peter jackson
PopTastic – The Hobbit, Ghost Busters, X-Men & More
* So…The Hobbit is going to be 3 movies. There isn’t a script yet…or a budget…but, yeah, 3 films. [GeeksOfDoom]
* Global Warming opponents can go to Hell – and those in Oklahoma may very well be headed there. According to new reports, the current freak heat wave they’re experiencing is causing the street lights to melt. If we’re not going to alter our climate changing ways, we’ll have to at least tweak “Hot as balls” to “Hot as melting balls”. Naturally. [Inquistr]
* There have been a lot of talk about another Ghost Busters film claiming to be official. The newest comes from Cinema Blend stating that Bill Murray is officially out of any kind of future sequel. Granted, this story quotes Dan Aykroyd, but I’m still only taking it with a grain of salt. The only person who can say whether or not he’d be in is Murray himself, and even he wembles – it’s a word; look it up in the Fraggle Dictionary. The fact of the matter remains: These men are old. Like Indiana saving relics from the Nazi’s, perhaps this story should close completely. Can’t Hollywood come up with some new ideas, not simply “new-ish”? [CinemaBlend]
Photo Credit Inquistr
* The next X-Men movie has a name and it’s not “Second Class”. The next X-Men film, expected, will be called X-Men: The Days of Future Past, which to me is wordy and a bit Doctor Who-y. It’s also a fairly well known storyline of the comic book, making it a bit of a spoiler alert. This comes on the heels of set photos and video from the set Wolverine 2, which is currently filming. [HotOffThePresses, Hollywood Hills]
* There are rumors afoot that Jimmy Fallon may be in talks to host the 2013 Oscars. Lorne Michaels is expected to produce. Think he can get through any funny bits without giggling? I’m a fan of Jimmy Fallon, truly, and feel he’s definitely come into his own as a talk show host on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. [LATimes]
* Will Ferrell is super upset about Kristen Stewart cheating on Robert Pattinson, y’all. Like, super upset. Even calls BitchFace a TRAMPire. Oh, that “bitchface” thing? She’s got super bitchface, it’s just a matter of fact. Listen, if you want me to get all girly about it, no one should be so pussy whipped that he’s willing to dip his pen in the same ink at the same time as another man. Also, she’s shit for acting, also just matter of fact. Don’t let losers drag down your own rising star. Boom. What was I talking about again? [Inquistr]
Pop It Up Now: The Hobbit, Ace Power, & So Much More
* First of all: Horse Riding Fitness ACE POOOOOOOOOOWER!!!!!
Okay. I feel better now. Super fit…or at least super something.
* Netflix added the next season of Breaking Bad to Watch Instantly this past weekend. Naturally, my marriage has been put on the back burner until all episodes can be watched.
* Wired interviewed Neil Gaiman and his wife, Amanda Palmer. It’s all fine and good and funny and interesting. Whatever. All I really got out of it was that I am not Neil Gaiman’s wife, and I should be. At least I’ve believed I should be since the age of 13. [Wired]
* If you haven’t heard by now, you should know: There’s a guy in the hills of Utah dressing and behaving as a goat. Some are speculating that he’s a hunter. I am speculating he’s a man dressed as a goat with 99 problems and hunting ain’t one of them. [WebProNews]
* Every time you start to think you’re cool, just remind yourself that you’re not Patrick Stewart. You are not Patrick Stewart, and you never will be. You’ve never had the accolades he’s earned from doing Shakespeare while simultaneously doing voices for Seth McFarlaine and being the Captain of the Enterprise. And you won’t run the olympic torch across London while looking super awesome doing it. [Blastr]
* And, finally, Peter Jackson debuted the newest Hobbit journal at Comic Con. Whoot!
Pop Bytes – Push out the Jive, Bring in the Nerd with Arrested Development, Dark Knight & More.
I’ve been playing Red Dead Redemption and I’m totally obsessed. More than anything, I want to compile a collection of a bunch of the hats from John Marston’s unlockable outfits. Also, I’m a wicked good shot. Wicked good. I’ve just gotten a bit stuck on bagging a cougar with a stick of dynamite – but I’m sure I’ll get it soon.
And none of that has anything to do with this post, except for the fact that I “totes” don’t need any more hats; I already have an adorable collection that doesn’t get worn info.
Back to nerding out on real stuff.
It’s almost time. My Netflix subscription will finally pay off: New episodes of Arrested Development start filming in a mere 4 weeks! According to Netflix’s original statement, all new episodes will be uploaded for streaming all at once. Speaking of which, I’m going to have to re-watch all the old episodes stat. All original members of the cast are on board with this project, making it all the more exciting. [BuzzFeed]
Photo Credit That’sWhatSheaSaid
So, a Twilight fan was killed after being hit by car at Comic Con yesterday. When I first read that headline my first thought was “Oh, no! That poor 12 year old girl!” Only it wasn’t a young child; it was an adult woman over 50 years old. An adult who made the decision to run into on coming traffic to score a spot in line to see teen heartthrobs. No, she absolutely did not deserve to die and this is 100% a tragedy. I just feel our desire for escapism as Americans is a bit out of touch right now. [LATimes]
<Begin super thick sarcastic tone now.> Wow. I’m so surprised. Hey, everybody, Hollywood has decided to make Mockingjay, the final of the Hunger Games trilogy, into 2 movies. Wow, totally didn’t see that coming. <End sarcasm.> I am a fan of the Hunger Games books, I truly am. I felt, however, that Catching Fire and Mockingjay, based on their content, would need to be only 2 movies. It might have to overlap a bit, bringing some of the third book into the second part Catching Fire. While the second installment is exciting, there’s not much to it until…well, if you’ve read the book then you know. If you haven’t, I’m not spoiling it. In other words, there’s enough content there for 2 movies, but not any more than that. I just hope the next installment isn’t filmed likeThe Blair Witch Project again. But who are we to complain: We are the movie studios cattle, herding to pay over priced tickets for movies with budgets that are out of control. Ans we do it with smiles on our faces.
A 30 second clip has been released for The Dark Knight,airing on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
As the nerdiest of us know, it’s the 25th anniversary of TNG (that’s Star Trek: The Next Generation). Now, granted, the first season started off a bit rough, what with Riker’s super chin dimple and that Tasha Yar nonsense. Be that as it may, TNG quickly developed into the best Star Trek series, second only to TOS (that of course being The Original Series). To celebrate this, a number of movies theaters across the US are hosting an anniversary event showing two first season TNG episodes on the big screen. This is a one time thing on Monday July 23rd at 7pm – and, Austonians/Austinites, be aware that the Alamo Drafthouse will NOT be showing this. I know, I’m shocked, too. You can find out were to see this in your state on Fathom Events.
The Batmobile was designed in the late 1930’s. It’s one of those iconic cars that is instantly recognizable to this day, no matter how it’s updated. And it’s the standard to which every car lover out there compares their current ride to. It’s only fitting, and about time, that the creation and evolution of the Batmobile finally gets its own documentary. It will air Monday on the CW (whatever the hell network that is) at 8pm eastern time. Don’t expect amazement here, however: All six versions of the Batmobile are supposedly touched on, but the special is a mere 30 minutes in run time, so 22 when you subtract all those fantastic ads. Holy Bull Sh*t, Batman. [SuperHeroHype]
Tom Baker, the 4th inception of the Doctor and quite possible one of the most memorable with his incredible scarf, will be returning to Doctor Who for it’s 50th anniversary event. There is little to no additional news released on this event other than this will also serve as Matt Smith’s last moment as the character. I have been hesitant with each new inception of Doctor, hating that time for them passed so quickly and now I would have to work through the adventures with someone new, yet every time I’ve been more and more blown away. I had never been so surprised by an inception than with Matt Smith, who I feel managed to encapsulate the Good Doctor all too well, making his departure all that more rough. [Buzzfeed]
When I was young, I thought Xena was…well, not cool, per say, but one of the tougher women to look up to given my options as a child of the ’80’s. I find it interesting that now, 17 years after the short-lived television show aired, her “armor” is serving as inspiration for real life combat in the U.S. Military. I get the importance of properly fitted combat gear; a soldier must be protected while being able to move in a stealthy manner in order to complete their duties and survive. I just hope they dispense with curly golden designs on the tits. I don’t think those really aided to camouflage. [TheInquistr]
And, though it’s a month old, Peter Jackson has uploaded his 7th behind-the-scenes Hobbit movie journal to his YouTube page. What better way to end this out than with a little Hobbit enticement?
Poptastic 4 U: Hunger Games, CumberbaTch, Hobbit News, & More
I’m poppish and I know it.
*Ugh, new Hunger Games. I can’t wait for this movie. I am a nerd for this movie. I already have tickets to a showing (no, not midnight – I’m nerdy, but I’m also old). A spot aired on TV last night and, being a fan of the book, I have immediate reservations about it. Yes, I’m one of those asses that has problems when a movie doesn’t follow the book, i.e. the opening 4 seconds of this new trailer. Still excited, though. I’m mostly faux indignant. I do love the newest clip I’ve posted below the District 12 focused trailer.
*Speaking of The Hunger Games, a new report shows that even though the movie based on the young adult novel of the same name doesn’t come out for another three weeks, it may already be more popular that Twilight. I’m assuming it’s because The Hunger Games isn’t crap. …Did I mention I already have my tickets? [Blastr]
* Do I care about Top Chef? Not really. You see, living in Austin means I have access to more restaurants, and tattoo parlors, per capita than any other American city. I’ve been lucky enough to go to Uchiko a number of times. Their social hour is fantastic, the $6 Ham & Eggs of katsu pork belly served with yolk custard and espelette is amazing. This doesn’t even touch on their fish caramel sauce and maguro sashimi paired with goat cheese, fuji apple, pumpkin seed oil, and black pepper. It’s an incredible delight to sit there for hours tasting a million different things that you never dreamed were possible. So it was no surprise to me that Uchikos head creator, Paul Qui, won Top Chef recently. He may have “…felt pressure to win”, but that’s probably because everyone in Austin expected him to do so. [TV Guide]
*Wish there was a way for those Girl Scout Cookies to stick to your ass even faster? Well, yearn no more: You can soon get Girl Scout Cookie CHOCOLATE BARS! How about a Thin Mint Crunch Bar? No? Well, personally I’m holding out hope for a Samoa Reese’s cup. I’d call it a Katie Cookie FatAss Chunk. It would be awesome! Apparently the Thin Mint Crunch will be available in June. And who’s spreading this rumor, you might wonder? Why none other than the Girl Scouts of America themselves! [HuffingtonPost]
* You can take the Lindsey Lohan out of a train wreck, but you can’t take the train wreck out of the Lohan. I think that’s just about the nicest way I could word that. And, just for the record, I loved Mean Girls. In an attempt to ‘slum it’, Matt Lauer interviewed Lohan on the Today show. And in an attempt at a ‘come back’, Lohan…tried to have a coherent conversation. Ugh. It’s rough to watch and her hair only adds to the sad situation she’s in. [BuzzFeed]
* I want to live in Middle Earth the same way I want to work at Hogwarts. I’ll happily take being employed at a museum while living in New Zealand in exchange for that which does not exist. And this has absolutely nothing to do with Peter Jackson’s newest video production diary entry about The Hobbit! Is it me or is Andy Serkis getting kind of hot? Jackson is currently working on Part II of The Hobbit, no spoilers of which we’re able to see in the video. Many of the dwarves discuss their experiences and you get to see Hobbiton, which is beautiful beyond imagination, but you don’t really want to read me talking about it – you’d much rather watch it, right? See below.
* It’s about damn time: Johnny Depp is finally working on The Lone Ranger. The film will be coming to us from Walt Disney Studios and also stars – surprise, surprise – Helena Bonham Carter. I know: because we’ve all wondered what it would be like to see Depp and Bonham Carter in a film together and now we’ll finally get the chance. Depp will be Tonto to Armie Hammer’s John Reid, and Ranger will hit theaters in May 2013. [USAToday]
* Global warming is upon us. Our presidential candidates are an all new low of human scum. It is a leap year and the year the Mayans believed the world would end. But more than anything else, 2012 will be known as The Year of the CumberbaTch. He was Sherlock, he will be Smaug, and he’s currently portraying the new Star Trek villain. That’s not to mention War Horse and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, both of which were up for Academy Awards. No, there’s nothing that Brit can’t do apparently. Oh, wait. He can’t keep his mouth shut. In a recent interview with MTV, CumberbaTch notes that he couldn’t stop giggling while on The Hobbit set. He’s just such good besties with Martin Freeman, who portrays both Watson and Bilbo, that his pal’s hobbit get up kept causing the confident Englishman to burst into laughter. Very mature. A brief excerpt of the interview is below. [MTV]
* COMIC CON BADGES GO ON SALE THIS WEEKEND! Every year I get soooo excited for this. And every year I don’t go. I’ve never been to a Con and I feel sad and pathetic for it. I don’t know if I even truly want to go to SDCC at this point; it’s massively popular meaning there are too many people for too small a space, Hollywood has stepped in to make it less Comic-focussed and more Con-the-people-esque. Maybe I’ll drag my ass to Dragon Con one day, but I will always dream of SDCC before and after. Doesn’t really seem fair to DC, huh? [LATimes]
* Artist/Genius Igor Kieryluk decided to take it upon himself to imagine what the characters of Batman would look like if they were active during the Renaissance. Just check out Two Face below. [BuzzFeed]
Photo credit BuzzFeed
* Yet another ‘Worst Idea Ever’ is coming out of that stink pit known as Hollywood. A remake of National Lampoon’s Vacation is heading back to the big screen in the form of a remake. I couldn’t care less about this, so I’m ending it here: LAME. [DenOfGeek]
* Speaking of Hollywood, Netflix’s contract with Starz is coming to and end. Roughly translated this means that you have one week left to watch anything in your queue that’s a Starz feature. More than 800 titles will be soon to leave Netflix, so get off your ass and…and go sit on it, to watch some good family fun before it’s unavailable. Starz and Netflix were unable to reach a deal regarding pricing. Awesome. [SlashFilm]
* I once made my father an apron of questionable taste, as ironed onto it were the words “Heil to the Chef”. But aprons don’t have to just be plain or funny. They can also be hot as hell, as proven by Etsy store Nerd Alert. Love2Right came up with fantastically themed aprons including Harry Potter, Portal, and Super Heroes – oh, so many Super Heroes! My personal favorites are Wolverine and the Link aprons, but the S-Mart one is pretty great, too! By far the best thing about these aprons? They’re super affordable! [GeeksAreSexy]
* I have to tell you: Rush Limbaugh is an idiot. I’ve written about it, sure, but let it be know he is a stupid, stupid man. Birth control has nothing to do with prostitution, is not prostitution, and a man who confuses the two has no place in any role of authority or power. Just the latest news in his long term goal of proving himself a Class-A Moron. [BuzzFeed]
* And, finally, Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie trailer has finally hit the web. Both the new trailer AND the original 1984 movie in its entirety are below. Enjoy.
Hobbit & iPad3 Now, Ribs Later
It’s Peanut Butter Hobbit time!
Let’s do a couple of Sunday morning rumors, shall we?
* The Guardian is throwing around the rumor that Peter Jackson may have plans to change the ending of the Hobbit. Now, the title for this article is “Will Peter Jackson give Tolkien’s Story a New Ending?” and I resent that. A title like that causes millions of Ringers to shit themselves while simultaneously hitting a thousand internet nerd forums to pour angry font diarrhea out over nothing. Remember how the Return of the King (the movie) ended? Do you remember how the book ended? Yeah, not the same. The Shire was over run by the time Samwise and Frodo got back. Their story didn’t end when they finally disposed of the ring in Mount Doom. Frodo did see enslavement of the Shire in the movie, when he looked in Galadriel’s mirror; this is the fate of the Shire regardless of whether or not Frodo completes his quest, not just in the event of failure as she states.
[Photo courtesy of Screenrant]
The rumor of change was brought about due to an EmpireOnline interview with Benedict Cumberbatch in which he stated that he voices Smaug (Yeaaaa!) and the Necromancer (speaking of the dead, not a doer of the dead) who eventually turns into the eye of Sauran. The Necromancer’s change into the Sauran happens not int The Hobbit, but later and involves the Battle of Five Armies, which is well away from any part of There and Back Again. So, we’ll just have to see.
The fact remains that my excitement for the films is undiminished.
I love Tolkien’s works. And I loved the movies. I’m not worried about any little tweak Peter Jackson may make. He’s stretching the Hobbit into two movies and it’s not that long of a book. Maybe he needs a little filler.
* Apple is apparently unleashing both an iPad 3 AND 4 in 2012. This is stupid. I don’t believe that for a second. I do believe that they may try a scaled down version to compete with the Kindle Fire and new Nook, but until I have a $300 ipad in my hands, I’m not getting a boner for any new iPad rumors for quite a while. [Inquistr]
Photo courtesy of Inquistr
I have to be off to Ultimate Frisbee, but afterwards Chip & I will be having a Rib Off.
That’s right: Not just one rib recipe, but TWO.
Be excited.
I am.
Hobbit Afterglow: 21 Jump Street, SNL, Batman & More!
I am slightly sad we didn’t see a glimmer of Smaug even though I knew full well he wouldn’t be in the first part of the Hobbit. That being said, I don’t want to admit to the amount of times I’ve watched that trailer…and have subsequently gotten my coworkers to do the same.
On to Pop Bytes!
* Daniel Radcliffe, also known as Entertainment Weekly’s Entertainer of the Year, will be hosting SNL in January. The musical guest will be Lana Del Rey. I have no idea who that is. Radcliffe is the first of the Holy Harry Potter trifecta to host the legendary skit show. Emma Watson of now modeling and acting fame has a fairly good chance for a future spot given her blossoming career. Not sure the same could be said for the rough looking ginger one at this point… [NYDailyNews]
* 1 million Avengers = No time for Diddlin’! Okay, there aren’t 1 million Avengers, but there are quite a few and when you write a script that pays specific attention to each that leaves little time for love makin’ on the side, according to writer Joss Whedon. So if you were planning on seeing the Black Widow and Hawk Eye get it on, keep dreaming. [Blastr]
* The trailer for 21 Jump Street is now online, though unlike the Hobbit trailer, I’m not sure too many people will be chomping at the bit to view it. Or watching it more than once. I too enjoyed the television show. When I was eleven.
* While we’re still working off that Hobbit mountain high, let me point out that Google Maps has a Middle Earth easter egg. If you haven’t already typed “Let it snow” into a google search bar, you should hop on that bandwagon, too. [BuzzFeed]
* Can’t get enough Batman buzz? Well, a new trailer has been released to help ease – or worsen – your addiction. [Apple Trailers]
* His belly shakes like a bowl of jelly. His beard is as white as the snow. He’s got a twinkle in his eye and a button red nose. And, apparently, Santa also has a boner for suuuuuuuuper slutty teenage girls. I guess it also burns when he pees now, huh? [BuzzFeed]
* A replicator would be great, but just working on the Enterprise for the United Federation of Planets would be tops!…But, then, I’d still probably be an admin, and I bet even in space that post ain’t a glamorous one. With the iPad 2 we’re all ready ahead of the tablets that the Starfleet crew used and Apple is bringing us closer to holographic messages day by day. Still, there are other awesome gadgets we thought we’d have by now that just aren’t a reality. [Tecca]
* Speaking of Star Trek, the 398,000th rumor to hit the news is that the sequel will have a little Capt. Pike action in it. There have been so many even “confirmed” rumors that have been squashed at this point. Though I’d be thrilled for his inclusion, I will take this with a grain of salt. [Blastr]
* And, finally, Spoke Art has released Star Wars ninja prints. And I want them all! [MTV Geek]
Hobbit Trailer!
The Hobbit trailer. I am absolutely in love. Hate the thought of having to wait a year just to see the first part; I’m REALLY looking forward to Benedict Cumberbatch’s Smaug.
