T Spot

LOST: We Know What Kate Does. What's Up with Claire? (Answers and a lot of Questions)

(spoilers are a given) I'm breaking from the usual movie topics because Lost is burning a whole in my head right now. This is the first season I've watched the episodes as they've aired and I'm starting to regret it. This is more stressful than finals week of a 20 credit semester (which thankfully is something I've never had to endure). But before I trudge through the black fog of confusion, lets take a look at some of the answers this week gave us.

Facts...sort of.

-It would seem Ethan was only creepy/evil/partially retarded because he was on the Island. In the "new reality" he seems very friendly and helpful. On that note, the parallels between the new time line and the old time line are fairly entertaining.

-Sayid's resurrection has some strings attached. Apparently he is infected and the new others (or nothers) want to kill him...maybe. That would seem counterproductive since they need him alive for some unknown reason.

-Jack doesn't trust anyone...including himself. Not a surprise but its good to hear him say it. Also, he is still very bent on saving everyone.

-Sawyer and Juliette weren't married, but they were close. I don't know about everyone else, but I was never entirely sure on their full status. Its good to know (and very sad. Personally I blame Kate for that whole situation).

-Claire is alive...ish. I can imagine since she is setting traps and carrying a gun she isn't a ghostly presence like Christian. On the other hand, she doesn't seem to be invincible like Evil-Locke (assuming the nemesis is evil of course). However, the new others say she is infected which could possibly mean...

-Russo wasn't crazy. Okay, lets be honest, Russo is nuttier than a Salted Nut Roll covered in peanut butter, but she might have been right about the infection all along which brings me too....

SWIGO (Seriously, what is going on!?)

-There actually is an infection that exists on the island? Is it the Nemesis? Is that what kills the babies before they're born? Was the medicine Ethan gave Claire back when she was prego the same thing the Japanese guy was trying to give Sayid?

-Speaking of Mr. Last Samurai and his translator (aka John Lennon with a mustache), do they want Sayid dead? I would think if they were going to kill him, they would have just shot him or stabbed him with the hot poker (which would be really rude and unnecessary). Maybe the pill was poison but would it have killed Sayid? I'm doubtful because everyone seems to be needed alive. This brings up the question...

-Why does everyone need to be alive? I can only imagine the note that Jacob had in the cross that was in the guitar case had a list of all of their names and said that all of them needed to be present and alive. Why? Why? Why!? This probably isn't something we are going to get to find out about soon, however, it will most certainly get answered eventually.

-How relevant is the alternate time line going to be? Am I the only one finding it a little odd watching this new reality unfold when all of my real questions and concerns lie back on the island. How are these two going to come together? Will the events unfolding hold some significance or are they simply there to screw with us? Given Lost's ability to tie the most random things together, I cant only imagine the two will connect somehow, but for now, I'm....lost for words.

Thoughts? Theories? Please share and I will respond because this will be about the only thing in my head for the next week. Stupid Lost. Man I love this show.

P.S. If you are a true lost fan, check out lostpedia for an obscene amount of info and theories.

Does Avatar Really Deserve $2 Billion? Does it Really Deserve the Oscar for Best Picture.

The year was 1997, the movie was Titanic. Made on a very high budget with two fresh, young leads and a director who had predominately given us some great Sci-fi, Titanic was hardly a sure thing when it was released. But unlike the historically epic-fail of a ship it was based on, Titanic went on to clean up at the Oscars and earn the highest gross of any movie (when not adjusted for inflation. Otherwise, its Gone With the Wind, another romantically centered, period epic). To this day, some people don't get how Titanic did it. I don't think its hard to understand. Even as a naive, immature junior high boy, I enjoyed the movie when I saw it in theatres (and not because of the drawing scene that snuck its way into a PG-13 movie, you pervs).

Titanic essentially as it all. It has a rich, historic base and feels very authentic on this part. The ship looks fantastic, even today. The movie also ends in a very Roland Emmerich disaster movie fashion. People are screaming and dying, things are blowing up and sinking in freezing cold water. Everyone loves a little destruction. And yes, at the movies heart is this romance that goes beyond social classes (not to mention cross-cultural). At the very least, Jack and Rose's romance seemed less boring and forced than your standard rom-com characters. Also, I have to mention the music. No, not the Celine Dion song but the Academy Award winning score by James Horner. With its almost Celtic flair, the music truly is beautiful.

Now, we have Avatar, a movie by the same director, James Cameron. Its funny that I originally had a post entitled "Should you Care about Avatar?" when now that doesn't seem to be a question at all. At the time, I feared Avatar might be under appreciated but it would seem, in a cruel twist of irony, Avatar has become over appreciated. I liked Avatar. I saw it twice, once in 3D. But seriously, I'm not seeing the big deal.

Yes, the 3D is fancy (and also brings in more money than traditional theatre tickets which could partially explain the abnormal gross this movie has had). The effects are pretty and all, but does it seem that much better than Transformers 2's effects? Or, dare I say, the top video game cutscenes out there? And even still, good effects does not a great movie make (and yes, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, and even Titanic were about much more than their special effects).

If Avatar is supposed to be a romance, its alright but hardly anything spectacular, original, or surprising. If its supposed to be a thinly veiled critique on current politics and wars, its awfully one-sided and far-fetched. If its an eco-friendly, environmental movie, then its actually not as forced as they typically are. Still, the world of Pandora is a bit different than ours (unless we have yet to discover how to plug into earth) and its hypocritical in the fact that its taken great advances in technology for this movie to even be possible. Finally, the music, while pretty, its basically a sampler mix of everything James Horner has done over the past 20-30 years.

Then there is all the talk about it winning best picture at the Oscars. I never expected this to actually happen until it won the Golden Globe for best picture. Its not the best movie of 2009 (I would personally say Hurt Locker...or just about any of the movies nominated for best picture). Its not even the best Sci-Fi movie of 2009. That goes to Star Trek which had more interesting characters, a much sharper script, a better villain, more emotional moments, and just as pretty of effects. Seriously people, its not even James Cameron's best movie (I'd go with Terminator 2).

Now I liked Avatar and it is an impressive, roller coaster spectacle. Maybe that's enough for it to be the highest grossing movie of all time. But it isn't enough for people to say its the best movie of the year (much less all time). Great movies are often defined and remembered by specific moments. Even Titanic had its "King of the World" and "Never let go Rose". Cheesy? Sure, but don't tell me you haven't stood on top of something, spread out your arms, and shouted out you're the king of the world. What's to be remembered here? I see you? You're like a baby? When the flash has faded and our eyes re-adjust, what will we really remember about Avatar?

Don't Care for the Teams in the Super Bowl? Then Care about Movie Previews!

Two weeks ago, I was cheering for Vikings. Needless to say, I was left with a taste in my mouth more bitter than year old milk. Yet, I'm still excited about the super that's actually going on as I write this post. Why? Well, I'll give you a hint. Its not because of the half-time show. I respect what the Who have given to music, but seriously, could we have something a little more modern? Anyway, to the point, the Super Bowl for years now has given us some great sneak peaks at upcoming movies. In case you missed these previews or want to watch them again, I've included them below. More importantly, I'm here to give you the skinny on these movies (whatever giving you the skinny means).

Shutter Island-
I'm going to start off with the best. When you take the man who gave us Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, The Aviator, Gangs of New York, Raging Bull, and The Departed and have him direct a movie based on a book by the guy who wrote Mystic River and Gone Baby, Gone, its pretty much guaranteed that the movie will be one of the years best. Expect a trippy, cerebral ghost story with big mysteries and strong characters played by Leo DiCaps and Jackie Earle Haley (who did an amazing job as Rorschach in Watchmen).

Robin Hood-
Ridley Scott and Russel Crowe go together like...well, like Martin Scorcese and Leonardo DiCaprio. Its nice to see Scott return to a period piece. This movie originally started off as a story about the Sheriff of Nottingham before becoming a more traditional Robin Hood story. Hopefully that will give it an original take on the material. Either way, expect a gorgeous looking movie with more flaming arrows than you can shake a sword at. And lets be honest, Crowe is going to be a way better Robin Hood than Kevin Costner could dream of being. The question is, are they going to have a villain as great as Alan Rickman?

The Last Airbender-
Also known as the other Avatar, this movie brings to life the very popular Nickelodeon cartoon. And its handled by none other than M. Night Shaymalan himself. I'd probably feel more excited about this movie if A: I actually watched the cartoon or B: M. Night's movies didn't get progressively worse over the years. Who knows, maybe this movie will be a comeback for the man who was once dubbed the next Speilburg. One thing is for certain, its not going to make near as much money as the current Avatar.

Alice in Wonderland-
The movie it would seem Tim Burton was born to direct. Beautifully creepy, magically dreary, this is the way Alice in Wonderland is always talked about but never seen (unless you count American McGee's Alice in Wonderland video game which is actually getting a sequel). For more info and the full trailer, check my previous post here.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time-
As this movie gets closer and closer, I get more and more excited. I originally talked about this film when the trailer first premiered, and needless to say, I had my reservations. All I want is a good video game movie and the Prince of Persia series is known for good stories. With a large budget, the director of Goblet of Fire and Donnie Brasco, and a very talented cast, this could be the film to shut Roger Ebert up and make him except that not all video games are stupid.

Iron Man 2....MIA
Iron Man 2 was originally supposed to have a spot in the Super Bowl. Sadly, it was pulled out. Why? Probably because everyone knows already that this movie is going to be amazing. I guess while we wait for the movie to come out, you can always go and rewatch the original teaser trailer.

Spider-Man Franchise Rebooted Leaving Me with Mixed Feelings...

In 2002's Spider-Man, the Green Goblin gives this fantastic line:

But the one thing they love more than a hero, is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying. In spite of everything you have done for them, eventually they will hate you. Why bother?

No one would have guessed that this is exactly what would happen to the Spider-man Franchise. Despite bringing in millions of dollars, despite showing that comic films could have deep characters with real life problems, and despite pioneering modern CG-to real life transitions (and it has the Oscars to prove it), when Spiderman 3 failed to measure up to the first two, people started acting like the franchise always sucked. It hurts me to see people act like this, but the Green Goblin was right. Movie audiences are fickel and flakey, often so afraid to see the good through the bad.

Getting to the point here, in case you didn't know, up till about 2 weeks ago Spider-man 4 was in the works with the same director, same leads, and all that jazz. However, the studio was really putting the hammer down on Sam Raimi (the director) on the time frame situation. Many of the problems with the 3rd movie were blamed on the studio meddling far more than they did on the second (and best) Spider-man film. Raimi ultimatly refused to rush the production into the studio's time frame (probably due to the above reasons) and the studio decided to restart the franchise (which will only delay the film more, leaving me to question their logic).

What bugs me is how many people are saying this is such a great thing. Yeah I get it! We were all disappointed in Spider-Man 3. But that's only because we were all so excited about it. And why were we excited? Because Spider-Man 2 at the time of its release was the greatest superhero movie in existence (yeah, I said it so back off). Why was it? Because it did essentially what Batman Begins did before Batman Begins came out (and it had better handled action scenes). Spider-Man 2 gave us a superhero movie that was simply a good movie in and of itself. It had characters with normal, real world problems, scared to accept their destiny and more so, scared that their destiny will only hurt the one's they love.

Also, Spider-Man 2 gave us this great, tormented villain. I wasn't particularly excited about Doc Oc being the villain, but he was handled so wonderfully. Here was this man, manipulated by his own creation, bent on finishing his work for the greater good so his wife's death wouldn't be in vain. When he finally realizes the ere of his ways and sacrifices himself in the end, I was left completely satisfied with his character's journey (which is not something that can always be said). In so many ways he is the exact opposite of the Dark Knight's Joker (and Alfred Molina does just as fine of a job as Heith Ledger did, its just eccentric characters always get the attention [but Heith was amazing, I'm not arguing that]).

It's not that I'm not looking forward to the reboot. A sort of Ultimate Spider-man run could be really good. Also, the new movie will be directed by 500 Days of Summer director Mark Webb who could bring a great aspect to the film, not to mention his last name seems like a sign from God Himself. Webb has also directed an obscene amount of music videos including the MCR videos "Ghost of You", "Helena", and "I'm Not Okay" which are three of the most entertaining, re-watchable, and cinematic music videos I've ever seen. I have a great amount of confidence for the reboot.

What bugs me is that, much like Brett Favre, Sam Raimi is ending on a sour defeat. A fourth (and maybe 5th and 6th) movie could have given him a chance at redemption and all would have seen Spider-Man 3 as a simple misstep (which is what it was). Heck, if four would have been really good people probably would have started saying that 3 wasn't even that bad (which at the very least it was better than both Fantastic Four films, X-Men 3, and probably Wolverine). And anyone who saw Drag Me to Hell (Raimi's most recent movie) knows this is a man who is only continuing to get better at his craft.

Now, we are left wondering and the new Spider-Man will probably be great and cause people to either forget or ignorantly hate on Raimi's entire franchise (much like the effect Batman Begins and the Dark Knight had on Batman and Batman Returns). Its very bittersweet. For now, I guess we play the waiting game (since the new film is projected for 2012). At least we have Iron Man 2. Let me know your thoughts!

P.S. For those who think I'm going overboard on Spider-Man 2, think again. First of all, Spider-Man 2 is the second highest reviewed superhero movie of all time, following very closely behind the Dark Knight (that's right, it was rated higher than Iron Man). According to speculation, it was very close to being nominated for the Oscar of best adapted Screenplay (which is rare if not unheard of for a comic) and some believed it deserving of a Best Picture (which it deserved more than Avatar does). Without the wit, humor, and memorable characters of Spider-Man 2 (not to mention the great blend of computer and real life), the Iron Man film we know and love may have never happened. But seriously, I think Roger Ebert said it best with this from his review of Spider-Man 2...

"The best superhero movie since the modern genre was launched with Superman (1978)" ... "It's a real movie, full-blooded and smart, with qualities even for those who have no idea who Stan Lee is. It's a superhero movie for people who don't go to superhero movies, and for those who do, it's the one they've been yearning for."

Star Wars Re-released in 3D: Am I the Only One Who's Excited?

Generally speaking, this isn't new news. George Lucas has been talking about re-releasing the entire series in theatres and doing so in 3D since Revenge of the Sith came out. However, it wasn't until seeing Avatar and its magnificent use of 3D that he decided the technology and support is ready. After experiencing the immersion of 3D in Avatar, I can't help but think this has potential to be amazing. The thing is, almost all reactions I've read about it are quite negative.

Now, I get what some people's problems are. George has re-released the originals many times and has a tendency to change them every time he does. The only true problem I had with the re-edits (outside of fully believing that Han did shoot first) is that nearly unbearable musical number that was added at the beginning of Return of the Jedi. Honestly, if George was going to make a change to Jedi, he should have tried editing out the Ewoks rather than change the first (and much stronger) half of the movie. But honestly, I can't see him changing much more outside of tweaking some special effects, and when it comes to that, I honestly don't have a huge problem. Give me a second to defend myself before you start cursing at me.

Since the original trilogy comes after the new movies, the graphics jump between the two can be jarring when you watch them in chronological order. Therefore, tweaking the effects to "bridge the gap" and ensure a more cohesive movie experience seems, at the very least, justifiable. Also, the whole point of special effects shots is to blend into the rest of the movie and keep the illusion going. If the effects look bad and dated that runs the risk of taking people out of the moment (and in some cases causing them to laugh out loud). Of course then some snob-ier Star Wars "fans" would say you should just skip the new trilogy all together which brings me to a major point of my excitement. Lucas will undoubtedly re-edit the new movies and lets be honest, episode 1 and 2 could only benefit from this.

The obvious green screen effect that exists in all of the new movies could be greatly reduced with today's technology. Look at Avatar. The combo was of live action and CG was seamless. I also like to think that Lucas isn't above changing Jar Jar's voice and maybe taking out a few of Anakin's yippies in Episode 1. Granted, there isn't going to be a way for technology to add chemistry between Natalie Portman and Hayden Christianson. Still, its Star Wars! In 3D! I still remember being 12 and watching Episode 1 in theatres and being blown away by the final lightsaber duel. Sure the movie doesn't seem near as good to me now, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't love to see that movie in theatres again in 3D.

If I am going to be truly honest here though folks, I want to see the original trilogy in theatres, especially Empire Strikes Back. I've watched those movies an obscene amount of times, but the thought of seeing them on the big screen (and in 3D), I can share the experience that drove so many modern filmmakers to become the people they are today. Star Wars inspired endless lists of things and that started in the theatres. So for the haters, the bitter people, the negative people that no one ever wants to be around, let me have this. I deserve the chance to see the originals the way they were meant to be seen (even if it isn't in their original state).

But enough about me, what do you guys think? Leave feedback, be blunt, be honest.

P.S. If they could tweak or cut the "NNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" scream at the end of Episode 3, I would probably rate that movie a whole 5 to 10 % higher. Serious, the scream kills all the momentum at the end.

Daybreakers: A Real Vampire Movie with More Vampires than You Can Shake a Cross At!

For all my loyal devotees (of which I'm sure there are depressingly few), you probably first heard about Daybreakers in my post-summer movie preview. I was so in love with the trailer for the movie that I re-mentioned it when I talked about the Alice in Wonderland trailer. Truth be told, I like vampires...alot. I've been told on different occasions that I look vampiresque (made up word), which given vampires history of being sexually desirable beings of power, I'll take that as a compliment (albeit a creepy one).

Nowadays, vampires have seen a resurgence in popularity thanks to the Twilight saga. However, Twilight vampires in so many ways aren't real vampires (though the Vulturi come close for all you Twi-hard fans). Being a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, I'm all about traditional vampires. They can't go in sunlight, a stake through the heart kills them, their thirst for blood is near uncontrollable, most are evil, and a cross burns them. Now Daybreakers takes out the cross, but the rest is there.

The set up for Daybreakers is genius (though not wholly original as its been glimpsed in Blade and other tales too I'm sure): A wolrd where vampires reign supreme and harvest the remaining humans for blood. As with any good story, there is a big problem. Humans are nearing extinction and the vampires are running out of the blood. The movie does a great job of not only creating a believable vampire world but a believable futuristic world. Those two elements come together wonderfully. Of course, the world and visuals are aided greatly by some sharp direction.

The movie is directed by the Spierig Brothers (who I keep getting confused with the Hughes brothers who just put out Book of Eli). Daybreakers is their second film, but first noteworthy release. One thing is clear: If these guys learn to control some of their excesses, they could make some truly captivating movies in the future. The opening scene is beautifully (and tragically) shot. The movie does a great job of contrasting its rare sunny moments with the bleakness of the world the vampires occupy. Most of the movie has a Minority Report look to it which is by no means an insult. From the glowing eyes, to the subtle pointed teeth, the vampires range from deeply foreboding to just f-ing creepy in the case of children. I also want to make special note of the opening credits which did a great job of setting the mood.

However, as great as the set up is as well as the opening cinematography, the movie starts to come apart at the halfway-ish point. Its nothing severe, but it becomes less interesting and a bit more formulaic. This wouldn't be too bad except there was a scene or two at the end that darn near almost ruined the movie. The plots final twist is a great touch. Sadly, like the vampires which occupy it, this film gives into its savage blood-lust. I like gore, I like blood. Really, I do. However, there are a few shots that completely ruin what should be serious and powerful moments. I would go as far as to say if about 30 seconds of various shots during the climax were taken out, we would still have a flawed but better film.

Another problem with the film is the fact that no one seems entirely sure what the central purpose is. I myself thought about it for a good while after. Ultimately, I think its supposed to be the acceptance of death, that stealing another's life so that you can live is the ultimate evil, but maybe I'm digging too deep. The worst part is, if handled a little better and put together a little tighter, this could have been a great vampire movie that would have left its viewers with a lot to talk about. As it stands, its a better than average but mostly forgettable film.

A few closing remarks, Ethan Hawke does a solid job in this movie, playing his usual semi-depressed self (similar to Assault on Precinct 13). The real stand-out however, is Willam Defoe. First off, his name is Elvis, and he is almost never seen without a crossbow. He delivers some fantastic lines that are probably only fantastic because he says them (like pretty much anything Seth Rogan says). The rest of the performances are good and help fill some lack of character development. In the end, my feeling on this movie are best summed up by a quote taken from critic Amy Nicholson:

"[Daybreakers is] interested in societal collapse - that is, when it's not more interested in the super cool way these vampires explode when stabbed."

P.S. I wonder if its pure coincidence that the main character's name is Edward.

Also, comments are always welcome (and very easy to do).

Karate Kid Remake Trailer....is this really necessary?

Remakes have been fairly common in hollywood for a while now. Truth be told, remakes go back a lot further than recent cinema (such as Scarface). It isn't till the past few years though that they have become downright hated by some people. I would say this is in large part due to the many crappy remakes we have had in recent year that add nothing to the original and if anything, ruin its legacy (Rollerball and Texas Chainsaw Massacre come to mind). It seems like this tradition may be continued with the upcoming Karate Kid movie. Watch the trailer here.

Now I'll admit, the original Karate Kid is incredibly dated by its 80's-ness but its still a great zero-to-hero tale held up by the great chemistry between Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita (who got an Oscar nom for his role as Mr. Miyagi. With wax on wax off and the infamous crane kick, the movie is a classic. My problem, however, isn't in the fact that they are remaking it. Its in how they are doing it.

First off, what is with it being little kids. Daniel-son was freshmen-ish in the original but these kids look 12 at the oldest. I can't take their fighting seriously (much like I can't take Jaden Smith's dreds seriously). Also, the whole American kid in Asian land feels a little too "Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift" to me. Another thing that bugs me is the fact that the movie features kung fu instead of karate (which yes, there is a difference). I would assume its because movie audiences are more accustomed to the movements of kung fu, but when something is in the name of the movie, you probably shouldn't cut it out.

My last problem is this: they already tried to remake the karate kid franchise! It was called The Next Kara.te Kid and it starred Hilary Swank (long before she was a two time Oscar winner). That movie failed horribly and I fear this movie will to. It doesn't help that this is the director who gave us The Pink Panther 2 and Agent Cody Banks. The only promising aspect seems to be a surprisingly serious Jackie Chan. It seems he could be a decent Miyagi. Still, Jackie Chan seems to have an agent worse than Vin Diesel's and appears in the crapiest of the crap out there. If you want a remake with some promise, wait for Clash of the Titans.

P.S. Also disappointed that they didn't bring on Bill Conti to do the music. This is the man who not only did the original Karate Kid but gave us the Rocky music (except Eye of the Tiger and those ridiculous power ballads which came from Survivor). He did a great job with Rocky Balboa a few years back and I'm sure he could have brought something good to this movie. Oh well.

Do You Love The Princess Bride? Do You Love Fantasy? Then Go Watch Stardust!

If you are reading this and you're like what in the world is the Princess Bride, you disgust me just a little bit. But its okay because the nice thing about movies is you can always go out and watch them. You should probably do that. Heck, even if you have seen it you should go and watch it again. All refreshed on the Princess Bride? Good, you are almost ready to know if you'll enjoy Stardust.

Now I realize The Princess Bride has some fantastical elements to it, but its arguably as much of a swashbuckling film as it is fantasy (I so rarely get to use swashbuckling). Now, do you enjoy any of the following movies: Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Pan's Labyrinth, or any other movie where a seemingly ordinary world is revealed to be anything but? Yes? Alright, then there is a very good chance you will enjoy Stardust as much as me.

Why did I have the whole screening process at the beginning of this article? I don't really know. Lets move on. Stardust is one of those movies I meant to see ever since it came out but didn't get around to it till a few days ago (which is sad because I've owned it for about 2 months). I usually enter this process of almost renting it or almost buying it and then finally I do. I did this with The Count of Monte Cristo back in the day and I loved that movie too. Stardust centers around a city called Wall which is named so because it lies next to a wall. On the other side of the wall is a magical world named Stormhold where witches and lightening pirates live.

The movie basically revolves around three sets of journeys. One journey is a boy named Tristan who is trying to bring a fallen star to a woman so she will marry him (the woman is Sienna Miller looking not quite as attractive as usual). Also trying to find the star are three witches would want to devour it so they can live forever. Lastly, there are a couple of princes who must find a royal jewel so they can become the next king of Stormhold. Oh, and the princes are continuously trying to kill each other off. The movie is a bit quirky and little dark which make it hilarious and magical all at the same time.

I should also mention that Robert DeNiro is in it and he plays a very..."flamboyant" pirate. Yes, you read that correctly. I have never seen DeNiro be this funny in my life. Its a great contrast to his usual roles. Also in the movie are Michelle Phiefer, Ricky Gervais, Claire Daines, Mark Strong who was just in Sherlock Holmes, and the voice of Ian McKellen himself who is apparently in every other fantasy movie. All of the actors do a wonderful job.

While the movie clearly didn't have the budget of some fantasy movies, it is still quite beautiful, set against mostly open plains and mountain covered backdrops. Finally, I really loved the music. You might have noticed I have a tendency to mention the music in movies. Its something I always pay attention to and here I found it to be...for lack of a better word, magical. The moment towards the beginning when the star is falling out of the sky is just beautiful.

If any of what has been said here intrigues you, please go watch Stardust. If you know me personally you can feel free to borrow my copy. You'll laugh, you'll cheer, you'll wish you could hop over a wall and visit a magical world. Then again, who doesn't wish that?

P.S. I should probably mention that the movie is based on a book by Neil Gaimen so if you enjoy his works you should watch the movie. If you enjoy the movie, you should read the book. There are definitely some strong similarities between this story and Gaimen's book Neverwhere.

Christmas Movie Face Off! Avatar and Sherlock Holmes

Merry Christmas and happy New Year everybody! Its pretty common for there to be a big movie release on Christmas day. What's crazy about 2009 is there were two big movies released just before 2009 ended. Avatar, the new James Cameron film opened a week before Christmas while Sherlock Holmes (starring the current king of cinema, Robert Downey Jr.) released on Christmas day itself. Released two big movies back to back is always a risky move as they can potentially steal each other's money. However this past weekend Avatar made over $70 million while Sherlock Holmes made about $62 million which leads me to believe a lot of people went and saw both. I saw both. Which is the better year end movie? Lets take a look....

I already talked about Avatar in my article here. Check it out for some background info that I won't repeat in this article. Avatar really is a beautiful film and the combination of real actors and CGI is unparalleled. That being said, I can't say I was blown out of my seat like everyone said I would be. The effects were great, probably better than anything else, but it wasn't stuff I hadn't seen before. It wasn't like the first time I saw the bullet dodging in the Matrix, or how real the people looked in the Final Flight of the Osirus, the battle of Helms Deep in Two Towers or even the robots in the first Transformers movie.

Still, the effects were good and the design was amazing. The planet Pandora which the movie takes place on is gorgeous (especially at night) and the film is wonderfully directed with some nice use of slow motion. The actors do a fine job (though lead actor Sam Worthington's accent slips through on a couple of his lines). Personally, I was impressed by Zoe Saldana who played the main female character. In case you couldn't tell under the blue skin, that is the actress who played Uhura in this years Star Trek. I also enjoyed Giovanni Ribsi in his small role as the head of the mining operations on Pandora. On the flip side, I felt the general played by Stephen Lang was too over the top and ultimately, a really flat character.

As far as the story itself, its alright. I never felt particularly inspired by it (partially due to the fact some references to modern day events were too obvious). The romance between the two leads worked well. My biggest problem with the story was I knew exactly where it was going the entire movie. I mean everything. This isn't always a problem in movies, but in this case it made the danger and mystery of Pandora disappear. At the end of the day, the movie is Pocahontas in space, but with really great action. Also, James Horner's music is lovely and if you listen closely, you can hear a cue or two from his Titanic score.

I have to be honest; I was always more excited about Sherlock Holmes than I was about Avatar, and in the end, I prefered Sherlock Holmes. Let's start with the cast. Robert Downey Jr. is fantastic as everyone knew he would be. His timing and mannerisms or flawless. He plays Holmes as a man who is almost cursed by his uncanny observation. He can't turn it off and often, it drives him mad (particularly when he doesn't have anything productive to do). He is eccentric, obsessive, brilliant, crazy, and hilarious. Also, he has amazing fighting abilities which makes perfect sense in the way they play it out. Clearly, if Sherlock is a master of observation, he would know exactly how to incapacitate an enemy and due to his quick thinking, he can easily out maneuver his opponent. Also, the fight scenes are just plain awesome.

The rest of the cast is wonderful. Jude Law finally appears in a good movie again and has creepishly good chemistry with Holmes. Their bickering as well as their team work really drive the movie along. Also, for the first time, I actually believe that Watson was a war veteran. Rachel McAdams continues to be one of my favorite actresses, and provides the perfect foil for Holmes usually flawless intellect. Some critics have said her character is unnecessary. I disagree completely as she humanizes Holmes and also provides the introduction of arguably the first supervillian ever created: Professor Moriarty. Lastly, there is Mark Strong as Lord Blackwood, which had I not known otherwise, would have sworn he was Andy Garcia (from the Ocean's movies and the Untouchables....and The Godfather 3 I suppose). He is truly creepy and does a great job of bringing a lot of menace and foreboding to an otherwise under-written character

The story played out exactly like I would expect from a Sherlock Holmes, leaving me wonder how its all going to tie together until the very end. The means of Lord Blackwood's devious schemes are truly fantastic. The style of the movie isn't what you would expect from a film set in the 1800's, but I thought I worked quite well. As said before, the action is lovely and full of some well handled slow motion (this is the director who gave us Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels). Lastly, I loved the music by Hans Zimmer (who did about three-forths of the Dark Knight soundtrack). I think this is his most unique sounding score in years, and it goes a long way in complimenting the movie.

It would appear Downey will be headlining two major franchises for the next couple of years, something that hasn't been achieved on this level since Harrison Ford played both Indiana Jones and Han Solo. I'm excited. You should be too.

At the end of the day, I liked both of these Christmas movies but I give favor to Sherlock Holmes. Its more fun and for me, a bit more memorable (its also a bit shorter). My best advice however, is to go see both and decide for yourself.

P.S. I saw Avatar a second time in 3-D and that was awesome. I had never seen a movie in 3-D before so I can't compare, but if you have the chance, see it in 3-D. The fields of depth are crazy and the movie as a whole just looks better.

Christmas Comes Early! The Iron Man 2 Trailer is Here! (Oh, and the Robin Hood Trailer is Too)

Despite the fact that this very morning I read the first Iron Man 2 trailer would arrive with Sherlock Holmes, it appears I was lied to. The very first Iron Man 2 trailer (undoubtedly the most anticipated movie of the coming year) has arrived. Surprise, surprise, it looks amazing. Heck, I'll go out on a limb and say it is going to be amazing. Sure, I've been fooled by sequels (I'm looking at you Spider-Man 3) but this movie WILL BE AMAZING! Now go and watch the trailer already...and while you are there, check out the trailer for Ridley Scott's new movie, Robin Hood (you may have heard of it before).

IRON MAN 2 TRAILER HERE!

Robin Hood Trailer here

Lastly, for a shameless plug (since this is my website), here is my latest video about High Definition. The first Iron Man is amazing in HD and I'm sure the second one will be also!

New Alice in Wonderland Trailer! Epic? Oh, yes.

I've been a Tim Burton fan ever since I was a little kid. First it was Batman and Batman Returns and then Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas. I get excited every time he comes out with a new movie which is why I have been anticipating Alice in Wonderland like Scientologists anticipate achieving god-like status (which they do).

And so, it brings me great pleasure to share the newly released trailer for Alice in Wonderland which comes out March 5, 2010. Here it is...

Alice in Wonderland (2010) Trailer

Much more action oriented then I would have expected, but well, I'm sure not going to complain. Also, it appears this movie is actually a sequel to the traditional Alice storyline (and no, its Through the Looking Glass either).

Also, I like to re-promote the movie Daybreakers which comes out January 5th. I talked about this movie in my post summer movie preview a few months ago. What is Daybreakers about? Vampires basically. The trailer here should give you everything you need to know about the plot (without ruining it.

Daybreakers Trailer

T-Spot Video 3: For Those Who Really Like Their Movies

Here we go again ladies and gentlemen (but probably mostly gentlemen). Video 3 is up. Appreciate the opening sequence and just so you know, the blank spot before the end credits is not supposed to be blank. Dumb YouTube. Feel free to share this with friends, enemies, family, etc, especially if you are asking for some High Def action for Christmas.

Sick of the Tragedy of Tiger Woods? Go Out and Watch a Movie!

Much like the death of Michael Jackson, the revelation of Tiger Woods "secret life" is getting way more air time than anyone wants. While I do think professional atheletes are called to a higher standard because of the role-model position they hold, this is getting way overdone. And much like overdone turkey, I'm tired of eating it. I can't turn on the TV without hearing speculation and all that jazz. My solution? Go to the movies!

No joke people, some great movies just came out and some great movies are coming out. One could argue that the cinemas are showing something for everyone, regardless of your views on Tiger Woods life. The people who have been seeing the most of Tiger Woods are the sports fans, and great news, a sports movie just came out!

Invictus- Directed by Clint Eastwood (director of some of the greatest movies of the past decade and star of many movies in the decades prior), we have the true story of an African rugby team mixed with the life of Nelson Mandela. Its not often you get a movie that makes you stand up and cheer while also filling your head with numerous historical facts. And if you don't like rugby, get over it. I think baseball is boring to watch, but Lord knows I love the movie Major League.

Princess and the Frog- Disney finally made another animated movie! From the directors of Aladdin and the Little Mermaid comes this retelling of a classic story. Its standard Disney territory, but from my friends who have seen it, I have heard wonderful (or should I say magical) things. Its fun for kids, its fun for adults, its musical, and its animated.

The Lovely Bones- While reception on this is mixed, I have to mention it because its the new Peter Jackson movie. Peter "Lord of the Rings"-"King Kong" Jackson. Maybe it has flaws (I don't actually know but most movies do) but I'm sure its a very pretty movie and as guys know, "pretty" goes a long way.

And if you aren't exciting about any of those, I suppose there is a chance you are waiting for Avatar to come out this coming weekend. If you don't know what movie that is, you are not a real person, and I will not acknowledge your presence. However, if you are wondering what my opinion is on the Avatar hype, read this artcile here.

I hope I have given you something to distract yourself from the personal life of a once loved man. And if you don't want to go all the way out to a movie, just watch Star Trek again. It gets better everytime you watch it.

Ninja Assassin: The Anti-Twilight

Were you drug to Twilight against your will, being forced to sit through awkward dialogue and an overly long, poorly coordinated plot? Do you need a spot of old ultra-violence in your life to make you feel whole again? Then Ninja Assassin just might be the movie for you! Its bloody, grotesque, fast, fun, and fairly plot free. Honestly, I'm not sure I've seen a movie with this mean limbs lost and the body count is well into the hundreds. Think of the fight scene at the end of Kill Bill: Volume 1 stretched to a whole movie.

I realize that sounds like it could get old, especially for a movie that isn't exactly plot driven, but personally I was impressed by all the creative ways the director kept throwing out different action sequences. They aren't wholly original (fights in fire, fights in the rain, etc) but they were varied and enjoyable. The choreography (as well as the cinematography) was top-notch. Of course I would expect a pretty movie from the director of V for Vendetta. Also, the main character's chain blade was a fantastic choice.

Going back to the plot of the movie, there was actually more of one than I expected. My friends and I both questioned if the one white and one black characters were necessary (which they probably weren't). Also, the main character is randomly called brother by this other ninja. Because of this (and a few other things), I did wonder if their was more of a plot surrounding the movie that never made it to screen. In all fairness, the movies scriptwriter re-wrote the entire thing in 53 hours so I'll give him some slack.

In the end, if you like blood, this movie is far better than your average slasher flick. While it may not be a smart movie, I'd hardly call it a dumb movie. More like a simple movie (not like Simple Jack in Tropic Thunder). Also, its not overly serious and over long like a certain other movie that is out right now.

Should You Care About Avatar?

Here is a question I've found myself being asked a lot. I dare say, people ask my thoughts on Avatar more than they ask how I get my hair to do what it does. Shocking, I know. But honestly, what's the deal with Avatar? Do I think its going to be any good? Where did it come from? Good new is, there are answers for most of these questions. Bad news is, only time will tell if this movie will be any good. I mean Final Fantasy: Spirits Within looked sweet back in the day but that movie was such a let down it made me want to swallow razor blades.....yep, that disappointing.

In case you live under a rock and don't know what I'm talking about, go and watch this trailer. Go on, watch it, this article will be here when you get back. Caught up? Alright, lets move on.

Avatar is a big deal first and foremost because its the first movie James Cameron has done IN OVER TEN YEARS!! Since Titanic actually which I believe came out in 1997. Now maybe you didn't like Titanic. That is okay. But this is also the man who did Terminator 1 and 2 (T2 being one of the greatest action movies of all time, though its much more than an action movie), Aliens, True Lies, and The Abyss. He doesn't just direct though, he created Terminator and did some design for it. This man is a creative tour de force until he dropped off the face of the earth, only releasing two boring underwater documentaries and backing up the epically fraudulent Tomb of Jesus thing. And when it comes to Avatar, he has been working on this idea for years, like 15 years, which is part of the reason why he has been so absent. Why has it taken so long? A big reason is the tech behind it.

In case you couldn't tell from the trailer, the CG in this movie is mind blowing. The way this film was put together is a huge step forward in how CG films are made. For those who don't understand the point of making CG films for adults, this film could be the reason that makes you understand. The artistic design is quite original looking as well. Also its coming out in 3-D which is always nice.

So now these facts are all well and grand, but what are my thoughts on it? For some reason I'm not 100% convinced. The effects look mind blowing and I trust Cameron and it stars Sam Worthington who is a great actor, but it seems just a bit on the weird side. Here is the thing. I love weird things. Anyone who knows me would agree, and the fact that I'm slightly weird-ed out by the cat people running around the forest makes me wonder what other people are thinking. Also, it seems like it could go the Fern Gully direction of showing man and machine destroying the forest and planet. Could be wrong. I thought District 9 was going to be about illegal immigrants, and that wasn't true at all.

As I said before, only time will tell on this one. Thankfully Avatar is just around the corner. And if it isn't good? Sherlock Holmes comes out the week after and that movie is almost sure to be a great time. Hopefully it will be good though. Otherwise, Cameron has been wasting a lot of time and money on nothing...like people who go to college for lots of years and don't ever get a degree.

Christmas Movies for Those Who Don't Like Christmas Movies

I should start off this article by letting everyone know I love Christmas. Hands down, Jesus gets the best birthday ever. Because of this love, I like to pump myself up with Christmas-y things....like movies. In fact, there are certain movies I avoid during non-Christmas season because they remind just how far Christmas is away. Getting away from my personal issues, I understand the standard Christmas movie might not meet everyone's taste (though if you don't find Elf or Christmas Vacation funny, you can just leave right now), but that doesn't mean you can't enough some seasonal cinema action.

What do I mean? I tell you what I mean. I mean movies that take place during Christmas, have Christmas throughout them, but the plot's don't actually revolve around Christmas. Still confused? Just read the list below so you can enjoy your movies with just a pinch of Christmas on the side, like lemon in lemon-water.

Die Hard 1 and 2-
I'll start off with the big guns shooting first. Both Die Hard 1 and 2 take place during Christmas, the first one starting off with a Christmas party (that is interrupted by TERRORISTS! ). Though Die Hard 1 is undoubtably better, 2 is still pretty good (and has the fantastic title of Die Harder). If you haven't seen these movies or its been long enough that you didn't remember them taking place during Christmas, go and watch now. Merry Christmas and a Yippie Kai Yay.

Lethal Weapon:
Is it coincidence that two of the most influential modern action films are set during Christmas? I think not. Mel Gibson's introduction in the Christmas tree lot is classic. If you like action and you like Christmas and you already watched Die Hard, do yourself a favor and watch Lethal Weapon too.

Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang-
Hands down one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Possibly the funniest movie I've ever seen. Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer are a fantastic "buddy-cop" pairing in this hilarious detective story. And the best part? Everything goes down during Christmas. The movie actually begins with Downey's character stealing a Christmas present for his kid and it just gets better. Oh, also, its directed by the guy that wrote Lethal Weapon.

Batman Returns: One sad thing about Batman Begins and the Dark Knight coming out is they made people forget entirely about the Tim Burton Batman movies. Say what you will about them, but they are very much responsible for the comic book movies of the 90's (as well as movies having breakfast cereal tie-ins). Batman Returns follows the tragic tale of the Penguin set against a Gotham-Christmas backdrop. Though not about Christmas, the holiday is wonderfully tied in through out.

At the very least, Michelle Phiefer is much better looking than Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Just Friends:
One could make an argument that this falls into Christmas movie territory, but I don't care about other's opinions so I'm putting it on the list. If you think Ryan Reynolds is funny (and you should) then there is much to love in this movie about a former fat kid returning to his hometown after being gone for years. Quotable, lovable, and Christmas filled, a perfect holiday comedy.

The Long Kiss Goodnight-
Written by the man who gave us Lethal Weapon and directed by the man who brought us Die Hard 2: Die Harder comes a 90's action flick that is balls to walls crazy....and set during Christmas. The story plays out like a combination of Kill Bill and the Bourne Identity with lots of shoot-outs, wire-work, and some hilarious lines given mostly by Samuel L. Jackson. This movie may actually have Jackson make more wise-cracks than any other movie. Just be warned, this movie is so incredibly 90's. You will understand once you watch it.

That should be enough to get you started on some great Christmas magic. I'm sure I forgot some movies and if you know of any, comment on the bottom. Otherwise, Merry Christmas!

Director's Cuts: Sometimes They are the Only Way to Go

I was just watching the movie Payback with Mel Gibson when I thought of this topic to blog about. For those who don't know, the original director of Payback was fired right before the movie was finished (and the day after that director one an Oscar for his LA Confidential screenplay), leaving the movie to be finished and re-edited by some random schmuck that was probably the son-in-law of some studio executive. Anyway, a few years back the movie got a director's cut that drastically alters the look and feel of the film to the way it was originally intended. Situations like this aren't exactly a rarity in Hollywoodland.

This is part of the reason I love the show Entourage (outside of it being hilarious). It shows all of the background politics that go into bringing a movie from concept to its release, and more often than not, someone gets screwed. I find it far more engaging than "real" politics. Getting to the point of this article, sometimes the director's vision gets tampered with, and usually its for the worse. Thanks to DVDs, directors have been getting more and more chances to revise their movies and make them whole. Sometimes director's cut means absolutely nothing, but sometimes, just sometimes, it means everything.

Kingdom of Heaven:
I start with this movie because it is probably the most important director's cut on this list. I liked Kingdom of Heaven when it was in theatres but after I saw the director's cut, I honestly can't believe I liked the theatrical. By adding 45 minutes to the film, you get more story, more character, more involvement, and even a bit more action. For those who have seen the original, did you know the Queen has a young son who temporarily becomes king or that the priest that gets thrown into the fire at the beginning is Orlando Bloom's jealous brother? The flow and logic of the movie makes far more sense and the end is far more rewarding. Its long, be prepared, but its so much better. And don't just take my word for it, the opinion is near universal.

Lord of the Ring Trilogy:
Most LOTR fans already know this, but the extended versions are the REAL movies. I liked the theatrical, but they were purposely stripped for shorter run times in theatres. The added scenes add everything from context to simple book references for the original fans. Seriously, the theatrical cuts should fade out of existence.

Troy:
With Troy, you get all the things listed in the other two movies, but you also get a lot more blood. For the gore fiends, this director's cut is gruesome and lets be honest, we like Troy because of its action NOT because you see Brad Pitt naked.

Dark City:
Its sad just how unknown this movie is considering its from the man who gave us The Crow and I, Robot. Its very Matrix-esque in plot and tone (though it came out the year before). The set up? A man wakes up in a room with a dead body and blood on his hands having no idea how he got there. The police and his wife are look for him as well as some pale men in trench coats and black hats. The main reason you need to see the directors cut? Because the original version ruins the entire movie with an opening narration. Imagine if the Matrix started off with Morpheus saying the world you see is an illusion created by machines so they can harvest are bodies. I'm not kidding!

Blade Runner:
This is the second Ridley Scott movie on the list (the man who did Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Alien, and Black Hawk Down) and it also have a rough history. Its original release was butchered but thankfully was given one of the first director's cuts back in 92. However, it wasn't to a couple years back that it got its final cut, restoring it to the vision it was meant to be. If you read movie related stories and critiques often, I'd be surprised if you haven't heard of Blade Runner. Just how influential is this movie? Before Christopher Nolan shot Batman Begins, he sat the entire crew down and had them watch this movie. When it finished he said "alright, this is the movie I want us to make." And yes, the final cut is the way to go though I warn you, the movie arguably takes multiple views before you "get it".

Terminator 2:
The movie is great either way, but the director's cut is better. If anything, its worth having the director's cut for the dream scene featuring Michael Bean, the main character from the first movie. Simply put, it makes a great film greater.

Lastly, the movies DareDevil, Donnie Darko, The Watchmen and Robin Hood:Prince of Theives are more complete and improved in director's cut form.

On the flip side,in the case of movies like Gladiator and Aliens, the extended cut is not the director's cut and the scenes added aren't neccesary and were added by studios. If I missed anything, let me know and I'll be happy to update!

What You Should Strongly Consider Watching: Vampires, Wolves, and Bad Lieutenants

Well its that time again for me to give some advice for your movie going adventures this week. If you don't know what is out or coming out, here is a little heads up. First, what just came out this past weekend.

2012: Personally, I'm a little sick of Roland Emmerich blowing up the world. He did it in Independance Day, Godzilla, and The Day After Tomorrow. I'm mostly sick of it because that is really all he does. It doesn't give us a very good story or good characters and generally, his jokes aren't especially funny when they are made. However, he is the man that gave us The Patriot (the Mel Gibson one), which while historically not super accurate, was far superior to anything else he has made. Surprise, surprise, it is supposed to be dumb but enjoyable enough. Maybe Roland should try to make a real movie again.

Fantastic Mr. Fox: Wes Anderson is arguably the king of quirky art-house films having done Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums. and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. So naturally his newest film would be a stop-motion family movie based on a children's book by Roald Dahl, the man who wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, the BFG, and Matilda. Regardless of how random the combination might be, the result is supposed to be...well...fantastic! If you are a family person, this would be a great film to take everyone to. Heck, even if you just want a solid, funny film, I'm fairly certain this won't let you down....but if it does, I am very sorry. Don't stop reading my blog because of it. Sadly this movie didn't exactly rake in the dough this past weekend. Hopefully that will change.

The Messenger: This movie is supposed to be fantastic and gripping. The story follows two army soldiers who fill the position of messengers (hence the title), who have to inform parents, wives, etc that their loved one has died in service of the country. Unfortunately, its only limited release at the moment so finding it could be difficult. Hopefully it will go the way of the The Hurt Locker and get a broader release. If you can find it, lucky you.

Here is a trailer:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/themessenger/

And now a look at what's coming out this weekend:

Twilight Saga: New Moon: Sadly this is going to be the number one movie of the weekend. Its already sold out almost everywhere. I know people who have had their tickets for months. MONTHS! Who does that? Anyway, it should be better than the first one for all of you who are being drug to it against your will. For who want real vampires, wait for the movie Daybreakers or just get your hands on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the TV show).

The Blind Side: I was slightly worried nothing interesting was coming out this weekend. Now I'm not 100% sold on this movie but it looks decent. This is a football movie with Sandra Bullock (where she is oddly blonde). Its based on the true story of Raven's offensive tackle Michael Oher, who was homeless until he was brought in by an upper class family and given a chance to go to school. Could be a solid sports movie.

Bad Lieutenant: It isn't every day a good Nicolas Cage movie comes around. These days they are very few and far between. But Bad Lt. is brought to us by the man who did Rescue Dawn with Christian Bale and Grizzly Man, the hilariously sad documentary about a man who loved bears a bit too much. Set against the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina, Cage plays a detective that is devoted to his job and devoted to hard drugs. Poor combo I would say but if it makes for a good movie than H yeah! Word is very good so far. Cage fans unite!

What's in the Box?

For those who consistently read my posts might remember me talking about The Box on last weeks preview. Why was I so anxious to see it? ITS THE DIRECTOR OF DONNIE DARKO! That is enough of a reason. Richard Kelly (the director) did do a movie in between called The Southland Tales. I personally haven't seen it though I do very much want to (despite the fact that response was very very mixed). But this isn't about Donnie Darko or the Southland Tales. This is about The Box. So on we go.

For those who don't ever see trailers, the premise of the Box is as simple as....well, a cardboard box (poor analogy, I know). A couple with money problems is given an offer. If they press a button some person they don't know will die and they will receive one million dollars. From there complete and utter craziness ensues. Let me say this first: if you like really trippy movies where you have no idea what the H is going on until the end, this is a movie for you. Its beautiful in its psychotic-ness. But even then, is it a good movie? Yes and not as much yet....

The first thing the movie does well is the craziness factor, particularly the synchronized crowds that go about at various points. All around the visuals are very pretty and move the story nicely. However, the thing this movie does best is raise questions about human nature. The themes are the story are huge, regarding human nature as well as cause and effect with a bit of atonement. The themes are solid and leave you with a lot to ponder if you are one to ponder after movies (which everyone should a little bit). Sadly, it is with this that lies the problem.

The movie is a bit dull at spots and you aren't attached to the characters (specifically Cameron Diaz) quite as much as you should be. the movies climax doesn't ring with potency that it could if the pieces were developed a little better. Maybe it was just Cameron's accent got on my nerves a bit. Maybe I felt the characters deserved what they received. Either way, as funny and engaging as Donnie Darko was at times, this movie is a bit dry at times. If it had a little more of Darko's edge and wit the movie as a whole would be easier to swallow. As is, you kind of have to wade through some spots.

In the end, if you really liked Donnie Darko, there is probably something here for you. If you like those "what would you do given this situation" games, there is probably something here for you. The movie is very far from perfect, but if you watch it, give a bit of time to think about it. Ask yourself if you would open the box. Ask yourself if you would press the button

What You Should Strongly Consider Watching

Well, I may have missed two weeks of movie goodness, but I'm back this week to remind you of what just came out and what is coming out this weekend. First, lets reflect on this past weekend. I know its not easy, considering its Monday and thinking about the weekend hurts us all, but lets just power through okay?

The Men Who Stair at Goats:

If you didn't laugh at the trailer for this movie, clearly you don't have a soul (and for that I pity you dearly). Still funny trailers does not a good movie make. Still, the word is if you are in to dark, satirical humor, you'll probably enjoy this film. At the same time, don't expect to add it to your top 25 list.

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol:

Do like you Christmas? Do you like Jim Carrey? If you answered yes to both, you probably won't hate this movie. Still, from what I gather, it falls in the same lines as The Polar Express (partially because it was made by the same people). By that I mean, its visually pretty and done well, but lacking that x-factor to make it something truly special. On the upside, Gary Oldman is in it and if you didn't know by now, I love Gary Oldman!

The Box:

The Box is my personal pick for the week because it looked balls crazy and because I really loved Donnie Darko which was directed by same man, Richard Kelly. The premise of the movie is super simple. A young, innocent couple are offered a million dollars if they press a button. However, by pressing the button, someone, somewhere will die. How is this made into a whole movie? I'm not sure, but I really want to know.

_______________________________

And now, here is the heads up on what is coming out this weekend.

2012: Personally, I'm a little sick of Roland Emmerich blowing up the world. He did it in Independance Day, Godzilla, and The Day After Tomorrow. I'm mostly sick of it because that is really all he does. It doesn't give us a very good story or good characters and generally, his jokes aren't especially funny when they are made. However, he is the man that gave us The Patriot (the Mel Gibson one), which while historically not super accurate, was far superior to anything else he has made. As far as his new destruction piece, initial word is that it is terrible. The thing is, the people saying this still love it. They say its so wrapped up in its badness and worthless excuse for a story that its fantastic. Its supposed to be quite entertaining but also utterly stupid. Then again, a lot of utterly stupid things are quite entertaining.

Fantastic Mr. Fox: Wes Anderson is arguably the king of quirky art-house films having done Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums. and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. So naturally his newest film would be a stop-motion family movie based on a children's book by Roald Dahl, the man who wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, the BFG, and Matilda. Regardless of how random the combination might be, the result is supposed to be...well...fantastic! If you are a family person, this would be a great film to take everyone to. Heck, even if you just want a solid, funny film, I'm fairly certain this won't let you down....but if it does, I am very sorry. Don't stop reading my blog because of it.

The Messenger: Prior to writing this blog, I actually hadn't heard of this movie. After looking it up, I very much want to see and you just might to because it is supposed to be incredible. The story follows two army soldiers who fill the position of messengers (hence the title), who have to inform parents, wives, etc that their loved one has died in service of the country. Unfortunately, its only limited release at the moment so finding it could be difficult. Hopefully it will go the way of the The Hurt Locker and get a broader release.

Here is a trailer:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/themessenger/

Could Prince of Persia Do It? I'm Not Sure I'm Ready to Believe...

Due to some computer transitions and internet problems, I've been away for a bit, but have no fear my five faithful readers, I'm back online and working at full capacity. As stated in my review of District 9, I have a large doubt in video game movies. For some reason, movies based on video games suck despite there being a huge potential. I won't go back into the rant, but I will bring you a lovely new trailer for the latest video game adaption: Prince of Persia.

More Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Info

Pretty baller huh? Jake Gyllenhaal is usually a solid actor and he looks good here (I mean acting wise...not because of the muscles or stubble). If you think you recognize the girl from somewhere, its probably from her role as Agent Fields in Quantum of Solace. The director is a talented director, having handled everything from Four Weddings and a Funeral to Donnie Brasco to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (which I thought was beautiful). Lastly, it has basically the same production team as the Pirates trilogy with Jerry Brukheimer and Disney at the helm.

Everything seems perfect....too perfect. And for Prince of Persia fans, the screenplay was written by the writer and creator of the Prince of Persia saga (both the new ones and the original). The entire saga is known for some fantastic story telling so who know, maybe the curse will be broken. Maybe Roger Ebert will have to stop making fun of video games (which he does every chance he gets). Or maybe it will suck...and I will cry like the Indian man from those littering commercials they had back in the day.

Zombieland: Possibly the Happiest Zombie Movie Ever

Those of you who have read my previous blogs know I've been looking forward to this movie for awhile. Why? Because I love zombies and zombie movies. No joke, I've actually explained zombie types, killing strategies for zombies, and logical zombie attack protection to people as if zombies actually existed. I know, I'm a dork. Anyway, I saw Zombieland in its opening weekend...and then I saw it again 4 days later. And let me tell you, WOW!

This movie is absurdly entertaining. Also, its pretty much set to win the next round of T-Spot awards for best use of slow-motion and best celeb cameo (which I won't ruin the who, but it might be the best part of the whole movie). This movie is fun, intense, gross, hilarious, touching, and ultimately not-depressing. Most movies are a giant kick in the nuts. Some movies like 28 Weeks Later are a kick in the nuts followed by some laughing in your face at the sake of your pain. That isn't the case with Zombieland. That isn't to say it doesn't have some sad moments (because it does), it just gives you some hope which is nice.

Another thing I enjoyed about the movie is it sets up rules for living in a zombie filled world. The people here are smart and realize very quickly how zombies act. Also, the movie starts off in post-zombie world which is very rare for a zombie movie. At the same time, it isn't afraid to pull away from the zombies for chunks of time. There is a stretch in the middle that is zombie free for quite a while. Thankfully the characters are so solid and charming, you don't even notice.

I'd like to give special attention to Emma Stone, who most would know as the girl the fat kid likes in Superbad. Not only is she hotter in Zombieland (I think its the combo of her boots, jacket, and hair), but she is very charming. She manages to evoke that quality that Mila Kunis had in Forgetting Sarah Marshall where you're left wanting to date her. Awkward obeservations aside.....

The only reason you shouldn't watch Zombieland is if you are abhorant to violence. Seriously, that is the only good excuse. Now nut up or shut up!

The Home (video) Front: State of Play

Can I just start off this post by saying how much I love Russel Crowe? He is just a phenomenal actor, from Gladiator to LA Confidential to Body of Lies (actually he was probably the best part of Body of Lies). It was partially for this reason that I really wanted to see the movie State of Play which is now on the home video market. Did the term "home video" go out with VHS tapes? I'm not sure. Home DVD sounds weird and lets be honest, between DVD's. Blu-Ray's, and the Internet, people are watching things on a million different formats. I'm sticking with home video!

Back to the point, the movie looked hot and I finally got around to red-boxing it and guess what? I loved it. For people who enjoy conspiraces, thrillers, journalism, political scandel, or a plot with a lot of twists, well grab on to your hat and enjoy the rodeo. This movie moves fast and serious but isn't afraid to give you here and there. The acting is great all across the board with Crowe, Rachel McAdams(Notebook, Wedding Crashers), Helen Mirran (The Queen), Robin Wright (no longer Penn since the divorce), and Ben Affleck. I kind of felt bad for Ben during the whole lets hate Ben tiem in Hollywood. Its nice to see him in good movies like Hollywoodland (which if you enjoyed this, you just might enjoy that).

There was one twist (or more so revelation) in the movie that legitimatly scared me because it is something that is probably happening the country (for those who have seen it, I'm refering to the PMC's domestic contracts). Finally, I really enjoyed the music in this movie. It was very dramatic and really helped build the tension. Basically, if you can handle a movie that doesn't have much action and isn't a comedy, then you will probably enjoy this.

If you enjoyed State of Play, check out:
Hollywoodland
Breach
Shattered Glass
Michael Clayton
Gone Baby, Gone (which is directed by Affleck)

What You Should Strongly Consider Watching (Oct 6, 2009)

Alright ladies and men (mostly men probably though I know of at least one girl who cares out my movie opinions {yes Jordan, I'm talking about you}), I'm returning for the second week of my weekly movie recommendations. In case you don't know how this works, I start by telling you about the movies that just came out this past weekend. The weekday is the perfect time to catch a $5 movie at AMC. Once I've reflected on the past, I'll give you the heads up on the movies coming out this weekend: the ones you maybe haven't heard of, the ones you forgot about, the ones that looked good but aren't, and the ones you should do everything in your power to see. With all of that said, let's get it started.

What just came out.....

Zombieland- I saw this movie this past weekend and it was so good I'm about to see it again. Look for a more in depth analysis soon, but lets just say this movie is like a trip to the amusement park. Tons of fun and excitment.

Whip It- Girls roller derby mixed with awkward coming of age elements. It looks pretty funny (and I've heard its pretty funny) and for people with a weak stomach, it might be a better choice than Zombieland.

The Invention of Lying- In a world where everyone always tells the truth, one man discovers lying. The set up is great and the word of mouth is decent (though not spectacular). If you tend to be dissappointed by comedies, you may want to wait for a rental.

Serious Man- I would like to apologize for leaving this movie off the list last week. I feel embarrassed considering its the new Coen Brothers movie (that would be the guys who did No Country for Old Men, Fargo, The Big Labowski, Oh Brother Where Art Thou?, etc...). Its especially sad that I missed it considering it was shot just a few blocks down from my college campus (that would be Minneapolis territory). The movie is supposed to be fantastic.

What is about to come out....

The Damned United- Its a football movie! Of course by football I actually mean soccer because this is a British film. Still, those Brits are crazy about their soccer and passion is generally entertaining to watch. This movie stars Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon, Underworld, and a tiny role in both Blood Diamond and Kingdom of Heaven). Personally he is one of my favorite actors and he is supposed to be a fantastic coach in this film. If you like sports and movies The Damned United should not let you down.

Couples Retreat- A romantic comedy staring Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Kristen Bell, and Jason Batement sounds like it could be good. Heck, the preview looked hilarious. But apparently, this movie is no good at all. I mean, I'm not saying its getting sub par reviews. I'm saying people are hating on this movie like packer fans on Favre, like fat kids hate on diets, like fat girls hate on skinny girls...you get the point (and I apologize to over weight people, I got a bit carried away). Anyway, maybe it isn't so bad. But if it sucks like a vacuum sitting on a pile on saw dust, don't say I didn't warn you.

That is pretty much it for movies that have really caught my interest. There is also a movie called Good Hair and another called An Education that are supposed to be solid. Feel free to do some trailer searching. Happy watching folks. Oh and if you see or have seen any of these movies, please leave a comment!

Oh and P.S. I know I'm about movie here (which is slightly odd on a sports blog) but I just have to put this up here because not only is this trailer incredible, but I'm convinced this is going to be the best first person shooter ever!

More Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 News & Previews

What You Should Strongly Consider Watching Right Now (and what you should avoid)

I've done it folks. I've officially made my longest blog title yet (mostly because I couldn't think of a good title so I just rambled a bit). So what is the point of this post. Well, its actually the beginning of what will (hopefully) be a regular update here on the T-Spot. To paraphrase Donna Summer, you work hard for your money people (unless you are a spoiled rich person in which case I both hate you from jealousy yet appreciate you for reading my blog). You don't want to waste your money on dumpy movies in the theatre, and I would hope you don't want really good movies to slip by you because you never heard of them. Don't worry, this is where I come in.

I'm here to give a mid-week update so I can address what just came out last weekend, and whats coming out this weekend. Got it? Okay. Also, in case you didn't know, Monday-Thursday, all movies are $5 at AMC theatres, which can be a great time to catch up on a movie you missed.

What just came out....

This past weekend wasn't anything spectacular for movies by any means. If you didn't go to any premieres, you aren't really missing much.

Fame: The trailer didn't look too bad for this musical remake but apparently its weak sauce (I apologize for using that description). From what I gather, its on the level of your average dance movie (like Step-Up or Stomp the Yard). If thats what you want...have a good time. If you are looking for something on the level of the academy award winning original, just go and rent the original.

Surrogates: In case you are a little fuzzy, this is that new Bruce Willis movie with the weird robot people. I wanted this movie to be good but always felt it was going to be a little cheesy. Looks like I'm right. I haven't seen it, and I'm sure its not terrible, but for you Sci-Fi fans, you might just want to wait to Red Box it (or Netflix or Blockbuster it if thats what you do).

Pandorum: Pandorum is a new sci-fi horror film that just came out. From what I can gather it looks like Pitch Black meets the Descent meets Doom (the movie not the game). The main reason I was interested was because it stars Ben Foster who makes almost any movie he is in better (Alpha Dog, 3:10 to Yuma, Hostage, and 30 Days of Night). While it might be a fun ride for fans of the genre, don't expect much for plot or story.

This coming weekend....

This weekend looks much more promising than last weekend. If you like movie outings on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, this would be a good time.

Zombieland- Far and away my first pic for the weekend. In fact, I very much hope to see this movie this weekend. You may remember me talking about this back in the day because it looked amazing and it has zombies. Well, now that its approaching, its actually getting amazing reviews. AMAZING! If you like movies that are funny, and you like zombies, go see this! And if you don't. see this movie anyway so you can come on here and try to tell me I'm wrong and I will proceed to destroy you!

Whip It: I don't know whats wierdest, the fact that this is a movie about female rollar derby, the fact that its directed by Drew Berrymore, or the fact that it looks pretty funny. Maybe its just because I'm an Ellen Paige fan (and was before Juno ever came out). Either, word of mouth is good so far on this one. Whip it could be a great movie for guy/girl groups.

The Invention of Lying- The premise of the movie seems both brilliant and a bit of a rip-off of Liar Liar at the same time. In world where everyone tells the truth all the time, one man discovers lying. Starring the hilarious Ricky Gervais (creator of both U.S. and U.K. Office) and the beautiful-yet-tragically-in-bad-movies-alot Jennifer Garner, this movie is supposed to be as funny as it looks and sounds.

Toy Story 1 and 2 in 3D- Two of the best CG animated movies of all time are being rereleased in 3D. The only obsticle here is finding a place in your area that has them.

Capitalism: A Love Story: If you like Michael Moore (which personally not a huge fan) or you hate Capitalism (which makes you a communist....jk) or you just enjoy well put together documentaries, than check this out. Personally, I think docs are better left for home video and don't make the most of a theatre experience but to each his own.

Well, that is about it for whats on my radar. OF course there are other movies coming out this weekend, but they don't matter. Happy watching folks.

T-Spot First Annual Summer Awards 2009!

In case you are an incredibly oblivious person, you have realized that summer is over. Truth be told its been over for around a month but well, most people are a little bitter when it ends so I figured I'd let the frustration die down before making any "post summer" reports. That being said, I have decided to throw together some awards to highlight the movies of the summer just so you can know what I thought of them because that's why you're here. To know what I think.

Moving on, I must be honest, I don't see every movie that comes out (mostly because this blog isn't bringing in the big bucks yet) So the awards are given to every movie I did see. Get it? No? Hopefully you will catch on quickly.

Wolverine- Awards Received:

First Blockbuster of the Year Award- Not just any movie can be out before the others folks and Wolverine kicked off the summer as the first official blockbuster. Wow.

Best Superhero Movie Award-Granted, almost no other super hero movies came out this summer (which is really really weird) so this is a given. Still, if I thought Wolverine sucked something awful, it would have gotten the worst hero award instead.

Best Villain Award- Sabertooth (called Victor here) was fantastically played by Liev Schrieber. I may not know how to pronounce his name but I've thought he was a fantastic actor every since I saw him in Manchurian Candidate. Playing a sadistic monster with just a spot of heart and a twisted sense of humour, Sabertooth comes off arguably more memorable than Wolverine himself does.

Shortness Award- This one isn't really positive. Wolverine tried to cram too much in too little of space. Because of this the whole movie felt a bit rushed and unfulfilling. Also, there should have been more Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson.

Inexcusably Bad CG Award- This award is mostly referring to the claws in the bathroom scene because wow, those looked awful.

Angels & Demons- When Da Vince Code was coming out, I went and read the book in week (a rarity for me) just so I could buy into the hype and see what it was all about. Then I saw the movie and it was awful. AWFUL! The sequel here is a little better, but nothing special. Awards Received:

Best Real Life Scenery- The movie was shot in multiple world-wide locations and it is beautiful. The Vatican in particular is wonderfully represented.

Worst Use of Green Screen Award- Despite the award above, it was quite obvious the actors weren't actually in some of the locations the movie was set in. There is one point in particular where Tom Hanks is most clearly being projected onto the floor of a building. I realize getting permission is hard, but this was embarrassing. The digitized sets of Star Wars Episode 1 looked more realistic.

Most Overdramatic Music Award- I love Hans Zimmer's music (including in this movie) but there were a few moments (such as racing down Vatican streets) where it sounded like the race of man was making their final charge against Mordor. The music is quite lovely, just a bit over the top.

Terminator: Salvation- To anyone who saw this movie without having any knowledge of the previous movies, you are dumb. While you can't help but feel the studios are beating a very tired and beaten horse by making another Terminator, this movie proves there is still some potential left in the series, even if this movie itself wasn't anything too special.

Best Cameo Award- Arnold Schwarzenegger! For people who haven't seen the movie, I won't ruin the when and where but let me say, I had a freaking conniption in the theatre when he popped up. It was incredible.

Best Supporting Character who was Actually the Main Character Award- Christian Bale plays John Conner who is the main man of the whole Terminator saga, but the heart of the movie lies in the hands of Sam Worthington who plays Marcus. Not only does Worthington do a great job, but his character is much more interesting (and has more screen time) than Bale's Connor.

Strong Finish Award- To be honset, as the movie headed into the final act, I was growing a little restless and expected to leave the theatre disappointed. Then the finale came and completely won me over. Not every movie can finish strong, but Salvation went out with all of the Sound and Fury it could. It even managed to have a touching ending.

Worst of a Series- I'm not saying it was bad by any means but Terminator 1 was great, Terminator 2 was a true classic, Terminator 3 was surprisingly good, and Salvation is alright but below the others.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen- The love and hate for this movie is so extreme I find it hard to talk about in mixed settings. Let the awards begin!

Best Action Award- One thing this movie did so much better than the first was robot vs. robot action. Optimus Prime tearing through a forest with a sword on each arm was mind blowing. The final battle with Megatron and the Fallen was also quite nice.

Best CG Award- Seriously, the robots look darn near real. They make the last movie's robots look like crap.

Worst Dialogue (and probably humour) Award- Its close between this movie and GI Joe but ultimately, too much stupid stuff comes out of the characters mouths here. Worst example "I am directly below enemy scrotum" Eww.

Too Freaking Long Award- This movie would have been more enjoyable/memorable/watchable if it were a solid 45 minutes shorter. The reason long movies are long is to fit all character development and plot arcs that take time to set up. Transformers doesn't really have either of these so it should be shorter.

The Hurt Locker- An indie war film about American bomb diffusers in Iraq. It manages to feel fresh, intense, and as far as I know, is the most critically acclaimed movie of the year. Oh, and its directed by the woman who directed Point Break (yes that Point Break) Awards received:

Intensity Award- When bombs are being defused and shots are firing off, you are on the edge of you seat. The tension in this movie is utterly fantastic and there are many points where you don't know if a character is going to live or die.

Best Use of Slow Motion Award- Since The Matrix, slow motion in action movies is more common than dialogue. 300 managed to make it feel fresh a few years back, and know Hurt Locker does the same by using it very sparingly and very intimately. You'll understand if you see the movie.

Best Movie No One Saw- Its an indie film and it got very little publicity. The people I know who saw it were at the theatre with me. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

No BS Award- War movies almost always have an agenda (whether its pro-cause or anti-cause) that can sometimes ruin the whole thing. Hurt Locker doesn't feel that way at all. Its about characters in very crappy situations just trying to save some lives. Its real, its rough, and it tries very hard to tell it like it is. Oh and it was shot literally right next to the Iraq border. Ballsey.

Drag Me to Hell- Best horror movie I've seen since the Decent. Beautiful (and directed by Spider-Man and Evil Dead director Sam Raimi) Awards received:

Best Horror Award- The frights in this movie are played out like a concerto. This film is truly the work of a horror master.

I Can't Believe its Not R Award- Honest to God in Heaven, I thought this movie was rated R after I saw it because of how crazy it was. But its not. It spares us the endless swearing (which can get very old these days) and excessive gore (which isn't always needed) but doesn't ruin the movie one bit.

Surprisingly Funny Award- At times this movie is hilarious (on purpose). A movie that can make you crap your pants and then laugh about it is an amazing movie.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince- Best Potter movie so far, and in one of the most consistent movie series of all time, that is saying something.

Best Cinematography Award- There are shots in this movie that take the breath from your lungs (particularly when Harry is sinking down into the lake full of inferi). From an artistic standpoint, this movie is a masterpiece.

Best Movie Many Won't See Award- Not to be confused with the "didn't see" award, many people won't see this because its Harry Potter, which is a poor reason. Though if you do see it, you really need to either read the books or see the previous movies for it to have the full emotional weight that it has (which is a lot of emotional weight).

Best Sequel Award- As stated in the description, this movie is the best Harry Potter movie. No more arguing over whether Prisoner or Goblet was better. This isn't a book cut up into a movie. Its a film inspired by a book.

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra- The second summer movie based on an 80's cartoon. Awards received.

Better than I Expected Award- I thought this movie was going to blow. Truth be told, I enjoyed it very much. See my post on it for more info.

Most Beautiful Female- Sienna Miller has always been a lovely woman (who is pretty good at acting too). Here she dawns some black hear and twin guns and looks amazing doing it.

Lamest Lead Actor Channing Tatum isn't good.

District 9- A wonderfully random Sci-Fi film that snuck up on everyone. Awards received:

Most Original- Not being a sequel, remake, or spin off is a good start for this award, but the way District 9 freshly handles aliens in the real world is what sealed it. The look, the feel, and the style of this was different than anything else I saw the whole summer.

Star Trek- Oh yes, its so good, I saved it for last. Awards Received:

Iron Man Award- Like Iron Man last year, Star Trek took a property that the average person would have no interest in and made it lovable for everyone. It has humor, action, romance, and most important, brains. Everything that people loved about Iron Man is here.

Best Cast- Chris Pine as Captain Kirk is amazing in part because he makes you forget about William Shatner. Zachery Quinto manages to bring life to an emotionless character. Eric Bana is a solid (if not underdeveloped) villain. Karl Urban is hilarious as McCoy, Simon Pegg is brilliant as Scottie, Zoe Saldana is feisty as Uhura, and Winona Ryder makes a small but touching appearance as Spock's mother. Also its great to see Leanard Nemoy.

Best Characters- The people in this movie have heart, soul, motivation, flaws, contradictions...everything that makes a good character. More than anything, its the characters that make this movie resonate.

Best Movie of the Summer- Its not quite a Dark Knight, but its pretty darn amazing and most of all, it has such a broad appeal. Star Trek has it all and a great future ahead of it.

To wrap up this very long post, Inglorious Bastards gets the award for movie I'm most ashamed I haven't seen yet and Pixar's UP gets the award for movie I have no doubt is amazing and will see eventually. As always feel free to comment, argue, and share this article with friends.

Solomon Kane: Because Everybody Loves Cool Trailers!

Now I realize you can't actually decide whether a movie is good or not because of its trailer. If you could then the three Star Wars prequels would have been as good as the originals, 30 Days of Night would have been the greatest vampire movie ever, and GI Joe would have been terrible (because personally I thought the trailer was lame). Still, trailers can get you pumped up about a movie you otherwise would have known nothing about. Case in the point: the new trailer I discovered for a movie called Solomon Kane.

Solomon Kane at IGN.com

For those of you who don't know (and I'm guessing that is most of you) Solomon Kane is a character created by the man who gave us Conan. Yes Arnold Schwarzenegger's Conan. You see, before Conan was the incredibly ripped (and poorly acted) action hero in movies, he was a fantasy character that has appeared in magazines, books, and comics. Solomon Kane has a very similar track record (except for the being played by US governors part).

Seriously speaking, can you imagine the reaction you would have recieved if you told someone in the 80's that Arnold Schwarzenegger was going to be a US governor!? They would have laughed their brains out. But now he's a governor, former SNL cast member Al Franken is a senator, and Brett Favre is playing for his arch nemesis-es . Its a screwed up world folks, but not as screwed up as Solomon Kane's life.

After encountering a demon while on an assassination misson, Solomon Kane sets out to live a peaceful life in hopes to escape hell. Naturally if he succeeded in the peaceful life part that wouldn't make for a very good movie. Will the movie be any good? I don't know. Overall the trailer looks impressive at many points (though a view cheesy lines are present). The director of the film has yet to prove himself and the lead actor (James Purefoy) has yet to breakout into the spotlight (though there is a good chance you have seen him in a thing or two. I guess we will just have to wait and see if this movie is even worth the time it took to post this blog.

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T Spot Video 2: When You Have to Go!

Due to the positive response of video 1 and the fact that I promised more videos, I proudly present the second T-Spot video (complete with improved opening credits and an actual topic).

Personally I find the idea of RunPee.com to be genius. I hope that you do too, and if not, that you at least enjoy my video. As always, please comment, vote, and spread the word people. If you liked the video I'm sure you know other people who would like it too.

P.S. Mega shout out to the people at RunPee who liked my video enough to link it from their website (http://blog.runpee.com/news#videosUsingRunPee). This is a big step forward people, a big step forward. Also, you should probably check out some of my past posts if you haven't.

All Saints Day is Coming at last!

I'm not one for stereotypes (okay that's not entirely true...) but I would say the average guy I run into knows, has seen, and very much enjoys Boondock Saints. With its humor (the cat scene), stylish set up (the whole crime scene rewind time thing), and quite enjoyable violence (once again, the cat scene) it was just a whole lot of fun for anyone not easily offended by swearing, drinking, and well, shooting people in the head.

Boondock Saints actually has a very interesting production history and even a documentary that focuses on its creation (its called Overnight and its supposed to be quite good). To some it up quickly, Troy Duffy (Boondock's writer and director) was a nobody bar manager who's movie got picked up and put on the fast track. Duffy, being a bit of a drunken loser, drank and pissed away most of his good fortune and his movie got dropped. Eventually his movie was re picked up (albeit for much less money), released in a handful of theatres for a week, and quietly put on the dvd market (though rentals were exclusive to Blockbuster). By some miracle, the movie gained cult status, become a phenomenon (with lots of T-shirts abound), and did well enough to green light a sequel. Basically its a perfect set up for a season of Entourage. Anyway, that's what brings the point of this post. The sequel has finally emerged like a loud, crazy baby from his tired mother's womb!

Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day is close to finished (its only been ten freaking years!) and the first trailer is out. Want to see it? Okay here it is.

More The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day Info

Looks promising enough to at least deliver some of the same old thrills (though matching the cat scene could be tough). Its too early to tell, but nevertheless it is the same team as the original and personally, I'm hoping for the best. Fingers crossed people, fingers crossed.

P.S. How freaking old does Sean Patrick Flannery look? I wasn't even sure it was the same actor until his name pops up at the end. Then again, his co-star looks like he has endured a stroke between films.