The MacGuffin

It is amazing to think that in the last five years, Iron Man has gone from being just another character on the comic page to the crown jewel in Marvel’s movie stable. In large part this success has been achieved by the iconic title performance by Robert Downey Jr., but the series has also produced some of the most consistently fun comic movies to come out in the last few years. This all reached a fever pitch with last year’s release of The Avengers, so it only feels logical that the first film to try to pick up the mantle after that would be the latest adventure in the Iron Man saga, Iron Man 3.

Two days into CinemaCon—the convention formerly known as ShoWest—the studio presentations have been full of action and surprises. CinemaCon is the yearly convention for the National Association of Theater Owners, but it has also become a platform for the major studios to showcase their upcoming lineups. I’m going to give a taste of the sights and sounds, but try to keep as much of the mystery box intact as possible.

It was with great anticipation that I awaited Paul Feig’s follow-up to Bridesmaids. While not the first of its kind, that film proved that female raunch comedies could be profitable. Feig has long been one of my favorite directors, as throughout his career he has cultivated a reputation as both a talented filmmaker and an innovator. Continuing his tradition of going against the grain, Feig is now taking on the buddy cop movie with The Heat. It’s an arena that has long be dominated by male stars, but he has two powerful resources at his disposal in Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy.

In honor of Safe House, Spencer and Greg discuss Denzel Washington. Then they look at cops who play by their own rules, before giving DVD picks of the week.