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Showing posts from June, 2018

Photo Of The Day - Laughing it up on the set of Return of the Jedi

Hey!  it's normally Chewie who doesn't get the joke.  Laughing it up on the set of Return of the Jedi.

20 Random Fun Facts On Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg is a household name worldwide, but here are some facts you may not know about the man himself. While filming Close Encounters, Spielberg had been receiving reports of a guy who was running around L.A. pretending to be him. The imposter had been getting people to pay for his dinners, and had been giving Steven a generally bad name. Steven was upset, so he took an ad in The Hollywood Reporter: “To the gullible and defenceless: The man walking the streets of Los Angeles is not Steven Spielberg. Steven Spielberg is in Alabama, making Close Encounters of the Third Kind. At least do not allow this sad fraud to make you pay for dinner. This year, Steven Spielberg can afford a meal.”   When Spielberg first showed John Williams a cut of Schindler’s List, Williams was so moved he had to take a walk outside for several minutes so he could collect himself. When he returned, he told Spielberg he deserved a better composer. Spielberg’s reply? “I know, but they are all de

Movie Review: "Ant-Man and The Wasp" Is Marvel at its Lightest and Most Fun

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP Starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Pena, Hannah John-Kamen, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfieffer Directed by Peyton Reed Reviewed by Paul Gibbs   Out of Four To say Marvel has had a great year so far would be an absurd understatement. After all, in 20 years only two other films managed to out gross Titanic at the U.S. box office, and Marvel has already done it twice this year. The first of these blockbusters, Black Panther, was a masterpiece. The second, Avengers: Infinity War was an incredibly entertaining event movie that still felt more like a season ending cliffhanger with an unsatisfying ending to me (sorry, I didn't cry at the "deaths" of characters who already have their next sequels scheduled for release. And I've been known to cry at 33 year old Golden Girls reruns.) Marvel's third 2018 venture, Ant-Man and The Wasp, isn't going to come close to matching the grosses of the first two. An

Photo of the Day - The Power of the Force. Retro?

Is it Retro? If you follow me on this site or Facebook then you will know I'm a big fan of retro toys especially vintage Star Wars.  I've always considered the original figures from 77 to 84 being classed as vintage.  But having just come back from London Film & Comic Con I see a number of stalls now classing the 1997 range, The Power of the Force as being retro.  It made me feel old but I guess its 20 years old so what do you think?  Should we class this range of Star Wars toys as retro? Anyway, today's photo of the day is an advert for The Power of The Force advertising the fact it was 20 years since Star Wars came out.  Think of that?  20 years ago they were advertising that. Rob "Feeling old" Wainfur @thebeardedtrio The Bearded Trio - The Site For Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, John Williams and a whole lot more. THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+ THE BEARDED TRIO ON PINTEREST CLI

Movie Review: "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" Is The Best Superhero Film of the Year

WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? Starring Fred Rogers, Francois Clements, Betty Aberlin,  Joanne Rogers and Yo Yo Ma Directed by Morgan Neville Out of Four Reviewed by Paul & Patrick Gibbs If you grew up in or near our generation, there's a good chance that Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was an important part of your childhood. It certainly was for us. And while Fred Roger's sweet and kind persona seemed in his later years to be most often referenced in pop culture through roasting, there has been a resurgence of love for the venerable host. And it's much more than just the nostalgia boom of anything '80s or '90s kids loved as children: there's a recognition that Rogers is the perfect personification of everything our current troubled society is missing. He's not the hero we deserve (we don't come close to deserving him,) but the one we need right now. And Morgan Neville's documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor? is a spellbinding

Movie Review: Spectacular, Suspenseful "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" Is A Forced Hybrid Of Better Movies

Reviewed by Patrick & Paul Gibbs   Out of Four 2015's   Jurassic World is a movie that has very much fallen victim to the "if it's so good, how come everybody liked it?" mentality, starting out as a literal monster hit that breathed life back into the franchise (even if it was heavily based on nostalgia) that received better reviews than either of the previous sequels to Steven Spielberg's classic. But the haters quickly took control of the narrative, and there was a major backlash against director Colin Trevorrow as he was branded the personification of white male privilege in Hollywood (and he made one incredibly stupid statement which helped fuel that, but otherwise it's really not fair to aim so much of the brunt of the anger at this very legitimate problem at him, any more than it would be to single out Paul Feig or Gary Ross for being white men hired to direct all female cast reboots.)   Jurassic World,  which was unabashedly silly (not the si

VIDEO - Tales From The Future. The Making of Back to the Future

Making of Back to the Future Doc, Doc! Great Scott!  What else was I going to open with?  This is heavy perhaps?  Okay, that's enough of the Back to the Future puns.  You might have guessed that I'm a bit of fan of the time-travelling movie which was released in 1985 and thank goodness it's executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, it gives me an excuse to post about the classic movie.  Anyway, here's a 25 minute making of video which goes into quite some detail on how the movie came about, the casting process and how the movie became the cult classic we love today. The Bearded Trio - The Site For Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, John Williams and a whole lot more.

VIDEO - The Making of Jaws 2

Making Of Documentary Takes You Behind The Scenes Of Jaws 2 I like Jaws 2.  It's not as good as the first one, but then the 1975 Spielberg classic was as near to a perfect movie that you can get.  Jaws 2 had the unfortunate task of having to follow such a class act and of course it was going to be compared to Jaws.  As sequels go, it wasn't that bad, in fact it's an enjoyable movie with, once again an epic soundtrack by John Williams and the return of Chief Brody played by Roy Scheider. This is a making of documentary that featured on the DVD.  Its interesting to see how the sequel came about.  There's a particular sad story about Murray Hamilton who played the mayor in the first and second movies. Rob Wainfur The Bearded Trio - The Site For Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, John Williams and a whole lot more.

Movie Review: "Tag" Is Silly, Stupid and Very Fun

TAG  Starring Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, Annabelle Wallis, Hannibal Burress,  Isla Fisher,   Rashida Jones, Leslie Bibb, Jon Hamm and Jeremy Renner Based on the article "It Takes Planning, Caution to Avoid Being It" by Russell Adams Screenplay by Rob McKittrick and Mark Steilen Directed by Jeff Tomsic Reviewed by Patrick Gibbs   Out of Four Chances are that you've seen the trailers for Tag , and it requires little setup. But for those who haven't, the premise is this: at the age of nine, a group of tight-knit friends--Hoagie (Ed Helms), Jerry (Jeremy Renner), Bob (Jon Hamm), Chili (Jake Johnson) and Sable (Hannibal Burress)--created a game of tag that they played through the month of May. They have kept this game going into adulthood, and after thirty years, it was the thing that brought them together, even when their lives took them in different directions. But this year, the stakes are a higher: Jerry--who's never been tagged-- is retiring from the

RetroAhoy Takes A Detailed Look At Monkey Island

RetroAhoy Releases YouTube Video On Monkey Island If you're into video games and browse YouTube then you've probably heard of 'Ahoy' or 'RetroAhoy.'  When he brings out a video that inspects a particular game or game genre then you're in for a treat.  They are hugely detailed and nothing is left out in regards to the subject matter. Well count ourselves lucky as 'RetroAhoy' has released a video all about Monkey Island.  We get over an hour of what is one of the best looks into how this classic Lucasarts (Lucasfilm Games) title came about and raised the bar for point n' click adventure games.  Everything is covered from the history of the adventure game, the script, cast and what happened after it was released. This is a must watch.  Sit back and lets find out what the secret of Monkey Island is. The Bearded Trio - The Site For Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, John Williams and a whole lot more.

Movies: "The Incredibles 2" Is The Rare Sequel That Waits To Get It Right

THE INCREDIBLES 2 Starring the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell,  Huck Milner,   Bob Odenkirk,  Catherine Keener, Sophia Bush, Phil LaMarr, Isabbella Rossellini   and Samuel L. Jackson Written and Directed by Brad Bird Reviewed bt Patrick & Paul Gibbs   Out of Four In 2004, when The Incredibles was released, setting a new, bold standard for the superhero film, the world was a different place. Pixar had only made one sequel ( Toy Story 2 )and the superhero movie had yet to completely take over Hollywood, and The Incredibles was only the second film in the genre to feature Samuel L. Jackson. We were frankly terrified when The Incredibles 2 was announced. After slamming Disney for making Bambi II and getting on a high horse about a new standard of quality, John Lasseter was quick to turn Pixar into a sequel machine, and the likes of Cars 2 and Monsters University were cute and fun, but there is a lot of cute and fun animation out there. For us,

Man Sings A Cappella THX Logo Theme

THX's 'Deep Note' Created With Human Voice Yes, you read that right.  How can someone re-create the famous THX sound, 'Deep Note' just by using their voice?  Well this clever chap does just that using the good old trusty Capella style. Mach Kobayashi re-created the THX sound by recording his voice 30 times.  He said on his blog post ,  'I recorded me singing with each of those 30 tracks playing in my earbuds, pitch corrected the 4 notes in Final Cut Pro X, and edited the whole thing together.  Anyways, by the end of it, my throat was pretty sore but it was a fun experiment to recreate an iconic sound from my childhood.' The Bearded Trio - The Site For Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, John Williams and a whole lot more.

Movie Review: "Ocean's 8" Is A Fun Feminist Caper

OCEAN'S 8 Starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna and Helena Bonham-Carter Screenplay by Gary Ross & Olivia Milch Directed by Gary Ross Reviewed by Patrick & Paul Gibbs   Out of Four Let's get the bad out of the way first: Yes, Kim Kardashian West does make an appearance in this film. She has no lines, and is just seen walking across the red carpet into the Met, but it's still a cringe inducing sight for anyone with a weak stomach. Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven remake   is a pop culture classic that redefined cool in the early 2000's and solidified George Clooney's place as a superstar. Soderbergh and Clooney went on to collaborate on making other more artistically ambitious projects ( Solaris and  Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, etc . ) and when asked what would happen if these projects failed, Clooney responded with "Ocean's Twelve." Of course that&

Pre-order Solo: A Star Wars Story - The Official Collector's Edition!

Relive the excitement of Solo: A Star Wars Story with this lavishly illustrated movie companion, on sale July In Solo: A Star Wars Story, Han Solo’s early life is explored as he first encounters Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, and the Millennium Falcon. Featuring: Character profiles and interviews including Alden Ehrenreich (Han Solo), Donald Glover (Lando Calrissian), and the movie’s director Ron Howard. Introduces new characters including Moloch, Dryden Vos, Lady Proxima, and Enfys Nest. Spotlights the movie’s new worlds. HARDBACK EDITION, 96 PAGES, $19.99, ON SALE JULY 24 ISBN: 9781785863011 DON'T MISS OUT! PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY NOW! CLICK BELOW FOR THE RECOMMENDED BOOK RETAILERS: Amazon Barnes & Noble Books-A-Million Indigo - Canada ALSO AVAILABLE IN SOFTBACK EDITION! SOFTBACK EDITION 100 PAGES, $10.99 ON SALE JULY 3 The Bearded Trio - The Site For Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, John Williams and a whole lot more.

Coming Soon: Solo: A Star Wars Story Vynl

Vynl Solo: A Star Wars Story – Han Solo and Lando Calrissian The galaxy’s most famous smuggler and rebel pilot walk into an establishment for a friendly game of sabacc and arguably the most famous starship in any galaxy changes hands. And now you can bring both owners of the Millennium Falcon, not to mention the galaxy’s coolest frenemies, home for intergalactic hijinks and maybe even a rebellion or two against the Galactic Empire™. Coming in August! The Bearded Trio - The Site For Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, John Williams and a whole lot more.

“INCREDIBLES 2” ON PACE TO BECOME FANDANGO’S BIGGEST ANIMATED PRE-SELLER OF ALL TIME

“Incredibles 2” is out-pacing “Finding Dory,” Fandango’s current #1 animated pre-seller, at same point in the sales cycle, along with previous summer blockbusters “Wonder Woman,” “Spider-man Homecoming” and “Suicide Squad” Disney Pixar’s “Incredibles 2,” voted #1 most anticipated family movie of 2018 in a Fandango moviegoer survey, is now strutting its pre-sales super powers on Fandango. Busting into theaters on June 15, “Incredibles 2” is on pace to become Fandango’s biggest animated pre-seller of all time and one of the summer’s biggest hits. The film is out-pacing the current animated pre-sales record-holder on Fandango “Finding Dory,” at the same point in the sales cycle, along with other summer blockbusters from the past two years, including “Wonder Woman,” “Spider-man Homecoming,” and “Suicide Squad.” "Fans have been waiting over a decade to see the return of Pixar's most beloved heroic family, and those years of anticipation are leading to record-breaking advance t

VIDEO - Steven Spielberg On Storyboarding (1978)

Steven Spielberg was interviewed at the AFI (American Film Institute) in 1978 during a seminar with AFI Fellows. In this clip he talks about how he approaches storyboarding. Interestingly enough, the young man asking the question is Bob Mandel, who is now the Dean of the AFI Conservatory. The Bearded Trio - The Site For Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, John Williams and a whole lot more. THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+ THE BEARDED TRIO ON PINTEREST CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON STEVEN SPIELBERG CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON GEORGE LUCAS CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON JOHN WILLIAMS

My Thoughts On Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Current State Of Star Wars And The Fandom

A Personal Opinion On How I Feel About Star Wars S ome of our readers have asked me what my thoughts are on the current Solo movie, the current state of Star Wars and its fandom.  Well, here it is.  Some may not like it but this is just my opinion. I've seen Solo: A Star Wars Story and I liked it.  The end.  Want me to go on?  Well to be honest, it's a simple as that.  Okay, maybe a little elaboration is in order. It didn't leave me feeling as giddy as a school boy but I really don't think that has happened since...Well since I was a school boy.  You see I'm in my mid-forties now and that excitement, that anticipation for a movie just isn't there any more.  I look back with fond memories at myself being super excited for Return of the Jedi and having a huge smile on my face when the opening scenes played out in front of me.  That level of excitement for a movie has had its day, unfortunately, no matter how much I long for it.  I'm just getting old.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - Full Production Notes

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - Full Production Notes UNIVERSAL PICTURES and AMBLIN ENTERTAINMENT Present In Association with LEGENDARY PICTURES / PERFECT WORLD ENTERTAINMENT CHRIS PRATT BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD RAFE SPALL JUSTICE SMITH DANIELLA PINEDA JAMES CROMWELL TOBY JONES TED LEVINE BD WONG ISABELLA SERMON GERALDINE CHAPLIN and JEFF GOLDBLUM Executive Producers STEVEN SPIELBERG COLIN TREVORROW Produced by FRANK MARSHALL, P.G.A. PATRICK CROWLEY BELÉN ATIENZA, P.G.A. Based on Characters Created by MICHAEL CRICHTON Written by DEREK CONNOLLY & COLIN TREVORROW Directed by J.A. BAYONA Production Information It’s been three years since theme park and luxury resort Jurassic World was destroyed by dinosaurs out of containment.  Isla Nublar now sits abandoned by humans while the surviving dinosaurs fend for themselves in the jungles.           When the isl