guardians of the galaxy

Marvel stars Chris Pratt and Chris Evans—Seahawks and Patriots fans, respectively—made a bet on Twitter on which of their teams would win the Super Bowl. At stake? The loser would have to visit a local charity dressed as their superhero. The Patriots beat the Seahawks in dramatic fashion, so Pratt, in full Star-Lord costume, lived up to his end of the bargain and visited Christopher's Haven, a home for kids and their families battling cancer in Boston.

Sorry, Star-Lord. Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ was just passed by ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay’ as the highest grossing film of 2014. And, making that feat all the more impressive: ‘Mockingjay’ reached that mark in just 62 days, without the help of 3D or IMAX.

It’s that time of the year, when pop culture websites and critics publish their annual Best Of lists and we heap praise on the best and most beloved movies and TV shows of the year. But what about the average moviegoer and TV-viewer? That’s where Facebook comes in. The social media site has released their top 10 movies and top 10 TV shows of the year, based on the most discussed titled of 2014. While some are fairly obvious, the lists might surprise you and inspire you to contemplate the overlap between what’s popular and what’s actually good.

A few weeks ago, this column was skeptical that Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' could reach $300 million. Now, it seems impossible that it won't. Thanks to ecstatic word of mouth, killer marketing and only one genuinely successful box office challenger (that would be 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'), Marvel's oddball space opera has managed to spend three of the past four weekends at the number one spot at the box office, giving it enough momentum to officially become the highest grossing film of 2014.

One of the big cliffhangers teased at the end of 'Guardians of the Galaxy' was the identity of Star-Lord's father. This left me slightly confused in the theater considering Quill's father in the comics - J'son - was widely known and largely uninteresting. But, director James Gunn is going on the record as saying that 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2' will veer from comic book canon and create a new identity for Peter Quill, including a new dad. So, who is Star-Lord's father?

30 years after their comic book debut and several decades since they last ruled the box office, the 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' returned this week and proved that they're as relevant and popular as ever. Although many people wondered if the turtles would have the power to overtake Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' it now seems obvious in retrospect: of course they could...

Up until the day it opened, 'Guardians of the Galaxy' was a big question mark at the box office. Could Marvel Studios continue its winning streak with a movie based on a practically unknown comic series that only has light connections to the rest of the films in their cinematic universe...

You may not recognize his name, but you definitely will recognize his booming voice. Travis Willingham turns 32 years old today, and he has made a lucrative career out of doing voiceovers in some of the most popular cartoons and video games...