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May 6, 2011

TGITDNMAR (5/6/11)

It's that time again for TGITDNMAR, which (obviously) stands for Thank God It's The Day New Movies Are Released.

OMG - on time and everything!

Thor
I guess you have to give it up to the marketing machine. For years, we've heard questions about what the studios would do when they ran out of "A"-level superheroes. Turns out that said worry was much ado about nothing (maybe - see below). Iron Man is perhaps not Batman or Spider-Man, but despite the protestations that he wasn't them, he was also someone that even the least-interested person probably still recognized. With the success of Thor, I have to think that the fears that studios won't be able to sell us on the B team are unfounded. As of press time, the film is scheduled to rake in approximately $65-75 million in its first weekend. Sure, that's no Dark Knight figure, but it's nothing to sneeze at, either. What might be more fascinating is that Thor actually looks like a decent film (and is receiving reviews that back up that supposition).

Now, a caveat. I'm not 100% sold on my theory about the B team, despite my claim. See, non-comic book people like me might not know a damn thing about Thor the comic book character, however, the name Thor has pretty strong recognition to it - everyone knows he's a Norse god. So, sell me Ant Man and we'll really see if those fears are unfounded.
Fletch's Under Normal Circumstances Chance of Viewing (in the theater): 93%

Something Borrowed
Remember that one time, when we all thought Kate Hudson was gonna be great?

Yeah...we were idiots.

Does Ms. Hudson make movies that aren't somehow related to weddings? She must have Spielbergian levels of personal issues regarding nuptials. Could that be residual issues surrounding the "we've been together forever but are never getting married" status of her mother and surrogate dad, Kurt Russell? Sigmund Fletch wants to know.

No, that's not true. I really don't care. Which, not coincidentally, is how I feel about any and every Hudson film.
Fletch's Under Normal Circumstances Chance of Viewing (in the theater): 0%

Jumping the Broom
Oh shit! CSI's disgraced former co-star Gary Dourdan is in this. I always liked him and was sad when he got killed off there (and got arrested for possessing every drug known to man, but that's another story). Regardless, it looks like this is a bit part, and frankly, I'm not sure that a larger one would make a dent in my interest level for the Broom.

One look at the poster tells me two big things about the Broom: first, that its subject matter (clash between "urban" and "bougie" black families) could make for a really interesting, revealing movie, and second, that it won't. I'll hope to be wrong, but the tone of the poster is "Haha, we're having fun fighting! It's gonna be a party either uptown or downtown!" And maybe accomplishing something meaningful is possible within the confines of the type of comedy it looks like (stand-ups do it all of the time). But I doubt it.
Fletch's Under Normal Circumstances Chance of Viewing (in the theater): 8%
And then...

May 5, 2011

Ladies of the 90s Tournament...winner!

Congratulations to the Vulcan from Hackers for being selected as the winner of the Ladies of the 90s Tournament! (How did this happen, exactly?)




Just for shits and giggles, humor me by taking part in one more poll. Let's suppose that the SMG gang hadn't overtaken her matchup versus Winona Ryder, who I think we all can agree was robbed of her chance in the tourney. Who would you choose between her and the two finalists?

And then...

May 4, 2011

Survivor: Redemption Island Episode 12 Live Blog!

(Editor's Note: Ok, so I'm an idiot. I accidentally just wrote over an older post - for episode 10, I think - so there are some comments here that won't make sense. Also, you probably aren't seeing this post in your feed readers since it's a few weeks old. Oh well...)

Alright, my stalwart Survivor gang - it's time for another Live Blog!

Is it just me, or does it seem like this season has gone on forever? It ends Sunday (thankfully), and yet, this episode here is only the 12th. Have the seasons always been this short (and seemed so long)? I think not. Methinks the show needs larger gaps between seasons...

Anyway, on to the show!

7:00: Again with the four person "dual," eh? I suppose the contestants will have to balance 6-sided triangles on their laps later?

7:02: Hmmm...a scene involving Natalie crying...could that possibly have served as the "family crying moment of the season," meaning we might be dodging that bullet?

7:04: I swear to god, right as I'm typing that, the players are discovering phones with family messages. I'm fucking psychic (or I've just watched this show for a long time).

7:05: Hey! Andrea didn't turn into a ball of tears upon seeing her video. A Survivor first! Good for her.

7:06: Damnit, I wish Matt had been amongst the players getting a message. I want to know if it would have been from God.

7:07: Again, I'm psychic - he gets a turn after all. I'll be disappointed if Jesus himself doesn't tell Matt that he's really pulling for him in today's challenge.

7:09: I'm not sure if you're aware of this or not, but tonight's episode is brought to us by SPRINT...4G! How much you wanna bet me that the first commercial in the next break is from our friends at Sprint? The Epic 4G.

7:10: If I took a drink every time they said "Sprint," I'd be wasted already. And it's all been in the span of four minutes, so it'd be like shotgunning beers.

7:15: Are you kidding? Only one person is going home? So there'll be nine people left in the game, and we've got a finale on Sunday? WTF?

7:17: Bye, Steve. Didn't ya like how they showed Phil immediately after Jeff said Steve was going home?

7:18: What the shit? Is this series gonna be airing on the Trinity Broadcasting Network soon? I have my limits, people...

7:19: That said, while I don't know if it will make the least bit of difference for him, I think Mike made an excellent choice. Not only is it worth a shot, but it's not like he didn't get a) a message and b) to see his Mom in person. And if it curries him favor down the line, to go with the good karma he's already earned, all the better. I'm not sure if I could have made such a move, but I appreciate it nonetheless.

7:24: Okay, no need to correct me. I just got curious and looked it up, and I see that the finale is on the 15th, which means we've got next Wednesday as well. My bad! Though I think I also saw that the finale will start with 8 people - wow.

7:26: Grant's....sister's husband? Odd choice for a family member - I wonder if there's a story there. And Ralph's "friend?" I'm not sure that I would have guessed that Ralph was gay - cool!

7:28: Rob just talked about making a better life for his wife and kids. Yeah...I don't want to begrudge the guy that, but I can't imagine that they're exactly hurting for cash.

7:28: Spoiler - it will be unveiled that Grant is the second coming of Jesus later on in the show. He looks the part, right? And this is the Official Reality Show of Heaven, right?

7:29: Ok, I'll stop.

7:29: If the show stops first.

7:34: How can Grant not win this? The guy's probably spent more time running up and down stadium stairs than the rest of the players combined. Could anyone be more conditioned than he is?

7:38: Rob wins!

7:38: ...and then dies of heat exhaustion.

7:43: Crap, I was too busy skipping the commercials to notice - was that one commercial I called for Sprint or what?

7:48: But of course - Phil has been acting like a crazy fool all this time. I don't buy it. The guy might have had a moment of self-realization where he picked up on the fact that he's a nut that's almost universally loathed, but there's no way that everything he's said and done has been an act.

7:53: So what do we think? More bait and switch? It's gotta be Andrea, right? I say yay.

7:56: I really hope that those remaining five players are forced to do a vote amongst themselves next week, because I'd like to see if Rob can stick to his "keep Phil" strategy, and whether or not the pair of gals and/or the pair of non-Phil guys would dare to vote against each other. I can't think of another season in which we had a solid group of players that contained two even-solider [sic] pairs within it. It makes me hope for a four-person finale with the two pairs making it, just so they have to trash talk each other.
And then...

The State of the Cabins (5/4/11)

Down and dirty this time out...

Movies watched for the first time (non-theatrically) since last week:
I don't think there have been any again, though I'm over halfway through the epically long, epically stupid Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. My favorite part thus far: A group enters the Smithsonian. They awake a long-dormant Decepticon. He's sleepy, wants outside. So he smashes through the wall and - POOF! - they're in a field full of airplanes with mountains in the distance. Put it this way: you could have a field day just reading the "Errors in geography" section of the Goofs page for the flick on IMDb. Oh boy, oh boy...I can't wait to finish it.

Aside from that, it's been more rewatching of old flicks (Timecop!) and two (2!) theatrical trips in the last week (Fast Five and Win Win).

Music I'm currently obsessed with listening to:
* Every time I listen to this, I feel bad that I don't own a single Pulp album yet. I'm familiar with about three of their songs (one from the Great Expectations soundtrack, one from the Trainspotting soundtrack, and this one), and I greatly enjoy all of them.

I'm so ahead of the times...



Book I'm currently reading:
* Still with the omnibus.

I've about 130 pages left, but I don't think I'm even going to finish it. I've had my fill of pessimistic, depressing short stories in which Dahl toys with and (almost always) harms his protagonists. Yay...life sucks. Thanks for the lesson. I can't believe this guy is known for writing children's stories.

Things to Click OnLink* I have nothing for you this week. I'm just being a bad blogger all-around. The Blogger embargo at work has kept me away from writing and reading as I'm accustomed to, so my apologies to all that are wondering where I've gone. Also, I'm working on a project that is taking away the rest of my attention. Hopefully, I'll be back reading and commenting on sites and posting more in the near future.
And then...

Poll results; new poll; FYC!

The results of the latest poll either indicate that much of Blog Cabins' readership is not a member of the Large Association of Movie Blogs...or the magic is gone from the LAMMY awards, with just 57% of the vote excited for the ceremony in one fashion or another. Hard to say which, really, not without knowing who the 26% of voters were that selected "not caring,""curious," and "in the dark." Though, really, the ones I'm concerned about are the 3 individuals who selected "full of hate" towards the awards. Care to come forward? (Castor, if you're one of them, I get it.)

I'm in the midst of trudging through the second Transformers film (just for shits and giggles, and because I get curious to see just how bad some films are), and it's got me wondering how much interest you have in the third edition of the Baysplosions epic. New poll wants a simple Yes or No from you.


Also, for those that might not see it on the LAMB, I had to share with you the For Your Consideration ad that I made for the event. I wasn't coming up with anything brilliantly funny (some have been great for this), and I didn't want to do anything that just put a bunch of text over an image from a recent movie (too many have done this), and putting JCVD's face on one of these is an awesome idea that's already been taken, so....I went with a (hopefully) classy and designery one. Made in MS Paint, of course!

And then...

Ladies of the 90s Tournament - The Championship!: Uma Thurman (3) vs. Angelina Jolie (5)

Previous results: Well, we got a close, back-and-forth matchup for our last one before the final, with Sandra and Angelina trading the lead all day. In the end, Jon Voight's daughter knocked out the last number one seed, 28-23. Can she finish her Cinderella run and take it all? For the updated bracket, click here.

Uma Thurman


90s Highlights: Pulp Fiction, Gattaca, Beautiful Girls, Jennifer Eight, Final Analysis


Angelina Jolie


90s Highlights: Hackers, Girl, Interrupted, The Bone Collector



And then...

May 3, 2011

Ladies of the 90s Tournament - Round 4: Sandra Bullock (1) vs.

Previous results: Another day, another blowout. Uma trounced Halle Berry, 20-10. Today, we see who will face her in the finals - the Girl Next Door, or the Possibly Crazy Vixen Next Door. For the updated bracket, click here.

Sandra Bullock


90s Highlights: Speed, Demolition Man, While You Were Sleeping, A Time to Kill


Angelina Jolie


90s Highlights: Hackers, Girl, Interrupted, The Bone Collector



And then...

May 2, 2011

TGITDNMAR (4/29/11)

It's that time again for TGITDNMAR, which (obviously) stands for Thank God It's The Day New Movies Are Released.

Well, or a few days after the new movies are released...

Fast Five
What's harder to believe - the fact that I saw this on opening night (the first in the franchise that I've seen at all, much less in the theater), or the fact that I kinda liked it?

Frankly, it's hard not to give in to its charms. It's a big, dumb football player of a movie, but so long as you are up for a visceral ride and can ignore giant implausabilities (of which there are oh so many), you can't help but psych yourself up for some Diesel vs. Rock action. Everyone else is just ear or ear candy in one fashion or another, and that's okay. Dylan's Under Normal Circumstances Chance of Viewing (in the theater): 100%

Prom
Ah yes, another one of those Disney teen movies in which I've never heard of a single person in the main cast, so I go digging through the extended cast looking for some character actor and/or has been that's slumming their way through a paycheck. Who will I find this time, and could they possibly be enough to get me interested??

A) Christine Elise: known mostly for Beverly Hills 90210 (the original). No.

B) Faith Ford: Of Murphy Brown/Hope & Faith fame. No. What happens when someone known for being "perky" gets older? I think the answer is that they disappear, sad as that may be.

C) Jere Burns: Of Dear, John fame. No - however, he's been an occasional guest star on Justified as some low-level gangster, and he's been spectacularly creepy. But I would require about 10,000 hims to get me to see Prom, I'm afraid.
Dylan's Under Normal Circumstances Chance of Viewing (in the theater): 0%

Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil
I just watched Cop Out for the first time this weekend. And to quote Tracy Morgan attempting to will Seann William Scott from telling a joke: "No. No. Huh Huh. No. No! No! No! Hell No! NO! NO! I refuse to... No! No!"
Dylan's Under Normal Circumstances Chance of Viewing (in the theater): 0%
And then...

Ladies of the 90s Tournament - Round 4: Halle Berry (2) vs. Uma Thurman (3)

Previous results: Angelina Jolie made quick work of Denise Richards in one of the most voted-upon matchups yet, besting her 32-13. And now, for the first of the final three matchups as we move into the Final Four! Which uniquely-monikered star will advance to the championship? Click here to view the updated full bracket.

Uma Thurman


90s Highlights: Pulp Fiction, Gattaca, Beautiful Girls, Jennifer Eight, Final Analysis


Halle Berry


90s Highlights: The Last Boy Scout, Strictly Business, Boomerang, Executive Decision, Bulworth


And then...

May 1, 2011

LAMBcast #66: Scream 4

We had a full house of five LAMBcasters on board to discuss the latest installment of Wes Craven's once-upon-a-time-hip teen slasher franchise - would we think this one continues the tradition or falls flat? Nick, Jason, James, Dylan and Simon break it down. Also - we bid adieu to the LAMB of the Week and unveil our new segment: Rants of the Week. Be sure to let us know what ya think!

Also on tap:

* Trailer Talk: The Change-Up
* Last LAMB Standing




Music provided royalty-free by Kevin MacLeod's Incompetech website. Big thanks to Kevin for providing this service. The LAMBcast loves feedback, too. Either here in the comments section or to blogcabins@yahoo.com or to our Facebook page. Also, we're on iTunes, and would still love a review, even if it's a bad one.

Thanks for listening!
And then...