The full video to the Biff Tannen Museum

Alright, some may say that I'm obsessed with Back to the Future. Well, you know what I say? That I'm obsessed with Back to the Future. So, with that in mind, here is the full video to the entrance to the Biff Tannen museum seen in the alternate 1985 of Back to the Future II. We only get a glimpse or two in the movie, so it's good to see the whole thing. Only real movie geeks will find this interesting, I guess, but that's what I am, so I loved it.

Box Office Report - Megamind still dominates

Megamind dropped a mere 35% to rake in an additional $30 million to take the top spot. The film had a budget of $130 million, so it looks like the Will Farrell movie will be a success. Unstoppable had a respectable opening of $23.5 million, althought, it could be tough to make up the $100 million budget, while Skyline already surpassed it's $10 million budget with $11.7 million.

So, what did you see this weekend?

BOX OFFICE TOP TEN
1. Megamind - $30.1 million ($89.8 million total)
2. Unstoppable - $23.5 million ($23.5 million total)
3. Due Date - $15.5 million ($59.0 million total)
4. Skyline - $11.7 million ($11.7 million total)
5. Morning Glory - $9.7 million ($12.2 million total)
6. For Colored Girls - $6.8 million ($30.9 million total)
7. Red - $5.1 million ($79.8 million total)
8. Paranormal Activity 2 - $3.1 million ($82.0 million total)
9. Saw 3D - $2.8 million ($43.5 million total)
10. Jackass 3D - $2.3 million ($114.7 million total)

Psych Season 5.5 Trailer

USA Networks has a direct line to my heart. It seems everything they do, from Burn Notice, to Monk, to White Collar, to Covert Affairs, Royal Pains, and especially Psych are some of my favorite shows on TV. My favorite of all of them, Psych involves an observant slacker who has convinced the police department he's psychic, and solves cases for them. There is tons of witty lines, and some genuinely smart writing. This season has been the strongest by far, and this trailer for the remainder of the season looks amazing.

And yes, that is Ralph Crane-Kick Macchio.

TV Review - Glory Daze - Ep. 1.1 Pilot

I’m sure by now, everyone has seen the movie Animal House, or the hundreds of movies it spawned, like American Pie. Well, have you ever thought ‘gee, that would make a sweet show, but they should do it in the ‘80s, when everything was cooler?’ Well, if you did, then you should check out Glory Daze on TBS, starting Tuesday, the 17th, at 8 pm.

The show starts off introducing a few freshman to the campus, which fit the archetypes perfectly. We have the Asian, the jock, the geek and the guy trying to get laid. After a really funny scene with Brad Garrett as a parent, we get a scene to establish we are still in school with a hilarious professor played by Tim Meadows (SNL, Ladies Man). Finally, we get to the freshman trying to find a fraternity to pledge. They come upon what might as well be called the Delta house from Animal House, which includes a giant beer bong, people smoking pot, hot women and all around Tom Foolery.

After one of the freshman, Eli gets stoned on pot, he steals a painting of the Delta house’s patriarch, and puts the painting in the hall of fame, only to get him and his friends arrested, which is finally what gets them into the house, by pulling a great prank.

Now, if it sounds clichéd, that’s because it is. This show has nearly every scene from Animal House in the pilot, from the fraternity, to the hint they are on academic probation, to the wise cracking, wise guy at the head of the house. It’s all here, littered with some great ‘80s music and a good performance by Mike Reno, played by Callard Harris.

It was a fun pilot with a young, talented cast, but I have no idea where they will go from here. They’ve used most of the Animal House gags up, and now, I have no idea what is next for the freshman pledges, or the house, but it’s worth another episode or two to see what they come up with.

EDITORS NOTE: This post appeared on Creative Loafing's pages HERE, and SpoilerTV's pages HERE. Check out these two awesome communities and what they have to say.

Movie Review - Unstoppable

Back in 1994, there was an action movie about a bus held hostage, and was unable to stop without explosion. The movie I’m talking about is Speed, and not since then have I been on the edge of my seat for so long and so tired after my movie going experience. Unstoppable will grab you from the very beginning and won’t let go to the very end.

Unstoppable is a movie based on true events that stars Denzel Washinton (Training Day) and Chris Pine (Star Trek) as two train workers who, along with train boss Rosario Dawson must stop a runaway train that is unmanned, and heading right for a residential neighborhood before is over turns, killing hundreds.

The movie is an excellent action movie because it increases the tension at a steady rate throughout the movie, building on the basic premise of a runaway train, until the stakes are incredibly high, and the characters are at their peak, working to stop a train before it’s too late. By the time you get to the ending, the tension will leave you gripping your seat, or your girlfriend, and not letting go to the credits. Some of the events seemed over the top, not that they jumped a bus over a freeway or anything, but the events I scoffed at were ones that actually happened, and by the end it had you believing peril could come to anyone.

I really enjoyed the characters in the movie because of the authenticity presented. These characters didn’t seem like 2D characters, with one being a hero and the other being a young guy wanting to be a hero. Washinton’s Frank is an experienced train driver who is tough, but a nice guy, despite having some family issues. While Denzel is Denzel in this movie, it doesn’t come across as the over-bearing hero, more like a genuine railroad worker. Chris Pine, who became famous for his role as Captain Kirk is the even more flawed individual who has family issues, and is reluctant to be a hero. He screws up, and starts off as kind of a jerk, but is a truly genuine character just trying to put his life back together.

I also found the interpretation of the events interesting. The company in charge of the trains was portrayed as greedy and simply interested in what would be of the most profit to them without considering peoples lives. The most interesting interpretation, however, was the media and their flair for drama. At several points throughout the movie, we see news feeds of events depicted in the movie and the events are incredibly dramatized, and presented in an almost silly manner, adding a near comedic tone to the film.

The cinematography is very Tony Scott, with frantic camera movements nicely paced to increase the action when needed, and some of the shots were incredible as the two trains met in an attempt to stop the runaway train. The trains looked incredible and any train enthusiast will have a great time just with the scenery.

Even though I was hesitant when the movie started with the words “based on true events,” the genuine characters, the insane amount of tension, and the great action made this movie a must see film that kept me on the edge of my seat through the credits, and left me exhausted by the end. I recommend this to anyone.

EDITORS NOTE: This also appeared on Creative Loafing's site HERE

November 12, 1955 - A day we will never forget

It was the day of the famous Hill Valley Lightning storm, remember? Yeah, it struck the old clock tower and the thing hasn't run since. Donations to the Hill Valley Historical Preservation Society have been space so far (some cheapskate gave a measly quarter), so we're asking for everyone to dig down deep and find some money in your wallets so we may once again know the time in Hill Valley.

By the way, if you've made it this far without knowing what I'm talking about, I congratulate you on your patience, but I'm disappointed in your lack of Back to the Future knowledge. Today was the year the climax of the movie, the famed clock tower lightning strike happened.

We will never forget...

Photocopy Romance - filmed at 325 copies a minute

Check out this really cool video from Never Hide Films called Photocopy Romance. As a filmmaker, you are always thinking about the best equipment to use to film your next masterpiece, but as these guys prove, you can use anything, even a photocopier. Yes, you read that last part right, they actually used a photocopier at 325 copies a minutes (it's roughly 583 copies) to make this movie. How creative, right?

a Movie Geeks humility

Every now and then, us movie geeks like to think we know it all. Sure, we seen thousands of movies, and know how many times the F-word was used in The Usual Suspects, or the fact they were going to use a refrigerator instead of a Delorean in Back to the Future, but sometimes it escapes us that there are still millions of movies to see, and trivia to learn. Sometimes, us movie geeks need to find our humility.

Fortunately, David Thompson is here to ensure the Lord doesn't smite us for our lack of humility by offering up a simple challenge: answer these 50 movie trivia questions, and win a prize. Sure, there's the almighty Google, but that would be silly, I mean, we're movie geeks, we know shit. So, here's the questions. Upon first glance, I only knew four off the top of my head. Humility indeed. How did you do?

1. Who said, “I know things about people, Lily?”, and in what film?

2. Who played Louis Mazzini, Jeeves and Lord Byron?

3. Which actor made at least one film with Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, Rene Clair and John Ford?

4. She was born in Assam, India and he was born in Hampstead. What did they do together, and who are they?

5. What film did Upton Sinclair pay for?

6. Name a director who has filmed material from Ed McBain, Dostoyevsky and Shakespeare.

7. Who is the link in Stavisky, Reds and Beat the Devil?

8. Who won the Sarah Siddons prize?

9. Find the thread: James Jones, Michael Ondaatje, Colette?

10. Who had an Uncle Jack and an Aunt Fanny?

11. What’s the common element in M, Caught, Body and Soul?

12. What’s the link: L’Atalante, On the Waterfront, Long Day’s Journey Into Night?

13. What’s the bond between The Third Man and Johnny Guitar?

14. Of what movie was it said, “Gable’s back and Garson’s got him!”?

15. In the Cut and Panic Room – who’s the missing link?

16. Ulverston, Lancashire and Harlem, Georgia – how are they joined?

17. Who taught Alec to ride?

18. Who said, “I’d like to kiss you, but I just washed my hair”?

19. Who stayed a little too long to watch a pretty girl dance?

20. He made only five films and all were nominated for Best Picture. Who is he?

21. What’s the link: The Small Back Room, Out of Africa, The Age of Innocence?

22. On whose map might you find Santa Rosa, Bodega Bay and San Juan de Batista?

23. He worked with Cecil B. DeMille, Orson Welles and Jean-Luc Godard?

24. St Petersburg, Pompeii, the Jungle – who could have been in all those places?

25. How might you link Shirley Temple and Truffaut’s Day for Night?

26. Who played the second Pharisee, Captain von Rauffenstein and Max von Mayerling – and in what films?

27. In what film do we meet Jimmy Gator, Earl Partridge and Frank Mackey?

28. He played a judge, a lawyer and a man in prison. Who is he and what are the films?

29. How do you link Charles Boyer and Anton Walbrook?

30. Who is famous for 26.6 seconds of film?

31. What would you find about 15 miles south of Fairvale?

32. Who had just a drunk, a cripple and a kid to do the job?

33. Who said, “Movies bore me, especially my own”?

34. What role links Melville Cooper, Alan Rickman, William Lowery and Peter Finch?

35. Who wanted his $93,000?

36. What is the link between Robert Morley and Jim Broadbent?

37. Who were Victoria Page, Vicki Lester and Victor Laszlo?

38. Who was Roger O. Thornhill, C.K. Dexter Haven and Jerry Warriner?

39. What links Sunrise and A Place in the Sun?

40. The following contended for this part: Vivien Leigh, Loretta Young, Joan Fontaine, Margaret Sullavan. What was the name of the part?

41. What links Max Ophuls, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Stanley Donen and Jacques Demy?

42. Who played President Andrew Johnson, Joe Starrett and Webb Garwood?

43. Who played Sid Vicious and Joe Orton?

44. Who said, “Nobody’s perfect!”?

45. Three producers had these middle initials – F, B, O – who are they?

46. What’s the link for Chuck Barris, Chris Kelvin and Ryan Bingham?

47. When did two people tie for an Oscar and who were they?

48. In what film was Charles Palantine running for election?

49. Who had the key to Walter’s sharp practice?

50. Who remembered a girl on the ferry over to Jersey in 1896?

Movie Review - Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

With the impending huge movie review of Harry Potter coming up, I wanted to get some practice in. So, I decided to go punch a goat. When that failed, I pulled up Netflix and found a movie I haven't seen yet to review. I found Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Here's the review:

There have been tons of versions of Alice in Wonderland, and everyone has their favorite. Was it the classic animated Disney version? Was it the classic '80s made-for-TV version? How about the Whoppie Goldberg one? Are you one of those pretentious people who say the book? Either way, you are familiar with the tale, and Burton adds to the list without asking you to forget your favorite in a creative movie that I can only describe as fantastical.

The movie begins with a much older Alice, played by Mia Wasikowska. Alice is stuck in a life she doesn't want, and is set to marry a man she doesn't love, when an all too familiar rabbit pops up and Alice takes that iconic tumble down the rabbit hole to "Underland." There, she meets with some old friends in the Mad Hatter, played amazingly by Johnny Depp, the Red Queen, played by a big headed Helena Bohnam Carter, and the White Queen, played by Anne Hathaway. Alice is charged with slaying the Jabberwocky and overthrowing the Red Queens reign of terror.

I really enjoyed the inside joke of the Red Queens big head, and her fake court. I liked how Alice was able to win everyone over by being the only sane person in the bunch, while being kind to everyone. And, of course, the Mad Hatter was incredibly entertaining. I still don't know why he would occasionally turn Scottish, but it was so different, it was very enjoyable.

So few movies are fantastical simply to be fantastical, and this movie is just that. The story doesn't ask you to forget those iconic incarnations of the famous story, while building it's own story that has all the same elements we know and love, such as the tea party, the cake to make you big, or the drink to make you small, and the card soldiers serving the queen. The special effects were extremely beautiful and startlingly different from what you would expect from Burton. There was tons of CGI, with very little practical effects, but it fit wonderfully with the fantasy in the movie.

The movie has everything you could ask for in a wonderful movie; great, over the top characters; beautiful special effects; a light, very subtle soundtrack and a lesson about being yourself. It was a wonderful addition to some classic renditions of the one of the more bizarre, yet well known children's stories of all time.

New Tron: Legacy trailer is awesome

The original Tron movie, despite it's dated graphics is still one of the more beloved nerd films of all time, so when it was announced that Disney would be making a sequel, there were some people questioning whether they could pull it off. It's pretty obvious by the most recent trailer that they can.

The new trailer for Tron: Legacy breaks down the plot nicely. It looks like Flynn (Jeff Bridges) gets sucked back into the computer world and abandons his son (Garrett Hedlund), only to have his son grow up and follow his father into the world of a computer. Somehow, this incredibly lucky computer has a digital Olivia Wilde and a cool looking young version of Flynn.

The visuals look incredible, and are a vast improvement over the innovative but dated original. The soundtrack sounds an aweful lot like Inception, but maybe it's just me.

Overall, this trailer proves why this movie is at the top of my most anticipated list.

Capt. Mal vs. Han Solo

Over at the SyFy mecca Blastr, they have a blog up talking about a nerd argument, pitting fictional character versus fictional character, beloved icon versus beloved icon, smuggler versus smuggler. I'm talking about Captain Malcolm Reynolds of Serenity (Nathan Fillion) versus Han Solo, Captain of the Millennium Falcon (Harrison Ford). Now, usually, I don't put much stock in such debates; no one wins, and it just seems so lame, but, it can make for a fun debate, and I'm curious what the peeps think about this one.

So, on one hand we have Mal Reynolds, Captain of Serenity. It's tough because he was on a TV show, and only one movie, compared to Solo's three movies, but one thing you can say about Mal is that he is always the same character; he is the rogue smuggler, or as he is described in the pilot to Firefly entitled Serenity, "a hero in a den of thieves." He has no problem killing people if they threaten his crew, which Blastr's article states, and there is never any debate that Mal shoots first, and often.

Of course, you also have the Scruffy-looking Nerf Herder. He is the quintessential scoundrel and rogue, and is one of the more beloved characters in all of Sci-Fi. He doesn't have a big crew, just his faithful side-kick Chewbacca. The character is known to be a good smuggler, and often only does things for the money, which is a good sign. He finally go a bit soft by the time the Ewoks showed up, but even in his soft times, he helped blow up a death star ... again.

So, I like them both, and I would've liked to have seen more of both characters, but sadly, there will be no more of either. I think since Mal was formed from Han Solo, I have to go with Han, despite the fact he was lightened up and turned into a softy. I think Mal does the better job, and is far better written, but Han wins by default.

What do you think? Han or Mal?

Box Office Breakdown - Megamind dominates

It was a busy weekend with Megamind coming in first place and Due Date coming in second place. Both of which I reviewed this week, and both of which were no surprise. I was kinda surprised with For Colored Girls coming in third place, and I think everyone is surprised with how good Red is doing.

So, what did you see this weekend?


BOX OFFICE TOP TEN
1. Megamind - $47.7 million ($47.7 million total)
2. Due Date - $33.5 million ($33.5 million total)
3. For Colored Girls - $20.1 million ($20.1 million total)
4. Red - $8.9 million ($71.9 million total)
5. Saw 3D - $8.2 million ($38.8 million total)
6. Paranormal Activity 2 - $7.3 million ($77.2 million total)
7. Jackass 3D - $5.1 million ($110.8 million total)
8. Hereafter - $4.0 million ($28.7 million total)
9. Secretariat - $4.0 million ($50.9 million total)
10. The Social Network - $3.6 million ($85.0 million total)

Reel Terror video

Awhile back, I participated in the wonderful Creative Loafing Reel Terror Film Festival. It was a blast, with a great turnout that hopefully will be more frequent. Here is a video of the event, including some of the scenes from the live Podcast I participated in.

Analyzing Back to the Future's ending

Well, this kind of thing is something I should film for my first movie. It's just some people talking about the ending to one of the greatest movies of all time, Back to the Future. The way they do it is kind of edgy, but they over think the heck out of it, to the point it's hilarious. Check it out, maybe it'll make you think next time you watch the time travelling escapades of Marty McFly.

Movie Review - Due Date

Due Date brags that it has two of the most popular actors in Hollywood, and it puts them together in a road trip type movie. If you have seen the trailer, you were probably thinking about the hit The Hangover, and not just because both movies star comedian Zach Galifianakis (yes, I did have to look up how to spell it). But will Due Date be the amazing comedy The Hangover is? I don't think so.

The movie is like so many of those road trip type stories, where the odd couple have a date to get across the company and the wacky shenanigans get wackier and wackier before they stop arguing and form a bond. This movie is no exception, as Robert Downey Jr.'s character is trying to fly home to be with his wife (Michelle Monagahn) for their childs birth when he bumps into Galifianakis's character. Once they are kicked off the flight together, Downey Jr.'s character reluctantly joins up with his odd new friend to drive to Los Angeles.

The good in the movie is obvious in the acting chops of Robert Downey Jr. He is amazing in nearly everything and this movie is no exception. His reactions to the increasingly bizarre events, including a conversation about what not to say on a plane, Galifianakis and his dog masturbating and the two getting high, Downey Jr. is a pleasure to watch. He is the only one that can still be a pleasure to watch, despite his character being a total d-bag. At no time is his character really endearing, or even really a nice guy, in fact, he is often a total jerk, insulting people, and spitting on dogs, but Downey's charisma shines through, and as a result, it's a pleasure to watch.

Galifianakis is his usual self, the same from The Hangover, and every other movie I've seen him in, so if you like him, or his Between Two Ferns segment, and if you were looking for the wolf pack of one, then you will enjoy him as well here as a simple, nice guy trying to make it to Hollywood, one drug house at a time.

The bad in this movie has to do with the fact that we have seen it all before, many, many times before, and the jokes were just not that funny. I admit, I chuckled quite a few times, but I never actually laughed out loud (or LOL as those wacky kids say). The plot was very predictable, and the events very obvious. The drug references and the sex references were kind of surprising, but not in the good way, and any time you see a large bearded man and his dog masturbating, you have to shake your head.

Overall, this wasn't a bad movie. The actors are enjoyable and some of the jokes were funny, but if you've seen the other road trip movies out there, or didn't like The Hangover, then you will want to skip this movie.

EDITORS NOTE: This also graced the web pages of Creative Loafing HERE.