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Ethan Hawke’s TESLA is an Interesting Way To Tell Nikola Tesla’s Story – Sundance Review

I’ve always wanted to see a great movie made about Nikola Tesla. The guy was one of the greatest minds to ever live. He would have changed the world in ways that Thomas Edison never could have even dream of. Unfortunately, Tesla got the raw end of the deal and ended up dying penniless and alone.

Tesla’s life is both an inspiring and tragic story. It surprises me how many people still don’t know who he is and what he accomplished in his life, which is why he needs a great movie or series to tell his story.

I was hoping that Ethan Hawke’s new film Tesla would be that film. But, while the movie is fun and unique and offers details on Tesla’s life, it not really the film that Tesla deserves. Due to the film’s budget constraints, the director and his team had to get creative and they ended up telling Tesla’s story in an interesting way. Some things worked, while other things didn’t.

They incorporated some fun comedic moments and even implemented modern-day tech in the film. For example, as the narrator Anne Morgan (Eva Hewson), the daughter of J.P. Morgan, analyzes Tesla and his story, she uses a laptop computer and Google to help illustrate her points. It seems like an odd choice to make, but I accepted it, and for the most part, it worked.

The movie highlights many of Tesla’s accomplishments, mistakes, and failures, but it does it in a way where the pacing was off and the flow of the film was rough. There’s so much to cover in Tesla’s life and they wanted to squeeze as much as they could into it, but the way they incorporated all of that into the movie felt forced and unnatural.

I think Ethan Hawke is a great fit for Tesla. He certainly looked the part and had the intensity in his eyes, but the way he was directed didn’t really work. His accent wasn’t consistent and he spoke in such a low monotone voice, I could barely hear him. The movie also starred Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks) in the role of Thomas Edison and he was great! He was one of the best parts of the movie.

The movie was enjoyable to an extent. It’s not the Tesla film I was hoping for, though. The film completely lost me near the end when Ethan Hawke as Tesla gets behind a microphone and starts singing the song “Everybody Wants to Rule The World”. I get why they did it, but it didn’t work and it just pulled me out of the film experience. It was like watching bad karaoke.

So, while I really wanted to love this film, it ended up being an okay movie with some great moments.

Here’s the synopsis for the film:

Brilliant, brooding inventor Nikola Tesla (Ethan Hawke) fights an uphill battle to bring his revolutionary electrical system to fruition. Increasingly displeased by the greed of fellow inventor Thomas Edison (Kyle MacLachlan), Tesla forges his own virtuous but arduous path toward creating the innovative alternate-current motor. His European nature is at odds with budding American industrialism, and the landscape of intellectual property is treacherous—and Tesla slowly becomes jailed in his overactive mind. His associate Anne Morgan (Eve Hewson) analyzes and presents his story as it unfolds, offering a distinctly modern voice in this scientific period drama.

Sundance Film Festival veteran Ethan Hawke returns in this informative and engaging historical piece directed by Michael Almereyda (A Hero of Our Time, Marjorie Prime). With Tesla’s controversies, legal battles, entrepreneurial clashes, and romantic interests, Almereyda weaves together a portrait of a man struggling against the interests of his time. The profundity of his electrical mind is unearthed through this rediscovery of the development of electricity in the United States, ultimately posing existential questions about invention, industry, greed, love, and lightning.

Trailer For The New WAR OF THE WORLDS Series Which Deals With The Aftermath of The Alien Attack

There’s a new series coming back on H.G. Wells’ classic sci-fi novel War of the Worlds. This is different from the BBC miniseries that aired last year. This is an eight-part series coming from Epix that is set in modern-day Europe and it looks like it mostly deals with the aftermath of the massive alien attack, kinda like how The Walking Dead handled its story. I guess avoiding the big major attack is one way to keep the budget low!

I’m actually okay with not seeing the initial attack as I already know that part of the story. It’s been told over and over again over the years. This way, we get a whole new story that puts a focus on the people who made it through the attack following them on a journey of survival. Don’t worry, there are still aliens out there hunting them down. This seems like a more intimate story, which is fine!

The series features an ensemble cast that also includes Gabriel Byrne, Elizabeth McGovern, Léa Drucker, Natasha Little, Daisy Edgar Jones, Stéphane Caillard, Adel Bencherif, and Guillaume Gouix. Here’s the synopsis:

Set-in present-day Europe, War of the Worlds is a multi-faceted series, based on the story by H.G. Wells. When astronomers detect a transmission from another galaxy, it is definitive proof of intelligent extra-terrestrial life. The world’s population waits for further contact with baited breath.

Gilles Coulier (The Natives) and Richard Clark (Versailles) are each directing four episodes and the series is created by Howard Overman (Misfits). War of the Worlds premieres on Sunday, February 16, 2020 at 9pm ET.

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THE ART OF THE LAST OF US PART II Gets a Deluxe Edition From Dark Horse

I feel like a lot of art books are being announced lately. Today’s news comes from Dark Horse who has announced a deluxe edition for The Art of The Last of Us Part II. The deluxe edition will feature everything in the standard edition plus a new cover, developer commentary, lovely slipcase, and a special lithograph. This looks like a great item for any fan of the popular game series.

“Follow Ellie’s profound and harrowing journey of vengeance through an exhaustive collection of original art and intimate creator commentary in the full-color hardcover volume: The Art of The Last of Us Part II.

Created in collaboration between Dark Horse Books and the developers at Naughty Dog, The Art of The Last of Us Part II offers extensive insights into the making of the long-awaited sequel to the award-winning The Last of Us.

This limited edition also features an exclusive cover and slipcase, as well as a gallery-quality lithograph!”

The Last of Us Part II will launch on PS4 on May 29 with The Art of The Last of Us Part II hitting shelves on June 16. You can pre-order the standard and deluxe editions over on Amazon now for $39.99 and $89.99 respectively.

POKEMON HOME Releases More Details Including Pricing

It’s been several a while since we’ve really heard much about the online Pokemon storage system dubbed Pokemon Home. Now, Pokemon has revealed even more details. We already knew that the service would allow you to store and transfer Pokemon from your 3DS, Switch, and even mobile games. Plus, you can use it to trade with your friends. One cool part is that you can use your mobile phone to access it (it works with Pokemon Go after all) and initiate trades using that instead of waiting to get home to your Switch.

Of course, one detail that has been kept quiet until now is the pricing. Pokemon Home will offer two different plans. The first plan is free but is extremely limited. You can only store up to 30 Pokemon, place 3 Pokemon in the Wonder Box, and 1 Pokemon in the Global Trade Service. You also won’t be able to move Pokemon from Pokemon Bank over to the newer Home. The second plan is the Premium Plan and will allow you to move Pokemon from Bank to Home, storage for up to 6,000 Pokemon, placement of 10 Pokemon in the Wonder Box at a time, and up to 3 in the GTS. There are other benefits though including the ability to judge (check how strong its stats are) and host room trades. How much will this cost you? Well, you can purchase 1 month for $2.99, 3 months for $4.99, or 1 year for $15.99.

Another cool feature of Pokemon Home is that when you use the mobile app, you’ll be able to check what moves your Pokemon will be able to learn.

It should be noted that to move Pokemon from your 3DS titles, you’ll have to have a Premium Plan and use the ability to transfer from Pokemon Bank. Because of this, fans will get free access to Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter for one month after the release of Pokemon Home next month.

Of course, the big controversy is the fact that you can’t move all of your Pokemon to the latest games, Pokemon Sword and Shield. However, it was revealed that with the launch of the Isle of Armor and Crown of Tundra DLC later this year more Pokemon will be able to transfer over.

You can find more information over on the official site. Will you be subscribing to the Premium Plan?

Sideshow Baby Yoda Life-Size Figure Revealed!

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Sideshow Baby Yoda life-size figure revealed!

A life-size Sideshow Baby Yoda? It’s happening! Today the venerable Sideshow Collectibles revealed The Child Life-Size Figure, created in partnership with Legacy Effects to bring you the galaxy’s most sought-after bounty. Check out photos in the gallery below!

Lovingly referred to by audiences as ‘Baby Yoda,’ the mysterious alien known as The Child has quickly become the breakout fan-favorite of Lucasfilm’s Star Wars series The Mandalorian on Disney+. Now eager collectors can become a clan of two and bring home the asset as an incredible 1:1 scale Star Wars collectible, no tracking fob needed.

The Child Life-Size Figure measures 16.5” tall, standing on a simple black podium base that lets this adorable alien steal all of the focus, along with the Mandalorian’s ship parts. Inspired by its unique onscreen appearance, this mixed media statue features a tan fabric coat swaddling The Child as it gazes up with charming wide eyes, hiding the silver shift knob from the Razor Crest in its right hand.

Every inch of this incredibly lifelike figure has been meticulously detailed to recreate everything that Star Wars fans love about the young alien, from the fuzz on its wrinkled head to its irresistible pout, all the way down to its tiny, toddling feet. Fans looking to bring home The Mandalorian collectibles need look no further- bounty hunting is a complicated profession but collecting the galaxy’s cutest alien has never been easier!

Secure the asset for your Star Wars figures collection and pre-order The Child Life-Size Figure today for only $350 dollars and an estimated arrival sometime between August and October 2020.