Weekly Movie 411

Movies Opening This Week

A Haunted House

Gangster Squad

Quartet

Promised Land

Struck By Lightening

New Trailers

Dead Man Down

Ginger and Rosa

Unfinished Song 

Scary Movie 5

Video: What About Bob-Sailing

The Potential Superhero Line-Up for 'Justice League' Now Revealed?

It's 2013, which means this is finally the year for Superman to rise to the big screen again in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel (watch the most recent stunning trailer right here). That also means we'll finally know whether or not Snyder's take on The Big Blue Boy Scout will be the same version taking to the skies along with the superhero ensemble Justice League, which Warner Bros is still hoping to release in 2015. Well, someone at Cosmic Book News has a source at DC Entertainment that has revealed a few details on the superhero line-up that will be used. It's basically the line-up that everyone would expect from DC Comics. Read On.

Michael Keaton Wanted to Make a Third Batman Movie as a Prequel

By now many Batman fans have taken to writing off Tim Burton's first dark, successful adaptation of DC Comics' hero because of Christopher Nolan's more successful and critically acclaimed trilogy with Christian Bale. However, Batman and Batman Returns deserve a little more credit than they've been given for making comic book films more acceptable to audiences and also giving them a much less fantastical style and presence in cinema. Part of that success was the surprisingly good casting ofMichael Keaton as Bruce Wayne, and for those who aren't aware, he was going to team with Burton for a third film before it fell apart and Warner Bros. decided to go in a different (and terrible direction) with Joel Schumacher. Read on!

Maggie Gyllenhaal to Sing with Fassbender in Rock Comedy 'Frank'

While Michael Fassbender has taken on a good mix of serious projects and blockbusters since his ascent to the A-list, we're very curious about Frank, his upcoming attempt to step into more comedic territory. We don't know much about the film so far aside from the fact that it stars Domhall Gleeson (Bill Weasley from the Harry Potter series) as a young musician who joins a band full of crazy performers, with Fassbender as the wild title character who is the frontman of the group. Now Varietyhas a bit more info as they're reporting The Dark Knight star Maggie Gyllenhaal has just signed on as Frank's sidekick. Read More Here

Legendary's 'Godzilla' Getting a Darabont Rewrite & New Producers

While we anxiously await Guillermo del Toro's Godzilla-esque monsters movie this summer, Pacific Rim, there's an update on the Godzilla front that doesn't sound too good. I'm referring to Legendary Pictures / Warner Bros new Godzilla movie, scheduled for 2014 with Monsters director Gareth Edwards at the helm, teased at Comic-Con last year. Last we heard in October, Drew Pearce was being brought on to rewrite Max Borenstein's script. Now Deadline has confirmed a report from HitFix that two producers, Dan Lin and Roy Lee, are being ousted by the studio and instead, they've brought on the Frank Darabont for a rewrite. Click here to read more.

JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT GETS LEAD ROLE IN 'SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR'

Though Johnny Depp had once been rumored for a part in the long-gestating sequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, his role has been taken by another big name instead. Deadline has word that The Dark Knight Rises and Looper star Joseph Gordon-Levitt is taking the role of Johnny, one of the core characters in the ensemble graphic novel adaptation. The sequel is already in production and Gordon-Levitt will shoot his role sometime this month. This means Gordon-Levitt will reunite with Bruce Willis, who Deadline says is returning for the comic book sequel along with Mickey Rourke, Rosario Dawson and Jessica Alba. Read More Here.

"Les Miserables" Star Samantha Barks in Talks for 'Walking on Sunshine'

Click here to read the story or visit the IMDB page.

Sunday Social 31

1.Do you plan to change any of your eating habits in the new year?

I want to eat more fruits and veggies.

Eating Less Fast Food.

We all still need a good hamburger or treat every once in a while, right?

2. Any workout tips to get us back in shape after the Holidays?

Work in Weight/Strength Training with your cardio. It’ll help you tone up and help strengthen your bones.

3. What is your favorite thing you did over the Holidays?

We went to Denver to visit my sister which was way fun, but I also finally got to see Les Miserables.

4. What is something you hope that you accomplish in 2013 that                         you did not in 2012?

Find me a guy!

My cousin’s little girl, she is 6 or 7, was visiting over the holidays. She asked me how old I was and if I had a boyfriend. I told her that I didn’t. She was confused and said that people my age usually have a boyfriend. Story of my life. 

5. Name 3 things happening this year you are excited about and why.

1) My sister is having baby No. 3 and she is due in March.

Bianca and Henry are getting a new baby sister! Love them!

2) Taylor Swift is coming to Salt Lake City and I really want to find tickets.

3) I am a bit obsessed but there are some stage productions I would love to go see.

Jersey Boys in Salt Lake

Over the Summer The OutdoorTuacahn Theater is putting on

                             And Brian Regan. I would love to see him live!

And an unofficial number 4-The Second Annual Crook Refunion in Colorado. I can’t wait for the whole family to get together. 

They Walk Among Us

I hope these brighten your day!

Taking Action

Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success. 

Pablo Picasso 

The beginning of the year is a great time to think about our goals and aspirations and to have a fresh start on life. This is the time of year we hear people talk about losing weight, eating healthy, or going to the gym. But I want to point out that our goals can encompass so much more. Our goal could be to save up and buy something we’ve always wanted, doing something extreme that we would never normally do, or going on vacation to see a place where we have never been before.

For example, on Sunday I heard a great story. It was probably the silliest thing I’d ever heard but it was also weirdly inspiring.  At church, one of the talks/messages was about setting goals. B, the kid speaking, told us a story that was admittedly embarrassing for him. B had had this strange dream/goal since he was a little boy. B wanted to be beat up by Jackie Chan. B, wanted to learn how to be stunt man. So did he just talk about doing dangerous tricks and stunts? No. B and a couple of his friends saved up enough money to attend a stunt man school in Washington. B and his friends sacrificed. They lived a room with only one bed and every night they would rotate who slept on the floor, and who got to enjoy the bed. B had the motivation to work and accomplish his goal and make it a reality. I really admire that.

It makes me wonder what I could get done this year if I sat down and made a plan to accomplish some of my goals. Could I save enough money to take that trip to New York. Decrease the time it takes to run a mile? Find more opportunities to play or perform music? 

 I recently read an article that lists 7 ways to help you make goals that result in real change.

1. Dream Big

Most of us only accomplish small things because we don’t dream big. We settle for less. We are content with the status quo. Don’t just imagine yourself a little better than you are now, imagine the way you should be. Who do you want to become? Where do you want to go? What do you want to do? Answer these questions and then go make it happen. Do the impossible.

2. Be specific.

Dreams give us a vision for the future, but they won’t happen without a plan for today.  In addition in knowing where we want to head, we need to be specific about what to do next. Setting the goal of losing weight won’t work. We have to change our lifestyles. Instead of saying, “I need to exercise more,” your goal could be, “I will go to the YMCA at 6:00am on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays before work and run.” Being specific makes it harder to let yourself off the hook.

3. Be incremental.

In addition to having a bigger goal, determine steps that you can take to get there. If your goal is to run a marathon, but you haven’t run in years, the distance of 26.2 miles seems to great. Gradually build up to the distance by first getting in shape for a 3 mile race. Then build up to 5 miles followed by a half marathon. Then getting ready for a marathon is an easier task. Setting your goals in stages will give you confidence through early success and prepare you to take on the bigger distances. 

4. Use a timeframe.

Goals without  a deadline are a set up for failure. Deadlines keep us on track. They help us to make sure we are making progress. They give us an extra motivator, a sense of urgency. Would you ever have finished a term paper if your teacher hadn’t given you a deadline? Instead of saying that you want to write a book, be sure to develop a timeframe fore each step. Set a goal of writing an outline by the end of the week. Write the first chapter by the end of January. The second chapter in February and so on. Eventually you will have written a book.

5. Constantly revise.

Our resolutions often fail because we are not flexible. We set a goal and then when we do not achieve it, we feel like a failure. Instead of viewing our goals from a  black and white perspective, see it as a process that constantly needs to be refined. The end goal may need to change. The means we use may be different. The timeframe may be off. It is not a failure to change our goals, but it is a failure to not make them.

6. Be accountable.

If you have a close friend you can trust, it is also helpful to tell them about your vision and resolutions so that they can help keep you on track. Accountability only works, though if you make yourself vulnerable. Be honest. Be humble. Be open. Knowing that you will have coffee with a friend next week will help you make better decisions today.

7. Develop a review process.

Establish a system to constantly evaluate your progress. Go over each specific goal and the steps you are taking to get there. Are you keeping up? What can you do to help yourself get there? What needs to change? Do this weekly, quarterly, and of course yearly.

Goals are valuable. They give us clarity and help us to know what direction we want to head.

Movie News for 2013

Movies Opening this Week January 4^th

Texas Chainsaw 3D

All Superheroes Must Die

A Dark Truth

56 and UP

New Trailers

The Place Beyond the Pines

Smurf 2

Pacific Rim

Confirmation: There will be a Wicked movie

As recently reported to Entertainment Weekly, "conversations are now starting" regarding the movie adaptation of the hugely successful Broadway musical, Wicked, says Producer Marc Platt.

"It's still a ways away," Platt said. "I would expect in the near future to begin the process of development. Therewill be a movie."

Universal Pictures owns the rights to Wicked, and has potentially begun the process already. It's been reported that the company have sought out Director Stephen Daldry to adapt from stage to screen. Daldry has received Academy Award nominations for his work on Billy Elliot, THE HOURS and more recently received a 2011 nomination for EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE.

Winnie Holzman, who penned the musical's book based on Gregory Maguire's novel, will reportedly also write the screenplay. The film has been talked about for some time, but has been slow in production; no casting or further members of the creative team have been announced, despite rumours that Glee star, Lea Michele, is in talks to portray everyone's favourite green witch, Elphaba.

Wicked opened on Broadway in October of 2003, starring Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, and is about to reach its 10th year on Broadway. Boasting two national tours and productions in both Chicago and California, the musical has earned more than $2 billion in the US alone, since its debut. A film adaptation seems the logical next step.

Robert Downey Jr. Talks Tone, Ben Kingsley and More in 'Iron Man 3'

If you're like us, you celebrated the holidays by rewatching Shane Black's terrific detective story Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, which - like many of Black's films - is set at Christmastime. It's also a great primer for the dynamic we can expect between Black and his lead actor Robert Downey Jr. in the upcoming Iron Man 3, which recently made our list of 30 Films We'd Be Sad To Miss If the World Ends. We've seen someexcellent trailers so far, and Downey recently spoke with the mag Nuts UK (NSFW link, via Comic Book Movie) and offered up a few more tidbits about what Marvel has in store to kick off its cinematic Phase Two. Click here to read more. 

Warner Bros. Pictures 2013 Preview

Gangster Squad - January 11th

Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and-if he has his way-every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It's enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop...except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen's world apart. Gangster Squad is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD's efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time.   Click here to see the rest ofthe preview.

Now To List My Favorite Movies of 2012

-Hunger Games

-The Avengers

-Sky Fall

-Lincoln

-The Dark Knight Rises

-Les Miserables

-Pitch Perfect

-The Hobbit

-Wreck-it-Ralph

-Moonrise Kingdom

Sunday Social-30

1.  What is the best New Years Eve you've ever had?

I know this sounds really dumb but my favorite New Year’s Eve was about 2 years ago. We got a dinner and treats and stayed at home for a movie marathon. We watched at least 3 movies. One was Temple Grandon (excellent), Wall Street (Money Never Sleeps), and a movie called The City of Your Final Destination, which was a bit strange.

Maybe this year I'll give this stack a try.

2.  Are you doing anything for NYE this year and if so what?

This year we are going to have a big family get together with my cousins. We’re going to veg out on good food and play a ton of games. We’re going to have fun and just party and have fun.

3.  Name a book we should all read come January?

You know me, its hard to choose just one. 

I really loved the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

I also enjoyed rereading The Great Gatsby. It’s one of my favorites Now would be a good time to read this one before the movie comes out next summer. Some other titles being released as movies this coming year:

Safe Haven Nicholas Sparks

The Host-Stephanie Meyers

Catching Fire-Suzanne Collins

I really want to read Gone Girl

And Divergent before the movies come out

4.  What are your new years resolutions?

Exercise More

Find more time to read

Attempt to Write Music
Be Better about Keeping in touch with my sisters and friends out of state

Put More Moneyinto my Savings
Do more service for others. 

Top 10 ~Music

Now that 2012 is almost over, I thought I’d share 10 of my favorite songs from the past year.

Good Girl-Carrie Underwood

That’s What Makes you Beautiful-One Direction

Everybody Talks-Neon Trees

I Will Wait-Mumford and Sons

Tornado-Little Big Town

The Wind-The Zac Brown Band (not quite sure about this video but oh well)

Set Fire to the Rain-Adele

Some Nights-FUN

Bruises-Train w/ Ashley Monroe

I knew You Were Trouble-Taylor Swift( the song doesn't start until about 2:00 in-if you feel inclined to skip ahead)

Now I’d love to hear your favorites.