My Head on a Silver Platter

Scratch Comics

2009-10-03T21:21:00.001-07:00

TOP FALL MOVIES PREVIEW

2009-09-13T07:23:00.000-07:00

Want to know what are the great movies to watch out for for the rest of 2009? Here's a list of what I'm looking forward to, plus a trailer if they havit! (NOTE, IF I MISS AN AWESOME MOVIE IN THIS LIST, KNOW THAT IT'S COMPLETELY NOT MY FAULT):

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS
My Take: Trailer is adorable and colorful. But it could be a strictly-kiddie affair. Plus, Sony has only made on other animation movie, Surf's Up, and that wasn't a very good one. I think this will top that though. Plus, rain-food! What's not to love?

Trailer here

FAME
My Take: High School Musical again!? THAT'S IT! F@#$ YOU, YOU TALENTLESS MOTHER!@!$#@, I'D RATHER F@#$ AN OSTRICH THAN#@$@ YOUR #@$@#$ A$$ YOU @#$@#ING, TALENTLESS- oh wait, it isn't High School Musical? It actually looks better? And promises a hell of a better time? Oh, well, now I feel kind of silly... Just watch the damn trailer.
(p.s. That poster looks like a Coca-Cola ripoff)

Trailer here

ASTRO BOY
My Take: I admit I was never a fan of the cartoon. But seeing this trailer makes me want to take another look. It's style is very nice, that I'll admit. It's very true to the cartoon, yet adds a nice colorful, zesty touch without being cheesy. That in, I think this a more promising animation entry compared to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

Trailer here

A SERIOUS MAN
My Take: Alright, a slightly more serious entry here. Oh wait, it's another Coen comedy? Forget my first statement. That said, after No Country, the bros have had the time of their lives doing whatever the hell they want, and this film is all kinds of curiosity-kindling. I mean, cmon, watch the trailer and I dare you to tell me you don't dig that fancy groove. THWACK. THWACK. THWACK. THWACK.

Trailer here

ZOMBIELAND
My Take: It might seem a bit of a Shaun of the Dead ripoff to some, and hell it might end up being exactly that. But the trailer seemed to promise a bit of a different tone and a different kind of comedic take on the zombie franchise. That said, WOOHOOO ZOMBIES!

Trailer here

THE INVENTION OF LYING
My Take: In a world where everyone says the truth, one man creates the invention of a lifetime: LYING. Well, that would have definitely made High School easier. Nonetheless, the premise is excitingly tasty, and Ricky Gervais is long overdue for his hollywood breakout. Here's hoping this is it.

Trailer here

AMELIA
My Take: Hilary Swank as the first woman to cross the Atlantic= Oscar.

Trailer here

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
My Take: Polar Express was creepy. Beowulf was meh. But there's something about A Christmas Carol that makes me think that this could be different. Maybe it's the Christmas Spirit, maybe its Dicken's classic story or maybe it's Jim Carrey saying Baaah-humbug to a snowflake. Whatever the case, I'm there.

Trailer here

THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS
My Take: Read the title and I dare you not to watch this film.

Trailer here

THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX

My Take: An interesting take on Stop Motion. Plus, Clooney again! gosh He seems so busy this year. Check the trailer, and be a curiosified! Animation seems a bit choppy, though I think it's more charming than anything. Still, I don't know if I can stand that kinda stuff for a movie length.

Trailer here

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON
My Take: Every film-loving fiber in my body is telling me NOT to put this crap on this list. But let's face it, nothing is hotter in the hotness column than Bella and Edward. DAMN THIS INTERNET PEER PRESSURE! (on a side note, I'm actually excited for the third movie simply cuz its director is actually pretty awesome).

Trailer which most of you saw a hundred times here

NINE

My Take: A musical from the director of Chicago!? Nostalgic sentiments from HS 4-D days aside, I'm definitely there. The trailer is amazing and the cast is filled with biiig names. I'm not sure if all of them can actually sing, but if there's the man who can force them to (or at least make them look sexy enough that people don't notice their voice) it's Chicago's Rob Marshal.

Trailer here

THE ROAD

My Take: I've waited too damn long for this movie. Now gimme cannibalistic-apocayptic-pulitzer prize winning-shameless oscar bait movie! Wait, that didn't come out right. But really now, a serious oscar contender, plus Viggo really needs to get his dues. Come on guys, he played ARAGORN! Give him the damn naked gold statue already!

Trailer here

NINJA ASSASSIN
My Take: I don't care if the title is redundant, it's awesome! And so is the trailer! If you ever had a love for ninjas, this is like the holy grail of nijawesomness! It's a complete Ninjasm! Now if only we could get it an Oscar for something classy, Best Picture? Best Actor? Why? CUZ ITS FRIGGIN NINJAS THATS WHY!? (Yes, I was like this with pirates when the Pirates series came out).

Trailer here

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG

My Take: Disney's been in the tank lately (excluding all Pixar stuff), and it's hightime they got back to their roots. Watching the new trailer made me swoon and dance and laugh at the Disney magic which has so loong been absent. I feel like I'm eight again, watching with glee and amazement at my favorite fairytale princesses come to life in an amazing enchanted world... sigh... I mean- I WANT MEGAN FOX AND KILLER F#$!KING ROBOTS! GRRRR!!!

Trailer here

INVICTUS
My Take: No trailer, no poster, just this lone picture to indicate that this film actually exists. Why do I want to watch it? Clint Eastwood as director, Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela himself. That good enuogh for you, biatch?

SHERLOCK HOLMES

My Take: I don't remember reading about how Sherlock Holmes became a topless boxing, train racing, building, bro-loving, sexually kinky bastard. But as long as Robert Downey does it, I'm game. I can't wait for all the bro-love to come from this film, and it's sure to quench my Downey thirst until Iron Man 2

Trailer here

AVATAR
My Take: James Cameron, the man behind Titanic, took a que from LOTR man Peter Jackson to take CGI to a whole new level. Whatever the case may be with that video-game lookalike trailer, this is hyped up to be the new breakthrough in movie CGI, so for that too, I shall watch this film. P.S. Is it just me, or do those guys look like some kind of mutated smurf? Now that'd make an awesome movie.

Trailer here

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAQKUEL

My Take: LOL! I'm just kidding! I'm not even putting in the trailer for this piece of crap. Suck it!

CHIMES 06-07 SNEAK PREVIEW

2009-09-01T22:05:00.000-07:00

For the benefit of my fellow SJ batchmates, I just finised the last revisioned design of the yearbook. Sorry it took this long, but hope its worth the wait. Here are some sneak preview images of what you might be seeing in the final product, hope u like em. Sound out in the comments what you think, okay?

TOP 10 MOVIES OF THE SUMMER

2009-09-01T04:25:00.000-07:00

IT's been a while, a hell while since I've updated this. So, I'll be making up for lost time, starting off with my picks for the top 10 movies of the summer! Watch out for my next one, Top 10 Movies to LOOK FORWARD TO for the second half the year's movie lineup, which is quite a lineup, trust me. Well, for now, here's the list (take note that I've yet to watch all movies, Hangover and Inglorious Basterds in particular I feel would make this list had I watched them, but to be fair, I won't include em as I've yet seen em).

10. Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian

Not a great movie, not even a good one. Alright, so, it's been slim pickings, can you blame me? For the first half of the summer, I had a dreadful feeling in my gut that the summer would not reach the heights of last year. And while in terms of sheer singular quality it didn't, this year was a case of quantity over quality (to be discussed in the top 5). But for now, barely edging in the bottom of the list is family funfare, Night at the Museum, if only for the case that it was at times mildly entertaining. Plus it's a whoot to see so many famed comedic actors in the same movie together (even if most of em don't get much chance to shine). Probably long forgotten shortly after being watched, I do suppose one could do worse than this over the summer.

9. Watchmen

This is sad, I was so excited for this film. If a year ago you would have told me that this movie would be bottom out the summer lineup, I'd have shot you in the chest with a grappling gun, made u scream and beg for mercy and I'd cry out, " FEAAAAAR MEEE!!!" But oh well, what a difference a year makes. Now, the movie seems like an overlong case of self-indulgence, with Znyder horribly messing up several characters (not to mention the ending). A wonky pacing also haunted the film. It aint all bad, but it was a disappointment. Still, he ended up recreating many iconic scenes perfectly, if at least visually. The action is amazing, and the visual results were, quite simply, a mind-fuck. But with the director pitting the scenes too much like the comic, the result was a bland emotional connection. The best part is when he strays from the book during the credits, where he pieced together breathtaking imagery of what happened before to the tunes of Bob Dylan's "The Times are Changing".

8. Terminator Salvation

Probably this year's Speed Racer. Like that movie of last summer, this one I feel is slightly underrated. No, it's not great. Not even good enough to get rid of the bad taste in my mouth that was Terminator 3. But it was a step in the right direction. Dark, apocalyptic and chaotic, it seemed a decent enough look at the future. The action wasn't half bad as well, and it didn't have a need to provide a single threatening figure of a robot. Instead, the threat was all around, the whole world itself was a threat, which made this feel even more like a new generation of Terminator movies. Not really a reboot, but a retry of the franchise. Whether it will be successful, well we'll see.

7. Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

One of the few surprises of the year. Since I never had much respect for the Ice Age series, this ended up pretty decent and funny. In fact it's probably the best of the three, though that's still not all that much of a triumph. Truth is, this series has been for some time showing signs of aging, but the addition of a new character, Buck, turned out to be a brilliant addition, and the films one true highlight. Still, I can't help shake off the feeling that continuing this line of films is doing Dreamworks any favor, or bringing them closer to Pixar. Kung Fu Panda was a step in the right direction, but with a slew of sequels (Ice Age has 3, Shrek is going 4), it should take a page out of Pixar's book and concentrate on singular unique storylines.

6. Drag Me to Hell

This is the part of the list where we leave behind the decent and fairly ok films to those that are great. Drag Me to Hell represents Sam Raimi's return to the fun, campy and scary tone of his classic Living Dead series. While it may not resonate with everyone, much less today's modern audience who are so used to much more modern scares, Drag Me to Hell is a return to the fun horrors of yesteryears. Funny, darkly amusing and hellish, it is how horror movies were meant to be made. Sam Raimi, I officially forgive you for emo Spiderman.

5. Public Enemies

By no means does it match Michael Mann's early classics, Public Enemies still puts him into familiar territory. Gangster flicks are his thing, and its an awesome movie, if not a classic one. Fueled by great performance and thrilling action that made me forget Miami Vice's awful slew of total bore, Public Enemies is a gangster film filled with class and style, if not so much as successful with substance. Still, despite some shortcomings on doing anything extraordianry, Michael Mann provides us a reason to love the depression-era, tommy-gun trotting gangsters again.

4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

After seeing this movie, I am amazed how the movie series has matured. Probably the closest at capturing the feel of its book counterpart, this Potter is dark, tragic and filled with emotion. It may not be the most action packed, but I was never this riveted with any of the previous action bonanzas of the series. It's a movie about heart, and about sacrifice and tragedy. For the first time, I felt connected with the movie series character as I was with the book, and if only for that, this has made this the series best, in my taste. The pacing was perfect, and felt nowhere near as rushed as previous films, the performances mature and actually pretty good, the cinematography was beautiful and heartbreaking. If the last film/s is anything like this, I'm looking forward to it. I'm actually looking forward to a Harry Potter movie. For a die-hard fan of the book that has put such high standards on the film adaptation, that's really quite a feat.

3. District 9

Some films everyone anticipates eagerly, before the fail miserable (I'm looking at you Transformers 2). Others meet and break these expectations and stomp on its face (Dark Knight anyone?). Some no ever saw coming, and they're probably the best kind. I for one knew there was something special with District 9, partly cuz they were so tight-lipped on the plot that curiosity drove me crazy, and partly cuz Peter Jackson himself produced it. Either case, this movie ended up an amazing one, a combination of a social documatary and sci-fi action bonanza. It also acts as par computer game, anyone who's ever tried Halo or Half-Life would feel nostalgic at seeing the films. This has a gamer feel to it, yet is by itself a whole slew of everything else. Emotional and stunning, this is the sleeper hit of the summer, and a surprise Sci-Fi Masterpiece.

2. Star Trek

Another Sci-Fi that thrilled me to no end, this was a movie that rebooted another tired franchise and made every single aspect shiny and exciting again, while giving proper homage to the old one. Every character here emits the exact same vibe as the original, yet is also filled with a new sense of freshness and gusto. The action is intense, the effects a remastered vision of the Star Trek universe. Filled with wit, charm, style and thrills, this movie joins Batman Begins and Casino Royale as the greatest reboots of our time, and I can't wait to see where the new direction will take us next. Plus, I couldn't leave this list without one pick of pure fanboy joy.

1. Up

Heart-achingly beautiful, an emotional masterpiece and a visual stunner. That's Up for you. While it does not go into the more colorful main characters Pixar is accustomed to (i.e. Monsters, Superheroes, Talking Toys and a Robot), this movie is most probably one of the most emotional and heartfelt, if not the most. It's really hard to say with Pixar, and that's just it's greatness. Their films are so good, that you can't even bare to start comparin the experiences between films. But I have to say, that the first 15 minutes of this one left me tearing up uncontrollably, my chest tight and my mouth dry. It did that several other times, but that first scene just made me think that no other studios can make kiddie movies with such maturity and beauty as Pixar, and this is the ultimate example of that. Sure it's filled with the usual Pixar wit and charm (in fact it's their funniest outing in quite a while), it's the images that it brings to my head that makes this soar above the competition, undying love, painful memories, true friendship and everything else. This is what movies were meant to be like, and for now stands as my favorite movie of the year so far. Simply because it makes me want to fly into this world, filled with hope and love. *sigh*.... I mean, ggrrr!!! I WANT BLOODY ROBOTS AND MEGAN FOX!!! >_> grr!!!!

Well, that's it for now, check out for more next time!

B GANGSTER MOVIE

2009-05-23T05:27:00.000-07:00

Now for something completely irrelevant. First of a nwe line of lists is one of my favorite gangster movies of all time. I have not watched all of the gangster movies around, so Casino or a few others would not be in this list to be fair. This is a list of what I love personally as gangster flicks.

Wolverine Review

2009-05-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

I suppose I should be grateful. Wolverine is, after all, nowhere near as horrific as X-Men 3. Nor is it the worst superhero movie ever made, as many were expecting. So in a way it kinda beat expectations, seeing as how they were incredibly low. That's probably the best compliment you'll probably scrounge out of me.

For one thing, the story is horrific. Now, Wolverine's origins in the comics wasn't exactly topnotched. In fact it was very flawed and as such, it gave the writers unmeasurable freedom to break free from the comic story because to be honest, very few comic fans care for Wolverine's origins. He was much cooler when nobody had any idea where he came from. But instead of changing the story for the better, the writers bombarded it with cliches after cliches, each more painful the next. In fact, it seemed they were hellbent on destroying the story because they kept every aspect of Wolverine's origins that didn't work and changed the few that actually managed to show depth in Wolverine's character.

It's such a shame too, Hugh Jackman was apparantly so thrilled and passionate a film. He deserves a better movie than this as much as the character does. He does his best with the paper thin dialog given to him, but he is given no room to expand.

Then there's the endless cameos from minor characters that were obviously meant to show up just so they can get themselves a spin-off. Gambit was a shallow pretty boy with a few cool moves and nothing much else to show for it. Ryan Reynolds was actually surprisingly good and in the 10 minutes given to him at the start was actually one of the few highlights of the film. It's all the more a waste that his charcater was so mishandled later on in the film. And the lest about the appearances of Cyclops. Silverfox, Wraith, Blob, Emma Frost and Agent Zero the better.

But alright, let's give this film a fair shot. The story may be ridiculous but it should have at least the promise of being entertaining. Only that's just the thing, it's nowhere near entertaining. The action scenese were incredibly bland (the first part and the finale were the only ones that were entertaining in anyway). This is in part due to the horrendous visual effects. Really, everything looked fake. This was most obvious in a scene in which Wolverine observed his claws in a bathroom and clanged them together. The effects here look like they're straight out of the 90's. And the stunts all seem to be made of pulling actors in strings. It's all the more frustrating when you realize that they had 150 million dollars to work with, roughly the same amount it took to make the new Star Trek movie. But comparing the effects between the two is like comparing Lord of the Rings to a Muppet show. Even Wolverine and Sabertooth's fights are all the same. They fight several times throughout the movie and they all go the same way. They sneer at each other, make a cheesy line, laugh, growl, draw claws, run at each other, hit each other continuously despite the fact neither of them could get killed from any wounds either could inflict.

In the end, it's more of a missed opportunity than it is a piece of trash. That much I can be grateful. I can only hope they put more thought into making the inevitable sequels and spin-offs

5 out of 10

Escape from Cuba

2009-04-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

Alright I wasn't exactly in Cuba, but I was playing Godfather 2, the game I'm mostly playing now. So I thought of something new to put up on my blog, my games! Yeah, screencaps of my playing. Here we revolve around the character I made (he looks cool, no?) as I try to bust a bank in the middle of Cuba, Castro be dammed!

Blowing up the bank. Told him to wait.

GAH COPS!

C'MON HIT ME! HAHHAHAHAHAAH!!!!

I'm sticking this stick up your a- wait that came out wrong.

I SAID NO SUGAR WITH MY COFFEEE!!!!

Almost hooome. Oooh fireworks!

You got something on your face riiight here...

Al Pacino would be proud.

Must.. escape... cops... must... take... money... oooh ice cream!

I want some rocky road with sprinkles on t- ah f*$#% it!

So, how's your strawberry? Personally I'm partial to vanila.

YOU. DROPPED. MY. ICE. CREAM.

Oooh what does this button d- BOOOM!

Home is just across the street!

Standard cool pose at end of impossible blood-soaked killing spree

Quickie Reviews and my NEW BLOG!!!

2009-04-19T05:11:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while since I posted much of anything. Which is quite a surprise since I usually try to find time. So to make up for it, I'm unveiling a new blog of mine! www.vitaars.blogspot.com.

There I will be posting more personal and insightful things like my thoughts on life, god, politics, self, happenings around me, women, drugs and sex. Okay, maybe not those last three, but the others are a good start. Think of it as a personal Dear Diary for me while this one here is my babble on stuff you'd actually care to read about, like when will Transformers 2 release or is Lohan crazy or what?!

Anyway, here's some very quick reviews of four films I've just watched in the last couple of days.

17 Again

I saw the trailer expecting a complete trainwreck, cementing Zac Efron as a one hit wonder, a nameless member of a cast destined to disappear after their all too quick stop in the lime light. I thought this movie would suck. Well, consider me surprise to find out that, no, it did not suck. That's probably the best compliment this film will get out of me, though considering my bedrock low expectations, consider it a tremendous leap. Efron shows a hint of comedic talent and timing, perhaps a bit of promise that I did not see in any of the HMS flicks. Matthew Perry, sadly, is only around for such little time, it's disappointing to see how underrated the man is these days. The jokes range from amusing to being actually funny, though some of the romantic scenes between Zac and an older actress tends to be a bit too awkward for my taste. Nonetheless, I didn't have a bad time. In fact I had a decent time. It's not that you should go out and see this film, in fact it's perfectly alright to watch it from your room. But if you've got nothing else better to do at the mall, this isn't really that bad a choice of a film to spend an hour and a half on.

6.5 out of 10

Marley and Me

This movie is a sweet surprise, though is surprisingly lacking in actual laughs. The trailers showed this off to be a comedy but in reality, it's a sweet ballad to life, love, family and loyalty. It's a movie filled with so much honesty and optimism that goodie-tooshoes will eat it up. As a cynic and a critic, one might find the antics, the doggie drama and the melodramatic scenarios to be tedious and boring but dog-lovers will lap it up. People such as me. I'm not afraid to admit that I teared up in the end and that it is reminiscent of movies guys would hate because they love it. Still, it's a decent film that you should give a try.

7 out of 10

Monsters V.S. Aliens

I was totally hooked in Dreamwork's entry last year, Kung Fu Panda. It was the closest they ever got to Pixar, perhaps even a bit better than Pixar's lesser. Sure it was no Ratatouille or Wall-E or Finding Nemo, but it was good, and I'll be dammed if it wasn't gorgeous. So I was a bit disappointed that this year's entry was neither as beautiful or as heart-felt, but it's good nonetheless. Definitely better than the Ice Age and definitely a a good entry. It's hilarious and cute, a good animated film for sure. But I guess that's about it. Great fun in terms of entertainment, but in terms of value, isn't doing anything to further the art.

8 out of 10

Crank 2: High Voltage

Pure, unadultered, sick and stupid fun. It was completely impossible and for a large part of the first film, it made a complete fool of itself and that was why it was so popular. It's now wonder this movie did not show itself to critics, it seems impossible to think that any respectable critic worth his salt will say any kind word about this film. But then again, this is also the kind of movie that is critic-proof since it wasn't meant to be that kind of film. In fact it's meant to be the complete opposite and it does that extremely well. This is a testosterone filled ode to the idea of fun for guys maxed to the extreme. I cannot imagine any girl who might enjoy this movie and guys, there is no way in hell you should allow them to see this lewd, gross and one hell of a fun time. Still, after the first film this is starting to get tedious and I'm starting to think that is being to overstay it's welcome. Still if you guys are into this sort of thing then you might as well give it a shot.

6 out of 10

Watchmen Review!!! So is it worth your time?

2009-03-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

Watchmen

Directed by Zack Snyder
Starring Jackie Earl Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson, Billy Cudrup and Malin Akerman

Oh Watchmen, Watchmen... what will I ever do with you? After a long screening of a full 163 minutes, Alan Moore's masterpiece has been translated, finally on screen. We have finally seen the unfilmmable film. And what is the consensus? Frustratingly delighted.

While I will not go so far as to call the film a success, it is by no means a disaster either. The fact of the matter is, the film is one of highly polarizing ingredients. But one thing for sure, is that it is by no means a normal superhero movie, just as the Dark Knight was not and just as the original Graphic Novel was not.

Fanboys may be a bit warmer to the film than anyone who had not read it before. It's clear, since in the cinema I watched it in, most of the people stood up to leave before the credits even rolled. It's not an indication of a bad film, it's simply an indication of wrong expectations. Do not come in expecting an action-packed (though it does have its fair shair of guns and brawls). Instead, Zack Snyder follows a complex narrative that follows so fervently the panels of the graphic novel, so much to a fault. What results is an overly complex, indulgent and saturated story that manages to drag somewhat in the middle section.

This is perhaps Snyder's greatest fault, his refusal to stray from the comic page. The graphic novel was full of flashbacks and cutscenes. It had hundreds of little nuances and effects that only a graphic novel can execute, and Snyder attempts so fevershly to translate it all on screen. I can't help but feel that the movie would have fared much better had Snyder taken some artistic liberties and allowed the film to flow more naturally in a coherrent timeline. One of the greatest moments of the film was one in which Snyder took full artistic responsibilites, the opening sequence and credits, which follows a montage of gorgeus scenes depicting an America gone wrong. These scenes were absent completely from the graphic novel, but were envisioned so perfectly and exectuded so beuatifully, it makes for one of the best opening scenes in quite a while. I can't help but imagine just how better a film Watchmen would be had Snyder employed the same bravado in the latter areas.

I don't care too much also for some of the music chosen for the film. Zack Snyder seems to have put together a variety of old songs that range from brilliantly fitting to simply awkward. This showed even in the trailers in which the first featured a spine-chilling rendition of Smashing Pumpkins' "The End is the Beginning of the End" while the second trailer simply seemed poorly placed to the tune.

Then there's the actors, some of which are terribly miscart. Adrian Veidt, the world's smartest man, is now also the most cynical. A far cry from the gentle, peace-loving philosopher of the novel. Akerman certainly plays well the role of on-screen whore, and while her sexuality is evident, her acting still leaves much to be desired.

Still, some give an admirable performance, from an sad, sexually insecure Wilson as Niteowl to a tragic yet hate-filled turn from Morgan as the Comedian. Yet it is Haley as Rorsharch that steals the show. He is essentially to this movie what Joker was to The Dark Knight, a driving force of the narrative, a scene chewer and the backbone of the haunting message Watchmen delivers in a tour-de-force of depressing emotions. He ranges from frightening, a psycopathic vigilante and is basicall Batman gone wrong. Yet he can turn from lunatic to a broken soul in an instant, and his scenes are definitely among the most powerful moments of the film.

Then there's the story, driven together by Snyder's trademark visuals that are visually striking and haunting. While in its essence, the film lacks much of the punch of the graphic novel, aesthetically it is a beautifully engineered carbon copy. And that is a very good thing.

Still, when it comes to the story, it lacks, as I said, much of the punch. Perhaps its due to the flawed narrative, or the changed ending, or simply the acting of some of the characters, but in the end, Watchmen comes across as an indulgent film on the verge of fanaticism in terms of its fathfulness to the source material. If ever there was the case of a film being TOO faithful to its source, its Watchmen, because in the transition, it loses much of the subtler emotions the spring across, and the final, dark message in the climatic finale is much blunted. Make no mistake, it was a powerful experience, and my body was numb in what was perhaps the film's greatest moment. But even as I sat in awe at the finale, I can't help but feel that it lacked a certain key ingredient, and it was only later that I discovered what it was: meaning. The film attempts to be so much more than what it is, and instead falls so much shorter.

In the end, Watchmen is by no means a disaster. In fact, I'm pretty sure I loved it. But it is not the ultimate Watchmen film we have been waiting for, though its a pretty damn good effort. It would have been a great film had it not been hampered down by such prominent flaws. Still, I have to give props to Zack Snyder. He may have been erratic and fanatic in his execution, which led both the film's greath highlights and shortcomings, but at the very least his ambitious undertaking and rigorous faith in the source material is highly admirable. And in that case, this what the end result is: a highly admirable film that falls short but delivers just enough great moments that it wants to make me watch it again and again just for the experience.

7.5 out of 10

By the way, recently released are THREE brand new spanking trailers! Harry Potter 6, Up and Star Trek! Give em all a looksie!

Harry Potter 6

Up

Star Trek

MOVIE TRAILERS GALORE!

2009-03-03T01:28:00.000-08:00

Alright, a quick add on are the following movie trailers that have popped up recently. These trailers are all awesome, and if you've been hyped about seeing your first look at Transformers 2 or anything else, here's the best place to catch up. I'm including some old trailers of upcoming movies just in case you guys want as well

TERMINATOR SALVATION

STAR TREK (with alternate ending)

THE EDGE OF LOVE

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

INGLORIOUS BASTERDS

WATCHMEN

WOLVERINE

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

ANGELS AND DEMONS

LAND OF THE LOST

G.I. JOE: RISE OF COBRA

UP

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: CUEAW OF THE SMITHSONIAN

HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE

FAST AND FURIOUS

GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST

THE SOLOIST

CRANK 2: HIGH VOLTAGE

A COLLECTION of 2009 MOVIE PREVIEWS

SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEW: MY TOP TEN

2009-02-27T05:35:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. It was only a year ago that I made a list very similar to this, and boy was last summer great. Summer tends to give out the biggest blockbusters and moneymakers of the year, but last year Hollywood upped the ante. It started off with surprise smash hit Iron Man and ended with the now legendary Dark Knight. And in between were Hancock, Indiana Jones 4, Wanted, Wall-E, Kung Fu Panda, Incredible Hulk and Tropic Thunder. One would think it was a summer that can't be replicated. But here comes Hollywood refusing to go down without a fight, leaving most of us asking, "What economic recession?"

So here it is, my top ten most anticipated films of the summer

10. Monster v.s. Aliens

Directed by Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon
Starring Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen and Hugh Laurie

Release Date: March 26, 2009

While Kung Fu Panda last year was Dreamwork's little gem that took everyone by surprise, they attempt this year to recreate that success with not one, but two movie. The first is Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. That film, however, is edged out of this list mainly because of two things. 1.) It's overdone dog-heap and 2.) Dreamwork's other film is a far funnier and refreshing film. At least that's what it looks like for now. With a very straightforward concept of Aliens and Monsters kicking each other's butts, the trailers were both ammusing and promising. In fact it is similar in terms of hype with that of Kung Fu Panda, with a great voice cast to match (Dr. House as a Cockroach? Genius!), the mere fact that Kung Fu Panda made it much higher on my list last year than this film does this year is just a stiff reminder of just how stiff the competition is. I beg you people, forget Scratt and those prehistoric numbskulls, their living out their welcome. Instead, watch this, and convince Dreamworks to follow their current trend, which revolves around the simple idea that concept trumps colorful drawings.

9. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Directed by David Yates
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint

Release Date: July 17, 2009

This is another film that, under a more boring summer, would usually pop out in the upper echelon of my list. Instead it takes a bit of a backseat. Don't let that fool you though. While I was never an all out fan of the movie series, I'm not blind as not to notice a considerable improvement with the series. Each film certainly has its flaws, no question about that, but I've come to believe that as the series sinks deeper into mature, adult territory as the book series has done, it also becomes wildly intruiging in both concept and execution. The book series was glorious fun the first half, style over subtstance over the middle, and dangerously dark, grim and tragic in the final chapters. The film series is following this trend, which gives rise to the idea that its success may depend on whatever book its based on, and if that's the fact, then we're in for a twisted treat. I've always thought that while The Half-Blood Prince was very lacking in action, it more than made up for it with one of the most shockingly grim storyline in the series. I yearn to finally see Harry step into adulthood in the film, and hope dearly that they get it right.

8. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Directed by Michael Bay
Starring Shia LeBeouf, Megean Fox

Release Date: June 24, 2009

Transformers is one of those sure fire hits that no one shouuld ever underestimate. Sure, you can go right ahead and overestimate, its easy to do with the substance-devoid series, but you have to understand its mass appeal. But that's easy to do, incredibly easy, actually. In fact, you can sum it all up into three basic foundations of success for transformers. The three B's: Bots, Babes and Booms. Hey, who wouldn't watch a film ridiculed with the biggest explosions and dizzying action possible onscreen, done so by a variety of shape-shifting giant robots. All the while Megean Fox runs around flaunting her ass--ets... You know what I mean. This coming after the fact that she had just finally broken up with her boyfriend (whose name she tattoed on her vagina. Whoa, will that be awkward for her eventual husband/life partner). Still, it's got all the ingridients for a brainless blast. So if there's any of you out there who are looking for the big no-brainer, here you are. Personally, I'm happy this is the only no-brainer in the list. We will always need a no-brainer blockbuster, but really, we only need one. Transformers is the man for the job.

7. The Soloist

Directed by Joe Wright
Starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx

Release Date: April 24, 2009

There really is only one reason this film ranks higher than the previous three-sure-fire hits. Robert Downey Jr. He's the hottest star out there right now, yes, hotter than Johnny Depp. He's the comeback kid, and both his films last year were huge hits. I'm not so sure that The Soloist will be the same, at least financially. But at the very least, it's a perfect opportunity for Robert to flex his drama chops with this guy buddy drama that once again highlights the crucial fact that the guy loves himself black bff's. Still, both are great actors, and this coming from the director of Atonement, well we're in for a real treat. It may not be your cup of tea, in fact it might not even be mine. But seeing as this is the first Robert Downey film at least until his Sherlock Holmes role later this year, we might as well take whatever we can get from the guy. He's a virtual goldmine right now.

6. X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Directed by Gavin Hood
Starring Hugh Jackman

Release Date: May 1, 2009

My inner fanboy is giving my inner cynic a good kick in the ass right now. I mean, c'mon! Wolverine standing at only number 6? But that's just the way it goes folks, and there's only one to blame for the low standing- Marvel. There has been horrid talks over the last few months that the producers have been making demands on director Gavin Hood, and that there have been many arguments due to the insistent creative limitations being imposed. I suppose they want a big bang bullet-riddled bonanza while Hood wants a more story-lined approach. Whatver the case, it's stupid that they limit the talented Hood like that, and reports are saying the movie is worse off because of it. Don't let that get you too down, however. Producer intervention or not, Gavin Hood is a very capable director while Hugh Jackman is one talented SOB. Both have expressed their utmost desire to make this movie the best it can be. Add in a slew of new mutants from Blob, Deadpool, Silver Fox and the ever elusive Gambit, and we have here the Marvel film of the year.

5. Public Enemies

Directed by Michael Mann
Starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale

Release Date: July 1, 2009

First off, who wouldn't want to see Captain Jack Sparrow square off with Batman. It's been a while since we've had any gangster films. Sure there were some mob films, but as in Al Capone style gangster flicks? It's been a while. And finally, Hollywood's seen the gap, and they're making up for it in a big way. First they get genius director Michael Mann (Heat, Collateral) whose film was Nolan's inspiration for Dark Knight. Then you get the two huge stars, both of which are talented actors in their own right. It's hard to get a better formula for success than that. Sure it isn't as big-named as others on this list, but mark my words this is probably one of the few sure-fire great films of the list.

4. Terminator Salvation

Directed by McG
Starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington

Release Date: May 21, 2009

When I heard that the man who directed Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle was doing the new Terminator movie, I thought for sure the series was doomed. I mean, part three was horrible, but at least it tried as much to get back the old magic. I was expecting pure crap. But then the news that Christian Bale came out. Then I my interes was piqued. Then the artworks came out, along with that god-awesome mobile poster. Then came the Comic-on in which McG actually made sense in how he described the film’s storyline. It was becoming increasingly clear that they were taking this one seriously. Then the trailer arrived, and lest we beheld a dark future for the universe. It’s by no means a sure hit or a guaranteed quality movie, but so far it’s been looking better and better to the point that I’m actually excited enough to place this film this high up the board. Bravo, McG. Bravo.

3. Up

Directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson
Starring Edward Asner and Jordan Nagai

Release Date: May 29, 2009

Whenever Pixar decides to unleash one of its films, there is absolutely no reason not to trust them. If they announce that their next movie centers around a sterile homophobic frog trying to assassinate Paris Hilton, then you can be assured a genius film. Here we have yet another feel-good classic in the making, and all signs point to Pixar domination for years on to come. The competition doesn’t even come close, and these creative bastards seem to have a hidden warehouse filled with brilliant ideas. These guys have a mission, to weave beautiful, heart-warming stories that universally breathes life into our dull, dreary life. Damn those fascist animators!

2. Star Trek

Directed by J.J. Abrams
Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Eric Bana and Simon Pegg

Release Date: May 8, 2009

Normally, Pixar takes this spot, or maybe even the top, but I’ve decided to put this film right on top mainly because of one thing:intrigue. I know what to expect from Pixar –genius. But this film is highly volatile in the way that you’re not exactly sure what they have in store for you, but all signs point to just damn awesome. Take note, this isn’t your Dad’s Star Trek. Nor is it the same Star Trek that have been with us for decades. Sure it features the same characters (albeit with younger actors) of the original series, but one look from the trailer and you know that J.J. Abrams is on a mission to make it cool once again to be a Trekie, especially in this generation. After watching the original series, I have to say I’m psyched beyond compare to finally see this film and see what exactly they have in store for us. Stardate out.

1. Watchmen

Directed by Zack Snyder
Starring Jackie Earl Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Malin Akerman

Release Date: March 6, 2009

If there’s one film that defied the impossible, it’s Watchmen. When first released, the comic, dubbed the greatest one ever made, was called unfilmable. And for decades it was. Then 300's Zack Snyder came along and brought it up, unrelenting, uncompromising, and smartly as close to the novel as possible. The trailers are amazing, and if there is any successor in Dark Knight's mantle for a comic movie that pushed the boundaries of the genre, it's this. That also makes it unimissable. So grab the comic, watch the film and enjoy the graphic bonanza.

OSCAR WINNERS

2009-02-22T22:54:00.000-08:00

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - Christian Colson

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Winner: Sean Penn for Milk (2008/I)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Winner: Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)

Best Achievement in Directing

Winner: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

Winner: Okuribito (2008)(Japan)

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - A.R. Rahman, Sampooran Singh Gulzar("Jai Ho")

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - A.R. Rahman

Best Achievement in Editing

Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - Chris Dickens

Best Achievement in Sound

Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty

Best Achievement in Sound Editing

Winner: The Dark Knight (2008) - Richard King

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, Craig Barron

Best Documentary, Short Subjects

Winner: Smile Pinki (2008) - Megan Mylan

Best Documentary, Features

Winner: Man on Wire (2008) - James Marsh, Simon Chinn

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Winner: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)

Best Short Film, Live Action

Winner: Spielzeugland (2007) - Jochen Alexander Freydank

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - Anthony Dod Mantle

Best Achievement in Makeup

Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - Greg Cannom

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Winner: The Duchess (2008) - Michael O'Connor

Best Achievement in Art Direction

Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo

Best Short Film, Animated

Winner: Maison en petits cubes, La (2008) - Kunio Katô

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

Winner: WALL·E (2008) - Andrew Stanton

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - Simon Beaufoy

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Winner: Milk (2008/I) - Dustin Lance Black

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Winner: Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

From IMDB

And that's a wrap, folks

OSCARS: And here. we. go.

2009-02-22T17:29:00.000-08:00

Alright, the Oscar telecast is within a few hours. So what have we to expect? Well no one is entirely sure, but damn am I excited. Anyway, up here are my official predictions for the race, and the most likely dark horse which may steal the award from the frontrunner.

Best Picture

Who will win: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

If the academy has any brains, this film better win.

Who might win: THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

People love em some Bradd Pitt

Best Actor

Who will win: Mickey Rourke

Come back stories make good press

Who might win: Sean Penn

Potentially the greatest performance from the guy

Best Actress

Who will win: Kate Winslet

It's long overdue folks

Who might win: Anne Hathaway

Streep's had her due and Jolie's just not ready.

Best Supporting Actor

Who will win: Heath Ledger

Why so serious?

Who might win: Heath Ledger

The purest locked sure-win ever since Lord of the Rings 3

Best Supporting Actress

Who will win: Penelope Cruz

Haven't seen the performance though

Who might win:Marisa Tomei

Love this girl.

Best Director

Who will win: Danny Boyle

Two words- Slumdog Sweep

Who might win: David Fincher

The forgotten frontrunner

Best Original Screenplay

Who will win: Milk

Their consolation prize of Penn loses

Who might win: Wall-E

A considerable break from tradition

Best Adapted Screenplay

Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire

No question here

Who might win: Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Looks like a potential brawl here

Best Cinematography

Who will win: Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Amazing scenes here

Who might win: The Dark Knight

Its heart-breaking, really

Best Editing

Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire

A giddy, unusual choice

Who might win: The Dark Knight

Pay the knight his dues

Best Art Direction

Who will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Beautiful art here. Just beautiful

Who might win: The Duchess

Period pieces need their cut

Best Costume

Who will win: The Duchess

Only true period piece in the bunch

Who might win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

A safe choice

Best Makeup

Who will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

They made Brad Pitt young again!

Who might win: The Dark Knight

Want to see a pencil trick?

Best Score

Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire

Dance to M.I.A.

Who might win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I see a rivalry brewing here

Best Song

Who will win: Wall-E

Beautiful song.

Who might win: Either Slumdog songs

Not sure what they mean

Best Sound Editing

Who will win: Wall-E

They were amazing, those robots

Who might win: The Dark Knight

Great gatsby, Batman!

Best Visual Effects

Who will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Amazing effects on the age thing. Amazing

Who might win: Iron Man

OSCAR WATCH: MILK

2009-02-07T18:26:00.000-08:00

It's the Oscar season, and it's time for me to feature a semi-daily feature on an Oscar movie to watch for:

Today, we feature:

Milk

Synopsis
His life changed history. His courage changed lives. In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged coalitions across the political spectrum. From senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights and became, before his untimely death in 1978, a hero for all Americans.

Cast
Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, James Franco

Director
Gus Van Sant

Rotten Tomatoes Score
93%

My Take
A biopic that transcends conventional autobiographic tendencies by Oscar-hungry producers, this film triumphs in a combination of emotional, political and nostalgia. It feels like the 70's, it throbs like the 70's, it is the 70's. Featuring an amazing cast, and a talented director, it does everything far beyond competence. If there is one fault, it is a glaring one, and that everything seems to hinge on the portrayal of the titular character, Milk, by Sean Penn. And I have to say, this is arguably the best performance of his already stellar career. The man immerses himself into the character so completely, from the light steps, a feminine twist of the hips or the the inherently joyful speaking patterns. This is Hollywood badboy, Sean Penn, who has transformed himself to this warm, embodiment of human joy and hope. I can't shake the fact that without Penn, this film would have fallen into complete mediocrity, and I suspect that everything else only looks better than the are because of Penn's performance. But Penn is there, and as a result, we have this great Oscar contender.

8.5/10

Oscar Chances

BEST PICTURE

This is Slumdog's year, though aside from Benjamin Button, Milk was the only movie assured a nomination slot. It, however, doesn't stand a chance in getting top award.

Chance: 0%

BEST DIRECTOR

Gus Van Sant is a commendable, if largely unknown, director, and he did a great movie. Unfortunately, with big names such as David Fincher and the inevitable winner- Danny Boyle- Van San will have to continue his oscar trek long after this month's ceremony.

Chance: 0%

BEST ACTOR

Probably the biggest prize Milk has a serious chance in taking home. As I have yet to watch Wrestler, I cannot say which of the two should win, but I can say that Milk is certainly an early favorite. His biggest competitors would come in the form of Mickey Rourke and Frank Langella

Chance: 40%

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Josh Brolin was good as Dan White, but not great. In fact, this category seems relatively weak this year around, leaving the late Heath Ledger a surefire win for this year.

Chance: 0%

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

With Slumdog, Frost/Nixon, Reader and Benjamin Button all falling under Adapted Screenplay, Milk practically has Original Screenplay all to itself. It's biggest competitors may come in the form of Happy-Go-Lucky or maybe a bit of In Burges. There's even a surprising dark horse in the race in the form of the alway lovable Wall-E, which may come in and still this prize. Otherwise, however, Milk has the biggest hold on this category, what with all its best picture buddies in the other field.

Chance: 70%

BEST EDITING

Milk wasn't too hot on the editing aspect. It did a solid job on it, but there were far more stand-out cutting from other films. Here it has to deal with Slumdog AND BEnjamin Button, both of which had an excellent flow. Then there's The Dark Knight, which seems to have grabbed a nomination for every technical award. Milk may not be so hot against such stiff competition.

Chance: 10%

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Milk actually had pretty great costumes. These, along with the set pieces, all created a very authentic aura of the 70's reovlutionary era. Yet, with competition from Australia and The Duchess, both very period based films high on the fluffy costumes, it seems to have its work cut out for it. Then there's the clear dominating force in this category, Benjamin Button, which was just awe-inspiring in everything it did. There is a chance, though, a very small chance, for Milk.

Chance 15%

BEST SCORE

What score? I'm just kidding, but the score, while solid, was nothing spectacular. I wish The Dark Knight was granted this nomination instead for its eerie metallic music. Milk stands with no chance in this category. The academy would most likely try something new with the Indian tunes of Slumdog. And even if it decides against that, it has the safe fall back of Benjamin Button's haunting music. Both of which infinitely better, like the Dark Knight, than what we have in Milk, whose only stand out tune was a gripping opera-stradden final act.

Chance: 0%

On an unrelated issue, it has just been announced that Christopher Nolan and his brother have been secretly writing the script for Batman 3 for some time now. I can't wait to see what they have in mind. Nolan, you sly dog you, show these oscar ruffians what Best Picture is all about

The Grammy's, The Oscars, Kobe, Phelps, Batman and more!

2009-02-04T04:36:00.000-08:00

Been a while since my last update so I'll blitz through some topics quick as can be so I can go back to my hellhole and cry in despair for the lost of my ambiguity... or I could eat ice-cream, whichever I'm feeling more like doing.

MUSIC

Hot off the Charts, Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You" has broken the Chart record for biggest leap with a quantum leap from 97-1. It beat previous record holder "Womanizer" by Britney Spears with a 96-1 leap. It would probably be more impressive if the record wasn't broken for about a dozen times last time, but it's impressive enough for Clarkson whose failed bid for a more Rockstar persona was a bit of a disaster for her career.

Aside from that, I've spotted some of the posters for the year's Grammy Awards. It's titled, "The Music That Makes Us" and it takes the meaning a bit literally. But I suppose that's just the genius of it. It is instantly visually stimulating, from the iconic faces to the great color balance. Some are better than others, but it's all really a great concept. It features artists such as Rihanna, Stevie Wonder, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and even rockband Coldplay. It's clear that more are on the way so keep an eye out for them.

SPORTS

There's been some major news in sports from the three-hour Nadal-Federer match (my grandma stayed up all night watching it-bless her), the Kobe's amazing 61-point record breaker in Madison Square Garden right after accidentally breaking his own teammate's foot (Bynum is out of commission and was also out around the same time last year). The guy is unstoppable, and quite arguably the best player out there now. The King has nothing against the Mamba, not yet anyway. He's just going to have to wait his turn.

Then of course there's the SuperBowl. This was the first year I watched it and it's a good thing too because the game was amazing @_@ Both teams performed splendidly, I first gave the game to the Steelers but the Cardinals took over for a huge portion of the latter periods. That was until Steelers made this amazing catch with less than a minute in the final period. It was amazing and if this is what football is like, I'm defintley going to try to catch more.

But of course, the biggest news in Sports is Michael Phelps and his bong. (Marijuana for the sober and uninitiated). It's pretty big news that the big guy was dumb enough to actually do it (it happend in November last year), and it's amazing that it only leaked out now. Well to be fair to the guy, it was only once (or so the guy says) and he says he's really really REALLY sorry. Awww, well that makes it okay then!

But really, the most saddening part is the backlash. Phelps isn't the first icon to fall into the notoriety of drug abuse (nor will he be the last, I swear it! Being a high olympic gold medalist is, of course, my life dream... next to world domination). But everyone's slamming the guy, and the fact that the only guys not ripping him to pieces are YouTube users who are high themselves. Cool dude... I really hope Phelps pulls through this though, he's much too big an inspirational icon to allow himself to be dragged into all this crap.

POLITICS

I want to talk about local politics, but the fact of the matter is that everything that needs to be said about our current tyrann- i mean- democratic government has been said (and ignored) and, truthfully I'm sick of seeing the same headlines over and over again. Give me hope or give me death! Or at least enough pots to do one session with Phelps.

So more unto other stuff, like the man of the moment, and my personal hero (I drew a crayon drawing of him the other day visiting my house. My dog then peed on it and I got sad) Barrack Obama. 15 days into his presidency and 4 of his appointees have been dogged by tax scandals. To be fair, they're all a fairly small amount (for millionaires at least) and were quickly paid before the vetting process. And to be more fair, all four were pretty straightforward, and I can chalk it up to personal mistakes. I mean, the taxes came from varying sources from borrowing a friend's care to charitable institute donations. Not exactly a Rod here. But of the four, only one made it through confirmation. The latest, Tom Daschle, just withdrew his name for Secretary of Health, despite the fact that he was going to be confirmed despite the tax questions. He cited he didn't want to be a distraction, and while I personally think it's better off he goes through with it, I have to admire the show of integrity.

What is more intersting for me, however, is Obama's response in saying, "I screwed up". He went on to say that he takes full responsibility and that they should have treaded uch more carefully. 15 days into his presidency and he's already saying sorry. No, I'm not blasting the guy, it's actually quite admirable.

Take a look at the former president and vice-president, the pair dragged America into two wars, the edge of an economic meltdown, the collapse of the environment and a broken foreign image. During their last few days, the closest thing to an apology the press could get out of Bush was that he would have done some things " a litte differently", a stark contrast from his vice-puppeteer Cheney who said that he'd basically do everything all over again.

It's refreshing to see a figure that big actually own up to the public, and to be frank the case wasn't even that big. Still, in a world where world leaders sing made-up successes, hide a pocketful of scandals and tear down any ciritcs by branding them as against the growth of the nation, it's comforting to find that the most powerful man on Earth could, a few weeks into his role, be man enough to simply saw that he screwed up.
COMICS

In a slight connection with the man above, Spiderman #583 has hit fifth printing. FIFTH printing, man! I only just got the 3rd printing because of how fast it disappeared from the shelves but this book is destined for collection status. Marvel could very well be printing money instead of comics at the rate it's going. And if you wonder for what reason could this issue of Spiderman be so popular, well just look at the cover below...

And to think the guy only appears in 5 pages.

To other news, Final Crisis wrapped up this week but everyone's still talking about it's biggest casualty. To anyone who reads comics and haven't read Final Crisis yet, stop reading. If you have read it or just don't care, as you were.

Anyway, in the final pages of issue 6, Batman, having escaped his mental prison, comes face to face with the god Darkseid himself, the epitome of evil. Using a radion filled bullet, Batman shot the dude in the chest, lethally wounding him, but not before getting a shot out of his eyes at Batman. In trademark Batman wit, the Dark Knight lets out one last word before getting his head fried... "Gotcha."

R.I.P. Batman (at least until they decide to ressurect the dude)

MOVIES

It's been a wild couple of weeks in movies, from Christian Bale going all pycho on the set (I won't judge though, since you never know the situation). As of which I have so far finished The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire. I'd put up the review, but since I'm getting to watch Milk soon along with Doubt, I'm delaying my special Oscar entry for later on.

But for those of you who want to know the date to cross out on your calendars, it's February 22.

(I swear to God I'm boycotting the whole thing altogether if Slumdog doesn't win)

By the way, if you're a fan of Avatar the Last Airbender, then get a treat out of the casting news. Most of the guys are unknowns, even to me. But there are a few familiar places. Take for example the guy playing Jasper in Twilight, he's doing Sokka in the movie. But of course the biggest news is Jesse McCarthney dropping out in playing Zuko and being replaced by none other than Slumdog Millionaire himself. What do you think? I, for one, think that it's an inspired choice. (P.S. Sixth Sense director M. Night Shaymalan is directing.)

THE OSCAR NOMINATIONS ARE IN!!!

2009-01-24T05:11:00.000-08:00

And here... we... go...

BEST PICTURE

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Frost/Nixon”

“Milk”

“The Reader”

“Slumdog Millionaire”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor”

Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon”

Sean Penn in “Milk”

Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married”

Angelina Jolie in “Changeling”

Melissa Leo in “Frozen River”

Meryl Streep in “Doubt”

Kate Winslet in “The Reader”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Josh Brolin in “Milk”

Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder”

Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt”

Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight”

Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Amy Adams in “Doubt”

Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

Viola Davis in “Doubt”

Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler”

BEST DIRECTOR

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” David Fincher

“Frost/Nixon”, Ron Howard

“Milk”, Gus Van Sant

“The Reader”, Stephen Daldry

“Slumdog Millionaire”, Danny Boyle

The rest of the nominees can be found here

And what are my thoughts on the nominations this year?

@@#$@$%@#%!%$@#$%!!!!!!

and then some.

Well actually I've calmed down a bit now from the shocking news that not only did the Oscars snub THE DARK KNIGHT for best picture, but also for both best director and best adapted screenplay.
To be honest, when I first viewed the film earlier last year, I did not believe that in a million years would it be nominated for Best Picture. A Best Supporting Actor would have sufficed (which it did eventually get). But the fact is, over the last few months, the movie has grown tremendous momentum, nabbing nominations in all three guilds (DGA, PGA and SGA) as well as getting nominated for a number of Critics Awards. What surprises the most isn't that it was snubbed, it was that they replaced it with a little known film The Reader which is barely scoring a 60% in Rotten Tomatoes. It's a mediocre film that revolves around an Oscar-favorite theme- the holocaust.

What frustrates me the most is that ten years from now no one will ever remember what the heck The Reader was but The Dark Knight is already a genre-transcending sensation. To be honest, Dark Knight will go on into legendary status without a nomination, plenty of films have done the same. But a nomination would have really made this such an exciting race, and the Oscars would finally have been able to embrace a genre that it has shun from the very start. Now that they've kicked it out of the race, they probably signed their own death certificates. Last year's awards garnered the lowest audience in its entire history because all its nominees were little-known films. Now that they've taken the 500+ million dollar grossing Dark Knight out, they've left themselves the same problem and failed to answer the growing questions on whether they are still relevant to the views of the rest of the world.

Thing is the Oscars are not accurate, they haven't been for some time, and they always seem to ignore some of the best achievements in filmmaking, The Dark Knight simply is the latest and probably the bigges travesty in recent memory. It's alright though, The Oscars needs the Dark Knight more than the Dark Knight needs the Oscars.

Make no mistake, I don't want The Dark Knight to win, despite how it would please my inner fanboy. In fact, even if nominated I'd still place my bets on Slumdog Millionaire. But a dark entry would have shaken up the race considerably (3/4 of people in a poll revealed that they'd watch the Oscars if Dark Knight was nominated) and proven that the Oscars are still relevant.

And now that they've shunned what would probably be the best bet in embracing the superhero genre, they've dammed themselves into chaos. At least the Joker would have been pleased.

My predictions on the Oscars to come next week! Wait for it then! For now, I've seen only 2 of the Best Picture nominees: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (a thoughtful and deep look into the human psyche) and Slumdog Millionaire (probably the most heartwarming and orginal tale to come in recent time). They're both amazing, Slumdog Millionaire in fact is so good it's making me rethink my number one pick for BEst Film (THe Dark Knight). No mean feat I can assure you. Well until next time!!!

-Kevin Ang

OBAMA: It's official

2009-01-20T05:45:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a break from movies to discuss probably the one thing that gave me more excitement this year.

At this moment, as I'm talking, CNN is waiting for Barrack Obama to emerge from the Blair House. Panning to the National Mall, there is a crowd that is by far the biggest I have ever seen on screen. The EDSA Revolutions crowds cannot compare. Yet these do not show signs of tumult. You don't see the wars raging around the world, the economic crisis raging in every nation. For one gratifying moment, you notice that what you see is hope, pure unadultered hope. And from all that I've seen on screen, fictional or not, this is the first time I've seen it in my 19 years of life.

I am Filipino, to those of you who don't know me personally. By blood I am Chinese. So by relation I am pretty much as far as far can be. But that's just the thing, I believe that I'm not the only non-American who is as excited about this event as I am, who is as inspired as this as I am.
Proof lies in the fact that there seems to be so many people of different cultures there on that place. They all brace the cold just to catch a glimpse, starting the trek there as early as 1 in the morning and enduring until mid afternoon. They all come for one reason alone.

Historic is too weak a word.

I have to admit, I feel a bit guilty, being so engrossed in the hopes of another nation, while mine still struggles endlessly with itself. But before this man came by, I had no interest in Politics whatsoever, with the concept that America is a falling power, China is a rising power that may have too much, wars are a daily thing and that my nation is a lost cause. This man changes perspective, but more than that he has given hope.

Fact is, he might not succeed. He might fail in every problem that he inherits. He might make more, but that's not the point. Just looking at the goodwill that radiates from those people, from the man himself, it takes away just for a moment all your doubts and for a moment, just a moment, you can't help but let yourself go with the moment.

I used to have no hope in my own nation, with a people of flawed perception, an inherrently corrupt government and fast falling hope. It still looks today as dim as ever, but at the very least, I've had a change of heart, and I now at least think that maybe, just maybe, we might have ourselves a better future.

I've never really had much of a role model. Whenever asked as a small kid, I really couldn't find a solid answer, not even any of the fantastic cartoon characters around. But now, at the age of 19, I think I now understand why I was so engrossed by this man's journey from obscurity to this impossible achievement, to this moment that everyone keeps repeating over and over that they never thought they would ever see in their lifetime. I finally realize that I'd like to be this man, or at least model my virtues after his, to treat life, its hardships and its joys, just as he does. This guy is officially my role model. As he is to probably billions of others.

So as the crowds now chant, and a man silently reflects in St John's for an hour before he undertakes his greatest task, we should all realize that this is just the launching of on of the greatest historic journeys we shall ever notice. It may be America, but now, of all times, it should be all about the future of everyone and how we progress into the future. We do not know how well it might turn out, or rather how un-well. But for this moment at least, we can hope, and dream big.

BEST PICTURES OF THE YEAR

2009-01-06T05:24:00.000-08:00

It's the end of the year, again. Time flies so fast and already we're at the end of the worl- i mean another year of grand films to mark the grandeur that is film making. Already, awards season is under way and so I've decided to make my own hit list of movies that went above adn beyond the call of the wild this year.

MOST UNDERRATED MOVIE

Speed Racer

Say all you want- hate it or love it, Speed Racer dared to be unique. Sure the candy-colored swirling vortexes of doom on the screen probably caused worldwide children epilepsy, but at least they had the seizures with a smile on their face. The Wachowski Brothers have fallen quite far since their Matrix days. In fact, their Matrix days did the pushing, and this movie showed just how out-of-grace they are. It was a box-office flop, one of the worst financial bombs of the year, considering it took some money making. It may have not been a great movie, hell it probably was bordering on decent, but the visual style was over the edge, ambitious and had more spunk to it than all those other underacheiving crap we'll see from any other anime adaptations (cough Dragonball cough). Add the fact that I did actually fairly enjoy aspects of it and I have to say that this quirky film is probably the most underappreciated of the year.

Runner-up:

The Bank Job

This baby was nearly chosen, mostly because it was a far better movie than Speed Racer and it wasn't much known elswhere. But I have to admit that it did pretty well in UK and reviews do give it a lot of love, so in the case of underappreciation, Speed Racer still beats it.

MOST OVERRATED MOVIE

Twilight

This one was a real toughie, mostly because two uber-hyped movies that caused people to go *squale* easily fell into this category. Both lacked actual quality that deserves such fandom, and both are phenomenons in their own right. But in the end, you just can't do worse than vampires who haven't gotten some love action for several centuries. In terms of overrated, this one beats them all. Fans nearly crushed star Robert Patkinson while he was out groccery shopping, and the film wasn't even showing yet! On a normal day, I'd envy his ability to have girls want to rip his body apart and slather it with affection. But this is an abnormal day, and I... still envy him. Hey what can I say? I'm desperate.
Still, have all the swooning fangirls demanding you watch the film, the annoying squaling in the cinema house whenever the male bastard shows up on screen and the constant obsessions with all things Twilight from the sold-out soundtrack to the posters every straight girl seems to dead bent on getting their picture taken with.
Take all that into account and realize this: the movie sucks. How much more overrated can you get?

Runner-Up

High School Musical 3

Another sure contendor in the much abused-by-fans-but-not-really-worth-it category. But at the very least it featured nice dances and songs, plus it made a lot of children all over the world get the craving for a musical performance. Not much movies can claim that these days. So yah, it has it's merits.

MOST DISAPPOINTING MOVIE

Quantum of Solace

I really really REALLY feel bad about putting Bond under this category. Not because I was not disappointed, because I really was, but because it actually was a very good action movie. But it had let me down on almost all aspects. Sure the action scenes were cranked up a notch, but they tried to mimick Bourne so much that I could barely tell what was going on, that and the constant action scense made me numb. Action scenes are fine, but give the audience's eyes time to relax! In comparisson, Casino Royale's action was smooth, graceful and heart-stopping. Give me that over James Bourne any day. In addition, Daniel Craig was sorely underused. It's a big waste of talent as he had made James Bond so emphatically human in the first film and here he jsut seems like an empty shell. He is still brilliant by the way, and he has many great moments. But there could have been so much more.
Again, I really hate having to put this movie here, because it's actually pretty good. So you'll see me compensate this movie in a better category later on.

Runner-Up

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skulls

CGI monkeys? Alien skulls? Nuclear refrigerators?? What the hell was George Lucas thinking!? (I'm saying Lucas because there's now way in hell Spielberg thought these up). Alright, the movie isn't bad, in fact it's very good, and like Quantum it's a shame to put it here. But facts are facts and judging the talent involved I would have liked more Indy with my soup. Nonetheless, it's for me better than Temple of Doom and still worthy enough to be said in the same breadth as the other titles. I'm still willing to accept the fact that although they nuked the fridge, it didn't quite kill the series. Not yet at least for me.

BEST TRAILERS

The Dark Knight

This movie featured a slew of great trailers, here and far. But no other trailer made me drool more than The Dark Knight. With the intense viral marketing campaign, the sets of trailers featured by the film was just pitch perfect. First a naughty little tease with Joker's voice making a lethal promise to kill people. Then a first look, with brief glances at the late Ledger in make-up and oh was it beautiful. The lines he spewed were just spine-chilling, added with an amazing score by Hans Zimmer and amazing editing, no other trailer this year made me scream in desperation than the ones featured by this film right here.

Runner-up

The Watchmen

It's not showing just yet, but the first trailer of this film was just amazing. There were barely any words, but the images shown were iconic, amazing and filled with nostalgia. Rorsharch showed how kick-ass he really is, finally. Oh and Smashing Pumpkins for the music? GENIUS!!!!

WORST TRAILER

The Spirit

I have to admit, the posters could be pretty cool. They would have made pretty cool posters for Sin City. But the trailer? It looks like some cheap porno with a clueless dude getting hit on by a vareiety of ridiculously sex-obssessed women. That and crazy Samuel Jackson obssessed with the number 8. To think that the original comic was made by Will Eisner, the man who helped create Disney. It was clean, fun and adventurous. One look at this trailer and you just know his body just banged its head on the nails of its coffin.

Runner-Up

Meet Dave

Really now, one look at this trailer and interest is just flushed down the toilet. It's not really the trailer's fault, seeing as no trailer could ever make a movie like that look good.

BEST POSTER

The Dark Knight

Again? Well yah, before you cry afoul, you have to admit that that sweet poster up there is simply one of the best in recent memory. It's simple, its nothing flashy. No big names, no nothing. But one look at it, and you know, you just know that deep down in your heart, your blood cells just curled up and died. Yes, it's that good. The Dark Knight provided the best viral campaign... EVAH!!! That includes trailers, events, website and, yest, even posters.

Runner-up

Burn After Reading

Really now, this retro style is no longer widley used, butBurn After Reading really showed them that the retro styl is still a force to be reckoned with. I loved this poster the moment I saw it, and a little flaunting off of big names doesn't hurt either.

WORST POSTERS

In this category I'm giving 5 because I just couldn't decide which one was crappier

THE HOTTIE AND THE NOTTIE

Iew. I mean, just... iew!!!! That girl is disgusting! I pity the poor acme-troubled girl standing behind that bitch.

BANGKOK DANGEROUS

As if Nicholas Cage's hair wasn't bad enough, this poster is just anatomically dumbfounding. What, is his right hand dislocated or something? That angle is friggin impossible. Oh and yah, is he actually scratching his armpit!?

CHAPTER 27

Jared Leto. I mean, props to him for doing this to himself for the movie, but flaunting just how... uhm... far he went does nothing for me to want to see this movie. Like yah.. iew. (Jean's gonna kill me for this)

ONE MISSED CALL

Watch out! E.T.'s gone rouge and is conquering the world one prank call at a time! I mean really, wadahek were they thinking!?

OVER HER DEAD BODY

When I first saw this poster in the papers, I thought it was some lousy photoshop add-on the locals tend to do in barbarically ripping off movies to make them look more "appealing". Then I realized this was actually the original poster. Jeez man, Photoshop 101 people!!!

MALE STAR OF THE YEAR

Robert Downey Jr.

This is perhaps one of the biggest comebacks of the modern era, and no other actor deserves it more. He is brilliant in every role he plays and now he's back with a vengeance. Starring in Iron Man and Tropic Thunder (also the Violinist excpet it was moved), he is all of a sudden the most bankable star around. Then he gets a gig as both Sherlock Holmes and Hugh Hefner. I am suddenly very very excited in everything with this man's name on it. It's his year, everyone else is just background noise.

Runner-up

Heath Ledger

While Downey was the most inspirational comeback story this year, Ledger is the most tragic. An accidental overdose the same year he gives the performance of his career, a role that redefined the modern villain. Poor Ledger. He will be missed.

BEST FEMALE STAR OF THE YEAR

Angelina Jolie

She kicked considerable ass in Wanted, but that wasn't enough. She also voiced a butt kicking tiger in Kung Fu Panda. She then starred in Changeling, directed by the venerable Clint Eastwood himself. It's a turn that has gotten her Best Actress nominations in both the SAG and Golden Globes. But I suppose it's her actions off-screen that deserves the most praise. After adopting her like 100th child, she and hunka hubby Brad Pitt actually let lose their first blood child. And she shows no sign of stopping. Add the fact that she is constantly off in Africa somewhere helping Billy out of the well and performing miracles with her incredibly pouty lips, she gets top spot for simply having a heart of gold.

Runner-up

Tina Fey

She's more of a TV personality than that of movies. And considering the star power I was thinking of for the top spot (Miley Cyrus, Anne Hathaway, Amy Adams, Merryl Streep, Megan Fox), it's a surprise she got so close to the top. And there's only one reason for this: Sarah Palin. What other star can be credited in helping a man win the election. Obama would probably have won without her, but Palin's interpretation of what was once the untouchable Sarah Palin made everyone think of the real deal as Snowman Bimbo. McCain was once leading because of Palin. But after Fey did a couple of amazing spoofs of the candidate, Palin would never ever recover. And Tina Fey did it by simply using exactly what Palin said during her interviews.

BEST ACTION MOVIE

QUANTUM OF SOLACE

Despite the movie’s many flaws, one has to admit it is still one of the most solid Bond movie in recent history, that and despite its overdose of Bournesque action, you can’t help but be amazed by the amazing action sequences put in display before you. Sure you can’t always tell what’s going on, but it keeps the story at brisk break-neck speed. That and it still manages to maintain a heart as the film does keep in line with the tone of the new franchise. In the end, it does leave me wanting for more Bond.

Runner-up

WANTED

Wanted left me perplexed. The scenes were highly stylized, very enjoyable and downright kick-ass. The story, however, seemed poorly executed in comparison and as a result, some of the actions do seem a bit over the top. I used to love the Goodbye bullet scene by Jolie in the trailer, but when I finally saw what the scene was, well WTFetuccini!?

BEST ANIMATED FILM

WALL-E

I dare you to claim otherwise. Come on, I double dare you. This film is amazing, and easily one of my favorite Pixar movies. The fact that I can't even decide which one is my favorite says a lot. This movie is a sad song about the fall of humans, and the beam of hope and pure goodness that can come out of the sorrow, and it's a kid's movie! That's what sets Pixar films apart from the rest. They take a normally kid's subject (talking rats, superheroes, eccentric racecars, monsters in your closets) and add layers upon layers of depth to it. They never insult your intelligence and instead dares the smartest among the audience to actually think. As long as Pixar makes movies every year, there is no question that their movies will dominate the annual Best Animated category. Next year's UP is looking to do quite the same.

Runner-Up

KUNG-FU PANDA

While it may not have the same heart, the same gorgeous graphics, the same lovable characters, the same- ah what the heck. The biggest flaw of Kung Fu Panda? It isn't Pixar. Pixar set the bar so high that even this immensley enjoyable film pales in comparisson. And it's a shame. I really love this movie. The characters are lovable, the action pretty cool and the graphics are probably the best non Pixar animations I've seen. But that's just the problem, it just...isn't... Pixar.

BEST COMEDY

TROPIC THUNDER

The moment I saw Tobey MacGuire squeeze Downey's rosaries in the early scenes, I knew I won't be able to stop laughing. This movie is an over-the-top sattire of all over-the-top films of Hollywood. Yes, it makes fun of movies like itself. With amazing turns by both Downey and guest actor Tom Cruise (both of which got a Golden Globe nod), this movie is constantly funny, intrusive, rude, violent and just plain brilliant.

Runner-up

BURN AFTER READING

A brilliant movie about one simplet thing. Stupidity. There just isn't any other way of describing the Coen Brothers' follow-up to their Oscar-winning No Country for Old Men. While not everyone may appreciate the humor of this film, it's a pretty good one nontheless.

BEST ROMANCE

WALL-E

There have been a handful of pretty good romance films. Revolutionary Road, Slumdog Millionaire and a couple more. Unfortunately I havent seen any of these films yet. But that doesn't really matter seeing that Wall-e is for me the break-away king of romances this year. The ending had me practically crying, the emotions were pitch perfect. Take note there was no kissing, mo snuggling, just an awkward holding of robotic hands. The greatest Romance movie of the year came in the form of two inanimate robots whose voices were manufactured using a computer. Andit was beautiful

Runner-up

Any of the movies I had mentioned above but can't really put here because, well I haven't seen them yet. I thought of putting Twilight, but I just can't rationalize putting in runner-up a romance movie that did absolutely nothing for me (god am I gonna get beaten up by fan-girls in the morning).

BEST MUSICAL

MAMA MIA

It broke all expectations, except the fact that it really isn't all that good. But in a year that lacked any Chicago like entries, or even the Chicago wannabes (Dreamgirls), one canforgive Mama Mia for its shortcomings in direction, editing, and even grotesque singing from its lead male (I guess James Bond never serenaded any of his girls). It was an ejoyable romp, especially for those of yesteryears. Besides, the alternative would have been High School Musical 3, and that, if anything else, is reason enough.

Runner-up

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3

I guess I can't escape this one. Seeing as there, were sparingly few, if any, contendors for this category. Still, it's not without merit. Silly storylines, obnoxious acting and the white of Vanessa Anne Hudgen's white panties seen behind her many, many, many, many miniskirts can be forgiven, if only for the groovy choreography and quite nice songs. Had it been a better made movie, I would have easily found High School Musical a classic. But for now, it's yet another overhyped pop culture phenomenon. But like all phenomenons, there is reason behind the fanbase. And that's enough for the spot.

BEST SCI-FI/FANTASY

IRON MAN

Downey took the world by storm with his Iron Man portrayal. And while Dark Knight stole the show later on as the superhero movie of the year, Iron Man came first and opened the summer with a bang. It just wouldn't feel right if I didn't give credit to this film. It did a lot of things right, and showed the right way to make a superhero movie. You get a great directo, a great script, a great actor, and you should actually care that the fanboys give a damn. And give a damn they did.

Runner-up

HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY

I love Hellboy. And if there was ever a guy who could pat down the style perfectly, it's Guillermo del Toro. He did Pan's Labyrynth, which I loved, and has a unique style that just screams fantasy genius. Just looking at the sketched he made for this movie, you could stare at it for hours. This movie is the perfect prelude at just what kind of style he'll be bringing in to The Hobbit now that Jackson's tapped him as his successor. In my opinion, it was an inspired choice, and Hellboy 2 shows why.

BEST MOVIE

THE DARK KNIGHT

Really, to anyone who knows me, was there truly any doubt? This movie broke all conventions on what a superhero comic movie or a summer blockbuster was supposed to be. It was smart, dangerous and thrilling. It was a deep look into the human psyche and the nature of crime. It was a study of order and of anarchy, a taste of psychological madness. And it did this while putting up some of the best action sequences in years. Add the fact that the entire cast was pitch perfect in portrayal, now with Holmes out of the way. And let's not even get too much into Ledger's Joker, who is by far one of the most memorable and astounding on screen villains of all time. OF ALL TIME. Maybe I'm just too blinded by fanboy rage to see the flaws in a pick like this, but I'm not the only one. While early on I was optimistic about a Best Supporting nomination for Heath, it seems even I have underestimated the effect the film has. Not only does it seem that Heath will be getting that nomination, it's general consensus that he is the shoo-in winner. Not only that, the whispers have become a growing murmur of buzz in the crowd. With the PGA, AFI and BCA all agreeing, The Dark Knight is now a serious contender for Best Picture. Even I never expected that much. Even if it doesn't get it, this will the be the film that will finally transcend the genre border for superhero movies, and maybe even for all blockbusters.

Runner-Up

WALL-E

There were the naysayers at first. They said, how in the world can Pixar make a good movie out of two characters that can't speak. Then there were the talks that they were mixing live action actors in the mix. Nobod really knew the story, and even die-hard Pixar fans were raising eyebrows. I for one, never bothered to break a sweat. And when the synopsis of the film came out, I knew my trust in all that is Pixar is well-deserved. Not only is this a film that transcends borders in animation industry, it once again proves that Pixar is the animation king. Their films are ingenious, smart, beautiful, heart-warming, charming, cute, hilarious and incredibly complex. I'd go on to say more but I'll have to get a thesaurus to find all possible compliments I can give this film. If it weren't for the gigantic monster that is Dark Knight, this movie would have easily made my top spot.

So there you have it. Over the course of the month, since not much films are indeed coming out, I'll be focusing on a couple of things. First wrapping up 2008 some more with some less important stuff like posters, songs, scores and trailers. Then there's the Oscar Buzz and soon I'll give my two scents on who I think will make the cut. Then of course there is my obsession on watching all the movies nominated for Best Picture, and you can bet your benjamin buttons I'll be reviewing those films. Well that's all for now, till next time!

By the way, answer my poll on what movie you think was the best of the year.
Go on, don't be shy! It's right over there on the upper right.

Some Blah

2008-12-14T04:11:00.000-08:00

Alright, haven't watched any new films yet so my movie round-up will be a bit late this time around. On my side, I've just finished exams, and I am hell worried about ARCHORG. Can't keep my mind off it. On the plus side it has a way higher chance of passing than my Calculus debacle a term ago. the bad side? If I fail this I am totally delayed. As in totally. So yah, I'm scared. Still I think I did well in the finals so cross your fingers.

Anyway, in other news, there came out a story that a 9-year old kid named Alec Greven wrote a book titled "How to Talk to Girls" where he gives out tips on how to, that's right, properly woo a girl. Damn, the kid's a genius, I'd have thought that after centuries worth of evolution, guys have yet to discover the mystery that is women. Gosh this kid showed, me. Where was he three years ago?!

But still, pretty cool stuff for the kid, I must presume he's gonna be one for the ladies, for which I can only appeal to his better nature and please take me as his disciple @_@.

Also, on to movie news, this poster was just realeased. And judging from the trailer that came out some time ago, this has got to be one of the dumbest ideas for a film ever. How in the world did they actually think that a movie version of this anime would actually work!? And the least they could do was get a decent looking cast. Emma Rossum is always a swettie, but judging from thes posters.... WTF!? @_@ (thats short for What the Fettucinni by the way. This is a clean site).

Finally it was announced earlier this week that Hugh Jackman will be hosting the Oscars this year. Pretty cool actually. Did you know that he once hosted the Tony Award and actually won one? Yah me neither. This might be an interesting year for the Oscars. That's All for now.

P.S. At 40 years old and with a body like that, all he needs is take his shirt off during the ceremony and they're golden. In fact, team him up with 9-year old Alec Greven and we males could finally dominated the female half of the population! Bwahahahah..... probably...

Movie Roundup 12-9-08

2008-12-09T00:14:00.000-08:00

MOVIE REVIEW OF THE WEEK

BOLT
Directed by Byron Howard and Chris Williams
Starring John Travolta and Miley Cyrus

When I first saw the trailer to this film I rolled my eyes. Don't get me wrong, I love Disney, their old cartoon movies were very important to my childhood (yes, I admit... I loved Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast). And while today I may not bother watching those animation classics anymore, they are still a symbol of how Disney was the undisputed king of animation.

Not anymore, Pixar has taken that throne with stunning 3d works that not only boast state of the art graphics, but stories that cater to kids, very mature and even philosophical in nature, while always remaining humorous in an adorable way. We got instant classics such as Toy Story Finding Nemo, Incredibles, Ratatouille and Wall-E. From Disney? We got Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons, hardly oscar worthy.

Bolt seemed set on continuing Disney's downward spiral in giving us quality animated movies. It proved me wrong. And it did so by bringing in Pixar's John Lasseter (the genius behind Toy Story). While we may never know the full extent of John's input, word has it he made a huge overhaul or at least editing of the movie, adding in very Pixar-like trademarks to the story. It shows.

Bolt's storyline is by no means original, unlike all of Pixar's film. In fact it's very predictable, and that alone means it'll never compare to Pixar's best. But it's the execution in which the film shines. The movie is funny, as in funny even for adults as all Pixar movies are. Yet it always manages to show a deeper and more meanigful side, a more thought-proviking and eye-watering aspect that is also another Pixar trademark.

Bolt never sacrifices authenticity of characters for some cheap laughs and even with its humor it makes sure it's never too childish. The characters are both lovable and real. They display emotion well and bring the story along with force despite its predictability. The characters make the story work, and unlike the previous efforts of Disney they refrain from being just a wee bit annoying. Travolta's Bolt is great, Mittens is lovable in a sarcastic way and who wouldn't adore the fanboyish Rhino the Hamster. Even Miley Cyrus does a decent job as Penny.

The animation is an admirable effort. It's certainly no Pixar, and even Dreamwork's Kung Fu Panda was more impressive. But at the very least it isn't a slouchy effort by Disney *cough* Chicken Little *cough*.

Who knows what Bolt would have been without Pixar's help. But with input from John which ranges from subtle to the downright obvious (there's a Nemo joke in there somewhere), Bolt has elevated itself to Disney's best 3D effort so far. It could have cemented my loss of faith in Disney, and while at best it can only compare to the weakest of Pixar's efforts, it's still a sign of hope for what was once the greatest animation company on Earth. Now excuse me while I secretly watch reruns of The Lion King.

8 out of 10

PREVIEW OF THE WEEK

VALKYRIE

I so want this movie to rock. I have so much respect for Bryan Singer. The guy brought us the outstanding Usual Suspects and X-men 1 & 2. Then again he also brought us the lackluster Superman Returns (which was mercifully bearable at least). Now we have Valkyrie, which if done properly would poise the comeback of both the director and its somewhat fading star, Tom Cruise. The trailers have been very promising, and Singer really seems to know what he's doing. The movie follows the true story of a German officer who brings together all his Nazi little friends and well- out of the blue- decide to try and kill Hitler. I don't know, maybe they were bored or something. Still here's hoping. The nazi killing begins December in America. Here, of course, we get Anne Curtis falling in love with a Spaniard. Somehow that does not satisfy my craving.

Trailer-> Here

P.S. "Every problem in the world can be solved with the careful use of high explosives." That has got to be one of the cooles trailer quotes evaaah!

MOVIE POSTER OF THE WEEK

Slow week for posters, nothing that came out had been nice. So instead I'm showing youa month old picture of JOHNNY DEPP as the MAD HATTER in Tim Burton's next film, Alice in Wonderland. Some of you may have seen this already but I control this blog so go cry in your desolate corner of sorrow beside the toilet. I love Johnny Depp as an actor, and despite the less than stellar Pirates of the Carribean 2 and 3, I welcome the news of him making a fourth, simply because they're finally moving away from the storyline of the first trilogy (or was it storylines? I think I recall there being around 10 of them or so in the third movie alone)

In fact this line in a blog I found described this picture perfectly.

"If Willy Wonka and Captain Jack had a baby, and Edward Scissorhands and Sweeney Todd had a baby, and by chance, their babies met and had a baby...it would something look like this."

What more can you add?

LOSER OF THE WEEK

Catherine Hardwicke

The director has lots to be proud of. She was given the privelege of adapting the ridiculously popular novel TWILIGHT to film. The movie marks the highest grossing film ever directed by a woman (though that's mostly due to the film's popularity than her skill behind the camera. In fact i think it's DESPITE her skill behind the camera). So yah, she has lots to be proud of.

Well except now that is. You see, the very day Twilight hit theaters they announced that they were officially going to do New Moon. When this news broke out, hell occured. The whole world rejoiced (well the female half at least), all natural disasters stopped halfway, Global Warming ceased to exist, lost polar bears were found, World Peace was finally found and a snake finally found a way to mate with an elephant.

Fast forward a week or two and now they've just announced they were kicking off Catherine Hardwicke for a more competent director (meaning someone who actually knows how to do action scenes Oh yeah!). What's worse for her is that unlike the time when Marvel thought of kicking out Jon Farveau out of Iron Man (in which case fanboys around the world went on hunger strike until the producers stopped going crazy), the fangirls in turn seem to have no problem with the loss of the director. In fact, some of them want her out. So much for girl power eh?

CS4! YAH!!!! and some sick sick cartoon...

2008-12-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! Been playing around with CS4 recently and I have got to say it is absolutely awesome. The Content Self Awareness feature is magnificent. I cannot, for the world of me understand how they manage to do that. Then again I cannot for the world of me understand how worms procreate, so nature and me are even.

Here are some videos detailing some of the cool new features of Adobe Photoshop CS4. Even the new interface is jaw-dropping. It's clean, smooth and very organized.

Anyway, I have to go to a party later on, might drop by Promenade's Fully Booked to get The Beetle and the Bard. Slow day for news. Will update on some stuff soon.

BTW Jean showed me this cartoon. It's wicked sick, my eyes bled out and did the cha-cha on my tablet. true story. In fact it's so sick, I feel guilty having seen it. Still, it's hilarious so bring your kids, they don't wanna miss this!

Latest News and Booze (Well not really, but it rhymes!)

2008-12-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

Was passing by National Book store and I saw this. Almost shelled Five hundred pesos just to bring it home that day.
I think it's pretty damn awesome that they're giving proceeds to charity. I'm very curious though to how Rowling would fare in non-Potter books. I came out with this instead
Awesome cover if I must say. In the world of movies I just heard that MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE singer Gerard Way is doing the finale song for The Watchmen. The band is a hit or miss for me, but still, its a great choice, very fitting. The song is called Desolation Row. Now THAT's a title!!
I cannot friggin wait for this movie!!! Speaking of which, I heard that the Dark Knight is going to be re-released in theaters in the US. As of now it's 77 million short of Titanic's $600 m record. Now our fave bats actually stands a chance of getting toe-to-toe with Leo and the gang (punch that snotty lover's teeth out!). Also, it's 4 million short of being the 4th movie to reach a billion dollars worldwide. That's practically guaranteed by now.
And then there's the oscars, which are coming up. I'm pretty hopeful that Heath gets what he deserves with the oscar nod. But I am also hopeful, but doubtful, of a best picture nod.

A grassroot campaign by nerds came up and here it is. Pretty cool. It's called Dark Campaign.

Finally here's some final images on the campaign. The first is an awesome spoof of the Obama poster called The Audacity of Joke. The second is just some awesome poster they made to get Dark Knight some props for the oscars. Keep your fingers crossed!

Movie Roundup 12-3-08

2008-12-02T19:54:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the late post, but I've had a pretty busy week with my INROSE project and ARCHORG departmental exam. Anyway, here's this week's post, featuring none other than the estrogen-induced Twilight.

MOVIE REVIEW OF THE WEEK

Twilight
Directed by Catherine Hardwicke
Starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson

Let me tell you my dirty little secret about the book. I am, despite all of my better senses, completely infatuated with the book. In terms of structure, pacing and even characters, it was highly uneven. In fact, a literary major would have spat on it and did all sorts of nasty things with the pages (toilet humor comes to mind). But the secret to the book's success did not lie in its literary quality, but in its undeniable power to infatuate and addict you in its tale of love. The mere words of Meyer, the author, made the romantic scenes so faint-inducing (at least to the eyes of a modern day teenager) that its appeal was undeniable despite all of its flaws. I do not love the book because it was a great book, instead i do so despite it being a pretty mediocre one. And that's the secret behind the book.

The movie adaptation lacks that very aspect. All the scenes were rushed, poorly handled and awkwardly shot. There were instances were I felt hints of the macabre love fest so temptingly hinted by the book, and at times I felt that the movie was about to finally find its stride. But every single time it did so followed it by completely losing its momentum. It tries very hard to capture the appeal of the book, so much so to a fault that it focuses on faithfully adapting every scene that it failed to leave room to its own creative inputs. A movie and a book are two completely different things. Following word-per-word does not make a good adaptation, as this movie clearly shows.

Finally the characters. Robert as Edward, for example, has been a bit of a mixed reaction. He's had quite a huge fanbase by now yet some are criticizing the pick. Well for me, he has the potential. There is something actually very appealing about him that may resonate to an Edwaresque vibe. You see, the key to the book as is to the film has to be the two lead cast. And indeed the two actually show potential in terms of looks. But their acting is mediocre at best, so much so that much of the sizzle is lost in the transition.

Long time fans of the books may be disappointed but inevitably will be clammoring for more in the end. I, for one, think that the movie had outlived way past its bearable point half way through the first film. So much for immortality.

6 out of 10

PREVIEW OF THE WEEK

Star Trek

I'm no Trekkie. I could never understand much of the appeal of the series, but then again I never watched them either except for the last couple of horrid Next Generation films. So conisder me basically a blank slate. So with this new trailer out, color me slightly impressed. I've liked JJ Abram's works so far and this trailer seems bursting with Trekkie goodness and shows it in an awesome cool new light that I've never seen before on any Trek installment. So yes, I am hopeful.

Trailer-> HERE

POSTER OF THE WEEK
There was a motion poster that came out recently and it featured a psoter that actually moved and played music. Though I doubt they'd ever use it outside the web, it's still pretty cool. The final screenshot of it, however is displayed above and even on its own static self it's still pretty kick-ass. So yah, pretty nifty stuff. You can find the full motion poster in all its cool glory here. Courtesy of Aintitcool

Movie Roundup 11-23-08

2008-11-22T18:57:00.000-08:00

I've decided that making single posts for all movie reviews, previews and such is too much of a hassle these days. So i've decided on quick weekly roundups that have several small aspects. Movie of the Week where I make a quick review of a film. Movie Preview of the Week, where I preview a movie to watch out for and its trailer (HD and youtube link). We'll then have poster of the week where I show the best looking poster released this week. Finally we have some occasional big stuff for the end of the months like Movie of the Year, Star of the Year etc... So let's get started shall we?

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

Quantum of Solace

Directed by Marc Forster

Starring Daniel Craig

Quantum of Solace is disappointing, considering Casi

no Royale was a brilliant piece that reinvented the series as a serious film where heart-stopping action was merely means to a plot and not the other way around. It also happened to feature the arguably one of the best bonds ever cast since Connery.

Quantum is not so bad as the awful last films of Brosnan, in

fact it is quite good. It lies in one of the upper batch of Bond films and is in fact very well made. The action is superb, but it does go a bit overboard by putting confusing Bourne-like scene after another. It borrows heavily from Bourne which is fine if I wanted a Bourne action film. I don't, however, prefer it for my Bond films and still like the cleaner actio

n sequences of Casino Royale.

While the films is not nearly as good as its predecessor, Craig is st

ill just as excellent as Bond, if only he had been given more material this time around. Still, it drowns Bond in a slew of emotional self-finding, with revenge in mind Craig is by far the most ruthless Bond yet.

This movie is good, and while indeed disappointing, it still makes for an excellent film experience. Casino Royale was a huge leap in the right direction for the franchise, think of Quantum as a followup jog in the same direction.

8/10

PREVIEW OF THE WEEK

Wrestler

This trailer made me tear up. Now a movie has to have a lot in it to make me tear up, much less cry. This single trailer did what few movies could do. It is brilliant and Mickey Rourke seems poised to make the performance of his career. Watch the trailer because it is definitely going to be one of the highlights of the year.

HD-> CLICK HERE

YouTube-> CLICK HERE

POSTER OF THE WEEK

Benjamin Button is about a man born old and grows younger as he ages. Some my find the backward poster gimmicky, but I find it kind of smart. Plus Pitt's eyes just keep staring at you like that, it's unnerving in a way. Good poster, not great though. Still, nice idea.

OBAMA

2008-11-11T19:42:00.000-08:00

Haven't written anything in quite a while, and as since I'm in the lab at this moment, it's as good a time as any to write a little tidbit.
And if there's anything I'd like to make a quick note about, it's about Obama.
In case you don't know, I've been following the exploits of the man in his exploits for the presidency ever since the start of the year, when he went toe-to-toe with the Clintons. And I have been mesmerized by him ever since I first heard him speak.

So just in case you haven't heard, the man is now President-Elect Obama, winning a landslide victory over Senator John McCain. Now I can go on about how John McCain lost (erratic behavior, dirty tactics, Sarah Palin) but the fact of the matter is John is a pretty good candidate. In fact, if it had been John Kerry's or some other less formidable campaign, he could have very well won. But it wasn't he who lost the battle, it was Obama who won it.

The man for one thing is a man of substance, and someone who can weave it into a speech that inspires. His high-flying rhetoric was once his greatest strength until McCain likened it to being a celebrity. Nonetheless it was his initial speeches that inspired more than anything else and he got back into it in the latter days, but this time with more meat on the bones.

He also happens to be so cool and disciplined, and this reflects in his entire campaign. Every gaffe or mistake was handled decisively, corrected and then put aside. The main focus of the campaign always revolved around Change and Hope, and never did they strayed from that.

But the most inspiring of all is his story and what he did to achieve this. This is not a man who became a president despite being black, but regardless. That is because he is a man filled with intelligence, charisma and the inherent desire to do what is right. I've come to realize this whenever he has tried his best to uphold a clean campaign. And sure, no campaign is ever squeaky clean, but he never struck back below the belt.

Even his choice for VP, Joe Biden, shows that he cares more about doing it right in the White House than getting enough popularity to get there. You have to realize that Joe was almost invisible compared to Palin but the fact of the matter his he is more than qualified and Obama has consistently done this throughout his campaign (and even after as is evident in Chief of Staff pick Rahm Emmanuel).

But the most striking thing also happens to be the most touching. Seeing the Obamas walk up on stage, a family very different from previous first families. But there they were, the epitome of goodness, of what people strive for. Here was a man who came out of nowhere, with a skin, a name and cultural roots very different from everyone else. But there he was. The scenes of people crying, shouting out how the never thought they'd ever see this day in their lifetime: it all amounted to one thing. This was Change in its utmost being, this was hope for the future and for every person who dared think that they could not achieve their dreams simply because they were born in the wrong race, culture or social class.

This is a story for the ages, not just because of a black man becoming president, but because of how he did it. It makes me glad that I was alive to see this, to see history in the making, and it fills me with hope. It makes me wish that I could have voted, because as you see I'm not even American. But that's not to say I hate my country, I just wish we could do so here too. I wish we could have the sense of unity and hope that America just showed the world, and the pure desire to see our country rise. America love their country, most of us have abandoned ours. But then again if Americans can unite under the banner of a black man to change the world for the better, then we should be able to unite under the banner of any man with an honest desire for change and unity. We don't need another people power, we just need true leadership to get us out.
I do not hope for our Obama, because he is one-of-a-kind. But after watching him, I do hope for our country.

My Top 10 Most Anticipated Fall Movies

2008-08-21T21:37:00.000-07:00

Summer is over. With it leaves one of the most explosive and memorable summer in movie history. No I'm serious. Quite a lot of my previous choices in my Top 10 Summer Movies list did not disappoint and some of them far exceeded expectations. With a beginning like Iron Man and a climax like The Dark Knight, it seems pretty impossible for Hollywood to follow it up with the rest of the year.
Add the fact that Harry Potter has now been delayed all the way to next year, and this fall seems less poised in bringing in the big bucks more than ever. Still, I do have a list of movies I just can't wait for this Fall, and while most of them can't ever compete financially, these are the kinds that make Oscar history. Well, except maybe my number one choice, which I'm sure maybe just as biased and uneven as my choice in my Summer Movie list. But then again, Dark Knight is now the second highest grossing movie of all time.

P.S. I INCLUDED TRAILER LINKS FOR THOSE THAT HAVE EM!

10.) THE ROAD

Based on the post-apocalyptic themed novel by Cormac McCarthy (not to mention Pulitzer-prize winning), this movie still pretty much keeps to itself. There's no big bang of hype, no slew of intriguing posters, no red-hot trailers being leaked. Still, I guess it comes to show that with great material comes great confidence. Confidence meaning I'm pretty confident that this film will be oh-so-good. Starring the always magnificent Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn from LOTR), the story follows a father trying to guide his son through, well, a road in a world filled with anarchy, hate and bloodlust. This story features cannibalism for goodness sake, and that's actually one of the cleaner parts. This is a blood-soaked, cynical and depressing take on the world, and anyone with a weak stomach or disgust for all things dark and depressing should keep away. This movie promises to be scary, heart-breaking and will make you leave the theater feeling like someone just bashed you brains in. If you feel, however, that you can take it, then by all means give it a shot.

9.) DEFIANCE

To be honest, this list was poised to feature four World War II films, but The Miracle of St. Anna gets bumped off for Lee's atrocious attitude (I'm sure the movie's great, but I just can't bring myself to eagerly anticipate a movie from such a hypocritical bastard). That said, Defiance seems like a good, solid choice for another World War II epic. The story is based on real events about a Jewish man who gathers all his fellow Jews and wages war against the Germans in test of survival and unity. The fact alone that it's all about the Jews should get this movie up there in some pretty powerful hands. Add the fact that we have here Daniel Craig in a role that if done correctly, could get him into the "brilliant actor" category. He was amazingly brutal and vulnerable as this age's new James Bond. I can't wait to see how he handles himself in a dramatic and heavy role such as this one. Who knows, maybe an Oscar could be just around the corner?

TRAILER CLICK HERE

8.) THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

David Fincher is one of the modern day greats. No, really, with a resume boasting of Seven, Fight Club, Zodiac and Panic Room, this man is one of the most consistenly brilliant diretors out there. Still, I can't help but scratch my head over this choice. I mean, to be honest this seems more like the kind of film Tim Burton would make. Still, the mere fact alone that he is finally reuniting with Brad Pitt makes me all giddy inside me. Add in the fact that the plot is all kinds of weird and interesting. The movie follows the strange case of a man named Benjamin Button who was born as an old man. And as he grew up, he grew younger, and younger and younger even as everyone else grew older. While not necessarily the kind that would please the Award guys, this movie just screams, "Come watch me!!!" Which I will, of course. Besides, Brad Pitt seems to have been doing increasingly brilliant work ever since getting hitched with Angelina. That girl is a miracle worker, and I'm not just talking about those adopted kids.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

7.) AUSTRALIA

I've always wondered what in the world happened to Baz Luhrman. The man gave us a twisted and modern take on Romeo and Juliet, which was both very entertaining and very... unusual. But the man's biggest feat was single-handedley reviving the Musical genre with Moulin Rouge (Sorry, Chicago. Baz did it first). And while the movie was void of original songs or Oscar Awards, it did nontheless feature a lot of the fun, quirky weirdness that Baz seemed to inject into his movies. But after that brilliant hit, the man just disappeared. Fast forward about a decade and now we have him back with Kidman in Australia, and joining him is the always charming Hugh Jackman. I'm still skeptical of whether Luhrman's still got it after all these years if inactivity. Still, I'm very curious how this plays out since the trailer actually shows nothing of Baz's usual pastel style. Has he gone soft? Or has he simple embraced a more dramatic and poignant side of himself? Only time will tell. Oh, this is also my second WWII film on this list.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

6.) THE DUCHESS

Keira Knightley stars in this film, which is yet again ANOTHER period piece from her. I mean, she did the Pirates of The Caribbean trilogy, King Arthur, Pride and Prejudice, Silk and Atonement. And her next film is another take on the Shakespearan classic King Lear! Well I'm not complaining, mostly because she just does it so well. But if she isn't careful she may be stuck doing this kinds of films all her life, not that I doubt she'd mind. This movie is based on the true story of a Duchess who defied the calls of soicety on her time demanding that she be nothing more than a baby-making machine for her cheating husband all her life. She then goes off and does dramatic things which calls for another Hollywood period piece. The trailer looks classy, actually, and I have to say I'm actually more interested in this than I was of Atonement, which was amazing but also underwhelming at the same time (how it managed to do those two is beyond me). By the way, kudos to Keira Knightley for absolutely refusing the suggestion of the movie's head honchos that they enlarge her breasts in the poster. A.) Her breasts look fine. They are small, but not ugly, and as she says, women should be proud of their bodies. And B.) This is a friggin Oscar movie, who the heck thinks that breast enlargement calls for good marketing for these kinds of movie. You go, girl!

TRAILER CLICK HERE

5.) THE SOLOIST

I'm actually very surprised that this movie placed so high on my list. I'm surprised because save for a few photo stills, there's virtually nothing coming out about this film aside from the plot. It follows a journalists efforts to understand the life of a schizophrenic and homeless musician. And yet again, this is our third film in the list that is based on a true story. Add the fact that we have here Joe Wright (Atonement) as director and Oscar winner Jamie Foxx as the musician. But there's only one man that really makes me want to see this film and that's Hollywood's hottest star right now, Robert Downey Jr. After a megahit comeback with Iron Man, the man is virtually everywhere and finally getting the attention he deserves. And with a piece like this, I'm estatic to see if the man can finally pull off a box office hit with Iron Man AND an oscar nod for this one, the director is certainly fitting enough. Yes, Robert Downey has that much star power right now.

4.) APPALOOSA

Now this one came out of nowhere. Not until recently, I had not even heard of this movie. Yet here we are with Viggo Mortensen's second movie in this list. With names like Ed Harris, Jeremy Irons and Renne Zelwegger, this blood-thirsty and drama heavy Western comes as this year's 3:10 to Yuma, only with much much heavier themes. The trailer alone looks amazing and I can't wait to see this, mostly because while Westerns have followed the way of the Musicals and have recently made a much desired comeback, they have yet to garner the same kind of power. I mean, there have been a few excellent Westerns to come out now, but the fact is that they are still pretty few, and hopefully this movie will finally kick the gear into overdrive. The talent is certainly there, and the script just screams Western Classic. Let's see if star/director Ed Harris can pull this one off eh?

TRAILER CLICK HERE

3.) VALKYRIE

This movie must have some kind of curse. Plagued with a slew of delays, reshoots and controversy, not to mention the publiscized splitting of company United Artist, this movie seemed to be on the edge of being made into scrap metal at every turn. Indeed, there was even a time when they had moved it into the danegerously bland February screening before thankfully bringing it back to December. And I really don't know why. Here we have Tom Cruise in a race to revive his falling career and based on the trailer alone he just might. But we also have here Bryan Singer, the man behind X-Men 1 and 2, Superman Returns and the classic Usual Supects (plus he also gave us the wonderful show House). Now he finally reunites with his Usual Suspect writer in what is not only the 3rd WWII film on this list but also the 3rd movie based on true events. This time it's about a high-ranking German officer who orchestrated the legendary failed assasination attempt on Adolf Hitler. The trailer looks loads good and the few who have seen the film are heaping praises on it. How it could land into so much trouble is beyond me.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

2.) BURN AFTER READING
After their highly successful No Country for Old Men finally won these guys their first Oscar, the Coen Brothers follow up their scary drama with a no-nonsense comedy. Say what? Well, I'm just as surprised about it as you are. But wait, despite the fact that this movie in no way boasts the same award-generating power of NCfOM, it will no doubt be much more enjoyable (not to mention understandable) to watch. The trailer alone makes me want to scream and holler out with joy and anticipation. The cast itself is remarkable, with Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and John Malkovich in the mix. The story follows your everyman getting his hands on a secret CIA cd, and I can't beleive how brilliantly refreshing this movie seems to be. Sure it may not have a psycopathic Angon, but it's doing loads to pique my interest.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

1.) QUANTUM OF SOLACE

I'll admit righ here and now that it's the inner fanboy in me that put James Bond above all those heavy dramas. But, I just can't beleive how incredibly psyched I am about the new direction the franchise is taking. No offense to Pierce Brosnan but his last few Bond films were quickly detriorating in quality. Que Daniel Craig in a role that changed his status forever. Casino Royale was remake via the style of Batman Begins which take our hero back to his roots. And what we get is a new, refreshing take with a no-nonesens type Bond who doesn't care whether his martinit is shaken or stirred. There's no fancy gadgets, just pure old hard core action. And Bond is brought out as a vulnerable man, broken by tragedy that turns him to cold-blooded killing machine. While it's only a matter of time before fans demand for the gadgets back, I am loving this new take. Now with the strange but exciting choice of Marc Forster (Finding Neverland) as the director, and the Second Unit Director of Bourne Ultimatum (which features Bond rival Jason Bourne), this movie is shaping up to be the movie event of the fall. Plus the new trailer is all sorts of cool. Let's hope that this British superspy rise above expectations.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

THE BEST OF THE REST

Let's face it, most of you got bored with many of my picks in the Top 10. Heck I was bored myself, so I decided to add in some extra effort by showing you some other movies to watch out for, what's good about them and what's bad. And yes, High School Musical 3 and Twilight is on this list.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR

THE GOOD:
To be honest, High School Muscial wasn't nearly as bad as I claimed it to be. Burning up a musical passion in the hearts of all tweens everywhere, this might actually be pretty fun. Who knows, it might translate better in the big screen.

THE BAD:
While the first was charming, the second was highly overrated. Plus the actors are getting less endearing with every installment (a topless Hudgens and Tisdale goes for a nose job).

TRAILER CLICK HERE

EAGLE EYE

THE GOOD:
Shia is Hollywood's new golden boy. Even Stevens guy? Really? Yah I'm surprised myself, but this movie does give off a cool thriller feel to it.

THE BAD:
The movie is a bit too Matrix-wannabe for my liking.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

IGOR

THE GOOD:
It actually looks very interesting. The animation seems very charming and Igor is very adorable. I'm as enthusiastic about this as I am with Disney's bolt.

THE BAD:
Pixar's raised the bar on every aspect when it comes to 3-D animation. Every other film seems to pale in comparisson, even the lovable Kung Fu Panda.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

BOLT

THE GOOD:
While hardly original, the movie does seem much cuter and fun than any of Disney's recent outings without Pixar.

THE BAD:
I'm still waiting for Disney to up their notch. The once king of animation is now second fiddle to Pixar and I doubt this movie does anything to change that.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

THE SPIRIT

THE GOOD:
Sin City was a blast, and who better to do a Sin City style comic movie than Sin City creator Frank Miller (he also created the 300 comics).

THE BAD:
As good a writer that guy is, he makes a lousy director. Even the trailer seems a far cry from Rodriguez's amazing Sin City adaptation. Plus, isn't The Spirit supposed to be lighthearted? It looks like a porno for God's sake!

TRAILER CLICK HERE

NICK AND NOAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST

THE GOOD:
It's a great movie for all fans of romance and music. With crap like My Best Friend's Girl coming out, this seems like the only Romance flick that has potential

THE BAD:
Will it, however, work?

TRAILER CLICK HERE

W.

THE GOOD:
Set to release right before the November Elections, it seems to promise a very interesting look into the life of George W. Bush.

THE BAD:
Two words. Oliver Stone. The guys a genius when great but awful when bad (Alexander anyone?)

TRAILER CLICK HERE

ROCKNROLLA

THE GOOD:
Guy Ritchie makes another bloody British romp with King Lenoidas himself! Where do I sign up?

THE BAD:
British bloodbaths and humor are not exactly up to everyone's taste.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

BODY OF LIES

THE GOOD:
Ridley Scott upps the ante with a now brilliant Di Caprio and his go to man, Russel Crowe.

THE BAD:
To be honest, I'm still not getting this political thriller, at least that or it's just not upto par.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

YES MAN

THE GOOD:
I am really hoping Jim Carrey can be amazing again. And the trailer for this shows that he just might be truly back for good. Liar, Liar 2 anyone?

THE BAD:
This falls flat, so does Jimmy's career.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

THE GOOD:
The remake of the 1951 classic seems at least intruiging. You might even say it seems a tad bit cool.

THE BAD:
Keanu Reeves still can't act.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

MAX PAYNE

THE GOOD:
The track record of Game to Movie adaptations have been lousy lately. But this movie might just change that. Both the style and the action seems up to par and even unique, and at the very least it gives me the feeling that actualy thought was put into making this.

THE BAD:
There has yet to be made a good video-game movie. Max Payne may be no different.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

PUNISHER WARZONE

THE GOOD:
Marvel heroes are hot right now. Could this movie benefeit from that?

THE BAD:
With a change of director and actor, this movie just screams lousy money-making garbage. But who knows?

TRAILER CLICK HERE

MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA

THE GOOD:
I like to move it move. I like to move it move it.

THE BAD:
Meh, funny, but where's that Kung Fu Panda sequel? Now that I wanna see.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

RIGHTEOUS KILL

THE GOOD:
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in the same movie. Do you need any other reason?

THE BAD:
The two are way past their prime. And even the plot doesn't seem anything special.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE

THE GOOD:
Gotta love me some Simon Pegg. This may be one of the funnier films of the next couple of months. Plus Megan Fox is hot. Yes I'm that immature.

THE BAD:
Still a very viable hit-and-miss film. I'd rather put trust into a movie Pegg wrote himself.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

BLINDNESS

THE GOOD:
The plot that everyone in the world suddenly went blind could come up with very scary situations and global panic. This film could surprise everyone.

THE BAD:
Still, who really wants to watch a movie about a couple of blind guys walking about?

TRAILER CLICK HERE

CITY OF EMBER

THE GOOD:
It has the potential to be this year's Spiderwick Chronicles!

THE BAD:
Then again it could also be another god awful Eragon.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

TWILIGHT

THE GOOD:
Based on a novel too popular for its own good, this is the movie all teenage girls will demand their boyfriend take them to. And for those single like me, well boo-hoo.

THE BAD:
The book was good. The movie, however, can be a totally different case. It even seems that way.

TRAILER CLICK HERE

REVIEWS: The Dark Knight!!!

2008-08-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

The Dark Knight
"The Knight reigns supreme, The Joker make you pee, A Legend of a film is born, World Peace is obtained and yes, Christian Bale does kick Robert Downey's ass"

Directed by Christopher Nolan; Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Echkart, Maggie Gyllenhal, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman

This review comes in a bit late. Actually considering the amount of hype on this movie, it comes in very late, but it also happens to be the one review I utterly have to write, no matter how tedious. At first I convinced myself I was putting off writing this review because I wanted to wait until my second viewing to soak in all the pure awsomeness from this movie (after which I'd unceremoniously pass out drunk on my popcorn). It became clear however, after the second viewing last week, that searching for a full understanding of the film was not the factor keeping me from reviewing this film. The truth was far simpler.

I was scared of writing non-stop describing each and every single thing they got right. And then some.

After much deliberation, and some prayer to the gods of geeks, I have finally decided how to begin this review, and that's to say, "I told you so."

You see, I actually put this movie on the top of my most anticipated movie list of the summer. A slightly controversial choice seeing as how movies such as Indiana Jones and the even more powerful Wall-E was in the mix. Sure Dark Knight had a lot of hype to start off with, a great advertising campaign, but the choices of Heath Ledger (and his subsequent death) as the Joker was fuzzy at best at the start. And while Christopher Nolan did deliver on Batman Begins, it still had its problems. Nonwithstanding, Wall-E in comparisson was done by the people at Pixar, who by far have done every film as if it was their last. Combined with the most breathtaking animation I have ever seen in a trailer or anywhere else, it seemed a safe pick for my top spot, with the brooding Knight a safe second. Some may say I chose Dark Knight only out of bias for the fanboy inside me. Well, they''re right in a way. But then again so was I. You see, no matter how good Wall-E was (or in my case will be), Dark Knight has already shown both financially and critically that it would the movie everyone remembers the year 2008 for.

This movie marks an interesting mark for me. I have never been this hyped for a movie since the Lord of the Rings trilogy ended. And even then I did not spend every waking moment glazing over the trailers, harassing internet sites and making altars to Ledger (just kidding bout that last one by the way). I can safely then say that I have never been so hyped on a movie ever. It is then also safe to say that with great hype comes great expectations, and I demanded no less than perfection from this movie. Me, along with every other fanboy out there, was going to this movie looking for every possible flaw from cheesy lines to convoluted plots. I think it's safe to say that Dark Knight had quite possible built up too much hype, if sucha thing was possible.

Well that movie just blew all my expectations out of the water. Then it proceeded to beat me up, take my wallet and burn my homework, all while juggling three waterbaloons over my previously dry head.

Where do we begin. Well, let's just start off with the obvious, and the one everyone wants to talk about. The acting. and with the acting, Heath Ledger as the Joker. By now you've heard all the reviews, and each and every one of them don't give enough credit on just how amazing he is (take note that the critics are actually shoving Oscar nomination predictions down his throat). In some ways, this movie would not have broken all those records (and still breaking as I write this) without Ledger's death, sad as that may sound. And the fact is, his death has made this role legendary. And for all the right reasons.

The man is insane. No, he's not the insane joker who tried to copyright fish in the 80's Batman comics (that was actually a good storyline). He isn't Jack Nicholson's Joker who stretches out overlong phallic weapons from his pants to Prince music. Neither is he Alan Moore's Joker who shot and paralyzed batgirl, stripped her bear and made her father watch as she slowly bled out naked on the floor (although that one actually comes pretty close.)

No, this is Heath's Joker, and I promie you you've never seen anything like it. There is no Heath Ledger here, only a maniac, with no regards over his own life. He does the cracking one liners as good as anybody out there, that's not what makes a Joker. Waht makes him are the monlogue that sends shivers down your spine. The talks of anarchy and chaos, the determination to show you that everyone in the world is scum and you only need a small push to bring them the edge of insanity. This is a Joker who's willing to massacre an entire city, gleefully, just to prove a point, then kill some more just for fun. From the Glasgow scars to the lopsided stride, this tongue-flicking Joker is the epitome of pure, untainted evil. He also happens to be the best villain to show up on-screen since Hannibal Lecter (and even he never fired a bazooka out of a moving truck). Ledger alone would have made this film rise above mediocrity, even if everything else was crap. Thankfully that isn't the case, because as good as Ledger was, he would not be nearly as great without one important factor. The script.

Against all odds, Nolan has created a story that is unique from the comcis, and unique in movies in general. You will not fins that this is simply an adaptation from the comic plots. No, Nolan has set the abr with this compelling piece of literary genius that takes into account the irony of heroism, challenges the morality of the everyman, the price of crime, the ecstasy of insanity, the integrity of the righteous and the complexities of the human mind. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the movie disproved Gravity along the way. This is not just a great Batman movie, nor a great Superhero movie, nor a great crime movie. This is already by far one of the most compelling movies of all time, and already it has grabbed my love more than I ever even remotely thought it would.

The story revolves around the theme of the first movie, specifically that things are going to get worse before they get better. And it does, the criminals up the ante with the introduction the wildest card of all, a homicidal maniac who cuts a line across all of Gotham, an unstoppable force. Luckily, Batman has help, specifically Jim Gordon (the good cop in a rotten city) and the White Knight, new district attorney Harvey Dent (who also happens to be barking up Bruce Wayne's old girlfriend). If anything the movie revolves around the rise and fall of each of these men and more specifically HArvey Dent, who like Christian Bale gives an amazing performance that is undersung in the film. Harvey's rise and fall to the dreaded Two-Face gives the movie soul and shows just how messed up this world really is. He is the battleground for Gotham's soul, something Joker and Batman are on opposite sides of. Really, the parallelisms and ironies found in this movie are amazingly vast and complex, and Harvey's tragedy has you actually wishing more that he survive to see good win a world gone wrong. When was the last time I was actually left hoping a villain wouldnt turn into a villain? (FYI Two-Face looks grotesque and amazing. Another highlight of a movie filled with them).

If I had to keep going with everything else, I'd run out of both time and space. Needless to say, I'll just keep it short with everything else that shines in this movie. Particularyly, everything, from the cinematography (gorgeous and a depressing) to the score (epic, grand and spine-chilling). Even the pacing, while it borders on convoluted, makes every scene pack a punch with the intensity of a climax. Simple dialogues between characters hold as much power and danger in each word as any of the amazing action sequences here. The tensions between the Joker/Batman dynamic are not only well-explored buy by far one of the best moments of the film.

Rare has it been for a movie to ravage me so hard and so thoroughly than what this movie has done. This is a rare gem among movies, it's the kind of movie that you know people will remember twenty years from now, and they will speak it's name with reverence. It's fitting that they changed the name for the first time in the entire series. Because this movie soars above its predecessors, beat the hell out of both the box office and the audience, and reaches the crescendo of film magic. Applause. Applause.

10 out of 10

(By the way, the posters of this film are among the best I've ever seen. Here's the full set to let you know what I mean)

P.S. I don't care what the some skeptics say, Heath Ledger better get that posthumous nomination and award or I swear I'm blowing up the ceremony. No, seriously. >:D

REVIEW: Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Wanted

2008-07-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

Shaun of the Dead
"The best zombie-spoof-slasher-action-romantic-comedy of all time. No, really. I'm dead serious.... get it?"

Directed by Edgar Wright; Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Kate Ashfield

I've heard a good deal of praise aimed towards Shaun, he and his pack of dreary friends. And now I've finally gotten the sweet opportunity to watch the film myself, and I must say it is instantly one of my favorite comedies of all time. This comedy, my friends, is dead on. (Alright, I'll stop it with the dead jokes).

The movie follows pathetic loser Shaun, who has a dead-end job, a dead-beat roommate and a dead-beautiful girlfriend who dumps him. It seems life is falling apart for Shaun, that is until he decided to make things right, too bad the undead have been rising from their graves with the sole, rabid intent of eating your brains out. Happy hunting.

Where this movie succeeds as a spoof of the Zombie movies and of everything else is a combination of wit, class and dire respect for the genre. And of course, it's funny. No, really, it's drop-dead hilarious. Several scenes had left me laughing like crazy, a rare feat for most comedies these days. But the simple concept of the Everyman loser getting together his life amidst a zombie outbreak adds a new dimension into zombie films that whether or not was intentional, actually adds a whole new breath of fresh air into zombie movies.

One of the great things about this movie is that while it is a spoof, it does not, unlike many others, ignore the rest of the factors. In fact, the story and screenplay are amazing, production values are admirable and as an added factor, it actually makes a pretty solid zombie-horror movie in its own, only of course it's also a comedy... and a romance film.

This movie is born to be an instant cult favorite, and Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright were born to make a new legacy of classic comedies in line with British legends Monty Python. Of course, this one is more grounded, albeit still silly, and increasingly violent. The amount of blood here is outrageous. It's perfectly dead-right for the whole ambiance of the film. After all, if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing.

I cannot wait now for them to finish their Blood and Ice-Cream trilogy, this is a classic in the making and I cannot heap enough praise on this new style of comedic genius. If you don't watch this movie now, well you could just go drop dead.

9.0 out of 10

Hot Fuzz
"Blood? Check. Ice Cream? Check. Bring on the Fuzz."

Directed by Edgar Wright; Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Timothy Dalton

Shaun was amazing, but I was not prepared for the encore performance that is Hot Fuzz.

The story follows Nicholas Angel, the best cop in London. In fact, he's so good, he's making everybody else look bad. So they send him off to a little village called Sanford which is so peaceful, it drives him insane. That is until dark little secrets begin popping out.

This movie ups the ante set by Shaun of the Dead and raises it to spectacular and ridiculous new levels. From violence to sheer silliness, this movie isn't afraid to go all out with explosions, bullets and laugh-out-loud moments.

I didn't think they could make a better film than Shaun, and maybe they didn't. While Shaun had a lot of subtlety to it, this movie abandons that to the more action-spoof it undertakes. Even the cut-fast pacing and editing keeps this movie pumped with adrenaline and I suppose it would be up to the viewer to decide which of the two current Blood and Ice Cream movies are more to their liking. Of course they could be pretty equal too.

The plot here is outrageous, the wit better than ever and the comedic gut is rumbling for the entire film. From the no-holds bar fights to the sly banter, this British comedy sets new standards for the Action genre as Shaun did with the Horror. It seems to me that Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg are doing right to genres what American films such as Disaster Movie, Superhero Movie, Epic Move and Meet the Spartans are doing wrong. The clear difference is that these British ones seem to actually care about the genre, and instead of cannibalizing it for all its worth, these movies actually enhance the experience. This is spoof done right, and while the days of Airplane! are long over and while the spoofs are in a free fall in the Land of the Free, it is a comforting thought that somewhere in the world, someone is doing it right.

As I said, this movie is considerably more fast paced than its predecessor, and it helps the movie's quick comedic homeruns as well. The performances here are also top-notched, and while Simon Pegg and Nick Frost had already shown great on-screen comedic aptitude in Shaun, I sincerely believe that they shine even more in this movie, simply because there are scenes here so fun and so bombastic you can't help but lose yourself.

It may be a big mistake for me to praise this movie so much right after praising its predecessor right before, because now I am quickly running out of praises for the dynamic duo. So I suppose there's nothing much else but for you to go out there and get yourself copies of both movies. It is a modern comedic experience that you simply must not miss. What are you waiting for? GO!

Yarp!

9.5 out of 10

Wanted
"High adrenaline, little else"

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov; Starring James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman

Funny how things work out. This movie was easily among those I anticipated for in the summer. And while the trailers did not convince me outright that it would be a great movie, it did give me the notion that it would at least be entertaining. It is a shame that that is exactly what I got for seeing this movie.

The movie is based on Mark Millar and J.G. Jones' graphic novel of the same name, yet of considerably not the same look. In fact, its barely recognizable. The graphic novel consists of an Eminem lookalike and a Fox-suit donning black vixen. Instead we get McAvoy and Jolie, not that it's my complaint, mind you. The fact that it strays so far from its source doesn't bother me much, since it at least does so with gusto and a brilliant sense of imagination, something many other movies going the same route fail to do.

Let's start off with the good, this movie as I said is highly enjoyable. No, as in incredibly fast paced and a must-see for any adrenaline junkie out there. You think you've seen bullet-time? Well no you haven't not unless you watch this movie. The action sequences here are so out there they are a cross between jaw-dropping and laugh-out-silly, which I am not sure is a bad or good thing. Nonetheless it achieves the honor to be called a true summer blockbuster, filled with so much action and blood that it riddles the brain numb. If you're into that sort of stuff, which I'm sure most of you are, then this movie is a no-brainer.

Now for my problems, this movie just never gets off its butt. The story itself proves to have o much potential to be epic, and the screenplay actually shows a lot of promise in so many areas, but in the end it all comes up irrelevant as this movie seems more content with answering every hurdle with a barrage of bullets and "F*CK!!"s. It is frustrating, mostly because its already done more than enough a handful of scenes to convince me of its worth as an action movie, but it does little else to convince me of its worth as a film. While not falling into the traps of comic book movie-suckiness, it does fail to elevate the genre into new heights as several movies this season has already been attempting. And Timur's (easier to say than his last name) first foray into the American Film industry is not going to convince me of his worth just yet, but it at least shows his potential, if only he gets his priorities straight.

It's just as well I suppose, after the success of both Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, we finally wipe the slate of expectations clean for the next batch. all good and all, but I really don't think any comic-book movie, no matter how much it sucks, will take away the excitement I have now for Hellboy 2 and a little something called The Dark Knight.

Still if you love slow-motion headshots, jumping cars and the naked ass of Angelina Jolie, you should watch this. And if you don't, then there's no helping your homosexual butt, not unless you're a girl of course, in which case, "Sorry Ma'am".

6.5 out of 10

REVIEW: Hulk, Get Smart + Movie Schedules!!!

2008-06-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

The Incredible Hulk
"HULK SMASH! HULK SMASH GOOD!"

Directed by Louis Leterrier Starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler and William Hurt

Coming right at the heels of fellow Marvel hero Iron Man, the Hulk smashes into place, hoping in earnest to both make lots of greens and wash out the bad aftertaste left behind by the giant's previous outing.

It comes two-folds I suppose... with both the good and the bad news. The bad news is that it doesn't quit soar to the same standards as his iron-clad buddy, in fact it lacks much of what made Iron Man so stupendous. On the other hand, it beat himself up handily, well his Ang Lee version at least, and if put into the right perspective, the Hulk still manages up a solid, entertaining and, most importantly, an action-packed array of sequences (Take that, Ang Lee!)

You see, the main reason it doesn't soar the same heights as Iron Man lies in two huge factors- Robert Downey as Stark and the Hulk's pacing. The first one isn't its fault, but Robert Downey just beats Edward Norton handily. Not that Norton does not give in a good performance, in fact he gives in as good a performance as Bruce Banner as is possible, giving a good balance between torn fugitive, brilliant scientist and distraught lover. But Downey's turn as Stark is just much more fun to watch, and in a way it also lies down to the fact that Stark is a much more interesting AND irresistible character than Banner.

Also, while Iron Man's pacing was sleek, fast and smart, Hulk comes across as a forced melodrama and action bonanza every scene. This is not completely a bad thing, in fact it's for this reason that this movie rises above the normal superhero movie. But, it also is its worst factor, because I just can't shake off the feeling that the pacing of this movie is not only strange but also nagging.

Still, if one were to stop comparing it to its Summer brother, it still is one superior Superhero movie, and definitely a superior summer blockbuster. The cast is tremendously talented and well suit for their roles. The fanboys will be screaming from all the hidden easter eggs scattered all throughout. The action sequences are amazing and exactly what we were looking for the first time around. The story and film itself is not afraid to embrace itself in its entirety. Plus, the effects here are just amazing. While I was fairly impressed with the first Hulk, this version does not only wear darker shade for green or forgo the silly purple shorts, but it's also much darker in its look and realism. The vein and muscle details are just amazing.

What does this mean? It means Marvel just gave out its second hit in a row. If we keep this up we might actually have too much good superhero movies, which for years now I have never imagined possible. And I must admit, I'm as excited about this prospect as I am of the thought that I will one day rule the world (no... really, I will).

8 out of 10

Get Smart
"Get Smart gets it right. Get it? Get Smart- gets rig.. ah forget it."

Directed by Peter Segal Starring Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Jhonson and Alan Arkin

This movie is a convoluted mess, utterly lost in its pacing and has a certain lack of dynamics in its angles. It is also incredibly funny, joyously light-hearted and undeniably entertaining. Oh how I hate this kind of movies, they never make writing reviews easy. Can't I just completely love or completely hate a movie again?

Well, there's little else to say about the bad stuff than what I just summarized in the previous paragraph. This movie is no masterpiece, and the fact is that it even has some jokes fall flat. It has a case of mistake identity that can't seem to decide whether its a mix of action and comedy, pure action or pure comedy. In turn it doesn't quite live up to the maximum effect of either on some parts that had sadly a lot of potential. On the other hand, it does give us what it set out to do in the first place.

This movie is highly entertaining, at least in most parts. Steve Carell remains a comedic natural and while Anne Hathaway may no longer be as stunning as when I first saw her, she is nonetheless adequate for her role. The movie follows the shenanigans of Agent Maxwell and his partner Agent 99. And the shenanigans can be quite a treat too, none of which could have been nearly half as entertaining had it not been for Steve.

With those points aside, what else can I really say about the movie? It does a pretty good job of being entertaining, avoids being sucky unlike some movies nowadays. For movies in general, thats mission accomplished and sadly something of a rarity. But in a summer season as volatile as this, it serves more as a refreshing snack before moving on to the next main course.

7 out of 10

MOVIE SCHEDULES
Due to requests and complaints on the fact that I did not add the release dates on some of the movies I presented in my Summer Movie entry, I have decided to do so here. Yes, Bra, I'm looking at you. Hehe. Anyway...

Wanted
June 27

Hancock
July 3

Journey to the Center of the Earth
July 9

The Dark Knight
July 17

Mama Mia!
July 18

The Mummy: Tomb of the Emperor Dragon
July 30

You Don't Mess with the Zohan
August 6

Wall-E
August 13

X-Files: I Want to Believe
August 13

Star Wars: The Clone Wars
August 20

My Sassy Girl
August 20

Disaster Movie
August 27

Babylon A.D.
September 3

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
September 10

REVIEW: Kung Fu Panda, Prince Caspian and Assasin's Creed!!!

2008-06-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

Kung Fu Panda
'Still no Pixar, still pretty awesome'

Dreamworks has always given off pretty entertaining animation features, but never have they ever come close to the ingenuity, originality or beauty of Pixar's masterpieces. This movie doesn't change that, but it does represent the best of Dreamwork's so far, and while not revolutionary is nonetheless a step in the right direction.

Let me just say that I have absolutely nothing bad to say against this film except that it just isn't better than it is. You see, the animation is amazing, the graphics mixed with a tinge of Asian colors and style, really burst in the big screen. This is the way to go as since Dreamworks can never compete against Pixar in terms of detail, it should make it up with unique graphical styles to augment its shape-oriented style as it does here.

Then there's the movie as a whole, which is highly entertaining while maintaining clean look. Its not ridden with too much forced jokes which spelled the doom of the Shrek franchise, and like fellow Dreamworks success Over The Hedge, it gives of a jolly good time while delivering a good, albeit predictable, story.

We follow Po, a noodle maker, who suddenly finds himself the chosen Dragon Warrior above the other Ferocious Five, which leaves them pretty peeved. Which brings us to the great ensemble voice cast they have here. Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu and Seth Rogen are here, and they deliver their lines in perfect harmonious unity. In other words, the hilarity from these pair ups are pretty cool.

If there's anything wrong with this good clean movie, is that it goes out too short and ends too fast. Still it can't be denied that this movie really goes all the way with style, entertainment, humor and talent.

8.5 out of 10

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
'Better than the first, which still doesn't say much'

I was never much of a fan of the first movie. While I thought it wasn't a disaster fantasy film and actually held up pretty solidly, it paled in comparison to the likes of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Still I was pretty willing to give the sequel the benefit of the doubt, which it took advantage of.

Let's just start off by saying this movie is darker, grittier and runs with a sense of a year's worth of experience and overall the movie is better off with it.It is also clear via the movie's lengthy finale that it observed a lot of the things that made LOTR so successful and tried it out, whether they effectively got it or not is a completely different matter.

You see, one of the biggest up's of this film is the fact that since all the kids have had years worth of experience as the kings and queens of Narnia, they don't have to stumble around now not knowing what to do. Rather they go around their second trip wiht a sense of experience that actually appeals to the new action pacing. That doesn't mean there are still some inexplicable and frustrating scenes of downright silliness but all in all, the children's second trip is more tightly woven than their last. This isn't a child's trip, this is war for Narnia and it shows.

The scenes are dark and despite the lack of actual blood save for the occasional cut lip, quite a number of people and err, Narnians, die in this movie. The main fact that this movie is now more accessible to adults really adds to an appeal the first movie never had.

But that's about where the good parts end. While the fantasy land and action are very well done, they stretch to a staggering 2 plus hours. This may not seem like much, but with the limited story stretched out so thin in a platform such as this, it feels like ages before the movie ends and its efforts for the better are quickly forgotten. Don't forget either that the actors are still nowhere near that good and the addition of a "pretty-face-and-nothing-else" Caspian does little to fix that fact.

And of course for all their pump up on action and fantasy ala LOTR, Adamson's sense of camera shots and mastership of the CGI is nothing compared to Jackson's and while pleasing at some points, you can't help but feel that it brims at the edge of awesomeness before receding back. This movie is mediocre and just like its predecessors, just manages not to mess things up. The only difference is that it does so with more style than the first.

6.5 out of 10

Assassin's Creed
'Ubisoft slays cool, slays good, slays way too much'

I've been eagerly anticipating this game for quite a while now, and if you've seen even but a glimpse of the gameplay you'll instantly know why. This game is just kick-ass.

You play Altair, a member of a secret group of assassins that lived and killed during the Holy Crusades of King Richard and Saladin. Tasked with the death of several prominent figures on both sides of the war, you travel from city to city climbing the highest rooftops with ease and raining death down on your pathetic foes. If you aren't sold yet, then you must be an idiot of enormous boredom issues.

First of all, let's start with the obvious stuff. This game is one of the most unique I've seen for quite some time. It's a mix between Hitman and Grand Theft Auto set in the medieval ages, but it's the interactions that rise is above the rest, literally. You see, the moment you drive Altair into a house, city wall, steel gate or even brick tower he will start climbing with unbelievable ease, flexibility and just plain coolness. You never get tired leaping across rooftops, swinging on construction cranes, climbing towers, jump-killing patrolling archers or just nose diving from the an aerie peak. And all of this is done with such fluidity that that alone would merit the game with a lot of praise.

This of course wouldn't work at all if the city looked like crap. I then thank all the gods that it isn't. In fact, it's drop dead gorgeous. The city, the landscape, the animation, texture wise it doesn't quite reach the levels of lets say Call of Duty 4 or Crysis, but it makes up in detail. And by detail, I mean GLORIOUS detail. A look at these screenshots alone should convince you because honestly I cannot put the amount of detail into words.

Then comes the storyline, which is nowhere near what I expected as it actually follows Desmond, a modern day assassin as he is captured and drilled for his ancestor's memories. Not going too much into detail, the narrative and storyline is actually highly interesting and had it not been for drawn out cinematics and an abrupt and very frustrating ending, it would have been a huge plus. Instead its a factor that brings in the first flaws and that's in the pacing.

You see, the largest and most destructive flaw of the game is that it is basically a one-trick pony. You have to admit that that one trick is so amazing it spans the rest of the game easily enough on its own, but the fact that the game repeats the same process, same gameplay and same repetitive and predictable actions mission after mission after mission really lets down the excitement during the latter half. It does not destroy the experience, but it comes real close.

If anything, this game comes pretty close to becoming one of the revolutionary ones, instead it becomes a solid and unique gaming experience brought down by few major flaws. I only hope they address issue in the inevitable sequel because an experience this good should not be given this kind of format when we know it deserves a lot more.

7 out of 10

REVIEW: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls

2008-05-25T04:56:00.000-07:00

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls

Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Cate Blanchett and Shia LaBeouf

Oh , Indie, how we've missed you.

Look, there have been some pretty bashing reviews, people out there attacking this Indiana Jones straight to the very core, but I belong to the positive side and there I will gladly stay. This movie deserves to belong on the shelf along with the other three. Is it the best in the series? Hell no! But it does belong with the others. And seeing the track record of reviving old, rotting series so far, that's about as good as you could possible expect.

I'm 18 years old, that means I did not grow up watching the movies in that glorious old theater. But I did grow up as a child watching the original films on VHS again, and again. So I know the first films, I loved the first film, and so I went into the theater ready with a flaming cocktail if the film dared let me down. But it isn't perfect, it's actually far from it. But what makes this film works is how it triumphs despite it.

So let's start with the bad first. For one thing, when Spielberg promised a film nearly devoid of C.G.I. I was thrilled, I dearly hoped for the original fell of the originals. But the truth is far from it. Rather, it is loaded with so much effects, it tones down many of the scenes. And some are just plain laughable and not in the good way (The monkey scene anybody?). And what it does to the finale is simply disappointing, which leads us to my other big gripe about the film... the ending.

You see, the ending just wasn't Indy. He barely does anything, and the entire thing shakes, explodes and goes crazy with him basically just there to watch everything occur. It does not destroy the film, rather it simply is a weak final act, which is I guess forgivable seeing that so many scenes aside from it were just magic.

And finally, I have my biggest problem with it, the screenplay. It's not bad, but it does go wrong at some pretty big places. For one thing, the plot is roughly patched together, and the adventure itself plays little to serve as the movie's point of interest, that honor belongs to the characters (of whose interactions are both amazing and way too few in between). I do not care about the far fetched plot, it does not seem all that more unbelievable than Nazi's looking for the power of God or the occult prying beating hearts out of you body. Rather it's how little heart it actually adds into the mix.

But thankfully, the good parts of this film answers all these problems and quite a lot more. For one, let's talk about what really made us all come back to watch this movie. Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. The man has been under the radar lately, but the moment he puts that hat back on you know he's back. There is just no one else who can do that role but him, and he comes back to take on the role just exactly the way we all remember, and for that he shines. From that smug look to that "I've been there before" tone, it's just pure nostalgia with every line, every joke and every reference to good old days. He does not do as much stunts as he did before, but come on the man's 65 you can't expect him to. But what he does is more than enough and every time he pulls through, you begin to remember just why you fell in love with him in the first place.

Also, while the ending fell flat, that does not mean the other scenes do. Say what you want about Spielberg, but in my opinion he is unparalleled in creating intense action scenes that keeps the heart pounding and adds in a chortle or even a jolt of laughter here and there. Besides, the man has never made a bad movie yet, at least not for me. And so it is clearly his style and his movie at every scene, and he steers it magnificently. Both the motorbike scene and the truck chase are entertaining beyond measure, just how Indiana scenes are supposed to feel. And when the action is absent, that good hold Indiana sense of humor and heart of gold is always present to keep you glued.

Adding to that is the return of Marion, who we all know is the only one Indie was meant to be with. From the first time she shows up, you know every single scene involving the two will sizzle with pure chemistry. Added into the mix is Mutt Williams or as we all would rather call him I'm sure, Henry Jones III. I'm at a lost for Shia as the heir to the hat. He does an effective job here, he channels a good interaction with both mom and pops and holds his own on the action scene. In fact, at some points you can actually see the old shine from his old man in him, you can actually believe he is Indiana's son, which is the most important part. What does trouble me is that the character is raw, and even if that problem was absent there's no changing the fact that there is no way he or anyone else can replace Harrison in the role he was born to play. I would love a sequel, yes please. But I would rather leave the series here all and out if the sequel would rather toy the idea of son replaces father as the ending here seems to suggest.

I'm sure I can't go anywhere without mentioning the other supports, non of which can ever match the magic of either Marcus Brody or Henry Jones Sr. both of whom are lovingly mentioned. If anything, it's Indie's show with his family. Cate Blanchett as the villain was not as good as I hoped her to be. While nonetheless holding her own against the new Jones boys, she does appear awkward as a villain at some points and perhaps mostly of all she falters in her final scene, which I believe fell flat.

But come on, I did not come into this movie thinking it was going to top the series, but it did work out magnificently in the end. It gives out some memorable scenes that are worthy of the series and if I were to rank it, I'd give it the position of 3rd in the series. Don't take that badly, seeing as how the series itself has been magnificent. And while it might not match fully the magic f the best of Indiana, it does prove itself worthy to stand beside it in the winner's podium. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go watch the original films a full five times each before sinking into a state of self-imposed nostalgic depression while waiting for the DVD release of the series' fourth. Thank you, Indiana, and welcome back.

8 out of 10

REVIEW: Speed Racer

2008-05-20T01:17:00.000-07:00

Speed Racer
Directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski
Starring Emile Hirsche, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox and Rain

Speed Racer is a shame. It's a damn right shame. No, not because it is as all the critics claim it to be- a worthless piece of eye candy- because it's not. If anything, it's really not half bad. No, it's a damn right shame for several reasons. It's a shame that the film opened at a shocking number three spot at the box office, taking in only $18 million and losing to Ashton's chick flick (talk about embarrassing!). It's a shame that due to the flurry of attacks from the critics I now find this film highly underrated. And it's a shame that after this, no one will trust the Wachowski Brothers (Matrix Trilogy) with another big budget movie again. And that's the biggest shame of all because while the two may have their flaws and share of misfires, when they suck, they do so with style. And nothing less can be expected from the creators of the fame Bullet Time.

By the way I defend the movie, it's as if I loved the thing, but don't get me wrong because I don't. But I did enjoy it, maybe even more than I expected and more than I'm willing to admit. But it does have flaws, and ones that if anything should at least be given the benefit of the doubt.

For one thing, this movie can get highly confusing, a side-effect of its highly ambitious graphic style. For all the cool effect swirling heads and swapping backgrounds could do the first few times, it also serves the plot all sorts of twists and turns, and not the good kind.

Also, the acting can range from "Cheesy and loving it!" to "Driving while constipated". I did not expect Oscar winning performances from the movie, in fact I expected classy bad ones. You know, the cheesy kind that despite the fact that it's nowhere bear believable, it fits perfectly in such a fabulously fictitious world as this. And it works, but after a while, some of the more flat lines take its toll and the more it hits you later in the movie, the more you start feeling the strain of the actors as they try to keep the script alive. While not enough to cry foul and ruin the movie completely, it does nothing to convince you to watch the movie. If anything, it's a blunt throw that serves only to push forward whatever little plot there is in this kid-like extravaganza and little else.

But if you're like me or the two or three other people out there who bothered showing up for the movie, you didn't watch it for the story. You watched it for the headache inducing eye candy, and that's what you'll get. And oh the glory of it all. This is by far one of the most boldly creative movies to come in a long while. Everything about it emits a fanatical swirl of rainbow colors and the art style switches amazingly fast and snappy. One moment it's a CGI treat, the next it's a slow motion shoot-out and karate-fest with comic-like layering. It serves to give one some of the most marvelous and downright jaw-dropping scenes in quite a while. I must take this time to give props to Matthew Fox as Racer X who by far is the coolest and most kick-ass character out there. While not a critical plus, it does give one goosebumps. The graphics, though, do quite some damage. I first hated it in the trailers, thinking it will just make me go dizzy. Well, the graphics ended up entertaining me despite making me dizzy. And for all the cool car moves out there, they get lost in the jumble of candy-colored explosions and checkered backgrounds. For all the good the adrenaline rush gave the action, it could have paid off to slow down a bit at just the right pivotal moments.

So in the end, Speed Racer does nothing to convince me it's a classic blockbuster we'd all remember, in fact it isn't even great. But it does entertain, which is more than we can say than a lot of the wannabes out there right now in the business. And if compared to the masterpiece that was the Matrix, it is safe to assume that this may yet be the latest of the Wachowski's misfires. But despite that, one must at least give the movie props for its technical aspects which I believe are topnotch despite a dizzy fit here and there. Besides, I'd rather watch two great artists try and fail than to see them not try at all.

By the way, that monkey's just annoying.

7 out of 10

Book Review: Twilight! And some quick comic bashes!

2008-05-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

Twilight
by Stephanie Meyer

Well, I finally read it. After constant insistence on the sheer awesomeness of this book and the countless times I've been told to just read the damn thing, I finally have. And I went into the book with an equal sense of high expectations and a bit of stubborn skepticism. On both fronts I have been generously not disappointed.

First of all, this book is highly entertaining, the most of any book in my recent memory. It is rare to find a page-turner of this magnitude and like many books of the same breed, it draws this from its narrative. This Romance novel is dangerously addictive with its sensual tale and dark tone, it appeals to the inner romantic and emotive of any normal-brained adolescent (myself included). It is, however, by and large a girl's book. Not that open-minded testosterone induced individuals cannot enjoy it, I did immensely, but this was done by a woman and it clearly shows. The hero is a girl, and not only that, but a rather plain girl. Bella then falls in love with Edward, a vampire who by the most Estrogen-filled chance is a complete stud. If anything, this is by part an ode to one of a perfect female fantasy of falling in love with a mysterious and very dark stranger who is handsome and powerful beyond belief.

That brings us to what works perfectly. The first part, and by large a majority of the book, deals with Bella's descent into a dark, romantic and very dangerous world. How Stephanie handles Bella's teenage mindset, the stages of her falling in love from outright denial and hate to the point of sheer unconditional love, is so well made that it makes every page gush with suspense even when there's absolutely nothing happening. The author's expert use of the senses in her narrative, her masterful grasp of the teenage mindset and even a dash of old school irony borrowed heavily from Meyer's obvious love of the classics all contribute to an expertly told tale of macabre romance. And there's barely a drop of blood for the majority of the novel. All this tells a lot of the narrative work and the excellent conversation handling.

But then for all its undeniable appeal, it has its downside. The hyped finale is both predictable and abrupt, not to mention the pumped up pacing horribly shatters the slow dark build up of much of the book's romantic run. If anything, the delve into death is inevitable to add a sense of conflict and danger, but the handling of it is by far different from the rest of the book it ends up feeling completely different and quickly concluded, as if as an afterthought. If anything, it acts more like the end of a television episode where you have the feeling of inevitable continuation. While many books deal like that, this one deals so in such a case that it leaves a lot of disappointing conclusions, though a lot of the more interesting unanswered ones leave one wanting much more from the sequel.

Another disappointing turn is the handle on some characters. While most supporting are left ignored, it is the interesting ones that I feel are not given enough room to shine, and those that compromise this group is basically the Vampire family. While some characters are given a side story or two that adds a new dimension, such as the likable Alice, most feel more like missed opportunities such as Jasper and Rosalie who are both hinted at more conflict yet are never pushed to the extent beyond that of a character caricature. Speaking of which, the heroine herself, Bella, is by far a mixed element. While I applaud the exert handle on her for a majority of the issue, once she starts falling hopelessly in love with Edward she becomes highly annoying. You could excuse her sheer addiction for Edward's constant presence from time to time, one may even forgive her for thinking just about him just about every single page, but once this starts to pan out for the last quarter of the novel's run, it ruins a lot of the character build up she's had done on the first part of the book. In other words, she starts off as a responsible, smart and stubborn teenage girl and ends up a love-sick puppy with no sense of self worth. I know characters are supposed to change and evolve through the stories, but this is ridiculous, she feels like a completely different person by the end of it.

But all these, I suppose are excusable for now, just because of how well the story is driven into one's cranium. Despite its several flaws, and a few major one here and there, this story leaves one frantic and driven to know more about this dark world in Forks, despite the inevitable conclusion that, yes, you can probably guess what occurs in the next chapter. If anything, this is an ode to masterful storytelling that is entertaining beyond praise. It is no wonder that the book is so ridiculously popular, its appeal is just both so unique and yet so natural. A definite must-read for anyone looking for something to delve to in those long lonely nights.

7.5 out of 10

Quick COMIC Bashes

Wolverine # 62-65 (Get Mystique)
Written by Jason Aaron/ Pencils by Ron Garney

One of the best interpretations of the two characters ever, period. From the intricate look at their pasts to the mind-blowing confrontation between these two legendary characters, the handle on the interaction between the two is just spotless and highly entertaining. Now that Sabertooth is dead and rotting, I am really rooting for Mystique to take his place as Logan's arch-rival. This great book just shows that it's a match made in heaven. P.S. Garney's sketchy art is bot unique and highly addictive. While unremarkable at first, it grows on you to the point that you can't quite get enough of it.
10/10

Invincible Iron Man # 1
Written by Matt Fraction/ Pencils by Salvador Larroca

Awesome. It is clear that with the success of the blockbuster film, Marvel has decided to delve back a bit on what truly makes Tony Stark such a likable character. From his playboy mannerisms to his witty charm, this book molds the good old Stark with his more modern role as S.H.I.E.L.D Director. Better yet, it even plays up old school spasms withe Ezekiel Stane, son of the movie's villian Obadiah Stane, taking up the role as Iron Man's rival in the Iron suit business.

10/10

Batman # 676 (R.I.P.)
Written by Grant Morrison / Pencils by Tony Daniel

Is it just me or is every comic I've been getting so good it merits a ten? This is yet another one, not that R.I.P has begun, everyone is dying to know how Morrison is planning to kill of the Dark Knight. This book is more like a prologue more than anything else, and serves as a jumping point for any new readers and as a refresher for all the old ones. While books like these are usually boring, nothing Grant manages to do ever comes across as that. Besides, the spectacular and creepy finale more than merits the high score I give it now. Really, that ending is just so insane, I still have goosebumps right now. Joker is the bomb.

10/10

Obama! Clinton! And Archuleta! Wait... who was that last one again?

2008-05-07T05:27:00.000-07:00

OBAMA/CLINTON CAMPAIGN

It has been going on for quite some time now, too long a time in fact. It's about time to I put in some thought on the topic, I mean now's a good a time as any now that both North Carolina and Indiana has released their respective exit poll results. In case there are those of you unaware, Obama draws closer by sweeping North Carolina 56% to Clinton's 42%. Hillary on the other hand just managed to squeeze a victory out of Indiana 51% to Obama's 49%. All this after what is undoubtedly the worst three weeks of Obama's campaign to be the Democratic Nominee for this November's Presidential Elections.

In case you haven't noticed as well, I support Obama. Well, I can't really support him, I'm not American. But I am rooting for him. Here's why.

Someone told me last week that he didn't care who among the two made it, they were basically the same no-result candidates. I contested that Obama was different, and he shrugged it off that he simply was a mere symbol of America's want for 'Change'. He has his own opinion, but in mine I believe he just gave what is the best possible reason on why Obama should be the next president. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start off with his two main opponents shall we?

Hillary Clinton is his immediate obstacle, and what an obstacle too. By no means is she an awful choice. All things considered, she's a damn pretty good one. She may represent the same old politics of her husband Bill, but she represents also years of experience and know-how, something we have to realize that Obama seriously lacks. She is active, a doer and for all her talk, it is true that she is a huge fighter. The fact that she is still struggling to wrestle the nomination from Obama this late in the game speaks wonders on her capabilities to lead the world's leading nation. She is fierce, tough and a woman. Trust me, that last one is a huge part. Not only would that mean a first, but it would represent a whole new way of how the government is run.

Then there's John McCain. At first sight, he is a very pleasant person, a smiling man who doesn't take himself too seriously. You would not imagine this was the same man who was captured and tortured back in Vietnam. He takes into this game a whole slew of experience despite his really old age (he would be the oldest president ever elected if he wins). Sure he may not physically stand strong, but by values he is tough. How tough? Bush tough. In fact, he is almost like a Bush clone, which can be a good or bad thing depending on where you stand on the whole Iraq issue.

Now on Obama. By all accounts it's not logical. He's a black man (face it, there's still racial discrimination no matter how you put it), he's young, he's inexperienced and people don't know anything about him. Who knows what figurative skeletons are hiding in his closet? So why is he doing so well? Well, for one thing, the man is a sensation. As Michael Moore put it, it's not as much about the 'candidate' but about the 'movement'.

He is all about Change. And in a world going down, or at least a nation, it is a word that tugs quite a lot of strings. People are tired, of war, of economic woes, of everything. And they want something else. You may scoff at the idea, but it's an idea so commonly ignored in most political contests. People focus on making things better, but this man is not about improvement, he's about a revolution of how things works. He is reinventing politics and it shows. People gather for his speeches, for his call. They flock to him, enchanted, and what's not to be enchanted about? The man is always presidential, and his speeches are damn well the most inspiring out there. Say what you want about him, but I also think he has the most outstanding principles out there. Look at it this way, for all his bickering with Clinton, he barely touched the dirty stuff. Clinton ravaged every one of his mistakes, from his Muslim relations all the way to his former drug use. And for all the deep dark things in Clinton's book, Obama hasn't bothered bringing up even one. And when things were looking bleak for Clinton, she lashed out every way she could at Obama's character, at his principles and at his credibility. Obama, more than anything, even when he was the potential loser, has always been all about the possibilities. He rarely attacked the other candidates so closely as to call to question their ability to run the country.
Before this I've never really been that interested in American Politics, but that's the charm of this 47- year old Catholic. He's almost like Kennedy back for another go. Young, idealistic and a determination to lead this nation to true change by the most solid values. Add in the fact that this neck-to-neck race has been absolutely thrilling. By now, it seems pretty obvious that Clinton should drop out, the numbers are just not feasible anymore, no matter how far you try to stretch it. It shows too, her victory speech (on her small victory) revealed a more weary vision of this fighter. Despite her ferocity, she should start realizing that a great leader should also know when she's beat. Because after today, it's pretty clear as it has been for the last few months, that she no longer stands a chance.

AMERICAN IDOL TOP 4

4.) Jason Castro

Let's face it. Castro was a mess tonight. It was almost like he was trying to convince everyone not to vote for him. For all his baby-blue eye appeal, nothing in the world can salvage the train wreck of both his performances. The firs was murder in the highest degree, eliciting from Simon one of this worst comments this season, "Atrocious". The second was slightly better the way a poke in the eyes is slightly more preferable than a kick in the balls. But then again, he did forget a part of the lyrics. It was like the collective bad karma of all the weeks he should have been booted have come back to collectively haunt him in a single night and hand him his ass. If there was any justice in the world, even the slightest mini-droplet, he would be gone tomorrow.

3.) Sayesha Mercado

I really feel for her, not just because of her emotional breakdown today, but also because she's in an impossible position and even she knows it. She has talent, that much is clear, although not nearly as much as either David's. She also lacks the staying power of either, and now that Jason has signed his own death sentence, the next week is practically a closed deal for her. It's like a fixed schedule now, and she can see it coming a mile away. Give her props for the effort though, and her breakdown was most inspiring. But she's on borrowed Hollywood time, and all she can do is start preparing for a spectacular farewell.

2.) David Cook

Here comes the only change this week around. David Cook was, quite frankly, a disappointment. No, he wasn't bad. But he wasn't spectacular either, and in a Rock and Roll themed week, it should have been his chance to shine. Instead he falters in his first and only just makes up for it with his second. Still, despite his somewhat lackluster performance this week around, it is still undeniable that his appeal is still massive, and there is no way he is going out this early. He is tailor-made for a finale, disappointing turn or not. For him and his other namesake, no other episode matters no except for the last one.

1.) David Archuleta

Little David is back on top and, as Simon put is, crushing the competition. His performances tonight was outstanding despite a little fluke here and there, and in a night where everyone else seems to start showing their flaws and vulnerabilities, David is busy showing off why he was the early favorite to win the competition. Although some of the magic of his youthful charm has definitely worn out, it's nights like these that could help him remind everyone just why they love him. He keeps this up, and he can start getting the pull over his namesake this early on, now that it's clear just who he has to watch out for.

TOP 10 SUMMER MOVIES!!! What to look out for!

2008-05-05T18:07:00.000-07:00

With Iron Man a box office sensation, the summer slew of blockbusters and films are already underway. For those of you not updated on just what's in store for us for the next few months here is my top 10 movies list for the summer. I also suggest looking up the trailers of the movies here that catch your eye, most of them have already been released anyway. Youtube, anyone?

10.) MAMA MIA!

WHY: After last year's double musical hit with both Hairspray and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, it seems only logical that the trend continues. Make no mistake though, Mama Mia! is whole new beast, with it's 70's ABBA Songs and the quirk

y old fashioned dancing, this movie is not for everyone. Nonetheless, its hilarious turn in broadway demands we should at least take a look at this. After all, two names in the cast alone are worth the ticket price- Streep- Brosnan. Come on, sing it with me! Mama Mia! Here we go agaaaain!!!

TRIVIA: Director Phyllida Lloyd also directed the original ‘Mamma Mia!’ Broadway Play.

9.) THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN

WHY: I'll be honest with you, I didn't like the first one all that much, and the second does nothing much for me either. Sure the trailer has its cool moments, but why should anyone out there not in the mood for another Lord of the Rings wannabe care to check this one out? Well for starters Prince Caspian's a hunk, a definite plus to all you ladies around. And for those of you who hated the first movie due to its lackluster action, fear not. The producers announced, and the trailer shows, quite an improvement in the action department. Plus, Weta can never go wrong with their CGI creatures.

TRIVIA: This movie was originally planned for a 2007 release. What the hell happened???

8.) HANCOCK

WHY: If there's any real box-office king, it's Will Smith. The guy has not had a single flop in nearly a decade, now that's amazing. He has the Midas' Touch of Hollywood and there's no doubt in my mind that Hancock will end his winning streak. The movie follows Hancock, a cocky, drunk, irresponsible and overly repulsive superhero who must prove to the world that he's got an ounce of dignity in that metal heart. The trailer's fantastic, not to mention hilarious. This movie is a definite must see for those of you looking out for a good time.

7.) THE INCREDIBLE HULK

WHY: When word got out that Marvel's first movie by itself, Iron Man, got in an impressive $100.7 million in the opening weekend, everyone's scrambling for congratulations. But Marvel shouldn't rest easy just yet because it has a second movie ready to take up the challenge. Although buzz and hype for this film is not nearly as big as either Iron Man or The Dark Knight, it has its own respectable way about it. Edward Norton takes the role of Bruce Banner, previously played by Eric Bana. For those of you wondering, this movie completely disregards the first one, but rather plays on its own following an already radiated Banner running from the U.S. Army. Norton has always been extremely talented, and I'm liking what I see so far with the new Hulk (although Abomination, his enemy in this movie, is still on the fence). Oh, and watch out for Robert Downey Jr. a.k.a. Iron Man to make a special appearance in this film.

TRIVIA: Director Louis Letterier first wanted Iron Man but got this instead. Oh well...

6.) WANTED

WHY: With this day and age of computer graphics, it's rare that a trailer can still be kick ass with all the slow motion action going around. But Wanted does exactly that. Based on a comic of the same name, the film follows a league of assassins as they recruit their newest member. This is Angelina Jolie's return to the action genre, and I must say it's a pretty kick-ass comeback. Come on, I dare you to tell me that you did not love that last 'GOODBYE' bullet. Though I doubt story or characterization are going to be much of a star in this action flick, it still has my heart pumping for some adrenaline rush.

TRIVIA: Director Timur Bekmambetov's Russian. This is his first American film!

5.) HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY

WHY: Reviews for the first film may be mixed, but I'm among those who loved it. The director, Guillermo del Toro, has an amazing vision. His next movie, Pan's Labyrinth, was an absolute wonder. The man had a distinct fantasy style no one else had. Now word's gone out that he is going to spend the next four years in New Zealand directing two prequels to the Lord of the Rings movie, all the more reason to check out his latest, the Hellboy sequel. Expect all the characters to return, and Abe Sapien getting a bigger role. Trust me, Toro is the bomb, and this movie will prove it.

TRIVIA: Director Guillermo del Toro turned down doing Halo, One Missed Call, Harry Potter and I Am Legend just to do this film. Talk about dedicated!

4.) KUNG FU PANDA

WHY: I know Dreamwork's Ice Age 3 is coming out, but come on now, who really watched that movie for any other reason than seeing Scrap the squirrel get pounded. Now this other movie, Kung Fu Panda, makes our list. While I was not all that thrilled at first at the concept of a kicking panda, early reviews have raved that this movie is the peak of Dreamwork's accomplishment, comparing it with even Pixar's masterpieces. Now that's pretty high praise. Even the trailer was charming in its own way, while boasting some of the amazing images I've been hearing about. Besides, it's about time we see Jack Black in an actually funny role again. Dumpling, anyone?

TRIVIA: Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu and Angelina Jolie are among the stellar voices here!

3.) WALL-E

WHY: Why!? This is Pixar!!! You hear that name and you shouldn't be asking why! Had the competition not been so fierce this year, Wall-E would have easily toped this list. Pixar is one of the most consistent producers of quality films out there, and I look forward every year to their movies, which not only boasts the best animation anywhere but also unique and top-class story telling (something Dreamworks or any of its competitors have yet to master). Plus, this movie is screaming potential, I have never been this excited in a Pixar concept since... well, ever! I am really hoping this would top some of Pixar's other greats such as, oh let's see... Finding Nemo, Incredibles and Ratatouille. Plus, Wall-E is just adorable!!!

TRIVIA: There is almost no human voices here, most are created digitally to sound like robots. Now that's amazing!

2.) INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF CRYSTAL SKULLS

WHY: I have been waiting for this movie for like.... ever! For one thing, its the long-awaited sequel to what is most likely the best adventure series out there. Say what you want about all those wannabes, there is no one else in the world who will beat Indiana Jones. He was the first, and he is the best, no question about it. Now at the age of 60, Harisson Ford is back in the fedora with Steven Spielberg, who is also one of the most consistently brilliant directors out there, in this sequel. If you have not watched any of the previous film, I insist you stop reading this right now, get a copy, and watch it. You are missing a huuuge part of you life. And now that the fourth film is finally here, one can rest easy in the knowledge that Dr. Jones has returned.

TRIVIA: Although Lucas wanted a lot of digital effects, Spielberg wanted to shoot it mostly in good all fashioned film, using only CGI when really necessary.

1.) THE DARK KNIGHT

WHY: Let me be honest with you, I am completely biased in this first choice, but come on, can you blame me? Dark Knight's viral marketing campaign has pushed the hype for this film into overdrive. Nolan's visionary dark take on the Batman continues in this sequel as Bruce Wayne faces off with The Joker. If you've been living under a rock, let me be the first to inform you that Heath Ledger is dead, but his Joker is destined to be the peak of his career. It is a real shame too, but the Joker here is dark, dangerously sadistic and a true maniac. It is a shame the man can no longer reprise the role. Plus it has been confirmed that both Two-Face AND Scarecrow will be in the film. This is geek heaven, and this film has a lot of expectations to meet. It is to my belief, however, that this movie will meet them all and then some. Long live the Dark Knight!

TRIVIA: To prepare for his role Heath locked himself in a hotel room for a month, fantasizing about the evils of the world and what makes them funny. He put it all down in a diary. Rest in peace, Heath.

OTHER MOVIES TO WATCH OUT FOR:

SPEED RACER
The guys who brought you The Matrix are back in this colorful adrenaline rush of a film.

GET SMART
Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway battle evil in this remake of the hilarious TV classic series.

X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE
They're still out there. Enough said.

THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR
The series comes back, and this time it takes place in good ole China.
YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN
The comedy must-see of the season. Imagine Adam Sandler as Borat. Eeeeww....HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR
A bit far off, but we know you'll all still watch it, sucky or not.

IRON MAN REVIEW!!!

2008-05-04T18:48:00.000-07:00

IRON MAN
"Robert Downey Jr. shines like gold in his metal suit"

Directed by Jon Favreau
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges and Terrence Howard

Iron Man is in a tough position, mostly because it has to meet my standards on two different levels. First off, it has to meet my expectations as a standard film, and secondly it has to meet it again as a Comic Book adaptation. It is to my extreme pleasure to announce that the movie pulls off both with flying colors beams of repulsor rays.

But before we get into any other aspect of the film, it is important for us to give credit first to the aspect of the film that is not only getting the most attention by the critics but without which the entire film would become a piece of scrap metal. I am talking, of course, about our star, Robert Downey Jr. As an actor portraying a character, he gives Tony Stark a perfect balance between brilliant scientist, irresponsible playboy and gold-hearted hero. Had it not been for Downey's brilliant portrayal, the delicate balance of Stark's character would shatter and we would be left with an asshole billionaire we end up not really caring about. Seriously, even the comics I have yet to see a representation of the character so perfectly executed as it was by Downey. I am left with the satisfied knowledge that until the day he dies, Downey will look to this role as his crowning achievement and people will look to him as the only man capable of spewing out Stark's witty lines so perfectly.

Moving on from Downey's amazing performance, we move on to Farveau's vision with the film, and how it stands up on its own. Already mentioned is how perfectly the character of Stark is done, we have to add in the other characters. And while none of them stand a chance of outshining Downey, it's his film through and through, they all give unique quirky supporting roles that flesh out this new Marvel world slowly being created. On that note, it is to a fanboy's delirious joy that they crafted a world so attuned to its comic basis. From the hints to a future Avenger collaboration all the way to the inclusion of a popular government agency, this movie is a drug ride for any respectable comic fan.

Not to say that the movie isn't awesome for non-fans. I suppose it is no shock to know that the movie boasts some pretty cool visuals. And while none of them are breath-takingly new or ground-breaking, their execution from Stark's high-tech computer system named 'Jarvis' all the way to his astonishing suit, they are carefully used to give out moments after moments of "Oh Damn!" Still, the movie is not without it's flaws, the ending itself for example is a bit too hastily wrapped up for my taste. The pacing is steady and ends in breakneck speed, with the action and the characterization balanced well.

Take note that while this movie is indeed an origin movie, exploring the start of Iron Man, it is also unlike any other Superhero origin movie so far. It has the same giddy and childlike mirth of Spiderman, but shows it in the mature sense of Batman Begins. It is hard to put at it, mostly because no superhero appeals to that sense more than Iron Man and no movie has yet to execute that sense to this extent.

In conclusion, Iron Man is a joy to behold. Whether you're a fan of in-depth characterization of your beloved hero, witty remarks thrown to and fro, amazing visual action or just plain out excellent story telling, this movie gleams like diamond in the golden casing of Iron. Tony Stark may not be as big a name as Peter Parker, Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne, but Downey makes damn well sure that people will start remembering who the man is behind that Iron Mask. The only other downside to all this is that for all the awesomeness the movie displays in its two-hour run, enough is never enough. It's rare for a movie to have you actually all and out screaming for a sequel the moment the credits roll. Now if you'll excuse me, let me pick out everyone's favorite Black Sabbath tune...

DA...DA... DA DA DA!!! DADADADADADADADADA!!! I...AM.... IRON MAN!!!!

9/10