Taking your questions!

(*Nathan Fillion link fixed*)

Here's a previous comment I got from my last post

"So speaking of Cormac McCarthy, I recently read No Country for Old Men for a graduate course which then prompted me to watch the movie. I thought it was an excellent adaptation of McCarthy's novel but now here is my question to you. Do you think it is unfair to judge a movie based upon pre-existing expectations as a reader? So many times I will finish a movie and think wow the book was so much better. However, I've been the audience member who never read the book, yet really enjoyed the movie. Could our biased expectations be the culprits to a failure to appreciate the film version?"

(When you read the book did your imagination come up with that haunting visual?)

Well my faithful reader...I think it is unfair and fair to judge a movie based upon pre-existing expectations by a reader...but the reason that movie is a movie is because of the book or pre-existing property. SO??? I sometimes think that If it wasn't for a novel, or an existing property I might not see a movie and vice versa. We gotta understand that there is no way shape or form that an entire book will fit into a movie slot, which is why a lot of people come out of movies saying "Oh the book was better" Not that you are a bad person for thinking that. I think its unfair to not like a movie because the book was better, you should still look at the movie as a somewhat separate entity. I feel like your gettin a different story or a story that is sort of an extension of the book. You are supplied with familiar characters, settings, plot parts and themes but you are never gonna get that same feeling from the separate medium. Sometimes reading something is just meant to be read (from what I heard and researched, The Road), not saying that sometimes that doesn't switch, e.g. Lord of the Rings. So people try to taking something away from the movie that they got from the book. I guess what I'm saying is that I think its impossible to go in without pre-exisiting expectations if you have read or even know something about a certain property. Just know that your not going to get 100% of the book. Which is why I loved Watchmen, because it wasn't the exact story but stayed very true. However some people who haven't read it also thought it was long and dumb, so there's a counterpoint. I never heard the vice versa, though, that someone enjoyed the movie more then the book, if you have let me know? Some fans might like movies of books they read more because they can fill in the aforementioned % I mentioned earlier. Feel free to disagree or counterpoint the shit outa me!.

REVIEW!!!!...........................nope not this time, for some reason its taking Netflix a long time to deliver my next film. So do not fret, my pets, it will be coming soon.

Also in lack of a movie review I wanted to do a top 4 list

Top 4 Scenes from a Movie that Always Makes Me Laugh 'Til the Tears Start Rollin!
I laugh out loud to a lot of parts, but every time I see these specific scenes I'm in tears

4) Tommy Boy - "we-o we-o we-o Here comes the meat wagon"

The simplicity of Chris Farley (being heavy) trying to sell tires and using little car models as examples is hilarious. You got the guy on the other side of the table looking at him like he's a whack-ado, as is David Spade. "I gotta go to the bathroom, daddy! NOT NOW DAMNIT, Truck tire....OH MY GOD I CAN'T STOP!" The words, the impressions, the lighter, pee in my pants.

3) Old School - "And finally, why is the other end of this string tied securely to your penis?

I remember when this movie came out I was a little late in seeing it, and when I did I was with about 3 buddies, and there was probably 15-20 people in the movie theater. The scene in question, when the guys are standing at the top of a balcony, holding a cinder blocks in their hands, with a rope attached to it, which is tied securely to their penis's. That's a perfect set up for something bad to happen, we got the phrase YOU'RE MY BOY BLUE. But when that big fat motherfucker's cinder block fell through that manhole, and went screaming to his doom, I absolutely lost it. I was laughing so hard (and still do when I see it) that I still don't know what happens about 2-3 mins after that scene.

2) The Hangover - "OOO IN THE FACE!"

It might be because this movie is still a bit novel but it gave us a lot of great stuff, mainly everything that happens to Zack Galifi...well u know. (There are other bits that are funny as well) When the guys get lined up to get tazed by a bunch of kids, hilarity better ensue. We have a mean stare down from the "big fella" that shows there is no fear, he points and tzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Galifinakis's face makes me tear up every time, followed by IN THE FACE, and all the kids screaming. "Sometimes with the big boys you gotta get em twice." I hope if I get tazed in the face it's that funny, but then again I don't look like "fat jesus"

1) Bruce Almighty - "And my tiny little nipples went to France"

Something about the scene when Jim Carrey makes Steve Carrell say and do all those ridiculous thing always, ALWAYS makes me laugh till I cry, cringe, pee, fart, and gasp for air all at the same time. Something about the synchronization of what Jim is doing and the way Steve Carrell is imiatting it. The noises, the physical reactions, the facial expressions everything! I'll dare anyone not to laugh at that. If you don't you have no funny bone

LOL! this isn't the whole scene but "my tiny little nipples went to France"

If anyone wants to add a few, or make their own list I encourage it.


Netflix Instant Watch of the week: OldBoy. This movie is in Korean with english subtitles. If I had to make a list of my favorite movies this would have to be #2. It's about a Korean man who is taken hostage but an unknown entity, then gets away, then seeks revenge. This movie has one of the greatest tracking scenes in a movie. Not for the faint of heart because your jaw will drop at the end. Here's the link to the trailer on YouTube.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLn1y9v6yno


Netflix DVD of the week: Annie Hall. Voted #4 funniest movie of all time on AFI's top 100 lists. It's really a comedy with a love story thrown in. Guys will love the comedy (if your into dry comedy and jokes about jews, cause Woody Allen is in fact a jew) and girls will love the story, and if your a fan of NY city, that's where its set. Here is the trailer on YouTube.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBzHphcc2Jw

Remember if you happen to watch any of these movies tell us what you think!

A Little Movie News:

The Colonial Theatre

For those of you reading from the Phoenixville area I highly advise you to check out TheColonialTheatre.com. This has been one of my safe havens for the past few months as they are showing some of the best documentaries, and foreign and indie films you won't see at the regular cinema. AND IT'S ONLY 8 DOLLARS AND THEY GOT AIR CONDITIONING!!!!!! This week they are showing "Exit through the Gift Shop" which is getting rave reviews. It's about a filmmaker who finds world renown graffiti artists especially one called Banksy, who, no one has ever seen his face. Here's some info on it compliments of IMDB http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1587707/plotsummary

Beauty and Beast in 3d?

I have been advocating for 3d, but only if it's done right. Avatar, How to Train Your Dragon=good 3d, Toy Story 3=unneeded, Clash of the Titans=terrible. Footage of a converted Beauty and the Beast is actually gettin some ok reviews. It's also being planned for an opening on Valentines day 2011, my favorite holiday of all time (sarcasm, yea). Also in talks is maybe a Lion King 3d, can little kids handle Mufasa dying again, in 3d...can I handle that? The rest of the article at http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/07/27/teaser-trailer-beauty-and-the-beast-in-3d/

Nathen Fillion talking aboout Epic Hero's

I loved Firefly, and I loved Serenity mainly because of Nathen Fillion. Someone who's charm and charisma and badassness shines off the tv/silver screen. He's more or less a genre type hero but I love the guy. Here he is talking about what makes an epic hero at IO9.com
http://io9.com/5595975/nathan-fillion-explains-the-secret-of-creating-an-epic-hero

Remember if anyone has any comments or thoughts or ideas, or anything please feel free to comment below, you don't have to a be a member. Also if your having troubles with viewing the blog due to color contrasts let me know so I can fix it.

Thanks for the support

The long Road ahead....

alright looks like I didn't cop out after one post...cause here's numer 2
(If people do view, I urge you to make one little comment so I know who is and isn't viewing...I'm not sure if this place tells me how many views I get per post)

Random thought: I was talking with my dad a little bit ago and something came to me...that man didn't have the internet when he was my age. They had no idea the information that we now take for granted. The only time they knew a movie was coming out was MAYBE a commercial but you had to get to the theaters before hand to catch the trailers. Some people purposely get to the movies 20 mins late to MISS the trailers...ABSURD!!!! Now I'm by no means a punctual person but if I don't get to see the trailers (most of which I've already seen) I get a bit upset. They are still masterful works of art. Some times the trailers supersede the actual movie itself or you can just watch the trailer to see the best parts of some movies. Also now we know a movies coming out before there is a director, a cast, or maybe even a story, news breaks that fast. Especially in the wake of this Sequelitis we've all been put through (granted I'm a fan of most), I do appreciate a good original idea (INCEPTION!!!) But we know there will be a 2nd or third movie before the 1st one comes out...OUTRAGEOUS!! Imagine the type of genuine surprise the older generation had with film...the go to a movie and BOOM one of their favorite actors or actresses shows up on the screen and they had no idea...genuine astonishment. Before IMDB, people would have to sit through the credits to learn where a movie was filmed, or who the composer was, or even who dead guy #2 was...my random point....um? don't take things for granted????

now for my review

The Road

So before I saw this movie some people had already seen it, all I got was negative feed back, it's boring, it's depressing, It's stupid, the little kid is annoying. Well I disagree with all but one of those adjectives...depressing. There is nothing at all boring or stupid about this movie. The movie is simple...It's about a man and his son who survived some apocalyptic event, which we don't know about. (The movie is based on a book by Cormac McCarthy, who also wrote No Country for Old Men which was also turned into a feature film) The movie is a survival story. This man with his son who he loves and will do anything for are trying to survive together. It's simplicity is its beauty, it has very little dialogue, very few characters, and a very simple idea...survival. As one critic described this movie "its sort of like the Jaws theme song, its made up a of a few notes, but man those are some serious notes." This is no ordinary Apocalyptic movie in that it is, what I feel, a "real" apocalyptic movie. There's no gangs fighting for gasoline (Mad Max) there's no zombies with one super women (Resident Evil) its not about a dude with a book in a baron, burnt land (Book of Eli), etc. It's how I would think the apocalypse would be like. The movie has some really dark, deep, despairing, unsettling feelings with very little sense of hope. Which I'm guessing the apocalypse would feel like. There is some serious, gruesome scenes, with cannibalism, mutilation, and near self inflicted death scenarios, how any of that was boring is beyond me. There were so many moments of suspense that I almost wanted to look away because I didn't think they'd ever get out (which gets pretty serious because "this isn't a time for luxuries")...boring...the complete opposite. There was some great camera work that also worked in the suspense, and some AMAZINGLY beautiful shots regardless of the fact that the scenes were very bleak and gray. Breathtaking panoramic shots of the settings which was mainly filmed in Pittsburgh and CGI (which now I never want to visit). Viggo Mortensen could be in one of those "Not Another Disaster TeenMovies" with an over exaggerated Swedish accent and I'd buy it. He makes you feel the despair in this world, I felt the sympathy and he made me care about him and even his "annoying" son, he (Viggo) was phenomenal. The kid wasn't really annoying but he was in the fact that he's a 9-12 year old helpless boy who doesn't know any better...how else is he supposed to act. Also great directorial work from John Hillcoat who doesn't have a very impressive resume.

In the end boring, stupid, little kid annoying No, very depressing YES, but does have a little glimmer of hope
3 1/2 - 5

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Netflix Instant watch of the week: Don't forget Brick, if you've seen it let us know what you though or have any questions.

Netflix DVD of the week: Can't beat Pulp Fiction, if you see it let us know

A Little Movie News:

Batman 3 Villian

With Inception a huge hit right now, a little more Christopher Nolan news. Yes there will be a Batman 3, No there will be no Joker (unfortunate) but some very reliable sources that the main villain will be the Riddler, and those same sources are saying that Joseph Gordon Levitt will take that helm. I'm pretty excited not only for a 3rd Batman because the other 2 were amazing, but because of the work JGL did with Nolan in Inception. I've seen him in some other works and I can only imagine what he's gonna do with this. Read the whole article at Slashfilm.com http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/07/20/riddler-looking-like-prime-villain-in-batman-3-nolans-cinematographer-talks-imax/

Scorsese's new film
Scorsese is set and has started filming a new movie titled The Invention of Hugo Cabret...synopsis is as follows "Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery." Its an adapted film from a kids book...hmmm. The same guy who did The Departed, Shutter Island and need I even say, Goodfellas (among other greats). Well I'm curious to see what this movie will look like, because Scorsese's producer from The Departed is following into this film as well. Violence, Sex, Drugs, Guns, Undercover, and Jack Nicholson being inappropriate...nope not in this movie as its geared to kids. It's also been said that this film will be in 3-d (again, sorry dad) but I haven't read if it will be filmed in 3-d or post-produced 3-d (which is no good). In the movie will be Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat, Bruno), Ben Kingsley(Ghandi and his hit Species), Asa Butterfield (Son of Rambow, The Wolfman), Chloe Moretz (Kickass) and Jude Law (Road To Perdition, Sky Capetian and the World of Tomorrow)

Read more: Scorsese Begins Filming ‘Hugo Cabret,’ Adds Jude Law, Ray Winstone and More | /Film http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/06/29/scorsese-begins-filming-hugo-cabret-adds-jude-law-ray-winstone-and-more/#ixzz0uMUFBGuI

The start of something...

So finally I got this thing up and running. (The name is tentative...any suggestions?) So this is my internet space where I can do what I love...talk about, think about, read about, research about, dream about film.

Who am I...? No one in particular, I'm no film student, I'm no aficionado, I didn't go to Juillard, I don't write movie reviews for the New York Times and I don't have my own TV show. I'm just a lover of all things film. I love watching movies, reading about movies, discussing (some times at great lengths) ideas about movies, learning more then what is just on screen, quoting movies and experiencing them at home or in the theater. I'm just a normal guy who loves movies and I'm guessin that's what most people are.

Why read this? Well read it because I'm a normal person who isn't gonna force my ideas on you but try to open your eyes up a bit to what the world of film has to offer. Trust me there is more to see then Piranha 3d and Twilight (sorry lovers of Twilight). I want to be a little more then a "regular" movie goer. I try to dip my cinephile mind into any type of movie I can get a hold of (minus most romantic comedies, horror and Twilight). I enjoy mainstream Hollywood, I like small stream indie, I like foreign, documentary, artistic, sci-fi, genre, drama, comedy...I don't like horror because unlike some I like being able to have a comfortable nights sleep.

What I want to do? I want to review movies some you have seen, some you haven't seen but heard of, and some you've never even knew existed. This may or may not help you to watch something different and open your eyes up to a great experience you probably wouldn't have had. If you have Netflix, it will benefit you a little more then someone who didn't. I want to recommend an instant watch and a dvd movie of the week (or few days)...again trying to expand your movie consciousness. Also share a little bit of news to maybe get you excited about cinema you've heard of or haven't. Also I have a lot to say about movies so maybe I'll throw out a comment or two.

What you have to do? Nothing, this will still exist regardless if there is one or one hundred people reading (I find this also therapeutic and satiates my narcissistic ways) If you'd like you can take 10 mins outa your day, look at what I've got to post or say, and disagree, agree, fight with, or discuss with me.

When will this be updated? I wish I could do it every day, but I'm guessing every few days or after I've watched a movie, which sometimes could be the next day or a week. (hopefully it's shorter then a week)

So with no further ado...my first blog review

Why not review the one original, movie saving movie of 2010

INCEPTION

Now if you haven't seen this movie yet, you really should. What makes this movie great is that its one of very few original idea movies that have been out for awhile with this much exposure. Christopher Nolan (director: the newest Batman franchise Memento) has written and directed this movie. No based on a true story, based on an existing property this all spawned in his ingenious mind. The movie tells the story of Dom who is the best at going into peoples dreams and stealing their secrets. He has a team that he uses to infiltrate the subconscious and ends up taking on a job where instead of stealing ideas he must perform an INCEPTION!!!! He must plant an idea into the son of a lucrative business man. OR ELSE! Dom has some heavy subconscious luggage which causes a few problems.

Movies are at their best when you sit down and you instantly have a feeling of belonging in the universe of the film. Some people are complaining there is too much exposition, but I felt like what exposition was done well. We are introduced into a new world with some new rules we don't know and need to know to further on the movie. I felt like these rules were explained in a "the audience isn't dumb" approach, where sometimes you can get that "The audience IS that dumb" approach. Once you get a grasp of the rules, which you probably won't 100%, the movie takes off and is filled with suspense for about 45-50 mins. At one point I had to remind myself to breath. Hans Zimmer (composer:The Dark Knight, The Last Samurai, Rain Man) builds this tension and suspense with his ear raping collection of sounds. The movie though is set in the "architecture of your mind" has a grand feel (which is why I recommend IMAX). A grandiose mission, setting and turns of events. This movie plays out like a con movie where you have your mission and your people with special talents, and the only person you really get to know anything about is Leo's which is fair enough for me. JGL def kicked some ass though. The idea of this film is also captivating, these ideas feel real..."Think about it, do you ever really remember the beginning or end of your dreams?" It's true for me. The acting was spot on, I had a problem with "juno's" character becase she was introduced in a haste and seemed to be the "guardian angel" of leo even though he barely knew her...oh well still stellar.

All in all a great movie experience and I really hope this movie takes off

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NETFLIX INSTANT WATCH OF THE WEEK: Brick, an amazing take on the noir/detective film set in modern day highschool, very dark and though provoking

Here is the IMDB page http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0393109/



NETFLIX DVD OF THE WEEK: Pulp Fiction...the start of my love for film


A Little Movie News:

THE RETURN OF AVATAR
Some of you saw this movie and loved it (most of you), some of you saw it and thought it was the most overrated pretentious crap you've ever seen (few of you), some didn't see it and wanted to, some didn't see it and didn't want to because you thought it would be dumb. WHATEVER THAT MAY BE...its being re-released in IMAX 3-D and Real 3-D screens. To some people like my father who only have one good eye this is no good for you because there will be no 2-D showing (so you gotta see the movie the way it was intended to be seen). Also there will be 8 mins of additional never before seen footage. The magical date AUGUST 27TH!!!!!! As some of you who know me...OH YEA...I'M EXCITED!!!! This is a movie made by the man who made Titanic (also Terminator1-2, Aliens and True Lies) and then thought about this movie for about 12-14 years before making it. This movie is really a pioneer and will be one of the movies your kids will ask you about (considering they're as nerdy and excited about film as I am)...here is the full article thanks to Slashfilm.com http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/07/19/avatar-re-release-tv-spot-features-new-footage/