All The King's Men

Sean Penn. I'll see a movie after just hearing that name. This one, like all the rest, looks really good. I'll update this post with details later, if you want, but right now I can give you the trailer, the cast, the release date, and the synopsis.

Watch the trailer here.

Cast: Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo, Patricia Clarkson, and Anthony Hopkins.

Release date: September 22, 2006

Synopsis (from official site): Based on Robert Penn Warren's 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, All The King's Men tells the story of an idealist's rise to power in the world of Louisiana politics and the corruption that leads to his ultimate downfall. All The King's Men is a complex saga of human nature, power, corruption, idealism, romance and betrayal. Using politics as a framework to delve into the more profound dilemmas of human existance - sin, guilt, and redemption - it explores the nature of corruption in a way that is still timely and relevant today

Calvaire

Wow. Watch this trailer at night with the lights off and the sound turned up. This looks like it could be a really scary and very disturbing movie. The trailer is done very well. Definitely an effective horror trailer. But the subject is just, in itself, frightening. I'm pretty sure the topic of this movie is at the top of plenty of people's worst fears lists. I don't need to explain it at all, you'll understand when you watch. Even the poster is scary. It should be out now. I can't wait to see this and jump out of my seat! Watch the trailer here.

The Bridge

You want to see a trailer that will just kind of make you stop and watch? You're not sure why, but something about it draws you in, and then when it's over, you sit back in your chair and kind of think "wow". Try this one. This movie looks like it could be very disturbing to some people. That's all I'll say. Watch the trailer here.

Transformers Pictures

I figured I'd post some Transformers pictures up for 2 reasons: 1) they are wicked cool looking, and 2) the Transformers you see in the pictures ACTUALLY TRANSFORM! that's right, live action transformation. How amazing is that going to be? Apparently they've got one of them down to transforming in under 3 seconds. Bullshit, I'll have to see it to believe it, but the fact that they transform at all is good enough for me. Click them to see the bigger versions.

Snakes On A Plane Review

I finally saw Snakes On A Plane this weekend, and I think I loved every minute of it. I've heard so many people say they hated it, and that it was so bad, and it wasn't funny, and blah, blah, blah. I LOVED IT! I want to see it again. I think the reason why I liked it so much is because I laughed at all the hype that it had, and thought the Samuel L. Jackson phone message that I left to a few of my friends was genius. If you did it, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Then, when it came out and everyone said it was the most fun they've ever had at a bad movie, my expectations immediately dropped to bad movie status. the last part is that I never took it seriously. I think if you go in to it with that mindset, you'll love it too.

I'm not going to actually review the movie, because that's pointless, you have to see it for yourself. What I will say is, the snake parts were awesome. Back when they were deciding what to rate it, it was going to be PG-13, but they decided to make it R, and you can totally tell which scenes they went back and added after that decision. The story didn't get in the way all that much either, which was really good to see. I mean, the plot obviously had to be introduced, and was the underlying path of the movie, but that didn't get in the way of the fun and the "action" I guess, and the badassery of Sammy J. The final few things I will say about it is it was WAY more entertaining that I thought it was going to be, it was actually BETTER than I thought it was going to be, and I walked out of the theater pumping my fists in satisfaction because it was AWESOME! Snakes On A Plane!

I won't rate it on the Reganometer, because I'm torn between a high rating for the fun I had or a low rating because it was really a bad movie, and I feel sorry for anyone who didn't get into it, but I will say SEE IT FOR SURE! SNAKES ON A PLANE! YES!!

The Marine

Click to enlarge.

There are only 3 reasons why I posted this. The first is just to let you all know that the WWE (World Wresting Entertainment) has officially launched WWE Films. Yes, we are all sad. They have 3 movies on the docket right now, The Marine is the second. WWE star John Cena will star in it, and if you can't tell by the picture, this guy is ripped to shit! He's juiced like crazy. He's got a few too many shots in the ass. How ever you want to say it, he's huge. His co-star will be Kelly Carlson, that girl from Nip/Tuck. That's reason #1.

IGN gives the early (and terrible) synopsis:

The Marine will star John "Doctor of Thuganomics" Cena as an injured Marine who returns from combat to find that his wife (Kelly Carlson of Nip/Tuck) is being held hostage by a diamond thief. The Marine must race against the clock to save her and, no doubt, beat the crap out of everybody in the process.

Reason #2 is that this movie could be cool. Follow me here, I'm not saying it's going to be good, because it's not, it's a WWE movie. But if any of you have seen The Punisher, that was a bad movie too, but it was cool because he punished! John Cena is a huge guy, and he already knows how to fake fight, so if this movie is made purely as an ass-whoopin', beat-down, action-packed, blood-fest, the I think it will be cool. Think Punisher on steroids. That's reason #2.

Reason #3 is to warn Hayley that the movie coming out called The Marine is not one she wants to see. If she hears about it before she knows what it is, she might get her big Marine hopes up. Then, when she finds out, those hopes will be crushed faster than the coffee cups through the chain-link fence last night (breaking things is always fun). So Hayley, prepare yourself for a movie that will shame the Marine Corps, and piss you off.

Lord Of The Rings Limited Edition

They're re-releasing the Lord Of The Rings movies next week, again, and calling them "limited edition" which will include both the theatrical releases and the extended editions. But the real draw of this release is the never-before-seen documentary they are including with it. They plan to release this as both a boxed set and as 3 individual movies, but that's not the reason why I'm posting about it.

The real reason for this post is the sneak peek they have released. You can watch either the Quicktime or Windows Media Player versions, depending on which you prefer, both are the same. Click a link to download and watch. This one's for you Hay! Hope you enjoy.

Here's the link to the website in case the above links don't take you right into a download.

300 Posters

The movie 300 is the next Frank Miller movie. Just like his Sin City, this film is based on his graphic novels, and is said by many to be more interesting than his Sin City graphic novels. The official site is up, and here is the synopsis from that site:

Based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy. The film brings Miller’s (Sin City) acclaimed graphic novel to life by combining live action with virtual backgrounds that capture his distinct vision of this ancient historic tale.

New posters have been released, and they look pretty darn cool. Click to enlarge.

Snakes On A Plane Release

I just wanted to remind everybody that Snakes On A Plane comes out today. It's has so much hype around it, more than any other movie in history, and now it's time to see what it's all about. Today is the first day it's out, and everyone is waiting to see how it is, as it wasn't released early for critics. It's got snakes, it's got a plane, it's got snakes on a plane, and it's got Samuel L. Jackson telling us how much he wants these motherf***ing snakes off that motherf***ing plane. I'm ready to experience the glory that is Snakes On A Plane.

Reservation Road

Joaquin Phoenix. Great actor. The second comment is synonymous with the first. There are many good actors out there today, but few that succeed in nailing every single scene in every single movie quite like Joaquin. His talents are unquestionable, and he's going to win an Oscar soon. I think he'll do it in the next 5 years. With last years incredible Walk The Line, it's no surprise that his next movie looks like it has Best Actor potential.

The movie is called Reservation Road. It stars Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, and Jennifer Connelly, and is directed by Terry George, the same guy that directed Hotel Rwanda. It's set to start shooting in Connecticut in October, will be released in 2007, and the production costs are predicted to be a mere $20 million. It's based on Jonathan Burnham Schwartz's novel of the same name, and Coming Soon has the synopsis:

Two haunted men and their families are engulfed by the emotions surrounding an unexpected and horrendous death. Ethan, a respected professor of literature at a small New England college, is wracked by an obsession with revenge that threatens to tear his family apart. Dwight, a man at once fleeing his crime and hoping to get caught, wrestles with overwhelming guilt and his sense of obligation to his son. As these two men's lives unravel, Reservation Road moves to its startling conclusion.

This sounds like a really interesting plot. The two actors play fathers on the opposite sides of a hit-and-run: Ruffalo's character kills Joaquin's character's son and then flees. This movie is ripe for Joaquin's acting, but we've never seen Mark Ruffalo in a role like this. He's always played in rom-coms, emotional, sure, but nothing like this. I'm interested to see how he does, and oddly enough, I'm confident he will be good. I have a sneaking suspicion that he will be really good. Not sure why, I can just see him as this guy, and I think he's a good fit.

The power in this movie can be intense if they do it right, and coming from the guy who did Hotel Rwanda, I'm positive it will be powerful. There is so much room for intense emotion in this story, and with this cast, you might want to pack some tissues when you go. I can imagine that this is a pretty amazing book; I'm thinking about going out today and getting it actually.

Now, with a $20 million budget, not much can be done in terms of production, but other than the car crash, I don't see anything that would take any real money. If they can get away with a $20 million budget, and this movie turns out as good as it sounds, it will make tons of money. You, Me, and Dupree made $23 million in it's first weekend, and that was when Pirates of the Caribbean 2 was making all its money, so imagine what this movie could do, especially if it's released around Oscar season. Hopefully it will be as good as I hope, and we may see Joaquin get that Oscar yet.

Man Of The Year

First of all, it's been a long time since I last posted, and there are 2 reasons for that: 1) I was trying to decide whether I wanted to keep this blog up and running, and 2) right now is the lull in the movie business between the summer blockbusters and the Oscar-worthy films. The overall decision I made was sort of a compromise: I'm not going to update it everyday just for the sake of updating it, but only when I feel compelled to do so. That means that I will update it when there's movie news I care about out there. When the Oscar season rolls around, I might update it many times a day, and conversely, in a lull like this when all the crappy movies come out to play, it might take a while for something to come along. But either way, I appreciate you reading this, and hope you continue to do so.

Now then, on to this movie. The movie is called Man Of The Year, and it's got some serious potential. First of all, it stars Robin Williams, Christopher Walken, and Lewis Black, a big-time comedy cast. Then, it takes it's premis from one of the most loved talk show hosts out there, Jon Stewart.

It's slated to be released on October 13, and Barry Levinson directs it. It looks hillarious. Coming Soon gives us the synopsis:

Acerbic performer Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams) has made his career out of skewering politicians and speaking the mind of the exasperated nation on his talk show. He cracked scathing jokes at a fractured system night after night...until he came up with a really funny idea: why not run for president himself?

After a flip comment, Dobbs ignites a grassroots movement that puts him on the ballot. Hot on the campaign trail, he debates elected drones and says exactly what frustrated voters have often thought. Nov. 2nd later, the muckraker wins--only to learn that a computer voting error gave him the victory. With time ticking on the inaugural clock, Dobbs has a big decision to make: should he go back behind the mike or stay in the Oval Office?

I also have the trailer from YouTube, so you don't have to click any links to watch it, just click "play". Here it is:



I think this movie is going to be great. I think it will be funny, I think it will be fun to watch, and even more so I think it will be perfectly acted. They have lined up a cast of funnymen. Not just comedians, funnymen. The kind of people who can make you laugh without saying anything. All 3 of those guys can do it and do it well. I hate to keep beating a dead horse, but you all know how I think Robin Williams is one of the most underrated actors? Well I think this may be the movie that puts him back on track. His career has seemingly gotten stale, what with RV and all, but I think this will freshen it up again. So the acting is locked up.

Take that, and add this premis. Robin Williams essentially plays Jon Stewart. A political satirist talk show host that jokingly says he will run for President, and unexpectedly makes it on the ballot and off we go. The fact that this premis is so plausible right now, and so close to coming to fruition makes it even better, and will certainly add to its likability. I for one think it will be a lot of fun even if it's corny, which I think could easily happen when they get to the part about whether or not he should go through with it, and if it's "the right thing to do" or some garbage like that. Even with that though, I think it will still be really entertaining.

Initially, when I realized it was a movie basically about Jon Stewart, I said why not have Jon Stewart play Jon Stewart? Make it "The Jon Stewart Movie". But then I was thinking about it, and I realized that Jon Stewart has a very unique reputation. He is a very smart individual, very funny, and very powerful in his own way. He's got the young crowd by the throat right now, and you know, he probably could make it on the ballot. But all that is so far above this movie, that I think it only right that someone else tell the story. Like a biography, an homage if you will. Call it Man Of The Year: The Ballad of Jon Stewart or something like that. It may sound stupid, but I bet it would make tons of money. But doing it this way, based on Jon Stewart without saying so, is probably the safest bet.

Another point I initially second guessed was its PG-13 rating. But, again, after thinking about it, really, why wouldn't it be? Jon Stewart is very classy in his humor and doesn't use profanity, and it also deals with being President, so I think that's the rating it would have no matter what. Also, the notion that only movies that are rated G and R make money is true most of the time, the PG-13 exceptions, the ones that defy that rule, always make tons. If done right, this could be one of those exceptions.

Vote Tom Dobbs for President. He's no joke.

Miami Vice Review

I was pumped up going to see this. I'm telling you, ever since I heard about this movie, I was 100% psyched to see it. But it let me down plain and simple. It did have good moments though, and I will share those thoughts with you first.

Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx are two pretty good actors. Colin Farrell is the better "actor" in my opinion, but when it comes to playing badasses, it's a toss up. They both played the part well in this movie though. I had this idea in my mind of what they were going to be like from the instant I saw the poster above, and sure enough, I was right. So were their characters too predictable? Maybe, but what I wanted is what I got, and what I wanted was two badass dudes. That part I liked.

The second thing I liked about this movie was the cinematography. It looked to be shot with a portable video camera. Think Cops, but better quality cameras. It was like the guy behind the camera was part of the movie at times. Some shots were grainy, some were real unsteady, and some looked like the camera was out of position. All were intentional of course. I have never seen a movie do this, so it was a little odd at first, but when I got used to it, I loved it. I think this was a fresh new way of filming a movie and I'm all for it.

Somewhat on the camerawork line, some shots in this movie were beautiful. Water, sunsets, jungles, all the transitional shots that panned any landscape were beautiful. Accompanied by a perfect musical score, and these shots were awe-inspiring. The only bad part is, they were meaningless. If only they could have blended the beauty of these shots with some plot, the movie would have been a lot better off.

The last thing I liked was the second hour of the movie. There was a midway point, when an emotionally charged raid happened, and that's when the movie got good. The first hour sucked balls, more on that later. But when this raid happened, stuff started making sense. The narrative became continuous and easier to follow. The guns came out, the emotions came out, and the music came out, and those 3 things really drove the second half of the movie.

To recap, likes: badass lead characters, cinematography, and second hour.

Now, to why I didn't like it. The narrative sucked, the character development was almost nonexistant, the relationship development was terrible, the plot was confusing, and it seemed like meaningless scenes outnumbered meaningful ones.

First of all, the movie began with no credits. It threw us into something and was never explained. I want to think the theater started the movie a few minutes into it on accident, and cause us to miss something, but I'm not sure that was the case. If this was intended, it was very unconventional, which is something Michael Mann, the director, seems to love toying with.

The narrative: Nothing was continuous, nothing made sense, and nothing was there to latch on to for the first hour. There is a point when the audience can fill in the gaps, or will eventually figure something out as the story goes on, but this was beyond that point. It was so choppy and so uninteresting that I don't remember what happened for the first hour. Maybe I'm just not that keen on the whole drug scene, but I'm not sure anybody in that theater tonight was keen enough to pick up on and understand all this stuff they were doing.

The character development: Is it a bad thing when I come out of a movie that's 2 hours long and only remember the names of 2 characters? First names only no less? No, I don't think so. We were rarely introduced to anyone, just flung into their presence, only to leave just as fast. There was little to no character development either. I did not care about any one of these people, and I went in with about a s much knowledge into their lives as I came out with. It's hard to enjoy a character driven movie when you don't know who the hell the characters are.

The relationships: Awful. They tried to develop two major love relationships, one with each main character, and both failed. Jamie Foxx's character was even married, his wife blown out of a trailer home, in a coma on a hospital bed with Foxx alone with her holding her hand, and I just didn't care. They didn't make me care. The only relationship building they did with these two was a pretty unintimate shower scene that lasted about 25 seconds. Colin Farrell's character hooked up with a drug lord's assistant or something, the two of them went to Havana for a few days, fooled around a lot, spent some time together, and yet, when he saves her from gunfire, puts her on a boat and sends her some place safe, and I see them staring into each others' eyes as the boat sails away, her crying, I don't feel a thing. How does that happen? How does relationship development fail so badly? That's one of the cornerstones of every movie, about as frequently pulled off as attempted, but this one fails.

The plot: Someone please explain to me, aside from them being drug lord-busting undercover cops, what this movie was about. There were drugs, there were guns, there was money, and then I'm pretty clueless. Believe me, I tried as hard as I could to get into this movie, but I just never could. Except for the two exceptional sequences, one the emotionally charged raid of a double-wide, and the other the final shootout with some drug dealers, the rest of the plot was really bad.

Finally, the meaningless scenes: It seemed like the took all the scenes in the movie, put them in a hat, shook them around, drew about half of them out, and just kind of put them places. This goes with the lack of continuity, but there seemed to be a huge amount of pointless shots that didn't do anything. Sure there were some badass ones of the two guys and some killer gun-weilding scenes, but they were separated by pointless shots that I can't even explain. They just hurt the continuity so much.

So there you have it. I loved the second hour of this movie. Put it out on DVD, just the second hour, and I'll watch it everyday. I liked the cinematography a lot. I thought it was edgy, and it really helped the few good scenes there were, specifically that raid. Finally, because I'm male, I liked the badass characters and the way they killed a lot of people. I hated to not-even-close-to-continuous narrative, there was no character development, there was no relationship development, so I was left not caring about anybody, I didn't like the plot because it didn't seem to go anywhere, and I didn't like the meaningless shots.

Overall, I would give this movie a 5 out of 10 on the Reganometer, the 5 points being earned solely by the second half of the movie. In terms of go see it or stay home, I would say go, but take pretty low expectations with you. Oh, and a pillow would be nice; that first hour is pretty rough.