A Week of Entertainment - Issue 12

Another busy summer weekend delaying me a day.  Gotta love the current weather (here in Iowa at least).  I've been spending my days outside with my girls, but that doesn't mean Hollywood isn't still active.  On with the news.


Is there a Doctor in the house? - Doctor Strange got a brief shout out in the recent Captain America film.  And now it seems he may get his own film.  Scott Derrickson looks to be attached to this movie.  I don't believe it is official yet, but there must be something to this rumor.  Derrickson himself not so subtly hinted on his twitter account that this will be his next project.  I'm okay with this choice personally.  I'm a fan of his last film, Sinister, and his upcoming Deliver Us From Evil looks like it will be just as dark and creepy.  Choosing Derrickson, they definitely seem to be going with a darker undertone in this film, and that could really work for a character like Strange.


Cartoons are for kids - Who needs 'em, right?  That's apparently what Disney is thinking.  Currently in theaters they have Maleficent, which is a live action twist on the Sleeping Beauty story.  Now they have plans to make straight up live adaptations of some of their other beloved animated films.  Cinderella and The Jungle Book are on the slate with the most recent announcement being that of a Beauty and the Beast adaptation.  I guess I can't say this is surprising, or even new.  We have seen this before.  You all remember Glenn Close in 101 Dalmatians back in '96 right?  I'm sure I'll check some of these out, but you know we'll all be forgetting about them a couple years down the road and going back to showing our kids the 2D animated classics.


If there's something strange in your theater - There have been rumors about a Ghostbusters 3 milling about for years now.  That's all well and good, but this year is the 30th anniversary of the original.  They are putting their focus on that right now, and rightly so.  To commemorate, there will special blu-ray releases of both Ghostbusters I & II.  More importantly however, the first film will be re-released back into theaters over Labor Day weekend.  Who needs Ghostbusters 3, when you can get the original real deal back up on the glorious big screen.


Pay for your own death - Have you ever wanted to be killed by a real professional?  Well, who's better at killing off people (fictional anyway?) than George R.R. Martin.  He makes Whedon and Kirkman look like rank amateurs.  And now he wants to kill off one of you.  If you donate to the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary you will be given prizes varying depending on the amount.  If you happen to have 20,000 pounds lying about that you would like to donate, then Martin will give your name to a small character in one of his next Song of Ice and Fire novels and kill you off, like he does.  Who doesn't want that claim to fame?  Now go out and save a wolf!


Until next time.....if someone asks if you're a god, you say yes!


Weekend top 10 at the box office:
1 - The Fault in our Stars (new release) $48M
2 - Maleficent $34.3M
3 - Edge of Tomorrow (new release) $28.8M
4 - X-Men: Days of Future Past $15.2M
5 - A Million Ways to Die in the West $7.3M
6 - Godzilla $6.1M
7 - Neighbors $5.3M
8 - Blended $4.1M
9 - Chef $2.6M
10 - Million Dollar Arm $2M

A Week (or 2) of Entertainment - Issue 2

A little busy with a state pool tournament last weekend, so I took a week off from this.  I know, already faltering after one issue.  But anywho, here's a few of the stories from the past two weeks that I personally found interesting or worth noting.

Last week they revealed the new logo for Fox's upcoming show Gotham.  I personally like it.  It's got everything you need.  It's dark and gritty the way Gotham should be, it's got the searchlight which will be the future sight of the bat signal, and I love the callback to the old animated series with the blimps flying through the city.  The show will be the story of Gordan's (played by Ben McKenzie) rise from detective to police commissioner.  It will also address the rise of the various villains such as Penguin and Catwoman.  The only thing that worries me is the friendship that will evolve between Gordon and a young Bruce Wayne.  I don't think I really want it to fall mostly over to Bruce's story and turn into another Smallville.  Nothing wrong with Smallville, but I would just rather see Gordon's story.  By the way, do I get some sort of commission for this since I had this idea way back in 2008 as witnessed by the end of this blog?  Anyway, I'm looking forward to checking this show out.


Another show I need to catch up on now that the first season is on Netflix is Arrow.  I was only really semi-interested until they recently introduced a little character named Barry Allen.  Coming fresh off of Arrow, he's getting his own show and they have recently showed the first pic of the costume.

I'm not going to praise or diss the costume.  History shows that you just can't judge it til you see it in action.  I'm instead just going to say how excited I am to see a new Flash tv show come to the small screen.  Rumor even has it that Jonathan Wesley Shipp has some as yet unspecified role! (He played the flash in the short lived live action show from 1990)


Speeding right along we come to a clash of the titans.  As of right now May 6, 2016 is going to be a big day for fanboys.  It's the current release date for Batman vs. Superman AND Captain America 3. (I know, more superhero news....hey, it's what I like).  I know this release date is going to change for one of the two powerhouses, because let's face it.....money.  But, how cool would it be to have two superhero movies this big open on the same day?  That would be one heck of a double feature.  Of course you have Captain America who's third movie in the well established Marvel-verse I'm already excited for if CA 2 is near as good as early buzz says.  Then you have Batman and Superman together for the first time on the big screen.  I don't care who says they hated Man of Steel.  Good or bad, this next movie is going to be a can't miss event.  Make mine Marvel and DC.


And just a quick note.  It's rumored that Sebastian Stan has signed a 9 movie deal with Marvel.  I don't want to go into spoilers for people who don't read Captain America.  For those of you who have read Winter Soldier and beyond, put the pieces together with that.  I'm excited if it means what I think it means.


Getting away from superheroes, we have a new teaser trailer for Peanuts, coming in 2015.  Normally, I groan at the thought of classic characters like these getting a makeover for the 21st century.  But watch this trailer and tell me you don't get a warm nostalgic feeling when you hear that old familiar Peanuts music start to play.  Then we get the Snoopy laugh and the signature "Good grief".  It's a short teaser, but it already feels like they have the tone of the characters done right.  It makes me smile every time I watch it.  Here's to hoping.  If the movie flops, I guess we can always pull out the old classic holiday episodes.


Speaking of old properties getting new treatment, rumor has it Ghostbusters 3 is still a go.  Of course this movie has been in the rumor mill for so long it's basically a running joke.  I love the first, and yes, even the second movie, but this third is so late in coming that I have never really paid much heed to any of the rumors.  That and the recent passing of comedy icon Harold Ramis, have left me cold to the idea of a third movie.  Recent news has piqued my interest though.  Lord and Miller are now in talks to direct.  After what they did with a children's book, an old 80's undercover cop drama, and recently children's building blocks though, you now have my attention.  Good luck, and remember not to cross the streams.


On a final note, Jimmy Fallon had what I think may be my new favorite introduction for a guest on a talk show (not that I really had one before).  Check out the clip here.


As before, let me know what you think of any of these stories, or stories I may have missed that you found interesting.  Comment below.


Until next time.....who you gonna call?


Weekend Top 10 at the box office:
1 - Divergent (new release)  $56M
2 - Muppets Most Wanted (new release)  $16.5M
3 - Mr. Peabody & Sherman  $11.7M
4 - 300: Rise of An Empire  $8.6M
5 - God's Not Dead (new release)  $8.5M
6 - Need For Speed  $7.7M
7 - The Grand Budapest Hotel $6.7M
8 - Non-Stop  $6.3M
9 - The LEGO Movie  $4.1M
10 - Tyler Perry's The Single Moms Club  $3.1M