Welcome Back, Frank: A Second Look at “The Punisher” Cinematic Trilogy

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After decades of trying to redo his image and pretending he didn’t exist, Marvel, under the help of Disney, is finally embracing the Punisher and drawing the line with him as an adult character. Now that the mainstream has accepted that being a comic book character doesn’t mean you’re a child mascot, “The Punisher” is back at Marvel Entertainment and being given the adult treatment he deserved for such a long time. With popular character actor Jon Bernthal now taking on the mantle of Frank Castle for the acclaimed Netflix series “Daredevil” on season two.

Eventually being handed his own series, fans are hoping this is a new era for the Punisher, allowing him his own universe, his own mission, and a new iteration that will do justice to the resourceful Punisher of vigilantes and criminals. I’m excited to see what Jon Bernthal is going to do with the character come March 18th, so in celebration of the upcoming season of “Daredevil”, I’m going over the three past cinematic interpretations of Frank Castle and his moniker of “The Punisher” and see how they stack up. And if they stack up.

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Five Reasons Why “The Warriors” is the Best Gang Picture Of All Time

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PLAYING AT THE YONKERS ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE SUNDAY, MARCH 20TH; MORE INFORMATION HERE

I was introduced to Walter Hill’s “The Warriors” thanks to my dad who rented the film on VHS back in the early nineties. For him it was a long time favorite, and our entrance in to the gangster action picture gave us a look in to a surefire classic that has gone unparalleled since its release in 1979. Hill adapted the movie from the original novel, which itself was taken from a period tale by author Sol Yurick, and took us in to a world steeped in crime and violence where an inconspicuous group from Coney Island has to prove themselves and survive long enough to make it back to their home turf.

With admittedly exaggerated depictions of gang war fare, along with a slick depiction of action and combat, it’s hard to believe “The Warriors” garnered such controversy during its time. Hill’s film live on an as iconic action survival picture set in the urban jungle where a big for peace, inspires all out war thanks to a psychopath and a revolver. With one gun shot, The Warriors are marked and targeted by every gang in New York, forcing them to rely on their wits and each other to get home by dawn and re-unite with their legion of members. With “The Warriors” playing at the Alamo is Yonkers; I thought I’d list five reasons why Walter Hill’s film is still the best Gang Picture of all time.

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Emilie Black’s Top Five Childhood Celebrity Crushes

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In an effort to give the other side of the coin, something for those who may prefer their crushes to be male, I have compiled a list of my top 5 Childhood Celebrity Crushes.  Having grown up outside of the US and in French, my top was originally an odd mix of French-speaking celebrities and English-speaking ones.

To make this easier for the readers here, I have decided to only give 5 of my English-speaking Celebrity Crushes.

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Five More Movie Characters I Want to Marry

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If you’re a pop culture fanatic, you’ve come across one or two fictional characters in your lifetime that you become smitten with and sometimes fall for. It’s entirely possible and happens more frequently than most people realize. I had such a good time compiling my last list of Ten Movie Characters I Want to Marry, that I thought for the upcoming arrival of Valentine’s Day, I’d celebrate by listing Five More Movie Characters I’d Love to Marry.

Who are some movie characters you’d marry if given the opportunity? Let us know in the comments. And Happy Valentine’s, you filthy animal.

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Top Five Childhood Celebrity Crushes

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Another Valentine’s Day dawns upon us single folk, reminding us that we don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on dates or obligatory gifts just to appease our significant others as Valentine’s Day demands we express our love to someone or else we’re cold heartless monsters. As we prepare for another holiday involving cheap chocolate and greeting cards with hollow sentiment, I fondly recall five of the biggest Celebrity crushes of my childhood in the 1990’s and how they affected me big time.

Some of the crushes I outgrew, and some I just plain stopped liking altogether. In either case, my unrequited love for these celebrities inspire fond memories of a more innocent time during adolescence.

Who were some of your biggest celebrity crushes? Let Me Know in the Comments!

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“Grease: Live!”, and Five Observations About The Show

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Like many people that likely watched “Grease Live,” I’m a huge fan of 1978’s “Grease.” I’ve seen it at least a thousand times and watch it every single time it’s on television. So naturally fans like me would go in to “Grease Live” comparing it to the 1978 movie, consciously and sub-consciously. It was a risky venture giving us a live broadcast of “Grease,” but FOX took a gamble, and a wise one by getting in on the live musical broadcast gimmick, starting off with one of the most entertaining musicals of all time. “Grease Live” is pretty much the same as we always knew it, seemingly taking bits and pieces from the 1978 movie and including numbers from the original musical. Surely enough while I was worried about what I was getting in to, a lot of my reservations about casting, and production were absolutely destroyed with what was a pretty damn fun, three hour broadcast.

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Five Great Brie Larson Performances

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Brie Larson has spent a lot of time in film, television, and music making many appearances on television shows, sitcoms, dramas, and even working with Disney every now and then. She’s also a very prominent musician and has managed to finally break out in Hollywood over the last seven years as a surefire heavy hitter. Working her way from supporting player in to headlining acclaimed award winning films, Brie Larson has earned her stripes as a bonafide dramatic actress who is now an Oscar contender.

We’re rooting for her to take the gold home come February, but even if she doesn’t win, she has so many more amazing performances up her sleeve, and her potential for future wins are limitless. Being able to make the transition from art house films to mainstream cinema easily, Larson is something of a chameleon prone to stealing scenes, and I’m glad she’s finally getting her credit.

Here are five of her best performances yet.

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