Tag Archives: underwhelming

Orlando Magic Fires Jacque Vaughn After Consecutive Losses

Vaughn Fired By Orlando Magic Well it doesn’t seem as if they made a poor decision with this one. Via Page Six : The Magic have fired Jacque Vaughn and water is still wet. Few will question the decision of the underperforming Magic, but the manner in which the axing went down shows Orlando’s problems go well beyond their head coach. Almost a week ago — before you had heard the name Malcolm Butler and you still thought Pete Carroll was a good coach — sources told Yahoo Sports this about the possibility of Vaughn getting fired: “It isn’t a matter of ‘if’ anymore, but ‘when.’” The Magic should be better than 15-36 with a nice collection of young talent in the underwhelming East, so this came as no surprise. What should come as a surprise is the Magic didn’t deliver the pink slip until six days and three losses later. “I do my job every day,” Vaughn told the Orlando Sentinel on Friday. “I don’t abide by the tyranny of other people’s attitudes and moods. I’m ready to rock ‘n’ roll.” This is the kind of thing the Magic franchise has become known for after presiding over the Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy debacle. The lowlight there came when their previous coach was backed into such a corner, he went to reporters and told them the star center was trying to get him fired right before Howard had his turn with the media. It’s a new regime with the same problems, which could make it difficult to lure a quality coach to fix. Wonder if he’ll snag another coaching gig?

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Orlando Magic Fires Jacque Vaughn After Consecutive Losses

WATCH: ‘Stand-Up Guys’ Star Alan Arkin Is An Actor Not A Sociologist

Christopher Nolan recently said it’s as tough for older actors to get roles as it is for older actresses. Not if you’re Alan Arkin . This has been a big week for the 78-year-old actor, who was nominated for a Golden Globe on Thursday for his performance as a crusty film producer in Argo. Earlier this week, Arkin ht the red carpet for his new flick Stand Up Guys  in which he stars opposite Al Pacino and Christopher Walken. The film’s director Fisher Stevens was also on hand and told me he much prefers directing to acting. It’s better to paint the entire picture than just be a small part of it, he says. As for Julianna Margulies — another Golden Globe nominee for her work on The Good Wife — she said co-starring in the film was like taking a master class in acting.  Hoo-ah! Check out my full interview below: Follow Movieline on  Twitter .  Follow Grace Randolph on  Twitter . WebRep currentVote noRating noWeight

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WATCH: ‘Stand-Up Guys’ Star Alan Arkin Is An Actor Not A Sociologist

WATCH: The ‘Willow’ Blu-Ray Trailer Dares You Not To Say ‘Hobbit’

An often overlooked 80s classic is getting a slick HD makeover on the occasion of its 25 th birthday: the George Lucas -produced and Ron Howard -directed fantasy film Willow comes to Blu-Ray on March 13. First released in 1988, Willow follows the adventures of a farmer ( Warwick Davis  of Harry Potter and Leprechaun   fame in the title role) from a humble village of little people who finds himself pursued by entire armies as he protects a magical baby from a tyrannical witch. There’s a roguish swordsman, a rebellious princess, even an evil knight who dresses in black armor. Basically, it’s Star Wars meets the book of Exodus meets (duh) Lord of the Rings . Which is fine, especially since it was at the time the closest we thought we might ever get to anything remotely Tolkien-esque on the big screen*. Of course, 13 years after Willow ‘s release we actually got that live-action LOTR , which is probably why the new trailer for the Willow Blu-ray really, really, no really, seriously wants you to think The Hobbit while you watch. In fact, the tagline ‘from smallest beginnings…’ shamelessly apes The Hobbit ‘s “from small beginnings” to the point that you wonder if the original title was ‘Age Of Hobbits’.  Here’s a look: Despite a rather underwhelming ending and TV movie-level direction (sorry, Ron, but it’s true), Willow was a wonderful bit of cheesy 1980s fantasy at least worthy of a double feature with Krull . True, Willow lacks a “hey, wait, he’s in this??!” appearance by Liam Neeson ,  but it does have a pre-fat Elvis period Val Kilmer , Davis in one of his rare chances to act without first being covered under piles of latex and makeup, and plenty of magic and swordfighting in finest late-80s green screen style. If the trailer is anything to go on, the Blu-Ray version is going to look kind of great. So, OK LucasFilm, if blatantly trying to fool people into making a Peter Jackson -Lucas connection helps sell copies, I’m in. Just don’t release Howard the Duck as the spiritual predecessor to Meet the Feebles , okay? * Excalibur doesn’t count and you know it. Ross Lincoln is a LA-based freelance writer from Oklahoma with an unhealthy obsession with comics, movies, video games, ancient history, Gore Vidal, and wine.  Follow Ross A. Lincoln on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.  

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WATCH: The ‘Willow’ Blu-Ray Trailer Dares You Not To Say ‘Hobbit’

Jorge Garcia Prefers His Own Weezer Album to Maladroit

So what does Jorge Garcia think of the fact that Weezer put his face on the cover of their album, Hurley , which they named after his Lost character? “This is really close to the top, for sure,” he told MTV . “I think the [ Lost ] action figure still kind of trumps it, but just coming from where I come from, it’s extremely special and dear to my heart that this is actually happening.” Dear to his heart because he’s such a big fan of the band, right? Well, sort of. “I don’t recognize Maladroit so much,” he admitted, laughing. [ MTV ]

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Jorge Garcia Prefers His Own Weezer Album to Maladroit

‘Mission: Impossible IV’ Still Moving Forward With Tom Cruise

Paramount is ‘excited’ about star, despite the underwhelming performance of ‘Knight and Day.’ By Eric Ditzian Tom Cruise Photo: George Pimentel/WireImage Paramount and Tom Cruise chose to accept another “Mission: Impossible” in February , and despite a slew of questions surrounding the project, both the studio and its leading man remain committed to one another. “We absolutely are excited about having Tom Cruise star in this movie,” Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore told The Hollywood Reporter. Yet the fact that Paramount even had to go on record in support of Cruise highlights the issues surrounding “Mission: Impossible IV” four years after the last installment in the franchise. Last month, Cruise’s action comedy, “Knight and Day,” opened to an underwhelming $20.1 million box office haul, and Paramount is reportedly keeping a watchful eye on the overseas numbers to see if the actor can sustain his appeal to foreign audiences. “It all depends on whether Tom Cruise brings in foreign bucks,” an executive not involved with the film told THR. For the moment, preproduction on “M:I 4” continues. Brad Bird (“The Incredibles”) is reportedly onboard to direct, with J.J. Abrams producing, and Paramount is said to be expecting a final script within weeks. Shooting would reportedly begin by the end of the year with a theatrical release planned during 2011’s holiday season. The studio is targeting a budget of around $140 million, significantly less than the $165 million budget of “M:I 3,” and Cruise is not expected to receive a $20 million payday, as he had not long ago. “Everybody will do their best to make it work,” said a Cruise rep about the star’s “M:I 4″ payday. And then there’s the ongoing talk about just what Cruise’s role in the movie will be. There is a long-standing rumor that his Ethan Hunt character might not even be the face of the franchise for the new film, but that he’d hand off the reigns to a younger actor or even an ensemble. ” ‘Mission: Impossible’ is a brand,” an unnamed former studio chief said. “It didn’t have anything to do with Tom Cruise in the beginning.” Do you think Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt should be the main character in “M:I 4”? Share your thoughts in the comments. Check out everything we’ve got on “Mission: Impossible IV.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .

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‘Mission: Impossible IV’ Still Moving Forward With Tom Cruise

'Avatar' Trailer

Unlike the underwhelming teaser , this new trailer offers some story and little more info as to what James Cameron's new 3D extravaganza is all about.

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'Avatar' Trailer