Summer Movie Memories: No Monkeying Around For This Franchise

Up until Labor Day, I'll be looking at seven different summer movies from Summer 2014 and analyzing what really made them stand out this summer, for reasons both good and bad. Obviously, SPOILERS for Dawn of the Planet of The Apes, as well as Godzilla, lie ahead. 

Summer Movie Memories: How Did One Of The Worst Movies Of the Summer Became A Smash Hit?

Up until Labor Day, I'll be looking at seven different summer movies from Summer 2014 and analyzing what really made them stand out this summer, for reasons both good and bad. Obviously, SPOILERS for Maleficent lie ahead. 

Summer Movie Memories: How Godzilla Got His Groove Back

Up until Labor Day, I'll be looking at seven different summer movies from Summer 2014 and analyzing what really made them stand out this summer, for reasons both good and bad. Obviously, SPOILERS for Godzilla lie ahead. 

Sin City: A Dame To Kill For Review

Superfluous Sin Soaked Cinema 

Visual effects have come so far in the last twenty years, it's one of the more mind-boggling aspects of modern day filmmaking. Ever since Steven Spielberg showed off those CGI dinos wrecking havoc, the possibilities for visual effects seemed endless. Robert Rodriguez has taken advantage of those possibilities several times in his career, namely in the first Sin City (which I have not seen) and it's sequel, Sin City: A Dame To Kill For. That follow-up is the subject of this review and unfortunately, the innovation in its visuals seem like the only thing given any thought in this film.

Box Office Predictions: Guardians of The Galaxy Will Stay Above November Man

Well, here we are. The final weekend of the summer. Two new wide releases will try to squeeze some last minute cash from your wallet, but they'll likely be ineffective at taking down Rocket Raccoon and the gang from the top spot. Let's get to predicting the box office shall we?

Summer Movie Memories: The Fourth Transformers Movie Ambition Is Only Outmatched By Its Idiocy

My reaction to Trans4mers

Up until Labor Day, I'll be looking at seven different summer movies from Summer 2014 and analyzing what really made them stand out this summer, for reasons both good and bad. Obviously, SPOILERS for Transformers: Age of Extinction lie ahead. 

Summer Movie Memories: All It Took Was Time Travel To Revive The X-Men Movies

Over the next seven days, I'll be looking at seven different summer movies from Summer 2014 and analyzing what really made them stand out this summer, for reasons both good and bad. Obviously, SPOILERS for X-Men: Days of Future Past lie ahead. 

Robin Williams Received An Emotional Tribute At The Emmys

The passing of Robin Williams has been a truly tragic time for many, myself included. Seeing a man who brought so much joy to our live leave this world under such devastating circumstances...it's gut-wrenching. But last night, during the Emmy's, Billy Crystal gave us all a chance to appreciate how wonderful of a comedian and a person Williams was. Crystals monologue is extremely humorous, especially the numerous humorous lines he quotes from Robin Williams, but it's the video montage, namely at the end, that really gets at me. See it four yourself in this extremely touching video.

Box Office Analysis: What Went Wrong With Sin City 2?

Box office disappointments are a common occurrence, but a genuine box office flop? Those weren't every day events decades ago, but in this day and age, they're as rare as anything else in the film business. You can thank international box office for that; so much money can be made internationally now it's almost impossible for a film to truly lose money. But they do happen once in a blue moon, like when R.I.P.D. made an anemic $33 million in America, and only $44 million internationally for a $78 million total that didn't come close to recouping its whopping $130 million budget.

Editorial: Disney Needs To Start Rereleasing Their Classic Animated Movies To Theaters Again

I watched The Jungle Book last night for the umpteenth time last night, but let me tell you, that movie never gets old. On the contrary, it gets better with each viewing. It's actually a much more mature tale of coming of age than many give it credit for, and its upbeat atmosphere is beyond infectious. One thing I did wonder (besides some peculiar choices in terms of color on the Platinum Edition DVD) is how great the film would look on the big screen.

The List!!!: Eleven Underrated Quotes From The Simpsons

Right now, FXX is in the midst of their massive 12 day long Every Simpsons Ever marathon. As the name implies, this centers around showing off all 552 episodes of The Simpsons, a television show thats influenced me more than any other TV show, and frankly, is one of the most influential pieces of pop culture I've ever experienced. To celebrate its massive marathon, why not join me in eleven quotes form this glorious show that don't get enough love? Oh sure, we all prefer the personal touch goons bring to any given situation, and who can't sing every word of the Monorail song at any given moment? But here are eleven particularly notable Simpsons lines that really deserve more love.

Bojack Horseman Review: Will Arnett Is A Formerly Famous (And Spardoically Humorous) Horse

A Horse Is A Horse, Yes Of Course

Television is a constantly evolving medium, with color bringing new possibilities to storytelling and marketing in the 50's. The more recent, yet somehow slightly quaint, innovation of a Tivo gave one more ease in recording programs. Netflix has been another evolution for television, and a seismic one in terms of impact. Prior to 2013, the idea of Netflix entering original programming through the streaming service that had helped give birth to their 2011 "Qwikster" debacle seemed like a joke.

Calvary Review

Separation of Church And Fate

The topic of religion is one many movies face, including 2014s excellent feature Noah. Calvary is just the latest movie to tackle a topic that is extremely relevant to many people on the planet. The particular religious aspect focused on in this tale is that of the Catholic Church and a man heavily involved in his local church Father James, played by Brendan Gleeson. Gleeson is absolutely the perfect person to play someone of heavy authority in the religious community, as he has the kind of likable personality that can attract people to sermons on Sunday morning but also come across wise enough to be someone to turn to in times of crisis.

New Nightcrawler Trailer Shows Darker, Not Darko, Side of Jake Gyllenhaal

Matthew McConaughey isn't the only actor experiencing a resurgence as of late. Jake Gyllenhaal has also had a string of well received roles lately. I thought he was a bit underwhelming in Prisoners, but I felt he was great in Source Code and the first trailer for Nightcrawler made me think this would be another impressive role for the actor. Now that a new and longer trailer for the film is out and you can watch it below and then read my thoughts on it.

Box Office Predictions: Slow Weekend Will Lead Sin City To Not Stay Victorious

After a couple weeks of major movies opening up (including two weekends in a row which each brought a $60 million opener, both in August no less!), things slow down as the season of summers does the same. Three new movies open up this weekend, but none look to do particularly notable business. Let's dive in and take a look!

The Newest LEGO Batman Video Game Gets New Cosmic Trailer

2014 has been mighty kind to LEGO, and for good reason! The LEGO Movie not only wound up being on of the most thoughtful and brilliant movies in recent years, but it also made a ton of cash that renewed interest in LEGO as a brand. Still, that doesn't mean LEGO had been collecting dust on a shelf somewhere prior to Emmet and his escapades. On the contrary, their toys have been consistently popular for decades now, and the critically and financially successful video games have only helped bolstered their impeccable track record. The newest video game, Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, just dropped a new trailer and you can watch it below.

First Image Revealed of Paul Rudd As Alter-Ego Of Marvels New Superhero Ant-Man

It's been quite a big week for Marvel Studios 2015 film Ant-Man. Filming started on Monday, which prompted a massive casting announcement that brought several big and talented actors to the movie. Now, we've got our first look at Scott Lang, the lead character of the film being played by Paul Rudd. Check out the first picture of the guy below!

So, I Was On Netflix: You're Next

I heard an unending amount of buzz on You're Next prior to its August 2013 release, with numerous people calling it the next big thing in the world of scary cinema. Lionsgate gave the movie a late August date that had worked well for past horror movies, Michael Fassbender wore an animal mask from the movie to the Comic-Con panel for X-Men: Days of Future Past, reviews were great, it all seemed to be working in the movies favor. Then, it bombed horribly at the box office and it just sort of faded away. What a shame. The movie certainly lives up to the hype as one of the more inventive horror flicks in ages.

Taylor Swifts New Song Combines Familiar Message With Craftsmanship

We all enjoy consistency in our everyday lives. I know I do. There's nothing more comforting than seeing certain things stay the same, especially considering how much in this world changes on a regular basis. It's nice to know that the sun will always rise and that Christmas will always come with Winter weather, but what we as a mass audience love is consistency in pop culture. Superman got under fire last year for the very uncharacteristic he took out his primary antagonist, and for good reason. That move betrayed all the character stood for and was not only a product of needlessly updating a beloved entity in order to be "hip", but was also a reminder of Man of Steels unending shoddy screenwriting.

Ant-Man Cast Grows With Judy Greer, Bobby Cannavale and Tony Starks Dad

My unwarranted earlier reaction to Peyton Reed being chosen as the director of Ant-Man feels hideously narrow-minded in retrospect. The dude not only has a lot more beloved works under his belt than a forgettable Jim Carry vehicle, and I'm super sorry for saying such poor words way back when. I'm way more confident in the film now, thanks not only to the phenomenal artistic success of Marvel Studios recent movie Guardians, but also Reeds hideous treatment by fans on the internet and at Comic-Con. The movie starts filming today, and already has dynamite cast that includes Paul Rudd playing Scott Lang, who is the titular superhero, Michael Douglas as his mentor, Evangeline Lilly as the mentors daughter, Corey Stall as the anatgonist and Michael Pena.

Magic In The Moonlight Review

The Magic Just Isn't There

I've always wanted to travel to exotic locations, namely ones in Europe. The stunning landscapes there would just be glorious to look at in person, not to mention looking at all the unique architecture several of those cities have. Magic In The Moonlight takes place at a location that reminded me of those exotic spots I eagerly desire to see, though hopefully any trip I take up there has a bit more substance to it than this underwhelming Woody Allen venture.

Box Office Analysis: Walden Media, The Box Office Flop Factory

Few studios or filmmakers can create a dud like Walden Media. Now, admittedly, these guys aren't the only one financing the projects they find themselves in, and they don't distribute any of their projects. But they do have a hand in what films they get attached to, and the majority of them are adaptations of books that look incredibly generic in marketing materials. It's no shocker to me that the few hits they've been a part of (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch and The Wardrobe, Charlotte's Web, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island) had effective marketing campaigns or the presence of Dwayne Johnson.

From The Interwebs: Watch This Beloved Groot Credits Scene From Guardians Of The Galaxy And Make Your Day Instantly Better

SPOILERS AHEAD IN THIS ARTICLE

The Expendables 3 Review

What can Sylvester Stallone do now? I'm not asking this as some mean or snarky remark, I'm honestly wondering, what can this guy do now? I'm sure he could so some excellent drama if he so desired, but he seems to content to just riff on his legacy in films like Grudge Match and Escape Plan. Both of those were terrible, and while The Expendables 3 is better than those, it's still a forgettable excursion that needed more of entertaining characters to keep its pitiful screenplay afloat.

The List!!!: Five Actors I Want In The Next Expendables Movie

In The List!!!, I do a list that just reeks of being click-bait, analyzing a particular topic or subject that pertains to something major occurring in pop-culture. This week, in honor of those elderly action stars kicking butt and not chewing bubble gum in The Expendables 3, I look at five actors that need to be in the next installment. 

Box Office Predictions: Can Sylvester Stallone Manage To Defeat Turtles And Star-Lord?

What a jam-packed weekend! We got three new releases, plus two holdovers that'll make over $20 million each, plus new updates on the limited release circuit. All of these releases are competing for box offiice glory, and I'm here to predict how they'll fare, so let's get right to it!!

Clint Eastwoods Next Movie, Starring Bradley Cooper, And The Point Break Remake Get Release Dates

Warner Bros. just did a bunch of release date announcements, for some big dramas, action flicks and horror movies they have coming out over the next two years.

A Most Wanted Man Review

I Kind Of Wanted More

The tragic loss of Philip Seymour Hoffman earlier this year affected the cinematic community profoundly. Luckily, the mans excellent work will continue to be cherished by moviegoers for untold ages to come. Even in a film like A Most Wanted Man, Hoffman still puts in commendable work that is more than worth noticing. I wish the rest of the movie followed suit though, as it's all just a bit of a slog that doesn't really get interesting until it its finale.

Editorial: Even In The Likes of Robots, Robin Williams Never Failed To Amaze

To put it simply, the lats 24 hours have been a never ending stream of emotional turmoil for people all across the world, myself firmly included. The loss of a talent like Robin Williams is one that can't and won't be forgotten easily, as it should be. This is a man who had such talent that it should always be remembered and treasured. No future generation should be deprived the opportunity of witness his brilliant Genie, or really any other of his countless roles.

The Trailer For Mortdecai Shows Johnny Depp Like You've Never Seen Him Before...Quirky And Humorous

I like Johnny Depp a lot and I'm certainly not alone. The dudes got a ton of successful movies under his belt, and while some weren't good (Charlie And The Chocolate Factory namely), roles like Jack Sparrow and Rango had him subverting the norm to create fantastic and engaging characters. His recent movies (especially Transcendence) have been lacking, but as I pressed play to watch, for the first time, the trailer for his next feature film Mortdecai, I hoped the trailer would show promise of Depp restoring some luster to his career.

Box Office Analysis: Nostalgia Is More Powerful Than Any Weapon

This morning was a whirlwind of questions and wondering. It seems everybody wanted to know just how Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had managed to hit $65.5 million in its own opening weekend. Many internet commentors proclaimed it to be the end of cinema as we know it. I've kind of been desensitized to such hyperbolic announcements, and frankly, I believe the success of this new Ninja Turtles incarnation is more of a testament to the power of nostalgia than anything else.

Another Michael Bay Produced Ninja Turtles Movie Is Coming in 2016, Hopefully This Time With A Vanilla Ice Cameo

Oh my Gods Splinter is just terrifying. Jesus, get that thing away from me!!

Well, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles certainly blasted away any and all expectations at the box office this past weekend. Making $65 million in its opening weekend, it's the 10th biggest opening of 2014 and the 4th biggest August opening of all-time. Naturally, a sequel is underway, with a release date and writers already attached to the project.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Review

Lacking Cinema In A Half-Shell

I've been obsessed with a bunch of items in pop culture in my time, but I must say, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are not one such item. Oh sure, I know about the TV shows, and characters like Krang and Bebop and Rocksteady, but that's more due to encountering actual fans of the shows and various movies. I do enjoy the puppets used in the original three movies if that counts for anything. So this new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles didn't have to jump through any kind of massive hurdles in my book...just be entertaining and fun for two hours.

The List!!!: Five Upcoming Movies Based On Beloved Cartoons

In The List!!!, I do a list that just reeks of being click-bait, analyzing a particular topic or subject that pertains to something major occurring in pop-culture. This week, in honor of the Ninja Turtles coming back to cinemas, I take a look at five upcoming movies that will be taken to the big screen.

Seth Rogen and James Francos Epic Plan To Kill Kim-Jong Un Has Been Delayed Until Christmas Day

The newest feature film from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the duo who directed This Is The End, is called the Interview has been met by controversy ever since it debuted its first trailer. Considering the plot revolves around Rogen and James Francos plan to kill Kim-Jong Un, this shouldn't be too surprising. However, several North Korea officials considering the film an act of war certainly does feel like a massive overreaction to the project.

Box Office Predictions: Raccoon With Machine Guns Battles Ninja Turtles For Box Office Glory

So Guardians of The Galaxy just blasted off last weekend, shattering all expectations, and frankly, looks like it'll become the biggest movie of the summer. Exceptional. It'll likely dip this weekend, thanks to huge Thursday night grosses last week, but it should manage to beat out four new releases this weekend for the Number One spot at the box office. Let's take a look at Guardians and these four new releases, as well as some new arthouse openings, shall we?

Warner Bros. Just Announced Release Dates For Nine DC Comics Movies As Well As Earlier Date For Batman/Superman Adventure

I'm more of a Marvel Comics kind of guy, especially when it comes to the world of film. I mean, compared to Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers, Green Lantern and Man of Steel look even more pathetic than they already are. And yet, DC has tons, and I mean tons of awesome accomplishments under their belts. Their animated programs run circles around Marvel garbage like The Ultimate Spider-Man, while they're responsible for some of the greatest graphic novels of all-time like Watchmen. Even in the world of film, them bringing us Christopher Nolans Dark Knight trilogy is an impressive feat.

Country Music Spotlight: Are Country Music Remixes Really That Bad? Or Really That Good?

Florida Goerge Line, a country music band that's had a huge hand in popularizing
the practice of remixing country music

Every other week, I post a column recognizing a popular country music artist and taking a look at their career, their highs and lows. But this week I'm shaking things up a bit. Today, I'll be presenting a piece of a very popular thing in the world of Country Music; the remix. Now, remixes have been popular for a while now in the world of pop music, mainly because they allow for unique artist collaborations as well as the opportunity to sell an already beloved song to audiences yet again.

In Trailer For Left Behind, Nicolas Cage Takes On The Apocalypse, Not THE BEEEEEEESSSS!!!!

As I said in my review of The Frozen Ground, I like Nicolas Cage a whole lot, but I'm not gonna sit here and tell you many of his recent films weren't God-awful. It looks like that trend will, unfortunately, continue with this dreadful looking new movie Left Behind, which from the studio that brought you God's Not Dead, an easy contender for one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Check out the new trailer for Left Behind below.

Ranking All of The Marvel Studios Post-Credits Scenes From Best To Worst

Post-credits scenes have been around for ages, but very rarely did they do more than have Ferris Bueller tell you to go home or an extra gag at the end of a Pirates of The Caribbean movie. Today though, they're a major part of the moviegoing experience for numerous films, particularly ones coming out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To date, all ten of their films have had a stinger of some kind, and three of them even managed to have two. Now, I've taken it upon myself to rate all 13 of these Post-Credits scene in order from Worst to Best. Join me won't you, for this exciting voyage into mystery!

Obviously, tons and tons of spoilers for all the Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Avengers and Guardians of The Galaxy movies ahead.

Good News! A Female Superhero Movie Is Coming! Bad News! That Female Superhero Movie Is Coming From The Studio That Ruined Spider-Man

You cannot imagine my excitement when I began to read the headline that proclaimed a female superhero movie was on the way. FINALLY I thought. Bizarre prejudices can be put aside and we can finally get quality movies starring well developed female characters. Then I read further and realized...crap. It's from Avi Arad and Sony. Y'know, the guys who made The Amazing Spider-Man 2, the movie that makes Spider-Man 3 (a deeply flawed, but actually kind of underrated film) look like a masterpiece.

Box Office Analysis: With Guardians Making So Much Money, How Will The Rest Of The Movies In August Do?

I've got so much articles around Guardians of The Galaxy and the Marvel Cinematic Universe planned for this week (including my ranking of all the Marvel post-credit scenes, which should go up tonight), I thought I'd focus on some other movies for this edition of Box Office Analysis. Specifically, I'm taking a look at the other movies coming out in August and how they'll fare at the box office. Of course, a movie as great as Guardians does deserve some sort of presence, so don't worry, those lovable ruffians will be around in this piece.

Guardians of The Galaxy Review

Glorious Guardians Guarantee Greatness

OH ITS SO GLORIOUS

We've seen a lot of amazing adventures from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the interlocking film series that includes the Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Avengers films (it also includes the singular The Incredible Hulk). They've changed the face of cinema in recent years, with The Avengers encouraging every movie studio and their grandma to enter the business of creating franchises that constantly crossover into each other. The only one to emerge so far (though the Universal Monster movies are the next up to follow this tactic) was The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which ditched coherent storytelling in favor of setting up endless amounts of sequels.

The List!!!: Five Of 2014's Most Underrated Movies So Far

In The List!!!, I do a list that just reeks of being click-bait, analyzing a particular topic or subject that pertains to something major occurring in pop-culture. This week, in honor of Noah hitting Blu-Ray, I take a look at five films from the first seven months of 2014 that deserve more recognition.