Some of you knew Alex Karras as a football player for the Detroit Lions. Others knew him from his pro-wrestling days. Lots of people knew him as the dad in Webster. As for me, he’ll always be Mongo, the excellent character from the excellent Blazing Saddles. Karras had a remarkable career, entertaining millions of people as an athlete, an actor, and a comedian. He was awesome.
Category: Movies
Cameron/Tyler Winklevoss to Play Batman?
Once upon a time (2007), Armie Hammer was set to play Batman in a Justice League movie. Unfortunately, that project died. The role was supposed to launch Hammer to stardom. Instead, he’d have to wait until The Social Network in which he impressed critics and fans alike as Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. After that blockbuster hit, praise for his work in Mirror, Mirror, and a starring role in The Lone Ranger, Hammer might get a second chance to play Batman. According to MovieHole:
The studio need a new guy to guard the cave now that Christian Bale has hung up the cowl. And with plans to reintroduce a younger take on the character in the upcoming “Justice League” movie, a draft of which has been completed by Will Beale, the studio has Hammer atop of their list of potentials. It’s really, when you think about it, a no-brainer. Thus, I wasn’t much surprised when informed this morning that he’s in with a good chance to play the part in the superhero tag-team movie.
It’s a win win, really. Hammer apparently wears the suit smartly, has already rehearsed for the gig before, but more so, is a much bigger star than he was three or four years ago.
Hammer is a big, strapping dude that has a naturally deep voice. He looks the part. He has played rich people and heroes. I think he can pull off Batman (without sounding like he has marbled in his mouth).
What do you think of the possibility of Armie Hammer playing Batman in the upcoming Justice League movie?
Emily Blunt To Play Ms. Marvel in Avengers 2?
Super sexy Emily Blunt is rumored to be in the running for the role of Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel in The Avengers 2. Once a C-lister in the Marvel Universe, Ms. Marvel has been a major player since the “House of M” storyline. She has been a big part of the New Avengers and Mighty Avengers series. Sadly, she has gotten rid of her ridiculous swimsuit-like costume to coincide with her name change to Captain Marvel. As for Blunt, here’s more from iO9:
Emily Blunt, who famously missed out on the role of Black Widow in Iron Man 2 — insofar as any Emily Blunt casting decision is really capable of attaining fame — is reportedly back in contention for a major role. Specifically, she is rumored to be one of two main contenders for the part of Carol Danvers, better known as Ms. Marvel.
I’m a big fan of Blunt. She’s beautiful, smart, talented, and environmentally conscious. That said, I haven’t seen any of her performances where she hasn’t used her native British accent. Carol Danvers is very much an “american pie” type of character. She’s a former United States Air Force officer that has also served with S.H.I.E.L.D. It would be strange to hear her with a British accent. Blunt certainly has the presence for the character and for all I know she has a dynamite American accent from her extensive studies. However, I’m sure that that average male moviegoer doesn’t give a rat’s ass since she’s so pretty.
What do you think of the possibility of Emily Blunt playing Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel? Me likey.
Star Wars Eyeglasses Completely Rule!
I was going to save up for Lasik surgery…but then I saw this awesome line of Star Wars eyewear! Check out these eyeglasses inspired by Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, R2-D2, Boba Fett, and more. They completely own. These eyeglasses are set to ship at the end of the month and will run you $499.99. That’s expensive, but totally worth it to have The Force be with you, don’t you agree? More pictures of these awesome Star Wars glasses are below. Continue reading “Star Wars Eyeglasses Completely Rule!”
Adele’s James Bond 007 “Skyfall” Song
Here’s Adele’s “Skyfall” song for the upcoming James Bond 007 of the same name. It features her famous timbre and signature runs while also paying homage to songs from the previous Bond movies. Give the track a listen and let me know what you think (please!). Continue reading “Adele’s James Bond 007 “Skyfall” Song”
The Lone Ranger Trailer
I’m not sure what to make of The Lone Ranger. On paper, it sounds amazing. Johnny Depp is playing Tonto and he’s almost always awesome. The Winklevoss Twins are playing the titular character and I really enjoyed Armie Hammer in The Social Network. I absolutely love the supporting cast — Helena Bonham Carter rules, Barry Pepper is one of my favorites (he rocked as Roger Maris in 61*), and William Fichtner is awesome. This should be an awesome movie, right?
One of the reasons I’m apprehensive is that Gore Verbinski is directing. He can be fantastic, but he can also be all over the place. Modern Westerns are also hit-or-miss with me. That said, I’m not going to bet against the Bruckheimer/Verbinski/Depp combo. Those guys have generated an ungodly amount of money together.
Any thoughts on The Lone Ranger?
A Good Day to Die Hard Trailer
Bruce Willis is back as John McClane and this time around he’s on a father-and-son adventure in Moscow. Thankfully, Shia LeBeouf isn’t playing his son. Instead, it’s one of the dudes from Spartacus: Vengeance, Jai Courtney. A Good Day to Die Hard comes out on Valentine’s Day 2013 because…hell, I don’t know. Check out the trailer and let me know if you’re up for another John McClane gun-blazing adventure or if this series died (hard) for you a long time ago.
Tom Hanks Sees Emmy in Olivia Munn’s Future?!?
My nightmare of Olivia Munn becoming the biggest star in America continues! This time around, the legendary Tom Hanks told the girl formerly known as Lisa that an Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Emmy Award is in her future. Check out the Entertainment Tonight video below and please let me know if you think Hanks was being serious, being polite, or being patronizing. Whatever the case may be, the cameraman was totally on point trying to brush off Bolivia Bunn for the exponentially more interesting and talented Tom Hanks. Continue reading “Tom Hanks Sees Emmy in Olivia Munn’s Future?!?”
Random Thoughts on The Dark Knight Returns Part I
Based on one of the most critically acclaimed Batman stories of all time, The Dark Knight Returns Part I is the latest in a long line of high-quality animated features from DC Comics. Animating a beloved and respected book like The Dark Knight Returns was a huge risk. No matter what, some comic book fans will have a problem with the adaptation. Fanboys are just wired that way. While it’s not perfect, The Dark Knight Returns Part I is a superior animated movie that succeeds more than it fails. Here are some random thoughts on the latest Bats Blu-ray.
Story: For the most part, Frank Miller’s grim-and-gritty story is intact. This is a dark tale of an over-the-hill Batman that comes out of retirement. The world has changed and he’s unsure if his methods are still effective. The script does a good job at creating a bleak (bleaker?) Gotham City and showing Batman’s vulnerabilities. Of course some liberties were taken in translating it to an animated feature. The tone is all there and some parts of the narrative actually work better. The clips from the newscasts and talk shows are much more vibrant. They felt too static to me in print and are much more effective with voice acting.
Speaking of which, the voice acting is quality and helps bring the story to life. Some fans will have an issue with Robocop Peter Weller playing Batman, simply because he’s not Kevin Conroy. If you can get past that then you’ll enjoy a good portrayal of Batman. The supporting cast is great too. I enjoyed the actors that played Carrie Kelly/Robin, Alfred Pennyworth, and Commissioner Jim Gordon.
As a big fan of the book, I’m happy with the script for The Dark Knight Returns Part I.
Animation: It took a while for me to get used to the movie’s art style. Frank Miller’s pencils and Klaus Janson’s inks gave the book a distinct look. It felt artistically dirty, if that makes any sense. The movie looks a bit too clean and loses the semi-abstract feel of the comics. The lines are too straight and everything feels a bit too bright. It’s technically well done, but very different from the source material. After 20 minutes or so, I got used to the art style and appreciated it, but wasn’t completely sold on it.
On the plus side, the animation does a great job of showing how brutal and intimidating Batman can be. The fight scenes are excellent. You really get a feel of the bone-crushing impact of the punches thrown. You can almost taste the fear villains have for Batman.
The mutants, especially the leader, benefitted from the translation to animation. In the comics, they always looked borderline silly to me. In animated form, they looked more intimidating and less ridiculous.
While the art was good, I wanted something grungier, though I understand that the masses probably prefer the techniques used in the movie.
Value: With a run time of 76 minutes, The Dark Knight Returns Part I is inline with other DC animated features. However, I would have preferred getting the whole thing at once. I understand the economics of it all, but from a storytelling standpoint it would have been more enjoyable as a whole. As it stands, the cliffhanger isn’t that dramatic, though I wonder if newcomers will feel that way. As a fan of the comics, I was all, “Wait…I want the rest of it!” which is both good and bad. I’m looking forward to the next installment, but feel somewhat shortchanged by this one.
Conclusion: The Dark Knight Returns Part I is true to the source material in terms of story and a bit different in terms of art style. I was mostly happy with the movie, putting it up there with my favorite comic-book animated-features, though behind the outstanding Batman: Under the Red Hood. I recommend it, but caution fans of the comics to be prepared for the visual changes.
I know that some of you have watched this movie. Kindly share your thoughts on The Dark Knight Returns Part I in the comments section.
Honest Movie Trailer: The Avengers
From Screen Junkies comes this completely awesome and brutally honest take on The Avengers.