I Just Binge-Watched Season 4 of Arrested Development; I Did NOT Make a Huge Mistake

It is the moment we have been waiting on for several years. Arrested Developement is back and the Bluth family has returned to make us cringe, laugh, and question the television executives that canceled the series back in the day. Obviously things are a bit different now and we have a lot to catch up on. Luckily, Netflix partnered up with Mitch Hurwitz, the creator, to release 15 episodes all at once at 12pm Pacific Standard Time on May 26th, 2013. It’s a bold move as the episodes for the most part concentrate on a specific timeline and looks at the different perspectives of the Bluth family so really, it’s one mega episode. The question is, does it work? Yes and no. Regardless, let the great experiment begin!

First Trailer for Arrested Development 4!

We are now less than 2 weeks away from the triumphant return of the Bluth family and May 26th can’t get here soon enough. So while we wait for that ‘sure to be a glorious’ day, Netflix has given us an Arrested Development season 4 trailer to salivate over…

Arrested Development: Kristen Wiig, Tony Wonder, and the Workaholics

The most recent winner of Vulture’s Sitcom Smackdown (Reader Bracket) is Arrested Development edging out The Simpsons to be named the greatest sitcom of the last 30 years…by popular vote. That’s still something right? Possibly fueled by it’s impending return, AD seems to be as popular as ever, and for hits that reason we thought it was about time we got caught up on some of the latest news surrounding the shows resurrection. After all, in less than two months, we’ll be again enjoying probably one of the best comedies to grace television of all time. That’s right. I went there.

2013 Pilot Watch: NBC Comedy

If you keep up with TV news, this time of year is the ultimate mind-f#ck. Every day news comes out about yet another awesome sounding pilot that you just can’t help but get your hopes up over and then come to realize it’ll never get past the pilot stage. It’s a lot like getting a puppy, realizing it has parvo, and trying not to get attached in case it dies. Hmmm… I think I just won an award for worst analogy ever.

Awful, but that’s pretty much how it works out.  Because this is an ever changing world, we here at Grizzly Bomb decided to do everyone a great service and round up the best looking puppies, I mean pilots, so you can be on the lookout for them. This has been a banner year for pilot orders (around 100 so far, up from last year) so we are going to break it down by network. Might as well start off with the basement dwellers… NBC.

Trailer Roundup: Pain & Gain, Gatsby, Bateman, and Will Smith…

[tabgroup][tab title=”The Great Gatsby”]

The newest film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel of the same title stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby.  Nick Carraway portrayed by Toby Maguire becomes infatuated with the mystery and intrigue of Gatsby’s empire.  As more and more is revealed to him, Carraway finds the inner workings of Gatsby’s lavish lifestyle are pulling apart at the seams.

Joining DiCaprio and Maguire are the likes of Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton and Carey Mulligan.  This will be the second time Baz Luhrmann will direct DiCaprio since Romeo + Juliet.  Initially due out as a Christmas day release, this has been pushed back to a May 2013 release date so as not to compete with Django Unchained also starring DiCaprio.

Director:  Baz Luhrmann
Stars:  Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, and Adelaide Clemens.
Release Date:  May 10, 2013

[/tab][tab title=”Holy Motors”]

This film captures all the lunacy of Monsieur Oscar.  This journey of what takes place during the night spans the distance of captain of industry, begger, assassin, monster, and family man.

Though Leos Carax initially wrote Kay M. for Kate Moss, the role was ultimately filled by Eva Mendes.  The singing role of Eva Grace was rewritten for Kylie Minogue when she was cast.

Director:  Leos Carax
Stars:  Denis Lavant, Edith Scob, Eva Mendes, Kylie Minogue, and Michel Piccoli.
Release Date:  July 4, 2012

[/tab][tab title=”Identity Thief”]

I have never had my identity stolen.  However, if I had, I would hope the antics that would ensue would be as comical as what Identity Thief has lined up.  Jason Bateman is Sandy, a regular old law-abiding citizen who finds out his identity has been stolen.  His intention is to catch the thief to clear his good name.

I haven’t personally seen Mike & Molly, but Melissa McCarthy’s comedic presence in film is becoming fully apparent.  With a break out comedic performance in Bridesmaids, she is also in This Is 40, and rumored to be in The Hangover Part III.

Director:  Seth Gordon
Stars:  Jason Bateman, Amanda Peet, Jon Favreau, Melissa McCarthy, John Cho, Robert Patrick, Genesis Rodriguez, and Eric Stonestreet.
Release Date:  February 8, 2013

[/tab][tab title=”After Earth”]

Cypher and Kitai Raige (Will and Jaden Smith) crash-land upon an uninhabitable planet where every organism has evolved to overcome and destroy the human species.  In true Shyamalan form, this is the planet Earth 1000 years after all humans have been evacuated.

This isn’t Oblivion, this isn’t I Am Legend.  This is After Earth.  We are sure to be delighted by the on-screen chemistry of the Smith father/son duo that has truly impressed us in the past.

Director:  M. Night Shyamalan
Stars:  Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Isabelle Fuhrman, Zoe Kravitz, Sophie Okonedo, Kristofer Hivju, and David Denman.
Release Date:  June 7, 2013[/tab]

[tab title=”Pain and Gain”]

When Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) gets fed up with his station in life, he decides to recruit two other body builders to kidnap a man and claim his wealth.  Surprise twist, something goes wrong.  With a director like Michael Bay involved, the true question is how many explosions can be incorporated into a film that primarily takes place in a gym?

Though the comedic pauses initially seem a bit out of place, this could resemble Bad Boys II.  I don’t know about you, but I love me some Bad Boys II.

Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Rebel Wilson, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris, Ken Jeong, Rob Corddry, and Tony Shalhoub.
Release Date: April 26, 2013
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Pics from Season 4 Arrested Development Set! I Just Blue Myself…

The title should be self explanatory. Straight from Jason Bateman’s Twitter via the Hollywood Reporter are pics of Michael Cera arriving on the Arrested Development set to do rehearsals and/or cause whatever mischief it seems. The sets are obviously being worked on but it should be important to note that in one of the pictures, it seems to represent the good old model home with the caption ‘My son, arriving yesterday’.

I will say that it definitely shows how long we have been without the show (since 2006) and Cera is definitely not the same George Michael we got used to during those awesome spectacular three seasons the show was on. Granted, he will still be the awkward kid who pines for his cousin but he is also Scott Pilgrim and a bunch of other whiny hipster characters too (some of which I don’t mind honestly). Obviously everyone went on to do their own thing but the people that really took off were Bateman and Cera so it’s honestly sweet as hell to see them back working on the show that gave them their starts. Hell, I still remember an interview they both had together for Juno, despite never having scenes together, and they picked up on their comedy rhythm together like no time had past.

Now that I got that out of the way, onward to the second photo…

This one is captioned, “A grandson, looking for his Gangee.” Which is awesome because we can definitely say this is Lucille’s place and…damn, is it 2013 yet? I want my episodes now. Speaking of, the original plan was to do an anthology for the 4th season where each character would get their own episode but creator Mitchell Hurwitz decided to go the traditional route of putting them all together in episodes and making stuff happen. Which I am all for because, if I haven’t geeked out enough already, it’s freakin’ Arrested Development. It is easily the funniest show in my opinion to come out in the last decade. It needs to come back so I can justify my Netflix subscription (although seriously, when streaming the first episode, their servers better be able to handle it because when it gets released…havoc will ensue trying to get to a television in my opinion) and then get onward with the AD movie.

Seriously though, I’m super stoked for this. Huzzah! Seriously. Genius.

Hilarious Trailer For Writing and Directing Debut from Dax Shepard called ‘Hit & Run’

A lot of people remember Dax Shepard as being that guy who was famous for a little while in the mid 2000s and then sort of fell off the wagon as far as being famous goes. I really don’t know why though. He’s talented, funny, and actually a talented actor. I think that both Without a Paddle and Employee of the Month, and even Let’s Go To Prison are all completely underrated comedies that really showed Shepard’s range as a comedian.

Anyway, after taking some time off from the limelight, Shepard is back with a hilarious trailer for his writing and directing debut. The film is called Hit & Run and it follows a former getaway driver nicknamed Charlie Bronson, who’s in witness protection, and his girlfriend (and real-life fiance), the always lovely Kristen Bell. After landing a dream job in LA, the two plan to make a trip out there, but Charlie’s past gets in the way. An old accomplice played by Bradley Cooper swoops in looking for money that Charlie owes him, explaining that he spent 8 months in prison for this money.

Now, Charlie has to find a way to get the money before things go really bad. Also in search of Charlie is a federal agent played by Tom Arnold who is in charge of keeping him safe at all costs. The whole thing amounts to what looks to be a wild and hilarious ride from the mind of one of the most undervalued comedians in Hollywood. The trailer itself is frenetic and chaotically funny as it goes from one wild scenario to the next. From Tom Arnold accidentally catapulting a bowling ball from his car, to the gang busting in on a hotel room full of naked old people, to seeing Bradley Cooper in a believable set of dreads, Hit & Run seems to have it all and then some.

Check out the trailer right here:

Booyah.

Horrible Bosses Sequel Gets the Green Light, Bridesmaids Sequel Gets the Finger from Wiig

If it’s one thing Hollywood craves more than cocaine and prostitutes, it is sequels.  Personally, I can’t think of a better way to bask in the glory of a successful and profitable film than to make it all over again.  It’s the law of probability.  It was successful once, it’ll be successful again.  Any decent scientist will tell you that.

Earlier today, The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the science team over at New Line is pretty much green-lighting Horrible Bosses 2.  John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the screenwriters who penned the original, are on board; and it is expected that director Seth Gordon will return for the new project, as well as most of the cast, which included Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, and Kevin Spacey. If you haven’t seen Horrible Bosses yet, it must be because you can’t get Netflix under the rock where you live. While not “the funniest movie in years”, it was funny; and Kevin Spacey is always a good reason to see a film.

The big question is: was it good enough to support a sequel? Probably not. Look at The Hangover.  That movie legitimately made pop come out of my nose. (Sidenote: POP is a super sweet term that came from Detroit and is used around here as opposed to SODA.  Look it up.) When they announced that there was going a Hangover 2, everyone was shrieking like 13-year-old girls.  But when we all sat in those seats the movie fell flat, and the only good thing about that evening was that I found $5 in my pocket which still didn’t pay me back for the crappy movie I had just watched.

Shifting gears for a moment, on the other end of the spectrum we have Bridesmaids, another surprise hit.  This film didn’t have a lot of buzz surrounding it like Horrible Bosses did, but it delivered with a smart story and hilarious content.  Universal is just itching for the cash cow sequel, but Kristen Wiig won’t bite. In fact, Wiig told The Hollywood Reporter that she and Annie Mumolo, who co-wrote Bridesmaids with Wiig, “aren’t planning a sequel [and are] writing something else.”

I’ve heard a bunch of garbage about discord between the actors and the studio because they only got $100,000 bonuses contributing to her lack of participation.  Apparently in Hollywood terms that’s like tipping your waitress ten cents.  I mean, whenever I do movies, I expect at least half a mil.  Anything else is insulting.

I think Kristen Wiig is the type of person who appreciates film and comedy as art forms.  She wants to create something good, work really hard at it, and move onto the next thing.  That’s refreshing these days when everything has to be a franchise with merchandise for preteens to spend too much of their parents’ money on at Hot Topic.  If this at all went into her decision, I support her organic approach to film.  And maybe a salute is in order.

What blows my mind, though, is that Universal is willing to go on with this project without any of the original cast; though I don’t see Judd Apatow being dumb enough to make it without Kristen.  I wasn’t aware that Bridesmaids franchise had that much material to support it without its original creator and main character.  It’s like Saved by the Bell: The New Class, where only Mr. Belding and Screech are left, and everyone’s looking around wondering where Zack Morris is.

If I’m being honest here, I don’t think either sequel, if they end up being made, will be any good.  Horrible Bosses was a good movie on its own, but I don’t know how they can take the story much further.  Bridesmaids doesn’t stand a chance without Kristen Wiig.  Sequels are tricky, and you have to have more than decent source material because the expectations are high.  But they’ll keep making the movies as long as people keep going to see them.  You know, the people who keep going to see Scary Movie and Final Destination.

‘Arrested Development’ and It’s Much Deserved Return

Arrested Development is an anomaly of sorts. I’ve never seen a show talked about so little while it was on, and then so much after it was canceled. Simply put – the show was great, and like so many great shows, it garnered no widespread appreciation until it was gone. Despite letter writing and widespread begging by the small, but loyal fan base, FOX canceled the show midway through its 3rd season.

Horrible Bosses…with Phallic Objects & A Trailer

So the trailer for Horrible Bosses is out and my boss needed an excuse to post the above picture

Admittedly, a bit underwhelmed by the trailer, as it seems a lot more formulaic in terms of comedies. But then I thought about Kevin Spacey being a douche, Jennifer Aniston fellating foods, and a Colin Farrell combover. I’m still willing to get a bit excited for it, because it just looks fun.

And Charlie Day just needs more play, right?

Although not to go back and forth between good and bad, I just saw Brett Ratner is a producer. NOOOOO!!!!! YOU KILLED CYCLOPS!!! HOW DARE YOU WORK AGAIN!!!!