‘300′ SEQUEL BRINGS BACK XERXES
Don’t we all share the same concern about this sequel: the worry that what truly made “300” special will be gutted?
We loved “300” because it was a politically incorrect allegory for the War on Terror, because it presented the West and human liberty and self-sacrifice as the noble things they are. There was no moral equivalence, and this was a morality play acted out by masculine men and strong, dignified women.
I care so little about everything else involving this sequel in comparison to that. And I’m sick over the possibility that what comes next might be “300: The Liberal Apology For the First One.”
What’s crazy is that Hollywood is the kind of place where you have to worry about such things.
‘GO FAR’ TELLS A MICHIGANDER’S STORY OF HOPE
Great story about my brother’s documentary. Full-time, he’s an editor on USA’s “Burn Notice,” but on his own he is producing a feature-length documentary about a remarkable young man he met in college. You can see a clip here. Personally, I can’t wait to see the whole thing.
For the record, I’m not in any way an investor on the project. I’ve donated money, but in no way will I profit from the film.
DISNEY PULLS IN REINS AFTER A FLOP
Between production costs and marketing, Disney is up to its neck with about $350 million invested:
For months, Disney’s senior executives have urged the studio to curtail production budgets. And they have zeroed in on other “Carter”-related mistakes they intend to avoid, such as casting too many unknowns or overspending on locations.
People who have seen the flick seem to actually like it. Ed Morrissey’s Hot Air review, I think, sums up best what I’m hearing.
The problem here was marketing. The campaign focused too much on sound and fury and too little on a compelling story. To these eyes, it looked like just another hollow FX-a-thon.
Story. Story. Story. Story.
RETURN TO JURASSIC PARK IN 2013 FOR A 3-D RE-RELEASE!
If it wasn’t in 3D, I might’ve actually gone to see this. Great popcorn flick.
LIONSGATE TO REBOOT ‘LEPRECHAUN‘
Remember when I said yesterday that we’d get all kinds of junk produced before we got a highly anticipated “24” movie.
That case has now rested.
THE 10 BEST CONCERT MOVIES OF ALL TIME
That link is to number-one, just to piss off Rolling Stone.
I own some concert films but the purchase had to do with wanting a souvenir of sorts from a tour I attended. Usually when I play them, it’s for the background music. Sitting and watching a concert makes me fidget from boredom. In fact, the only reason I keep watching is to see if the next song is better than the one currently playing — which pretty much sums up MTV in the eighties.
Stand-up comedy concerts are something entirely different. My Carlin, Pryor, and Kinison DVDs are also known as my “Preciouses” — which might not be a word, but it should be.
‘REDNECKS’ SWAMP TV AS VIEWERS SEEK GRITTIER REALITY
I’ve been writing about this phenomenon for years, even before I joined Big Hollywood.
Reality TV is filling a niche the broadcast networks and much of Hollywood ignored for decades and that’s the working class hero. America is a country filled with Southerners and Midwesterners, people who make a living with their hands and yet Hollywood has relegated them to punchlines — the plumber with the butt-crack who people named Phoebe and Chandler laugh at.
Sure, these shows add a little of the ridiculous to the narrative, but the bottom line attraction is watching people like ourselves — masculine, independent, small business-owners who love America and Jesus and family.
It didn’t surprise me in the least that a “Pawn Stars” rerun beat HBO’s Palin smear-a-thon in the ratings. Liberals don’t need to be told to hate Sarah Palin and the rest of us know propaganda when we see it.
‘DARK SHADOWS’ PROMOS NEED MORE MICHELLE PFEIFFER
If you’re going to cast one of the most beautiful women ever conceived — a woman who gets more beautiful with each passing year — for the love of all that is holy, play her up.
The whole trailer is all Depp, which makes sense, but who’s the blonde? Who cares? Not everyone who goes to the movies is 14 — and not everyone who’s 14 is attracted to girls.
Girls are cute. Women are sexy.
USA TODAY READER CRITICIZES CLOONEY’S SUDAN ARREST
That was fast:
” I support his efforts! However, in my small, minute particle of the world, I cannot get too many fired up, as I live near the 2nd poorest county in the United States. Now, while children are not close to starving, there are social and economic impacts from the lack of jobs. I wish that some of the stars would focus on issues in the United States, also.”
I love America and I’m no Clooney fan, but he’s doing a good thing in the Sudan, and to compare the “poorest county” anywhere in America to what’s happening in that part of the world just doesn’t compute.
What’s happening over there is heartbreakingly complicated to solve and might never be solved, but actors can sometimes do good things — especially when they’re advocating for something as opposed to criticizing and insulting what they disagree with.
This is a great use of Clooney’s ability to get publicity, and those who live in the poorest county in America live like kings compared to the Sudan. There are plenty of things to criticize Clooney for, but this isn’t one of them.
THE GREATEST TV DRAMA OF THE PAST 25 YEARS, ROUND TWO: ‘THE X-FILES’ VS. ‘THE WIRE‘
I don’t love the “X-Files,” but my wife does and I do adore my wife, so I’ve seen the entire series a couple of times. Regardless, would anyone put it in the same league as “The Wire?”
“The Wire” is the single greatest piece of dramatic storytelling I have ever seen. Never before have I been so addicted to a television show. Moreover, never before have I felt so lost after the series ended. Like a great novel, you live with this show during and after you watch it — for weeks.
If you haven’t seen it … man, what are you waiting for?
“The X-Files” was kind of a perfect Friday night show, but it had a lot of bad episodes, went on about three seasons too long, and the wrap up left me more confused than the actual series.
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LAST NIGHT’S SCREENING
Iron Man 2 (2010) — I liked but didn’t love it in theatres.
Last night, though, I kinda loved it.
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SCOTTDS’ EPIC LINKTACULAR
MEET AMERICA’S MOST CANTANKEROUS FILM CRITIC
LOST THREE STOOGES HOME MOVIE TURNS UP ON YOUTUBE!
LEARN ABOUT “CRUSADE,” THE UNFILMED SCHWARZENEGGER EPIC FROM PAUL VERHOEVEN
THE ORIGINAL “BACK TO THE FUTURE” DELOREAN IS GETTING RESTORED
“HOMER AT THE BAT”: THE MAKING OF A CLASSIC “SIMPSONS” EPISODE
8 GREAT SILENT PERFORMANCES FROM “DUCK SOUP” TO “THE PIANO”
A LOOK BACK AT JOHNNY CASH’S “A BOY NAMED SUE”
THE WEIRD HISTORY OF WONDER WOMAN
10 MOVIE FRANCHISES THAT DESERVE BETTER
6 INSANE SEQUELS THAT ALMOST RUINED THE CLASSIC ORIGINAL
THE ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE CELEBRATES 1982 AND THE GREATEST SUMMER OF MOVIES
WATCH THE LATE STAN WINSTON’S EFFECTS TESTS FOR “JURASSIC PARK” AND “A.I.”
20 FACTS ABOUT “SILENCE OF THE LAMBS”
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CLASSIC PICK FOR THE WEEKEND
Skip TCM and check out “Charlie Varrick” (1973) on Netflix Streaming this weekend.
Walter Matthau as directed by Don Siegel. Total masterpiece too few people have seen.
For the first time in a while, I went through Netflix’s selection of movies last night and found more than a few underrated titles you need to see. I might start adding those to this section when TCM is light on something that starts my fire.
Besides, I want to encourage people to see the great programming offered on Netflix Streaming. That’s my weapon against the un-American bundled-cable dragon.
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Please send comments, suggestions and tips to jnolte@breitbart.com or Twitter @NolteNC.
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