Month: October 2016 (Page 2 of 8)

Coming Soon: A Moviegoer’s Guide to November

October 28, 2016 / Rob Dean

The blockbuster season has some last vestiges in November with “Doctor Strange” and the latest from the “Harry Potter” universe, but mostly it’s crowd pleasers and awards bait. Although there are a few comedies and family films, the rest of the releases are dedicated to serious stories that will hopefully draw critical raves and awards nominations soon enough. Luckily, the quality on display seems to be evident and should be entertaining for the average cinephile as they wade through the month’s options. Even those blockbuster types seem slightly different with unique visuals and stories that should be engaging for audiences.

“Doctor Strange”

Who: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen and Benedict Wong
What: A former neurosurgeon embarks on a journey of healing only to be drawn into the world of the mystic arts.
When: November 4th
Why: Marvel’s first foray into the more mystical side of their multiverse comes with some truly impressive acting pedigrees, from Cumberbatch as the titular doctor to Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One that teaches him the power of sorcery. The visuals on display suggest a trippy aesthetic that will play with people’s minds as they enjoy the origin story of Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme. Director Scott Derrickson, who co-wrote the script with Jon Spaihts and C. Robert Cargill, has done mostly horror (“Sinister”) but looks ready to leap into the blockbuster foray with this genre defying action tale.

Entertainment, Movies

Coming Soon monthly movie previews new releases November movies

The Results Are In: You should be clean shaven in ’17

October 28, 2016 / Paul Eide

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Schick Hydro® and Edge® Shave Gel, but all opinions are my own.

The results are in from a 2016 survey on behalf of Edge Shave Gel and Schick Hydro*, and if you have a mustache, they aren’t pretty.

Did you know that more than half (59%) of Americans, including 69% of Millennials, agree that whether a man has facial hair is a major factor in forming a first impression of him? Which can be particularly damning in the office.

If they were equally qualified for the job, 70% of Americans are more likely to hire a man without facial hair than one with it. Ouch.

Why is that? Because 67% of Americans feel that a clean-shaven guy is more likely to have a larger bank account than a man with facial hair.

Grooming

men's grooming Schick Schick Hydro shaving

Kill Your Productivity with These Browser-Based Games

October 28, 2016 / Bullz-Eye Staff

Okay, we’re not actually suggesting you abandon work and play these awesome games, but they are still handy to have for whenever you have a few minutes to spare. Browser-based games can be played from any browser, including the one on your smartphone. They are great for some quick entertainment.

To make it even better, browser-based games today are so much better than they were a couple of years ago. To help you get started with enjoying a relaxing time or having some fun in between meetings, here are a few games you definitely should try.

Games, Lifestyle

online games

Movie Review: “Inferno”

October 27, 2016 / David Medsker

Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Ben Foster, Irrfan Khan, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Omar Sy, Ana Ularu

Ron Howard

It’s been seven years since the world last saw a film based on author Dan Brown’s renowned symbologist Robert Langdon. The last installment, “Angels & Demons,” had a worldwide box office gross nearly $300 million less than its predecessor, “The Da Vinci Code.” That sounds bad, but to be fair, “Angels” still took in nearly half a billion dollars, so even if the idea of a Langdon film in 2016 seems unthinkable for a number of reasons (time, diminishing returns), money clearly did most of the talking when it came to green lighting the latest film, “Inferno.” And for a while, the movie distances itself from the first two films thanks to a breakneck opening pace, only to turn into the Dan Browniest Dan Brown adaptation to date halfway through and grind to a screeching halt.

Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) wakes up dazed in a hospital, suffering from head trauma and trying to put together the missing pieces between the present and his previous memory from three days earlier. Almost immediately after he wakes up, there is an attempt on his life by a policewoman, but Robert’s attending physician, Dr. Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones), helps him escape and brings him to her apartment, where Robert discovers that in the pocket of his coat is a vial used to transport lethal pathogens.

Inside the tube is a clue left for Robert by billionaire Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster), who’s known for his incendiary speeches warning against the overpopulation of the planet and the need for a correction in order to prevent the complete extinction of the human race. Robert concludes that Bertrand, who committed suicide two days earlier, has created and hidden a deadly virus designed to “solve” the overpopulation problem, but in his search for the clues to find the virus, Robert has the police, a compromised World Health Organization and a third party of questionable intent hunting him at the same time.

Entertainment, Movie Reviews, Movies

Ben Foster Felicity Jones Ron Howard Tom Hanks

Blu Tuesday: Lights Out, Nerve and More

October 25, 2016 / Jason Zingale

Every Tuesday, I review the newest Blu-ray releases and let you know whether they’re worth buying, renting or skipping, along with a breakdown of the included extras. If you see something you like, click on the cover art to purchase the Blu-ray from Amazon, and be sure to share each week’s column on social media with your friends.

“Lights Out”

WHAT: When her little brother (Gabriel Bateman) begins experiencing the same visions that haunted her as a kid – a terrifying, supernatural entity with a connection to their mentally unstable mother (Maria Bello) – Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) attempts to unlock the mystery behind its existence in order to rid their family of the demonic spirit for good.

WHY: Based on David F. Sandberg’s short film of the same name, “Lights Out” is a fresh take on an age-old phobia – specifically, being afraid of the dark – that boasts some effective scares throughout its well-paced 81-minute runtime. (New rule: no horror movie should be more than 90 minutes long). Where the movie falters is with its mythology, which creates an entire backstory for the spirit that’s not only absurd but never really fleshed out beyond one scene. Sandberg also fails to introduce a fixed set of rules for his villain, which are constantly evolving as it becomes necessary or convenient to the story. The acting is about as good as you’d expect from the genre, though Teresa Palmer and newcomer Alexander DiPersia are both solid in their roles, while the creature effects are pretty cool for a character that spends most of the film bathed in darkness. There have been better horror movies released this year, but “Lights Out” is a decent addition to the genre that will please a certain subset of fans.

EXTRAS: The Blu-ray release includes some deleted scenes, but that’s all.

FINAL VERDICT: RENT

Entertainment, Movies

Blu Tuesday new Blu-rays