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When it comes to offensive material in movies, the line keeps getting pushed further and further out. Gross-out gags, profanity for profanity’s sake, and ultra-violence are the norm in certain genres, but the majority of the time those elements only seem to be there to cover up storytelling or filmmaking deficiencies.
Not so in Deadpool, which manages to maintain its wit and charm despite being offensive as hell. Ryan Reynolds stars as the titular anti-superhero — real name: Wade Wilson — a mercenary who’s subjected to a torturous experiment that allows him to develop supernatural healing powers, at the expense of having his entire body look like melted cheese.
The film, helmed by first-time feature director Tim Miller, jumps back and forth in time. It trails Deadpool as he tries to hunt Ajax (Ed Skrein), who inflicted much of the pain on him, while also showing earlier, happier times with girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). Bridging both worlds is a friendship with Weasel (T.J. Miller), the bartender at the bar full of rogues which Wade/Deadpool frequents.
What is a constant throughout, though, is a stream of never-ending jokes. It starts in the title sequence, which eschews actual names for insults for everybody from Miller to Reynolds, and Wade/Deadpool carries it on, as his sense of humor and mouth have no off buttons. Not all the jokes land, but the vast majority of them do, leaving the audience bludgeoned by an avalanche of comedy.
That theme transfers over to the film’s multiple violent scenes. What Miller and his team, which includes the writers of Zombieland, understand is how to keep the balance between being too inane and too serious. It could be that Deadpool cracks wise even while carrying out his dastardly deeds, or that the bloodshed is gratuitous without being off-putting. But somehow the filmmakers found a way to appeal to a broad audience without treating us like we’re idiots.
They also provide a ton of fan service, referencing both real and movie world events. Deadpool is related to the X-Men universe, with two characters — Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead — making appearances here. Jokes made at the expense of Deadpool’s ill-fated appearance in a previous X-Men film and of Reynolds’ own checkered superhero past are among the funniest in the whole movie.
The biggest reason for the film’s success is the inherent charisma of Reynolds — his good looks don't even figure into the equation. He utilizes multiple funny approaches, including “breaking the fourth wall” (i.e., talking directly to the audience), making it next to impossible to be disgusted by anything he does, even when he does distasteful things. It was Reynolds’ passion for the project that led to its finally seeing the light of day, and he appears to be relishing every second of it.
After a month and a half of stinkers, Deadpool is finally the first movie of 2016 worth paying money to see in the theaters. It’s an equal-opportunity offender, and it’s completely awesome.
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Landman lands
Forget those other guys, Taylor Sheridan will be America's big winner in November 2024. His buzzy new Texas-based series Landman will premiere Sunday, November 17, on Paramount+, the network revealed.
That's just one week after the November 10 debut of the final episodes of Sheridan's Yellowstone on Paramount.
Landmanwill launch with two episodes, with subsequent ones dropping weekly on Sundays, a news release says. In total, the first season will be 10 episodes long.
The series is based on Texas Monthly's acclaimed podcast Boomtown byWest Texas-raised journalist Christian Wallace, which aired from late 2019 to early 2020. Wallace is serving as a consultant and writer on the series.
"Set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas, Landman is a modern-day tale of fortune seeking in the world of oil rigs," the show's release says. "Based on the notable 11-part podcast Boomtown, the series is an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics."
'Landman' stars Billy Bob Thornton.Photo courtesy of Paramount+
The series stars Billy Bob Thornton as the titular "land man" Tommy Norris, a crisis manager for an oil company.
He leads an all-star cast that includes Demi Moore as Cami Miller and Jon Hamm in a recurring guest role as her husband, Texas oil titan Monty Miller. Ali Larter plays Thornton's wife, Angela Norris; their two kids are portrayed by Michelle Randolph (1923) and Jacob Lofland (Joker 2).
Jon Hamm stars as Texas oil titan Monty Miller, and Demi Moore plays his wife, Cami.Photo courtesy of Paramount+
Other stars include James Jordan (Yellowstone), Kayla Wallace (When Calls the Heart), Mark Collie (Nashville), and Paulina Chávez (The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia); Andy Garcia (Expendables franchise) and Michael Peña (End of Watch)will make guest appearances.
Sheridan is creator and executive co-producer, and the show is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios, and Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch Productions. Its release comes sooner than expected; even the show's IMDB page says "2025."
Although it's set in West Texas,Landman has been filming around Dallas-Fort Worth since early 2024, with the show's stars frequenting restaurants and shops around town. Fans have been making a sport of posting local star sightings on social media.
Some lucky residents even got to be extras in sports scenes shot at TCU.
Unlike 1883, which was filmed in and around North Texas in 2021, Landman is not considered a Yellowstone spinoff.
Filming around Dallas-Fort Worth is convenient for Sheridan, who lives on a ranch near Weatherford with his wife, Nicole. He also filmed parts of his series Lawmen: Bass Reeves in North Texas in 2023.
A Texas cowboy through and through, Sheridan is the creator of the award-winning series Yellowstone, its prequels 1883 and 1923, and a forthcoming one reportedly called 1944, starring Austin's Matthew McConaughey.
The only question left is: Will Texas get to host the big Landman red-carpet premiere, as Fort Worth did for the Yellowstone Season 5 premiere in November 2022? Stay tuned.