W Trailer...

Hey guys! Sorry about not having a post yesturday. I took an adventure up to GR for a screening of The Dark Knight in IMAX (free tickets bitches!), and I didn't get back until about 1:15...I'm currently going on roughly 3-3.5 hours of something that sort of resembles sleep, so I'm going to keep this a little bit short. Also, there really isn't much to talk about, so here is the biggest piece of news... the first W TRAILER!!!!



Alright, what do you guys think?? I'll hold my comments for a while...

The last thing I want to talk about is a simple question I would like to ask you guys...

This summer there have been a ton of great flicks, all of which have their own merits (except for the sub par Hancock). Now, the census is that Iron Man and The Dark Knight are the two best, which I also have to agree with. So, the question is simple...

What is your favorite summer film so far, and why? (films released May 1st to July 25th)
A) Iron Man
B) The Dark Knight
C) Other (name the flick)

I can't wait to get some feedback on this...

Go see something good!!

Some news, Top 10, and what makes a horror film?

Alright, I have a lot to get into, so lets just get down to it with some news and notes for today...

- Transformers 2 and G.I. Joe footage will be shown at the upcoming comicon...they are expecting 140,000 people to show for the event...3 TIMES THE SIZE OF ROTHBURY...let that sink in for a second...
- Tarantino's next film, Inglorious Bastards, is set to start filming in October, and he wants to open at next years Canne film festival...

- For all you dumb comedy fans (and that's fans of dumb comedies, not dumb fans) here's the poster for the upcoming mock flick, Disaster Movie...



- Alright, the last thing I have to talk about is a funny little thing. It's a promotional trailer for a mockumentary surrounding Tropic Thunder. In the spirit of the documentary about Apocalypse Now, Hearts of Darkness, here's the trailer for Rain of Madness...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmMQD4og-JA&eurl=http://www.themovieblog.com/

Don't know if this will get an actual release or just a special feature on the DVD, but it looks funny, so I am interested...what about you?

So, now it's top 10 time, and this should be an interesting one. This top 10, and the question I will ask you guys for some response on were both bred out of the fact that I am really bored while at work, and think about stuff like this. So, as in my last note about Will Smith, I was told that Leonardo DiCaprio was overrated, and that I thought he was probably in my top 10. So, while at work, I thought up my top 10 actors and actresses, however I will say that this is not of all time. This is my 10 favorite actors and actresses as of this second, that, if they have a film coming out, I will run and see it...

ACTORS

NAME (Favorite Role)

10. Leonardo DiCaprio (Romeo + Juliet or Gangs of New York)
9. Benicio Del Toro (Traffic)
8. Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson)
7. Gael Garcia Bernal (The Motorcycle Diaries or Amores Perros)
6. Javier Bardem (The Sea Inside or No Country for Old Men)
5. Tommy Lee Jones (No Country For Old Men)
4. Tony Leung (In The Mood For Love)
3. Christian Bale (Rescue Dawn)
2. Robert Downey Jr. (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang)
1. Daniel Day-Lewis (The Ballad of Jack and Rose or There Will Be Blood...all roles actually)


ACTRESSES
10. Zooey Dechanel (All The Real Girls)
9. Umma Thurman (Kill Bill Vol. 2)
8. Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge)
7. Julian Moore (Magnolia)
6. Juliette Binoche (Cache)
5. Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart)
4. Zhang Ziyi (2046)
3. Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive)
2. Cate Blanchet (Notes on A Scandal or The Aviator)
1. Jennifer Connelly (House of Sand and Fog...anything she does...)


So, please, post your favorites and lets start a discussion...

Speaking of discussion, while I was at work, I began to think why most new age "horror" films don't work for me. This led me to decide that these films are not true horror films, at least not to me. Take the difference between the new and original Halloween films. The old one was a brisk 90 minutes, low budget, and never showed a drop of blood. Also, the score was great, and the scares were not over done. However, in the newest film, the score is obnoxious, the scares are overdone, and ultimately excessively gory, about 2 and 1/4 hours long, big budget, and gave the character an unnecessary back story. So, the question to you guys is, what makes a good horror film?? I have some criteria, but I will get into that later because I really want to hear from you guys. What makes a good horror film, and what is your favorite??

Alright, that's all I've got for now, come back later for more news and notes!!

Hancock and the Bond Trailer...thoughts?

Hey guys. So, it's a Monday, a slow news day, girlfriend is out working, so what is a guy supposed to do? Well, this guy went out a checked out Hancock, and I have some stuff to say, so lets get into it a little bit, because I also have a couple of other pieces of news to discuss...

Hancock is an ass hole. At least at the start of this hero-who-is-a-zero turned world saver tale. Hancock is an unhappy hero, who constantly leaves a pile of destruction in his angsty wake. He saves his city by a moment, drinks the rest away. However, this changes one day, as he meets an up and coming p.r. manager, Ray. After Hancock saves Ray's life, he vows to make the world see the true heart of this reluctant powerhouse. However, a warrant goes out for his arrest, and he willingly surrenders, and spends time in jail, all awaiting his call to help the very town he neglected his entire life. However, some stuff is not exactly what it seems, and people in particular, are not who they seem.

See, that's a great premise. However, the movie, in the end, doesn't live up to that. Will Smith is the star of this film, and of course, he does great. Watching him ham it up as an "asshole" as he is called much of the film, is truly fun. However, the fellow performers don't truly stand up to the task. Jason Bateman, who plays Ray, is fine, but the script really just kind of sits there the entire film. There are comedic moments, but most aren't dialogue based, and in one instance, is such juvenile humor, that it really doesn't work. The direction also is kind of all over the place, and during the action scenes, is really reminiscent of Transformers, and that's never a good thing. The last thing is, the film went 90% of the way without truly delving into Hancock's back story, yet, at the end, in the most tense of moments, they decide to grind the film to a complete and utter halt with a lame duck discussion about his life. Granted, it did sort of raise the stakes a little bit, as he began to figure everything out, but it could have been handled better, at say his trailer, instead of which they just decided to throw a big fight in there. This film could have been a good ten-15 minutes shorter, and it would have worked.

All of those negatives aside, the premise and story are really intriguing and watching Will Smith play it up in those early scenes is worth at least the price of a ticket at a second run theatre.

6/10

Most of you have already seen this, so that's why I'm just keeping it short. Also, I have to talk about an interesting thing that happened before the film. So, before Hancock, a certain trailer, for a certain double-O's upcoming film is shown. Now, for those of you who haven't seen the flick, here's the trailer...



Now, the simple question is, is this film an anticipated one for you? Are you looking forward to this flick, and if so, or not, why? Do you like the old Bond films, or do you hope that they keep taking it to the sacred cow?

That's all for now. Wednesday, I'll be seeing Wall-E, so you can expect my thoughts, more like a discussion starter on that flick, and then when I get home on Sunday, I'll have a review of Hellboy 2...in the meantime, I'll have some news, notes, a top 10, and more thoughts about the world that we call the film industry.

Go see something good!!

Here's a question...

I was watching G4 tonight, and saw something very interesting, and not really normal. Controversy surrounding a Grand Theft Auto videogame. Now, everyone around an Xbox, or PS3 has played this game, and it's a really amazing game. Also, it's sold over 500 Million bucks, so that counts for something. However, the controversy is something okay, in a sense. It's over something that I hold close to my heart. Reviews. IGN.com had gained rights to an exclusive review of GTA4, after the publisher, Rockstar Games, forced a very strict embargo on the rest of the industry. Now, this brings up a question. Film reviewers get DVD screeners in the mail the Tuesday before the wide release, and in some cases, weeks in advance. I am not so lucky, and in this day of blogs and the death of press, are exclusive reviews something that should be able to be done, or should these not be allowed? Are early reviews fine? I will withhold my opinion for a while, to see what you guys think...

Weekend Box Office...New Releases...Upcoming reviews...

Hey guys...here is the final estimated weekend Box office ranking...
1.Prom Night
2.Street Kings
3.21
4.Nim's Island
5.Leatherheads
6.Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who
7.Smart People
8.The Ruins
9.Superhero Movie
10.Drillbit Taylor

Prom Night gained 22.7 Million Dollars this weekend...If you have to see one, check out Smart People. That and Leatherheads are the two best wide released films out right now, so check those out...really, Prom Night? Come on guys!

Here are the noteable DVD releases for this upcoming Tuesday...
-Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem...Sequel to Alien Vs. Predator...moving on...
-In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Seige Tale...Jason Statham in a 300/Lord Of The Rings style film...no thank you...
-Juno...Beloved (by everyone but your's truly) little comedy...rent worthy...

~~DVD OF THE WEEK~~

I actually have two this week...
BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD
New film starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke from director Sidney Lumet. This was just outside of my top ten from last year and is a really good film. I really recomend this for any heist film buff...
LARS AND THE REAL GIRL...
Quirck filled comedy about a guy, Lars (played by the always good Ryan Gosling) who buys a sex doll online and falls in love with it. If it sounds like a stupid premise, then you just have to see this for yourself. This film is filled with so much heart and it's really a solid little indie comedy. It also was right outside of my top 10, and expect an old review of it on Monday. Check these two out, and go ahead and check Juno out too, only after you've seen Smart People.

Here are the new releases for theatres for this Friday...

-88 Minutes...New Thriller starring Al Pacino who is on the hunt of a man who says he will kill him in 88 Minutes...pass
-Forgetting Sarah Marshall...new comedy from Team Apatow who brought us such gems as Walk Hard...pass on that shit too...
-The Forbidden Kingdom...Kung Fu flick starring Jet Li and Jackie Chan...looks a little interesting...this will probably be the film I will review this weekend...check it out!
-Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden?...This is the newest film from Morgan Spurlock who brought us Supersize Me. Now, this seems like it can be interesting, however, don't expect a wide release for a couple of weeks. If it comes near you, check it out though...

Speaking of a limited release...

~~New Release of The Week~~
THE LIFE BEFORE HER EYES

This is the new film from acclaimed director Vadim Perelman who is best known for bringing us the amazing and really heart breaking House of Sand and Fog, a personal fave of mine. Now, if this comes near you, please check it out. This is a great director who brings us solid films, and his next movie is going to be the adaptation of Atlas Shrugged, so, let's support the guy. However, your best wide release bet is either Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which I hear IS actually funny, or The Forbidden Kingdom...

Okay, so expect a review of a new release sometime this weekend, although I still don't know what one...how about you guys pick again...what would you like me to review...
A)Street Kings
B)88 Minutes
C)Forgetting Sarah Marshall
D)The Forbidden Kingdom
E)Prom Night

Also, I will have an old review of mine of Lars And The Real Girl, another music recomendation, and maybe of Brick/Blood Simple/Hard Candy/or Fargo...so, in the meantime

Go see something good!!

Who's shittier...

Okay, so I was scouring the internet for funny stories/movie news, and this came up...
http://kotaku.com/378137/michael-bay-responds-to-fucking-retard-remark

Three shitty directors tossing daggers at each other...whats better? So, here is the question, who is the shittiest of them all...

A)Michael Bay
B)Uwe Boll
C)Eli Roth

Also, Darren Aronofsky (one of the BEST directors working today), is set to create a psychological thriller called Riverview Towers for the freat tv channel AMC. Now, they have created two really good series, Mad Money and Breaking Bad, so this is looking like it will be great.

Go see something good, like Smart People.