Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
In Theaters 11.06 (Some Oldish, Some New, Some Oscar-bait)
Yes, I did put these in chronological order of how I saw them.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Trailers Galore: Vampires, Aliens, Snow White, Batman, Titans, and Hobbits...oh my...
Underworld: Awakening
I'm a pretty big fan of this franchise, if for one reason only: the vampires don't sparkle. Add to the mix 1) Kate Beckinsale, 2) guns/explosions, 3) leather catsuit on said foxy actress, and 4) 3D and you've got a great recipie for a guy movie. It's true, the franchise really lost some steam after the first film (that really came out of nowhere), but it's still generally quite entertaining - and sticks thankfully close to the correct mythology. By the way, I love how the tag is "Kate Beckinsale...in 3D". Yes, please.
Snow White and the Huntsman
This teaser trailer was well staged. Selling viewers on the idea of Charlize Theron as the evil queen from the fairy tale of the title gives the them a distinct advantage before it's revealed that the titular character is played by the awful Kristen Stewart. Notice how she doesn't have a single line in the whole trailer, as the talking/voiceovers are left to the more capable Theron and Chris Hemsworth. This one will really be intriguing to see what comes in later trailers, but for now I'm in - if for nothing more than to see Theron.
Mirror Mirror
This one will be duking it out with Snow White and The Huntsman for new take on old fairy tale of the year - it just happens that they're both from the same old fairy tale. Disadvantage of this film over SWATH: Julia Roberts as the evil queen (Charlize Theron is smoldering in the above trailer). Advantage over SWATH: no Kristen Stewart. That's some major plus points, as she has yet to show any acting skill. See above for more on that subject. Still, after seeing Immortals, I'm a bit apprehensive about getting on board with this one from Tarsem Singh, much less having Arnie Hammer in the role of the prince, after his less than awing turn in J. Edgar. However, it does look rather fun and lighthearted. So I remain hopeful.
Battleship
This trailer is pretty straight-forward. It's basically Transformers at sea. Cue the groans from those who didn't marvel at Michael Bay's trilogy. But for the rest of us who actually enjoyed seeing the Autobots doing battle with the Decepticons, this one doesn't look so bad. It's another Taylor Kitsch flick (see below), but it's also got Liam Neeson, so that's somewhat promising. We shall see.
John Carter
When I saw the teaser for this last summer, I thought, "Ulgh, it's just Prince of Persia on Mars." Fortunately, this trailer abates my fears somewhat. It actually looks pretty entertaining, so hopefully it will deliver on its more successful marketing of late. I'm not really sure of Taylor Kitsch though, but he's still better than that awful lead from the aforementioned lackluster film. So maybe the casting of a non-A-list star will pay off? Here's hoping.
Rock of Ages
As much as I hate to admit it, this trailer makes the movie look really good. I generally loathe "classic" rock n' roll, much less 80s music. However, this makes it look quite entertaining and fun. I liked Hairspray a lot more than I probably should have, so this one has potential. I'll probably take my folks to see this, since they'll probably be able to appreciate it more than I could.
Act of Valor
I'm very intrigued by this film. I really hope it lives up to the high expectations this latest trailer has set. It looks like all American, guns blazing, pro-military awesomeness. Let's hope the final product is as stirring as this trailer (as well as the ones before it).
The Dark Knight Rises
The teaser for this one showed up online a few days after it played in theaters with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, but I wasn't really blown away by it, since it didn't offer a whole lot of new footage. However, After seeing what's below in theaters with Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, I was blown away - only to have what is best described as a nerdgasm upon seeing it in IMAX in front of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Take special note of Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, spouting what seems to be Occupy Wall Street talking points. Several theories have arisen over what exactly this means, seeings as Christopher Nolan isn't exactly known for political alegories (even though The Dark Knight is relished as a psuedo-pro-Bush doctrine film). Seeing it online, doesn't do it justice, but it's still one of my most anticipated movies next year.
Wrath of the Titans
This is one of my more anticipated films of 2012, but the lack of publicity about it had me worried. At the same time, it had me excited, because there's something gratifying about knowing nothing and then being dazzled by the first footage from the film, as I was with this. I thought the first film recieved far too much criticism, given that the original had a weaker story, but nostalgic effects. This one looks as good as the first, but there's not a whole lot of story to be had in this Marilyn Manson-heavy teaser trailer. Still, I look forward to seeing Rosamund Pike and Edgar Ramirez in action, as well as having Liam Neeson and Ralph Finnes back. Here's hoping...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
As some people have brilliantly pointed out, this next trailer will only make the wait longer. Still, it's a joy to see it all coming together, a decade after I was dazzled by The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
I'm a pretty big fan of this franchise, if for one reason only: the vampires don't sparkle. Add to the mix 1) Kate Beckinsale, 2) guns/explosions, 3) leather catsuit on said foxy actress, and 4) 3D and you've got a great recipie for a guy movie. It's true, the franchise really lost some steam after the first film (that really came out of nowhere), but it's still generally quite entertaining - and sticks thankfully close to the correct mythology. By the way, I love how the tag is "Kate Beckinsale...in 3D". Yes, please.
Snow White and the Huntsman
This teaser trailer was well staged. Selling viewers on the idea of Charlize Theron as the evil queen from the fairy tale of the title gives the them a distinct advantage before it's revealed that the titular character is played by the awful Kristen Stewart. Notice how she doesn't have a single line in the whole trailer, as the talking/voiceovers are left to the more capable Theron and Chris Hemsworth. This one will really be intriguing to see what comes in later trailers, but for now I'm in - if for nothing more than to see Theron.
Mirror Mirror
This one will be duking it out with Snow White and The Huntsman for new take on old fairy tale of the year - it just happens that they're both from the same old fairy tale. Disadvantage of this film over SWATH: Julia Roberts as the evil queen (Charlize Theron is smoldering in the above trailer). Advantage over SWATH: no Kristen Stewart. That's some major plus points, as she has yet to show any acting skill. See above for more on that subject. Still, after seeing Immortals, I'm a bit apprehensive about getting on board with this one from Tarsem Singh, much less having Arnie Hammer in the role of the prince, after his less than awing turn in J. Edgar. However, it does look rather fun and lighthearted. So I remain hopeful.
Battleship
This trailer is pretty straight-forward. It's basically Transformers at sea. Cue the groans from those who didn't marvel at Michael Bay's trilogy. But for the rest of us who actually enjoyed seeing the Autobots doing battle with the Decepticons, this one doesn't look so bad. It's another Taylor Kitsch flick (see below), but it's also got Liam Neeson, so that's somewhat promising. We shall see.
John Carter
When I saw the teaser for this last summer, I thought, "Ulgh, it's just Prince of Persia on Mars." Fortunately, this trailer abates my fears somewhat. It actually looks pretty entertaining, so hopefully it will deliver on its more successful marketing of late. I'm not really sure of Taylor Kitsch though, but he's still better than that awful lead from the aforementioned lackluster film. So maybe the casting of a non-A-list star will pay off? Here's hoping.
Rock of Ages
As much as I hate to admit it, this trailer makes the movie look really good. I generally loathe "classic" rock n' roll, much less 80s music. However, this makes it look quite entertaining and fun. I liked Hairspray a lot more than I probably should have, so this one has potential. I'll probably take my folks to see this, since they'll probably be able to appreciate it more than I could.
Act of Valor
I'm very intrigued by this film. I really hope it lives up to the high expectations this latest trailer has set. It looks like all American, guns blazing, pro-military awesomeness. Let's hope the final product is as stirring as this trailer (as well as the ones before it).
The Dark Knight Rises
The teaser for this one showed up online a few days after it played in theaters with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, but I wasn't really blown away by it, since it didn't offer a whole lot of new footage. However, After seeing what's below in theaters with Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, I was blown away - only to have what is best described as a nerdgasm upon seeing it in IMAX in front of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Take special note of Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, spouting what seems to be Occupy Wall Street talking points. Several theories have arisen over what exactly this means, seeings as Christopher Nolan isn't exactly known for political alegories (even though The Dark Knight is relished as a psuedo-pro-Bush doctrine film). Seeing it online, doesn't do it justice, but it's still one of my most anticipated movies next year.
Wrath of the Titans
This is one of my more anticipated films of 2012, but the lack of publicity about it had me worried. At the same time, it had me excited, because there's something gratifying about knowing nothing and then being dazzled by the first footage from the film, as I was with this. I thought the first film recieved far too much criticism, given that the original had a weaker story, but nostalgic effects. This one looks as good as the first, but there's not a whole lot of story to be had in this Marilyn Manson-heavy teaser trailer. Still, I look forward to seeing Rosamund Pike and Edgar Ramirez in action, as well as having Liam Neeson and Ralph Finnes back. Here's hoping...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
As some people have brilliantly pointed out, this next trailer will only make the wait longer. Still, it's a joy to see it all coming together, a decade after I was dazzled by The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
New(ish) on Blu-Ray: 11.07
I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted movies, but I’ve just felt uninspired to write. Some of these have been out for a while (but I’m amassing quite a list that I have yet to write about that aren’t new), but here they are regardless. Oh, and one caveat – Atlas Shrugged: Part I is not available on Blu-Ray (but you should totally check it out).
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