A Hobb-HIT! - The Best One Yet

The Hobbit hhas been officially greenlit and will finally go into production in February 2011, and it will be DIRECTED BY PETER JACKSON! WOOOOOOO! HOLY FARKINS HAS IT BEEN A WHILE! I am so happy about this info! The official press release is below!

The two films based on "The Hobbit" are now greenlit and will begin principal photography in February 2011, under the direction of Peter Jackson, it was jointly announced today by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema, Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros. and Steve Cooper, co-Chief Executive Officer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

"Exploring Tolkien's Middle-earth goes way beyond a normal film-making experience" Jackson says, "It's an all-immersive journey into a very special place of imagination, beauty and drama. We're looking forward to re-entering this wondrous world with Gandalf and Bilbo - and our friends at New Line Cinema, Warner Brothers and MGM".

"Peter is a filmmaker of incomparable ability; having him return to Middle-earth to produce and direct is a dream come true. A true original, Peter is a gifted story-teller, visionary director and pioneer in film technology," said Emmerich. "Reuniting with Peter, Fran and Philippa truly makes it feel like we are going 'there and back again.'"

"There is no human being on the planet as qualified as Peter Jackson to direct these films," said Horn. "Peter is incredibly talented and has the creative vision and experience to bring this beloved property to life in a way that no other filmmaker could. And the team of Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens has proven through their work on the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy that no one is more skilled at transforming Tolkien's written words into a vibrant, living language that makes the audience believe they are not merely visiting Middle-earth, but actually living in it. We couldn't be more thrilled and look forward to seeing 'The Hobbit' take shape under Peter's stewardship and the team he is putting together."

"MGM is excited to move forward and add to the successful 'Lord of the Rings' franchise," said Cooper. "Under Peter's direction, the films will undoubtedly appeal to fans of the original 'LOTR' trilogy and also bring the stories to a new generation of fans."

Jackson, who directed all three "Lord of the Rings" films, will helm the two films back-to-back, telling the story of "The Hobbit" in two parts. Jackson will utilize groundbreaking visual effects and his incomparable story-telling to bring J.R.R. Tolkien's novel to the big screen. Both Hobbit movies will be filmed in Digital 3-D, using the latest camera and stereo technology to create a high quality, comfortable viewing experience. Jackson also co-wrote the screenplays with Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro.

"The Hobbit" is being co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production, Warner Bros Pictures handling domestic distribution and MGM distributing internationally. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Carolynne Cunningham are producing the films, with Phillipa Boyens as co-producer and Ken Kamins as executive producer.

The Oscar-winning, critically acclaimed LOTR trilogy grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide at the box office. In 2003, "Return of the King" swept the Academy Awards, winning all of the 11 categories in which it was nominated, including Best Picture – the first ever Best Picture win for a fantasy film. The trilogy's production was also unprecedented at the time.

Thanks ComingSoon.net for the scoop!

I said good day, sir!

-E

A HIt of Bed Intruder Update

So, besides being one of the best videos of all time (ONE THAT TOSH IS GOING TO WEB REDEEM NEXT SEASON), "The Bed Intruder Song" is also a Billboard Hot 100 hit, coming in at no.89. Awesome!

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of Help: Halloween Costume This Year

Hey all, as I said before, I love Halloween and it's just another reason why this season is a great time of the year.

BUT I NEED YOUR HELP!

I am going to a Halloween party on the 30th and the theme is brand name product mascots! I think it's a pretty cool theme and it could be pretty funny. So, my friends, I ask for your help! Please tell me in the comments section what kinds of brand name product mascots I could dress up as! I'll pull my favorites and make a poll to see what I should be! So, SUGGEST AWAY!

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of Addictive TV: The Event

Happy October! It's one of my favorite months of the year. The temperature starts to cool down, people start making bonfires outside (and it smells awesome) and Halloween is just around the corner! So, this month, for me at least, is filled with lots of scary and thrilling entertainment, like scary movies and crazy TV shows. While I can't say enough about The Walking Dead, which premieres on AMC on Halloween night, there is another show on right now that has the right blend of intense action, compelling storytelling and characters, and AWESOME cliffhangers. That show is The Event.

For those of you missing 24 or Lost, this show seems to be a great blend of both. It's certainly not as cinematic an experience as watching Lost, but its mystery making abilities are right there with it (and with this show, it seems like answers WILL be given!). While it's definitely a blend of both shows, it definitely has a stronger 24 feel. The narrative jumps from location to location, just like 24, and each episode moves at the same speed as 24, with a sense of urgency of getting to the solution. The acting is pretty good, too. Jason Ritter plays the lead who is completely wrapped up in the mystery that surrounds the detainees and he plays the part pretty perfectly. Laura Innes from E.R. channels her old character Dr. Weaver just a little bit, as the character has become an interestingly cold character, who still remains compelling, as she fights to protect her people, the other "detainees".

Now is the time to catch up. The show is only three episodes deep and so you can quickly can right on track with it. The Event airs on Mondays on NBC at 9pm.

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of Sugar Overdose...It Makes People Crazy

Yo people! So in comes another Wednesday and with that comes another episode of the destructively awesome show, Top Chef: Just Desserts, which is shaping up to be quite the relief from what was the most boring season of its parent show, Top Chef. On this freakish red-headed step-child of a show, the cheftestants are all from the pastry world. That's right! They snort sugar and go crazy! It's actually turning into addictive TV, if only for the antics of two chefs in particular. We'll go with the less-crazy chef first: Zac. His hilarious one-liners mix with his flamboyant craziness to make for some funny tv. He alone would not be reason enough to watch the show, but this next contestant certainly is more than enough reason to watch. His name is Seth and he is the epitome of "watching a train wreck" if I've ever seen something so suitable for the metaphor. Episode one showed him coming out strong, winning the first challenge, but episode two showed us something completely different, a breakdown like you've never seen on TV. Take a look below:




If that's not reason to watch, well then I guess I wasted your time. But I have a feeling I didn't.

I said good day, sir!
-E

A HIt of Fandom: Fan-Made TV Intro

Earlier this month, I posted about the new AMC series, Walking Dead, which premieres on Halloween this year. It looks really awesome and I can't wait to see it. Daniel Kanemoto, a fan of the graphic novel series which the show is based of off, recently created this fan-made intro for the new show, and I don't know about you, but I think that they should use it for the real show. It's getting me amped up for the premiere!

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of TV Comedy...And Lack Thereof: Thoughts on the Big 3's Comedy Blocks and Battle for the Longest Post Title Award in the World

There is something that has been bothering me since Wednesday (no, I really don't have a life and really DO have a lot of free time so I CAN think about this problem, so spare me the insults in the comments, please...unless they're original).

Wednesday night saw the return of my favorite comedy on television, Modern Family. Last season, ABC built up a nice little block of comedies, with The Middle starting the night, Modern Family coming on an hour later at 9, and Cougar Town wrapping things up at 9:30 (this last one I have only seen bits and pieces of, and I can say that what I've seen has nothing to do with the gimmick the title false advertises and is pretty awesomely reminiscent of Scrubs', which the creator of this show also made.) Anyhow, this comedy block came back on Wednesday and Modern Family was at its usual A game, with the Middle and Cougar Town providing their dependable laughs (and much-publicized guest stars, Doris Roberts on the former and Jennifer Aniston on the latter).  BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING TERRIBLE WRONG (Answer after the video below).

MVP OF TV COMEDY AND BEST COMEDY EMMY AWARD WINNER, MODERN FAMILY

But this season, instead of just throwing a rerun of one of those three shows in the 8:30 slot like ABC had in the past, the network brought in a new comedy, called Better With You.

Excuse the obvious pun, but ABC's lineup is BETTER WITHOUT YOU. The show, while it has Debra Jo Rupp (Kitty from That 70's Show), is very uninspiring, stale, and ultimately a cheesefest with a side of bore. It does not fit with the comedy block at all!

My friend and I were sitting there, anxiously waiting the return of the Pritchett family at 9, but we had to sit through an entire half-hour of a family comedy that basically showcases the worst in what Modern Family does best. CASE IN POINT: The biggest laugh we got from that show (and the only one...besides the laughter we got from listening to the awful audience laugh tracks) was from a news alert that popped up at the bottom of the screen during the show. It read: WOMAN STRANGLES RABID FOX. I wish it had said Woman strangles rabid tv show because watching this "comedy" makes me want to foam out the mouth and have a seizure. ABC, please find something to put in its place!

Over on NBC, there is a similar problem, but this time it is with the 9:30 hour. It is called Outsourced and it is the most painfully generic half hour on television. It is about a man who is relocated to manage a call center in India that sells American novelty items like fake vomit, rubber chickens, etc. The show is about as cheesy and useless as the items it characters peddle off to customers. The show beats to death Indian stereotypes that come off as cruel and unoriginal (how many times must we be told that "Indian food = g.i. issues" is funny? It's not after a bajillion times hearing it.) Please Outsource this show to a place that deserves this kind of unfunniness...like...nope, I can't think of any place I would want to subject people to this show.

This just feels right, doesn't it?

Outsourced ends a great night of TV on NBC, which consists of Community (2nd most underrated show on TV), 30 Rock, and The Office. Hey, NBC, I have a great idea! Get rid of Outsourced because you never needed it. You have a show that airs on Thursday at 9:30. It's called Parks and Recreation (mot underrated show on TV). Let people see it!

So, I have come up with a solution for NBC (Ditch Outsourced and bring back Parks and Recreation.) But no solution for ABC? How unfair, you say!? I am not a miracle worker people!

But I am good at thinking on the spot. Luckily, there is a spot right under me right now, so I do have an idea.

CBS Monday Night Comedy: Big Bang is gone (off to Thursdays), so the only other funny show on that night on that network is How I Met Your Mother (which is incredible...watch it!!!!). Let's move that over to ABC and create a new block.

8pm: The Middle

8:30pm: How I Met Your Mother

9pm: Modern Family

9:30pm: Cougar Town

Absolutely terrible Photoshop job but it gets the point across.

Solved! Networks, if you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me.

Tell me what you think! Am I wrong about something? Haha, I know, I laughed too. I'm never wrong. What a ridiculous question.

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of Harry Potter

Holy farkins, this looks awesome! Below is the latest trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:Part I. I am really excited! Let me know what you think!



I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of Wait a Second...

While watching television today, I saw a commercial for a new Disney film coming this fall. It's a family film about a nice Southern woman who takes in an athlete that everyone thinks is not worth it. She goes against the odds, breaks the mold, defies all expectations, and commits every other cliche that has ever existed. And it's based on a true story. Sound familiar? It did to me. It sounds exactly like The Blindside, which came out last fall/winter to a huge reception, ultimately snagging Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Actress, among others, and winning the Acting prize for Sandra Bullock. Yet, while this film was about a woman taking in a young man who was poised for success on the football field despite the financial troubles he saw himself in, the other film, the one I'm talking about is Secretariat. This film is about a horse, and I am by no means making comparisons between the subjects of both films but rather making a comment on the way in which the films are being similarly marketed.

The plot, as we are given it, sounds very much like The Blindside's when brought to its skeleton. Furthermore, Disney has cast another former leading lady, Diane Lane, as the blonde Southern belle with a heart of gold. It screams "Please like us like you did the football movie!" I would say I am stretching with this argument, but look at the posters for the films:

What do you think? I know there are obviously some differences, but it feels kind of offensive to me. Post your thoughts!

I said good day, sir!
-E

CORRECTION: Blind Side was not a Disney film. Whoops! Sorry!

A Hit of Deja Vu in The Office

So this post is for the seven of you that watched the premiere of The Apprentice: The Economy Forced Me to Hang With Donald Trump EDITION.

Who's who?

In the premiere, we meet some very interesting characters, most of whom have been subject to losing their jobs over the past couples of years due to the, you guessed it, the bad economy. I really like this premise because instead of giving someone who has a stable job situation a promotion, Trump is at least allowing some people to show off their skills give them a shred of hope for the future. But let me just say that the first person kicked off, a woman named Nicole, was absolutely the right choice, solely because she said that instead of not having a job, she actually graduated from college and had many job options open to her and that she was in a great position in life. That's wonderful! But you shouldn't be on this show. And now you're not. So everything is right in the reality TV world. And I digress.

Or at least it was until a cast member named David came along. He's a 40-something man with a background telecommunications, who lost his job, and as a result his marriage to a wife with whom he had several kids. It's an endearing story and I would have felt for the guy...had he not been a spitting image of Andy (pre-anger management classes) from The Office. He behaves exactly like Andy and even bears a striking resemblance to him. On top of that, he is completely unprofessional and just uncomfortable to watch. Look at the clips below (one of David and one of Andy) and see for yourself.

David from The Apprentice:


Andy from The Office:




I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of Opinion: Boardwalk Empire - What Did You Think?!

So, Boardwalk Empire premiered last night on premium channel HBO, which of course means I was unable to watch it. I want to know what people thought, so please tell me! I already have one SEE IT! What does everyone else think??

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit to Aid My Addiction for F-You

Long time, no see. Literally, no see at all. I write to you, but I don't see you. Duh. Anyhow, I just wanted to post a song on here that I am, you guessed it, currently addicted to. It's called "Fuck You" by a guy named Cee Lo Green, and it is pretty sweet. The sound of the song is a mixture between I would say, Gnarls Barkley, Outkast and some old school Temptations kind of stuff a little bit, and as I just read, Cee Lo Green is actually in Gnarls Barkley so that makes tons of sense. It's really fun and really catchy and I could inject it right into my veins. That's how bad this addiction is right now. I need help. Please. So, here's the song below, and the video is actually pretty cool. The kid in this viddeo is the coolest person I don't know.

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of TV: Fall TV Preview, Day 10/11/12 - Sunday Shows

Basically, I am combining this weekend's posts into one big post because I am lazy, but here you go nonetheless, here are three weekend shows that should be pretty good this fall.

First up is the newest season of the Amazing Race, which premieres Sunday, September 26th @ 8:30pm. I always like the Amazing Race, so this season should be no different. There are a couple teams of note, including what I've read are a pair of "YouTube sensations" (never seen their videos), a pair of hot doctor girlfriends with rhyming names (Nat and Kat) and self-proclaimed scary looking people who think their tattoos will give them an advantage (unless your tattoos can book your plane tickets and translate other languages for you, calm down because it's not like people have seen tattoos before). Here's a peek at the teams:

Also, take a look at this clip from the coming season. It looks hilarious:

Also returning that same Sunday at 10pm on CBS is Undercover Boss, which became a guilty pleasure of mine last season. Basically, the show is about an executive within a large company (like 1-800-flowers.com or Hooters) who goes "undercover" and finds out how the "little guys" are doing at their jobs. It can be pretty entertaining, but sometimes a bit of a letdown. The Hooters episode promised some good retaliation on behalf of the CEO when he found out one of his chain managers was a misogynistic, exploiting a-hole, but when the CEO confronted said a-hole, it was rather lackluster and he wasn't he fired on the spot!!! Aye scamoles, man! Anyhow, it should be a good, mindless hour of TV.

Finally, I am going to stick with CBS Sunday nights and remind everyone that their favorite news program hosted by a geriatric panel is back. That's right, 60 Minutes will return this fall on Sundays at 7pm (or following the NFL game of the week). Expect more hi-jinks from your favorite grumpy, nonsensical grandfather Andy Rooney as gives his take on various things in pop culture, politics, or whatever else might be on his mind. I actually really enjoy 60 Minutes, so don't get me wrong here. I just think it's a funny combination of people hosting the program. Program....that sounds like a word one of the panel might use...it's very antiquated... Anyhow, CBS has a good Sunday night coming up.

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of TV: Fall TV Preview, Days 6 through 9, CSI + L&O Franchise

Ok, so Labor Day weekend really took it out of me. I had a lot going on. Had to take the fish to the vet, build a roof for my pool, find a good Michael Bay film. It was very busy and that last one sure threw me for a doozy. But I am back and better than ever....well, at least better than I was ten minutes ago. So, I am going to cheat a little bit today, and give you a quick preview of the long-running crime procedural franchises on CBS (CSI) and NBC (Law and Order).

Over on CBS, CSI enters its tenth season (its last with series star Marg Helgenberger) on September 23rd at 9pm. Porn star / sex tape star father Laurence Fishburne is back as Raymond Langston, and Jorja Fox will again be appearing in episodes as her character Sara Sidle. It's a typical procedural, so expect more killers-of-the-week and gory depictions of the various murders.

CSI: Miami, the second child of the family, which, incidentally stars headed middle child David Caruso, is moving from its slot on Mondays to give room for new/old show Hawaii Five-O. It will now be on Sundays at 10, with its premiere set for Oct. 3rd.

Finally, the baby of the family, CSI: NY, will return on Fridays at 9pm, sandwiched between NBC-abandoned Medium and new Tom Selleck starrer Blue Bloods.

Over at NBC, the Law and Order franchise was looking like it was on life support, but perhaps with the death of the longest-running and original of the franchise now dead, new spin-off Law and Order: Los Angeles (LOLA), starring Skeet Ulrich, can resuscitate what was once a powerhouse on television. The new show will follow the old format, but with a cool, new locale (that NCIS is already covering). Here's to hoping something interesting can happen with it.

It will air Wednesdays at 10pm, starting September 22nd, and is actually led in by Law and Order: SVU, currently the longest-running of the franchise still on the air, which will premiere with cast still incredibly intact on the same night. It will be entering its 12th season, which could actually be its last, as series stars Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni's contracts are up at the end of the season.

So, there you go, crime procedural lovers!

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hobb-Hit of Casting

The long-anticipated prequel to one of the best film franchises of all-time might just have found its lead actor, which is also great news that suggests this movie might just get made somewhere between now and the time that I'm dead.

Martin Freeman, the star of the U.K. original version of "The Office" (He played Tim, who is Jim over here in America), is reportedly in talks to star as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit. I am actually very excited about this news. There have been some bigger names attached to this project in the last few months, but I like the fact that they might pick an actor who is very unfamiliar to U.S. audiences (He also appeared in The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy). In any event, holy majoles, we could have a Hobbit movie (or movies, rather, it will be two parts), come 2012 and 2013. The world better not in end in 2012 because I will be pissed if I don't get to see part two, and I know I am not alone in that regard.

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of TV: Fall TV Preview, Day 5 - Survivor

This one is going to be really short today, pretty much because there isn't much to say on the topic of Survivor, since it's been around for awhile and the only thing that ever changes are the contestants...well, most of the times, at least. They have had a few "all-stars" seasons. And I digress. Anyhow, this season is the reality-tv's 22nd, so it will likely be going out to bars and getting wasted all night long. It's been doing it since it turned 21. It's legal now, you can't control what it does. Sorry. Enough with the digressions, you say! Fine. Here's your silly preview.

The show will follow the same format it has in the past, whittling down the contestants until there are two or three left, and a few of the embittered contestants voted off will come back and make rash decisions about who should win, based of course on pure emotion and not one iota of rational, logical thought.

What's different this year, you ask! Well, Jeff Probst might actually change his shirt from time to time (that blue one's gotta be getting a little crusty by now, right?). Oh, and the tribes' composition will be different, too. It will be all old people (those 40 and over, with the oldest contestant being former NFL coach and now part of the gang at FOX sports, Jimmy Johnson) versus all "young people". But seriously, people over 40?!?!?!? Why don't they just cart them off to the old geriatric home because apparently once you hit 40, you might as well put one foot in the grave. Anyhow, the other tribe is of people UNDER 30. So, for those of you who might just fall into those awkward years that the producers hate called the 30s, don't worry, one day you'll turn 40, those braces will come off and the acne will clear right up! But till then, hole yourself up in your room and listen to some great emo music, if there is such a thing!

Survivor, which incidentally in set in Nicaragua (pronounce it like NEE-KOR-AHHH-GWA...it's a lot of fun to say it like that!) this year  premieres September 15th. It's a Wednesday and not a Thursday now! Oh, the changes make me uncomfortable! Tune in...or just watch like the last five episodes. They're usually the only interesting ones.

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of TV: Fall TV Preview, Day 4 - The Walking Dead

Mad Men. Rubicon. Now The Walking Dead. After two successful show launches, AMC is releasing its newest series, The Walking Dead, on Halloween night. And, as you may have guessed, the show is post-apocalyptic drama about zombies and the people left to fight them. It actually looks like it could be really interesting and compelling. Brought to the small screen by Frank Darabont, who gave us the likes of The Shawshank Redemption (one of the best films ever) and The Green Mile, The Walking Dead looks like it could transcend its genre and give us more than just gore and action, but rather some interesting character development and creative storytelling.

After watching the trailer for the show, which stars Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, a wounded police officer who wakes up in a hospital bed, a la 28 Days Later, to dsicover that at the very least, the city of Atlanta and its surrounding areas, has been overtaken by "The Walking Dead". The storyline seems fairly straightforward from there. He then goes on a search for his wife and son, who appear to be alive in the trailer, and he gets help from survivors along the way. As I said, judging by the trailer, this show could be great. With a chilling song playing in the background of the preview, "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" by the Walker Brothers (which I believe is a Neil Diamond cover), the trailer evokes a sense of creepiness that will be quite refreshing when paired with a television drama. This is definitely something to look forward to. Just wait another month and a few weeks! Aye aye aye! That seems like a long time, but until then, here's the trailer for The Walking Dead.

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of TV: Fall TV Preview, Day 3 - Fringe

While we're on the subject of J.J. Abrams, why not take a quick look at the return of Abrams' other series on television, Fringe, which comes back to FOX Thursday, September 23rd. The last time we saw Olivia (Anna Torv), Charlie...err...Peter (Mighty Ducks' Joshua Jackson), and Peter's father, Walter Bishop (John Noble, who played the steward of Gondor, Denethor, in the Return of the King), they were in separate universes. Olivia was taken prisoner in the alternate universe by alternate Walter ("Walternate") while the real Walter and Peter that we as an audience know, were back in the normal universe. However, there was one kicker at the end of the season that might just throw them off of finding the real Olivia: fake Olivia (Fauxlivia, let's go with) is pretending to be the real Olivia in the real universe. So no one knows any different. Aye scamoles! That is confusing to write and to read! Hopefully, you at least get the gist! So, the season coming up will be about the relationship formed between Peter and Fauxlivia and we will get to see what happens to the real Olivia, even learning a bit about her past, with guest stars that include Amy Madigan (Field of Dreams) as her mother.

It is an awesome show, and I will definitely be tuning in! Check out http://www.hulu.com/fringe to see the last few episodes of season two so that you can understand just what is happening when season three premieres on September 23rd.

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of Sunny Philly News

Two stars of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia recently welcomed a new baby, reports Zap2it.com, but the circumstances surrounding the birth of Kaitln Olson (Dee) and Rob MacElhenney's son, Alex Lee, sounds like it was ripped straight out of an episode of the popular FX comedy series (of which I was an extra...who ended up on the cutting room floor, of course...look here...ten seconds in...star in the making!). According to the website, Olson went into labor while she and Mac were attending a Dodgers-Phillies game in L.A., but she refused to leave the stadium until after Ryan Howard, the Phillies' first baseman, hit a three run homer giving the Phillies a lead in the game. I can seriously picture this whole scenario on the episode. Of course, on the episode, Dee would probably be carrying the child only if it were a means to make her some money (like when she tried to become a surrogate mother on the show).

Anyhow, I thought that was a Sunny Funny (clever, I know..pat on back for me).

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of Fire

Some of you may have seen or heard of this next item, and some of you may not have. In any event, I stumbled upon a new "video" (you'll understand my quotations in just a moment) on one of the sites I read called "The Wilderness Downtown" by Chris Milk. I may have first noticed it because an ad on the site, or it may have been an article, or I might have just made it up in my head, and wham! it existed. We'll never know for sure.

Anyhow, the "video" is called "The Wilderness Downtown" and it is set to Arcade Fire's song "We Used to Wait", which is a great song, by the way. So download it, since my opinion is infallible. The "video", which I have discovered after trial and error (and no, not after ignoring the message on the home page of the site), is best viewed in Google Chrome (free for download).

When you log on to the site, you're asked to type in your hometown (Conshohocken: beat that! It means "Pleasant Valley. Yea, you're jealous). After that, the "video" takes flight (pun intended...you'll get what I mean if you watch it) and all you have to do is watch. I like to call it an interactive music video, since you put your hometown in and it sort of personalizes the video for you. In any event, what happens is really nifty and I think everyone should see it. I definitely had an aye scamoles moment for a second.

Ultimate plus side? The song is ballin' so at least you won't be completely disappointed.

Here's the link. Take a look, it's in a book. Reading Rainbow...I mean...Arcade Fire.

http://thewildernessdowntown.com

You're welcome!

I said good day, sir!

-E 

A Hit of TV: Fall TV Preview, Day 2 - Undercovers

TV powerhouse J.J. Abrams is back with a new show, hopefully to add to the greats he has already put on television (Lost, Alias, and Fringe). The biggest surprise about this show? Number four ranked network NBC is the network hosting one of the most buzzed-about new shows this fall. They have a lot to gain from airing this promising series, about a retired-from-the-CIA husband and wife who are called back in for service. The concept seems a bit tired (being called back for duty has happened a bajillion times) but the twist of having the characters be married (a la Mr. & Mrs. Smith) and happily married for that matter (a rarity outside of most tv shows). The clip below gives a sneak peak at what to expect, and I think it has some great potential. Starring new faces Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (two of the easier names to pronounce on primetime TV, I think), the series will need to capitalize on the chemistry these two actors have on screen. If they can, and people tune in, this show could be a critical and ratings hit.



I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of Saved By the Bell: Trucker's Choice

Since I am on the topic of Saved by the Bell, I had to post this video, which most people have seen. Honestly, though "I'm so excited!" every time I see this video. Enjoy if you've never watched this classic bit from Saved by the Bell.

P.S. Jessie nails down the exact emotions I felt during the viewing of The Last Exorcism (though the "scared" part was more in reference to the future of this horror "genre").

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of Movies: Review - The Last Exorcism

This evening I had the pleasure of going to the movies, after what has felt like a long hiatus. It was nice to be back, but not everything was so nice about it. I am pretty sure the ticket prices have gone up again ($11.00 and not even in 3D), but I do have to say that for $5, you sure do get a lot of soda (like a half gallon). I split it with my fran and there was still half a cup when I left. Oh, and I didn't even mention you get free refills on the large. The concessions are definitely where you can get your money's worth. Now, if only I could say that for the film I saw.

The Last Exorcism is the latest attempt at the kind of small film thriller/horror success that is rarely found, as it was with films like The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, and I would even say Cloverfield. Unfortunately, it relies heavily on different suspense and even plot devices from these films, rarely breaking any new ground. This film, like its more successful (in terms of creative and innovative) predecessors, relies on one single camera throughout the picture. I have found that in this film, however, the cuts are more apparent (when they aren't supposed to be) and the shots seem less reliable(how many times is the cameraman going to run outside to get different establishing shots when the action is happening inside? I know these could all potentially be "pre-filmed" within the chronology of the story, but there are specific details in these shots to suggest they are being filmed in real time). And I digress. Overall, the documentary style taken with this film seems merely there as a gimmick to attract viewers looking for the scare they got out of last fall's genuinely scary Paranormal Activity.

On to the acting. I have to say that the woman who played Nell (relative newcomer Ashley Bell) did her best throughout the film, and she easily stole every scene from the others actors, who for the most part, didn't seem much bothered by the whole situation (despite the fact that there was clearly some demon present). She was definitely the favorite of the film, and kind of reminded me of Judy Garland from the Wizard of Oz, a much less happy, demon-filled Garland, but one of similar looks nonetheless. Since she is, as I said, a relatively new face to audiences, it was easy to forget that she was an actress and perhaps actually a subject of this documentary.

My obscure film/tv knowledge plagues me. Help, Prof. Lasky!

I cannot say the same for the lead actor, Patrick Fabian, who play Cotton Marcus, a sham exorcist and preacher. He was way too recognizable for me (he has about 80 credits on IMDB, many of which are for guest spots on very popular television shows). His presence nagged me throughout the film, as I tried to figure out where he was from. Then, it hit me. He played the college professor Kelly Kapowski has an affair with on Saved By the Bell: The College Years. Not my best moment, but hey, I've got some pretty good tv/film knowledge, eh? Waste of time, you say? Holy farkins, I think you're wrong!

So, he was distracting, Bell was great, and the film was uninspired and pretty much walked over the same ground tread by much better fare already mentioned. It's one consolation: the ending, which was a surprise. That surprise, however, is something I am not quite sure was earned, as it was either a smart connection to the rest of the story, or something pulled right out of the filmmakers'...ummm...left field. No cursing on this site! The sheer fact that ending made me think tells me that the film was at least worth half the admission price.

Final verdict? I rank it $5.50 out of the $11.00 I paid.

Let me know what you thought (this means you, fran Pat).

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of Funny...Or Die

Here's a video I was just sent. It stars Zach Galifinakis in his own talk show. I've only seen a few of these, but they're all hilariously awkward and brilliant.

Oh, and I forgot, this post is brought to you by SpeedStick by Mennan.

Let me know what you think! It might not be your kind of humor, but that's just because you probably don't any sense of one if you don't like it.

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: Sean Penn from Between Two Ferns

A Hit of TV: Fall TV Preview, Pt. 1 - The Simpsons

 It is the first day of September and the beginning of a month when new TV will be coming out in full force. There are some promising new shows (most notably No Ordinary Family, JJ Abrams' Undercovers, and Will Arnett's latest comedy, Running Wilde), but there are also some great returning shows, including what looks to be an exciting new season of Fringe (if you don't watch, you should; check it out at http://www.hulu.com/fringe) as well as a new season of family comedy in the form of Emmy winner Modern Family, and of course, yet another season of the longest running American sitcom and animated series, The Simpsons. Though its been on for over two decades, the series still packs the humorous punch it has for years (although I will say that it is not as funny as it used to be, it still beats the likes of Two and Half Men and some other high rated comedies). Nonetheless, I have chose The Simpsons as my first show to preview because of the exciting comedic potential of its season premiere episode. On a side note, for the rest of this month, I will be previewing one show from the Fall schedule, whether good or bad (I'm looking at you, Dr. Drew). So, without further ado, here is a brief preview of The Simpson's 22nd season.

The season will kick-off on September 26th with Lisa attending a performing arts camp, only to find herself greeted by some other famous campers, the members of the Glee club on, you guessed it, Glee, Fox's smash hit musical comedy. Now, they're not really the reason I am excited about this episode. Sure, they're a huge deal for many as their status in pop culture continues to rise, but honestly, unless the show is able to throw in several digs at its network-sister Glee, I am not too sure these characters will be where the laughs come from.

Where those laughs come from, I am going to hope and assume, is from the other guests of the premiere, Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, who play Lisa's camp counselors. I think that FOTC (yea, I'm cool and I abbrev.) is hilarious and their acting (or non-acting...I am not sure if they're just being themselves sometimes) is perfection as they play awkward New Zealand folk singers living and looking to break it big in New York City. I think it could be great to see them in authoritative roles as counselors, seeing as they are so hilariously undependable on their own show. On the right is a preview of the Conchords "Simpson-ized".

Here's hoping the premiere can deliver on the potential of its guest voice actors! And I sure hope Murray, who plays the band's manager on the HBO show, is able to make a surprise cameo. Maybe he could play something similar to his FOTC character, like a desperate manager trying to recruit talent from a silly little kids' camp.

Stay tuned tomorrow when I preview Undercovers, NBC's new spy drama from TV powerhouse J.J. Abrams.

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of Deja Vu

So, tonight I rented from the REDBOX, which is probably one of the best inventions ever. If you don't know, it's a DVD rental vending machine at most local grocery stores, where you can rent new dvds for $1 every night (via payment to a credit card). You can even check what each particular redbox has in stock before you go (take that Blockbuster). I love it, and might just think it's better than NetFlix (yea, so I am actually getting commission from REDBOX for this, but who cares, right?)

ANYHOW, that was not what I wanted to write about. What I really wanted to talk about was Shutter Island. I may be one of the few people left who cares about movies who hasn't seen it, but I can now say that I have actually seen it. And it also makes me really upset with myself, as I do think I am quite a Scorsese fan (though apparently not a good one). I really enjoyed the film, but something didn't sit right with me after watching it. I thought it was a good movie, but there was just something odd about the film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo (future Incredible Hulk in The Avengers) and Ben Kingsley.

It's about a U.S. marshall sent to a psychiatric hospital that just so happens to be isolated in the middle of nowhere on an island. He is there to investigate the disappearance of a patient named Rachel Solando, but as he delves into the case, things get weird (very good descriptive term, huh?) and the distinction between reality and fantasy begins to become very hard to detect. I don't want to ruin the movie for anyone who hasn't seen it, but the ending too, also SPOILER ALERT manages to be extremely ambiguous regarding the mental state of our main character.

Is DiCaprio seeing double, or are we?

This basic outline is what really got me feeling strange, like I had deja vu (and no, this was not a break in the Matrix, so please don't geek out). It was eerily familiar, like I had seen DiCaprio in something very similar to it very recently. Then, it struck me. Inception. Inception, like this film, blurs the lines of reality and fantasy and makes people question whether what they saw was actually a part of the actual storyline or just inside the mind of the lead character, which happens to be DiCaprio in both. They both also heavily feature water as both a primary part of the setting but also as a symbol of (pretty cliched, I know) each character's awakening to what is happening in the films, or, as is the case in both films, a bridge for them to discover more about the truth of reality. On top of that, each is haunted by the memory of their dead wife, and each even feels responsible for her death. Aye scamoles!

What is really strange is that I loved both films and didn't dislike them at all for the similarities (I am also biased to like Scorsese anything but I may have preferred Inception). I am sure more similarities will come to mind as I continue to think about this, but if you have seen both movies, let me know if you can think of anything or if this idea makes sense to you! I'll add any additional thoughts below this post and include comments from you about what you might find similar between the two.

NOTE: Obviously, I don't think one film copied the other in any way. I just think it is such a weird (there's that word again) coincidence that they share so many qualities.

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Weekend Hit: At the Movies

Something just doesn't look right about this at all.

Pickins are looking quite slim for films in coming into wide release this weekend, in terms of both quantity and quality. Of the three releases, one is a re-release, another is an ensemble heist-style thriller, and the third is a horror film in the vein of Paranormal Activity.

My pick? Well, I might just say Avatar, which is being rereleased with nine minutes of additional footage at Imax screens across the country. Is it worth seeing again? Perhaps, if you're an enthusiast and want to check out the new action. It might also be worth seeing if you have yet to see the box office phenomenon. The experience is unparalleled in Imax.

Takers doesn't look all that appealing, and some of the all-star cast is better known for selling hit albums (Chris Brown, T.I.)  and ruining sci-fi franchises (I'm looking at you, Hayden Christensen, but hey, George Lucas helped quite a bit, too). On top of that, here is the horrible photoshopped poster for the film. Check out all of their heads in the picture above (CLICK TO ENLARGE).

Best Bet: A holdover from last weekend (I hear Piranha 3D is a lot of fun if not a silly "horror" flick or The Expendables.) OR try out newcomer and Paranormal Activity wannabe The Last Exorcism. That's probably what I'll do. Let me know what you think if you see anything this weekend!

I said good day, sir!

-E

A Hit of Crazy Music News

What's your favorite song of the summer? Something by Katy Perry? Or maybe B.o.B. or Eminem? What about Antoine Dodson & The Gregory Brothers? Wait, you've never heard of them!?!?! Probably true, but I'm willing to bet you just might have heard their song, or at least have seen the YouTube video sensation that the song is based off of.

Well, the song actually might just be the song of the summer, as the digital offering on iTunes (for $1.29) is number 42 on the list of songs most downloaded today!  What do you think? Song of the summer? I personally am voting for it!

Here's the video, starring Dodson, and its remixed sibling, which is where the song comes from:

ORIGINAL:

REMIX:

I honestly can't tell which is funnier. They kind of complement one another.

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hobb-Hit

This is a bit of non-news but I still thought it was important. According to ComingSoon.net, Peter Jackson was quoted in The Dominion Post as saying that he'll know "sometime soon" for sure whether he is directing plagued film adaptation of The Hobbit.

This info is just the latest in what has been a long-delayed project, which at the beginning of this year, had Guillermo Del Toro set to helm the two-part film set before the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Del Toro eventually dropped out of the film, citing various reasons such as production delays conflicting with his future projects and apparent money trouble, which translates into MGM, one of the studios with rights to the film, declaring bankruptcy earlier this year and thus putting a cloud over their future projects.

A short time ago it was speculated that Jackson would indeed be returning to the director's chair he vacated after the LOTR trilogy, but there was never confirmation.  Here's hoping that all that speculation and his recent announcment amount to his actually taking the reins of what, for many people, myself included, needs to live up to the hype and the reputation of the preceding films in the series.

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of New TV: Review

SPOILERS THROUGHOUT BE WARNED: I watched the episode and can say that I am fairly interested in what the show could become. It was pretty expository in the sense that the characters spelled a lot of things out assuming the audience was fairly unintelligent, but there are some really interesting storylines in the pilot episode. Particularly, the mystery surrounding J.J., the youngest of the superhero family who does not appear to have a power for much of the episode, seems to be promising as his potential power may play on the character's learning disability. I also really like Michael Chiklis' character because the character seems to act somewhat naturally  and realistically to getting the powers. He's giddy and excited and tries to see exactly what he can do with his super strength.  The weakness of his storyline lies with the police subplot of the episode and his wanting to be involved. I like the idea, of his wanting to step out of the shadows of being a sketch artist and an actual crimefighter, but the "villain" was weak and portrayed very poorly.  Additionally, I didn't buy any of the cops as being actual cops; they were just shells of characters and really rigid in their performances. And on that note, they were just plain dumb. The two detectives go in search of the episode's villain and upon seeing them, they call out his name, giving the guy an opportunity to prepare himself and actual fight back, which he does to deadly results. The cops were just amateurish and ridiculous. Definitely me least favorite piece of the episode.

Michael Chiklis (left) and Romany Malco

There was one part of both the mother and father's storylines that really interested me and made me want to see more, and that was their interaction with their adult friends/coworkers who found out about their powers. Chiklis' friend was in awe and the two acted like little kids just getting a new comic book, which made for very realistic (despite the superhero plot) television. And his friend was played Romany Malco, who was also in Weeds and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and who also happens to be awesome. Conversely, Benz's friend on the show was both shocked, interested and also showed signs of workplace jealousy over how efficient Benz's character can now be versus herself. That will be interesting to see. Plus, she's played by Autumn Reeser, who recently had a stint on Entourage as Ari's agent nemesis "Lizzie" and also played "Taylor" on The O.C. I've always liked her in the annoying sidekick kind of roles that she typically plays, and I think if they pursue a jealousy storyline, she could definitely provide for some interesting moments.

Julie Benz (left) and Autumn Reeser (right)

The daughter's storyline was a little too cliche for; she's a teenage girl who can read minds, even that of her cheating boyfriend! It just seemed silly and tired. I would say that at least they didn't rip off The Incredibles and have her power be invisibility, but I kind of secretly wanted them to do that. It would give her the ability to hear what people thought of her behind her back (she could easily hide in the locker room or something people are talking about her) and at the same time, it could also play with the idea that sometimes you just want to be invisible after an embarrassing moment.


Anyhow, it was just the pilot episode and I certainly will be tuning in come the fall. It had its ups, and some downs with some of the dialogue that just made things too painfully obvious and sometimes "7th Heaven"-y (gag me) but I am hoping those kinks will be worked out for episode 2. So, tell me what you thought of the episode!

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of New TV

So by coincidence, this next bit is about a new superhero-themed show coming to ABC called No Ordinary Family. The gist is: they have superpowers, but it stars Michael Chiklis (The Shield) and Julie Benz (Dexter) and I think it looks pretty good.

 
Anyhow, ABC released the pilot online for the first 50,000 visitors. Here's the link:

http://abc.go.com/watch/noordinaryscreening

You will need the following password, which is case sensitive to access the video: Extraordinary

I haven't watched yet, so I'll maybe post some thoughts after, and let me know what you think!

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of Superpowers! (for a not-so-super sequel coming soon)

While I am on the subject of originality, I thought I would also talk a little bit more about sequels, which you should note is not officially on my dislike list (ps. looking for suggestions for more to add...can't think of them all at once). So, I wanted to examine them a little bit and figure out just what about sequels makes me tick. As I said before, Toy Story 3 was fantastic and it proves that if a sequel can stand on its own apart from an adjoining film, it's almost always money in my book. There are instances when the films will of course have cliffhangers and depend on others for complete resolution, but these are the types of sequels that are planned ahead and ultimately part of one long story, so I won't examine them either. I am most thinking about the cash-cow sequels, the ones made after the first film was a success and was never planned to tell a larger story outside of the one it first presented. Quite often, these are the kinds that ultimately fail, but not in every case (like Jurassic Park's sequels...just kidding!)

However, there is one category or genre of films that seems to often produce at least one great sequel, at least in the more recent years and I have found that to be the superhero genre. Spider-Man 2, The Dark Knight, The Incredible Hulk, and X2: X-Men United have all, in my opinion surpassed the excellence of their originals and to me showed the potential for franchises to live long and happy lives (I haven't seen Iron Man 2 yet but let me know what you thought!). But some of their sequels, those wonderful third entries, have shown a certain greediness and love of excess that ultimately derailed the franchises. Particularly, I am thinking of Spider-Man 3 and X-Men: The Last Stand. Both of these films added several and I mean several new characters to their worlds and instead of enhancing the film, they ended up just making the films seem bloated and too busy.

In the particular case of X-Men, which is supposed to feature multiple characters on a team, I would be all for a lot of characters, as long as they didn't distract from the main plot and if featured, were actually given some depth and reason for being there. But, in the Last Stand, available on DVD so that you too can understand my sadness over Brett Ratner's sorry excuse for a sequel, the characters were there and that was about it. The characters from the previous films also came along for the fun, but were mainly relegated to standing in the background, ceasing to develop, and in some ways existing within the movie as if they were only there because the actors who played them could fit that particular shooting day in their schedule. That was the ultimate problem with the film. Nobody wanted to be there, but everyone was. It was like a surprise party for someone that no one likes but feels bad for. Except in this case, there weren't even any drinks to help me forget why I was there in the first place!

The reason I went on this little rant today has been because of the barrage of news that comes in every day in regards to casting on the newest X-Men film called X-Men: First Class. This prequel, the fifth installment in the franchise, is trying to resuscitate the X-Men film brand (which was absolutely murdered by Brett Ratner) by going back in time and introducing us to the dueling leaders of good and evil mutants, Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, when they were just young men in college. Prequels can be hit or miss (Wolverine is an example of how much of a miss they can be) but in the end they are some form of sequel to me, whether they are called so by name or not, so they too must pass through the same amount of scrutiny that sequels do.

And here, it seems the film is trying to make the same mistakes that The Last Stand made. Every day or so over the past few months, there have been reports from various outlets that a new actor is joining the cast of this film. The cast currently consists of the following actors: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Rose Byrne, January Jones, Kevin Bacon, Nicholas Hoult, Jennifer Lawrence, Caleb Landry Jones, Lucas Till, Edi Gathegi, Jason Flemyng, Oliver Platt, Morgan Lily, Zoe Kravitz, Bill Bilner. There are some impressive names on the list (shout out to ComingSoon.net for the complete list), but I don't think these actors are going to have any timeto showcase their talents or devleop their characters if they are all potentially considered principle players. Aye scamoles! I love me some X-Men, but this is crazy!

Anyhow, that's enough! Let me know what you think, you wonderful, non-existent readers, you!

I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of B.O. (and a little not-so-subtle film suggestion)

Ok, so I said before that I don't like remakes, and unfortunately, that seems to be the route that Hollywood is taking with much of the offerings that have come out recently and are continuing to come out for the foreseeable future. People have talked about this subject over and over again, particularly saying that originality is dead and that there are apparently no more new ideas. Of course, the film industry is a business and it seems that studios are sacrificing art and great storytelling for dollars (i.e. The Twilight Films...I've seen two and that is more than enough for me) and it's no secret that they've been doing that for a very long time. But in addition to the remakes and the reimaginings and the reinterpretations and whatever other word you want to slap on after "re", there are also tons of sequels coming out as well.


Just this past weekend, seven of the top twenty films at the Box Office (B.O...GET IT?!?) were sequels (yes, I am counting Vampires Suck as a sequel because it continues to showcase the same amount of garbage that all the other spoof movies from these same writers have thrown up[pun intended] at the box office). Obviously, an original idea is harder for a studio to put money behind because it has not proven itself to be a contender at the box office. Sequels build off of tried-and-true formulas, and there certainly are some really good ones, including this summer's Toy Story 3. However, in most cases, the sequel tends to fall far from where many originals shined. At least I think so in my oh-so-important opinion. But this stuff is what most moviegoers have to work with. So, where's the originality?

Well, there has been some this summer, and the golden example is Inception. This original idea from the Nolan brothers (I hope they start to become referred to this like the awesome Coen Brothers, but not like the Wachowski brothers, who I think are a little overrated) has shown that audiences are willing to pay the big bucks for a unique movie-going experience. And so should you!


I said good day, sir!
-E

A Hit of LOST Season 6 on DVD

So today, LOST Season 6 hits store shelves.

It was one of my favorite shows on TV and now it is officially over (at least in my opinion, once it hits stores, there's really nothing new to expect.) But, I am happy to say that it is ending with something new. The new DVD has an epilogue made exclusively for the 5-disc set entitled "New Man in Charge". Though not packed with answers, just like the show, the epilogue does give us viewers a few little gifts in the form of some solving some unanswered riddles that the show left us with.

SPOILER ALERT!: We see a few new faces and a couple of old faces, one in particular that was certainly welcome (and definitely needed some resolution). We also get answers to what the Hurley bird was (it was featured briefly in a few episodes and appeared to screech out Hurley when it flew by. We also got an answer to where the food drops came from and why they kept coming even though the Dharma Initiative closed twenty years before the show's main timeline took place. So, all in all, I enjoyed the epilogue a lot and you can actually view online.

Here's the link if you want to take a look, but I warn you, it will not make sense to anyone who hasn't seen LOST:
http://c0up.posterous.com/lost-season-6-epilogue-new-man-in-charge

I said good day, sir!
-E

Your First Hit of E(ntertainment)!

Don't you always remember the first time you had some E(ntertainment news)? I sure do. It was early on in my internet career when the web wasn't quite what it is now and when people actually referred to it as the web. It was probably sometime around my tenth birthday or so, and I'll explain why I remember it being around there in just a few paragraphs. I discovered a site called upcomingmovies.com (which has since disappeared after Yahoo bought it up in later years). It was run by a man named Greg and the website updated daily on news about, yes, you guessed it, movies coming to theaters in the near future. The site was amazing and at the time (at least to my knowledge) was one of the only places to go to find out immediate news about the entertainment industry, namely film and television news. I could go on every day and find updates on anything from the alleged Spiderman film being planned or dare I say it, very early news and rumors of what would one day be Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Ok, so it previewed movies both good and unfortunately for the latter of these two films, the bad).

In any event, the site created an addiction for me, an addiction to E(ntertainment news....not sure how long I'll keep putting that in parenthetical...maybe it'll be there forever...who knows?! ) that would only become worse (even worse than my StarBucks addiction of late). I had the world of film and television at my fingertips and I could learn about the ins and outs, the deals, the mergers, and the dealbreakers, and pretty much anything else I wanted to know about, even if the movie was coming out in ten years (the site had an extensive catalog of information on films only rumored for future release...hence Crystal Skull.)

So since then, I've been reading and reading from some great sites about the latest entertainment news, and there are so many that I love, but none more so than Zap2it, ComingSoon, MovieHole, and EW (shoutout to Michael Ausiello's ridiculous ability to scoop out the latest information quicker than anyone else I've read.) But I wanted to do something different than those sites who do a great job with their reporting. I wanted to take the news, bring it to you and tell you what I think because obviously, my opinion is so very important (but so is yours and I really want to hear from you audience, you wonderful, nonexistent audience, you!). This blog will be a conversation about E.

So, here's just a few things I would like to point out when it comes to some of my bias that will become utterly apparent in the blog in the future.

1. I am not a fan of Michael Bay films. There are many reasons, but seeing as this is the internet, I will leave it there and any apparent disliking of his future films will be understood and we can move on quickly. If you really want to know, refer to an old episode of my college entertainment news show called "Backstage Pass". I go on a rant about him and Transformers for a few embarrassing minutes.
2. I hate spoof movies. Don't get me wrong, but I really enjoyed Airplane! and shamelessly, Scary Movie 3 (both by the same director, mind you), but other than that, I think the others are garbage and those "writers", who shall remain nameless right now, have in recent years taken the film industry to its lowest levels with their lame, half-hearted attempts at humor, and I use the term humor very loosely.
3. I will see any movie even just once (yes, that does include films from the first two points, but that doesn't mean I have to like them).
4. I love independent features, even if I only see a handful of them a year. They continually remind me of the power of filmmaking and the lack of respect the public gives them for not going to see them! However, I will say that to go to an independent theater is like trying to find Megan Fox's acting skills. They are usually just in the city and that's always a hike.
5. I am tired of remakes, "reimaginings", re-whatevers! Let's get original people! This means you, TV, Movies, and yes, music (how many times are these "artists going to cover somebody else's music? Most of the time it's for no other apparent reason than money. If that's the case, you're not artists!)
6. I apparently like lists.

Ok, so there you have it, the first post in what is destined to be my sad attempt at running my own entertainment blog. Postings will obviously never be this long, and thanks so much if you actually made it all the way down here. It gets kind of lonely down here, so I appreciate the company!

I said Good Day, sir!
-E