Took a week off again. It was Father's Day. That's an excuse, right? As of this past Wednesday, I've been a father for 5 years now, and it's been fantastic. I took both my girls to see The Lego Movie. Definitely a movie you should check out, whether you have kids or not. Now, on with the show.
RIP Casey Kasem - Father's Day wasn't all fun and games for the entertainment world. We sadly lost another favorite. Casey Kasem was a disc jockey and actor/voice actor and more. A whole generation will remember him as the voice of Shaggy in the old Scooby Doo cartoons. Even more so, he will be remembered as the host of the American Top 40 for many years. I remember growing up listening to him countdown the current top 40, playing long distance requests, and giving shout-outs to a few different stations each week who aired his program across the country. We'll all miss him (and if you've listened to the crap on radio lately, you'll miss the good music we use to have in the Top 40). Luckily, in my area, I can still pick up repeats of his shows in syndication from the 70's and 80's on weekend mornings. We'll never forget you or your voice Mr. Kasem.
75 Years of the Bat - To celebrate 75 years of Batman, Warner Brothers has tour dedicated to the character in California. For $54 they will take you to different locations from the films and then to the WB studio museum, which has dedicated the whole first floor to Batman. They will have props, replicas, vehicles, and costumes from many of the different movies throughout the years. I now wish I lived in California, because that sounds amazing.
Meanwhile, back at DC headquarters... - The list of DC's planned films has been leaked lately. This seems to be still rumor stages, but it's still worth noting. Shazam, Sandman, Justice League, Wonder Woman, Flash/Green Lantern all in 2016/17, followed by Man of Steel 2 in 2018. If they follow through on this, they will all of a sudden be pumping out more films a year than Marvel. While I'm excited for this (I grew up reading more DC than Marvel), I'm still a little worried too. I'd love to finally see some of these characters up on the big screen, but I'd like to see them take their time to put out a good product. The official announcement is meant to happen at ComicCon this summer. We'll see then. I think one of the big things to note is that they seem to have altogether dropped the entire façade of Batman v Superman being a Man of Steel sequel with the mention of Man of Steel 2.
Irony House - Looking for a home in Long Island? Well, for a mere $12.5M you can own the home used in the Tom Hanks classic Money Pit. The irony is that only the outside was used for shots in the movie, with interior shots being done on sets. And yet, the current owners claim that the actual interior of the house was falling apart when they bought it. Now they have cleaned it up and put this ginormous mansion on the market. Who want's to buy me a house?
Until next time......I'd like to make a long distance dedication.
Weekend top 10 at the box office:
1 - Think Like a Man Too (new release) $30M
2 - 22 Jump Street $29M
3 - How to Train Your Dragon 2 $25.3M
4 - Jersey Boys (new release) $13.5M
5 - Maleficent $13M
6 - Edge of Tomorrow $10.3M
7 - The Fault in our Stars $8.6M
8 - X-Men: Days of Future Past $6.2M
9 - Chef $1.8M
10 - Godzilla $1.8M
Showing posts with label box office. Show all posts
Showing posts with label box office. Show all posts
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Monday, June 9, 2014
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
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
Monday, June 2, 2014
A Week (or 2) of Entertainment - Issue 11
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
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
Sunday, May 18, 2014
A Week of Entertainment - Issue 10
Well, I'm kind of close to renaming this a week of entertainment obituaries. I get to start on a downer again this week, but I'll try to end on a pretty positive note.
RIP Giger - The man whose nightmares gave us nightmares passed away this week at the age of 74. H. R. Giger was a Swiss artist known for his dark, surreal artwork. He has published many books, done album covers, and also worked in film. To many, he will always be the award winning creator of one of the most iconic terrifying monsters in film history, Alien. Giger, your vision and creativity have given us all nightmares, and oddly, us horror fans thank you for it.
RIP Bendjelloul - It's a sad case when someone falls into deep enough depression to finally commit suicide. Such is the case of Malik Bendjelloul. He was 36, just a mere one year older than me. I can't say much, because I have not seen his only film, the award winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man. I can say though, that because this film existed, I was introduced to the music of Sixto Rodriguez and you should all introduce yourself to this music as well.
Bataffleck - On to the big, exciting news of the week. Snyder released the first image of Ben Affleck in the new bat suit, next to the new Batmobile. I find this kind of exciting anyway, because I kind of like the suit. It has a real Dark Knight Returns feel to it. That fits the bill for everything that has come before. Snyder announced Batman's involvement in his next movie with a quote from said graphic novel. He has also said that it will be an older, more experienced Batman. And last, but not least, the current title of versus gives an indication of some sort of beef he has with Superman. I'm not going to jump on the yea or nay wagon yet, because I haven't seen the movie yet, but I do like the look of the suit. The Batmobile, doesn't look too bad either. It's very reminiscent of Nolan's Tumbler.
Where no man has gone before - It looks like now that Abrams is out of Trek and into Wars, we have a new director for Star Trek 3. Roberto Orci is boldly going where he has not gone before, directing. I liked Star Trek Into Darkness and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 a little more than the majority, but I do have to admit that at least in the latter the writing was one of the downfalls. And this was done by Orci. He is also responsible for helping write the first to Transformers movies. Also, not so good story-wise. Will he prove to be a better director than writer? Or will it be a double whammy, since he is actually writing it as well? I don't know, but I guess we'll find out in a few years. Here's to hoping he doesn't sink this ship.
In your mailbox - And to end on a positive note, we'll talk about an awesome man in Hollywood, Joss Whedon. I could list all the amazing shows and movies he's done, but you should already be aware of these. (If not, go look it up and watch his stuff now, have you been living under a rock?) Well, recently he wrote and produced a new movie called In Your Eyes. This movie recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. However, at the same time he was allowing people to stream it online for $5. As a thank you to fans, he has been randomly selecting people who downloaded his film and sending them gifts in the mail. Up to a thousand gifts have already been sent out and these include small gifts like a cactus (huh?) to bigger stuff like Apple TVs and X-Box Ones. And yes, a cynical person could just say that this just a stunt to get his movie known by word of mouth. I mean I'm telling you about it right now. But still, how awesome is that? Whedon rocks!
Until next time......pay it forward.
Weekend top 10 at the box office:
1 - Godzilla (new release) $93.2M
2 - Neighbors $25.1M
3 - The Amazing Spider-Man 2 $16.8M
4 - Million Dollar Arm (new release) $10.5M
5 - The Other Woman $6.3M
6 - Heaven is for Real $4.4M
7 - Rio 2 - $3.7M
8 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier $3.7M
9 - Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return $2M
10 - Moms' Night Out $1.8M
RIP Giger - The man whose nightmares gave us nightmares passed away this week at the age of 74. H. R. Giger was a Swiss artist known for his dark, surreal artwork. He has published many books, done album covers, and also worked in film. To many, he will always be the award winning creator of one of the most iconic terrifying monsters in film history, Alien. Giger, your vision and creativity have given us all nightmares, and oddly, us horror fans thank you for it.
RIP Bendjelloul - It's a sad case when someone falls into deep enough depression to finally commit suicide. Such is the case of Malik Bendjelloul. He was 36, just a mere one year older than me. I can't say much, because I have not seen his only film, the award winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man. I can say though, that because this film existed, I was introduced to the music of Sixto Rodriguez and you should all introduce yourself to this music as well.
Bataffleck - On to the big, exciting news of the week. Snyder released the first image of Ben Affleck in the new bat suit, next to the new Batmobile. I find this kind of exciting anyway, because I kind of like the suit. It has a real Dark Knight Returns feel to it. That fits the bill for everything that has come before. Snyder announced Batman's involvement in his next movie with a quote from said graphic novel. He has also said that it will be an older, more experienced Batman. And last, but not least, the current title of versus gives an indication of some sort of beef he has with Superman. I'm not going to jump on the yea or nay wagon yet, because I haven't seen the movie yet, but I do like the look of the suit. The Batmobile, doesn't look too bad either. It's very reminiscent of Nolan's Tumbler.
Where no man has gone before - It looks like now that Abrams is out of Trek and into Wars, we have a new director for Star Trek 3. Roberto Orci is boldly going where he has not gone before, directing. I liked Star Trek Into Darkness and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 a little more than the majority, but I do have to admit that at least in the latter the writing was one of the downfalls. And this was done by Orci. He is also responsible for helping write the first to Transformers movies. Also, not so good story-wise. Will he prove to be a better director than writer? Or will it be a double whammy, since he is actually writing it as well? I don't know, but I guess we'll find out in a few years. Here's to hoping he doesn't sink this ship.
In your mailbox - And to end on a positive note, we'll talk about an awesome man in Hollywood, Joss Whedon. I could list all the amazing shows and movies he's done, but you should already be aware of these. (If not, go look it up and watch his stuff now, have you been living under a rock?) Well, recently he wrote and produced a new movie called In Your Eyes. This movie recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. However, at the same time he was allowing people to stream it online for $5. As a thank you to fans, he has been randomly selecting people who downloaded his film and sending them gifts in the mail. Up to a thousand gifts have already been sent out and these include small gifts like a cactus (huh?) to bigger stuff like Apple TVs and X-Box Ones. And yes, a cynical person could just say that this just a stunt to get his movie known by word of mouth. I mean I'm telling you about it right now. But still, how awesome is that? Whedon rocks!
Until next time......pay it forward.
Weekend top 10 at the box office:
1 - Godzilla (new release) $93.2M
2 - Neighbors $25.1M
3 - The Amazing Spider-Man 2 $16.8M
4 - Million Dollar Arm (new release) $10.5M
5 - The Other Woman $6.3M
6 - Heaven is for Real $4.4M
7 - Rio 2 - $3.7M
8 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier $3.7M
9 - Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return $2M
10 - Moms' Night Out $1.8M
Sunday, May 11, 2014
A Week of Entertainment - Issue 9
Kind of a slow week, so this will be short. Mostly just news about cancellations, renewals, and new shows for the 2014-15 television season. I don't keep up with television as much as I used to (yes, I know there is some great stuff out there right now), too much to watch and too little time. Before I get started, here's a little trailer for the upcoming Gotham show on FOX....because Batman:
Actually, to tell the truth, it's everything except for Batman that has me interested with this show. We all know his origins. If they stay focused on the rise of Jim Gordon, this could be a great new fresh take on the world of Batman. I think Ben McKenzie will do fine in the role, and I love the choice of Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock. Here's to hoping!
And that's not all for the comic geek world. Arrow returns to CW along with The Flash. They also picked up iZombie, which I'm not familiar with. NBC has picked up Constantine. ABC has renewed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and picked up Agent Carter, to take place in 1946 where the story of the first Captain America movie left off. And a bunch of other stuff happened in tv news. Sorry, I love television, but I'm a one-man band on this blog and there's just too much to keep track of in that realm.
Oh, Community was cancelled. Is that even news anymore? Doesn't this happen every year, or is it for real this time?
And since there wasn't much to report, here's an interview Hugh Jackman had with himself to promote X-Men: Days of Future Past, just because.
Until next time.....pick up a comic or two to prepare for next fall.
Weekend top 10 at the box office:
1 - Neighbors (new release) $49M
2 - The Amazing Spider-Man 2 $35.5M
3 - The Other Woman $9.6M
4 - Heaven is for Real $7.5M
5 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier $5.8M
6 - Rio 2 $5M
7 - Mom's Night Out (new release) $4.3M
8 - Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (new release) $3.7M
9 - Divergent $1.7M
10 - Brick Mansions $1.6M
Actually, to tell the truth, it's everything except for Batman that has me interested with this show. We all know his origins. If they stay focused on the rise of Jim Gordon, this could be a great new fresh take on the world of Batman. I think Ben McKenzie will do fine in the role, and I love the choice of Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock. Here's to hoping!
And that's not all for the comic geek world. Arrow returns to CW along with The Flash. They also picked up iZombie, which I'm not familiar with. NBC has picked up Constantine. ABC has renewed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and picked up Agent Carter, to take place in 1946 where the story of the first Captain America movie left off. And a bunch of other stuff happened in tv news. Sorry, I love television, but I'm a one-man band on this blog and there's just too much to keep track of in that realm.
Oh, Community was cancelled. Is that even news anymore? Doesn't this happen every year, or is it for real this time?
And since there wasn't much to report, here's an interview Hugh Jackman had with himself to promote X-Men: Days of Future Past, just because.
Until next time.....pick up a comic or two to prepare for next fall.
Weekend top 10 at the box office:
1 - Neighbors (new release) $49M
2 - The Amazing Spider-Man 2 $35.5M
3 - The Other Woman $9.6M
4 - Heaven is for Real $7.5M
5 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier $5.8M
6 - Rio 2 $5M
7 - Mom's Night Out (new release) $4.3M
8 - Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (new release) $3.7M
9 - Divergent $1.7M
10 - Brick Mansions $1.6M
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
Sunday, April 27, 2014
A Week of Entertainment - Issue 7
Well, it's been another week. And you know what that means with Hollywood....more superheroes, remakes, sequels and WTF's. On with the show.
Never Say Die - Well, it's only been 29 years now since we were graced with the masterpiece that is The Goonies. So, naturally, that means that it's time for a sequel right? Apparently Steven Spielberg and Richard Donner do. It seems as if this has been greenlit. Normally I'd be crying about them ruining my childhood yet again, but I'm over that. If it's not good, I'll just go back to watching the original. They can't take that away. Looks like Spielberg has come up with a story, and if he and Richard Donner are involved (and possibly some of the original cast), then sign me up. I'll give it chance.
Flash Aaah-aaaaaaaaaahh - In the realm of remakes, Flash Gordon is rocketing his way back into our lives. Even as culty as the 1980 movie was, I think that this reboot sounds like a fine idea to me. In the next few years we've got all sorts of other action sci-fi movies pew-pewing their way into the multiplex, with Star Wars, Star Trek, and even the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy. It's just too bad Freddie Mercury is no longer around to give us another kick-ass theme song.
Ch ch ch ch, ah ah ah ah - Speaking of remakes following trends, the hockey-mask wearing, machete wielding killer is coming back....on the small screen. This comes on the heels of other horror icons recently making their way to television with shows like "Hannibal" and "The Bates Motel". And like these other shows it seems it may have a focus on the beginnings of the character. There was a Friday the 13th show already back in the 80's that I'm sure no one really remembers. It really had nothing to do with Jason Voorhies anyway. This new series will not only deal with Jason, it will also bring back the famous Camp Crystal Lake locale. I'm personally all for this, if done right. I love the 80's and I love horror. Put those together and it's even better. So let's get Jason back to his roots (none of this Manhattan or space crap) and let camper body count begin.
Meanwhile at the Hall of Justice - The week of entertainment news just wouldn't be complete without some sort of Marvel or DC announcements. This week DC pulls in that coveted spot. It was announced earlier this week that on top of Superman vs. Batman movie including Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, they have now officially cast Ray Fisher as Victor Stone/Cyborg. This looks to be his first role in a motion picture, but he does come from live theatre experience. If they cast anymore people in this film they may as well change the name of the movie to The Justice League, right? But wait, that's where today's news comes in. It was just announced that Zack Snyder has signed on to follow-up his second Superman movie with exactly that. The roles of Wonder Woman and Cyborg will be smaller parts in the Superman/Batman movie, which will lead into his Justice League movie. I'm personally excited for this. It's been a long time coming. There were definitely a lot of naysayers out there about Man of Steel, but I thought it was really good movie....so I'll just agree to disagree with the Man of Steel haters and hope that Snyder can do "justice" to these next couple of films.
Well, I think that does it for the week. Now, on to face another Monday. Have a fantastic week.
Until next time.......camp counselors beware!
Weekend to 10 at the box office:
1 - The Other Woman (new release) $24.7M
2 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier $16M
3 - Heaven is for Real $13.8M
4 - Rio 2 $13.7M
5 - Brick Mansions (new release) $9.6M
6 - Transcendence $4.1M
7 - The Quiet Ones (new release) $4M
8 - Bears $3.6M
9- Divergent $3.6M
10 - A Haunted House 2 $3.1M
Never Say Die - Well, it's only been 29 years now since we were graced with the masterpiece that is The Goonies. So, naturally, that means that it's time for a sequel right? Apparently Steven Spielberg and Richard Donner do. It seems as if this has been greenlit. Normally I'd be crying about them ruining my childhood yet again, but I'm over that. If it's not good, I'll just go back to watching the original. They can't take that away. Looks like Spielberg has come up with a story, and if he and Richard Donner are involved (and possibly some of the original cast), then sign me up. I'll give it chance.
Flash Aaah-aaaaaaaaaahh - In the realm of remakes, Flash Gordon is rocketing his way back into our lives. Even as culty as the 1980 movie was, I think that this reboot sounds like a fine idea to me. In the next few years we've got all sorts of other action sci-fi movies pew-pewing their way into the multiplex, with Star Wars, Star Trek, and even the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy. It's just too bad Freddie Mercury is no longer around to give us another kick-ass theme song.
Ch ch ch ch, ah ah ah ah - Speaking of remakes following trends, the hockey-mask wearing, machete wielding killer is coming back....on the small screen. This comes on the heels of other horror icons recently making their way to television with shows like "Hannibal" and "The Bates Motel". And like these other shows it seems it may have a focus on the beginnings of the character. There was a Friday the 13th show already back in the 80's that I'm sure no one really remembers. It really had nothing to do with Jason Voorhies anyway. This new series will not only deal with Jason, it will also bring back the famous Camp Crystal Lake locale. I'm personally all for this, if done right. I love the 80's and I love horror. Put those together and it's even better. So let's get Jason back to his roots (none of this Manhattan or space crap) and let camper body count begin.
Meanwhile at the Hall of Justice - The week of entertainment news just wouldn't be complete without some sort of Marvel or DC announcements. This week DC pulls in that coveted spot. It was announced earlier this week that on top of Superman vs. Batman movie including Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, they have now officially cast Ray Fisher as Victor Stone/Cyborg. This looks to be his first role in a motion picture, but he does come from live theatre experience. If they cast anymore people in this film they may as well change the name of the movie to The Justice League, right? But wait, that's where today's news comes in. It was just announced that Zack Snyder has signed on to follow-up his second Superman movie with exactly that. The roles of Wonder Woman and Cyborg will be smaller parts in the Superman/Batman movie, which will lead into his Justice League movie. I'm personally excited for this. It's been a long time coming. There were definitely a lot of naysayers out there about Man of Steel, but I thought it was really good movie....so I'll just agree to disagree with the Man of Steel haters and hope that Snyder can do "justice" to these next couple of films.
Well, I think that does it for the week. Now, on to face another Monday. Have a fantastic week.
Until next time.......camp counselors beware!
Weekend to 10 at the box office:
1 - The Other Woman (new release) $24.7M
2 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier $16M
3 - Heaven is for Real $13.8M
4 - Rio 2 $13.7M
5 - Brick Mansions (new release) $9.6M
6 - Transcendence $4.1M
7 - The Quiet Ones (new release) $4M
8 - Bears $3.6M
9- Divergent $3.6M
10 - A Haunted House 2 $3.1M
Sunday, April 20, 2014
A Week of Entertainment - Issue 6
Happy Easter! Hope you all had an Easter as good as mine. And for you non-religious folk, I hope you just had a happy weekend in general. Now onto the news.
In the beginning...- So, there has been a new trend in movies lately (superhero movies in particular), that seems to have really gotten kicked off with The Dark Knight. That is the whole bit on releasing the first few minutes of a film. This week saw two such releases. One of these is from Days of Future Past. It is labeled as "opening fight scene", so not sure if it is the very beginning of said film. The other is the first three minutes of Joss Whedon's film In Your Eyes (which you can see over at EW.com). The question is, is this a good new trend. I guess my personal opinion is that if the material is good, then yes. Trailers now seem to be giving away the whole plot of movies lately. In the case of In Your Eyes, the first three minutes were intriguing enough with the setup for me to want to see the film. I didn't need key scenes from the rest of the movie spoiling things in a trailer. Mind you, a well put together trailer can do wonders still. They just really need to stop giving away the whole plot.
Speaking of trailers, and X-Men, the final trailer has been released this week. Up until now I have only been mildly enthusiastic about this movie. Between that opening fight scene and this new trailer, however, I must say my excitement level has gone up a couple of notches.
Future endeavors?- One final bit of X-Men news and I'll move on. It is well known that Marvel/Disney has not really wanted to combine efforts with Fox and Sony with superhero movies. That is fair enough, because they are trying to get rights back to their properties. But, could something be brewing between Fox and Sony? Sony has announced that they will have a mid-credit sequence in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 of the X-Men. Not quite worth getting too worked up over yet because it is apparently just a scene from the new X-Men movie and has no cross-over implications at all. However, this collaboration does indicate that the two studios are communicating with each other positively. One can only hope that maybe we'll see Spider-Man show up in Fantastic Four or X-Men in the future, or vice versa. One can dream of said cross-over anyway.
2 Fast 2 Furious- In body double news, the show must go on with Fast and Furious 7. Universal officially announced that Paul Walker's brothers, Caleb and Cody, will be filling in for any of his unfinished scenes. Paul had gotten most of his dramatic scenes filmed already, so they won't have to fill in for a lot. I realize that for Universal, this is mostly, if not completely, about not losing money by having to scrap the movie for rewrites and reshoots. But, I do like that they will not be just CGIing him into these remaining scenes, and also Paul's brothers get to honor his memory in a unique way, which also means that this decision was family approved.
Disappearing act- Have to give a mention to one trailer that was released this week. That is for Gone Girl, starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Just had to mention it because it looks like a good new thriller, and I'm just a huge fan of the director David Fincher. Everything he does, if not great, is at least very interesting.
And that ain't no bull- In the realm of completely bizarre news, we have the release of the documentary The Final Member. This film is about two men who are both vying to be the first human to have their "member" be the first human penis in the Iclandic Phallological Museum. While you are wrapping your head around that little tidbit, I'll get onto the actual bizarre part of this story. Drafthouse films is the production company for this film, and if you pre-order the movie here, you get a little souvenir along with it. That would be a wax-sealed glass jar containing an actual bull penis. So, I guess it is a little bit of bull after all.
Well, that's it for tonight. Have a pleasant week.
Until next time.....remember to always grab the bull by the horns.
Weekend top 10 at the box office:
1 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier $26.6M
2 - Rio 2 $22.5M
3 - Heaven is for Real (new release) $21.5M
4 - Transcendence (new release) $11.2M
5 - A Haunted House 2 (new release) $9.1M
6 - Draft Day $5.9M
7 - Divergent $5.8M
8 - Oculus $5.2M
9 - Noah $5.0M
10 - God's Not Dead $4.8M
In the beginning...- So, there has been a new trend in movies lately (superhero movies in particular), that seems to have really gotten kicked off with The Dark Knight. That is the whole bit on releasing the first few minutes of a film. This week saw two such releases. One of these is from Days of Future Past. It is labeled as "opening fight scene", so not sure if it is the very beginning of said film. The other is the first three minutes of Joss Whedon's film In Your Eyes (which you can see over at EW.com). The question is, is this a good new trend. I guess my personal opinion is that if the material is good, then yes. Trailers now seem to be giving away the whole plot of movies lately. In the case of In Your Eyes, the first three minutes were intriguing enough with the setup for me to want to see the film. I didn't need key scenes from the rest of the movie spoiling things in a trailer. Mind you, a well put together trailer can do wonders still. They just really need to stop giving away the whole plot.
Speaking of trailers, and X-Men, the final trailer has been released this week. Up until now I have only been mildly enthusiastic about this movie. Between that opening fight scene and this new trailer, however, I must say my excitement level has gone up a couple of notches.
Future endeavors?- One final bit of X-Men news and I'll move on. It is well known that Marvel/Disney has not really wanted to combine efforts with Fox and Sony with superhero movies. That is fair enough, because they are trying to get rights back to their properties. But, could something be brewing between Fox and Sony? Sony has announced that they will have a mid-credit sequence in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 of the X-Men. Not quite worth getting too worked up over yet because it is apparently just a scene from the new X-Men movie and has no cross-over implications at all. However, this collaboration does indicate that the two studios are communicating with each other positively. One can only hope that maybe we'll see Spider-Man show up in Fantastic Four or X-Men in the future, or vice versa. One can dream of said cross-over anyway.
2 Fast 2 Furious- In body double news, the show must go on with Fast and Furious 7. Universal officially announced that Paul Walker's brothers, Caleb and Cody, will be filling in for any of his unfinished scenes. Paul had gotten most of his dramatic scenes filmed already, so they won't have to fill in for a lot. I realize that for Universal, this is mostly, if not completely, about not losing money by having to scrap the movie for rewrites and reshoots. But, I do like that they will not be just CGIing him into these remaining scenes, and also Paul's brothers get to honor his memory in a unique way, which also means that this decision was family approved.
Disappearing act- Have to give a mention to one trailer that was released this week. That is for Gone Girl, starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Just had to mention it because it looks like a good new thriller, and I'm just a huge fan of the director David Fincher. Everything he does, if not great, is at least very interesting.
And that ain't no bull- In the realm of completely bizarre news, we have the release of the documentary The Final Member. This film is about two men who are both vying to be the first human to have their "member" be the first human penis in the Iclandic Phallological Museum. While you are wrapping your head around that little tidbit, I'll get onto the actual bizarre part of this story. Drafthouse films is the production company for this film, and if you pre-order the movie here, you get a little souvenir along with it. That would be a wax-sealed glass jar containing an actual bull penis. So, I guess it is a little bit of bull after all.
Well, that's it for tonight. Have a pleasant week.
Until next time.....remember to always grab the bull by the horns.
Weekend top 10 at the box office:
1 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier $26.6M
2 - Rio 2 $22.5M
3 - Heaven is for Real (new release) $21.5M
4 - Transcendence (new release) $11.2M
5 - A Haunted House 2 (new release) $9.1M
6 - Draft Day $5.9M
7 - Divergent $5.8M
8 - Oculus $5.2M
9 - Noah $5.0M
10 - God's Not Dead $4.8M
Sunday, April 6, 2014
A Week of Entertainment - Issue 4
First things first, let's start off with a little title that opened up this weekend called Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It had the highest ever April opening with $96.2 million.....because it's awesome!! Now, on to the week that was.
Le Wolv - I usually don't really care much for a lot of the big celebrities. There are a few though, that I sometimes see do things and get the impression that they are a halfway decent person. Hugh Jackman is one of those. (If anyone has proof that he does suck, keep it to yourself...I like the guy). Being a big celebrity that can poke fun at yourself is a good way to get me to think you're alright. And that is exactly what Jackman does in this video. I think this video is great. This is also the guy who came to the tiny town of Iowa Falls, IA for the reopening of an old theatre, the Metropolitan Opera House, last year, that my sister-in-law manages. He had a double screening of The Wolverine and Prisoners. Keep it up Jackman, you're a real class act.
Ride into the Danger Drone - Always with the remakes and reboots and sequels to 80's hits. Now it looks like Maverick is flying into the future with a new Top Gun sequel. Not a lot of details, but as of now it will deal with pilots versus drones. Does anyone else here think that Tom Cruise may BE the drone? I mean does he even age at all? Well, I guess this could give Goose something to do. Haven't seen him much since his ER days. Maybe then he can go on to do Gotcha! 2 or something. Or am I the only one who even saw the first one?
April Fool's - Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 is happening. That's gotta be an April Fool's joke right? Wait, but I saw the announcement on April 2.......nooooooooo!!
Stepping Down - Last, but certainly not least, another king of late night is finally stepping down to give way to the younger generation. Earlier this week, David Letterman announced his retirement. I admit I haven't watched him in years, but back when I was growing up I always preferred him over Jay Leno. The last of the previous generation is now going away. I think they've left the late night in fairly capable hands with the new generation of Jimmys. One of which used one of Letterman's signature bits to talk about the retirement here.
Any other entertainment news worth mentioning? Let me know?
Until next time......here is this week's Top 10 (box office):
1 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier (new release) $96.2M
2 - Noah $17M
3 - Divergent $13M
4 - God's Not Dead $7.7M
5 - The Grand Budapest Hotel $6.3M
6 - Muppets Most Wanted $6.3M
7 - Mr. Peabody & Shermon $5.3M
8 - Sabotage $1.9M
9 - Need For Speed $1.8M
10 - Non-Stop $1.8M
Le Wolv - I usually don't really care much for a lot of the big celebrities. There are a few though, that I sometimes see do things and get the impression that they are a halfway decent person. Hugh Jackman is one of those. (If anyone has proof that he does suck, keep it to yourself...I like the guy). Being a big celebrity that can poke fun at yourself is a good way to get me to think you're alright. And that is exactly what Jackman does in this video. I think this video is great. This is also the guy who came to the tiny town of Iowa Falls, IA for the reopening of an old theatre, the Metropolitan Opera House, last year, that my sister-in-law manages. He had a double screening of The Wolverine and Prisoners. Keep it up Jackman, you're a real class act.
Ride into the Danger Drone - Always with the remakes and reboots and sequels to 80's hits. Now it looks like Maverick is flying into the future with a new Top Gun sequel. Not a lot of details, but as of now it will deal with pilots versus drones. Does anyone else here think that Tom Cruise may BE the drone? I mean does he even age at all? Well, I guess this could give Goose something to do. Haven't seen him much since his ER days. Maybe then he can go on to do Gotcha! 2 or something. Or am I the only one who even saw the first one?
April Fool's - Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 is happening. That's gotta be an April Fool's joke right? Wait, but I saw the announcement on April 2.......nooooooooo!!
Stepping Down - Last, but certainly not least, another king of late night is finally stepping down to give way to the younger generation. Earlier this week, David Letterman announced his retirement. I admit I haven't watched him in years, but back when I was growing up I always preferred him over Jay Leno. The last of the previous generation is now going away. I think they've left the late night in fairly capable hands with the new generation of Jimmys. One of which used one of Letterman's signature bits to talk about the retirement here.
Any other entertainment news worth mentioning? Let me know?
Until next time......here is this week's Top 10 (box office):
1 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier (new release) $96.2M
2 - Noah $17M
3 - Divergent $13M
4 - God's Not Dead $7.7M
5 - The Grand Budapest Hotel $6.3M
6 - Muppets Most Wanted $6.3M
7 - Mr. Peabody & Shermon $5.3M
8 - Sabotage $1.9M
9 - Need For Speed $1.8M
10 - Non-Stop $1.8M
Sunday, March 30, 2014
A Week of Entertainment - Issue 3
Gotta say, I thought it was a slow week for anything real newsworthy. So much so, that I'm leading off with a poster.
Poster of Future Past - This is the new poster released for the upcoming X-Men movie. Don't have a whole to say about it. I just thought it was cool and can't wait for the movie.
No More Monkey Business - Well, maybe a little bit more. Everyone's favorite go to man in Hollywood to play the role of monkey is taking off the CGI mask and heading to the director's chair. Andy Serkis is done monkeying around. Now he wants to direct someone else to do it in the new live action Jungle Book. On a side note, this will be another Snow White and the Huntsman/Mirror Mirror situation. Two companies taking a beloved classic Disney cartoon and making a live action version. It looks as though Serkis will be directing for Warner Brothers, while Jon Favreau directs his own version for Disney itself.
Aarruaghah, my back! - It looks like Arnold "I'll be back!" Schwarzenegger is keeping his promise once again. The 66 year old Austrian actor is coming back to play the same T-800 robot he made famous waaaaay back in 1984. Here's what he had to say:
“The way that the character is written, it’s a machine underneath,” he said. “It’s this metal skeleton but above that is human flesh, and the Terminator’s flesh ages, just like any other human being’s flesh. Maybe not as fast, but it definitely ages."
So, Skynet was able to develop technology that could teach itself and eventually take over the world, but they weren't smart enough to develop a synthetic skin that wouldn't age? That's kinda weak Ahnold. I love that you're back in the movies, but let this Terminator thing go. All that being said.....I'm sure I'll probably go see it.
TMNTrash - I kid, I kid. It's just that this new Ninja Turtles movie (new trailer) has two huge strikes against it. Michael Bay and Megan Fox. Yes, I will admit that I thought Transformers was entertaining. Then they went and made 2 and 3. The slightly promising news is, Bay is only producing, and in the trailer at least, Megan Fox had no dialogue. Hopefully they will keep that to a minimum in the film too. Although the storyline of Shredder working with O'Neil's father to create the turtles is something that will be hard to wrap my head around, the trailer had a few good things. One, the turtles' fun-loving side showed through in a few of the scenes. Two, the turtles' faces look a little funky, but other than that they don't look too bad. Three, William Fichtner! Seriously, I'll watch that guy in anything. I mean, have you seen Drive Angry? Probably not, because it was a really crappy (although a lot of fun) Nicolas Cage movie. Most of that fun is because William Fichtner is awesome.
Until next time......Kowabunga dudes!
Weekend Top 10 at the box office:
1 - Noah (new release) $44M
2 - Divergent $26.5M
3 - Muppets Most Wanted $11.4M
4 - Mr. Peabody & Sherman $9.5M
5 - God's Not Dead $9M
6 - The Grand Budapest Hotel $8.8M
7 - Sabotage (new release) $5.3M
8 - Need For Speed $4.3M
9 - 300: Rise of an Empire $4.3M
10 - Non-Stop $4M
Sunday, March 23, 2014
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.
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.
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
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