That’s Entertainment? March 31/09
12:28 pm | 2 Comments » |
Join Vernon Oickle and friends as they discuss the “top five movies you should watch before you die”..
2 Comments »
March 17, 2009
The bodged podcast
11:38 am | No Comments » |Join Vernon Oickle and friends as they discuss their favourite Irish movies past and present.
Unfortunately a gremlin (or leprechaun) caused problems in the final editing and a file was corrupted however, the first 5 minutes were saved so tune in and enjoy 5 minutes of lively Irish discussion!
Vernon Oickle- Editor
Patrick Hirtle- Special features writer
Jana Hirtle- Proof reading
Barbara Wentzell- Graphics designer
Tanya Barry- Graphics designer
Carolyn Ekins (Hyland)- Web manager
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March 16, 2009
St. Patrick’s Day podcast coming at 1pm on March 17, 2009
9:20 am | No Comments » |This week, in honour of St. Patrick’s Day we discuss movies with an Irish theme. In addition we talk about 007 films.
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February 18, 2009
That’s Entertainment Podcast 4
9:52 am | 3 Comments » |
This week, in honour of the recent passing of Valentines Day, we discuss romantic movies and favorite movie love stories.
Your host Vernon Oickle is this week joined by
Barbara Wentzell – Graphic Design
Jana Hirtle – Proof Reading
Patrick Hirtle – Special Features Writer
Tanya Barry – Graphic Design
Steve Tanner – Sales Consultant
Podcast Producer- Justin Hennigar
Snippets for this weeks show..
I like Lake House
Debbie does Dallas is very entertaining
Steve likes Kate and Leopold
If you bring up Brokeback Mountain I’ll slap you..!
You know what SUCKS?…The Break Up!
King Kong is the ultimate love story..
An Affair to Remember with Carey Grant….ahhhh
Love story with Ali McGraw, Ghost and Pretty Woman…
3 Comments »
January 28, 2009
‘That’s Entertainment’ Podcast 3
11:57 am | No Comments » |Welcome to ‘That’s Entertainment’ Podcast 3 with your host Vernon Oickle, Editor, and guests from Lighthouse Media Group.
This week Vernon is joined by
Patrick Hirtle – Special Features Writer
Jana Hirtle – Proof reading
Carolyn Ekins – Website Manager
Theresa Hubley – Web Developer
Tanya Barry – Graphics Designer
Barbara Wentzell – Graphics Designer
Topics include:
The Oscars
Guilty pleasures.
Should movies entertain or educate
Excerpts from podcast:
Some movies are so bad they want to make me stab my eyes out
Gulity Pleasures: do we have to talk about movies?
Are we in control and is there free will?
For sanitary purposes you don’t want them peeing on your back!
I watched Monty Python skits in high school but it wasn’t for education
I can watch Dumb & Dumber and laugh like a fool
Produced by Justin Hennigar
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December 30, 2008
That’s a podcast, number 2
2:04 pm | 1 Comment » |
Welcome to ‘That’s Entertainment’ Podcast 2 with your host Vernon Oickle, Editor, and guests from Lighthouse Media Group.
This week Vernon is joined by
Patrick Hirtle – Special Features Writer
Jana Hirtle – Proof reading
Carolyn Ekins – Website Manager
Theresa Hubley – Web Developer
Tanya Barry – Graphics Designer
Barbara Wentzell – Graphics Designer
Topics include:
Best movies and DVD’s of 2008.
Worst movies of 2008.
Biggest entertainment stories of the past year.
Excerpts from podcast:
Did Meryl Streep wear a shiny, turquoise cat suit? (Mamma Mia)
I liked the disappearing pencil trick! (The Dark Knight)
Produced by Justin Hennigar
1 Comment »
December 17, 2008
That’s Entertainment Podcast 1
1:51 pm | 2 Comments » |This weeks show:
Segment 1: There are several big movies scheduled to be released around the holidays. What are you looking forward to seeing?
Segment 2: Movies on DVD make excellent Christmas gifts. What movies do you hope to receive this year from Santa?
Segment 3: This past weekend, Hollywood released the big-budget remake of the classic science fiction film ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’. It had modest success at the box office and drew not-so-stellar reviews from the film critics. What do you think of the idea of remaking classics such as this and others including ‘King Kong’ and ‘War of the Worlds’?
Segment 4: What is your favourite Christmas movie and why?
For this first week, Vernon is joined by:
Tanya Barry- Graphics Designer
Theresa Hubley- Web Developer
Barbara Wentzell- Graphics Designer
Carolyn Ekins- Website Manager
Jana Hirtle – Proof reader
Produced by Justin Hennigar
2 Comments »
August 8, 2008
What’s on your television this summer?
8:09 am | No Comments » |Okay, here we are already into August and we’re still a month and a half from the premiere of the fall television season which looks like it will bring some promising new series such as Fringe and The Eleventh Hour as well as the return of our favourite shows including Heroes, House, CSI (all three of the them), Law and Order (all three of them), Grey’s Anatomy, Lost and so on.
As well, much to my dismay, the new television season will highlight the 15th and final season of ER, one of the most honoured shows in TV history, as well as in January the return of my beloved 24, after a year-and-a-half absence (thanks to the bloody writers’ strike).
But until the season begins, there’s a lot of television viewing still left this summer — that is, if you’re inclined to stay in the house and watch television. When you do stay inside, what are you watching?
I don’t know about you guys, but I haven’t been able to find much to keep my interest this summer. All the game shows and reality crap really don’t do much for me so I’ve found myself watching Blue Jays baseball (even when they’re losing) and — now don’t pooh-pooh this — the American presidential election race. I know, I really do have to find a hobby.
If you really do want to watch TV this summer, it’s a good time to catch some of the shows you may have missed last year as the networks have been filling their schedules with reruns and it’s also a good time to rent previous seasons on DVD of some of your favourite shows just in case you need a refresher.
Of course beginning this week, the Olympics will be monopolizing the airwaves and I know many of you will be glued to your screens. I like to watch some of the Games, but I confess I am not one of those people who can sit for two weeks straight and watch them. However, with the Olympics in China there may be a few surprises, so we better pay attention to the highlights, at least.
Well, that’s about all I’ve got this week. But keep checking back. I may have a few surprises in future blogs. Until then, enjoy what’s left of the summer as it’s going by way too fast.
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August 1, 2008
The Dark Knight’s next challenge — Oscar
7:55 am | 3 Comments » |First of all, I must apologize for not posting an entry in recent weeks. It’s been crazy throughout most of July and I just needed to take a breather, but now that I’m back the first order of business is to discuss the summer box office which has been breaking records around the globe thanks to mega hits such as Iron Man, Hancock, Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Crystal Skull, Get Smart, Kung Fu Panda, The Incredible Hulk, Sex and the City, Wall-E, and these are just the highlights.
But despite the financial and commercial success of these movies, nothing can compare to the latest instalment of the Batman franchise. In just only two weeks, The Dark Knight, based on the DC Comics superhero, has obliterated box office records and, after crossing the $300 million mark in only 10 days, is on track to challenge the all-time box office king, Titanic. Starring Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne and his crime-fighting alter ego, Batman, this two-and-a-half-hour epic follow-up to 2005’s Batman Begins is everything you would want from a movie based on a comic book character.
Until two weeks ago, I believed Spider-Man 2 was the best superhero movie ever made. As of right now, however, I am going on record and stating that without a doubt The Dark Knight is by and far the best superhero movie ever made and if they never make another Batman movie (which I hope isn’t the case) then they’ve done it. I honestly don’t know what more they can do with this character, but if it turns out to be anything like this film, I’d sure like to see what they come up with. And just in time for this blog, recent internet chatter suggests that two-time Oscar nominee Johnny Depp could be in line to play the Riddler and Academy Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman as the Penguin in the next sequel. How cool would that be? If that’s the case, then I say bring it on.
Incidentally, while I liked Michael Keaton’s portrayal of the character in the two Tim Burton-directed flicks, I am prepared to argue that the brooding Bale is by far the best Batman to date. After his first two turns as the Caped Crusader, I don’t know who else they’d ever find to don the mask in quite the same way so if they do a third film, it better be with Bale as Batman.
As for the Joker, well I don’t know what to say except that if you think Jack Nicholson’s Joker was good, then you haven’t seen anything yet. In The Dark Knight, the late and great Heath Ledger has reimagined the villain in such a way I never thought possible. His Joker will surely go on to become one of the best villains in movie history, let there be no doubt about that. I remember two years ago when I heard they had cast Ledger as the Joker. I went huh? What the hell? But I can say that he is the highlight of this film. What a performance! What a screen presence! If Ledger doesn’t at least get a nomination for the best supporting Oscar then there is something drastically wrong in Tinseltown. In a dark, magical way, Ledger has transformed his persona so that he is not even recognizable in this role and he deserves the award. I know many critics have already said this, but Ledger’s performance is nothing short of genius. If this truly is the depth of this young man’s talent then the movie world has lost a great actor and it is sad to think that he died earlier this year just as his star was about shoot into the stratosphere. We will never know what he may have accomplished as an actor and that is a pity, indeed.
Perhaps some of the movie’s hype does centre on Ledger’s last completed role, but only a part of it. Even if Ledger had not died, The Dark Knight would have, without doubt, still been a mega hit. With a great supporting cast in Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhaal coupled with a visionary director in Christopher Nolan and working within the framework of a taut and smart screenplay, The Dark Knight must be considered one of the best movies of 2008, even though the year is still not over. If this movie isn’t on most critics’ top 10 lists at the end of the year, then these people need to find a different job. In fact, this movie has so much going for it that as of right now I am starting a campaign to have The Dark Knight nominated for best movie come Oscar time. Click here to vote.
There is a movement to have Ledger nominated for an Academy Award and that would be greatly deserved, but even though the Academy of Motion Pictures has never nominated a comic book-based movie for the top prize, this must be the year. The Dark Knight has everything you should expect from a good-versus-evil film as well as widespread critical praise and record-breaking box office returns. There will be no justice in the world if it is snubbed solely on the fact that it is based on a comic book. This will be a good year for the academy to show it is in tune with the general movie-going public.
In addition to the movie itself, I’d like to see Nolan — who created a world of mayhem with so much skill and acumen that it boggles the mind — receive a nod for best director. Additionally, the script with its quick, smart dialogue and intense action sequences deserves to be recognized for best adapted screenplay along with the host of technical awards for which it will surely be nominated. Beyond these categories, I’d also like to see Oldman pick up a nomination for best supporting actor (along with Ledger) for his understated yet steady portrayal of Lieutant/Commissioner Gordon. His work has been overshadowed by Ledger’s performance, and rightly so, but Oldman, who traditionally plays the villain, holds his own and is ultimately the engine that keeps the script firing.
Perhaps it’s a long shot to expect any of this wish list to become a reality (except for the Ledger nomination and some technical nods), but I’m hopeful that academy voters will stop turning up their noses at this genre of movie and take its cue from the movie-going audience that has flocked to the theatres in record numbers to see this cinematic spectacle. The Dark Knight takes an iconic figure from pop culture and brings him to life in such a way that the film deserves to be considered a classic. Moviegoers around the world have proven this fact. Now let’s see if the academy gets in line.
As for anyone out there thinking they should see this movie, I would recommend it without hesitation. If you only plan to see one movie in theatres this summer, then The Dark Knight is the one you should see. You will not be disappointed.
3 Comments »
June 9, 2008
What makes a successful movie franchise? (Part 2)
9:31 am | 2 Comments » |
Okay, so last time we started our discussion about what we think are the most successful franchise movies in Hollywood. I didn’t receive much feedback, so I’m guessing everyone must have agreed with my selections.
By way of explanation, when compiling my list, I considered several criteria including box take, impact on the movie industry and the franchise’s legacy in our modern pop culture. When I started this list, I really had no idea there were so many franchises in the movie business, and although I’ve included what I consider to be the top 50 (actually 51 and you’ll see why in a minute), there are many others that could be added to such a list. Not only has this been a fun exercise, but it has also been a learning experience for me and what follows is my list of the top 25 movie franchises in Hollywood.
25. Shrek (Shrek; Shrek 2; Shrek the Third, Shrek Goes Fourth—2010)
24. (Tied, for several reasons. They are very similar in content. Both feature a marquee star in the lead role. They are both trilogies. Both received critical reviews. Both had commercial success) Jason Bourne (The Bourne Identity; The Bourne Supremacy; The Bourne Ultimatum); and Mission: Impossbile (1, 2 and 3)
23. Back to the Future (1, 2 and 3)
22. Rambo (First Blood; Rambo: First Blood Part II; Rambo III; Rambo 2008)
21. Planet of the Apes (Planet of the Apes; Beneath the Planet of the Apes; Escape from the Planet of the Apes; Conquest of the Planet of the Apes; Battle for the Planet of the Apes; Planet of the Apes 2001)
20. Alien (Alien; Aliens; Alien 3; Alien Resurrection; AVP: Alien vs. Predator; AVPR: Alien vs. Predator-Requiem)
19. Hannibal (Manhunter; Silence of the Lambs; Hannibal; Red Dragon; Hannibal Rising)
18. Friday the 13th (Friday the 13th; Friday the 13th Part 2; Friday the 13th Part III; Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter; Friday the 13th: A New Beginning; Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI; Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood; Jason X; Freddy vs. Jason; Friday the 13th — 2009)
17. X-Men (X-Men; X2; X-Men: The Last Stand; X-Men Origins: Wolverine — 2009)
16. Lethal Weapon (1, 2, 3 and 4)
15. Die Hard (Die Hard; Die Hard 2: Die Harder; Die Hard: With a Vengeance; Live Free or Die Hard)
14. Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; The Return of the King)
13. Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park; The Lost World: Jurassic Park; Jurassic Park III; Jurassic IV — in development)
12. Batman (Batman; Batman Returns; Batman Forever; Batman & Robin; Batman Begins; The Dark Knight)
11. The Matrix (The Matrix; The Matrix Reloaded; The Matrix Revolutions)
10. Terminator (The Terminator; Terminator 2: Judgement Day; Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines; Terminator: The Future Begins — 2009)
9. Spider-Man (1, 2, 3, 4 — 2010)
8. Pirates of the Caribbean (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl; Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest; Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End)
7. Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark; Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
6. Star Trek (Star Trek: The Motion Picture; Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; Star Trek: Generations; Star Trek; First Contact; Star Trek: Insurrection; Star Trek: Nemesis; Star Trek — 2009)
5. Rocky (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and Rocky Balboa)
4. Harry Potter (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1—2010)
3. The Godfather (1, 2 and 3)
2. Star Wars (Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope; Star Wars: Episode V— The Empire Strikes Back; Star Wars: Episode VI— Return of the Jedi; Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace; Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones; Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith)
1. James Bond (Dr. No; From Russia with Love; Goldfinger; Thunderball; You Only Live Twice; Casino Royale; On Her Majesty’s Secret Service; Diamonds Are Forever; Live and Let Die; The Man with the Golden Gun; The Spy Who Loved Me; Moonraker; For Your Eyes Only; Octopussy; Never Say Never Again; View to a Kill; The Living Daylights; Licence to Kill; Goldeneye; Tomorrow Never Dies; The World Is Not Enough; Quantum of Solace)
So that’s it. What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? I’d like to hear what you think.
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