My Favorite TV to Movie Adapations

I’ve been thinking about this alot, especially since I’ve been watching quite a bit of TV lately. We all know that Hollywood is constantly looking for new ideas for movies.. and TV happens to be a good source of ideas for a (potentially) good feature film.

Why is this? Plenty of reasons, of course:

• Existing Fan Base
• Developed Storyline and Characters
• Actors/Actresses are potentially already cast
• You get to watch your favorite TV show on the Big Screen!

And there are plenty more. Not all TV show to feature film adaptations are successful.. S.W.A.T comes to mind, but there are a surprising amount that have been quite good. Here are my Top 3: Read more

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What WAS the Best Movie Theme Song?

Some of you may have been wondering the results of the poll that I ran last month, as well as who was the lucky winner of the movie soundtrack as a result! To be honest, I’ve had the results for a while, but a combination of lack of sleep and being extremely busy at my day/night jobs (yes, I still have those) have been holding this post back.

So, without further Ado, let’s announce the winner for the best theme song, as voted by you, the loyal readers of Intermission at Work!

The winner is……… Read more

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Movies This Weekend! 6/20/08

Hey! Back again with two posts (almost) in a row. I’ve actually got a few more that I’m going to pump out, just got a few shifts at work that may hold them off for a bit. I’ll work hard to try to get them out for you guys though! It’ll only help you guys participate more and win some free advertising on the blog, right? Anyway, let’s continue on with what this post is meant for: The Movies This Weekend!

Last week featured a couple films that performed pretty well. We had The Incredible Hulk, which despite early predictions of huge numbers, pulled in a respectable $55 Million, short of what some thought, but still good. Also, there was The Happening, which fell short to a swift kick from Kung Fu Panda. What does this weekend have in store for us? Unfortunately for me, nothing I’m really looking forward to, though they do feature some very attractive women….

Get Smart - Directed by Peter Segal, Rated PG-13

Maxwell Smart has recently been promoted to field agent, and he is on a mission to thwart a plot for world domination by the evil crime syndicate KAOS. However, Smart only came upon this job because the identities of all the secret agents in the US Spy Agency Control have been compromised. He will not be alone though, as he is joined by the lovely Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), even though he was hoping for a pairing with superstar agent 23. Armed with no talent, but some cool gadgets and some enthusiasm to boot, Smart must do everything he can to stop the doomsday plan for world domination.

Joe’s Take - Ummm… I’ve got a pretty big thing for Anne Hathaway. She the reason why I watched The Devil Wears Prada. Ok, her and Emily Blunt, but I’ve still got a thing for Anne. I would see this movie for her alone, though I’m not too excited about the concept or anything else really about it. It seems like Steve Carrell is becoming a little bit like Adam Sandler, where he keeps play similar characters. That being said, Zohan did fairly well at the box office, so I predict that Get Smart will be able to rake in at least $25 million this weekend.

The Love Guru - Directed by Marco Schnabel, Rated PG-13

Mike Myers returns to the big screen in Love Guru, which features love, hockey, and …. Indian Spirituality? This comedy explores how an indian love guru can help out a hockey team… and that’s about it.

Joe’s Take - Sorry about the short synopsis on this movie guys, but that’s all that Rotten Tomatoes really had to offer. I think that you’ve seen most of what this movie has to offer from the commercials, but I could be wrong. Uh… just like Get Smart. I think this one is going to be like Austin Powers, but in a different setting. It could be what we need for a breather from all the action/thriller movies, but then again, you have two to pick from this weekend that would fit that category and are new. Oh. But this one has Jessica Alba… a very big plus. I’d say they split it up in the end, $25 million each.

So there we go, the movies this weekend. Two very similar features, in my opinion. I can’t really pick based on the main male character, and I have to say that I can’t really pick based on the female leads either! I guess this will come down to what the lovely girlfriend wants to see… if she wants to go to the movies, that is.

Joe’s Review: The Hulk (2008)

For anyone who thinks that this movie even closely resembles the debacle that was the previous incarnation of The Hulk, I’m going to dispel that right now. The Incredible Hulk was quite decent. If I had to describe the movie in one word, I’d have to go with: LOUD. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a movie quite as loud as this… well maybe I have, but it was definitely way up there. Every roar, smash, and gunshot in the movie was deafening. Did that make the movie good? Read on!

Since he was first irradiated by gamma radiation and became The Hulk, Bruce Banner (A capable Edward Norton) has been declared an enemy of the United States Military. He was considered to have stolen military secrets, something the army wants back so they can use what happened to him as a weapon. However, Banner wants no part of this, and is doing his best to stay out of the whole situation. He has escaped to South America, doing odd jobs in a local bottling factory. In his spare time, he communicates with “Mr. Blue” under an alias to try to find a cure for his situation. Despite all of “Mr. Blue’s” help, their efforts are in vain. Everything they tried ends up failing.

However, after Dr. Banner sends a sample of his blood to “Mr. Blue”, a solution is found. Unfortunately for Banner, the US military is on to his location after a mishap with his blood ending up in an energy drink in the US. The US sends their best to trap Banner and bring him back, but they fail as The Hulk emerges. With Banner gone again, the military is left with just some traces, and a lot of questions as to what they have to face.

The story actually is more complicated than that, but you’ll have to see the movie to know what happens. I really enjoyed what they did with the story, and I personally think it works really well.

Now lets talk cast. Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/The Hulk really worked in my opinion. He really seemed to make the character his own, and in my personal opinion, was very much more believable as Bruce Banner than Eric Bana was. No offense to Eric, but I think Norton really just did it better. Now as for the heroine, I think Liv Tyler was adequate, but for some reason I kept seeing someone else in the role. I kept thinking Anne Hathaway… but that might be because they looked really similar in this movie. Also, the fact that I recently saw The Strangers made Liv Tyler a bit of strange choice. It’s a sharp contrast in the type of movie.

Overall, I’m going to say that I enjoyed The Hulk. Yes, Iron Man was a better movie, but nevertheless, the Hulk was enjoyable. I guess that does say that this prediction was wrong with the gross. The combination of action and development in the story worked for me. I’ll have to say that the volume (loudness) did detract from the movie for me, but that could be location specific so I’m not going to hold it against the film. I

Now that you have my ranking (below)… what did you think? Like or Hate it? Did you like the Green Man when he was angry?

‘m going to give it:

Rating:

- See it if you get a chance!

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Movies this Weekend! 6/13/08

Yes, I know I’m late with this post. I fell asleep a couple days in a row, really early, and kept waking up late for work, so you’re going to have to forgive me. I’ve already drawn a winner for the soundtrack poll from last month, and I’ll get that post in tomorrow, I hope. Anyway, on to what this post should be about, the upcoming major releases. Last week certainly was big, and Zohan did a lot better than I thought it would. Kung Fu Panda was also a very strong opening, pulling in over $60 million.

This week has a couple films with the chance to do equally well. Who knows how well they’ll do though. There are some early predictions for one of them, but like I said, you can never know. On to the movies!

The Happening - Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Rated R

In this thriller from the creator of Signs and Unbreakable, Mark Walhberg plays a father who tries to escape with his family from an apocalyptic event. For unknown reasons, everyone around the world is just stopping in their tracks and dropping dead…. literally. Also costarring Zooey Deschanel and John Leguizamo.

Joe’s Take - For me, this is just another M. Night Shyamalan movie. Honestly, I think every single one of his movies is the same thing over and over again. Sometimes it might work, but for the most part, it’s just a lot of hype for not a whole lot of thrill. My favorite scene from one of his movies has to be in Signs, when you see the alien out of nowhere in the streets at the party. But other than that, it wasn’t that special. Since this is his first rated R movie, I’m going to give it a little bit of leeway. The Happening should pull in about $30 million, with the curiosity factor.

The Hulk - Directed by Louis Leterrier, Rated PG-13

A second adaptation of the famous comic book green giant. Scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is hiding the shadows, trying to find a cure for his condition. However, there are plenty of people who are interested in finding him so they can use his condition for their own selfish military reasons, and they won’t leave him alone. After returning to civilization, Banner (as the Hulk) is pursued by The Abomination, a beast with similar powers to the Hulk himself. The fight between the two is sure to be epic, as Banner must use all his strength to save New York.

Joe’s Take - I have to admit, the first Hulk movie has left a sour taste in my mouth. It was just not what I expected it to be, and I was really disappointed. Then I heard that this was coming out… and I just wasn’t sure. That being said, I do think I want to see how different this will be… there’s been so much hype, and the commercials make it look like it could be a really cool movie. As soon as I see it, I’ll let you guys know how it turned out. Feel free to leave a comment if you’ve seen it, and let your opinion be heard!

There you have em, the major releases this weekend. I think that these two movies definitely won’t be helping each other at the box office, but might end up pretty even. The Hulk takes the weekend, raking in about $60 million. Great, but still behind Iron Man.

Joe’s Review: The Strangers

So, during Sex and the City weekend, my girlfriend and I decided to see.. that’s right, a horror movie. So we trucked over to the theatre, only to see lines out the door, and into the parking lot. I would have taken a picture, but we were running late and my girlfriend pretty much said “No Way”. Good thing I can just walk in, because that line would’ve taken forever to get through! Our theatre itself was pretty full, but I have to say it was really subdued for a horror movie crowd.. you’ll see why.

The Strangers is based on real life events, namely the Keddie Resort murders. The voiceover that introduces you to the film is very haunting, and really puts things in perspective. Things like what happen in this movie can happen in real life. Here’s what they say:

“The film you are about to see is inspired by true events. According to the F.B.I. there are an estimated 1.4 million violent crimes in America each year. On the night of February 11, 2005 Kristen McKay and James Hoyt went to a friend’s wedding reception and returned to the Hoyt family’s summer home. The brutal events that took place there are still not entirely known.”

Actually brings a bit of a chill to my spine. I’ll admit I’m not the bravest soul in the world, and this is definitely the kind of movie that makes me think twice sometimes, especially those closing shifts at the theatre.

The basic plot of the The Strangers is that a couple, Kristin McCay and James Hoyt, have retreated to James’ parents home, where James has prepared a surprise for Kristen. He wants to marry her. However, things don’t quite work out as planned, and it turns out Kristin is not ready for marriage yet. This in itself sets a bit of a dark tone as to what’s going to happen. The two decide to spend the night, and will leave in the morning after they are rested. After a visit from a strange girl, James leaves to get some cigarettes for Kristin. While he’s gone, strange things start to happen. Kristin’s cell phone disappears, and a smoke detector she took off gets moved. What they don’t realize is that they’re not alone, and things are going to get a lot worse…..

You’ll have to see the movie to find out what happens next. When I first left the theatre, I wasn’t all too impressed with this movie. It seemed cookie cutter. As I reflect on it, The Strangers really grew on me. The acting by Liv Tyler was excellent, and Scott Speedman was very adequate as well. You could really feel the tension building throughout the movie, and really feel for the characters. It feels as if it’s happening to you almost. As I mentioned before, there wasn’t too much screaming in the theatre, it was more a sense of implied fear, with people feeling anxious as to what would happen next.

The imagery that the movie had was great as well. The scene that’s depicted in the poster was one of the all time creepiest things I’ve ever seen. I’ve even heard this movie put into the same category as Halloween and The Shining. It’s definitely worth a watch if you’re in the mood for a gripping horror flick. Yes, it can be cliche at times, but it worked for me.

Rating:

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Movies This Weekend! 6/6/08

So… I was wrong last week. Sex and the City did do pretty well, as did The Strangers. Pulling in a combined 76.8 million is no easy feat. From what I hear (from my brother), Sex and the City had the biggest premiere ever for a rated R movie. I’m going to have to research that for you, but if they did that, it’s pretty impressive. Working the weekend, the movie itself performed like I thought it would… crazy business on Friday and then dying down continuously over the weekend. Still a fun experience.. for the most part. I have some people that may be “Jerk” worthy, but I’ll have to see.

This weekend takes a much lighter tone, with a huge kid’s movie, and another Adam Sandler movie. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Kung Fu Panda - Directed by Mark Osborne, Rated PG

This animated film features Jack Black as Po the Panda bear. Po is a waiter in a noodle bar, and a Kung Fu fanatic. However, Po definitely doesn’t fit the figure of a Kung Fu warrior, and is widely known as the laziest of all the animals in ancient China. With Powerful enemies threatening their gates, all of the land’s hopes are pinned on a prophesy that names Po as the Chosen One, destined to save the land. It’s going to be a huge undertaking for the martial arts experts of the land to turn this lazy creature into the hero they are hoping to save them.

Joe’s Take - Kung Fu Panda should do very well at the box office. It’s the first big film for kids this year, especially since Speed Racer was such a disappointment. It’s not Shrek, but I think that it has the legs to pull in $50 million in its first weekend. It seems really cute, and I’ve really enjoyed the “Silence is Golden” snipes that have featured Po the Panda:

You with the texting… I’m watching you!

I’m going to be seeing this, so hopefully I’ll have a review for you soon! I hadn’t realized that there were so many stars providing voices for this… should be great!

You Don’t Mess with the Zohan - Directed by Dennis Dugan, Rated PG-13

In this Judd Apatow and Robert Smigel screenplay, Adam Sandler is Zohan, an Israeli commando who has faked his own death so he can come to the United States and pursue his dream of becoming a hairstylist. Even though he’s escaped from the world of being a commando, he still uses his skills for his own benefit in the United States.

Joe’s Take - Ummmmm… not so sure about this one. I want to say that it’ll be funny, but it just seems to me like this could be just another “Adam Sandler” move. He seems to always play the same type of character and this doesn’t appear to be any different. However, comedies generally have a way of pulling in a crowd, and if someone’s gonna do it with something that seems like worthless drivel, it’s going to be Adam Sandler. I predict that this film pulls in $20 million it’s first weekend. I will try to see this one as well, but no guarantees…. I’m still deciding if it’ll be worth it.

There you have it, a look at this week’s major releases. Hope you are having a great blockbuster season so far, I know it’s really keeping me busy. I hope to be able to keep the posting frequency up, but please bear with me as it gets busier! Are you going to see any of the movies this weekend?

An Intermission @ Work World Premiere

I’m really happy to make this announcement. First off, I want the readers of this blog to know that I really appreciate you as readers. It means a lot to me that you come back and read. However, I also love it when you comment on the things that I have to write (Yes, sometimes this can be far and few between). There was a great response to the “Best Movie Theme Song” Poll, and I’ll post those ASAP, as well as the winner!

The thing I enjoyed the most about running that poll was reading your comments on the post, as to why you made the selection you did, and what exactly your selection was. That post had 26 comments! Yes, there were quite a few from me, but that was an excellent total for me! Read more

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