This morning came the stunning announcement that Disney had bought Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion. This acquisition opens up a whole can worms about exactly what's included in the deal and how it affects Marvel's various properties.
Right now Disney plans to respect all current deals Marvel has with other movie studios. However, you can imagine that they're trying to find a way to work these deals to their advantage. A company like Disney is not going to have all these hot properties and let other companies make money off of them.
Tim pointed out that somewhere right now Disney lawyers are locked in a room going over the Universal, Fox, Sony and Paramount contracts with a fine tooth comb.
There is also the idea that you could be walking through Disneyland and have your picture taken with Wolverine or the Hulk.
The best news is that Tim's dream of a Pixar "Runaways" movie could really become a possibility. Word is that John Lasseter had to be told to slow down in the meeting where this news was delivered because he had so many ideas.
The possibilities coming out of this story are mind bottling. They literally put your mind in a bottle.
I'm sure as this story develops we'll continue to stay on top of it. Be sure to watch this week's episode of "Viewpoints On..." for a more in depth analysis of this story.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
New episode up... and an editor's note
Two clarifications: One, "The Final Destination" IS rated R. So Stephanie was right.
Two, "Community" is premiering at 9:30 p.m. then moving to the earlier time slot when "30 Rock" returns. So we were both kind of right.
Two, "Community" is premiering at 9:30 p.m. then moving to the earlier time slot when "30 Rock" returns. So we were both kind of right.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Me and an 8-year-old agree
I really, really like "The Soloist."
Not just because it is a journalism movie.
Or that I have met Steve Lopez.
I like it because it is a great movie that makes you feel good to be a human being. It has a great message that everyone has a story and we shouldn't just walk past and ignore people we see on the street.
As of right now it is near the top of my "Top films of 2009" list.
On Monday we took my niece (she's eight) to Disneyland for my father's birthday. On the way there she was telling us about how her parents rented "The Soloist" and how much she liked it.
She told us that it was a great movie and she really liked it. I told her about how the homeless people in the film were not actors, but real homeless people that the director wanted in the film not just for realism, but to help them out.
Her review of the film made my father want to see the movie, so I rented it for him.
Guess what? He enjoyed it too.
Not just because it is a journalism movie.
Or that I have met Steve Lopez.
I like it because it is a great movie that makes you feel good to be a human being. It has a great message that everyone has a story and we shouldn't just walk past and ignore people we see on the street.
As of right now it is near the top of my "Top films of 2009" list.
On Monday we took my niece (she's eight) to Disneyland for my father's birthday. On the way there she was telling us about how her parents rented "The Soloist" and how much she liked it.
She told us that it was a great movie and she really liked it. I told her about how the homeless people in the film were not actors, but real homeless people that the director wanted in the film not just for realism, but to help them out.
Her review of the film made my father want to see the movie, so I rented it for him.
Guess what? He enjoyed it too.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
A look at the queue
Starting a new feature here where I'll share my viewing experiences with Netflix.
What have I watched recently? What is in my queue waiting to be watched?
We'll start with the renting of "Dollhouse" disc four, which was all the special features of the Fox show. Anyone who watches "Viewpoints On..." or reads the blog knows how much Stephanie and I both like "Dollhouse."
On this disc was the unaired episode "Epitaph One" and the first version of the pilot episode. Both were excellent episodes with "Epitaph One" showing a dark future where the power of taking over people's minds has spread around the world, causing an almost apocalyptic, "Mad Max" style world.
The unaired pilot was the one that Fox didn't really dig and made Joss Whedon re-do. I could see why. While I still enjoyed the episode, it gave away a lot of information and spoilers that were eventually told over the course of the entire season.
While on a Whedon trip, I rented "Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog." Stephanie raved about it and I thought I could trust her.
She's wrong. I didn't like it at all. I even fast forwarded through a bit of it. I am just not into musicals as much as I thought I was. Plus, I don't get the whole everyone loves Felicia Day thing.
Other films in my queue waiting to be rented are:
1. "A Face in the Crowd"
2. "Punisher: War Zone"
3. "Hard Candy"
4. "Run, Fat Boy, Run"
5. "Sunshine Cleaning"
6. "State of Play"
7. "Hulk Vs."
8. "Wonder Woman"
9. "The Rise and Fall of WCW"
10. "Nothing But the Truth"
What have I watched recently? What is in my queue waiting to be watched?
We'll start with the renting of "Dollhouse" disc four, which was all the special features of the Fox show. Anyone who watches "Viewpoints On..." or reads the blog knows how much Stephanie and I both like "Dollhouse."
On this disc was the unaired episode "Epitaph One" and the first version of the pilot episode. Both were excellent episodes with "Epitaph One" showing a dark future where the power of taking over people's minds has spread around the world, causing an almost apocalyptic, "Mad Max" style world.
The unaired pilot was the one that Fox didn't really dig and made Joss Whedon re-do. I could see why. While I still enjoyed the episode, it gave away a lot of information and spoilers that were eventually told over the course of the entire season.
While on a Whedon trip, I rented "Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog." Stephanie raved about it and I thought I could trust her.
She's wrong. I didn't like it at all. I even fast forwarded through a bit of it. I am just not into musicals as much as I thought I was. Plus, I don't get the whole everyone loves Felicia Day thing.
Other films in my queue waiting to be rented are:
1. "A Face in the Crowd"
2. "Punisher: War Zone"
3. "Hard Candy"
4. "Run, Fat Boy, Run"
5. "Sunshine Cleaning"
6. "State of Play"
7. "Hulk Vs."
8. "Wonder Woman"
9. "The Rise and Fall of WCW"
10. "Nothing But the Truth"
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Box office Tuesday
Killing Nazis was profitable this weekend as "Inglourious Basterds" took the No. 1 spot at the box office with around $38 million. It has a budget of around $70 million, so the next week drop off will be a good indicator of if it will make its money back.
I did see the film over the weekend and will have a review, of sorts, on Friday's "Viewpoints On..."
The other new films of the week "Shorts," "Post Grad" and "X Games 3D the Movie" didn't even break the top five with earnings of $6 million, $2.6 million and $800 thousand dollars.
Last week's No. 1 "District 9" had a 51 percent drop off from last week, pulling in $18 million bringing it's total to $72 million. Remember it already made its money back from its $30 million dollar budget, so this is all good money from here on in.
In other box office news "Transformers 2" is within striking distance of earning $400 million. As of today it has earned $398 million. It should be able to push past the 400 mark in a week or two.
I did see the film over the weekend and will have a review, of sorts, on Friday's "Viewpoints On..."
The other new films of the week "Shorts," "Post Grad" and "X Games 3D the Movie" didn't even break the top five with earnings of $6 million, $2.6 million and $800 thousand dollars.
Last week's No. 1 "District 9" had a 51 percent drop off from last week, pulling in $18 million bringing it's total to $72 million. Remember it already made its money back from its $30 million dollar budget, so this is all good money from here on in.
In other box office news "Transformers 2" is within striking distance of earning $400 million. As of today it has earned $398 million. It should be able to push past the 400 mark in a week or two.
Monday, August 24, 2009
If Weezer was wondering if I wanted them to, I want them to
My favorite band has another album coming out, and I couldn't be more excited.
On Aug. 16 the first single off the new CD was leaked on the internet. The song, with a really long title, "(If you're wondering if I want you to) I want you to" was uploaded onto YouTube and ready for the world to hear it.
My initial thoughts were that the song was alright. It is for sure a different sounding approach for Weezer, something I am totally fine with. I liked the "Red Album" because of how much they went in a different direction, especially with the other band members providing lead vocals on a few songs.
The chorus of the song is really catchy. Not as catchy as "Pork and Beans," but slightly more catchy than "Beverly Hills" which was a huge hit for the group.
In case you are interested, here is a link to a place where you can hear the song:
http://rockitoutblog.com/2009/08/16/new-weezer-leaks/
The other news was the name of the album was announced: "Raditude."
As in the words "Rad" and "Attitude" merged together. Very clever and I like it.
"Raditude" is set to be released on Oct. 27.
On Aug. 16 the first single off the new CD was leaked on the internet. The song, with a really long title, "(If you're wondering if I want you to) I want you to" was uploaded onto YouTube and ready for the world to hear it.
My initial thoughts were that the song was alright. It is for sure a different sounding approach for Weezer, something I am totally fine with. I liked the "Red Album" because of how much they went in a different direction, especially with the other band members providing lead vocals on a few songs.
The chorus of the song is really catchy. Not as catchy as "Pork and Beans," but slightly more catchy than "Beverly Hills" which was a huge hit for the group.
In case you are interested, here is a link to a place where you can hear the song:
http://rockitoutblog.com/2009/08/16/new-weezer-leaks/
The other news was the name of the album was announced: "Raditude."
As in the words "Rad" and "Attitude" merged together. Very clever and I like it.
"Raditude" is set to be released on Oct. 27.
Friday, August 21, 2009
The return of "Project Runway"
Finally life can begin again as Tim, Heidi, Michael and Nina return to my television. Following a year long absence, "Project Runway" returned last night on Lifetime with a three and half hour premiere night that left hardcore fans like me giddy.
I knew I was missing it, but I didn't realize how empty my life had been until I heard Tim tell a designer to "make it work."
The evening started with the "All-Star Challenge" featuring past contestants returning to compete for $100,000. Participants included Korto, Daniel V., Sweet P, Uli, Jeffrey, Mychael, Chris March and Santino.
The alums returned to show off how they had improved in their time away from the "Runway." Apparently Santino hadn't learned how to not make a fool of himself, because whatever small amount of fame he had gained from the show had turned him into an even bigger d-bag than he was before. Though I must admit he had some competition from Jeffrey who seemed to be trying way too hard to get noticed.
Ultimately after two hours of sewing drama it came down to Daniel and Korto, who is one of my all time favorites. This seemed poetic since they were both runners up during their respective seasons. Much to my and Korto's chagrin, Daniel was proclaimed the winner, thus paving the way for the main event.
To the delight of fans, Lifetime didn't try to reinvent the wheel and left the show completely intact. We started with introductions to the designers and the first challenge, which was to design a red carpet outfit that would show off their style.
It's always hard to get to know the contestants in the first few episodes but there were a few who stood out.
Johnny
A recovering addict who had the first breakdown of the season five minutes into the challenge when he couldn't make a decision. Following a Tim Gunn peptalk he did pull it together enough to create a nice red gown that almost got him the win.
Mitchell
A fashion school graduate who seemed to forget that a huge part of "Project Runway" involved thinking on your feet. So when his original dress didn't work out, instead of "making it work" he made his model basically wear a sheet down the runway and threw her under the bus for the first outfit not fitting properly.
Ari
A complete and total kook who doesn't sketch and threw "a diaper with a halter" (thank you Michael Kors) down the runway. She was even too crazy for guest judge Lindsey Lohan and was the first to hear the dreaded auf Wiedersehn.
The last half hour was the slightly less interesting "Models of the Runway" which follows the models through their half of the competition. The show picked up minutes after Ari's elimination and concluded with the designers selecting models for the next challenge.
Unfortunately for Mitchell's model, who he again bad-mouthed, she was the odd woman out and was the first one eliminated.
All in all it was a great relief to have "Project Runway" back where it belongs and to once again enjoy all the cattiness and craziness that only happens when you have a workroom full of designers making clothes out of placemats and stainless steel scrubbing pads.
I knew I was missing it, but I didn't realize how empty my life had been until I heard Tim tell a designer to "make it work."
The evening started with the "All-Star Challenge" featuring past contestants returning to compete for $100,000. Participants included Korto, Daniel V., Sweet P, Uli, Jeffrey, Mychael, Chris March and Santino.
The alums returned to show off how they had improved in their time away from the "Runway." Apparently Santino hadn't learned how to not make a fool of himself, because whatever small amount of fame he had gained from the show had turned him into an even bigger d-bag than he was before. Though I must admit he had some competition from Jeffrey who seemed to be trying way too hard to get noticed.
Ultimately after two hours of sewing drama it came down to Daniel and Korto, who is one of my all time favorites. This seemed poetic since they were both runners up during their respective seasons. Much to my and Korto's chagrin, Daniel was proclaimed the winner, thus paving the way for the main event.
To the delight of fans, Lifetime didn't try to reinvent the wheel and left the show completely intact. We started with introductions to the designers and the first challenge, which was to design a red carpet outfit that would show off their style.
It's always hard to get to know the contestants in the first few episodes but there were a few who stood out.
Johnny
A recovering addict who had the first breakdown of the season five minutes into the challenge when he couldn't make a decision. Following a Tim Gunn peptalk he did pull it together enough to create a nice red gown that almost got him the win.
Mitchell
A fashion school graduate who seemed to forget that a huge part of "Project Runway" involved thinking on your feet. So when his original dress didn't work out, instead of "making it work" he made his model basically wear a sheet down the runway and threw her under the bus for the first outfit not fitting properly.
Ari
A complete and total kook who doesn't sketch and threw "a diaper with a halter" (thank you Michael Kors) down the runway. She was even too crazy for guest judge Lindsey Lohan and was the first to hear the dreaded auf Wiedersehn.
The last half hour was the slightly less interesting "Models of the Runway" which follows the models through their half of the competition. The show picked up minutes after Ari's elimination and concluded with the designers selecting models for the next challenge.
Unfortunately for Mitchell's model, who he again bad-mouthed, she was the odd woman out and was the first one eliminated.
All in all it was a great relief to have "Project Runway" back where it belongs and to once again enjoy all the cattiness and craziness that only happens when you have a workroom full of designers making clothes out of placemats and stainless steel scrubbing pads.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
"Dancing with the Stars" forgets the stars
Earlier this week the new cast for "Dancing with the Stars" was announced and it occurs to me that they seem to be stretching the boundaries on who can be called a star.
The cast includes: Aaron Carter, Ashley Hamilton (son of George), Chuck Lidell, Debi Mazar, Mya, Donny Osmond, Joanna Krupa, Kelly Osbourne, Kathy Ireland, Louie Vito, Macy Gray, Mark Dacascos, Michael Irvin, Melissa Joan Hart, Natalie Coughlin and Sen. Tom DeLay.
Out of those 16 names I'm sure the average person may recognize four, maybe five of them. That leaves at least 11 or 12 people who no one has any idea who they are.
Since the show is called "Dancing with the Stars" and is extremely popular you'd think they would be able to reel in some bigger names. Even with all the useless pop culture information clogging my brain, I had to look up a couple of names to see who they were.
The thing is, at this point the professional dancers are more famous than the so called celebrities they're partnered up with. I guess that means the "stars" in the show's title is really referring to the pros and not the contestants.
The cast includes: Aaron Carter, Ashley Hamilton (son of George), Chuck Lidell, Debi Mazar, Mya, Donny Osmond, Joanna Krupa, Kelly Osbourne, Kathy Ireland, Louie Vito, Macy Gray, Mark Dacascos, Michael Irvin, Melissa Joan Hart, Natalie Coughlin and Sen. Tom DeLay.
Out of those 16 names I'm sure the average person may recognize four, maybe five of them. That leaves at least 11 or 12 people who no one has any idea who they are.
Since the show is called "Dancing with the Stars" and is extremely popular you'd think they would be able to reel in some bigger names. Even with all the useless pop culture information clogging my brain, I had to look up a couple of names to see who they were.
The thing is, at this point the professional dancers are more famous than the so called celebrities they're partnered up with. I guess that means the "stars" in the show's title is really referring to the pros and not the contestants.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Me on E!... again
On Tuesday I headed over to E! Online to check out its weekly "Spoiler Chat" where they answer people's questions regarding television shows.
Much to my surprise, here is what I saw:
Tim: What does the departure of David Maples from In Plain Sight mean for his wife, Holly Maples? Is her character, Eleanor Prince, still going to be on the show, maybe as a regular? Her interactions with Mary have been some of the best parts of the show this season.
Agreed. Sadly, a USA Network rep says, "It's too early to address any casting questions for the upcoming third season." And outgoing In Plain Sight executive producer David Maples himself says, "I have been completely out of the loop on what's happening next. I know that they are making some changes. As far as Holly goes, she was not under contract last year; she was a guest star that was there from episode to episode. Thus far, nobody has contacted her, so I don't know what their plans are." Consider this the beginning of our campaign to keep Holly Maples as Eleanor on In Plain Sight. She's been the perfect addition to the Witsec office, and we need to keep her!
Sure, there are a lot of Tim's running around. But, here is what I posted on E!'s site more than a week ago when the news of David Maples' "firing" was reported.
Tim Sun, Aug 9, 2009, 12:04 PM
What does this mean for Holly Maples? Is she still going to be on the show, maybe a regular? Her interactions with Mary have been some of the best parts of the show this season.
First off, yes my question (re-written a bit). Second, I am glad they took notice of it since it might be a deal breaker for me. I, 100 percent, think that Holly Maples stole the show this season. Having the show without her now would be horrible. And I might not watch.
Also, on a weird note...
The reporter at E! who wrote the "In Plain Sight" article and contributed to the chat, Natalie Abrams, is someone I met at Comic-Con.
We were both in the press room typing away, her sitting behind me, and she was coughing almost non-stop. Part of me was annoyed, as I was trying to work, and part of me was trying to be nice so I got up and got her a glass of water. Yes, I am really a nice guy. Don't roll your eyes.
We chatted for a bit, then back to more work.
Much to my surprise, here is what I saw:
Tim: What does the departure of David Maples from In Plain Sight mean for his wife, Holly Maples? Is her character, Eleanor Prince, still going to be on the show, maybe as a regular? Her interactions with Mary have been some of the best parts of the show this season.
Agreed. Sadly, a USA Network rep says, "It's too early to address any casting questions for the upcoming third season." And outgoing In Plain Sight executive producer David Maples himself says, "I have been completely out of the loop on what's happening next. I know that they are making some changes. As far as Holly goes, she was not under contract last year; she was a guest star that was there from episode to episode. Thus far, nobody has contacted her, so I don't know what their plans are." Consider this the beginning of our campaign to keep Holly Maples as Eleanor on In Plain Sight. She's been the perfect addition to the Witsec office, and we need to keep her!
Sure, there are a lot of Tim's running around. But, here is what I posted on E!'s site more than a week ago when the news of David Maples' "firing" was reported.
Tim Sun, Aug 9, 2009, 12:04 PM
What does this mean for Holly Maples? Is she still going to be on the show, maybe a regular? Her interactions with Mary have been some of the best parts of the show this season.
First off, yes my question (re-written a bit). Second, I am glad they took notice of it since it might be a deal breaker for me. I, 100 percent, think that Holly Maples stole the show this season. Having the show without her now would be horrible. And I might not watch.
Also, on a weird note...
The reporter at E! who wrote the "In Plain Sight" article and contributed to the chat, Natalie Abrams, is someone I met at Comic-Con.
We were both in the press room typing away, her sitting behind me, and she was coughing almost non-stop. Part of me was annoyed, as I was trying to work, and part of me was trying to be nice so I got up and got her a glass of water. Yes, I am really a nice guy. Don't roll your eyes.
We chatted for a bit, then back to more work.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
"True Blood:" So good it broke my TV
It's been such a busy summer that I haven't had a chance to talk about "True Blood." However, with last week's awesome episode and last night's heart-wrenching installment, it has been my must watch show of the summer.
Last week we finally got some closure to the Fellowship of the Sun storyline when Eric rescued Sookie from the evil anti-vampire church. The episode ended on a fantastic cliffhanger when a suicide bomber attacked the vampire lair.
This week, as a consequence of this attack, Sookie was tricked into sucking Eric's blood. Which means that they now share a bond and it led to the best scene of the season, with Eric and Sookie sharing a steamy yet sweet bedroom talk.
This was the scene so hot, it broke my TV. For the rest of the night my TV was just a little bit off. Of course that was a small price to pay for seeing Alexander Skarsgard at his best.
With all due respect to Bill and Sookie fans, Eric and Sookie have an undeniable chemistry that must be explored.
Last night also provided Skarsgard with a chance to really showcase Eric's tender side as he said goodbye to his maker Godric, when the 2000 year old vampire decided he'd had enough and waited on the roof for the sunrise.
The two vampires shared an emotional goodbye that capped off the episode brillantly.
With two episodes left this season, "True Blood" has really hit its stride and will hopefully continue to provide must watch television as it explores the next chapter of these characters stories.
Last week we finally got some closure to the Fellowship of the Sun storyline when Eric rescued Sookie from the evil anti-vampire church. The episode ended on a fantastic cliffhanger when a suicide bomber attacked the vampire lair.
This week, as a consequence of this attack, Sookie was tricked into sucking Eric's blood. Which means that they now share a bond and it led to the best scene of the season, with Eric and Sookie sharing a steamy yet sweet bedroom talk.
This was the scene so hot, it broke my TV. For the rest of the night my TV was just a little bit off. Of course that was a small price to pay for seeing Alexander Skarsgard at his best.
With all due respect to Bill and Sookie fans, Eric and Sookie have an undeniable chemistry that must be explored.
Last night also provided Skarsgard with a chance to really showcase Eric's tender side as he said goodbye to his maker Godric, when the 2000 year old vampire decided he'd had enough and waited on the roof for the sunrise.
The two vampires shared an emotional goodbye that capped off the episode brillantly.
With two episodes left this season, "True Blood" has really hit its stride and will hopefully continue to provide must watch television as it explores the next chapter of these characters stories.
Friday, August 14, 2009
A 'District 9' quick comment
*The new episode of "Viewpoints On..." has been delayed until Monday due to technical issues*
Today I went and caught the first showing of "District 9" at the Riverside Plaza theater. I'll hold off on my full review until Monday's show, but in the meantime I have a few thoughts on what I saw.
First off there were children in the audience, like young children. My niece is eight and the children were smaller than her. This is not a film for kids AT ALL. There are lots of people getting blown to bits, limbs being ripped off etc. When will parents learn?
Second, this movie has a reported budget of $30 million dollars. And the effects are jaw-droppingly amazing. It's sad when I look at a movie like "G.I. Joe" and see crappy CGI effects and know it's budget was $175 million. The aliens are almost all CGI, but blend so well into the real backgrounds and interact with the real people seamlessly.
Third, the director of this film, Neill Blomkamp has never directed a full length feature before. Wow, way to come out of the corner swinging. You would think someone who has been directing for years and years made this film. Another noticeable thing was the acting of the lead Sharlto Copely, who I thought did a fantastic job. As soon as I got home I looked him up on IMDB.com to see what other movies he has been in. I normally do this with actors I am not aware of.
Come to find out he has never acted before this! Amazing!
This is for sure a good way to end the summer movie season. Very original.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
'Blackest Night' burns bright
We don't cover comics around here much, so I thought a change of pace would be nice.
The big event right now at DC Comics is the Green Lantern crossover series "Blackest Night" which is its own eight issue series along with numerous themed issues of other comics such as "Superman," "Teen Titans" and "Batman."
The event follows the creation of the Black Lantern Corps, which are dead heroes and villains brought back to "life" to wreak havoc on the DC Universe.
I was already digging this whole concept, but Comic-Con (and meeting Geoff Johns) has only magnified this.
Yesterday was a milestone event for me. I actually went to a comic book store on the day new books came out. I haven't done that in maybe five years.
I just needed to read the new issues that bad.
The big event right now at DC Comics is the Green Lantern crossover series "Blackest Night" which is its own eight issue series along with numerous themed issues of other comics such as "Superman," "Teen Titans" and "Batman."
The event follows the creation of the Black Lantern Corps, which are dead heroes and villains brought back to "life" to wreak havoc on the DC Universe.
I was already digging this whole concept, but Comic-Con (and meeting Geoff Johns) has only magnified this.
Yesterday was a milestone event for me. I actually went to a comic book store on the day new books came out. I haven't done that in maybe five years.
I just needed to read the new issues that bad.
First up was "Blackest Night: Batman" which shead some light on what exactly the Black Lanterns are through the character of Deadman. Deadman is a man who was murdered and now walks around as a spirit who can possess people's bodies. In this issue we see Deadman's corpse become a Black Lantern while his spirit looks on. So, technically, there are two Deadmen running around.
The other big development is that the Black Lanterns have chosen both Tim Drake (the former Robin) and Dick Grayson's (Old Robin, new Batman) dead parents to be Black Lanterns. That can only mean big trouble for both characters.
The giant news out of "Green Lantern Corps" No. 39 is that every single dead Green Lantern has now become a Black Lantern. There is no exact number, but a big two page spread shows a ton of them... all wanting "flesh."
And in the parent comic "Blackest Night" No. 2, more big things are in store. I am not a spoil sport, but more Black Lanterns are chosen, including a popular hero who was alive prior to this issue. Other big moments include Mera (Aquaman's former wife) kicking butt and taking names against a group of Black Lanterns, a Black Lantern ring unable to get to a dead hero because he is "at peace" and an awesome Hal Jordan and Barry Allen team up that made me smile.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Spoiler sport alert time
As I talked about on Monday, "District 9" has been getting great buzz and some really good reviews. On Monday it had 15 good reviews and zero negative reviews.
Today on Rotten Tomatoes I noticed it was now at 96 percent, with 25 good reviews and only one negative review.
I clicked on the link to take me to the collection of reviews. As the page loaded I thought to myself "he wouldn't" and "there is no way he's going to do this again."
I scrolled down to see who the negative review came from and like getting socks on Christmas the realization came true.
Armond White was the negative reviewer.
Of-bloody-course. White, throughout the past year (that I have been following) seems to be the first person out of the gate to give a bad review to a movie that everyone likes ("Star Trek") or give a good review to a film that everyone dislikes ("Dance Flick"). He has become predictable in a very evil way.
On Rotten Tomatoes it posts a one sentence segment from the review to give you a sense of what the critic was thinking. Here is White's:
"District 9 represents the sloppiest and dopiest pop cinema -- the kind that comes from a second-rate film culture."
Now let's just look at a sample of what another, notable, critic said. This time let's look at the Associated Press' Christy Lemire (who's rumored to be working on the new Ebert/Roeper show):
"This is one intense, intelligent, well-crafted action movie — one that dazzles the eye with seamless special effects but also makes you think without preaching."
I posted this because it seems to be the common thought among the other critics, the film is smart and looks awesome.
My journalistic curiosity got the best of me and I clicked on the link to read his full review.
Oh, boy.
One thing you'll notice when you read a White review is that he likes to compare films to things... a lot. Check out how he ends his review and yes, this is how he ended it.
"Fools will accept District 9 for fantasy, yet its use of parable and symbolism also evoke the almost total misunderstanding that surrounds the circumstance of racial confusion and frustration recently seen when Harvard University tycoon Henry Louis Gates Jr. played the race card against a white Cambridge cop. Opening so soon after that event—and adding to its unending media distortion—District 9 confirms that few media makers know how to perceive history, race and class relations."
I think we might have to take a crack at this on Friday during "Viewpoints On..." The material is just too good to pass up.
To close I want to post a few of the responses that White's review got on Rotten Tomatoes, funny stuff:
DPK99 writes: HaHa! Of course. I only wish that I could gamble in Vegas with the same success I have at predicting when Armond is going to give a bad review. I would be a very rich man.
Ryan D. writes: the ol' devil's advocate!! what a d-bag.
omilio writes: I don't see a single movie unless Armond gives it a bad review. I pray he never has a fresh fruit next to his pic otherwise I'll never go to the movies again.
Wait... there's more.
I was getting ready to log off when I noticed he posted a review of "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra."
If you had a million dollars, you would know where to bet it... he liked it.
" G.I. Joe must be understood as an authentic measurement of our cultural values. Its appeal to the pop-commercial synapses also demonstrates livelier filmmaking than such utter banality as Iron Man and Star Trek and Harry Potter’s Half-Blooded Chintz."
Yes, he said "G.I. Joe" was better than "Iron Man, "Harry Potter" and "Star Trek."
My head hurts.
Today on Rotten Tomatoes I noticed it was now at 96 percent, with 25 good reviews and only one negative review.
I clicked on the link to take me to the collection of reviews. As the page loaded I thought to myself "he wouldn't" and "there is no way he's going to do this again."
I scrolled down to see who the negative review came from and like getting socks on Christmas the realization came true.
Armond White was the negative reviewer.
Of-bloody-course. White, throughout the past year (that I have been following) seems to be the first person out of the gate to give a bad review to a movie that everyone likes ("Star Trek") or give a good review to a film that everyone dislikes ("Dance Flick"). He has become predictable in a very evil way.
On Rotten Tomatoes it posts a one sentence segment from the review to give you a sense of what the critic was thinking. Here is White's:
"District 9 represents the sloppiest and dopiest pop cinema -- the kind that comes from a second-rate film culture."
Now let's just look at a sample of what another, notable, critic said. This time let's look at the Associated Press' Christy Lemire (who's rumored to be working on the new Ebert/Roeper show):
"This is one intense, intelligent, well-crafted action movie — one that dazzles the eye with seamless special effects but also makes you think without preaching."
I posted this because it seems to be the common thought among the other critics, the film is smart and looks awesome.
My journalistic curiosity got the best of me and I clicked on the link to read his full review.
Oh, boy.
One thing you'll notice when you read a White review is that he likes to compare films to things... a lot. Check out how he ends his review and yes, this is how he ended it.
"Fools will accept District 9 for fantasy, yet its use of parable and symbolism also evoke the almost total misunderstanding that surrounds the circumstance of racial confusion and frustration recently seen when Harvard University tycoon Henry Louis Gates Jr. played the race card against a white Cambridge cop. Opening so soon after that event—and adding to its unending media distortion—District 9 confirms that few media makers know how to perceive history, race and class relations."
I think we might have to take a crack at this on Friday during "Viewpoints On..." The material is just too good to pass up.
To close I want to post a few of the responses that White's review got on Rotten Tomatoes, funny stuff:
DPK99 writes: HaHa! Of course. I only wish that I could gamble in Vegas with the same success I have at predicting when Armond is going to give a bad review. I would be a very rich man.
Ryan D. writes: the ol' devil's advocate!! what a d-bag.
omilio writes: I don't see a single movie unless Armond gives it a bad review. I pray he never has a fresh fruit next to his pic otherwise I'll never go to the movies again.
Wait... there's more.
I was getting ready to log off when I noticed he posted a review of "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra."
If you had a million dollars, you would know where to bet it... he liked it.
" G.I. Joe must be understood as an authentic measurement of our cultural values. Its appeal to the pop-commercial synapses also demonstrates livelier filmmaking than such utter banality as Iron Man and Star Trek and Harry Potter’s Half-Blooded Chintz."
Yes, he said "G.I. Joe" was better than "Iron Man, "Harry Potter" and "Star Trek."
My head hurts.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
It's "Light's" out
Today is a sad day for anyone fascinated by television history. "Guiding Light," the longest running show in broadcast history, taped its final episodes today.
The CBS soap opera began airing as a 15 minute radio program in 1937 and moved to TV in 1952. For 72 years it has entertained fans with weddings, pregnancies, deaths, people coming back to life, kidnappings, royal intrigue and even clones.
Unfortunately, it couldn't find a clever soap opera plot to deal with the economy and was canceled by CBS.
"Guiding Light" is not the first soap canceled and it probably won't be the last, with many saying that sister show "As the World Turns" is on the bubble. However, the shock and sadness for soap fans is the cavalier attitude CBS has displayed in making this decision.
The network doesn't seem to be giving the show the sendoff it deserves. When a show has brought viewers to your network for 57 years, the least you can do is give it a little fanfare on the way out.
And by the way CBS, I don't think your "Let's Make a Deal" remake is going to inspire the same level of loyalty as a program that enthralled, educated and entertained consistently for 72 years.
So even if CBS won't say it, I will, thank you to the cast and crew of "Guiding Light" for all the fantastic years of storytelling.
The CBS soap opera began airing as a 15 minute radio program in 1937 and moved to TV in 1952. For 72 years it has entertained fans with weddings, pregnancies, deaths, people coming back to life, kidnappings, royal intrigue and even clones.
Unfortunately, it couldn't find a clever soap opera plot to deal with the economy and was canceled by CBS.
"Guiding Light" is not the first soap canceled and it probably won't be the last, with many saying that sister show "As the World Turns" is on the bubble. However, the shock and sadness for soap fans is the cavalier attitude CBS has displayed in making this decision.
The network doesn't seem to be giving the show the sendoff it deserves. When a show has brought viewers to your network for 57 years, the least you can do is give it a little fanfare on the way out.
And by the way CBS, I don't think your "Let's Make a Deal" remake is going to inspire the same level of loyalty as a program that enthralled, educated and entertained consistently for 72 years.
So even if CBS won't say it, I will, thank you to the cast and crew of "Guiding Light" for all the fantastic years of storytelling.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Box office Monday
As expected "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra" won the box office with $54 million dollars. I was going to lead off with a clever, funny war or fighting comparison, but since the filmmakers didn't really bother with the film, I won't bother with the lead.
Its only real competition was "Julie and Julia" which cooked up (see!) around $20 million dollars.
"G.I. Joe" needs to be a little afraid. With a 40 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a little bit of bad buzz (see Stephanie's post a few ones down) and a budget that was reported at $175 million dollars (a few Web sites are also reporting the marketing budget was $150 million, making it have a budget of $325 million!) it is going to have to have a great second weekend to even think of making money.
And with "District 9" coming out on Friday that is going to be tough. "District 9" has a LOT of good buzz going for it right now. It also has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 100 percent, but that percent is based off of 20 reviews. Compared with "G.I. Joe" with 120 reviews. Expect more reviews in the next day or so.
Other things that might hamper "Julie and Julia" and "G.I. Joe" this Friday:
"The Time Traveler's Wife" - A big time romance that is based off a very popular book. Should have a good sized female audience, plus any men that get dragged along.
"Bandslam" - My first reaction to this movie, a musical about a rock band, was that no one is really going to see this. Then I heard the new "Twilight" trailer is going to play in front of it. Remember when the new "Star Wars" trailer came out and people paid full price to see the movie it was playing with... then promptly left. This is going to happen again.
Other movies opening include "The Goods" and "Ponyo" both with different audiences. This is a jam packed week. Check out the next episode of "Viewpoints On..." for more in depth analysis of what the box office might be next week.
Its only real competition was "Julie and Julia" which cooked up (see!) around $20 million dollars.
"G.I. Joe" needs to be a little afraid. With a 40 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a little bit of bad buzz (see Stephanie's post a few ones down) and a budget that was reported at $175 million dollars (a few Web sites are also reporting the marketing budget was $150 million, making it have a budget of $325 million!) it is going to have to have a great second weekend to even think of making money.
And with "District 9" coming out on Friday that is going to be tough. "District 9" has a LOT of good buzz going for it right now. It also has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 100 percent, but that percent is based off of 20 reviews. Compared with "G.I. Joe" with 120 reviews. Expect more reviews in the next day or so.
Other things that might hamper "Julie and Julia" and "G.I. Joe" this Friday:
"The Time Traveler's Wife" - A big time romance that is based off a very popular book. Should have a good sized female audience, plus any men that get dragged along.
"Bandslam" - My first reaction to this movie, a musical about a rock band, was that no one is really going to see this. Then I heard the new "Twilight" trailer is going to play in front of it. Remember when the new "Star Wars" trailer came out and people paid full price to see the movie it was playing with... then promptly left. This is going to happen again.
Other movies opening include "The Goods" and "Ponyo" both with different audiences. This is a jam packed week. Check out the next episode of "Viewpoints On..." for more in depth analysis of what the box office might be next week.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Today is a great day
On a personal note, I have been a little down lately. Call it the "after Comic-Con blues" or something.
Nothing really exciting to keep me going or happy.
Until today...
http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/08/05/at-the-movies-shakes-up-hosts/
As regular viewers of "Viewpoints On..." or readers of this blog might know I am not the world's biggest Ben Lyons fan. In fact, I really don't like him.
I think he makes a joke of journalism and gives young people who are trying to be good journalists a bad name.
I am so beyond happy that Disney has fired him. Not only that but replaced him and the other Ben, who I kind of feel sorry for, with two great film critics: Michael Phillips and A.O. Scott. Both appeared with Richard Roeper when Roger Ebert was out sick from his show.
Phillips was also supposed to be working on a new show with Ebert and Roeper.
These two excellent newspaper journalists will bring "At the Movies" back from the grave.
More on this topic tomorrow with the new episode of "Viewpoints On..."
Nothing really exciting to keep me going or happy.
Until today...
http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/08/05/at-the-movies-shakes-up-hosts/
As regular viewers of "Viewpoints On..." or readers of this blog might know I am not the world's biggest Ben Lyons fan. In fact, I really don't like him.
I think he makes a joke of journalism and gives young people who are trying to be good journalists a bad name.
I am so beyond happy that Disney has fired him. Not only that but replaced him and the other Ben, who I kind of feel sorry for, with two great film critics: Michael Phillips and A.O. Scott. Both appeared with Richard Roeper when Roger Ebert was out sick from his show.
Phillips was also supposed to be working on a new show with Ebert and Roeper.
These two excellent newspaper journalists will bring "At the Movies" back from the grave.
More on this topic tomorrow with the new episode of "Viewpoints On..."
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
"G.I. Joe:" The fall of an icon
As we prepared for our trek to the nerd mecca that is Comic-con, Tim and I noted the huge absence of "G.I. Joe." If ever there was a place for Paramount to promote the film it was Comic-con.
We had already heard a few spoilers about the alleged horrendous plot, but still it is Comic-con, everything even remotely nerdy has a presence there. We found that absence to be very telling about what the studio thinks of the movie. Keeping it away from the promotion heavy convention can only mean that they were terrified of bad buzz.
Now comes word that critics will not be reviewing the film in advance. That usually only happens when the studio knows it has a real stinker on its hands.
The really sad part about all of this is that for so many of us "G.I. Joe" was a huge part of our childhood and we couldn't wait for it to get the Hollywood treatment. Unfortunately, these days the Hollywood treatment means completely rewriting the known origin story and not capitalizing on the franchise's rich history.
With Stephen Sommers ("The Mummy") directing and a strong cast starring, it seems unfathomable that Paramount still found a way to ruin it, but apparently they did.
In light of the film's almost certain failure, I can only hope that one of the various cartoon channels decides to air a marathon of the original kickass cartoon so that today's youth can see what all the fuss is about and know that "G.I. Joe" is really a great American hero, because knowing is half the battle.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Jeremy Piven's new role
It's no secret that I'm a huge wrestling fan. I watch "WWE Monday Night Raw" every week and order all the big pay-per-views, I even attend shows when they come to town. So imagine my excitement when it was announced that this week's guest host of "Raw" would be Jeremy Piven.
Piven was on to promote his new movie "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard." As host he got to set matches and do skits with various WWE personalities.
The show started off strong with Piven earning cool points for entering to Public Enemy's "Can't Trust It" and for being accompanied by Ken Jeong, fresh off his scene-stealing appearance in "The Hangover" and his co-star in "The Goods." Though last night his wrestling name was Dr. Ken.
Jeong was dressed in a ridiculous leopard print coat that can only be described as pimp wear and spent the night completely committed to his crazy character.
Piven demonstrated a passing knowledge of WWE happenings but didn't seem as involved as last week's host Shaquille O'Neal, who is known to be a long time wrestling fan. At one point he even referred to the upcoming event "Summerslam" as Summerfest. However, that all changed at the end of the night when he perpetrated a classic double cross on John Cena and gave his opponent several advantages.
He ended the night trying to hit Cena from the top rope, unfortunately, he was caught midair and was used as a weapon against other wrestlers. Jeong then attacked Cena with his pimp cane, only to end up being thrown outside into the waiting arms of three wrestlers who didn't catch him enough causing him to hit his head pretty hard.
Despite this blunder I want to salute the wrestlers who have to work extra hard providing cover for the celebrities who come into their arena. It can't be easy to make Seth Green look like he can even phase a 200 pound man.
I have to say that Piven and Jeong appeared to be having fun and were in on the joke but I expected a little better acting from a three time Emmy winner.
Piven was on to promote his new movie "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard." As host he got to set matches and do skits with various WWE personalities.
The show started off strong with Piven earning cool points for entering to Public Enemy's "Can't Trust It" and for being accompanied by Ken Jeong, fresh off his scene-stealing appearance in "The Hangover" and his co-star in "The Goods." Though last night his wrestling name was Dr. Ken.
Jeong was dressed in a ridiculous leopard print coat that can only be described as pimp wear and spent the night completely committed to his crazy character.
Piven demonstrated a passing knowledge of WWE happenings but didn't seem as involved as last week's host Shaquille O'Neal, who is known to be a long time wrestling fan. At one point he even referred to the upcoming event "Summerslam" as Summerfest. However, that all changed at the end of the night when he perpetrated a classic double cross on John Cena and gave his opponent several advantages.
He ended the night trying to hit Cena from the top rope, unfortunately, he was caught midair and was used as a weapon against other wrestlers. Jeong then attacked Cena with his pimp cane, only to end up being thrown outside into the waiting arms of three wrestlers who didn't catch him enough causing him to hit his head pretty hard.
Despite this blunder I want to salute the wrestlers who have to work extra hard providing cover for the celebrities who come into their arena. It can't be easy to make Seth Green look like he can even phase a 200 pound man.
I have to say that Piven and Jeong appeared to be having fun and were in on the joke but I expected a little better acting from a three time Emmy winner.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Box office Monday
In the last episode of "Viewpoints On..." Stephanie and I both predicted that "Funny People" would be the No. 1 film when the box office returns came in today.
What we didn't predict was that it didn't make a lot of money.
When the official returns came in this afternoon the tally for "Funny People" was $22.6 million. It's budget is $75 million. Now compare this to "Knocked Up" which had a $30 million dollar opening.
Not really a big hit right out of the gate, but if the good word of mouth keeps up it could have legs. Especially considering that "G.I. Joe" is the next big release.
In other breaking box office news, the list of the top grossing films of the year got shaken up with two films, "Harry Potter" and "The Hangover" overtaking "Star Trek" pushing it to No. 5. "The Hangover" has grossed $255 million!
A huge deal.
The No. 1 and two positions seem locked in for the rest of the year with "Transformers 2" and "Up" with comfortable leads over all the other films. "Harry Potter" may have a small, small chance to sneak in, but will not go near "Transformers 2."
What we didn't predict was that it didn't make a lot of money.
When the official returns came in this afternoon the tally for "Funny People" was $22.6 million. It's budget is $75 million. Now compare this to "Knocked Up" which had a $30 million dollar opening.
Not really a big hit right out of the gate, but if the good word of mouth keeps up it could have legs. Especially considering that "G.I. Joe" is the next big release.
In other breaking box office news, the list of the top grossing films of the year got shaken up with two films, "Harry Potter" and "The Hangover" overtaking "Star Trek" pushing it to No. 5. "The Hangover" has grossed $255 million!
A huge deal.
The No. 1 and two positions seem locked in for the rest of the year with "Transformers 2" and "Up" with comfortable leads over all the other films. "Harry Potter" may have a small, small chance to sneak in, but will not go near "Transformers 2."
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