Documentary “The Jacket” gives insight into Tuskeegee Airman

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Denise

Dynasty Media Network Film

I’m a sucker for a good documentary.  And The Jacket: The True Story of a Second Class Hero looks good.  Not just because the story of Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson (USAF Ret.) is filled with action and suspense (Lt. Col. Jefferson was a Tuskegee Airman who spent the better part of a year as a POW in WWII.)  I’m looking forward to seeing this because it’s a rare look into the life of a man who laid everything on the line for his country, and how many of the people in that country paid him back with racism and hatred.  Still, he rose above all that.  Thankfully.  I’m really hoping I smell Oscar nom here y’all.

Gotta say, with this film and Max Brooks’ look at WWI fighting heroes The Harlem Hellfighters, it looks like 2014 is the year people get a glimpse of the history that has been hidden from so many of us.  It’s about time.

Read the entire PR piece after the jump!

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James Tynion lV comingn to Cards, Comics & Collectibles May 14th

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Denise

Things are starting to stir ’round here.  Free Comic Book Day has come and gone — and it was a blast y’all — and now a nerd’s heart turns to thoughs of Con.  Baltimore Comic-Con.  Cards, Comics & Collectibles can whet your appetite a bit; they’re bringing James Tynion IV to their Reisterstown shop!  Yeah, think of all the nerd cred you’ll get when you show off your autographed copy of  The Woods!  And maybe he’ll give you a hint or two on Batman Eternal…. Or maybe not, but hey, why not ask?

You know he’s a real up-and-comer; he studied with Scott Snyder and wrote with him on Batman and then went on to Talon.  Niiiiiice.

The full press release after the jump!

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Ghastly Awards: best of April in Horror Comics

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Denise

It’s that time of the month y’all! No, silly; it’s time to check out what Ghastly Awards judges picked as the best crop o’ comics published last month. Take a gander….

BTW, the FCBD’s V Wars? Awesomeness.

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Star Trek Icons Michael & Denise Okuda to Receive Cal State L.A.’s Eagle-Con Prism Award

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Denise
Photo: treknews.net

Photo: treknews.net

Because it’s Star Trek.  How could I not share?  No, it’s not becasue she’s got a fantastic first name.  (Though that didn’t hurt any.) Take it away, fully fleshed, very interesting press release that speaks to this awesome event better than I could.  And congratulations, Michael and Denise!   Continue reading →

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GOJIRA!!! Baltimore Screening of Godzilla (2014) — free passes!

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Denise

wpid-new-godzilla2014-movie-poster-untagged.jpeg
History shows again and again, how nature points out the folly of men…
Godzilla!

Yeah.  This is the real deal y’all.  He’s big, he’s bad, and he lays down a doozy of a wail.  He’s the king of kaiju, the master of mayhem, the sultan of stereophonic screams…and you know you’re dying to see him up on the big screen.  Because it’s Godzilla baby.  Yeah, shut yo’…. Okay.  Here’s the FULL press release from the amazing — and brave: hello, GODZILLA — PR folks:

godzilla_titleIN 3D AND 2D IN SELECT THEATERS AND IMAX MAY 16

Godzillamovie.com

Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, David Strathairn, Bryan Cranston

Director: Gareth Edwards

Rating: PG-13

 

In Summer 2014, the world’s most revered monster is reborn as Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures unleash the epic action adventure “Godzilla.”  From visionary new director Gareth Edwards (“Monsters”) comes a powerful story of human courage and reconciliation in the face of titanic forces of nature, when the awe-inspiring Godzilla rises to restore balance as humanity stands defenseless.

Gareth Edwards directs “Godzilla,” which stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Kick-Ass”), Oscar® nominee Ken Watanabe (“The Last Samurai,” “Inception”), Elizabeth Olsen (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”), Oscar®winner Juliette Binoche (“The English Patient,” “Cosmopolis”), and Sally Hawkins (“Blue Jasmine”), with Oscar® nominee David Strathairn (“Good Night, and Good Luck.,” “The Bourne Legacy”) and Bryan Cranston (“Argo,” TV’s “Breaking Bad”).

Edwards directs from a screenplay by Max Borenstein, story by David Callaham, based on the character “Godzilla” owned and created by TOHO CO., LTD.  Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni are producing with Mary Parent and Brian Rogers.  Patricia Whitcher and Alex Garcia are serving as executive producers, alongside Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar®-nominated director of photography Seamus McGarvey (“Anna Karenina,” “Atonement”); production designer Owen Paterson (“The Matrix” trilogy); editor Bob Ducsay (“Looper”); Oscar®-nominated costume designer Sharen Davis (“Dreamgirls,” “Ray,” “Django Unchained”); and Oscar®-winning visual effects supervisor Jim Rygiel (the “Lord of the Rings” films).  The score is being created by Oscar®-nominated composer Alexandre Desplat (“Argo,” “The King’s Speech”).

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures present a Legendary Pictures production, a Gareth Edwards film, “Godzilla.”  Slated to open on May 16, 2014, the film is expected to be presented in 3D, 2D and IMAX® in select theatres and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, except in Japan, where it will be distributed by Toho Co., Ltd.  Legendary Pictures is a division of Legendary Entertainment.

This film has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of destruction, mayhem and creature violence.

Yeah baby.  Ken Watanabe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston…looks like Godzilla ain’t the only one that’s bringin’ the badass.  So, get your passes already — waddaya waiting for?

Oh yeah.  After the jump!

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Free Screening: Million Dollar Arm

Posted on May 4, 2014 by Denise

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Happy Star Wars Day y’all! No, this giveaway doesn’t have wookies, but it does have some Force. Arm force!

Fine. (Adjusts bow tie. Bow ties are cool.)

Today’s screening is Million Dollar Arm, a based-on-a-true-story pic starring John Hamm. I’ve seen the trailer, and it’s looking like heartstring tugging fun. ( Please. It’s from Disney Pictures. It should be.) Here’s the synopsis:

Based on a true story, sports agent JB Bernstein (Jon Hamm) finds that business has changed and things aren’t going well for his career. In a last ditch effort to save his livelihood he concocts a scheme to find baseball’s next great pitching ace. Hoping to find a young cricket pitcher he can turn into a major league baseball star, JB travels to India to produce a reality show competition called “The Million Dollar Arm.” With the help of cantankerous but eagle-eyed retired baseball scout Ray Poitevint (Alan Arkin), he discovers Dinesh (played by Madhur Mittal from “Slumdog Millionaire”) and Rinku (played by Suraj Sharma from “Life of Pi”), two 18 year old boys who have no idea about playing baseball, yet have a knack for throwing a fastball. Hoping to sign them to major league contracts and make a quick buck, JB brings the boys home to America to train. While the Americans are definitely out of their element in India — the boys, who have never left their rural villages — are equally challenged when they come to the States. As the boys learn the finer points of baseball — JB, with the help of his charming friend Brenda (Lake Bell) — learns valuable life lessons about teamwork, commitment and what it means to be a family.

Here’s how to grab a pair of passes for yourself….

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Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Posted on May 2, 2014 by Denise

amazing spider man 2

Nutshell: I give The Amazing Spider-Man 2 a C-.  Great performances by Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Dane DeHann and Jamie Foxx aren’t enough to pull this choppy, drawn-out film from the depths of the barely-average.  But Greg Nicotero rocks the FX, as always.  Don’t stay past the credits looking for a bonus scene; you’ll get nothing but disappointment.

It’s sequel time, kiddies!  In this installment of The Life of Peter Parker: Teen Spider, Peter is graduating from high school, trying to keep his true love by his side even though he’s constantly nowhere near hers (unless you count Spidey-stalking), and of course, trying to save the world — or at least New York City — from all sorts of horrible bad guys.  Can he have it all?  Well….

If you’ve been wondering what happened to Peter’s mom and dad, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 delivers the goods.  Seems Mr. Parker was working on something that had weapons-grade potential (hint: SPIDERS.)  The film opens with what happened after Mom & Dad Spider-Man tried to break free of that mess.  Then, without a breath, the film slams you into present day, where a crazy punk-rock nihilistic Paul Giamatti is dragging his batshit crazy all over the streets of NYC.  Meanwhile, Gwen Stacy, class valedictorian, is about to give her speech.  (STAN LEE SIGHTING: he’s in the guest seats at graduation.)  Wanna guess what Peter’s doing?  You bet’cha.

Spidey does look like he’s having a heckuva time swinging around NYC in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.  There’s even a woo-hoo or a yippee thrown in every so often.  Peter is getting his web on, and he ain’t ashamed.  There’s also a touch of X-Men with the montage of web-swinging mixed with press comments about vigilantism and questions about who’s responsible for the destruction caused by Spidey saving the day.  (I’ve always assumed that with all that super-destruction, NYC has FEMA on speed-dial.)  But that’s as deep as this film gets, as there’s villains to be had!  Here’s the breakdown:

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Free Baltimore Screening: Locke – get your name on the list!

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Denise

locke

 

UPDATE: THE LIST HAS BEEN FILLED!  

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED, AND CONGRATS TO THE WINNERS!

No more rain!  No more flooding!  No more sinkholes!  Yeah, so maybe that’s just wishful thinking.  But come with me and hide in a nice, dark theater; we can do it for free y’all.  Free is good.

This go-round it’s the tense thriller Locke, staring The Dark Knight Rises Tom “Bane” Hardy.  Sounds like high-octane stuff; you’ll want to make sure you have popcorn and a drink to soothe yourself.  (What?  I love food.)  Here’s the synopsis:

Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy) has worked diligently to craft the life he has envisioned, dedicating himself to the job that he loves and the family he adores.  On the eve of the biggest challenge of his career, Ivan receives a phone call that sets in motion a series of events that will unravel his family, job, and soul.  All taking place over the course of one absolutely riveting car ride, LOCKE is an exploration of how one decision can lead to the complete collapse of a life. 

Locke is hitting theaters May 9th, but on May 7th you can see it for free, right smack-dab in the center of the city…if your name is on the list.  How do I get my name on the list, Denise?  Well, like this:

E-mail me at editor@atomicfangirl.com with the subject “SINKHOLES SUCK“. Make sure to include your name in the e-mail, or I won’t know what to put on the list for the studio. There’s 25 spaces, so get to e-mailin’!  (NOTE: if you get on the list it’s ADMIT TWO.  Woot!)

 

Remember: EVEN WITH YOUR NAME ON THE LIST, THIS IS A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE SCREENING. SEATING IS NOT GUARANTEED So get there early to make sure you get yourself a seat!

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Feast your nerd eyeballs: Star Wars VII cast photo revealed!

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Denise
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Image: StarWars.com

Blip. Urk. Aaaaaah!

That wasn’t an R2 unit going boink. That was me, brain ‘sploding over the official Star Wars VII cast photo. Yeah my nerd bitches, they didn’t wait for Star Wars Day to announce. They did it today. Because they can.

So here I sit, as excited as I was for Phantom Menace. Here’s hoping that J. J. Abrams won’t do us like that.

Photo roundhouse, clockwise, from R2-D2’s right: Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, producer Bryan Burke, Lucasfilm prez Kathleen Kennedy, Domhnal Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Andy Serkis, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Adam Driver, writer Lawrence Kasdan, and J. J. Abrams.

Here tis, straight from StarWars.com. Feel free to freak out.

The Star Wars team is thrilled to announce the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII.

Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.

Director J.J. Abrams says, “We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud.”

Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, and John Williams returns as the composer. The movie opens worldwide on December 18, 2015.

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Free Baltimore Screening – Legends Of Oz: Dorothy’s Return

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Denise

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Happy Monday! No? Well, would free passes help? Groovy baby. This time we’re leaving Kansas and headed to a place where your deadlines are moot. Here’s the deets….

Looks like Dorothy from Kansas is headed on another adventure in Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return. Here’s the synopsis from Disney:

Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return is a 3D-animated musical based on the adventure books by Roger Stanton Baum, the great-grandson of L. Frank Baum. A continuation of one of the world’s most popular and beloved fairy tales, Legends of Oz finds Dorothy (Lea Michele) waking to post-tornado Kansas, only to be whisked back to Oz to try to save her old friends the Scarecrow (Dan Aykroyd), the Lion (Jim Belushi), the Tin Man (Kelsey Grammer) and Glinda (Bernadette Peters) from a devious new villain, the Jester (Martin Short). Wiser the owl (Oliver Platt), Marshal Mallow (Hugh Dancy), China Princess (Megan Hilty) and Tugg the tugboat (Patrick Stewart) join Dorothy on her latest magical journey through the colorful landscape of Oz to restore order and happiness to Emerald City. Set to the tunes of Academy Award-nominated singer/songwriter Bryan Adams, Legends of Oz marks a charming, family-friendly return to the Oz franchise.

Okay, Patrick Stewart as a tugboat has my attention y’all. And Hugh Dancy (Hannibal, a show you need to be watching) is probably enjoying a role where he’s not dealing with body parts. Except marshmallow ones! Mmmm, marshmallows.

Here’s how to grab your pair o’ passes….

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