How has the Summer Movie Season measured up?

Hey guys! We are about halfway through the Summer season and halfway through the year as a whole. I’m currently working on my top 10 of 2015…so far and that should be posted soon. Today I want to talk about the Summer movies that have been released so far, what’s to come, and how this summer has measured up to previous years. We have some hit and misses this summer so far, so lets take a look at our summer hits first!

HITS:

When I made my Summer Movie Preview back in the beginning of May, I would have never thought that Jurassic World would be as big a hit as it has been. I expected a $200-$300 million domestic box office gross, not the whopping $556 million it has grossed thus far and STILL counting. I saw the movie at my local drive-in theater and thought it was absolutely awesome. I think seeing it in that type of environment completely shut away any issues that people had during that film (like Bryce Dallas Howard running in high heels). I think it’s the epitome of a summer movie and is mindless fun and completely awesome. I approve!

We have the movie we expected to rule the summer, Avengers: Age of Ultron which some people would call a disappointment, I wouldn’t. The movie still cleared $454 million domestically and $1.3 billion worldwide. It’s coming up pretty close behind the original Avengers film at $1.5 billion. I don’t see how anyone believed this one was going to top the momentous first film. Critically, it was about the same to me as the first one, albeit a bit messier than the first. These movies are popcorn entertainment, nothing more, this one just had a heck of a lot more characters in it.

Inside Out has done phenomenally both critically and financially as one of Pixar’s best. I’ve seen it twice and am absolutely obsessed with it (Whose the friend who loves to play? BING BONG BING BONG). It just reached number 1 at the box office for the first time this week after 3 weeks in theaters and has cleared $245 million. Its safe to say this one will be one of Pixar’s biggest films and is an assurance that Pixar can still pack a mean punch of entertainment for both the children and adults. I’d say this was one of Pixar’s most mature films to date and I can’t wait to revisit it.

Aca-Scuse me? Pitch Perfect 2 was a humongous hit at the box office this past May and has cleared $278 million compared to the first one’s $115 million. That’s huge and its no surprise there is a 3rd one on the way. I found that the movie kind of dragged on during the latter half and that some of the racist jokes were a little much, but it was still fun and had me tapping my feet. I really enjoyed the first one, I just felt that expanding the acapella world was a bit unnecessary for the sequel. I am definitely curious to see what they will do with the next one though.

MISSES:

I saw this one coming from a mile away. I mean I’ve never really been a fan of the Terminator franchise to begin with but I had a gut feeling this one was going to tank. Maybe it’s because they spelled Genesis wrong. I can’t trust a movie with spelling errors. Hey, its only been out for a week so it could improve but critically it has done terrible and I don’t see it getting any better. What will be the next AH-NOLD reboot? I’m a sucker for the sequel to Twins, Triplets, that has been rumored to be getting made with Eddie Murphy as the other twin. Get it? Its funny because he’s black! HAHAHAHAHA!

I was hoping for this movie after the recent trailers but it was just…not good. Alright, I actually was okay with the first half of the movie but the second half just completely dragged on. It took them like a half hour to get to Tomorrowland. I was half expecting them to make a pit stop at Mickey D’s to refuel. So it wasn’t a critical success, and it didn’t do too well financially either. It has cleared $203 million on a $190 million budget which doesn’t include all the marketing it put out there. It looks to be a financial loss for Disney which has us thinking if Disney is able to actually release an original live-action film that isn’t Marvel.

Yikes! This knock-off of The Heat did not do as well as Reese Witherspoon probably expected it to. The movie looked painful and the critics thought so as well giving it an 8% on Rotten Tomatoes. Then it only cleared $13.8 on its opening weekend. They thought they were being smart with offering a movie for the females while the guys go see Avengers. You’ll have to make a better movie to do that! Witherspoon can definitely do better than this. When Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 is doing a better job that you are, you need to make better choices. I love Sophia Vergara and think she is hilarious. They could have found better use for her talents than this.

There have been other movies that proved to be pretty successful. Mad Max: Fury Road and Spy have done decently in their respective genres with some of the years best reviews and financial successes. San Andreas has done pretty decently as well, proving to be a nice action hit. Ted 2 and Entourage have not done well for themselves with Ted being the larger flop after the first one’s major success. I thought Ted 2 was about on par with the first one and I probably laughed just as much. I enjoyed Entourage, being a big fan of the television series. I think you had to be a fan to enjoy the movie, which is why critics trashed it so much. It is a disappointment that it didn’t do too well in theaters so it looks like we won’t see the boys back anytime soon.

Lets give one final shout-out to this masterpiece of terrible cinema, Aloha. It baffles me that a movie with the best cast I have ever seen in one movie (minus Danny McBride, not a fan) can be so terrible. Both financially and critically, this is a hated movie. I couldn’t even muster up any kind of energy to go see it.

Peace

-Ricky

Pixar Movies: Rank ’em

Hey guys! It has been two years since we have been graced with a beautiful Pixar film. Also, lets face it, it has been about 5 years since we had a truly great Pixar movie where we cried for weeks after we saw it. I’m a huge fan of Pixar and am so interested in their productions and how they put them together. It’s on my bucket list to visit their stuido which I heard is awesome! I’ll be seeing Inside Out this weekend, of course, and have a feeling it will rank high on my list as it looks like a return to form for the studio. The voice cast itself is just about perfect. I decided to rank the Pixar films this week from worst to best with the release of Inside Out being this weekend. Check it out and tell me what you think.

14. Cars 2

The word for this movie is “unnecessary”. The second I heard about a Cars sequel I was actually pretty excited for it as I loved the first Cars, although others felt differently. Then I saw the trailer for Cars 2 and instantly lost interest. There was no reason for it and the plot adds nothing to the Cars story. I do have to say that I’m a sucker for all the Cars merchandise they have for kids and I really want to check out Radiator Springs over in Disneyland. But this one definitely spoiled my feelings that I had for the original Cars. A sequel letdown. Every studio gets their one misstep though.

13. Brave

This movie was my personal Pixar misstep. I was just very bored by this one. The plot wasn’t anything special and all seemed very unoriginal which is the opposite of what Pixar is. I do see a lot of passion for this movie and think that, overall, the animation is one of Pixar’s best. I just wish I cared more about the story.

12. A Bug’s Life

Now that we have my least favorite Pixar films out of the way, we can move onto all of Pixar’s best work. A Bug’s Life is a very cleverly done film that retains some of the original Toy Story’s charm and humor but is unable to hold onto the interesting story that we cared about so much about in Pixar’s first film. It also gave us Heimlich, who is one of my favorite Pixar characters of all time.

11. Monsters University

The original Monsters Inc. left a cliffhanger that destroyed me as a young 8-year old chap. I clamored for a sequel. What do I get 11 years later? A prequel. Not to say this isn’t a great movie, because it is. I just would have preferred what I was teased at the end of the original. This was still a funny college-type comedy that allowed us to continue to see the powerful relationship between Mike and Sulley.

10. Ratatouille

This is one of those movies that I went in thinking one thing, and came out thinking the exact opposite. I went in expecting The Great Mouse Detective and left with a much better film. It might not get into all of my “feels” that other Pixar films have been able to do but it still has a great, original story to be told about a rat that loves to cook.

9. The Incredibles

I bet most people have this high on their list. I get it. I really loved this movie when I first saw it too. But it hasn’t aged that well in my opinion. It’s a superhero movie. It’s a family vacation comedy. It’s a family drama. It’s a lot of things crammed into one movie. I love The Incredibles, I really do. I’m just not one of those people who are clamoring for a sequel.

8. Toy Story 2

The first Toy Story on the list. This one is obviously the least important out of all the Toy Story movies but is still an essential piece to the franchise. We are given subtle hints on what the future will be for Andy and his toys. We sob uncontrollably at Jessie’s past. I mean really sob. Dammit Emily! Why’d you have to leave Jessie behind! I love this movie, but it definitely doesn’t match the highs that the other Toy Story movies had.

7. Wall-E

This is one that I’ve noticed was at #1 on a lot of people’s lists. It’s an outstanding love story between two robots and gives audiences a very startling look into our possible future (though those chairs did look kind of comfy). The first half hour of the movie was absolutely amazing. It wasn’t until they reached the middle where I felt the story really lost its high that it achieved quickly in the beginning of the story. Wall-E is still adorable and touched on very serious topics going on in the world today. I’d say this movie is not just very enjoyable, but also very important.

6. Up

Could we say this movie had one of the best opening moments in film of all time? Seeing the relationship between Carl and Ellie from beginning to end within the first 15 minutes of the movie was heart wrenching for viewers but really made us develop hardcore feelings for this grumpy old man, before the story even started. The story starts to lose steam around the climax but we are so invested in these quirky characters that it doesn’t matter. I’m a big fan of Kevin. She speaks to me.

5. Monsters Inc.

I was obsessed with Monsters Inc. when I first saw it in theaters. I was a young chap who had already gotten all of the Monsters Inc. action figures, and I wanted to watch this movie everyday for the rest of my life. I was invested in the story of a little girl who follows a monster into another world, along with the close bond between Mike and Sulley. I really connected with the character of Roz, like on a personal level. I know how she feels. Again, I hoped for a sequel because this was the biggest cliffhanger I ever experienced as a child. Not until every episode of Lost had I been so let down by an end to a story.

4. Cars

I LOVE Cars! This was the movie no one else seemed to love but I was completely obsessed with. I was immersed in this world and the environment Pixar was able to create. I loved the music, the characters, the story. I couldn’t point out a part of the story where I felt the film lost any steam whatsoever. I advise everyone to see this movie again and give it another shot. Maybe I’m just crazy and have a unknowing obsession with NASCAR and cars. One of my favorite comedies IS Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby; but I also enjoy stupid comedies, Will Ferrell and my first name is Ricky. Either way, I still love this movie.

3. Finding Nemo

I’m sure you were wondering to yourselves, man I wonder which Pixar character is Ricky’s favorite. Well I’m here to answer those questions for you, curious reader. My favorite Pixar character is Crush. I’ve participated in Turtle Talk with Crush at Disney World and was the weird person talking to him amidst a couple dozen 5-year old. I own a Crush t-shirt because apparently I’m in the 3rd grade. Crush is the best. I also love Finding Nemo. Another Pixar movie that gets me all in my emotional feels. I’d also come out and say this might be the funniest Pixar movie out there. I’m still finding parts of this movie to laugh at 12 years after the movie came out. The world they created here is truly remarkable and just makes me want to take years studying the ocean. I’m very excited to see what they do with Finding Dory. Hopefully it will be more like the Toy Story sequels than the Cars sequel.

2. Toy Story 3

Does this one gif just instantly make you want to curl up into the fetal position and apologize to all your toys that you threw away? No? Oh…me either…Being a high school senior around the time this movie came out, I felt an even closer connection to this story. Along with the fact these movies were my childhood and this movie was a reassurance that my childhood was ending. But I enjoyed the fact that the movie touches on how you may grow up, but you’ll always be a child at heart. Thinking about this movie gets me all welled up. I’m not a baby, I just have a lot of feelings! This movie is Pixar’s strongest in my opinion and just establishes how these people feel about this series and how important it is to them.

1. Toy Story

It’s no surprise that this movie would be my number 1, is it? I mean it is the OG of the Pixar movies and we wouldn’t have any of the movies above without it. It’s probably the most important piece of cinema out there and redefined animation as something more than just for children. Adults are able to connect with these “cartoons” just as much as kids can. The animation is still amazing and not even close to being dated. The story and themes were something incredibly unique at the time and is Pixar’s best story yet.

Coming up with this list was a lot harder than I thought. All of these different movies that I’ve had different experiences with. It’s no doubt that Pixar is the best out there at created top tier animation and original storytelling for all ages. I’m sure Inside Out will fit in well with this list as another Pixar instant classic. I can’t wait to see it this weekend! Let me know what you guys think of this list. Should Wall-E, or something else, had been number 1? Am I crazy for loving Cars as much as I do? Do you try to see Pixar movies with people you think would be funny to see cry? Also, let me know what you guys think of Inside Out!

Thanks!

-Ricky

Best Summer Movies of All Time

Hey there guys! The 2015 Summer movie season is in full swing. But am I the only one who is completely disappointed by the quality of movies so far? Just seems sort of lackluster for me, but I still have hope over the next couple of months. After seeing a few disappointments in the theaters the past few weeks it makes me reminisce about all the blockbuster hits that have came in Summer past. We have the Summer movie that started it all, Jaws, followed by a crap ton of Steven Spielberg Summer hits. We’ve got hit Summer comedies, horror films, action and explosions. These are the movies we pull out of our DVD collection every Summer and sit back and relax. I’d like to take a look at a few movies that scream out Summer to me whenever I think about them. Take a look and let me know some of your favorite Summer movies!

Star Wars

I mean, obviously, right? The Summer can’t function without a little bit of Star Wars original trilogy. All three films were released in the Summer and further solidified that big directors like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg rule the Summer. Of course I will definitely be checking these three out, and maybe the prequels if I have absolutely no life. Is it December 18th yet???

Back to the Future

This movie is year round perfection, but I’m biased since it’s my favorite movie of all time. But this one was also released in the Summer and spawned two sequels that couldn’t match the original. I would have died to be at the movie theaters in 1985 when this one came out that Summer. Sitting with my Pepsi Free (“If you want a Pepsi, you’re going to have to pay for it”) watching Doc Brown and Marty McFly travel to 1955. I’m just gonna come out and say it, 1985 was the best year for movies. There. I said it. It’s been done. Also, the 1980s probably had the best Summer movies. Glad I got that off my chest.

Grease 

This movie is cheesy as hell, but it’s extremely difficult not to watch. This was probably the beginning of the Summer movie musical that has continued for many years with this year’s successful, Pitch Perfect 2. Grease begins and ends with Summer and my Mom still tells me how she saw it pretty much every weekend when it came out into theaters. We know the songs. Quote the movie. And have even memorized the dance to Greased Lightning. No matter how terrible this movie may be, it’s a classic Summer movie we can’t let go of.

Jurassic Park 

Didn’t I say Steven Spielberg rules the Summer? This is up there with one of my most watched movies of all time and I can never get tired of it. Did anyone else go out to see it in 3-D a few years ago? Just me? Okay. Another one where the sequels can’t match the original. Although I haven’t seen Jurassic World, but I am not getting my hopes up on that one.

Independence Day

The only man to give Steven Spielberg a run for his title is Will Smith himself who has released about a hundred Summer flicks. None of them can top this one with the ultimate title for a Summer movie. Let me just ask this, why the hell are they making a sequel? Leave this Summer classic alone!

Wedding Crashers

Here’s my favorite Summer comedy! This was one of my first R-rated comedies that I actually got to go see in theaters and has always left a special place in my heart. That and this movie is really freaking awesome. I could quote this movie to you for days. Turns out it was filmed in my home state of Maryland! Holla! We are becoming the next Hollywood!

Shrek

This was my first Summer movie that actually stands out in my memory (besides Godzilla starring Matthew Broderick which I try to forget about). My Mom took me to see this movie multiple times that Summer and I was absolutely obsessed with it. Donkey is one of the best cinematic characters of all time in my opinion and I can still quote this entire movie for you. The animation is amazing and it won the first Animated film Oscar. It also put Smash Mouth on the map which they are forever grateful for.

X-Men

Am I completely lame for naming X-Men as my ultimate Summer superhero movie? Probably. But I think the X-Men movies are true Summer flicks. I remember renting the first two from Hollywood Video, which is a completely dated statement, and spending one Summer night watching them and I became immersed into this world. I’m shoving The Avengers and The Dark Knight into the background and putting X-Men in the forefront as the best Summer superhero movies.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

I spent way too much time of Summer 2004 seeing this movie in theaters. I showed all my friends, family, crazy neighbor from down the street, this movie. It filled the void of stupid comedy that Austin Powers left behind. I’m one of the few that actually really enjoyed the sequel and still can find things to laugh at in this movie. I love lamp.

Napoleon Dynamite

GOSH! When I wasn’t seeing Anchorman, I caught this little gem at the $3 movie theater. Thus started my little obsession with Summer indies. The movie would later blow up many months later and it instantly would become a classic comedy. Is it weird that in middle school I memorized the moves to this dance? I didn’t have many friends in middle school. Je-Heez!

Jaws

Impossible to leave this ultimate Summer movie off of the list. The one that started it all. It also, just happened, to terrify all. Everytime I go into the ocean there’s something that goes off in my head that makes me think of Jaws and I instantly run out. This movie has ruined me! I didn’t get to see it originally in theaters, obviously, but I did get to see it for the first time in theaters 3 years ago and it was awesome! I’ll also be checking it out in theaters once again in a few weeks!

How was that? Did I get all of the main ones down? There are also classics like Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Goonies, and Finding Nemo that didn’t make the list but those are also Summer hits that I enjoy. Let me know what Summer movies you enjoy watching every year. Maybe this year we might find one of those ultimate classics. Not getting my hopes up but there’s a possibility. I’m seeing Tomorrowland this evening but, based off reviews, I doubt I’ll be too impressed. Sound off in the comments below!

See ya!

-Ricky

Fall TV Preview

Hey guys! Finals are done. Grades are in. Graduation is coming up this week. Soon I will be watching copious amounts of television and movies, while working 40+ hour weeks. I haven’t posted in over a week due to finals and mourning the Fox cancellation of The Mindy Project. Although it got picked up over at Hulu for 26 episodes, it won’t be the same as it was on Fox. I’m keeping a look out and will definitely be tuning in, but my heart pretty much broke when I heard the news two weeks ago. Network TV and I are currently not speaking right now but I did check out a bunch of the previews for the shows they are releasing this Fall after TV Upfront’s last week. Some of them have promise while others look down right terrible. I thought I’d take a look at these shows and post a few links of the trailers. Give my thoughts on what looks good and what looks agonizingly painful. Maybe we could find some winners that will last a few seasons because, lets face it, there is not really anything too interesting on ABC, CBS, FOX, or NBC right now.

Most Anticipated New Show:

The Muppets

I’m a huge Muppets fan! I’ve seen every Muppet movie from childhood to adulthood; Fozzie Bear is my favorite (wocka wocka). I saw last year’s Muppets Most Wanted in a movie theater, alone. Although I believe the mockumentary sitcom style has gotten a little old and “overused” as Gonzo says, I really like what they are doing with this show. It has the perfect Muppet humor with a bit of an adult tone put into it. Seeing how the Muppets are outside of their original TV shows and film will definitely be different and I can say I’m very stoked to see what they are going to do with this show, and how long it can stay fresh.

Scream Queens

This is the show that is replacing The Mindy Project’s time slot. I feel like these “anthology series” are slowly going down the overused path after the success of American Horror Story and True Detective. Ryan Murphy has done very interesting work and is pretty much taking over television slowly. He is pretty much hit or miss for me. The first season of Glee was hilarious and I enjoyed American Horror Story for the most part except for this last season that I haven’t really watched. I enjoy the camp factor of this show and the blend of comedy and horror. This could be a lot of fun and the cast is pretty extraordinary. I’ll definitely be checking it out as it will be a great show to watch when October rolls around.

Supergirl

I mean, obviously. I haven’t joined in on the whole superhero tv show brand since the first few seasons of Smallville. This definitely looks really great and has the potential to be a breakout hit for the Fall, if not the breakout hit. When first hearing about the show I was worried about it being bland but there seems to be a fair amount of charm and humor along with it. As long as the show doesn’t spawn a dozen spin-offs and make connections to the DC film universe, this could have a lot of staying power. I’m also hoping this is more than just a type of procedural and will have long arcs to go with it.

Life in Pieces

I’m a sucker for a good family sitcom. This is the first one out of the two that I am interested in. My Wednesday nights consist of watching The Middle, The Goldbergs, and Modern Family. This is definitely a nice blend of those type of shows along with a comparison to Parenthood. It sort of looks a little too kooky but definitely had me laughing and has a lot of potential with its hugely talented cast.

The Real O’Neals

ABC is the king when it comes to family sitcoms right now. I can’t really complain because all of them are really excellent. So obviously with their great reputation right now, I’m going to have to check this one out. It has a very humorous plot and touches on a serious topic with a comedic twist. It’s going to be interesting how long they could stretch this one-joke storyline though.

Best Film-to-TV Adaptation:

Limitless

You know television is having a hard time when they are pulling all of their ideas from movies. We’ve got Limitless, Rush Hour, Minority Report, and Uncle Buck adaptations all heading for us this Fall. I’d have to say Limitless looks the most promising out of all of them, mainly because they somehow convinced the film’s original (A-List) star, Bradley Cooper, to return in a RECURRING role. How they convinced him to make several appearances throughout the show? I have no idea. This could be really good though. Jake McDorman was on one of my favorite shows from a few years ago, Greek. Minority Report could be interesting as well but I’ve never seen the movie and the show doesn’t catch my interest. The other two…just no.

Best Medical Drama:

Code Black

As usual, we have the typical medical procedurals making their way to the Fall screen. I enjoyed the trailers for two of them: Code Black and Heartbreaker. I’m gonna give them both a chance and watch the first few episodes, but Code Black looks to have the most staying power. I’m definitely getting a E.R. vibe from that one while I’m getting a Grey’s Anatomy vibe from the latter. I also have some sort of weird interest in Luis Guzman, I think he is hilarious with no real reasoning why.

Best “There’s A Lot Going on Here” Show

The Family

Like I said, there’s a lot going on here. Son is lost. Son returns 10 years later. Found out it’s their son. Then find out it might not be their son. Guy from Pretty in Pink was convicted for murdering the son when he didn’t. Eldest son is an alcoholic. Mother is politician who is publicizing on son’s return. Marital issues. Family issues. I’m exhausted watching the trailer. They seem to be cramming a lot into this show when it would be best served as one of those “anthology series” rather than an actual series. I do have to say that Liam James was in one of my favorite Summer indie’s The Way, Way Back and Zach Gilford was, of course, on Friday Night Lights. These two alone have my support where I might check it out.

Hit-or-Miss Sitcoms

The Grinder

Angel From Hell

Grandfathered

We have three sitcoms with three very famous TV stars. But honestly, do either of these really look all that great. I was interested in The Grinder after I heard the premise but the trailer for it just made it look not that funny. I do appreciate that Fred Savage is in the show and Rob Lowe was one of my favorite parts of Parks & Recreation. The funniest trailer out of all the shows is Angel From Hell and that’s because Jane Lynch is absolutely terrific in everything she does. I definitely chuckled towards the end of the trailer. The worst of the bunch has to be Grandfathered which I will probably never watch an episode of and will probably only be on for a season. Hey, John Stamos needs to head back over to the Tanner house anyways! Have Mercy!

Worst Show for Fall 2015

People Are Talking

Zack Morris! You used to be my hero! I’m throwing it down right now, this show will be cancelled after the third episode. The trailer is crazy painful to watch and I couldn’t crack a smile if I tried. This concept has been done numerous times in a much more clever way. Yes, People are Talking…about how much your show is going to suck!

These are the new inductees of the class of Fall 2015, network television division. I’d say there is a lot more potential this year, compared to last year where I couldn’t find anything really all that great. Hoping some of these shows will stick around for awhile and provide quality television, instead of being embarrassed by cable television…again. Let me know if you’ve seen any other shows coming in the Fall that could be good, or your own opinions about the shows I’ve listed above. Especially let me know if you laughed at all during that terrible Zack Morris show so I can judge you mercilessly. I’ll be posting more often now that school is out for the Summer.

I’m just gonna leave this here for you guys:

-Ricky

What 2 Binge-Watch!

Hey guys! The semester is winding down and my pile of homework is slowly diminishing. That means one thing; countless hours of mindless television watching. Oh 2015, how much I love thee and all the access you have given me to all these television programs. It really is quite overwhelming when we are picking out shows to binge-watch. Whenever you find a show you might be interested there are always five other ones that you find right after. Then there are new shows being added every week. TOO MANY OPTIONS! I’m currently rewatching Lost for the first time since it ended, as well as, bouncing between Bob’s Burgers and Bloodline. All of these picks I highly recommend (especially Lost). What I’d like to do here is give some possible options on what to binge-watch over the Summer. After you spend your day out by the pool or playing a highly competitive game of disc golf, you can come in and turn on some outstanding television programming while settling in for the night. That is, the nights when Big Brother isn’t on (don’t get me started!). Hopefully I can give you guys some awesome picks to watch this Summer!

Looking for a Good Laugh:

You’ve worked hard, it’s hot outside, sometimes you just want to chill out, not think, and watch a good comedy. These two are the only comedies on the air right now that I consistently am laughing at. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix) surprised me with its outstanding first season that was released on Netflix this past March. With one of the best theme songs of all time, countless 90’s references, and out-of-this-world characters, Kimmy Schmidt will be a quick binge-watch of 13 episodes that you guys will enjoy every minute of. The Mindy Project (Hulu Plus) has just wrapped up its third season and needs all the support it can get. Mindy Kaling has impressed us for years on The Office (alongside Kimmy Schmidt’s Ellie Kemper), but really came forward with this comedy and her performance as Mindy Lahiri. The first season was not the strongest but it has really found its groove and is the best comedy on actual television right now. I do advise that binge-watching comedies can be tricky and you really need to pace yourself so the jokes can still feel fresh and funny.

Procedurals:

Nothing beats a good summer binge than some USA procedurals. Psych and Royal Pains are two of the best ones. These shows are always good for a nice, quick watch when you are getting ready in the morning or eating lunch. The Good Wife was a show I binge-watched during the holiday season and it was AWESOME! It is more character-driven than procedural, especially in the later seasons, and the cases are all very intriguing for the most part. Season five is probably their best season yet. I’d advise checking any of these out if you’re looking for a day inside and want some good procedurals to watch. Beware though, The Good Wife could bring you in to watching more than you had originally planned. SO GOOD!

For the Sci-Fi Geeks:

I’ve been judged mercilessly for this, but I’m addicted to Orphan Black! It’s not as geeky as the premise leads you to believe. Tatiana Maslany is a crazy talented actress and her ability to play all these different characters is the best I’ve seen since Norbit (joking). I watched all 20 episodes in the course of 3 weeks and was brought into this crazy world and enjoyed myself the entire time.

Reality Show Fix:

As previously stated, I will be spending my entire summer watching episodes of Big Brother! Every summer I find myself getting absorbed by all these crazy houseguests and stalking them on the live feeds. When I’m not watching Big Brother you could possibly see me watching Property Brothers, every episode is pretty much the exact same thing but I am a sucker for a good HGTV show and this one is the best.

Best TV Binges: 

These are the best of the best of television binges. I watched Friday Night Lights last summer and discovered one of the best shows of all time! It’s definitely the best show to watch in the summertime besides Big Brother. Breaking Bad, I mean C’MON! It’s not just the best binge but the best show around! Not a bad episode in the bunch! I never binge-watched Parenthood but I’ve been told it’s a great binge. I watched the show when it aired and loved it! Best representation of a family on television.

These are my recommendations for binge-watching this summer! A few honorable mentions could be The Walking Dead, Friends, The Office, Parks & Rec, and Sherlock. Let me know your recommendations for great binge-watching material that I could check out in the comments below. I’m planning to binge on Last Man on Earth, Hannibal, Mad Men, and The Sopranos.

Adios

-Ricky

2015 Summer Movie Preview

Wat up guys? It’s been a pretty tense week with the school year winding down while the pile of work stacks up. It’s getting better though with one of the most wonderful times of the year coming up. Yes folks, Summer Movie Season is upon us! Can you hear the loud, expensive explosions ringing in your ears? Soon I will be escaping from the hot, humid weather and into a nice, dark movie theater checking out what all this Summer has to offer me in film entertainment. This year we have a bunch of sequels/reboots as per usual, along with a few possible little gems along the way. I decided to put together a list of a few of my most anticipated movies of the Summer, along with a few movies that have left me skeptical on whether they will be good or not. Lets get this 2015 Summer Movie season started!

Most Anticipated

10. Tomorrowland

As I’ve previously stated, I’m a huge Disney fan! So obviously this one would make my list, along with another Disney movie that you’ll spot later on. I’ve been a little on-again-off-again with Tomorrowland. At first I was really excited, thinking it was going to be directly related to Disney World’s Tomorrowland. But then I saw the trailer and was skeptical that it was going to be another expensive, CG-fest (a la Oz: The Great and Powerful, Maleficent, and Alice in Wonderland) that would ultimately leave me disappointed in the end. But then I’ve seen the latest trailer and it definitely looks like a CG-fest, but it also looks like a fun, creative family film. Like a nice blend of Zathura and Meet the Robinsons, which are two completely underrated family flicks. I’ll definitely be checking this one out as it leaves me very curious on what the outcome of this film is going to be like.

9. Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation

Ethan Hunt is back! I’m a sucker for these Mission: Impossible movies, or any secret agent/spy flicks. I loved Kingsman from earlier this year and am also excited for The Man From U.N.C.L.E which will pop up on this list. Tom Cruise was a part of one of my favorite action films of 2014 with Edge of Tomorrow and I also liked Ghost Protocol (the previous Mission film). So I’m excited to see what he churns out this time around, which I’m sure will be nothing less of completely awesome.

8. Dope

This film looks like its title, Dope! Sorry, I had to say it. Along with a few enjoyable blockbusters, the summer also provides a couple stand-out indie flicks. The Way, Way Back from 2013 and Boyhood from 2014. Dope has the potential to be this year’s enjoyable Summer Indie. I’m also a big fan of 90’s hip hop (shut up, I AM!) and believe this soundtrack will be totally DOPE!

7. Trainwreck

Each summer also has a few comedy gems like Wedding Crashers, The Hangover, Neighbors, etc. I believe this will be the big summer comedy everyone will be remembering as THE summer comedy. Amy Schumer also happens to have written the screenplay for this, along with starring in it. Her show is absolutely hilarious and I just know she will put her specific humor to good use in this and put her on the map! It also has Bill Hader in it who was fantastic in last year’s indie The Skeleton Twins and then, of course, SNL.

6. The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

This is the other spy movie that I’m excited to check out. I believe this has the potential to be the little action hit of the summer. Or it might not be, I’ve been wrong before (R.I.P.D). I just found out this was based on a television show from the 1960s and now I kind of get a little more serious version of Get Smart vibe from it. The cast is top notch, the trailer looks awesome, and I’m pretty excited. Every August there is at least one hit that comes out of it (The Bourne Ultimatum, Guardians of the Galaxy, We’re the Millers, The Expendables, etc.), and this one might be it.

5. Jurassic World

Yeah, this movie looks a mess. I’m a big fan of the Jurassic Park movies. I liked Chris Pratt in Parks & Rec and Guardians of the Galaxy. But this reboot/sequel just seems very boring and not fun like the previous films (okay maybe just the first one). Chris Pratt can communicate with the dinosaurs now? What’s next, Melissa McCarthy is going to provide the voice to the velociraptor? That said, I will be seeing this movie either way. Out of the two big-budget reboots this summer (This and Terminator), I really enjoy the Jurassic Park movies. Even if this movie sucks, I still get to watch dinosaurs attack people for 2 hours.

4. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

This is another summer indie jam that I’m sure will be fantastic. I’m getting a Perks of Being a Wallflower/The Spectacular Now feel from this rather than a Fault in Our Stars vibe, which is a good thing! I haven’t read the book, but the reviews say this is great so that gets me pretty excited. I also enjoy the fact that what these kids do in their spare time is make low-budget films, very noice!

3. Avengers: Age of Ultron

Another Summer, another slew of Marvel flicks. Last year provided two of my favorite Marvel flicks yet with The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy. I’m of course, like every other human in this world, am excited to check this one out, but am a little skeptical about the new Ant-Man and Fantastic Four reboot. I’m in the minority when I say that I wasn’t as crazy as everyone else was about the first Avengers flick, but still thought it was enjoyable nonetheless. Either way this is the perfect movie to kick off the summer movie season and I hope to check it out this weekend!

2. Inside Out

The other Disney film that I will be checking out this Summer that I’m excited for. Pixar has definitely gone through a bit of a slump the past few years and I have to admit that I haven’t even seen Brave yet out of the fact I had no interest in it. Monsters University was pretty good but nowhere near the usual Pixar product, and Cars 2 was meh. But Inside Out looks like a return to form for Pixar and I’m excited to see how this one turns out. The voice cast is also pretty awesome with Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, Bill Hader, and Phyllis from The Office (not a Lewis Black fan). I’ll be enjoying my first dose of Pixar gold this year with Inside Out in June and The Good Dinosaur being released later this year.

1. Mad Max: Fury Road

This is the winner of Ricky’s most anticipated summer movie of 2015. The prize is not much, but my deep gratitude for providing a truly awesome, and terrifying, trailer. I hate to admit that I’ve never seen a Mad Max movie and I know I probably look like a fool for wanting to see this without seeing the previous films but I don’t care! This looks awesome! The whole design, the shots, the score, the characters. I’m praying for May 15th to get here soon so I can finally check out this movie that blew me away when I saw the trailer back in December. I’ve attached a trailer for you guys to watch!

https://youtu.be/YWNWi-ZWL3c

Movies with Questionable Morals

These are the movies that I’m skeptical about and will be waiting to see the reviews before going to check it out.

The Other Superhero Flicks

The trailers have improved for Ant-Man so I haven’t counted this one out yet. I’m sure I’ll be checking both of these out either way, but they aren’t anything that I’m clamoring to see. Fantastic Four is a reboot taking place 8 years after the last one, and it looks like the high school years of the four superheroes. I didn’t mind the original but I haven’t seen it recently and wasn’t really looking for another one. Stop trying to make Fantastic Four happen Hollywood, it’s not going to happen! Ant-Man seems to have found it’s humor after the first lackluster trailer. The cast is pretty great and I’m sure Paul Rudd will be much better than Seth Rogen as a superhero type. I’m rooting for Ant-Man to be good, but I’m very worried about Fantastic Four.

AHHH…MORE HORROR SEQUELS!

I’m a sucker for a good scare. I go on haunted trails every Halloween, I enjoy the regular ghost hunting excursion, and I enjoy a good horror/ghost hunting movie and show. I believe I’ve already seen the top horror flick of the year with It Follows but I can see myself still checking out these three above. Insidious and Sinister’s predecessors definitely either creeped me out or gave me a good scream. I wasn’t necessarily clamoring for a sequel with Sinister and thought it was fine the way it ended. Insidious is one of those movies that I feel is creatively well done, but also includes those jump scares with the loud music and scary image popping out at you. I definitely enjoyed both of the Insidious movies and think that out of all these horror flicks I can guarantee I’ll be seeing Insidious. Sinister 2 could certainly be scary as the concept still gives me the heebie jeebies, but a sequel feels unnecessary. I’d rather there be a Conjuring 2. The original Poltergeist was a film I believed to be untouchable, I guess not. It didn’t scare me though and the trailer to this one did, so there’s something in that. This pick will be decided solely on reviews if I decide to see it or not, or if it’s playing at the local drive-in.

Reboot It or Lost It

I know this is an odd pair-up but these are two reboots that I believe no one was necessarily asking for, similar to Fantastic Four and Poltergeist. The Terminator trailer just looks painfully bad, especially after the disaster that is Terminator: Salvation. Also, what is up with the spelling of Genesis? I can’t see a movie with that large of a large spelling error. I won’t! I WILL NOT! Okay, maybe, pending reviews, or if I’m at the drive-in, or if I have nothing better to do. Vacation has the possibility of being like a We’re the Millers-type hit. It’s rated-R which is a good sign that this could fall in the same vein as the original. I would have liked to see possibly Chevy Chase star in this as well to see if he still had it in him. Either way, I really enjoy the original, as well as, Christmas Vacation and will probably check this one out…at the drive-in. Hey, any excuse to go to the drive-in I’m on board with. It makes me feel like the good ol’ days where teens use to go to the drive-in after the sock hop!

There you have it! My most anticipated summer movie flicks. Box office wise, Avengers will obviously rule the Summer, but I can also see Inside Out, Minions, Jurassic World, and Tomorrowland doing pretty good as well. Let me know what movies you guys are stoked for in the comment section! Hope everyone has a great summer at the movies! You can catch me over at Bengie’s Drive-In!

Peace!

-Ricky