By Anonymous on Jun 16, 2018 07:50 am After 14 long years Pixar's sequel to The Incredibles is finally here... "The Incredibles 2"! Mike Rougeau and Chris Hayner chat up what makes The Incredibles 2 such a worthy successor, and just how much fun the film is in this Spoiler Review and chat. How does "The Incredibles 2" stack up to other Pixar movies? Find out here!
By Anonymous on Jun 16, 2018 07:06 am What do movie critics believe is the best Pixar film ever? Check out our roundup of all 20 Pixar Films ranked by their Metacritic score. Disclosure: Metacritic is owned by CBS Interactive, GameSpot's parent site.
Hereditary one hell of a horror movie, but it's also a family drama that explores how tragedy and grief can twist people into unrecognizable shapes. Much of the film is spent developing the relationships between the characters, which makes the ending--where the story finally descends into utter, terrifying chaos--a little jarring.
Whether or not you liked Hereditary's ending, there's no denying that it's sparked conversation among viewers. If you haven't seen the movie yet, don't read any further, because there are spoilers ahead!
Hereditary ends with Milly Shapiro's Charlie, Gabriel Byrne's Steve, and Toni Collette's Annie all extremely dead, expended pawns in grandma's demonic scheme to use Alex Wolff's character Peter to summon a King of Hell, Paimon, into waking life. A full on demon summoning is probably not where most people expected this movie to go, and that's no accident, according to Hereditary director Ari Aster.
"I've set up this patient, dark family drama, and then it just goes off the rails," he described during a recent interview with GameSpot.
There were plenty of hints throughout the movie that this was how things would go. Obviously the grandmother was into some messed up stuff, and many viewers probably got cult vibes long before the big reveal. And Ann Dowd's character Joan was clearly sinister in the way she deliberately inserted herself into the Grahams' life through Annie. By the end, the movie even gets into a surprising amount of detail about the demon king, Paimon, that the cult worships.
"It's interesting, because when you talk about the ending, it's easy for it to sound a little kitschy, when you talk about it and you don't see the rest of the movie, that's so grounded," Alex Wolff told GameSpot. But he added that he thinks it works both literally and metaphorically in the context of the whole film.
According to both Wolff and Milly Shapiro, the character Charlie is Paimon. She was born a demon. She's not a person who's been possessed--although she's certainly a pawn--but a literal, physical manifestation of Paimon. That explains why she's so strange, why grandma obsessively fawned over her, and why she has to die for the demon to enter a male host and the ritual to be completed (as you may have noticed, the cult's symbol was etched into the phone pole that killed her, implying the cult had some influence over the events).
But Paimon/Charlie certainly isn't the villain of the movie, and Paimon actually appears to be an unknowing participant in the cult's scheme. Charlie doesn't know what she is.
"She never knew anything different from how she is," Shapiro told GameSpot. "With possession usually, there is a person trapped in there, but there never really was anything but [Paimon] for Charlie."
"She is a demon," Wolff succinctly explained. "But I feel like it's so interesting--Ari took the approach that she's not necessarily evil. She's actually scared, and she's just in this circumstance. She's born this way, and she doesn't feel connected to the rest of the world. And I think it's kind of a sick, twisted, true analogy about being on the outside and having a mental disorder."
There are hints throughout the movie that the demon king needs a male body to successfully use as a vessel. It's outright stated at one point, but another example is Annie's brother, who died before the movie's events and allegedly suffered from schizophrenia. There's one theory that he was actually the grandmother's previous, failed attempt to summon Paimon. But at the end of Hereditary, there's no failure--Charlie's spirit, which was actually Paimon, enters Peter's body, and the ritual is complete.
"He becomes Charlie, that's the end, is that Charlie is Paimon," Wolff said. "Really I believe, yeah, in a literal sense, he's possessed by Paimon, which is Charlie, and he switches and becomes Charlie. And that's the end of the movie."
Aster confirmed that the ending is meant to be viewed literally, not simply as a metaphor for mental deterioration or as some sort of delusion on the characters' part. "It is literal," he said. "Nobody likes the 'It was all a dream' thing."
That said, there are of course more subtle, metaphorical meanings to it as well. "In a more emotional sense, I believe that it's almost like each member of the family's psyche deteriorates, and the end for me is Peter's psyche deteriorating, and everything smashing to a thousand little pieces and it being unfixable," Wolff said.
"I believe you should always interpret things as exactly what you're seeing, but it kind of doesn't matter, because whatever it is, it turns into f***ing chaos, and that's what it is," he continued. "Whatever's actually happening, the feeling is the hyperbole of absolute anarchy and the depths of guilt and the depths of trauma in a family, and feeling like you're cursed."
"For me, that ending is very much about how trauma can completely transform a person, and not necessarily for the better," Aster explained. "When I was first pitching the film, I was describing it as a family tragedy that curdles into a nightmare, in the same way that life can feel like a nightmare when disaster is striking."
"I wanted to make a film that collapsed under the weight of what these people are going through," he continued. "It starts to split apart at the seams. I wanted the ending, even as it's going crazy, to still feel like it was absolutely rooted in what these people were suffering through."
Shapiro said she finds the ending extra interesting because it essentially switches to the cult's point of view. For them, it's a happy ending, while for the Graham family, "it's absolute despair."
"I think the thing that makes it so relatable is everyone has felt like they were cursed or had bad thing after bad thing happen, and no matter what the family does, it doesn't stop," she said. "They don't really know what they're getting themselves into, and they don't know how to stop it, because there isn't really a way. It's something that was planned before they were born, and it's something that was always going to happen."
Rosemont, IL's Allstate Arena will host WWE's Money in the Bank PPV on Sunday, June 17. It's been a while since the last major WWE PPV, as events will no longer be just for Raw or Smackdown superstars. Going forward, each show will be dual-branded, much like Backlash was last month. Money in the Bank will be available on PPV and through the WWE Network as well.
The sports entertainment giant is pushing this PPV to be a bigger event, and Money in the Bank will have an earlier start time compared to other shows, starting at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT, with a Kickoff show starting one hour prior. We're expecting this show to be as long as Survivor Series or Royal Rumble, and the reasoning behind this is to accommodate all the wrestlers, at least that's according to some of the MITB rumors. As of this writing, no matches have been announced for the Kickoff, and currently, there are ten matches on the card with a couple more expected to be booked.
The main events of the evening will be the two Money in the Bank matches: one for the men and one for the women. Last year, Baron Corbin and Carmella--with help from James Ellsworth--won those respective matches with Carmella successfully cashing in her contract earlier this year. In 2018, the ante has been upped as there will now be eight superstars instead of six in each MITB match. As of this writing, all the combatants are locked in, but the New Day just needs to decide which member will compete in the men's match.
Alongside those two ladder matches, Ronda Rousey makes her singles debut. Her last match was at Wrestlemania when she teamed with Kurt Angle to take on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Rousey will be fighting current Raw Women's Champion Nia Jax for the title. Additionally, Sami Zayn will fight Bobby Lashley, which comes from the fallout of a terrible segment where Zayn interviewed Lashley's supposed sisters who were men in drag. Even after Zayn gave a heartfelt apology, Lashley still wants revenge.
However, aside from the MITB matches, the bout to watch will be AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura in a Last Man Standing match. The two men have been involved in a bitter rivalry filled with numerous punches and kicks to the groin, many of which have ended the match for numerous reasons. Now, the only way to lose this match is to be knocked out until the ref counts to 10. Don't worry, there will still be plenty of low blows in this match.
While it has yet to be booked, The B Team--made up of Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel--won a tag team battle royale match on the June 4 episode of Raw, making them the number one contenders for the Raw Tag Team Championships. However, even after the June 11 episode of Raw, it doesn't seem like this match will take place at MITB. It could be announced between now and the PPV, but as of this writing, that match won't be this Sunday.
Money in the Bank Match Card:
The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The Good Brothers (For the Smackdown Tag Team Championship) - KICKOFF SHOW
Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass
Nia Jax (c) vs. Ronda Rousey (For the Raw Women's Championship)
Carmella (c) vs. Asuka (For the Smackdown Women's Championship)
Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal
Bobby Lashley vs. Sami Zayn
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Elias (For the Intercontinental Championship)
AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Last Man Standing Match for the WWE Championship)
Lana, Natalya, Alexa Bliss, Charlotte, Ember Moon, Becky Lynch, Naomi, and Sasha Banks (Money in the Bank match)
Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens, Bobby Roode, Braun Strowman, The Miz, Rusev, Finn Balor, and one member of The New Day (Money in the Bank match)
Come back to GameSpot on Sunday, June 17 for live coverage of the show.
The phrase "money in the bank," to some people, means you have literal, physical money in a literal, physical bank. Whether it's your bank account or someone else's all depends on context. However, WWE uses the phrase as an idiom, a term from popular culture that's not really used anymore. To WWE, "money in the bank" is a briefcase with a title contract hanging above the ring which six to eight superstars all try to reach by climbing ladders. Confused? Good. We can now continue. Sorry for the English lesson.
Rosemont, IL hosts the annual WWE PPV Money in the Bank, on Sunday, June 17. Much like last year's, this event will feature two Money in the Bank matches: one for the women and one for the men. What's different this year is that instead of the traditional six entrants into each match, there will be eight, and the show will feature both Raw and Smackdown superstars. Additionally, one of the members of The New Day will be competing but they have not said who it will be just yet. More than likely, we won't know until the actual event.
As of this writing, there are 10 matches on the card and a few interesting rumors to go along with the PPV, like which match will main event the evening. Additionally, check out our video feature about AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. Everyone has plenty of opinions about what's going to happen at MITB, and that includes GameSpot. We have predictions for all of the matches announced thus far.
Also, make sure to keep checking back to GameSpot up until June 17, when we will have live coverage of MITB.
Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass
The slow, grueling journey for Daniel Bryan making his way to The Miz continues its pitstop at Big Cass. This has been a fun little rivalry, but WWE fans are just waiting for Bryan to get past this, in hopes The Miz and Bryan's story can start sooner rather than later. Cass is a stepping stone for Bryan, and because of this, Bryan will get the win.
Our prediction: Daniel Bryan wins
Bobby Lashley vs. Sami Zayn
Coming off of one of the worst WWE segments of all time is Bobby Lashley vs. Sami Zayn. WWE split Zayn and Kevin Owens, which was going incredibly well, to place him in a feud with the returning Lashley. It's bland, derivative storytelling that not even Zayn can save, which is incredibly sad. This whole match feels like Sami is being served to Bobby on a silver platter.
Our prediction: Lashley wins
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Elias
(For the Intercontinental Championship)
Now that the IC Title is relevant again--thanks Miz--newly crowned champion Seth Rollins has to Walk With Elias. This will be his first big challenge, as Elias has been getting a big push and is a legitimate contender for the title. Hopefully, Seth's run will last a big longer, and I see this rivalry having legs until Summerslam. That being said, Elias will get the win, but he won't get the belt.
Our prediction: Elias wins by countout or DQ
Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal
This is very much a "we don't know how to book these guys" battle. Chances are, if you're reading this, you also don't really care about the match. Neither of these stars elevates the other, and it's just a muscle-bound beatdown. I'm giving the win to Jinder because he's been hindered too long.
Our prediction: Jinder Mahal wins
The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The Good Brothers
(For the Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
The Bludgeon Brothers have been an unstoppable force since winning the Smackdown tag championships, and they've beaten down the entire tag roster. So, their battle with The Good Brothers is exceptionally important for the division. If Harper and Rowan win, it'll make the entire tag team roster seem a bit helpless until a new team comes around (when the heck is Sanity coming over already?). Until things get changed on Smackdown, someone has to put up a good fight, and that's why I'm giving the win to the Good Brothers.
Our prediction: The Good Brothers win
Carmella (c) vs. Asuka
(For the Smackdown Women's Championship)
Smackdown's women's division is really heating up. The roster is stacked, and the championship match isn't focused around a newcomer who has yet to have a singles match yet (shots fired). Carmella has been a fantastic heel champion who I'm not ready to see dethroned. At the same time, Asuka is still riding her loss to Charlotte, which meant her undefeated streak was broken. Both of these wrestlers need the win, so it's one that can go either way. Additionally, I really want this rivalry to continue, but Carmella needs to be champ as her cockiness is delightful to watch. So, I'm giving the win to Asuka, but she won't get the belt, which is exactly what I'm predicting for Elias as well.
Our prediction: Asuka wins by DQ or countout
Nia Jax (c) vs. Ronda Rousey
(For the Raw Women's Championship)
The majority of WWE fans are not happy with the booking and lead-up to this title bout. First, Nia challenged Rousey, who hasn't had a singles match yet. Secondly, there are a slew of other performers that deserve this shot. While Rousey held her own at Wrestlemania, it's too early for her to be in the title picture. If she wins, Raw will have two absentee champions, as the chances of Rousey showing up every week and fighting are slim to none. Even though Jax says Rousey is ready, Jax needs to win.
Our prediction: Jax wins
AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Last Man Standing Match)
(For the WWE Championship)
It's time for another act in the ongoing Styles/Nakamura saga, which has been wonderful the past few months, and easily one of the best storylines currently coming out of WWE. This will be a Last Man Standing match, so kicks to the groin won't DQ either contestant. This is a rivalry I see continuing after MITB, but in order for that to happen, Nakamura needs to win the championship.
Our prediction: Nakamura wins
Secondary prediction: Lots of low blows
Women's Money In The Bank Match
Hopefully, there's no James Ellsworth interference this year--although I secretly want him to show up. In this year's battle, Lana, Natalya, Alexa Bliss, Charlotte, Ember Moon, Becky Lynch, Naomi, and Sasha Banks will all be vying for the Money in the Bank contract, hanging above the ring. While I'm more than likely to be wrong with this pick, I will continue to hope for a Becky Lynch win. She needs to be in the championship picture again, and while an Ember Moon win would be amazing, the Raw women's division is going to have its eyes on Ronda Rousey for quite some time. It only makes sense to give the contract to a Smackdown superstar.
Our prediction: Lynch wins
Men's Money In The Bank Match
On the men's side of things, Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens, Bobby Roode, Braun Strowman, The Miz, Rusev, Finn Balor, and one of the members of the New Day will be involved in the MITB match. There is a lot of high-caliber talent in this match, and I could see it going multiple ways. And every part of me wants The Miz to win, to put him back in the main event status. However, there is a certain Universal Championship that needs to be removed from a certain part-time wrestler, and that's why I'm giving the win to Braun Strowman, in the hopes he decimates Brock Lesnar to become the new--fighting--champion.
Money in the Bank has quickly become one of WWE's bigger events of the year. The titular matches involve a contract with a title shot contained within a briefcase, hanging above the ring. Whoever climbs a ladder and grabs the case first is the winner, which sounds like an easy task, as long as you're up for the challenge. One of the superstars involved in said match is Raw newcomer Ember Moon. She's had quite the busy week, spending some time at E3 in Los Angeles.
Moon spent the past week at E3 as part of the Smash Bros. Celebrity Invitational, and along with two other celebrities, took on professional Smasher Nairo. "The new game is phenomenal, it really is," Moon told GameSpot. "It brought back everything that was good about the GameCube and the Wii version and brought it all into one console. Man, it was great." During the Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament, Moon used Pikachu, in a lucha outfit, and easily held her own. "I thought I was going in for a tournament, and we faced a pro, and we just got brutally demolished."
On June 17, Moon will head to Chicago for the WWE PPV Money in the Bank, where she will compete with seven other women in a ladder match for a championship contract. "I'm pretty confident," Moon said. "It's not my first time getting to have fun with some ladders. There is a bit of uncertainty just to have competitors I've never been in the ring with, ever."
However, Moon is afraid of heights, which comes into play in a match in which you have to climb a ladder to win, but she's all about overcoming that on her road to becoming a WWE Champion: "Conquering fears. I don't think everyone knows I'm afraid of heights, but I constantly challenge that fear every single time and then being in the ring with seven other superstars as well that have completed so many accolades and goals in their careers, and I'm just getting started it seems, yeah, that can be a little scary. But like I said, I'm ready to rise to that challenge, and it's not going to deter me from getting that Money in the Bank contract."
What's amazing about that fear is that Moon's finisher, The Eclipse, is a top rope maneuver and a wondrous sight to witness at that--which you can see in the video below. "When I first started doing The Eclipse, I did it off the second rope. I was totally terrified to go to the top rope. I remember going to [Booker T, one of her many trainers during her career], and he was like, 'Man, you really need to try to top that off the top rope.' I'm like, 'No, I'm cool. I'm cool on the second. This is my home right now. We're going to be good here." And he talked me into doing it off the top rope, and it was so much more fluid as well because when you do it off the second you have to spin a lot faster 'cause you have to make sure you get around, but doing it from the top rope just worked."
Moon is a newer addition to the Raw women's roster, which has thankfully gone through some major changes the past few years, elevating the women to the same level as the men. They have been given the same opportunities, like competing in matches like Hell in a Cell, Royal Rumble, and Money in the Bank, which had its first women's match in 2017: "It just proves that the women that did the first one did an amazing job, and they had to do it twice," Moon said referring to the June 27 episode of Smackdown where the women got a MITB rematch after interference from Carmella's valet, James Ellsworth. "They did a phenomenal job both times and this is only the evolution of that first time and this is going to be the second of many more to come. And it's just continuing to prove that one, we're just as good as the men too. We're not Porcelain Princesses, and we can take a hit."
Additionally, Moon stated that she'd love to do an Extreme Rules match and a TLC match, two of the more brutal bouts in WWE's canon. And again, Moon has no problem climbing up ladder, despite her fear, which is incredibly admirable to see that level of dedication to the craft.
She takes that dedication to craft and character outside of work with her, in her free time, when she plays Dungeons and Dragons as well. "I'm a big fan of 3.5," she said. If Moon's character was a in D&D she'd multi-classed. "I feel like I'd have to go Mage/Rogue, maybe. Like in that range. But like go toward that class of assassin with the rogue. So, I feel like that would be the best." However, Moon stated that she loves playing as a Monk, and it's her preferred class. Hopefully, we'll see Moon hitting a Flurry of Blows on her competitors at Money in the Bank.
After 14 long years Pixar's sequel to The Incredibles is finally here... "The Incredibles 2"! Mike Rougeau and Chris Hayner chat up what makes The Incredibles 2 such a worthy successor, and just how much fun the film is in this Spoiler Review and chat. How does "The Incredibles 2" stack up to other Pixar movies? Find out here!
What do movie critics believe is the best Pixar film ever? Check out our roundup of all 20 Pixar Films ranked by their Metacritic score. Disclosure: Metacritic is owned by CBS Interactive, GameSpot's parent site.
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