Despite popular belief, I don’t review movies for a living. I’m not sure anyone outside of Los Angeles, Chicago and New York could, even with a full time critic position, could claim they were actually making a “living,” either. So, like the rest of America, I slog through a 40 hour work week with an eye to the horizon and the future, hoping the smell of money and tanning oil will someday replace the chaffing of suit pants, the putrid …
Blog Posts
I read Suzanne Collins’ trio of dystopian young adult novels (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay) last summer and was instantly caught up in the craze. Not one to re-read books very often, my attention turned quickly to the thought of a film version. Now, some eight months later, The Hunger Games movie is in full swing (filming starts in North Carolina next week), with the last two tributes (Cato and Clove) cast a few days ago, and both Stanley Tucci …
I don’t know if it’s my advanced age or some desensitization to “chick flicks,” but I’m thinking One Day, a new romantic drama starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, looks promising. In fact, I probably should repent straightway for mentioning “chick flick” in the same breath as this movie, especially since it’s directed by Lone Scherfig, the brilliant woman behind 2009’s An Education. I guess this is my easy way of admitting that I enjoy a good romance, but I …
I don’t hate Robert Zemeckis. He directed Forest Gump and Back to The Future. And while one of those movies isn’t depressing as hell, I for one will be happy if ol’ Rob steps behind the camera to direct actual skin and bones actors again. Between my Jim Carrey overload in A Christmas Carol (and severe boredom) and the nude teabagging wrestling scene between Grendel and Beowulf in Beowulf, I’ll be tickeled pink if Zemeckis is stepping away from all …
Hard to believe Zack Snyder’s 300 was in theaters in March 2007. Seems like just the other day I was at the press screening with hundreds of nerdy fanboys sweating and squealing at the film adaptation of Frank Miller’s classic graphic novel of King Leonidas and his Spartan army. Repeat viewings definitely are not as intense as the first time with 300, but one thing can’t be argued – Snyder’s movie is flat-out sexy. For those who are going through …
You know how tales are told of people puking and having the runs at the same time? Yeah, well that’s never happened to me. Thank the Lord for that. On the other hand, after watching this Saturday Night Live Digital Short from The Lonely Island (Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, Andy Samberg), called “Jack Sparrow,” I peed a little in my pajama jeans and shot Red Bull, a.k.a The Precious, out of my nose. I think The Lonely Island, particularly Andy Samberg, is …
I don’t think they could go any faster with the casting here. It’s just cast, cast, cast and oh look at that more casting. The biggest holy-poop-what-were-they-thinking moment I had was when I found out they cast Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones) as Caesar Flickerman, the interview dude for the Hunger Games. Then Wes Bentley (Jonah Hex) was cast as Seneca Crane. Finally, they cast the tributes for Districts 5, 6, 7,8, and 9. Yes that does mean Foxface has been cast. Jackie Emerson is …
Any fans of Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit who haven’t “Liked” Peter Jacksons facebook page should stop reading this immidiately and “like” Peter Jackson (Jackson’s Facebook Page.) Jackson recently released a 10 minute behind-the-scenes video on the set of The Hobbit, and has continued to include fans like no other director I have seen. The Hobbit video gave me chills, seeing Middle Earth completely rebuilt reminded me how much I loved the original three films. In the video there are great …
13 Assassins is a film samurai fans have been waiting for. Unfortunately, it might be difficult for many to see the film in any type of theatrical setting. Assassins was released in Japan last year, and is scheduled for release in the US today (April 29th.) No theaters in Salt Lake will be showing 13 Assassins this weekend or next. This could be due to the high volume of Hollywood blockbusters scheduled for release in the coming weeks (Fast Five, Thor…) However, …
Say what you want about Michael Bay and poop all you want on Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen, but Bay knows how to make a slick action movie. You can argue story and substance all day long, but you can’t debate beauty and bang, because that’s what Bay does best. This is completely evident in the newest and longest trailer for the third movie in the Transformers franchise, Transformers: Dark of The Moon. I watched this two and a half …