R.I.P. Miramax
After the purchase of Miramax studios by Disney, many feared the great indie label’s demise. Well, as the Sundance Film Festival, of which Miramax was often a mainstay comes to a close, their fears are realized.
As of this week, the New York and Los Angeles offices will be shutting down, as Disney is rejecting the buyout options of the Weinstein’s, the companies previous owners. With the labels demise comes 80 people now jobless, and the movies shelved, possibly permanently.
The label saw is responsible for the rise of directors like Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma, Chasing Amy), Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction), Steven Soderbergh (Sex, Lies and Videotape) and Peter Jackson, amongst others. Director, Kevin Smith noted “I’m crushed to see it pass into history, because I owe everything I have to Miramax. Without them, I’d still be a New Jersey convenience store register jockey in practice, not just in my head.”
Among the movies now shelved come some notable projects, two with Sam Worthington in The Debt and Last Night, the latter of which was supposed to come out in March and included Kiera Knightly; Julie Taymor’s filmed version of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and Troy Nixey and Guillermo del Toro’s remake of Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.
The studio, originally started by Bob and Harvey Weinstein was named after the their parents, Max and Miriam. Harvey Weinstein commented, saying “I'm feeling very nostalgic right now. I know the movies made on my and my brother Bob's watch will live on as well as the fantastic films made under the direction of Daniel Battsek. Miramax has some brilliant people working within the organization and I know they will go on to do great things in the industry."
Check out the C.L. Post with added video!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
The Nerd commandments
This is a post from Movieblog.com that I am posting here because it is just so true. I sadly can vouch for nearly all of these. The comment at the end made me giggle a bit. So, here it is, let me know if these pertain to you, and if you have more to add!
As a Movie Geek, there is some obvious crossover into other areas of geekdom for me such as video games, comic books, novels, and other pursuits of unique social circles. But it wasn’t until now that I had those quantified for me. The gang at Topless Robot with some reader submitted Commandments as well have compiled the 20 Nerd Commandments.
I pride myself as being a geek first and foremost and rank Nerd as the derogatory term associated with my social standing, but there is some serious wisdom bombs being dropped here yo!
Topless Robot presents:
1) Thou must experience as many nerdy properties as possible throughout your youth (nerdy parents must assist with this). By the age of 20, you must have chosen at least two sides of the following: Star Wars or Star Trek, Kirk or Picard, Marvel or DC, Mac or PC, Trukk or Munkey, Baker or Tennant, and Joel or Mike. If these topics come up, you must argue your choice past all reasonableness.
2) Thou must always recognize your first exposure to a nerdy property was the best possible incarnation of that property. Likewise, thou must always find new incarnations, sequels, spin-offs, rip-offs, and media inspired these properties to be crappier than your prized original.
3) Thou must revere the Nerd Girl, because she is as rare as the diamond and just as valuable. Thou shouldst not stark her just because she’s the only girl in your nerd circle, and if/when she turns down your advances, you will not spurn her because that’s just shitty. And Nerd Girls, thou must be careful, for thy power is great — and can be used for both good and ill.
4) Thou must try to convince your significant other to name the child after a character of nerdy importance. If thou are cut from the cloth of the nerd tribe and have managed to breed, , and bringeth into the world the Lando’s, the Anakin’s, the Kal-Els. –Hagan
5) All nerds must be able to sketch, from memory, the basic outlines of the Millennium Falcon, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), and the TARDIS.
6) Thou shalt not question who shot first.
7) Thou shalt acknowledge that Batman beats everyone, ever, anywhere at fighting. That’s right, he beats everybody. Even Optimus Prime. Even Darth Vader. Even Chuck Norris. He’d find a way. He’s the goddamn Batman.
8) Thou shalt be prepared to survive the zombie apocalypse, and teach thy children similarly.
9) Thou shalt not forget to honor and give thanks to the Dice Gods for your triumphs and victories.
10) If two nerds ever find themselves holding cylindrical objects of at least 9 inches in length they must immediately make lightsaber ignition noises and face each other down in mortal combat.
11) Shouldst thou hear a man proclaim, “Now you know,” for whatever reason, then thou must reply in your most triumphant voice, “And knowing is half the battle!” Let he who should offend against this law be cast out from the company of his worthier fellows and be made subject to aspersions made ‘gainst his improper rearing and the cuckolding whore that did sire him and perform the rearing.
12) When searching for something to watch on television you must watch the geek movie you come across, even if you have said movie in your collection. If anyone asks, “Why don’t you just watch the one you own?” stare at them like an idiot and explain, “That is not the point.”
13) In order to assure procreation of the nerd species, thou shalt not utter nerdy quotes during sex.
14) Thy first crush must be upon an cartoon character.
15) Thou must not be the nerdiest person in the room, the one nerd that even the other nerds are scared to be around. If your obsession causes you to lose a job, significant other, or cause harm to yourself, GET SOME FUCKING HELP. [Ed's Note: I feel like this covers my fan fic rule from before. If you're writing about pedobeastophiliac Care Bears porn, you're very likely this person, and you should knock that shit off. --Rob]
16) Thou must learn how to do to the Vulcan hand gesture, whether thou likes Star Trek or not.
17) Thou shalt be required to attend at least one nerd convention (videogames, anime, comics, etc.) during thy lifetime.
18) There shall be no viewing of fansubs by any self-described otaku/anime fan who can afford to purchase the said material (exceptions: viewing at conventions or titles that have no chance of being released stateside).
19) All nerds, when purchasing something in a store, must never pick up the first item in the front, because the item in front has almost certainly been touched by unclean hands, and thus its condition is less mint, the grade must pleasing to the nerd gods.
20) Thou must obey the Law of the Golden Mean. What is it? Glad you asked:• Any thing that can be purchased, achieved or obtained that consists of a discrete number of individual parts, issues, episodes, or location; such as issues of a comic book, trading cards in a set, or action figures in a line is subject to the Law of the Golden Mean.• Any nerd in possession of more than 61.8% of the individual items in such a series must, if at all possible, either proceed to acquire each of the remaining items so as to complete the set, or sell one or more items on eBay until the nerd again owns less than 61.8% of the total series.• If the items owned make up a complete set of a more specific series, the law is satisfied.
*Example 1:Peter owns seasons one, two, three and four of Babylon 5 on DVD. Peter owns 4 of 5 (80%) of Babylon 5 on DVD, and so must also purchase Season 5 to complete the set, even though it kind of sucked.
*Example 2:Clark owns the first nine of sixteen collected volumes of Dave Sim’s “Cerebus the Aardvark.” Clark owns only 56.25% of the Cerebus books, and therefore may stop purchasing them without violating this Law once he realizes that they’ve gotten longwinded, incomprehensible, and obnoxious.
*Example 3:Logan owns all of issues 27 through 860 of Detective Comics except for Issue #449 (”Midnight Rustler of Gotham City”). Logan owns 96.7% of all Detective Comics issues and would ordinarily be required to complete the set. However, by buying Issue #449, Logan can complete the more specific set of all Detective Comics issues published since the introduction of Batman, after which he does not need to purchase issues 1 through 27.
*Example 4:Reed has photographs of himself with William Shatner, Majel Barrett, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, and Walter Koenig. His photographs comprise only 55.6% of the original nine-member regular cast of Star Trek: The Original Series, and it is unnecessary for him to stalk either Michelle Nichelle Nichols or Grace Lee Whitney, although I bet that won’t stop him.
*Example 5:Bruce has 300 issues of Fantastic Four from the 1960s through the 1980s in plastic storage tubs under his bed. Because Bruce owns less than 61.8% of the 500-plus Fantastic Four issues, he is not required to purchase the entire set. However, Bruce’s collection likely includes more than 61.8% of those Fantastic Four issues inked by Joe Sinnott, and if Bruce is aware of this, he will be required to complete that subset.
For most nerds, failure to abide by the Law of the Golden Mean will result in madness, obsession, and eventually a drunken late-night sale of the entire remaining collection on eBay.
I can attest to a good number of these laws being upheld even unintentionally in my life, and as mentioned, I would qualify that as being geeky not nerdy.
The greatest of these laws is not to be the nerdiest nerd in the nerd herd. My wife often finds herself rolling her eyes at my geekiness, but to my credit unless I am gushing about a particular topic of interest that exposes my geek, I hide it pretty well in my appearance.
I'm like the green beret of geek. You won’t see it coming, but by the time you know I am in there, its already too late.
So, thank you Movieblog, this is so true. I'll have to see if there are any more rules to add...
As a Movie Geek, there is some obvious crossover into other areas of geekdom for me such as video games, comic books, novels, and other pursuits of unique social circles. But it wasn’t until now that I had those quantified for me. The gang at Topless Robot with some reader submitted Commandments as well have compiled the 20 Nerd Commandments.
I pride myself as being a geek first and foremost and rank Nerd as the derogatory term associated with my social standing, but there is some serious wisdom bombs being dropped here yo!
Topless Robot presents:
1) Thou must experience as many nerdy properties as possible throughout your youth (nerdy parents must assist with this). By the age of 20, you must have chosen at least two sides of the following: Star Wars or Star Trek, Kirk or Picard, Marvel or DC, Mac or PC, Trukk or Munkey, Baker or Tennant, and Joel or Mike. If these topics come up, you must argue your choice past all reasonableness.
2) Thou must always recognize your first exposure to a nerdy property was the best possible incarnation of that property. Likewise, thou must always find new incarnations, sequels, spin-offs, rip-offs, and media inspired these properties to be crappier than your prized original.
3) Thou must revere the Nerd Girl, because she is as rare as the diamond and just as valuable. Thou shouldst not stark her just because she’s the only girl in your nerd circle, and if/when she turns down your advances, you will not spurn her because that’s just shitty. And Nerd Girls, thou must be careful, for thy power is great — and can be used for both good and ill.
4) Thou must try to convince your significant other to name the child after a character of nerdy importance. If thou are cut from the cloth of the nerd tribe and have managed to breed, , and bringeth into the world the Lando’s, the Anakin’s, the Kal-Els. –Hagan
5) All nerds must be able to sketch, from memory, the basic outlines of the Millennium Falcon, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), and the TARDIS.
6) Thou shalt not question who shot first.
7) Thou shalt acknowledge that Batman beats everyone, ever, anywhere at fighting. That’s right, he beats everybody. Even Optimus Prime. Even Darth Vader. Even Chuck Norris. He’d find a way. He’s the goddamn Batman.
8) Thou shalt be prepared to survive the zombie apocalypse, and teach thy children similarly.
9) Thou shalt not forget to honor and give thanks to the Dice Gods for your triumphs and victories.
10) If two nerds ever find themselves holding cylindrical objects of at least 9 inches in length they must immediately make lightsaber ignition noises and face each other down in mortal combat.
11) Shouldst thou hear a man proclaim, “Now you know,” for whatever reason, then thou must reply in your most triumphant voice, “And knowing is half the battle!” Let he who should offend against this law be cast out from the company of his worthier fellows and be made subject to aspersions made ‘gainst his improper rearing and the cuckolding whore that did sire him and perform the rearing.
12) When searching for something to watch on television you must watch the geek movie you come across, even if you have said movie in your collection. If anyone asks, “Why don’t you just watch the one you own?” stare at them like an idiot and explain, “That is not the point.”
13) In order to assure procreation of the nerd species, thou shalt not utter nerdy quotes during sex.
14) Thy first crush must be upon an cartoon character.
15) Thou must not be the nerdiest person in the room, the one nerd that even the other nerds are scared to be around. If your obsession causes you to lose a job, significant other, or cause harm to yourself, GET SOME FUCKING HELP. [Ed's Note: I feel like this covers my fan fic rule from before. If you're writing about pedobeastophiliac Care Bears porn, you're very likely this person, and you should knock that shit off. --Rob]
16) Thou must learn how to do to the Vulcan hand gesture, whether thou likes Star Trek or not.
17) Thou shalt be required to attend at least one nerd convention (videogames, anime, comics, etc.) during thy lifetime.
18) There shall be no viewing of fansubs by any self-described otaku/anime fan who can afford to purchase the said material (exceptions: viewing at conventions or titles that have no chance of being released stateside).
19) All nerds, when purchasing something in a store, must never pick up the first item in the front, because the item in front has almost certainly been touched by unclean hands, and thus its condition is less mint, the grade must pleasing to the nerd gods.
20) Thou must obey the Law of the Golden Mean. What is it? Glad you asked:• Any thing that can be purchased, achieved or obtained that consists of a discrete number of individual parts, issues, episodes, or location; such as issues of a comic book, trading cards in a set, or action figures in a line is subject to the Law of the Golden Mean.• Any nerd in possession of more than 61.8% of the individual items in such a series must, if at all possible, either proceed to acquire each of the remaining items so as to complete the set, or sell one or more items on eBay until the nerd again owns less than 61.8% of the total series.• If the items owned make up a complete set of a more specific series, the law is satisfied.
*Example 1:Peter owns seasons one, two, three and four of Babylon 5 on DVD. Peter owns 4 of 5 (80%) of Babylon 5 on DVD, and so must also purchase Season 5 to complete the set, even though it kind of sucked.
*Example 2:Clark owns the first nine of sixteen collected volumes of Dave Sim’s “Cerebus the Aardvark.” Clark owns only 56.25% of the Cerebus books, and therefore may stop purchasing them without violating this Law once he realizes that they’ve gotten longwinded, incomprehensible, and obnoxious.
*Example 3:Logan owns all of issues 27 through 860 of Detective Comics except for Issue #449 (”Midnight Rustler of Gotham City”). Logan owns 96.7% of all Detective Comics issues and would ordinarily be required to complete the set. However, by buying Issue #449, Logan can complete the more specific set of all Detective Comics issues published since the introduction of Batman, after which he does not need to purchase issues 1 through 27.
*Example 4:Reed has photographs of himself with William Shatner, Majel Barrett, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, and Walter Koenig. His photographs comprise only 55.6% of the original nine-member regular cast of Star Trek: The Original Series, and it is unnecessary for him to stalk either Michelle Nichelle Nichols or Grace Lee Whitney, although I bet that won’t stop him.
*Example 5:Bruce has 300 issues of Fantastic Four from the 1960s through the 1980s in plastic storage tubs under his bed. Because Bruce owns less than 61.8% of the 500-plus Fantastic Four issues, he is not required to purchase the entire set. However, Bruce’s collection likely includes more than 61.8% of those Fantastic Four issues inked by Joe Sinnott, and if Bruce is aware of this, he will be required to complete that subset.
For most nerds, failure to abide by the Law of the Golden Mean will result in madness, obsession, and eventually a drunken late-night sale of the entire remaining collection on eBay.
I can attest to a good number of these laws being upheld even unintentionally in my life, and as mentioned, I would qualify that as being geeky not nerdy.
The greatest of these laws is not to be the nerdiest nerd in the nerd herd. My wife often finds herself rolling her eyes at my geekiness, but to my credit unless I am gushing about a particular topic of interest that exposes my geek, I hide it pretty well in my appearance.
I'm like the green beret of geek. You won’t see it coming, but by the time you know I am in there, its already too late.
So, thank you Movieblog, this is so true. I'll have to see if there are any more rules to add...
Have you seen Human Target yet?
Human Target is a show on Fox that is on Tuesdays at 8 pm, and is basically a traditional action movie condensed to one hour, and boy is it fun to watch.
The show has Christopher Chance trying to protect someone from a threat each week with two friends/colleges backing him up that also provide the comic relief. The show has had three episodes air so far, and it seems to be going for an all-out action show, with some comedy, and very little drama. In fact, there seems to be almost no drama at all, as the show seems to focus more on the action than anything else.
The true jewels of the show are not the main star, although he is played quite well. The stars are the comic relief with Chi McBride and Jackie Earl Haley, who shows that he can do more than be Freddie Kruger and Rorschack. They are truly interesting characters that are funny, yet show they could have some depth to them, if the show chooses to exploit it.
That brings me to the drawback of the show. While I truly enjoy it, and look forward to it each week, there is no exploring these characters yet, and there does not seem to be any greater story arc than the client of the week. And, with characters as rich as they are, it seems to be a waste with no backstory.
Either way, Human Target is a fun ride, that if they can add an overall arc to the season, it could be one of the better new shows of the season.
The show has Christopher Chance trying to protect someone from a threat each week with two friends/colleges backing him up that also provide the comic relief. The show has had three episodes air so far, and it seems to be going for an all-out action show, with some comedy, and very little drama. In fact, there seems to be almost no drama at all, as the show seems to focus more on the action than anything else.
The true jewels of the show are not the main star, although he is played quite well. The stars are the comic relief with Chi McBride and Jackie Earl Haley, who shows that he can do more than be Freddie Kruger and Rorschack. They are truly interesting characters that are funny, yet show they could have some depth to them, if the show chooses to exploit it.
That brings me to the drawback of the show. While I truly enjoy it, and look forward to it each week, there is no exploring these characters yet, and there does not seem to be any greater story arc than the client of the week. And, with characters as rich as they are, it seems to be a waste with no backstory.
Either way, Human Target is a fun ride, that if they can add an overall arc to the season, it could be one of the better new shows of the season.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Psych live video chat
I'm a huge fan of Psych, as you all know, and I've always been a fan of John Cena. The guy has always had a certain charisma, and while Raw has gone up and down in quality, he has remained the same. I didn't realize, however, how funny he is. So, here is the live video chat with Dule Hill and John Cena. James Roday, who plays Shawn was supposed to show, but had an emergency appendecta...appen...well, he had some surgery!
Streaming Video by Ustream.TV
Streaming Video by Ustream.TV
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Matrix Pill
Check this video out from College Humor. I do love me some Matrix, and some Matrix humor.
Filmmakers get a new resource
This is an exciting time if you are an aspiring film maker. Technology has made it easier than ever to get your creations and your name out there for people to view. One such creation has popped up that promises to be quite exciting, it’s called HitRECord.org, and it’s backed by Joseph Gordon Levitt, or “Average Joe” as he is listed on the site.
The site involves either posting a creation of sound, film or text or collaborating on a current project on the site. You can download any project and add creative ideas, tweak certain aspects or add the one thing missing to make it a hit. If the video is deemed worthy, Levitt will go with it, and all the people who worked on it get a share of the money, 50/50. Currently, he is working on some of the projects on the site and along with people at a kiosk at the Sundance Film Festival, and is planning on showing a finished project at the festival.
The community is growing daily, and seems to be really supportive and amazingly creative. One of the big projects that Average Joe is working on is a video about encouraging donations to Haiti, and it is incredible seeing the different contributions.
Below is the video with Levitt talking about his creation and the rules involved with the site. I know I can’t wait to start browsing and possibly upload my own video. Who knows, with the help of some of the people on there, it could be a hit!
And, if you feel like helping out with my contributions, look me up, I’m The Hopp.
Oh, and here is the Loafing Link! Check it out!
The site involves either posting a creation of sound, film or text or collaborating on a current project on the site. You can download any project and add creative ideas, tweak certain aspects or add the one thing missing to make it a hit. If the video is deemed worthy, Levitt will go with it, and all the people who worked on it get a share of the money, 50/50. Currently, he is working on some of the projects on the site and along with people at a kiosk at the Sundance Film Festival, and is planning on showing a finished project at the festival.
The community is growing daily, and seems to be really supportive and amazingly creative. One of the big projects that Average Joe is working on is a video about encouraging donations to Haiti, and it is incredible seeing the different contributions.
Below is the video with Levitt talking about his creation and the rules involved with the site. I know I can’t wait to start browsing and possibly upload my own video. Who knows, with the help of some of the people on there, it could be a hit!
And, if you feel like helping out with my contributions, look me up, I’m The Hopp.
Oh, and here is the Loafing Link! Check it out!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Avatar #1 after 6 weeks!
After six weeks, the James Cameron smash hit Avatar remains at the top, continueing to buck trends and draw theater goers. This week, Avatar brought in a bit over $35 million domestic dollars to move into second, surpassing The Dark Knight, and inching closer to Cameron's other hit, Titanic. Oversees, the movie has amazingly flourished, smashing box office records, and raking in the dough.
Now, we could talk about all those people who thought the $500 million number would never be achieved, and how they feel pretty stupid right about now, but I want to talk about why this movie is behaving like none other at the box office.
With movies at the box office, there is always a clear pattern a movie goes through, no matter what the movie is. The movie generally hits the high the first week, and drops between 40% and 50% in the second week, accompanied by a 25% to 35% drop the second week, with another 30% drop the third week. Every movie from Titanic to The Dark Knight to Casablanca has exhibited this trend with nearly every movie inbetween doing the same, except for Avatar. Avatar dropped 2% from its first week, 10% the second and 15% the third, and continues, after 6 weeks at the top, which is unheard of.
So, I have to wonder why the movie is exhibiting such a strange pattern. Could it be the director pulling people in? Sure, James Cameron has made some great movies with Terminator 2, Titanic, Aliens, all blockbusters, but this much? What about the star power of the movie? Sam Worthington, who seems to be in everything hasn't had a movie nearly this popular, and movie goers just saw Zoe Saldana in Star Trek earlier in the year, but neither actor, even combined has shown this kind of money. What about the demographic? Here is where it gets tough, because Avatar has trailers out for the family audience, which is short on the violence and cat boobs, and long on the wonder of Pandora, and you also have the grittier late teens audience, showing Saldana's Netiri wearing very little, accompanied with crazy amounts of action.
So, why does this movie have a staying power of no other?
Now, we could talk about all those people who thought the $500 million number would never be achieved, and how they feel pretty stupid right about now, but I want to talk about why this movie is behaving like none other at the box office.
With movies at the box office, there is always a clear pattern a movie goes through, no matter what the movie is. The movie generally hits the high the first week, and drops between 40% and 50% in the second week, accompanied by a 25% to 35% drop the second week, with another 30% drop the third week. Every movie from Titanic to The Dark Knight to Casablanca has exhibited this trend with nearly every movie inbetween doing the same, except for Avatar. Avatar dropped 2% from its first week, 10% the second and 15% the third, and continues, after 6 weeks at the top, which is unheard of.
So, I have to wonder why the movie is exhibiting such a strange pattern. Could it be the director pulling people in? Sure, James Cameron has made some great movies with Terminator 2, Titanic, Aliens, all blockbusters, but this much? What about the star power of the movie? Sam Worthington, who seems to be in everything hasn't had a movie nearly this popular, and movie goers just saw Zoe Saldana in Star Trek earlier in the year, but neither actor, even combined has shown this kind of money. What about the demographic? Here is where it gets tough, because Avatar has trailers out for the family audience, which is short on the violence and cat boobs, and long on the wonder of Pandora, and you also have the grittier late teens audience, showing Saldana's Netiri wearing very little, accompanied with crazy amounts of action.
So, why does this movie have a staying power of no other?
Friday, January 22, 2010
Religon in movies
With The Book of Eli and this weeks addition, Legion, there seems to be no shortage of religeous based ideas. Does that effect your movie decision when picking that movie to go to the theater and blow $90 on?
There are always specific demographics a movie reckognizes and seems to try and concentrate on, and it seems to me that over the past two weeks, the religeous demographic seems to be taking a pounding. As someone who is not a member of such a demographic, I find it odd that they seem to be taking one idea and throwing it at this demographic over and over again. For me, however, the targeting of such a demographic is offturning to me. Don't get me wrong, it's not enough to stop me from seeing such a movie as Eli, or even Legion, it will probably be relegated to Netflix land, however.
So, after babbeling, I'm wondering if I am the only one with this problem. I enjoy getting away from things like religon, government, terrorism, and starvation. Granted, it leaves me with comedies and Sci-Fi, but I enjoy the escapeism.
I think the religeous demographic seems like it could be the most narrow. With rom-coms, targeted at the "female audience," that should get you nearly 50% of the population, and with splosion-type movies, they are geared at the male audience, another 50%, so what do you think the religeous audience is 25%, maybe, or do you think it could encompass as much as 80%?
Just some thoughts, maybe a primer for an interesting discussion, so discuss:
There are always specific demographics a movie reckognizes and seems to try and concentrate on, and it seems to me that over the past two weeks, the religeous demographic seems to be taking a pounding. As someone who is not a member of such a demographic, I find it odd that they seem to be taking one idea and throwing it at this demographic over and over again. For me, however, the targeting of such a demographic is offturning to me. Don't get me wrong, it's not enough to stop me from seeing such a movie as Eli, or even Legion, it will probably be relegated to Netflix land, however.
So, after babbeling, I'm wondering if I am the only one with this problem. I enjoy getting away from things like religon, government, terrorism, and starvation. Granted, it leaves me with comedies and Sci-Fi, but I enjoy the escapeism.
I think the religeous demographic seems like it could be the most narrow. With rom-coms, targeted at the "female audience," that should get you nearly 50% of the population, and with splosion-type movies, they are geared at the male audience, another 50%, so what do you think the religeous audience is 25%, maybe, or do you think it could encompass as much as 80%?
Just some thoughts, maybe a primer for an interesting discussion, so discuss:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Avatar - behind the scenes
If you are like me, and love to see the behind the scenes of movies, then you are going to love this 20 minute video showing some behind the scenes of James Cameron’s newest blockbuster, Avatar. However, if you are still under the impression there is a real planet called Pandora, and it holds blue cat-people, you may not want to watch.
I loved this movie, and the technology it takes for something like this blows my mind. It looked especially tough with the suits and green screen required for the film. I can’t wait to see what other features could be on the DVD besides the talked about sex scene
I loved this movie, and the technology it takes for something like this blows my mind. It looked especially tough with the suits and green screen required for the film. I can’t wait to see what other features could be on the DVD besides the talked about sex scene
3 Guys & Chuck The Podcast - Chuck Vs. Operation Awesome
That's right, the newest Chuck Podcast is up, and better than ever with hilarious conversations about Chuck, Captain Awesome, the dynamic of the show, and past and future guest stars, all infront of a live studio audience. I know you dyeing to click...don't fight it!
3 GUYS & CHUCK - THE PODCAST - CHUCK VS. OPERATION AWESOME
3 GUYS & CHUCK - THE PODCAST - CHUCK VS. OPERATION AWESOME
Paranormal Activity 2 gets interesting director
What is or is not ironic can be left up to things like dictionaries or Alanis Morsette songs, you have to admit, this is pretty darn interesting.
In 2009, a little movie called Paranormal Activity came out of nowhere and soundly thrashed an established horror franchise in Saw VI. Paranormal Activity went on to be the success story of the year, while Saw VI simply disappeared into oblivion, setting up another movie this year. However, with this in mind, it was announced yesterday that Saw VI director Kevin Greutert would be helming a sequel to Paranormal Activity. That’s not all, the movie is also is taking the release date of Saw VII, October 22, 2010. Clearly, that is more intriguing than rain on your wedding day, or some free line when you’ve already paid (yes, I know it’s not really ironic, please don’t kill me).
Paranormal Activities original director, Oren Peli will be kept on as a consultant. There is no word on whether it will be another shaky camera, or even what the plot will be; let’s just hope it’s nothing like the disastrous Blair Witch 2.
Here is the link for Creative Loafing
In 2009, a little movie called Paranormal Activity came out of nowhere and soundly thrashed an established horror franchise in Saw VI. Paranormal Activity went on to be the success story of the year, while Saw VI simply disappeared into oblivion, setting up another movie this year. However, with this in mind, it was announced yesterday that Saw VI director Kevin Greutert would be helming a sequel to Paranormal Activity. That’s not all, the movie is also is taking the release date of Saw VII, October 22, 2010. Clearly, that is more intriguing than rain on your wedding day, or some free line when you’ve already paid (yes, I know it’s not really ironic, please don’t kill me).
Paranormal Activities original director, Oren Peli will be kept on as a consultant. There is no word on whether it will be another shaky camera, or even what the plot will be; let’s just hope it’s nothing like the disastrous Blair Witch 2.
Here is the link for Creative Loafing
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Human Target
FOX’s newest action series comes to TV with a really big bang, but is it worth the hour investment? In a word, absolutely!
Human Target started off as a DC comic book that was spun into a show starring Mark Valley from Fringe, Chi McBride from well, everything, and Watchmen’s own Jackie Earl Haley. The show is about Christopher Chance who specializes in protecting clients from harm, and he is very good at it. We have his boss, and an unscrupulous investigator who will help Chance solve who is after the client of the week.
This week, we had the geek goddess herself, Trisha Helfer as a woman who discovers she is being targeted for death. When Chance finds out it could all take place on a high-speed train built by Helfer’s character, he decides to help. What follows is some of the best action on TV as Chance tries to figure out who is trying to kill her as he works to protect her.
The show started right off with our hero taking down a hostage taker, immediately letting us know he is the hero, and maybe a bit crazy without going into backstory. The intro is part comic book and mostly James Bond, which will be a good indicator of the show. We aren’t talking about layered characters like on Lost, we’re talking about simple characters in complex situations, and I can’t wait to see more.
This show is definitely getting the season pass on my DVR, and it should be on yours too! Look for it on Wednesdays on Fox.
Human Target started off as a DC comic book that was spun into a show starring Mark Valley from Fringe, Chi McBride from well, everything, and Watchmen’s own Jackie Earl Haley. The show is about Christopher Chance who specializes in protecting clients from harm, and he is very good at it. We have his boss, and an unscrupulous investigator who will help Chance solve who is after the client of the week.
This week, we had the geek goddess herself, Trisha Helfer as a woman who discovers she is being targeted for death. When Chance finds out it could all take place on a high-speed train built by Helfer’s character, he decides to help. What follows is some of the best action on TV as Chance tries to figure out who is trying to kill her as he works to protect her.
The show started right off with our hero taking down a hostage taker, immediately letting us know he is the hero, and maybe a bit crazy without going into backstory. The intro is part comic book and mostly James Bond, which will be a good indicator of the show. We aren’t talking about layered characters like on Lost, we’re talking about simple characters in complex situations, and I can’t wait to see more.
This show is definitely getting the season pass on my DVR, and it should be on yours too! Look for it on Wednesdays on Fox.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Golden Globes: The Breakdown
Sunday brought us the 67th annual Golden Globe awards, and promised us an unleashed Ricky Gervais as host, along with some amazing surprises. For once, NBC delivered on their promise.
Host Gervais was brash and harsh and completely hilarious as expected and poked fun at Steve Carrell, script writers in general, Colin Farrell, Sir Paul McCartney and Mel Gibson, amongst others. While the shows pace was painfully slow, the bits with Gervais more than made up for that.
Oh, and did I mention the surprised in the awards section? The big talk of the awards was Fox breakout hit Glee winning an award and Avatar winning Best Motion Picture Drama and best director, James Cameron. The remaining awards are below.
With a win at the Globes, Avatar fans are already talking a victory at this years Academy Awards. With a sci-fi movie winning a Golden Globe, anything could happen.
So, did you enjoy the Golden Globes?
Best Motion Picture — Drama
Avatar – Winner
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side – Winner
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sadibe, Precious
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart – Winner
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers
Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover – Winner
It’s Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Meryl Streep, It’s Complicated
Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia – Winner
Julia Roberts, Duplicity
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Matt Damon, The Informant
Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes – Winner
Joseph Gordon Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mo-Nique, Precious – Winner
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Matt Damon, Invictus
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Christopher Waltz, Inglorious Basterds – Winner
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Best Animated Feature Film
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
The Princess and the Frog
Up – Winner
Best Foreign Language Film
Barria
Broken Embraces
A Prophet
The White Ribbon – Winner
The Maid
Best Director — Motion Picture
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar – Winner
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds
Best Screenplay — Motion Picture
Up in the Air – Winner
It’s Complicated
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Best Original Score — Motion Picture
Michael Giacchino, Up – Winner
Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant
James Horner, Avatar
Abel Krozeniowski, A Single Man
Karen O. and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are
Best Original Song — Motion Picture
“I Will See You,” Avatar
“The Weary Kind,” The Crazy Heart – Winner
“Winter,” Brothers
“Cinema Italiano,” Nine
“I Want to Come Home,” Everybody’s Fine
Host Gervais was brash and harsh and completely hilarious as expected and poked fun at Steve Carrell, script writers in general, Colin Farrell, Sir Paul McCartney and Mel Gibson, amongst others. While the shows pace was painfully slow, the bits with Gervais more than made up for that.
Oh, and did I mention the surprised in the awards section? The big talk of the awards was Fox breakout hit Glee winning an award and Avatar winning Best Motion Picture Drama and best director, James Cameron. The remaining awards are below.
With a win at the Globes, Avatar fans are already talking a victory at this years Academy Awards. With a sci-fi movie winning a Golden Globe, anything could happen.
So, did you enjoy the Golden Globes?
Best Motion Picture — Drama
Avatar – Winner
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side – Winner
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sadibe, Precious
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart – Winner
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers
Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover – Winner
It’s Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Meryl Streep, It’s Complicated
Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia – Winner
Julia Roberts, Duplicity
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Matt Damon, The Informant
Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes – Winner
Joseph Gordon Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mo-Nique, Precious – Winner
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Matt Damon, Invictus
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Christopher Waltz, Inglorious Basterds – Winner
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Best Animated Feature Film
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
The Princess and the Frog
Up – Winner
Best Foreign Language Film
Barria
Broken Embraces
A Prophet
The White Ribbon – Winner
The Maid
Best Director — Motion Picture
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar – Winner
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds
Best Screenplay — Motion Picture
Up in the Air – Winner
It’s Complicated
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Best Original Score — Motion Picture
Michael Giacchino, Up – Winner
Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant
James Horner, Avatar
Abel Krozeniowski, A Single Man
Karen O. and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are
Best Original Song — Motion Picture
“I Will See You,” Avatar
“The Weary Kind,” The Crazy Heart – Winner
“Winter,” Brothers
“Cinema Italiano,” Nine
“I Want to Come Home,” Everybody’s Fine
check out the info on Glee's Madonna episode
Thank you to spoilertv.com for the best info all the time.
I'm a huge Glee fan, like so many of you, and this episode looks to be one of the best ever.
I'm a huge Glee fan, like so many of you, and this episode looks to be one of the best ever.
The Glee cast has been hard at work on their special Madonna-themed episode, featuring several of the Material Girl's most memorable hits. "We're singing like nine Madonna songs," says Cory Monteith, who plays Finn.
Word is Jayma Mays, who plays Emma, will dress provocatively and sing "Like A Virgin" with one of two other characters. All Jayma would confirm is that her song is "very appropriate and fitting for my character." Does Jayma think Emma's yet to to touched for the very first time? "If they said my character's a virgin I wouldn't be surprised."
Lea Michele says he character, Rachel, will be wearing on of Madonna's signature looks. "Growing up, Madonna was my biggest icon," raves Lea. "She's amazing."
But the biggest news about this episode is that wicked Sue Sylvester will be singing "Vogue" in a fantasy sequence - and wearing Madonna infamous cones over her breasts. "I'm having a lot of fittings for this Madonna video we're doing," says Jane Lynch, who plays Sue. "We're basically doing it frame for frame."
Why's Sue singing "Vogue"? Jane says, "You're going to find out that Sue wants to get a makeover."
Avatar wins a Golden Globe
So, when I saw that Avatar won a Golden Globe, I figured it would be for their technical achievments, which would not surprise me in the least. However, when I heard it was for best drama, my jaw hit the floor. Don't the Golden Globe people know sci-fi movies don't win awards? It's in the rules somewhere that for some reason, sci-fi movies are kinda like that weird, smelly uncle at awards shows. Not last night, however, last night, Avatar was front and center for one of the biggest awards, and the biggest upset of the night.
So, this got me to thinking...does Avatar have a shot at the stuffier Academy Awards show in a few months? My first anwser would be no, but as Avatar still continues to dominate the box office week after week, while winning a friggin' Golden Globe, my "no" is starting to get a little shakier. Now, as long as Clint Eastwood doesn't come out with some more Oscar crap, it's possible James Cameron's smelly uncle could shine on Oscar night.
So, what do you think, does Avatar deserve the gold?
So, this got me to thinking...does Avatar have a shot at the stuffier Academy Awards show in a few months? My first anwser would be no, but as Avatar still continues to dominate the box office week after week, while winning a friggin' Golden Globe, my "no" is starting to get a little shakier. Now, as long as Clint Eastwood doesn't come out with some more Oscar crap, it's possible James Cameron's smelly uncle could shine on Oscar night.
So, what do you think, does Avatar deserve the gold?
Friday, January 15, 2010
What an idea: Nemesis
Over at ScreenRant, they always have interesting articles, but one caught my eye today. The article talks about Frank Miller coming out with a graphic novel with a very simplistic idea, yet no one has really thought about it: what if Bruce Wayne decided to be a Joker instead of a Dark Knight?
Yeah, it blew my mind too. Apparently, the book easily shows the fine line between the two characters and has a rich guy who snaps after his parents are murdered and goes for total anarchy; the only thing stopping him are the people of the city.
According to the article, there are already several directors looking to get their hands on the project. Given the success of Miller's other adaptations, Watchmen and Wanted, I wouldn't blame them.
Anywho, cool idea, huh? What do you think? Good movie idea or too abstract?
Yeah, it blew my mind too. Apparently, the book easily shows the fine line between the two characters and has a rich guy who snaps after his parents are murdered and goes for total anarchy; the only thing stopping him are the people of the city.
According to the article, there are already several directors looking to get their hands on the project. Given the success of Miller's other adaptations, Watchmen and Wanted, I wouldn't blame them.
Anywho, cool idea, huh? What do you think? Good movie idea or too abstract?
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Who should play Peter Parker/Spiderman in the reboot?
Fantasy Casting time!!!
With the news out that Tobey Maguire and Spiderman are no longer synonomous, there is talk throughout Hollywood as to who could be next to put on the red and blue tights. There have been whispers of everyone from Zac Efron to Justin Timberlake, so lets take a look at my pick, and see if you have an idea of your own.
My pick has already solidified himself in several franchise movies already. For my pick, 2009 was a busy year, he played a young, futuristic Kyle Reese in Terminator Salvation, and was one of the only good things in that movie. He also went boldly where no one has gone before in Star Trek as Pavel Checkov. I’m talking about Charlie Bartlett himself, Anton Yelchin.
The guy clearly has some idea of how to act, and he looks like he could easily pick up a high school-era Peter Parker, which is what the film is shooting for, and he has already shown he can handle the comedy when it comes around.
I’m not a fan of a reboot, I think it’s too soon, and a terrible idea to take the character dark and gritty, but if they do, this is my pick. Anyone else have any ideas?
With the news out that Tobey Maguire and Spiderman are no longer synonomous, there is talk throughout Hollywood as to who could be next to put on the red and blue tights. There have been whispers of everyone from Zac Efron to Justin Timberlake, so lets take a look at my pick, and see if you have an idea of your own.
My pick has already solidified himself in several franchise movies already. For my pick, 2009 was a busy year, he played a young, futuristic Kyle Reese in Terminator Salvation, and was one of the only good things in that movie. He also went boldly where no one has gone before in Star Trek as Pavel Checkov. I’m talking about Charlie Bartlett himself, Anton Yelchin.
The guy clearly has some idea of how to act, and he looks like he could easily pick up a high school-era Peter Parker, which is what the film is shooting for, and he has already shown he can handle the comedy when it comes around.
I’m not a fan of a reboot, I think it’s too soon, and a terrible idea to take the character dark and gritty, but if they do, this is my pick. Anyone else have any ideas?
Netflix streaming is coming to the Wii
Yay, the wonderful Netflix that allows customers to watch some movies instantly is coming to the Nintendo Wii console this spring. Like the PS3, users will have to put in a disc that allows them to use the service, but as long as you have the monthly subscription, there is no additional charge.
This is great news if you don't have an X-Box or PS3, as it allows users even more laziness. Now, you don't even have to get off the couch to go to the mailbox, it's right at the remote. Now, what would be cool is if you could use the motion control to kill off some of the characters. Yes, there are a few in mind!
This is great news if you don't have an X-Box or PS3, as it allows users even more laziness. Now, you don't even have to get off the couch to go to the mailbox, it's right at the remote. Now, what would be cool is if you could use the motion control to kill off some of the characters. Yes, there are a few in mind!
Zack Levi on Today Show
Chuck himself, Mr. Zachary Levi was talking to Conan, bashing NBC about their stupidity. He talks about gaming, T-bagging and all kinds of other stuff. This was a fun interview despite the fact they barely mentioned Chuck.
Find more videos like this on Multipleverses
Find more videos like this on Multipleverses
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Spiderman 4 is dead
SPIDERMAN 4 IS DEAD
You read that correctly, Spiderman 4 is no more. This comes on the heals of news that John Malkovich would be playing The Vulture in the next movie with Tobey Maguire dawning the tights for another go-round.
/Film is now reporting that Sam Raimi has left the project, along with Tobey Maguire, and that Sony has a script ready for a series reboot, having Peter Parker as a younger teenager. The move, according to /Film is said to be one of creative differences over the villain, which is the problem (amongst others) that plagued the third movie. So, with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire removed, the studio seems to have drastically cut the production costs of the movie; but at what cost to the fans?
Now, Sony will be asking us to forget the movies that broke box office records, and put the friendly neighborhood Spiderman into our hearts as they prepare for a “dark and grittier” Spiderman similar to Batman Begins.
While the movie may turn out to be good, as Batman Begins was, I am more than a little hesitant. Sure, the third movie stunk to high cinematic heaven, but I was interested to see what Raimi could do with another chance, given his realization of the mistakes he made. I also really liked the first two movies, and considering those bought him some sort of leeway, I was willing to give the benefit of the doubt.
A reboot, however, very rarely works. I could say there are only two exceptions that come to mind; Star Trek and Batman. I think you only need to go as far back as 2008, and Edward Norton’s Incredible Hulk. Sure, it wasn’t a bad movie, but it hardly turned heads, and it hardly made waves at the box office.
So, what do you think of a rebooted franchise and a dark and grittier Spiderman? Turn it loose in the comments section!
You read that correctly, Spiderman 4 is no more. This comes on the heals of news that John Malkovich would be playing The Vulture in the next movie with Tobey Maguire dawning the tights for another go-round.
/Film is now reporting that Sam Raimi has left the project, along with Tobey Maguire, and that Sony has a script ready for a series reboot, having Peter Parker as a younger teenager. The move, according to /Film is said to be one of creative differences over the villain, which is the problem (amongst others) that plagued the third movie. So, with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire removed, the studio seems to have drastically cut the production costs of the movie; but at what cost to the fans?
Now, Sony will be asking us to forget the movies that broke box office records, and put the friendly neighborhood Spiderman into our hearts as they prepare for a “dark and grittier” Spiderman similar to Batman Begins.
While the movie may turn out to be good, as Batman Begins was, I am more than a little hesitant. Sure, the third movie stunk to high cinematic heaven, but I was interested to see what Raimi could do with another chance, given his realization of the mistakes he made. I also really liked the first two movies, and considering those bought him some sort of leeway, I was willing to give the benefit of the doubt.
A reboot, however, very rarely works. I could say there are only two exceptions that come to mind; Star Trek and Batman. I think you only need to go as far back as 2008, and Edward Norton’s Incredible Hulk. Sure, it wasn’t a bad movie, but it hardly turned heads, and it hardly made waves at the box office.
So, what do you think of a rebooted franchise and a dark and grittier Spiderman? Turn it loose in the comments section!
apparently, when the zombie apocolypse came, this guy turned to Twitter
Yeah, you heard me correctly. Film School Rejects has a story up about a guy in Miami who is tweeting his way through the zombie apocolypse; he even has pictures! I know!
Anyway, this seems to be really interesting, and a possible reason to get Twitter, finally. Could be fun to follow the daily adventures of a guy running from the undead.
Check out the story over at Film School Rejects, one of my favorite film sites.
Anyway, this seems to be really interesting, and a possible reason to get Twitter, finally. Could be fun to follow the daily adventures of a guy running from the undead.
Check out the story over at Film School Rejects, one of my favorite film sites.
The Phantom Menace review that puts all other reviews to shame...
and here is the review of the review that....well, you get the idea.
The 70-minute review takes an in-depth look at The Phantom Menace and is very entertaining, too. So, click here for my review and the videos themselves.
You don't have to thank me, it's what I do!
CL's review of the review:
The 70-minute review takes an in-depth look at The Phantom Menace and is very entertaining, too. So, click here for my review and the videos themselves.
You don't have to thank me, it's what I do!
CL's review of the review:
Friday, January 8, 2010
Kick Ass trailer.... well, it Kicks Ass...duh!
Check out the trailer. I personally loved the trailer featuring Hit Girl. This trailer is really good, though.
A-Team Trailer
I know everyone is excited to see the new A-Team movie. So, here it is, with Liam Neeson, Sharlto Copley (District 9), Bradley Cooper (The Wedding Crashers, and Hangover) and Rampage Jackson.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Warner Bros delays Netflix rentals
Are you looking through the upcoming DVD’s to pickup through Netflix, deciding which one to get first? Well, as of this month, you may have to wait quite a bit longer before you can get that magical red envelope in your mailbox.
Netflix just announced a deal with Warner Bros. in an effort to increase DVD sales for studios who complain their profits are waning. With this new deal, Redbox and Netflix won’t be able to rent movies until the movies have been available for purchase for 28 days. The studios are hoping inpatient people like me will forgo the usual rental and buy the DVD.
There is an upside for Netflix and the consumer. With this new deal, Netflix is looking at receiving more copies, and a much larger selection of movies for their instant viewing feature, which Netflix is really pushing on Blue-Ray players and game consoles. With a larger selection, the service could really carry a bit more weight.
Currently, Redbox is fighting this in court, but Netflix seems to have found a bright spot for them, and has accepted this new idea, and looks to give more incentive to their instant viewing audience.
So, the big question is, how long before other studios follow suit?
Let us know what you think, will this result in you buying more DVD’s, or will you simply wait the extra month to rent them?
Netflix just announced a deal with Warner Bros. in an effort to increase DVD sales for studios who complain their profits are waning. With this new deal, Redbox and Netflix won’t be able to rent movies until the movies have been available for purchase for 28 days. The studios are hoping inpatient people like me will forgo the usual rental and buy the DVD.
There is an upside for Netflix and the consumer. With this new deal, Netflix is looking at receiving more copies, and a much larger selection of movies for their instant viewing feature, which Netflix is really pushing on Blue-Ray players and game consoles. With a larger selection, the service could really carry a bit more weight.
Currently, Redbox is fighting this in court, but Netflix seems to have found a bright spot for them, and has accepted this new idea, and looks to give more incentive to their instant viewing audience.
So, the big question is, how long before other studios follow suit?
Let us know what you think, will this result in you buying more DVD’s, or will you simply wait the extra month to rent them?
George Friggin' Lucas...on the Daily Show!
That's right, this video is like a dream come true. Two of my favorite people in the same room. George Lucas is plugging his new book, which looks pretty interesting, and we have Jon Stewart start right off jokingly grilling him about a plot hole in The Phantom Menace. Lucas's attitude thought, I think is great, where he basically said "it's a movie, if you don't like it, well, whatever." Jon Stewarts quote though goes down in infamy: "my son said The Phantom Menace is his favorite, and I told him no its not!"
Check it out:
Check it out:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| George Lucas | ||||
| ||||
Monday, January 4, 2010
Avatar pulls in the dough
I imagine James Cameron is somewhere dancing and saying "nanee nanee boo-boo" and maybe saying "and who thought I wouldn't make my budget back, bitches!" Because when Avatar's budget of nearly $500 million was announced, people cringed, and whinced and said there is no way the movie would make back its money. Well, the most expensive movie ever made just hit the billion dollar mark in 17 days, and it shows no sign of stopping.
In fact, James Cameron is the only director to have not one, but two films smash the billion dollar mark.
The film largly needs to be thanking IMAX for its rediculously over-inflated ticket prices. While that is the best place to watch the masterpiece that is Avatar, $13 per person is a bit steep.
So, anyone want to wager on it beating Titanic for the top grossing film of all time.
In fact, James Cameron is the only director to have not one, but two films smash the billion dollar mark.
The film largly needs to be thanking IMAX for its rediculously over-inflated ticket prices. While that is the best place to watch the masterpiece that is Avatar, $13 per person is a bit steep.
So, anyone want to wager on it beating Titanic for the top grossing film of all time.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Sherlock Holmes (2009) review
Guy Ritchie, of Lock, Stock & 2 Smokin’ Barrels fame has unleashed Sherlock Holmes on the film going world, and the British sleuth may never be the same again. With actors like Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and Rachel McAdams starring in this movie, what could go wrong?
The movie starts off brilliantly by not going back to baby Sherlock or some other nonsensical origin story and instead drops us right into the middle of one of Sherlock Holmes fantastical adventures with Watson in tow. The wonderful pair are trying to stop Lord Blackwood from killing a woman. After Blackwood is captured, and hung, that is when the real story begins.
The trailer portrays Downey’s Holmes as a bit of a brawler, but that is only half right. While he does get into quite a few fantastically choreographed fights, the camera goes into Sherlock’s head, as we see the observation skills put to use as he plans out the outcome of each calculated blow. This, and many other parts show the amazing observational skills of the main character as they provide much more than a parlor trick.
The real jewel of the movie is not the action scenes which were fun, and it wasn’t the incredibly hot Rachel McAdams, it was the chemistry and witty banter between Holmes and Watson. The dialogue, which Guy Ritchie is so well known is on perfect display here and shows how talented Downey and Law are. It also shows the bickering and witty banter that comes from two characters who enjoy eachother's company, and maybe who spend a bit too much time together.
While the movie was very entertaining, it played very much like an episode of Psych, one of my favorite TV shows, where the observative detective goes through clues the rest of the audience can’t put together and strings along his partner to a fantastic conclusion and a wrap up for the rest of us who couldn’t figure out the clues. While the format of the movie was very basic, and simple, and maybe a bit clichéd, it was the execution that was nearly flawless.
Overall, the movie was very enjoyable, and a fun ride at the theaters on a cold day. I enjoyed how they set up the second movie, much the same as Batman Begins. I think, provided everyone returns, we could see a similar outstanding second act to a possibly incredible trilogy.
Overall, 7 out of 10.
FUN FACT: The set for Sherlock Holmes's home in this film was previously used as Sirius Black's home in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007).
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