“The remake’s gonna kick ass – you have my word.” – Bruce Campbell
April 12th and the release of the latest Evil Dead could not come soon enough. You see, once upon a time, there were two friends named Sam and Bruce that grew up in two small Michigan towns named Birmingham and Royal Oak. On a shoe string budget, these two were capable of developing and producing one of the greatest horror franchises of all time. Quite simply put, they had an audience that craved blood, and they delivered. And it’s not just Michiganders that have a strong affection for the franchise, but horror enthusiasts across the world.
To fans of all things Batman, get excited. The conclusion to the animated adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns is set to be released on January 29, 2013. To temporarily satisfy our appetites, a clip from the film has recently been released.
We were first given The Dark Knight Rises, Part 1 in September of 2012. It sets up the four issue story originally written by Frank Miller in 1986. It is one of the most definitive Batman story lines ever, and has shaped and colored the character we’ve seen in the modern Batman film interpretations. We owe a lot to this book, and it has been exiting to see it in its animated format.
Part 1 set up the story of a retired Batman who has been out of the crime fighting game for ten years and now thought by many to have been nothing more than a myth. A new mutant gang has taken over the city, and Gotham has found itself worse off than ever before. With the spunky encouragement of Carrie Kelley (AKA Robin), the Dark Knight finds his final reason to don the cape and cowl.
Part 2 completes the story and sets up one of the greatest battles of all time, Batman vs. Superman, as well as the resurrection of his rivalry with the Joker. The newest clip shows that 55-year-old Batman clearly still has it. His fighting style has evolved to such a gritty, brutal force, but still displays all the things we loved so much about Batman to begin with.
Part 1 was received with great reviews sitting with a 7.9/10 rating on IMDB. I would say the only issue that I can take with this series is the complete overhaul of voice actors I have grown up with. I am a child of the 80s so when I think of animated Batman, I think of Kevin Conroy, and Mark Hamill. However, I can appreciate the need to evolve and change things up to revive the series, and stay fresh to new audiences. The Dark Knight Returns features Peter Weller (Robocop), Ariel Winter (Modern Family), and David Shelby (Dark Shadows) as Gordon.
As stated earlier, if you love Batman, you’ll love The Dark Knight Returns. If you weren’t already, get excited for Part 2 late January!
Celeste (Eva Longoria) enlists the help of three redneck brothers to retrieve her son from Billy Bob Thornton. They successfully complete the mission, but then have Thornton’s assembly of hot miscreants seek revenge for him.
If mayhem, gunfire, and scantily clad women are what you desire, The Baytown Outlaws looks to have everything you need.
Director: Barry Battles Stars: Zoe Bell, Paul Wesley, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Natalie Martinez, Billy Bob Thornton, Eva Longoria, Daniel Cudmore, and Agnes Bruckner. Release Date: March 19, 2013 to Blu-ray
The newest film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel of the same title stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby. Nick Carraway portrayed by Toby Maguire becomes infatuated with the mystery and intrigue of Gatsby’s empire. As more and more is revealed to him, Carraway finds the inner workings of Gatsby’s lavish lifestyle are pulling apart at the seams.
Joining DiCaprio and Maguire are the likes of Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton and Carey Mulligan. This will be the second time Baz Luhrmann will direct DiCaprio since Romeo + Juliet. Initially due out as a Christmas day release, this has been pushed back to a May 2013 release date so as not to compete with Django Unchained also starring DiCaprio.
Director: Baz Luhrmann Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, and Adelaide Clemens. Release Date: May 10, 2013
[/tab][tab title=”Holy Motors”]
This film captures all the lunacy of Monsieur Oscar. This journey of what takes place during the night spans the distance of captain of industry, begger, assassin, monster, and family man.
Though Leos Carax initially wrote Kay M. for Kate Moss, the role was ultimately filled by Eva Mendes. The singing role of Eva Grace was rewritten for Kylie Minogue when she was cast.
Director: Leos Carax Stars: Denis Lavant, Edith Scob, Eva Mendes, Kylie Minogue, and Michel Piccoli. Release Date: July 4, 2012
[/tab][tab title=”Identity Thief”]
I have never had my identity stolen. However, if I had, I would hope the antics that would ensue would be as comical as what Identity Thief has lined up. Jason Bateman is Sandy, a regular old law-abiding citizen who finds out his identity has been stolen. His intention is to catch the thief to clear his good name.
I haven’t personally seen Mike & Molly, but Melissa McCarthy’s comedic presence in film is becoming fully apparent. With a break out comedic performance in Bridesmaids, she is also in This Is 40, and rumored to be in The Hangover Part III.
Director: Seth Gordon Stars: Jason Bateman, Amanda Peet, Jon Favreau, Melissa McCarthy, John Cho, Robert Patrick, Genesis Rodriguez, and Eric Stonestreet. Release Date: February 8, 2013
[/tab][tab title=”After Earth”]
Cypher and Kitai Raige (Will and Jaden Smith) crash-land upon an uninhabitable planet where every organism has evolved to overcome and destroy the human species. In true Shyamalan form, this is the planet Earth 1000 years after all humans have been evacuated.
This isn’t Oblivion, this isn’t I Am Legend. This is After Earth. We are sure to be delighted by the on-screen chemistry of the Smith father/son duo that has truly impressed us in the past.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan Stars: Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Isabelle Fuhrman, Zoe Kravitz, Sophie Okonedo, Kristofer Hivju, and David Denman. Release Date: June 7, 2013[/tab]
[tab title=”Pain and Gain”]
When Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) gets fed up with his station in life, he decides to recruit two other body builders to kidnap a man and claim his wealth. Surprise twist, something goes wrong. With a director like Michael Bay involved, the true question is how many explosions can be incorporated into a film that primarily takes place in a gym?
Though the comedic pauses initially seem a bit out of place, this could resemble Bad Boys II. I don’t know about you, but I love me some Bad Boys II.
Director: Michael Bay Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Rebel Wilson, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris, Ken Jeong, Rob Corddry, and Tony Shalhoub. Release Date: April 26, 2013
[/tab][/tabgroup]
Is anyone planning to get the new Nintendo console that just came out? Sure, but which one are you talking about? Only last year Nintendo released the Wii Family Edition. Essentially what “Family” means is that you can no longer play Gamecube games, and the unit lays flat instead of up on its side. Most recently, we have all seen, heard about, and maybe even gotten our hands on the Wii U. This is the legit new console offered from Nintendo. Parents beware. If you go to the store and ask for the new Wii console, a third has been thrown into the mix. December 7th, a day that will live in infamy, will also foster in the Canadian release of Nintendo’s latest installment, the Wii Mini.
The Wii Mini will have a stellar price tag of $99, but will severely cut back on features. Not only has backwards compatibility with Gamecube games been eliminated, the unit will no longer support internet access. This means the glorious Virtual Console will not be accessible. The two things that could have suckered me into purchasing the 6 year old system will now be void.
At first I was intrigued, but now I am just disappointed. That was until I looked over to my television set and saw a blast from the past known as the SNS-101, aka the Super Nintendo Mini. Nintendo isn’t doing anything differently here. Production will soon cease of all first party Wii games to make way for the new Wii U. Respectfully so, the classic Wii game is a dying breed. So it makes sense to come out with an affordable unit capable of playing their most recent over saturated market of games. The holidays are the perfect time to snag even the Scroogiest of McDucks that STILL haven’t purchased a Wii console. The SNS-101 was released in 1997 for $99 right when the Nintendo 64 was introduced. This is a classic move straight from the Nintendo playbook, and the craziest part is that it will probably work. Nintendo marketing has done an exceptional job over the last 30 years. They wouldn’t still be relevant if they hadn’t.
So who is the Wii Mini for?
I recommend this as a family oriented gaming system, especially if you have young children. Few would disagree that the Wii game library targets a younger audience. Sometimes I find myself in this market. Though I am tech savvy, I rarely participate in online gameplay. I just like to put in a game and play. It’s just me and the box. In that regards, I actually kind of like the Wii Mini. Regardless of features, a $99 price tag should prove somewhat appetizing to those that have resisted the Wii madness the past six years. That being said, I say once again “Bravo” to Nintendo marketing. The release of the Wii Mini will initially be limited to Canada. If it succeeds, which I am projecting it will, I am sure it will find its way to all North American and European markets. So if you bring this one home for the holidays, be safe. Wii related incidents can be common, and are most definitely hilarious.
Surprise, surprise. American Horror Story is killing it once again, and fans are screaming for more. Well, we’re all in luck. Only half way through their second season, and it has been confirmed that AHS will return for a third. So where will the series go from here, and who will return?
Emmy winner Jessica Lange is sure to return. In season one, she played the psycho neighbor who ultimately becomes the care taker of Satan’s spawn. Most recently, she has been a tormented nun and has turned in an Emmy worthy performance. I am sure fans are stricken with curiosity over what Murphy and Falchuk have planned for her in season three. What about other fan favorites such as Zachary Quinto?
When asked if he would return for season 3 in an interview with Collider, his answer was a bit more ambiguous.
[quote]I just read today that the show got picked up for a third installment, so that’s very exciting. I’m so glad it’s doing well. People are responding to it, and FX has been so supportive and innovative with the stuff that they’re doing, so it’s great to be a part of it. I haven’t had any conversations with Ryan [Murphy] about what he’s thinking for the third season, so I have no idea. I love my job and I love the people that I do it with, and I always want that to be the case. I know he has plans. If they involve me, I’m sure I’ll get a call, at some point. But, I don’t know anything about it. I’m just focused on getting through the rest of this season and moving on to the next phase of stuff that I have lined up.[/quote]
Quinto was given the opportunity to join season one because shooting for Star Trek got pushed back. With his growing popularity, what will take precedence if Murphy does make the call to bring him on board for season three? Only time will tell. Ultimately, we will all find out when the 13 episode third season begins next fall.
With a slew of interesting actors and constantly evolving plot points, I am sure things will work out just fine. I do not see the series growing stale any time soon. At this point, we can all just sit back and speculate where the anthology will go next. I would love to see something in the wild west or turn of the 19th century. There is a lot of folklore and mystery that could be involved with that particular timeframe. With the changing timeframes, and locations from season to season, AHS is becoming a far more demented variation of my personal favorite, The Twilight Zone.
Grizzly Bomb 