Posts Tagged ‘Fun’

How Pirates of the Caribbean Became a Movie

In: Entertainment

By: Libby Pawlick on Jun 27, 2011 at 8:00 am

Article By: Allison Strong

The real treasure of the Pirates of the Caribbean isn’t Johnny Depp (although it wouldn’t have been a box office hit in the first place without him) the real gem is how the story came to be.  A lot of movies that become big hits were first great novels.  The literary fans usually bawk at the watered down version of the story that played out so fully in their mind as they turned the pages of their favorite book.  But, since many movie-goers don’t read the book (why should you, they made a movie) the film becomes a success and sells millions.  The movie industry banks on this even if it breaks the heart of the novels fans as they realize that the ending has changed or their main characters don’t look as they were described.

I have always made it a rule that if a movie comes out after the popularity of the book, I will read the book first.  But how the Pirates of the Caribbean with Pirates came to be a movie unfolded differently.  The idea wasn’t born from a novel or a creative screenplay, it was born as a ride at Disneyland.  Yes, Walt Disney himself was fascinated by pirates and learning the secret charades of the evil sailors of the sea.

The ride first debuted at Disneyland in 1967 three months after Walt passed away.  Even more interesting is that the ride is one of a few that have survived the parks many revitalization’s -the Flying Dumbo ride and It’s a Small World boat ride are still big sellers too.  With the success of the ride, another version was created for Disney World in 1973.

This past spring my family made its way to the magical land that Disney created and we set forth to ride the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.  My five year old got on skeptically with lots of tears and my two year old loved it and has since learned how to sing “Yo Ho! Yo Ho! A pirates life for me!”  As we traveled the river boat ride it felt that the movie had taken over the ride.  Like many sequels the Magic Kingdom’s ride isn’t as thrilling as Disneyland’s.  I learned later in a “behind the scenes tour” this is because of the water levels under the park- they couldn’t dig deep for the drops so they had to build the ride up or they would hit water.

Pirates of the Caribbean is the only ride that I know of that warranted its own four part movie series to be built around it.  The ride would still be marketable without the movie but it has taken on the look of the films since they have come out and it has lost its luster.  I wonder if there are nostalgic Disney fans (like myself) that wonder where did the magic of this epic ride go? I guess I will never know since I will always give some of my money to see Johnny stumble onto the screen as Captain Jack Sparrow.

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The Hangover Part 2: Déjà Vu All Over Again

In: Entertainment

By: Sharon Santella on Jun 20, 2011 at 8:38 am

Memorial Day weekend – a time for honoring our past and current soldiers, family BBQs, and of course, the official beginning of summertime movie blockbusters. It is also my birthday. So, every year my husband takes me to see any movie of my choice (in other words, usually movies without aliens or things blowing up).  Last year it was Sex and the City 2. Poor guy. This year I selected a movie that would make us both happy – The Hangover Part 2. Before going, my girlfriend said, “It’s going to be the same as the first one.” My response was, “I hope so! I’ve watched the original about 50 times and it is still funny.”

The Hangover Part 2 didn’t disappoint me, but you really have to understand what you are going to see. A bachelor brunch that turns into one beer on a Thailand beach, which turns into the “wolf pack” sans Doug (Justin Bartha)  waking up in a seedy motel in Bangkok complete with a monkey and the self-proclaimed  international criminal, Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong). The writers took the easy way out and recycled the storyline from the original, except filming the movie in Bangkok instead of Las Vegas. With one outrageous and shocking line after line, it kept me laughing and sometimes screaming through the movie and even the credits. The car chases were stellar and surprising. I often wonder how in the world they (Hollywood) rehearse and film those scenes – especially jumping over a river.  Ed Helms (Stu, the Dentist), Bradley Cooper (Phil: the “wolf pack leader”) and Zack Galifianakis (Alan: the self-proclaimed, “stay at home son”) work perfectly together.

Now, for the record, The Hangover Part 2 is rated “R” and should not be seen by anyone that it is not intended for. Not kidding. Really. Don’t bring anyone to see it under the age of 18. In fact, the theater I went to, was asking for identification from everyone.

This is a sequel and should be watched with that in mind. If you enjoyed the first and understand that the second is a similar script, you will enjoy Part 2 with the over-the-top lines that are simply there to shock and awe. While there aren’t any rumors of a Part 3 and I certainly don’t mean to start any, there is still one person to get married and suffer a hangover – Alan (Zack Galifianakis). We’ll see what the studios do with that one.

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The Best Part of the Super Bowl…The Commercials

In: Entertainment

By: Libby Pawlick on Feb 01, 2011 at 6:49 am

Update – I had to repost this article again because if my football team isn’t in the Super Bowl, I am really watching to see the newest commercials.  It’s interesting this year as I came across a post talking about how this year’s Super Bowl is going to be dominated with automobile commercials from cars to tires and car services which is interesting in light of the current economy.  In addition, the author states that it will also be heavily movie focused as well.  It will be interesting to see what happens.  As for who I am rooting for, as a huge Chicago Bears fan (extremely disappointed in our QB, but that’s another conversation), I want Big Ben and the Steelers to bring down the Packers.

In one week millions of viewers will be glued to their televisions for an event that can almost be considered a national holiday.  The Super Bowl is like Thanksgiving but in February.  Friends and families get together for a day that is filled with food and watching the game.  If you aren’t watching the game, you are probably tuned in to watch a new batch of  commercials.  Advertisers are banking on this especially with the average cost of a 30 second commercial this year in the range of $2.5 million.  This is probably the one day out of the entire year were they know you aren’t recording the game to watch later.  I personally like watching the commercials than I do the half-time show especially these  last couple of years.

Here are some of my all-time favorite commercials:

  • McDonald\’s Showdown: Bird vs. Jordan
    • I’m biased because I grew up in Chicago during the Jordan era.  I love this commercial not only because it had two of the biggest stars in the NBA at that time but it put an interesting twist on my favorite playground game of HORSE.
  • Budweiser Frogs
    • How could you not love these adorable frogs?  It was different at the time and created a buzz.
  • Pepsi Kid In Bottle
    • Even though I am not a fan of Pepsi, this is a very cute commercial.  The kid is drinking his Pepsi and trying to get the last drop that he ends up getting sucked into the Pepsi bottle.  Love at the end of the commercial when his sister says, “Mom, he did it again!”
  • Blockbuster\’s Carl and Ray
    • I am a sucker for commercials with cute animals.  Blockbuster used these two pets, Carl and Ray, who were excited about movies since the Blockbuster was across the street (of course).  Loved the Flashdance sequence.

What are some of your favorite Super Bowl commercials?

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Winter TV 2011

In: Entertainment

By: Libby Pawlick on Jan 10, 2011 at 2:59 pm

It’s that time of year where many of us are stuck inside not even thinking about going back out after getting home from a long day.  And now that the holidays have past, it’s time for TV to kick it back up into high gear with new shows and our favorites returning from a mid-season break.

If you haven’t seen the commercials as you have been watching football or catching up on reruns, here is what is new to the winter lineup.

Mondays

The Bachelor (ABC) – Brad Womack is back and this time ready to find his wife.  Hopefully the speed of the show picks up because I was bored into the first 30 minutes.

The Cape (NBC) – For those of you who love superheroes, this show might be up your alley.  An ex-cop turned superhero trying to save the world, not sure how long this is going to last.

Harry’s Law (NBC) – Following The Cape is this new legal drama starring Kathy Bates.  The commercials have me hooked to watch the first episode.

Tuesdays

Million Dollar Money Drop (FOX) – Another game show, enough said.

Wednesdays

Live to Dance (CBS) – Paula Abdul is one of three judges on this dance show which has 18 acts competing for $500,000.  Maybe Paula has finally found her own spotlight.

Off The Map (ABC) – Grey’s Anatomy meets Survivor.

American Idol (FOX) – Challenging Paula’s new show with two brand new judges – Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.  I think Simon will be missed.

Thursdays

Perfect Couples (NBC) – Comedy about three different couples and navigating through complicated relationships. Jury still out.

Fridays

Kitchen Nightmares (FOX) – If you didn’t get enough of Chef Ramsey during Hell’s Kitchen, he’s back at it trying to save America’s restaurants.  Who doesn’t love watching him swear and get in the face of the owners?

Sundays

Marriage Ref (NBC) – Nothing like laughing at other couple’s ridiculous situations.

Celebrity Apprentice (NBC) – Loved that they brought back the original Apprentice this fall.  Not sure that I’ll be watching if they don’t have some big names on this season.

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Blast From The Past

In: Entertainment

By: Libby Pawlick on Dec 20, 2010 at 10:36 pm

As the holidays get in full swing this week, I am sure many of us will be getting together with our family and friends to celebrate.  I know that when I get together with my family and friends, we typically find something to keep us preoccupied whether it is watching the football games on the big screen, sitting around the kitchen table reminiscing about Christmas’ past or putting on one of our video games such as Wii Sports Resort.  But, as I was walking around my local Target in the board game section, I thought what happened to the good old days of pulling out a board game and playing for hours on end?

If you have forgotten what it’s like or don’t have any laying around your house to play, here’s some of my recommendations:

Monopoly – Who doesn’t love playing a real estate mogul?  Monopoly is a great game for the whole family and with all the different types of Monopoly out there, you’ll find one that suits your needs.

Cranium  Pop 5 – Figuring out how to get your teammates to guess the answer through the use of clay, paper and pencil, clues through specific letters or humming makes this game highly entertaining. This Cranium version definitely brings out your competitive side especially if you are playing boys vs. girls.

Battle of the Sexes – Think you know the opposite sex?  Battle of the Sexes tests your knowledge about the opposite sex by asking questions about topics you normally aren’t really interested in such as sports, fashion and entertainment.

Scene It? Squabble – Another game that challenges the battle of the sexes to see who reigns supreme.  It is similar to the Battle of the Sexes game except you use a DVD player for various parts of the game including guess the picture or movie, sound clips and much more.

Partini – They say it’s a party in a box and I couldn’t agree more.  Played with six different types of coasters such as Hum Punch, Bouncers, Straight Up, Clay Smoothies, Mime Twist and Straight Up will keep you laughing all night long.

I challenge you to pull out one of your favorite board games and remember how much fun you can have without being tied to all your electronic gadgets.

Happy Holidays!

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