Disney buys out LucasFilm LTD; George Lucas proves he somehow still had integrity left to sell

If anyone knows me, they might know that I've become a little tired with the Star Wars saga's place in pop-culture as of now. And while I was really apathetic about the prequels, the way that the franchise has been handled during the CLONE WARS carton era has been terrible. The marketing and merchandising side of things has gone out of their way to mash up Star Wars with everything from Angry Birds to putting Chewie, Yoda and Boba Fett on just about every piece of merchandise possible for a quick buck. Darth Vader has into a rapping buffoon (remember when he was one of the most fearsome villains in movies?), and the original trilogy is being remade into something completely different thanks to CGI "enhancements." But that's a rant for another day.

Thanks to Business Wire, it seems that George Lucas has decided that his precious Star Wars is worth $4.05 B which what the Walt Disney Company will be paying for the rights to one of the biggest franchises in the world. There are lots of other of other details such as the stock options and what not, but the big shock here is that despite what we have all heard before, there will be a sequel trilogy starting with Episode 7 in 2015 at some point with Episodes 8 and 9 coming in later years.

This is very interesting in the sense that George Lucas has always had his fingers in the franchise for better and for worse. Despite what any press release says, I am curious to see exactly what his role will be in the direction of the franchise from this point forward. On a very good note, I wonder how or if we will be able to have access to the original trilogy without the Special Edition enhancements on Blu Ray now. This also means that between the acquisition of Marvel, Disney is poised to have some of the biggest properties in the world and properties in the world. For the grizzly details, please follow the links to Business Wire above for the full press release.

EDIT: We have a video from YouTube where Lucas discusses the future of the franchise.

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For Funsies: Joss Whedon on Romney

When it comes to politics, I'm the more political one of the duo here. I can't help it; I sort of majored in it. So, this time of year can be really fun for me. Now, we typically stray from leaning to the right or left on this site, but this little video by Joss Whedon was too much fun to pass up. 

While celebrities are endorsing the President or the Governor left and right in the final countdown to election Tuesday, Whedon is here to tell you why he endorses Romney...for the zombie apocalypse. 

Enjoy.



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Netflix Instant TV & Movie Picks - Vincent Price man-crush edition!

This week we'll finish up with another horror movie-related posts. I wanted to highlight some Vincent Price movies that are on Netflix. As a sort of preview for my wrap up of my 31 days of horror movies, I have to say that Price is probably the most pleasant surprise. I've always heard about his work and his clout as a genre actor but I'd never seen any of his movies! His moustache is impeccable and coincidentally all of his movies have some of the best posters I've seen in a while. I know there's more to this actor than just the movies I'll be highlighting but hopefully they will serve as a good starting point as well for you guys. Check them out after the break.

EVIL DEAD Red Band Trailer!

After many on again and off again news about an EVIL DEAD remake, producers Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi finally pushed the project through. Raimi has said that the similarities to the original will stop at a group of teenagers going to a cabin in the woods.

Just in time for Halloween, the blood and NSFW red band trailer has dropped. And it's pretty gory.

Check it out after the break.

IRON MAN 3 Trailer Drops!

Now we're onto round two. After THE AVENGERS blew up the box office this past summer, the Marvel Universe is in full swing to get the sequels out about the individual Avengers. First, they're starting with IRON MAN 3. It seems this third installment happens in the wake of the events of THE AVENGERS, and it has effected Tony Stark considerably. 

Here's the synopsis, which kind of puts me to sleep:

Marvel’s IRON MAN 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

But the trailer makes up for it.Check it out after the break.

The HOLY MOTORS trailer strangely sums up the movie well

HOLY MOTORS is one of those strange movies where the hype is well deserved. This movie premiered back in March at the Cannes festival, and I was lucky enough to see it during Fantastic Fest. While I haven't written a review for it, I will admit that this is becoming my favorite theatrically released movie of the year. It's beautiful and baffling all at the same time. It's a movie where you know the director knew exactly how to enact his vision on screen. In the trailers for movies that are as ambitious as this, the marketing is usually very misleading, but in this instance I'm surprised how good of a job it does at hinting at the larger themes of the movie while trying to be accessible. Check out the trailer below.

Netflix Instant: TV and Movie Picks

It's been a while. Between the craziness before and after Fantastic Fest, it's nice to settle back to some good ole Netflix. Some of my favorites appeared during my absence. Two of which I've seen this past year and one that I have loved since I was younger.