The LittleBigPlanet franchise effectively died earlier this year when Sony took down the servers for and later delisted LBP3. But a group of self-described “hobbyists” are working on Restitched, a game that will likely be just what some sad LBP fans are missing. And a new trailer for it arrived as a last-minute…
The LittleBigPlanet franchise effectively died earlier this year when Sony took down the servers for and later delisted LBP3. But a group of self-described “hobbyists” are working on Restitched, a game that will likely be just what some sad LBP fans are missing. And a new trailer for it arrived as a last-minute…
It took almost Superman-level efforts but it looks as if we might finally be getting the long-awaited Scrubs reboot. But it’s been nearly 15 years since the ninth season – and we all know how that turned out, playing more as a spin-off than a genuine conclusion. So what can we expect from this Scrubs reboot?
Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence has been pushing for a reboot of the NBC (and later ABC) comedy for quite some time, but now that discussions with the cast could be happening, some serious prep is going to need to take place. But Lawrence has an idea of just how it will move forward. “With the creative side, the show’s not going to pick up a day later. It can’t. I’m interested in where these characters are, that many years later. I always remember the finale of Scrubs, in Season 8, with J.D. saying he has a dream of how things would go and, ‘Tell me my fantasies won’t come true, just this once.’ I never said that’s what happened. I’m interested, not only creatively, in where they’d be now and who they are, but also under the umbrella of what’s happened to the medical world and how that looks now. And one step past that, I love stories where the students become the teachers, and that would be what has to happen in this type of world.”
That comment immediately brings to mind the ninth season of Scrubs, which found only a handful of the original cast members – Zach Braff, Donald Faison and John C. McGinley – returning, thus season eight feeling like the true conclusion and the ninth like a tacked-on non-essential…without getting into every last behind-the-scenes decision that ultimately led to season nine. But if a tenth season of Scrubs or some version of a reboot can bring back the original cast while also maneuvering through a post-Covid medical field, then that’s something worth getting excited for.
Where do you stand on a Scrubs reboot? What would it take for it to be a success? Pass the scalpel and let us know in the comments section below.
The post Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence teases a bit more info on the reboot appeared first on JoBlo.
It took almost Superman-level efforts but it looks as if we might finally be getting the long-awaited Scrubs reboot. But it’s been nearly 15 years since the ninth season – and we all know how that turned out, playing more as a spin-off than a genuine conclusion. So what can we expect from this Scrubs reboot?
Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence has been pushing for a reboot of the NBC (and later ABC) comedy for quite some time, but now that discussions with the cast could be happening, some serious prep is going to need to take place. But Lawrence has an idea of just how it will move forward. “With the creative side, the show’s not going to pick up a day later. It can’t. I’m interested in where these characters are, that many years later. I always remember the finale of Scrubs, in Season 8, with J.D. saying he has a dream of how things would go and, ‘Tell me my fantasies won’t come true, just this once.’ I never said that’s what happened. I’m interested, not only creatively, in where they’d be now and who they are, but also under the umbrella of what’s happened to the medical world and how that looks now. And one step past that, I love stories where the students become the teachers, and that would be what has to happen in this type of world.”
That comment immediately brings to mind the ninth season of Scrubs, which found only a handful of the original cast members – Zach Braff, Donald Faison and John C. McGinley – returning, thus season eight feeling like the true conclusion and the ninth like a tacked-on non-essential…without getting into every last behind-the-scenes decision that ultimately led to season nine. But if a tenth season of Scrubs or some version of a reboot can bring back the original cast while also maneuvering through a post-Covid medical field, then that’s something worth getting excited for.
Where do you stand on a Scrubs reboot? What would it take for it to be a success? Pass the scalpel and let us know in the comments section below.
The post Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence teases a bit more info on the reboot appeared first on JoBlo.
One of this year’s biggest films, Jon M. Chu’s big-screen adaptation of Wicked- is coming home just in time for the holidays with its epic home media release set for December 31st! While we all know that going to the movie theater these days may come with its share of patrons who lack traditional theater etiquette, Wicked’s home/release aims to please everyone with the special features which include a full sing-along version of the movie, as well as some deleted scenes and (according to Jon M. Chu) all the memes you can handle!
In order to celebrate this popular film and its grand reception upon release, Universal Studios flew me out to Napa Valley, California to tour the world famous Mumm Winery and even defy gravity ourselves as we soared across the Bay Area in a giant hot air balloon. Let’s talk about it!
My journey started bright and early at 3am (yes, I did it for you!) when I was magically whisked away from my home in JoBlosville, to Napa California, or as we all know it- Wine country.
Now, I’m a fan of Wicked. I enjoy the stage production as I’m sure many of you do- and upon seeing the theatrical adaptation… I gotta say I was impressed. Now while I enjoyed my experience seeing the movie in theaters, I must also admit I’m a sucker for watching movies from the comfort of my own couch. Especially, the longer ones.
If you’re like me- you’re in for some good news. But we’ll talk more about that in just a bit.
My first night in town was pretty exciting. I got to meet some other movie lovers and Wicked fanatics, I got to sample some delicious and glittery wine. And as if I wasn’t excited enough to be getting into a hot air balloon the next day- Mumm Winery also had a giant Wicked-themed balloon to both excite me for the trip and make me nervous about the fact that I’d be in a wicker basket flying hundreds of feet over the ground.
The morning of the balloon ride, I woke up feeling excited and slightly nervous for the experience. Soaring in a hot air balloon is a bucket list item of mine- but one that I also was most afraid of. I’m happy to report that not only did I survive, but I had a blast getting footage and taking in the incredible view.
So I gotta admit, I was excited about the home release of Wicked as it is, but something about floating this high up and seeing the beauty of the west coast from this giant rainbow balloon flashing with fire and roaring wind- it just makes me feel like I was “defying gravity”…
Okay, I’m getting too caught up in the fun.
After my sunrise balloon excursion and a nice breakfast- it was time to get my game face back on. Because in just a short while- I’d be sitting face to face with the man responsible for all of this. The biggest Wicked fan in the business- Jon M Chu. Or, as I got to know him… MISTER Jon M. Chu. I.. I mean what did you expect him to invite me over for new years?
Check out the interview embedded at the top of the article and HERE.
Wicked will be available to purchase or rent on December 31st on digital! The film will hit physical media on February 4th.
Here are the specs:
EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURES WHEN YOU PURCHASE AT PARTICIPATING RETAILERS:
Experience the magic at home and enjoy being able to shamelessly sing along at the top of your lungs… I know I will!
Here are more pics from the event!
The post JoBlo Celebrates Wicked’s NYE home release in Napa with Jon M. Chu! appeared first on JoBlo.
One of this year’s biggest films, Jon M. Chu’s big-screen adaptation of Wicked- is coming home just in time for the holidays with its epic home media release set for December 31st! While we all know that going to the movie theater these days may come with its share of patrons who lack traditional theater etiquette, Wicked’s home/release aims to please everyone with the special features which include a full sing-along version of the movie, as well as some deleted scenes and (according to Jon M. Chu) all the memes you can handle!
In order to celebrate this popular film and its grand reception upon release, Universal Studios flew me out to Napa Valley, California to tour the world famous Mumm Winery and even defy gravity ourselves as we soared across the Bay Area in a giant hot air balloon. Let’s talk about it!
My journey started bright and early at 3am (yes, I did it for you!) when I was magically whisked away from my home in JoBlosville, to Napa California, or as we all know it- Wine country.
Now, I’m a fan of Wicked. I enjoy the stage production as I’m sure many of you do- and upon seeing the theatrical adaptation… I gotta say I was impressed. Now while I enjoyed my experience seeing the movie in theaters, I must also admit I’m a sucker for watching movies from the comfort of my own couch. Especially, the longer ones.
If you’re like me- you’re in for some good news. But we’ll talk more about that in just a bit.
My first night in town was pretty exciting. I got to meet some other movie lovers and Wicked fanatics, I got to sample some delicious and glittery wine. And as if I wasn’t excited enough to be getting into a hot air balloon the next day- Mumm Winery also had a giant Wicked-themed balloon to both excite me for the trip and make me nervous about the fact that I’d be in a wicker basket flying hundreds of feet over the ground.
The morning of the balloon ride, I woke up feeling excited and slightly nervous for the experience. Soaring in a hot air balloon is a bucket list item of mine- but one that I also was most afraid of. I’m happy to report that not only did I survive, but I had a blast getting footage and taking in the incredible view.
So I gotta admit, I was excited about the home release of Wicked as it is, but something about floating this high up and seeing the beauty of the west coast from this giant rainbow balloon flashing with fire and roaring wind- it just makes me feel like I was “defying gravity”…
Okay, I’m getting too caught up in the fun.
After my sunrise balloon excursion and a nice breakfast- it was time to get my game face back on. Because in just a short while- I’d be sitting face to face with the man responsible for all of this. The biggest Wicked fan in the business- Jon M Chu. Or, as I got to know him… MISTER Jon M. Chu. I.. I mean what did you expect him to invite me over for new years?
Check out the interview embedded at the top of the article and HERE.
Wicked will be available to purchase or rent on December 31st on digital! The film will hit physical media on February 4th.
Here are the specs:
EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURES WHEN YOU PURCHASE AT PARTICIPATING RETAILERS:
Experience the magic at home and enjoy being able to shamelessly sing along at the top of your lungs… I know I will!
Here are more pics from the event!
The post JoBlo Celebrates Wicked’s NYE home release in Napa with Jon M. Chu! appeared first on JoBlo.
For a certain demographic of society – particular in Great Britain – Feathers McGraw is up there with Norman Bates and Max Cady on the Greatest Cinematic Villains of All Time list. His notoriety is all the more impressive for the fact he never utters a single word in The Wrong Trousers, a seminal work from Aardman Animation featuring their beloved oblivious inventor Wallace and his long-suffering loyal dog Gromit. The nefarious silent penguin was locked up in a zoo for an attempted diamond heist some 21 years ago, so he’s had a lot of time to plot his revenge.
Wallace and Gromit, for their part, have spent the past 20 years working on their various business ventures, as documented in A Close Shave, Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and A Matter of Loaf and Death. But Wallace’s staunch belief in technological supremacy despite the long list of mishaps in his past continues to frustrate poor Gromit. Case in point: Wallace’s latest business venture involves his robotic garden gnome Norbot, who can carry out various odd jobs around the neighbourhood. While the business is an instant success, Wallace carelessly “renovates” Gromit’s prized garden in the process, and the poor pooch is left in the dust as Wallace enthuses about the wonders of his modern tech.
…Which is all very well until Feathers McGraw catches wind of Wallace’s work, and sees an opportunity. A classic revenge tale unfolds, as McGraw assumes control of Wallace’s gnome army and sets about tarnishing his reputation – and retrieving the diamond he stashed before his apprehension.
After the disappointing Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, it’s a relief that the second feature-length Wallace and Gromit adventure (sixth overall) is quite delightful, particularly given that there’s a general feeling of diminishing returns when it comes to a villain comeback story. But the simplicity of Feathers McGraw feels refreshing in the age of endless lore: he’s simply an evil silent penguin. His beady black eyes contain nothing but malice.
Meanwhile, Wallace and Gromit’s classic odd couple dynamic hasn’t really evolved since their 1989 debut; Wallace is a chatty Holme Valley native with grand ideas, and Gromit is the fed-up but loyal side-kick who’s much smarter than his human realises. The joy of Wallace and Gromit comes from this consistency being paired with Aardman’s world-class animation. As in the delightful Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Vengeance Most Fowl demonstrates the beauty of hand-crafted filmmaking, while Mark Burton’s script embodies the homespun charm that the duo have become known for. While Wallace’s obsession with tech and the subsequent failure of this could be read as a warning against overreliance on machines (and indeed AI, which could never produce art this original and charming) it’s been a tenet of the series for decades, and feels true to character rather than an attempt to attain modern relevance.
Packed with sight gags, puns and quintessential Aardman humour (“That’s just an innocent nun out for a pleasure cruise!” a copper remarks on seeing Feathers dressed in a habit captaining a narrow boat) the film remains true to the spirit of the source material, sticking with a simple premise and saving flourishes for the animation, which is as colourful and intricate as we’ve come to expect, particularly when paying homage to the iconic kitchen chase scene of The Wrong Trousers. Teamed with formidable voice talent in the form of Ben Whitehead (who has played Wallace since Peter Sallis passed away in 2017), Peter Kay (reprising his role as bumbling copper Albert Macintosh, in a perhaps unintentional indictment of the British policing system) Lauren Patel (as Macintosh’s hard-working protegeé PC Mukherjee) and Reece Shearsmith (voicing chipper robo gnome Norbot) it’s a cosy, classic Aardman treat, perfect for Wallace and Gromit fans of any age – and Feathers McGraw remains as menacing as ever.
ANTICIPATION.
As much as I love Aardman, Chicken Run 2 was a disappointment…
3
ENJOYMENT.
…But Wallace and Gromit could never let me down!
4
IN RETROSPECT.
A classic adventure from Britain’s greatest export.
4
Directed by
Nick Park,
Merlin Crossingham
Starring
Ben Whitehead,
Reece Shearsmith,
Diane Morgan
The post Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl review – an Aardman banger appeared first on Little White Lies.
The Christmas box office is proving to be unpredictable this holiday season. While Sonic the Hedgehog 3 slaughtered Mufasa: The Lion King at the box office last weekend, in an altogether unexpected turn of events, the Disney prequel had a monster Christmas Day haul, with Deadline reporting that the film earned a solid $14.7 million. Even more unexpected was the fact that Sonic 3 was beaten by Robert Eggers’s distinctly adult-skewing Nosferatu, which made a rock-solid $11.5 million, compared to Sonic’s $10.5 million. A Complete Unknown, the (awesome) Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothee Chalamet, made $7.1 million to hit fourth place, while Wicked came in fifth with a still-strong $5.4 million. A24’s Babygirl made $1.5 million for seventh place.
So how will the holiday box office shape up? Mufasa has been given new life, so I expect that one to make over $70 million for the five-day holiday, while Sonic 3 should dip to around $50 million. The reversal in box office fortunes for those two movies is one of the biggest surprises of the year as far as I’m concerned, but kudos to Disney, who, in the end, made a wise choice opening the prequel in the Christmas box office corridor, even if it’s unlikely to make anything close to the $1.5 billion the first film did.
For the five-day holiday, Nosferatu should make about $40 million in third place, which would be an amazing result for Focus. It earned a B-minus CinemaScore rating (solid for a horror title). A Complete Unknown should build up momentum as the holiday goes on, with the A-CinemaScore rating pointing to a 5-day result in the $25 million area, while Wicked shouldn’t be too far behind with about $20 million.
Here are our predictions for the 5-day holiday:
What have you been watching this holiday weekend? Let us know in the comments!
The post Holiday Box Office Update & Predictions: Nosferatu & A Complete Unknown doing solid business appeared first on JoBlo.
The Christmas box office is proving to be unpredictable this holiday season. While Sonic the Hedgehog 3 slaughtered Mufasa: The Lion King at the box office last weekend, in an altogether unexpected turn of events, the Disney prequel had a monster Christmas Day haul, with Deadline reporting that the film earned a solid $14.7 million. Even more unexpected was the fact that Sonic 3 was beaten by Robert Eggers’s distinctly adult-skewing Nosferatu, which made a rock-solid $11.5 million, compared to Sonic’s $10.5 million. A Complete Unknown, the (awesome) Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothee Chalamet, made $7.1 million to hit fourth place, while Wicked came in fifth with a still-strong $5.4 million. A24’s Babygirl made $1.5 million for seventh place.
So how will the holiday box office shape up? Mufasa has been given new life, so I expect that one to make over $70 million for the five-day holiday, while Sonic 3 should dip to around $50 million. The reversal in box office fortunes for those two movies is one of the biggest surprises of the year as far as I’m concerned, but kudos to Disney, who, in the end, made a wise choice opening the prequel in the Christmas box office corridor, even if it’s unlikely to make anything close to the $1.5 billion the first film did.
For the five-day holiday, Nosferatu should make about $40 million in third place, which would be an amazing result for Focus. It earned a B-minus CinemaScore rating (solid for a horror title). A Complete Unknown should build up momentum as the holiday goes on, with the A-CinemaScore rating pointing to a 5-day result in the $25 million area, while Wicked shouldn’t be too far behind with about $20 million.
Here are our predictions for the 5-day holiday:
What have you been watching this holiday weekend? Let us know in the comments!
The post Holiday Box Office Update & Predictions: Nosferatu & A Complete Unknown doing solid business appeared first on JoBlo.
As good as 2024 has been for horror, there’s always a ying to any yang, and the other side of the coin was pretty rough. While we saw some major bombs in the way of The Crow and disappointing box office performances via Cuckoo, We’re talking about the truly bad. And wouldn’t you know it, this year most of them have been produced by one company. Blumhouse. I’m not sure why it is that they’ve seemingly become completely creatively bankrupt but I’ve experienced it in the theaters. The moment that Blumhouse logo comes up and an entire audience collectively sighs. And it wasn’t that way just a few years ago. But after killer Teddy Bears, an AI killer house, and a haunted Swimming Pool, they’ve definitely lost the plot. This may as well be called the “What the Hell Happened To Blumhouse” video, as we take a look at the Worst Horror Films of 2024.
Before we get into our list, we need to make sure it’s clear: SPOILER ALERT. The whole point of this is to bitch about what they got wrong, and that includes the endings. You’ve been warned. And it’s hard to make a movie and we can acknowledge that people can have good intentions and get a pretty shitty outcome. If you’re offended by this then I don’t know what to tell you. Art is something that’s meant to be critiqued and so we’re gonna critique the shit out of some objectively bad films. So let’s get started.
The Front Room made the mistake of being a dreadfully boring film with some okay visuals. Horror really excels in that space of discomfort but it just doesn’t really work outside of frustrating the viewer. Shocking, the old racist lady isn’t a good person. It’s not exactly a twist. And Brandy Norwood’s return to the horror genre feels like a missed opportunity, as she’s proven to at least be likeable on screen. What, am I the only one that liked her in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer? Regardless, it brings nothing new to the table and is easily A24’s weakest film in years. Here’s hoping they don’t start a trend…
Tarot cards can be scary right? Well maybe if you take the exact opposite approach as what the filmmakers took here. Combine a group of teen characters with some of the worst dialogue you can imagine, and you’re in for some truly cringe moments. And you can’t even enjoy their deaths because of the PG-13 rating. If you enjoy poorly designed monsters killing teens with practically bloodless jumpscares, then this is for you. Even Spiderman’s Jacob Batalon has difficulty making this one entertaining. When the entire film could have been prevented by not having your lead read creepy Tarot cards, then it’s a tough hill to climb in getting the audience to like her. Hell, she’s the reason for all of her friends’ deaths! Tarot also serves as a lesson to filmmakers to hide your villains and not show them so much. This. Is. Stupid!
Haunted Swimming Pool. I’m not sure how this one got greenlit because anyone with half a brain hears those three words and goes “Then don’t get in the pool.” But no, that would be too simple and Blumhouse has a terrible film to make out of it! Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon are way too good of actors to be putting up with this nonsense. And they’re easily the best parts of the film. Wyatt’s Ray has to deal with losing his old baseball life and Condon’s Izzy has to contend with not recognizing the person her husband is becoming. There’s an interesting dynamic but it’s all washed away by cheap horror. It’s all so reliant on jumpscares. The one creepy moment in the film was shown nearly in its full duration in the first trailer. They even try to do an Amityville Horror ripoff in its third act but fail to push it into any uncomfortable territory. This stays firmly safe at all times and anytime it feels like they may do something unexpected, it instead remains dull and predictable. But hey, if you ever have to source creepy pool shots, this is your film.
Remember About a Boy? Chris Weitz’ wonderful film about responsibility feels like a century ago, especially when you look at his current work. AfrAId tries to capitalize on the social panic surrounding Artificial Intelligence. Yet everything is taken at such a surface level, with such over the top moments that it’s hard to watch this and do anything except cringe. Katherine Waterston and John Cho are usually great yet they’re sleepwalking through their roles here, clearly as unimpressed with the material as we are. An AI House is about as lame as you can imagine so they have to add these random human characters that are being manipulated by the AI and it’s all done in such a “ten steps ahead way” that it feels overwritten and underwritten at the same time. When the film finally ends, it feels like there should be a whole nother act. Yet instead it’s all: “Oh hey, the AI won and the family just has to deal with it.” I guess that’s ballsy? But certainly not satisfying.
While there were plenty of awful releases this year, there was only one that managed to shit the bed in nearly every conceivable way. Bad acting, a nonsensical script, and one of the lowest stakes stories possible, Imaginary will test your patience. The family consists of a children’s book author, a rocker, and two kids whose sole purpose seems to be saying dumb things. And can we talk about how the trailer sets up this interesting kill with the bear turning into this bear monstrosity and seemingly killing this kid? Well, he didn’t die and it was just a jumpscare. In fact, the only death we get is this old lady who totally deserves it. Just what I want to see with my teen horror movies: old people getting offed. Imagination is one thing this film is sorely lacking in.
And there we have it: One of the worst years in horror in quite some time. What do you think deserved a spot on this list? Were we too harsh on Blumhouse? Let us know in the comments!
The post What Were The Worst Horror Movies of 2024? appeared first on JoBlo.