Author: Michael Rizzardi

Fire up your dial-up connection and type in your access code for this retro anime hero! Tsuburaya Productions and Studio Trigger (the minds behind Ultraman and Kill la Kill, respectively) have teamed up for the new series, SSSS.Gridman. The show is an animated reboot of Tsuburaya’s 1993 live action tokusatsu series Denkou Chojin Gridman, wherein three tech-geek teens merge with an interdimensional cop to fight monsters inside their desktop computer. In the states, Gridman was best known as the source material for Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad (which had the same plot, plus a rock band and surfer dudes). SSSS.Gridman has much…

This weekend, Sony Pictures reintroduced moviegoers to everyone’s favorite lethal protector: Venom! Last time the ebony alien graced the screen, he was disappointingly crammed into the third act of the already overstuffed Spider-Man 3. Now, with Tom Hardy taking on the role, were they able to surpass their failure and bring fans the Venom they always wanted? Well…for the most part. The film follows investigative reporter Eddie Brock, unemployed and hard on his luck after pushing the boundaries of a fluff piece with unscrupulous CEO Carlton Drake. After a whistleblower begs Brock for help, he breaks into Drake’s lab and…

Every comic book movie fan has their favorite superhero theme music. I can guarantee you’ll find John Williams’ Superman and Danny Elfman’s Batman themes on any top ten list. Newer tracks like Hans Zimmer’s Wonder Woman and Alan Silvestri’s Avengers themes have also become modern classics. But what about lesser known superhero scores? What about movies that people didn’t even like? Good themes from unpopular and unknown movies deserve recognition, too. Here are just a handful of tracks that you can add to your playlist. The Shadow – Jerry Goldsmith Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?…

Spawn is one of the most enduring independent comic book properties of all time. Created by Todd McFarlane in 1992, Spawn is the tale of assassin Al Simmons returning from the dead as a demonic Hellspawn soldier. But Simmons was just one of many Spawns in several different timelines and universes. Many of these alternate Spawns were seen in flashbacks, spinoff comics, and of course, toys! McFarlane created his own toy company to control the release of Spawn merchandise, and they quickly made a name for themselves with high quality collector’s pieces. I was a collector myself when I was…

Leave it to a world class ninja to sneak onto American television. Next week’s episode of Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel will feature a special guest hero, Sheriff Skyfire. The Sheriff is a space ninja and intergalactic policeman who gets tricked by series villain Madame Odius into battling the Rangers. The Rangers will have to convince him that they’re on the same side before it’s too late! Hardcore toku fans will recognize this new face: it’s the classic ‘80s hero Jiraiya! Sekai Ninja Sen Jiraiya aired in 1988 on Japanese airwaves as the seventh installment of the Metal Hero franchise.…

Spoilers below! I have been a fan of the Predator franchise since I caught the first movie one weeknight on the WB. I was just in the fourth grade, but I remember it clear as day. The complete captivation, seeing larger than life action heroes like Arnold Schwarzenegger struggling against a mysterious alien hunter, is a feeling I get to relive each time I watch the 1987 classic. Even through the dark times of the franchise (looking at you, AVP:R), I have never been ashamed to call myself a Predator fan. Never, until today. The sixth installment, simply titled The…

There are three things kids love above all else: dinosaurs, robots, and superheroes. So why not combine all three and have dinosaur robots piloted by superheroes? Toei’s Super Sentai franchise, known in the US as Power Rangers, had the good sense to do just that. But no dinosaur is more revered in pop culture than the Tyrannosaurus rex, and Sentai has had their fair share of them. But which robot rex reigns supreme? Let’s count them down! 9. Kyoryu Origami Ranking dead last is this stubby-legged little guy from 2009’s Samurai Sentai Shinkenger. Appearing as a movie exclusive, the Kyoryu…

The film industry is a tough business to crack. Millions are spent each year trying to figure what things audiences most want to see, and after all that, it’s still just anyone’s guess. It’s especially risky when you’re making a massive blockbuster meant to spearhead a potential franchise. Studios have a lot riding on big fantasy action flicks, and they want to hit the widest audience possible. There are plenty of tricks that production companies employ to connect to that elusive “general audience” and get them to relate to their stories and characters. Unfortunately, a lot of these methods fly…

Ironheart is finally going to headline her own monthly series, with an exciting new writer to boot! Introduced near the tail end of Civil War II, Riri Williams is a young genius who builds her own Iron Man armor in her Chicago garage. After Tony Stark is beaten into a coma by Captain Marvel, Riri takes on his Iron Man duties (and the Invincible Iron Man series), christening herself Ironheart. After Tony returned, she moved on to become part of the Champions, a group of teen heroes. But Ironheart isn’t done with the spotlight just yet. This November, poet and…

The ‘80s and ‘90s were a great time to be a kid. Television studios were going all out with action shows, trying to one-up each other in their competition for kids’ attention. There are dozens of shows we can look back at with nostalgia. But as we look back, we can take a peek behind the curtain and see some of these shows for what they were: horrific Frankenstein concoctions, mashed together from the spare parts of foreign shows. Let’s take a look at these classics from yesteryear, and uncover the ones that were secretly mash-ups! Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers…