Posts Tagged ‘Movies’

Not All Movies Require A Sequel

In: Entertainment

By: Libby Pawlick on Oct 04, 2010 at 2:20 pm

Why are sequels created?  They are created because the first movie was such a  hit that the movie companies think it will be just as popular.  But, is there a sequel out there that lives up to the original?

There is no sequel to my knowledge that lives up to the original and here’s just some examples of movie companies not paying attention to history:

  • Wall Street Money Never Sleeps – 23 years later we are subjected to the sequel to Wall Street which earned Michael Douglas an Oscar for his portrayal as Gordon Gekko, a greedy businessman, who will do anything it takes to earn money.  The movie introduces two new characters that starts after Gekko is released from prison – Shia LaBeouf as Jacob, his daughter’s finance who happens to be a Wall Street man and Carey Mulligan, as Winnie, Gekko’s daughter.  While the plot played into the original movie with some added twists, it was excessively long at a run time of 2 hours and 15 minutes with no apparent need for it to be.  Unfortunately, the sequel does not live up to the original.
  • Die Hard, Lethal Weapon and Rocky – Enough said!  The 80’s and 90’s loved their sequels and more sequels.
  • Any sequel that goes straight to DVD bad, why produce it in the first place?
  • Disney Movies – Why do they feel compelled to continue making sequels for their big blockbuster hits such as Aladdin, Little Mermaid, 101 Dalmatians, Lion King and Toy Story?
  • Batman – Michael Keaton set the bar extremely  high as the original Bruce Wayne.  No other move star could live up to the original including George Clooney.

I would love to hear your take on sequels and if there are any you think truly live up to the original.

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3D Pundits-Gotta love ‘em

In: Technology

By: Steve Stanfill on Aug 11, 2010 at 8:43 am

In followup to my post last week, Studio Daily, a great web site dedicated to the professional motion picture/audio industry, has posted the latest forecasts for sales of flat panel internet-enabled HDTVs.  Interestingly, from a professional group who has heavily promoted the idea and pushed acceptance of 3DTV, they are now willing to admit that for this year anyway, sales of 3DTV are a bit of a “bust”– 4.2 million 3DTV units contrasted with 27.7 million units of Internet Enabled TV (IETV).

“Despite aggressive promotions from the industry and intense consumer interest generated by the blockbuster Avatar and other titles, the 3D TV market in 2010 will be limited to a small pool of enthusiastic early adopters,” said Riddhi Patel, director and principal analyst for television systems at iSuppli. “In contrast, IETV is entering the mainstream in 2010. This is because 3D is still dealing with a number of barriers, including cost, content availability and interoperability, while IETV provides immediate benefits by allowing TV viewers to access a range of content readily available on the Internet.”

Duh!!  Obviously a true statement, but I get the feeling that the industry in general and content providers specifically would much rather have had 3D enter the mainstream in 2010 rather than that “internet thing” where video has become something of an industry phenomenon.  Loads of “free” (You Tube) and “commercial reduced” content is made available on the internet, ironically by many of the same content providers who extract premium prices for the same content from cable companies and other more traditional distribution mechanisms.  I’m not complaining, particularly as a consumer, but it points out the schizophrenia that is rampant in the business at present.

As I’ve discussed before, 3D will enter the mainstream if and only if it is embraced by a broad consumer spectrum.  My sense is that consumers may not be willing to pay a premium for 3D equipment and content.  I’m already seeing that at my local theatre–it has one screen playing a local 3D release in 3D (at a $3 price premium) and 3 other screens playing the same release in 2D.  Local folks don’t seem that enamored by the experience, particularly at $12+ per ticket.  (Having said that, IMAX has proven that there is a niche for “enhanced” visual experience, and one of my local theatre contacts indicated that there seems to be some customer excitement when those two technologies are combined, even at a $5 price delta.)  The question remains as to whether 3D will be accepted as mainstream, or simply remain a niche for certain content.  Message to industry–if the primary goal of 3D production is to extract additional profit as opposed to truly enhancing the visual experience on appropriate content, good luck on selling that to a broad consumer base.

Until next time….

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What’s On Tap For Spring and Summer Movies

In: Entertainment

By: Libby Pawlick on Apr 26, 2010 at 1:47 pm

I don’t know about you but over the past week, I think I have seen more trailers for the upcoming releases in May then I saw during the Super Bowl.  It always intrigues me why as the weather starts to warm up that they decide to put out some good movies.  With that being said, here are my must see new releases for May.

Iron Man 2

I love action flicks and the first Iron Man really hit all the things I look for in an entertaining movie: suspense, drama, action and a hit of romance.  The action sequences were awesome and I left the theater pleasantly surprised.  I am a little disappointed that they replaced Terrance Howard with Don Cheadle but it looks like it is going to be another hit for the Iron Man series. 

Iron Man 2 comes out May 7th.

Letters to Juliet

Chick flick alert!  I am a fan of actress Amanda Seyfried and think she plays these types of roles very well.  Letters to Juliet is a romantic story about a woman who on a trip in Verona, Italy discovers a long lost love letter.  She decides to write the woman back which then turns into a whirlwind European adventure to re-kindle two long lost lovers.  I love romantic stories and am excited to see this movie.

Letters to Juliet comes out May 14th.

Shrek Forever After

The lovable ogre is back in the fourth installment of the Shrek series.  This time with a twist.  Shrek signs away his current life to Rumpelstiltskin which takes him to a world that nobody knows him and life as he knew it no longer exists.  Shrek has to figure out how to get his old life back.  The Shrek series is great for both kids and adults.  I am excited to see if they can recapture the magic that they had with the first two movies.

Shrek Forever After comes outMay 21st.

Sex and the City 2

Girls, get ready because May 28th can’t come soon enough.  The sequel to the Sex and the City movie is hitting the big screen and it looks like they spared no expense as usual.  The whole cast is back together along with some great additions such as Miley Cyrus, Penelope Cruz and Liza Minnelli.  I am very excited that they are bringing Aiden (Josh Corbin) back!  Many will say that the movie doesn’t have much substance but for those of us who fell in love with the series, there doesn’t need to be a ton of substance because that is what the fashion is there for.  Sex and the City 2 is going to give Iron Man 2 a run for its’ money.

Now that I’ve shared with you my movie picks for May, what movies are you looking forward to?

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Cupid’s Stay At Home Plan…Movies and Great Meals

In: Entertainment

By: Libby Pawlick on Feb 08, 2010 at 11:09 am

Has the panic set in yet?  Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, exactly six days from today to be correct.  If you have been saving up your money for a really nice gift and don’t have a lot left over for the rest of the day, let me offer up some ideas to complete your Valentine’s Day experience for your special loved one(s).

With the Kids

I am sure this is one of the hardest days to find a babysitter and yet you still want to make it special.  Well, why not include the kids in the love festivities. 

For a great start to the day, why not make Mom breakfast in bed.  Cooking and kitchen not in your vocabulary?  Not to worry.  If your Mom loves pancakes, your local supermarket will carry an instant pancake mix container that all you have to do is add the water and shake.  No measuring required.  Cook the pancakes and plate them.  Pour some milk or orange juice in a champagne glass for the added touch of elegance and add a bud vase with a rose to complete the look. 

For lunchtime, why not create your own pizza parlor right in your kitchen.  In the same trip that you make to the supermarket, you can find the ingredients to make your own personalized pizzas.  Grab the sauce and dough in the pasta section, head over to the meat section for your meat choices, then the dairy section for your cheeses.  At home, you can even cut the pizzas out in heart shapes for an added touch.

Throughout the day, why not make it a movie day in your family room.  Here are some of my all-time favorite children’s movies that I still love watching:

  • Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown
  • Shrek
  • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Any Disney movie works really)

Romantic Evening At Home

Setting the mood is the most important piece of the title, “romantic.”  Typically candles and flowers work really well but don’t just lump them all in one place.  If you are having dinner at home, make sure to set the table.  Don’t think that eating in front of the TV qualifies as being romantic.  Put in one of your significant other’s favorite CDs to help with the dinner ambiance.  Want to try your hand at cooking the meal?  Again, the supermarket offers a number of frozen selections that even someone who doesn’t know how to use the oven would be able to cook.  Don’t want to try your hand at cooking, then order out your favorites for a special meal.  After dinner, why not put in a movie to complete the evening.  When I tried compiling my list of movies that fit the Valentine’s Day theme, I could go on and on.  Here are some of my favorites:

Romantic Comedies

  • Down To You
  • 50 First Dates
  • How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days

Drama

  • Jerry Maguire
  • Serendipity
  • Hope Floats

 Timeless

  • William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet (Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes)
  • Titanic

Action

  • Mr. and Mrs. Smith
  • Fast and the Furious
  • Gone in 60 Seconds

What are some of your favorite movies to watch on Valentine’s Day?  If you have any other ideas on how to make the day special and unique, I would love to hear them.

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The WOW! Customer Home Page

In: Education

By: Ray Rouleau on Feb 05, 2010 at 7:00 am

The WOW! Customer Home Page is your one-stop page for all your online needs. Besides easy access to your email and WOW! account management, you can also check the weather, your WOW! TV listings or even watch online video all from the WOW! Customer Home Page.

You can easily customize your page by selecting the add content button in the top right corner of the page. There are numerous categories to choose from like Business, Entertainment, News, and Sports. You can also choose what column to add the content too and the content can be dragged up or down within column so you can put your favorite information where you want it.

Checking email couldn’t be easier either. While logged in to your customer homepage you can see the 3 newest messages that are in your inbox and you can use the quick compose tab to send an email without opening the full email window. Do you need a break from email? Why not try the Games channel and try your hand at some mini golf or maybe a game of Bejeweled 2.

Still not convinced?  Take a tour now to see for yourself here. So with all these nice features, why not try the WOW! Customer Hompage today?

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