‘Spider-Man’ musical offers problematic previews for audiences

On Sunday, the highly anticipated Broadway musical “Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark” began its first batch of preview performances for audiences at the Foxwoods Theatre in New York.

According to the online site, the Hero Complex, the first performance of the show did not go off without its share of technical mishaps and complications. New York Post columnist Michael Riedel reported the following:

“overhead stage wires dropped on the audience, scenery appeared on stage missing pieces – and the show’s star [Reeve Carney] was even left swaying helplessly over them midair during what was supposed to be the climatic end to the first act.”

Despite all the technical problems audiences witnessed during the show, The New York Times reported that most of the aerial stunts went off without a problem, and that there were no signs of serious injuries.

According to the Hero Complex website, however, this news is believed to be the cause of the musical’s most recent opening day postponement, which was pushed from December until January of next year.

“Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark” is directed by the award-winning Julie Taymor with music and lyrics composed by U2’s Bono and The Edge. Current numbers indicate that the budget for the musical is reported to be over $65 million, making it the most expensive show in Broadway history.

With early previews already garnering mixed reviews from critics, will “Spider-Man” manage to crawl its way toward a successful opening night?

Only time, or perhaps the use of spidey-sense, will tell.




Here's a 60 Minutes news segment that goes behind the scenes of the musical:





Link to original article here: http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2010/11/30/broadways-spider-man-gets-off-to-shaky-start/

Picture found here: http://www.broadway.com/shows/spider-man-turn-off-the-dark/buzz/98197/spider-man-turn-off-the-dark-swings-onto-broadway-in-2010-julie-taymor-directs-with-score-by-bono-and-the-edge-of-u2/

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, a Journey into Darker Territory

According to the latest estimates from BoxOfficeMojo.com, the seventh and final installment of the beloved Harry Potter series might just be the best one yet.

Recent numbers indicate that Deathly Hallows: Part 1 managed to conjure up $61.2 million in U.S sales alone on opening night, placing it dangerously close to topping the franchise’s previous high for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, an impressive $102.7 million on its opening weekend.

As I stood waiting in line outside of my favorite theater in Downey, the fact that opening weekend would mean big numbers for the film definitely crossed my mind. Fans were huddled close against the quickly dropping temperatures, all in the hope and anticipation of getting to see what many are calling “the beginning of the end.”

One faithful Hogwarts companion, who I invited to see the film with me, expressed the sentiments of the Potter dedicated crowed the best:

“It’s cold and I’m tired of standing around with this tray of movie snacks in my hand…but anything for Potter!”

Of course, after experiencing the two and a half hour long journey into much darker territory (In comparison to previous Potter films, of course) for myself, I came out of the theater with a much different perspective in mind.

For the most part, the movie was pretty entertaining to watch. The dark and suspenseful feel of the film really kept me at the edge of my seat nearly half the time, especially whenever the famous Hogwarts trio (now out on the run and away from the safety of their school) were close to being captured by either Voldermort’s minions or the annoying authorities at the Ministry of Magic.

That being said, for anyone who has neglected to read the final book in the series, this film might not be the best for you to watch until you do so. While very entertaining from start to finish, the film only succeeds in asking pressing questions about the characters, but does little to answer them. Also, the rather abysmal and depressing ending of the film leaves little to be desired (Expect maybe revenge, and a refund).

All in all though, I’d give the film a solid B+ grade (If you’re a Potter fan anyway…if you’ve never so much as picked up a book in the series, I suggest you stay home for this one).

Here's the Offical Trailor for you guys:




Pictures provided by myself and http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2010/11/20/harry-potter-where-does-deathly-hallows-rank/

Call of Duty: Black Ops, What the Real Critics are Saying

It’s Monday night, a little after 11:30 pm.

Do you know where your gamer is?

Chances are if it was this past Monday night, your gamer was probably waiting patiently at their local Best Buy store, hoping to be the first of their friends to snag a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Almost a week has gone by since its release, and current numbers indicate that Black Ops has already topped the previous release of Modern Warfare 2 in record sales, with $360 million units in North America and the United Kingdom sold alone. With so many units of the game already out in the general public, just what are the real critics, loyal fans of the Call of Duty franchise, saying about the newest installment in a highly beloved series?

“I like it, it’s more about the skill than the class having an advantage over every other player in the PS3 version,” said Israel Valencia, a long time gamer.

Of course, with all the new features, there are bound to be some less favorable reviews from the fans.

“It disappointed me in the sense that it only unlocks certain equipment pieces at high levels. The game is also pretty glitchy right now, but it’s about the same when compared to Modern Warfare,” said Anthony Wilson about the Xbox version of the game.

Overall though, fans seem pretty pleased with the newest installment in the series, and are willing to take the problems with the game as they come. Some even hold out hope that Treyarch, the current developer for Black Ops, will step up and provide the same quality patches that Infinity Ward did when Modern Warfare was originally released.

“So far the pros override the cons, meaning there are a few glitches, but I’m hoping that Treyarch will patch up any small problems with the game later on,” said Valencia.

Regardless of which version of the game someone might own (be it for the PS3, Xbox, or PC), the reviews seem favorable across the board. One fan, Anthony Wilson, managed to phrase the complexity of the Black Ops phenomena in only a few words:

“Its epic and I’m playing it right now.”



Here a video of the action to get you going:





Link to press release found here: http://www.codblackopsnews.com/2010/11/11/black-ops-sets-opening-day-sales-record/


Original photo found here: http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2010/08/18/call-of-duty-black-ops-includes-zombie-mode.htm

New Magic Mountain Expansion for 2011 Season Promises a DC Comics Twist

Six Flags Magic Mountain, in celebration of 40 years of setting precedents in the thrill ride industry, has announced several new ride expansions with a DC Comics angle at their flagship park in Valencia, CA.

The first of two DC Comics themed expansions includes the remodeling of a park favorite, Superman: The Escape, which closed down mysteriously and under much speculation of its return back in late June. Nick Markham, feature writer for ThemeParkInsider.Com reveals the following about the face lift Superman is scheduled to undergo during the off season:

“Superman: The Escape will now be called Superman: Escape From Krypton. It will get a newly refurbished station, painted with blue and red supports and yellow track, and new cars that will travel backwards.”

Second on the list of new coaster expansions is the addition of a brand new ride themed around popular DC superhero, the Green Lantern. According to Coaster101.Com, the new Green Lantern ride will feature the following in new cutting-edge coaster technology:

“Reaching far beyond traditional thrills, the DC Comics Super Hero GREEN LANTERN will focus the might of his Power Ring and take the coaster riding experience to another galaxy with the GREEN LANTERN coaster. Fearless riders will brave a never-been-done-before completely VERTICAL zigzag pattern sitting in eight-person vehicles, four abreast and back-to-back, each rotating independently. The two-minute thrill begins with riders going up the 107-foot lift hill before spinning their way down through 825-feet of twisted vertical track, featuring three, 360-degree head-over-heel spins. The GREEN LANTERN coaster will be located in the newly themed section of the park.”

Both rides are scheduled to begin operation during the spring 2011 season, opening just in time to coincide with both the release of the new Green Lantern movie (starring Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively and scheduled for a July 2011 release) and the finale of the Superman-centric show, Smallville.

With the addition of these new rides (and the promise of a third unnamed family coaster sometime later in the season) the total will be 18 roller coasters, officially capturing the title of “Coaster Capital of the World” for the park.

Here’s a personal word of advice from your friendly-neighborhood Closet Fangirl (who also happens to be a veteran of the theme park scene):

Start buying your tickets NOW!

Here’s a sneak peak at the action, coming to a Magic Mountain near you:




Link to original Press Release found here: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/sixflags/46421/

Pictures provided by: http://moviecarpet.com/2010/01/19/there-will-be-no-superman-in-green-lantern/

And by Six Flags Magic Mountain

Christopher Nolan's Big Reveal, No Riddler for Third Batman Film

After months of speculation on the various online forums dedicated to the subject, director Christopher Nolan has eliminated another Gotham villain from the list of potential antagonists.

"It won't be the Riddler," Nolan revealed exclusively to the online site the Hero Complex.

On a high note though, along with Nolan's disappointing big reveal, fans now know the title for the third film in the Batman series. According to Hero Complex, the third film will be called "The Dark Knight Rises."

So far, fans of Nolan and his vision of the iconic Batman character have responded with mix reviews in regards to the news.

"The third film in this new series should be called 'The Caped Crusader'...'The Dark Knight Rises' is too close to the last film 'The Dark Knight,'" said Batman fan Tim Hollems on an online forum.

Despite the comments, fans also now know another crucial fact pertaining to the production of the film. Rather than following the recent trend in movie making made popular by James Cameron's "Avatar," Nolan has also opted out of using 3-D for the next installment.

"We want the look and feel of the film to be faithful to what has come before in the first two films,” said Nolan during his interview with Hero Complex. “There was a large canvas and operatic sweep to ‘The Dark Knight’ and we want to make a film that will carry on with that look and feel.”

What ever your opinion on the subject may be, one thing is defiantly clear. Come 2012, rain or shine, you can bet fans of the first two films will be there for the third film's premiere.

Yours truly included.

Photograph provided by http://www.picturesdepot.com/movies/1184/the+dark+knight.html

Greetings From The Closet Fangirl

What is a fangirl?

The question is quite simple, yet surprisingly, not many above the age 35 demographic know the answer. According to Urban Dictionary.Com, however, the most common definition is as follows:

"A fangirl is a female who obsesses over some form of media. It could be Musical artists, Actors. presenters, people, Anime, Manga, etc. Most fangirls are normal girls who just really enjoy what they fandom over. Most of them are mature about their fandom and respect others opinions."

Of course, there are more negative definitions for a fangirl. Some refer to the common fangirl as someone with a frightening obsession for something, mostly pop culture related.

Despite all the negative publicity, most members of the fangirl community are pretty normal girls. Regular girls who love their comic books, prefer something action-packed over the traditional chick flick at a movie theater, can speak nerd lingo very fluently, play a mean game of Call of Duty with the best of them, and don't confuse Stargate SG1 for some complicated math problem.

In comparison to the average fanboy community (See Urban Dictionary.Com for a more complete defintion), the average fangirl community is quite small in number. Don't let this confuse you though, our numbers might be small but our community is a strong one!

So come along, let your fangirl out of her closet...

Picture courtesy of http://ofad.org/projects/cera-hensley-story-telling-through-photos