A Superfans Spotlight Feature: Festive Season at the Galileo Open Air Cinema

A Superfans Spotlight Feature: Festive Season at the Galileo Open Air Cinema

Capetonians, tourists and movie lovers are in for a special Dezemba as our fave, The Galileo Open Air Cinema, brings the jolly vibes with their festive season lineup!

As locals know, with the sun setting later and clear skies as far as the eye can see, summer in Cape Town is the gift that keeps on giving and the Galileo is putting the bow on that present with a programme of Hollywood classics and new features guaranteed to give you a good time.

The Galileo Open Air Cinema offers festive season entertainment for the whole family this December! Image credit: Galileo Open Air Cinema

Screenings take place at some of the Mother City’s most drop dead gorgeous venues, including the iconic Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, the picturesque Century City’s Central Park and the urban wonder Battery Park at the V&A Waterfront. For those keen to take a mini-day trip out of the city, there are screenings in the Cape Winelands too.

The Galileo’s full festive season line-up is jampacked with some Christmas favourites so while it was SUPER hard to choose just a few to feature, here are a few of our must-sees:

Fun for the whole family:

Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell in tights and a musical? Sign us up! Don’t miss Spirited at the Galileo Open Air Cinema on 26 December 2024. Image credit: The Galileo Open Air Cinema

Whether you’re indulging your inner 90s kid with the classic Home Alone 2 , introducing your little ones to the magic of The Polar Express or letting your long-forgotten musical festive geek freak fly with Spirited, Kirstenbosch Garden is THE place to be from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day.

For the lovers amongst us:

To us, Love Actually will always be perfect. Experience this classic under the stars with the Galileo Open Air Cinema on 19 December 2024. Image credit: Galileo Open Air Cinema

A far cry from the cheesy Hallmark movies making the rounds, Hollywood romcoms The Holiday and Love Actually are back to remind you that love conquers all. Remember to pack those tissues!

For the festive film buff:

We’ll stand by this: Die Hard IS a Christmas movie! Watch it with the Galileo Open Air Cinema crowd on 23 December 2024 and see if you agree. Image credit: Galileo Open Air Cinema

Settle that ongoing argument once and for all: Die Hard IS a Christmas movie! Prefer less explosions but still want that discerning cinematic experience? E.T. is your next best bet or you can go for the ultimate spooky festive experience with The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Your festive movie under the stars await:

Ready to be entertained with your beloved festive season film? The Galileo Open Air Cinema is ready to welcome you with a variety of ticket options to suit your comfort levels and needs. Get your Galileo Open Air Cinema tickets here.

There is nothing like a delicious pizza, hot drink and scrumptious snack to complete the Galileo Open Air Cinema experience this festive season! Image credit: Galileo Open Air Cinema

Wait, there’s more! Your outdoor movie experience is not complete without a scrumptious picnic so visit any of the delicious food, drink and snack vendors at each Galileo Open Air Cinema venue prior to the show and get your festive feast on.

Lights! Camera! Action!

For more information about the movie schedule, ticket options and additional services, including setting up a festive season proposal, visit www.thegalileo.co.za.

A Superfans review: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7

A Superfans review: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7

Oh my Gods! That was an EPISODE, Superfans! Not enough for me to take back everything I said in my last House of the Dragon review but still, a certified banger.

Here’s what you missed:

Impressions:

Traditionally, episode 9 of every season of parent series Game of Thrones was the BIG one and I am so happy to report that HOTD continues that tradition with this outing. For most of the episode, it felt like much of the same but boy, those last 20 minutes? Pure dragon fire, Baby!

The OG Mother of Dragons, Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and Vermithor, the Bronze Beast. Image credit: India Today

D’Arcy steps FULLY into her element as the Gods-chosen, OG Mother of Dragons, complete with making even the most fearsome dragon Vermithor (who barbecued Ser Steffon last episode) bow down to her, accepting Seasmoke’s claiming of Aadam, speaking Valyrian fluently, and not standing for disrespect from her dragon keepers nor her heir.

Watching her give that rousing speech to her motley crew of family (bastards with Targaryen or Velaryon blood, recruited by her handmaid in Flea Bottom), before letting them test their mettle against Vermithor, is a great foreshadowing of what is to come. If Rhaenyra is to win this war, it will come at a great cost, a price she now knows she has to pay.

You just know that Seasmoke was telling Addam to stand up straight and bend the knee so Rhaenyra would let him keep him! Image credit: Instagram

I loved how the show makes each dragon and rider bonding a unique experience and showcases each dragon’s personality. Seasmoke is a stalker who didn’t give Aadam of Hull (Clinton Liberty) or Rhaenyra much choice in the matter of acceptance. Bro was like “he’s cute and he reminds me of Laenor, Mother. May I keep him?”.

Silverwing, former trusted stead of Good Queen Alysanne, Rhaenyra’s great-grandma, toyed with Ulf White (Tom Bennett) like a cat with a mouse when he was trying to run from the barbeque Vermithor was having, and she decided he’ll do. I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t go full Dracarys on him.

My best boy this episode is Vermithor, y’all. The way he purred under Rhaenyra’s touch and threw a full-on tantrum before eating and burning all of the tasty snacks she brought for him? Vermithor is just a big ol’ pussycat, Guys! Rhaenyra was the only great-grandchild of his former rider King JJaehaerysΒ that he and Vermithor ever met and it is said that both rider and dragon were immensely fond of her in the source novel Fire and Blood. That familiarity, along with the recognition of her as a both a Queen and a dragonlord, is powerful. It also gives us the first of the most epic shots in this episode:

Vermithor is just a big ol’ softie when it comes to his one true Queen Rhaenyra!Image credit: Twitter

I loved how the dragon pit shot is filmed. It felt like I was watching the Battle of the Bastards and the Battle of Winterfell all over again. The cinematic value, the emotional beats as Hugh first runs from, screams, and then tames Vermithor, is breathtaking. Now revealed to be the bastard son of the banished Princess Saera Targaryen, who gave old JaehaerysΒ  every single one of his grey hairs with her wild ways, Hugh makes for a fine dragon lord:

Vermithor had a very thorough and fiery interview process for his new rider. Luckily, Saera Targaryen’s bastard son Hugh the Hammer was up to the task! Image credit: HBO

The Greens had some mildly interesting scenes this week. Seeing Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) shit his breeches upon Vhagar’s back when he sees Rhaenyra with three of her mighty dragons (how could he even see that far with just one eye?! My two eyes saw jacks***!) was ridiculously satisfying. The fact that he barely has control over dragon granny Vhagar is also a wonderful thing because the other dragons have yielded to Rhaenyra nearly effortlessly. Who is the true Blood of the Dragon now, huh?

I never thought I’d be the one to say this but I actually felt sorry for poor Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) who is being painfully rushed through his recovery by Grand Maester Orwyle (Kurt Egyiawan) on Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham)’s instructions. Larys wants to be Hand of the King and Aegon is a lot easier to manipulate than Aemond who hates Littletoe (see what I did there? 😏). Will he succeed? With just one episode of this season left, who knows?

Now is not the time to take a leisurely swim, Alicent! Image credit: Screen Rant

Was I the only one who thought Alicent (Olivia Cooke) was going to jump off of a cliff when she started unbuttoning her coat and walking to the ledge? Instead, she was having some kind of empty nester, discarded grandmother experience that felt very much like a shot in a period horror movie.

We already have enough of that with Daemon (Matt Smith) at Harrenhal, thank you very f***ing much. Oh, and it’s not done yet! Between his last (please, Lord of Light, PLEASE!) hallucination where Viserys gives him the crown and being read for filth by Catleyn Stark’s 7 times great-grandfather, the now 12 year old Lord Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes), our Rogue Prince is having a hell of a day.

Team Black watching Vermithor play The Hunger Games with the bastard dragonseeds. Image credit: HBO

The Velaryon-Targaryen youngsters are dealing with some heavy shit this episode and their young actors’ portrayals make for compelling viewing. From Harry Collett really giving us and Rhaenyra all of the feels as Jace finally speaks the unspeakable truth and questions his mother about why she would willingly take Harwin Strong into her bed, knowing that the chances of his genes overpowering hers and causing their children’s legitimacy as heirs to come into question to Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) abandoning her baby brothers in search of the wild dragon, Sheepstealer, it is heavy!

Baela (Bethany Antonia) seems to have accepted her new found uncle Aadam much faster than her grandsire and his dad Corlys (Steven Toussaint) does. The man can’t even bring himself to say well done without some difficulty to his new dragon rider bastard. Instead, he beams with pride when his other son Alyn (Abubakar Salim) declares that he would never dream of claiming a dragon too for he is “of salt and sea”. Just the words unfaithful Daddio wants to hear from his next heir.

A goosebumps-inducing shot of the OG Mother of Dragons flanked by 3 of the fiercest beasts in the Kingdom! Image credit: HBO

In closing with that epic shot of Rhaenyra flanked by her dragons, we see the first Mother of Dragons stepping into her power and now know that the Dance of the Dragons and subsequently, the true Game of Thrones is HERE. Bring on the finale!

House of the Dragon airs on MAX on Sundays, on Mnet 101 on Mondays at 9pm and is available for streaming on Showmax.

A Superfans’ Opinion: Is House of the Dragon falling into the GOT trap?

A Superfans’ Opinion: Is House of the Dragon falling into the GOT trap?

Alright, House of the Dragon viewers, after a struggle watch of Episodes 5 and 6, I am going to go ahead and address Cersei’s longed-for elephant in the room: Ryan Condal and his writing team are falling into the same trap that the Game of Thrones Season 8 writers did and the show is worse for it.

A reminder of what episodes 5 and 6 entailed:

Look, the past two episodes have not been without their epic dragon appearances and emotional gut-wrenching scenes. The MVP of Episode 5 was Lady Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia)! Not only did she seamlessly step up as her grandmother Rhaenys (Eve Best)’s successor in badassery and giving her grandsire Corlys the kick in the butt he needed, but she channelled her 8-x great-niece Daenerys’s firm belief that she is a dragon through and through with that β€œI am Blood and Fire” one liner. I literally got goosebumps!

Baela “I am Blood and Fire” Targaryen, the Queen-to-be that you are! Image credit: Twitter

Olivia Cooke continues to make Alicent Hightower the character I love to hate watch. From Episode 5’s complete dissociative scene at the Small Council meeting to the realisation that her last kid Daeron turned out pretty awesome BECAUSE she did not raise him, Cooke ensures that Alicent’s emotions and motivations are complex but relatable to her audience.

Hell, even Seasmoke has grown as a character this season, blasting a would-be rider (RIP Ser Steffon!) as well as stalking, pursuing and finally conquering the object of his affection, Aadam of Hull (Clinton Liberty). I will laugh at this scene for the rest of my days:

So why do I find myself unsatisfied?

Well, here’s the thing: Condal and his writers are taking shortcuts, overlooking key plots, not spending enough time on character development for soon-to-be key Dance of the Dragon players and spending WAY too much time on Daemon’s hallucinations.

I am a HUGE Daemon fan and don’t get me wrong, any time Matt Smith is on screen, he is utterly compelling, but this isn’t Daemon’s story nor Aemond’s (Ewan Mitchell). However, we do not need to see the one f***ing his mother (I am going to need to scrub my brain really hard to get rid of the image of mother and son copulating and forgive myself for being turned on by the scene until I realised that THAT was his mom!) or the other going the overly-done second son wants the Iron Throne so he attempts to kill his brother, the King, route (Aemond, take a leaf out of Prince Harry’s book and go be happy on an island with a beautiful, intelligent, loving woman, PLEASE!).

The younger brother plotting to kill his King and older brother storyline is so overdone. Image credit: NPR

Just like the stupid setting up of woman against woman strife, the pointless romance between Cersei and Euron Greyjoy and the uber quick ocean travelling in GOT Season 8, we’re now being fed an impotent Daemon, far too dumbed down explanations of the dragon seedlings (despite ALL of the heavy foreshadowing in the first four episodes) and murky characters not living to their full potential (Larys Clubfoot’s arc in the source novel Fire and Blood looks more and more unlikely to be full explored).

I understand that with the shortened episode order and so much ground to cover, that details may fall by the wayside. I am not one of those “everything from the book must be in or I will not watch it” fanatics but I DO need the content that is offered to make sense.

GOT‘s first six seasons sizzled because the two people who were actually playing the Game of Thrones were the two obscure and dodgy characters, Littlefinger and Varys. Their scenes were heavy with political intrigue, their minds this sapiosexual’s biggest wet dream. In HOTD, while I find Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) both beautiful in appearance and brilliant of mind (that medieval version of UBER Eats was EVERYTHING!), I long for someone on the Green Council to match her. Larys (Matthew Needham) is grossly underused by Team Green and the show’s writers.

Mother and son incest was NOT on my GOTverse bingo card! Please stop Daemon’s hallucinations… GODS, PLEASE! Image credit: Decider

Daenerys (Emilia Clarke)’s vision of Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) and their son in GOT Season 2 was effective because it was a short take- a mere glimpse into the life she could have had if they’d lived AND it gives her the motivation to continue to fight for what she lost. Daemon’s hallucinations in HOTD are starting to feel like screen time fillers and just an excuse to keep the former cast around. Please, for the love of all that is holy, stop this shit!

Add to that the fact that author and universe creator George RR Martin is off writing blog posts about what a “real” dragon and the Targaryen crest should look like, instead of, oh, I don’t know, actually FINISHING The Winds of Winter novel or f***ing giving the show writers useful notes, and you have the makings of what will soon be yet another Internet war on this show.

Seasmoke isn’t the only one who chose his next rider this past episode πŸ˜‰ Image credit: Nerdist

Old Gods and New, please, PLEASE let the final two episodes of this season be better. May The Stranger come for Criston Cole, may The Mother watch over our Targaryen babies and may the Lord of Light guide Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) to victory (after she taps the White Worm’s hot ass!)

House of the Dragon airs on MAX each Sunday, on Mnet 101 on Mondays at 9pm and is available for streaming on Showmax.

WIN Tickets to the CT premiere of The Anime Festival

WIN Tickets to the CT premiere of The Anime Festival

Hey Cape Town Ghibli fans! Get ready for a special gathering!

Gravel Road Distribution is officially launching The Anime Festival at selected Ster-Kinekor cinemas nationwide, as well as The Labia in Cape Town, with three Studio Ghibli faves.

The festival kicks off with My Neighbor Totoro from 8 August, followed by the release of Spirited Away on 23 August, and Howl’s Moving Castle on 6 September.

The big screen experience will be paired with opening weekend activations at Ster-Kinekor in Cavendish and The Zone in Rosebank.

We’ve been invited to the premiere event on Thursday, 1 August, at The Labia Theatre in Cape Town and would like 8 Studio Ghibli superfans to join us!

To stand the chance to win, head to our Instagram page, comment on the competition post by tagging your Ghibli bestie and @gravelroadfilms with the #theanimefestival2024, and spread the love by sharing it to your stories.

Winners announced on Monday 29 July. Watch this space for more information about the opening weekend activation.

Hope to see you there!

T&Cs

  • Giveaway limited to fans in Cape Town.
  • Winners will be contacted by email and should be available to attend the screening on Thursday, 1 August.
  • Tickets may not be exchanged for another screening date.
Superfans News: The Addams Family The Musical Comes to Cape Town!

Superfans News: The Addams Family The Musical Comes to Cape Town!

Snaps fingers twice

Mother City theatre lovers and longtime fans of the kookiest family of all time, your weirdo faves are coming to our sunny shores in The Addams Family The Musical at The Homecoming Centre in Cape Town from 14 December 2024!

That’s right: for all of our 90s kids who inherited the love for Morticia, Gomez, Lurch, Thing, Cousin Itt, Uncle Fester, Grandmama, Pugsley, and of course, the ever-peculiar Wednesday, from our boomer parents via the comics, the cartoon series and the movies, this is our opportunity to share the best macabre family with our youngsters.

As a Broadway cult classic production, The Addams Family The Musical ran for 722 performances, garnering numerous awards and spawning many international productions:

Based on the beloved characters created by Charles Addams and following the darkly funny events that transpire when Wednesday’s normal boyfriend Lucas and his parents come for dinner, The Addams Family The Musical’s South African production is directed by Garth Tavares, choreographed by Nkosinathi Mazwai and brought to you by MotherCity Theatre Productions.

The show will star Samantha Peo (Chicago, Cabaret) as Morticia Addams, Tiaan Rautenbach (We Will Rock You, Mama Mia) as Gomez Addams, Bethany Dickson (Matilda, The Sound of Music) as Alice Beineke, Brendan van Rhyn (Cathy Specific, The Rocky Horror Show) as Lurch, Chad Baai (Buddy) as Lucas Beineke, and Jordyn Schaefer as Wednesday Addams. These extraordinary performers will be supported by their equally talented co-stars Candice van Litsenborgh, Yahto Kraft, Chris van Rensburg, Lara Visagie, Rebecca Hartle, Jasmine Minter, Jessica de Bod, Braeden Buys, Brandon Jones and Jayden Dickson.

They’re spooky and they’re kooky … it’s The Addams Family The Musical,coming to Cape Town this December!

Fair warning for any teens and Gen Z hoping for IRL enactments of the popular Netflix Wednesday show, this isn’t it. Those of us who enjoy characters randomly bursting into song and dance to convey the oh-so-overwhelming feelings they are experiencing and to overexplain plot points with huge props, exquisite sets (there had better a cool looking limo!) and big showstoppers, this is for us. The fact that our kids may enjoy it too is just a delightful bonus, am I right? πŸ˜‰

Get a little spooky and kooky for your show:

Make your little ones’ first theatre experience unforgettable by dressing up as one of The Addams Family characters! Party City in Gardens, the Crazy Store group, Yaga South Africa and Cosplay Cape Town are always great for your costume needs.

Looking for some horrifically awesome inspiration? I rocked this Wednesday Addams look at the Galileo Open Air Cinema’s Halloween event last year:

Wednesday Addams at your service. Image credit: Tania Knight

Time to graduate to Morticia, I think.

December just got a little bit wacky and a whole lot of weird and I am ready for it!

Tickets for The Addams Family musical are available from R350 per person and can be booked at Webtickets.

The Dance of the Dragons on House of the Dragon Season 2 and what you need to know before Episode 5

The Dance of the Dragons on House of the Dragon Season 2 and what you need to know before Episode 5

Hey, HOTD fans, how are we doing after last week’s deadly episode? Everyone still mourning the Grandmother of Dragons, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) and her Red Queen Meleys, who were so stealthily taken out by the seriously hot but crazy Aemond One-Eye (Ewan Mitchell) and his beast Vhagar?

Cry with me again for this:

As much as I enjoyed this view of the sadistic Aemond:

The third dragon I would love to ride after his uncle Daemon and his great x 9 nephew Jon ..Grrrr. Ewan Mitchell is all kinds of goddamn hot! Image credit: Twitter

And wanted to fly away with him when he looked like this:

He may be a sadistic kinslayer but f*** is he gorgeous too! Image credit: HBO

I must keep my eye on the prize- the Iron Throne- and guide you all on what to expect now that we’ve surpassed the half-way mark of this eight-episode season.

My lords and ladies, here is our current list of fighters and their prize dragons:

Team Black (because as Dany’s stan, Jon’s second wife, Daemon’s dream lover AND a loyal Targaryen, I pledge fealty to Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), the one true heir of King Viserys I):

Moondancer whose rider is Lady Baela Targaryen.

Team Green:

My predictions for Episode 5 and the countdown to the season finale:

Unforgivable backstabbing, horrifying deaths (the sounds of that decapitation still haunt my dreams!), welcoming of bastards unknown to the Targaryens and Velayrons until now (hey Catelyn Stark, ever read a history book about blended families? Might have helped you with Jon, huh?) and a healthy disregard for being called a Kinslayer (that’s 3, Aemond.THREE!) will ensure that things move at a quick pace from here on out.

Embracing your husband’s bastard and telling him to raise him up and make him his heir? Rhaenys, you are EVERYTHING. Catelyn Stark could never. Image credit: HBO

Episode 4 really gave me Game of Thrones Season 6 Battle of the Bastard vibes with its slow motion warfare capture, the iconic loyalty and weary hero vibes Rhaenys was showing off that echoes in Jon facing Ramsay’s army centuries later.

Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) will feel the loss of Rhaenys, the last living adultier adult and clear-minded relative she had left, keenly. Without Rhaenys to counterbalance Daemon (Matt Smith)’s darker impulses, Rhaenyra is going to give in to the blood and fire lust and this may not leave her Realm in peace as she so badly wants it to.

Aemond, that hot but dangerous moron, has now taken Aegon out (or at least incapacitated him for a while) and cleared his path to becoming heir to the Iron Throne. Unlike the Fire and Ice source novel where Aegon has a second son Maelor to succeed him and Aemond names himself Prince Regent, the Iron Throne is Aemond’s now, in all but name. With more and more lords raising their banners for Team Green, high on the power of his dragon and his prowess on the battlefield, Aemond is going to be cocky AF and not see his potential downfall coming right at him.

Should Daemon call The Ghostbusters to Harrenhal?!

See, Daemon may be starring in his own version ofΒ The Haunted MansionΒ or The Haunting of HarrenhalΒ right now, with visions of his dead wife Laena (Savannah Steyn) , the younger, innocent version of Rhaenerya (Milly Alcock) ) and having to face all of his other demons, but that strategic war brain never quits and he is cooking up something BIG. Big enough that Aemond is going to have to ask the only other brother he has, and potentially doesn’t hate, the unseen Daeron and his dragon Tessarion, for help. Yikes.

Rhaenyra and Daemon’s eventual sacking of King’s Landing takes a very different turn in the source novel so I am very interested to see how George RR Martin and his show writers adapt and deviate Daemon’s master plan onscreen.

From the Episode 5 trailer, we already know there will be some insane developments, in particular the parading of Meleys’ severed head through the Red Keep and Flea Bottom:

Team Black’s dragons may not be strong enough to take on Vhagar by themselves each, but together, they could seriously put a dent in Team Green’s defenses. From the trailer for Episode 5, it looks like Rhaenyra will be taming Vermithor, the former stead of her great-grandfather Jaehaerys I, whom Daemon awakened with a song at the end of last season. Seasmoke, Laenor’s dragon, has been wooing his bastard brother Aadam of Hull (Clinton Liberty) and Jace (Harry Collett)is rounding up the other dragon seedlings to claim the riderless dragons flying around Dragonstone.

Either way, each side is coming with Fire and Blood for what they think is theirs.

We may not all have Rhaenys’ kickass dragon seat belt, but I suggest strapping in, my lords and ladies. The Dance of the Dragons is about to seriously heat up and it is going to be an earth scorcher!

House of the Dragon airs on HBO on Sundays, airs on MNET 101 on Mondays at 9pm and is available to stream on Showmax. 

A Superfans review: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 2

A Superfans review: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 2

Saddle up, dragon riders, we are in for yet another fiery episode of the second season of House of the Dragon and it is a banger!

Here’s what went down:

Recap:

It is the morning and week after the horrific beheading of Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) II’s heir Jaehaerys and there is mayhem throughout the Realm. Most especially in the Red Keep where that terrible dragon temper sees Aegon destroying his dear ol’ dead dad Viserys (Paddy Considine)’s impressive Lego set and raging at Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) about just where the f*** he was when he was meant to be protecting Aegon’s family.

RIP to yet another casualty of the Dance of the Dragons:

Ser Crispy was, of course banging the Dowager Queen and Aegon’s Lady Mother, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke),at the time of the horrendous murder but he cannot admit that to the raging “king”. With Aegon mad with grief and power, it falls to ol’faithful Hand and grandfather Otto (Rhys Ifans) to devise a rather dastardly but brilliant plan ,to even me as an award-winning publicist, to turn little Jaehaerys’s funeral into the perfect PR smear campaign against Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy). If the common folk of Flea Bottom can bear witness to their young Queen Helaena (Phia Saban) and her mother’s tears and grief and resonate with them, that will do more to draw people to their fight for the Iron Throne than a thousand men in battle.

Goddammit, the man is right. Ugh.

Over on Dragonstone, Rhaenyra is incredulous that anyone would think her capable of murdering a child in his bed, much less that she would do that to her sweet, innocent sister Helaena, especially when she too has recently lost a son so violently.

Rhaenys, a queen supporting her Queen! Image credit: Screenrant

When the Black council itself seems to doubt Rhaenyra’s innocence, it is Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), Rhaenyra’s aunt, former mother-in-law and Hand in all but name, who silences the doubters with a short one liner to watch themselves and how they speak to their Queen.

Rhaenyra and Rhaenys both realise in quick succession, and with just one look each, that smirking, hot and quiet Daemon (Matt Smith) is responsible for this atrocity and we move swiftly into one of the most heated domestic disputes of the GOT-verse. Rhaeynra reads Daemon for filth, demands that he declare his acceptance of her as his rightful Queen and berates him for weakening her claim. Daemon gets mad, smashes a cup and is banished to Harrenhal with Caraxes.

The White Worm and The Black Queen – a match made in dragon fire. Image credit: HBO

Left to clean up Daemon’s mess, Rhaeynra turns to the impressive Dragonstone library for inspiration on what her ancestor Visenya did in a similar situation when her brother husband Aegon the Conqueror erred. We’ll see how that plays out in later episdoes. She also has a heart to heart with the White Worm, Myseria (Sonoya Mizuno) and finds herself liking the former common-law wife of Daemon. Bonded by the unspoken acknowledgement that Daemon has been physically and emotionally abusive to them both as well as the fact that they are two women who are being denied their rightful inheritance and power simply because they are women, Rhaenyra grants Myseria her freedom. A decision she will soon realise was a great one for it is Myseria who gives up her freedom to warn Rhaenyra of the latest Hightower plot.

Toxic besties Cole and Aegon have come up with what they think is an ingenious plan: send their loyal Kingsguard Ser Arryk Cargyll (Luke Tittensor) to impersonate his twin Ser Erryk (Elliot Tittensor), who is Rhaenyra’s sworn protector, infiltrate Dragonstone and kill her in her bedchamber.

Let’s get ready to rumble! The twins face off in the bloodiest battle since Cleaganebowl. Image credit: HBO

It almost works but , in what is the most anticipated fraternal battle since Cleganebowl in Game of Thrones Season 8, the steadfast Erryk kills his twin and falls on his sword. Rhaenyra is ridden with grief and buries them together, as classy as Aegon and Alicent are not.

Alicent, the cold-hearted mother, cannot offer any of her children any comfort. She leaves Aegon to cry alone in his chambers so that she can shag Ser Crispy. She fails to quell Helaena’s panic attack when the commoners storm the funeral procession and they nearly tear the little prince’s body apart and she is the reason Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) is curled up, naked and alone, in the lap of his old whore.

Alicent wants to tell Daddy Otto that she has been playing with Ser Criston’s “sword” but Papa doesn’t want to know. Image credit: CBR

It comes as no surprise, then that when she tries to confess her sin of sleeping with Criston while her grandchild was being murdered, her father Otto, recently fired by Aegon as Hand, does not wish to hear of it. The dysfunction continues for The Greens, generation after generation and it will be their downfall. With Ser Crispy now being the King’s iron First and leading a vanguard of blood hungry soldiers, there is only violence and the fall of Westeros on the cards.

Impressions:

This was an emotionally gutting episode which simultaneously moves the plot forward quite swiftly.

D’Arcy continues to carry this show on their shoulders. Balancing Rhaeynra’s overprotectiveness of Jaecerys (Harry Collett) and Baela (Bethany Antonia) when she forbids them and their dragonsfrom getting too close to the fight in the Riverlands, with the intricate politics of her marriage to Daemon and commanding the respect of the bunch of old men set in their ways on her council, D’Arcy does an impressive job. If this doesn’t earn them an Emmy, there is no justice in the world.

Oh, Daemon, my bad boy, they could never make me hate you! Image credit: HBO

Smith continues to rock the Rogue Prince persona like a dragon-riding boss! Like any typical husband, Daemon has NO idea why the f** his wife is mad at him. He took care of business, didn’t he? Is it his fault that the idiots he hired didn’t stick to the plan (or did they? Hmmm)? No!

We’re getting plenty of Corlys (Steve Toussaint) and Rhaenys screen time this episode, which is necessary for how their particular story plays out eventually. Between their sex scenes and Alicent and Criston’s, the show’s creators are trying hard (pun intended πŸ˜‰) to live up to the parent show’s penchant for erotic violence.

Ah, young dragon love. Pity it won’t last long. Image credit: HBO

We got a very brief but impressive scene of Jace and Baela discussing their fathers .Jace talking lovingly about both of his fathers, Laenor Velaryon (John MacMillan) and Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr), while Baela confesses that she sometimes hates Daemon. Why the HOTD creators insist on making Daemon out to be a bad father when he is a loving one in the source novel, I will never understand. These teenagers are also proof that not all Westerosi marriages have to be painful partnerships.

Phia Saban shines as Helaena when she suffers a panic attacks during her son’s funeral procession. Image credit: HBO

I’ll say it again: Phia as Helaena is my stand-out performer for the season thus far. From the way she portrays Helaena being forced to sit through the worst funeral procession for her little son and the ensuing panic attack when the cart is stuck is a testament to anyone with sensory issues who has gone through something similar. She shines too, when she meets Aegon, her brother husband as they pass each other in the Red Keep, expecting them to come together in their shared grief, and realising there is no comfort to be found. Emotional f** boys really are the worst, even when they are your brother and husband.

I am loving the contrast of the mad “King” Aegon and the strategically reserved Rhaenyra. The phrase most often used in GOT and George RR Martin’s source novels ,”When a Targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin. One side greatness, the other madness“, speaks to this contrast especially. Otto himself realises this when he discovers Ser Crispy and Aegon’s hare-brained plan of switching the twins to enact revenge and the hanging of all ratcatchers on the wall of the Red Keep.

For viewers worried about the dog from last week’s episode, I am happy to report that the goodest bannerman is alive and well:

My Lords and Ladies, we can all breathe a sigh of relief… the goodest bannerman is alive and well, Image credit: Facebool

With Otto now revealing that Viserys did not, in fact, choose Aegon to be his successor, to Aegon himself, there is no telling what the young Usurper will do next. Ok, book readers know, of course, but we will leave show watchers to discover that themselves.

Of all the unnecessary sex scenes in the GOT universe, this one is the most useless. Image credit: HBO

I don’t think we needed a scene of Alicent and Criston f***ing to end this episode. Not when there were so many more interesting plot points, like Myseria and Rhaenyra forming an alliance (and potentially a sexual relationship? Come on, two of the strongest and hottest women having that much chemistry and the desire to see peace in the Realm and there isn’t even one hint of them wanting to ride each other? Guys!). Or Alyn of Hull having a brother, Aadam (Clinton Liberty) with smoldering good looks who bears an even greater resemblance to Corlys? Wasted potential, people, wasted!

House of the Dragon season 2 airs on Max every Sunday night, on Mnet 101 every Monday night at 9pm and on Showmax.

A Superfans review: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 1

A Superfans review: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 1

Silence in the Realm! The premiere of the second season of House of the Dragon has arrived and the world will never be the same again.

Recap:

A short sojourn to Winterfell and The Wall opens this first episode as we see young Prince Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett) visit with Lord Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor) and implore him to raise his banners and send his best men to fight for Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy)’s claim to the Iron Throne.

Winter is coming! We travel back to The Wall and the North when Prince Jacaerys Velaryon visits Lord Cregan Stark. Image credit: Warner Bros

Whilst sharing with the young Prince all of the unspoken horrors he needs The Wall and his best men to fight, a raven arrives for Lord Stark with the horrific news of Jacaerys’ little brother Lucerys’ death at the hands and jaws of their uncle Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and his fearsome dragon Vhagar.

Back on Dragonstone, we are treated to a magnificent entrance by the boys’ putative grandmother, Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best) on dragonback. She and her trusty stead Meleys have been scanning the ocean for days, in search of Luke and Arrax, as well as to defend against possible attacks from the Greens. Tired, hungry and grieving for both the loss of her grandson as well as the heir of her house, Rhaenys is in no mood when Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) pulls his King Consort shit and demands she remount and fly with him to kill Vhagar and the Usurper, “King” Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney).

Daemon better put some damn respect on Princess Rhaenys Targaryen’s name! Image credit: Max

As a mother who has lost two children (remember, she doesn’t know her son faked his death so he go could live his best LGBTQIA life in Pentos) and a firm believer that a woman should sit the Iron Throne even if it isn’t her, Rhaenys will not do anything without Rhaenyra’s consent. Rhaenyra and her dragon Syrax have been missing for days, looking for the remains of their children (yes, Arrax was one of Syrax’s hatchlings), and grieving, which Daemon thinks is a waste of time. Mothers can grieve buts queens must rule. The exchange between cousins is hilarious to watch and so fitting, considering the bear vs man discussion gripping the Internet right now.

Joffrey Baratheon would have loved Aegon Targaryen II. Image credit: Warner Bros TV

In King’s Landing, Aegon is doing his best Joffrey Baratheon impersonation, except he is a total idiot. From disrupting the small council’s meeting by letting his heir Jaehaerys annoy Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) to disregarding his mother, Dowager Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Hand, grandfather Otto (Rhys Ifans) to dismissing his Queen Haelena (Phia Saban)’s warnings about rats – which will prove deadly later- Aegon is not the Prince That Was Promised.

The Red Keep, as it turns out, has more secrets that just Maegor the Cruel’s secret tunnels. Alicent is finally experiencing orgasms, all thanks to … Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel). The same man who has been calling Rhaenyra a whore for more than 20 years because she rejected him, is now in fact being a whore. Aegon is seducing virgins in brothels, Aemond is seeking comfort in the arms of an old prostitute and Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) is whispering all kinds of bullshit into the King’s ears which leads to the dismal of his grandfather as Hand.

Bedding a queen has always been on Ser Criston Cole’s bucket list it would appear. My, how the mighty have fallen. Image credit: Max

Which brings us to the truly shocking part of the episode: the kicking of a dog! Ok, fine, the actual heart-wrenching scene is the highly anticipated Blood&Cheese storyline from the source novel, Fire and Blood, slightly reimagined. After Rhaenyra returns to a highly antsy Daemon, her family and small council, she has but one request: she wants Aemond Targaryen. Daemon, being the ever loving husband with a bloody streak, pops on his infamous crime-doing hoodie and slips into the Red Keep where he convinces a hard-on-his-luck guard and a royal ratcatcher to kill Aemond. An eye for an eye, a son for a son.

We all know that when Daemon breaks out his bad boy hoodie, horrific crimes are about to go down. Image credit: Max

Except, you really can’t get good help these days and besides kicking an innocent dog, these two idiots do the unthinkable: they storm Jaehaerys and his twin Jaehaera’s room, forcing Helaena to tell them which is the heir and … decapitate the young prince in his bed.

Once again, a mother races across the Red Keep with her child. Image credit: Max

Fearing for her daughter’s life, Helaena runs all the way to her mother’s chambers – a path which fans will know from season 1 where Rhaeynra was dripping blood post-childbirth to show young Joffrey to her stepmother – and walks in on Alicent screwing Ser Criston.

With a son now brutually murdered on both sides, the Dance of the Dragons has truly begun!

Impressions:

This first episode is spectacular in world-building, dramatic in scenery and gut wrenching in emotionally engaging with the audience and here’s why: Game of Thrones author George RR Martin is back in the writing seat and it shows!

From the opening scene of a raven flying over the Godswood, which is so reminiscent of GOT season 1 episode 1, to the focus on the smallfolk of Flea Bottom and how they are being affected by the coming war, and the history lesson Cregan Stark gives to Jace about how his great-great grandparents’ dragons would not fly beyond The Wall because of the death that awaits there (we know it’s the Night King and the White Walkers but our sweet Summer Prince does not), the devil is in the details and George knows we are all out here, fangirling for it.

Dragonstone really was the seat and true home of dragons in this era of the Targaryen lineage and is fully equipped for their needs. Image credit: HBO

In fact, that minute detail extends to us seeing the parking bay/landing strip for the dragons back at Dragonstone as well as the entire dragon stable with accessories that the Targaryens had for centuries but which Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and Jon (Kit Harington) would never know of because it, along with the Song of Ice and Fire retelling dies with this generation. Oh, our poor incestuous babies, how you were robbed!

We all know what happens when a Targaryen Queen has this facial expression. The Greens better run for their lives! Image credit: Max

The performances themselves are incredible in this episode. D’Arcy speaks but one sentence in this entire episode and yet, conveys every heartbreaking emotion of a grieving mother to such perfection. The entire scene of her and Syrax finding their children’s remains had me sobbing. That look of pure goddamn grief-fueled rage proves that she is Dany’s eight times great-grandma and no one f***s with a dragon queen or her loved ones.

Prince Lucerys Velayron fought bravely like a Strong, was killed by a dragon and kin like a Targaryen and was buried at sea like a Velaryon and we shall miss him but it is his loved ones who shine in his subdued funeral scene. Phoebe Campbell  as his promised bride Rhaena is a masterclass in how to portray the loss of the boy you love whilst realizing your future is f**ed.

Just as tearjerking is Luke’s brothers and mother feeding items to the funeral pyre that were dear to him in lieu of having a body to burn:

Luke’s brothers and mother experiencing the true meaning of Fire and Blood at his funeral. Image credit: Warner Bros TV

The decapitation scene is made all the worse by the fact that it happens offscreen but we hear ALL of the squelching, gruesome action, much like Sansa’s wedding night rape in GOT Season 6. I’m sure ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) practicing viewers loved it but I could not stomach it.

A special mention has to be made for Phia who so accurately portrays Helaena’s dissociative response to her child’s murder and catching her mother bedding the very man who was meant to be protecting her and her children. As the writers and showrunners tried to repeatedly reiterate in Season 1, Helaena is a prophetic dreamer and possibly on the spectrum so her reaction here, to run with her daughter and hide in a corner of her mother’s chamber whilst almost calmly telling her that her son is dead, is right on point.

Daemon’s management style is problematic and he really shouldn’t leave his murderous employees to their own devices. Image credit: Max

Kudos too to Smith who toes the fine line between vengeance and sociopathic tendencies in the scene where Daemon instructs Blood and Cheese on the kin slaying task he has set for them. He doesn’t tell them who to kill if they don’t find Aemond but he also doesn’t not tell them … nudge nudge, wink wink.

Book readers with a keen eye and ear will have perked up at the introduction of Alyn (Abubakar Salim) who not only saved Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint)’s life but also presents him with the steel sword he had commissioned for his now deceased heir Luke. Alyn has a shaved head for a reason, fellow viewers, for his true hair colour may spell trouble for the succession of House Velaryon and the Driftmark seat. May the Lord of Light save us when Rhaenys finds out!

Trouble is brewing for House Velaryon and newcomer Alyn will be at the centre of it all. Image credit: Max

All in all, this was a strong (πŸ˜‰) first episode for the season and I cannot wait for all of you to see what’s coming. Dracarys!

House of the Dragon season 2 airs on Max every Sunday night, on Mnet 101 every Monday night at 9pm and on Showmax.

A (spoiler-free) Superfans Preview: House of the Dragon S2

A (spoiler-free) Superfans Preview: House of the Dragon S2

It is time to choose: Are you Team Green or Team Black?

It would appear in the first four episodes released to select critics (including your friendly local Superfans!!), that it won’t be an easy choice to make. So strap in and brace yourself, for the Dance of the Dragons is here.

Official Green Trailer
Official Black Trailer

β€œThere is no war so hateful to the godsΒ as aΒ war between kin, andΒ no war soΒ bloody as aΒ war betweenΒ dragons.”
Rhaenys Targaryen, the Queen Who Never Was

This is war

There is not much of a time lapse after the explosive S1 ending. We return to House Targaryen, where revenge is on everyone’s mind. Lucerys Velaryon and his dragon Arrax died above Shipbreaker Bay at the hands (and claws and teeth) of his uncle Aemond and Vhagar, and we open to a heartbroken Rhaenyra who needs fulfill her duties as queen while navigating the trauma and grief from losing her son.

Back at King’s Landing, we find Alicent desperately trying to keep her sons under control. One, a reluctant yet petulant king who is desperate for approval and his subjects’ compliance, and the other a fiery terror, thirsty for war. And then there’s her father, the ever-scheming Otto, who still believes that he can convince his grandsons and the small council to play the Game of Thrones in a specific way.

However, these former friends are stull subject to the patriarchy. And while both Rhaenyra and Alicent are keen to opt for restraint and conservative strategy in the brewing civil war, it is once again the battle-thirsty men who seem to get their way. Who can they trust when it is clear that nobody listens to them?

Readers of Fire & Blood (or the Wiki of Ice and Fire for that matter) will know what happens next. As the Greens and Blacks ready themselves for a game of tit-for-tat before the inevitable battles to come, we bear witness to tested loyalties, falling houses, spectacular action, shocking violence – with one particular death happening off-screen, which makes it even more horrifying – and jaw-dropping dragon-on-dragon action.

First impressions

As a book, Fire & Blood is structured as a set of historical accounts with different narrators offering their perspective on events – some more reliable than others. House of the Dragon takes this historical account of the fall of House Targaryen and transforms it into an epic, larger than life war drama with juicy characters, nail-biting tension, graphic violence and battle sequences, and impressive dragon CGI.

There are no more time lapses to be had. The brutal Dance only lasts about 2 years, so nobody needs to age up, and the lead actors have now settled into their roles. The first four episodes have already shown incredible depth of character, and it’s hard to choose an MVP. But for the purposes of this preview, my vote goes to Aegon II, who could so easily have been a one-dimensional hateful boy-king, but Tom Glynn-Carney has masterfully transformed him into a complex character that is equally tragic and comical.

And let’s not forget about the dragons! They are bad-ass with unique personalities, and it is fascinating to see the different dragon-rider relationships unfold. Also, this season preview has once again reminded me of the fact that the Targaryens of old had actual seats with actual seatbelts for, er, safer dragon riding. And without the necessary generational knowledge transfer, poor Daenerys had to hold on for dear life, every time she mounted Drogon 170 years later.

My only concern is that an 8 episode season will be so fast-paced that big moments may lack the emotional impact we’ve come to know and love in Game of Thrones. But I’m excited to see how the rest of the season unfolds.

So buckle up for a bumpy ride, and stay tuned for our episode recaps.

House of the Dragon Season 2 will premiere on 16 June 2024, and will stream on Showmax from 17 June.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery

A Superfans Review: IF

A Superfans Review: IF

Hold onto your seats, kids and kids-at-heart: the unbelievably fantastic Ryan Reynolds and his talented young co-star Cailey Fleming are stepping into the impossible with director John KrasinskiΒ ‘s Imaginary Friends (IF) movie, now on circuit in South Africa!

Twelve-year-old Bea (Fleming) is a quiet, reserved child who has already lost her mom to cancer and is terrified about losing her dad (KrasinskiΒ ) too, as he faces a cardiac crisis in a New York hospital. With no time to play or dream, Bea is initially hesitant to believe her eyes and mind when she encounters the mysterious, grumpy Cal (Reynolds) and his motley crew of IFs: Blue (Steve Carell), Blossom (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) , Lewis (Louis Gossett Jr.) and more. When she discovers that all IFs are in danger of being forgotten without having a child of their own to inspire and love, Bea sets about trying to match them with worthy kids. Along the way, she rediscovers things she’s forgotten and the power of her own big, beautiful imagination.

My Superfans Thoughts on IF:

KrasinskiΒ and Reynolds have managed to perfect that rare gold standard in Hollywood: they’re the sensitive, hilarious, hardworking actors who successfully straddle the lines between being action heroes (KrasinskiΒ in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan on Prime Video and Reynolds as the Merc with a filthy mouth Deadpool), romantic leads, comedic geniuses and guaranteed box office records. They are also a duo who have crossed the threshold into being superb filmmakers who relate to their audiences and create content they want to see onscreen.

A matchmaking imaginary friend service is ALWAYS a great idea! Image credit: Comicbook.com

For those reasons alone, IF is the kind of family movie I wish I had growing up in the 90s. I too was a young 11/12 year old who lost a parent and had to grow up pretty quickly. To cope, I didn’t just have AN imaginary friend – I made up an entire second family who were crazy about me. I regaled my home room class with the wonderous tales of adventures with my second family, including a too-good-to-be-true twin delivery I assisted with, every morning. It was all going swimmingly, until my teachers mentioned said second family to my mom πŸ˜‰

My point being: childhood post-traumatic stress syndrome is a very real condition that kids of all ages and different generations deal with and IF, with KrasinskiΒ ‘s signature sensitive style of filming and writing and a cast of well-suited actors, makes this one of the most important movies for the youth of today. It’s right up there with Disney’s Encanto and Red Panda in addressing the challenges of growing up and family relations that a TikTok video or Roblox game just cannot deal with in the same way.

A dance number with the craziest imaginary characters? Sign us up! Image credit: Entertainment Weekly

Krasinski and Reynolds are pretty much big kids themselves , and the fact that they are both dads to constantly growing broods of kids (Reynolds is on his fourth daughter!) , helps them to accurately portray the magical, wild imaginations of children. Does an invisible IF make sense? Nope, but hey, Kevin is representing his kind onscreen. Are we reminded that even Grandma was a kid at one point too? Yep, and it is as shocking to Bea as it was to my younger sister when she realized the same thing about our grandmother. There is a a forgotten kid and their IF inside of all of us and this movie allows her to rediscover them once again.

The seamless chemistry and interaction between the actors and live action animated characters brings to mind Jessica Rabbit and the original Space Jam. Blue’s huge personality and lovability is classic Carell which plays off perfectly against Reynolds’ witty sarcasm and dark resignation to his character’s fate.

IF features fantastic chemistry between the live animation and real life actors. Image credit: The Mary Sue

The eventual reveal of who Reynolds’ Cal is in relation to Bea isn’t overly inventive but it does bring the emotional depth of this beautifully written movie to the fore. I sobbed and I don’t mind admitting that. Here’s to all IFs finding their kids and living their best imaginative lives.

Overall, IF is THE best family movie to catch at a cinema near you!

Editor’s Note: Superfans was hosted as a media guest at The Labia in Cape Town by United International Pictures (UIP).

A Superfans Review: The Fall Guy

A Superfans Review: The Fall Guy

There are very few movies that leave me with a HUGE grin on my face and a warm, happy feeling bubbling up inside of me as the credits roll. The Fall Guy IS that movie for me thus far in 2024!

Now playing at a cinema near you, The Fall Guy features the Barbenheimer crossover we have all been dying for since last July when Barbie and Oppenheimer were released on the same day, as Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt finally step into the spotlight:

A love letter to the stunt men and directors who work tirelessly to create the magic that makes Hollywood’s offerings into cinematic blockbusters, The Fall Guy sees Gosling’s stunt man extraordinaire Colt suffer a tragic “accident” on set, whilst doubling for douchebag deluxe star Tom Ryder (an epically awful and hilarious Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the Golden Globe winning actor of Bullet Train and Avengers: The Age of Ultron). Once the ever charming, handsome dude everyone loves on set, including Blunt’s assistant director Jody, Colt’s broken back and long recovery journey leaves him in a deep depression and cuts his brief but powerful fling with Jody short.

The Fall Guy follows Colt’s insane journey of being plucked from his dead-end car valet and horrible mullet-wearing life to Jody’s first feature film set as the stunt double for his old frenemy Ryder and his discovery that everyone wants him dead. Add in impressive visual shots and that inevitable “will they/won’t they” dynamic between the former couple, and you have the love child of a threesome between the Fast and the Furious franchise, every Seth Rogen bro comedy (i.e. the ones that are hilarious AF but deliver that must-have wholesome message about overcoming adversities) and the 2000s rom coms we all cut our teeth on.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is Tom Ryder in The Fall Guy.

The twist of Ryder and his agent Gail (a deliciously wicked Hannah Waddingham of Ted Lasso, Sex Education and Game of Thrones fame) being the ones who set Colt up for a murder that Ryder committed ,and the insane drug dealers on his tail, makes for nail-biting car chases on bridges in rush hour traffic, Evil Knievel style explosions and more.

As multiple Oscar nominees, most recently earlier this year, Gosling and Blunt are known for their top tier work but I’ve always considered them more dramatic performers than comedians and rom com leads. I am delighted that they have blown my mind and warmed my heart with their outstanding chemistry and very realistic portrayal of a former couple trying to work through their issues in the midst of very real danger.

We’ve all been there: the guy we unexpectedly fall in love with suddenly ghosts us and then has the absolute audacity to show up at our place of work or other important event/venue to declare that he has changed, he wants us back and admits he was an absolute goddamn idiot. We’ll eventually forgive him, of course, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make him work for it and damn, does Jody make Colt pay for his f***boyness!

Emily Blunt is Judy Moreno in THE FALL GUY, directed by David Leitch

I admittedly took some sadistic pleasure in one of the funniest scenes of the movie, where Blunt’s Jody exercises her creative control as a director and makes Gosling’s Colt do eight takes of being set on fire (while he is safe, it still hurts him).Every woman has a story of how often she imagines setting her ex on fire and this was just perfect. Their mutual declaration of love in the midst of a car chase, whilst filming a stunt and getting the confession they need, is visually, contextually and emotionally fantastic.

This film is, of course, a visual testament to the undoubtedly vital work that stunt men and their teams do behind the scenes of huge movies and it is here, in particular, that director David Leitch’s vision shines. Every method Colt uses to get out of the increasingly dangerous situations he finds himself in, is a play on his stunt men skills – from how he takes down Ryder’s bodyguards without killing them, to maiming them with gasoline sprouted from his mouth and his awesome battle on a truck to save Ryder’s PA. My particular favourite scene is the very meta take of the real life film crew filming Jody’s film crew filming a one take action scene riddled with explosives, a rousing speech and an unbelievable car chase and jump.

L to R: Ryan Gosling is Colt Seavers and Emily Blunt is Judy Moreno in THE FALL GUY, directed by David Leitch

A special shout out, too, to Winston Duke (Black Panther) who, as Colt’s work bestie Dan, and stunt coordinator, puts a fresh spin on the ol’ Danny Glover “I am too old for this s***” type character. His dynamic with Gosling as they riff off of grandiose action movie speeches and lines really appealed to my inner film geek.

The soundtrack alone makes me want to do this:

Headbang GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

Those anthems that get you going including KISS’ β€œI Was Made For Lovin’ You”, paired with the more obscure indie songs that make my emo self happy including The Darkness“I Believe In A Thing Called Love“, are a wonderous, head-banging duo that I will be playing on repeat on Spotify.

The Fall Guy is the perfect date night and girls’ night out film – in fact, I may take my grandmother who is an action movie fanatic to see it. Book your tickets TODAY to see it at a cinema near you.

Editor’s Note: Superfans was hosted as a media guest at The Labia in Cape Town by United International Pictures (UIP).

A Superfans Review: Finding the Light – An Evening with Musical Theatre Stars

A Superfans Review: Finding the Light – An Evening with Musical Theatre Stars

I woke my neighbours, belting out The Greatest Showman’s life-affirming tune This is Me and that should give you an indication of the theatrical high I am STILL floating on after last night’s spectacular Gala Show of Finding The Light – An Evening with Musical Theatre Stars at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town, South Africa!

A concert-style celebration of some of musical theatre’s best loved shows, with 100% of net proceeds going towards supporting the work of the Kolisi Foundation, Finding The Light features South African, Broadway and West End legends including Kim Criswell (Olivier-award nominated for Annie Get Your Gun; Lucy opposite Sting in 3 Penny Opera; Cats); Michael D. Xavier (Joe in Sunset Boulevard opposite Hollywood film star Glenn Close; Joe Bradley in Roman Holiday The Musical; ITV’s Grantchester); David Habbin, (West Side Story, Les MisΓ©rables, Amici Forever, and co-founder of the
Finding the Light Foundation) and Broadway Star Nikki RenΓ©e Daniels (Company; The Book of Mormon; Les MisΓ©rables; Hamilton).

They join South Africa’s musical stars Jonathan Roxmouth (Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story,Cats), Lynelle Kenned (West Side Story, The Sound of Music, Orpheus in Africa), Tshepo Ncokoane (Janice Honeyman’s Peter Pan Pantomine, Kinky Boots, We Will Rock You – The Musical World Tour) and Lucy Tops (Kinky Boots, Funny Girl, The Romantix).

The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Brandon
Phillips (CPO Resident Conductor), is the perfect accompaniment to the stars on stage. Image credit: Daniel Rutland Manners

These mega talents are accompanied by the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Brandon
Phillips (CPO Resident Conductor), and hosted by Marc Lottering. The stunning ensemble features students from the Waterfront Theatre School and LAMTA. This extraordinary show is produced by Daniel Galloway and Jessica Ross.

I will leave the more high-brow, in-depth review to the actual arts critics. For my part as your humble and regular Jane Superfan, last night was the closest I am ever getting to the Tony Awards and it blew me away in several aspects:

People came in their red carpet best:

One of the things I often lament about when I am back home is the utter lack of glamourous theatre-going attire from our local arts lovers. I marvel at how show attendees dress in their best Hogwarts costumes for even a matinee of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway. I rocked a totally out there, man, dress for the Back To The Future the Musical on the West End last year and I absolutely die for the incredible looks served at The Royal Variety Performance every year.

Thank you, Fatima Razzak and Letishia Charles, for being fabulously formal with me! Image credit: Ryan Jales

I had every expectation that I would be the only person who adhered to the “Fabulously Formal” dress code for the Finding the Light Gala Show but hey, my fellow South Africans came prepared. Whether that was to impress our Captain Siya Kolisi more than anything else, I don’t care. I am just SO proud of you, SA theatre goers!

Our local theatre stars outshining their international counterparts:

In chatting to my partner and some acquaintances during the interval, we ruminated on the fact that our local stars were outshining the West End and Broadway ones in the first half. We could possibly be biased, of course, and it may just be a case of having not seen the international players onstage before but for me, it certainly rang true. Kenned and Roxmouth are heavy hitting marvels, that is known, but wow, did Tops and Ncokoane really come into their own

Lucy Tops is spectacular in Finding The Light! Here she is, delightfully belting out Suddenly Seymour with the gorgeous Jonathan Roxmouth. Image credit:  Daniel Rutland Manners

Tops is always a delight in the aforementioned shows as well as the Kalk Bay Theatre shows and she is THE diva of Artscape Theatre’s annual disco themed festive season run. I have loved her extensive range since her Fleur du Cap Award nominated role in Bar None back in 2014/2015. In Finding The Light, she effortlessly switches between the naughty Audrey in Suddenly Seymour to a powerhouse artist with the innocent and in love Anna in Frozen’s Love is an Open Door and I am in awe of her. In the second half, Xavier and Criswell really rose to the occasion and I could see what makes them the illustrious international stars they are.

Finding new angles to old classics:

The set list for Finding The Light is designed to highlight some of the best award-winning pivotal musicals of our time and as a musical lover, I enjoyed the familiarity of numbers from Dear Evan Hansen, Sunset Boulevard, The Little Shop of Horrors, Chess, Into the Woods etc. What surprised me is discovering a new understanding of the big hits that I have spent all of my life singing along to.

From Phantom of the Opera to West Side Story’s Somewhere, Jonathan Roxmouth and Lynelle Kenned are chemistry and stage couple goals! Image credit:  Daniel Rutland Manners

Phantom of the Opera‘s titular song is always moving but with the stage stripped bare here (all the better to show off the gorgeous Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra), the mega talents of Roxmouth and Kenned and their intense chemistry, I FINALLY understood that it is a seduction song. One tends to think of the song Beneath a Moonless Sky in the sequel Love Never Dies as visual and aural proof of Erik and Christine’s alleged night of illicit passion that leads to the conception of their quirky son but in fact, Phantom is the red hot seducer. I always get goosebumps and emotional when listening to that song (as I have since watching a much-loved video tape of the original show when I was six years old), but last night, I, uh, had to fan myself and my heaving bosom (and no, that’s not just because Roxmouth looks divine in a tux 😈) .

Truly a stellar, magical show! Go see this incredible international cast dazzle in Finding The Light – An Evening with Musical Theatre Stars at the Artscape Theatre! Tickets available at Webtickets. Image credit:  Daniel Rutland Manners

It was indeed a magical evening. On balance, I do need to mention two things that were mildly irritating to me. One, was the confusion of whisking VIP guests off to our post-show reception, the lack of clear communication and signage to the designated area and the shepherding of guests that felt like we were the third class passengers on the Titanic, begging to be let in and rescued behind a barricaded gate. At nearly midnight, this was NOT amusing!

Two, when inviting VIPS for pre-drinks and a post-show reception, ensure that some non-alcoholic beverages are available, for free, to your teetotalers. I had to pay R40 for two soft drinks and honestly, my fellow sober attendees and I should not be penalized for our choices.

The spread of food was fabulous and really hit those late night cravings, though!

Get your tickets TODAY:

Finding The Light – An Evening with Musical Theatre Stars has just FOUR performances left and ends its super short run on Sunday 21 April 2024 at 2pm, so get your tickets TODAY at Webtickets.

A Superfans SA Insider’s Guide to Comic Con Cape Town 2024

A Superfans SA Insider’s Guide to Comic Con Cape Town 2024

Fandom, ASSEMBLE!

It’s our favourite time of the year again: Comic Con Cape Town returns to the Mother City for its second annual event and we are SUPER excited.

Master the art of the quick change (there are no telephone booths around so you can’t pull a Clark Kent to Superman transformation, though 😊), transform into your best costume and meet us at the Cape Town International Convention (CTICC) 2 from Saturday 27 April to Wednesday 1 May 2024.

We’ve been attending the Comic Cons, hosted by Reed Exhibitions, since 2018, so we know quite a few fantastic tips that you, the most die-hard geek, can use to Hulk Smash your way through your first one.

Here is the Superfans SA Insider’s Guide to Comic Con Cape Town 2024:

Book your tickets:

There will be no joining the Dark Side or gaining access to nerd Valhalla without your must-have tickets. Unlike Charlie, you are not going to find these in special chocolate bars (don’t worry, this event is 100% real, unlike that Glasgow incident, and you will not be left high, dry and without chocolate – in fact there are several options available at the Food Hall so pick up your favourite bar there!).

Here’s a look at what those must-have tickets got Con attendees last year:

You can book your tickets via the Con’s amazing website. Saturday is already sold out so be faster than The Flash and book yours TODAY.

Get your Meet and Greet Packages:

We are fangirling HARD for the top tier guests that the Con organising team have managed to pull out of their magic hats! For literal years, it’s been our dream to have Cape Town’s very own talented performer and star of hit international shows including Lucifer and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, Lesley-Ann Brandt, appear at a Con on home soil and it’s FINALLY happening! We cannot wait to have her speaking Lilim, aka Afrikaans to us.

Amongst the absolute must-haves for your photography and autograph collections are Sean Gunn of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy fame; most of Netflix’s wildly popular show One Piece’s cast (we are personally madly infatuated with Langley Kirkwood, one of South Africa’s choice actors since his days as a charismatic cult leader on now cancelled soapie Isidingo) and the absolute bevvy of artists,including our favourite Bill Masuku.

Make memories with your idols by booking your sessions here.

Plan your Con schedule:

The Con team have conveniently popped their schedule onto their website. We strongly suggest you download the Comic Con app and plan your experience around your meet and greets, any of the guest panels you want to attend, the sideline events (there is a speed dating event too so who knows? You may meet the MJ to your Spiderman!), mealtimes and how far you can walk around in your costume.

Plan your Comic Con schedule via the app so that you don’t miss out on any of the cool things on offer, including Q&As with your favourite guests! Image credit: Superfans SA

Trust us on this: you do NOT want to meet Veronica Taylor of PokΓ©mon fame when you’re sweaty from being in a leather costume all day, dangerously hungry or your feet are aching from walking around in your Harley Quinn heels and carrying around that heavy bat.

Suit up:

Unless you have an Alfred living in your garage, whipping up a bullet-proof costume in record time, you are going to need to either make your own or rent one.

Leonie is our resident wardrobe mistress and there are a few places that she loves sourcing our costume basics and makeup from including Party City, Clicks and Crazy Store in Gardens. For all of our heavy-duty make-up and prosthetic needs, she loves Masque Makeup & FX Warehouse. From bald caps and liquid latex, to fake teeth and special contact lenses- they have it all.

Leonie rocks our Comic Con cosplay creation with a variety of specialized suppliers. Image credit: Superfans SA

If you are not quite ready to take on the mantle of Costumer Designer, we suggest visiting your nearest costume rental store or pop over to the Cosplay Cape Town group on Facebook to see what’s for sale.

Top up your bank cards:

The Exhibitors’ Hall is a treasure trove of geeky goods. Before you go spending like you’re Bruce Wayne, please ensure you’ve topped up your debit or credit cards and don’t forget to bring them along or load them onto your phone so you can shop until you drop.

Most of the vendors will have card machines or Yoco so you are in good, safe hands.

An extra tip: on the final day of the Con, the vendors tend to seriously drop their prices and there are plenty of bargains to be had.

Fuel up at the Food Hall:

In the great words of the late Remus Lupin, Professor of the Dark Arts at Hogwarts:

Listen to Professor Lupin. Image credit: Tenor

The CTICC’s in-house catering team really shines a Bat Signal on all things super food related at the Con and we’ll admit to feasting on ALL of their epic character themed burgers EVERY single day of last year’s event πŸ˜‰

Just look at one of them:

Hulk Smash Burger into our mouths! Yum, those CTICC caterers really got the superhero memo for Comic Con Cape Town. Image credit: Superfans SA

You’ll find the Food Hall on the second floor, right next to the Gaming Arena.

Charge those batteries:

You will be taking hundreds of photos and videos throughout the Con so be sure to charge your devices outside of your loadshedding schedules. Bring along a portable charger too.

There are some fantastic things to see, film and snap a photo of. You do NOT want to miss the Hugo Lambrechts Orchestra’s Disney set at the opening ceremony, the Cosplay Contests, the table top games sessions and more.

Here’s the Orchestra using the Force at last year’s Opening Ceremony:

Bring your manners along:

Aside from just generally being a good Con attendee who doesn’t litter, bully or push into lines, please be respectful of other cosplayers’ personal spaces. Ask their permission to take a photograph or video of or with them and under no circumstances will inappropriate behaviour and touching (both verbal and physical) be tolerated.

Channel your inner Matt Murdock/Daredevil and familiarize yourself with the Con’s policy so you can understand the legalese around it.

That’s it from us! Have a super fun Comic Con Cape Town 2024, Everyone.

If you want to come and say Hi to Leonie and I during the Con, pop us a DM on Instagram or Facebook and let’s set up that pow wow.

Finding the Light to delight Cape Town musical lovers at Artscape Theatre

Finding the Light to delight Cape Town musical lovers at Artscape Theatre

Places, please, everyone! The curtain will rise on FINDING THE LIGHTAN EVENING WITH MUSICAL THEATRE STARS, at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town from 17 to 21 April 2024.

Featuring some of our local titans of theatre including the always gorgeous and talented Jonathan Roxmouth (who will be resuming his titular role in the international tour of The Phantom of the Opera in China shortly), Lynelle Kenned (West Side Story, The Sound of Music, Orpheus in Africa), Lucy Tops (The Romantix, The Great Gatsby, Bar None)and Tshepo Ncokoane (Janice Honeyman’s Peter Pan Pantomine, Kinky Boots, We Will Rock You – The Musical World Tour), this not-to-missed showcase Β offers audiences the chance to experience the exhilarating power of some of musical theatre’s best loved shows.

Book your tickets at Webtickets for this not-to-be-missed musical extravaganza at Artscape Theatre this April! Image supplied.

Audience members will not only have the opportunity to sing along to all of their favourite showtunes, but just by purchasing a FINDING THE LIGHTAN EVENING WITH MUSICAL THEATRE STARS ticket, they will be supporting the impressive Kolisi Foundation. Yes, our World Cup winning captain Siya does so much more than chase a ball across a field – he and his wife Rachel founded the Foundation in 2019 to tackle some of the toughest challenges facing South African communities.Β Β 

Accompanied by the full Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, and hosted by Cape Town’s very own Marc Lottering,  FINDING THE LIGHTAN EVENING WITH MUSICAL THEATRE STARS promises a visual and auditory kaleidoscope in celebration of our humanity and our collective search for the light. 

β€œWe are honoured to have some of South Africa’s finest musical theatre talent joining us on stage for Finding the Light. Inspired by the concept that β€˜singing connects us’, our wonderful guest artists and audiences come together for a fabulous evening of entertainment, whilst investing in the incredible work of the Kolisi Foundation,” says Jessica Ross, the London-based Executive Producer of the show and co-founder of Finding The Light Foundation.Β 

I know I will need to pack extra tissues because those big Phantom of the Opera and West Side Story musical numbers will leave me in absolute tears. Jonathan and Lynelle were breathtaking as Tony and Maria in the 2015 run of West Side Story and I am giddy with anticipation of seeing them perform together again!

Tickets for FINDING THE LIGHTAN EVENING WITH MUSICAL THEATRE STARS are available from R190 via Webtickets.

For more information, please visit https://kolisifoundation.org/ and https://ftl.org.uk/

A Superfans Review: Leave the World Behind

A Superfans Review: Leave the World Behind

As a seasoned horror film fan, there is very little that scares me, except … natural disaster and doomsday movies, like Netflix’s latest hit, Leave the World Behind.

Boasting a superstar cast with Academy Award winners Julia Roberts and Mahershala Ali, this chillingly realistic film centers on two families, led by advertising exec Amanda Sanford (Roberts) and secret government analyst G.H.Scott (Ali), who find themselves sharing the latter’s Upstate New York vacation home during what turns out to be a U.S. toppling terrorist attack.

What starts out as a well-deserved family break for the Sandfords (Amanda, her husband Clay, played by Ethan Hawke, son Archie and daughter Rose) , quickly turns into a nightmare when G.H. and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la) return to the beach house, to escape the mass panic a sudden satellite outage has caused in the Big Apple. Cut off from communication with the outside world, suddenly being fed incorrect information with weird pamphlet drops by a mysterious drone and having to face off with a survivalist asshole neighbour (perfectly played by the always creepy Kevin Bacon), our newly blended family will have to rely on each other to make it through.

Throw in a timed siren that releases radiation though the airwaves, hints of racist undertones from neighbours, the local wildlife ready to attack our cast and the discovery of an underground bunker kitted out with every 90s kid’s dream DVD collection and everything else you need to survive the apocalypse, and you have the makings of the ultimate 2023 disaster flick.

A fully off-the-grid bunker with hundreds of DVDs to watch? Count me in for Leave the World Behind’s version of the world ending! Image credit: Digital Spy

Netflix has had some hits and misses with their year-end disaster offerings. In 2020, Death to 2020, by the Black Mirror creators , was a huge success because honestly, after a f***tard of a year, the world needed the relief. The following year’s special didn’t do as well and the Leonardo DiCaprio-led Don’t Look Up was a bit much for all of us living through unprecedented times.

I have a feeling that Leave the World Behind is going to have a split audience opinion. Those of us who are quite familiar with the more cerebral horror films that dominated the genre before all of the reboots this year, including Hereditary and Get Out, will appreciate those one continuous take wonders, the needle drop after a big emotional moment, the barely subtle inference that what takes place onscreen here is currently happening in at least four countries right now. Even more chilling is hearing Ali’s character spell out the exact three stages of an attack that is needed to destabilize a country and realizing how relatively easy it would actually be to implement.

The rest of the population may just enjoy Ali and Roberts rocking out to Next’s 2000 hit Too Close, played on a vinyl record!!! Man, I felt old AF watching this scene but it is also hands down one of my favourites:

Roberts has always been one of my favourite actresses (she ought to be, considering my very liberal 90s parents took me to see Pretty Woman as my first cinema experience when I was 5 years old. Forget Prince Charming – give me Richard Gere in a tuxedo and a limo. Judge my folks all you want, it’s ok. I tease my mom about this constantly πŸ˜‚). Her character Amanda in Leave the World Behind may just be my favourite one of hers yet. Amanda, as an advertising exec, is tired of humanity after seeing the deeply f***ed things they are willing to do to each other for the next big thing. After the pandemic, I feel the same way.

I have never felt as seen as I did , watching this scene:

Leave the World Behind isn’t the Christmas family fare you’re looking for. What it is , is a vehicle for you to start thinking about the state of the world right now and what exactly you want your 2024 and beyond to look like if your country (ahem, loadshedding, election year and rising crime levels, South Africans) goes tits up.

Leave the World Behind is available for streaming on Netflix.