Welcome once again to One of Us’ Strip Club, the place where we feature comic strips created and submitted by friends and fans of the site.

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The Resistance is one of the best games of all time. Played in only 30 minutes, it’s a game of bluffing and lying and accusations. It’s a game of cold, hard deduction, where players work together to find the spies in their midst while those very spies attempt to hide themselves by any means possible. There is a great deal of screaming involved.

In this very special episode of the Die Cast, Jacob and Daniel call in their banners and join Brian Salisbury, Toni Salisbury, Luke Mullen and Paul Gandersman for a few games of The Resistance: Avalon, the medieval themed sequel to the original sci-fi themed The Resistance. If you listen closely, you can hear their friendships end.

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Welcome to the “World of UScast” where Oneofus.net features teams of our podcasters located all over the world. Today’s feature comes from Tokyo; it’s the second episode of “Wayward Podcast”!
On this episode, Toshi and Sarah do some free-flow conversation while exploring the drawbacks of recording in a karaoke store as they are interrupted by a singer next door who seems to have an affinity to a certain popular song…
Rather than have endless Supernatural talk scattershot throughout the recording, we’ve decided to devote an entire section to it in order to save people the pain of having us spoil everything about the latest episodes. Supernatural talk begins at 40:03

Notes:Technical difficulties occurred at around the 29:35 mark. Sorry about that.
This episode contains spoilers to The Lego Movie, Inception, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and of course, Supernatural.

As many people are aware, Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla) has been handed the momentous task of helming the first of multiple planned stand-alone Star Wars movies. With screenplay duties handed to Gary Whitta (The Book of Eli, After Earth), the film is due out December 16, 2016.

There has been no announcement what the film will be about, but there is strong speculation that this spin-off could focus on the legendary bounty hunter and fan-favorite character, Boba Fett. Again, this is just a rumor, but the mysterious hunter has long been mentioned as a possible candidate for a stand-alone movie.

Even with all this excitement, the question still needs to be asked: Is Edwards right for the project? While Godzilla has assuredly been a huge box office success, it has generated a mixed reaction from audiences. While critics have praised Bryan Cranston’s performance and the special effects, the movie has been criticized for its pacing and wooden characters. Could this be repeated in Edward’s Star Wars spin-off? It’s probably way too early to make such a declarative statement, but the concern is fair. The director’s strengths and weaknesses should be properly assessed before any predictions are made.

As audiences have seen with Edwards’ Monsters and Godzilla, the young British director has a love and appreciation for creature design. Seeing him apply that same passion to Star Wars could potentially lead to visually stunning results. I would personally love to see Edwards incorporate classic Star Wars monsters like the Rancor, Krayt Dragon or Wampa into his spin-off film. While I wouldn’t turn the film into a monster movie, it would still be a cool nod to Edwards’ roots as a filmmaker.

While we don’t know what level of involvement Edwards had over the Godzilla screenplay, it’s safe to say that a tighter script could have provided the movie with a stronger second act and a more interesting human protagonist. That’s why it is so important that Edwards has a talented script writer to lean on. Enter Gary Whitta, who is currently writing the screenplay for the spin-off.

Outside of his work on The Book of Eli and After Earth, Whitta is probably best known for being the head writer for Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead. The critically acclaimed episodic video game series won numerous awards in 2012 and was praised for its rich cast of charaters and heart wrenching story. Whitta was credited by many fans of Robert Kirkman’s zombie epic of presenting a story with characters that players could relate to and care about in the game. Many people believe that Telltale’s game not only has superior writing and character development than the AMC television series, but that is actually expanded the universe of Kirkman’s comic. If Whitta can deliver a script with the same amount of depth and characterization as The Walking Dead, then this project is already off to a great start.

I think Edwards is a great choice to helm a Star Wars film, as long as he has a strong script to work from. Relying on his strengths as a visual filmmaker, while listening to the advice and direction of others who know how to tell an interesting story could lead to a great starting point for future stand-alone Star Wars films. Addtionally, Whitta seems more than prepared for work involved with this project:

“From the moment I first saw the original movie as a wide-eyed kid, Star Wars has been the single most profound inspiration to my imagination and to my career as a writer. It is deeply special to me,so to be given the opportunity to contribute to its ongoing legacy, especially in collaboration with a film-maker as talented as Gareth, is literally a dream come true. I’m still pinching myself.”

What about you reader? Are Gareth Edwards and Gary Whitta the right to team to tackle a Star Wars spin-off? What spin-off films do you want to see? Let us know in the comments below!

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The gentlefolk take a break from the usual structure this week. With all the recent cancellations and early endings of shows, it seemed prudent to take the bulk of an episode to look at these, talk about some of the great shows that ended too soon in the past, and discuss the whys and wherefores of why it happens.

It’s not always just low ratings, I hate to tell ya.

We’ve finally done it! After weeks of fan voting, and after a long absence to recover from the mental wounds of R.I.P.D., here now is the Watch a Movie with Us commentary for the #1 worst film of 2013 as voted on by you, the nation of Us: A Good Day to Die Hard. In honor of Memorial Day, let us never forget…how much better this franchise used to be.

As it turns out, there is never a good time to revisit Die Hard 5, but we hope this irreverent running commentary softens the blow a bit. How are we rewarding you for suffering through AGDTDH? Well first of all, we’ve brought in the one and only Jeff from RageSelect.com, a man who loves Die Hard but has never seen this abomination. Suffice to say, Jeff’s trademark rage was aptly stirred by what he beheld.

If you’re a Time Lord subscriber or above, you can download this commentary track right here.

It was reported last Friday that Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) has stepped down as director for Ant-Man. While Marvel Studios has released a statement explaining that the parting between them and the director was “amicable,” Wright has only claimed that he left the project due to “differences in their vision for the film.”

Marvel has since stated that it has already found another director to helm the project, but it’s still fun to speculate as to who it might possibly be. This is a great opportunity to cast a “dream director” for one of Marvel’s most daring big-screen projects. Let’s take a look at some of the possible candidates that could helm a live-action adaptation based on The Irredeemable Ant-Man.

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Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

If there is one directing-duo that understands action and comedy, it is Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Creating a career of doing the impossible, Lord and Miller have made hit after hit. First coming to public attention with the animated film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and continuing their success into live-action with their 21 Jump Street remake, Lord and Miller have made quite the impression on audiences of all ages.

Recently coming off of their critically and commercially successful Lego Movie, the two are probably the most sought after comedic filmmakers working right now. Since Marvel’s Ant-Man is said to be a comedic-heist film, it makes sense for Lord and Miller to helm the project. They know how to present action and plenty of comedy while telling an entertaining story. As they have proven in the past, they know how to take a script that no one thought would work and turn it into of the best films of the year. It’d be great to see them do it again with Ant-Man.

Drew Goddard

There’s no question that Marvel’s golden boy right now is Joss Whedon. Can you blame them? He’s made them a lot of money. That’s why it wouldn’t be surprising at all if they get a director who has a long history with Whedon. Enter Drew Goddard, one of Whedon’s former writing partners on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.

Goddard’s Cabin in the Woods is his only current directing credit, but it has attained a revered cult status among horror and comedy fans. That one film is one hell of a resume. Blending plenty of carnage, gore and some great comedy bits, Cabin in the Woods proves that Goddard can handle a geek property with love and respect.

While Goddard is focusing his attention on writing and directing Sony’s upcoming Spider-Man spinoff Sinister Six, it’s possible he might be lured away to work on Marvel’s Ant-Man. There hasn’t been a set release date for the spin-off and a third film in Sony’s reboot of the Spider-Man series seems more than likely to happen first. It’s possible he could drop out of Sinister Six in much the same as he did as showrunner for Marvel’s Daredevil television series.

Joe Cornish

If Marvel wants to replace the man, but not the style, then Joe Cornish is probably their best bet. Cornish has been a frequent writing partner of Wright and he’s been involved in multiple projects, including Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin.

Outside of writing, Cornish has directed only one movie, but it’s one that has left a significant impression on many critics and audiences. Cornish’s Attack the Block was one of the most underrated films of 2011. Perfectly blending science-fiction, horror and comedy, Attack the Block told a story steeped in social commentary about ethnic and class barriers. Even with only one film under his belt, Cornish is more than qualified to bring one of Marvel’s characters to the silver screen.

Cornish taking over as director is perhaps the most unlikely out of any possible candidates. After all, he did co-write the Ant-Man screenplay with Wright. His vision of the film will most likely reflect the vision of the former Ant-Man director’s. Still, a nice big fat check from Marvel could change anyone’s mind.

Matthew Vaughn

I think you get a nickel every time you mention how Matthew Vaughn should direct a comic book movie. There’s a reason why though. Writing and directing such films as X-Men: First Class and Kick-Ass has earned Vaughn a level of respect from comic book readers. All of his superhero films have a degree of comedy to them. Seeing him take over as director for a Marvel film that is more of a comedy than anything else does make sense.

X-Men: First Class and Kick-Ass, while awkward at times, did deliver enough entertainment to generate Vaughn a certain amount of goodwill to be mentioned on the shortlist of directors for comic books films. Having wrapped up production for Kingsman: The Secret Service, a Matthew Vaughn directed Ant-Man is a realistic possibility. Hey, I found a nickel!

Rian Johnson

Rian Johnson is definitely an oddball choice to direct a film about a guy who has the power to shrink to the size of an insect, but hear me out. Johnson has a love and appreciation for genre filmmaking. Looking at his body of work proves that. With films like Brick, The Brothers Bloom, and Looper, he is able to blend multiple genres together. Did anyone think a crime noire set in a high school could be so damn good to watch? I think he could easily do that with Ant-Man. A comedic heist film about a man with super powers sounds exactly like the type of genre mixing Johnson is so fond of doing.

Even though Johnson’s previous films have all been much more serious in tone, they’ve all had their fair share of black humor. Giving him the chance to direct a superhero movie that combines multiple elements from other genres could potentially lead to Marvel’s most original film.

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What about you reader? Any directors that you want to take over the project? Let us know in the comments below.

Welcome once again to One of Us’ Strip Club, the place where we feature comic strips created and submitted by friends and fans of the site.

This week, Zach Martin is back with another strip featuring Earth’s mightiest heroes. Nope, not the Avengers. The other ones.

We’d love for you to start submitting comics for our Sunday “Strip Club” feature. If you’re interested, please contact us at oneofusnet@gmail.com.

Welcome to the latest edition of the Pre-Weekend Recap, One of Us’ attempt to help you catch up with the features that debuted on the site this week. Our podcast hosts, writers, and bloggers have been diligently working to produce great content for your consumption and it would be a shame if you missed any of it, so the Recap is here to help prevent that.

Below you’ll a selection of some of the stuff we published this week, complete with description and links. All you have to do is kick back and enjoy the content! Let’s not waste any more time, check out what we have to offer!

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World of UScast: The British Bodcast

This week, we published the second episode of World of UScast, the feature where we feature a podcast from an international partner. The British Bodcast was the show in the spotlight this time. The hosts proclaim that their mission is to turn good old Americans into fully fledged Anglophiles through the power of radio. Give it a listen and find out if they’re successful!

If you live outside the United States and you have or would like to create a quality podcast for the World of Us show family, please get in touch with us at oneofusnet@gmail.com. Your podcast could be on the next episode!

Tonight, You’re All Going to be Part of a Social Experiment

The One of Us crew likes to support each other in each of our individual endeavors, whether they are professional, recreational, or in this case, academic. Angelo of the INTERN-Net has one last hurdle to overcome before he graduates from college and it involves a research project with a survey component. As much as I’d like to say more, I don’t want to impact your answers to the survey, so go ahead and check out Angelo’s post and help him earn his degree!

Ash & Fern: A Beginner’s Guide to the World Cup

Supposedly, Ash and Fern are going to the World Cup this year, but they might actually burst from excitement before they get there. Soocer, or futbol, is the world’s most popular sport, but a staggering amount of Americans know little about it. Fear not, Fern’s latest post is here to teach you a thing or two about the world’s game. Not only is this piece informative, but there’s a great video of soccer players pretending to get injured, so definitely give this one a look.

Watch A Movie With Us: First Subscriber-Only Commentary Now Available!

Big announcement for our Time Lord and Jedi-level subscribers: the first of your free subscriber exclusive Watch A Movie With Us audio commentaries is available for you to download right now! All you need to do is head over to your subscriber-specific forum and click on the download link. If you’re a $10/month or $25/month subscriber and have not joined our forum, registration is absolutely free! Head over, sign up, and access your special commentary! Of course, you paid for this privilege, so please do not share the link with anyone else and don’t tell anyone what the movie is. If you’d like to become a subscriber, take a look at our subscription packages and sign up today!

Highly Suspect Reviews!

One of Us’ review crew, The Unusual Suspects, have four, count them four movie reviews for you to listen to this week. Yeah, they spoil us, but that’s because they’re good like that.

– First, Marvel’s most famous mutants attempt to re-write history and prevent global catastrophe in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

– Next, Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore get a trip to Africa subsidized by the movie industry under the guise of filming a comedy about two families on a vacation in Blended.

– On a more positive note, Jon Farvreau directs and stars in Chef, a film about a veteran culinary artist who gives up on the standard restaurant business and tries his hand at running a food truck after a critic crushes his spirit.

– Finally, the half-black daughter of a wealthy English admiral discovers that riches and privilege do not insulate her from racism and seeking fulfillment beyond her plush upbringing in Belle.

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If you like what you’ve seen here, please be sure to share our stuff with others who might enjoy it. There’s always more internet to conquer, so help us on our quest to unite the internet under one banner! Have a great weekend!

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Director Amma Asante takes a somewhat flourished and hypothesized look at the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), inspired by a famous 1779 painting of her and her cousin Lady Elizabeth Murray (Sarah Gadon). Dido was the half-black daughter of a very rich English Admiral who, despite the mores of the time, decided to legitimize her as his child and left a sizable fortune in her hands.

Of course, this can’t stop racists from being racists, and as she explores outside of her gilded cage (maintained by foster parents Emily Watson and Tom Wilkinson) she discovers a more complex world, and a love decision to be made, between a titled lord from a disdainful family, and a poor idealistic lawyer. All this leads (speculatively) to a courtroom drama that will decide the course of the law as regards to slavery, but that’s neither here nor there….WHO WILL SHE FALL IN LOVE WITH?!? omg.

Chris, Ashley and JC put on their Unusual Suspect caps and ring this Belle.

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Jon Favreau suffers more than most from blockbuster fatigue. I mean, if his Cowboys and Aliens was any indicator, it was past time to take a step back and rediscover his joy. In this case, it turned out to be returning to the sweet and funny style of indie films that he helped popularize with 1996’s Swingers.

In Chef, the title refers to Favreau who plays LA culinary artist Carl Casper. He may be the head of a top-notch restaurant, but when a famed food critic (Oliver Platt) accuses him of having become uninteresting in his prepared fare, a heated and public discussion leads to him throwing it all away and trying something both new (a food truck) and old for him (cuban sandwiches).

Mixing unbelievably appealing food porn tours, an extremely affecting father-son bonding tale, and a LOT of really great and funny cameos by some pretty big stars, Chris, Brian and Martin are sure you’re going to want to see Chef and listen to their Highly Suspect Review…

The Die Cast: A Piece of the Resistance

World of UScast: Wayward Podcast Ep 2: “Let it Go, Lady”

Gareth Edwards Is Heading to a Galaxy Far, Far Away

The Original Gentlemen: Cancelled Too Soon

Watch a Movie with Us: ‘Good Day to Die Hard’

‘Ant-Man’: Who Could Replace Edgar Wright?

The Strip Club – 5/25/2014

Welcome once again to One of Us’ Strip Club, the place where we feature comic strips created and submitted by friends and fans of the site.

This week, Zach Martin is back with another strip featuring Earth’s mightiest heroes. Nope, not the Avengers. The other ones.

We’d love for you to start submitting comics for our Sunday “Strip Club” feature. If you’re interested, please contact us at oneofusnet@gmail.com.

The Pre-Weekend Recap: May 23, 2014

Movie Review: ‘Belle’

Movie Review: ‘Chef’