Posts Tagged ‘sequel’
6 items.
Oct23
If you think that today’s strip is some sort of late April Fool’s joke, then I suggest you check out this story.
Quite frankly, I’m sick with the idea that anyone would
A. Attempt a sequel to one of the most beloved family films of all time (does anyone remember the 10 car pile up of muppets that was Return to Oz?) and
B. Stick Drew Barrymore in the starring role of Dorothy. Never mind she’s 27 and Judy Garland was 17 when she played it. Oh, wait. You’ll probably turn her into some tough, business-minded executive that only learns a “life lesson” after a fanciful trip through Oz and reconnecting with childish innocence.
I think it would be more interesting if they sent her to the HBO version of Oz.
This is the kind of project that I can picture Drew getting really excited over. She was probably in her big-ass mansion, just having started her production company, chewing on the end of a pencil and trying to come up with a good property she could re-purpose as a vehicle for herself.
She probably thought, “Gee, I really loved The Wizard of Oz before I was strung out on coke at 11. I’ll take those happy memories, bastardize them and inflict them on an unsuspecting public!”
The point I’m making with today’s strip holds water, in my opinion because the only reason anyone will see this film is to check out Drew’s boobs.
Face it, honey. The apex of your career is when you flashed Letterman on his birthday.
Some of you might wonder why I spit so much venom at Drew. Most likely because I see her as the next in line of “girl-next-door” actresses who take their wholesome images and pad them further by developing smooshy movies I end up getting dragged to kicking and screaming.
Other actresses in this category would include Meg Ryan (although she’s a little long in the tooth) and the worst offender, Sandra Bullock. I really used to like Sandra Bullock back when she was in Demolition Man and Speed. She was a fresh face. Fun to watch. Then While You Were Sleeping happened. Then Hope Floats. Then Practical Magic. Then 28 Days. Then Miss Congeniality. I’m sure you get the picture.
And I’m sorry, but it doesn’t matter how many films like Murder By Numbers you make, you’ve carved your peg, now sit in it.
Drew is falling into the same trap. Her popularity has afforded her some sway in the industry, and she ends up producing and starring in such obvious ego-centric pieces as Charlies Angels, Never Been Kissed and Driving in Cars With Boys (featuring the most flagrant misuse of Steve Zahn if there ever was one).
I guess it’s just difficult to watch actresses you like water down their appeal by churning out the same tapioca productions. Reese Witherspoon? I’m looking in your direction…
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Still having a little fun with Shrek 2. Vote for Theater Hopper at buzzComix to see Tom as The Gingerbread Man!
I won’t bore you with more of my opinions about Shrek 2. I mentioned that Cami and I had seen it last Thursday, and what I have to say about it has pretty much been said in blog-form. I just thought it was worthy to tackle in the comic since we were just coming down from a two-week story arc.
Frankly, it’s not surprising to me that Shrek did almost $105 million dollars of business over the three-day weekend. They’ve been hyping this film for so long, I feel like I’ve already seen it seven times!
Today’s comic is no joke. Cami and I went grocery shopping Sunday afternoon and Shrek’s goofy mug was on no less than five of the products we bought. “Shrek Toilet Paper?” C’mon, now that’s just nasty!
Okay, there’s not REALLY any Shrek toilet paper, but would it surprise you if there were? All I’m saying is that the merchandising is way out of control and I’m just going to have to avoid all commerce locations before I start dreaming green!
Onto more pressing matters. I indicated there was some pretty big news last Friday. I know the people in the forums have been buzzing about it. Actually, wildly guessing and pulling their hair out is more appropriate. Well, now I’m ready to share the news.
You might have noticed something different about the little ad next to the comic asking you to send me to Wizard World Chicago. The status bar is now full. In fact, it’s been busted clear off the scale!
You guys are AMAZING. When I last updated the tally on 16th, I had $155. You guys delivered that to me 5 days after I posted my goal. I thought THAT was really impressive. I mean, the convention isn’t until August and I was already more than one-fifth of the way there!
Since the 16th, I continued receiving donations, purchases through the store and advertising reservations. But on the 20th, I received a very shocking bit of news. One kind soul had donated $345!!! Now I’m not sharing this to brag, but in order to publicly thank the individual who topped off the status bar. Unfortunately, he didn’t want me to use his real name. But to that person, this message is for you:
Although I have thanked you PROFUSELY in private e-mails, I wanted you to know that I am announcing to my readership my undying thanks for your kindness. Your contribution will help make Theater Hopper’s presence felt on a larger scale and could potentially open up new avenues of readership. It seems cliche to say, but I can never thank you enough!
By now, you’re probably running the numbers in your head. “Tom, if you had $155 on the 16th, and were donated $345 on the 20th, then shouldn’t that add up to $500 and not $681 like you have listed? What’s that other $181 about?”
I’m glad you asked. Those are the continued contributions of OTHER Theater Hopper fans who have sought to support my goal. They too, I thank. Your support means more to me than you’ll ever know!
When I started this comic almost 2 years ago, I never dreamed that it would find a readership as kind and supportive as the one it has found. It’s because of YOU that I continue to do this strip. In fact, I look forward to it every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I love reading your e-mails and talking to you in the forums. And I know for a fact there isn’t a group of people nicer. I can honestly say I’ve made some great friends thanks to these little doodles. And what better result can you get but that?
THANK YOU!
The other bit of big news I wanted to share is a little more external in influence.
Last week I was reading Chris Ryall’s column “One Hand Clapping” over at Movie Poop Shoot and he was talking about Shrek 2. He mentioned Mike Meyers and his continued insistence on using that horrid Scottish accent in every movie he does. Chris cited the Shrek movies, the Austin Powers franchise – even So I Married An Axe Murderer.
I was elated! Finally someone of my same opinion. I had written a comic long ago addressing the very same issue! I had to share it with Chris.
So I sent an e-mail to Chris telling him about my comic and added a link. I received a very quick reply from Chris thanking me for my comments telling me that he loved the comic! Could he link to it?
It took less than a second for me to scream “YES! YES!”
And so, here we are. Linked today from the weekly question and answer column “Mail Shoot” over at Movie Poop Shoot. Click here for the undeniable proof. I’ve been a big fan of the site for a really long time, so being linked from them is a big deal for me. It’s like being recognized by Newsweek, or something!
So, for all of those new readers checking out the site for the first time, I encourage you to comb through our archives and check out our forums. I know we have a lot of content to wade through, but if you love movies like I do, I’m sure you’ll find something to latch onto.
I would post some links to some of my favorites, but I can see this news post has grown quite large, so I’ll save that for another time!
Until then, things are really coming up roses for Theater Hopper. Again, thanks to everyone for their support and here’s to continued prosperity in the future!
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I always enjoy putting together the comics where Tom enacts some kind letter-writing campaign. Not only for the anachronistic joy of longhand letter-writing in the age of e-mail, but because there is typically a child-like innocence to his requests. I think as I go on, I make these sessions more and more child-like, as evident by Tom’s slumped over the table posture in the third panel.
As for Rambo, what can I say? I’ve been sold. I’m excited to see this movie. You can thank the take-no-prisoners trailer for that.
Of course, it’s very possible that I will be screwed by this. The Alien vs. Predator: Requiem trailer was awesome, too – and look where that got me.
I don’t think anyone would ever confuse the Rambo movies for being plot-motivated. They’ve always been about brutality and ingenuity in combat. There’s very little to say about Rambo except he’s always pissed off and looks good without a shirt on.
To that end, I should be just as opposed to Sylvester Stallone revisiting the character as I was when he put on the gloves for Rocky Balboa.
But I don’t know. This time, it’s different…
Maybe my heart has softened somewhat, but I’m much more enamored by Stallone for refusing to let the fact that he’s 62 prevent him from doing these movies. I mean, action films are a young man’s game. He’s basically giving the middle finger to that and I kind of respect him for it!
When you think about the fact that between the Rocky and Rambo movies, Stallone’s marquee value alone continues to propel the franchises, it makes the producers of other long standing franchises like James Bond look like they’re asleep at the switch. I mean, there have been four actors to have played Bond since Stallone first played Rambo. They haven’t turned the character over to some younger actor. Stallone IS Rambo. No one else can play him. That’s saying something.
So kudos, Mr. Stallone. I’m giving you a pass on Rambo. Even though I know it will probably suck, even though Rocky Balboa is probably the better film and my stubborn attitude about baby boomers refusing to lay down and let the next generation through prevented me from seeing it, you’ve earned my respect.
Incidentally, for those of you wondering about the punchline to today’s comic, Over The Top is probably the best “worst” Stallone film ever made. The movie’s tagline alone sells it – “His name is Hawk. He’s fighting for his son.”
WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?!
Okay, let me spell it out a little bit more. Stallone plays a big-rig trucker who tries to reconnect with his son after his ex-wife, the boy’s mother passes away. Of course the kid is a brat who has been pampered by his mother’s rich family. Stallone is going to show this kid what’s-what and how to stand up for himself… (wait for it) THROUGH COMPETITIVE ARM-WRESTLING!
Best awesomely bad movie ever. Netflix it now.
So if Stallone is revisiting Rocky and Rambo, I demand to see a follow up to Over The Top. Your FANS demand it, Sly!
At any rate, that’s all I have for now. I know I promised you some reactions to the Oscar announcements on Wednesday and I didn’t get to them. But I guess it’s because I haven’t fully digested them yet.
I can give you the high-level overview, though. I was really surprised that Juno was nominated for Best Picture. Not that it isn’t a good movie, but what about Zodiac or The Assassination of Jesse James? I was pleased to see that Ratatouille was nominated for Best Animated Feature, but was shocked to also see it nominated for Best Original Screenplay. Incidentally, I think it’s a crock that Surf’s Up was nominated in the Animated Feature category while The Simpsons Movie was totally snubbed.
Beyond that… I don’t know. Not too many surprised. The most nominations were split between There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men. No real surprises there.
I guess it’s hard to get my hopes up about the Oscars when we don’t know if there will even be a televised broadcast to get wrapped up in. I didn’t mind when the writer’s strike put the kibosh on The Golden Globes. I don’t care what the Hollywood Foreign Press has to say anyway. But the Oscars hit a little closer to home. So I guess I’m just shielding myself from the eventual let down if the show doesn’t happen.
I probably need more time to think about it, but that’s all I have for now. I hope everyone has a great weekend! See you here on Monday!
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I wish I had a little more room in the comic to really capture the epic-ness of a Monster versus Alien versus Robot versus Ninja versus Monkey beat down. I hope the ASPCA doesn’t mind that I put a shuriken between the eyes of Bobo there.
I’m still pretty pumped to see Monsters vs. Aliens this weekend even though some reviews are starting to come back negative. I guess some are complaining that it’s kind of short on laughs and not very innovative. Some people are saying it’s the Bad Old Days of Dreamworks Animation and not the blockbuster Kung-Fu Panda was.
I suppose maybe some of that is to be expected. After all, the director is the same guy who wrote and directed Shark Tale. But I don’t care. I just want to watch something fun, bright and colorful. MVA fits the bill. Heck, I think I’m even going to shell out a few extra bucks to see it in 3D! Why not? What else am I going to see A Haunting in Connecticut? I think not. I’ll report back later with my findings.
I don’t have very much to talk about today. So, instead, I’ll take this opportunity to point you to my good friend Joe Dunn’s web comic Joe Loves Crappy Movies. Joe recently made a big announcement. His first book Joe Loves Crappy Movies: Volume One is now available from his site.
You guys really gotta check this out. Odds are, if you’re reading Theater Hopper, you’re probably already reading JCLM. But if you’re not, you’re gonna love it. Joe put a lot of work into this book to really add value beyond what you get on his site for free.
Most impressively, he’s selling “Artist Editions” of the book featuring kick-ass original sketches inside. People who order before Sunday get upgraded for free! You gotta look at the work he’s doing with these sketches. Check out this thread in his forum. They’re amazing.
Joe’s a great guy and I really want him to have a lot of success with his first book. So maybe you can take some of your tax return and invest it in something you’re really going to enjoy. Take my word for it.
That’s all I have for today. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you guys next week!
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First, if you’re a relatively new reader to the site, then you probably aren’t familiar with the previous story arc that this comic is referencing.
WAAAAAYYY back in 2008 when the original Iron Man was in theaters, I did a story line about Tom going to the movie in costume wearing a homemade costume made out of cardboard boxes. It was pretty well received. I’d be pretty stupid not to revisit the concept now that the sequel is coming.
And, yes, I know that Iron Man 2 won’t be in theaters for two weeks. And, YES, I know that I will be sacrificing easy jokes in reference to Furry Vengeance. But I don’t care. Iron Man 2 is coming and I am BEYOND EXCITED!
Since there will be a lot of Iron Man to cover in the next two weeks, I won’t bore you with a bunch of extraneous fanboy pants-wetting. Instead, I wanted to offer my sincere apology for Monday’s comic being so late.
I was up last night working on the comic and – since I feel so invested in this particular story – I wanted to get the artwork just right. But I had to turn in early and get some sleep because I had two job interviews today and I didn’t want to be a drooling, sleep-deprived zombie all day.
As a result, I was pretty much away from the computer all day today. When I wasn’t in an interview, I was taking care of Pearl. Later in the evening, after we put Pearl and Henry to bed, I participated in the recording of a podcast I was invited to called The F.I.L.M. Army produced by the Fancy Pants Gangsters. It’s a very well-produced and entertaining podcast and you should check it out.
I had a great time shooting the breeze with The F.I.L.M. Army crew for an hour and it reminded me of the good times recording The Triple Feature. There’s an option for me to come back and do more shows and I’m willing to do them. It all depends on when or if they decide to invite me back.
The show I appeared on should go live sometime this weekend and I’ll be sure to remind you when it does. Be on the lookout for that.
In the meantime, sincere apologies again for the late comic. I always feel bad when I can’t meet deadline, but when you have a 4 month old and a job search to juggle, sometimes it’s hard to get the pieces to fall into place.
Feel free to speculate about the forthcoming Iron Man 2 story line and if there is anything specific you’d like to discuss about the film, feel free to do so in the comics.
See you here (hopefully on time!) this Wednesday! THANKS!
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Today’s comic might be (fairly) criticized as one of the laziest comics in web comic history. But it came together in a really beautiful way and I want to tell you how.
I was kicking around a comic idea to make commentary about The Hangover Part II’s $86.5 million dollar opening weekend. Numbers like that pretty much guarantee another sequel and there’s already talk that it will be set in Amsterdam.
I wanted to make a joke that it’s not very challenging for the writers to come up with crazy adventures for Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zack Galifianakis to get wrapped up in when the setting is a notorious party city like Amsterdam. They should try to challenge themselves by setting it in Duluth, or something.
A quick aside: I mean no disrespect to the citizens of Duluth. But when the first syllable in your city’s name is basically “dull,” I’m sure images of an exciting nightlife don’t immediately spring to mind.
Hey, I sympathize. Critics of my hometown have been calling it “Dead Moines” for years.
Anyway, back to the original joke… it wasn’t exactly strong and I knew it. How bad was it? I had originally forgotten it and went to Twitter to express as much.
“I had an idea for a comic, but didn’t write it down. Something to do with The Hangover II. Maybe it wasn’t a very good idea?” I said.
This was a little bit of meta-comedy because, as you probably know The Hangover Part II’s is being accused of recycling the same jokes from the first movie and – as such – was probably not a very good idea.
Shortly after that tweet, I received a reply from H. Caldwell Tanner. You may know him from his work on Loldwell or, more likely, from his work for College Humor.
“Just remake an old comic and add a “Part II” to it instead,” he suggested.
It was too good of an idea not to pass up and here we are.
Of course, the joke in this comic – stealing from oneself – doesn’t really work if you haven’t read the original comic. To that end, I am providing this link for your reference. There. Now no one can claim I did not perform my due diligence.
What do you want from me? Tomorrow is Memorial Day here in the states and I’ve got the day off from work!
Don’t worry, though, I saw Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides this weekend and will have a review up in the Bonus Materials blog in the next few days. That should make up for things, hopefully.
In the meantime, help me fill in the blanks. Did you see The Hangover Part II? I have no interest in seeing it considering that I have The Hangover on Blu-ray and can watch that if I’m interested in jokes about roofies. But what did you think? Is it the retread everyone is claiming it is? I’ve heard there’s another photo montage at the end that nearly salvages the movie, even if it’s the same joke from the first movie. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
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