Take me out to the ball game... take me out with the crowd...
I love baseball. It's the grand old game. It's America's game. So much of American history is reflected in baseball. What better metaphor for the struggle of equality than Jackie Robinson? The sacrifices of war with Ted Williams walking away from millions of dollars to go fight in WWII. The excesses of the American lifestyle shown with the likes of Babe Ruth. The racial tensions of America in people like Ty Cobb. The enduring American spirit of competition when the 1951 Giants overcame great odds to win the pennant over the Dodgers led by a young man named Willie Mays.
And because it's America's game, there are no shortage of movies featuring baseball. So in honor of baseball season officially starting today, I want to share my five favorite baseball movies.
Again these movies are in no particular order:
1) FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME: It's a story about a pitcher right at the end of his career. And while he knows it's his last game, he makes it one to remember. And while pitching, he reflects upon his career and on his life. It's a very interesting story about the sacrifices of following one's dream. Billy Chapel is left with a tough decision: his girlfriend is moving to London, he's going to be traded to the Giants after 19 years with the Tigers, he's 40 years old and just doesn't have it anymore, he is injured and every throw seems to hurt like crazy, his team sucks and they were in no danger of going to the playoffs, so how does he want to be remembered? What does he want to do now that his playing days are over? The guy is completely unaware he's pitching a perfect game until the 8th inning. The entire team has rallied around him. It's their one shot at greatness this season. And they all want it. For a guy who sacrificed so much for the game he loves, was it all worth it? Is there any happiness the baseball gods can grant him?
2) THE SANDLOT: Is there any other movie that so encapsulates what it means growing up? Playing a game in the warm sun, making lifetime friends, bonding over the crack of the bat... and of course sharing in an adventure that just might be bigger in their mind than in real life. It's all about a kid who moves to a new neighborhood during the summer. He has no friends, his mom is divorced and re-married to a huge baseball fan, and he has no place he feels he belongs. Not at home or in this new town. Then he learned to play baseball with some local kids in an old dirt baseball diamond... along with a very scary dog. It has all the making of childhood legends; very much in the same vein as movies like A Christmas Story. It's even told in the same kind of narration style. It's a movie truly told from the point of view from a very imaginative child and enjoyed far more if you are able to tap into those old childhood memories.
3) FIELD OF DREAMS: This is the kind of movie that takes the great American pastime and turns it into a religious experience. Not bad from an atheist writer. The story is about a guy who is full of regrets. Then he gets a message from the great beyond to build a baseball park in his corn field. Despite the craziness of it all, he much like Abraham, did what he felt compelled to do by voices in his head. And by doing it he met Shoeless Joe Jackson. It's such a beautiful story. I can't help but get swallowed up in the emotion of it all. It's a must watch.
4) EIGHT MEN OUT: This is a biopic about the "Black Sox". Back in the 1919 World Series, eight players for the Chicago White Sox took bribes from gamblers to throw the games. For doing so they were banned for life from baseball. Much of the movie involves "Shoeless" Joe Jackson as the pressure he felt from the other dirty players to also go along with the fix. They all felt cheated by the White Sox owner, Charles Comiskey. The true tragedy comes from the story of Buck Weaver. He didn't take any money from gamblers, he played to win the World Series, but because he had knowledge of what was happening, he also was banned from baseball. I love this movie because it shows a darker side to a hallowed pastime. The Black Sox Scandal was instrumental to baseball as a whole with the creation of a baseball commissioner. The allegations from the White Sox players about Comiskey purposefully cheating players out of bonuses and even refusing to pay for cleaning of the team's uniforms eventually led to institutions in baseball we now see as commonplace; like free agency and collective bargaining. Many sports fans still debate Shoeless Joe Jackson's involvement and Buck Weaver tried many times to be reinstated.
5) PRIDE OF THE YANKEES: It's another biopic but this time it's about one of the greatest players to ever wear the Yankee pinstripes, Lou Gehrig. Nicknamed the "Iron Horse" for playing in 2,130 consecutive games, his career is cut short after developing a new disease that is later named after him. If ever there was a better performance by Gary Cooper, I haven't seen it. Lou Gehrig's final words on Lou Gehrig day stick with me to this day.
Those are some of my favorite baseball movies. There are a lot more out there as well. Here are a few honorable mentions: Major League, Cobb, 61, Bang the Drum Slowly, A League of Their Own, and The Bad News Bears.
Now... PLAYBALL!!!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
G.I. Joe Retaliation Review: Is this a sequel?
I have so much to say and not much of it is positive. If you don't like to read my reviews when I'm angry, then sorry... you aren't going to enjoy this. If you like it when I get worked up, then get strapped in ladies and gents because it's going to get loud.
I'll start with the positive. I don't think this movie is a sequel. The look of Cobra Commander is completely different and thank God it is. In the previous movie he looked like crap. Now he actually looks like Cobra Commander. Another reason I don't think it's a sequel is because Storm Shadow is in the movie. In the first one, Storm Shadow died. Now he's fine. Maybe he got better. Either that or Storm Shadow is our lord and savior. And another thing... all the characters from the original G.I. Joe movie are all gone. Yeah, Duke is in the movie... but then he dies at the end of Act I so don't get too attached. Destro is in it as well, but he dies before Duke. And we really only see his eyes... kinda... so don't expect him in the next movie. Everyone else is noticeably MIA. There's no Baroness, no General Hawk, no Heavy Duty... They don't appear in the movie and we are left to assume they were all killed. Why? More on that later.
Now it's time to shift gears and go into frothing at the mouth rage. THIS MOVIE IS UNWATCHABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! It physically hurts to watch it. The director, Jon Chu, before doing this movie did a series of dance and music related movies. And it shows. There's no way in hell he has ever shot an action scene before in his life. It's all this Michael Bay/Mark Neveldine style of action scene that is physically painful. It's a simple formula for stock/no talent directing: 1) get the shot as close as possible while still barely able to make out what the hell it is the audience is looking at. 2) Lower the frame rate so everything gets a little blurry. That way it mimics speed lines from old 1980's Japanese anime. 3) Shake the f***ing camera as much as humanly possible. And finally 4) Whatever you do, don't have any camera angle last longer than 2 seconds. IT'S GOD AWFUL!!!! It's all about distraction. Don't let the audience see what is going on! When you realize the people we are watching can't actually fight, then the illusion is ruined. So, it's better for the audience to not see the action scenes quite so clearly.
If you don't want the audience to see the action scenes too clearly... DON'T F***ING MAKE THE ACTION SCENES SO G**D*** LONG!!!!!!!!!!! Here's the movie format: action... action... talk... action... action... action... filler... action... action... exposition... action... action... action... transition... action... action... action... info dump... action... action... action... action... End.
Oh let's talk about the story now. Because I feel I have to explain this to the morons who wrote and put this movie together. It's a movie. Do you know why it's called a "movie"? Well, it's because a long time ago, they used to be called a "motion picture." Picture: as in something we see. And Motion: as in it moves. If this sounds condescending, it's because it is. Because that's how I feel after watching G.I. Joe Retaliation. I feel condescended to. Understand this filmmakers: action scenes de-void of context are just noise. Flashy scenes for the sake of having a flashy scene is not cool. Story matters. Characters matter. If you think a quick expulsion of info dump equals character development... I have news for you... it doesn't.
Let me talk about the characters while I start poking holes in a very flimsy story. I'm going to start with Roadblock. What do we know about him? He has two daughters. And I can only assume they were issued to him along with his uniform. He doesn't have a wife. Or if he does we never see her. It's quite the plot hole too because he has a very nice house and when he is declared dead, he's able to go right up to his house with daughters right there waiting for him. I know what you're thinking. That's pretty small. Nothing to really get upset about. Oh wait. It gets better.
Now we are going to talk about Jinx. Here's what I know about her. She's a woman. And looks kind of Asian. Elodie Yung of course is half Cambodian/half French. RZA had a small little throw away line that really bothered me. He said, "I know you think she is a spy Snake eyes." And right there I was just waiting for some elaboration. I CAN COUNT THE NUMBER OF LINES SHE SAYS IN THE MOVIE ON ONE HAND!!!!! You can't just throw things out there like that! What does she do to win over Snake Eyes? What does she say to prove she isn't a spy? Either have her in the movie or don't! Is she in the movie? She has an action scene or two but her presence is largely ignored.
Since we are talking about bad ass females being largely ignored, let's talk about Lady Jaye. It's not until an hour into the movie we get anything that resembles character development. We still don't know anything about her. We never get any kind of personality. She looks hot and that's about it.
The story is basically what you see in the trailers. Zartan is still impersonating the President of the US. He is planning to release Cobra Commander and they in tern are going to build a new weapons system, kill off all the Joes, hold all the nuclear nations hostage, and... you guessed it... take over the world. And they succeed. Until the Joes defeat Cobra and make the world safe for nuclear proliferation.
But I have to say the number one thing that really pissed me off was Storm Shadow. When you established that Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow have a blood feud going. One where Storm Shadow has taken rather extreme measures to never speak again until he has avenged his master and defeated Storm Shadow, having them fight side-by-side doesn't really appear to be on the menu. But that isn't a problem. We'll just have a quick five minute talky scene and fix that right up. Now all the ninjas are good guys and are fighting Cobra... because Lee Byung-Hun and Ray Park are awesome fighters. Yes, I know in the comics Storm Shadow switches sides... a lot. But this movie never earned that. It only takes five minutes of talking to completely re-write the relationship between blood enemies? That's a lot like saying in a few minutes we can get Superman to work for Lex Luthor.
I really hated this movie. My head hurt after seeing it and the story is beyond awful. Watch the 1980s cartoon movie. That at least has some drama and a few characters to like.
YO JOE!!!
I'll start with the positive. I don't think this movie is a sequel. The look of Cobra Commander is completely different and thank God it is. In the previous movie he looked like crap. Now he actually looks like Cobra Commander. Another reason I don't think it's a sequel is because Storm Shadow is in the movie. In the first one, Storm Shadow died. Now he's fine. Maybe he got better. Either that or Storm Shadow is our lord and savior. And another thing... all the characters from the original G.I. Joe movie are all gone. Yeah, Duke is in the movie... but then he dies at the end of Act I so don't get too attached. Destro is in it as well, but he dies before Duke. And we really only see his eyes... kinda... so don't expect him in the next movie. Everyone else is noticeably MIA. There's no Baroness, no General Hawk, no Heavy Duty... They don't appear in the movie and we are left to assume they were all killed. Why? More on that later.
Now it's time to shift gears and go into frothing at the mouth rage. THIS MOVIE IS UNWATCHABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! It physically hurts to watch it. The director, Jon Chu, before doing this movie did a series of dance and music related movies. And it shows. There's no way in hell he has ever shot an action scene before in his life. It's all this Michael Bay/Mark Neveldine style of action scene that is physically painful. It's a simple formula for stock/no talent directing: 1) get the shot as close as possible while still barely able to make out what the hell it is the audience is looking at. 2) Lower the frame rate so everything gets a little blurry. That way it mimics speed lines from old 1980's Japanese anime. 3) Shake the f***ing camera as much as humanly possible. And finally 4) Whatever you do, don't have any camera angle last longer than 2 seconds. IT'S GOD AWFUL!!!! It's all about distraction. Don't let the audience see what is going on! When you realize the people we are watching can't actually fight, then the illusion is ruined. So, it's better for the audience to not see the action scenes quite so clearly.
If you don't want the audience to see the action scenes too clearly... DON'T F***ING MAKE THE ACTION SCENES SO G**D*** LONG!!!!!!!!!!! Here's the movie format: action... action... talk... action... action... action... filler... action... action... exposition... action... action... action... transition... action... action... action... info dump... action... action... action... action... End.
Oh let's talk about the story now. Because I feel I have to explain this to the morons who wrote and put this movie together. It's a movie. Do you know why it's called a "movie"? Well, it's because a long time ago, they used to be called a "motion picture." Picture: as in something we see. And Motion: as in it moves. If this sounds condescending, it's because it is. Because that's how I feel after watching G.I. Joe Retaliation. I feel condescended to. Understand this filmmakers: action scenes de-void of context are just noise. Flashy scenes for the sake of having a flashy scene is not cool. Story matters. Characters matter. If you think a quick expulsion of info dump equals character development... I have news for you... it doesn't.
Let me talk about the characters while I start poking holes in a very flimsy story. I'm going to start with Roadblock. What do we know about him? He has two daughters. And I can only assume they were issued to him along with his uniform. He doesn't have a wife. Or if he does we never see her. It's quite the plot hole too because he has a very nice house and when he is declared dead, he's able to go right up to his house with daughters right there waiting for him. I know what you're thinking. That's pretty small. Nothing to really get upset about. Oh wait. It gets better.
Now we are going to talk about Jinx. Here's what I know about her. She's a woman. And looks kind of Asian. Elodie Yung of course is half Cambodian/half French. RZA had a small little throw away line that really bothered me. He said, "I know you think she is a spy Snake eyes." And right there I was just waiting for some elaboration. I CAN COUNT THE NUMBER OF LINES SHE SAYS IN THE MOVIE ON ONE HAND!!!!! You can't just throw things out there like that! What does she do to win over Snake Eyes? What does she say to prove she isn't a spy? Either have her in the movie or don't! Is she in the movie? She has an action scene or two but her presence is largely ignored.
Since we are talking about bad ass females being largely ignored, let's talk about Lady Jaye. It's not until an hour into the movie we get anything that resembles character development. We still don't know anything about her. We never get any kind of personality. She looks hot and that's about it.
The story is basically what you see in the trailers. Zartan is still impersonating the President of the US. He is planning to release Cobra Commander and they in tern are going to build a new weapons system, kill off all the Joes, hold all the nuclear nations hostage, and... you guessed it... take over the world. And they succeed. Until the Joes defeat Cobra and make the world safe for nuclear proliferation.
But I have to say the number one thing that really pissed me off was Storm Shadow. When you established that Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow have a blood feud going. One where Storm Shadow has taken rather extreme measures to never speak again until he has avenged his master and defeated Storm Shadow, having them fight side-by-side doesn't really appear to be on the menu. But that isn't a problem. We'll just have a quick five minute talky scene and fix that right up. Now all the ninjas are good guys and are fighting Cobra... because Lee Byung-Hun and Ray Park are awesome fighters. Yes, I know in the comics Storm Shadow switches sides... a lot. But this movie never earned that. It only takes five minutes of talking to completely re-write the relationship between blood enemies? That's a lot like saying in a few minutes we can get Superman to work for Lex Luthor.
I really hated this movie. My head hurt after seeing it and the story is beyond awful. Watch the 1980s cartoon movie. That at least has some drama and a few characters to like.
YO JOE!!!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Movie News and Thoughts: Prometheus sequel
http://io9.com/is-the-prometheus-sequel-stalled-out-just-because-nobod-461244398
In some ways I'm not surprised, but I am disappointed. If you read the article I linked above, it talks about how the sequel to Prometheus has been stalled because of a very embarrassing situation; or at least it would be if anyone in this situation could feel embarrassment.
If you haven't read it yet, I'll summarize: Prometheus made around $400 million. And the way the movie ended was pure sequel bait. The script writer, Jon Spaihts, wrote the movie as a stand alone prequel to Ridley Scott's Alien made back in 1979. Well, the studio didn't really trust Spaihts to write a good script because he's a relatively newcomer so they brought in Damon Lindelof of Lost fame to polish up the script.
On the surface that doesn't seem like a problem. Spaihts isn't very well known. His only other work prior to Prometheus was a little known movie called, "The Darkest Hour". It was far from a blockbuster hit movie.
Which raises my first question: why did the studio tap an unknown screenwriter to write what was a sure multimillion dollar project? It's Ridley Scott directing a brand new "Alien" movie. That alone guarantees hundreds of millions of dollars. Did they not think the script deserved close attention? My guess would be the same problem with a lot of sci-fi movies these days: more money for effects, less for story. More money for top tier talented actors to plaster on the poster, less for dialog. If the studio felt they couldn't trust Spaihts to write a good story, so much they brought in Lindelof, why give him the assignment in the first place? The only answer I can think of is the agreed to do it cheaper.
I don't claim to be a brilliant writer, but I do know a few infallible fact about writing: (1) writers hate mandated re-writes and (2) when writers don't get along on a project, things get bad and quickly. That's largely what happened. The studio wanted to milk this out for as much as they could. They didn't want just one movie. They wanted a trilogy. So the studio told the writers to change the ending to lead into a trilogy. And the ending we got was about as clear as mud.
Since Lindelof was the guy to change the ending, and now he's on record saying he won't be involved in the sequel, the trilogy is in limbo.
And that's where I have to ask my next question: who should take the blame for this mess?
Can I blame the writers? It's a little hard to blame Spaihts because he did his job. At least according to this story he wrote a script that was to be a stand alone movie. Then the studio changed it's mind and wanted a trilogy. While the script wasn't very good, it at least had a different ending. Lindelof probably wasn't the guy to convince the studio to expand it into a trilogy. The studio saw dollar signs everywhere and wanted to cash in while they still had Ridley Scott committed to this project. He was brought in to edit. He did that. When asked to change the ending, he did it.
I definitely blame Fox Entertainment for the demands in the first place. Instead of having a good product that would make them hundreds of millions, they wanted three that would make them hundreds of millions. But that's par for the course. That is what the entertainment industry does. They don't care about art or quality, they care about how much money they can make. I think they have to share in some of the blame, but that's also a sign of the times.
How about Ridley Scott? I think if he didn't like the ending or objected to the demands of the studios, he could've walked off the project. If he did that, I doubt nearly as many people would've seen Prometheus. The movie wasn't really sold as an "Alien" sequel. It was sold as Ridley Scott coming out with a new sci-fi movie. We're talking about the guy who did Alien and Blade Runner; must see movies for any sci-fi fan.
In the end I really just have to blame this on a lack of foresight. If the ending is going to be changed, if the plan is going to be changed, then the trilogy should already be written. This isn't like playing a sport where if something goes wrong you make adjustments as you go. Writing is all about knowing what you are saying and how you want to say it. Even if the script for the other movies aren't done, there should be a clear path the movies should take. That isn't the case here and that's why everyone is panicking about what they are going to do for Prometheus 2.
If I were to give my suggestion it would be to pull the abort switch on the trilogy. Make a sequel, yes. Let's clean up the mistakes as best as possible, let's get the xenomorphs, establish the face-huggers... just fix the damage already done and end it. Have Dr. Shaw meet the giant albino aliens, have her learn all about their plans and how the plans went just horribly wrong and they created the xenomorphs by accident, and then I would say kill her off so nobody ever knows what she found.
Would that make these movies completely pointless? YES! They are already completely pointless. The point of the film was to build the scenario that brought the Nostromo to the planet in the first place. But a lot of the scares we get in Alien was that they were on a planet that they knew nothing about! The audience knew nothing about what was down there! That is what helped suck you in to the movie! We know now! What is down there? Oh it's xenomorphic aliens that lay eggs in your chest and when they hatch rip right out of you, bleed acid, and are insatiable killing machines.
The 'prequel' shouldn't have happened in the first place. The best thing they can do is cut their losses.
In some ways I'm not surprised, but I am disappointed. If you read the article I linked above, it talks about how the sequel to Prometheus has been stalled because of a very embarrassing situation; or at least it would be if anyone in this situation could feel embarrassment.
If you haven't read it yet, I'll summarize: Prometheus made around $400 million. And the way the movie ended was pure sequel bait. The script writer, Jon Spaihts, wrote the movie as a stand alone prequel to Ridley Scott's Alien made back in 1979. Well, the studio didn't really trust Spaihts to write a good script because he's a relatively newcomer so they brought in Damon Lindelof of Lost fame to polish up the script.
On the surface that doesn't seem like a problem. Spaihts isn't very well known. His only other work prior to Prometheus was a little known movie called, "The Darkest Hour". It was far from a blockbuster hit movie.
Which raises my first question: why did the studio tap an unknown screenwriter to write what was a sure multimillion dollar project? It's Ridley Scott directing a brand new "Alien" movie. That alone guarantees hundreds of millions of dollars. Did they not think the script deserved close attention? My guess would be the same problem with a lot of sci-fi movies these days: more money for effects, less for story. More money for top tier talented actors to plaster on the poster, less for dialog. If the studio felt they couldn't trust Spaihts to write a good story, so much they brought in Lindelof, why give him the assignment in the first place? The only answer I can think of is the agreed to do it cheaper.
I don't claim to be a brilliant writer, but I do know a few infallible fact about writing: (1) writers hate mandated re-writes and (2) when writers don't get along on a project, things get bad and quickly. That's largely what happened. The studio wanted to milk this out for as much as they could. They didn't want just one movie. They wanted a trilogy. So the studio told the writers to change the ending to lead into a trilogy. And the ending we got was about as clear as mud.
Since Lindelof was the guy to change the ending, and now he's on record saying he won't be involved in the sequel, the trilogy is in limbo.
And that's where I have to ask my next question: who should take the blame for this mess?
Can I blame the writers? It's a little hard to blame Spaihts because he did his job. At least according to this story he wrote a script that was to be a stand alone movie. Then the studio changed it's mind and wanted a trilogy. While the script wasn't very good, it at least had a different ending. Lindelof probably wasn't the guy to convince the studio to expand it into a trilogy. The studio saw dollar signs everywhere and wanted to cash in while they still had Ridley Scott committed to this project. He was brought in to edit. He did that. When asked to change the ending, he did it.
I definitely blame Fox Entertainment for the demands in the first place. Instead of having a good product that would make them hundreds of millions, they wanted three that would make them hundreds of millions. But that's par for the course. That is what the entertainment industry does. They don't care about art or quality, they care about how much money they can make. I think they have to share in some of the blame, but that's also a sign of the times.
How about Ridley Scott? I think if he didn't like the ending or objected to the demands of the studios, he could've walked off the project. If he did that, I doubt nearly as many people would've seen Prometheus. The movie wasn't really sold as an "Alien" sequel. It was sold as Ridley Scott coming out with a new sci-fi movie. We're talking about the guy who did Alien and Blade Runner; must see movies for any sci-fi fan.
In the end I really just have to blame this on a lack of foresight. If the ending is going to be changed, if the plan is going to be changed, then the trilogy should already be written. This isn't like playing a sport where if something goes wrong you make adjustments as you go. Writing is all about knowing what you are saying and how you want to say it. Even if the script for the other movies aren't done, there should be a clear path the movies should take. That isn't the case here and that's why everyone is panicking about what they are going to do for Prometheus 2.
If I were to give my suggestion it would be to pull the abort switch on the trilogy. Make a sequel, yes. Let's clean up the mistakes as best as possible, let's get the xenomorphs, establish the face-huggers... just fix the damage already done and end it. Have Dr. Shaw meet the giant albino aliens, have her learn all about their plans and how the plans went just horribly wrong and they created the xenomorphs by accident, and then I would say kill her off so nobody ever knows what she found.
Would that make these movies completely pointless? YES! They are already completely pointless. The point of the film was to build the scenario that brought the Nostromo to the planet in the first place. But a lot of the scares we get in Alien was that they were on a planet that they knew nothing about! The audience knew nothing about what was down there! That is what helped suck you in to the movie! We know now! What is down there? Oh it's xenomorphic aliens that lay eggs in your chest and when they hatch rip right out of you, bleed acid, and are insatiable killing machines.
The 'prequel' shouldn't have happened in the first place. The best thing they can do is cut their losses.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Coming Soon: 3/29/13
Hello and welcome back to the fun and games that is my website. I'm back, and I'm ready to go. Here's what is coming out this week.
1) G.I. JOE RETALIATION: Not only must they continue their never ending fight with Cobra, but now they struggle with elements within the US government.
The Good: There's a lot of solid action.
The Bad: Did you even see the first one?
Final Thoughts: The first G.I. Joe movie was horrible. My expectations for this one are just as low and that might be a good thing.
2) THE HOST: A story of how love conquers all involving alien body snatchers.
The Good: Not...a...thing...
The Bad: It's another Stephanie Meyer abomination meant to attract 12-year-old girls.
Final Thoughts: Guys, bring a book. Pre-teen girls, have fun. If nothing else it will be good for a few laughs.
3) TEMPTATION: A look at the nature of lust and infidelity.
The Good: Oh you have got to be kidding me.
The Bad: The original title was Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor. Yeah. That's about the quality of this movie.
Final Thoughts: Tyler Perry just needs to stop. He's a terrible writer/director.
This is normally where I say "see you at the movies" but I'd recommend against it this week.
1) G.I. JOE RETALIATION: Not only must they continue their never ending fight with Cobra, but now they struggle with elements within the US government.
The Good: There's a lot of solid action.
The Bad: Did you even see the first one?
Final Thoughts: The first G.I. Joe movie was horrible. My expectations for this one are just as low and that might be a good thing.
2) THE HOST: A story of how love conquers all involving alien body snatchers.
The Good: Not...a...thing...
The Bad: It's another Stephanie Meyer abomination meant to attract 12-year-old girls.
Final Thoughts: Guys, bring a book. Pre-teen girls, have fun. If nothing else it will be good for a few laughs.
3) TEMPTATION: A look at the nature of lust and infidelity.
The Good: Oh you have got to be kidding me.
The Bad: The original title was Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor. Yeah. That's about the quality of this movie.
Final Thoughts: Tyler Perry just needs to stop. He's a terrible writer/director.
This is normally where I say "see you at the movies" but I'd recommend against it this week.
Friday, March 22, 2013
My apologies
I'm sorry I haven't been doing many articles lately. I've been preparing to start a new job, plus karate training, and then to top it off my computer goes belly up. I bought a new one and I'm still getting used to it. Windows 8 is quite a bit different than what I'm used to. I'm not even sure I have everything squared away on this thing yet. I haven't even begun to install everything I want to. I promise, next week I'm back at it.
I did see Oz: The Great and Powerful. If you want my quick review, it's a good movie but not quite as whimsical as The Wizard of Oz. It is a bit disturbing at times so leave the little kiddies at home.
I did see Oz: The Great and Powerful. If you want my quick review, it's a good movie but not quite as whimsical as The Wizard of Oz. It is a bit disturbing at times so leave the little kiddies at home.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Coming Soon: 3/8/13
Ever have that feeling like you just can't catch a break? This week I caught a cold, and then my computer died on me. Well, I'm feeling fine now and my computer is working so here is what is coming out today.
1) OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL: A prequel to the classic movie The Wizard of Oz.
The Good: It's a good cast and hopefully a good addition to the old Judy Garland movie.
The Bad: It looks to rely more on computer effects to establish setting more than genuine atmosphere.
Final Thoughts: The original 1939 movie had purpose behind it. Dorothy in Oz was also a trip through her own mind. The Wizard of Oz was just as much a musical as it was a standard movie. The sequel Return to Oz, while more faithful to the source material, was a much darker type story and one not many were accustomed to. Everyone my age has seen The Wizard of Oz at least once and I can't imagine many people asking for a prequel to a movie made over 70 years ago. I'm planning to see it, but I'm going in with guarded optimism.
2) DEAD MAN DOWN: Two strangers find love as they both search for revenge.
The Good: Director Niels Arden Oplev and Noomi Rapace just killed it in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy in Sweden.
The Bad: It's being promoted by the WWE. Not exactly a mark of quality.
Final Thoughts: WWE studios has yet to make a movie worth the celluloid it's printed on but then again I think Noomi Rapace is a brilliant actress and Oplev is a gifted director. My needle is leaning towards the 'go see it' but only slightly.
See you at the movies
1) OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL: A prequel to the classic movie The Wizard of Oz.
The Good: It's a good cast and hopefully a good addition to the old Judy Garland movie.
The Bad: It looks to rely more on computer effects to establish setting more than genuine atmosphere.
Final Thoughts: The original 1939 movie had purpose behind it. Dorothy in Oz was also a trip through her own mind. The Wizard of Oz was just as much a musical as it was a standard movie. The sequel Return to Oz, while more faithful to the source material, was a much darker type story and one not many were accustomed to. Everyone my age has seen The Wizard of Oz at least once and I can't imagine many people asking for a prequel to a movie made over 70 years ago. I'm planning to see it, but I'm going in with guarded optimism.
2) DEAD MAN DOWN: Two strangers find love as they both search for revenge.
The Good: Director Niels Arden Oplev and Noomi Rapace just killed it in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy in Sweden.
The Bad: It's being promoted by the WWE. Not exactly a mark of quality.
Final Thoughts: WWE studios has yet to make a movie worth the celluloid it's printed on but then again I think Noomi Rapace is a brilliant actress and Oplev is a gifted director. My needle is leaning towards the 'go see it' but only slightly.
See you at the movies
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