Past the 50 Mark!

Ladies and gentlemen, it is with extreme pleasure that I announce: 46 days until Inception!

This is a rather short post since all I wanted to do was check the days left, but I was so excited that I felt like posting! As a result, I have given you all a treat! Below are four links* to trailers that I think are Christopher Nolan's best works (by trailer or by movie, since I'm sure there will be people who haven't seen all of them--which is a MUST, illegally or legally!). Hopefully Inception will be added to this list of genius movies as well!

This is in chronological order, by the way.

Memento, 2000: Watch it here.

Batman Begins, 2005: Watch it here.

The Prestige, 2006: Watch it here.

The Dark Knight, 2008: Watch the initial teaser here, the actual trailer here.

Wow! Four unarguably great films from one great director. I'm thinking of changing my blog title to Christopher Nolan fans only.... just kidding. But you all agree with me that he is someone to watch out for, right?

Enjoy!

*If for some reason the links don't work, please Youtube them or Google video-watch them. Because these four trailers deserve to be watched by movie-lovers such as yourselves.

Good Trailers, Bad Movies

And by "bad" I mean, "really, really bad."

But first, let's discuss where the idea of this posting came from!

So at 10:15 last night, I was totally ready to write this post after watching the first seven minutes of the 2008 comic-book movie, The Spirit. While it does have an all-star line up of, well, stars (Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendez) and a new guy (the impossibly suave and diesel at the same time, Gabriel Macht) the movie itself was totally not what you would expect from the guy who did Sin City. After all, didn't critics looooove Sin City?

Anyway, so I stuck it out, and my final grade for The Spirit is a well-earned C-. But that'll come later.

So even though The Spirit wasn't totally bad, I still stuck with my original posting idea. Because, let's face it: we have all seen movies that look totally cool with the trailers, yet the full-length version sucked.

Have any off the top of your head? I know that you all and I probably have not seen exactly the same movies, but here are my top four:

1. Syriana (the one with overweight George Clooney and Matt Damon)

2. Adventureland (And I wanted it to be good so bad!)

3. Public Enemies (Christian Bale + Johnny Depp should = epic, but instead it =s boredom)

4. State of Play (There's a twist?! Completely unforgettable and the "twist" is something no one even understood.)

Anyway, so can you think of some good trailers but bad movies? And isn't it disappointing, too? Because how could a movie screw up so bad after all the editing and post-production stuff? Am I the only one who thinks of this stuff???

Happy Memorial Day, blog-readers! Here's something else to think about: the people behind the 2009 bomb Valentine's Day are looking to make another "Day" movie called New Year's Eve. What I want to know is, could they make a Memorial Day movie? And what would it be about?

Problems

So, this is going to sound extremely movie-geeky of me, but I have problems with two movies associated with Judd Apatow and Co. The first is Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the second is its spin-off, Get Him To The Greek.

Of course, naturally people know both movies because they have Russell Brand in them, who plays the crazy, out-of-control rocker Aldous Snow. However, I have a problem with the latest spin-off, because it stars Jonah Hill.

Yes, the Jonah Hill. Of Superbad, Funny People, Knocked Up, Accepted, and Evan Almighty fame. Because, people, not only is he in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, he is also in Get Him To The Greek.

But he does not play the same person. This is my problem.

In fact, I have proof. Imdb.com says Hill played "Matthew the waiter" in the first, followed by "Aaron Green" in the second.

What is this nonsense?! It is blatantly obvious that if you want to do a spin-off, you must make it correct. As in, if Matthew the waiter were in F.S.M., then have him get a huge promotion so that the title of the movie makes sense! Otherwise, how on earth would a waiter at a restaurant in Hawaii be charged with getting a rockstar to a concert on time? Wouldn't they give someone else important that job?

Does anyone feel the same way as me? Have any movies you know of (sequels, spin-offs, whatever) where you spotted obvious continuity or other issues?

Vice Versa

After that depressing last blog, I am changing gears today. I recently bought this addicting game, Alan Wake, for my Xbox. While Game Informer and a lot of others gave it an 8-8.5 out of 10, after watching videos and reading about it (on Wikipedia) I decided to give it a go.

I'm addicted.

Anyway, so as I'm sitting on my couch, trapped in this cabin with dark shadows of men's silhouettes passing the windows, I'm thinking, Man, this would be a great movie. Of course, I'm not entirely done with it yet, but considering AW is already played out like a television show, I don't think it would be impossible to do.

But that got me thinking: what are some cool movies that should be video games? Normally it's "What are some video games that could profit as movies?" like my above thought concerning Alan Wake. (Instant answers come to mind: Assassin's Creed, the Splinter Cell series, Grand Theft Auto, etc.) So now, it's like I'm reversing the question! Even this could work: what are some cool novels that could be video games?

Let's face it: there are good video games, there are great video games, and there are the ones based on movies (examples: Avatar, Iron Man, Terminator: Salvation, Madagascar, you name it). Some, like the Bourne movies, have video games that seem to look okay.

But most games-from-blockbuster-movies end up being pointless and a waste of time. I like to think of it as a branching-out of the franchise. You want Madagascar to be seen by more people, make a video game of it to get all the Gamestop employees to see it together. You don't care what the final product looks like, or if people actually like it.

But what about reallyreally cool movies, like Bladerunner or The Usual Suspects? Ooh, can you imagine! Or thinkers like Memento or epics like Titanic?

And as for books, I don't know about you, but I would readily play an XBox version of Angels & Demons, Jackdaws, Shutter Island, Airborn, heck, even some of Harlan Coben's stuff or Bret Easton Ellis' books. (Coben's The Innocent in particular is filled with action, suspense, intrigue, and plot twists that are completely engaging, original, and mind-boggling. And though Ellis' American Psycho was made into a year-2000 movie, imagine actually playing as Patrick Bateman!). Though these books might not be on everyone else's Must-Read* list, to me, they are the stuff writing should be.

I think it's a producer's natural instinct to turn a well-known video game into a movie. Prince of Persia did it, and pretty soon Mass Effect will do it. But I think these ideas are boring and becoming unoriginal. Someone seriously needs to smack some high-profile producer and get on this! Am I right?

So, what do you guys think, blog-readers? Have any books or super-cool movies that you would like to see turned into a video game (that are not big-budget-automatic-video-game-movies? Or is this whole idea insulting to the gaming world? Sound off!

*Personally, I think your life is not complete unless you have read all the bolded books in that paragraph. Oh, and add Markus Zusak's The Book Thief and I Am The Messenger to your list as well. Cheerio!

It's Coming True.

Guys, this blog post is going to be a little depressing.

Gary Coleman, as you may have heard, just died yesterday. He was only 42 years old.

Today, Dennis Hopper has died.

I'm afraid we're going to lose yet another celebrity pretty soon (what a horrible thing to say!) since, as we all know, celebrities die in threes.

Don't believe me? Just check THIS out:

Brad Renfro, Suzanne Pleshette, and Heath Ledger died within weeks of each other.

Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Ed McMahon. Johnny Cash, John Ritter, and Warren Zevon. Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Jim Morrison. Just Google it: celebrities die in threes.

Of course, there are skeptics who will argue this statement, but there are going to be arguments with every myth and fact and opinion (for example, I can argue that The Great Gatsby is the best book when it comes to the American Dream, and I'm sure that people can argue against it).

Anyway, so it's a sad day in Hollywood. I hope it doesn't get worse, (meaning that while "celebrities die in threes" is kind of catchy to say, I don't really want it to be true) and I suppose that the window of "opportunity" will be open til, maybe mid-June?

On a more positive note, I have a more positive blog next!!

THIS JUST IN

Imdb.com reports that James McAvoy is set to star as none other than Professor X in X-Men: First Class. What is this nonsense?!

(Technically, it's cinematical.com who's doing the reporting. Here it is: Please don't let this ruin James McAvoy's career....)

Anyway, so what's up with that? As far as I'm concerned, the X-Men movies have always been about action and mutants, and in some of the movies (cough-X3-cough-X-Men Origins: Wolverine-cough) the writing has been seriously off. I like to think of James McAvoy as a serious actor (anyone seen Atonement?) and to be honest, this news kind of distresses me a little bit.

Maybe once I find out who Magneto will be played by I'll be okay. Because it's actually more of an origins story, with Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr learning about their powers and what they do with them.

But still. I think it's great McAvoy will be soon integrated into the whole superheroes world, however he was in Wanted, people.

What do you guys think?

Or are you just tired of X-Men movies in general? (Like a certain blogger I know...aka me!)

Netflix!

It's the moment you all have been waiting for: the reveal of my Netflix choices!

But first, a little recap. Here are all my hints that I have given:

TV Show / Movie

1. What are you waiting to wear off? /

Ironic title + Penelope connection = 3 years of bad decision making (in my opinion)

2. "My most recent TV show just got canceled this week."

"My former boss is a Browncoat."

3. This certain someone is mostly a TV actor, has the initials N.F., and not only has he been on ONE episode of the TV show, he has something in common with another actor who is in MY Netflix movie.

This certain someone has the initials K.D. and is featured on some episodes of the TV show. In addition, he appears in another, very recent movie alongside the actor who plays the main character of MY Netflix movie.

Did you get that? TV show hint came first, followed by movie.

Anyway, so...drumroll please!

The TV show is: LOST

The movie is: Death At A Funeral

Woo!

Following the reveal, I will now give explanations for my hints.

1. What are you waiting to wear off? This is a line of lyrics from the Coldplay song, conveniently called "Lost." I suppose I could have phrased the question differently, since he actually sings "I'm just waiting till the shine wears off." But you get it, nevertheless, right?

The second hint, referring to the movie: I think Death At A Funeral is an ironic title. Could be just me, but that's what I think. The Penelope connection is Peter Dinklage, the actor who stars in DaaF and Penelope. Three years of bad decision making refers to the 2010 remake Death at a Funeral. Since the original, better British version came out in 2007, I just decided to subtract the years. "Bad decision making" comes from my opinion that there should be only one version of this film. As in, not the Americanized version.

2. The quotes! I really liked these. "My most recent TV show just got canceled this week" is referring to actor Dominic Monaghan, who was in a couple of seasons of LOST and was also in FlashForward. The week I wrote that quote was the week in which FlashForward was not renewed by ABC.

Any Firefly or Serenity fans out there? This quote should've been for you: "My former boss is a Browncoat." This is referring to, of course, Joss Whedon's epic, short-lived show Firefly. The connection between Firefly and Death at a Funeral, you ask? One answer: Alan Tudyk. Go ahead, look it up!

3. My "wicked 6-degrees-of-separation" sounded like long and hard hints, but once figured out, I like to think they make sense.

The initials N.F. stand for Nathan Fillion, who was--surprisingly--on one episode of LOST (yep, I looked it up) and of course, has the Alan Tudyk connection from his times working with Joss Whedon.

K.D. stands for Kevin Durand, who played a meanie on LOSTand is also in this month's Robin Hood, alongside Matthew Macfayden, who plays the main character in Death At A Funeral.

So, what do you think? Has anyone seen Death At A Funeral? I heard it was very good and the American version does not do it justice. Of course, American movie studios always think American audiences aren't educated enough to enjoy British films, but I beg to differ. The British have a sort of comedy that, when done right, can be more entertaining than an American film. In fact, I would describe the comedy of Death At A Funeral to be smart and polite comedy.

Anyway, and LOST is self-explanatory. I can't wait to start watching it from the beginning! No spoilers on how it ends, by the way!

Thanks for hanging in there! Check back tomorrow evening for another posting. --Claire

Oh, and by the way: Though I haven't read it in its entirety, this novel introduced me to one of my favorite female names of all time. Check out this interesting link:

http://www.empireonline.com/news/feed.asp?NID=27992

Sound off in the comments! I look forward to reading them!

Mass Effect: The Halo Effect?

Greetings, blog-readers!

I apologize for all the time that has passed between this post and my last one. Writers block! (Hopefully) I am back and ready for action, starting with today's post: Mass Effect, the movie.

What's that? You didn't know? Check it out:

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/05/25/mass-effect-movie/

Crazy, isn't it? But I don't know what is more crazy: That they are considering making a Mass Effect movie in the first place, or that no one has brought up the mess Peter Jackson and Co. had in making a Halo movie. Is a Halo movie still even in the works...?

Anyway, so the writer of the above magazine makes a good point: While I have not completed any Mass Effect games (I know...) I have played a few hours of it, and the moral ambiguity is a MUST. For those who are unaware, literally any choice you make has its consequences.

So in my opinion, the best way to make a movie like that is this: Take one scene, film it. Take the exact same scene, change it up a bit (like, instead of saying "Yes, I would like mustard on my hotdog" say, "No, but I would like pickles") and insert both scenes into the movie. Edit them, whatever, but make the second scene different-looking. You'd have to talk with the cinematographer about that -- I'm talking about making the second scene look like a "blink." While the first scene is what really happens, that little snippet of a second, changed scene will make the viewers wonder what would've happened if you chose pickles over mustard. Get it?

And about casting.... There have been a lot of comments on EW.com that a certain Matthew Fox should play Commander Shepard. Listen, guys & girls: Mass Effect's main Commander can be male or female. How in the world are the producers going to tackle that issue? Here is how I see it:

Choose male, you are sexist and going with the possibly easier, popular vote.

Choose female, you are upsetting a large amount of video game players (because, let's be honest, more guys play video games than girls) and you are allowing yourself the possibility of adding Mass Effect to the list of "Awful Movies with a Female Heroine" (I found this list somewhere on the Internet, but sadly I cannot remember where. I do, however, remember some movies listed: Aeon Flux, Elektra, Catwoman, Domino, just to name a few.)

Now, playing the Devil's Advocate: A male character would probably draw a larger crowd, thus generating more profit for the movie's box office sum. Plus, I like to think that Matthew Fox is a great choice for Shepard, and since he's done with LOST, I say, "Why not?"

A female character would most likely also draw a large crowd, and since Mass Effect is not totally wrapped up in its main character's gender, I'd say the plot might not be so much effected.

But still, I really hope these people know what they're doing. Or else they're going to upset a whole community of gamers, me included.

What do you think? Matthew Fox as Commander Shepard? Is Seth Green an automatic Joker? Would Yvonne Strahovski play Miranda, since her body and face really were modeled after her? (Y.S. plays Sarah, currently on the NBC show Chuck.) More importantly, who would do the music? And what is your opinion on the story line? How would you film all the choices?

I just hope it's not in freaking 3D. I'm getting tired of that letter-number combination.

*P.S. Tomorrow is the reveal of my Netflix choices! Look out for them!

**P.P.S. I'm not saying all female main characters are weak. There's Lara Croft, Ellen Ripley, The Bride (from the Kill Bill movies), Sarah Conner... I'm sure I'm forgetting a ton.

Anyway, Happy Tuesday-Almost Wednesday! --Claire

Here it is: Hints

Okay, my loyal blog-readers, this is it. The moment you all have been waiting for: the ultimate posting (about my Netflix choices).

You all have waited long enough, and so I commend you. The hints are (and I can assure you, they are dreadfully hard):

Movie: This certain someone has the initials K.D. and is featured on some episodes of the TV show. In addition, he appears in another, very recent movie alongside the actor who plays the main character of MY Netflix movie.

TV show: This certain someone is mostly a TV actor, has the initials N.F., and not only has he been on ONE episode of the TV show, he has something in common with another actor who is in MY Netflix movie.

Get it? It's like a wicked 6-degrees-of-separation game! Good luck!

Hans Zimmer.....and me

You know the world is unfair when the movie you don't know anything about (Inception) releases the score for it on a website (Cinematical) and you're afraid of clicking on the link because it might spoil everything.

"What?!" you ask yourself. "How could a movie score spoil an entire movie?"

May I add that the music is composed by none other than Hans Zimmer, one of the greatest Hollywood-working composers of today (if I may be so bold). While he may not have achieved John Williams-status, Zimmer has worked on a number of incredible films, including:

Driving Miss Daisy, Thelma & Louise, The Lion King, The Prince of Egypt, Gladiator, Mission: Impossible II, Pearl Harbor, Black Hawk Down, The Ring, Matchstick Men, The Last Samurai, Madagascar, Batman Begins, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest/At World's End, The Dark Knight, Sherlock Holmes

So naturally, I'm going to want to click the link. But I won't. Instead, I'll just upload this teaser trailer (which I have seen, so therefore it's okay for you blog-readers to see, unless you want to be the ultimate intense experimenter and know absolutely NOTHING):

Man! What a teaser. Is it just me, or does watching that make it hard to breathe? I mean, personally, I am a huge music nerd (I had major problems hearing a song composed specifically for Ocean's 11 on another movie) but seriously, how can you NOT like that? That Hans Zimmer, what a genius. I mean, remember what he did with a simple TWO NOTES for the Batman franchise? Here's an example:

(Just ignore the words at the beginning, the TWO NOTES I'm talking about come at around 0:09 seconds.)

Personally, Zimmer's best work has got to be the Batman franchise. Yes, The Lion King is iconic, and I read that some people think his Gladiator score is a masterpiece. But honestly, I associate almost everything Batman-related with: IMAX, feeling "anticipation", and Hans Zimmer.

*Claire's note: I realize that James Newton Howard also worked with Zimmer on Batman Begins, and he is due some recognizing. Thank you, Mr. Howard, for also supplying the world with great music.*

And also: be on the lookout TONIGHT for my final hints about my Netflix DVDs!

-Claire

Benvenuto a Venezia!

No, I am not in Italy, but I do have good news concerning Italy -- or should I say, more specifically, Venice?

That's right, my faithful blog-readers: The movie I have picked to "follow" is......

The Tourist!

After sleeping on it for many nights, it came down to The Tourist and another film. The reasons I picked The Tourist are simple:

1. Breathtaking locale

2. A-list stars, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, Rufus Sewell, and the dude who played James Bond even though no one (that I know of) liked him, aka Timothy Dalton.

3. Winter release date (February) -- because frankly, I enjoy hearing about high-profile movies that are released in months people normally don't go to the movies in

Since The Tourist is a relatively early release next year, that may give me a chance to "follow" my second contender. But no hints for that one (yet) because for right now, I want to focus on right now.

What I want to know is what time period The Tourist is set in? After viewing some pictures of Jolie's costumes, I'm not entirely sure they're circa 2010.... What do you all think?

Hope everyone has a great weekend! I know I will!

Oh, P.S.: Lately there have been more and more Inception previews on NBC and ABC. I urge you all to proceed watching live TV with caution.

Comments on some comments!

So far my followers have been keeping up regularly with my posts, and so this post is dedicated to them! I will be commenting on some of their comments (as you can tell by the title):

Trailer for High School: Totally with you. I only kept watching it because I have this thing about watching incomplete previews. Will not be seeing High School, I can tell you that much.

Jolie + Depp = Win... I think I'll be saving that for another post (hopefully soon to follow)

And thank you all for encouraging my goal of not knowing anything about Inception!

Easy A: Agree with you. Mostly agree with everything you said, just separating it into easy-to-read parts. Probably wouldn't see Easy A even if it were free.....

You Again: In hindsight, I do recall getting stupider as I was watching that...Will probably write it in my list of "Unnecessary and Irrelevant Movies"

But you didn't like The American? Maybe it's a guy thing. George Clooney will look great no matter what. They say that it's when you're younger that you look your best...that man will be 85 and still smokin'!

As for more hints on my DVD and TV Netflix decisions: I think I will have one more round of hints this Saturday, followed by a reveal next Wednesday.

Did anyone watch Saturday Night Live, by the way? Here are some of my personal choices for guests next season (which will be obviously biased, thanks to #1):

1. Sam Worthington

2. Will Arnett (just because)

3. Chloe Grace Moretz

4. Carey Mulligan

Season finale of Modern Family tonight! (I know this post hasn't been really movie-related, so just wait for my next one.) Ciao!

List of Movies to Follow (Tentative)

So another part of "The Movie Experiment" is, as I've mentioned plenty of times, picking a single movie to follow from start to finish. And I believe I have (finally) a list of contenders. Here they are:

The Tourist: plot unknown (at least to me, I'm sure it's on imdb.com or something), starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp

I Am Number Four: Aliens and sci-fi and Alex Pettyfer and Timothy Olyphant. Sounds promising, maybe?

Just Go With It: An all-star cast (Adam Sandler, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Aniston) with some iffys (Brooklyn Decker? Heidi Montag?) set in Hawaii. To be released in February of 2011.

Thor: More high-profile and bigger budget than the others. I know absolutely nothing about Thor's history, but do know it will probably be a long process.

Hanna: Directed by one of my favorites, Joe Wright, and in a territory completely new to him: action! His young Atonement actress, Saoirse Ronan, plays the titular character, a born-and-bred killing machine for the C.I.A.

Of these five, two have pictures of on-set shooting (The Tourist and Just Go With It). Hanna has just started shooting, Thor I think is in pre-production, and I Am Number Four is still finishing up casting choices (Timothy Olyphant just replaced Sharlto Copley, by the way).

If anyone has any comments or ideas for another movie, feel free to write! To be honest, I am already leaning on The Tourist (just because I think it's going to be big, a-la Wanted-marketing big). Here is a link to some pictures of Jolie and Depp shooting in Venice:

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&gbv=2&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=Angelina+Jolie+filming+The+Tourist+Johnny+Depp+pajamas&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

By the way, here are some headlines I found interesting this week:

Affleck Says Joaquin Movie Is Not A Joke

Casey Affleck Is Serious About That Joaquin Phoenix Rap Doc

Joaquin Phoenix docu "packed with scenes of sex, drugs, and nudity"

I think this whole thing is crazy. But regardless, at least Joaquin Phoenix is still alive. Who cares if he begged Diddy to help get him a music-recording contract?? I don't!!

Have a good week, everyone!

It Has Happened.

My fellow bloggers and blog-readers, a terrible thing has happened. I know it is 12:07 in the morning as I am writing this, but I must come forward. I have just witnessed one point five seconds of the very first Inception preview....on live television. Which means I now know 3 things about the movie that I shouldn't.

(The three things aren't counting the 1.5 seconds I witnessed, as you may recall {or have I not discussed this with you} how I went to imdb.com and saw a compromising picture of Inception, giving away simultaneous two details that I was previously unaware of.)

This task is continuing to prove how hard exactly my mission is.

I guess I am going to simply limit myself to the websites I view, magazines I read, and television shows I watch. From now on I will only watch prerecorded things. For those who are interested, the Inception trailer appeared as I was watching the season finale of Saturday Night Live, channel 10 (NBC).

As for websites and magazines, I will cut back my daily visits to EW.com to a complete zero. Also, whenever my magazine subscription for Entertainment Weekly arrives, I will turn each page with utmost caution.

I have a feeling my summer is about to get a heck of a lot more harder, however I will not waver. This is a task so important and close to my heart that, if I fail and learn everything there is to know about Inception, I feel I will have failed myself and my readers.

Thank God I don't even remember what inception means, or else all hope would seriously be lost! --Claire

**note: This entire blog was written in complete serious and stern tone. With the exception of the last line; as you read it, imagine: wiping your brow in gratitude.

Trailers!

One of my favorite things about going to the movies are the previews. Ask anyone I go to the theatre with, I must get there early enough to watch the random trivia and the behind-the-scenes stuff, followed by (finally) the previews, and then lastly, the movie itself.

Anyway, so today on one of my favorite websites (moviebox) I decided to update myself on the latest list. Here are a few of the trailers I watched, followed by some comments:

The Adjustment Bureau: I've been meaning to watch this one for a few weeks now. Starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, it is most definitely a cross between romance and sci-fi. I won't spill the details, but it got me thinking a lot about Macbeth.

Easy A: "Easy to write off as another forgettable high school movie" was my initial reaction, but then again, I was watching it muted (don't ask). Second time with volume, I realized that the ages of the actors trying to pass off as high schoolers is getting incredibly high, but also that Twilight seems more of a realistic movie than this one. I don't know. You guys watch it, see what you think.

Nowhere Boy: I'm not sure how well Aaron Johnson might be pulling off the "young John Lennon" look just because I've never seen pictures of what J.L. looked like when he was young, but this movie looks kind of good. The only bad thing it has going against it is a little more personal: the Kick-Ass star, Johnson, is only 19 years old -- and yet is engaged to Nowhere Boy's director (who's in her forties), and what else, they are having a baby together.

You Again: Possibly more irrelevant than Easy A, and I'm wondering if Sigourney Weaver got the script to this before or after Avatar, since she doesn't seem to be playing a particularly strong-willed female character, unlike her Avatar's Grace. Will not be seeing this one.

Machete: Watched this one with my computer muted and have plans on going back with volume. Stars everyone you can think of: Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, Robert De Niro, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Steven Seagal. Okay, on second thought, I'm really only a Robert De Niro fan, so that list really isn't impressive to me, but.....

The American: If Up In The Air were to have a sequel, this would be it. All I'm saying.

High School: I think it's really supposed to be HIGH School, and that kid from the family AT&T commercials is in it. The trailer itself is only viewable if you're over 18, but there's a website along with the movie (www.deptofmoralhealth.us, I believe) that gives more info. Oh, and Adrien Brody... What actors are supposed to be.

So! Anyone want really easy links to some of these? I'll give you three, since I'm nice:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810119644/video/19799760/

http://a2sdlod035.bcst.cdn.a2s.yimg.com/a2snfs07r12/012/yahoomovies/4/106859676.mov?StreamID=106859676&pl_auth=e236d2b4c81beb3addcf0a3524b84cf5&ht=120&b=dv1ng812pgm8a4bef6388

http://s1sdlod050.bcst.cdn.s1s.yimg.com/s1snfs07r23/023/yahoomovies/6/106809725.mov?StreamID=106809725&pl_auth=27e62d879b2f

f257b1107a2b65d75bf7&ht=120&b=dv1ng812pgm8a4bef6357

Onto the next of this post...

If anyone has a subscription to People magazine (or check the website daily, like I do) you will have noticed that there are a ton of pictures of Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp shooting a film called The Tourist. Most of them have to do with Jolie in outfits that make her look very wealthy and important (and also a potential bad guy); and Depp in his pajamas.

To me, this is going to be one of the most anticipated trailers of the summer? fall? because I don't really have any idea what it's about. So maybe it should be the movie to follow? Anyway, here is what I like to think it's about:

Angelina Jolie is a businesswoman who has stumbled upon some bad guys who want her dead. They are after her, chasing her in a hotel in Venice, and she finds herself in a hallway. Her only escape is through a room, naturally, and so in desperation she checks each of the doors to see if they're unlocked. Johnny Depp's room is unlocked and so she runs inside, instantly waking him up. Through a series of "completely unconnected" events the two become fugitives together, and Depp refuses to wear anything but his PJs.

I'd go see it!

Anyway, please comment. Especially if you don't understand my Up In The Air joke.....but maybe you will after viewing the trailer?

And as far as my Netflix choices, I said I'd give you guys more hints. Well, here they are!

DVD hint: "My former boss is a Browncoat."

TV hint: "My most recent show just got canceled this week."

Any takers??

Cannes Film Festival

Wish I were there!

One of the most highly regarded film festivals in the world, Cannes Film Festival lasts from the 12 to the 23 of May. Every year I wish I were there, and this year is no different. It's only three days into the festival, but news is already abuzz with the latest Wall Street 2 reviews and Ridley Scott's premiere of Robin Hood (Russell Crowe is really good at making headlines easily: anyone seen Robin Hood yet? Care to comment on a certain Irish accent? Heed my warning: don't speak of it in front of R.C.)

Anyway, so one of my favorite parts about being in Delaware during Cannes is getting to look at all the pictures of the stars and their fabulous dresses. I like the mystery of the festival; I have no idea how it works, where it's held, how people choose which films to see. I don't even know if it's open to the public or only famous/important people. I think it's great that Tim Burton is president of the Jury that watches the films.

Switching gears a little bit, here's some news on one of my favorite people of all time: Sam Worthington. For SW haters, you might want to skip this paragraph; for lovers, please continue!

http://www.collider.com/2010/05/13/sam-worthington-quatermain-dreamworks/

Apparently he has been cast as Allan Quartermain. I know absolutely nothing about this person except Sean Connery played him in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and his adventures also take place in comic books. And since this is Sam Worthington we're dealing with, I'm a little excited. Read the article!

P.S.: And for Worthington lovers out there, feel free not to read the comments. Happy Friday, everyone!

Video

I Have A Follower!

#1! So stoked to hear that someone is reading this! Thank you!

Any Guesses for Netflix? And More Randomeness

So our second pick came in this week.... The Watchmen. Or just Watchmen. I had wanted to see it when it first came out, but now I'm not too sure if I'll watch it all the way through. I hear there's some hard-core nudity in it involving a blue man.

Plus, has anyone taken any guesses as to what I have requested for Netflix? No? Well then, by the time the week is up I'll have two more hints for you!

So the last blog (relevant and irrelevant movies) didn't really make much sense to me after I read it, but I'm going to keep it on there anyway. And so far, barnesandnoble.com is really working.

Anyway, this isn't really MOVIE related (which, technically, is the point of my blog) but I thought I should talk about this: anyone watch V? There's this really interesting article on EW.com about the politics-side to the show, something I think any V fan should check out..... here's the link: http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/05/12/v-right-wing-show/

Now....movie related.....

Oh, yes. I am excited to share with everyone my second step for this blog...after all, it is called The Movie Experiment. And I'll need something to write about after Inception....

So, hopefully you read my first post of all time, so you know what I'm going at. I have figured out a top five list of movies that I would like to follow, from initial teaser trailer to DVD. In order to keep everyone in suspense, just wait until....a post around Saturday?

But in the meantime: If you haven't already, look at my hints for my Netflix movies! Check out the links I've provided; and comment on the one movie I should pick to follow! I want to know your thoughts! Any specific genre or actor? Director?

Happy Wednesday, blog-readers!

Wow

You know it's a sad day when you change your home page from imdb.com to barnesandnoble.com. I saw my second Inception headline in a week....I thought about changing it to a news-y site, like Yahoo or MSN, but I needed something more generic. So Barnes & Noble it is! (Until after Inception, at least.)

Anyway....

Totally non-movie related, but The National's newest CD is in stores now, and I want it badly! High Violet! High Violet! High Violet!

Okay, seriously. The point of today's post is discussing what makes movies relevant versus irrelevant. Without any background, you probably are going, What on earth is this chick talking about?

But if you think about it, there's a fine line between watching Gran Torino and watching Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Right? I mean, which is cooler: saying you're going to the movies to see Robin Hood, or going to see MacGruber? Both movies have their target audiences and will probably earn review pages in Entertainment Magazine.

However, have you ever stopped and realized that both relevant movies (and these are all in my humble opinion) like The Godfather, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, many of the movies nominated for Best Picture (Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire, Schindler's List, Shakespeare in Love, just to name a few) and irrelevant movies, like (again, in my humble opinion) Righteous Kill, Legion, that Ethan Hawke one about the vampires, or even the remake of Flight of the Phoenix.

Now, you might see that list and think that none of those "irrelevant" movies belongs on there. Or you see it and can instantly add ten other titles. Whatever the case, let me prove mine.

Does it bother anyone that money is spent to make movies like Mirrors and The Dark Knight, both released in 2008? Huh? Because it bothers me.

Basically, my problem is this: why spend so much money and time on these movies that no one is going to watch, or, possibly more importantly, no one even cares about? I mean, let's be serious: Which trailer are you going to lean towards watching more: a movie called Piranha 3D or Toy Story 3? Depending on age group and genre preferences, both movies have a possibility of becoming irrelevant. However, I have asked many people around my age and most of them said they have interest in the third Toy Story movie. Asked about Piranha in 3D...well, people are getting sick of 3D. And the fish are ugly.

So what's the main problem? I don't think being forgettable is what's wrong here. Hot Rod, for example, is a great movie and therefore not irrelevant to me. It has great quotes and opportunities to do random stuff in real life, straight out of the movie (like high-fiving two of your friends for no apparent reason.).

But now, let's consider where Hot Rod came from: The minds of Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone, SNL castmembers and writers. Plus, it was produced by Lorne Michaels and Will Ferrell. Enough said?

However, back to Righteous Kill -- which for some reason I have a problem with. It stars two of the biggest film actors of all time, and yet I never saw it, nor do I remember what it's about. But Al Pacino and Robert de Niro still make movies. What makes Righteous Kill different from another de Niro or Pacino vehicle, like Raging Bull or The Godfather or Dog Day Afternoon?

Now, here is where things get a little dicey. I've been discussing the big-name actors in irrelevant movies, but what happens when irrelevant movies are backed by big-name directors and producers? Classic example: The DaVinci Code. Directed by Ron Howard, produced by Brian Grazer, it sounds like it would be a hit and a great companion to the book. But, if I remember correctly, it bombed. And yet garnered enough profit to make the sequel....

Maybe the case of relevant movies versus irrelevant has to do with their replay values. I know, I sound like a writer from Game Informer magazine, but for some folks, trashy movies are the best. Maybe the writers of Ghosts of Girlfriends Past aren't entirely wrong.

But if that's really the case, then something has to be done. Because otherwise, there will no longer be a point in making movies that only a handful of people will like. Movie theatre choices are going to come down to this: choose between the Joe Wright, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Coen brothers, Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, and Kathryn Bigelow (and all right, maybe James Cameron) matinees.

So, where do you stand, blog-readers? Have any movie favorites that you think I would classify as irrelevant? One of my favorite movies of all time is The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen; I will never forget the time my babysitter proclaimed it "boring." Have any movies that have been deemed relevant, but should really be irrelevant? Do you have any idea what I'm talking about???

The middle of May is almost upon us. Inception, I can't wait!!

Update: Inception Trailer

I went to see Iron Man 2 today (it was awesome) and SPOILER ALERT:

There was no Inception trailer!!

Every single time that green screen came on with "The following preview is suitable for Appropriate Audiences" I would cringe and bite my lower lip. I would grip the cupholder next to me and pray that the next shot didn't feature the sounds of whatever it is that Hans Zimmer used in the teaser (you know what I'm talking about, like he's banging on something menacing).

Speaking of previews, most of them I saw I've already seen online (The Last Airbender, Robin Hood, the Adam Sandler one) but here's one that I've never heard of: Super 8. Directed by J.J. Abrams (who is the youngest man I have ever called The Man) and produced by Steven Spielberg, this tight-lipped project has more crazy marketing stuff just like Abrams' last project, Cloverfield. Lemme see if I can find you all a link.... http://scifimafia.com/2010/05/j-j-abrams-super-8-the-trailer-and-what-we-know-so-far/

Not only does it give a (boot-leg) version of the teaser, but also an interesting website that feels like you're hacking into something reallyreally dangerous. Just check it out.

Anyway, so the actual movie was great, start to finish. Although it was pretty loud, the sequel lived up to my (very big) expectations.

So now I must ask you: Has anyone seen Iron Man 2 this weekend? What did you think?

Oh, and here's something else: It runs 124 minutes.

And by the way...

I, me, was given two slots of her own free choosing for Netflix, and I want to set up a game: see who can guess the DVD and television show I requested! I pride myself on the subtle hints I come up with any type of guessing, so I'm looking forward to seeing if anyone can crack my code! Here it goes:

DVD hint:
Ironic title + Penelope connection = 3 years of bad decision-making (in my opinion)

TV hint:
What are you waiting to wear off?

Good luck!! Maybe next week if no one has guessed I will give two more hints. Be on the lookout!

Iron Man 2, The Idea of Rom-Coms

Greetings, blog-readers! Long time, no blog! Well, the time has come to change all that!

So today we welcome the much anticipated Iron Man 2 to theatres nationwide. Anyone seen it yet? I'm so excited, I'm seeing it on Sunday. Can't wait to get back and discuss it -- the first Iron Man just about changed my life. Seriously, it's on a list of movies I created in Word titled: Movies That Changed My Life. But enough about that...

I haven't really read any reviews so I'm not sure how it's faring compared to the first, but I trust Jon Favreau, who doesn't? And by the way, if you're not doing anything (after you finish reading this post, of course) go to Google and search Jon Favreau Wilhelm yell. There should be some sort of article along with a montage of a certain scream. It's freaking interesting, blog-readers. You'll never think of screams the same way again.

Anyway, so onto Rom-Coms. For anyone out there who doesn't know, Rom-Com is simply Romantic Comedy simplified. There are good rom-coms, okay rom-coms, and the plain stupid rom-coms. Just two, three days ago I watched a plain stupid rom-com called Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. Oh, what a terrible movie! Watching it made me feel indifference for Matthew McWhatever (because let's face it, I lost interest over that man after he started having babies out of wedlock) but poor Jennifer Garner! When will she be in a good movie? I mean, did anyone watch The Kingdom? I thought that was pretty good...

Anyway, so I stuck around for GoGP just because we got it in Netflix and I figured, might as well watch it, since it was free. Then I went and checked it out on imdb.com, and there was a forum counting down 100 things learned from the movie. Here are a few tidbits that I found funny:
6. Personalized plates are not always cool --gommetji
10. If you dont get married you'll die alone --joewilson70
17. When the $4000 wedding cake is about to crash, don't call for help. Try to get the most fragile object that's the furthest away with your foot. --spam-1420
20 - If you meet a successful doctor who happens to be a charismatic guy and good dancer, choose to be with the heartless jerk who already said he liked you once, but ran away minutes after he had sex with you. --the junkhead

Anyway, so I think I am done ranting and raving...I can't remember, sadly, what our #2 choice is, but #3 I'm pretty sure is New Moon....sigh, a movie which I will probably sit through. But I will go into it with an open-mind, because that is what film critics do! Right??

Buried

So, two posts in one day. Not bad.

You see, blog-readers, I really needed to add just one more thing before I go to bed: the teaser trailer for a new movie starring Ryan Reynolds, called Buried. Check it out, I have supplied a link. http://trailers.apple.com/movies/lionsgate/buried/buried-tlr_480p.mov

What do you think? Sound off!

Superheroes!

So, news broke yesterday(?) that the third Batman film will be released in July of 2012. Am I the only one who has a love/hate relationship with The Dark Knight and therefore, do not really know how I feel about this news?

I mean, for one thing, I have only seen it twice since its release two years ago. Twice! There were parts of the plotline that I just didn't understand (what's up with all the Chinese people?) and frankly, it's so long of a movie that it's a stressful affair for me to sit and watch it. Not to mention Heath Ledger. That's all I'll say on that topic.

Anyway, so I hope Christopher Nolan knows what he's doing this time around. I love the man to death, think he is an innovator of sorts--but I swear, Batman Begins is like some sort of a revolution of superhero movies. At least, it is to me. Does anyone else feel that way? I just hope he just doesn't pull a Star Wars and ruin the whole franchise. Not that eps I, II, and III ruined the franchise, they just should've been handled differently.

Now, onto the next topic: Kick-Ass director to helm new X-Men movie?? What?! Has anyone here even seen Kick-Ass? I really wanted to but things kind of fell apart, but one of my friends saw it and she said it was pretty good. . . And right now X-Men needs a reboot, like what they're doing with Spider-Man. Only make it good.

Not movie related but still kind of: Subscription to Entertainment Weekly magazine landed me a cover of RBD and Iron Man 2 the other day, and I read it (and thank goodness no spoilers!). So stoked to see that movie, anyone else with me? What are you hoping to see? More Scarlett Johansson or Gwenyth Paltrow? Personally, I'm holding out for Downey (I would watch that man in those informercials they play at 4:00 am on TV) and more references to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury.

Still a ways from Inception but I am passing the time by watching Leo DiCaprio movies (still have yet to finish Gangs of New York) and figuring out how I am going to avoid any/all publicity/marketing of that movie. Any ideas? Any?