Trailer Mashup

This is a must see! This trailer is a combination of Wall-E and the Watchmen, two movies I love. This mashup was expertly done, taking the themes of Watchmen and using Wall-E footage. Both of these movies had very iconic trailers, and this shows how something as small as someone flying out a glass window, or even just the music can be so iconic in trailers. Absolutely brilliant!

Bone-headed marketing move of the week

In a dumb marketing move, Sci-Fi Channel is looking to adjust its image. So, unfortunately, Sci-Fi is no longer Sci-Fi, it is now SyFy, and their motto is "Imagine Greater."
The move is to distance people, according to the head of the network is to distance itself from "antisocial geeks, and nerds, and, in general the male populace." Apparently, the network is trying to go more mainstream, and go further away from movies like Raptor 4, and Carnosaur, and more to .... I don't even know, something WE would air. I am just too upset to even get this out, Sci-Fi was one of my favorite networks, it's something I could always turn to, and now they are saying they are trying to run away from me... and call me antisocial. I can't believe it, is this some cruel joke? I don't know, but I don't see how this will make a difference, I mean, the programming is what people tune in for, not because of the name of the network, so now, you just alienated the people that watch the network.....great move, bonehead!

Fantasy Casting, Ep. 3.....McGyver

So, it's news today they are finally rebooting McGyver into a blockbuster movie. It's about time, after they have rebooted mediocre franchises, it's about time they use a great idea and a wonderful, if not slightly cheesy show like McGyver. The interesting part is, there doesn't seem to be any plans to bring Richard Dean Anderson back in the titular role. Do you think that's a good idea, or do you think they should stick with a 60 year old McGyver? I kinda like the idea, although it would be great if Anderson made a cameo, or something along those lines, or what could be really interesting is the son of McGyver assumes the role of the inventive spy, where Anderson's McGyver is now behind a desk in the role Pete, from the original series. There could be comedy, and drama in that idea....don't worry, I'll contact writers about this immediately.
So, who would you choose for Angus McGyver, huh? I mean, I think Jeffrey Donovan can do no wrong, and given Burn Notice not coming on, would be a great call, but now, he already is a modern McGyver in Burn Notice, so my choice would maybe NPH, or even Matt Damon. I couldn't really think of anyone else, but either of those could do a good job, it just depends on the direction, if you want to ensure an action comedy, my choice would be NPH, if you want to focus on the drama a bit more, it's Matt Damon. What do you think?

Clearly an effort to make a great movie into a better sequel...

There have been many announcements over the past few months concerning casting on Iron Man 2. Don't worry, Robert Downey Jr. is back, along with Gwenyth Paltrow, and Jon Favreu as the director, but the speculation is in the remaining parts. Let's look at who is locked down, and who just recently got added. If you need to IMDB any of these, please mail your movie geek card, your Blockbuster membership card, and Netflix packets to me for proper disposal.
Locked down:
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. You had to watch the credits for his appearance in the last film, but apparently, his role is much more significant this time, and will be even bigger in the Avengers movie, which he has also been locked down for.
Don Cheadle as War Machine/Rhody. Don Cheadle is set to replace Terrance Howard, after apparently Howard being difficult to work with during the last movie, so, similar to T.O., this should be a good move, and having Don Cheadle in anything is a good thing, as the man simply has an abundance of talent.
Just added:
Scarlett Johannson as the Black Widow. Replacing Emily Blunt as a sexy villaness, this is a very good move. Johanson is not only a recognizable name, but a great talent, who is also incredibly hot...all good things.
Mickey Rourke as Russian Villain Whiplash. This one has gone back and forth, but apparently, after some fee compensation, he is officially signed, and will be playing an interesting badguy. This should be good, I mean, Iron Man is already responsible for one resurrection, who knows, between the Wrestler, and Iron Man 2, Mickey Rourke could be the main guy in Hollywood.
So, things are looking really good as principle filming starts next week, this is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Stephen King's IT is being remade?

That's right, that creepy clown movie starring the immortal Tim Curry as Pennywise, the weird, alien, monster, clown, thingy is being remade. Apparently casting is already begun, I wonder if everyone just has to go "they all float down here, Johnnie?"
Anyway, I have nothing against remakes, as a rule, but some movies make it really difficult to make a better movie than the original, especially with such an odd story as this. I think there has been plenty of time since the original, and watching the movie over again, something is lost in the translation with all the early '80's haircuts and the semi-pedophile acting done there. However, I don't know how you can recast Tim Curry, I mean the guy has to be one of the best badguy actors of all time, how do you touch that?
Does anyone have any ideas for a guy who can do a killer clown impression? My casting idea would be maybe Hugo Weaving, but I would worry it would sound too much like "Mr. Anderson, welcome back, they all float in the Matrix." What about Robin Williams, I mean, clearly the guy can do the voice, and he was kinda creepy in one hour photo, and death to smoochey, I dunno. I guess it's better to go with an unknown, but it's fun to speculate. So, what's your idea for Pennywise, is there some actor that creaped you out as a kid? (please leave all priest jokes out of this)

Public Enemies trailer

Well, here is the trailer I promised you! This movie looks amazing. Johnny Depp stars as famous bank robber John Dillinger, with Christian Bale as the guy who has to track him down. If you don't know some of the legends and stories behind the '20s gangster, I suggest you google that, it's really interesting, and this movie looks to take that way beyond just interesting.

Completely random post about some random thoughts

Well, as I sit at work, pondering the existence of man, I decided to make a post about some of the things I am thinking about. Don't worry, most of it is film related and appropriate for this blog.
Well, I saw Castle last night, a new TV show on ABC, starring one of my favorite actors, Nathan Fillion. I thought the show was quite good, very definitely worth a second look. The bad news is, given Fillion's track record, it will be off in about 4 weeks, despite good numbers.
I had this weird dream the other night I was fighting off zombies. If you ever have that problem, for me, the worst was when Hal Sparks zombie tried to eat me. It was rough but I got through it.
I just saw the Public Enemies trailer, starring Johnnie Depp and Christian Bale, that looks amazing, I'll post it shortly.
Final thing, apparently the live action Star Wars TV show has casting tryouts shortly, which means George Lucas didn't lie to us, its actually happening. Although, I read he hasn't even talked to any networks yet, he plans to film 35 episodes and then shop it around.....that would never work for anyone but Lucas.
Alright, movie geeks, stay cool!

What do these movies say about the U.S. ???

First off, this is a movie blog, not a political blog, so there will be not politics mentioned here. Having said that, I'm a big Obama fan, but after reading this article from /Film.com, it got me thinking of whether these movies say anything about America as a whole. The story stems from the traditional gift exchange of the U.K. Prime Minister and President Obama; Obama was given a pen holder from the wood of the anti-slave ship HMS Gannett, and Obama gave the Prime Minister a collection of 25 DVD's, ironically the same as AFI's top 25 movies of all time. However appropriate or inappropriate a gift, the post is about whether there is a meaning behind any of these movies, and if there is a message, is it a good message. Let's take a look at the movies:
Citizen Kane
The Godfather
Casablanca
Raging Bull
Singin’ in the Rain
Gone with the Wind
Lawrence of Arabia
Schindler’s List
Vertigo
The Wizard of Oz
City Lights
The Searchers
Star Wars: Episode IV
Psycho
2001: A Space Odyssey
Sunset Boulevard
The Graduate
The General
On the Waterfront
It’s a Wonderful Life
Chinatown
Some Like It Hot
The Grapes of Wrath
ET: The Extra-Terrestrial
To Kill a Mockingbird
Without a doubt, these are some great movies, but is there a movie that shouts "we are the U.S. damnit, and we kinda like you crazy Brits, despite the bad teeth stereotype?" I don't see one, maybe E.T. or Psycho, but nothing else.
What do you think? Any good messages in any of these movies, or did Obama just decide a $200 Bestbuy giftcard would seem a little trite?

More Watchmen news!

Watchmen grossed about $55 million in the box office this weekend, and somehow, people were complaining, hoping for more. Apparently, they projected about $62 mil, and as a result, are now crossing their fingers that it won't be a dud in its second week. What people fail to realize, however, is this is not a Superman, Spiderman or Batman movie, this is more of an unknown, with a very small established audience, as opposed to Batman, where it's hard to find someone who is not familiar with the material. I don't see why it's smart to compare the two movies, besides the audience sizes, we are talking about two very different movies.
I heard someone last night on Attack of the Show say that this movie would be a lot like Bladerunner, which bombed at theatres raked in the dough about 10 years down the line, and due to it's success, recently became one of the highest grossing DVD's of all time. I would say I agree, but I don't think the theater box office will be a bomb, per se. I do see this being a huge cult hit on DVD, but after about a year or two, not 10. And, for the record, I really don't like Blade Runner.
Have a great day, movie geeks!

Parents, pay attention!

So, after watching the blockbuster Watchmen, I have read at least 20 reviews, some good, some bad, all were interesting to read. There is a few stories, that are growing in number, that mirror my experience; one I found a bit alarming, and that's the amount of young kids watching this movie, something I don't seem to understand.
I loved Watchmen, as you can tell from my previous review, however, Watchmen is not a tame movie, it's a raw, brutal, gruesome tale with plenty of violence, language and nudity that is not suitable for children. I understand children today are subject to more of these things than in my day (holy crap, does that make me sound old, or what?!?) however, there is something to be said for at least making the attempt as parents. This does not mean taking your 9 year old to see a movie on the far side of R.
I'm not a parent, nor do I have any plans to be one soon, but no matter what, I would not take my soon-to-be niece or nephew to a movie like this until they are old enough to see it.

my Watchmen review is finally here!

The biggest movie of the year so far is out, and everyone has an opinion. The movie, based on the graphic novel (cough, cough comic book, cough) has finally been transferred to the big screen after 20 years, but the question is, is it something that can adapt well? I thought so, read on, and I’ll tell you why.
The movie starts off, setting the surrounding of an alternate 1985 (alternate to you, me, and Einstein, but reality to everyone else. Ha! –Back to the Future) where Richard Nixon is in his third term, and costume superheroes are a reality, but are now outlawed and the world is on the brink of destruction, with the Doomsday Clock now at 4 minutes to midnight, and tensions growing. The debate is whether America can be saved from Russia’s nukes by the world’s most powerful man, Dr. Manhattan. Meanwhile, one of the original superhero’s (a term said loosely) the comedian is killed, and the rest of the team has to put back on the mask and the sexy, sexy tights to find out why, and if their next.
There are so many good things in this movie. The first scene you see really sets the tone for the rest of the movie, and that’s the scene of the comedienne dyeing in all it’s glory. You really don’t know who either of these people are, but you find out through flashbacks, but during the brawl, the special effects are tremendous, the film style is refreshing, and the music, is really dynamic and odd. I thought the music just refused to stay in the background in this movie; the director picked some odd pieces for odd moments, but always was something that got your attention, and raised the experience. I thought the acting was top notch, for the most part. There was a few times I thought it could have been better, but, overall, the good highly outweighed the bad. The few bad parts of the movie, I thought was Carla Gugino as a 70 year old, which just didn’t work for me. The other part was the bad guy, which, I will not tell you who it was, which is part of the fun; but the bad guy just doesn’t seem to be built up as a bad guy. As I write this, I’m left to wonder if that’s just part of the plan; a movie refusing to conform to any superhero or comic book stereo types, as if to shout out ‘there is not guy with a black hat to lay the problems on.’
As I just mentioned, the characters are so rich and interesting, and easily the best part of a movie that will leave your eyes happy, and your brain working. First off, you have Dr. Manhattan, a man who, due to an accident is now able to control everything, and is given god-like powers. However, unlike Superman, Dr. Manhattan is left wondering why he should continue to save a race he couldn’t care less about. This is a perfect example for this movie, this character isn’t supporting the tights (unfortunately, cause there is a lot of wang-age from this character), he just doesn’t care, and is tired of caring, when he realizes he is above that. The next character, who is by far the coolest character, and often gives great dialogue, is Rorschach. His name is due to the inkblots on his mask continuously changing (I have no idea why or how) but they often show his mood, which is usually the only way to tell. This man is mistaken as crazy, but turns out to be the most noble, and sane person in the movie. When he finds out one of his own was murdered, he is the first to pound the pavement, and some faces to find out who did it, he is also the first to confront the bad guy with an uncompromising strength. Next is the Night Owl, in my opinion, a rip-off of Batman, at least in look. This guy is such a wimp without his costume, but when he puts on his costume, he makes it very clear, his purpose and destiny. Next you have The Silk Specter II, who is the shallowest character of all, simply a girl looking to be loved, and realizing putting on a mask to prove to her mother and the world that she should be loved. The comedienne, the first to be killed is the most interesting character. Mark my words, there will be countless philosophy papers written about this guy. He may be the smartest character, because he sees humanity as it truly is, and thinks it’s all a big joke. For this character, ‘anti-hero’ doesn’t even come close. The audience is not sure whether to love or hate the guy, but either way, he was really fun to watch. Finally, the world’s smartest man is simply that, the smartest man. Throughout the movie, you are not sure whether he truly is the smartest man and is two steps ahead of you, or if he is really stupid until the end. However, the interesting point about him, is, your not really sure of the answer, but you have to like the guy. Overall, this movie balanced these characters incredibly well. Most comic book movies have one character, or, for ones that have more, like X-men, they struggle to truly bring out the nature and soul of all the characters, something that Watchmen has no problem doing.
I was partly interested in seeing this movie because of the hype this movie has gotten lately, partly because of the reputation of the comic book, and partly because of the story behind the movie, something nearly as interesting as the movie, itself. After the first trailer had aired, it was made public the company making this movie was not supposed to; WB did not have the rights to it, Fox did. After threatening to not have this movie see the light of day, WB and Fox made nice and agreed to see this movie in a wrap up of one of the biggest screw ups in cinema history.
So, overall, I loved these characters, the music was jarring and the special effects and presentation were incredible, at 2 hours and 21 minutes, it seemed like about 45. I can’t wait for this movie to hit DVD, where I think this movie will truly excel. I give it a 9.5 out of 10. I’m taking half off for the fact I saw Dr. Manhattans wang like 50 times! Ok, fine, that’ not the main reason, but, whatever. GREAT MOVIE, worth seeing in theatres.
FUN FACT: Carla Gugino plays Sally Jupiter, mother of Laurie Juspeczyk, played by Malin Akerman. In real life, Gugino is only seven years older than Akerman.

Zack & Miri make a Porn review

From the writers of Clerks and Mallrats, from the guy who brought you Dogma comes Zack & Miri make a porno…that’s something how the commercial will probably go, ya know, with that voice over guy? Anyway, the voice is right, the newest movie from View Askew Productions and Kevin Smith is Zack & Miri, and if you’re a fan of Kevin Smith, well, then, you may or may not like this movie.
Zack & Miri (we’re calling it that from now on because most theatres dropped the “P word” because they found it offensive) is a movie about two friends (played by Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks) who have known each other since, well, sperm and are living together, only to find out they are too poor to live. After their power and water is turned off, they decide the only way to make any money, is to make a porno. After much deliberation, and an attempt at Star Whores, the team finally films in Zack’s coffee shop. The big problem, however, is Zack and Miri actually have to have sex in this porn, something that could tear their relationship apart. Will their relationship last; will something more come out of this; will you see Elizabeth Banks topless? You have to watch to find out.
This movie had the dialogue, and even some past friends from previous Smith movies, such as Jason Mewes, who played Jay, Jeff Anderson who played Randal. This movie also had a couple of new people in Banks and Rogen. Seth Rogen has kinda gotten tired with me, playing the same guy in every movie, I mean, we’ve got it, pot messes up your mind, and it’s funny, move on. Elizabeth Banks, however, was the bright part of this movie, she was adorable, sexy, and clearly the heart of the movie. The rest of the cast was ok, oh, and there was some porn and Mewes’s wang.
The thing is, it started off as a Smith movie, but ended as a Rom-com. The movie, to me had the “F-word” too many times to continue to be funny. The good side of the movie was the performance by Banks, and, with the exception of too many F-bombs, the usual great Kevin Smith dialogue. The scene where it comes down to whether Zack & Miri actually have to have sex was done perfectly, and the whole time, you are wondering what will happen, and how it will be handled. It was actually, the perfect scene, and the most important part of the movie (hence the title).
When it comes down to movies outside the Jay and Silent Bob universe, Kevin Smith has not excelled. This movie, while not perfect, is rough around the edges, but has a soft, sweet center. It’s entertaining, and sweet, but not worth the trip to the theatres.
It seems to be a trend, but I’m giving it a 7 out of 10.
FUN FACT: The film was edited twice, and rated NC-17 both times. The final cut was initially rated NC-17, but got an R on appeal.

New Star Trek Trailer...and it's good!

So, as you could tell, I am really excited about the movie release. From what I've read, and the previous trailers I've seen, I already had my ticket bought, despite the fact I wasn't the biggest Trek fan out there, especially as far as the movies are concerned. This trailer, however, has me geeking out all over the place! Check it out, and let me know where you will be the day it opens.
Stay cool, movie geeks!

Serenity lives...maybe

Before you get too outrageously happy, I have to tell you, there is no news of another movie. There is, however, a piece of that movie still alive. NASA is looking for a name for the third module of the international space station....something that will inspire people...something like "SERENITY." That's right, there is still a few days to vote, but Serenity is the number one choice by a large margin. So, basically, what I'm saying is there is enough fans to get an international space station segment named after the movie, but apparently, there is not enough attention to get a sequel....yeah, it doesn't make sense to me, either. But, hey, any attention to my beloved Serenity is good news!
Vote here until March 20th for Serenity: http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/name_ISS//index.html
Just figured I would share, have a great day, movie geeks!

Fanboys a winner for other Fanboys

Do you know what a Nerfherder is; what about the planet Chewbacca is from; or Luke's call sign in Episode four? If you know any of these (yes, I'm a dork, I know them all) then Fanboys is a movie for you.

Fanboys is a movie that was supposed to come out over 2 years ago starring Kristen Bell, amongst others. The movie revolves around 5 friends who are huge Star Wars fans. When they find one of their own has terminal cancer, they decide they must go across country to see Episode one in the home of their Messiah, himself, Mr. George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch. Hilarity ensues, with a good message with a Star Wars twist ends the movie.

First thing, first, this movie would not be funny to those who are not movie geeks, or Star Wars geeks. There is, however, a lot of heart in this movie. They do a great job handling the storyline of their terminal friend, and his trip to the Ranch, and him facing death. I thought everyone did a good job, Kristen Bell is hot, and there were multiple cameos that were great throughout the movie. The one thing I thought they could have done without, however, is the Kristen Bell love story, but, that's ok.

The big drama was Harvey Weinstein, a guy, in my opinion, who ruins movies because he will cut and edit movies for what he wants, which is often not the view of the director, and possibly the audience. Unfortunately, here, he originally cut out the terminal storyline, making the fanboys look like retarded, overzealous geeks, instead of friends, trying to help one of their own. After numerous petitions and delays and re filming, the current version of the movie was replaced.

So, after 2 years, the movie is out in limited release. Go see it if you have a Star Wars poster on your wall, live in your mothers garage, debate whether Leiah and Luke were incestuous, or just want to see a silly, geeky movie.

For what it was, it was great! I give it a 7 out of 10

FUN FACT: The additional shots made in November and December 2007, weren't done by original director Kyle Newman but by Steven Brill.