Geek vs Life

$158,411,483. That’s a lot of Happy Meals. That still will only buy you under 200 copies of Detective Comics #27 (CGC 9.4 value of $800,000). Holy fuck wad of cash Batman.

So not only did The Dark Knight smash the record established last year by Spider-Man 3 for opening weekend grosses, it also now holds the title of most money earned on opening day, <$67,165,092. It probably helped that the movie was also released on more screens than any other movie, ever: 4,366.

Check out the list of the top ten movie grosses for opening weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo.

Whether you’re a fan of Disney and other American animation or not, an important figure in the world of animation has passed. Ollie Johnston, the last of those known as the “Nine Old Men,” passed away yesterday, at the age of 95, in Sequim, WA.

If you have seen the movie “The Rescuers,” and have seen the character Rufus the Cat, then you’ve seen Ollie, as Rufus was a caricature of him.

If you’ve seen the Fox and the Hound, the Rescuers, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Robin Hood, The AristoCats, The Jungle Book, Mary Poppins, The Sword in the Stone, 101 Dalmations, Sleeping Beauty, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Lady and the Tramp, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, The Wind in the Willows, Melody Time, Song of the South, Peter and the Wolf, The Three Caballeros, Bambi, Fantasia, Pinocchio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Little Hiawatha, or a number of other Disney works (primarily early ones), then you’ve seen his work.

I am sure many of you know that Star Trek is being rebooted. (The process of starting over…you know like a computer.) It is coming out Christmas 2008. It is being directed by J.J. Abrams of “Lost” and “Alias” fame. It is written by by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who have scripted “Alias” and “Lost” shows as well. The team also wrote Mission Impossible III.

The script is showing how the titular three met each other in the Starfleet academy. It also connects to the original Star Trek series with Leonard Nimoy playing Spock. The three of course being James T. Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy. Of course what everyone is interested is who is playing the pop culture icons as younger men. It has now been announced for all three playing the leads. James T. Kirk is played by Chris Pine. (Smoking Aces) Zachary Quinto (Skylar from Heroes) is playing Spock. Karl Urban (”Lord of the Rings: Two Towers” and “Return of the King”) is playing Dr. McCoy.

I really don’t know if anyone cares about the forth coming Indiana Jones movie. It is slated for next May, but it has finally got a title and logo. Other websites have reported it, so I thought I would pass it on. Here is the logo, for what it is worth:

Words are not enough to describe what I have been wating for all summer long, so I shall do it in song and interpretive dance. Here goes:

I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the end of the night
He’s gotta be strong
And he’s gotta be fast
And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the morning light
He’s gotta be sure
And it’s gotta be soon
And he’s gotta be larger than life

As if the end of AvP didn’t hint like a Clue-By-Four about an upcoming sequal.

IGN has released the Aliens Vs. Predator - Requiem movie trailer.

It appears they held nothing back on this one and rightfully earned their R-rating. I’m hoping, and think I may have seen in the trailer, that the Predalien (which would be hatched from the end of AvP) will be in this one. They could either make it look amazing or totally blow it, but I am definitely looking forward to making an event of going to see this movie.

Here at the GvsL headquarters in Seattle WA th summer is drawing at its end and the rain and dreary skies have begun to resurface. What better time to just draw the blinds and sit at home and watch some films? (As if you really needed another reason). This weeks’ picks include the new Bruce Willis/ Halle Berry movie Perfect Stranger as well as one of my favorite persons ever: Zak Braff in The Ex. Additionally, if you haven’t seen Ugly Betty yet, do yourself a favor and watch it already, the complete first season is out now.

Here is this weeks list of releases for you videofiles who fear the sunlight and want to avoid the multiplexes as much as possible. I feel your pain, after all:

“The sun is a mass of incandescent gas
A gigantic nuclear furnace
Where Hydrogen is built into Helium
At a temperature of millions of degrees…“

*Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film…
Avatar, The Last Airbender: Book 2 Earth, Volume 4 (TV/Anime)
Back To School (Extra Curricular Edition)
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds: Live At Radio City (Music)
Doctor Strange (Animated)
Dynasty: The Second Season (TV)
Elvis: The Miniseries (TV)
*Fracture
The Fugitive: Season 1, Volume 1 (TV)
Hamlet (Special Edition DVD)
Inland Empire
*Labyrinth (Anniversary Edition)
*The Lookout
Masters of Horror: Valerie on the Stairs
Masters of Horror: We All Scream for Ice Cream
South Park: The Complete Tenth Season (TV)
Taxi Driver (Collector’s Edition)
*Vacancy
Wild Hogs
(* selections indicate must see new releases.)

Toping this weeks must see list are TMNT (for nostalgia purposes) & Disturbia (great flick).

8 Simple Rules: The Complete First Season (TV)
Are We Done Yet?
Cory in the House: All-Star Edition (TV)
*Disturbia
Flash Gordon
Full House: The Complete Seventh Season (TV)
The Hills: The Complete Second Season (TV)
Home Improvement: The Complete Seventh Season (TV)
I Think I Love My Wife
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers
The Muppet Show: Season Two (TV)
Rome: The Complete Second Season (TV)
The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season (TV)
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Sweet Suite Victory (TV)
*TMNT
*Unaccompanied Minors

Why leave the house when Netflix or Blockbuster online delivers? Here is a list of new movies/TV shows added this week that you should add to your queue. (Stars denote movies that should be bumped up a notch like Zodiac. Awesome movie.)

Cashback (2007)
Exterminating Angels (2007)
*Hard Boiled: Ultimate Edition (2-disc set) (1992)
*Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law: Season Three (2-disc set)
The Host (2006)
Live Free or Die (2006)
*The Monster Squad: 20th Anniversary Edition (2007)
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)
Renaissance (2006)
Shadow Puppets (2007)
Suspense: The Lost Episodes, Collection #1 (4-disc set)
Todd McFarlane’s Spawn: The Animated Collection
Unconscious (2006)
Weeds: Season Two
*Zodiac (2007)

Not everybody likes to read, so go to a movie tonight instead:

- Hairspray
- I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
- Cashback (limited)
- Goya’s Ghosts (limited)
- Sunshine (limited)
- Your Mommy Kills Animals (limited)
- David & Layla (LA)

Our sincerest apologies, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the Transformers movie review will be delayed until tomorrow evening.

In video format, here is a quick preview of our Transformers review, enjoy.

J&J

Please let it be good, please let it be good.

During last years E3, for those of you that weren’t paying attention with rabbid ferocity, in a pamphlet put out by Studio Kojima, the live action Metal Gear Solid movie was announced. Then we didn’t hear anything about it.

More news has broken. Woot! Sony Pictures has announced that they’re the studio puting it out.

“We’re working with the Metal Gear guys,” Landau told GameSpot following his D.I.C.E. summit keynote address in Las Vegas. “It’s a very cinematic game, it really lends itself to movie telling. But the question is, ‘How do you translate Snake’s experience into a full arc that conforms to what audiences expect on the large screen?’”

Can we expect more from these new game movies? Or are we looking at another Mario Brothers or Final Fantasy (not Advent Children!)?

GameSpot for more.