Sun, July 17, 2011 Paramount Pictures along side Marvel studios have distributed two "B-Roll" videos from the set of "Captain America: The First Avenger". Watch at your own risk because the below videos courtesy of ComingSoon.Net contains spoilers. If you want to be spoiled see below, if not, read some of other enjoyable articles.
Sun, July 17, 2011 
Courtesy of Box Office Mojo:
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 - $168.5 million
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon - $21.2 million
3. Horrible Bosses - $17.6 million
4. Zookeeper - $12.3 million
5. Cars 2 - $8.3 million
6. Winnie the Pooh - $8 million
7. Bad Teacher - $4.2 million
8. Larry Crowne - $2.5 million
9. Super 8 - $1.9 million
10. Midnight in Paris - $1.8 million
Damn, and I thought Winnie the Pooh had a shot at this weekend.
I kid, I kid. As predicted, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 dominated at the box office this weekend (and at this point, probably the year as well), and smashed a few records along the way. Among them:
-The highest grossing opening weekend ever, beating The Dark Knight's $158 million opening in 2008. Don't worry, Bat-fans, you have your shot at taking this back next summer.
-The highest opening day record of $92.1 million, beating out The Twilight Saga: New Moon's $72 million opening day in 2009.
-The highest midnight opening with $43.5 million, which beat out The Twilight Saga: Eclipse's $30 million from midnight screenings in 2010.
It also now holds the record for the steepest Friday-to-Saturday, non-holiday drop, falling 53% to earn $42.8 million. However, that still ranks as the ninth highest-grossing Saturday on record, so that doesn't really matter in the long run. Worldwide, the final Harry Potter film has already grossed a staggering $476 million. Damn.
As far as the 3D is concerned? Still not so hot. Despite this being the biggest 3D release this year with more than 3000 screens (and 274 IMAX screens), the 3D tickets still only accounted for 43% of the gross. And the 3D actually looked decent on this one, but honestly, it never needed it.
Believe it or not, other studios did release movies this weekend, and judging by the parade of little ones I saw while waiting on line for Harry Potter yesterday, the most popular non-Harry Potter new release was Disney's Winnie the Pooh. That film did all right, but nothing spectacular, opening with $8 million. That's actually a bit behind Cars 2, which earned another $8.3 million. Considering the target audience, I suspect this will be a more popular video release than a theatrical one.
Next weekend sees our last superhero for the summer, as Captain America arrives in theaters. That one looks pretty damn good too. How will the First Avenger hold up against Harry Potter's second weekend? I think it will be fine. Stay tuned...
Sat, July 16, 2011 We are just under a week out from the release of Marvel's "Captain America: The First Avenger" and Hitfix have an exclusive new poster for the Joe Johnston director comic book movie.
Personally I love the poster, it feels like a throwback to the Dru Struzan posters for Indy and Star Wars, and I'd say Cap is looking the best of this summer comic book movies, however it faces a tough task as it opens against the second weekend of the final Harry Potter juggernaut.
Sat, July 16, 2011 
"The boy who lived" has become as iconic of a phrase as “may the force be with you,” or “I’ll be back,” over the past decade. What started off as a waitress jotting down notes on napkins during her break has become a worldwide phenomenon that has spawned books, movies, and even its own theme park. Make no mistake about it; the franchise is this generation’s Star Wars trilogy. While I know that some would consider such a statement to be sacrilege, I stand by it.
What makes Harry Potter a phenomenon that is on par with Star Wars is not the affect that it has had on just pop culture, but on world culture in general. The books have been translated into over 65 languages and have once again made reading a pastime for a generation of children and adults alike. The movies have grossed six billion dollars (soon to be seven). Muggle is in the dictionary. Potter merchandise sales are through the roof. There is, believe it or not, a national collegiate Quidditch league (which is as ridiculous as it sounds). Not to mention it has spawned a small theme park that you may have heard of which in a little over a year has attracted millions of visitors from around the world. Yep, Harry Potter is the legit successor the Star Wars trilogy as far as cultural impact goes.
Why am I saying all of this? Because the film franchise will wrap up this weekend with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. This comes almost exactly four years following the conclusion of the book franchise. In many ways it is the end of an era and while the books and films will no doubt live on for future generations to enjoy (many, myself included, would argue that the Harry Potter series is the most influential set of novels since Lord of the Rings), the upcoming film release represents the last entry to the series until Rowling decides to write a new in-universe book (which she apparently has no plans to do). This film marks the end of Harry Potter in many ways.
To me, the final book marked the end of Harry Potter as unlike many fans, I never really enjoyed the movies. In fact, I am writing this article for a very specific reason….to rain on people’s parade! As fans celebrate the release of the final Harry Potter movie, I stand before you (so to speak) suggesting that there is nothing to celebrate. In my opinion, Warner Bros, through the Harry Potter film franchise took the biggest cultural phenomenon of thirty years, sucked out its soul like a feasting Dementor and spit out typical Hollywood garbage. I am writing this article to discuss what could have been and instead what was.
I’d argue that this franchise was always doomed for failure (not from a financial standpoint) and that is because the key problem with the Harry Potter franchise presented itself before the first film had even begun to shoot. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone began production nearly ten years before the final book was released. To paraphrase Ian Macolm, Warners stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as they could and before they even knew what they had, they patented it and packaged it and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox! In other words, rather than waiting for the book franchise to conclude to begin making a film franchise, they were so desperate to get a tent pole that they started popping out the movies with no regard for creating a coherent story told over seven films. That led to a very disjointed and uneven franchise, which I will discuss in a bit.
Other than that, the film franchise started out smoothly enough. The first two films by Chris Columbus went smoothly enough and truly did capture the heart and soul of the books. Following Cuaron’s work on the third film which was considerably darker, fans seemed to turn on the first two movies. I disagree with their assessment of them being the weakest of the franchise. While they may not be as dark or the plots and characters as complex, the first two books are arguably the weakest source material. It was not until Prison of Azkaban that Rowling found her voice as a writer and took the franchise from good to great. What Columbus did do however, that makes the first and second films the best of the franchise is immerse the viewers in the world. While later directors seemed to shy away from more fantastical elements of the novels, Columbus embraced them and created an on-screen fantasy wonderland.
This was gone by the third film. While main praise Cuaron for his dark tone, I oppose it. It felt almost as if the art house darling was embarrassed to be making a Harry Potter film. This can best be seen in the film’s climax where the explanation of the marauders, animagi, and even Pettigrew’s staged death are overlooked and rushed through at break-neck speed. Mind you, I understand that cuts must be made when adapting source material, but to leave out crucial plot points that are incredibly important in the future films of the franchise (while spending five minutes on a talking shrunken head or kids making animal noises) is entirely shortsighted. And that goes back to the flaw in Warners’ plan. They sat back and allowed Cuaron to make his film without any consideration as to how it plays into the seven part story being told.
This short sightedness and lack of consistency continues to be seen in the Goblet of Fire, where Mike Newell ignores the return of Dobby (who is one of the most impotant characters of the franchise), explains nothing in regards to priori incantatem (which as it turned out was the driving force behind series villain Voldemort’s actions throughout the final book), leaves out crucial subplots, and pays no mind to characterization at all. Take all knowing, kindly, Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, for example. Throughout the film he is portrayed as a confused old man who will routinely take his frustrations out on his students through physical violence. This is a complete contradiction to the portrayal of Dumbledore throughout the franchise.
In perhaps his most egregious error, Newell cut the interrogation and hospital wings chapters from the end of the book. This is a crucial error as in these chapters several plot points are explained which have ramifications throughout the rest of the franchise. One could argue that it includes the definitive scene of the entire franchise (which I will not elaborate on for those reading this that have neither read the books nor seen DH Part 2 yet). But these chapters and scenes are not only necessary for the sake of the greater franchise but the film itself!
Can any casual viewer really claim that they knew what the hell was going on at the end or what the fuck the deal with Barty Crouch Jr. was? At this point the films do not even make sense within the context of themselves much less a larger franchise to the casual viewer.It all comes back to the lack of foresight and consistency that Warners showed when producing these movies. They jumped from screen writer to screen writer and director to director with no regard for creating a coherent and consistent franchise.
But wait! In the fifth film, director David Yates was hired and he stayed on for the rest of the franchise! Is that a glimmer of hope that I see? It would be if not for the fact that Yates is perhaps the one man in Hollywood who has even less of an understanding of the characters and story than Mike Newell. With the fifth movie, Yates follows Cuaron and Newell’s pattern of making his film while ignoring the franchise. In doing so he ignores the character Kreacher, brushes off the death of Sirius Black as if nothing had happened, and explains the prophecy…the driving force behind the entire film, nay, franchise in two sentences.
Furthermore his characterization is terrible. Yates is never able to successfully convey to the audience the sense of Harry’s fear over Voldemort’s return (even after he is attacked in his home town, which is supposedly safe).
Professor Dolores Umbridge, who Stephen King described as the greatest fictional villain since Hannibal Lecter is reduced from being an evil monster to a kind of strict teacher who doesn’t let kids play music or make out in the hallways of a school (HOW DARE SHE). Dumbledore is reduced from a powerful political figure who is able to continue his fight against Voldemort while thwarting the Ministry of Magic’s attempts to undermine him at every turn, into a defeated old man who takes his frustration out on the children in his care. My point is that Yates showed with this film that he just doesn’t get it.
So how does Warners respond to a film being made that completely contradicts the tone and story of its source material? They sign the director to finish out the franchise! And Yates, true to form, responds to the responsibility of finishing the franchise by ignoring the most important aspects of the novel (exploration of Voldemort’s past and Harry and Dumbledore’s relationship) and instead makes what he describes in his own words as a “Teenage romantic comedy.” Yates just doesn’t get it.
By the time that Dumbledore dies, the viewer doesn’t even care. Harry has had one or two private lessons with him and for the past three films he has kind of been a jerk-ass. I (alongside millions of other Potter fans) was reduced to tears by Dumbledore’s death in the book. In the movie, I didn’t much care. And why should I? Harry didn’t seem to. None of the characters did. The one person that Voldemort feared died, the wizarding world had essentially lost the war to the tyrannical Lord Voldemort….and no one gave a fuck. Why should the viewer? Yates continued to show that HE JUST DOESN’T GET IT!
But wait! He’s directing Deathly Hallows! He had to at least introduce some of those forgotten characters or plot points that are really important in Deathly Hallows but that he and Newell ignored, right? Nope. So when we get to Deathly Hallows the viewer still doesn’t know why the hell Voldemort’s wand doesn’t work against Harry, what the prophecy that causes Voldemort to hunt Harry means, or even what the fuck a Horcrux (which the characters are on a journey to destroy in Deathly Hallows) is. But weren’t the Horcruxes kind of the main plot point of Half-Blood Prince? Not according to David Yates! I guess when you’re so busy trying to make a ‘teenage romantic comedy,’ these little details are lost in translation.
These problems finally come to fruition in Deathly Hallows. The plot begins with Bill’s wedding….wait….who is Bill? And why is he marrying the French girl who barely spoke in the fourth movie? They’re going off on a journey to destroy Horcruxes…what are Horcruxes? Harry is sending Kreacher off on a mission….wait…who is Kreacher again? Dobby died!....That little elf who was in the second movie and hadn’t been seen since? Where the fuck did he come from? Why is Harry crying? Why does it matter? Answer: It doesn’t. The filmmakers and studio were so short sighted in rushing these films through production with no regard to the future of the franchise that we are ultimately left with a disjointed franchise that lacks any sense of continuity.
I know a lot of this feels like fanboy bitching, but it really isn’t. When it comes down to it, these important characters, plot points and even small details (like Harry and Dudley making amends) being left out represent the heart and soul of Harry Potter. They are what made Harry Potter so different from lesser fantasy novels released each year. J.K. Rowling built a world whose fate the reader was invested in, she built characters that the reader bonded with. She built such an intricate and detailed plot in which seemingly minor events had major repercussions. I cried when Dumbledore died, a fully grown man was moved to tears by the death of a literary character. I felt genuine hatred towards Dolores Umbridge. I cheered when Fred and George fled Hogwarts in defiance to her. I’ve never had any of these emotions when watching the movies. These “little things,” that I am bitching about were the soul of Harry Potter. They are what made his world truly magical.
The film makers did not capture this. They made a hollow shell of this world. That is the true tragedy of these movies. What could have been the greatest film franchise of all time is passable. What should have been a magical world is a hollow, empty shell that excluded the very things that made the books special. What a wasted opportunity.
I know that this is not a popular opinion among the fandom. They love the films as do critics. Though I think that history will validate what I have said. Right now, Potter is hot. We have had our noses rubbed in its greatness for fifteen years. Everyone loves it. It can do no wrong. I think once some space is given, people will start to see the flaws throughout each film more clearly. If you asked a Star Wars fan what the best prequel was the day after Phantom Menace’s release, they would’ve replied readily with Episode I. Time gives perspective and I do not think that these films will be looked fondly upon retrospectively.
As for me, while everyone else gears up to see these films, I am left wishing for what could have been. Being the cynic that I am, I just cannot help but see that the greatest literary tale since Lord of the Rings was a disjointed dud in film form. Like many Potter-Heads I will be first in line on opening night to see DH2. I will probably leave disappointed as I have from every Harry Potter movie since Chamber of Secrets.
My thoughts will be drifting to what could have been if only there were a director who truly understood and loved the source material and set out to make great Harry Potter films, like Peter Jackson did with Lord of the Rings. It wasn’t Cuaron, it wasn’t Newell, and it certainly wasn’t Yates. Thanks to Warners’ greed and need to rush these films through production, we do not know what could have been if Harry Potter received its very own Peter Jackson. None-the-less, Warners’ greed may be a blessing in disguise as it will likely lead to these films being remade in about ten years (hell, if Spider-Man is being rebooted, why not Potter?). They’ve already fucked it up once. Maybe to set the remake apart they will get a director who actually cares and can make these films what they should’ve been all along….magical.
Fri, July 15, 2011 Well, the last Harry Potter movie is out in theaters...and I still haven't seen it (goddammit tomorrow, get here already!), but for the lucky folks who just happened to catch the midnight show at the Universal Orlando resort, they got an extra special surprise: after the movie, they were allowed into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park, for free!
I don't know about anyone else, but I think having a butterbeer and riding the Dragon Challenge at 3am sounds like the perfect way to close out the Harry Potter movie series.
Check out what fun time these lucky bastards had below:
Fri, July 15, 2011 "The Dark Knight Rises" is starting to rear it's head and is flooring fanboys in it's path. First the teaser poster, then the leaked teaser (Sure you didn't watch it), and now some shots of the Tumbler and Batpod.
For those who were hoping that they would create a different car for the new film, fuck off. The Tumbler works and I want to see Batman work it in this installment.
Photos courtesy of SuperHeroHype.Com
In other Batman related news, Heinz Field will play host to two fictional teams going at it in the latest incarnation of Nolan's Batman series. See below for details courtesy of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Go Pats.
Here we go Gotham Rogues, here we go.
It doesn't quite have the same cadence as "Here we go, Steelers, here we go," but when fans file into Heinz Field on Aug. 6, it will be for a football game between the Rogues and rival Rapid City Monuments being staged for "The Dark Knight Rises."
The Steelers confirmed the stadium will double as a location for the Batman movie being filmed here starting in late July by director Christopher Nolan.
The one-day filming is scheduled to run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is open to anyone 14 years old and up, but anyone younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
These extras will be unpaid but eligible to win prizes such as a large, flat-screen TV, celebrity and sports autographs, "Dark Knight" and Steelers items, vintage comics, DVDs and gift cards.
Advance reservations through the website BeInAMovie.com are required. In the event of rain, filming could be rescheduled and participants will be notified.
Fri, July 15, 2011 Just when you thought you've had your fill of "Spider-Man" Entertainment Weekly decides to drop some more detailed promo photos from the film.
I wasn't sure about Emma Stone as Gwen, I almost didn't want her to take it. However, I think she really looks the part and is certainly bringing it in the looks department.
See below for Emma, Andrwe, and more.
Fri, July 15, 2011 Seems like we are getting a weekly glimpse at different characters as the production continues on for "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey".
My excitement level for this movie was at about 10% when I found out they were actually going forward with it after much trial and tribulation. After seeing the video diaries and some footage, my excitement level has peaked to over 50%.
Fri, July 15, 2011 The story of an orphan boy living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. With the help of an eccentric girl, he searches for the answer to a mystery linking the father he recently lost, the ill-tempered toy shop owner living below him and a heart shaped lock, seemingly without a key. Based on Brian Selznick's award winning and imaginative New York Times bestseller, "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," this magical tale is Scorsese's first film shot in 3D.
Thanks to ComingSoon.Net For The Video
Fri, July 15, 2011 
- Going to Comic-Con next weekend, but bummed you'll miss out on seeing Captain America opening that very same weekend? Superhero Hype says, "Have no fear!" A special screening is going down on the morning of July 21st with the Sentinel of Liberty himself Chris Evans will be there to introduce the film. Special note, fanboys, please refrain from touching Evans until his body-guard (ironically named Bucky) will "have words" with you.
- Ruairi Robinson and Albert Hughes came and went, but Warner Brothers (for some unexplained reason) is still insistent on Akira. Are things that frantic now that Harry Potter is ending, Christopher Nolan is wrapping up his Batman trilogy on his own terms and DC Entertainment started out the gate with a certified box-office bed-shitter in Green Lantern? Spanish filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra (who recently delivered a decent-sized hit with the Liam Neeson-actioner Unknown) is the latest to pull up their sleeves and give Akira the good old college-try reports Variety. This time with a $90 million budget and, the looks of it, not this two-film adaptation bullshit like we kept hearing under the Hughes and Robinson incarnations. Been there, done that, and we've heard this before with this property. Shall we start our watches and time when this third attempt falls apart?
- Speaking of WB and their "bleak" future without the boy wizard, Vulture is hearing David Yates (the British helmer behind the last four Harry Potter flicks) is being flown out to Burbank and shooting the shit with the likes of big-cheese Jeff Robinov about working his magic on The Stand. In a move echoing what he did with Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, their intentions are to split Stephen King's epic into a film-trilogy, which as a fan of that particular book, I can say is justified. Yates isn't committed, mind you, and mulling through other projects with the Brothers Warner including Cicero, an Al Capone "origin story" with Tom Hardy attached and Fables, based on the Vertigo comic-book about various characters from fairy-tale folklore living in Manhattan.