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Dudes & Dragons is a Dud

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Release Date: 03/01/2016
Length: 122 minutes
Cast: James Marsters James Marsters Kaitlin Doubleday Adam Johnson Maclain Nelson Luke Perry
Director: Maclain Nelson
Genre: Action and Adventure
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Dudes & Dragons is everything you would expect from a movie called Dudes & Dragons. The parody/homage to fantasy films has just enough originality and wit that it is hard to write it off completely.

The story, though a bit convoluted, involves a group of ragtag misfits that must venture to a far off land to rescue a damsel in distress. While that may seem simple enough the world they inhabit isn’t just a fantasy world but a comedy fantasy world, meaning anything can happen. This wouldn’t be so bad if the movie could just find a tone and stick to it.

In its defense the film was made on a micro budget by Maclain Nelson and Stephen Shimek though Kickstarter. Had any other filmmakers made it this would be probably be one of the worst movies of the year but given its ultra-indie status some leeway must be given.

In the end the film’s greatest strength is also its downfall. Due to budget constraints the entire movie was shot on green screen allowing them to create fantasy landscapes that they could never achieve on a small budget.  Unfortunately it gives the entire movie an artificial look that takes the audience out of the film. The effects themselves aren’t unlike something you would have seen on Xena in the late 90s.

It is only on the strength of the cast that the film truly succeeds. The biggest name is of course James Marsters who, as yet another villain is coasting on his Buffy persona.  An expert at chewing the scenery Marsters manages to elevate every scene that he is a part of. Sadly, since he’s relegated as the Big Bad pretty much none of the cast gets to interact with him.

The rest of the ensemble consists of Ramicus (Adam Johnson) a rogue dragonslayer and eternal bachelor, his overly feminine brother Camilan (Maclain Nelson) who is in love with an elf woman, Samton (Jake Von Wagoner) and their trusty orc companion Shokdor (Erik Denton).  All of which bring decent performances though it feels as if they are in their own invidual movies for most of the film. Johnson seems to be doing his best impression of The Dude while Wagoner comes off as a bargain basement Nick Swardson.

At just over two hours the film would have done much better as a short. It says pretty much everything it wants to say in the first hour and then just takes up the rest of the time with filler that doesn’t make much sense.  While not painful to watch the film seems ideal for late night viewing on a weekend with friends.

 

 

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Paramount+ Reveals Official Main Title Sequence for the Upcoming Series TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

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During the TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES panel earlier today at San Diego Comic Con, Paramount+ revealed the official main title sequence for the series. The sequence is composed by EMMY® nominee, Matt Mahaffey, known for his work on Sanjay and Craig, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie and much more. 

From the studios of the Mutant Mayhem film, the all-new Paramount+ original series TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES explores the adventures of everyone’s favorite pizza-loving heroes as they emerge from the sewers onto the streets of NYC. Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey are faced with new threats and team up with old allies to survive both teenage life and villains lurking in the shadows of the Big Apple. The series is produced by Nickelodeon Animation and Point Grey Pictures.

TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES is executive produced by Chris Yost (The Mandalorian, Thor: Ragnarok) and Alan Wan (Blue Eye Samurai, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2012 Series]). Production is overseen for Nickelodeon by Claudia Spinelli, Senior Vice President, TV Series Animation, Nickelodeon, and Nikki Price, Director of Development and Executive in Charge of Production.

In addition to the upcoming new series, stream all things Turtles on Paramount+.

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Comic-Con 2024: Those About to Die Activation

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DISNEY+ CASTS DANIEL DIEMER AS FAN-FAVORITE ‘TYSON’IN SEASON TWO OF “PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS”

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 in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, Rick Riordan and Disney+ revealed that Daniel Diemer (“Under the Bridge”) will star as fan-favorite cyclops “Tyson” in the epic adventure series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” Diemer joins Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson), Leah Sava Jeffries (Annabeth Chase) and Aryan Simhadri (Grover Underwood) as a series regular. The Disney+ Original series from Disney Branded Television and 20th Television will start filming its second season next week in Vancouver.

Season two of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is based on the second installment of Disney Hyperion’s best-selling book series titled “The Sea of Monsters” by award-winning author Rick Riordan. In the new season, Percy Jackson returns to Camp Half-Blood one year later to find his world turned upside down. His friendship with Annabeth is changing, he learns he has a cyclops for a brother, Grover has gone missing, and camp is under siege from the forces of Kronos. Percy’s journey to set things right will take him off the map and into the deadly Sea of Monsters, where a secret fate awaits the son of Poseidon.

Diemer stars as Tyson – a young Cyclops who grew up all alone on the streets, and finds it difficult to survive in the human world.  Shy and awkward, with a heart almost as big as he is, Tyson soon discovers that Poseidon is his father, which means Percy Jackson is his half-brother… and that Tyson may have finally found a home. 

Diemer recently starred in the Hulu limited series “Under the Bridge” based off the critically acclaimed book of the same name and a tragic true story of a missing teen girl in Vancouver in 1997. He will next star in the indie “Thug” opposite Liam Neeson and Ron Perlman for director Hans Petter Moland. Daniel was recently seen as the lead in the indie “Supercell” opposite Alec Baldwin and Skeet Ulrich and the lead in the film “Little Brother” opposite Phil Ettinger and JK Simmons. Daniel can also be seen in the Netflix series “The Midnight Club” and recently starred as the male lead in the breakout hit Netflix feature “The Half Of It” from producer Anthony Bregman and director Alice Wu. He is a graduate of Victoria Academy of Dramatic Arts in Vancouver.

Created by Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg, season two of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is executive produced by Steinberg and Dan Shotz alongside Rick Riordan, Rebecca Riordan, Craig Silverstein, The Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Bert Salke, The Gotham Group’s Jeremy Bell and D.J. Goldberg, James Bobin, Jim Rowe, Albert Kim, Jason Ensler and Sarah Watson.

The first season of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is available on Disney+

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