To celebrate the DVD and Blu-ray release of THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE SEVENTH SEASON, out on 27 September 2017 in Australia, EntertainmentOne and The Reel Bits are excited to offer one of 5 Blu-ray copies of the season to some of our lucky readers.
In Season 7 of the iconic show, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group will find out yet again that the world isn’t what they thought it was and the lengths they will have to go to in order to find weapons, food and new fighters is nothing short of remarkable. While they have a singular purpose – to defeat Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) – it won’t come easy. More importantly, victory will require more than Alexandria. They need the numbers of the Kingdom and the Hilltop.
AVAILABLE ON DVD + BLU-RAY 27 SEPTEMBER
HOW TO ENTER
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. LOOK FOR MORE EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES SOON.
Important: You must answer all the questions to be eligible. To ensure people do not have an unfair advantage by entering multiple times, only 1 entry per person will be accepted. Every entry is looked at and if duplicate/suspicious entries are found you will automatically be disqualified. This competition is only open to residents of Australia and the winners are drawn randomly.
THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSES ON 2 OCTOBER 2017 17:00 AEST.
Privacy Note: The Reel Bits takes the privacy of its readers very seriously. Your email address will be not be used for any other purpose other than to enter the competition. Upon completion all email addresses will be deleted. If you do not wish to continue receiving the newsletter after the competition closes, you will be given the option to opt out.
Terms & Conditions
The Reel Bits and EntertainmentOne take no responsibility for any delay, loss or damage to prizes sent to winners.
While all attempts are made to supply prizes at the completion of a competition, no responsibility will be held by The Reel Bits to supply prizes if for unseen circumstances they are not available.
Staff of this site and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in the competition.
You must be at least 15 years of age to enter this competition, or have parents or guardians permission.
No responsibility will be taken for any entries that may have been lost. The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered upon.
Another San Diego Comic-Con is done and dusted, and like we say almost every year, the Monday should be a geek public holiday. We’re all still swooning from the sheer number of announcements. It truly is a great time to be a card-carrying fan.
The sheer amount of news from the ‘Con is a always hard to digest, so we’ve made it easy for you by summarising some of our favourite stories coming out of the last few days.
Links are provided to the full stories where we’ve covered them, so happy reading! You can find our complete SDCC 2017 coverage here.
DC Extended Universe
Confirmation was made for WONDER WOMAN 2, and the start of production on Joss Whedon’s BATGIRL. While these were very cool, the announcement of FLASHPOINT also snuck in under the radar alongside familiar names like Shazam, Suicide Squad 2, The Batman,Justice League Dark, and Green Lantern Corps. Based on the comic book series of the same name, The Flash film’s narrative also played a huge part of The Flash: Season 3. The series effectively rebooted the DCU with a new continuity. Could they be doing the same already at Warner?
Footage was also shown from the production of Aquaman, but this has yet to be released to the public. However, the centrepiece was a screening of the new trailer for JUSTICE LEAGUE. The Internet immediately began to ask who Alfred is talking to in the final frames. We think the answer is Super-obvious.
Marvel Studios
Despite showing at Disney’s D23 Expo last week, Marvel Studios didn’t disappoint with their announcements. They came in hard with casting announcements for ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, which included Michelle Pfeiffer and Laurence Fishburne. (They also threw in this ANT-MAN Comic-Con poster at the last minute).
The biggest reveal was the much craved AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR trailer (also shown at D23), which won’t be released online just yet. Well, at least in any official forms. We did, however, get a new THOR: RAGNAROK trailer that is ridiculously hilarious, showing that Thor and Hulk are the best road travelling buddy team since Hope and Crosby.
Film
We have to start here with Steven Spielberg’s READY PLAYER ONE trailer, described as the “holy grail of pop culture.” Adapting Ernest Cline’s novel, you’ll immediately spot The Iron Giant, Freddy Kreuger, and even a DeLorean.
Perhaps the most surprising announcement came from Legion (and Fargo) showrunner Noah Hawley. During the panel for the former, he talked about a project he was working on for Fox. “”Two words. Doctor. Doom.” Is this a new FANTASTIC FOUR film or a DOCTOR DOOM solo project?
DC’s Animated slate is about to get a little bigger as well. In addition to the upcoming Batman & Harley Quinn, Warner announced BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT, followed by SUICIDE SQUAD: HELL TO PAY, an entire original story. Then there will be a two-part story split over 2018/2019: DEATH OF SUPERMAN and REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN.
Television
TV and streaming are the new frontier, and collectively they eclipse anything happening on the big screen. YOUNG JUSTICE: OUTSIDERS got in early with a graphic unveiling new members of the team.
Over at HBO, we got a first look at the second season of WESTWORLD. It leaves us with more questions than answers, but it certainly proves Delores’ prowess with a gun.
The first season of STRANGER THINGS blew us all away and made us instant fans. This new trailer ups the pop culture references and made us fall in love with the characters all over again.
If there’s one thing we want in a superhero show, it’s a lack of superheroes. At least that’s what the continue existence of Gotham would indicate. KRYPTON is set during Superman’s grandfather’s era, although the iconography suggests a connection to the film universe. We’ll wait and see.
Last but by no means least, THE WALKING DEAD teased its eighth season. After so many quibbles with the seventh year, there will be a lot of expectation around this one. The final few scenes lead to some big questions indeed.
Batter up! The seventh season of THE WALKING DEAD has been one of the most talked-about of the show’s long run. Now, Entertainment One Australia have announced the complete seventh season of the show will be available on DVD & Blu-ray from September 27.
Regarded by many as the most controversial season in the show’s history, Australian fans will once again get a compelling glimpse behind-the-scenes with brand new special features including deleted scenes, featurettes, and audio commentary.
In Season 7 of the iconic show, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group will find out yet again that the world isn’t what they thought it was and the lengths they will have to go to in order to find weapons, food and new fighters is nothing short of remarkable. While they have a singular purpose – to defeat Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) – it won’t come easy. More importantly, victory will require more than Alexandria. They need the numbers of the Kingdom and the Hilltop.
Both the DVD & Blu-ray editions of the complete seventh season of THE WALKING DEAD will have a host of bonus features as follows:
Featurettes x7: ‘Breaking and Rebuilding’, ‘In Memoriam’, ‘A Larger World’, ‘A New Chapter’,
‘The Writer’, ‘Top Walker’, ‘Warrior Women’
Deleted & Extended Scenes x 8 scenes
Inside THE WALKING DEAD x 16 episodes
Making of THE WALKING DEAD x 16 episodes
Audio Commentaries x 6: Featuring contributions from Scott Gimple, Greg Nicotero, Michael Cudlitz, Angela Kang, Norman Reedus, Alanna Mastertson, Josh McDermitt, Austin Amelio, Denise Huth, Lennie James, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan
Watching genre TV in Australia has been a painful process over the last few years. If you want to stay above the line of the law, it’s involved a patchwork quilt of cable subscription, VPN streaming, US iTunes and recently launched streaming services like Netflix, Stan and Presto.
The 2016/2017 season brings with it some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that it will still involve shopping around a little bit. The good news (actually, the great news) is that almost all of them will be hitting our shores day and date with the US, meaning there’s very little reason to resort to that ‘other’ method of acquiring content. Of course, only some of this content comes free, but our philosophy is this: if you want them to keep making them, it’s either put up with the ads or the subscription costs. There is no other excuse.
Supergirl: Season 2, The Flash: Season 3, Arrow: Season 5 and Legends of Tomorrow: Season 2
WHEN: From 5 October 2016 (Wed) WHERE: Fox8 (Foxtel)
There’s only one place to get all four shows, with FOXTEL sewing up an exclusive deal for fast-tracked episodes of all of the DC Universe. The Flash: Season 3 (CW) is going deep into comic book territory, immediately starting with the Flashpoint storyline and introducing Kid Flash into the series. It returns on 5 October, and it also marks the start of a superhero season on the CW that will include Supergirl: Season 2 for the first time. The show moves from CBS to CW on 10 October (11 October Fox8), joining Arrow: Season 5 (5 October in the US/6 October on Fox8 in Australia) and Legends of Tomorrow: Season 2 (13 October) for an eventual crossover in December. That alone makes all of these shows worth watching from the get-go. FoxtelGO will also have it on streaming.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Season 4
WHEN: 27 September 2016 (Wed) WHERE: 7Flix (Free-to-air)
You probably wouldn’t know it unless you were looking, but this is currently playing on 7Flix, remaining with the Seven Network. On the plus side, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is playing on a free-to-air network, despite reports last year that it had been snatched up by FOXTEL. Unfortunately, it is on a 1-week delay from the US, meaning that there’s a week of spoilers, teasers for the next episode and endless web chatter to sift through before you get to it. Naturally, you can stream this on Seven’s app as well.
Luke Cage – Season 1
WHEN: 30 September 2016 (Fri) WHERE: Netflix
One of the few times when we get exactly the same content at the same time as the US. Marvel’s follow-up to Jessica Jones, and another step on the road to The Defenders, lands in its entirety on 30 September. All 13 episodes ready to binge, and given that’s the day of writing this, you’ll probably have seen them all by the time you read this.
The Walking Dead – Season 7
WHEN: 24 October 2016 (Fri) WHERE: FX (FOXTEL); iTunes
As if you needed any reminding. Following the dramatic cliffhanger at the end of Season 6, fans will riot in the street if the late October premiere doesn’t give us immediate answers about the fate of one of the main characters at the hands of Negan and Lucille. (If you’ve read the comics, chances are pretty good they stick to the source material). Once again, FX has this tied up for FOXTEL subscribers.
Gotham – Season 3
WHEN: Good question! WHERE: Not Australia, apparently
The networks seem to have abandoned any sense of timeliness with this series, with Channel 9 treated this one abysmally last two years. The lack of an Australian release date is perhaps indicative of its standing. The third season is going straight for the Court of Owls storyline, so this is definitely a good time to jump aboard. Your best bet is to head to the Fox website, which does require you to have a US address or VPN, and stream the episodes on a slight delay for free: http://www.fox.com/gotham
In an unsurprising move, given that Season 4 has opened to record numbers, AMC has announced that they will be renewing The Walking Dead for a fifth season. The adaptation of the long-running Image Comics series debuted to over 16 million viewers on the cable channel, more when including delayed and online views, and has maintained high numbers across the first three episodes.
The official press release confirms Scott Gimple as return showrunner, as well as plans for a spin-off series in the near future.
AMC announced today that it has renewed The Walking Dead for a fifth season. The number one show on television among adults 18-49, The Walking Dead returned for a fourth season earlier this month and the premiere episode set a new record for the series, delivering 20.2 million viewers, live+3, and 13.2 million adults 18-49, a new record for any non-sports cable telecast.
“We are very happy to make what has to be one of the most anti-climactic renewal announcements ever: The Walking Dead is renewed for a fifth season,” said Charlie Collier, AMC president. “This is a show that has erased traditional distinctions between cable and broadcast. Its expanding base of passionate fans has grown every season, most recently — and most notably — with the season four premiere earlier this month, which broke viewership records for the series and became the biggest non-sports telecast in cable history. On behalf of the incredible team on both sides of the camera, thank you to the fans and here’s to more Dead.”
For Season 5, Scott Gimple will return as the series’ showrunner along with executive producers Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Greg Nicotero and Tom Luse. AMC also recently announced that it is developing a companion series to The Walking Dead, based on a new story and new characters from Robert Kirkman.
Fans of Robert Kirkman’s comic book series The Walking Dead will be very familiar with the character of The Governor, the notorious leader of a small community who took the book to some very nasty places. His appearance in the television series is not just a welcome sight for fans, but like Michonne a sign that the show is about to be wading in a thick molasses of blood. The third season has so far established Rick’s (Andrew Lincoln) single-minded determination to keep his group together and safe no matter what the cost. In the previous season, there was some dramatic tension with Shane’s differing opinion as to how that should happen. With Shane’s departure, the Governor (played by British actor David Morrissey) fills the void as a more traditional antagonist, if “traditional” were a label that in any way applied to this character.
This atypical episode takes us away from the main group of Rick and co at the prison, with Rick having firmly established his dominance over the surviving prisoners in last week’s episode “Sick”. After Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Andrea (Laurie Holden) witness the crash of a military helicopter, they move in closer to investigate. However, a group led by the Governor has managed to get there first, making short work of what is left of the survivors. A surprise appearance from the group’s old pal Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker), who escaped sans hand way back in the first season, leads them back to the idyllic community run by The Governor. Assured that they are not prisoners, The Governor gives them few reasons to want to leave, protecting his community around the clock and providing the semblance of civilisation that they have been sorely missing on the road. Is he too good to be true? Yes. Yes he is.
“Walk With Me” is a significant departure for the series as it is one of the first episodes to be entirely free of any narrative around the majority of the regular series cast. Indeed, this is the first episode to not feature Andrew Lincoln or Sarah Wayne Callies at all, demonstrating a shift in the maturity of the show’s storytelling abilities. This is, after all, a large ensemble cast and it is only through these kind of episodes that their arcs will progress beyond the confines of the group dynamic. The few hints we get about Michonne’s past, for example, give us more in five minutes than some of the other characters have experienced in two years. Andrea is similarly given some development beyond the “tough, angry one”, but is still kind of pissy with everyone. It’s also an early indicator that Rick won’t always be the dominant force within the group, and that the power balance will shift and tilt as new elements are introduced over the coming season.
There are times that this episode could almost be considered too dark, pushing the bounds of taste that worked on page but not necessarily on-screen. Yet the undeniably electric element to this episode is David Morrissey as The Governor. Unlike his comic book counterpart, who looks like he’s stepped out of a 70s cop show, Morrissey’s Governor comes fully formed on the screen. Having reportedly sought out the canonical novel The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor, in every scene he is present it is clear that Morrissey is fully aware of his character, where he comes from and more importantly, what he is capable of doing. As the two groups begin to come together over the coming weeks, we know there will be some fireworks and we simply can’t wait.
The Walking Dead screens Sundays 9/8C on AMC in the US. It screens in Australia on FX on Tuesdays at 8:30pm. It is also available on iTunes from Hopscotch eOne.
The second season of The Walking Dead was problematic for a number of reasons. While it maintained much of the human drama of the shorter first year, its departures from Robert Kirkman’s source material and prolonged search for Sophia sapped it of some of the immediacy that the show requires. However, the second half of that same season saw several turning points that galvanised the audience and brought an even darker tone to a show that was already about a zombie apocalypse. The finale of Season 2 was a sock to the jaw, showing de facto leader Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. The promise of the prison just over the horizon was music to the eyes of the comic book series, and this third series debut delivers on that promise.
It has been several months since the end of that last chapter, and the group of survivors are nearing starvation and looking for a safe place to stay. The sense of urgency comes from a very pregnant Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) needing a place to safely deliver her baby without it becoming an instant Happy Meal for one of the undead walkers that plague them at every turn. The discovery of an abandoned prison is like a mirage to them. It’s not too overrun with zombies, and the fences provide ample protection from the outside world. However, more threats lurk inside, ensuring that there will be a few bitings before the episode is out. Indeed, the show’s penchant for killing off its major characters almost claims a victim in the first episode, but this actually leads to a far more interesting development.
From the almost dialogue free opening, it is clear that this season aims to bring the thrills with deadly intent. The aim of The Walking Dead has never been about horror per se, even if everything that surrounds the group is terrifying. It’s about the characters first and foremost, and it is great to see genuine character development for whole group. In particular Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and “T-Dog” (IronE Singleton) actually get a bit more dialogue this year, setting up some nice arcs for them as well. For the first time the group is also split, with Andrea (Laurie Holden) having been left behind with a mysterious hooded woman in the second season finale. Comic book fans already know her as Michonne (played here by Danai Gurira), and the character that brings about a radical shift in tone in the story, but she was introduced in a ‘WTF?’ moment to mainstream audiences. Here we get a chance to see what she is capable of, and that is mostly cutting things up successfully with a samurai sword. Believe us folks: you ain’t seen nothing yet.
The appropriately titled “Seed” plants all the elements that are sure to make this season a success, and the monumental record-breaking ratings for this episode are indicative of an audience who has faith in the premise. The “Prison arc” is one of the strongest storylines in the original comic, and it promises to play out over several strong episodes this year. Perhaps the only concerning element is the even longer season this year, with a planned 16 episodes tipping this series over into epic melodrama all too familiar for veterans of the first half of the second season. Yet with Frank Darabont now gone, new showrunner and episode writer Glen Mazzara has taken an axe to the infected parts of the series, ensuring that the show will stave off the undead afterlife for a few more years. This is essential viewing.
The Walking Dead screens Sundays 9/8C on AMC in the US. It screens in Australia on FX on Tuesdays at 8:30pm. It is also available on iTunes from Hopscotch eOne.
It’s just over a week until the premiere of The Walking Dead – Season 3, and AMC have released a new promo trailer showcasing the prison, the introduction of the Governor (David Morrissey) and a few more teasing glimpses at Michonne (Danai Gurira).
With the world growing increasingly more dangerous and Lori’s pregnancy advancing, Rick discovers a potentially safe haven. But first he must secure the premises, pushing his group to its limit.
The Walking Dead – Season 3 will debut in the US on Sunday 14 October at 9/8c on AMC in the US, and on subscription TV in Australia from 16 October, a mere 33 hours after the US screening. You can also download it legally from iTunes in Australia from 17 October 2012 if you don’t have cable.
Hopscotch Entertainment has confirmed that Australians won’t have to wait long to get the new episodes of The Walking Dead when they begin next month, coming straight to subscription TV and iTunes within days of the US release.
Episodes of The Walking Dead Season 3 will be available to purchase on iTunes from 17 October 2012. The highly anticipated third season will premiere on Australian subscription television on 16 October, a mere 33 hours after the initial US broadcast, so there really are no excuses for missing out on this season. The episodes will be available on iTunes the following day, making Australia one of the first territories in the world to view new episodes.
Season 3 will consist of 16 episodes, the longest season of The Walking Dead yet. It will air in two parts, 8 episodes will be released weekly from 17 October, with a break over Christmas (occurring worldwide) and recommencing mid-February for the remaining 8 episodes (confirmation of February dates to be advised by Hopscotch Entertainment).
Season two broke ratings records history in the US, drawing in a total of 9 million viewers for the midseason premiere. Season 3 promises to deliver the same nail-biting tension with the introduction of a new group of survivors and a new antagonist, ‘The Governor’ – a lawman who like Rick plays by his own set of rules. However, with a vastly different moral code. The Walking Dead Seasons 1 and 2 are available on iTunes, Blu-ray and DVD now. Episodes of Season 3 will be available on iTunes from 17 October, or you can purchase a Season Pass to ensure you don’t miss an episode. The Walking Dead Season 1 & 2 Box Set will be released on Blu-ray and DVD 14 November – fully loaded with extras.
In this issue another gay Green Lantern, Dr. Mark Millar, Yahoo looks at motion comics, The Dark Knight Rises goes viral and the Dredd trailer revealed. THEN our kick-ass (should we still call it that?) pick of the week: Archie Meets Kiss (or Archie 627 – 630).
Our next reading assignment: The Death of Gwen Stacy (or The Amazing Spider-Man issues 96-98 & 121-122).
Behind the Panels is continual work in progress, help us craft this show (via email and feedback) into the finest comic book podcast on the market. Make sure you subscribe to Behind the Panels on the link below.
Your Show Notes Follow:
Vintage Clip of the Week
It’s A Bird… It’s A Plane… It’s Superman(1975 TV Special)
Have you got something to say? We want to hear from you, send email to comics@geekactually.com or drop us a voicemail at 02 8011 3167 (Skype ID: geek actually) and we’ll play it on the show.
If you are an iTunes user, subscribe for free here and please leave us feedback. The next two or three issues will also come out on the Geek Actually and Film Actually feeds to get things started.
Make sure you check out our other fine podcasts Film Actually and Film Actually News for the latest in cinema reviews and news.
HOW TO ENTER
