“Jane Foster was looking for love in all the wrong places until a blast from the past came out of nowhere to sweep her off her feet.”
On the November 8, 2013 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, the late night host showed off a new trailer for Thor: The Dark World targeting women. With “I’m Walking on Sunshine” as the catchy trailer tune and focusing on Natalie Portman as Jane Foster and Chris Hemsworth as Thor (occasionally shirtless, always looking like the romantic hero), the new trailer promotes Thor Actually, “a romantic comedy that’s out of this world.”
Be forewarned Thor groupies and fanboys, you may not like what I’m about to say. There’s always been one fundamental flaw to Marvel’s version of the Norse God of Thunder, whether in films or the comic books: He never does anything interesting.
While I find the Norse mythology interesting, and Chris Hemsworth is a genius choice for the character, his stories just don’t do anything to excite me. There’s a certain Shakespearean intrigue that lends itself to the proceedings that made bringing Kenneth Branagh in as director on the first film a logical choice. And don’t take this the wrong way, I enjoyed Thor well enough. But the storylines available for this Avenger are just ho-hum stuff.
In this inevitable sequel, Thor has to make some amends to his main squeeze, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), for being absent for the past two years. His brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), fresh from his apprehension at the end of The Avengers, is locked up in the dungeons. Thor’s father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), doesn’t quite get his son’s fascination with an Earth woman. Oh, and there’s this convergence of planets that happens every 5,000 years that’s set to bring back the reign of dark elves hell-bent on destroying the universe. Guess who’s going to figure out a way to stop it?
As per my opening statements, I found the actual Thor: The Dark World plot developments to be of little consequence. This is the kind of story I invented as a child playing with action figures or Lego. However, just as he did in Thor, it’s Hiddleston that steals the show. Every scene with Loki is a bright spot and lifts the rather mundane surroundings in an almost magical fashion. This is made most evident after a long spell of Loki being absent from the movie, as he pops back up and instantly raises the energy level — right when the pacing needed a boost in the arm.
Taking over in the director’s chair is Alan Taylor. His experience directing a number of Game of Thrones episodes obviously came in handy and the look and feel of the movie are consistent with previous films in the recent string of Marvel dominance. That still didn’t make the runtime feel any shorter, as the 112 minutes feels a tad longer, but every element of the production was well executed. The costumes, the sets, the effects, and the make-up designs are all top-notch.
Thankfully, the script does make sure to inject a number of light moments, mostly with Loki. Overall, it’s fairly entertaining though if I had to pick a big-budget action film right now, I’d go with Ender’s Game over this. But who am I kidding? This is a Marvel movie, everyone will probably go and see it.
One last obligatory note. To no surprise, there are some extra scenes in the credits, both midway through and at the end. So as with every other Marvel movie, don’t be so quick to get to your car once the main story has run its course.
GRADE: B-
Thor: The Dark World opens in theaters on November 8, 2013 and is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some suggestive content.
The cast of ‘Singles Ladies’ (Photo Courtesy of VH1)
VH1’s scripted series Single Ladies will kick off its third season on January 6, 2014 at 9pm ET/PT. Executive produced by Queen Latifah, the hour-long show stars LisaRaye McCoy, Denise Vasi, Charity Shea, D.B. Woodside, Travis Winfrey, Terrell Tilford, and Harold “House” Moore. Joining the cast for season three are LeToya Luckett, Damien Dante Wayans, and Lesley-Ann Brandt.
In conjunction with the return of the series for a third season, VH1 will introduce a Singles Ladies eBook series that will bridge the gap between season two’s final episode and the start of season three. Ashley Antoinette wrote the book series which will introduce a new novella focusing on one lead character each week beginning on November 26 with April. The eBooks will sell for $3.99 via Amazon, B&N.com, and iTunes.
Details on Season Three of Single Ladies:
The premiere jumps three months ahead with a lavish wedding, leading to a new romance and new personal challenges for Raquel (Denise Vasi), April (Charity Shea), Keisha (LisaRaye McCoy) and Omar (Travis Winfrey). Raquel turns her focus to her boutique, Indulgence, and soon finds passion in an unexpected partnership. April lands the opportunity of a lifetime working for one of Atlanta’s most powerful music managers, Felicia Price (LeToya Luckett), who rules her company and the music world with an iron stiletto.
While navigating Price Management, April gets embroiled into an ongoing rivalry with her new colleague David Berenger (Damien Dante Wayans). As Keisha and Malcolm (D.B. Woodside) return to Atlanta from traveling around the world, their relationship is threatened by a sudden tragedy, a mysterious woman, Naomi Cox, (Lesley-Ann Brandt) and other unexpected secrets.
Daredevil’s heading to Netflix in a new deal struck between Disney’s Marvel and Netflix. The incredible deal will mean four live-action adventure series based on four of Marvel’s popular characters will air exclusively on Netflix.
It’s anticipated that the series will premiere in 2015 with Netflix guaranteeing there will be at least four 13 episode series that feature Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage. There will also be a Marvel’s The Defenders mini-series “that reimagines a dream team of self-sacrificing, heroic characters.”
“This deal is unparalleled in its scope and size, and reinforces our commitment to deliver Marvel’s brand, content and characters across all platforms of storytelling. Netflix offers an incredible platform for the kind of rich storytelling that is Marvel’s specialty,” said Alan Fine, President of Marvel Entertainment. “This serialized epic expands the narrative possibilities of on-demand television and gives fans the flexibility to immerse themselves how and when they want in what’s sure to be a thrilling and engaging adventure.”
“Marvel’s movies, such as Iron Man and Marvel’s The Avengers, are huge favorites on our service around the world. Like Disney, Marvel is a known and loved brand that travels,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. “With House of Cards and our other original series, we have pioneered new approaches to storytelling and to global distribution and we’re thrilled to be working with Disney and Marvel to take our brand of television to new levels with a creative project of this magnitude.”
Touchstone Pictures is releasing legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s final theatrical film, The Wind Rises, in limited theaters on November 8, 2013 (in Japanese with English subtitles) followed by an expanded release in North America in February 2014. The Studio Ghibli animated film which just debuted a new poster has a voice cast that includes Hideaki Anno, Miori Takimoto, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Masahiko Nishimura, Stephen Alpert, Morio Kazama, Keiko Takeshita, and Mirai Shida.
The Plot:
In The Wind Rises, Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni. Nearsighted from a young age and unable to be a pilot, Jiro joins a major Japanese engineering company in 1927 and becomes one of the world’s most innovative and accomplished airplane designers.
The film chronicles much of his life, depicting key historical events, including the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the Great Depression, the tuberculosis epidemic and Japan’s plunge into war. Jiro meets and falls in love with Nahoko, and grows and cherishes his friendship with his colleague Honjo. Writer and director Hayao Miyazaki pays tribute to engineer Jiro Horikoshi and author Tatsuo Hori in this epic tale of love, perseverance, and the challenges of living and making choices in a turbulent world.
The Weinstein Company’s Harvey Weinstein is once again battling the MPAA over a film’s rating. Philomena has been tagged with an R rating by the MPAA because it contains two scenes in which the F-word is used and the rules state you can only use one. And while Weinstein seems to relish these public battles with the ratings group, in this case it’s absolutely ridiculous that his film has been given an R rating. This is yet another instance in which the MPAA is completely out of touch with the movie-going public.
Here’s a clip of Weinstein talking about Philomena‘s R rating with the CBS This Morning crew:
Jennifer Lawrence and Francis Lawrence Catching Fire Q&A (Photo Credit: Yahoo Screen)
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire star Jennifer Lawrence and director Francis Lawrence answered questions from fans submitted via Tumblr in a chat with Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer on November 6, 2013. The fan Q&A was part of the film’s Global Fan Day and Lawrence was asked everything from who she had a crush on as a teen to what’s up with her short hair to what was the funniest moment on the set of the second Hunger Games movie.
Bear Grylls in 'Man vs Wild' (Photo Courtesy of Discovery Channel)
Bear Grylls’ new adventure series, Bear Grylls: Escape From Hell, will kick off on Discovery Channel on November 11, 2013 at 10pm before moving to Wednesdays at 10pm on November 13th. The six-part series is executive produced by Sarah Davies, Jim Beard, and Neil Smith.
“I am super excited to be working with Discovery again – the channel where the Man vs. Wild journey began,” said Bear Grylls. “Bear Grylls: Escape From Hell, and any future endeavors, will be intense-but that’s where the fun is! Man vs. Wild took me to some of the toughest climates and terrains out there, and this new series is an exciting evolution of that. The aim is to follow incredible real-life survival stories and demonstrate dynamic life-saving know-how along the way.”
The Plot:
In Bear Grylls: Escape From Hell, Bear takes his survival expertise one step further as he reveals the incredible stories of ordinary people stranded in devastatingly dire situations. Coupled with archival footage and interviews with the survivors, Bear will pit himself against the very same dangers and scenarios. He will re-live their journeys through first-hand experience, and show viewers how to survive in some of the world’s most desolate landscapes.
Bear Grylls: Escape From Hell is a revealing insight into the human spirit under intense pressure. From avalanches to dangerous river crossings to ferocious sand storms, Bear will risk his life by trekking in the shoes of these survivors, analyzing and dissecting the survival techniques they employed, and providing expert advice and tips for the best possible survival strategy. Bear travels the planet to give a complete picture of survival, from the scorching Saharan desert to the snow-covered mountains of North America. Each landscape presents its own unique set of challenges, but they also share universal themes of survival: hydration, shelter, warmth, food, and navigation.
Blake Shelton wins Male Vocalist of the Year Wednesday night during "The 47th Annual CMA awards" live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on the ABC Television Network. (Photo Credit: Donn Jones / CMA)Blake Shelton walked away with two CMA Awards and made history along with Miranda Lambert as the only married couple to ever win Male and Female Vocalists of the Year awards four years in a row. The 47th Annual CMA Awards, which were held on November 6, 2013 and hosted once again by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, also proved to be a big night for George Strait who captured the Entertainer of the Year award for the third time. This year’s win (his first in the category since 1990) leaves him tied with Alabama and Alan Jackson with three Entertainer of the Year awards each. Only Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney have more EofY awards with four a piece.
“Never in a million years!” said Strait when accepting his award. “Thank you so much to the CMA. I mean, this blows me away. I cannot believe it. With such powerful entertainers, I’m just thrilled to even be nominated again.”
Florida Georgia Line also had two-times the reason to celebrate. The first-time nominees emerged victorious in the Vocal Duo of the Year and Single of the Year categories.
The 47th Annual CMA Awards Winners:
Entertainer of the Year – George Strait
Female Vocalist of the Year – Miranda Lambert
Male Vocalist of the Year – Blake Shelton
Vocal Group of the Year – Little Big Town
Vocal Duo of the Year – Florida Georgia Line
New Artist of the Year – Kacey Musgraves
Album of the Year – Based on a True Story, Blake Shelton
Song of the Year – “I Drive Your Truck,” songwriters Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington and Jimmy Yeary
Single of the Year – “Cruise,” Florida Georgia Line
Musical Event of the Year – “Highway Don’t Care,” Tim McGraw (with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban)
Music Video of the Year – “Highway Don’t Care,” Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban
Whether you’re ready or not, there’s a new RoboCop movie on the way from Columbia Pictures and MGM. The remake finds Joel Kinnaman (The Killing) taking on the role of a cop who becomes a crime-fighting cyborg following a horrible accident. Directed by Jose Padilha, the cast includes Michael Keaton, Samuel L Jackson, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley, and Gary Oldman.
RoboCop enters theaters on February 12, 2014.
The Plot: In RoboCop, the year is 2028 and multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology. Overseas, their drones have been used by the military for years – and it’s meant billions for OmniCorp’s bottom line. Now OmniCorp wants to bring their controversial technology to the home front, and they see a golden opportunity to do it. When Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) – a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit – is critically injured in the line of duty, OmniCorp sees their chance for a part-man, part-robot police officer.
OmniCorp envisions a RoboCop in every city and even more billions for their shareholders, but they never counted on one thing: there is still a man inside the machine pursuing justice.
Stumble It! 
Daredevil’s heading to Netflix in a new deal struck between Disney’s Marvel and Netflix. The incredible deal will mean four live-action adventure series based on four of Marvel’s popular characters will air exclusively on Netflix.
