You know those people who don’t watch movies so you have to explain the entire thing to have a conversation? Welcome to the Movie Gap podcast, where hosts Chase and Bryce discuss a classic movie that Bryce has just seen for the first time. This week, that move is Ocean’s 13.
Each week, Chase and Bryce invite a guest to participate in the conversation where they break down a movie and discuss the nuances of the film while making top-notch jokes. After the discussion, they recast the movie with other actors that would be also a good fit for the part. It’s safe to say that they have tons of episodes about the best movies ever made.
Movie Gap Podcast Host: ChaseMovie Gap Podcast Host: Bryce
Ocean’s 13
The Movie Gap podcast has been dropping weekly episodes since 2018 so finding a classic movie that Bryce hasn’t seen yet is a tough task. But when Bella Mars came to be on the podcast she opened the door to the Ocean’s movies. In Bella’s first guest appearance on The Move Gap, she kicked off the Ocean’s trilogy discussions withOcean’s 11. The trio has been reunited for this episode to discuss another movie from the Ocean’s trilogy skipping Ocean’s 12 and going straight to Ocean’s 13.
Ocean’s 13 is one of those standalone movies where it is best to position the movie as a “take it as it is” flick to immerse yourself in and just go with it. Needless to say, some tasks are completely illogical that the 13 members must complete flawlessly which is unrealistic for anyone no matter how experienced they may be.
“You shook Sinatra’s hand. You should know better.” – GEORGE CLOONEY – Danny Ocean
The Ocean’s movies tend to be a love-it-or-hate-it franchise, so there was no telling of what Bryce would think of this one. You can check out the full episode and listen for yourself, and see whose point of view you agree with the most.
Check out the episode below (Click on the Image):
You Shook Sinatra Hand: Ocean’s 13
Check out the theme song featuring the guys of Movie Gap here:
The Movie Gap Official Theme Song
Follow The Movie Gap on their socials through the link below!
Not even the hot summer heat could keep Big Time Rush fans away from the Houston tour stop to see Kendall, Logan, James, and Carlos live in concert for their “Can’t Get Enough” tour. After the solid success of last year’s “Forever Tour”, the uphill battle of a transition from Nickelodeon TV show stars to successful independent touring singer/songwriters is working. And perhaps most notably, the fans were the ones who proved that Big Time Rush was ready to embark on their second headlining tour.
New Tour, New Album
After nearly 10 years, 2022 was the first full year of all things Big Time Rush as they tested the appetite of the fans and their reception of the singles that were released and performed during the “Forever Tour” including “Call it Like I See It”, “Not Giving You Up”, “Fall”, “Honey”, and “Dale Pa Ya”. I was really looking forward to hearing those songs, but I’ll settle for the memories from the “Forever Tour” and the music videos.
setlist.fm
This year’s tour promoted the new album, “Another Life” released on June 2, 2023. Six songs from the new album were performed, including “Can’t Get Enough” and “Waves” – two tracks from the album that have music videos out now.
Big Time Rush – Waves (Official Music Video)
Many of the other songs from “Another Life” (including “Party all the Time”) were scattered throughout the set list, but the rest of the concert pulled from the back catalog of the Big Time Rush classics.
The Big Time Rush fans have their own name
Just like the Taylor Swift fans (Swifties), and Beyonce fans (the Beyhive) Big Time Rush fans have their own name: Rushers. When was the last time there was a concert appealing to new fans under 15, Gen Z fans who are now in their 20s who grew up watching the show, and Millennials with kids who are discovering the TV show for the first time? The older songs were received with warm and nostalgic enthusiasm from the crowd of over 15,000 fans who could be seen singing along with the songs.
But what Big Time Rush brings that many other artists don’t is their focus on keeping behind-the-scenes content updated. On their YouTube channel, you can see just how committed they are to consistently releasing unique content inspired by the fans. Carlos has been doing a vlog with his family called “La Vida PenaVega” for years before Big Time Rush reunited a few years ago, and he continues to chronicle his personal journey with his family on tour along for the ride.
Episode 1- The boys embark on The Forever Tour
Although the Nickelodeon show is arguably their legacy, Kendall, James, Logan, and Carlos are proving that they are moving on with “Another Life” with the support of their forever Rushers that will follow and support their new journey while keeping their childhood memories of their show alive in their hearts forever.
Check out all their socials, music, and YouTube content below:
It’s summertime, which means it’s time for the movie studios to release their most expensive and hyped movies of the year. “The Flash” was one of those highly anticipated comic book movies from the DC universe. Ezra Miller was cast as The Flash all the way back in 2014, the movie was greenlit in October 2015, and the original release date was March 23, 2018. After a steady stream of setbacks due to script changes, creative differences, COVID, and some PR disasters to clean up from Ezra’s streak of off-screen incidents, the final movie release date was pushed all the way to June 2023. Typically promotion for a giant movie like “The Flash” would be a massive part of the process to get people hyped to see it, but they had to move forward with a toned-down press tour that kept Ezra away from the public eye as much as possible. This likely impacted the success of the opening weekend even though the promotion budget for the film was speculated to be about $65 million.
I am starting to venture into the DC universe now that James Gunn will be in the driver’s seat starting in 2025, which is a blessing for the mess of movies and bad casting up that DC has gone through. Although he didn’t have much to do with “The Flash”, this movie was seen as the reset to a better future for DC. I had the benefit of not knowing anything about “The Flash” or the actor who played him (more on that later), and the only thing I knew was that there were going to be a few Batman cameos. The observations here will probably be obvious to those of you who are familiar with The Flash, so feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.
Marvel Comics and Sony PicturesWarner Bros. Pictures and DC Comics.
I couldn’t help but compare this movie to Marvel franchises, so this article will be comparing “The Flash” from the DC Cinematic Universe with “Spiderman: No Way Home” from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Young Superhero Complex
The movie did a good job introducing The Flash (also known as Barry Allen) and the dynamics of his existence within the first 5-10 minutes of the film. Not bad considering the movie run time is 2 hours and 24 minutes. The movie opens in a familiar superhero fashion, with an action-packed rescue scene that usually would be too big of a task for rookie superheroes. The movie starts in Gotham City, where Batman still reigns supreme and The Flash is the kid who has something to prove.
“The Flash” vs. “Spiderman: No Way Home” storylines
If you zoom all the way out, “The Flash” has some notable similarities to “Spiderman: No Way Home”. Both live in a world where superheroes are part of life, and they have fans that either love or hate them. The Flash and Spider-Man (also known as Peter Parker) were warned of the dangers of the multiverse if they pursue their respective missions but they decided to do it anyway.
The Flash travels to the past
The Flash (Barry) is still a little clumsy with his powers, so Batman is still the one to count on to save the day in this Gotham City. Still traumatized by the death of his mother and the wrongful incarceration of his father, Barry wanted to turn back time to save them both. The wiser Batman warned against the mission, but Barry did it anyway.
Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Comics.
Spider-Man brings the past to the present day
Spider-Man’s mentor-type figure in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is fellow Avenger, Dr. Strange. His best friends were not accepted into college due to their affiliation with Spider-Man, so Peter felt that the only way to fix the situation was to go to Dr. Strange for a memory-erasing spell. The spell did not go as planned, and instead of traveling back in time, Spider-Man opened a portal to the multiverse, where the timelines ran parallel.
The OG Michael Keaton Batman had his OG gear, and it was awesome
The Michael Keaton Batman brought back the classic yellow and black insignia on his armor and dusted off the old Batmobile to fight alongside The Flash on his mission. The classic theme song from the early “Batman” movies was weaved into the scenes at particular moments that felt organic and nostalgic.
Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Comics
The cameos
Some of the former Batmen from earlier films make cameos in “The Flash” that longtime DC fans were excited for. While Batman’s part in “The Flash” movie was emphasized in the trailers and promo for the movie, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” took a different approach to bring back former Spider-Men. Although speculation and leaks were hinting that cameos might be in order, it was the where, when, and how the Spider-Men teamed up that took audiences by surprise.
Marvel Comics and Sony Pictures
Final thoughts
For one of the first DC movies that I’ve taken an active interest in with higher expectations, “The Flash” did meet those expectations for me and I think Ezra Miller did a great job. I waited a week to start digging into Ezra Miller’s past because unfortunately, it did negatively affect my perspective on the actor. I’m not sure if I could watch another movie of his without thinking about the chaotic life of alleged assault, burglary, and odd behavior. I wish him well and hope he learns from his mistakes and works on his mental health so he can come back to the iconic character in the DC franchise.
I give “The Flash” an overall rating of B. With all the other twists and turns throughout the movie, it was fun to watch even with limited knowledge of the DC universe.
Here are the full trailers for “The Flash” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, and let me know if you agree with the comparisons!
Boy Band Big Time Rush just dropped a ten-track album called Another Life, featuring all new songs as the Big Time Rush TV show era of the band is starting to fade further away in their rearview mirror. With updated styles in their current-day music, Big Time Rush brought a throwback jam that Gen X and Elder Millennials should remember. The band is paying homage to the 1985 song “Party All the Time” performed by one of the biggest actors and legendary comedians in Hollywood, Eddie Murphy. The song is completely different from the original, but the infamous hook “I just want to party all the time” remains intact.
Eddie Murphy – “Party All the Time”, Cover
“I Just Want To (Party All the Time)” by Big Time Rush is a mix of familiar sounds with new lyrics and has the same BPM (135 beats per minute) as Eddie Murphy’s “Party All the Time”, so the two have the same pacing. The themes of the songs are almost completely opposite. Big Time Rush’s version is about the band members partying all the time. Eddie Murphy’s version is about a girl who is breaking his heart because all she wants to do is party all the time while he showers her with roses and diamonds. Big Time Rush adds a little 80s flare with a saxophone solo embedded in their song. The first verse (starting around 15 seconds on “I Just Want To (Party All the Time)” has a recognizable style of a simple bassline and drum cadence like in this part of “Circles” by Post Malone (starting around 20 seconds).
2023 vs. 1985
AP IMAGES/INVISION
It might come as a surprise to the younger generations that Eddie Murphy dabbled in music. When “Party All the Time” was released in 1985, Eddie was at the peak of his fame and popularity in Hollywood with his stand-up specials, Saturday Night Live appearances, his Grammy win for Best Comedy Album in 1984 and a successful season of Beverly Hills Cop. Toying with the idea of recording a few singles, it has been speculated that fellow comedian and trailblazer Richard Pryor bet Eddie Murphy $100,000 that he can’t create a hit song. Although “Party All the Time” was born with mixed reviews by critics, the fans say otherwise as the song has been called “timeless nostalgia” today and hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985. With the talented Rick James as the producer for the track, it was a losing bet from the start for Richard Pryor.
Big Time Rush’s Upcoming “Can’t Get Enough” Summer Tour
Photo: Big Time Rush / Live Nation
Big Time Rush is getting ready to embark on their “Can’t Get Enough” summer tour, dropping a 10-track album called Another Life – the first full-length independent release in 10 years for the band. Last year’s “Forever Tour” was hugely successful, leaning on their greatest hits with just a few new singles resulting in sold-out shows. It will be interesting to see the enthusiasm in the crowd for the songs on the new album that they will perform this time around and could be a predictor of whether their success has been held up by the greatest hits from the super popular Big Time Rush TV show on Nickelodeon or if the fans are ready to evolve with them and are true die-hard fans of Big Time Rush 2.0.
From “National Dog Dad Day” to “National Pop Goes the Weasel Day”, June is stacked full of awareness and appreciation days. If you are looking for a reason to have a get-together, check out this list of official and unofficial holidays in June that will surely have something for everyone.
June 3
Insect Repellent Awareness Day National Black Bear Day National Chocolate Macaroon Day National Egg Day National Prairie Day National Trails Day World Bicycle Day
June 4
International Corgi Day National Cancer Survivors Day National Cheese Day National Hug Your Cat Day
Flag Day International Bath Day Monkey Around Day National Bourbon Day National Pop Goes the Weasel Day National Strawberry Shortcake Day World Blood Donor Day
June 15
Global Wind Day National Career Nurse Assistants Day National Smile Power Day Nature Photography Day
June 16
Arborist Appreciation Day Fresh Veggies Day National Fudge Day World Sea Turtle Day
For the weekly and monthly observances, many are well known, and for good reason. Still, there are more lighthearted topics that make no sense or seem absurd but perhaps make for a really fun theme party.
National Nursing Assistants Week Lightning Safety Awareness Week National Fishing and Boating Week National Garden Week National Headache Awareness Week National Little League Baseball Week National Men’s Health Week National Roller Coaster Week National Tennis Week Pet Appreciation Week Stepparents’ Week
National Frozen Yogurt Month National Iced Tea Month National Mango Month National Men’s Health Month National Microchip Month National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month National PTSD Awareness Month Pride Month Professional Wellness Month Women’s Golf Month World Infertility Awareness Month
Check out the links below to see the full lists of June 2023 observances. Whether official, legit, or fabricated, these odd and entertaining awareness days gives us a reason to celebrate something.
Just having a little fun on this one. Of course deemed purely fictional, my escape from the real world is to watch TV and movies about different versions of a post-apocalyptic world that is worse than what is outside my front door.
The true fans of the comic book series and lower-budget movies are likely going to be annoyed that I’m even writing about zombies because I get most of my knowledge from movies, TV shows, and the book “The Zombie Survival Guide” by Max Brooks. Even the CDC has a satirical article about what to do should the zombie apocalypse takes place, which just adds to my love for the culture.
I will cover three of my favorite movies and shows – Walking Dead, World War Z, and I Am Legend – because I am still in awe of The Last of Us. In the meantime, I’ve been putting together a Zombie Apocalypse Survivor Plan. I’m assembling an Avengers-style supergroup to cover the different situations that I assume would be encountered. I have assigned roles to certain friends and they laugh it off, but perhaps I will have the final laugh when any of the fictional scenarios happen.
The Walking Dead
Gene Page/AMC
The Walking Dead called the zombies “Walkers“, which is fitting for the pace of their movements and how their transformation takes anywhere from three minutes to eight hours after death (in the TV version). These zombies can wander in every part of accessible land and are not affected by sunlight, so they can be encountered anywhere either alone or in groups. They are able to see and hear, but they aren’t as strong, and people armed with a simple sharp tool would be able to defend themselves unless outnumbered.
After 12 years of the show (2010 to 2022) learning how to deal with the “Walkers” wouldn’t be the biggest threat to the survivors. Every living person would be raiding abandoned homes for food, weapons, ammo, or a safe haven with water and a good amount of furniture to block the doors and windows. Eventually, one crew will run into another and there is no telling if they are good guys or bad guys. If they are lucky to escape the bad guys, they often have to start all over – finding weapons, food, and anything else they had taken from them. If the good guys find another group of good guys, they may find a nice place to post up until something comes along to add some drama to the mix. This article details the number of zombies that were taken out by the main characters.
The plan to survive: Construct a group that has people with a particular set of skills: gardening, hunting, negotiating, scavenging, weapon training, cooking, doctor, and experts in all kinds of items that can be used for self-defense besides guns.
I Am Legend
Copyright by Warner Bros.
I Am Legend is not a zombie movie but I put it in the same category for the purpose of this comparison. Watching the movie twice was all I could handle because I sobbed when Will Smith’s canine partner in crime was bitten and Will had to put him down in the middle of the transformation from dog to vampire. Seeing the post-apocalyptic world where vampires are the enemy is what makes the movie so fascinating. Will Smith’s character was immune to the virus allowing him to work on a cure, but this virus is much more dangerous because it is airborne and people can be infected simply by being in the vicinity of someone who is infected.
Based on the 1954 Richard Matheson’s novel I Am Legend, this 2007 version is the third time that this movie was attempted. This was also the first time that CGI was used for the adaptation likely a huge part of the movie’s success, bringing in nearly $600 million to the box office. That and Will Smith is one of the few strong actors that can carry the entire movie without a large supporting cast.
The movie starts with the typical chaos, dividing families and bombing cities and bridges. Years later and assumed to be the last man on earth, loneliness and unwavering determination to find a cure was Will Smith’s purpose for living. During the day, he lived a pretty normal life, golfing, hunting, cooking, and working out in his house. When the sun went down, the vampires known as the “Darkseekers” were so dangerous that both Will Smith and his dog curled up in a bathtub to hide until daylight. The “Darkseekers” were the most humanlike and intelligent of the other monsters mentioned here, able to do things like set traps and fight like humans – even appearing to have emotions. The most unique part of this movie is that it has two different endings that would have taken the movie in two very different directions.
The plan to survive: Do what you need to do during the day and then hunker down for a completely silent night. May the odds ever be in your favor. You’re on your own.
World War Z
Copyright by Paramount Pictures
In a matter of minutes, the recently retired scientist/investigator with the United Nations WMD Brad Pitt and his family are all together in the car playing a road trip game when chaos ensues. Brad used his government connections to get to a Navy vessel as a safe haven. He soon finds out that he either participates in the mission to find a cure or he and his family will have to be evicted.
These zombies are the worst. Fast, strong, travel towards the sound, and have the ability to turn a healthy human into a zombie within 12 seconds. Really tall walls didn’t do much if just one of these zombies hear something. That one sound would cause all the zombies in the area to charge towards the sound and get to the source however possible. In this movie, the zombies just climb on top of each other until they reach the wall and continue the chaos.
Copyright by Paramount Pictures
World War Z shows the really compact city life under siege in a matter of minutes with no concept of how to handle it. The movie (for the most part) happens in real-time, with everyone in charge weighing different options as they arise and acting on them nearly immediately. They didn’t have time to grab a bunch of armor, they acted on what needed to happen and figured out everything else along the way.
The plan to survive: Stay silent in a high-rise apartment and hope things get better, or be a smart scientist and expert in your field so you get special treatment and security from the government in exchange for safety for your family. The zombies are worse, but the odds of survival do seem better because of the speed at which they figure everything out.
It’s World War Z for me
Copyright by Paramount Pictures
Out of The Walking Dead, I Am Legend, and World War Z, I like the odds in World War Z. Possibly because it seems like the most realistic in how there are scientists and military aren’t completely clueless, therefore neutralized immediately. I’d like to think the military and government would have some kind of plan or would have figured out that zombie bites equal more zombies. The best of the military, the United Nations, and scientists could come together for the priority to find and bring together to have the brightest minds together to figure out a cure as fast as possible. Brad Pitt fits the role of World War Z, and he seems more resourceful and fearless by the way he makes observations in the middle of chaos and rallies everyone to put their trust in him.
Amongst my friends across the country, I’ve jokingly asked for their commitment to join the Zombie Squad that I am constructing that would lead to the best odds of survival if left with nothing but bare hands to start over and navigate to the safest possible place to set up camp. I have no skills besides being able to negotiate, so I should learn how to plant a garden or raise chickens or something. Otherwise, I’ll be the one hiding in the cabinets hoping everything will work itself out.
The Guardians came together for one last time on a mission, leading up to major decisions that would change their respective worlds, and no one amongst these ride-or-die best friends told each other yet.
This Time It Is Personal
It has been confirmed everywhere that this would be the final Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. For Volume 3, their mission was not to defend and save a world that needed help. If there were ever questions about how Rocket became the walking, talking, fighting, and intelligent member of the Guardians, Volume 3 is where the answers can be found.
Marvel Studios – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3
The movie opens with a bit of a somber look into a regular day of the crew (minus Gamora). Star-Lord is still dealing with Gamora’s death by getting blackout drunk and having to be carried to his bed to sleep it off. No one was expecting any kind of attack, but a villain from Vol. 2, the gold, flying mama’s boy Adam Warlock came in seeking revenge by orders of his mother, Ayesha. Adam Warlock was created to be the perfect Sovereign, one of the strongest in the Marvel Universe. His destruction of the Guardians of the Galaxy’s town was one thing, but the team was immediately activated by passion, urgency, and fear when the attack on Rocket was so severe that he only had 48 hours to live. As he fought for his life, the rest set out to retrieve the code that will disarm the kill switch that was built into his body when he was a young raccoon used as one of hundreds of animals tested by High Evolutionary to make a perfect being for society.
Marvel Studios – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3Marvel Studios – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3
Adorable Animals and Innocent Children Were Still The Test Subjects After Rocket Escaped
This was Rocket’s movie. If you love animals, bring tissues. I cried at least four times when Rocket would have flashbacks while sedated waiting for his friends to come back with the cure. The flashbacks had everything from the scientists operating on him, throwing him in jail, and making friends with three other animals that experienced the same thing – torture for the purpose of experimentation to find the right formula for a perfect being. They were told that they were going to be released. The four failed experiments formed a strong friendship until Rocket finds out the truth about their fate and tries to do something to save his other animal test subject friends. He was unsuccessful, and his friends were killed at the hands of the High Evolutionary.
Marvel Studios – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3
All Hands on Deck
The Guardians of the Galaxy were on their most passionate mission yet and determined to do anything and everything to do it. I was a little confused about the return of Gamora, but I was too focused on trying to follow their paths around the galaxy to different planets and what each planet had that was needed to keep Rocket alive. Obstacles were plenty, but the determination to save a best friend is a different kind of mission that the Guardians of the Galaxy could not lose.
Marvel Studios – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3
And then the first ever F-bomb in the MCU was dropped, and Chris Pratt was the chosen one to do it. I think it was said in the safest scene for the F-bomb to be dropped. It wasn’t during an action scene, it wasn’t directed at any particular person. I think it is safe to say that the word was placed in the dialog where tensions and frustrations are high, making it very mild and pretty harmless to young fans.
Marvel Studios – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3Marvel Studios – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3
The actual bad guy High Evolutionary was becoming more obsessed by the day, with finding Rocket to use for more experimentation by taking his brain to continue researching. The Guardians barely made it, but it was touch and go at the very moment they were trying to save him. I was sobbing at this point. Luckily it was the 3D version so no one could really me crying with the dark 3D glasses.
Love and Purpose
I was satisfied with how everything was wrapped up. The Guardians of the Galaxy disbanded on their own accord, the soundtrack was amazing and the little jokes were still sprinkled in. Maybe a little too many considering that they were on an extremely tight timeline for a really important purpose. But when you add innocent animals, caged children, and each of the Guardians discovering each other’s true purpose, it was a sad, meaningful, heartwarming, tale fitting for the last volume of one of the best franchises in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
I’ll leave the rest of the storyline out so that this whole article isn’t a spoiler. But seriously, bring tissues. Check out the trailer here!
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.
Super Mario Bros is the latest video game adaptation movie to come out, and it is one that I was only mildly interested in despite it being made for me. I tried running through my head all of the Mario games I had played. Super Mario 1,2,3 on NES, Super Mario World, Super Mario Allstars, Super Mario RPG, Mario Kart on SNES, Mario 64, Smash Bros, Mario Party, Mario Kart 64 on the N64, Super Mario Sunshine, Paper Mario, and Smash on Gamecube, Mario Galaxy 1,2, Smash and Party on Wii, Mario Maker and Mario 3d on Wii U, and Odyssey and Smash on Switch. It was a much longer list than I thought. And of course, my name is Mario, so I have lived with Mario my whole life.
Special thanks to Mario Vargas for the guest post!
I think my relative apathy towards the movie is mainly because the game has no real story, so what could the movie be about? The casting of Chris Pratt was one of the craziest moments of last year. I just watched the Super Mario Bros. Movie, and most of my movie party either fell asleep or missed a bunch of action while they went to the restroom. So why did they decide to make the Mario movie now? I guess Nintendo is finally branching out; they made their first IOS app in 2016. 7 years is not quite the development cycle of an animated movie. There’s no big Nintendo console, no new Mario game. So why did they make it? My conclusion: because they could. Not like, just because they can, but because the formula for a good adaptation/nerd culture movie is set and pretty bulletproof.
What Makes a Video Game Adaptation Successful
To me, the key to a good adaptation comes down to 3 things. 1: Respect for the IP. 2: Respect for the fans. 3: A point of view or a story to tell. You need a good amount of all of them to make a good adaptation.
1: Respect for the IP is not to be taken lightly, yet it seems to be the first thing that is to blame when the movie is terrible. For the purpose of this example, I’m going to use the DC extended Universe from my perspective so I’m not doing a ton of research here. My first takeaway from Batman vs Superman, aside from how weird it was, was that they got Batman so wrong. Batman doesn’t use guns and doesn’t kill, he’s the world’s greatest detective. He’s not usually thought of as a tech genius, but in BvS he’s an idiot and a murderous psychopath. When I first said that the response was, well what if I wasn’t a Batman fan and didn’t know that about him? For BvS, the movie was pretty terrible even without that baggage. But the character is defined by their source material, and deviating from that too many changes and likely ruins the character.
Julia Lepetit and Andrew Bridgman from Dorkly
To me, the key to a good adaptation comes down to 3 things. 1: Respect for the IP. 2: Respect for the fans. 3: A point of view or a story to tell. You need a good amount of all of them to make a good adaptation.
2: Respect for the fans is of utmost importance. This goes hand in hand with respect for the IP. The DCEU example is how they didn’t like Martian Manhunter and thought their fans of them were nerds. The other example is when people write off plot holes as “This is a kid’s movie, who cares”. Attention to detail is the name of the game when it comes to nerd culture. After every superhero or video game movie or show, the first place I go is to YouTube to watch an easter egg video on it. The little things in the background are what bring people to the theater multiple times.
3: Most movies start as a corporate plan to make money, sell toys, and nowadays expand the franchise. If that’s all the movie has to offer, it will not have the impact or staying power. The Illumination team and the actual creator of Super Mario Bros Shigeru Miyamoto were in lockstep for every element of the cast, movie, decisions…everything.
Super Mario Bros – Illumination & Nintendo
Using my own three qualifications for a successful adaptation, Super Mario Bros was a success.
1: The Super Mario Bros movie held the utmost respect for the franchise and Nintendo IP in general. It didn’t have to do much since the games have been in HD 3D graphics for a while, but they didn’t change things much. I thought there were a few ways to handle the video game world. They could adapt the characters to a heightened version of the real world, which is how the movie started. They could make it all in the video game world where they are just regular people in a crazy world. They settled on the portal to another dimension, similar to the Sonic movie. I think it was the easy way out, but as I said before, the formula for these movies is proven to work, and for something of this much international, multigenerational influence, it was the right call. But it does leave the door open for anything to happen in the sequel, as the worlds merged together in the end, which I am excited about.
Creator of Mario Bros Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination Founder and CEO Chris Meladandri
2. They did well here to change Mario’s voice from the Linda Belcher voice in the first teaser. It ended up mostly harmless, but also not a great case for why it was Chris Pratt. It reminded me of Jack Black in Shark Tale, they sounded different from themselves but nothing special. What was special in this case was Jack Black as Bowser. He made his voice a little deeper but kept the fun and goofiness, plus let him sing a bit and it was great. They also managed to bring in elements from the most popular Nintendo games that felt organic. They used the vast library of great music from the games to add to the nostalgia. They came up with a new spin on the Bowser/Princess story and Peach’s origin as well, which I think worked ok for the world-building.
3. They made Mario a sort of Steve Rogers type, the little guy with a giant heart that never gives up and fights for good. They made Mario and Luigi a duo that believes in each other and I was excited when they beat up Bowser together in the end. They also added an….interesting family plotline, where Mario and Luigi were struggling to get their family’s support.
I did really enjoy it. It was fun, gorgeous to watch, well-paced, and full of details and easter eggs that this movie requires. My gripes: the intro with the fight against the dog was stressful. We’re supposed to laugh at this dog going after them but I was just worried about the damage they’re causing in the expensive New York apartment. Why make Mario hate mushrooms? Other than that, it was better than it needed to be.
I think this type of movie, with the budget and cast and decades of success as a franchise, has a high floor. Like how most games reviewed rarely dip below a 7/10, I think the Super Mario Movie couldn’t be that bad. I would probably put it at 9/10. Bright, beautiful action, fast-paced with a core of a brotherly bond that was hinted at early but was mostly in the background during an enjoyable ride of nostalgia.
Call it fate, a coincidence or pure luck, the collaboration between Phillip Good and John Stella on their new track “Simon Says” was the magic that made the song something special.
But in reality, the pieces of the puzzle for independent artists are hardly based on good luck. Of the 100,000 songs that are uploaded to streaming services every day by the mainstream heavy hitters like Beyoncé as well as the independent artists taking the leap and uploading their first song, being able to stand out enough to chart #88 on Apple Music’s Top 100 in any of the genres is a feat that should be celebrated.
Phillip Good and John Stella have musical tastes across the spectrum, from country to hip-hop to pop. Phillip just started into music about two years ago, accelerated by a bunch of viral TikToksthat sparked his new passion, leaving the world of sales to go full time into the new career. Relocation across state lines, networking and finding a crew in Fort Myers, FL was only the start to the grind, and he is determined to keep going strong.
Phillip Good
John Stella’s musical talents came much earlier in his life, learning to play the guitar and other instruments that set a strong foundation for the complexity that often comes with the territory of producing music. John was able to transfer the musicianship into learning how to produce on his own, making the process of laying down a new track much more streamlined for everyone.
John Stella
It wasn’t as much about luck as it was about hitting the streets and meeting people in person; that old-school type marketing and promo that was popular back before social media when there were artists handing out mixtapes in hope of gaining momentum to build a fan base that will grab the attention of record labels.
“Let’s just go out and just let’s just try to like manhandle people and just make them download [the song], right there, and I’m gonna give them $1. And worst case scenario, we get 200 people. We don’t hit iTunes, but we get 200 people that are going to be listening to our music now,” Phillip said.
“It’s so easy in this music industry to think that you should be handed everything just because you’re doing this and you’re doing that. But now you got to put yourself out there”, John said. “It takes a long time to be comfortable in your own skin you know, and especially in music. I’m so proud with where I came from but I wouldn’t be anywhere if it wasn’t for my friends and my family.”
As Phillip Good and John Stella forge ahead with more collaborations and individual projects set for release this year, the skills that they are learning from each other, from their peers, from their campaigns, and from their new fans are allowing them to refine their brands and grow them with passion, pride and positivity knowing that they have nowhere to go but up.
After nearly a decade, the Nickelodeon nostalgia has returned for Gen Z in a major way. Now in their early 30s, the four members of Big Time Rush – Kendall, James, Carlos and Logan – made their official return in 2021, with new music and a few concerts to test the appetite of the fans. The stakes were really high to come back as a boy band in a post-One Direction and post-COVID new normal, but their Gen Z fans welcomed them back with open arms – and Big Time Rush may be picking up two generations of new ones.
Big-Time Rush Forever Tour 2022 – photo by Andrew Rauner
Where it all started
Big Time Rush was one of the biggest TV shows on Nickelodeonfrom 2009-2013, right in the middle of the “Make it to Hollywood” kid shows. Kendall, James, Logan and Carlos – four best friends on a journey to fame – centered around the actors doing the hard work to get there. Now after almost 10 years, the return of Big Time Rush has been majorly successful, selling out Madison Square Garden, touring all over the world and most notably – being independentof the corporate giants that previously held the rights to the Big Time Rush music catalog.
Big Time Rush – 2010 Big Time Rush 2021
Looking back, it’s seems like the TV show and music tour combo was acting as a proof of concept for how social media strengthens brands and their fans. *In 2009-2013, Facebook existed and Instagram was just picking up steam. Snapchat was finding its sweet spot in social media and TikTok did not exist. The only way fans of the pre-teen age were able to safely access the off-screen lives of their favorite famous people was through the easily guarded, parent-approved cable TV channel, Nickelodeon. Big Time Rush expanded to live concerts, playing the songs featured in the episodes of the TV show, giving fans the opportunity to see Kendall, James, Logan and Carlos go from the screen to the stage in real life.
The decision to end the show was not due to low ratings or cancelation of the series. Their popularity was still amazing for the show and in the music world. The guys of Big Time Rush were about 22 years old when the show ended, and it was the perfect time to take a break before the world of social media took over (chart 1). The TV show strengthened their credibility as musicians and now the music is accessible at anytime with the rise of streaming music services.
*Chart 1/Credit: Big Time Rush
After Big Time Rush went off the air, the guys went on to pursue their own passions, but they never quit the band.
“I really believe everything happens for a reason. First off we really needed to go and explore our own individual artistry whether it’s music or acting like we went off and did a bunch of our own projects which fulfilled us and made us more confident.” – James Maslow
Kendall Schmidt returned to Heffron Drive.
After the Big Time Rush show ended, Kendall jumped back into Heffron Drive(a band he started back in 2008 with his best friend Dustin Belt) without skipping a beat. He started venturing back into acting, and in 2016 did a four-episode run on the Nickelodeon show “School of Rock” (among other acting gigs).
Photo by Gabriel Olsen
Logan Henderson released music as a solo artist.
Logan took a few years off from the public after Big Time Rush ended. He focused more on music and experimented with a different sound that was described as “dark grunge pop”, and successfully released a number of singles. His first single “Sleepwalker” marked his debut as a solo artist with more music and albums that followed.
Logan Henderson on Spotify
Carlos stayed busy with a little bit ofeverything.
Carlos stayed pretty active since the end of the show. He released his first solo Spanish music single, “Electrico” in early 2014 and took on some acting roles while simultaneously taking more of the family route. He and his wife Alexa are parents to three beautiful children who are a sweet part of their life journey that can be seen on their vlog, “La Vida PenaVega”. Other popular roles that Carlos took on was on Fox’s “Grease Live!” where he played Kenickie, as well as as a voice roles on Nickelodeon’s “Loud House” and “Casagrandes” as “Bobby Santiago”.
Carlos PenaVega as the voice of Bobby SantiagoCourtesy of ABC / Dancing With the Stars Season 21Tommy Garcia/FOX
James went the acting route then started to add music back in the mix
James went on to more acting-focused projects along with a few reality shows like Dancing with the Stars and Celebrity Big Brother. He had some success in the streaming/TV world with “Sequestered” and movies including “Getaway“ staring alongside Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez. After a few acting gigs, James focused on his music and released his first album as a solo artist, “How I like It”.
SequesteredDancing with the StarsCelebrity Big Brother
What the data says
OG Big Time Rush fans 2012-ishOG Big Time Rush fans in 2022
Using Google Trends, data shows growth of social media platform search terms reached its peak of interest when the Big Time Rush show was off the air (chart 2). These past ten years have been the social media post-high school ages for Gen Z leaving little access to any updates or content from Big Time Rush. Today, access to behind the scenes content, streaming the show on Netflix and the music on Spotify are right there for Gen Z to remember those good ol’ days.
*Chart 2/Credit: Big Time Fresh
TikTok and the Pandemic may have beneficial for Big Time Rush
Another factor that may be contributing to the success of their return was the introduction of TikTok, right in the middle of the pandemic. The stress of the world and the lockdowns of the cities forced a lot of people to find entertainment at home. The return of Big Time Rush was scheduled to be in 2020 but was pushed off to 2021 so the announcement was also postponed. But with the virality of social media today, the short video was instead released in 2021 and the rumors of when they would be back started circulating the internet.
Independence – at a cost
“We had a dream of hey how can we own the brand do it our way,” – James Maslow, Interview with Zach Sang Show
Once the band made the decision to pursue the comeback, one of the first major hurdles would be actually buying the rights to the Big Time Rush music from Nickelodeon, Sony and a couple other invested entities behind the Big Time Rush brand. They were successful in getting those rights back, and now the full creative control was left to the band.
“There was a Big Time Rush Instagram… @bigtimerush …which was ran by these two lovely fans who really did a great job for a long time of posting pictures of us and kind of keeping us going,” Kendall explained. “Nickelodeon or Sony didn’t have the Instagram, the Spotify had been hacked by some kid named Luigi…he was marketing his own music on the Big Time Rush [Spotify]”. – Kendall Schmidt, Interview with Zach Sang Show
The Rushers love the band members no matter what, because their humble, fun and genuine personalities didn’t really change
With the Nickelodeon funded concerts, I remember trampolines, matching outfits and opening the show with the song “Windows Down“. This tour in 2022 had trampolines and opened with “Windows Down”, followed by over an hour of the greatest hits with four new songs. Their newest music videos were essentially free to make, using the videos from existing footage and combined into a compilation of concert moments. Essentally, Big Time Rush is saving tons of money with no negative impact on their brand from the fans. As far as their outfits go… sometimes they dressed like they came straight from the gym, sometimes they were coordinated, and sometimes they all took their shirts off because it was so damn hot outside this summer.
Big-Time Rush Forever Tour 2022Big Time Rush Forever Tour 2022 (Houston)Big Time Rush Forever Tour 2022 (Houston).
Point is, no one cared. The fans weren’t there for the flash. If anything their low key wardrobe choices worked in their favor, boosting their credibility as the “guys we know and love” and not the super choreographed, matching leather jackets and red accented pants from back in the day with that Nickelodeon money that clearly made them sweat like crazy. They make their own rules – the beauty of being independent artists – and have extended their tour Worldwide.
I’m going to Call it Like I See It; Big Time Rush made some risky strategic decisions making their way back to the public, heavily dependent upon the fans. Even though there were no new episodes of Big Time Rush after 2013, each of the actor’s popularity spiked when appearing on mainstream TV indexing nearly as high as when Big Time Rush was on the air indicating that their fans were uniquely loyal to the actors, not just the show. Big Time Rush has been a big part of Gen Z’s popular culture where watching Nickelodeon was still “cool” and social media was being introduced with age limits. Since the actors decided to end the show in 2013 rather than it being canceled, the nostalgia factor plays a big part in their successful return in 2022. And while the show was airing exclusively on Nickelodeon, the lyrics to the songs had to be free of any explicit connotations. Because of this, they have the potential to capture fans in the adjacent younger Gen Alpha and their Millennial parents in 2022 (chart 3).
*Chart 3/Credit: Big Time Fresh
As of today Big Time Rush is one of the only boy bands to return with huge success in an open market without the other boy bands and returned before it was too late. The TV show was the boot camp that prepared them for this and brought the boys together as a tight knit family who experienced everything together. They continue to embrace learning along the way with the confidence and brotherly support with their self-assembled team – all hungry to do this on their own.
For longevity and multi-generational success, my opinion is that Big Time Rush should lean on the style of their current catalog of music for the young fans (Gen Alpha), and incorporate lyrics with a little more edge and a sound that captures current day trends in any new songs for the Gen Z fans. Fans in Gen Z are adults now, so there are no parents to block explicit lyrics, but if Big Time Rush was to change their music to be too explicit, the young Gen Alpha might have to listen to something else until they are older. The brand new younger fans streaming Big Time Rush on Netflix for the first time are living that very same feeling that Gen-Z is so fond of.
Big Time Rush has a trifecta for revenue potential with the adjacent generations. Gen Z’s beloved TV boy band lyrics are kid tested (Gen Alpha), mother approved (Millennials) and – even if you didn’t watch the show – forever etched in Gen Z pop culture history.
But fear not, Rushers. Big Time Rush isNot Giving You Up. Not now, not ever.
Check out the awesome interview with Big Time Rush on the Zach Sang Show here.
PS: Apologies for the annoying puns but since my daughter and I are huge fans we were trying to find ways to have the name of Big Time Rush songs inserted into the article. Can you find them all?
For the purpose of this article, here are the sources and methodology for the analysis:
Gen Z age = 10 years old in 2010.
Millennials age = 24 years old in 2010.
Gen Alpha (born 2013 or later) are mostly children with Millennial parents
“Social Media” is an average of the combined indices of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. Not ideal for comparison, but visually should be relevant enough.
The numbers represent how often the search term was used weighted on 0-100 for months of January 2010 – November 2022. For example, between January 2010 and November 2022, the month with the most google searches for “Big Time Rush” was November 2011
I’m the elder Millennial. My daughter is the younger Gen Alpha. Neither of our generations grew up with Big Time Rush. But we are just as obsessed as the Gen Z kids who grew up with them.
Forever Summer Tour 2022
The show, the characters and the music will all be covered in this ongoing topic series of my blog here, with support from my 8 year old as the Forever Summer Tour 2022 hits the road soon and we countdown the days until our tour stop.
How it Started
My daughter asked me one day after school if she could put on Big Time Rush on Netflix. She said I would like it but I definitely did not think a Nickelodeon show from 2009-2013 would be something I would get into in my 30s. I gave it a shot, and it was game over. Since then we learned all the songs and can match them with the episodes. Super-fans for real. Big Time Rush played non-stop on our way to and from school and literally anywhere else.
The premise of the show is four boys from Minnesota land an audition for James, the one who wants to be famous. Kendall, Carlos and Logan came along for the ride. They were working as actors in the TV show and singers in a boy band, which is literally two full time jobs. Their charming and lovable personalities made it a fun show that I could watch with my 10 year old, and I was drawn to the nostalgia of my generations obsession with NSYNC and Backstreet Boys.
So I decided it was worth it to go “all out” for their concert. I bought tickets to the Houston show where we will be sitting in the fourth row and going as a VIP to meet and greet Big Time Rush. Its a scenario where we know the characters on a show and the singers on stage, but now we are breaking down that fourth wall to meet the people who are actors. Multiverse.
