Working Your Birthday Like a Boss – The Robert Downey Jr Edition
Apr 20, 2013 movies and tv, online humor
Because I’m a huge fan of Marvel and Iron Man and of Robert Downey, Jr, I’ve been keeping up to date on the promo tour that RDJ is on for Iron Man 3. Making it easier is all the press stuff I’ve been getting from each stop on the world tour.
At first, I kinda felt bad for RDJ, since his 48th birthday fell in the middle of the first stop in S. Korea and the second stop in Bejing, China. I’ve had to work on my birthday and it’s no fun. To top it off, he would be away from his family for his special day.
But after getting the reports back from the S. Korea and China stops, I’ve realized that he worked his birthday like a boss.
In S. Korea, he was presented with a huge “Iron Man” themed birthday cake that would have made Duff from Ace of Cakes proud. The huge crowd also sang “Happy Birthday” to him.
Then, in China, they threw him a party at the Imperial Ancestral temple in Beijing (the first time a Hollywood movie has been promoted there) and during the ceremony, he was presented with a giant birthday card containing 5,339 fans signature. This set a new world record for most signatures on a birthday card, and he received a plaque from the Guinness Book of World Records officially recognizing that.
On top of it, they let him sit on a golden throne decorated in serpents, because not only is 2013 the Year of the Snake, but RDJ’s birth year was also a snake year. A GOLD THRONE, people.
So let’s recap. He works on his birthday and gets not one, but two countries to throw him huge birthday parties where he gets an incredible cake, a gold throne to sit on, and a Guinness World Record.
Kinda puts your average birthday party to shame, doesn’t it?
I have to wonder though, what is he going to do for his 50th in two years…especially since that milestone birthday happens to fall during what will undoubtably be promo time for Avengers 2 (2015).
And how do I get an invite? ::wink::
Seriously, how do you top that? I’m gonna feel like a slacker if all I do is go out for drinks and dinner with friends on my birthday.
Tags: birthdays, Iron Man 3, Robert Downey Jr
My Top Movies of 2012
Jan 4, 2013 movies and tv
Here is my list of my favorite films from 2012. Keep in mind, due to my illness in the first part of the year, I missed a lot of movies.
But of the ones I did see, here are the ones that stood out for me:
1] The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
I was a little nervous about this, since director Peter Jackson was taking one book and splitting it into three movies. However, this first installment in The Hobbit trilogy of films had very little downtime, even considering its almost three hour runtime. I also saw it in the new 48-frames-per-second speed of film (regular film is 24-frames-per-second) and in 3D. Everything felt more realistic and it gave the 3D effect a true depth I hadn’t seen before. This isn’t a perfect movie, but it came very close.
2] The Avengers Read the rest of this entry »
I missed it in theaters since it debuted the weekend I went into the hospital, but I did get the DVD for my birthday. Joss Whedon crafted an amazing movie. I mean, how do you take already established characters, who have their own separate franchises, add in a couple of new characters, and make them seem to work as a cohesive unit? He made it look easy, with a film that had great dialog, amazing action sequences, and seamless special effects. Of course it helps that the film had high caliber actors (Robert Downey, Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston) bringing their A-game to their characters. I honestly don’t know how Whedon is going to top this, but he has until 2015 to figure it out (that’s when Avengers 2 is due out – ooo..maybe they’ll shoot that in 48fps!).
Tags: Cabin in the Woods, Hotel Transylvania, Jack Reacher, Les Miserable, Silver Linings Playbook, Skyfall, The Avengers, The Hobbit, Wreck-It Ralph
Movie Review: Silver Linings Playbook
Dec 26, 2012 movies and tv
Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper
I’d heard a lot of good things about Silver Linings Playbook, and I was pleasantly surprised that it lived up to most of the hype.
Based on the novel by Matthew Quick, the story centers around Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper), who has just been released from a mental institution. His break-down was brought on by catching his wife cheating on him, and when he gets out, he discovers not only does she not want to talk to him, but he’s also lost his job and house.
He has no choice but to move in with his parents (Jacki Weaver and a delightful Robert De Niro). Soon after, he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), the sister-in-law of a friend, who also has spent time in a mental hospital.
The love story that results is equal parts drama and comedy, and is delightfully unconventional and even slightly messy.
Cooper does a good job as the center of this movie, but it’s his scenes with Lawrence that really make the movie. She delivers a powerful performance and practically steals every scene she’s in.
If you’re looking for a heart-warming character-driven movie, Silver Linings Playbook is a well-crafted film worth seeing.
Tags: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, movie review, Silver Linings Playbook
Movie Review: Jack Reacher
Dec 22, 2012 movies and tv
Tom Cruise is Jack Reacher
Jack Reacher is Tom Cruise doing what he does best in movies: high-energy fights, exciting action sequences, and snappy dialog. And that’s ok, because that’s just what makes this movie so good.
Reacher, a character from a series of books by author Lee Child, is a former military cop who has been living off the grid. After an ex-sniper is accused of opening fire on a crowd of people, Reacher shows up in Pittsburgh to find the truth.
There’s very little back story, at first. You learn about Reacher and how he fits into all of this as the film goes along, but in this film, it works.
He’s assisted by the ex-sniper’s defense attorney (Rosamund Pike), who happens to be the daughter of the prosecuting D.A. (Richard Jenkins). He also makes friends with an ex-Marine who now owns a shooting range, played wonderfully by Robert Duvall, that helps him solve the case.
Jack Reacher is a no-frills action thriller, and it’s a great one. It doesn’t try to reinvent the genre, it just does it really well.
Tags: Jack Reacher, movie review, Tom Cruise
Disney Acquires Lucasfilm for $4.05 Billion
Oct 30, 2012 movies and tv, scifi and fantasy
Disney’s Bob Iger and Lucasfilm’s George Lucas
Today it was announced that The Walt Disney Company has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd in a stock and cash transaction worth an estimated $4.05 billion.
Disney and Lucasfilm have worked together in the past, most notably on the Star Tours attractions at its Disney theme parks. But with this agreement, Disney will wholly own Lucasfilm and everything to do with the Star Wars universe.
“For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,” said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. “It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I’ve always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime.”
Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will become President of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. She will also serve as the brand manager for everything Star Wars, and executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, with Lucas serving as creative consultant.
Lucas at Walt Disney World
The first major project lined up with Lucasfilm now under Disney will be Star Wars Episode 7, set for a 2015 release. This is the first film in the last of Lucas’ Star Wars trilogy.
Worth noting is that Marvel, which was also acquired by Disney, has scheduled the film Avengers 2 for release in 2015, as well.
“Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including Star Wars, one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney’s unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value.”
Tags: "Star Wars", disney, George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd, Walt Disney Company
Marvel Releases First Trailer for Iron Man 3 Movie
Oct 23, 2012 movies and tv
As you may know, I’m a huge fan of Robert Downey, Jr, and this week, Marvel released the first trailer for the upcoming film, Iron Man 3. Here it is, if you haven’t seen it (or are like me and just want to see it again):
It looks to be a more intense Iron Man movie. Tony Stark (Downey) has been changed by his experiences, including the events in The Avengers. He has more worries now, and more enemies.
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The trailer explains that he’s haunted by nightmares and worries about protecting “the one thing I can’t live without” – which would be Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow).
On board as the villain is Ben Kingsley as Mandarin. I love what he does with his voice, by lowering the timbre and accenting certain letters like “r” – very menacing sounding.
Tags: Gwyneth Paltrow, Iron Man 3, Marvel, movie trailers, Robert Downey Jr
Michelle Snow. Journalist. Photographer. Web Designer. Graphic Designer. Traveler. Geekgirl. Browncoat. Musicologist.
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