Random Thoughts

joey con carne wrote:Been doing a lot of running and lost about 17 pounds so far. Three more for my goal of 148lb.

UltimateMarvel wrote:

joey con carne wrote:Been doing a lot of running and lost about 17 pounds so far. Three more for my goal of 148lb.

Nice! I'm 155Ib and I want to gain weight but in a healthy way, I want to be 160. It's hard for me to gain weight. I eat 1500-2000 calories a day.

WyldeMan wrote:God damn, you some skinny fuckers....

I passed 200lbs in by the 8th grade and never dropped below it again.

Tyger wrote:I’m like 140...Asian

Tyger wrote:I’m like 140...Asian

WyldeMan wrote:I didn't realize we had so many featherweights running around here. I take it I'm the only super heavyweight?

Does your weight fluctuate at all or are you pretty much always 140 year after year?

joey con carne wrote:I’m also a short guy so being 168lb was not great. I’m 5’6”. I’m leaning out and hitting the pavement hard. Will start back up on the weights on Monday.

I fit into my shirts so much better and my face is much leaner. My stomach is still flabby but it has always been the last place I lose fat. Also, I can put my socks on without bending my knee outward now. Definitely feels great.

joey con carne wrote:I’m also a short guy so being 168lb was not great. I’m 5’6”. I’m leaning out and hitting the pavement hard. Will start back up on the weights on Monday.

I fit into my shirts so much better and my face is much leaner. My stomach is still flabby but it has always been the last place I lose fat. Also, I can put my socks on without bending my knee outward now. Definitely feels great.

joey con carne wrote:I'm guessing Wylde is at least 6'. Same with Russ. 6'2"-ish.

After every run I crave fast food. Sucks to be me.

joey con carne wrote:I'm guessing Wylde is at least 6'. Same with Russ. 6'2"-ish.

After every run I crave fast food. Sucks to be me.

joey con carne wrote:LOL my bad about my "bending knee" comment with putting on socks. So what I meant was, I usually bring my knee to my chest to put on my socks. I was unable to do so when I weighed 17 more pounds than I do now. I would have to bend my knee outward and make a number four shape with my legs to get access to my foot. I know. I'm fucking weird. But that is a gauge to know how fat I was.

That Tyson vs Jones fight was this weekend? I completely forgot about it!

joey con carne wrote:That highlight video is good. Tyson is a monster. He’s the type of guy who can come over to your table and just start eating your food and there is nothing you can do about it.

Please explain your Darth Vader comment. The first thing I did was google Hayden Christenson and see he is still alive.

joey con carne wrote:Lol I assumed the guy under the Vader suit already died from old age. Yea, that’s a bad assumption as James Earl Jones is still alive.

WyldeMan wrote:Tyson will always be a scary mother fucker so if he wanted to eat everything in my fridge, I'd just let him.

Sorry about the Vader confusion. David Prowse aka the man under the helmet in the original trilogy has died from COVID.

But you read Vader and thought of Hayden Christenson? I would have expected you'd at least think of James Earl Jones first. This feels like an Abe move.....

WyldeMan wrote:Today, November 30th marks the 7 year anniversary of the death of Paul Walker.

UltimateMarvel wrote:

WyldeMan wrote:Today, November 30th marks the 7 year anniversary of the death of Paul Walker.

How did you remember?

joey con carne wrote:The right question is not “How did Wylde remember?” but “How can you forget?” OMG, Abe.

Sad day. I remember reading he was alive (but unconscious) when he burned to death. Ugh

WyldeMan wrote:

Paul's death was tragic but he died because he was driving like an asshole trying to win a Darwin Award but Anton Yelchin's death was one that really got to me. He was a once in a generation actor crushed slowly and excruciatingly to death because he made the tragic error of buying a Jeep.

The 27 Club is the worst god damn club ever....

Rusty wrote:

WyldeMan wrote:

Paul's death was tragic but he died because he was driving like an asshole trying to win a Darwin Award but Anton Yelchin's death was one that really got to me. He was a once in a generation actor crushed slowly and excruciatingly to death because he made the tragic error of buying a Jeep.

The 27 Club is the worst god damn club ever....

Paul was the passenger.

"Friends: our business together is done." Paramount has debuted a trailer for The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, the latest update from Francis Ford Coppola. He's been tinkering with his films for a while now, going back and re-editing and updating them per his desires. After finishing up his latest cut of Apocalypse Now, Coppola has gone back to work on The Godfather series - specifically The Godfather: Part III. Along with remastered sound and video, this "Coda" includes a new beginning and ending, as well as changes to scenes, shots, and music cues. The resulting project reflects author Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola's original intentions of The Godfather: Part III, and delivers, in the words of Coppola, "a more appropriate conclusion to The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II." If you say, Francis. The film stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Andy Garcia, Franc D'Ambrosio, Bridget Fonda, George Hamilton, Joe Mantegna, Talia Shire, Eli Wallach, Sofia Coppola, and Raf Vallone.

Elliot Page, the Oscar-nominated star of “Juno” and Netflix’s “The Umbrella Academy,” has announced he is transgender.

Elliot, formerly known as Ellen Page, addressed his social media followers saying:

“Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot. I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life. I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self. I’ve been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community. Thank you for your courage, your generosity and ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place. I will offer whatever support I can and continue to strive for a more loving and equal society,” he wrote.

“I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive. To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse, and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you, and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better,” Page continued.

Page uses both he/him and they/them pronouns, and describes himself as transgender and non-binary, meaning that his gender identity is neither man nor woman.

Nick Adams, GLAAD’s Director of Transgender Media, said “Elliot Page has given us fantastic characters on-screen, and has been an outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ people. He will now be an inspiration to countless trans and non-binary people. All transgender people deserve the chance to be ourselves and to be accepted for who we are. We celebrate the remarkable Elliot Page today.”

Page broke out from his native Canada in 2005 with the revenge thriller “Hard Candy.” Two years later, he starred in Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody’s landmark indie “Juno,” for which Page received an Academy Award nomination among other accolades.

HIs notable roles include Kitty Pryde in the “X-Men” series, Christopher Nolan’s “Inception,” “Whip It!” and Sony’s reboot of “Flatliners.” He has produced and starred in films such as “Tallulah” and “Freeheld,” and last year marked his directorial debut examining environmental racism faced by people of color and the First Nations communities of Canada.

Prior to transition, Page was one of the most visible out gay actors in Hollywood. The Tuesday announcement further enriches his legacy, and adds him to a small but growing number of out trans creators and stars in Hollywood. This includes performers (Laverne Cox, Trace Lysette, Brian Michael Smith) and creators (The Wachowski Sisters, “Transparent” creator Joey Soloway).

Last year, Variety broke the news of the groundbreaking overall content production deal that Netflix signed with Janet Mock, a noted trans storyteller and director of shows like “Pose” and “Hollywood.”

joey con carne wrote:I guess I'm lucky. I am actually a lesbian trapped in a man's body which works out perfectly for me.

UltimateMarvel wrote:I'm so confused...

The UK is set to become the first western country to roll out a Covid-19 vaccine after it was authorized for emergency use by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA).

Initial doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which has been shown to be 95% effective in trials, will arrive in the UK in the coming days. The country has bought 40m total doses, which will arrive in stages throughout 2020 and 2021, with 800,000 set to be available next week.

At first, people in the most vulnerable category will be prioritized for vaccinations, including older people and those in care homes, plus staff such as NHS workers.

Logistical challenges remain, including the fact the vaccine has to be kept at -70C. At present 50 hospitals are ready to receive the jabs and specialist centres are being built, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said.

Hancock credited the Brexit process for allowing the country to approve the vaccine ahead of the U.S. and Europe, with special power granted to the MHRA prior to the UK’s official departure from the EU on January 1.

The news offers hope for a return to a semblance of pre-Covid normality in the first half of 2021. Upcoming events, such as the Berlinale (February 20 – March 1) remain precarious, with the vaccine’s impact in those early months unclear at this stage. Today, Berlinale Executive Director Mariette Rissenbeek said the festival was “currently testing the feasibility of the festival in February” amid ongoing lockdown measures in the country.

WyldeMan wrote:

UltimateMarvel wrote:I'm so confused...

That makes you the Q in the alphabet soup.

WyldeMan wrote:That makes you the Q in the alphabet soup.

WarnerMedia didn’t have to wait until Wonder Woman 1984 debuted both on HBO Max and in theaters: The Burbank, CA based studio is putting its entire 2021 theatrical slate on HBO Max for their respective first month of release, concurrent with a global cinema release.

Following the one month HBO Max access period domestically, each film will leave the platform and continue theatrically in the U.S. and international territories, with all customary distribution windows applying to the title.

And get a load of what you’ll be able to see in-home next year: Denzel Washington’s The Little Things, Judas and the Black Messiah, Tom & Jerry, Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat, Those Who Wish Me Dead, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, In The Heights, Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, Reminiscence, Malignant, Dune, The Many Saints of Newark, King Richard, Cry Macho and Matrix 4.

This morning’s release reads, “The hybrid model was created as a strategic response to the impact of the ongoing global pandemic.” No movie theater or major exhibitor — and I mean no movie theater, no matter what press release of happiness they put out after this– can be content with this. After exhibition busted their butts to get open for Tenet, this is how Warner Bros. repays them? But is it better for Warners to reshelve their entire slate? And for those theaters that are open, not to have notable product to play? How does the studio commit to $40M P&A spends when the domestic marketplace may not be open?

Exhibitors, like AMC, may perceive this model as some sort of manna from heaven (go figure). As my mother-in-law says, “There’s no such thing as a coincidence” and well, what do you know? AMC has 200M shares up for sale as of today.   Buzz hit on Thanksgiving eve that WarnerMedia shoved off a $200M bid by Netflix for Legendary’s Godzilla vs. Kong so that they could make a play at putting the movie on HBO Max. Warners denied that, saying the pic was committed to theatrical. That was only half true.

Today’s announcement was made today by Ann Sarnoff, Chair and CEO, WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group (of which Warner Bros. is part) and Jason Kilar, CEO, WarnerMedia.

There were murmurs at rival studios that WarnerMedia was going to drop a bombshell — no one knew it would be this big. Even some of the creators close to the movies, I can tell you, weren’t in the fold on this decision (except those with financial stakes). This is clearly a top down corporate decision as the the conglom bets aggressively on HBO Max, which hasn’t been an immediate triumph out of the gate. The new streaming service’s hurdle has been distribution with only 8.6 million accounts activated, but another 28.7 million not switched on even though there’s no-cost HBO Max access to current HBO subscribers. Third-party distribution has also been a bottleneck, though the company recently reached a deal with Amazon Fire TV. Roku, which has 46 million active accounts, is another top-tier streaming venue where HBO Max is not yet available.

Many are expecting that Wonder Woman 1984 will already lose money, with financial analysts in the know saying that the $200M DC sequel will need to do 40% more than Tenet‘s current global take of $357.8M to hit breakeven. “If Wonder Woman 1984 does Tenet numbers, it will lose money,” one industry insider told Deadline recently.

Well, here’s an entire annual theatrical slate which will trade in any possibility of a domestic box office comeback for sheer subscriber numbers — that is, if they come.  This is a hedged bet that a COVID-19 vaccine is not coming soon enough to quell numbers and reopen cinemas. This despite all the headlines about one, and Pfizer, and the Dow’s recent aggressive upswing in response to the upbeat headlines. However, Warners believes that the pipeline is getting clogged, and the ecosystem needs to live, and that even if the vaccine comes, it may not reopen theaters fast enough and spur foot traffic.

Clarifies and assures Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros. Pictures Group Carolyn Blackwood, “This is a temporary 2021 plan. We have to support exhibition with the product. We don’t think we’re changing the economics of these movies any more than the pandemic has. We’re adding another interval and period for revenue with HBO Max.”

“We’re living in unprecedented times which call for creative solutions, including this new initiative for the Warner Bros. Pictures Group,” said Sarnoff in a statement. “No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do. We know new content is the lifeblood of theatrical exhibition, but we have to balance this with the reality that most theaters in the U.S. will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021. With this unique one-year plan, we can support our partners in exhibition with a steady pipeline of world-class films, while also giving moviegoers who may not have access to theaters or aren’t quite ready to go back to the movies the chance to see our amazing 2021 films. We see it as a win-win for film lovers and exhibitors, and we’re extremely grateful to our filmmaking partners for working with us on this innovative response to these circumstances.”

“After considering all available options and the projected state of moviegoing throughout 2021, we came to the conclusion that this was the best way for WarnerMedia’s motion picture business to navigate the next 12 months,” said Kilar. “More importantly, we are planning to bring consumers 17 remarkable movies throughout the year, giving them the choice and the power to decide how they want to enjoy these films. Our content is extremely valuable, unless it’s sitting on a shelf not being seen by anyone. We believe this approach serves our fans, supports exhibitors and filmmakers, and enhances the HBO Max experience, creating value for all.”

“This hybrid exhibition model enables us to best support our films, creative partners and moviegoing in general throughout 2021,” said Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group in a statement. “We have a fantastic, wide ranging slate of titles from talented and visionary filmmakers next year, and we’re excited to be able get these movies in front of audiences around the world. And, as always, we’ll support all of our releases with innovative and robust marketing campaigns for their theatrical debuts, while highlighting this unique opportunity to see our films domestically via HBO Max as well.”

It’s going to be great to see what the fallout is here for both WarnerMedia, exhibition — and other streaming players like Amazon and Netflix in the next year. Netflix has been keen about closing the window, and always ran into headwinds when trying to make a deal with big exhibition. The HBO Max deal changes everything.

Will Disney following WarnerMedia’s lead here and dump the entire frosh Marvel movies on Disney+? How does exhibition come out of this? When Cineworld/Regal reopens, will they even play Warner Bros.’ titles?

WyldeMan wrote:

Any of you WCW fans growing up in the 90's?

WyldeMan wrote:Warner Bros Sets Entire 2021 Movie Slate To Debut On HBO Max Along With Cinemas In Seismic Windows Model Shakeup

UltimateMarvel wrote:

WyldeMan wrote:

Any of you WCW fans growing up in the 90's?

That was cool! Even I remember Sting from back when I used to watch wrestling. Wasn't it WWF back then? I don't remember WCW.