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

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-