Liam Neeson set to cash in with "Taken 3"

Well this news is as about as shocking as January snow in Western New York.  Considering the first film had a budget of $25 million and made $226 million worldwide and the second film had a budget of $45 million and made $376 million worldwide, it was inevitable that a third installment of Taken was going to happen.

Liam Neeson has agreed to return as ex-CIA agent Bryan Mills for Taken 3.  His payday will be a whopping $20 million.  As the philosopher Randy Moss once said, "Straight cash homie!"

Screenwriters Robert Mark Kamen and Luc Beeson have already begun work on a script although at this point there is no director attached. However, Olivier Megaton (yup that's his real name) who directed Taken 2 is thought to be the logical choice. 

Look I thought the original was amazing and the sequel was terrible so I really don't feel there is a need for a third.  But like I said with those box office numbers a Taken 3 movie was virtually guaranteed.

Filming will likely being later this year with an eye on a late 2014 release.

Mark Strong being eyed for Lex Luthor in "Man of Steel" sequel

If you haven't seen a film with Mark Strong in it you are missing out.  Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Zero Dark Thirty, Rock N Rolla, Kick Ass--take your pick he's awesome in all of them and when it comes to villainy  he is the MAN.

Well now it looks like Strong may be in the running for one of the most diabolical comic book villains of all time.

Since it already looks like Warner Bros. is fast tracking Man of Steel 2 for next year and LexCorp. was shown in the original, it's only logical that Superman's arch nemesis Lex Luthor is going to be in the next film.  Cosmic Book News reports that one of the actors in the running may be none other than Mark Strong.  The movie news outlet says they have it on good authority that director Zack Snyder wants Strong for the part.

I think this would be an amazing choice.  Strong already has comic book experience having in appeared in Kick Ass and Green Lantern.  Plus I'm sorry but it's time we had a truly twisted and evil Lex Luthor on screen.  A real megalomaniac.  Gene Hackman's take was too campy and Kevin Spacey was too...well...Kevin Spacey.  Strong definitely has the acting chops to pull that off.

One thing of note is that the exclusive also says that pre-production won't start until October of this year with filming beginning early next year.  That puts the film release for summer 2015 which sounds more realistic than next summer which was the original rumor. 

If that's the case you are talking about The Avengers 2, Man of Steel 2, and Star Wars Episode VII all hitting in the same summer.  The nerd implications are staggering.

   

Retract that web, Sarah Gadon will NOT be playing Mary Jane in "The Amazing Spiderman 3"

Ah rumors!  Sometimes they are right on the money but more often than not the house rips your heart out.  This is a case of the latter.

Although I reported the other day that actress Sarah Gadon would be playing Peter Parker/Spiderman's love interest Mary Jane Watson in The Amazing Spiderman 2 and 3, apparently I was wrong.  While Gadon will in fact be in The Amazing Spiderman 2 it is only in a small undisclosed role and she will NOT be playing Mary Jane Watson.  Gadon confirmed this on her Twitter account.

Also through Twitter producer Jeff Sneider stated categorically that the character of MJ would not even appear until The Amazing Spiderman 3 in 2016.

So there you have it folks.  No Mary Jane Watson.  Looks like Gwen Stacy will remain Spiderman's primary squeeze in the next film.

The Amazing Spiderman 2 hits theaters in May of next year.

Will Smith will not get jiggy with the "Independence Day" sequel

     When I was seventeen I saw the original Independence Day in the theater twice.  Not only was it all kinds of awesome, but it launched the movie career of two time Oscar nominee Will Smith.  With the sequel to Independence Day recently being greenlit, I thought it was a foregone conclusion that the Fresh Prince would saddle up once again.

Sadly I was mistaken.

Director Roland Emmerich has confirmed that he wants his next project to be Independence Day 2 and that the release date will be July 3rd, 2015.  However, he also stated that Will Smith's character of Captain Steven Hiller will not return:


Will Smith can not come back because he's too expensive, but he'd also be too much of a marquee name. It would be too much. We have like maybe half of the people that you know would know from the first film (in the script) and the other half people who are new.


I'm sorry Will Smith is "too much of a marquee name"??  In what universe does that logic make any type of sense?  The last time I checked the point of a marquee name was to get people's butts in the seats!

No word yet on whether Bill Pullman or Jeff Goldblum will return but I'd imagine that Emmerich would make an effort to get some of the original cast members back.  I have some serious doubts about this film especially if Will Smith isn't in it.  Are people really going to come see a sequel to a movie from twenty years ago?  Guess we'll see.

Will Smith can currently be seen in After Earth while Roland Emmerich's next film, White House Down, releases this Friday.

William Fichtner to play Shredder in new Ninja Turtles film

     In maybe the weirdest casting move since David Carradine was picked to play an Asian man in the television show "Kung-Fu", Huffpost TV Canada confirmed that actor William Fichtner will play The Shredder in next year's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot.
     Listen I like William Fichtner.  I always thought his small roles (especially as villains) were surprisingly good.  Having said that I think this is a casting mistake of Hayden Christiansen like proportions.  I mean correct me if I'm wrong here but isn't Shredder supposed to be Asian?  Seems to me they could have gotten Ken Wantanabe or even Chung Yow  Fat to play the role.  But then again this movie is being produced by Michael Bay and since when do any of his decisions make sense.
     Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hits theaters June 6th, 2014.  Meantime you can see Fichtner in next week's The Lone Ranger.

DVD and Blu Ray releases for the week of June 24!

Here are your Blu-Ray and DVD releases for Tuesday June 25th:

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, The Call, No, Into the White, Upside Down*, Help!*, Shoah, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan*, The Big Lebowski*, Shaun of the Dead*, Hot Fuzz*, Paul*, Scarface*, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World*, Pitch Black*

Deep breath nerds: Robert Downey Jr. has agreed to sign on for The Avengers 2 and 3

Relax guys.  The Iron Man will returneth!

There had been some disturbing reports that Robert Downey Jr. was considering leaving the character of Iron Man completely behind.  This of course caused wails from nerds across the globe that could be heard on Mars. Director Joss Whedon had even threatened not to be in the film if Downey wasn't a part of it.

Fortunately, for fans of the metal superhero their worries can be put to rest.  Marvel Studios just released a press release announcing that Robert Downey Jr. has signed on to play Iron Man in The Avengers 2 and The Avengers 3.  This is great news because honestly I couldn't see anyone else playing the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man besides Robert Downey Jr.

The Avengers 2 starts filming in March 2014 with a release date of May 1st, 2015.  The Avengers 3 should hit theaters sometime in 2018. 

Could Dwayne Johnson team up with Schwarzenegger for Terminator 5?

This is almost too much awesomeness to handle for one post!

Now bear in mind that this news comes from the "WWE Examiner" but the magazine is reporting that the reason Dwayne Johnson will not be a part of Wrestlemania 30 next Spring is because he's being eyed for a role in the fifth Terminator film.  Let me give you a moment to allow that to sink in.

Good?  Ok.

In fact the magazine reports that one version of the script may be tailored just for Johnson and could be (drum roll) a prequel:

"Incredibly, Schwarzenegger may not play the role of a machine in the next film, but a potentially heroic human figure in or close to the Connor family. One theory is that Schwarzenegger's remarkable ability to protect the Connor family in the 1940s or 1950s with antiquated weaponry by today's standards ultimately inspired the machines to develop a terminator in his likeness that was eventually sent to 1984 when Sarah Connor was first targeted for termination."

Wow.  That's interesting.  I wonder if WWII might come into play here.  Nazis and machines from the future?  Excuse me while I have a nerdgasm.
In any case this is just pure speculation and we won't know for sure until the film starts rolling.  All I know is that having Dwayne Johnson in a film right now usually means box office gold so I think producers would be crazy not to cast him.

Shailene Woodley gets the boot from The Amazing Spiderman franchise; actress Sarah Gadon may replace her

Some interesting news on the set of The Amazing Spiderman 2.  While Gwen Stacey was supposed to serve as the primary love interest again in the followup to the 2012 film, producers planned on introducing another of Peter Parker's love interests, Mary Jane Watson.  Shailene Woodley had been cast for the role and a few scenes had even been filmed.  However within a span of 48 hours, Woodley's scenes went from being cut to her being completely out of the film.  I don't believe there was any prima donna stuff, I just think director Marc Webb realized that Woodley wasn't right for the part.

In any case all Mary Jane Watson material has been moved to the third film.  Moreover, the part may already have been recast.  "Entertainment Canada" confirmed that Sarah Gadon (Cosmopolis) has joined the cast although the role is non-disclosed.  Talk about a turn around.

This could have something to do with the Divergent series that Woodley has already signed on for and that people are anticipating is the next Hunger Games.  It may just have come down to a good ole scheduling conflict.  And with The Amazing Spiderman 3 set to be released in 2016 and The Amazing Spiderman 4 set to be released in 2018 it sounds like the role is going to have a long term commitment. 

Casey Affleck hops aboard the Christopher Nolan train

That title was a little more disturbing than I meant it to be.

Anyway "Elle" magazine  reports that Academy Award nominee Casey Affleck has joined the already superb cast of director Christopher Nolan's upcoming sci-fi picture Interstellar. 

It's not known what role Affleck will play but he's already joining a cast that consists of Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, and Bill Irwin.  If Daniel Day-Lewis joins this cast my head might explode.

Affleck can next be seen in Out of the Furnace due out this Thanksgiving, while Interstellar will hit theaters November 7, 2014.

AH-NULD to terminate zombies

If I asked you what's the one thing missing from Arnold Schwarzenegger's repertoire, what would it be?  The ability to pronounce California correctly?  Well to clarify I meant movie repertoire.  If you thought the zombie genre you'd be right!

The Terminator himself has signed up for the movie Maggie, a film set in a post apocalyptic future where a zombie virus has spread across the world.  Arnold will play a father whose daughter is slowly turning into a zombie and trying to get her to come to terms with it.  Henry Hobson will direct the film which still has yet to cast the main character. 

Schwarzenegger is far from stupid despite what some people think and I think capitalizing on the zombie genre is a great move.

Maggie begins filming this Fall and  you can next see the former governor of Kali-forn-ya in theaters this October alongside Sly Stallone in Escape Plan. 

Review: Man of Steel

Review: Man of Steel

Plot: With the planet Krypton about to be destroyed, scientist Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and wife Lara (Ayelet Zurer) send their only son Kal-El (Henry Cavill) to Earth. There, farmers Martha (Diane Lane) and Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) find Kal-El, name him Clark and raise him as their own. But as Clark grows older he discovers that he possesses incredible powers unlike anyone on Earth. Convinced by his father that Earth would reject Clark if he found out who he was, the Last Son of Krypton becomes a loner, holding odd jobs, hiding from society, and hiding from himself. However, when criminal and ex-military leader General Zod (Michael Shannon) attacks Earth in hopes of creating a new Krypton, Clark must decide if he will stand tall in front of the human race, embrace his destiny, and become the hero the world needs--Superman.

Review: Of all the summer movies being released in 2013, Man of Steel was definitely the one I was anticipating the most. As a critic I try not to set my expectations too high but as a fan with a passion for movies I found it nearly impossible with this film. Couple this with the less than flattering reviews online and you may understand why I entered the film with a certain degree of trepidation.

Thankfully my fears were misplaced.

Man of Steel is a rousing, dynamite thrill ride, that balances intense visceral action sequences with scenes of surprising emotion and depth. Well acted, fast paced, and definitely darker than previous incarnations of Superman, Man of Steel stands head and shoulders above any previous Superman film.

I've always been a fan of director Zack Snyder and after the vapid and worthless Sucker Punch, Man of Steel is a massive rebound for the director. While Man of Steel isn't his best film (Watchmen holds that title in my opinion) it certainly ranks right up there. Snyder's passion for Superman inundates every scene, whether it is the emotional reveal of Clark's origins by his father or an intense fight with Kryptonian baddies.

I fully believe that Snyder was hell bent on creating a Superman film that the masses could enjoy. After the boring and irrelevant Superman Returns, the expectations were high and I believe that aside from a few minor points, (such as the final fight becoming a little repetitive and going on longer than it should have) he succeeds in that endeavor. While this film may not please hardcore fans of the comic Superman, it certainly opens up Superman to a whole new generation of movie goers. Just as Christoper Nolan wasn't targeting comic book fans of Batman with his Dark Knight trilogy, Snyder does the same with Man of Steel. Make no mistake however, Man of Steel is distinctly Snyder's creation.

Most people have at least a passing knowledge of Superman's origins, so David Goyer's story doesn't stray far from the familiar. However, he doesn't retell the Superman mythology through the typical three part act that we've seen in the past. Rather Clark's early years are shown through flashbacks similar to those on the television show "LOST." This makes for a less linear telling but at the same time feels more appropriate and cohesive.

Yet the strength of Goyer's script isn't in the Superman mythos but in the man himself. This is a much more realistic approach to Superman than we've ever seen before, a man who is ultimately a lost and lonely character.

Henry Cavill is superb at portraying the isolation of Goyer's Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman. The former cast member of "The Tudors" displays serious acting acumen in Man of Steel, bringing a depth and gravitas to Superman that we've never seen before. He's a tormented soul, torn between his fear of rejection and his sense of duty to his adopted home world. And while Goyer and company did lay on the Christ comparisons a little thick, I did appreciate the analogy and to ignore the similarities probably would have been disingenuous.

With respect to the iconic Christopher Reeve, Cavill is easily the best Superman ever portrayed on the big or small screen. Let's be honest, as much as I love Superman and Superman II the strength of those movies was not Reeve's acting ability, which if you look at the series with a critical eye is fair at best. Man of Steel will no doubt propel Cavill into super stardom and I'm curious to see what other roles he'll explore next.

On a side note, I think Cavill and Man of Steel in general portrays the most honest reaction Earth would have to discovering an alien among us, namely fear, mistrust, and aggression. It's somewhat of a social commentary on how society views those different than us and it's shown by everyone, from the military to Clark's childhood classmates. Preachy and heavy handed? Maybe slightly. But Snyder's heart is definitely in the right place.

As for Cavill's supporting cast, it is a slightly mixed bag. Amy Adams and Laurence Fishburne are solid as Lois Lane and Perry White but don't get nearly the screen time they deserve. Also the romantic relationship between Superman and Lois isn't explored much until towards the end of the film which was slightly disappointing. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane shine as Clark's adoptive parents and I was emotionally captivated by every scene they were in. Equally impressive was Russell Crowe as Jor-El a man who sees the potential in Earth and how his son may help the planet. Furthermore, he's determined that Kal-El live an independent life, free to choose his own destiny, unlike the people on Krypton who live an almost "Brave New World" like existence. 

 

And then there is Michael Shannon's General Zod.  Shannon's intensity is abundant and except a for a few instances, I think he nailed the role.  The key thing was that he played the character in a vastly different way than Terrance Stamp in the first two Superman movies.  Whereas Stamp's Zod was unhinged, Shannon's Zod is a man driven by purpose, genetically engineered to be a warrior and protect his people.  It is his single mindedness that is the most disturbing because unlike Kal-El, he's unable to see the destruction he's causing.  His amorality is what sets him apart from others.  The complete genocide of the entire human race means little to him.  It's just an obstacle he needs to sweep aside to restore the Kryptonian people.  His cold calculation makes him truly terrifying.

 

Once again Hans Zimmer's score packs a punch that Superman could be proud of.  While John Williams' original score is iconic and highly recognized, I never once thought of it during Man of Steel.  That's a testament to how good Hans Zimmer is as a composer.  Equal parts moving, distinct, and uplifting while not transcending into the realm of over the top, Zimmer's score complements Man of Steel's thematic motif.

 

While fanboys and traditionalists may nit pick and complain about Man of Steel, I think it is an excellent reboot to the franchise.  I eagerly anticipate the future editions.  Let's hope they soar as high as the first one.

 

My rating:  9/10

First trailer for 300: Rise of an Empire!!!!

     Although my friend John thinks 2007's 300 is quote "gay as shit"  I think it is awesome.  The fight scenes, the color structure, just everything was bad ass about that movie.  I guess it's not a huge surprise then that we will soon have a sequel to 300.  The trailer for 300: Rise of an Empire came out today.  Take a look--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zqy21Z29ps.  (You'll probably have to copy and paste to get to the trailer but trust me it's worth it.)
     Maybe it's just my boyish enthusiasm but this film looks almost better than the first.  At the very least the cinematography looks just as good.  Here's a brief synopsis: 

After its victory over Leonidas' 300, the Persian Army under the command of Xerxes marches south towards the major Greek city-states. The Democratic city of Athens, first on the path of Xerxes' army, bases its strength on its fleet, led by admiral Themistocles. Themistocles is forced to an unwilling alliance with the traditional rival of Athens, oligarchic Sparta whose might lies with its superior infantry troops. But Xerxes still reigns supreme in numbers over sea and land.

     Can't wait to see what kind of fire Eva Green brings to this movie.  Although the film was originally slated for August, producers have pushed 300: Rise of an Empire back to March 7, 2014.

Man of Steel sequel gets the greenlight!

     Despite the so-so reviews popping up on the Internet I'm confident Man of Steel is going to kick all kinds of ass.  Apparently the early ticket sales and projected box office revenues have been sufficient enough for Warner Bros. too as they've already green lit a sequel for the Last Son of Krypton.
     "Deadline" reports that a sequel to Man of Steel will be forthcoming with Zack Snyder once again set to direct and David S. Goyer resuming his writing duties as well.  In fact this is part of a three movie deal for Goyer that also includes the proposed Justice League movie.
     No time frame yet on a release date but I'm thinking probably summer 2015 or 2016.  And if Man of Steel succeeds at the box office look for other DC heroes such as The Flash and Wonderwoman to follow. 
     Man of Steel opens nationwide June 14th. 

J.J. Abrams says Star Wars Episode VII to begin shooting early next year

     While we know for sure that Star Wars Episode VII will film in London, England the persistent question has been when will this movie get rolling? 
     Director J.J. Abrams may  have an answer.
     In a conference call with "The Hollywood Reporter" the other day, Abrams revealed that he will be moving to London this January for some pre-production work and that shooting should begin early next year. 
     The thing that concerns me is that assuming the film follows a 180 day shooting schedule like the last few Star Wars films have, that leaves very little time for the movie to be ready by summer 2015.  Traditionally Star Wars films have been released in May so assuming that filming starts in March of 2014, you're talking only about nine months of post production to get the film ready for release.  Keep in mind that Lucas took twice that long in post production with his films.  Then again different directors move at different speeds.  I'm still hopeful this movie will hit in 2015 but I wouldn't be surprised if it was moved to 2016. 
     Either way Disney's gotta get some casting going tout suite if they want to start filming early next year.
     J.J. Abrams Star Trek Into Darkness is in theaters now. 

Terminator 5 may start filming next year, Paramount could distribute

     Although Megan and David Ellison's companies Annapurna Pictures and Skydance Productions purchased the rights to the Terminator franchise two years ago, there's been little movement on a fifth film until now.
     "The Wrap" reports that Paramount Pictures is very close to getting distribution rights for the film which could begin shooting as early as next year.  Strangely enough Justin Lin (Fast Five, Fast and the Furious 6) who was once attached to the project just backed out of directing Fast and the Furious 7 so he may soon be back at the helm.
     What concerns me however are the two scriptwriters on this project, Patrick Lussier and Laeta Kalogridis.  The former is known for the pearls Drive Angry and the Dracula 2000 series, while the latter wrote Alexander and Pathfinder.  Not exactly top notch.  But at least AH-NULD is attached to this one which is promising.
     The real question is where are they going to take the next film?  Should they still follow in the timeline of the abysmal Terminator: Salvation?  Should this project even be made?  It seems to me that the writers might be better in ignoring the last film altogether and go off in an entirely new direction. 
     Arnold Schwarzenegger can next be seen in Escape Plan (formerly The Tomb) this October alongside Sly Stallone.

Review: Now You See Me

Plot:  J. Daniel Atlas (Jessie Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) are four magicians with varying levels of success in their field.  However, that all changes when a mysterious hooded figure brings the four together to form their own magician troupe known as The Four Horsemen.  With the backing of billionaire Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine) the group becomes an instant success.  But when the magic act results in some very real bank robberies, FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) is brought in to bring the quartet to justice.  Along with magician debunker Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) and French Interpol agent Alma Vargas (Melanie Laurent), Rhodes uncovers an interconnected mystery years in the making and a shadowy figure guiding the Four Horsemen's actions to an ultimate Earth shattering conclusion.

Review:  Now You See Me is a pleasing, humorous, and entertaining popcorn flick that makes up in spectacle what it lacks in substance.  Director  Louis Letterier is mostly known for his action films, (The Transporter, Clash of the Titans) but despite the somewhat slower pacing and stylized plot of Now You See Me, Letterier manages a decent job in the heist genre.  Except for a few magic scenes that feel belabored (especially The Four Horsemen's first one) his direction displays a steady pace that keeps the audience interested if not always fully invested.  For fans of Letterier's action films fret not as there is a surprisingly well choreographed fight scene between Franco and Ruffalo and an equally impressive car chase scene.  Letterier and cinematographer Larry Fong also chose to shoot the film in a sleek, modernistic pastiche heavy on black and white that underscores the slick and fast talking deception artists.  It's too bad Brian Tyler's horribly bombastic score couldn't complement the film.
     Ed Solomon and Boaz Yakin's script is fairly good with some interesting plot twists and well written dialogue.  Unfortunately, I was expecting Ocean's Eleven with magicians and that's not quite what I got.  Maybe the most frustrating thing about the plot is that Now You See Me contains flashes of brilliance that almost transcends into a great film but comes up just short.  Don't get me wrong this isn't The Ladykillers by any stretch of the imagination, Now You See Me's plot is entertaining enough in its own way.  Also the strong ending makes up for some of the plot's earlier shortcomings.
     When I first saw previews for Now You See Me I was impressed by the cast list.  While cohesively the group worked well together, individually the performances were hit and miss.  Isla Fisher was forgettable and boring as Henley and her banter with Eisenberg's Daniel felt forced at times.  Franco didn't have nearly enough screen time to make an impression and Michael Caine was stuck playing the one dimensional smarmy English billionaire.  Morgan Freeman was entertaining as Thaddeus Bradley with some strong one liners.  However, even I admit that at times it felt like Freeman being himself and/or preparing for his television show "Through the Wormhole."  Eisenberg once again succeeds at playing an arrogant sarcastic character, but if he wants to expand his acting horizons he really needs to pursue other roles.
     The strongest performances came from Woody Harrelson's Merritt McKinney and Ruffalo's Dylan Rhodes.  Harrelson was charming and hilarious as the mentalist rogue and his banter with the other characters (especially Eisenberg) was spot on.  His mentalist powers often led to extremely funny scenes like the one early on in a police station.  Suffice it to say that the term "Trannie Tuesday" makes an appearance.  While some critics have called Ruffalo's Rhodes "boring" I can't for the life of me understand why.  He played the classic Fed with a doggedness and toughness that was natural and not over the top.  His chemistry with Laurent was excellent and he delivered some of the most humorous lines in the whole film.
     I do have one major complaint with the film which is that while it had a strong ending, there were some plot points that weren't tied up.  I don't know if the producers were trying to leave room for a sequel or what but I found it annoying rather than intriguing.  I won't say what those plot points were because it gives some important aspects of the film away.  However, if you ever watch Now You See Me I'm sure you'll understand.
     Word to the wise:  if you're not a fan of magic chances are you won't enjoy this movie.  However, if you're not looking for much more than two hours of relaxing entertainment you could do a lot worse than Now You See Me.

My rating:  7/10 

Penelope cruises into the role of the next Bond girl

     After breaking news that Sam Mendes would return to direct the next two Bond movies, most 007 fans were hoping for either a release date, a title, or a plot description.  Instead we've got the  next best thing--the next Bond girl.
     Academy Award winning actress Penelope Cruz in all her smoking hot glory will be joining Daniel Craig and company for the 24th film in the franchise.  That's right.  We got her husband Javier Bardem as the baddie in the last film and now we get his wife as the hottie in the next film.  No word yet if she will play a good girl or a femme fatale but I could really care less.  As long as we see her in a bikini or her underwear at some point it's all good. 
     Cruz will play the oldest Bond girl ever at 40 but seriously does she look a day over 25?  Not to me anyway so who cares?
     No timetable yet on when filming will begin but producers are hoping to have the film in theaters by Fall of 2015.

Put a Smile on that Face! Grumpy Cat the movie may be coming your way...

     Is it me or is Hollywood really scraping the bottom of the barrel if they are drawing movie inspiration from an Internet meme?
     Once again proving that Hollywood could care less what I think, "Deadline" reports that Todd Garner and Sean Robbins from Broken Road Productions are developing a feature film based on Grumpy Cat.  Much like the Garfield films the cat in the Grumpy Cat film will have a voice.  Garner and Robbins are pitching this as a family film.
     Now look I know that Grumpy Cat (real name Tardar Sauce) has blown  up the Internet since September 2012 and been on television shows like "Good Morning America" and "The Soup."  And don't get me wrong I think most of the memes are funny.  But seriously do we need a 90 minute feature film based on this feline's life?  I highly doubt it and certainly not as a family film.  If anything Grumpy Cat should be shot in the vein of an adult comedy like Ted.
     My hope is that this film will get mired in development hell.  Otherwise you are going to see a huge rash of suicides among struggling screenwriters.

DVD and Blu Ray releases for the week of June 10th!!!!

Here are your Blu Ray and DVD releases for Tuesday June 11th:

Oz the Great and Powerful, Hansel and Gretel:  Witch Hunters, Snitch, Wrong, Killing Lincoln, How to Survive a Plague*, Enter the Dragon*, Wild Strawberries*, The Newsroom Season 1, House of Cards Season 1, Burn Notice Season 6**, Rizzoli and Isles Season 3**, Major Crimes Season 1**

*Blu Ray only
**DVD only

Myopic heat vision? The glasses disguise of Superman

    With Man of Steel set to fly into theaters this week and the promise of the most "realistic" Superman film to date, there is something that I'm looking forward to Synder, Goyer, and Nolan and addressing:  the glasses disguise.
     Superman has been disguised as bespectacled Clark Kent since the comic book hit shelves in 1938.  People have always just accepted it as a matter of course that Superman is disguised merely by glasses.  I for one have never bought it.  Are we seriously expected to believe that someone wouldn't see through the disguise of mere glasses?  When you think about it, it's a little bit of an insult to the audience's collective intelligence.
     Now I know that the Clark Kent disguise is more than just the glasses.  He's bumbling, he's unsure of himself, clumsy, bookish, shy--pretty much the complete opposite of Superman.  The idea that Clark Kent could be Superman therefore becomes ridiculous. 
     Enter the 21st century.  With facial recognition software, Facebook, cell phones, YouTube, and of course the recent NSA reveal, everything we do is captured and collated.  It is virtually impossible to hide who you are any more.  Somehow, someway, somewhere "they" will find you.  Because we live in the world of 2013, it makes the conundrum of the glasses in Man of Steel all that more intriguing because you can't simply gloss over Superman's disguise with glasses.  And if this is going to be a Superman movie set in the real world, the glasses topic has to be addressed.
     Now I know this is just speculation but I have a theory on how the glasses will play a role:  Kryptonian technology.  It's that easy.  Keep the glasses.  They are an iconic part of the Superman/Clark Kent mythology.  However, I speculate that Kryptonian technology will somehow make it so that when Superman puts on the glasses, it will prevent people from seeing him as Superman.  Perhaps it will manipulate brainwaves or something along those lines.  Who knows?  Or maybe they won't address it at all because from the previews, I can't recall one time where we see Henry Cavill dressed like the traditional Clark Kent. 
     One way or another I'll find out on the evening of June 13th.

Photon torpedo off the starboard bow: The canon arguement in Star Trek

     The word canon in its simplest form means "referring to any standard or convention."  There are many forms of canon:  Church canon, literature canon, even sports canon.  And of course there is Star Trek canon.  A true die hard Trekkie sees canon in the world of James T. Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard, Worf, and others as strict and absolute as a Catholic Mass.  To subvert or mess in any way with Star Trek canon is not simply just wrong, it is apocryphal, a pure abomination.
     Which brings me to the man that die hard Trek fans consider Satan incarnate on Earth:  J.J. Abrams.  Four years ago the man who rebooted Star Trek to a new a new generation, also tore asunder 43 years of Star Trek canon with a time travel plot and started an Internet war more heinous than transporting a bag of flaming dog poop onto the wheelchair of Captain Pike.  Kirk's father killed?  Vulcan destroyed?  Spock and Uhura in a romantic relationship?  It was enough to make Star Trek nerds seriously consider moving out of their parents' basements.
     And now we have Star Trek Into Darkness, a movie that dares to reintroduce Khan as an villain.  You thought Star Trek fans were pissed before?  This was like Worf in a state of battle rage.  There were probably paper mache replicas of J.J. Abrams being burnt in effigy worldwide. 
     Now I'll freely admit that while I thoroughly enjoy Star Trek films, I am not a die hard Trekkie.  I can sympathize though because like it or not these are my fellow nerds and in a world where people have become blase about everything, it is inspiring to see people so passionate about something.  I know I'm passionate about movies so who am I to judge?  In fact I can understand their outrage even if I don't agree.  I can't imagine how I'd feel if Hollywood rebooted The Shawshank Redemption with Tracy Morgan and Robert Pattinson. 
     Having said this there are a few things I call into question.  If hard core Trekkies hated the 2009 version of Star Trek so much, why did so many of them shell out good money to see the second film?  Stands to reason that if they felt so passionately about their distaste for J.J. Abrams and his Star Trek films they should have boycotted them altogether.  While I'm sure some did, millions of self-proclaimed Trekkies shelled out hard earned money to see Star Trek Into Darkness.  Additionally, the one issue I have with critics of Abrams' films is not their dislike of them because they "aren't Star Trek" (whatever that means) it is that so many refuse to acknowledge that they are in fact good films in and of themselves.  Toss aside the Star Trek aspect of it, they are just good science fiction movies!  Acting?  Check.  Good plot?  Check.  Amazing special effects?  Check.  Everything you could want in a good science fiction movie.  So spare me your righteous indignation die hard Trekkies who won't admit that these are good movies.  I believe you are too blinded by your dislike of J.J. Abrams to see clearly.  You have myopic glasses that put Geordi LaForge to shame. 
     In the end all of this relates to an even bigger issue:  fanboys bitching just to bitch.  Let it go!  But that's the topic of another post altogether.  My advice to the adamant passionate Trekkies who can't stand these films?  The same advice I get from my wife and friends often.  Relax guys.  It's just a movie.