Well, last weekend was Memorial Day weekend, so I took the week off from writing this column. I hope everyone had as pleasant a weekend as I did. I will mention the stories from this past week and the week before still. That being said, I may shorten my take on them since some will be quite old-hat by now. Have a great week!
RIP Gordon Willis - Gordon Willis passed away at 82. He was the cinematographer for one of the greatest trilogies out there. The Godfather Trilogy. With this, and many other great movies, his work will not soon be forgotton.
RIP Ann Davis - Just today the Brady Bunch's maid, Alice, passed away at 88. Many generations grew up with Alice and the Bradys. She even managed a cameo in the 1995 Brady Bunch Movie.
What's in a title? - Apparently everything. The Man of Steel follow-up has now gotten an official title of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. They managed to get the story down to a two part title. First part of the movie will be Batman dukin' it out with Superman cause he finds him to be a threat. Second half will be them coming to the conclusion that they are on the same side and find others to form the Justice League. I am still totally on the fence about this new title. I like it alright, but with the v instead of vs, and the word Justice, it makes it sound like this is going to be a courtroom drama.
Be in a movie! - Have you ever wanted a walk-on role in a Star Wars movie? Who says no to that? Well, here's your chance! J.J. Abrams is auctioning off a chance to win a walk on role in episode VII. For every $10 you donate to UNICEF's Innovation Labs you get one entry into the drawing. There are also cool gifts and prizes you get at each donation level. If you want to donate to a good cause, here's your chance at a win/win situation.
From Monsters to Aliens - Speaking of Star Wars, Gareth Edwards has been announced as the director for one of the as yet unspecified Star Wars spin-off movies. Godzilla was not a perfect movie by any means, but I enjoyed it. And between that and Monsters, I would like to keep an eye on this director. Like they say, it can't be as bad as the prequels, right?
Shrinking Interest - Ant-Man, which was to be part of phase 3 of the Marvel movies has lost it's director. After a bout of creative differences, Edgar Wright dropped out of the production. This is one movie I've been really looking forward to since they announced him as the director. I'm sure Marvel will step up and find the right director to replace him, but until then I'm a little saddened by this news.
Butterfly in the Sky - On a final note, here's a story that brings back a little faith in humanity. LeVar Burton wants to bring Reading Rainbow back on the air. He also wants to bring the Reading Rainbow program to poor schools for free. That alone is good news to hear. As much as I love movies and television, I am also just as in love with books. I also have two young daughters and love to hear celebrities bring their voice to the encouragement of better education for our youth. What makes this story even better is that Burton started a kickstarter campaign trying to raise a million dollars by July (a little over a month), and met his goal in less than 24 hours.
Until next time......Take a look. It's in a book.
Weekend to 10 at the box office:
1 - Maleficent (new release) $70M
2 - X-Men: Days of Future Past $32.6M
3 - A Million Ways to Die in the West (new release) $17.1M
4 - Godzilla $12.2M
5 - Blended $8.4M
6 - Neighbors $7.7M
7 - The Amazing Spider-Man 2 $3.8M
8 - Million Dollar Arm $3.7M
9 - Chef $2M
10 - The Other Woman $1.4M
Showing posts with label Star Wars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Star Wars. Show all posts
Monday, June 2, 2014
Monday, May 5, 2014
A Week of Entertainment - Issue 8
To all my ones of readers out there, yes, this is a day late. It was a good, but exhausting weekend so I chose sleep last night. So, now, on with the show.
RIP Hoskins - And yet another sad loss in Hollywood. Bob Hoskins was another one of those actors that could put any movie up a notch. His first real breakout role was in the 1980 hit The Long Good Friday. I have not seen this one yet. I'll have to put that on "the list". Of course I, along with many other people, will always know him for his role as the toon hating, alcoholic detective Eddie Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. As for a film that may have gone under the radar a little, he did Mrs. Henderson Presents back in 2005 with Dame Judi Dench that I found quite enjoyable as well. He had recently retired after being diagnosed with Parkinson's two years ago. He died at the age of 71 from pneumonia.
Make Mine Marvel - And what's a week of news without a little Marvel in the mix. Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada talked a little about the upcoming Netflix series. Those would be Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones. Daredevil is being cast right now, and it is confirmed that each of these series will be released in their entirety for binge watching as they are subsequently finished. Also, they are taking a more gritty approach to the "street-level noir side of the Marvel Universe" with these series. I think this new approach will be interesting to watch unfold. Even if they don't throw any of these characters into the movies, these new series evolving into the Defenders mini-series could be a fun event to follow through the streets of Hell's Kitchen.
Hello, What Have We Here? - In another branch of Disney, the core cast list has been officially announced for Star Wars: Episode VII. I probably don't have to say much about this, because there is no way you live outside of a cave without having heard it already 8 million times the day it was announced. Newcomers include John Boyega (Attack the Block), Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver ("Girls"), Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis), Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings trilogy), Domhnall Gleeson (About Time) and Max von Sydow (The Exorcist). Of course the exciting news is the returning cast. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, and Kenny Baker. For returning cast, we're just missing the smooth talking Lando Calrissian. It seems he must have gotten confused when he signed on for Dancing With the Stars instead of Star Wars. All in all, it's an interesting cast. With Kasdan writing and J.J. behind the wheel, I'd say we can at least be cautiously optimistic at this point.
Oh No! There Goes Tokyo! - I don't know what it is about this movie, but I am excited to see it. It is my second most anticipated movie of 2014. Let's hope it lives up to my expectations as much as The Winter Soldier did. The above trailer is one that was just released this week and is also an exception to the rule for a little problem I have. Trailers are giving too much away these days. The one above included. Before, there were hints that there would be a second monster in Godzilla. Now they've flat out shown it to us. I say this is the exception because somehow this new trailer only increased my anticipation. That is not usually the case. Trailers used to be one of my favorite things about going to the movies. You see a little glimpse of what you can look forward to a couple weeks or months after the movie you are about to sit through. Now, there is no anticipation. Most trailers give away key plot points and even the twist in some movies. Then you walk away thinking you don't really need to see that one at all. Please Hollywood, bring back the shorter trailers. Make me look forward to them in theater again, instead of looking at my watch wondering when they are going to end and the movie begin. (If you need any tips, look no further than Christopher Nolan) And please Hollywood, make Godzilla be a good movie!
Stone vs. Fallon - For bit of fun to end the night I'm including the following video. Partly because of the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 this past weekend. Partly because I have a major crush on Emma Stone. And partly because, basically, it's awesome and you should watch it. Yes, I realize that first statement will deter a lot of you, but this clip really has nothing to do with the movie other than the actress. I will not be seeing the movie until tomorrow night and am avoiding reviews until I write my own, but man, have I seen some unfavorable mentions in the headlines. I will reserve judgment though and hope the majority of the critics are wrong. In the meantime, here is Emma Stone vs. Jimmy Fallon in an epic lip-sync battle.
That about does it for me. Have a fantastic day everyone!
Until next time.....if you can't stand the heat, get out of Hell's Kitchen!
Weekend top 10 at the box office:
1 - The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (new release) $91.6M
2 - The Other Woman $14.4M
3 - Heaven Is For Real $8.6M
4 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier $7.8M
5 - Rio 2 $7.7M
6 - Brick Mansions $3.7M
7 - Divergent $2.2M
8 - The Quiet Ones $2M
9 - The Grand Budapest Hotel $1.8M
10 - God's Not Dead $1.8M
RIP Hoskins - And yet another sad loss in Hollywood. Bob Hoskins was another one of those actors that could put any movie up a notch. His first real breakout role was in the 1980 hit The Long Good Friday. I have not seen this one yet. I'll have to put that on "the list". Of course I, along with many other people, will always know him for his role as the toon hating, alcoholic detective Eddie Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. As for a film that may have gone under the radar a little, he did Mrs. Henderson Presents back in 2005 with Dame Judi Dench that I found quite enjoyable as well. He had recently retired after being diagnosed with Parkinson's two years ago. He died at the age of 71 from pneumonia.
Make Mine Marvel - And what's a week of news without a little Marvel in the mix. Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada talked a little about the upcoming Netflix series. Those would be Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones. Daredevil is being cast right now, and it is confirmed that each of these series will be released in their entirety for binge watching as they are subsequently finished. Also, they are taking a more gritty approach to the "street-level noir side of the Marvel Universe" with these series. I think this new approach will be interesting to watch unfold. Even if they don't throw any of these characters into the movies, these new series evolving into the Defenders mini-series could be a fun event to follow through the streets of Hell's Kitchen.
Hello, What Have We Here? - In another branch of Disney, the core cast list has been officially announced for Star Wars: Episode VII. I probably don't have to say much about this, because there is no way you live outside of a cave without having heard it already 8 million times the day it was announced. Newcomers include John Boyega (Attack the Block), Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver ("Girls"), Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis), Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings trilogy), Domhnall Gleeson (About Time) and Max von Sydow (The Exorcist). Of course the exciting news is the returning cast. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, and Kenny Baker. For returning cast, we're just missing the smooth talking Lando Calrissian. It seems he must have gotten confused when he signed on for Dancing With the Stars instead of Star Wars. All in all, it's an interesting cast. With Kasdan writing and J.J. behind the wheel, I'd say we can at least be cautiously optimistic at this point.
Oh No! There Goes Tokyo! - I don't know what it is about this movie, but I am excited to see it. It is my second most anticipated movie of 2014. Let's hope it lives up to my expectations as much as The Winter Soldier did. The above trailer is one that was just released this week and is also an exception to the rule for a little problem I have. Trailers are giving too much away these days. The one above included. Before, there were hints that there would be a second monster in Godzilla. Now they've flat out shown it to us. I say this is the exception because somehow this new trailer only increased my anticipation. That is not usually the case. Trailers used to be one of my favorite things about going to the movies. You see a little glimpse of what you can look forward to a couple weeks or months after the movie you are about to sit through. Now, there is no anticipation. Most trailers give away key plot points and even the twist in some movies. Then you walk away thinking you don't really need to see that one at all. Please Hollywood, bring back the shorter trailers. Make me look forward to them in theater again, instead of looking at my watch wondering when they are going to end and the movie begin. (If you need any tips, look no further than Christopher Nolan) And please Hollywood, make Godzilla be a good movie!
Stone vs. Fallon - For bit of fun to end the night I'm including the following video. Partly because of the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 this past weekend. Partly because I have a major crush on Emma Stone. And partly because, basically, it's awesome and you should watch it. Yes, I realize that first statement will deter a lot of you, but this clip really has nothing to do with the movie other than the actress. I will not be seeing the movie until tomorrow night and am avoiding reviews until I write my own, but man, have I seen some unfavorable mentions in the headlines. I will reserve judgment though and hope the majority of the critics are wrong. In the meantime, here is Emma Stone vs. Jimmy Fallon in an epic lip-sync battle.
That about does it for me. Have a fantastic day everyone!
Until next time.....if you can't stand the heat, get out of Hell's Kitchen!
Weekend top 10 at the box office:
1 - The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (new release) $91.6M
2 - The Other Woman $14.4M
3 - Heaven Is For Real $8.6M
4 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier $7.8M
5 - Rio 2 $7.7M
6 - Brick Mansions $3.7M
7 - Divergent $2.2M
8 - The Quiet Ones $2M
9 - The Grand Budapest Hotel $1.8M
10 - God's Not Dead $1.8M
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