Category: Movie Comedies (Page 138 of 195)

Blu Tuesday: These Mutant Ninja Turtles Aren’t Teenagers Anymore

August 11, 2009 / Jason Zingale

Though there are actually quite a few Blu-ray titles worth discussing this week (like “I Love You, Man” and “17 Again”), I simply couldn’t pass up the chance of using this week’s column to talk more in-depth about Warner Brothers’ hi-def release of all four “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” films. Anyone who grew up in the late 80s and early 90s was obsessed with the Kevin Eastman/Peter Laird creation – from the animated series and live-action movies to the toys and video games – and that includes me. I’ll always hold a special place in my heart for the first live-action film (don’t blink or you’ll miss Sam Rockwell as a Foot Clan thug), and though the other two movies don’t have nearly as great of a reputation, they’re still pretty decent sequels for being geared almost exclusively towards kids.

So when the studio announced that they would be releasing a special Blu-ray collector’s edition to commemorate the 25th anniversary of their comic book debut, it quickly became one of the year’s most highly anticipated titles. Unfortunately, that news might be a little bittersweet for some fans, because while most people would no doubt love to own the first film (and in some cases, even the sequel) on Blu-ray, they’re not going to like being given the ultimatum of buying all four or none at all. Even worse, the live-action films don’t include any special features, and those that appear on the 2007 CGI installment, “TMNT,” are the same ones from the DVD and HD-DVD release. Warner Bros. is hoping to make up for that with some exclusive extras like an Eastman/Laird comic reprint, a signed sketch, and a beanie (all housed in quasi-pizza box packaging), and to some degree, it does, but that’s not going to quiet the critics.

After all, why celebrate such an event if you’re not going to do your absolute best to deliver a worthwhile box set? Surely they could have found something from the vaults to include as an extra, like the long-rumored director’s cut of the original film, or even some promo material or episodes from the animated series. Instead, we get nothing (save for some theatrical trailers), which really sucks, because the movies themselves look about ten times better than they did on DVD. If nothing else, that should convince diehard fans to make the somewhat steep investment, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be happy about it. Here’s hoping Warner Bros. wises up and releases all four films individually in the future, because you shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s mistake.

Action Movies, External Movie DVDs, Movie Comedies, Movie DVDs, Movies, TV Cartoons

Blu Tuesday Kevin Eastman Peter Laird Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 25th anniversary Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Blu-ray Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles review The Secret of the Ooze TMNT Turtles in Time

What Else Ya Got? “17 Again”

August 9, 2009 / Jason Zingale

It’s been awhile since we’ve done one of these here on Premium Hollywood (recently, they’ve been combined into my sometimes-weekly Blu-ray column), but with the DVD version of “17 Again” disappointing fans with, as Edwin Starr would say, absolutely nothing, it seemed like a good idea to break down just what exactly HD fanatics will be getting for the seven dollar upcharge.

“Zac Goes Back”

Your standard EPK-style production featurette, this 12-minute collection of interviews features the cast and crew talking about what it was like to work with one another on set. Along with explaining how Zac Efron became attached to the project to begin with, the interviews also expose Efron’s attempts at mimicking Matthew Perry’s various acting habits in order to properly portray him as a youngster.

“Going Back to 17”

Cut from the same set of interviews, this brief collection of footage asks the cast and crew about their own high school memories (complete with childhood photos), as well as whether or not they would accept the chance to experience it all over again. You can probably guess what the unanimous answer is.

“Way Cool Tell-All Trivia Track”

Certainly not as way cool as its title suggests, this pop-up track features trivia from the making of the film and general facts about the 80s. It’s probably the most interesting extra on the disc, but it’s only something that diehard fans will want to sit through the whole thing. Thankfully, the pop-ups aren’t at all distracting, so you can actually enjoy the movie while learning a few things along the way.

“Breakin’ Character Outtakes”

No surprise here, as Thomas Lennon steals the show with a series of funny adlibs and cast crack-ups – especially Zac Efron, who can’t seem to keep a straight face when working opposite the improv veteran.

External Movie DVDs, Movie Comedies, Movie DVDs, Movies

Edwin Starr Matthew Perry Melora Hardin Thomas Lennon Zac Efron

Box office victory for “G.I. Joe”; “Julie and Julia” attracts many ladies of a certain age

August 9, 2009 / Bob Westal

Not a lot of big surprises at this weekend’s box office. “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” apparently did even better than some expected in the “flyover” or “heartland” areas (this is supposedly where “real Americans live,” which is nice to know as a coastal fictitious American). As per the trades, it made an estimated $56.2 million this weekend, several million better than $45-50 million number I repeated last time.

For those of us (me!) seeking a cloud in Paramount’s silver lining, Nikki Finke does offer that the studio actually predicted a round $60 million earlier and that the film’s $175 million budget is just a tad on the high side. (That’s a minimum of 17 smallish budget studio films that could have been made for the same price tag.)

Finke has some doubts that the movie will hit $300 million or be profitable all on its own, though merchandising here is obviously a possible financial bonanza for toy maker Hasbro. She also has some doubts about the foreign market in light of sentiment abroad opposed to U.S. militarism. It might be tempting to say then, that Barack Obama is the best friend Paramount has here, but Finke points out that “G.I. Joe” came in at #2 in Australia, once the third most enthusiastic member of “the coalition of the willing” under Bush-esque rightwinger John Howard. She also expects it to be blown out of the water by the apparently entirely non-brainless “District 9” next weekend. I never thought I’d say this, but from Nikki Finke’s mouth to God’s ears.

Meanwhile, the culinographic “Julie and Julia” also performed pretty much precisely according to expectation and pulled in a satisfactorily satiating estimate of $20.1. According to a “rival exec” Finke quotes, the dual memoir dramedy had one of the oldest demographics he or she had ever seen, which I guess makes sense considering you have to be over a certain age to have watched Julia Child regularly on television. Finke also says the audience was almost exclusively female, despite the fact that we all like food that tastes good. In any case, those whose dating preferences includes middle-aged and older women now know their next film-going destination.

Action Movies, Actors, Actresses, External Entertainment, External Movies, Horror Movies, Movie Comedies, Movie Dramas, Movies, News, Sci-Fi Movies, TV Action, TV Comedies, TV Dramas

(500) Days of Summer A Perfect Getaway Australia District 9 Funny People G.I. Joe G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Hasbro John Howard Joseph Gordon-Levitt Judd Apatow Julia Child Julie and Julia Lee Hazelwood Meryl Streep Nancy Sinatra Paramount Preston Sturges Stanley Tucci Sugar Town the Smiths Zoey Deschanel

Movie Moments for John Hughes Fans #2

August 8, 2009 / Bob Westal

Following on from this morning’s post, a couple more key clips.

A brilliant 7:35 with two great comics from”Planes, Trains & Automobiles.”

And, from “Pretty in Pink (written by Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch),” just as Annie Potts tries out her Spanish on Molly Ringwald and spins a little Otis Redding, enter Duckie (Jon Cryer).