thekansan.com

Movie review: 'Man of Steel' a darkly epic reboot

By Ashley Bergner/Newton Kansan — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:50:11

Although we like to think of ourselves as the architects of our own destinies, many times the choices others make for us do more to define us than we care to admit. We're forced to solve problems we didn't cause, and we're called to rise to meet challenges we never asked for.

This is the dilemma faced by Kal-El, better known as "Superman" in classic comic book lore. Born on a dying planet called Krypton, Kal-El is placed in a ship that is sent to the planet Earth. His parents [...]

There and back again: Thoughts on what's in store for Peter Jackson’s next two 'Hobbit' films

By Ashley Bergner/Newton Kansan — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:47:47 +0000

"Hobbit" fans received a special treat this week: the first released trailer for the second part of Peter Jackson's "Hobbit" film trilogy. Although "The Desolation of Smaug" doesn't hit theaters until December, it's arguably one of the year's most anticipated films, and the trailer offers fans a sneak peek at what will be coming.

Fans had been hoping Peter Jackson would return to Middle-earth ever since he wrapped up his "Lord of the Rings" [...]

Movie review: ‘Man of Steel’ the Superman movie you’ve been waiting for

By Ed Symkus — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 1:01:00 +0000

Let�s get right to the questions that most need answering. Yes, it�s a terrific film. Yes, it was worth remaking. Yes, Henry Cavill, till now best known for playing Theseus in �Immortals,� has nailed the role of Superman. To the point, aside from some visual effects overload in the last reel, this is the Superman movie fans have wanted to see and that newcomers to the longtime superhero will dig.
Superman, of course, has always been the heartbeat of DC Comics, with Batman running a close [...]

Movie review: ‘This Is the End’ a perfect blend of comedy and horror

By Ed Symkus — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 9:27:37

It�s not too often that you get a bunch of well-known, not quite A-list actors playing themselves in a movie. This movie is brimming with them. It�s probably less often that you get a film that�s so funny and at the same time so dark. This one reaches bellyache-inducing heights of wild comedy and digs deep into the depths of pure horror.
�This Is the End� could just as easily be called �This Is a Surprise.� Aside from being funny and scary, it�s rude and raunchy, and terrifically acted (my [...]

The Readers’ Writers: Motivational author Shane Jeremy James

By DA Kentner — Fri, 7 Jun 2013 1:01:00 +0000

Shane Jeremy James started out with a love of reading and a desire to pursue a career in business. He invested in Canada�s first Curves fitness centers. It wasn�t too long before those centers became some of the most popular in Canada and Shane decided it was time to give some of his success back to the community. One Thanksgiving, he, his manager, and his grandmother delivered over one hundred dinners to families, all at Shane�s personal expense. He then went on a mission to expand the program. [...]

Movie review: You’ll want to purge ‘The Purge’ from your memory

By Ed Symkus — Fri, 7 Jun 2013 1:01:00 +0000

Let me be blunt. There is no reason to see this movie. It�s a psychological horror film that is mean and ugly, without a whit of wit, and exists only as a failed and feeble attempt at social commentary. It�s as much a waste of your brain cells as it is of your money and time.
The premise: Just a few years into the future, all appears to be pretty good in America, with the unemployment rate at about 1 percent, and people generally happy. Yet a few years earlier, things were so bad, and folks [...]

After M. Night Shyamalan: Does 'After Earth' spell the end of the director's career?

By Ashley Bergner/Newton Kansan — Wed, 5 Jun 2013 17:41:16

I debated for quite a while over whether to go see "After Earth" in theaters this past weekend. Since science fiction is my favorite film genre, any movie set in space or in the future automatically has my interest. We've been seeing a trend towards more science fiction films lately, and I try to see as many of them as I can, because I want Hollywood to make more.

However, the initial buzz for "After Earth" just wasn't very good, and the movie's Rotten Tomatoes [...]

The return and reboot of General Zod

By Ed Symkus — Wed, 5 Jun 2013 14:32:11

In real life, Michael Shannon can be an imposing figure, especially when all 6�4� of him is standing tall. But the slow-talking 38-year-old actor�s natural voice is soft, and his eyes are kind of sleepy, so it�s easy to soon relax around him. Still, the roles he�s best known for � the racist and sexist FBI agent Nelson Van Alden on �Boardwalk Empire,� Kim Basinger�s nasty lout of a boyfriend in �8 Mile,� the damaged goods next door neighbor John in �Revolutionary Road� (for which he was Oscar [...]

Spoiler alert!: How long should plot details be kept a secret?

By Ashley Bergner/Newton Kansan — Mon, 3 Jun 2013 15:50:58

By some miracle, the first time I heard what villain Benedict Cumberbatch was really playing in "Star Trek: Into Darkness" was from Cumberbatch's character himself, during the actual film. I spent the week before the movie's release on Internet lock-down, afraid to even "Google" "Star Trek" in case someone somewhere had posted spoilers.

The true identity of Cumberbatch's villain was carefully guarded by director J.J. [...]

Movie review: ‘Fast & Furious 6’

By Ed Symkus — Fri, 24 May 2013 1:01:00 +0000

You can have a great time getting caught up in the outrageous action of the sixth entry in this money-making machine of a series without having seen any of the previous films. But you wouldn�t understand the nuances of the characters and their interrelationships, you wouldn�t get why they all keep talking about the importance of family, and you wouldn�t really know who you�re supposed to be rooting for, or why.
But, again, you can still have a great time. A �Fast & Furious� movie consists of [...]

Movie review: Last call for ‘Hangover’ gang

By Dana Barbuto — Fri, 24 May 2013 1:01:00 +0000

�The Hangover III� takes forever to get started and then never wants to end. Farewells are always tough, but the end it is, as the �Wolf Pack� embarks on one final off-the-rails road trip.
The journey � from California to Tijuana to Vegas � is mildly amusing, even hysterical at times. But most of those giggles are of the cringe-inducing ilk, as in �I don�t know why this is funny but I�m LMAO.� Ken Jeong eating dog food sounds grossly unfunny in theory, but on screen, well, I almost fell out [...]

The Readers’ Writers: YA author Scott Blagden

By DA Kentner — Fri, 24 May 2013 1:01:00 +0000

Scott Blagden worked in real estate after being shown the exit door when a college prank found the wrong audience � apparently humor wasn�t in the offering that semester. Today, he lives on Cape Cod, is still in the real estate biz, is the father to two teenagers and he has just seen his first book published.
�Dear Life, You Suck� isn�t standard fare in any genre, let alone young adult (YA). The main character, Cricket Cherpin, is a young man growing up without parents in a Catholic group [...]

Ken Jeong bares his soul - and body - in ‘Hangover 3’

By Ed Symkus — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:07:57

Though he stole all audience attention away from every other actor in his brief scene as Dr. Kuni in �Knocked Up,� no one was ready for Ken Jeong�s intro in �The Hangover.� He leaped out of a car trunk, wearing only black socks, and proceeded to beat the tar out of Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis with a tire iron. That�s right, wearing only black socks. His Mr. Chow eventually became an important character in that film and its sequel. In �The Hangover Part III,� Chow, naked again, [...]

Heather Graham returns to ‘Hangover’

By Ed Symkus — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:06:28 +0000

It was with the release of �Boogie Nights,� in 1997, that Heather Graham became everybody�s favorite porn star with a heart of old. No, not actually Graham, but her character in that film, Rollergirl.
The blond-haired, blue-eyed actress had been around the Hollywood scene for some time already, with parts in �Drugstore Cowboy� and �Swingers,� as well as an ongoing role on the oddball TV show �Twin Peaks.� But it was �Boogie Nights� that pushed her to the next level, part of which is her [...]

Movie review: 'Star Trek: Into Darkness' an adrenalin rush and a love letter to fans

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:27:32

Although the special effects are now somewhat dated, the "Star Trek" original series has always occupied a special place in my geeky heart. What the show may have lacked in budget, it more than made up for with great characters and good storytelling. Captain Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Dr. McCoy, Scotty and the rest of the original Enterprise crew have become some of science fiction's most beloved characters. Though we never got to see the end of their five-year mission, they've never [...]

Movie review: ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’

By Ed Symkus, More Content Now — Wed, 15 May 2013 1:00:00 +0000

Despite its grim title, this sequel to J.J. Abrams� really, really good, but not quite great reboot of the �Star Trek� franchise is going to be an absolute joyride for a lot of viewers. The writing has been knocked up a few notches; though Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) still remain at the film�s center, the rest of the crew has been given more to do this time; and most important, �Into Darkness� is truly a valentine to �Star Trek� fans, especially those who have been into it [...]

Movie review: 'Iron Man 3' a fun start to the summer movie season

By Ashley Bergner/Newton Kansan — Mon, 6 May 2013 19:14:15

"Big man in a suit of armor � take that off, what are you?"

That's a question Captain America asks Tony Stark/Iron Man during "The Avengers" movie. Of course Stark fires back one of his trademark snarky replies � "Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist" � but he's not forced to seriously consider that question until "Iron Man 3." The first two "Iron Man" films were all about Tony creating the suit and coming to grips with his new [...]

Leonardo DiCaprio brings Jay Gatsby to life

By Ed Symkus, More Content Now — Mon, 6 May 2013 16:19:09

Jay Gatsby is a strikingly handsome, incredibly wealthy man who�s shrouded in mystery, at least involving the source of his riches. He�s terribly lonely, and regularly throws wild parties in his opulent mansion, just so there are people around him. He�s hopelessly in love with a (married) woman from his past, and will do anything he can to win her. What actor wouldn�t want to play the lead in �The Great Gatsby?� Well, five have attempted it on film, to varying degrees of success. There was [...]

Beyond 'The Avengers': Marvel prepares for 'Phase 2' of superhero franchise

By Ashley Bergner/Newton Kansan — Thu, 2 May 2013 11:51:39

Before 2008, many people weren't familiar with the Marvel comic book superhero Iron Man. DC Comics characters Superman and Batman had long been the two most famous superheroes, and no one was expecting a movie based on Tony Stark � a snarky narcissist in a metal suit � to be a mega-hit.

However, Robert Downey Jr.'s great performance not only rebooted the actor's own career, it also helped launch an impressive theatrical run for a line-up of Marvel superheroes, culminating in last [...]

Movie review: 'Oblivion'

By Ashley Bergner/Newton Kansan — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:01:03

At first glance, Jack Harper doesn't seem very different from other average, everyday Americans. Each morning, he wakes up, travels to work, comes home, eats dinner, goes to bed, and then wakes up and does it all over again.

Yet there is something that separates Harper, and that's the fact he happens to be the ONLY person on the planet Earth who is still following this routine. "Oblivion" is set in the year 2077, and Harper (Tom Cruise) and communications officer Victoria [...]