Category Archives: News

Cory and Topanga’s Kid

That’s right. The couple who stole the hearts of nineties kids everywhere is all grown up and having babies. I’m sure you’ve all heard, but I can’t not at least mention the new Boy Meets World spin-off, the oh-so-cleverly titled Girl Meets World.

The show will center around Cory and Topanga’s daughter, Riley, and yesterday it was announced that 11-year-old Rowan Blanchard will play the role. But the best casting news so far about this potentially disappointing new series is that, yes, Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel will be reprising their roles as Cory and Topanga. Back together at last!

130129-shawnNo word on whether or not Rider Strong will be returning to his role as the lovable and dreamy-eyed troublemaker Shawn Hunter, and he has even stated that he has “no official involvement” in the spin-off, but my guess (or hope?) is we’ll at least be seeing a cameo.

It takes all my willpower to keep myself from getting my hopes up about Girl Meets World–hopefully it will go beyond nostalgic indulgence, and actually be able to stand on its own. With all of the garbage on the Disney Channel these days, I’m not so confident this girl will be able to live up to her dad’s legacy, but that doesn’t mean I’m not crossing my fingers.

Do you think Girl Meets World will be able to have the social impact and significance for the adolescents of the 2010s that Boy Meets World did in the ’90s?

[Edit] Check out this awesome article on EW’s PopWatch about the lessons Boy Meets World taught us, and we hope Girl Meets World will teach the next generation of viewers.

‘Boy Meets World’ spin-off: Meet Cory and Topanga’s daughter — EXCLUSIVE
Tanner Stransky @ EW

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“As soon as Rowan walked into the room, I was reminded of why Ben Savage was loved as Cory Matthews,” says Michael Jacobs, who’s producing the Girl Meets World pilot. “Rowan is real and accessible and I am hopeful this girl is about to meet a world that will love growing up with her as well.”

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Eagerly Awaiting Gatsby

I read The Great Gatsby in high school English class, and honestly I unfortunately don’t remember a whole lot of it. I remember that it was intriguing, but I was probably too caught up with silly highschooler things to pay too much attention to it, something that I sorely regret now that I’ve seen the trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming adaptation of it, starring the incomparable Leonardo DiCaprio.


I’m so glad I had the chance to experience this trailer in a movie theater, where the raw emotion rumbles the seats. After the first time I saw it I realized that I had been holding my breath for the entire second half of it. Honestly, I feel like the trailer is a movie in itself. It deserves a gorram award. The pain in Richard Patrick’s voice in Filter‘s gritty cover version of the Turtles’ upbeat song “Happy Together” is visceral. The menacing way it builds from almost a whisper into a full on scream, paired with the growing intensity of the images flashing on the screen, is both unnerving and stimulating.

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It actually reminds me a lot of El Tango de Roxanne, my absolute favorite scene in Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge (click the image at the right to watch it). When this film first came out, I was smitten. The richness and extravagance of the images as well as the brutal reality of sickness, prostitution, and the separation of lovers come together to produce a classic tragedy. It was the first movie to ever really make me cry. So imagine my delight upon seeing that same visual luxury and raw emotion in just the two and a half minutes of the trailer for The Great Gatsby. I seriously can’t wait to see what Luhrmann does with this classic novel.

But what is most exciting about the upcoming film is the casting of Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby himself. Not only will it be interesting to see DiCaprio working with Luhrmann again now that he’s grown up, 17 years after Romeo + Juliet, but also especially in the wake of his stunningly heinous performance in Django Unchained, I can’t wait to more from him as another man of leisure with dark secrets. It’s truly astonishing how much DiCaprio has grown over the years, from a teen heartthrob to one of the most respected and talented actors in the business. This is also why it is so sad to hear of his upcoming “long, long break” from acting. Although with Django, Gatsby, and The Wolf of Wall Street all being released within a year of each other, I suppose this leading man really does deserve some time off, even if I selfishly want to see more of him.

What do you think of the trailer for The Great Gatsby? What about DiCaprio’s decision to take time off? Let me know in the comments!

Leonardo DiCaprio: I’m Taking a “Long, Long Break” From Movies
Josh Grossberg @ E!

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Leonardo DiCaprio is eyeing a much-needed breather from the big screen.

The A-list actor announced to a German media outlet that he’s taking a significant sabbatical from acting to live life a little bit and focus on his environmental activism.

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Star Wars VII to Get a Little J.J. Abrams (Lens) Flair

I’m sure by now you’ve all heard that J.J. Abrams has officially signed on to direct the upcoming Star Wars 7. For me, it has taken several days for this news to sink in, and I have mixed emotions about it. But I finally feel that I have something coherent to say.

130127-abramsFirstly: how the frak does this man get so lucky? Not only has he had a more than respectable run in television, most notably with Lost, then he was handed the blessed conch of Star Trek, and now he’s continuing the gorram Star Wars franchise?? If you ask me, this man made some supernatural deal with the lens flair devil–success and the coolest opportunities in exchange for his soul and no less than fourscore lens flairs in every film.

That being said–oozing with unabashed jealousy, might I add–I have been largely impressed with Abrams’ work thus far. Despite the fact that many hardcore Trek fans expressed disappointment and even outrage at the Star Trek reboot, I personally, very much enjoyed it.

To some extent then, I do have hope for Star Wars: Episode VII, especially because after the complete rubbish Lucas tried to pass off as an adequate prequel trilogy, there’s really nowhere to go but up. In particular, as noted on Axolotl Ceviche, at least Abrams has some handle on how to actually direct, while Lucas, despite his aptitude for pre-CG technical innovation, has been a miserable failure as a director of real people instead of puppets.

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But really, at the core, I think the success or failure of Episode 7 will hinge on the writing. Although Abrams has done his fair share of this, there’s no word as to how much involvement he will have with the actual writing of the script, with rumors that Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3, Little Miss Sunshine, and *gag* Brave) will be heading up the writing department.

The fundamental importance of a good script is exactly what makes me wish that Joss Whedon had been given the job. I may be a bit partial, as, just like the pulchritudinous Jason Segel to my right, Joss Whedon is my master now, but if his massive success with The Avengers has taught us anything, it’s that he knows his shit. I would feel much more comfortable with Star Wars in his hands than any one else’s. Sure he’s been super busy and probably needs a break and taking on the Star Wars franchise would definitely be a super stressful enterprise, but I don’t care. I’m selfish and I want more Jossy goodness.

While Arndt seems mostly competent and Abrams has a decent track record thus far, I’ll remain cautiously skeptical so as not to get my hopes too far up only to be disappointed by Star Wars 7. What are your feelings on the big announcement?

J.J. Abrams Set to Direct Next ‘Star Wars’ Film (Exclusive)
Lucas Shaw @ The Wrap

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Disney on Friday night confirmed TheWrap’s earlier report that J.J. Abrams will direct “Star Wars: Episode VII,” the latest film in the iconic franchise and the first since Disney bought Lucasfilm last October.

“J.J. is the perfect director to helm this,” Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement. “Beyond having such great instincts as a filmmaker, he has an intuitive understanding of this franchise. He understands the essence of the ‘Star Wars’ experience, and will bring that talent to create an unforgettable motion picture.”

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