Warner Bros. Announce Upcoming Superhero Movies

As a huge DC Comics superhero fan- this announcement from Warner Brothers is really exciting to me! - Rob

L to R: Aquaman, Green Lantern,Wonder Woman, Superman,Batman, Flash, Cyborg

Warner Bros. Announce Upcoming Superhero Movies

Warner Bros.   announced plans to release 10 D.C. Comics movies between 2016 and 2020. 

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016), “Suicide Squad” (2016), Justice League (2017) “The Flash” (2018), Aquaman (2018) and a new “Green Lantern” in 2020. Zack Snyder is slated to direct the The Justice League films, of which there will be two, and the movie will star Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, and Amy Adams. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will star in “Shazam”, to be released in 2019.

If you can handle more excitement, Warner Bros. also announced plans to release three new lego films in the next in the next four years. “The Lego Batman Movie” will be released in 2017 followed by a sequel to the hugely successful “The Lego Movie” in 2018, aptly named “The Lego Movie 2.”
Here are the DC and Marvel Superhero Movies as of 10/20/14
2015:
May 1: Avengers: Age of Ultron
July 17: Ant-Man
August 7: Fantastic Four (Fox)

2016:
February 12: Deadpool (Fox)
March 25: Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice
May 6: Captain America 3 (not official title, reportedly "Civil War")
May 27: X-Men: Apocalypse (Fox) July 8: Untitled Marvel film unofficially widely believed to be Doctor Strange (new addition) August 5: Suicide Squad (new addition)
November 11: Sinister Six (Sony)

2017:
March 3: Untitled Wolverine sequel (Fox)
May 5: Untitled Marvel Film
June 23: Wonder Woman (new addition)
July 14: Fantastic Four 2 (Fox)
July 28: Guardians of the Galaxy 2
November 3: Untitled Marvel film
November 17: Justice League, Part 1 (new addition)
(unspecified date): Untitled Sony female Spider-Man spin-off
(unspecified tentative date): Sony Venom: Carnage Spider-Man spin-off (rumored to be dead)

2018: March 23: The Flash (new addition)
May 4: Untitled Marvel film
July 6: Untitled Marvel film
July 13: Untitled Fox Mystery Marvel film July 27: Aquaman (new addition)
November 2: Untitled Marvel film
(unspecified date): Amazing Spider-Man 3

2019: April 5: Shazam (new addition)
May 3: Untitled Marvel film June 14: Justice League, Part 2 (new addition)

2020: April 3: Cyborg (new addition) June 19: Green Lantern (new addition)

Watched Movie: Saving Mr. Banks"

It's a rare thing for us to actually sit for two hours and watch a movie, but our nephew Matt gave us a list of movies we needed to see. "Saving Mr. Banks" was on the list- so we saw it. It's the story behind how Walt Disney (played by Tom Hanks) convinced the Australian author of Mary Poppins to allow Disney to make a movie of her book. She was a nightmare to work with and the film really showed just how truly difficult she was.
 - The story is intensely personal to the author - thus her reluctance to turn over some creative freedom to Disney. All we'll say is they treated her like Royalty. ... you should watch it as it will give you an appreciation for how hard Walt Disney worked to make it happen.  WORTH SEEING!
(FOR MORE ABOUT MARY POPPINS, SEE BELOW)
MOVIE TRAILER: http://youtu.be/a5kYmrjongg


From Wikipedia:  Mary Poppins is the lead character in a series of eight children's books written by P. L. Travers. Throughout the Mary Poppins series, which was published over the period 1934 to 1988, Mary Shepard was the illustrator.^[1] The books centre on a magical English nanny,Mary Poppins. She is blown by the East wind to Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane, London, and into the Banks' household to care for their children. Encounters with chimney sweeps, shopkeepers and various adventures follow until Mary Poppins abruptly leaves, i.e., "pops-out". Only the first three of the eight books feature Mary Poppins arriving and leaving.  The books were adapted by Walt Disney in 1964 into a musical film titled Mary Poppins,starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. I

Trailer for Henry Cavill's new movie, The Cold Light Of Day.

Tom and I have been fans of British actor Henry Cavill since he appeared in the TUDORS series. Soon, he'll be on the big screen as the new Superman!  - Meanwhile, he's done another film which looks quite good. - Here's the trailer and some info...

Summit Entertainment has released the first trailer for Henry Cavill's new movie, The Cold Light Of Day.
Cavill plays the part of Will Shaw, a young American who uncovers a conspiracy when his family gets kidnapped while on vacation in Spain.
The trailer also gives Superman fans a taste of what they will be hearing when the Man of Steel opens in 2013 as Cavill, a British actor, is using an American accent in The Cold Light Of Day.
The Cold Light of Day opens April 6th, 2012 and stars Henry Cavill, Bruce Willis, Sigourney Weaver and Verónica Echegui.

Movie Trailer: Dark Knight Rises

Opening in theaters on July 20, 2012, the Nolan's highly-anticipated third Batman movie stars Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Juno Temple, Josh Pence, Daniel Sunjata, Nestor Carbonell, Matthew Modine, Tom Conti, Joey King, Brett Cullen, Chris Ellis, Josh Stewart, Christopher Judge, Adam Rodriguez and Rob Brown.Villains include Bane (the superpowered villain who once broke Batman's back) and the Catwoman.
- I can do without the football game thing throughout, though. Batman is my (Rob's) favorite, so I have high hopes.

Anyone Remember Edgar Rice-Burroughs "John Carter" Character?

Does anyone remember the "John Carter, Warlord of Mars" character, created by author Edgar Rice Burroughs? It's been a long time since I've heard about the character. In fact, back in the early 1980s there was a comic book about his adventures. I've also read one or two of the novels. Now, Disney studios has made a movie about the character and it's coming out in March 2012. There's a lot of animation in the movie, because the storyline is that Mars is populated with intelligent life that are in the midst of a war.  Here's the clip from the upcoming movie. I'm unsure if I want to see it, even though I enjoyed the comic books! - Rob

Henry Cavill as Superman - First Photo

The first photo of Henry Cavill in costume as Superman for the new big-screen version entitled "Man of Steel" was just released Thursday morning.  It shows Superman looking like he's rising to his feet against a smoking, smoldering vault door.

   The costume retains the basic look from the comic books: blue with a red cape and boots.  But the suit has a textured, almost rubbery look that's different from previous movie incarnations, like Christopher Reeve's stretchy bodysuit.  The colors look darker and more muted than previous versions of the suit, and the raised "S" insignia on his chest also looks better.

MOVIE TRAILER: "Immortals" - looks good!

This November, you can see Henry Cavill in the mythological action spectacle "Immortals."  You can watch the trailer for that below. This looks great. Of course, any time Henry Cavill is running around in body armor, or without it for that matter, we'll watch it. :)

Great Green Lantern Movie!

Sunday afternoon we finally got a chance to go to the movies and saw "Green Lantern" -one of my favorite superheroes finally on the big screen. Ryan Reynolds was the PERFECT Hal Jordan/Green Lantern. He perfectly pegged Hal's personality from the comics.

See the trailer here: http://youtu.be/oazFv302DIM
  Tom thought it was a little slow in spots, but the origin stories always tend to have explanations. The only part I thought was a little slow was when Hal visited his brother's house for his nephew's birthday party - but that lasted about 4 minutes.
  The cosmic Green Lantern Corps members were awesome, and so were the Guardians of the Universe. Interesting twist what they did with Parallax (the villain) and the earth villain, Hector Hammond. I really enjoyed it and would see it again and again. Of course, I would just watch Ryan Reynolds in a silent film. :)

Green Hornet Official Movie Trailer -NOT GOOD

A new international trailer for The Green Hornet movie is now online.  Opening in theaters on January 14 it stars Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, Edward James Olmos, David Harbour and Tom Wilkinson. I watched the trailer and it's peppered with homophobic jokes, and makes the Green Hornet a goofy and bumbling playboy who looks more like a disheveled extra-large man. This is NOT a superhero movie we plan to see. How VERY disappointing.

Green Lantern's "Computer-generated" Costume...

The filmmakers behind “Green Lantern,” due next summer from Warner Bros., approached that challenge digitally; star Ryan Reynolds will appear in a costume that was essentially “drawn” on him via CG effects and there has been considerable curiosity to see how the final product would look. On Tuesday, a new trailer for the film will premiere on ”Entertainment Tonight” and here’s a short advertisement for that anticipated reveal.


The Los Angeles Times reporter said "Well, one thing we know about the computer-painted costume — those movie fans who enjoys seeing every gym-sculpted inch of the Reynolds physique will certainly get their money’s worth." Now I'm really looking forward to it! :)

Movie Night: Catwoman / Surprise Visit

Tom helped a friend for the last three days with his house down in South Carolina (long story), so Rob got to watch a movie that hasn't been on Tom's "To Watch List"- Jeff came over one evening and we watched Catwoman Its a new take on Catwoman (a villianess-turned hero in the comic books) as this film depicted Catwoman as a superhero It was released by Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures on July 23, 2004. This story features a completely new character, Patience Phillips, donning the Catwoman costume. The film has no ties to the Batman series other than the name "Catwoman." The film stars Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Benjamin Bratt, Lambert Wilson, Frances Conroy, and Alex Borstein. It was poorly received by critics and audiences. Jeff and I thought it was "okay" and could've been better if it stuck with the original character and a less revealing costume.
On Friday evening our friends Cary and Susan surprised Rob (Tom was in SC by then) with Dunkin' Donuts coffee, donuts and muffins! What a GREAT way to start the weekend. Good friends, a surprise AND Dunkin' Donuts coffee. :)

Superhero Movies in the Works!

GREEN LANTERN MOVIE - SUMMARY: Ryan Reynolds stars as Hal Jordan, a cocky test pilot who becomes a ring-wearing intergalactic superhero in this massive sci-fi epic from director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale). Though Reynolds has prior experience in the superhero realm from his role as Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, playing Green Lantern involved some major challenges, like getting hurled through the air on a wire at up to 60 feet per second to create the illusion of flight. “The first time you do it, you’re seriously considering an adult diaper,” Reynolds says. Still, he couldn’t resist the chance to play the beloved DC Comics hero, whose power ring can conjure virtually anything he can dream up.
**ROB'S TAKE ON IT - I'll watch anything with Ryan Reynolds...he's hot!**
GHOST RIDER 2 - Nicolas Cage also confirms his own return for the comic book sequel
Nicolas Cage will return for a Ghost Rider sequel helmed by Neveldine/Taylor, the actor confirmed tonight on The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
ROB'S TAKE ON IT - Tom and I loved the first Ghost Rider, and look forward to #2!
THOR - FeaturesChris Hemsworth as Thor and Anthony Hopkins as Odin in Marvel Studios' Thor, coming to 3D and 2D theaters on May 6, 2011.
ROB'S TAKE ON IT - Never a fan of Thor, but have always loved Norse mythology. May be interesting.

Tudors Ends Well/Jonah Hex Movie Not Doing Well

The Tudors TV Series Finale - Last night we enjoyed the finale of the Tudors. It has been running on Showtime for 4 seasons, and last night the series ended with King Henry VIII on the verge of death. This episode (in Rob's opinion) was the best of all of them. It had Henry VIII coming to an understanding of his life's actions, and wrongful execution of several of his wives. It was well done. We now recommend watching the movies "Elizabeth" and "Elizabeth the Golden Age" to follow the story.
(BTW-The woman who played "Bloody Mary" in the Tudors was convincing. I despised her nasty character. Glad to hear she only ruled England a short time. She was nasty!)

Warner Bros.' "Jonah Hex" big-screen adaptation of the DC Comics series starring Josh Brolin and Megan Fox is apparently not tracking well with audiences, much to my (Rob's) disappointment. I thought the movie was good and entertaining. The movie made $5 million this weekend, but cost $47 million to produce. "Jonah Hex" is a western about a bounty hunter who believes in justice. Granted the weapon he's trying to stop is unrealistic for post-civil war times, but it's a movie!

Movie Trailer for DC Comics' Weird Western Hero Jonah Hex

Warner Bros. Pictures has started airing these two TV spots for Jonah Hex, coming to theaters on June 18. I've always loved westerns, and most especially, DC Comics' Weird Western Hero, Jonah Hex. Hex is a surly and cynical cowboy whose face is horribly scarred on the right side, and who is bound by a personal code of honor to protect and avenge the innocent. He briefly fought for the confederate army in the 1860s before becoming disgusted by their desire to maintain slavery, so he abandoned the army and became a bounty hunter.
The film, directed by Jimmy Hayward, the action thriller stars Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Michael Shannon and Michael Fassbender.

Hex's facial injuries can be traced back to being sold into slavery by his father to the Apache for safe passage. Jonah eventually saved the chief from being killed by a mountain lion and was made an honorary member of the tribe. He was soon betrayed by the envious son of the chief while on a raid. He returned years later to challenge him in a sacred tomahawk battle but the chief's son sabotaged Jonah's tomahawk and Jonah used his knife in self defense when the tomahawk broke. The tribe saw this as breaking the rules of the sacred battle and sentenced Jonah to wear the mark of the demon by pressing a searing hot tomahawk to his face. They said his honorary relationship to the chief was the only thing that saved him from death.

Watched th e movie "New Moon"

SUMMARY: In the second chapter of Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling Twilight series, the romance between mortal Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) grows more intense. When Edward leaves in an effort to keep Bella safe, she tests fate in increasingly (stupid and) reckless ways in order to glimpse her love once more. But when she’s saved from the brink by her friend, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), Bella uncovers mysteries of the supernatural world that will put her in more peril than ever before.
Tom and I enjoyed it, and we really enjoyed seeing "Jacob." Enjoy this poster! :)

Movie Trailer Released for IRON MAN 2!

"Iron Man 2" hits theaters May 7, 2010.
Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, aka the super hero Iron Man in this sequel to the 2008 blockbuster. RDJ, Paltrow, Cheadle and Rockwell are joined by Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Mickey Rourke as Whiplash. Jon Favreau once again takes up the directorial reins for Marvel's armored avenger.

Watched 2 Great Movies on Snowbound Sunday

Yesterday after walking the dogs in the snowy streets, we decided to have a movie day, so we watched two good movies on DVD.
1)ANGELS AND DEMONS This was a good adaptation of Dan Brown's novel by the same name. Its the sequel to The Da Vinci Code. It revolves around the quest of fictional Harvard University symbologist Robert Langdon to uncover the mysteries of a secret society called the Illuminati and to unravel a plot to annihilate Vatican City using destructive antimatter. The book uses the idea of a historical conflict between science and religion, particularly that between the Illuminati and the Roman Catholic Church. RENT IT!

2) THE SOUND OF MUSIC - This 1965 classic was one that I bought recently after only seeing it once, 15 years ago. Tom has seen it so much that he knew all the words to the songs. It was really enjoyable! (although we both think they could've ended the film after the marriage). Great scenery, songs and fun. Julie Andrews is amazing. I didn't know until today, that the boy the played Friedrich, one of the kids, is Nicholas Hammond, who grew up to be "Spiderman" in the 1970s TV series! Cool!

Year Without a Santa Claus / More Blizzard Photos

SEVEN PLUS MORE INCHES OF SNOW IN 5 HOURS - It's 4:15pm ET now, and I've just gone back outside for a 2nd time to shovel. There was another 7-8" of snow in the areas I had already shoveled at 11:30am ET. I can't wait for this to end. I had to re-shovel the area in the back where the dogs go, too... I don't know how folks in Minnesota and Wisconsin do it! Maybe they all have snowmobiles. Here are photos of our air conditioner unit in the back of the house that shows the approximate 15 inches of snow we received so far, and Dolly running back to the house after a quick run out through the high snow!

WATCHED "THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS" on DVD- This is our FAVORITE Christmas special because it has the Cold Miser and Heat Miser in it! The Summary: Even Santa can suffer a case of the holiday blues. In this 1974 stop-motion holiday family favorite, a sparkly eyed Mrs. Claus (voiced by Shirley Booth) sings and tells about the year her hubby felt too weary and too unappreciated to prepare for his annual Christmas rounds. Mickey Rooney stars as the voice of Santa who travels incognito to Southtown in search of his reindeer, Vixen, and two well-meaning elves. Mrs. Santa sent them to find proof of Christmas spirit--but they've discovered only ambivalence about Santa's year off. Luckily, when Santa arrives and befriends a boy named Ignatius, spirits begin to lift rapidly. Adult fans of this cousin to the 1970 television special Santa Claus Is Coming to Town will remember it as the Heat and Snow Miser movie. Their vaudevillian theme songs, complete with trombone and piano riffs, are hard to forget!

The Superhero movie: THOR in Progress

Although I've never been a fan of "Thor" Marvel Comics superhero of the Norse Thunder God, I am looking forward to the movie that's being made about him. I just learned about this:
Plot Summary: Marvel Studios expands its film universe with a new type of superhero: Thor. This epic adventure spans the Marvel Universe; from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

Actor Chris Hemsworth, the actor slated to play "Thor."
Release Date: May 20, 2011
Studio: Paramount Pictures, Marvel Studios
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Screenwriter: Mark Protosevich, Ashley Miller, Zak Stentz
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Jaimie Alexander, Colm Feore, Samuel L. Jackson, Stellan Skarsgard

IRON MAN 2 Movie Interview

The second Ironman movie is being made, and they're introducing another Marvel Comics superhero in it: the "Black Widow." She's been around for 30 years, but in my opinion is still a minor character (modeled after DC Comics' "Black Canary" from the 1940s). Here's an excerpt from the Entertainment Weekly interview:
When Marvel Studios first announced the sequel, no one was sure what the movie would be about. Downey, director Jon Favreau, screenwriter Justin Theroux, and the rest of the creative team struck upon the idea of introducing two very different foes for Stark. On one side is Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), a fast-talking weapons manufacturer who fancies himself the next Tony Stark; on the other, Vanko (played by Micky Rourke - pictured right on this cover), who, while incarcerated in a Russian prison, creates his own battle-suit, which shoots devastating, whip-like beams. Hammer and Whiplash join forces to take down Downey’s character, Tony Stark. Rourke, for his part, wanted to instill some lightness into the role of the heavy. "I told Favreau, 'I don't want to just play him as a one-dimensional p----,'" he says. "He let me have a cockatoo, who I talk to and get drunk with while I’m making my suit."
Adding more flesh and blood to the new movie, Scarlett Johansson joined the cast as Stark’s mysterious new assistant, Natasha, who has an alter ego of her own, Black Widow. That introduction inevitably sparks romantic tension between Stark and former assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), who’s been promoted to CEO of Stark Industries. "The men want it to be, like, 'Ooh, the girls are fighting over Tony,' but it's not as standard as that," says Paltrow. "There's a weird male catfight fantasy. Downey agrees.