There are few movies that grab your heart and hold onto them, for me, one of my favorites has always been Evil Dead, and from the beginning Knights of Badassdom pays homage to that campy silliness infused with horror. It’s been over two years since the San Diego Comic Con panel, and press room took nerds by storm, and finally Knights of Badassdom comes home, and it is a welcome treat.

Knights of Badassdom stars Ryan Kwanten as wannabe Metal Rock God Joe, who gets dumped but his high school sweetheart, Beth, (Margarita Levieva) for not aspiring to more than being a part-time mechanic. His Live Action Role Play (LARP) obsessed roommates  Eric (Steve Zahn) and Hung (Peter Dinklage)try to get his mind off his woes and have him over indulge in all the things that Beth hated namely whiskey and righteous bong rips.

Joe awakens, dressed in armor and in the midst of a full on LARP event. Although his first instinct is to get the heck out of dodge after much cajoling and a smile from the beautiful and formidable Gwen (Summer Glau) Joe gives the event a chance and joins his friends and their team which includes former D&D rival and Gamemaster  Ronnie (Jimmi Simpson), weaselly Lando (Danny Pudi) and Gwen’s brute cousin who’s never not in game mode and therefore banded from Medieval Times Gunther (Brett Gipson).

When a simple “spells” goes horribly array and Eric accidently summons a real life succubus in the form of Beth, the fun is leached from the games as the hungry she-demons beings picking off LARPers one by one.  It’s up to Joe and the others to send the succubitch back to the hell that she came from.

Knights of Badassdom takes a very meta-horror approach to its outlandish story, and it works to its advantage. While it does poke fun at the medieval-themed activity, from speeches to locations, its clearly done out of love. There is obviously a lot of respect for the LARPers and the community as a whole.

Luckily for the outlandish storyline, the fantastic cast is fully committed both in-character and in-in-character. Some of the best lines come courtesy of a Dinklage and his chemically off balanced Hung. In a lesser actor’s mouth some of his absurd word play would have come off as odd or off putting, but Dinklage has a way of spinning just about anything into gold. Likewise, Kwanten comes off as loveable, and the sort of every guy, that helps the non LARPing audience member feel a connection. Glau’s Gwen embraces her foam padded ass kicking, but of all the characters hers feels the most forced. Real world LARPers were used as extras, and their passion has left fingerprints all over this film.

Still with epic fake battles, and a pretty sweet monster rampage, Knights of Badassdom is as interesting as it is visually pleasing. There are plenty of decent laughs, fun kills, and a pretty intense third act. For low budget comedy-horror flicks this is certainly one of the better ones.

Bottom line: Knights of Badassdom spoke to my nerdy heart and I liked what it had to say.

One the Blue ray there are interviews with Peter Dinklage, Steve Zahn, Ryan Kwanten, director Joe Lynch and the lovely Summer Glau. There is also a Behind the Scenes featurette, but best of all there is the San Diego Comic Con panel in all it's glory.

Knights of Badassdom hits DVD April 1^st

The crew are on the plane and Archer likens it to a school bus and declares that they are like the Breakfast Club, assigning each of them a corresponding character. Lana is offended when they try to imply that she might be more like Ally Sheedy than Molly Ringwald. They're on the way to San Marcos to meet Calderone and sell him their newly acquired stash of weapons. The plane lands and they're promptly surrounded by Calderone and members of his military. He demands to know who is in charge and Mallory attempts to lay on some charm before Calderone becomes amazed by Krieger for some unknown reason, demanding everyone else be arrested. He then shoots up the box containing Sherlene and Pam is shot up when he hears a noise by it. When Sherlene pops up, he is thrilled, since she is wildly famous in his country. He brings her back to his palace and gives her a lavish room and pampers her. The others are put into less lavish rooms. Mallory grabs Calderone to talk business with him. A buxom maid comes in and seduces Archer.

Krieger discovers clones of himself working in a lab in the palace. Mallory tells Calderone that the White House has lost faith in him and that he must pay for the weapons himself. He claims he doesn't have the money for it even though he is surrounded by lavish items. The buxom towel maid from earlier comes in and introduces herself as Calderone's wife. Archer is uncomfortable and tries to leave, but Mallory won't let him. She makes thinly veiled references to her hook-up with Archer that make him squirm till he runs out. He encounters Krieger who has been telling the others about the clones he saw. Archer then encounters Lana and tells her about his recent hook-up. She responds by giving him advice: a swift punch to his crotch. The gang gathers round for dinner and when Sherlene shows up, and Calderone has them toast Sherlene's album going platinum. She's in disbelief since it came out yesterday and we then see that Calderone has massive quantities of the album. A soldier comes in and says that rebels have broken through the line. Explosions go off, smashing the windows of the palace.

Archer Vice airs on Mondays on FX at 10PM.

Joe preaches to new cult members and a woman named Angela volunteers to "be first." He has her kill a woman named Carla, who is tied to a table. He tells her he is giving her the gift of happiness and afterwards, Angela cries tears of joy. Ryan watched the news while Carrie gets dressed for work. She tells him someone online posted a story of a Lily Gray sighting in Europe. Ryan shrugs it off, since false reports have been popping up everywhere. Carrie leaves for work and Mike arrives to tell him he and Max were up all night researching cults. They've narrowed it down to 73 that Joe might have taken control of.

FBI agents check in on Claire. She's determined to go see Ryan to help him take Joe down so her son will be safe. They eventually agree but will escort her, along with moving her mother and son to an undisclosed location. She won't be able to see them again until she returns to witness protection.

Men in white masks walk into a cafe and murder the people inside. Ryan and his team investigate the scene. Ryan doesn't understand why there wasn't a message left, as is customary by Joe and his followers.

One of Joe's followers, Robert, visits Joe and expresses displeasure at Carla being killed as she was his friend. He says she was a special woman and was "chosen" to "go home." He tells Joe that there is doubt amongst some of the followers and Joe works his magic to get him back on track. Robert apologises for bringing it up, saying he was just hit hard by Carla's death. Joe tells Emma that the others  trust him and they need to hold him close. He sends Emma to talk to him and she gets him to believe in Joe before sleeping with him. Meanwhile, Mandy secretly looks up a phone number and hurries off before anyone can find her.

A woman named Serena who had killed another woman for her hospital ID badge poses as a doctor to smuggle guns into the hospital. The men who did the stabbing are in the hospital being treated for superficial, self-inflicted wounds. With Serena's help, they pose as hospital workers and together, the three of them infiltrate the security wing of the hospital and break out Lily Gray's son Lucas. Ryan realises there were more employees taken to the hospital than there were workers on the bakery's schedule. Ryan realises that the hit was not orchestrated by Joe, but Lily.

Ryan, Mike, and the others arrive at the hospital and secure it. Lily's team are still there but they need to find them. Ryan heads to the basement and Mike corners Serena. She refuses to give up any information on Lily and charges Mike with a knife so the cops will shoot her.

Joe and Emma watch as a televangelist speaks on television against him. Emma warns him that Robert is right about the people looking to him for guidance. He needs to come up with a plan. He then tells her religion is a good way to spread violence, having been the cause for more bloodshed than anything else. While Joe is talking with some followers, he and Mandy exchange glances. I'd wager he can tell something is off. She leaves, packs a bag, and heads out.

Ryan is searching the hospital's underground tunnels. He encounters Lucas and one of the men. They hold him at gunpoint and confiscate his weapon. A fight breaks out in which Ryan shoots the henchman and Lucas runs away. Ryan follows the tunnel after Lucas and ends up in a market place. Lucas successfully escapes and reunites with Lily and and his brother in a motel room.

Joe learns from the news about Lily's impersonating him in order to get her son back. He is less than pleased. Mike confesses to Ryan that he is scared of Lily Gray's being more calculating than Joe as well as having more resources. Ryan assures him that they will find both Joe and Lily.

Mandy hitches a ride from a hitchhiker and asks to use the person's phone. It's then revealed that she has called Mark. The FBI arrive at Ryan's place. Mike tries to apologise to Ryan, saying he can explain this, and it's then that Claire reveals herself.

The Following airs on Mondays on FOX at 9PM.

“This film is gorgeous.” – Chris Nashawaty, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
 

“Compelling in a way that almost defies description.” – Stephanie Zacharek, VILLAGE VOICE

“Big explosions and bigger theatrics, and it works.” – Jordan Hoffman, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS 

                      

STALINGRAD

Available May 13 on Two-Disc Blu-ray^™ with 3D, DVD & Digital

Blu-ray Bonus Materials Include an English Dub & 
Two Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes

CULVER CITY, CALIF. (March 31, 2014) – An epic look at the battle that turned the tide of World War II,STALINGRAD marches onto two-disc Blu-ray^™ with 3D and DVD with Digital HD UltraViolet^™ May 13 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. As the highest-grossing Russian film of all time and Russia’s official submission for Best Foreign Language Film to the 86^th Academy Awards^®, STALINGRAD contrasts the grand scale of the famous battle with the intimate human drama among the Russian soldiers, the few remaining civilians and the German soldiers who invaded the city. 

The film is directed by acclaimed Russian hitmaker Fedor Bondarchuk (9th Company), who was introduced to the world of cinema at an early age, as the son of actress Irina Skobtseva, and internationally acclaimed film actor and an Academy Award^®-winning director Sergei Bondarchuk.  Starring in the film is an ensemble cast, hand-picked to reflect the tone and time period, including Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong), Petr Fedorov, Sergey Bondarchuk, Mariya Smolnikova and Yanina Studilina.

The STALINGRAD Blu-ray comes with two all-new featurettes. “The Making of Stalingrad” is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film, and “Stereoscopic Stalingrad” features experts Steve Schklair and Matthew Blute, describing how Russia’s very first IMAX 3D film was created.

Synopsis:

A band of determined Russian soldiers fight to hold a strategic building in their devastated city against a ruthless German army, and in the process become deeply connected to a Russian woman who has been living there. 

STALINGRAD is directed by Fedor Bondarchuk from a screenplay by Ilya Tilkin and Sergey Snezhkin, based on chapters from the novel Life and Fate by Vasiliy Grossman. The film was produced by Alexander Rodnyansky, Anton Zlatopolskiy, Dmitry Rudovskiy and Sergey Melkumov, with Nataliya Gorina serving as executive producer.

Blu-ray Bonus Features Include:

English Dub

Two Featurettes:

“The Making of Stalingrad”

“Stereoscopic Stalingrad”

DVD Bonus Features Include:

English Dub

“The Making of Stalingrad” Featurette

STALINGRAD has a run time of approximately 132 minutes and is rated R for sequences of war violence. In Russian and German with English subtitles, the film will also include an English Dub. 

Visit Sony Home Entertainment on the Web at www.SonyPictures.com.

“Academy Award^®” is the registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company.  Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.

Capulet. What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!
Lady Capulet. A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a sword?
Capulet. My sword, I say! Ol Montague is come
               And flourishes his blade in spite of me.
Montague. Thou villain Capulet! --- Hold me not; let me go.
Lady Montague. Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe.
~ Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 78-83

Grayson has been crashing at Emery's place and he asks her to go with him to confront his mother about what she has done. Zoe is stalking Roman and Drake after promising vengeance on them. Julia and Drake are both telling Emery and Roman they should be confessing their feelings to one another. Also, Sophia's still hung up on Taylor. When Lukas goes to help load some things in Taylor's car, he gets infected with some black cyper that was set by Zoe to infect Taylor. She laughs at the scene and drives off. Emery spots the black cyper and gives it to Roman, who shows it to Drake. They head back to the Sector to get some answers. Drake offers to take Roman to the place where the body was buried but Roman says they need to figure out how to counter the black cyper first.

Emery and Sophia go to visit Lukas in the hospital. Lukas' mother greets Sophia with a hug, saying that Lukas has talked about her a great deal and she appears touched by the gesture. Lukas' lungs and airway have been badly burned. Roman and Drake visit Roman's uncle who tells them about the devastating abilities of the black cyper. The only cure is freshly cut black cyper mixed with Atrian blood. He also gives them a bomb to put in the middle of the plant that will destroy it but only if they get to it in time.

Emery learns from a hospital worked that they found another person with similar symptoms. Drake and Roman return to the site and find that Zoe has moved the body. We then see she has it in a shed somewhere and there are only hours before the plant will be released. Roman and Drake fill Emery in on black cyper. Taylor is panicking about possibly being infected and Drake goes over and tells her nothing is going on between him and Zoe. She is worried about Zoe not calling her back. Drake flirts and gets Zoe's address from Taylor.

Ms. Bennett has swiped some DNA from Emery and Julia and has taken it to a lab where they are trying to determine if either girl was cured by cyper. Roman tells Emery about Zoe being a hidden Atrian and explains to her what Trags are. He also says that one of them had tried to kill her on the night of the carnival but he stopped it. He explains that if he was with her, the Trags would try to kill her. She is glad to finally know the motivation behind his actions.

Drake breaks into Zoe's place and is injured by a booby-trap. Roman and Emery are in the woods, searching for the black cyper. Grayson calls Emery, wanting her to come with him when he talks to his mother, but she apologises and says she has something else to take care of. Drake looks through some of Zoe's photos and is able to track down the location of her Trag hideout and calls Emery and Roman to let them know. All three of them head out for the lake house.

Grayson asks his mother what else she has lied about. She says that they were just trying to protect him. He tells her his dead brother would be ashamed of her. She tells him that Emery was the one responsible for getting her locked up. She tries to get him to think that Emery was just using him to get access to information from the Red Hawks. Grayson doesn't believe her and storms out.

Julia is tutoring Eric and they appear to be getting closer. Emery calls Julia to check in on Lukas and learns that he is running out of time. She and Roman approach the lakehouse and Emery is nearly shot by Zoe's arrow but Roman saves her. Roman and Zoe begin to fight while Emery heads off for the plant with the charge in hand. When she reaches it, is is very much alive, moving like a sinister extension of Poison Ivy. Emery takes a leaf from the plant, sets the charge, and places it in the centre of the plant. Just when Zoe gets the upper hand on Roman, Drake shows up and begins fighting her instead while Roman heads off to help Emery. The plant is growing too quickly and Emery is trapped in the middle of it. Roman tells her to hold her breath, grabs her, and they jump into the lake as the bomb goes off. Roman gives her mouth-to-mouth underwater and it's all very ethereal looking. After they get out o the water, Emery plants a real kiss on Roman and their pent-up feelings are finally released. Drake comes over and tells them he's glad they're both alive and that Zoe was caught in the blast.

Emery still has the leaf and brings it to the hospital. Roman shuts the blinds and prepares to use the black cyper on Lukas. Sophia comes in and asks to be the one to save him, telling Roman he's not the only one with human friends and can't save the world on his own. She sticks the black cyper in her arm and Lukas recovers, with Sophia being the first face he sees when he wakes.

In the lab, Ms. Bennett learns from the scientist running the test that Julia has cyper in her blood. Drake visits Taylor and tells her Zoe's family encountered some money problems and left town. Taylor says that Zoe never even let her in her house, saying she couldn't trust her. Drake assures her that Zoe simply was embarrassed and told him to tell Taylor she was the best friend she ever had. It doesn't really make much sense since modern technology allows people to maintain contact regardless of where they are.

Outside the hospital, Emery tells Roman everything has changed in a good way and that now they know what they're up against. He asks about Grayson and she says she can't keep lying to him and can't stay with him because of how she feels about Roman. They kiss before Sophia comes out. The Atrian siblings have to head back to the sector. Unbeknownst to Emery, Grayson saw Emery and Roman kissing.

Roman thanks his uncle, who says he is glad to have earned his trust. After Roman leaves, we then see that his uncle has a secret cabinet with many more bombs inside.

Star-Crossed airs on Mondays on the CW at 8PM.

Dyson delivers Hale’s eulogy, to his large family and friends. Kenzi sits separate from Bo and Tamsin, she sits long after everyone else leaves. Bo sits next to her. Kenzi thinks that she’ll scream, Bo tells her whatever she needs, but Kenzi needed Hale alive, and Bo couldn’t give her that. Bo promises to be there for Kenzi. A knight comes out of trees, and Bo draws her dagger. The knight removes her helmet and pledges her fealty to Bo. Kenzi leaves in disgust, since Bo shanghaied the funeral.

The knight tells Bo that she arrived just in time, someone did not want her to deliver her message. Dyson comforts Kenzi on the other side of the Dal. Bo doesn’t know who the knight is, but she does know that she is not her Queen. Tamsin is impressed by her armor, having not seen some like it in ages. Bo dismisses the kinght, but the knight talks of mortal danger. With the death of the Unamense the Priapas will rise, and he seeks Bo. She has the prophecy in hand, and Tamsin reads it herself. The death of the Unamense empowers the Origin seeds. Kenzi leaves, and Bo rises to go after her. The knight tries to stop her, but she doesn’t care about the prophecy with her family broken. Kenzi tells Bo that they have to get him, that he has to die, and Bo promises that he will pay.

Massimo stirs up something in his mortar. Bo, Dyson and Kenzi have come to kill him. Massimo happily spills that they know nothing. Rayner is set to die in seven days, when the Wanderer rises, another curse befell him and he will expire unless the curse is broken. Kenzi looks for the twig of Zamora, breaking things along the way. He tells her that he did Hale a favor driving the dagger into him, saving him from the disappointment he would had forever bound by her weak human body. Dyson wolfs out on him to wanting more answers about Rayner. He whispers in his ear, giggling. Dyson tells them that they can’t kill Massimo yet, that revenge will have to wait, he has to bring him to Trick. Kenzi pleads to Bo, but Bo tells her that if he has information then they have to get it first. Kenzi feel utterly betrayed. First Bo couldn’t bring Hale back, and now she cannot avenge him.

 Lauren tries to find record of Rayner in the history books, and finds ink on her hands. Rayner is still being written back into the history books. He’s described as a demon beast, evil pure. 1000 years has ended he shall be unbound. He will betray the fae. Lauren hears the Morrigan talk about Bo and Rayner. She knows that they killed the Unamense and suspects that they killed Hale. It’s only a matter of time before they come after her she believes, but she plans to strike first. Lauren has heard all she needs to and runs before seeing who The Morrigan is talking to. It’s Trick. He tells her that she’s not going to kill Bo, she thinks he has a soft spot for family. He missed Hale’s funeral for this, and Trick knows he was a better leader than the two of them. The Morrigan wants to know what he wishes to do about Rayner, he tells her that they have to put their differences aside first.

Bo and Tamsin go to the source, to speak to Rayner about his impending death. The Knight, Rosette, knows Rayner well. She was one of his best lieutenants from the train. She thinks that she failed him. Bo asks if any of the prophecies she knows mention Rayner dying, but there is none. The alliance between the two of them lifted his earthly curse. Tamsin finds mention of another curse. If the first curse is lifted, he shall be cursed again to suffer and perish in seven days. Well crap, Rayner has been there for six days. The only way to break the curse is with the blood of his enemy, the one who cursed him, Trick, but also Bo since she’s kin. The curse can be broken, and the priapus can be found, they just need a symbol, a clue.

Bo’s idea brings them to the Tarot card. Rayner tells her that the purpose of a Tarot card is to guide. Bo tells him how it revealed itself as a ticket to Kenzi when she touched it and it burned. Nothing happens when Bo touches the card, so she burns it manually with a match. It shows the Roman numerals MMXV. Bo thinks it’s a time, 2015, but Rayner thinks it may be something different, a code or a date. Lauren arrives and suggest topography coordinates, and they need to talk. In Bo’s bedroom she shows her what she’s found on Rayner, but the picture is certainly not the hunk in her kitchen. The book doesn’t even look real, and the ink is still wet. Lauren reminds her that Rayner wasn’t in any histories, until he got his memories back and then history remembered him too. Lauren shows her where it sounds familiar. The Warrior (Rayner) shall escape his curse, the Valkyrie (Tamsin) shall be reborn, the blood of Zamoran (Hale) shall be spilled, and it goes on. The women of the horse shall rise, between the warrior and the queen one of the two shall die. Lauren doesn’t know who the Queen is, but Bo tells her they suspect its her. Lauren wants to stop the prophecy, but Bo thinks that she’s doing this to get back at her. Lauren confesses that everything that she’s done, including staying with the dark has been for her. Bo bitterly asks for her plan or the truth. Kenzi is hurting so bad, and Lauren wasn’t there for her. She was in the dark archives digging up dirt on the man intertwined in her destiny. She chose Lauren before, and Lauren broke her heart. Rayner interrupts telling her that he’s figured something out.

The Morrigan bickers over a waxing, and Lauren lies in the morrigan’s bed ready to celebrate. She wants to join the dark officially. She’s tells her that she’s a human in the fae world, and the Morrigan has given her strength and confidence. The light made her a pet, but the dark gave her respect and freedom. She tells her that she’s felt more like herself in years. The Morrigan doesn’t need to sleep with her to claim her, and Lauren admits that she has no where else to go. The Morrigan may not understand humans, but she does like to play.

Rayner, Bo and Rosette head to see the women of the horses. A woman (Amber from Bitten) comes out to greet them, and Rosette springs on her. She’s the one that attacked her she says, Bo uses her influence on her for answers. The woman tells her about the horse symbol, it’s great and all powerful. She tells her that if she finds it, her blood will destroy it, that the daughter’s intentions are unclear. The Priapus, it’s her father.

Kenzi sits mournful looking at a picture of her and Hale and the blade that killed him. Vex tries to distract her, he wants to get roaring drunk and cuddle up to some Rachel McAdams flicks, but Kenzi isn’t interested in fun. She wants revenge, with blood, guts and pain. Vex is interested. Kenzi tells him that she wants to kill Massimo, and even admits that she gave him the twig of Zamora. She knows that Massimo is in the lair, and he’s the only one who can help her. She tries to move him into action, but Vex admits that he’s putting her into a bad position. She needs old crooked Vex. He tells her that he will kill Massimo and instagram her the whole thing, but Kenzi wants the kill.

Bo tries to figure out what she isn’t suppose to get her hands on, and what it has to do with her father. She remembers a horse in her room as a baby, and in her visions she was haunted by a carousel, they’re all clues Rayner says that he wants to meet her. She’s always wanted that, but now she’s terrified because of rumor. Rosette thinks she should be afraid. Bo reasons that if he is evil a part of her must be evil, that theory just doesn’t hold water. Her mother is batshit crazy, and she’s pretty sane. Rayner points to how the history books have painted him, and he’s anything but that monster. Rosette pipes up reminding her that if she completes her alliance with Rayner, her father has been released. She wants to know why he was imprisoned, and by who. She wants to save Rayner, but he understands that the price may be too high.

Vex opens the door to Massimo’s cell, and pulls him out. Kenzi tells him that it must have been horrifying to think what he would look like if he survived that fire. She holds the blade at his throat as he tells her how he could smell and feel his hair and flesh burning, but he prevailed thanks to her. Kenzi asks where the twig of Zamora is. He refuses to tell her, and she threatens to cut out his tongue. He calls to Vex, and Vex pulls the blade out of her hands. Massimo, hot mess that he is, is Vex’s. She reminds him that Massimo killed Hale, and he knows, but he gave his blood oath that he would protect him after he was abandoned by his mother. He’s grown fond of pest after all this time. Kenzi moves to hit Vex with a candlestick and he stops her. Pinned under the mesmer’s power Massimo wants to let her feel the sensation of burning flesh, but Vex stops him and sends him away. Vex tells her that they all have burdens to bare.

The Morrigan enjoys Lauren’s specialized attentions, the girls share a laugh in the after glow. The Morrigan tastes salt, and she doesn’t like it. Lauren tells her that she’s sweating, that good sex will do that to you. She feels weird, and Lauren drops a bomb on her, she’s been transformed into a human. Lauren used the Morrigan’s own DNA to make her a human.  The Morrigan tells her that Bo has a soft spot for humans, and she’ll grow to like her, because they both screw anything. Lauren slugs her one good, and uses her bloody nose for a sample. If the Morrigan’s body rejects the change she warns, she could be dead within the hour.

Dyson sits at the Dal with Bo. She doesn’t know what to do about the whole destiny bit. She asks him if they did the right thing with Massimo, and he’s unsure. Tamsin bring out a bottle of the good stuff, and they get Dyson to open what Hale left to him. Bo reads a poem inside, which doesn’t really rhyme, until the last line appears mentioning the Queen. On the back is a crest of the Order of the Knights Raynide, it means loyalty to their Queen. Tamsin tells her that its not just to their Queen, but The Queen. Bo tells them that they think she’s that Queen. Tamsin says that it means so much more than that. She is the one, Dyson tells her.

Massimo looks over some of his little trinkets. Vex has found a place for them to go to hide out, but Massimo tells him that he has to stay to see that it’s finished. He killed the heir of Zamora, and now Vex isn’t sure what to do with him. Vex tried to raise him right, but its all falling apart. He asks Massimo to come to England with him, be like it always has been, just the two of them. Massimo agrees, until he gets a call, and goes running.

The Morrigan is the one that called him, it’s the momma the psychopath needs. She tells him not to pout, and brings him in for a kiss. He relishes the sound of her heart, happy to see that Lauren did indeed make her human. The Morrigan pushes him away. She hopes that he has some miracle in his bag, but finds nothing she thinks will help her. He asks for her trust, but he’s never delivered what she’s asked for. He’s always been a disappointing monster, and now, he’s a monster on the outside too. He begs her to stop, and Lauren arrives.

Bo, Rayner, and Rosette head back to the Order of the Knights Raynide to see if she recognizes anything that she isn’t suppose to touch. There are horses everywhere, and too many people to fight. The intruder alarm is sounded, and the trio come out of hiding. The horse whisperer does not like her much. She tells Bo that she’s interfering with destiny. Bo walks closer, touching each horse, and the whisperer becomes agitated, drawing her sword. Rosette takes on the woman, as Bo and Rayner try to figure out how to  open up the horse. She recites Hale’s poem, and the saddle opens. Rosette takes down the woman who says that the hand fasting cannot be done. Bo’s been there done that, with my favorite Loki, and she’s not looking at going down that aisle again. She asks Rayner if they’re suppose to wed.

Kenzi continues her mourning. She rips apart the picture of her and Hale, crumpling up Hale’s face. Bo is glade Kenzi is home. Kenzi asks about her new lady knight. Bo tells her that she can push her away, but she loves her. Kenzi focuses on her interesting book. She reads about Bo’s prophecy that mentions everyone but her. Bo tries to convince her that she is apart of all of them. Kenzi asks her to unclaim her. Bo thinks that it is her grief, but Kenzi no longer wishes to be there. Rosette comes with news of Rayner, but Bo tries to quiet her as she convinces Kenzi that she doesn’t want to leave. Bo refuses to let Kenzi go. Kenzi remains adamant, and Bo gives in. She unclaims her. Rosette beckons again, and Bo writes a note for Rayner. Kenzi leaves.

Massimo is losing his mind. He got her everything that she ever wanted. Massimo tells Lauren that they will work together, but Lauren tells him that she will not work with a mad man. He is doing extraordinary things he believes, and he has the origin seed. Lauren begs him not to eat it. He places it in his mouth and eats it, as she begs him to stop. The druid falls over in agony as the seed takes hold.

Rosette bring Bo to Rayner, and she lights a bond fire. Bo will bind with Rayner and save his life and deal with her father on her own terms. Rayner thinks that it is their destiny to bind and fight together for the fae on a mutual quest, and for the record her tells her that he does love her. Rosette bind their hands and says the words to bind and align him. Once completed Rosette laughs manically. She tells them that she will rise with the Wanderer as her soldier and together they will release the lord of darkness. Bo does not like her words, as she says that he will rise from Hel, the evil mirror of Valhalla. Rosette betrayed Rayner, she believes that the Priapas will protect her and give her power of her own. Something compels Rosette into the flames as she begs and pleads. Rosette burns and Bo and Rayner’s hand hickies flare. A doorway has been opened.

Elena makes a dash to her car to search for Clay. Nick and Jeremy arrive before she can take off. She tells them that Olsen stabbed Philip and they took Clay. They tell her that they attacked Logan too, Logan and Rachel are missing. Elena wants to split up and search, Jeremy warns that the mutts are no fools, that they won’t kill Clay until they have Elena. She’s not willing to risk Clay’s life on that assumption. Jeremy tells her that Nick will travel with her back to Stone Haven where they’ll regroup to prepare for the mutts.

Daniel Santos has Clay strung up, as he shocks him with a pair of jumper cables. He has to work hard to get his to make any noise. He thinks its about getting respect, but Olsen thinks its about revenge, and he wouldn’t be far off. Santos makes a call to Elena with a proposition. He wants her to meet him alone at the Bear Valley diner. He shocks Clay until he screams to get his point across. Clay still manages to stare him down in between shocks.

Marsden and LeBlanc meet up with Santos. LeBlanc delivers more sedatives. Marsden worries about what he plans to do with Clay, while Santos sends LeBlanc to watch Olsen. Marsden tells Santos about LeBlanc’s rogue actions which left Logan alive. Santos apprises him of his less than stellar results as well. Olsen did not kill Philip, so he can ID him to the police, they did not get Elena as planned to use against Jeremy, so he took Clay instead. Things are not exactly going as Marsden was told. They were supposed to cull the herd, instead it’s been all about Elena. Santos doesn’t think it matters as long as they all get what they want in the end.

Diane sits at the hospital a wreck. Her mother arrives, and asks what happened. Diane tells her it was a home invasion, and Philip was stabbed. Her mother asks about Elena, and she tells her that she doesn’t know, Elena is MIA.

Jeremy doesn’t want Elena to go, knowing it’s a trap. She wasn’t asking, and even Nick chimes in that its too dangerous. Elena worries that Clay will be shipped home one piece at a time, and still Jeremy says no. Rachel arrives with the injured Logan, and the pack springs into action. Rachel tells them that two people broke in, and Logan tells them it was LeBlanc and Marsden. Jeremy moves to remove some fluid so his lungs can inflate. Nick takes Rachel from the room so Jeremy and Elena can work. He tries to comfort her, telling her that Logan has a lot to live for. Rachel isn’t sure what she’s bringing her child into. Nick tells her that she’s bringing her child into a loving family who will protect her, that she means the world to Logan. Nick assures her that Logan will pull through, that she’s safe. She wonders if she and Logan can go back to their normal lives. Nick tells her that things will never be the same, but that’s what happens when you have a baby.

Logan can breathe again, and he apologizes for bringing Rachel there, but Jeremy knows he had no other choice. He tells him to rest up, he’s gonna need all his strength.

Santos rouses Clay, they have some catching up to do. Santos tells him that there are things that he needs to know, but Marsden reminds him to get answers he needs to asks some actual questions, so far he’s just made some petty statements. Clay ruined Santos’s childhood, and killed his brother and he wants to make him and the Danvers family pay. Marsden thinks he’d be better off getting some good therapy. Clay is feeling a little frisky this morning, and LeBlanc drugs him up, to Santos’s satisfaction.

Elena sits by the phone looking guilty. She finally makes a call to Diane. She asks how Philip is, and he’s fine just resting. Diane asks how she is, and she says that she’s fine. Elena wants to know what Philip remembers, but so far Diane tells her its not much, that she should be here with Philip. Elena asks which hospital, and tells her that she’ll be there as soon as she can, but she’s not going. She turns off her phone, and pulls out Clay’s ring box, looking at the ring before putting it back away.

Logan awakes in the recovery room, with Rachel watching over him. He looks awful.

Elena tries to sneak out, and Jeremy intercepts her. She tells him that Santos asked to meet him, and Nick takes up a position behind her. She rushes Jeremy, but the alpha grabs her and sticks her in the cage. She cannot believe that he is locking her in, but Jeremy is trying to save Clay too. He cannot have her compromise his negotiations. He let her go back to Toronto thinking she would be safe, and he was wrong. She tells him that he thinks he can offer himself up to Santos and this will all be over, but Santos is untrustworthy. Err, hello pot, meet kettle. She was about to do the same thing. Elena thinks that Santos will kill him and Clay, but Jeremy already knows that. He cannot trust Santos, but he vows to protect Elena from herself while he and Nick deal with Santos.

Rachel remains in Logan’s room. He awakens, feeling better, asking about her. She’s fine. She tells him that said they were safe at Stone Haven, but she doesn’t feel safe. He tells her that the people who attacked them can’t get them here. She asks if they’re suppose to live there forever, but he tells her that when he’s healed they’ll go, far far away.

Santos taunts Clay that it won’t be long until he and Elena walk off in the sunset, but Clay knows that it’ll never happen. Santos is confident it will. He alludes to Clay’s unwavering pack ties, asks how it felt to kill his brother at Jeremy’s behest, Clay tells him as good as it will when he kills him. Santos hits him, asking which families are aligned with the pack. All of them, another hit. Is Jeremy recovered from his sneak attack. Enough to take out his prize fighter Koenig with enough to kick Santos’s ass. Well Santos is just not getting the answers he desires. Santos tells him that the pack is falling apart, and that the only thing left in Clay’s future are more beatings. Marsden stays his hand. This isn’t about taking down the pack, its about a petty little man never getting his way, while Clay gets everything he desired, pack status and the girl. Marsden walks away in disgust. The Pack may be reduced, but Santo’s most dangerous and valuable asset has lost faith in the cause. Santos struggles to recover, telling Clay that time is running out, that he and Elena have a lunch date. He tells him how he watched Elena at Philip’s sister’s wedding, trying to live a normal life, but she’d give it all up to save Clay, a fact he’s counting on. When he gets his hands on Elena he plans to use her as a broodmare, making a new generation of werewolves. He gets too close to Clay, and Clay head butts him. Santos retaliates by giving him another round of shock therapy.

Elena paces in her cage.

Jeremy checks in on Logan, and tries to rehydrate him. Rachel is resting in Elena’s room, he’s been trying to keep her from wandering around. Logan thanks him for saving his life, and apologizes for not being there when he was needed, but Jeremy understands. He tells him how excited he is for a little one to be running around the grounds again. Jeremy beams, happily, telling Logan his life is going to change so much with fatherhood, that a large part of parenthood is to do what is right for the child. He tells him that the first time he looks in his child’s eyes he will do whatever it takes to keep him safe. Jeremy turns serious, over the centuries they’ve learned the best way to keep their kind safe is within the pack. Jeremy leaves him with his thoughts, hoping to continue to conversation later.

Elena continues to pace. She hears Jeremy car leaving, and she tries again to break free. Rachel hears Elena rattling the bars of her cage, and she sneaks away to find the sound. Down the stairs she creeps through the empty house, until she finds the door leading to the basement. Rachel opens the door, and Logan stops her. She told him that she heard something. He tries to blame it on old pipes, but she’s not buying. He warns her that she does not want to go down there, that she cannot unsee some things. But her curiosity is not assuaged. Logan says again that it’s just old pipes, and urges her upstairs. He goes down himself and finds Elena in the cage. She tells him that Jeremy put her in the cage because he plays to sacrifice himself to Santos in exchange for Clay’s life. Logan stupidly releases Elena. She doesn’t think they’re safe, and tells him to take Rachel and leave as she grabs the tranquilizer gun.

Nick and Jeremy wait. Santos may be many things, but he’s always punctual. They wonder if it was all just a ruse just to lure them out. Elena waits for Santos, and Santos arrives with LeBlanc in tow. Elena warned Santos that Nick and Jeremy were waiting for him at the diner and chose an alternate location. She’s willing to bargain for Clay’s release, but he hasn’t brought Clay, worried that Elena was setting a trap for him. Santos shows Elena a video of the tortured Clay, and Elena reintroduces Santos to her fist. She holds him in a strangle hold, but he waves LeBlanc’s help off. Elena threatens that if he kills Clay she will hunt him down and do worse. Clay will remain alive if Elena cooperates. She’s willing to listen. Santos tells her that the pack is going down, but if she joins his new pack he’ll let the rest live as long as they take up the nomadic mutt life. Santos is deadly serious, and if Elena reneges on the deal he will have Clay and the pack slaughtered. Best of all in Santos’s mind is that Elena gets to birth a new dynasty, because letting a sleazeball knock her up is a bonus. Elena asks about everyone else in her life. He tells her that Victor Olsen went to visit Philip, and he doesn’t believe in a cell phone. Santos is all that lies between the pack and death. Elena makes no choices, but Santos is only keeping the offer on the table until dusk.

Philip is interviewed by a detective. He tells him he remembers a couple of guys coming in, but he didn’t recognize them. The event flashes through his mind in bits and pieces. They didn’t say what they wanted, they just jumped him when they came in but he put up a fight. The detective saw the place, and was impressed by the amount of fight he put up. The detective asks if there was any reason he could think that would have provoked the attack, but Philip has no enemies. He gives him his card if he remembers anything. Diane tells him that he should have told him about the stalker at Elena’s show he beat up, but he didn’t say anything since the stalker was one of the guys. He explains to Diane that Elena and her family are involved in some kind of mafia war, that she told him yesterday. He tells her to keep things quiet. He’s not saying anything because he doesn’t want to put them in further jeopardy.

Marsden pays Clay a visit, and offers him some water. He wishes that he could help Clay more, but Santos has made him little more than a peon. He tells him that Elena and Santos are having a meeting, that Elena has made quite the impression on Santos. Things have gone sideways on him, he never intended for things to get this far out of hand. Clay asks if he thought the pack would roll over and play dead. Marsden confesses that he traded the Devil he knows in Jeremy for the Devil he doesn’t in Santos, who’s gone from ambitious upstart to tyrannical despot in the blink of the eye. Clay suggests that he can switch sides. Marsden wonders if that is the same offer he made Cain before he killed him and buried him.

Philip watches the wolf video with a renewed interest after seeing Elena in wolf form.

Nick and Jeremy rush through the house. Nick heads off to find Logan and Rachel, while he heads to check on Elena. Nick finds them missing from the recovery room, and Jeremy finds the cage empty. There was no sign of a struggle, no scent of a mutt. He knows that Logan let her out, he just hopes that Elena knows what she is doing.

Victor Olsen returns to the scene of the crime to Elena and Philip’s apartment. Elena catches him in a surprise choke hold. She gets him chained up in the bathroom, she wants to knows where they’re holding Clay. Olsen taunts her about their friendship. He’s been in his life longer than anyone else. He asks what she’ll give him in return for the information she desires. She offers him his life as she changes a single finger into a talon. He doesn’t think she’s a killer, but the truth is that he doesn’t know her anymore.

No word from Logan or Elena yet, messages left for both. The grapevine is buzzing that the mutts are looking for new recruits. Nick is guessing for an all out assault, which makes sense to Jeremy. With Clay gone they’re weak, but the longer this attack is drawn out, the more he suspects Santos isn’t the one actually pulling the strings. He was behind the recruitment of Marsden and Cain, and the changing of the killers and pedophiles, but its just a small part of the big picture. Elena is being hit from all sides, and then the video of Elena and Logan as wolves surfaces, it just all too many coincidences otherwise. Nick tells him that Clay said the video was given to Philip by James Williams. They turn their attention to James Williams and his motivations.

Elena continues slashing away at Olsen when he doesn’t answer her questions. She slices open his wrist, and offers to stop the bleeding if he tells her where Clay is. Olsen tells her what a pretty girl she’s always been. He just wants to brush he hair one more time. He asks her to untie him. She will after he tells her what she wants to know, he will if she promises to let him go. Elena hears someone trying to enter the apartment. She gags Olsen and binds his wounds with a towel while she goes to check who is there. It’s Philip. He didn’t get her messages since he didn’t have his cell phone, and he backs away from her fearfully. He’s unsure who is the bigger threat the men who attacked him, or her. She tried so hard to make things work, to be who he thought she was. All he wanted was honesty, but she couldn’t do that. She asks him to go her one last favor and go, run far away, but he refuses to be chased away. She tells him that once he met her his life was forced down a dark road. She didn’t want that but it happened. He hears a noise in the bathroom, and she has blood on her hands. She begs him to go while he still can, and he heads out the door. She heads back to the bathroom, tells Olsen that he can save himself. He thinks she’s still scared, but she isn’t anymore. He tells her what she wants to know, and she wonders how can believe him. He taunts her, that’s the same thing Philip just said to her. She removes the towels from his bleeding wrists, and stuffs his rabbit foot into his mouth. She promised to release him, but she lied.

LeBlanc practices his knife throwing skills when he smells something, or rather someone. He heads off towards the scent, into the woods. Santos comes outside, and finds LeBlanc missing. Elena ambushes Santos from above. She knocks him unconscious with the tranquilizer gun. Marsden hears a disturbance outside, and finds Santos knocked out. She hits Marsden with a tranquilzer, and kinds Clay strung up. He says “it’s to see you darling,” and I squeal just a little. LeBlanc sniffs out Elena’s jacket, and heads off towards the road to find her, but he’s too late. She already has Clay in the car, and she heads out.

Back at Stone Haven, Clay is doing fine, but he’s still weak. Jeremy tells Elena that Jorge went to her apartment to sterilize it, and remove all traces of her. He’s sorry that she was forced to kill again. Olsen gave her everything that she needed, and she still killed him. She never wanted to be an executioner, which is why she left Santos and Marsden alive. After what she saw they did to Clay though, she should have. She did what she had to do for Clay, Jeremy tries to assure her, like Clay did for her when she first came there. Clay bit her and almost killed her, she doesn’t see the connection. Jeremy admits that when Clay first brought her to Stone Haven it was a very foolish and impetuous act. He’d just come back from a run, and was changing when she saw him. Elena didn’t see him. Jeremy tells her that he couldn’t take that chance. He thought she had saw her change and he was going to kill her, he couldn’t take the chance. Light bulb. Clay bit her to give her another chance at life, he defied Jeremy’s orders. All that time Elena blamed Clay for ruining her life. Clay was always the faithful son, willing to accept his burden to protect the relationship between Jeremy and Elena. She cannot believe that he would let Clay carry that weight, and he questioned himself everyday if he did the best thing, and ultimately decided it was best for the pack. Elena is back to her selfish thinking. Jeremy’s decision wasn’t best for her though, or Clay. Jeremy points Clay chose to make that sacrifice, as she chose to make a sacrifice to save him. All that time, Elena shut him out, while Clay has remained the most trustworthy person she knows. She walks away. And the burden shifts to Jeremy’s shoulders.

Elena goes to check on the recovering Clay, who lies asleep on his side. She slides into bed behind him, wrapping her arms around him, and he relaxes in them.

Marsden realizes that they’re all dead. LeBlanc wants him to come, but he doesn’t realize the hornet’s nest they’ve kicked. Santos reasons that Clay is still weak, they can win this battle. Marsden doesn’t like the odds with the three of them left. Santos gets a call from James Williams. He knows that Santos has lost his trump card. He informs him that there will be no more kidnapping. He’s ready for action. It’s time to storm the castle.

 

Title: Divergent

Genre: Action/Adventure Sci-fi, Post-Apocalyptic

Rating: PG-13; Contains some sensuality, intense violence and action

Run Time: 2 hrs 20 mins

Release Date: March 21, 2014

Distributor: Summit Entertainment

Directed by: Neil Burger

Screenplay by: Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor

Based on the novel by: Veronica Roth

 

 

Synopsis:

Divergent is a thrilling action-adventure film set in a world where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues. Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy by a faction leader (Kate Winslet) to destroy all Divergents, Tris must learn to trust in the mysterious Four (Theo James) and together they must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it's too late.



Cast:

Shailene Woodley - Beatrice "Tris" Prior

Theo James - Tobias "Four" Eaton

Kate Winslet - Jeanine Matthews

Ansel Elgort - Caleb Prior

Ray Stevenson - Marcus Eaton

Jai Courteney - Eric

Maggie Q - Tori

Miles Teller - Peter

Zoe Kravitz - Cristina

Christian Madsen - Al

Ben Lloyd-Hughes - Will

Amy Newbold - Molly

Mekhi Phifer - Max

Ashley Judd - Natalie Prior (Tris' mother)

Tony Goldwyn - Andrew Prior (Tris' father)

 

Find the full cast & crew on IMDB.

 

 

 

Review:

Well, it doesn't look like the trend for film adaptations of young adult novels is slowing down, but hopefully, it picks up. With a few already that did not perform well in the box office, Divergent may be the one to turn it around. It may not be blockbuster hits like the Twilight Saga or The Hunger Games, but it still may change the current slump of young adult novels turn movie.

 

Although I didn't read the book yet, my daughter and I watched Divergent on the last day of its opening weekend. Yes, I know, it's been a while since watching it that I am now writing a review. For the most part, I needed to watch it without reading and/or hearing what others thought of the movie. Being a film adaptation from a popular young adult novel, I am fully aware that there will be mixed reviews/thoughts, especially coming from the fans of the books. With that said, it had an intriguing and compelling storyline. The cast and setting was believable and convincing. Factions were differentiated by color, style of clothing and their train of thought which further enhanced the complexities of each faction in this post-apocalyptic society. The way they created this world was amazing with the post war wreckage outside the wall and the society inside. As for the action, I was definitely at the "edge of my seat."

 

However, I felt that it fell short on, I guess, background or history of what the story is about. The film focused on Tris' story of her coming of age in a society divided into factions. The suspense did add an element of intrigue with the revealing of a conspiracy, which was compelling enough. I would have liked to see more telling of the different factions. Of course, a brief description is better than none. Granted that there is only so much that a film can put on screen given that it's a film adaptation from a novel. Moreover, Divergent is the first book in a trilogy, this first film seems to serve as a beginning for this franchise. In the end, My daughter and I enjoyed the compelling and intriguing story of Divergent.

 

With all that being said, the second book, Insurgent, has already got the greenlight to go into production, with a slated release in 2015, then the final book, Allegiant, with a slated release in 2016.

 

My rating: