“Hero Ventures is developing a themed entertainment concept that we expect will be a transformative, traveling destination that will deliver to fans and families an exciting, groundbreaking and unique experience,” stated Marvel’s VP of Business Development, Sean Haran.
“The dynamic creative elements we’re developing are going to enable anyone to feel like a Super Hero like Spider-Man or Captain America,” said Hero Ventures’ CEO Rick Licht. “We couldn’t be more excited about our partnership with Marvel. Kids and adults are going to be absolutely inspired, empowered and thrilled from start to finish, with an immersive experience that is not just memorable, but unforgettable!”
Per the official announcement: “The Marvel Experience is a ‘first-person’ Super Hero adventure in which audiences step into the Marvel Universe to become a part of the story and the action. Innovative tour elements include a one-of-a-kind, traveling dome complex the size of two football fields developed exclusively by Hero Ventures. In addition to the 4D motion ride and 3D animated features, other components will include digitally projected animation, motion-comic origin stories, virtual reality and holographic simulations, original merchandise and integrated social media touch points all carefully woven into the rich narrative story line.”
Jane Lynch hosts 'Hollywood Game Night' (Photo Credit: Trae Patton/NBC)
NBC’s not playing games when it comes to their new game show Hollywood Game Night. They’re taking the show’s popularity seriously and have given the series an order for a 10-episode season two. The series is based on Sean Hayes’ real-life game nights and is hosted by Glee‘s Jane Lynch.
Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC Entertainment announced the renewal, stating, “Hollywood Game Night allows the audience to take a seat on the couch next to their favorite celebrities and enjoy the pandemonium and exuberance of the colorful cast of celebrities in each episode. Jane and her friends know how to throw a party and we’re thrilled viewers have come to play too.”
Season one found celebrities including Kristin Bell, Rose Byrne, Kristin Chenoweth, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Amy Poehler, Martin Short, and Jason Sudeikis all showing up to play. “It’s fun hanging with friends and playing ringmaster while trying to help our contestants earn $25,000,” said Lynch. “It’s a win-win for all.”
The Plot: In the series, two contestants in each episode are transported from their everyday lives into a once-in-a-lifetime night of fun and celebration as they step beyond the velvet rope and rub shoulders with some of their favorite celebrities. Part Hollywood club and part casual game night, the series is a fresh look into the lives of the celebrity crowd.
I’m told The Mortal Instruments books by Cassandra Clare are popular in that oh-so-hot Young Adult genre that Hollywood keeps mining to discover the next Twilight (not for their merit but for their box office). After watching the first of the series turned into a feature film, subtitled The City of Bones, I can see why the books might be a hit, particularly with teenage girls. However, I am seriously hoping the movies don’t find any success because I don’t particularly want to sit through another one of these things. (And yes, I know the sequel is already in pre-production but if this tanks, it’s not too late to pull the plug and save the studio face & money while saving the world from another bad movie.)
It all starts off innocuously enough. Lily Collins plays Clary, a young woman who has begun to see past the veil that clouds the world we puny humans can see. That fun ability is thanks to having some angel blood in her veins (ain’t genetics grand?) and she discovers a world within our world, where Shadowhunters (angel descendants) hunt demons and try to keep the balance of good and evil in check. Hmm, I’ve already seen Constantine.
Now, before I go any further, I’m warning you. What follows in this review is a whole heap of SPOILERS. Seriously. I’m going to reveal major plot points. If you’ve read the books, you’re fine. If you weren’t going to buy a ticket and just enjoy me ripping on a movie, you’re more than fine. If you wanted to see it, just know this: you shouldn’t. There. Simple enough. And now on with the critique.
Of course, there’s a love interest that binds it all together for our heroine. Here, it’s a pale, blond kid named Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower) who perhaps girls find attractive. I don’t know anymore considering the popularity of Justin Bieber, Robert Pattinson, and Shia LaBeouf. No one will ever make me understand that unholy trinity … well, maybe Pattinson … but that’s because he’s also Cedric Diggory and has a British accent. Chicks dig accents.
ANYWHO. Where was I?!? Oh yeah, ripping City of Bones. -Wait. One second. Need to go on a tangent. Why is this called City of Bones? They go to a place named that for like, five minutes. It’s never mentioned again. You might as well have called this City of the Random Coffee Shop, or City of the Douchey Nightclub. We spend just as much time in both of those locations.
Back to spoiling things, the whole movie centers around the search for the Mortal Cup – a chalice that an angel used to grant some lucky humans with special abilities. A former Shadowhunter who went mad on power (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) wants the Cup, and wouldn’t you know it, Clary is the key to it all. Hmm, I’ve already seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Back to all that love in the air, while Clary is oblivious to the obvious “best friend” who’s loved her for years without saying anything (Robert Sheehan), once she meets Jace, the Twilight love triangle is complete (and yes, this movie has vampires. Swoon? Wait, that’s not right. Puke! That’s it.) There’s a ridiculous scene midway through, all set to a cheesy song (which I’ll probably download later) inside a botanical garden of sorts where, I shit you not, the two lovebirds finally manage to do the needful (i.e. start kissing) and the ceiling sprinklers go off! If you’re scoring at home (good for you but not what I meant), that’s actually a NET ZERO. No, not the internet service. Here, I’ll count it all up: 1 point for the music; 1 point for the sprinklers; 1 point for the two lovestruck teens making out; but -3 points for the horrendous blocking, directing and dialogue. Hmm, where have I’ve seen an equally awful “romantic” scene? Oh yeah, when that sparkly vamp and the lip-biter girl laid out in a sea of wildflowers and stared at each other while the audience wondered if they forgot their lines. Hmm, I’ve (sadly) already seen Twilight (all of them actually so say a little prayer for me tonight).
Then we get to the action/fighting. It’s handled fairly well for the genre. To be fair, my expectations were scattered on the floor with some sticky soda residue the theater staff hadn’t quite mopped up entirely. However, there comes a point when Clary realizes she’s got some mad demon-fighting skills and is able to hold up her hand and freeze a gang of evildoers from making swift work of her and her friends. Basically, she’s the One. Hmm, I’ve already seen The Matrix.
And now we come to my favorite piece of “borrowing” from prior material. At one point, not so surprisingly, we find out that the big bad ex-Shadowhunter is … wait for it … Darth Vader Clary’s dad! Oh, and that pale blond kid Clary’s been making out with? Well, he might be her brother. *AWKWARD* Now where I have I seen these scenarios before … oh yeah, that’s right, I’ve absolutely already seen the Star Wars franchise. It’s when you start messing with George Lucas that I worry in a litigious sense for author Cassandra Clare in terms of all these “coincidences” from pop culture films that all happened prior to the 2007 release of the first book in the series.
In any case, if you haven’t figured it out, I’m not a big fan of this movie. Myself, and a few critics near me, spent the last half with the giggles, constantly flabbergasted at just how hokey the dialogue and plot progression kept getting. This has some of the most unintended comedy in a movie all year. And this is all despite the fact that I actually was fine with about the first half of things. Aside from thinking Jonathan Rhys Meyers has any business playing a villain, the casting department found people who can generally act (though Robert Sheehan seemed to be doing a Jay Baruchel impression for 95% of the time he was on-screen).
I’m starting to just ramble on so I’ll boil this one down. I don’t need to see a sequel. I don’t want to see a sequel. However, I’m going to be monumentally, epically, and just all-around bummed if this movie makes anywhere near as much money as The World’s End, also opening this weekend. One movie is smartly written, well directed, features good actors, and is worth seeing multiple times. The other is The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. And considering this whole movie amounts to a search for a de facto Holy Grail, I’ve really only got one thing to say to people who buy tickets to it: You have chosen … poorly.
P.S. If you want to make this review interactive, try imbibing a favored beverage for each element I’ve highlighted in another color. I sure wish I had a similar option when I watched the movie.
GRADE: D+
The Mortal Instruments opened in theaters on August 20, 2013 and is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of fantasy violence and action, and some suggestive content.
Kit Harington stars in 'Pompeii' (Photo Courtesy of TriStar Pictures)Game of Thrones‘ Kit Harington (‘Jon Snow’) stars in the action film Pompeii coming to theaters next February 28th. TriStar’s just released this first photo featuring a shirtless Harington as well as the first trailer which shows the destruction of Pompeii as well as the after-effects of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, Pompeii also stars Emily Browning, Jared Harris, Kiefer Sutherland, Carrie-Anne Moss, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Jessica Lucas.
The Plot:
The film follows an enslaved Celtic gladiator who falls in love with a noblewoman on the eve of a massive volcanic eruption that destroys Pompeii, an event that also brings him face-to-face with the man who slaughtered his family years earlier.
Taylor Swift surprised her adoring fans during her August 20, 2013 concert at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles when she brought Tegan and Sara out on stage to perform their hit single, “Closer.” The sold-out Staples Center crowd cheered for the threesome as they collaborated on the chart-topper, with Taylor instructing her 15,000 fans to get on their feet and jump around.
They’ve got a feature film on the way and among the public appearances they’ll be doing to promote One Direction: This Is Us is a stop on the America’s Got Talent stage. One Direction’s Niall, Louis, Harry, Liam and Zayn will be performing their single “Best Song Ever” on the semifinal live results show on Wednesday, August 28, 2013.
One Direction’s first feature film will open in theaters on August 30, 2013 and include concert footage as well as behind-the-scenes interviews with the singers and their families.
The America’s Got Talent August 28th episode will also feature a performance by The Voice winner Cassadee Pope. Pope won season three of the singing competition and has since hit the #1 spot on iTunes’ Country Singles chart with “Wasting All These Tears.” That single will be part of her Frame by Frame album due out on October 8th. Plus, she’s currently touring with Rascal Flatts.
CBS is going back to the well and bringing back former contestants for Survivor‘s 27th season. Kicking off on Wednesday, September 18, 2013 with a special 90-minute premiere, the “Blood vs Water” edition will also feature the return of Redemption Island, which allows castaways to get back into the game after being eliminated.
This upcoming season will find the returning players heading to the island along with a loved one. They’ll compete with their partner…up to a point. The official announcement offers this explanation of the 27th season:
“Will the returnees use their prior experience in the game to help their partners or will they leave their relatives alone to fend for themselves? Alliances and relationships will be tested and bonds will be broken when mothers, daughters, brothers, spouses and partners vie against each other in the ultimate competition, raising the question: which is thicker – Blood or Water?”
Survivor Season 27 Castaways
Tyson Apostol, 34 – Rachel Foulger, 33 (Dating)
Both from Provo, Utah
Tyson’s a Former Pro Cyclist/Shop Manager / Rachel is a Cocktail Waitress/Graphic Designer
Tyson’s Survivor: Tocantins, 2nd Jury member, Heroes vs. Villains, 6th Voted Out
Aras Baskauskas, 31 – Vytas Baskauskas, 33 (Brothers)
Both from Santa Monica, Calif.
Aras is a musician / Vytas is a Yoga Instructor/Math Professor
Aras’ Survivor: Panama – Exile Island, Winner
Rupert Boneham, 49 – Laura Boneham, 44 (Married)
Both from Indianapolis, Ind.
Rupert’s a Mentor for Troubled Teens / Laura is a Merchandiser
Rupert’s Survivor: Pearl Island, 2nd Jury member, Al Stars, 6th Jury member, Winner Fan-Favorite, Heroes vs. Villains, 7th Jury member
Candice Cody, 30 – John Cody, 30 (Married)
Both from Washington, D.C.
Candice is a Physician, Anesthesiology Resident / John is a Physician, Army Orthopedic Surgery
Candice’s Survivor: Cook Islands, 5th Jury Member, Heroes vs. Villains, 5th Jury Member
Monica Culpepper, 42 – Brad Culpepper, 44 (Married)
Both from Tampa, Fla.
Monica’s a Former NFL Wife, homemaker / Brad’s an Attorney and retired NFL player
Monica’s Survivor: One World, 5th Voted Out
Colton Cumbie, 22 – Caleb Bankston, 26 (Engaged)
Both from Collinsville, Ala.
Colton’s a Student Teacher / Caleb’s a Post Office Manager/Farmer
Colton’s Survivor: One World, 6th Out – Medically Evacuated
Kat Edorsson, 23 – Hayden Moss, 26 (Dating)
Kat’s from Orlando, Fla. and Hayden’s from Springtown, Texas
Kat’s a Full-time Student/Sales / Hayden’s in Real Estate
Kat’s Survivor: One World, 6th Jury Member
Laura Morett, 43 – Ciera Eastin, 24 (Mother and Daughter)
Both from Salem, Ore.
Laura’s Co-owner of Morett Construction / Ciera’s a Cosmetology Student
Laura’s Survivor: Samoa, 3rd Jury Member
Gervase Peterson, 43 – Marissa Peterson, 21 (Uncle and Niece)
Gervase is from Philadelphia, Pa. and Marissa’s from Chapel Hill, N.C.
Gervase is a Cigar Lounge Owner / Marissa’s a Student
Gervase’s Survivor: Borneo, 3rd Jury Member
Tina Wesson, 52 – Katie Collins, 25 (Mother and Daughter)
Tina’s from Robbinsville, N.C. and Katie’s from New York, N.Y.
Tina’s a Motivational Speaker / Katie is in Hedge Fund Support
Tina’s Survivor: Australia, Winner, All Stars, 1st Voted Out
After four feature films, Rambo is ready to conquer the small screen. Entertainment One is developing a Rambo TV series with Avi Lerner and Nu Image, and Sylvester Stallone is being courted to be involved on a creative level as well as potentially reprise his iconic role as the original Rambo.
“We’re thrilled to join forces with a renowned producer like Avi and the Nu Image team. The ability to fuse the big screen and the small screen through Avi’s feature film expertise and eOne’s domestic production capabilities and international distribution infrastructure, makes for a highly complementary partnership,” stated John Morayniss, CEO, eOne Television. “Rambo fans cover all demographics and we’re confident that we’ll quickly find this series a home.”
“I’m happy to be partnering with a prolific company like Entertainment One who has a track record of creating high-quality programming for their broadcast partners around the world,” added Lerner. “And I’m excited by the prospect of collaborating again with my good friend Sly for an encore in this next phase of the Rambo legacy.”
Filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) is producing what could be the squirrel version of Sharknado with Squirrels, a horror film about squirrels who feast on flesh. A few days ago, a sales trailer hit for the film and now we’ve got this teaser poster featuring a squirrel who’s into fingers.
Bekmambetov came up with the idea for Squirrels and Daniel Antoniazzi and Ben Shiffrin wrote the script.
The plot:
When a young man’s estranged father is killed under suspicious circumstances, he returns home for the first time in years to get to the bottom of the mystery. Hoping to uncover some logical explanation, he instead finds his mom’s sleazy new boyfriend, a natural gas company buying up the town, an angry female sheriff who happens to be his ex-girlfriend, and an army of flesh-eating squirrels hellbent on destroying everything in their path due to an erosion of their food chain as a result of environmental destruction by the gas company.
Starring: Zac Efron and Billy Bob Thornton [full cast list under the ‘Cast’ tab]
Directed By: Peter Landesman
Producers: Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman
Release Date: September 20, 2013
Genres: Drama, thriller
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for bloody sequences of ER trauma procedures, some violent images and language, and smoking throughout
Official Synopsis: November 22nd, 1963 was a day that changed the world forever when young American President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. We follow in almost real time a handful of individuals forced to make split-second decisions after this incomprehensible event that would change their lives and forever alter our worlds landscape: the young doctors and nurses at Parkland Hospital, the chief of the Dallas Secret Service, the unwitting cameraman who captured what has become the most watched and examined film in history, the FBI Agents who had gunman Lee Harvey Oswald within their grasp and Vice President Lyndon Johnson who had to take control of a country in a moments notice. Thrust into a scenario of unprecedented drama with unimaginable consequences, these key characters respond with shock, outrage, determination and courage. Woven together, their seemingly disparate perspectives make one of the most thrilling and powerful stories never told.
[tabs style=”default” title=”‘Parkland’ Resources”] [tab title=”Cast List”]
Zac Efron – ‘Jim Carrico’
Billy Bob Thornton – ‘Forrest Sorrels’
Ron Livingston – ‘James Hosty’
Tom Welling – ‘Roy Kellerman’
Paul Giamatti – ‘Abraham Zapruder’
Jackie Earle Haley – ‘Father Oscar Huber’
Colin Hanks – ‘Dr. Malcom Perry’
Marcia Gay Harden – ‘Doris Nelson’
Jeremy Strong – ‘Lee Harvey Oswald’
Jacki Weaver – ‘Marguerite Oswald’
[/tab]
[tab title=”Trailer”][/tab]
[tab title=”Photos”]Click to View the Photos[/tab][/tabs]
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