Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

I recently rewatched this.

The first half of the movies pretty great. Pretty much until the get out of the deadlands or whatever it is.

It also loots from Terry Gilliam films extensively, especially Time Bandits and Baron Munchausen. That is sort of awesome and sort of lame. But,hey, if you are going to loot surreal fantasy from someone, Gilliam is a good choice to do it from.

Depp recently said in regards to Pirates 4, "At this point I'm trying to turn it into a Beckett play."

God bless him.

Death Race Double Dash

This either makes me want to actually see the Death Race remake or it makes me feel like I just saw the best version of it.

It does make me want to play Mario Kart.

(I am linking instead of imbedding because of bloggers silly narrow issues.)

(via Topless Robot)

Ghostbusters

The first movie was so deeply on target. I still contend that the 2nd movie added nothing. But my love for the first one and the amount of potential that was never realized (except to a minor extent in the animated series) has kept me hoping for more.

So there has been a certain amount of joy contected to the news of a 3rd movie. Especially rumors that Rick Morranis might come out of retiremen to be in it (oh, please, yes). No script yet and there won't be one until the summer.. since the writers are also writers on The Office. So all signs, so far, point to awesome.

But I am perhaps more excited by upcoming videogame.

The original Ghosterbusters game is a bit notorious. Most of it was about making money so you could pay for gas to drive around the city (because everyone knows THAT was what the main point ofthe movie was). Also, when you won you received this lovely message:

Conglaturation !!!
You have completed a great game.
And prooved the justice of our culture.
Now go and rest our heroes !

Because Ghosterbuster don't give a crap about spelling.

Anywhozits, the new game, has most of the voice talent from the orignial movies. (No Sigourney Weaver. But we really don't need Dana. We don't need a love interest, actually... but we are getting one voiced by Alyssa Milano. Try to not picture a Bill Murray/Alyssa Milano hook-up. Just don't.) What is most excitng is that it looks like they've nailed the visuals... and then turned them up to 11.




(As noted by Topless Robot, "Split Up" isn't a rule. Except that watching the damage the game lets you inflict is awesome-sauce. I envy those who went to ComicCon at got a taste of all this.)

Where The Wild Things Are trailer

All I can say is "Yes."

(via I Watch Stuff)

Monopoly the Movie

The fact that they are making this movie and that Ridley Scott is directig is nothig new.

Here's a recent quote on the project from producer/CEO of Hasbro Brian Goldner: 

“He’s [Scott] built these great big worlds of imagination... Combine that with Pamela Pettler who’s writing this great script about real people kind of playing a real-life game of ‘Monopoly,’ not the board game, although they’re icons of the game. And then you really get the idea why this story could make sense right now.”

And from Scott:

“I have to direct it... We’re in progress right now. We’re having it written. We have identified a pretty good story and it is fundamentally a movie, not a game, probably describing in a way the characters in the film, the passion of the game, and how the game came about.”

I still have no idea what this movie is about or why it is being made.

(via MTV)

Back to the Future Alternate Ending

(via Neatorama)

Half-Life: Escape from City 17

I like fan-films for the most part. Most of them are people playing tribute to something they love and also teaching themselves the craft of film making. But, let's be fare, most of them suck. Badly acted, low production values, and just experiments of wish fullfillment.

Sometimes, though, you get something like the below. It makes more sense if you've played Half-Life 2 but it is not needed. It is also violent.

I am looking forward to future episodes.

(via Kotaku)

I know January is a slow movie month but...

'Paul Blart' edges out 'Underworld 3' to win the weekend.

And this being the first weekend after Oscar noms.

Matrix Reloaded

...but with a cat and puppies...


(via Crystal)

Movies of 2009, second 6 months

A continuation of the earlier post.   The 2nd half of the year is a bit more interesting...

Public Enemies (July 1)

This has a good cast and I dig '30s gangster stuff but it's directed by Micheal Mann.  Why does the film industry tease me so?

2012 (July 10)

Big ol' end of the world disaster flick by the same people who brought you Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow.  I would think they were getting bored.  I do appreciate that at the end of the teaser trailer they tell you to google 2012 and not just go to the movie website.  There are info out there to freak people out.  (Freaking out about this is like seeing that your daily planner has no more pages after December.)

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince (July 17)

Yes, another one.  They don't get that much better or that much worse.  While I read all of the books with joy, watching the films now feels like something I have to do just to complete the set.

G-Force (July 24)

Gerbils has government special agents.  'Nough said.

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra (Aug 7)

A movie I will see just because I sort of watched the cartoon.  I am mostly curious about how one balances the goofiness with making it exciting.  I mean, one villain wears a cobra helmet and the other has a head of metal.  Also, C.O.B.R.A. of the Idiotarod took its design inspiration and some of its attitude from Cobra.

Shorts (Aug 7)

I fully appreciate Robert Rodriguez do it yourself ethic and his interesting eye.  And this is a movie about a rock that grants wishes.  If I had a wish he'd direct another horror film.

Taking Woodstock (Aug 14)

I know someone in it.  That's pretty much it.

Final Destination: Death Trip 3D (Aug 21)

I just like the ridiculousness of the title.  Actually, I enjoyed the first one.  Or at least the concept.  You know, with all of these 3D films that have been coming out, I have yet to see one.  I should do that.  Somehow I am guessing it will not be FD:DT3D.

Inglorious Bastards (Aug 21)

Since Pulp Fiction I've been waiting for QT (I like calling him "QT) to direct something out of genre.  At the time, I wanted him to do a cyberpunk movie.  (Yeah, this was when cyperpunk was cool.)  I am uber-curious as to what he does with a WWII film.  (Insert joke about guys in a foxhole talking about what Ella Fitzgerald meant by "Ain't Misbehavin'.")

Game (Sept 4)

Seems like there are a lot of sci-fi films coming out now.   Curious.  "In the near-future, mind-control technology has taken society by storm and a multiplayer on-line game called "Slayers" allows humans control other humans in mass-scale. Kable is the on-line champion of the game, and with his every move tracked by millions, his ultimate challenge becomes regaining his identity and launching an attack on the system that has imprisoned him."  Now that I actually see that, it sounds stupid.  I'll still see it.

Pandorum (Sept 4)

"A pair of crew members aboard a spaceship wake up with no knowledge of their mission or their identities."  There as a weird roleplaying game that I bought and never played that was this story.  Except everyone was also crazy and kept popping from one 'reality' to another, each a metaphor for what as really happening on the spaceship.  I've bought my share of games I've never played.

9 (Sept 9)

Just click here for the trailer.

This is awesome.

Daybreakers (Sept 11)

Vampires.  Do they ever get old?  I think I saw his when it was called 30 Nights.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Sept 18)

Great damn book.  If done well this could be an amazing kids The Day After Tomorrow.  But actually good.  And fun cast.  Please, whoever was responsible for the Cat In The Hat movie, stay way from this.

Fame (Sept 25)

Thank you, High School Musical 1-3, for making this remake seeming like a good idea.

The Surrogates (Sept 25)

Another sci-fi flick.  Has the potential of being a Philip K. Dickian yarn.  (I just wanted to write "Dickian" and "yarn.")

Toy Story (Oct 2)

Still Toy Story but... now in 3D!  I want to see this with my friend Matt because I expect him to jump up and down in his seat.  And now he can do it in 3D!

Zombieland (Oct 9)

Zombies.  I love zombies.  And this one is so up front with its title.  Might just be a Shaun of the Dead rip off though.  But it's zombies so who cares?

Where the Wild Things Are (Oct 16)

Directed by Spike Jonez who I love.  This was supposed to come out this year but the studio balked.  Too dark.  Max wasn't likable enough.  It's about giant monsters!  Max is an ass!  That's the point.  Well, it is finally coming out (in 9 months from now).  And look at that shot at the top of this post.  Seriously.

The Box (Nov 6)
"A small wooden box arrives on the doorstep of a troubled married couple, who open it and become instantly wealthy. Little do they realize that opening the box also kills someone they do not know."  I have an irrational fear that every time I realize something unexpected from UPS, this is exactly what will happen.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox (Nov 6)

Wes Anderson's long awaited animated project.  Rohl Dahl story.  I am so curious what this end up like.  (Expect the color yellow.)

The Wolfman (Nov 6)

Werewolf movies are up there with zombie movies for me.  And it should be fun to watch Del Toro go all hairy and angry and stuff.

Sherlock Holmes (Nov 13)

Robert Downey, Jr. as Holmes... Yes!  Directed by Guy Richie... no.

Planet 51 (Nov 20)

I am waiting for other production houses to figure out what makes Pixar movies good.  Hint: Story.  Another hint: STORY!  (Trailer here.)  This reminds me of that Twilight Zone episode where the old lady in a shack gets attacked by what looks like tiny toy robots.  And she doesn't speak the entire time.  And then at the end she finds a small flying saucer in the backyard and attacks it with her broom.  And then you discover that the ship was from Earth and the old woman was a giant alien!  That was  a good one!  Also, the bit with the pet Alien is cute.

Nine (Nov 25)

Not 9, but Nine.  Here's a case where the non-animated movie is the musical.

The Lovely Bones (Dec 11)

Come on, Mr. Jackson.  Show was what you can do.  Heavenly Creatures was a great film so I'm glad he's getting back to something non-fantasy.

Avatar (Dec 18)

James Cameron's massive pet sci-fi project.  I am guessing this will be a case of too much money handed to too large an ego.  Cameron needs someone around him to say "no."  I'll do it.  Cameron, no.  There.  Now pay me $15,000.

I am sure there are films I've missed and new ones that will pop up.

Movies of 2009, first 6 months

If you know me, you know I'm a movie junkie.  It's not just that I like film, but I enjoy the whole shebang: the gossip, the hype, great movie, bad movies, art films, blockbusters.  I especially enjoy the anticipation (which is a bit sick and wrong).

'08 was a pretty good year.   Not great.  Not many surprises (except perhaps for the fact that Iron Man was better than it had any right to be... I just rewatched it and it has an incredibly tight script).

'09 has some a few films I'm excited about.  Some less so.

The Village Barbershop (Jan. 16)

Okay, this is already out in limited release.  I have never heard of it before but as I was scanning the '09 release schedule it jumped out at me.  Because I immediately thought it was a sequel the M. Night's The Village and Ice Cube's Barbershop.  I am unclear why that film hasn't been made yet.

Killshot (Jan. 23)

I saw a screening of this over two years ago.  It was pretty god damn awful.  Maybe it was re-edited or re-shot, but I can't even see how that would help.  My guess is that it is getting a release finally ONLY because Micky Rouke has gotten praise for is performance in The Wrestler.  Killshot is not going to help him but might be worth seeing for the horrible Native American makeup they put on him.

Coraline (Feb. 6)

I love many things.  Neil Gaiman and stop-motion animation are near the tops of my list.  Gaiman's book upon which this is based is a beautiful and dark story.  Dream/horror/adventure.  Other world parents with buttons for eyes.  Looks gorgeous.

The International (Feb. 13)

Not on my radar at all.  Looks like a pretty run-of-the-mill thriller.  I only mention it because it is about an evil multinational bank.  Good timing.

Fired Up (Feb. 20)
"Nick Brady and Shawn Colfax, two popular high school kids, decide a two week stint at a Cheerleaders' Camp is the perfect opportunity to score tons of meaningless romantic liaisons with lonely girls in tight-tops and short-short skirts. But their plan to caress a few hundred pom-poms goes awry when Shawn falls in love with Carly."  Listed purely because of the line "plan to caress a few hundred pom-poms."

Watchmen (Mar. 6)

Okay, this is a no-brainer for me (see pretty much every post I've every made).  My expectations are pretty low.  I foresee it being over-packed and frenzied, lacking a certain amount of heart, and to miss the mark on the ending.  But the trailers look gorgeous and dead on.  So I'm going to look it not as a piece of storytelling than as a riff on the images of the comic book.  I am glad that Warner and Fox came to a deal so movie will be released on time.  (Nice deal for Fox: $5 to $10 mil up front and 5% to 8.5% of gross for basically doing nothing with the property.)

Race to Witch Mountain (Mar. 13)

No, I'm noting to see this.  But I do have found memories of seeing the first Witch Mountain movie in the theaters.  I also have found memories of seeing The Cat From Outerspace.

Sunshine Cleaning (Mar. 13)

I really should have written that crime-scene clean-up company movie when I thought of it in '94.

I Love You, Man (Mar. 20)

There are a bunch of folks I know through the improv world in this one.  And I have a little bit of a man crush on Paul Rudd.

This Side of Truth (Mar. 20)

Let's look at the cast - Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., John Hodgman, Tina Fey, Christopher Guest, Jeffrey Tambor, Nate Corddry, Patrick Stewart, Jason Bateman, Stephanie March, Fionnula Flanagan... Enough said.

Fast and Furious (Apr. 3)

Having run out of ways to rework the title in any way that seemed even vaguely clever, they just decided to remove the "The"s.  (My script, The Vast and The Furries, about group of kids at a fat camp that escapes and hide at a convention of people you dress up as animals and have sex is still available for producers.)

Vanilla Gorilla (Apr. 24)

Great title.  It's about an albino gorilla that learns sign language.  Did you see Congo?  That was a great film.  Wish Bruce Campbell was in it more.

X-Men Orgins: Wolverine (May 1.)

I still believe this will suck.  I don't want it to suck.  If it doesn't i will be a nice start to the summer movie season.  But I expect it to suck.  I could give you my arguments but why bother?

Star Trek (May 8)

I have never been a huge Star Trek fan (as relative to the rest of my geekiness).  I do love reworkings of classic material (see BSG for a fantastic example).  I like the cast.  I also love how J.J. Abrams' mind works.  He has yet to show me that he can really direct a movie (although I thought Mission Impossible 3 was under rated).

Angels & Demons (May 15)

Who asked for this?  Look, I like Ron Howard and I like Tom Hanks.  Neither one has to be hard up for work, right?

Terminator Salvation (May 22)

The first two films were great.  The third was crap.  McG hasn't proven himself as a director with much talent and his name annoys me.  But time traveling kill robots.  And it's set (mostly at least) in the future.  So, again, my expectations are low but hopeful.  Time traveling killer robots... how can you screw that up?

Up (May 29)

Pixar, Pixar, Pixar.  Someone who saw a very early version of it said that Pixar as surpassed themselves on a deeply emotional level.  And Pixar fine tunes their stories down to the last minute.  The teaser trailer apparently doesn't come close to what this story is about. (SPOILER: Expect to cry in the first 10 minutes.)

Land of the Lost (June 5)
More childhood rape. Will probably be overly snarky. But I do appreciate that they have stuck close to the original Sleestak designs.

Imagine That (June 12)
You remember when Eddie Murphy was smart and edgy? That was awesome.  (For half a second I thought I saw improviser Paul Welsh in the trailer. It wasn't him.)

Year One (June 19)
I actually like Jack Black but this is just him doing the same old-same old (at least from the description). However you know the pitch was something along the lines of "Quest for Fire meets Slackers."

Transformer Revenge of the Fallen (June 26)
Can't say I loved the first one, but it did go bang good.  Giant space robots (although I never bought into any of the rationals behind transforming in cars and such.  And supposedly they are including Devastator.  More damn Starscream, please (and the Starscream that is whiny and manipulative. He was awesome. (After typing it twice, I realize that his name is Stars Cream. Dibs on that as band and/or improv team name.)

Before Sunrise / Before Sunset

I finally got around to watching Before Sunset last night.

I remember seeing Before Sunrise when it came out.  I was about the same age as the characters (a bit older) and not in a relationship and a romantic.  It clicked hard with me.  It's not like it is a brilliant film.  But it is exactly what it is, nothing more and nothing less.  A man and woman meet on a train, spontaneously get off in Vienna and spent the afternoon and night being in the moment.  They kiss on a Ferris wheel and have sex in a park.  At the end, he gets on a plane for America and they agree to meet back in Vienna in 6 months.  Film ends.  It's an honest little movie, acted well.  The characters are flawed and young, but I bought into the romance.  That movie made me hopeful about people and, well, love.

I rewatched Before Sunrise last night before watch Before Sunset.  It was like returning to an old memory.  It was exactly as I remembered it but I had changed.  Ethan Hawke's character was more of an ass and awkward and Julie Delphie's character was more naive and awkward than I remembered.  But, you know, I kind of loved them all the more for it.  And the ending, which years ago filled me with hope and expectation, now felt bitter-sweet and sad.  Because I knew they didn't meet in six months.  The movie now hung on me like a regret that you don't actually regret.  How to explain it... Sometimes you do something that, in the long run fail and causes some sort of pain and ache, but you wouldn't go back and change it.  That's how I felt about the character's night in Vienna.  (And in reflection of my time since 1995.)

Before Sunset takes place nine years after the first film.  Now in Paris, Hawke's character has written a book about that night.  Delphie's character comes to a book signing in Paris.  And they hang out for a while until Hawke has to get on a plane for New York.  They never met in Vienna and try in a few short hours to catch up on the passing years... and to figure out what that night meant to them.

And I bought it.  (Although seeing how thin to the point of looking sick Hawke looks... and the fact that Delphie has just become more attractive....)  Again it is honest and sweet and fully taps into what has happened to me in those years (at least emotionally).  And they look back on Vienna not just with fondness but with a bit of anger... how that night may have twisted them.

I fully understand why people might dislike either or both movie.  But has character study and a rumination on what love might be... I love them.

Crank 2: High Voltage aka High F-bomb count

One, NSFW.

Two, I never saw Crank. Still have no desire to. But this trailer appeals to me because, well, it is extreme. And probably offensive. And weird.

"They go to this planet full ofthe brown Muppets..."

Star Wars, Episode IV-VI, as told by someone who has never seen it before.



(via Bonnie via Boing Boing)

Bad Movies

What with The Room and watching The Hillz (which is what you get if you mixed Less Than Zero with a white trash Boyz in the Hood, threw in Paris Hilton and then took out all the good parts), bad movies have been haunting me lately.

Well here is the upcoming Hybrid which is not about a Prius.

(via shocktillyoudrop via ohnotheydidnt via Gizmodo)

Meme of the week: The Room

Not the real trailer but a real movie.

"The Room" trailer from George Gross on Vimeo.

There's is a ton of backstory about this film.

(via Bluvband)

Movie news that makes me giddy

To explain why this fills me with joy:

1) I grew up with Tintin.  I love Tintin.

2) Two of my favorite characters are Thomson and Thompson.  I can picture every panel of them in Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon.

3) With all his faults, I still really love Spielberg.  No, he doesn't push the envelope often but he is a master at telling a story visually.

4) I very much respect Peter Jackson.  If there is a master of motion capture it is him.

5) Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are a brilliant team.

So Pegg and Frost as Thomson and Thompson makes me pee may pants a bit.

Sport of the future

The other night I climbed into bed and turned on the tv.  It was late (almost 3am).  The 1998 classic Futuresport was on.  Somehow I never watch this materpiece starring Dean Cain, Vanessa Williams and Wesley Snipes.  (Quick plot summery: Futuresport is a sport in the future of electrified balls and hover boards the Snipes had developed in "the streets" or "low zones" for gangs to settle their differences.  But since then it has been co-oped to the "corporations."  Now, Cain, a street player who sold out and went profession has been recruited to play for the North America Team versus the Asian team to settle a war.  If this works, all wars will be settled by Futuresport.  And whoever wins this came get Hawaii... but they are playing with "street rules."  I had no idea who Vanessa Williams was supposed to be.)  I fell asleep after the coach of the N A team was killed by a robotic spider and Cain became the new coach.  This is is the obvious time for the "training montage."  Quick cuts, slow mo, uplifting music.  Futuresport clearly couldn't afford any more effects shots clearly they could barely afford the ones they had), so they settled for a stirring "motivational speech montage."  Since they couldn't afford any more dialog (again, they could barely afford the dialog they had), it was shot just like a "traing montage" - Quick cuts, slow mo, uplifting music.  The team sitting in a circle with just Cain smiling and pointing at people, in slo-mo, and then them smiling or laughing back at him, also smiling.  Very rousing.

Thundercats

Fan made. Fun to play spot the movie they grabbed from, Nice top see that the Garfield movie finally has a reason to exist.


(via SMARTARSE)

McCain Ads Directed By Hollywood

(via Katey)