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‘Tron: Legacy’: The Reviews Are In!

Posted on December 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on ‘Tron: Legacy’: The Reviews Are In!

Critics call Disney’s reboot/sequel a ‘catchy popcorn pleasure’ that is ‘destined to split audiences.’ By Eric Ditzian “Tron Legacy” Photo: Disney It’s been a good year for studios that waited three decades to update old-school flicks. In April, Warner Bros. gave 1981’s “Clash of the Titans” a coat of CGI splendor and ended up with a film that grossed almost $500 million worldwide. Can Disney, which has resurrected 1982’s computer-world-based adventure film “Tron” for a new generation, mirror the success of “Clash”? At this point, at least, “Tron: Legacy” is receiving far kinder reviews than “Clash.” That doesn’t mean, of course, that “Tron” can top the $61 million domestic opening of the latter. Disney’s 3-D film is predicted to land somewhere in the $40-45 million range. Will it defy expectations? Will positive word of mouth spread? Is the movie worth a trip to the theater on opening weekend? Check out what the critics are saying about “Tron: Legacy” and decide for yourself. The Story “Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the son of video game developer Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), is left as the uninterested heir to his father’s corporation after the elder Flynn’s disappearance 20 years earlier. Following a mysterious signal, Sam finds himself pulled into the same computer world that has trapped his father. Reunited, the Flynns team with a Quorra (Olivia Wilde), a cyber warrior, to defeat Clu, a program left in charge of the Grid whose rise to power puts both the computer world — and our world — in danger.” — Silas Lesnick, ComingSoon.net The Comparison to the Original “[T]his is one of the smartest ideas for a reboot in yonks. Where its fellow 1982 sci-fi releases, ‘E.T.’ and ‘Blade Runner,’ are still universally celebrated, ‘Tron’ ‘s visuals and ponderous tone have aged as badly as Manic Miner. The concept at the Disney film’s core, however, remains beautifully simple: What if a man got sucked into a computer? That notion, revisited with today’s turbo-boosted VFX technology, has now given Mickey Mouse a stonking tentpole. And make no mistake, ‘Tron Legacy’ — part sequel, part remake — is a proper event movie, complete with nattily digitized Cinderella’s Castle at the start, a journey to a fully realized alien world and the best 3D since ‘Avatar.’ ” — Nick de Semlyen, Empire The Effects “The FX in ‘Tron: Legacy’ have an almost Einsteinian elegance: They infuse light with gravity. If one of the discs hits a combatant, he’ll shatter into glassy fragments, and Sam, absorbing the physics of the game, must learn to treat his body almost as part of the surrounding architecture. He becomes a ruthless digital specter. As long as it’s engaged in light-hurling bouts of force, or motorcycle chases through a landscape so ominously enveloping it looks like ‘Blade Runner’ after gentrification, ‘Tron: Legacy’ is a catchy popcorn pleasure.” — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly The Dissenters “This is one of those big-budget projects destined to split audiences (a good thing, always). Directed by Joseph Kosinski, who did the ‘Halo’ and ‘Gears of War’ commercials, ‘Tron: Legacy’ comes to life when Sam, played by a too-cool-for-school Garrett Hedlund, learns the ways of the Lightcycles and the perilous joys of racing on ‘ribbons of light.’ Here, we get the sweep and simple excitement we need. Elsewhere, we get exposition more sluggish than the stuff we had to wade through in the second and third ‘Matrix’ movies, and a strained, opaque brand of intellectual-property mythology that might mean tons to ardent fans of the first ‘Tron,’ but less to others.” — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune The Final Word ” ‘Tron: Legacy’ is a surprising film for many reasons, not the least of which being that it contains more substance than is easily explored — if also to some extent, articulated — in just one viewing. And perhaps it might seem like a pre-emptive defense against logical or narrative shortcomings to make one of its central themes the idea that perfection, as we can imagine it, is ultimately unknowable. But it’s a point that’s well-taken, and if I have to endure the kind of imperfection that produces a film like ‘Tron: Legacy,’ which is interesting, inspiring and for better or worse, simply incomparable, then it’s worth it.” – Todd Gilchrist, Cinematical Check out everything we’ve got on “Tron: Legacy.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos The Vehicles Of ‘Tron Legacy’ ‘Tron Legacy’ Clips Related Photos The Vehicles Of ‘Tron Legacy’ ‘Tron: Legacy’ Premiere In Los Angeles ‘Tron Legacy’ Official Images

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‘Grown Ups’: The Reviews Are In!

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Most critics think Adam Sandler and the gang need to step the maturity level up a notch. By Eric Ditzian David Spade and Adam Sandler in “Grown Ups” Photo: Sony Pictures “Grown Ups” only arrived in theaters Friday (June 25), but we’ve seen this all before: Adam Sandler fully embodying his schlubby-jokester shtick, surrounded by friends from his “Saturday Night Live” days and his earlier films, under the direction of a guy who’s helmed no less than five Sandler flicks (with a sixth just wrapped and a seventh already in the works). By this point, 15 years after “Billy Madison” and as Sandler has matured from frenetic man-child to fatherly do-gooder, you either embrace what the crew delivers to the big screen or your don’t — and when it comes to “Grown Ups,” most critics seem to find they don’t. Yet the film is on track to reel in between $30 million and $40 million this weekend, so clearly there’s a wide divide between reviewers and the moviegoing public they seek to inform. What will you think about this film that has Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade and Rob Schneider meeting up at a childhood lake house to rediscover the youthful enthusiasm they’ve lost over the years? The only way to find out, of course, is to hit the theaters. And before you do, here is what the critics have to say. “What kept me laughing is the genuine camaraderie among Sandler’s posse, the way they almost play themselves that perfectly suits this slim material,” wrote Steve Persall of the St. Petersburg Times. “Their conversations as characters sound like smack talk among one-upping pals, with nothing off-limits. Often when comedian buddies make movies together, the results are terribly inside jokes, not the least of which is that they’re being paid to loaf. ‘Grown Ups’ lets us in on that gag, and occasionally makes it work.” There’s no doubting there are laughs to be had in the film, but Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune was left wishing the laughs had come more often. “I love to laugh, loud and long and clear, just like Ed Wynn in ‘Mary Poppins,’ ” he wrote. “It’s just that ‘Grown Ups’ director Dennis Dugan, a frequent Sandler collaborator, is such a dang lunkhead when it comes to slapstick. On the crudest possible level he lands the punch lines often enough to please the folks and make the money, so there’s no fiscal incentive for him to change a thing about his directorial approach to anything, really. But if he ever learns to sustain a shot and build a joke visually within the frame, rather than slamming it together in the edit, he’ll give us better comedies. I guar-an-tee it.” Of the five men, though, perhaps the most consistently laugh-inducing is Schneider. As the Los Angeles Times ‘ Betsy Sharkey said, “The surprise of the movie, and there aren’t many, is Schneider. He plays completely against type as a New Age philosopher-massage therapist in a May-December relationship where he’s May and the most sensitive, restrained one of the bunch with nary a cutting remark. Except for the very bad toupee, the whole renaissance man thing is a good look on Schneider, though it also means he bears the brunt of the good humor boys.” “Say this for ‘Grown Ups’: Its heart is in the right place,” said Scott Bowles of the USA Today. “The actors seem genuinely fond of one another, and the message — don’t pass up life’s simple pleasures — suits its PG-13 rating. And the ’80s soundtrack is spot-on. But it isn’t enough to salvage this film. By the time we reach the finale (though it has a nice twist), it feels as if it’s time to pack your bags and head home. Sandler may still have a hit on his hands. The actor’s fans are as rabid as any, and he continues to churn out blockbusters, ‘Funny People’ notwithstanding. But if Sandler hopes to win over new fans, he may want to cork the scatological humor and let it age a bit.” We’ll give Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times the final word: ” ‘Grown Ups’ is a pleasant, genial, good-hearted, sometimes icky comedy that’s like spending a weekend with well-meaning people you don’t want to see again any time real soon. They’re the kind of people where, in the car driving home, you ask, ‘What was that all about?’ Try to imagine the Three Stooges slapping each other’s faces with dehydrated reconstituted bananas. No, really.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Grown Ups.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .

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Isley Brothers Bass Player Marvin Isley Dead At 56

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| 1 Comment

Marvin co-wrote ‘Fight the Power’ with his brothers in 1975. By Gil Kaufman Marvin Isley Photo: GAB Archive/ Redferns Marvin Isley, bass player for the legendary funk band the Isley Brothers , died of undisclosed causes in Chicago on Monday (June 7) at age 56, according to the Chicago Tribune ‘s ChicagoNow.com blog. Marvin Isley was not a member of the original band comprising older brothers O’Kelly Jr., Rudolph and Ronald, who scored hits with the songs “Twist and Shout,” “It’s Your Thing” and “Shout.” Marvin joined the group in 1973 along with brother Ernie and brother-in-law Chris Jasper. The new six-member lineup debuted with 1973’s 3+3 , which contained such AM soul classics as “That Lady,

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Admiral Thad Allen states "Top Kill" a work in progress

Posted on May 28, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Post Update: Contrary to what Admiral Thad Allen said on May. 27 that the BP operation “Top Kill” stops oil leak flow, he stated to Wolf Blizter on the CNN program, The Situation Room, also on May 27, Wolf, it's a work in progress. They are pumping mud down the well bore. The hydrocarbons are being suppressed them continue to pump mud down the well. We are waiting to see if — whether or not they can reduce the pressure and have it hold. I would say it is probably a 24 or 36-hour period and they continue to do that and we are monitoring the situation. In reflection of this and the fact that to date “Top Kill” has been a 100% success so far I have edited the original headline: “‘Top kill’ stops oil leak flow in Gulf of Mexico, US Admiral says” end of update Admiral Thad Allen, head of the government's effort to help staunch the oil leak that resulted after an offshore rig collapsed into the Gulf of Mexico, told reporters Thursday morning that BP's latest effort to plug the leak has succeeded, according to the Chicago Tribune (and Los Angeles Times). The so-called “top kill” effort, launched Wednesday afternoon by industry and government engineers in Houston, has pumped enough drilling fluid to block all oil and gas from the well, Allen said. The pressure from the well is very low, but persistent, he said. Once engineers have reduced the well pressure to zero, they will begin to pump cement into the hole to entomb the well. To help that effort, he said, engineers are also pumping some debris into the blowout preventer at the top of the well. Allen said one ship that was pumping fluid into the well has run out of the fluid, or “mud,” and that a second ship is on the way. He said he was encouraged by the progress. “We'll get this under control,” he said. “They've stopped the hydrocarbons from coming up,” National Incident Commander Thad Allen was quoted elsewhere as saying. “They've been able to stabilize the well head, they are pumping mud down it.” Allen repeated his assertion on NPR Thursday morning, but officials close to the spill wouldn't confirm or deny Allen's comments to Reuters. http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0527/breaking-top-kill-stops-oil-leak-flow-gulf-mexi… BP oil spill: 'top kill' live coverage http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/may/27/bp-oil-spill-top-kill Live from the Ocean Floor: New Oil Leak Widget Features 'Spillcam' http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/05/newshour-oil-widget-2-including-spil… added by: zichi

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Jesus Face in Oil Spill Video feed

Posted on May 28, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Whether it's real or not, it's reassuring to see Jesus in the oil. He has shown up on everything from toast to leaves to woodgrains. This seems like a natural next step for Him to reveal Himself. added by: petermmarino

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Obama Serves 14-State Governors with Warnings of Arrest

Posted on May 28, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Barack Hussein Obama had served 14-State Governors in the United States, National Security Letters (NSLs) warning that the Governor’s actions in attempting to form “State Defense Forces” needs to be halted “immediately” or they will face arrest for the crime of treason. The employment of NSLs was authorized by the Patriot Act introduced by George W. Bush. Contained within the section related to these letters, it is forbidden for anyone receiving a NSL warning to even acknowledge the existence of said communication. Obama is angered by the several State Governors who have reestablished “State Defense Forces.” These forces are described as: “State Defense Forces (also known as State Guards, State Military Reserves, State Militias) in the United States are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government; they are not regulated by the National Guard Bureau nor are they part of the Army National Guard of the United States. State Defense Forces are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor of each state. State Defense Forces are distinct from their state’s National Guard in that they cannot become federal entities.” Mr. Obama is fearful of these State Defense Forces, in that he does not have control of said forces, and with the U.S. Military stretched to near breaking from multiple deployments and theatre actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, these State military forces would be under the direct command and authority of the Governors in which states have said forces. In essence, the Governors would have “de facto control” of the United States. added by: regjoeschmo

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‘Top kill’ stops oil leak flow in Gulf of Mexico, US Admiral says

Posted on May 28, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Admiral Thad Allen, head of the government's effort to help staunch the oil leak that resulted after an offshore rig collapsed into the Gulf of Mexico, told reporters Thursday morning that BP's latest effort to plug the leak has succeeded, according to the Chicago Tribune (and Los Angeles Times). The so-called “top kill” effort, launched Wednesday afternoon by industry and government engineers in Houston, has pumped enough drilling fluid to block all oil and gas from the well, Allen said. The pressure from the well is very low, but persistent, he said. Once engineers have reduced the well pressure to zero, they will begin to pump cement into the hole to entomb the well. To help that effort, he said, engineers are also pumping some debris into the blowout preventer at the top of the well. Allen said one ship that was pumping fluid into the well has run out of the fluid, or “mud,” and that a second ship is on the way. He said he was encouraged by the progress. “We'll get this under control,” he said. “They've stopped the hydrocarbons from coming up,” National Incident Commander Thad Allen was quoted elsewhere as saying. “They've been able to stabilize the well head, they are pumping mud down it.” Allen repeated his assertion on NPR Thursday morning, but officials close to the spill wouldn't confirm or deny Allen's comments to Reuters. http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0527/breaking-top-kill-stops-oil-leak-flow-gulf-mexi… BP oil spill: 'top kill' live coverage http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/may/27/bp-oil-spill-top-kill Live from the Ocean Floor: New Oil Leak Widget Features 'Spillcam' http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/05/newshour-oil-widget-2-including-spil… added by: zichi

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Tinley Park Home Invasion 2010

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

A manhunt was called off for four people accused of following a Chicago businessman home and terrorizing his family in an early morning robbery and home invasion that left two injured in Tinley Park. The Chicago Tribune reports that a boy called police around 4 a.m. and said someone was in his home in the 9100 block of Basswood Drive with a gun. The caller hid in the living room and stayed on the phone with police. The Tribune reports: When police arrived, they saw a suspect assaulting a male

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Billy Corgan Discusses His ‘Love’ For Jessica Simpson, Smashing Pumpkins Breakup

Posted on March 5, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I think if people knew her like I knew her, they would love her like I do,’ Corgan tells Rolling Stone. By Jocelyn Vena Billy Corgan (file) Photo: MTV News While Billy Corgan was mum about his relationship with pop star Jessica Simpson when he spoke to The Chicago Tribune last month, the Smashing Pumpkins frontman was a bit more forthcoming to Rolling Stone about the nature of his relationship with the singer, who recently appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and ex-boyfriend’s discussed John Mayer’s controversial comments about her in Playboy. “If I go, ‘Oh, we’re just friends,’ then it’s like, ‘Did they go out, did he dump her or she dump him, what happened?’ It has nothing to do with any of that. Sometimes people just like being around each other, and good things come out of that,” he told the magazine. “My goal in life is to love whoever I think is worth loving, and I think if people knew her like I knew her, they would love her like I do. It’s really simple.” He had harsher words for his former bandmates in the Smashing Pumpkins. “Rather than break up the band, what I should have done is chuck James [Iha] out,” Corgan explained. “I should have just said to Jimmy [Chamberlin], ‘You go to rehab, and we’ll continue, and James, get the f— out of here.’ Instead, I fell on my sword for James, for what I thought was a friend.” He also opened up about his career now and his ongoing work on the Pumpkins’ Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, a planned 44-track collection he’s gradually releasing over the course of three years via free download from his Web site. “There’s a lot of days where you feel forgotten,” he said. “Do I belong in the conversation about the best artists in the world? My answer is yes, I do. I’ve been too productive for too long, and despite what anybody wants to strip away from me, I am influential. I am. So all the Pitchforks in the world [referring to the popular indie-rock Web site] can try to strip me of every ounce of dignity, but I belong.” Related Artists Billy Corgan Jessica Simpson The Smashing Pumpkins

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Another Black Eye for Notre Dame

Posted on November 24, 2009 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Filed under: Celebrity Justice , Talk Sports The Fighting Irish have taken a beating on the football field this year — and now, their starting quarterback was reportedly socked in the face during a bar fight early Sunday morning. According to the Chicago Tribune, it all went down at a bar in ..

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