The This Is The End team of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg collaborated on the upcoming comedy movie The Interview starring James Franco. The Interview was written and directed by Rogen and Goldberg and centers on Franco’s character who’s a reporter hired to assassinate Kim Jong-Un while in North Korea doing interviews.
Together to discuss the comedy hitting theaters in October, Rogen and Goldberg explained where the story came from and who inspired the character played by Franco.
I’ve just finished exorcising some demons about the latest X-Men film so I’m afraid this review is going to suffer a bit in the effort department. So here’s a sentence few people thought they’d ever hear from me: With X-Men: Days of Future Past and a new Adam Sandler movie coming out this weekend – see Blended!
Before anyone gets too crazed, do not fear, I have not gone completely mental. I fully realize (and you can read my reviews to prove it) that Adam Sandler movies generally come in one size these days: Large Pile of Crap. I have to go back to 2007’s Reign Over Me to find something I liked and back another three years to 2004’s 50 First Dates to find a comedy of his I’ll watch without the aid of alcohol, blackmail, torture, or some combination thereof.
With Blended, he’s gone back to the well of teaming up with Drew Barrymore (The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates). That was probably a smart idea but before I get to how they did as a pair this time around, allow me to explain the title of this movie. You see, the people who made the movie would have you believe it has to do with the notion of blending together Sandler’s and Barrymore’s families (he with the 3 girls, she with the 2 boys).
Now if you’ve already spotted the Brady Bunch as source material, that’s nothing when you get to actually watching the whole movie. You see, Blended is a reference to this joining of families, but it’s also literally what happened to the scripts of about twenty film and TV projects. There isn’t one original thought to be found in the entire movie. Instead, it’s a shot-gunned hodgepodge of themes, archetypes, and situations pretty much everyone has seen before.
Normally, I’d just cry foul, give the movie a poor rating, and chalk another Sandler movie up as unwatchable dreck. However, where Blended gets things right is in its supporting characters. There are a number of fun callbacks to characters from better Sandler films, Kevin Nealon and Jessica Lowe play a very funny couple Sandler and Barrymore end up spending time with, and then there’s Terry Crews. Seriously, how does one not smile when this man comes on screen? And that he’s the lead singer of a music group that works for the African hotel where the families all descend upon and continues to pop up in the film over and over again only makes this the binding element that keeps people like me from remembering how uninteresting the main characters are.
And so we come to the biggest problems: Sandler and Barrymore. I think they put about as much effort into this movie as I do grabbing a bag of Doritos from the pantry. But hey, if I could get paid ridiculous sums of money to grab a bag of Doritos out of my pantry, I’d eat a LOT more Doritos. (C’mon Doritos, you can sponsor just one film critic, right?) Here, Sandler plays a weepy widower, and Barrymore’s marriage ended when Joel McHale cheated on her (I think he shot these scenes concurrently with the ones he did on Ted since it required no character changes).
Simply put, Sandler and Barrymore are bland here. I enjoyed their energy in previous romantic comedies, but here I just kept waiting for one of the kids, Terry Crews, or some other side character to do something funny. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait too long, and aside from this movie having about 15 minutes it could cut out to trim the bloated two-hour runtime, I reluctantly have to admit this was bordering on cute.
That said, I’m not going to buy this on DVD. I doubt I’ll stop channel surfing for long when it hits cable. But there are definitely some funny moments and you can do a lot worse in theaters right now (X-Men I’m shaking my head in disappointment at you again). If you just want a light comedy and wondered as I did where any redeeming factor of Adam Sandler had gone, Blended is here to break his impressive streak of being in my worst-of-the-year list. For whatever that’s worth.
GRADE: C
Blended opens in theaters on May 23, 2014 and is rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and language.
Four letter word. Four letter word. Four letter word. Four letter word. Yeah, I thought about going for the actual profanity but while the nerd rage inside of me wants to just press the caps lock key and go to town, somehow after giving it a night to think over, I’m not going to let X-Men: Days of Future Past get the better of me … anymore than it already has.
Now, if you’ve read my review of X-Men: First Class, you probably know I haven’t warmed to Twentieth Century Fox’s ideas about how to bring the characters from the comic book to the screen (basically it’s been largely a heaping pile of bullshit). As such, before you go flying off the handle, I’m going to reiterate something I try to be very clear about: I’m watching X-Men films through the eyes of a comic book fan whose FAVORITE comic book is The Uncanny X-Men.
As such, I’ve watched as character after character within my beloved comic has been given horrifically terrible treatment; whether it’s in the official X-Men films or in any of the solo spin-offs that also crush my soul more often than not. The core stories which are the basis of these “scripts” are also victimized throughout this film franchise. Any X-fan can probably give you a 15 minute extemporaneous speech about how wrong they got the Dark Phoenix storyline.
And now we come to one of the most beloved, well-known, and frankly perhaps the best storyline ever to inhabit the pages of an X-book (there are so many adjunct titles it would make your head spin): Days of Future Past.
Now that I don’t have to spoil things for you, let’s just get this out of the way. I hate this movie. I hate the way they changed the story. I hate the way it’s basically ANOTHER movie of watching the triangle of Xavier, Magneto, and Mystique (and don’t get me started on the changes they’ve done to add Mystique into this mix. Short rant: It’s horse manure). I hate that they didn’t quite get the point of what makes this story so important from a civil/human rights issue. And almost most importantly when I even attempt to separate the comic from the script, I hate the way the repercussions of this movie affect the entire X-universe in a cinematic sense.
Don’t worry, I won’t spoil this element. However, without giving it away, I can safely say that the effects of what happens here are the product of lazy, greedy, and uninspired screenwriting. If someone had bothered to read the original story, they would have seen why the manner in which things were resolved were so perfect … and see what a travesty they had wrought with their version.
I could go on for days about each element in the movie I found sickening. Even the most light-hearted and fun moments, which revolve around the inclusion of Quicksilver, are a slap in the face to comic book fans. Google the origins of the character and how he and his sister (The Scarlet Witch) are connected to Magneto to see why.
Of course, the best bits still involve people cast as Professor X or Magneto. However, their characters feel like hollow archetypes here and lack any of the real pathos exhibited in brief moments in previous films. And again, let me just say it: WTF are they doing with Mystique here? Do we like hot women walking around half-nude? Of course we do. Does that mean the character should get a HUGE push into the limelight at the expense of other characters far more integral to not only this story, but the fabric of the X-Men? (*cough* Kitty Pryde)
So for all the reasons I mentioned above, and so many more I’m trying to bury deep inside my weeping soul, I’d rather watch Freddie Prinze Jr. do Shakespeare in the Park than watch the Days of Future Past storyline get tangled and warped to no good end again. But obviously, I’m looking through the lens of a comic book fan. If you never read the books and have liked the movies, then you’ll be fine here. It makes far more sense than First Class but still has plenty of moments that just seem to drag on for no good reason … and did I mention Mystique?
But no matter what I’ve said, people will turn out in droves. X-Men: Days of Future Past will make a boatload of cash and in a few years, I’ll be back at my computer typing about how much they got wrong with Apocalypse in the next movie. I wish all of my slings and arrows meant a damn when it came to this franchise but I suppose I’ll just have to quote Forrest Gump: “Sometimes, there just aren’t enough rocks.” And seriously, there aren’t.
X-Men: Days of Future Past was directed by Bryan Singer and is rated PG- 13 for sequences of intense sci-fi violence and action, some suggestive material, nudity and language
GRADE as a film: C-
GRADE as a comic book adaptation: F
Shakira teamed up with Activia to help support the World Food Programme and their work via the School Meals Programme to provide school meals for kids in need. And as part of the partnership, Shakira has just unveiled a new music video for “La La La (Brazil 2014)” featuring soccer superstars including Lionel Messi.
“La La La (Brazil 2014)” is off of Shakira’s new self-titled CD and is now available on iTunes.
Godzilla director Gareth Edwards is confirmed to direct the first stand-alone Star Wars movie as just announced by Lucasfilm. Lucasfilm and Disney are working on films that work outside the “core Saga,” with Edwards tapped to helm the first project from a script by Gary Whitta (The Book of Eli).
The untitled first Star Wars stand-alone movie will open on December 16, 2016.
It was Edwards’ work on the low-budget critically acclaimed thriller Monsters which led to the gig directing Godzilla for Warner Bros Pictures and Legendary Pictures. Reviving the Godzilla franchise with a movie accepted by fans of the gigantic creature then led to the coveted job of tackling the first Star Wars film outside of the Star Wars Saga.
“Ever since I saw Star Wars I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life – join the Rebel Alliance! I could not be more excited and honored to go on this mission with Lucasfilm,” said Edwards.
Whitta states, “From the moment I first saw the original movie as a wide-eyed kid, Star Wars has been the single most profound inspiration to my imagination and to my career as a writer. It is deeply special to me,so to be given the opportunity to contribute to its ongoing legacy, especially in collaboration with a film-maker as talented as Gareth,is literally a dream come true. I’m still pinching myself.”
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Angela Bassett is set to make her directorial debut with Whitney Houston, a biopic examining the relationship between the award-winning singer and Bobby Brown. Whitney Houston (the working title) was written by Shem Bitterman (Betty & Coretta) and will air on Lifetime in 2015.
“I have such regard for both Whitney’s and Bobby’s amazing talents and accomplishments; and I feel a responsibility in the telling of their story,” stated Bassett. “Their humanity and bond fascinates us all. I’m beyond excited to have this opportunity to go behind the camera and into their world.”
The Plot:
Whitney Houston chronicles the headline-making relationship between the iconic singer, actress, producer and model, and singer, songwriter Bobby Brown — from the time they first met at the very height of their celebrity, to their courtship and tumultuous marriage. Throughout it all, difficulties followed the superstar couple while they dealt with the overwhelming rewards and consequences of the fame and fortune created by Whitney’s meteoric rise that would soon overshadow them both.
Source: Lifetime
-By Rebecca Murray
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Well, not every Monday from now until the end of time, but at least every Monday up to the release of his new album, YES!. The Grammy-winning singer/songwriter will unveil a new single each Monday (which has been dubbed “Mraz Mondays”) leading up to the album’s July 15, 2014 release date.
Fans who pre-order the album will receive automatic downloads of all the Mraz Monday tracks, including the first single off of the album, “Love Someone.”
1. Rise
2. Love Someone
3. Hello, You Beautiful Thing
4. Long Drive
5. Everywhere
6. Best Friend
7. Quiet
8. Out Of My Hands
9. It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday
10. 3 Things
11. You Can Rely On Me
12. Back To The Earth
13. A World With You
14. Shine
Jason Mraz produced YES! along with Mike Mogis, teaming up with frequent collaborators Raining Jane and recording the album in Southern California and Nebraska. He’ll be touring in support of the new album beginning in August. United States fans will get the chance to see him on the road first before he heads off to Europe, Asia, and Australia later this year.
Jimmy Kimmel loves to torture celebrities by making them read mean tweets about themselves, which is a horrible but hilarious thing to do to anyone. The batch of celebs who read aloud the mean tweets this time around included Game of Thrones‘ Kit Harington, Matthew McConaughey, Emma Stone, Gary Oldman, Sofia Vergara, Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Ashton Kutcher, Mindy Kaling, David Blaine, Courteney Cox, and Don Cheadle.
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While Pixar’s taking the year off from theatrical releases, the Mouse House is busy with animated films. Big Hero 6 from Winnie the Pooh‘s director Don Hall will be arriving in theaters on November 7th, and Disney’s finally showing off a teaser trailer for the family-friendly comedy movie.
The Plot:
With all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Big Hero 6 is an action-packed comedy-adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who learns to harness his genius—thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tamago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to his closest companion—a robot named Baymax — and transforms the group into a band of high-tech heroes determined to solve the mystery.
Inspired by the Marvel comics of the same name, and featuring comic-book style action, Big Hero 6 is directed by Don Hall (Winnie the Pooh) and Chris Williams (Bolt), and produced by Roy Conli (Tangled).
Everyone knows Godzilla, the King of the Monsters, and most people can recognize Mothra or King Ghidorah as Japanese kaiju of note. But here’s a list of often overlooked or mostly forgotten creatures. This could also be called the loser gallery of kaiju found in the Japanese Godzilla films. These poor monsters get no respect and sometimes don’t deserve any, but let’s give them a nod if only to laugh at their humiliation. Let’s start at the very bottom.
1. Zilla in Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack; Godzilla: Final Wars
Technically, Zilla is the Godzilla of the infamous 1998 Roland Emmerich remake. Toho wanted to make a distinct differentiation between their true Godzilla and the American counterfeit, um, I mean counterpart. Japan’s disdain for Zilla comes through loud and hilariously clear in an aside made in Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack when someone asks wasn’t Godzilla spotted in New York, and the reply is, “Well, the Americans seem to think so, but we’re not so sure…” Then in Final Wars Zilla appears and is ignominiously disposed of in less than 30 seconds by the true King of the Monsters. Then to add salt to the would, the Controller of Planet X says, “I knew that tuna-eating monster was useless!” (The tuna reference is to an infamous scene in the 1998 Godzilla.) This has to be the bottom feeder in Godzilla’s kaiju hall of shame.
2. Giant Condor in Godzilla Vs. The Sea Monster
This poor kaiju not only gets left out of the title for the film but he fails to even merit a name. That’s a sure sign of being a loser in the kaiju world, it means you have no personality. He’s nothing more than a mutated bird without any special powers. He’s also left out of the trailer and is quickly disposed of by Big G as no more bothersome than a mosquito. Forgettable.
3. Giant Lizard in King Kong Vs. Godzilla
Here’s another sorry soul, a regular creature that tries to increase his kaiju status simply by adding the adjective “Giant.” Poor Giant Lizard, like Giant Condor, is not acknowledged in the film’s title (nor should he be!) and doesn’t get a name. Plus, he is listed on the Wikizilla as the only Godzilla monster NOT to have a toy. Seriously? He better be hanging his reptilian head in shame.
4. Giant Octopus in King Kong Vs. Godzilla
Seeing a pattern here? Here’s another loser from King Kong Vs. Godzilla that’s also nameless and left out of the film’s title. He’s not even a man in a suit as most of the kaiju are, but rather a real octopus (with occasional stop motion animation) slithering over a miniature set. He doesn’t even seem to have a purpose in the film except to up the monster ante. Then to add insult to injury, this Japanese monster is not even killed by Godzilla but rather bullied out of the film by the American monster, King Kong. Embarrassing.
5. Kamacuras in Son of Godzilla, All Monsters Attack (Godzilla’s Revenge), Godzilla: Final Wars
Known as Gimantis (which seems to come from combining “giant” and “mantis”) in its first appearance, these big bugs came as a trio in Son of Godzilla. They get caught by Big G trying to crack open baby Godzilla’s egg to eat him. That doesn’t please the Papa. He immediately kills two and a third flees only to be eaten later by a giant tarantula. They were originally man-sized mantis but an atomic storm mutated them to more of a small skyscraper size. In Final Wars a fourth one appears only to be impaled on an electrical tower. Kind of embarrassing. The fact that there were multiples of them, and they were not able to develop unique personalities makes them inconsequential. Meganulon (which turns into Meganula) is another insecty kaiju that’s just not that interesting and can be lumped in with Kamacuras here since it too lacks personality.
6. Kumonga (a.k.a. Spiega) in Son of Godzilla, Destroy All Monsters
A giant arachnid that’s a nemesis in Son of Godzilla but then seems to undergo a change of heart and comes to earth’s rescue in Destroy All Monsters. As with Kamacuras, Giant Octopus, and Giant Condor, this kaiju drops down on the monster ladder for merely being a large version of something that exists in real life. That’s not nearly as fun or imaginative as a creature like Hedorah or Biollante that has no counterpart in the real world.
7. Titanosaurus in Terror of Mechagodzilla
Points docked for only appearing in one film and for looking quite ridiculous. Named after a real dinosaur, Titanosaurus sports a fin on his back that continues to an orange-ish crest on his head that gives him a silly punk rock look. He was also under mind control, which robs him of being his own monster.
8. Manda in Destroy All Monsters
Manda is a giant radioactive sea serpent possessing death ray powers. He’s only in one Godzilla film and has minimal screen time. He’s an ally to Godzilla in Destroy All Monsters and survives the kaiju battle royale to return to Monster Island. His head looks a bit like King Ghidorah’s but he has none of Ghidorah’s epic stature. Plus he has those silly little legs. He fades into the background in a film that simply has an embarrassment of kaiju riches.
9. Ebirah in Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (AKA Godzilla Vs. the Sea Monster), Godzilla: Final Wars
Also known as the Sea Monster, Ebirah seems to get a name almost as an afterthought. That can’t be good. The name is taken from the Japanese word for shrimp but he looks more like a crayfish or lobster. He may get his name in the title and he may get brought back for Final Wars but a giant shrimp just isn’t all that cool or menacing even with giant claws. Crustaceans are fine for sushi but have no place in a monster movie.
10. King Caesar in Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla, Godzilla: Final Wars
I know. Some people love King Caesar. Godzilla comes to his rescue, which gives him some kaiju status, and he has his own song (like the vastly more popular Mothra) so he just barely makes the list. His downside is that he’s a lethargic beast and has to be woken up from a deep slumber to even partake in the film. He’s only made two movies (a third if you count a stock footage appearance) and he’s the only kaiju with ridiculous boobies. The silliness doesn’t end there: he looks like a cross between the Cowardly Lion and a scrappy pound dog, and he’s prone to hibernation (which is dull). This is one sad puppy.
(Dis)Honorary mention: I will bring up Minya (a.k.a. Minilla) — seen in Son of Godzilla, All Monsters Attack (Godzilla’s Revenge) and Final Wars — because he draws such polarized emotions among Godzilla fans. They either hate him or love him. The haters consider him a mutant Barney reduced to slapstick antics and can’t bear to watch him. But others embrace his ridiculous design as a product of the times and can enjoy his goofy screen presence. As the son of Godzilla he kind of gets a free pass to look any way he wants and to do anything he wants. The son of Godzilla becomes a far more impressive lad in Godzilla Vs. Destroyah – where he is redubbed Godzilla Junior – possibly because the implication is that after Godzilla dies the franchise will pass on to Junior.
I highly recommend checking out Wikizilla for hours of endless fun looking at kaiju photos and reading geeky facts about the lamest to the most awesome of Japanese beasts.
– Top 10 Must-See Godzilla Movies
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