12
Jan
MovieQT’s 9 Most-Anticipated Movies of 2009
by Ashley Pierce
0 Comments | Posted by thatgirl in Amuse Me, Get Creative, Sit Back
Well film fans, a new year is upon us and with it, a full year’s worth of movies to get amped about! From 
romantic comedies, to summer blockbusters, to fall’s possible award contenders, check out my most-anticipated movies of ‘09:
9. He’s Just Not That Into You – February 6th
Based on the popular novel, this romantic comedy follows a group of twenty and thirty-somethings as they navigate relationships with the opposite sex. This film has one of the most star-studded casts of the new year, including Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Scarlett Johansson, Kevin Connolly, Jennifer Connelly, Bradley Cooper, Justin Long and Ginnifer Goodwin, so it might just be the first can’t miss film of 2009.
www.hesjustnotthatintoyoumovie.com
8. The Lovely Bones – December 11th
This adaptation of the best-selling novel by Alice Sebold, marks Lord of the Rings director, Peter Jackson’s, eagerly awaited return to the big screen. The film stars Oscar-nominated Saoirse Ronan (Atonement) as the young murdered girl who narrates the story and also features Rachel Weisz as the girl’s mother and Mark Wahlberg as her father.
7. X-Men Origins: Wolverine – May 1st
The ‘X-Men Origins’ series is a new beginning for the ‘X-Men’ franchise. The first in a series of prequels about the origins of the individual characters, this film explores how Logan (Hugh Jackman) became the mutant, Wolverine. Also starring Liev Schreiber and Ryan Reynolds, this movie is sure to kick off summer 2009 with a bang.
6. New Moon – November 20th
The sequel to 2008’s smash hit Twilight hasn’t even started shooting yet, but will hit theaters just in time for Thanksgiving. While I wasn’t a fan of the first film, I loved Stephenie Meyer’s novels and am excited for the return of Edward and Bella (Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart) to the big screen. Under the helm of a new director, Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass), this film has potential to be more than just a box office hit.
5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – July 17th
The sixth installment in the “Harry Potter” franchise was originally slated for November 2008 release, but the studio pushed it back to summer ‘09. The fans went crazy, but it only seems to have increased the anticipation for audiences to return to the wizarding world of Hogwarts. In Half-Blood Prince, love is in the air, but there may be tragedy ahead as Harry prepares for battle with Voldemort.
http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthehalf-bloodprince
4. Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen - June 26th
What can I say? I’m a sucker for sequels… Shia LaBeouf is back in action as Sam Witwicky in this follow up to 2007’s summer blockbuster, Transformers. As the Autobots once again defend the Earth against the evil Decepticons, get ready for another Michael Bay special effects spectacular. I’m always stoked for summer event movies, but if that’s not your thing, at least Josh Duhamel is easy on the eyes.
3. Watchmen - March 6th
Based on the most-celebrated and influential graphic novel of all-time, fanboys have been going gaga for Watchmen for months. Set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes exist as a part of everyday life, the watchmen’s mission is to watch over humanity… but who watches the watchmen? My guess is everybody considering it’s directed by Zach Snyder (300). But there’s just one problem, Fox and Warner Bros. are currently locked in a legal battle over rights to the movie. So now, we’re all watching over Watchmen’s fate…
http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com
2. Angels & Demons - May 15th
Tom Hanks returns as Harvard religious symbologist, Robert Langdon, in this much-anticipated and controversial sequel to The Da Vinci Code. Based on one of my favorite novels by Dan Brown and directed by Ron Howard, the film follows Langdon as he continues his fight against the ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati.
www.angelsanddemons.com
1. Star Trek – May 8th
While I may not seem like a “Trekkie,” my dad made my family watch “Next Generation” every night at dinner for most of my childhood and I wrote my first paper in film school about Star Trek: First Contact. That said, it’s pretty easy to see why this prequel to the original TV series might make my list. Directed by J.J. Abrams’ (“Lost,” “Fringe”) and written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman (Transformers,) early footage screenings have garnered rave reviews. With a brilliant, yet relatively unknown cast, including Chris Pine as the young James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock, I’m definitely ready “to boldly go where no man has gone before.”
www.startrekmovie.com
1
Aug
It’s a Wrap on Comic-Con 2008
by Ashley Pierce
0 Comments | Posted by thatgirl in Amuse Me, Get Creative
Comic-Con International 2008 kicked off Thursday, July 24th and ran through Sunday, July 27th, bringing a record number of fans to downtown San Diego. Beginning in the early 1970’s, Comic-Con started as a small gathering of graphic novel aficionados devoid of press coverage and movie stars. Since then, Comic-Con has grown into a huge platform for the entertainment industry to launch films, television shows, and video games to potential fans and bloggers. Studios screen never-before-seen footage and invite celebrities and filmmakers to participate in panel discussions with hopes of generating positive buzz for upcoming projects. This year, for the first time since its humble beginnings, the event sold out its 125,000 passes well in advance of its start date and no tickets were offered at the door. It was nothing short of entertainment to watch the worlds of Hollywood and Comics collide in the San Diego Convention Center and while it is close to impossible to discuss all the happenings of the four day event, here are a few of the highlights.
While the actual convention began on Thursday, doors were opened to four day pass-holders for a special preview night on Wednesday. Crowds of people packed into exclusive premiere screenings of the pilot episode of Fringe, the highly anticipated new series from J.J. Abrams, the creator of Lost. Thursday was expected to be a strong day with Fox previewing X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Max Payne, but the real surprise was the crowd of 6,500 teenage girls and their moms who waited in line for hours to watch the panel for Summit Entertainment’s adaptation of the Stephanie Meyer vampire novel series, Twilight. Comic-Con has historically been a fan-boy event, but this massive fan-girl turnout shocked exhibitors and opened doors for the ‘Con to reach an even larger female audience next year.
A counter to Thursday’s unexpected female influence, Friday was deemed Star Wars Day in anticipation of the upcoming Warner Bros.’ release Star Wars: The Clone Wars. While there were many popular panels, WB stole the day in general with a panel for one of next year’s most anticipated superhero films, Watchmen. Saturday offered presentations for a number of popular TV series including Chuck and Pushing Daisies, but the highlight of the day was the Sony panel for Pineapple Express. Judd Apatow moderated a Q&A with Seth Rogen, James Franco and the rest of his creative team which proved to be one of the funniest moments of the weekend. Sunday was a much slower day as many opted to head out early and beat the traffic, but for those who stayed, the day was coined “Kid’s Day,” with a number of special programs aimed at children. The convention wrapped Sunday afternoon with a hysterical screening of Buffy the Musical.
This year was my first trip to Comic-Con and, although I was completely “Conned-out” by the end, it was definitely a worthwhile and unforgettable experience. While it may sound like a mecca for geeks (and in many ways it is,) the opportunity to see celebs and attend guest-only Hollywood parties has helped Comic-Con evolve into a mecca of pop culture. This is an event where there is truly something for everyone and with this year’s newfound female presence; I can only hope more women will join me at the ‘Con next summer.