Alright dudes, I saw Titanic 3D in fake IMAX (IMAX "experience" at a local Regal chain) and it was amazing. I won't bother you with a full review of the movie. I mean, at this point, you either love it or hate it. I fucking love it, and with (almost) IMAX picture and sound quality, it was a true pleasure to revisit it in theaters. I hope they re-release this movie every 5-10 years because the only true way to experience it is on the big screen.
Next up is The Raid, an import from somewhere in Asia about a police squad raiding a high-rise that doubles as headquarters for a local drug kingpin, and well, shit hits the fan. That's pretty much the entire movie. It's premise is extremely simple, but its execution is anything but.
In the first 15 minutes or so, I was a little worried that this movie was over-hyped. It wasted no time in getting to 'the raid' as it were, very quickly establishing the good guys and bad guys ( quite effectively, by the way), but the first action sequence was blurry and hard to follow, making me think that there was nothing really special about this flick.
But then, I found myself having to actively try to keep my jaw from hitting the floor.
The chaotic nature of the first action sequence was intentional, and from then on, the camera stays put and lets the action play out in a way that most action films can only dream of. Fast, brutal, and moving at a break-neck pace, The Raid is an early qualifier for one of the best action films of the new decade.
Finally, that brings me to The Cabin in the Woods. Man, if there was ever a movie to see with an Alamo crowd, this is the one. Smart, clever, and fun as hell, Cabin was meant to be seen with an engaged audience. Unfortunately, only about 1/3 of the crowd I saw it with actually got what the movie was trying to do.
There has been a lot of talk about this movie, specifically that you shouldn't read anything about it and go in as blind as possible, and while I generally try to go into movies as spoiler-free as possible, I have to admit that I don't think it really matters too much here. I didn't know everything about it going in, but I knew the very general gist of what it was about, information that the movie gets out of the way in its opening scene by the way, and it in no way spoiled my enjoyment. There's really no 'twist' per se, though definitely some worthwhile surprises are littered throughout.
I'm not a huge horror fan by any means, I generally only dive into the genre in October (Poser, I know) but I think The Cabin in the Woods is an important revitalization for the genre, similar to what Scream did in 1996. The makers of Cabin delve much deeper than Scream in terms of why we love the genre so by dissecting it piece by piece, stereotype by stereotype. It all leads to a conclusion that only someone like Joss Whedon could come up with.
Self referential, funny, and genuinely exciting, even if you are barely a fan of horror, check The Cabin in the Woods out and try not to have even a little fun. I dare you.
I know this was a short one, and not particularly in-depth, but i got finals this week and next week which is stupid. However, upon completion of my last final a week from today, I will be seeing The Avengers. I absolutely promise to come back here and have something before the weeks end. So, until then, suck it.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
The Hunger Games
Well, I finally got my ass back in a theater this weekend after a couple weeks of non-theater going to celebrate Jesus, or something.
I actually started Easter Sunday by putting on The Passion of the Christ at 8:30 a.m. because I know how much Katy loves that movie (she doesn't). Upon regaining consciousness, we headed over to the theater for a 12:15 showing of The Hunger Games. I must say, there's something about going to a movie at 12 in the afternoon that makes me feel like I'm accomplishing much more than I really am.
Anywho, I'd have to say that overall, I liked the movie. Well, more than liked, but definitely not loved.
The absolute best thing about The Hunger Games is Jennifer Lawrence. I must admit that I didn't understand all the hoopla surrounding Lawrence these past few years. Her performances in Winter's Bone and X-Men:First Class were OK at best and there's just something about her face that weirds me out. However, her Katniss Everdeen is both moving and convincing. I didn't doubt for a second that this character would volunteer herself over her little sister in order to protect her. It's a moment that defines the character as a whole, and if done poorly would have sunk the entire movie. But Lawrence nails it, and the movie is better because of her. There is one moment in particular where Katniss is moments away from starting the games and we see her absolutely terrified. There is almost no dialogue in this scene, just her reaction. Fantastic.
Surrounding Lawrence is an impressive list of familiar faces like Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland and even a little bit of Lenny Kravits thrown in just for good measure. Each one of them brings a little extra spice to the proceedings without ever taking the limelight away from our heroine. In fact, the only performer who comes even remotely close to doing so is Josh Hutcherson, who plays Peeta, a boy from her district who was 'chosen' to play in the games. Hutcherson has been around for a little while now, mostly in movies that I either didn't see or didn't care to see, but he acquits himself nicely here, enough so that I'll definitely be keeping an eye for what he chooses from here.
The main problem I have with the movie though, is director Gary Ross. Actually, its not the director himself, he directed Pleasantville and Seabiscuit, both of which I love. It's a few of his choices here that really keep me from loving the movie, or rather one big choice. His documentary like approach, or "shaky cam" as some call it, is distracting almost to a point of no return. I get the idea behind, I guess. It's supposed to represent the chaotic and frenetic feeling Katniss feels once she is thrown into this situation, but man, it just does not work. Director Ross has some great actors doing great work with a lot of great production design and scenery, but I felt like I couldn't see shit half the time. It only gets worse once the actual games begins, because being a PG-13 movie, one can't actually show children brutally killing each other, so Ross turns the shaky cam up to 11. It's a decision that doesn't completely ruin the movie, but it most definitely does not help.
Another thing, at 142 minutes, not only is this movie long, but it feels that way quite often. Normally I don't mind a movie taking its time, but there was probably at least 10 minutes that could have been cut. Maybe not entire scenes, but moments here and there to help the pace a bit.
It may not sound like it, but I really did enjoy this movie, especially Lawrence's work. I think I'm being hard on it because there is definitely a chance that this franchise can be great. Even with his terrible camera choices, director Ross has done a great job doing the hardest part of any potential franchise;He laid the ground work, he established the world and the characters and most of all, he left me wanting more. Even if Ross doesn't direct any of the sequels as is being reported, he left it open for someone to come in and hit the ground running much like Chris Columbus did with the first two Harry Potter films.
Time will tell, I spose.
This Sunday I plan on seeing Titanic is IMAX 3D. I am seriously excited about this.
Until next time, dudes, suck it.
I actually started Easter Sunday by putting on The Passion of the Christ at 8:30 a.m. because I know how much Katy loves that movie (she doesn't). Upon regaining consciousness, we headed over to the theater for a 12:15 showing of The Hunger Games. I must say, there's something about going to a movie at 12 in the afternoon that makes me feel like I'm accomplishing much more than I really am.
Anywho, I'd have to say that overall, I liked the movie. Well, more than liked, but definitely not loved.
The absolute best thing about The Hunger Games is Jennifer Lawrence. I must admit that I didn't understand all the hoopla surrounding Lawrence these past few years. Her performances in Winter's Bone and X-Men:First Class were OK at best and there's just something about her face that weirds me out. However, her Katniss Everdeen is both moving and convincing. I didn't doubt for a second that this character would volunteer herself over her little sister in order to protect her. It's a moment that defines the character as a whole, and if done poorly would have sunk the entire movie. But Lawrence nails it, and the movie is better because of her. There is one moment in particular where Katniss is moments away from starting the games and we see her absolutely terrified. There is almost no dialogue in this scene, just her reaction. Fantastic.
Surrounding Lawrence is an impressive list of familiar faces like Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland and even a little bit of Lenny Kravits thrown in just for good measure. Each one of them brings a little extra spice to the proceedings without ever taking the limelight away from our heroine. In fact, the only performer who comes even remotely close to doing so is Josh Hutcherson, who plays Peeta, a boy from her district who was 'chosen' to play in the games. Hutcherson has been around for a little while now, mostly in movies that I either didn't see or didn't care to see, but he acquits himself nicely here, enough so that I'll definitely be keeping an eye for what he chooses from here.
The main problem I have with the movie though, is director Gary Ross. Actually, its not the director himself, he directed Pleasantville and Seabiscuit, both of which I love. It's a few of his choices here that really keep me from loving the movie, or rather one big choice. His documentary like approach, or "shaky cam" as some call it, is distracting almost to a point of no return. I get the idea behind, I guess. It's supposed to represent the chaotic and frenetic feeling Katniss feels once she is thrown into this situation, but man, it just does not work. Director Ross has some great actors doing great work with a lot of great production design and scenery, but I felt like I couldn't see shit half the time. It only gets worse once the actual games begins, because being a PG-13 movie, one can't actually show children brutally killing each other, so Ross turns the shaky cam up to 11. It's a decision that doesn't completely ruin the movie, but it most definitely does not help.
Another thing, at 142 minutes, not only is this movie long, but it feels that way quite often. Normally I don't mind a movie taking its time, but there was probably at least 10 minutes that could have been cut. Maybe not entire scenes, but moments here and there to help the pace a bit.
It may not sound like it, but I really did enjoy this movie, especially Lawrence's work. I think I'm being hard on it because there is definitely a chance that this franchise can be great. Even with his terrible camera choices, director Ross has done a great job doing the hardest part of any potential franchise;He laid the ground work, he established the world and the characters and most of all, he left me wanting more. Even if Ross doesn't direct any of the sequels as is being reported, he left it open for someone to come in and hit the ground running much like Chris Columbus did with the first two Harry Potter films.
Time will tell, I spose.
This Sunday I plan on seeing Titanic is IMAX 3D. I am seriously excited about this.
Until next time, dudes, suck it.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Contagion
I love it when studios pack movies with big name talent. Be it a comedy, action or drama, I find it especially exciting when genuine movie stars get to be on screen together. Soderbergh has done it before with his Ocean trilogy. The Coen brothers are no strangers either, with movies like Burn After Reading and O Brother Where Art Thou? Not to give George Clooney anymore credit than he already has, but every movie he has directed has had big time, honest to god movie stars. Contagion continues the trend with parts both big and small played by actors like Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, John Hawkes, Jude Law, and Laurence Fishburn just to name a few.
In case you didn't know, Contagion chronicles the rise of a new virus sweeping the world in a matter of days, and along the way we follow doctors, scientists, politicians, journalists and the average joe struggle with the impending epidemic.
This movie has been out a while now, and I've read a lot of people that are mostly freaked out by the everyday ways in which the deadly virus travels, and granted, the movie deals with the spread in a very realistic and frightening fashion, but it was the way Soderbergh presented how fearful and violent society could become in a situation like this. In the film, people trample one another if a pharmacy runs out of a medicine that's thought, but not proven to help with symptoms of the virus, or in another scene when army trucks are passing out Meals Ready to Eat and run out, the crowd starts to fight each other, struggling to get food for their loved ones. It's a depiction that I feel is very realistic, which in turn makes it all the more scary.
Back to the ensemble though. As I mentioned above, there are a lot of people in this movie, all of them good here especially considering the limited screen time they each have. I have to admit, though, Damon steals the show. He plays a widower who is one of the few people immune to the virus and whose wife was the first victim of the epidemic. He is then forced to shut himself and his teenage daughter inside their house until either a cure is found or some form of order can be re-established.
Damon excels here, beautifully underplaying in a role that could have easily gone into over-acting hyper drive. I don't consider this next bit a spoiler since it was included in the trailer, but the scene where a doctor informs Damon's character that his wife has just died is incredible. Damon goes from confused to angry to bewildered in the blink of an eye, making the moment all the more effective.
Something else that really surprised me about the film was the score. It's eerily similar to Drive's soundtrack, in that pop synthetic way (as in good way) and really made this mainstream studio film feel unique in a manner only Soderbergh can do.
Well that's all I got for now, but I am seeing The Hunger Games on Sunday to celebrate Easter, because going to the movies is better than going to church. Anyway, I know I've been bad about writing on here with the random movies I've watched lately, but I vow to talk about every movie I see in theaters this year so I should have something up next week.
Until then dudes, suck it.
In case you didn't know, Contagion chronicles the rise of a new virus sweeping the world in a matter of days, and along the way we follow doctors, scientists, politicians, journalists and the average joe struggle with the impending epidemic.
This movie has been out a while now, and I've read a lot of people that are mostly freaked out by the everyday ways in which the deadly virus travels, and granted, the movie deals with the spread in a very realistic and frightening fashion, but it was the way Soderbergh presented how fearful and violent society could become in a situation like this. In the film, people trample one another if a pharmacy runs out of a medicine that's thought, but not proven to help with symptoms of the virus, or in another scene when army trucks are passing out Meals Ready to Eat and run out, the crowd starts to fight each other, struggling to get food for their loved ones. It's a depiction that I feel is very realistic, which in turn makes it all the more scary.
Back to the ensemble though. As I mentioned above, there are a lot of people in this movie, all of them good here especially considering the limited screen time they each have. I have to admit, though, Damon steals the show. He plays a widower who is one of the few people immune to the virus and whose wife was the first victim of the epidemic. He is then forced to shut himself and his teenage daughter inside their house until either a cure is found or some form of order can be re-established.
Damon excels here, beautifully underplaying in a role that could have easily gone into over-acting hyper drive. I don't consider this next bit a spoiler since it was included in the trailer, but the scene where a doctor informs Damon's character that his wife has just died is incredible. Damon goes from confused to angry to bewildered in the blink of an eye, making the moment all the more effective.
Something else that really surprised me about the film was the score. It's eerily similar to Drive's soundtrack, in that pop synthetic way (as in good way) and really made this mainstream studio film feel unique in a manner only Soderbergh can do.
Well that's all I got for now, but I am seeing The Hunger Games on Sunday to celebrate Easter, because going to the movies is better than going to church. Anyway, I know I've been bad about writing on here with the random movies I've watched lately, but I vow to talk about every movie I see in theaters this year so I should have something up next week.
Until then dudes, suck it.
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