No real surprise really, as Snow White and the Huntsman made it’s presence felt this weekend. Meanwhile, Men In Black 3 managed a decent hold and Marvel’s The Avengers made it into the history books again. Here’s how the weekend went down:

Snow White and the Huntsman had a stellar opening weekend, topping the box office with an estimated $56 million. Clearly the combination of Charlize Theron, Kirsten Stewart and Chris Hemsworth appealed to a wide-range of theatre goers. As well, rather than playing the classic fairy tale for laughs the way Mirror, Mirror did earlier this year, Snow White and the Huntsman went and dark, a move that clearly paid off. Universal Pictures should enjoy this while it lasts, mind you, since next week sees the release of the hugely hyped Prometheus, which coincidently also stars Charlize Theron.

Men In Black 3 had a strong second weekend, dropping only 46% from it’s opening haul to gross an estimated $29 million, bringing the film’s total to respectable $112 million. Good word of mouth (the film is seriously fun, I might add) should keep this one going over the next few weeks, as MIB3 tries to make it to $200 million in North America.

Marvel’s The Avengers hit a few new milestones this weekend. With it’s $20 million gross, the film became the third biggest in North American history, with a total gross of $552 million. It does have a ways to go if it wants to try and hit the second position, as Titanic currently outgrosses it by more than $100 million. Worldwide, the film is also the third biggest earner of all time, with a combined $1.3 billion.

As for the rest of the top five, Battleship brought in just $4.8 million to land in fourth place while The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel made it’s top five debut with $4.6 million. The Dictator dropped all the way to number 10 this week, with an abysmal $1.3 million.

So, to recap, here were our predictions:

1) Snow White and the Huntsman – $39 million
2) Men In Black 3 – $30 million
3) Marvel’s The Avengers – $25 million
4) Battleship – $5.2 million
5) The Dictator – $5 million

And here’s how the weekend turned out:

1) Snow White and the Huntsman – $56 million
2) Men In Black 3 – $29 million
3) Marvel’s The Avengers – $20 million
4) Battleship – $4.8 million
5) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – $4.6 million

Next week sees the release of the highly anticipated Ridley Scott Alien prequel Prometheus. Be sure to check back on Friday for our predictions!

Burn, the great track featuring David Coverdale on vocals. Wait a minute, you don’t know that song? You didn’t know that David Coverdale, future frontman for Whitesnake frontman and one-off Jimmy Page collaborator was even in Deep Purple???

It’s true, folks. Contrary to what rock radio in North America will tell you, Deep Purple is more than Smoke On The Water and Machine Head.

For whatever reason, we live in a musical world where Deep Purple is really only known for a handful of songs and that one, quintessential. It’s funny, because I spent so much time immersed in the world of classic rock and I don’t think I heard Burn or Stormbringer until after I was out of the biz and working both on Biff Bam Pop. Hard rocking, amazing songs that would sound great coming out of your radio. During my brief return to radio last year as a writer, I tried to work on a show that would highlight these songs and the almost unknown legacy of Deep Purple, but it just wasn’t to be. Maybe next time.

Instead, I can at least give you the head-up on a few cool Deep Purple releases from the past year that fill in some blanks and tell stories you won’t necessarily hear. For instance, there’s Phoenix Rising, a massive DVD from 2012 that tells the story of Deep Purple Mark III and Mark IV. See, that’s how the band differentiates the various incarnations they’ve had. Mark III is the one that recorded the classic Burn and Strongbringer albums, which featured Coverdale and new bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, alongside Purple stalwarts Ian Paice (drums), Ritchie Blackmore (guitars) and Jon Lord (keyboards), while Mark IV would see Blackmore leave and Tommy Bolin brought in on guitar.

Each line-up had it’s own success and drama, and Phoenix Rising puts it all on display, told with interviews from Hughes and Lord (Bolin passed away years ago and the rest of the band declined to participate in the documentary). Those first tours together, the legendary California Jam ’74 performance, the drugs and death – it’s all covered, and for newer fans like myself, it’s all a revelation. As someone who has recently come to appreciate the work of David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes, hearing the stories behind this amazing line-up of musicians made for captivating watching. North American radio and the industry as a whole has pretty much ignored Glenn Hughes (up until his recent supergroup Black Country Communion, that is), while Coverdale’s legacy has been three songs and Tawny Kitaen – totally unjustified. These are master musicians who have made some amazing hard rock albums – at least two of them as members of Deep Purple.

So thats Mark III and Mark IV, but there’s been more “marks” since. This spring, Deep Purple Mark VII rereleased a live album from their 1999 Austrailian tour. Recorded while the band was on tour in support of their 1999 album Abandon, the Total Abandon live set features the line-up of Lord, Paice, bassist Roger Glover, quintessential vocalist Ian Gillan and guitarist Steve Morse in place of Ritchie Blackmore. On this tour, the band is firing on all cylinders, with Gillan especially singing better than frontmen half his age. Songs from that era (Ted The Mechanic, Bloodsucker) sit comfortably alongside classic like Smoke On The Water, Strange Kind of Woman and others (of course, you won’t find any Coverdale/Hughes era music on here but that’s to be expected).

That’s two eras of Deep Purple, and neither of which gets enough mainstream recognition. If you like hard rock or appreciate the history of rock music, I suggest checking out either Phoenix Rising on DVD or the Total Abandon album on CD or iTunes. It’s music from a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame worthy band that definitely has more to it than you might think.

You can order Phoenix Rising here and Total Abandon here.

Goon

Co-written with Evan Goldberg (Superbad, Pineapple Express), these Canadians present a well-written and fairly snappy script, considering it’s a movie about hockey fights.

I have a feeling that some of the jokes go unappreciated, hence the movie’s lukewarm reception in theatres (in Canada especially, where you’d expect this to be a huge hit!) But with the onset of the last round of the Stanley Cup, and my beloved Toronto Marlies in the Calder Cup finals, Goon is a perfect movie to set the mood – read on if you want to know why (some spoilers).

Starring Seann William Scott (Stiffler) and Alison Pill (Kim from Scott Pilgrim) this is a hockey-lover’s love story, and a poetic nod to the fights and fighters that (in the past) made hockey so AWESOME to watch.

Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott) is a security guard / meat head with no real direction in life; until he joins his friend for a hockey game and ends up beating the shit out of a member of the rival team. If you don’t remember the time when hockey players used to get in fights with fans in the stands, well… neither do I. The NHL has cracked down hard on violence and player behaviour; but I’m sure at farm games it still happens. Ryan (Jay Baruchel) films the fight for his cable access show, and it lands Doug a try out with the local minor team.

Though skating is a challenge, Doug takes to hockey fights like a natural and is soon the local brawl hero. The attention lands him an offer to play with the Halifax Highlanders, and their newly signed ex-NHL star player Xavier LaFlamme (Marc Andre Grondin).

In a movie that could have easily foregone the characterization of the goon players, Goon focuses on their emotional state of mind to add some realism to the film. Having been brutally injured by one of the league’s star bullies, Ross Rhea (Live Schreiber), LaFamme was unable to cut it and got sent down to the Highlanders team. Doug is given the task of keeping an eye on LaFlamme and protecting him from any savage hits. As a result, their tense relationship helps to develop depth in the ‘goon’ character.

But don’t worry; the feature of the movie is still the fighting. Snappy camera shots, wicked one liners and well-timed fisticuffs help to drive the blood-soaked “biff bam pop” factor through the roof; I can’t imagine not being caught up in the electric savagery as the players face off on ice… as it turns out, I’m a really big fan of goon hockey! I also enjoy seeing people get theirs, and there is plenty of beautiful levelling on the ice as the Highlanders draw closer to a playoff spot.

But it’s Doug’s duality that is incredibly endearing; smashing faces and then apologizing politely… this movie is so CANADIAN. Despite his underlying kindness and general ‘good guy’ attitude, Doug starts to fear that he is just a goon and not a true hockey player. He is rejected by his parents, who can’t stomach his brutality, and LaFlamme has no respect for his skills; but Doug is inspired by one girl who helps give him a reason to fight.

Eva (Alison Pill) is an adorable addition to the movie, and her conversations with Doug are definitely designed to melt the goon heart in all of us. One of my favourite moments in the film involves accepting the difficulties in your life; sometimes garbage blows in your face. Glatt’s heartfelt efforts to win over Eva will also keep the girls in the audience happy, without ruining the violent energy of the film. In fact, “love” only strengthens Doug’s resolve to smash faces.

His resolve is again challenged when he meets Ross Rhea. The former great was suspended after the hit to LaFamme and returns to play out his final games before retirement. He tells Doug that they are just goons, and will never be real hockey players.

Of course, he’s proven wrong at the operatic moment when Glatt is being crushed at the net, trying to keep the puck out at a crucial moment in the final qualifier game. I’m fairly certain that Goon is intentionally drawing some parallel to an actual opera or perhaps just the operatic style; this also helps explain some of the classical interludes. If anyone can tell me which exact opera is being referenced, kudos to you; but I’m certain this movie is intended to be a true opus to the dying, and soon to be dead, ‘art’ of goon hockey.

I especially like the way the movie ends – or rather, the point at which they decide to halt the story. Rather than give anything else away, I’ll finish by promising that this will ABSOLUTELY put you in the mood for finals hockey action. If any part of you is a fan of old school, hard hitting, knock your teeth out of your head hockey, you have to give Goon a look… a hockey movie that inspires a love for violence in sports.

It’s almost here!

Known as “the world’s premier trade show for computer and video games and related products”, the Electronic Entertainment Expo or “E3″ trade show kicks off June 5, 2012 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. It’s truly one of the most exciting times of the year for any fan of gaming or the culture surrounding it!

There are a lot of reasons to be excited about it this year as the biggest names in gaming are making some big announcements. Let’s take a look at some of the bigger stories that could potentially come out of the show this year.

Sony – Playstation 3/PS Vita:

Sony has some pretty big titles coming out, and they’re expected to show them off. One of the most anticipated is The Last of Us, a survival game that has you playing as a man in charge of transporting a small girl through a dystopian version of earth that has been ravaged by a mutating disease. Think zombie survival game with an emotional human touch! Also, Sony is expected to give us more information on one of it’s flagship sequels, God of War: Ascension, as well as it’s newest fighting iteration Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale.

As for the PS Vita, dwindling sales have made it essential for Sony to make some sort of big announcement, hopefully a few AAA titles for the handheld. It needs a boost, and it needs it bad. There has been talk of a Vita version of Playstation Battle Royale All Stars, and we’ve already seen screens of a few other games coming to the system, so we’ll have to wait and see what is revealed! Personally, I’m hoping to hear of a Final Fantasy VII PS1 port, but I think that may be wishful thinking.  Perhaps with Cloud storage? Ok, sorry, I’ll stop.

Microsoft – Xbox360/Kinect

Microsoft has been slowly moving the Xbox360 away from the hardcore gamer market for a while now. Their E3 presentations – while I wouldn’t call them boring – have lacked a certain excitement that other companies deliver. They’re usually Kinect focused with a few big games to announce. Their big game this year? Halo 4 of course! Master Chief is back and that combined with the likely probability of them showing some gameplay footage of the new COD: Black Ops 2 will make their presentation hopefully a little more inticing that usual. Expect a few new dashboard apps as well as some (possible?) Windows 8 compatibility teasers.

It is slowly becoming more of a casual gamer machine, leaning heavily towards social media and video services with the gaming angle being focused more prominently on easy, pick-up-and-play games that appeal to everyone. It’s sad when you figure that most of the hardcore online console gamers choose Xbox360 as their platform of choice, yet the company seems intent on creating a less hardcore environment that may soon alienate the users that have made their brand so successful. We’ll have to wait and see if this trend continues at E3.

Nintendo – Wii/Wii U/3DS/DS

Though not showing off many games, this is probably going to be one of the most important expos in Nintendo’s history, as they will have to sell the gaming public on their new console, the Wii U. This will hopefully be the first time that we get to see a number of different demos for the new system, and Nintendo, as a result,  should have a pretty exciting conference. Most notably, the Wii U will be showing off a new Super Mario game, which should effectively put the place in an uproar. Also, if prayers are answered, there should be a demo of the new Smash Brothers as well.

Aside from the major announcements, I’m excited for some of the games being demoed or shown at the expo. Hitman: Absolution is one that I can’t wait to finally see in action. Obviously Assassins Creed III is high on my radar. Sleeping Dogs and the new Tomb Raider reboot are also big games for me as I’ve been a big fan of the latter for many years. And even though I’m not so much interested in its gameplay, I’m looking forward to NHL 13…simply because I buy it every year.

Lastly, one that has just been brought to my attention, LucasArts will be unveiling it’s new Star Wars game entitled Star Wars: 1313. According to IGN.com, Star Wars: 1313 is ‘billed as a “mature” Star Wars title. [It] takes you deep into the seedy underworld of a densely populated planet, giving you access to an array of “exotic weaponry” in your quest to take down targets and “uncover the truth surrounding a criminal conspiracy.’  Sounds interesting, though whether the gaming community ready for another Star Wars iteration this close to receiving Star Wars: The Old Republic will be a point detrimental to the game’s potential success.

What are you looking forward to this year? Let us know! All in all, I think we’re looking at another exciting expo!

Snow White and the Huntsman has a stellar cast, including Charlize Theron as the Wicked Queen, Chris Hemsworth as The Huntsman and Kristen Stewart as the title character. The combination of the latter two virtually guarantees a strong opening for the film. Visually, the movie is enticing and the theme should get a strong teenage contingency out to theatres as well. I expect Snow White and the Huntsman’s opening weekend to throughly demolish that of Mirror, Mirror, which could only muster $18 million back in March. Look for a first place showing with $39 million.

As for the rest of the top five, look for Men In Black 3 to drop to second place in it’s second weekend in release. Word of mouth has been strong and the film has held steady in first place for the week. It should have no problems crossing the $100 million mark this weekend, with $30 million. The Avengers will drop one spot to third with a $25 million gross, as it becomes the third biggest film in North American box office history. Battleship will continue to drop, winding up in fourth spot with $5.2 million, with The Dictator close behind it in fifth with $5 million.

So, to recap, here are our predictions:

1) Snow White and the Huntsman – $39 million
2) Men In Black 3 – $30 million
3) Marvel’s The Avengers – $25 million
4) Battleship – $5.2 million
5) The Dictator – $5 million

Be sure to check back on Sunday to see how the weekend turns out!