dedicated to fighting colon cancer. The organization is Colon Cancer Coalition of Boston, you can check out their website right here: https://donate.coloncancercoalition.org/Boston Where you can make donations and find out about upcoming events! Make sure you donate and support #teammichelle 💩 (Michelle’s favorite emoji!)

We’re also trying to raise money directly for the family of Michelle Fabri, who recently lost her fight with colon cancer. Every donation, no matter how small helps, so check out their Go Fund Me page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/michellefabri

New Trailer & Posters For The Mandalorian!

Published on October 29, 2019December 1, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

THE MANDALORIAN The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and the Trandoshans

I can’t wait for The Mandalorian! It had so much positive buzz, the first trailer was fantastic, and the people working on this project are some of my favorite creators in Hollywood. As if my anticipated wasn’t already high enough, today Disney and Lucasfilm released a beautiful set of character posters and second trailer to get us hyped up for the shows November 12 release! It’s short, but God damn if it ain’t sweet! As cool as the visuals and production value are, I really love the strange, but fucking wonderful cast assembled to star in this series. You got Pedro Pascal (Oberyn Martell from Game of Thrones) as the titular Mandalorian and there are solid mainstays of film and television like Giancarlo Esposito and Carl Weathers. Finally you have these fantastic, weird, out of left field, pieces of casting that sound nuts, but are fucking awesome. Guys like Taika Watitti as the vicious droid bounty hunter, IG-88 and the always delightful Werner Herzog popping up as some kind of imperial officer or local official (I love to see pop up in these random roles). But I think my personal favorite piece of casting is seeing Bill Burr of all people, blasters in both hands and a mechanical shoulder rig, popping out a third gun out from behind his back! This truly is the best of all possible universes! Watch the trailer right here and check out the cool characters posters below:

PODCAST: Review HBO’s WATCHMEN!

Published on October 27, 2019December 1, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

On this week’s episode of The World’s Best Podcast, I review the new HBO series WATCHMEN, from creator Damon Lindelof (Lost, The Leftovers)! This new series serves as a quasi-sequel to the original WATCHMEN comic book, a brilliant deconstruction of the superhero genre. Written by the legendary Alan Moore with amazing art by Dave Gibbons, Watchmen is a true masterpiece of the comic book medium. TIME Magazine listed the graphic novel among their list of 100 greatest novels of the 20th century.

The graphic novel was adapted into a 2009 film by director, Zack Snyder to a mostly positive reception. DC Comics has published multiple prequel comic book miniseries’ under the banner “Before Watchmen”, telling stories about classic Watchmen characters like Rorschach, Doctor Manhattan, The Comedian and more.

Set 30 years after the classic graphic novel in an alternate 2019, police wear masks to protect their identities from a brutal terrorist organization. Following a shocking crime, characters both new and familiar find themselves in the middle of a vast conspiracy. Who Watches The Watchmen? Thanks for listening! Enjoy!

Listen here or subscribe on Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/ITunes: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/19690891

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-worlds-best-podcast/id1246038441?i=1000454920527

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=64847470&autoplay=1

-Paul

NEW TRAILER, POSTER, & IMAGES: Star Wars Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker !

Published on October 23, 2019December 1, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Every Saga has an ending….

REVIEW: Arrow The Final Season Premiere!

Published on October 23, 2019December 1, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwright1 Comment

Hey Everyone,

With Episode 2 of Arrow Season 8 airing tonight at 9pm on The CW, I wanted to post my review of last week’s season premiere….

Arrow deserves a lot of credit for being the show that changed the landscape of superhero television. Arrow’s the show that started it all, they don’t call it The Arrowverse for nothing. Besides being the birth place of The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow, I’d even go so far as to say that shows like Titans, Doom Patrol, and a lot of other series, would not have existed without Arrow. Other high profile TV projects have taken the spotlight from Arrow a bit over the years, but going into it’s final season, the series deserves a lot of recognition for making superhero television main stream. The series certainly has it’s critics, but I’ve always been a big Arrow fan.

Crisis On Infinite Earths loomed large in the Season Premiere. I think it was pretty clear after last year’s Elseworlds Crossover, that Arrow was setting things up for the series to end with Oliver Queen’s death. I think it’s a good way to end the heroic journey Oliver has been on. Plus, he still has a debt to pay to Mar Novu (The Monitor), as we saw in last season’s finale.

In the finale episode of Elseworlds, Oliver faced down The Monitor and made a deal with the cosmic being to save the lives of Supergirl and The Flash, in exchange for his own. As Oliver puts it his confrontation with The Monitor “ They are the best of us! And if you can’t see that… well, as gods go, you’re not a very smart one.“. So it was only a matter of time before The Monitor came around to collect. However, in classic Arrow fashion, Oliver has achieved a hard-fought peace and happiness. No more running around the city and putting himself in mortal danger, instead he’s living happily in his new cabin in the woods with Felicity and their newborn daughter Mia. But surprise, surprise! That’s when The Monitor decides to crash the party. A lot of the set up for the Season 8 was accomplished in last season’s finale, so the show hits the ground running in an awesome way.

When it comes to Arrow, they are not fucking around for their final season. Thins show clearly wants to go out on a high note and that’s very apparent from the thrilling season premiere. This episode of Arrow just kicked all kinds of ass. The whole thing was a blast from start to finish. If the rest of the season lives up to (or surpasses) the excellent standard set by this premiere episode, then we are in for one hell of a final season of Arrow.

Leading up to Arrow‘s final season, interviews with the cast, as well as the show’s writers and producers, have indicated that the structure of the final 10 episodes would look like each episode would serve to both be in homage to past seasons while also tying up certain loose ends from the series. Along with Oliver helping The Monitor prepare from the coming Crisis. This episode did a damn near perfect job of marrying those ideas. If each episode is going to be an homage to past seasons, this episode was a excellent call back to Season One, it’s the mission that Oliver is sent on by The Monitor that precipitates this celebration of the show’s past. It was very impressive how they weave together saying goodbye to the show in it’s final season, without forgetting that a lot of prep work needs to be done to lead into Crisis On Infinite Earths.

Of course this wouldn’t be Arrow without some spectacular action sequences and the episode delivers in a big way. There are a few fights scenes in particular that are very well executed. There’s a brutality and viciousness to the fights that adds an emotional edge. Especially because a few of the people Oliver finds himself fighting are surprising to see on the show again. One or two of the fights have a few small moments of confusion just because two characters in one of the fight scenes happen to be dressed very similarly, but that’s just a nitpick. Like I alluded to before, this episode has the added benefit of having some of the show’s best actors and characters from the show’s long run, return in this episode. Many of whom are in vastly different places in their lives than they were when Oliver last encountered them. There are also one or two killer Easter eggs that will put a big smile on this face of any DC fan. And this episode has on hell of an ending!

Overall this wasn’t just a great season premiere, it was a great episode and the beginning of a great send off to one of the most beloved shows in recent memory. If you haven’t been watching Arrow for a while, tune back in. It’s pretty easy to follow what’s going on and it’s definitely worth going out of your way to check it out again if you’re a lapsed fan. This was probably my pick of the week for best episode on TV (really my pick for LAST week because I didn’t get the damn article up in time). Make sure you check it out! Thanks for reading!

Episode Score

Arrow Season 8 Premiere: 9/10

Episode 2 of Arrow Season 8 airs tonight at 9pm on The CW!

-Paul

PODCAST: The Hobbit Trilogy With Paul & Ryan!

Published on October 17, 2019December 1, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

Due to overwhelming demand, Ryan McDonald and I have finally returned to complete our journey through Middle Earth. After our smash hit episode all bout The Lord of The Rings Movies, our listeners wanted, nay DEMANDED, a follow up episode exploring the other, less beloved big screen adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work. That’s right, this episode is all about The Hobbit Trilogy!

Unlike the nearly universally praised Lord of The Rings films, many fans criticized The Hobbit, feeling that 3 films to cover one of Tolkien’s shortest works was one film too many and an unnecessary cash grab by the studio. The individual films in The Hobbit Trilogy were viewed by some as being overly long and even boring.

Some of the criticisms surrounding the films were fair, other weren’t. As a Tolkien junkie, I loved spending as much time as possible in Peter Jackson’s vision of Middle Earth. The characters, the heart, the spectacular action set pieces, the groundbreaking special effects, I loved it all! I couldn’t get enough. I remember when the films were being made, I followed the production closely and when the movies were released it was an event for my friends and I. I was the guy who thought things like “They’re going to make 3 movies back to back instead of 2? Fuckin’ A! I love it! Bring it on!”, “They’re releasing extended editions on blu ray, just like LoTR? SICK! Add to shopping cart!”. My point is that I definitely have a positive personal bias with these films. While I’m the first to admit that I’m not 100% objective, I sincerely believe these are excellent films.

There are phenomenal performances from Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, and Richard Armitage, just to name a few. There are some beautiful, profound moments in these films. Not to mention the action and battles scenes which kick all kinds of ass! Oh, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Benedict Cumberbatch as the dragon, Smaug. He’s terrifying and fascinating all at the same time. The motion capture performance and voice performance by Cumberbatch, along with some VFX wizardry from the guys at Weta, combine to create one of the best motion capture CG characters of the past decade. I almost forgot to mention Howard Shore’s predictably excellent score.

But enough beating around the bush! Listen to the show below, where Ryan and I offer up our arguments for why these films are underrated, we give some background about the films problematic pre-production, and discuss our favorite characters and moments from the Trilogy. Of course, like every great episode of The World’s Best Podcast, we inevitably take some fun detours along the way

At the beginning of the episode, we announced that we’d calling attention to a great charity dedicated to fighting colon cancer. The organization is Colon Cancer Coalition of Boston, you can check out their website right here:

https://donate.coloncancercoalition.org/Boston Where you can make donations and find out about upcoming events! Make sure you donate and support #teammichelle 💩 (Michelle’s favorite emoji!)

Check out their Go Fund Me page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/michellefabri

Listen here or subscribe on Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/ITunes: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/19520356

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-worlds-best-podcast/id1246038441?i=1000453669814

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=64624174&autoplay=1

-Paul

PODCAST: My Interview With Comedian Danny Kelly!

Published on October 7, 2019December 1, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

I’m a huge fan of stand up comedy. So when I got the chance to sit down with the talented and hilarious comedian, Danny Kelly, I was thrilled. Over his nearly 3 decades as a professional comedian, Danny has racked up some amazing stories and experiences. He was kind enough to share some killer stuff when I sat down with him in the extremely cool “Cantankerous Podcast” mobile studio last week. FYI, the mobile studio is a large van that has been custom outfitted with leather chairs, tables, and recording equipment. With the mobile studio, Danny and his co-host Brian Glowacki, can take the show directly to guests. It’s one of the most interesting podcast set ups I’ve seen.

We discuss everything, beginning with his early days in the business in 1990’s L.A. to his current work on his fantastic podcast “Cantankerous” (available on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and anywhere you get your podcasts). During our conversation Danny offered up his insightful take on how the measure of success as a comedian has drastically changed over the last 30 years. This is a great peek behind the curtain for all you stand up fans out there! Throughout this hysterical episode, Danny regaled me with tales of his run-ins with some of the most famous people in entertainment, the time a crazed gun man was hiding out in the audience while he was doing a set, how the Boston comedy scene is different from L.A and New York, an incident involving accidentally eating a bowl of marbles in front of Christopher Walken, and much, much more! This was by far the most fun I’ve had recording a podcast in a long time! I’m sure you guys will enjoy listening to our conversation as much as had recording it. This is a cant miss episode, folks! Enjoy!

Listen here or subscribe on Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/ITunes: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/19343635

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-worlds-best-podcast/id1246038441?i=1000452604528

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=64413610&autoplay=1

Cantankerous is available through all major podcast apps, such as iTunes, Spotify, etc. You can also go directly to the Cantankerous Podcast website at: http://cantankerous.libsyn.com/

On social media, check out their Facebook Page, Cantankerous Podcast. Danny’s on Twitter @DannyKelly70 and his co-host Brian Glowacki @BrianGlowacki

Thanks for listening! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again!

-Paul