Media Mikes had the pleasure of attending the AMC “Comic Book Men” panel held during this year’s Comic Con Convention in New York on Oct. 10-13. The panel featured show creator Kevin Smith along with cast members Brian Johnson, Walter Flanningan, Ming Chen and Michael Zapcic. Though the panel was originally meant to discuss season 2 of the hit AMC show the audience quickly turned it into their opportunity to grill Smith about a few of his other upcoming projects, namely “Clerks III” which Kevin had this to say.

Kevin Smith: “Clerks III” is currently going well enough to where the script is done and we are just waiting on finding our money. In an effort to keep my mind off of worrying about finding money for that movie I wrote this film titled “Tusk”. That is what I am going to be doing next. In a few weeks I will be heading to North Carolina to start filming. The film stars Justin Long and Michael Parks and it’s basically about a kid trying to turn another kid into a walrus. The film is based off of a UK add on a Gumtree website where there was actually a guy who made up this hoax about a person looking for someone to wear a walrus costume they made. The hoax was done by a guy named Chris Parkinson who we reached out to and actually made a producer on the film. Without his dopey idea I wouldn’t have come up with this. So while waiting on the money for “Clerks III” which I wanted to take to Sundance as it will be the 20th anniversary of the first “Clerks” films things were looking less and less likely so I wrote this stupid walrus movie. I wrote it in about 20 days under the mindset of not really wanting to make a movie but if I had to what would I want to see. I loved Michael Parks in “Red State” so I just built this around him with the idea that it would make it easy for me to sit on set for weeks and weeks as I would get to watch Michael work. When I got the script done it was like pornography and Michael Parks. (Laughs) We just pushed the ideas we had and thanks to some really good weed we said “fuck it” and tried pretty much everything. Over the next couple of months this film started to become more real than “Clerks III”. This is a much smaller scaled film that is easier to get in and out of. “Tusk” has now taken the place of “Clerks III” at Sundance this year as I thought fans would want to see something different rather than just more “Clerks”. We will still be doing “Clerks III” however not until March or April of 2014. I hope to have it done for the 20th anniversary as the original film came out in October of 1994. All of the crew from “Comic Book Men” will be in this film as could most of the people here in this room. “Clerks III” is going to be a massive fucking movie! I say that without a hint of irony.

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong’o, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano
Directed By: Steve McQueen
Fox Searchlight
Rated: R
Running Time: 133 minutes

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

As evidenced by his first two features, Hunger and Shame, director Steve McQueen is fearless in his approach to difficult subject matters. The same is true here in his unflinching and unforgettable third feature, 12 Years a Slave.

The film is based on the true life account of Solomon Northup (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man in New York who was deceived and sold into a life of slavery from 1841 to 1853. The film opens with Northup already in this role working on a sugar cane plantation and then brings us back to his family life in New York leading up to his deception. The men who will eventually drug and betray him come in the form of Brown and Hamilton, played by Scoot McNairy and Taran Killam, who offer Solomon the promise of violin work in Washington DC. The whole sequence is reminiscent of a sort of hellish version of Pinocchio being lead off by the circus folk and it plays out with a dreadful inevitability that left my stomach churning. When Solomon is awoken in chains, Ejiofor’s bewilderment is heart-wrenching as he struggles between fighting for his identity and recognizing how powerless he’s just been rendered.

Ejiofor is at the center of an embarrassment of acting talent throughout this film with even smaller roles occupied by the likes of Brad Pitt, Michael K Williams, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, and last year’s Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild). Benedict Cumberbatch has a key role as Ford, Northrup’s first owner. Ford is initially presented as a sympathetic man, even seen as such by Solomon himself, but the way McQueen and screenwriter John Ridley disillusion us of the very notion of this idea is masterful. For all Ford’s sympathetic looks and guilt about the institution he is undoubtably a part of, he will still allow a family to be split at auction and won’t hear a word of Solomon’s story despite recognizing his intelligence. Actions speak louder than words and under Ford, Solomon still suffers through some of the harshest tortures in the film. Including selling Solomon off again to the monstrous Edwin Epps in the film’s final act.

Coming from both Hunger and Shame, Michael Fassbender successfully reteams with director McQueen again as Epps. Fassbender is fascinating to watch as his character rages against his slaves with frightening conviction he backs up with biblical scripture. He is further driven to violence by his complete inability to deal with his unhinged infatuation with his most productive slave girl, Patsey (incredible newcomer Lupita Nyong’o).

Truly however the film belongs to Chiwetel Ejifor who imbues Northup with an unwavering determination to not only survive his ordeal, but as he says, to live. To not give into despair. Moreover when it comes to his re-emancipation, we feel the weight of the time lost as much as the relief of freedom.

12 Years A Slave opens is now playing , I screened it as part of the 51^st New York Film Festival, you can read our red carpet coverage from the event with an interview from the film’s star Michael Fassbender.

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy
Director: Richard Linklater
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: October 22, 2013
Run Time: 109 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I have been loving the 18 year journey that Richard Linklater has set out with this romantic drama series starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. “Before Midnight” is the third film in the series and is a sequel to “Before Sunrise” (1995) and “Before Sunset” (2004). “Before Midnight”, like the prior two films, is very dialogue heavy and very smartly written. It plays like an emotional rollercoaster and is quite exhausting and yet still very charming as we follow-up with this nearly two decade romantic relationship. I have that this trio has plans to continue this series in the next decade since it only gets better with each installment.

Official Premise: Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) first met in their twenties in “Before Sunrise”; reunited in their thirties in “Before Sunset”; and, now, in director Richard Linklater’s amazing “Before Midnight”, they face the past, present and future: family, romance and love. Now on a writer’s retreat in Greece, the couple looks for a night of passion, but instead their idyllic night turns into a test of their relationship and a discussion of what the future holds for them.

Sony released this film as a Blu-ray combo pack with an Ultraviolet digital copy. Since “Before Midnight” consists of a long scenes of extended dialogue, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sounds good for what it is worth but not really challenged. The 1080p transfer looks great with the film’s location in Greece but there was some major issues with Delpy’s dress throughout the film. It was consistenly giving off some major backlash and it was quite distracting.

In terms of special features, Sony didn’t pack a lot but what they did is very impressive especially for fans of this series. There is a must-listen audio •commentary with all major players including Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy and Richard Linklater. It truly shows how these films are a real labor of love for these three very talent artists. “Revisiting Jesse & Céline” features Hawke and Delpy chatting about their characters for their third go around with these characters. Lastly there is a solid Q&A discussion with Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy and Richard Linklater.

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Directed by: Keanu Reeves
Starring: Tiger Chen, Keanu Reeves, Karen Mok, Simon Yam, Iko Uwais
Distributed by: Radius TWC
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 105 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

If you have ever seen the Celebrity Jeopardy skits on “Saturday Night Live”, then you will be laughing along with me with Keanu Reeves saying “I know Kung Fu!” Classic! Keanu Reeves though deserves more respect than he gets. This guy really takes his craft seriously and put a lot of time and effort into this film, which also marks his directorial debut. I had a blast watching this. It was fast paced and very well done with impressive martial arts. I also enjoyed that Keanu was in the film but it wasn’t his show only. Tiger Chen is a great lead and carries the film well.

Set in modern Beijing, the film follows the spiritual journey of a young martial artist Tiger Chen, who is the sole student of his elderly master’s Ling Kong Tai Chi style. When Donaka Mark (Keanu Reeves) finds out about Tiger’s style in fighting he recruits him to compete in a highly lucrative underworld fight club. While trying to prove the martial effectiveness of the style in Donaka’s fighting ring, he is put up against some very brutal opponents with no rules combat. As the fights intensifies, so does his will to survive.

I have to say that “Man of Tai Chi” is a ballsy first go at directing for Reeves. It has been in the works for a while with pre-production starting back in 2008. The film is also not an easy sell to mainstream audiences since it was filmed multilingual with English, Mandarin and Cantonese languages. Currently the film is available to watch on VOD and will be released in theaters on November 1st. I have a feeling that this film will not be getting a huge release but it has been getting some great reviews and hopefully word of mouth will spread to get this film the audience that it deserves.

If you like martial arts films, I would definitely recommend checking this out. It is set in modern day yet has this very classic martial arts feel and high respect for the art of Tai Chi. I hope that Keanu has more plans for directing in the future, since this guy really has a knack for this. Aside from this, you are also going to want to check out his next film “47 Ronin”, being released Christmas Day, which is an fantasy action film depicting a fictional account of the forty-seven ronin and set in 18th-century Japan. I will be first in line!

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Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore
Directed by: Kimberly Peirce
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 40 mins
MGM

Our Score: 1 out of 5 stars

November 3, 1976. A date I remember for one reason. This was my first night working as a movie theatre usher at the Twin Bays 4 in Tampa. It was also opening night for a new film called “Carrie.” The date sticks in my head because, at the end of the first evening show, during the “shock” ending, a woman in an aisle seat had a heart attack and fell out of her chair into the aisle. At least we all thought it was a heart attack. She left via ambulance and was apparently ok but still….. Almost four decades later director Kimberly Peirce and company have conspired to destroy a great memory of mine with their unnecessary and not welcome remake of “Carrie.”

We meet Margaret White (Moore) as she lay in a blood stained bed, cursing the cancer in her body that she thinks is killing her. Apparently Margaret never took health in school because she is soon joined by a beautiful baby girl. Hell bent on killing the newborn Margaret hovers over the child with a pair of scissors. But at the last moment she decides to keep the baby and give her a loving home. Yeah, right.

Now 18 we find the now grown up Carrie White (Moretz) in gym class playing water volleyball. It’s obvious she doesn’t want to participate but she makes the effort. When a ball splashes in front of her she is teased by Chris Hargensen (Portia Doubleday) and some of the other “cool” girls. Afterwards, as she showers alone, she notices blood on her body. Unaware that she is having her monthly period (apparently none of the women in the White family went to health class) she believes she is hurt and begs the other girls for help. In reply they began to throw tampons at her, urging her to “plug it up!” To make matters worse, Chris films the horrific moment on her cell phone. A typical day in the life of Carrie White.

Where to start? I dislike reviewing “remakes” because often the good feelings I have toward the original film seep into my thoughts about the new version. Not the case here. When I left the theatre after this remake it only made me appreciate the original film more. In fact, I wanted to punch everyone involved with the making of this one. In the 1976 version Carrie is a shy, timid girl unaware that she has been granted the power of telekinesis. Here she not only becomes aware of her powers but works hard to hone them. When Sue Snell (Gabriella Wilde) one of the girls who mocked her in gym class, begins to feel bad about her actions she encourages her boyfriend, Tommy Ross (Ansel Elgort) to ask Carrie to the prom instead of her. Tommy is reluctant but eventually agrees. After all, it’s the prom. What could go wrong?

Poorly directed with no sense of pace or, for that matter, atmosphere, “Carrie” is probably one of the worse films I’ve ever seen that has “A” list talent both in front of and behind the camera. Moore plays Margaret White like a just escaped lunatic who spends her free time listening to hymns and cutting herself. How this woman was ever allowed to keep a baby, let alone raise her, is utterly amazing. Moretz is also all over the place. Is she the sad and frightened victim or the cunningly shrewd mastermind of what turns out to be one hell of a prom? We don’t know or at least we’re not sure until the film ends, but I think the term finding busy work applies. Mama White is, of course, not pleased with Carrie’s sassiness, praying that God will come and end her daughter’s “wickedness.” I was doing the same thing praying for the end of the film. Both leads try hard but compared to 1976 stars Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie, they pale in comparison. Both Spacek and Laurie were Oscar nominated for their work. To tell you who hard an achievement that is for a horror film, it would be another 20 years before Sigourney Weaver was nominated for “Aliens.” With the exception of Elgort, the rest of the teen cast helps bring the film down more. Besides Carrie and Mama, Tommy is the only fleshed out character in the film. I don’t know what movie Doubleday thought she was making but it sure wasn’t a horror film. There is no menace in her performance. There is no emotion whatsoever. She could be reading the phone book. In Stephen King’s novel the story is told through the words of Sue Snell but here Sue is an almost forgotten character.

As for Carrie’s powers, they run the gambit from being able to move books to, I’m guessing, heat vision. She can also make herself fly. And she breaks a lot of mirrors. Director Peirce seems to have a fixation with glass here. Especially showing, in slow motion, an unfortunate actors face making contact with it, be it a door or a windshield. By the end of the film, when a pigs blood drenched Carrie began ambling down the street like she just walked off the set of “Michael Jackson’s Thriller” video, I let out a loud sigh and checked my watch for the tenth time.

Kimberly Peirce guided Hilary Swank to her first Oscar with her directorial debut “Boys Don’t Cry.” Her follow up, “Stop Loss,” was one of my favorite films of 2008. Sadly the third time is not the charm. The film plays like a blood soaked version of “The Breakfast Club.” Or “Sixteen Candles.” Or any other teen angst movie. I expected more from her, as I did the stars. I have faith that all three ladies will bounce back from this debacle. I hope it’s soon.

Starring: Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger
Directed by: Mikael Hafstrom
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 56 mins
Summit Entertainment

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

It seemed like a great idea. Take two of the biggest box office giants of their time and pair them up in a movie. It happened almost three decades ago when Warner Brothers teamed up Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds in the period comedy, “City Heat.” Now it’s happening again as two of the biggest action stars of all time share top billing in the new drama “Escape Plan.”

While sitting in his prison cell Ray Breslin (Stallone) gets the heads up from a fellow inmate – watch your back in the yard. Later that afternoon he takes action and finds himself in solitary confinement. He promptly escapes. That’s his job. Ray isn’t a criminal. He’s the world’s foremost expert in confinement facilities. Governments hire him to test their latest prisons, placing him inside without the knowledge of the warden or staff. Ray runs a successful security company with his partner Lester Clark (Vincent D’Onofrio). The two are visited by a representative of a US government agency. There is a new prison that has been built to house the nastiest criminals ever assembled in one place. A prison that no one knows exists. For giving it a look Ray will receive $5 million. Piece of cake.

Fun to watch, “Escape Plan” is pretty much what you would expect with the first time teaming of Sly and Arnold (the “Expendables” films don’t count). Once inside Breslin makes the acquaintance of Swan Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger). A trial friendship grows as Ray does his best to find a weakness in the system. The place is run by a sadistic warden named Hobbes (Jim Caviezel). After a quick dose of Hobbes punishment Ray reveals himself to Hobbes, who sneers back and refuses to accept his story. Enjoy your time behind bars, Ray. You’re never getting out.

Director Halstrof, who also did “The Rite” and “1408,” has crafted a simple, fun action film that should entertain fans of both leads. Both stars have some fine moments, alone and together. Both Stallone and Schwarzenegger gained their popularity by kicking ass and saying little, only taking the time to blurt out the occasional quotable line or two. They are joined in their breakout plans by Faran Tahir, the Islamic leader of a rival faction of inmates who decides that teaming up with Sly and Arnold is better then praying to a sun he never gets to see. The stars have fun with their surroundings and with each other and some of their predicaments and situations are pretty amazing, as is the film itself. Let’s hope it doesn’t take another three decades for the actors to team up again.

Actors: Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry The Cable Guy, Cheech Marin
Directors: John Lasseter
Number of discs: 3
Rated: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: October 29, 2013
Run Time: 116 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3D: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

“Cars” is a good Pixar film, it is not my favorite but it is definitely a good film. It has become one of the studios biggest franchises since the kids have been eating it up and cannot get enough. Following in to the vein of “Finding Nemo” and “Monsters Inc.”, Disney is adding the third dimension to Pixar’s landmark classic by converting it to 3D. This is the first time that the film has ever been available in this format. I have to admit, I was quite impressed. “Cars” is one of those films that you can watch over and over and you find little bits that make it more fun. “Cars 2” might have given this franchise a bad name but the original film is still quite solid and has never been faster and more in-your-face…literally.

Official Premise: Hotshot rookie race car Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is living life in the fast lane until he hits a detour on his way to the most important race of his life. Stranded in Radiator Springs, a forgotten town on the old Route 66, he meets Sally, Mater, Doc Hudson (Paul Newman) and a variety of quirky characters who help him discover that there’s more to life than trophies and fame.

The film packs an amazing voice cast including Owen Wilson (Lightning McQueen), Larry the Cable Guy (Mater), Paul Newman (Doc Hudson), Bonnie Hunt (Sally Carrera), Cheech Marin (Ramone), Tony Shalhoub (Luigi), Guido Quaroni (Guido), Jenifer Lewis (Flo), John Ratzenberger (The Abominable Snowplow/Mack/Hamm Truck/ PT Flea Car) and Michael Keaton (Chick Hicks). There is something about these characters that have just clicked with the audience and have become more popular since the films. I have been totally immersed in “Disney Infinity” and my favorite world so far is easily “Cars”.

This Ultimate Collector’s Edition includes a Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy. I am excited that Disney has started to back the streaming digital copy service through Ultraviolet. The 1080p transfer still looks amazing. The 3D really adds a lot of depth to Radiator Springs and the Piston Cup races. The Dolby True HD 5.1 is the same as past releases as well and drives in high-gear and sends gravel flying in your face. Obviously if you have purchased previous Blu-ray’s for this film and are not a fan of 3D, then there is really no need to pick this up but if you care for the 3D, I enjoyed it quite a bit.

The special features are the same as the past Blu-ray release for “Cars”, which are decent but was never too impressive. There is an Epilogue, “Inspiration for Cars”, Five Deleted Scenes, There is a “Cars” Short: “Mater and the Ghostlight”, as well as theatrical short “One Man Band,”. “Cine-Explore” is an interactive in-movie audio-commentary by director John Lasseter, “Car Finder” is interactive BD-Java based game, Lastly there is “Boundin’ Cars” and “Doc” short.

Actors: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren, Alfred Molina, Charlie Day, Sean P. Hayes, Dave Foley, Nathan Fillion,Aubrey Plaza.
Directors: Dan Scanlon
Number of discs: 4
Rated: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: October 29, 2013
Run Time: 104 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
3D: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

If you have asked me back in May 2011, I would have said that Pixar could do no wrong. Since then they have released “Cars 2” (which isn’t as bad as people say), “Brave” and now “Monsters University”. “Monsters Inc.” is one of Pixar’s greatest films and introduced us to our favorite characters Mike and Sully. So when I heard that they were making a sequel, I am sure everyone was excited to get to see the boys back in action again with “Monsters University”. I enjoyed the film since I love these characters but it feels like it is missing the charm of the first one and doesn’t deliver anything special. Pixar is taking 2014 off for the first time and not releasing a new film till 2015. Hopefully they are looking to amp it up with “Inside Out” and “The Good Dinosaur”.

Returning for the prequel includes the voices of Billy Crystal (voice of Mike), John Goodman (voice of Sulley) and Steve Buscemi (voice of Randy Boggs). Joining the cast includes great talent including Helen Mirren (voice of Dean Hardscrabble), Nathan Fillion (voice of Johnny Worthington), Alfred Molina (voice of Professor Knight), Joel Murray (voice of Don Carlton), Charlie Day (voice of Art), Sean P. Hayes (voice of Terri Perry), Dave Foley (voice of Terry Perry), John Krasinski (voice of Frank McCay) and Aubrey Plaza (voice of Claire Wheeler). Overall the voice cast is impressive and easily the best part of the film.

Official Premise: Disney Pixar proudly presents the hilarious story of how two mismatched monsters met and became lifelong friends in a movie screaming with laughter and oozing with heart. Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he’s dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer. The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. With their dreams temporarily dashed, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right.

Monsters University will be available for purchase as a 4-Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Combo Pack including Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy. I am happy that Disney has gotten on board now with Ultraviolet digital copies. In terms of deliver Disney delivered a fantastic 1080p transfer presentation. The colors are crisp and overall look really great. The Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio track also sounds quite stunning and really sounds great. I am a huge fan of 3D usually and I even enjoyed “Monsters Inc.” in the third dimension, but I wasn’t overly thrilled with the 3D on “Monsters University”. There was some added depth but nothing that really scream “Damn this film should be in 3D”. I have a feeling that if my daughter ever wants to watch this film again, it will definitely be in 2D.

In terms of special features, they are very impressive for sure despite my feelings on the film. “Campus Life” is a chat with the production crew at Pixar. “Story School” is a documentary takes us through the production and the new story of Mike and Sulley. “Scare Games” talks about the creation of the film’s competitions. “Welcome to MU” talks us into the world that was created for the film. “Music Appreciation” takes us through Randy Newman’s score (which I really was’t thrilled with). “Scare Tactics” talks about bringing the characters to life. “Color and Light” focuses on setting the tone for the film. “Paths to Pixar – MU Edition” features the crew sharing their own back stories. There are four deleted scenes with an introduction from director Dan Scanlon.

Since I didn’t see this film in theaters, I was very curious about seeing Pixar’s latest show “The Blue Umbrella”. When it comes to shorts, they always deliver but my favorite short from Disney has to be “Paperman”, which debuted in front of “Wreck-It Ralph”. “The Blue Umbrella” follows two umbrellas—one blue, one not—fall that fall eternally in love. It is cute and clever but not one of my favorites. Some additional bonus features include an audio commentary track, some promo materials from the college and theatrical campaigns, a “Flythrough” for the sets and an art gallery.

Directed and Written by: Diablo Cody
Starring: Julianne Hough, Russell Brand, Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman and Holly Hunter
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributed by: RLJ Entertainment
Running Time: 86 minutes

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

After watching “Young Adult”, I realized that I am simply not a fan of “Academy Award®-winner” Diablo Cody. “Juno” was an interesting film but since then I have not been a huge big fan of her work. “Paradise” marks her feature directorial debut which also comes from her own original screenplay. I was curious about this film due to its cast, which stars Julianne Hough (“Rock of Ages”, “Footloose”), Russell Brand (“Get Him to the Greek”), Octavia Spencer (Academy Award-winner for “The Help”). Great performances but unfortunately besides that I didn’t really find paradise here.

The film follows a sheltered young woman (Julianne Hough) named Lamb Mannerheim, who loses her faith after a plane crash, leaves her small town of Blakesley, Montana and decides to go to Las Vegas to let loose and experience everything that she has missed in her life. On her journey, she meets a nightclub singer Loray (Octavia Spencer) and bartender William (Russell Brand) who end up taking her under their wing and assist her in finding herself.

I  love Julianne Hough in this film (or any film actually). I think she does a great job (and even manages to sing a little). Russell Brand gives a mature performance and is quite likable. He is funny yet very sweet at the same time. Octavia Spencer is just amazing and really has such a great presence. The film gets off to a rough start but surprising picks up some in the last 30 minutes, where it gets some heart. I am a sucker for anything to do with Las Vegas, especially since I have been dying to get back there. I would call this a one-timer, worth checking out for the cast performances but otherwise nothing too memorable here.

If you found yourself in The Nerd Machine booth this past weekend at New York Comic Con, you may have noticed a multitude of celebrity guests dropping by for impromptu photo and signing sessions with fans. These guests, as announced via the twitter hashtag #Smiles4Smiles, included stars such as Seth Green, David Duchovny and “Community’s” Yvette Nicole Brown. Actor Zachary Levi, who is currently in New York appearing in Broadway’s First Date, was behind bringing these guests together at NYCC to raise money for Operation Smile.

Can you talk about what Smiles4Smiles is?
Zachary Levi: “So basically, I’m an ambassador for Operation Smile and our main events called NerdHQ that we do at San Diego Comic Con, we make most of our money doing the panels that we do called “Conversations for a Cause“. But there’s a lot of time in between where celebrities might not be able to do a panel for us but they have time to do some photos for us or or do some signings for us. And by for us, I mean for the fans obviously. And I just kind of believe that, I don’t know, for me, you know I’ve been really blessed and…I make my money doing the acting gigs that I do and I love that I’m able to do signings and do photos and stuff and make it affordable– twenty bucks a pop–and you tell people that that all goes to charity, everyone feels a lot better about the whole process of it. So then I was just trying to figure out a catchy way to call it. So it’s Smiles, you’re smiling for a camera for Smiles, Operation Smile. And Signing4Smiles. So that’s what Smiles4Smiles is.”

Levi will next be seen in Thor: The Dark World and I couldn’t help putting a spoiler-free question to the new–taking over the role from Thor‘s Josh Dallas–Fandral the Dashing.

What’s the coolest thing about being an Asgardian?
Being a blond, I guess. (Laughs)

It was more fun being a blond?
It was! It was fun. It was different.

.

To celebrate the upcoming release of Robert Redford’s latest film “All is Lost”, Media Mikes would like to giveaway two free tickets to see the film in theaters. If you would like to enter for your chance to win this great prize, please leave us a comment or send us an email with your stories of survival or worst fears. This giveaway will remain open until October 28th at Noon, Eastern Time. This is open to our readers in US and Canada only. Media Mikes will randomly select winners. Winners will be alerted via email.

Academy Award® winner Robert Redford stars in All Is Lost, an open-water thriller about one man’s battle for survival against the elements after his sailboat is destroyed at sea. But with the sun unrelenting, sharks circling and his meager supplies dwindling, the ever-resourceful sailor soon finds himself staring his mortality in the face.

Written and directed by Academy Award nominee J.C. Chandor (Margin Call) with a musical score by Alex Ebert (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros), All Is Lost is a gripping, visceral and powerfully moving tribute to ingenuity and resilience.

All Is Lost opens in NY and LA October 18, nationwide October 25th.

Stuart Gordon has directed and be behind some of my favorite horror films to date including “Re-Animator”. He teamed up with “Re-Animator” star Jeffrey Combs in 2009 for a stage play called “Nevermore”, which focused on a night with Edgar Allen Poe. The show was only suppose to run for a month but ended up become a huge hit and held over many times and even toured. Gordon and Combs are now trying to get the play turned into a feature film…with the help of YOU! They have started a Kickstarter campaign, which will end on November 1st, 2013. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Stuart about this campaign and about what we can expect.

Click here to support and back this campaign and tell them that Media Mikes sent you!

Mike Gencarelli: “Nevermore” opened for a one month run in California in 2009, which ended up being extended four times. What made you decide now to make a feature film version of this stage play?
Stuart Gordon: Jeffrey Combs’ performance as Poe has been called “A landmark performance” by the LA Times, and we have toured the show to great acclaim throughout the US bringing it to audiences from Los Angeles to Poe’s gravesite in Baltimore to New York’s Lincoln Center. Filming it will allow it to reach an even larger audience.

MG: Tell us your decision to turn to crowd funding with Kickstarter for this project?
SG: Kickstarter seems the ideal way to fund this project as historical films can be a hard sell at the studios. Even Spielberg had a difficult time finding financing for LINCOLN.

MG: The stage play worked so well since it was Combs captivating the audience solo; how do you plan to expand the scope of the play?
SG: We will be able to show the characters that are referred to in the play beginning with Poe’s shocked fiance’ Sarah Helen Whitman, as well as his doomed young first wife and actress mother. We will also be able to dramatize THE TELL-TALE HEART, THE RAVEN and many of his other poems.

MG: What fascinates you most about Edgar Allan Poe that you want to tell this story?
SG: Poe’s life is even more tragic and disturbing than his macabre stories. NEVERMORE gives us the opportunity to bring this troubled genius to life, warts and all.

MG: As hard as it is to say, in the case you don’t meet your pledge of $375,000 is there a plan B?
SG: There really is no plan B, which is why it is so important that we reach our goal. And with the help of our friends, old and new, we will.

MG: Besides as an incentive on the Kickstarter, do you play to do a wide release of the stage play on DVD?
SG: We have no plans to release the stage play on DVD.

MG: After the film is funded, what is the timeline to get the film to the fans?
SG: We plan on shooting the film next summer with a release in early 2015.

MG: Speaking of the fans, at the time of this question there are over 400 backers; why do you think the horror fans are so loyal to the genre?
SG: There are no fans more loyal than horror fans. God bless them! The more you scare them, the more they love you.

It’s one of the most iconic images in film. Steve McQueen jumping a motorcycle over a barrier fence as a prisoner of war on the move in 1963’s “The Great Escape.” On Saturday, November 9th, Omaha film historian Bruce Crawford will present, as his 33rd Classic Film Salute, a 50th Anniversary presentation of “The Great Escape.” Crawford’s special guest of honor for the event will be one of the film’s stars, David McCallum. Mr. McCallum, probably best known as secret agent Ilya Kuriakin from television’s “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” currently co-stars on the popular television series “NCIS.” Mr. McCallum will introduce the film, discuss his career and will be available for autographs.

Also on display will be a replica of the motorcycle McQueen used in the film. Noted artist Nicolosi will unveil the U.S. Postal Service Commemorative Envelope he designed honoring the film. The screening will be an outstanding way to celebrate the Veteran’s Day weekend.

The film will be shown at 7:00 pm on November 9th at the Joslyn Art Museum’s Witherspoon Hall Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska. Proceeds from this event will go to benefit the Nebraska kidney Association. Tickets are $22.00 each and are available at the customer service counter at all Omaha-area Hy Vee food stores or can be purchased by calling (402) 932-7200. For more information go to www.omahafilmevent.com

Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: DreamWorks Animation
DVD Release Date: October 15, 2013
Run Time: 154 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

There is something about “Kung Fu Panda” that you can’t help be love. I am a huge fan of the two movies and I have been loving the TV series as well “Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness”. “The Scorpion Sting” is the latest DVD collection of episodes from this series and it is jam-packed with action, comedy and a whole lotta Po, who is everyone favorite Panda. If you love “Kung Fu Panda”, then you are going to love this show for sure! Even my 16 month old daughter loves this show and walks around with her plush doll screaming “Po”, so I think they are on to something here!

Get ready for more high-kicking action and fur-flying fun in this awesome animated TV series based on the Academy Award-Nominated hit movie Kung Fu Panda*! He may not be your typical warrior, but Po packs an arsenal of martial arts skills as big as his heart…and his stomach. Always ready to fight for what’s right, Po and the Furious Five—Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Crane and Viper—face exotic dangers at every turn, including a pair of magic shoes with an evil “sole,” and Scorpion, one of the sharpest villains in all the land!

This DVD contains over two hours of episodes including the following: “Scorpion’s Sting”, “Crane On A Wire”, “Love Stings”, “Kung Shoes”, “Owl Be Back”, “Qilin Time”, “Monkey in the Middle”. I also recently received a DVD volume for the show “Monsters vs. Aliens” and that also included a Digital copy download for each of the episode, I am surprised that this one did not since it would be a great added feature for sure. Also included though as a bonus is the “Kung Fu Panda: Scorpion Maze” App, which is available for download on iOS and Android devices. It is a fast-paced and addictive arcade-style game and ton of fun. If you enjoyed DVD, this you will be excited to find that that in Spring 2014 the next DVD is being released called, “The Midnight Stranger”. Keep ’em coming!

Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Dreamworks Video
DVD Release Date: October 15, 2013
Run Time: 176 minutes

Our Score: 3 out 5 stars

DreamWorks Animation is known for turned their successfully films franchises into successful animated shows. They did it with “Madagascar”, “Kung Fu Panda”, “How to Train Your Dragon” and even “The Croods” is already on its way to the small screen. “Monsters vs. Aliens” is the latest of the films to be given the TV treatment. I have to admit, I wasn’t a huge fan of the film itself. I thought it was good but not the best thing to come out of DreamWorks Animation. I also feel that maybe its time has passed a little. I could have seen this be more appealing a few years ago but with no sequel following the first film, this series is not Dreamworks hottest property. The episodes are still worth watching if you like the film.

Official Premise: Get ready for a world of hilarious monster mischief and alien antics in this all-new animated TV series inspired by DreamWorks Animation’s ginormous hit movie Monsters vs. Aliens. Join team leader Susan, muscle-bound Link, ingenious Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D., and B.O.B., the gelatinous blob, as the residents of the government containment area embark on fun-filled adventures under the not-too-watchful eye of General Monger!

The following episodes are included: “Welcome to Area Fifty-Something”, “It Came…On a Field Trip / Educational Television”, “Danger Wears a Diaper / The Toy From Another World”, “Flipped Out / The Wormhole Has Turned”, “The Bath Effect / The Fruit of All Evil”, “The Two Faces of Dr. Cockroach / The Thing With One Brain”, “Fremeny Mine / Maximum B.O.B.”, “Night of the Living Dog / Attack of the Movie Night”. Like “The Penguins of Madagascar”, the episodes are 11 minutes each, which does works well for the show and keeps it fast pace. This DVD does not come with special features besides the episodes but within those episodes there are nearly three hours of action and comedy. Also included is a digital copy of the episodes and game app collection. There is also a promise of further installments with “Supersonic Joyride” arriving on DVD Spring 2014, so keep an eye out for more.