Pottermore welcomes you to the Ilvermorny School!

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Denise

ilvermorny

Any other owl-hopeful American psyched to hear about the Wizarding schools here in the States? Well, our wait is over; J.K. Rowling and Pottermore dropped a video about Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and it’s awesome.

In the under 2-minute vid, there’s plenty of mystery and marvel, and some cool claymation animation.  Don’t think it’s all you’ll need to know; it’s a tease at what I’m sure will be a fully fleshed out backstory for the house.  And I’m betting there’ll be plenty of characters mentioning Ilvermorny (not to mention a few alums) in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  Of course, there are houses, but apparently they’re not exactly the same as what everyone is used to from Hogwarts, so don’t try to figure out the American Slytherin…

Check out the vid! And read up on Ilvermorny over at Pottermore. Don’t forget; Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them comes to theaters December 19th, 2016.

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Pony News: Jayson Thiessen, director of the next MLP film, can’t make BronyCon 5

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Denise

BronyCon 2016 logoHeads up for folks hoping to pump Thiessen for pony spoilers!  It’s a bummer, but we’ve got to remember that guests and panelists have Real Lives too.

But never fear – there’ll still be plenty of pony fun.  Peep the schedule! And read on for the deets straight from the BronyCon PR ponies!

Press Release

BronyCon
bronycon.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 28, 2016

JAYSON THIESSEN NO LONGER TO ATTEND BRONYCON

(BALTIMORE)—Jayson Thiessen, director of the upcoming “My Little Pony” movie, will no longer be attending BronyCon this year due to the limited availability of big name talent signed onto the film.

We are fortunate to have made it to six seasons and a movie. Unfortunately, this means there is still a lot of work to be done to continue bringing this community more of the characters that we love. Join us in looking forward to seeing the work that Thiessen will be bringing to the big screen next year!

To register for this event, visit BronyCon’s registration page. Badges for BronyCon will cost more at the door, so don’t wait! Also make sure you are following BronyCon on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Google+ to be the first to hear our latest announcements.

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Newest “Bridget Jones’s Baby” trailer has Firth, Dempsey and Emma Thompson!

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Denise

bridget joness baby onesheetAlways loved Emma Thompson. But her turn as Bridget Jones’s OB/GYN looks like a total hoot.  Ready for the third installment of the Bridget Jones series?  Synopsis!

After breaking up with Mark Darcy (Firth), Bridget Jones’s (Zellweger) “happily ever after” hasn’t quite gone according to plan. Fortysomething and single again, she decides to focus on her job as top news producer and surround herself with old friends and new. For once, Bridget has everything completely under control. What could possibly go wrong?

Then her love life takes a turn and Bridget meets a dashing American named Jack (Dempsey), the suitor who is everything Mr. Darcy is not. In an unlikely twist she finds herself pregnant, but with one hitch…she can only be fifty percent sure of the identity of her baby’s father.

So it’s who’s who with this storyline.  (And c’mon now; it’s #DefinitelyDarcy people.  I’ll riot otherwise.) Lemme just say that this looks SO MUCH BETTER than the downer of Mad About the Boy, the third in the novel series.  (Fielding, you cannot kill off Darcy!  Bad form.  Bad.) Anyway, Colin Firth and Patrick Dempsey look like they’re having fun with being the maybe-daddies of the film.  And Renée Zellweger seems to be able to slip on Bridget’s skin like it’s second nature.

FYI: I’ve decided to use the newest UK trailer, as it’s funnier and a little bit longer than the US version.  Whee!

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: The Infiltrator!

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Denise

the infiltrator onesheetMiss Bryan Cranston’s dramatic genius?  Well in The Infiltrator he’s on the other side of the drug war, taking ’em down.  Based on a true story, this one looks good… Synopsis!

Based on a true story, Federal agent ROBERT “BOB” MAZUR (Bryan Cranston) goes deep undercover to infiltrate Pablo Escobar’s drug trafficking scene plaguing the nation in 1986 by posing as slick, money-laundering businessman Bob Musella. Teamed with impulsive and streetwise fellow agent EMIR ABREU (John Leguizamo) and rookie agent posing as his fiancé KATHY ERTZ (Diane Kruger), Mazur befriends Escobar’s top lieutenant ROBERTO ALCAINO (Benjamin Bratt). Navigating a vicious criminal network in which the slightest slip-up could cost him his life, Mazur risks it all building a case that leads to indictments of 85 drug lords and the corrupt bankers who cleaned their dirty money, along with the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, one of the largest money-laundering banks in the world.

Ready for passe?  YEAH YOU ARE BABY.

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TrailerWatch: “Star Trek Beyond” brings Elba, Boutella, Rhianna

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Denise

star trek beyond onesheetWhoever came up with this trailer should take a bow.  Lots of action, intriguing glimpses of Idris Elba’s Krall (the Big Bad of the film), Sofia Boutella’s supercool Jaylah (a new ally), and Uhura still being badass.

To top it off, there’s a kickass new song from Rhianna that ties everything together nicely.  And I’m really digging her look in the still below – can’t wait to see her video take on this song. Synopsis!

The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

Star Trek Beyond arrives July 21st, 2016.

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: The BFG!

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Denise

BFG one sheetWhere Roald Dahl fans at?  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach…now Disney and Spielberg are teaming up to bring another of his books to film: The BFG.  Synopsis!

The talents of three of the world’s greatest storytellers – Roald Dahl, Walt Disney and Steven Spielberg – finally unite to bring Dahl’s beloved classic “The BFG” to life. Directed by Spielberg, Disney’s “The BFG” tells the imaginative story of a young girl and the Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country.

Ready for passes?  Right this way… Continue reading →

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Independence Day: Resurgence is a chip off the alien block

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Denise

 

independence_day_resurgence

Nutshell: Second verse, same as the first: ID4R dusts off the same comfortable chestnuts that made its predecessor so popular.  And while ID4R doesn’t seem to suffer from the same tech hiccups – the aliens don’t seem to be Mac compatible – it does suffer from an emptiness of feeling.  Try as the game, up-for-it cast might, this is one resurgence that lacks surge.  Grade: B-

I’ll keep this short and sweet. Why?  Because I’m writing this on a Friday, rather than my usual post-screen wrap-up during the week.  Why am I writing on a Friday, you ask?  Because this film wasn’t screened for press here in B’more.  Typically, that means one of two things; either the studio figures it’s got a sure-fire hit on its hands, and ditches screenings for all but the real critics, or has decided to jettison any attempts at publicity because they realized they’ve got a turkey on their hands.  With Independence Day: Resurgence, it’s not really strong on the former or the latter.  It’s simply a case of having too little substance to back up the whole lotta style this film serves up.  Continue reading →

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Off the Shelf: Aliens/Vampirella (hardcover collection)

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Denise

aliens vampirella coverStory: Humans on Mars!  The first colony of sunlight dwellers make their mark on Mars.  Perhaps too much of a mark.  In digging down into the red soil, they happened upon an underground city that used to be inhabited by Nosferatu.  Vampirella visits the station to investigate, and lend assistance if necessary.  But things seem to be quiet.  Too quiet.  Hey, what are those leathery pods?  Are they hatching?  Maybe you picked a bad time to help out a space-station, Vampi…

Best Line: “But I don’t want to be a creature of the night!”

Thoughts: This might be my favorite horror mash-up yet.  Beautiful art, drop-dead gorgeous colors, and a story that actually makes sense.  With Corinna Sara Bechko’s story, I could see how Vampi and the Xenomorphs would meet, and it’s totally believable. And even though this is only a six issue mini, there’s a level of characterization that many long-running series could definitely be jealous of.  Actually, should really, really be jealous of.  Bechko also weaves in prejudices and the fear of Other, how individuals deal with death (particularly their own imminent demise), and the lengths people will go to protect their own.  All the while avoiding the typical “why’d you do that?” idiocy so many horror stories tend to grab at with both hands. Continue reading →

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: The Legend of Tarzan!

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Denise

legend of tarzan onesheetOh man.  This looks really good.  As in, wow the set design is amazing, and the CGI is on freakin’ point.  And also, au naturel Alexander Skarsgård people.  THIS IS NOT A DRILL.  Trailer.  Watch it.  Tell me this won’t be a lot of fun.  I’m betting it will be.  And in this film, Alexander is just reminding me that my current gym workout is weak.  So weak. Synopsis!

THE LEGEND OF TARZAN is a sweeping action-adventure that tells a story or Tarzan beyond what you know.  This is the compelling origin story of Tarzan, a man raised by nature who ultimately rules it while also trying to protect his loved ones.

A big, beautiful, epic film with amazing special effects, extraordinary music as well as beats of humor and romance, THE LEGEND OF TARZAN stars Alexander Skarsgård as Tarzan and Margot Robbie as Jane, his soulmate who is no damsel in distress.   The film’s stellar cast includes Samuel L. Jackson, Djimon Hounsou with Jim Broadbent and Christoph Waltz.

The film is directed by David Yates who directed four of the Harry Potter films. THE LEGEND OF TARZAN opens in theaters worldwide on Friday, July 1 in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D.

I’m digging that Tarzan also has Margot Robbie (aka Harley Quinn in the soon to be released Suicide Squad, and someone I’m digging more and more each day), and that it looks like it actually has a plot.  (Let us not speak of Tarzan the Ape Man.) Passes?  Right this way…

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#MarketingWinOfTheWeek: “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” + The Knot = #NSFWeddings

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Denise

Mike and Dave Wedding Dates onesheetOh.  My.  God.  Becky.  Whoever came up with this tie-in should get a gold plated bottle of tequila.  (Or a corner office.  Whatevs.)

The movie Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates teamed up with the “oh thank God they’re doing their wedding 411 online” gurus The Knot.  And it’s awesome.  Know how I know?  PEEP THIS.  Know anyone who just isn’t safe around free cake and booze?  Add ’em to the #NSFW website, where they’re making a poster collage of all the cool people I’d party with wedding-time human train wrecks.  And check out the NSFW (Not Safe For WEDDINGS) infographic after the jump!

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates stumbles into your reception uninvited on July 8th, 2016.

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMikeAndDaveMovie%2Fvideos%2F1744129689158176%2F&show_text=1&width=560

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