The Wrap

TJ’s Internet may be down for the count, but that’s not going to stop him from bringing you your weekly scoop! This week, TJ brings you news about RoboCop (and how, unsurprisingly, ‘The LEGO Movie’ is trouncing it at the box office). Next up, news that Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow will be getting her own Marvel film. That sounds exciting! Ron Howard will be directing one OF TWO upcoming ‘The Jungle Book’ adaptations. This one is for Warner Bros. Jon Favreau is directing the Disney adaption. And RoboCop, both new and old, got a lot of attention at MovieByte this week. TJ wrote a review of both films and it was the subject of much discussion on The MovieByte Podcast episode 80. And then, crime of all crimes, a woman accidentally kept in her possession for several years, a Jennifer Lopez film, ‘Monster-in-Law. Even though the rental store has since shut down, she was still forced to spend the night in jail when her wicked ways caught up with her, and she had to post a $2,000 bond. Wasn’t the JLo film punishment enough? ‘Monster Trucks’ is a movie that’s really happening thanks to the success of ‘The LEGO Movie’. Ugh. And ‘Ninjago’ might be happening before ‘The LEGO Movie 2’ which doesn’t seem like all that bright of an idea, but whatever. And of course, find out what you might like to see this weekend.

Show Notes & Links

• So Much for ‘RoboCop’ — ‘The LEGO Movie’ and ‘About Last Night’ Take Two Top Spots at Box OfficeTaking the number one slot for the second week in a row, “The Lego Movie” took in a whopping $48 million, which is better than most movies do in their opening weekend these days. Not even the storms and the binge-friendly “House Of Cards” on Netflix could put a major dent in the box office.
• Black Widow’ To Get Her Own Film Starring Scarlett JohanssonHold on to your hammers, Scarlett Johansson is about to shatter the comic book movie glass ceiling. After stealing scenes from Tony Stark and the rest of super men in Iron Man 2 and The Avengers, Scarlett Johansson’s popular spy character Black Widow is going to get her own movie. Marvel Studio president Kevin Feige has said that the Marvel movie universe is going to change dramatically going forward.
• Ron Howard to Direct ‘The Jungle Book’ For Warner Bros.Warner Bros.’ The Jungle Book took a hit last month when Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu dropped out over scheduling conflicts, but now it’s back on track with a new director. Ron Howard has entered talks to helm the live-action adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling adventure.
• RoboCop (1987) — ReviewI think this film may be one of the more genre confused films I’ve seen in quite a while. It wasn’t sure if it wanted to be a comedy, an action film, a “blood, guts, and gore” film, or just a drama. So the film decides to try it’s hand at all the above and fails miserably.
• RoboCop (2014) — ReviewI believe that, when you look across the films of history that stand the test of time, the focus is almost always on the story and the characters. My issue with the original film is that they didn’t focus too much on the story and characters. In fact, as I argued, they never really figured out what to focus on.

This modern remake is actually quite refreshing in that regard. The story has been almost entirely re-imagined from the ground up.

The MovieByte Podcast #80: I Wouldn’t Buy That for a DollarThis week, Chad, Fizz, and TJ talk about RoboCop, both old and new. Tune in as the epic battle ensues over which is better! Also, Find out why you should always return your rentals on time so you don’t go to jail, find out about ‘Back to the Future’ style power laces coming in 2015 — right on time, listen to a little pontificating about ‘House of Cards’, and find out that ‘Black Widow will be getting her own Marvel Movie starring, of course, Scarlett Johansson.

Police State Warning: Woman Jailed for Failing To Return Movie Rental From 2005South Carolina woman Kayla Michelle Finley was sent to jail last week for failing to return a copy of the Jennifer Lopez comedy Monster-in-Law that she’d rented nine years ago. Although the store where she originally picked up the tape, Dalton’s Video, has since shut down, the warrant for her arrest never expired.

‘Monster Trucks’ Begins Casting, ‘Ninjago’ Could Happen Before ‘Lego Movie 2’Then The Lego Movie hit theaters, dominating the box office and earning stellar reviews besides. Suddenly, a Monster Trucks movie looks like a good idea. Such a good idea, in fact, that it’s begun casting, with Suburgatory‘s Jane Levy and X-Men: First Class‘s Lucas Till eyed for the leads.

Mt. Vesuvius Kills in 3 Days — What To See This WeekendDecisions, decisions. On the one hand, maybe you’d like to hang out in Pompeii and catch a cheesy (and obviously tragic) love story before the city is buried by Mt. Vesuvius.

On the other hand, perhaps you’d rather spend some time getting to know Amber Heard and Kevin Costner while they figure out who to kill in the space of three days — or, something like that.

This week, Will Smith changed his mind again on whether he’s going to be in ‘Independence Day 2’. TJ has more to say about Philip Seymour Hoffman and his big scene left to shoot on ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay’. It seems like a digital recreation of the guy is in order so that the film can be finished. ‘Star Wars VII’ will be starting production in May. ‘The LEGO Movie’ was the big deal this week. It brought in a truckload of money on it’s opening weekend, and it was quite a good film. TJ wrote a review, and talked about it with Joe Darnell and Chad Hopkins on ‘The MovieByte Podcast’. And speaking of ‘The LEGO Movie’, a Fox News anchor has completely lost his mind and says the film is anti-business and anti-capitalist. What is his reasoning? Well the villain is named Lord Business. That’s some deep analysis right there. The director of R.I.P.D. will be directing the ‘Divergent’ sequel, ‘Insurgent’ which isn’t even in theaters yet. And of course, find out what to see this weekend!

Show Notes & Links

• Will Smith Decides Not To Star in ‘Independence Day 2’?Yes, no, maybe: those are the three answers Will Smith has given to 20th Century Fox about returning for “Independence Day 2” aka “ID Forever” over the past few years. But now it seems he’s made up his mind. Almost.

Deadline reports that Smith won’t be starring in the sequel that is set for a 2016 release

Of Course ‘The Hunger Games’ Has To Digitally Recreate Philip Seymour HoffmanSources touched on the fact that Hoffman still had one major scene left to film in Mockingjay, Part 2, and that certain filmmaking tricks would have to be employed to complete the movie. Today, yet another version of that story is circulating, with The NY Post becoming the first outlet to confirm that the filmmakers will “digitally recreate” Hoffman in this pivotal scene.

‘Star Wars VII’ Start Date Revealed (No Bothan Spies Harmed)Multiple sources now have confirmed for us that “Star Wars Episode VII” is set to start shooting mid-May and will run through September of this year, and most principal casting on the film is complete, with many announcements still to come.

‘The LEGO Movie’ Scores $69.1 Million Opening WeekendEverything is awesome for the team behind The Lego Movie (Cinema Score: A). The 3D animated extravaganza is estimated to have earned a spectacular $69.11 million this weekend — the biggest opening of the still young year, and the second largest February opening ever (the top spot belongs to 2004′s Passion of the Christ).

The LEGO Movie — ReviewThe basic plot is actually fairly simple, and I’m definitely not saying that’s a bad thing. Overcomplicating such a film would have been a great downfall.

Fox Anchor Dislikes ‘The LEGO Movie’The LEGO Movie may be a smash hit as it participated in the capitalist system of film and movies, but that doesn’t matter to this intrepid Fox anchor. As a matter of fact it kind of upsets him because of how anti-capitalistic the film is. I mean, just look at the name of the villain, it’s Lord Business.

The MovieByte Podcast #79: Spaceship!Be careful! Chad might unleash “The Kragle”! In this episode we find out that no one is going to be taken in ‘Taken 3’. Seems like maybe they want to think about a name change then, doesn’t it? Of course Joe, having written a review of ‘Taken 2: Please Take it Back’ has something to say about all this. We also now know the start date of the principle photography for ‘Star Wars VII’. Joe may not be too excited about this, but Chad and TJ are. And then, Chad and Joe get all excited about ‘Back to the Future — The Musical’ coming in 2015. Yeah, they’re geeks. And before diving into the primary review of ‘The LEGO Movie’ the stupidity of Fox News Hosts must be discussed because it directly relates to ‘The LEGO Movie’. And the consensus on said film is that it was quite awesome.

Movieology #8: He Looks Like a Naked Mole RatJoe, Michael, and our first-time guest, Rusty, discusss Spike Jonze’s ‘Her’: the thought-provoking story about the relationships of Theodore Twombly. This lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his computer’s OS that is designed to behave like a sentient being. ‘Her’ stars Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, and Chris Pratt.

‘R.I.P.D’ Director to Helm ‘Divergent’ Sequel ‘Insurgent’Summit are really confident that everyone is going to see their big, juicy YA adaptation “Divergent” next month. Or they’re at least hoping that their confidence and premature announcement that a sequel is coming will encourage audiences to a buy a ticket. Either way, they’re making plans so that they’re prepared when “Divergent” becomes an (inevitable?) hit film. And they are pinning their hopes on the guy who directed “R.I.P.D.” to keep the franchise moving.

Dead or Alive, You’re Seeing a Movie! — What to See This WeekendI had hoped to have seen the original RoboCop by the time I wrote this article this weekend so I could have a better idea of what I was in for and a more well informed opinion. Alas, between Netflix playing stupid with the disk, and it not being available for instant watch, that hasn’t happened. It is available for digital rental on Amazon, so I reckon I’ll do that (probably tonight) before I see the remake this weekend at the box office.

The saddest of news this week: Philip Seymour Hoffman passed away from an apparent drug overdose this past week. We have lost one of the great story-tellers. Though he had one scene left to film in ‘The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 2’, it will not affect the film’s release date. In lighter news, J.K. Rowling has seemingly lost her mind and decided it was not after all a good idea to put Ron and Hermione together and thinks that she should have instead put Harry and Hermione together. What a load of rubbish! There’s a lot to look forward to in the upcoming episodes of ‘Agents of SHIELD’. TJ has been nothing but thrilled with this show and doesn’t understand what the problem is for some people. This week, Chad, Fizz, and TJ gathered on ‘The MovieByte Podcast’ to discuss ‘American Hustle’. It may not quite be the film that it’s Oscar Nomination would suggest, but it’s worth watching. Netflix has renewed ‘House of Cards’ for a third season and this is great news! And continuing the "off topic" business with Nintendo, TJ talks about how Nintendo has a plan to keep it’s next generation of consoles from being a flop. Then we find out that in ‘Taken 3’ no one is going to be "take" which begs the question, what’s with the name? And of course, TJ walks you through what’s available in theaters for your viewing enjoyment.

Show Notes & Links

• Philip Seymour Hoffman Dies at 46Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead of an apparent heroin overdose — with a hypodermic needle still stuck in his arm — inside a Greenwich Village apartment on Sunday, cops said.
• ‘Mocking Jay’ Parts 1 & 2 Release Dates Won’t be AffectedWith your empathies obviously in the right place, the question you might be asking yourself right now is: “Wait,Philip Seymour Hoffman was shooting ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2’ as Plutarch Heavensbee recently. Will the movie be OK?”

The answer is: yes.

Philip Seymour Hoffman Had One Major ‘Hunger Games’ Scene LeftAccording to insiders at the studio, the late Hoffman still had one major scene left to shoot when he died. The filmmakers are now scrambling to work around his absence, possibly by digitally inserting him into some scenes.

J.K. Rowling Has Lost Her Mind, Regrets Hermione and Ron PairingIn a new interview conducted by Emma Watson, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling drops a bombshell: She’s not so sure she should have put Ron and Hermione together.

‘Agents of SHIELD’ Season 1 — What to Look Forward ToWhen “Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD” returns from its mini-hiatus on Feb. 4, expect for the series to go “full throttle” as it airs its final nine episodes of Season 1. According to showrunners Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon, the focus of the show gets a lot tighter for the back half of the series’ first season.

The MovieByte Podcast #78: The Science OvenJoin TJ, Chad, and Fizz for the ultimate Microsoft Windows Fail! Well, okay, that did happen to poor Chad, but the show must go on! It’s sad, but to start things off, the trio discuss the death of Philip Seymore Hoffman. It’s a downer, but it would have seemed wrong not to address it. Then they briefly find out if Chad and TJ did okay discussing Fizz’s top 13 films of 2013. Follwed by a good discussion on the casting of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luther. Given TJ’s supreme disdain for ‘Man of Steel’, you wouldn’t think he would have so much to say about it but he does, as do Chad and Fizz. Also in question and discussion, has J.K. Rowling lost her mind? Probably. Then Chad and Fizz get to talk about ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ trailer. And don’t miss out on the spirited discussion of David O. Russell’s latest film, ‘American Hustle’.

Netflix Renews ‘House of Cards’ For a Third Season“House of Cards” still has a winning hand as Netflix has voted in favor of a third-season renewal for the political drama.

Nintendo Has a Plan For it’s Next Consolecontrary to many analysts’ opinions, the biggest problem isn’t that Nintendo lacks a strategy for smartphones and tablets so much as the Wii U has simply lacked the must-have games such as Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart that would make it a must-buy. However, Ars Technica reports that Nintendo is planning to make an important change that could ensure that its next major console doesn’t face a dearth of good games during its launch period.

No One Gets Taken in ‘Taken 3’But let’s get it from Liam Neeson, via Bleeding Cool. The actor was on the show hosted by Jonathan Ross in the UK, and explained “They called me up and I said “I’ll do it… but only as long as nobody gets taken.”

Vampires Save Monuments with LEGOs — What to see this weekendSome headlines write themselves don’t they? This one sure did. I looked at the movies being released this weekend, then I looked over at my title field and it had already filled itself in.

Seriously though, I think we have one (probably) really good film here, one maybe kind of okay film here, and one that just looks terrible. I’ll list these three newcomers to the box office in that order.

TJ brings you up to speed on the goings on in the film world — and some stuff not really in the film world. First up, we’ve got Angelina Jolie’s new ‘Maleficent’ trailer. It’s spooky, scary, and really good looking. And it’s set to an unfamiliar arrangement of a familiar tune. And then TJ strayed a little off the beaten movie path this week to talk about Nintendo in three separate articles. But hey, he’s an adult, he can do what he wants, right? One of the more exciting films coming up in the beginning of this year is ‘The Lego Movie’ and TJ has lots of goodies for you on that front. Be sure to check out the clips from the upcoming film! Chad and TJ talked about ‘The Lone Survivor’ this week on ‘The MovieByte Podcast’. It was better than either of them were expecting. Paramount will bow to Christopher Nolan’s wishes and deliver the upcoming ‘Interstellar’ on both film and in digital format. And in the "say what?" category, ‘Taken 3’ is currently in the works. How many more times can these Bryan Mills and co go through this? And of course, as always, find out what to see this weekend!

Show Notes & Links

• ‘Maleficent’ Trailer Set to ‘Once Upon a Dream’
• Nintendo Considering Smart PhonesIt’s a little sad to me that Nintendo is having a hard time of it. I like Nintendo a lot and as far as I’m concerned, the Mario franchise is the best game franchise on the market right now. I admit that I just don’t get some of these games that most of the kids are into these days though. Still, Nintendo has had a lot of hits and misses. Obviously they had a big hit with the NES and again with the SNES. While the Nintendo 64 was not a “miss”, it was not the massive success the previous two consoles had been. And the GameCube was just embarrassing.
• Nintendo to Use Smart Devices for Marketing (not full games)? I think it will be a dismal failure. Not only a failure, but I think it will actively tick people off. The sentiment in the market right now is that people want Nintendo titles on iOS and Android (whether right or wrong as I already discussed). To use those platforms as gimmicks and marketing only will, I believe, be seen as a slap in the face. I cannot think of a worse idea for Nintendo right now.
• Nintendo Will Not Bring Games to Mobile PhonesNintendo Co Ltd dug in its heels on a game console strategy that has dragged it into operating losses for three years in a row, ignoring calls to go mobile and promising instead to wow customers with health-related innovations.

Investors were unimpressed, wiping $1.2 billion from the value of Nintendo’s Tokyo-traded shares in little more than 30 minutes on Thursday, as CEO Satoru Iwata made his pitch for a “non-wearable” project in 2015 to help users stay healthy.

9 Clips and a Featurette from the Upcoming ‘Lego Movie’

The MovieByte Podcast #77: That Ten Dollar WordJoin TJ and Chad for a review of the surprise hit, ‘Lone Survivor’. But up first, TJ got a cool ‘Star Trek’ shirt for his birthday. Then, ‘Atlas Shrugged 3’ is apparently a thing — whatever. TJ and Chad have fun walking through Mike Fissel’s list of top 13 films. The new Maleficent trailer is set to the classic Disney tune ‘Once Upon a Dream’, but it may not be the way you remembered it. And there are nine (count ‘em, NINE) new clips and a really awesome featurette for the upcoming ‘Lego Movie’. Folks, it’s looking pretty awesome! And obviously the reason you’re here is for the primary review. TJ and Chad may differ on their rating but they agree on many of the featured points.

Paramount Will Make an Exception to “All Digital” for ‘Interstellar’The LA Times reports that Paramount will release both digital and film versions of “Interstellar” when it hits cinemas last this year. And it’s not really a big shock. Of course, the filmmaker has long been an advocate of celluloid, and, naturally, his latest is being shot on 35mm with IMAX utilized for some sequences.

‘Taken 3’ Is In the WorksDeadline reports that the awesomely named “Taken 2” helmer Olivier Megaton will be back to direct “Taken 3,” with Liam Neeson set to reprise his role as the man with special skills. Even more, Forest Whitaker is in talks to join the cast — which will also include Maggie Grace — though there’s no word yet on his role. Villain? Ally? Guess we’ll see, but hopefully Bryan Mills has learned that he probably shouldn’t travel in Europe for a while. In case you were wondering, Luc Besson and Kamen both wrote the script this time out too.

Rerun — What To See This WeekendThere is absolutely nothing new that I can recommend this weekend. That’s January at the cinema I reckon. Still, there are a few things holding out that are worth seeing. And some that aren’t. I’ll do my best to help you narrow down your choices.

TJ may be a day late getting this episode out, but he’s going to give you the news of the week anyway. Starting off the week we learned that ‘Batman vs. Superman’ has been pushed from 2015 to May 6, 2016. Given how crowded 2015 is, this doesn’t really seem like that bad of a thing. Jamie Alexander will appear on ‘Agents of SHIELD" in her role at Sif which seems exciting. The upcoming James Bond films will build on what happened in ‘Skyfall’ and this also seems like a good thing since ‘Skyfall’ is obviously the best of the three newer ‘Bond’ films. JJ Abrams says the ‘Star Wars VII’ script is done and they will be shooting the film on actual film stock. Federal agents removed a man from the theater and treated him like a criminal because he was wearing Google Glass. This is an extreme miscarriage of justice and an overstepping of bounds. Not to mention that this situation highlights again just how out of control our copyright system is. The focus of this weeks’ reviews and ‘The MovieByte Podcast’ was ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’ — a passable film, but kind of disappointing. And it turns out that younger audience are paying no attention to this film. In the category of "sigh", ‘Atlas Shrugged 3’ is moving forward, but just as with part 2, with an all new cast. How inspiring… And of course, find out what to see at the box office this weekend.

Show Notes & Links

• ‘Batman vs. Superman’ Pushed to 2016The summer of 2015 just got a tiny bit less crowded. Variety reports that Warner Bros. has just pushed the Man of Steel sequel from July 17, 2015 to May 6, 2016. The new date pits the Zack Snyder-helmed film directly against an as-yet-unnamed Marvel Studios project, though in all likelihood one or the other will move before then.
• Jamie Alexander’s Lady Sif Will Appear on ‘Agents of SHIELD’The Lady Sif is making a trip to Midgard, and her journey will lead her straight to our favorite Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Bond 24 and 25 to “Build on Skyfall”Talking to IGN, Logan said of the next Bond outing: “My goal is to write a great movie that’s appropriate, to build on what we did on Skyfall, but make it its own unique animal.
• JJ Abrams: ‘Star Wars VII’ Script Done, Will Shoot on FilmJ.J. Abrams hit the Television Critics Association’s press tour Sunday to promote his upcoming NBC show Believe, and after his panel reporters pelted him with Star Wars: Episode VII questions. What did he say? Not much, but here’s what we got:

The script is done: “We’re working really hard and we’ve got our script and we’re in deep prep. Full steam ahead.”

Federal Agents Take Man Out of Theater for Wearing Google GlassBecause I don’t want Glass to distract me during the movie, I turn them off (but since my prescription lenses are on the frame, I still wear them). About an hour into the movie (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit), a guy comes near my seat, shoves a badge that had some sort of a shield on it, yanks the Google Glass off my face and says “follow me outside immediately”. It was quite embarrassing and outside of the theater there were about 5-10 cops and mall cops. Since I didn’t catch his name in the dark of the theater, I asked to see his badge again and I asked what was the problem and I asked for my Glass back. The response was “you see all these cops you know we are legit, we are with the ‘federal service’ and you have been caught illegally taping the movie.”

Paramount is Ending Film Print DistributionOver the weekend, the LA Times reported something that many had expected, but hoped not to hear: that the first major studio — in this case, Paramount — was going all-digital and ending distribution of actual, physical film prints. Though they didn’t announce it at the time, “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” was the last Paramount film for which 35mm prints were shipped (way to go out on a high?), while “The Wolf of Wall Street” became their first all-digital affair (an irony, given that Martin Scorsese is a passionate defender of old formats and old filmstock). It also feels significant that the last physical film and the first all-digital one from the studio are about wild 1980s businesses…but it probably isn’t.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit — ReviewThis is not the Jack Ryan you may know from the books, and this is not the Jack Ryan you may remember from the four previous films. This film is a reboot and an origin story — because that’s what you’re supposed to do these days. I don’t think anyone over at Paramount could tell you exactly what motivated this film to be made other than the vague idea of hearing the ringing of the cash register as the ticket sales poured in. But unfortunately that sort of motivation does not usually produce the most compelling of stories.

The MovieByte Podcast #76: I Am StoicA man walks into a theater with prescription lenses in his ‘Google Glass’ glasses and is “escorted out” for pirating. You can’t make this stuff up folks. This is crazy making right here. Long live the police state. In happier news, Carrie Fisher expects to start filming ‘Star Wars’ in March or April. It’s a rumor so take it with a grain of salt, but that seems about right for releasing sometime in 2015. TJ and Chad really just want to know if she’ll be sporting the Cinnamon Bun hairstyle again! It’s a sad day in film distribution as Paramount is now the first company to officially end film print distribution and go all digital. And of course, Chad and TJ have something to say about the Oscar nominees this year. Our primary review this week is of ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’.

Younger Audience Gives ‘Jack Ryan’ the Cold ShoulderDirector Kenneth Branagh’s reboot, starring 33-year-old actor Chris Pine and in a bid to relaunch the series, opened to a soft $18 million over the long Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. More than a third of the audience was over the age of 50, while only 15 percent was under 25, according to exit-polling service CinemaScore. All told, 63 percent of the audience was over the age of 35.

‘Atlas Shrugged 3’ Is An Actual Thing That Is HappeningWell, “Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt?” is still an actual thing that is happening and the producers are continuing a trend that they started with the second film: bringing in an entirely new cast. For the final installment of the trilogy, John Galt will be played by Kristoffer Polaha (“Devil’s Knot”), Laura Regan (“Unbreakable,” “Mad Men”) will play Dagny Taggart, and the rest of the main cast includes Rob Morrow, Eric Allan Kramer, and Joaquim de Almeida. Production on the film has just begun and producers are hoping to release the film this upcoming September, right in time for the midterm elections.

What To See At An Anemic Box OfficeYour choices for new movies this weekend are not looking great. In fact right now, the box office is feeling sort of empty in the new and exciting category. But that’s normal for this time of year. And don’t worry, there are still a few things hanging around for you to see. Plus, if any of you get around to seeing Gimme Shelter then please let me know if it’s worth it.

TJ is back to give you the news from the past week. First up, the winner at the Golden Globes is ‘12 Years a Slave’. Then there’s ‘Star Wars’ Rumors galore. And they haven’t even started filming this thing. It’s going to be a long wait until the release of this film! ‘Catching Fire’ toppled ‘Iron Man 3’ as the biggest earner for 2013. Pretty big deal. Armond White was kicked out of the New York Film Critics Circle, and good riddance to him. TJ also focused his time and attention this week on ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ by writing a review, and releasing two podcasts about it. ‘Gravity’ is returning to theaters so you should check that out if you failed to see it the first time. A man in Florida was shot in the theater for texting. That’s really not good at all! And TJ has the list of Oscar nominees for you! Of course find out what to see this weekend as well.

Show Notes & Links

• Winners at The Golden GlobesBest Motion Picture – Drama

Best Motion Picture – Drama

WINNER: ”12 Years a Slave”

”Captain Phillips”

”Gravity”

”Philomena”

”Rush”

Star Wars VII RumorsThe Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision has tried to make sense of all the new Star Wars rumors. The latest of which include thatMichael Fassbender, Girls star Adam Driver, and Hugo Weaving are now being considered for roles. Yet that isn’t all the rumors.

‘Catching Fire’ Topples ‘Iron Man 3’Iron Man 3 had the year’s biggest opening weekend and dominated the summer box office, but when the dust eventually settles on 2013, Catching Fire will go down as the year’s biggest smash. The second film in the Hunger Games franchise, based on Suzanne Collins’ book trilogy, inched past Marvel’s superhero movie on Jan. 9 and now holds the top spot with $409.4 million.

Why Armond White Was Kicked Out of the New York Film Critics CircleThis morning, the members of the New York Film Critics Circle, including me, voted to expel Armond White, the former critic of the now-defunct New York Press (and currently the editor and movie critic of CityArts), from the group. To me, it was a sad moment — pathetic, really, though Armond brought it on himself.

Saving Mr. Banks — ReviewLet me be clear from the outset, I enjoyed this film quite a bit. That said, I feel like I would have enjoyed it better if I actually liked Disney’s Mary Poppins. As it is I really do not like Disney’s classic film that much. While P.L. Travers’ concerns and complaints about the film may be too far reaching and come from a bit too dour of an attitude, I tend to agree with her underlying issues regarding Disney’s version of the film.

The MovieByte Podcast #75: Unmake It UpJoin us for another edition of the adventures of Armond White! Watch as he makes a spectacle of himself and gets kicked out of the New York Film Critics Circle. See how TJ and Chad shed not one single tear! Seriously guys, he brought this on himself and he deserved it. Who’s crying. TJ and Chad certainly aren’t. In other news, ‘Catching Fire’ topped ‘Iron Man 3’ in the 2013 box office. That’s a fairly impressive feat. And oh yes, we have ‘Star Wars’ news and rumors (it’s such a very long way to 2015, sigh). You see, Disney is appointing a committee to oversee what official fits into the ‘Star Wars’ canon, and how. Plus, rumor has it that Episode VII will focus on Luke, Han, and Leia. And finally on the news front, ‘Gravity’ is returning to theaters so if you are a bad human being and did not see it the first time, you may crawl in shame to the nearest theater. And the primary review this week is ‘Saving Mr. Banks’.

ByteSized Video Reviews #6: Saving Mr. BanksTJ is finally back for the new year and he’s bringing his review of ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ to you! All in all, Saving Mr. Banks is a charming film that you should see, even if it feels a bit like a Disney P.R. piece. But it’s okay because Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, and Colin Farrell do a wonderful job of bringing the film to life.

Gravity Returns to TheatersAfter winning a Golden Globe for Best Director, Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity will be returning to theaters this weekend. In case you missed the buzz-worthy sci-fi thriller, you’ll now be able to experience it on the big screen.  It’s no coincidence that the 86th Annual Academy Awards’ nominations list will be unveiled this Thursday either.  As Adam has expressed in his Oscar Beat column, Gravity, its director, and star Sandra Bullock will likely be up for some major awards.

Man Shot at Florida Theater for TextingAfter officers read him his rights, Reeves told the detective that Oulson struck him in the face with an unknown object, and that’s when he removed a .380 caliber gun from his pants pocket. The report said Reeves fired the gun and struck Oulson once in the chest and that he “was in fear of being attacked.”

Oscar Nominees 2014Best Picture

American Hustle

Charles Roven, Richard Suckle, Megan Ellison, and Jonathan Gordon, Producers

Captain Phillips

Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca, Producers

Dallas Buyers Club

Robbie Brenner and Rachel Winter, Producers

Gravity

Alfonso Cuarón and David Heyman, Producers

Her

Megan Ellison, Spike Jonze and Vincent Landay, Producers

Nebraska

Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa, Producers

Philomena

Gabrielle Tana, Steve Coogan and Tracey Seaward, Producers

12 Years a Slave

Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen and Anthony Katagas, Producers

The Wolf of Wall Street

Nominees to be determined

Secret Agent Opening WeekendPrepare to be wowed, or disapointed, I don’t really know which yet. This weekend is the reboot of a franchise that I tend to like in general and it makes me a little nervous. Of course things might also get a little bit nutty. Or you could go for a ride along. Whatever works best for you this weekend.

Join TJ for this special year end wrap up as he briefly reviews his top twenty films that made 2013 a great year! Many critics might try to tell you how bad the year was for film, but TJ didn’t see it that way at all. There were a lot of great films this year! Top of the list are ‘Gravity’, ‘42’, and ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’, but there’s a lot more on the list. Listen and find out what TJ thought about the year.

Show Notes & Links

• My Top 10… Top 15… No, Top 20 Films of 2013Top ten film lists are hard. I started this article with the intent of making a top ten list. I failed. Every single film on this list deserves to be in my top ten. But, there are twenty. What to do? Hey, maybe I just won’t be boxed into the mold of a top ten (or maybe I don’t have the discipline to trim my list, whatever). Maybe I’ll write a top twenty list instead. So that’s what I’m doing.

One item of disclosure however. I have not seen all the films that there were to see this year.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug — Review“I found something in the goblin tunnels.”

“What did you find?”

…

“My courage”

“Good, you’ll need it.”

The Hobbit trilogy is, I think, perhaps the ultimate fan fiction for the universe surrounding Middle Earth — that is to say, for The Lord of the Rings.

The MovieByte Podcast #73: The Misty DVDTJ and Chad are joined this week by special guests Mike Fissel and Clark Douglas to talk about ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’. But first, a Peter Pan origin story? Apparently so. No one on this podcast is quite sure they needed this, but whatever. And of course, your hosts must talk about A.V. Club’s 15 worse films of 2013. It seems everyone has something on this list to quibble with. But no one can agree on what that one film on this list is that shouldn’t be there. And of course be sure to find out all about the thoughts and opinions behind ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’. Is this just big-boy fan fiction or is there something more here? And what’s with Tauriel? Who’s she and why was a non-cannon character added to the cast? Is this film worth seeing, is it better than the first film? So many questions, and your intrepid hosts set out to find answers!

Ender’s Game — ReviewI was looking forward to this film quite a lot. So the question before us now is this: did it live up to the hype and/or my expectations?  The answer to that question is somewhat complicated.

I was one of the very few in the world who had not read the book. Not only had I not read the book, I hadn’t even heard of the book — nor for that matter had I heard of Orson Scott Card, the book’s author. Given that, I had to make the decision as to whether I wanted to the film’s experience preserved by my having not read the book or known anything about the story walking into the theater or whether I wanted to read the book and potentially risk spoiling the film experience.

The MovieByte Podcast #67: Grew Up with Hannah MontanaJoin TJ, Chad and Mike Fissel to discuss ‘Ender’s Game’ in all its facets. The film was both good and bad, glorious and disappointing. This produces much lively conversation on what was missed, the pacing, how it could have been better, and in general what it’s strengths and weaknesses are. Other topics of conversation include why there was no episode last week, some brief thoughts on ‘Escape Plan’, Movies all three are looking forward to, TJ’s new video podcast, ‘ByteSized’, and ‘Thor: The Dark World’! You won’t want to miss it!

World War Z — ReviewWhen a zombie pandemic begins sweeping the globe, retired U.N. special agent Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) finds himself in the unenviable position of trying to stop it.

A lesser man would point out that facing down ravenous undead hordes was most emphatically not in the original job description. But Gerry’s better than that.

The MovieByte Podcast #50: As A Five Year OldTJ welcomes a new co-host and talks a bit about the future of the podcast. Then they discuss the latest in trailers and movie news including ‘Percy Jackson’, ‘The Lone Ranger’, ‘Pacific Rim’, ‘The Wolverine’, ‘Turbo’, and ‘The Mortal Instruments’. In movie news, Pixar promises more original stories, Peter Jackson talks about releasing an extended ‘The Hobbit’, Julianne Moore is cast to play President Coin, Liam Neeson will star in ‘Taken 3’ for a large sum, Christian Bale will not appear again as Batman, and Goldblum and Pullman are in for ‘Independence Day 2’. The main reviews for this episode are ‘World War Z’ and ‘White House Down’, Both enjoyable films, both rated well enough by your hosts. ‘White House Down’ was a bit more enjoyable to TJ, while ‘World War Z’ was slightly more enjoyable to Chad.

Gangster Squad — ReviewGangster Squad is the best film I’ve seen this year. Of course, the year is young so that’s not saying a lot. Still, it’s a fine film in my book.

There are those who would disagree with me. In fact, as of right now on Rotten Tomatoes, the Tomatometer is at a measly 33%. And only 66% from the audience. That’s not exactly killing it.

The MovieByte Podcast #28: Guilty Until Proven InnocentFIGHT! In this episode TJ and Joseph disagree on whether ‘Broken City’ was a good film or not. Joseph did not enjoy it very much at all, TJ found it to be pretty good with only more minor grievances. It’s a lively discussion. They also review Gangster Squad, and there is much more agreement on the merits and lesser qualities of this film. Particularly the performances in this film are top notch, as is the visual style and heartfelt story. TJ and Joseph also talk about ‘Man of Steel’s’ Jimmy Olson… as a girl!, ‘Iron Man 3’ coming to IMAX, the Honest Trailer for ‘Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’, the trailer for the upcoming film ‘Emperor’ staring Tommy Lee Jones and Mathew Fox, and a sneak peak at Joe’s review of ‘The Last Stand’ which is really just TJ going on about how bad Arnold Schwarzenegger is at acting. Be sure to tune into the fun!

The MovieByte Podcast #35: MonochromaticTJ and Joe discuss the track released from the soundtrack for the upcoming film ‘Oblivion’, and how it sounds like it has been influenced by ‘Tron: Legacy’ and how that is a good thing, Joe’s article ‘Star Studded Ratings by the Numbers’ and how MovieByte rates films, the U.K. getting ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ a week before we do here in the states, Joss Whedon and Clark Gregg on Agent Coulson in the upcoming TV Series ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’, and why the ‘Oz’ sequel will not feature Dorothy. And that leads TJ and Joe into their main topic today in discussing ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’. A fine film, worth seeing, with a few disappointments. But certainly, when compared with some of the utter rubbish in theaters at this time of the year, it’s the obvious choice when heading to the cinema. Be sure to tune in for the full discussion and review.

Prisoners — ReviewKeller Dover (Hugh Jackman) finds himself living every parent’s worst nightmare when his six-year-old daughter goes missing. The only lead? A battered RV that was parked on the street only hours before. Heading the investigation is Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal), who tracks down the RV’s driver (Paul Dano) and takes him into custody. But when lack of evidence compels the suspect’s release, and police fail to turn up any more leads, Dover decides to take things into his own hands.

The MovieByte Podcast #62: Daughter Of Darth MaulTJ is joined by Joe to talk about the latest trailers: ‘The Need for Speed’, ‘Toy Story of Terror’, ‘Escape Plan’, Everything you ever wanted to know about Ultron, ‘Big Ass Spider’ Trailer, an ‘Ender’s Game’ TV Spot, and the ‘Agents of SHIELD’ episode 2 trailer. Of course the ‘Toy Story of Terror’ trailer prompts quite a bit of discussion about Pixar. Also of interest is that Pixar will not have a film in 2014. TJ and Joe talk about why they aren’t bothered by this. And then they turn their attention to ‘Star Wars Episode VII’ rumors, casting and more for a bit before turning to their main topic. In review this week is ‘Prisoners’ which both found to be a satisfying film with some minor flaws. It’s a highly recommended thriller that you all should catch in theaters if you can. Don’t miss this conversation!

Movieology #7: The Walls Are Covered In These Mazes…Eric, Joe, and Michael tear down Denis Villeneuve’s “Prisoners” (which stars Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Viola Davis) and before the guys wrap up, Eric and Michael review the end of AMC’s “Breaking Bad.” “Prisoners” seems to make a mess of a simple suspense yet most audiences like it. What’s going on here?! What’s with the tree bark, toy whistle, and the villain’s black juice?

The Wolverine — ReviewThis is one seriously messed up franchise. I mean, man, how hard is this thing to follow? It starts out simply enough — the first film, entitled X-Men, was set in the very near future. X2 follows up right on the heals of that film. Both of these first two entries into the X-Men franchise were directed by Bryan Singer, and they were most excellent. In fact X2 may be my favorite X-Men film to date.

The MovieByte Podcast #54: The Quest for AdamantiumChad and TJ discuss the latest in trailers and film clips including the latest from Sandra Bullock’s upcoming film ‘Gravity’, a trailer for Keanu Reeves upcoming film’ 47 Ronin’, a clip from ‘In a World’, two clips from ‘Elysium’, a trailer for ‘Escape Plan’, and a viral video for Trask Industries of the ‘X-Men’ franchise. They also discuss their disgust for the upcoming 3D CGI ‘Peanuts’ film, the rumor about Ryan Gosling and Zac Efron staring in ‘Star Wars’, the idea of ‘G.I. Joe’ and ‘Transformers’ sharing a movie, John Williams officially announced to be returning to score the new ‘Star Wars’ trilogy, and more! And the main review this week is for ‘The Wolverine’. Of course Chad and TJ touch on all things concerning the ‘X-Men’ franchise and it’s a lot of fun!

RED 2 — ReviewRED, a 2010 film starring Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman, and Helen Mirren, was great because it brought something new to the table: older actors, most not known for starring in action films, coming together to create an action film that works as both a good action film and as a good comedy too. However, I was slightly concerned for the sequel; could the filmmakers capture what was special about the first film without rehashing it in the second? Luckily, I think that they (mostly) pulled it off.

The MovieByte Podcast #53: No GrasshopperTJ and Chad take a look at the latest trailers, TJ goes on a rant about ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and too-soon reboots in general, which was satisfying for him to get off his chest. And both are looking forward to ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ quite a lot. And there’s several other trailers worth checking out this week. Also of interest, Joss Whedon has revealed the name of his upcoming ‘Avengers’ sequel, ‘The Avengers: The Age of Ultron’. Plus lots of other Marvel news and goodies and other cool stuff coming out of SDCC. And some not so welcome news to TJ, more welcome to Chad, Zack Snyder will direct a Superman/Batman crossover film. And then they review 2 new films this week, ‘R.I.P.D.’ and ‘RED 2’. TJ found ‘R.I.P.D.’ fun and watchable, though nothing special. Chad didn’t really like it at all. Both liked ‘RED 2’ however, though TJ liked it a little more.

Pacific Rim — ReviewWhatever you can say about Pacific Rim you cannot say that it lacks vision, guts, story, or monsters (lots of monsters). It also doesn’t have a very complicated plot, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

I went into this film with slightly elevated expectations than I had originally set for myself when I saw the first couple of trailers, but they still weren’t extremely high expectations. The idea of a monster movie with big, crash ‘em, mash ‘em robots sounds like the ultimate summer blockbuster movie in the same legacy left to us by the horrible Transformers franchise. Thankfully, this film is far above and beyond anything that Michael Bay ever delivered to us in those pitiful films.

The MovieByte Podcast #52: Punching Michael Bay In The HeadHere there be monsters folks! Michael and TJ review ‘Pacific Rim’ But first: This week in trailers! Wolverine interrupts a funeral, plus he gets an honest trailer from his first film, Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson star in the upcoming film about bringing Mary Poppins to the screen, Christian Bale and Zoe Saldana make an appearance in an upcoming film titled ‘Out of the Furnace’, ‘Planes’ also gets a new trailer, and ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’ has been properly teased! Plus in movie news, ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ gets a digital download and Blu-ray release date, Bruckheimer’s future at Disney looks grim, 3D is fairing poorly at the box office of late and good riddance! J.J. is still expecting to direct the next installment in the franchise, and a fifth season of ‘Arrested Development’ is in the negotiation stage. And of course the main topic this week is all about Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Pacific Rim’, not a bad film in the estimation of your hosts, though not without its problems, which TJ and Michael discuss in depth.

Star Trek Into Darkness — ReviewSo just what is it that makes a good Star Trek film? I’m sure I don’t fully and completely understand the magic that makes any film a really good film, but I will say that most of it is wrapped up in Star Trek Into Darkness. Not only is it a good Star Trek film, but it’s a good film. For me, this is a turn around from J.J. Abrams’ 2009 installment, simply titled Star Trek. I did not feel that film was a good film, nor did I feel that it was a good Star Trek film.

The MovieByte Podcast #45: My Name Is…In this episode, TJ and Joe are joined by Anthony Pascale to talk about ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’. And that they do. The entire show is a big celebration of ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’. And don’t let the nit-picks lead you in the wrong direction. Though they talk about a lot of nit-picky things, they all enjoyed the film immensely. And there’s plenty of fun stuff like a GIF of the Vengeance crashing into Alcatraz (tell us how you really feel about that show being canceled J.J.!), and the humor-full IO9 FAQ review of ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’. So, nerds and general movie going audiences, unite! ‘Star Trek’ was fun for all!

Iron Man 3 - Where’s my Super Suit? — ReviewDoes the suit make the man? This is the fundamental question Tony Stark is asking in Iron Man 3. Well that, and how on earth do you live in the world when you know there are aliens and you were almost killed by them?

You see, Iron Man is a bit of a wreck since the events of New York (see The Avengers). He can’t sleep, he’s obessed with building better and better suits — and he doesn’t know who he is without the suit(s).

The MovieByte Podcast #43: She Was Totally GangstaJoin TJ and Joe to discuss a variety of topics, like the ‘White House Down’ Trailer, This film looks like a cross between Olympus has fallen, and possibly ‘G.I. Joe’, and really, anytime you can see the White House being blown up on film, why wouldn’t you? Then there’s the little art house theater that is being forced to go digital. It’s a crying shame in some regards, but TJ has mixed feelings about this. This leads into discussion about how stingy movie studios are bing, and in particular, Marvel, as well as some thoughts about the actors for ‘The Avengers’ wringing every last dollar out of the studio. In other news, ‘Men in Black 4’ is in development, the ‘Man of Steel’ trailer music has been released on Soundcloud, which prompts some good discussion, and the ‘Ender’s Game’ trailer has been released. Then, settling in for the main topic, Joe discusses his experience at the Cinebistro when he went to see ‘Iron Man 3’. And of course, all kinds of talk about ‘Iron Man 3’, including a spoiler discussion later on. TJ and Joe both enjoyed the film and recommend it.

Jack the Giant Slayer — ReviewAre you ready my brothers? Today we shall climb up the beanstalk to take a look at giants whose leader sounds suspiciously like Bill Nighy.

I realize I am extremely late getting this review out, but I’ve had a lot of demands on my time lately. Still, I would like to put “pen to paper” and let my thoughts loose on the world, particularly because this film is seeing such poor reviews and no one is going to see it in theaters.

The MovieByte Podcast #34: Darth Vader Meets Barack ObamaTJ and Joe talk about CGI Superman capes and other thoughts about the upcoming ‘Man of Steel’, the CGI animation of late actress Audrey Hepburn, thoughts about the state of the industry in general in regards to CGI and the idea of bringing an actress or actor back from the dead, the ‘Game of Thrones’ director shrugging off piracy and the general state of the industry and the stance of the content providers, ‘The Hobbit’ crossing the $1 Billion mark and how well it’s doing, and the dismal opening weekend of ‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ and why might that be. And the main topic of discussion with that lead in, is ‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ and why it’s a better film than many seem to think it is. TJ like it a lot, Joe just thought it was okay. But the discussion is a fun one and you won’t want to miss it!

Oblivion — ReviewFollowing up on the major box office success that is TRON: Legacy, director Joseph Kosinski has placed himself squarely back at the forefront of the sci-fi genre in a big way, with a fairly big star: Tom Cruise.

Cruise may not be the most versatile actor, but when he works in a role, he works very well. My favorite role for Cruise to date may well be Minority Report. Tom Cruise is essentially playing the same part in all the films he’s good in. So the question is/was, is he cast right in this role?

The MovieByte Podcast #41: Everybody is Taller Than He IsTJ and Joe discuss ‘The Avengers’ assembling for ‘The Avengers 2’ in February of next year and a few thoughts on the Marvel Universe in general, trailer 2 for ‘The Internship’ and how TJ is not liking this in any way, the news of a ‘Fantastic Four’ reboot, the ‘Thor 2’ teaser and the state of teasers versus trailers in general, and then they get to the main topic. Up for review this week is ‘Oblivion’ which TJ and Joe both liked a lot but quite a lot of critics didn’t like the film so much. One critic in particular really did a disservice to the film, which TJ and Joe discuss. Beware of a few spoilers here and there! But be sure to tune in for a great conversation!

Thor: The Dark World — ReviewAm I truly desperate? Not really. Am I mad? Possbily. But I liked Thor: The Dark World quite a lot. The film is not without its share of flaws which I shall address, but this film certainly manages to strike a much better note than did it’s predecessor, simply titled Thor. However few critics seem to keep my company on this opinion — well, at least few share my opinion that Thor was not a great film. Indeed, the Tomatometer for Thor sits at 77% while the Tomatometer for Thor: The Dark World sits at only 65% as of this writing.

The MovieByte Podcast #68: Thor Score and SevenPrepare for the epic-ness in what is quite possibly the most awesomely title episode of MovieByte ever! This episode brings together four of the best podcasters the nine realms have ever seen. Join TJ, Chad, Joe and Fizz to discuss the current state of the Marvel Cinematic universe. Find out which films have been better and which don’t work so well in the differing opinions of these four. Spend a short amount of time with them in reviewing the first ‘Thor’ film. And finally, take an epic walk through the finer point, intricacies and details of ‘Thor: The Dark World’.

The Way Way Back — ReviewIt is rare that I enjoy a comedy film that is intended as a comedy film. I typically find the humor pretty crass and distasteful, so it’s not a genre that I go see in theaters often. However, The Way Way Back presented itself to me in the form of a free screening a month early, and what critic wouldn’t jump on that opportunity? I did, and it has become probably my favorite film of the year so far - aside from maybe Oblivion.

The MovieByte Podcast #61: I Don’t Want To DieThis episode brought to you especially by the hard work and preparation of Chad since TJ has had such a busy and week and was unable to do much show prep. This week in trailers is ‘The Railway Man’, five clips form ‘Agents of SHIELD’, two ‘The Fifth Estate’ clips, and ‘Last Days on Mars’. And in the news, lots to talk about, ‘World War Z’ may get a sequel, Hugh Jackman thinks we’ll like ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’, Ellen Page wants a Kitty Pryde film directed by Joss Whedon, Marvel schedules ‘Ant-Man’ for 2015 to coincide with the release of every other film in the world ever. ‘Pirates 5’ has been delayed, ‘Harry Potter’ is getting spinoff films written by J.K. Rowling! This is exciting! ‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes’ has been delayed, it’s probably dead actually. ‘Star Wars’ spinoff films will be origin stories. Plus some talk of ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’. Then TJ and Chad dive into their review of ‘The Way Way Back’, a surprising good film.

The MovieByte Podcast #65: Real Life Plot HolesA little bit of follow up on ‘Gravity’: a reporter asked Alfonso Cuaron if filming in space was difficult… yeah, really. Turns out it was something of a joke for the comedic news outlet. Still, pretty funny because apparently Cuaron answered as if it were a real question. In other news, Hans Zimmer is talking about *not* scoring ‘Man of Steel 2’ (or Superman Vs. Batman if you prefer). TJ and Chad have differing opinions on the merits of the first ‘Man of Steel’ film’s score so that leads to some interesting conversation. Madonna was banned from the Alamo Drafthouse for texting during a film and then screamed at the other patrons when asked to stop. Bravo, Drafthouse! TJ is thinking he needs one of those in Nashville! This week’s main topic and big review focus is ‘Captain Phillips’ — another outsanding entry into this year’s cinematic run down and TJ and Chad sure think it ought to be an Oscar contender, even with the news that it may not be as entirely accurate to the real life story as we might have hoped.

The MovieByte Podcast #71: Back When I Was A ChildJoin Chad and TJ to discuss the sad event of Paul Walker’s death. Neither Chad nor TJ are really ‘Fast and Furious’ fans, and TJ has only seen one of the films he was in so they don’t feel quite up to the task. But it’s a sad event and needs talking about. And in what they are sure is a very difficult decision, Universal has halted production on ‘Fast and Furious 7’. Prayers go out for family and friends. And with no good way to transition out of that sad news, Chad and TJ do find some way to move to the next topic: ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ has been announced for May of 2016. It seems a little odd given that ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ is not even out in theaters yet. But TJ at least is excited because Bryan Singer is back at the helm and as far as he’s concerned, Singer can make as many ‘X-Men’ films as he wants to! Obviously all this leads to talk of the ‘X-Men’ universe in general. They also discuss the general state of films for 2015 and 2016. And the primary review this week is ‘The Book Thief’ which is in many ways delightful, but you’ll also want to have your tissues on hand when you go to see this one. There’s just not enough good things to say about this film, but TJ and Chad do try valiantly. Also, find out how this film is in a way like ‘Anne of Green Gables’ — no really!

The MovieByte Podcast #70: Might Flip OutJoin TJ, Chad, and Mike Fissel to discuss a few of the latest TV shows their watching. Then dive into a review of ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’. Of course there’s some analysis and general thoughts about the first film and how Garry Ross the director handled that film and what it’s strengths and weaknesses are. And of course, how this film blows that one away.

42 — ReviewA team of amateur organized baseball players stop at a gas station for a fill-up. Jackie Robinson (played by Chadwick Boseman), one of the African American ball players, is refused entry to the washroom. The team says they’ll find another gas station so the attendant allows Jackie to use it to keep their business.

As Robinson comes out of the washroom, a baseball scout for the Dodgers approaches him and asks Robinson to join him for a trip to Brooklyn.

The MovieByte Podcast #40: Decking WesleyJoin TJ and Joe as they chat with special guest Anthony Pascale of TrekMovie.com. They briefly discuss the new ‘Man of Steel’ trailer, all three are looking forward to the film, then they turn their attention to the final ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ trailer. They discuss first impressions, general thoughts, marketing ‘Star Trek’ to a broader international audience, the big old ship Cumberbatch is driving around in, is the villain Khan or not, captain Kirk’s disposition, destroying the Enterprise… again…, and the fact that most Trekkies are loving the trailer. Then after bidding farewell to Anthony, TJ and Joe discuss the film ‘42’ about the life of Jackie Robinson and his struggle as a black man in Major League Baseball during a time of incredible racism.

Gravity — ReviewOf this you can be certain: I have no plans to ever, EVER go to space. While I have always been very fascinated by space, I have also always feared it a lot. Well, I mean it didn’t keep me up too much at night because I’m down here on this nice comfortable planet that has a nice comfortable atmosphere for me to live in. That’s the way I like it thank you very much. But I have always thought in the back of my head that, no, I would not like to ever visit space thank you. All those contraptions and air and whatnot to keep you alive? That all looks so flimsy and fragile compared to the vastness of space.

The MovieByte Podcast #64: Air Pressurized PlaceFor this week’s “grave” (see what we did there?) situation, TJ and Chad discuss how ‘The Hobbit’ Trilogy has already cost $561 Million to date — over twice as much as ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy — and they’re not done spending money yet. It’s a good discussion on film and budget bloat and how Peter Jackson has sort of lost his way and is riding his previous successes too much. Next up is the upcoming film and trailer ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’. The trailer was fairly disappointing to both TJ and Chad. Chad is not that interested in the departure from the books, and TJ is both not interested in the departure, or the direction in general. The episode quickly turns to the main review: ‘Gravity’, which is an astonishing and breathtaking cinematic achievement. Neither Chad nor TJ find much wrong with this film and it is a highly recommended watch.

In this episode as we near the end of 2013, TJ talks about the launch of MovieByte’s responsive redesign and he hopes you like it. Then moving on to real and fun news, ‘House of Cards’ Season 2 trailer dropped online earlier this week. The first season was one of the real TV delights of the year and TJ is really looking forward to season 2. Channing Tatum’s character Duke might be coming back for G.I. Joe 3 even though the character is dead? Is this a joke?!? This week was pretty much all about ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’. As such, TJ wrote a review, talked for over an hour with three other guys on ‘The MovieByte Podcast’ about it, and released a video review as well. There’s a new film coming straight to TV about the ‘Descendants’ of well known Disney villains. Ho hum. Gilligan’s Island is on it’s way back to the big screen and will star Josh Gad. And this is why we can’t have nice things. Peter Jackson, Warner Bros. New Line Cinema, and The Tolkien Estate are all busy squabbling over rights and books and adaptions. This is also why we can’t have nice things. Hugh Jackman is being eyed for a role in the upcoming ‘Pan’ origin story. They would like him to play the part of Blackbeard. While TJ is not into yet another adaptation of Peter Pan, he’s all in on Jackman playing Blackbeard. And of course, find out what to see this weekend. And have a Merry Christmas!

Show Notes & Links

• Responsive RedesignHere it is guys. This is the responsive redesign I’ve been talking about for a couple months. There is very little code reuse from the previous design. I’ve re-factored or re-wrote pretty much every line of code.

There were two primary focuses with this redesign:

Fully responsive, mobile first design

More modern, less heavy desig

‘House of Cards’ Season 2 TrailerThe beginning of the trailer looks a little bit re-hashy, but don’t let that fool you. Brand new footage will begin to reveal itself just before the half-way mark. It’s funny how what is probably the most cinematic television show I have ever seen is brought to us by a completely digital delivery method of what is now a completely digital company.

Season 2’s 13 episode run will be released simultaneously on February 14.

So what has happened here? Well, I’ll tell you: Peter Jackson is a fan boy of Middle Earth and he wanted to mix in some (a lot) of fan-fiction with the story of The Hobbit. While this is not altogether a bad thing, it is strange. I cannot recall any time previous that fan-fiction acheived such heights and blockbuster status.

The MovieByte Podcast #73: The Misty DVDTJ and Chad are joined this week by special guests Mike Fissel and Clark Douglas to talk about ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’. But first, a Peter Pan origin story? Apparently so. No one on this podcast is quite sure they needed this, but whatever. And of course, your hosts must talk about A.V. Club’s 15 worse films of 2013. It seems everyone has something on this list to quibble with. But no one can agree on what that one film on this list is that shouldn’t be there. And of course be sure to find out all about the thoughts and opinions behind ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’. Is this just big-boy fan fiction or is there something more here? And what’s with Tauriel? Who’s she and why was a non-cannon character added to the cast? Is this film worth seeing, is it better than the first film? So many questions, and your intrepid hosts set out to find answers!

ByteSized Video Reviews #5: The Hobbit: The Desolation of SmaugTJ walks through the good and the bad of ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’. Is it better than the first installment of this would-be trilogy? Though TJ questions the wisdom of making a trilogy out of a single book, TJ does think this installment is better. Martin Freeman continues to impress as Bilbo and overall, the pacing feels far better. This is one TJ recommends catching in the theater.

‘Descendants’ - Live Action Film Based on the Children of Well Known VillainsThe Disney Channel has announced it is making a live-action TV movie featuring the children of Cruella De Vil, Maleficent, the Evil Queen, and Jafar called Descendants.

The movie will be directed by Kenny Ortega of Newsies and High School Musical fame which makes me wonder if it will be a musical.

It’s almost as if we were talking about this very sort of thing on The MovieByte Podcast #73. The thing is, in this case it actually sounds sort of interesting. But at the same time I’m sure not holding my breath.

‘Gilligan’s Island’ Film to Star Josh GadRemember Gilligan’s Island, the venerable 1960s TV series about seven castaways who wind up stranded on a tropical island after a torrential storm shipwrecks their yacht The S.S. Minnow? Warner Bros is charting a course for a feature film based on the series. It will be fashioned as a star vessel for Book Of Mormon‘s Josh Gad. Gad, Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez will write the script. Lloyd Schwartz, Ross Schwartz, Tracey Silvers and Cathy Silvers will be executive producers. They’re not saying what character Gad would play, but the title character seems a possibility, though he could conceivably play The Skipper.

Peter Jackson Probably Can’t Make More Tolkien Adaptations Even If He Wanted ToEver since the release of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, a conflict has brewed between the author’s estate and Warner Bros., New Line, and Jackson, both over the creative content of the movie and the financial distribution. Years and years of dispute suggest that the future of Middle-earth movies is bleak.

Like many quarrels in Hollywood, the Tolkien/Warner Bros. spat can be narrowed down to an argument about money. Part of the author’s estate’s contract with the film studio said that a percentage of the profits from any adaptation of Tolkien’s work would go back to them, and it became a bit of a controversy following the release of The Lord of The Rings trilogy. The three movies made a reported $2.9 billion at the global box office, but when those box office totals were combined with project’s expenses, the studio claimed that the movie didn’t make a profit – thus reportedly shortchanging the Tolkien estate. In an interview with Le Monde back in 2012, Tolkien Estate lawyer Cathleen Blackburn recounted, “These hugely popular films apparently did not make any profit! We were receiving statements saying that the producers did not owe the Tolkien Estate a dime.”

Hugh Jackman Being Courted for Role in ‘Pan’ as BlackbeardHugh Jackman is in negotiations to play the villainous pirate Blackbeard in Warner Bros.’ forthcoming Peter Pan origin film “Pan.”

Joe Wright is directing the adventure tale from a script by Jason Fuchs.

WB had gone to Javier Bardem for the role but the actor passed and the studio pursued Jackman shortly after that.

While the Australian actor isn’t known for playing villains, Jackman has shown the ability to take on the darker roles. His recent perf in WB’s “Prisoners” got high praise from critics and though he’s not the bad guy in the film, the part is much edgier than his previous roles, even that of the anti-hero Wolverine in the “X-Men” movies.

Merry Christmas!After The Wrap here in about an hour, MovieByte will officially be on Christmas hiatus until the day after Christmas. It’s hard running a website by myself, and I’ve got a lot of work to wrap up, packing, traveling, spending time with family — you know, all that good holiday stuff. So, MovieByte is officially taking some time off.

I want to thank you guys for reading, interacting, and generally being awesome! I really enjoy running the site and I’m glad you all like reading it. I want to take this time to wish each of you a Merry Christmas! However you spend the holiday, I hope it’s a good one! Stay safe, safe travels if you’re traveling, and I’ll see you on the other side!

Chim Chiminey - What to see this weekend!One of the films I’ve been looking forward to expands to a wide release this weekend. I don’t know if I’m going to have time to see it before Christmas but I’m going to try. But one thing I want to do is watch Mary Poppins again before I see it. It has been many years and it seems like it’d be worth my time to watch again.

Though only just returned from the edge of the death, TJ does not fail to bring you this week’s fun movie goodness! For starters, the upcoming ‘Star Trek’ film has 2 new writers. The more the merrier! TJ made a mistake with his box office analysis earlier in the week in regards to ‘Frozen’ for which he apologizes. AFI has announced their top 10 movies and TV shows. Joe Cornish is not directing the next ‘Star Trek’ film. Paramount is working on ‘Jack Reacher 2’. ‘World War Z’ Sequel has an announced director. Joe stepped in on ‘The MovieByte Podcast’ this week for TJ to talk with Chad about ‘Frozen’ and you probably won’t want to miss that episode. ‘Agents of SHIELD’s’ ratings fell again this week, which is quite the bummer! And of course, find out what to see this weekend.

Show Notes & Links

• Third ‘Star Trek’ Reboot Story Gets 2 New WritersJ.D. Payne and Patrick McKay have been tapped to write Star Trek 3[sic] for Paramount and Skydance Productions.

The duo will join Roberto Orci, who co-wrote the first two installments of the reboot with partner Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof. Orci is working without Kurtzman on this one.

The next Star Trek film is untitled and unscheduled, but Paramount and Skydance are hoping to have a film in time for the franchise to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2016. Stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana are expected to return.

The Box Office Got a Little ColdAs most of you will remember (it’s only been a couple weeks), I used to post a weekly feature every Monday called The Box Office Report. The problem for me was that it was starting to feel routine and boring for me so I quit. But I’m going to sort of bring it back. I’m no longer going to feel obligated to post the top 8, but instead I’ll post about what I think is fun, what I care about, and/or what is important. So lets get started:

AFI announces Their Top 10 Movies and TV ShowsDecember 9, 2013 – The American Film Institute (AFI) today announced the official selections of AFI AWARDS 2013 – 10 outstanding films and 10 outstanding television programs deemed culturally and artistically representative of the year’s most significant achievements in the art of the moving image.

An almanac documenting works of excellence that mark a moment in time, AFI AWARDS is also the only national honor for the community’s creative ensembles as a whole, acknowledging the collaborative nature of the art form. Honorees are selected based on works which best advance the art of the moving image, enhance the rich cultural heritage of America’s art form, inspire audiences and artists alike, and/or make a mark on American society.

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR

12 YEARS A SLAVE

AMERICAN HUSTLE

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

FRUITVALE STATION

GRAVITY

HER

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

NEBRASKA

SAVING MR. BANKS

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR

THE AMERICANS

BREAKING BAD

GAME OF THRONES

THE GOOD WIFE

HOUSE OF CARDS

MAD MEN

MASTERS OF SEX

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

SCANDAL

VEEP

Joe Cornish Not Directing Next ‘Star Trek’ FilmAnd while just over a month ago, Cornish emerged as Paramount’s top choice to direct “Star Trek 3,”[sic] it looks like he won’t be going into the final frontier.

Among Variety’s recent news that J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay were joining the tentpole to write alongside franchise mainstay Roberto Orci (though, no sign of Alex Kurtzman) was the little nugget that Cornish is “is no longer involved” with the movie. No reason is given for why the talks may have broken down between the studio and filmmaker, and everything is pressing ahead to try and meet a 2016 release date.

Paramount Planning ‘Jack Reacher 2’Although the Christopher McQuarrie-directed “Jack Reacher” opened to a muted response stateside last Christmas—its opening haul was $15 million with the final domestic tally just over $80 million—international audiences were more kind, with the Lee Child adaptation making $138 million abroad. Naturally, Paramount is looking to get back into business with the anti-hero.

Deadline reports plans are being made to do a “Jack Reacher 2.” Instead of tackling any of the other seventeen novels, Paramount and Skydance Productions are looking at Child’s latest installment, this fall’s “Never Go Back,” to use as the basis for the 2012 film’s sequel. The novel sees Reacher return to the Virginia headquarters of his old Army unit where he gets arrested for an old crime he doesn’t remember committing and finds out that he may have fathered a child.

‘World War Z’ Sequel Has a DirectorJuan Antonio Bayona, the man who put Naomi Watts through hell in “The Impossible,” has been tapped to direct “World War Z: Title To Be Determined.” But as you’ve probably already guessed, it’s still very early stages. In fact there are no writers on board—though Pitt has already said ideas have been percolating—but Bayona will apparently oversee that process as well. Undoubtedly, this will probably wait until there is a finished script that everyone likes before moving forward.

The MovieByte Podcast #72: Kitten AcupunctureWith TJ reportedly on his death bed (or something like that), Joe and Chad hold down the fort this week. Join them to find out their thoughts on the ‘Indiana Jones’ franchise and what Disney’s recent acquisition of that property means and whether future films would be a good thing. And since TJ is not in the game to spoil their fun they can freely talk about the rebooted ‘Spider-Man’ film franchise and the upcoming ‘Spider-Man’ films, and so they do. And you always wanted to know if ‘The Hobbit’ extended edition is better than the bloated and over-long theatrical version, right? But of course. And before diving into the primary review this week of ‘Frozen’, Chad and Joe discuss the Disney Animation short film that accompanies the feature film. In summary they found it delightful. And in summary they also found ‘Frozen’ quite delightful and a great film to be the subject of conversation!

‘Agents of SHIELD’ Ratings Down AgainABC’s cliffhanger-filled Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this Tuesday slipped to a new series low, drawing 6.1 million total viewers and a 2.1 demo rating, per finals — down 12 percent opposite a fresh episode of NCIS.

There’s a Dragon in the Theater! - What to See This WeekendYou know, regardless of your feelings about the first installment in this trilogy, you’re probably going to see it at some point. Good or bad, for better or worse, The Hobbit films are/will be a cultural phenomenon. And there’s certainly far worse things in the world.

But a Tolkien adaptation is not your only new option this week… well actually that depends. Saving Mr. Banks is in limited release this weekend. I can’t actually figure out where it’s playing but who knows, maybe it’s somewhere near you.

TJ missed a week due to the Thanksgiving holiday, so buckle up while he tries to keep things from getting entirely too long. First up, ‘The Wovlerine’ sequel will be based on an existing comic book arc. Since that was also the case with the previous film, and it was a really good film, that seems like a fine idea to TJ. TJ, Chad, and Mike Fissel recorded episode 70 of The MovieByte Podcast talking about ‘Catching Fire’ which was really good and none of them really had anything too bad to say about it. TJ also released a ByteSized Video Review about the film. Also find out why Francis Lawrence is crucial to ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise. In the sad news this week, Paul Walker of ‘Fast and Furious’ fame died at the age of 40 in a fiery car crash. In light of that news, Universal has halted production on ‘Fast and Furious 7’ which he was in and issued one of the more tear jerking press releases in recent memory. TJ’s not a fan of the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise but his thoughts and heart goes out to those close to him. ‘Pirates 5’ is reportedly looking at Keith Richards returning, and at casting Christoph Waltz as the villain. Why are they making this again since ‘Pirate 4’ was so awful? JJ Abrams says hiding Khan’s identity from the world was a mistake and that he should of put it out there and allowed people to acclimate to the idea. As painful as it is to say this, TJ thinks he’s right. Ben Affleck inserted 9 minutes of additional footage in to the ‘Argo’ extended edition Blu-ray. TJ is really looking forward to seeing that. ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ has been announced. Even though ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ hasn’t even made it out of the gate yet, TJ’s exited for it and looking forward to it as long as Bryan Singer is involved. Of course don’t forget to listen in as TJ runs down your options for what to see this weekend!

Show Notes & Links

• ‘The Wolverine’ Sequel Based on Existing Plotline
• The MovieByte Podcast #70: Might Flip Out
• ByteSized Video Reviews #4: Catching Fire
• Why Francis Lawrence Is Crucial to ‘The Hunger Games’ Franchise
• Paul Walker of ‘Fast and Furious’ Dead at age 40
• Universal Halts ‘Fast & Furious 7’
• ‘Pirates 5’ - Keith Richards Returns, Christoph Waltz as Villain?
• Abrams Says Hiding Khan’s Identity was Probably a Mistake
• Affleck Inserted 9 Minutes into ‘Argo Extended Edition
• ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ Announced for May 27, 2016
• What to see, December 6th, 2013