Top 10 Adaptations to Movie I'd Like to See.

 10. The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia - There is a movie called this but it's based on a different version of the song recorded by Tanya Tucker which shares basically no plot points with the original. Would make for a very good film in my opinion.

 9. True Believer- The only Nicholas Sparks novel I have read, it has a ghost! Well sorta. Really only made the list cause I would rather see this than the other books we know will become films.

 8. River City Ransom- The nintendo game has become a cult classic and I would love to see it hit the big screen, as long as it's taken more seriously than double dragon. When researching for the list I read that there is a sequel set later this year for wii, and online pc game coming next year.

 7. Beach Road- I actually started highlighting in this book to try to write a screenplay on spec. I eventually realized I'd be wasting my time, however. The story is great and a neat twist at the end. In research I read that Stephen King thinks little of James Patterson, which I found interesting.

 6. The Land Before Time- Not real sure why I added this one, it's quite good already. I guess perhaps a Pixar reboot would just interest me greatly.

 5. Maniac Mansion- Complete with microwaveable hamster, bloody chainsaw in kitchen rack, pepsi-drinking and rock band  tentacles, as well as nurse Edna threatening to tie the boys to her bed! If you're not in the know on this NES game you are really missing out, basically guy's girlfriend is missing and he suspects the weirdos next door. This would in no way be like the television show.

 4. U.S.O.- Since the beginning of civilization there have been stories of "visitors" and so much research has been done trying to find life on other planets. This movie would change how we look at these "visitors". All along we've been looking up, when we should have been looking down... Unidentified Submerged Objects.

 3. The Taking- Not my favorite Koontz book but still amazing. This would be brilliant on screen, the luminescent silver rain and the end of days through Koontz's mind. It's a bit war of worlds meets the mist.

 2. Masters of the Universe- The original adaptation is probably my least favorite movie ever, taking He-Man out of Eternia is like taking Tolkien's characters out of middle-earth.. okay maybe not that bad. This could be a great epic if done properly, have the different groups of people at war (snakemen, fire people, strato's people and buzz-off's, think that was his name). I may be in the minority but I would include Orko, he's MoTU's Yoda or Gollum in my book. It could be fantastic!!

 1. Metal Gear Solid- How could you not want to see IGN's best playstation game of all-time take to the big screen? Sure it's hailed as a movie anyway sometimes... still want to see it. This game's rich characters would lend itself a wealth of possibilities. Revolver Ocelot, Vulcan Raven, the ninja and Psycho Mantis (winner of a guinness record for best use of a video game controller) make for some killer fights.

Well thanks for looking everyone, what would make your list? Please leave comments and you can follow @EmporiumofEnt on twitter and join our fb group- Emporium of Entertainment 

Thanks Again!

Entertainment News 6/24/11

Christopher Meloni is leaving Law & Order: SVU, which between that and Hargitay's reduced role or departure, probably spells doom for the beloved show. What might Meloni be doing instead? He is apparently in negotiations to join henry cavill, amy adams, kevin costner, dianne lane, russell crowe, and julia ormond on the set of Man of Steel. No word on what part he will play. Is Lex Luthor a possibility? I really don't think Luthor should be the main villain in this one though. Am I the only person who thinks that list of actors and actresses is way to talented to play in what you would think would be bit parts as clark's parents?

James Spader may replace Kathy Bates as CEO of Dunder Mifflin!!! Yeah, I really don't care either.

If rumors are true Leonardo DiCaprio will star opposite Jamie Foxx in a 2012 Quentin Tarantino release, Django Unchained. The story follows Django (Foxx), a freed slave turned bounty hunter on an adventure to save his wife from the evil plantation owner, Calvin Candie (DiCaprio). If this is true, I can already predict oscar noms all around.

Dwayne "the rock" Johnson has signed on to the next fast and the furious film due out memorial day 2013.

Wow, speaking of the rock, can you smell what Jessica Alba is cooking in her new film? Well according to director Robert Rodriguez, yes you can. Rodriguez's latest Spy Kids movie ticket will come with a card, not unlike perfume samples, which contains many scratch and sniff scents with a color code which will flash on screen. That's right... smellovision. Actually I think its being called 4D aromascope but the rest is totally true. Sidenote, is smell really a dimension? Just so u know you'll get this fantastic innovation without paying extra!! Perhaps they want everyone to talk about how stupid this is instead of how bad the film is.

A theater in stamford, connecticut had to place a disclaimer on their door to keep angry patrons from demanding a refund after seeing Brad Pitt's Tree of Life, apparently nearly everyone who saw it the week prior called it boring. I'm intrigued as imdb has a strong 8.0 rating and I've heard its very good, but I did also hear its first screening at Cannes was booed heavily.. must be a very polarizing film.

First Jaden in Karate Kid, now Willow in Annie. Jay Z and Will Smith are reportedly in talks with actress and oscar winning screenwriter Emma Thompson to re-adapt Annie for the screen. At first I scoffed but after reading more, we'll see.

Well that's all for now,  please leave any comments or email them to emporiumofentertainment@gmail.com. You can reach us on twitter @EmporiumofEnt

Top 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2011 by Jeff Hammer

This is somewhat of a companion to Dave's list, his looks toward the future a bit more and mine focuses on 2011. It should be noted that this list contains a few films that I haven't seen the trailers for, so some may wind up of little interest, but right now I'm looking forward to these:

 10. Yellowbrickroad June 1, 2011 (limited)

In 1940 an entire town walked up a winding mountain never to be heard of again. This chronicles a team attempting to solve the mystery of the missing townspeople.

 9. 30 Minutes or Less   August 12, 2011

Jesse Eisenburg is in it, thats enough for me. Dude's hilarious.

 8. Captain America   July 22, 2011

Entering the year I was much more excited about Green Lantern, I didn't see it yet but I have to think this will be better.

 7. The Change-Up   August 5, 2011

Sure, sure its been done before. I loved Reynolds in waiting.. and adventureland. Hoping for that once again.

 6. 11-11-11  November 10, 2011

You guessed it. At 11:11 on November 11th of this year, "something" comes out of Heaven's 11th gate and is unleashed on earth.

 5. Puss in Boots   November 4, 2011

Never a big Shrek fan but this movie is calling my name, no idea why.

 4. The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo   December 21, 2011

Don't really know what this film is but I know the foreign version was very hot on iu campus. Love the editing of the trailer.

 3. Take Shelter  October 14, 2011

Ohio man becomes fixated on the end of days due to apocalyptic visions, sound familiar? He struggles with himself about what action to take as he himself realizes he may be going crazy.

 2. The Rum Diary  October 28, 2011

This Depp film is a long-time coming, it was supposed to begin filming in 2004? Heard a rumor years ago that Russell Crowe said he would star in the picture for free if he were allowed. Just hoping for a blow-esque film.

 1. Super 8   June 10, 2011

This is already out but I had to add it, ever since I saw the teaser and directed by jj abrams I was hooked.

Well hope you liked the list. Please leave comments for us and share with your friends!! You know they like movies!! You can join our facebook group here:

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Going To The Movies? My Most Anticipated Films by Dave Klimek

Let me start off by saying that while I love movies, it takes something special for me to venture to the theater. Waiting 4 months for a DVD to come out is getting easier and easier when compared with the cost of a ticket and snacks, the crowds and noise at my local theater. That said, there are times when even I will pry open the wallet and venture out to the theater for an event. So when Avatar was released in 3D, I was there. When Clash of the Titans or No Strings Attached came out, I stayed away. That said, there are 10 movies coming out in the next 12-18 months that are on my radar and just may get me to venture on out once again.

10 Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter: I’ll admit, I didn’t read the book. However hearing that there may be “good” vampires makes me nostalgic for Angel (sorry Twilight fans). The combination of mixing accurate historical facts (I assume minus the Vampires) into the story also appeals to my fascination with history. Let’s hope the decision to make it in 3D doesn’t blind the crew and take away from story itself.

9 James Bond 23: So, in the midst of their financial woes, MGM has figured a way to release another James Bond movie? As long as the plot isn’t Bond navigating the complex partnerships it is going to take to release this film, it should be a great move. Daniel Craig is back as 007 and has added some new life into the franchise. Personally, I went through a period of time where I had no interest in James Bond (Pierce Bronson, Timothy Dalton, and even an aging Sean Connery in Never Say Never Again) just didn’t capture the magic of Sean Connery in Dr. No or even Roger Moore’s spin on the character in movies like Live and Let Die. Craig revitalized that interest for me and in my opinion is neck and neck with early Sean Connery as the quintessential Bond.

8 Red State: I admit that I am a sucker for Kevin Smith movies and his focus on dialogue. I realized Smith was different for me early on in Clerks as Dante and Randall discussed whether or not the independent contractors working on the uncompleted Death Star from Star Wars were innocent victims when it was destroyed by the Rebels. I became hooked as he gave his take on religion (Dogma), Lesbianism (Chasing Amy) and even shopping malls (Mallrats). OK that wasn’t really about shopping. I even stayed loyal through Zack and Mirni. That said, while I don’t know much about Red State other than it will be (another) one of Smith’s views on fundamentalist religion, he already had me at Death Star.

7 Odd Thomas / The Dark Tower: I list these 2 movies with trepidation since the majority of Steven King/Dean Koontz books made into movies ultimately fail (The Stand/Carrie excluded). However as a devoted reader of both authors, I have to hope that this will be the one(s) to break through. I list them both to increase my odds!

6 OZ - Great and Powerful: A 2012 release that will provide the origin story of the Wizard. I love origin stories and Wizard of Oz still ranks in my top movies of all time, yet I have been largely unsatisfied with any other forays back into the this world. The books Wicked & Son of a Witch? Couldn’t follow for long. The Wiz? Nope. Muppet Wizard of Oz?. Nada. Return to Oz? Seriously? Tin Man was enjoyable but very loosely based on the movie. That said, this movie starring James Franco promises to fulfill my yearning for another adventure in the land of OZ.

5 The Hobbit (Unexpected Journey & There and Back again). Yes, I’ve lumped another two movies together. It seems the trend these days is to make multiple movies out of a single book. However, with the Hobbit, its’ been a long time coming. With Peter Jackson, Orlando Bloom and Ian Mckellan involved, I have high expectations. We know that Bilbo, Gandalf, Elrond and Legolas will survive but we also knew that Anakin would fall to the Dark Side and become Darth Vader, so I am not overly concerned. However, I am not sold that Bilbo will be as relatable as Frodo as a main protagonist, but I will have to trust in Jackson and the source material.

4 Despicable Me 2: As a father to 3 young children who are addicted to Despicable Me, I have a personal longing for this movie if for no other reason that I will not have to watch the original for the 317th straight time.

3 The Avengers: My only question is how so many superheroes will get enough screen time within a 2 hour movie. Ensemble casts work well when there are not too many big name actors (compare Lord of the Rings with Expendables). How will it work with both the actors and their characters having super egos? While that remains to be seen (literally), I am too intrigued by the characters to not go see it. And while I will hope for a civil war type plot from the comics, I will be satisfied just getting these “super” personalities all on screen together….that is until Justice League of America gets announced.

2 The Hunger Games. I am in the middle of reading this trilogy and it already has become an addictive read for me. For someone who couldn’t get through the Twilight books (OK I did but it was painful), I have been searching for another series that would capture my attention like Harry Potter did. The first book (and this movie) will focus on post apocalyptic world where kids have to fight for the death every year as punishment for a failed revolt against the government. The casting seems spot on and the story is a winner.

1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II: For loyal viewers and readers like myself who have followed both the characters and the actors as they grew up over the course of the story, this feels like I am saying goodbye to a good friend. For those that read the book and seen the trailers, this promises to be a yet again darker chapter in the overall story arc and the culmination of Good versus Evil in the wizarding world of Harry Potter.

What will it take to get you out to the movies?

Help find missing Indiana University student Lauren Spierer

Please family, friends, strangers please send this to everyone you know!! Lauren will have been missing for about 2½ weeks, we need to find her!

If you are unfamiliar with the story, Lauren was at Kilroy's sports bar, she left with a friend, Corey Rossman, she forgot her cell phone and shoes at the bar. They went to her apartment building where Rossman was involved in an altercation with two men believed to be friends of Lauren's boyfriend, Jesse Wolff, alledgedly Rossman was punched in the face. Lauren is said to not be involved in the incident. Presumably this altercation caused Lauren to leave still without shoes. Lauren walked with Rossman to his apartment several blocks away where one of his friends, Michael Beth, helped Lauren put Rossman to bed. Rossman claims to not remember anything after the punch til the next morning. After leaving Rossman's apartment Lauren went to Jay Rosenbaum's apartment in the same building. According to Rosenbaum, Lauren used his phone to call a mutual friend of theirs, David Rohn, at 4:15 am June 3 to see if he knew where her phone was, David says he was asleep so didn't answer. Rosenbaum says he tried to get Lauren to stay, but she decided to leave. Rosenbaum claims to have watched Lauren turn the corner of 11th and College a few blocks from her apartment at around 4:30 am and she hasn't been seen since. Security tape shows she never returned to her building. Please remember there are currently no suspects, only persons of interest.... Lauren needs you to let police know any little detail.

That's pretty much the story but there has been a vehicle of interest emerge, which was seen circling just a block from where Lauren was last seen. I will have a new blog on that later.

Here are some links of interest:

Donations and Volunteer info

 http://www.iuhillel.org/  

http://www.findlauren.com/ 

Facebook

 http://m.facebook.com/Lauren.Spierer.Family.Updates?_rdr#!/a/profile.php?fan&id=225047564191647&gfid=AQDrW5zQMHL3BTOn&refid=0 

Email if you have information

helpfindlauren@gmail.com

Bloomington Police

812-339-4477

Follow Lauren on twitter @NewsOnLaurenS

 Post Disappearance Timeline 

 If you would like to help with your blog or otherwise 

 Become a Search Organizer- Needed Desperately 

Movie Review- True Grit by Jeff Hammer

In True Grit Jeff Bridges has big boots to fill, Matt Damon... well, does not. The Coen brothers remake is a chopped down rendition of the original, which in my opinion would have done well to at least leave the scene of Mattie and her father before his leaving for the city with Tom Chaney in the film. I had my doubts from the very beginning when I felt the film was a bit too silly, "if you would like to sleep in a coffin, it would be alright". As the film went on, I gathered that witticism was sorta the point and somewhere near the middle I started to enjoy the Gilmore Girl with gun banter. As I said Bridges had some big boots to fill and I feel he did a superb job, even better than the Duke's Rooster. I just believed this Rooster more, in terms of being a whino and being the meanest marshal with true grit and all. Laboeuf should have been played by.. I don't know, anyone but Matt Damon, as he seemed at times to be stuck between shakespearean stage play and wild west texas ranger. He was enjoyable tho, probably because he was getting assaulted verbally or physically the entire movie. Hailee Steinfeld was also better than the original Mattie Ross, if only a borderline oscar nom. performance. Characters are strong and believable for the most part. Direction is a bit confusing to me, as it was in the Coens' film No Country for Old Men, this wasn't quite as bothersome this go 'round, I just feel when we've been pursuing something it should be the climax of the film instead of stumbling into a climax caused by nature. Also a bit curious about the end monologue when Mattie says a quarter of a century has passed but then says Labeouf is probably close to 80.... really? Matt Damon was supposed to be 50-55 years old in this movie?? But that's a minor detail. Overall I liked all but the end and it was over quick enough not to totally blow the whole movie for me.

Hammer's Rating: ***½ of 5 stars

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