Sunday, March 31, 2013

Bruce Campbell and ‘Evil Dead’ Director Fede Alvarez Would Love to Merge Original and Remake Storylines



From slashfilm, In my review of Evil Dead, this year’s remake of Sam Raimi‘s career-making 1981 film, I mentioned that this movie might actually exist in the same timeline as Raimi’s movies. It isn’t locked down in the film that such a thing is the case, but it is suggested.

Recently, original Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell went a lot farther, saying at a post-screening Q&A that plans for sequels to both this new Evil Dead series and Raimi’s own movies might eventually merge the two storylines. We couldn’t confirm his quote at the time. At today’s WonderCon panel for the remake, director Fede Alvarez confirmed the ambition to top off his own Evil Dead 2 and Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness 2 with a film that brings the storylines together.

The first hint of the plan came at a miami screening of Raimi’s The Evil Dead attended by Alvarez and Campbell. One attendee brought our attention to something the former (and possibly future) Ash said:

We know that Fede Alvarez is already starting work on an original sequel to his Evil Dead, and we’ve also been told that Sam Raimi is potentially getting to work on Army of Darkness 2. That would be a direct sequel to his last film featuring Campbell’s character Ash, which came out in 1993.

Today at WonderCon, Campbell and Alvarez both talked about the potential sequels to their respective storylines, with Alvarez saying that his ultimate dream would be to make a seventh film that united the Ash narrative from Sam Raimi’s movies with Mia’s story from Fede Alvarez’s new chapter. ”I think seven is a nice number,” said Campbell.

This is all contingent, of course, on the performance of this remake — if this one doesn’t do well, then both Alvarez’s Evil Dead 2 and Raimi’s Army of Darkness 2 might not happen. If it does well enough, we might see more Evil Dead movies than anyone ever expected.


MPAA Says "The Conjuring" is Too Scary


From worstpreviews, Warner Bros has been a huge supporter of James Wan's latest horrorfilm, "The Conjuring," especially after early test screenings resulted in some of the most positive reviews the studio has ever seen. The reason for the positive reviews: people said that "The Conjuring" is an incredibly frightening experience.

The studio immediately moved thefilmfrom its February release to the summer (July 13th). And now comes word that MPAA gave "The Conjuring" an R-rating, for no other reason than it's scary. "When we sent it [to MPAA], they gave us the R-rating," said producer Walter Hamada. "When we asked them why, they basically said, 'It's just so scary. [There are] no specific scenes or tone you could take out to get it PG-13.'"

Wan is incredibly grateful that Warner Bros is keeping the summer release date, despite the 'R' rating. "It's a testament to the studio for not f*cking with thefilm," he said. "It works and they are sticking to it and I'm very thankful for that."

Box Office



From ew, Turns out putting Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson into the lead role is a good idea to keep a franchise going. G.I. Joe: Retaliation soldiered into the top spot over Easter weekend, piling up $41.2 million over three days and bringing the four-day cume to $51.7 million. Retaliationdidn’t quite set the record for Easter weekend — those bragging rights belong to 2010′s Clash of the Titans ($61.2 million) — and it didn’t quite match the opening of G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra‘s $54.7 million bow in 2009. But Johnson and Channing Tatum’s starpower helped keep the attrition from the poorly received Cobra to a minimum. Plus, the overseas figures are far out-pacing Cobra, bringing Retaliation to a healthy $132 million global total, roughly matching the $130-plus million budget for Paramount. Not surprisingly, the testosterone-heavy action pic attracted a 61 percent male crowd who gave it a strong “A–” CinemaScore.

Also having a good Friday and good run in general was Dreamworks’ animated Stone Age comedy The Croods, which grossed $26.5 domestically in its second weekend and sailed past the $200 million mark internationally for a 10-day total of $229.1 million. Tyler Perry turned far away from Madea with his steamy thriller Temptation, which paid off for Lionsgate with a voluptuous $22.3 million. Starring Friday Night Lights‘ Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Kim Kardashian, who brought the film outsize media attention, Temptation didn’t reach the heights of Madea’s Big Happy Family opened ($25.3 million) or Why Did I Get Married Too? ($29.3 million), which were both sequels, but it did outperform industry expectations. Tyler Perry’s name still means money, even if precedes the full title Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor. It’s the ninth Perry film to debut over $20 million; the only other directors to have reached that distinction are Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis.

Despite its Twilight connections, no one had overly high hopes for the alien invasion romanceThe Host, based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer. Neither the novel nor the three leads — Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, and Jake Abel — were nearly as squeal inducing to the largely female audiences that made Twilight popular. Weighed down by laughably bad reviews and unappealing trailers, The Host disappointed with $11 million in sixth place.

1. G.I. Joe: Retaliation – $41.2 million
2. The Croods – $26.5 million
3. Tyler Perry’s Temptation – $22.3 million
4. Olympus Has Fallen – $14 million
5. Oz the Great and Powerful – $11.6 million
6. The Host – $11 million

Daily Spider-Man: Absolutely everyone discusses Peter's inadequacies, including Peter.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Hey Lego Fans...what's your take on Nanoblocks?

I just saw these for the first time.  Just wondering if anyone has seen or own any of these little tiny blocks?






 Here's a link to a pic of the same sets of Lego and Nano for another size comparison. 

Daily Spider-Man: Hooray! It's the Kingpin and that one competent employee!

Friday, March 22, 2013

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Daily Spider-Man: Didn't we have this conversation already, but with punching?

Real-Life Superhero Quits Crime-Fighting After Getting Beat Up


From worstpreviews, back in 2011, Roger Hayhurst made it on national news for dressing up as a superhero, named Knight Warrior, and patrollingthe streetsof Manchester, England. He was even joined by his girlfriend, Rebecca, who named herself Knight Maiden.

At the time, Hayhurst vowed "to get crime offthe streets." But things have changed. Hayhurst, who's 20-years-old, tells The Telegraph that he quit crime-fighting after getting beat up.

"We were recognized when we were walking thorough Clifton and some lads started punching me," he said. "My face was all swollen. After that I still dress up and occasionally patrol, but I mainly dress up for charity appearances. Rebecca has got rid of her costume now."

Chuck Norris Shaves Beard, No Longer Hero


From denofgeek, Aww, no more Chuck Norris' beard jokes!

Chuck Norris has done the United States a great disservice; he has shaved his epic beard.  The normally well-groomed and sizeable beard is no more.

Norris, 73, looks absolutely ridiculous without the beard, almost unrecognizable.  And, once he realizes how silly he looks without it, it'll surely be back.  In fact, I bet the beard is plotting its return already, waiting to reappear in the wild like a sloth; without notice and just as furry.

Now, Norris will have to find another line of work, since his beard was the main reason for his mainstream success in action films.  Here are some other lines of work the beardless  man might want to now consider:  painting, training horses, professional badminton, bingo moderator, or pet detective.

Daily Spider-Man: Just kiss already

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Box Office



From ew, James Franco had a great weekend at the box office. Not only did his $215 million blockbusterOz The Great and Powerful top the chart for a second time, his edgy indie Spring Breakersmade a big splash in limited release.

Oz dropped by a modest 47 percent to $42.2 million this weekend, lifting its domestic total to $145 million. In doing so, Oz surpassed Identity Thief to become the biggest hit of 2013 so far. Overseas, Oz hasn’t had quite as magical of a run. The film conjured another $46.6 million from 55 territories (about 85 percent of the international market) and has now grossed a $136.8 million abroad. The fact that the domestic total still leads the international total for an effects-driven spectacle is a testament to The Wizard of Oz’s enduring equity in American culture and its lack of such equity overseas. Still, let’s not pretend that Disney is sad about a 10-day total of $281.8 million worldwide.

Halle Berry’s thriller The Call took second place with a better-than-expected $17.1 million debut. For Berry, who has recently endured a string of flops like Cloud Atlas and New Year’s EveThe Call marks the best opening weekend since 2006′s X-Men: The Last Stand, which started with $102.5 million. Excluding the X-Men films, The Call is the third strongest debut for a film with Berry in a leading role. Only Gothika ($19.3 million) and Swordfish ($18.1 million) have opened better.

Sony/TriStar, which acquired the $15 million R-rated film from Troika Pictures, effectively marketed The Call to women, and according to the studio, the opening-weekend audience was 61 percent female and 47 percent below the age of 30 — and it also played very well with African-American moviegoers. The Call earned a “B+” CinemaScore grade.
Down in third place was the magician comedy The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, which failed to conjure box-office magic with a dismal $10.3 million debut. For Jim Carrey, Burt Wonderstone‘s debut is the worst since 2004′s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which opened with $8.2 million and found Carrey playing against his typical comedic persona. For Steve Carrell, Burt Wonderstone got off to a better start than last year’s Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, but considering that film took in just $3.8 million in its first three days, that isn’t saying much.

Burt Wonderstone is now the fifth straight Warner Bros. film to disappoint in 2013. FollowingGangster Squad ($45.9 million gross vs. $60 million budget), Bullet to the Head ($9.5 million vs. reported $55 million budget), Beautiful Creatures ($19.1 million vs. $60 million budget), and Jack the Giant Slayer ($53.9 million vs. $195 million budget), Burt Wonderstone‘s failure likely has Warner Bros. and New Line, which spent $32 million to produce the film, eagerly looking ahead to the release of The Hangover Part III in May. Distressingly, audiences gaveBurt Wonderstone a bad “C+” CinemaScore grade.

Two holdovers rounded out the Top 5. In fourth, Jack the Giant Slayer fell 37 percent to $6.2 million, giving the expensive beanstalk tale $53.9 million after three weekends. Universal’s $35 million comedy smash Identity Thief stuck around for one final weekend in fifth place, dipping 29 percent to $4.5 million. After six weeks, Identity Thief has stolen $123.7 million.

1. Oz The Great and Powerful – $42.2 million
2. The Call – $17.1 million
3. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone – $10.3 million
4. Jack the Giant Slayer – $6.2 million
5. Identity Thief – $4.5 million

Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers, which has garnered ample publicity due to former Disney starlets Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez traipsing about in their bikinis, scored a sizzling debut in limited release. The film, which also stars James Franco, garnered $270,000 from just three theaters, giving it an eye-popping $90,000 average.

Daily Spider-Man: After taking a week to get to Murdock's office, Peter can't wait five minutes for an elevator

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

I'm learnding Photoshop!


Yeah, it's still pretty early in the class. This is the first chunk of work that isn't a follow-along-with-the-book thing. I'm sure it could be better but I have to do another one before tomorrow evening. I know a couple of you have phat knowledge, and I welcome your suggestions to the extent I can understand them.

This is a mantis shrimp/Norwich terrier hybrid in Guell Park, Barcelona. If you want to see a bunch of better ones, click here.

The Hangover III trailer

Kick-Ass 2 looks like fun!



Octopunk trading card!


I am adding this to the register as completion of a life mission I never knew I had. Yes, I have my own trading card. And yes, I was given a fat stack of my own card so my interested friends can have one without buying packs (which will probably only be available at Lego conventions anyway). Woo hoo!

Daily Spider-Man: Apparently they make James Bond jackets in husky sizes

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Archie Afterlife

From Neatorama, "AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE combines two of my great passions: Archie comics and horror comics,” said Aguirre-Sacasa. “This series came out of conversations with Jon [Goldwater], asking questions like, ‘what if the Archie characters found themselves in a Stephen King novel like The Stand or a Sam Raimi movie like The Evil Dead?’ Could we pull that off, tonally? We’re really going for it. The first arc is called ‘Escape from Riverdale.’ The second arc is called, brace yourself, ‘Betty RIP.’ Of course, all the horror stuff will be balanced by elements that are quintessentially Archie.”

Fantastic new 'Star Trek Into Darkness' trailer

Daily Spider-Man: And I will make this whole city my basketball!

Sunday, March 10, 2013

President Obama Jokes About Mixing Up "Star Wars" and "Star Trek"


From worstpreviews, During a recent speech,President Obama mixed up "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" when he said that he would have to use a "Jedi mind meld" to convince Congress to do what he wants. The problem is that is a "Jedi mind trick" and a "mind meld," which are from two different franchises.

Obama has now spoken about the mix-up, stating: "After a very public mix-up last week, my communications team has provided me with an easy way to distinguish between 'Star Trek' and 'Star Wars,' Spock is what Maureen Dowd calls me. Darth Vader is what John Boehner calls me."

Boehner is the Republican House Speaker, while Dowd is a NY Times journalist.

Obama joked: "And in the words of one of my favorite 'Star Trek' characters -- Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise-- 'May the force be with you.'"

Malevolent

 2018  ***1/2 It's 1986 for some reason, and a team of paranormal investigators are making a big name for themselves all over Scotland. ...