Before I get going, let me stretch here.... there we go. Still with me? Yep, still no one. Alright, so I haven't done this whole movie writing thing in a long time. I'm not sure if I still know how to do it. I've written a lot about my new wife and my journey to amazing happiness, I figured I would look back on how I started writing, throw it over my shoulder and continue on. So, with that being said...
Whassup? So, umm, have you seen any movies lately? To be honest, my movie watching hasn't been too high lately. It's partially because 2011 has been the year of some crappy movies. Go ahead, think of the top 5 movies of the year so far. You can't do it, can you? What's that? I didn't give you long enough time to think about it? Fine, you get five periods..... there, give up? Fine. Now, while it's been rough for movies this year, I didn't realize weddings and being crazy-in love could put such a dent in my movie watching habits, but it did. Oh yeah, it was worth it.
So, I saw some movie news today. Yep, saw something, liked what I saw, and read most of it. Darn near the whole thing. What? Sweet, right? So, here's what I saw, let me know your thoughts.
Evil Dead isn't really Evil Dead - So, the remake is on, and Juno scribe Diablo Cody is writing a remake of the Evil Dead, without the Chin, Bruce Campbell. I don't know how it's possible, but they're giving it the old high school try. I am not a fan of Cody, and a remake of Evil Dead, minus the cheese and cheapness just seems to miss the point. I'm not going to lie, I'll probably see it, but will it end up on my shelf? In the words of my magic 8 ball, "all signs point to no."
Kaaaahhhnnn - There has been all kinds of talk about J.J. Abrams sequel to the 2009 hit Star Trek, regarding the films bad guy. All signs are currently pointing to Kahn, the same baddie from the original second movie, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn. The character also appeared in one episode of the original series, entitled "The Space Seed." You have some hardcore trekkies crying about the timeline and you have others clamoring for an original, with a select few saying Kahn is like the Joker, and you can't make a Batman film without the Joker.
For me, I think the film would benefit more from a Klingon feud, than anything else. They are a classic race with plenty of depth and more than enough possibilities from Klang, to Kirk's murdered son, there is enough to pull from without re-hashing an old villain. If you have to have an old villain, Kahn is good, but there is no setup, like the original Wrath of Kahn. Here, you would have to compress the episode and the movie into one movie. It can be done, but it's pretty tricky, all while showing the crew truly gelling into the crew we all know and love.
Doctor Who - I love me some Doctor Who, and the prequel and the trailer for the Christmas episode has come out and gotten me all kinds of excited, but we won't get any new non-Christmas episodes until the autumn of next year, which sucks all kinds of Dalek toe.
Alright, that's my first attempt back in the world of movie writing for this whole blog thing. I think I need to go lay down now. But, I'll be back!
October 15, 2011. A day that will live in infamy. The day some dorky little movie nerd found his soul mate and married the love of his life.
So, it's a bit dramatic, but hey, I'm a writer! I can't just write "I got hitched, yee haw," they'd take away my license or something. For the past 8 months, I've referred to my significant other on this blog as "my future wife," "fiancee," or "my love," but now, it's official, she's my wife, she's Mrs. Hopp. Yeah, pretty sweet, right? In case you weren't there, let me tell you what happened.
What? Yeah, I guess she now owns the rights to TheHopp.NET too. No, she isn't taking over, but talking about perks, eh? Ok, back to it....
So, it started with me arriving at my parents house. Most of the guests had already arrived, and my family and friends were already coming up and hugging me, wishing me the happiest of times. Little did they know that would be coming as soon as she said "I Do." I wasn't allowed to see the bride (see A Wedding to Remember: Bad Juju), but she was there, which was a relief. Without looking, I shouted that I loved her, and I heard her say that she loved me. Neither of us could see the other, but we both could feel the others tension...and love.
With last minute things coming together, the next thing I know, I was walking my sobbing mother down the isle, the music was playing, my mother was crying, and I think there were some other people there. I can't be sure. I heard a lot of pictures being taken, as I took my place under the arch as the wedding party descended on me. They all looked amazing, as the people that mean the most to my wife and I came and joined me in anticipation of my bride. Then, it happened: The Star Wars theme played. What were you expecting? See, I had asked the DJ if he could do that, ya know, just a snippet. No one seemed keen on the idea, so I dropped it, asking the DJ to do the normal thing. Well, my incredible wife changed it back on me, and yes, the award for greatest bride is already in the mail.
Finally, after I finished laughing, I saw her. And my mouth, for once, stopped working. I truly wanted to say something poignant, or meaningful, ya know to show how blown away I was, but all I could come up with was "wow." My mouth hung open like a Venus Fly Trap, awaiting flies, as this amazingly beautiful woman came walking to me. I had never seen something so angelic, so beautiful, and so awe-inspiring. I started shaking, feeling the full force of the situation hitting me like a ton of bricks, so I let out another "wow." Yeah, eloquent, right?
So, there we stood, holding each other's hands as we cited our vows. No, I didn't use the word "obey," but she did tell me she reserved the right to cut me if need be. We spoke our words, we poured our sand together, and exchanged rings. I said "I do," knowing that my life would change for the better right now. She said "I do" too, and I finally took my first breath of the day. It was over. We were married! Just like that, the dream, from childhood to adulthood just happened. I think I let out another "wow." Someone got me some champagne, as we took pictures, ate an amazing dinner, and partied the night away. All of it was perfect. The centerpieces were beautiful, almost everyone that meant something to me was there, in support of us, and we had so much fun, doing the wedding thing, throwing garter belts and bouquets.
I tried to soak up the wonderful, wonderful evening. I don't think I got it all, and as I look through pictures, I get a huge smile, remembering the amazing day I had. It ended with a trip to a hotel on the beach, as we partied even more with some friends, still in shock over the piece of jewelry on my finger. "So this is what it feels like to be married" I whispered to her as we went to bed. Now, the honeymoon!
Today is the one year anniversary of the love of my life and I becoming an official couple. It's also the day we plan on becoming officially husband and wife. So, as you can imagine, it's a pretty big day.
It started with the rehearsal dinner last night. My future wife was terrified, as we went through the motions, as everyone else around us seemed happy and care-free, we were nervous as could be. There's something about practicing the long walk that gets your mind set for the big event. So, as I took those steps, I thought back to January, when I proposed, or last October when I told her I wanted to be her boyfriend, or the first time we talked about marriage, or when she moved in with me. There was a lot that happened, but nothing could prepare me for what was about to happen. I was about to vow to be with her forever. Did you hear that? "For...EVER."
Make no mistake, it's scary. It has nothing to do with doubt, but have you ever bought a house or a car? It's a scary process, and very nerve-wracking to say the least. Well, imagine that, but with a way, way, way longer loan, and all your closest friends and family there. Oh, and the car could say no. Yeah, starting to understand, aren't we? To make it worse, there's no warranty, it's just you and the car, and maintenance is way more than every 30,000 miles. Even more so, you can't possibly live without the car. Yeah, so you get the idea, it's pretty big. Not to mention, everyone has thought about buying the car for as long as they could remember, and you've spent 8 months planning the signing of the contract for the car...ok, enough of the car metaphor, you get the point, right?
When I was younger, the idea of marriage was a cool one. I thought it was something that eventually would come, and it would be cool, and all would be well. As I got older, that thought started to fade, and it was back there with the dream of becoming a rockstar or an astronaut, ya know, way back, further than that dream of you at school in your underwear. So, as my hopes had faded about marriage, I began thinking of it as something that would just not happen to me. So, as I rehearsed the walking of isles, I realized not only was I wrong, but that dream I had when I was younger was of right now, and "cool" just doesn't describe it.
So, we rehearsed our thing and went to dinner. We had the whole bridal party, friends and family a like, and we celebrated and ate and drank and everything just kinda slowed down, became a little out of focus and became more like a movie than real life. It was perfect.
So, here I am, with tables set, the DJ ready, and finally, the centerpieces are done. We've come a long way from that fiesty Cuban I first met, playing video games. The girl I was terrified to kiss is putting on a white dress, thinking about being with ME forever, looking more beautiful than I thought was possible in my wildest dreams. Sure, the entire nation of Cuba is running through my house, but it's because they want our day to be perfect, so, with so much love, how can it not, right?
My brother-in-law and best man is on his way over, just in case I need a bit of help with the tux, the food is done, and I'm off to meet my bride. It's a good day! Today, I do feel like a rockstar, and I feel like I'm in outer space. When that woman walks down the isle, it'll be official; my wildest dreams will have come true.
With two weeks left before the big day, it was time for my future brides bachelorette party. Her maid of honor had sent out the invites and planned something big; something drunk; and something very debauchery-ey. Fortunately, she was smart enough to also plan on a hotel.
So, here I am, having a weekend to myself as my future wife goes and parties hard on the streets of Ybor. Yes, I've seen The Hangover, and yes, I've seen all those bachelor party movies where all kinds of wild shenanigans go down, wild sex happens, and dreams are crushed. I'm not worried!
My fiancee had gone and gotten wigs, she told me so this way I couldn't tell who was doing what if the sacred rule was broken and pictures were shared, but I still was hoping for one thing; that she would have a good time and enjoy a staple of the marriage experience. We both agreed that it's not celebrating you're last night of being single, because we have been in a relationship and not single for nearly a year now. But, it was a way to celebrate our upcoming marriage with the girls or guys in our lives.
So, that afternoon came, as she packed her bags, in anticipation of penis-shaped straws, wigs and craziness. She hugged me and kissed me and told me she would miss me and I told her to not even think about me, to have a great time and live it up. In retrospect, it's good to know she does listen to me on occasion.
It started off good, with Facebook pics, and texts talking about her having a drink and dinner, and fun pics of girls, wigs and condoms. Then, the pics stopped, and I was left with my imagination and an X-box controller. Now, I trust my future wife beyond all reason, and at no point did I ever think she would be anything but true to herself and me. I knew, though, she would punish that liver of hers. I was right. So, I went to bed around midnight, hoping my fiancee was living it up, and not being able to wait to see her the next day so I could hear all about her night of fun. I had gotten really used to sleeping with her, and having the bed to myself was nice, but a bit too quiet for my liking. Then, it happened.
Phone calls at 4 am usually only involve one thing; a call for help. Very little good can come out of a 4 am phone call, so when that phone rings, your body automatically gets in hospital retrieval mode. So, I picked up the phone when I saw the caller I.D. with my fiancee's name to hear a very slurred "helllloooo." My first question was if she was alright, to which she replied "uh huh." So, my body began to calm down, as I tried to figure out the need for a 4 am wake up call. I asked where she was, and she replied with a long, slurred "leaving shfor the shotellll." I asked where her maid of honor was, and she said she was paying the bill and they would head to the hotel. At this point, I was relieved, as it was pretty obvious she had a good time, or atleast copious amounts of alcohol. "So, did you have a good time" I finally asked. I get another "uh huh, but I want to go hooommee." Back to panic I go. "What's the matter, my love?" As I hear silence, some booty music and finally a slurred response of "nothing, I just missssss you." So, I finally relaxed again, because the call was a simple drunk dial. She was thinking about me on her bachelorette party, that's pretty amazing. I told her that's what she had a hotel for, and to call me when she got there, so I knew she was alright. She said "shokay," and that was that.
4:30 - I had gone back to sleep, and was once again woken to the sound of my phone. Of course your body still thinks something is wrong, as I tried to reassure myself it was just a check in call. It was my fiancee telling me she was at the hotel, but she was pissed I wasn't there too. I told her that I was at home, and it was a 40 minute drive to her, which means there was no way I could get to her even if I needed to. There were a few slurred obscenities, with her saying that I better come and get her before she cut me. That's when her maid of honor picked up saying she was fine, they had fun, and she was busy praying to the porcelain gods, and that they were going to bed now. I told her that she was thinking about me on her bachelorette party, so that's a good sign, and she she agreed, and I thanked her for taking care of the love of my life.
After another 10 calls, with drunk obscenities, asking for me to pick her up, and the maid of honor apologizing for letting her have the phone, I get one more call. It started off with a commotion, the sound of an elbow dropping and my drunk fiancee whispering "I'm just gonna tell him goodnight, gosh!" I then get a quiet, un-fiesty cuban tell me that she loves me and misses me and that she was going to bed, and the quiet, calm, sweet demeaner calmed me down, and made me happy. Then, there was silence, the silence before the storm. I get a text from the maid of honor saying she was so sorry...that's not a good sign. Then, it happened; Cuban-laced, drunk obscenities about how I left her and how she was going to kill me, and some other stuff I didn't really understand, before the sounds of amateur-style wrestling and the maid of honor saying "I'm taking away her phone, she loves you, good night." It's these things that I love about my wife, I never know what to expect, and she always keeps life interesting.
The next morning, I woke, had my coffee with a small smile, knowing that I was faring way better than my better half was before getting a text saying "I'm so sorry about last night. I hope you don't hate me." I smiled, because in the end, it was entertaining, and it was the reason I wanted to marry her, because she is never boring (and she's really hot, but that's not important right now). I was also happy that it was pretty obvious she had a good time, despite the sad looking, hungover Cuban that came through the door.
In the end, she had a great time, it was another huge step in the marriage process, and she was safe. I told you I had nothing to worry about! And, here, you were doubting me!
Welcome to Kevin’s Korner, your first stop for all that is geeky in movies and TV. It’s been a crazy week this week for movies, with Netflix losing their minds, more leaks and some crazy remake news popping out. Also, I’m in the bay area of Florida, so, sports is a tough subject for me this week. On top of that, the countdown is down to four days until I tie the knot, so it’s getting all kinds of serious (and for the record, it will be nothing like the marriage between the Doctor and River). So, with all that said, I’ve got some news, some videos, some box office info and plenty more for your viewing pleasure. Let’s get to it.
Qwikster is dead in the water – Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has lost his mind. It started a few months ago with the monstrous price increase, making the streaming service a paid service, and affecting many of its subscribers by implementing up to a 60% increase. After way more customers dropped Netflix than they thought, Hastings apologized. In his apology, he found a way to further infuriate his customers by announcing that Netflix’s core service, the bright red envelopes would know no longer be Netflix, instead, they would be something completely different, called Qwikster. Qwikster, besides sounding dumb, would mean all your billing info, your movie ratings and DVD Queue would be separate from the streaming service called Netflix. It was a way of separating the mail service, which will surely start to go away as the streaming service becomes more popular. (They should’ve known it was a bad idea after discovering some guy already had Qwikster as a Twitter handle.) Now, Hastings has realized this newest mistake after many have complained, and has killed the name Qwikster. I envision his marketing team as a bunch of people who have now turned to copious amounts of alcohol to get through the day.
While I commend Hastings for realizing this stupid mistake before it was too late, it now makes Netflix, a company once praised for its innovation and forward thinking as being run by an indecisive 6-year old. Of course Netflix’s stock prices have reflected a similar sentiment, dropping like a stone. As one of the people who canceled, it just makes me shake my head in disbelief at how poorly the company has made their decisions. I may eventually sign back up for the streaming service, I’m still kind of mad, and at the moment, I’m not really missing the limited selection of movies they had. On a brighter note, they are now streaming the first season of AMC’s The Walking Dead, so party on there.
Pete Travis: “I am the law,” Producers: “Nope.” – The movie “Dredd,” starring Carl Urban as Judge Dredd was looking promising. It promised to forget about the really cheesy Sylvester Stallone film, and there was no hint of Rob Schneider. Now, however, there seems to be a dark cloud over the movie, and not in a stylistic, gritty, Nolan kinda way. It was made official that director Pete Travis was given the pink slip after he couldn’t agree with the producers of the film, regarding creative issues. It sounds like the producers attached to the film will finish editing the film, and possibly seek a “co-director” credit.
Woman sues over misleading trailer – You know, the promotional material designed to get you to come to the movie theater? Well, it did its job, but apparently, Sarah Deming didn’t like what she saw. She was, according to a lawsuit, led to believe the movie Drive would be a “Fast and Furious type movie, or similar,” and what she got was a movie that had very little driving and “extreme gratuitous defamatory dehumanizing racism directed against members of the Jewish faith, and thereby promoted criminal violence against members of the Jewish faith.” So, she wants her money back, and wants to create a class-action lawsuit to ban misleading trailers.
While I do agree misleading trailers are annoying, suing over them just makes me want to smack that woman upside her head. It isn’t up to the trailer to inform you as to the exact plot, and the exact nature of the film, merely to get you to the seat. You need to use your own brain to figure out whether you will like it or not, or, maybe read a review. Suing over the fact you didn't like the trailer just seems to be one of the biggest problems in society today. Just accept the fact you wasted $10 and get online and bitch about it like everyone else.
Since we’re on the subject, what is one trailer you found really misleading? I think, for me, it was The Village. While I liked the movie, and don’t dislike the Shamhammer, that trailer made it look like a horror film, not a drama with some suspense in the middle. While I felt slightly mislead, I wasn’t going to sue, and I was glad I saw it anyway.
Iron Man himself not happy about the sequel - If you have seen the Iron Man movies, you would know the first is one of the better comic book movies you will find, with the second, well, it left something to be desired. Apparently, Tony Stark himself agreed. Robert Downey Jr. was talking about the sequel and how some pieces of the film were shot before the script was done, leaving certain pieces feeling blah. Downey said "The first one changed everything for me, and the second, there were some aspects that were dissatisfying and disappointing."
Doctor Who goes 'Tick Tock' - Check out this fan video of series 6 of Doctor Who. If you haven't seen the end of the series yet, this video has some SPOILERS. And, if you haven't seen it, you don't know what you are missing. I'm very sorry if this song is stuck in your head.
Man of Steel gets some pics - Check out Henry Cavill as a bearded Clark Kent. The more I see, the more I like Cavill as Supes. I just wish we didn't have to sit through an origin story.
Also, check out Amy Adams as a ginger Lois Lane. I love Adams, and I think she's talented and will do a great job, but I will admit, she would not have been who I expected in the role of the intrepid reporter.
In preparation for Halloween, there are a few things that have to happen. Number one, you have to carve a pumpkin. It doesn’t have to be good, trust me. Second, you have to buy candy, just incase you get trick or treaters. Third, you need to watch some good scary movies. There have been tons of blogs, talking about what movies to watch for the all hallowed eve, so, I figured I would give you mine. This way, you can start preparing now.
1) Paranormal Activity – Few movies made me come home from a midnight showing and turn on the lights in the house. This movie did a great job of amping up the tension throughout the entire film to an amazing, haunting, eerily unsatisfying conclusion. My sister had nightmares for weeks, and she’s in her mid-twenties.
2) The Descent – This film was extremely unsettling. The end played with your mind, and there was blood, lots of blood, and some creepy little guys that came out of the dark, but possibly the scariest thing for me was the feeling of claustrophobia this film gave me. There was a scene or two I had to tell me self to breath because I felt like the room was closing on me.
3) Blair Witch Project – This film made me never want to go into the woods again. Ever. From the continued increase in tension to the unsettling, unseen horror, this film was truly scary to me.
4) Halloween – When I was young, this movie scared the crap out of me. Now, film is getting a bit out-dated, but it is still all kinds of fun to watch, and is considered a true classic of modern horror, and a must-see for Halloween time.
5) Saw – This one I thought really captures cinemas modern view on horror. While the first one wasn’t nearly as gory as the 27 thousand sequels it spawned, I thought the terror and plot more than made it for it.
Also fun: Trick ‘R Treat, I thought was a silly, fun Halloween movie that captures some classic Halloween motifs. Also, The Room. I know what you are thinking, it’s not a horror film, but trust me, once you’ve seen Tommy Wiseau, you will be afraid.
Box Office Breakdown – Real Steel wins Pretty impressive for a film that started out as a movie based on Rock-‘em Sock-‘em Robots, eh? Yeah, I know the story was based off a Richard Matheson story, but it started because film execs wanted a robot fighting story. They got it, and it looks like it did pretty well, beating out the George Clooney and Ryan Gosling political movie The Ides of March.
1. Real Steel - $23.7 million ($23.7 million total) 2. The Ides of March - $10.4 million ($10.4 million total) 3. Dolphin Tale - $9.2 million ($49.1 million total) 4. Moneyball - $7.5 million ($49.3 million total) 5. 50/50 - $5.5 million ($17.3 million total) 6. Courageous - $4.6 million ($15.9 million total) 7. The Lion King 3D - $4.6 million ($414.5 million total) 8. Dream House - $4.5 million ($14.5 million total) 9. What's Your Number? – $3.1 million ($10.3 million total) 10. Abduction - $2.9 million ($23.4 million total)
DVD's hitting Shelves today
Horrible Bosses The Tree of Life
Zookeeper
Green Lanter
Bones: Season 6
Chuck: Season 4
The Trip
Workaholics: Season one
Trailer of the Week:The Raven or John Cusack, with a beard. The movie stars Cusack as Edgar Allen Poe, the famous poet who, in this film looks to be part author, and part Sherlock Holmes. The film has some creepy scenes, based on the trailer. What do you think? Worth watching, come March?
Welcome to Kevin’s Korner! I’m coming off of a surprisingly cool weekend, which in Florida means anything below 90 degrees. There was tons of good football over the weekend, which was awesome, and I have a bachelor party in less than a week. Party on!
I just finished re-watching the Doctor Who season finale. I really enjoyed it. While it was somewhat of a letdown, now knowing how the Doctor cheats death, the episode was really well done, and as usual, I’m impressed with Matt Smith.
As for the movies, I scowered the internet, in search of some good stuff, and I found it. So, without any more B.S., let’s talk movies, shall we?
And this is what we hope to experience in every movie – Do you remember your reaction the first time you saw Empire Strikes Back? I was about 6 or so, and I was blown away. Never saw it coming, and it stays with me as one of the greatest cinema experiences of my childhood, perhaps ever. It’s why Star Wars fans are passionate, and it’s why we get so upset when someone changes the film, because it’s messing with one of our favorite movie memories; the first time we find out the truth. Check out the reaction of this kid. For me, it reminded me very much of my reaction. Was yours the same?
What other film got this reaction for you when you were young? I think, for me, it was maybe Wizard of Oz, not so much in the surprise element as just the cinematic adventure side. A bit later, for me, it was Star Trek, but still, Star Wars remains at the top.
IMAX hits all this week – AMC theaters are bringing back some IMAX classics for ‘big movie week’ all this week. The movies will include Inception, Star Trek and Fast Five. I saw Inception three times in IMAX theaters and Star Trek twice, so I’m pretty excited, but with the fact both are available on Blu-Ray, will anyone actually go and see this films…ya know, besides me?
Speaking of Blu Ray, we finally get some TNG – For all you trekkies out there (I refuse to address you as “trekkers,” live with it), there is some good news, January of 2012 will mark the first sample of Star Trek: The Next Generation on Blu-Ray. It starts off with a small sample, including the shows pilot, Encounter at Farpoint, and will also include Sins of the Father and The Inner Light, with the rest of the episodes seeing release later next year. They are apparently going back to the originals and digitally restoring them, which should make those cheesy special effects all that much better! Count me in.
Sony thinks we should buy our own 3D glasses – Sony has sent a letter to movie theater chains saying that they are tired of paying $5-$10 million for 3D glasses for tentpole films, and that as of next year, they don’t want to pay that anymore. Instead, theaters should pay for the stupid looking glasses themselves, and pass the expense onto the consumer, or make the consumer pay for them themselves as an extra fee. You know, on top of the extra $5 it costs for a 3D film over a 2D film. I’m not sure what that extra $5 is for, maybe for the more expensive projectors Sony pressured the theaters into buying. If Netflix has proven anything, it’s that jacking up the prices on what seems like a non-necessity will only piss people off. Now, for you movie geeks across the pond, it’s already like this, with movie-goers getting charged a pound for glasses, or you can bring your own.
Now, I could see companies bringing out really nice, pretty comfortable, good looking 3D glasses for people to buy. If so, then I could see really hardcore theater-goers possibly going for it, but I don’t see how this will do anything besides drive people to 2D movies. Other than, maybe Avatar and Piranha 3D, and maybe Tron: Legacy, I can’t think of anything I thought needed to be seen in 3D. Tell me your thoughts in the comments.
Mortal Kombat! – After the webseries rebooted the video game characters into a real-world, gritty vision, people took notice of Moral Kombat: Legacy. Now, it’s Warner Bros. who took notice of what director Kevin Tancharoen did, and they have green-lit a full length film. There isn’t any word on whether the actors from the webseries, including Jeri Ryan, would return, but this could go a long way to helping us forget about that god aweful Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. The first Mortal Kombat, despite its ridiculous cheesiness, was one of those guilty pleasures of mine. This could be pretty sweet if the director gets a halfway decent budget.
Dead Island to become a movie – If you remember, not too long ago, a beautifully edited trailer hit the internet for a zombie game called Dead Island. The trailer showed no gameplay, just a great, emotional tale of a family on an island, being overrun by zombies. It was pretty amazing, and as a result of the trailer, video game sales were through the roof. Now, Lionsgate has bought the rights to the film, with the trailer being the basis for the story. I guess that means that there is soon to be another movie, based off a video game, which doesn’t bode well, but this almost seems like it’s based more off of a trailer, than the game, so, maybe that’ll do better? Yeah, I’m not holding my breath, either, but lets look at that trailer one more time, it’s pretty amazing.
Warner Bros approaching 5 directors for Twilight Zone – Warner Bros. has some pretty high standards for directors on a possible Twilight Zone remake. Variety reported the studio has approached Christopher Nolan, Michael Bay, David Yates, Rupert Wyatt and Alfonso Cuaron. Those are some pretty impressive names, with a very high recognition. There are a few names there that could be pretty amazing, but Michael Bay directing a Twilight Zone movie is just sickening. Don’t get me wrong, I do like some of Bay’s movies, but his style should not ever cross paths with that of the Twilight Zone; Rod Serling would freak out in his grave.
A Bond girl has been announced - Bérénice Marlohe will be in the next James Bond film, opposite of Daniel Craig in what is temporarily titled “Carte Blanche.” You will recognize Miss Marlohe from… well, absolutely nothing, unless you are into French films (I'm not judging). She will star alongside Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Javier Bardem, Ben Wishaw and Judi Dench, and is schedule to begin filming by the end of this year. I was really hoping for Olivia Wilde, but yeah, I won’t complain.
The Batman Zone – Since there is so much going on with the third Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, it gets its own area for now. So, grab your bat-utility belt and let’s go…
Rumor # 1 – In a surprising possible leak, the rumor going around the net is that Cilian Murphy was spotted on set with a robe on, hiding his costume for a possible appearance in the next Batman film. He would be the only villain to appear in all three films, if true. I think this is a great way to bring some closure to the character, but with Bane, Catwoman, Ras Al Guhl, and whatever Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be, Nolan has to be careful this doesn’t turn into Spiderman 3.
Here are some photos – There have been more leaked photos this week, including the batwing (seen below) and Bane’s doomsday machine that looks kinda like a metal ball. There’s also a few pics of Batman and Bane going at it. You can see them HERE.
Jonathan Nolan talks about leaks –IGN had an interview with script writer Jonathan Nolan (Christopher’s brother) about all the leaks. He likened it to how bootleg attempts in IMAX films fail to get all of the film, and like that, these leaks don’t get all of his film, and without the big picture, you can’t really tell what you are looking at. It’s a fair point, but I still wonder how someone so secretive could be so…well, not secretive. I suppose it’s unavoidable, but I still am thinking something smells a bit fishy (yes, I showered, I was speaking metaphorically).
Clooney on Batman & Robin: “That was really *&@%” – While promoting Ides of March, Clooney was asked about Batman and Robin. Now, I know what your thinking: just leave the dead, beaten, stinky horse alone, already, but whatever. Clooney blamed himself for being pretty terrible in the film, but said “Batman is still the biggest break I ever had and it completely changed my career, even if it was weak and I was weak in it. It was a difficult film to be good in. I don't know what I could have done differently.” He also talked about being asked to play it, and said he just couldn’t turn down Batman. While I don’t think Clooney was a good call, it wasn’t so much he did a bad job, as poor casting, and an absolutely horrible script. It makes for a good rifftrax, though.
Box office Breakdown –Dolphin Tale wins The true story of Winter the Dolphin in Dolphin Tale takes over the first spot in its second week, beating out Brad Pitt’s film, Moneyball, both of which dropped a very small percentage from their first weeks. The Lion King came in third this week, after two weeks at the top.
1. Dolphin Tale - $14.2 million ($37.5 million total) 2. Moneyball - $12.5 million ($38.5 million total) 3. The Lion King 3D - $11.1 million ($408.2 million total) 4. 50/50 - $8.9 million ($8.9 million total) 5. Courageous - $8.8 million ($8.8 million total) 6. Dream House - $8.2 million ($8.2 million total) 7. Abduction - $5.7 million ($19.1 million total) 8. What's Your Number? – $5.6 million ($5.6 million total) 9. Contagion - $5.0 million ($57.1 million total) 10. Killer Elite - $4.9 million ($17.4 million total)
DVD’s hitting shelves today
Fast Five Lion King (Blu-Ray) Scream 4 Friday Night Lights: Complete Series Jackie Brown (Blu-Ray) Pulp Fiction (Blu-Ray)
Trailer of the week –Paranormal Activity 3 This gimmick gets me every time, from Blair Witch to Cloverfield, to the Paranormal Activity movies, it really gets me into the story. Here is the second trailer for the third Paranormal Activity movie, and it looks properly scary. What do you think?
With barely two weeks remaining until the big day arrives, there is tons of talk about what we will be doing that day before doing the walking and the vowing and the drinking. One of the things brought up was that I wasn't allowed to see my future wife that day until the wedding march played, and she walked, all dramatic-like towards me, with her wedding dress on. I found it odd that I was forbidden from my bride that entire day, not just lunchtime, or the time leading up, or snack time, but the whole day. I couldn't even wake up with her.
A friend of mine was talking about this the other day, thinking that it may have had something to do with arranged marriages back in the day, not unveiling the bride until the last moment. She had also said that it was about the big reveal. I'm all for the whole thing, and I can't wait to see the woman I love, looking like the most beautiful woman on the planet, coming towards me to vow to marry me, but does that mean we can't even share an egg McMuffin? I've lived with my future wife for about eight months now, so, waking up without her will be a different experience, one I'm glad is reserved for one day only.
I'm not into superstitions, although I occasionally knock on wood, or cross my fingers, I don't believe stepping on cracks would break my mothers back, or that black cats are bad luck, or breaking a mirror is the holiest of all bad-luck things, with a seven-year sentence. I also don't believe that seeing my bride before the wedding is a big deal, and will affect the outcome of the soon to be married us. That being said, I guess, what could it hurt? It'll just make me yearn for her company that much more, it'll make me want to be with her more than I do of every second of every day, and if it's even possible, the wait will make me appreciate her stunning beauty even more. And if she wants a big reveal, it's her day, she can have it, and she can see the stunned look on my face as she walks towards me, ready to vow.
I guess I'll have to eat that egg McMuffin on my own.
This is your fiancée hacking into your blogs and I just want to say that I love you very much and I am so glad I met you. You have brought nothing but sunshine into my life after all the rain and thunderstorms. Thank you for that and I promise to make you the happiest man alive!
Peeps Mr. Hopp's blog rock. Thanks for reading them all!
Welcome to Kevin's Korner! This week, we have some goodies, so buckle your seatbelts... ok, I guess that doesn't really make sense, given you don't have seatbelts in the office chairs you're sitting in. Anywho, there are some cool things that happened this week, and I'm going to break them all down for you.
I'm in the news business, and business is a boomin...
Doesn't that blow your mind?! - Over at Blastr.com, there was a post talking about Christopher Nolan and his seeming lack of ability to cover up the latest shooting of The Dark Knight Rises. The post talks about how in all the previous films filmed by Nolan, you never saw any leaks of any kind, in fact, his movies were extremely lock and key. Now, you are seeing all this footage right out in the open, with no attempt to hide anything, in fact, you see these tumblers driving down the street with loud exhaust, in an almost parade. The author says it all as to do with a movie called The Prestige. In the movie, Michael Cain's character talks about how a magic trick is broken into three parts, the Pledge, the turn, and finally the Prestige. The author is wondering if all these leaks are the turn, and come next year, we will see the Prestige. It's a pretty cool idea, right, the idea that all we are seeing is totally B.S., and we have no idea what to expect? I have a feeling it's not quite magic. My opinion would be that things could change slightly, but given the popularity and anticipation of the film, there would be no way to hide certain shots, but I have a feeling what we are seeing is a very small amount of what will be in the actual film. It would be a pretty good trick, to hide the filming of a huge blockbuster film in this day and age, but I don't think Nolan is even capable of that.
Maybe Batman isn't that clever - Alright, so after this anticipation for a new film, we get another video showing us the interrogation of the joker. Or, joker-ish. Yeah, it's another video mocking the Christian Bale growl, but I still find it funny.
One more Batman rumor... - There was another rumor about the film ending in a complete FX scene, which could add all kinds of speculation to the end of the film. Now, the ending of Batman Begins ends with an FX shot, but this could lead to all kinds of speculation. What do you think, a Harry Potter-esque epilogue, or maybe a dead Batman? Leave your idea for the ending in the comments, but in the spirit of Waynes' World, I want the mega-happy ending. Batman gets a girl, Bane gets his own exercise video, Catwoman gets a catnip farm, and everyone learns a lesson.
Netflix trying to un-piss off people - After jacking up the price, then apologizing about it, then saying Netflix is now two different websites, not able to connect with eachother, Netflix is trying to figure out how to make it up to its once happy customers. The CEO said this week that while coupons and temporary price decreases are not out of the question, he said a temporary fix isn't what he is looking for. He also said that the streaming service is still their main focus. Yeah, thanks for the help, Netflix, but we're on a break, and I don't want to talk to you right now.
Steve Martin gives some advice to Eddie Murphy - It was announced that Eddie Murphy would host the Oscars, and previous Oscar host Steve Martin gave the future announcer some helpful tips.
Monster director possibly helming Thor 2 - In another interesting director announcement, Patty Jenkins, the director of the Charlize Theron film Monster is rumored to helm Thor 2. It's an interesting idea, given how well Monster was perceived. Do you think this is a good idea?
Michelle Rodriguez returning to Resident Evil - You're thinking what I'm thinkg, but she's de....umm, wow, that's a really interesting bit of news. I have no idea how they're going to work this in after the results of the first film, but it sounds like the film is coming full circle. I don't know if this means this will be the final film, but I'm interested in the idea of the film returning to its roots.
Mass Effect to be an original story - It was announced this week that the story for the proposed Mass Effect film, based on the video game series will be an original story set in the pre-established universe. I'm assuming Commander Shephard will be the hero, but it isn't clear. What is clear is that Seth Green wasn't set to reprise his role as Joker in the video games. The universe is so big, that is not an issue, but if Green doesn't come back, I would have a hard time taking the film seriously.
Blockbuster rolls out Movie Pass - If you have ever been a fan of the Block, you may be excited about this, or, you could be like me and think it's once again, too little too late. Blockbuster announced this week that they would unleash a streaming service of their own called Movie Pass. No, it has nothing to do with the previously released unlimited movie theater program of the same name, or the unlimited movie rental program Blockbuster had of the same name...it's safe to say Blockbuster has the naming originality of a three year old. It sounds like it could be good, given Blockbuster gets movies before Netflix or Redbox, but the program will currently only be available on the Dish Network.
I have a long, passionate history with the Block, and its reactionary effect is so frustrating. Instead of being innovative, they ride their success until they no longer are and then try to figure out what to do next, while companies like Netflix are trying to be innovative, even though both companies need some serious customer loyalty help. I think with Blockbuster, it's a last-ditch effort by a dead company.
Doctor Who, series 7 pushed back to Autumn, 2012 - A few months ago, it was rumored we would get a highly abbreviated series 7 in anticipation of series 8, the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. The good news is that isn't true, we are getting a full 13 episode season, the bad news is we have to wait until autumn of next year before we get a full season. We are getting a Christmas show this year, which is promised to be very Christmas-ey, and we also get an Easter episode next year, before the series gets 6 episodes in 2012, with the remaining coming in the beginning of 2013, making 2013 a huge year, with a full 13 episodes in the year. I, for one, am kinda bummed. I want instant gratification, and waiting for a full season until next year is rough, considering the high quality of the series currently on its way out, especially with Matt Smith in an incredible groove.
So, speaking of which, who is your favorite Doctor? I have to admit, I haven't seen all of the classic episodes, watching a few stories here and there, but I am a big fan of Matt Smith. There is something about his ability to be young and spry and filled with clever energy, while also having the look of a wise old man. It's brilliant, and I can't think of another actor that can top it.
Riddick 3 concept art - If you haven't heard, they are making a third Chronicles of Riddick film, after Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick. The film was have the reprisal of Vin Diesel's role of Riddick, and according to the rumors, will go for a "Hard R" rating, after a very tame second film.
DVD's hitting the shelves today
Carlos Transformers: Dark of the Moon (September 30th) Army Wives: Season 5 How I met Your Mother: Season 6
Box Office Breakdown -Lion King wins... AGAIN!
Lion Kings re-release took first place again this week, with $22 million, beating Moneyball, which came in second place with a respectable $20 million. Dolphin Tale, the story of a dolphin who got a prosthetic tale came in third place with a fantastic $20 million. I'm from the bay area, and with the story happening a half-hour south of here, the entire area is extremely excited to have such an amazing story in our backyard. Killer Elite bombed pretty badly, bringing in $9.5 million. It's a shame, it looks pretty good.
1. The Lion King 3D - $22.1 million ($390.2 million total) 2. Moneyball - $20.6 million ($20.6 million total) Read the review! 3. Dolphin Tale - $20.3 million ($20.3 million total) 4. Abduction - $11.2 million ($11.2 million total) 5. Killer Elite - $9.5 million ($9.5 million total) 6. Contagion - $8.6 million ($57.1 million total) 7. Drive - $5.8 million ($21.4 million total) 8. The Help - $4.4 million ($154.4 million total) 9. Straw Dogs - $2.1 million ($8.9 million total) 10. I Don't Know How She Does It - $2.1 million ($8.0 million total)
With a little over a month before the big wedding, we had finally decided to make that huge step in our relationship. You know the one I’m talking about, right? No, not that one! Geez… they don’t allow monkeys in city limits anyway, you sicko. No, I’m talking about having her parents and my parents meet. It’s a big, dangerous, crazy, wacky step, but it must be done. With the wedding looming, making sure her family and my family meet ahead of time is not only crucial, it will ease some of the stress.
It’s been a bit difficult on my beautiful fiancée because her parents and nearly her entire family live down in Miami. It’s about a four to five hour drive from our house, one we don’t make that often due to it taking up 3 days out of a 2 day weekend, and because we’ve been pretty busy, and gas isn’t as cheap as it used to be. Either way, I should overcome those excuses and get down more to see my future in-laws, and her parents, especially given the fact so many things are going on, I know my future wife wants to share them with my future mother-in-law.
So, that being said, I haven’t gotten down as much as I should, and my parents and her parents have never met. I had a few good things going on my side, though. First off, my parents are slightly above the ‘amazing’ category, which puts them just below ‘covered in fairy dust.’ They have been incredible through this wedding planning process, and I’m very lucky. Also, her parents are amazing. They have been so kind and warm and welcoming, it’s impossible, just like their daughter, to not love them. The final thing is that my future wife is Cuban, and in my experience, Cuban people are very friendly (is it stereotyping? Maybe, but shut up, I’m being nice!).
So, her parents were riding into town, along with her uncle and aunt for the bridal shower (similar to a baby shower, only way more alcohol). Both my fiancée and I were nervous, near terrified at everyone meeting. The night before, my parents met my future mother-in-law, and believe it or not, my future wife and I were silent for well over an hour as the three talked like they had been friends for years. It was a relieving sign, whether they were working at it to be nice to us or whether it flowed freely, everyone had a big smile on their face, including us. The day of the shower came, and her parents and my parents met at our place for the single, greatest Cuban meal of all time. My parents, her parents, some good friends and her uncle and aunt talked, and drank and laughed, and ate and had a great time, all the while, my future wife and I just soaked it all in. This is what we were hoping for; one big, happy, loud, full family, under one roof, enjoying each other’s company.
So, we all lived, no one was cut on, and no one was injured, no wacky shenanigans to talk about, just anticipation on when it will happen again. Now, old friends, and soon to be family, things were really looking up. Of course, I wasn’t worried. I knew it would be easy from the beginning. I did! I was just joking about being nervous before.
It’s a big step towards the future family my gorgeous bride and I have in mind, and it was so smooth. Was that a good sign of things to come or what? No, seriously…I wasn’t nervous at all!
We’re down to 23 days until the biggest day of my life hits me. To say I’m excited would be like saying the Niagara Falls is a little wet, or Shaquile O’Neal is kinda tall. I’m excited for all sorts of reasons, but mostly because it’s the day I get to profess my love for my beautiful fiancée in front of everyone. Interestingly, that point is also the reason why I’m nervous, but that’s normal. I’m also excited because it’s going to be one heck of a party, spent with family and friends, where we can drink, have some good food, and celebrate. It’s also been something we’ve been planning since January, and I’ve been thinking about since last October. It’s a lot to live up to, but I am crazy excited.
Today, I came across several marriage advice columns. Every once in awhile, I will see one, but today, I came across three. They were all really good reads that offered loads of advice. I enjoy reading them, because, as someone who isn’t even married yet, forever is a long time, and I figured I could use any advice someone is willing to give. It also always makes me feel good because everything these authors say you are supposed to do, things like communicate, never blame, be supportive, things like that, we do. The best part is it’s affirming something I already know; that I’m one stupidly lucky guy, because I found the one person that will make me happy forever.
One particular question made me the most happy out of everything I read today. After all the ‘don’t blame’ or ‘don’t think of owing your significant other for anything’ I read this, and this made me feel happier than ever. The question is
“Imagine marriage didn't even exist as a thing. Like imagine you didn't live in a society where marriage is expected and where you continually get shit from people for not "tying the knot." Imagine all of those social pressures were gone, nobody was nagging you about it. Would you still make the promise to stay with this person forever? Are you getting married because you want to be married? Or just because that's what people do?”
This is a very valid question, and apparently, sometimes people don’t always answer the way I do. My answer was simple. I can tell you that when I got down on one knee, I wasn’t thinking about what my parents would say, or what my coworkers or my friends thought; I wasn’t thinking about the people standing behind me clapping; I didn’t even consider what my relatives were thinking; I was only thinking about one thing, and one person, and how happy I would be if she said yes. After she said yes, all those thoughts (and one about how long the ride on the rocking roller coaster would be) came flying into my head, but for that moment, there was only one thought.
So, there you have it! The one thing I learned after planning a wedding, and reading countless advice pieces on weddings, it’s ‘did you really want to marry her, or was it because it was the right thing to do?’ And the answer is obvious. I love her that much. That’s what this whole walking down the isle thing is, it’s not about centerpieces, or dresses, or caterers or cakes, it’s about the fact that I would give anything I have and more (I’ve already been informed everything I have is now hers anyway) to be with this woman forever. I trust her, and she trusts me, and together, this adventure we’re going on is going to be amazing.
What’s that? It took me long enough? Really? That’s your response? Don’t be a dick, if you knew the meaning of it all, why didn’t you tell me?
Incidentally, the other piece of advice I thought was really good for any relationship is this: think of your relationship like your legs, if you break a toe on one leg, you just adjust the way you walk and keep walking because together, you get where you are going, separately, you are just that pathetic guy sitting outside of Publix in a wheelchair begging for loose change. (I may have added that last part, but whatever).
Welcome to another week in Kevin’s Korner. I’m starting to get a feel for this whole news thing, finally. I’m hitting my stride, and I like it! There is tons of news this week, with so many good things going on. I’m still a little hungover from the weekend. I stayed up way too late watching the Emmy’s, and playing with my new Ipad 2, and I am finding it way too hard getting going.
I finally saw Rise of the Planet of the Apes this past week. I really liked it actually. The emotions of Caesar was incredible, and the CGI in the beginning of the movie was great, along with John Lithgow’s performance. I also really liked the little hints and references to the original Planet of the Apes movie. There were a few things that threw me off of the film, towards the end, mainly one of the characters speaking, and James Franco’s lack of emotion, but for the most part, I found it to be a very good movie. I also think the underlying themes of animal abuse weren’t so underlying in this movie, bringing the similar points of the original film to light in a different way (my fiancée was crying through the first two thirds of the film). So, if you haven’t seen it, and you liked the original Planet of the Apes, not that really bad Tim Burton remake, then you’ll probably enjoy it.
Alright, that’s enough of that, now off to the news…
J.J. is back, baby – J.J. Abrams, the director of the updated Star Trek movie has made it official, he will be back in the directors chair for the sequel, originally set for release in June, 2012, but will be pushed back to Christmas, 2012. Abrams, the master of the mystery box helmed the highest grossing Star Trek film in franchise history, and with him, the script writers and actors are all back, which makes for a promising film if you are a fan of the original. Sure, there were lens flares, but I think, scaled back, it's a fine directors signature.
Harlan Ellison trying to block 'In Time' - Sci Fi author Harlan Ellison is fighting to not only block, but destroy all copies of In Time, a movie starring Cillian Murphy, Amanda Seyfriend and Justin Timberlake. Ellison is claiming copyright infringement for a story of his. I am totally against the idea of destroying a film, but who really thinks this is anything but a way to make some cash?
Who you gonna call? - If you are a fan of '80s comedy Ghostbusters, than you have good taste. If you don't, well, you're just wrong. As a result of the crazy fandom, Ghostbusters is returning to theaters for the first time in over 25 years. The film will hit theaters in October for a limited run. It sounds like a way for studios to gauge enthusiasm for the franchise, in hopes of a third film.
Ever want to know how the rating system works? - If you ever wanted to know how the Nielsen rating system works, take from these, uhh... these... well, these puppets. This video explains the basics of the rating system for TV's, DVR's, and such. It's pretty interesting, and creatively done. Check it out:
Netflix apologizes for bad communication, and then splits - In the category of mind-boggeling decisions, Netflix issues a letter apologizing to its customers after stories were everywhere earlier in the week that Netflix has lost nearly a million customers after its massive price increase, which is considerably more than predicted (the number they figured was closer to 30,000). So, after apologizing, and not really doing anything about the issue, Netflix unleashed something big, called 'Qwikster.' Qwikster is what Netflix used to be, essentially the direct-mail service that ships DVDs to your house. The pricing package for that is still the same it got adjusted to, but now, you will be going to "www.qwikster.com" for your DVD queue. The streaming side, however, will be something seperate, and if you have that, then you will go to Netflix.com. The downside is the two websites will have nothing to do with each other, so credit card numbers, account information, and movie reviews will be completely independent.
The good news is that Netflix, err, Qwikster, or whatever, which, by the way, is a dumb ass name, will offer video game rentals. Soon, you will be able to rent Wii, PS3 or XBox 360 games, similar to the Blu-Ray rentals now. Despite that small bit of good news, it's just another reason for me to walk away from the company for a bit. Yes, I was one of those million customers. It's not the price, mind you, it's the fact they just jacked up the price by 60% in a recession because they figured they were untouchable. Well, the stock price shows that Netflix is not as untouchable as it thought it was. Will they get the customers back? Possibly, but it could take some clever marketing....maybe they should try flowers, I heard that works.
No Ash? Blasphemy! - According to /Film, the Evil Dead remake will not contain the character of Ash, made famous by Bruce Campbell. While Campbell will most likely have a cameo, the character will not make an appearance. So, it's a remake, but with a different character? It seems kinda silly to me. The more I hear about this remake, the more it seems like a completely different movie. It isn't to say that is a bad thing, but at the moment, I haven't heard anything good.
Batman video explodes - There hasn't been too many Batman videos lately, after weeks of crazy amounts of leaks, but this week, we have something explosive. The video may contain mild spoilers, but it looks like the batwing, or whatever Nolan's latest vehicle is will be going head to head against something else, and shit is going to blow.
John Barrowman thinks the next Doctor should be a female - John Barrowman, famous for playing Who character Captain Jack Harkness, which later spun off to Torchwood thinks the next regeneration of the Doctor should have him regenerate into the female persuasion. It would make things extremely different, given the fact the show has never had a female Doctor before.
So, would you like the see a female Doctor? Do you think Sci Fi is ready for a female Doctor? Sure, you have plenty of other shows that have a female lead, that seems to work just fine, but can she handle the weight of a character nearly 50 years in the making? If so, can you think of anyone who could handle it? I don't think it would hurt the show in viewership, and it could reinvent the show, but I have no problem with the show the way it is now, and I really hope current Doctor Matt Smith doesn't go anywhere anytime soon.
Emmy's was the Mad Men show - I liked the Emmy's last night. I am always excited for the awards shows, but feel let down by how incredibly boring they become. It's always the same formula; actors come out, attempt to make a witty joke, announce the winner, the winner comes up, thanks, God, their cast mates and director and babble a bit, rinse and repeat. This show wasn't much different. There does seem to be a bit of talk about how Mad Men won mostly everything, and whether or not they deserved it. I think it's a fine show, with great actors, but there were some other talents I felt deserved it more. You can check out the full list of winners HERE.
Box Office Breakdown - Audiences feel nostalgic, and rock the circle of life.
The 3D version of Disney's Lion King won the weekend with nearly $30 million total. The film benefited from more expensive tickets, sure, but it's pretty amazing for an older film. For the record, I'm pretty sure The Lion King is one of my favorite Disney films ever. Contagion did really good, and dropped a small amount to take second place. Drive didn't seem to do very well, the action movie came in third with $11 million.
1. The Lion King 3D - $29.3 million ($357.8 million total)
2. Contagion - $14.5 million ($44.2 million total)
3. Drive - $11.0 million ($11.0 million total)
4. The Help - $6.4 million ($147.4 million total)
5. Straw Dogs - $5.0 million ($5.0 million total)
6. I Don't Know How She Does It - $4.5 million ($4.5 million total)
7. The Debt - $2.9 million ($26.5 million total)
8. Warrior - $2.8 million ($9.9 million total)
9. Rise of the Planet of the Apes - $2.6 million ($171.6 million total)
10. Colombiana - $2.3 million ($33.3 million total)
DVD's on Shelves this week
Castle: Season 3
Dead Heat
Invisible Sign of My Own
Bride Flight
Bridesmaids
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
We are the Night
Trailer of the week - The Muppets - A Parody Trailer
This trailer really says it all, they haven't had a parody trailer in awhile, and, well, now that we have one, all is right with the world. If you haven't seen this yet, you are welcome, and if you have, you want to see it again. One thing is for sure, this film is doing some really good marketing. Do you think the film will live up to they hype? I honestly do.
Inception blows my mind http://blastr.com/2011/09/image-of-the-day-inceptio.php
WHO catbox http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/80s/content/just-what-doctor-ordered-tardis-kitty-condo
Trailer – Twilight: Breaking Dawn http://www.411mania.com/movies/news/201651
Welcome to Kevin’s Korner, your one stop for all that is geeky.
I am your host, Kevin Hopp. It’s been a busy few weeks as I get ready for the wedding. We have gotten a lot done, and I spent the weekend with the future in-laws, which was awesome. When everyone is warm and welcoming, it makes everything way easier. My future bride also had her bridal shower, which means we got all kinds of gifts and I got to spend the afternoon eating wings and drinking beer, far away from a crazy amount of women. So, all is right with the universe.
Before we get started, we had two losses in the Hollywood community, Cliff Robertson, probably most famous for ‘Charley,’ in which he received an Oscar (yes, he also played Uncle Ben in Spiderman) passed, along with Spartacus: Blood and Sand actor Andy Whitfield, who was only 36. My sympathies go out to the two guys families and friends.
I’m in the news business and business is a boomin…
3 Stooges could be a joke – Some of my fondest memories of my childhood include getting up at 6 am, and enjoying some early morning TV with my father. It was good times that included Three Stooges and then Doctor Paul Barrer’s Creature Feature. So, you would think I would be excited at the news of a movie bringing back Larry, Mo and Curley. You would think wrong, however. I simply don’t think the style of comedy will work now, and the chemistry of the original characters would be tough to match. The film stars Sean Hayes as Larry, Chris Diamantopoulos as Moe, and Will Sasso as Curly. The Farrelly brothers directed the film and it’s coming out April of 2012. It’s not the Stooges movie I was expecting with rumors of another film being filmed starring Jim Carrey and Sean Penn. Apparently, that film is completely dead now.
Danger Zone goes 3D – Tom Cruise’s hit Top Gun is going to be launched in 3D. A four minute preview of the Tony Scott film was made available earlier this week at a film festival. The film is scheduled to premiere early in 2012. Legend 3D has said the film is perfect for 3D due to the aeriel aspects and hopes to have the dog-fighting scenes jump off the screen. Personally, I have no desire to see the film in 3D. I can’t imagine it will make the film any better.
“Noooo” makes so many films better, right? – Check out this video that takes some very famous moments and adds the Darth Vader “nooo” that was recently added to Return of the Jedi as a comedic way of showing adding shit doesn’t always make things better. Check it out, and let me know your favorite. Mine has to be Casablanca.
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice – There is talks of the famous Tim Burton film creating a sequel. If you read this past week’s 411 Fact or Fiction, you already know my opinion, but it seems like opinions are extremely varied on the purposed sequel. There is still no word on whether Michael Keaton would come back, and there is still no script, but it’s fun to dream.
Netflix continues to make its customers oh so happy – After the already extremely popular 60% price increase from last month, customers are already removing Netflix from their Christmas card list. Now, they are having issues with their streaming service. First off, it started as unlimited amounts of streaming at the same time. Then, a few weeks ago, Netflix had said they are limiting it to one, unless you upgrade your streaming service, doubling the streaming price. Now, after there was crazy amounts of outcry, they are claiming they are merely cracking down on people abusing the privledge, and that they aren’t saying you must pay for more than one stream. It seems like Netflix may have tried something and bailed out, in an attempt to avoid more bad publicity.
How it should have ended – Captain America – The group over at Howitshouldhaveneded.com have done it again with their latest video with Captain America. If you haven’t seen the film yet, you shouldn’t watch the video, but if you have, you need to see this.
28 Weeks Later director to helm Highlander remake – There can be only one…again. Apparently, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is in talks to direct a remake of the Christopher Lambert hit. There is no word on who will be cast as Quentin McCloud, but I just better not hear anyone from Twilight picking up the sword. Anyone have a fantasy pick? My pick is Nathan Fillion…ok, just kidding, it’s just that he is usually my pick for everything. I’m going to have to go with Ewan McGregor. I know it could be weird, but he could do the accent, and he has plenty of sword-fighting experience. Honestly, it’s not easy coming up with a good pick.
Empire Strikes Back leaks unseen footage – If you haven’t seen the quick clip from Empire Strikes Back that just leaked online, you need to go HERE. There was talk about why this scene wasn’t used, and some said it made Han Solo sound sexist. Do you think it makes good ol’ Han sound sexist? I think, besides the silly dialogue, it just makes him sound like a scoundrel, maybe a bit of a nerf herder.
Power Laces still 4 years away – It was an up and down week for Back to the Future fans, or for that matter, fans of amazing sneakers. It was leaked that sneakers from Back to the Future 2 would be released. I was all kinds of excited over the possibility of power laces, but when it was announced the shoes were coming out, two problems came up; first off, no power laces, and second off, only 1500 are being made, and they are being auctioned off, with proceeds going to Parkinson’s research. Now, I’m all for donations to Parkinson’s research, but with an estimated average going price of $4,500, I’m pretty sure 411mania’s paycheck won’t cover it. Maybe a sneakers zone for the site? Free samples?
It’s time to meet the Muppets – If you are as excited as I am for the upcoming Muppet movie, then I have some links for you. The first is 20 facts about the Muppets you didn’t know HERE. My favorite talks about how difficult it was to shoot the scene with Kermit playing the banjo in the swamp. It’s pretty amazing! The other link HERE. goes over all the characters and plot in the film. I can’t wait for this film. The link also has some great bits of trivia, like how Miss Piggy has 12 costume changes, more than any other character. It’s good to know that wacky pig is up to her old shenanigans.
2011 Box Office sets a record – The summer box office showed a 1% increase, bringing in $4.4 billion from May through Labor Day. Considering the downturn in the economy, the box office increase is pretty special. I’m sure it’s about the increase of 3D films that include higher ticket prices, but it’s still a pretty good sign for Hollywood.
Box Office Breakdown – Contagion takes out The Help.
Contagion takes the top spot, opening with $23 million, bumping the Help to second with $8.7 million. Colombiana dropped big time, dropping to sixth, and Bucky Larson: Born to be a star coming in a bomb-tastic 15th, with $1.5 million, averaging only $967 a theater. On top of the terrible reviews, this news will hopefully mean less terrible movies like this.
1. Contagion - $23.1 million ($23.1 million total) 2. The Help - $8.7 million ($137.1 million total) 3. Warrior - $5.6 million ($5.6 million total) 4. The Debt - $4.9 million ($22.0 million total) 5. Colombiana - $4.0 million ($29.8 million total) 6. Rise of the Planet of the Apes - $3.9 million ($167.8 million total) 7. Shark Night 3D - $3.5 million ($14.8 million total) 8. Apollo 18 - $2.9 million ($15.0 million total) 9. Our Idiot Brother - $2.8 million ($21.4 million total) 10. Spy Kids: All the Time in the World - $2.5 million ($34.2 million total)
DVDs out this week
Doctor Who: Day of the Daleks Glee: Season 2 Goose Bumps: Attack of the Mutants It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 6 Me and Orson Wells Rescue Me: Season 6
Trailer of the Week:Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Even if you don’t see the trailer, the cast alone will make you want to see it, with Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy and Colin Firth starring in this film, it looks like a must see. Fortunetly, the trailer looks pretty amazing. What do you think?
Welcome to Kevin's Korner! Everything geeky, all the time.
As we finish the holiday weekend, we nurse hangovers and bruises and we look forward to the fall season. Before the fall season, there is plenty to talk about. There are Oscar rumors, there is some serious talk about Star Wars, and there are plenty of Avengers rumors. It sure does seem 2012 will be an amazing year for movies, between the third Batman film and what I think is the most anticipated movie for me, Avengers, on top of Spiderman and quite a few others.
It makes me wonder what is your most anticipated movie?
I'm in the news business, and business is a boomin' ...
Darth Vader gets more lines - The most annoying news of last week is the latest edition of Star Wars being released. Last week, I had mentioned they fixed some technical issues, along with making some sound and graphic tweaks. I was pretty happy with those adjustments. Now, however, we hear about one of the new surprises Lucas had mentioned. Apparently, George Lucas thought it would add to the continuity by having Darth Vader scream "noooooo" twice before throwing the Emperor into the neverending pit conveniently in the Death Star. It will match the horrifically cheesy line at the end of Star Wars Ep. III: Revenge of the Sith, where we first meet Darth Vader and he screams the now famous line.
So, in recap, we get this incredibly dramatic moment now tainted with a stupidly cheesy line that ruins the moment. My friends have talked about this all week, and while the movie is technically the property of George Lucas (saying otherwise will create an instant lawsuit, magically from Lucas Entertainment). That being said, after a certain time, a movie gets so ingrained into popculture that the movie becomes property of the audience. In this case, several generations have bonded and talked about this movie and they have gained ownership of these films.
It wouldn't be an issue if the original films that I grew up with were still available to buy (legally). They aren't, in fact Lucas wants the originals destroyed in place of the new ones, leaving us with versions that are quite different from the original. I'm not one of those angry fanboys that likes to scream to the intewebs that Lucas should die, but for the love of God, make him stop messing with my movie.
Captain America 2 villain to be MODOK? - There is talk over the next villain the first Avenger, Captain America could face, and that would be MODOK. Anyone familiar with the comic would be happy over the idea, but you have to wonder how it would be done. It seems to me like it would have to be CGI, similar to Green Lantern. I still have to wonder how these characters will walk away from the Avengers movie and just deal on their own. Do the Avengers go on a break, all Ross and Rachael like or do they just go their seperate ways similar to the end of Oceans 11.
Captain Planet Mother F*ckers - Check out this Funny Or Die video starring Don Cheadle as Captain Planet. I thought this was hilarious, turning everyone into trees. I always felt sorry for the poor loser that got stuck with the "heart" ring. Short end of the stick, indeed.
Pluto Nash to host the Oscars - There has been talk about the Oscar host for this years Oscars, and there have been plenty of rumors after this past years less than succesful attempt by James Franco and Ann Hathaway. For the record, I liked Hathaway, she showed a genuine enthusiasm, and pride for being there, among Hollywood's elite, while Franco played the straight man way too straight, and came off stoned and boring. I consider it one of the few bad performances by Franco.
New rumors include people talking to Billy Crystal to return, and Eddie Murphy. The reason people want Murphy is that he is a "movie geek, and would bring that experience to the Oscars." I am all for a movie geek hosting the Oscars, I always find it annoying when someone hosts an awards show and has nothing to do with the awards. That being said, I would take Billy Crystal as Oscar host any day of the week. Sure, he hasn't done the amount of movies Murphy has, but there is something about Crystal's ability to manage a show that few can equal.
Moviepass is back - After a shutdown, Moviepass, the all you can watch movie service that allows you to watch as many movies as you want a month for $50 is making its return. It's sounding a little iffey so far, because the service has not built a good relationship with major theaters. While the service pays the ticket fee directly to the movie theater, if it gets too popular, the theater can deny those tickets. It's a great deal, though, for movie buffs, since in my area, at least, it's $10 for a ticket.
Every teaser trailer EVER - Over at Cracked.com, they have a teaser trailer that talks about every teaser trailer ever. It's kind of sad, actually, because teasers have become so cookie-cutter. There are plenty of good teaser trailers out there, but way too many have gone this route, lately.
Avengers are assembling - There are so many shots of the Avengers filming, it's making my inner geeks head spin. There are plenty of pictures that are pointing to a confirmation of Skrulls being the main badguy, and there are some great interviews with Loki, talking about how he has way more screentime than in Thor. There are also some casting rumors that show casting of a Skrull princess. You can't really deny anything anymore. Now, it's all about seeing what the Skrulls will look like. I can't wait for this film, and I think the actors look pretty amazing.
Check out the latest poster for the film. It's pretty underwhelming:
Also, check out the video, in case you were wondering why you should be excited...
Box Office Breakdown - The Help...again?
For a third week in a row, The Help takes the third spot. Sure, there hasn't been too many great movies, but who would've thought The Help would dominate for so long? Shark Night 3D and Apollo 18 seemed to bomb pretty hard. Apollo 18 seems to break the streak of the "found footage" films destroying the box office. What did you see this week?
1. The Help - $14.2 million ($118.6 million total)
2. The Debt - $9.7 million ($11.6 million total)
3. Apollo 18 - $8.7 million ($8.7 million total)
4. Shark Night 3D - $8.6 million ($8.6 million total)
5. Rise of the Planet of the Apes - $7.8 million ($160.0 million total)
6. Colombiana - $7.4 million ($22.0 million total)
7. Our Idiot Brother - $5.2 million ($15.4 million total)
8. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - $4.9 million ($16.4 million total)
9. Spy Kids: All the Time in the World - $4.6 million ($29.0 million total)
10. The Smurfs - $4.0 million ($132.0 million total)
DVD's hitting shelves
Community: Season 2
The Office: Season 7
Return to Horror High
Trailer of the Week - Killer Elite
Check out this pretty sweet trailer with Jason Statham, Robert DeNiro and Clive Owen. Honestly, the cast pretty much had me, that and Owen's porn mustache, but this film could be pretty good. What do you think?
Dushku writes letter regarding Hayden Panetierri charging for autographs at a con
http://blastr.com/2011/08/eliza-dushku-slams-newspa.php
http://themovieblog.com/2011/09/road-to-avengers
Romancing the Stone remake a tv show?
http://www.slashfilm.com/romancing-stone-remake-tv-series/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+slashfilm+%28%2FFilm%29&utm_content=FaceBook
Welcome to another edition of Kevin's Korner, your one stop for all that is geeky. We've got the usual this week, movie news, trailers and a ton more. I want to take a moment to thank everyone reading. I really appreciate all the support and comments from this incredible 411mania online community. This column, besides being a ton of fun is a great way to share my love and excitement with movies with like-minded others.
For those who read me weekly, you may know that I'm getting ready to get married. We're down to 46 days, and I can't wait. I thank my fiancee everyday for all she is and all she does for me.
I'm in the news business, and business is a boomin...
Last Exorcism 2 gets a sequel? Wha? - So, I'm confused by how or why this would happen. I mean, I know why it would happen; money, the movie only cost a bit over a million to make, but made over $60 million, but how could the story work? If you aren't familiar with the original, it's a documentary style film about an exorcist who lost faith, and when he goes to prove exorcisms are fake, he is confronted with a true test of faith. I really enjoyed the film, and the performances by both Patrick Fabian and Ashley Bell were fantastic. I hope they don't ruin it by making the second a Blair Witch 2.
Wendell Pierce calls ‘The Help’ Racist – The actor from The Wire and Treme has tweeted up a storm regarding the Emma Stone hit The Help, saying the movie waters down the misery of black people in the ‘60s, and that he took his mother to see the film and said she was insulted by what she saw. Pierce says the film is just another example of a “great white person saving they day,” and that the ending was very naïve. Now, at first, I considered this a non-news item, but as I sat and thought about it, I got more and more annoyed. First off, you are allowed your opinion on a movie, no matter what, and I would never say you aren’t allowed yours. That being said, I really hate it when people watch a movie that is supposed to be a feel good film and find something bad in it. In this case, he saw racisim in a movie that talks about racism, but instead of seeing the film for what it is, he claims racism by the film, not the topic. I personally hate it when anyone cries racism, I find the idea ridiculous and disgusting, and for someone to say this film is racist just seems filly to me.
Doctor Who will have a full season – Steven “The Moff” Moffat, head writer for Doctor Who has said that rumors of a shortened season in 2012 were incorrect. He said that BBC wouldn’t allow it, and the fans wouldn’t allow it, especially since the ratings were very good both in the U.K. and in the U.S. The show just came back from a mid-season break with the episode “Lets Kill Hitler.” The rumor was that the show would back off to save money for an explosive season in 2013, it’s 50th anniversary year. Matt Smith and Karen Gillian are confirmed back next year.
OK Go does amazing Muppet themed video – If you haven’t seen OK Go’s video for the Muppet Show introduction, then you are about to be pleasantly surprised. The band is known for their fantastic videos, and this one is my favorite. Check it out!
Sequels, sequels everywhere…
Tron 3 is a go per … Tron – Apparently, Tron himself, Bruce Boxleitner had said that Tron 3 would be the talk of the town come 2013. Disney had been fairly tight-lipped about the film after the second movie, especially after they rejected the directors plans for a different movie, but if anyone knows, it’s Tron. It seems to me, he may have let the cat out of the bag a bit early. Check out the video HERE.
Romancing the Stone – Fox is searching for a director to bring an exciting new take to the classic Robert Zemeckis film Romancing the Stone. Sequel plans have been rumored for awhile, but with the studio looking for a director, it looks like the studio could finally be getting serious. I really liked the first film, and if done right, the remake could be good.
Troll remake gets curious title - John Carl Buechler is getting ready to remake the classic film “Troll,” but with an interesting title: “Troll: The Rise of Harry Potter.” The film had a character in the first with the name of Harry Potter, several years before J.K. Rowling wrote the books (I doubt she drew inspiration from the film) so I don’t know if Rowling or Warner Bros. has any legal grounds here, but it seems like the title is just a way to get people who don’t pay attention to come see the film. I’m calling it cheap, what’s your take?
Worst movie ever – Speaking of the Troll series, you may remember the horrible sequel, called Troll 2, which really had nothing to do with the first, or anything else for that matter. The film is one of the worst movies ever, and I would agree, and that’s saying something. That being said, there is another film that looks to claim that spot; “The Worst Movie Ever.” I think it’s cheating when you put your goal in the title, but whatever. The film has the lowest box office totals ever, with $11. That’s right, I got the number correct, $11. It’s hard to believe, until you see the trailer:
Star Wars gets ‘fixed’ again – For the release of the Star Wars saga on Blu-Ray, it was announced certain changes would be made to the film. Once that happened, most Star Wars geeks were like me, and wondered if this change would have Jar Jar Binks be the one shooting first. In a pleasant surprise, it looks like most of the changes were fixing some of the technical aspects, like bad sound, or special effects hiccups with light sabers, and removing the puppeteers arm from one shot, things like that. They also added a digital Yoda for the first film, A Phantom Menace, so the prequels would all be consistent with a digital Yoda, as opposed to having a weird puppet in the first, which looks quite different from any of the other films. There are rumors that George Lucas has said there are “a few more surprises in there,” which makes me nervous, but fixing the technical aspects is understandable, I guess. I would love the original, theatrical editions, though. No digital Jabba, no Greedo shooting first, no goofy CGI Tattooine shots, just the classic stuff, but that’s just me.
A new Star Trek TV Show? – My inner geek gets excited every time I hear the rumor, and apparently David Foster’s does, too. The pitch, which looks to be well thought-out will be separate from the J.J. Abrams films, and will be post-Voyager, setting up the Ferengi to be a new adversary to a Federation dealing with issues from the Klingons. Foster is hoping to get back to Gene Roddenberry’s vision, which is good news, and sites inspiration from Joss Whedon, which is also good. I do love Star Trek, but I think the execution has to be solid for any hope. But, right now, there aren’t too many solid Sci-fi shows on TV with Battlestar Galactica gone, no Star Trek for a few years now, and pretty much nothing coming up, I think this is a good time. What do you think, would you watch a new Star Trek show?
Portal: No Escape – If you haven’t played Portal yet, I would recommend you do. It’s a very inventive puzzle game like no other. After the sequel came out, we get this fan video which puts most other fan videos to shame. Check it out, it’s worth your time.
Avengers roundup – Another week of leaked Avengers info. The more we see, the more it points to aliens attacking, which means Skrulls. 411mania had pictures of what looks like it could be an alien craft HERE. It shows some promise, especially since those are raw props, without any camera trickery or CGI. Also, today, there is some leaked footage of Captain America and Loki dueling it out (see the video HERE). With all these videos and photos leaking, it seems to me that we are in for one heck of a big battle that should be pretty amazing. I get more and more excited with everything I see.
Finally, we have a new poster for the film. I’m not super excited, but I guess it’ll do the trick. Thoughts?
Dark Knight Rises fan poster – Check out this incredibly well made fan poster for the third Batman film. I would think it would raise the standards on what the studio will make now.
How it Should’ve Ended – Harry Potter – Howitshouldveended came up with another video, showing what should have happened at the end of the 8th film. As usual, I laughed really hard, and it made me think the guys who wrote this stuff are pretty good! Make sure to stay through the credits.
Movies hitting the shelves today …
90210: Season 3
Cougar Town: Season 2
Death of a Cheerleader
Desperate Housewives: Season 7
Madea’s Big Happy Family
Nikita: Season 1
Parenthood: Season 2
Box Office Breakdown – The Help wins again!
The Emma Stone film remains number one, beating out newcomers Colombiana, which got $10 million, and the Benecio Del Toro produced horror film Don’t be Afraid of the Dark, which got $8.7 million. Conan took a hard drop, down to $3 million, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes did pretty good with $8 million. Overall, it looks like a light weekend for movies.
1. The Help - $14.3 million ($96.6 million total)
2. Colombiana - $10.3 million ($10.3 million total)
3. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - $8.7 million ($8.7 million total)
4. Rise of the Planet of the Apes - $8.7 million ($148.5 million total)
5. Our Idiot Brother - $6.6 million ($6.6 million total)
6. Spy Kids: All the Time in the World - $5.7 million ($21.7 million total)
7. The Smurfs - $4.8 million ($126.0 million total)
8. Conan the Barbarian - $3.1 million ($16.6 million total)
9. Fright Night - $3.0 million ($14.2 million total)
10. Crazy, Stupid, Love. - $2.9 million ($69.5 million total)
Trailer of the Week – I was hoping to get a good trailer for the Hunger Games, which was promised during the VMA’s, but sadly, all we got was this:
Pretty much nothing, right? A waste of 30 seconds, isn’t it? I may want to see it, simply to see the Battle Royal adaptation (don’t correct me and say it was based on a book).
So, let me make it up to you. I present the trailer for Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. Yeah, you’re welcome.
