http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Movies & TV blog is about two things. No second guesses, people.Tony Black and Zack McGhee have been together for over 2 years. They spend altogether too much time watching movies, TV and glued to their computers. This blog combines all three at once, thereby gaining them maximum efficiency. en-us tblack@coxohio.com 2008-08-21T09:08:14-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2008/08/21/arrested_develo.html IMDB.com now has an entry for an Arrested Development movie. The movie has been rumored about since the series finale of the show in February of 2006 but there was no hint that it was in the works until the Writer’s Strike earlier this year. With nothing to do during that time, the creators supposedly got together and mulled over the possibility of a movie. Jason Bateman, the lead actor from the series, has since made several appearances on the Keith Olberman show hinting at the production of the movie. The last I heard about it, they were having problems getting money to get off the ground with it. They also jokingly say that Michael Cera will be hard to sign for the movie since his career has taken off (he was in ‘Juno’ and ‘Superbad’). According to IMDB.com, Cera, Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Portia de Rossi are all rumored to be attached to the movie while the rest of the cast appears to be on board. If you have never heard of this show, or just know very little about it, here is a small plot summary from IMDB.com: Level-headed son Michael Bluth takes over family affairs after his father is imprisoned. But the rest of his spoiled, dysfunctional family are making his job unbearable. Tell your friends. I think this is one of the best shows ever made for television and wish it had lasted more than 3 seasons. The cast is perfect and the writing is genius. Let’s hope the movie becomes a reality in 2009. And if the movie is so successful it leads to a revival of the show, so be it. If you are a fan of the show, here’s the music that G.O.B. plays before each magic ‘illusion’: The Final Countdown - Europe 6189503@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Movies 2008-08-21T09:08:14-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2008/07/08/new_reasons_why.html Here are some recent (and upcoming) Nintendo Wii game releases that have got me excited. LEGO Indiana Jones My most recent purchase has not let me down. I greatly enjoyed the LEGO Star Wars games, so I knew that I would enjoy LEGO Indiana Jones. For those of you who haven’t played any these types of LEGO video games, the gist is pretty straight forward: You (and a partner, if you chose) play out the movie as LEGO characters with everything else in the game being LEGO as well. You can destroy LEGO objects as well as build them. This game is lots of fun, especially with a partner. There are lots of fun extras you can unlock the more you play. Definitely worth a rental, if not a purchase. Grade: B+ Order it from Amazon Wii Fit I have been using this new piece of technology from Nintendo for a little over a month now and I have to say that its’ ingenious. It provides a great way to get in shape. Though, if its’ substantial weight loss you’re after, this might not help you. It is ideal for toning your body and teaching you about good posture but very few of the exercises are fat burning. Grade: A Order it from Amazon LEGO Batman What I am looking forward to most about this game is the storyline. The stories of LEGO Star Wars and Indiana Jones were each based off the movies but the Batman game won’t be based off any of the movies so I’m interested in seeing where it goes. Expected grade: A- Order it from Amazon Star Wars: The Force Unleashed I am a big fan of Star Wars and I have been anticipating the release of this game since I bought my Wii. This game will use the Wii’s motion controls to brandish a lightsaber and wield various Force powers. The storyline of the game takes place between Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope as you play an apprentice of Darth Vader. It looks amazing and has already been getting good early reviews. Expected grade: A+ Order it from Amazon 5067803@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Video games 2008-07-08T09:39:10-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2008/06/05/whats_on_tv_thi.html 4385703@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Reality-TV 2008-06-05T12:30:53-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2008/05/29/lost_finale_blo.html If you’re like me, you were super psyched about the 2-hour season finale of LOST. I watched it with Zack and my friends Jared and Carrie. I was planning on taking notes on the episode but I was afraid it would hinder my understanding and enjoyment of it so I asked Carrie if she would take notes for me. She was more than willing to and ended up with 6 pages! The following is a summary of her notes with commentary. If you don’t want to be spoiled on the LOST finale, please stop reading here. Throughout the summary there will be questions which you should feel free to give your 2 cents on by commenting below. 4230503@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ TV 2008-05-29T22:08:17-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2008/05/19/indiana_jones_v.html I was checking out theForce.net, a Star Wars fan site, and stumbled upon a link to a Maxim.com article comparing the toughness of Indiana Jones to Han Solo, both roles played by Harrison Ford (FYI in case you’ve been living under a rock your entire life). TheForce.net didn’t seem to agree with Maxim’s results, but I think the results were pretty accurate (which surprised me since Maxim.com would be the last place I would ever think to look for anything related to Star Wars or Indiana Jones). I’ll let you find out the results yourself. But before you do: Also: Photos from the upcoming Indiana Jones film Test your knowledge of Indiana Jones Watch the latest trailer for the movie And while your at it, check out the trailer for the next Star Wars movie Get showtimes and more 3993103@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ People 2008-05-19T21:08:07-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2008/05/13/fall_tv_lineups.html 3825303@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ TV 2008-05-13T09:48:50-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2008/03/01/my_thoughts_on.html Zack bought me LOST: Via Domus, a new game for the XBox360 based of the television show LOST. I am still playing the game so I am unsure of how much is left to play. I took a break from playing because I was sick of being killed by the smoke monster. Anyway, I won’t spoil anything about the game, but just to be safe, click the link to read my thoughts on the game… 2019202@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Video games 2008-03-01T00:00:26-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2008/02/08/deal_reached_to.html The WGA strike appears to be coming to an end according to CNBC.com: A deal has been struck between the major media companies and the Writers Guild of America to end the writers’ strike, former Walt Disney chief executive Michael Eisner revealed on CNBC. “It’s over,” Eisner said. “They made the deal, they shook hands on the deal. It’s going on Saturday to the writers in general.” Read more at CNBC.com Photos from the strike So, do you think TV shows that were affected by the strike will resume production? Were any TV shows that you watch affected? 1490502@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ TV 2008-02-08T13:41:20-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2008/01/27/15_things_to_he.html All you avid LOST fans out there must be excited for the show’s premiere this Thursday at 9 p.m. on ABC. Some of you die-hard fans (like me) may be planning a party to ring in the new season. If so, I have found a list of 15 details to help you throw your own LOST themed season premiere party. 1182302@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ TV 2008-01-27T22:04:03-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2008/01/04/new_lost_online.html From Nickb123 at Lostpedia.com: Over the next month it appears fans will be able to wet their “Lost” appetites with a new alternate reality game entitled Find 815. The game’s main protagonist appears to be Sam Thomas, an IT technician for Oceanic Airlines who is disgruntled by the company’s decision to stop searching for Flight 815. Sam has been contacted by a mysterious individual or group, hinting that they may have the answers to what he seeks - what happened to Flight 815 and his girlfriend, Sonya. The game is expected to end at the end of January 2008, coinciding with the Lost Season 4 premiere. Until then, fans can enjoy a tale which promises interesting revelations in the show’s mythology.To play the game, head over to Find815.com I wasn’t a fan of LOST during the first LOST experience so I am excited to be able to take part in this one. It also has the option to register so your progress can be saved. LOST fans, will you take part in the Find815.com game, or will you just sit around waiting for season 4 to begin? Oh, and here is a trailer for season 4 with footage from the new season. 719302@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ TV 2008-01-04T13:48:00-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2007/12/12/parallels_betwe.html From StarWars.com: To the casual viewer, Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter hail from vastly different realities. Whereas Harry’s is a hidden Earth community in which the Renaissance never ended and magical creatures abound, Luke’s story is set in a galaxy far, far away, filled with spaceships, aliens and other trappings traditional to science fiction.A keen eye, however, will notice a surprising number of similarities between the mythos, in terms of theme, plot, characterization and even nomenclature. Listed in the following pages are some of the more remarkable parallels between the two series. (Those who have not read J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels or seen their film adaptations, both of which have been mined for the list below, should beware of spoilers.)Start here at parallel number 10 and work your way to number 1. I didn’t notice most of these parallels until now. Can you think of any other parallels that the folks over at StarWars.com missed? 368102@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Movies 2007-12-12T10:26:29-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2007/12/11/new_halfblood_p.html From The-Leaky-Cauldron.org: There is new footage from the upcoming ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ film included on the US Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix DVD. The sneak peek includes some fantastic shots of Draco (Tom Felton) cursing Harry on the train, and Harry and Ginny, the interior of Slughorn’s home, and even dialog between Professor Dumbledore and Harry discussing Horcruxes (yes really!). Also new are various interviews conducted recently at the DVD launch in London, England, including new quotes from actress Emma Watson (Hermione), Matt Lewis (Neville), Rupert Grint (Ron) a hilarious quote from Dan Radcliffe (Harry Potter) discussing the Ron/Lavender snogging scenes, as well as quotes from producer David Heyman and HBP director David Yates. To watch (SPOILERS AHOY) click here via youtube. You might be thinking ‘Didn’t a new Harry Potter movie just come out?’ Well, the next movie isn’t due to hit theaters until November or December of next year but it’s never too early to see new clips. I know I was excited to see such early footage for ‘Half-Blood Prince’ because it was my favorite book. Are you as excited as I am about the next movie? EDIT: Zack and I sat down to watch this footage on our new ‘Order of the Phoenix’ HDDVD and couldn’t find it anywhere. It is a combo disc so we flipped it over thinking it might be on the standard-def side. Nope. We did some online searching and couldn’t find any reference to this footage existing on any version of the movie. I don’t know where The-Leaky-Cauldron.org is finding this information. So, if any of you were hoping to watch this footage you should just visit the YouTube link above because that is the only way I know of to find it. 345002@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Movies 2007-12-11T10:53:54-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2007/11/30/season_1_of_30.html If you love to laugh then you’ll love Tina Fey’s ‘30 Rock’ on NBC. I was so excited when the first season of this show was about to air. I never felt Fey was writing enough on ‘Saturday Night Live’ (because if she had been, the show would have been funny). I was glad that she was going to get her chance to unlock her potential and create something really fun. The other aspect of the show that piqued my interest was Alec Baldwin in a comedy role. He has always been great at it whenever he hosted ‘SNL’ but other than that, we’ve never really seem him in a funny role, let alone a TV series. When I first watched the pilot, Zack and I both were very disappointed. It just wasn’t that funny. We were also hoping to see Rachel Dratch in the show more since she left ‘SNL’ to be a part of it. She is hilarious in every skit she partakes in on ‘SNL’ so why leave the show to do ‘30 Rock’ if you’re not going to be on it? Also, Alec Baldwin was playing his role too seriously and wasn’t really being a part of the show. After watching that first episode, Zack and I were ready to throw in the towel and give up on the show. We decided to give it another shot and watch the next episode. Thank goodness we did or we would have missed out on one of the funniest shows on TV. 210240@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ TV 2007-11-30T06:13:26-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2007/11/26/shut_up_stop_ta.html Over the holiday weekend, I was excited to see No Country for Old Men, the universally acclaimed new movie by the Coen brothers. Along with P.T. Anderson’s There Will Be Blood (a Christmas release due in Dayton early next year), No Country is one of the movie experiences I was most highly anticipating this year. The movie seemed pretty darn good, but I can’t be sure, because I spent most of the time watching other people watching the movie, rather than just watching it myself. Oh, I tried, don’t get me wrong. I did my level-headed best, in fact. But between the guy down in front checking his voicemail, or the frequently exasperated gentleman to my right (sigh!), or the couple a few rows back who felt the need to give stage directions (“There are five trucks!”; “He’s coming!”; and my personal favorite, “That’s a lot of dope!”), I found it difficult to be any closer than three steps removed from the story at hand. And I’ve had many more experiences like this one, as I’m sure you have. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I went to a multiplex and didn’t have someone yapping or text messaging. (Once I even caught someone recording parts of the movie, but the theater staff showed little interest in doing anything about it. I contacted the movie’s distributor about my experience, and they were not pleased!) Who are these people? Why do they pay $10 to come to a movie and talk? Or text message? Or check their email? Or whatever else the devil it is they’re doing? It’s not that I don’t understand the occasional urge to whisper a comment to a friend about what’s going on, or the horror that comes when you forget to turn off your cell phone (though I never do), but where is the shame? Shame has worked for centuries to get people to conform, so let’s put those lessons to good use! And since those of us who would rather be quiet and watch the movie are quite literally a silent minority, why can’t we work together to “SHH!” them into oblivion? More importantly, why don’t chains make it a priority to root out violations? Don’t they realize that this is the biggest threat to their industry? I dream of a movie theater where you pay a little more for the ticket, but you check cell phones at the door, and the auditoriums are monitored at all times by a beefy, well-paid goon. In the meantime, I’m waiting to watch movies at home, in high-def, more and more. 209465@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Movies 2007-11-26T10:26:50-05:00 zmcghee@daytondailynews.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2007/11/20/ugly_betty_the.html 208682@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ TV 2007-11-20T14:06:05-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com