A Peek Through the Hatch: Robert's Most Anticipated Films of 2016

Couple things. As I did with my TV list, I only wrote about my top five. I did, however put a quick reason for 10-6. Another big thing - my one rule was no superhero flicks - otherwise that would be the entire list. *cough*myactualmostanticipatedmovieiscaptainamerica:civilwar*cough*

On with the list!

10. Hail, Caesar! (February 5th)

'Nuff said: The Coens

9. Untitled Fifth Bourne Film (July 29th)

'Nuff said: Damon returning.

8. The Nice Guys (May 20th)

'Nuff said: Shane Black

7. Kubo and the Two Strings (August 19th)

'Nuff said: Laika

6. Passengers (December 21st)

'Nuff said: Sci-fi romance (?)

5. The Conjuring 2 (June 10th)

While the buildup to The Conjuring and even the first half of the movie were way better than the movie as a whole, it was a solid horror flick. The Insidious franchise sputtered out, so its up to director James Wan's other horror series to continue spooking us. I'm looking forward to seeing if Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson's characters (based on the Warrens, a real life ghost busting couple) have any franchise power. This sequel jumps across the pond to investigate some supernatural shenanigans in England.

4. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (November 18th)

I'll admit I was a little skeptical of this at first. I haven't read the book this is (loosely I would imagine) based on, and maybe I'm worried nothing will live up to an actual Harry Potter movie about the titular wizard. But Jo Jo herself wrote the screenplay and its directed by Harry Potter godfather David Yates. Plus, Eddie Redmayne's a great actor, as long as he's not working for the Wachowskis.

The film follows the adventures of "Fantastic Beasts" author/wizard Newt Scamander (Redmayne) while he's in New York.

3. Ghostbusters (July 15th)

Good news: We're finally getting more Ghostbusters. Bad news: This film is rebooting the franchise entirely and getting rid of some awesome backstory/continuity. Also, director Paul Feig's last few films haven't really wowed me. If he was doing this flick right after Bridesmaids I'd probably be really stoked. But we can't all be Colin Trevorrow, now can we?

Also, crushin' pretty hard on Kate McKinnon's character, who may or may not essentially be a gender bent Egon. Let's try not to analyze that too much.

Wikipedia

2. Rogue One (December 16th)

The Force Awakens kicked off a new golden age for Star Wars. This December will see the release of "Rogue One", the first of the new "Star Wars Stories", tales not tied directly to the main films.

Rogue One takes place before A New Hope and will follow the team that steals the plans for the original Death Star. A film focusing on a tiny detail from the original Star Wars is an interesting prospect.

Star Wars

1. Star Trek Beyond (July 22nd)

Huge Trek fan here. I really enjoy the cast of the rebooted franchise and I'm looking forward to seeing this flick do its own thing post Into Darkness. This film will finally find the crew of The Enterprise on their five year mission, and I'm definitely looking forward to what they find. I'm curious to see how a J.J. Abrams-less Trek works out - frequent Fast & Furious director Justin Lin has come aboard for behind-the-camera duties.

A Six Pack of Thoughts

by Jeremy Tidwell

As I sit here savoring the last six pack of Shipyard’s Pumpkinhead beer that I stock piled during the magical season of spookiness known as October, I'm stampeded by various thoughts and ruminations that only come when one becomes ensnared in the hoppy goodness of pumpkin flavored beer or, for that matter, any alcohol-infused beverage.

Shipyard

The mind has a way of meandering to things that matter and things that don’t seem to hold any real value, except to those chosen few who have found a way to let go of the mundane and embrace the glorious. Movies, poetry, books, art, and especially pop culture, all superfluously flow into your cerebral cortex and set up base camp as the spirits of the bottle find their way into your blood stream and endanger your capacity for rational thought.

So I figured I'd give all the discerning and scholarly readers out there a peek behind the curtain. A look into the mind of someone who quite possibly is taking an uncalculated risk by drinking copious amounts of beer in a short amount of time and then spouting off their opinions. But what the hell, I’ve never been one to NOT have an opinion on things. Now join me by cracking open your favorite beer and seeing if any of the shit I spew forth makes any sense to you.

FIRST BEER

Having just read the article that outlined the treatment* (for the uninformed, a treatment is an extensive outline for a screenplay that has yet to be written) for the new Ghostbusters III movie written by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg (those guys of The Office fame), I find myself a little giddy at what could have been. Now, the treatment is by no means perfect (an ending that once again involves crossing the streams) but it does have the feel of what a Ghostbusters movie should be. It should have the original characters involved in a new adventure that brings an end to their story. That gives the audience the closure we've always wanted for those beloved characters. Instead, we'll now be subjected to an all-female “reboot” of the original movie, written and directed by Paul Feig. I'll quote the great Peter Venkman here: “Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!” Definitely not a good thing.

SECOND BEER

Sometimes television shows of your childhood run in syndication on odd channels at odd hours. For me, one of those shows was Boy Meets World, and it airs on the Disney Channel late at night. This night I find myself watching the show while sipping slowly, which allows me to enjoy the beer longer. But I digress. This two part episode was the series finale, where the group of friends left for the big bad city known as New York. I forgot how powerful the show could be, especially when thinking about how it kinda shaped parts of my childhood. Maybe you find that weird but it was a good show. The best friend Shawn, the amazing and hot girlfriend Topanga, the wisdom filled teacher/neighbor Mr. Feeny, and the lovable Corey, all involved in the crazy and wonderful thing known as life. I really do love this show and this episode may have made me cry (but that could just be the alcohol sneaking up on me, causing me to become over emotional). Maybe.

Maxim

THIRD BEER

After a brief conversation with a close friend, I've decided that if you’re not watching the television show Sleepy Hollow, you should be. Gothic horror mixed with modern day comedy. It may sound like a cup of tea you don’t want to taste, but I think you should. There are many aspects of the show that make it an enjoyable watch, especially considering how it expands the mythos of the Headless Horseman and uses our own American history as a basis for its own dark and twisted mythology.

Facebook

FOURTH BEER

Based on a chart that I recently saw floating around on the internets, I was able to deduce that if I learn karate, I can become Batman. Yeah, I think it's that easy. Just look it up and you'll see what I'm talking about. Maybe I have that backwards but, whatever. I like beer.

FIFTH BEER

Ah, screw this! Where’s the Fireball?

Thanks for reading, I guess. Maybe you didn’t read and I'm just writing this because it feels like the best way to end this meandering stream of consciousness I'd like to call an article. Either way, I wrote it, and that counts for something.

As for that last beer, well let’s see what happens next time.

*I did find out this was a fake, but it sounds better than anything else I've read about a new Ghostbusters movie.

Jeremy Tidwell is an artist, writer and filmmaker. He loves John Hughes movies and can't sleep with the closet door open. He currently resides at the bottom of Buffalo Bill's pit. He hates the lotion.

Favorite Scene Friday! Ghostbusters 2: The Ghost Train

Ghostbusters is getting a lot of love lately, what with its 30th anniversary celebration, those Krispy Kreme donuts, and talk of the fabled third movie. You know what's not getting a lot of love? Ghostbusters 2.

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Ask me about Ghostbusters 2 and I'll tell ya what I think. Go ahead...ask. G'head.

Well I'll tell ya, internet. It's actually really scary compared to the first one, which was pretty much just a comedy (one of the greatest comedies of all time, sure) with ghosts, save for a scene or two. It's really not uncommon for a sequel to go darker. Think Temple of Doom or The Empire Strikes Back. It was just kinda the thing to do in the '80s and Ghostbusters 2 was no exception. Think about it. Vigo the Carpathian's scary-ass self. The subterranean river of evil, pink slime. That bathtub nose monster. The scene where the guys almost get murdered with fire in their darkroom whilst developing scary Polaroids. I could go on and on. Oh wait, I have to go on!

Yes, our scene is the creepy (but still very funny) ghost train sequence. Picture it. You're down under the streets of New York. Like, under the subway deep. You're in the dark. You're searching for the source of crazy levels of paranormal activity. Then this happens.



Poor Winston! He just wanted to hear his echo like the other guys, but he never gets to have any fun. Instead he gets run over by a ghost train. Aside from being a funny concept, there is something genuinely terrifying about hearing your own echo replaced by a deep, booming, soul-piercing voice bellowing your name. And aren't those disembodied heads frickin' gruesome (why the hell did the guys not bring their proton packs with them to begin with???)? Compare that shit to the first film, where we don't get anything nearly as terrifying. Hell, the Ghost Librarian was originally scarier but they replaced the effect with something a little less terrifying.

Some of the comedy's a little broad in this scene (the guys tip-toe around like they're in a Scooby Doo episode or something and Egon's question about the number on the locomotive, while funny, is a little cliche) but Ernie Hudson's performance as Winston (the way his scream dies out is hilarious) and the horror more than makes up for it. So if you need a great horror comedy that doesn't skimp on the horror this Halloween season, think of Ghostbusters 2.

What's your favorite scene from Ghostbusters 2?

Escape Artists: August 2014

Greetings, Hatchlings!

Every month we round up all the stories we can find about fun movie events like marathons, special screenings, and conventions and miscellaneous stuff like food and games. Let’s see what went down in the world of escapism and pop culture shenanigans in August 2014!

Top Stories!

Sun-Ray Cinema's Twin Peaks Marathon

Remember that Twin Peaks marathon at Sun-Ray Cinema that we kept warning you about? Well it happened! It happened big time! That's right, on August 22nd and 23rd, Sun-Ray screened every episode of the show and they had an awesome special menu that weekend to complement the marathon. I couldn't attend the event (more on that in a second) but it looks like it was awesome. Check out some highlights below.

Georgia Mini LAMB Meetup

So yeah, I couldn't attend the Twin Peaks marathon, but I can explain. Ya see, I was up in Atlanta that weekend visiting family for some birthdays. I'd recently learned that Andrew and Sarah from Two Ticket For - a husband and wife LAMB (Large Association of Movie Blogs) duo - live up in the Atlanta area, and we made arrangements to meet up at a restaurant called Sweet Melissa's that Sunday for brunch.

Not pictured: delicious Nutella french toast.
Photo from sweetmelissas.com.

The breakfast was amazing but the company was even better. We essentially just talked movies the whole time. I had an awesome time meeting Andrew and Sarah and I'm looking forward to the next meetup. Any Florida/Georgia LAMBs are welcome to join us next time!

Aaron Paul's Breaking Bad Scavenger Hunt

Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad held an awesome BB-themed scavenger hunt to commemorate the show's last hurrah at the Emmys. It looks like it went pretty well. Check out The AV Club's write up of the event here.

Go meet one of the scary cousins @LuisMoncada77 at pinches tacos on Sunset. He will be inside holding some stuffed Jesse and Walt dolls.
— Aaron Paul (@aaronpaul_8) August 25, 2014

Other Links

• Bid on a chance for an overnight stay in Downton Abbey. - via The AV Club
• An American Werewolf in London is Coming to Universal Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights! - via Daily Dead
• Robin Williams Memorial Pops up at Good Will Hunting Bench. - via The Hollywood Reporter and The AV Club
• The Alamo's South Lamar location had an awesome The Shining screening with a pretty cool photo booth...

It's happening! The Shining at @drafthouse S. Lamar (soft opening) TONIGHT! pic.twitter.com/VRmahM0J7j
— Marty Hopkins (@MartyATX) August 13, 2014

• August 18th was Wet Hot American Summer day and you can also buy some pretty sweet WHAS T-Shirts at rustedwave.com! - via Badass Digest
• Jess from French Toast Sunday went to another awesome Jurassic Park event! 

Second Jurassic Park event of the summer - outdoor screening at Federal Hill #wesparednoexpense pic.twitter.com/YaXY34jYBW
— Jessica M. (@jess_fts) August 29, 2014

• Here's a report of one of those live orchestra Star Trek screenings. - via Badass Digest
• There's a rumor that Disneyland has big plans for Star Wars and Marvel... - via Nerdist
• Here's a great recap of Secret Cinema's Back to the Future experience. - via Den of Geek
• Cones of Dunshire, the board game created in Parks and Recreation, was made into a real game and played at GenCon. - via The AV Club
• Check out this recap of the Drive-In Massacre 2014 at the McHenry Outdoor Theater! - via The Nightmare Gallery
• "Deep Breath", the premiere episode of Peter Capaldi's Dr. Who run, aired in theaters, did anyone go? - via Fathom Events
• Speaking of Dr. Who, if you live in Jacksonville, you can catch future episodes every Saturday at Midtown Deli! 

Post by The Specktator.

Someone decked out an escalator as the Star Wars opening crawl.

Post by https://www.facebook.com/movieclips">MOVIECLIPS

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Escape via Food

• The Nerd Lunch Podcast crew talks fictional pop culture food on a new episode! - via Nerd Lunch
• Accio cupcakes! - via justjenn and Nerdist

• Are we getting an HR Giger bar here in the states? - via The AV Club
• Hobbit beers are coming to a shire near you! - via The AV Club

• To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Friends, Warner Bros. is opening an actual Central Perk in New York (for a limited time). - via The AV Club
• Did that whole "limited time" thing getcha down? Well guess what, there's a permanent (and slightly sad) Central Perk in Beijing! - via Buzzfeed
• There's a Dr. Who (man, what am I, a Dr. Who fan all of a sudden? I've never even seen an episode) restaurant in New York called The Pandorica. - via Nerdist
• Ghostbusters Donuts (shout out to Shawn for sharing this on Facebook)!

Post by Dinosaur Dracula.

Do you go to fun escapist events like movie marathons, festivals, movie-themed parties, or concerts? Are you planning on checking out any fun movie fan destinations? Have you seen any cool pop culture themed games or food anywhere? Let us know in the comments or by emailing us at totheescapehatch(at)gmail(dot)com.

The Movie Question Multiple Choice Answer: The Keymaster

So who is the Keymaster, anyway? Well, in a little film from 1984 called Ghostbusters, the Keymaster was a character named Vinz Clortho. He was destined to team with Zuul the Gatekeeper to bring about the second coming of a Sumerian God named Gozer. Unfortunately for Louis Tully (Rick Moranis) and his neighbor Dr. Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver), Vinz and Zuul had to possess them to accomplish this.

kolchakpuggle.com

The Keymaster, ladies and gentlemen.

Old Zuulie had to ask potential suitors if they were the Keymaster. Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) was not the Keymaster, but he was able to get into Dana Barrett’s apartment anyway. What’s interesting about this question is that Zuul/Dr. Barrett asks Dr. Venkman twice (one of you smart people pointed this out as well). Check out the clip below for both of his responses.

None of this is really that important! The only thing that matters is that “B. Yes! I’m a friend of his, he told me to meet him here.” is the right answer to The Movie Question Multiple Choice! You guys really know your Ghostbusters quotes - everyone that entered got the question right. We’ll have to pick a harder one next time.

Edward Chang, you win! Keep an eye on your inbox today for your $20 Amazon Gift Card.

Thanks to everyone that entered our contest! If only we could give everybody a prize. Tune in next month for another round of The Movie Question Multiple Choice.