Wed
05
Feb

Who Betrayed Tommy Shelby In Cliffhanger Peaky Blinders Finale?

Peaky Blinders Season 5 Finale

The end of the fifth season of Peaky Blinders left fans in a state of shock. They watched on as Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) put together a carefully crafted plan to assassinate Oswald Mosley (Sam Clafin) and bring an end to his destructive plans for the country.

However, there was a twist in the tale, and Mosley was tipped off about the plan that the Shelby clan had pieced together, and that resulted in the plot failing spectacularly. Tommy’s old army comrade, Barney, was shot just as he was about to bring an end to Oswald’s Nazi-esque rally. Viewers were left bemused as to who pulled the trigger on Barney, while there was also a tragic end for Polly’s (Helen McCrory) fiancé, as Aberama Gold (Aidan Gillen) was brutally murdered on the side of the stage by the Billy Boys.

Wed
05
Feb

Rare Hot Wheels Car Discovered by America’s Toy Scout Joel Magee

Rare Hot Wheels Prototype

The Prototype Car, Now Worth Upwards of $100,000, Is the Only Redline Enamel White Hong Kong Version Car Ever to be Discovered - Considered the Holy Grail of Hot Wheels Collectibles

West Palm Beach, Florida – (February 5, 2020) – One of the rarest finds in toy collecting history was discovered by America’s Toy Scout, Joel Magee.  A Hot Wheels Camaro dating to 1968 and verified as the first Hong Kong enamel white example ever found was acquired by Magee and now stands alone as the only one in the world. The white prototype Camaro is three of the most desirable Redline Hot Wheels collectible cars in the world.  Found in a set of several other Hot Wheels cars, it wasn’t until Joel examined the collection and consulted a Hot Wheels expert that he was able to confirm that the lone white Camaro was, in fact, the rarest of rare.

Wed
05
Feb

Catching Up: The Flash Episode 610, "Marathon"

Flash 610 Marathon

Welcome back to another episode of "Iris West-Allen and her Amazing Friends." Not that The Flash (GRANT GUSTIN) doesn't make an appearance -- it's his show, titularly. Yes, if a waitress drops another tray at CC Jitters, you can bet The Flash will use his amazing speed to make sure it doesn't hit the floor. He's good for that.

"Marathon" is the first episode post-Crisis, and I end up walking away from it with several questions. I'll try to parcel them out through this recap rather than dump them all at once, tempting as it is.

Tue
04
Feb

Comicsgate Scores Expendables IP

Expendables Go To Hell

Sylvester Stallone has confirmed via his Twitter account that the greenlight has officially been given for a comic book extension of THE EXPENDABLES, the action franchise that specializes in reuniting actors from classic action films into the ultimate action team-up adventure.

That, in and of itself, is big news.

What is perhaps bigger news is the venue selected for the venture: an Indiegogo campaign, managed by start-up publisher Richard C. Meyer. If you don't know the name, you probably haven't been following the comics industry online for the past few years. Meyer is one of the most recognizable names in the loose-knit and frequently highly contentious confederation of independent creators collectively known as Comicsgate, an entity that has been attacked from without almost as much as it has from within.

Tue
04
Feb

We Can't Get Enough of YOU... The Series.

You Complete First Season

There's a perverse appeal to YOU, the nigh un-Google-able creation fo Sera Gamble (SUPERNATURAL) and Greg Berlanti (every CW superhero show we love). The protagonist is a very disturbed individual who does for stalking what DEXTER did for serial killing.

Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley, GOSSIP GIRL) is a reclusive book store manager who specializes in old and rare volumes. When Guinevere Beck (ONCE UPON A TIME's Elizabeth Lail) walks in, he zeroes in on her, immediately interested, and revealing his analysis to the audience through way of his inner dialogue, a narration medium used to great effect throughout the season. He pays attention to the way she moves, the way she dresses. And when she leaves, he turns to social media to fill in the gaps.

Mon
03
Feb

Cena Leads Laughs in Family Comedy Playing With Fire, Now on Blu-ray

Playing with Fire DVD and Blu ray

Wrestler-turned-actor John Cena headlines this fun, family-friendly action comedy as Superintendent Jake Carson, the head of a team of smoke jumpers. When they rescue three siblings from a burning cabin, they find that returning them to their parents is harder than expected, and end up sheltering them at the station until things shake out.

Naturally, when you have a princess-loving toddler, an inquisitive kid, and a sullen teenage girl together in a he-man cave like their outpost, conflict is bound to arise, slapstick will occur naturally, and unexpected (Editor's note: they were totally expected) bonds will be formed.

Sat
01
Feb

After Vertigo, Good Horror Returns to DC with The Dollhouse Family

THE DOLLHOUSE FAMILY is the first Black Label title from DC I've seen that wasn't in a prestige format size. This makes me happy for more than one reason, but mostly because i don't always have to pay the price point necessary for the oversized prestige formatted books.

This comic is also what Andy Khouri should have been courting to the Vertigo line before it became a corpse so decayed it can't even be used for good fertilizer. Or perhaps Chris Conroy should have been given the editor's position earlier. But, it's fruitless to become lachrymose over upturned dairy, so let's take a forward-looking approach, because THE DOLLHOUSE FAMILY is a positive step forward for DC mature horror.

Fri
31
Jan

Harbinger of Cosplay: Meet February Bombshell, Jade Martinez

Bombshell Jade Martinez

Every month the staff at Critical Blast combs the cosplay community for up-and-coming cosplayers who deserve to have a broader audience for their work, taking into account not only costuming skills and spirit, but also how they use that ability in service to others. Through this, we've not only met some talented cosplayers, but also some fine human beings.

Cosplay must really be taking off in the southern hemisphere, because for the second month in a row now, our Bombshell of the Month comes to us from Argentina, and she's bringing a special Valentine's Day greeting to our readers through her splendid cosplay!

Dear readers, please open your hearts and prepare to fall in love with our new...

 

Thu
30
Jan

A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER Kills At Florissant Civic Center

Gary Frank and Jayde Mitchell in Vivre Theatre's A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER. Photo Credit: Julie Merkle/Vivre Theatre

Vivre Theatre's production of A Gentlemen's Guide to Love & Murder, playing at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre January 24 - February 1, 2020, features some of the best veteran and upcoming theatre talent in St. Louis. It also suffered from some technical issues which hopefully will be ironed out by their final weekend.

Thu
30
Jan

Pep Talk: Riverdale Episode 411, "Quiz Show"

Riverdale 411 Quiz Show

Me: RIVERDALE couldn't possibly get any darker or more bizarre.

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: Hold my beer.

Alright, so let's get the larger plot points out of the way.

Archie (KJ APA) is trying hard to give a second chance to his long lost uncle, Frank (RYAN ROBBINS) by giving him a job at Andrews Consruction. But he doesn't just give him any job -- he makes him foreman, replacing Tom Keller (MARTIN CUMMINS) who, as Riverdale's former sheriff, has intimate knowledge of Frank's sullied history. The crew is further demoralized when they don't get their annual Christmas bonuses, something Frank sets out to rectify but in the worst possible way. This one is a train wreck waiting to happen, not a redemption story, and everyone can see it being broadcast, except Archie.

Mon
27
Jan

FLCL: Progresive / Alternative on Blu-ray

FLCL Progressive Alternative

20 years after the groundbreaking anime, FLCK, Adult Swim and the legendary anime studio Production 16 team up to bring you FLCL: Progressive and FLCL: Alternative.

All twelve episodes of these two series are included on this Blu-ray release, which includes special features that introduce you to the creators, and other bonuses.

Be sure to check our rules and regulations before proceeding. And good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sun
26
Jan

Tim Miller Leads Terminator Franchise to Dark Fate

Terminator Dark Fate

So here's the gist of the TERMINATOR franchise: In the future, an artificial intelligence called Skynet decides humanity needs to be purged, and creates killer robots called Terminators. But John Connor would mount a successful resistance, forcing Skynet to invent time travel so it could send a robot into the past to prevent him from growing up. It fails, and only succeeds in ensuring John Connor is born. His mother Sarah Connor then fights Terminators who keep coming back trying to kill him, so that the future would be changed.

Only we see in the beginning of TERMINATOR: DARK FATE that a Terminator arrives and does successfully shoot the young John Connor in the head, leaving a grieving and embittered Sarah Connor behind to mourn.

So Skynet's future is assured, right?

Wrong.

Fri
24
Jan

Villain vs Villain as Tynion Raises Hell at DC Comics

Hell Arisen 2

The fallout from METAL continues as the evolutionarily perfected Lex Luthor serves as a John the Baptist for the goddess Perpetua, paving the way for her conquest of everything. Only one person stands in his path -- The Batman Who Laughs, the evil Joker-fied Batman from the Dark Multiverse. TBWL has spread the dark infection to six heroes, five of whom attack Luthor at his safehouse -- which turns out to be one of his employee's apartments he long ago modified without her knowledge.

Lex is not only outnumbered, but he's up against the powers of Kara Zor-El (Supergirl), King Shazam (Shazam), Deathbringer (Donna Troy), Sky Tyrant (Hawkman), and Scarab (Blue Beetle). Anyone else would give up, but Luthor -- who was already the smartest man alive before his augmentation -- has already defeated all five of them while they were posturing. It's all over except for the actual doing of it, which proves to be simplicity itself.

Thu
23
Jan

Enter to Win Parasite on Blu-ray/Digital Combo

Parasite bluray

Meet the Park family, the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide "indispensable" luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims' newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks. By turns darkly hilarious and heart-wrenching, Parasite showcases a modern master at the top of his game.

Tue
21
Jan

Female Fury: Batwoman Episode 110, "How Queer Everything Is Today!"

Batwoman 110 How Queer Everything Is Today

Throughout its freshmen season, I have defended BATWOMAN as being a good series in the face of all the criticisms that it existed only for the purpose of establishing identity politics over storytelling and plot.

This week, I was rewarded by the Batwoman writers through their decision to establish identity politics over storytelling and plot.

Batwoman has a secret identity. (Psst. Don't tell anyone. It's Kate Kane, played by RUBY ROSE.) Not that secret identities last in the CW Arrowverse. Star City was told countless times that Oliver Queen was a vigilante, and kept forgetting, and so many people know Barry Allen is The Flash that one wonders why he even bothers with a mask unless it's to avoid windburn.

Mon
20
Jan

Fairytale Themed Gifts for Valentine's Day

Fairytale Valentine

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”

So said Albert Einstein. Yet fairy tales are as much for adults, with written tales originally targeted to an adult audience to teach all of us how to navigate life with strength and resilience. Many of these tales feature love and romance, which makes them a perfect theme for a Valentine’s Day gift. Here are some other ideas, and whilst some gift experiences are not on Valentine’s Day, it is still a chance for you to spread the love throughout the year.

Sat
18
Jan

SUMMER Turns Up The Heat At The Fox Theatre

Dan’yelle Williamson ( Diva Donna ), Alex Hairston ( Disco Donna ), Olivia Elease Hardy ( Duckling Donna ) and the Company of SUMMER © Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

The holidays are finally over. 2019 is in the history books. For some people, probably more than you might expect, the winter months can be pretty tough to bear. After putting so much energy into the holidays you're now facing several months of cold weather, seasonal colds, bare trees, the tedium of getting back to five-day work weeks, and no real social holidays until the weather starts to warm up, Depressing, isn't it? What can you do about it? 

Tue
14
Jan

What's in Bettie Page's Head? Giant Alien Wasps Want to Know.

Bettie Page Unbound 9

Bettie Page has seen her share of aliens, both from this dimension and from others.

Now she finds herself up against the Praesepods -- a race of giant wasps looking to take over the Earth (not to be confused with the Vyzpzz, a race of giant wasps looking to take over the Earth in another book). One has taken over the identity of her friend, Agent McKnight, and another has taken on the form of Bettie herself.

Sat
11
Jan

When the Special Effect is the Plot, Gemini Man is What You Get

It's WILL SMITH vs WILL SMITH when the classic "nature versus nurture" debate gets tested in the world of highly-skilled assassins.

Smith plays Henry, a superior marksman with a number of kills to his credit all of whom were bad guys looking to do harm to America. Until this last job. When he misses his kill shot by a few inches (still killing the man), he decides it's time to hang it up and retire. After all, an inch in the wrong direction can mean the difference between a righteous kill and an innocent victim.

However, Henry's last target wasn't what Henry was led to believe: he was the loose end in a secret government program called "Gemini." And now the last dangling thread is Henry himself. He manages to fight off an attack of several men, picking up a partner in Agent Dani Zakarweski (BIRDS OF PREY's MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD) by accident. And when the men behind his kill order realize Henry escaped, they send in their best man.

Junior.

Thu
09
Jan

Win Qubit's Quest for Xbox One

Qubits Quest  for Xbox One

Whether you’re an avid gamer or an enthusiastic rookie, MARS wants you to have fun. So they've built a truly immersive lightgun gaming experience that you’ll love to play over and over again.

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