“Highest Possible Recommendation.” The statement still stands.

From the opening sequence I was already sold. Somehow I knew I was going to love it. And with so many disposable movies coming out of Hollywood, that’s a rare occurrence. If you’re the type of person that would give this a chance, you probably have already seen a hundred zombie attacks. In the intro you just know this is going to be something special when Metallica’s “From Whom the Bell Tolls” guitar chugs start thundering in with the zombies themselves.

Zombieland isn’t just a fun movie. It’s a funny movie. It’s hysterical, in fact. The entire audience guffawed throughout and you have to kind of be a pretty hip crowd to laugh at some of the things that happen. That’s kind of the beauty of it because the characters have heart and fantastic actors playing them. Woody Harrelson is brilliant as a southern zombie-slaying good ol’ boy. He meets an unlikely hero: the nerdy unassuming narrator and zombie apocalypse survivalist played by Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland). The two of them hook up with a pair of imperiled sisters played by Emma Stone (Superbad) and Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine). The foursome trek through the undead wasteland in a fairly linear storyline not uncommon to every other zombie flick. What sets this apart is what they do at their stops along the way. In a beautiful and twisted way, Zombieland becomes a hybrid of Dawn (Shaun) of the Dead, Superbad and National Lampoon’s Vacation.

The bottom line is that it’s obvious that the filmmakers had fun making it and the audience will have fun watching it.

Rotten Tomatoes, a site known to compile reviews across the board for movies that end up with an overall rating of “fresh” or “rotten”, has an accumulative average for Revenge of the Fallen. Ultimately decided a very rotten tomato, the new Transformers sequel is rated an abysmal 20%.
I’m not one that lives or dies by the critics, but when you consider the other highest grossing films of all time, they sit at comfortably fresh ratings for the most part.

Revenge of the Fallen is big, loud, pretty and stupid. It’s all of those things magnified to an unimaginable level, which wouldn’t be a bad thing at all if it weren’t for the stupid part. Because there are effects sequences that are mind-blowing, coupled with Megan Fox slow-mo running shots with 15 layers of lip gloss that will be sure to bring every 12 year old boy back in the theaters at least 5 more times before the month is over.

Before I go any further let me point out that I am an 80′s kid that grew up with these characters and their lore. Transformers may have been one of the most definitive aspects of my childhood. From taping every season to VHS and collecting so many Transformers that any other toyline was banned by my parents. And I was OK with that.

Staying as objective as I can while stepping out of my own skin, TF: RotF could be a pretty decent summer popcorn movie if an hour was shaved off of the bloated 149 minute running time. If you’re familiar with the first live action movie, Sam’s parents are back with some of the most stomach-turning scenes in recent cinema. Every line of dialogue and “comedic” beat is extraneous and frankly, unfunny. It would seem that humans were introduced in both movies so that the audience could relate to the characters better. But I couldn’t relate to these characters at all, in a comedic or even at a human level. They weren’t even that. They were more caricatures than anything. And it’s not that caricatures are even a bad thing. Poorly written ones are though. It’s like the foundations and concepts of what made Transformers good was introduced to the creative meeting, and grossly misinterpreted and executed with the gajillion dollar budget they were given. But the box office results absolves these sins, right?

No matter how high the box office gross, I can’t, in any reality, justify Mom Witwicky poorly acting a pot brownie high, John Turturro’s hairy ass covering 30% of the screen or Devastator’s clanking balls. Because we need these things in Imax. Ok I’m not devoid of a sense of humor. Far from it. But this simply translates as a slap in the face to a multitude of diehard fans. These are the highest offenders in the movie, which brings us to the Twins: Mudflap and Skids. With literally hundreds of characters to adapt from these two were introduced for specific use of even more cheap comic relief. These characters are bad in Jar Jar Binks levels of proportion. What makes actual Transformers great is that they are known to fans to have individuality and personality. It’s like again, this concept was introduced and then heinously bastardized. While sometimes silly, the old cartoons still retained heart, something these Bay movies soullessly lack.

I wish that this was a case of a sore fanboy that didn’t have his childhood dreams realized. But that’s not the case. What has happened here is the largest scale scenario of all style, no substance in the history of cinema.

The story is about a girl named Christine, (Alison Lohman) who has to make a tough decision at work that causes a woman to give her the curse of the Lamia, a demon spirit that comes knocking for her soul. There are some CG effects used for the demon, but they don’t detract from the movie by obviously being just that, a pitfall that many horror movies suffer from when using digital effects. You can tell that these are the tools Raimi would have used if he had access to them when doing his Evil Dead movies. Fans of the series will immediately see a familiar style and technique to the suspense and action sequences of demonic invasion. It’s like he’s taken the camera action he’s learned from Spider-Man, the drama evident in The Gift and A Simple Plan and woven a demonic tale that would do the Army of Darkness proud.

Horror movies generally need an R rating for me to even give them consideration, but under the circumstances I kept an open mind. The violence usually seen in slasher flicks was absent but the action and gross-out factor were turned up to 11. Fight sequences are so extreme they feel like superhero battles. And there are enough bodily fluids to gross out even the most seasoned of horror fans. They’re done with so much style that there’s even an underlying thread of humor woven into each of the shots. There was a scene that was so intentionally revolting that an elderly couple just got up and left the theater at the showing I was at. That was just a case of poor movie research on date night, but seeing them disgusted and fleeing added to my enjoyment and the overall hilarity of the experience.

The bottom line is that Drag Me to Hell is a well-made original offering from one of the best in the movie industry. Bloodthirsty fans may leave wanting more, but if they’re simply fans of good movies they should enjoy it. Viewers with weak stomachs may want to sit this one out. But those with haunted house mentalities and a love for fun and the bizarre should have a hell of a time.

Christian Bale delivers the presence you’d expect to the leading hero John Connor and Sam Worthington seems to be a proper rising star as the character Marcus. There were plenty of throwback references in the spirit of past Terminators that have done the same. They didn’t feel shoehorned or cheapened. Fans of the series will get it without the movie jarring to accommodate them. The trepidation fans held was obvious due to unproven director MCG, which had an underwhelming box-office presence this past Memorial Day weekend. But in this reviewer’s opinion, MCG has indeed proven himself as a kinetic action director capable of handling a film with more gravitas than previously thought possible. Danny Elfman handled the musical duties and brought his own flavor using classic themes and weaving them into the score.

The only thing really holding this movie back was the PG-13 rating. While taking a 13 rating is usually a studio attempt at broadening an audience, it’s quite possible it could have served more as a detriment. While the filmmakers pushed the action as far as it could go, the lore of this material has always been very adult. Humans were collected for some unknown diabolical robotic experiments or torture. But rarely terminated. In every film prior to this one there was never a shortage of humans violently meeting their ends by a mechanical executioner. At the end of this film, you know you saw something enjoyable, but you eventually can’t quite help noticing something missing. Terminations.

Would an R-rating have brought this movie to an upper tier? Absolutely. It’s like making a PG-13 version of the Predator. Or Conan. It’s just never going to be the genuine article without the violence. Let’s hope we get a director’s cut for the home video market, because in the end it really is a well acted, well-shot action packed film with walking metal endoskeletons packing automatic firearms terrorizing the human race.

Chris Pine creates a Kirk with cool and charisma while avoiding the pitfalls of being a pretty boy with no substance. This tale of Kirk is woven through an epic hero’s journey rivaling any Star Wars film. Using the dude from Shaun of the Dead, Sylar and Harold from White Castle is inspired casting. Characters use their classic accents without being jokes or cheap stereotypes. Supporting crew members like Chekov and Sulu contribute with their own particular brands of badassery.

Not only is Abrams good at character and story, his visual directing is top shelf. When you see the Enterprise you truly grasp the sense of scale that this version of the vessel has. Having the cameras recoil while “filming” ships going to warp is an ingenious creative decision. There are also action sequences that are some of the most fun you’ll have in theaters this year that aren’t even space battles.

There’s true drama, character development, an obvious love to the material that it is based off of, action, spectacle, light-heartedness and a sense of hope that makes the film stand apart from so many of the apocalyptic dystopian realities we tend to create. As a society we tend to make what we imagine and with this Star Trek it becomes more than just a popcorn movie. It illustrates a culture that we could be and where we could boldly go.

This also reoccurs in other forms of pop media such as video games and comics. I remember reading stories about Wolverine and playing Solid Snake in Metal Gear in the 80′s. In the past couple years I’ve seen fascinating stories that revolve around their older ages. Their weathered no-nonsense countenance is reminiscent of Clint Eastwood in his more recent performances.

Here is a relevant quote that Stallone has said about action films:

“When we make action movies now, we’re considered moneymaking machines with no esoteric worth, and that’s not true at all. There’s a lot of artistry that goes into what we do. I tend to think of action movies as exuberant morality plays in which good triumphs over evil.”

To see one last hurrah with some old-time favorites is going to be the spectacle of spectacles. And anyone born in the last century should have some interest in this ambitious project. It looks like Stallone is going to make the preeminent action film with as many 80′s action stars as possible. As the 80′s have spawned so many action heroes and virtually created the genre, we’re looking at an all-star asskicker squad combining the old-school classics with the present day finest. Stallone and Schwazeneggar alongside Statham and Li is enough to blow the roof off. So blending in stars that this century’s kids grew up with is like providence.

But here is look at how much testosterone fueled power can be expected:

Source: IMDB

Jon Favreau enlisted Adi Granov, one of Marvel’s premiere illustrators to do production art and Iron Man’s costume sketches themselves. Zack Snyder brought in Dave Gibbons, artist of the Watchmen to oversee aspects of production in the film. These are the pains that should be taken to get the films visually where they need to be.

So whenever I watch X-Men and have to listen to Cyclops tell me “What would you prefer, yellow spandex?” I think, “Screw you, Scott. I know you lack imagination, but I wouldn’t use wrestling tights. I can suggest at least 5 better costume designers than yours though.” He might as well be saying, “I’m ashamed of the way we have looked in over 40 years of printed material.” Last time I checked, I don’t remember reading the comic where the X-Men all take a shopping day in the Matrix. Wolverine has a mask and I’d like to see him wear it someday. And Magneto is not built like Gandalf. Magneto is built like Daniel Craig. These things can be done by visual directors more capable than Ratner and yes even Singer. They deserve better. Catwoman is a Caucasian jewel thief and not whatever Halle Berry was. I understand if no one in Hollywood can make do for a casting choice, concessions need to be made, but to actively choose to bastardize a property in a multi-billion dollar industry just doesn’t make sense.

The Ghost Rider villain Blackheart is supposed to look like the cross between the devil, the Predator and a black panther, not the emo kid from American Beauty. Villains are half the movie and need to be on point just as much as the hero. (I have similar issues with Venom in Spider-Man 3.)

Not to take away the importance of translating the personality and essence of the character. Sometimes they get the spirit of the comic right, or sometimes just the appearance. In cases like 300, Watchmen and Iron Man they get both. In instances like Catwoman, Elektra and Schumacher Batman films, they abysmally have neither. The bottom line is that you can make them universally appealing while keeping them visually accurate to the fans that liked them in the first place. Watchmen even proved that if you stylize it enough you can make those silly Silver Age costumes work. Now I’m looking at you, X-Men. You can have the skimpy blue ninja costume, the phoenix logo, the masks, greens, blues, reds and yes Cyclops, even yellow.

The release of the movie has led to me thinking about the history of video-movie transitions, and how rocky the road has been. We’re talking ‘Colorado’ rocky (sorry, couldn’t resist). In a homage to Clint Eastwood’s classic western, I figured we’d look at today’s list with a little The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

The Good

Mortal Kombat

Unfortunately, the ‘Good’ list is going to be quite short today. Which is sad considering to make a good video game movie, all that is required is you stay true to the source material, and make it entertaining. Hell, you don’t even have to try to make it a “good” movie. Mortal Kombat is the greatest example of this.

If there had never been a Mortal Kombat game, and this movie came out then I’d say never give it the time of day. But as a representation of the game Mortal Kombat, the Paul W.S. Anderson flick is still what I consider what other filmmakers should look up to when making a video game based movie.

Why could a movie with such awful acting, and cheesy dialogue make for a good video game movie? Because Anderson knew to please the people who saw the movie, all he had to do was make the fan’s much beloved game come to life. Which means they wanted source material intact, and to watch some badass fight scenes. Which Anderson brought in spades.

Mortal Kombat did the greatest job of taking the virtual characters, and have them translated to film. When you watch the movie, all the characters are represented by closely resembled real life counterparts. Also, no one was left out from the original so no upset fanboys.

Something I believe that is overlooked in Mortal Kombat was the quality of its special effects. This movie came out in 1995; I watched it a couple of weeks ago and the effects still hold up well. They aren’t going to blow you away, but Anderson did a masterful job of taking elements of the game and putting them on screen. Also, the fight scenes in the movie are nothing to laugh at either. They are well choreographed, and are some of the best done fights you’ll see in a game based release.

Until something better comes out, I still say that Mortal Kombat is the greatest video game based movie to be released. The movie that follows second is….

Street Fighter: The Movie

Ok, it’s kind of a stretch to put Street Fighter: The Movie in the good section of this article. By god though, Street Fighter does deserve some accolades. For the time that this movie was released, along with how many characters that the film tries to demonstrate, it honestly couldn’t have gotten any better than what we got from the 1994 hokey cult classic (live action anyway).

Street Fighter is definitely a flawed movie. There’s enough things wrong with it, that it even makes Mortal Kombat look Academy Award winning. However, I truly believe that the filmmaker had his heart in the right place and in many ways did do the Street Fighter series (at the time) justice.

I’ve been playing Street Fighter games since 1992, when Street Fighter II was released in the US. After all this time, I believe it’s impossible to make a SF movie and not have it goofy. Have you seen the roster of characters in the game? You have a Japanese, and American who wear near matching gi outfits (one white, and one red) throwing fireballs from their hand. You have a green beast, with long spiky orange hair, and chest hair. And a hulk boxer, who never takes his boxing gloves off. Who in their right mind could believe that a good Street Fighter movie could ever be made?

Although you’ll be laughing through most of Street Fighter: The Movie, I think it actually stayed pretty close to the source material. The storyline was pretty close to the game, mostly because during the early days Street Fighter never had much of a narrative. It was pretty much M. Bison and his crew (Shadaloo) versus the stable of characters. The writer, Steven de Souza, didn’t stray too far from the path.

I think in terms of visuals, the film was well casted as well. None of the characters look a whole lot different than their game avatars. Again I digress, there’s no way you can style Street Fighter in real life. Jean-Claude Van Damme as Guile is one of the funniest casting choices ever in the history of movies. Someone with a foreign accent playing an over the top patriotic American is quite hilarious. Raul Julia, looks like M. Bison but the character like Guile is taken so over the top it’s funny to watch.

Street Fighter: The Movie is a film that if you put it in your DVD player, is like watching old episodes of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. When you were younger the movie was absolute fun to watch, and is still fun but for a whole different sort of reason.

The Bad

Super Mario Bros.: The Movie

I know the light that shines from dollar signs can be very alluring. Just like the sun though, if you look too closely it blinds you. I’m pretty sure that whoever read the script, watched the first cut of Super Mario Bros.: The Movie, and still decided it should be released had to be blind. There’s no other logical explanation.

What really sucks about the movie is that it has a lot of people I like in it. Bob Hoskins has been in some movies I really liked (Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Unleashed). Then of course there’s the timeless wonder, Dennis Hopper who has been in too many of my loved movies to even name here. So, why in all that is holy on the planet Earth did they decide to appear in this movie? The dollar signs shine brightly for everyone, not just Hollywood big wigs.

I’m not even sure where to start when talking about all the things that are wrong with this movie. There’s only one shining light in the picture, and it’s that the bomb-ombs look like their game counterpart. That only lasts for like 15 seconds of the movie, so that’s how much enjoyment you can expect to have if you watch it. Every other character that is portrayed in this movie is so far from the source material that they shouldn’t have even bothered. I really don’t want to get into all the descriptions, but all you need know is that Bowser is played by Dennis Hopper, who is human like with some scaly hair.

Here’s what Bowser looks like in-game:

I wish it ended with the characters, but unfortunately their designs make even more sense than the plot. To be fair, there’s never really a plot in Mario games. The princess is kidnapped, and it’s up to Mario to rescue her. Instead of keeping something simple like that, the writers went in a different direction. Here’s a description from IMDB; I really couldn’t explain it better myself:

“This is the story of two hard working Italian plumber brothers named Mario Mario and Luigi Mario, who befriends a young paleontologist named Daisy. She uncovers a massive find of mysterious new dinosaur bones. While exploring the tunnels where dinosaur fossils lay, saboteurs hired by the Mario Bros. rival businessman, Anthony Scapelli, to break some underground pipes. Meanwhile, in a hidden world called Dino-world, King Koopa’s land is running out of water and going through problems so he sends Spike and Iggy to kidnap Daisy! Now the Super Mario Bros. find themselves the only hope to save the Earth from invasion then challenge a diabolical lizard king and they must battle giant reptilian goombas, outwit misfit thugs and undermine sinister scheme by taking over the world!”

Alone in the Dark/Bloodrayne/Postal/In The Name Of The King/House of the Dead (a.ka – any Uwe Boll movie ever made)

Unlike the Super Mario Bros. movie, I can talk about the long list of Uwe Boll movies and still put a smile on my face. The reason being, is the man behind the movies himself; who is pictured above flicking you off. Uwe Boll is one of my personal heroes for the sheer fact that he really doesn’t care, he’s an enigma. I honestly don’t think he cares about the movies he has released. Yet he keeps doing it. Why? That right there is one complicated cat, and anyone that’s wrapped in mystery, wrapped in a riddle, wrapped in a vest like Uwe Boll deserves some some form of applause.

It’s really hard to single out one of his movies out, but my personal favorite to watch is Alone in the Dark. It really is the most ridiculous sci-fi movie ever created. It makes Sci-Fi Channel presentations look like something created by Ridley Scott. I would go into a long discussion about how it doesn’t follow source material, but I think there’s not such thing as source material in Uwe Boll’s world.

Tara Reid plays an anthropologist, who stars opposite of Christian Slater as a paranormal detective. They are both studying the Abkani, an ancient dead civilization. All of this takes place on, wait for it…Shadow Island…..ohhh spooky!

What you see in Alone in the Dark, is basically what you get with an Uwe Boll movie. The characters don’t make sense, the plot doesn’t make sense, and it generally has nothing to do with the game it’s based on. But Uwe Boll is still hilarious.

The Ugly

Resident Evil Series

The ugly category is a bit different than the bad. The reason being, is that these movies are watchable. But, in terms of being a video game movie, and doing the games justice they come up short. Resident Evil is a perfect example of ‘the ugly’.

I have very mixed feelings about the Resident Evil series. I won’t deny that they’re fun, action packed, and full of zombies. Yet, it feels like they could have been so much more. The Resident Evil series are games that have a movie like presentation. There’s wonderful cut scenes, scary settings, with a character roster that is beloved by fans. The original Resident Evil especially, is scary because of its setting and sense of dread.

The Resident Evil movie however plays out more of an action flick than a horror movie. The simple nature of being secluded in a mansion is turned into a guns blazing, ass kicking Milla Jovovich filled romp. While a movie like this would have been sweet if it were something else, it just isn’t ‘Resident Evil’.

The character representation is a mixed bag for the most part. The main character in the movies, Alice, isn’t even in the games. But mainstays like, Chris Redfield, Wesker, Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield all show up in some form during the movies. Just don’t expect them to be much like their video game characters. Paul W.S Anderson, the same guy from Mortal Kombat really dropped the ball here. He did such a good job keeping the spirit of the Mortal Kombat characters, he could have done the same for Resident Evil.

The plot loosely follows the game. The setting takes place in a mansion, like the game but it’s mostly set in ‘The Hive’, a secret facility underneath the mansion. The whole story behind Umbrella, and the T-Virus, are all shown, which I give Anderson credit for.

If only Anderson realized he could have done so much more with what he had. You can’t forgive the fact that the entire tone of the movie is almost polar opposite from the game. Which is why the Resident Evil series is ‘ugly’, not ‘good’.

Silent Hill

Silent Hill, like Resident Evil isn’t a bad movie. In fact I think Silent Hill was a good half a movie. The first half of Silent is actually the best video game based movie I’ve ever seen. The only problem is that there’s a second half. An evil side, and not the good kind of evil. I’m talking, rushed, we need some action kind of evil.

It’s kind of funny that Silent Hill is in the ugly category along side Resident Evil. They’re both survival horror classics, which have dedicated fan bases. Silent Hill is probably the most disappointing movie on this list. Just for the fact the beginning of the movie teases you into thinking that a filmmaker finally got it right.

The plot of the movie, vaguely follows the storyline of the game. Silent Hill takes places in a coal town, there’s an evil girl at the center of the story, and there’s a loving parent trying to save the day. Although most of the huge plot developments are right, some of the details are different. First, the hero in the game is Harry Mason, while in the movie there is a heroine, Rose Da Silva. The movie’s true beginning also starts a bit different, but after about ten minutes or so it catches up to the game. So, barring the gender swapping nothing too horrendous to point out.

The movie starts out very dreadful, and does a masterful job of displaying that sense of seclusion. Radha Mitchell does a great job as she tries to make her way through Silent Hill in search of her daughter. There’s some very gruesome moments, that capture the spirit of the game. Unfortunately there’s a point in the movie when things start to go downhill very quick.

*SPOILER*

When Rose ends up finding out what’s going on in Silent Hill, the movie changes its pace. The eerie dread of Silent Hill is traded in for crazy CGI effects, and melodramatic Silent Hill citizens. The climax of the movie is so over the top, that it really comes off cheesy when the rest of the movie felt so right. The ending is hokey, and really doesn’t do much in terms of wrapping things up. It’s just there.

Again, Silent Hill isn’t a bad movie, it’s just a film that had so much wasted potential. Why couldn’t the filmmaker extend the first half, and make the second like it? Unfortunately, we’ll never know.

—————-

As video game fans, it’s crazy to assume that most of the franchises we love could ever make it to film. Video games just have a certain way of being, that for the most part don’t translate to live action. The narrative pieces in games are definitely getting better, so the transition could improve.

Unfortunately, much of Hollywood is driven by money and releasing these movies brings in droves. I just wish that filmmakers would do more to respect the games they’re butchering. There’s so much wasted potential out there. We can only hope that Hollywood stops what it’s doing, or gets their act into shape. I wouldn’t hold my breath though.

I left some movies off the list, so let me hear back from some video game movies you think are good, bad or ugly.

I’m not sure how many people purchased The Dark Knight on Blu-Ray knew, but they had the oppurtunity to sign up for a live commentary from Christopher Nolan. The director, and co-writer of The Dark Knight. People who purchased the movie noticed that one of missing special features was a director’s commentary of the movie. That’s because Warner Bros. decided to go another route, and show off what Blu-Ray is capable of in terms of online capability.

Tonight, at 6pm, Christopher Nolan will be providing a live director’s commentary to a lucky 100,000 people. You had to go through some hoops to sign up for the commentary but I’m sure it will be all worth it tonight. I won’t bore you with the details but you had to sign up with Warner Bros. BD Live. Then you had the opportunity to submit three pre-emptive questions for Nolan to answer during the commentary. I was either lucky enough, or quick enough but I got my invitation and will definitely be attending.

I think that I came up with three kick ass questions, and hopefully Nolan will address them…

1. Now that you’ve used three of Batman’s primary villains (Rhaz-Al Ghul, The Joker, and Two Face), what other villains do you find intriguing in the Batman mythos?

2. Which inspirations (comic book wise) made you shape the characters the way you did in The Dark Knight?

3. Now that The Dark Knight is over, do you keep up with any of the story arcs in the current Batman comics? Have you read ‘The Joker’, a new graphic novel out that parallels The Dark Knight?

Did anyone else sign up for the live commentary with Christopher Nolan? If so, what questions are you planning on asking?

Unfortunately I am of the latter ilk. For one, I am the kind of guy who likes my Terminators to carry strong tones of Austrian/governor accent. Terminators who speak in monotone voices who have very clear missions that can only begin once their first objective is achieved: obtain clothes, boots, and a motorcycle. I come from the school of “The Electronic Murderer” (even though I’m not Polish). Picture courtesy of Answers.com.

I am not so much interested in this. “Oh, but it’s got Christian Bale,” you might respond. Watch Harsh Times and then give me that argument. Was Eddie furlong not available? I can’t imagine that the Night of the Demons remake was a higher priority for him. What happened to Nick Stahl? I wasn’t thrilled to have a new John Connor forced upon me then either, but he did an adequate job.

I’m not saying that Bale can’t cut the mustard. Bale’s not the issue. The issue is that they have gotten away from what made The Terminator a classic, and that was…well, Arnold (not to mention Michael Biehn), James Cameron, and the decade of the 80s. I’m not one to totally live in the past. I realize times have changed, but films like Planet Terror prove that the dark, gritty look of the original are still possible to achieve.

Terminator: Salvation is looking more like a Transformers or Matrix knock off (if not a stylized Robot Jox remake) to me based on some of the robot designs. But I guess that’s what you get when you give the co-creator of Fastlane the reigns of one of the most beloved science fiction/action franchises of all time. I’m a little skeptical to say the least.

But to be fair, I can’t judge it too harshly without having seen it. My expectations are set pretty low, so perhaps I’ll be overwhelmingly surprised. Some of my best movie-viewing experiences have come from low expectations.

See some recently leaked video footage at io9.com. I rest my case.

So when I heard (via Moviehole) that the long-rumored Goonies 2 is already in the early stages of production, I was ecstatic.  Finally, I get to rejoin my childhood heroes in an adventure for the ages!  And with many of the original actors returning for the sequel (Sean Astin and Corey Feldman especially), Goonies 2 will actually feel like a sequel.

But wait.  This has happened before.  A 1980′s classic has been revitalized with a 20-years-in-the-making sequel.  Both projects even involved Steven Spielberg.  Earlier this year, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull arrived on the scene and violated childhood memories worldwide.  Considered by many to be a travesty, the fourth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise abandoned much of the seriousness and intense story of the original trilogy in favor of flashier special effects.

I desperately want to love Goonies 2, but recent experiences have left me wary.  My initial excitement has given way to trepidation.  While this is certainly exciting news, I will withold judgement until the movie arrives.

Technorati Tags: The Goonies, The Goonies 2, Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Steven Spielberg

‘Boondock Saints 2? Plot details + Production Diary!’ Wow, this looked vaguely like something I had read a few years ago that never seemed to pan out. Well with Troy Duffy having to deal with some legal issues that just wrapped up, I guess everything is getting the green light… maybe… Damn I hate rumors.

From the golden post at GeeksofDoom written by “The Movie God”:

Midway through watching the latest Hannah Montana episode, I decided to end the insanity and check out what was being dugg. This next headline of course captured my attention and made the surrounding world fade away instantly (crub! I think there was a pet or two I was supposed to feed)

‘Boondock Saints 2? Plot details + Production Diary!’ Wow, this looked vaguely like something I had read a few years ago that never seemed to pan out. Well with Troy Duffy having to deal with some legal issues that just wrapped up, I guess everything is getting the green light… maybe… Damn I hate rumors.

“The boys (Norman Reedus, Sean Patrick Flanery) and their father Il Duce (Billy Connolly) have been living in seclusion, deep in Ireland on a sheep farm, away from everything, when Il Duce’s brother comes to tell them that a priest was murdered in Boston and it was set up to look like it was done by the Saints.

The boys rush back to deal with it, while they’re supposedly ailing father stays on the farm. There’s a new character who’s kind of the Rocco character named Romeo; funny, but much more bad ass. As soon as the brothers land, they start picking off anyone who may be tied to this framing. Willem Dafoe is not in the sequel, a new FBI detective comes into play — a female with a strong southern accent. She wants to catch the Saints and is working with some of the detectives in the first movie (like Bob Marley) who, as we know, decided the Saints were good and began helping them, but they don’t think she knows this, so they need to go with that. Eventually their father comes back into play and tells them what’s going on, which sets in motion a full-on flashback of the story of Il Duce from day one.

Oh, hell freakin’ yes. <-his words, I have to write… Oh hell FUHreaking YES!

On a separate note, something you kids might not know that we find within this interview: The Dark Knight is brought up (like you’re surprised) — it turns out that Heath Ledger was one of the actors that came at Troy Duffy about being one of the brothers. Apparently this was right around when he was brand new and Duffy needed the brothers to look more alike and it was too difficult to find someone who looked like Ledger, so he wasn’t able to use him. Interesting.

To listen to the whole interview with more details on the lawsuit, fan questions, and all sorts more stuff, check it out below.” Continue to follow this link so you can get to the links to click

I’m torn, should I be excited? The Dark Knight certainly was a phenomenal sequel, but such a great piece of work is rare- especially in todays industry. Has too much time gone by where the magic from the original film is lost? Was Boondock Saints Troy’s one hit wonder? If this does pan out, will I go see it? Should I be excited? I am now going to pop the original in my DVD player and probably go feed some cats.

Technorati Tags: saints, boondock, FUHreaking YES, entertainment

Perhaps it was appropriate that the prelude to the blockbuster season was fittingly a trip to NYC to attend the 2008 NYC Comic-Con and sit before those who creat

Let me start off by saying I’m a huge cynic when it comes to movies that are hyped up. Once people begin to rave about a film, I automatically search for the flaws. It’s my nature that stems from being let down so many times from a long awaited film that flopped and flipped before my eyes and caused me to count each second of my life that was wasted.

Perhaps it was appropriate that the prelude to the blockbuster season was fittingly a trip to NYC to attend the 2008 NYC Comic-Con and sit before those who created the geek genus: Dick Ayers, Nick Cardy, Irwin Hasen, Carmine Infantino, Joe Kubert, Stan Lee, Jerry Robinson, John Romita, Sr, Joe Simon, Joe Sinnott and Mort Walker to name a few (you can view my footage here ).

ed the geek genus: Dick Ayers, Nick Cardy, Irwin Hasen, Carmine Infantino, Joe Kubert, Stan Lee, Jerry Robinson, John Romita, Sr, Joe Simon, Joe Sinnott and Mort Walker to name a few (you can view my footage here ).

Last weekend Iron Man left me excited, high energy and above all impressed. It was Marvels glove that was tossed in the ring with heavy hitter Batman Begins. They quickly erased the faux pas that was Hulk and replaced it with The Incredible Hulk. While The Incredible Hulk was a decent movie, it was still a light weight contender in comparison to Iron Man and Batman Begins.

Batman Begins changed near insulting comic book hero film adaptation and raised the bar. It was nice to know that the industry did take note and changed the class for good.

While I was all ready to assemble a butt kicking suit last weekend and take a stand against the bad guys, this weekend it’s quite a polar effect. It’s been three hours since I left The Dark Knight and I feel heavy hearted. Jerry Robinson, the claimed creator of the Joker, was consulted for the The Dark Knight so that the villian can get back to his original sociopath beginnings. They did it hauntingly well.

Once The Dark Knight began, every word that I’ve heard about this film, every promo, every heart wrenching reminder of Heath Ledgers passing, they all flew out of my head. It begins in a real world filled with real people with real agendas and real tragedy, or so that was my impression. It wasn’t painted pretty or glammed up for the viewer. It was a comic book legend being spilled into our familiar surroundings.

I had a been a fan of Batman through my entire existence and watched the evolution of the character through various platforms. Some had excited me and some disappointed me. I’m thankful the evolution didn’t end with Batman and Robin.

Christian Bale has been an actor who has grown on me over the years. I had questioned his talents (over hyped) when he first arrived on the scene; and many years later- he has yet to give a disappointing performance. He is the bat man. He is Bruce Wayne- he brought life back into a character that had become stale on screen.

Maggie Gyllenhaal also brought realism in her role as Rachel Dawes. Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent was perfect casting. Gary Oldman rocks it again (omg I could go on and on about everyone) Heath Ledger regardless of his tragic ending gave a chilling, gritty and unforgettable portrayal of The Joker.

The story lines that intertwined were well written, well acted and blended together flawlessly.

It’s difficult to write a review without talking about *what* made a movie so great.

I guess I’ll have to end this the way I brought my film viewing experience to an end. I sat there respectfully through the credits to see all the wonderful names of each person who had a hand in making this movie as tears welled up in my eyes (for obvious reasons) and left in silence.

Thank you Christpher Nolan, once more.

1 more thing, there are no video games in the works (other than for mobile phones) THANK YOU!

Technorati Tags: batman, christian bale, christopher nolan, heath ledger, joker, dark knight, movies, entertainment

Two years I’ve waited anxiously for this day to come, ever since I saw the picture of Heath putting on the make-up. He looked gritty, psychotic, awesome!

By no means am I a film nerd, so my review of the film will more than likely be a little dumbed down and lacking intense details. It’ll be raw, excited and perhaps slightly ADHD.

Upon Heath’s passing I questioned how it would feel to see the haunting images on screen, especially with the controversal body bag scene they were rumoring that would be taken out. I didn’t know the man, but the tragedy hit me pretty hard (which is rare because I don’t really get emotional upon the passsing of someone I’ve never met). I am a film buff and felt he brought a new talent to a increasingly comedic and insulting industry. I  was actually looking forward to what he’d bring to world of film and it was sad to know that his talent could no longer be tapped and shared with the world.

Come tomorrow morning at this time I will be part of the opening weekend statistics, feeling excited, perhaps sorrowful, but definitely satiated because the first film caused me to gain respect once more for comic book world to transition onto the big screen. Many times I’ve felt they didn’t do the heroes justice, that the film makers made a mockery of the art. Batman Begins did it right and thankfully Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk followed in those steps and age regressed my passion for getting thrilled for a block buster hit once more.

Yes, this year I have become a hypocrite for seeing mainstream films in a theater, but I’m good with that.

“Trapped in an alternate world populated by suicide victims, a band of souls tries to find an escape route in Goran Dukic’s quirky fantasy. Although he took his own life, Zia (Patrick Fugit) isn’t ready for such a grim hereafter, particularly when he learns that his ex-girlfriend also killed herself. On a quest to find her, he befriends a jaded hitchhiker and a Russian rocker, and together, they set out in search of a more appealing afterlife.”

Sounds interesting doesn’t it? Let me save you the trouble of going through the emotions I did by sharing how I felt when it was over with.

• I’m barely scraping by in life while this film made a profit? NO FAIR! If I would have known that film making was THIS easy and required almost no talent, then I would have sought a career in that field.
• This reminds me of a bad dream that you can’t recall. You try to spew out the bits and pieces that you remember, but none of it makes any sort of sense and it’s not as interesting as it sounded in your head… hmmm that’s probably how Goran Dukic felt once he saw the final work.
• The writing was lazy as was the acting. The story line was hazy and I kept pinching myself hoping I’d wake up. Why didn’t I turn it off? I figured with all the buzz it had to get better. It didn’t.

Technorati Tags: Wristcutters: A Love Story

Juno. Wow. I feel like a nerd in geek’s clothing.

Lately I’ve been such a hard reviewer. Nothing has really satiated me on the film front. I had to watch Elizabethtown for the bazillionth time to rid myself of the Hollywood stench that has caused me to prefer mind numbing reality shows and sketching my name in table top dust that consists of my shedded skin cells as opposed to exposing myself to the crap that has been churned out for me to view over the past few months.

Ellen Page who first captured my attention in Hard Candy a few months ago steals the stage in this depiction of a teenager who finds herself in a very difficult yet and yet increasingling realistic situation.

Juno, a spunky and what they consider to be an offbeat female (seriously who isn’t?). Finds herself in a predicament that hits oh so close to home.

Written by Diablo Cody and directed by Jason Reitman, I found myself shockingly entranced by this wonderful little film that gets you inside the mind of a not so troubled teen who activated the sex and figures out what to do with the consequences.

Although Ellen Page can be viewed as an excellent performer, I haven’t really seen her anything yet that wasn’t in your face and raw. She does a wonderful job as portraying a teenager be it hitting upon internet predators or teen pregnancy. Regardless, she seems to get the job done.

Recommendation: Juno is about a young girl who finds her story beginning with a chair and it ends with me feeling good about my choice to view it.

On DVD

Georgia Rule
This is what happens when you’re mentally spent and forget to regulate your Netflix queue, you wind up punished for a good two hours. Jane Fonda, Lindsay Lohan, Felicity Huffman, Demont Mulroney and Cary Elwes lead the way in this Garry Marshall directed and written by Mark Andrus film.

An unfeeling cast acts out the story of what was supposed to be very soul tugging topics. Rachel, a troubled and sexually promiscuous teenager is sent to her grandmother’s home in Idaho for a summer, making it clear through acting out that there’s more going on under the surface than what she’s letting anyone believe. Spilling out her angst to the town doctor during a picnic and trying to make it come off as a lie, you wind up finding yourself in a tennis match of deceits of the deceit, truth wrapped up in lies and lies appearing as truths. Does this have you confused? If you watch the movie, you find yourself seeing Lindsay spew out detached lines causing you not to care one way or the other what these characters have gone through and what the future holds for them. Perhaps it’s just me.

Recommendation: Skip watching the film and spend that time clicking send/receive over and over again on your Outlook. You’ll find it’s more entertaining.

SkyHigh
Netflix Synopsis: A serial killer and his henchwoman — looking to create a supernatural cataclysm for evil ends — literally rip the heart out of Mina (Yumiko Shaku), who’s engaged to Kanzaki (Shosuke Tanihara) … the detective investigating the bizarre string of homicides. But the gumshoe gets more than he bargained for when he hunts down Mina’s murderers and finds his dead fiancée trapped in a ghostly state of limbo in director Ryuhei Kitamura’s stylish flick.

While some of the choreographed fights were unimpressive, I was impressed by the execution of this film. At times visually stunning and at times clumsy writing (I was sent a dubbed version- which irked me, so I can’t critique the storyline too much for that sake alone). I felt this was worth 132 minutes on a Saturday night. Romance, afterlife, strong females kicking butt mentally and physically, men who’d die or kill for love, murder, fantasy, mystery, sci-fi- it has it all, including awesome costume and set design.

Recommendation: Perhaps it was a little slow paced and I found the story could have used a little more oomph, you’ve nothing to lose by viewing it just make sure it’s not a dubbed version. 

Posting Tonight:
Juno
I am Legend
The Heartbreak Kid

Or as I like to call it, 30 things the film makers don’t know about cold, blood, terrain or film making.

In Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost town in the U.S, the winter sun sets and does not rise for 30 days and nights. From the darkness comes an evil force that strikes terror on the town, and all hope is pinned on a husband-and-wife cop team. (Yahoo)

Way up North in Barrow Alaska a clan of vampires come to terrorize a town. As a vampire I might think, “Awesome, 24 hours of dark… I don’t get cold… so why can’t I be completely lazy after I trek to the middle of no where and feast on people for thirty days? We’ll kill the majority of them in the first day, refuse to turn anyone- although we will… and they’ll know our language immediately… and the blood won’t ever dry or dissipate because blood does that… Being as I’m a vampire, then absolutely nothing in nature or reality can apply as I’m fictitious. Oooh look- there’s a white out and no snow accumulation after and WOW- that kill we did ages ago is still stained on the snow!”

That was pretty much what I got out of the film. It was a gore fest that at no point was I able to look past the plot holes, the characters who are in freaking Barrow Alaska and yet there’s no steam escaping from their lips when they speak and their skin remains such as if they were in a… studio. Sunset came in the late evening and sunrise came in the early morn. For anyone who lived or lives in Alaska, even at the Southern most part of the main land mass knows that- “Nah, that doesn’t happen.” 9 am sunrises and 3 pm sunsets are more realistic- in the Southern areas for that time of year. But put that aside I guess.

Josh Harnett as their savior? That should have told me from the start that the movie wasn’t plausible even if vampires existed and were a true threat. He even made a fictitious piece even more unbelievable.

Slade, the director, jumps you from day one to a week or two later and strangely it feels as if the film took place in a 24 hour period of time. I’m sorry, but if I were trapped in an attic or store for whatever period of time he was trying to convey, there’d be signs. Not to mention that if a large number of vampires feasted on everyone from the start- they probably would have left shortly after and saw that the idea was flawed and to stick with large cities easier accessible climates.

I didn’t read the graphic novel that this film was based off of, but after seeing this tripe, I think it’s a novel I can safely go my entire life without reading and feeling better for that.

I was hoping for a good scare, not more fear from our Hollywood film makers- I’ve been scared to death of the next piece of (insert foul word here) they’d churn out since Crash.

I say it in my best Mike Myer’s SNL Scottish accent, “It was crap.” It took a little over an hour of making out w/my beau at the time in order to calm down enough to drive home. THREE years I was looking forward to that film. From start to end, I was there- and I felt betrayed, let down, wondering WHY he had entered an already spotty arena. Videos are three minutes long, a film runs at least an hour and a half. Apples and Oranges Rob- apples and oranges.

Fast forward to a year ago. I had a conversation with someone that went somewhat along the lines of:
Random Person, I Forget Who: “Hey, I know you liked Halloween. Did you know they’re doing a remake?”
Me: “Hmm- I’m soured on remakes. Who’s doing it?”
Random Person, I Forget Who: “Rob Zombie.”
Me: “OMG NO! I went to…”
Random Person, I Forget Who: (interrupting) “I know… House of 1,000 Corpses…”
Me: “Yeah… (heavy dramatic sigh and wondering where I could purchase protesting signs) we’ll see.”

Fast forward to the present day.
Boredom prompted me to view Halloween. Rob’s take on Halloween. I sat here skeptical. I sat here HOPING he’d redeem himself in film as I had avoided him completely. Recently I had given Quentin Tarantino a chance to bounce back and wound up rolling my eyes even more. Will Rob find the same fate in my graces?

The story began with Michael Myers as a child. A ten year old boy who had a typical American upbringing. By American I don’t mean suburbia. I mean the harsh reality of a dysfunctional family that we’ve all either experienced or witnessed. It wasn’t your Wonder bread kind of household, rather it was a few rungs away from being a crack house. I’ve known worse, I’ve known better- but as for traumatizing, perhaps to a degree. With Rob Zombie’s life hardships, he could have painted the picture a little more grim. I’m glad he didn’t as it gave the impression that anyone can be set off by life’s unpleasantness and take a nose dive into the darkest sectors of life.

Daeg Faerch plays the young Michael. That child’s present is so haunting and capturing of the character that for a moment I didn’t want the movie to move past his character. Daeg Faerch- a face and name to watch out for. Kind of like a male Dakota Fanning- but less demonic and nightmare educing.

Once the movie swung full force into the remake of the original, my interest had waned and I was wanting to call it “The End”. It was as if Rob took his original take and decided to just throw in the updated version of the classic. Kind of like watching a good black and white being colorized- but with less appealing cast mates.

Malcolm McDowell did an okay job as Loomis, but not enough in which you escaped into the new face and saw the character continue on. I don’t recall a point in which I wasn’t thinking, “This is Malcolm McDowell trying to play Dr. Loomis.”

Throw all that aside and you’ve got relatively fresh faces acting out the rest of the modernized story.

This new take added a decent 30 minutes to the original screenplay, but watch the first half hour or so and then pop in the classic.

As for Rob, he’s coming around, but I’m still not going to go out of my way to view any new creations.

I give it a C+ over all, two out loud screams and a slight jump.

Wow. I just finished watching this film and I’m literally in tears. If ever there was a film that I could relate to- this is it.

Synopsis “When a computer engineer otaku (the Japanese term for “geek”) who has never had a girlfriend in his life saves a pretty young woman on a commuter train from a lecherous molester, he seeks out his pals on a popular Internet BBS website for some dating advice, using his psuedonym Train_Man (Densha Otoku).

Deeply interested in Train_Man’s first love, his BBS friends eagerly supply him with tips. Encourages by their support, Train_Man undergoes a total make over for his first ever date with “Hermess.” Little does he know that he is about to ignite an Internet phenomenon.

Based on true events that took place on a popular bulletin board website in Japan called “2ch”, Tran Main : Densha Otoko is a unique romantic comedy which will appeal to anyone who has experienced the thrill and rush of love- and to the pure, innocent geek in all of us.”

The geek seems to have a different mentality than most. Absorbed in interpersonal relationships, hobbies, work, hiding behind a keyboard; remaining slightly reclused from society as it’s a platform in which we find little connection with (and by we, I guess I’m meaning me). It’s a little awkward when you do meet that soul that causes your heart to beat a little faster and you’ve NO idea what to do with that sensation. You feel he’ll perceive you as a dork. That your likes are goofy, that your behaviors are a little quirky and it’s just a matter of time that he’ll prefer the company of an outgoing social butterfly who isn’t a total and complete… geek.

No matter how comfortable you are amongst your peers, or other people you’ve no romantic interest in, when your heart is involved it becomes a painful experience of faux pas after faux pas.

This film reminded me strongly of a relationship I had merely a couple of years ago. No matter how long the relationship went on, I remained painfully locked inside of myself unable to brave moving forward or expressing how I felt, until he just gave up and I couldn’t blame him- although he still remained a friend. Which always causes me to sigh really heavily. For those I didn’t feel quite a connection with, I guess I’ve never had a problem with communication and moving along a relationship from beginning to the end- and of course those are lack luster… and I can’t explain why I’ve placed myself in those relationships… It’s a complete other story for another time (or not).

The main character in this was absolutely adorable, cute even before his transformation which made it a very easy to watch film

This movie is about the bravery of a man, no matter how painfully awkward or out of his element he felt, with the help of his online support system and at times hiding behind the computer, he was able to step outside of his norm and risked getting his heart broken.

What I thought was the ending almost felt insulting- but then it continued to perfection… and continued a little after that and and and… (sigh) it made for an absolutely watchable movie in an ocean of insults on film.

I’m in love with this story and I don’t want to give it back come four days when it’s due. It keeps me all warm and cozy at night =^_^=

Ghic Chic

Usually I’m hesitant when a comic jumps from the pages and into a box office due to being bitten one too many times, however I was stoked when it was announced at Comic-Con earlier this summer that Teen Titans will be making an appearance at a theater near you.

After many years of seeing if a film was in the works, I was delighted when I came across an interview with Mark Verheiden about plans for the screen play.

Taking a lesson from Batman Begins, Teen Titans will follow a solemn, serious story line mixed with humor that’s certain to satisfy fans and initiate new ones into the 40 year old fanbase.

Nightwing so far is the only confirmed character.

Read the Interview

Ghic

Technorati Tags: teen titans, comics, movies, nightwing

I still enjoy this movie and have had the book sitting on my shelf for 20 years or so now but have not gotten around to reading it yet. I hear it’s wonderful though.

I had found Robotech.

This was my first experience with Manga, now commonly known as Anime. I was a floored 5th grader. This was a complicated story with love triangles, main characters getting killed in the line of duty, daring do and lots and lots of very neat, very large anthropomorphic machines.

So it happened that last night I was randomly poking through some DVD’s at a local store when I bumped into Robotech Remastered – 1. Here’s the first 14 episodes in the first of three Robotech sagas.

Last night I watched more than half of this. Which explains why I’m a bit tired and the theme song is playing endlessly through my head. I’m also smiling a lot.

The new release on DVD of this series (and it’s only new to me, it’s been out for a few years) features a few addition scenes and a bit of video remastering. What really shines though, besides the fact that I can relive a bit of my childhood is the sound. The soundtrack is great, the voices and sound effects really come through and it’s a joy to behold.

I once again got to thrill to the SDF-1 making it’s first transformation, to watching Rick, Roy, Lisa and Minmei going through the drama of an intergalactic war. Was it a bit childish? Sure. The extended scenes add in a bit that was considered too racy for a juvenile audience, but it was still great.

This is another instance of something from my childhood paying homage to Campbell’s Hero with a Thousand Faces – or perhaps it’s the other way around. Here was the quest, the simple youth being forced into maturation by circumstances around him, the love triangles, the ferocious beasties.

Robotech should also be credited in and of itself (along with the folks who brought it to the states) as being the first real influential piece of modern Anime to really catch the public’s eye. So what if most of that public was 10 years old at the time, we’re all grown up now and Anime is a thriving industry.

ADV Films did a great job putting this together. I’m certainly going to pick up the remaining six sets to continue my adventures.

Technorati Tags: robotech, review, arsgeek, movie, dvd, rick hunter, minmei, zentradi blow