All of the original main crew returns:

James Tiberius “Jim” Kirk – Chris Pine (Unstoppable, Jack Ryan)

Spock – Zachary Quinto (TV’s Heroes, TV’s American Horror Story)

Nyota Uhura – Zoe Saldana (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Avatar)

Dr. “Bones” McCoy – Karl Urban (The Lord of the Rings II-III, Dredd)

Hikaru Sulu – John Cho (American Pie I-IV, Harold and Kumar I-III)

Montgomery “Scotty” Scott – Simon Pegg (Mission: Impossible III-IV, Hot Fuzz)

In present day they are a bit older and wiser, hopefully. After a near death experience where they almost lose Spock in a volcano, the crew returns to Earth in some serious bureaucratic trouble. Kirk has lost privileges to the ship and sulks, but meanwhile a terrorist has just bombed a Starfleet installation killing hundreds. The head honchos convene for a meeting to see what is to be done about the culprit when suddenly he appears and begins shooting into the room! With all of Starfleet teetering on the edge of a knife and desperate actions being made, Kirk is hired outside of regulations to simply hunt down this fugitive known as John Harrison, played by Benedict Cumberbatch (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Hobbit I-III). Yet as he is captured and interrogated, the crew of the Enterprise realize they have their most dangerous villain ever: Kahn.

From the very beginning we are thrown into exciting action sequences with homages to “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, then it veers more toward political aspirations with issues of diplomacies and corruption which does bog down the fun a little bit, then arrives Cumberbatch with the most cold blooded bad guy in the franchise to spice it up by killing a whole room full of guys with HIS BARE HANDS. We also get our first look at Klingons, and are introduced to the new cute crewwoman Dr. Carol Marcus played by sexy Alice Eve (She’s Out of My League, MiB III). So while the story is not as fresh or mind blowing as its predecessor, there are enough thrills and jokes to enjoy.

“Star Trek Into Darkness” is a fun summer popcorn movie and pretty good for a sequel. See it in IMAX 3D, get your free refills at the concession stand, and enjoy the ride.

As a way of thanking their fans, Count Your Lucky Stars Records has released their ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY FOR FREE/PAY-WHAT-YOU-WANT FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK on their Bandcamp page. Tell all your friends! Go here and go nuts: http://countyourluckystars.bandcamp.com

The Future Is Cancelled is a stunning display of gritty punk and gutwrenching storytelling that sees CWS stepping into place their alongside contemporaries like The Menzingers and Tigers Jaw while challenging boundaries set forth by genre greats like Against Me! and Alkaline Trio.

Pick up Captain, We’re Sinking’s The Future Is Cancelled on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-future-is-cancelled/id646829812 or in the Run For Cover store: http://www.runforcoverrecords.com/store.

Check out the band’s signing video here

Front man Hudson Hower says, “Simply saying that we are ‘excited’ would be an understatement. We’re beyond blessed to be teaming up with the guys at Standby. These are some of the hardest working guys you’ll ever see in the industry, and we are hoping to match and honor that work ethic. The

“Just(defied)” EP release is coming in the next couple of weeks, and we are hoping to push it as a solidified foundation of our future to come with Standby Records. Come July, we’re going into the studio to record our first full-length album. The future of this industry is coming quickly, and Standby is about to imprint themselves as forerunners in the upcoming music field. As we said, we’re just getting started. This is only The Beginning.”

As if Emmure’s front man, Frankie Palmeri hasn’t done enough to gain negative attention towards his band, he calls out married people in his most recent tweet.

“I’m sick and tired of watching dudes,step on stage scream about shit they don’t feel. You’re on tour CHEATING on your BABY MOMMA. Y u mad? Niggas have riches and parents who are doctors and shit. You are NOT real. Your words mean NOTHING. Shit is not a joke. You married? What you screaming for? Go love the bitch you convinced to suck your dick for the rest of her life. Poser.”

Last I checked, Palmeri was white, and here can be found calling out “posers”. So the use of the word “Nigga” only shows how naive he is. Also, are we to believe that he has never cheated by his above statement, or that he simply needs a teddy bear and cuddles? I’d recommend he worry about his own lyrics and the meaning behind them, before he calls out dudes screaming out shit they don’t feel. After all, on his own album he can be quoted saying, ” I want to watch you suck his dick.”

Iron Man 2

If there is anything saving Hollywood right now, it’s superhero movies. Whether you love DC or Marvel, the good guys are saving the world and inspiring kids to purchase action figure toys. Oh I won’t slam the industry for these entertaining popcorn movies grossing billions every year, but eventually there comes a time to quit. “Superman III”, “X-Men: The Last Stand”, and now “Iron Man 3″ joins the risky line of trilogies that make-or-break a franchise. Does Oscar-nominee Robert Downey Jr. (Chaplin, Tropic Thunder) still have what it takes?

We open in 1999 when Tony Stark is still a shameless playboy. At a New Years Eve party he meets a geeky scientist by the name of Aldrich Killian, played by Oscar-nominee Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential, The Time Machine). He has a revolutionary proposal deal to offer but Tony just wants to get laid and snubs him. Flash forward to today when Pepper, Rhodes, and Happy are living an idyllic work life as supporters of the Iron Man project when suddenly a terrorist threat is broadcast live to the world by a psychopathic killer. The Mandarin, played by Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Species) is bombing unprotected women and children all over the globe and Rhodes can’t trace any of the explosives. That’s when Tony steps up to publically announce him home address to the media and openly challenge Mandarin to a duel. Well that’s a smart move right? Dead wrong. Before we know it, attack helicopters are bombing Stark’s mansion and he barely escapes to the outskirts of Tennessee. What’s worse, Aldrich seems to be involved and has kidnapped Pepper. Now with this and the War Machine in the wrong hands ready to attack the President of the United States and Tony having frequent emotional attacks, can we really save the day?

With new director Shane Black (writ. Predator, dir. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang) and more explosions than the 4th of July, the Iron Man series is coming to a close. That’s right, for better or worse this is the end of the big red robot. That’s not to say he doesn’t go down without a fight, and that’s the fun of the movie in all the creative ways he can kick ass with or without a suit. The problem is just how pretentious the characters have become. The real badguy is a total cop-out, not like the comic book Mandarin at all. And when Iron Man saves a baker’s dozen people from a falling aircraft it’s totally awesome and heroic…until we see he’s remote piloting the suit safely from the ground. What a chicken-s***.

While “Iron Man 3″ does wrap up the franchise nicely it still could have been done much better. Stark no longer needs the glow-in-the-dark chest plate, but I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him.

Boston, MA metalcore band Ice Nine Kills released a new single entitled “The Product of Hate” available exclusively at bandcamp for a limited 1-week download. All the proceeds from the song will be donated to the people affected by the Boston Marathon bombings.

“The lyrics of this song seemed so relevant to what had happened in Boston on the 15th,” says vocalist Spencer Charnas. “Being from Boston, this made the tragedy hit really close to home. We figured this could be a great way to spread an important message and raise some money for the victims and their families in the process.”

“The Product of Hate” will be available for donations until May 4th. Downloads start at $2 however fans have the option to donate more if they so choose at http://iceninekillsix.bandcamp.com/track/the-product-of-hate

Ice Nine Kills reached #9 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart and #38 on the Independent Label chart in January with the release of the their EP The Predator. The EP was completely crowd funded via the band’s Kickstarter campaign, which grossed $21,258 (more than double their $10,000 goal). The Predator also hit iTunes Rock chart at #15 and appeared as Revolver Magazine’s Album of the Week upon release.

The band is currently in the studio recording their next full-length album and can be seen on the road leading up to the Vans Warped Tour.

April 25, 2013 – Los Angeles, CA – Experimental-heavy-rockers IWRESTLEDABEARONCE have announced they’re almost finished with tracking their forthcoming, third studio album, which is due out later this year.

Currently held-up in their band-compound/recording studio in Los Angeles, IWABO are pushing themselves musically like never before. While known for their schizophrenic sound and unconventional song structure, IWABO is approaching their next record with a new focus and a determination to deliver an album that will surprise fans and entirely re-define who they are as a band.

“Well damn! After another two years of non-stop touring, some unexpected twists, and getting to visit some new and amazing places, we’re finally back in the studio working on full length number three!,” says guitarist/programmer Steven Bradley. “I’ve 100% NEVER been this excited about an IWABO album, because it feels like we’ve finally reigned in “our sound” even further and really hit a stride in terms of songwriting. We’ve always admired bands like Deftones, Cynic, Thrice, Glassjaw, Mr. Bungle, Dredg, Cephalic Carnage, The Mars Volta, etc because they’ve never made the same album twice, and aren’t scared to keep evolving while still maintaining their signature styles. Obviously I’d never compare us to the greatness of those bands, but, in keeping with that mentality, we’ve progressed a bit more and put together our best collection of songs so far.

Bradley who is producing, engineering, mixing and mastering the album himself adds, “the heavy parts are heavier and more interesting, the choruses are stronger, and the “weird twists” that people have come to expect in our music are way more thought-out than in the past and definitely hit harder than ever. Long story short – we’re very excited about getting this album finished and released, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Thanks for listening, and keep in touch with us on our facebook/twitter/etc where we will be posting frequent updates!”

IWABO’s upcoming album will also be the debut of the band’s electrifying new scream/sing queen Courtney LaPlante, who joined the band with only a 24 hour notice in between shows on the band’s run with Warped Tour in 2012. Her contributions to the new music have not only re-energized the band but have also allowed them to explore new growth as a cohesive unit.

“Since the day I joined this band, I’ve been anticipating this album!,” says LaPlante. “I was pushed to the limit creatively and technically, and I’ve never been more proud of myself or my bandmates. We’ve been through alot this year, and this is the pay-off; the result of our experiences. Most importantly, I think IWABO fans both old and new will really enjoy these songs, and we can’t wait to play them live for you this summer!”

For More Information:

http://www.iwrestledabearonce.com/

https://www.facebook.com/iwrestledabearonce

https://twitter.com/iwabo

The female fronted quintet not only offer something creatively different with their female vocalist, but also a collection of high-energy monstrous, anthems that have hooked the industry with full effect. The debut release, “The Social Meltdown,”, saw a frenzy of hype surround the band with extensive radio coverage including BBC Radio One and in Europe’s acclaimed music magazines, including Metal Hammer and Kerrang.

The Dutch collective are in the process of finishing the forthcoming full length album which is set be on shelves and available across North America by fall 2013, and promises to deliver further progression in not only sound and maturity, but within the boundaries that continue to be pushed further and further. The new full-length will include some very special guest vocal appearances that will grab you by the throat and leave you begging for more!

Caroline Westendorp, lead vocalist adds: “It is so exciting to see how fast the band has grown in such a short space of time; reactions have been so positive and it is great to welcome Pavement Music on board and make the next release a real big deal across seas. You can expect some cool surprises in the new record and we cannot wait to show the fans what we have in store for them.”

For more information, please visit: www.facebook.com/thecharmthefury.

We open on Daniel Lugo, played by Oscar-nominee Mark Wahlberg (Boogie Nights, The Departed). Daniel is in love with fitness, but more so the willpower to win and succeed in everything. Unfortunately the best he has done with his life is some low-end confidence scams and making a small gym a popular Miami destination. Then comes in Tony Shalhoub (Men in Black, Galaxy Quest) as Victor, a little rich twerp who can’t shut up about how rich he is. Although, this gives Daniel an idea. It doesn’t seem fair that some good people should be poor and dickwads should be rich, so he plans to kidnap Victor and force him to sign over his life’s savings. The only thing is he can’t do this alone, so he brings his two best friends in on the heist. There is Anthony Mackie (8 Mile, The Hurt Locker) and Dwayne Johnson (Faster, G.I. Joe: Retaliation), and this trio grab Victor wearing ninja costumes in broad daylight. The only thing is, they have no idea just how much trouble they are getting themselves into.

Directed by Michael Bay (The Rock, Transformers I-III), we get his darkest film yet. Maybe this kind of brutal story would seem more familiar in the hands of Eli Roth, Are you the type who wants to look like every glamour magazine supermodel? Are you in great physical shape? Can you bench 400lbs, maybe squat 500lbs? Is your body shredded more than a salad? Yes? Well that’s great, you’re living the American dream of being in great shape and rich too…oh wait, you’re not rich? You have a great body, so why are you broke? Can’t pay the rent on time? Can’t get out of your minimum wage night job? Can’t get a date because you’re too poor to afford it? So how is it that all the gorgeous ones are attracted to lazy, out-of-shape, jerks who simply have enough money to spoil? Well in 1994 there was a group of Miami fitness trainers who weren’t making ends meet, and rather than live out their 40′s in middle-class they hatched a scheme that makes the latest release from Paramount Pictures, “Pain and Gain”. And it’s a true story.

We open on Daniel Lugo, played by Oscar-nominee Mark Wahlberg (Boogie Nights, The Departed). Daniel is in love with fitness, but more so the willpower to win and succeed in everything. Unfortunately the best he has done with his life is some low-end confidence scams and making a small gym a popular Miami destination. Then comes in Tony Shalhoub (Men in Black, Galaxy Quest) as Victor, a little rich twerp who can’t shut up about how rich he is. Although, this gives Daniel an idea. It doesn’t seem fair that some good people should be poor and dickwads should be rich, so he plans to kidnap Victor and force him to sign over his life’s savings. The only thing is he can’t do this alone, so he brings his two best friends in on the heist. There is Anthony Mackie (8 Mile, The Hurt Locker) and Dwayne Johnson (Faster, G.I. Joe: Retaliation), and this trio grab Victor wearing ninja costumes in broad daylight. The only thing is, they have no idea just how much trouble they are getting themselves into.

Directed by Michael Bay (The Rock, Transformers I-III), we get his darkest film yet. Maybe this kind of brutal story would seem more familiar in the hands of Eli Roth, because once the body count begins it goes from strange to totally bizarre. Think of a cross between “Bad Boys” and “Shallow Grave”, with plenty of cocaine and strippers. Actually the first 30 minutes of this are pretty good, with Wahlberg narrating the angst of being beautiful but unsuccessful. Then once the comedy faucet comes on you get a whirlwind of bad decisions and outrageous moments, mostly very violent. It gets very dismal near the end and by then any source of fun is drained away. On the other hand, we actually get to see The Rock cry. I’ll say that again: The Rock CRIES.

“Pain and Gain” is so over the top that 90 minutes into it we need an on-screen reminder that it’s a true story. Unfortunately, it’s not a very entertaining one.because once the body count begins it goes from strange to totally bizarre. Think of a cross between “Bad Boys” and “Shallow Grave”, with plenty of cocaine and strippers. Actually the first 30 minutes of this are pretty good, with Wahlberg narrating the angst of being beautiful but unsuccessful. Then once the comedy faucet comes on you get a whirlwind of bad decisions and outrageous moments, mostly very violent. It gets very dismal near the end and by then any source of fun is drained away. On the other hand, we actually get to see The Rock cry. I’ll say that again: The Rock CRIES.

“Pain and Gain” is so over the top that 90 minutes into it we need an on-screen reminder that it’s a true story. Unfortunately, it’s not a very entertaining one.

We open on the planet Earth, 2077 A.D. Humanity is scarce, mostly just a memory. Aliens attacked, the planet was nearly destroyed, but we won the war. However, natural resources for replenishment are a rare thing, so the few survivors have to make the world inhabitable again. Enter Jack Harper, played by Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible I-IV, Minority Report), you know that guy who is 50 years old but manages to look 30 and gorgeous. Anyway, Jack is charged each day to search the barren wastelands looking for drones, these floating orbs meant to attack aliens in hiding. Of course whenever he’s not at work he does two things with his spare time: stay on a self-sustaining home base with his beautiful partner and lover Victoria, played by Andrea Riseborough (Happy-Go-Lucky, W.E.); or Jack takes his hover ship off the grid and relaxes at his private cabin by a lake. The latter place is idyllic, remote, and if only he had a dog it would make for a Wrangler jeans commercial. So he fixes attack drones by day, sometimes has to shoot an alien or two, and at night he looks forward to going home up in space to the “Tet”, the last colony of humans in a space station. Things are routine as usual, until one day the aliens send a signal from a beacon that was once the Empire State building. This signal brings down an ancient satellite full of cryogenically frozen astronauts, which Victoria warns Jack to avoid but he goes anyway (typical guy). Upon reaching the crash site he finds the survivors still asleep, but begins to recognize one of them. Astronaut Julia, played by Russian-French actress Olga Kurylenko (Hitman, Quantum of Solace) is still alive but look out, suddenly the drones arrive and begin killing the other survivors! Jack manages to save only her and bring her back to the base. Upon awakening, she tells Jack that she is his wife. It seems not all is what we think it is.

Now while I enjoyed this movie overall, I found there were a few problems. For instance, if you bother to read-between-the-lines, there are many references to other science fiction movies. Doesn’t the plot sound similar to “WALL-E”? How about a wide-eyed possessive lover haunting our guy, like in “Solaris”? If you’re familiar with Japanese Anime, you might find the movie’s climax is similar to that of “The Big O”. Yes, creator Kosinski has admitted that he is paying tribute to other movies of the genre but actually I have no problem with that at all, I mean it works for Quentin Tarantino right? However, all the twist-upon-twist plot developments are very tough to keep up with even for the smartest audience. All we need now is a church organ on the soundtrack and it becomes a daytime soap opera. On the other hand, for not being entirely original this movie is actually a lot of fun. The leading man worth $250 million continues to impress us with his heroics, even on a futuristic motorcycle and scores with two different women. Miss Kurylenko is good in her role but Riseborough manages to be both scary and sexy especially with a skinny dipping scene. Add a supporting role with Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby, The Dark Knight Rises) and a man-vs.-machine motif, and this makes for a good popcorn movie.

“Oblivion” has its faults but with this stunning production and star power you may just not mind.

We first open on Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey, wonderfully played by Oscar-nominee Harrison Ford (The Fugitive, Ender’s Game). Despite being as crotchety and old as the game itself, he has a fresh new plan: bring a Black player into White baseball. Such a thing has never been attempted before, who would ever allow it? Well after looking through a long list of candidates he finally lands on the guy with the most decorations from the war and also one assault charge: Robinson, played by newcomer Chadwick Boseman (TV’s Persons Unknown, The Express). He’s not exactly a nice guy; rather he’s a man of principles who is used to fighting. However, Rickey emphasizes that he must not get into a fist fight, otherwise the whole thing is blown. This is no easy thing, as his Spring Training with the Montreal Royals lets him know that there is racism even within his own team. Despite this, Jackie is able to outperform most of his team and through a lot of hard work he makes it into the Dodgers roster. Upon reaching New York there are even more catcalls and plenty of the word “n***er”. Yet with all these obstacles in his way, this proud and tough young man will prove that it doesn’t matter what color a man’s skin is; greatness comes from within.

Written and Directed by Brian Helgeland (Payback, A Knight’s Tale), he is usually a better writer than director but this is by far his best work. It’s still slow in a lot of places, and there is less emphasis on the game than on Ford, but it still works. Boseman and the beautiful Nicole Beharie (The Express, Shame) playing Mrs. Robinson have many fine moments together, and when he and Ford are in the same scenes together you can see sparks fly. One part in particular is when during a game the Phillies manager openly calls him a n***er and throws every racist insult imaginable to Jackie. You can see how much he would love to smash his bat over the redneck’s head, and we the audience want it too. But he holds back until he gets an out, then goes into the catwalk to scream and break his bat on the wall. Rickey comes in to talk him down out of his rage. This scene is so powerful it holds to the end of the film. None of it is pretentious or fake, it’s about as gut-wrenching and hurtful as you can imagine. It’s also the best dramatic scene in the movie that not only lets us see the African-American’s struggle but FEEL it too.

“42″ has all the clichés that you find sports movies, not excluding an all-male group shower joke, but it has enough cultural impact to transcend its genre and knock it out of the park.

We have a group of medical school students who are going to a log cabin to help their drug addict friend Mia kick the habit. There is also her brother David, his girlfriend Natalie, nurse Olivia, and teacher Eric, all worried that she will have a relapse so they take all necessary steps to keep her there. That’s ok because this secluded place has no wi-fi, telephone, Quik-E Mart, or any other grad student amenity, but it does have a creepy basement with hanging dead animals and a mysterious package bound in a garbage bag and barb wire. That doesn’t stop inquisitive Eric from opening it an revealing the Necronomicon, the book of the dead. As Mia is suffering in withdrawal and tries to run away, Eric reads the infernal prayer and the trees and vines suddenly come alive to attack her! She sees another girl there who vomits out a vine that proceeds to…well let’s just say “violate” her. Upon coming back to the cabin to recover, she begins to act funny, perform self mutilating acts, and blasts a shotgun into her brother’s arm declaring in a demonic voice “You’re all going to die tonight.”

Feature debut director Fede Alvarez was chosen to helm this project after making an impressive 5 minute YouTube video, and it has paid off because he doesn’t hold anything back. Admittedly some of this remake meanders on, but the middle 30 minutes is nothing but over-the-top violence and murder. Compared to the original this is not as atmospheric or claustrophobic, but the gore is very creative and plentiful. No real scares, but if one girl puking blood into the mouth or another doesn’t make you squirm maybe slicing a tongue with a box cutter might. So while the story isn’t really worth remembering, there are enough gross-out moments to impress your friends. Also, if you don’t recognize most of the cast don’t be surprised, they are mostly Australian and New Zealand actors younger than 30 (thank God). The only one you might recognize is newcomer Jane Levy from last year’s “Fun Size” playing the lead role of Mia. Her scream-queen performance might let you see more of her in bigger movies.

“Evil Dead” really for the fans of the original who want something new, but it goes for broke and shatters the audience’s senses. Also, stay after the closing credits for a special cameo appearance.

Returning from the movie is Duke, played by superstud Channing Tatum (21 Jump Street, Magic Mike). He’s still the leader of the “Joes” and his team has been deployed by the U.S. President himself, played by Jonathan Pryce (Glengarry Glen Ross, Pirates of the Caribbean I-III), for a top secret mission. His team has to deploy into Pakistan, intercept an experimental weapon, and bring it to American soil before terrorists can use it. A new member of the team is Roadblock, played by the colossal Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (The Scorpion King, Fast Five). The team grabs the weapon and bounces back without a casualty on their side or even a scratch, but just when all seems clear the G.I. Joe base is attacked by American helicopters! The few survivors go into hiding and soon learn that this is the work of Cobra team member Storm Shadow, played by Lee Byung-hun (The Good, the Bad, the Weird; I Saw the Devil). What’s more, the President is actually the Cobra disguise artist Zartan, played by Arnold Vosloo (Progeny, The Mummy I-II). With no allies and ovewhelming forces, not to mention one nasty satellite weapon armed and redy, what can the G. I. Joes do? They turn to their company founder: Bruce Willis (Die Hard I-VI, Looper) as General Joe. With serious weaponry and some good ol’ American know-how, the Joes will fight to save the world.

With new series director Jon M. Chu (Justin Bieber: Never Say Never), we get the same kind of big action from the first G.I. Joe movie but (get this), half the intelligence. There are too many ideas rolling around for 110 minutes for solidarity, yet no plot is really discovered here other than the old “save the world for America” cliché. Early on we see Tatum and Johnson dicking around with video games, then with assault rifles aimed at cupcakes, then with the latter’s two little girls. It’s nice to establish camaraderie with comic relief, but once the action starts it’s all about tough guys flexing their egos. Later we get a ridiculous sequence with RZA (American Gangster, The Man with Iron Fists) as a blind samurai master of sorts, and a subsequent battle on a mountain face with ninjas on ropes. Does this sequence need to be in the movie, or even be the highlight in RealD 3D? No it doesn’t, but it is. Pryce acts as two versions of himself; one as a campy villain who leisurely blows up London while playing Angry Birds on his phone, and the other as the poor but grumpy victim like from his “Pirates of the Carribean” days. Speaking of which, when the entire city of London is wiped off the face of the Earth from a cosmic death-ray, the Joes have an opportunity to stop it but decide to lay low and wait. After first melting the Eiffel Tower and now this what’s next, nuking the Vatican?

“G.I. Joe: Retaliation” has moments of fun but is honestly pretty dumb. It’s not for the audience that likes to think, rather this is for either pubescent boys or viewers who don’t care about watching a real movie (or women who want to look at these sexy hunks in uniform). Something close to “The Expendables” for kids, we get a nice warm-up to the upcoming summer blockbusters, but you can later expect to find this in the $5.00 bin.

Meet the father and leader of the group Grug, voiced by Oscar-winner Nicholas Cage (Raising Arizona, Ghost Rider). He’s big and exceptionally strong, a jock in essence, and loves his family so much he’s willing to hide them in a small cave for days at a time just to make sure they’re all safe. The rest of his family is Catherine Keener (Being John Malkovich, The 40-Year Old Virgin), Clark Duke (Kick-Ass I-II, Hot Tub Time Machine), Cloris Leachman (The Last Picture Show, Young Frankenstein), and finally a head strong teenager Eep played by Emma Stone (The Help, The Amazing Spider-Man I-II). Eep is a fiery redhead with a tiger skin dress, amazing athletic abilities, and an unquenchable taste for curiosity. Grug doesn’t like this, because all the other families who used to be curious too had a bad habit for dying off. You see, outside the cave it’s a dangerous world where one mistake could kill you. Then one day Eep goes outside to follow this new thing that is bright like the sun, but you can carry it with you. It’s this discovery that saves the Croods from a dangerous cave-in, and the biggest adventure for survival beyond anything they could have imagined.

Written by John Cleese of the legendary Monty Python comedy troupe and directed by Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon), this feels like “Quest for Fire” for kids, with a pinch of “The Flintstones” thrown in for good measure. While the story is lacking, characters are clichéd, and the scenario could use some help too, the comedy is the best part about this movie. The rock drawings/stories are pretty clever, the jokes are good, but the physical slapstick is the real appeal here. This nearly dysfunctional family (Cage especially) runs into nearly every conceivable way to get hit in the face (rocks, monkeys, each other, more rocks). Honestly, even The Three Stooges would be proud of these knuckleheads. There is also a big menagerie of weird-but-cool animals to wow the kids (I suppose in lieu of dinosaurs), and Ryan Reynolds (TV’s Two Guys and a Girl, Green Lantern) steps in as the outsider who invents clever things like shoes, fire, and a hilarious sloth named Belt (guess what he does). Yet under the fun stuff there are moral choices such as how tight to protect one’s children vs. when to let them grow on their own, and the importance family has in life.

“The Croods” isn’t a great movie but succeeds in being enough fun for both kids and adult alike. As a wise Caveman once said, and I quote, “Boogah Loogah Woogity Doo!”

Oscar-winner Halle Berry (Monster’s Ball, Cloud Atlas) stars as Jordan, a Los Angeles 911 operator with years of experience and calm poise through murders, rapes, assaults, and the occasional lonely man who enjoys hearing her sweet voice. Jordan’s boyfriend is officer Paul, played by Morris Chestnut (Boyz n the Hood, Kick-Ass 2), and also her liaison to how crime is resolved in the city. See, most of the time operators are unaware of how their calls play out, they just make the connections and move on to the next one. That is until Jordan runs across a call from a frightened teenager who has a stranger breaking into her house. She tries to calm the girl down and help her with advice to hide, but it’s all in vain. Jordan briefly tries to reason with the killer, but all he does is reply, “It’s already done”. The next day she sees on the news how the girl was killed and buried, so as a heavy burden of guilt sets in she decides to take an easier job as a trainer to fresh operators. Then six months later we shift to 16 year old Casey, played by Oscar-nominee Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine, Zombieland). While walking home from a downtown shopping mall she is stopped in the parking lot, grabbed, and thrown into the trunk of a car. As she is sped down the road Casey calls 911 and Jordan takes over the intense phone call. As before she tries to assist the girl and guide her with things she can do while in the car, such as knocking out the tail light to see or pouring paint cans out as a trail. Yet when our villain gets wise to the plan and switches cars he eludes the Police until finally he takes poor Casey out of the car to an unknown location. Once again Jordan tries to persuade him to turn himself in, but when he says, “It’s already done” she realizes it’s the same killer.

I’ll start out by saying that this is not a good movie. Directed by Brad Anderson (The Machinist, TV’s Fringe), we get extreme close-ups of both victims in super wide lenses, squeezing and distorting their faces. Then the story itself, which actually starts out okay, quickly descends into a near rip-off of “Silence of the Lambs”. Berry loses Breslin, Paul and the boys in blue can’t finds her, so Jordan is asked to go home and recuperate but instead goes out to the last suspected location. What’s more, she does not phone the Police or her own 911 squad of dispatchers. I’ll spoil the movie here to make point: the girls get the better of our creep and beat the snot out of him, then again instead of calling the cops they leave him strapped to a chair in his own secret lair. What could have been a decent thriller drops sharply into B-movie trash. Also, our villain played by Michael Eklund, is one of the worst performances you may have to watch all year. His slack-jawed overacting is not creepy or scary, conversely it will evoke many unintentional laughs. He listens to the silly “Puttin’ on the Ritz” while driving a screaming girl down the road, has a collection of blonde girls’ scalps in a pink bedroom covered in blood, and even when killing the occasional nosey bystander he looks ridiculous.

“The Call” is the sort of movie that should have gone straight-to-video but add some Oscar brass and we get a wide theatrical release. Actually the target audience of young women may enjoy the film’s final moments only because they get to see that one creepy man from their life get the crap beat out of him. Hey, wasn’t this supposed to be about 911 operators helping people?

Georges St.Pierre (red) throws punches at Nick Diaz (blue) during their Welterweight title bout at UFC 158 at the Bell Centre. Eric Bolte, USA TODAY Sports

As most predicted, Georges St-Pierre went out in his usual fashion, and controlled the fight by efficient take downs, and by simply out powering opponent Nick Diaz. This was strictly business for GSP, as he refused to touch gloves with Diaz to begin the bout… not that Diaz had any intentions of touching gloves.

The fight was completely one-sided, and Diaz couldn’t defend the take down attempts by GSP. Even while standing, GSP controlled the fight with his precise strikes, an area in which Diaz was expected to cause trouble. After 5 rounds, Diaz was unable to put together anything and lost by a decision to GSP. GSP has now had 8 successful title defenses, but has been unable to finish any of his opponents with the exception of a corner stoppage. Fans have mixed feelings on his inability to finish fights.

“He did a great job promoting the fight,” St-Pierre said. “Nick Diaz is a good guy. … I never took it personal.” With the victory, St-Pierre (24-2 MMA, 18-2 UFC) ties UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes with the most octagon wins in the promotion’s history with 18. Meanwhile, a dejected Diaz (26-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC), who returned from a 13-month drug suspension following a second failed test due to marijuana, hinted he may be done with MMA.

“I think I’m going to have to just kind of figure out if I want to keep doing this,” Diaz said. “To be honest, I don’t think I’ve really got it anymore.”

“If I were King of the forest…”

“There’s no place like home.”

Most of us recognize these famous lines from the 1939 MGM production of “The Wizard of Oz”, which is the most beloved motion picture of all time. Based on the 1900 book by L. Frank Baum, the little girl Dorothy found adventure in the magical land of wonder and fantasy, befriending Munchkins, Scarecrows, Tin Men, Lions, and captured the hearts of millions even to this day. Now suppose we took a slight detour in storytelling, and focused more on the Wizard more than anything. Now 74 years after that amazing shift from sepia tone to Technicolor amazed audiences, Disney has brought us back to Oz with a new story and an adventure for the ages, “Oz the Great and Powerful”.

So Oscar Diggs, played by Oscar-nominee James Franco (Milk, 127 Hours), is a Depression-era traveling magician with a circus dog-and-pony show making very little money and even insulting some audience members with his tricks. Oscar is a very lonely man, but highly ambitious. He is a dreamer with big ideas, he just feels he needs a chance to prove himself. After a bad show for rude hayseed farmers, he gets in trouble with the circus Strongman who chases him into a hot air balloon. As fate would have it, the balloon snaps its rope and Oscar is sent drifting over the Midwest. Honestly he couldn’t be happier to be free, but he gets caught up in a terrifying tornado, totally. Spinning up and up into the stratosphere Oscar is afraid for his life…yet when the storm clears and the sailing is smooth once again he sees he is not in Kansas anymore. Oscar is in a new world of mountains, rivers, valleys, and COLOR (not to mention Cinemascope!). Upon crash landing he first meets the witch Theodora, played by the gorgeous Mila Kunis (Date Night, Ted). She believes he is the Wizard of prophesy who will bring peace to Oz, become the new King, and also hopes he will take her as his Queen. Of course there’s her sister Evanora, played by Oscar-winner Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener, The Bourne Legacy). She will officially declare Oscar as the new King of Oz…but there’s a catch. In order for him to rule, he needs to defeat the Wicked Witch who has been laying waste to the land. With the help of a talking/flying monkey and a little girl made of China porcelain, he finds the dangerous Witch but there is a complication. Oscar has actually found Glinda the Good Witch, wonderfully played by Oscar-nominee Michelle Williams (Shutter Island, My Week with Marilyn). She informs him that he has been deceived, and a war is coming that will rewrite the future of Oz.

Directed by Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead I-III, Spider-Man I-III) and produced by Joe Roth (Alice in Wonderland), this is a visual treat from beginning to end. The Emerald City shines, the Yellow-Brick Road takes you to places you never imagined, and the flying monkeys are now scary baboons! Children and adults alike will enjoy all 2 hours of spectacle. If I have only one complaint it’s just how selfish and greedy our titular character, but even he eventually finds the inner courage to stand up and be a hero.

“Oz the Great and Powerful” is not as fresh as the 1939 “Wizard of Oz”, but even without Judy Garland we get a great companion piece to be fully appreciated in IMAX 3D. Bring the kids, then get a big swell of childhood awe. This kind of popcorn entertainment is the reason we go to the movies.

I smell the blood of an Englishman,

Be he alive, or be he dead,

I’ll have his bones to grind my bread.

Many children instantly recognize that line being from “Jack and the Beanstalk”, an old English fairy tale with many versions but the giants and the colossal vegetation always remain. Maybe there’s a childhood fantasy of meeting enormously tall people or visiting magical worlds that has fascinated the imagination, or so it would seem with New Line Cinema and Legendary Pictures who have adapted the story into a nerly $200 million movie, “Jack the Giant Slayer”.

The titular character is played by young up-and-coming star Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: First Class, Mad Max: Fury Road). Jack is a poor farmer taking a visit to the city to sell off an old horse and cart. As it goes, the only person he can sell to is a shady monk on the run, who purchases the horse for five strange looking beans. He swears they are ancient runes, but Jack just believes they are beans. He takes them anyway, thinking he can resell them, as the monk takes off chased by armored knights. Meanwhile, the princess Isabelle, Eleanor Tomlinson as (The Illusionist, Alice in Wonderland) is having issues with her daddy, King Brahmwel played by Ian McShane (TV’s Deawood, Kung Fu Panda). She is getting ready to be placed in a forced marriage to the boorish Lord Roderick, played by Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones, The Hunger Games). Instead she runs away in the middle of the night, but running into a storm Isabelle has to stop at a nearby cottage where, you guessed it, Jack lives. They have some nice conversations, he tells her about his deceased father’s storybook about giants and an equally giant beanstalk that would lead to another world. Well this very same night those little beans Jack has happen to fall through the floorboards and sprout up…way up…up through the floor, ceiling, and lifts the house up hundreds of feet in the air along with Jack and Isabelle! Only, Jack falls back and the next morning King Brahmwel wants answers. Jack volunteers for a rescue mission alongside Lord Roderick and Lord Elmont, played by Ewan McGregor (Star Wars Episode I-III, Beginners). They’ll climb the big green terror, find a land in the clouds, and face off against 100 ft tall monsters who have a taste for human blood.

Directed by Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men I-II), this bloated budget fantasy/adventure might have worked but come off as a pale “Lord of the Rings” parody. There’s plenty of exciting action that’s geared toward older kids (mostly boys), and some amusing comic relief, but the worst thing about the movie is the villainous Giants who are either boring in their idiocy or just plain disgusting (especially the Giant Cook) . The CGI makes all the Giants look ludicrously fake and therefore not that scary or impressive. The story could use some work too, with many side characters either stomped or eaten by the Giants just to keep the tension. On the other hand, the stunts and action are enough fun to keep your interest.

“Jack the Giant Slayer” is an average popcorn movie for the afternoon when nothing better is on. Hope, courage, and excitement are all over this movie, just not in Giant amounts.

UFC 158: St-Pierre vs. Diaz is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 16, 2013 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The main card will feature a bout between current Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz. St-Pierre’s last fight was a unanimous decision over Carlos Condit, and Diaz’s last fight was a loss to Carlos Condit. Wild, huh? The fact that Diaz lost to the guy that St-Pierre defeated last doesn’t have the fans all too excited about this fight, but given the rivalry these two have always had, it has the makings of an exciting fight.

George St-Pierre has defended his title 7 times, and of those 7 times he has only stopped a fight once. Every fight besides one corner stoppage has been by unanimous decision. Diaz is coming off a one year suspension after losing to Condit, and testing positive for marijuana in a post-fight drug test. He would have fought St-Pierre a long time ago had he not missed multiple press appearances to promote the fight.

Also fighting on this card, ironically, is Carlos Condit. He will be facing Johnny Hendricks. Hendricks has made a name for himself by defeating names like Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, and Martin Kampmann. In Hendricks’ last 5 fights, he has won “Knockout of the Night” honors 3 times. Hendricks should prove a worthy opponent for Condit and the way the Welterweight ladder has been working… I wouldn’t be surprised to see the winner of this fight face St-Pierre next, regardless of who it is.

Official fight card

MAIN CARD

Georges St-Pierre (c) vs. Nick Diaz

Carlos Condit vs. Johny Hendricks

Jake Ellenberger vs. Nate Marquardt

Nick Ring vs. Chris Camozzi

Mike Ricci vs. Colin Fletcher

PRELIMS

Patrick Côté vs. Bobby Voelker

Antonio Carvalho vs. Darren Elkins

Dan Miller vs. Jordan Mein

John Makdessi vs. Daron Cruickshank

Former Rise Records artist Decoder has disbanded and certain members have re-formed under the name Lead Hands. The band is currently writing new material.

Creative Adult comes from the diverse musical breeding ground of California’s North Bay Punk scene.  The band surged the scene last year playing shows with Ceremony, Nü Sensae and Lewd Acts alongside their debut 7” Dead Air, which was released on their own Broke Hater Collective.  The four song sonic blast careens between the harsh, noisy punk of Scratch Acid and Gang of Four while carrying the brooding emotion of Joy Division’s darkest moments.  

Creative Adult Tour Dates:

3/7: CYC Center – Fresno, CA

3/8: Dytch Warehouse – Los Angeles, CA

3/9: Che Café – San Diego, CA

3/10: The Nile Theater – Meza, AZ

3/11: The Gasworks – Albuquerque, NM

3/12: SXSW – Austin, TX

3/13: SXSW – Austin, TX

3/14: SXSW – Austin, TX

3/15: SXSW – Austin, TX

3/16: SXSW – Austin, TX

3/17: SXSW – Austin, TX

3/19: The Office – Denver, CO

3/20: The Shred Shed – Salt Lake City, UT

3/21: The Holland Project – Reno, NV

Bulls In The Yard EP Track Listing:

1 – Bulls In The Yard

2 – Consumes Itself

3 – Chemical Glow

4 – Rushing Toward The Cemetary

Few bands can say that their single launched into the top ten of the Billboard Rock Charts right out of the gate, let alone staying in the charts for a collective 40 weeks after getting there. Mosaic Artistry Group’s female fronted rock band Adelaine can make that claim. The band’s first Billboard top ten hit single, “Do or Die,” catapulted them into rotation with well-established artists like POD and Switchfoot, and gained them fans instantly. Their follow up single and title track of their debut EP, Take Heart, proved to continue their radio success, peaking at 12 on the Billboard Rock Chart and staying in the top 30 for 20 weeks.

The Texas based rock band formed from a group of high school friends that discovered they equally shared a passion for music and that their own stylistic expression blended perfectly. Only after high school did the band realize they were missing something, or as it later became clear, someone. Lead singer, Stormy Piña explains, “I was in another band at the time and they kept asking me to audition for them. I finally did, and it just clicked. It was meant to be.”

Adelaine’s sound is a brilliant mix of beautiful vocals, complicated guitar riffs and harmonies that most bands would never attempt. Stormy’s honesty about her inner battles with all the complexities of life comes through in not only the strength of her voice but also in her ability to translate that musically for vast audiences to relate to. “We have upbeat songs but we also have a darker, emotional side.” Stormy said. “We want people to know that we have been where they are and there is hope on the other side.”

Donny Bayless, guitarist for Adelaine, agreed. “We want people to hear the songs the way their heart takes it and be impacted. Above all, we want to be a positive influence.”

Adelaine’s sophomore album, Currents, has grown in depth of content much like the Houston natives themselves. The album was written with an emphasis on real life relationships. It focuses on the twists and turns that challenge us to forgive and overcome despite betrayal and disappointments. The first single to be released is Bad Blood, an up-tempo song about the complexities of relationships, betrayal and the battle for forgiveness that has Stormy doing what she does best: carving a well deserved niche in the rock scene and blowing expectations away.

The band is captivating with their melodic rock and riveting stage presence and is committed to sharing equality in the creative process with each other. “There aren’t any hired guns here.” Stormy said. “We are a perfect blend of harmonious parts. Everybody has a say in the creative writing process and musical composition.” This is evident, as all of the elements combined establish the genius of what Adelaine embodies.

They can only go up from here and they are completely ready to do so. Since the band signed with Mosaic Artistry Group, they have shared the stage with such bands as Go Radio, SafetySuit, Sent by Ravens and South Bound Fearing, toured extensively in 2012 across the Country and had two Billboard hit singles.

Bruce Willis returns as John McClane, the smart-ass who has been whoopin’ ass since 1988. He’s having some family issues, in particular with his son Jack, played by Jai Courtney (TV’s Spartacus, Jack Reacher). See, father and son haven’t talked in about a year and Jack has been in Moscow, Russia as a CIA spy. John takes a plane overseas to find Jack and bring him home. The thing is the boy is running from police and helping a political prisoner who has a dark secret about the Chernobyl accident. He’s also running from armed bad guys working for a corrupt politician, who come with fun toys like armored personnel vehicles and assault helicopters. Does that stop a McClane? Hell no. All along the way John is helping little Jack fight off the baddies and saving his butt. However, can father and son reconcile their problems amidst RPG’s and Communism?

Irish director John Moore (Behind Enemy Lines, Max Payne) has given us something unique here in this legend: a bad movie. From the beginning we are treated to shaky-cam cinematography and some of the most impossible stunts conceived to survive. The action is actually boring, a first for these movies. While there is enough automobile carnage to rival “The Blues Brothers”, it can only put you to sleep. What’s only slightly less boring is the dialogue between Willis and Courtney, where the latter points a gun at his own father and hates him enough to refuse calling him “dad”. That’s a very unlikeable character. And if you’re seriously bored try counting the number of times Bruce says, “Jesus!” or “I’m on vacation!” There is essentially no story here, period. No reason to enjoy the new characters or listen to the old ones. Previous movies had an air of mystery and desperate choices, this is just one bombastic scene after another in great big IMAX screens. And I thought that the 4th one was lacking credibility.

“A Good Day to Die Hard” shows that some movies are meant to stop after a while. Willis has admitted that after this he wants to do one final “Die Hard” movie. For the ever faithful, this might be a fun escape for a weekend matinee, but don’t expect the same magic from 25 years ago.

We open on Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man, X-Men: First Class) as “R”, which is the only syllable he can utter and may or may not be the first letter of his name, he can’t remember. Limited brain function makes all zombies kind of spacey, but R isn’t alone. He lives at an abandoned airport with other zombie inhabitants, and the closest thing he has to a friend is another walking dead guy named “M”, played by Rob Corddry (Hot Tub Time Machine, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World). They don’t say much, but that’s ok. We hear R’s internal monologue in voice over and what he really wants is just to connect with someone, anyone. Then comes a group of young human survivors looking for medical supplies, and R and M find their dinner. So while the group is attacked and the brain-buffet is opened, R spares one scared girl named Julie, played by Teresa Palmer (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, I Am Number Four). She’s young, scared, has a heartbeat, and is blonde; who wouldn’t be attracted? R, after guiltily eating her boyfriend, decides to spare her life and take her home with him (such a nice guy). There she is still on her guard but finds R to be much different than other undeads. He lives (or does he?) in an airplane and collects vinyl records such as John Waits, Guns ‘n Roses, and Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart” (I like that) among others. R’s good nature lets Julie trust him a little more as time goes on, and then something wonderful happens: he gets a single heartbeat. This budding romance is beginning to cure R’s condition, and it’s starting to spread to M and all the other zombies! There’s just one problem: Julie’s dad is General Grigio, played by Oscar-nominee John Malkovich (Dangerous Liaisons, RED I-II). He’s gung-ho about blasting every zombie away just to be safe, so can R’s love for Julie make a difference?

Directed by Jonathan Levine (The Wackness, 50/50) on a meager $30 million budget, this is actually a clever disguising of “Romeo and Juliet”, but with zombies. Hoult continues to show why he’s a rising star, wonderfully progressing from monster to human with abundant empathy for his human counterparts. Sadly Malkovich doesn’t have much to do here other than be old and cranky. Corddry plays the best character, who can still be funny without saying a word, but when he says “f***” just once it’s hilarious. There are many funny moments (when R drives a BMW, the makeup scene with “Pretty Woman”) and nothing scary at all, in fact it’s conversely very sweet and romantic. Hoult and Palmer work well together right up to the final moments, and the climax is incredibly humane. Unlike Shakespeare’s version, this has a happy ending when the problems of the world are not solved by old people with weapons. Rather it’s young people radically changing the world with love.

“Warm Bodies” is a winner for this Valentine’s Day. I wonder if older audiences will appreciate this, but teens and young people will love it, even bring the kids it’s okay. Who says you can’t make a zombie romance movie?