Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Kong Beats The Beast In China



New Blog Talk Radio show coming next week as I am waiting for China Box Office numbers. No Live on MNN this week.This blog includes an extra article on the Making of Logan in the bonus section. Also answer to the quiz coming next week: What does Jackman have in common with Godzilla 2014

Mini-reviews for March.
Logan: 4 out 5: Middle kind of dragged but it had a lot of heart and mucho kicking ass.
Kong: 4 out 5: Great SFX, nice reworking of the mythology and Riley was the Heart and Soul. cool.
Beauty Beast: 1: Good Lord, I was never so bored out of my friggin skull. Total Meh...
Power Rangers:  Didn't see it. 90 minutes before we see the big fight with the Rangers? Really?

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-kong-skull-island-opens-muscular-72m-988874
2 days with $72M. Now that's kicking ass. When we go back live in 2 Saturdays we will continue with Skull Island since we couldn't because of work on the Hugh Jackman movie. While it's doing good over here and still in the top 5, Beauty and Beast is just killing everything at the box office.
But Kong is great overseas and that's where it counts, so we'll take it from there once it crosses over the $500M mark.

http://lrmonline.com/news/spider-man-homecoming-trailer-2-peter-parker-screws-up-royally
This looks great and having Iron Man there doesn't hurt. But the funny thing for a movie that takes place in NYC, only a week of filming was done with the major actors. And only an extra week by a second unit which filmed the background plates. Oh the magic of Hollywood. As long as it works.

.http://www.thewrap.com/terminator-3-bumped-off-paramount-release-schedule/
Hasta la vista baby or whatever. They should just make one more with Arnuld to finish up that timeline. Then reboot the whole idea with Cameron at the helm. Ok he'll be producing since he's busy with Avatar franchise and directing but at least he can control the output then having other people screw up with those annoying sequels.

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/venom-will-reportedly-be-an-r-rated-kickoff-at-a-sony-marvel-universe-188
Monkey see monkey do. Now Sony is going the Rated root. And they hired the writer from Alien Covenant, totally aweful all around. Now let's see who they cast in the role, then 3 strikes your out!

http://www.darkhorizons.com/more-photos-from-bong-joon-hos-okja/
While I love Joon-Ho's films and big creatures I was not pleased from my fellow background actors on how they were treated while filming one weekend at Wall St. I almost got to work on this but when I heard what happened on that hot humid day I'm glad I didn't work on this project. More on the radio show.

Bonus:
http://www.theasc.com/site/blog/web-exclusives/logan-last-action-hero/
Lonf byt reat article on the camera work involved in the making of Logan. Seeing Hugh Jackman doing multiple takes with singing and dancing with the camera was an experience that Film School can never teach. And so grateful to be part of that artform. More on the Next Radio Show.

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Beast Beats Kong And Logan, Really?



Lots of news to report: No MNN Live this weekend due to workload with TGS so an encore of Logan will be repeated.  A new radio show will be posted next week. And the Website has been put on hold.

Update: Quiz: What does Logan (Hugh Jackman) and Godzilla 2014 (G. Edwards film) have in common?
Ps a fellow bkground actor on The Greatest Showman told me this and got me good.
pss Waiting for China Box Office numbers for Skull Island after this weekend then the radio show.

http://variety.com/2017/film/news/beauty-and-the-beast-box-office-2-1202013124/
Jeez this is nuts. While all 3 films are doing great, Logan & Kong,  at the World Wide Box Office, Beast had the edge of because of the Potter fans. At this point the summer box office as we know it is pretty much over. It doesn't matter when a film will premiere at what season anymore.

https://www.comicbookmovie.com/sci-fi/spoilers-kong-skull-island-10-easter-eggs-you-may-have-missed-a149588?cp=3
One of the easter eggs points to Frankenstein Vs. Baragon while it's actually a nod to KK Vs GZ. Wow, did they miss this point? While at least they remembered the Frankenstein version as that is more of a cult movie and not a major selling point.

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/new-matrix-movie-reportedly-could-center-on-morpheus-247
While no one is asking for this, it actually makes sense with having Fishburne as the center of the film. And lets not forget it was a very young Will Smith who turned down the role before ...took over. Now a very young Jorden will take over the role who has proven himself he can adapt to sci-fi with Fantastic Four and do drama so he would be perfect for this.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/flash-supergirl-musical-crossover-love-987573
They actually pulled this off even tho it was a stretch. Anyone remember Buffy Vampire. Uggh.
But this was a good show  Never saw the twist coming. The villain was actually... oh spoiler, never mind.

http://deadline.com/2017/03/robert-downey-jr-voyage-of-doctor-dolittle-universal-pictures-stephen-gaghan-1202046872/
So again, lets make a movie that no one is asking for. And let's face it, Eddie Murphy for his time nailed it as a remake. But then again, Hollywood is going back to the books for inspiration for franches aka a new Willy Wonka, uuggh another one?

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Kong Is King at No.1 Box Office



Latest Live on MNN now playing on Youtube: Logan and Skull Island reviews. New radio show comng soon with my review of Skull Island. Also in the bonus section: Godzilla 1994 that was never made but written by Terry Rossio who will be the head writer of Godzlla vs King Kong.

http://variety.com/2017/film/box-office/box-office-kong-skull-island-rules-with-mighty-61-million-debut-1202007236/
So far $151M world wide. This should be a little bit higher but still it's not a wash up and that's a good thing. We still have Australia, London, Japan and China in the coming weeks then we'll have a clearer picture what's going to happen with the sequels and of course the big showdown.
4 out of 5. They got most it right. But it did answer a lot of questions. And that opening credit scene with a giant turtle was a good catch for who ever caught it. I blinked and I missed it. Full review coming soon on the next radio show.

http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/824281-legendary-creates-monsterverse-writers-room-for-godzilla-vs-king-kong#/slide/1
This explains who the writers are for the developement of this franchise. Of course the big question was why the head writer Terry Rossio, co-writer of The Pirates franchise got this gig. Go to the bonus section and that will explain everything. Also being the highest paid writer in the business today doesn't hurt either.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/kong-skull-island-kong-actor-sequel-plans-andy-serkis-blessing-982044
So that is the actor who played Kong with Serkis as his mentor. Great gig if you can get it.

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/yoda-may-or-may-not-return-to-future-star-wars-movies-254
Actaully anyone who died can comeback as a ghost as proven at the end of Return of the Jedi. And you also heard the voices of Obi-Wan And Que Jin in Roce Awakens so this makes sense. It would be great to see all of them in #9 in the trilogy. I mean why not?

http://www.darkhorizons.com/guardians-gets-post-credits-first-estimates/
A post credit scene for Infinity War would be nice. But just the idea this would make that much money is plain crazy. And having that Baby Root doesn't hurt either. Merchandising sales alone on that will be huge.

http://theplaylist.net/ridley-scott-says-hes-still-trying-make-sequel-gladiator-20170313/
Ghost Jedi's is one thing but a ghost Gladiator? Wow, that is just desperate. He should have made this sooner. Just to much time in between for anyone to care.

*Bonus Section: The Script for Godzilla 1994 that was never filmed:

http://www.kaijuphile.com/rodansroost/scrapyard/godzillavsgryphon.shtml
This includes last minute changes to go with the budget cut. If Toho got more money this would included King Gidorah instead of The Gryphon.

http://godzilla.wikia.com/wiki/Godzilla_(1994_film)
This tells the story of the studio making that big mistake of turning down this version and go with Director's Emmerich version which turn out to be Godzilla 1998. Again headless making the wrong decision.

http://americankaiju.kaijuphile.com/american-godzilla/ag94page2.shtml
This includes the beginnings of translating the unused script for a graphic novel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ir1EcagszM
Godzilla Graphic Novel 1994, at the time of publishing only 78 pages were printed.


Tuesday, March 07, 2017

Logan's Wolverine No. 1



New Live on MNN this Saturday. New BTR radio show now playing. Logan, KK, GZ talk.

Update:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-preview-can-kong-skull-island-tower-logan-984501
Kong battles the Wolverine at the box office for the No. 1 spot. To be honest this will be a tought one.
As the article states, even the studio didn't think Logan would be that huge opening weekend. And those who were dissappointed in the previous 2 entries and were not goin to see this are now going.
Then of course we have the other side of the spectrum. We Godzilla fans want to see this one be a huge hit so we can to the biggest showdown between two icons. Then we have Disney's powerhouse Beauty and the beast arond the corner. Here is my question tho:
Why the hell did they release these 3 during March when they could've taken Memorial Day and July 4th by storm. So what do we get? Another Transformers movie for Indy Day..ZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/godzilla-actors-recall-horror-stories-wearing-suit-we-risked-lives-984272
Check out the documentary on Youtube. It's cut up into 4 pieces last time I saw it tho.

Previously:
http://variety.com/2017/film/box-office/logan-deadpool-xmen-box-office-1202002328/
So they got a world wide hit. And Jackman swears he won't do another one. First of all remember, no one really dies in sci-fi/fantasy/comic book movies. We all know Superman is coming back right?
Second, also mentioned in the article below, the studio has new management and are willing to make  "R" movies. Pay him enough and he could do a Deadpool movie. So many options here and no dead ends.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/logan-screenwriter-x-24-wolverine-final-scene-983152
Some spoilers but this includes Hughs screen test and how he got the part. That poor other actor tho, lol.

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/cool-videos-hugh-jackman-records-the-most-badass-adr-session-for-logan-189
Cool video seeing Jackman screaming his head off, lol. Even tho its only a snippet, the rest are scenes from the movie, it gives you a good insight of what he does in the booth for overdubbing.

http://variety.com/2017/film/asia/shin-godzilla-takes-seven-japan-academy-prizes-1202002245/
For Best Picture and Director no less. Way to go big guy! Guess the other awards were for effects.
But the funniest thing was the best foreign picture which went to Sully, a film that was ignored at the Oscars. Then again what do they know? They couldn't even get the best pciture catagory right, lol.

http://deadline.com/2017/03/star-trek-discovery-captain-jason-isaacs-cast-1202038246/
Who? Oh him from the Harry Potter series. That's right, thye got themselves an English dude for a captain. Kind of makes sense. That had a French captian so why not. But what kills me is he was born in LIverpool. Yep the same place as The Beatles came from. Now that's cool.