It has been a massive week with a lot of stuff going, particularly, with all the Marvel and Star Wars announcements that came out of the big Disney investors meeting. Naturally, it’s one of my biggest Nerd News Headlines segments as I recap it all. But that’s not all! I also head out to sample Dairy Queen’s Peppermint Hot Cocoa Blizzard in another Mark Tastes Random Things, and in The Streaming Report, I check out The Grinch and Noelle.
All in Episode 10.32: Bundle Up!
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My social media feeds lit up this afternoon because Disney had their annual investors meeting. This is where Disney pretty much laid out their slate for the next five years, and because COVID cancelled all the cons, this is where all the big announcements they would have made throughout the year were made. There was a ton of stuff, especially in the realm of Star Wars and Marvel. Since I was rapidly texting it to all my friends, and there's far too much to tweet, I figured I'd fire up the ol' blog and share everything here.
Firstly, the Star Wars announcements. The TV shows. Let's start with the one that made me squeal:
Obi-Wan Kenobi - Hayden Christensen is back as Darth Vader! And the show is officially titled Obi-Wan Kenobi. Takes place 10 years after Revenge of the Sith
Ahsoka - Live action Ahsoka Tano show starring Rosario Dawson
Rangers of the New Republic - Soldiers of the New Republic, taking place during the time of the Mandalorian
Lando - Lando's getting a show! Justin Simien, creator of the Netflix show Dear White People, has been hired to develop it.
The Acolyte - This is the mystery project from Leslye Hedland, creator of the Netflix show Russian Doll. It's "a mystery thriller set in the time of the High Republic." The High Republic is 100 years before Phantom Menace
Star Wars Visions - An animated series. Japanese animators giving us some anime short films set in the Star Wars universe.
And here's our first trailer for the Cassian Andor series, titled Andor.
Films:
A Droid Story - An animated film about R2-D2 and C-3P0 mentoring a young droid. Going straight to Disney+.
The Taika Waititi Film - Still nothing is known, just that they confirmed it's still happening.
And the showstopper that ended the Lucasfilm presentation.
Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins is doing a Rogue Squadron film. The first Star Wars film to come to theatres, coming Christmas Day 2022.
And now on to the Marvel stuff. Let's get the trailers out of the way first.
New trailer for WandaVision. Hitting Disney+ on January 15.
First trailer for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Hitting Disney+ on March 19.
First trailer for Loki. Hitting Disney+ this May.
First trailer for What If...? Hitting Disney+ Summer 2021.
First look at Ms. Marvel. Hitting Disney+ late 2021
What else we got?
It's finally official! Sam Raimi, director of the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy, is directing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and it will directly tie-in to WandaVision and the next Spider-Man film. March 25, 2022.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has officially wrapped. Coming on July 9, 2021
Captain Marvel 2 is coming November 11, 2022. After being introduced in her own show on Disney+, Iman Villani will be reprising her role of Ms. Marvel in the film. And after being introduced in WandaVision, Teyonah Paris will be back as Monica Rambeau.
It's finally official: Hailee Steinfeld is Kate Bishop in Hawkeye.
It's finally official: Tatiana Maslany is She-Hulk in She-Hulk. Mark Ruffalo is back as Hulk and, the announcement we've been waiting for since 2008, Tim Roth is back as Abomination.
The title of the Nick Fury series is Secret Invasion. Samuel L. Jackson is back as Fury, Ben Mendehlson is back as the Skrull Talos.
Riri Williams/Ironheart is getting her own show on Disney+! Riri will be played by Dominique Thorne
War Machine is getting his own show on Disney+! The title? Armor Wars. Don Cheadle is back as Jim Rhodes/War Machine.
In addition to Guardians of the Galaxy 3, James Gunn will be giving us the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Dropping on Disney+ Christmas 2022.
Batman himself Christian Bale has joined the cast of Thor: Love and Thunder. He's playing the villain, Gorr the God Butcher.
The title of the third Ant-Man is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Jonathon Majors is Kang the Conqueror.
And the final announcement: once he's done the MCU Spider-Man trilogy, director Jon Watts will be giving us the MCU's Fantastic Four.
I love Pixar, so let's sum up the Pixar announcements, too. Firstly, they've got a bunch of new shows coming to Disney+:
Dug Days - Dug, everyone's favourite talking dog from Up get his own show as he explores suburbia. Coming fall 2021.
Untitled Cars Series - Mater and Lightening McQueen go on a road trip. Coming fall 2022
Win or Lose - Pixar's first original series (i.e. not based on one of their existing properties.) We follow a middle school baseball team as they work their way to the championship. Each episode will be told by a different player on the team. Coming fall 2023.
And the films:
Turning Red - From director Domee Shi, who picked up the Oscar for best short film for her Pixar short Bao. Following the adventures of Mei, a teen girl who turns into a giant red panda when she gets overexcited. Coming March 2022.
And the one that made the Internet sit up and take notice
Lightyear - The "true" story of the "real" astronaut who inspired the action figure. Starring Chris Evans as the "real" Buzz Lightyear. July 2022.
And the last one that caught my eye...in fact the one that opened their presentation. Disney is finally going to add a "mature audiences" section to Disney+. Called Star, this is where you'll find some of the more mature franchises Disney has thanks to the Fox buyout. You know, stuff like Deadpool, Die Hard, and Alien. That launches on February 23, and you won't have to pay extra for it.
And that's all I have to say about that.
As is my custom, I am blogging my annual Christmas card letter, for those I may have drifted away from and are googling my name out of curiosity.
Good day! Mark Cappis here, updating you on how his 2020 is going.
I like the picture I included this year. It’s the last known photo of my radio career.
St. Patrick’s Day, 2020. I bought a snazzy new green shirt for the day. Thanks to watching my weight, it was the first time in years I’d confidently bought a 2XL shirt. I decided to take that “selfie in front of the station logo” that so many radio folks do. When that was done, I went back on the air to read the latest update about the COVID-19 pandemic. The station’s salesperson rolled his eyes at my newscast. “Look at me!” he said. “I just got back from Mexico, and I don’t need to self-isolate because I’m feeling fine! This COVID-19 is just a bunch of fake news.”
My doctor didn’t think so when I saw him a few days later about a prescription. I was ordered in to two weeks self-isolation for coming into contact with a foreign traveler who was refusing to self-isolate. At the end of the first week was when I got the call: a temporary layoff notice.
(As I copy-paste this over to my blog, I realize that some may infer I was laid off because I was self-isolating. That's not the case at all. I was one of ninety people the Company laid off at the end of March. The pandemic has not been kind to radio. It seems that every month another broadcaster is announcing another round of mass layoffs.)
I figured, “Hey, it’s temporary. I’ve got CERB. $2000 a month is pretty much my salary, so I’ll enjoy this paid vacation.” Yup, I’m one of those guys the politicians warned you about. I was living high on CERB, eating cheezies and watching cartoons. Although, if I knew I could have cheezies, I wouldn’t have blown it on my rent. The notice said the temporary layoff would end in six months, and at the end of September I got the call: the temporary layoff was being upgraded to permanent.
And that brings us to the now. Haven’t tried on that green shirt in a while. Stress eating (and Westlock’s new Dairy Queen) kind of threw my diet out of whack. With CERB done, I’m on EI. Fourteen years with the Company resulted in a not-too-bad severance package, and with the economy being the way it is, I figure I’ll coast through the holidays and start job hunting with a passion in the new year.
Not gonna lie...I’m scared. I’m 43. That’s too old to start over. But then they also told me I was too old to start over when, at the ripe old age of 26, I went back to school to fulfill my dream of being on the radio.
I’ve done it before. I can do it again.
Anyway, I hope your 2020 treated you a lot better. Merry Christmas, and all the best in 2021.
Mark Cappis
Had a pretty busy week gathering stuff for this here show. The viral sensation this past week was Spotify’s 2020 Wrapped, where they told you your music preferences in the past year, so I share mine. We’ve got another Mark Tastes Random Things, where I sample KFC’s Cinnamon Dessert Biscuit. In The Streaming Report, I’m diving into some obscure Christmas specials. And the Nerd News Headlines brings you the latest casting news on Marvel’s Hawkeye TV series.
All in Episode 10.31: Zeroes Across the Board!
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It’s getting to be that time of year! Holiday preparations are in full swing. So, I tell you about my adventures Christmas shopping, and finally checking out West Edmonton Mall’s new Lego Store. I’m 100% absolutely finished reading The Lord of the Rings, so now I wrestle with the decision of what to read next. Over in The Streaming Report, I tie into my favourite Christmas specials. Nerd News Headlines tells you all about the latest films going straight to streaming. And I wrap things up by sharing my thoughts on Baby Yoda’s name.
All on Episode 10.30: $10 Treats!
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Well, November is starting to wind down which means the Christmas season will still be in full swing. So, in this episode, I start talking about my Christmas plans. But that’s not all. Wonder Woman 1984 will now be going straight to HBO Max, which leads me to ask, “Will it be on Crave?” and I start deconstructing Crave. Over in The Streaming Report, I’m watching The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special and The Boys, and in Nerd News Headlines, we talk about the DC shows that are ending, and the new ones that are starting.
All in Episode 10.29: Speaking Of….
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I’ve done it! A quest I’ve been on since I was 12 years old has come to completion! I have finally finished reading The Lord of the Rings. So, in this week’s podcast, I take a moment to celebrate. Over in The Streaming Report, I re-watch the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy and share my new observations. But that’s not all. I also got my hands on a KFC firelog, and in the Nerd News Headlines, we take a moment to remember Alex Trebek.
All in Episode 10.28: Talkin’ ‘Bout Lord of the Rings!
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A quick one this week, as I’m not sure how much time I have. My 12-year old Dell that still runs on Windows Vista is giving me new, weird error messages, so I share my quest for a new computer. I tell you how my latest attempt to read The Lord of the Rings is going. Over on The Streaming Report, I give my reaction to the season premiere of The Mandalorian, and I take a minute to remember Sean Connery.
All in Episode 10.27: Borrowed Time!
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The world has become the kind of place where we’re scrambling to find the good in the world, and that’s what I’m trying to do. Scored two little victories this week: I’ve gotten the furthest I ever have in reading The Lord of the Rings, and I made my most successful blood donation ever. So I talk about it. We’ve got another Mark Tastes Random Things, where I sample A&W’s Bison Burger. Over on The Streaming Report, I’m pre-gaming for The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special by watching the other LEGO Star Wars shows. And in Nerd News Headlines, we say goodbye to The Fast and the Furious.
(And please ignore that I say the wrong date at the start. Didn’t notice until after I’d uploaded)
All in Episode 10.26: Little Victories!
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October keeps plugging along, and I keep plugging along with my podcast! Not much going on in this week’s episode. With Thanksgiving behind us, it turns out you can cook a turkey in the microwave. Pixar’s Soul is now going straight to Disney+, so we chat about that and look at the new trailer. Over in The Streaming Report, Star Trek: Lower Decks has wrapped up, and I give my thoughts. And in The Nerd News Headlines, we’ve got news on Doctor Strange, Dexter, and Buck Rogers.
All in Episode 10.25: The Multiverse of Meh!
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Gonna keep this one brief, because it’s the Thanksgiving
weekend, so you no doubt want to get back to your turkey dinner. I
finally shelled out for a home premiere, so I give you my thoughts on
Bill & Ted Face the Music. I’ve got another installment of Mark
Tastes Random Things where I sample the Dairy Queen Loaded Steakhouse
burger. Over in The Streaming Report, I catch the Jurassic World
animated series, Camp Cretaceous, and I wrap things up by rattling off
some of the entertainment headlines that have been piling up on my desk.
All in Episode 10.24: Turkey Time!
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Oh, and as I have been doing, I've started filming Mark Tastes Random Things. So you can watch my sampling of the Loaded Steakhouse Burger right here!
Fall is in full swing, as I look out my window at all the trees changing colour. So it’s time to bring you a new episode!
Last week, I ventured out to the movies to see The Empires Strikes Back, so I tell you how that went. We’ve got our Ms. Marvel, so I take a minute to tell you who she is. Over on The Streaming Report, I finish up Cobra Kai and revisit Disney’s Mr. Boogedy franchise. And I lament that the latest James Bond movie has been delayed again.
All on Episode 10.23: The Golden Leaves!
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Well, the first day of fall has come and gone. With autumn here, it’s time to get out and do stuff! So that way, I have adventures to podcast about.
I decided to take my first trip to West Edmonton Mall all year, which results in a rant about collectors. We’ve got another Mark Tastes Random Things, where I sample KFC’s new Famous Chicken chicken sandwich. On The Streaming Report, I watch a ton of Flintstones reruns, and I wrap things up by watching that sweet, sweet WandaVision trailer.
All in Episode 10.22: Autumnal Arrival!
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And in case you missed that WandaVision trailer, check it out!
2020 has been a hell of a year. It seems like the only thing I type in this blog anymore has been the plugging of my latest podcast. What can I say? I don't have that much to blog about. The formula for years has been venturing out of my small town life, having a day of adventure in the city, and then writing about it. But there has been no days of adventure in the city in 2020. COVID-19 has closed down most places, leaving me with no where to go. And therefore, nothing to blog about.
But, now I do.
The New Mutants has finally hit theatres. This much-maligned X-Men film has officially become the most troubled of the Fox/X-Men films. I had a friend who is a lifelong X-Men fan who was thrilled about 2018. 2018 was to be the first year with three X-Men films. We were going to get New Mutants in the the spring, Deadpool 2 in the summer, and Dark Phoenix for the holiday season.
And then the troubles began.
The New Mutants was being sold as a horror film set in the X-Men universe. X-Men lends itself quite well to horror. Young people not knowing how to handle their burgeoning powers could quite easily spin into David Cronenberg-esque body horror. Throw in sadistic scientists experimenting on these kids to learn more about them, and you've got all the ingredients. The first trailer for New Mutants really leaned into the horror aspects of the film. People loved it, so New Mutants was pushed back from spring 2018 to the fall of 2018 so they could do re-shoots to ramp up the horror. Then it got pushed back again to the spring of 2019. Then the Disney buyout of Fox happened, and the film got lost in the shuffle. The filmmakers tell us that they never got around to doing the planned reshoots, and with the way the world is, it looks like the film was just dumped into the recently-reopened theatres just to get it off the schedule.
I was looking at The New Mutants in the theatres, and thought to myself, "I must see this film." This is the last of the Fox/X-Men films. With Disney having bought Fox, the movie rights to the X-Men have been returned to Marvel. So the next time we see the X-Men, or Wolverine, or Deadpool, or any of our favourite mutants, they will be back home in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When it comes to the Fox/X-Men films, I've been there since day one. X-Men way back in the year 2000 still stands as the only midnight screening I've ever been to. I have seen every X-Men film in the theatre for the past 20 years. I had to see New Mutants in the theatre. I had to see this to the end.
I was thinking about that all on the drive in. I wonder how long a fandom lasts? I've been watching X-Men movies for the past 20 years. When I'm in my 80s and in a retirement home, will I still make an effort to get out and catch the new Star Wars film? I wonder if there are 80 year olds out there right now, who were first in line for Dr. No back in 1962 and have seen every James Bond movie in the theatre since. I can hear them now. "I've got no time to die until I've seen No Time to Die!"
Now if you follow me on social media, you're probably saying, "Now, Mark. This isn't your adventure this summer. You've already been back to the movies a few times." And you are correct. Here in Alberta, when movie theatres started reopening back in July, they needed movies to show. And they did so by showing classic films for the low low price of $5. When was the last time you were able to see a film for $5? And they were showing beloved classics...films I've always loved, but have only ever seen on TV. This was my only chance to see them on the big screen, the way they were meant to be seen. So I went to the movies a few times in July. I finally saw Back to the Future on the big screen. I finally saw Raiders of the Lost Ark. I saw Ghostbusters. I saw The Empire Strikes Back again...having caught it on the big screen during the Special Edition release back in 1997.
But this time, though, was different. If you haven't been back to the movies yet, they are highly encouraging you to buy your tickets in advance on an app. This really helps with minimizing physical contact and preventing transmission of disease. So I had no problem shelling out $5 on the app to finally see Ghostbusters on the big screen. But with The New Mutants being a newer film, and back up to full price of $15, I wanted to try something.
Back in February, I got my hands on something I've wanted forever. I got a media pass to Landmark Cinemas. Unlimited free movies for the entirety of 2020. I could see myself spending every weekend at the Landmark Cinema in St. Albert, seeing absolutely every movie that I could.
And then, a week later, they started closing the movie theatres because of COVID-19. I tell you, it was the worst case of "be careful what you wish for" that I've ever personally experienced.
So with my media pass in hand, I wanted to see if it would work for me, and if I could finally partake in a free movie. And you can't use it on the app.
I'm pleased to report that, yes, my media pass still works. There was some confusion at the box office. "I've never seen one of these before, so I don't know how to ring it up," said the kindly clerk. But a quick rundown from the manager smoothed everything over, and I was able to sprint into the theatre just in time for The New Mutants.
I will say this: for those who have been worried about venturing back to the movies, the crowds have been pretty small. The biggest crowd I saw was for Ghostbusters, which has about 12 people in the theatre. And that was movie-going prime time: Saturday night. I saw The New Mutants on Friday afternoon. It was just me a couple of kids skipping school.
And I saw it at the Landmark Cinema in St. Albert. I love it. All the chairs are overstuffed leather recliners. You can literally put your feet up. My only complaint is the chairs are almost too comfortable. Empire Strikes Back was a constant struggle to stay awake. With my recliner reclined, my Twizzlers in hand, I was ready to enjoy The New Mutants.
First thing you need to understand is The New Mutants is not a horror film. I did not find it scary at all. Let me make it clear. I'm not big on horror films. I have a low constitution for horror...I scare easily. So when I say that a movie's not scary, it's really not scary. If anything, it's a YA film with some jump scares. And as YA films go, it's pretty by-the-numbers.
But there is some good in it. I mean, it's small cast and enclosed setting give it a rather intimate feel for a superhero film. And any movie that features bears fighting dragons at the end is OK in my books. But with the state of the world these days, you can definitely wait until it's on Netflix.
I give The New Mutants two out of four Nibs. You can find the full review over on my official website.
I went back out to the parking lot, looked at my watch, and saw it was getting on to be suppertime. I could either turn around and head back to Westlock. Or...I could make it a proper adventure. I could head a little further. The nearest Popeyes Chicken is on the north side of Edmonton. In just a short 15 minute drive, I could be sampling the fabled Popeyes Chicken Sandwich.
When Popeyes rolled out their chicken sandwich across the USA last year, it made headlines. People found it so good that restaurants were frequently selling out. And when they did sell out...well, there was many a viral video of fights breaking out at Popeyes. Popeyes has begun rolling it out across Canada. Edmonton was their test market a few months ago, as Edmonton did such a good job of keeping COVID-19 from spreading too far too fast. Popeyes finally rolled it out to every Canadian location about a week ago. So I figured I would give it a shot. But as I was driving down to Popeyes, I had a thought. "What if they're still closed?"
My parents have shared stories of their RV excursions this past summer. Their biggest complaint is that dining can be a crap shoot. You never know which restaurants are open, which are closed, which are open for delivery only. You just never know.
And boy, what a mistake. In a parking lot at the start of the supper hour, I was beeped at a few times and had to move aside to let people in to park. Then an old timer walked up to me and tried to strike up a conversation.
"So, you got yourself one of those chicken sandwiches, eh?"
"Hmhmarglebah." (That's me with my mouth full, trying to respond to him.)
"Yeah, they're real good, aren't they?"
"Mhemarvlebah."
"Yup, I tried one a few weeks ago. They're so big! They really fill you up!"
"Mvarbleblah."
He finally left me alone and went inside to order his dinner. And then a couple of friendly wasps decided to buzz over to me and try to take a bite. So, here I am, in a Popeyes parking lot, doing a funny little dance to keep the wasps away while people beeped at me to get out of their parking space.
Maybe that's why I didn't find the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich that impressive. Too many distractions kept me from enjoying it.
I mean, it's nothing that special. It's just a big piece of Popeyes chicken on a bun, with some mayo and pickles. I went with the deluxe version, which also has lettuce and tomato. The one thing that got me, though, was it is huge. You know those third-pounder burgers that a lot of fast food places have? I rarely order them because they're so thick. The Popeyes Chicken Sandwich is the third-pounder of chicken sandwiches. It's just massive.
I don't know. I'll probably give it another chance when I can sit down in peace and enjoy one. Maybe I'll try the spicy next time.
When my sandwich was done, and all my garbage in my back seat because there were no trash cans handy, I jumped in my car and began the long trek home.
It was good to get out and have some fun. The world is still a changing place. I was wearing a mask pretty much everywhere I went. Only took it off for my movie snacks and my chicken sandwich. Lots more plexiglass windows separating me from the clerks. It's still taking some getting used to. And the way the news goes, looks like the second wave is about to start up. So this may be my last trip out for a while.
Where to listen:
It’s a grey, rainy, windy day, making it tough to get motivated to make a podcast. Because I cannot let down my 20 listeners! I still find a few things to talk about. Disney’s live-action Mulan has dropped on Disney+, so I explored to find out how exactly it works. We got a new trailer for the latest James Bond film, No Time to Die, so I offer up my thoughts. Over on The Streaming Report, I give my thoughts on Star Trek: Lower Decks and Muppets Now. And I wrap things up by giving my opinion on the Alberta hyperloop.
All on Episode 10.20: The Procrastination Game!
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And if you haven't seen that No Time to Die trailer, check it out here!
Like a lot of folks, I was stunned on Friday night when I opened my social media feeds to see that Chadwick Boseman had passed away. So, of course, I take a moment to verbalize my thoughts. And then I execute a tonal shift to gush about the trailer for The Batman. Over in The Streaming Report, I watched a lot of Dracula adaptations this past week, so I share my thoughts. And I wrap things up by talking about two reboots in development: The Powerpuff Girls and The X-Files.
All in Episode 10.19: The Gritty Reboot!
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And if you missed that sweet trailer for The Batman, check it out!
It’s been a pretty quiet week for me, and that’s reflected in this quiet podcast. About the most exciting thing I did was I ran out to try KFC’s new plant-based chicken, so you’ll hear that in this episode as part of a new installment of Mark Tastes Random Things. Agents of SHIELD had their final episode, so I take a moment to reflect. Over on The Streaming Report, I decide to correct the fact that I’ve never seen a Fast & The Furious film. And I wrap things up by going down a G.I. Joe rabbit hole.
And that’s all in Episode 10,17: Lotta Binging!
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Oh! And I mention in this week's episode that I filmed my sampling of the KFC plant-based chicken for a YouTube video. You can watch that below!
And we’re back, after taking the August Long Weekend off! And I have quite a few things to share. I get all nostalgic for G.I. Joe, particularly the cool mail-away exclusives they used to have. I roll out another Mark Tastes Random Things where I sample A&W’s Fish and Chips. In The Streaming Report, I fall down an Internet rabbit hole and end up in Dollywood. And we wrap things up taking a look at Disney’s radical new distribution plan for Mulan.
All in Episode 10.16: Cool Summer Nights!
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