Michael Pain

Michael Pain

Our intrepid podcast explorers are on a journey across the vastness of the movie landscape to see what can be deciphered from Christopher Nolan’s ‘Interstellar’. Is it “stellar” or not so much? On this once in a lifetime quest, TJ and Joe are joined by none other than former co-host of the show, Chad Hopkins, to see if they can discover the true meaning behind podcasting and wether they might even be able to bend the fabric of space time enough to affect what happened all the way back at the very first podcast. You can also find out in the episode about Johnny Rockets bringing back drive-in theaters, Matt Damon returning to the Bourne franchise, ‘Toy Story 4’ happening in 2017, and the new title for ‘Star Wars VII’.

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Interstellar — Review

3 of 5 stars
Interstellar

I have a confession to make. I think Christopher Nolan is one of the more highly overrated directors of our time. I know you all probably stopped reading this already, but I have to tell you the truth, I cannot lie to you. Nolan is one of the more celebrated filmmakers of our day, and he does indeed know how to craft a pretty good epic. I’ll also say that his treatment of Batman Begins was nothing short of amazing. It was a breath of fresh air to the franchise, and to the super-hero landscape in general. The Dark Knight was, if anything, better. It’s not the sort of film I can watch quite as…

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Johnny Rockets Is Bringing Back Drive-in Theaters

Johnny Rockets Is Bringing Back Drive-in Theaters
Angie Han — /Film

Johnny Rockets, a chain restaurant whose specialty is heaping nostalgia with a side of burgers, wants you to watch movies like it’s 1959. The company has announced a partnership with USA Drive-ins to open Johnny Rockets drive-throughs with their drive-ins.

BusinessWeek reports USA Drive-ins plans to open 200 drive-in theaters by 2018, many of which will have an accompanying Johnny Rockets drive-through. Moviegoers will be able to either walk up to the counter to get their food, or have it delivered to them in their cars. (“No carhops on roller skates, though,” notes BusinessWeek.) Each…

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Matt Damon Confirms Return to ‘Bourne’ Franchise with Paul Greengrass

Matt Damon Confirms Return to ‘Bourne’ Franchise with Paul Greengrass
Mike Vulpo — Eonline

“Yes, next year,” Damon responded to E! News when asked for clarification. “It’ll be in 2016 when the movie will actually come out. [Director] Paul Greengrass is going to do another one and that’s all I ever said. I just needed him to say yes.”

The plans that have been bandied about were that Damon and Greengrass would do this fifth Bourne film to release sometime in 2016, followed at some point by another Jeremy Renner led spinnoff. Those were unconfirmed reports at least until now. So the Damon and Greengrass part is true at least. I really hope they just drop the whole Aaron…

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Marvel Subpoenaes Google in ‘Age of Ultron’ Trailer Leak Case

Marvel Subpoenaes Google in ‘Age of Ultron’ Trailer Leak Case
Kate Erbland — The Dissolve

The Hollywood Reporter shares that Marvel has subpoenaed Google to get the goods on the person they believe was responsible for the trailer leak. The outlet shares:

“The entertainment company says in court documents that someone using the name ‘John Gazelle’ posted a file of the film on a Google Drive account. On October 22, a lawyer at Marvel parent Disney sent Google a takedown notice pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, requesting that Google expeditiously remove the file.But Marvel wants more identifying information about the alleged infringer. The company is going after…

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‘Toy Story 4’ Set for June 16th, 2017 — John Lasseter to Direct

‘Toy Story 4’ Set for June 16th, 2017 — John Lasseter to Direct
Kevin Jagernauth — The Playlist

During their earnings call with investors this afternoon, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced “Toy Story 4” will arrive on June 16th, 2017. But perhaps more intriguing is that John Lasseter—now chief creative officer at Pixar,Walt Disney Animation Studios, and DisneyToon Studios (as well asWalt Disney Imagineering)—is going to direct. It will be his first movie since 2011’s “Cars 2,” and will mark a return the franchise after helming “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2” (Lee Unkrich, who served in various capacities on the earlier “Toy Story” movies, directed “Toy Story 3;” he’s currently at work on the…

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Final Trailer for ‘The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies’

Final Trailer for ‘The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies’

Peter Jackson is a great example of a talented filmmaker given to much excess who needs to be reigned in. But right now, he’s king of the hill and he can do whatever the heck he wants. And so he is. One book has become three films — and who knows where on earth this final film is going. Strange places, that’s for sure.

The first two installments of this trilogy have had wildly inconsistent visual styling and CGI work, and if this trailer is any indication, the trend of shoddy CGI, overly clean and high flash value but little substance visuals will continue. It’s quite disappointing, really.…

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‘Into the Woods’ Trailer

‘Into the Woods’ Trailer

I haven’t paid too much attention to this yet, but it’s going to be coming out in less than two months so I suppose I should start. To be honest, it looks maybe a tad boring? I don’t know. You know how sometimes something catches your interest, and other times… well, not. This is more in the not category for me.

Still, I want to see the film for the cast alone. I mean, Johnny Depp, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick, and Chris Pine? Sign me up, even if I have not yet been captured by any of the marketing.

There is the other thing though, it’s a musical, and I have little patience for most musicals…

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The Force Was Asleep, But Now It Awakens — ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’

The Force Was Asleep, But Now It Awakens — ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’
Michael Rothman — ABC News

Star Wars: Episode VII” officially has a title.

Disney revealed the news this afternoon and the highly-anticipate movie, set for release on on December 18, 2015, will be called “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

That’s fine, I guess. I don’t know, it isn’t quite what I was hoping for. Consider the strongest two titles in the franchise, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. The Force Awakens feels a little lame next two those two titles. But hopefully the movie won’t be.

My other quibble is that the logo looks wrong somehow. Too clean. Have a look at the logo for The Empire Strikes…

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Nolan on Credit Tags, “A Real Movie Wouldn’t Do That”

UPDATED:

The A.V. Club reports that Nolan has issued a sort of “non-denial” denial of the quote. He does not deny the sentiment, merely that he would say such a thing.

However, just as the Internet began looking to Joss Whedon and saying, “You gonna take that?” and “Kick his ass!” Nolan stepped in to deny he’d ever said that. In a statement to BuzzFeed, the director said, “I would never say someone else’s film isn’t ‘a real film.’ The quote is inaccurate.”

Still, Nolan hasn’t yet disputed The Guardian’s portrayal of him as being hypersensitive to lens flare while editing one particular scene from Interstellar. So here’s an assignment, Internet: By this time tomorrow, we expect you to have started another imaginary feud between Christopher Nolan and J.J. Abrams.

Nolan on Credit Tags, “A Real Movie Wouldn’t Do That”
Kevin Jagernauth — The Playlist

But no matter how you feel about either stable of movies, this latest revelation will likely stoke the Marvel vs. DC arguments all over again.

As folks know, Nolan lent his name and some input as a producer on Warner Bros.’ Superman reboot “Man Of Steel.” Among Nolan’s instructions for director Zack Snyder, was a request that the filmmaker learn how objects move at high velocity. But he was also protective of Snyder and the movie too.

According to The Guardian, Warner Bros. — likely having been astounded by the haul of “The Avengers” the year before — asked Snyder to add a Marvel-style…

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