Chistopher Nolan's Inception map - SPOILERS

Inception was one of my favorite films of the year. It was incredibly complex, and even after multiple viewings, I still struggle to wrap my head around the plot. Here's how director Christopher Nolan kept track of it.

John Landis calls Inception unoriginal - I need to vent

This isn't going to be the well thought out, masterfully constructed blog post you are used to on this site. Stop laughing, I'm serious. ... No, really, stop laughing. Anywho, this post is about me venting over news that director John Landis (Blues Brothers, Psych, Oscar) was quoted as saying smash hit Inception was "interesting enough..., but not original."

Now, I have no problems with someone saying they don't like the movie. Inception will be one you either love or hate, and it's easy to see both points of view. I personally love it, but as I said, I can see the other point of view as well. What I do have a problem with is calling the movie unoriginal. With all the sequels, reboots, prequels, and adaptations for old TV shows, I find it unacceptable to call a movie like Inception unoriginal. Does it take plot or character elements from another source? Sure. But what story in history hasn't? The Bible took elements from Mayan stories of a great flood and fires before it, along with Homeric tales being taken from rumored other stories that have vanished over the centuries, and it's hard to get much earlier than either of those. Star Wars took multiple story lines from multiple other movies and stories, along with The Matrix taking elements from philosophy, the Bible and other Sci-Fi tales, but no one calls those unoriginal.

It's hard to find anything truly original, because so many stories have been touched on. If you look hard enough, you will find something familiar in everything. So, when something that was written from scratch, was designed from scratch and has no noticeable previous media influences is created, we should celebrate, because at least it isn't Charlie's Angels 3, or another Hulk reboot. It's a direction Hollywood should start going in, where people sit down to create new ideas, not rehash old ones, but it doesn't seem to be a common trend, and that is commendable.

What do you think? Are there really no original ideas anymore? Is Inception unoriginal? Sound off.

Inception 2 - Secret of the Ooze

Ever since the huge hit that was Inception came out, there has been talk of a sequel. If you've seen the movie, you know that story-wise, it doesn't make sense, but we all know Hollywood's love of money, and considering the movie is up to $810 million so far, before it even hits store shelves, the movie is a huge financial success. So, will a sequel be made? The answer is yes, apparently, if Warner Bros has anything to say about it.

There are several reports that Warner Bros wants to make a sequel, but it is highly unlikely director Christopher Nolan would return, given he has expressed several times that the project is done. So, given Warners wants more money, and Nolan doesn't want anything to do with it, will the studio get a new director? I would say most likely not, since Nolan is pretty much heading all their biggest projects, including directing the third Batman flick, and overseeing the Superman flick. I doubt they wouldn't want to piss of the man in charge of the company's future.

However, if there were to be a sequel, what would you do? Suffice to say POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!

The most obvious route to me would be to follow another member of Cobb's team after the job depicted in the first movie. It would be an easy move because Tom Hardy, Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon Levitt's characters were so interesting, and not touched on too much, that seeing that story line unfold could be quite a lot of fun. Gordon-Levitt's character was described several times in the film as the best in the business, so it would be interesting to see why. It would be a smart move because you would never have to mention Leonardo DiCaprio's Cobb, which would leave the impact of the ending intact, and audiences looking for any tidbit or clue as to the outcome.

So, that's my idea for a sequel that should never happen, and hopefully won't, but that's not to say there isn't talk of one.

Inception drops to second behind the Other Guys

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg were finally enough to take down Inception, after three weeks at the top. The Other Guys came in a bit above expected with $35.6 million. It's got to be a bit of a sigh of relief after the last movie Ferrell did, Land of the Lost, hit only $19 million, and was one of the worst movies I've ever seen.

Inception continues to do really well, dropping a measly 34% to come in at $18.6 million, giving it a total $228 million, which the studios have to be happy about, considering the $100 million budget. Hopefully, this will continue to be a sign to Hollywood, encouraging more originality.

The rest of the bunch did pretty bad, with Salt, Dinner for Schmucks and Step up 3 stinking up the joint.

Inception stays on top!

As the third weekend closes up for Inception, it is still showing its dominance dropping a mere 36% to bring in $27.5 million to stay number one in the box office. This brings the total to $193 million for three weeks. It's a good sign for this movie because the movie had a budget of $150 million. Considering few movies lately have made any money, it's good to see an original movie that has some smarts do well.

Dinner for Schmucks came in second with $23 million, and Salt came in third with $19.3 million. Here is the top 10 for the week:
BOX OFFICE TOP TEN
1. Inception - $27.5 million ($193.3 million total)
2. Dinner for Schmucks - $23.3 million ($23.3 million total)
3. Salt - $19.3 million ($70.8 million total)
4. Despicable Me - $15.5 million ($190.3 million total)
5. Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore - $12.5 million ($12.5 million total)
6. Charlie St. Cloud - $12.1 million ($12.1 million total)
7. Toy Story 3 - $5.0 million ($389.7 million total)
8. Grown Ups - $4.5 million ($150.7 million total)
9. The Sorcerer's Apprentice - $4.3 million ($51.9 million total)
10. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - $4.0 million ($288.2 million total)

When I see a movie I really like, I always secretly (well, since I just admitted it, I guess it isn't so secretive) cheer for it to do well, and Inception is one of those movies.

Also, who would've thought Cats & Dogs: The revenge of Kitty Galore would actually make $12.5 million?

Inception - Extended ending video

SPOILERS! The ending to Inception is amazing, but everyone wanted to know what happened after the credits rolled. Finally, the lost footage has been found, so you can see exactly what happened afterwards. Check it out!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Inception

I love Bill & Ted. I don't know why, but their brainless-ness has a direct line to my funnybone. So, imagine the look of pure joy that appeared on my face when I saw a video that took my favorite movie of 2010 and mixed the trailer with Bill & Ted.

Check it out!

Movie Review - Inception - Spoiler Free -

“Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?” It’s a line from 1999’s The Matrix, a line Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan took and ran with, creating a brilliant movie, filled with action, jaw dropping visuals and so much more in this year’s Inception.

After leaving the theater, I asked my fellow movie geeks how I would describe the movie, and both were still in shock from what they had just witnessed and offered no help. When the movie was over, we all just sat there a bit and wondered what had actually happened. None of us could offer any clue, but we all knew one thing; we liked it. Inception involves a group of people who specialize in breaking into other peoples dreams and retrieving information. The best of them, Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), is looking to return to his family after a tragic event happens. When a corporate figure, played by Ken Watanabe approaches them and offers the possibility of returning, Cobb’s team jumps on the chance, only to learn there’s a catch; they must reverse the process and plant an idea in the head of the mark, played by Cillian Murphy. There’s more, but it gets really complicated and gives away too much of the plot.

The movie was awe-inspiring in the visuals and had me blown away in several scenes, leaving me wondering how they could have filmed such a scene. The one that immedietly comes to mind is the hallway scene involving Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character weightless, fighting off thugs. The landscapes were amazing, and brilliant, and the CGI was really cleverly hidden, not taking away from the depth of the movie at all. The result makes you feel like you are in one of the stories dreams, and like in the story, you aren’t going to want to wake up.

The acting of everyone involved was quite good. DiCaprio seems like a wise choice for the lead, as he carried the necessary depth and emotion well, along with having a great onscreen presence. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page and Cillian Murphy all were very good as well, although emotions and matters of the heart were not the strengths of this movie. The focus and strength was all in the brain, and the movie will give yours a workout.

In the end, this movie, like all good philosophical questions, will leave you with more questions than answers, requiring multiple viewings to understand the movie fully. However, the concept of multiple viewings of this film is a very good one, as it was thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. The depth of this movie could be a problem with some viewers who are looking to shut their brain off for a few hours, as it takes quite a bit of work to keep up with the complex storylines.

After you see Inception, and I encourage everyone to do so, when you go to sleep, you will be asking yourself if you are going to sleep or waking up, which hints at the depth of this incredible movie. Finally, a summer movie in 2010 worth every second!

Check out the post on SpoilerTV's website HERE.