People say that Mondays are the hardest days of the week. These people are liars. It is in fact Friday that proves to be the toughest, when the weekend is so close that you can practically taste the Guinness, but that cruel and capricious mistress known as Time decides to move so slowly that 6.00pm seems about as far away as the 23rd century.
Fear not! Veteran end-of-the-week pub trip survivor Michael O’Connor is here to keep you occupied midway through this minefield of a day, with a round-up of the week’s major headlines.
Blade Runner web series announced – Fresh from the recent High Definition release, new news (oxymoronic? I think not) emerges from the Replicant realm about a series of web shorts based in the same universe as the Harrison Ford sci-fi blockbuster. Only it’s not, because they don’t have the rights for Dick’s novel. But it is. What do you mean you’re confused?
Futurama renewed for 13 episodes – Good news, everyone! Futurama is not only renewed for 13 episodes, but a full season, having been brought back after the critical and commercial…er…success, of the previous four stitched together episodes direct-to-DVD films. Has Futurama got much more life left in it? Who cares, this is another opportunity for more of Zapp Brannigan, a personal hero of mine, and another chance to see Leela in the shower. Get the boy to lay out my shorts Kiff, I’ll be needing them.
Arnie not featuring in Predator reboot – I believe in the people of America, but I still can’t believe The Terminator’s the governor (thanks, King Blues). I mean, really. Despite his gubernatorial duties, it seems the web fanboys can’t leave the rumour mill alone, and have him appearing in almost anything he was vaguely associated with in the past. Get it right people, Arnie’s no longer interested in blowing things up on screen, he’s happy dismantling the Californian economy piece by piece instead.
First look at Rourke as Whiplash – Not content with wrestling sweaty men to a canvas floor, Mickey Rourke continues his quite frankly miraculous career upswing by misinterpreting the dress code for the Monaco Grand Prix. We’re thinking The Road Warrior crossed with Russell Crowe, what do you think? Interestingly, Slashfilm has a great bit of observation on the two Iron Man 2 pictures released so far being linked. Shocking, considering they’re from the same film.
SAG votes overwhelmingly to ratify contract – It’s been a long old process for this to come about, one that saw the WGA get uppity, the AMPTP get feisty, Unite For Strength get revolutionary, Nikki Finke get mouthy, and Doug Allen get fired. Either way, there’s no chance of a strike for at least two years now. I’ve made my thoughts on this deal clear in the past before so there’s no point reiterating them, let’s just say that I’m glad that I’m a journalist, not an actor. Wait…am I?
Paramount denies GI Joe rumours – Hardly surprising, considering that such a monumental fuss was kicked up by an anonymous poster on a forum. All it takes is a phone call to Paramount and the matter is laid to rest. Remember what I said about fervent online fanboys earlier in this article? Yeah…know what I mean? Either way, Sommers was not fired from the production, there is no right wing/liberal corporate conspiracy, and I absolutely, absolutely will not be hitting the bar at lunch. Promise. Who’s with me?
