CliqueClack

Beyond the Wall: Season four’s big moments

The countdown to the fourth season premiere of Game of Thrones continues. We are now just two short excruciatingly long weeks away from “Two Swords.” Thus far in our weekly column Beyond the Wall, Clackers Bob and Ivey have reviewed some of the new actors joining the cast in year four, as well as taken a long look at how the fortunes of House Greyjoy might differ this season compared to the source material. This week, we are going to look ahead to some of the moments we are most looking forward to this season.

A Storm of Swords is a massive book; splitting the story over two seasons made a great deal of sense. Some argued — especially considering the Red Wedding — that the first season would be front-loaded with all of the good material. The upcoming fourth season will prove that theory wrong, and we’re going to preview that argument here.

As always, our regular SPOILER WARNING before you continue. Beyond the Wall is a column intended for those who have already read A Song of Ice and Fire, the novels by George R. R. Martin that Game of Thrones is based on. So if you don’t know why the Tower of Joy is a pipedream we’d love to see on screen (realizing we never will), then this post is not for you. Continue reading 'Beyond the Wall: Season four’s big moments' »

Dancing With the Stars surprises with a double elimination

It’s only the second week for the current season of Dancing With the Stars, and the surprise host Tom Bergeron hinted at last week turned out not to be a pleasant one. Perhaps the surprise could have been that no one was going home after the first week, but noooooo! The surprise was the season’s first (and only?) double elimination. We hadn’t planned on doing a full post again this week, but something this major shook us all up so we had to discuss.

CHUCK: So, a double elimination?!?! Wow, way to shake everyone up before their second dance of the season. I thought it was a particularly cruel way to kick things off.

KIM: I almost spit my drink out when they said there was going to be a double elimination. I thought for sure they were going to say everyone was safe this week. And the Switch-Up is happening in two weeks? This is going to be a cruel season for sure.

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Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery pairs WWE superstars for paranormal pandemonium

When I was given the opportunity to review Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery, I seized the opportunity. While I may not be a tried and true fan of the WWE®, I am a long-time Scooby-Doo aficionado. Out of all the incarnations of the popular cartoon series, my favorite was always The New Scooby-Doo Movies, which aired from 1973-74 and featured special celebrity guest stars in each hour-long episode. Real-life and fictional stars such as Don Knotts, Mama Cass Elliot, Dick Van Dyke, The Three Stooges, The Addams Family, Batman & Robin and the Harlem Globetrotters would aid the meddling mystery-solving gang of teenagers and their pal Scooby-Doo. This latest effort from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and WWE® Studios has a nostalgic feel to it that immediately put my heart in a sleeper hold that wouldn’t let go.

Seeing the animated wrestling superstars (and there are several appearing in this movie, including John Cena, Triple H, Sin Cara, Brodus Clay, AJ Lee, The Miz, Santino Marella and Kane) alongside the gang harkens back to the days of yesteryear, which I think is a win for both popular, long-running franchises. When I first heard about the concept I was a little skeptical, but the more I thought about it, it actually makes sense to combine the Scooby-Doo franchise with that of the wrestling one. Since children are still one of the biggest key audiences for both arenas, why not take two things children love and combine them into a permanent piece of pop culture history?

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Veep, Californication, Continuum and more come to home video

It’s time to get caught up on your cable TV shows before the new seasons premiere and we can help you out with the releases of HBO’s Veep and Showtime’s Californication coming to home video this week. Syfy’s second season of Continuum will also be hitting home video, along with Comedy Central’s Key & Peele. Kids of all ages can thrill to a new Scooby-Doo mash-up with the Scooby-Doo: Wrestlemania Mystery is released. New titles featuring The Avengers, The Chipmunks and the Monster High gang will also be available. Classic TV fans are getting a newly restored Blu-ray edition of Little House on the Prairie and a complete DVD box set of Here’s Lucy! These titles and many more will be available on March 25. Have a look at our handy shopper’s guide to see all of the week’s highlights, and make a purchase or get more information by clicking on the appropriate link. Any purchase made through our Amazon links will help support our efforts here at CliqueClack.

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The Wolf of Wall Street, Walking With Dinosaurs, Delivery Man, and more come to video

It’s a big video release week for theatrical films with the Oscar nominated The Wolf of Wall Street leading the pack (pun intended). Other major titles this week include Walking With Dinosaurs, Delivery Man, and Best Foreign Film winner The Great Beauty. Some other big titles getting an early digital release include The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, August: Osage County and Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (that’s a lot of titles with colons!). Classic movie lovers will enjoy new Blu-ray releases of The King of Comedy, Ms. 45, Persona and a collection of Humphrey Bogart’s best. These titles and more will be released on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital formats on March 25. You can see all of the week’s highlights in our handy shopper’s guide, and you can make a purchase or get more information by clicking on a link. Any purchase you make at Amazon.com through our links helps support our efforts here at CliqueClack.

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Devious Maids, Atlantis, Flashpoint and more come to DVD

It was not a very big release week for TV on DVD, but there were still a handful of notable titles. The first season of Lifetime’s hit Devious Maids makes its DVD debut just in time for you to catch up on the soon to premiere second season, the first season of BBC America’s recent Atlantis also makes its home video bow, and the final season of Canadian import Flashpoint comes to a close on DVD. Reality TV fans can spend 10 Days with Survivorman, and kids of all ages can enjoy two more seasons of the animated Beetlejuice series. These titles and more were released on March 18. Check our shopper’s guide for more highlights and click on a link to make a purchase or to get more information.

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Frozen, Saving Mr. Banks American Hustle and more on video

This week saw the release of several Oscar winners and contenders — and some that were undeservedly snubbed — with Frozen (Best Animated Film), Saving Mr. Banks (where was Emma Thompson’s nomination?), American Hustle (no wins?!) and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (Best Song nominee) coming to DVD and Blu-ray. It also seems that the WWE has been in the movie business as well with several releases coming this week featuring their wrestling superstars. Classic film lovers also got a treat with Blu-ray releases of The Black Stallion, The Hidden Fortress and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. These titles and more were released on March 18, and you can see all of the week’s highlights in our handy shopper’s guide. Just click on a link to make a purchase or to get more information about a title!

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Bad Words is cringe-worthy and funny … or maybe just cringe-worthy

Jason Bateman has been in a bit of a rut. A successful rut, but a rut nonetheless. Ever since he graduated from child star to adult actor in Arrested Development, Bateman has made a career from playing the flummoxed adult surrounded by a sea of over-grown children. The nadir of this particular characterization came with the very un-funny Identity Thief.

So it’s a bit refreshing to see Bateman finally step out of that box he’s gotten so comfortable in with his feature film directorial debut. Bad Words tells the story of Guy Trilby, an angry man who is hellbent on getting himself into a national spelling bee meant for kids under 13 years of age. And through a loophole in the rules, Guy has insinuated himself into the competition despite the protests of parents and organizers alike. Guy is also being accompanied by a reporter who wants to tell his story, but can’t seem to pry any information from him about why he needs to do this.

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The Grand Budapest Hotel is one grand movie

Until now, I have seen only two Wes Anderson movies – The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou – and neither of them made me even the least bit interested in seeing any of his other movies. But there was something in the previews and early reviews of The Grand Budapest Hotel that piqued my interest.

The story spans several time periods – the 30s, 60s and 80s – and is told in chapters, which is fitting because it’s actually a story told to an author who is then relating the story to us in his book. The Author (Tom Wilkinson) of the book recants his tale of meeting the owner of the hotel, and we flash back to 1960s, the land of Zubrowka, and the Author (now Jude Law) meeting the owner of the hotel, Mr. Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham), who offers to tell the Author (we never know his name) about how he came in possession of the hotel.

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Throwback Thursday: The Portrait provides a unique glimpse into family dynamics & love

I love it when I take a chance on a movie I’ve never heard of and it ends up being the perfect choice, as it directly pertains to my personal thoughts and emotions I’m trying to sort out. This week I took a look at The Portrait, a 1993 made-for-TV movie now on DVD thanks to the continuing efforts of the Warner Archive Collection, and I’m glad I did. Starring two legends of the Golden Age of Hollywood – Gregory Peck and Lauren Bacall – and Gregory’s daughter Cecilia, The Portrait is about the ongoing struggling relationship between Peck, Bacall and their only daughter that resurfaces when she returns home to paint their portrait only to discover they are in the process of moving. It seems they sold the family home without telling her.

Mags Church (Cecilia Peck) is an artist who lacks confidence in her artistic abilities. When she is given the chance to exhibit some of her artwork in a small gallery with an excellent reputation, she decides to go back to her childhood home to recharge her creative batteries after a break-up and to finish a portrait of her parents (Fanny and Gardner) she had begun long ago and never finished. However, we quickly discover that the portrait is not the only thing left unresolved in the Church household. There are many complex emotions and miscommunications lurking just beneath the surface of this seemingly happy little trio.

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