Screaming, and Loving It

Ridley Scott, for some strange reason, has gotten into the habit of switching gears completely during the production of his films. Recall that Robin Hood 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 Prometheus. Prometheus started life as a basic prequel to Scott's legendary sci-fi/horror masterpiece Alien. 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, Prometheus 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 Prometheus delivers the goods and turns in a thought provoking, engrossing, and chilling sci-fi epic.

What A Wicked Game To Play: Part 2

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 Game of Thrones if there wasn't. 

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. 

BEWARE: HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!!!!

Beautifully Assembled

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 BIG movie is. Last year, the Marvel train was in full force, kicking things off with Thor, 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 Prometheus, cannot wait for Brave, am stoked for Ted and for GI Joe, and, of course, am anticipating the hell out of The Dark Knight Rises. But if any of those films can beat The Avengers 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.

Horror By Design

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 The Cabin in the Woods 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. The Cabin in the Woods 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! Cabin in the Woods 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, Cabin in the Woods is one you cannot afford to miss. And that's it. If you haven't seen it, stop right here. Leave! Vanish!

Are they gone? Good. Now, all you who have seen it, click that button and let's get into it.

This is the work of Loki!

This Ain't Your Grandma's Twilight

Dude, I cannot even being to tell you how relieved I am right now. A little over a month ago, I wrote up a piece detailing my crippling fears that The Hunger Games would squander it's excellent source material in favor of appealing to the twihards. Perfectly legitimate concerns, mind you, as both Twilight and The Hunger Games are geared towards, more or less, the same audience. But where Twilight is boring, overly melodramatic, and soulless, The Hunger Games is tight, intense, and emotional, and it is with great pleasure that I can say that the movie adaptation of it is all those things and more! With unflinching loyalty to the source material, coupled with a practically perfect performance from the lead, The Hunger Games is the first big movie of 2012 that deserves your attention.

This is not a face you wave a flame in front of!

Oh, It's A Lovely War

Funny story. World War I has pretty much dominated my life these past two months. The show I was directing was all about the Great War, so all that stuff, Somme, General Haig, mustard gas, etc. and so forth.

And while it was more an act of providence than any sort of forward thinking on my part, I saw the stage production of War Horse in New York city while I was there for Thanksgiving. And I loved it! I thought it was an absolutely incredible piece of theatre, full of gorgeous imagery and beautiful emotion.  It's one of, if not the, best things I've even seen in a theatre. So, I was a little apprehensive about the movie. I mean, how could it possibly live up to the theatre experience?

Short answer: It doesn't.

Long Answer:

2011 Review Roundup

This is a spot for me to throw quick thoughts on the movies I've seen or will be seeing over the next few days that I don't have time to write full on reviews for. Just something I can link to in the lists that will be coming fast and furious at the start of the new year. Full reviews of all these movies will follow, but for now, you'll have to make do with this.

Warning: There's a lot of raving in this post!

The Muppets

The world is full of cynicism, so much so that you start to have trouble finding the simple pleasures in life. Thankfully, the Muppets have returned, and none of that cynicism seems to have affected them. The only thing they are still interested in is bringing joy to the audiences. Boy, do they succeed!

Green Lantern

If I had a power ring like the one's featured in this movie, I would imagine a cross, and then I would crucify this piece of garbage! This film is one of the worst thing to happen to the superhero genre since Batman and Robin!

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

In an age dominated by the Bonds and the Mission Impossibles, seeing a spy film that eschews whiz-bang action in favor of tense espionage and investigation is a real treat. Though it starts off slow, it really delivers, and God Damn! Can someone please just give Gary Oldman and Oscar already? Please?

Midnight In Paris

I've never been a big fan of Woody Allen. Haven't seen Annie Hall or Manhattan, and I haven't dug his last few films, but Midnight in Paris was a joy to watch. Biting humor, a good message, and superb acting from the gifted ensemble is all excellent, but Marion Cotillard... Marion... sorry, what?

The Adventures of Tintin

It's the Indiana Jones movie that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull should have been! Superb action! Great humor! Beautiful to look at! Spielberg has proven that he still has it when it comes to big, exciting, blockbuster entertainment.

The Artist

ONE!!! OF!!! THE!!! BEST!!! DAMN!!! THINGS!!! OF!!! THE!!! YEAR!!!

ON A WHOLE NEW LEVEL!!!


Shame

I don't know. I really don't. It's very good, and Michael Fassbender is fantastic in it. But I have no desire to see this film ever again. It's that depressing. I don't even know what grade I should give it. Decisions, decisions.

???

Still to come, War Horse, The Descendants, and whatever else I feel like.

POST #500!!!!: Blacker Than The Blackest Black Times Infinity

500 posts!!! Ma Ha Nei Bu, Eebowai!!!
...
That's a Book of Mormon reference! Look it up!

Anyway, to commemorate this, the 500th post on Films From the Supermassive Black Hole, here's a review of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

Last year, I named Let Me In my favorite movie of the year. And you can imagine the comments I got on that one. I stick by it though. I think Let Me In is a wonderful movie, and superior to Let The Right One In. Part of my sentiment came from the fact that I saw Let Me In before Let The Right One In, so the story, characters, and motifs were all new to me. And now, in 2011, I find myself in the exact same position with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I know, it's kind of unforgivable that a movie nut like myself hasn't seen the Swedish versions of Steig Larsson's Millennium Trilogy yet or read the books, and I don't really have an excuse; I'll get around to it eventually. But, this approach, I think, offers me a unique viewpoint from my contemporaries. Rather than judging the film based on how well it adapts the book, or how it holds up against the other version, I can just sit back and critique the film purely on it's own merits. And let me tell you, this American version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is incredible!

Setting the standard of not to be messed with!

Cancer Is Funny!

Except it's not, and if you think it is then you probably have some serious social skills that need to be addressed now! Films dealing with cancer are rarely ever seen as a comedy, because a topic such as cancer is so humorless. Films that deal with this subject go for the heartstrings with all guns blazing, hoping to pull at least one tear out of you. Many fall into ruin by being too sentimental and inspirational, and end up feeling like a Lifetime movie. Others over come the obstacles and become pointed looks at humanity, love, and some such. But these movies are never funny. There has never been a cancer comedy that treated cancer like a real, scary thing, that is until 50/50 rolled around. Touted as Terms of Endearment for the Apatow crowd, 50/50 looks like a traditional stoner comedy that just happens to deal with someone getting cancer. But it's not. It's not even close to that. 50/50 is one of the best portrayals of coping with cancer that I've ever seen, with a healthy amount of genuine humor and heart. This is one you shouldn't miss.

(Sear)iously good!

Romanticism & Capitalism

I'll be honest, I'm not a sports guy. Like, really not a sports guy. The only sport I really care about is swimming, and even then I only really follow it when the Olympics rears its head. I just never really enjoyed sports. Never really enjoyed playing it competitively, and never really enjoyed watching it. Sure, I'll go to a baseball game, but I'm not going for the actual game. I'm going to for the environment, to be with friends, and, not gonna lie, to enjoy a ballpark frank. Seriously, I don't know what they put in those things, but it's über addicting. It's like crack, if crack were a long, tubular, slab of beef.
...
Anyway, I've enjoyed a pretty healthy relationship with sports movies over the years. I got all chocked up and inspired with Miracle, enjoyed Rocky immensely, and relived some Indiana pride with Hoosiers (I was born in Indy, so, you know...). But, I gotta say, the sports movies I've enjoyed the most are the ones that that push the sport to the sidelines and use it as a springboard to deal with more interesting things. I probably enjoyed Coach Carter a lot more than I should have because it didn't really deal with a basketball team's rise prominence so much as it dealt with one man's struggle to reform a group of kids in a community that would be happy to see them stay the way they are. The Fighter was amazing because it dealt chiefly with the relationship between Mickey and Dicky, and how boxing effected that relationship. Hell, even Glory Road, which is a film where the sport is center stage, takes time away to deal with race issues in NCAA basketball. These types of movies aren't just great sports movies, they are great movies in general. (Ok, maybe not Glory Road.) Moneyball is that type of movie. Moneyball is a great movie!

Sure could use some Cracker Jacks right about now.

Do It For the Rush!

It's a sad life, a mere, non-movie star person lives. No, not because you don't have access to hordes of photographers constantly snapping shots of you, or because you don't make millions of dollars for doing next to nothing, or because the likelihood that someone out there wants to sleep with you stays comfortably where it is at less than zero. No, it's a sad life because, every once in a blue moon, a film comes along that serves as a stark reminder that no matter what you do or how hard you try, you will never be as cool as certain cinematic creations. You can try to be all dashing and roguish, but Han Solo will still beat you into the ground and steal your girlfriend. You can try to be all suave and cool and calculating, but go up against Harry Callahan, and you're toast. Beatrix Kiddo will slice you up into tiny pieces of carpaccio without batting a lash. Chili Palmer will knock you stone dead and still have time to complain about the movie industry. I could go on all day! And now, we have a new member to the pack. You may think you're all kinds of boss behind the wheel of a car, but let Driver get behind that wheel, and he will make you look like a bitch! Such is the method of the central character of Drive, the new whizz-bang, stylish as hell, ridiculously violent, masterpiece from up and coming director Nicolas Winding Refn. Words cannot adequately express how much I loved this movie, because I loved absolutely everything about it! This is a small gem that instantly rockets into my top three of 2011!

Man, I am a sexy beast!

Hypochondriac's Worst Nightmare

At this particular theatre, I was by myself. Flying solo. You know how it is. To that end, there were a few seats between me and the person next to me. About half way through the movie, right about where all the looting and chaos is going down, the person next to me coughed. I almost ran for my life! Why? Cuz Contagion got to me in a way a virus thriller never has. This is a smart, terrifying, absolutely believable piece of pandemic pandemonium. With strong performances, slick direction, and a chilling atmosphere, Contagion will convince you to never touch anything... or anyone... ever... again!

I've driven down that street before. 

Monkeys! Damn!

This is gonna be a quickie. I was on a red eye to Florida last night and didn't sleep a wink. You don't mind.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is awesome! So much better than it had any right to be, this is a surprisingly thought provoking and touching retooling of the long running franchise. The marketing would have you believe that the humans, headed up by James Franco, are the main players, but you'd be wrong. Here, the monkey's take center stage, and run away with the whole thing. For the first time in the entire history of the franchise, the apes are purely CGI, no stupid make up needed. And, damn is it good CGI. We've come a long way since Gollum, and it's only fitting that the same man who made us believe that that jewel obsessed gremlin could exist takes the lead here. Andy Serkis, as main ape Caesar, is great. I know the academy won't go for it, but give this man an Oscar already. His performance here is soooo much better than most things to come out of humans this year. What action there is is fun and visceral, the script is well written, and the references to the past films are well handled. It's been doing well, so you've probably already seen Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but if you haven't, get to the theatre now. It's not like there's anything else worth checking out.

IT'S MAD HOUSE!!!

There Goes the Neighborhood!

It's the Dog Days of Summer, my friends. Now that July has passed and the two or three BIG movies have come out, the time has come for... nothing. That's right. Almost nothing of consequence comes out in this period of four weeks, leaving you, the intrepid, cinematic explorer, flapping in the wind. But, every so often, this month does yield interesting results. Two years ago, we had District 9 and (500) Days of Summer. Last year, we had Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. This year, we have Fright Night. Ok, yes, I know. Horror remake and all that, and yes, I know what sort of pedigree that dastardly sub-genre carries. But, take it from me, Fright Night delivers. This is a hip, stylish, gory, funny as balls retooling of the 1985 cult classic. Boasting strong performances from some über talented people, a slick presentation, a smart sense of humor and self-deprecation, and plenty of blood to go around, Fright Night is one hell of good time. 

I vant to... you know the rest. 

To Catch a Killer: Part 1

Netflix Watch Instantly, how I love thee. You have exposed to a whole bunch of stuff that I a.) would never have had access to, or b.) would have never even known existed. Take Red Riding. Without everyone's favorite excuse to not get out of bed to watch movies, I am now wise to the joys of this BBC miniseries. Consisting of three films, based on the novels by David Pearce, Red Riding concerns the hunt for a serial killer, spanning multiple years and viewpoints. The first of the series, 1974, starts off cheery enough, but soon descends into a dark and twisted detective procedural that is sure to please any crime fan.

This wasn't in the job description!

Not With A Bang, But With A Sonic Boom

So, the end is upon us. I honestly cannot think of another movie that has caused as much hysteria as this one. I cannot think of one film that caused all my friends to drop everything, dress up, and wait in line for midnight screenings except for this one. I cannot recall a single film that had the potential to mean more to me than this one. The bomb has been dropped. The final chord has been struck. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is upon us, and with it, the end of the story that a generation grew up with. And what an ending it is! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is not only the best movie of this summer, it's the best movie of any summer that I can remember! It is a more satisfying conclusion than Return of the Jedi or Return of the King! It's better than Avatar! It's better than The Dark Knight! This is big, epic filmmaking at its most passionate, its most emotional, its most glorious! It's the finale you didn't even know you wanted. You will cry! You will cheer! And you will love EVERY! SINGLE! SECOND!!!

Something We've Been Missing

I sometimes rue the time I was born and grew up in. Sure, the 70s and 80s sucked for various reasons, but they were awesome for various reasons as well. I'm not saying that the 90s and 00s were shit. Far from it, it's just that I'm disappointed that I missed out on some things. One of those things is getting to see the movies that came out in those years. No, not the macho action movies or the stupid romantic comedies. No, I'm talking about the awe inspiring, feats of magnificence created by the likes of Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and others. Films like Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, ET, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and others of the sort. However, just because I don't have the experience of seeing those films in theaters, I still have the nostalgia. And because of that, Super 8 works wonders for me. What director J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg have crafted is a film designed to make adults remember what the movies of their childhood were like and impart the same sense of awe on today's children. It accomplishes something few films these days do. It provides that pure, unadulterated escapism that the films it's paying homage to had, and leaves you with that childlike feeling of wonder that is rarely felt. It's magic!

You were these kids once...

An Office Drone's Wet Dream

Be honest, you wish you could do this at some point in your life. Everyone, at least once, will have a job where their boss is an absolute turd! Luckily for me, I haven't yet. The one job that I've had has had the good fortune of being governed by a really chill dude, so if I make some incredibly broad generalization in the space of this review, have mercy. For all you cubicle zombies, you factory floor husks, and mail room lackeys, if you can't actually follow through with your fantasies, you can at least live vicariously through the characters of Horrible Bosses... well, at least you could, if they weren't so absurdly incompetent. The new comedy from Seth Gordon is a delightfully dark and witty piece of craziness, that is everything The Hangover: Part II wanted to be and more. Don't miss this one.

Such a tool!

In Need of a Horse

Time to break out my prediction hat, because Summer 2011 has begun. Though I am late to the party on this one, I see no reason why I shouldn't be able to judge. Anyway, as you no doubt are aware, I make a habit of predicting how the summer will turn out, movie-wise, based on how the first big show stopper does. Now last year, I royally screwed the pooch by predicting that, with Iron Man 2 starting things off strong, the season would be good. As we all know, Summer 2010, Inception notwithstanding, sucked a big fat one. Well, I hope I'm not wrong again, because if the kick off is anything to go on, Summer 2011 should be great! The kick off is Thor, the latest entry in Marvel's elaborate and ambitious cinematic universe. It's campy, over the top, and ridiculous. It's also spectacular!

Squeeze your belly!

Pay Attention Honkies!

LAMB Movie of the Month makes it triumphant return today. Every month, the whole community gets together to discuss one particular flick. Headed up by an exclusive LAMBcast, and backed by articles written by others, one film is heavily scrutinized, as only the Large Ass. Movie Blogs can do it. For it's triumphant return, the community decided that the first Movie of the Month would be Black Dynamite. Hell yeah!

I'll admit. Blaxploitation is not a realm of film I am very well versed in. In fact, I wouldn't say I'm versed in it at all, as I haven't seen one example of the genre. That being said, I am well aware of the quirks that define films of that sort. The crazy, over dramatic, sudden zooms. The completely unnecessary explosions. The afros. The machoness. The saturated colors. The white villains. And so on and so on. Lately, there has been an influx of mainstream grindhouse pics, thanks to Tarantino and Rodriguez popularizing the medium, but most of them have taken themselves completely seriously... or, rather, as seriously as a film like Hobo With A Shotgun can be taken. Black Dynamite, on the other hand, is a spoof. It does not take itself seriously in any context, and is full to bursting with joke after joke after karate chop after joke. It's a smart, savvy, witty, stab at everything blaxploitation. And, funnily enough, it teaches valuable life lessons on the etiquette of interrupting someone's kung fu. You won't learn these things anywhere else kids. Pay attention.

What did you just say about my hair?