Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The Hangover Part III

Hey, remember that remake of "The Hangover" that takes place in Bangkok, that is strangely named "The Hangover 2"? Well you may have heard that that remake has got a sequel! And for some reason, it's called "The Hangover Part 3".


The wolf pack is back for the third installment of what should have been a one part movie! Following the Déj á Vu filled second installment to the series, Todd Phillips takes a surprisingly more serious approach to the series, often times stepping away from the comedy and throwing in some drama that may or may not get you in the feels.

Am I the only one who'd much rather see a movie with Doug as the third guy
rather than Stu? I'm not an Ed Helms fan.

On their way to take Alan to rehab, the gang is ambushed by a truck of men in Pig masks. They kidnap the wolf pack and take them to John Goodman (I refuse to call him by his characters name in any movie. Because John Goodman is better than you.) John Goodman explains that Chow (hard not to call him Chang. #sixseasonsandamovie) has stolen roughly 29 Million dollars worth of Gold Bars from him, and if they don't bring Chang... I mean Chow back to him, he will kill Doug.

Why always Doug? Justin Bartha is a much better actor than Ed Helms!

Anyway. A surprisingly sober form of chaos ensues. You know... it's "The Hangover" franchise. If you're expecting a Scorsese-esque Drama, or Brooks-esque comedy, you're looking in the wrong place. It's stupid humor. And there is nothing wrong with that.

Other than the frequent intense moments, this is exactly what you'd expect from Todd Phillips. College humor. Nothing more and nothing less. It was great the first time. It's OK the 3rd time.

My Grade: C+


Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Star Trek Into Darkness

I've never watched the original series. I've barely even seen one episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation". I am not the type of person who likes campy sci-fi movies or TV shows. I'm sure there are serious episodes. I'm sure most of them are serious. But I have seen too many clips or scenes where it's just a space alien dressed like a cowboy.

"Toy Story" taught me to keep sci-fi and westerns separate
but equal.... that came out more racist than intended.

So it's fair to say I don't know what the hell I'm talking about from a trekkies perspective (Yes, I know you guys hate the word because it's derogatory. But it's a made up thing, so get over it). But I like to think I know a thing or two about movies. And if I had to choose one word to describe "Star Trek Into Darkness" it'd have to be... maj. Which Google tells me is Klingon for "good".


J.J. Abrams second installment to the "Star Trek" franchise brings us back to the U.S.S. Enterprise a few years after the Romulans. And as I keep reminding myself that Star Trek has a lot of made up words involved and to just ignore the "misspelled" made up races of the Star Trek Universe, may I also remind you that J.J. Abrams made an alternate Universe of Star Trek. That means your precious characters might be slightly different in this series of movies. And that's ok! There are an infinite number of alternate universes. That means there is a Universe where I am a giant taco and I am typing this on my laptop made out of humans.... just let that sink in.

No les gusta esta.
Also, "Mochilla" is Spanish for backpack... The more you know! 
Yes, I know it's really "Mochila", but I'm had already paid for the domain name 
by the time I figured it out... it's too late.... Plus two L's looks better... 
'MURICANS ARE ALWAYS RIGHT!!!

I love J.J. Abrams take on Star Trek. As much as die hard Trekkies might hate it, he has expanded the audience demographic ten-fold by doing what he has done. And at it's very core, Star Trek has some great things that I feel everybody should enjoy. That's what makes his series great. He takes the great stuff from the original Star Trek and shares it with the rest of the world who otherwise may not have ever seen it.

Maybe I'm easy to please, but I feel most people are too harsh on directors that make movies that already have a fan base. No one will ever get you interpretation of a show or a book 100% correct. The only way for that to happen is for you to make that yourself. And as YouTube has shown us, contrary to what EVERYBODY believes, making a good quality movie cannot be done by everyone.

All in all, "Star Trek Into Darkness" was a great movie. Was it as good as the first of J.J. Abrams'? No. Not in my opinion. But it was definitely a great follow up, and will keep you at the edge of your seat. Plus, Benedict Cumberbatch is better than you.

Does anyone else feel like he's planning to eat you?
No? Just me? OK.

My Grade: A-


Friday, May 10, 2013

Just Some Trailers

Trailers are often the best part of going to the movies, even though they usually set you up for disappointment. The following are trailers that stood out to me. Most for the better, some for worse.

ELYSIUM (8/9/13)
First off, I loved "District 9". It was my favorite movie of 2009. Director Neill Blomkamp has made a name for himself very fast, and for good reason. I think this looks like a very good sophomore film. It doesn't look quite as good as "District 9", but I think it has a lot of potential. And who know? It could be better! This is definitely my most anticipated movie of 2013.

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (11/22/13)
Undoubtedly the most anticipated movie of the fall for most, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is of course the sequel last years "The Hunger Games". I never read the books, because reading is for chumps (not really). But I did enjoy the movie, and although I am not terribly excited for this one, I will more than likely see it... because I have no life.

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (5/17/13)

Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes! A thousand times yes! I have been waiting for this since the credits started rolling for the first J.J. Abrams "Star Trek". I think he has done a superb job with the series, and the alternate universe take on it to make the series how he wants it was just brilliant. But I've never really watched the original series, so I could just sound stupid as usual. Anyway, I think Benedict Cumberbatch (Such an English name!) is going to be a fantastic villain and I can't wait to see what happens in the newest chapter!

MAN OF STEEL (6/14/13)
I'm just gonna come right out and say it. I hate Superman. It seems like he was created by a temperamental toddler who kept losing in a backyard game of Super Heroes so he just kept giving himself super power. Like Cartman in the Anime episode of "South Park". That being said, I'm impressed with this trailer. I still don't have much hope for the movie, but I must say this has intrigued me. The opening where the piano plays over the chaos of war going on in his home planet is just awesome. However, I do hate the part where a woman says, "My son was on that bus! He saw what Clark did". I find it hard to believe that anyone would be that ungrateful towards someone who saved their son. That might not be what's going on at all though.

RUSH (9/20/13)
This looks like it has some serious potential. Ron Howard behind the camera, Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl in front, and OH! Olivia Wilde! MMMMM!!!! Anyway, this trailer has great music and great visuals, but I feel like it shows to much. But who knows? This may just be a small portion of the movie.

GRAVITY (10/4/13)
Terrifying... Absolutely terrifying. These are the kinds of movies that scare the crap out of me. Not "horror" movies. Movies like this and "The Impossible" scare me. Things that could actually happen to people (obviously not me, since I'm not an Astronaut). Movies with monsters and ghosts killing you in your dreams don't scare me. However, if I die violently in my sleep, you know who did it!

PACIFIC RIM (7/12/13)
Giant robots fighting giant monsters? Charlie Day? Guillermo del Toro? Charlie Day? CHARLIE DAY? What more could you possibly want in a summer movie?

VIOLET & DAISY (6/7/13)
I'm putting this trailer because I realized that I have yet to post a trailer I haven't liked. I think this just looks stupid.

R.I.P.D. (7/19/13)
I like Jeff Bridges. I like Ryan Reynolds. But this is a painfully obvious rip off of "Men In Black". It hurts. Come on, Hollywood, now you're not even trying to hide it!

CAPTAIN PHILIPS (10/11/13)

Damn, I love Tom Hanks! This movie looks so intense! And the actors playing the pirates seem so genuine! They're not even listed on the cast list on IMDB yet! I think this could be a really good movie! Directed by the same guy who made the first three "Bourne" movies, it will most like have a lot of tense scenes as well.

Thanks for reading! Tune in next week when I may or may not share more trailers!

The Great Gatsby

I've always felt that The Great Gatsby was one of those books that people said they liked so they couldn't be accused of being stupid. Don't get me wrong, it's beautifully written. F. Scott Fitzgerald is a great writer. There's a reason people today know his name. But I always felt that The Great Gatsby was extremely overrated. It's just not that good of a story, in my opinion. When I read it, the immaturity of everyone in it drove me insane. Especially Daisy. She is just genuinely a terrible person.


There are a few things in stories that drive me crazy. And one of them is immature people. Now, I'm not talking about people who make fart jokes or get drunk all of the time. I'm talking about people who are selfish to the point where they act like children. Daisy is one of those characters. She takes the easy route for everything. I understand that that's the point, but it drives me crazy.

I want to punch her in the face and tell her, for lack of a better phrase, to man up! Take responsibility for your actions! Don't hide behind your horrible husband who is alright with cheating on you, but the second you cheat on him he accuses you of being a terrible person (She is, but not for that reason).

"I love Gatsby, but my husband was being a total 
dick to him and he lost his temper, so now I 
love my dick of a husband again. And I'm gonna let Gatsby 
take the blame for something I did that could have easily been 
resolved, because I'm more important than anyone else!"

And when you hit someone with a car, stop! It's that easy! Especially when the car you were driving is as recognizable as Gatsby's Yellow CUSTOM MADE car! Even today, if you hit someone with your car, if  you just stop and wait for police, if it was a genuine accident, you will not go to jail. You might have to pay fines, but you will not go to jail if it was a genuine accident that could not have been avoided.

The other thing that drives me crazy in stories is when there are little to no characters that are possible to connect to. Even a good villain should have a characteristic that you could identify with. In "The Great Gatsby", Daisy is a lying skank who flip-flops with what she wants, Tom Buchanan is a cheating chauvinist hypocrite, and Jordan is an emotionless drone and Nick Carraway is a follower that never does anything for himself. The only two characters I could begin to connect with are George Wilson and Jay Gatsby. Both were motivated by love and would do anything for it.

Anyway, that's my rant about the story. Cinematically, this film was brilliant. As always with Baz Luhrmann films, it had a very elegant, theatrical feel to it. Beautifully shot, with great set and costume design. But that's to be expected.

I did get tired of the modern songs throughout. Some fit really well, others just stuck out like a sore thumb. It wasn't as seamless as "Moulin Rouge" was.

The editing was iffy, there were so many parts in long shots where the mouths didn't match up with the dialogue, and it happened way more than it normally does.

While watching this, I created a little drinking game. I don't drink, but you all can enjoy it.

  • Take a shot of Tequila every time Gatsby calls someone "Ol' Sport" (Don't really... you will die.. maybe just take a sip of beer. You'll still be hammered in no time)
  • Take a shot every time Daisy lies.
  • Chug a beer anytime Tom Buchanan gets angry at someone for doing something he always does.
  • Whenever Nick Caraway does something someone else tells him to do, last person to say "bitch" downs their beer.
I love you, Ol' Sport. You're a beautiful Ol' Sport,
Ol' Sport.

It's in the works, but I'm sure it can turn into something great.

My Grade: Story - C (Not the Movies fault)
                  Technical Aspects - B



Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Shootout at Wadala

Has anyone else ever gotten the itch to see a ridiculous Bollywood action movie, or is it just me?


Starring the George Clooney of India (Seriously, take a good look at him... the one running with his shirt off) and directed by Sanjay Gupta (the Steven Spielberg of India... or perhaps the Michael Bay. I can't tell), "Shooting at Wadala" tells the true story of Manya Surve, an infamous Indian gangster. Wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit, Manya Surve became what the Bombay Police accused him of being in the first place.

Now, when I went to see this, I totally thought musical numbers in Bollywood movies were just a stereotype. Nope. They're real. Even in a movie as intense and serious as this movie was supposed to be. This is the equivalent of Daniel Day-Lewis breaking into a song and dance in the middle of "Lincoln". I just don't think it would have worked.

I'm gonna shoot you in the face... but first... WE DANCE!

This movie was exactly what I thought it would be. A ridiculous action movie. As much as I laughed at the musical numbers (more than 1), I could have done without them. And the movie could have been 30 minutes shorter. But overall I enjoyed it.

My Grade: B-


Ironman 3


Ironman 3.


It's that time of the year folks. Summer movies are finally back in season, for better or worse. And who better to open up the summer than Marvel, with Ironman 3?

Tony Stark is back and this time he is facing the Mandarin, a terrorist who wreaks  on the United States with a series of bombings. When the attacks get a little to close to home for Tony Stark, and his friend and body guard Happy is put in the hospital, Mr. Stark threatens the Mandarin. And the Mandarin responds how most terrorists would respond. By shooting missiles at his house in a fly-by shooting.

Thugg Lyf3!

This marks the second time director Shane Black has worked with Robert Downey Jr. The first time being in 2005s "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", a very underrated movie in my opinion. With the opening scene, it is very apparent that the two films share a director. And I mean that as a good thing.

It's been a long time since I saw "Ironman 2", but I don't remember being that thrilled with it. "Ironman 3" brings back the smart-assery that is Tony Stark and also brings back some of the emotion I felt was missed in the second chapter.

With a perfect combination of drama and comedy (in my mind at least), "Ironman 3" is a great start to a action filled summer movie season.

My Grade: A-




The Imposter

Every now and then, there is a documentary that is so ridiculous you can't believe it's true. While watching it, your mind keeps trying to figure out how the hell it happened. "Oh, this is just a really convincing docudrama" you keep saying. "It must be directed by Martin Scorsese or Danny Boyle. That's the only explanation."

Nope. It's real. It's very real.


"The Imposter" is a documentary so dark and creepy that you just keep waiting for someone to slip up. But it never comes. It tells the story of a family who lose their son and brother only to have him be found 3 years later in Spain. Only it's not really their son.

This film is ridiculously enthralling. Usually when I have Netflix playing something, I'm doing something in my computer too. It's very rare that I close my laptop and pay 100% full attention to a movie on Netflix.

I turned that crap off! No Facebook! I don't want to update my status! I'm watching "The Imposter"!

The reenactments in the documentary are so cinematic that it feels like a fictional movie. The first hand accounts are so intense and heart breaking and aggravating that you find yourself talking back to the screen! And it's not a Tyler Perry movie!

If you have Netflix, check out this film. You will not regret it.

My Grade: A+


Mud

It is every young boys dream to befriend a fugitive on the run and help him reunite with the love of his life... What? That's never happened to you? Man, you didn't have a childhood.


In undeniably the best performance of his career, Matthew McConaughey plays Mud, a name only a fugitive in the Southern United States would have. Wanted for murdering the abusive ex-boyfriend of the love of his life, he lays low on an island in the middle of a river. A boat stuck in a tree draws two teenage boys to the area, where they meet Mud. and befriend him.

Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols, director of "Take Shelter", "Mud" is an intense coming-of-age story that is unlike any other I have ever seen. It is one of those films that the location is much like a character in itself, much like "Take Shelter".

Jeff Nichols has a way with his storytelling that makes you want everything to end with a cliché happy ending.

"Mud" is not your typical spring movie. It has more of a fall season movie feel to it (Trust me, it's a thing). But it is one of the best movies I have seen this year. I know, I say that a lot, but it's true!

My Grade: A


Oblivion

Warning: If you have seen the movie "Moon" this review will contain spoilers for "Oblivion" and visa versa.


In "Oblivion", the world has been destroyed in a war with an alien species. The humans won the war but were forced to evacuate the planet and find refuge on on of Saturn's moons. Tom Cruise, being the bad-ass he thinks he is , works on Earth fixing drones that take protect giant machines that convert Earths water into energy.

But nothing is as it seems. Tom Cruise is actually a clone tricked into thinking he is a human to give him the motivation to do his slave work. He only has two weeks left on his contract, and since he is a clone, instead of going home, he will be exterminated and replaced by a new clone. Hmm... sounds familiar...


OK, "Oblivion" does have some differences from "Moon". In "Oblivion", instead of humans controlling the clones, it's an Alien, triangle, pyramid thingy. (What?)

If we had made it round,  it would have looked like the 
Death Star and people would have known
 this movie wasn't original.

"Oblivion" was enjoyable, but the main problem with is is that I just kept think of how much better "Moon" was. And that was very distracting. It's kind of like seeing a Led Zeppelin cover band. It's good, but you know what you really want.

At least I got to look at Olga Kurylenko for two hours.... MMM!

MMM-MMM-MMM

My Grade: B-


Evil Dead

Through the history of horror films, somewhere along the way the word "terrifying" has had it's meaning changed from "to fill with fear or alarm" to "bucket and buckets of blood". Because of that, the remake of the 1981 cult classic "The Evil Dead" has been deemed "The Most Terrifying Movie Ever Made". Even with the new meaning, that critic must not have seen "Dead Alive".


Dropping the "The" from the title, "Evil Dead" is an "edgier" and "more terrifying" version of the 1981 film. It's "ground-breaking" style has paved a "new way" for the future of horror movies.

You might notice I used a lot of quotations in those two sentences. That is because the hype around this movie is all for not. There is nothing new or groundbreaking about this movie. It is the same gore-porn that we have all come to know and tolerate (or detest) since it became the norm when they installed the ratings system.

Now, that's not to say this movie is terrible. It's not. It's entertaining. But there is nothing to special about it at all. The acting isn't good. The writing is sub par. The special effects are on par with modern horror movies. But it's all so very predictable. And no, that's not because it's a remake. If I remember correctly, its actually quite different from the original if you forget about the tree-raping, basement prisoner that possesses the young lady, and the book of the dead and what not. Granted it''s been over half a decade since I last saw the original.

I know, I hate Mondays too.

What's really impressive is that director Fefe Alvarez got the job as director by making a youtube video. in his home country of Uruguay. And being made for only $300, it's pretty good.

Instead of getting fined for using copy written music,
he gets a Directing contract.... jerk.

Anyway, "Evil Dead" is what it is... a gory, horror film. If you want to see something like that, you'll like it, or at least enjoy it. If you don't want to see something like that, don't see it.

My Grade: C+




Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Olympus Has Fallen

I wish they'd change this title to "'MURICA". This is also why I'm not a producer.


My experience watching this was not the best. That's not to say this movie wasn't enjoyable. However, there was a man who sat in the same row as me who was not enjoyable. Let me break it down for you using the rules and etiquette of viewing a movie in public.


  • Do not talk during the presentation, unless of course it is a Tyler Perry movie or any other movie where the main demographic is African-Americans.
  • If you're coughing excessively and it sounds like you might need an ambulance or at least to quit smoking, please exit the theatre and receive a full cash refund at the box office. Seriously, no one wants to hear what's in your throat.
  • Laughing when people are dying in something that is not a comedy is generally just not a good idea. It makes people around you think you are a serial killer. But if you're a serial killer, by all means, laugh on.
  • It's one thing to whisper jokes to your friends during the movie, but if you are alone... you're a bastard and I hate you.

Now that I got that off my chest...

"Olympus Has Fallen" is about a man who works for the Secret Service. He is taken off of Presidential Detail when the First Lady dies while he is on the job. When the White House is overrun by terrorists, he finds himself the only man alive inside the White House and has to take on an army single handedly.

"MURICAN chaos ensues.

Oh Say, Can You See...
By the Dawns Early Light...
What so Proudly We Hailed...
At The Twilights Last Gleaming...
Whose Broad Stripes and Bright Stars...
Through the Perilous fight...
O'er the ramparts we watched...
Were so gallantly streaming...
And the Rockets Red Glare...
The Bomb's Bursting in Air...
Oh, Say does that Star Spangled....
Banner yet wave...
O'er the land of the free...
And the home of the brave!!!!

Anyway... this movie was good.

My Grade: B+




The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

Ah, nothing is better than going to see a movie and being the only one in the theater. Maybe it's just me, but it makes me feel special, even though it has happened to me a lot, working at a theatre and what not. Comedies, however, usually don't seem as funny when you're the only one watching. The crowd's laughter really adds to the experience. That being said, the lack of a crowd didn't affect how much I laughed at "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone".


"The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" is about two best friends (Steve Carrel and Steve Buscemi) who essentially become Siegfried & Roy minus the tigers. They become one of the most popular acts on the Las Vegas strip, but soon find out sticking with the same routine will make you fade into nothingness. A threat in the form of street magician, Steve Grey (Jim Carrey) causes rifts in their relationship, forcing them to part ways.

Maybe, it is the thoughts of my good friend The Amazing Ray Brown (who is not a pedophile) that made this funny. But I think this was just a legitimately humorous movie. All of the actors and the editing had great timing. The situations were very funny, and the references to the magic industry set it over the edge. Especially in the subject of street magic.

Less ridiculous than Chris Angel.

This is a fun and clever movie that I feel people from all ages will be able to enjoy. Granted, no movie is for everyone, and this probably isn't even for most people. But I found it to be extremely entertaining and funny. If you are looking for a comedy, check out "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone". The worst that could happen is that you don't like it. Plus it's got Olivia Wilde. Who doesn't like Olivia Wilde?

How could you stay ma at her for stealing your watch?
Just look how gorgeous she is!


My Grade: B+




Oz The Great and Powerful

In my opinion, after "Spiderman 2" Sam Raimi has had no place behind the camera. "Spiderman 3" was horrendous. I didn't even bother with "Drag Me to Hell". His ego got the best of him, and it became extremely apparent. Remember the dancing scene in "Spiderman 3"? Need I say more?

Because of this, I had no interest what-so-ever to see "Oz: The Great and Powerful". But once again, my fiancée came to the rescue and dragged me to see it. Not really. We had a private screening at her theatre.


Ugh, just watching that trailer makes me cringe. For those of you who don't know, "Oz: The Great and Powerful" is the adaptation for the nonexistent prequel to "The Wizard of Oz" book series. Already, that raises a butt-load of red flags for me. Not only is this based off of a book series, but it is also a made up chapter of said series that has 13 other books they could have adapted. Now I'm not saying that this is all Sam Raimi's fault, but it is.

Some men just want to watch the world burn.

"Oz: The Great and Powerful" feels like one of those movies that was made just to make money. With no care to the audience at all. Much like "Spiderman 3". They knew they could make a lot of money with a prequel to one of the most revolutionary movies in the world, but didn't have the time or passion to make it worth the audience's while. For shame, Mr. Raimi. For Shame.

For my next movie, I'm going to make up a 
prequel to the Big Bang! No, not the TV Show.

The day I no longer get to see movies for free, is the day I stop seeing Sam Raimi movies. He's gotten so terrible. He should stick to making movies where women get beat up by ghosts and demons. And even then he should just stop.

My Grade: C-


Dead Man Down

An amazing opening scene to begin, followed by your typical revenge flick, "Dead Man Down" is nothing spectacular. But it is also worth the watch, if you're looking for a good action movie.


Set in New York, but also painfully obvious that some scenes were filmed in Philadelphia (1:55, Philadelphia City Hall can be seen through the window) "Dead Man Down" tells the story of a man who works for the mob. He is approached by one of his neighbors who threatens to send the police a video of him killing a man if he doesn't agree to help her kill the man that left her face scarred in a drunk-driving accident. Being a criminal and not particularly caring for human's he agrees.

You mean to tell me, I get off scott-free if I do
the same thing I do everyday? Deal!

But everything becomes complicated when he starts falling in love with the woman. Not really. Just ads spice to his life. What really gets complicated is when she finds out he actually only joined the mob to get close to the same man that killed his family, to keep them from testifying in a trial against him. But for some reason, his boss doesn't know what the man who was going to testify against him looks like. So it makes it quite easy for him to be accepted into the gang.

Like I said, this film is nothing special. It is filled with clichés and half-thought plot-points. The acting, cinematography and writing is good enough to keep the movie flowing, but it's nothing to write home about. Frankly, had it not been filmed in Philadelphia, I might not have seen it. But if you are bored one day, and have nothing to watch, "Dead Man Down" is a good time filler.

My Grade: B-



Jurassic Park 3D


Nothing is quite as satisfying as seeing movies you love, but weren’t old enough to see on the big screen, well… on the big screen. For me, it was a dream come true to see “Jurassic Park” in IMAX.



Released in 1993, I was almost four years old when this was released. And lucky for many movie-goers, my parents were not like those douche-bags who take kids who are way to young to be seeing the movie they are seeing and disturb the entire audience by crying every time a person gets their faced ripped off!

Did anyone else think this guy was taking a dump
when they were kids?

But when that movie was released on VHS, I tore that shit up! I had to have watched it at least fifty times. Hell, it even inspired me to become a paleontologist. Then I found out movies weren’t real and spiraled into deep depression.

But surely, the Power Rangers must be real.
Please. I can't stand another broken heart.

Seeing it on IMAX did not disappoint. Seeing the great size of the T-Rex, the sheer speed of the Raptors and the extreme bad-ass-ness that is Jeff Goldblum on the big screen was very nostalgic for me.

“Jurassic Park” is one of Spielberg’s greatest films and hardly needs a giant screen to be considered so. The pure majesty that one feels when Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler and Dr. Malcolm feel when they first lay eyes on the brachiosaurus for the first time is unforgettable.

And even today, in a time post James Cameron’s “Avatar”, the special effects still are surprisingly realistic. I believe the way they went about creating the dinosaurs is the way all CGI should be handled. And that is “build scale robots of the dinosaurs and only use CGI when it is absolutely necessary. Computer Animation is used far too much in today’s industry, and because of that, Special Effects have become a lost art.

This film was and is a classic. It became a classic the second it hit the silver screen. And that is because everyone has some infatuation with dinosaurs. And if you say you don’t, you’re a dirty no-good liar.

My Grade: A


Monday, May 6, 2013

Trance

Danny Boyle is known for making trippy movies. "Sunshine" and "Trainspotting" are proof of that. But how does Mr. Boyle top himself? By making a movie that even the main character doesn't know what's going on until the end of the movie.


"Trance" is a movie about a man, who works at an Art Auction, that works with a gang to steal a painting to pay back his gambling debts. But the robbery goes wrong, and he is hit on the head, causing him to forget where he left the painting. He and the robbers decide to try to use a hypnotherapist in order to help him remember, but she soon catches on to what they are trying to accomplish.

In his first film since "127 Hours", Danny Boyle decides to go back to his roots and make a movie that would make the audience rip it's hair out until the credits being to roll and everything comes full circle. And he jumped back into it like he never left. This film will keep you at the edge of your seat and keep you wondering what the hell you're watching for the entire 90 minutes. It is an intense, fast paced, roller coaster of emotion that could be a perfect example of an acid trip for someone who has never tripped in acid before (myself included).

All on all, "Trance" is a good movie, but not the best Mr. Boyle has directed. But it was a refreshing showcase of originality during a normally boring month of movies.

My Grade: B