Hey, remember the What's Weekly Top 5 feature? So do we. The only
problem is that it rarely came on a weekly basis, so we're switching
gears. In High Fidelity, the characters compare their top fives in a
variety of categories. Being big fans of both the film and
novel, we here at the What bring you our WeeklyMonthly Top Five, a
feature focused on five fantastic things that you should become
familiar with.
Movies to See in 2012
Last year we did two top five lists for movies to see, one for the first half of 2011 and one for the second half. Since I only made it to four of the ten movies listed last year, this year we will focus on five films for the entire year.
5. American Reunion (6.Apr.12) - The original cast of the initial three American Pie offerings are back for a high school reunion. For the demographic that we cater to at the What, this is kind of a big deal. We went through high school and that awkward first year of college with these characters. Now, as many of us are going to our ten-year reunions, we once again have this group of oddballs to show us how off the wall it could be.
4. The Amazing Spider-Man(3.Jul.12) - After having three different guys playing the Hulk in the past nine years, Marvel has shown that they won't shy away from a reboot. That's why this summer they will rely on Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone to make you forget about Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. I have high hopes for this reboot with it's stellar cast and seemingly new approach to the Spider-Man origin story. Back in 2002, Spider-Man kicked off a string of quality superhero flicks. Let's hope that is the case once again.
Hey, remember the What's Weekly Top 5 feature? So do we. The only
problem is that it rarely came on a weekly basis, so we're switching
gears. In High Fidelity, the characters compare their top fives in a
variety of categories. Being big fans of both the film and
novel, we here at the What bring you our WeeklyMonthly Top Five, a
feature focused on five fantastic things that you should become
familiar with.
Reasons to Visit Philadelphia in 2012
The City of Brotherly Love is a fantastic destination for arts and culture. With a great selection of museums, galleries, and theaters, there is no shortage of fantastic cultural institutions to choose from. While many flock to New York for theater or Washington for museums, Philadelphia has the best of both worlds. In 2012, several exciting events and exhibits are scheduled to be the highlight of Philly's cultural calendar.
5. Philly (Insert Fun Thing Here) Week - Chances are that no matter where your interests lie, Philly has a week for that. During Restaurant Week one can sample a variety of delicacies from the city's stellar selection of top-notch dining establishments. Fashion Week comes twice a year and boasts the best of Philly fashion. After taking a sabbatical in 2011, we can only hope it returns in 2012! If not, one can always find comfort in Beer Week. Beer Week is likely my favorite of all the weeks, as it is the perfect way for Philly's excellent roster of brewers to show their stuff.
4. The Festival Circuit - Philadelphia has become a hotbed for a variety of festivals over the years. With fests celebrating Film, Craft Beer, and all things folksy leading the helm, there are two somewhat newer festivals that lead the pack. In only its second year, the Philadelphia Science Festival looks to be at the top of many to-do lists after a strong debut in 2011 (as discussed by the What here). Perhaps the most anticipated of the many festivals offered in Philadelphia, is the Live Arts & Fringe fest. With a brand new headquarters and an ever-growing roster of participants, the Fringe is always a fantastic fest.
For some people, Halloween is putting on a costume and asking for candy. For others, it's turning off all of the lights and pretending you aren't home (jerks). Then for some, Halloween means letting loose, going to the theater and throwing toast at the screen. Happy Halloween!
Hey, remember the What's Weekly Top 5 feature? So do we. The only
problem is that it rarely came on a weekly basis, so we're switching
gears. In High Fidelity, the characters compare their top fives in a
variety of categories. Being big fans of both the film and
novel, we here at the What bring you our WeeklyMonthly Top Five, a
feature focused on five fantastic things that you should become
familiar with.
Documentaries to Check Out
As a somewhat newcomer to Netflix, I am still enamored by the streaming video available on my television, despite the company's many recent missteps. Recently, I have found myself forgoing movies and shows in favor of documentaries. From early American serial killers to aging pro wrestlers to a variety of studies on sex, I have seen docs on a litany of topics. Below are the five I have enjoyed most over the past couple of months.
5- Nightmares in Red, White, and Blue: Everyone loves a good horror flick, and if they don't, they should. This doc takes a broad look at the genre from the silent, Nosferatu era to the torture porn of the Hostel and Saw franchises. Nightmares gives interesting insight not only into your favorite scary movies, but sheds light on what makes these films so popular. Any horror fan owes it to themselves to check this one out.
4- American Grindhouse: I am a sucker for B-movies. The sex, violence, and overall depravity displayed in these flicks is just flat-out fun. Much like the previous documentary, this one takes the viewer into the creation of the many grindhouse goodies and midnight movies that have populated sticky, rundown movie houses around the country. For people like me, who have only recently stumbled into this debauchery, this doc gives great insight into a genre of films too often overlooked.
Hey, remember the What's Weekly Top 5 feature? So do we. The only problem is that it rarely came on a weekly basis, so we're switching gears. In High Fidelity, the characters compare their top fives in a
variety of categories. Being big fans of both the film and
novel, we here at the What bring you our WeeklyMonthly Top Five, a
feature focused on five fantastic things that you should become
familiar with.
Reasons to be Excited for The Muppets
I am a Muppet fanatic. This is no big secret. In fact, it will be very hard for me to narrow down this list to just five things, or to not just write "It's the Muppets!" five times. I have been excited about this movie since it was rumored several years ago. In fact, I have pretty much been constantly excited for new Muppet material for as long as I can remember. Nevertheless, I realize that there are people out there who are not quite as excited as I am, so for them I present this list of why they should be excited. Super pumped, even.
My feet need these.
5- Shopper's Delight: A significant amount of the hype surrounding this movie has been various companies releasing snazzy new Muppet swag. Threadless and WeLoveFine both started Muppet tee shirt design contests. Adidas is releasing what is probably the coolest shoe I have ever seen. There is even an album featuring artists like Weezer, OKGo, Matt Nathanson, and many more covering some classic Muppet tunes from The Muppet Show and various Muppet movies of yore. You can go into almost any store and find a Muppet tee shirt these days. It is basically the second coming for Muppet fans.
4- Cameos: Back in the days of films like The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Muppet Movie, and The Great Muppet Caper, the Muppets were joined by some serious A-list talent. The Muppets promises to be no different. Dave Grohl sits in at the drum set with Dr. Teeth and Electric Mayhem, Mila Kunis and Rashida Jones are super foxy, Danny Trejo claims to be a Muppet to try and get out of jail, and I can not wait to see what Neil Patrick Harris, Wanda Sykes, and Ed Helms bring to the film. Swing by Wikipedia for a list of stars who make appearances in this film and have fun wondering what they possibly could be doing.
In High Fidelity, the characters compare their top fives in a variety of categories. Being big fans of both the film and novel, we here at the What bring you our Weekly Top Five, a feature focused on five fantastic things that you should become familiar with.
Films Coming Out in the Second Half of 2011
In January I wrote about the top five movies to see in the first half of 2011. Oddly enough, I barely followed my own advice, seeing only The Green Hornet and Scream 4. I still am holding on to the hope that I will catch Water For Elephants and the latest Pirates flick before they leave theaters. I will have to get on that soon, because it is now time to look to the second half of 2011 and it's cinematic offerings.
5. Captain America (22.Jul.11) - There is no denying that Spider-Man and Batman Begins forever altered the level of awesomeness expected in the superhero movie genre. This telling of Marvel's favorite son looks to continue in the line of those great films (and the many that followed). Marvel is building a tremendous foundation for an Avengers movie down the road, and things seem to be going well thus far. Speaking of which, don't forget to check out X-Men: First Class, which also will be a part of the new Marvel franchise.
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (15.Jul.11) - Despite my distaste for David Yates' time at the helm of the Potter franchise, this is a must-see film. J.K. Rowling's magnificent story will crescendo toward it's end with the epic Battle of Hogwarts. Whether or not you have enjoyed the film versions of these incredible tales, you will no doubt be lining up to watch it all unfold on screen this July.
Welcome to Pickelodeon, a little feature where we review all that is reviewable in the world. Pickelodeon is your one stop shop for the inside scoop on the best restaurants, bars, movies, music, events, and anything else you want to hear someone else's opinion on before you try it. Drop us a line in the comment box for any suggestions on what we should review next!
AMC Best Picture Showcase
Sometime last week I was made aware of a little gem called the Best Picture Showcase. The Best Picture Showcase (BPS) was presented at AMC Theaters across the country where moviegoers could enjoy all ten films nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. I had heard of such showings in the past, but never was able to get to one until this year. With ten films nominated for the most prestigious prize in the Hollywood, there were several options for the BPS. You could see five films on a Saturday and then the remaining five a week later, or you could see all ten in a 24-Hour movie marathon. I was only able to catch the second Saturday's films at the AMC Loews theater in Cherry Hill, NJ. I'd like to share my experience with you and offer some tips on how to get the most out of this experience next year.
It is that time of year during which we all gather around our televisions to watch famous people dress up nice and win little statues of some naked gold dude named Oscar. Sounds a bit ridiculous, but that is what happens one day each year, and today is that day. We here at the What would like to offer up some of our predictions for who we think will win certain categories during this evening's ceremony. Keep in mind that we may not have seen every film, so we're going based on what we did see.
Black Swan
Darren Aronofsky's latest film lived up to the standard set by his previous works, actually surpassing most. The one award I definitely see Black Swan taking is Best Actress. Natalie Portman's performance was stunning, haunting, and masterful. Even if somehow she does not take home the Oscar tonight, there are sure to be plenty in her future. As an editor myself, I also would give this film the Editing award. I had no complaints with the manner in which this film was cut, and was at several points in the film impressed with cutting styles and choices.
Philadelphia is a fun, vibrant city with a ton of things to do on any given night. If you know where to go, you can find some sweet deals at bars, restaurants, theaters or any number of locations to have a good time. We decided to help you out with finding some of these deals by creating a little weekly calendar that will help guide you through the city and through the week.
Monday: Movie Mondays at the Trocadero (Chinatown)- While Movie Mondays have been going on for quite some time, I actually did not discover the event until Geekadelphia hosted a showing of Machete on January 10th. The cover for this event is $3, and that $3 goes a very long way. If you arrive between the doors opening at 6:30PM and 7PM, you will get a special ticket that is good for one free can of PBR and a small popcorn. Everyone who comes to Movie Mondays also gets a wooden nickel, good for $3 at the bar, and a raffle ticket for prizes to be given out later. In addition to the raffle, there will be trivia based on the film for additional prizes. To give you an idea of the potential for prize winning, as a result of my first time attending Movie Monday, I walked out with $50 of free swag. Not too shabby for a $3 cover. Check out the Troc's schedule to see what movies they have on tap.
Tuesday: Taco Tuesday (South Philly, West Chester) - Adding the word "taco" to it makes Tuesday my favorite day. I first discovered the joys of Taco Tuesday at Jitter's Sports Bar in West Chester when I had friends attending the school over there. Fifty cent tacos and $3 Coronas kept me coming back for years. These tacos are so good that I'd pay five bucks for a plate of them, so the fifty cent price tag is an amazing deal. For those not willing to make the trip to West Chester, Tres Jalapenos in South Philly gives you all you can eat tacos for $12.99 and Tattoed Mom's on South Street for $1 tacos. There is no shortage of Taco Tuesdays around, so keep your eyes peeled and get ready to enjoy some tacos!
In High Fidelity, the characters compare their top fives in a variety of categories. Being big fans of both the film and novel, we here at the What bring you our Weekly Top Five, a feature focused on five fantastic things that you should become familiar with.
Films Coming Out in Spring 2011
January is typically a slow month for movie goers. Therefore, it is the perfect time to look ahead into the year at the movies we really want to see. With so many promising films being released over the course of 2011, this article will focus on the top five films we want to see this Spring. Look for the Summer and Fall editions later in the year.
5. The Green Hornet (14.Jan.11) - Michel Gondry helmed this superhero flick starring Seth Rogen and Jay Chou. While it's no Dark Knight, it does not try to be. The movie is pure entertainment, a comedy with some cool action sequences tossed in, and it does not pretend to be anything more than that. Of the films on the list, this is the only one that has already been released, so you can head to the theater and check it out now! For more on The Green Hornet, check out our review here.
4. Sucker Punch (25.Mar.11) - This 1950's dystopian tale is directed by Zack Snyder, known for The Watchmen (2009). Snyder used basically the same crew from that film to make this one, so if you were a fan, you should be into this movie. Sucker Punch is the story of one girl's attempt to escape a mental institution before being lobotomized, a story that Snyder has called "Alice in Wonderland with machine guns." With the cast comprising mostly of younger actresses (Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung) this should be an interesting film to catch this March.
Welcome to Pickelodeon, a little feature where we review all that is reviewable in the world. Pickelodeon is your one stop shop for the inside scoop on the best restaurants, bars, movies, music, events, and anything else you want to hear someone else's opinion on before you try it. Drop us a line in the comment box for any suggestions on what we should review next!
The Green Hornet
Geeks of the world, imagine your favorite comic book super hero. Now imagine a comedic actor who, at best, resembles a henchman, not a hero. Imagine that guy, whose only writing credit to date is about two high school buddies trying to score booze and get laid, just wrote a script about your favorite super hero that really does not stay true to the origin story you know and love. Outrage, right? Well, such is not the case with Seth Rogen's take on The Green Hornet.
The main reason there will not be outrage over this retelling of the Hornet's origins is due to the fact that there have been dozens of versions of the origin already. The legend of this green hero began as a radio program in the 1930's, and was most famously a 1960's television show with Van Williams and Bruce Lee that had a couple of crossovers with Adam West's Batman. The Hornet has graced the pages of the funny books as well, but each time the story was tweaked a bit to reflect the changing times. This just so happens to be what Rogen and co-scribe Evan Goldberg did with the film version of the Hornet. Gave it a little tweak to bring it up to modern times.
In High Fidelity, the characters compare their top fives in a variety of categories. Being big fans of both the film and novel, we here at the What bring you our Weekly Top Five, a feature focused on five fantastic things that you should become familiar with.
Christmas Movies & Specials
Last week we skipped the Weekly Top Five in order to enjoy some turkey. This week we're back with a special bonus edition top ten list to make up for it! Being that it is now December, here are the What's top ten Christmas movies.
10. The Santa Clause (1994) - This movie surprised me, and I did not really discover it until about ten years after it was released. I am, however, glad that I did finally watch it as it's a great Christmas movie, and Tim Allen is actually a fantastic Santa. The sequel is good too, but I can't vouch for the third film in the series.
9. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) - To pretty much everyone born after this was made, Burl Ives is known only in his snowman form. Ives is a wonderful narrator, taking you through the familiar story of Rudolph, with a few welcome variations from the song (misfit toys, Yukon Cornelius, etc).
8. A Garfield Christmas (1987) - I'm sure people will be taken aback that this special makes the list while It's A Wonderful Life and White Christmas do not. Well, this is my list. Make your own list. But do be sure to watch this when you get the chance. Garfield shows his softer side bonding with Jon's Grandma. If nothing else, watch it to see how wacky Jon's family is.
7. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1970) - It just would not be Christmas without a full helping of the Rankin/Bass specials. Fred Astaire narrates this telling of Santa's origins, complete with some groovy seventies music.
6. Year Without A Santa Claus (1974) - Sometimes the sequel outdoes the original. Such is the case here, as this Rankin/Bass production outshines the previous one, thanks largely in part to the Heatmeiser and Snowmeiser singing their own praises.
5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) - While the 2000 version of this film was very good, it still isn't quite at the level of the original animated special. Boris Karloff takes a break from being creepy to narrate this Dr. Seuss tale that features one of the funniest theme songs ever.
4. Elf (2003) - The more of these lists I do, the more I realize 2003 was a fantastic year for films. Elf is one of very few recent attempts at a new Christmas tale that worked. This movie is hysterical, and if smiling is your favorite, you're sure to love this film.
3. Love Actually (2003) - This British ensemble romantic comedy doesn't necessarily define itself as a Christmas movie, but it takes place over the holiday and has a fair amount of holiday tunes on the soundtrack. No matter who I am with, this film is always a crowd-pleaser, so give it a shot this holiday season.
2. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) - This is an absolute classic. Somehow this special manages to touch on a number of serious subjects surrounding Christmas while remaining cute, warm, and light-hearted (as every holiday movie should). It truly wouldn't be Christmas without this popping up on your television.
1. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) - Say what you will, but I have a degree in film and I say, without question, that this is the greatest film ever made. The Jim Henson Company, in an early partnership with Disney, take a classic and make it their own in this wonderful retelling of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. I highly recommend enjoying this in a room lit by Christmas lights and filled with the aroma of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies, you will not regret it!
Clearly, many Christmas movies and specials did not make the list. It was difficult for me to narrow it to ten, and to disinclude movies like A Muppet Family Christmas and specials like Frosty the Snowman. Feel free to include your own top five or top ten lists in the comment section below, I'd love to see your favorites!
In High Fidelity, the characters compare their top fives in a variety of categories. Being big fans of both the film and novel, we here at the What bring you our Weekly Top Five, a feature focused on five fantastic things that you should become familiar with.
Harry Potter Random Facts
In honor of the first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows being released at midnight, The What decided to dig deep and pull up some interesting things that you may not have known about the Boy Who Lived and his story. J.K. Rowling's series is one of the most detailed, well-written and intricate stories ever told, and these are just a few of the reasons why.
5. Harry Potter is 30 - That's right, the Boy Who Lived is now a man. Harry's date of birth is 31.Jul.1980, meaning he just celebrated his thirtieth birthday earlier this summer. That means that the happenings of the epilogue to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will not happen for another six years. Also, this puts the events of the Deathly Hallows in the 1996-97 school year.
4. There's science behind the magic - Many Harry Potter readers wish that the magical world they read about was real, when in many ways it is. A good portion of the book's lore has its roots in science. For instance, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was founded over a thousand years ago. Each founder not only had an animal to represent them, but an element as well. Gryffindor (lion/fire), Slytherin (serpent/water), Hufflepuff (badger/earth), and Ravenclaw (raven/air). Furthermore, the Philosopher's Stone refers to alchemy. Alchemy is the ancient study of the transformation of metals, and shares a root word with chemistry and algebra.
3. Birthdays and holidays hold much importance - As for birthdays, Harry, Ron, and Hermione each have a wand that refers to when they were born. Their wand cores almost serve as gemstones, but using the Celtic Tree Calendar instead. As for holidays, Christmas played a major part in each novel, save the last, and other holidays held significance as well. Fred and George Weasley were appropriately born on April Fool's Day and on a sadder note, Voldemort murdered James and Lily Potter on Halloween. And about that fateful Halloween night, the Potters were not in their thirties, as shown in the first film, they were both only 21 when they were killed.
2. Family and relationships are key - Throughout this epic tale, family has always been of the utmost importance. Voldemort became what he was based on his lack of a family and later orphaned Harry, creating his nemesis. It was clearly stressed throughout all seven books that it was his mother's love that gave Harry the protection against Voldemort. Even once the books were finished, Rowling kept going, mapping out the relationships of the surviving characters, which can be seen here.
1. The entire arc has been planned from day one - While there certainly are minor aspects of later novels that may not have been planned from the get go, the major plot line of the Harry Potter story was set in stone from the first book. One good example of this is Nearly Headless Nick's offhand mention of the Gray Lady being Ravenclaw's ghost in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. She would not be mentioned again until page 613 of the Deathly Hallows. Another key moment in book one has Harry thinking to himself that he couldn't help but think that somehow Professor Snape could read minds, which, in a way, is true as Snape is a master of Legilimency and Occlumency.
In High Fidelity, the characters compare their top fives in a variety of categories. Being big fans of both the film and novel, we here at the What bring you our Weekly Top Five, a feature focused on five fantastic things that you should become familiar with.
Movies To Add To Your Collection
In an effort to broaden your cinematic horizons, here are our picks for five movies you should have in your collection. Each film brings something different to the table, and will add a bit of variety in with your Apatow and Ocean's flicks, not that there's anything wrong with those.
5. The Wackness (2008) - This film is the story of an eighteen-year-old drug dealer trying to be cool and score with a hot girl he graduated with, set in 1994 Manhattan. Aside from the interesting characters and odd relationships they forge, pick this one up for the fantastic early 1990's hip-hop soundtrack. It stars Joshua Peck, Olivia Thirlby, and Ben Kingsley with cameos from Mark-Kate Olsen and Method Man. For the ladies: Charming, quirky love story. For the lads: Weed and old school hip-hop.
4. Love Actually (2003) - Tired of the same old romantic comedies and chick flicks? Well, this one is the ultimate romcom, the chickiest of the flicks. But it works. However, amidst all of the relationship drama, there is plenty of comedy. Good comedy. Plus, the film stars about half of the most famous British people you could think of. For the ladies: Romcom at its best. For the lads: Hilarity from Bill Nighy and frequent nudity.
3. Once Upon A Time In Mexico (2003) - This Robert Rodriguez flick is the ultimate homage to Spaghetti Westerns. The action sequences are so good that they make Enrique Iglesias look badass as a guitar-wielding pistolero. The true stars of this movie are Antonio Banderas and Johnny Depp; Banderas for his strong, silent portrayal of El Mariachi, and Depp for his spot-on performance as a rogue CIA agent. One of the best action movies out there. For the ladies: Johnny Depp. Oh, and Antonio Banderas. Did I mention Enrique? For the lads: Guitars, explosions, and Eva Mendes.
2. Casablanca (1943) - So you want a film standard to class up your library? Avoid Citizen Kane like the plague and pick up a copy of Casablanca. This incredible film features Ingrid Bergman opposite an at-his-best Humphrey Bogart. Unlike many classics, this film remains as popular and as watchable as it was when it was released nearly seventy years ago. For the ladies: The quintessential love story. For the lads: Rick - the ultimate badass.
1. 28 Days Later (2003) - Clearly 2003 was a good year for movies. It feels odd adding this to the list, but I've encountered a surprising number of people who do not own the movie. If you don't, you should. It is arguably the best horror movie to come out in the past ten years, and few films can reach the level of suspense that this flick from Danny Boyle does. For the ladies: Cillian Murphy's penis. For the lads: Zombiesque infected people. Really fast ones.
