Made back in 1986, this has to be one of the weirdest werewolf movies I've ever seen. Sometimes the rediculousness is simple like a magic spell blowing a dwarf's eyes out fo his head. Or something far more insane like a demon raping a priest in the mouth and giving birth.
The acting in this movie is nothing to write home about. By far the best actor in the movie is Christopher Lee and even he gives such a low key performance it's like he's ashamed to be in the movie. That's saying something from the guy who played Dracula in the Hammer movies.
This one isn't for the kiddies because there's a good number of werewolf orgy scenes I don't think younger audiences need to see. Or anyone else for that matter. At one point there's three of them together and they are covered in really bad looking fake hair.
It rewrites a lot of standing werewolf lore and takes some liberties with Stirba being both a werewolf and some kind of sorceress. This is a weird movie but if you like really goofy stuff and cheesy acting, I'd say this is worth seeing.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Coming Soon: 2/3/12
Hey everyone. I know my theatrical movie reviews have kinda been few and far between. There's a few reasons for that. 1) There's not too many playing I'd really want to spend money to watch. 2) I've been pretty busy with getting registered for classes and taking care of my parents. And 3) I've been trying to get research done for the movie I'm writing. I'm setting up a deadline of the next 6 months. It's mostly for me so I actually get around to making it happen so I need a goal to meet.
Anyway: I'll try to do more older movies since I can watch many of them on tv and from my DVD collection. I certainly don't have a short supply of older movies I could talk about. If there are any requests, don't be afraid to post a comment. I'll be sure to get it on the list.
With all that aside let's see what's coming out this week.
1) The Woman In Black: A ghost is haunting a village
The Good: Daniel Radcliffe doing something other than Harry Potter. Should be a scary movie too.
The Bad: The trailers don't really give us very much in terms of what the story is about or enough to judge any acting performances.
Final Thoughts: There really just isn't enough information to even make an informed guess on if it's a good movie or not. If you like ghost stories, go ahead. It might be good. But I just don't know.
2) Chronicle: High school kids get super powers and start abusing it.
The Good: It's not your standard super kid comic book movie. Instead of being drawn to fight crime, they use it to pick up girls and play pranks. It's an interesting idea.
The Bad: Who's the guy we are supposed to cheer for?
Final Thoughts: The effects look good, the story is interesting, but I'm just not interested enough to see it in the theater.
3) Big Miracle: The true story of how people saved gray whales trapped under ice.
The Good: True stories are usually great. And who doesn't like a feel good family story with animals?
The Bad: It's Dolphin Tale with whales. It's going to be really boring.
Final Thoughts: skip it.
See you at the movies
Anyway: I'll try to do more older movies since I can watch many of them on tv and from my DVD collection. I certainly don't have a short supply of older movies I could talk about. If there are any requests, don't be afraid to post a comment. I'll be sure to get it on the list.
With all that aside let's see what's coming out this week.
1) The Woman In Black: A ghost is haunting a village
The Good: Daniel Radcliffe doing something other than Harry Potter. Should be a scary movie too.
The Bad: The trailers don't really give us very much in terms of what the story is about or enough to judge any acting performances.
Final Thoughts: There really just isn't enough information to even make an informed guess on if it's a good movie or not. If you like ghost stories, go ahead. It might be good. But I just don't know.
2) Chronicle: High school kids get super powers and start abusing it.
The Good: It's not your standard super kid comic book movie. Instead of being drawn to fight crime, they use it to pick up girls and play pranks. It's an interesting idea.
The Bad: Who's the guy we are supposed to cheer for?
Final Thoughts: The effects look good, the story is interesting, but I'm just not interested enough to see it in the theater.
3) Big Miracle: The true story of how people saved gray whales trapped under ice.
The Good: True stories are usually great. And who doesn't like a feel good family story with animals?
The Bad: It's Dolphin Tale with whales. It's going to be really boring.
Final Thoughts: skip it.
See you at the movies
Monday, January 23, 2012
From the Vault: Margin Call
Made in 2011, this is one of several movies made recently about the stock market collapse in 2008. And that's about the extent of the plot. A young stock broker manages to deduce that the company he works for is so over leveraged that once the economy turns not only would their company be bankrupt but so would a lot of others.
In many ways this is a microcosmic look at what happened with Goldman Sachs. They decided to start a fire sale and sell off all the bad securities they had and many times well below the market rate just to get it off their books.
Once the fire sale started, the company fired all the stock traders, paid them a lot of money, and left them with a ruined reputation and the senior partners in a great position to make a killing on the upswing.
It's really hard to like any of the characters in this movie. The young guys never get enough screen time to develop their personalities. All they tell us is that they are obsessed with money. The senior partners were also just obsessed with money and are willing to screw over those under them so they could continue to make a lot more money. No feelings of responsibility, no remorse, no compassion for those about to lose their jobs and the small time investors, no thoughts to the people who can't retire because their pensions were wiped out. Instead we get a pretentious little speech about how money has no real value.
From a docudrama point of view it's a fairly good movie. It tries very hard to make a complicated issue easy enough to understand for everyone. But if you are looking for any kind of entertainment value, this isn't the best choice. The subject is dry and not a whole lot really happens. It's still a good watch. Check it out.
In many ways this is a microcosmic look at what happened with Goldman Sachs. They decided to start a fire sale and sell off all the bad securities they had and many times well below the market rate just to get it off their books.
Once the fire sale started, the company fired all the stock traders, paid them a lot of money, and left them with a ruined reputation and the senior partners in a great position to make a killing on the upswing.
It's really hard to like any of the characters in this movie. The young guys never get enough screen time to develop their personalities. All they tell us is that they are obsessed with money. The senior partners were also just obsessed with money and are willing to screw over those under them so they could continue to make a lot more money. No feelings of responsibility, no remorse, no compassion for those about to lose their jobs and the small time investors, no thoughts to the people who can't retire because their pensions were wiped out. Instead we get a pretentious little speech about how money has no real value.
From a docudrama point of view it's a fairly good movie. It tries very hard to make a complicated issue easy enough to understand for everyone. But if you are looking for any kind of entertainment value, this isn't the best choice. The subject is dry and not a whole lot really happens. It's still a good watch. Check it out.
Coming Soon: 1/27/12
There were some great movies out last week. Let's see if the trend continues. What's coming out this Friday?
1) The Grey: Oil workers must survive the Alaskan wilderness and wild wolves after a plane crash.
The Good: It sounds like a great adventure story. The survival genre needs more great stories.
The Bad: I'm not a fan of Liam Neeson. Plus the CG wolves look terrible.
Final Thoughts: I don't have the highest hopes for it, but I don't think it'll be that bad either. Give it a try.
2) Man on a Ledge: An ex-cop convicted of a crime stands out on a ledge and talks with a negotiator.
The Good: It's a tense drama that goes beyond the simple plot.
The Bad: It's one of those stories that gets into the absurd the longer you think about it.
Final Thoughts: It's not going to be a good movie. I'd avoid it.
3) One For the Money: A woman down on her luck takes a job as a bounty hunter. Her first assignment is to capture an ex love from high school.
The Good: You can't be serious.
The Bad: This is a rehashed story from an already disasterously bad movie. AKA "The Bounty Hunter"
Final Thoughts: Do not see this movie. It's going to hurt. It's The Bounty Hunter but without Jennifer Aniston. Just don't.
4) The Wicker Tree: A sequel to The Wicker Man where two missionaries are asked to be the Queen of the May and Laddie.
The Good: It won't be good.
The Bad: It's a sequel to a movie that had already been ruined by an unnecessary and unsuccessful remake with Nick Cage. The Wicker Man is less of a horror story and more of a punchline because of the Nick Cage remake. Maybe this will resurrect the franchise, but I doubt it.
See you at the movies
1) The Grey: Oil workers must survive the Alaskan wilderness and wild wolves after a plane crash.
The Good: It sounds like a great adventure story. The survival genre needs more great stories.
The Bad: I'm not a fan of Liam Neeson. Plus the CG wolves look terrible.
Final Thoughts: I don't have the highest hopes for it, but I don't think it'll be that bad either. Give it a try.
2) Man on a Ledge: An ex-cop convicted of a crime stands out on a ledge and talks with a negotiator.
The Good: It's a tense drama that goes beyond the simple plot.
The Bad: It's one of those stories that gets into the absurd the longer you think about it.
Final Thoughts: It's not going to be a good movie. I'd avoid it.
3) One For the Money: A woman down on her luck takes a job as a bounty hunter. Her first assignment is to capture an ex love from high school.
The Good: You can't be serious.
The Bad: This is a rehashed story from an already disasterously bad movie. AKA "The Bounty Hunter"
Final Thoughts: Do not see this movie. It's going to hurt. It's The Bounty Hunter but without Jennifer Aniston. Just don't.
4) The Wicker Tree: A sequel to The Wicker Man where two missionaries are asked to be the Queen of the May and Laddie.
The Good: It won't be good.
The Bad: It's a sequel to a movie that had already been ruined by an unnecessary and unsuccessful remake with Nick Cage. The Wicker Man is less of a horror story and more of a punchline because of the Nick Cage remake. Maybe this will resurrect the franchise, but I doubt it.
See you at the movies
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Red Tails Review:
The story of the all black fighter pilots is one I feel can't be told enough. It was a major triumph of overcoming tremendous adversity and racism. Unfortunately, that isn't the story this movie wants to tell. If you want to hear that story, HBO had a made for tv movie called The Tuskegee Airmen. The best way to explain my position is to compare Red Tails to The Tuskegee Airmen. If you want my concise review, Red Tails is a good movie with a lot of bad acting and not a whole lot of depth. It's more of a look at what they did during the war and downplays what they went through just to get to that point.
The beginning of these two movies is drastically different. In The Tuskegee Airmen, the movie starts in basic training. It emphasizes how much racism they went through just to learn to fly. Any excuse the instructors could find to send them home, they found. In Red Tails, they start with the 332nd already in Italy. There is the racism element in the movie, but it's so much more low key it's like the movie is ashamed to even go there. But here's the problem: that is the story. Yes, the 332nd is a highly decorated fighter group. What they did was amazing. But you can't talk about what they did without talking about how hard it was just to get an opportunity.
In Red Tails, the major subplot of the movie was the life of one of the pilots named "Lightning". Much is made how reckless and talented he was. Many times he was outright disobedient. Another part of it was a romance story between Lightning and a local Italian girl. Honestly, it didn't have any emotion behind it. It's a subplot that is just there. She didn't speak much English and he didn't speak any Italian. It's a little hard to believe there's anything there other than physical attraction. In The Tuskegee Airmen, the subplot is World War II. The success of the pilots is secondary to the struggle against racism. I think that makes a more interesting story.
Red Tails is a good movie and it's worth seeing. But I'd wait to rent it rather than going to the theaters. In the meantime, try to find The Tuskegee Airmen. It's better and well worth watching.
The beginning of these two movies is drastically different. In The Tuskegee Airmen, the movie starts in basic training. It emphasizes how much racism they went through just to learn to fly. Any excuse the instructors could find to send them home, they found. In Red Tails, they start with the 332nd already in Italy. There is the racism element in the movie, but it's so much more low key it's like the movie is ashamed to even go there. But here's the problem: that is the story. Yes, the 332nd is a highly decorated fighter group. What they did was amazing. But you can't talk about what they did without talking about how hard it was just to get an opportunity.
In Red Tails, the major subplot of the movie was the life of one of the pilots named "Lightning". Much is made how reckless and talented he was. Many times he was outright disobedient. Another part of it was a romance story between Lightning and a local Italian girl. Honestly, it didn't have any emotion behind it. It's a subplot that is just there. She didn't speak much English and he didn't speak any Italian. It's a little hard to believe there's anything there other than physical attraction. In The Tuskegee Airmen, the subplot is World War II. The success of the pilots is secondary to the struggle against racism. I think that makes a more interesting story.
Red Tails is a good movie and it's worth seeing. But I'd wait to rent it rather than going to the theaters. In the meantime, try to find The Tuskegee Airmen. It's better and well worth watching.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
From the Vault: Game of Death (1979)
Released back in 1979, this movie had been in production for well over five years and if you'd ever seen it, you'd wonder why they even bothered. The short answer is of course why dozens of other bruceploitation movies were made. Everyone loves Bruce Lee. And this was Bruce Lee's last movie.
Bruce Lee left the filming of Game of Death to film one of the most influential kung fu movies ever made: Enter the Dragon. Shortly after filming Enter the Dragon, Lee intended to come back and finish Game of Death, but tragically died before he could do that. So, unlike movies such as Exit the Dragon Enter the Tiger, The Clones of Bruce Lee, or Bruce Lee Fights Back From the Grave, Bruce Lee actually did star in the movie.
Really this movie is a mess of stock footage, horrible dubbing, and atrocious acting. In one truely tasteless scene of the movie, they used footage from Bruce Lee's real life funeral to further the plot. The best part of the movie is the movie's climax where, naturally, we have Bruce Lee doing what he does best: bone breaking kung fu. Bruce Lee vs Kareem Abdul Jabbar is actually satisfying; a testament to just how good an actor Bruce Lee truely was.
If you are in the mood for a great kung fu movie featuring the greatest martial artist ever on screen, watch Enter the Dragon or Fists of Fury before you ever attempt to sit through something like this.
Bruce Lee left the filming of Game of Death to film one of the most influential kung fu movies ever made: Enter the Dragon. Shortly after filming Enter the Dragon, Lee intended to come back and finish Game of Death, but tragically died before he could do that. So, unlike movies such as Exit the Dragon Enter the Tiger, The Clones of Bruce Lee, or Bruce Lee Fights Back From the Grave, Bruce Lee actually did star in the movie.
Really this movie is a mess of stock footage, horrible dubbing, and atrocious acting. In one truely tasteless scene of the movie, they used footage from Bruce Lee's real life funeral to further the plot. The best part of the movie is the movie's climax where, naturally, we have Bruce Lee doing what he does best: bone breaking kung fu. Bruce Lee vs Kareem Abdul Jabbar is actually satisfying; a testament to just how good an actor Bruce Lee truely was.
If you are in the mood for a great kung fu movie featuring the greatest martial artist ever on screen, watch Enter the Dragon or Fists of Fury before you ever attempt to sit through something like this.
Coming Soon: 1/20/12
One week and a nice little snow storm later it's time to see what's playing in the theaters.
1) Underworld Awakening: Humans have discovered that vampires and Lycans exist and try to kill both clans.
The Good: Kate Beckensale is sexy.
The Bad: Looking at Kate Beckensale in tight leather is the only reason to watch this movie.
Final Thoughts: If you want porn, look on the internet.
2) Haywire: A special agent is double crossed during a mission.
The Good: An amazing cast and a lot of action scenes.
The Bad: nothing. It looks like it'll be a big hit.
Final Thoughts: I felt that Stephen Soderbergh had the best movie of the year with Contagion. Hopefully this one goes as well.
3) Red Tails: The true story of the all black pilots during World War II.
The Good: I love true stories and this is one of those stories that is stranger than fiction.
The Bad: HBO did a similar movie called The Tuskegee Airmen in 1995. Also with Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Final Thoughts: I think this and Haywire are the movies to watch this month. If you don't know about this amazing story from World War II, you have to see this movie.
4) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: A boy searches for a secret message by his dead father he believes is out there in New York City.
The Good: Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock are amazing actors.
The Bad: Based on the trailers, I have no idea why I should watch this movie. I don't know what's happening. I don't know why this kid thinks there's a hidden message from his Dad. I don't know anything other than it's another fluff movie trying to make me cry.
Final Thoughts: If there's anything here, I don't see it. It might be good, but my initial response is to just wait and rent it at home.
5) Miss Bala: A beauty queen contestant sells out to a Mexican gang so she can win.
The Good: Sounds like a transformative story that will effect lots of people while giving a glimpse of the problems Mexico is going through today.
The Bad: nothing. It looks like a good movie.
Final Thoughts: If you like foreign films and want to do a little leg work to see a movie that might not necessarily be in the theaters in your area, this one is worth looking for.
See you at the movies.
1) Underworld Awakening: Humans have discovered that vampires and Lycans exist and try to kill both clans.
The Good: Kate Beckensale is sexy.
The Bad: Looking at Kate Beckensale in tight leather is the only reason to watch this movie.
Final Thoughts: If you want porn, look on the internet.
2) Haywire: A special agent is double crossed during a mission.
The Good: An amazing cast and a lot of action scenes.
The Bad: nothing. It looks like it'll be a big hit.
Final Thoughts: I felt that Stephen Soderbergh had the best movie of the year with Contagion. Hopefully this one goes as well.
3) Red Tails: The true story of the all black pilots during World War II.
The Good: I love true stories and this is one of those stories that is stranger than fiction.
The Bad: HBO did a similar movie called The Tuskegee Airmen in 1995. Also with Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Final Thoughts: I think this and Haywire are the movies to watch this month. If you don't know about this amazing story from World War II, you have to see this movie.
4) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: A boy searches for a secret message by his dead father he believes is out there in New York City.
The Good: Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock are amazing actors.
The Bad: Based on the trailers, I have no idea why I should watch this movie. I don't know what's happening. I don't know why this kid thinks there's a hidden message from his Dad. I don't know anything other than it's another fluff movie trying to make me cry.
Final Thoughts: If there's anything here, I don't see it. It might be good, but my initial response is to just wait and rent it at home.
5) Miss Bala: A beauty queen contestant sells out to a Mexican gang so she can win.
The Good: Sounds like a transformative story that will effect lots of people while giving a glimpse of the problems Mexico is going through today.
The Bad: nothing. It looks like a good movie.
Final Thoughts: If you like foreign films and want to do a little leg work to see a movie that might not necessarily be in the theaters in your area, this one is worth looking for.
See you at the movies.
Friday, January 13, 2012
From the Vault: Tron Legacy (2010)
Made fairly recently in 2010, Tron Legacy was the little anticipated sequel to the 1982 underground hit. Originally Tron didn't do perticularly well in box office sales so for Disney to make a sequel didn't seem wise. Disney instead tried to make more family friendly live action movies like Flight of the Navigator (1986), Return to Oz (1985), and Honey I Shrunk the Kids (1989).
Tron initially was praised for it's visuals and great acting, but heavily criticized for it's story. Over time, Tron had more than a second look and was praised as one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. Fast forward almost 30 years later and Disney surprised everyone with not remaking Tron using new visual techniques but a direct sequel; bringing back Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner from the original movie. (Both have gone on to great careers) Fans of the original Tron were chomping at the bit to see just where the story goes.
What we got was something with much more bright lights and far less depth. The original movie challenged the audience to think about God and technology in radically different ways. The only thing Tron Legacy inspired were video games and a great soundtrack.
Much like the original Tron Legacy had top notch visuals. The Lightcycles and disk throwing was beautiful to watch. They also took some interesting technological risks in digitally trying to de-age Jeff Bridges to make him look more like he did in 1982. But the problem with taking risks is that the effect could fall flat. The digital de-aging effect looked terrible. It never looked real enough and when Jeff Bridges is playing the villian, CLU it might be okay, but when we first see it in a flashback, it's just really bad. In some ways, doing the effect worse for CLU would've been better. By making him less humanlike, it could've made CLU more menacing and unworldly. In the 1982 movie, the grid was far from picture clear. It was blurry with this weird light thus making it clear that this isn't the normal world.
And then there's the story. Oh my God is it just dumb. Here's the story in a nutshell. Flynn (Jeff Bridges) had a son named Sam and when Sam was young, Flynn disappeared. He got stuck in the Grid when CLU turned nazi and began exterminating a new race of programs that were born inside the new Grid Flynn built. You might be thinking I'm taking a cheap shot by calling CLU a nazi, but when a mass extermination is called "the final solution" I make no apologies. So, Sam somehow ends up on the Grid, and must save the ISOs and his father.
While the first movie took great pride in the anthropomorphism of different computer programs, in Tron Legacy that concept is completely abandoned. And that's probably the worst problem with this movie. After almost 30 years, what a great time to update the series! Imagine all the great technical breakthroughs in computer science even in the last 10 years let alone the last 30! Can you imagine what a wi-fi telecommunications program would look like? How about a multi-core processor? Instead we get a prissy, blue tinged douche air guitaring with a cane.
The movie itself is like a disney theme park ride. It'll hit all the highs and lows of a standard action movie and does it with a kick ass soundtrack and beautiful scenery. But for me, this movie could've been so much more and just didn't want to be. It dumbed itself down in order to appeal to a larger audience and sell video games. The movie itself is satisfying as a popcorn flick but I was greatly disappointed.
Tron initially was praised for it's visuals and great acting, but heavily criticized for it's story. Over time, Tron had more than a second look and was praised as one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. Fast forward almost 30 years later and Disney surprised everyone with not remaking Tron using new visual techniques but a direct sequel; bringing back Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner from the original movie. (Both have gone on to great careers) Fans of the original Tron were chomping at the bit to see just where the story goes.
What we got was something with much more bright lights and far less depth. The original movie challenged the audience to think about God and technology in radically different ways. The only thing Tron Legacy inspired were video games and a great soundtrack.
Much like the original Tron Legacy had top notch visuals. The Lightcycles and disk throwing was beautiful to watch. They also took some interesting technological risks in digitally trying to de-age Jeff Bridges to make him look more like he did in 1982. But the problem with taking risks is that the effect could fall flat. The digital de-aging effect looked terrible. It never looked real enough and when Jeff Bridges is playing the villian, CLU it might be okay, but when we first see it in a flashback, it's just really bad. In some ways, doing the effect worse for CLU would've been better. By making him less humanlike, it could've made CLU more menacing and unworldly. In the 1982 movie, the grid was far from picture clear. It was blurry with this weird light thus making it clear that this isn't the normal world.
And then there's the story. Oh my God is it just dumb. Here's the story in a nutshell. Flynn (Jeff Bridges) had a son named Sam and when Sam was young, Flynn disappeared. He got stuck in the Grid when CLU turned nazi and began exterminating a new race of programs that were born inside the new Grid Flynn built. You might be thinking I'm taking a cheap shot by calling CLU a nazi, but when a mass extermination is called "the final solution" I make no apologies. So, Sam somehow ends up on the Grid, and must save the ISOs and his father.
While the first movie took great pride in the anthropomorphism of different computer programs, in Tron Legacy that concept is completely abandoned. And that's probably the worst problem with this movie. After almost 30 years, what a great time to update the series! Imagine all the great technical breakthroughs in computer science even in the last 10 years let alone the last 30! Can you imagine what a wi-fi telecommunications program would look like? How about a multi-core processor? Instead we get a prissy, blue tinged douche air guitaring with a cane.
The movie itself is like a disney theme park ride. It'll hit all the highs and lows of a standard action movie and does it with a kick ass soundtrack and beautiful scenery. But for me, this movie could've been so much more and just didn't want to be. It dumbed itself down in order to appeal to a larger audience and sell video games. The movie itself is satisfying as a popcorn flick but I was greatly disappointed.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Coming Soon: 1/13/12
Hello and happy Friday the 13th. Should be a lot of fun with all the undead killer zombies with machetes hanging around. Just warning, if you see someone walking around in a hockey mask, leave him be. How about we see what's playing in the theaters in case there's a need to hide.
1) Beauty and the Beast 3D. The beautiful Belle must live with the brutish Beast while the local hunk wants to marry Belle.
The Good: It's a re-release and not a remake. If you saw it back in the day, it's the same great movie.
The Bad: nothing. It's one of Disney's best movies.
Final Thoughts: I don't think the 3D gimmick is enough for me to buy a ticket but it is a good movie. If you choose to go see it, it'll be a great time.
2) Contraband: A smuggler comes out of retirement to help his friend.
The Good: Mark Wahlberg is a decent actor as long as he doesn't have to do comedy.
The Bad: the story isn't anything new and the cast is a bit on the weak side.
Final Thoughts: I'm excited to see it. Marky Mark can do action well. I plan to see it.
3) Joyful Noise: A church choir deals with the pressure of winning a singing contest and the egos of the two leading ladies.
The Good: There should be some good music. I guess.
The Bad: It's starring Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah in a church choir cat fight movie. How good can it be?
Final Thoughts: There isn't any way I could care at all about this movie in any way.
4) The Divide: People go ape s*** inside a building's basement after a nuclear attack.
The Good: Imagine all the money you'll save by not going to see it!
The Bad: This is a two hour long episode of the twilight zone. Full of gratuitous sex and violence. And I swear to God if they do the twist ending that was in the Twilight Zone episode, there will be riots.
Final Thoughts: Unimaginative, uninteresting, and from the same director that did Hitman. This is going to be painful.
See you at the movies
1) Beauty and the Beast 3D. The beautiful Belle must live with the brutish Beast while the local hunk wants to marry Belle.
The Good: It's a re-release and not a remake. If you saw it back in the day, it's the same great movie.
The Bad: nothing. It's one of Disney's best movies.
Final Thoughts: I don't think the 3D gimmick is enough for me to buy a ticket but it is a good movie. If you choose to go see it, it'll be a great time.
2) Contraband: A smuggler comes out of retirement to help his friend.
The Good: Mark Wahlberg is a decent actor as long as he doesn't have to do comedy.
The Bad: the story isn't anything new and the cast is a bit on the weak side.
Final Thoughts: I'm excited to see it. Marky Mark can do action well. I plan to see it.
3) Joyful Noise: A church choir deals with the pressure of winning a singing contest and the egos of the two leading ladies.
The Good: There should be some good music. I guess.
The Bad: It's starring Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah in a church choir cat fight movie. How good can it be?
Final Thoughts: There isn't any way I could care at all about this movie in any way.
4) The Divide: People go ape s*** inside a building's basement after a nuclear attack.
The Good: Imagine all the money you'll save by not going to see it!
The Bad: This is a two hour long episode of the twilight zone. Full of gratuitous sex and violence. And I swear to God if they do the twist ending that was in the Twilight Zone episode, there will be riots.
Final Thoughts: Unimaginative, uninteresting, and from the same director that did Hitman. This is going to be painful.
See you at the movies
Sunday, January 8, 2012
From the Vault: Tron (1982)
Made back in 1982, Tron was a landmark movie in computer graphics. While absolutely nothing special by today's standards, movies like this were never seen before. Back in the '80s, computers were nothing like we understand them today, the internet was in it's infancy, and even things like cellular telephones haven't become more than a novelty the size of a brick with only one function: making telephone calls.
Because the technology was still new and wonderous, it got computer geeks everywhere daydreaming: what if there was a digital world? And what would it be like if we were able to digitize ourselves and go into the computer world? That's the basis for this movie. Anthropomorphic lifeforms called "programs" are the living embodyment of computer programs we create to do tasks. For example: if you had a program to help with doing taxes, it would be represented by a guy in a business suit. Or if you had an anti-virus program it would be a soldier with a high powered rifle. Maybe a firewall program that really looked like a wall of fire. The possibilities for creativity were endless.
So, what would happen if you had a rouge program? That's where we see our villian. A program called "Master Control" along with a greedy businessman (Dillinger played by David Warner) try to gain control over the internet and taking over both worlds.
Standing in the way of world domination was Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) and Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner). Alan creates a program called Tron which is supposed to counteract Master Control. While trying to upload Tron, Flynn is digitized and put onto the grid by Master Control. While on the grid, he is the subject of a lot of awe and wonder. Think about it: people (users) in a world of computer programs would see users as God. How would you feel if you got a chance to meet a God? And then came to understand that God figure as simple and fallible as yourself. How would you feel? How would you accept this?
The story of Tron is far more than just a fun little romp through the computer. It plays with perception and visuals in a way not easily duplicated. It made people think about very heavy philosophical ideals from an interesting perspective. It challenged our way of thinking about science, technology, and daily life when nobody knew how much computers would impact the next thirty years.
The visuals of Tron really don't hold up to modern standards but I would still call it a sci-fi classic and well worth seeing.
Because the technology was still new and wonderous, it got computer geeks everywhere daydreaming: what if there was a digital world? And what would it be like if we were able to digitize ourselves and go into the computer world? That's the basis for this movie. Anthropomorphic lifeforms called "programs" are the living embodyment of computer programs we create to do tasks. For example: if you had a program to help with doing taxes, it would be represented by a guy in a business suit. Or if you had an anti-virus program it would be a soldier with a high powered rifle. Maybe a firewall program that really looked like a wall of fire. The possibilities for creativity were endless.
So, what would happen if you had a rouge program? That's where we see our villian. A program called "Master Control" along with a greedy businessman (Dillinger played by David Warner) try to gain control over the internet and taking over both worlds.
Standing in the way of world domination was Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) and Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner). Alan creates a program called Tron which is supposed to counteract Master Control. While trying to upload Tron, Flynn is digitized and put onto the grid by Master Control. While on the grid, he is the subject of a lot of awe and wonder. Think about it: people (users) in a world of computer programs would see users as God. How would you feel if you got a chance to meet a God? And then came to understand that God figure as simple and fallible as yourself. How would you feel? How would you accept this?
The story of Tron is far more than just a fun little romp through the computer. It plays with perception and visuals in a way not easily duplicated. It made people think about very heavy philosophical ideals from an interesting perspective. It challenged our way of thinking about science, technology, and daily life when nobody knew how much computers would impact the next thirty years.
The visuals of Tron really don't hold up to modern standards but I would still call it a sci-fi classic and well worth seeing.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Coming Soon: 1/6/12
Sorry for the lateness of this post. Lots of changes happening in my life but hey, better late than never. Let's see what is coming out this week.
1) The Devil Inside: A daughter believes her mother is possessed by demons.
The Good: It looks incredibly scary. Lots of big scares to be had.
The Bad: Excorcism movies are not in short supply.
Final Thoughts: Will it be as good as the other movies with the same story? My guess is yes. If you like these kinds of movies, it'll be a big hit.
2) Beneath The Darkness: Four boys discover a dark secret kept by the small town's mortician.
The Good: uhm.... it.... has.... dead bodies?
The Bad: Young, untested actors with a tier two leading man in a B movie script.
Final Thoughts: This could be one of those cult classics but I seriously doubt it. Don't expect anything special.
3) Roadie: After 20 years as a roadie for Blue Oyster Cult, Jimmy returns home.
The Good: It's a character piece about the sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll lifestyle.
The Bad: Not sure it has much of a story.
Final Thoughts: Looks like a good movie with some good acting. It's a story of what happens when it's time to wake up from the dream. I want to see it.
4) Once Upon A Time In Anatolia: A trip through the countryside looking for a dead body reveals much more than once realized.
The Good: It's a deep movie with a lot of symbolism.
The Bad: It's a long, plotting movie. You'll need to have some level of patience.
Final Thoughts: These kinds of movies are down my alley. I love deep movies with lots to think about. It might not be for everyone though. Don't expect a lot of action.
See you at the movies.
1) The Devil Inside: A daughter believes her mother is possessed by demons.
The Good: It looks incredibly scary. Lots of big scares to be had.
The Bad: Excorcism movies are not in short supply.
Final Thoughts: Will it be as good as the other movies with the same story? My guess is yes. If you like these kinds of movies, it'll be a big hit.
2) Beneath The Darkness: Four boys discover a dark secret kept by the small town's mortician.
The Good: uhm.... it.... has.... dead bodies?
The Bad: Young, untested actors with a tier two leading man in a B movie script.
Final Thoughts: This could be one of those cult classics but I seriously doubt it. Don't expect anything special.
3) Roadie: After 20 years as a roadie for Blue Oyster Cult, Jimmy returns home.
The Good: It's a character piece about the sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll lifestyle.
The Bad: Not sure it has much of a story.
Final Thoughts: Looks like a good movie with some good acting. It's a story of what happens when it's time to wake up from the dream. I want to see it.
4) Once Upon A Time In Anatolia: A trip through the countryside looking for a dead body reveals much more than once realized.
The Good: It's a deep movie with a lot of symbolism.
The Bad: It's a long, plotting movie. You'll need to have some level of patience.
Final Thoughts: These kinds of movies are down my alley. I love deep movies with lots to think about. It might not be for everyone though. Don't expect a lot of action.
See you at the movies.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Movies I want to see: January
Hello, and happy new year. My year has already started off with a few new difficulties. Mostly adjusting to living once again in the United States. Still looking for work and adjusting to the time zone differences. Anyway, here's the movies I want to see this month.
1) Contraband: I admit this is one just for me. Mark Wahlberg is just one of those guys that is just fun to laugh at. When he does comedy, he's terrible. But when he does action, he does a pretty good job. So, I'm less excited about Contraband but more curious. I'll go see it.
2) Red Tails: Another story about the famous black fighter pilots during WWII. It's such an amazing story. I really don't think it can be told enough. I saw Tuskegee Airmen and that also had Cuba Gooding, jr so I plan to eventually see this one as well.
3) Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos: I love FMA. I've read the manga, I've watched the anime. I'm not sure this will really add much to the story as a whole but it'll have what made the story great.
January isn't a very good time for movies. Well, to all I say have a great New Year.
See you at the movies.
1) Contraband: I admit this is one just for me. Mark Wahlberg is just one of those guys that is just fun to laugh at. When he does comedy, he's terrible. But when he does action, he does a pretty good job. So, I'm less excited about Contraband but more curious. I'll go see it.
2) Red Tails: Another story about the famous black fighter pilots during WWII. It's such an amazing story. I really don't think it can be told enough. I saw Tuskegee Airmen and that also had Cuba Gooding, jr so I plan to eventually see this one as well.
3) Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos: I love FMA. I've read the manga, I've watched the anime. I'm not sure this will really add much to the story as a whole but it'll have what made the story great.
January isn't a very good time for movies. Well, to all I say have a great New Year.
See you at the movies.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo review
Well, a couple of things. First, this is a really great movie. I really enjoyed it. Second, this is a very uncomfortable movie to watch. As they would say in "Clockwork Orange" a lot of ultra violence and even more of the old in out.
I don't know any director alive who could do a better job with this movie than David Fincher. The same director that did Fight Club and Se7en brought the same grittyness and darkness to an already very violent movie.
Daniel Craig plays a journalist in persuit of a wealthy executive in Sweden. He is quickly disgraced and with his paper on the verge of ruin, he accepts a job investigating the disappearance of a wealthy man's daughter. He quickly learns that the family has more skeletons than a cemetary. Between the nazis, pedophiles, and backstabbers, it's no wonder most of the family doesn't talk to one another.
It's not must longer before Lizbeth (Roony Mara) enters the picture. Our titular character is just brilliant. I believe my old Feminist Studies professor would call her "a fully actualized feminist". While her back history is beyond depressing, she grew up to be a brilliant, strong, and independant woman. A person who lives her life exactly the way she wants. Others might call her a sociopath since she has no qualms about sex, thieft, and acts of ultra violence.
Needless to say, I'm in love with this girl.
The movie itself has more than a few images of rape. If you aren't comfortable watching very graphic images of rape, than it's going to spoil the movie for you. Lizbeth gets raped. Anally. It's very hard to watch. But the good news is that she does manage to get revenge against the guy very quickly and brutally. The movie doesn't labor too much on the ugliness of what happened. Instead it's used to show character. It demonstrates what kind of person Lizbeth is and how vengeful she truely could be.
It's an investigation movie so I can't really go too much into what happened but I will say I do understand why fans of the book might be disappointed. The most interesting part of the movie is the family, but little detail is given. The disfunction of this family is fascinating. I wanted to know more of just how this rich family can get so messed up. I'm sure the book goes into more detail when Mikael (Daniel Craig) is investigating.
So, would I recommend this movie? That's a hard question. I really liked it. But this really isn't a movie for the causal audience. Some parts are very uncomfortable to watch. I could've done without how much it labored on the rape scene and how graphically it was portrayed. The sadism is also hard to look at. If you have a problem with horrific images, I wouldn't recommend you go and see this movie. If you can convince yourself that it's just a movie and you can roll with the more disturbing parts, it's a very enjoyable movie.
I don't know any director alive who could do a better job with this movie than David Fincher. The same director that did Fight Club and Se7en brought the same grittyness and darkness to an already very violent movie.
Daniel Craig plays a journalist in persuit of a wealthy executive in Sweden. He is quickly disgraced and with his paper on the verge of ruin, he accepts a job investigating the disappearance of a wealthy man's daughter. He quickly learns that the family has more skeletons than a cemetary. Between the nazis, pedophiles, and backstabbers, it's no wonder most of the family doesn't talk to one another.
It's not must longer before Lizbeth (Roony Mara) enters the picture. Our titular character is just brilliant. I believe my old Feminist Studies professor would call her "a fully actualized feminist". While her back history is beyond depressing, she grew up to be a brilliant, strong, and independant woman. A person who lives her life exactly the way she wants. Others might call her a sociopath since she has no qualms about sex, thieft, and acts of ultra violence.
Needless to say, I'm in love with this girl.
The movie itself has more than a few images of rape. If you aren't comfortable watching very graphic images of rape, than it's going to spoil the movie for you. Lizbeth gets raped. Anally. It's very hard to watch. But the good news is that she does manage to get revenge against the guy very quickly and brutally. The movie doesn't labor too much on the ugliness of what happened. Instead it's used to show character. It demonstrates what kind of person Lizbeth is and how vengeful she truely could be.
It's an investigation movie so I can't really go too much into what happened but I will say I do understand why fans of the book might be disappointed. The most interesting part of the movie is the family, but little detail is given. The disfunction of this family is fascinating. I wanted to know more of just how this rich family can get so messed up. I'm sure the book goes into more detail when Mikael (Daniel Craig) is investigating.
So, would I recommend this movie? That's a hard question. I really liked it. But this really isn't a movie for the causal audience. Some parts are very uncomfortable to watch. I could've done without how much it labored on the rape scene and how graphically it was portrayed. The sadism is also hard to look at. If you have a problem with horrific images, I wouldn't recommend you go and see this movie. If you can convince yourself that it's just a movie and you can roll with the more disturbing parts, it's a very enjoyable movie.
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