I was raised on the Hollywood western. While my friends were off playing Star Wars and Indiana Jones I was playing Rio Bravo and The Rifleman. My hero was always the man in the white hat that never failed to save the day and always got the girl. I also loved classic comedy westerns such as The Shakiest Gun in the West, The Apple Dumpling Gang, and The Great Race. Their comedic twist on the movies I had grown to love so much as a child kept me smiling on the worst of days. Perhaps that’s why I find Gore Verbinsky’s “Rango” to be such an excellent movie. It’s a perfect blend of all of the things I loved about the Hollywood westerns of old as well as a great bit of family safe comedy to balance out the seriousness of the dire situation our hero finds himself in.
“Rango” is the story of an ordinary chameleon longing for a more exciting life who is without warning thrust into the adventure of a lifetime. Rango finds himself in the town of Dirt, an aptly named destination whose water supply is mysteriously drying up and leaving the residents in fear of their future. In classic western tradition, Rango becomes the unlikely hero of the day and is tasked with saving the town from imminent doom all the while trying to keep secret the fact that he has no idea what he is doing.
In my opinion the credit for the movie must start at the top with Gore Verbinsky. This is by far his best work and his handling of the material here borders on mastery. He has created a film so full of great characters that is very easy to forget that you are actually watching animals play the roles on screen. From Isla Fisher as the spunky heroine “Beans” to Ned Beatty as “The Mayor” and all the small parts in between this an outstanding supporting cast that would be hard to compete with in a live action movie much less an animated feature.
Johnny Depp is simply wonderful in the role of Rango. He completely disappears inside this little chameleon, changing his voice so that it is unrecognizable and creating a character that it is impossible not to root for. The amalgamation of great character traits from western heroes of the past is evident and flawless. His mere voice performance in this movie has me slobbering at the mouth at the chance to see him play one of my child hood heroes, Tonto, in the upcoming Lone Ranger remake.
I’d be remissed if I didn’t mention the outstanding animation and cinematography in this movie. This is a beautifully animated movie the likes of I have never seen. Roger Deakins work as visual effects consultant lends a look to this film that rarely seen outside of the greatest of the classic westerns.
Rango is a great movie. There wasn’t one second of the movie that I wasn’t thoroughly entertained by the wonderful little story that was unfolding in front of me. If this is what is to be expected from ILM and Nickelodeon Films in the future, we have wild ride ahead of us and I can’t wait to jump on.
Before we get into my review of Beastly let me ask you a few questions. First, are you a female age 13 to 24? Second, have you read or watched any chapter of the Twilight saga and enjoyed it? Third, are you so desperate to find a partner that you would lock a girl you are infatuated with in your attic and read her poetry until she falls madly in love with your grotesque face? If you answered yes to any of the above questions then you should probably stop reading now because I’m probably going to hurt your feelings with what I’m about to say regarding this movie.
Beastly is quite possibly the most shallow, pandering, overwrought piece of excrement I’ve seen thrown on the silver screen in a long time. It all starts with a cast of characters who seem to have no rudder, no inner compass, and no parents to teach them right from wrong. (Apparently this is left up to the help in Beastly world.) Alex Pettyfer’s “Kyle” is one of the most unlikable leading characters I may have ever seen in a movie. The opening ten minutes of this film establish him as an egotistical, hateful, self-involved cretin whose laughable attempts to destroy those who he feels beneath him make him nigh un-redeemable. His father is apparently a famous newscaster who hasn’t given him the attention he deserves and the people he surrounds himself with are vapid, soulless ghouls. This makes Pettyfer’s character sad so he picks on the hot witch (Mary Kate Olsen in junior misses Goth gear) whose mere presence in his school is apparently the bane of his existence. Voila, you’re cursed to be ugly like Mary Kate. And by ugly I mean you’re still hot, you just have metal on your face and some cool tattoos. Oh, and nobody recognizes you anymore. Even though you still look pretty much the same and your voice is no different, you are now the weird guy who wears a hoody all the time that nobody pays attention to.
My second major issue with this movie is the story. In most movies the story is important; things need to make a certain amount of sense for people to follow what’s going on and enjoy the movie. Not in Beastly world. In this world you can stalk a girl you once mocked but secretly love, help her father cover up a murder you were involved in and then keep said girl locked in your attic until she’s “safe” (wink, wink). Now I totally understand the point of keeping her captive. Daniel Barnz is attempting to do a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, the classic story of not judging a book by its cover. Unfortunately for director Daniel Barnz we live in a modern world full of sickos and stalkers. Alex Pettyfer doesn’t come across as a good guy trying to save this poor girl from evil but as a creep keeping Vanessa Hudgins locked up till she goes all Stockholm syndrome and they can finally be together.
I could go on for days about how bad this movie was, about how Neil Patrick Harris and the Jamaican maid (Lindsay Gay Hamilton) played a role in a felony kidnapping while at the same time providing the comic relief but I digress. This was an awful movie that pandered to the lowest common denominator, people who aren’t old enough, or smart enough, to know a good movie from bad. Apparently you can show them some nice abs and a good smile, mix in a half assed romance story, and play some popular music over the trailer and you’ve got yourself a good opening weekend and you’ve made your budget back already. Hell, Twilight’s made a mint exploiting that same section of our society over and over again. You’d think they’d eventually learn. Oh well, bad movies get made every day and this movie will be quickly forgotten when the next pandering piece of crap hit’s the cinemas. Save yourself some grief and skip this one…
This week on Noob Radio Richard and Christian discuss all the weeks tv, video game, comic and movie news including Quentin Tarantino’s next movie venture, a look at 3 great comics from ComicBreak.com as well as an in depth interview with Chris Roberson, writer of IZombie, Superman-Grounded, Cinderella-Fables are Forever as well as many more comics and books. All this and much, much more on this weeks episode of Noob Radio…
Intro:
Talk about Geek Weekend, Lots of screenings coming up (meaning lots more work)
Quick Hits
Sponsored by: Provenance Media
Movie News:
Kobe Bryant is, “The Black Mamba”. Directed by Robert Rodriguez.
Have you seen it? Apparently Rodriguez shot this short during all star weekend.
Quentin Tarantino May Be Prepping a Spaghetti Western:
f it wasn’t already clear by the way he’s employed Ennio Morricone music in several of his films, Quentin Tarantino loves himself some spaghetti westerns. Now, though, it appears he’ll be mounting one himself: Actor Franco Nero revealed that he’ll be costarring in Quentin Tarantino’s next film, said to be a tribute to Sergio Leone, and AICN confirmed the rumor and added Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds breakout Christoph Waltz to the cast. The site says it’ll shoot later this year in Italy and Spain, and as the In Memoriam tribute at last night’s Oscars reminded us, this will be Tarantino’s first project without longtime editor and collaborator Sally Menke, who died last year.
TV News:
This Is Your Dancing With the Stars Lineup:
WWF wrestler Chris Jericho, Disney star Chelsea Kane, along with original Karate Kid Ralph Macchio and boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard, are all slated to compete. Also on the bill: model Petra Nemcova; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward; Playboy model and reality star Kendra Wilkinson; rapper Romeo (formerly Lil’ Romeo); talk-show host and smoked–Slim Jim innovator Wendy Williams; and somebody named Mike Catherwood. But we’re most anticipating Kirstie Alley’s turn on the dance floor.
Video Game News:
Devil May Cry Movie Adaptation In The Works! Did you ever play it?
New Battlefield 3 Trailer released… Did you see it? Whould you play it?
Comic Break
Sponsored by ComicBreak.com
Incredible Hulks #623
Written by GREG PAK [Soft Break]Pencis & Cover by DALE EAGLEHAM
The Hulk has never been welcome in the civilized world. What better place for the savage Hulks than the Savage Land? Get ready for PLANET SAVAGE as Hulk and Skaar invade the prehistoric paradise of Ka-Zar, Lord of the Hidden Jungle. Featuring the showstopping pencils of superstar Dale Eaglesham and the return of a deadly frenemy the Hulk should never have forgotten.
Special POINT ONE issue! START READING with this Point One issue to learn the new meaning for great power and great responsibility! Witness the birth of a new Spider-Man in the start of a brand-new story arc!
Bonded to the dangerous and powerful Venom symbiote, this new webslinger is showing Peter Parker up in the hero department! Plus, who will Spider-Man turn to in his darkest hour? Believe us, it’s not who you think!
Written by JASON AARON [Soft Break]Penciled by DANIEL ACUNA [Soft Break]Cover by JAE LEE
Once again, a mindless Wolverine is raging out control, a danger to everyone around him. But this time Cyclops is ready. He’s always feared this day would come again, and he’s ready and willing to do whatever it takes to end Wolverine’s rampage once and for all.?He’s even brought along a few friends to help him: Magneto and Namor. Don’t miss Part One of the action-packed new arc,?’Wolverine vs. The X-Men.’
Chris Roberson grew up near Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas, Austin. Graduating with a degree in English literature and a minor in history, he held a variety of jobs – including seven years as a product support engineer for Dell computers – before quitting his job in 2003 to launch small press MonkeyBrain Books.
He cites his upbringing in the seventies and eighties, as his major inspiration, since science fiction was particular commonplace in America at that time, saying:
“Everything from Saturday-morning cartoons to comic books to late-night B-movies to pulp novel reprints to blockbuster summer movies–it was all science fiction, in one form or another.”[1]
After college, he has suggested that he leaned towards becoming a more literary, post-modernist writer, even writing a couple of novels to that end, which he adamant will never see the light of day, after realising that he simply “wasn’t depressed enough for that line of work”.[1] In his twenties, he wrote a couple of mystery novels, seeing them as a commercial venture, but found himself skirting around turning them into ‘genre’ titles, falling between the two camps of mystery and science fiction, and interesting publishers of neither. Ultimately he settled on writing science fiction, saying:
“My brain tends to work along the lines of science fiction tropes. Whenever I run into an odd little bit of trivia, some obscure historical fact or odd scientific principle, I can’t help but start thinking of ways I could use it in a story.”[1]
His writings have received positive reviews from Locus Magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Asimov’s Science Fiction, The New York Review of Science Fiction, Infinity Plus and RevolutionSF.[1] He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife (Allison Baker) and their young daughter, Georgia.[2]
Clockwork Storybook
Main article: Clockwork Storybook
From 1998 to 2002, Roberson was part of writer’s collective Clockwork Storybook, alongside noted comics author Bill Willingham (Fables), Matthew Sturges (co-writing with Willingham of Jack of Fables) and Mark Finn (Robert E. Howard scholar and playwright).
Starting as a writing group, CWSB became an online monthly anthology, and then a publishing imprint of the same name. Roberson produced four novels under CWSB, as the collective attempted to capitalise on the Print On Demand revolution. This ultimately fell through, and the four went their separate ways.
Two (to date) of Roberson’s CWSB books have been subsequently expanded and reprinted. Any Time At All (Sep, 2002) became Here, There & Everywhere (Pyr, 2005)(Right.), and Set The Seas On Fire (Dec, 2001) was expanded for its April, 2007 release by Solaris. Voices of Thunder (Feb, 2001) has been revised to become Book Of Secrets for upcoming publication by Angry Robot in August, 2009.
Post-Clockwork works
Focusing, after the demise of Clockwork Storybook, on his writing, Roberson sold a short story (his first professional sale) to Roc anthology Live Without a Net, under the editorship of Lou Anders. It was published in 2003, and paved the way for future sales to Asimov’s Science Fiction and other anthologies. In 2004, Anders, (by now considered by Roberson “something of a personal patron”) by now an editorial director at Prometheus Books’ new SF imprint Pyr, bought an expanded version of one of Roberson’s CWSB books Any Time At All, which was published in 2005 as Here, There & Everywhere.(Right.)
In 2003, having “discovered.. in the few years of helping run the CWSB imprint, that [he] really enjoyed being a publisher,” Roberson started up his own imprint. Partly this move was inspired by the dissolution of CWSB, and Roberson having discovered a few projects by writers that he had wanted to bring out under that banner. He decided, however, that MonkeyBrain Books would deal exclusively in “traditional offset trade-paperbacks and hardcovers,” distributed internationally, rather than printed on demand.[3]
He has also contributed several stories to the annual Tales of the Shadowmen anthologies.
MonkeyBrain
Main article: MonkeyBrain Books
Since 2003, he is the publisher (along with his business partner and spouse Allison Baker) of MonkeyBrain Books, an independent publishing house naturally based in Austin, Texas, which specialises in genre fiction and nonfiction genre studies.
In November, 2005, Roberson edited the first volume in a projected annual series of Adventure anthologies, comprising “original fiction in the spirit of early twentieth-century pulp fiction magazines” across the genres, featuring contributions from (among others) Lou Anders, Paul Di Filippo, Mark Finn, Michael Moorcock and Kim Newman. (Many of which featured authors would become MonkeyBrain stalwarts.)[4]
Comics
In July 2008, at the Comic-Con International in San Diego, it was announced that Roberson will be working on a comic book miniseries set in the universe of the DC/Vertigo series Fables, created by fellow-former-Clockwork Storybook author Bill Willingham.[5]
Roberson’s miniseries is titled Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love, and described by the author as featuring “spies, sex, and shoes.”[5] Illustrated by Shawn McManus and released in late 2009 / early 2010, it “answer(s) the question of what happened to Cinderella’s fairy godmother.”[5] Roberson has been selected by DC Comics to finish the Grounded story arc in the Superman monthly title. [6] [7]
Awards and nominations
He has been a finalist for the World Fantasy Award three times – once each for writing (2004), publishing (2006), and editing (2006). (For Adventure Vol. 1, left.) On two occasions he has been a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. He won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History Long Form in 2009 for The Dragon’s Nine Sons. He has also been nominated twice for the Sidewise Award for Alternate History Short Form, which he won in 2004 with his story “O One”.
His novel Paragaea was included in Waterstone’s Top Ten SF list for 2006.[8]
Bibliography
Roberson has written several novels and short stories, and self-published (with the Clockwork Storybook team) some of them himself.
Clockwork Storybook Offline, Volume I: Mythology by Roberson, with Finn, Sturges & Willingham
Clockwork Storybook Offline, Volume II: The Goblin Market by Roberson, with Finn, Sturges & Willingham
Voices of Thunder (Clockwork Storybook, February 2001)
Book of Secrets – expanded reprint of Voices of Thunder (Angry Robot, August 2009)
The Clockwork Reader Volume 1 by Clockwork Storybook (Clockwork Storybook November 2001)
Set the Seas on Fire (Clockwork Storybook, December 2001)
Set the Seas on Fire – greatly exanded and reprinted (Solaris, 2007)
Cybermancy Incorporated (Clockwork Storybook, December 2001) (with a cover by Michael Lark)
Any Time at All: The Lives and Time of Roxanne Bonaventure (Clockwork Storybook, September 2002) (with a cover by John Picacio)
Here, There & Everywhere – greatly expanded reprint of Any Time At All (Pyr, April 2005) (with a similar cover by John Picacio)
“O One” in Live Without a Net(Right.) by Lou Anders (ed.) (Roc, 2003)
“So Far From Us in All Ways” in The Many Faces of Van Helsing by Jeanne Cavelos (ed.) (Ace, April 2004)
Shark Boy and Lava Girl Adventures: Book 1 (in collaboration with Robert Rodriguez) (Troublemaker Publishing, May 2005)
Shark Boy and Lava Girl Adventures: Book 2 (in collaboration with Robert Rodriguez) (Troublemaker Publishing, May 2005)
Adventure Vol. 1 (ed.) (MonkeyBrain Books, November 2005)
“Contagion” in FutureShocks by Lou Anders (ed.) (Roc, 2006)
“Eventide” in Forbidden Planets by Peter Crowther (ed.) (DAW Books, 2006)
Paragaea: A Planetary Romance (Pyr, May 2006)
The Voyage of Night Shining White (PS Publishing, 2006)
X-Men: The Return (Pocket Books, May 2007) (with a cover by John Picacio)
The Dragon’s Nine Sons (Solaris, 2008)
End of the Century (Pyr, 2008)
Iron Jaw and Hummingbird (Viking, 2008)
“Death on the Crosstime Express” in Sideways in Crime by Lou Anders (ed.) (Solaris, 2008)
Star Trek: Myriad Universes: Brave New World (Pocket Books, 2008)
Roberson has also written short stories for such magazines as Asimov’s Science Fiction, Postscripts, Black October, Fantastic Metropolis, RevolutionSF, Twilight Tales, Opi8, Alien Skin, Electric Velocipede, Subterranean and Lone Star Stories.
He is preparing a series aimed at the Young Adult audience, entitled Celestial Empire, with the first collection subtitled Fire Star.
He is editor of the Adventure anthology series, first published by MonkeyBrain in November, 2005.
Roberson is also writing books for Black Library publishing; Dawn of War II, published March 2009, and Sons of Dorn, coming out in 2010.
This week on Noob Radio Richard and Christian discuss why Fox News hates video games, what big name actor is not returning to The Dark Night Rises, and all their favorite movie trailers that premiered during last sunday’s Super Bowl. All this and much much more on this episode of Noob Radio…
We changed the name of our show but everything else is still the same. No reason why, just thought this one sounded cooler…
Here’s this weeks rundown of the show…
Last Sunday was Superbowl regardless of game its about the commercials, 3 million dollars for 30 seconds…
Superbowl commercial favorites…
QUICK HITS…
Movie News…
Liam Neeson Will NOT Return As Ra’s Al Ghul In The Dark Knight Rises, what about Talia Al Ghoul, his estranged daughter and
batman love interest?
Michael Moore suing the Weinsteins
The movie grossed $222 million worldwide and became the top-earning documentary ever; Moore says the profits were supposed to
be split fifty-fifty, but the Weinstein’s used “bogus accounting methods” to funnel money to their own expenses, including
trips to Europe via private jet…
will this eventually lead to the studios being investigated for this type of accounting?
James Franco in Early Talks for ‘Oz’ After Johnny Depp Passes
The Oscar-nominated host of the Academy Awards is in early talks to star in Oz, the Great and Powerful, Disney’s prequel-ish
take onThe Wizard of Oz tale being directed by Sam Raimi.
is he too young for the role of the great oz? does anyone really care about the wizard of oz world anymore?
Video Games…
Fox News has warned parents off of the upcoming M-rated game Bulletstorm (calling it “the worst video game in the world”),
alleging that it and other games in the same vein are directly responsible for an increase in the incidence of rape.
first off bullet storm doesn’t even come out untile feb 22, how can it be responsible for rape when only a few people have
even played the game? do games make you violent? i’ve played violent games since 1985, the first video game i ever played, duck hunt, i spent hours trying to figure out how to shoot the dog who laughed at me when i missed, but i never omitted a violent act against another person that was even remotely inspired by a video game.
LG Wants PS3 Sales Banned in the U.S.
says sony violate several patents including the bluray player in the ps3, this comes after several back and forth lawsuits as
they each sued each other over various components they say violate each others patents…
what happens if LG wins and ps3s are banned, does the sky fall in? do they stop selling ps3 games?
Television News…
Super Bowl XLV averaged 111 million viewers and netted 162.9 total viewers, breaking the previous record for the most-watched
TV program in history. The game also had a 71 share — meaning that more than two-thirds of the televisions being watched in the country at that time were watching the Super Bowl on the Fox network. That’s the highest audience share for a Super Bowl since 1982, a time when there were far fewer television networks as competition. what makes the superbowl the biggest draw in tv? everybody else in television is down in rating yet the superbowl continues to rise… cosby at it’s height was 25 million viewers, now american idol is tops but barely gets 15 million viewers..
is it the influence of the internet, or is the amount of channels available?
THE COMIC BREAK
Dc UNIVERSE LEGENDS #1
Written by Marv Wolfman, Tony Bedard
Art by Howard Porter and Livesay, and Adriana Melo and Norman Lee
The Invincible Iron Man #500
Written by Matt Fraction
Art by Salvador Larroca
Some time ago, Marvel Comics announced the Point One initiative: a gateway device to catch up new readers on some of their biggest titles by providing a nifty done-in-one tale that sets up the major players and dramatic beats of the series. Point One blasts off in February with Invincible Iron Man #500.1 by the acclaimed creative team of Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca. This is the chance you’ve been waiting for, new readers, to dive into the awesomeness that is the last few years of Invincible Iron Man.
Invincible #77
Written by Robert Kirkman (my favorite Writer)
art by Ryan Ottley
The Main Event
super bowl movie trailers
several big movies dropped trailers on Superbowl Sunday
Here are our favorites…
Written by BRIAN WOOD Art by RYAN KELLY Cover by BRIAN WOOD & RYAN KELLY
Summery:
There’s nothing more exciting than college life in the big city. But complications can follow you from dark places – and not just from your boring hometown. In THE NEW YORK FIVE, Riley’s sister Angie is making a name in the Lower East Side with her new band, and now Riley is the black sheep of the family. Lona’s murky past appears to have been hiding an alarming proficiency for stalkerism, and Merissa and Ren will confront uncomfortable situations involving older men. But who is the “five” in THE NEW YORK FIVE? Find out as Vertigo reunites this cast with its stellar creative team of Brian Wood (DEMO, DMZ, NORTHLANDERS) and Ryan Kelly (LUCIFER, Local) in this standard-sized 4-issue miniseries.
The New York Five is an interesting case of a comic missing it’s mark by just enough the it doesn’t really find a home in the market that may have been interested in it. If it was meant for the female comic fan then I’m not sure they understand what female comic fans are looking for. The New York Five (written by Brian Wood) seems to be full of stereotypes of women that men wish were surrounding them at all times but just don’t really exist in real life. The lusty latina, Merissa Vasquez, struggling to keep her family together while juggling her multiple lovers. The Canadian fish out of water Lona Lo who just can’t seem to find her place in the world, and even the estranged sisters Riley and Angie Wilder who seem to always find themselves being manipulated by the same man. All stereotypes you’d see on any soap opera just not any where in real life.
It is a comic and I understand what they were trying to do and it’s what all comic writers are trying to do, tell an interesting story with interesting characters and keep people coming back every month again and again but to do that I believe you have to have a little truth in your characters not just stereotypes of people you’ve seen on reality shows or television and I found that little bit of truth lacking.
Don’t get me wrong, this is not a bad comic. It’s beautifully drawn and worth a pick up if just for the art. I particularly enjoyed the stark black and white images with the hints of pan-tone in the shadows, the beautifully emotive eye’s, and city-scapes that pop right off the page. Ryan Kelly did a great job of illustrating Brian Woods story and based on the artwork alone I’d certainly be interested in checking out episode number 2.
So if your looking for a beautifully drawn comic about hot chicks with problems living in the hippest city in the U.S. then by all means check it out. Just be prepared for a little soap opera mixed in with your usual comic book fare.
Here’s some of the great art from The New York Five…
WATCH AND UNCOVER HIDDEN CODE IN
SUPER BOWL SPOT FOR RIO –
20TH CENTURY FOX’S ANIMATED MOTION PICTURE EVENT
CODE UNLOCKS DETAILS TO A SPECIAL LEVEL IN ANGRY BIRDS –
AND INFO ON ENTERING SWEEPSTAKES TO WIN A TRIP
TO RIO’s WORLD PREMIERE IN RIO DE JANEIRO
LOS ANGELES, February 1, 2011 – This Sunday, Twentieth Century Fox’s upcoming animated motion picture event RIO will make Super Bowl commercial history, when the 30-second RIO spot becomes the first-ever to air with an embedded code.
Super Bowl fans in the United States watching RIO’s new commercial spot are invited to find the frame with the embedded code that will in turn direct them to a special level on ANGRY BIRDS, Rovio’s blockbuster game, which recently entered into a first-of-its kind partnership with RIO. That level will take you to a RIO sweepstakes.
The sweepstakes winner will attend RIO’s world premiere in Rio de Janeiro on March 22. That same day, Fox and Rovio launch the highly anticipated “Angry Birds Rio” app.
The spot will be available across the web, including youtube.com/officialriomovie, after the Super Bowl.
About RIO
From the makers of the hit ICE AGE series, RIO is a comedy-adventure, in 3D, about taking a walk on the wild side. Blu is a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly, living a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda in the small town of Moose Lake, Minnesota. Blu and Linda think he’s the last of his kind, but when they learn about another Macaw who lives in Rio de Janeiro, they head to the faraway and exotic land to find Jewel, Blu’s female counterpart. Not long after they arrive, Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by a group of bungling animal smugglers. With the help of street smart Jewel, and a group of wise-cracking and smooth-talking city birds, Blu escapes. Now, with his new friends by his side, Blu will have to find the courage to learn to fly, thwart the kidnappers who are hot on their trail, and return to Linda, the best friend a bird ever had.
RIO arrives in theaters everywhere April 15.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Starts 2/6/11 at 4:00 pm PT, and Ends 3/1/2011 at 11:59 pm PT. Open only to legal U.S. citizens, 18 and older and is subject to Official Rules. For Official Rules visit HYPERLINK “http://www.rio-themovie.com/officialrules”http://www.rio-themovie.com/officialrules. For alternate means of entry without a purchase, visit HYPERLINK “http://www.rio-themovie.com/win”http://www.rio-themovie.com/win. Odds of winning depend on number of entries. Void in Puerto Rico, and where prohibited. Winner and guest are each required to have a valid U.S. passport and to obtain a visa to Brazil.
Paul Giamatti stars as a lawyer/part time high school wrestling coach who discovers a wrestling phenom, this looks very interesting. I like Giamatti and he looks to be in fine form in this one surround by a strong supporting cast…
Synopsis
Disheartened attorney Mike Flaherty (Giamatti), who moonlights as a high school wrestling coach, stumbles across a star athlete through some questionable business dealings while trying to support his family. Just as it looks like he will get a double payday, the boy’s mother shows up fresh from rehab and flat broke, threatening to derail everything.
Here’s another badass trailer for Drive Angry. This one will be featured during the Superbowl so check it out so when you see it on Sunday you can say you saw it here first…
Synopsis
“Drive Angry” stars Nicolas Cage as Milton, a hardened felon who has broken out for one last chance at redemption. Hell bent on stopping a vicious cult of fanatics who murdered his daughter, he has three days to stop them before they sacrifice his infant granddaughter beneath a full moon. Milton must use his anger to go beyond all human limits in order to save his last connection with humanity.
He’s joined by Piper, a young sexy-smart waitress who liberates her ex-boyfriend’s cherry red muscle car in order to help Milton. Now, the two of them are hot on the trail of the charismatic Jonah King and his murderous followers. King will throw every one of them faithful under the wheels of Milton’s turbo-charged Black ’71 Challenger, to fulfill his destiny and unleash hell on earth.
But the bloodthirsty cult is the least of Milton’s problems. The police are after him, too. And worse. An enigmatic killer known only as “The Accountant.” The Accountant knows what Milton is trying to and simply doesn’t care. With wicked cunning and hypnotic savagery, the Accountant will relentlessly pursue Milton at high speed across the forgotten back roads of the American south.
Fueled by high octane and pure rage, Milton and Piper must battle the onslaught of King’s disciples, avenge his murdered daughter, and save his granddaughter before his last chance at redemption is revoked.
This week on the noobnews podcast, Richard and Christian discuss Joseph Gordon Levitt joining the cast of The Dark Knight Rises, the new segment “The Comic Break” brought to you by comicbreak.com, as well as all the Superman casting news you can fit in a pair of red tights. All this and much much more on this episode of The Noob News…
Here’s this weeks rundown… Quick Hits…
movie news…
Joseph Gordon levitt signed on to Dark Night rises, who would you like to see him play? no riddler or joker in this movie, i could see him as a young dick grayson perhaps?.
television news…
Will ferrell will be doing a 4 episode stint as a saber manager helping to fill in for michael scott when he exits the show
later this season, Steve Carell is leaving and apparently will farell will provide levity as the focus of the show shifts
from Carell’s exit to the new Sabre Manager. who should be the new manager? a cast member or an outside hire? can this show survive without steve carell?
I say hire todd packer as the new manager and give him a full time role… todd packer is a occasional character played by David Koechner also know as Champ Kind of Anchorman, if you don’t know who that is you can suck it…Whamooo
game news…
PS3 is coming out with a silver version looks very cool…
On March 10th Sony will release the PS3 Slim in a shiny silver color but in limited quantities. The shiny console will come in two versions; 160 GB for about $365 and the spacious 320 GB for $427
is it worth the money? if you had the cash would you buy it just for the looks?
Comic Break Time!
Sponsored by: ComicBreak.com
See Christian’s Review of Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command Here
Comic Break is brought to you by:
The Main Event
Lets talk superman, in a bit of a surprise choice, Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced earlier this week that Henry Cavill has been picked for the much sought after role of Superman. What we know about him… He’s on Tudors, showtime network show, He’s played parts in HELLRAISER: HELLWORLD, TRISTON + ISOLDE, STARDUST and he’ll beplaying Theseus in the upcoming IMMORTALS. He was up for consideration for several big roles including superman for bryan synger, James Bond, as well as batman whereNolan who is producing saw him and kept him in mind for future roles. He’s british, does that hurts him playing superman? it hasnt hurt batman, also spiderman is also british now so i’ll let thatslide…
So apparently the White Stripes have decided to call it quits. They left this note on their website…
The White Stripes would like to announce that today, February 2nd, 2011,
their band has officially ended and will make no further new recordings or perform live.
The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any
health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health.
It is for a myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve What is beautiful and special about
the band and have it stay that way.
Meg and Jack want to thank every one of their fans and admirers for the incredible
support they have given throughout the 13 plus years of the White Stripes’ intense and
incredible career.
Third Man Records will continue to put out unreleased live and studio recordings from
The White Stripes in their Vault Subscription record club, as well as through regular
channels.
Both Meg and Jack hope this decision isn’t met with sorrow by their fans but that it is
seen as a positive move done out of respect for the art and music that the band has
created. It is also done with the utmost respect to those fans who’ve shared in those
creations, with their feelings considered greatly.
With that in mind the band have this to say:
“The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore. The White Stripes belong
to you now and you can do with it whatever you want. The beauty of art and music is
that it can last forever if people want it to. Thank you for sharing this experience. Your
involvement will never be lost on us and we are truly grateful.”
Sincerely,
Meg and Jack White
The White Stripes
It’s the kind of nice breakup letter you always left your ex in the hope that you could “still be friends” but in all honesty you really just wanted to bang other people and didn’t want to have to explain that to your now ex. I have no problem with The White Stripes breaking up, actually I was pretty sure they hadn’t been together for quite some time. Jack had been touring with The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs and producing records with so many people that I’m sure he really didn’t have time to play house with Meg anymore anyway.
I’m not a huge White Stripes fan but I can certainly appreciate what they have brought to the world of music in the past 13 years. I had never heard of Jack White before he smashed in the face of the Von Bondies frontman Jason Stollsteimer in 2003 but the ensuing media circus and exposure following that event left me with a firm grip on who Jack and Meg White of The White Stripes really were. They were one of the greatest American rock bands to come along in a long, long time.
Other than their color coordinated red and black instruments and clothes, there was very little pretense involved with The White Stripes. Their music was stripped to its core, consisting of emotion, energy, passion, and little else. Hell, they didn’t even feel the need to have a bassist in the band. The dynamic combo of Jack White and Meg White on stage was pure chemistry in it’s sloppiest,passionate, and most intimate form.
When it was all said and done The White Stripes discography consists of six studio albums, one live album, two extended plays (EP), one concert film, one tour documentary, twenty-six singles, and fourteen music videos. Their last three albums each won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.
Awards and success may have come to The White Stripes but it never seemed to go to their heads. Instead of doing what most good band do and get soft in their old age and rest on their laurels, they did what only the great bands have done and that’s go out on top. We may never again hear The White Stripes play live again but the legacy of music they have left over the years has created a spot that won’t easily be filled anytime soon.
Oh, and we also have the numerous Jack White projects that once filled his time between The White Stripes tours but will now take center stage in many a White Stripes fan’s heart.
If you’ve ever wondered what job you would hold were you living in the Star Wars Universe (and haven’t we all at one time or another) then check out this handy chart I found over at onlineschools.org. Very cool. Incidentally, and much like the real world, there are no podcasting jobs in the StarWars universe. Maybe I’ll try the Potter Universe…
The CW just released this new picture of Smallville’s Tom Welling wearing his new “Superman” jacket. Slowly but surely they seem to piecing his outfit together. I expect in an upcoming episode he will receive a pair of red underwear after Ma Kent leaves them in the wash with her red sock collection…
Smallville returns with on 2/4 with the episode “Collateral” on The CW.
It looks like Stephen Kings (IMO) best work is finally gonna get the Hollywood treatment it’s fans have always clamored for. Hollywood Reporter is reporting that the book will make its way to the big screen via a Warner Bros. and CBS Films co-production. What’s yet to be seen is the size and scope of the story to be told. Stephen King’s “The Stand” is a monster of a book that could probably be turned into a 24 episode tv series. There are a ton of characters that come and go as well as major story arcs that just couldn’t be told in even a trilogy of movies.
From Hollywood Reporter
“The Stand is a story of good vs. evil after a virus wipes out most of the American population. While it features dozens of characters (such as the Trashcan Man and Mother Abigail) and overlapping story lines running over many years, the struggle boils down to a group of survivors fighting the Antichrist-like Randall Flagg.
The novel was originally published in 1978, but by the time it was re-released in 1990 with King adding and revising portions of the story, it has achieved cult-like status.
George Romero and Warners separately tried in vain to launch a movie adaptation in the 1980s, and a tone-downed version was produced as a six-hour miniseries by ABC in 1994. In recent years, Marvel Comics has been adapting the story to great acclaim.”
I enjoyed the miniseries when it was on but watching it now really dates it and shows the limitations that were put on it by censors and time restraints. I would be surprised to see anything different out of a modern take on it. Times have changed but not that much. This book is just too big to fit on the big screen. Bring it to AMC and let them do a series like they have done with The Walking Dead and then I’ll have a little more faith in this.
If you’ve listened to the podcast over the months you’d surely know my deep affection for the Banksy directed film “exit through the giftshop”. The documentary keeps you guessing who’s who and what are the intentions of the mysterious street artist and his new protege. Now that he’s been nominated for best documentary MBW has stepped up his game and dropped a whole new layout to promote his nomination. (photos from laist.com)
MBW Signature
Is this MBW prepping for the the Academy Awards? If Gift Shop wins, who will go onstage to accept? And…is MBW really Banksy?
This is the statement Bansky made after he found out he was nominated,
This is a big surprise. I don’t agree with the concept of award ceremonies, but I’m prepared to make an exception for the ones I’m nominated for. The last time there was a naked man covered in gold paint in my house, it was me.
It’s my favorite doc of the years and I highly recommend you see it but truthfully, if Banksy is MBW then is it still considered a documentary?
In a bit of a surprise choice, Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced yesterday that Henry Cavill has been picked for the much sought after role of Superman.
The film will be directed by Zack Snyder, who stated, “In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time, and I am honored to be a part of his return to the big screen. I also join Warner Bros., Legendary and the producers in saying how excited we are about the casting of Henry. He is the perfect choice to don the cape and S shield.”
Targeted for release in December 2012, the new Superman movie will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
I’ve never personally seen any of his previous work but I have been told by a few people that his work on the Showtime Networks “Tudors” was excellent and that in the past he had come close to landing several other huge roles including James Bond, as well as Batman but ultimately fell short. I personally liked Brandon Routh and would have enjoyed seeing him come back but when has Hollywood ever done the smart thing? Good luck Mr. Cavill, you have a big cape to fill…
A few years ago I stumbled across the small spanish horror movie [REC]. It was a verite style horror movie, filmed from various helmet cameras and television cameras to capture the action taking place in a small apartment complex as a zombie/demon/rabies outbreak happened. It was awesome, I loved it, I couldn’t wait to see the sequel [REC] 2 when it was announced and I was not dissappointed when I did see it. Now I’m equally excited to see that they are moving forward with two more films that will fill in the gaps between the first two films as well as spread the story to the world outside the apartment building. Let the awesomeness ensue…
Blooding-Disgusting has reported that Leticia Dolera has been cast alongside Diego Martin for [REC] Genesis. Paco Plaza and Jaume Balaguero will split directing duties for the final two films in the franchise, [REC] Genesis and [REC] Apocalypse.
Plaza will direct [REC] Genesis, which will return to the origin of the original infection that caused humans to turn into zombies and is scheduled to hit in the fall. [REC] Apocalypse will be directed by Balaguero and will end the [REC] series with the pandemic spreading to unknown proportions and is scheduled to hit in the fall of 2012.
Plot:
The action in [REC] GENESIS encompasses the events of the first two films and after the sense of claustrophobia previously experienced. The action now takes place miles away from the original location and partly in broad daylight, giving the film an entirely fresh yet disturbing new reality. The infection has left the building. In a clever twist that draws together the plots of the first two movies, this third part of the saga also works as a decoder to uncover information hidden in the first two films and leaves the door open for the final installment – the future [REC] Apocalypse.
It looks like Dame Judi Dench will reprise her role as M in the upcoming James Bond Sequel. Dench announced the news at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards last night not saying much in the way of details but relaying that she was looking forward to starring opposite Daniel Craig and to working with Director Sam Mendes again…
Dame Dench has appeared in every film since GoldenEye. The only other actors to play M were Bernard Lee in nine films (Dr. No through Moonraker) and Robert Brown who appeared in four of the films (Octopussy through License to Kill).
Bond 23 begins production soon and has a release date of November 9, 2012.
It’s amazing the amount of detail work that goes into creating a good 3d compositions and the best part is when you don’t even notice it’s there until it’s pointed out. That is certainly the case with Black Swan. As an FX creator myself I’m always on the look out for poor work to ridicule and laugh at so I can look smart but this was not the case for this movie. Most of the effects I did not notice until watching this very cool video. Check out the effects and then wonder quietly to yourself why this movie wasn’t nominated for a best visual effects oscar…
This week on thenoobnews podcast Richard and Christian are joined in studio by Matt Jones to discuss why Christopher Nolan wasn’t nominated for best director, why video game versions of movies suck, as well as all the fallout from Kevin Smith’s big announcement from Sundance. All this and much, much more on this episode of thenoobnews…
Here’s this weeks outline…
quick hits
movie news…
christopher nolan not nominated for best director, how is that possible?
does toy story3 belong in the lsit of best picture?
Best Picture nominees
“Black Swan,” Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
“The Fighter” David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
“Inception,” Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
“The Kids Are All Right,” Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
“The King’s Speech,” Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers
“127 Hours,” Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
“The Social Network,” Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceàn Chaffin, Producers
“Toy Story 3? Darla K. Anderson, Producer
“True Grit” Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
“Winter’s Bone” Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers
best director nominees
Black Swan,” Darren Aronofsky
“The Fighter,” David O. Russell
“The King’s Speech,” Tom Hooper
“The Social Network,” David Fincher
“True Grit,” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
television news…
wonder woman is going to pilot
GE’s NBC didn’t like David E. Kelley’s “Wonder Woman” project earlier this month, but Comcast’s NBC just ordered it to pilot.
Based on the iconic DC Comics superheroine, Kelley’s potential series has Diana Prince as a costumed crime fighter by night and a successful Los Angeles corporate executive by day. Elements carried over from the comics include Diana’s lasso of truth, her bullet-deflecting bracelets and her plane.
game news…
Disney Interactive lays off 200 as video game unit shifts focus
Co-Presidents John Pleasants and James Pitaro announce a sweeping reorganization of the group’s money-losing digital media division, including the closure of a development studio.
After sales of the Tron: Evolution video game failed to crack the 1-million mark, Disney this month closed the studio responsible for it. (Disney Interactive Studios / January 26, 2011)
Jonathan Liebesman’s Battle: Los Angeles will be dropping soon and the posters just keep getting better. I was thinking this movie was gonna be on a smaller scale but things are looking bigger and bigger with each bit of info we get.
The action epic starsAaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Pena, and Bridget Moynahan and hits theaters on March 11th, 2011.
Synopsis:
For years there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world – Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany, China. But in 2011 what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world’s great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It’s up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they’ve ever encountered before.
I was raised on the Hollywood western. While my friends were off playing Star Wars and Indiana Jones I was playing Rio Bravo and The Rifleman. My hero was always the man in the white hat that never failed to save the day and always got the girl. I also loved classic comedy westerns such as The Shakiest Gun in the West, The Apple Dumpling Gang, and The Great Race. Their comedic twist on the movies I had grown to love so much as a child kept me smiling on the worst of days. Perhaps that’s why I find Gore Verbinsky’s “Rango” to be such an excellent movie. It’s a perfect blend of all of the things I loved about the Hollywood westerns of old as well as a great bit of family safe comedy to balance out the seriousness of the dire situation our hero finds himself in.
