****This is all opinion. Facts are given, but my conclusion is in no way a fact, just my own personal opinion, with facts to support it****
Sure, today is Tuesday, two days after the Academy Awards. However, people are still buzzing about what they thought was right and wrong with the show, and more importantly, the nominations.
As I was on my way home from class on Monday, I began to think about why certain things weren't nominated (like Springsteen for Best Original Song), and came to a rather interesting conclusion. The monster of '08 that was The Dark Knight, did not receive a Best Picture nomination, not because of the films quality, but the content.
Here are two major facts:
-The Dark Knight has now grossed over 1 billion dollars world wide, and is only the fifth film in history to do so
-It currently has a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to the lowest Best Picture nominee, The Reader, with a 60% rating (They garnered a 9 and a 7.5 from yours truly)
Now, these two things should lead to a Best Picture nomination, right? Wrong.
To me, The Dark Knight is a brilliant film, that sort of falls apart in the final 20-30 minutes. The pacing is off a little bit, it should be more staccato, where as in the film it's far to legato, but it's largely due to the films massive ambition, which is 100% forgivable. However, what many people don't talk about, is the films political leanings in this flawed final 30 minutes.
Take the Joker character for example. In the Dark Knight, the Joker is a human embodiment for terrorism. Terrorism as defined by Wikipedia is as follows...
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror (imposing fear), especially as a means of coercion
He is the personification of what this world has been attempting to take down since 9/11. Within this attempt to rid the world of evil, some peoples civil liberties have been kicked to the curb, with things like The Patriot Act. The surveillance of civilians in an attempt to hinder terrorist activities, wait, that sounds a lot like the ending of The Dark Knight.
You have Christian Bale as Batman, basically playing the superhero version of the Bush Administration, maybe a Dick Cheney character. He sets up this surveillance system, and uses the thought of impending terrorist attacks to coerce the only person who can run it, Lucious Fox (Former President Bush), to do so.
Then at the end, you have Batman running off, as the police are hunting him down, for all that he has done. Hell, you even have Harvey Dent's famous line, saying "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become a villain." After 9/11, Bush had extremely high approval ratings, and had the support of the strongest nation in the world behind him. However, 7 years later, it couldn't have been more the opposite, just like the arch of the caped crusader, in TDK.
Now, look at what DID get nominated. First, there's the Reader, which is a film about the Holocaust, which is a guaranteed nomination. Then you have Ben Button, which is a version of Forrest Gump, just not sucky. Next, Milk, which, with Prop 8 being passed, and the insane liberal tilt in Hollywood (it's why I want to live there), it was a sure fire lock for one of the 5 spots. Finally, the most obvious nominations, Slumdog Millionaire and Frost/Nixon.
With Slumdog, you not only have a great, if overrated film, with a great love story, but it's about getting yourself out of poverty, and in the economic world we live in, this is one that really worked for EVERYONE, except yours truly. I liked it, but honestly, as Spout so brilliant said, The Wrestler is a better film about getting up out of poverty, mainly due to the fact that Slumdog revolves around a game show, that .00001% of the population is able to play, or have played. But this is about TDK, so moving on.
Finally, Frost/Nixon is the exact opposite of The Dark Knight. It's about a set of interviews between journalist David Frost, and Richard Nixon. The film is about corrupt politicians getting their court days in the court of public opinion. Need I say more.
That's about all I can say, as I'm sitting in my Journalism History class getting dirty looks from my teacher. So, I hope you all enjoy this piece, and I hope it starts up some conversation. I know it's not really the best written piece, but I just wanted to get my thoughts down, so I hope you all enjoy! What are YOUR thoughts?
Go see something good!
Showing posts with label The Dark Knight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Dark Knight. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
VIDEO: The Sound Of Anarchy...
So, in Warner Brother's constant attempt to mess with us all, they have released one of two, yeah, only two, special features from the rather lackluster DVD of The Dark Knight. This is by far the best one, and is called The Sound of Anarchy, and discusses how the brilliant score for the film was concevied. It's a great watch, and is only about six minutes long, so if you get a chance, check it out!
Go see something good!
Go see something good!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
NEWS: Delgo, H2, and Sequels Galore...
Hello faithful readers. Today's been a pretty busy day, so here are your headlines...
- As I briefly mentioned in my last news post, it looks like the people over in Terminator land have begun work on Terminator 5, the inevitable sequel to NEXT YEARS Terminator Salvation. No word as to who will direct it, but McG has had his hands in the pre-pre-production, so it looks like he will be holding on as director. Bonus, Christian Bale has three Terminator films in his contract! Here's to hoping Salvation is quality...
- In other sequel news, it looks like rumors were indeed true, as it is now confirmed that Rob Zombie will take back the reigns of the Halloween franchise and will direct the sequel to his much maligned 2007 reboot.
- In MORE sequel news, release dates for Transformers 3 and the Twilight sequel New Moon have been set, with Transformers 3 looking at a July 29th, 2011 release date, and New Moon set to head out on November 20th, of 2009. I'm not to surprised, except for New Moon. They play to get into production roughly around March, so that's a pretty fast turn around. Plus, I thought they would definitely move to a summer date, but they did make 71 Million bones in the middle of Oscar season.
- It looks like people can't get the Dark Knight out of their heads, as ANOTHER casting rumor has been talked about for the inevitable sequel. It looks like E! Online in all of their Ryan Seacrest glory, are reporting, against all others, that Christopher Nolan "will for sure be back" and that he and Warner Brothers are considering Rachel Weisz for the role of Catwoman. While I think it would be brilliant casting (more on that in a second), I know for almost a fact that this rumor, along with all others are bull. I know, through various web sources, that Nolan has yet to even sign up for a third film, let alone started writing a story. Until Warner Brothers and Nolan himself say that he will be back for a third one, all Batman 3 rumors are not true. Sorry to burst everyones preverbial bat shaped bubble, but it's the hard truth.
NOW, when Nolan does sign (becuase I really think he will), I hope he goes this kind of route instead of the Johnny Depp route. The thing with this new Batman franchise, is that all of the cast, at the time of their casting, were not really well known, aside from Morgan Freeman. Bale was just a beloved indie actor, Gary Oldman was and still is very much on that indie fringe, Michael Caine was a well known actor, but not to the younger generation, and even Cillian Murphy was really only known for 28 Days Later. Then you have Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart, both well known, but not truly stars yet, and it just wouldn't seem like the right fit for Johnny Depp and Phillip Seymour Hoffman to take over their respective roles. I honestly think they would both be good, but it would be to overwhelming and honestly, I think there are better people out their. However, with Rachel Weisz, you get a brilliant actress, along with the small name, at least in major circles. Honestly, I don't know of a better pick for Catwoman. She's gorgeous, sexy, smart, and an amazing actress to boot. Nolan, if you are reading and I know you do, please, make this the one rumor that ends up being true. Oh, and take my advice, Crsipin Glover for Riddler and Bob Hoskins for Penguin...GOLD...
- Finally, the animated film, Delgo, had the worst opening weekend box office gross in the history of film. It grossed roughly $511,920, and here's the kicker, ON 2,160 SCREENS. That's a per screen average of $237 per screen, or, if tickets are $8 and there are 5 showings a day, two people per showing...The production behind it is really a sad story and shows the difficulties of independent film making, show read more about it here...
Come back later for more news and notes!
Go see something good!
- As I briefly mentioned in my last news post, it looks like the people over in Terminator land have begun work on Terminator 5, the inevitable sequel to NEXT YEARS Terminator Salvation. No word as to who will direct it, but McG has had his hands in the pre-pre-production, so it looks like he will be holding on as director. Bonus, Christian Bale has three Terminator films in his contract! Here's to hoping Salvation is quality...
- In other sequel news, it looks like rumors were indeed true, as it is now confirmed that Rob Zombie will take back the reigns of the Halloween franchise and will direct the sequel to his much maligned 2007 reboot.
- In MORE sequel news, release dates for Transformers 3 and the Twilight sequel New Moon have been set, with Transformers 3 looking at a July 29th, 2011 release date, and New Moon set to head out on November 20th, of 2009. I'm not to surprised, except for New Moon. They play to get into production roughly around March, so that's a pretty fast turn around. Plus, I thought they would definitely move to a summer date, but they did make 71 Million bones in the middle of Oscar season.
- It looks like people can't get the Dark Knight out of their heads, as ANOTHER casting rumor has been talked about for the inevitable sequel. It looks like E! Online in all of their Ryan Seacrest glory, are reporting, against all others, that Christopher Nolan "will for sure be back" and that he and Warner Brothers are considering Rachel Weisz for the role of Catwoman. While I think it would be brilliant casting (more on that in a second), I know for almost a fact that this rumor, along with all others are bull. I know, through various web sources, that Nolan has yet to even sign up for a third film, let alone started writing a story. Until Warner Brothers and Nolan himself say that he will be back for a third one, all Batman 3 rumors are not true. Sorry to burst everyones preverbial bat shaped bubble, but it's the hard truth.
NOW, when Nolan does sign (becuase I really think he will), I hope he goes this kind of route instead of the Johnny Depp route. The thing with this new Batman franchise, is that all of the cast, at the time of their casting, were not really well known, aside from Morgan Freeman. Bale was just a beloved indie actor, Gary Oldman was and still is very much on that indie fringe, Michael Caine was a well known actor, but not to the younger generation, and even Cillian Murphy was really only known for 28 Days Later. Then you have Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart, both well known, but not truly stars yet, and it just wouldn't seem like the right fit for Johnny Depp and Phillip Seymour Hoffman to take over their respective roles. I honestly think they would both be good, but it would be to overwhelming and honestly, I think there are better people out their. However, with Rachel Weisz, you get a brilliant actress, along with the small name, at least in major circles. Honestly, I don't know of a better pick for Catwoman. She's gorgeous, sexy, smart, and an amazing actress to boot. Nolan, if you are reading and I know you do, please, make this the one rumor that ends up being true. Oh, and take my advice, Crsipin Glover for Riddler and Bob Hoskins for Penguin...GOLD...
- Finally, the animated film, Delgo, had the worst opening weekend box office gross in the history of film. It grossed roughly $511,920, and here's the kicker, ON 2,160 SCREENS. That's a per screen average of $237 per screen, or, if tickets are $8 and there are 5 showings a day, two people per showing...The production behind it is really a sad story and shows the difficulties of independent film making, show read more about it here...
Come back later for more news and notes!
Go see something good!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
NEWS: Iron Man 2, Soderbergh, and a Clock Tower film?
Hey guys! I know it's a little late, but here are today's headlines...
- The guys over at the great site, CHUD, had an interview with director John Favreu, and in between talks of the upcoming Iron Man DVD, he had mentioned the following points. Thanks to The Movie Blog for breaking these down...
1) He, Justin Theroux and Robert Downey Jr. are working hard already on the script
2) War Machine will be in Iron Man 2
3) Happy Hogan will get more screen time (CONFESSION: I don’t know who that is)
4) It’s going to be a trilogy
5) The Mandarin will be the main arching villain of the trilogy
6) Regarding The Avengers, Favreau sees how Captain America and Hulk fit into Iron Man’s universe, but not Thor (I agree)
7) Doesn’t want to go The Dark Knight route. He wants to keep it simple and fun
8) Says the action and battles will be much better than the first movie… he’s learning action
Okay, so there's nothing really shocking in here, but what is interesting is number 6 and 7. I have to sort of agree with Mr. Favreu that Thor really doesn't fit in the Universe. I mean, set the film in Asgard for a while, and have the final battle in the Thor film on Earth, and then set up the Avengers in the same way as in Hulk and Iron Man, but it doesn't really fit. Of all of Marvel's slated films, this could be the weak link. Also, with number 7, I couldn't me more happy. With all of the hype over the Dark Knight, there has been a huge shift in how superhero films are going to be created, and in a few of the instances, this shouldn't be the case. Summer films are meant to be fun and while Iron Man deals with substance abuse, depression and a lot of mental problems, they can deal with it and still make the film ultimately fun. I don't necessarily agree with them doing that, but I haven't seen anything, and until Favreu messes this franchise up, he gets the benefit of the doubt, at least from me. Also, Mandarin being the main villain should be no surprise to anyone...
He also wants to shoot some scenes in IMAX, and there have actually been talks to put the film in 3-D...
What are your thoughts on this news???
I've seen a couple of things from the DVD and it really looks great. I have to see this flick again. I've been checking out some photos from the film, and I forgot just how great it looked. It comes out on September 30th...
- Steven Soderbergh is set to helm a biopic based on the life of Liberace, with Michael Douglas set to star...
- Brittany Snow has signed on to play the lead in the upcoming adaptation of Clock Tower...
- Piranha's 3-D has been moved back to 2009...
- Finally, The Dark Knight will be getting an Oscar boost as it will be re released in IMAX sometime in January...
That's all I've got for now, so come back tomorrow for more news, notes, and hopefully a review of Burn After Reading. I will be seeing it sometime tomorrow afternoon, and should have a review up late that night or Saturday afternoon...
Go see something good!
- The guys over at the great site, CHUD, had an interview with director John Favreu, and in between talks of the upcoming Iron Man DVD, he had mentioned the following points. Thanks to The Movie Blog for breaking these down...
1) He, Justin Theroux and Robert Downey Jr. are working hard already on the script
2) War Machine will be in Iron Man 2
3) Happy Hogan will get more screen time (CONFESSION: I don’t know who that is)
4) It’s going to be a trilogy
5) The Mandarin will be the main arching villain of the trilogy
6) Regarding The Avengers, Favreau sees how Captain America and Hulk fit into Iron Man’s universe, but not Thor (I agree)
7) Doesn’t want to go The Dark Knight route. He wants to keep it simple and fun
8) Says the action and battles will be much better than the first movie… he’s learning action
Okay, so there's nothing really shocking in here, but what is interesting is number 6 and 7. I have to sort of agree with Mr. Favreu that Thor really doesn't fit in the Universe. I mean, set the film in Asgard for a while, and have the final battle in the Thor film on Earth, and then set up the Avengers in the same way as in Hulk and Iron Man, but it doesn't really fit. Of all of Marvel's slated films, this could be the weak link. Also, with number 7, I couldn't me more happy. With all of the hype over the Dark Knight, there has been a huge shift in how superhero films are going to be created, and in a few of the instances, this shouldn't be the case. Summer films are meant to be fun and while Iron Man deals with substance abuse, depression and a lot of mental problems, they can deal with it and still make the film ultimately fun. I don't necessarily agree with them doing that, but I haven't seen anything, and until Favreu messes this franchise up, he gets the benefit of the doubt, at least from me. Also, Mandarin being the main villain should be no surprise to anyone...
He also wants to shoot some scenes in IMAX, and there have actually been talks to put the film in 3-D...
What are your thoughts on this news???
I've seen a couple of things from the DVD and it really looks great. I have to see this flick again. I've been checking out some photos from the film, and I forgot just how great it looked. It comes out on September 30th...
- Steven Soderbergh is set to helm a biopic based on the life of Liberace, with Michael Douglas set to star...
- Brittany Snow has signed on to play the lead in the upcoming adaptation of Clock Tower...
- Piranha's 3-D has been moved back to 2009...
- Finally, The Dark Knight will be getting an Oscar boost as it will be re released in IMAX sometime in January...
That's all I've got for now, so come back tomorrow for more news, notes, and hopefully a review of Burn After Reading. I will be seeing it sometime tomorrow afternoon, and should have a review up late that night or Saturday afternoon...
Go see something good!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Some News And Notes...
Hey guys! I just thought I would drop in this fine day, to let you all in on some rumblings I've been reading while skowering the thing we like to call the Internet...
- While a live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film is not in the works, a Live action/CG Hybrid film, ala Alvin and The Chipmunks, is indeed on its way...
- When asked who he would like to see in the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman if an adaptation of his legendary comic book, The Dark Knight Returns (one of the few graphic novels I've actually read, and for any person looking to get into Batman, THE quitensential piece of work), Frank Miller said the following...thanks to /film for the info...
“Just that mouth of his, the scowl and the way it would look in a mask. I loved Rocky Balboa. This wounded warrior, that’s what Batman is in Dark Knight Returns. “
STALLONE!?!?!? First, before I say anything, I would love to hear what you guys have to think about this...I mean, don't get me wrong, anyone who has read the book knows that Bruce Wayne in TDKR is not the same Brucy we all know and love. He's brooding, vicious, old, and battered down after the death of Jason Todd, aka the second Robin, and NO ONE does brooding and beaten better than Rocky himself. However, you also have to cast for Bruce Wayne, and I just couldn't buy it. Thats the thing thats different between heroes like Batman and Spiderman. With Spidy, you cast for only Peter Parker, but with the Bat, you have to cast for both Wayne and The Dark Knight, and Stallone doesn't fit, at least to me...what do you think? This IS NOT HAPPENING. It's complete talk, but it would be fun to see who you all would cast...
- Looks like Spielberg and Dreamworks are heading to court...thanks to Yahoo! for the info...
According to the lawsuit, filed by the Sheldon Abend Revocable Trust, the basis for Hitchcock’s 1954 film was “Murder from a Fixed Viewpoint,” a short story by Cornell Woolrich. Hitchcock and actor James Stewart obtained the motion picture rights to the story in 1953. The lawsuit argues that Dreamworks should have done the same.
“In the Disturbia film the defendants purposefully employed immaterial variations or transparent rephrasing to produce essentially the same story as the Rear Window story,” the lawsuit said. In reviewing “Disturbia,” the New York Times called it “a kind of adolescent ‘Rear Window.”‘ The Toronto Star newspaper called it “a rip off with wit.”
What are your thoughts?
That's all I've got for now...I just started The Fall, so I should have a review of that up in a couple of hours...
Go see something good!!
- While a live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film is not in the works, a Live action/CG Hybrid film, ala Alvin and The Chipmunks, is indeed on its way...
- When asked who he would like to see in the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman if an adaptation of his legendary comic book, The Dark Knight Returns (one of the few graphic novels I've actually read, and for any person looking to get into Batman, THE quitensential piece of work), Frank Miller said the following...thanks to /film for the info...
“Just that mouth of his, the scowl and the way it would look in a mask. I loved Rocky Balboa. This wounded warrior, that’s what Batman is in Dark Knight Returns. “
STALLONE!?!?!? First, before I say anything, I would love to hear what you guys have to think about this...I mean, don't get me wrong, anyone who has read the book knows that Bruce Wayne in TDKR is not the same Brucy we all know and love. He's brooding, vicious, old, and battered down after the death of Jason Todd, aka the second Robin, and NO ONE does brooding and beaten better than Rocky himself. However, you also have to cast for Bruce Wayne, and I just couldn't buy it. Thats the thing thats different between heroes like Batman and Spiderman. With Spidy, you cast for only Peter Parker, but with the Bat, you have to cast for both Wayne and The Dark Knight, and Stallone doesn't fit, at least to me...what do you think? This IS NOT HAPPENING. It's complete talk, but it would be fun to see who you all would cast...
- Looks like Spielberg and Dreamworks are heading to court...thanks to Yahoo! for the info...
According to the lawsuit, filed by the Sheldon Abend Revocable Trust, the basis for Hitchcock’s 1954 film was “Murder from a Fixed Viewpoint,” a short story by Cornell Woolrich. Hitchcock and actor James Stewart obtained the motion picture rights to the story in 1953. The lawsuit argues that Dreamworks should have done the same.
“In the Disturbia film the defendants purposefully employed immaterial variations or transparent rephrasing to produce essentially the same story as the Rear Window story,” the lawsuit said. In reviewing “Disturbia,” the New York Times called it “a kind of adolescent ‘Rear Window.”‘ The Toronto Star newspaper called it “a rip off with wit.”
What are your thoughts?
That's all I've got for now...I just started The Fall, so I should have a review of that up in a couple of hours...
Go see something good!!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Weekend Wrap Up...
You guys know what this is about, so lets get down to it, I've got packing to do...
Box Office top 10...
1.The Dark Knight
2.Pineapple Express
3.The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
4.The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
5.Step Brothers
6.Mamma Mia!
7.Journey to the Center of the Earth
8.Hancock
9.Swing Vote
10.WALL-E
The Dark Knight WINS AGAIN. The thing about that is, The Dark Knight beating these films, means that people are going out to see TDK MULTIPLE TIMES before even thinking about seeing these other films, including a sure fire, or thought to be surefire hit with Pineapple Express. HOWEVER, I believe Tropic Thunder this week will beat it, and gross over 60 million bucks, even though it may blow it's load a little early, as it, like PE, is opening on Wednesday...
There are the only three real noteable DVD releases..
- CJ7...Comes to us from Stephen Chow, the mastermind behind Kung Fu Hustle, and Shaolin Soccer...kind of like E.T., just much more crazy and cartoony...I haven't seen it, so this is definitley something I will be renting...
- Smart People...I think one of my first reviews over on my blog, and I really enjoyed this film. It's funny and includes one of my favorite male performances from the brilliant Thomas Hayden Church. HOWEVER, if you want to see an Ellen Page film, go to Hard Candy or The Tracey Fragments first. SM is a bit better than Juno, Citizen Kane compared to the first 20 minutes of Juno, but not as good as either of those films...so give it a shot...
PICK OF THE WEEK
- Brand Upon the Brain...
Two reasons why you should be excited for this film...
1) Guy Madden is behind it...
2) It's a Criterion release, for it's FIRST RUN...
It's a small film with Madden narrating over footage, so it may be a little out there, as most of his films are, but it's at the top of my queue, as it should be for you...
So this week sees 4 major releases that I am pretty interested in...However, I am not sure which ones I should review...I am positive that I will be seeing the Robert Downey Jr., Ben Stiller, Jack Black war comedy, Tropic Thunder, yet I don't know what else to check out. We have Vicky Christina Barcelona, Woody Allen's new film about two women who meet a seductive Spanish painter and stars Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, and Scarlett Johannson, and features a threesome between those actors, so bonus points there...We also have the horror film Mirrors starring Keifer Sutherland which is directed by Hills Have Eyes remake helmer Alexandre Aja, in which people are tortured by their images in mirrors...and finally we have Star Wars: the Clone Wars, the animated Star Wars film...so what should I see?? What looks the most interesting to you, and what are you interested in checking out? I'm leaning towards all but the Star Wars film, but if enough people want to hear what I have to say about, I may give it a shot. Expect a TT review on Friday though...
Alright, that's all for now, come back later for the usual...
Go see something good!!
Box Office top 10...
1.The Dark Knight
2.Pineapple Express
3.The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
4.The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
5.Step Brothers
6.Mamma Mia!
7.Journey to the Center of the Earth
8.Hancock
9.Swing Vote
10.WALL-E
The Dark Knight WINS AGAIN. The thing about that is, The Dark Knight beating these films, means that people are going out to see TDK MULTIPLE TIMES before even thinking about seeing these other films, including a sure fire, or thought to be surefire hit with Pineapple Express. HOWEVER, I believe Tropic Thunder this week will beat it, and gross over 60 million bucks, even though it may blow it's load a little early, as it, like PE, is opening on Wednesday...
There are the only three real noteable DVD releases..
- CJ7...Comes to us from Stephen Chow, the mastermind behind Kung Fu Hustle, and Shaolin Soccer...kind of like E.T., just much more crazy and cartoony...I haven't seen it, so this is definitley something I will be renting...
- Smart People...I think one of my first reviews over on my blog, and I really enjoyed this film. It's funny and includes one of my favorite male performances from the brilliant Thomas Hayden Church. HOWEVER, if you want to see an Ellen Page film, go to Hard Candy or The Tracey Fragments first. SM is a bit better than Juno, Citizen Kane compared to the first 20 minutes of Juno, but not as good as either of those films...so give it a shot...
PICK OF THE WEEK
- Brand Upon the Brain...
Two reasons why you should be excited for this film...
1) Guy Madden is behind it...
2) It's a Criterion release, for it's FIRST RUN...
It's a small film with Madden narrating over footage, so it may be a little out there, as most of his films are, but it's at the top of my queue, as it should be for you...
So this week sees 4 major releases that I am pretty interested in...However, I am not sure which ones I should review...I am positive that I will be seeing the Robert Downey Jr., Ben Stiller, Jack Black war comedy, Tropic Thunder, yet I don't know what else to check out. We have Vicky Christina Barcelona, Woody Allen's new film about two women who meet a seductive Spanish painter and stars Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, and Scarlett Johannson, and features a threesome between those actors, so bonus points there...We also have the horror film Mirrors starring Keifer Sutherland which is directed by Hills Have Eyes remake helmer Alexandre Aja, in which people are tortured by their images in mirrors...and finally we have Star Wars: the Clone Wars, the animated Star Wars film...so what should I see?? What looks the most interesting to you, and what are you interested in checking out? I'm leaning towards all but the Star Wars film, but if enough people want to hear what I have to say about, I may give it a shot. Expect a TT review on Friday though...
Alright, that's all for now, come back later for the usual...
Go see something good!!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
The MPAA...is it needed??? Plus...some early Joker Concept Art...
Kevin Smith is not a shy guy. Kevin Smith, as many of you know, or should know, is the director of such comedy classics (at least in my mind), Clerks, Dogma, and the brilliant Clerks 2. Now, in many of his films, he had a run in with the MPAA, the ratings board for this fine medium. His newest film, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, was no different. Just as of two weeks ago, it looked as though the cut Smith gave to the devil, umm, MPAA was going to recieve the dreaded NC-17 rating. However, KS has won his battle, and it looks as though it will recieve the all important R rating. So, that brings me to my question. In Clerks 2, he has a man have sexual relations with a donkey, and in this film, he is basically all on the table in saying that this will be about two friends making a porn film. So, is there really a point to the MPAA? Should it even exist? Or is there a point, but it just needs an overhall? Should it stay the same? I'm a really liberal guy, so you can expect what I will say, but I really want to get into this. I want to hear what you guys think, so post some comments.
The other thing I would like to talk about, are these really interesting photos from the book, the Art Of The Dark Knight, which features early pre production information, the shooting script, and some really interesting pics...
What do you guys think? I'm suprised with how tame the final version they went with was. Would these have made the film to dark for it's own good???
That's all I've got for now...come back for more news and the weekend wrap up....
How can they do a Pineapple Express/Superbad crossover when Rogen is in both films??? I want your theories people!
Go see something good!!!
R.I.P. Bernie Mac...
The other thing I would like to talk about, are these really interesting photos from the book, the Art Of The Dark Knight, which features early pre production information, the shooting script, and some really interesting pics...
What do you guys think? I'm suprised with how tame the final version they went with was. Would these have made the film to dark for it's own good???
That's all I've got for now...come back for more news and the weekend wrap up....
How can they do a Pineapple Express/Superbad crossover when Rogen is in both films??? I want your theories people!
Go see something good!!!
R.I.P. Bernie Mac...
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Don't Believe the Hype...
Alright guys, the Dark Knight is a massive hit, critically acclaimed, and loved by everyone, including yours truly. That said, the inevitable thing is that people will start to talk about the next one, as most of the cast has signed on for one more. However, recent rumors that Johnny Depp and Phillip Seymour Hoffman have been offered roles as the Riddler and The Penguin, are just that, rumors. Also, take your belief down another notch, as the originiating source is The National Enquirer...yes, the National Enquirer. Finally, a lot of personal preferences will play into the next film, just as they have in the past two, as Christian Bale dislikes Robin, Christopher Nolan dislikes Robin as well, and he also has said that he will never use the Penguin as a villian. I'm not trying to ruin your dreams as I want to see the Riddler and or the Penguin just as much as the next Batman fan, I'm just saying, don't believe the hype....
HOWEVER! If you could choose any batman character to place in the next one, who would it be and who would play them. Who would be YOUR Riddler...who would take the reigns as Robin? Who would suggestively suduce the Caped Crusader as Poision Ivy or Catwoman? Pick your characters and cast 'em...
DVD Review of George Washington tomorrow maybe, review of Mummy 3 coming in the next two days, so come back later for more news, notes, and possibly a couple of reviews...
HOWEVER! If you could choose any batman character to place in the next one, who would it be and who would play them. Who would be YOUR Riddler...who would take the reigns as Robin? Who would suggestively suduce the Caped Crusader as Poision Ivy or Catwoman? Pick your characters and cast 'em...
DVD Review of George Washington tomorrow maybe, review of Mummy 3 coming in the next two days, so come back later for more news, notes, and possibly a couple of reviews...
Saturday, July 19, 2008
The Dark Knight...
Yeah, I own that poster...
So, it's finally here. The Dark Knight is finally here. It's a fan favorite, a box office smash, and a critical darling. However, does it pass this critics test for a good film??
The Dark Knight is a sequel to the solid film, Batman Begins, and sees our hero in a battle for Gotham's streets with two men. A new villain, the Joker, and a new D.A., Harvey Dent. The Joker is the black, Dent is the white (at first glance), and the Caped Crusader is the gray, and this films is about their struggle to bring order, or what they consider order, to this crazy world.
So, as I said in the short intro (I just wanted to get into this), this film is a critical darling, and rightfully so. This is easily the best film I've seen all year, and the best film I've seen since There Will Be Blood. Heath Ledger, I'm just getting this out of the way because he really is the Elephant in the room, is brilliant. Every time that man was on screen, I had a visceral and emotional reaction. Not just that it was Heath, who was taken from us much to early as this film would have LAUNCHED him into the stratosphere, but he is just insane, and it seems like no one can stop him, even our seemingly invincible Knight. He is a psychopath, with a intensely dark view of the world, and is the polar opposite to our brutish hero. He and the bat can't live without each other. The Joker is what Batman would have become had he decided to snap in the years after his parents passed. Batman can't and won't kill Joker for moral reasons, and Joker won't kill Batman as he would have nothing to live for if he did. This relationship is extremely interesting and done brilliantly in Christopher Nolan's new comic book/superhero masterpiece.
The rest of the cast is also pitch perfect. Bale is perfect as our hero, Gary Oldman plays the old veteran cop James Gordon amazingly, and Aaron Eckhart again shows why he is one of the better actors working today, as Harvey Dent. This film is also gorgeous. It is grimy in a dark, polished pallet of blues, oranges, browns, blacks, and grays. The action scenes keep you oriented while still showing the craziness that is trying to fight the Dark Knight, and they look amazing. The story is insanely compelling, and while it didn't have me on the edge of my seat, it had me in a corner, biting my nails. This is a VERY DARK FILM, and is really not a pg 13 flick. Yeah, there's no blood, no real seedy language, and no nudity, but this film is extremely violent, and dark. It's about a man who wants to see the world burn, and for that reason only, he just wants to see it. He has no real motives, other than to show that the world needs to be changed. It's about that man, and our hero, the man who thinks this world still has something to live for. The only real flaw that I can say is that it did lag a little bit in the second act, and it's running time is 2 1/2 hours, and it kind of feels like it. However, as a MASSIVE Batman fan, and a person who thinks he knows his fair share, this film is true to the comics (outside of the origin of Two Face, at least in The Long Halloween, the comics I think these films are based on... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman:_The_Long_Halloween ).
This is a great film, the best film of the year so far, and one of the most intense films I've seen in a long time. The reason I'm keeping this short, is I want your opinions, and I want to get a discussion going, hopefully with more than one or two people. What do you guys think???
The Dark Knight - 9.5/10
Here is my new top 10 of the year. I've seen some new flicks, so lets update this...
10. Smart People
9. My Blueberry Nights
8. Wanted
7. Iron Man
6. Hellboy 2
5. In Bruges
4. Wall E
3. Funny Games
2. Paranoid Park
1. The Dark Knight
Go see something good!!
***I didn't see this in IMAX, although I am going on Monday, so I will talk about the special, IMAX camera shot scenes then...free tickets!!! THANK YOU CHRIS!!***
WATCHMEN LOOKS BRILLIANT!!!
Friday, July 18, 2008
The Dark Knight...review coming tomorrow!!!
Hey guys! I'm just posting this to say that I DID see the Dark Knight, and I would like to get your thoughts on the subject. I have my thoughts *cough* MASTERPIECE *cough*, but I would like to get a discussion going.
My review will be up tomorrow afternoon...I'm a man of my word...
My review will be up tomorrow afternoon...I'm a man of my word...
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