tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41166022595740258392024-03-06T00:44:26.824-08:00TME InkxTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.comBlogger504125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-43744272450807118022012-12-28T16:51:00.002-08:002013-05-22T22:47:14.150-07:00You gonna die, I'm gonna die, we all gonna die. Just not today...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3SASPzK31uJOD9PMpHLDEMqFkCH4Niu_iiyK1ilgXvk_M_qIxxyzDmx4-cFwQgaf4YqZAtvmKyT1-DyIzWAUqLs2eICeR9LL0pn0ZV3X8_bOcPfqsiFnA6l-SvfaNnzsDNQSssLsZN94/s1600/bship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3SASPzK31uJOD9PMpHLDEMqFkCH4Niu_iiyK1ilgXvk_M_qIxxyzDmx4-cFwQgaf4YqZAtvmKyT1-DyIzWAUqLs2eICeR9LL0pn0ZV3X8_bOcPfqsiFnA6l-SvfaNnzsDNQSssLsZN94/s400/bship.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will<br />
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I often wonder how some movies get green-lit in Hollywood nowadays. I can understand wanting to adapt a novel, a video game or a comic into a film because it comes with an inherent fan base that will want to see their favorite characters put onto the screen. Sometimes it works (The Dark Knight) and sometimes it doesn't (The Spirit), but it will make money no matter what. Then there's Battleship, based on the best-selling board game that has graced our kitchen tables for over 40 years. Who thought this would be a good idea? Board games don't really come jam-packed with stories or characters and have rarely ever seemed like a good idea for films. The 1980s classic Clue worked because it had something to go on, but Battleship is just two people trying to guess where the other person's boats are. But Hasbro, Universal and Peter Berg obviously saw something since here we are with a Battleship movie.<br />
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The story follows Alex Hopper (Taylor Kitsch), a Navy Weapons Officer with a bad reputation who happens to be dating the Admiral's (Liam Neeson) daughter (Brooklyn Decker). His brother (Alexander Skarsgard) is a decorated Commander who got Alex into the Navy after a brush-in with the law a few years back. During the biennial RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific Exercise), Alex gets into a scuffle with one of the other officers and is threatened with being discharged from the Navy. After getting himself sorted, he and his crew head out, but before things can really get going, aliens attack and devastate most of the ships. With nobody from the outside able to assist, it's up to Alex to stop these aliens once and for all.<br />
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Battleship is a film that, once you get past the stupidity of the concept, could theoretically work on paper but fails completely in the execution. Countless plot holes, cheesy dialogue delivered without a hint of wit or humor and jokes that, when they are made, fall flat on their face. Jon and Erich Hoeber are competent writers who have done a good job with films like Whiteout or Red, but it seems like they really phoned it in with this film. Maybe it's the source material and Hasbro giving them nothing to work with. Maybe it was Peter Berg insisting that bigger is better. Who knows really? At the end of the day, the screenplay is laughable, bloated and lazy. By the end I found myself laughing at the fact that I paid to sit through it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4n4LrxDu3pR8fx9gNh-__hJ7sA7n8HsAl4bV-sEeEuzI4S41WVVlfVfv3MkFZf_LzwIpLNDyfLEX4OPPNGGKMEFu6AXfT4zGme1cRUCjv5JlucZ2GGFzy4K7R1Rm0kgwTM7TeefyJ5F8N/s1600/bship3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4n4LrxDu3pR8fx9gNh-__hJ7sA7n8HsAl4bV-sEeEuzI4S41WVVlfVfv3MkFZf_LzwIpLNDyfLEX4OPPNGGKMEFu6AXfT4zGme1cRUCjv5JlucZ2GGFzy4K7R1Rm0kgwTM7TeefyJ5F8N/s400/bship3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The acting works for the most part, but being a competent actor in an abysmal film isn't much to be proud of. Kitsch does a good job making Alex likable and gives him a youthful intensity that actually helps the film. Bad film or no, he's trying his best to win back audiences, and for the most part he succeeds. Rihanna (how is she in this film by the way?), Neeson, Decker and Skarsgard on the other hand are all given very little to do in the movie and their performances are passable, if not totally unremarkable. The best actors in the film are definitely the aliens though, since they never have much to say. You know you're film is in trouble when CGI is outdoing the real people.<br />
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Overall Battleship is a bloated, badly written, poorly directed joke of a film that people should stay far, far, away from. Even as a "so bad it's good" it barely works, as there is little joy to be had from this film.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">MY VERDICT: ABOMINATION TO CINEMA</span>xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-51039798148360600342012-10-29T23:41:00.000-07:002013-05-22T22:47:22.922-07:00Promise me you'll never go to Silent Hill.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.<br />
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Back in 2006 Christophe Gans and Roger Avary took a risk by releasing a film adaptation of the original Silent Hill video game. It took a lot of liberties with the original source material, the biggest being the gender swap of the main hero, but it was nothing if not ambitious and it certainly had its fans. I was definitely not one of them. The Silent Hill franchise has always had a place in my heart and while it wasn't as terrible as most video game adaptations tend to be, it fell short of any expectations I had and I left feeling disappointed.<br />
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Fast forward to 2012 and Michael J. Bassett (Solomon Kane) has decided to skip Silent Hill 2 and adapt his interpretation of Silent Hill 3 onto the big screen. I was incredibly hesitant towards this decision for multiple reasons, mostly having to do with plot inconsistencies that were bound to show up, but the biggest reason is because Silent Hill 3 is one of my favorite video games of all time and is indeed my favorite entry in the Silent Hill series, despite the second game being the most critically acclaimed.<br />
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Like my choice in favorites, my thoughts on Silent Hill: Revelation (not to be mistaken with Resident Evil: Revelation) aren't in the popular opinion and really boil down to a simple formula: Have you played Silent Hill 3? If yes, did you enjoy it? If yes to both than chances are you'll either love, or at least somewhat enjoy Silent Hill: Revelation. If no to either, you will absolutely abhor this incoherent mess of a film. I'm in the former, although I do recognize where problems exist.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAHdobcCTT4jyvEWc4bEKJWW3ss0zWy_xAg2SrS38jSwe4iQZ9eBIeJk1UydnnRGMEWEYnbFRTMu3gQRRjVknYd4I0Y67Cj968CTQACT8AEDw0dePRAAhpxC0GC1wIfXhfE31ECruA7f6/s1600/silent+hill+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAHdobcCTT4jyvEWc4bEKJWW3ss0zWy_xAg2SrS38jSwe4iQZ9eBIeJk1UydnnRGMEWEYnbFRTMu3gQRRjVknYd4I0Y67Cj968CTQACT8AEDw0dePRAAhpxC0GC1wIfXhfE31ECruA7f6/s400/silent+hill+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The story follows Heather (Sharon from the first movie), a teenager who is being haunted by Silent Hill. No matter how far Heather and her father Harry run from the town, it finds ways of creeping back into her life. Whether it's a nightmare, a vision, or an outright attack from one of the ghostly members of the town themselves, it always follows her. When she's followed by a mysterious private eye who is investigating Heather and Harry, she hides out in the local mall in hopes that they can confront him, or at least lose his tail. When Harry never shows up and the man is murdered by a resident of Silent Hill, she enlists the help of a local boy named Vincent, who, after learning Harry has been kidnapped by the people of Silent Hill, helps take her to Silent Hill.<br />
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Silent Hill 3 worked best in its atmosphere, but the story was far from compelling. In that sense, the film feels like a direct adaptation. A good number of scenes have been lifted straight from the game and while it does create an unnerving and creepy atmosphere, the dialogue and overall plot are shoddy at best, insulting at worst. The worst of it though is in the original scenes or scenes that try to tie-in to the original movie. When it's stealing from Silent Hill 3 it's creepy, compelling, atmospheric but totally unremarkable in the writing department. When it's an original scene it feels rushed, confusing or sticks out like a sore thumb. Continuity was never on the director's mind it seemed and for fans of the original film it will definitely create some anger and disappointment.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdk9mIILkRilkitJBPPyFOjoQGT1JkqhyphenhyphenqZ87rfFjSybquVfTKCU1Q8MJTv4pkoGvLUvBp1lyYYkeriLaupFpoAns53lQHPxYNeDvleUMpOiK1rQp0No8ZdJTglp3f76wl-42mqtntfUfk/s1600/silent+hill+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdk9mIILkRilkitJBPPyFOjoQGT1JkqhyphenhyphenqZ87rfFjSybquVfTKCU1Q8MJTv4pkoGvLUvBp1lyYYkeriLaupFpoAns53lQHPxYNeDvleUMpOiK1rQp0No8ZdJTglp3f76wl-42mqtntfUfk/s400/silent+hill+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
In terms of acting it's all over the board. Adelaide Clemens does an admirable job as Heather doing the best she can with what she has. Most of the time it's looking scared or confused, but effort is effort and when you consider most of the other cast, I'll take what I can get. The adults (Sean Bean, Carrie-Anne Moss and Deborah Kara Unger) do a decent job with what they have, although most of them don't get enough screen time to really make an impact. The worst is probably Kit Harington, who I actually enjoy in his other work, but in this he is painful to watch and I couldn't wait for him to get off the screen.<br />
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The strongest part of the film, and quite possibly the saving grace of the whole thing is in the technical aspects of the film. The music is beautiful and memorable, the 3D effects are some of the best I've seen in a long time and the lighting works amazingly in setting a tone. The special effects are also a sight to behold, with most of the creatures looking really incredible and a good number of them stuck with me after the film was over. Some effects were better than others, a few looked like they were pandering to the 3D audience, but overall it earns high marks across the board.<br />
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Overall Silent Hill: Revelation isn't as terrible as I thought it would be. As an adaptation of Silent Hill 3 it does a solid job getting the mood and atmosphere correct, but like Silent Hill 3 the writing and acting leave a lot to be desired. It's hard to recommend this film to anyone, but I can't really damn it completely either.<br />
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<span style="color: orange;">MY VERDICT: AVOID IT (1.5 out of 5 stars) </span>xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-45546835385131900592012-05-05T19:52:00.000-07:002012-05-05T19:52:00.562-07:00Even at my age, in my work... I haven't reached perfection.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.</div>
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Deep in the heart of Tokyo, in a place where you'd never expect it (in a subway station), sits one of the greatest restaurants in the entire world: Sukiyabashi Jiro. To the untrained eye it looks like a simple family-owned sushi shop but to everyone who has ever eaten there, they can tell you it is anything but ordinary. Run by Jiro Ono and his son (with another location also run by one of his sons), documentary filmmaker David Gelb takes a crew inside this 3 star Michelin restaurant so that we can get an idea of who the man behind the counter really is.</div>
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Though regarded by many as the best sushi chef alive, 85 year old Jiro believes that his quest to perfect the art of sushi will never end. He dreams about it, spends almost every waking minute thinking about it and meticulously crafts every piece of fish as though it was Van Gogh painting one of his masterpieces. He loves his work, and deeply cares about it in ways that most people wished they could care about anything. The hard part, and one of his struggles, is dealing with what will happen after he dies. His son works diligently beside him, Jiro taking plenty of time to teach him and help him in whatever way he can, but at the end of the day Jiro will always be the master chef. He's a one of a kind and many believe that his son will never live up to his fathers reputation. Will Jiro's son ever surpass his father? Will Jiro's quest to perfect the art of sushi ever end? What of his other son, who runs a similar restaurant but in a fashion that is exponentially different than his father? These and more are questions we are presented with as the film goes on.<br />
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Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a brief film, clocking in around 80 minutes, but even if it was longer David Gelb's impeccable pacing is some of the best I've seen recently (documentary or otherwise). It never feels rushed, most scenes, with the exception of maybe one or two, run perfectly and you can tell that Gelb was making this film for a broad audience, not just those who are used to documentary films slow, more deliberate pacing. The cinematography is great as well but I will say, see this film on a full stomach because even if you hate sushi, Jiro and Gelb make everything look delicious. It's food porn, but brilliant food porn.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTOiMxRCA5SdKST8_0P5t1_xx35FXTAEVaXdnryVkycb8QEsrkf104LUiadg_X4ljJCyR4QlwPxKlCeH9DNl-mOiq0oSC4R1V95SLMl1bTTQI7QhwJlbbDWaA-vjK5UqAFNSsOSqKTt44/s1600/85477_gal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTOiMxRCA5SdKST8_0P5t1_xx35FXTAEVaXdnryVkycb8QEsrkf104LUiadg_X4ljJCyR4QlwPxKlCeH9DNl-mOiq0oSC4R1V95SLMl1bTTQI7QhwJlbbDWaA-vjK5UqAFNSsOSqKTt44/s320/85477_gal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Jiro himself, as well as his son, are fascinating characters who are extremely passionate about what they do. You can see that they pour their heart and soul into everything they do. Jiro especially is fascinating to listen to because the way he describes everything, from making sushi to the art of sushi is intriguing and heartfelt. You feel his struggles and his hardships because you really care about him as a person. If you can get behind and care about the subject of your documentary then you've done a good job.<br />
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Love or hate sushi, Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a brilliant documentary and one that should be enjoyed by everybody.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;">MY VERDICT: OWN IT (4.5 out of 5)</span><br />
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<br />xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-50312248429137122612012-05-04T11:48:00.002-07:002012-05-04T11:48:54.066-07:00There was an idea to bring together a group of remarkable people, so that when we needed them, they could fight the battles that we never could.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will. </div>
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After 12 hours of film building up the hype to a fever pitch, after countless years of development and writing, after all the marketing tie-ins that you could possibly throw into a product, it's finally here: The Avengers. Earth's Mightiest Heroes gathered into one movie to fight alongside (and sometimes against) one another in order to save everyone from certain destruction. Captain America (Chris Evans), the first Avenger and former poster child for the United States Army. Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the demigod who fought his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and saved Asgard. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) aka Iron Man, the egotistical billionaire genius with a suit that makes him as powerful as any other hero. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) aka Hulk, a scientist fighting against a monster raging inside him. Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) aka Hawkeye, the archer with a knack for never missing. Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) aka Black Widow, the super spy who fills out a catsuit better than most could dream. And of course Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson), the man behind it all who brings these people together. After all that has happened, does the film live up to the hype? Depends on which hype you're looking at.</div>
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You see there are two hype trains rolling down the tracks right now. One is the hype that Marvel, Disney and the past six (yes I count the terrible 2003 Ang Lee Hulk film) films have established and the other is the hype that fans and critics have built after seeing the movie. These people are saying that The Avengers is the greatest comic book film ever and will vehemently bash anybody who even breathes in the wrong direction when it comes to this film. I only agree with one of these hype trains. Marvel has done a fantastic job building these worlds and establishing these characters and Joss Whedon and everyone involved does a brilliant job crafting an amazing film. But I hesitate to throw "best" at the movie only because while it's certainly the funniest, biggest and most action action packed comic book film I've seen, its only lacking area is in any true depth or sense of danger. Unless you've seen the previous films you might be a little lost on who most of these people are. The film does a good job re-establishing and reminding you of who most of these people are but most of the character development is saved for the heroes own film. In terms of danger, you never really feel like these people are going to fail, you know they will win at the end of the day. With some other films (cough Dark Knight cough) you aren't as sure and it takes some of the wind out of the film. </div>
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Nick Fury and SHIELD are in the possession of an unlimited power source known as the Tesseract. One day the Tesseract starts to act up and out pops Loki, who steals the Tesseract, enslaves Hawkeye and Dr. Selvig (from Thor), and levels the SHIELD base. Loki plans on unleashing an army and enslaving the human race because freedom, at least in his mind, is overrated. Fury decides that to restart the Avengers Initiative and gathers Iron Man, Black Widow, Hulk and Cap to go find and capture Loki. Along the way Thor joins them (although not without some initial disagreement) with the idea that he wants to take the Tesseract and hold his brother accountable for his crimes in Asgard. That's really all I can say without spoiling the rest of the film but needless to say a lot of things blow up, get shot and are destroyed. The action is intense, always a joy to watch and I found myself bouncing up and down with excitement on many occasion.<br />
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The story isn't anything we haven't seen before but Joss Whedon's lightning fast wit and impeccable pacing makes it all seem new again, or at least appear to. The film is split into two halves, the first half bringing everyone together and establishing the characters motives and major conflicts with the second half being an all out brawl in the middle of New York. It seems simple when you write it out but everything builds up well and by the time it does reach New York you are already as pumped as you'll ever be. Like I mentioned before there IS a lack of danger or any real threat since you know these guys will win in the end, but it's a well written film and unless you really think about it, you'll enjoy every minute of this film. Even the post credits scenes. Yes, there are two, so make sure you stay for both of them.<br />
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The acting in the film is actually improved from the heroes previous films. Evans and Hemsworth both feel more comfortable with their roles and have grasped some more of the nuances of their character. Cap is still a straight arrow trying to adjust to living in the future, but despite his old ways he knows how to lead and you really feel for his character. Thor struggles with protecting Earth (and the woman he loves) from afar while also dealing with his brother who, despite being evil, is still his brother in the end. Stark is as snarky and egotistical as before but you can see that there is still a man underneath it all, especially now more than ever. Downey owns his role and if anybody stole the show, you can easily make the argument that it is him. Johansson's Black Widow and Jackson's Fury are also both improved with the real surprise being Johansson. Usually I don't care for her all that much but she does great with a more fleshed out Natasha and proves to be more than just eye candy in a catsuit. Jackson is Jackson...take it or leave it.<br />
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The two new additions, Ruffalo as Bruce Banner and Renner as Hawkeye, do well but Ruffalo is certainly the better of the two. He captures the hectic and almost neurotic nature of Banner better than Edward Norton and Eric Bana ever could and he has a heart and humor to him that makes him a joy to watch. He plays off everybody extremely well and his Hulked out self looks amazing. Third time is the charm I guess. Renner does well with Hawkeye but his role isn't really big enough to say much more. He's good, he does justice to the character but that's about it.<br />
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Overall The Avengers is a wonderful, action packed blockbuster with brilliant writing, intense action, great acting, big laughs and is a joy for everyone whether you read comics or not. I hesitate to throw around the term best when it comes to this movie but you get what you paid for and more and you shouldn't leave the theater disappointed.<br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000;">MY VERDICT: TOP FILM (5 out of 5)</span><br />
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<br />xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-9545303796992661722012-05-03T21:54:00.002-07:002012-05-03T21:54:33.293-07:00I've been in resturants all night, all I got served was lead.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.</div>
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It doesn't really take a lot to sell me on a Jason Statham film. Is he kicking ass and taking names? Is he mumbling and chewing all of his words like a dog with peanut butter? Is he a hitman/cop/bounty hunter/guy in the wrong place at the wrong time who somehow knows martial arts? Is Neveldine&Taylor nowhere to be found on the film's production credits? Is it at least competently written? If the answer is yes to all (or at least a majority) of the questions then chances are I probably will go out and buy a ticket without any hesitation. Don't get me wrong, Statham is not my favorite actor and a majority of his filmography is nowhere near Criterion quality, but there is something enjoyable about watching Statham do that voodoo that he does so well. </div>
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In Safe, Statham plays Luke Wright, a former cop turned cage fighter who, after refusing to throw a fight, has everything taken away from him. He loses his house, his money and his wife is brutally murdered with the promise that anybody he ever befriends, helps or talks to will be murdered as well. While all this is going on, a 12-year-old Chinese girl named Mei, who has a knack for remembering things, is taken by the Triads and used as a walking ledger of sorts. She remembers all the numbers, locations and people so that they don't have to write anything down.<br />
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A year goes by and Luke is now homeless and on the brink of suicide while Mei is brought to America to be used for some business in town. Mei and the Triads are attacked by the Russians and after the Russians kidnap her, she soon escapes and finds herself wanted by every criminal organization and corrupt official in town. Luke sees what's going on and brings it upon himself to save and protect Mei from all harm and danger. <br />
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On the surface, Safe is a predictable, paint-by-the-numbers Statham film. It's nothing you've never seen before and it's certainly been done better. It bogs itself down with a ton of exposition and explaining and some of the dialogue is definitely on the cheesy/kitschy side, but in the grand spectrum of Statham movies, it's right down the middle. Statham does his usual shtick, so if you like what he does normally, chances are you'll like his performance in this. The other acting is pretty average but nobody besides Mei and Luke get a ton of development.<br />
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If it sounds like I'm being harsh, I'm not, I'm just pointing out what everyone probably already expected. Like I said before, "on the surface." But I decided to dig a little deeper than I usually do and pay attention to the movie from a technical side and this is where the movie surprises itself. Honestly I don't think it expected to be as well shot and edited as it ended up being. From a technical side this film is actually quite good and a step in the right direction for "typical Statham films." The soundtrack is appropriately placed and adds tension where needed, the sound design is Bourne quality with every gun and fist sounding heavy and hitting with the right bang or thud and the cuts/edits/cinematography are all hectic but controlled at the same time. It does things that a normal film goer wouldn't give a second thought to but re-watching Statham's filmography it seems leaps and bounds better than the established norm.<br />
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Overall Safe is a competently written and acted film that hits all the beats that Statham films have been known to do. Predictable, yes, but entertaining nevertheless. On a technical side, however, it shines as one of Statham's better shot and made films, even if the script and everything else makes the film just okay. If you like action films and you like what Statham usually does than you can do a lot worse in terms of films. Just don't expect the next Snatch.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">MY VERDICT: RENT IT (2.5 out of 5)</span>xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-46777510825057968372012-04-05T14:11:00.001-07:002012-04-06T21:29:15.465-07:00It's Like a Sasquatch, Only More Elusive, More Ferocious, and a Little More GreedyOK, so I had this idea, to do a more weekly type deal and I decided on reviewing South Park. The new season has started and the fourth episode aired last night, with only three more left before the summer break.<br />
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Before I go any further:<br />
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<b>***SPOILER ALERT***</b><br />
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Yes, I will be giving away all the details, so if you don't want to know because, for some asinine reason, you haven't watched it yet, stop reading and come back when you have.<br />
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Before I get into my review I just want to explain how you are supposed to watch South Park. Lately people have been getting this notion that South Park is some huge political or social statement every week. It's not. Not even a little. Sure, they may take ideas from what's going on and make it a part of their show, but it doesn't mean they are making a statement about that issue. Not at all. They're just making fun of it. Simple as that. So don't watch South Park as if it's some top news show bringing you all the latest insight on humanity. It's just a show about foul mouthed 4th graders who get into all kinds of trouble.<br />
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Now, with that said, on with review.<br />
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"Jewpacabra" is the 4th episode of South Park's 16th season. This season has been a blast so far producing some of the funniest episodes I've seen in a long time. Who can forget "Reverse Cowgirl?" This episode taught us that we have all been sitting on the toilet wrong. You're supposed to face the tank so you have a nice little shelf for your magazines. Then there was "Cash for Gold," that showed us the complex and idiotic loop of the gold selling and smelting business. Remember, "Whoever made the rhyme, did the crime." Then last week we were introduced to "Faith Hilling," this episode reminded us all that there are only three acceptable memes when posing for a photo: peace sign, bunny ears, and fake wiener.<br />
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This week's episode came just in time for Easter, which is this Sunday. It follows the exploits of Cartman as he tries to convince everyone that a beast called the Jewpacabra is real and is coming to suck the blood from all of the kids in town, on Easter Sunday, during the town's big Easter egg hunt. It starts with Cartman going to Kyle's house and getting a lesson in Passover from Kyle's mom. Of course Kyle is suspicious of Cartman from the get go because Kyle knows Cartman always has an ulterior motive, for everything he does.<br />
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Cartman is then charged (by himself) to find evidence that Jewpacabra is real. He enlists Butters' help to do so and they go into the woods to try and capture the creature on video. At this point they transform South Park into an episode of Animal Planet's "Finding Bigfoot," which, as usual, is done with great accuracy. In order to find it they have to imitate the Jewpacabra's call. "No Christ! No Christ!" Butters eventually helps (he's terrified to death the whole time) by shouting, "I don't think Christ has any basis in reality!"<br />
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Cartman, after obtaining the footage he wants, takes it to the B.F.R.O. (Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization). This of course takes place after Cartman absconds to Nassau so he can ride a water slide at the Atlantis Resort and Casino. You know, the one that goes through a shark tank. Yeah, it's real.<br />
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So they get to the BFRO and inside are the folks from the show, albeit a highly exaggerated version of them. Which of course is hilarious because they portray these people as if they are just the dumbest people to walk the Earth. It would be prudent to mention that Kyle has a recurring line that goes, "To believe any of this you have to be either a liar or stupid." The fine folks in the BFRO are then ready to believe Cartman when he tells them it's a Jewpacabra. They then convince Cartman that it is real footage of the beast and that it will now be targeting him because of the footage.<br />
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Eventually, Cartman is used as bait to lure the Jewpacabra out and make everyone else safe. The BFRO folks track him down and identify him as a three foot tall bunny man. "Bobo" shoots Cartman with a tranquilizer gun and they all celebrate and try to go get their adventure on Animal Planet, bringing the gun as evidence of the existence of the bunny man.<br />
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While under the effects of the tranquilizer, Cartman has a dream where he is a little Egyptian boy during the days of the Biblical plagues. Kyle is there too, as Jew, naturally. Cartman can't understand why God would do all these horrible things to people and Kyle tells him that's how God works. Cartman responds, "You're wrong Kyle, God is not a dick!" Best line of the episode.<br />
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After waking up, safe in his bed, after a little help from a compassionate Kyle, he goes running into the middle of the Easter egg hunt as it's in full swing. He announces to everyone that they must accept Jehovah as their God and deny Christ.<br />
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So, after hating Jews all his life and even once or twice trying to eradicate them, Cartman has accepted Judaism as the one true religion. Now, it will be interesting to see if this lasts, or, if this is a ploy towards something bigger. You never know when it comes to Eric Cartman. You just never know.<br />
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I thoroughly enjoyed this episode, just as I've enjoyed the previous ones this season. Season 16 is definitely off to a good start, this episode is just another strong one. Although, I will say the cast of main characters was quite small. It was mainly just Cartman, Butters, and Kyle. Stan didn't even have a line in this one. He was even only seen briefly when everyone was in line to sign of for the egg hunt.<br />
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Also, the parents weren't really involved either. I typically enjoy the episodes where the parents are more involved, especially Randy. Not saying that every episode should involve the grown-up, I'm just saying I like it when they're there. They tend to add that complete rube aspect to the story, a device to just completely ruin everything. Which usually works out pretty good.<br />
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The thing I think Trey and Matt and their crew do best is bring light to things we don't give much thought to. Like their one episode that uncovered the truth about Easter. Everyone always wonders how Easter came to be associated with egg laying rabbits and South Park explained it very well. "Jewpacabra" is no different, as far as when it comes to the Passover holiday.<br />
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I think one thing that a lot of critics do wrong when they watch South Park, is they take it too seriously. They sit down and watch the show and expect a huge social statement to be made. That's not what this show is about. It's gotta be watched with an open mind and a very open sense of humor. The only envelope these guys push is what they can get away with on cable TV, comedy wise. They've done a great job for 16.25 seasons and I can't wait to see what happens in the forthcoming episodes. It is 2012 after all.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-5123396797260238212012-03-29T22:22:00.002-07:002012-03-29T22:22:18.067-07:00D Strong's Young Justice Show Summary (Reviews to Come)<br />
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<span class="TextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US">In the premiere episode we’re introduced to four well established sidekicks in this universe: Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Speedy each of whom vie to ascend from mere sidekick status to full-fledged hero status, unfortunately its met with opposition from their respective mentors(Batman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Arrow) and each of the young heroes reacts in their own way, Speedy in this incarnation is the eldest of these young heroes decides to strike out on his own from mentor Green Arrow and change his name to Red Arrow now operating as a solo hero. Still wanting to prove their worth to their mentors, the remaining heroes engage in a secret investigation of Cadmus headquarters. This leads to the discovery of Superboy who is a clone of Superman whom even </span><span class="TextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US">he</span><span class="TextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US"> isn’t aware of. After the Superboy discovery and the revelation that Cadmus is engaged in creating living weapons called Geomorphs all of which are being manipulated by a mysterious group called The Light, the young heroes convince Batman to create a covert team to operate under his order on situations that the Big Leaguers would instantly be identified. By the end of the episode, a fifth member of the group is introduced-the ever so cute Miss Martian. The group’s headquarters is located within Mount Justice in Happy Harbor.</span><span class="EOP SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX70508940" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX70508940" paraid="696787900" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: normal !important;">
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX70508940" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX70508940" paraid="1624626819" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: normal !important;">
<span class="TextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US">What sets this show apart from the other DCAU shows is of course its dedication to character development and the fact that not everything will be solved at the end of the half-hour episodes thereby stretching some plots into an over-arching storyline. This series continues the Justice League Unlimited tradition of expanding the DC universe with cameo appearances from characters well known to the very obscure. Over 135 characters have appeared in the series so far (with more on the way!). Also, as to not be confused with anything that comes before or after, its established that Earth-16 is clearly in the early days of the super-hero renaissance. The characters are also somewhat altered yet familiar. The lineup for this series includes so far:</span><span class="EOP SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglz4U7Dsu7sX1Hp49lcyTO4PjFDzAf7JPJFbDylPBDLErAgti9UiERVHeFzt8ENWxWb-x5dojJsYQtGTJxMmbRD169h1rIoixLkcgagUuX0oDIHpAFvi54UOXJtE1VKMTeaAZkRFAF_WYB/s1600/young-justice-robin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglz4U7Dsu7sX1Hp49lcyTO4PjFDzAf7JPJFbDylPBDLErAgti9UiERVHeFzt8ENWxWb-x5dojJsYQtGTJxMmbRD169h1rIoixLkcgagUuX0oDIHpAFvi54UOXJtE1VKMTeaAZkRFAF_WYB/s320/young-justice-robin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX70508940" paraid="2039336327" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: normal !important;">
<span class="TextRun EmptyTextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US"></span><span class="EOP SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US">Robin/Dick Grayson - He is thirteen years old in this version and since he’s the Batman’s partner, the most experienced of the group. He shows signs of becoming a great leader in situations where field leader Aqualad isn’t present.</span><span class="EOP SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfudnAbptFWxQsOfFFYc7kz9VU7Q9mhwmhn6bEHT_3hNdAB7plo2m9KFljVJh4qPoyDG4pvxhetk9eVYFzgQIffpj_D4Sql0GuCasDNmCq2VSiLBJOJ88Jpimk0WcQ6KLRm_hmXy2la7VF/s1600/young-justice-aqualad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfudnAbptFWxQsOfFFYc7kz9VU7Q9mhwmhn6bEHT_3hNdAB7plo2m9KFljVJh4qPoyDG4pvxhetk9eVYFzgQIffpj_D4Sql0GuCasDNmCq2VSiLBJOJ88Jpimk0WcQ6KLRm_hmXy2la7VF/s320/young-justice-aqualad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX70508940" paraid="919918492" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: normal !important;">
<span class="TextRun EmptyTextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US"></span><span class="EOP SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US">Aqualad/Kaldur ‘Ahm- He is the sixteen year old leader of the Young Justice squad and Aquaman’s partner. He possesses powers of Atlantean sorcery which include super strength, durability, and discharge electricity through his hands. He’s elected leader of the younger heroes because of his level-headedness in perilous situations and his ability to efficiently deliver orders. This series marks the first animated appearance of the new African American version of Aqualad.</span><span class="EOP SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40lBQ5EDpAfLVt7V_t2AJaMHj7zq3hzsCbdW59_OlzYaGtfJdxunSeVWnFnmsqPh0T7zTzzwbf0pkVhPWCFnm0JN1hUiRbAvv1dSPe6zaFHqK488TY9hBDVUk_na5BcjjSQX_O2YpuopZ/s1600/draft_lens17829281module149421501photo_1302268837Kid_Flash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40lBQ5EDpAfLVt7V_t2AJaMHj7zq3hzsCbdW59_OlzYaGtfJdxunSeVWnFnmsqPh0T7zTzzwbf0pkVhPWCFnm0JN1hUiRbAvv1dSPe6zaFHqK488TY9hBDVUk_na5BcjjSQX_O2YpuopZ/s320/draft_lens17829281module149421501photo_1302268837Kid_Flash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="TextRun EmptyTextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US"></span><span class="EOP SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US">Kid Flash/Wally West- Is the super speedster of the group and partner of the Flash. Wally is pretty much the comic relief of the group and is one of the members who’d love more than anything to prove his worth to the mentor heroes. Wally first has a crush on Miss Martian which he eventually gets over, he also collects items from missions that he dubs ‘souvenirs’. Wally is the only member of the group who knows Robin’s secret identity and vice versa.</span><span class="EOP SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9G8RLkPruaWh4H7o5bpCzKEYKGMApO-aPGKoiV53hoWdYfR3b2gv5s4ReUTRtUwpsYl-ELdHof0aPukp0tVmSYlILAk3Cv6RHCqJdoPblPhhZ4wVMVk9UX1YxBEzGTYdOWrSuLqMVVPx/s1600/Superboy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9G8RLkPruaWh4H7o5bpCzKEYKGMApO-aPGKoiV53hoWdYfR3b2gv5s4ReUTRtUwpsYl-ELdHof0aPukp0tVmSYlILAk3Cv6RHCqJdoPblPhhZ4wVMVk9UX1YxBEzGTYdOWrSuLqMVVPx/s320/Superboy.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="TextRun EmptyTextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US"></span><span class="EOP SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US">Superboy/Conner Kent- A sixteen-week old clone of Superman grown in the bowels of Project Cadmus, he only contains half of Superman’s kryptonian abilities: super strength, invulnerability, hearing and vision. Superboy’s demeanor is somewhat sullen and ill-tempered due to his reaction to the way he was created and rejection from Superman whom he wished to bond with. He recently discovered half of his genetic makeup is human and the shocking revelation of whom the donor is.</span><span class="EOP SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixx4N97GUrJVFX1wwJsYPVv-JvySXWTiLBvSUH4WHybnp94hckAGMVSEpyaeIOboQ_fbQqUZWaDqJ3KjbQ5I_5PPDmRM2Sp6xyTNTX9LcVWD-3aGwO06wkVnAEA5tJhwClVpynuoKz3VUD/s1600/1667205-miss_martian_super.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixx4N97GUrJVFX1wwJsYPVv-JvySXWTiLBvSUH4WHybnp94hckAGMVSEpyaeIOboQ_fbQqUZWaDqJ3KjbQ5I_5PPDmRM2Sp6xyTNTX9LcVWD-3aGwO06wkVnAEA5tJhwClVpynuoKz3VUD/s320/1667205-miss_martian_super.png" width="86" /></a></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX70508940" paraid="143316129" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: normal !important;">
<span class="TextRun EmptyTextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US"></span><span class="EOP SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US">Miss Martian/M’gann M’orzz/Megan Morse- Martian Manhunter’s sixteen year old niece and inexperienced super hero. Like her uncle her powers include flight, telekinesis, telepathy, invisibility, and limited shape shifting. Megan’s rather naïve and upbeat personality was developed from watching earth television programming. She takes the form of the main character and catchphrase from the television program “Hello Megan!”. She and Superboy have developed a romantic relationship with each other, its also been shown recently that in her true form Megan is a White Martian.</span><span class="EOP SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLmIYU6k6EgOzOCzrsS-JPi4bD0XxHDcP78tZ5UIHMF1AFTIj17uYdb01XnWaPL2qqcy5VGlhQDxRvSwhnE0zRZpzvKJIu72nADPJjSrs8MhKpoctvyp92yJv0KMx1dgrmFiW2Cyf76s-/s1600/4360-Arrowette-Avatar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLmIYU6k6EgOzOCzrsS-JPi4bD0XxHDcP78tZ5UIHMF1AFTIj17uYdb01XnWaPL2qqcy5VGlhQDxRvSwhnE0zRZpzvKJIu72nADPJjSrs8MhKpoctvyp92yJv0KMx1dgrmFiW2Cyf76s-/s320/4360-Arrowette-Avatar3.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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<span class="TextRun EmptyTextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US"></span><span class="EOP SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US">Artemis/Artemis Crock- The most mysterious member of the group. Fifteen years old and like Robin is the teams’ other powerless member. She is adept at archery and her weapon of choice is a bow and arrow. Initially, she introduced herself to the group as Green Arrow’s niece but Red Arrow knows the truth and admits that if Batman and Green Arrow still want her as part of the group, there must be a good reason. Artemis has yet to reveal her true back round to the team, especially the fact that her sister is the villain Cheshire.</span><span class="EOP SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvyqWeB6xpI0Zp-JJIKBoPrjnLCB69ULFUj50JhyphenhyphenOn9_9S-GWbqfHxRZY2Gzo77s8l6tJr2yU6v4WiQZmZQ9C1EYEKXeSPFA50u2a3F2uFhfP6z6cy32COzvspBArAM6eF54kx1REP1TW/s1600/draft_lens17829281module157524174photo_1331169256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvyqWeB6xpI0Zp-JJIKBoPrjnLCB69ULFUj50JhyphenhyphenOn9_9S-GWbqfHxRZY2Gzo77s8l6tJr2yU6v4WiQZmZQ9C1EYEKXeSPFA50u2a3F2uFhfP6z6cy32COzvspBArAM6eF54kx1REP1TW/s320/draft_lens17829281module157524174photo_1331169256.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="TextRun EmptyTextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US"></span><span class="EOP SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US">Zatanna/Zatanna Zatara- She is the daughter of Justice League magician Zatara. She made recurring appearances in several episodes until the episode “Misplaced” where her father becomes the new Doctor Fate and this leads to her becoming the official newest member of the Young Justice team. Her powers, like her dear old dad lie in incantations spoken backwards.</span><span class="EOP SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX70508940" paraid="277355354" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; color: windowtext; height: auto; margin-right: 40px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto; word-wrap: normal !important;">
<span class="TextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US">More heroes are expected to join the team in upcoming episodes and season two. So far the Milestone hero Icon’s sidekick Rocket has been seen alongside the group in promotional material as well as the current Blue Beetle and character Lagoon Boy from the somewhat related (and long canceled) </span><span class="TextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US">Young Justice </span><span class="TextRun SCX70508940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: normal !important;" xml:lang="EN-US">comic series.</span></div>
</div>xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-18156338628888470172012-03-25T00:56:00.002-07:002012-03-25T00:56:21.388-07:00If you let me die in there I swear I will haunt you<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMauTwzmwQAwb0rA1ip6qA5qD3QQqM-U_bCFlQyRqK_M7HctFYLGO0oZWFW5DNPUxP_1gkOHJy3IonBtXhtCDlsA1IY-bpsDD3WSpJcMs1OIYVF1Y5PKyEESFXDBZMch8M2i9X3qoUBOwa/s1600/87107_gal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMauTwzmwQAwb0rA1ip6qA5qD3QQqM-U_bCFlQyRqK_M7HctFYLGO0oZWFW5DNPUxP_1gkOHJy3IonBtXhtCDlsA1IY-bpsDD3WSpJcMs1OIYVF1Y5PKyEESFXDBZMch8M2i9X3qoUBOwa/s400/87107_gal.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.</div>
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Martial arts films seem to come fewer and fewer as the years go on. Gone are the days of Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Bruce Lee whupping people into next week and instead nowadays the closest thing we have is Jayden Smith in the Karate Kid remake. Sure we still get the occasional imported martial arts film over here, but most of those either go straight to video or aren't worth watching anyway. I was starting to give up hope in the genre but then a small Indonesian film by the name of The Raid caught my eye. It was being heralded at all the film festivals it was showing at and people were saying it was the second coming of martial arts films. More so it was being compared to (some even said it was better than) John Woo's classic film Hard Boiled and as an avid Woo fan I was even more excited to see if it lived up to the hype. Well after watching The Raid I can tell you that the film not only lives up to the hype but far exceeds my expectations.</div>
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In fact I'd go so far as to say it's one of the best action movies ever.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MxemsAft8Y5GfNbRsxNzRFs4AJQT4rBZk0K6vSFv0aRUFSYWvjRhq9ulmX0IrXSdOZlNs5k5TgmL4JHxBVLa8b9LYwat_RWyn2k_T9knMAeUQALmCZuH8rpOfDOGZpcUn5vnwBhqMiB6/s1600/87077_gal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MxemsAft8Y5GfNbRsxNzRFs4AJQT4rBZk0K6vSFv0aRUFSYWvjRhq9ulmX0IrXSdOZlNs5k5TgmL4JHxBVLa8b9LYwat_RWyn2k_T9knMAeUQALmCZuH8rpOfDOGZpcUn5vnwBhqMiB6/s400/87077_gal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The film follows Rama, a rookie cop who is assigned alongside a group of highly trained SWAT to take down a ruthless drug lord named Tama. Tama is holed up in a derelict apartment building and has surrounded himself with the worst possible (and considering how many probably the cheapest) criminals, thieves and other ne'er-do-wells to make sure that he is safe from anybody trying to take him down. Rama and the team sneak in undetected but their cover is soon blown and now have to fight their way out, or die trying. There's also a subplot involving Rama searching for his brother but really the story is just a means to an end. That's not to say the story is bad, it does it's job well and frames everything nicely, but don't expect an Academy Award winning screenplay out of this film anytime soon.<br />
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The real story lies in the many, many, well choreographed fight scenes that make up the bulk of the film. Each fight feels unique, well thought out and never left me feeling fatigued. A lot of times in a film like this there can be SO much action that it starts to become mundane and leave you wanting more. Not in this movie. Just when you think you have the rhythm of the fight down it throws you a hook and changes things up. The cinematography, sound mixing and editing enhance the experience, making each fight feel visceral, gritty and intense. Think Saving Private Ryan's beach scene but with cops and kung fu and you have the majority of the movie. I hate using this term but it really is edge of your seat exciting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZeYveXld6Z6ep5zaKkoVKGVeFas_2u0S6CspDh9t3YwZOaG3X15tG_C9agWnf8uLY6fjUB0LUGE6pJpOhO-Lo3j3XMCM8P5xQUgwmQDjTiiqh4gOmhfeOs_OjPc2W4FSDMpaA5Q0jpwY/s1600/87081_gal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZeYveXld6Z6ep5zaKkoVKGVeFas_2u0S6CspDh9t3YwZOaG3X15tG_C9agWnf8uLY6fjUB0LUGE6pJpOhO-Lo3j3XMCM8P5xQUgwmQDjTiiqh4gOmhfeOs_OjPc2W4FSDMpaA5Q0jpwY/s400/87081_gal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The acting is hard for me to really judge. There's no real bad apple in the bunch, everyone delivers their lines well and makes you believe or care about their character, but the film is 90% action so there isn't really a whole lot to go on in terms of technique or acting abilities. They're good but where they shine is in their fighting. The training for this film must have been crazy because everyone fights SO crisply and cleanly that everything begins to flow after a while. It ebbs and flows effortlessly and everyone gets a moment to shine in the film, even if they get offed shortly afterwards. I will say though that Iko Uwais is a very convincing hero and it's really easy to root for him. Same goes for Ray Sahetapy, who plays Tama. You really get the feeling Tama is the pure incarnation of evil. There's no sugarcoating with his role.<br />
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Before I get to the overall I will say that Mike Shinoda (of Linkin Park) and Joseph Trapanese do an incredible job with the soundtrack. Just thought I'd throw that out there.<br />
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Overall if you love action films you should watch this film, plain and simple. It's gritty, fun, exciting, entertaining, well choreographed, intense and all sorts of other compliments I could probably take days writing out. It's not the deepest film ever but if you are going into this film for its story, then you probably aren't its target audience. Worth your time and money for sure.<br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000;">MY VERDICT: TOP FILM (5 out of 5 stars)</span>xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-79392454766956934382012-03-17T18:41:00.002-07:002012-03-17T18:41:40.480-07:00Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJFUzcSzL4T10dBJQ9sLr-rnc9HEWobJ6kd4fbAJKWt6Qh7o3Gub6W_YW3GxXdqEZCEmsDKEWbl8yQrI-i-EyeZP2ZH2xfgqzQpMiD7UhECuDrP84e9XqgwoeZBVG0WiF2FZCOfA0T6Pf/s1600/82594_gal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJFUzcSzL4T10dBJQ9sLr-rnc9HEWobJ6kd4fbAJKWt6Qh7o3Gub6W_YW3GxXdqEZCEmsDKEWbl8yQrI-i-EyeZP2ZH2xfgqzQpMiD7UhECuDrP84e9XqgwoeZBVG0WiF2FZCOfA0T6Pf/s400/82594_gal.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.<br />
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I was always a bit of a book fiend growing up and I think that love of books first started with Dr. Seuss. Even though a lot of what he wrote he made up as he went, he was a brilliant storyteller who, most of the time, could give you a moral without needing to bash you over the head with it. He was clever, colorful and someone who, years later, is influencing people of every age. And because it is a tradition in Hollywood that if we write a book we need to somehow make it into a movie, Dr. Seuss's are an obvious place to go to. The early cartoons were brilliant and are still shown today, but Hollywood loves updating and re-doing so of course we've seen numerous iterations of many of his stories, the latest craze now being CGI animated films after two less than popular live action films. The first was the critically well received and box office smash Horton Hears a Who and now it's Dr. Seuss's ode to the trees "The Lorax."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbgPF1q03O96tEJkfuOhtiV96-TPUAui6uRblAFssLVWrehFsnukNG4VvLfsrUcFxb1LqBuaUuqHAvMvTMuiJspeeJrt_cWOzC-x-QsZBYH6yawx1dWWna-B_DmLEWZi0U9n7bEYQJouR/s1600/86948_gal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbgPF1q03O96tEJkfuOhtiV96-TPUAui6uRblAFssLVWrehFsnukNG4VvLfsrUcFxb1LqBuaUuqHAvMvTMuiJspeeJrt_cWOzC-x-QsZBYH6yawx1dWWna-B_DmLEWZi0U9n7bEYQJouR/s400/86948_gal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The story of the Lorax is split in two between the past and the present. In the present everything is plastic, polluted and fake and air is sold in water jugs to people who want fresh air. Most people are content and happy with the status quo but there are a few people who aren't happy with it, or at least they want to see some change. Ted (Zac Efron) is a 12 year old kid who fawns over an older girl named Audrey (Taylor Swift), who would love nothing more than to see a real tree. Ted, being blinded by love, decides to throw caution to the wind and search out for a tree. After getting pushed in the right direction he meets the Once-ler (Ed Helms) and that's where we see the past portion of the story. In the past, the Once-ler is an optimistic guy who wants to make it in the world by selling his new invention. To make said invention he needs to chop down the trees which provide the necessary tools to make the invention. After chopping down one tree though he meets The Lorax (Danny DeVito), a being who speaks on behalf of the trees and tries to make sure he doesn't chop down more.<br />
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The story bounces back and forth between the past and present and for the most part it's pretty seamless. Unlike a few films recently (I'm looking at you Iron Lady and J. Edgar), you usually know for the most part when you are in the present and when you're in the past. There's even usually a subtle pallet change in how things are colored when they shift back and forth (if you look for it you'll notice it). It's a well told tale, albeit slightly on the nose with it's message. Seuss knew how to use subtlety to deliver his message, not so much in this film, although that's on the screenwriters more than Seuss. The romance between Ted and Audrey, one sided as it may be, also feels a little underdeveloped and not totally fleshed out. Honestly besides Ted, Once-ler, The Lorax and maybe the villain, nobody is really all that fleshed out. We get glimpses but never really any full motivation for most of the characters. It's still enjoyable though and there are a couple good laughs spread throughout, even though this film really tries to go more for the kids. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfZvBVzrb9nUP08DgeerWlexyoiNil4d0STujqxbvIhwuqvSYUiPsZcgeTXHHphq7GJ7qzbzdnEKFQXcyIszHCuMEAnMCJRiyepKze4_S84jr7ee_iNCcOM2l1-fU_ZcYavUpfDeHZva9/s1600/86951_gal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfZvBVzrb9nUP08DgeerWlexyoiNil4d0STujqxbvIhwuqvSYUiPsZcgeTXHHphq7GJ7qzbzdnEKFQXcyIszHCuMEAnMCJRiyepKze4_S84jr7ee_iNCcOM2l1-fU_ZcYavUpfDeHZva9/s400/86951_gal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Therein lies one of my biggest flaws with the movie: tone. It can't seem to really figure out if it wants to be a kids film that appeals to everyone or a kids film that only appeals to kids. Some of the jokes, plot points and the choices in actors leans more towards the former but the lowest common denominator (like jokes for only the littlest of kids) jokes in the film and the songs (yes this is a musical) make it seem like the latter. The songs, save for one or two, are very bouncy, sing-a-long kid songs and for anyone over a certain age is basically torture. The other two are good for everyone but feel like they may go over the heads of the younger audience. See where I'm going with this? The Lorax has an identity crisis.<br />
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Where this film shines, and where I can forgive a lot of it's identity issues, is in the animation and voice work. The animation is vivid, lush, beautiful and quite possibly one of the best animated films ever. It's candy for the eyes and is amazing to look at. You can get lost in it's detail and I'd watch this again just to look at the animation. If nothing else, see it for the animation. The voice work also shines almost as brightly with Ed Helms, Danny DeVito, and Zac Effron giving really great performances. The first two especially really carry this movie and they do a wonderful job portraying their characters. You really care about them and want them to do well, even if their motivations aren't always the best.<br />
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Overall The Lorax is a good film that suffers from an identity crisis. It has amazing animation and voice work but can be a bit on the nose for some with it's message and has a problem figuring out it's audience. I'd say it's still worth seeing though.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">MY VERDICT: SEE IT (3.5 out of 5)</span>xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-42647964478178733272012-03-17T17:10:00.001-07:002012-03-17T17:10:07.198-07:00Daddy, what did they do to you?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgneVTnW-alfzV_6B9rynElvWO0Xp9zTT6j5uwCX9s9NKEgRJ4cRgGSKYKGUy-T0JcA5aV0Qk9cl4vi09qYMr7Qcd93tcNLhsv8gWNruWq7YT9zX6rVTfpNLkwBYFVEZv03R6TjpesIto3C/s1600/silent_house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgneVTnW-alfzV_6B9rynElvWO0Xp9zTT6j5uwCX9s9NKEgRJ4cRgGSKYKGUy-T0JcA5aV0Qk9cl4vi09qYMr7Qcd93tcNLhsv8gWNruWq7YT9zX6rVTfpNLkwBYFVEZv03R6TjpesIto3C/s400/silent_house.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.</div>
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I've started to notice a trend recently and it's one that's been bothering me for some time: a film that is almost nearly impossible to review, or at least properly critique, without spoiling the film. Usually this means the film's big twist or ending is what makes or breaks the film but it also makes it hard to really describe the movie. The reason I bring this up, besides this being a nagging issue for me, is because your enjoyment of Silent House will depend on what you think of the ending. While I could (and will) nitpick some other issues, that's basically the core of it all. But I'll get to that when I get to that. First what is Silent House?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7ADfGCNs0K7YAsJ4CgLHIZORfKaMXM0SNfmwxeAu4599bEKO2nuWNbTmADML4mQBHIJhGXOMO7ye8yxwYB__1yzoRZJll27cC7S4xAjvXhLoGNKsSt8-b5ASE5xTSXl91YcQpMKGuMGA/s1600/87264_gal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7ADfGCNs0K7YAsJ4CgLHIZORfKaMXM0SNfmwxeAu4599bEKO2nuWNbTmADML4mQBHIJhGXOMO7ye8yxwYB__1yzoRZJll27cC7S4xAjvXhLoGNKsSt8-b5ASE5xTSXl91YcQpMKGuMGA/s400/87264_gal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Silent House is a remake of a 2010 Uruguayan horror film of the same name and both films boast being shot in one continuous take. Not to speak ill of either film, but I highly doubt either was shot in one complete take. Instead they both use clever editing techniques to portray the illusion that it's shot in one take. It's an interesting concept to say the least and I quite enjoyed it.<br />
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The story of the film follows Sarah, a girl in her early 20s (estimating it's never really established) who is busy doing repairs on a lake house along with her father and uncle. After a small tiff, the uncle drives into town and Sarah and her father are left to continue working on the house. Sarah gets distracted when a friend from her past visits briefly and after agreeing to going out later, she continues working. Things get interesting when she hears a noise and gets her father to investigate. At first things are fine but after another large thump, she finds her father unconscious and realizes she's locked in a house with someone who obviously wants to hurt her and her father.<br />
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That's really as far as I can go without spoiling anything. The basic plot doesn't move far beyond that and usually just involves Sarah going from room to room hiding and/or trying to escape. It's only in the last 10-15 minutes does the film radically change and I'll let you figure out whether or not you like it. Me personally? I enjoyed the story but I felt the ending was rushed, unfinished and left more questions than answers which left me with a slightly sour taste in my mouth. It's by no means terrible, as the ending is very reminiscent of Haute Tension, but it feels like it was changed at the last minute to make things more interesting. I'm not damning the movie because of the ending, but just be wary of what you're getting yourself into.<br />
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The acting is a mixed bag. Elizabeth Olsen has more talent in her pinkie than her sisters ever had and she is an actress who is definitely going places. She was brilliant in Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene and she's actually really good in this film as well. She could have played the scared heroine we have seen in dozens of horror films, but there is a quiet reserve and a will to survive that she portrays in her role of Sarah that keeps her from being just another heroine. She does have a quirky cry (which kind of bugged me), but otherwise she's amazing, especially considering how the film is made and it basically being a one woman show. Everyone else, however, is really bad, or at least all the people who have speaking roles. Both men are stiff and dull and it really shows when they are in a scene with Olsen as she makes them seem like cardboard cutouts in comparison.</div>
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Technically this film is brilliant and deserves a lot of credit for that. The "one shot" method (notice the quotes) is really well done and the edits are seamless. It really feels like it was done in one shot at times. There is also one scene I'd like to point out, as it will probably be in my favorite scenes list next year and it's really quite brilliant. At one point all the lights go out and all Sarah has to light her way is an old Polaroid camera. Each flash is intense and gets more so the longer the scene goes on. It's not a terribly long scene but it is gripping and almost made up for a lot of the flaws.</div>
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Overall Silent House is a film that is saved by Olsen and it's behind the scenes work. The controversial ending is rushed and poorly done, both men are terrible in their roles and it'll be very easy for many to write off this film because of those flaws. But I still say it's a solid film and worth checking out anyway. </div>
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<span style="color: blue;">MY VERDICT: RENT IT (2.5 out of 5)</span></div>
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<br />xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-46736706948351282252012-03-17T14:15:00.001-07:002012-03-17T14:15:15.017-07:00If you're going to take an R Kelly song literally why not "Trapped in the Closet?" Nobody broke their neck trapped in the closet.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.<br />
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Wanderlust is what I like to call a conflicted comedy. On one hand it's a stupid funny comedy about a couple dealing with their issues through a means that they aren't used to (in this case a hippie commune). On the other hand it's a spoof of said commune and all of hippie culture in general. When the film focuses on the former it's sweet, funny and a lot of fun to watch. When it's the latter, it's painfully bad for the most part. Where I'm having trouble is whether or not I should just write this film off as bad and move on, or take what was actually really good about this movie and focus on that and call this a decent, albeit flawed comedy. Really I think it's up to the individual viewer. Paul Rudd can save damn near any movie in my opinion but to some he can come off as a bit much (especially with one scene). But one man can't usually carry a whole movie can he?<br />
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The film follows George and Linda (Rudd and Jennifer "I can't get out of these damn Rachel roles" Aniston) who are a New York couple trying to get by. Rudd is a businessman trying to get a promotion and Linda is a jack-of-all-trades who's now focused on making an HBO documentary on clubbed seals. When both of these things fall through the cracks they decided to move in with George's brother, who runs a port-a-potty business. Before they get to his brother's house though they decide to stay the night at a bed and breakfast/hippie commune. They love how warm and accepting everyone is so much that after a few days with George's brother, they decide to drop everything and become members of the commune. Thanks to comedy writing 101 you can probably guess how well this goes.<br />
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It's an interesting, albeit done to death idea but the execution is a little wonky. When it focuses on George and Linda, as well as their budding relationships with Seth and Eva (Justin Theroux and Malin Akerman), two members of the commune, it's actually really funny. Seth is over the top and Theroux plays him with such crazed earnestness that he steals almost every scene he's in. Eva isn't given a whole lot to do besides being ogled at by George, but Akerman is funny nevertheless and is one of the funnier members of the group. Where the problem lies is in the other members of the group.<br />
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I love satire, don't get me wrong, but when the "(Insert type of movie here) Films" are more subtle than you are, you're doing it wrong. We get it, hippies get high, eat organic and have some weird sensibilities, we don't need that shoved down are throats over and over and over and over and over again. It gets old after a while and it stops being funny. Sure you'll probably chuckle at some of the more awkward moments, but overall these moments fall flat and are terribly unfunny, which is a shame since the acting from everyone is solid with no real bad eggs.<br />
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The film's biggest saving grace besides Theroux and the George and Linda plot is definitely Paul Rudd. He is one of the best straight men in Hollywood (and I don't mean orientation) and usually the weirder the situation, the better he tends to be. Even at it's least funny, he somehow finds something to latch onto to make it funny and try to make the scene better. Even when he's by himself he can be hilarious, as evidenced by the funniest scene in the movie where he talks to himself in a mirror. I hate to say that if he wasn't in this, then it would have been an utter disaster, but yeah...it's true.<br />
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Overall Wanderlust is a film that suffers from satire/spoof overload, some bad writing, and a lot of dud jokes. Luckily thanks to good acting led by Theroux and Rudd, as well as an earnest and sweet storyline about a married couple and their trials and tribulations, this film isn't a total loss. I'd say it's worth a rental if nothing else.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">MY VERDICT: RENT IT (2 out of 5)</span>xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-2957820646820042242012-03-16T00:21:00.000-07:002012-03-16T09:09:04.428-07:0021 Jump Street. What John Carter should have been(a good movie). <br />
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Channing Tatum may one day be considered a great actor. Yes, he has been quite terrible. I’ve never seen those Step Up movies but they looked terrible and he looked terrible in them. He wasn’t very good I that overly self-indulgent film A guide To Recognizing Your Saints, a movie that is a director going “look at my childhood, I grew on the streets. In fact, it was kind of like Mean Streets only not as entertaining and nothing really happened except the boring things that happen in real life.” Even in GI Joe, a movie I actually quite like, I think he’s pretty bad in it. But when I saw a trailer for last year’s The Dilemma, it looked like maybe he’s learned. Maybe’s he’s learned that his calling isn’t being some hunky guy, it’s in being funny. Granted I never saw the film, it got horrible reviews but I heard he was funny in it. Two months ago, Haywire. He had nothing much other than a supporting role but he didn’t just do his duty, he was good. And now, 21 Jump Street he is what makes the movie. The fact is Channing Tatum is evolving, and if this rate of evolution continues, great things may happen. He’s already set to star in the next two Soderbergh films and if Soderbergh sees something in him, well, there must be something in him. Of course he was also in Public Enemies in which he was shot in the stomach by Batman before he had the chance to utter a single line.<br />
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Jonah Hill on the other hand is someone I’ve only found moderately funny and unlike Tatum, has never shown any evolution. Somehow we know live in a world where Jonah Hill is an Oscar nominated actor. Jonah Hill. Oscar nominee. In a movie where he was just kind of just Jonah Hill. Kind of ruins the idea of being an Oscar nominee. I doubt Soderbergh would ever cast him in any thing, even as a comedic role. Now he’s sort of skinny Jonah Hill but still fat looking. Looks like he didn’t keep up with his Lypo. He’s sort of skinny but he’s still got a fat head. He’s like a white Al Roker.<br />
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As a pair these too work, but it’s still Tatum that makes it. The basic plot: two young cops must go undercover in a high school to uncover a drug ring. I never watched an episode of the TV show, so I couldn’t say how faithful it is to the show. Yes, those cameos are here in the film. The two pretend to be two new students with Tatum’s plan to get in with the popular kids as he was a popular kid back in the day, but of course, he ends up becoming friends with the nerds. The dealer of this new drug HFS(Holy Fucking Shit) is played by James Franco’s brother Dave and sometimes in can be a bit distracting at how much he looks and sounds like his brother. Franco of course has a girlfriend, who is played not by a super hottie as one would almost expect but an actual regular attractive girl. Although that may have been done because, well she and Jonah have to get together.<br />
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The basic structure of the film is like any buddy cop film, including the falling of the relationship between the cops. There is some quite decent action in the film that had me more excited than any of the action in John Carter, but this film is working on lower expectations on the action which gives it a leg up. Although when people get shot, it’s the ever so horrible CG blood. It looks like a fucking cartoon.<br />
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The Office’s Ellie Kemper and future mother of my children plays an Chemistry teacher who has a crush on Tatum’s character not as much is done with it. Instead she’s just kind of there as that one girl from Bridesmaids. Oh well. Rob Riggle plays a coach always carrying a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and does his usual stick which I always get a kick out of but, let’s face it, Riggle doesn’t have much range. Ice Cube gets some nice laugh as the angry black captain or, I’m not actually sure what he is but he’s the guy they report to. Sadly though, Parks and Rec’s Nick Offerman/Ron Swanson is only in that scene that appears in the trailer. You can’t always win.<br />
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Anyways, 21 Jump Street is just a nice funny action-comedy with plenty of R-rated humor and gay black kids getting punched in the face. Maybe not plenty of gay black kids getting punched in the face, but at least one.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-36354757457669137612012-03-10T19:59:00.001-08:002012-03-10T19:59:51.913-08:00John Carter. Not the ER spin-off I was looking for.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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John Carter is less the next Avatar and more the next Prince Of Persia. Disney’s third attempt at making a new live action franchise post Pirates Of the Caribbean, the others being Prince of Persia and the Tron reboot-sequel Tron Legacy. Those two also didn’t fare too well, critically or financially. John Carter is a film that cannot exist in a post-Avatar world, at least not this soon. It doesn’t matter if it’s based on a book that inspired Avatar and came out 100 years ago. In fact, this is the second adaptation of A Princess Of Mars in just over two years. Asylum’s mock buster tie in for Avatar just so happened to be a micro budget version of A Princess of Mars. There’s a point where one should consider the fact that the movie they are making was already used as direct to video mock buster. But I don’t think Disney did that. John Carter was already in pre-production when Avatar came out and before Prince Of Persia and Tron: Legacy were released. Disney had three $200 million + live action, let’s be the next big franchise movies in production at the same time. I don’t think that’s a good business model, but then again, that’s just me. The problem is Disney is not consider with making movies with those films, but making franchises and that’s why they fail. Hopefully, with it looking like John Carter not doing so well with only $9.8 million on Friday, Disney will take some time off from attempting $200 million plus franchise starters. Oh look, The Lone Ranger is already in production. But at least the Lone Ranger has Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski, so there’s a chance of maybe it being the next big Disney franchise.<br />
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John Carter’s story is not that special. It doesn’t matter if the book is 100 years old. That’s a book and this is a movie. Who cares about pissing off fans of the book series and changing shit? You’re gonna have to when 90% of the plot points have both been seen and seen better many times before in film. This is a film with the dual villains. The two villains that are kind of equal but when of them is sort of in charge of the other but the other has all the real power while the other has the magical power. Something like that. Mark Strong, playing the villain for the three time too many times, plays a Thurn, trying to control Dominic West, who has also played a villain several times before, and try to get West to fuck up Mars. Why? Well according to Strong in the film when he’s monologing to John Carter, it’s because he’s immortal, but it turns out he’s not immortal, so why is he trying to destroy Mars? Because essentially there’s nothing better to do. Mark Strong is just a bored guy with magical powers who wants to fuck shit up but he doesn’t even really seem to care about that. I don’t get it either. Why does John Carter want to save Mars? Because for him, there is also nothing better to do. Actually, it’s really only because he wants to fuck some girl. Not exactly the best character motivations for a nice blockbuster.<br />
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<br /> IS there anything good? There’s some decent action, the visual effects can be pretty great. That dog creature is really cute. And sometimes the relationship between John Carter and green Willem Dafoe is quite good but then sometimes green Willem Dafoe is quite a cunt.<br /> In essence, $250 million down the drain. I’m sorry Andrew Stanton, but unlike Brad Bird, you cannot do live action.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-76533627227389028092012-03-08T21:36:00.001-08:002012-03-08T21:36:56.471-08:00I'll Sleep When He's Dead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.<br />
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I didn't expect a whole lot going into Gone. While I believe Amanda Seyfried is a competent actress, I'm hard pressed to think of a movie she's been in lately that could be considered "good." Add that to a trailer that made my eyes roll like a tire in the Indy 500 and you have a film that, before I even sat in the theater, I was already dreading. That said, I love to be surprised when I go to the theater and even if the film wasn't "great," as long as it had a decent story and/or acting, I'd be satisfied. Well it has neither. In fact I'd go so far to say that Gone has one of the most confounding, convoluted, piss-poor screenplays I have ever sat through and features bland, phoned-in acting across the board. If 30 minutes into a film I've almost cut my head open from facepalming repeatedly, your film is dead in the water and needs to be taken out back and shot.<br />
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Gone is the story Jill (Seyfried), a waitress at a local diner who lives with her sister. On the outside she seems fairly normal but she has had it rough recently. She was kidnapped, dragged out to the woods, thrown in a hole and right before she was going to get killed, she escaped and wandered through the woods back to safety. Problem is her kidnapper left no traces and so everybody deemed her insane and thought she made the whole thing up. It probably didn't help that she actually did go insane from the paranoia and obsession with the kidnapping shortly after she returned, but I digress. Jill is driven and spends all of her free time looking for the kidnapper, or at least the hole where she was held. After working a long shift at work one day, Jill returns home to find that her sister is missing. There is no sign of a break in, her clothes and everything are in order and on the outside it just looks like she caught a ride to her final that day. What does Jill do though? Goes to the police, claims the kidnapper took her and when they don't help she gets a gun and goes hunting for him.<br />
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That's sound logic right? I mean there are more developments that make her theory a little more sound but for someone who is twenty or so minutes into a movie, a mentally unstable woman with a gun hunting down a guy that may not exist for a sister that is probably not actually missing a good film does not make. What's worse is that everything is incredibly predicable and almost every scene plays right out of a fill-in-the-blanks book. I mean I'm fine with some predictability, but when you can telegraph a scene that goes on for a good ten minutes, it's bad and it comes off as padding. AND THIS FILM PADS. I swear they put one scene in towards the end because otherwise the film would only be an hour long. Even when it's a halfway decent scene or a scene that's harder to predict, it's boring, poorly acted and full of holes. Basically you can't win.<br />
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The acting ranges from poor to cardboard and you never really feel invested in any of the characters. Seyfried comes off as manic for most of the movie so it's hard to ever tell if she's really crazy or if she is just desperate to find her sister. They hint throughout it's the latter but it's hard to tell and therefore it comes off like a story told by the crazy cat lady down the street: she's doing her damnedest but you just don't care. Everyone else though is just laughably bad or pure bad. You wonder how some of these people even got work. When Jennifer Carpenter, who's only in the movie for two and a half scenes and doesn't really do much, is your best performance, you are in trouble. Even the villain, who I won't spoil (although the screenplay might as well have him wear a "I'm the bad guy" shirt) is boring and uninteresting.<br />
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Nothing in this movie clicks and it's frustratingly bad and downright incompetent. It's full of plot holes, poor logic, useless padding and terrible acting. Even if you love Seyfried, heck even if someone PAID you, don't watch this film. You'll thank me later.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">MY VERDICT: ABOMINATION TO CINEMA</span>xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-689220846709586542012-02-26T23:55:00.001-08:002012-02-27T00:51:22.736-08:00When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.</div>
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I'm going to level with you: I have spent the past hour or so sitting in front of this computer trying to type out an intro paragraph for my review of Act of Valor. I've tried numerous stories about my family's history with the military or the delicacies of expressing an opinion on a topic that could possibly alienate your audience but nothing seemed to work. Eventually I put my fingers on the keyboard and I just froze. I couldn't find the right words to say. No matter what combination I used, I just couldn't create a suitable introduction. Then it hit me. You want to know the reason I'm struggling to find the right words to say?</div>
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Act of Valor is not a good movie.</div>
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It's not like I expected a lot. The jingoistic, near propaganda levels of overly enthusiastic patriotism that seem to bother a lot of critics was always going to be evident. Honestly though that doesn't bother me. I'm proud to be an American and I respect each and every member of the military that risk their lives so that we're safe. Whether or not you believe in war doesn't matter, they're still out there protecting your right to believe whatever you want to believe. Sometimes it's nice to be reminded of all the hard work that they do and that is one of the ways this film excels. That said, it fails in so many other ways it's really hard to recommend it.</div>
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The story follows a group of Navy SEALs who are trying to stop terrorists from blowing up America (or at least heavily populated areas of America) with a special kind of suicide bomb vest that can't be detected by normal metal detectors. While they are trying to stop that, they also must rescue a CIA agent who has been kidnapped by the ringleader of the aforementioned terrorists.<br />
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That's basically the plot in a nutshell. There are some intricacies to it, mostly between the two main SEALs that this film focuses on, but really it doesn't get much deeper than what I have already mentioned. For a reference, it's about as deep as a Call of Duty game. Sadly, for anyone who has played these games, they know that the stories in them are quite thin. There is enough substance to justify going into battle and doing what they do best, but don't expect any hard hitting, thought provoking writing in the down time between battles. If you don't care about that then this is the perfect movie for you, but for me I like a little more substance than just a means to an end. In fact I dozed off a few times during the quiet scenes. Never actually fell asleep, because that would be disrespectful to a movie, but I came close on a number of occasions.<br />
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The acting is surprisingly bad and it's actually not from the SEALs themselves. In fact, the SEALs do their damnedest and few of them did quite well with the material they were given, weak as it may be. It's the acting of Alex Veadov, Roselyn Sanchez and Nestor Serrano, the three professional actors that are featured in this movie, that really drag this film down. Veadov and Serrano are not convincing villains at all and honestly feel like glorified henchmen. Neither man gives off the right energy and even when they are blowing up innocents or doing terrible things it seems really tame because of they're presence. One of the most "shocking" scenes in the movie features Serrano doing something terrible that in any other film would cause an audible gasp or at least a "I really want him to die" attitude in the viewer. I couldn't care less and that's tragic. Roselyn gives a slightly better performance but she isn't given a ton to do so it's really hard to gauge her.<br />
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Where this film shines, and honestly the only reason to see this movie if you MUST see this movie, is in the action. Tight, well shot, gripping and intense were words that came to my mind when I was watching these scenes. They can be quietly powerful and explosively hectic within the span of a few minutes. IF you must see this film, see it for the action because that ALMOST makes it worth the price of admission.<br />
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Overall Act of Valor is a poorly written, poorly acted film with great action. If action is all you want then by all means see it, but me I'd rather spend my money on something with a little more substance.<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">MY VERDICT: AVOID IT (1 Star)</span><br />
<br />xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-65091453058083034792012-02-23T00:11:00.000-08:002012-02-23T00:11:01.936-08:00You are very beautiful, very talented. But we are going to make you more beautiful, even more talented.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.<br />
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Sometimes I wonder why I choose to watch the films I do. Granted I could just read my catchphrase and that'd be a good enough answer but sometimes even that doesn't seem to be a good enough explanation. Sleeping Beauty is one of those movies that raises that question. It's not a bad movie by any means, in fact I think it's Emily Browning's best role to date, but why in the blue Hell would I want to watch a movie about old men fondling an unconscious ginger? Then again I doubt that short little synopsis would really appeal to many people unless you are one of those said old men. Sleeping Beauty is a weirdly fascinating and disturbing film about apathy, silence and human nature. Though I continued to sit further and further back as the film kept going (I think at one point I might have been behind the couch) I could never take my eyes off the film. The film is like watching a train crash during a Pink Floyd light show. I know I shouldn't be interested but I am.<br />
<br />Anyway I probably should move on and talk about the plot. Otherwise I'll continue to make increasingly worse comparisons until I've offended at least three people.<br />
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The film follows Lucy (Emily Browning), a college student/waitress/prostitute/science experiment trying to make ends meat. She's quiet, mostly keeps to herself and her only friend is a man named Birdman who is infatuated with her. She of course doesn't feel the same way (she rarely ever shows any emotion) but she feels an obligation to visit and take care of him since he's the only one who will treat her like a normal person. She takes a job offer in the newspaper (like she needs more jobs) to be a server for old rich guys. The catch is she'd be in lingerie and would more than likely be humiliated. But she doesn't care. She doesn't care about anything. Eventually she gets a promotion and becomes a "sleeping beauty," which is a woman who is drugged and put to sleep for 6-8 hours. During that time a male (or female but only men are ever shown) companion will come in and do whatever he wants to her, as long as there is no sex. <br />
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Sounds like a wonderfully charming film doesn't it? Yeah, didn't think so. But to Julia Leigh's credit she does craft an interesting story and does a lot without saying a lot. The theme of the film, apathy and silence, is apparent from the opening minutes and it never tries to be anything more than that. If you aren't hooked by the fifteen minute mark, you probably never will be. But silence can be deafeningly engrossing to some and this film has it in spades. The plot does jump around a lot and leaves a lot of ambiguity/plot holes but overall it's unique and I appreciate unique.<br />
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Browning is brilliant as Lucy. She's an actress who can do subtle well and this role is basically the closest to pure subtlety we'll be likely to see for a number of years. She's almost non-existent but she commands the screen every time she's on it. That's hard, especially when there is almost nothing going on during the movie, action or score wise. She has to make you feel and react to everything without the film directing you to do so. That's tough. And she deserves credit where credit is due. Otherwise the acting is unremarkable. It's not bad but it's just there. Not bad, not good.<br />
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Sleeping Beauty is a film that nobody will probably want to see and even if they do they won't want to finish it. Even if they do they'll probably hate it. That's fine and I totally understand. But for me Sleeping Beauty is a compelling, original film led by a wonderful performance by Browning. But that's just me.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">MY VERDICT: SEE IT (3 out of 5)</span>xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-49247650208077163382012-02-22T00:55:00.001-08:002012-02-22T00:55:20.262-08:00This Means War Movie Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm a sucker for romantic comedies. I don't know why but I just love them. I know wholeheartedly that they are probably, and usually are, not all that good and just there to earn an easy buck, but if they have an actor I like or I just want to have an enjoyable evening, most of the time I'd pick a rom-com. This Means War is the newest rom-com to hit theaters and I was hopeful when I first saw the trailers that it would at least be better than the steaming pile known as "One For the Money." It had one of my all time favorites Reese Witherspoon in it as well as two of my favorite leading men in Hollywood today: Tom Hardy and Chris Pine. It was also directed by McG, who directed the Charlie's Angels films, which are two of my guilty pleasures. It also seemed to have an abundance of action, something that seemed like a nice breath of fresh air in this genre. I mean I'm not expecting Michael Bay to release the next Miley Cyrus film or anything but to see some spy action thrown in can't hurt can it? </div>
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But hope, posters and trailers can only get you so far. Is this film any good? Well surprisingly my hope was not misplaced and This Means War is actually really good. It's predictable, full of holes and everything else I've come to love/tolerate in a rom-com but at it's core it's hilarious, action packed and a frothy, enjoyable romp.</div>
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The film follow Tuck (Hardy) and FDR (Pine) two CIA agents who, after a botched mission in Hong Kong involving a terrorist named Heinrich (Til Schweiger), are put on desk duty. Meanwhile Lauren (Witherspoon), a product tester, is anxious to get back in the dating game after her ex gets engaged to another woman. Her friend Trish (Chelsea Handler) signs her up for online dating and gets paired with Tuck, who starts an online dating profile after watching a commercial for it on television. FDR decides to be his wingman but soon finds he's not needed since the two are hitting it off. FDR and Lauren bump into each other later (him not knowing she was Tuck's date) and soon they begin hitting it off as well. Lauren feels bad about the idea of dating two guys but Trish convinces her to along with it. Soon both men discover that they are dating the same woman and, since neither will back down, decide to let Lauren figure out who she wants to be with. They start off promising they won't interfere in each other's lives but, like any good rom-com, that doesn't last that long and soon they're sabotaging each others dates, all while Heinrich plans his revenge on the two.<br />
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This movie is flat out hilarious. While there are plenty of inconsistencies in the plot and the whole Heinrich storyline feels like an afterthought, for the most part the writing is really top notch. It's been a while since I've laughed this hard during a movie. You could question why two agents are spending hundreds of millions of dollars stalking a woman or how a restaurant full of people can suddenly become empty in a blink of an eye but really, why would you want to? Suspending your disbelief is part of what makes movies like these good. They aren't meant to break through any barriers or cause you to rethink your life. They are meant to entertain and make you laugh. That's all. On the acting side Hardy, Witherspoon and Pine all give great performances. Chelsea Handler though, who I usually don't like, steals the show. Her delivery, her facial expressions, everything about her is fantastic.<br />
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Great action, great laughs, great fun, This Means War may not change the world but it's escapism at its finest.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-36454470714269668312012-02-20T23:17:00.000-08:002012-02-20T23:17:11.347-08:00How do you look at the one you love and tell yourself it's time to walk away.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.<br />
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For the most part I tend to hate romance movies. They all ooze cheese from every pore, are usually shoddily written and acted and for the most part lack any redeeming value whatsoever, yet will sell out faster than a Madonna concert. There are exceptions to the rule (i.e The Notebook, Casablanca ect) but for the most part they are a chore to sit through and are usually the most predictable films of the year.<br />
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The newest film your girlfriend or spouse will most likely drag you to is the Michael Sucsy (the Emmy award winning Grey Gardens remake is his only credit) written and directed film "The Vow." The Vow is inspired by Kim and Krickitt Carpenter, who experienced the same thing that Paige (Rachel McAdams) and Leo (Channing Tatum) experienced and judging by the trailer, poster and stills I thought this film was going to be terrible. But a few of my friends said it was good and generally we tend to have the same taste in films, so I went with a group consisting of my mother, her friends and myself and surprisingly The Vow isn't all that bad. It's by no means great and it certainly has it's downfalls, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it.<br />
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The film follows Paige and Leo, a newly married couple, who are involved in a terrible car accident. Leo gets some minor injuries but Paige is ejected out of the car through the windshield and suffers some pretty traumatic brain injuries. When she eventually wakes up from her coma though, she can't remember Leo or any of her life before dropping out of law school to become an artist (around the time she met Leo). Leo is obviously devastated but instead of pouting he decides to do his damnedest to help her regain her memories, or at least the memories of their love because when he said he'd love her forever, he meant it.<br />
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The general idea of the story works and for the most part when it's focused on Leo helping Paige get back to normal the film is good. It's all the other things the film throws into the story that hinder the film. Useless side plots (an ex-fiancee story that goes nowhere) weird characterization (her parents manipulate her and try to mold her into their image), and a whole lot of going nowhere scenes drag down and pad out what otherwise is a touching story of love. Whenever it deviated I felt like groaning and multiple times I found myself screaming "What?" in my head wondering if the writers forgot to take Screenwriting 101.<br />
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Usually when there is such mediocre writing I tend to give up on the film and call it a dud. But where this film shines, and where I'm able to forgive SOME of the screenplay's problems, is in the acting. Tatum gives a career best performance and actually made me feel emotions and genuinely care about his character. Umm...what? Where was this Tatum for the past couple years (Dear John especially)? I guess my theory about Tatum getting better as an actor is true. Granted he still has a ways to go before he reaches greatness but if you do well in a movie I'm damn sure going to point it out and Tatum deserves credit where credit is due. McAdams also delivers the goods and plays the amnesiac role quite well. Usually it's easy for an actor to go full cheese whenever they get amnesia but McAdams plays it well and you actually feel her struggle, even if she has a tendency to kind of repeat certain things ad nauseum from time to time. Sam Neil and Jessica Lange round out the cast and they both do fine jobs as well. It's nice to see Neil more active lately, as he has great delivery and can play a sly but lovable character almost better than anyone. And Lange has been on fire this year and she has one scene in this film that would have been eye rollingly bad if it had been any other actress. But she delivers on that scene and you can tell that she's giving it her all.<br />
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Overall The Vow is an above average romance film with great acting but mediocre writing. Honestly I probably won't remember this film six months from now but in terms of a date movie, you could really do a lot worse. If nothing else you get to see Tatum steadily improve in his craft and honestly that was worth it enough for me.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">MY VERDICT: RENT IT (2.5 out of 5) </span>xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-59328108125319756202012-02-20T19:30:00.000-08:002012-02-21T13:38:42.886-08:00TME Ink's Top Films of 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Travis McCollum:</span></b><br />
2011 was a great year for film. We saw returning franchises get new life, well known directors getting a second wind, new cinematic classics and cinematic clunkers and if nothing else we got an abundance of films to make the Top 10 list. I had to narrow mine down from 25 to 10 and trust me that was a lot harder than I thought it would be, especially since I'm not doing a Favorites/Best this year and instead condensing it into one list. Then again when your favorite and what you consider the best are both number 1 then you probably don't need two lists. Without further ado, here is my Top 10 of 2011<br />
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(Note: The Artist and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy didn't come out till 2012 where I live so I'm not counting them)<br />
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Honorable Mentions: Horrible Bosses (Favorite Comedy), Rango (Favorite Animated Film), The Adventures of Tintin (Favorite Adventure Film), A Separation (Favorite Foreign Film), The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Favorite Adaptation)<br />
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<u>10. Midnight in Paris-</u><br />
I'm going to level with you, I'm not Woody Allen's biggest fan. Besides maybe Annie Hall I haven't really enjoyed anything he's put out. I don't hate him by any means and if you love his films that's great, more power to you, but he's just never appealed to me. That being said, Midnight in Paris is a wonderful film that, as a fan of literature and art, I could really get behind. While the modern day sequences didn't quite fully click for me, whenever Owen Wilson and the audience were taken back to the past I couldn't help but smile and feel a sense of joy. Whether it was the Fitzgerald's, Hemingway or Dali it didn't matter, these scenes were pure gold. Add in wonderful scenery and a comforting soundtrack that made you feel like you were in France, Midnight in Paris has made me like Woody Allen a little more.<br />
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<u>9. Ides of March-</u><br />
Political films aren't usually my thing. But a political film written, directed and starring George Clooney and featuring an all star cast (including multiple list maker and feminist icon Ryan Gosling) I guess is the exception. A tense, thrilling film about love, betrayal and the American way, I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole film. Not much else to say except "Brilliant."<br />
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<u>8. Crazy, Stupid, Love-</u><br />
I was just expecting a good comedy. That's all I needed. Steve Carell doesn't have to do much to make me laugh and I'll basically see anything with Gosling (obviously), Emma Stone or Marisa Tomei. So imagine my surprise when CSL is not only hilarious but also a touching, poignant film about love and all the things that we will do for it. Whether it's a new couple, two kids or a divorced couple, we see that love has many forms and that sometimes life can be funny without needing a punchline.<br />
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<u>7. Fast Five-</u><br />
Before it's fifth installment I really dreaded every time I was taken to one of these films. I'd see them because my best friend loves cars and racing movies but in my head I was shouting "Get me out of here!" And when I saw the first trailer for this film I was about ready to just put my foot down and say "Nope, I'm not seeing this movie and you can't make me. This series needs to die." Then I saw the reviews and thought I was in bizarro world. It was one of the better reviewed films of the year (at the time). So I decided to beat my friend to the punch and see it by myself and by the end credits I sat with my lips pursed and shook my head saying "I loved this film and can't wait for the next one. Damn." With great action, cinematography, pacing and all around surprisingly good acting, this is the best installment in the series and a film that I still enjoy watching today.<br />
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<u>6. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol-</u><br />
I've always liked the Mission Impossible series. I recognize they aren't really that deep and have a certain amount of cheese involved as well as some weird plot conveniences scattered throughout, but overall I've found them all mostly enjoyable, although the first one was certainly the highlight...before Ghost Protocol came out that is. While it's still not a deep or well thought out film, the action level and tension level in this film is unmatched by any other film this year. Watch the hotel scene this above poster is based on and tell me that it's boring. Can't do it can you? Whether it's scaling a hotel, running through a sandstorm, fighting in a parking garage or sneaking inside the Kremlin, Brad Bird has a great understanding of action films and how they should be made. If every action was as good as this one, I'd see more action movies.<br />
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<u>5. Melancholia-</u><br />
Lars von Trier and I have a weird relationship. I love almost everything he's put out (Antichrist included) but I probably would never watch any of his films twice. That said, it's hard to deny that Melancholia is a beautiful, wonderfully directed and acted film that showed a side of the end times that we've not really seen before. 2012, I Am Legend and a myriad films have shown how the world is going to end or how the world will be after the apocalypse, but what if there was nothing? No hope, no escape, just darkness and death? If you only had a few hours left on this Earth how would you spend them? What would be going on through your head? Melancholia addresses all these things and does them in a way that not only makes you think, but really look at yourself hard. The second half of the film is a lot stronger than the first half and the acting sans Dunst (in probably her best role to date) is not all that special, but I probably won't forget Melancholia anytime soon. Just don't make me watch it again, I don't know if my soul can take that much depression.<br />
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<u>4. Source Code-</u><br />
Honestly I'm not sure why this film hasn't made more lists. I mean it. Source Code is one of the most brilliant and well crafted science fiction thrillers I've ever seen. Jake Gyllenhaal is brilliant in probably his best role since Donnie Darko and Michelle Monaghan gives her career best performance as well. The effects, the writing (especially the writing), the cinematography, everything works in this film. Duncan Jones and Ben Ripley know how to make great cinema and if I see their names attached to a picture now I will see it. While the ending and some plot elements may have confused and confounded people, I loved every minute. If you haven't seen this film, please give it a shot, it's brilliant.<br />
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<u>3. Tucker and Dale vs The Evil-</u><br />
As someone who grew up on horror films, it's rare that I see a film that completely changes how I look at horror films. But Tucker and Dale accomplish that. They take the old story of "hillbillies kidnap and kill a group of teens" and turn it into "two hillbillies are just trying to enjoy their summer home and nurse an injured teen back to health while a bunch of crazed teenagers try to kill them." It's laughs-a-minute hilarious and the payoff in most of these scenes are priceless and had me pause the film laughing my ass off. Alan Tudyk, whom I adore, is brilliant but it's Tyler Labine who steals the show in this film, playing for laughs but also delivering a lot of heart as well. You're rooting for these guys. They just took "Don't judge a book by it's cover" to a whole new level of awesome.<br />
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<u>2. Hugo-</u><br />
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Marin Scorsese, one of the all time greatest directors, does a kids film. Please stop hitting me I'm not crazy and/or on drugs, I'm serious. But if you would have told me that years ago I would have laughed at you repeatedly. In fact when I saw his name attached I thought I was being punked. But I wasn't and Hugo proves to not only be a brilliant kids film, but a brilliant love letter to classic cinema as well as a brilliant Scorsese film. I don't want to spoil some of the magic for you if you haven't seen it, but this was a film that genuinely warmed my heart and made me fall in love with film all over again. Scorsese directs with childlike wonder and his grasp of film making is evident in not only the way he does the film but also the way he handles 3D. He seems to be one of the few that GETS 3D and if you get the chance to, watch it in 3D. It's worth it. The film is whimsical, wonderful and a bunch of other W words. If you love cinema you will love this movie.<br />
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<u>1. Drive-</u><br />
I know a few readers might groan at this choice and say "Oh he's just jumping on the bandwagon with everyone else" but I can't really think of a better film I saw this year. I went in with completely fresh eyes, only having seen a poster for this film and nothing else and when I walked out I was talking up a storm to anyone who would listen. I went up to the ticket counter telling everyone to see this film and honestly I hadn't been that in love with a film since The Hurt Locker back in 2009. Gosling gives a wonderfully subdued role, playing a role that he's mastered over his relatively short but brilliant career. Carey Mulligan and the rest of the cast may not have been as good as Gosling but nobody didn't give it their all and with beautiful cinematography, a still addictive soundtrack and a film that I have watched countless times now but still haven't grown bored with, Drive is my top film of 2011.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tyler Tyrcha:</b></span><br />
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<u>10. Scream 4-</u><br />
A satisfying return to my second favorite horror franchise. And satisfying was all this film had to be to make my top 10.<br />
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<u>9. The Descendants-</u><br />
Clooney being Clooney but Clooney being Clooney is always fantastic to watch. But it might die soon.<br />
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<u>8. War Horse-</u><br />
Spielberg may have manipulated me to shoot streams of tears out of my eyes, but if someone can do that, they deserve great kudos. Damn you Steven.<br />
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<u>7. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol-</u><br />
Brad Bird proves that you can take an average action script and make a great action movie out of it. Also Lea Seydoux. That's all I need to say. Lea Seydoux.<br />
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<u>6. Moneyball-</u><br />
Brad Pitt reading words by Sorkin. Gold.<br />
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<u>5. Tree of Life-</u><br />
People may complain about it being two hours of nothing, but it is a beautiful looking film and film is a visual medium so if it looks beautiful for two and a half hours then in my book it's a beautiful film and beautiful films are great.<br />
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<u>4. The Artist-</u><br />
Despite having a very similar plot to Singing In The Rain, this 100 picture kept me with a smile all the way through (in addition to a full blow erection mid-way through, but it's possible that had nothing to do with the film).<br />
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<u>3. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo-</u><br />
David Fincher's superior adaptation of the pretty good Swedish novel. Mostly superior because of Rooney Mara's performance and naked body.<br />
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<u>2. Drive-</u><br />
A movie beyond words.<br />
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<u>1. Midnight in Paris-</u><br />
Woody Allen proves that he is in fact still alive and can still make cinematic masterpieces.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Andrew Gibson:</span></b></div>
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Ok, so as far as a top 10 list, I can’t give you that. I can
give you a list of 5 movies from 2011 because that’s all I think I saw, as far
as movies that came out in 2011. I don’t really get to the theaters as much as
I used to and definitely don’t see as many new movies as I used to. Nothing
seems to excite me anymore. I don’t know, maybe I’ve become cynical in my
progressing age, or maybe they just aren’t making anything exciting anymore. It
all seems to be comic book and novel adaptations, which are always better in
their original format, so why waste $10 to see a great book condensed into two
hours of drudgery? But, whatever the reason is, it kept me from seeing more
than five new movies last year. So, here goes, my truncated list of movies that
I felt worthy of two hours of my undivided attention (the list is from most<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4116602259574025839" name="_GoBack"></a> favorite to least):</div>
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1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><u>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2-</u><br />
This was actually a pretty decent movie if you look at it as just a movie and
not an overhyped, under produced, blurry copy of the books. The acting was
acceptable (brilliant from the more seasoned actors, e.g. Alan Rickman), and
the story flowed well. My only complaint would be that it ended quite lamely
and it was mostly fluff, which is expected of a studio like Warners these days.</div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2. </span><u style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Hall Pass-</u></div>
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I actually quite enjoyed this movie, sure it was wildly predictable, but the
characters were believable and they actually had a likeability about them which
is key in these quasi-romantic comedies. The laughs were good and it kept my
attention throughout (which, nowadays, is a tough thing to do) and I didn’t
have buyer’s remorse afterwards and that’s always a good sign.<br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><u style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Your Highness-</u></div>
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At its fundamental core, it’s a stoner movie, the title is a dead giveaway.
It’s definitely one of those zany movies that has some good slapstick and some
pretty hilarious gags, but it’s nothing spectacular. It is quite ambitious for
a stoner movie, I’ll give it that. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy it, it’s great
for what it was intended to be and I was thoroughly entertained by it. <u><o:p></o:p></u><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">4.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><u style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Take Me Home Tonight-</u></div>
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As a huge <i>That 70s Show </i>fan, I
love watching Topher Grace movies. I watched <i>In Good Company</i> simply because he was in it. Now, this movie he is
a bit different than previous roles like that of Eddie Brock or Edwin from <i>Predators</i> but he pulls it off quite
nicely and as a fan of his TV work, I definitely saw a bit of Eric Forman in
this character. That said, this was a good movie, it wasn’t magnificent on the
emotional scale but it had some good laughs and some good characters that
showed a decent amount of development. Plus, who can forget that bathroom
scene?? Epic!<br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">5.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><u style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Sucker Punch-</u></div>
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I didn’t see this in the theaters but I did by it on Blu-Ray because it looked
like a pretty good action movie, and that draw lead me to a pretty interesting
plot structure, I was mildly surprised by mostly let down, unfortunately. Half
of the problem may lie in the fact that I watched it in two parts and not all
the way through, but I doubt it. I get the whole escaping into the mind to be
absent from the horror going on around you, but I mean, was she in a mental
hospital? Was she in a place that took orphaned girls and made them dance at
some madman’s whim? Where did he friends that died really go? I think this
movie asked more questions than it answered. The action was good though, I’ll
give <i>Sucker Punch</i> that. I mean, a
samurai with a Gatling gun?? Yes, please!<br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">6.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><u style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The Hangover Part II-</u></div>
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I’m not really sure why I saw this. Was
I expecting something new and not just a rehashed story line in a different
location? Foolishly, yes. Boy was I disappointed. I don’t even need to explain
it. If you’ve seen the first one, all you have to do is think of that but in
Thailand. The best part of this movie though, the casting of Paul Giamatti. He
was excellent, a little larger than I remember seeing him, but he was at his
best yelling at those hapless idiots. I’d watch that movie again just for Paul
Giamatti, but I won’t because, well, it’s just awful.</div>
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(P.S.: Turns out I watched SIX movies from 2011! Bonus!)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Lzzy Green:</span></b><br />
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<u>10. Rango-</u><br />
Quirky doesn't begin to describe this unique animated western. Full of laughs, great voice work and beautiful animation, it's hard not to fall in love with the tale of Rango.<br />
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<u>9. Hall Pass-</u><br />
I probably liked this film a lot more than I should have but as a fan of Stephen Merchant and Jason Sudeikis, who always seem to make me laugh, as well as including one of the best scenes of the year (think bathroom mishap), Hall Pass is comedy classic and certainly the funniest film of the year.<br />
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<u>8. X-Men First Class-</u><br />
I'm not sure why this film isn't getting as much love as it deserves. It took a floundering franchise, rebooted it and made it better than it's ever been. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming sequel now.<br />
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<u>7. Killer Elite-</u><br />
While this film may have not clicked for many I saw Killer Elite for what it really was: a kick-ass action film featuring three of the greats. It may not revolutionize the action genre but it's a good ride throughout.<br />
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<u>6. Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene- </u><br />
Beautiful, haunting and brilliant...and that's just Elizabeth Olson. A wonderful thriller that shows the Olson family line has another star in the making.<br />
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<u>5. Last Night-</u><br />
Kiera Knightley rubs a lot of people the wrong way, myself included. That said, this complex tale of love and betrayal is simple but beautiful and it deserves to be seen by everyone.<br />
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<u>4. Limitless- </u><br />
Give me a minute I need to take this poster in. There...that's better. Sorry I was distracted by the most gorgeous man in Hollywood looking off in the distance with those steely eyes of his. Cooper's looks aside, Limitless is an original, highly underrated that is probably his best role to date. Action and Science-Fiction fans will be sure to love this one.<br />
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<u>3. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo-</u><br />
Rooney Mara is brilliant. Daniel Craig is brilliant. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are brilliant. David Fincher and Steven Zallian are brilliant. Put it all together and you have a film that can easily be described as brilliant.<br />
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<u>2. The Rum Diaries-</u><br />
Bruce Robinson is back and better than ever. This wonderfully charming and beautiful adaptation of Hunter S Thompson's novel is as funny as it is exciting. Johnny Depp and Michael Rispoli play off each other perfectly, Aaron Eckhart does his best sleaze since Thank You For Smoking, Giovanni Ribisi gives one of his most unforgettable roles and Amber Heard is gorgeous. I wish I looked half as good as her, or at least could borrow some of her outfits. Set in a place that is as breathtaking as it is breath taking, The Rum Diaries is a classic. <br />
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<u>1. Beginners- </u><br />
Mike Mills has created another masterpiece. The Thumbsucker director has created a charming and beautiful film about life and love. Everyone is perfect, Christopher Plummer especially, and if you haven't seen this film yet, you are missing out on not only the best film of 2011, but one of the best films ever made.</div>xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-79326364111719301212012-02-19T18:07:00.000-08:002012-02-19T18:07:42.857-08:00My heart is stronger now, because you're in it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.<br />
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Ever since I was little I've always had a soft spot for Studio Ghibli films. Their lush animations, compelling stories (even if they were aimed more towards a younger audience) and, for the most part, incredible acting have always kept me interested ever since I first saw Kiki's Delivery Service way back when. Now that's not to say I've loved every film they've put out, in fact they've put out some less then stellar films (i.e Ponyo), but usually if I see the blue Totoro production card in a trailer, chances are I'm going to go see that movie. Their latest release The Secret World of Arrietty is no different and I'm happy to report that it's one of the better "kid friendly" Studio Ghibli films to come out.<br />
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Based on the book "The Borrowers" by Mary Norton, The Secret World of Arrietty is the third adaptation of this story that I've watched. The first was the 1997 BAFTA nominated film The Borrowers which starred John Goodman, Jim Broadbent and Hugh Laurie and the second was the 1973 Emmy Award winning Hallmark film starring Eddie Albert. There have been other adaptations throughout the years as well but my initial concern with this film before I even saw it was that it would remind me too much of the previous films. Having now seen the movie I'm glad to say that while it has some of the elements that I remember from the previous films, the Hayao Miyazaki written screenplay does enough things different that it still feels like a completely new and fresh concept.<br />
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The story follows 14 year old Arrietty, a borrower (a tiny person who lives in the floor of a persons house and takes things without them noticing, usually only necessities and supplies) who is finally getting her chance to be a part of the family tradition and go out borrowing. On the day of the borrowing, a young man named Shawn arrives at the house to be taken care of by his Great Aunt Hara before he has major heart surgery. Shawn catches a glimpse of Arrietty and when Arrietty and her father go out borrowing, he calls her out and she drops a sugar cube that they had borrowed. This confrontation sparks a curiosity in Shawn and he decides to try to befriend Arrietty by bringing her the aforementioned sugar cube. Arrietty's parents warn her though that beings (humans) are dangerous and can't be trusted so Arrietty is hesitant to befriend Shawn, even though she can see he is a good person.<br />
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The story is (and I hate using this word) quite refreshing. It's not a love story, or at least not in the traditional sense, more so it's a story of understanding and friendship between two completely different types of people. It's simple but well written and tackles some pretty deep issues, especially concerning mortality and death, without getting bogged down or too depressing. Considering this is a film directed towards the young ones I was half tempted to think they were going to talk down to the audience, but it's nice to see that, with the exception of a few moments, it's written for people of all ages. The English translation (this was originally in Japanese) is written by famed children's screenwriter Karey Kirkpatrick (James and the Giant Peach and The Iron Giant) and actually translates quite well from it's source material. You never get the feeling that you're missing out on something Miyazaki meant the audience to get and you'd be surprised how often that happens in the translating process.<br />
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The acting in the North American release is across the board pretty decent. Bridget Mendler and David Henrie (of Disney Channel fame) take duties as Arrietty and Shawn respectively. Shawn can come off as slightly breathy and monotone at times but Henrie's charm is evident if you look for it. Mendler is one of the better Disney actresses that has come out in recent years and she does her part quite well, mixing silly and serious appropriately and only rarely does she ever falter in her role. Amy Poehler, Will Arnett and Carol Burnett round out the rest of the main cast and sadly they are a little less memorable than the two leads. Poehler plays well to her comic strengths but comes off slightly annoying at times and can get a little grating. Arnett on the other hand plays it straight and without the wit and irony that is peppered throughout his comedic performances, he comes off as quite dull and uninteresting. He also has a weird pause every time he says Arrietty, like someone who is still trying to figure out how to pronounce it. Burnett is good but she only gets to play to her strengths later in the film so it's slightly disappointing. When she does she's great and becomes one of the more memorable characters but it does have a feeling of slightly too little too late.<br />
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Besides what I've mentioned though the film doesn't really have many other problems. It's animations are colorful and lush with great detail, the score is beautifully done and I found myself humming it after the film and it's well paced, which is key in a kids film because you don't want them to lose interest halfway through. There is a slight hitch with mouths and their delivery but as someone who watches a lot of Japanese dubs, unless you're really looking at the mouths intensely you probably won't notice. The only time is once during a sigh but once again...only if you're looking.<br />
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Overall though The Secret World of Arrietty is a great take on a classic novel with lush animations, a deep and well written story that doesn't talk down to kids and has pretty decent acting across the board. It draws you in and it's easy to get lost in the world of the borrowers and it leaves you hopefully feeling better than when you went in. Great for the whole family and Studio Ghibli fans alike.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">MY VERDICT: SEE IT (3.5 out of 5)</span><br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-26604655847281816112012-02-17T18:20:00.000-08:002012-02-17T18:20:48.470-08:00I am an Apex Predator. Does the lion feel bad killing the gazelle? Do people feel remorse when they kill a fly?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.<br />
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I never really bought into the hype that surrounded this film. To me it just looked like another found footage film but this time with teenage superheroes learning how to harness their powers. I mean it was an intriguing enough premise that I knew I would go see it, but honestly I wasn't expecting much. Much to my delight my expectations were FAR exceeded and Chronicle is the best film I've seen this year so far. Granted it's still pretty early to be throwing that term out, but I'm pretty sure it will be on my Top 10 list this year.<br />
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The film follows Andrew, a troubled young teen who decides to start taping everything that goes on in his life. Whether it's because he thinks his life is really film worthy or because he's trying to find something to distract himself from the fact that he has an abusive, alcoholic father and a mother dying of cancer, it's up to the viewer really. He's constantly picked on because of his size (and the fact he carries around a camera) and his only "friend" is his cousin Matt, who would much rather he put down the camera and try to fit in with everyone else. One day, at a rave out in the middle of nowhere, Matt and his buddy Steve, the school quarterback and politician in the making, find a hole and convince Andrew to document what they find inside. They find what is inside the hole but before they can really get a good idea of what it is, they are knocked out and wake up outside the hole, but this time they have superpowers. Now they have to figure out what to do with these newly found powers and learn how to control them.<br />
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The story is interesting because it gets better as the film goes on. In fact if this film was a chart, it would be an upward slope. It starts off slow and kind of uninteresting but by the end it's an amazing character study/action film of troubled teens with superpowers. The screenplay is brilliantly handled, giving each main character their own struggles, feelings and grasp of the situation at hand and you really grow to care about these characters, even if they start to get a little loose around the seams towards the climax. The dialogue feels real, with only a few lines throughout that feel like "line" lines and the film progresses at a very nice pace, only stuttering a few times. <br />
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The acting, like the film, is also surprisingly good. The cast is relatively unknown, save for Michael Kelly as Andrew's father and Michael B. Jordan (from The Wire) as Steve but they all give really great performances. Dane DeHaan, who plays Andrew, is especially good considering his character goes from quiet to loud to crazy all within the span of 80 minutes and somehow keeps it relatively believable. You root for him and genuinely feel bad when something happens to him, in yet you can tell something is off about him. Alex Russell's Matt is also brilliantly done as he has sort of the opposite effect of Andrew's character. He starts off popular and ends up being a sweet and caring guy which is something you'd never think would come from him at the start of the film. The rest are great as well but Andrew and Matt really steal the show here.<br />
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One of the film's biggest successes lies in how it's technically done. It's a first person film (aka found footage film) but because of their superpowers, Andrew's editing skills (he's seen editing scenes from time to time) and the film not adhering to one single camera (there are multiple people with cameras) it's able to do things that no other film of it's type have been able to do and it adds a whole new dimension to how these films can be done. One of the big downfalls of this type of film is the shakiness and the need to stay in one static place. With this film there are swooping motions, back and forth quick cuts, hovering and above all else...barely any shakiness. From a cinematography standpoint this film is genius.<br /><br />But films like these come with a price and that is my only real flaw with this movie: The Logic Questions. Why is Andrew taping everything? Why doesn't he put the camera down at certain points? Where did he get another camera? How was this footage found? How were they able to switch cameras (in the back and forth scenes)? Questions like these and more, as well as the short time in all these films that is spent explaining the camera and it's purpose (and most of the time, this film not being an exception, the reason is iffy), kind of take you out of the film if you try to overthink it. If you're willing to let those questions go and just enjoy the film it's not much of a problem but I did find myself wondering from time to time some of these questions.<br />
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Overall Chronicle is a great surprise of a film that I still think about today. Even if superhero/first person films aren't your thing, give this film a shot, it's worth every penny you spend.<br />
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<span style="color: #f1c232;">MY VERDICT: TOP FILM (5 out of 5)</span>xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-9242106269521757932012-02-17T09:06:00.000-08:002012-02-20T10:34:45.978-08:00My Name is Might Have Been, My Name is Never Was<br />
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<i><u>By Guest Writer Joanne Lewis</u></i><i><u>-</u></i></div>
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Every year, dozens of TV shows are cancelled, most of them prematurely and to the chagrin of their viewers. The reason is usually down to money and ratings; scripted TV shows are more expensive to produce than reality TV or light entertainment shows, and are often watched by fewer people.</div>
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However, other factors like poor advertising of a show, drifting timeslots, or episodes aired out of order and put up against popular shows on other networks can also greatly contribute to a show’s lack of viewers. Curling up on your <a href="http://www.sofasandsectionals.com/sleepers" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">sofa bed</a> and enjoying your favourite programme just isn't as effective at 4pm as it is after a hard day's work and many shows end up cancelled without having been given a fair chance, leaving what audience they gathered feeling cheated and longing for more, knowing they will never be granted it. </div>
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<strong style="font-weight: bold;">Firefly</strong></div>
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Many obscure shows often leave behind a devoted fan base upon cancellation, and few were more vehement in their outrage than the legion of Browncoats, the small but loyal fan base of Firefly. It helped that the showrunner was Joss Whedon, a self proclaimed geek who had previously built himself an army of devotees with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.</div>
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A seamless fusion of science fiction and western, Firefly had cattle ranches and saloons alongside hologrammatic communication and spaceships. Its technology, while futuristic, was still fallible and frequently broke down. Its characters were deep, flawed, and relatable, and instead of the typical paragons of society often seen in sci-fi, they were principally thieves and smugglers.</div>
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However, you should bear in mind that if it had survived longer, it’s possible that Dollhouse would not have come about and likely that Joss Whedon would not now be directing The Avengers.</div>
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<strong style="font-weight: bold;">Wonderfalls</strong></div>
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Wonderfalls was a show about a twentysomething slacker named Jaye with no ambition to pursue a career of any sort, content to drift by in a dead-end retail job in a Niagara Falls gift shop. One day, without warning, inanimate objects in the form of animals begin talking to her, giving her cryptic commands to perform and not shutting up until she relents. Although the simple actions ended up helping people around her, their contrary nature caused Jaye to begin questioning her own sanity, along with everybody else.</div>
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Although no explanation was given as to why the animals started talking, how they knew what advice to give, or what they eventually hoped to achieve, the series would likely have developed in such a direction had it been allowed to continue beyond four episodes indiscriminately shuffled around in the schedule.</div>
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<strong style="font-weight: bold;">Jake 2.0</strong></div>
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It’s possibly a little pretentious to describe a show as being ahead of its time, but in the case of Jake 2.0, you could make an attempt to argue the point.</div>
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It starred Christopher Gorham (Ugly Betty’s Henry) as a young geek who becomes mentally upgraded when the spoils of a secret government project are stolen and he ends up on the receiving end of them, subsequently being assigned an agency team of a gruff veteran, a hot girl and an authoritative older woman to monitor him as an experimental project to see how his abilities develop and ascertain if the recreation of the project is a possibility.</div>
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That may well sound quite familiar, but NBC’s Chuck came along some time later. Jake 2.0 was made back in 2003, a time when the world was less accepting of the concept of geeks as protagonists and even heroes. Thanks largely to the concurrent ascension of Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen, the idea has become firmly rooted in the popular consciousness and is now a standard set up. It‘s just a shame that the transition came too late for Jake.</div>
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<strong style="font-weight: bold;">Brimstone</strong></div>
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When the phrase “Devil’s bounty hunter” is uttered, most people – if they think anything – will likely think of Ghost Rider. However, Brimstone is a world away from the histrionics of a leather-clad biker with a flaming skull.</div>
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The superbly monikered Ezekiel Stone was a police officer sent to hell for murdering his wife’s rapist, then offered a second chance at life by the Devil when a mass breakout from the underworld occurred and 113 souls escaped. Tasked to track them down – usually by a resurgence of the crimes that damned them – if Stone managed to send them all back, he would be free to live again.</div>
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Brimstone was notable for its supremely dark tone, but set apart by the intermittent verbal sparring between Stone and the Devil, each doing their best to one-up the other. While neither may have liked the situation that much, each was dependant on the other. 13 episodes were made, 12 souls were returned and a greater underlying mystery involving a rising antagonist was hinted at right before the plug was pulled.</div>
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<strong style="font-weight: bold;">Moonlight</strong></div>
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Here is proof that just because something involves vampires, it does not necessary follow that it will become a great success story. Moonlight arrived shortly before the dual phenomenons of True Blood and Twilight induced stratospheric popularity for the bloodsucking undead, and did not resonate as powerfully with the viewing public. Additionally, its premise of vampire looking to attain redemption for past sins by working as a private detective might have edged too closely to the ground covered in previous shows like Angel, Blood Ties and Forever Knight.</div>
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Regardless, it was a fun and undemanding series that slightly twisted traditional vampire mythology in a way to streamline its relative logic, but not so much as to make it appear self-consciously defiant.</div>
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It aired twelve episodes before going on a three month hiatus in early 2008 as a victim of the Writers’ Strike, before returning with four episodes due to viewer demand. Sadly, this brief resurgence was not enough to save it and it was cancelled soon after.</div>xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-54903446760040561182012-02-17T00:34:00.000-08:002012-02-17T14:46:29.706-08:00Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ghost Rider 2 is like a mixed bowl of chips. You go to a party of there is a bowl of chips and it just so happens when the host was filling it with Sour Cream And Onion(your favorite), that bag was only halfway full and didn’t fill the bowl. So the host takes a whole bag of Salt And Vinegar(not your least favorite, but you would never buy them as a personal treat) and mixes it in with your Sour Cream + Onion. While you eating the Sour Cream, your happy, but while your eating the Salt and Vinegar, your not exactly satified, but your excited because you know as you dig further your going to get to your Sour Cream chips and be happy. Make sense? No. Fuck you.<br />
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Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is a as I said that mixed bowl. But let’s talk about the failings of the film first. The screenplay, credited to Story By David S. Goyer, Screenplay by Jim&Joe and David S. Goyer. Jim & Joe don’t matter, what matters is Goyer. Goyer is a writer whose name a movie suggests neither the greatness or terribleness of the film. His name means nothing. His name when it comes to direction means trouble. The Invisible, trash. Blade: Trinity, rubbish. The Unborn, the worst movie I have ever seen theatrically. A movie where even Gary Oldman is terrible. David S. Goyer is proof of the uselessness of most screenwriters. His name may be on the Nolan Batman films and the first two Blade films, but he’s hardly to thank. <br />
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The problem with Ghost Rider: SOV lies within it’s script, within it’s story. William Goldman says that screenplays are really only structure and that the quality of writing doesn’t matter. Of course, he’s known a grumpy old man but taking that to heart as the job of the screenwriter, Goyer has done poorly. Neveldine/Taylor, the great directors of this film(and I mean that, great, I really think they are great and not at all the faults of this picture and the only reason it at all works but we’ll get to that). Yes, Goyer is able to give us ACTs 1-3(and in that order) yes there’s a story, but he is no wordsmith. Poor interactions between characters of just simple exposition. That’s all it is. I don’t think the man has any idea how to bring characters together other than by transferring the T2 relationship between the T-800 and John Connor to this film. Neveldine/Taylor are forced to direct scenes in which two people are talking exposition of they are not the directors to simply have two people standing or sitting, talking, unless someone is getting their nipple or elbow severed, or the main villain is tap dancing for no reason at all.<br />
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The basic story of the film is that The Devil(Ciran Hinds) is getting weak in his human body and needs to transfer his power to little Danny boy, who happens to be his son. He employs, Carrigan(Johnny Whitworth) of whom eventually becomes the villain Blackout to find the boy. And then of course Ghost Rider needs to stop that with the promise from Charles Miner/Stringer/Luther/Idris Elba that his demon will be released and he will be a free man. The demon boy has a mother, Nadya, played but Olga Kurylenko’s twin Violante Placido, of whom has a past relationship of barely any concern to the film with Carrigan.<br />
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The movie works and only works because of Neveldine/Taylor. The film is essentially Crank Lite. It’s Neveldine /Taylor tied down. The Crank films work because there are no limits. Severed elbows, fucking in the middle of a horse track, horse cock, tap dancing bad guys, living heads inside a fish tank, full bodied Tourettes, a man electrocuting himself for 90 minutes to survive. The Crank films and Gamer are essentially video games. No Rules, no plausibility. Ghost Rider, a film involving demons and angels though apparently requires some sense of not so much plausibility as it does sanity. This seems like a case of directors being tied down and doing their best to get their signature style in. All their crazy camera work is certainly here but only a small amount of their humor, but when those scenes come, it’s quite satisfying(especially the flaming piss). They know Cage works when he’s crazy(Bad Lieutenant, Vampire’s Kiss, Leaving Las Vegas) and we get some moments of that and when it comes, it is so refreshing, but then come the scenes of story, of exposition. The film is too chained down but having to be a coherent semi-blockbuster that Mr. Ten Movies In The Cinema a year can take. The Crank films aren’t films for Mr. Ten Movies In The Cinema a year. What happens in this film is directors doing things they obviously don’t care for: a story that isn’t absurd(yes it’s absurd but it’s not meant to feel absurd, while the Crank films are all about feeling the absurdity of every moment), they’re directing scenes they are actually supposed to convey some sort of emotion(Gamer did this but Gamer they wrote). The problem is it feels like Neveldine/Taylor don’t care for the story, it feels like the would of loved to have written and made their own movie, but that sadly didn’t happen, but nonetheless, there are still a good amount of Neveldine/Taylorisms to somewhat satisfy and not make the film a complete mess.<br />
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One problem that can be thrown their way is the action. There is certainly a quality to it, but the problem is Ghost Rider is essentially Superman. He simply throws his chain and baddies are ash. Of course when there is the Superman problem, the weakness has to be thrown to the fact that he must protect the boy and the child but a superhero fighting mere mortals takes away from any tension in the action. Yes, it’s fun to see bad guys freak out and not believe this demon guy, kicking their ass but even when it comes time for Ghost Rider to fight the super villain that is Blackout, it isn’t anymore special than two regular dudes fist fighting in the backyard.<br />
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As for the performances, Nicolas Cage is Nicolas Cage. He’s great when he’s crazy(and thankfully we get some of that) but when he has to sit down and have a sane conversation with someone, obviously, he doesn’t care. He’s bored, I’m bored, we’re all bored. Cage is a great actor and a terrible one. Subtleness is not is mode. Charles Miner/Stringer/Luther/Idris Elba is somewhat enjoyable in his French accent but all in all, he’s a great TV actor, an acceptable film actor but he’s able to hold together the scenes of sane Cage and make them somewhat worthy of screen time. Johnny Whitworth as the villain Blackout? It’s something I’m sure some will say is terrible but some will say is enjoyable, but it certainly isn’t great. It felt the potential of that villain that should steal the show but never really does. He’s essentially the secondary villain behind The Devil/Rourke but he gets the job done enough. Ciran Hinds though seems to actually have taken his role quite seriously and ends up being the best part of the film. There is just something so fucking creepy about his face and with a face like that, The Devil is the perfect role. He is certainly miles better than Peter Fonda in the previous film. When it comes to the boy and his mother….well who cares. They’re there. The mom’s hot and that’s all she needs to do.<br />
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All in all, I personally found the movie to be satisfying, of course that is going in to see it with the horribleness that is every review that is coming out. But that fact that they decided to screen it at Butt-Numb-A-Thon(not exactly Cannes) tells us that someone at Sony had faith in this. Showing a film that is apparently terrible according to most people two months early seems like quite a risk. Neveldine/Taylor seem somewhat proud of the film and there is enough of them in the film to show that. If you’re a fan of them, there’s a chance of enjoyment and I feel it might only be my fandom that made me enjoy this film., but it does give me worry that the guy who wrote this, wrote the new Superman film.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-63142733333692997562012-02-12T19:06:00.000-08:002012-02-12T19:08:54.362-08:00If we open the door to superstition, where does it lead?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.<br />
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The first time I saw a trailer for The Woman in Black I was cautiously optimistic. Too often nowadays we get horror movies that focus too much on blood, gore and jump scares that to see a genuinely creepy ghost film that is traditionally shot (in other words not Paranormal Activity) I was excited. Granted that excitement went away a little when I saw the screamer trailer they played at the movie theater for an entire month but knowing it was a Jane Goldman written (X-Men First Class, Kick-Ass, The Debt) James Watkins directed (the highly underrated Eden Lake) film I still had high hopes. Plus if nothing else I was excited to see Daniel Radcliffe in a non Harry Potter role. While he still has a ways to go as an actor, I believe he has gotten better over the years and, after watching TWIB, it shows.<br />
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The film follows Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe), a solicitor in the early 1900s who is given the task of settling the estate and sorting through the paperwork of the recently deceased Alice Drablow. He's given the task because his work up to this point has been rather underwhelming, or at least in the eyes of his boss, and if he screws this job up he might as well consider himself fired. As a single father in debt he can't really afford to say no so he goes up North and is less than warmly welcomed by the locals. In fact they try to usher him out of town before he even has a chance to get started. But Arthur is driven and so he heads to Alice's house, which is apparently cursed, and decides to start working. Little does he know he's about to uncover the mystery of the town, Alice and this supposed Woman in Black that haunts the house.<br />
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The story is based on the 1983 novel of the same name and having read the book, it follows it rather well, although as usual it has its own unique twists that set it apart. The film itself is rather traditional, sometimes to a fault, when it comes to the haunted house genre, following the usual plot line that most films of this type have, but it's rather well done and never really feels boring. Yes there are some scenes that could have been cut down and Goldman and Watkins seem to have an obsession with the "walk down a hallway slowly" but usually the payoff tends to be quite good.<br />
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That's one thing the film does exceptionally well though, the payoff. This is one of the first genuinely scary films I've seen since The Descent back in 2005. The atmosphere, sound effects, soundtrack, even the way the camera is placed all create a really creepy vibe and whenever they go for a scare, 9 times out of 10 it's not a jump scare but rather something you'll catch out of the corner of your eye. Towards the latter half of the film they do utilize a number of jump scares (usually a screamer), but by then they are so relentless that one person in the audience screamed out "I can't take much more of this!" And I will admit, as someone so otherwise desensitized to the horror genre, I was gripping my chair and cowering at times, waiting for something to jump out only to have nothing happen and then *BOOM* come out of nowhere.<br />
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As for the acting this film doesn't really have a lot going for it. Radcliffe does a surprisingly good job with what he's given but most of the other characters are lifeless, dull and really not all that memorable. I'm not sure if it's because that's how they were written or if the actors really just didn't care. And when they do show any emotion, it comes off as forced and tends to be more laughable then genuinely disquieting. I realize this is Radcliffe's film and he gets a majority of the spotlight and screen time, but the supporting actors need to be good as well so they can deliver their piece of the puzzle for Radcliffe to put together. But this is Radcliffe's movie and he does well enough that for the most part unless you're looking for it, you probably won't notice the lifeless supporting cast.<br />
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Overall though The Woman in Black is a traditional horror film with a good lead, great scares, a haunting atmosphere and a story that you actually want to pay attention to. If you're looking for a good ghost story or are tired of the blood and gore that seems to have become the norm nowadays in horror films then check out The Woman in Black.<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">MY VERDICT: SEE IT (3.5 out of 5)</span>xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116602259574025839.post-4250283646626185802012-02-11T18:18:00.000-08:002012-02-11T18:20:02.994-08:00Why did I even make the Google Calendar if nobody's going to use it? It really hurts my undead feelings.<br />
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Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.<br />
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For the most part I usually don't review shorts and if I do it's usually in a pack of them because I find it hard to write a whole lot about them. But the Mark Blitch directed and Alan Tregoning/Jason Walter Vaile written short "The Code" definitely deserves it's own review, especially from someone who loves zombie comedies like me.<br />
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The story follows a couple (Daylon Walton and Tamara Voss) on their first date relaxing in a park when all of a sudden zombies attack. But before they can get away, a masked man with a weed wacker tries to attack them. This causes one of the zombies (Taylor Brandt) to speak up and demand why Carl (Todd Terry), the man in the mask, is trying to move in on their kill. According to his Google Calendar it is the zombies time to kill and this sparks an argument between the two, all while the couple sit there scared out of their minds. Soon they are joined by Neil (Ben Rogers), a vampire, who tries to act as a sort of mediator between the two and thus the insanity ensues.<br />
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While it may only be about six minutes long, this short packs a lot of humor and does beg the question of how all these killing monsters figure out who gets to kill what and when. That's where the Calendar, as well as book known as "The Killing Code" come in to play. The short is full of great homages to other horror films (the zombie's name is Shaun, I can't be the only one who gets THAT reference) as well as plenty of quotable one liners. It's really no wonder this short won so many awards at the Splatterfest Festival in Houston, and has a 92% approval rate on <a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/38f1ee3e76/the-code#">FunnyorDie</a>, which is where you can watch this short. </div>
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If you love horror movies or comedies I wholeheartedly recommend you watch this. It's only six minutes and trust me when I say it's six minutes well spent. If anything I wish it would have been longer. Kudos to everyone involved.</div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">MY VERDICT: GO WATCH IT </span></div>xTJMac510xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06642768999357179016noreply@blogger.com0