Busy Busy Monday!

December 3rd was a interesting day full of news and releases teasing upcoming movies of 2013. First on the ballot was the poster release of the new Star Trek film, Star Trek: Into Darkness. From what I gather from the poster, an attack is going to take place on earth by a villain not yet announced. Some speculate it to be the most infamous villain in the Star Trek universe, Khan, but sources are saying that the villain is described as a "one-man weapon of mass destruction." Everything is remaining a mystery, but if you see The Hobbit in IMAX opening next Friday, December 14, then you will get a glimpse of the first 10-minutes of Star Trek: Into Darkness. Take a look at the poster below and share your thoughts.

Second on the ballot is the announcement of who will be playing Harry Osborn in the sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. Dane DeHaan (Chronicle, True Blood, Lincoln) has signed on to reprise James Franco's role as Harry Osborn. The debate is all over the internet between who will be the better Harry. Other rumors speculate that director, Marc Webb, is looking for a female lead to play Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker's second love interest in the Spider-Man universe. Although Sony owns the rights to the Spider-Man franchise, Marvel is rumored to be attempting to get Spider-Man in the Avengers sequel in 2015. Personally, I find DeHaan to be a great actor and would be a great addition to the Spider-Man franchise, but we'll find out when The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is released in Summer 2014.

 Finally, one of the biggest announcements yesterday was the release of a new Man of Steel poster. The poster shows Superman (Henry Cavill) being escorted by armed soldiers while his hands are handcuffed. Many fans were taken back by the image of the world's strongest and most profound superhero in handcuffs. Well when you examine the poster, it seems that Superman is going peacefully and willingly. When you think about it, Man of Steel is supposed to be taking a darker and more realistic approach to the franchise, with credit to Christopher Nolan for that. Superman is a superhuman from another planet who can fly. Obviously, you can understand why the military and world governments would want to arrest and question a being like that who could threaten National Security. People can speculate all they want, but we will find out what's going on in June 2013, but don't forget, see the Hobbit next week and also get a glimpse of the first full-length trailer for Man of Steel.

Sons of Anarchy Season 5 Wrap-Up

The season 5 finale of Sons of Anarchy is on Tuesday, December 4. More than likely it'll be a hour and a half to two hour episode. SOA is one of the most popular shows on television, but definitely a show you need to pay attention to or else you'd probably miss it. SOA is getting more and more popular and exposure as the show grows and matures, with their lead actor, Charlie Hunnam, making the cover of Entertainment Weekly for the month of November. Co-stars include Ron Perlman (Hellboy) and Ryan Hurst (Remember the Titans). 

The story is heating up. Keep in mind that SOA is the kind of show you need to be following from day one or your going to be lost. SOA is about to wrap-up season 5 so you have a lot of catching up to do, but Netflix has your fix for that. 

Season 5 has definitely been the most emotional season yet. I am not one to tear up during a movie, let alone a tv show, but when SOA creator, Kurt Sutter, decided to kill of a main character this season (one of my favorite character) and kill him off in an emotional and brutal way, I nearly had a breakdown. I've watched SOA for 5 years, since the pilot, and I feel like I've grown with the characters and joined them on their journey, and when the MC (Motorcycle Club) loses one of its brother, I felt like I lost a brother. Credit is due to the excellent writing from the men and women of FX. 

Get on Netflix and start watching. SOA is one of the greatest TV shows in history and has a huge, loyal following. Check SOA out on FX every Tuesday night at 9pm central.

More Superheroes Anyone?

Is anyone watching Arrow on the CW right now? It's on every Wednesday night at 7pm central on the CW and so far, I am loving this first season! I checked out the pilot when it made it's debut in October and I was immediately hooked. It tells the story of Oliver Queen, the heir to the billionaire corporation that is supposedly corrupting and destroying the home city Oliver loves so much. After Queen is stranded on an island for 5 years after his yacht was caught in a storm and sank (the sinking of the ship may or may not have been an accident). Oliver made it to a life boat with his father, who ended up taking his own life in order for Oliver to live on. His dying wish was for Oliver to correct the mistakes his father made in his past, basically removing the corruption from the city.
Oliver is a changed man after being rescued from the island. Five years later, he's a trained killer. He returns to his home but brings a persona with him. In order to remove the corruption from the city without raising any alarms from different people, he must become the Arrow (a play on of the DC comic hero, the Green Arrow.)
Queen also returns home to his family, his best friend, and his ex-girlfriend who he must make amends with and re-bond with after his time on the island.

This is a very brief synopsis of what to expect if you watch Arrow. If you love superheroes, this is probably the best superhero TV show to date, exceeding Smallville in my opinion.
Check it out, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

3.5/5 stars

Middle Finger to Top 40

Fearless Records is either paying homage to today's Top 40 hits or sending a middle finger salute to today's music. On November 13, Fearless Records released the 5th installment of Punk Goes Pop, featuring a number of metal, metalcore, punk, alternative bands covering a number of today's hits from artists such as Justin Bieber, Gotye, Fun, Carly Rae Jepsen and Coldplay. Take out the auto-tune and put in actual musical talent from a variety of bands that add a headbanging twist to music pre-teens sing to on the way to McDonald's.

I have always been a sucker for covers, especially earlier when I posted an entry about the metalcore band, Crown the Empire, who released their cover of Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger." They even return in this compilation album with a cover of Maroon 5's "Payphone." These covers are definitely not for the weak of heart.

It's a lot of fun and heavy tunes that is certainly made for rock fans. It's definitely a good laugh when rock covers sound better than the original track.

Punk Goes Pop 5 = 4/5 stars.

GEEK ALERT

Things are taking an interesting turn for all superhero fans out there. Back in July, Christopher Nolan concluded his epic Batman Trilogy with The Dark Knight Rises. We all know how that film ended. It looks like that ending is becoming a new beginning. Over the course of the next 5-6 years, DC Comics and Warner Brothers are looking to up their competition with Marvel. As successful as The Avengers film was and plenty of sequels on the way, DC is piecing their resources together to make the Justice League movie and a number of DC hero movies a reality.

A report/rumor was released today that Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Looper, Inception) would reprise his role as John Blake and the NEW Batman. Sources are saying that Levitt has agreed to play Batman in the Justice League movie. A Batman franchise reboot is planned for 2016, but no information has been released on the matter. With Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor all getting sequels in the next two years with the Avengers sequel in 2015, Justice League is set to release the same year of 2015 with individual hero movies following the years after, but Superman will release Summer of 2013. 

But if your dying to get a glimpse of Man of Steel, then be sure to go see The Hobbit when it is released on December 14. Before the opening credits, you will see the full-length of Man of Steel. Also, see The Hobbit in IMAX and included you will see the opening 10-minutes of Star Trek Into Darkness, the sequel of JJ Abram's 2009 Star Trek film. 

Also, as I type, it has just been announced that Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart will reprise their roles as Magneto and Professor-X in the new X-Men movie, alongside Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy. 

A superhero stew seems to be brewing in Hollywood, especially now that DC is in the business of making GOOD superhero films. Christopher Nolan wrote the equation for DC to make good movies, and with his involvement with Man of Steel, he's just gonna prove his point even more. Although, I do believe DC has a lot of catching up to do. Marvel has been on a role since 2008, they are way ahead of the curve. DC needs to take their time and not rush these movies. 

I'm just as excited as anyone else for a Justice League movie, but when you mess with Batman and Superman, your messing with the two biggest heroes in the industry with the two biggest fan followings. Get a good script, get a good director, and be smart with casting. 

Keeping everyone up-to-date on movies, music and much more. Let me know what your thoughts are.

Movie Review: Rock of Ages, That's My Boy

I'm back friends!! I apologize I've been gone for so long, but I got a new job and been busy with school. But now that I'm back on here, I will do my best to keep more up to date with my posts. I got a new job working at a local radio station here in Omaha, and I'm having the time of my life! One thing I love about my job is the fact that I've been able to screen a couple movies that aren't even out yet. The last two days, I've screened Rock of Ages and That's My Boy. So if you want to know if you should go out and spend money at the box office this weekend, read on. (Spoiler Free)

Hairspray, Mamma Mia, Rent, what do these Broadway plays turned Hollywood films all have in common? They're all awful! But if there is one musical that stands above the rest of them and makes you want to jump up, dance, and head bang to some of the greatest '80s tunes ever assembled, it's Rock of Ages. Of all musical films, Rock of Ages has one of the best cast ensembles with some of the best music ever put together. Starring Tom Cruise, Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Catherine Zeta Jones, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, and Mary J. Blige, it's a movie about sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. Music from bands including Journey, Foreigner, Def Leppard, Pat Benatar, REO Speedwagon, and many more. Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta play two young artists who move to L.A. to become famous rock stars. They both find jobs at one of L.A.'s biggest bars where they meet and fall in love. Along their adventure they cross paths with Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) who resembles a very Axl Rose (Guns N' Roses) like character, Paul Gill (Paul Giamatti), who is Jaxx's manager, and Patricia Whitmore (Catherine Zeta Jones) who is a God-fearing politician who vows to shut down the infamous bar and Stacee Jaxx. This movie tells the story of falling in love, losing the one you love, and finding each other again in the future, no matter what separate paths the two main characters take. Not only is it their love for each other that prevails, but their love for Rock n Roll that brings everything full circle. First off, this movie is hysterical. The chemistry between all the actors is spot-on and it shows greatly between the dialogue. Though I often find myself hesitant to sit through a movie in which great music can be easily butchered by singers you would normally find on American Idol, I was surprised by how great these songs are authentic to the original with a hint of personal style by each of the actors. On that note, all actors sang and recorded their music, and all of them sound great. Even Alec Baldwin, who gets slight help from computers and possibly auto-tone, does a great job. This movie is hilarious, fun, and perfect for a date night with the significant other. Spend money on this movie this weekend when it is officially released on Friday, June 15.

Rock of Ages = 3 out of 4 stars.

I'm sure many of you can agree when I say that I have just about had enough of Adam Sandler. After Anger Management in 2003, his movies started a downward spiral. They slowly went from decent and chuckle funny to down right miserable and found myself watching the same style of movie over and over. After the Longest Yard in 2005, Adam Sandler didn't have a decent movie until 2012, with That's My Boy. Sandler spent the last few years working on more family friendly films and strayed away from the films that made Sandler as popular as he is, such as Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, and Big Daddy. Adam Sandler stars in his first R-rated comedy since the not-so-funny comedy, Funny People, in 2009. Unlike Funny People, in this movie, the gloves come off, the jokes boldly go where not too many comedians and film makers have gone before. From the opening credits, this movie is in your face with raunchy, nasty jokes until the ending credits, and it never lets up. Being in a theatre filled with both men and women, I heard women laughing even more than men. I was either surrounded by perverts in the theatre or this movie somehow appeals to everyone in the older demographic. Adam Sandler plays an infamous child star, who received his fame in the 7th grade when he seduces and starts a sexual relationship with his stunningly hot math teacher. Once their relationship is discovered, the teacher is sentenced to 30 years in jail, and Sandler's character gets book deals, movie deals, fame and fortune. Years later, Sandler is a washed up, broke low life who faces prison time if he doesn't pay 50 thousand dollars in back taxes. In order to get the money in time, he must convince his grown up, successful son (Andy Samberg) to go to the prison with him and reunite with his incarcerated mother, who is the math teacher that Sandler impregnated. Though the storyline is weak, and many situations in the movie are completely over the top, this movie is enjoyable and will keep you laughing hysterically from beginning to end. There is a lot of drug references, sexual content, nudity, and LOTS of alcohol consumption. To sum it up, it's awesome! If your an Adam Sandler skeptic and contemplating spending money on this movie, I would say go for it. It's not the greatest movie ever made by far, but if you need a good laugh, That's My Boy will not disappoint. That's My Boy will also be out on June 15.

That's My Boy = 2.5 out of 4 stars.

Movie Review: The Avengers

In 2008, Iron Man premiered all over the world, and if you stayed after the credits, you learned that Nick Fury (played by Samuel Jackson) wanted to talk to Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) about the Avengers Initiative. Four years and five movies later, the Avengers have arrived and are here to save the world. Being the superhero movie fan that I am, I couldn't wait for the Avengers to finally release. As soon as I could, I bought my tickets to the midnight showing at a movie theatre here in Omaha. And 24 hours after viewing the movie, I am still blown away by the awesomeness of this movie. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk & more come together to save the world from Loki and his army of aliens who seek to conquer the planet Earth. I am not gonna get into specifics about the movie, and I'm not gonna breakdown the movie piece by piece and tell you why I like it, but the movie brings tons of action and humor to make The Avengers one of the most enjoyable movies I've ever seen. It's about two and a half hours and it goes by FAST. If you've seen both Iron Man movies, you know the great humor Tony Stark brings to the table, and you mix that with great fight sequences from all the heroes, such as The Hulk beating up Loki and throwing him around like a rag doll and the supreme accuracy of Hawkeye, never missing his target. The Avengers has already broken some records and has the potential to break more in the coming weeks. Take a date, friends, or family to the Avengers and you will not be disappointed. It's a fairly vague review but hopefully you get the idea, GO SEE THE AVENGERS!!!

5 out of 5 stars