tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73931387157521651902024-03-06T00:14:01.446-08:00Films From the Supermassive Black HoleThe Only Film Blog (That's Affiliated With An Incredibly Awesome English Rock Band) In the World!Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.comBlogger612125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-38496328710162687792012-06-30T00:00:00.000-07:002012-06-30T00:00:05.119-07:00Moving On<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As a friend of mine has taken to saying, "PACK YOUR PLAYSTATION AND GET OUT!"<br />
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Yes, the time has come. Films From the Supermassive Black Hole has enjoyed a good run in its current home. Truth be told, I'm absolutely thrilled with the time I spent here. The site went from this unknown entity with barely any content to a fairly thriving institution with a decent reader base.<br />
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I also made some great friends along the way.<br />
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But now, it's time a for a change of scenery. I'm been wrestling with this notion for a health portion of this, the year of our lord 2012. A guy at Sundance who I got to talking with recommended that I make the jump, as it gives me more credibility.<br />
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Alright. That's a brand of juju I can jive with. I've been working at this for a couple of weeks now, and, with some help from a few buds, I think it turned out all right.<br />
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Make sure you update your blogrolls, links, and what have you. Thanks all for making this experiment worthwhile. And don't worry, there's more to come.<br />
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As a compatriot of mine once so eloquently put, <a href="http://www.fromthesupermassive.com/">OUT WITH THE OLD</a>...Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-60255159984788790832012-06-25T05:00:00.000-07:002012-06-26T09:45:30.325-07:00COUNTDOWN<br />
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<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" height="240" id="cdtw" style="outline: none;" width="350"><param name="movie" value="http://cdn.countingdownto.com/c/w.swf" />
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<embed name="cdtw" src="http://cdn.countingdownto.com/c/w.swf" flashvars="eid=92830" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="350" height="240" allowscriptaccess="always" bgcolor="#000000" style="outline:none"></embed></object><br /> <a href="http://countingdownto.com/" style="color: #444444; font: bold 8px Arial; padding-left: 19px;">WEBSITE COUNTDOWN WIDGET</a></div>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-21637077480485676072012-06-20T05:00:00.000-07:002012-06-20T05:00:11.642-07:00Big Things On The HorizonThe Black Hole will be closed for the next few days.<br />
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Some of you are privy to this information already, but for the rest of you...<br />
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There's something I need to work on in the meantime.<br />
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Here's some Muse to hold you over!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="242" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9wV9_je85DE" width="430"></iframe>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-4799481157463633062012-06-19T05:00:00.000-07:002012-06-19T16:10:43.319-07:00Trailer Trash: Resident Evil: RetributionIt's time root through some trailers. What sorts of wonderful things will be alluded to today?<br />
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Awww...<br />
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GOD DAMN IT!!! WHY??? Five of these? Really?<br />
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<embed src="http://www.traileraddict.com/emd/58271" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="450" height="247"></embed></object>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-54657375978394328792012-06-17T05:00:00.000-07:002012-06-17T05:00:07.040-07:00Your Sunday Funny #28<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="323" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HPVhmZodaLA" width="430"></iframe>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-50398874595108165202012-06-14T05:00:00.000-07:002012-06-14T05:00:00.090-07:00Screaming, and Loving It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaITOnhQ5KGbn9bAEtVTjoclUkTNq8N2sGraKjLXdL28yphQp1GIMztMZr4717sWt_FeNgFBK8fvHax7VYC02XNenmSZ3R6F9Z9o6pyON5v5_HzKFpjeZN1BLKo5pB8y7gx9w6LZoiYJF/s1600/Prometheusposterfixed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaITOnhQ5KGbn9bAEtVTjoclUkTNq8N2sGraKjLXdL28yphQp1GIMztMZr4717sWt_FeNgFBK8fvHax7VYC02XNenmSZ3R6F9Z9o6pyON5v5_HzKFpjeZN1BLKo5pB8y7gx9w6LZoiYJF/s200/Prometheusposterfixed.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
Ridley Scott, for some strange reason, has gotten into the habit of switching gears completely during the production of his films. Recall that <i>Robin Hood </i>was initially supposed to be told from the perspective of the Sheriff of Nottingham, rather the the green bedazzled outlaw. That final product didn't turn out to be all that, so you'd be forgiven for being worried about <i>Prometheus. Prometheus </i>started life as a basic prequel to Scott's legendary sci-fi/horror masterpiece <i>Alien. </i>Somewhere along the way though, Scott's ambition got bigger. Rather than simply tell where the xenomorphs come from and how that ship ended up on LV-426, Scott is going for something much bigger, and more cerebral. In a film that is equal parts philosophical character study, horror movie, and effects vehicle, <i>Prometheus </i>asks tough questions. Questions about life, human nature, God, etc. And while it runs into some bumps, the ambition and scope of the project cannot be overlooked, and <i>Prometheus</i> delivers the goods and turns in a thought provoking, engrossing, and chilling sci-fi epic.<br />
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After discovering that civilizations separated by thousands of years shared the same pictogram, Doctor's Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway surmise that it is some sort of invitation by beings from another world. What sort of beings? Why, the ones who created us, after all. Shaw and Holloway take their discovery the powerful Weyland Corporation, which funds an expedition aboard the vessel "Prometheus" to the world that the pictogram leads to. Aboard the ship, amongst the rabble of crew members and scientists, is an android, David, who is wrestling with his own budding humanity. Also along for the ride is Meredith Vickers, a Weyland employee who seems to know more than she is telling. Once they reach their destination, Shaw discovers that she was right, that the pictogram pointed to a world inhabited by alien beings responsible for humanity's creation. She also realizes that she should have never attempted the expedition, and soon, the entire crew is battling a destructive threat that, if uncaged, could mean the end of the human race.<br />
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Ok, yes. It is a prequel to <i>Alien</i>... sort of. There are elements of that film here. It clearly takes place in the same universe, as if the inclusion of the Weyland Corporation, androids, and a fifteen second final scene weren't enough to tip you off to that. But <i>Prometheus </i>is not interested in simply setting the trial of Ellen Ripley. No, it has something far more intense on the mind. <i>Prometheus </i>is all about questions. Right from the beginning it's clear that the movie is trying to answer the most loaded question of all; Where do we come from? Did God create us, or some other beings, and if so, who created them? So many ideas are thrown at the screen, that it's inevitable that some of them wouldn't be answered, and indeed, you leave the theater with many more questions than answers.<br />
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But that's ok. First off, there's plenty of room for a sequel here. And secondly, the film isn't about giving you the easy way out. It wants to provoke conversation, about the meaning of the events and the implications of them. The last big science fiction movie to attempt this was <i>Inception</i>, and <i>Prometheus </i>succeeds far more admirably than that did.<br />
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Unfortunately, all this philosophical debating does get in the way of the actual movie. While the narrative is tight and holds onto a steady forward momentum, a lot, and I mean most, of the characters are left in the dust. Oh sure, Shaw and David, the real stars of this thing, are developed beautifully, but everyone else is barely touched on at all. They just fulfill you basic character conventions of the genre, conventions that Scott help call into existence with <i>Alien. </i>You have your trigger happy head of security. You have you skeptical, sardonic scientist. You have the nice guy who wants to be friends. You have your steely corporate executive who is none to keen on taking anyone's bullshit. None of these archetypes ever really transcend their predisposition traits, so you know how each one will play out.<br />
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Luckily, the two main players are anything but archetypical. As Elizabeth Shaw, Noomi Rapace displays grace, intensity, curiosity, and sheer balls of steel. Shaw is something of a paradox, a scientist who believes in God. She's on the search for beings who created life, which is something she herself cannot. Her arc is beautiful, as she goes from an eager adventurer, excited to discover our origins, to a frantic survivor when she discovers it was nothing like she thought. Rapace is excellent, proving to everyone that she is more than just a little girl with a dragon tattoo.<br />
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Her equal in terms of narrative focus is the android David. Through him, the film presents interesting parables. Shaw is looking for her creators while David is attempting to be more like his. Michael Fassbender continues his streak of incredible performances, presenting a chillingly robotic specimen that is also imbued with traces of humanity. At times funny, at others scary, his David is one who calls into question many of the characters motivations. At one point, he asks Holloway why humans created him. "Because we could" remarks Holloway. "Imagine your disappointment if you got the same answer" quips David. It's a remarkable performance, and Fassbender disappears into it completely.<br />
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Everyone else performs well, though, as previously stated, they aren't given as much to play with. As Vickers, Charlize Theron is all gruffness and chilling intensity. It's another quasi-villanous role, which Theron can do like no one can, even though it's not as meaty or interesting as Ravenna from this summer's <i>Snow White and the Huntsman. </i>Idris Elba turns in another scene stealing supporting performance as the captain of the "Prometheus" and Guy Pearce shows up briefly in a memorable cameo as the aged Peter Weyland.<br />
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It really is a pleasure to see Ridley Scott return to sci-fi. After years of historical epics, crime dramas and war films, I was worried that he would have lost his touch. He hasn't, not by a long shot. Though <i>Prometheus </i>boasts a significantly higher budget and top of the line special effects, it is the still the same, visually precise, claustrophobic style that Scott perfected with <i>Alien. </i>He displays a keen mastery of shot composition, artfully creating an humbling sense of scale. Prometheus is a big ship, but is dwarfed by the majestic storm clouds of the planet and the never-ending nethers of space. Often times, Scott will the pull waaaaaaay back, so the the ship is nothing more than a dot against a back drop of chaotic weather and landscapes.<br />
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His use of symmetry is also amazing. Many times, the object of focus is placed directly in the center of the shot, heightening the sense of space and the claustrophobia, which really helps with the tension.<br />
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Oh yeah, make no mistake. Scott still knows how to scare your pants off. The "No one can hear you scream" tagline certainly applies here. Though it's not as relentless as <i>Alien</i>, and boasts more scenes of "big action", <i>Prometheus </i>is still an unbearably frightening and grotesque thriller. Ok, sure. A good amount of that terror is instigated by characters behaving stupid, but, for the most part, this is intelligent horror, more keen on making you uncomfortable rather than grossing you out. A bevy of well conceived jump scares, plenty of scenes of die hard suspense, and a sequence of body horror so intense, it gives the chestburster a run for its money; it all adds up to a quality horror movie.<br />
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It's not perfect, but <i>Prometheus </i>presents a return to an older style of sci-fi, one that didn't eschew intelligence in favor of spectacle. Though it has it's foot firmly in the realm of blockbuster, it is still of the smarter ones to come along in a long while. Boasting incredible visuals, a duo of superb performances, and a complex, but ultimately rewarding screenplay, <i>Prometheus </i>is just what I was hoping it would be. If the story continues on from here, I can't wait to see where it goes. The fact that xenomorphs might be included no longer matters. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="242" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tMd1QOJkyRg" width="430"></iframe>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-13197133698011725652012-06-10T05:00:00.000-07:002012-06-10T05:00:00.921-07:00Your Sunday Funny #27<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="242" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/erzL1dZtg3Q" width="430"></iframe>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-66484540960932748832012-06-09T05:00:00.000-07:002012-06-09T05:00:08.514-07:00Soundtrack on a Saturday: Main Theme (From Game of Thrones)It's not from a movie. That's not a problem... is it?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="242" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HdG8FJbJq28" width="430"></iframe>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-36935383190465821292012-06-08T05:00:00.000-07:002012-06-08T05:00:10.917-07:00Trailer Trash: Django UnchainedIt's time to root through some trailers. What sorts of wonderful things will be alluded to today?<br />
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YES!!!<br />
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EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS IS WONDERFUL!!!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="242" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eUdM9vrCbow" width="430"></iframe>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-61828320657094981632012-06-06T05:00:00.000-07:002012-06-06T05:00:01.966-07:00What A Wicked Game To Play: Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sweet lion of Lannister!!! Has it been a year all ready? It seems like only yesterday since Ned Stark lost his head, Daenerys hatched her dragons, and Tyrion stole our hearts. My how the time flies. And now a second round with the denizens of the Seven Kingdoms has come to an end. We saw horrors beyond our comprehension. We saw warfare of untold magnitude and destruction. We saw savagery that would make the hardest person squirm. And there was some nudity as well. Wouldn't be <i>Game of Thrones </i>if there wasn't. <div>
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This season was one of many triumphs and a parse few set backs that nevertheless lived up the standard of quality that the brilliant first season laid out. In many cases, it ever surpassed it. </div>
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Picking up where season 1 ended, season 2 recounts the second book in George R. R. Martin's series, <i>A Clash of Kings</i>. Following the death of Ned Stark and the capture of Jamie Lannister, Westeros has been plunged into a bitter and unrelenting war. From the North, Robb Stark, now King in the North, rides against Lannister forces, seeking revenge for the death of his father and hoping to win dominion over all his lands. </div>
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In the South, King Joffrey sits the Iron Throne, ruling over King's Landing with a iron fist. He is still betrothed to Sansa Stark, who is more hostage than guest. At the request of his father, Tyrion Lannister arrives in the capitol to serve as Hand of the King. As he contends with his nephew's cruelty and ineptitude, as well as the machinations of his sister, Cersei, and the rest of the small council, the Imp readies the city for the eventual siege. </div>
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At Dragonstone and at Storm's End, Stannis and Renly Baratheon, brother's to the late King Robert Baratheon, have called their banners and are marching against King's Landing, and each other. Each declares himself the rightful king, and will not bow to the other's will. Renly takes up with the influential Tyrell family, gaining a bevy of support. Stannis, meanwhile, enlists the help of a red priestess from Asshai, one who worships the "Red God". Stannis is enthralled by her promises of victory, but her foreign religion and ghastly powers are cause of great concern to his right hand man, Ser Davos Seaworth. </div>
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Beyond the wall, Jon Snow is marching with The Night's Watch against the wildling horde that is gathering. As he gets deeper and deeper into unforgiving and harsh lands, he is faced with true tests of character and duty. </div>
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Arya Stark, having escaped King's Landing, is now headed North to the Wall. The war finds her first, and she is sent on a journey that brings her very close to the enemy. </div>
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Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen is the mother of the first three dragons in many centuries. As she continues to pursue her desires of returning home and reclaiming the Iron Throne, she is beset on all sides by those who would seek to use her and her dragons to the their own advantage. </div>
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In Winterfell, Bran Stark is busy trying to be Lord, and finds that he shares a deeper connection with his direwolf, Summer, than anyone thought possible. </div>
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Theon Greyjoy finally returns home to the Iron Islands, only to receive a less than loving welcome from his remaining family. Though he is dedicated to Robb's cause, Theon craves the love and admiration of his father and sister, leading him to make a terrible decision that leaves much of the North reeling. </div>
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And winter is coming. And the White Walkers are still out there, waiting, beyond the wall, for the moment to strike. </div>
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This was a packed season, to be sure. Whereas in season 1, everyone was in one of three/four places, here, all the characters are spread all over the land. This, unfortunately, led to some episodes that were too busy. A few times, we were treated to short scene focusing on a major character, and then we wouldn't see them again for the rest of the hour. This was particularly noticeable with Daenerys, who, after her beautiful arc in season 1, was kind of given the short end of the stick. </div>
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Be that as it may, the show was always focused on what matter most at any given time. Tyrion was the real star this season. I mean, he totally stole the show last season, but this time he is front and center. His story is fascinating, as he evolves from the witty, intelligent, badass we knew into a cunning and devoted tactician, both on the field of battle and in the halls of King's Landing. </div>
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And even though Tyrion was the the clear focus this season, everyone is given their just deserves. When the season finale ends, you will feel horrified, elated, depressed, or whatever, at where each of the characters has ended up. Though some are prioritized, everyone is developed. </div>
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And now, the rankings!!!!</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">1. Blackwater</span></b></div>
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A bloody masterpiece, this was! Bundled into what is, quite possibly, the best hour of television I've ever seen, we had the usual excellent dialogue and character moments that the series is known for, in addition to the most carefully conceived, sprawling, epic, brutal battle ever seen in a TV show. Stannis lays siege to King's Landing, and the course of many of the character's stories are changed in one night! The wildfire scene, and the ensuing carnage, is spectacularly chilling!</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">2. Valar Morghulis</span></b></div>
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This episode had a lot on its shoulders. Not only did it have to close out the season in a memorable fashion, but it had to adequately follow up on the groundwork laid by "Blackwater". It succeeds in both. Following the Lannister victory, Tyrion is recovering from his assassination attempt, only to find that he has been removed from power by his father, Tywin. Robb forsakes his vow to the Frey's and marries Talisa. Daenerys finally gets her dragons back and gets revenge on the denizens of Qarth who murdered her khalasar and almost killed her. Jon is forced to kill Qhorin Halfhand to fool Ygritte and the rest of the wildlings into believing that he is with them. Brienne and Jamie run into some trouble on the road, and Theon is betrayed by his men. Winterfell is destroyed, but Bran, Rickon, and Osha survive and begin the long journey north to the wall. This was a packed episode, but one the wonderfully tied up all the loose ends of the season. I was already to go for season 3 with the final scene with Dany, but after that last scene with Sam and the Night's Watch, that shows the White Walkers beginning their assault... FUCK!!! I CAN HARDLY CONTAIN MYSELF!!!!</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">3. The Old Gods and the New</span></b></div>
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The first real triumph of the season, <i>The Old Gods and the New </i>is powerfully wicked. As Myrcella is sent to Dorne for her safety, the public's dissatisfaction with Joffrey's rule comes to the boiling point, inciting a huge riot that almost results in Sansa getting raped and killed. Theon, having joined with his father and renouncing Robb, attacks and seizes Winterfell. Nevertheless, Bran and Rickon, with a little help from Osha escape. Jon Snow meets Ygritte, a wildling woman with fire red hair, who takes great pleasure in messing with him. Arya continues to serve Tywin, who continues to take interest in her. And Daenerys, having settled in Qarth, now turns her sights on Westeros. But someone in Qarth is not keen on her leaving just yet, leading the slaughter of most of her followers and the kidnapping of her dragons. In a season full of stomach churning moments, this was an episode defined by them, from Theon reluctantly and messily decapitating Roderick Cassel, to the mob literally ripping the High Septon to pieces with their bare hands. </div>
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But hey, Tyrion slaps Joffrey again. All is well. </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">4. Garden of Bones</span></b></div>
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<i>Game of Thrones </i>is already a dark show, but it goes to untold depths in this one. Tyrion is getting increasingly perturbed by how Joffrey tortures Sansa. In an attempt to calm the boy, he sends him two whores. Things don't really work out the way he intended there, with Joffrey turning what should have been a nice roll in the hay into a twisted scene of perverse agony. Arya has been captured by Lannisters and is brought to the sprawling castle of Harrenhal, to await interrogation. Littlefinger returns Ned's bones to Catelyn as a gesture of good faith. Stannis and Renly meet, but negotiations quickly collapse. Stannis sends Davos and Melisandre into the heart of Renly's camp, where Davos is made aware of how powerful Melisandre truly is! Apart from the scene with Joffrey and whores, which just might be the most fucked up scene of the whole series, this episode was a real turning point. It was the first time we saw real sorcery at work. It's easy to forget, amongst all the political backstabbing and tomfoolery, that is really a fantasy series, and if anything is going to remind us of that, it's seeing Melisandre give birth to a slimy shadow baby! Twisted stuff!</div>
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Cersei finally talks openly with Tyrion about her relationship with Jamie, and revealing that she believes Joffrey's sadism is a punishment from the gods. Jamie makes an escape attempt, only to be brought back, having incited the wrath of the Stark bannermen. Sansa finally bleeds, causing her to enter into hysterics because she can now have Joffrey's children. Jon has his hands full with Ygritte, who really knows how to push his buttons. Dany sees Xaro what he really is, and flees into the bowels of Qarth as Xaro and Pyat stage a coup and take over the city. Theon hunts for Bran and Rickon. And Arya continues to be of great interest to Tywin, who is on to the fact she is not who she says she is. Though there were no crazy moments, the scenes of 1-on-1 dialogue in this were so good it more than makes up for it. Arya and Tywin are a match made in heaven. We saw something resembling affection between Tyrion and Cersei. We Jon begin to doubt his Night's Watch vows and be swayed by Ygritte. And Jamie proves to be the most practical man in all the land. It was a pleasure to see him shatter every insult sent his way with his blunt logic. Beautifully done!!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><b>6. The North Remembers</b></span></div>
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As a kick-off, "The North Remembers" couldn't have been much better. Tyrion arrives in King's Landing, immediately asserting himself and setting to work. Dany is trapped in the Red Waste with what remains of her Khalasar and her three newborn dragons. Robb has the Lannister's worried. Not only does he have Jamie as a prisoner, but he has yet to lose a battle and doesn't show any signs of stopping. The Night's Watch receive the generous hospitality of Craster, a man who lives beyond the wall with his daughter/wives (ick), with whom Jon Snow is immediately at odds. Stannis makes his claim and begins his war effort. And Joffrey, none to pleased with the rumors circling around about his mother, orders his guards to do something truly despicable. It was everything we had missed, and as the final montage showing the City Watch massacring all of King Robert's bastards played out, we are welcomed back with cold, open arms. </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">7. The Night Lands</span></b></div>
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Things get up to steady head here. Theon returns home to Pyke, intending to persuade his father to join with Robb's cause, though he's in for a surprise when he gets there. Dany is still trapped in the Red Waste, and loses a member of her Blood Riders. Arya meets Jaquen H'ghar, a prisoner going north with the caravan to the wall, and befriends Gendry, the only one of Robert's bastards to make it out of King's Landing. Jon Snow discovers something chilling about Craster. Davos enlists the help of some of his pirate friends for the war effort, and Tyrion continues to gain footing in King's Landing. It was a solid episode, though nothing major really happened in it. </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">8. The Ghost of Harrenhal</span></b></div>
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Catelyn and Brienne witness something foul, causing the death of Renly and forcing them to flee. Renly's bannermen flock to Stannis, while Littlefinger persuades the Tyrells to join the Lannister's. Tyrion discovers a dangerous but effective method of defending King's Landing. Jon Snow heads out into the wastes with Qhorin Halfhand on a mission to assassinate Mance Rayder. Davos confronts Stannis about what he saw, and Jaquen gives Arya a proposition as a reward for saving his life. Dany realizes Jorah's feelings for her, leading he to doubt his trust. There was some craziness in the beginning, to be sure, but after that it calmed down. Again, a fine episode. Just not a stand out. </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">9. What Is Dead May Never Die</span></b></div>
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Jon confronts Mormont about what he saw happen to Craster's baby, but doesn't get the response he expected. Catelyn travels to Renly Baratheon's camp to negotiate with him and is introduce to Brienne of Tarth, a maiden with more interest in wielding a sword than bearing a lord's children. Arya and the recruits are attacked, leading to their capture and the death of Yoren. Theon makes his decision on Pyke, and joins with his father against Robb. Tyrion continues on his war path, engineering a scheme to weed out who on the high council is spying for his sister. And Margaery Tyrell reveals the lengths with which she will go to to help Renly keep up the façade that he is in fact not sleeping with her brother. A lot of good stuff happened in this episode, but the only that REALLY stuck out was Yoren's death. That dude was a badass, and to see him go out so valiantly was a real bummer. </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">10. The Prince of Winterfell</span></b></div>
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As the siege preparations continue, Stannis' fleet inches ever closer. Theon's sister arrives at Winterfell, but not with the reinforcements he asked for. Arya twists the agreement she had with Jaquen in a clever way, clearing a path for her and her friends to escape Lannister controlled Harrenhal. Robb is forced to arrest Catelyn after she releases Jamie, and finds comfort in the arms of Talisa. Tyrion declares his love for Shae and finds uncommon common ground with Varys. As an episode, there was a lot of set up here. Most of it had to do with the upcoming battle, and was thus important, but apart from Arya being a badass and Robb sleeping with Talisa, nothing really happened. </div>
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Let me tell you, the final 5 in that list were hard to sort. It's because there wasn't a single bad episode. There were some that were weaker, sure, but none of them could be considered bad. It's a testament to the absurd level of quality that the series maintains that an episode that is considered weak would still rank as one of the best hours of TV to air that week. </div>
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And when it was on top of its game, <i>Game of Thrones </i>could not be beat. "Blackwater" especially, is a good example. The potential influence that that episode could have cannot be overlooked. Not only is it sure win the series a ton of Emmy's, including another Best Supporting Actor for Peter Dinklage, it presented something that had never really been seen before on TV. Oh sure, we've seen battles on TV, from the likes of <i>Spartacus, </i>to <i>Rome</i>, to <i>Camelot</i>, but never at this scale. In those, the action was always close up, focusing on small pockets of men. In <i>Spartacus'</i> case, the big battles often took place in doors or on the sands of an arena. But with "Blackwater" we saw a full on siege with a scope on par with <i>Lord of the Rings</i>, on a TV budget. It was true marvel, and one that I think will have a legacy down the road. </div>
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The writers continue to be masters at adapting Martin's books, while adding in stuff where it's needed. A lot of the fantastic 1-on-1 conversations that pepper the season are the writers creation, and they do loads to deepening your understanding of the characters. Even if you've read the books, which I have, you'll still be surprised with some of the things here, which I was. </div>
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Oh, what's the point? Really, what I can I say that you don't already know? If you've been watching the show, you know how brilliant it is. If you haven't been watching it... well, what the hell is wrong with you! Torrent that shit ASAP!!!!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">ON A WHOLE NEW LEVEL!!!</span></div>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-37971681367319431412012-06-04T05:00:00.000-07:002012-06-04T05:00:09.397-07:00Black As Raven, Dumb As Bricks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't know what the whole <i>Snow White </i>craze in Hollywood is all about. Between this and <i>Mirror Mirror</i>, we're getting more than our fair share of the "fairest of them all". Maybe the gods of showbiz are aware of some growing trend, but whatever. I have no stomach for speculation. All I know is that if this trend continues, we are in for some dire circumstances. Though it has good ideas, boasts spiffy visuals, and has one hell of a villain, <i>Snow White and the Huntsman </i>is a pretty terrible movie, with an awful screenplay, undeveloped heroes and predictable plotting. It's all dirt and grime and loud noises, and while I think it's a great move taking something as kiddy as <i>Snow White </i>and making it hyper dark, this is not the way to do it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm the God of Thunder. You love vampires. This will never work!</td></tr>
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Years ago, the incredibly vain Ravenna took control of a magical kingdom, taking the princess Snow White hostage. Snow White is said to be the most beautiful woman in all the land, and the only one who can challenge Ravenna, cuz apparently, if you're pretty, you can overthrow a monarchy. Snow White escapes one day and retreats into the twisted dark forest. Since she can't have her one weakness running away on her, the queen dispatches <strike>Thor</strike> a huntsman to find her. And then there's a prince who is looking for her. And there's a rebellion brewing. And there's some dwarves.<br />
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This is a busy movie. There's a lot going on, and yet, nothing really seems to be going on. Wait, that doesn't make a lick of sense. Hold on. Let me rephrase.<br />
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Nothing interesting happens here. There we go. Everything happens exactly when you expect it to. Snow White escapes that the fifteen minute mark. Check. There's an obligatory fight scene where a sympathetic character dies at the end of the second act. Check. The final battle proceeds and your heroes seem to be completely invulnerable. Check. It's nothing we haven't seen before, story wise, which is a real tragedy. We haven't seen a version of <i>Snow White </i>before. Usually, the ivory princess is an innocent girl who doesn't really do much in the way of taking charge. But here, we see a Snow White that is as much warrior as she is little girl. Well, that's what was promised. In reality, Snow White isn't all that interesting of a character. Neither is the Huntsman. Neither are the dwarves. Really, the only character that seems to have meat behind her is the evil queen. A good villain goes a long way, but it can't be the only thing you have working for you.<br />
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And the whole thing just meanders. It's doesn't really ever focus on a direction. Like, why does there have to be a prince in this thing? Oh right, cuz love triangles are such a necessary aspect to films like these now. Ok, fine, but nothing is done to resolve that. Does Snow White love the prince, or does she love the Huntsman? We never know, and the movie doesn't care enough to tell us.<br />
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Also, the dwarves. They serve absolutely no purpose, other than some painful attempts at humor.<br />
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<i>Fucking Hell, Kristen Stewart!!! Make up your mind! </i>Do you want to be remembered as a talented young actress who does great work, or do you want to be remember as Bella Swan? Because that's the road your heading down. Ok, fine! Snow White is a slightly better character. <i>Slightly! </i>Yes, there is some more grit than that vampire loving excuse for an independent woman, but not much! Though she does do some of the ass kicking herself, for the most part, she is just the same helpless waif, completely reliant on everyone else to rescue her. And Stewart doesn't do anything to elevate the material. She does the same thing she does with Bella. And she's just as infuriating.<br />
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Chris Hemsworth is <strike>Thor</strike> the Hunstman. And he is even more one note than Snow White. Yes, there's this thing about him being a widow, but it's handled in the most simple minded way. Of course he's going to fall in love with Snow White, and of course it's going to be because Snow White reminds him of his dearly dead beloved. Oh come on. That's not a spoiler. You knew it was going to happen. Hemsworth does fine, but you can tell he's just doing this to ride the wave of popularity that comes from being a member of The Avengers.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My name is Charlize Theron, and I'm the best thing in this movie!</td></tr>
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<br />And everyone else is pretty much the same. No one is really trying here. Well, except Charlize Theron, who is fantastic as the evil Ravenna. She shows no shame at all in this thing, running about her halls, screaming her head off. It's completely over the top and ridiculous. It's also chilling, ruthless, and compelling. You actually feel some sort of sympathy for Ravenna as she goes about wreaking havoc on civilization, because Theron is just that good. Though she is often shoehorned into roles that exemplify her stunning beauty, she excels at playing mean, sometimes evil women. So it's great that she's in a role where she can fulfill both parameters.<br />
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Fledgling director Rurpert Sanders knows how to stage a sequence. There is some marvelous visual trickery on display here. From the opening battle with the dark army, to the horrors unleashed by the dark forest, to the lush foliage and fairies in Sanctuary. And the action is pretty good too. Sure, the finale is all jumpy camera and a never ending cacophony of steel on steel, but the sequences before hand are pretty good.<br />
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But the thing about the visuals that is so good is how clever they are. The marketing campaign has been focusing on how the minions of the queen look like they are made of black glass, and justifiably so. Those shots of the glass flying everywhere are <i>awesome! </i>But it doesn't stop there. The costumes, especially those of Ravenna, are all exquisite. The sweeping landscapes that are necessary for an epic such as this look spectacular. And the forest, well, let's just say that the things Snow White sees there would send Hunter S. Thompson into fits of existential mayhem.<br />
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But Sanders is lost in everything else. The movie only has a pulse when Theron is on screen, and when she's not, the thing is barely worth watching. Sanders does nothing to imbue the film with any sort of humanity. When a a character dies, it's meant to be heartbreaking. It wasn't. It was actually pretty funny.<br />
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You know, that's how it was with all the heavy hitting "dramatic" moments in this thing. They are meant to be moving and touching, but I was just laughing my ass off! Now, I can't be sure, but I don't think that was the desired effect.<br />
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<i>Snow White and the Huntsman </i>is a squandered opportunity. I highly doubt it is the worst interpretation of this tale to come out this year. There's no way it could be worse than the god-awful looking <i>Mirror Mirror, </i>but as it stands, there are good things in <i>Snow White and the Huntsman, </i>but not enough is done to capitalize or take advantage of those good things. Instead the film gets trapped in the same pit that all others of its ilk do. It's a wasted opportunity, and one that will soon be forgotten. And believe me, you'll be thankful when it is.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="242" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_jqiMSKQ5Ek" width="430"></iframe>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-60082086374656192982012-05-31T05:00:00.000-07:002012-05-31T05:00:00.369-07:00Trailer Trash: Les MiserablesIt's time to root through some trailers. What sorts of wonderful things will be alluded to today?<br />
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IT'S HERE!!!<br />
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Being that I'm kind of a musical theater nut, this particular project has been of great interest to me over the last few months, and this trailer pretty much alleviates whatever doubts I had.<br />
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First off, Anne Hathaway crooning out "I Dreamed a Dream" is damn good. Sure, she doesn't have the world's best voice, but she is doing it with such emotion that I really could care less.<br />
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And the fact that such a musical talent as Hugh Jackman is playing Jean Valjean makes it almost guaranteed that the songs in this will sting as much as they did on the stage.<br />
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It's a great trailer, showing off plenty of the epicness that the story is known for, while also showing plenty of the quieter, human moments, which look great. Tom Hooper no doubt has a lot to do with that.<br />
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Can't wait. Can't wait. Can it be December already?<br />
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<embed src="http://www.traileraddict.com/emd/57558" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="427.5" height="287.5"></embed></object>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-73743543546233563992012-05-28T05:00:00.000-07:002012-05-28T05:00:03.196-07:00Sink It!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNslkbYCdH3lQ4hVznJtkX7sZTaThkOvoXV-KGacvDTMrvJO4FD4KsnnH43RqJRsfrIBe_O_vEriLEBydZwijDbCU9mhrxo94DOTkg8DpKIX-OlNaZOBDTSs8N5c3x3bwuEW1sMnSY7ncI/s1600/Battleship-Movie-Posters-battleship-2012-movie-30752373-460-650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNslkbYCdH3lQ4hVznJtkX7sZTaThkOvoXV-KGacvDTMrvJO4FD4KsnnH43RqJRsfrIBe_O_vEriLEBydZwijDbCU9mhrxo94DOTkg8DpKIX-OlNaZOBDTSs8N5c3x3bwuEW1sMnSY7ncI/s200/Battleship-Movie-Posters-battleship-2012-movie-30752373-460-650.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
God damn you Transformers! Look what you've done! Since the first <i style="font-weight: bold;">BIG </i>movie of the summer has now come and gone, we are now forced to sit through the smaller, though still loud and garish, feats of escapism. Loud and garish are certainly words that come to mind when describing the first of those said movies, <i>Battleship. </i>Other words that come to mind are brainless, pointless, derivative, overly long, and generally awful. Of all the movies to be coming out this summer, this one, above all others, has no reason to exist, nor does it deserve to.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are so fucked!</td></tr>
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Scientists searching through the vast nethers of space discover a Goldilocks planet, one that has an atmosphere similar to Earth. Being that it can support life, these scientist, wisely, beam a signal to this planet, hoping for a response. Well, they get it alright. A welcoming party, or sorts, crashes to Earth and lands in the ocean surrounding the Hawaiian Islands. Unfortunately for anything human in the area, these visitors are looking for a bit more than Reese's Pieces and some acceptance. Their ships soon rise from the ocean and start wreaking havoc.<br />
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Coincidentally, this coincides with RIMPAC, a gathering of the Navy's from various Pacific Rim nations, including the US and Japan. Along for the ride is Alex Hopper, a gifted, but dumb as bricks, lieutenant on a US destroyer. He's only in the Navy because his brother, Stone, forced him to join to get him off the couch. He also just happens to be in love with Samantha, who just happens to be the daughter of the US Fleet Commander, Admiral Shane, who hates Alex. And Alex also just happens to be the guy who is tasked with taking on the the alien menace, so if only he can nut up and become the leader he is meant to be... OH DEAR GOD, WHO THE HELL CARES????!!!!????<br />
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Seriously! Name a single element of this thing that hasn't been done in countless other films! Just one! I'll wait!<br />
...<br />
Can't do it, can you? That's because <i>Battleship </i>is one the most hopeless derivative movies to come out in awhile. Forget how there is next to nothing tying this thing into the product it is supposedly based off of. This movie is trying so hard to ape the likes of <i>Transformers, Battle: Los Angeles, </i>and any of the countless, military loving, explosion filled, jingoism fueled excesses of light, sound, and flame. You get the heroes walking dramatically, and you're not even sure if it's in slow motion. You get the big tracking shots of untold amounts of destruction. And you get a central female character, and all you can hope to wonder about her is what she would look like without a shirt.<br />
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Allow me to rephrase. God damn you Michael Bay!<br />
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And all that would be fine, but the performances here range from bad to even worse than you would expect from a movie like this. As Alex, Taylor Kitsch is merely passable, displaying some sort of comedic timing and decent line delivery. This is in direct contrast to Alexander Skarsgård, who is unfathomably awful as Alex's brother, Stone. Skarsgård is great as Eric on <i>True Blood </i>because he's cool as ice and never really loses his cool. He is the exact opposite here, completely over the top and stupidly dramatic!<br />
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Rihanna makes her screen debut as the Michelle Rodriguez archetype, but as an actress she makes a pretty good singer. Brooklyn Decker is the girlfriend, and she has huge breasts. Seriously, that is the only thing that is memorable about her character. And Liam Neeson is the crotchety old Admiral Shane, because he was Oskar Schindler and Michael Collins and Alfred Kinsey so he can do all the idiotic action movies he wants and you can't say shit about it!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like she could use an umbrella ella ella ella</td></tr>
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This really is a very weird movie for director Peter Berg to be making. Though he does specialize in big action, most of his movies, from <i>Friday Night Lights </i>to <i>The Kingdom</i>, have some sort of a brain. Ok, <i>Hancock </i>was an all out travesty, but at least it tried something interesting. But Berg just cannot salvage this thing. <i>Battleship </i>is far too stupid and far too big for Berg's sensibilities. He has gone on record about trying to portray the Navy in a way that they haven't been on screen before. He is clearly trying here, making an effort to think. I'm sorry, but when your product is trying so shamelessly to ape <i>Transformers</i>, thinking probably isn't what you should be doing. And it's not like Berg can't do pop entertainment well. He made one of the best, dopiest action movies of the last decade with <i>The Rundown. </i><br />
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Really, it's not all his fault. The script by Erich and Jon Hoeber is mired in cliché. You know instantly what is going to happen 20 minutes before it does. And dear god, does it meander. It takes, like, thirty minutes for the aliens to actually show up, another 15 before a single shot is fired, and another hour and thirty before it all wraps up in a hurried climax. Couple that with some atrocious dialogue, some questionable effects, and some of the ugliest alien design I've seen, and there's barely anything to recommend here.<br />
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But then it gets into act three. The first two acts are awful, and a good amount of that has to do with the fact that they take themselves way too seriously. There's no attempt at self-parody or humor; it's all just shouting and meaningful speeches. And then act three rolls around, and the movie switches gears completely. It completely ditches the seriousness and goes for flat out absurd.<br />
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Picture this...<br />
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A group of WWII veterans convert a museum battleship back into its combat ready state. They then help crew it and deliver some serious pain on the extra-terrestrial encroachers. A group of men epically carry a thousand pound explosive round down a hallway, roaring like beasts all the while. And then, I shit you not, a double amputee punches an alien in the face. I wish I was making that up. Will Smith proved that punching an alien in the face is always awesome, so I guess the only way you could make it more awesome is if you threw in some missing limbs.<br />
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The third act is what I wanted from the whole movie. It was crazy, over the top, and didn't take itself seriously at all. But most of all, it was sort of fun. A movie like this needs to be fun above all things, and the final third sort of was. But it's far too little, far too late. <i>Battleship </i>is one deplorable piece of work. It's trying so hard to copy the <i>Transformers </i>formula without first recognizing that which made <i>Transformers </i>special in the first place, that being... wait, hold on. What the hell am I saying?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="241" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qfpM5evTiu4" width="430"></iframe>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-37828625418493484412012-05-27T05:00:00.000-07:002012-05-27T05:00:07.876-07:00Play Resumes...... tomorrow.<br />
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I do apologize. But you try finding time to write posts when you have to review over 300 years of theater history, and then write a 10+ page paper on Nietzsche, Steiner, tragedy, the Greek Chorus, and so on.<br />
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I've also been busy rolling in #goldswagger, butting heads with a few tornadoes, and suffering from a severe withdrawal of irony while driving across the country with my dad. Gotta get my car registered in California. Fun times!<br />
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<br />Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-57128047416954083902012-05-11T05:00:00.000-07:002012-05-11T05:00:14.353-07:00Trailer Trash: Gangster SquadIt's time to root through some trailers. What sorts of wonderful things will be alluded to today?<br />
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One of my most anticipated of the year has finally beached, and is ready to be analyzed.<br />
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And, yeah, it seems a lot of my fears came to fruition.<br />
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First off, it seems director Reuben Fleischer is bringing in that slo-mo thing with the action that he used to decent effect on <i>Zombieland </i>and <i>30 Seconds or Less</i>. Personally, I think said slo-mo will not work at all here. It's completely wrong for the subject matter and tone that this movie is going for. This trailer really sells this thing as a full bore action movie, which is not what I was hoping for.<br />
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Also, the lines of dialogue they choose to highlight here are AWFUL!!! Absolutely terrible.<br />
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"No ma'am. I was just hoping to take you to bed."<br />
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Are you kidding me? The fact that a tomcat like Ryan Gosling is the one uttering that line makes it only marginally better.<br />
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Like, what is being done to differentiate this movie from <i>The Untouchables</i>? It seems like the exact same movie. Granted, I still have hopes. The cast is way too good for a rote clone of that particular slice of gangster paradise. But I am far more wary now.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="248" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yc3Ab52uqM8" width="430"></iframe>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-25748010393308570222012-05-10T05:00:00.000-07:002012-05-10T05:00:00.106-07:00Shameless: 2012 Lammy FYCIt is that time of year. The Lammys have begun!<br />
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I know I haven't been writing as much since last year's awards, and for that, I have no real excuse. Work really piled up for this year, and I had some trouble motivating myself to write things when I did find some free time.<br />
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That being said, I do believe that what I wrote was universally excellent, and award worthy.<br />
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So, with that, I'd like to offer my two cents on some things I think y'all should be aware of.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Best Blog:</span> </b>I have no expectations when it comes to this award. Just to be nominated would be a victory in my eyes.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Best Blog Name: </span></b>Well, this award doesn't exist anymore, but I just like to point it out. It has a nice ring to it, yes?<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Best Reviewer:</span> </b>I'll let the reviews speak for themselves. <a href="http://fromthesupermassive.blogspot.com/2012/05/beautifully-assembled.html">The Avengers</a>, <a href="http://fromthesupermassive.blogspot.com/2011/07/not-with-bang-but-with-sonic-boom.html">Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2</a>, <a href="http://fromthesupermassive.blogspot.com/2012/02/hopped-up.html">Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance</a>, <a href="http://fromthesupermassive.blogspot.com/2011/03/bad-buzz-was-right.html">Sucker Punch</a><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Funniest Writer:</span> </b>I mean, I think I'm funny.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Best Ratings System: </span></b>See that sexy sidebar over there.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Best Festival Coverage:</span> </b>This is the big one. It's the only award in which I have any hope of winning. I'm am extremely proud of the <a href="http://fromthesupermassive.blogspot.com/search/label/sundance">Sundance coverage</a> I provided this year. It was a fantastic experience, I saw a crap ton of eclectic movies, and I really hope I can go back. And like a certain, far more talented LAMB, I had a <a href="http://fromthesupermassive.blogspot.com/2012/02/prooftalking-with-joseph-gordon-levitt.html">surreal moment with a certain actor that I really dig</a>.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Best Blog-A-Thon:</span> </b>It's not really a Blog-A-Thon, but I'm still pretty proud of my <a href="http://fromthesupermassive.blogspot.com/2012/01/2011-retrospect.html">10 day retrospect</a> of all things 2011.<br />
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What I'm saying here is not meant to sway you in any way. More than anything, I want you to vote for the sites you think are most deserving. There are so many blogs out there, that, like I said, even to be nominated is a victory for me. I hope you consider me when you cast your nominations. Cheers all. Happy Lammys.Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-28672016670582366592012-05-08T05:00:00.000-07:002012-05-08T05:00:05.948-07:00Beautifully Assembled<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As you are no doubt aware, I make my judgement of how any particular summer at the movies will be, quality wise, based on how well the first <i style="font-weight: bold;">BIG </i>movie is. Last year, the Marvel train was in full force, kicking things off with <i>Thor</i>, which I loved. And luckily, my prediction was right on the money. Summer 2011 was a great season, but if my prediction now is accurate, then it will in no way touch this summer. Let me just get it out of the way right now. I am expecting great things from <i>Prometheus, </i>cannot wait for <i>Brave, </i>am stoked for <i>Ted </i>and for <i>GI Joe, </i>and, of course, am anticipating the hell out of <i>The Dark Knight Rises. </i>But if any of those films can beat <i>The Avengers </i>for my number 1, then I will be floored. What Marvel studios, along with writer/director Joss Whedon have done is truly marvelous, a triumph of character mixed with spectacle mixed with humor mixed with emotion mixed with action. After five films and tons and tons of teases and build up, the wait is over. The Avengers have assembled, and they defy every expectation there was or could have been.<br />
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Tony Stark/Iron Man is busy inventing new, energy saving technology. Bruce Banner/The Hulk is living an isolated existence in India, continuing to repress the "other guy". Thor is still in Asgard, watching over Earth as its protector. Steve Rodgers/Captain America is attempting to adjust to the culture shock of being woken up after seventy years. Neither of these men give the other a second thought, until Loki returns and prepares to unleash hell on earth. The demigod steals The Tesseract, the cube that Rodgers fought the Red Skull over in WWII, which has been in the hands of S.H.E.I.L.D. ever since. Loki intends to use its power to summon an army of aliens to Earth, with the intention of conquering the planet. To combat this new threat, Nick Fury reactivates The Avengers Initiative, bringing Stark, Banner, Rodgers, and Thor together as a team for the first time. Egos clash, bonds are tested, but soon, these men realize the seriousness of their mission, and unite to stop Loki before he forces all of humanity to its knees.<br />
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The plot here is merely a means to an end. There is so much being shoved into one movie, and so much that could have gone wrong, that a convoluted and complex story would have hindered the film rather than helping it. But fear not. Though it's not the most interesting of set ups, you won't notice, because <i>The Avengers </i>has an absolutely fabulous screenplay, full of fantastic characters and superb dialogue. And though some pretty serious stuff goes down, the film never takes itself too seriously, always inserting a joke or funny line to ensure that things never get too dark. However, and this is the truly marvelous thing about the script, all those jokes and zingers never, not once, detract from the character moments or arcs. Where most comic book movies not directed by Christopher Nolan focus on the action and only put menial effort into the characterization, <i>The Avengers </i>realizes the simple truth that all the explosions and screaming in the world means nothing if you don't care about who is screaming. And you'll care here. You'll absolutely care.<br />
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All the people we've been introduced to over the last few years return, and are all given moments to shine. Robert Downey Jr. is better than ever as Stark, always ready to drop a sarcastic line or spew some condescending rhetoric, but he displays even more humanity in this one. He really has grown as a character since <i>Iron Man</i>, and this version of Stark is the most interesting, still kind of a dick, but one who has fully embraced his responsibilities as a super hero.<br />
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Downey Jr.'s wit and sarcasm is balanced out perfectly by Chris Evans' Rodgers. I thought Evans was better than the material he was given in <i>Captain America, </i>and he is even more impressive here now that the script and characterization are up to the task. You can really tell that the confusion brought on by suddenly waking up in a new decade, with everything and everyone he knew gone, is weighing down on him as he boldly and stubbornly charges forward into the fray. He's just as morally steadfast and firm as we remember, leading to some heated exchanges between him and Stark.<br />
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Chris Hemsworth returns to his over the top, Shakespeare-esque antics as Thor, who, unlike the rest of the team, is in this fight for personal reasons. Hemsworth brings plenty of conflict to the table, as he's not really there to fight Loki, just to take him back to Asgard so he can stand trial. Hemsworth was fantastic in <i>Thor</i>, and he's just as good here, offering plenty of humor and ridiculousness, while simultaneously giving plenty of heart.<br />
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Mark Ruffalo is the new guy, taking over for Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, and he almost steals the show. No one has really gotten The Hulk on screen yet, but Ruffalo nails it, perfectly embodying the fear and suspense that comes with playing a ticking time bomb. He's also the first person who has actually gotten to play The Hulk in all his green glory on screen, thanks to some impressive motion capture.<br />
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Scarlett Johansson returns as Black Widow in a much expanded role. Whedon is clearly having great fun with her, as he has always championed strong female characters. Whereas she was nothing more than eye candy in <i>Iron Man 2</i>, she really is given a lot to do here, and ScarJo performs beautifully. Jeremy Renner is promoted to full on cast member here as Clint Barton/Hawkeye, following his brief but sweet cameo in <i>Thor. </i>His is probably the simplest character. He's not given much to do, and, in fact, spends much of the movie as a mindless henchmen. But when he is given something to chew on, Renner does not disappoint. And Samuel L. Jackson, naturally, returns as Nick Fury, and he's just as badass as you remember.<br />
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Special mention to Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson. That man is a god!<br />
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But the guy you'll all remember at the end of the day is villain. Tom Hiddleston as Loki is flat out amazing. Loki here is very different than Loki in <i>Thor. </i>You can tell from the second he steps on screen, as he flashes one of the creepiest smiles ever, that he has been through some shit and is full bore evil now. And even though he wields untold amounts of power and has control of an army capable of leveling New York, his true villainy shines through when he starts to get into everyone's head, causing them to doubt themselves, and testing the limits of their partnership. Hiddleston is having a grand old time, and instantly rockets into the higher echelon of screen villains.<br />
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Everyone here deserves praise for their work, but the real star is director Joss Whedon. There is not enough credit in the world with which to give him. Everything about <i>The Avengers </i>just works so well by itself and in tandem with everything else. No one working in Hollywood today knows how to handle the idiosyncrasies of a team or making relatable, yet fantastical characters better than Whedon, and he pools every little bit of talent into this. We'll get to action in a minute, but let's focus on the thing that Whedon does best of all, the talking. Whedon knows how to make fast, fluid, dialogue that is fun to listen to, but is always driving the plot forward. To hear Stark and Banner banter as they work in the lab, or Coulson get starstruck by Rodgers, or Loki taunting Black Widow about her inability to save Barton; it's all a pleasure because Whedon's writing is so good. The fact that he is willing to step back and let his characters talk is something sorely lacking in these types of films; as I said, it's so much scarier when the villain can sow chaos using his words instead of his fists. And don't worry. There are still plenty of the trademark, Whedon jokes. Seriously, there are some really hilarious moments in this film.<br />
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I would say that the moments of talking are the most enjoyable part of the movie, but the action is too good. I'm sorry, but this is easily some of the best action I've ever seen on screen. Though the first few set pieces are nothing major (there's the tense opening sequence, and the crazy ass fight between Thor and Iron Man), the two big action scenes are truly marvelous. Well shot, inventive, and always exciting, once the action gets going, it never fails to impress. Until the final battle, the team doesn't really work together all that much, sometimes even fighting each other. But when they finally put aside their differences and become one unit, it's one of the biggest "FUCK YEAH" moments you will ever see. The highlight comes at the halfway point in the finale, which consists of one, super long shot through the war torn streets of New York as every member of the team effortlessly uses their powers in tandem with everybody else's to become an unstoppable juggernaut. Moment after moment after moment had me in a state of slack jawed amazement, so that when the battle is finally over, you are just as exhausted as they are.<br />
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Every member is given a moment to shine in the finale, from Thor using the Chrysler building as a super conductor to conjure up a devastating lighting storm, to Hawkeye pulling off some mind boggling archery moves, to Iron Man and Captain America coming up with an amazing way of combining their powers, but it's The Hulk who steals the show here. I don't want to give anything away. Just be prepared to cheer your ass off.<br />
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You really get the sense that there is a war on, despite the fact that the battle focuses on six people. The camera will slowly sweep across the destroyed streets and wave after wave of enemy come charging at them. It's not like they go in, kill a few guys, beat down the big bad, and then they are done. Oh no. The finale goes on and on as the team struggle to reach their goal, and are continuously beat back. And this brings me to the thing I find most wonderful about <i>The Avengers. </i>It is only 142 minutes long, an average length for an event movie like this. But it feels longer. It feels much longer. And I in no way mean that as a nitpick. In fact, it's a complement. It's so epic, but so well done, that I didn't want to leave the movie. I wanted it to keep going, to see how Whedon would wow us next.<br />
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Marvel, Whedon, and everyone else involved with this project deserve a thunderous applause. What started as a mere easter egg in <i>Iron Man </i>has grown into a full on game change for the world of movies. Every installment in this odyssey stood out in some way, but <i>The Avengers </i>is the true achievement. A film that nails every element of its being, it singlehandedly sets the new standard for comic book movies. Step aside Batman. There's a new champion in town!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">ON A WHOLE NEW LEVEL!!!</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="248" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OCYg4f77Eqo" width="430"></iframe>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-59332651353351092632012-05-07T05:00:00.000-07:002012-05-07T05:00:12.897-07:00In Other News: Unprecedented Amounts of BankMarvel is gonna be partying it up tonight!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!</td></tr>
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<i>The Avengers </i>has claimed to prize of biggest opening weekend ever. And not by any small margin either. You know how <i>Deathly Hallows: Part 2 </i>barely squeezed past <i>The Dark Knight </i>by a measly 11 million? Yeah, <i>The Avengers </i>soared past that by about 30 million, taking in a staggering 200 million over the weekend.<br />
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Whatever voodoo magic dark energy tesseract fueled machine Marvel is running over there is one to be very wary of. I'm not going to speak on the quality of the film right now. (In short: a triumph of character, effects, action, humor, and emotion.) But God Damn, I don't think anyone saw this one coming.<br />
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The marketing has really been clever on this one, hasn't it. I mean, no one else has employed the tactics Marvel has used to take over the world, but I'm getting the feeling that we're going to see a lot more of it. Methinks a <i>Justice League </i>franchise is now being feverishly green lit over at DC.<br />
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A lot of people were no doubt betting that <i>The Dark Knight Rises </i>would be the champion of this summer. And I bet all of those people are just as stunned as I am. If <i>TDKR </i>can top this haul in its opening weekend, then... I don't know. Guess the world really will end after all.<br />
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Well played Marvel. Well played indeed!Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-89389342904700252912012-05-01T05:00:00.000-07:002012-05-01T05:00:06.505-07:00Trailer Trash: The Dark Knight RisesIt's time to root through some trailers. What's sorts of wonderful things will be alluded to today?<br />
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It's rare that I do Trailer Trash two days in a row, but this is a special occasion.<br />
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Basically, it all makes sense. It all just clicked for me, what Christopher Nolan is trying to accomplish, what he is trying to say, why he chose that title. And, believe me when I say, he has already succeeded with this trailer alone. What we have here in these 2 minutes is one of the most intimate portrayals of a man, tired and at the end of his line, doing everything he can to be the hero the people deserve.<br />
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Bear in mind, that I'm talking about a trailer here, not the actual movie. If this is what the trailer provides us, then I can't wait to see what the full thing has in store.<br />
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Couple that with some jaw dropping imagery (the bridge explosion, anyone?), the fact that our perceptions of JoGo as a minor character seem completely off the mark, and some juicy shots of that quintessential, gritty, Nolan violence?<br />
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I didn't think I could anticipate this movie anymore, but I can. I can.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="248" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/g8evyE9TuYk" width="430"></iframe>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-78395050473394353092012-04-30T10:00:00.000-07:002012-04-30T10:36:35.897-07:00Trailer Trash: PrometheusIt's time to root through some trailers. What sorts of wonderful things will be alluded to today?<br />
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So this new one offers up plenty of sexy new info, providing new insight on what Charlize Theron's character is all about. It seems she's the resident Weyland-Yutani company prick who clearly knows more than she's telling. And then there are even more cryptic shots of what ever it is that is terrorizing the crew. What's that weird snake thing? And HOLY BALLS A DUDE'S FACE MELTS!!!<br />
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But, come on. What else do I have to say?<br />
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It's the new <i>Prometheus </i>trailer...<br />
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... and it will make you shit your pants!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="248" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1byZkbNB3Jw" width="430"></iframe>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-78202347477852884332012-04-26T11:30:00.000-07:002012-04-26T11:30:01.938-07:00This Is Important: First Django Unchained PhotosSTOP!!!<br />
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THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHATEVER IT IS YOU WERE JUST DOING!!!<br />
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THE MODERN WARFARE CAN WAIT!!! THIS IS BETTER!!!<br />
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So, as new begins to trickle in about Quentin Tarantino's <i>Django Unchained</i>, a tale of revenge, blood, violence, and sheer swag set against abolitionist era America, the advertisement branch of the project has been fired up.<br />
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A few weeks ago, we got a cryptic yet sweet poster. And now we have...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>THIS...</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>... AND THIS!!!!</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1g4G-rZGy-4fGh1-jzEEUtQ458T6dIZ2lmSXAV7LhGn3tADQLmjJxdjWSyEYHnjB9mY5T-EYyD1TbcVhRBqGhLmqTSavUplXxccM-_hxkcY-1O8KsBTTerLRTtz6JjyZ5_pAkVC4behM/s1600/django-unchained-official-leo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1g4G-rZGy-4fGh1-jzEEUtQ458T6dIZ2lmSXAV7LhGn3tADQLmjJxdjWSyEYHnjB9mY5T-EYyD1TbcVhRBqGhLmqTSavUplXxccM-_hxkcY-1O8KsBTTerLRTtz6JjyZ5_pAkVC4behM/s400/django-unchained-official-leo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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OH MY GOD!!! SEX!!! PURE SEX!!!<br />
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But no, seriously. Aren't those awesome? Waltz and Foxx look all kinds of five different types of badass, and if Leo is not nearly as ridiculous and evil as this photo makes him out to be, than there is no God!!!<br />
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Thoughts?Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-5443914117729796542012-04-16T05:00:00.000-07:002012-04-16T05:00:14.631-07:00Horror By Design<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO31JHB6kiYtVzHAk4wr4QcOqC0gaO7maA6tQyW7l4EVJRaf69gjsQ3azKiTxxxGhFw-s7yS1KpjtLUwgxKU1VHPAVic0zqeQt8_d8fh6byxDg1pWs1AUoy44pAUfhwTdv_bfKgqlnf8YH/s1600/cabin_in_the_woods_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO31JHB6kiYtVzHAk4wr4QcOqC0gaO7maA6tQyW7l4EVJRaf69gjsQ3azKiTxxxGhFw-s7yS1KpjtLUwgxKU1VHPAVic0zqeQt8_d8fh6byxDg1pWs1AUoy44pAUfhwTdv_bfKgqlnf8YH/s200/cabin_in_the_woods_poster.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
Before you proceed, a word of warning. You've probably seen said warnings on other reviews, but I cannot overstate this enough. If you have not seen <i>The Cabin in the Woods </i>yet, do not, I repeat, DO NOT, click that "Take a Leap" button. There will be spoilers aplenty, and believe me when I say, you do not want to be privy to any spoilers when you go into this movie. All you need to know is this. <i>The Cabin in the Woods </i>is sort of being advertised as your standard slasher flick where a bunch of teens do stupid things and get butchered, but hear me when I say that it is not! <i>Cabin in the Woods </i>is a smart, funny, scary, devilishly clever take on the horror genre that breathes new life into what was fast becoming one of the most predictable style of movies around. Boasting genuine scares and thrills, an instantly quotable script, and a premise too ingenious for words, <i>Cabin in the Woods </i>is one you cannot afford to miss. And that's it. If you haven't seen it, stop right here. Leave! Vanish!<br />
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Are they gone? Good. Now, all you who have seen it, click that button and let's get into it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDjQzZmGCqKnkXzRVZvGJdh2kutej3w8W4MA5ohNdQA9KZfQRiIL2uDE_-nNyhhJVkVVKNwE0FdseD4LTOFA7MjlCQtg7bCLzK8kXRqVceeE1MoNu8wQor1ceQ44RLDNitQEfqty7G0bU/s1600/Cabin-in-the-Woods_510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDjQzZmGCqKnkXzRVZvGJdh2kutej3w8W4MA5ohNdQA9KZfQRiIL2uDE_-nNyhhJVkVVKNwE0FdseD4LTOFA7MjlCQtg7bCLzK8kXRqVceeE1MoNu8wQor1ceQ44RLDNitQEfqty7G0bU/s320/Cabin-in-the-Woods_510.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the work of Loki!</td></tr>
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<i>Cabin </i>opens with two scientists, Hadley and Sitterson, bustling around a high-tech complex, and preparing for... something. Then, we jump to five college kids, all of whom fill out your classic horror tropes to the tee. You have you hot hunk of man meat in Curt. You have his wild thing, hotter than the sun girlfriend in Jules. You have the seemingly innocent, cute but shy damsel in Dana. You have the bookish, do-gooder in Holden. And you have the perpetually stoned jokester in Marty. One afternoon, all five of these guys load up into the ol' RV and hit the road, headed for a remote cabin that supposedly belongs to Curt's cousin. Once there, strange things start happening, and people start to die. And it is all tied into what Sitterson and Hadley are doing in that high-tech complex. It is soon revealed that this is only one in a series of scenarios spanning the globe, and soon, I shit you not, the fate of the world is at stake.<br />
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Now, the trailers did hint at the whole "there's someone controlling the strings" idea that this movie is all about, but it really only scratches the surface. You know how you always wonder why the people in these movies always act the way they do, going for a walk alone, or investigating the clearly dangerous basement? Well, <i>Cabin </i>comes up with a grand explanation for all that. See, those scientist guys really are pulling all the strings, and this includes flooding the area with gasses that cause the characters to behave in these dumb ways. And it's actually that much scarier when you see how these characters really aren't the typical horror archetypes at all. They are actually real people. Sure, Curt is a muscular behemoth with the supermodel girlfriend, but he's also a smart guy with an eye for authors and a charming air. The seemingly innocent Dana is a bookworm and a shy one, but she's also had an illicit affair with her professor. Nothing in this film is what you would expect. Tons of credit must be levied to writers Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard.<br />
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The cast all performs admirably. Chris Hemsworth is a bundle of alpha male intensity as Curt, funny, touching, and totally ok with taking absurd risks to fend off the ghouls that come a'knocking. He's looking a little thinner than usual, but since this thing was actually made before he picked up the thunder god's hammer, it's easy to ignore. Kristen Connolly is perfectly suited to take on the "female hero" role, but bringing more charm, grace, and sass to it than has been seen in eons. And Fran Kranz as the stoned, conspiracy spewing Marty is wonderful. Hilarious and heartfelt, he fires on all cylinders and really delivers.<br />
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Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford are the two string pulling scientist, and they are quite the righteous hoot. While everyone else is running around screaming and getting dismembered, these two are busy flicking switches and buttons, all the while bickering about the state of things and how they hoped they would have had the chance to use certain tools. They are both fantastic.<br />
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Like the rest of this movie, the performances here defy your lowly expectations and turn out to be surprising and wonderful. Everyone does a good job, and is clearly having a great time as genre convention after genre convention is led to the chopping block.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLcC3Bo11stzheN10bFSuMN3Uj1ZJIFikixuRcDMoOmQTWSnZvZqYrRKCJsiHtv4WHQ6zqCWg5TR-1GCk7-33T5DTLeex6_ZdmgbS5gRLWeix6KAPP9EGwy_ZI7GBvPDMuvw12h8xI-eU0/s1600/Cabin-in-the-Woods-2011-Movie-Image-600x398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLcC3Bo11stzheN10bFSuMN3Uj1ZJIFikixuRcDMoOmQTWSnZvZqYrRKCJsiHtv4WHQ6zqCWg5TR-1GCk7-33T5DTLeex6_ZdmgbS5gRLWeix6KAPP9EGwy_ZI7GBvPDMuvw12h8xI-eU0/s320/Cabin-in-the-Woods-2011-Movie-Image-600x398.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All that guy wanted was a cup of sugar, you bitch!</td></tr>
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Enough credit cannot be given to Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, in his directorial debut. What they have done is simply marvelous. They have taken the horror genre, stripped it down to its bare essentials, added the ingredients of a clever premise, and then cut completely loose. What they have done is make a film that is equal parts horror and equal parts comedy, and never focusing on one element at the expense of another. Instead, the humor is deftly molded in, and the scares are genuine and truly chilling. As the teens slowly begin to die off, the level of suspense is ratcheted way up, so that when we get to the batshit insane finale, you have been taken on quite the ride.<br />
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And that finale really is insane. Where the rest of the movie was your standard horror flick, albeit with all the changes made, Act 3 is where things really get crazy and it's that <i>Cabin in the Woods </i>transforms from a clever satirization of horror films into something truly special and admirable. The final sequence sees every single monster that has ever been conceived in nightmares or stories let loose in the facility, butchering everyone in their path. If you came to this movie looking for blood, that scene will leave you satiated and then still have torrents to serve you. And this mad gauntlet leads to final big reveal, which is of the "over the moon ridiculous with a capitol R" type, and that only makes it even more awesome.<br />
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It doesn't hurt that this movie is hilarious! No doubt this has a lot to do with Whedon, who has a way with words that few people can hope to match. So, in between the deaths and the screams, you get scenes of two characters chatting about how annoying baby locks are, or how one character wanted mermen to be the ghouls that would terrorize the teens. But, it's not just dialogue based. A lot of the humor comes from sharp and well thought out jabs at all the horror conventions we take for granted.<br />
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There's a sequence where the scientists are observing how the scenario in Japan is going that leads into a hilarious back and forth that presents the differences between Japanese and American horror. At another point, one character is betting on what the monster to kill the teens will be. She picks zombies. She loses. What was actually picked to torment the teens was a "zombie redneck torture family". Specifics, baby. And at another point, the teens run into that crusty old man who runs the decrepit gas station who offers none to subtle warnings about the cabin. You know, who I'm talking about. Every horror movie has that. Well, in this one, that guy is just an actor that the scientists have hired who really hates it when they put him on speaker phone. Priceless.<br />
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I really hope that if you haven't seen the movie, you haven't made it this far. I've given away a lot, and there's still more I could have divulged. Seriously, if you haven't seen it, purge your mind of this article and go see it. <i>Cabin in the Woods </i>is awesome, truly excellent, with a loving care put into all facets of its production. Bloody scary and gut bus tingly funny, this is one you will regret missing. How it was sitting in the MGM vault for two years is beyond me. This thing should be let out to bask in glorious sunlight! And it deserves your veneration as well.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="248" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SfV5nZEgUbc" width="430"></iframe>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-85260074184664503352012-04-13T05:00:00.000-07:002012-04-13T05:00:11.265-07:00Trailer Trash: LooperIt's time to root through some trailers. What sorts of wonderful things will be alluded to today?<br />
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Well, it's here.<br />
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The first trailer for <i>Looper </i>has arrived, and with it, our first look at what is sure to be one of my favorites of the year.<br />
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I could go on, on, and on about how the movie looks absolutely sexy, how the make up used to make JoGo a convincing younger version of Bruce Willis is sublime, how the fact that such a talented beauty as Emily Blunt is in this puts it even higher on the must watch list, how the action looks intimate and vicious, and how the concept burns with such blue fire intensity I can feel the sparks off it.<br />
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But, it would be fruitless, for someone else summed it all up for me, and did in less than ten words.<br />
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Well said brother!!!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="248" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xlS7ktUI5Iw" width="430"></iframe></div>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-62885002951540910192012-04-04T05:00:00.000-07:002012-04-04T05:00:03.522-07:00Wrath and Cheese<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0a9X11rOQXsYa8OYotm1y9YVKZS12UOUUvaf1Lhu4YWMOMvfdrfdM3v89KgEo7uU2tTtDOqqVc0a1h1hlN3S4ecaaICYkZ8iUwQSbwXEiJNcamb1HLsebLA-dBIkJOhheJ-QKAreGUtO/s1600/wrath-of-the-titans-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0a9X11rOQXsYa8OYotm1y9YVKZS12UOUUvaf1Lhu4YWMOMvfdrfdM3v89KgEo7uU2tTtDOqqVc0a1h1hlN3S4ecaaICYkZ8iUwQSbwXEiJNcamb1HLsebLA-dBIkJOhheJ-QKAreGUtO/s200/wrath-of-the-titans-poster.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
No one was really expecting anything from <i>Wrath of the Titans</i>. I mean, no one was really expecting anything from <i>Clash of the Titans, </i>yet that one still managed to disappoint. Regardless, a boatful of money can be very persuasive, and a sequel has befallen us underserving mortals. Boasting much of the same "talent", but with the scale ramped way up, <i>Wrath of the Titans </i>sits poised to deliver exactly what I had hoped for from the first. A ridiculous, relentless, effects heavy action flick. The first one was one of the most boring films I can recall seeing that year. This one... not so much. Sure, <i>Wrath of the Titans </i>doesn't have anything resembling a decent plot or a single well developed character. But it is so generous with the gonzo violence that I find myself strangely impressed by it. Though that could just have to do with my lowered expectations. Hm...<br />
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Whatever. Let's get into it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqZeZUTsEFZBQzAf1UODR925lVVnBQxvoDwgxvZY-qmWkBl3dASmdzvwdQrCqAWRePMttfyDxN5FICnAOug3y-cxTN9yHlaVaW9OCIPyWb2Q4TlEZhmGvJL5hiLmhCb_D4kz8K_2jkP_1/s1600/wrath-of-the-titans-sam-worthington.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqZeZUTsEFZBQzAf1UODR925lVVnBQxvoDwgxvZY-qmWkBl3dASmdzvwdQrCqAWRePMttfyDxN5FICnAOug3y-cxTN9yHlaVaW9OCIPyWb2Q4TlEZhmGvJL5hiLmhCb_D4kz8K_2jkP_1/s320/wrath-of-the-titans-sam-worthington.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Take me back James Cameron!</td></tr>
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Ten years after saving the world from the Kraken and casting Hades back into the underworld, the demigod Perseus is living the quiet life of a fisherman and caring for his son, whom he hopes will never follow in his father's footsteps. Unfortunately, the mortals of Earth have finally turned their backs on the Gods of Olympus, whose power is all but drained. Seeking to regain his immortality, Hades, along with with Zeus' son, Ares, makes a deal with the titan Kronos to deliver Zeus to him, and in doing so release him from his prison in the underworld. Upon hearing of his father's capture, Perseus picks up the sword again and sets out to save his father and stop Kronos, as the titans are released and chaos reigns.<br />
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Now, doesn't that sound pretty cool? I mean, hell yeah! It's got gods and titans and power and family squabbles. To bad nothing is done to build on all this awesomeness. I mean, just think of the implications of a son rescuing his father from his uncle and brother, all the while attempting to stop his grandfather from destroying the world. It's complicated as hell. I'm sure it would give Freud a migraine, let alone a lowly theater goer. But rather than plumb the depths of this concept, it goes pretty much unmentioned for the most part. Instead, the script is merely a series of set pieces connected by some pretty horrendous dialogue.<br />
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A critic I read brought up a good point about this. You know how some people say that a certain movie is like "a video game you can't control"? Well, <i>Wrath of the Titans </i>is a video game you can't control. Every set piece is just a huge gauntlet, full to bursting with obstacles, at the end of which is boss. Once Perseus dispatches said "boss" he moves on to the next set piece. It's a terrible way to put together a plot, but it serves it's purpose. That doesn't mean I have to like it though.<br />
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Sam Worthington returns as Perseus. He does pretty much the exact same thing he did in the last movie... and every other movie he's been in. Though he does make attempts at developing his character, (the stakes are higher for him here) most of the time he just comes off as a brainless meathead, being led from one monster to the next.<br />
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Rosamund Pike takes over for Alexa Davalos as Andromeda, who has been upgraded to the status of "warrior queen." She is given literally nothing to do, and is so forgettable, you actually have trouble remembering that she's even involved. Pike doesn't really attempt to make anything of it. You can tell she did this for the check.<br />
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Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes returns as Zeus and Hades respectively. While Neeson struggles with his character's plight, Fiennes as Hades does a rather excellent job. He's betraying his brother, but you can tell he's conflicted. It doesn't come through in the script at all, but Fiennes is so good of an actor that he effortlessly presents it himself. Indeed, the arc between Zeus and Hades is the most interesting aspect of the film, and the only one that sees any sort of satisfactory conclusion.<br />
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The person who steals the show though is Toby Kebbell as the demigod Agenor. He seems to be the only having fun with his role, and offers a lot of witty line delivery and some welcomed heart. He's the most memorable human in this thing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm feeling that wrath, alright!</td></tr>
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But performances and story are not something you'd expect when every single scrap of marketing focuses on the scale and the absurd amounts of destruction. No, action and effects are the name of the game, and thankfully, <i>Wrath </i>delivers where <i>Clash </i>failed to.<br />
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Director Jonathan Liebesman earned his stripes (in my opinion, and no one else's) with the unrelenting <i>Battle: Los Angeles </i>a year ago. He, once again, manages to create a film that might be soulless, but damn is it exciting. The action never lets up. It takes all of twenty minutes for the earth to crack open and the demons to come pouring out, and then it's just a never ending slog through chimera's, cyclopses, minotaurs, and makhai. And that's exactly what I wanted from this movie.<br />
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True, Liebesman does do the handy cam thing that he did with <i>B:LA </i>here, but while it worked there because he was trying to capture the chaos of shooting war in an urban environment, here, all it achieves is making the action hard to follow. Thankfully, he does take time to pull out and pan, showing all the juicy goodness, as luxury not allowed him with <i>B:LA. </i><br />
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And it's never boring. For all it's machismo, <i>Clash of the Titans </i>shot its load with the trailers, and everything else was just "blah". Thankfully, the first big action scene here is ten times better than the finale of <i>Clash</i>, and the larger than life battle that makes up the final twenty minutes where gods, titans, and men all face off is pretty spectacular. Sure, there are points where you can tell that they added an action scene just for the sake of adding and action scene, as when Perseus faces off against what I assume is the minotaur. But that finale more than makes up for it.<br />
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It's nothing to write home about, and I can almost guarantee I will change my tune if I'm ever bored enough for a second viewing. If you want gonzo, sword and sandals action, but with a better story and way cooler imagery, skip this and rent <i>Immortals. </i>But, terrible story, characters, and acting aside, <i>Wrath of the Titans </i>was alright by me. I didn't hope for much, but what I did hope for, I got. Put yourself in my shoes. Would you completely bash something that did that for you? I didn't think so.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="248" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NOfgVAbidvA" width="430"></iframe>Sebastian Gutierrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09301533140915071582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393138715752165190.post-18475636883976063452012-04-03T05:00:00.000-07:002012-04-03T05:00:16.234-07:00Trailer Trash: Ted & Total RecallIt's time to root through some trailers. What sorts of wonderful things will be alluded to today?<br />
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First off, a summer blockbuster.<br />
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Ok, the idea of a remake to a film I honestly didn't think all that much of is never a good starting point in my book, but this trailer has me interested. Not only does it evoke images of <i>Blade Runner </i>and <i>Minority Report</i>, it just looks flat out awesome.<br />
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Will there be actual substance? Probably not, but I have my hopes. Colin Farrell looks much more convincing as a confused everyman who just happens to be a killing machine than Arnold Complicated-Last-Name could ever hope to be, and Len Wiseman has a decent track record when it comes to riculous action.<br />
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So, yeah, count me as cautiously optimistic.<br />
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This one, on the other hand, has me sold, hook, line, and sinker!<br />
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It's the trailer for <i>Ted. </i><br />
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Put simply, this just might be the funniest thing I've seen in a long time! I can't wait for this one!<br />
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