Entertainment
Bud Light Hotel Kept the Party Going in Dallas
The horrible weather in Dallas this past weekend didn’t stop the fun at the Bud Light Hotel. Bud Light took over the Aloft Dallas Downtown and transformed the place into Super Bowl party central, The Bud Light Hotel. The festivities included musical performances by the Fray with Lifehouse, Nelly, Ke$ha, Pitbull, and Dierks Bentley. On Super Bowl Sunday, visitors to the Bud Light Hotel were treated to the Texas’ Largest Tailgate party.
On the Friday before the Super Bowl, Playboy hosted a private party. Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Flo Rida were in attendance along with a large dose of Playboy Playmates and models. Here are some pics from the Playboy event:
Kudos to Bud Light for keeping the party going despite all the weather drama.
Feb 10th
The 9 Best Mark Wahlberg Acting Performances Before The Fighter
The Fighter received seven Oscar nominations this year, but Mark Walhberg, the film’s leading actor, didn’t get any love. He may still win a Best Picture Oscar for his role as the film’s producer (doubtful, but I’m saying there’s a chance), but there will be no Academy Award victory for his portrayal as young “Irish” Mickey Ward. Wahlberg was nominated for a Golden Globe and SAG award, but he didn’t make the cut for the Best Actor nod.
So in light of this slight, we put together the 9 best Mark Wahlberg acting performances before The Fighter. If you think this guy’s all about underwear, good vibrations and talking to animals, you’ve missed out on some pretty decent acting performances over the years.
9. Renaissance Man
This was Marky Mark’s big screen debut. He dropped the rhymes and the Y in his name and showed people he could be taken seriously.
8. Invincible
It’s a feel good, sappy Disney-fest for sure, but Wahlberg’s portrayal as Eagles walk-on Vince Papale was entertaining has hell.
7. The Big Hit
This super-ridiculous, John Woo-produced film doesn’t get enough credit for being fantastic. Is it silly? For damn sure. Does Wahlberg shine in his role as unappreciated, stressed-out hitman Melvin Smiley? Indeed he does. Wahlberg plays a pushover/badass who guzzles Malox and tried to find balance in his life as a contract killer, fiancée and all around nice guy. Get over the goofiness and it just works.
6. Fear
He was oh so nutty, remember? You don’t get nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain without some serious acting ability. They don’t just hand those things out, you know. Reese Witherspoon found out that nobody dumps Mark Wahlberg. Nobody. Watching him go ape-shit on Reese’s friends and family totally showed off this guy’s range. After 1996, it was clear that Marky the Rapper was gone and Mark the actor was here to stay/
5. I Heart Huckabees
Poems are amazing, just like Wahlberg’s acting skills.
4. Three Kings
Three Kings is another underappreciated Wahlberg film. The guy’s strengths really came out in this movie. Part ass-kicker, part funny man, with a little bit of dopey optimism mixed in there, Wahlberg found his niche in this film. He showed off his chops after his lung collapsed, and he was just plain awesome in this torture scene:
3. The Basketball Diaries
It’s a simple formulas really, Wahlberg plus heroin equals great acting. This film is further proof that Wahlberg excels when he plays characters named “Mickey.” Wahlberg’s convincing portrayal of a junkie in 1995 opened the door for more serious roles.
2. The Departed
What a scene stealer this guy was as Staff Sgt. Dignam. Dude got to say all the best line, like “I’m the guy who does his job. You must be the other guy” or “Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe fuck yourself.” Just classic stuff like that. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role and he edged out Jack Nicholson for the only supporting actor Oscar nomination for the film. It’s not like it was a big stretch for Wahberg to play a mouthy Southie, but his delivery was so spot on.
1. Boogie Nights
This is the role that made Mark Wahlberg a big bright shiny star. It’s a great film with an amazing ensemble cast, but the film wouldn’t have worked without an incredible performance by the lead role. Wahlberg delivered the goods. He was able to play the naïve kid who develops into a convincing ego-maniac. Dirki Digler is one of the most memorable characters of all time, and it made Wahlberg into a borderline A-lister.
Is Mark Wahlberg the greatest actor of our generation? Of course not. But the guy’s got enough wins under his belt to avoid being a punchline. He’s come a long way from the Funky Bunch and he’s grown as an actor and as a producer. He’s made his fair share of stinkers, but he’s put together enough good performances to earn a lil’ respect too.
Feb 7th
2011 Oscar Nominations
It’s Oscar season! That means there’s going to be a bunch of screeners available for download! Of course, you’d probably prefer to see the best films of the year in the theaters, the way God intended, but screeners are pretty cool too, if you’re into that kinda thing. Anyway, the sting of Ricky Gervais’s Golden Globe jokes has worn off and now it’s time to start talkin’ contenders.
- The King’s Speech got 12 nominations! Proving once again that British royalty + speech impediment is clear formula for Oscar gold!
- Social Network got eight nominations. Thank God Timberlake wasn’t one of them. Sorkin’s got to be a lock for Best Adapted Screenplay.
- The Fighter got seven total nominations and one major snub. We won’t have to worry about movies being marketed with lines like “starring Academy Award winner Mark Wahlberg” anytime soon.
- Toy Story 3 got five nominations, including Best Picture! This was a surprisingly brilliant film and I hope it gets some lovin’ from the Academy.
- Inception got a Best Picture nod, but there’s no nomination for Christopher Nolan in the Best Director category. Ouch.
- The Town is up for an Academy Award? Yes, for Best Supporting Actor (Jeremy Renner). Not bad for a moderately entertaining Ben Affleck flick. Heat was still way better though, and I don’t remember the Academy showing any love for that awesome film.
Here’s a full list of the 2011 Academy Award Nominations:
Actor in a Leading Role
- Javier Bardem in “Biutiful”
- Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”
- Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”
- Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech”
- James Franco in “127 Hours”
Actor in a Supporting Role
- Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
- John Hawkes in “Winter’s Bone”
- Jeremy Renner in “The Town”
- Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right”
- Geoffrey Rush in “The King’s Speech”
Actress in a Leading Role
- Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
- Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”
- Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter’s Bone”
- Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
- Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”
Actress in a Supporting Role
- Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
- Helena Bonham Carter in “The King’s Speech”
- Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
- Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
- Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom”
Animated Feature Film
- “How to Train Your Dragon” Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
- “The Illusionist” Sylvain Chomet
- “Toy Story 3” Lee Unkrich
Art Direction
- “Alice in Wonderland”
Production Design: Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara - “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1”
Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan - “Inception”
Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Larry Dias and Doug Mowat - “The King’s Speech”
Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Judy Farr - “True Grit”
Production Design: Jess Gonchor; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
Cinematography
- “Black Swan” Matthew Libatique
- “Inception” Wally Pfister
- “The King’s Speech” Danny Cohen
- “The Social Network” Jeff Cronenweth
- “True Grit” Roger Deakins
Costume Design
- “Alice in Wonderland” Colleen Atwood
- “I Am Love” Antonella Cannarozzi
- “The King’s Speech” Jenny Beavan
- “The Tempest” Sandy Powell
- “True Grit” Mary Zophres
Directing
- “Black Swan” Darren Aronofsky
- “The Fighter” David O. Russell
- “The King’s Speech” Tom Hooper
- “The Social Network” David Fincher
- “True Grit” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Documentary (Feature)
- “Exit through the Gift Shop” Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz
- “Gasland” Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
- “Inside Job” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
- “Restrepo” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
- “Waste Land” Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley
Documentary (Short Subject)
- “Killing in the Name” Nominees to be determined
- “Poster Girl” Nominees to be determined
- “Strangers No More” Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
- “Sun Come Up” Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger
- “The Warriors of Qiugang” Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon
Film Editing
- “Black Swan” Andrew Weisblum
- “The Fighter” Pamela Martin
- “The King’s Speech” Tariq Anwar
- “127 Hours” Jon Harris
- “The Social Network” Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter
Foreign Language Film
- “Biutiful” Mexico
- “Dogtooth” Greece
- “In a Better World” Denmark
- “Incendies” Canada
- “Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)” Algeria
Makeup
- “Barney’s Version” Adrien Morot
- “The Way Back” Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
- “The Wolfman” Rick Baker and Dave Elsey
Music (Original Score)
- “How to Train Your Dragon” John Powell
- “Inception” Hans Zimmer
- “The King’s Speech” Alexandre Desplat
- “127 Hours” A.R. Rahman
- “The Social Network” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Music (Original Song)
- “Coming Home” from “Country Strong” Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
- “I See the Light” from “Tangled” Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
- “If I Rise” from “127 Hours” Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
- “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3″ Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
Best Picture
- “Black Swan” Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
- “The Fighter” David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
- “Inception” Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
- “The Kids Are All Right” Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
- “The King’s Speech” Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers
- “127 Hours” Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
- “The Social Network” Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
- “Toy Story 3” Darla K. Anderson, Producer
- “True Grit” Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
- “Winter’s Bone” Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers
Short Film (Animated)
- “Day & Night” Teddy Newton
- “The Gruffalo” Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
- “Let’s Pollute” Geefwee Boedoe
- “The Lost Thing” Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
- “Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)” Bastien Dubois
Short Film (Live Action)
- “The Confession” Tanel Toom
- “The Crush” Michael Creagh
- “God of Love” Luke Matheny
- “Na Wewe” Ivan Goldschmidt
- “Wish 143” Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite
Sound Editing
- “Inception” Richard King
- “Toy Story 3” Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
- “Tron: Legacy” Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
- “True Grit” Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
- “Unstoppable” Mark P. Stoeckinger
Sound Mixing
- “Inception” Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
- “The King’s Speech” Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
- “Salt” Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
- “The Social Network” Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
- “True Grit” Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland
Visual Effects
- “Alice in Wonderland” Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
- “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
- “Hereafter” Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
- “Inception” Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
- “Iron Man 2” Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
- “127 Hours” Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
- “The Social Network” Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
- “Toy Story 3” Screenplay by Michael Arndt; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
- “True Grit” Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
- “Winter’s Bone” Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini
Writing (Original Screenplay)
- “Another Year” Written by Mike Leigh
- “The Fighter” Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson;
Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson - “Inception” Written by Christopher Nolan
- “The Kids Are All Right” Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
- “The King’s Speech” Screenplay by David Seidler
Jan 25th
Test Drive Unlimited 2 – Character Customization Trailer
Test Drive Unlimited 2 is coming out in less than a month, and the trailers for this game look awesome. Take a look at the level of character customization available in the game. Pretty sweet:
Jan 18th
Season of the Witch Giveaway
At MANjr, we’re partial to Nic Cage movies. Maybe it’s the hair. Maybe it’s the slow talking delivery. Maybe it’s the Free Masons on Bruckheimer flicks like The Rock and Con Air. We can’t really put our finger on it, but as long-hair convict Cameron Poe would say, “it makes no never mind.”
So Nic Cage is coming out with a new film today, Season of the Witch. Here’s a look at the preview:
As you can see, it’s not your typical Nic Cage flick. I think this is the first time Cage has portrayed a 14th Century knight on the big screen. To celebrate Cage’s foray into medieval fantasy movies, we’re doing a little giveaway for the film’s release.
Here’s what’s in it for you:
- Season of the Witch T-shirt
- Mini Poster
- $25 Fandango Movie Cash
Here’s how to enter:
- Follow us on Twitter @MANjrcom
- Leave a comment telling us why you love Nic Cage
- That’s it! Giveaway ends next Friday at midnight.
So enter the giveaway and check out the film this weekend. You’ll get a solid dose of Cage, some Ron Perlman, Christopher Lee, a little bit of Black Plague and a whole lot of witchcraft. Season of the Witch was directed by Dominic Sena, the same guy who gave us Gone in 60 Seconds, so you know it’s going to be heavy on the fast-paced adventure action.
Good luck!
Jan 7th
VisionRacer VR3 Racing Simulator – The Ultimate Christmas Present for Hardcore Racing Gamers
Video games are addicting as hell, but it’s easy to lose interest in your favorite game over time. Multiplayer online options let you extend the fun, but there’s only so much you can do with a game like Godfather 2 after you’ve taken over New York, Miami and Havana and shot Fredo in the back of the head on a boat. Sports games like Madden have replay value. So do racing games. If you know a hardcore gamer who loves racing games and owns a seriously amazing game room, there’s one holiday gift that’s sure to blow said racing gamer friend away.
That gift is the VisionRacer VR3 Racing Simulator. This nutty rig retails for $1295 and really takes the racing experience to whole new, much more ridiculous level. Now I know what you’re thinking. If you had $1295 to spend on racing simulator, you’d probably just buy a used Hyundai and race that ole clunker into the ground. I guess you could do that if you wanted to. After all, the VisionRacer VR3 isn’t for everyone. It’s reserved for serious racing gamers with high levels of disposable income. If that describes you or someone you love (a lot), then this futuristic racing rig is definitely worth checking out.
The VisionRacer VR3 rig works with any racing game that’s compatible with a Logitech steering wheel. It contains a fiberglass racing seat wrapped in a steel frame. The gearshift and pedals are setup just like they would be in a real race car. All you have to do is mount a flat screen to the rig. There’s a even a little stand for your gaming console. This thing blows the racing arcade setups away. Again, the VisionRacer VR3 Racing Simulator isn’t for everyone, but if you have the means, why wouldn’t you do it? Delivery and local tax are included in the price!
Dec 16th
State Farm Grantin’ Wishes with Weezer Contest
Who doesn’t love Weezer? Nobody, that’s who. Weezer appeals to everyone, from the old folks who remember buying that first blue CD to the young’uns who discovered the band’s mp3’s on iTunes. Weezer crosses eras and taste camps. And they also put on a damn good live show.
Well Weezer’s got a new set of concert tour dates on tap, and if you want to enter to win a one-of-a-kind experience with the band, check out the pretty sweet contest on the State Farm Facebook page. The Grantin’ Wishes with Weezer Contest asks the question, “If you could have one wish granted by State Farm & Weezer, what would it be?” Now that’s a pretty open question that can go in lots of different directions. So fans are encouraged to record and upload a video or write-in their wish on the State Farm Facebook page. Facebook visitors can also view a video of Rivers Cuomo and Patrick WIlson introducing the contest on the State Farm page. You can also enter the conest at the State Farm/Weezer booths available at Weezer’s NYC concert venues.
When all is said and done, four winners will get to attend the band’s final concert of the Weezer Memories Tour Driven by State Farm in Chicago and have their wish granted. The winners will be flown out on January 7-8. If you have a unique idea or creative wish in mind, write it down, film it and head to Facebook to get that wish entered. The contest runs till December 24, so get on it.
Dec 10th
TRON: Evolution Video Game Now In Stores
I’m pretty stoked about the upcoming December 17 release of TRON: Legacy, the sequel to the hugely popular computer-graphics-packed sci-fi classic from 1982. The new 3D film has received plenty of buzz, with viral sites, teaser screenings and theme park tie-ins drumming up the anticipation for the release. If you want to immerse yourself in the TRON experience before the film comes out in eight days, there’s good news. TRON: Evolution, a video game that features Grid favorites like light cycles, light tanks, recognizers and light disc combat, is now out in stores.
TRON: Evolution is a third-person action game that incorporates racing and RPG elements. More than just a video game tie-in, TRON: Evolution was designed to bridge the gap between the two feature films. In the game, you control Anon, a security program who must defend the TRON digital world from a computer virus named Abraxas. As you play the game, you’ll experience part of the backstory that leads in to the Tron: Legacy film. Propaganda Games developed the game in conjunction with the filmmakers.
If you want to learn more about the backstory of Oliva Wilde’s character Quorra, jam out to some digital tracks from Daft Punk or battle online in a multiplayer mode with up to 10 players in various light tank, light cycle and on-foot combat exercises, this is a game that you need to pick up.
We’ll be receiving a copy of the game to review, so we’ll get back to you on the actual gameplay after we’ve had a chance to test it out. Till then, enjoy this clip to get sense of what TRON: Evolution is all about:
Dec 8th
Top 5 Leslie Nielsen Films
Master spoof specialist Leslie Nielsen passed away on Sunday at the age of 84. Nielsen’s acting career spanned six decades. In 239 film and TV roles since 1950, he was embraced as a lead man, a serious actor and a dead-pan comedian who perfected the art of being oblivious to the shenanigans that surrounded his characters. To honor this legend, we came up with a list of the top 5 Leslie Nielsen films. It’s certainly not an exhaustive list (it leaves out all of his TV work), but it’s how we remember the guy. Feel free to share your favorite Nielsen moments in the comments.
Spy Hard
Spy Hard was the last great comedy that Nielsen made. The spoofs in his later career got a little bit out of hand, but Spy Hard was vintage Nielsen. His character’s name is Dick Steele (Agent WD-40) and he runs around with Nicolette Sheridan while battling an evil Andy Griffith. There’s just too many laughable moments in this 1996 flick to not have it on the list.
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear
I watched this movie so many times growing up. The third Naked Gun movie was subpar, but 2½ was right up there with the original film and TV series. The second film brought in the most cash, too. The first Naked Gun grossed $78 million, the second film grossed $86 million and the third film brought in $51 million. Priscilla Presley was still hot in this one too.
Forbidden Planet
Oh yes, that is a young Leslie Nielsen in this sci-fi classic from 1956. If you haven’t seen this film, you should really check it out. It’s got Robby the Robot, a sweet electronic music soundtrack, amazing (for the time) special effects and a 30-year-old Leslie Nielsen as Commander John J. Adams. Forbidden Planet made a huge impact on Gene Roddenberry, who said that the film served as inspiration for his creation of the Star Trek universe.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
The original film, based on the TV series, is still the best. You had O.J. Simpson as Nodberg, Ricardo Montalban as Vincent Ludwig, Reggie Jackson trying to kill the queen and that awesome baseball scene. Nielsen will forever be remembered as Lt. Frank Drebin, and that’s not such a bad thing. That character can get laughs in any era.
Airplane!
This is by far Nielsen’s best role. It was Nielsen’s first attempt at comedy, and he created his ’super-serious in the face of all kinds of ridiculousness’ style that would serve as his calling card for 30 years.
Rest in peace, Leslie. You will be missed.
Nov 29th
