Author: Mary Anne Butler

Are you ready to return to the world of Panem? Susan Collins’ landmark YA “The Hunger Games” series was a hit, both in book and film form. So, it shouldn’t be surprising a revisit to such a world would happen. Collins’ 4th book set in the dystopian world, “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” was released in 2020. A scant three years later, we’re getting a big studio adaptation. Like it’s source material, this film will tell the story of young Coriolanus Snow (later President Snow, who matches wills with Katniss Everdeen). It’s early in the days of The Capitol.…

This just in-it would appear CBS has uncanceled “S.W.A.T.,” after series star Shemar Moore spent most of the weekend urging them to reconsider. The show is getting a 7th season, which will be it’s final season. “We have listened to our viewers and their outpouring of passion for S.W.A.T. and we have reached an agreement to renew it for a final season of 13 episodes to air during the 2023-2024 broadcast year,” President, CBS Entertainment, and Katherine Pope, President, Sony Pictures Television Studios, Amy Reisenbach said in a joint statement. “S.W.A.T. has aired for six seasons on CBS and garnered a devoted following.…

Hey, it happens- a book series gets optioned for a film, and fans wait with bated breath to see how accurate the resulting movie is. As we learned with the first “Meg” film starring Jason Statham, the results were…disappointing. Warner Bros. Pictures *did* deliver exactly what the early trailers promised- a giant CGI megalodon wrecking havoc, matching wits with Satham’s Jonas. But any/all similarities to Steve Alten’s books kinda stopped there. We had hoped “Meg 2: The Trench” might correct that trajectory, but the first trailer says that isn’t happening. Wu Jing joins Statham this time around, as well as…

We’re as surprised as anyone Disney+’s “The Santa Clauses” ended up being a semi hit. The House of Mouse gambled big on the return of controversial star Tim Allen to the modern holiday classic. A second season of the show was ordered last year, and more news about whats to come has been slowly trickling out. Like Tracy Morgan joining the cast as another important holiday figure- the Easter Bunny! We’re not sure exactly how big or small Morgan’s role will be at this point. We will again see Elizabeth Mitchell as Mrs. Claus/Carol, Elizabeth Allen-Dick as Sandra Calvin Claus,…

“Schoolhouse Rock” is one of those generational staples that doesn’t really translate well to modern audiences. Kids these days will never understand the impact and importance of some of these songs. How such hits as “I’m Only A Bill” and “Three’s a Magic Number” helped teach numerous young persons the world over about subjects they may have otherwise ignored. (Hell, one of my US History teachers in High School had the class watch “The Preamble” every single day for two weeks in order to ace our state-required test to accurately recite the opening of the Constitution. Which, honestly says more…

We’re still not sure how we feel about a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos movie, but here we are. The Searchlight Pictures film actually had pretty positive reviews from early festival audiences. This is the story of Richard Montañez, a real life Frito-Lay janitor who invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Montañez (Jesse Garcia) must convince PepsiCo CEO Roger Enrico (Tony Shalhoub) why his invention, his take on the iconic orange crunchy snack staple, was worth investing in. Eva Longoria not only produces, but directs, from a script by Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette Chávez.The film also stars Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, Emilio Rivera,…

Who DOESN’T love being a turtle? Someone. Probably. But they don’t know how to have fun! Imagine being able to not only take your favorite beanbag chair with you, but it doubles as a cosplay accessory! Think of the Squirtle possibilities. Or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!You can find several listings on the usual commerce sites for various sizes of the wearable turtle shell. Available options range from children’s sizes to 40-inch adult ones! Some reviews say this particular one doesn’t have enough stuffing, but that’s easily fixed with an extra bag or box of Poly-fil. You can pick up…

Hollywood has effectively been shut down by the current WGA strike. Picket lines have been maintained daily, in front of the main studios in town. Those with signs are both Writers Guild members and supporters. Each location has seen their share of celebrities- JJ Abrams took part in the Paramount picket earlier this week, just as an example. The average television and film consumer started to feel the effects, with the majority of late night television (including “Saturday Night Live”) going dark. Several high-profile productions have either shuttered early, or paused production due to the strike. One such project is…

Okay, yes, “Gran Turismo” the movie is pretty much “The Last Starfighter” but for racing. Based on the wildly popular video game franchise, Neill Blomkamp’s adaptation takes its cues from the story of Jann Mardenborough. In 2011, Mardenborough won the GT Academy championship, a race which allowed skilled video game players the chance to drive actual race cars. From this win, he was able to make the transition from gamer to racer, competing in Le Mans, the Toyota Racing Series, and European Formula Three championships. David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Archie Madekwe, Darren Barnet, Geri Halliwell Horner (that’s Ginger Spice for…

“One Piece” creator Eiichiro Oda has offered a personal update to fans on the progress of Netflix’s live-action adaptation. While the series was originally planned for a 2023 release, that may not happen. But don’t worry, it’s because, as Oda assures, Netflix will not release it until he is satisfied. Season 1 of “One Piece” will consist of eight episodes, which Oda says are being finished now. We’ll let you know what we hear about this and other news.