Monday, November 28, 2011

Barbara Gordon & Dark Knight Rises

Recently a rumor has been going around that Ellen Page is in The Dark Knight Rises and would be playing Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Jim Gordon's (Gary Oldman) daughter, who in the comic books eventually becomes Batgirl. However, this rumor is apparently a fake.

However, the film takes place 8 years after The Dark Knight. We see Barbara Gordon in The Dark Knight at the end with the showdown between Batman, Harvey Dent and Gordon. She looks to be around 10 or 11 years old, so in this film she would probably be around 18/19. So it's somewhat likely she will be in the film and who knows, maybe becomes Batgirl at some point.

It hasn't been confirmed if Barbara Gordon is in the film or not, but Juno Temple is playing a "Street-smart Gotham girl." We don't have a name for her character though...which leads me to believe that she is Barbara Gordon and they are keeping it under wraps, considering the film takes place 8 years after the previous film and she would now be in her late teens. Maybe she has something to do with being trained and taken under the wing by Catwoman while Batman is gone? It's all speculation, but it sure is fun to try and figure out.

Speaking of Catwoman, Anne Hathaway is engaged to Adam Shulman. Congrats! As for Christian Bale, he confirmed that Dark Knight Rises will be the last time he plays Batman.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Survive Black Friday?

Looks like Black Friday got a little heated this year. I blame the admittedly funny "Crazy Target Lady." She is portrayed by the very funny stand up comic Maria Bamford. Maybe they should hire her for Valentine's Day? I look forward to those ads more than I do the actual day, since I would rather sit on my ass and order the deals online. Yes, you can get most of the same deals online and you don't have to worry about being sprayed with pepper spray or being punched in the face! Go figure...

Pepper Spray incidents, a shooting, fights, a drunk guy getting tasered, and a mob over 2 dollar Waffle Irons. Most of these happened at Wal-Mart...does Wal-Mart bring out the crazy in people on an already crazy day?

Well, I hope everyone enjoys their 3 dollar copies of The Dark Knight or the cheap toaster or Taylor Swift CD or whatever it is you got. Happy Holidays!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Memorable Thanksgiving Episodes

It seems every television show tackles Christmas, though plenty have gone with Thanksgiving episodes as well. Friends is notable for having one every year and were by far the masters of creating funny, memorable Thanksgiving moments on TV. We'll soon see how some of this seasons shows stack up with their Holiday themed episodes. Modern Family tackles Thanksgiving this week for the first time, and it's sure to be a favorite. For now, here are some of TV's best Thanksgiving episodes.

Friends - The One With The Football (1996). Pretty much every Friends Thanksgiving episode is great, but this one stands out the most. The gang decides to pay a game of touch football, with Monica and Ross bringing out their old sibling rivalry and the hilarious "Geller Cup" prize, which is a troll nailed to a piece of wood.

The Simpsons - Bart vs. Thanksgiving (1990). One of the best Simpsons episodes, we see some great dysfunctional family moments when they all gather up, which I'm sure many can relate to. Bart ends up going to a soup kitchen after fighting with Lisa, but eventually the family reunite for a feel-good end and some leftovers with the in-laws gone.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973). This is an obvious inclusion. Not as memorable as A Charlie Brown Christmas or The Great Pumpkin, but you can't go wrong with this one either. The group has their own Thanksgiving and Charlie Brown scrambles to find food, so they get toast, pretzels and some popcorn. And of course, that evil bitch Lucy pulls the football when Charlie Brown tries to kick it.

Married... With Children - A Bundy Thanksgiving (1996). The Bundy's are known for their Christmas episodes, though Thanksgiving gets one in as well. A stray turkey follows Kelly Bundy home, and she does her best to try and protect it. So she tries to let it fly by tossing it out the window...

Everybody Loves Raymond - No Fat (1998). Marie is trying to be healthier, so she buys a Tofu Turkey instead of a regular one and everyone is forced to try and eat it. Their reactions are perfect, and eventually a real turkey makes it's way to the table.

South Park - Hellen Keller! The Musical (2000) - In classic South Park fashion, they take Thanksgiving and turn out a raunchy and hilarious episode from it. The kids are putting on a Thanksgiving Extravaganza at school, so they go over the top with their version of The Miracle Worker in order to out-do the kindergartners, which Butters says have an amazing performance. Turns out the kindergarten performance is short and simple, with a little confetti. It's safe to say they all get pissed at Butters.

The Office - WUPHF.com (2010) - Dwight hosts a Thanksgiving hay festival in the Dunder Mifflin parking lot. He tells about how his family did this when he was a child, and he was never appointed "Hay King." So instead of letting the kids at the festival be King, he makes himself the King. And Kevin of course gets lost in the maze.

What are your favorite Thanksgiving episodes?

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Mirror Mirror Trailer

After the trailer for Snow White & The Huntsman was released, we now have the trailer for the competing Mirror Mirror. Comparing the two movies, it's clear Mirror Mirror is going for a more comedy route thrown in with the action. It still has a dark feel to it, but not nearly as much as Snow White & The Huntsman. The two films are being released very close to each other, makes me wonder if it could hurt the box office of one.

Based on the current movie climate, I think The Huntsman will be more popular. The Dark Knight popularized the serious, darker take on a fantasy film by getting universal critical acclaim and a ton of cash. There is room for both films though, and it seems both Charlize Theron and Julia Roberts play the Evil Queen well in their own way.

Now, we wait for the trailer for the highly anticipated The Dark Knight Rises, which will be attached to Sherlock Holmes when that hits theaters. We better see some Anne Hathaway as Catwoman kicking some ass in this one!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Snow White & The Huntsman Trailer!

The trailer for the upcoming film Snow White & The Huntsman is out now and can be seen below! This is not your childhood Snow White. It's a much darker version, and the trailer conveys that well so parents won't take young kids to see it. It looks like a cross between Alice in Wonderland (2010), The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows. They are planning to turn this into a trilogy, and from the looks of it the movie will be a success. The film stars Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Ian McShane and Eddie Izzard and will be out on June 1, 2012. See the trailer below, courtesy of joblo & Apple.




Another Snow White film comes out in March 2012, titled Mirror Mirror. This one stars Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer, Sean Bean and Nathan Lane. There is no footage, but as you can see to the right, the film is more colorful than Snow White & The Huntsman and looks a bit more whimsical. Maybe it will be similar in style to the Narnia films? We will see soon enough.

Are you looking forward to both films, or just one?

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

U2's Achtung Baby Re-Released

Today, U2 has released multiple versions of their perfect 1991 album Achtung Baby. Most people should probably opt for the cheaper 2-Disc edition which can also be downloaded on iTunes & Amazon. It has the original album plus B-Sides and Unreleased tracks. For the people who want everything though, there is a Super Deluxe Edition with 6 CD's including the 1993 followup album Zooropa, as well as 4 DVD's including the great From The Sky Down documentary and the Zoo TV: Live from Sydney concert as well as a bunch of other goodies. Then there's the Uber Deluxe Edition, including sunglasses styled from the Zoo TV tour that Bono wore, as well as vinyl albums.

For those that haven't heard this album, what are you waiting for? It's one of the most creative albums of all time, and every song is a must-listen. One of the new, unreleased tracks on the 2-Disc edition is "Blow Your House Down", which could easily have been a single-worthy song, yet was left off the album. Shows how many great songs came from this. All the B-sides and remixes are interesting songs, and the 2-disc version does not cost too much more than the single disc. Definitely a worthy purchase for both long time fans and new listeners. I'm pretty sure everyone has heard the classic singles "One" and "Mysterious Ways" though.

For those who want the Super Deluxe, there are four extra unreleased songs. The best of which is "Oh Berlin", a haunting track that easily could have been on the main album as well. "Heaven and Hell" & "Everybody Loves a Winner" are fine tracks as well but not as memorable as "Oh Berlin" or "Blow Your House Down". Another is "Down All The Days", an early version of the track "Numb" from Zooropa with Bono on vocals instead of Edge.

It would be difficult to even rank the songs, because they are all so good. I'd have to say "The Fly" is probably my favorite song off the album. It was the first single and at the time it was very different from what people were used to from the band. I like to say it has some nice crunching guitar throughout. Anyone have a favorite track from Achtung Baby?