This can't be happening! (WTF? Friday...1/22/2016_

Set your clocks folks,

'cause June 9th, 2017 is when the world's gonna end.

It's "duck and cover" time...

...and why do I say this? Why that specific date?

'Cause that's the date when Universal Studios is releasing their reboot of The Mummy.

When I heard about Universal (re-)creating their "Monster Movie Universe", I was very excited. I grew up watching those classic films with Karloff, Lugosi and Chaney Jr., and considering the current Hollywood landscape I thought this was a brilliant move. I expected them to start with King Kong, but then realized they were planning their films chronologically - making this whole thing even cooler.

Then...crickets.

There was nothing on the radar. No schedule. No casting info. No details. Until now.

Now that Tom Cruise is involved.

I just...I...don't...WHAT?

A HUGE...HEAPING...PILE OF IT!!!

There's only one reason for this:

DUMBASSES!!!

Set your watches folks...

HOLY S#!TCAKES!

Well, this is news...

Universal Pictures (Studios?) is starting an ambitious project - 

they're creating an intertwined universe for their re-vamped monster films.

About. Damn. Time.

First up?

Due out April 22, 2016.

Monday Movie Roundup...1/27/2014

Just a quick rundown of numbers and some opinions to follow this week.

American Hustle, the closest we'll ever get to a Marvel/DC team-up, made another $7.1 million over the weekend.

This brings the worldwide total to $162.4 million, well over the $40 million budget.

The Hobbit: TDoS and The Hunger Games:CF rolled along,

earning roughly another $2.2 million and $1.6 million respectively.

The Legend of Hercules, however, is hurtin'.

It made $1.2 million over the weekend, bringing its worldwide total to just over $18.7 million.

The budget, however, was $70 million.

While I don't wish anyone connected to this film to fail, my hope is that Lionsgate gives up the rights to ol' Herc.

So we can get Thor vs. Hercules.

Anyways...

The Invisible Woman and 47 Ronin made $278,000 and $246,000 respectively this past weekend.

You read that right - Woman made more than Ronin.

The non-canon Fantastic Four film has made all of $602,000 to date.

Keanu's latest is up to $121.7 million.

And that's all I'm saying about that.

But the big head-scratcher for me?

I, Frankenstein.

I'm a huge fan of the Universal films. Classics all.

You could even say those films were the great-grandfather of the MMU.

No, listen...

Back in the 40's there were many films that had sequels, like The Thin Man...

...and Frankenstein and Dracula had their sequels too.

Then came this:

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man was the first sequel to Lon Chaney Jr's The Wolf Man,

but was also the fifth sequel to the Frankenstein franchise that started with Boris Karloff.

Thereby setting both monster franchises in the same universe!

Released in 1943, this predates the Bond franchise (which Kevin Feige has referred to as "inspirational") by 19 years.

So why is I, Frankenstein bugging me?

Because I just don't get the premise.

If someone came up with a story continuing the saga from Karloff's days, I'd get in line to see it.

Heck, if someone dropped the Monster into the Underworld films, I'd see it.

But watching the trailer, it looks like the Monster is some sort of deciding factor in an age-old battle between good and evil,

kicking ass while fighting fire-breathing fallen angels or something.

Uhh, yeah...I don't get it.

I'd like to think the initial pitch of this film sounded good, but got lost somewhere in the rewrites.

Financially, I, Frankenstein made just under $8.3 million for its opening weekend, which ain't bad.

But it has a long way to go to reach its $65 million budget.

Have a good day everybody!