Entertainment Today and Beyond

Never Met a Zombi I Didn’t Like…

ETB Radio Show – Top 5 Sequels of all time!

In this episode of Entertainment Today and Beyond Radio, Chuck Curry and Michael Cooper review their Top 5 Sequels with cuts and commentary from the stars. LISTEN HERE and let us know what you want to hear about. email Chuck

September 19, 2008 Posted by | Radio Shows | , | Leave a Comment

MCGUIRE rolling in dough, another HULK movie iffy at best and a look at some Television RATINGS!

It’s being reported that actor TOBEY MCGUIRE will pocket a whopping 50 million dollars plus a backend deal to shoot SPIDERMAN 4&5 back to back for Sony Pictures. While this is great for McGuire, its seems somewhat insane as the Spiderman franchise would be just as popular with a new actor playing both Peter Parker and his superhero alter ego. I had suggested that actor Adam Brody, who starred in Fox’s teen drama THE OC, would fit the part like a glove, and Sony could probably pay him less than two million to do both films, while keeping 48 million in their back pocket. Make no mistake, I love McGuire in the role and think he’s done a great job, but from a pure business point of view, if I’m the studio I’m not paying that salary!

Actor Edward Norton has confirmed in a recent interview that there have been no discussions about another entry in Marvel’s THE INCREDIBLE HULK franchise. It’s pretty obvious that Marvel is pretty gun shy about pulling the trigger on another installment since the big budgets and overall worldwide grosses don’t equal big profits. It’s a shame if another one is not produced because Norton is a top notch talent, and really good in the Banner role. 

As I predicted, the new JJ Abrams produced show, FRINGE, benefited greatly from its HOUSE lead-in as it held just about all of its audience, pulling in close to fourteen million viewers in its second week on the air. I thought last night’s episode was terrific and I have no doubt this show will not only maintain this type of audience but build on it.

On the flipside of the coin, Fox’s Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles, has gotten out of the gate in a bad way in its sophomore season, averaging less than six million viewers so far. That’s down over two million from last year when the studio had it on the bubble. With the show’s high budget, I doubt the network’s patience will be lenient. What it really needs is to be placed after the network’s other big hit 24 which returns in January. I really believe it’s a terrific program and deserves a much bigger audience. If it doesn’t get one soon, I wouldn’t be surprised the see the plug pulled sooner than later!

September 19, 2008 Posted by | Reviews | Leave a Comment

DVD rental costs way too high and a FEW thoughts on the early Television season!

I couldn’t believe that it cost me $5.29 to rent a DVD at Blockbuster the other day. As a reviewer I get to see movies free so I was out of touch with what was going on at the retail level.  I must admit I felt violated if not ripped off! It’s pretty evident that the chain is trying to sell every customer the Monthly Rewards Program as they’re trying to go head to head with Netflix. Still $5.29 is a deal breaker, especially for Lost Boys: The Tribe.

I really like what I see so far after two episodes of ENTOURAGE as the HBO show is as entertaining as ever. While it’s been said many times, I’ll say it again, Jeremy Piven was born to play the Ari Gold agent character as every scene he’s in is priceless.

After watching the first two episodes of Fox’s TERMINATOR: The Sarah Conner Chronicles, I have to say no show on television stages more exciting action sequences as the stuff they do on this program. It is totally top notch! This has really become one of my favorite programs.
 
Two episodes into HBO’s new vampire program, TRUE BLOOD, and I really like the way the show ends each week with a cool cliffhanger that immediately continues into its following installment! While the shows pace is somewhat deliberate, it’s certainly interesting and fairly original. So far I like it!

TNT has given renewals to two of its original dramas: SAVING GRACE and Steven Bochco’s new legal drama, RAISING THE BAR. The basic cable network is becoming a strong player in the TV game as it also has the hit show, THE CLOSER, which attracts almost 8 million viewers a week. TNT has a bunch of new original programs slated to air before years end and continue to gain in the marketplace!

September 18, 2008 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News | , , , | Leave a Comment

My opinion on the newly revamped AT THE MOVIES, RAMBO 5 on the way? Fox’s HOUSE returns!

I’ve now watched the first two weeks of Disney’s newly revamped AT THE MOVIES with Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz. Now, I’m even madder than I was when they announced they had parted ways with Richard Roper, Roger Ebert and Michael Phillips and would take the long running institution in a new creative direction. That ‘creative direction’ is not for the better as a few of the new ideas that have been implemented have been the equivalent of watching a train wreck.

While the two Ben’s (wearing suit and ties) are okay, and really just doing the job they were hired for, the producer’s choice to bring in three guest critics to join in at the halfway point in the show, via satellite no less, is just so unnecessary. It really undermines the two Ben’s opinion on things. The choice not to have the two in the balcony is also off-putting. Bottom line here is I don’t like what I see at all and I hope Roeper and Phillips pop up in a new format sooner rather than later!

According to several reports, Lionsgate and Sylvester Stallone will move forward and produce another RAMBO film. I really like the idea as I really dug the last installment in the series and think Stallone has a lot left, both as the star and director of this franchise. I wouldn’t say the same for ROCKY, since I loved Rocky Balboa and think that series needs to end on that high note! Personally, I would like to see Stallone take the character of John Rambo back to the states, and have him get involved in a conflict within our borders! 

Fox’s HOUSE returns for season number 5 Tuesday night which should create a solid lead-in for the nifty new JJ Abrams show, FRINGE, as it airs right after the ratings powerhouse! Speaking of House, I really hope the writers give us more insight into who House is as a person and what makes him tick. That was one of the show’s faults last season. Fans want to know more about this really interesting character actor Hugh Laurie has created and the writers haven’t given enough of that to us! A few less characters wouldn’t hurt either!

September 16, 2008 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News | Leave a Comment

TRAILER to director John Patrick Shanley’s DOUBT!

The film stars the great Meryl Streep, the fascinating Philip Seymour Hoffman and the always appealing Amy Adams. This looks to be a pretty compelling drama. It’s about a nun who confronts a priest after suspecting him of abusing a black student. The acting appears to be top notch – no surprise there! Take a LOOK

September 16, 2008 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News | , , | Leave a Comment

WEEKEND Box-Office REBOUND!

The box-office rebounded off last week’s five year low in overall attendance with ticket sales up 72% week to week and 33% year over year. The Coen Brothers dark comedy, BURN AFTER READING, featuring George Clooney and Brad Pitt held off three new releases to place first, grossing 19.4 million in ticket sales. This was the first Coen Brothers film since winning the Oscar last year for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.

Tyler Perry’s, THE FAMILY THAT PREY’S, placed second pulling in 18 million on almost 600 screens – less that Burn after Reading. Once again, this Perry film wasn’t screened in advance for critics, but his core audience turned out as they always seem to do. He continues to have one of the most unique connections to his audience as any filmmaker working today.

The pairing of Al Pacino and Robert Deniro as two homicide detectives in RIGHTEOUS KILL proved to attract a respectable audience. The film, which was not treated very kindly by the critics, pulled in 16.5 mill in business to place third. It’s hard to believe that two immortals like Pacino and Deniro can’t find top notch scripts anymore!

The weekend’s other new release, THE WOMEN, a remake of a 1939 classic which features an ensemble cast that includes Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Debra Messing, Bette Midler and Jada Pinkett-Smith was savaged by critics (with the exception of Roger Ebert who gave it a rave) but still pulled in an OK 10 mill to place fourth. That’s very respectable considering the budget was just 16.5 million. Here a look at the weekends TOP TEN 

September 15, 2008 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News, Reviews | , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

In CASE you missed it- TINA FEY as SARAH PALIN on SNL!

Personally, while I thought the skit itself was funny, I thought the producers of SNL dropped the ball from a creative standpoint by having Fey as Palin on screen the very second the show went on air! By doing that they robbed the audience of any element of surprise and thereby didn’t get the wild applause that the idea deserved! Just my OPINION!  VIEW THE SEGMENT HERE

September 14, 2008 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News, Reviews | , , , | Leave a Comment

Review of HBO’s TRUE BLOOD

I finally got a chance to watch the premiere of the new HBO Sunday night show, TRUE BLOOD, from the creator of SIX FEET UNDER, Alan Ball. The show’s basic premise is about Vampires who live out in the open of our everyday society. Not really knowing what to expect, the premise and its execution reminded me of X-Men as the vampires here are a not only a minority in this small Louisiana town, but not really a welcome one.

This premiere episode never felt like any one thing as it mixed horror, drama and comedy, while throwing in a few really gratuitous sex scenes. One was between a human and vampire which was interesting to say the least. The now blond and tan Anna Paquin (The Piano, X-Men) stars as Sookie, a waitress at a roadside diner who has the unique ability to hear other people’s thoughts. She also is open minded and somewhat fascinated by the vampire culture and this first episode sets up a star-crossed coupling between her and the program’s lead vampire, the brooding but likeable Bill, played by Stephen Moyer.

There are multiple characters and a few different subplots at work which kept me a little off balance… in a good way. While it’s way too early to tell exactly what direction this program will go in, I was interested enough to look forward to future episodes. I’ll give this pilot episode a 6.5 out 10.

September 13, 2008 Posted by | Reviews | , , | Leave a Comment

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