New Wolverine Trailer!

Here it is, I'm not sure how good the movie will be, but the trailer is at least intriguing. We'll have to see, I guess. Are you excited for this story?

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD

"Kill 1,000 kids, no biggie, but don't touch the Mutt!"

In the words of the immortal Martin Riggs: "I can't shoot a dog, people, sure, but not dogs."
I found myself upset about an advertising company basically coming out and saying through viral marketing that the dog was going to die in a movie that will remain nameless. For me, there is no bigger turn off than to hurt a dog, I can't stand it. That is why Benji, Homeward Bound and all those other stupid 'dog overcomes adversity' movies will be emotional to so many, because the thought of the dog getting hurt is unbearable. The one moment of movies I have seen over the past year or two that has brought me close to crying is when a dog is injured and about to die. I don't want to ruin a very significant plot piece in the movie, so I won't say which movie, but I looked around and found the people I was with sobbing hysterically in unison with the rest of the theatre over this dog. And, to let me know the dog is going to die, in what looks like a Turner and Hooch type move, it's something I don't care to see.
It got me thinking, though. I have seen movies with body counts in the hundreds, I've seen movies that nearly wipe out the entire human race, I have seen a movie where the badguy slays dozens of young kids with a light saber, and all of those moments never even made me skip a beat. I've seen people tortured and killed, and I've seen movies where people are blown to bits, or eaten by aliens, or ripped apart, and while grotesque, didn't really invoke much of an emotional response, certainly not the likes of when a dog is injured or killed. Does that make me a bad person? Does worrying about a dogs safety (strictly in the movie sense, I assure you) over a persons safety make me jaded to violence or gore or death in movies, or is it something that's natural? Do you get upset when someone dies, or more specifically, when a kid dies; how about when a dog is injured or killed, is it worse?
Does knowing a dog could be injured turn you off from a movie, or make you really upset, or is it as jaded as people getting killed by robots?
For me, you don't harm the dog, kill people plenty and often, but not the dog. There could be some social commentary, and I don't want to know what Sigmund Freud would say about that (maybe he would say it's caused by a deep seeded emotional trauma from my childhood).

New Director for New Moon

The second installment in the Twilight series has found its director after canning the director of the first movie, Catherine Hardwicke. The new director is Chris Weitz, who directed Golden Compass and About a Boy. Here is his IMDB sheet, not all that impressive, but it is a change that could be good for the series. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0919363/
They are looking for an up and coming director, and I guess they found one!

AFI's top 10 of the year:

So, the American Film Institute has announced, in no particular order (cowards) the top 1o movies of 2008. I have never been a big fan of the institute, or their lists of best movies, simply because I believe they are all old people, who have lost their touch with society. I believe society changes, and so do the movies, it doesn't make them better or worse, just different. They see it differently, I guess. Anyway, here are the movies, I'm a bit surprised, pleasantly, that Iron Man made the list, but I have heard good things about everything on this list, the only thing that strikes me as a bit odd is that most of these movies have come out within the last 2 months. Is this a whole "what's fresh in the mind" type problem, or did most of the quality movies come out recently?

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
FROST/NIXON
FROZEN RIVER
GRAN TORINO
IRON MAN
MILK
WALL-E
WENDY AND LUCY
THE WRESTLER

And, does AFI really need to have the one-kneed approach to Clint Eastwood too? It's bad enough the Oscars already do. Let me know if you agree, or what movies were left off this list!

Hugh Jackman to host Oscars

It was just announced that Time Magazines Sexiest man of the year, Hugh Jackman will be hosting the Oscars this year. This is a bit of a different choice with last years Jon Stewart being mainly a TV guy. This year, it seems, they are looking to get back some of the demographic they lost last year, mainly young females. I guess, they don't care about the young males, but this is a good move with Jackman having two movies coming out in 2009, and Australia just being released, Jackman is a hot name right now, and hopefully, it will bring some recognition to an awards ceremony that has suffered terribly in previous years with ratings. Can Jackman save the awards, or is it too much even for Wolverine?
I personally think the ceremony has been too snooty for years now. I think my attention to the awards stopped when they stopped caring what was the best movie, and started worrying about Clint Eastwood. Anyway, maybe this year will be different, look for there to be a big ordeal over Heath Ledger's possible Best Supporting Actor. If he doesn't win, I think there will be a big to do about voting next year.
Will Jackman's name be enough for you to tune in? I guess we'll find out!

New Watchman Trailer

As you may have noticed, I have been focusing heavily on movie trailers lately, mainly because, as I explained previously, I think a trailer can make or break a movie. The trailers I am featuring here are certainly good ways to make the movie.
This trailer is the newest for the Watchman. I am very excited about this movie, and this trailer uses more than just the eye candy technique, although the special effects are simply stunning. Now, it makes me want to go out and read the graphic novel.....screw that COMIC BOOK just to see what happens. I hope their legal woes don't hold this up, it would hurt the movie community even more than the company releasing it.

Memorable movie speeches in 2 minutes

Let's see how many you recognize, and how many you can recite from the beginning. I found myself going through entirely too many of them to not be worried about me having a life.
Anyway, check it out, it's a great video!

New Terminator Salvation Trailer!

Here it is, check it out. I'm a little worried about this movie, I'm hoping it's going to be better than I think it will be, but I will say this, the trailer looks outstanding. If you look at my rating of trailers below for 2008, would you not agree that this seems to give you just enough to leave you wanting more? I would.
Anyway, let me know what you think!

14 Dark Knight DVD's?

Have we gone too far with all this special edition stuff? In the name of all that is holy, there should NEVER be 14 versions of a movie at the same time. I mean, I think that comes close to toping Lucas's Star Wars money making...uhh, I mean special edition fiasco. Lord of the Rings also made a run at the title with a regular version, a special edition, a special extended cut, and a directors cut; just what we needed, that trilogy, only longer. Anyway, I am all for making money, but this ridiculous and a bit overzealous of the production company. Now, I'm tempted to not buy the movie because I know there will be a special edition directors cut extended version within 6 months, so why should I buy a version now. IT'S TAKING ADVANTAGE OF MOVIE GEEKS AND I DON'T LIKE IT!
I understand movie companies are trying to make money and milk this cash cow for all they can, but it doesn't mean I have to like it, nor does it mean that it's right.
Since this is a growing trend for movies, we might as well get used to 45 versions of movies coming out. So, watch out for the special Bat Pod version and I'll talk to you soon.

Wanted: Director for New Moon

A week ago, Catherine Hardwicke was saying that she is already making plans for the second movie in the Twilight Series, New Moon. She was saying that she can make the movie a bit quicker and that she has a few ideas for shots. This news came as great news, because one of the biggest complaints I heard about this movie is the wonky shots, that often seemed awkward and and a little silly.
Now, news has come out that Ms. Hardwicke will not be back for the second movie. The studio is claiming it is because Hardwicke can not meet the studios timeline, which, incidental is late 2009, which is a bit rushed. Reports, however, claim it is because Hardwicke did not get along with studio reps, the producers, or the actors, and they canned her, in search of someone better. With the previous movie making a ton of dough, they should have no problem finding someone who can take the reigns of a serious movie.

The Dark Knight back, January 23rd!

Come January 23rd, you will have a choice to see the Dark Knight in the theatre again, or in your own personal theatre. They are releasing the Dark Knight on DVD December 12th, and as of the new year, the movie will be back in theatres just to remind the Oscar committee how great the movie is, come nomination time. Another perk of the re-release is it will count toward the box office gross amount, which could easily push it past Titanic for the highest grossing of all time.
So, would you go see the movie again, or are they wasting precious movie theatre space for a movie that needs to stay on DVD?
Personally, I saw it, and loved it, but I wouldn't go spend another $10 to see it. I will spend my $14.99 for the DVD and enjoy it on my own time, with my own snacks, and the dog!

Taglines

So, have you ever been hooked into a movie simply by the tagline? I have, and I have been looking at the taglines for hundreds of movies to find the best taglines in cinema history. I think I have the list, but please let me know your favorite taglines, and I will see where it fits into the list. In order to tide you over, I have a bit of trivia, on some of my favorites, most of these will probably be on the list, so lets see if you can figure out the movies they go to. I expect any and all previous Blockbuster employees to get every one of these!

1. My favorite: In Space, no one can hear you scream
2. In October of 1994 three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary...A year later their footage was found.
3. The Scariest Movie of all time
4. In a world of 1s and 0s...are you a zero, or The One?
5. Some Thing Has Found Us
6. An Adventure 65 Million Years In The Making
7. Let The Magic Begin
8. Mischief. Mayhem. Soap
9. Surf's up! Time to save the world!
10. Can't stop the signal
11. Never give a saga an even break!
12. Why So Serious?
13. Some memories are best forgotten
14. You'll never go in the water again!
15. It will blow you through the back wall of the theater!

Good luck, I hope you can get these, and look for the list to come out soon!

Bond Song top 10

Well, Quantum of Solace has come and gone, reviews have been so-so, and there is talk of another already, but what about the Bond introduction. Personally, I wasn't a fan of the intro by Jack Black and Alicia Keys, but the video was better than the last. A friend of mine did a countdown of the music, and sense this is a movie blog, you would have to go here http://blog.myspace.com/eaglesfanintampa

Let me know what you think!

What makes a good trailer?

This all started off with a list of the top 10 trailers of 2008, per Yahoo! which I will post here, but it got me thinking, what is a good trailer, and even though these trailers are the most viewed, are they really the best. Hold on, guys, this is gonna be fun!
When you are sitting in the movie theatre, there is nothing more exciting for me then when they lower the lights and the previews come on, a good movie trailer can get you so excited, you can often times lose focus on the movie you are there to see, but the traits of a good movie trailer are often varied, depending on the film.
The worst part of a trailer is giving everything away, there's an old saying 'less is more' and that seems to be perfect for trailers, there is nothing that turns me off of a movie more than figuring out the mysterious killer simply by watching the trailer, or seeing the bad guy who was so mysterious throughout the film, only to be spoiled by the trailer. Those kinds of reveals should be saved for the end of the movie only. Often times, my favorite trailers say very little, or next to nothing about the movie itself; for instance, a trailer that came out last year during Transformers comes to mind as one of the most gripping trailers I've seen, it showed a party, some rumbling, and finally the head of the statue of liberty being thrown down the street with the numbers 1-18-08, and that's it. I immediately went home and searched for everything I could about something so mysterious, it doesn't even give you the title of the movie. That was a great trailer.
Now, having said less is more, there is the counter to that, often times, the most disastrous thing that can happen to a movie is a trailer that gives off the wrong impression. This trailer can give an impression of a horror movie, which draws all the horror fans, only to prove it's a drama, or mystery/suspense movie, which usually results in very disappointed fans, and some bad ratings of the movie. The best example I can think of to date, is a favorite of mine, The Village, by M. Night Shylaman. I loved this trailer because it told you very little about the movie, left a very creepy vibe, and made you wanting more, but the problem was, it also gave off a horror feel, along with some eerie movie posters, and viral marketing by M. Night, this movie had horror fans lining up, simply to see a really well made suspense movie. As a result the movie had terrible reviews and was laughed at because of the impression set forth by the trailer.
Another trait of a good trailer is including some material that engages the characters. You have to introduce the hero and the villain and make you want to go on their journey with them. The hard part about this particular ingredient is making sure you don't give away the best moments and most passionate exchanges in the movie, because if you do, then audiences will have already seen the best stuff and feel a sense of letdown when they watch the movie. This problem is very prominent in nearly all comedies, you see an exchange with the main characters that makes the audience bust out in laughter, only to see the movie and watch the same joke that is no longer funny. The trailer that comes to mind as a great example of this is Rush Hour, all three, actually. After seeing the trailer, my side had sufficiently split, I couldn't wait to see such a comedic exchange between two actors. I got to the theatre, only to know the best parts of the movie by heart, and simply wait for the next exchange to happen. As a result, my side was not split, and it wasn't as good of an experience as it could have been.
Another approach that you will often see is simply a showcase of special effects, a trailer that simply is the best eye candy seen by man. Most versions are sci-fi in nature, and show dazzling, almost unbelievable special effects that capture the imagination so much, there is no need to go into the plot of the movie. Sometimes the approach is good, because it escapes the pitfall mentioned above, of giving away all the plot details. Also, it can work out perfectly, because the special effects can be so good, people will want to see what the rest of the movie holds, which better mean the movie has plenty of eye candy left for the audience. Sometimes, the special effects are not so CGI, but simply such an immense scene that it begs people to find out exactly how they got there. Many examples of this are Saving Private Ryan, and Lord of the Rings, or even Braveheart. When you see a scene as massive as thousands upon thousands of people, or creatures going at it, the scale is so massive, you have to come back to see the journey that took them there, and the result of the massive battle. Another angle that implies eye candy, which again, doesn't have to be CGI, is to just put a hot woman, or guy, depending on the audience on the screen and let them stand there, usually lightly clothed, and grip the audience that way. This is usually less effective because most won't go to a movie just to see a hot celebrity, but it's often a way to bring in a few bodies. A great example of this is nearly any Jessica Alba movie, I'm also reminded of my Blockbuster days, when Spring Break came out, they played a trailer that teased sex, and scantily clad women; it was amazing to see those copies fly off the shelf as a result.
Now that we have an idea of what is a good trailer and what is bad, let's look at the most viewed, and see if they hit on something magical.

10) Kung Fu Panda

This seems to have a good amount of comedy, it introduces the characters, and invites you on a journey, in this case for a Panda to become a Kung Fu-ish guy.

9) Sex in the City

This trailer depends on you knowing the characters quite a lot. I'm not a fan of the show, so I don't know what's going on, but it seems to me they take a lot of parts of the movie, that could be all the good stuff, since I'll never know, someone can tell me if they did or not. The other problem is, I know the ending thanks to the trailer.

8) Hancock

One of my favorite trailers of the year, it takes you on a journey, and definitely will make you laugh, I'll have to let you know if it shows all the good parts, which I'm afraid it will. Also, the only bad part is I know the ending, based off this trailer. The one before it left off that problem.

7) Wanted

A perfect example of the whole 'put some great eye candy up there and people will come' technique. No one can deny Anjelina Jolie is eye candy, but if that wasn't enough, they through in some amazing special effects, and you have a trailer that works well.

6) Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

A great trailer, because it hints at the plot, but it definitely gives you the whole 'less is more' example. I don't think this movie even needs a trailer, it will already be a record setter, but if you are gonna do one, this is a great example, you don't know what will happen, but you are dyeing to find out.

5) Iron Man

This is my favorite trailer of the year. This trailer, in particular, is not my favorite released, because it reveals a bit too much about the plot, and in particular, the bad guy, however, the is a great example of putting some eye candy on there, along with some humor lines, and, since I've seen the movie, they did not waste all the best lines for the trailer. This also happens to be one of my favorite movies of the year.

4) The Incredible Hulk

This trailer never heard of less is more. It gives you a perfect summary of the movie, and gives you all the best scenes in the movie. There is a bit of eye candy in the special effects of the Hulk, but it also gives you everything else.

3) Twilight

This is another trailer that simply didn't need to be made because everyone who went to the movie already know exactly what the movie is about because they read the book. This movie simply shows some interaction between characters, the idea is the interaction and chemistry is so good, you will instantly fall in love with them and want to find out what happens. Personally, I think the acting is just not good enough, in the trailer, anyway, to do that.

2) Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull

Say what you want about the movie, this trailer is golden. the trailer gives you the plot of the movie through narration, it gives a dramatic introduction to the character everyone wants to see, in Indy, and shows a lot of stuff blowing up, which is really what everyone wants to see, it's a great trailer.

1) The Dark Knight

It only is right, the number one watched trailer is also the number one watched movie of the year. This trailer shows the conflict, shows a great villain and introduces us to a gritty, dark movie with a gritty dark trailer. It does several things, it gives us these characters that everyone falls in love with and dares you to see what happens to them, it also gives you enough eye candy in the appearance of the Joker, Batman himself and explosions to make you wanna see how it turns out. I can also tell you, it doesn't ruin the movie, or give away the best parts.

Am I the only one who doesn't like a Christmas Story?

First off, there should never, ever be a 24 hour marathon of one movie, let alone this movie, and second, they are celebrating the 25th anniversary of A Christmas Story this year with a new DVD, and I couldn't care less.

I was never a huge fan of this movie, but my true disdain of this movie has come from TNT continually showing a 24 hour marathon every frickin' Christmas, along with every teacher I had in school showing this movie instead of jumping into new material right before the holiday, strike that, CHRISTMAS break.

Everyone seems to love to quote this movie, and it seems to offer some sort of comfort, knowing someone else is more screwed up then them, but I have never found it funny, or even amusing.

If you are going to watch some Christmas movies, start with the classic Rudolph, and maybe go to Elf, A Charlie Brown Christmas, National Lampoons Christmas, heck, one of my friends always watches The Ref every year; watch one of those instead of this movie. If I have to hear that terrible narration again about a double-dog-dare, I may shoot someone, and I will aim for the eye!