The Darkness of the Movie House

Moonrise Kingdom

2012-01-15T15:48:00.000-08:00

The trailer for Wes Anderson's upcoming film Moonrise Kingdom has after an insane amount of waiting, finally been released. It is everything one would want and expect from Wes Anderson. The coloring, the music, the setting and the story are all classic trademarks Anderson has come to be known by.

The story is about two young kids who run off together, and the resulting shenanigans that ensue as the community tries to find them. It's got the regular Anderson cast with Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray but with newcomers that are sure to fit in perfectly to his world with Harvey Keitel, Edward Norton, Bruce Willis and Frances Mcdormand. Check it out below

War Horse: Proof that Steven Spielberg Still Has It

2012-01-02T20:33:00.000-08:00

2011 is the year that Steven Spielberg proved to the world that he has not yet become a "Hollywood hack". Most people were ready to write the guy off (myself included) quite unfairly after the colossal blunder that was Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But were we all forgetting the movies this man had given us, were we all forgetting the magic this man had created? This man had made a robotic shark scary, he made us all care about a little alien, he made dinosaurs walk the earth, put us on Normandy beach on D-Day, took us on thrilling adventures to find the Ark of Covenant and the Holy Grail. This mans name is synonymous with movies....and yet we all wrote him off.

So he definitely had something to prove as December, 2011 came and he released his animated, soon to be classic The Adventures of Tintin and the epic, heart wrenching War Horse. While Tintin oozed with fun and adventure and literally every frame was exciting and fun, War Horse is a whole different cinematic experience.

There are movies that remind you why you even love them in the first place, movies that make you fall in love with them all over again. War Horse is one of those movies. From John Williams' sweeping score to Janusz Kaminski's breathtaking cinematography every bit of War Horse draws you in and takes a hold of you.

Jeremy Irvine plays the poor farm boy Albert who raises the endearing Joey(the horse) only to have to give him up with his father sells him to Captain Nicholls, a superbly subtle performance from the vastly underrated Tom Hiddleston (Thor, Midnight in Paris) as World War I breaks loose on Europe. What follows is the journey Joey experiences through the trenches and battles that made the first great war so terrible. He passes through different owners who's own stories tug at your heart, yet make you believe whole heartedly that the world is truly a good place, despite the terrible things human beings are capable of. Soon Albert is in the fight as well, running through battlefields and trenches hoping to one day meet his friend again.

There is a warming yet gutwrenching scene as Joey has been caught in barbed wire and a temporary cease fire occurs as a British soldier, with the help of a German soldier untangles Joey from the mess.

The acting is incredible. Hiddleston gives a great performance as the kind Captain who promises Albert that he will protect Joey and return him to him if he can. As Peter Travers said in his review at rollingstone magazine, you just want more of him. Both Peter Mullen and Emily Watson are great as Albert's parents and Neils Arstup as a French farmer/grandfather is terrific.

Spielberg has created a sweeping epic, and like only he can do, made us care just as much about the animals as the human characters. The year of 2011 was a pretty weak year for movies with only a few bright spots, and War Horse is possibly the brightest of them all. Spielberg deserves to be at the very least nominated for Best Director at this years Academy Awards, and it definitely deserves Best Picture. Cause really, what else was better this year?

**** out of ****

The Dark Knight Rises: Official Poster Release

2011-12-10T13:56:00.000-08:00

The Internet has been going crazy this weekend with The Dark Knight Rises. First the viral campaign kicked into gear (it lead people to get free passes to an early screening of Prologue) and Christopher Nolan held a special screening for his directing peers and the movies news websites.

The reactions to the prologue have been overwhelmingly good, with the exception that people had a hard time understanding Tom Hardy's Bane. But even so, apparently that wasn't enough to detract from the amazing spectacle that everyone witnessed.

We began wondering if we would get anything else this weekend...a poster...a new trailer..anything. The users at nolanfans.com had basically given up hope when suddenly today, the official website was updated, revealing the new poster.

Its dark and cold and extremely foreboding. It gives us an amazing glimpse at the more than likely epic experience Christopher Nolan has in store for us come July. The man has yet to make a bad film, and it doesn't look like he is about to start with this one.

A side note to get people excited, once the official website was updated with the new poster, the teaser trailer would not work anymore. But in the coding for the website, it suggests that soon they are gearing up to release the full length theatrical trailer online. Hopefully that will happen this weekend, and the moment it does, I'll be posting about it.

Viral Marketing for The Dark Knight Rises

2011-12-07T21:52:00.000-08:00

As with all Christopher Nolan films, The Dark Knight Rises is featuring an elaborate viral marketing campaign for the rabid fans. I took part in the one for The Dark Knight, which consisted of websites that would have clues that would lead you to other websites, dates and times usually rewarding the fans with the release of the new full length trailer or posters.

Inception also had one, but most of that campaign featured websites that were set in the "world" of Inception, and merely served to enhance the story.

The campain for The Dark Knight Rises kicked off today with the release of two "confidential" documents, one discussing that a nuclear scientist by the name of Dr. Leonid Pavel has gone missing, the other is a page of dialogue between two unknown people. Many lines and dates are blacked out. As of now we aren't sure whether this has any clues to more oncoming viral stuff, or is just serving as story to the prologue that comes out in few select IMAX theaters across the country.

And with that, here is the little information I have on Dr. Pavel and how I believe he ties in to the prologue.

SPOILERS:

Alon Aboutboul was cast as what was described as "mad scientist" type character. In the document he appears to be Dr. Pavel. According to the document a lot of people are after this guy. Which brings me to the prologue.
As of now the biggest, and most widely accepted rumour is that the prologue will feature an airplane that Bane is hijacking in order to kill an evil dictator. With this viral stuff I believe he is trying to kidnap Dr. Pavel, who i believe will be on the plane. We know from set photos that Bane has some sort of "doomsday" device. I think he kidnaps Pavel and makes him build this device. The prologue will be this kidnapping scene, and according to cinematogropher Wally Phfister, the opening sequence (prologue) is going to be mind blowing. I think it will be reminiscent of Inception's hallway fight.

I will be seeing the prologue on the 16th and will post my review about it shortly after, and will continue to post updates on the viral and normal campaigns

Below are the two documents released

The Dark Knight Rises: Details Revealed

2011-11-23T11:59:00.000-08:00

After much torture and speculation, Christopher Nolan has finally shed a very small light on The Dark Knight Rises via this months Empire Magazine. Now I know alot of people are wanting to remain completely in the dark about this movie till they see it which is more than fine, but seeing as how Christopher Nolan himself released this info, its safe to say its very VERY minimal in the spoiler content.

"It’s really all about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne’s story. We left him in a very precarious place. Perhaps surprisingly for some people, our story picks up quite a bit later, eight years after The Dark Knight. So he’s an older Bruce Wayne; he’s not in a great state." -Christopher Nolan

For a long time people have been speculating when this film would take place, many believing that it was directly after the events of The Dark Knight and that the first scene would be the police pursuing Batman like the end of the previous film. Chris' comments here obviously can lay that speculation to rest.

Nolan also spoke about the upcoming prologue that will be playing before Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol in select IMAX theaters. He states that its the first six or seven minutes of the film, and that it will be an introduction to the character of Bane.

Bane is shaping up to be an incredible villain. Many people I know are concerned he won't be able to live up to Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight. Tom Hardy is more than a capable actor and Bane is the perfect villain to challenge Batman. Not only is he a physical challenge but Bane is also extremely intelligent, capable of tormenting Batman/Bruce psychologically. Hardy calls Bane "Brutal" and "incredibly clinical"

Also concerning Bane, Lindy Hemming The Dark Knight Rises' costume designer cleared up some speculation about Bane's mask...

He was injured early in his story. He’s suffering from pain and he needs gas to survive. He cannot survive the pain without the mask. The pipes from the mask go back along his jaw line and feed into the thing at the back where there are two canisters of what ever it is…the anesthetic. - Lindy Hemming

Below are a few official photos of Bane from the movie. The prologue as well as the first full length trailer will be appearing December 16.

The Dark Knight Rises: Epic shots from New York

2011-11-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

The past two days have been nothing short of amazing in the world of an avid Christopher Nolan/Batman fan. Filming has been going on in New York and in the past two days scenes that can only be described as epic have been captured by fans going out with cameras to the set. Us over at nolanfans.com have been in complete awe at the videos and photos that have been popping up online.

So far its pretty safe to say, especially after these past few days if it hasn't been clear enough since filming first started back in May that The Dark Knight Rises is going to top The Dark Knight, and all other Superhero films. The Avengers? who could possibly care about Stan Lee's super one dimensional characterizations being directed by Joss Whedon when you have Christopher Nolan concluding his epic trilogy of the tormented and conflicted Batman. The talent level is just way too high in comparison. Even The Amazing Spiderman (which i'm extremely intrigued by) probably won't stand a chance next to this film. Now Superman is gonna be interesting when its finally finished, but I just don't see anything that could possibly be better than what Nolan and Company have been doing with this film.

With all the pictures and videos flooding in from the last two days I thought i would post a few of them on here, but be warned while not giving away any plot details, these leaks could be deemed kind of spoilery, so if you want to stay completely in the dark and wait to have your mind blown next july, stop reading. but also remember, what you see in these photos and videos haven't been through post production, and they are just from fans, the final product will look drastically different.

First here are some pictures of Christopher Nolan directing.

Now some photos of the filming.

This one is Matthew Modine (looking like a high ranking police officer) in action.
If you don't know who Matthew Modine is he starred in Memphis Belle, Cutthroat Island, Any Given Sunday, and as Private Joker in Full Metal Jacket. He is a good actor that fits with Christopher Nolan's trend of casting past has beens in his films. (like Rutger Hauer in Batman Begins, David Bowie in The Prestige, Eric Roberts in The Dark Knight and Tom Berringer in Inception)

Some photos of Batman and Bane

And now two videos from the set.

Catwoman/Selina Kyle

This one is just epic

This one is the most spoilery, its an epic fight scene between Bane and Batman...

The Dark Knight Rises: Production Update From New York

2011-10-28T18:10:00.000-07:00

The continuing production of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises began its first day in New York City today. The production started back in May in India and has since then been in London, Pittsburgh, L.A and now finally New York. So far we have been pretty lucky with the footage and photo's fans have been capturing, and mostly they have all been pretty spoiler free.

The photos from today are no different. From its first day in New York we got some photos of Bruce Wayne's Lamborghini as well as photos of Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne (for the most part we have just gotten photos of him being Batman) as well as Joseph Gordon Levitt as the cop John Blake.

Along with that, the other day a man who is playing an extra as a Gotham City Police Man tweeted that they are getting ready to film "the biggest action sequence that has ever been filmed in New York". That is beyond exciting and I don't think I can wait till July. Luckily we have to only wait till December for the full length trailer.

I'm still depressed that no theaters here in Utah will be showing the prologue because they are all digital projection theaters. But I will just have to make do with the regular theatrical trailer and more set photos to help be get through till July.

Check out the pictures of the production below. Its good to see Bale as Bruce Wayne, there wasn't enough of Bruce in The Dark Knight in my opinion.

The Dark Knight Rises Prologue: Only on Real 70mm IMAX theaters.

2011-10-25T13:39:00.000-07:00

A week or two ago I posted about the prologue scene of The Dark Knight Rises playing before Misson Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Turns out only a select few IMAX theaters will be getting it, only the legit 70mm IMAX screens. I like many fans am not very happy to hear this because there isn't a single 70MM screen within any sort of reasonable distance from where I live. Every single IMAX screen in Utah is digital, and so far its looking like we won't be getting it, hopefully this will change as December gets closer.

While I am mad about it, I understand it. 70mm IMAX screens will be presenting it in picture perfection, after all most the film is filmed in 70mm. I can only imagine how much better it will look on those screens than it would on our digital IMAX projections. still its a pretty low blow to the thousands of fans who don't get to see it.... my fingers are now crossed that they will change this, or at least that it will be released online as well.

The Dark Knight Rises Prologue

2011-10-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

In December 2007 at the IMAX showings of the film "I Am Legend" a six minute prologue scene to The Dark Knight was shown, this of course was the epic bank robbery scene that opens the film. For the past few month myself and other pathetic Christopher Nolan worshipers and Batman geeks have been wondering if something similar would happen this year for The Dark Knight Rises.

It was safe to assume that at least the first full length trailer would come out in December. (The first teaser for TDK came out in July, a year prior to its release, same as The Dark Knight Rises) So far they seem to be following the same timeline with this final installment to The Dark Knight trilogy.

We started speculating that if they were to do a special IMAX trailer like the prologue to TDK it would have to come out with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, the only big IMAX movie being released in December. Along with that we believe that the regular trailer will be released with The Dark Knight Rises fellow studio film Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

A few days ago on the nolanfans forums, a new guy stated that he "heard from a source" that there is in fact an 8 minute prologue that will be playing on IMAX screens in front of Mission Impossible. He stated that he wasn't sure if he would get in trouble posting it, but he did anyways.

Over at nolanfans we are used to people posting made up junk just to start rumors and annoy us fans, it happens alot, especially from new posters. So we all dismissed his claims.

But today /Films (a very reliable film news website) started reporting the same thing, claiming sources told them that an 8 minute prologue would be playing. They have since received more information confirming that its actually a 6 minute prologue. Either way its good news.

I haven't been terribly excited for Mission Impossible, but it looked fun enough but now this has guaranteed my spot in a seat at the IMAX midnight showing for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. The Dark Knight Rises is gearing up to be the biggest film of 2012 (probably only second to The Hobbit) and what better way to get fans even more stoked for the epic conclusion than showing a 6 minute scene as well as releasing the full length trailer the same month? Be excited, be very very excited.

The Dark Knight Rises: Production update from Los Angeles

2011-10-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

For the past few months there has been a real lack of released information on The Dark Knight Rises, even most of the leaked photos have been pretty standard. Luckily there has been a tiny bit of actual good information to leak through. Filming is almost done in Los Angeles than they head off to New York for a shot shoot there before Production finally wraps up and goes into post-production. So if all goes well and follows the same pattern The Dark Knight did...we should be getting a full length trailer sometime in December (probably attached to the new Sherlock Holmes movie).

So far we still don't have any clue really as to what the story is really about. I have gotten some solid rumors from some pretty reliable sources on Nolanfans.com (this is still speculation though) that at some point Gotham is under complete lockdown due to Bane taking over the city, causing the streets of Gotham to be empty and desolate. Some of the pictures we have gotten before, mainly the ones of Joseph Gordon Levitt, support this idea.

We also have gotten photos leaked showing more of the Catwoman suit and anne hathaway. Plenty of people were complaining when he official photo was released that there were no cat ears. Those people can stop worrying because Catwoman does infact have cat years....giving Anne Hathaway a look that seems totally influenced by the classic Julie Newmar version.

Also rumored to have been seen on set for his third time around is Nolan regular, Cillian Murphy (The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Sunshine, 28 Days Later, Inception) as Dr. Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow. He was one of the main villains in Batman Begins, but only had a small cameo in The Dark Knight. It is unclear how big or small his role in this film is going to be, but the rumor is that his scene involves some sort of trial.

We have also received some good footage of action scenes being filmed, i'm only gonna post a couple so I don't spoil all the action scenes for not only myself but you as well. So below are some videos from the set as well as a couple of pictures. Hopefully we will have more information about the actual storyline soon.

and here is one of what appears to be a scene between Gordon (Gary Oldman) and Batman (Christian Bale)

The Dark Knight Rises: Batwing and Joseph Gordon Levitt as John Blake

2011-08-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

After much speculation and discussion among fans whether we would see a new bat-vehicle in this film (such as a new bat-mobile or bat-pod) it is finally confirmed through set photos that we will indeed have "the batwing". This had never really crossed my mind that Chris Nolan would go this route with the vehicles due to his usual reality based ideals for his batman films. I mean in the classic Batmans the Batwing is a jet that he flies around the city, not very plausible. But after these photos and set videos got released it's obvious he is making it work, and the finished product is going to be nothing short of brilliant.

It's definitely not a Jet, more like a Tumbler that flies/hovers around. It definitely looks like it could cause some serious damage.

Video of Joseph Gordon Levitt as John Blake has also surfaced. His character is still quite a mystery, he has only been described as a "beat cop". Nobody knows if he is a good or bad guy. In the video released he definitely has a very suspicious/shifty look about him. I personally would love it if he wasn't a good guy. There is already so many villains it seems that the good guys have all the odds against them and I love that. So i'm pullin for John Blake being not who he seems.

I'm also loving the look of the snow around Gotham. It just adds to the ominous look and helps heighten the desperation. It really is starting to look like Bane (or whomever is in charge of him) has taken over the city. I can't wait to see how this all plays out in the film. Also Below are a couple more videos of Catwoman in action on set and some more set photos of Anne Hathaway and such.

The Dark Knight Rises: Bane Voice Leak Video and More Set Photos

2011-08-07T12:52:00.001-07:00

This weekend they filmed crucial scenes at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. At what appears to be a Gotham City Rogues football game Bane it seems causes some serious shiz and walks out and makes a speech. The video below is Bane coming out and delivering his speech. Now remember the video is just of the scene being filmed so you won't see the football players running around and such or see the explosions in this take, but you do hear Tom Hardy's Bane voice. Luckily there are notes in the video that help explain what is going on in the scene.

and here is a closer video where you can actually see Bane delivering the lines.

Also below are some set photos of Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle on the batpod, and some of Marion Cotiliard's character Miranda Tate (aka probably Talia Al Ghul)

Now with the official releases and leaked videos that have been springing up, it shouldn't be too long before I have an firm idea of the plot, right now its only guesses. Soon I'll be writing a post about the possible plot lines this film could now follow.

The Dark Knight Rises: First photo of Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle

2011-08-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

Today Warner Bros. finally released a photo of Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle. Instead of pointy cat ears or like anything we have ever seen from the character, she has practical clothing and goggles with lights on them. Now the title of the photo only says Selina Kyle, so i'm still not completely convinced she will ever be referred to as "Catwoman" in this film, although Selina Kyle is Catwoman.

Personally I think it looks great, of course she isn't going to be dressed like a cat this is a Christopher Nolan Batman film, not some Tim Burton or cussin Joel "the hack" Shumacher flick. Her suit is practical and perfect for a thief (which Selina Kyle usually is). Even the lights on the goggles fit with that. Anne Hathaway is going to surprise lots of people I think. She has a lot of doubters, and most people won't remember this but......so did Heath Ledger when it was announced he was playing the Joker and look how that all turned out.

The more that gets released from this movie, and the more leaked set photos the more confused I am getting at how it is all gonna come together. I get how Bane, Talia and the League are going to work into it, but Selina Kyle is the one I just don't understand yet, but as always "In Nolan I Trust"

The Dark Knight Rises: Production Update in Pittsburgh (photos and more)

2011-08-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

The Dark Knight Rises production arrived in Pittsburgh to begin its long stint of filming in the U.S last week and already great photos and videos are poppin up on the web. Supposedly an action scene is taking place at the football stadium where the Steelers play, but I haven't found any photo's of that yet. What we do have is a picture and video of Bane up on top of one of the tumblers (batmobile) appearing to make a speech or something. He is wearin a thick coat and such, leading me to believe that TDKR is going to be taking place during winter (last winter Nolan and Co filmed helicopter shots of New York so they could catch it with snow). Also is a video of a jail exploding in which prisoners are going to escape. And to top it all of there is a video of Bane and Batman choreographing a fight, then an actual fight scene being filmed between the two! here is an epic picture from said fight!

So pretty much i'm geeking out hardcore right now, and since there is still a year away, i see no signs of this geeking out coming to an end. So if you are not a Christopher Nolan fan or a Batman fan...then i'm sorry because i will be posting about TDKR quite frequently for the next year.....If i can survive that long!

The Dark Knight Rises - Official Teaser Trailer [HD]

2011-07-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

Ok So the it's finally here. The trailer came out on Friday with Harry Potter and all that was online was bootlegged copies. Now WB has released it online in full HD so we can enjoy it repeatedly in all it's epicness. Now it is only a teaser trailer so it shows very little new footage, but the new footage it does show is brilliant. Before I go into the full analysis , check it out below, or click on the link

Some people are complaining about the footage at the beginning from the previous two films, I personally think its brilliant! It helps set the tone of the whole thing, especially the voiceover from Liam Neeson's Ras Al Gul from "Batman Begins"

Then we have Gordon in the hospital bed talking to Bruce (who is wearing a ski mask in this scene to hide his identity from Gordon) Obviously Batman has left and all heck is breaking loose. This brings up thousands of questions. The first being, Why is Gordon in the hospital? Who did it to him? (probably Bane).

We also get a good look at Tom Hardy as Bane, and he looks like a freakin monster, I can't even describe my excitement for him in this film. The last shot in the trailer as he is walking towards Batman is beyond epic.

The trailer brings up more questions, like how is Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle going to fit in with this? How does Ras Al Gul come into play? Are the League Of Shadows involved again? All things we won't know till later, but man I can't wait.

It also shows what we can expect from the film as well, pretty much that the stakes are all higher, and its going to be more than epic. Production has just begun here in the States in Pitsburg and it will continue here in the US till the fall. The Dark Knight Rises stars Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotilliard, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Michael Caine and is set for release July 2012!

Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" - Official Trailer [HD]

2011-07-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

Ok so I talked about a film a while back titled "The Invention of Hugo Cabret". It's Martin Scorsese's first film made for children in his entire brilliant career. It's set in the 1930's, it's about a young boy who is shown a mysterious robot by his father. His father is killed and the boy is orphaned and he tries to discover the secrets of the robot. Now it was filmed in 3D...also a first for Martin Scorsese. Finally a trailer was released and the title has been shortened to just "Hugo".

I'm more than a bit intrigued by this film. Martin Scorsese has made some of the greatest films of all time *cough* Taxi Drive, Raging Bull, Goodfellas...just to name a few... And now suddenly he is doing a kids film? The trailer has given me mixed feelings however. It's quite sappy and cheesy, but then again it is for kids. And the use of Thirty Seconds To Mars in the trailer really grates on my nerves, but even with that the trailer still has some interesting stuff, such as the cast. Jude Law and Ben Kingsley are bother great, especially the latter. I would see him in anything.

I'm still worried though, I know Scorsese isn't untouchable, he has made some flops before (The King of Comedy, New York New York...) but I just want him to continue to be great, just like I wanted Speilberg to always be great until he let us all down with Indiana Jones 4. Scorsese has always been one of my all time favorite directors, I don't want him to make a bad film, especially after doing what I thought was a great film with "Shutter Island" For now I guess i'll just have to cross my fingers and hope that the master delivers again. Check out the trailer below

The Dark Knight Rises: Teaser Poster Revealed

2011-07-11T22:12:00.002-07:00

Finally more updates to fuel the hype of the obsessed Batman/Christopher Nolan fanbase. Not only is the teaser trailer supposedly slated to appear before the showings of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 this weekend (and very possibly online tomorrow afternoon!) But today they released the teaser poster...which is awesome. Since its the teaser poster its fairly simple. Its got buildings that are crumbling and at the top of them they form the bat symbol. Simple yet it looks epic:

Pretty good stuff! Hopefully by the end of the week I will be posting the Teaser Trailer....

Plot Synopsis for Ridley Scott's "Prometheus"

2011-06-30T20:42:00.001-07:00

A couple years back it was announced that Ridley Scott would be returning to the universe he created back in 1979. It was said that he would be directing a prequel film to "Alien", and at the time the film went under the simple title of "Untitled Alien Prequel" Then a few months back suddenly that imdb page disappeared, to be replaced by Prometheus. Nobody knew what to think, and only hoped it would still be the prequel.

Talented actors started being added to the cast list. Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender( who said early on to be playing a synthetic android, only fueling the hope that it was connected to "Alien") Idris Elba and Guy Pearce. It was widely believed the story would focus on the mythical Space Jockey from "Alien". Now if you are not "Alien" savvy, I'll explain what the Space Jockey is.

Near the beginning of the 1979 film, John Hurt's character is exploring a derelict space craft on a remote planet. Inside the ship is a giant fossilized creature that was sitting in a gigantic pilots chair. The creatures chest was burst outward (obviously from the Alien creature). Nothing more was ever mentioned about this character, leaving it up to fans to discuss. So fans have been waiting anxiously to discover the mystery of this creature. And from the plot synopsis and descriptions given from Ridley himself, it appears that we are going to get just that.

Visionary filmmaker Ridley Scott returns to the genre he helped define, creating an original science fiction epic set in the most dangerous corners of the universe. The film takes a team of scientists and explorers on a thrilling journey that will test their physical and mental limits and strand them on a distant world, where they will discover the answers to our most profound questions and to life's ultimate mystery.

Ridley also told Empire magazine that "It's set in 2085, about 30 years before Sigourney Weaver's character Ellen Ripley from "Alien"… It's fundamentally about going out to find out 'Who the hell was that Space Jockey?'"

So all of us giddy sci fi fanboys can rest assured knowing the mystery is soon to be solved. The film has a killer cast, a brilliant director and takes place in my all time favorite science fiction universe, so I am anxiously awaiting 2012 for this, among other films *cough* The Dark Knight Rises *cough*.

Below is a photo of the Space Jockey in "Alien". "Prometheus" is due out June 8 2012, and is directed by Ridely Scott and written by Damon Lindelof. It stars Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce and Ben Foster.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

2011-06-02T17:59:00.000-07:00

I brought this movie up a while back but they have finally released some more trailers for it and I feel that "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" deserves a little hyping. It's a horror film based on a made for tv movie of the same name that came out in 1973. Now the title is a little lackluster, and the trailers might be off putting to some so let me explain the premise and give reasons why it deserves some hype.

Sally is a young girl played by Bailiee Madison (Bridge to Tarabithea) who is sent to live with her dad played by Guy Pearce and his girlfriend played by Katie Holmes. They are moving into a renovated older home, where Sally discovers creatures that want to claim the young girl as one of their own. Simple enough.

Now I can see why some people would think that sounds stupid or cheesy, but c'mon evil creatures terrorizing a young girl really isn't cheesy. Then add to the fact that you have the great Guillermo Del Toro (writer/director of Cronos, Devils Backbone, Hellboy and Pan's Labyrnth) writing and producing then you can be sure it will have something worth watching.

Add to the fact its not a movie that is gonna be heavily reliant on gore, and more reliant on tension and suspense gives it another edge above most horror films currently being served up.

Also Guy Pearce is another huge reason for intrigue. Yes the guy is very hit or miss with his films (misses: The Count of Monte Cristo, The Time Machine, Bedtime Stories....Hits: Memento, The Proposition, LA Confidential) but when he is on, he is incredibly talented! So check out the link below and watch the trailer and see what ya think!

The Dark Knight Rises: First Pic of Tom Hardy as Bane.

2011-05-20T15:01:00.001-07:00

Alright so I am jumping on this a little late, the image was released this morning on the newly built official website for "The Dark Knight Rises". Its the first official look on what Christopher Nolan and co. have been up two the past two weeks. So you can imagine my complete giddiness when I discovered this had been released, anyone who read this blog leading up to "Inception"'s release knows how much I worship the guy and his films. The way the photo was released in a pretty crazy way. According to Nolan Fan's website the Dark Knight Rises website was seemingly just black, with an audio file playing chanting. Then I guess a fan at Super Hero Hype took the video spectrum of the audio file and embedded in that was the Twitter hashtag #thefirerises. Once tweeting the hashtag, each persons icon was assembled to make the picture of Tom Hardy as Bane. Click on the image to view a larger, hi-res version.

Its an awesome picture, and i'm incredibly stoked about it! Tom Hardy is an amazing actor. There was some speculation if Bane would have a mask or not in Nolan's film (usually Bane has a luchador mask), some thought it wouldn't work, but looking at his it works perfectly. Hardy looks wildly intimidating and has bulked up a bit since playing Eames in "Inception".

"The Dark Knight Rises" has been filming for two weeks now, it started last week in India for a few days, and this week it has been going in London. The film has many other locations on the filming list, such as Pittsburgh, LA and Scotland. Now brace yourselves everyone cause the film is set for a July 20, 2012 meaning I've got over a year to let my hype grow and grow and grow, it will more than likely eclipse both my "Inception" and "The Dark Knight" hype, so get ready for it gang!

12 Angry Men

2011-04-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

Recently the great Sidney Lumet passed away, leaving behind a legacy of terrific and inspiring films such as "Network" "Dog Day Afternoon" and "The Verdict". For a while I have been a fan of his films, but had never seen the film that really started his career, 1957's "12 Angry Men". Fortunately, I had to watch it for a class.

From the moment the film began I knew I was in for something special. the film is about 12 jurors on a murder trial. The defendant is an 18 year old kid, accused of stabbing his father to death. The entire film takes place in the locked room where the jury decides this boys fate. Everyone in the room seems to unanimously agree that the kid was guilty, the trail seemed to leave them with no question, except for juror #8, played incredibly by Henry Fonda.

He doesn't know if the kid is guilty or not, he just has doubts, and doesn't feel like they can send a kid to the electric chair without discussion. All the other jurors (many big names throughout like Ed Begely, Jack Warden, Jack Klugman and Lee J. Cobb) are in a hurry to be done, one has a baseball game to get to, others just seem rushed. Nobody but #8 seems to think it needs discussion.

In a murder trial the vote has to be unanimous to send a person to the chair, and with #8's vote of not guilty, the discussion begins. As each presents their case to him about why the kid is guilty, he easily comes up with logical rebuttals. Slowly he convinces more and more of them to question their own beliefs and decide if the kid is really guilty.

As stated above the performance from Fonda is brilliant, it proves why he is a Hollywood legend. The emotion conveyed in his facial expressions, the morality his character portrays is just brilliant. This film puts him up there with the classic greats of Gregory Peck, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden. The rest of the jurors put in great performances as well.

Jack Warden (While You Were Sleeping) plays the jokster, who just wants to be done so he can watch the ball game. Jack Klugman (TVs The Odd Couple) plays a quiet reserved man, who is also from the slums, just like the accused, who can't stand the social prejudices of some of the other jurors.

Like I said the entire film takes place in one room. But the script is razor sharp, leaving you riveted the entire film. The cast is electric, and the directing is perfect. The film was a glimpse at everything to come in Sidney Lumet's long and brilliant career as a master filmmaker. No matter how good he got though, I think its safe to say "12 Angry Men" is more than just the beginning of his career, it might have just been his best work period. Its the classic example of the cliche`d phrase, "They just don't make em like the used to!", they really don't.....

Hesher

2011-04-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

Alright, I am terribly sorry to those few of you, well really probably nobody, who have missed my once frequent posting. I have been busy therefore not much time to write about movies, no matter how stoked about some of them I have gotten. I have had a strong desire to end my hiatus though, due to the release of the trailer for the indie film "Hesher". "Hesher" played over a year ago at the Sundance Film Festival, and now has finally gotten a release date.

The film stars Joseph Gordon Levitt as the title character Hesher, a dirty, long-haired, home-made tattooed, drug addicted, violent lowlife who forces his way into the life of a young boy grieving over his recently deceased mother. Natalie Portman (who also produced the film) plays a nice caring store clerk who wants to help the young boy stay away from the unhinged Hesher. The movie looks quite dark, quite moody but the performances look outstanding. Riann Wilson known for his role as Dwight on "The Office" plays the depressed and grieving father, looking nothing like the odd-ball he plays on television.

What I find most intriguing about this film, is the acting of Levitt. He has been an immensely talented actor for years, especially in the independent scene. Films like "The Lookout", "Brick" and even "500 Days of Summer" really show off his ability, but this shows off just how far and wide of a range he has as an actor, he looks completely different as the creepy "Hesher".

Now to be honest, I don't even know if this film will be good, most of the reviews from film festivals label it as dark and and hard to watch. Yet they also label it as touching and at times funny. A good review from the Sundance screening can be read here http://blog.moviefone.com/2010/02/04/hesher-review-sundance/ If nothing else, the trailer is worth watching just to see the transformation of Joseph Gordon Levitt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIY9F5FZsxI

Super 8

2011-02-09T21:55:00.000-08:00

So a while back a trailer was released for the Steven Spielberg produced JJ Abrams flick "Super 8". The trailer was very reminiscent of the trailer for the Abrams produced film "Cloverfield" meaning it told us nothing, literally nothing about what the film was about. The trailer involved a train wreck.....that's about it.

Fast forward a little while and we know a bit more about the highly kept secret film. According to writer/director Abrams, its a throwback, or love letter of sorts to the old school films done by Spielberg and Amblin entertainment back in Spielbergs hay day. Think "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", "E.T." "The Goonies" and "Stand By Me" as references. That is enough to get me excited. Films like the old Spielberg movies just don't happen anymore. They were all heartfelt, fun, funny and exciting. Somehow that got lost as time went on, even Spielberg seems to have lost it, as was evident with "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull".

If Abrams pulls it off, which I have complete confidence he will, we are in for a really great time and its now become one of my, if not my most anticipated film of this summer. Its release date is set for June 10Th and I can't wait.

With the Super Bowl we got a 30 second or so television spot which shows a little more than just a train crashing, and it looks awesome.

Brief Thoughts on The Dark Knight Rises Casting.

2011-01-20T22:06:00.000-08:00

Leading the post off with a title that begins with Brief might be risky considering the topic I'm writing about. Today we learned who the two villains, well one for sure villain is going to be. We have Tom Hardy, who was cast a while back just his role not revealed until now, as Bane. Add to that we are getting Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle. What I aim to do here is settle down some of those people who are complaining about Anne Hathaway's casting, but first lets look at Tom Hardy as Bane.

If you don't know Tom Hardy as a name, he is the guy who played the forger, Eames, in Christopher Nolan's "Inception". He was one of the best in that

film, which was filled to the brim with talent. I'm excited about

his casting and character because its a character that has loads of potential and depth.

Bane has made an appearance in a Batman film already but its nothing like h

ow the original character of Bane was. In Joel Shumacher's atrocious Batman

and Robin he shows up as a brutish mindless thug who is pumped full of the drug Venom making him go insane with rage (think The Hulk). The problem is Bane was never meant to be mindless.

Bane originally in the comics grew up in a violent world where from a early age learned

how to be calculating to achieve what he wanted. He isn't only a psychological genius, but also very strong and powerful pretty much a double threat for Batman. In the comics he does pump the serum Venum into his brain to make himself even more powerful, but I'm not sure how Nolan will work that into the film. I also don't know if they will go for the traditional look of Bane, seeing as how it would seem cheesy in the realistic world of Nolan to have a villain who looks like he belongs on WWF, looks aside though Bane really is an awesome Batman villain, among the very best. No matter what though its an awesome character mix in Hardy and Nolan and I'm more than giddy.

Now Anne Hathaway is different. I hate her, well not hate but I strongly dislike her. I hate her personality and pretentious attitude. I hate the way she felt like the only way to break away from the "Disney image" was to get naked in front of the camera. I just don't like her. With that said, I trust Christopher Nolan.

She has been cast as Selina Kyle, if your even slightly Batman savvy you should be thinking Catwoman when you read Selina Kyle. Pretty much the same way you think Two-Face when you hear Harvey Dent. At first thought Catwoman seems horrible especially when you think of the Halle Barry film and try mixing it with Nolan's universe. But if you look at some of her appearances in the comics and it will actually sound like a pretty good idea.

In many of the comics Selina Kyle/Catwoman tortures Bruce/Batwoman because at some level Bruce is in love with Selina Kyle and Batman is on some levels in love with Catwoman. She messes with him and tortures him psychologically. Taunting him that he is no different than her: a renegade vigilante. She isn't JUST a villain, she is a thief yes, but also does help fight crime when it suits her needs. Her inclusion in the Nolan universe can really bring more angst to the already tormented Batman. Now in the official press release they only mentioned Selina Kyle, so maybe Cat

woman won't play a big role, maybe more like Two-Face in The Dark Knight, or maybe not at all...who knows.

Now to the Anne Hathaway being cast issue. A few years ago, it was announced that an actor named Heath Ledger was going to be cast as the infamous Joker. There was outrage. Many people were having a fit because they could not picture him as The Joker, I am very proud to admit i wasn't one of them! Look what happened though? He was beyond amazing. Now granted Hathaway is not Ledger, and granted there are better choices than her. But there was better choices than Ledger too, at least people thought. But Christopher Nolan is one of the all time best filmmakers working, he has a clear cut vision and he always brings it to life. I promise he will pull it off. He has never let us down, at this point Nolan is throwing a perfect game. Anne Hathaway will surprise us all, Tom Hardy will blow us away and The Dark Knight Rises will be unbelievable. So sit back and enjoy the ride as I build up the hype until July 20 2012 when its released. Think of this blog leading up to Inception, and thats basically what will probably happen again. In Nolan I trust!

trailer for John Carpenter's The Ward

2011-01-11T18:34:00.000-08:00

So i've talked many a time about the master of horror John Carpenter and his new flick The Ward. Well finally I got a trailer to back up all my talk and hype! The trailer is classic carpenter, a modest amount of gore and good ol tension! So anyways just check out this trailer here and get stoked for the newest from The Master of Horror!

Top Ten Films of the Decade

2011-01-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

Alright, its been quite some time since i have posted anything on this movie blog of mine, and I apologize to my one reader for that! But i figure since we just leapt into the year 2011, I might as well make a list of my top ten films of the past decade. Now top lists are always extremely difficult because my opinion might change in the middle of writing this, so lets hope for the best and get on with it.

In no particular order:

"There Will Be Blood" 2007

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Starring Daniel Day-Lewis.

The film is about greed and corruption using the oil boom of the late 1800's as the canvas. Daniel Day-Lewis puts in an Oscar winning performance as the corrupt Daniel Plainview, a greedy and sinister oil Barron.

"No Country For Old Men" 2007

Written and Directed by The Coen Bros. Starring Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem and Tommy Lee Jones.

Based on the book by Cormac McCarthy. A man stumbles across a drug deal gone wrong, and a lot of money. He steals the money and is then pursued by the murderous Anton Chigurh played intensely by Javier Bardem. Tommy Lee Jones is the old and tired police officer chasing in the wake of the violence left by Chigurh. Possibly one of the most perfectly made films from Acting to the Cinematography

"The Departed"2006

Directed by Martin Scorsese, Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Mark Whalberg and Alec Baldwin.

DiCaprio is an undercover cop working in the Boston mob under the paranoid Jack Nicholson, Damon is the mob informant working inside the police. When Damon is ordered by the police to find the informant and the leak, in essence being sent to find himself, and DiCaprio realizes there is an informant tensions rise in one of Scorsese's best films. it doesn't hurt that this film is set in Boston.....

"Up" 2009

Directed by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson. Starring Edward Asner, Delroy Lindo and Christopher Plummer.

This Pixar animated adventure has everything an audience has come to expect from the studio: adventure, excitement, character and heart. What sets "Up" apart from the rest though is its abundance in adventure and its extra doses of character and heart. It has a way of getting down to your emotional core and tugging at your heartstrings. the boys at Pixar are geniuses.

"Memento" 2000

Directed by Christopher Nolan starring Guy Pearce, Carry Anne-Moss and Joe Pantoliano

Christopher Nolan's big debut film has Guy Pearce in his best role as Leonard Shelby, a man who has short term memory loss, and who has been tracking down the man who killed his wife. When he finds clues he tattoo's himself so as not to forget, he takes Polaroids of people to remember them. the film is one of the more original films ever made it plays out backwards over the course of two days, in a way making you feel like the tormented Leonard, always trying to remember....

"Finding Neverland" 2004

Directed by Marc Forester, Starring Johnny Depp and Cate Winslet

This emotional film about J.M Barry and the family he meets and falls in love with, all giving him the inspiration for his newest play "Peter Pan". Johnny Depp gives my favorite performance of his has the playwright Barry, he completely becomes him. The film is poetic, beautiful and tragic. Many would disagree about it being on here, but i feel it must.

"Inglorious Basterds" 2009

Directed by Quentin Tarantino starring Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, Christoph Waltz, B.J. Novak and Melanie Laurent.

Tarantino rewrites WW2 with this eccentric yet brilliant film. Brad Pitt leads a team of soldiers, their mission: to kill and torture as many Nazis as possible. Christoph Waltz puts in an amazing Oscar winning performance as the evil Hans Landa. and Melanie Laurent as a young Jewish woman who has the opportunity to assassinate Hitler. All i can say is this movie is amazing.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" 2001

Directed by Peter Jackson, Starring Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortenson, Sean Bean, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchet, Ian Holm and Ian McKellen.

While the last two films focused more on the big CGI battle scenes, the first remained more about the characters and the adventure. Relying the least on CG effects we can focus more on what is happening. And the battle at the end of the film is better than any of the large scale epic ones in the following two. It belongs on the list just because of the material its comes from and because the sheer amount of time, effort and money put into the adaptation of Tolkien's novel.

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" 2004

Directed by Michel Gondry, Starring Jim Carrey, Cate Winslet, Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, David Cross and Tom Wilkinson.

A trippy surreal film about a man played by Jim Carrey who discovers that his girlfriend had her memories of him erased. He decides to do the same. The majority of the film takes place inside his memories as they are being zapped and as the good ones start to go, he realizes that he doesn't want to lose them. amazing performance by Carrey.

"127 Hours" 2010

Directed by Danny Boyle starring James Franco

This might not have made it had i not seen it just two weeks ago. If it had come out five years ago there is a chance it wouldn't be on this list. But Franco's chilling performance as Aaron Ralston, the man who had to resort to cutting of his own arm while stuck in the middle of the desert near Moab, Utah is unbelievable! The whole time you know whats coming, yet he makes it intense an emotional. Danny Boyle's best film yet.

So there you have it, as of right now, those are my picks of the last decade. Honorable mentions: "The Dark Knight" "Inception" "Crazy Heart" "In Bruges" "Revolutionary Road" "Road To Perdition" "The Road" "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" "500 Days of Summer" "Blood Diamond" "Children of Men" and "Batman Begins"

some of the worst movies of the past decade: "Transformers" "Transformers 2" "Pearl Harbor" "The Island"....okay I'm just naming Michael Bay films here...so lets make it short and just say anything he directed in the past decade makes this list. then we have "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" "Spider Man 3" both the "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequels. And really there was just too many crappy movies to list anymore!

In the following decade we can look forward to "The Hobbit" "The Dark Knight Rises" and anything else Christopher Nolan does. New Scorsese films like "Hugo Cabret" and if Spielberg will finally finish "Tintin" and "War Horse" and FINALLY start working on my long anticipated "Interstellar". And we have more waves of inept, useless 3D converted films too look forward to, so enjoy and happy new years!

The Way Back

2010-11-12T17:01:00.000-08:00

Alright, due to unforeseen circumstances I have been away from my blogging, and not only that away from movies all together. I know the very minuscule amount of people whom actually read this blog were lost completely without it, but not to worry good people I am back and while I certainly am not feeling anywhere near 100 percent I still feel like writing again.

Tonight I am writing about a film I have been very much looking forward to, I may have even mentioned it before. It's "The Way Back" directed by Peter Weir. What makes "The Way Back" one of my most anticipated films of the year? Well, numerous things....the first being Peter Weir.

Weir has directed some incredible stuff, without ever becoming a household name. In the eighties he gave us "Witness" starring Harrison Ford. Then he gave us one of my all time favorite dramas "The Dead Poets Society" starring Robin Williams. He is also responsible for one of Jim Carrey's more memorable and better performances in "The Truman Show".

The last film he made was both an exhilarating and intense film that, for reasons beyond my comprehension, failed to connect with audiences. That film would be the epic and brilliant, "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" with Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany.

It has been a while since that last film was released and now he is returning with the very epic "The Way Back" starring Ed Harris (The Abyss, History of Violence, The Truman Show) Jim Sturgess(21, Across the Universe) and Collin Farrell (The New World, In Bruges, Crazy Heart, Minority Report). All as prisoners in a Russian gulag (a very brutal and treacherous kind of russian prison) in Siberia who decide to escape on foot and walk a couple thousand miles in terrible terrain and climates to reach safety.

So whats so exciting? Well Weir always manages to make his films very cinematic and epic, this happens with his incredible locations for filming. He always has good acting in his films, and with the cast that he has that won't be a problem in this one. The trailer really inspires a lot of confidence that i am right about this film as well. I fully expect a sweeping cinematic epic with amazing set pieces, great acting and exciting/exhilarating sequences. I'm not sure when the film is set for release but it should be this December. Oh and Ed Harris is already getting Oscar buzz for the film.

Until next time enjoy the trailer...

Scream

2010-10-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

"Yes it is, Sidney. It's all one big movie. Only you can't pick your genre" Billy Scream

With my horror movie craze, and the fact that the trailer for Scream 4 was just released, I decided to watch horror master Wes Craven's 1996 film Scream starring Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, Jaimie Kennedy and David Arquette. This film is one of the best in the genre, and it achieves this status because its not like anything else out there (except the other Scream films).

The film is about a teenage girl, Sydney (played by Neve Campbell) who is being stalked by a killer wearing a ghostface mask. First he calls on the phone and plays a "game" with you. The game involves asking horror film trivia questions and if you get them wrong...well you just don't wanna answer a question wrong.

Sydney's mother had been brutally murdered a few years before and she, up till this point, had been working on moving past it. Her boyfriend is kinda creepy but seems to be understanding while he slowly tries to take their relationship to the next step. Setting up him as a possible suspect.

The film seems like its all a cliche` but that's where Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street (original) The People Under the Stairs, The Hills Have Eyes (original)) works his magic. The whole film is making fun of the horror film slasher genre and all its cliche`s. Most of this happens coming from movie geek Randy, played brilliantly by Jaimie Kennedy as he gives "the rules of horror films and how to survive".

One of the best scenes has him sitting there watching "Halloween" and as Jaimie Lee Curtis is stalked from behind, so is he. And he keeps yelling out "Turn around Jaimie"....now that is pretty clever.

The film also references the actors and the directors past work. At one point a girl says "The First Nightmare on Elm Street was good, the rest sucked!" referencing the fact that the studio fired Wes Craven after the first "Nightmare on Elm Street" and they all indeed suck after that. Wes Craven also appears in a quick glimpse as a janitor wearing a Freddy Kruger sweater and hat.

All in all its a fun slasher film that doesn't take itself too seriously, which ends up being its best quality. It can be intense and goofy at the same time and it feels natural and not at all forced. Film geeks should love it just for the references, horror fans should love it for....well every reason. Recommended for anyone who is a fan of slasher/horror films. 3/5 Stars.

Critters! and Horror Film Catch Up

2010-10-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

Alright, so I have failed miserably at keeping up with the blogging about all the horror films I have been watching! And I have been watching a lot. I will just give a star rating out of five to a few of them just so I can feel slightly like I have "reviewed" them. So here we go with the ones viewed so far:

"The Legend of Hell House" (1973) Low budget British film adaptation of Richard Matheson's "Hell House" 2.5/5

"A Nightmare on Elm Street" The original Wes Craven film where we are first introduced to Freddy Kruger. Fun, spooky and slightly campy 3/5

"Hellraiser" Clive Barkers 1987 adaptation of his novel "The Hellbound Heart" Slightly gory film that introduced audiences to Pin Head 2.5/5

"Psycho" Original version starring Janet Leigh and directed by Alfred Hitchcock 4/5

"Night of the Living Dead" 1969 Low budget zombie flick directed by George A. Romero 5/5

"The Evil Dead" Sam Raimi's low budget 80's film about a group of young adults going to stay at a cabin, and then getting possessed by wise cracking ghouls. Complete with the gore effects done with claymation 4/5 stars

And that's it for the catching up right now, I have to at least talk a little about a little 80's gem by the name of "Critters". Not to dissimilar from "Gremlins" its about a bunch of furry little aliens that eat anything and everything....including humans.

They escape from a maximum security prison and space and take a direct route to earth, landing at a farm where they try and eat the family there. Luckily the family isn't alone in the fight, two bounty hunters from space have come to stop the critters, whilst disguised as a rock star and the towns local drunk.

Yeah its got classic written all over it just from that synopsis. Add to the fact that it includes subtitles for what the little Critters are saying, (including numerous profanities) a killer 80's soundtrack and a few classic lines well you've got yourself a real gem! Its not terribly bloody, after all it is only PG 13. It stars frequent Horror film actress Dee Wallace (E.T. Cujo) and "Band of Brothers'" Scott Grimes as the kid/hero of the film. And personally I think its much more enjoyable than "Gremlins", not to diminish the latter film in any way though, its also a classic!

So that somewhat catches you up on the horror films I have been watching. I also saw "The Social Network" and I won't review it except to say get to the movie theater and see that film! Check back soon for a review of John Carpenter's "Prince of Darkness".

Tenebre: Blood, Guts and Techno Music

2010-10-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

Today's horror film was Dario Argento's "Tenebre" An Italian horror film released in Italy in 1982. Now the version I watched isn't the complete version, I don't believe its possible to rent the complete version in the U.S. Mostly because its heavily censored here for gore.

To really understand this film and all that it is you have to know a bit about Dario Argento. Argento is often (or was in his prime) referred to as the Italian Alfred Hitchcock. His movies had a certain suspense and tension that felt very Hitchcockian. The difference is the gore Argento uses in his films. I believe, at least in the 1980s Argento was the most heavily censored director here in America. But that's somewhat what made them Argento films....that and the music he used.

He used a band called Goblin for most of his soundtracks in the 1980's and they are all stellar and almost become a character in the film. In "Tenebre" it is almost the best part.

The story of "Tenebre" which I think is Latin for Darkness, is pretty generic. An American writer moves to Rome to write his next book. Once there brutal murders start happening that mirror, or are inspired by the deaths in his latest book, "Tenebre" He becomes convinced that he can solve who the murderer is, and soon finds himself a target.

Its fairly predictable, especially as all the suspects one by one are killed off to the point that it is almost spelling it out for you. This was pretty disappointing especially since "Suspiria" (one of Argento's previous films before this one) was so good. But the death scenes are pretty good, especially the killer music by Goblin that kicks in whenever someone is about to be let go.

The soundtrack is complete dance techno, that really makes you almost want to dance yet its got a real creepy vibe thumping through it at the same time. It really is the best part of the film in my opinion. I dare say the score may be better than "Suspiria" and that is saying a lot. I'd say its almost worth watching for the soundtrack...but then again you can go do a search for "Tenebre Goblin" and most likely hear it that way.

All in all it had some good tension and some nifty unique death scenes, but it really never lived up to my expectations. Its decent but certainly not on par with some of the other Horror efforts of the 1980's. I'd say it is worth checking out on television if its ever on, although I doubt very much it every will be.

"Christine" The month of Horror begins!

2010-10-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

For the next month I'm going to be posting mostly about Horror films, in honor of it being October and everything. I am going to be watching, hopefully, a horror film a day then posting my review on here. Now I have already seen most of the films I'm going to be watching, but I am rewatching them so that I can write reviews on them.

The films I have got lined up are some of the best, while maybe not most terrifying films (although some of them are) of all time. They are all on my list to watch for different reasons, but they all are classics in my opinion, and are films that should be seen by any Horror fan, or anyone who enjoys a good scare.

To start off with, we have the 1983 filmr "John Carpenter's

Christine". Now if you have read previous posts, you will know that Carpenter is indeed the Master of Horror, so its already got that on its side. Now you add in Stephen King, and a demonic car named Christine. Now if that doesn't all tell you its a classic

horror film, well then there is absolutely no helping you!

Keith Gordon stars as Arnie Cunningham, a geeky highschool kid that doesn't happen to have many friends except for his best friend Dennis, played by Dean Stockwell. Dennis is popular and the star of the football team, but is still best friends with the geeky Arnie.

Arnie finds an old beat up car and buys it, unbeknownst to him, its haunted. As Arnie starts fixing the vehicle, which is named "Christine" his friend Dennis starts noticing a big difference in Arnie, and so does Arnie's family. He no longer has that extreme geeky vibe, he has a dark edge and a quick temper.

Soon he is completely obsessed with the vehicle, doing anything for it. Including taking out all the boys who used to bully him back in the day. Its soon up to Dennis, a detective played by Harry Dean Stanton and Arnie's old girlfriend Lee to stop Arnie and "Christine".

The movie is fun, exciting and intense. Its not really that scary, and there is a huge lack of gore (due to the fact that Carpenter's previous effort "The Thing" failed miserably even though its amazing) But that doesn't stop it from being a classic. The excellent score written by Carpenter fuels the fire, the great cinematography brings "Christine" to life, and the acting is all very solid.

Its a good, fun horror film that isn't out to scare you to death, just out to give you a good time. If your looking for a good horror film, but don't want to be terrified I highly recommend "Christine"

True Grit: Trailer One

2010-10-01T17:26:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned numerous times throughout this blog about how stoked I am for the Coen Bros. version of "True Grit" starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin. I've mentioned that it could win awards, I've mentioned that Jeff Bridges would make the perfect Rooster Cogburn, and I've also mentioned it would be better than the John Wayne version (stop gasping, it is possible to do better than John Wayne in some films!)

Finally I have a trailer to back up my claims. And what a trailer it is! Gritty and beautifully shot, the simple music taking you from scene to scene, it could only be a Coen Bros. film. These guys are brilliant, they have never done a bad film, maybe a couple mediocre ones back in the day, but after films like "The Big Lebowski", "O Brother Where Art Though, "Fargo", "Blood Simple" and lets never forget "No Country For Old Men" I will see, and be unbelievably excited for anything they do, even if it was a film about grass growing.

And don't get me started on Jeff Bridges.....the Dude (Big Lebowski reference for those who are unfamiliar)....he is freaking brilliant. The whole film just looks incredible its set to come out in December (gonna be "The Fighter"'s big competition) , so here check out the trailer and let me know what you think of it!

Late review of The Town

2010-10-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

I saw this about two weeks ago, but having two jobs really limits the time one has to write about movies....or anything for that matter, in fact its a miracle I even had time to make it to this movie! But lucky for us I did, and now here is my official review.

The Town has everything going for it, and I mean everything. A talented cast, a brilliant script, the perfect setting, and a director who is confident in his filmmaking abilities. That director, which may be surprising to some, although not to those of us who saw "Gone Baby Gone", is Ben Affleck.

Affleck fell into a rut with his acting (which was not his fault, but the fault of poor scripts, bad directors and even worse movie choices) But he always had shining moments. Even though he had the backseat to best friend Matt Damon in "Good Will Hunting" he still had moving emotional scenes, for further proof see his tragic role in "Hollywoodland" where he played George Reeves, televisions first Superman who killed himself.

So his acting is good with the right script, but his directing is even better. He directed the heck out of the film "Gone Baby Gone" which got his brother Casey awards nominations. And he directs and acts in The Town with a vicious and sharp punch.

He also gets to direct last years academy award nominee for best actor from "The Hurt Locker" Jeremy Renner, who plays his role as Afflecks volatile best friend who seems to be on the verge of snapping the entire film.

The film is about bank-robbers from a neighborhood in Boston called Charlestown, which apparently produces the most bank-robbers than anywhere in the world. Affleck plays Doug, a man who robs-banks, but wants out. And he ends up falling for the bank manager whom they took hostage during their most recent job, and she is played by the wonderfully talented Rebekah Hall (The Prestige)

This poses a problem for Jem (Renner) who is Doug's best friend and partner, because he knows if she finds out who they are, she can turn them over to the feds who are wonderfully represented by Mad Men's Jon Hamm.

The story sets up some epic robbery scenes, one that takes place at "the cathedral of Boston" Fenway Park...that right there means I have to love this film as a Red Sox fan. But the intense chase scenes aren't what makes this film so good, its the characters and actors playing them.

Every character has a layer of depth and emotion, even the quick to violence Jem. Affleck's character is both heartbreaking and tragic, and while he is doing bad things, you still want him to come out on top, because you know he hates what he is doing. Its the first time I stopped seeing Ben Affleck and completely saw the character he was portraying. And everyone gets the film stolen from them by a short, brilliant scene with the unbelievably talented Chris Cooper (October Sky, American Beauty) playing Affleck's jailed bank robber dad, and the scene only lasts about three minutes!

Its an excellent movie, probably the best so far this year, second only to "Inception". Its intense, thrilling and moving all at the same time. If your into this kind of film, I highly recommend it.

Scott Pilgrim VS The World

2010-09-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

Ok I know this movie has been out for a while, so my review is quite late. But hey, I'm writing a quick one anyways. I saw this movie last weekend for the second time, and surprisingly (because most comedies I'll laugh the first time around then end up loathing every minute of it the second) i laughed almost harder the second time.

Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) is quite possibly one of the funniest filmmakers alive and he proves it again with Scott Pilgrim. He does what nobody else seems to be able to do....get Michael Cera (Arrested Development, Superbad, Juno) to be more than just the awkward geeky indie kid. Don't get me wrong Cera has plenty of geeky indie awkwardness running rampant throughout the film, but he brings along a wackiness that he has never had before.

If you don't know the story line, its about Scott Pilgrim (Cera) who is the bass player in a band, has had a rough break up and is now dating a seventeen year old Asian chick that goes by the name of Knives Chow....his friends mock him endlessly for this. Then he meets Ramona, that mysterious pink haired hipster chick that captures his attention and affections.

To win Ramona however, he must defeat all seven of her evil ex boyfriends (and one girlfriend). Some of the hilarious evil ex-boyfriends are played by Brandon Routh of Superman Returns fame (he plays a vegan with super powers) and we get Cera reunited with his Arrested Development girlfriend Mae Whitman (she played Ann Veal on the television show) but the best is the main evil ex-boyfriend played arrogantly and brilliantly by my man Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited, I Heart Huckabees)

The film starts out like its set somewhere maybe in the real world, just with video game music playing as its soundtrack (yes legit video game music, we get lots of good stuff from the super-nintendo game Zelda: A link to the Past) but the more the story moves along the more crazy and video-game-like every thing gets. And its hilarious.

If you hate loud music lots of colors and fast editing...well you probably will hate this movie. But if you love originality, goofiness and killer good music well you'll probably love it, I highly recommend it if you haven't yet checked it out!

Buckaroo Banzai and the 8th Dimension!!!

2010-09-20T17:10:00.000-07:00

I don't know how it happened. I usually consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable and film-literate when it comes to classic 80's movies. But much to my dismay and utter shock, a masterpiece has spent my entire life evading me. But that all ended today, and all I can say is that "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8Th Dimension" is a brilliant work in 1980's film.

Let me tell you a bit of the plot, at least the little of it that makes sense, so that you can understand a little of what makes this film so freaking awesome. We have Buckaroo Banzai, played brilliantly by Peter Weller (Robocop). Buckaroo has the best job title ever, he is an Adventurer/Neurosurgeon/Rock-star/Scientist/Cowboy/Samurai/Comic-book Hero! And he has got his band of men (who also rock as his band) The Hong-Kong Cavaliers. Jeff Goldbloom (Jurassic Park, The Fly and Independence Day) stars as the newest addition to The Cavaliers all decked out in cowboy get-up. We also get Christopher Loydd and John Lithgow as the alien villains exiled to Earth.

The story starts off with Buckaroo being late for some government test of some vehicle, he is late because he is performing brain surgery. Finally Buckaroo Banzai shows up, hops in the car and with the help of a device very similar to the Flux Capacitor on "Back To The Future" Buckaroo ends up travelling to the 8th Dimension by way of travelling straight through a brick wall and coming back, but he discovered life.

Soon Buckaroo can see the evil aliens as they really look like, and the costumes are epic. We also can't forget that all the aliens have the first name of John.......such as John Parker, John Whorfin and.......well you get the idea. Throw in some great scenes of The Hong Kong Cavaliers rockin out in a club, shootin their six guns and lines like -

"You can check your anatomy all you want, and even though there may be normal variation, when it comes right down to it, this far inside the head it all looks the same. No, no, no, don't tug on that. You never know what it might be attached to. " or -

"I've been ionized, but I'm okay now. "

"Buckaroo, I don't know what to say. Lectroids? Planet 10? Nuclear extortion? A girl named "John"? "

Yeah I know what you are thinking.......it sounds freaking incredible! Well just check out the trailer HERE its not that great of a trailer though, some goofy 80's music plus its got Jeff Goldbloom in his outfit. But there is another video I found that they claim as a trailer but its 8 minutes long and it shows some of the best scenes, you can see that one HERE.

Also some things to look forward to in the future on this blog, as Halloween gets closer I am gonna be watching lots of the best horror films in existence, then immediately reviewing them here so keep checking back for that! And possibly in the next little bit I'll have a review up for "The Town" but who knows about that!

The Fighter

2010-09-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

Every year a movie coasts for most of the year without being talked about much. Every year the trailer gets released and generates a little buzz and lots of the time the film doesn't live up to that buzz. But sometimes it does, and I personally think the film "The Fighter" will exceed any amount of buzz it gets. Already I am calling it for awards, not only noms, but wins.

I have mentioned this film before as one to look forward to, and finally I have a trailer to help back up my claims. "The Fighter" stars Mark Wahlberg as real life boxer "Irish" Mickey Ward who boxed in the mid 1980's. Amy Adams stars as the love interest and a skin and bones Christian Bale plays his troubled drug addicted brother.

The movie has everything that a good movie has going for it. A story about an underdog fighting against all odds to make his dreams come true, the tragic family member holding them back but only trying to help, the supporting but sceptical love interest and the world cheering against him. Yes it sounds a bit like "Rocky" but fortunately its based on a true story and we don't have to hear Stallone mumble his lines and get depressed while Talia Shire looks like she is about to cry while she whispers her lines. Instead we get Wahlberg doing a film he really honestly believes in (lets forget about "The Lovely Bones" "The Happening" and "Max Payne") while working with a talented director like David O' Russel whom he worked with on "I Heart Huckabees"

We also get Bale in the kind of role he dominates. It is a fact that when he loses weight and takes a pay cut he puts in the best performance, for proof go rent "The Machinist" and "Rescue Dawn" his two best performances of his career. He lost all sorts of weight for this and has put a lot of work into it. So the films has everything going for it, literally everything.

The trailer is gritty yet inspiring, the kind that only an award movie can truly look like. I will bet money that this is going to be one of the huge awards contenders, fighting mainly with "True Grit" for the top awards in acting and picture. But then again, I can't be sure of that yet until I see actual footage of "True Grit" but its the Coen's and they never lead us wrong. All I can say at this point is that "The Fighter" looks incredible, and I have no doubts it will be anything but.

watch the trailer HERE: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2330986777/

Buried

2010-09-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

I know I talked a little about this movie before, but I gotta say I am downright stoked out of my mind for this film. Granted its not as much as "Inception" but my anticipation is getting pretty dang intense for this film.

If you haven't heard about it, "Buried" stars Ryan Reynolds ("Just Friends", "The Proposal" and "Definitely Maybe") as Paul Conroy, a contractor working in Iraq who is attacked and wakes up to find himself.........buried six feet under. He has a lighter, a cell phone and 90 minutes of oxygen left.....start the countdown.

The premise alone seems filled with promises of suspense. Its got the perfect countdown situation, the claustrophobic feel. Add in the talent of Ryan Reynolds, add in the bit from the new trailers that hints their might be more going on than meets the eye (who doesn't love a good mystery). It all adds up to be an intense, edge-of-your-seat film. Plus we can't forget or ignore all the overly positive reviews that not only flowed out after its Sundance screenings last winter, that are pouring out of screenings right now.

Now I can't say that this movie is bulletproof, after all it is quite risky. Asking an audience to be buried for 90 minutes plus in a coffin is asking a lot, especially today's audiences. People are so used to being fed mindless junk, yes I am talking about the never ending superhero obsession that has plagued cinemas ever since "Spider-Man" did well, oh and I can't leave out the always headache inducing films based on 80's action figures or cartoons (yes "Transformers" and the upcoming "Smurfs" films.....I am looking at you!) So are people who are so used to being spoon fed trash going to be open to a smart, intense thriller that doesn't include 80 explosions within twenty minutes and 900 screen cuts during each fight seen.........well the same worries were buzzing before "Inception" and look how that turned out.

Also we have Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Cortes behind the cameras, and he just might be young enough and gutsy enough to pull this off. The risk all adds to my excitement...after all what is life without a little risk? Sometimes you just gotta roll the dice, take a breath and dive in....or in this case get buried in.....

see the new trailer here: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2845247769/

Getting Stuck: 127 Hours and Buried

2010-08-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

Two films I am very much looking forward to this fall are about being stuck in one spot for a period of time. And when I say stuck it comes out as an understatement. Both films feature one character being put in a horrific position and what they have to do to get themselves out. One is Danny Boyle's (28 Days Later, Trainspotting, Sunshine and Slumdog Millionaire) new film "127 Hours" and the other is the film that took the Sundance Film Festival by storm earlier this year, "Buried" starring Ryan Reynolds.

"127 Hours" is based on the true story of Aron Ralston. Ralston is an outdoors junkie, pretty much living off the thrill of climbing mountains and biking. While cannyoneering near Moab, Utah, Ralston fell and managed to get a builder on top of his arm, keeping him stuck. He was like this for...127 hour and he finally decided to amputate his own arm with a dull pocket knife.

Now sure the guy would not have had this happen had he been smart and not gone out alone, or better yet told someone where he was going. The remarkable thing is not just that he survived, but how he did so. You have to be pretty strong to cut off your own arm with a dull pocket knife. And I'm sure the experience would change you drastically, which leaves room in a film for excellent character development.

Not only is the film blessed with Danny Boyle's unique stylistic direction, its also blessed with James Franco. I know he was lousy in the Spider Man films along with Triston and Isolde, and we wont even mention his brilliantly terrible performances of the twisted psychopathic artist, Franco on ABC's "General Hospital" recently. Instead we will focus on just how artistic of a person he is, and the passion he has for films. And we can even acknowledge his roles in "James Dean" "Pineapple Express" and TVs "Freaks and Geeks" for support that he indeed can act.

The film should be intense and gripping as we are with Ralston as he tries to figure out how to get out of the "tight spot" he has found himself in. I expect nothing but great from this film as I have long since learned to trust Danny Boyle completely. You can check out the teaser trailer here at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi298255897/

"Buried" is a different film all together. Almost the entire film takes place inside a box, which is buried beneath the ground. Oh and Ryan Reynolds is playing a man who is trapped inside said box, alive. Reynolds is Paul Conroy a U.S contractor who had been working in Iraq. He is attacked and wakes to find himself buried in a coffin with a cell phone and a lighter. The film mostly takes place in the coffin with him as he races against time to escape the treacherous death pulling at him.

Ryan Reynolds is a good reason to be excited for this film. He started out doing the stupid sleaze comedies and somewhere along the way grew up and grew into really good roles. He has great charisma that makes it impossible to not like him. And with "Buried" it appears he finally gets to really stretch his acting abilities. The film promises to be taught with suspense and promises to leave you on the edge of your seat. Its got three great trailers out for it. One where you only see black until a split second when he flicks the lighter. The other you only see photos of the film, along with praise for it. But you get to hear lots that really builds suspense. The third is him talking into a cell phone camera, telling whoever is watching his terrible situation.

The first teaser can be seen here at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1796343577/

the second here at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1099826713/

and the third at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1204093977/

Devils and Darkness: The Horror Season Comes Closer

2010-08-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

The fall is approaching and with it is the plethora of blood, guts, creaking doors, loud noises, failed attempts and missed opportunities. Yes I am talking about my beloved and accursed Horror genre. Many films will attempt to scare audiences, many will do so but I must add that most the "scared" audience is mindless teenagers. Now I don't mean to generalize all you teenagers together into one mindless drone group....but I know from experience as a former teenager that you are indeed more or less mindless.

Now if you are an even half intelligent young to old adult, the majority of the Horror films will not scare you, at most they will bring a mocking laugh of incredulity flying from your lips. But next to the heaping pile of rightfully disrespected horror trash, there always sits a small neat stack of respectful, artistic and most of all scary horror films. Each year I watch closely filled with trepidation at the fresh stock of scary movies, always hoping that a few will meet my very strict standards.

Now if you thought films like "The Ring", "Paranormal Activity" or any one of the atrocious "Saw" films are scary...well then I'm sorry but you are not going to be saved, you are completely hopeless and again sorry for my generalizations. Most the good horror films already came out in the 70's and 80's and are now being revisited in misguided and unoriginal remakes. If they are good and new you can almost always bet they are A. Foreign, or B. small budget, art house films. You could have chosen A and B, and you would still be right.

So now that I have both bored you to death with my Horror rant, lets start talking about a few of the upcoming fright fests. You have already heard me talk about John Carpenter's "The Ward" and you'll read more about that another time. Right now I want to focus on "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" and "Devil".

"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" technically isn't coming out during this Horror season and is being released early next year on the 21st of January, and technically it is a re-make. So I may be a bit hypocritical with this one, but the original was made for television. This re-make stars Guy Pearce (Memento, The Proposition and L.A. Confidential) and regrettably Katie Holmes. Its about a family who moves to a mansion (as usual) and the young girl opens a door that contains evil creatures who want her. Yes i know cheesy premise......but that doesn't mean it wont at least be a fun horror movie, and Guy Pearce makes me look forward to it. Not to mention its being produced and overseen by the brilliant Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, and producer of El Orphanato)

"Devil" is a different story altogether. First things first, its based on a story by the hack M. Night Shyamalan. But we can forgive this since he is good at coming up with ideas for the most part and isn't involved with the writing or directing of the film. The directing falls on the Dowdle brothers who both worked on the movie "Quarantine". The films premise is about a group of people who get on an elevator. The people get trapped, hi jinks soon ensue. And it would appear that there is a malicious and malevolent presence with them, this presence is more commonly known as the devil......only which one of them, if any of them is the devil?

Now this film could go many a direction and I hope it goes well because the trailer is excellent and it is kinda a cool premise either way. It is due out the 17 of September.

So there are just a couple of Horror films I am looking forward to, do not worry I will be posting more about Horror films as Fall continues, along with my top ten list of my all time favorite Horror films and reviews of them all.

Ambition and Madness

2010-08-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

"I go into movies thinking, we're performing, but with interviews, we're pretending to be completely real. I just can't get my head around it. And the things we say in this hour could permanently shape our personas. I mean, tell me that's not a little odd! And because I think that's odd, people think I'm odd. And that's strange. Know what I'm saying?" -Joaqin Phoenix

I'm going to talk about two movies that are coming out, two movies that have been on my radar for some time but I haven't gotten around to talking about them. So what prompts the sudden urge to write about both? Well, for one both just release trailers, and both look equally intriguing. One film is about ballerinas the other about an actor who quits to become........a rapper and yes I am talking about Joaqin Phoenix.

The first film is "Black Swan" I have been following this movie for sometime for a few reasons, the biggest is that it's directed by Darren Aronofsky. This brilliant man has given us "Pi" "Requiem for a Dream" "The Fountain" and the film that got Mickey Rourke his Academy nomination, "The Wrestler" He is immensely talented and always comes along with Clint Mansell doing his incredible scores.

Anyways "Black Swan" stars Natalie Portman as a talented ballerina who gets moved up to a more elite position at the dance theater where she dances. Where she meets another talented ballerina played by "That 70's Show"'s Mila Kunis. The two begin a rivalry, an intense rivalry. From what the trailer gives us numerous things are possible. 1. Mila Kunis is nuts. 2. Some thing supernatural is going on. 3. Natalie Portman is going insane. Now it is possible that all three are occurring, which would be greatly entertaining.

The film resembles my all time favorite horror film "Suspiria" directed by Dario Argento (a little fact, Natalie Portman is rumoured to be the lead in the "Suspiria" remake) Which also centered around ballerinas. Either way seeing as how Arronofsky is behind it, we an expect the very unexpected.

The second film is different, yet still just as, if not more, bizarre. A year or two ago Joaquin Phoenix announced he was quitting acting to pursue a career in Rap music. He grew his beard out, wore sunglasses and disappeared until appearing at a few of his "rap" concerts. This spawned the question, had Joaqin lost his mind? Had the great actor fallen far into obscurity? Well I personally felt it was a hoax, and was an artistic endeavor of some sorts.......it appeared I was right, maybe?

I first knew something was up when I spotted Casey Affleck filming Joaqin when he appeared on David Letterman. Suddenly "Documentary" popped into my head, or rather "Mockumentary". Now it is confirmed with the trailer for "I Am Still Here".

Its a documentary about his quitting acting and his attempt at a career in "rap" music. I personally think it looks great. And it could be a real great satire. But the question is still out there, was it all fake? Or did Joaqin really think he could make it as a rapper, whilst his best friend filmed him? Who knows, either way I'm terribly drawn in to it and I think that a lot of it has to do with sheer ambition of it all. I mean it is possibly the most ambitions endeavor ever attempted by an actor or any celebrity for that matter. This guy stopped acting and dedicated months and months to make this and create this whole persona. Because of the amount of the ambition, it is also the most risky move ever made. Real or fake, and i still tend to go with fake, its complete madness.

"I'm Still Here" trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1742407193/

The Master of Horror Returns

2010-08-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

“What scares me is what scares you. We're all afraid of the same things. That's why horror is such a powerful genre. All you have to do is ask yourself what frightens you and you'll know what frightens me.” --John Carpenter the Master of Horror.

If you are a fan of the horror genre then chances are you pretty much worship the ground John Carpenter walks on. The man pretty much gave us the slasher genre as we know it when he directed a very low budget film in 1978 that pretty much became a phenomenon. The film starred Jamie Lee Curtis and featured a brutal, creepy killer wearing a William Shatner mask. "Halloween" changed the horror genre.

He then continued on through the 1980's giving us incredible films like "The Thing" in which Kurt Russel gives, in my opinion, his all time best performance. Also included in the 80's decade from John Carpenter were "The Fog" "Christine" and "Prince of Darkness" But he didn't stick with just horror, he delved into campy action with "Escape From New York" and "Big Trouble In Little China" both starring Kurt Russel. But just because he occasionally stepped away from the horror genre, it didn't stop him from being branded with the title of The Master Of Horror.

John Carpenter continued into the 90's making less movies but still putting out decent horror films such as "In the Mouth of Madness" and "Village of the Damned" but then he seemed to flounder a bit and when 2001's "The Ghosts of Mars" hit theaters, Carpenter seemed to be done. The Master of Horror even stated he had lost all his passion for film making.

For the next 10 years he made nothing except two episodes in The Masters of Horror premium cables series. Until now...

If your a horror fan you should be getting excited. If your a ghost story fan you should be getting EVEN more stoked, because The Master Of Horror is back behind the camera with a film for the silver screen.

John Carpenter's "The Ward" was supposed to be hitting cinemas this fall but appears to maybe have been pushed back, but either way it's reason for excitement. It's set in what appears to be a haunted insane asylum and has a cast of mostly young women, its already set up to be a killer horror film.

The story as we know it so far is centered on a young woman who is institutionalized than terrorized by a ghost. I can't think of anything better for Carpenter to be directing. Nothing is more scary than haunted insane asylums. The films website was also opened not to long ago and you can go check out some cool videos about the film there at http://www.thewardmovie.com/ but be warned, the synopsis on the site may give a little too much away. Anyways, just be stoked that The Master of Horror has returned!

"Tron:Legacy" what more could a geek ask for?

2010-07-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

Right now the biggest "comic" book convention has been going on in California. At least it started out as a "comic" book convention. But Comic Con has grown much more into a "Pop Culture" convention. Showcasing films, books and of course comics. True most the films being previewed or announced there are either based on comics/graphic novels or anything else halfway geeky, its still a pretty cool thing and always releases awesome footage to amp up "fan boy" hype. And hey sometimes even if your not a fan boy you can get excited.

This year they have shown and talked about a couple of things so far that have me really excited. They are as follows:

1. Jon Favreau's "Cowboys and Aliens"

2. Zack Snyder's "Sucker Punch"

3. the new trailer for "Tron: Legacy"

Jon Favreau started out as an actor appearing in films like "Rudy" and then got himself behind the directors chair, where he has given us "Swingers", "Iron Man" and "Iron Man 2" Now he is making geeks everywhere even more excited because of his new film awesomely titled "Cowboys and Aliens". If that title isn't enough to make you geek out and be excited than lets see if this cast list will. Its got Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde (House), Sam Rockwell (Moon, Iron Man 2, The Green Mile) Paul Dano (Knight and Day, There Will Be Blood, Little Miss Sunshine) and Kieth Carridine. All battling aliens in the wild west!

"Sucker Punch" however is a different level of geek. If you have ever held a "Graphic Novel" (longer, usually more well written version of a comic book) in your hands then chances are you have heard of Zack Snyder. The man has made film adaptations of two of the most praised and critically acclaimed graphic novels of all time. Frank Miller's "300" and Alan Moore's "The Watchmen". His films are all visual eye candy, with killer soundtracks and killer action sequences. As you can tell my the trailer here: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3707110937/ "Sucker Punch" is no exception. The film with the tagline of "Alice In Wonderland With Guns!" stars the brilliant John Hamm(Mad Men) Vanessa Hudgens, Emily Browning, Zack Snyder usual Carla Cugino, Jena Malone and Scott Glen. And man does it look pretty awesome!

And now "Tron Legacy" Ive talked about it before, but dang does it look awesome! The new trailer is enough to make anybody who has seen the original freak out. It looks awesome, and really you can't go wrong with Jeff Bridges especially when he is battling a program that looks just like himself! If your confused by that last statement check out this trailer http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3371238937/ and then go watch the original if you haven't seen it! I can't even wait for December it looks so epic!

Any ways those are just a few things Comic Con has given us so far this year, I am sure I will be posting more about it but until then, take it easy!

My Own "Gangster" Film........

2010-07-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

So a thought occurred to me the other day, an idea is a better way to put it, for a film. I have been wanting an idea to come to me that I could write, and then make with a low budget. This has been difficult because most of my ideas I get for films are not anywhere near achievable with smaller budgets. A couple of things factored into this idea I am having.

1. Humphrey Bogart
2. James Cagney
3. Gangster films
4. Reservoir Dogs

Let me explain these more. I was watching old school films last week, one featured the great Humphrey Bogart. Humphrey Bogart before becoming a romantic lead and being type-cast as the reluctant hero, he originally made his name playing villains next to James Cagney.

James Cagney was renowned for the brilliant 1930's and 1940's Warner Bros "Social Problem" (meaning gangster) films he was in. Now I love gangster films, they are great and I have always wanted to make a good gangster film.

The fourth factor in my idea was the film by Quentin Tarantino "Reservoir Dogs" The reason this plays in is that the film references older hollywood (mostly 1970s B movies) through the dialogue. I wanted to make a movie that referenced the old James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart "Social Problem" films, that also excelled at being a stand alone thriller and gangster drama. So my idea was born.

The Idea:

I don't have a title yet, or character names but as of now it is as follows: Two young men in their mid to late twenties are trying to make it as "criminals" any way they can. This involves doing anything from the occasional job for the local crime boss to the elaborate heist or bank robbery. The two have grown up together all their lives. One grew up being raised on James Cagney films. He idolizes everything about James Cagney and the characters he played and throughout the film he references the old movies through dialogue and even actions. The other is a quiet, serious kid that had a troubled childhood and has always followed his gangster loving friend into anything, so naturally he is following him into crime.

As the two start getting bigger and more intense jobs, they soon discover that they are in way over their heads, and have set off events with terrible and tragic consequences. Part of the film is a commentary on how films are primarily meant to be escapism, but sometimes they can become more than that for some people when they fail to separate the characters from real life. Also that the criminals and crime in real life are far more brutal and terrible then the glamorous depictions in film and how two people experience this and learn it the hard way.

The film is going to be primarily be a Crime Drama with elements of a thriller, a little action and some moments of humour, all while paying homage to the classic 1930s and 1940s Gangster pictures.

I like the idea so far, I feel good about it! I plan on starting the first draft of the script here in the next couple of days. The films I plan on referencing are:

1. "The Roaring Twenties"
2. "Angels With Dirty Faces"
3. ""G" Men"
4. "The Public Enemy"
5. "White Heat"

and probably a few more! Let me know your thoughts or suggestions, anything would be greatly appreciated!

They Just Don't Make Em Like They Used To........

2010-07-22T09:40:00.001-07:00

"Democracy can be a wickedly unfair thing, Sabrina. Nobody poor was ever called democratic for marrying somebody rich " -Humphrey Bogart "Sabrina"

A few years ago I at Christmas I was given a DVD that contained "Breakfast at Tiffany's" "Roman Holiday" and "Sabrina" all featuring Audrey Hepburn. I had already seen "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and loved it. It ranks up there probably in the number one spot for my favorite Romance film. But I had never gotten around to watching the other two movies.

So this week me and my mom were bored and decided to put in "Sabrina" which came out in 1954. We had both seen the remake starring Harrison Ford, Greg Kinnear and Julia Ormond and directed by the late, great Sydney Pollack (Jeremiah Johnson, Three Days of the Condor, Tootsie, The Firm) . We loved the remake, so we figured we would give the original a try.

In the 1954 version directed by the brilliant Billy Wilder (The Lost Weekend, Sunset Blvd., The Seven Year Itch, and Some Like It Hot) we have the great Humphrey Bogart, Billy Wilder regular William Holden and the amazing Audrey Hepburn.

Both me and my mom both discovered how much better the old version is. It courses with a charm that the remake only hints at. And while Harrison Ford is good, he only plays Linus Larabee as a stick-in-the-mud (to use my mom's words) while Humphrey Bogart has real character. Really its unfair to try and cast anybody in a role already played by Bogart, he is one of the all-time great actors and movie stars and you just can't beat him. The same goes for Hepburn. In the remake Julia Ormond seems like she is trying to mimic Hepburn's performance even down to the inflections on her voice. She would have been better off doing something different with it, because you really just can't beat the innocent, wondrous performances of Audrey Hepburn. And of course William Holden was also incapable of giving a bad performance. This movie just reminded me that no matter what, you can't ever beat the original.

Which brings us to "Roman Holiday" starring Gregory Peck (To Kill A Mockingbird, Cape Fear) and Audrey Hepburn. This film is another completely charming film. Hepburn plays a Princess who has had enough and runs away, where she meets Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) who is a reporter, who knows she is the Princess, yet she has no clue he knows. He is taking her around Rome entertaining her, in hopes of getting an "inside" story on her. But of course, he falls in love.

What makes this one so good is largely Gregory Peck's performance. If you have seen him play Atticus Finch in "To Kill A Mockingbird" you would think serious by the book kinda guy. He plays Joe Bradley completely different. He is a fun, care free playboy who is quickly running out of money and he plays it great. Unlike most films today, its completely believable when he and Hepburn fall in love with each other. As was the relationships in "Sabrina". Another thing that makes "Roman Holiday" so excellent is the ending, its so not the typical, Hollywood conventional ending.

If you like Romance films, and I mean good romance films (not crap like The Bounty Hunter or nonsense like that) than I urge you to go and rent these movies and watch em. They are in black and white, but even that adds an element of charm to the movies. They are great timeless films that I highly recommend. To use the old cliche`d term, they just don't make em like they use to..........

Life After Inception

2010-07-19T17:43:00.001-07:00

After months and months of waiting and months of hype overkill, Inception has come and past. While I have seen the film twice (and even as we speak I am getting ready for my third journey through the brilliantly poetic madness Christopher Nolan through at us) I am not quite sure what to do now.

Sure there are other movies coming out to look forward to. "Charlie St. Cloud" will be good. "The Adjustment Bureau" should be intriguing and now I for sure have the Ben Affleck directed "The Town" to look forward to (anyone writing if off because of Ben Affleck needs to go see "Gone Baby Gone" to know how good he is behind the camera) Tron Legacy will be dazzling us this December with its "eye popping" 3D. And of course the awards season of movies like "True Grit" "The Way Back" and "The Fighter" will all be great films for sure.

But nothing in the foreseeable future seems worthy of the insane hype I gave "Inception" Ridley Scott's long-awaited "Untitled Alien Prequel" will probably start building its excitement in my mind soon, but even that is going to be tarnished with the wretched "eye popping" 3D.

In fact that's one of the main problems holding my hype and excitement back.....all this 3D. I mean we have "Step Up 3D" "Resident Evil" in 3D "Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader" in 3D, "Harry Potter" in 3D and even the freaking "Smurfs" in......wait for it.......3D! Why does everything need to be in 3D? What next ""The Godfather" in EYE POPPING 3D!"? Why is the world so obsessed with this irritating gimmick? Its getting terribly tiring!

I keep asking myself why is there not more Chris Nolan's making films like "Inception" every single month? It's just not fair that we have to put up with so much absurd drivel! Sure good films will come out, I'll be excited and talk about them constantly. I just don't believe that until the next Christopher Nolan film is getting ready (Probably Batman 3) will I be truly stoked for a film. Either way, as always I will be here talking and rambling my crazy talk hoping that you are as excited about films as I am. That is all.

Inception: The Official Review

2010-07-16T09:32:00.001-07:00

10/10

Never before have I seen a movie that not only lived up to my ridiculous, obsessive hype. Inception did just that, in fact it far surpassed anything I had built it up to be. From the moment the first shot appears on screen, to the end when the screen goes black and the words INCEPTION blast into view you are left feeling both breathless and exhilarated literally at every point in the film.

Christopher Nolan has managed something truly remarkable with this film. Its as if he heard all previous criticisms that his films were emotionless and cold, that his action was weak and that his female characters were somewhat lacking and then worked on each aspect till perfection. There is literally no weak point in the film.

The emotion running rampant through the film is amazing. You care and feel for each and every character. Especially Cobb's played brilliantly by Leonardo DiCaprio. And even Cillian Murphy's Fischer who is the target of the dream team.

The action was the most mindblowingly awesome stuff I have ever seen. I had built up the hallway fight seen featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt running on walls, to be the best thing I had ever seen (how could it not be, there isn't a shred of CGI in that scene) But the scene far surpasses any expectations and literally leaves you unbelievably breathless.

And for female characters; welcome Mal played hauntingly and tragically by the brilliant Marion Cotillard. Her performance was my favorite. Cotillard plays the mysterious Mal with such depth and uses nearly every emotion in existence to carry the character forward. If there is any Oscars going to the cast its to her.

Nolan completely immerses us into this world unlike "Avatar" it doesn't need 3D, super CGI and flashy colors to draw us in. The story and emotion carry you through the film as your travel through a dream, a dream within a dream, and a dream within a dream within a dream........

The film and storyline itself is brilliant. Its so compelling that you can't look a way for a second, and if you did you would be completely lost with in the dream. It begs for a second viewing just so you can try and make sure you know what really happened in the end, even though you may just not ever know exactly.

All I can really say is that NEVER in my life of being obsessed with movies have I enjoyed every last second of screen time of a film. Its exhilarating, breathtaking, mindblowing, thrilling, intelligent, haunting and poetic all at the same time. Seriously its the best movie of at the very least the past ten years and is really wanting to make itself comfortable as my favorite film of all time. Do yourself a favor. Go see this film. Sit down take a deep breath and go for the ride.

Inception: The Cobol Job

2010-07-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

With only a day away from the release, reviews have been flooding in for Inception. Its up to about 160 positive reviews with only 10 negative thus far. Reading the negative reviews is hilarious. Its clear these "critics" don't like to think very hard while watching a film. Most of them seem like they hated it before the movie even started. With that said, even in the positive reviews it talks about how "smart" of a film "Inception" is going to be. Luckily for me I have been following the film since its "inception" so I know what "Projections" are and what the "architect" does and so forth. Many will not have the same benefit. But there was a prequel online comic released today, that does not have spoilers, but could help with some clarity before entering the cinema to have your mind thoroughly blown.

I'm posting the comic Inception: The Cobol Job and I urge you to read it, it will help before seeing the film, but it is not essential. And I am gonna cover a few terms from the film to also help with the experience.

Projections: Projections look like people. They are the subconscious security in a way. If the dreamer gets alarmed......well the projections attack the invader

Architect: The architect is who creates the dream world for the dreamer and the extraction team to enter. Their job is to create a world so it feels real and the dreamer won't know that they are dreaming. In the film there are two architects. One named Nash played by Lukas Haas (whom you can learn a little about in the comic) and Ariadne played by Ellen Page.

Tourists: Tourists are people (usually the ones paying the Extractors) who enter the dream world with the extraction team to see what its like and that their money is being used well.

Forgers: Forgers replicate other people into the dream world so the dreamer again isn't alarmed. The forger in the film is played by Tom Hardy

Extractors: The Extractor is the main person. They are the ones "stealing" the ideas. The Extractor in the film is played by Leonardo DiCaprio

Point Man: The muscle of the team, and they cover the details to make it all happen. The Point Man is Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Arthur.

Those are just a few terms that will be used in the movie that might help to know before going to see it. And again I urge you to read the prequel comic here at http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/inception-comic.html. It will be helpful I think.

I am seeing the film tomorrow night at Midnight, and will be writing up a full review Friday morning. So check back then to see that review!

Four New Clips

2010-07-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

The "Inception" fire just seems to keep on burning and doesn't look like it will stop any-time soon. Over on the IMDB, the message board has become flooded with idiots and trolls ruining any real discussion of the film (usually this is a sign that the film is going to be a huge hit...just look at The Dark Knight board for example).

Reviews continue to pour in, all very positive at that. Also be warned Access Hollywood just did an interview with Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy who star in the film and from what I have heard, the interviewer ruins the ending. Luckily I have avoided that interview.

Instead I found four clips directly from the film, spoiler free clips. All of them are awesome and one of them even shows some action. Either way, these are the last videos I will be watching or posting until the film comes out in an attempt to walk into the theater and still be completely surprised by what is happening on screen. So enjoy these videos and keep lookin forward to Inception!

http://www.traileraddict.com/clip/inception/shared-dreaming

http://www.traileraddict.com/clip/inception/most-skilled-extractor

http://www.traileraddict.com/clip/inception/i-need-an-architect

http://www.traileraddict.com/clip/inception/dream-bigger

"Close To Perfection"

2010-07-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

So just last night Warner Bros. finally lifted the embargo on "Inception" reviews. Now if you don't know what this means let me enlighten you a bit. Warner Bros first showed "Inception" to a bunch of critics a few weeks back. The embargo means that they were not allowed to review the movie until the embargo was lifted...lucky us, this happened last night.

Pretty much its unanimous that the film is amazing. Its getting all A +, 10/10, and 4 Star reviews left and right. Some are calling it a "masterpiece" and "near perfect". Also they say that this is the film that puts Nolan's name among the great directors. All of this is terribly exciting. The only mediocre review it has gotten is from lame comingsoon.net. Anyways thanks to Nolan Fans, who have compiled most the reviews on their page I have taken a few of my favorite reviews from there and posted them below:

"I will say this now, without reservation and fully confident that many will agree; Inception is easily the best big budget film of the year thus far. I’ll go further and say that it’s one of the most beautiful, well written, and fully realized high dollar films of the last five years. Inception, is close to perfection." - Film School Rejects (A+)

"Inception is a masterpiece. Making a huge film with big ambitions, Christopher Nolan never missteps and manages to create a movie that, at times, feels like a miracle. And sometimes it doesn’t even feel like a movie; while presented in woefully retro 2D, Inception creates a complete sense of immersion in another world. The screen before you is just another layer of the dream." - CHUD (10/10)

"Imagine a film being made in 2010 where you have absolutely no idea where it is going or how it will end. These were the worlds created by revolutionary filmmakers, like Stanley Kubrick, Woody Allen, David Cronenberg and David Lynch. With Inception we have a film and a filmmaker that has broken new ground and very nearly reinvented the form and he did it all without 3-D. Nolan gets there on the power of the story – and his vision was realized with the aid of the usual suspects – Wally Pfister’s cinematography, Hans Zimmer’s unbelievable score – the art direction, the visual effects – see it on IMAX and it will blow your mind. I am sure more than a few will discover that seeing the movie IN an altered state will also blow your mind, not that I’m advocating that." - Awards Daily

"Further, its sublime combination of theoretical and humanistic elements puts it in the company of films like, yes, The Matrix, but more accurately dense, character-driven concept movies like Synecdoche, New York, itself arguably one of the best and most important (if also impenetrable) of the last decade. But it’s also the kind of movie that transcends any easy comparisons, and resists previous standards of achievement, innovation, or impact, which is why it’s difficult to pinpoint the last time I felt quite so passionately about every single part of a cinematic experience. And that may ultimately be the film’s greatest achievement: to consume and possess its audience with that passion, whether you’re as inspired and excited as I am, or disappointed, confused or frustrated as many will no doubt also be." - Cinematical

"At 148 minutes, INCEPTION is hardly a quick film but it moves with such speed and efficiency that you never “feel” the length. Even when it’s over, the movie stays with you, begging for conversation, discussion, debate and, eventually, another viewing. I’m sure it’ll even pop up in your dreams. Nothing wrong with that. We should all be dreaming a little bit bigger." -JoBlo (10/10)

"…”Inception” is an exhilarating cinematic experience that suggests there is still room, even in the blockbuster world, for big ideas and dangerous emotions, and that may be the single most thrilling thing about it.." -Hit Fix

I also need to point out that many of the reviews coming out rave about DiCaprio's performance calling it his best yet and calling it brilliant! Now we just have ten short days away until the films release, and while I should be freaking out that I am seeing Paul McCartney live in one week, I can't get how incredible "Inception" is going to be...

Let Me In

2010-07-04T16:20:00.000-07:00

"Let Me In" is, to me, one of the major problems seeping through American cinemas. For some reason I can't seem to fathom, Hollywood studios keep seeing the need to remake foreign films into American versions. It happened with "Funny Games" although the American remake of that film benefited by being directed by Michael Haneke who also directed the original and also starred Tim Roth.

Then it happened again with the British comedy "Death At A Funeral" the remake just recently came out starring Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan and Zoe Saldana. The most recent addition is 2008's Swedish adaptation from the book with the same title, "Let The Right One In".

The original Swedish film was arguably THE best vampire film I have seen in a very long time. It was cold, harsh and brutal. The film is about a young boy who is bullied and doesn't have any friends. A young girl moves in next to him and about the same time brutal slayings start showing up around town. The boy begins a friendship with the girl not knowing what she really is....a vampire. The original was great it had epic shots like one of a lady bursting into flames from her hospital bed.

Now we are getting "Let Me In" the American version starring (who is getting to be very overused) Chloe Moretz (500 Days Of Summer) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (who was great in the very underrated, possibly best film of 2009 "The Road"). Don't get me wrong the new one could be alright, I just don't really see the point.

Its as if people can't stand subtitles...yet you really do forget your reading them and its easy to absorb yourself into the film. The film is being directed by Cloverfield director Matt Reeves who might just be young and new enough to make this a good film and not just some studio trash horror film. Most American horror films lack what really makes a great horror film, eeriness and tension. They rely completely on loud noises, doors moving by themselves and super amounts of CGI, or graphic torture scenes meant to shock the viewer all in an attempt to scare the audience. This only works if your a preteen or trendy teenager who doesn't like to think so much (a vast amount of moviegoers sadly don't like using their heads while watching films)

I So hope that this movie avoids falling into Hollywood horror film conventions and can hold on to a scrap of what made "Let The Right One In" so good. And if your a horror fan I urge you to both read the novel "Let The Right One In" by John Ajvide Lindqvist and see the original Swedish film.

the trailer for the original is here http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3480485913/

and for the remake http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4086433305/

The Soundtrack To Dreams...

2010-07-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

So the official soundtrack by one Hans Zimmer comes out on the July 13, but you can hear samples of the tracks at amazon. Most of the soundtrack sound pretty incredible and gave me chills. Stand outs in my opinion are "Old Souls", "528491", "Mombasa", "Dream Within a Dream" and "Time". All these are intense and climactic.

"Dream is Collapsing" sounds a bit too much like The Dark Knight and something that Danny Elfman would write for it to be in my favorites, but the rest is all incredible and i am sure that I'll enjoy "Dream is Collapsing" more within the context of the film. Anyways if your interested in this film at all I advise checking out the samples! I plan on buying the soundtrack when it comes out! anyways hear them HERE at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ODL004/ref=s9_simh_gw_p15_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1H7HGZYEJZ4G6BKC5HHQ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

"A Man and His Dream"

2010-06-30T22:30:00.000-07:00

"Well, we’re being technically very ambitious, but in a more traditional film presentation way. " -Christopher Nolan on Inception

Today an article on the blog at NY Times came out featuring an incredible interview with the genius director of Memento, Insomnia, The Prestige, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and now Inception...Christopher Nolan. Really the man is just plain awesome. I mean he always pretty much wears suits and dress clothing even while on set (apparently even on his very first low budget film Following, which was filmed with his friends on the weekend) That's Alfred Hitchcock style!

Anyways, this is a great interview and I strongly urge you to read it (even you Mom and Dad) because the guy is just plain awesome. Anyways here it is: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/a-man-and-his-dream-christopher-nolan-and-inception/

The Deathly Hallows

2010-06-29T00:49:00.000-07:00

There are really two kinds of people in this world. Those who want Harry Potter to end, and those who don't. Fortunately for me, I belong to the latter. I absolutely love Harry Potter. I grew up reading the books and have read the final two multiple times. The final book "Harry Potter and the The Deathly Hallows" is unbelievably climactic and epic. So I for one was stoked when they announced that they were doing the final film in two parts. The first being released in November of this year.

Some of the films however haven't been, to put it nicely...good. The fourth one was great while the fifth missed a few steps with its acting but I personally feel the series really came into its own with the sixth film, "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" sure it strayed from the book but the acting was great, the special effects finally something to enjoy in the series and the emotions running through the film were great (although the chemistry between Harry and Ginny was terrible).

Now we begin to get closer to the finale of the series and we are finally given a trailer. And I must say its a brilliant trailer. Extremely dire and epic in the way it plays out, much better than the recent trailer for the newest installment of the terrible film adaptations of "Chronicles of Narnia"

This final film looks brilliant and I can't wait for it. Its good for me to know that after Inception is over with I will still have a few films to anticipate and go slightly crazy for (Harry Potter, True Grit, The Fighter, The Ward and Tron Legacy) But with that said, here is the link for the trailer. I hope you enjoy.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1638598169/

"Dive In and Drive Yourself Crazy...and Remind Yourself to Breath!"

2010-06-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

"You should walk away from this! "Arthur-Inception

The other day I posted the opening paragraph of Peter Travers' Rolling Stone review. It gave us a little tease at the movie, but now luckily I have found a scan of the FULL review and thought I would share it here. You might have to change the zoom of your screen to see the words a little better but its well worth it!

http://i45.tinypic.com/2ew0iv6.jpg

Its pretty good stuff. My man Peter Travers' raves about the film pushing my excitement to very well near unhealthy levels! Only 20 days away now so we should be getting more reviews in the next week or so.

There are also numerous tweets appearing on Twitter from critics who have seen the film. One that particularly excites me is from Anupama Chopra, who writes for New York Times. He says "Inception: terrific, textured, mind-bending entertainment. There were moments I had to remind myself to breathe!"

I love his bit about reminding himself to breath. ALL the best thrillers and actioners usually make the viewer feel this way. Awesome stuff!

Also If you are getting to excited for the film and don't have any way to occupy the wait, I suggest seeing Toy Story 3 to help pass the time...it's the best film I have seen this year. I am gonna try and right an official review for it tomorrow.

First review of Inception comes rolling in............

2010-06-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

"The seed that we planted in this man's mind, may change everything. " Cobb-INCEPTION

The film is only a few short (yet still way too long) weeks away. So now is the time when press screenings begin and reviews begin flowing out and filling up the Internet (mostly Rotten Tomatoes). This is a pretty scary time for someone who is anticipating a film near the point of over-hype or obsession (like me obviously!) After all nobody wants to find out that their most look forward to film of the year is getting bad reviews. This usually results in denial and is a very very sad affair. I have been fortunate enough thus far in my life to make it through almost unscathed. Last years "Terminator Salvation" I had hyped up quite a bit only to be tragically let down. Anyways it is somewhat stressful. Luckily for us "Inception"...I want to use the word "fan" but can you really be a fan of something without seeing it? Either way we need not worry.

The first review has appeared, its gonna be in the next issue of Rolling Stone. Here I have the first paragraph of the review written by Peter Travers. He gives it 3 1/2 stars.

"The mind-blowing movie event of the summer arrives just in time to hold back the flow of Hollywood sputum that's been sliming the multiplex. 'Inception'...will be called many things, starting with James Bond Meets 'The Matrix.' You can feel the vibe of Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner' in it, and Nolan's own 'Memento' and 'The Dark Knight.' But 'Inception' glows with a blue-flame intensity all its own. Nolan creates a dream world that he wants us to fill with our own secrets. I can't think of a better goal for any filmmaker. Of course, trusting the intelligence of the audience can cost Nolan at the box office. We're so used to being treated like idiots. How to cope with a grand-scale epic, shot in six countries at a reported cost of $160 million, that turns your head around six ways from Sunday? Dive in and drive yourself crazy, that's how.''

I usually agree with Travers. He normally gives only a couple of films four stars a year so he is pretty reliable. Now it doesn't say too much (I assume the full review will be more helpful) I would appear that he loves the film. Also I would like to note that he has never give a Christopher Nolan film less than 3 stars.

Now he seems to be worried about the old box-office results because it is very much a "smart" thriller. And lets look at the past few years big budget summer hits both "Transformer" films were complete and total brainless nonsense. "Iron Man" while entertaining, you need not open your mind in the slightest. "The A-Team" is enjoyably dumb(which it should be!) And if you look at the highest grossing movie of all time you get a completely dumb story...yes "Avatar".

So all these high grossing hits are all brainless......Travers may be on to something. But then again there was a little film starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger that made over a billion dollars, was released in the middle of the summer and while it did feature a man in a bat suit it was very heavy on character and story and very minimal on explosions and fighting..yeah "The Dark Knight". That film was much more of a thinking man's batman (much like the graphic novels) than an action mans film.

So who knows I think a couple 3 plus star reviews...good word of mouth on the opening weekend and we could have a very big hit on our hands..both critically and financially. Lets all hope the next 22 days pass by quickly and reveal more good reviews!

Brand New Character Featurette

2010-06-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

"You're asking me for Inception. I do hope you understand the gravity of that request. " Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) Inception

So as you know, I am dying for "Inception". I Literally have a countdown on my phone counting down how many days are left till it comes out. Which oh is pretty much 23 days! But there has been many a rumor circulating around the world wide web more commonly known as the Internet, that the only people stoked for the film are rabid Christopher Nolan fans or um as one poster on the IMDB message boards rudely put it "Internet blogging geeks".

I don't think that is terribly accurate..I know loads of people who are neither die hard Nolan fans or "Internet blogging geeks". But still I guess that could be maybe slightly right. The mystery surrounding the movie could very well be its biggest strength, yet could be its biggest problem thus far. While the mystery makes some people want to see it so that they too can figure out how the puzzle fits together, it can turn others off. So to those people who are confused or maybe not yet turned on to the movie...or for those who just need to keep the excitement building up and up to unmeasurable proportions.....just when I though I couldnt get any more excited for "Inception" they pull me back in with this latest TV spot AKA commerical.

Commercial doesn't really do this video justice...not even close. It feels much much more like a complete new trailer. It took up an ENTIRE commercial break during a re-run of NBC'S Last Comic Standing last night, and now is available online. Its now being called the Character Featurette and not to worry just like every thing else released..no spoilers. All I am going to say about this is that it is un-freaking-believable! It goes through each major character (except mysteriously not Ken Wantanabe's The Tourist) giving us more background and info on the characters and the story.

Now If you can watch this video and say it doesn't look incredible you have no soul and should stop watching movies IMMEDIATELY... really do yourself a favor click on the following link and have your mind blown...I'm not kidding this movie is going to be amazing.

http://video.uk.msn.com/watch/video/inception-trailer/2tfapc4j

In other "Inception" News...It won Spike Televisions most Man-ticipated film of the year..which is awesome! (it actually won it June 6Th but the Awards show premiered Sunday night on Spike TV)

Also not concerning "Inception" new trailers for "The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader" and "Smurfs" came out today...I'll be covering those soon though.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

2010-06-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

So if you know me personally you will know how much I love Marting Scorsese. The man is a complete genius. Even at his worst he is still better than just about any other existing filmmaker. He has made some of the greatest films ever made....Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, The Departed, and Shutter Island just to name a few.

The man is a film purest. He is all about restoring old films so they don't get lost and people can still enjoy them. I would say confidently that there is not a single human being on this planet that knows more about film history than Scorsese (yes that includes you Quentin Tarantino...). So when I first heard that Marty was making a film in 3D....I was a lot of things, among them were shocked, stunned, annoyed and maybe a little hurt.

For months I refused to believe that Scorsese would sink to such gimmicks and shenanigans. I could not possibly picture 3D in the dark hard world that most Scorsese movies encompass. But then I recently found out what he is actually doing.

The film is called "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" its starring Chloe Moretz (500 Days of Summer, Kick-Ass, and the upcoming vampire remake, Let Me In) Ben Kingsley is also teaming up again with Scorsese (he recently was in Shutter Island) and Sacha Baron Cohen.

From what I understand it is about an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station in 1930's Paris but is in the possession of a robot that her late father was working on fixing. The orphan knows little about her father and even less about what the robot actually does, yet she is trying to fix and repair it just as her father was and the orphan gets wrapped up in the mystery of it all. Its based on a book by Brian Selznick.

From what I know of the book (I haven't yet read it but Its now on my waiting list of books to be read) Its very visual and what Scorsese wants to do is kind of make the book come literally alive (much like what was attempted with Polar Express, only without the lifeless motion capture animation and obnoxious Aerosmith elves singing....)

Scorsese said it will be a much more visual film with less dialogue. But also what he wants to do is make the picture pop out at you a lot more than recent 3D endeavors have allowed. What makes this so interesting though is Scorsese has never done a film that kids could see and as I understand it...that's what this is. I don't know that it is directed at kids per say but still its different ground for the man. Ive heard it involves old classic film stuff and that is perfect for the great film preservationist Scorsese....to say the least it will be very interesting to see what comes of this film. Its set for a release date sometime in 2011. I'll post more info as I get it!

The Hostile 3D Takeover

2010-06-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

So unless your completely oblivious you have more than likely noticed the huge number of films appearing in 3D lately. For a while it was just animated films and that was completely ok! But then it started breaking in to live action films as well. This isn't necessarily a good thing in my honest yet very humble opinion. I want to outline a few points about why 3D is not all its cracked up to be, yet also mention the few things that make it ok! so here are the pros and cons of 3d.

Cons:

Ticket Pricing: Tickets are a few extra dollars for a 3D showing. When the movie would normally be about $7.50 for a evening showing, it gets upped to about $10.50 for a 3D showing. They say you are paying for the glasses, yet then they expect you to return those glasses at the end of the show.

Glasses: You have to wear those goofy big glasses the entire movie. If you are someone who already uses prescription glasses you either have to wear these over your regular glasses, or just make due without being able to see very good! Also the glasses darken the screen by quite a bit, causing the colors and lighting on the film to be dim.

Ghosting: Now this doesn't always happen. If 3D is filmed the way its supposed to you should avoid most of the Ghosting. What ghosting is is when you can see shadows left behind when the characters move around on screen. As the move it gets fuzzy and hazy where they once stood. Kind of annoying.

Headaches/eye aches: Lots of people get headaches and eye aches while watching 3D films. Again if your filming 3d the way is supposedly supposed to be you shouldn't get this. But even though James Cameron's "Avatar" was filmed with the legit 3d Cameras people still complained about headaches and their eyes hurting from the strain.

The gimmick fades away: The actually wonder and effect of 3D last for about the first few minutes until your eyes get used to it, then you no longer really notice it anymore. In a way your paying extra money just for the first few minutes!

Smaller Screen: When viewing the screen through the glasses it tends to make the screen seem a little smaller. Not only this but when filming with 3D cameras, the cameras are smaller not covering as much as a regular film (not digital) camera can cover.

Converting: Many films began being converted to 3D after the huge success of "Avatar". This is not a good thing. If you saw Alice in Wonderland or Clash of the Titans in 3D you know what i mean....they didn't need it. The characters all look stretched and kind of off. It just doesn't look good.

Pros:

Animated Films: Animated films are usually really good in 3D. films like "How To Train Your Dragon" and "Up" really where enhanced by the 3D and made a great experience.

3D Cameras: When filmed with 3D cameras (Like "Avatar" or the upcoming "Tron Legacy") It actually does help immerse you into the world and does look pretty cool, although it still does fall victim to some of the problems listed above, even though they claim not to.

really those are the only good things that come from 3D...It's overrated and not worth the money usually. Another problem is many filmmakers are starting to try it out, even Scorsese which is just heartbreaking to me. If i am right about 3D though, and i think i am, it will be gone in a few years. Lets just hope i am right!

Inception and some Tron Legacy.....

2010-06-08T15:54:00.000-07:00

Alright so I wanted to post the new banners for "Inception" and talk a little more about the awesome marketing yet I want to break up a little bit of the monotony of me rambling on about how amazing it is going to be, so I won't only be talking about that film. I will also be talking a bit about the upcoming sci-fi Disney sequel "Tron Legacy".

So I talked last time about the marketing for "Inception" and just how insane this movie is being marketed. Well it didn't stop there. Saturday morning at about 2 A.M a commercial played during "The 40 Year Old Virgin" on the channel USA. It just showed some wall with the texts DID YOU KNOW THE GOVERNMENT CAN ACCESS YOUR MIND playing over. It then said KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN AND YOUR MIND CLOSED TEXT MIND CRIME TO 5500. if you did this it sent back a code for a website. another one played during Juno, this one said TEXT WAKE ME UP to 5500. this one sent back a code that lead to http://www.whatisdreamshare.com/ a new Viral site.

Then posters began appearing in Chicago that said MIND THEFT IS REAL....PROTECT YOUR THOUGHTS LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT MINDCRIME. Now the third stage of the viral maze game Mind Crime has opened up. and even further we have the following new banners released with the awesome new tagline THE DREAM IS REAL

Now I want one really badly those are freaking awesome, especially the Joseph Gordon Levitt hallway one......you can't look me in the eye and tell me these posters aren't awesome!

Now that is all I really wanted to say about "Inception". Now on to other stuff!

Tron Legacy comes out this next Christmas and it should be pretty cool. It is both a reboot and a sequel to the original 1982 film starring Jeff Bridges (the guy is brilliant). The original is a classic, while it has sketchy special effects, its awesome. Jeff Bridges plays Flynn in the original, he owns an arcade and he gets sucked into a virtual computer world and is forced to stop the MCU (Master Control Unit).

In this sequel Bridges is reprising his role as Flynn, who appears to have gone missing some time ago when his son was a little kid. So his son played by Garret Hedlund (Friday Night Lights) goes to find him and ends up in the same virtual world where Flynn has been living. The design of the virtual world is extremely sleek looking and looks better then the original, yet its also much darker than the original, which could be a good thing. The cast is another reason to be excited Along with Bridges and Hedlund we have got the very talented Micheal Sheen, Olivia Wilde (TVs House) and Bruce Boxleitner is reprising his role as Alan Bradley from the original.

Also the film is going to be in 3D which could be either a good thing or a bad thing. While I remain skeptical of 3D technology and filmmaking I think it could be cool used here. Its filmed with updated versions of the 3D cameras that James Cameron created for "Avatar". Now I am still iffy about 3D and plan to make my next post all about the pros and cons and fears of 3D technology. Anyhow it looks pretty dang cool and you can check out the trailer here and even cooler visual concept test footage they showed at ComiCon last year here. It should be pretty cool, especially since the awesome band Daft Punk is doing the soundtrack!

Inception Part Nine-A little more marketing....

2010-06-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

this was just posted on Nolan Fans so I figured I would put it up on here in case anybody was interested-

"It was just over two months ago that T-shirts were handed out after the Warner Bros. WonderCon presentation with a mysterious QR code on the back. After being decoded, the decryption string led to a new viral site for Inception’s dream machine at http://www.pasivdevice.org/.

Just yesterday, strange tin boxes were sent out containing a spinning top from Inception as well as a USB containing the final trailer. But what was most interesting was another QR code printed on top of the tin box. Decoded with this QR decoder, the decryption is another string of text forming a URL: http://mind-crime.com/. Unlike the PASIV Device site, Mind-Crime has been around for months now, but has not seen a new stage open in quite some time. Since Inception is releasing in just six weeks and there are two stages left to be opened, this new viral discovery might just be a hint that we can expect Stage 3 access soon." -from http://www.nolanfans.com/

hopefully it opens soon, I have been waiting for the next stage of mind-crime for sometime! I can't wait to see what it has to offer!

Prince of Persia review.

2010-06-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

So I went and saw Prince of Persia on Friday night and ended up pretty pleasantly surprised! Most the reviews this movie is getting are terrible. Most critics aren't liking it...which is odd because they raved about the Pirates movies and I found this better then well at least the second two of those.

While I did like this movie, it was not without it's flaws, the main one being actress Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace, Pirate Radio, Clash of the Titans). While she is very good looking....her acting certainly was lacking during some scenes, and I agree with other critics that she had really no chemistry with Jake Gyllenhaal .

Jake Gyllenhaal however was very good. He gained lots of muscle for the part and seemed like he had a heck of a fun time playing the role. His British accent isn't near as bad as you would expect either, although they are in Persia.....what's with the British accents? Either way he looked believable in the action scenes and was funny when the scene called for it.

The films two big benefits though were the acting talents of Sir Ben Kingsley(Gandhi, Sexy Beast, Schindler's List, Elegy, and Shutter Island) and Alfred Molina (Spider Man 2, The Davinci Code, An Education) were easily the best parts of the film.

Ben Kingsley is good in any movie he is in, he also has an ability to make any movie he is watchable. He stole the show in "Shutter Island" and he nearly does it again in this.

Alfred Molina has always been a good actor but lately he is really rolling. He plays a desert man who spends most his time criticizing the government...and its hilarious.

The action is all good, even if the special effects get sloppy in parts, and even if the scene cuts too much during the fights. The action is very similar to the video games which is kind of fun. All in all I think critics are being to harsh on this movie. They need to take it for what it is...a Disney action/adventure based on a video game. It's not trying to win awards, it's trying to be fun....and it succeeds.

Now tomorrow you'll get even MORE about Inception....I'm sorry. I'll be covering the new issue of Empire Magazine which is going to be all about Inception!

Insanely Awesome Marketing....More concerning Inception

2010-06-01T19:40:00.001-07:00

Remember that one time when I said, "I'll not be posting any more on "Inception" for a while"...................well I lied.

I can't seem to really contain my excitement in any way except for talking about it, and the fact that my family is sick to death of hearing me go on and on endlessly about "Inception"..well I really have no other option than to post it here do I? I mean really what does my family want from me? They keep upping the brilliant marketing, they keep revealing bits of more information and there is still 44 days left until its release, how can I be expected to remain silent? Yeah, it's completely unfair to even expect me to remain quiet about "Inception"!

So with that lets get down to the point shall we? The beginning of the campaign (not counting trailers) began with Mind Crime. At first the game here was extremely primitive, you just ran through a maze trying to avoid detection and being caught. Then after a while phase two opened up there and the graphics were better, the game play was different AND you could view the trailer and see pictures as your ran through the maze of the city. One day a paper appeared in the game with a note on it saying "Deliver to Capt. Bartel". After typing this into the search bar you are taken to a video of Christopher Nolan interviewing two real legit dream experts, and another who is probably an actress (she brings up the ability to enter dreams).

Around this time a new website appears. http://www.pasivdevice.org/. Going to this website you will see and learn how to use the Portable Automated Somnacin IntraVenous device.......the device that places the character's in "Inception" into the dreams. Here there are numerous pages about the PASIV device. Pretty interesting stuff.

Now today we have been given Dream-Share: Tactical Employment Procedures Manual. The manual was sent to Wired Magazine. It was in a very weathered and beaten folder with the words CLASSIFIED stamped across it. You can check out the scanned pictures from the Manual by clicking here there you will also be able to read about the manual in more detail.

The pages contain pretty cryptic pictures, and all the words are mostly blotted out with black ink leaving the mystery hanging. but the chapters are as follows.

1. Specialists/Operatives

2. Environment Creation

3. The Dream/Waking World Relationship

4. The Hostile Subconscious

5. Warfare in the Dream

6. Interrogation Techniques

7. PASIVE device instructions

now I don't know about you but the mystery and the intrigue is pulling me farther and farther in! Not only did they do this but at Prince of Persia (which I am reviewing tomorrow) they played the "Reality Behind Inception" first look featurette before the movie which was incredible. It had interviews with Nolan and DiCaprio as well as showed the rotating hallway set and more shots from the film. As soon as that gets put up on the Internet I'll throw a link up here so you can all check it out. I urge everyone to check out those links above. Again I'm sorry, but I just can't help myself when it comes to "Inception"

Nowhere Boy

2010-05-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

"Nowhere Boy" is a new film directed by new and up and coming director Sam Taylor Wood. It tells the little known story of legendary musician John Lennon's early life and his forming of the rock-n-roll band The Quarrymen (the precursor to The Beatles).

Starring as John Lennon we have, what looks to be, a very excellent performance by Aaron Johnson (who most recently starred in the lack-luster and very stale Kick-A**). From the looks of it he gets Lennon's iconic tone and Liverpool accent down perfectly.

A lot of the movie focuses on his relationship between him and his aunt and him and his estranged mother. Another big part of it is of course the rock-n-roll, and what led John Lennon to start a band that would eventually lead to the band that changed music forever...The Beatles.

The movie includes Lennon meeting a young Paul McCartney played by Thomas Sangster and their friendship and also the meeting of George Harrison played by Sam Bell.

The movie looks like a good drama with talented actors, among the supporting cast is the always great Kristin Scott Thomas. The movie looks both funny and moving. Its set to come out October 8th of this year and if your like me and love music and especially love The Beatles then I think this is definitely one to look out for.

Cillian Murphy-Inception part seven

2010-05-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

"You're talking about dreams..."-Fischer-Inception

Cillian Murphy is in my opinion an incredibly underrated actor. He starred as the lead in Danny Boyle's "28 Days Later" He was the bad guy in Wes Craven's "Red Eye" He was incredible in "The Wind that Shakes The Barley" and he was awesome in "Batman Begins" as The Scarecrow aka Dr. Crane. He is now re- teaming with director Christopher Nolan in "Inception".

Murphy recently did an interview with Total Film Magazine where he talked about both "Inception" and possibilities for the untitled Batman 3.

He talked about how he met with Christopher Nolan a little over a year ago and was given just a few short hours to read the script, and was then told to decide which character's he felt best suited for.

"He didn't say 'Take whatever role you want" Murphy explains. "I wasn't going to steal Leonardo DiCaprio's part. But Chris said "I have an idea what might be good for you...Tell me what you think."' and we both agreed. It's different for me. It's not like any character I've played before."

The Character the two agreed on was that of Fischer, a character“central to the narrative of the film” and the mark for the heist. “Chris has talked about it being an existential heist movie and if you take that, I would be a crucial cog in that heist set-up.” said Murphy.

Talking specifically about the film and its emotional tones Murphy had this to say: “The film has a strong emotional core to it – Leo’s character and some of the other characters are trying to work emotional stuff out – but, having said that, it is a big exciting action film. It’s not all about people with their heads in their hands going, ‘Why did I leave that girl?’”

Helping build my excitement and hopefully anybody who is fed up with the whole 3D gimmick, Murphy had this to say of the film, “In this age of 3D and phenomenal special effects, we tend to be a little inured to big movies, like, ‘Whatever…’ But Chris is really going to challenge that with Inception. I don’t doubt it.”

And when the untitled Batman 3 was brought up, Murphy didn't have much to say except he doesn't know many details and he is not campaigning himself to reprise his role as The Scarecrow, but he did say that if Chris wanted him back for it, he would "love to do it"

That is gonna do it for my crazy hyping for this movie for probably the next little while. I am going to focus on some other good movies coming out this summer and help build some excitement for those, but I'm sure before too long I will be dragged, willingly, back to "Inception" because well like Geoff Boucher of the LA Times Hero Complex called it, its "The only film that matters" of 2010.

Inception Part Six--Deeper Stuff

2010-05-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

First off, I feel like throwing out a happy birthday to the late and great John Wayne and Peter Cushing.

Anyways lets get even deeper into "Inception" and some of the meanings behind the titles on the new posters ( If you read the last post I kind of speculated on them, but I have studied and have new information.) The mystery continues to deepen and thicken around this movie, and all that does is make me more excited. From what I have gathered, there is a lot concerning Greek mythology running through the maze of "Inception".

I think I was correct about most my guesses of the meanings of the character posters because I am pretty fluent in the language of heist films. But still "The Shade" remained a mystery so I did some research.

If you want to remain as spoiler free as you can about the film and her character don't click on the link BUT If you want a more in depth meaning of "The Shade" click here Shade. I don't wanna go into too much detail of what this means because I don't wanna ruin too much of it for you, but lets just say Marion Cotillard's character is for certain not all the she seems. It doesn't help that in the international trailer(well Japanese trailer) you see her holding a gun standing with Ken Wantanabe (the supposed villain) who is also holding a gun. Her character is certainly going to be interesting to say the very least.

Now lets look at Ellen Page's character Ariadne. We know "The Shade" is a reference to mythology but I don't wish to go into any more detail then that, if ya wanna know again the link is above. But the name Ariadne has its roots also in mythology.

Ariadne is the daughter of King Minos, who attacked Athens and because of this the Athenians ordered him to make a payment to make up for it. He was required to send seven young maidens and seven young men to be sacrificed to the Minotaur every nine years. One year this included Theseus, but he volunteered to kill the Minotaur. Ariadne had fallen in love with Theseus at first sight and wanted to help him so she gave him a sword and a ball of red fleece to string along so he could find his way back out of the Minotaur's labyrinth.

The labyrinth is the really interesting part, because it seems that a maze or labyrinth plays a fairly big part in "Inception" When we see the title in the trailers it appears in a Maze. When you go to Mind Crime you play as a character running through a maze of a city. Ellen Page or Ariadne is said to be "The Architect" she probably creates the dreams they are in, but maybe her characters name means something as well, perhaps she helps DiCaprio find his way through the dreams or the "labyrinth" This is just speculation again on my part, but since Ariadne has ties with labyrinths in mythology, and labyrinths seem to be a part of "Inception" I figured I would see where that took us.

Also a new bit of news concerning the film. Johnny Marr the brilliant guitarist who was in The Smiths did all the guitar playing on Hans Zimmer's score for the film. I love The Smiths and Johnny Marr is brilliant so that is freaking awesome.

I'm only gonna post once more on "Inception" for a while, that post will come tomorrow and it will be about Cillian Murphy so be sure to check that out, and remember keep your excitement on high for this movie!

Inception Part Five- New Posters

2010-05-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

"We mustn't be afraid to dream a bit bigger, darling." -Eames-Inception

The marketing campaign for Inception has been an exercise in brilliance to say the very least. Starting last august with the very short cryptic teaser, moving to the second trailer in December and opening the game Mind Crime at http://www.yourmindisthesceneofthecrime.com/ The cool think about Mind Crime is how big of a role it has played in the marketing. Through the maze game pictures and information has been slowly released, even the third trailer appeared there first. Then in May they gave us two new posters three TV spots and an epic third trailer.

We have been given a very basic idea of the plot line-DiCaprio leads a team of thieves who enter dreams to steal ideas. He is looking for a way out of sorts, a way to reunite with his family (whatever that means) and this last job is apparently his way to do it.

What we haven't been given is really any information about the characters themselves other than DiCaprio's. And to up the marketing even more and to create even more mystery around the characters they released these character banners today.

Each one states the persons job or position in the plot, yet most are beyond vague and still give us no real idea of what that position means....

DiCaprio is "The Extractor" now this is pretty easy to figure out I think. He is the lead thief, he is the one who "extracts" the ideas from the dreams.

Ellen Page is "The Architect" now that one is more vague and obscure but I still think we can maybe know what she does. She creates the dream world in which they bring the people into to steal the ideas. I could be completely wrong, or very right we will have to wait and see.

Tom Hardy is "The Forger" now this one I really don't know, as there is many different things he could be forging....memories could be one of them and that's what I am leaning to. He may very well forge the memories to help bring in the targets....I could be way way off here again we will see.

Cillian Murphy is "The Mark" Now before I was sceptical that he was the one that DiCaprio's team is targeting just because it shows him conversing with DiCaprio so much in the trailers BUT him being called "The Mark" suggests he is the target.

Joseph Gordon Levitt is "The Point Man" again that could be numerous things but I think he is the one keeping guard or the muscle of the team. It's his job to make sure everything runs smoothly and to plan when in the dream. Again this is pure speculation and I am most likely completely wrong!

Marion Cotilliard is "The Shade" now this is one of the more mysterious and bizarre ones. What does "The Shade" mean? We have heard that she may be DiCaprio's wife, but that plus what we see in the trailers doesn't give any clues to what this means.

Ken Wantanabe is "The Tourist" Now we have heard numerous times he is the "villain" and from what we have seen this seems accurate. But "The Tourist"? that could mean he is entering the dreams and isn't supposed to, and is in fact causing all sorts of havoc, it like the others remains to be seen!

Remember all of this is purely speculation on my part, all of this is subject to change before and when the movie is released. If any changes or new developments arise concerning this stuff before the release, I will for sure give an update! The excitement just keeps building and building, like I said before you should be stoked for this movie as well. It's going to be incredible.

Charlie St. Cloud

2010-05-19T16:17:00.000-07:00

Forget everything you first think when you hear the name Zac Efron. Push all thoughts of him wearing black clothes and being filled with angst as he dances around and sings on a golf course in southern Utah. Don't even focus on how funny he genuinely was in "17 Again"

It seems the young actor is determined to be just that, an actor. Instead of just doing films that pander to the young teenage female crowd he has taken roles in things like "Me and Orson Welles" (which I have not seen yet, but from what I heard is really really good) and now this role in "Charlie St. Cloud" directed by "17 Again"s Burr Steers.

"Charlie St. Cloud" is about a young man who is completely overcome with grief from the death of his younger brother. Before his brothers death he promised to teach him everyday how to play baseball with him before he moves to college.

Since his brothers death however, he continues to go to the forest where he sees his younger brother, and he keeps his promise, he teaches him how to throw a fastball, curve-ball and everything about baseball. But soon Charlie meets a girl, and as he becomes closer to her the more he begins to lose his younger brother.

The whole movie looks great. It looks like it has great emotional value, along with great performances. Among the cast we have Kim Bassinger as the mother and Ray Liotta (though I'm not sure who he plays, and he isn't on the cast list on IMDB. But he is seen clearly in the trailers)

There is a lot of talent in this film, not to mention the younger brother is completely decked out in Red Sox attire (enough to make me see the film). If your a fan of dramatic, moving movies then this is for sure one you should check out and look forward to. Its due out October 15 of this year. But until then check out the trailer, its really good.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1333331737/

Inception Part Four - The Rotating Hallway.

2010-05-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

"I specialize in a very specific type of security....subconscious security" Cobb-Inception

If you are familiar with Christopher Nolan films you'll know how little he relies on CGI for his effects. Both batman films (especially "The Dark Knight") use as little as possible. In "The Dark Knight" the scenes where Batman leaps off the building in Hong Kong, the semi truck flipping forwards and many others were all done with real effects.

This is pretty impressive because we live in a world where most filmmakers go the easy, cheaper way out buy using a computer and green screens and end up using CG for every last effect. Its to the point now where live action films appear to be more computer animated than live action. So its extremely welcome to have films like Inception coming out that don't rely on heavy CG.

Now if you have seen the trailer you are more than likely saying "of course there is lots of CGI used. People are floating in zero gravity, cities are folding on each other, people are falling down hallways and running on walls!" Well of course the city folding on itself is CG, but for the most part what you are seeing is real stunts.

Take the hallway scenes where Joseph Gordon Levitt is scene fighting and running along walls and falling down the hallway. Every thing you see in that scene is real. How are they running on walls though?

Nolan had a giant hallway built. The hallway is lifted up into the air by a crane (from what I understand) and then is able to rotate and tilt anyway. The rotating hallway allows for the actors to run, punch and throw each other on the walls, ceiling and floor all without actually using any computers. Because of this it looks completely and 100% real. The real genius of this is the fact that in ten years this scene wont look a tiny bit dated (unlike The Matrix, which is still awesome....still looks very dated)

This isn't it though, along with the rotating hallway set, apparently Nolan and co. have built an entire nightclub set that tilts and moves. I am telling you all this movie is going to be unlike anything you have seen yet! Do yourself a favor and be stoked!

The Adjustment Bureau

2010-05-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

I am always looking out for good, thought provoking science fiction films. "Thinking" sci fi movies were once the norm for the genre. The 90's did their best to ruin that ( with exceptions like The Matrix) Anyways lately their has been a resurgence of intelligent sci fi with films like Moon, soon to be Inception and The Adjustment Bureau.

I just recently discovered this film that is set to be released in September. It stars Matt Damon and Emily Blunt (who is extremely underrated). Matt Damon plays a politician who by coincidence meets Emily Blunt's character. They both realize how much chemistry they have together and are quickly falling for each other. Thats when things become a little off.

Damon's character wakes to find himself locked in a room with a bunch of men in suits standing around him while he is strapped to the chair. They inform him that they monitor everything in the world to ensure that everything happens to "plan" Apparently his relationship with Blunt's character is not part of his or her plan. He refuses to stop seeing her which results in their pursuit of him.

Thats all the info of the plot I really have gathered (and that mostly from the trailer). But Matt Damon and Emily Blunt are always excellent. Its also based on a story by Phillip K. Dick who is one of the better science fiction authors of all time. Also it looks like it appears to have some action and thrills but also a heavy dose of romance thrown in too, which is definitely a first for Sci Fi.

The film was originally set for a release date in July, but changed so they weren't competing with Inception (meaning they heard Inception was THAT good!) Sadly it may suffer box office numbers with the september release date but hopefully it will be a good film. I'm excited to see it simply because there is a lack of really good science fiction. So keep this one on your radars.

Also there was a scene filmed at Yankee Stadium, I'm surprised Damon allowed his feet to touch that unholy field.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2768439065/

Robin Hood

2010-05-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

I pulled out my local newspaper last night wanting to read the reviews for the newly release films. First off I have to inform you how lousy my local paper's movie reviewer can be at times. The idiot gave Spider Man 2 four freaking stars for crying out loud. With that said I quickly turned to the review of "Robin Hood" directed by Ridley Scott and starring (of course since its a Scott film) Russell Crowe.

The guy called it dull and boring. He claimed that all the battle scenes seemed like unused footage from "Gladiator". That was really original seeing as how people have been claiming for months it looks like a sequel to that film. So as me and my girlfried headed off to the theater, i went with expectations being low and ready for a bore.

I was very pleasantly surprised. From the first moments of the film we are given a fast paced story of England in turmoil. King Richard "The Lionheart" has been on a ten year crusade, leaving the country bankrupt, yet the government is still demanding the provinces to pay taxes. Then the King is killed in battle putting the sleazy Prince John played by Oscar Issac on the throne. He quickly puts his close from Godfrey played by Mark Strong (who appears to be playing the villain in just about every movies these days....) in charge of collecting the taxes from provinces. The problem here is that he is secretly working for the French and is helping create inner turmoil in England so the French can easily take the country.

Now that is enough for a single movie, but we haven't even mentioned Robin Hood's (Russell Crowe) part. He is posing as a night in order to help the village of Nottingham stay afloat and alive, pretending to be Marion's (Cate Blanchett) husband. All of this means that their is alot going on, also long pauses between the action and fighting.

That isn't a terrible thing though. Many of the scenes between Crowe and Blanchett are some of the best in the movie, seeing the two act off of each other is excellent. When the battle scenes do come they are all highly intense and exciting, looking nothing like the battles in "Gladiator" but that isn't surprising because almost all the battles in "Gladiator" take place in the arena.

Crowe gives an awesome performance, unsuprising since it seems like he is incapable of a bad one. Blanchett is great as always and the actors playing Little John, Will Scarlett and Friar Tuck (Kevin Durand, Scott Grimes, and Mark Addy) are all entertaining and enjoyable as are the parts played buy William Hurt and Max Von Sydow.

The movie is an origin story and leaves plenty of room for a very welcome sequel. This first installment is anything but dull and boring, while it does drag in some scenes it makes up for in others. I recomend it, especially if you enjoy Scott's work. I give it 3 stars.

True Grit

2010-05-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

The Coen brothers are know pretty well known for the incredible adaptations they are able to pull off. Noone else would ever dare adapt "The Odyssey" into the comedy "O Brother Where Art Thou" And their movie adaptation of "No Country For Old Men" is pretty much word for word Cormac McCarthy's novel.

So instead of one being sad or angry that someone is remaking the film "True Grit" (originaly the film that gave John Wayne his first Oscar for his portrayel of Marshall "Rooster" Cogburn) One should be incredibly excited that the Coen Brothers are adapting the book into another movie.

Now if this were anybody but Joel and Ethan Coen I wouldn't be excited for it in the slightest. The 1969 movie, while not true to the book, is a great film. Its got some of the best lines ever said by John Wayne and its got a great and memorable performance by a young Robert Duvall. So why remake it?

The Coens insist that they are not remaking the John Wayne film, just making a film that remains more true to the source material. Even so, they would need a very talented cast of actors to convince a good number of die hard John Wayne fans into seeing this version....which luckily the Coens have.

In the original we were forced to endure a terrible performance from Glen Campbell, this time around we get to watch Matt Damon take on his role as La Boeuf. Taking Duvall's spot as Ned Pepper, we are getting a performance from the terribly underrated actor Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan, Enemy of the State, When We Were Soldiers and 61) Taking over the role of Tom Chaney we have the very talented Josh Brolin. But who gets to replace the very big shoes left by John Wayne? Hold your breath..... the incredible Jeff Bridges.

Jeff Bridges alone is enough to make me want to see this film badly. Anything the man does is simply amazing. The man is on top of the world right now coming off his Academy Award win for "Crazy Heart" And I personally can't think of a single person more perfect for the role of Marshal "Rooster" Cogburn then Bridges.

I am sure i'll be posting more info on this film as it gets closer to its release this Christmas. But until then just know that this is one to definitely keep and have on your radar and to be excited for.

Inception Part Three - Joseph Gordon Levitt

2010-05-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

"The dreams collapsing." Arthur-Inception

Joseph Gordon Levitt has been acting ever since he was a little kid. His first big movie (though not big part) was in Robert Redford's A River Runs Through It. He played one of the main characters when they were kids.

Some might remember him from Angels in the Outfield, others as the goofy kid on Third Rock From The Sun. In fact, thats what I hear most when I bring his name up. "Oh the kid on Third Rock From The Sun!".

The fact is he has been doing incredible work for some time now, all in the indie scene. Movies like Brick, The Lookout and Mysterious Skin really have shown the acting this guy is capable of. The man is on the rise. It certainly helps that he was awesome, and critically acclaimed in 500 Days of Summer last year, helping to boost his name into most homes. Then comes Inception.....

The first shot we ever are given of him in the movie is a fight scene in a hallway. Not just any fight scene though, they are running on walls, and hurling each other down the hallway. Not really something expected of a character being played by Levitt. Usually he is the goofy, heartfelt guy (although see Brick, Lookout and Mysterious Skin) Yet in the new trailer we see him with his slick backed hair and leather jackets, business suits and most of all he is running around with an assortment of guns.

Now he looks absolutely awesome in this movie, but there is some speculation going around on-line that maybe his character isn't everything he seems. For the most part his character Arthur is seen running around alongside Dicaprio's Cobb. But some people think he could be a villian, good at first then betraying his team.

I personally see no evidence of this in the trailers we have been given thus far. I have had people trying to tell me there is a clip of him holding Dicaprio buy the neck in the new trailer...the fact is that you can't tell whom he is holding. I am not saying he won't be a traitor, I am not saying he will be a good guy. I am just saying there is no evidence for him being a bad guy. (although they are all theives....not making really any of them good people)

Either way, whatever hsi role truely ends up being we can be assured it will be great, especially since Emma Thompson (Christopher Nolans wife and producer) claims how amazing he is in the movie. He is certainly one of the actors I am most excited for...among many in this film.

Inception Part Two-the Trailer

2010-05-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

"Dreams always feel real while we are in them, it's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange." Cobb-Inception

Alright so the new trailer for "NCEPTION" is finally officially released on the internet so no more putting up with crappy bootleg versions filmed with cameras in the movie theater! That is news that should excite everybody because truthfully....it is one of the best trailers I have ever seen! It is such a good trailer and the movie is really THE movie I am looking forward to of 2010 probably the movie I have been most excited for in my entire life, I figured I would write up a review of the trailer!

I had been looking forward to the release of this trailer for quite some time. The first teaser was release last fall with the new Quentin Tarantino film, Inglorious Bastards. That trailer was extremely brief, only showing some random shots of Dicaprio looking confused and people fighting in a hallway. Then in December the second teaser or depending on the way you look at it, the first full lenght trailer came out. This had a little more, yet still left most audiences (I am referring to normal people not obsessed with the movie as I am) pretty confused and curious.

The new trailer runs at 2 minutes and 24 seconds. This time giving us a very brief overview of the film. Some were worried that the new trailer would give a way too much thus taking away elements of surprise and wonder that Nolan and company are hoping to save for the viewers first experience with the film in the cinema. Luckily, the trailer still gives absolutely nothing away. What it does do is give us an array of elaborate images, completely out of context, giving us a sense of need to see this film so we know what we are looking at in the trailer.

We are given short one second clips of people falling down snowy mountainsides, bridges rising up out of nowhere as Ellen Page begins to walk across. Joseph Gordon Levitt floating in rooms that appear to have zero gravity, tying up what appear to be corpses. Dicaprio hugging Marion Cottilard's character. Dicaprio yelling at Levitt and building collapsing. Now I am not gonna talk about the possible meanings and roles of both Levitt's and Cotillard's character here, I am gonna spend the next post specifically on them (because there is lots of mystery and speculation around their characters that is actually quite fascinating).

But all these scenes give only hints to the possibilities this movie has, not just for an incredible sci fi actioner/thriller. But as a genuine heartfelt drama examining emotions and dream and the capabilities of the human mind. The trailer has a beautifully intense score pulsing through it moving the scenes along from one to the next. What we are now expecting is not just a big budget action flick that we would normally get in the middle of July, but instead an insightful intense thriller with MAJOR awards possibilites. Most notably we can probably expect Best Actor nominations for Dicaprio and more than likely best screenplay and director for Christopher Nolan...and all this is coming from just seeing this trailer. Now maybe the entire movie will be an epic fail, but I think its very reasonable after this trailer to assume that it WILL be the best film of the year.

If you have not seen the trailer yet, I have posted a link below to it. Watch it so you don't have to take my word for it.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi402655001/

Inception Part One

2010-05-10T14:54:00.001-07:00

The year is 2000, and there is one smaller movie makings its way around the festival circuit. It wins awards and gets rave reviews. The film is called Memento and its director is a young 30 year old named Christopher Nolan. The films plot moves in two opposite directions. The black and white scenes unfold in chronological order, while the in color scenes go backwards, beginning with a man shooting another man. The film goes backwards and we discover why Leonard Shelby (played incredibly by Guy Pearce) kills the man.

Fast Forward to summer 2008.

The Dark Knight has just made one of the biggest opening weekends in box office history. People are going crazy for the latest installment into the film history of the iconic character Batman. Oddly, it isn't only comic book and super hero fans praising the film. Its everyone. Christopher Nolan has just made a super hero movie into something much much more than that-an insightful, complex crime drama with Gotham city as his backdrop.

Its now two years later and the genious that is Christopher Nolan is putting out a new movie. INCEPTION. Now I have been following this movie since...well since it's inception almost two years ago. Almost all details had been completely sealed up from the general avid movie fanatic public until a few months ago, but needless to say I and many other wild film freaks are dying for its July 16 realease to be here now.

Lets talk about the plot AS WE KNOW IT NOW.

Leonardo Dicaprio leads a team of theives, they are a very different kind of theif though. They create dream worlds and "bring" their subjects into their created dream. The subject then fills it with their thoughts and memories. Leo and his team then "extract" certian pieces of information for their own gain. Leo appears to be performing one last job in an effort to "get back home". Now what this means we can only speculate until July 16 which is 66 days away.

Every couple of days i will be adding more info about the film, and will continue to build up the hype and convince you of why you need to be excited for what Jeff Boucher of the LA TIMES calls "the only movie that matters" of 2010.

Fan in the Attic

2010-05-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

"When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I only had two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home..." The Outsiders

We all need things to feel passionate about, things that occupy our time between the grind of work and more work. These passions or hobbies as some people often refer to them could be things like baseball, golf, basketball and other sports. They could be things like painting or taking pictures. Some people enjoy playing instruments such as the piano or guitar and some people enjoy just listening to good music. Others may prefer to spend their free time reading books and stories. Then there is a crazy and wild group of people and they have a very specific passion. Movies.

For some people this activity is just good, fun entertainment - to others this is life. Those that consider film and movies their life are a sad and pathetic group of people, sort of like Red Sox fans, but like Red Sox Fans (which I am an avid part of) they are unbending and always loyal to those films that they know by heart and love. I am one of those people.

I am, what some people can only describe as, obsessed. I personally would prefer to just call myself passionate, but I can certainly see where these people are coming from. I am twenty years old right now, but in less than one month I will be the grand, all knowledgable age of twenty one. I, like I said before, am an avid Red Sox fan, and therefore am part of a rabid and violent group of fans. I bring that same fury, if not more so to film. I am very much planning and looking forward to a career in film. I would like to be the man sitting on the director's chair, but maybe I will end up writing about it for a living. Who can really know at this point?

Either way that brings us to the point of what you are reading right now. I am constantly talking about movies that I see, so someone very close to me suggested writing a blog about it, so here I am! And here you are reading and hopefully deciding to check back again.

Film is my life. Sure I go to school, I find work when I can and I try and make a good useful life for myself. But movies and film are what make it all worth it for me. I don't see movies because I think its fun, or I have nothing better to do. I see movies because I have to see them. If I don't, I become quite an unpleasant person, so it is always best for me to be seeing movies. Some people have jobs to pay for food, cars, housing and what-not...I earn money to see movies.

What I hope happens with this blog is to inform people with good and honest opinion about the films and movies out there in the world. There are literally thousands and thousands of movies out there, so its hard to know whats good and whats worth seeing. I want to make that easier for people, I want to help people know what is good and know what they should be excited for. And hopefully convince more people to love and appreciate the art form that is film.

As I see movies I will review them here. As I discover new movies, I will talk about them here. So I hope you enjoy...