What you should be watching on NETFLIX

 MINDHUNTER

A slow burner for sure but this is a Netflix show that once it has its hooks in you its very hard to stop an inevitable binge watching session to blitz through the first series. Mindhunters is the story of early criminal profiling, specifically serial killers and how two FBI agents expand criminal science by delving into the psychology of what makes a serial killer kill.  There's a really nice offset between the two lead characters that starts to gel around episode 3 as FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany),try to mind map the thoughts, processes and quirks behind some of America's most notorious killers. produced by David Fincher and Charlize Theron its one to watch for sure.

Why is it worth it?: It's a fascinating insight into how the FBI created criminal profiling when serial killers or 'sequence' killers first came under any major scrutiny in criminal science during the late 70's, the interviews with serial killer Ed Kemper is gripping and if you search on Youtube for the real Ed kemper interview you'll see why. 
production values are superb from the clothes, cars and music and it has that 'Deer Hunter' movie feel to the look of it with a sprinkling of Finchers Se7en for the darker side of human nature. The first and last 2 episodes of the 10 episode run were directed by David Fincher.

 OZARK

Take him or leave him Jason Bateman does a fantastic job in this Netflix series based around a money laundering financial adviser called Marty Byrd played by Bateman that has to clean money for a Columbian drug cartel but who also manages to drag his disfunctional family into the hell of it. In the midst of it all he heads out to the Ozarks in the belief that tourism will be a way to clean vast sums of money with no interference from law enforcement - the fact he manages to piss off local drug dealers, resident Rednecks and attract the attention of a very unflinching FBI man not to mention sharing a purchased house with the dying owner still in residence makes for a great cocktail of characters.

Why is it worth it? The character studies alone make for some truly entertaining TV and how Batemans character seems to dig a bigger hole for himself yet still manages to come out the other side episode to episode is edge of the seat stuff, great performance from actress Laura Linney too.

Breaking Bad

If you've not seen Breaking Bad there's only really one question - why not?, it's perhaps one of the best written TV shows ever made.Labelled as a neo western crime drama it delivers in spades in every single episode, it takes you up high but will then drop down on you with emotional gravitas that leaves you numb. Created by Vince Gilligan it follows Walter White (Brain Cranston), a high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, together with his former student Jessie Pinkman (Aaron Paul) he embarks on a life of crime cooking crystal meth to secure the financial future of his family. 

Why is it worth it? 16 Prime Time Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes pus a shed load more awards and accolades -its metacritic score got higher with every season and reached 99 out of 100 for season five. Walter White and his descent from struggling chemistry teacher to cold blooded drug kingpin is pure TV history.

Stranger Things Season 2 

The ultimate homage to 80's genre films returns for a second season, set in the fictional town of Hawkins Indiana in the 1980's the show quickly gained a cult following and one of Netflix's hottest shows. Great performances from Mathew Modine (season one) and David Harbour who will soon be taking on red skinned Hellboy duties. Also stars Winona Ryder and while I've never been a fan she shines as chaotic mom Joyce Byers. The biggest accolade goes to the cast of kids, Will, Finn Caleb and Gaten and the mysterious Millie or 'Eleven' as she is also known. It's absolutely a must for Sci-Fi fans.

Why is it worth it? It taps into 80's America with such aplomb that it feels super relevant and yet really nostalgic at the same time, you watch it and feel so connected to the show,especially if you were between the ages of 10-15 during the early or mid 80's. The sci-fi aspect mixes secret government installations, a bit of E.T, a little bit of Wargames and sprinkles this with some very dark X-Files stuff to boot too.

 Hannibal

Like me you probably think that only the actor Anthony Hopkins could and should play Hannibal Lecter as a character on screen. I went into this show thinking that there's no way that Mads Mikkelsen could pull this off - remember him?, he was the Bond villain with the weepy eye that dripped blood in Casino Royale. How wrong I was. The show absolutely excels in writing and performances and a supporting cast that includes Laurence Fishburn as FBI director Jack Crawford. The series focuses on the early relationship of criminal profiler Will Graham played by Hugh Dancy and Psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter. Graham works with the behavioral sciences dept for the FBI and has a real knack of getting inside killers minds but loses himself a little every time he goes into these trance like dream states. Graham is being mislead by the devious Lecter as he tries to steer focus from his own cannibalistic acts and murders.This show is dark, very dark, extremely graphic and pulls no punches.

Why is it worth it? - Do yourself a huge favor, get into the first two episodes at least before deciding it doesn't fit, by that time it'll have you hooked, its like CSI meets Se7en.Hugh Dancy absolutely gives this role his all, its a really engaging performance and the cooking, yes, the cooking and recipes in this show that are served up by Lecter are drop dead amazing. Above all that its a show that wasn't afraid to  explore the edge of the darkest most depraved human mind and explore the darker world of serial killing.

 The Punisher

Setting aside the previous screen interpretations from the likes of Dolph Lungren,Thomas Jane and the lesser received version of the character by the otherwise decent Ray Stevenson, Marvels walking death dealer gets his own show on Netflix after guest appearing in season 2 of the brilliant Daredevil show also on Netflix.
This time round Frank Castle, aka The Punisher is played by Walking Dead and Fury actor John Bernthall who absolutely soaks this role up. Season one kicks off with a 13 episode run and will no doubt enjoy additional season runs if the writing stays sharp and true to the character. If you ever read the Punisher comic series War Zone by John Romitta sr or read the War Journal series drawn by Jim Lee then this is surely a must.

Why is it worth it? If season 2 appearances in Daredevil is anything to go by - this could finally be the version of the Punisher character that thousands of comic book fans have been begging for. Bernthall lives and breathes the role totally and is fully aware of the responsibilities he has to Punisher fans, it'll be dark, brutal and full on.

NARCOS

Subtitles oh for the love of god, why?, I can't be arsed reading AND watching at the same time, but hold that thought because you'll be missing a superbly crafted series on NETFLIX that sheds light on possibly one of the worlds most notorious and dangerous criminals in modern history. The series also combines English language and subtitles are only for native Columbian characters like Pablo Escobar played by the brilliant Wagner Moura. While Escobar as a character does take up a lot of screen time (obviously) the DEA side also helps drive the narrative of the show. Actors Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook play the U.S DEA agents Javier Pena and Steve Murphy hellbent on tracking Escobar and taking him and the Medellin cartel down. NARCOS weaves through Pablo's rise to power as Columbia's richest and most powerful man through his Cocaine empire with the first two seaons focused on Escobar. Season 3 focuses on Javier Pena and his task of going after the Cali cartel and the cocaine flooding into Miami.

Why is it worth it?: The show provides a truly unique insight into Pablo Escobar, his power, his wealth and the lengths he would go to to retain that power and wealth. The show tells a story from both sides, one from Escobars criminal empire and the government led forces including the DEA that were out to end his career criminal ways. The show is a real gripper too, great writing and Wagner Moura is absolutely on form as Escobar. Season 3 is a slow burner to begin with but from episode 5 really ups the pace to a nail biting finish.

NETFLIX for the most part more than makes up for the deluge of mediocrity found on the service with its great range of original content and NETFLIX exclusives. While it has always been secretive in the numbers of active subscribers and viewer figures the US subscriber service for NETFLIX has over 48% more content than its UK counterpart and therefore provides a lot more value for money. US subscribers have access to 5663 titles, 4339 of those are movies and 1326 are TV shows for $7.99 a month. The UK on the other hand has 2967 shows for its subscribers, with 2425 of those being movies and the other 542 being TV shows for $7.73 a month. France, Germany, Holland and Greece all pay $9.39 for around 1780 titles. 

Current estimates put NETFLIX at around just over 100 million subscribers globally with an aggressive production schedule that will see it release 80 original films in 2018.

'Bright', the Will Smith Sci-Fi cop actioner directed by David Ayer (End of Watch, Fury) saw NETFLIX stump up $90 Million in production costs. Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman" due to air in 2019 had a price tag of $46 Million and stars Robert De Niro. NETFLIX also snapped up the 'hot' script for Sci-Fi thriller "Power" written by Mattson Tomlin which several other studios were apparently also bidding on, Power will be directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman who previously collaborated on Nerve and Viral but are probably better known for Paranormal Activity 3 and 4.
The Frank Grillo Heist thriller 'Wheelman' also found its home as a NETFLIX original movie and its currently available to stream and was produced by Joe Carnahan (The Grey). 

NETFLIX's content spend for 2018 will be between $7-8 Billion and its 80 movie catalogue outstrips Disney, Warners and Universals output for 2018 combined. The spend means that NETFLIX has become a real contender within the entertainment sector and puts additional pressure on other content creators to deliver competitive material. HBO spent $2.5 Billion on original content this year and CBS spent $4 Billion. Amazon Prime allocated $4.5 Billion to creating original content this year which means that if anything NETFLIX is upping the level of competition and the yard stick for other content creators to match.

original content drives subscriber growth and due to the digital climate and current technology for streaming it means that feeding a growing consumer base with a steady flow of entertainment is crucial in order to stay out in front.
 

10 Movies that need a run on NETFLIX (UK)

•  Maggie - Arnies underrated indie Zombie flick
• The Hateful Eight - Reservoir Dogs meets Django Unchained
• Hell or Highwater - Chris Pine and Ben Foster crime thriller
• Spotlight - Mark Ruffalo Boston Globe drama
• Non Stop - Liam Neeson Air Marshall thriller
• Silence of the Lambs - The classic Hannibal Lecter
• Prisoners - Hugh Jackman kidnap thriller
• The Town - Ben Affeck heist thriller set in Boston
• Inception - Leonardo Di Caprio and Tom Hardy's mind bending thriller

Got a list of movies you want to see on NETFIX anytime soon?

The Art of Blade Runner 2049

If like me you're heavily into all things Sci-Fi then be sure to consider adding this gorgeous book to your coffee table pile. The Art and Soul of Blade Runner 2049 is available at the end of Oct and is 224 pages of eye catching on set photos, behind the scenes images and set design content all centered around the visual look and style of the movie, not to mention some of the art from the incredibly talented team of designers and visual artists that collaborated their ideas and impressions in bringing the movie to life.
While Blade Runner 2049 has appeared to have struggled with a convincing Box office run of late there will be no denying it'll find its home as a cult favorite among a hardcore sci-fi audience and fans of the original movie. Judging by the Amazon reviews, the standard edition of the book (shown below) appears to offer more value for money over the Special Edition version.

 

Visual artists create the initial building blocks of what the environments, style and visual effects should look like, Blade Runner 2049 employed an impressive art team which included talented artists like George Hull who was employed at Lucasfilm ILM as Lead Visual Effects Art Director and Victor Martinez who has previously worked on Avatar, Terminator Salvation and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.
Emmanuel Shiu's, an artist who also worked on films such as Christmas Carol and After Earth also contributed art to the film - more of his work can be seen on his official website here

Check out more inside the book with this unboxing video courtesy of YouTuber shAI Dawn here

Art by George Hull

Art by George Hull

Art by George Hull

Art by Victor Martinez

Art by Emmanuel Shiu

Standard Edition format.

How Pin Up Model Tamika Rawson Made Carboard Boxes Sexy

I'd probably be right in saying that most people have never heard of Tamika Rawson, she's the extremely pretty lady in the photo below.She's actually an Australian pin up model and full on Metal Gear Solid fan as well apparently. 

Tamika visits the studio to see how the development of her image was used in-game.

Tamika Rawson also happens to be the curvy model used for various gravure posters in the latest Metal Gear series, in particular Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (or more specifically, its HD and 3D ports), and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. 
Everyone knows the Metal Gear Series is famed for is wacky in-game assets for Snake to utilize on his daring missions behind enemy lines, but its the good old cardboard box that wins through. Ever caused a huge full on manhunt and enemy base alert in Metal Gear Solid?, fear not, just hide in the trusty cardboard box which you could equip to avoid detection almost anywhere.
The box is such an iconic asset in the entire series they even created a collectors...Metal Gear Solid V Phantom Pain...box to celebrate it.

 The iconic Metal Gear Solid cardboard box has been a mainstay of the series.

Snake (Desert), Snake (Rocky/Sandy), Kazu (Woodland), Kazu (Urban)

In MGSV The Phantom Pain the trusty cardboard box came in a selection of camo's that Snake could use in the field, in the main Motherbase, the area in MGSV where all of Snakes research and intel was being developed you could 'research' the box and adorn it with different covers. Two of the most popular being the saluting soldier and the other was a bikini clad Tamika Rawson which could be used to distract enemy guards long enough before drawing your tranquilizer dart gun and shooting said enemy soldier in the face with it.

Pin up girl Tamika distracts the enemy troops on the side of a box.

To date the MGSV Phantom Pain has sold in excess of 6 million copies which means that bikini clad Tamika Rawson has been responsible for the distraction and shaming of countless millions of 'highly trained' enemy soldiers.

As modern day video game espionage goes, the cardboard box in the Metal Gear series has been an instrumental asset in counter terrorism and interdiction missions and its services to maintaining world peace should not go unnoticed.

 Tamika Rawson Twitter

This Black Series Full Size Vader Helmet is Insane!

Coming Spring 2018 Hasbro will be gracing us with what could be one of THE most collectible items for any Star Wars fan.
Hasbro follows up its full size Rogue One wearable Black Series Imperial Stormtrooper helmet I previously covered here  - with a full size reproduction of the Return of the Jedi helmet of Darth Vader.
The news was announced earlier this year at the Hasbro Hascon event with pricing details to be revealed closer to launch.

Whats so special about the Return of the Jedi Helmet? (ROTJ)
Okay so here's where things get super geeky, the sculpts for Vader's helmet are different in the original trilogy , each movie has a different variation in the design from Star Wars: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. To that point the the prequel trilogy also introduced a totally different sculpt to that of the original trilogy as well (flatter eye lenses smoother, less pronounced brow-line and more flared helmet hood).

Star Wars Prequel helmet on the left - Original Trilogy on the right.

The Vader helmet from 1977’s Star Wars, was sculpted by Brian Muir ( he also sculpted Vader's helmet for Rogue One) and the helmet was asymmetrical, with a red tint to the eyes that you’ll notice in certain scenes from when Vader is on Bail Organa's ship,Tantive IV. The helmet design in The Empire Strikes Back got rid of the red eyes and the more pronounced sinister brow over the eye lenses with its pronounced widows peak. 

In Return of the Jedi, Vader’s helmet is considerably more glossier and reflective, something that is clearly evident when he exits his shuttle on the Death Star at the begining of ROTJ. For the most part the design is relatively consistent with that of the design in Empire albeit a slightly flatter more condensed profile for the Jedi design. In ESB and ROTJ the neck of the helmet was actually a gun metal silver as was the left cheek segment and side flashes, black was merely limited to the main face area. The helmet for Return of the Jedi underwent a redesign which would allow for the grand reveal as to how Vader actually wore the helmet in 3 pieces, this added even more tension and drama during the unmasking scene with Luke at the film’s climatic end.

Its this 3 piece segmented helmet design that draws the main appeal for the Black Series version coming in 2018.

 Shiny Happy People - A glossy Darth Vader.

 Luke removes his fathers helmet in the climatic ROTJ scene.

Three sections make up the Black Series Vader helmet as true to the movie.

Stunning attention to detail is sure to be a winner for collectors.

The Hasbro Black Series 3 piece Vader helmet was revealed at Hascon 

The Black Series helmet provides a more affordable collectible  to a broader range of fans but die hard prop makers and collectors will always aim for specific helmet molds and pieces (Don Post and EFX) that prop sculptors or movie auctions provide. Anovos, the costume collectible specialist also provides a complete Vader costume and helmet also available in segments but the finish is more in line with movie prop materials than the mass produced plastic Hasbro offering but interestingly Anovos only created a 2 piece helmet.

Above: The Anovos Vader Helmet.

Above: The Anovos version - note that the neck piece is all connected to the facemask.