Long time no see! Well since Mr. Greg Gorham aka Punk was asking about where this blog post was, I have decided to give him and to any of the 20 people who read this my thoughts on the Oscars from this past Sunday:
1) Social Network should have won Best Picture. It was a much better paced and better technical film than The King's Speech. I didn't hate King all that much, I just thought that it felt like a TV movie at times. The best thing about it was Colin Firth and he did rightfully win the Best Actor trophy. But like Steven Spielberg said, it's in good company with other Best Picture losers.
2) One thing was for sure though, King's Speech was way better than the English Patient or Shakespeare in Love. Still a tragedy that both of those movies won.
3) The best of award of the night though went to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The Social Network was the best soundtrack of the last five years. It made the movie. Moved it along at a pace that it needed to go. Plus that opening theme titled Hand Covers Bruise was just a great piece of music.
4) Anne Hathaway and James Franco were terrible hosts. There has been reports coming out that the two of them did not like working with each other at all. If that is true, it really would explain the lack of chemistry on their part. I know the Academy is saying it is trying to be hip, but it wouldn't surprise me if they brought back Steve Martin or even Billy Crystal. Especially after the reception he got Sunday.
5) Roger Deakins, the cinematographer for True Grit, may end up becoming the new Martin Scorsese. He has been nominated eight times now and has not won it once. In his case he just keeps running into other great films. I was fine with Wally Psfter from Inception, winning it. That film was beautiful.
6) Is it sad that Kirk Douglas had more energy than most of the other presenters? You knew when he was getting more laughs than the host then the evening was screwed.
7) Best Quote I heard about the show came from my friend Rudy: " If I die, I do not want Celine Dion singing at my In Memorium tribute!" Well said Rudy, well said.
All I have at the moment, will write more ramblings when I think of some :D
- Hash
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Sunday, November 8, 2009
One Year Later.....
So yeah, it's literally been one year since i put anything on here. What can I say? A combination of life, laziness and other things have kept me from putting anything on here. Well now I am going to try and start to get back into the habit of trying to write this a little more.
So I decided that to start, I would just do a check list of a few quick hits on things going on in the film and entertainment world. And also a couple of things going on in my world as well.
- So basically it's fall. This is the time of year when the good films are suppose to be coming out and frankly I have not seen that many. Among the best I have seen so far are Paranormal Activity, The Men who Stare at Goats, and Zombieland.
- Count me among the shocked that Saw VI, is doing as bad as it is doing. Look, we all the series best days were behind it but to not even make $25 Million in it's entire run so far while Saw V did $30 million in it's first weekend! That is just a stunning fall. Gotta start to wonder if Saw VII is going to be the end of the series.
- Oh and count me out for New Moon. Unless you are 12 years old, you can't tell me that movie looks any good. You can tell that right now because all the attention is on the actors and not on the film itself.
- If there is one film I am looking forward to, it's Clint Eastwood's new film about Nelson Mandela, Invictus. Still amazing to see Clint at almost 80 years old still pumping out great films at his age.
- On the TV front, the season finale of Mad Men is tonight. This season so far has been really enjoyable so far. It's had kind of a ticking plot kind of plot going all season because you know that the Kennedy assassination is coming up very soon. Can't wait to see the chaos that ensues with that.
- Since I work for an NBC affiliate, I can tell you personally that the shows on the network are that bad. I can't tell if it's the bad management at the network or if it's executives picking the shows. Either way, something has got to change.
- Besides, how do you cancel a show (Southland) that gave you good reviews and decent ratings? You know what kind of show it is and all. It was very classless of NBC to do that to the show. If it succeeds on TNT next year, NBC will really regret it then.
- Jay Leno may be saving NBC money, but it's a ratings black hole. NBC needs to get him off of there next year or else, they really are screwed.
OK, that's all I got. Talk to you all again soon. And this time I mean it!
So I decided that to start, I would just do a check list of a few quick hits on things going on in the film and entertainment world. And also a couple of things going on in my world as well.
- So basically it's fall. This is the time of year when the good films are suppose to be coming out and frankly I have not seen that many. Among the best I have seen so far are Paranormal Activity, The Men who Stare at Goats, and Zombieland.
- Count me among the shocked that Saw VI, is doing as bad as it is doing. Look, we all the series best days were behind it but to not even make $25 Million in it's entire run so far while Saw V did $30 million in it's first weekend! That is just a stunning fall. Gotta start to wonder if Saw VII is going to be the end of the series.
- Oh and count me out for New Moon. Unless you are 12 years old, you can't tell me that movie looks any good. You can tell that right now because all the attention is on the actors and not on the film itself.
- If there is one film I am looking forward to, it's Clint Eastwood's new film about Nelson Mandela, Invictus. Still amazing to see Clint at almost 80 years old still pumping out great films at his age.
- On the TV front, the season finale of Mad Men is tonight. This season so far has been really enjoyable so far. It's had kind of a ticking plot kind of plot going all season because you know that the Kennedy assassination is coming up very soon. Can't wait to see the chaos that ensues with that.
- Since I work for an NBC affiliate, I can tell you personally that the shows on the network are that bad. I can't tell if it's the bad management at the network or if it's executives picking the shows. Either way, something has got to change.
- Besides, how do you cancel a show (Southland) that gave you good reviews and decent ratings? You know what kind of show it is and all. It was very classless of NBC to do that to the show. If it succeeds on TNT next year, NBC will really regret it then.
- Jay Leno may be saving NBC money, but it's a ratings black hole. NBC needs to get him off of there next year or else, they really are screwed.
OK, that's all I got. Talk to you all again soon. And this time I mean it!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
The Dark Knight and the New Era of Superhero Film
Who knew? I mean, sure, we all knew The Dark Knight was going to do huge blockbuster business. But who knew that that many people would love the film that much. And not just your average comic book fan boy or your WoW nerd, but normal average people who normally think of comic book films as big loud, action films and nothing more.
Could it be because of Heath Ledger? Sure. He was a great and well respected actor. His death was very sudden and sad. On top of that, his performance in Dark Knight is one for the ages. Even people who don't like the film (and there are a few,) think he gives the performance of a lifetime in that film. I myself hope he gets nominated, mostly for the scene in the hospital with Aaron Eckhart.
Could it also be because the film is just that good? Absolutely. At the moment the film is now #3 on the IMDB's top 250 films of all time. The two films ahead of it are The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather, respectively. A normal film aimed squarely at the the comic book crowd would not be this popular with every moviegoer.
Personally, I think one of the big reasons the film, like the comic book itself, works so well is that it touches upon many themes in our society today. Fear, death, terrorism, definition of one's self. Many of these themes you will find touches people's lives on a daily basis. That is why they are still around after all these years. Longtime readers see these themes that even though they are rooted in fantasy about superheros and villains, they reflect many of the themes in real life.
In Dark Knight, we see Bruce Wayne struggle with his identity. He doesn't want to be Batman anymore and he pins his hopes on the new Gotham D.A. Harvey Dent. If Dent succeeds, then Batman is no more. Wayne can retire for good. But through a series of events, with the Joker reeking havoc on Gotham City and with the injuries that happen to Dent late in the film, he realizes that he is going to be Batman for the rest of his life.
These are deep issues to deal with. Comic books deal with this every year. It is just now that the films have started to catch up. A talented filmmaker like Christopher Nolan is able to tap into these themes. It took someone like him and Sam Raimi (Spider-Man) and Jon Favreau (Iron Man) to dig deep and realize what comic books had to offer.
Don't get me wrong. Comic book films still have great action scenes. That is what you sell the films on. But with the Dark Knight and with the upcoming Watchmen, Filmmakers have now discovered what makes comic books and their characters tick. And moviegoers are better off for it.
Could it be because of Heath Ledger? Sure. He was a great and well respected actor. His death was very sudden and sad. On top of that, his performance in Dark Knight is one for the ages. Even people who don't like the film (and there are a few,) think he gives the performance of a lifetime in that film. I myself hope he gets nominated, mostly for the scene in the hospital with Aaron Eckhart.
Could it also be because the film is just that good? Absolutely. At the moment the film is now #3 on the IMDB's top 250 films of all time. The two films ahead of it are The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather, respectively. A normal film aimed squarely at the the comic book crowd would not be this popular with every moviegoer.
Personally, I think one of the big reasons the film, like the comic book itself, works so well is that it touches upon many themes in our society today. Fear, death, terrorism, definition of one's self. Many of these themes you will find touches people's lives on a daily basis. That is why they are still around after all these years. Longtime readers see these themes that even though they are rooted in fantasy about superheros and villains, they reflect many of the themes in real life.
In Dark Knight, we see Bruce Wayne struggle with his identity. He doesn't want to be Batman anymore and he pins his hopes on the new Gotham D.A. Harvey Dent. If Dent succeeds, then Batman is no more. Wayne can retire for good. But through a series of events, with the Joker reeking havoc on Gotham City and with the injuries that happen to Dent late in the film, he realizes that he is going to be Batman for the rest of his life.
These are deep issues to deal with. Comic books deal with this every year. It is just now that the films have started to catch up. A talented filmmaker like Christopher Nolan is able to tap into these themes. It took someone like him and Sam Raimi (Spider-Man) and Jon Favreau (Iron Man) to dig deep and realize what comic books had to offer.
Don't get me wrong. Comic book films still have great action scenes. That is what you sell the films on. But with the Dark Knight and with the upcoming Watchmen, Filmmakers have now discovered what makes comic books and their characters tick. And moviegoers are better off for it.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Random Notes
Here is some random notes about movies and life in general from the last month or so....
- I'm betting that box-office wise, The Dark Knight will either beat Spider-Man 3's weekend box-office record or it will come really, really, close. I mean, when you are adding 3 am and 6 am screenings because the midnight screenings are selling out, you probably have a mega-hit on your hands.
- Heath Ledger is getting nominated for an Oscar at the end of the year, bet on it.
- M. Night Shamlaylan on the other hand, might win a Razzie award this year for worst director. Seriously, The Happening is that bad of a film. It might have made it's money back at the box office, but besides Stephen King, I don't know anyone who didn't hate that film.
- Speaking of flops, I knew Mike Myers's The Love Guru would tank. It just never had the buzz and the type of comedy that he does is just not people's cup of tea anymore. Plus with all the rumors of his on set flip outs over the years, I wouldn't be surprised if people were rooting for him to bomb. He'll comeback, but it'll be awhile.
- Other than The Dark Knight, the only other film we have to look forward to I think is Pineapple Express. Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow are on a roll and this film looks like it will continue that roll.
- Quentin Tarantino has just annouced that Inglorious Bastards is finally going to get made. I think it's about time. He's been working on that forever and from the way it sounds from those that read the script, it's going to be amazing. Quentin could sure use a hit after Grindhouse dissappointed big time.
- If the casting rumors are true, I go with Brad Pitt over Leo DiCaprio for the Captain America film. They both have the all american look, but Pitt has the acting chops, and Dicaprio is just a little too scrawny for the part.
- Don't look now, but Indiana Jones is about to pass Iron Man for the biggest moneymaking hit of the year. After the rough time, he had with Munich, you know Spielberg has to be grinning from ear to ear over this.
I'll put up a review of The Dark Knight next weekend sometime. Until then, Travel well and stay safe.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Summer films so far...
It's June, so now the first part of the summer movie season has ended. Overall, May was a very good month. We had two mega hits, (Indiana Jones and Iron Man.) A few solid hits, (Sex and the City and Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,) and one huge bomb, (Speed Racer.) Some minor points that I have noticed so far with these films and some comments on what's to come.
1) Speed Racer bombing does not come as a huge surprise to me. The Wachowskis are good filmmakers but the material just wasn't there this time. Visuallly it was fun though. I think they had too much faith in the fact that they thought everyone liked Speed Racer that much to go see the film. I like the cartoon but not that much. Plus it doesn't help when the previous film from the last weekend (Iron Man) was just that good.
2) Speaking of which, I think one thing that can be said about Iron Man was that everyone including me was stunned that it was that good. I thought it was going to be a fun film, but now that Marvel Studios has control over their films now, it seems that the material is much better now. Marvel it seemed in the past has had problems with having to please the comic book fans and the corporate heads at the studios. Look at Daredevil, Elektra, and even Spider Man 3 and Blade Trinity. Those films just looked like they were made by a corporate machine. I'm sensing that good things are going to be coming from Marvel Studios in the near future.
3) Other than for the part with the monkeys, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was very good. It wasn't perfect, but considering the expectations Spielberg had to deal with, it still worked very well.
4) Harrison Ford still rocks. Now he just needs to find a great dramatic role and he can continue on to a good acting career late in his life i.e. Clint Eastwood.
5) The Incredible Hulk is looking better by the week. When this was first announced, even with Ed Norton, I just wasn't to sure about it. It seemed a little desperate on the studios part to be making it, since the last film bombed with the fans really bad. But now this one is shaping up to be very fun at least.
6) The Happening is not looking good if you ask me. One thing I keep noticing in the commercials for it is how much they are over emphasizing the R-Rating. Like on the commercials and the poster, the R-Rating is in big bold letters. What worries me about that is that they are trying to sell us on the fact that "hey, our film sucks, but at least it's R-Rated, with R-Rated stuff!!" I just don't have a lot of faith in this one. What the heck is "happening" to M. Night Shyamalan?
Now let's see if the month of June can bring us any great surprises like lasy year's Knocked Up did......
1) Speed Racer bombing does not come as a huge surprise to me. The Wachowskis are good filmmakers but the material just wasn't there this time. Visuallly it was fun though. I think they had too much faith in the fact that they thought everyone liked Speed Racer that much to go see the film. I like the cartoon but not that much. Plus it doesn't help when the previous film from the last weekend (Iron Man) was just that good.
2) Speaking of which, I think one thing that can be said about Iron Man was that everyone including me was stunned that it was that good. I thought it was going to be a fun film, but now that Marvel Studios has control over their films now, it seems that the material is much better now. Marvel it seemed in the past has had problems with having to please the comic book fans and the corporate heads at the studios. Look at Daredevil, Elektra, and even Spider Man 3 and Blade Trinity. Those films just looked like they were made by a corporate machine. I'm sensing that good things are going to be coming from Marvel Studios in the near future.
3) Other than for the part with the monkeys, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was very good. It wasn't perfect, but considering the expectations Spielberg had to deal with, it still worked very well.
4) Harrison Ford still rocks. Now he just needs to find a great dramatic role and he can continue on to a good acting career late in his life i.e. Clint Eastwood.
5) The Incredible Hulk is looking better by the week. When this was first announced, even with Ed Norton, I just wasn't to sure about it. It seemed a little desperate on the studios part to be making it, since the last film bombed with the fans really bad. But now this one is shaping up to be very fun at least.
6) The Happening is not looking good if you ask me. One thing I keep noticing in the commercials for it is how much they are over emphasizing the R-Rating. Like on the commercials and the poster, the R-Rating is in big bold letters. What worries me about that is that they are trying to sell us on the fact that "hey, our film sucks, but at least it's R-Rated, with R-Rated stuff!!" I just don't have a lot of faith in this one. What the heck is "happening" to M. Night Shyamalan?
Now let's see if the month of June can bring us any great surprises like lasy year's Knocked Up did......
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Welcome!
All right, I caved in and decided to join the blog world. I am never going to post anything personal on here. This is simply to vent on all matters related to film, literature, music, or pop culture. If you have any other ideas, just let me know. Otherwise, enjoy the site.
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