Saturday, May 25, 2013
Friday, May 24, 2013
Woohoo! 'Simpsons' fans rejoice! Universal Studios is building Springfield
This could be the greatest news for Simpsons obsessives since those 7-Elevens were converted into Kwik-E-Marts to celebrate the release of the Simpsons movie.
Springfield, home of the three-eyed fish and hometown of Jebediah Springfield, is becoming a reality at Universal Studios’ Orlando amusement park.
While rumors have been floating for a while, Universal Studios officially announced today that they are expanding the area around the Simpsons Ride in Orlando to include an entire area that mimics the streets of Springfield. “And yes – there will be Duff Beer,” a release said.
Some of the attractions will include a Krusty Burger, a Lard Lad donuts, and, of course, Moe’s Tavern. There will also be a new Kang & Kodos-themed attraction. (Personal hope: the gift shop only sells “Bort” license plates.)
I’m thrilled. Also, can I just say it’s about time? I mean, Harry Potter fans have an entire Wizarding World of fun, and while I’m totally happy for them, it brings me great joy to saySimpsons fans will get to enjoy the Krustyest place on earth.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Meet 'Quicksilver'
From ew, Bryan Singer is at it again! The director of the highly anticipated X-Men: Days of Future Past is quickly becoming a social media mastermind. After tweeting out numerous first looks at the cast, Singer’s latest tweet confirmed that Evan Peters will be joining the film as Quiksilver, the super-fast son of Magneto, whose twin sister, Scarlet Witch, can manipulate probability.
Death Star Destroys Enterprise (Special Edition)
In 2009 (could it be that long ago?) I posted the above video however recently the CGI was updated and it looks awesome. I'm especially taken with how the Death Star looks hovering in the horizon. Definitely check this out, it's worth a look.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
This guy might be in Star Wars VII
From iwatchstuff, The Tudors star Jonathan Rhys Meyers is rumored to be the first newcomer to join Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford in seeing if people still enjoy space battles. Latino Review claims the actor "already has" a part in J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII, bringing him back to his Mission: Impossible III director and a universe where Obi-Wan forces you to search your feelings. There's not yet word on what that the role may be, so your guess is as good as mine. Or maybe better, because my guess is newly-svelte Wicket.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Bryan Singer Shows Off Blue Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique in ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’
From slashfilm, X-Men: Days of Future Past unites the cast of the first trilogy of X-Men films, along with the major players (such as Lawrence) from X-Men: First Class. The time-travel storyline sees the characters trying to prevent a possible future in which mutant-hunting sentinels are used to herd mutants into internment camps, and where some of the most powerful mutants have been murdered outright.
The film also stars Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, James McAvoy, Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore, Michael Fassbender, Ian McKellan, Anna Paquin, Omar Sy, Daniel Cudmore, Booboo Stewart, Fan Bingbing, and Peter Dinklage. It opens on July 18, 2014.
'Star Wars Rebels': Disney Channel to premiere Lucasfilm pilot
From ew, Star Wars Rebels, a one-hour animated pilot already in production at Lucasfilm, is scheduled to premiere in Fall 2014 on the Disney Channel before the new brand leaps to Disney XD for the ongoing series, according to Lucasfilm sources.
The series will mine material from the 19 years that follow Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and precede the Episode IV: A New Hope. In other words, using the life of the Skywalker twins as a measure, the series will be active in the story years that come after their separation as newborns and before their (unwitting) reunion on the prison level of the Death Star.
No word on whether the show will feature Darth Vader (who would be in the Empire’s power consolidation years and earning his reputation) or even pull in a character like Han Solo, the smuggler and cynic who becomes an unlikely freedom fighter when he opts to stand with his friends against cosmic odds. The title of the show is vaguely phrased in a way that any rebel — even a Boba Fett or Ahsoka Tano might qualify as a title character merely by walking an outsider’s path.
The series has three executive producers: Dave Filoni, the point man on The Clone Wars animated series that launched in 2008; screenwriter and producer Simon Kinberg, who has a flair for tonal rewiring and energizing familiar brands with new edge (e.g.: X-Men: First Class, Sherlock Holmes); and Greg Weisman, whose credits include well-regarded work on Young Justice and The Spectacular Spider-Man.
A press release that was being readied Monday morning included a quote from Kathy Kennedy, the hand-picked successor of George Lucas as Lucasfilm president as well as an elite producer (Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List) since the 1980s. “I couldn’t be more excited to explore new corners of the Star Wars universe,” Kennedy stated in the release. “I think Star Wars Rebels will capture the look, feel, and fun that both kids and their parents love about Star Wars.”
Kennedy, who has brought a new vigor and decisiveness to Lucasfilm in-house culture that (a bit like Obi Wan Kenobi out in the lonely desert) seemed to forget some its fiery rebel heritage as the dust of passing seasons gathered.
Kennedy shocked some observers when she jettisoned a well-underway Lucasfilm initiative to re-release the prequel trilogy in 3-D. The decision was not cheap but allowed her to turn all engines toward the shared horizon: new Star Wars stories that incorporate the characters most familiar to fans that sat down in the dark in those Jedi summers between 1977-1983. The centerpiece of the new focus is the third trilogy, with a first installment expected in 2015 or 2016 and directed by J.J. Abrams.
The new venture will put considerable pressure on the creative team. The animation process is not a fast one, although it it was not clear Monday how long Filoni and his colleagues have been working on the new show. For the fans who see Kennedy’s priorities as a new hope for the Jedi universe as entertainment, the news of Star Wars Rebels might bring to mind an exchange from 1977 space epic with a now-relevant pun: The Rebellion could really use a good pilot…
Bored? Watch The Brady Bunch bowl!
Filmed while the final season of The Brady Bunch was wrapping up, this bizarre bowling video (for charity) is un-watchable (okay, I stayed with it for about 3 minutes in order to ogle Marcia). Peter is especially bad at bowling (he always was my least favorite Brady).
Box Office
From ew, The USS Enterprise picked up steam throughout the weekend, despite a somewhat unimpressive start. Early estimates show that J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek IntoDarkness (CinemaScore: A) could bring in $70.6 million on the three-day weekend, and $84.1 million for the four and a half days that it has been open. Though nothing to scoff at, it’s still underperforming according to initial projections which hoped for a $100 million extended weekend and $80 million on the three-day.
The first Star Trek of the Abrams era opened in early May of 2009 and made an impressive $75.2 million on its first weekend out of the gates, without the benefit of 3-D surcharges. This newest film is showing in 336 IMAX 3-D theaters, whereas the first showed in 138 IMAX venues — accounting for $8.5 million in ticket sales on its first weekend. As we wrote about yesterday, the nature of Abrams’ four different directing projects makes him difficult to analyze in terms of pure box office numbers, so his Star Trek successes and potential will have to stand on its own. The first film stayed in theaters for 21 weeks, ultimately grossing $257.7 million for Paramount.
This is a franchise that seems separate from its stars. Chris Pine, who plays Captain Kirk, for example, has not proven to be a box office draw on his own. Again, this opening weekend isn’t bad, but it’s interesting to think about why it couldn’t live up to early estimates — especially considering the runaway success of Iron Man 3. Perhaps four years is too big of a gap between films. There was a 3 year gap between Iron Man 2 and 3, but releasing The Avengers during the hiatus was likely important for keeping the character present.
Iron Man 3 continues to do well at the box office in spite of the new competition from Star Trek Into Darkness, making an estimated $35.2 million in its third weekend in theaters. This brings its domestic total to $337.1 million.
The Great Gatsby took the No. 3 spot with a $23.4 million weekend, bringing its domestic total to an estimated $90.2 million. The $100 million mark is close for Baz Luhrmann, and it would be a first for the Australian director, even accounting for price inflation. This could be partially the Leonardo DiCaprio effect, the ubiquity and appeal of the novel, or an indication that there is room amidst sci-fi and comic book blockbusters for other types of films — even if this literary adaptation is also a 3-D release.
The No. 4 spot went to Michael Bay’s Pain & Gain, which made $3.1 million in 2,429 locations. It’s only down 38% from last week despite the fact that it lost 874 theaters. The relatively inexpensive ($26 million) Dwayne Johnson/Mark Wahlberg flick has made $46.7 million domestically so far.
Rounding out the top five is The Croods, the Nicolas Cage and Emma Stone voiced cave-family animated picture, which last appeared on the list two weeks ago. The $135 million movie has made an estimated $176.6 million domestically in its 9 weeks in theaters. As one of the only family friendly films available in theaters at the moment, it’s unsurprising that it continues to quietly do well.
1. Star Trek Into Darkness — $70.6 million (3-day)
2. Iron Man 3 — $35.2 million
3. The Great Gatsby –$23.4 million
4. Pain and Gain — $3.1 million
5. The Croods — $2.8 million
2. Iron Man 3 — $35.2 million
3. The Great Gatsby –$23.4 million
4. Pain and Gain — $3.1 million
5. The Croods — $2.8 million
Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha also opened this weekend in 4 theaters, bringing in $134K, with an impressive $33.5K per theater average. Baumbach’s previous three films all played in under 200 theaters.
Bea Arthur topless painting fetches $1.9M in NYC
From WSJ, NEW YORK — A painting of actress Bea Arthur topless has sold for $1.9 million at a New York City auction.
The painting is by artist John Currin and is titled "Bea Arthur Naked." It sold at Christie's auction of postwar and contemporary art on Wednesday. It had been expected to bring in between $1.8 million and $2.5 million.
Christie's hasn't said who bought it.
The 1991 oil painting depicts the late television actress nude from the waist up. Christie's said Thursday the image was based on a photograph of her with her clothes on.
Arthur gained fame for her Emmy Award-winning roles in "Maude" and "The Golden Girls" in the 1970s and '80s. She died of cancer in 2009 at age 86.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Cool.
I stumbled across this today poking around the internet:
The story of an island in the Venice Lagoon that has an old abandoned insane asylum...for starters. Very cool article and there are a series by the author that you can find on his web site. And you can read about Poveglia here!
Strange Geographies: the Happy, Haunted Island of Poveglia
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
Marvel's Phase Three: 'Doctor Strange,' 'Iron Man 4,' 'Hulk,' 'Inhumans' or 'Runaways' on horizon?
From ew, Big things happen in threes.
With Iron Man 3 heading into its third weekend, now is the perfect time to look ahead to what Marvel Studios may be planning for its own third act — the evolving multi-movie slate
known as Phase Three.
Phase One for the comic book studio was the series of films that culminated in last year’s The Avengers. Phase Two begins with Iron Man 3, and will build to Avengers 2 in 2015, withCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World, and Guardians of the Galaxy in between.
The question that still hasn’t been resolved, even internally at the studio… What comes next?
Right now the only definite project being planned for Phase Three is Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man, which has been in development since 2006 but will finally come to the screen in November 2015 — just a few months after Avengers 2.
“I’d say 99 percent of our time right now is purely spent on Phase Two,” Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige told EW. “It’s five colossally giant motion pictures that we have to produce. So that’s taking up the time. But within the next year or so we’ll start the advanced planning for post-Avengers 2.”
Given that nothing has been settled yet, EW tried to pick Feige’s brain about which potential Phase Three movies are likely — and which are definitely not happening.
Here’s what we learned:
Thursday, May 16, 2013
D Printed Stormtroopers/Carbonite With Your Face
From geekology, In happier Disney news, the parks will be offering custom 3-D printed stormtroopers with your face this summer as part of Disney Star Wars Weekends. Don't fancy yourself Imperial ion-cannon fodder? NO WORRIES, they're also selling 3-D printed versions of you frozen in carbonite. Will Leia come rescue you?! I wouldn't count on it.
The 10-minute experience captures an image of the fan, which is later sent to a high-resolution 3D printer to create a figurine. The completed figurine will arrive in seven to eight weeks for domestic shipping.
The Star Wars D-Tech Me experience is $99.95, plus shipping and applicable sales tax.
Seven to eight weeks for delivery?! If I was Disney, I'd sell personalized 3-D printed stormtroopers and offer INSTANT DELIVERY. You know how? "Only printing stormtroopers with their masks still on." Ding ding ding! You and I should start a business together.
New 'Riddick' trailer gives away the entire movie
Seriously, this trailer is a prime example of what's wrong with modern movie trailers. Like the recent 'Carrie' remake trailer the above Riddick trailer sequentially tells the entire story.
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