Great Songs In Movie History Volume 1: Looking For The Magic - Then & Now...

One of the things that always sticks with me is the songs that a filmmaker chooses to use in a particular movie scene. As a fan of multiple genre's of music, I am always interested to try and get into the filmmakers head as to why they picked that particular song and choose to use it at that particular moment. Quentin Tarantino is often praised for his quirky music choices ('Across 110th S't by Bobby Womack in Jackie Brown and 'Hold Tight' by Davey Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mich & Tich in Deathproof are two of my favorite examples of QTs weird musical selections) and they leave a lasting memory in your head long after the credits roll. Can you hear 'Stuck In The Middle' and really not think of Reservoir Dogs? Or Tom Petty's 'American Girl' and not think of Silence of the Lambs? I don't know about you... but this happens to me all the time. I recently saw 'You're Next', the newest horror movie sensation, in the theater the other day and boy was I impressed. The movie was written by Simon Barrett and it seems that Mr. Barrett had a similar musical idea in store for the audience when he was writing his horror opus. Since there are minor spoilers in the rest of the post, I will continue after the jump....


In the opening scene of the film a gruesome double murder takes place and there is a weirdly familiar song echoing in the background. It is 'Looking For The Magic' by The Dwight Twilley Band, and even though I can't really say for sure if I know the song from before I saw the movie (it came out in 1977), I damn sure won't ever forget it AFTER this movie. The song is haunting, has a very unique sound, and will forever go down as being associated with this movie. When the original victim puts the song on they put the CD on repeat, so the song is now on an endless loop considering that both people staying at this country house are now dead... and the funny part is that throughout the film the original location of the murder is re-visited by a few characters fleeing the attack of the masked murderers, and every time the house is approach the damn song is on! It plays, fades out, ends, and then restarts... OVER AND OVER as a reminder to the killings in the 1st reel of the movie and how they related to the desolate nature of the locale. So fucking great.

So here is the newest addition to my Spotify account: First up, the original 'Looking For The Magic' by The Dwight Twilley Band, and then after that we have an updated version of the song by the group Mind The Gap that appears on the You're Next soundtrack. Even though I like the originals 70s style vocals, the new one has a cleaner sound and still conveys the original songs feel. The song is now burnt into my head, and after you see the movie it will be burnt it to yours too. Enjoy the videos, and tell me your thoughts on this song if you have seen 'You're Next'...

Original:




****Editor's Note***

After I posted this and did some digging I found that the one and only Tom Petty, a label mate of The Dwight Tilley Band at the time of release, played the guitar on 'Looking For The Magic'... which makes this song even fucking cooler!!!!

New Version:

10 Little Known Facts About Marvel Comics....

I am sucker for these "10 ___ Things..." lists that populate the Internet and have caused me to lose days of my life watching them 3 minutes at a time. On Geeks Are Sexy Technology I came across an excellent video (or at least what I had hoped would be a excellent video) called '10 Little Known Facts About The Marvel Universe' that I just had to watch. The vicious cycle had begun once again, and boy am I glad for it. As a comic geek I love to come across fun little tidbits about the characters that I adore. Out of this Top 10, I may have known 4 or 5 of them (the ones that are related in the pages of comics and about Hulk's color) but there were some really great facts that were unknown to me. Casper and Ghost Rider in a crossover? Get the fuck outta here. Cap taking on two... TWO Presidents of the United States? An artist that died young and had his ashes mixed with the graphic novel reproduction of his most famous series? This is a great way for any comic fan to spend 3 minutes. Check it out after the jump... this is epic!

J.E. Mark Takes Batman' Rogues Gallery And Makes Them Real...

I love fan art, especially fan art that depicts the residents of Gotham City. But my man J. E. Marks has taken the Bats villains to a new height with his realistic illustrations of the Rogue Gallery. These versions of Poison Ivy, Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Mr. Freeze and Harvey Dent make my skin crawl... they are so realistic and life like, and yet they highlight the comic attributes that we know and love about these characters so much. I think my fave may be the Penguin, even though she is probably my least favorite villain of the group. Mr. Freeze is pretty amazing as well. Check out more of Mark's work by clicking here, and see the best of the best after the jump...

Thanks to Tommy for the lead...

Chun-Li Is Jealous... And She Isn't Gonna Take It Anymore!!!

I am a huge fan of watching people slip and fall, especially on video. I have been an ardent viewer of America's Funniest Home Video's since the 80s, and my son has followed in my footsteps... he loved the show since he was like 2 years old and used to call it "People Fall Down" instead of its real name. Truth is, if I fell I KNOW FOR A FACT that it would be funny to watch and people will laugh... so fuck it, I am going to laugh to. But this video featuring Chun-Li of Street Fighter fame is taking the "People Fall Down" concept to a whole new level. The creators, Parodie Pub of France, have taken the famous Street Fighter 2 chick and super imposed her into scenes in which people wipe out... and wipe out hard. They use her special moves (various kicks, punches, hadoukens and trips) to justify how these people bust their asses, and the final results are absolutely spectacular. This may be the funnest way to spend 2 and a half minutes of your day. Check it out after the jump...

Mondo Goes To Duckburg...

Mondo has plenty of interesting posters coming out of their operation in Texas, but sometimes I see what they have as an upcoming release and I get very excited. Today was one of those days, as they have teamed up with Disney to help promote the release of 'Duck Tales: Remastered'. DT: Remastered is a re-engineered version of the 1989 classic Ninetendo video game that is being released on all the major platforms (Xbox Live, Playstation Network, and Wii U). It will be an upgraded version of the classic game, featuring new voice transfers from original cast members of the TV show. As a huge fan of the original cartoon and someone who has logged in many hours on the NES game I am very excited, and was blown away by the four posters that Mondo created to celebrate the re-release of the game. The usual suspects are here for Mondo (Phantom City Creative, JJ Harrison, Anne Benjamin, and DKNG) and there are two variant editions also... but the price point on these are a bit lower than usual Mondo posters (until they get to Ebay... yeesh!). Click here to head over to the Mondo twitter and see if you can score some of these great posters (they will go on sale sometime on Wed Aug 28th), and click after the jump for a nice preview of the posters and a trailer for the new game...

JJ Harrison

Anne Benjamin

Phantom City Creative (original)

Phantom City Creative (variant)

DKNG (original)

DKNG (variant)

So.... Hank & Marie Watched The MTV Movie Awards...

I absolutely love this meme that is going to start trending on Youtube very hard in the vein of 'Hitler Reacts'. People are definitely going to start entering any crazy or outlandish video into the screen of Hank & Marie's living room TV and watch as the stare in disbelief and horror at whatever unfolds. In this case it is a fake-finger wearing, twerk team shaking Miley Cyrus and her over the top performance at the 2013 MTV awards. Marie might even be covering her mouth at the Beetlejuice-esque suit that Robin Thicke is sporting in this one. All in all a great execution on a meme featuring a great scene from 'Breaking Bad'. Check it out after the jump....



Thanks to Tommy L for the assist in sending this one over:

Superman & Batman: The Trust

With all the excitement over the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman I am brought back to thinking about this 'World's Finest' movie. I like this story, by Alex Ross and Chip Kidd, very much because it says everything you need to know about the relationship between Batman and Superman and why the most powerful creature on the planet would NEED a non-powered human to watch over him (albeit an extra-ordinary non-powered human) is what makes their team-up special. And Braniac would challenge the two of them. That doesn't require us to cast a new Joker or Lex Luthor. Those roles have been done to death in Batman and Superman movies.

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Ben Affleck Ain't So Bad For Batman: A Rant by Mike CCD

Soooo... the news broke last night that Ben Affleck is going to be Batman in the upcoming Man of Steel 2. This has been the casting choice that has been hanging in the air for a month since Warner Brothers announced that there would be a Batman appearance in the Superman sequel. This is the movie that is to lay the groundwork for the future DC Comics cinematic universe, and by default set up the team for the Justice League movie that WB wants to get to so bad. And it seems that they have tapped Mr. Gigli himself to don the cowl. Now any comic fan worth their weight in salt knows that Bats & Supes are the cornerstones of any future success DC/WB can ever hope to have... and Man of Steel did do quite well ($650 million worldwide so far!)... so is DC finally on the right track after misfires like Green Lantern and Nolan's Batman trilogy coming to end? Could be... but is Affleck the guy to be the Bat for this whole transition? The general consensus is FUCK NO... and most people are shaking their heads in disgust that Big Ben got the role. They think he will suck it up, ruin everything, and set DC/WB is about to lose any traction they FINALLY gained with Man of Steel. But I think this could be a GOOD thing for the whole future DC Cinematic Universe... and I got some points to prove it. Check out after the jump why I don't think Affleck is all that bad as The Dark Knight....

So here it is in a nutshell... Once again the Internet & fan boys everywhere are over reacting. I honestly believe that this would have been the case with just about anyone who would have gotten the role... so check out my reasons why this ain't all that bad of a development:

Matthew Goode wasn't that bad in Watchman, was he???

1) No One Would Have Been Good Enough -

This is just typical Internet/Fan Boy hate in a nutshell. Bash something, and offer up some other casting choice who would have made a much better choice. Forget about the fact that this is just dumb (you don't know what roles an actor/actress has scheduled that could conflict, or if they even want the fucking role in the first place) and counter productive, but it usually goes like this: Affleck is chosen, and some schmuck says "Fuck Affleck.... Josh Brolin would have been a way better choice!" all over the 'Net. But if they would have picked Brolin, the statement would probably go "Fuck Brolin.... Ben Affleck was the bomb in Phantoms and would be a way better choice!". You can't make these fucking cry babies happy no matter what, so don't bother trying....

Academy Awards are still good... right?

2) Affleck Is A Pretty Good Overall Actor:

Listen... before you start talking about the shitty movies Affleck has made (Reindeer Games anyone?), think about how many GOOD movies he has made. He has been in well over 40 films, most of which he was in the starring role. Sure he has some duds like the aforementioned Reindeer Games, Gigli, and Paycheck... but he is also the guy who killed in The Town, all the Kevin Smith movies he has done (especially Chasing Amy), and Shakespeare In Love. And he has the legendary role of Fred O'Bannion in Dazed & Confused in there as well. Not to mention a little movie called Argo, which he DIRECTED AND STARRED IN!!!! This guy is a really good actor, and the fact that he even WANTS to be Batman is pretty cool in its own right. And before you fucks start getting on me for leaving out Daredevil as a shitty movie that Ben has done, just wait... that piece of junk gets its own reason...

A totally different (and much less shitty) movie

3) Yeah, Daredevil Sucked Balls... BUTTTTTTTTTT:

Daredevil is an easy target, mostly because the film most people saw sucked more dicks than Jenna Jameson. Not to mention that this was Affleck starring in a Super Hero movie... and we don't want to see him fuck up another great comic book character. But there is an interesting aside to the whole Daredevil movie that most people don't actually know about... and it makes a world of a difference. Director Mark Steven Johnson may have produced a steaming pile of shit, yet it might not have been his and Afflecks fault completely. The studio was meddling in every aspect of the filming, and they re-cut, re-wrote and required Johnson to do things he did not want to do with the film. This is apparent in the Director's Cut of the film, which has whole sub plots that were left out of the theatrical movie that make it a completely different film. It is also a much more violent cut (it would have been an R rating instead of PG-13) and focused less on the romance between Daredevil & Electra. I have seen it, I own the Blu Ray of the Director's Cut, and it is pretty much WAY BETTER in every way to the theatrical version. So if you only saw the theatrical version, and you think this is proof that Affleck can't do a super hero justice... well, take a look at the Director's Cut and then get back to me....

One of the best podcasts on the 'Net

4) Affleck Has Some Bat-Friends To Fall Back On:

As Ringo pointed out on 'With A Little Help From My Friends', having some good back up could be enough to put you over the top in any certain situation. Affleck may not ring bells for all Bat Fans... but his boy Kevin Smith sure does. Smith is an authority on all things Batman, has written some great Batman comics (Cacophony is nothing short of perfect), and even hosts a weekly podcast called 'Fatman on Batman' where he discusses his obsession with everything Batty. If Ben was ever gonna reach out to his ole buddy Kev and ask a question about anything, this would be the situation to do so. And this is probably the best person that could possibly offer up any advice to Ben on how to play the character. Kevin Smith knows Batman better than anybody in Hollywood... even better than Nolan. Sure, Nolan made three great Batman movies... but Smith is a true fan and can probably help Ben out. Smith also should have probably reached out to Affleck when he was playing Daredevil (which he didn't) and probably won't let his boy down again...

Never Forget

5) Finally... Chances Are DC IS Gonna Fuck This Whole Situation Up Anyway: 

DC Comics & Warner Brothers have had more false starts and miss steps than anyone with so many can't miss properties in their stable. Think about how many things they fucked up: The first set of Batman movie sequels (nipple suits for everyone), Green Lantern (How do you fuck this up?), Constantine (Keanu Reeves as Hellblazer... WTF?), Catwoman (Halle Berry almost killed the comic book movie industry as we know it) and Jonah Hex (what was this piece of shit?). And all of these fuck ups happened AFTER comic book movies became popular and are pretty much can't miss. These people fucked up Superman for Chrissakes... Superman Returns almost made all real comic fans not even want to go see The Dark Knight!!! People should worry much less about Affleck's choice for the role and be much more concerned with things like who writes the movie and how they are gonna twist it all wrong. Lets get it together guys... Marvel is fucking killing you. Try.. that is all I ask.

Applesauce, Bitch!!!!!

So thats that... see, it ain't all bad. Now talk about all this among yourselves and add your comments below so that we can all bitch about it together!!!! Can't wait to hear what you guys have to say... get in there people!!!!

RIP Elmore Leonard...

Elmore Leonard has been around the writing game for quite sometime... and chances are you have enjoyed an a adaption of his work even if you don't know it. Sure, some people know that Leonard wrote Rum Punch (the book that would become Jackie Brown), Get Shorty, and Out of Sight... but did you know he also created Justified (the Raylan Givens character was the star of Leonard's books Pronto & Riding The Rap and the short story Fire in the Hole)? How about the fact that he wrote 3:10 to Yuma way back in 1953... 1953!!!!! They made that into a killer western booth in the 50's and 2007... 50 years LATER! Talk about a work of literature holding up. How about the fact that 26.. 26... of Leonard's works have been adapted for the TV or big screen?  Leonard was witty, intelligent, but not afraid to be silly and over the top... and no one wrote comedic crime fiction like him. Rum Punch is one of my all time favorite books. Always will be. I sat down and checked out Jackie Brown the other day just to pay a bit of respect to the creator. Take it light Mr. Leonard. Your work made entertainment that much better. RIP brother. Check out some of my favorite clips of adaptions of Leonard's work after the jump...



Jackie Brown:







The Big Bounce (A very underrated movie... check it out):




Get Shorty:







Freaky Deaky (A great indy movie that is full of stars and streaming on Netflix... watch it!):







Out of Sight:










Justified:

The Best of Kurt Russel By Chris Weston

Kurt Russel is basically the bad ass of all 80's bad asses. Sure Sly, Arnold, and Bruce Willis all had their defining moments during the decade... but in truth they can't hold a candle to Kurt in his holy trilogy of bad assdom: The Thing, Escape From NY, and Big Trouble in Little China! UK Artist Chris Weston decided to give little homage to these classic roles of Russell, and boy did they come out great. Check all three of them out after the jump... and make sure you check out Weston's site by clicking here and seeing all the great stuff he has done. Enjoy...

Jim Carrey Won't Promote 'Kick Ass 2' Because It Is Violent.... Wait, WHAT????

This story is just driving me crazy. And just another reason for normal people to hate a pretentious movie star who thinks he can fulfill certain obligations to get a check and then he doesn't have to come through on the rest. In this case, we have actor Jim Carrey being offered a killer supporting role in the movie Kick Ass 2. Carrey is playing Captain Stars & Stripes, an amalgamation of two very important characters from the original comic. He is the de-facto leader of Justice Forever, the team of heroes that Kick Ass & Hit Girl join to battle The Red Mist (now known as The Mother Fucker) and his team of villains, The Toxic Mega Cunts. Yup, I just wrote that sentence... The Toxic Mega Cunts. Mark Millar's comic world of Kick Ass has always been blood drenched and violent, and things like rape and murder are very present in every aspect of the story. So what the fuck did Jim Carrey actually think he was signing up for? Check out more of my outrage after the jump...



So this is the original comic character that Carrey was set to play:

Yup... that about sums it up. Carrey is playing a masked vigilante that carries multiple guns, a patriotic painted axe handle on his waistband, and has a humongous pet German Shepard that is a vicious attack dog. Yup, that is Captain Stars & Stripes in a nutshell. Is he a good guy? No question about it... dude is a reformed mobster who wants to do nothing more with his life than hurt and punish bad guys. But will he be ultra violent in doing so? ABSOLUTELY!!!!! 

So what the fuck is Carrey talking about here:  

This just doesn't make any sense. Don't get me wrong, Sandy Hook was pretty terrible. No one is debating that. But the comic came out in Oct of 2010, and Carrey signed on for that check and filmed it a month before Sandy Hook took place. It was violent and terrible from creation, yet Carrey had no problem with doing it at all. There were plenty of awful things that happened BEFORE Sandy Hook that could have made Carrey have a conscious and not do the movie... yet he still did it! Filmed for months, cashed the checks, and yucked it up as one of the more prominent characters in the early released footage. He seemed to be doing the part justice... so wtf? 

These are a few pics of Carrey in the movie:

He doesn't look so concerned with the violent appearance/nature of his character, right? So now the movie is coming out, and he doesn't want to make the rounds to promote it. He is leaving the heavy lifting to young stars like Aaron Johnson & Chloe Moretz, when his star cred could do a lot to promote the film and help it do better at the box office. This had Moretz, who is wise beyond her years and been working in movies for years, as perplexed as me:

“It’s a movie. If you are going to believe and be affected by an action film, you shouldn’t go to see ‘Pocahontas’ because you are going to think you are a Disney princess,” the 16-year-old Moretz told the U.K.’s Sun. 

“If you are that easily swayed, you might see ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ and think you are a serial killer. It’s a movie and it’s fake, and I’ve known that since I was a kid … I don’t want to run around trying to kill people and cuss. If anything, these movies teach you what not to do.” (Via The Wrap)

This comes from a 16 YEAR OLD. A 16 YEAR OLD!!!! She gets it... its a movie. WTF Jim? Do you think anybody will possibly confuse a movie starring a villain named The Mother Fucker as real life tragedy like Sandy Hook? I doubt it. And another thing... what the fuck does a battle royal between two groups, however violent it gets, have anything to do with a crazy person shooting up a school? It is not like that is emulated in the film... or even close to the type of violence that appears in Kick Ass 2. Is there rape, murder, and torture galore??? Sure... but there was in Burt Wonderstone too. You sliced open your own cheek and pulled out a folded up, blood covered card after having an audience member punch you in the face. But that violence was ok, right? You are a DICK Jim Carrey....

Finally, here is a solution. If you were that moved by the events of Sandy Hook, donate your salary from Kick Ass 2 to the victims. Or a portion of it. You are already rich as fuck. Donate the money from the movie that you made... but don't submarine the film by not promoting it. The younger crew like Chloe & Aaron need the film to do well, and the fans of the comics want it to do well so that we keep getting more films like it adapted to the big screen. His lack of promotion for the film could derail the whole success of the film. Don't be a douche Jim.... no one forced you to play this guy:

Fuck YOU Jim Carrey. You are a douche nugget!