Obama is Luke Skywalker? Jon Stewart says it's so

I love the Daily Show. I'm a huge fan of the brilliance that is Jon Stewart and his writing team. There, I said it. I'm not ashamed either. Apparently, more people look to him for the news than anywhere else, and why not? He's the only one that comes out and says exactly what he's doing; being funny. So, when he said Obama was like Luke Skywalker, he really had my attention. He makes a good point, too, don't ya think?

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Barack Obama Is Luke Skywalker
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Movie Review - Tron: Legacy

Tron was one of those movie that was revolutionary in the '80s. Everything having to do with computers was so new, and different, and a movie about a guy getting sucked into a computer blew everyone away. The movie is still an icon in geek pop culture, and now, Disney has come out with a sequel, starring two actors who weren't even born when the first one hit theaters. Can it be any good? The reviews haven't been nice, will I be any different? Sure, why not.

After the events of the first movie, Kevin Flynn had ambitions of building a perfect world inside the electronic "grid" he was abducted to in the first movie. After things go wrong, and he disappears, he leaves his son, Sam to inherit his empire. But when Sam is taken into his fathers world, he must figure away to get him, and his father out, before Clue, Flynn's clone uses the portal to invade the real world.

From the get-go you would be thinking the trailer shows a lot of style over substance, and you would assume the movie would be more of the same, right? Well, to a certain extent, you are correct. The movie didn't have the undertones the first movie had. This one had the undertones of a popcorn movie, so if you look at it that way, you'll see the movie like I did and you will have a blast.

The movie has some of the most amazing CG I have seen. The obvious show point is Jeff Bridges alter-ego, Clue. They used the same technology as Benjamin Button to show a young Jeff Bridges opposite the current (i.e. old) Jeff Bridges. The results are very impressive. While not perfect, there is a glimpse of amazing, with a slight flaw here and there, which really describes the entire movie. The light-cycle battle, the disc fighting, and the light planes are all a sight to see.

There were some quite amazing parts to this movie that weren't the special effects. One being the soundtrack, composed by Daft Punk, it is electric, and intoxicating and everything the grid is supposed to be. It's used to perfection, and it made me go right home and downl...uhh, buy the soundtrack right away. The other good part of the film were the performances. Of course Bridges is good as the old Flynn and the young Clue, which is impressive, but Olivia Wilde was also good. She captured the innocence of a child perfectly, while at the same time had the combat abilities of an action star. Garrett Hedlund, who played Sam was good, and consistent, but didn't quite compare to his talented co-stars.

While Tron: Legacy will be remembered for not quite living up to expectations in critics eyes, I will remember it as a dazzling, fun popcorn movie that should have appeared in the summer, but instead, warmed the winter up, if just a bit. It was a fun movie that I thoroughly enjoyed, and is a good companion to its predecessor.

Kevin Smith refuses to play media game

Kevin Smith is one of those odd directors. He's responsible for some amazing movies like Clerks and MallRats and Dogma and my personal favorite, Clerks 2. One of the reasons he's so well known and loved is because he, like so many New Jersey people, has no filter between his mouth and his brain, so you never have to worry if you're getting the whole truth from him or not. That being said, his latest battle has me thinking the guy isn't really thinking about what's best for him, despite making some good points.

With Smith's latest movie, Red State hitting theaters in March, most directors would be gearing up press junkets, sending out goodie bags to movie critics and trying to stir as much buzz as possible. Smith, not able to do things the old fashioned way is stirring buzz, alright, but it's because he isn't doing interviews, sending out press junkets or even screening the movie for critics. It stems from a feud Smith had with "stuffy movie critics" when his last movie Cop Out was panned. Now, Smith refuses to work with those critics.

“I’m not press-junketing at all, anywhere,” said Smith, adding that journalists will have to listen to hours of his Smodcast if they want to get any information about his film. He is, however, considering transcribing a Questions and Answers session for “SUPER lazy writers.” Basically, “nobody needs to talk to me anymore anyway, as anyone who’s curious can always know what I’m thinking 24/7 right here on Twitter.”

Now, I understand a certain disdain for some movie critics. There are those critics out there who feel they are entitled to free movies, and crazy amounts of ass-kissery. They think they have the power to make or break a movie, and as such, should be highly respected. Sadly, that isn't the case. While movie critics still wield power, with the internet, and the fact there is hundreds of thousands of people like me, the power is diminished.

That being said, being mad, and refusing to play ball because people said your movie sucked seems overly childish and silly. I hate those stuffy movie critics, which is why I always try to look at how entertaining a movie is. I don't care if it's silly, or stupid, but how good of a time I had at the movie. But, being pissed because the movie critic did their job, and just didn't like their movie doesn't mean you should hurt your next movie by not providing press junkets.

In the end, Smith will have his devoted fans, and they will all flock to his next movie, and they will love his twitter feed, and life will be merry. Meanwhile, everyone else in Hollywood is wondering if Smith is really smart or really dumb, and their leaning toward the "dumb."

Most Overrated? Is this a healthy list?

I read a blog daily called Cinematical, which has some incredibly talented writers. But on their website today, I saw a common topic being discussed, and that's the most overrated movies of 2010. As I said, I've seen a similar post on several websites, and was thinking of doing one here, but this one caught my eye, and caused me to stop thinking about doing a list at all.

Movies that the author considered overrated were movies like Toy Story 3, Shutter Island, and Kick Ass, to name a few. Now, I love to read peoples opinions, whether I agree with them or not, and this was no exception. I did, however, take issue with just slamming certain movies to cause a bit of controversy. While it's, sadly an accepted journalism practice, it's the slamming of movies that annoyed me. Basically, the author is saying that quite a few people liked these movies, and that they were wrong for that, and in some occasions, would list why; others, the author just stated they sucked.

I'm all for calling a horse a horse, or however the saying goes, and if you don't like a movie, you are welcome to say so, but an overrated movie list targets movies that often many people like and says they suck. While there are movies I do not enjoy, and don't seem to see the interest in, like, oh, say, Gone With the Wind, I can respect those opinions, and the movie itself as a good movie, and move on. I don't say they suck, nor do I say you are stupid for saying it's a good movie.

Sure there are movies that seem to get on the hype bandwagon and get blown way out of proportion, and before you know it, the hype is more about the hype than the movie, but don't tell me a movie is terrible, and expect me not to say "nuh uh." Movies are about opinion, and you're entitled to yours, just allow me to be entitled to mine, and don't make a list of movies that have people with wrong opinions.

What do you think? Overrated or not overrated?

Top Action movies of Oh 10!

I'm a huge action movie fan. While the Academy doesn't often recognize action movies, I find them a great way to unwind and let yourself go, and this year had some really great movies, some very large explosions, and some elements that really strained your brain. Check out my list of the top action movies of the year and let me know which ones you liked and which ones you didn't, and if there are any I forgot!

10) MacGruber
Despite the stigma of being a SNL movie, this movie was pretty funny. Sure, it had the same old stupid gags over and over again, but seeing MacGruber rip some throats out was awesome. Just fast-forward through anything with celery.

9) Salt
While I thought the plot was convoluted and silly, and the turns were stupidly predictable, I thought the action was quite entertaining. Angelina Jolie makes a fine action star, and she shows it off here. Sadly, it was the only thing showing off.

8) Scott Pilgrim
This movie was so much more than an action movie, but the action was stylized, beautiful and quite well done. Besides, ol’ Scotty pulls out a flaming sword for one boss battle and fights stunt doubles in another. Rating: Awesome.

7) Iron Man 2
The scene at Monaco Speedway was incredible. If the movies stopped there, it would probably still be on this list, but the movie added quite a bit more, including a thrilling end battle with more robots than you can count. It was glorious.

6) Red
Who knew old people could do an action movie? Not only did they do it, but it was enjoyable and funny and an all around good movie. Bruce Willis played himself, Helen Mirren could give James Bond a run for his money and John Malkovich had a gun in a pig. Yeah, this movie deserves it's spot on the list.

5) Inception
This is another movie that was so much more than just an action movie. This movie was beautiful, thought-provoking, and incredibly well written, but after the zero-gravity fight scene in the hall-way, this movie instantly shot up the list. That scene alone was incredible.

4) Kick Ass

There is one character that escalates this to the top of the list, and I bet no one would’ve guessed it would be a 14 year old Chloe Moretz. Hit Girl was amazing, had a huge body count, and swore like a sailor. She was easily the best character in the movie, and when you're going up against Nicolas Cage channeling Adam West, that's saying something.

3) Machete
Danny Trejo is Machete in the most ridiculously over the top movie of the year. At one point, Machete jumps out of the window and swings down to a lower window using a mans intestines. This is after he gets all the women. But don’t ask him to text.

2) Expendables
I said in my review that it was Man-Tastic, and that about describes it. There is so much testosterone in this movie, when your done, you better have a rag to clean off your TV. It was over the top, and had more explosions that Michael Bay’s fantasies, so of course, it’s worth your time.

1) A-Team
While this movie has the stigma of being a remake of an old TV show, this movie stands on its own with great performances by Bradley Cooper, Liam Neeson and Sharlto Copley in an over the top fun, action movie where despite billions of rounds fired, no one dies, but everyone has a good time. Oh, and they fly a friggin’ tank!

Doctor Who Series 6 teaser trailer -

The Doctor Who Christmas Special was incredible. I mean, really incredible. Like so incredible, the fact I have to wait until March is making me shed a Who-like tear. But, the only thing that is helping me get through this winter is the promise of an amazing spring, and this trailer promises something truly amazing.

WHAT?!? So, comments on the Stetson? Awesome! What is he running from? And why are the Yude back? And, it looks like River Song gets a bit less mysterious!

Does going to the theater really suck?

So, I stumbled upon a blog today from a blog that describes itself as "Film news and opinions from a Film Snob." The title of the article was "A difficult Conversation, or Why going to the movies kind of sucks." In the article, the self-proclaimed film snob said she had defended going to the movies before, but after several trips that included loud people, text messages, and a sandwich, she has come to the conclusion that going to the movies sucks, and you should, if your a film snob, watch them at home.

First off, I don't profess to being a movie snob, nor a music snob, nor a beer snob, or any other kind of snob. I believe at the top of my humble little blog, it uses the phrase "movie geek," mainly because, as described in Doctor Who, a geek is one who is obsessed over a subject material. I don't pretend to know everything, nor do I think my opinions of movies, or even the genre of movie is better than any other.

But, I digress a bit. This post is about whether going to the movies sucks, and I say 'nay.' I love going to the movies. I average a trip or two a week, and I love it. Sure, I despise the text messagers, or the people who sound like they're losing a battle to the Greek legion behind me, and of course, if someone picks up the phone, I'm contemplating how to hide the body, but at the same time, it's part of the experience. Film is meant to be shared with other people. Otherwise, it's just sad. I love sharing movies and experiences with people. Lately, I've realized this more as I sit down to see a movie with my girlfriend that she's never seen. I'm able to see it again for the first time thanks to her, and we are usually better off because of it.

So, does going to the movies suck? Apparently, only if your a movie snob, because I love the popcorn, the excitement and the sharing of an experience with an entire audience of strangers. I guess I'm just old fashioned, or just a movie geek.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

Box Office Breakdown - Little Fockers wins Christmas

Little Fockers took in a medium haul for Christmas weekend at $34 million, giving it the top spot. I wasn't a fan of the film, as you can read in my review, but there was no doubt it would take the top spot. True Grit, which came in second, gave the Coen Brothers their highest opening weekend ever, and the film comes close to covering it's $38 million budget. Tron Legacy was a bit disappointing in third, with $20.1 million, bringing the total to $88.3 million. The film had a budget of $150, so, it could be tough to make back if this week isn't good for the film.

So, overall, a mild Christmas movie week. Did you see any of these? What did you think?


BOX OFFICE TOP TEN
1. Little Fockers - $34.0 million ($48.3 million total)
2. True Grit - $25.6 million ($36.8 million total)
3. Tron Legacy - $20.1 million ($88.3 million total)
4. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - $10.8 million ($63.9 million total)
5. Yogi Bear - $8.8 million ($36.8 million total)
6. The Fighter - $8.5 million ($27.6 million total)
7. Gulliver's Travels - $7.2 million ($7.2 million total)
8. Black Swan - $6.6 million ($29.0 million total)
9. Tangled - $6.1 million ($143.8 million total)
10. The Tourist - $5.7 million ($41.2 million total)

Merry Christmas Movie Geeks!!

Christmas for me is not neccesarily about religeon. For me, it's a time to spend a great evening with friends, family and loved ones. It's also the one time of the year it's encouraged to be nice to people, and it's a great time to watch Christmas movies. That being said, I wish everyone a very merry Christmas. I hope you can spend time with your loved ones and share some happiness with someone. That's what Christmas means to me.

That being said, here's a couple of Christmas movies I can reccomend.

Die Hard - It's a Christmas movie, a darn good one, too. And who doesn't like John McClaine?
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - Because Chevy Chase is just so darn funny.
Santa Clause - Because it captures the Christmas mood really well, and it's my girlfriends favorite.
Elf - How can you not love this movie?
Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer - This is just a classic. It's one that can capture the youthfull innocence of a childs Christmas.
Charlie Brown Christmas - A great Christmas movie that talks about the true meaning of Christmas.
The Ref - Dennis Leary and Kevin Spacey. Can it get any better?

Merry Christmas!!!

Fringe/Firefly mashup

I admit it, I'm a bit obsessed with anything Firefly. I can't help it. It's my favorite show of all time, and it was canceled way before they could do things other shows did; ya know, have crappy episodes. So, when this video came up with a mix of Fox's Fringe and Firefly, I couldn't help but be excited. They did this because Fringe got moved to Friday's at 8 pm, which Firefly shared for a brief time, before, like every other show, was canceled because no one watches TV on Fridays.

So, with that said, here it is. Enjoy!

Should Indy go to the tomb in the sky?

There are some serious rumors today about what Harrison Ford has said is in store for the next Indiana Jones flick. Yes, there are rumors of another Indiana Jones, but the surprise is that Ford allegedly wants to kill of Indy. I know!

Apparently, George Lucas doesn't particularly like the idea, but Steven Spielberg kinda does. It puts things into a pickle a bit, but the last film strongly hinted at the idea of a passing of the torch to Shia LeBeuf's character. When the torch never actually got passed, it seemed like one of the films many flaws, but are they going to fix that in this film? The better question is should they?

I don't know about you, but I grew up on Indy and his legendary adventures. He was a hero, and a truly memorable one. I bet right now, you could quote atleast five lines, and everyone can recognize the theme song. So, how devastating would it be to see the hero die? And don't tell me I am going to find comfort in the arms of Shia, because, as much as I like him, it just doesn't work here. So, no, I don't think he should die. I could see a reboot of the series, or another film without Indy in it, but not a scene depicting his death. I just don't think I could handle it.

What do you think? Another movie is more than likely in the works, so how would you have them handle it?

Box Office Report - Tron: Legacy strikes gold

It's no surprise Tron: Legacy took the top spot. The Disney sequel had high expectations, and with less than stellar reviews, it could be tough to recoup the $170 million budget. The big surprise comes for the number 2 spot; Yogi Bear. While family movies always do well, this just had "crap" written all over it, and even though executives were hoping for better, in an attempt to make back the $80 million budget, I'm just surprised it did that much.

So, did you see any of these? What do you think about this weekend's successes and failures?

BOX OFFICE TOP TEN
1. Tron Legacy - $43.6 million ($43.6 million total)
2. Yogi Bear - $16.7 million ($16.7 million total)
3. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - $12.4 million ($42.8 million total)
4. The Fighter - $12.2 million ($12.6 million total)
5. The Tourist - $8.7 million ($30.8 million total)
6. Tangled - $8.7 million ($127.8 million total)
7. Black Swan - $8.3 million ($15.7 million total)
8. How Do You Know - $7.6 million ($7.6 million total)
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part I - $4.8 million ($265.5 million total)
10. Unstoppable - $1.8 million ($77.3 million total)

Movie Review - True Grit (2010)

There is always a stigma when Hollywood remakes a classic movie. The comparison between the original, which is always far superior, compared to the new one is often cruel, with talks about the originality of Hollywood sure to ensue. Well, not here, and not with the remake of the John Wayne movie True Grit. This movie stands on its own, and is a surprise, considering Hollywood's history, or even the state of westerns in Hollywood.

True Grit starts with Hailee Steinfeld's Mattie talking about how her honest father was killed by a dishonest criminal, played by Josh Brolin. Mattie seeks justice for the murder of her father, and at 14 years old, knows she must find someone with true grit to go seek the outlaw and get justice. She comes across Rooster Cogburn, played by Jeff Bridges. Once on the trail, they bump into a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf, played by Matt Damon. The three go on the hunt for the convict, and all three discover their true grit.

Every actor had some serious shoes to fill, and even if you don't compare to the original movie starring the greatest western actor ever, you still have a huge weight on the genre of westerns. Let's face it, there haven't been too many good westerns since Tombstone. Fortunately, Bridges steps up to deliver a great performance as an aging Marshall who is as tough as they come. One scene involves Bridges in a courtroom talking about the many men he killed, which was hilarious, but the film does a great job of contrasting it with another scene later on, where the Marshall faces down several men and refuses to back down.

The other surprise is Hailee Steinfeld. I hadn't seen her before, and the strength she delivers in her character, mixed with the sadness of her deceased father is really well portrayed. It's clear we can expect more good things from Ms. Steinfeld. If there is one slightly less powerful performance, however, it comes from Damon's Texas Ranger. While he may have true grit, he comes off more as a bit silly, and more comedic than rugged west toughened. I won't even bring up the accent.

The movie truly felt like it was shot to be a real western, with beautiful landscapes, well shot action scenes that don't have the over abundance of cuts you see in other action movies, and a focus on more of the characters, than anything else. This movie seemed to capture that wild west feeling you get from those classic John Wayne and Clint Eastwood movies without all the poor resolution, and as a result, it's a treat to feast your eyes on.

With all that said, if I have to give one gripe, it would be that the movie starts off fairly slow. It's a great way to build up the character of Mattie, who is really the star of the movie, but I was expecting more Jeff Bridges than anything else. While the second act clearly makes up for it, the first takes a bit to get going.

Overall, if you like westerns, you will love this movie. It isn't the light, popcorn friendly blockbuster you got during the summer, this is a cold, tough movie that has true grit (alright, that's the last time I will use that phrase) and will leaving you applauding for everyone involved.

EDITORS NOTE: This also appeared on SpoilerTV's site HERE and also on Creative Loafing's website HERE.

Movie Review - Little Fockers

After we met the parents, and we met the Fockers, we are on to the third chapter of Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) versus his father-in-law, Jack Byrnes (Robert DeNiro). The third chapter involves kids, all the parents and the coming together of a family. But, can it recreate the magic of the first movie? You should read on, but I bet you can guess what I'm going to say.

The movie picks up with Greg juggeling his family with the stress of work, and raising two kids while maintaining a relationship with his wife. Sounds funny so far, right? We finally see Jack come back into Greg's life in the only way he can, as he wants to make Greg the patriarch of the family, or the "Godfocker," as long as he can prove he can lead like Jack does. What follows is Jack and Greg dueling, DeNiro's boner, Jessica Alba being kinda annoying and plenty of "focker" jokes.

I loved the first movie; and why not? There's plenty to love with the first movie. The second movie added two fun characters to the same formula, and the third went back to the same formula, only to add some kids. The point is, it's the same formula, just watered down with extra characters, and more of the same jokes. Now, if you really liked the formula, there will be something left for you to enjoy. For me, it felt like when I hear a friend of mine say the same joke over and over again. The first couple times you laugh, but by the third time, you just grow weary.

There were some good parts to the movie. I think Greg has grown into more than a screw-up; he's a real man, with real issues; kids and a lot to juggle. I like how he's developed, and has become an equal to Jack. I also liked any scene with Greg's parents, played by Barbra Streisand and Dustin Hoffman. While there weren't a lot of scenes, there were a few good ones. The other good scenes were visable in the trailer, like Jack's boner and the chemistry between Stiller and DeNiro. Sadly, there wasn't many other funny parts left for the film.

Sure, there was the classic duel between Stiller and DeNiro, which reached epic proportions in this film, and there were scenes making fun of poop jokes, and blood, and how the word "focker" sounds like something else, but in the end, I would've felt ripped off using my whole paycheck to pay for this movie.

How I learned to stop worrying and love Jon Favreau

Big news going around the interwebs today includes Jon Favreau reportedly telling Marvel he wouldn't do another Iron Man movie. Reasons range from Marvel being too cheap to afford the sought-after director to Marvel forcing Favreau into making the second one, to Favreau being pissed he wasn't given the Avengers job. Either way, you shouldn't worry. Here's why:

Iron Man 3 isn't confirmed. Not only have there been no mentions of Marvel wanting a third Iron Man, but they have mentioned they have to do Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and finally, The Avengers movies first. As a result, they aren't even thinking Iron Man just yet. Besides, financially, Marvel needs to rake in the dough on the next three movies, or they simply won't be able to do a major blockbuster film like Iron Man. So, with the film's future more than up in the air, it's reasonable for the director to not have any plans for such a movie until the contract is signed.

It's all about the Washington's. Favreau is a smart guy, and a fantastic director. He made two great movies with the previous Iron Man films, and looks to repeat with Cowboys vs. Aliens in 2011. The guy is one of the top directors in the industry right now, and signing with a company that paid him pretty poorly for the second movie is silly. It's better to say 'no,' and wait for Marvel to come to him with a smarter bid. While he may be a fanboy at heart, he still has to be compensated.

There's some good directors out there. Seriously. I love Favreau. His energy and excitement is genuine, and very contagious, but there are other directors that can do more than an average job. So, no complaining unless they hire someone terrible to pick up Iron Man after the Avengers flick.

So, now you don't have to worry, you may go about your business. Before you do, what do you think about this Favreau business? Use the comments section, it's what that box is for!