Weekly New Release Report – 12/11/12

It’s still the holiday season last time I checked, so it’s that time to figure out what we need to get the people in our life. More importantly, what cool stuff that they totally think of you and your awesome gift-giving abilities. Gone are the days where you can give people a coupon book for free hugs, we now have to figure out what truly will touch their holiday hearts. Well have no fear because we are here to the rescue and are letting you know what cool stuff is hitting the streets. Let’s look at some new release movies first, shall we?

DVD/Blu-Ray Movies:

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We have a good crop of new releases out this week, obviously led by Ted. Hilarious movie that everyone should watch and pick up for sure. For the kiddies, you also have the latest Ice Age movie so you can impress them when you fire it up on Blu-Ray 3D and watch it slowly scramble their brains when they gather around the TV during the holidays. We also have the Bourne Legacy coming out on Blu-Ray, which I definitely didn’t enjoy but that doesn’t mean you might not. Futurama Volume 7 also hits the shelves, which is a great, great, underrated show that everyone should watch. Other notables would be Dick Tracy on Blu-Ray, the Criterion Collection version of The Following, the first Christopher Nolan flick, Girls – Season One, WWE: Raw – The Top 100 Moments, and Miami Connection, the cult movie that just came out for everyone to laugh and cry about how awesome the 80s truly were.

Ted

Ice Age: Continental Drift

The Bourne Legacy

Futurama: Volume 7

Dick Tracy (Blu-ray)

Following (Criterion Collection)

Girls: The Complete First Season

WWE: Raw 100 – The Top 100 Moments in Raw History

Miami Connection

Heavyweights [Blu-ray]

Music:

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For music this week, we have the new Bruno Mars album Unorthodox Jukebox dropping, along with the new Glee Christmas CD, as well as the 3rd Green Day CD this year and the Music of Nashville album based on all the songs from show so far. The most important album you need to pick up of course is the soundtrack score to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey because Howard Shore if a flipping genius.

Bruno Mars – Unorthodox Jukebox

The Music Of Nashville Original Soundtrack

Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Vol. 3

Green Day – ¡TRÉ! [Explicit]

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

This Is 40 Soundtrack

Video Games:

As for video games this week, the two major ones are the Wii U version of 007 Legends and all the downloadable episodes of The Walking Dead that if you’re too lazy to download on XBL, you can now just pick it up at your local store and have at it. I also included Call of Duty: Black Ops II in the Amazon Carousel above but it’s a truly awesome game. I’d say challenge some of the Grizzly Bomb crew here but we don’t want to lose your respect because we are probably the worst team out there.

007 Legends – Wii U

The Walking Dead – XBOX 360

New in Theaters on Friday 12/14/2012:

Child, please. Of course it’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

That’s it for us today, hopefully this has helped inspire some gift ideas because Christmas is the time of getting a Blu-Ray so you can ignore freezing outside and just warm up by the fire with some Ted. Or Ice Age, depending how you want to expose kids to the vulgar nature of an awesome teddy bear. Your call.

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‘The Hobbit’ Confirmed As Trilogy. Also, Every Story Now Legally Required To Be Adapted Into Three Films.

A couple of years ago, some of you may remember that in a startlingly logical move, a studio decided to adapt and release The Lord Of The Rings as a trilogy of films, each as its own movie telling the story originally told in three parts in the novel. After those movies went on to make millions and millions of dollars at the box office, studios were looking to fast track the obvious follow-up to LOTR, which was Tolkien’s The Hobbit. The main difference between the two, being that The Hobbit was a significantly shorter, simpler, and far less densely written story, that was originally written as a children’s book.   And then it got shelved, re-planned, re-thought out, and finally years later picked back up again by Peter Jackson, who now, along with the money-grubbing studios that want another million dollar trilogy, is adapting The Hobbit into a movie of its own. Three of them, to be exact, as stated on Peter Jackson’s Facebook. Via [Chicago Tribune]

“We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance,” Jackson wrote.

“So, without further ado and on behalf of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wingnut Films, and the entire cast and crew of ‘The Hobbit’ films, I’d like to announce that two films will become three.”

Now while I’m not directly against an adaptation of The Hobbit itself, because it’s an amazing story, It is decidedly NOT enough story to adapt into 2 movies, and streeeettching it into 3 is downright frivolous.  It’s a pretty straightforward story. Hobbit joins up with dwarves for adventure. They fight trolls and spiders. They try to steal a dragons treasure. Dragon gets mad. They war against the dragon. War ends. The END. It’s enough story to make  a really badass 3 hour movie, with each act reflecting each part of the book. But since making money is paramount over making concise, unbloated, well paced adaptations, we’re going to get 2 unnecessary sequels so as much money as possible can be dragged out of our wallets as we’re forced to pay $16 dollars three times over the course of three years (at least!) , to see it in special LieMax 48fps 3D Digitial Surround sound with bonus cups and collectible glasses! Don’t forget the final showing of the third movie in 2014! Where you can buy a $50 dollar ticket to see all three in one sitting for 12 straight hours, and afterward you can go home and hang yourself because you’ve finally seen Peter Jackson’s ONE TRUE VISION brought to the silver screen.

So yeah. Not a fan of this being split up I guess, is what I’m saying.

CCI 2012: Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” Panel Creates Anticipation for December

Those Lord of the Rings fans who went there and back again to Comic-Con International were rewarded for their line-waiting devotion.

This past weekend Peter Jackson took to the Hall H stage with screenwriter Philippa Boyens and actors Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen (it should be noted he received a standing ovation), Richard Armitage, Andy Serkis, and Elijah Wood, who was a surprise guest.  The panel started with a showing of the latest behind-the-scenes video blog that Jackson has been faithfully providing fans via the official Facebook fan page.  Then Jackson revealed a full 12 and a half minutes scenes from both parts of The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey (out this December) and There and Back Again (December 2013).  A detailed description of each scene revealed can be found at Cinemablend.com or on Entertainment Weekly’s Inside Movies site.

Several seemingly minor yet key announcements and decisions rolled out during the panel.

First, Jackson chose to avoid screening his clips using 3D and 48 frames per second, a decision most likely based on the mixed reaction he received when he did this at Cinema-Con; this may have been in his best interest as the scenes were welcomed far more openly than they were at the previous convention.

Also, Jackson noted that he had shot enough footage to create extended editions of the films or possibly produce a third film.  The Internet has been filled with these speculations for the last few days, but Variety says otherwise.  A studio representative said there was no “planned surprise,” and that “The plan was always for two” (Variety.com).  Time will reveal how this pans out, but Jackson may have to just settle with some whopping extended editions.

A third announcement that should excite the women (or invoke the wrath of LotR die-hards) comes in the form of another female elf named Tauriel played by Evangeline Lilly.  Philippa Boyens wanted more “feminine energy” in the films: “We believe it’s completely within the spirit of Tolkien” (Wall Street Journal).  Come December, we’ll see whether or not this is true.

Finally, a fan questioned Jackson on his intentions for a Silmarillion movie.  Entertainment Weekly reported that Jackson said he wouldn’t live long enough to pull it off, and he hinted that the Tolkien estate, owning the rights to the Silmarillion, does not like his movies (Entertainment Weekly).  Despite being some of the biggest films of all time, The Lord of the Rings films do not always stay true to Tolkien’s books, and this has apparently been scorned by not only the books’ fans but also by the author’s estate itself.  Here, too, is a situation that will undoubtedly unfold more clearly the closer we get to December.

Despite my chagrin at the inclusion of a previously unwritten female character (yes, I did just say that, and I support strong women in movies and everything), and my distaste for Jackson’s occasional twisting of Tolkien’s stories, I feel that audiences will have a lot to look forward to in terms of cinematography, acting, and yes, even script adaptation for the two Hobbit installments.  The films previous to these have always provided pure entertainment, stunning visuals, powerful themes and messages, incredible scores, and unforgettable interpretations of long-loved characters (remember Ian McKellen’s standing ovation?).  I don’t doubt that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and There and Back Again will meet these expectations, and frankly, I just want to see Smaug interpreted on the big screen.

If this article wasn’t enough for you, you can view the majority of the panel on YouTube.  Though several users have already uploaded their videos, this one seems to be the best quality overall.  Don’t expect to see the clips from the upcoming films; Comic-Con is very strict about not allowing attendees to videotape or post film clips.  If you want to be that impatient, go google it yourself.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our Comic Con coverage. Big shoutouts to all of you who read the articles. I know it sounds corny but you are the reason why we’re doing this. We don’t get paid. Please keep following us on Facebook or Twitter (or start now if you haven’t already done so) for more pop culture opinions.

CCI 2012: Warner Bros. to Showcase ‘Man of Steel’, ‘The Hobbit’, and ‘Pacific Rim’

Warner Bros. Pictures has announced its full line-up at Comic-Con International which includes The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Man of Steel and Pacific Rim. If you would like to know more about back stories or previous news and information please check out our previous articles below:

‘Pacific Rim’: Giant Robots Vs. Giant Monsters!

The Hobbit in 48fps Demos Film Evolution, Pissed Some People Off

Trailer is Here for ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’

Hero Express

A full description of the WB Comic-Con Showcase below courtesy of SuperHeroHype, with pictures provided by C Tan at the Con (unless otherwise noted):

Warner Bros. Pictures will once again have a major presence at this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, including appearances by fan-favorite stars and filmmakers from some of the Studio’s most anticipated films. Comic-Con attendees will also be treated to never-before-seen footage, including some that will be shown nowhere else. Talent from the films will also be on hand to answer questions, sign autographs, and more.

On Saturday, July 14th, in Hall H, beginning at 2:30 p.m., Warner Bros. Pictures will showcase a number of the releases upcoming from the Studio and its partners at Legendary Pictures, New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The special star-studded presentation also holds some surprises for the 6,500-plus fans in the convention’s largest presentation space.

The program highlights include a film that has already generated huge buzz: “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” directed by Peter Jackson, the Oscar®-winning filmmaker of the blockbuster “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Jackson, who just wrapped production in New Zealand, is embarking on his own journey halfway around the world to greet fans, who are already counting down to the December 14th opening of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”

Joining Jackson on the stage will be Oscar®-winning screenwriter Philippa Boyens, along with several of the film’s stars, including Martin Freeman, who portrays the title character, Bilbo Baggins; Richard Armitage, who plays the fierce leader of the Dwarves, Thorin Oakenshield; the legendary Sir Ian McKellen, who returns as Gandalf; and fan favorite Andy Serkis, the extraordinary talent who is truly behind the character of Gollum. Attendees will also be invited to ask questions about the making of this epic adventure.

The presentation also includes the DC Comics superhero who, inarguably, started it all. Superman will be back on the big screen next Summer in the much-anticipated action adventure “Man of Steel.” Filmmaker Zack Snyder, the director behind “300” and “Watchmen,” will be at Comic-Con and will take questions from the audience about the making of “Man of Steel,” which opens on June 14, 2013.

Photo courtesy of Geek Tyrant

Guillermo del Toro, the acclaimed writer/director of such films as “Pan’s Labyrinth” and the “Hellboy” films, will also be on hand with a preview of his science fiction action adventure, “Pacific Rim,” opening on July 12, 2013. The film’s stars Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day and Ron Perlman will join the director on stage for the presentation, which includes never-before-seen footage cut together exclusively for Comic-Con. Fans will also have an opportunity to engage in a Q & A with del Toro and his cast.

The WB booth will showcase static displays of the “Man of Steel” Superman costume, and Batman’s amazing two-wheeled Bat-Pod, which was introduced in the 2008 record-breaking blockbuster “The Dark Knight” and is featured again in this Summer’s most anticipated film, “The Dark Knight Rises.”

While the Warner Bros. booth will have something to see at every minute of every day of the convention, on Saturday, July 14th, it will be the place to be to meet and greet some of the stars and filmmakers from several of the Studio’s upcoming features. Some of the autograph signing opportunities include “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” stars Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and Andy Serkis, from 11:15 a.m. to 12 noon; from “Pacific Rim,” stars Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day and Ron Perlman, and director Guillermo del Toro, from 3:55 to 4:55 p.m.; and “Man of Steel” director Zack Snyder from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. (Please note that times are approximate. Check your schedule and other announcements for updates.)

This pretty much sums it all up so make sure you don’t miss any of the presentations!

Check out more CCI coverage here with more pics from C Tan and Dr. Kronner over on our Tumblr!

Some Stills & Speculation on The Hobbit and Prometheus

Film Drunk dropped this still from Prometheus featuring Noomi Rapace gazing awestruck at something out of frame, which is interesting considering the most intriguing part of the photo is the pair of space jockeys behind her:

Here’s the photo again, lightened considerably to show the jockeys more clearly:

While the mysterious aliens and the tunnel surrounding them recapture H.R. Giger’s iconic style from the original Alien series, Rapace’s spacesuit looks wildly out of place in the gloomy environment. It could just be my obsessive love for Mass Effect talking, but I think the outfit’s looking very much like something Cerberus might design.

Update: Cinema Blend now reports that actress Kate Dickie supposedly spilled some mildly spoilerish plot details in a UK Tabloid, but as they mention, those types of magazines aren’t exactly the picture of accuracy. Keep that in mind while you read on, but remember there are potential spoilers:

Movie Trailer Roundup: Wrath of the Titans, The Dictator, Lock-Out and MORE!

Wrath of the Titans

Perseus embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, who has been targeted for capture by his traitorous son, Ares, and his brother, Hades.

Stars: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Bill Nighy, Rosamund Pike, Edgar Ramirez, Danny Huston

Release Date: March 30th, 2012