Toy Story vs. Dark Knight

October 9th, 2008 by david lay

So, I’m not usually a big fan of these sort of “mash-up” trailers that fuse different movie trailers together (though Brokeback to the Future is good). But this one is pretty awesome, the sound clips and animation mesh really well together the popularity of the two movie franchises makes it relevant as well as funny.

The only thing that I would critique is (and this is the movie-snob coming out in me) that some of the cut scenes come from the first Toy Story movie and not the second. But that’s a dumb thing to point out.

Check it.

Posted in Yada Yada, Movies | 1 Comment

Voice Actor LaFontaine Dies

September 2nd, 2008 by david lay

What a great voice. You will be missed.

Here are some favorite LaFontaine moments.

I always appreciate it when people can make fun of themselves…

Posted in Tribute, Movies | 1 Comment

Rose Dawson V. Scarlett O’Hara

August 7th, 2008 by david lay

Should Inflation be a Factor in Determining Top Box Office Draws?

The biggest movie of the summer is The Dark Knight, no doubt about it. There’s no realistic chance for any other film to unseat the new Batman flick from being the box office champ. In fact, after its first 17 days, The Dark Knight was already the #8 film of all time in terms of box office draw. It is predicted to earn more than $500 Million and end up just behind Titanic as the highest grossing film of all time.

So, this got me thinking about some of the other films on the list, and how inflation has impacted them. Kirk and I were talking about how “unfair” it was that great films from yesteryear are eclipsed on the list not necessarily because of inferiority, but because of inflation.

Here are the top 15 highest-grossing films of all time.

Titanic
Star Wars
Shrek 2
E.T.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Spider-Man
The Dark Knight
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Spider-Man 2
The Passion of the Christ
Jurassic Park
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Finding Nemo

…and here is the top 15 list of highest grossing films of all time adjusted for inflation. Pretty different.

Gone With the Wind
Star Wars
The Sound of Music
E.T.
The Ten Commandments
Titanic
Jaws
Doctor Zhivago
The Jungle Book (1967)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Ben-Hur
101 Dalmations (1961)
The Exorcist
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi

What do you think? Is it fair and proper to compare a movie with .25 cent ticket prices to a modern era film at $10 a ticket? Which list do you think best represents the greatness of American cinema and the people’s voice regarding the greatest movies of all time? Or, does box office draw mean nothing in terms of how the movie will be remembered to future generations?

Posted in Yada Yada, Movies | 4 Comments

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

July 30th, 2008 by david lay

I usually get excited about new Harry Potter movies coming out, I ain’t gonna lie. But the new trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince looks awesome by any standards. It personifies the darkness and tension of the book so well. I just hope the rest of the movie is as good as this first glimpse.

Have a look.

Posted in Movies | 2 Comments

Damnburger

July 23rd, 2008 by david lay

Its been a long time, and I couldn’t resist sharing this clip. Thanks to Greg and his golf blog for showing me this morsel of funniness.

Posted in Movies | 1 Comment

Eddie Murphy Calling it Quits (Sort of)

July 1st, 2008 by david lay

In the “wow, I didn’t see that coming, though maybe I should have” department, we get word today that Eddie Murphy has made his last film and now plans to retire from Hollywood and go back to the stage and continue his career as a standup comedian.

“I have close to 50 movies and it’s like, why am I in the movies?” he said, “I’ve done that part now. I’ll go back to the stage.”

Murphy who is now 47 said that there is indeed a Beverly Hills Cop 4 picture in the works, but he has opted out of it because it “wasn’t ready to be done.”

I found my jaw dropping this morning when I read that Eddie was retiring from film because after films like Pluto Nash, Norbit, and Daddy Day Care, I figured that he obviously didn’t care if his films sucked.

But then again, after Pluto Nash, Norbit, and Daddy Day Care, it’s pretty hard to deny that your films suck and maybe you should go back to doing what made you popular. Maybe after a couple trips back around the comedy circuit, he’ll be fresh enough again to get back into the motion picture business - but let’s not count on that.

I really think this is a great decision by Eddie, and an opportunity to regain his popularity and to return to the headlines, instead of the punch lines.

Posted in Tribute, Yada Yada, Movies | No Comments

George Carlin 1937-2008

June 23rd, 2008 by david lay

You made a lot of people laugh, and we thank you for that. Rest in peace you foul, filthy, sonofab**ch!

Posted in Tribute, Television, Yada Yada, Movies | 1 Comment

AFI’s 10 Top 10

June 18th, 2008 by david lay

Every June since 1997, the American Film Institute releases a new list of films in its 100 Years… series - celebrating 100 years of American films. I set a goal a few years ago to watch all of the movies in the series, but I didn’t complete that mission. When the “updated” list came out in 2007, I rededicated myself to watching them all, and I’m proud to say that I accomplished that goal within the last six months.

I have found so many great movies through AFI and their efforts to preserve and promote American films, though in all honesty, I have found a handful of stinkers as well. The good has FAR exceeded the bad, however and I am so grateful that I undertook the challenge - there’s a reason that these movies are so well respected!

Today, AFI announced a new list - the 12th in the series, AFI’s 10 Top 10. I have actually said before that I think they should do this - breaking down a “top 100″ into smaller genres and ranking them against similar films.

So, here is the list - AFI’s 10 Top 10 (with a few comments):

Animation

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - First Feature-length animated film - still great!
Pinocchio
Bambi
The Lion King
Fantasia
Toy Story - Groundbreaking - I remember the first time I heard “computer animated”
Beauty and the Beast
Shrek
Cinderella
Finding Nemo

Romantic Comedies

City Lights - One of my new favorite films - I LOVED it!!!
Annie Hall - I used to think Woody Allen was overrated - then I watched Annie Hall.
It Happened One Night
Roman Holiday
Philadelphia Story
When Harry Met Sally
Adam’s Rib
Moonstruck
Harold and Maude - This is one of those movies I’ve always said I wanted to see… Haven’t yet.
Sleepless in Seattle

Western

The Searchers - Awesomeness
High Noon - One of THE best movies ever made! Most requested film by US Presidents.
Shane
Unforgiven
Red River
The Wild Bunch
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
McCabe and Mrs. Miller
Stagecoach
Cat Ballou

Sports

Raging Bull - Scorsese’s best film.
Rocky - Classic.
Pride of the Yankees
Hoosiers
Bull Durham - Starring Danny Gans!
The Hustler
Caddyshack
Breaking Away
National Velvet
Jerry Maguire

Mystery

Vertigo - One of four Great Hitchcock films on this list - but where’s Psycho?
Chinatown
Rear Window
Laura
The Third Man
Maltese Falcon - FANTASTIC! Fell in love with this film noir while watching the top 100.
North by Northwest
Blue Velvet
Dial “M” for Murder
The Usual Suspects

Fantasy

Wizard of Oz
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - This film represents the entire trilogy…
It’s a Wonderful Life - They begin to stretch the “Fantasy” moniker at this point, but I get it…
King Kong
Miracle on 34th Street
Field of Dreams
Harvey
Groundhog Day
The Thief of Bagdad
Big

Science Fiction

2001: A Space Odyssey
Star Wars: A New Hope
ET: The Extra Terrestrial
Clockwork Orange
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Blade Runner - I think this film is good, but very overrated.
Alien
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Back to the Future - Awesome!!! So glad this is on the list!

Gangster

The Godfather - Love it! Definitely don’t think it insists upon itself.
Goodfellas
The Godfather Part II
White Heat
Bonnie and Clyde
Scarface: The Shame of a Nation (Not the one with Al Pacino)
Pulp Fiction - Great Flick!
Public Enemy
Little Caesar
Scarface (The one with Al Pacino)

Courtroom Drama

To Kill a Mockingbird - Extremely powerful and emotional
12 Angry Men - Learned who Henry Fonda was the first time I saw this. Excellent.
Kramer Vs. Kramer
The Verdict
A Few Good Men
Witness for the Prosecution
Anatomy of a Murder
In Cold Blood
Cry in the Dark
Judgment at Nuremburg

Epics

Lawrence of Arabia - Beautiful landscapes and cinematography
Ben-Hur
Schindler’s List
Gone With the Wind - As good as they come.
Spartacus
Titanic
All Quiet on the Western Front
Saving Private Ryan
Reds
The Ten Commandments

My initial thoughts are that this a good list only a couple of obvious omissions (Psycho and Double Indemnity from the Mystery category, namely). I’m sure I’ll find some more down the road…

But overall, not bad?

Posted in Tribute, Yada Yada, Movies | No Comments

Danny Gans - Entertainer of the Year

May 4th, 2008 by david lay

If you have been to Las Vegas in the past five or six years, and are observant at all, you are probably familiar with Danny Gans. Danny Gans took over for Sigfried and Roy at The Mirage after Roy Horn was attacked by the white tiger in October of 2003.

Gans is billed at The Mirage as “The Man of Many Voices” due to his Vegas show in which he mixes his knack for comedy and music to create a hilarious act as a musical impressionist. However, Gans did not begin his career as a singer or an aspiring entertainer.

Gans was a high school and college baseball star, being drafted by the Royals after high school and by the White Sox after college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he became an All-American. He played for a while for the Durham Bulls and was even on screen as a third baseman during a brief scene in Kevin Costner’s 1988 film, Bull Durham.

A knee injury had ended Gans’ career as a baseball player, but like any true superstar, he picked himself up, dusted himself off, and started all over again. Gans began a 15 year tour throughout the U.S. working as an impressionist and motivational speaker . Soon he was one of the hottest and most sought-after performers in the corporate world, playing for thousands of people for McDonald’s and IBM and various other Fortune 500 company events. He began to catch the eye of fellow entertainers such as Bill Cosby and Natalie Cole, and soon he was a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

Danny Gans has been in Las Vegas now for 12 years and has headlined at The Mirage for nearly six of those. He has won numerous awards during his career and has certainly earned the status of “Entertainer of the Year”. Next time you are in Vegas, look for his billboards, and try to check out his show at The Mirage.

Additional Links:

Danny Gans at The Mirage.
Danny Gans Official Site.
Book Danny Gans as a Motivational Speaker.

Posted in Baseball, Tribute, Utah Concerts, Yada Yada, Sports, Movies, Events, Music | 1 Comment

First Look at Will Smith’s New Movie, Hancock

April 28th, 2008 by david lay

A while ago, I posted the initial trailer for Will Smith’s New Movie, Hancock. This new superhero comedy is, as many have pointed out, in danger of being left by the wayside this summer due to a sizeable list of competitors.

Iron Man, Batman, and The Hulk could own the “superhero” market - not to mention Indiana Jones, but one should never underestimate the box office draw that is Will Smith. Additionally, Hancock’s July 2nd release date gives it the edge on Independence Day weekend. So, we’ll see what happens. Personally, I think it’ll do just fine.

Here is a first look at Will Smith’s Hancock:

Posted in Movies | 5 Comments

Iron Man Trailer to Be Adapted into Feature

April 15th, 2008 by david lay

Here’s some rather polarizing news just released about the future of the wildly popular Iron Man trailer that we have all come to know and love over the past few weeks.

I warn you however, the news may be hard for some diehard fans of the trailer to swallow…

The Onion brings us more:

Posted in Yada Yada, Movies | 1 Comment

Disney Announces Four Years Worth of Movies

April 9th, 2008 by david lay

The world’s most popular production company, Disney, announced their slate of planned animated movies today. In all, they have announced 10 new animated pictures that will be released over the next four years. I thought some of them were pretty noteworthy, so I pass them along.

The next major release from Disney is the robot love story, Wall•E, which is set to release on June 28th of this year. I have seen preview after preview of this one and it really doesn’t appeal to me, nevertheless, your kids are gonna love it!

Next will be Bolt, the story of a dog (voiced by John Travolta) who thinks that he might have super powers (super Scientologist powers?). The biggest star in the world, Miley Cyrus is voicing Penny, Bolt’s owner. Bolt will be released in Digital 3D.

On May 29th, 2009 Disney will release Up, the story of a 78 year old adventurer and his eight year old sidekick. Up will also be released in Digital 3D. Sounds interesting… the idea is very unique, if nothing else.

Following Up, will be The Princess and the Frog - a traditionally animated (hand-drawn) fairy tale set in New Orleans which will be released around Christmas of 2009. I remember when they said that Home on the Range was the last of the traditionally animated Disney films — this was undoubtedly a gimmick to help increase its popularity. Glad they’re still at it.

Toy Story and Toy Story 2 will be rereleased in digital 3D on October 2, 2009 and Feb. 12, 2010, respectively after which, on June 18th, 2010, Toy Story 3 will make its long awaited arrival - also in Digital 3D. These are perhaps the most exciting to me as they mark the continuation of the original computer animated/Pixar technology that marked the biggest change in animated film since color. I am truly fascinated in cinema milestones, and Toy Story is up there with Snow White and even The Jazz Singer, when it comes to innovation.

Following Toy Story 3, will be the retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Rapunzel. She will be letting down her long, golden hair around Christmas 2010. Rapunzel is bound to be a popular. It’s an age-old tale that will be gaining immortality by Disney. It will also be released in Digital 3D.

Newt will be the next up. Newt is due out in the summer of 2011 and will tell the story of the last two blue-footed newts on the planet that aims to show us all that “love is not necessarily a science”. Hmmm…

The Bear and the Bow, due out Christmas 2011, will tell the story a royal family in rugged and mythic land of Scotland. Reese Witherspoon, Billy Connolly, and Emma Thompson will provide voices for this action-adventure that will be in Digital 3D.

Cars 2 will bring back Lightning McQueen and his best pal Mater, as they bid to take on the fastest cars in the world. Cars 2, in (you guessed it) Digital 3D, will be released summer 2012. Of all the Disney movies in the last 10 years (post Toy Story), Cars was definitely my favorite. Here’s hoping for a good sequel!

Christmas of 2012 will bring us King of Elves, which interestingly, is based on a 1953 short story by Philip K. Dick. In addition to King of Elves, Dick wrote Blade Runner, A Scanner Darkly, and Minority Report - should make for an interesting adaptation.

It’s pretty cool of Disney to let us know their plans four years in advance… if not a little overwhelming. It definitely gives us something to constantly be looking forward to, though.

Here are some external links for your perusal:

Read the official press release from PRNewswire.

Check out the Wall•E Trailer at Apple.com.

View the Bolt movie poster from Empire Movies.

Posted in Yada Yada, Movies | No Comments

The McFly 2015 Project

April 8th, 2008 by david lay

This is Heavy, Doc

One of my favorite movies growing up (and still to this day) was Back to the Future. I think that the trilogy was, without a doubt, one of the most entertaining Hollywood phenomena to grace the 80’s.

So imagine my excitement when I found out that Nike may be considering releasing the McFly: those futuristic, self-buckling high tops worn by Marty McFly in the year 2015, a time when the Cubbies win the world series, Jaws 19 hits theaters, and cars can fly (funny how none of these things is likely to happen in the next 7 years - calm down Cubs fans, I’m sure this really IS your year).

The good folks at McFly2015.com are on our side, and have vowed to help Nike come to the decision to market these one-of-a-kind sneaks. According to their website, the McFly 2015 Project is:

…a grassroots movement to get Nike to make available to consumers the futuristic-looking sneakers seen in the 1989 movie Back to the Future Part 2.

While Nike has given no official work as of yet regarding the possible future of these shoes, but rest assured, Nike, they would be a hit!

Learn more about the McFly 2015 Project via their Myspace Page and visit their Official Site for more information, updates and, most importantly, to show your support for the McFly 2015 Project.

Thanks for your time… Now make like a tree - and get out of here!

Posted in Yada Yada, Movies | Comments Off

24 Movie Prequel to Air in the Fall

March 18th, 2008 by david lay

Well, it looks like Fox’s 24 will be returning in the fall after all. The show’s producers have announced that they are developing a two hour prequel of sorts that is meant to bridge the gap between the sixth and seventh seasons.

According to the announcement, two years have lapsed between the events of last season and the next season that was put on 12 month hiatus due to the WGA strike. The movie will air sometime during the fall season leading up to the January return of Jack Bauer and his real-time drama.

At the end of the writer’s strike, there were some rumors circulating about a possible split of the show’s seventh season that would have aired during the fall and again during mid-season. But Fox has long ben adamant about running the show uninterrupted and quickly put those rumors to rest.

Other details that surfaced are that the seventh season is set in Washington, DC and will feature the first female U.S. President, played by Cherry Jones.

Posted in Movies, Uncategorized | No Comments

Speed Racer Trailer

March 15th, 2008 by david lay

The creators of the Matrix Trilogy, the Wachoski Brothers, are bringing Speed Racer to the screen and to IMAX on May 9th.

Based on the classic 1960s series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida that later was retooled for North American audiences, the film follows the adventures of the young race car driver Speed in his quest for glory in his thundering gadget-laden vehicle, Mach 5.

Check out the first official trailer from the live action adaptation that stars Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, and Matthew Fox.