Even though it is no longer Thanksgiving, I still it is a good idea for everyone to just step back once and awhile and think about what they are thankful for.
Hmm ... so what am I thankful for? Could it be that I am FINALLY home for the holidays, or that Entertainment had a feature about Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet's reunion in their newly published archive.
Yea, it could be more of the last one.
It is undescribably, unbelieveably amazing that these two actors are able to keep up their relationship the way they do. In an industry such as Hollywood, friendship is hard to come by. But after ten years, these two friends are still going strong.
And their interview was so cute. They way they finished eachother's sentences and joked around. You could really sense the sincerity coming out of the article.
So I thought I would be generous and post some ideas for gifts. Okay ... so, WHAT IF these are some of the DVDs that I want in my stocking? I'm sure anyone would love them.
1. Wanted
2. Hancock
3. Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
4. I am Legend
5. Jumper
6. Dark Knight
7. Step Brothers
8. Tropic Thunder
9. Wall-E
10.Fred Claus
11. Kung Fu Panda
12. Mama Mia
13. House Bunny
14. Into the Wild
15. Dr. Seuss Horton Hears A Who
And I am sure there are plenty more ... and if that fails, movie coupons work too. And add a couple bucks for refreshments. Don't be stingy!
Also! If all else fails, stick with one of my favorites. ACTUALLY! My FAVORITE. Green Street Hooligans. You can't go wrong ....
I'm going to take a pillowcase and fill it full of bars of soap and beat the shit out of you! -Brennan (Step Brothers)
Good News? Bad News? ... Although Twilght's sequel New Moon never had a definite director, one thing is for certain, director Catherine Hardwicke will not be coming back.
Hardwicke, the director for the phenomenon Twilight, has DECLINED the position for directing its sequel. Uh ... Uh ... Gasp?!
She brought Twilight to heights that individuals never thought it was reached. She crying out loud, she even made media history. She became the biggest debuting female director after bringing in $70 million with Twilight its first weekend.
So what is her excuse? Her "sched" just doesn't fit with Summit's. The goal is to release the film at the end of '09 or the beginning of '10. That sadly doesn't leave her with enough prep time ...
Uh .. make it work?
She did do a fantastic job with Twilight with the little money and new actors she was given, so it will be safe to say she will be missed. Now it will certainly be interesting to see what happens with New Moon from a new director's point of view ... It is hard to say whether or not it will be a success on behalf of ... We don't even know who the director is.
There are rumors that she was actually fired, but summit confirmed it was a "clean break" (just thought I was through in some New Moon humor.)
I can't decide whether or not I am content with a new director. I would have liked to see all four books directed by the same person. I liked her idea of not rushing it that way it would have been done correctly. But hopefully Summit knows what they are doing, I guess we'll see by the end of next year.
"You are so bizarre, even for a human."- Alice Cullen (New Moon)
With the highly anticipated dvd release of The Dark Night quickly approaching, fans have been talking. Not only have they been talking about the dvd's special features that have been leaked onto to the Internet by badtaste.it, but they have talking about a new installment of Batman ...
Although the loss of the extraordinary Heath Ledger has heart stricken us all, the loyal fans of Batman do not want to see the phenomenon come to an abrupt end. So they have been busy conjuring up some clever ideas on how to keep the series going.
They want to see new bad-ass villians. And not only do they have an idea of what villians they want to see, but they already have actresses and actors picked out to portray them ... They've come prepared.
THE VILLIANS: 1. The Riddler 2. Harley Quinn 3. Cat woman (a must.) 4. The Penguin 5. Bane
And then there is the cast ...
An obvious choice being: Angelina Jolie, and of course, Johnny Depp. And I suppose these choices are pretty efficient. Both of them are very gifted actors who hold such great versatile acting abilities. But it would be nice to see other actors and actresses claim the fame that comes with the part of staring in a film such as Batman... Maybe even a new actor or actress. In my opinion, that is how new talent is discovered.
However, other actors and actresses were considered as well. Natalie Portman Edward Norton Keira Knightley Daniel Day-Lewis (a must!) Philip Seymour Hoffman Viggo Mortensen Kevin Spacey Clive Owen
But we'll see .... What ever happens, I am sure that Christopher Nolan has something hidden up his sleeve. He has ceased to dissapoint us yet. Not only is he an exceptional director, but he is a talented writer. I am sure we can all agree that he did an amazing job with Dark Knight, Batman Begins, and even The Prestige...
"Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight. " - Lt. James Gordon Ariel.
I am not going to lie. It still bothers me that Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince got pushed back ... Actually, it bothers me a lot. And I am quite aware that this old news, but come on, HARRY POTTER.
And don't get me wrong, I am very grateful for the release of Twilight! But if I had to choose between the two of them ... I don't know. I would probably have to go with Harry Potter. I think that waiting for the release of Twilight would have been easier since the phenomenon is fairly new to the media world. And this is the first installment to the epic saga.
But I've been following Harry Potter since the very beginning and this is the SIXTH installment. A lot of stuff goes down in this particular book ... a lot of important stuff.
But why did it get pushed back? It is rumored that it is because Twilight, I mean Twilight even got HP6's initial spot, but Warner Bros are doing a great job at denying that Twilight is the reason.
However, there had to be another reason. So, I thought it was maybe because Warner Bro's are trying to keep up a trend with the releasement dates, which whether or not it is intentional, they are.
HP1- Novemer 16, 2001
HP2- November 15, 2002
HP3- June 4, 2004
HP4- November 18, 2005
HP5- July 11, 2007
HP6- July 17, 2009
It looks as if the winter and summer were pretty popular times of the year because HP did a great job bringing in the money. I decided to do some research trying to find some evidence. And an obvious reason appeared ...
Warner Bro's claim the reason for their change in date is due to this past summer. Their movie Dark Night made a massive dent in the box offices when it premiered July 17th. With this success still in mind, they wanted another hit for next summer. It is always about the money.
Other movie studios saw this as a blessing, and us loyal HP fans ... not so much. Whether or not this is the truth, I suppose it is a pretty good cover-up. So for now, all we can do is practice patience and count down the days until it hits theatres.
"...let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure." -Albus Dumbledore
"What the f*** have you done lately?" Thrill. Suspense. Humor. Gore. Exhilaration. The list could simply go on ... WANTED. Ugh, a bloody brilliant film.
Since my sister works at Hollywood Video, she gets free pre-screens. Meaning, we get to watch newly released DVDs before they hit the shelves. VIP Status is the only way to go ...
But lets be realistic. I watched the movie twice in theatres, completely falling in love with it each time.
However, in case you don't know the 411 on Wanted, here it is: The film, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, is about a young man named Wesley, played by James McAvoy, who feels as if his life really has no purpose, until the incredible Angelina Jolie, known as Fox in the film, bluntly tells him about his father. She informs him that his father was an assassin, and that he was just recently killed.
And then immediately following this very conversation, Cross, the man who killed his believed to be father, starts to shoot at them in the middle of a grocery store at a pharmacy desk, classic =)Wesley is later on brought back to the meeting place of the Fraternity, which is an ancient society full of assassins. There he is told about his father, and about his soon to be destiny. He also finds out that his panic attacks are not caused by his anxiety, but by his uncontrolled abilities. Almost immediately following this conversation, he trains to become an assassin.
And then truths unfold, and secrets are let out into the open. The film is full of twists and turns ... intensity is definitely present the entire movie.
But, ah! What makes the film so utterly irresistible? Could it be Angelina Jolie'S bad ass character? Of course, although it isn't the only reason. Unsurprisingly, Jolie completely draws the audience in. She was amazing ... She captured Fox in away that no other actress could of ... not even close. Her tattoos, her fighting scenes, her attitude. It was as if she brought Fox to life off the screen.
Yet, there is James McAvoy who had me cracking up since the very beginning of the movie. First of all, his anxiety attacks: hilarious. His nutty boss really helped the cause. His state of being a complete pansy, also: hilarious. He really created a personality for Wesley and most actors and actresses have a hard time succeeding with that. His sarcasm and oblivion really sent him over the top. He did an exceptional job, truly.
Of course there were others, like Morgan Freeman, who played the leader of the Fraternity, Sloan, who sent the entire theatre into a laughing frenzy when he said, "Kill that Mother-F***er." Come on ... innocent Morgan Freeman ... how is that not funny?
In my opinion, and quite frankly, I don't care if others disagree, the Cinematography, special effects, and graphics were extremely well done. Although, yes, the fighting was a bit Matrix-esque, it was still superb (especially since I am a fan of the Matrix Trilogy, so there absolutely no complaint in that department). There was a lot of slow motion, but who cares.
AND THE FIGHTING SCENES! With the rats! It was amazing. It was not cheesy, if you're not into the whole gory thing, then of course you probably wouldn't like it. Aliens in Indiana Jones; now THAT is cheesy.
The intricacy and intensity of the fight scenes literally had my eyes glued to the screen, okay not literally, but pretty damn close. And then there was the wax bath, the ultimate healing method. Mom and Dad, if you're reading this, I want a wax bath for Christmas ... or a Spa Day would suffice.
Honestly, I thought the curving bullet was actually pretty damn awesome. In what other movie have you even seen anything like that? Please let me know. Because I have never seen that before and it was nice to be exposed to such a new special effect. These days a lot of films are pretty redundant with their fight scenes and special effects, so change is always nice.
The plot wasn't too bad either, nor was the acting. I could see why some could be disappointed though. It is a comic book film adaptation and comic book fans usually set high standards for their films. Maybe it is a good thing that I never read it .. but this is modern day. Things are going to change. People need to move on ...
Before I end I was just like to point something out bout The Repairman. He played Stevie Dunham aka the Major in GREEN STREET HOOLIGANS. My favorite movie, and you would know that if you read my profile. It was a nice treat so see him on the silver screen =) His real name is Marc Warren.
Spectacular? Indeed.
"It a choice, Wesley, that each of us must face: to remain ordinary, pathetic, beat-down, coasting through a miserable existence, like sheep herded by fate - or you can take control of your own destiny and join us, releasing the caged wolf you have inside" -Sloan Ariel.
So! What is going on in the world of film?! Well, here is schedule of new movies that are coming out, and some sweet trailers. Check it out. Hit up the theatres!
NOVEMBER 26 Australia Four Christmases Milk Transporter 3 (I know it is December, but these are pretty recent.)
Austrailia
DECEMBER 5th Cadillac Records Frost/Nixon Nobel Son Punisher: War Zone
Cadillac Records
DECEMBER 10 The Reader Wendy and Lucy
The Reader
DECEMBER12 Che Dark Streets The Day the Earth Stood Still Delgo Doubt Fados Nothing Like the Holidays What Doesn't Kill You Where God Left His Shoes
The Day The Earth Stood Still
DECEMBER17 Gran Torino The Wrestler
Gran Torino
DECEMBER19 The Brothers Bloom Nothing but the Truth Seven Pounds The Tale of Despereaux Yes Man
Seven Pounds
DECEMBER24 The Secret of the Grain
December 25 Bedtime Stories The Class The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Marley & Me The Spirit
The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttion
December 26 Last Chance Harvey Revolutionary Road (First reunion in film of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet since Titanic) Valkyrie Waltz With Bashir
Revolutionary Road
DECEMBER31 Defiance Good
Defiance
Some of these are playing limited, so they wont be in theatres everywhere. Check out either Entertainment Weekly or Yahoo Movies for more details.
**** Oh! And Twilight is still out, in case you were wondering. =D
Farewell, darlings. =D
"So this is a Harvard bar, huh? I thought there'd be equations and shit on the wall." -Chuckie (Good Will Hunting) Ariel.
Two Things You Should Absoluetly Know: I go to school in the ever so lovely Boston, and I read Entertainment Weekly religiously. Oh, and I have a slight obsession with Twilight ... Sad? I know. I love movies ... if you couldn't figure it out. And everything having to do with them.
THE REUNION OF THE DUO
