I like half of Zack Snyder's movies, I love Man of Steel (it's the best comic book movie in my opinion), I don't care for Sucker Punch, and I hate Batman v Superman. I'm no super fan, but I thought Justice League was great. I enjoyed the hell out of it. It honestly even helped me hate BvS a little less, but that film still has so many issues that I'll never truly embrace it. With the success of the narrative, acting, tone, and even the CGI of JL being so much better in Snyder's hands, I am curious to see what David Ayer wanted to do for Suicide Squad even though I think he helped create the worst version of The Joker we've ever seen on screen. With a guy like Leto, it was right there to create a "Thin White Duke" version of The Joker, like Denny O'Neil used in the 70's and 80's, but he went a direction that was a big swing and a miss with all the ridiculous tattoos.
All that is to say that while I know there are some bad actors in any fan group, I think we can all fall into the trap that social media is reflective of real life and it's not; it's a funhouse mirror. 90% of content on twitter is by 2% of the country. It's not at all reflective of people or fan groups or society. Social Media is built, purposefully remember, to amplify the worst impulses in the worst kinds of people.
I quit Twitter over two months ago and now have no social media presence, and I can tell you that it is the best thing I've done for my own mental health in years. If I had kids, I would delete their social media accounts and made sure the only phones they had were prepaid flip phones. I know you can't delete your social media Drew, as you need to keep your presence there to continue to promote your work here, but if you could, I would recommend it for you and to anyone, honestly. I feel so much better without the doom scrolling. Without shouting into the void. There are a couple of great people I "met" through twitter, but I'm keeping in touch with them other ways.
Social media brings out the worst in good people, and it helps bad people form mobs online. It's a hive of scum and villainy, and Twitter is its Mos Eisley. Life is better lived in the real world.
Hmm. Some of these things I agree with others I do not. Snyder seems to be 100% against online harassment and has said in multiple interviews that’s the case. He even made enemies of former allies called “Geeks & Gamers”(a group of geek Youtubers with alt right opinions) for simply saying he wasn’t affiliated with them and to “stop the hate” during an interview with some people associated with G&G. You’ve never seen a group start eating their own so quickly. It was hilarious.
I really don’t think there’s too much wrong with people demanding the entertainment they want. So long as it’s something harmless like “ #release the whatever cut” who cares? Calling it a “fantrum” is interesting(great word play. Copyright that shit). I wonder how you’d react if it was something you were passionate about? I’m sure you’ve released a passionate article or two back in your older days at AICN or Hitfix. These fans don’t have that kind out outlet. They just have Twitter. Again, I’m talking just about the ones that aren’t the death threat crazy nut jobs. These types of campaigns have been going on since Star Trek got canceled. And WB only has themselves to blame. Why? They gave in the first time. As soon as that happened, as soon as they approved the Snyder Cut, this was inevitable.
The ask of the Snyder cut was for his vision for Justice League. That’s what he delivered. The original version of the film would’ve contained teases for sequels. Probably in the form of after credits sequences, but it’s interesting that people complain about the “endless” epilogue but will sit through 10-14 minutes of credits to see an after credits sequence in, say, a Marvel film. The only one I had a problem with was the (spoiler) final Martian Manhunter sequence. I wasn’t surprised to learn that this was a compromise & not Snyder’s intended ending. Originally there was suppose to be a Green Lantern there. The studio balked. But I loved the Leto/Affleck sequence. Loved it.
You are 1000% right on the Suicide prevention. It’s being completely used as a shield. I wouldn’t go as far as to say “I don’t want to hear about it anymore” because...well Suicide Prevention is important & these fans talking it up might just reach the right person at the right time. But the worst of the worst of the Snyder fans are using the money raised as a “How bad could we be?” thing. Which is all kinds of gross. Snyder talks it up and he should. I hope when you said you don’t want to hear about it that’s not part of it. Because we all know what happened & it’s a cause more important to the guy than most people can imagine.
I will say this about the Snyder Cut. I’m shocked at how good it is. For a studio to see *that* film & think spending 25-30 million(or whatever the real amount is) to actively make a significantly worse film? Whoever made that choice should never be aloud near a film again. Plus remember they were leaking to the press that the film was “unwatchable” back in 2017? I truly think that had they released this version(well an hour shorter), instead of that Frankenstein’s monster, we would be seeing sequel. No doubt(but probably not directed by ZS). The Flash doing his speed force thing in the finale is the most crowd pleasing, stand up & applause moment in almost any Superhero film. And it’s in a friggin Zack Snyder film of all places. Imagine all the dominos that fell after the Justice League movie crashed & burned. Affleck had enough & tapped out as Batman. Ray Fisher never got his Cyborg movie. No more Justice League movies.
It should surprise no one that fandom contains some seriously ugly personalities. It’s tribalism. Whether it’s a sports team, a political party, a religion, or yes, a movie. It can bring out the entire spectrum of human emotions from the positive to the negative. Poor Kathleen Kennedy is targeted like few ever have. YouTube “Star Wars + Kathleen Kennedy” & you’ll see some seriously sick shit. But there’s a lot of good too. But for some reason the negative is what people focus on.
Go read the comments section of old AICN articles & you’ll see it all. Great debates, bullying, racism, funny jokes, body shaming, sexism. Some of it from the article writers. AICN was the spark that started all this ugliness. But it was also a great place to talk movies with geeks. True, deep dive geeks. Think of the therapy bills that place caused poor Kevin Smith to endure.
Social Media gave fans a direct line to be heard and seen like never before. It’s up to each individual whether or not they think that’s a good or bad thing.
Finally, I’d love to see Snyder finish his vision. Outside of the DCAU, his takes are the first live action DC movies I’ve enjoyed. They aren’t what I would do with the characters but I dig his interpretation. I find his Batman far more interesting than anything Nolan did.
PS. That “The Suicide Squad” trailer left me feeling very meh. Give me R rated takes on these characters any day. But the “bag of dicks” line and Harleys line about God & Rain? Felt like a Judd Apatow/Seth Rogen style comedy. Plus I found the cinematography to have that flat digital look. Film is so superior to digital. Digital can work wonders but film...is film.
Your thoughts on Allen v. Farrow are well-considered, Drew. I watched all of the HBO documentary, and I've read dozens of articles, op-eds and court records connected to that case. I am less convinced than you are that Allen is guilty of child molestation, but unlike quite a few people who do think he is guilty, you treat the case and his art fairly and rationally. Too many people insist that if you doubt the Farrows and/or still watch Woody Allen movies, you must be a bad person or even a pedophile yourself. And I didn't get that vibe from your piece. I'm not here to try to defend Allen, because I think that would be fruitless and beside the point. But I am here to say thank you for not making me feel bad about questioning what we're told. For better or for worse, there's a lot to learn from Woody Allen's movies, and I'm glad that you allow for that when many people don't.
I know this puts me in the company of some true asshats, however here goes...
I believe that WA may be a putz of the highest order but as someone who survived early childhood sexual abuse at the hands of his grandfather of the same sort that he is accused of: none of the statements/claims against WA pass the sniff test for me any longer. Zero.
Child molesters don't do this just once. It's not a thing. When you catch them it is never the first time. There is a string of victims dating years back.
I thought WA was guilty for years until I read more about it and came across Moses' blog post after I'd finally gone through therapy and dealt with my own trauma and learned more about the profiles of child molesters. WA doesn't fit the pattern and there is credible testimony against the idea and confirmed counter statements against MF's claims on the court records.
For the record I don't think Dylan believes she is lying.
All around this case is just the worst sort of imaginable situation to be in.
Please do short form audio or video reviews if nothing else?
I am also in the bag on anything with McGregor as Obiwan. I still am not sure about Vader and why bother bringing back Christensen OTHER then something resembling flashbacks...
i'm amazed that you feel a need to comment on the tabloid spat between woody allen and mia farrow. you don't know anymore than what you've been exposed to by media. why would you even hazard a guess at what the truth is? i think you're smarter than that. the media circus is certainly interesting, in a way that ACE IN THE HOLE was intresting, but nothing beyond that.
I just paid $7 to leave this comment: Keith David is the only choice for Vader- if they decide to recast JEJ with someone who isn't just doing a JEJ impression. I know you've already listened to Blank Check's Princess & The Frog episode so I don't have to lay out all the reasons why. But this is the correct take. It's time for Keith David to become a household name.
I first got into your work when you moved to HitFix, and even though I'm not going to argue against the nature of the content grind, I did find so much to appreciate in your dispatches from the hype-cycle. The thing I love the most about your work is the way you write about people and performances, and that is the main reason for why, to me, your writing about trailers and press releases managed to be meaningful. The way you highlighted and essayed the human moments and connections you found while participating in the promotional circuit. The way you always made the effort engage in actual conversation with the creatives you met in that content churn. The way you managed to tie those interactions into these people's larger bodies of work and careers, making them a vital part of the ongoing critical work you were doing.
Like everything I've read of yours since, there was a willingness to see people, and to appreciate their work, a perspective and approach that's had such an indelible impact on the way I see film and movies – any creative effort, really. I just wanted you to know that even if that period was bleak, the work you did back then meant the world to me, as your work as continued to do since.
I rather like the term "Fantrum." It is a great way of discussing the reactions of toxic and/or extremist fans. That said, I'm not sure I agree that WB is done with Snyder's vision. The folks at HBO Max clearly recognized its commercial potential. I mean, the 'Justice is Gray' version has just been released and there are murmurs of a possible IMAX release for both of them.
I also think it wouldn't be bad to see an Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad, given that the theatrical and extended versions of that have such poor editing, that they are essentially unwatchable. Regardless of what we hear now, the folks at HBO Max are bound more director's cuts of Warner titles like SS available if they see enough interest in it. That's always been the big motivation for distributors to release director's cuts on cable and video.
Always love reading these, Drew, and don't always have the time to pop down to comments. As far as when and how these come out? It's a tough time in general for a lot of people. Whenever it happens, I'm happy.
On ZSJL: Had a good time watching it with friends (over 2 nights.) One of the differences in watching it now that hit me the most is it's not the "Currently Definitive" take on these characters. When MoS came out, THAT was gonna be Superman for a long while. (Or no Supes at all if it flopped - still love Brandon Routh). Ben Affleck WAS Batman. This grimdark world was THE world. I like this new way of doing things - there's new stuff in the works for these characters, plus a TV Superman, a new Batman, the same Shazam, and Suicide Squad wasn't good but Harley Quinn gets to do BoP and THE Suicide Squad. I like that if something doesn't work they don't necessarily throw it all out. Oh, and toxic fandom sucks.
And bring on Obi Wan. That's gonna be a few weeks of joy I can look forward to.
Love your posts, Drew. Although I'm uncomfortable with accusing Synder of doing something insidious. Maybe I'm become fatigued of having both toxic hate & toxic adoration when it comes to fandoms. In my opinion, I just want Snyder to do more smaller personal projects like the upcoming Army of the Dead, it might be more creativity beneficial . Plus, he did called out the behaviors of his toxic fans. I'm sure he's tired of being involved with all this DC stuff.
How you feel about the Snyder Cut is how I feel about the Allen/Farrow saga. Now that the alleged victim has had her say, I hope to never again hear about any of this bullshit. Wishful thinking though, as I imagine both sides will continue sniping until all involved are dead.
This is wonderfully written, Drew, and for the record, I haven't really thought of you in perspective of AICN for a while.
I actually posted a blog on my own site back in February about the same questions of "art vs. artist" you tackle in discussing "Allen v. Farrow," and you put it beautifully when you close by saying, "You cannot separate the art from the artist, but you also can’t be expected to run a background check on every person involved in everything you watch. Terrific things can come from horrible beginnings. We should focus less on how to erase the horrors of the past and instead look at how we build from them to make a better tomorrow by learning from what’s come before." This is exactly the perspective I've come to look at the discussion with, although my entry point was with Joss Whedon since his work has always had profound impact on me. I was originally not going to watch "Allen v. Farrow" because I felt like I knew everything I needed to know on the story, but when a long-time friend of mine- who's defended Allen for years- texted me and said that it really changed his thinking on everything, I decided to watch it for myself, and I'm grateful that I did. I was never a hardcore Allen apologist, and I never had Allen on a pedestal as an artist like some have, but it's impossible to think I could defend him in any way now.
My main hope when Disney bought Lucasfilm was for more McGregor as Obi-Wan, and I couldn't be more excited for what we are getting. This cast has got me even more excited.
I like half of Zack Snyder's movies, I love Man of Steel (it's the best comic book movie in my opinion), I don't care for Sucker Punch, and I hate Batman v Superman. I'm no super fan, but I thought Justice League was great. I enjoyed the hell out of it. It honestly even helped me hate BvS a little less, but that film still has so many issues that I'll never truly embrace it. With the success of the narrative, acting, tone, and even the CGI of JL being so much better in Snyder's hands, I am curious to see what David Ayer wanted to do for Suicide Squad even though I think he helped create the worst version of The Joker we've ever seen on screen. With a guy like Leto, it was right there to create a "Thin White Duke" version of The Joker, like Denny O'Neil used in the 70's and 80's, but he went a direction that was a big swing and a miss with all the ridiculous tattoos.
All that is to say that while I know there are some bad actors in any fan group, I think we can all fall into the trap that social media is reflective of real life and it's not; it's a funhouse mirror. 90% of content on twitter is by 2% of the country. It's not at all reflective of people or fan groups or society. Social Media is built, purposefully remember, to amplify the worst impulses in the worst kinds of people.
I quit Twitter over two months ago and now have no social media presence, and I can tell you that it is the best thing I've done for my own mental health in years. If I had kids, I would delete their social media accounts and made sure the only phones they had were prepaid flip phones. I know you can't delete your social media Drew, as you need to keep your presence there to continue to promote your work here, but if you could, I would recommend it for you and to anyone, honestly. I feel so much better without the doom scrolling. Without shouting into the void. There are a couple of great people I "met" through twitter, but I'm keeping in touch with them other ways.
Social media brings out the worst in good people, and it helps bad people form mobs online. It's a hive of scum and villainy, and Twitter is its Mos Eisley. Life is better lived in the real world.
Hmm. Some of these things I agree with others I do not. Snyder seems to be 100% against online harassment and has said in multiple interviews that’s the case. He even made enemies of former allies called “Geeks & Gamers”(a group of geek Youtubers with alt right opinions) for simply saying he wasn’t affiliated with them and to “stop the hate” during an interview with some people associated with G&G. You’ve never seen a group start eating their own so quickly. It was hilarious.
I really don’t think there’s too much wrong with people demanding the entertainment they want. So long as it’s something harmless like “ #release the whatever cut” who cares? Calling it a “fantrum” is interesting(great word play. Copyright that shit). I wonder how you’d react if it was something you were passionate about? I’m sure you’ve released a passionate article or two back in your older days at AICN or Hitfix. These fans don’t have that kind out outlet. They just have Twitter. Again, I’m talking just about the ones that aren’t the death threat crazy nut jobs. These types of campaigns have been going on since Star Trek got canceled. And WB only has themselves to blame. Why? They gave in the first time. As soon as that happened, as soon as they approved the Snyder Cut, this was inevitable.
The ask of the Snyder cut was for his vision for Justice League. That’s what he delivered. The original version of the film would’ve contained teases for sequels. Probably in the form of after credits sequences, but it’s interesting that people complain about the “endless” epilogue but will sit through 10-14 minutes of credits to see an after credits sequence in, say, a Marvel film. The only one I had a problem with was the (spoiler) final Martian Manhunter sequence. I wasn’t surprised to learn that this was a compromise & not Snyder’s intended ending. Originally there was suppose to be a Green Lantern there. The studio balked. But I loved the Leto/Affleck sequence. Loved it.
You are 1000% right on the Suicide prevention. It’s being completely used as a shield. I wouldn’t go as far as to say “I don’t want to hear about it anymore” because...well Suicide Prevention is important & these fans talking it up might just reach the right person at the right time. But the worst of the worst of the Snyder fans are using the money raised as a “How bad could we be?” thing. Which is all kinds of gross. Snyder talks it up and he should. I hope when you said you don’t want to hear about it that’s not part of it. Because we all know what happened & it’s a cause more important to the guy than most people can imagine.
I will say this about the Snyder Cut. I’m shocked at how good it is. For a studio to see *that* film & think spending 25-30 million(or whatever the real amount is) to actively make a significantly worse film? Whoever made that choice should never be aloud near a film again. Plus remember they were leaking to the press that the film was “unwatchable” back in 2017? I truly think that had they released this version(well an hour shorter), instead of that Frankenstein’s monster, we would be seeing sequel. No doubt(but probably not directed by ZS). The Flash doing his speed force thing in the finale is the most crowd pleasing, stand up & applause moment in almost any Superhero film. And it’s in a friggin Zack Snyder film of all places. Imagine all the dominos that fell after the Justice League movie crashed & burned. Affleck had enough & tapped out as Batman. Ray Fisher never got his Cyborg movie. No more Justice League movies.
It should surprise no one that fandom contains some seriously ugly personalities. It’s tribalism. Whether it’s a sports team, a political party, a religion, or yes, a movie. It can bring out the entire spectrum of human emotions from the positive to the negative. Poor Kathleen Kennedy is targeted like few ever have. YouTube “Star Wars + Kathleen Kennedy” & you’ll see some seriously sick shit. But there’s a lot of good too. But for some reason the negative is what people focus on.
Go read the comments section of old AICN articles & you’ll see it all. Great debates, bullying, racism, funny jokes, body shaming, sexism. Some of it from the article writers. AICN was the spark that started all this ugliness. But it was also a great place to talk movies with geeks. True, deep dive geeks. Think of the therapy bills that place caused poor Kevin Smith to endure.
Social Media gave fans a direct line to be heard and seen like never before. It’s up to each individual whether or not they think that’s a good or bad thing.
Finally, I’d love to see Snyder finish his vision. Outside of the DCAU, his takes are the first live action DC movies I’ve enjoyed. They aren’t what I would do with the characters but I dig his interpretation. I find his Batman far more interesting than anything Nolan did.
PS. That “The Suicide Squad” trailer left me feeling very meh. Give me R rated takes on these characters any day. But the “bag of dicks” line and Harleys line about God & Rain? Felt like a Judd Apatow/Seth Rogen style comedy. Plus I found the cinematography to have that flat digital look. Film is so superior to digital. Digital can work wonders but film...is film.
I think the HBO series about the NXIVM cult was actually called "The Vow" and not the oath.
Your thoughts on Allen v. Farrow are well-considered, Drew. I watched all of the HBO documentary, and I've read dozens of articles, op-eds and court records connected to that case. I am less convinced than you are that Allen is guilty of child molestation, but unlike quite a few people who do think he is guilty, you treat the case and his art fairly and rationally. Too many people insist that if you doubt the Farrows and/or still watch Woody Allen movies, you must be a bad person or even a pedophile yourself. And I didn't get that vibe from your piece. I'm not here to try to defend Allen, because I think that would be fruitless and beside the point. But I am here to say thank you for not making me feel bad about questioning what we're told. For better or for worse, there's a lot to learn from Woody Allen's movies, and I'm glad that you allow for that when many people don't.
Excellently written and defended as always.
I know this puts me in the company of some true asshats, however here goes...
I believe that WA may be a putz of the highest order but as someone who survived early childhood sexual abuse at the hands of his grandfather of the same sort that he is accused of: none of the statements/claims against WA pass the sniff test for me any longer. Zero.
Child molesters don't do this just once. It's not a thing. When you catch them it is never the first time. There is a string of victims dating years back.
I thought WA was guilty for years until I read more about it and came across Moses' blog post after I'd finally gone through therapy and dealt with my own trauma and learned more about the profiles of child molesters. WA doesn't fit the pattern and there is credible testimony against the idea and confirmed counter statements against MF's claims on the court records.
For the record I don't think Dylan believes she is lying.
All around this case is just the worst sort of imaginable situation to be in.
Please do short form audio or video reviews if nothing else?
I am also in the bag on anything with McGregor as Obiwan. I still am not sure about Vader and why bother bringing back Christensen OTHER then something resembling flashbacks...
i'm amazed that you feel a need to comment on the tabloid spat between woody allen and mia farrow. you don't know anymore than what you've been exposed to by media. why would you even hazard a guess at what the truth is? i think you're smarter than that. the media circus is certainly interesting, in a way that ACE IN THE HOLE was intresting, but nothing beyond that.
I just paid $7 to leave this comment: Keith David is the only choice for Vader- if they decide to recast JEJ with someone who isn't just doing a JEJ impression. I know you've already listened to Blank Check's Princess & The Frog episode so I don't have to lay out all the reasons why. But this is the correct take. It's time for Keith David to become a household name.
I first got into your work when you moved to HitFix, and even though I'm not going to argue against the nature of the content grind, I did find so much to appreciate in your dispatches from the hype-cycle. The thing I love the most about your work is the way you write about people and performances, and that is the main reason for why, to me, your writing about trailers and press releases managed to be meaningful. The way you highlighted and essayed the human moments and connections you found while participating in the promotional circuit. The way you always made the effort engage in actual conversation with the creatives you met in that content churn. The way you managed to tie those interactions into these people's larger bodies of work and careers, making them a vital part of the ongoing critical work you were doing.
Like everything I've read of yours since, there was a willingness to see people, and to appreciate their work, a perspective and approach that's had such an indelible impact on the way I see film and movies – any creative effort, really. I just wanted you to know that even if that period was bleak, the work you did back then meant the world to me, as your work as continued to do since.
I rather like the term "Fantrum." It is a great way of discussing the reactions of toxic and/or extremist fans. That said, I'm not sure I agree that WB is done with Snyder's vision. The folks at HBO Max clearly recognized its commercial potential. I mean, the 'Justice is Gray' version has just been released and there are murmurs of a possible IMAX release for both of them.
I also think it wouldn't be bad to see an Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad, given that the theatrical and extended versions of that have such poor editing, that they are essentially unwatchable. Regardless of what we hear now, the folks at HBO Max are bound more director's cuts of Warner titles like SS available if they see enough interest in it. That's always been the big motivation for distributors to release director's cuts on cable and video.
Always love reading these, Drew, and don't always have the time to pop down to comments. As far as when and how these come out? It's a tough time in general for a lot of people. Whenever it happens, I'm happy.
On ZSJL: Had a good time watching it with friends (over 2 nights.) One of the differences in watching it now that hit me the most is it's not the "Currently Definitive" take on these characters. When MoS came out, THAT was gonna be Superman for a long while. (Or no Supes at all if it flopped - still love Brandon Routh). Ben Affleck WAS Batman. This grimdark world was THE world. I like this new way of doing things - there's new stuff in the works for these characters, plus a TV Superman, a new Batman, the same Shazam, and Suicide Squad wasn't good but Harley Quinn gets to do BoP and THE Suicide Squad. I like that if something doesn't work they don't necessarily throw it all out. Oh, and toxic fandom sucks.
And bring on Obi Wan. That's gonna be a few weeks of joy I can look forward to.
Ohhh boy. Looks like the madness ain't gonna end any time soon:
https://ew.com/movies/david-ayer-cut-suicide-squad/
Also, forgot to mention, I'm a recent subscriber although I did enjoyed to listening to 80s all over podcast with you and Scott Weinberg.
Love your posts, Drew. Although I'm uncomfortable with accusing Synder of doing something insidious. Maybe I'm become fatigued of having both toxic hate & toxic adoration when it comes to fandoms. In my opinion, I just want Snyder to do more smaller personal projects like the upcoming Army of the Dead, it might be more creativity beneficial . Plus, he did called out the behaviors of his toxic fans. I'm sure he's tired of being involved with all this DC stuff.
How you feel about the Snyder Cut is how I feel about the Allen/Farrow saga. Now that the alleged victim has had her say, I hope to never again hear about any of this bullshit. Wishful thinking though, as I imagine both sides will continue sniping until all involved are dead.
This is wonderfully written, Drew, and for the record, I haven't really thought of you in perspective of AICN for a while.
I actually posted a blog on my own site back in February about the same questions of "art vs. artist" you tackle in discussing "Allen v. Farrow," and you put it beautifully when you close by saying, "You cannot separate the art from the artist, but you also can’t be expected to run a background check on every person involved in everything you watch. Terrific things can come from horrible beginnings. We should focus less on how to erase the horrors of the past and instead look at how we build from them to make a better tomorrow by learning from what’s come before." This is exactly the perspective I've come to look at the discussion with, although my entry point was with Joss Whedon since his work has always had profound impact on me. I was originally not going to watch "Allen v. Farrow" because I felt like I knew everything I needed to know on the story, but when a long-time friend of mine- who's defended Allen for years- texted me and said that it really changed his thinking on everything, I decided to watch it for myself, and I'm grateful that I did. I was never a hardcore Allen apologist, and I never had Allen on a pedestal as an artist like some have, but it's impossible to think I could defend him in any way now.
My main hope when Disney bought Lucasfilm was for more McGregor as Obi-Wan, and I couldn't be more excited for what we are getting. This cast has got me even more excited.