Jacob Hall
Weekend Box Office Report: ‘Ouija’ Scares Up a Victory Over ‘John Wick’
It feels like common sense: of course the horror movie released a week before Halloween is going to win the weekend war at the box office over the action movie. And yet, most horror movies continue to get released as far away from the season of the witch as possible. Can the recent success of 'Annabelle' and this weekend's 'Ouija' change that?
Clever New IKEA Commercial Parodies Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’
We live in a world where commercial directors speak (and breathe and live) the same pop culture language as the people they've been hired to peddle all kinds of products to. The result: television advertisements have gotten more clever, more specific, and most importantly, more ready to become instant viral sensations on the internet. A new IKEA commercial, whose release in the chilly weeks of October is no coincidence, cleverly parodies one of the most famous horror movies of all time and it's pretty cool.
Weekend Box Office Report: ‘Fury’ Rages Into First Place
Brad Pitt's new World War II drama 'Fury' opened at number at the box office and has officially defined what this October has been about: long, R-rated movies featuring huge movie stars bucking the usual trends and out-grossing their family friendly competition. Between this and 'Gone Girl,' it looks like grown adults are heading to their multiplex more than ever these days.
‘Batman vs. Superman’ Rumor: Jena Malone Cast as Robin
There's a reason why people have been pretty tight-lipped with 'Batman vs. Superman' details. It seems that everyone, even the extras, face a $5 million lawsuit if they divulge anything at all. But that hasn't stopped one member of the film's background talent, who went to local Detroit news station with some new story details, including the identity of Batman's sidekick, Robin.
How ‘Batman vs. Superman’ Will Explain Wonder Woman’s Origin
We really don't know much about how Wonder Woman will fit into the plot of 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.' We do know that she's being played by Gal Gadot and that she will, somehow, get some screen time alongside Henry Cavill's Superman, Ben Affleck's Batman and Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor. But that's about it ... until now! Thanks to a tiny snippet (caught on Vine, no less) we now know that DC's Amazon warrior will forego her classic origin story in favor of her modern beginning.
Weekend Box Office Report: ‘Gone Girl’ Vanquishes the Competition
'Gone Girl' may have barely won its first weekend at the box office over 'Annabelle,' but in its second week of release, it emerged as the real victor. Fighting off tons of new competition, David Fincher's thriller held onto the number one spot and made it look easy.
The ‘SNL’ Jan Hooks Tribute: Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig Present ‘Love Is But a Dream’
The unfortunate and untimely death of the great Jan Hooks this past week sent the comedy world into mourning, with countless writers and comics stepping forward to pay tribute to the late 'SNL' star. It could have been easy for this week's new episode to gloss over the passing of one of their own (it is a comedy show, after all), but 'SNL' has always been a slightly class institution -- it remembers those who came before.
Weekend Box Office Report: ‘The Equalizer’ Triumphs While ‘The Boxtrolls’ Underperforms
When you put Denzel Washington in an action movie, you've written your meal ticket for the foreseeable future. Few actors are as consistent as Washington with their opening weekends, even when the project looks like something everyone has seen countless times before...
Weekend Box Office Report: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Reigns Over a Very Slow Weekend
There actually was a new film released this week. It's called 'The Identical' and it's a Christian-themed fable about what would have happened if Elvis Presley's stillborn twin brother had survived. Well, for reasons that should be obvious after reading that sentence, 'Guardians of the Galaxy' held onto the number one spot this weekend while 'The Identical' opened outside of the top 10, never to be heard from again.
An Insane New 4D Batman Roller Coaster is Heading to Six Flags
With Warner Bros. doubling down on 'Batman vs. Superman' and 'Justice League' in the next few years, it makes perfect sense that Six Flags parks would take advantage of the situation and start building new rides named after these iconic characters. And that brings us to Batman: The Ride, which will be opening in San Antonio's Six Flags: Fiesta Texas next year. In short: it looks insane.
Weekend Box Office Report: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Trounces All Newcomers
A few weeks ago, this column was skeptical that Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' could reach $300 million. Now, it seems impossible that it won't. Thanks to ecstatic word of mouth, killer marketing and only one genuinely successful box office challenger (that would be 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'), Marvel's oddball space opera has managed to spend three of the past four weekends at the number one spot at the box office, giving it enough momentum to officially become the highest grossing film of 2014.
2014 Emmys: Watch Seth Meyers’ Opening Monologue
Fans of Seth Meyers from 'Saturday Night Live' and his still-young stint as host of 'Late Night' know that this is a performer perfectly suited for hosting the Emmys. Capable of leaping between sweet and sarcastic at a moment's notice while barely changing his signature dry delivery, Seth Meyers opened the 2014 Emmys ceremony with a monologue that could have come straight from one of his own shows.