Corey

Considering it’s summer and there are no other sports on TV, we have a hunch that you watched the MLB All-Star Game last night. We’re writing this before the first pitch though, we’re not sure if the game consisted of anything memorable, although being in New York, we really hope something awesome happens tonight. Since [...]

Nike had to pull a Carolina Panthers tee after realizing the design featured an outline of South Carolina instead of North Carolina.

I Declare War is a good indie about kids whose game of “war,” played in the forest near their home, turns very serious. Perhaps not quite as serious as the trailer would suggest — while kids are running around with real guns in their hands this is no Red Dawn scenario. Rather, the film lets us see what is in the head of each kid as they fight in the game. So a stick becomes a rifle or a bazooka thanks to the imagination of each player.

While the weapons are imaginary, the power struggle and final stakes are very real — this game will be the way that many of the players start to grow up. I really enjoyed I Declare War when it played Fantastic Fest. In part because it is a weird, entertaining movie, but also because it deals with those moments of maturity in a way that really works for the characters. Check out the new trailer below. 

Drafthouse Films has definitely put its own spin on the film by cutting this footage in the vein of ’80s action movies. That really emphasizes the action part of the movie, but there’s more to I Declare War than the shooting.

I Declare War opens on VOD July 26, and will hit some theaters on August 30.

Armed with nothing more than twigs, their imaginations and a simple set of rules, a group of 12-year-olds engaged in a lively game of Capture the Flag in the neighborhood woods start dangerously blurring the lines between make-believe and reality. Rocks = Grenades. Trees = Control towers. Sticks = Submachine guns. The youthful innocence of the game gradually takes on a different tone as the quest for victory pushes the boundaries of friendship. The would-be warriors get a searing glimpse of humanity’s dark side as their combat scenario takes them beyond the rules of the game and into an adventure where fantasy combat clashes with the real world.

• Drafthouse Films to Distribute Festival Award Winner ‘I Declare War’
• ‘I Declare War’ Review: Childhood Conflict Emulates Adulthood in Audience Award Winner [Fantastic Fest 2012]
• First Wave Of Fantastic Fest 2012 Films Includes ‘Dredd 3D,’ ‘Room 237,’ ‘Wrong’ And More
• Filmmakers on Stage: Trey Parker and Matt Stone go Off-Broadway; In Bruges Director Martin McDonagh Teams Up With Tom Waits and Robert Wilson

Few topics are more divisive than the subject of tipping. How much should we tip? Whom should we tip? And, most of all, should we even be tipping at all?

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Good riddance

Futurama

We spend a lot of time trying to avoid discomfort. We'll never succeed, though. Preparing for discomfort by getting used to it only makes sense.

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"Be yourself" is great advice for learning to be comfortable and confident in your own skin. It's also horrible advice that can lead to character flaws being interpreted as "personality quirks".

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By now, most of us have the headlight pattern of a Crown Vic burned into our brains. When we see them in the rear-view at night, it's pretty much an autonomous instinct to slow down, even if it means that our nation's cabbies and old people have a very mistaken idea about traffic speeds. But what to do now that Crown Vic is dead?

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Apparently Game of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn, who plays Hodor on the show, is actually a pretty well-known DJ in his native Ireland. No doubt he busts a mean Hodor while hodoring the Hodors on the dance hodor.

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AccuWeather wants you to know that you need not live in fear of shark-bearing tornadoes. The weather site debunks not only the idea of sharks attacking humans from a tornado, but also some of the other odd weather patterns in Syfy's Sharknado movie.

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With The Lone Ranger confirmed as one of the biggest bombs in an altogether underwhelming summer at the movies, it’s the perfect time for Sharknado to rear its ridiculous head and draw in millions. It won’t be in theaters, though, only on the SyFy Channel (and soon enough home video). Directed by Antonio C. Ferrante (SyFy’s recent version of Hansel & Gretel), Sharknado is one of those uber-high-concept SyFy originals that’s easily understood by its title alone (“enough said!” is its tagline, after all). But what is a sharknado? Well, it’s a massive “super tornado” that has sucked up tons of sharks from the ocean and is “hurling” them at Los Angeles. Humans played by Tara Reid, John Heard and Ian Ziering (playing a guy named “Fin,” no kidding) do something on the ground in order to add some sort of plot to the carnage.

There’s no way Sharknado is going to be a quality movie, but that’s not it’s aim, and that’s part of what shall make it a refreshing alternative to this year’s blockbusters, many of which seem intended to be taken seriously in spite of how dumb they are (“legitimate” sci-fi flicks Star Trek Into Darkness, Oblivion and After Earth included). Viewers and critics, meanwhile, have been overthinking other tentpoles that shouldn’t be taken too seriously, like top grosses Man of Steel and Iron Man 3. Still, there is a weight given to these movies due to their caliber of production brands and price tags. Sharknado is a cheap B-movie and will be dependable in meeting exactly what we expect of it.

It’s not surprising to see reactions like the following from comic book artist Adam Hughes on Twitter (via Mashable): “Frankly been disappointed with most of the big summer movies so far, but I know that will change. For I have seen the teaser for SHARKNADO.”

It helps that Sharknado is on cable, too. There’s the cost in having the service through which to watch SyFy, and there is commercial interruption and pop up ads, but it’s looked at as free entertainment compared to the cost of going out to the movies. Summer is when we think the high ticket prices will be reciprocated with event movies that are worth the money and the time and the effort. When these movies fail us, why not just stick with something that’s going to be so bad it’s good? At least we know Sharknado will be a laugh riot, right?

“These are not comedies,” claims SyFy programming and original movies VP Thomas Vitale (via the NY Daily News). “They have that outlandish, campy, over-the-top tone, but the people involved are real and want to survive. If you were in a situation where all of a sudden you have sharks falling from the sky, once you got over the insanity of it, you’d try to survive.”

Do people in comedies usually think they’re in comedies? Even in something as meta as This Is the End (one of the few real theatrical treasures of this summer) the characters are for the most part taking the situation they’re in seriously. But anyway, Vitale is right to a degree. Movies like Sharknado aren’t made with jokes, necessarily, but they are as a whole just big gags. There is no denying that internally.

It’s also worth noting that years ago we might have seen this as schlock counter-programming at the multiplex. B-movies of this nature were once staples of drive-ins especially decades ago. And as recent as 2006 it was thought that the straightforwardly titled Snakes on a Plane was going to be huge just because of its name and premise. It also came out at the tail end of another weak summer movie season, which coincidentally had its own Superman movie, its own Fast and Furious sequel (the then-unsuccessful Tokyo Drift) and another disappointing Gore Verbinski adventure (the second Pirates of the Caribbean installment, Dead Man’s Chest) and another M. Night Shyamalan bomb (Lady in the Water). SoaP came in only at #93 that year on the box office chart, far worse than most of the films it promised to be salvation from.

Sharknado might not have a larger audience in the end (especially considering SoaP’s viewership on video) but it might get more than enough curious eyes at least for part of the movie. Because it’s so easy to just give it a try. Whether it holds our attention or requires a drinking game to go along with it, that’s another matter. The TV movie debuts on SyFy this Thursday, July 11, at 9pm ET (following a marathon of shark-centric SyFy originals, like Sharktopus and Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus). The DVD and Blu-ray of Sharknado will be released via The Asylum on September 3.  Check out the teaser below.

July marks the middle of summer, but it also marks the half way point of each year which means half the movies you were looking forward to seeing this year have already hit theater screens! With so many major studio releases out each weekend (plus a healthy offering of indie fare) it can be overwhelming to try and remember what you’ve seen, what you wanted to see, and any unexpected titles that may have caught your eye, but you never got a chance to actually sit down and check out.

At the beginning of the year we posted a list of the 52 Most Anticipated Movies to come out in 2013 and with half the year already gone, it seemed like a good time to look back on the films that have already come out and highlight those with fantastic music you might have missed. Summer is the perfect time to play catch up on entertainment with most television shows on hiatus and long summer nights to fill so if you are looking for a list of movies from this year that featured noteworthy tunes, you have come to the right place.

Some of these films are still out in theaters, some are already available on DVD, and some may need to be added to your Netflix queue to ensure you don’t miss them a second time, but all ten of these soundtracks should have you humming along well into December.

Sound City

With a title like Sound City, you know it will be a film full of good music. Dave Grohl’s debut documentary does not disappoint and its accompanying album, “Sound City: Real to Reel,” is filled to the brim with brand new songs from artists like Stevie Nicks, Paul McCartney, and Trent Reznor. Grohl brought together some of the most well-known artists to record at Sound City and had them lay down new music as a tribute to the iconic studio.

Sound City is a wonderful behind-the-scenes look at the infamous Neve board (which all these songs were recorded on) that made the studio famous, making this album the perfect accompaniment to the film. But more importantly, the album is proof that while the doors of Sound City may now be closed, the studio’s legacy and influence will continue to rock on.

Where can you hear it? Visit the Sound City website to see the various formats the film is available through and you can purchase the “Sound City: Real to Reel” album through iTunes and Amazon.

Stoker

Stoker presented a fairly off-putting premise, but it also featured fantastic new music from composer Clint Mansell plus hip-hop styled tracks from Emily Wells and an unsettling piano duet from Philip Glass. The combination of these various styles caused both Stoker and its soundtrack to never feel quite right, but the way these styles ended up playing off each other created a sonic landscape that was too intriguing to turn away from.

Music certainly played a pivotal role in Stoker with the family’s piano poised as a major fixture in the house, and one that led to some of the film’s most climactic moments. At the hand of a master like Mansell, the piano  almost became a character in its own right, driving the narrative and making Stoker’s soundtrack both beautiful and terrifying.

Where can you hear it? Stoker is currently available on DVD and you can purchase the soundtrack through iTunes or Amazon.

Spring Breakers

Spring Breakers may have come across like a neon infused fever dream, but if the color and flash didn’t catch your attention, the music definitely should. Boasting a soundtrack full of new music from Cliff Martinez, Spring Breakers ups the ante by also teaming the composer up with well-known dupstep artist, Skrillex. Martinez’s penchant for creating electronic based scores paired perfectly with Skrillex’s frenetic beats making Spring Breakers’ music both kinetic and in-your-face, but also surprisingly catchy.

It was clear that a very specific style of music would be needed to bring the unforgettable world of Spring Breakers to life and the combination of Martinez and Skrillex, plus tracks from artists like Waka Flocka Flame and Gucci Mane, definitely made it feel like in this world, Spring Break could last forever.

Where can you hear it? Spring Breakers is currently available on DVD and you can purchase the soundtrack through iTunes or Amazon.

Olympus Has Fallen

While that “other” movie about the White House being taken over is currently out in theaters, the music driving this year’s earlier release, Olympus Has Fallen, was the stronger offering as it demanded you sit up and take notice. Working in seamless concert with the film’s impressive (and vibrating) sound design, Trevor Morris‘ score delivered everything you would want from the music for a blockbuster by adding to the fun and action on screen.

Where White House Down pays homage to films like Die Hard through its action and costuming, Olympus Has Fallen followed the lead of movies like Top Gun to create action packed music that also plays to the emotion of the narrative, but never exploiting it. Fantastic action sequences can be found in both films, but it is Olympus Has Fallen that used its music to make you feel as though you were truly in the movie with those on screen, creating an immersive experience that was made to be listened to in Dolby surround sound.

Where can you hear it? Olympus Has Fallen will be available on DVD on 8/13 and you can currently purchase the soundtrack through iTunes or Amazon.

Mud

Mud was one of those little indie features that seemed to fly under the radar earlier this year, but should definitely be sought out as it is a film that features strong performances accented by intoxicating music. David Wingo and Lucero created a beautiful and haunting soundtrack for Mud that took you right into the film’s slightly mysterious world. Wingo is no stranger to the world of film music (having composed the music for Snow Angels and Take Shelter) and his thought provoking, nuanced tracks pair perfectly with the rougher, more rock ‘n roll tracks from Lucero.

Both styles give the feeling of the Deep South, but in very different ways that surprisingly compliment one another. While the music works beautifully within the film, Mud‘s soundtrack also stands well outside of it with catchy songs from Ben Nichols you could imagine playing on any radio down South, giving the film a subconscious sense of authenticity.

Where can you hear it? Mud is still playing in select theaters and will be available on DVD on 8/6. You can currently purchase the soundtrack through iTunes or Amazon.

Pain & Gain

The premise of Pain & Gain seemed silly and over the top (body builders turned murders directed through the lens of Michael Bay), but when a top notch composer like Steve Jablonsky comes on board, things get interesting. Jablonsky went against expectation and did not create a score that was all gruff and flash to mirror the protagonists, instead creating music that is both fresh and layered, giving the film a real pulse. Jablonsky has collaborated with Bay on the past three Transformers films so it is no surprise the composer understands how to highlight the director’s signature style in a way that resonates with audiences and has created a hidden gem in what could have been an easily dismissed film.

Also – it is rare that the score (not soundtrack) for a film is featured heavily in the film’s trailer (especially for a movie aimed to immediately grab people’s attention) so it is a testament to Jablonsky’s work that it scores the trailer for Pain & Gain as much as it did the film.

Where can you hear it? Pain & Gain is still playing in select theaters and will be available on DVD on 8/27. You can currently purchase the soundtrack through iTunes or Amazon.

The Great Gatsby

Baz Luhrmann has long been known for his ability to fill his films with memorable, contemporary music, but many thought the Jay-Z curated soundtrack for The Great Gatsby was a misstep and took away from the film’s time period rather than energizing it. However, on its own, the soundtrack sings with fantastic music that works from beginning to end. Some of the songs are well used within the fabric of the film (like Lana Del Rey‘s “Young and Beautiful” and Florence + The Machine‘s “Over The Love”), but overall the soundtrack works better on its own.

The soundtrack successfully takes current artists and styles them in music of the 1920s or has them singing to key moments in the story, creating a soundtrack that works better as a stand alone companion piece to the film by capturing Luhrmann’s more modern take on this classic American novel.

Where can you hear it? The Great Gatsby is still playing in select theaters and will be available on DVD on 8/27. You can currently purchase the soundtrack through iTunes or Amazon.

Fast & Furious 6

The Fast and the Furious franchise has always been known for three things: fast cars, insane race sequences, and pumping music. Fast & Furious 6 does not miss a beat and fills its soundtrack with songs from 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa, T.I., and (one of the race crew’s own) Ludacris. The Fast movies know how to give audiences what they want which is a simple formula of amazing action sequences set to adrenaline driving music.

Fast & Furious 6 was one of the most fun movies to hit theaters this year and the soundtrack successfully recreates that exciting feeling – just be sure you watch your speed when listening to it while driving.

Where can you hear it? Fast & Furious 6 is still playing in select theaters and you can purchase the soundtrack through iTunes or Amazon.

Despicable Me 2

Pharrell Williams and Heitor Pereira team up once again on the soundtrack for Despicable Me 2 and create music that is fun and catchy without dumbing things down for kids thanks to clever lyrics and layered grooves. Williams jumped into the world of film composing with Despicable Me so it is no surprise to see him return to the sequel as he brings with him the original film’s signature track, “Despicable Me,” along with new tracks like “Just a Cloud Away” and “Happy” which are sure to become new classics.

Add to that some hilarious and charming tracks from The Minions themselves (see: “I Swear”) and you have a soundtrack that proves why some of the year’s best music can be found in animated films.

Where can you hear it? Despicable Me 2 is currently out in theaters and you can purchase the soundtrack through iTunes or Amazon.

The Way, Way Back

Coming of age movies always seem to feature the best music and The Way, Way Back is no exception, delivering a soundtrack full of tracks from classic artists like Mr. Mister and INXS and current artists like Wild Belle and Tim Myers. The Way, Way Back never sets itself in a specific time period and the soundtrack’s combination of older and current music create a timeless feeling that perfectly reflects the universal experience of growing up. 

The upbeat soundtrack adds to the film’s authentic feeling by reflecting those times when you were stuck listening to music your parent’s liked while on vacation and then you popped in your own ear buds to listen to the music you actually liked. The narrative may deal with some heavier issues (even when off-set by some brilliant comedic timing from Allison Janney‘s Betty), but the soundtrack keeps things light, giving The Way, Way Back its charming appeal.

Where can you hear it? The Way, Way Back is currently out in limited release and you can purchase the soundtrack through iTunes or Amazon.

What movie music have you fallen in love with this year?

“Upstate Moops” by James O Inspired by Seinfeld

Greg Sestero starred as Mark in 2003’s The Room, a film that might have been lost to history if it were only terrible—instead of grandly, incredibly, unbelievably terrible. Since its release, the movie and its director have become a cottage industry. Tommy Wiseau turned ridicule into dollars, and he now claims that The Room was a dark comedy all along. (It wasn’t.) In this exclusive look at the author’s note to his new book about the experience, The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, The Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made, Sestero begins to describe the surreal experience. The book comes out October 1, and it’s got a new cover now—see below the piece.

Imagine a movie so incomprehensible that you find yourself compelled to watch it over and over again. You become desperate to learn how (if) on earth it was conceived: who ...

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Cost of living

If the list of guest contributors is any indication, Deltron 3030’s forthcoming second LP is going to be really, really weird. Deltron 3030: Event II is set to hit stores Oct. 1 and contains work of one sort or another from Damon Albarn, Mike Patton, The Lonely Island, Zack De La Rocha, David Cross, Amber Tamblyn, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, chef David Chang, Black Rob, a guy from AWOLNATION, Emily Wells, and Jamie Cullum. The totally rap-friendly Gordon-Levitt even appears in the album’s teaser trailer, below.

Group member Del The Funky Homosapien detailed the album’s concept in a press release, saying that the album is like “a rock opera, but using rap,” with the concept being that “the Deltron world has gone too far with technology,” and the crew is “like pirates, running rogue, doing what we do to survive.”

Event II will be preceded by ...

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In the living Internet that is Universal Orlando’s new Simpsons Fast Food Boulevard, the streets are paved with references, as well as, presumably, stepped-on Krusty Burger remnants. But mostly references, an attention to detail and fan service that extends all the way to a gift shop that carries, yep, “BORT” license plates. [EDIT: Or, fine, they are Kwik-E-Mart name tags. They are tags with the word "BORT" on them. Let's just agree to laugh about this.] Unfortunately, as seen in the “Itchy & Scratchy Land” episode and as documented by CollegeHumor, “Bort” is a very popular name, and there are only so many “BORT” tags to go around. Probably still plenty of “BARCLAY” ones, though. [via Splitsider]

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It’s been 30 years since the release of Bill Cosby: Himself, the special that revolutionized stand-up comedy by alerting comics to the existence of chairs. Now, after decades in which that film spawned The Cosby Show and influenced comics who continue to sing its praises to this day—albeit mostly while standing, still having yet to master the chair—Cosby is coming back. Comedy Central has announced it will air Bill Cosby: Far From Finished on November 24, Cosby’s first comedy special since Himself, and the first time anyone has seen him do a stand-up set outside of the live audiences who have seen him on tour. Robert Townsend—a fellow guy who was very active in the ‘80s, then not as much—directed the special, which is culled from Cosby’s appearance at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center last month. According to some recent reviews, Cosby is ...

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Last night’s sharknado did untold damage to Southern California, wrecking the coastline, the roads, and even the iconic Hollywood sign. But apparently Syfy has no sympathy for the disaster’s poor victims, because they’re eager to unleash another. Though nothing’s officially set just yet, Syfy is already discussing the possibility of a Sharknado sequel. Hit the jump for more details.

Syfy exec Thomas Vitale discussed the possibility of a Sharknado 2 while speaking to THR. “We’ve had a lot of meetings, emails. I’m not being coy, [but] that’s obviously being talked about,” he said. However, he cautioned, “[T]here’s nothing going to be announced now just because we haven’t had real discussions with the real people we have to talk to about that.”

Ratings-wise, Sharknado wasn’t actually wasn’t a massive hit. Depending on which outlet you believe, it drew either just over 1 million viewers, which places it below average for a Syfy original, or 1.4 million viewers, which puts it on par with similar programs. Either way, those numbers aren’t anything to get excited about.

But in terms of buzz, Sharknado was a phenomenon. According to analytics firm Fizziology (via THR), the B-movie attracted up to 5,000 tweets a minute yesterday, making it the top-trending topic on Twitter. In total, it inspired over 600,000 tweets last night. That’s more than twice what Game of Thrones‘ infamous Red Wedding episode got when it aired earlier this summer.

It’s also more than Syfy expected, even after the marketing campaign (“Enough said!”) went viral in the months leading up to the premiere. “We’ve had other movies where the titles would catch some buzz, like Sharktopus or Jersey Shore Shark Attack,” Vitale commented to Variety. “But the level that Sharknado reached, that was a surprise. It’s one of those happy accidents.”

Since Syfy counts on these films to “market themselves” for free by getting attention online, that’s a big plus. Additionally, all that chatter should help Sharknado draw decent ratings on repeat airings — like the one planned for 7 PM next Thursday, to lead into the Frankie Muniz-starring Blast Vegas.

Discuss: My big question, then, is how they’ll possibly top that tagline. I’m pretty sure “Enough said!” is a tagline that’s ruined me for all other taglines.

• Almost Red Band Trailer for ‘Sharknado’
• ‘Sharknado’ Trailer: It’s Raining Sharks
• TV Bits: ‘Arrested Development’, ’24′, ‘Sons of Anarchy’, ‘Bad Teacher’, ‘The Killing’, ‘The Bridge’
• TV Trailers: Eli Roth’s ‘Hemlock Grove’ and Ronald D. Moore’s ‘Helix’
• TV Bits: ‘Arrested Development’, ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘King of the Hill’, ‘Being Human’, Jamie Foxx, Ryan Murphy
• TV Bits: ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Mad Men’, ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘Homeland’, ‘Hannibal’, ‘Cougar Town’, Louis CK, Eli Roth

Source

“Talent is luck. The important thing in life is courage. ”

Back in 2011 Chet Faker’s cover of Blackstreet’s No Diggity became a huge online hit. Now Devon based singer songwriter and Breaking More Waves regular Alice Jemima adds a female slant to the song and we suspect that… (in post Alice Jemima - No Diggity from Breaking More Waves. More by this artist at )

IT’S FUCKING THURSDAY. DID YOU KNOW THE WORD “OXYMORON" IS AN OXYMORON?

LIFE PRO TIP OF THE FUCKING DAY: 

DON’T FORCE A FART.

PERSON OF THE FUCKING DAY:

ONE TOUGH BASTARD. AUSTRALIAN CRIMINAL TURNED NOVELIST. more»

EDUCATE YOUR IGNORANT ASS:

DON’T FUCKING WASTE FOOD. more»

FUCKING MIND-BLOWING BOOK OF THE DAY:

FUCK YOU, MASS EXTINCTION. more»

USEFUL SHIT OF THE GODDAMN DAY:

GET YOU GODDAMN ROBIN HOOD ON. more»

WEBSITE OF THE FUCKING DAY:

SIGN YOUR FUCKING EMAIL. more»

AWESOME-AS-SHIT VIDEO OF THE DAY: 

DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS IS NERDY AS FUCK. more»

SWEET-ASS PICTURE OF THE DAY:

A MOTHERFUCKING PELICAN. more»

tom whalen


tom whalen


tom whalen

Transformers

Khoa Ho Superheroes - Past/Present Series


Khoa Ho Superheroes - Past/Present Series


Khoa Ho Superheroes - Past/Present Series


Khoa Ho Superheroes - Past/Present Series

Superheroes - Past/Present Series

brudesworld:

Easy Being Green It Is Not by Peter de Seve, 2011

Other Star Wars mashups…

Perhaps it’s all the nudity in Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” video that keeps the brain from associating it with The Cosby Show’s opening credits, but they're pretty darn similar. A kind YouTuber finally noticed and has thus fused the two very different entities. It’s pretty funny in theory, but then sweet little Keshia Knight Pulliam appears and, well, things start to feel a little weird. 

[via Uproxx]

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