CliqueClack

San Diego Comic-Con 2014: Day One (and a half)

As the sun sets on San Diego, the first full day of Comic-Con 2014, too, comes to a close. The first day and a half of SDCC have been full of glamour and glitter, fashion and fame … wait, no, not Jem! (Though if the event continues to be the continuing evolution to a wider base of “Popular Culture,” it wouldn’t surprise me if Jem showed up next year.) Until then, however, CliqueClack will focus on whatever the SDCC planners have in store for us.

Michael and I spent the day getting our feet wet, traveling here and there across the San Diego Convention Center and out into the Gaslamp District, attempting to get a feel for everything going on (though, with nearly 30 years of SDCC experience between us – that’s my four years to Michael’s whole-lot-more – we know darn well there’s no way to experience it all). These, however, were some of the highlights: Continue reading 'San Diego Comic-Con 2014: Day One (and a half)' »

And So It Goes was less than I’d hoped for, but better than I expected

It’s probably not the best sign when a film’s opening date gets pushed back by a studio. And So It Goes, the latest comedy from Clarius Entertainment and acclaimed director Rob Reiner, was my first encounter with such a scenario involving a film I was reviewing. There’s a scene toward the film’s end in which Michael Douglas’ character tells Diane Keaton’s character that something had gone “less than he had hoped for, but better than he expected.” Unfortunately, I’d have to say the same expression applies to And So It Goes for me – it was less than I had hoped for, but better than I expected.

As a fan of Rob Reiner’s previous work, I had high hopes. However, I knew from watching the previews, And So It Goes was not going to be another unexpected gem about life, love and relationships like When Harry Met Sally… or as hilarious as the irreverent This Is Spinal Tap. It looked like a run-of-the-mill, romantic comedy – one that is quickly forgettable when the discerning moviegoer is bombarded with countless others of the same caliber. I don’t think my initial assessment was very far from the mark, but I did enjoy watching it unfold a little more than I had expected.

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Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson elevates the decent but not great Hercules

When Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson began acting, with a mostly-CGI cameo in The Mummy 2: The Mummiest, any fans of him from his wrestler days thought that he’d become the next Schwarzenegger. With charisma oozing out of every pore and legitimate athleticism, it seemed a perfect fit. So first there was the The Scorpion King, which was very direct to DVD, but hey … it was his first starring movie. But after a few failed starts, Dwayne Johnson turned to kid’s movies, playing a modern day version of Hulk Hogan’s old incongruous one joke movies in The Tooth Fairy.  And then, it was a miracle when he showed up in Fast Five and immediately made every scene he was in interesting. After doing the in the GI Joe sequel and Michael Bay’s Pain and Gain, the old school Rock fans were saying “Finally, The Rock has come back to action movies!”

When Hercules was announced, it seemed like a great idea. The Rock vs mythological monsters? How could it fail? Then it was discovered that it would be based on a lesser known series of comics from Radical Comics called The Thracian Wars which had a far more realistic take on the story. Well, we thought, that might still work. The Rock could still smash heads in a grittier version of the classic tale. And then we found the director was Brett Ratner and we shuddered. After all, the guy hasn’t made a good movie since Rush Hour and to a lesser extent, Rush Hour 2. And then it was decided that the movie would be PG-13 and we said “C’mon, why are you making this so hard? We just want to see The Rock fight the Hydra already!” Well, I have some good news for you. You do get to see that. Sort of.

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Neverending nostalgia: The NeverEnding Story celebrates 30 years this week

“If you have never spent whole afternoons with burning ears and rumpled hair, forgetting the world around you over a book, forgetting cold and hunger – If you have never read secretly under the bedclothes with a flashlight, because your father or mother or some other well-meaning person has switched off the lamp on the plausible ground that it was time to sleep because you had to get up so early – If you have never wept bitter tears because a wonderful story has come to an end and you must take your leave of the characters with whom you have shared so many adventures, whom you have loved and admired, for whom you have hoped and feared, and without whose company life seems empty and meaningless – If such things have not been part of your own experience, you probably won’t understand what Bastian did next.”

And thus begins one of the most beloved children’s books of all time – The NeverEnding Story by German author Michael Ende. Until last night, I had never actually read the book, which was first published in German in 1979 and translated into English in 1983. But what he wrote still rings true, if my bloodshot, “I was up reading until 1 a.m. even though I had to be up for work by 6 a.m.” eyes are any indication. While it’s hard to believe that it’s been 30 years since the film adaptation of The NeverEnding Story premiered on July 20, 1984, part of me knows not only is that possible but it’s probably been at least a good 25 years since the film first rocked my world.

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Win free passes to see Into the Storm in Boston or Hartford

This contest is closed. Winners will be notified by email. Follow CliqueClack on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Tumblr for contest alerts, review and breaking news.

CliqueClack has partnered with Warner Brothers Pictures to offer readers in the Boston and Hartford areas an opportunity to attend an advance screening of the new disaster movie Into the Storm starring Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies Matt Walsh, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Arlen Escarpeta, Nathan Kress, Jon Reep and Jeremy Sumpter.

In the span of a single day, the town of Silverton is ravaged by an unprecedented onslaught of tornadoes. The entire town is at the mercy of the erratic and deadly cyclones, even as storm trackers predict the worst is yet to come. Most people seek shelter, while others run towards the vortex, testing how far a storm chaser will go for that once-in-a-lifetime shot. Told through the eyes and lenses of professional storm chasers, thrill-seeking amateurs, and courageous townspeople, Into the Storm throws you directly into the eye of the storm to experience Mother Nature at her most extreme.

Continue reading 'Win free passes to see Into the Storm in Boston or Hartford' »

Win free passes to see Get On Up in Chicago or Indianapolis

ALL PASSES HAVE BEEN CLAIMED. WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY EMAIL. FOLLOW CLIQUECLACK ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK, GOOGLE+ and TUMBLR FOR CONTEST ALERTS, REVIEWS and BREAKING NEWS.

CliqueClack has partnered with Universal Pictures to offer readers in the Chicago and Indianapolis areas an opportunity to attend an advance screening of the new James Brown biopic Get On Up starring Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Nelsan Ellis, Lennie James, Tika Sumpter, Jill Scott and Dan Aykroyd.

Chadwick Boseman (42) is James Brown in Get on Up. Based on the incredible life story of the Godfather of Soul, the film will give a fearless look inside the music, moves and moods of Brown, taking audiences on the journey from his impoverished childhood to his evolution into one of the most influential figures of the 20th century.

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Transcendence Blu-ray extras are better than the movie

Every year or so there is a life-changing movie released in cinemas that completely alters the way an individual may perceive film. Generally these movies are epic, thought-provoking and ultimately very captivating. Pardon my slang, but Transcendence ain’t one of those movies. Released back in April to negative reviews, the film has now arrived on Blu-ray/DVD and isn’t much better despite the high definition treatment.

The movie tells the story of Dr. Will Caster, played convincingly by the talented Johnny Depp, an influential leader in the field of artificial intelligence. Caster is working to create a sentient machine that combines mankind’s collective intelligence with true human emotion. As with most films of this genre, this protagonist has his share of issues – the main one being that several radical extremists want him dead. Apparently they aren’t fans of technology. After a threat on his life, Caster records and uploads his mind and thoughts into a supercomputer to achieve, ahem, transcendence. Nice, right?

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Download free passes to see Guardians of the Galaxy in Baltimore, DC or Virginia

CliqueClack has partnered with Marvel Studios to offer readers in Baltimore, DC and Virginia Beach an opportunity to attend an advance screening of the new sci-fi action movie Guardians of the Galaxy starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close as Nova Prime Rael and Benicio Del Toro as The Collector.

An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits — Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand — with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.

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Win free passes to see Into the Storm in Los Angeles

ALL PASSES HAVE BEEN CLAIMED. COMMENTS ARE CLOSED. PLEASE FOLLOW CLIQUECLACK ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK, GOOGLE+ and TUMBLR FOR CONTEST ALERTS, REVIEWS and BREAKING NEWS.

CliqueClack has partnered with Warner Brothers Pictures to offer readers in the Los Angeles area an opportunity to attend an advance screening of the new disaster movie Into the Storm starring Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies Matt Walsh, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Arlen Escarpeta, Nathan Kress, Jon Reep and Jeremy Sumpter.

In the span of a single day, the town of Silverton is ravaged by an unprecedented onslaught of tornadoes. The entire town is at the mercy of the erratic and deadly cyclones, even as storm trackers predict the worst is yet to come. Most people seek shelter, while others run towards the vortex, testing how far a storm chaser will go for that once-in-a-lifetime shot. Told through the eyes and lenses of professional storm chasers, thrill-seeking amateurs, and courageous townspeople, Into the Storm throws you directly into the eye of the storm to experience Mother Nature at her most extreme.

Continue reading 'Win free passes to see Into the Storm in Los Angeles' »

Win free passes to see Let’s Be Cops in Cleveland, Cincinnati or Columbus

UPDATED – ALL PASSES FOR ALL SCREENINGS HAVE BEEN CLAIMED. THIS OFFER IS CLOSED. FOLLOW CLIQUECLACK ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK, GOOGLE+ and TUMBLR.

CliqueClack has partnered with Twentieth Century Fox to offer readers in the Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus areas an opportunity to attend an advance screening of the new comedy Let’s Be Cops starring Damon Wayans Jr., Jake Johnson, Rob Riggle, Nina Dobrev, James D’Arcy and Andy Garcia.

It’s the ultimate buddy cop movie except for one thing: they’re not cops. When two struggling pals dress as police officers for a costume party, they become neighborhood sensations. But when these newly-minted “heroes” get tangled in a real life web of mobsters and dirty detectives, they must put their fake badges on the line.

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