Hidden Gem of the Week!

Hello everyone, I am here with you're hidden gem of the week! If you are new to the blog, you can see a summary of what this feature entails by selecting the first hidden gem on the left side of the blog. Without further ado, here we go.

Kabluey (2007)

Written and Directed by: Scott Pendergast

Starring: Scott Pendergast, Lisa Kudrow,

Christine Taylor, Chris Parnell

and Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Trailer 

This coming-of-age story is about Salman (played by writer/director Scott Pendergast), a guy who has not done too much with his life, who comes to the aid of his sister-in-law (Lisa Kudrow) and helps her raise her family while his brother is off fighting in Iraq. To make ends meet, Salman is forced to take a humiliating job standing on the side of the road in a large, blue mascot costume of a large corporation while handing out fliers to passing cars.

This is a very funny and charming film featuring many memorable moments. It is also, at the same time, a very touching and heartfelt look at a man who really tries to overcome himself in order to help out this family he cares so much about, all the while being an interesting social commentary on how the war effects people's lives.

So, you guys should check it out. Does it have any interest to you? And if you've seen it, what did you think?

Trailers! Foreign Film Edition!

Hey guys, today I thought I'd bring you some trailers for foreign films that look and sound very interesting.

The first comes from Korea, and is a film I've heard rave reviews about from the director of the Korean film The Host, and this one is called Mother:



The second is from France, and seems to be a very inventive film from the director of Amelie, and this one is called Micmacs:



And finally, we have a Spanish zombie film. This one is a sequel to a film called [REC], which was remade for American audiences into Quarantine, so here's [REC] 2.



Thoughts? Any of these films interest you?

This week's DVD releases!

In my opinion, this is just not a very exciting week for DVD releases. While I'm sure this is not the case for most of you, none of the releases really appeal to me that much. But, without further ado, let's get right into it, starting with my pick of the week and working from there.

The Baader Meinhof Complex - This is a film that has been available to rent and to watch instantly on Netflix for quite some time now, but now it is available for purchase. This film looks quite interesting, especially from the trailer (here), but the fact of the matter is that I may not get around to seeing it, especially with its 2 and a half hour run time. I hope to one day, though.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel - I literally shutter every time I see the title of this movie. And no, I never plan on seeing a movie that terms itself as a "squeakquel". As you may have noticed, I rate these on a 1-5 scale, meaning I don't acknowledge a 0 rating. However, for certain, rare occasions, you will see a 0 rating appear on this blog, and that is reserved for those movies I will actively avoid seeing. Here is the debut of that rating.
Rating: 0 out of 5

An Education - This was a film that was well made and well acted on every aspect, it just really didn't appeal to me. However, if you are into British social comedy/dramas involving interesting relationships that cross age and class barriers, this film is one of the better ones out there, but again, that doesn't really appeal to me personally.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Sherlock Holmes - I thought this film was fun to watch, featuring Robert Downey Jr. in a fun role, accompanied by Jude Law and (a very attractive) Rachel McAdams. This movie definitely had its flaws and pointless scenes, but I think the characters and the action were fun enough to carry this film. I especially enjoyed the relationship of Holmes and Watson (see if you can sense a certain subtle undertone in their relationship).
Rating: 3 out of 5

Alice in Wonderland (Special Un-Anniversary Edition) - Finally, we have Disney re-releasing the original animated version from the vault (Note, this is not the Tim Burton edition in theaters). Its always an exciting thing when these classics are released, however, I've just never really had much of an interest in Alice in Wonderland.
Rating: 3 out of 5

So, what are you renting this week?

Jon Heder drops out of Will Ferrell sitcom!

The article can be found here, but it seems as if Jon Heder has removed himself from a sitcom featuring him and Will Ferrell that would be produced by Comedy Central. The cast was also supposed to have featured SNL alums Chris Parnell and Horatio Sanz, and production was set to begin in two days. There is no word yet on whether or not this project will continue without Heder.

Thoughts?

Godzilla gets another remake!

The article can be found here, but basically the only information present so far is that Legendary has signed on to produce and they are aiming for a 2012 release.

The last installment was in 1998, which was panned by critics, but rather profitable in the box office.

What do you think? Ready for another Godzilla flick?

Box Office Report!

Someone has finally unseated Alice and Wonderland! The full report can be found here, but How to Train Your Dragon premiered at #1 this week with $43.3 million. Alice in Wonderland finished in second, ending a three week run at #1, finishing with a weekend total of $17.3 million, bringing its total to $293.1 million domestically. The only other new release this week was Hot Tub Time Machine, which debuted at #3 with $13.7 million.

In other news, for the first time since its December release, Avatar finished outside of the top 10. This is likely due to How to Train Your Dragon taking most of its remaining 3-D screens, but it was a good run, as its domestic total is at $740.4 million and its worldwide total has reached $2.7 billion.

What do you think? How long do you anticipate How to Train Your Dragon being able to hold on to that top spot?

Top 25 Movies of 2009!

I originally posted this on facebook, but I thought it belonged here as well. This is my list of the Top 25 movies of last year:

Top 25 Movies of 2009

Since I’ve been closely following movies, which has been for around five years now, I feel like this has been the best year in film so far, so needless to say it was hard to narrow this list down to 25 movies this year. That being said, I’ll start off with five “honorable mention” movies that quite didn’t make it onto the list:

Crazy Heart
In The Loop
The Informant!
The Messenger
The Road

And, without further ado, here are my top 25 films of 2009.

25. Paranormal Activity
While it suffered from over-hype during its theatrical run, I felt this movie was a very effective horror film which held up on a second viewing much better than I anticipated.

24. I Love You, Man
This is just a very clever and funny movie that’s charming and one that I wouldn’t mind watching more than once.

23. The Cove
The likely winner of best documentary feature, this is a must see for all the bleeding-heart animal lovers out there. Even for those of us that aren’t, this is still an effective and well-made documentary.

22. (500) Days of Summer
One of the best scripts of not only the year, but in a while, I felt this film ultimately suffered from trying to make its characters too “hip and cool”. Still a great movie, nonetheless.

21. Black Dynamite
A surprisingly clever and funny send-up of blaxploitation films of the 1970’s, it features many memorable scenes, including a final num-chuck battle against a surprise opponent (I definitely don’t want to give it away.).

20. Funny People
While it is a bit long and even depressing at times, this underappreciated movie features not only Adam Sandler’s best performance ever by far, but also a highly underrated turn by Seth Rogen.

19. Bronson
Featuring great art direction and an amazing lead performance by Tom Hardy, this film is about Charlie Bronson, Britain’s most notorious criminal. It has a Clockwork Orange sense of style to it, and pulls it off quite nicely, actually.

18. Big Fan
From the writer of The Wrestler, comes another very effective character study of a man, played perfectly by comedian Patton Oswalt, whose obsession with the New York Giants effects his ability to lead a normal life. While dark and dreary at times, this film is a must see by sports fanatics and others alike.

17. Where the Wild Things Are
A film that feels very strange during the first viewing, mainly because it’s because it’s told from the perspective of a child. Also, this movie features some of the best art direction and style this year.

16. Drag Me to Hell
A very fun horror-comedy that succeeded both its missions: make me jump and laugh a lot.

15. District 9
A well-made and effective film, especially in the context of its metaphor with the apartheid in South Africa. I felt like its rather surprising best picture nomination was definitely warranted.

14. Observe and Report
A deeper and smarter movie than most people think, this film is largely a comedic version of Taxi Driver. It also happens to feature many funny, memorable scenes.

13. Antichrist
While this film is very shocking and definitely not for everyone, its combination of extreme beauty and extreme horror, combined also with its near-perfect direction, makes this one of the most interesting films I’ve seen in a while.

12. Up In The Air
A cleverly written and directed movie featuring two great performances of the year in George Clooney and Anna Kendrick, this film is very topical with the economy today and an interesting look on relationships amongst different types of people.

11. Adventureland
My top movie of the early part of the year that unfortunately suffered from poor marketing, it features great writing and characters and a fantastic performance by the up and coming Jesse Eisenberg.

10. Sugar
One of the best sports films I have ever seen, Sugar is an honest look at a Dominican baseball player’s attempt at having a major league career in the states. This film is a great study on the clashing of different social and cultural environments.

9. The Hurt Locker
The probable (and should be) best picture winner, this film is often regarded as the best Iraq war film made to date (for good reason). Not overtly political and message-filled, The Hurt Locker is ultimately effective by focusing on its characters and intense action sequences.

8. Adam
This romantic comedy about a man with Aspberger’s Syndrome trying to figure out his life after his father passed away is one of the best movies of the year no one’s heard of. This movie also features one of (the many) best lead acting performances that were looked over by the academy this year, this time by Hugh Dancy.

7. Up
After Wall-e, which I felt was one of the best animated films ever made, I couldn’t help but assume that Pixar was destined to take a dip in quality in its next film. That was absolutely not the case. If you can make it through the first 20 minutes of this movie without wanting to cry, you must have no soul.

6. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
One of the two times I have ever liked Nicolas Cage in a movie (the other being Adaptation), this character study about a guy who is basically just an asshole is very strange, but intriguing and fun to watch nonetheless.

5. World’s Greatest Dad
A dark comedy that is absolutely not for everyone, but if you can handle the extremely dark humor, this is a wonderfully made movie about a father trying to do what’s best to honor his son (and failing miserably), features another great male acting performance overlooked by the academy, this time from Robin Williams.

4. Fantastic Mr. Fox
I don’t think there is a better way to describe this movie than by simply calling it charming, extremely charming. A claymation film done by a director who has never dealt with animation before, this has been one of the most respected films amongst Hollywood circles this year, and for good reason.

3. Inglourious Basterds
Definitely Tarantino’s best work since Pulp Fiction, this film not only stands as the best escapist film this year in my opinion, but also has plenty in it for film nerds such as myself. His integration of German media and film in the storyline makes it feel authentic as the type of movie that would be released around the time WWII was ending. It also features one of the best acting performances of the decade by Christoph Waltz.

2. Moon
A criminally unseen and amazing science fiction film, it also features the best performance of the year by Sam Rockwell, that was unfortunately not honored by the Academy.

1. A Serious Man
Probably the best comedy by the Coen brothers since Fargo, this movie was a bit confusing and hard to understand, which made it all the more endearing for me. The use of music and rhythm in this film, along with its use of Jewish customs they don’t waste time explaining, make this my favorite film of a fantastic year in film.

What do you think? Do you agree with my picks? What were some of your favorites from last year?

Friday's New Release Feature!

Hey guys! It's Friday, and that means it's time for me to comment on what's coming to theaters this weekend! A little clarification of the rules, I judge this based on what's playing in Lubbock, that's because not only do I live there, but I figure if it's playing in Lubbock, it must be playing just about anywhere else. So, without further ado, here they are!

Hot Tub Time Machine - Recently I've had this gut notion that, even though this movie just looks incredibly stupid and terrible, this movie was going to get surprisingly good reviews and possibly be a hit. As the reviews have come out today, turns out I was kind of right. This has a 62% on rottentomatoes.com, which is rather good for a movie about a hot tub that travels through time. All in all, that has sparked some interest from me, but not too much.

Rating: 3 out of 5

How to Train Your Dragon -  Speaking of reviews, the one's for this movie have been surprisingly stellar, as the tomameter sits at 97% during the time I'm posting this. I just went from not all that interested to really intrigued.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Not too much on the slate for this weekend, but are you planning on seeing either of these? Also, what do you make of How to Train Your Dragon's amazing reviews?

The 'Scott Pilgrim vs The World' Teaser finally arrives!

And here it is, the teaser for the upcoming Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, starring Michael Cera and directed by Edgar Wright.



With this trailer, and a cast that also features Oscar nominated Anna Kendrick, Jason Schwartzman, and Chris Evans (among others), this adds to my list of the most anticipated movies of 2010 for me (along with Greenberg  and The Green Hornet so far). Thoughts?

Some interesting names are being floated about to direct Mission: Impossible 4

Yes, there is going to be a fourth installment of Mission: Impossible(slated for a May 2011 release), and some interesting names have surfaced as possible directors. The article can be found here, but some of the names that have been mentioned are Brad Bird, who directed The Incredibles and Ratatouille, Edgar Wright, who directed Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, and Ruben Fleischer, who directed Zombieland.


Some directors I really like, especially Wright and Bird, but I don't think it'll be enough to add to a movie that probably shouldn't get made. What do you think?

Trailers for Predators, Please Give, and Girl With a Dragon Tattoo!

Hey guys, I've got new trailers!

The first is for Predators, this time directed by Robert Rodriguez:


Next, we have Please Give, a movie starring Catherine Keener that premiered at Sundance:


Finally, we have Girl With a Dragon Tattoo, a foreign film I've heard a lot about recently:


Which one of these interest you?

New Feature! "Hidden Gem" of the week

Hey guys! Today marks the beginning of a new feature I will run on Wednesdays here on the blog, and that is called the "hidden gem" of the week. This will consist of a profile of a movie that you may have a.) never heard of, b.) heard about a long time ago and may have forgotten about, or c.) may have heard quite a bit about, but you should see if you have not. All the films I will feature here will be on DVD, so you can go check them out. Without further ado, here is your first hidden gem of the week!

Sugar (2009)

Written and Directed by: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Trailer 

 This is a film that went largely unnoticed when it was released last year. Written and directed by the same team that directed Half Nelson, this film follows Miguel 'Sugar' Santos, a Dominican baseball player who is trying to acheive a professional career in the US. Featuring a cast of unknowns, this film realistically depicts the struggles players from these countries face in order to make it to the majors, not just with language and cultural barriers in the US, but other struggles back in their hometown. This film is successful in that it is unapologetic in its realism, which results in a gritty drama that is not the feel-good film of the year, but an important one. It also explores many different clashes of cultures, not just between that of Americans and Dominicans, but also different cultures within America that come together. While it won't make you stand up and cheer, this has to be the best sports film to be released recently, and arguably the best sports film of all time.

I encourage everyone to check this film out, you definitely won't be dissapointed. So, when you do see this movie, leave some feedback here to let me know how you felt about it!

Ever wanted to see Popeye in 3-D?

Well now you can. The article can be found here, but apparently they have greenlighted  a new Popeye movie that will be in 3-D. Nothing is known yet about the plot or the cast, but Sony Pictures Animation will be in charge of the production.

What do you think? Are you interested in seeing Popeye in 3-D?

New! Tuesday's DVD release feature!

Hello everyone!

Today marks the beginning of my newest feature, which will involve all of the movies being released on DVD that given week.This feature will consist of me listing the movies (the titles will link to their IMDb page), giving a short summary of the movie and my thoughts and anticipations about them, and a rating of 1-5 depending on my level of anticipation for their release. Unlike my new theatrical release series, I won't have a title for each of my number ratings, because there are too many ways to anticipate DVDs, for instance, I will have either seen or not seen these films, so I will have a different type of anticipation for each title, so it is important to look at the sentence following.

Also of note: DVD releases can be tricky. Sometimes movie companies have different contracts with different companies, so a film may be released to rent one week, and released to buy months later. Since this can get confusing, my source for these movies will be none other than comingsoon.net.

Without further ado, here are this weeks releases!

Fantastic Mr. Fox - This was actually one of my favorite films of the year (#4 on my list to be exact), so its obviously one I've been anticipating for a long time. This is Wes Anderson's foray into animation, and what a successful one at that. I found this movie to be very entertaining and charming, and, while I have only seen it once, I couldn't help but feel like this is one that will continue to get better with multiple viewings.
Rating: 5 out of 5

The Blind Side - I'm sure most of you know everything about this movie, because it was a tough one to miss due to its box office success and its surprise best picture nomination. Personally, I wasn't too big of a fan of this film.While I thought it was entertaining and a good story overall, I found it very cliched and flawed. Sandra Bullock gave a decent, albeit overrated performance, but the biggest problem to me was the performance of newcomer Quinton Aaron, which made Michael Oher seem almost mentally challenged in my opinion. While I didn't hate it, I think the one time I saw this film was enough for me.
Rating: 2 out of 5


Brothers - This one had some buzz surrounding it during its initial theatrical release, but it kind of faded once it hit the big screen. This is the Iraq drama featuring Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal, with Natalie Portman playing Maguire's wife. Again, while I didn't find it terrible, I thought it was a bit melodramatic and cliched. I was, however, impressed with Gyllenhaal, even though Maguire is the one that received some awards buzz. If you are dying to see it, go for it, and I doubt you will be too dissapointed. For me, the one viewing in theaters was enough.
Rating: 2 out of 5

The Men Who Stare at Goats - I am finding out more and more that this is a film I enjoyed a lot more than most people did. This one has a great cast featuring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Root, and Jeff Bridges about a secret portion of the military that fights using psychological tactics. I found this movie to be rather clever, and I am anticipating being able to watch it a second time.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Red Cliff - This is a film I have not heard about until just now, but it a Chinese period piece directed by John Woo. I'm not too familiar with the work of Woo or have any interest in Ancient China, but I hear it's a great film if you are into that.
Rating: 2 out of 5


After Dark Horrorfest 4 - Normally I don't do straight to DVD releases or Boxed Sets, but this is an exception. Every year they release an After Dark Horrorfest, which compiles 8 independent horror films. While these aren't the cream of the crop, they can be entertaining, and some of them can be quite good if you can rent them or find them for cheap.
Rating: 3 out of 5

So what do you think? What will you be renting this week?

John Malkovich is joining the cast of Transformers 3!

John Malkovich, along with Frances McDormand (Fargo, Almost Famous) and Ken Jeong (The Hangover, Community), has signed up to be in the third installment of the Transformers series. The article can be found here, but apparently Malkovich will portray Shia Lebouf's character's first boss while McDormand will play the National Intelligence Director. No word yet on who Jeong will be playing.

Even though I'm not excited about this project at all, given how much of a disaster the second one was, I respect all three of these actors, especially Malkovich and McDormand. Thoughts?

Penelope Cruz's role in Pirates 4 is revealed!

She will be playing the daughter of Blackbeard, who will be played by Ian McShane. The full article can be found here, but she will also serve as a sort of love interest for Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow. The film will be directed by Rob Marshall (Nine, Chicago), and will also feature Geoffrey Rush reprising his role as Captain Barbossa.

This project keeps getting more and more "intriguing". Thoughts?

There may not be any more Jason Bourne films...

...but there is a female equivalent on the horizon. The full article can be found here, but long story short, an action spec called Blank Slate has been picked up, which is about a female convict who is implanted with the memories of a recently murdered CIA agent.

Not really of any interest to me, but what do you think?

Issues with Babies

...and not babies in general, just the film, Babies. Before I rant on my opinion on the film, at least the trailer, I would like you to watch it for yourself.



Now for some reason (and it turns out I'm not alone on this when discussing this issue with friends) I find this trailer creepy. While most of you normal people would watch this and say it looks "adorable"or "interesting", I just can't agree. I think the main reason I have an issue with the trailer and presumably the film itself is that it seems almost voyeuristic the way we, as the audience, are asked to look at these children. It's a hard issue for me to explain, and one I get a lot of weird looks when I attempt to, but it seems like the way they are presented, we are asked to observe their lives in a way that is too close and too personal for comfort, in my opinion.

It also seems like, and I feel this way about the show Full House, we are supposed to associate these babies as objects of "cuteness" rather than actual people. It's hard for me to explain why that seems strange to me, it just does.

There are other factors to the creepiness, such as the shot of the baby right next to the rooster (how can that be safe?), the baby on the motorcycle (again, how?), and the baby sticking his hand in the mouth of a pretty good-sized dog, along with many other shots of the babies crawling around places that seem dangerous without supervision. It also doesn't help that the trailer ends by saying, "The babies are coming", which gives me this image that I'm running through a tunnel with a horde of 500 babies chasing after me.

What do you think? Am I just crazy?

Alice and Wonderland continues to rule box office!

The full report can be found here, but Alice and Wonderland stays on top for a third straight week with $34.5 million this weekend, which brings its total to $265.8 million domestically and $565.8 million worldwide. The real story may be Diary of a Wimpy Kid coming in a surprising second with $21.8 million, upsetting The Bounty Hunter, which came in third with $21 million. Repo Men underperformed in its opening weekend, taking in only $6.4 million for a fourth place finish.

Thoughs? How long do you think Alice in Wonderland's reign will last?

Seems as if we may have a Captain America!

...and it looks to be Chris Evans, most noteable for playing the Human Torch in The Fantastic Four. The article can be found here, but he has been offered the part, and it seems as if it is only a matter of time before he accepts the role.

Personally, I'm ok with the casting, and I think its almost more interesting to read the list of the other actors that were considered.

Thoughts?

Trailers for Waking Sleeping Beauty, Frozen, and The Switch!

Hey everyone, I have new trailers!

the first is for a documentary about the recent "golden age" in disney cinema called Waking Sleeping Beauty:


Next is an independent thriller that got a lot of buzz out of Sundance called Frozen:


Last, but not least, we have the new comedy featuring Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston called The Switch:


Thoughts?

Friday's New Release Feature!

Hello everyone!

The first feature I'm starting on this blog will appear every Friday. It will involve me going through every movie being released nationally that weekend and letting you know my level of anticipation for seeing it. I will not be doing limited releases because a.) if they get a national release, I will touch on them when that happens, and b.) since I live in Lubbock, if it doesn't get a national release, I probably won't be able to see it. Each movie title will link to the movie's IMDB page, in case you are confused as to what movie I am talking about. The grading scale will look like this:

5 - I will seek out any and every opportunity to see this movie as soon as possible.
4 - I am willing to pay matinee price and/or discounted Tuesday ($6 all day in Lubbock) price to see this movie, but not more.
3 - I'm not willing to pay full price, but I would like to seek this movie out when it appears in a second run theater like Showplace 6 in Lubbock or Movies 8 in Ft. Worth.
2 - I want to see it, but I will likely wait till the DVD release.
1 - I never plan on seeing this movie.

So here goes for the weekend of March 19:

The Bounty Hunter - This movie is getting killed by critics and doesn't really appeal to me much at all, especially with a run time of nearly 2 hours. Yet there seems to be sort of quality to it that won't allow me to write it off just yet.
Rating: 2 out of 5 - DVD release

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - The movie adaptation of a supposedly clever book, this one seems way too childish for my standards.
Rating: 1 out of 5 - Never planning on it

Repo Men - It's premise isn't terribly good and its getting bad reviews, yet for some reason I'm interested.
Rating: 3 out of 5 - Second run theater


The Ghost Writer - Roman Polanski's newest thriller is getting a nationwide release, and very good reviews along with it. I have heard that this was a very personal project for him, and I am anxious to check it out.
Rating: 5 out of 5 - The first chance I get

What about you? What are you looking forward to seeing this weekend? And if you have any clever titles for this feature, please send them my way (I'm terrible with titles.).

Is it the end of cult movies?

The people at overthinkingit.com seem to think so. The article can be found here.

While they have some good points, especially about the rise of online rental places such as Netflix making just about every movie accessible, I think a sense of the cult movie still exists. For instance, there are some movies, like the movie version of The Who's rock opera, Quadrophenia, that are either hard to get on Netflix or not there at all, and can be purchased on Amazon for up to $50 or $60. Secondly, people, mainly those in larger cities, still flock to midnight showings of The Room and Rocky Horror Picture Show, so I still think there is a sense of the cult film, it just may have taken on a new form. Nevertheless, this article has some links to some promising videos, such as Peter Jackson's parody of The Muppets and the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special.

Let me know what you think!

Tim Burton's newest project

...and it appears to be yet another adaptation, this time of the Addam's Family. The full article can be read here.

Personally, I think Burton's talented, but his adaptations of popular stories seem to lack something.

Thoughts?

Trailer and clip for Four Lions

Here's a trailer for an upcoming British film called Four Lions:



And a very funny clip from the same film:



Personally I can't wait until I can see this. Thoughts?

Trailer for Birdemic

We all know I'm a sucker for "so terrible its great" movies, and this one looks legendary in that regard.



Now tell me you don't think that looks awesome.

Welcome!

Hey everybody! 

As you can see, I have decided to start a blog in order to talk about movies and other such related topics. I hope to have featured discussions on here, along with release dates, trailers, and headlines I find interesting. If you have any ideas on some topics, features, etc. that you would like to see on this blog, feel free to post comments about those.

Hope you guys enjoy!