Paul Blart: Mall Cop set to become top weekend film for 3 weeks in a row

Paul Blart: Mall Cop is set to become the top grossing comedy film for the third weekend in a row. It is doing so well, it is anticipated to break the $100 million mark this weekend. Not bad for a film that cost $26 million to make. This film also marks the first time that Kevin James portrays a lead character.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FILM_PAUL_BLART?SITE=WWLAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Predator for Politics

I was recently watching the movie Predator during one of those all night movie marathons, and I realized something. The film contains 3 future politicians. I realize that this is a very irrelevant and probably coincidental fact but the film does in fact contain 3 people that have made runs for political positions. Some being more successful than others. These 3 actor/politicians are Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, and Sonny Landham. Arnold Schwarzenegger is our current governor of California, while Jesse Ventura was the single term governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003. In 2003, Sonny Landham attempted to be the Republican governor of Kentucky, but he failed to get the nomination. In 2004, he attempted to run for the Kentucky State Senate, but he failed there too. Then in 2008, he announced his candidacy as a libertarian to be a United States Senator, but the libertarian party withdrew his nomination after he made several anti-Arab remarks . On a Predator related note, Director Robert Rodriguez is planning a remake of the Predator film.

Another Rambo film in the works

In a recent interview, Sylvester Stallone has confirmed all the rumors. Another Rambo film is in the works. After filming concluded on the last Rambo film 2008, it was assumed that it was the closing chapter to the Rambo saga much like Rocky Balboa was the closing chapter of the Rocky series. However due to the unexpected success of the film, Stallone has agreed to film another sequel. The current title for this sequel is Rambo 5 even though it will be the sixth film in the series. The reason for this is because the fourth film released in 2008 was titled only as Rambo.

Movie Review: Speed Racer

When this movie came out last summer, I skipped it because the trailer and the look of this movie did nothing for me. I thought it looked weird and the snippets of dialogue in the trailer made the movie seem melodramatic. Suffice it to say that I was surprised when I finally watched it and discovered that Speed Racer is a really good movie. If you disagree that it’s a really good movie, you are both a liar and a heartless human being on par with someone who would smother a newborn kitten.

Do you really want to be that kind of person?

Speed Racer tells the story of a racecar driver named (wait for it…) Speed Racer. The Racer family has a bit of a history in the racing world and that’s all I’m going to tell you because I prefer sending people in to a movie as blind as I can possibly send them.

The look of the film can be jarring at first, but once you get past it, you’ll begin to appreciate how remarkable it really is. The movie has ridiculous (in a good way) racing sequences, comic relief for the kids (although some of those moments can be a bit grating), and lots of heart. The finale of this movie is so well done that I struggled not to shit my pants with happiness.

Speed Racer has a 36% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and I am just amazed at how wrong a lot of those critics were about this movie. At worst, this movie is okay. To think that 64% of critics flat out didn’t like it is weird because those scores are usually spot-on, I mean look at what they gave Disaster Movie.

IET Rating: (3 1/2)***1/2* out of (4)****

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Gil Grissom might have taken the viewers with him

As previously reported here, William Petersen, known to fans as CSI Head Gil Grissom, recently left the show stemming from Petersen's desire to not be locked into a role and to resume stage acting. This did not bode well for the show, as viewership has dropped ever since his departure. This past week, "CSI" had 17.5 million viewers making it the most watched program of that night. Unfortunately, those numbers were much higher when Petersen was a member of the cast. "CSI" now actually has to face competition from shows such as "Bones" on the Fox Network and "Grey's Anatomy" on the ABC Network.

USA Network shows using 80s themed commercials

Two shows on the USA Network, "Psych" and "Monk," are using commercials that are based on the introductions to 80s TV shows. "Psych" is styled after the introduction to the show "Miami Vice," while "Monk" is styled after the introduction to the show "Magnum P.I."

CSI actor Gerald McCullouch Involve in Real Life Crime

Actor Gerald McCullouch, who plays Bobby Dawson on the hit CBS show "CSI," was attacked while riding the NYC subway at 2a.m. He was using his laptop on the train, when someone attempted to take the laptop from him. McCullouch who is also a trained boxer was able to fight off his attacker. That was when the mugger took out a knife and tried to stab the actor. Luckily, the blade glanced off of his jacket and police came in to subdue the mugger. I am glad that the actor was not seriously hurt in this incident, but I have to say that I have never heard of him before today. I am a fan of "CSI," but I don't know much about his character, Bobby Dawson. Fans, can you give me more information on the actor, his character on "CSI," or the incident by leaving comments

Paul Blart: Mall Cop tops weekend Box Office 2nd Week in a row

For the second week in a row, Paul Blart: Mall Cop has been the number one film the second week in a row making about $21.5 million this past weekend. This brings the current sum to $64.8 million. Not bad for a movie that cost $26 million to make.

http://www.ew.com/ew/news/charts/0,,,00.html
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mallcop.htm

Current trend of World War II Era films are not drawing large audiences

The current two World War II Era films, Valkyrie and Defiance, are not having the level of success that the producers expected. Valkyrie released on Christmas Day of 2008, is a film about the German plot to assassinate Hitler. While Defiance chronicles the story of 3 Jewish brothers that saved 1200 Jews by hiding them in the forest while at the same time engaged in partisan resistance against the Nazis and was released on December 31, 2008. Valkyrie reportedly cost $75 million to make and just recently broke even with that amount. Defiance reportedly cost $50 million to make and to date has only made about $14 million. Ironically, the current top films have been comedies. A possible explanation for this could be due to the poor state of the economy and movie goers wanting a positive escape from reality. I also wish to note that the current number 2 ranked film is Gran Torino.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=valkyrie.htm
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=defiance.htm

Ledger Gets Oscar Nomination

This morning the Oscar Awards nominations were announced. Heath Ledger was nominated for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight. This was not a surprise considering he had won a Golden Globe for the same role and has to be considered a favorite to win. The Dark Knight was nominated for a total of 7 awards, but it was mostly for sound and visual effects. I was disappointed that it was not nominated for Best Picture. I'm sure many fans feel the same. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was nominated for the most awards. It was nominated for 13 awards including Best Picture and Best Actor for Brad Pitt.

For the complete list of the nominee check out http://oscars.com/nominees/?pn=nominees

Warner Brothers Studios to cut 800 jobs

Warner Brothers has announced today that it is planning to cut 10% of its worldwide workforce which is approximately 800 jobs. The reason that Warner Brothers provided for this was the poor shape of the economy. Warner Brothers is a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/20/news/companies/warner_bros_cuts.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes

Movie Review: Doubt

This movie was HILARIOUS. If you've ever wanted to see a movie where a nun and a priest take subtle (and not so subtle) shots at each other, this is the movie for you. This movie is just like "The Office" if "The Office" weren't a faux-documentary and Michael Scott was a suspected child molester. I never really "got" Phillip Seymour Hoffman or Meryl Streep before I saw this movie, but now I do. They both give really great, intense performances.

I.E.T. Rating: (3)*** out of (4)****

(Editor's note: This movie is NOT a comedy. It's actually a drama about a nun who suspects that the priest at her parish is a child molester. That being said, when the nun and the priest start tearing in to each other, it is hilarious.)

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Paul Blart: Mall Cop is top movie this weekend

This past weekend, the film, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, was the top grossing movie. The movie features star of the TV Show "King of Queens," Kevin James, portraying a mall security guard. I have not seen this movie yet, but I will eventually because I am a fan of comedies. Kevin James has also been seen in films such as I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry and Hitch.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/18/box.office/index.html

Many stars preparing for Barack Obama Inauguration

There will be many stars on hand to entertain the crowd at Barack Obama's inauguration on Tuesday January 20, 2009. The performances will originate from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Stars scheduled to perform include Beyonce, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Usher, Sheryl Crow, and James Taylor along with many more. In addition celebrities such as Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifah, and Denzel Washington will be reading to the crowd. There are many more celebrities slated to perform that have yet to be announced. There are also many other celebrities performing in the days leading up to the inauguration.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/01/16/inauguration.entertainment/index.html

Season Premiere of American Idol Lowest Viewership Ever

The season premiere of this season's "American Idol" was the lowest rated premiere since the the start of the series. The current eighth season premiere had a 10% drop in its total audience and a 15% drop in its adult demographics when compared to the previous season. Even with 30.1 million viewers, the series has not had a viewership that low since the series premiere in the summer of 2002. It should be noted that this has been an ongoing trend with viewership dropping more and more as the show progresses. For details check

http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/01/idol-premiere-ratings-2009.html

CBS Announces NCIS spinoff

CBS has announce plans to launch a spin off of the popular show "NCIS." The plan is to debut the new series as a episode of "NCIS" in the spring. The cast of the new show has yet to be announced and there is no news on if any of the stars of "NCIS" will crossover to the new show.

In related news, "NCIS" actually increased its rating from last week despite being up against the season premiere of "American Idol." It has an audience of about 18 million, but still finish a distant second to the premiere of "American Idol" for the most watched show on television . "American Idol's" premiere was watch by 30 million viewers which is actually a fall in viewers from last year's season premiere which was watch by 32 million.

Grissom permanently leaving CSI

William Petersen also known to "CSI" viewers as Gil Grissom will be leaving the show "CSI" permanently. His last appearance will be this Thursday alongside his replacement played by Laurence Fishburne. His departure was foreshadowed when he was replaced at the beginning of the current season by Laurence Fisburne. This Thursday will mark his final appearance on the show. Petersen states that he is leaving the show because the role did not allow him the growth that he desired and that as an actor he was going to atrophy is he stayed in the role. Petersen's plans now involve resuming his career as a theater actor. For details check

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/13/ew.petersen/index.html

Prison Break CANCELED?!

FOX has announced that it will be canceling the television series, "Prison Break," at the conclusion of its 4th season later this year. The justification for the cancellation was that the series had "run its course" and that viewership had dropped by 17%. The final 6 episodes of the 4th season will begin airing on April 17th. For further details check

http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/01/prison-break.html

Part 2 of Burn Notice Season 2 Returns Thursday January 22

After a fall hiatus, the second part of season 2 of "Burn Notice" returns next week. I look forward to the further adventures of Michael Westen and company.

Heath Ledger wins Golden Globe

In a move that surprised few, Heath Ledger was won the Golden Globe for best supporting actor for his gritty portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight. There were numerous contenders in the same category including Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. for their respective roles in the film, Tropic Thunder.

For details check
http://www.goldenglobes.org/nominations/

Clint Eastwood makes our day, once again! : Gran Torino

"Go ahead PUNK, make my day"

This line is arguably one of the most recognizable movie lines of all time. Uttered by Clint Eastwood in the 1971 classic, Dirty Harry, Eastwood has etched himself into cinema lore by putting on many classic performances. Films such as Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby have solidified Eastwood's place in film today as one of the best directors of all time. Recently though, it is what he did in front the camera that caught my attention.

In Gran Torino, Eastwood plays a racist veteran who resembles that crazy old man who lives on every block, but, as the movie progresses, Eastwood's character surprisingly begins to wear on you and you begin to see Eastwood's brilliance as an actor. His character, Walter Kowalski, is near death and does not have a single thing to live for. He has lived in the suburbs of Detroit for years, and in the past decade the amount of Asian-American immigrants has increased tenfold to his chagrin. He demonstrates his racist views by calling them names such as "zipper heads" and "gooks," and to add further fuel to the fire he catches an Asian teenager named Thao trying to steal his cherished 1972 Gran Torino. Rather than blowing the kid's head off, he takes him under his wing and tries to make a man out of him, and as the story progresses both characters evolve and you can't help but take interest in both of them.

I can't help but feeling sad due to the fact that Eastwood has officially retired from acting. He states that he has done all that he can do in that particular field, and although I do feel a bit of sorrow, I am looking forward to his future projects behind the camera.

The Dark Knight returns to theaters January 23

In a recent article I saw on cinematical.com I readthat they are re-releasing The Dark Knight into regular theaters and IMAX. This is certainly a interesting move on part of the studios considering that the DVD and Blu-Ray were released about a month ago. In the past it might have made sense to go see a movie again at the theater due to the poor quality of in home systems and media but in the modern day with high definition televisions and Blu-Ray movies, the theater experience can be had at home without the trouble of going to the theater or buying a ticket. I am wondering how successful the second run of The Dark Knight will be. Let's hope this second run will put a "SMILE ON THAT FACE" of all the people involved in making The Dark Knight. I know it seems funny but I will probably go see the Dark Knight again during its second run considering I am a fan of the Batman franchise. Does anyone else out there plan on watching the second run of The Dark Knight?

WWE

I have been watching WWE for approximately 10 years, back when it was still the WWF. "WWE Raw" currently holds the record as one of the longest running shows on television. It is also one of the shows the does not show reruns. The only exceptions are clip shows of past matches, and these are rare usually reserved for if the show day is on a major holiday or if there is a death of a major figure in the company. I will be going to "Raw" in approximately a month and will post some photos. I look forward to hearing the discussion about the entertaining world of wrestling.

In a related topic, it appears that the tough times have even affected the WWE. The company has reduced it staff by 10 percent and have let go around 60 employees. The job cuts have been across the board ranging from Vince McMahon's limo drivers to WWE stars like Val Venis and D'Lo Brown.

PSYCH: Part 2 of Season 3

One of my favorite shows on cable television is "Psych." The show is centered around Shawn Spencer, whose keen observation skills allow him to pretend that he is a psychic. The second part of season 3 of "Psych" began yesterday with an episode that involved Shawn and (his best friend and business partner) Gus solving the murder of a sea lion. I look forward to hearing any and all reviews of the show. I will also be placing additional postings of my other favorite TV Shows as they begin their winter broadcasting schedule.

First Posting

In this blog, we will be discussing what is happening in the world of TV shows and movies. We look forward to seeing your opinions and suggestions.