One of my favorite roles of the now late, great Dennis Hopper was the bad guy in the Keanu Reeves movie Speed. For a celebrity, I think mourning is even less necessary, I think, with a body of work like Hopper, you remember the good times and look at the body of work that made him famous and celebrate his immortality, for that is what he was able to achieve.
So, what about Space Truckers, or Super Mario Brothers, or Easy Rider or one of the other 202 roles that IMDB shows? What is your favorite?
So remember, when a celebrity with a body of work like Dennis Hopper dies, don't mourn him, simply celebrate his creativity, and his ability to achieve immortality!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Why Do I Blog?
So, as I am reading through countless blogs today, we were talking about Sex and the City, and after listening to a familiar podcast, I was messaged a link with a blog with further thoughts from the author. As I read the thoughts, and commented my approval, I saw a link that said "Why Do I Blog?" It was one of the best things I've read in years, as the author talked about all the reasons she blogs, how it's for her, her family, her friends, her sanity, and a lot more. As I read through the expertly constructed sentences, I thought three things to myself;
1) "Is there some sort of class I can take to write more like that?"
2) "I clearly have a long way to go"
and
3) "Why do I blog?"
The first one is easy enough. The second requires a few beers to ponder, but the third, well that's just downright tricky. "Why do I blog?" It's still echoing through my head. If it is just to advance my career, it seems kind of silly, since there are only three clicks a week, and my wonderful sister, who is also my greatest fan make up all three of them; so, if it isn't that, what is it?
Is it for practice? Maybe, I mean, if you want to do something, you need to practice to make it perfect, right? It seems reasonable, considering that if you go back to my first post, you can see a big difference in my voice between then and now, but is that it? It seems to lack heart to me. And where does it go? What is the purpose in practicing and practicing for nothing?
Is it because, like the author, I love writing? Sure. I love getting into a story, when my fingers, no matter how quickly I type, can never get the thoughts down quick enough, and I love how sentences just explode in my head as I feverishly try to get them down, and I love, when I finish a post on a topic and I get an e-mail with a link, and I click on the link, how the words seem to go from a whole bunch of words I tried to get out of my brain to a finished blog post with full thoughts, that a few people may actually read and enjoy.
Maybe it is to say that I can do something that not everyone else can do. I mean, think about it; all the things you do throughout the day, your work, the tasks you do from the elaborate to the mundane, how many of those can you really say you do well? For me, I can honestly say zero, zip, nada. So, maybe blogging is looking for that something I am good at. So, am I good at it? More importantly, does it matter? With something like that, it's similar to something someone told me about Lost the other day; it's more about the destination than the journey.
Well, there seem to be more questions than answers. Maybe it's just simply entertainment, for me and for you. Maybe it's me as a little kid wanting to show my mother what I wrote, and maybe it's just another movie blog. Either way, there will be another post up tomorrow about something that excites me and I work type away and work to get that smile when I click "submit."
Alright, so this thought isn't finished, not by a long shot. But, it's a thought, and it's going to meander around in my empty head for awhile. If there are fellow bloggers reading this, why is it that you blog?
1) "Is there some sort of class I can take to write more like that?"
2) "I clearly have a long way to go"
and
3) "Why do I blog?"
The first one is easy enough. The second requires a few beers to ponder, but the third, well that's just downright tricky. "Why do I blog?" It's still echoing through my head. If it is just to advance my career, it seems kind of silly, since there are only three clicks a week, and my wonderful sister, who is also my greatest fan make up all three of them; so, if it isn't that, what is it?
Is it for practice? Maybe, I mean, if you want to do something, you need to practice to make it perfect, right? It seems reasonable, considering that if you go back to my first post, you can see a big difference in my voice between then and now, but is that it? It seems to lack heart to me. And where does it go? What is the purpose in practicing and practicing for nothing?
Is it because, like the author, I love writing? Sure. I love getting into a story, when my fingers, no matter how quickly I type, can never get the thoughts down quick enough, and I love how sentences just explode in my head as I feverishly try to get them down, and I love, when I finish a post on a topic and I get an e-mail with a link, and I click on the link, how the words seem to go from a whole bunch of words I tried to get out of my brain to a finished blog post with full thoughts, that a few people may actually read and enjoy.
Maybe it is to say that I can do something that not everyone else can do. I mean, think about it; all the things you do throughout the day, your work, the tasks you do from the elaborate to the mundane, how many of those can you really say you do well? For me, I can honestly say zero, zip, nada. So, maybe blogging is looking for that something I am good at. So, am I good at it? More importantly, does it matter? With something like that, it's similar to something someone told me about Lost the other day; it's more about the destination than the journey.
Well, there seem to be more questions than answers. Maybe it's just simply entertainment, for me and for you. Maybe it's me as a little kid wanting to show my mother what I wrote, and maybe it's just another movie blog. Either way, there will be another post up tomorrow about something that excites me and I work type away and work to get that smile when I click "submit."
Alright, so this thought isn't finished, not by a long shot. But, it's a thought, and it's going to meander around in my empty head for awhile. If there are fellow bloggers reading this, why is it that you blog?
Marvel and DC The Musical
So, sometimes, YouTube renews my faith that there is something else on the Internet other than trolls. Check out this amazing musical video about Marvel vs. DC. Marvel seems to have its shit together, while DC has...well, Batman. This video is absolutley hilarious, and very creative. Why can't I come up with something smart like that?
Jeffster rocks Blaze of Glory!
I'm sure you've seen I am a huge fan of Chuck. It is hard to miss, I do a podcast about it weekly, and there was no one who enjoyed the season finale more than I did. During the final showdown between Superman himself, Brandon Routh and Chuck, Jeffster's music video played in the background. It was a perfect backdrop to the epic finale and was hilarious. Finally, we have the full video, and it is rediculous, bad, and completely awesome! Check it out!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Heidi Montag auditions for Transformers 3...sorta
Normally, I don't waste my time talking about Heidi Montag and her manufactured hottness, but after watching this bizarre, completely safe for work video of her trying to impress Michael Bay, I had to post it. Check this out, and you can join the confused club with me!
Podcasts for the week - Glee & Chuck
It was a big week for podcasting again this week as the 3 Guys crew discussed the Gaga-filled Glee and the season finale of Chuck. They are worth a listen, as all included great discussions, and plenty of excitement and just the right amount of snark. Check it out:
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
600 posts....and growing
Yeah, you read that right, TheHopp.NET (formerly Kevin's Movie Blog) just hit 600 posts. It's been a crazy year and a half and things have gotten a bit more serious, we've gone from 10 or 20 posts a month, to over 40 some months. So, to all the people who read this post, I wanted to thank you, and hopefully, there will be some good stuff to come!
DVD Review - Wolfman (2009) - Benecio Del Toro
WOLFMAN DVD REVIEW
Editor's note: It's so much better on Creative Loafing. CHECK IT OUT
Creative Loafing's own Joe Bardi reviewed the movie when it hit theaters, and I mostly agree when he said Benecio Del Toro was flat and disappointing as an actor turned monster. He also stated the effects were sometimes cheesy, and the gore bordered on laughable. Overall, it's by far the worst film experience you'll find, but it is far from similar from the Lon Chaney Jr. classic. So, what is there on the DVD besides the movie? The answer; didly shit.
While the movie is worth the rent, the DVD has very little going for it. The DVD has a special "unrated version" of the movie, which seems to add two very insignificant scenes in the very beginning, and nothing else I could find throughout the movie; certainetly nothing to enhance the movie experience.
The DVD also includes deleted scenes, these scenes, around five in all, simply extend scenes in the movie, most of which add nothing to the experience, and often show why the scenes where cut in the first place, either because they contradict other scenes in the movie, or just simply add the same things.
Sadly, that is the extent of the DVD special features. No director commentary, no transforming Del Toro into a wolfman (not much of a task) and no homage to the wolfmen before him. Sadly, the lack of features, and the mediocre quality of the movie result in this DVD being a RENT, and nothing more.
Editor's note: It's so much better on Creative Loafing. CHECK IT OUT
Creative Loafing's own Joe Bardi reviewed the movie when it hit theaters, and I mostly agree when he said Benecio Del Toro was flat and disappointing as an actor turned monster. He also stated the effects were sometimes cheesy, and the gore bordered on laughable. Overall, it's by far the worst film experience you'll find, but it is far from similar from the Lon Chaney Jr. classic. So, what is there on the DVD besides the movie? The answer; didly shit.
While the movie is worth the rent, the DVD has very little going for it. The DVD has a special "unrated version" of the movie, which seems to add two very insignificant scenes in the very beginning, and nothing else I could find throughout the movie; certainetly nothing to enhance the movie experience.
The DVD also includes deleted scenes, these scenes, around five in all, simply extend scenes in the movie, most of which add nothing to the experience, and often show why the scenes where cut in the first place, either because they contradict other scenes in the movie, or just simply add the same things.
Sadly, that is the extent of the DVD special features. No director commentary, no transforming Del Toro into a wolfman (not much of a task) and no homage to the wolfmen before him. Sadly, the lack of features, and the mediocre quality of the movie result in this DVD being a RENT, and nothing more.
Alternate Back to the Future posts
So, I stumbled upon some alternate Back to the Future posters a while back. I have no idea where I found it, so sorry, but here it is. I think I like the actual poster better, but these are still interesting. Check it out
Mass Effect gets movie treatment
EDITORS NOTE: It's better on Creative Loafing, HEREGood news for you video game fans out there, Variety is reporting some advancement on a Mass Effect movie, with Legendary Pictures picking up I am Legend and Thor screenwriter Mark Protosevich to pen a script.
For fans of the game for X-Box 360, this is good news, as we will get a chance to see Commander Shephard and the Normandy take on our favorite bad guys, the Reapers with an eclectic crew of aliens and mercenaries. If you haven’t played the video game, however, you are probably groaning, getting ready to lecture me on how there has never been a good video game to movie adaptation (Prince of Persia, fingers crossed, isn’t out yet). While you are completely correct, I think Mass Effect could be different, here’s why.
With previous games, and potential games like Halo, the surroundings are beautiful, and rich, but the characters, while interesting from a gaming perspective, are quite shallow for movie characters. All you have is a traditional, hero in the Spartan, and while you could expand on it, the game doesn’t have that expansion, so the writer must take liberties. Mass Effect is an action Role Playing Game, and as such, the characters have much more depth, and the lines of good and bad can be blurred, with flawed characters and in-depth storylines already established.
The problem with the story, besides being written from a player standpoint, is that it is a space opera. And while Star Wars succeeded, and Star Trek’s reboot was a financial and critical success, very few others have succeeded on a large scale. There is also a very large cost for having what will probably amount to heavy computer graphics for the space scenes, and planet views. On top of that, the franchise’s audience is a very small audience of Xbox 360 players, so you might as well have a fresh concept, which is tough from a marketing standpoint.
So, for all Mass Effect fans out there, who would you cast in your favorite characters? I would have to choose Sam Worthington as Cmdr. Shephard. You may not like him, but he seems like the perfect choice. The Illusive Man is already perfect with Martin Sheen, and of course, everyone’s favorite pilot, Joker must return as Seth Green; but what about a love interest? My take for Ashley, my favorite love interest, would have to go to G.I. Joe’s Scarlett, played by Rachel Nichols. What about the rest? Who would you like to see?
For fans of the game for X-Box 360, this is good news, as we will get a chance to see Commander Shephard and the Normandy take on our favorite bad guys, the Reapers with an eclectic crew of aliens and mercenaries. If you haven’t played the video game, however, you are probably groaning, getting ready to lecture me on how there has never been a good video game to movie adaptation (Prince of Persia, fingers crossed, isn’t out yet). While you are completely correct, I think Mass Effect could be different, here’s why.
With previous games, and potential games like Halo, the surroundings are beautiful, and rich, but the characters, while interesting from a gaming perspective, are quite shallow for movie characters. All you have is a traditional, hero in the Spartan, and while you could expand on it, the game doesn’t have that expansion, so the writer must take liberties. Mass Effect is an action Role Playing Game, and as such, the characters have much more depth, and the lines of good and bad can be blurred, with flawed characters and in-depth storylines already established.
The problem with the story, besides being written from a player standpoint, is that it is a space opera. And while Star Wars succeeded, and Star Trek’s reboot was a financial and critical success, very few others have succeeded on a large scale. There is also a very large cost for having what will probably amount to heavy computer graphics for the space scenes, and planet views. On top of that, the franchise’s audience is a very small audience of Xbox 360 players, so you might as well have a fresh concept, which is tough from a marketing standpoint.
So, for all Mass Effect fans out there, who would you cast in your favorite characters? I would have to choose Sam Worthington as Cmdr. Shephard. You may not like him, but he seems like the perfect choice. The Illusive Man is already perfect with Martin Sheen, and of course, everyone’s favorite pilot, Joker must return as Seth Green; but what about a love interest? My take for Ashley, my favorite love interest, would have to go to G.I. Joe’s Scarlett, played by Rachel Nichols. What about the rest? Who would you like to see?
LOST alternate endings
In case you missed the Jimmy Fallon post-Lost finale, here are the alternate endings for Lost.
Don't worry, they aren't spoilerific...you ought to get a kick outta this no matter what!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Megan Fox is not in Transformers 3?
After the drama behind the movie, and the camera-humping that went on during the second movie, Michael Bay was looking for a scape goat, and he found one...a very sexy, mutated thumbed scape goat in Megan Fox. ET has announced that Fox will not be picked up for the slightly anticipated (not by CL's Joe Bardi) Transformers 3. So, who will they pick up after dropping one of the hottest women in the world?Do you think it was the crazy antics, the big mouth, the poor promotional skills, or the fact that Bay feels his masterpiece is complete that lead to her contract dropping? Bay has said previously that he likes to make stars, and Fox has become a star since appearing opposite of Shiah Labeuf in Transformers, the huge summer blockbuster that has so far spawned a mediocre sequel.
The big question will be how do you top Megan Fox? The girl is everywhere, and was named FHM's sexiest woman alive a couple of years ago, while still being in the top 10 on Maxim's list even this year, despite less than stellar outings in her previous movies. My choice would be number four on Maxim's hottie list this year, miss Blake Lively. She apparently does a good job in Gossip Girl, and has a long list of upcoming projects. Perhaps appearing opposite of Lebeuf and some stupid racist robots would be just what she needs to catapult her to number one next year. Other ideas would be the always incredibly hot Scarlett Johanson, or my personal favorite, geek goddess and Attack of the Show reporter Allison Haslip.
EDITORS NOTE: This also appeared in Creative Loafing HERE. Check it out!
Kevin's Korner - Week ending May 23
Kevin’s Korner is your weekly wrap-up of all things Hollywood. There was plenty of news this week, including casting changes, 3-D updates, a LeBeouf mea culpa and so much more. I also have your box office report and a great trailer of the week. So, let’s get started with the news, and add a side of snark!
Check it out at Creative Loafing.
Check it out at Creative Loafing.
Friday, May 21, 2010
A week in podcasting
So, it's been a crazy week over at TheHopp.NET headquarters. You should be able to see this week has had quite a few posts, and I'm pretty sure Creative Loafing has thrown up the white flag for the week. So, did you see the posts this week? I had Super 8, some zombie love, the news wrap up and oh yeah, the podcasts!
As you know, I do two TV podcasts, Chuck and Glee. Both were exceptional shows this week, and the podcasts reflected the awesomeness. I also did a special Holy FAIL podcast for MacGruber this week. Let me know what you think of the FAIL in podcast form. Finally, I also appeared on Loafing's Reel Projections podcast to talk about everything from zombies, to NASCAR, to Robin Hood, Iron Man 2, indie film making and a lot more. I think all of these podcasts were a lot of fun to make, and I hope they are fun to listen to. Check back next week for even more podcasting goodness.
3 Guys & Glee - Dream On, with NPH and director Joss Whedon
3 Guys & Chuck - a double shot this week, leading up to Monday's season finale!
3 Guys & the Quest for the Holy FAIL - Classic MacGruber edition
Creative Loafing's Reel Projections - your one stop for everything movie related...
keepin' it reel!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Star Tours is closing?!? Nooo.....
Disney's wonderful simulator called Star Tours is closing soon. The simulator that took you into the trenches of the Death Star will be closing in Florida on September 8th, and in California on July 27th according to Gizmodo.com
There is already news of the 20 year olds replacement; another Star Wars themed 3-D simulator based on the pod race seen in Star Wars: The Phantom Menance.
That's right, you saw that correctly, they are replacing a dip into the death star with the podrace, because that first movie was just so wonderful. I guess the first movie appeals to the younger audience, where as the classic ride appeals to the audience that less frequents the lines of Disney, but it will be a day long remembered, seeing the closing of Star Tours, and one very fond childhood memory.
Super 8 is a super mystery
EDITORS NOTE: This appeared in Creative Loafing! Check it out HERE.
After the viral marketing success of Cloverfield, it’s obvious Abrams is looking to strike gold again. No one seems to know anything about this mysterious Super 8, making the trailer even more fun. The viral website is www.ScariestThingIEverSaw.com, and going there and typing in a command WikiBruce and Unifiction discovered, “.PRINT RSCOM8” will result in a couple of images that will yield some clues, and some fake products.
On the images of the newspaper seen below, if you line up the ‘X’ you can find patterns that lead to unlocking a sentence. The sentence gives a nice ominous message:
no certainty if a live may be after us we go underground
If that doesn’t get you intrigued I don’t know what will. And since the movie allegedly hasn’t started principal photography yet, don’t expect too many secrets to come out until the opening of the movie. Until then, prepare for a wave of viral marketing; it ought to be a fun ride.
Best prank ever!
Movie news site /Film has a great post up about how Improv Everywhere staged a prank at the New York Public Library. Now, for most film geeks, that particular library can mean only one thing....
Yep, you guessed it! Check out the video!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Kevin's Korner is back!
In case you forgot about Kevin's Korner, it's back, baby! Kevin's Korner (yes, I know it's spelled wrong, it's meant to be comical) is a weekly-ish column wrapping up the weeks news, review, and box office chatter. This week, we had a couple of movie reviews, some news about James Cameron, and a really cool trailer of the week.
So, it's on Creative Loafing's site, check it out HERE!
Joss Whedon Audio Commentary song
As you all know, I'm a huge Joss Whedon fan. That being said, I'm likely to geek out over any tidbit of the now official Avengers director, so when I saw this video of Whedon singing a song about audio commentary, well, of course I was excited. So, check it out, it has the humor that makes Whedon famous, and ya know, it's musical, so that helps.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
George Romero's Survival of the Dead
Survival of the Dead
EDITORS NOTE: This review also appeared on Creative Loafing's website. Check it out HERE
George Romero and the zed word (zombies) go hand in hand. Romero is credited as being the grandfather of the zombie movie, and his latest incarnation, Survival of the Dead is released on X-Box Live, Playstation Network, and soon in theaters, but has the zombie king reclaimed his thrown after a few lackluster performances, or has he simply faded into obscurity?
Survival of the Dead takes place some time after Land of the Dead, and has some typical zombie elements, such as the ability for zombies to jump out of nowhere, plenty of gore, and some sick humor. The big element of Romero's earlier work that seems to be missing however, is the social commentary. While Dawn of the Dead is famous for the undertones in the movie, this movie seems to lack any such undertones, and rests on it's script and used premise, which is hardly sturdy.
The movie seems to simply be a retelling of the old Hatfields and McCoy's tale; a tale of two families feuding on an island, with zombies. I would love to say there is more, or that it is an allegory for something, but sadly, it's just about two Irish families that argue over the proper method of disposing zombies.
The cast is pretty weak, the delivery is rough and the script is very rudimentary. The grandfather of zombies seems to have spent a couple hours on the script, and hoped to rather progress zombie carnage, for he seemed to work very hard at the different headshots for zombies, using CGI, stop-motion and good old fashion latex. The CGI seemed promising, but not quite there. There seemed to be similar scenes of zombie carnage to the first few movies he's done, leaving me wanting something new.
Overall, there are plenty of zombie movies out there better than Survival, and movies far more entertaining. I would recommend you avoid this one, and hope Romero learns from his now several failures and returns to his former glory sooner rather than later.
George Romero and the zed word (zombies) go hand in hand. Romero is credited as being the grandfather of the zombie movie, and his latest incarnation, Survival of the Dead is released on X-Box Live, Playstation Network, and soon in theaters, but has the zombie king reclaimed his thrown after a few lackluster performances, or has he simply faded into obscurity?
Survival of the Dead takes place some time after Land of the Dead, and has some typical zombie elements, such as the ability for zombies to jump out of nowhere, plenty of gore, and some sick humor. The big element of Romero's earlier work that seems to be missing however, is the social commentary. While Dawn of the Dead is famous for the undertones in the movie, this movie seems to lack any such undertones, and rests on it's script and used premise, which is hardly sturdy.
The movie seems to simply be a retelling of the old Hatfields and McCoy's tale; a tale of two families feuding on an island, with zombies. I would love to say there is more, or that it is an allegory for something, but sadly, it's just about two Irish families that argue over the proper method of disposing zombies.
The cast is pretty weak, the delivery is rough and the script is very rudimentary. The grandfather of zombies seems to have spent a couple hours on the script, and hoped to rather progress zombie carnage, for he seemed to work very hard at the different headshots for zombies, using CGI, stop-motion and good old fashion latex. The CGI seemed promising, but not quite there. There seemed to be similar scenes of zombie carnage to the first few movies he's done, leaving me wanting something new.
Overall, there are plenty of zombie movies out there better than Survival, and movies far more entertaining. I would recommend you avoid this one, and hope Romero learns from his now several failures and returns to his former glory sooner rather than later.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Iron Man 2 Review
Tony Stark had some really big boots to step into for the second Iron Man movie. After the surprise hit that was Jon Favreau's Iron Man, he had the really difficult task of topping one of the greatest superhero movies of all time. So, the big question is, did he top it. I keep hearing the anwser is no, but my anwser may surprise you.
The second movie is a mix of stories from the comic book, including the famed demon in the bottle, which confronts Stark's alcoholism. It starts off with Mickey Rourke's character making the whiplash whips you see in the trailer, we also find out the glowing arc reactor in Stark's chest is poisoning Tony, and despite the fact he is on top of the world, he realizes it's just a bigger fall as Whiplash and rival weapons maker Justin Hammer, played by Sam Rockwell, come together against Tony. At the same time, Tony is trying to figure out a mystery left by his father and the Stark expo.
The question, however, is whether or not it's better than the first, and I say the answer is that it is as good, but the answer is that the two movies are quite different, and director Favreau shows his mastery of more than just an origin story, he shows the mastery of an action popcorn flick. The movie reduces the witty banter of Robert Downey Jr., and adds a bit more drama, while cranking the action way past eleven.
The characters are the biggest part of the movie, for better and worse. While it was extremely tough to juggle the multiple characters, which is the one minor flaw in the movie, I was still amazed with what they did with the different characters. In the movie, we have James Rhodes, who puts on the War Machine armor, Pepper Potts in an upgraded role, Scarlett Johanson's Black Widow, and Nick Fury. We also have good villains in this flick in whiplash and Justin Hammer. I'm a huge fan of Rockwell, and he didn't disappoint here.
Overall, it was a bigger, more action packed movie with more explosions, laser blasts and robots, and I loved every second of it. It seemed as thought everyone was on the top of their game, despite struggling slightly in the middle of the movie with the crazy amounts of characters.
Overall, a great start to the summer, with a very high bar to reach, and if this is any indication, a great start to the Avengers. Iron Man has quickly put itself on the top of the superhero list!
Oh, and make sure you stay until the end of the credits, and you can see the next step in the Avengers.
FUN TRIVIA: The design of Dr Vanko's whips were heavily inspired by the Star Wars (1977) lightsaber
The second movie is a mix of stories from the comic book, including the famed demon in the bottle, which confronts Stark's alcoholism. It starts off with Mickey Rourke's character making the whiplash whips you see in the trailer, we also find out the glowing arc reactor in Stark's chest is poisoning Tony, and despite the fact he is on top of the world, he realizes it's just a bigger fall as Whiplash and rival weapons maker Justin Hammer, played by Sam Rockwell, come together against Tony. At the same time, Tony is trying to figure out a mystery left by his father and the Stark expo.
The question, however, is whether or not it's better than the first, and I say the answer is that it is as good, but the answer is that the two movies are quite different, and director Favreau shows his mastery of more than just an origin story, he shows the mastery of an action popcorn flick. The movie reduces the witty banter of Robert Downey Jr., and adds a bit more drama, while cranking the action way past eleven.
The characters are the biggest part of the movie, for better and worse. While it was extremely tough to juggle the multiple characters, which is the one minor flaw in the movie, I was still amazed with what they did with the different characters. In the movie, we have James Rhodes, who puts on the War Machine armor, Pepper Potts in an upgraded role, Scarlett Johanson's Black Widow, and Nick Fury. We also have good villains in this flick in whiplash and Justin Hammer. I'm a huge fan of Rockwell, and he didn't disappoint here.
Overall, it was a bigger, more action packed movie with more explosions, laser blasts and robots, and I loved every second of it. It seemed as thought everyone was on the top of their game, despite struggling slightly in the middle of the movie with the crazy amounts of characters.
Overall, a great start to the summer, with a very high bar to reach, and if this is any indication, a great start to the Avengers. Iron Man has quickly put itself on the top of the superhero list!
Oh, and make sure you stay until the end of the credits, and you can see the next step in the Avengers.
FUN TRIVIA: The design of Dr Vanko's whips were heavily inspired by the Star Wars (1977) lightsaber
Friday, May 7, 2010
Leah Michelle back in the day
Alright, so its hard to hide my crush for Glee star Leah Michelle. She plays the diva Rachel on the show, and is one of the brightest talents on the show. Apparently, she's always had "the gift" as you can tell from this kinda crappy video of her singing at a very young age on Sally Jesse Raphael. Check it out, she was adorable even back then!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Sue Sylvester's Sue's Corner - Sneaky Gays
Check out this video of Jane Lynch, as Glee's mortal enemy, Sue Sylvester in a bit that has been missing from Glee lately; Sue's Corner. This one was great, and funny, and the NPH reference was hilarious!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Legos and Star Wars...in 2 minutes
Legos and Star Wars, two of my favorite things, and when they combine, it's always magical. This summary of the original Star Wars trilogy is no exception. Check out the video and admire the the Legos in all their Lego-ness, along with some a great summary of Star Wars. Is it a problem it only takes two minutes to summarize seven hours of film?
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
J.J. Abrams and the Mystery Box
J.J. Abrams is one of the guys I would most like to meet. And, with the announcement he has a mysterious trailer appearing before Iron Man 2 that no one knows about, I figure this really great video of Abrams talking at a conference would be appropriate. Check it out, and marvel in this guys genius...it's a wonder he's Hollywood's golden boy.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Review - Kick Ass
Ever since Blade and X-men, comic book movies have been all the rage, reinvigorating Spiderman, Batman, Superman and even Iron Man. But, as we get more and more saturated with super hero movies, there become more and more people who look to push the envelope on what is a super hero, and what are the rules of the genre are. Last year's Watchmen was one of those movies, and this years Kick Ass is another, but Kick Ass pushes the envelope even further, and it makes for a much more enjoyable experience overall; oh, and there is no giant blue dong.
Kick Ass is about a kid (Aaron Johnson) in the real world, who wonders why no one tries to be a superhero in real life. After his first attempt results in him getting...well, his ass kicked, he tries again, and inspires the world. After three more superheroes start really fighting crime, Kick Ass realizes he is way over his head, as Mob bosses try to take him out.
While Kick Ass was good, there is no mistaking the real star of the movie, Hit Girl, played amazingly by 11 year old Chloe Moretz. The hard hitting, ass kicking, potty mouth action star steals the show with her shocking brutality in both language and graphic kills. She is reason enough to watch this movie, and every second she's on the screen, is cinema gold. Not that there isn't others jewels to be had, such as Nicholas Cage, playing Hit Girls father, Big Daddy. Cage does the best Adam West impression I've seen in awhile, which was great.
While I thought the movie was great both in concept and in execution, the pushing of the envelope will very clearly turn some people off, and rightfully so. Some of the moments I laughed at, I felt kind of wrong for laughing at, and some of the action scenes, involved an 11 year old girl either killing people or fighting people, which, for some will be a bit off-putting. The graphic kills and sexual undertones of some scenes added entertainment and realism value, but again, aren't for everyone.
After nearly a year of hype online about this movie, I feel like a finely tenderized piece of meat, ready for the cooking, with crazy amounts of advertising and talk about the movie, but despite the huge buildup, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and while the envelope has been pushed, I feel the more entertained for it.
I'm giving it a 8 out of 10
FUN FACT: After Kick-Ass first meets Hit-Girl, we see Big Daddy standing in front of a billboard featuring Claudia Schiffer, wife of director Matthew Vaughn.
Kick Ass is about a kid (Aaron Johnson) in the real world, who wonders why no one tries to be a superhero in real life. After his first attempt results in him getting...well, his ass kicked, he tries again, and inspires the world. After three more superheroes start really fighting crime, Kick Ass realizes he is way over his head, as Mob bosses try to take him out.
While Kick Ass was good, there is no mistaking the real star of the movie, Hit Girl, played amazingly by 11 year old Chloe Moretz. The hard hitting, ass kicking, potty mouth action star steals the show with her shocking brutality in both language and graphic kills. She is reason enough to watch this movie, and every second she's on the screen, is cinema gold. Not that there isn't others jewels to be had, such as Nicholas Cage, playing Hit Girls father, Big Daddy. Cage does the best Adam West impression I've seen in awhile, which was great.
While I thought the movie was great both in concept and in execution, the pushing of the envelope will very clearly turn some people off, and rightfully so. Some of the moments I laughed at, I felt kind of wrong for laughing at, and some of the action scenes, involved an 11 year old girl either killing people or fighting people, which, for some will be a bit off-putting. The graphic kills and sexual undertones of some scenes added entertainment and realism value, but again, aren't for everyone.
After nearly a year of hype online about this movie, I feel like a finely tenderized piece of meat, ready for the cooking, with crazy amounts of advertising and talk about the movie, but despite the huge buildup, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and while the envelope has been pushed, I feel the more entertained for it.
I'm giving it a 8 out of 10
FUN FACT: After Kick-Ass first meets Hit-Girl, we see Big Daddy standing in front of a billboard featuring Claudia Schiffer, wife of director Matthew Vaughn.
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