Listen, any Joe Schmo can watch weekday movies on Showcase. But it take a special kind of beloved genius superhero to watch our weekend movies. A beloved genius superhero that goes by the name of YOU.

The Matrix Reloaded – Friday, May 11, 10pm, plus Saturday, May 12, 3am
Fast & Furious – Saturday, May 12, 1am and 2pm, plus Sunday, May 13, 12am
Titanic (2012 Miniseries) – Saturday, May 12, 8pm (pt. 1) and 9pm (pt. 2), plus Sunday, May 13, 7pm (pt. 3) and 8pm (pt. 4)
Paul Blart: Mall Cop – Saturday, May 12, 4pm and 10pm, plus Sunday, May 13, 2am

The Matrix Reloaded
The cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss
The Showcase synopsis: “Neo and the rebel leaders estimate that they have 72 hours until 250,000 probes discover Zion and destroy it and its inhabitants.”
The dad pun Twitter hashtag: #YAYtrix!

Did you honestly think those pesky robo-alien things were put in their place at the end of the first Matrix movie? Not on your life, Jack! They’re back, they’ve defragged their hard drives, and they’re more than a little robo-pissed at Morpheus and the gang. Sure, nasty Agent Smith regularly refers to Neo as “Mr. Anderson,” but I reckon he’s being more sarcastic than respectful when he says it. Trust me, there’s no love lost between those two dudes. Which makes this film triple-fried awesome.

Bonus! Evil twin rasta albino ghost dudes!

                  Not to be confused with the promotional poster for ‘White Chicks.’  

The cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster
The Showcase synopsis: “Brian O'Conner, now working for the FBI in LA, teams up with Dominic Toretto to bring down a heroin importer.”
The dad pun Twitter hashtag: #Vintastic!

A lot of folks in this world are either fast OR furious. Speedy Gonzales? Fast. Glenn Beck? Furious. The speed of light? Fast. The birds from Angry Birds? Furious. The list goes on ad infinitum. Ah, but precious few can claim to be both fast AND furious. Which makes Vin Diesel and his rogue band of car-snatchers some “serious freakin’ outliers,” to quote professional nerd Malcolm Gladwell. As such, we owe them our respect, our gratitude, and most of all, our weekend viewership.

                                                The heads. Never, ever piss off the heads.

Titanic (2012 Miniseries)

The cast: Peter McDonald, Steven Waddington, Glen Blackhall    
The Showcase synopsis: “This epic four-part miniseries is an extraordinary re-telling of that doomed voyage, cleverly weaving action, mystery and romantic plots featuring fictional and historical characters, before coming together in an unforgettable finale.”
The dad pun Twitter hashtag: #It’sASinkerButNotAStinker!

As much as I loved the 1997 film version of Titanic, there’s something exciting about re-telling the tale of the doomed cruiseliner without the use of James Cameron’s ego, Leo DiCaprio’s scrawny 22-year-old physique, and Billy Zane’s questionable hair. Plus, do you know how many freakin’ times Jack and Rose say the words “Jack” and “Rose” in that movie? Like a jillion. That number sounds exaggerated and made up, but it’s not. A JILLION. Which is why I’ve bought myself a ticket to hop on board the fantastic 2012 Titanic miniseries. A one-way ticket though, obviously. (*)

• (*) Too soon?

        “What’s a seven-letter word for ‘snow-formed glacier’? … Never mind, it’ll come to me.”

The cast: Kevin James, Keir O'Donnell, Jayma Mays
The Showcase synopsis: “When a shopping mall is overtaken by a gang of organized crooks, it's up to a mild-mannered security guard to save the day.”
The dad pun Twitter hashtag: #I’llCOPtoLovingThis!

Kevin James isn’t just the go-to guy when a TV series or movie needs a blue-collar schlub. He’s the go-to guy when AMERICA needs a blue-collar schlub. Maybe it’s his stocky physique and questionable Billy Zane hair. Maybe it’s the way he’s more than just a little awkward around attractive women. Most likely though, it’s the fact that every last one of us has a little Kevin James inside, just as the universe intended.

Is Kevin James a mall cop named Paul Blart? Sure. But more accurately, we ALL are.

I don't want to upset anyone, but the Dal, the clubhouse, and the other locations frequently featured in Lost Girl aren't real. They do look real though, and it's all thanks to the set design. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at how the set department makes it happen:



That's the end of our Making Of series - if you missed any make sure to check them out (The Making of an Episode, Props, Wardrobe, Hair & Makeup, Stunts), and make sure to stay with Showcase.ca over the summer for all the latest Lost Girl news.

In honour of May The Fourth Be With You weekend, we here at Showcase will not be playing any of the Star Wars prequels. Especially Attack of the Clones. You’re welcome. Enjoy these delightful films instead.

The Losers – Friday, May 4, 10pm, plus Saturday, May 5, 2:30am
Fantastic Four – Saturday, May 5, 12am and 1:30pm
Stranger in My Bed – Saturday, May 5, 8pm
The Hangover – Saturday, May 5, 10pm, plus Sunday, May 6, 2am
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer – Saturday, May 5, 4pm, plus Sunday, May 6, 12am and 4am

The Losers
The cast: Idris Elba, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
The Showcase synopsis: “After being betrayed and left for dead, members of a CIA black ops team root out those who targeted them for assassination.”
The dad pun Twitter hashtag: #TheLosersIsAWinner!

The Losers is one of three (3!) Chris Evans movies Showcase has for you this weekend. Dude’s pretty much a five-layer burrito of awesome, especially in this flick. Plus, toss a little Zoe Saldana in the mix and Sweet Georgia Brown, sh*t’s about to get REAL! If you’ve ever thought about messing with the CIA’s elite black ops, let this film be a cautionary tale.

Fantastic Four
The cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, Jessica Alba
The Showcase synopsis: “A group of astronauts gain superpowers after exposure to cosmic radiation, and must use them against their enemy: Doctor Victor Von Doom.”
The dad pun Twitter hashtag: #FantasticFourThumbsUp!

Historically, very few astronauts have accrued superpowers as a result of cosmic radiation. Sure, the Van Allen belt can be a nuclear pain in the arse to fly through, but even the old Apollo and Sputnik vessels were painted with lead or something, thus keeping passengers snug, comfy, and free of cellular damage.

Alas, no such luck for the Fantastic Four, those poor irradiated bastards. On the plus side, the toxic cosmic particles have left them with some seriously sweet-arse abilities, which are exactly what this planet needs to fend off that dastardly so-and-so, Dr. Doom! The moral of the story? A) Fantastic Four is a seriously cool flick, and B) dental x-rays can make you an all-powerful saviour of humankind! (*)

The cast: Jamie Luner, Chris Kramer, Ivan Cermak        
The Showcase synopsis: “To escape her abusive spouse, Sarah fakes her own death and flees. Sadly, it doesn't take her estranged husband long to get wise and hunt her down.”
The dad pun Twitter hashtag: #HopIntoTHISBed!

So yep, Stranger in My Bed sees our protagonist Sarah faking her own death to flee an abusive spouse. Some people might find this course of action extreme. To them I say “pish!” If anything, people aren’t faking their death enough in this stressful world. I’ve faked my own death to avoid taking out the recycling. Hell, one time I faked my own death to get out of seeing Double Jeopardy, a movie about a guy who fakes his own death. I’m not sure if that’s ironic or meta, but I do know this: I didn’t have to see freakin’ Double Jeopardy. So I win.

The cast: Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms
The Showcase synopsis: “A Las Vegas-set comedy centered around three groomsmen who lose their about-to-be-wed buddy during their drunken misadventures, then must retrace their steps in order to find him.”
The dad pun Twitter hashtag: #Hangtastic!

Those boys from The Hangover sure do find themselves in a good heap of trouble on occasion! And I say this as card-carrying authority on the subject, having seen a little film I like to call The Hangover II. But we’re not here to talk about sequels; we’re here to talk about the original, classic The Hangover.

The Hangover is such a great film, it makes The Hangover II look like The Hangover! Does that make sense? Possibly not. But it doesn’t make my awesome point any less valid.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

The cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon
The Showcase synopsis: “Marvel's first family of superheroes, the Fantastic Four, meets their greatest challenge yet when intergalactic herald the Silver Surfer comes to Earth to prepare it for destruction.”
The dad pun Twitter hashtag: #Don’tTurfTHISsurf!

Every single frame of this movie is like an awesome Pink Floyd album cover.