‘Underworld 4′ a Rude Awakening (Movie Review)
February 1st, 2012 by Gregg Senko
I remember a handful of years back when word got out that a third Underworld movie was in production. Then word arrived that series star Kate Beckinsale would not be a part of the film. I, along with many other fans, felt the unfortunate sting. Thankfully, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans was a great-fitting prequel spelling out the history of the werewolf/vampire rivalry. With a trilogy in the books, fans still wanted another movie, but this time with Kate Beckinsale. I give you Underworld: Awakening. Continue reading ‘‘Underworld 4′ a Rude Awakening (Movie Review)’
I was kind of worried throughout the first half of the year that it wasn’t going to be a pleasant 2011 as far as theater viewings went. There were more than a few flops at the cinema by the time June came to a close with a sparse picking of films that had some ‘wow’ factor. Thankfully, the second half of 2011 made up for it in just about any genre you can think of, and as December winds down, I waited until seeing War Horse before releasing this list. However, that potentially epic film fell short and didn’t come close to making the list. So without any more delay, here are some of the best and worst films we’ve had the opportunity (or displeasure) of experiencing since January…
So many Blu-rays, so little time. If I bought every disc I wanted to see this year, I would’ve gone broke before the summer ended. There were some great releases that didn’t make my list such as Swingers, Attack the Block, and True Blood: Season 3. Then there were the sure-fire films I thought would make the list but missed by a mile, like a really bad video transfer of Gettysburg and an extras-less Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Who releases a big budget feature on Blu-ray with no extras?? Anyway, I’d have to say this was probably the most difficult top ten Blu-ray list I ever had to assemble as it underwent many changes throughout the year, most over the course of the last week. Now that 2011 is just about said and done, here are my favorite picks of the year…
The wait is nearly over. On December 20th, PC gamers will finally be able to get their hands on an official copy of the latest MMO (massive multiplayer online) title to hit store shelves; Star Wars: The Old Republic. A few weeks back, I had the opportunity of being selected as a beta tester. This past weeked, I managed to grab a few hours of adventure in a galaxy far, far away…
The final week of issue 1′s from DC’s New 52 have been released and the public has had their day in the sun to review them. While I didn’t get to every issue that came out last week, I did take a look at six of the titles. I passed on David Finch’s The Dark Knight, simply because I’m not big on the idea of stopping a series three or four issues into it, then rebooting it right away. Plus, that title did not receive favorable reviews on Comixology, so in its place, I went with the lesser known I, Vampire. With other titles like Superman and the Flash gracing last week’s releases, week four saw the New 52 first-issue premiers going out with a bang…or was it more like a pop?
The final week of The New 52 is upon us, and while I will have a review of multiple titles next week, today is going to focus on a character DC has had trouble delivering to readers on a more serious level. Aquaman. The sea-farring superhero turned 70 this week, debuting in issue #73 of More Fun Comics on September 25, 1941. He gets his reboot today. How appropo.
As the third season of the Fox hit makes its debut on TV, so does season 2 on Blu-ray. While the latest season will feature the final seasons of stars Lea Michele and Chris Colfer, you can relive their junior years in high school on the latest Blu-ray addition. Of course the show doesn’t stop there. There’s the Dalton Academy, Sue’s incessant antics to abolish the glee club, relationships gone awry and the list goes on. Still, as bubblegum as some of these topics come across, there is a great deal of reality the show contends with. It can be a lifestyle choice or a disability and whatever the case, has no fear in addressing the matters in an entertaining and sometimes educational fashion. No, not PBS educational. I mean look-at-people-around-you educational. It is truly unique and is tough to compare it with anything else out there now on the airwaves. Get ready for the complete second season of…Glee!
Yesterday witnessed another barrage of DC Comics restarts as we get closer to the final launch date. Though September 21st’s releases consisted of twelve titles, we’re going to take a quick look at half of those, including DC standouts Batman and Wonder Woman. It’s hard to believe four of the five ‘New 52′ release dates are already said and done. So far, personal favorites include Animal Man, Batwing, Justice League, and the Red Lanterns. How does this week compare? Let’s find out… 
After today, there are only two more Wednesdays of release dates that restart 52 DC titles at issue 1. While I was unable to get my hands on issue 1 of Deathstroke (sold out) or a few of the other DC notables today, I did pick up six other firsts. Read on to see what’s worth a buy and what’s worth leaving on the shelf.
Last night I received a very sobering text message from fellow WSB writer Gerard Iribe. It stated that Spartacus star Andy Whitfield passed away. For months I had wondered of the progress of the actor’s battle with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and last night was not the outcome I was expecting. Instead of focusing on the sadness of his departure, however, I figured it better to reflect on the positive that he brought to us as well as the indirect impact he has had here on Why So Blu.
First things first. Did you really expect this to be as good as the original Jaws? Of course not, so let’s get that comparison out of the way. Now the real question is, does Shark Night 3D have any redeeming value? It’s along the lines of last year’s Piranha 3D, which I actually found to be a really entertaining film, in 3D or not. So let’s sharpen those chompers and take a bite out of Shark Night 3D.
Yes, yes, I know. This isn’t the typical Why So Blu movie review. We focus on pop culture flicks, usually consisting of comedies, science fiction, and kick-ass action films. The Help does not fall under any of those three categories. Yet, like last year’s The King’s Speech, this movie is too good not to talk about here. Just like the article’s title says, watch for this film to be nominated for at least Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards.
Last night MTV featured the premiere episode of the new horror-comedy Death Valley. Take a little True Blood, some of The Walking Dead and a pinch of Underworld, then mix it with a whole lot of Reno 911…Viola! A perfect formula for comedic success, right? No.
Never has a comic book publisher done what DC is about to. Through a great deal of planning, caution and artistic development, the home of Superman and Batman will reset 52 of its titles, many of which are already deep into the hundreds, to issue 1. What would cause the company to create such a mammoth undertaking and erase the history of so many of its long-running titles?
While it’s not quite The Terminator, remaking any Schwarzenegger movie is always going to add a great bit of skepticism amongst fans of the original. Case in point, the 2011 version of Conan the Barbarian. In the 21st century trend of Hollywood remaking films, film execs apparently figured this would be another cult classic worthy of refreshing. Was it worth the risk?
This past spring I had the luxury of attending one of the many Glee Concert performances. Yes, I am a gleek and the weekly series holds the #2 spot on my list of favorite shows. Regardless of how the show’s storyline would carry over to the stage was mostly irrelevant to me. I just wanted to see and hear the talented cast in person. I left the event a very happy gleek, minus the salsa splattered on my white dress shirt from one clutzy fellow concert-goer. Now take that same show and put it on the big screen. Will it carry the same song and dance one-two punch?
