Day: March 18, 2018

Categories
People

After my untimely demise you can use my likeness in ads for Swiss Chalet, Pibb, Twizzlers, Dr. Pepper and just about anything. If someone asks, why not!!

Stars are rewriting their wills to include CGI do’s and don’ts

Hollywood stars can now be digitally recreated so convincingly, that actors are reportedly specifying in their wills what they’ll permit their images to do — long after their death.

“We can recreate dead actors,” Mike McGee, co-founder of the special effects company Framestore, told The Daily Telegraph.

“Actors alive now are already selling their image rights for films which will be made when they’re dead,” McGee says. “In their will, they have decided what constraints they want.”

Framestore recently set up a commercial for a chocolate bar using a digital recreation of Audrey Hepburn, after her sons approved it.

But some actors don’t want to leave their post-mortem script decisions to chance or their families.

The technology is advancing at breakneck speed, McGee says. New developments might pair digital representations of dead actors with artificial intelligence, he says.

“If you add it all together, they [dead people] can begin to have new consciousness,” he says. “It’s only a small step to interactive conversations with holographic versions of dead celebrities or historical figures.”

Categories
People

Rest in peace, Mike MacDonald. You were hilarious. One of the best ever!!

Canadian comedian Mike MacDonald dies at 62

Canadian comedian Mike MacDonald died Saturday at the age of 62.

The comedian’s brother, JP MacDonald, confirmed MacDonald’s death to CBC News on Sunday, saying he died at the Ottawa Heart Institute due to heart complications.

Comedy organizations and local talent expressed their grief Saturday night on social media, saying that Canada lost a legend.

The renowned comedian touched many lives, said Howard Wagman, owner of Yuk Yuks Ottawa, where MacDonald used to perform.

“Mike MacDonald was pretty much the first Canadian superstar in our business,” Wagman said, his voice heavy with emotion. “We’re talking about 40 years and countless comedians that emulated and learned from him, he was a ground breaker, he was an original, he was truly Canadian.”

Born in France, MacDonald grew up on military bases around the world. When his father retired, the family settled in Ottawa where he attended Brookfield High School.

He moved to Toronto in the late 1970s to kick off his career as a comedian, performing at shows across the city.

During his 40-year career, he travelled across North America and appeared on numerous shows, including Just for Laughs, Late Night with David Letterman, The Arsenio Hall Show and the Comedy Club All-Star Show.

Long known as one of Canada’s top standup comedians, he wrote and starred in three CBC specials of his own, including Mike MacDonald; On Target; My House! My Rules; and Happy As I Can Be.

“He connected so well with an audience,” Wagman said. “One of the key things to standup comedy is having a connection with the audience. If they are not in your head, if they are not with you, you cannot sell.”

The comedian’s health trouble began in 2011 when he was diagnosed with Hepatitis C and waited months for a liver transplant, which he received after an outpouring of support from fans. He returned to the show world shortly after.

“When the career spans 40 years, there are different incarnations of who he was,” said Wagman. “The early days were nothing like what the last decade was like.”

MacDonald battled drug addiction and bipolar disorder in his adult life. He spoke publicly about his difficulties and performed at shows like Stand Up for Mental Health in Ottawa.

MacDonald died in an Ottawa hospital with family by his side, Wagman said.

A host of comedy organizations and Canadian talent paid tributes to the late comedian on social media Saturday night.

Categories
Movies

I was on my way to see TOMB RAIDER when I decided that I’d rather go home and stream MUPPET GUYS TALKING instead. That documentary is amazing and you can find it at muppetguystalking.com. Enjoy!!

Black Panther tops Tomb Raider to claim fifth weekend at box office

Wakanda forever — and for the fifth weekend in a row.

Disney and director Ryan Coogler’s superhero blockbuster Black Panther is on track to rule the box office once again, earning an estimated $27 million this weekend at 3,834 theaters in the U.S. and Canada. That figure should be enough to hold off Warner Bros. and MGM’s new Tomb Raider reboot, which will bow with about $23.5 million — but the weekend’s big surprise is Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate’s faith-based drama I Can Only Imagine, which is poised to outperform expectations with an estimated $17 million from 1,629 theaters, putting it in third place.

After 31 days in theaters, Black Panther will have grossed about $605.4 million at the domestic box office, making it the seventh film ever to pass the $600 million mark in North America. It’s also the first movie since 2009’s Avatar to top the box office for five consecutive weeks. Overseas, Black Panther has grossed about $577.1 million, putting its worldwide total at a hefty $1.18 billion.

The 18th installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe stars Chadwick Boseman as the titular superhero, a.k.a. T’Challa, who leads and protects the secretive, technologically advanced nation of Wakanda. The cast also features Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Andy Serkis, and Letitia Wright. Black Panther has garnered glowing reviews and an A-plus CinemaScore.

As for Tomb Raider, the weekend’s No. 2 film, $23.5 million (at 3,854 theaters) represents a somewhat soft opening for a movie that reportedly cost about $90 million to make and is intended to breathe new life into the 22-year-old franchise, which began as a popular video game series.

Directed by Norwegian filmmaker Roar Uthaug (The Wave), Tomb Raider stars Alicia Vikander as the globetrotting treasure seeker Lara Croft, a role previously played by Angelina Jolie. Jolie’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider opened with $47.7 million in 2001, while her Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life opened with $21.8 million in 2003.

Reviews for the new Tomb Raider were lukewarm, though many praised Vikander, while moviegoers gave it a so-so B CinemaScore. The film fared well internationally this weekend, taking in about $84.5 million in 65 territories.

With its strong showing in third place, I Can Only Imagine will outpace Disney’s high-profile fantasy A Wrinkle in Time, earning about $16.6 million in its second weekend, and Fox’s well-reviewed gay teen romance Love, Simon, opening with about $11.5 million.

Directed by Andrew Erwin and Jon Erwin and starring J. Michael Finley, I Can Only Imagine recounts the story behind the MercyMe song of the same name, the best-selling Christian single of all time. The movie received an A-plus CinemaScore from audiences, which bodes well for word-of-mouth prospects.

Love, Simon also notched an A-plus CinemaScore, while its opening is in line with industry projections. Greg Berlanti, the CW superhero mastermind, directed the movie, which is based on Becky Albertalli’s YA novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Nick Robinson stars in the story of a closeted gay teen dealing with blackmail and the tribulations of high school.

According to ComScore, overall box office is up 2.2 percent year-to-date. Check out the March 16-18 figures below.

1. Black Panther — $27 million
2. Tomb Raider — $23.5 million
3. I Can Only Imagine — $17 million
4. A Wrinkle in Time — $16.6 million
5. Love, Simon — $11.5 million
6. Game Night — $5.6 million
7. Peter Rabbit — $5.2 million
8. The Strangers: Prey at Night — $4.8 million
9. Red Sparrow — $4.5 million
10. Death Wish — $3.4 million