Paperback: 16 pages
Publisher: Running Press Miniature Editions
Act Nov St edition
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Godzilla is back and better than ever! Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures are teaming up with the goal to make Godzilla cool again. Eat it Matthew Brodwick! Running Press is getting on the fast track to release some cool new merchandise. This kit includes a figurine of the monster that is not only bad ass but also comes with light and sound. When you press his spine spikes you get the light from his mouth getting ready to unleash his atomic ray and of course you also hear his iconic roar.
Besides the figurine, there is also a small sticker book included with Godzilla illustration. I think Warner Bros, did an awesome design with the new design of Godzilla and the figurine pays a great homage to the character. My only issue is that the roar is not so powerful as it should be. I wish they cranked up the volume a bit. If you are a Godzilla junkie like myself I would recommend picking this up since it is the first in the tons of planned merchandise for this film.
Last Year in Comics
So, here we are in 2014. Hopefully, we’ll see more of the awesomeness that we saw in 2013’s comic books, as some seriously cool stuff came out. However, there is always the other side to things; some companies made some horrible errors and some obvious ‘money grabs’. Let’s take a gander, shall we?
DC Comics:
Oh DC…it was going so right, where did it go wrong?? Last year saw the reboot of DC with the New 52, which was pretty damn awesome. As with most reboots, all the industry’s best writers and artists were invited to the party, including Jim Lee re-envisioning the “Justice League,” which was hands down one of the most fun books to read at the time (and I never really liked the “Justice League”). All of the Bat-Books that came out were so good that I actually didn’t mind having to read multiple books about the same character (something that started in the 80s & exploded in the 90s and has been a major annoyance for me ever since…at one time I remember there being something like seven or eight “Spider-Man” books and the same number of X-Books, all coming out at the same time…ugh, there’s only so much story people). I was even getting excited about “Action Comics” and “Supergirl” for a few issues, and I absolutely hate the “Superman” family of books!!
But alas, it all came crashing down. First, they did the unthinkable. They turned three or four of their most hidden gems, the Coup-de-Villes at the bottom of the Cracker Jacks box, over to Rob Liefeld. WHAT??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? DON’T YOU REMEMBER WHO THIS GUY IS?? So, what were once gritty, hard-hitting titles, like “Deathstroke,” “Hawk & Dove,” “Hawkman” and “Grifter,” which were all fun reads with outstanding art, became Liefeld strokefests and turned to utter crap, just like everything he’s ever done!! History repeats itself…duh! Then they pulled some of their better writers and artists off of the minor books, such as “Voodoo,” “Stormwatch” and “Captain Atom,” all higher-brow reading with compelling stories that actually made you think about life and existence and such, because they were minor books (even though they were becoming majorly awesome because of those creators) to play shuffle around with the bigger books. Cliché alert…if it ain’t broke…!!!
And then came the “Villain Month” money grab…I’m sorry, I mean crossover…which was the downfall of the New 52. Half of the books were just horrible re-hashings of origins, some of the villains were in books that they weren’t even the villains of (such as the Ventriloquist in “Dark Knight,” even though they had just revamped the character and introduced her in “Batgirl”). What could have been amazing fun (all the heroes are gone, let the villains play), became the biggest let down in comics of the time. Even the best villain ever, The Joker, was just craptastic. Instead of letting him run rampant, which would have been amazing, they retold an old campy story about his pet gorilla, even though they had just finished one of the darkest “Joker” storylines ever, including a Joker who was running around with his “face” as a flesh mask that barely hung from his head!! And I won’t even mention the hologram covers and all the supposed shortages that happened…
Then the “Zero Year” debacle happened, forcing all of the Bat-books to tell the story that the editor wanted told. By this point, there were so many crossovers happening that creators were walking away from the books that they once made incredible because they were being restrained by editorial whims. Once again…REALLY DC?? REALLY?? HIRE BOB HARRAS, THE GUY WHO SINGLE HANDEDLY WRECKED THE X-UNIVERSE IN THE 90S??? Again, DC…don’t you remember these people and what they did. Why hire them when you were doing just fine?!?!
It wasn’t all bad though!! Thankfully, we did see some incredible stuff come out of DC. Scott Snider’s “Batman” stories continue to enthrall readers. Batgirl was truly wonderful as she became a renegade running from her own father, Commissioner Gordon. “Batwoman” was awe-inspiring with beautiful illustrations by JH Williams III and killer stories about supernatural villains and dark family secrets. “Swamp Thing,” “Aquaman” and “Earth 2” continue to be the most consistent and well-written stories with killer art and brilliant subtle humor.
To come full circle, DC did produce perhaps the best comic story I’ve read in years, “Injustice: Gods Among Us.” Just simply & truly amazing. Superman goes from a helpless lovesick fool who has no idea how to deal with the Joker (who tricks him into then killing Lois Lane) to a killer and militant totalitarian leader of the world, and Wonder Woman couldn’t be happier. In her own words, “I was waiting for this.” Of course, Batman is leading the resistance. With twists and turns that rock the entire DC universe, including a Harley Quinn who acquires powers, this book is just simply brilliant!!
Next time, the ‘Independents’ and how they are currently ruling the comic industry.
Mickey Rooney, whose amazing entertainment career spanned an incredible ten decades, passed away yesterday (April 6). The four time Academy Award nominee (he was awarded two achievement Oscars during his career) was 93.
Born Ninian Joseph Yule, Jr on September 23, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York, the young man was soon appearing on stage in his parent’s vaudeville act. In 1926 he made his film debut in the short film “Not to Be Trusted.” The next year he began a successful run in a series of short films, detailing the adventures of young Mickey McGuire. It was during this time that he adopted his screen name, Mickey Rooney. These films led to him being signed by MGM and in 1937 he starred in “A Family Affair, ”the first of twenty feature films to spotlight his most popular screen character, Andy Hardy. It was due to the success of these films that the diminutive Rooney (he stood 5’2”) was named the Biggest Box Office Star in the World from 1939-1941.
But it wasn’t just comedy that Rooney excelled in. Films like “Boy’s Town” (one of my favorite Rooney performances), “National Velvet” and “Babes in Arms,” one of his many collaborations with Judy Garland, made him a favorite of fans everywhere. In 1940 he became the first teenager to be nominated for an Oscar in a leading role for “Babes in Arms.” He also received a Best Actor nomination in 1944 for “The Human Comedy” and earned Best Supporting Actor nods in 1957 for “The Bold and the Brave” and 1980 for “The Black Stallion.” He also received an special juvenile Oscar in 1939 and an honorary Oscar in 1983 for his body of work. Among his more notable films: “Young Tom Edison,” “Strike Up the Band,” “The Bridges at Toko-Ri,” “Breakfast at Tiffanys,” “Requiem for a Heavyweight,” “Babe: Pig in the City,” “Night at the Museum” and 2011’s “The Muppets.” He was filming a new version of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” opposite another classic film star, Margaret O’Brian, at the time of his death.
As the Golden Age of Television began, Rooney kept himself busy with appearances on many of the popular shows of the day, including his most memorable role as Kris Kringle in the animated “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” He spent nearly two decades working successfully in the medium. As the 1970s wound down Rooney took to Broadway, starring opposite Ann Miller in the successful show, “Sugar Babies,” earning a Tony Award nomination for his performance. In 1981 he returned to television in a tour-de-force performance of a mentally challenged man in “Bill,” earning himself an Emmy and a Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Television Movie or Mini-Series.
Married eight times, Rooney always said he never regretted a single day of his life. He was a true star that will continue to burn brightly!
Any basketball fans out there? As we approach the end of the season, the burning question for sports way is which is the best way to end it properly. Some will same NCAA March Madness and some will say NBA Playoffs. If you are conflicted, take a look at this amazing infographic and let it give you the facts behind each.
Feel free to enter your comments below and let us know what are your thoughts, feeling and of course most importantly predictions for the end of this season!
Via: Equip Supply
“Gravity,” director Alfonso Cuaron’s technical achievement, took home the lion’s share of awards Sunday night at the 86th Annual Academy Awards. The film, nominated in 10 categories, took home 7 Oscars, including two for Cuaron: Best Director and Best Film Editing. The film also took home awards for Visual Effects, Sound, Sound Editing, Cinematography and Best Original Score.
The award for Best Picture went to Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave,” which also took home awards for Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Lupita Nyong’o. Cate Blanchett won her second Oscar, this time as Best Actress, for her role in “Blue Jasmine.” On the actor side, the boys from “Dallas Buyers Club” took home the gold with Jared Leto winning Best Supporting Actor and Matthew McConaughey winning Best Actor.
“Frozen,” Disney’s latest animated blockbuster, took the award for Best Animated Feature as well as for Best Song, “Let It Go.” Another multiple award winning film was Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby,” which won for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.” Spike Jonze took home the Original Screenplay award for “Her.”
The telecast, hosted by Ellen Degeneres, was tame when compared to recent shows. In fact, except for a couple of “Jonah Hill penis” jokes and a bit delivering pizza to those in the audience, Degeneres was pretty non-existent, only showing up to introduce the next presenters. All four Best Song presentations were well received, as was Pink’s version of “Over the Rainbow,” performed to help celebrate the 75th Anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz.” There also appeared to be a problem with the teleprompter as several presenters stumbled through their lines. When introducing Idina Menzel to sing the song from “Frozen,” John Travolta appeared to introduce her as “Adele Nuzim.”
A bit of old Hollywood was represented with presenting appearances by Kim Novak and Sidney Poitier. In her first performing appearance on the show Bette Midler earned a much deserved standing ovation for her rendition of “The Wind Beneath My Wings” after the annual “In Memoriam” sequence.
Here is a list of this year’s winners:
Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyer’s Club
Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Achievement in Directing: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Best Adapted Screenplay: John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave
Best Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze, Her
Best Original Score: Gravity, Steven Price
Best Original Song: “Let It Go,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez; Frozen
Achievement in Costume Design: The Great Gatsby
Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling: Dallas Buyers Club
Animated Short Film: Mr. Hublot
Animated Feature Film: Frozen
Achievement in Visual Effects: Gravity
Live Action Short Film: Helium
Best Documentary Short Subject: The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life
Documentary Feature: 20 Feet from Stardom
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year: The Great Beauty, Italy
Achievement in Sound Mixing: Gravity
Achievement in Sound Editing: Gravity
Achievement in Cinematography: Gravity, Emmanuel Lubezki
Achievement in Film Editing: Gravity
Achievement in Production Design: The Great Gatsby
Media Mikes own Mike Smith will join other Kansas City area film critics this Wednesday night, February 26, as they declare their choices for the upcoming Academy Awards at the Screenland Crown Center Theatre.
The annual event, a benefit for CINEMAKC, allows moviegoers to attend a program consisting of clips and trailers from films nominated for the upcoming 86th Annual Academy Awards and then ask their favorite critics what their choices are and why.
The event begins at 7:00 pm, with a “meet the critics” mixer beginning at 6:00 pm.
Harold Ramis, whose early career writing jokes for “Playboy” magazine lead him to a career as one of the most successful comedy film writer/directors, passed away today in Chicago. He was 69. Cause of death was listed as complications of autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis.
Chicago born, Ramis began his comedic career as a writer and joke editor for “Playboy.” At the age of 25 he joined the prestigious Second City Improvosational Comedy Troupe and soon was recruited to move to New York City to write and perform for the popular “National Lampoon Show.” While there he worked with such up and coming comedians as John Belushi, Gilda Radner and Bill Murray. In 1976, while those three were gaining fame on “Saturday Night Live,” he became head writer for the popular Canadian program “SCTV,” whose cast boasted such comic legends as John Candy, Martin Short and Joe Flaherety. In 1978 he earned his first Hollywood film credit as co-writer of the enormously popular film “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” which was produced by Ivan Reitman. He later teamed with Reitman by co-writing the script for “Meatballs.”
In 1980 he got his first shot behind the camera when he was named the director of the classic golf comedy “Caddyshack,” again co-writing the script. He finally got his chance to appear on camera when he and Murray starred in the military comedy “Stripes,” again co-writing the script and directed by Reitman. In 1983 he concentrated on directing when he helmed “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” written by John Hughes and starring Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo. The next year he made movie history when he co-starred again with Murray and Dan Aykroyd in one of the most beloved films of all time, “Ghostbusters.” Again, he shared co-writing duties, this time with Aykroyd. Other films he helped write include “Back to School,” “Club Paradise,” “Ghostbusters II,” “Analyze This” (and it’s sequel) and “Groundhog Day.”
As an actor he is probably best remembered as Dr. Egon Spengler, the heart of the Ghostbusters. He often made brief cameo appearances in his own films and was also featured in “Airheads,” “Baby Boom,” “Knocked Up” and “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.” His last film was 2009’s “Year One” and he last directed in 2010 with an episode of television’s “The Office.”
Ramis is survived by his second wife, Erica, their two children and a child from his first marriage.
R.I.P. Egon
Sid Caesar, whose live television show in the 1950s had, arguably, the greatest assembly of comedy genius’ ever assembled at one time, died today at his Los Angeles area home after a long illness. He was 91. His weekly 90 minute television program, “Your Show of Shows,” boasted the on-screen talents of Caesar, Imogene Coca, Howard Morris and Carl Reiner. The show’s writers room was filled with a virtual who’s who of comedy legends, including Mel Brooks, Selma Diamond, Neil Simon and Danny Simon. His next show, entitled “Caesar’s Hour,” boasted a staff that included Larry Gelbart and Woody Allen. The show was so beloved that it not only inspired the classic Peter O’Toole comedy “My Favorite Year,” which was produced by Mel Brooks, but Neil Simon’s long running play “Laughter on the 23rd Floor.”
Born Isaac Sidney Caesar on September 8, 1922 in Yonkers, New York, Caesar began his professional career as a saxophone player, having studied the instrument at the Julliard School of Music. After graduation he decided to try his luck as a professional musician in New York City but did not fare too well. One thing that went right for him: he met his future wife, Florence, there. They were married in July 1943. After 57 years of marriage Florence passed away in 2010.
After small roles in theatre and film he found his calling in television. In 1949 he and Imogene Coca starred in the variety program “The Admiral Broadway Review.” The show grew so popular that it was broadcast on both NBC and the Dumont Network. In fact, the show became so popular that the sponsor, Admiral Televisions, had to cancel it after 26 weeks because their factory could not keep up with the demand for new television sets. Later in life Casesar would recount how an Admiral executive told him that the company had to decide whether to build a new factory or keep sponsoring the show. They chose the cheaper option. On February 25, 1950, the first episode of “Your Show of Shows” premiered. The show ran through 1954 and was quickly followed by “Caesar’s Hour,” a similar themed show which is best remembered for the first appearance of Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner’s 2000 Year Old Man character. The show ran through 1957. For the rest of the decade Caesar would appear in several television specials.
In the 1960s he made his way to Broadway, starring in the musical “Little Me,” which boasted a script by Neil Simon and choreography by Bob Fosse. His performance, which included eight different characters and thirty-two costume changes, earned him a Tony Award nomination in 1963 for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. He lost to Zero Mostel, who earned Broadway immortality with his performance in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” which ironically was co-written by another one of Caesar’s former writers, Larry Gelbart. That same year he and Edie Adams co-starred as a married couple searching for a buried fortune in the film “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.”
He spent the rest of the decade, and most of the 1970s, making occasional television and film appearances. In 1978 he introduced his talents to a new generation when he was hired to replace Harry Reems as Rydell High School’s Coach Calhoun in the film version of the Broadway musical, “Grease.” He later reprised the role in “Grease 2.” Other film appearances include “Silent Movie,” “Airport ‘75” and “History of the World, Part I.” In 1982 he returned to Broadway opposite Carol Channing and Tommy Lee Jones in the show “Four on a Garden.” The next year he hosted “Saturday Night Live” and received a prolonged standing ovation upon his entrance. After the show he was given a plaque naming him an honorary member of the cast. He is the only host to receive that honor.
He kept busy in the 1990s as well, appearing in “Vegas Vacation” and earning the last two of his eleven Emmy Award nominations in 1995 and 1997 for guest appearances on “Mad About You.” In his career he won two Emmy Awards.
Shirley Temple Black, who as a young child captivated moviegoers around the world, died yesterday at her Woodside, California home from natural causes. She was 85.
Born on April 23, 1928, Black was placed on the road to stardom by her mother, who enrolled her in dance classes at the age of three. In 1932 a talent scout visited the school and she was signed by a small film studio, Education Pictures, where she appeared in a series of one and two-reel comedies. The studio went bankrupt and in 1934 she signed a contract with Fox Films. As she turned six years old she made her Fox debut in the musical/comedy “Stand Up and Cheer!” In December of that year she became the youngest actor ever to have their name above the title when “Bright Eyes” was released. Including what would become one of her most well-known songs, “On the Good Ship Lollipop.” So popular was her rendition that in a few months of release over a half-million copies of the song’s sheet music had been sold. In February 1935 she was awarded a smaller sized, Juvenile Academy Award for her contributions to the film industry. In March of that year she immortalized her hand prints and signature in cement outside of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
After Fox Films merged with the 20th Century Studio, producer Darryl F. Zanuck concentrated his attention on Temple and her career. With a contract calling for four pictures a year, the studio had a team of nineteen writers whose sole job was to find and create projects for the young actress. In 1935 the studio released such classic Shirley Temple films as “The Little Colonel,” “Our Little Girl,””Curly Top,” (which included another of her signature songs, “Animal Crackers in My Soup”) and “The Littlest Rebel.” In 1936 the studio released “Captain January,” “Poor Little Rich Girl,” “Stowaway” and “Dimples.” All of these films, most of them made for under $300,000, were huge successes, even more so when you learn that Temple’s annual salary was $50,000.
Convinced that Temple’s talents and popularity would continue to grow as she got older, Zanuck turned down a huge financial offer to lend her to MGM Studios to star as Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz.” Unfortunately for Zanuck, several Temple films flopped and, at age twelve, her parents bought out her contract and sent her to boarding school. During breaks from school she continued to work in films but, at the age of 22, she decided to retire. 1950 also saw the end of her five year marriage to actor John Agar. It was Agar’s misfortune to have a fan of Temple’s as the presiding judge. When he began to address the court he was immediately interrupted by the judge who declared, “Don’t you DARE blame your troubles on Shirley Temple!”
Temple was also one of the first movie stars to have a merchandizing contract. By 1941, over $40 million worth of Shirley Temple dolls had been sold. In fact, with all of her marketing and endorsement contracts, she easily doubled her annual film salary each year, earning $200,000 in 1936 alone. Less than two weeks after her divorce from Agar was finalized, Temple married Charles Alden Black, a Naval Intelligence officer, who upon their meeting informed Temple he had never seen any of her films. That must have been the magic potion because the two remained married for 54 years until his death in 2005.
Despite intermittent television appearances, Temple wanted to devote her time to worthy causes. After an unsuccessful try at local politics, she was appointed Representative to the 24th United Nations General Assembly by President Richard M. Nixon in 1969. Five years later President Gerald R. Ford appointed her United States Ambassador to Ghana. She was later named the first female Chief of Protocol of the United States and was in charge of arrangements for President Jimmy Carter’s inauguration and inaugural ball. In 1989 she served as the United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia after being appointed by President George H. W. Bush. Eight decades after her career started she would gladly answer fan mail and sign autographs. Some of today’s young stars should take note on how, with the love and support of family and friends, you can achieve your dreams without hurting yourself or others!
Nearly one hundred days ago, New York City hosted the Road to Sochi, an event celebrating the lead up to the 22nd Winter Olympics. The event, held in Times Square, boasted several activities that fans could take part in, including an autograph signing with some members of the US team, a small luge run, and numerous trivia and sport simulations. In an area best known for its throngs of tourists, Olympic fans could even watch live sport demonstrations, including hockey, curling, skiing, and snowboarding down a ramp placed right in the middle of the square.
Now, the world looks towards the beginning of the Winter Olympics- this year taking place in Sochi, Russia. The first events (Ladiesʼ Moguls Qualification in Freestyle Skiing, Team Pairs Short Program and Team Mensʼ Short Program in Figure Skating, and Mensʼ and Ladiesʼ Slopestyle Qualification in Snowboarding) will begin Thursday, February 6th. The Olympic Opening Ceremony will take place the following day, on Friday, in the brand new Fisht Stadium in Sochiʼs Olympic Park.
This Winter Olympics has seemed plagued with numerous concerns from environmental standards and potential terrorist threats to budgeting questions, lodging, and construction problems. These issues are all more than enough for one country to handle, and thatʼs not even taking into account the questions of human and animal rights violations, as well as Russiaʼs continued targeting and attacks on the LGBT community. President Obama will not be attending the Games, instead sending an Olympic delegation that is set to include three openly gay athletes. But in a lead up to the Olympics that has seen its share of controversies and concerns, the United States will place its hopes of success in its 230 athletes. 98 gold medals will be given out between February 6-23, which will include twelve new events, many previously seen in the X Games, in the hopes that their addition will add something new and fresh to the Games. Seven countries will be sending athletes to a Winter Olympics for the first time.
The United States is expected to fare well, being among the projected top countries along with Norway, Germany, and Canada. The 2014 Sochi Olympics will be shown on NBC.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, who in the span of two decades became one of the most admired and acclaimed actors of his generation, died earlier today from an apparent drug overdose. He was 46.
The four-time Academy Award nominated actor, who won the Best Actor Oscar in 2006 for his work in the film “Capote,” was found in his Greenwich Village apartment today. Police reports state that he was found with a hypodermic needle in his arm and two small bags, containing a substance thought to be heroin, near his body.
Born in Fairport, New York on July 23, 1967, Hoffman became interested in acting as a young boy after attending a local theater performance of Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons.” After many high school productions he attended New York University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drama.
He began his acting career in 1991 with an appearance during the first season of the long running television show “Law and Order.” The next year he appeared in two feature films: “Leap of Faith,” with Steve Martin, and the Oscar-winning “Scent of a Woman,” opposite Al Pacino and Chris O’Donnell. The next couple of years found him in supporting roles in films like “My Boyfriend’s Back,” “The Getaway” and “Nobody’s Fool.” In 1996 he began his long association with director Paul Thomas Anderson with an appearance in the film “Hard Eight.” Other notable Anderson-directed films include “Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia,” “Punch Drunk Love” and “The Master.” He spent the next decade doing outstanding work in such diverse films as “The Big Lebowski,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” “Almost Famous” and “Cold Mountain.” In 2005 he brilliantly portrayed author Truman Capote in the biographical drama “Capote.” For his performance he received his first Academy Award nomination and, in fact, he took home the Oscar for Best Actor. He later received Best Supporting Actor nominations for “Charlie Wilson’s War,” “Doubt” and “The Master.”
Later films include “Mission Impossible 3,” “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” “The Ides of March,’ “Moneyball” and “Jack Goes Boating,” which he also directed. He recently appeared in “Catching Fire,” the second film in “The Hunger Games” series and had recently finished filming “Mockingjay – Part 1” and was currently filming “Part 2.”
On stage, he was a member of the LAByrinth Theater Company since 1995, where he directed and starred in several productions. On Broadway he earned three Tony Award nominations: for Best Actor in a Play for “True West,” Best Featured Actor for “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” and again for Best Actor in “Death of a Salesman.” At age 44, he was the youngest actor ever to play Willy Loman since Lee J. Cobb originated the role in 1949. Other actors to take on the iconic role on Broadway include George C. Scott, Dustin Hoffman and Brian Dennehy. For “True West,” he and co-star John C. Reilly would alternate the lead roles and, in fact, lobbied to receive one Tony Nomination between them. Reilly was also nominated for his work in the play.
Hoffman dealt with his substance abuse issues after graduating from NYU and was 23 years sober when he relapsed in May 2013. He checked himself into a detox facility shortly afterwards. He leaves behind three children with long time partner Mimi O’Donnell; a son and two daughters.
2014’s Most Anticipated New Theme Park Experience Opens This Summer and Brings More of Harry Potters Adventures to Life
Expansive New Area Will Feature Something for Everyone:
The Hogwarts Express, A Groundbreaking Ride, Plus Spectacular Shops and Dining
ORLANDO, Fla. (January 23, 2014) Never before has a theme park created a guest experience like this: you climb aboard the Hogwarts Express in Hogsmeade and moments later arrive at Kings Cross Station where the wonders of London and Diagon Alley unfold before you. And it is all real.
With this summers opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley, Universal Orlando Resort and Warner Bros. Entertainment will bring even more of Harry Potters adventures to life inside a new, magnificently themed area that includes a revolutionary attraction experience, as well as all-new themed shops and dining.
The two companies today revealed first-ever details about the new area and the one-of-a-kind adventures it will offer the whole family. The spectacularly themed environment will double the size of the sweeping area already dedicated to Harry Potters adventures at Universal Orlando, expanding it across both Universal theme parks.
And just like in the books and films guests will be able to travel between the two areas aboard the iconic Hogwarts Express.
Universal Orlando launched a global phenomenon when it opened The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hogsmeade at its Islands of Adventure theme park in 2010. That area includes the iconic Hogwarts castle which houses the groundbreaking Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction and the village of Hogsmeade. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley will be located within Universal Orlandos second theme park, Universal Studios, and will create new experiences based on the signature areas of London, Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley.
Universals creative team has been working closely with Stuart Craig and the production team from the Harry Potter films to make the new area as authentic and spectacular as possible just as it did with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade.
The vision for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley is unprecedented, with Universal Orlando creating the worlds first centrally themed, multi-park experience.
After arriving at Kings Cross Station aboard the Hogwarts Express, guests will pass through London and the iconic brick wall archway from the films into Diagon Alley a bustling, wizarding hub within a Muggle city. There will be shops, dining experiences, and a new ride called Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts a multi-sensory, multi-dimensional journey that will take theme park attractions to a new level.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley will give visitors the exciting opportunity to:
More details about the unique experiences that can be found in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley will be released over time. For more information about the area, visit www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter.
About the Harry Potter Series
Harry Potter continues to be a global phenomenon. Each of the seven books by author J.K. Rowling has broken sales records, with the series to date having sold over 450 million copies worldwide and translated into 77 languages. The Harry Potter films, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, have grossed more than $7.7 billion to date worldwide at the box office, making Harry Potter the largest-grossing film franchise in history.
About Universal Orlando Resort
Vacation like you mean it at Universal Orlando Resort where every heart pounding, jaw-dropping, goose-bumping second counts. With two incredible theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Universals Islands of Adventure, three magnificently themed on-site hotels and a nighttime entertainment complex, Universal Orlando is the only place where you can turn spending time with your family into spending time as a family. Together, you can soar above Hogwarts with Harry Potter, swing above the streets with Spider-Man, become a Minion in the hilarious and heartwarming Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride, and join Optimus Prime in the fight to save mankind on the new mega-attraction, TRANSFORMERS: The Ride 3D.
About Warner Bros. Entertainment
Warner Bros. Entertainment is a global leader in all forms of entertainment and their related businesses across all current and emerging media and platforms. A Time Warner Company, the fully integrated, broad-based studio is home to one of the most successful collections of brands in the world and stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry from feature film, television and home entertainment production and worldwide distribution to DVD, digital distribution, animation, comic books, video games, product and brand licensing, international cinemas and broadcasting.
HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR.
Is Warner Brothers secretly planning the greatest Fanboy surprise of all time? If you believe television’s “Arrow” star Stephen Amell, the answer could be…maybe?
In a rush of excitement earlier this morning, popular sites like Fandango quoted Amell as saying “All we have to do for something like that to happen, or even be a possibility, is continue to take care of business with our show and then we put ourselves in a position – but the important thing is our show. I have had discussions, but I think the gestation process for this project is a lot slower than most people think. I mean, they haven’t even shot the next one. They haven’t even shot a frame of the movie before the movie everyone thinks is the Justice League movie!”
Later in the day, on his Facebook page, Amell downplayed his comments, stating “… I’m not the smartest dude in the world. (After all… I picked a career in acting.) But would I really just casually subvert a process cloaked in secrecy? A process – by the way – being run by the company who currently employs me. C’MON!”
Confused? Don’t be. The powers that be at Warner Brothers have been sitting in silence since 2008 when “Iron Man” hit theatres, becoming the first salvo in a box office battle that would culminate in “The Avengers” four years later. Even with the success of the Christopher Nolan-directed “Dark Knight” trilogy, Warner Brothers could not find a suitable DC Comics character to combine with Batman. Or, rather, a suitable film to inspire such a combination. Though he seemed perfect for the role (and actually did a good job), Ryan Reynolds left some fans cold in “Green Lantern.” 2006’s “Superman Returns,” despite grossing almost $400 million, was judged a failure by both the studio and fans. Enter last summer’s “Man of Steel.” As filming progressed the rumor spread that, at the end of the film, Joseph Gordon Levitt was to show up after the credits as Batman. Didn’t happen. Then came word that Ben Affleck (once an unsuccessful Marvel movie character himself – Daredevil) would take the cowl from Christian Bale and join Henry Cavill in “Batman vs Superman.” As the year ended we were informed that Israeli actress Gal Gadot would appear in the new film as Wonder Woman.
Earlier this week Warner Brothers announced that they had pushed back the opening of “Batman vs Superman” from July 17,2015 to May 6, 2016. Speculation is that the studio wants nothing to do with the arrival of Disney’s “Star Wars: Episode VII,” also due in theatres in 2015. But what if there’s more? If I had an official press invite (email being sent) I would gladly drive 5 hours east to Cape Girardeau, Missouri where Ben Affleck is currently filming “Gone Girl” and ask the new Bruce Wayne to his face. But in lieu of that, I can hope. And do my own casting. Sticking with the original Justice League of America members I’m casting Jon Hamm as the Flash, Faran Tahir as the Martian Manhunter and I’m giving Ryan Reynolds a second chance as Green Lantern. After all, even Josh Whedon finally got Marvels’ green hero (the Hulk) right. As for Aquaman….I think I’ll just let “Entourage’s” Vincent Chase carry that mantle in his upcoming James Cameron-directed version!
Steven Price, whose original score for the film “Gravity” was voted the Best of 2013 by the staff and readers of Media Mikes.com wanted to share these comments with his fans:
“Thank you so much for this honour! I’m thrilled, especially as it comes from this site. I had such fun talking to your colleague earlier in the year, and am an avid reader of the site. Thank you so much for supporting the film, and my score. It’s truly appreciated.”
Next stop for Steven Price…the Oscars on March 2nd!
