Joseph Khan

Earlier this week, the internet nostalgia machine kicked into high gear when Joseph Kahn’s “bootleg universe” added another entry — the NSFW Power Rangers fan film, Power/Rangers. With James Van Der Beek and Katee Sackhoff leading the pack, Kahn’s reinvention of the beloved ’90s franchise soon attracted the ire of Haim Saban, whose company Saban Brands owns the brand’s copyright.

Sure enough, all official videos were pulled from Vimeo and YouTube within days. Except for the occasional mirror, Power/Rangers was nowhere to be found on the internet. Late Friday night, this changed when Kahn and Saban reached an agreement. Kahn told Deadline:

There are no hard feelings. We signed contracts. We can play it anywhere we want on all platforms. I think they realized that people just want to see it.

The official YouTube upload now features a legal disclaimer and requires age-restricted access. The original bloody and nudity-filled NSFW cut is on Vimeo, but with a much longer preface:

Deboot of the Power Rangers. My take on the FAN FILM. Not a pilot, not a series, not for profit, strictly for exhibition. This is a bootleg experiment not affiliated or endorsed by Saban Entertainment or Lionsgate nor is it selling any product. I claim no rights to any of the characters (don’t send me any money, not kickstarted, this film is free). This is the NSFW version. An alternate safe version is on youtube.

Go, go, co-py-right law!

(Via Deadline)

Last week, Adi Shankar brought the world to a happy state of glee with the release of his Power Rangers “bootleg universe” one-shot, Power/Rangers, directed by Joseph Kahn. Now, with a freshly cemented sense of popularity, Shankar is using that power to release yet another short film, this time focused on the one and only James Bond.

Unlike the others, however, this one is pure pre-viz. Most likely, the action sequences on display made shooting In Service of Nothing a tad too difficult, but even so, one can get a real sense of what could have been through what’s presented, and it’s highly intriguing.

(Via Deadline)

Adi Shankar

The Power Rangers fan film that hit the Internet last week sort of took everyone off guard. Power/Rangers was a very mature, very good look at what a fan film can squeeze and achieve from a show that was originally fairly silly and aimed at kids. Joseph Kahn crafted a film that featured the talents of sci-fi vet Katee Sackhoff and Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek in roles you wouldn’t expect.

Some folks had some issues with it and Saban attempted to have the film taken offline due to a copyright claim, but it lives on and has garnered a lot of attention. The Hollywood Reporter caught up James Van Der Beek at Jerry Seinfeld-hosted Fatherhood Luncheon and got his thoughts on why the film was popular and how he became involved:

Approached by producer pal Adi Shankar, the actor told THR that he signed on to work on the unauthorized project (that co-stars Katee Sackhoff) because he wanted to work with Shankar and with Kahn, whom he described as a “crazy visionary.”

“I really wanted to follow him on this journey of creating something that was completely his own and we just did it to give it away for free to fans…It’s the essence of why we all got in the business: Let’s make something cool.”

He also commented on the controversy surrounding the film and why it was allowed to return online following Saban’s copyright claim:

“I think what happened is that everyone realized this is a win-win for that franchise and for the movie that Lionsgate is going to do,” he said, referring to the feature length project at the studio that is scheduled for summer 2016. “Now it’s back up and fan film, fan fiction is alive and well on the Internet.”

This is definitely one of the cooler fan films I’ve seen online. You see a lot of high quality stuff coming from fans of Star Trek and Batman, but having something based on Power Rangers just came out of left field. And it worked perfectly.

Gritty is overdone these days, but this works as a fun little side note to the series’ long history in Japan and Stateside. Maybe we’ll get a fun fan sequel one day, one that won’t ruin it for everybody due to this crazy attention.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Saban

We’ve pretty well covered James Van Der Beek’s gritty Power Rangers short film, so let’s look at the 1993 kids’ TV phenomenon that inspired it. Here’s everything you might not know about the show…

1. Bryan Cranston voiced a couple of the monsters. Long before becoming the Southwest’s meth kingpin on Breaking Bad, and even before jumping into the role of the goofy dad on Malcolm in the Middle, Bryan Cranston lent his talents to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Cranston voiced Snizzard in Season 1’s “Foul Play in the Sky” and Twinman in “A Bad Reflection on You.” Alex Borstein of Family Guy fame also provided the voice of several monsters.

2. Fans saved Jason David Frank from losing his job. Frank portrayed the Green Ranger, the White Ranger, and the White Ninja Ranger, but he was only supposed to be on the series for a brief time. The Season 1 episode “The Green Candle: Part 2″ was supposed to be Frank’s final appearance, but at the time, he was more popular than any of the other Rangers. After the episode aired, Saban received dozens of letters from fans requesting that his character, Tommy, be brought back. Frank, of course, was eventually brought back into the series and ended up staying all the way through 2004’s Power Rangers Dino Thunder.

Saban

3. Austin St. John had some unpleasant fan interactions. St. John said that while he loved working on the show, and the fans were great, for the most part, their fandom got a little scary at times. Because of the Red Ranger’s popularity, St. John said that he had to move homes twice because of fan harassment and once had his shirt ripped off by a mob of fans while entering a shopping mall.

4. There’s been some debate that Lord Zedd is Jewish. Yes, the all-powerful “Emperor of Evil” might in fact be one of God’s chosen people. This became a topic of debate during Season 2’s “The Wedding: Part 3,” when some argued that Zedd is seen wearing a yamaka and stepping on the glass following the vows. Something very similar to “Hava Nagila” is played at the reception, so maybe he’s part Jewish?

5. Austin St. John and Walter Jones lived in a Power Rangers party pad together. St. John and Jones told the Huffington Post that while on the show, they lived in the equivalent of a Power Rangers Animal House, and they often had impromptu parties that St. John said sometimes resulted in a police helicopter asking them to keep it down.

“We had some parties that were so big. Multiple kegs. Inevitably somebody would call the police and a helicopter would show up and put a spotlight on the backyard where we had a volleyball net. A big trampoline. A cop would come knock on the door, “Excuse me, could you guys keep it down.” That was just business as usual.”

6. The pyrotechnic work sent two Rangers aflame. Both Amy Jo Johnson and David Yost were accidentally set on fire during a pyro stunt involving Billy’s brain-switching machine. Neither were seriously injured, but the Rangers were a lot more cautious about how they approached such stunts moving forward.

Saban

They (read: haughty 30 somethings at parties) say Hollywood is out of ideas. This was evidenced today when Joseph Kahn, director of such lofty vehicles as 20th Century Masters: The Best of New Edition and Onyx: 15 Years of Videos, History & Violence released a “FAN FILM… strictly for exhibition” short to a property he didn’t own, the Power Rangers, starring human meme James Van Der Beek.

They (read: us dirtshits at this blog) say that the internet lives in an echo chamber, where any idea that gains some clicks immediately gets taken to an overwhelming extreme ruining any fun the original concept had, much like those Rob Lowe commercials. This is evidenced by graphic designers spending their copious amount of free time “re-imagining” things like, oh I dunno, NFL logos. Today’s example is some dude thinking he can do a better job than Nike at showcasing our beloved NFL helmets on the field.

So, what’s more objectively awful: making a hacky short about a campy children’s show, draining any fun and nostalgia from it by inserting curse words and massive head wounds, or Paul Bunyan Design’s taek on NFL helmets? Let’s compare.

Power Rangers: Not only is it unoriginal to take a stagnant property and add a decade of human apathy towards sex and violence to it, but the “FAN FILM THIS IS JUST FOR FUN OKAY GUYS?” has already been done.

imgur

Minotaur! Taste the Beast!

Power Rangers: If you didn’t already figure out that this was a Gritty Reboot™, it’s titled “Power/Rangers” because that’s some edgy punctuation. It reminds me of reading the TV Guide (which in my country was called “TV Times”) and reading “Caroline/City” because of formatting issues due to space on a page.

NFL Helmets:

imgur

It’s a Dolphin on the moon.

Power Rangers: James Van Der Beek seemed to do himself a favor by poking fun at himself when he was in that sitcom acting opposite (gulp) Krysten Ritter, hopefully undoing some of the deflation his career felt after being known more for a photo of him crying than his slick portrayals of young men at odds with their societal expectations. Unfortunately, even after watching this 14 minute flaming pubic hair accident and feeling like perhaps the source material just wasn’t enough for ol’ Beeky to work his magic on, one of the first credits lets us know that he actually had a hand in writing it. See you later, career!

NFL Helmets:

imgur

It’s like if Lorne Michaels performed auto-fellatio while Billy Joel and Alicia Keys looked on, crocheting the lyrics to “New York, I Love You” on a Disney pillow.

Power Rangers: The big reveal is that the woman from the Gritty Reboot™ of Battlestar Galactica is actually (spoilers for anyone who actually gives a goddamn) Queen Rita wearing a suit made of woman. Damn it. You almost made my monster grow, and you ruined it.

NFL Helmets:

imgur

You’ve added pigtails to the Vikings helmet, presumably so the NFC North has something to grab onto while they facefuck them every year.

Power Rangers: The original red Power Ranger has since become a porn star much like the middle sister on Family Matters (who was written off the show by going upstairs one episode and just never coming down). That’s what happens to the me first gloree boyz on any team. We live to see them hit bottom, and not get invited to the FAN FILM I DON’T OWN THIS PROPERTY coming-out (heh) party.

NFL Helmets:

imgur

Me first glory boys need me first glory holes.

In conclusion:

imgur

The Bengals are apparently no longer Bengals, but that Toucan everyone loves so much that got a de-beaking from some thugs.

tvgcdn.nen

Anyone have the number of those de-Beeking thugs?

Saban

Yes, a big summer blockbuster take on Mighty Mophin Power Rangers continues to be a thing that is being made and, in fact, the movie has now locked down a director.

The Putty-kicking production will be helmed by Dean Israelite. Before landing his Power Rangers gig, Israelite directed the time-traveling teens found footage thriller, Project Almanac. So, the Power Rangers are actually kind of in the guy’s wheelhouse. Hopefully the plan isn’t to make the new Rangers movie a found footage thing, because frankly Lord Zed is already off-putting enough.

In addition to Israelite, the Power Rangers movie will be written by Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz (X-Men: First Class, Thor). In a change since we reported on the movie, Robert Orci will no longer be producing, and has been replaced by Allison Shearmur (the Hunger Games franchise).

I’d say I hope this movie turns out to be good, but then Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was never actually good per se. As long as the movie is 60% Bulk and Skull comedy, and Amy Jo Johnson makes a cameo in her Pink Ranger costume, I’ll be happy.

Via Uproxx

via Variety

Saban

Not long ago, we reported that Saban was bringing another Power Rangers movie to the big screen with Dean Israelite (Project Almanac) brought on to helm the film that’s being executive produced by Roberto Orci. Lionsgate originally gave the film a release date of July 22, 2016 but according to IGN, the film has been moved out of the summer and will hit theaters on January 13, 2017.

No reason was given by Lionsgate for the move. However, SlashFilm reported the company’s plans for their 2016 summer season and they include a new Hunger Games and a sequel to Jason Statham’s Mechanic. We wouldn’t want Katniss, Statham, and our Mighty Morphin gang in competition for the top spot, now would we?

(Via IGN, /Film)

Facebook

It’s the nerd world’s Mayweather vs. Pacquiao.

Actor and MMA fighter Jason David Frank, best known as Tommy Oliver in the various ‘Power Rangers’ movies and TV shows, has been calling out former WWE star CM Punk for a fight since 2013. Now that Punk has abandoned pro wrestling for UFC, talk of a fight has intensified amongst their fans. The only problem? Punk isn’t interested. He’s a different kind of disinterested every time you talk to him.

At the recent C2E2 event in Chicago, Punk shrugged off questions about Frank and called him a “stalker,” saying he’s just trying to bother him until he can get “CM Punk money.” Unsurprisingly, Frank took offense to the comments and compiled a response, prefaced by video clips of all the times Punk has talked trash about him. Frank’s request is simple: they both have telephones and they’re both rich enough to fly somewhere and meet eye-to-eye, so they should do that, and also possibly punch each other.

Here’s the breakdown, so you can decide if you’re Team Punk or Team JDF. I agree with Punk’s comments that you can’t just badger people into fighting you, but man, what I wouldn’t give to see “in 2015, Punk got his ass beaten by one of the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers’ on his Wikipedia.

Saban

While it’s possible to do a dark and gritty version of the Power Rangers, let’s be realistic here: Most people don’t want to see the Rangers chopping lines with their Zords and doing groupies. They want to see stunt teams in motorcycle helmets fighting guys in rubber suits. And that’s what the upcoming movie will offer, according to its director, just with slightly less cheese.

Dean Israelite, the director behind Project Almanac, was quizzed by IGN recently about the Power Rangers movie and laid out the tone:

…it needs to be really fun and funny… I hope it’s going to feel very grounded at the same time, and very contemporary and have a real edge to it…

Eh, really, as long as there are rubber suits and goofy fights, you’ve hit all the key points. Everything else is just gravy. Really, Israelite could just stuff in a random Oscar bait script in between the fights and most people wouldn’t notice. Come to think of it, he should totally do that. Meryl Streep would play Rita Repulsa, right?

(Via IGN)

Saban Entertainment

One of the most charming aspects of the classic Mighty Mophin’ Power Rangers was the show’s cast of wacky villains. Rita Repulsa! Lord Zed! Uh, that gold monkey dude! But now that the series is getting a big screen reboot, those old villains have to be replaced with something cool and modern, right? Well, maybe not.

The current word making the rounds is that original Power Rangers villain Rita Repulsa will be the movie’s antagonist, although, according to Heroic Hollywood, she’ll be receiving a bit of a make-over…

“A huntress. A striking, yet subtly alien-looking woman. She carries a metallic staff topped with a distinctive crescent shape. Her staff is actually a device of immense power. She points it at the ground. Heads emerge, built layer upon layer like 3-D printing, made from the earth itself. The staff’s technology grants her the ability to create humanoid figures, soulless and robotic.”

Okay, but when does she shout “make my monster GROOOW?”

Apparently, Rita appears in the very first scene in the movie, during which she fights the original Red Ranger – Zordon himself! Here’s how Zordon is described…

“Though alien, he looks like a man in his 50s. Sinewy and strong, as if carved from some root that refused to die. A being of integrity and iron will.”

Take this all with a grain of salt if you want, but if true, this movie sounds…actually kind of cool? Now, what do the updated 2015 versions of Bulk and Skull look like?

Saban Entertainment

(Via Heroic Hollywood)

Via RealMickFoley on Twitter

As you may have heard, former WWE Intercontinental Champion Chyna has returned to America after years in exile in Japan, and she’s making up for lost time and headlines. First, she announced that she’s Kickstarting an “important” documentary about her reconnecting with friends and restarting her life after years of struggle. She then showed up on Opie and Jim Norton, where she ended up getting into it on-air with Sean Waltman after she accused him of releasing their sex tape without her consent. Days later, she was apparently at WWE headquarters (word is she wasn’t actually invited, or there for any sort of meeting).

And the roller coaster ride continues! I was a bit cynical about Chyna’s documentary, but she’s apparently following through because she’s popping up all over the place, with all sorts of people. This included Mick Foley, who invited Chyna over to his house to watch Money in the Bank because he’s the nicest guy ever.

Chyna was also in Cleveland for Game 6 of the NBA Finals…

… met up with fellow hard times sufferer, Jake Roberts…

… and even posed for pictures with the original Black Power Ranger and Greg Brady. Sure, why not?

It’s hard to say what the next Chyna headline could be. It could be positive, or it could be significantly less so. That said, it’s heartening to see Chyna looking healthy in these pics and receiving a bit of goodwill from a business that doesn’t give it out easily. If you want to help fund Chyna’s doc, which is around a third of its way to its goal, you can do that here.

via Wrestling Inc.

Saban

When a TV show is revisited for film, they usually tweak it a bit, maybe update a few things, try some new ideas. Power Rangers, if this plot leak is legit, is taking a rather more… faithful tack.

The leak comes from Heroic Hollywood, so the usual admonitions about seasoning apply. Still, the leaked plot sounds pretty much like the plot of the show, right down to the five teen heroes neatly slotting into the various roles you expect from a teen drama: Geek, loner, bad boy, perfectionist, and free spirit.

As for the actual set-up: Zordon and the Rangers fight Rita Repulsa on Earth 65 million years ago, ending with Zordon taking the nuclear option and setting off a black hole. Cut to the modern day, and two teenagers find a set of Power Coins underneath a T-Rex fossil. The coins bond to them and superpowered hijinks ensue. Meanwhile, Rita Repulsa is heisting banks for gold, to rebuild Goldar, who you might remember from the series as her dimwitted and overconfident henchman. All gold comes from Goldar, apparently, which is vaguely off-putting when you think about it: So, we’ve been adorning ourselves with chunks of henchman flesh for centuries? Eew.

It sounds almost absurdly cheesy, but that said, this is the Power Rangers. Cheese is the main flavor of this particular franchise. Besides, what we’re really looking for here is the cast in helmets and leotards fighting other guys in leotards before jumping into their spaceships, forming a giant robot, and getting into some monster fights. As long as this is just the first act, we’ll be in for a good time.

(Via Heroic Hollywood)

Saban

We haven’t heard much about the Power Rangers movie directed by Dean Israelite (Project Almanac) with a script from X-Men: First Class co-writers Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz. So far, we’ve just been rounding up rumors, like the one about Rita Repulsa being the main villain and the one about a possible plot synopsis.

Now Collider has obtained what they believe to be official character descriptions from a Power Rangers casting call. You can read the full descriptions over there, but here’s a familiar-looking summary of the five high school students, all aged 17 (meaning the actors will be 26 or so), who will be donning the spandex next:

• Jason — Was a star quarterback until he crashed his car, ending his football career and leaving him rudderless. He’ll find redemption in leading a group who will “shed their individual baggage and find who they truly are.”
• Kimberly — Used to be popular until she was absent from school for six months and rumors flew as to why she left. She returned with a rebellious attitude which is “masking a deep secret that makes her feel profoundly vulnerable.”
• Trini — The smart new girl at school who acts like a loner but desperately wants friends.
• Billy — Asperger’s and OCD, because every one of these teen movies need that kid.
• Zack — The “life of the party, filled with bravado and swagger,” which is masking his insecurity about living in a trailer park.

Those should seem familiar. These are the same names, and similar personality types, as the teens from the original series, but with one character missing: Tommy Oliver (BRING BACK TOMMY). To be fair, Jason David Frank already said he’ll probably be in the movie, so they may not need another Tommy. The Green Ranger may be a mentor instead.

You may have also noticed these characters are more complex and developed than the five lead characters you’d meet in the first few episodes if you went back and watched the original series now. (Don’t do that. Don’t ever do that.)

The Power Rangers movie opens Jan. 13, 2017. Until then, we guess you could just re-watch The Best Movie™.

Via Uproxx

(Via Collider)

Saban

The news that the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers could be getting a reboot with a new movie was met with both excitement from lifelong fans of the franchise and questions about its relevance in a new day and age. Would fan favorite villains be replaced? What will the tone of the film be? Most importantly, what’s going to happen with those seriously low-budget special effects and corny monsters who got beat up every week?

At the time – and through the eyes of a child – the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers wasn’t really that bad. You got to learn valuable life lessons about things like bullying and appreciating what you have. But have you looked back at some of those early episodes? Some of those monsters who got cooked up by Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd – even one or two from Squatt and Baboo – needed some serious work, and my guess is that they probably won’t make it to the reboot (at least in any identifiable form). They did, however, make it onto this list. So, they’ve got that going for them.

Pudgy Pig

Subscribe to UPROXX

Pudgy Pig was meant to teach kids a lesson about the dangers of gluttony. Long story short: If you eat too much at once, you’ll risk deflating like a balloon. Oh, and in case you forgot, he eventually made his way to a farm where he tried to court a real life pig with hopes that they could “make such beautiful bacon together.” Not only is Pudgy too ridiculous to keep modern-day kids’ attention, but he’s pretty hard to look at in the first place. He has feet coming out of his mouth.

Brick Bully

You know, Rita Repulsa’s long distance accuracy with that magical staff of hers is pretty underrated. That giant tower she lived in had to be pretty far away, and she was still able to make her monsters grow almost whenever she pleased. But her aim wasn’t always 100 percent. One time, she missed her target and hit a wall resulting in Brick Bully, a walking, talking piece of brick wall that could turn people into – you guessed it – bricks.

See Monster

See Monster is one of those things that you look back on and wonder what adult let it pop up on a kids’ show. His power is that he basically opens his trench coat – which is made of loose flaps of skin – and flashes his opponents. But, instead of getting a look at his unmentionables like an ordinary flasher, he reveals dozens of eyeballs that could emit thought waves.

Chunky Chicken

Sometimes it looked like the writers just picked a bunch of nouns and adjectives, threw them in a bucket, and made whatever they pulled out happen. In one episode of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, the rangers had to face off against the oversized Chunky Chicken – who looked more like a turkey – that had full control over the realms of time and space with a giant hedge cutter. No one fowl should have all that power.

Nimrod the Scarlet Sentinel, AC and DC

These three actually have pretty good powers (control of lightning) and put up a pretty good fight. But what kid around this decade is going to understand an AC/DC reference? Yeah, you could argue that the initials stand for “alternative current” and “direct current,” but that’s also where the heavy metal band got its name.

Robogoat

Come on now. They could’ve tried a little bit harder here. Robogoat’s name is dead on the nose. He’s a cyborg that’s part robot and part goat. His one bonus is that he’s pretty handy with a sword, but that doesn’t make up for the deformed face that his legs appear to make when they’re close together. Yet, this guy was somehow able to hold his own against Tommy? In your dreams.

Pumpkin Rapper

Pumpkin Rapper is exactly what you think he is. A humanoid monster with a pumpkin for a head who can’t help but make everyone around him sit through his cornier-than-usual early 1990s raps. The only way he should be around in a reboot is if the studio goes all in and hires Drake’s “alleged” ghostwriter to make these lines bearable.

This glorious video, which combines both geekdom and beefcake lifestyle, comes courtesy of Silent Mike on Instagram, who donned a Power Rangers costume and developed the instant ability to deadlift like a boss. Look at this dude deadlifting 675 pounds like it ain’t no thing. The feat took place in a gym of some sorts, but it certainly wasn’t Planet Fitness (where deadlifts are prohibited as part of their Judgement Free Zone®).

Did the Power Rangers costume do all the heavy lifting here? Those characters come with a wide range of special abilities (including super speed and telekinesis), and they excel at hand-to-hand combat. Super strength isn’t always an articulated ability but appears to be a given. Why not? This is all make believe, so sure. Super strength at the ready. This guy may not have been able to achieve single-leg Romanian deadlifts with a 10-pound weight until the suit came along.

The suit also arrives with a special celebratory dance after the deadlift of doom. He’s somehow even better at dancing than lifting.

Here’s the preparatory shot a day before the deadlift and dance. Even Power Rangers need to work up to the challenge.

(Via Bleacher Report)

Getty Image

Mitchell Hope, Naomi Scott and Ross Butler, your possible Red, Pink and Black Rangers.

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers are jump-kicking their way back into theaters, but we don’t, as of yet, know who’s going to be squeezing into the spandex to fight putties in the park. Well, while no names have been officially confirmed, Variety has been doing some snooping, and claims to know some of the names who have tried out for the movie.

According to Variety, KJ Apa (Shortland Street), Austin Butler (The Shannara Chronicles) and Mitchell Hope (The Descendants) have tried out to play the Red Ranger, Jason.

Getty Image

Austin Butler, the most Tiger Beat-friendly option for the Red Ranger.

Meanwhile, Daniel Zovatto (It Follows), Ross Butler (Chasing Life) and Brian “Sene” Marc (White Girl) are in the running to play Black Ranger, Zack.

Getty Image

Potential Black Ranger Daniel Zovatto. Thankfully, Zordon took a sensitivity class and is no longer color coding his Rangers by race.

As for the all-important Pink Ranger role, Naomi Scott (The Martian) and newcomer Stefanie Scott are said to be up for the role. I dunno, I’d say original Pink Ranger Amy Jo Johnson is still holding down the role pretty well.

No word yet on who might be playing the Blue and Yellow Rangers. Or Bulk and Skull. It’s very important that we know who plays Bulk and Skull. The Power Rangers movie will be directed by Dean Israelite (Project Almanac) with a script from the co-writers of X-Men: First Class. Morphin’ Time hits theaters January 2017.

(via Variety)

Facebook

Since 2013, OG Green Power Ranger and world record holder for most boards broken during a skydive Jason David Frank has been trying to get an MMA fight with CM Punk. This was long before Punk was a UFC hopeful, and was just a pro wrestler who liked to hang out and do jiu-jitsu with Al Bundy. “CM Punk is legit. Many people think he isn’t, but he is,” were his comments.

When Punk left WWE in 2014, Frank upped his challenge. “So now that CM punk is out of his contracts and wants to do MMA. Why not me? … I’ll make any weight to make this happen!!” Punk responded by calling Frank a stalker, and the issue got personal.

Now, Frank is talking candidly to Fox Sports about how he’s in Punk’s head, and how Punk won’t accept the fight because he knows he’ll lose and “couldn’t live with himself.” SUMMON THE SHADE ZORD.

“I just know in my heart, and I’m happy if he dodges me and steps away from that ‘best in the world’ title to say I don’t want to fight JDF … There’s a reason why. Maybe I was too confident and maybe I’m in his head because people keep asking him about it. There’s nowhere to run. Step up and say ‘no.’ I’d give you more credit to say ‘I’m never going to fight you.’ He can’t say I’m not worthy or I’m not in his league because I’ve got more fights than he has.”

…

“I truly believe that he has it in his contract that he gets the last, final say on who he fights and he just won’t give it to me, because I already have fans behind me and he’ll lose to me and he couldn’t live with himself. Maybe he could lose to some no name and maybe he feels better losing to somebody else, but he doesn’t want to lose to me. That’s the bottom line.

“He’s never going to be able to run away because one day down the road he’s going to have to face me. Even if I’m 50. And when I’m 50 I’ll still beat him. I’m in his head and he knows I’m in his head. I’ve already won. If I’m not in his head, respond back.”

Punk should start with Billy Cranston and work his way up. Maybe throw hands at Bulk and Skull for a while until he’s ready to take on Putties.

A shoulder injury has reportedly pushed back Punk’s prospective UFC debut, so the question is less, “Will Punk fight Jason David Frank?” and more, “Will Punk fight in UFC at all?” Maybe injuries will let us skip UFC entirely and go straight to CM Punk vs. Tommy Oliver on the Celebrity Boxing circuit.

FOX

Some peoples’ first crush was Becky from Full House; for others, it was Amy Jo Johnson. She played the Pink Ranger in Fox Kids’ endearingly low-budget Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, which became a pop culture sensation not seen since Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (April O’Neil is another fine first infatuation). When you don the restrictive pink costume, you’re wearing the hopes and dreams of sexually confused boys and girls everywhere.

That honor has now been bestowed upon Naomi Scott (no pressure), who will portray the Pink Ranger in Dean Israelite’s upcoming Power Rangers movie. She had a brief role in The Martian, and isn’t married to Adam Scott.

The English actress got her start in the Disney Chanel’s TV movie Lemonade Mouth and in 2011 appeared in the short-lived Fox TV series Terra Nova. Scott most recently appeared in Ridley Scott’s The Martian and can be see in the upcoming movie The 33, the true story of 33 Chilean miners who survived 69 days trapped underground. (Via)

The original iteration of Power Rangers stopped airing in 1995, but the show is technically in its 23rd season, thanks to subsequent installments called things like Lightspeed Rescue and Dino Charge. That’s like a band losing its lead singer, but still chugging on for another seven albums (so, the Velvet Underground, if they hadn’t stopped after Squeeze). Assuming time travel has been established in the Power Rangers canon (a pretty decent bet), a still-young Original Pink Ranger should provide wisdom to the New Pink Ranger, sort of like what Spock did to Kirk in 2009’s Star Trek. Except instead of meeting in a cave, they go to a bar and talk sh*t on Big Bad Beetleborgs.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

Via menard_mickael

Lara Croft Tomb Raider photographed by menard_mickael.

It’s that time of the week when we post a mixed bag of intriguing costumes we’ve spotted recently. Some of it’s new; some of it isn’t; all of it is worth highlighting. And just as a reminder, please keep the comments section civil. These aren’t celebrities in a movie having their wardrobe commented upon by the peanut gallery; these are civilians doing their hobby on their own time. Don’t be a jerk.

Are you a cosplayer or photographer who would like to be featured on Gamma Squad? Upload your photos to our Flickr group to be considered.

Onward to the gallery:

Rita Repulsa (Power Rangers) photographed by Stuart Curry. Submitted via our Flickr group.

Via Stuart Curry

Hawke (Dragon Age II) photographed by flexgraph. [via]

Via flexgraph

Sylvanas Windrunner (World of Warcraft) and Samurai Pikachu cosplayed by RuffleCat. (Armor build photos here.)

Via Reddit

Ms. Marvel photographed by V Threepio. Submitted via our Flickr group.

Via V Threepio

Mad Moxxi (Borderlands 2) cosplayed by Kay Bear Cosplay.

Via Reddit

Little Sister (BioShock) photographed by Mineralblu. Submitted via our Flickr group.

Via Mineralblu

Korosensei (Assassination Classroom) photographed by Amber Willits.

Via Amber Willits

Makoto Nanaya (BlazBlue) photographed by Maxstew7.

Via Maxstew7

Imperator Furiosa and Doof Warrior (Mad Max: Fury Road) photographed by notdagreatbrain.

Via Reddit

Following up on Lionsgate casting relative unknown Naomi Scott as the Pink Ranger in their 2017 Power Rangers movie, they’ve announced the young unknown who will play the Red Ranger: Dacre Montgomery. So, let’s get the first question out of the way: It’s pronounced “day-curr” and it’s Celtic.

We don’t know much about Montgomery (he has no major TV or film credits, and the only biographical information on IMDb is his height, 5-foot-10), but we do know a little about this iteration of the Red Ranger, thanks to a leaked character description. He’s playing Jason, a former star quarterback whose athletic career ended in a car crash. Now he needs a new purpose and finds it by leading a group who will “shed their individual baggage and find who they truly are.”

Normally, when I hear about a young jock trying to shed baggage and discover who he truly is, the first thing that comes to mind isn’t a Power Rangers movie, but oh well.

Sabin Entertainment

Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.

(Via The Wrap)