youth Archives

AppWizard

April 27, 2025

Mucking with Movies: ‘A Minecraft Movie’

“A Minecraft Movie” has sparked a debate among younger audiences and has become popular with teenagers, largely due to Jack Black’s character, Steve, and his catchphrase “Chicken Jockey.” The film is compared to cult classics like “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and may find a place in cult film festivals. Casting director Rachel Tenner successfully paired Jason Momoa and Jack Black, whose chemistry is highlighted by director Jared Hess. Momoa plays Garret, a former arcade champion, and their interactions are comedic, although the film struggles with energy when they are not together. Black’s humor and Momoa’s voice add depth to their characters. The film opens with a monologue from Black, but suffers from pacing issues and underutilized subplots. It has a critic score of 7.5/10 and has successfully engaged young audiences, making it a family-friendly entertainment option.

AppWizard

April 22, 2025

MINECRAFT© MOVIE NIGHT HIGHLIGHTS CHIHUAHUAS HOMESTAND

The Chihuahuas are set to play against the Sacramento River Cats at Southwest University Park starting April 22, 2025. The series includes Youth Baseball Night with a pregame parade, a tribute to Jackie Robinson, food and beverage specials from Cazadores, and discounts for military and first responders. A midweek matinee is scheduled for Wednesday with gates opening at 11 a.m. Special offers for patrons aged 50 and above include free hot dog meals for those 60+ and popcorn for those 50+. Themed nights include the Chihuahuas becoming the Malmö Oat Milkers on Thursday, a Chico Squishy Plush giveaway for the first 1,500 attendees on Friday, and MINECRAFT© movie-themed food and fireworks on Saturday. Sunday features a Kids Day with a stress ball giveaway for the first 1,000 children under 12 and a Bark at the Park event for dog owners. Tickets can be purchased at epchihuahuas.com.

AppWizard

April 20, 2025

MOVIES: A Minecraft Movie – Review: Hyperactive Soulless Mess

Pitchfork criticized Benson Boone's performance at Coachella, questioning the value of music when faced with subpar offerings, a sentiment that can also apply to A Minecraft Movie. The film is perceived to target a nonexistent audience, featuring Jack Black and Jason Momoa in roles that lack engagement. Its plot involves two siblings dealing with estrangement in a world that feels disjointed, with a narrative that seems overstuffed and generic despite the input of five writers. The film incorporates musical elements but fails to entertain, borrowing heavily from typical coming-of-age tropes and presenting outdated gender dynamics. Overall, A Minecraft Movie is viewed as a cash-in on its intellectual property, lacking originality and creative spark, and while not the worst film of the year, it falls short in storytelling and engagement.

AppWizard

April 19, 2025

‘Minecraft’ movie mayhem raises alarms for America’s youth, ‘bad for society’: expert

Fox News is providing free access to premium content for users who enter a valid email address and agree to its Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. "A Minecraft Movie," based on the popular video game, has become a hit in theaters, attracting young audiences and generating significant social media buzz. A scene featuring Jack Black has led to enthusiastic reactions, including fans throwing popcorn and even a live chicken during screenings. Some theaters, like Springs Cinema & Taphouse in Georgia, have faced extensive clean-up due to the rowdy behavior. Director Jared Hess noted the humorous nature of the screenings, while Raymond Arroyo expressed concerns about safety and order in theaters. The film has grossed million worldwide, and Regal Cinemas plans special "Chicken Jockey" screenings to encourage fan engagement while promoting respectful behavior. Arroyo highlighted a cultural shift in entertainment from superhero films to video game adaptations, suggesting a growing trend in Hollywood.

AppWizard

April 18, 2025

Rhode Island ‘Minecraft’ Moviegoers Slashed By Kids With Knives

Four male teenagers, aged 14 to 16, have been charged following a violent altercation outside Apple Cinemas in Warwick, Rhode Island, on April 15. The incident began when the teenagers became agitated during a screening of A Minecraft Movie and followed three adults to their vehicle, where they attacked them with knives, resulting in two adults being slashed. The injuries were not life-threatening. The suspects were apprehended by police, and the weapons used were recovered. The teenagers are in custody at the Rhode Island State Training School, awaiting a Family Court appearance. One victim suffered a laceration to the triceps, and another had a cut to the forehead.

AppWizard

April 18, 2025

N.J. sues messaging app Discord for alleged youth endangerment

New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against Discord, alleging that the platform's safety measures for young users are inadequate and misleading. The lawsuit claims that Discord's safety protocols have exposed children to violent content, harassment, and sexual abuse, despite the company's assertions that it provides a "safe space for teens." Key concerns include the platform's ineffective age-verification process, which allows children under 13 to access the app, and the failure of its "Safe Direct Messaging" feature to effectively scan for explicit content. Discord has expressed surprise at the legal action and maintains its commitment to improving safety on the platform.

AppWizard

April 17, 2025

Jared Hess Is Still a Sundance Guy: Why the Smash Hit ‘Minecraft Movie’ Feels a Little Like an Indie Film

Jared Hess, director of “A Minecraft Movie,” admires Robert Eggers’ reinterpretation of “Nosferatu” for its distinct personality and unexpected storytelling elements. Hess gained recognition with “Napoleon Dynamite” at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, which became successful through word-of-mouth. “A Minecraft Movie” has earned over million at the box office after three weekends, significantly surpassing “Napoleon Dynamite's” total earnings. Hess's children served as unofficial consultants during the film's development, contributing to its personal touch. Adapting “Minecraft” posed challenges due to its lack of a traditional narrative, but it also allowed for creative freedom, particularly with the character of Steve. The film was primarily shot in Auckland, New Zealand, and Hess emphasized collaboration with game developers to balance fidelity to the source material with innovative storytelling. Despite mixed critical reception, Hess maintains his comedic style focused on character and story, and he hopes for broader opportunities in Hollywood.

AppWizard

April 14, 2025

Minecraft meets Jacksonville: City invites students to reimagine public spaces

The City of Jacksonville is launching a citywide Minecraft build challenge for K-12 and college students in Duval County, starting on April 14. Participants will redesign Jacksonville's public spaces, focusing on sustainability and collaboration. The competition has four divisions: Elementary (3rd-5th grade), Middle (6th-8th grade), High School (9th-12th grade), and College. Teams can have up to five members and two alternates. Entries are due by May 2, with the top eight teams advancing to a live final event, the Mayor’s Cup, on May 20. More information is available at Jacksonville.gov/minecraft.

AppWizard

April 12, 2025

More than 1,000 classic RPGs, strategy games, and horror greats are wildly cheap in GOG’s “Classics” PC sale, and are we OK with Skyrim officially being labeled an “old game?”

GOG is hosting a sale featuring over 1,000 classic PC games, including influential RPGs, strategy games, and horror titles. The sale includes notable games such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fallout series, Ultima series, Baldur's Gate series, Outlast, Silent Hill 4, and Resident Evil series. The sale has dedicated eight pages to discounted strategy games and concludes on April 25.

AppWizard

April 9, 2025

‘Minecraft’ Sees Huge Monday Drop At Box Office

A Minecraft Movie earned .7 million domestically and million globally during its opening weekend, surpassing both Barbie and Super Mario Bros. to become the highest-grossing video game adaptation and Warner Bros.'s third-best opening ever. On its first Monday, the film earned [openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: After a remarkable debut weekend, A Minecraft Movie has returned to a more grounded reality, experiencing a significant decline at the box office on its first Monday. This drop suggests that the film may have attracted a heavily youth-oriented audience, which is not uncommon for such releases. The film's opening weekend was nothing short of spectacular, raking in 2.7 million domestically and achieving a global total of 1 million. This impressive launch allowed A Minecraft Movie to surpass both Barbie and Super Mario Bros., both of which have crossed the billion-dollar mark, and it now holds the title for the highest-grossing video game adaptation, marking Warner Bros.'s third-best opening ever. First Monday plunges On its inaugural Monday, A Minecraft Movie earned .9 million, reflecting a steep 78.5% drop from Sunday’s figures. As of now, the film has accumulated 2.6 million domestically over its first four days and stands at 3.3 million worldwide. Barbie, Super Mario, Cap 4 For context, Barbie experienced a first Monday drop of 40.3%, bringing in .1 million for a four-day total of 8.1 million. In comparison, Super Mario saw a 41.8% decline, earning over million for a four-day haul of 4.7 million. It’s worth noting that Barbie launched during the summer, while Super Mario debuted on Easter Weekend. However, the return to school following Easter may temper the impact of that timing. Interestingly, A Minecraft Movie did not surpass the first Monday earnings of Marvel's Captain America: Brave New World, which garnered over million on its first Monday, albeit during President’s Day—a different context altogether. Versus 2024 movies Looking ahead to 2024, several films had noteworthy first Mondays: Despicable Me 4 brought in .2 million, Wicked .7 million, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 million, Inside Out 2 over million, and Deadpool & Wolverine exceeding million. Other notable performances include Mufasa at million, Dune at .3 million, Godzilla x Kong at .7 million, Kung Fu Panda 4 at .5 million, and Moana 2 at .8 million, which experienced an 83.2% drop but ultimately grossed over a billion worldwide. Will A Minecraft Movie have legs? The upcoming Tuesday figures for A Minecraft Movie will be particularly telling, as many theaters offer discounts that could attract its young audience. The film's potential for repeat viewings may also provide a boost on this day. This weekend will serve as a crucial test for A Minecraft Movie. If the initial surge was predominantly driven by a youthful demographic, the box office could see a swift decline. However, with no competing releases this weekend, families seeking entertainment will likely turn to Minecraft. A Minecraft Movie box office as of Monday: Grosses: Domestic (53.4%): 2,680,122 International (46.6%): 0,700,000 Worldwide: 3,380,122 Weekend: Apr 4-6: 2,753,003 Daily: Apr 4 Friday: ,113,324 Apr 5 Saturday: ,409,839 +4% Apr 6 Sunday: ,229,840 -22.2% Apr 7 Monday: ,927,119 -78.5%" max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"].9 million, reflecting a 78.5% drop from Sunday’s figures, bringing its total to .6 million domestically and .3 million worldwide over its first four days. For comparison, Barbie's first Monday drop was 40.3% with a total of .1 million over four days, while Super Mario had a 41.8% decline with .7 million. A Minecraft Movie did not surpass the first Monday earnings of Marvel's Captain America: Brave New World. Upcoming Tuesday figures may indicate the film's potential for repeat viewings, and it faces no competing releases this weekend.