iconogeek » Movies

Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern, jealous much?

Chuck — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:50:39 +0000

I am a big comic geek. Not so much now, but from the time I was a kid to sophmore year in college I collected a lot of comics. I have over 3,000 bagged and boarded in moisture resistant cardboard downstairs. Did I say I was a comic book geek?

Marvel was always my thing, most of the DC universe really didn’t catch my eye. That is until DC started churning out great films like Superman, Batman, etc. Well, now Green Lantern is poised as the next big DC franchise with Ryan Reynolds at the helm. Now, for those of you that have listen to the podcast you’ll know that I’m a big fan of Mr. Reynolds. So I was torn since the next superhero I wanted to see Reynolds play was Deadpool; that is until I saw this on the latest Entertainment Weekly in my mailbox:

Now, this suit does look pretty damn awesome in this shot and I am told that it is entirely CG. The film is still in its early stages so I am unsure if this shot is photoshop’ed, or an early test of the CG mapping. Either way, it has a great look and takes the “feel” of Lantern’s actual suit and makes it current and believable.

Green Lantern is intended to hit theaters next year (6/17/2011).

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Is this the new face of Mortal Kombat? I hope so.

Chuck — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:46:38 +0000

My buddy, Cesar, sent me a link the other day (he does this on a regular basis as he finds cool stuff here and here) and as usual, I clicked on it. What came before me was a VIDEO THAT LEFT ME SLACK-JAWED. I remember when the Mortal Kombat video game came out and I pumped tons of quarters into that game in the arcade. Mortal Kombat was the first of its kind to use realistic looking characters and featured the now famous “Fatality” scenes.

In 1995, Paul W.S. Anderson took the video game to the big screen taking the core concept of the video game (a martial arts tournament) and wrapping it around a better film premise (Enter the Dragon). Much to my geek delight, the film was tons of fun and cemented the scream “MORTAL KOMBAAAAAT” into my speech lexicon for that summer.

So you could imagine my excitement when this new re-envisioning began to play. Michael Jai White (yes, of Spawn fame), plays Jaxx (look at the door to his office), Johnny Cage is apparently dead, but Sonja Blade is back, played by Jeri Ryan (7 of 9, anyone?).

According to Slashfilm, the clip is a short spec film shot by Fame director Kevin Tancheron back in April as a pitch to get the job.

Well, I think he did an awesome job. He’s taken the tired concept of the fight contest (Can it really get any better than Bloodsport?) and actually made it pretty relevant. In seven minutes he’s explained why Baracka looks like an animal, and why we even need to care about the tournament.

I hope studio execs stand up and take notice and give this guy the job. What he did on no budget and a couple RED cameras is phenomenal. I, for one, am gonna remember his name whether or not this reboot flies.

Watch the VIDEO HERE.

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Can Knight and Day bring Tom Cruise’s mojo back?

Chuck — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:45:23 +0000

Look, I’ve been a Tom Cruise fan for a very long time. From the first time I saw him on screen in TAPS, I’ve been hooked. Cruise has lived the dream of every teenage boy, twentysomething, and thirtysomething in every single movie he’s made. He’s done what WE want to do. Drive a fast car? Check. Fly a fast plane? Check. Bed beautiful women? Check. Make tons of money? Check.

Seriously, this guy’s film roles read like a bucket list for every man locked to a desk or just living his life. Until he went off the deep end. I won’t rehash it here… everyone remembers it.

So, his new flick with Cameron Diaz (reunited again from Vanilla Sky), Knight and Day, seems to be poised to put Cruise back in action. The trailer is electric, action-packed and funny. (And having Uprising from Muse as the backing track doesn’t hurt). Check it out, below.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0cSz62nq9Y

See what I mean? Awesome. And let’s not forget about Diaz’s jumpstart here too. She’s been in and out of low performers ever since Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle so she’s poised for a little mojo boost as well.

Will Knight and Day deliver? I think so. Even though trailers can be deceiving, I think this one is giving an accurate play of the flick. I’m looking forward to reviewing it and giving you my thoughts. Now if you excuse me, I need to go ride a motorcycle, really, really fast.

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Iron Meh 2 (or a chink in Iron Man’s armor)

Chuck — Fri, 21 May 2010 12:37:48 +0000

So you may have guessed from the title that I was particularly enthused about Iron Man 2. I hate to say it, because I was really excited about the flick, but at the end of the day the movie really didn’t deliver anything new. The first Iron Man took one of the less popular Marvel characters and turned him into a sensation. Jason and I have posted and spoke about Iron Man 1 already so I won’t wax triumphant about it now.

I guess it was really the story that fell flat for me. The best thing about Iron Man is the snarkiness in the dialog. Iron Man is the “smart” superhero movie and this second installment just felt like a plain, old superhero movie. Where the effects excellent? Yes. Was Mickey Rourke a bad-ass (yet again)? Yes. Did Scarlett Johannsen kick butt? Abso-f’n-lutely! Was Cheadle better than Howard? You bet. Was Sam Rockwell the best part of this flick? Have to say “yes” (but then again, he always steals the show).

What I’m saying is that Iron Man 2 was not better than the sum of it’s parts. By the end, the movie became about men in suits fighting other men in suits and we SAW that already in Iron Man 1. Whiplash was a good idea, but there’s a part early on which should have done him in, but it didn’t even leave a scratch. Sorry, I can’t suspend my disbelief here. Out of all the Marvel movies, Iron Man is actually the most plausible. So we when bunny hop the sand shark, I have a hard time staying in the movie.

I’m sure Iron Man 3 will be made and I hope Favreau and Co. do what they did with number 1: Set out to make a “different” superhero flick (one that doesn’t climax with 2 metal suits fighting each other), because 2 was just “meh.”

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Avatar completely blew me away

Chuck — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:05:09 +0000

I wanted to wait a day to post since I jumped into Wanted without looking and caught immense amounts of crap from J when I changed my iScore for that flick. Well, I’ve waited sufficiently and my mind has not changed at all about Avatar. I am still giddy from this movie. I have the same feeling that I had when I saw Star Wars when I was a kid. The spectacle of this film is astounding. The realism, the believability is just nothing short of groundbreaking. James Cameron and his team have taken us to a world that is 100% believable and engaging.

I think the most curious thing about Avatar is that it is clearly an artistic culmination of James Cameron’s entire career. You can see influences from every single one of his films and for a film geek, that’s just plain FUN to look for. The action of Aliens, the mech/tech of Terminator, the emotion of Titanic, the teeth of Piranha 2, the glowy alien stuff from The Abyss, I could go on. James Cameron is a true artist combining past work and marrying technology and story telling in a way no one else has done before. I am officially on the JC fanwagon (As if I wasn’t before).

I can’t emphasize the realistic nature of this film enough. 60% of Avatar is CG. 60%! And it’s amazing. Today’s CG is incredible anyway (i.e. Transformers, Iron Man), but it’s typically an action-based arena where things are moving so fast (or it’s Mech-based) and can more easily believed. But when you are rendering humanoids with skin, goosebumps, hair – we’re used to seeing that everyday in real life – we’re incredibly critical of any CG that tackles that. Spirits Within was a noble effort, but it wasn’t “there” yet (the characters looked dead) – but now the technology has improved to the point that realistic, “alive” humanoids can be created. Creatures that inhabit the screen with the emotion and warmth of REAL actors. Avatar does this splendidly and leaves you with an awe that just makes you want to make movies (like when you where a kid).

I think Avatar will be the film that future film makers reflect upon as the singular film that got them into movies. Much like Star Wars inspired droves of impressionable kids to grab their Super8′s, dress up in robes and make their own versions of Star Wars (like I did), or as Ace Frehley inspired millions to pick up a guitar. Avatar will be the inspiration point for a fantastic journey of imagination for millions. Even though there are some intense battle scenes and some adult themes, I will be taking my kids to see this. I want them to experience that same feeling I had when I first saw Star Wars. I want them to be able to look back and remember this movie experience and be truly inspired.

To wrap up, Avatar is quite simply the best VFX I have ever seen in a film and quite possible one the best films I’ve seen. Was the story a bit predictable? Sure, but I don’t care. It’s themes are universal and the pure enjoyment of watching this film is what movies (to me) are for. Without hesitation, this film gets an iScore of 10.

Posted via email from Chuck’s posterous

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The best thing about Zombieland? Zombieland.

Chuck — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:27:32 +0000

So I got a chance to catch Zombieland last night and let me tell ya. Freakin’ awesome. When I received a text message from Dodge, that said “I’m kinda embarrassed, I actually liked Zombieland,” I knew it was gonna be good, Dodge is notoriously picky and he is usually dead on.

Now I had heard it was good, and I am pre-disposed to like this movie already, but all that aside…this movie kicked in high gear from the getgo and didn’t stop. Great writing, tight editing (only 1hr 21m), great tongue-in-cheek acting (and even some surprising dramatic moments), and a nice retell of a crowded genre.

The movie had a great sense of humor and a slick style, especially with the opening credits which took the JJ Abrams style of 3D integration and took it one step further (borrowing a bit from Johnny Dangerously, actually). I came home after the flick with a desire to play Left 4 Dead, eat a Snowball, and watch Caddyshack, so if you’re a Z-fan (or even if you aren’t) this movie is a good bet for some excellent, dark-humor escapism.

Time to Nut-up ot Shut-up. I give this flick a 10 because it was just plain awesome and didn’t preach anything. Most apocalypse- genre stuff has an underlying theme about the causes of the apocalypse or they delve into the psychology of the characters (The Waking Dead is an excellent example. If you aren’t reading it, you need to.) but not Zombieland. It’s unapologetic about what it is. Zombies have taken over, so be it, deal. Oh yeah and have fun too.

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I’m a Marvel…I’m a DC…It’s f’n brilliant.

Chuck — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:05:19 +0000

Thanks Doug for the link.

‘Nuff Said.

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Wolverine (I hate movie reviewers)

jason — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:49:16 +0000

Yes, I hate movie reviewers. I am including myself to some degree, although no one is paying for my opinion. I read the reviews for Wolverine yesterday before seeing it at the midnight showing and all of the bashing had me concerned. Don’t believe the bullshit. It’s a great, fun(ny) and action packed start to the summer movie season.

Hugh Jackman was great, fully embracing the character and story and making even preposterous scenes feel genuine. This is another case that depending on your knowledge of the original comic books your mileage may vary as far as overall enjoyment. If you’re going to get pissy about every little detail not being carried over from the books, or about the filmmakers taking certain liberties then you’ll have some issues. If you haven’t read the books or are more forgiving, I think you’ll enjoy the crap out of this like I did. However, I do wish Deadpool, Agent Zero and Gambit got a bit more screen time because what was there was simply awesome.

Only 3 things got me, and all were FX related. First is Cyclops… who in general I just don’t care for, but the younger version is on screen a few times and the eye-beam gets to do some spectacular damage. Here is the first issue. Where does the eye-beam effectiveness end? It cuts through buildings but then it just stops? Seemed like they got lazy and didn’t want to have to animate another building falling down.

The other two were just crappy/weird FX that felt out of place when compared to the rest of the polished pieces throughout. One is a mirror shot with Wolverine’s claws… looked crappy and plastic. The other was a close up of Wolverine shredding a fire escape. Watch for those two and see if you agree.

Anyway, I think you’ll have a good time if you’re a fan of the X-men movies or the Wolverine character. It tells a great story, explaining a lot about the character and his motivations, his rivalries and attitude. Don’t listen to toolbag reviewers (including me) and go check it out for yourself.

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Dicks leak Wolverine workprint

Chuck — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:21:09 +0000

So apparently an early version of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was leaked on the internet. It’s missing key scenes, finished effects, and finalization but clearly this sucks for all involved in the making of the film. Certainly from a creative level (it’s not finished), and less so (I think) from a financial level and here’s why. A film like this which has, arguably, the most popular Marvel comic character AND a rabid fanbase that has been aching for a Weapon X story is going to get butts in the seats opening weekend.

Think of it as a fast-rip Band-Aid.
The idiots that leaked this (seriously, what’s the f’n point? If you’re a fan, then an unfinished print may be “cool” but from the geek standpoint, wouldn’t you want it to be presented at its best?) are catering to the same fanboys that will go see this film multiple times in the theater. A leaked, unfinished print will only whet the appetites of fans if the movie’s good. If it sucks, then it won’t matter, you’ll loose some initial opening weekend revenue due to bad press, but that’s your own fault for putting together a shitty movie. I don’t think that’s the case though. From what I’ve seen, this movie is a fanboy’s wet dream, especially on the heals of Watchmen.. we are even more pumped to see this film.

Although there are many posts by people who have seen the vid, they complain that “it IS finished,” and “The pacing sucks,” and “there’s no story” – but I gotta tell ya, each one of those comments can easily be addressed with editing and additional footage. Do these people seriously think that this stuff hasn’t been shot? Or that several weeks of additional editing won’t completely change/tighten a movie? STFU, wait for actual release.

In the end, I’d be interested in seeing numbers or stats about the actual harm this leaked print does to final box office. But I’m not quite sure how you get those.

I have not seen the leaked vid (nor do I want to), I want to see the final film it all it’s claw-poppin’ beauty, period. Seeing this film on the big screen with the cast of characters it has (Deadpool? Come on folks!) is going to be an experience I’ve been waiting for since well before days of future past.

‘Nuff Said.

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Touch Not, Lest Ye Be Touched

Brett — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:34:27 +0000

Ok guys, since I am apparently the biggest dick on this site, I felt the need to review Tales of the Black Freighter before the other softees did. I don’t know if it was evident from the most recent podcast, but I was not enamored with Watchmen. It really had nothing to do with what they left out, and what they changed or any of that, it was more a fact that the movie just can’t be made with the source material provided. Now I’m not about to say I hated the movie completely because I liked nay loved certain parts. The way they Snyder altered the ending for example…better than the book. Rorschach was awesome and Jackie Earl Haley was the highlight of the whole move. In fact I agree with one of the commentors that an all-Rorschach movie would have been sick. Nonetheless, I left the theater feeling underwhelmed and under-entertained, but in reality I don’t think it could have been better, unless they made a miniseries…and at that, who knows. Now, onto the supplemental material that was released this week. As a whole, it was much better than the theatrical release. The Black Freighter story is very gritty and dark, it is certainly not for the faint at heart. Snyder and Co. left no stone unturned here and gave me exactly what I wanted…a faithful replication of the story within a story. Gerard Butler’s voice over was ominous and angered. As Chuck and I left the movie we both were wanting more of the MinuteMen back story…well you will get that here with the Under The Hood interview by the original Night Owl. It is done in such a way that it seems like you are watching a 60 Minutes-like show from the 1960s with Seiko commercials included. As such, a lot of Sally Jupiter’s story shone through here as well as the original masked vigilante Hooded Justice. When Watchmen come out on BluRay, I will rewatch both in tandem and I feel that this may change my opinion for Watchmen, even possibly raising it’s iScore for me…nah.

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Who Watches the Watchmen?

jason — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:01:13 +0000

Well… um… we do? I mean it’s out now in theaters.

Luckily that question is not the only one I have answers for today as we were able to catch the Watchmen at a midnight showing last night.

Here’s another question: Was it any good?

Hell yes it was. Brutal, graphic, pretty to look at, well paced, well acted and it hit a very large majority of the books major points right on the head.

Here is where things get tricky. If you did not read the book, you’ll likely be confused as hell at times and you’ll probably be surprised by the overall adult nature of it. You see this is not the Xmen, or Spiderman or any other average comic book. The majority of the ‘heros’ have some heavy pyschological issues, 0 superpowers and are basically masked vigilantes that the majority of society would like to see locked up permanently. The only guy that actually has any real super-type abilities is mostly devoid of emotion and really doesn’t give a shit about the human race.

So if you read the book and loved it and you’re not a detail nazi (ZOMG!!!11!! RORSHACH IS SUPPOSED TO GO HOME FOR HIS SECOND MASK!!! THIS MOVIE IS RUINED!!!) then you’ll love it. They pulled no punches when it came to the graphic nature of the novel, so don’t be surpised to see shredded flesh, attempted rape, a bunch of breasts, compound fractures, blue penises (penii??) and more.

Bottom line is this. It’s not for everyone, but for the fans of the graphic novel it seems like the movie version you could have only hoped for.

BTW: yes the ending has been changed and that entire plotline that goes into the construction of the ‘squid’ has been scrapped, but I think it’s for the best. The movie’s ending not only performs the exact same function, it actually feels more legit.

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Nothin’ Like A Good Ol’ A$$ Whoopin’

Brett — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 04:05:31 +0000

I know I haven’t posted much in quite a while. Call it what you will, but I just saw The Wrestler and was inclined to give you my highly critical opinion.

For starters, I loved it. From the opening credits with the panning wrestling Promo’s from the 80′s and even the Ram-green font, to the final image of Mickey Rourke (more on him in a moment) giving his fans what they wanted, I was hooked. Darren Arronofsky’s use of a documentary-style single camera shooting made this movie feel very authentic.

As an avid wrestling fan in my younger days, which I’ve since let fall by the wayside, Mickey Rourke sold me 100% on his performance from his first elbow drop, to the final RamJam. Not only did he deserve the Golden Globe for Best Male Actor, as well as his forth coming Oscar win…this was one of my top 10 performances in a while. I don’t know whether it was the 80′s vibe he exuded, the low IQ he was portraying as a lovable fuckup with many apparent prior transgressions, or just his overall “badassness” but Mickey Rourke has some chops. I can’t say I’m well versed in his Filmography (besides SinCity of course) but I’ll surely be adding some of his flicks to my Netflix queue.

Marisa Tomei was phenomenal as the odd relationship between the two characters unfolds throughout the films 115 min run time.

That said, even if you weren’t a fan of the Hulk Hogan’s and Iron Sheik’s of the 80′s, you will dig this movie based on the incredible character development and Rourke’s painful attempts to reconnect with his daughter (a very solid Evan Rachel Wood). It seems as though this year’s Oscar season is full of very strong candidates…while I haven’t seen a majority of the noms yet, I can’t imagine many of them containing a better lead performance than this one. Check it out.

*Note – Bruce Springsteen’s song written and titled for this movie did not go unnoticed…I loved it

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Abrams and Lindelof attached to Dark Tower film/TV adaptation.

Chuck — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 13:00:01 +0000

So I was digging around and came up with this incredibly tasty morsel:

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/09/02/damon-lindelof-updates-the-dark-tower/

Essentially, King sold the rights for The Dark Tower series to JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof for $19. Yep, that’s right nineteen bucks. Damon expresses that this will probably happen after LOST wraps. It’s an exciting proposition. I think Abrams and Lindelof can do a good job. Roland’s story is such a complex tale and I think if anyone can do it, these guys can.

I am currently reading the last book book now (I took a break to read Watchmen). I’ve been a fan of this group of stories since the came out and I for one, am very excited about this development. I’ll continue to dig up some info and post any developments.

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Because Burn Before Reading would be too difficult.

jason — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:12:31 +0000

Clooney, Pitt, Swinton, Malkovich and McDormand in a film by the Coen brothers.

Obviously, this should interest you.

I’ve been following this one for some time now, and I was definitely not disappointed. Burn After Reading is easily one of the most entertaining movies I have seen this year. To prepare mix: 3 parts funny, 2 parts bizarre, a splash of violence… sprinkling on a few sex toys for good measure.

The entire cast give fantastic performances that should not be missed. Clooney the neurotic womanizer, Pitt the personal training dumbass, Malkovich the asshole, Swinton the cold bitch and McDormand the ditzy self desctructing center of it all. What I admire most is the stretch of some of these characters, except perhaps Tilda Swinton playing the exact same role she played in Michael Clayton. She still did a great job, and it was what the role called for but I’m hoping she doesn’t end up type cast for future gigs.

As I said, everyone was great. I would have to single out a non headliner in the form of J.K. Simmons (aka Juno’s dad or J Jonah Jameson). He nails some of the best lines in the film as a detached, unflinching CIA director. His only concern being that the entire case/situation simply just go away. It’s just about worth the price of admission for him alone.

The Coen brothers, after No Country for Old Men have returned back to the offbeat, seedy characters that made Fargo, O Brother, Lebowski and Raising Arizona such entertaining films. I’m not sure that this one will win an Oscar like No Country (only because the academy is filled with a closed mindedness to anything that can be percieved as ‘main stream), but I am sure it’s far more enjoyable.

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Thunderous Laughter and a tropically good time.

Chuck — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:13:51 +0000

“I got an extra ticket to Tropic Thunder tonight”

And that was all I needed. This last week has been busy as hell, so a move this weekend was not on the agenda, but when fortune reigns down the funny, you best pick it up.

Tropic Thunder had me crying with laughter from the first frame. Seriously, the first frame. The movie kicks right into Stiller’s outrageous brand of comedy right from the get-go. Typically, I’m very lukewarm on Stiller (Starsky, good; Fokkers, bad). His movies are funny, his comedy is funny, but a lot of times he just pushes it too far for me (mostly in the jump-the-shark category). Plus his mugging and overacting sometimes get a bit too much.

But in this movie, he keeps it reigned in, except for a few spots which actually make sense for his character. The entire film (within a film) is satirizing Hollywood, stars, and producers but does it in such a way that outsiders can appreciate it. Robert Downey Jr. is self deprecating throughout the film with his oscar-winning Kirk Lazarus (whose name is more telling than you think). His performance is amazing and I hope the academy recognizes this (although the fact that this performance is in a comedy…probably not) since for most of the movie, you can’t even recognize Downey Jr. at all, Just Kirk Lazarus. Just watch for Lazarus’s awakening moment, it’s quite impressive.

Jack Black reigns it in as well and plays it pretty tight (for Black). His “Fatties” movie pokes obvious fun at Eddie Murphy (or is it homage?) but the character has an interesting turn about halfway through the movie. Also, watch for the other over-the-top-Stiller-dialogue with Black’s character later in the movie. Don’t worry, you’ll know it when you see/hear it.

Cameos abound and Tugg’s agent is excellent (I’ll refrain from telling you who it is, just see the movie) and surprisingly is one of the only sane characters in the entire film. And while Tom Cruise’s lecherous Les Grossman (whose name is AS telling as you think) is certainly a prick, Cruise plays him loose and with abandon I haven’t seen since Magnolia. I’ve always been a fan of Cruise (I could care less about his private life and religious affiliations) and this role shows that he’s not afraid to take a risk in an attempt to break the “Cruise-mold” – shaved knuckles, sweaty armpits and all. Bottom line: his movies are entertaining and he’s a great actor.

Speaking of sane (and believe it or not, the Hero – at least that’s what I think) Jay Baruchel, typically an Apatow side player, makes a great performance as the only truly combat-ready dude in the outfit. His geeky Kevin Sandusky kicks surprising ass and holds his own with this veteran crew.

From the first frame Brandon T. Jackson’s Alpa Chino sets the stage for what to expect from this movie but quickly turns it on it’s ear. His retorts of Downey Jr’s “blackification” are some of the funniest stuff in the film. I was crying (literally crying) at one point (“For 400 hundreds…”). Watch out for Jackson, you’re gonna see a lot of this kid.

Oh and Danny McBride’s overzealous pyrotechnician is awesome. This guy is going to be the next up-and-comer, just watch (that’s two – Stiller’s got a good eye)

Overall, the look and production value of the movie bely it’s satirical comedy and present a serious war movie. The action and effects are top-notch, it feels like a big Hollywood flick as it’s supposed to- and I like it. The 70′s soundtrack (and direct scene homages) give you the feel of Platoon, Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket – you name it, it’s in there.

So, leave the kids at home, grab some Milk Duds and see this in the theater, THEN go buy the DVD because the extras are gonna kick ass – oh they’ll kick ass.

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New Wolverine trailer at Comic Con

Chuck — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:03:01 +0000

Holy Crap! How would you like a look at the new Wolverine trailer from Comic Con? Keep an eye out for Gambit and Deadpool, BTW.

And seriously? Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool? Jason’s gonna have a ball with me on this one!

And how much weight did Liev Schreiber put on? Holy shit, he looks like he ATE the brick shithouse! That’s commitment.

Oh, and Kevin Durand is playing Blob – our 2nd favorite badass Keamy from LOST (First being Ben Linus, of course)!

I’m officially psyched for this flick.

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Why…So…Serious?!

Brett — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:44:11 +0000

This might be the most difficult review/commentary I’ve had to write in my time as an iconogeek poster. The Dark Knight was cast into movie history on early Friday morning, amid hype bigger then Jack Nicholson’s shit-eating grin way back in 1989. I’ll admit that I had enormous expectations for this flick for several reasons, including the immense Batman Begins, my love for all things Batman (minus a little misstep known dearly as “the nipple suit”), Christian Bale, and oh by the way, Heath Ledger tragically and unexpectedly passed away right after his filming and post-production. Needless to say there was a minute amount of mystique and anticipation surrounding TDK.

Now that the weekend is over, Bale and Co. have broken the records for Midnight Opening Gross (over Revenge of the Sith), Opening Day and Weekend Gross (over Spider-Man 3). So the fans liked it….which, is a good thing, I think.

As far as what I thought about the movie is difficult to describe. In recent weeks I suppose I’ve been labeled as a rather stringent critic, which I have no problem with. Maybe you’ll hear more of my side on the next podcast. But to discuss how I would score The Dark Knight feels near impossible. Entertainment Weekly touted the flick by saying “This is what you call raising the bar.” In a way I both agree and disagree with that statement. The bar for comic book movies was certainly raised in a sense, but I feel more inclined to describe the bar as being broken down into little pieces and upgraded to a newer, shinier, nipple-less bar.

The Dark Knight is less a comic book movie and more an investigation into the human condition and the emotions shrouded behind a bad-ass bat suit, and psychotically applied white make-up. This summer has now seen three phenomenal comic book-based films in which the first 2 started the trend and the 3rd and most spectacular broke the mold. It seems that The Dark Knight has ushered in the era of Oscar-buzz worthy chatter amongst previously lighter fare.

It took me 2 days to finally post because the movie had so many story arcs that it took that long for me to process. That’s not to say that there were too many plot lines, its just an observation that no comic book movie has ever bitten off more than its ADHD riddled fanboys can chew at once (hence all the sequels). Where Batman Begins revitalized a tired franchise, The Dark Knight revitalized a tiring genre.

It’s an understatement to say Heath Ledger was superb as the Joker. Once the final credits rolled, and the Joker had already exited stage left, it was apparent that all the other players including a solid Bale, Aaron Eckhardt, Maggie Gyllenhall, and Gary Oldman among others, were simply a big name supporting cast to true work of acting genius. Ledger clearly had a vision in mind of what the Joker is and why he is that way. If for nothing else, this movie soared because of what Ledger added to it. Jack Nicholson…stick to Boston-based mob movies…because you just got out played.

The two scenes that stood out most were when Ledger and Bale are face to face in rather quiet and alone situations. I started to forget that the Joker was wearing ridiculous face paint and began to see him as a deranged criminal, with an ominous past, which I couldn’t even imagine, that would set him off the straight and narrow so far. He became a psychotic murderer the likes of which hasn’t been seen on the big screen since the aforementioned Nicholson in the Shining.

I’m going to use the old >I

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Watchmen: The Trailer

Cesar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:54:22 +0000

Wow. That’s all I can say, probably one of THE very best graphic novels I’ve had the chance to read. The film is being directed by Mr. 300, Zack Snyder. Hopefully he will be faithful to the graphic novel and bring it to life on the big screen.

You still reading this nonsense? Click on the link already! Nuf’ said!

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He is the man.

Chuck — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:32:03 +0000

Yep, James McAvoy is totally the man. And for that matter so is Timur Bekmambetov. Jesus Christmas, I just saw Wanted and I gotta say it kicked much ass. I had very high hopes for this movie and I was not disappointed. I have to admit, I wasn’t quite sure McAvoy could pull it off. He plays great doe-eyed innocence, but action hero? Well, let me just say, he f’n pulls it off, and pulls it off big.

The premise works and I dug it – a millenia-old order of assassins working to keep fate on track (this does deviate a bit from the comic’s plot – but they did a great job in adapting it to the screen). I was able to accept the mystical aspect of it (which they leave largely unexplained) and just completely immerse myself in this film. It handled exposition rather well, with a cheeky VO á la Blade Runner and got into the action at just the right moment. The pacing felt great, the acting was spot on and the effects were tight. Bekmambetov takes John Geata’s bullet time and pushes it even further.

The action is crazy-over-the-top with amazing chase sequences that tip their hats to Point Break, The French Connection, and the Matrix. In addition, you’ll see tons of little in-jokes like a VERY Han-in-Carbonite scene about half-way through the flick. I think my favorite was the appearance of Konstantin Khabensky as one of the Fraternity members.

Angelina Jolie is, of-course, awesome, any time you need a beautiful ass-kicking chick with a heart, she’s your go-to-girl. And Common even makes a great turn as the “Gunsmith”. And if your life won’t be complete until you hear Morgan Freeman say “Shoot this mother-fucker” well then…you’ve come to the right movie. I always like when he is in these mentoring style roles, even though this is nowhere near the gravitas of Se7en, he pulls them off really well. Terence Stamp makes an appearance as well and he plays it straight, not over-the-top (and I always love when General Zod shows up)

Ya know, I think Bekmambetov may have some father issues now that I think about it – lots of father figures in this flick, but I think that’s a topic for the podcast. Before I go, I gotta drop an >i< score of a 9 on this one. Action, humor, in-jokes, fun – it’s got it all – and coupled with great direction, effects AND sound. Go see it, you won’t be left wanting…except for a sequel.

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To the World: You were right, I was wrong.

jason — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:33:33 +0000

I’ve taken a lot of flack over the years for being the one person on earth that enjoyed Ang Lee’s Hulk. I could never understand what the problem was. He was a comic book character and for me the movie was fun to watch. I like Eric Bana. I really like Jennifer Connelly. He rips a tank apart! Whatever, judge me if you like.. I enjoyed it.

However.

I saw the new Hulk this weekend, and I guess you were all right… Ang Lee’s Hulk is just an ugly bastard of a movie in comparison. This is what a Hulk movie should be. Ridiculous over the top tense and exciting action sequences, enjoyable characters (good interplay between Norton and Tyler, although Jennifer Connelly was much more ‘appealing’), fantastic superpowers, great CGI and most importantly a ton of fun. This movie will get an assload of play on my home theater when it comes to DVD.

The CGI had a few moments of ‘eh’ .. you know where you look at it, and something seems off but you can’t quite put your finger on it. Overall though it was top notch. The integration of live action and 3d was especially noteworthy, which is where most movies have issues. This is where the Hulk excels, pitting his massive frame against normal sized individuals had an awesome impact.

Definitely go check this one out. It’s a 10 in my book.. not an Iron Man 10, but a 10 nonetheless.

P.S. No need to stay past the end credits this time… they throw you the bone right before it ends.

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What’s (the) Happening? Not much :(

jason — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:56:30 +0000

M. Night Shyamalan’s summer flick ‘The Happening’ came out this past weekend. If you’ve been keeping track with us over here (slackers I know) we discussed this movie a few weeks back and the scare the pants off you red band trailer that was on line.

I had high hopes for this. I like M.N.S. and most of his movies. I like the approach and the feel. I liked that this seemed to be going edgier, with his first R rated production. The first trailer had me intrigued, the red band trailer had me sold. I bought my ticket, alongside enough others for it to rake in a very respectable $35 million or so on its opening weekend.

Here’s the big twist with this one. How did a trailer with so much awesome result in a movie with so much suck? I could go into a myriad of reasons why this movie failed to deliver, and I am pretty much the most forgiving movie critic in the world. I like just about every movie I see ( except Diary of the Dead, my new favorite ‘most horrible movie ever’) and even I had trouble finding redeeming qualities with this movie. It did have a good sense of dread, had some decent creepiness… but when/if you see it, your response will probably be something like this.

“Seriously??!?”

{internal dialogue}
Something else must be coming…

“Really?!!!???”

“Oh C’mon!”

End Credits

Save your money, thank me later.

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JB is the KFP

Brett — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:33:53 +0000

I have to say I’m more of a Pixar guy rather then Dreamworks, blame my inherent bias toward all Steve Jobs’ endeavors. However, Dreamworks’ recent addition to the animated motion picture universe was phenomenal. I was a little skeptical at first because Jack Black has been in some clunkers of late, but this flick was awesome.

I really began to care about Po, the lazy, sweet toothed DragonMaster-elect, and Dustin Hoffman was superb as Master Shifu. With voice-over appearances from Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan, and a rather disappointing Angelina Jolie, what’s not to love. By the end of the movie, I was elated at Po’s successes.

Note: Don’t think I didn’t notice the Kill Bill reference with the 5 point palm exploding heart technique…(well it was a kid’s movie so maybe they’re hearts didn’t “explode” persay.)

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JOOONEEESSS!!!

jason — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:57:29 +0000

So we took in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull this weekend, with I admit some apprehension because of some mixed reviews coming out. It’s a good thing I don’t listen to critics because I thought it was great. Great story, strong performances, familiar faces and just some good old fashioned fun.

A lot of people have been coming down on the story, and I think this is where I am going to differ the most. The film definitely has a sci-fi bend to it and for me that works great. I think because the first films delved heavily into theology in one form or another, people were expecting the same. They all deal with some sort of mysticism, the new film included. The mysticism simply has its roots in different areas.

Harrison Ford and Karen Allen held up pretty well. They both look like they have aged 20 years, but they are still watchable and attractive people that fit comfortably into their roles. Shia Lebeouf also gave a great performance once again, he’s shaping into a great actor.

If you enjoyed the first three Indy flicks you should not leave the theater disappointed in any way.

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Bring the Thunder

jason — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:58:21 +0000

A new red-band trailer for Tropic Thunder is online and it looks absolutely over the top. Robert Downey Jr. looks to be hitting big again, and some early screenings have met with extremely positive reviews.

Alas we will have to wait for August, but I think that’s a good thing. Usually we only get crap towards the end of the summer movie season, maybe this year will be different.

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No Speed Racer, No!

jason — Mon, 12 May 2008 06:11:49 +0000

Did you see Speed Racer this weekend? No??? Don’t feel bad, neither did anyone else apparently. Speed Racer has officially bombed at the US box office.

At an estimated 200 million dollar cost and an opening weekend take of only 20 million, it’s doubtful we’ll be seeing any sequels. Apparently it was expected to do at least double that this weekend as it failed to knock Iron Man out of the number 1 spot.

Hopefully this picture of Christina Ricci looking hot will cheer you up. Or at the very least you can admire her hair and dress.

If you saw it and you still have your vision, please post to let us know what you thought.

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Why can’t this be real?!

jason — Fri, 02 May 2008 05:36:10 +0000

When are we going to get to the point in technology where we can have these robotic super soldiers? Seriously, when you see this movie you’ll want one for yourself. Go see Iron Man tonight.

Rocks.

Hard.

It’s very hard for a superhero movie to sustain the interest of moviegoers when the hero isn’t doing their thing. You spend a lot of the downtime waiting for them to get suited back up. Such is not the case here as the story of Tony Stark is as compelling as the incredible action sequences. Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark… he doesn’t play him, he is him. It’s a shame that people don’t get recognized for performances this good just because the subject matter isn’t the usual ‘Academy’ fare. This movie will seriously get you excited for the hopeful future of this franchise… I saw the movie an hour ago and I already can’t wait for the sequel.

The summer blockbuster season has started off with a giant bang.

** stay past the end credits

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That’s not what MINE looks like?!?!?!

Brett — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:41:48 +0000

I recently saw the latest entry into ApaTOWN(copyright) and went into it with relatively high expectations. I’ve enjoyed Jason Segal in all his incarnations including Freaks & Geeks, How I Met Your Mother, and even Knocked Up. Needless to say, I expected to be wowed by some wild and crazy take on the standard rom-com. I was sorely disappointed. There were 2 or 3 specific points in the movie where I was waiting for them to turn a corner, but director Nicholas Stoller sent me down the same old, cheesy path.

The movie wasn’t completely bogus. The afformentioned Segal was stellar and Mila Kunis played a decent love interest. However it did become a bit of a sausage fest (and I don’t mean it was like my Friday and Saturday nights in college). If you haven’t heard, Segal shows his wiener…multiple times. As I am in the last week of medical school, it’s not like I haven’t had my fair share of penises to inspect, but it kept appearing in the movie like a recurring theme in a Shakespearan play.

Anyway, the true low point for me was Kristen Bell. Just because she’s a pretty face doesn’t mean she has chops. Her character felt very constrained and her emotions were nearly non-existent.Despite this low point I’ll probably netflix it in a few months to remember the hilarious opera that Segal’s character composes that I won’t ruin for you.Note* Jason Segal based the break-up scene and the opera on his real life experiences.

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So it begins…

jason — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:23:00 +0000

*special thanks to my lovely wife Crystal for tipping me off on this one.

Some may argue that I’m a week early, and that perhaps Harold and Kumar do not represent the summer blockbuster ‘mold’.

Screw ‘em.

Harold and Kumar will be fantastic for anyone that loved the first, simple as that. Next week however is Ironman, followed by Speedracer, then Indy, Batman, Hancock, Hulk, Wanted and the list goes on…

I say bring them on, its going to be one hell of a summer.

FirstShowing.net had this incredible Dark Knight poster that I had to share.

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DVD Tuesday (Happy Anniversary to us!)

jason — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:44:46 +0000

Anniversary you say? Surely this site has not been around for a year already has it? Well… no. It most definitely has not.

But that’s old school convention, and I say screw it. It is our Anniversary today because the first movie we discussed on iconogeek when it was in the theater comes out on DVD today. We have made it a full theater to home release cycle, and that my friends is something to proud of.

Alright maybe it is not that big of a deal, but seriously give me a break. It’s only Tuesday and this week feels like its 2 months long already, so let me have my little delusions.

Cloverfield -The much hyped, motion sickness inducing, nail biting, hair raising mystery dated flick that re-invigorated the monster movie genre. Even with all of the anticipation leading up to this movie, it still managed to deliver. Buy this DVD. We need more movies willing to take chances… and I don’t mean like indy-movie chances where you discuss the inner spirit or some crap like that… I mean I want more balls-out monster movies. If they make a sequel and it has bare breasts in it, I can safely say now that it will be the last movie I will ever need to see.

The Orphanage – Guillermo Del Toro produces this extremely creepy looking movie with kids talking to ghosts and random nightmare concoctions of that sort. I’ll be picking this one up this week and I’ll let you know how I feel… from what I’ve heard though I may be hiding under my bed for a week, terrified.

So, it may be awhile.

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You did what with my car?

Chuck — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:46:54 +0000

The latest Bond movie hit a bit of a snag when Bond’s Aston Martin ended up in a lake as it was being delivered to the set in Rome, Italy.

I Want to Believe

jason — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:56:04 +0000

That title is not just a common theme from the show, but it is also the subtitle of the new X-files movie coming out July 25th. From reading this article we find out that this was the title Chris Carter had wanted from the beginning, so I’m happy to see that execs let him have his way.

I used this image so all of the fans out there can go ahead and Photoshop their own heads in place of Duchovny’s.

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Ghost in the Shell comes to life.

jason — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:56:53 +0000

Dreamworks has acquired the rights to make the Ghost in the Shell property into a 3d live action film. Apparently Spielberg is a big fan and threw his weight behind it in order to make it happen.

Avi Arad, the producer for a ton of the latest comic book movies ( all of the Spiderman, X-men, Fantastic Four films in addition to the upcoming Iron Man and Hulk flics) is already attached to the project so it sounds like it has a great shot of being something special.

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DVD Tuesday (Directed by Uwe Boll)

jason — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:25:22 +0000

Well maybe it’s unfair to plague these other two releases with the ‘Boll’ moniker. However, it has been proven* that just being released to DVD the same week as an Uwe Boll movie is detrimental to video sales.

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale – Please… someone stop him. Uwe Boll strikes again, forever dooming video game based movies to a reputation of crap. Luckily for us this 80 million dollar craptastrophe did only 3 million on the opening weekend and only 10 million or so world wide. Apparently he admitted disappointment and is saying he will stick to smaller films in the future. We can only hope. Look at the cast in this thing! How did these good people get wrapped into such a mess?

On another note he also made the ‘Postal’ movie that is to be released in May… hopefully that will be the final nail in the coffin. Also in the currently in development Postal 3 video game you will have the opportunity to kill Uwe Boll. If that’s not a selling point, I don’t know what is.

Juno – J Jonah Jameson’s daughter Kitty Pryde gets knocked up by George Michael. Michael Bluth and Sydney Bristow try to adopt the baby. If you get all of these references, you’re on the right site.

Alien vs Predator: Requiem -Aliens, Predators, Aliedators, Predaliens… apparently it’s a Christmas story.

*Proof not applicable where you live. May just be a gut feeling.

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DVD Wednesday!!??

jason — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:05:24 +0000

In a surprise move this week the DVD industry moved new releases to Wednesday. David Van Davidson had this to say “All of you DVD ‘fans’ who’ve been converting over to Blu-ray are ungrateful assholes. We’re moving this week’s releases to Wednesday to remind you sons of bitches that we hold the cards and to stop taking us for granted.”

I swear this is the truth and it has nothing to do with me slacking off and not posting these yesterday.

Walk Hard – Judd Apatow’s re-imagining of the Johnny Cash story. Hopefully more interesting and entertaining than the trailers I’ve seen. Maybe he’ll do the ‘shake and bake’ thing.. at least that will be good for a laugh.

There Will be Blood – One of the big contenders for pretty much every award this year. I’m sure its a great story, great acting, etc. etc… but will it be better than Doomsday?!

Lions for Lambs – Tom Cruise takes a break from speaking to aliens to bring us this story about forbidden love that will either fully unite or entirely sever the animal kingdom once and for all. At least that’s what I want it to be about… I got to the part that said starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep and I fell asleep. When I woke up the animal kingdom thing was what I remembered from my dream.

My take.. Netflix the first two and maybe the last one if you’re desperate… even the ‘real’ critics didn’t think highly of LfL.

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Get your stinkin’ paws off my tombstone you damn dirty apes!

Chuck — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:41:42 +0000

iconogeek bids a fond farewell to Charlton Heston, who died at 84 from alzheimer’s disease. Read more about the man and his career.

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DVD Tuesday..2+2=3

jason — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:34:17 +0000

Of the 3 posted above, 2 of these movies feature cutting (throats, edges) and 2 feature blowing* (hard, long). This is like that whole thing from geometry class where a square is always a rectangle but a rectangle is not always a square. In this case we’re talking about the relationship of things being cut, and things being total piles of suck.

Sweeney Todd - If you like Johnny Depp, meat pie, blood and singing then this is the movie you’ve been waiting for. I’m not sure why, but I really enjoyed this movie, very twisted and macabre…oh, never mind.

Alvin and the end of Jason Lee’s movie career - After this and Underdog in the same year I just cannot fathom what the extremely talented Jason Lee is thinking about when he gets involved with this crap. Oh, the non stop hookers and blow he can afford from the giant movie star paychecks… never mind again.

Cutting Edge 3! - Chuck called me last night and insisted I include this movie today. Who ever though we needed not just one ‘Cutting Edge’ but three needs to be brought to justice and face charges of ‘crimes against humanity’. I suggest they be executed by guillotine for a sense of irony.

*not in any good way you could imagine.

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Ultimate Fanboy Rage (UFR)

Brett — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 15:17:20 +0000

In possibly the most annoying geek news ever, Sir Ian McKellen (who arguably has played two of the coolest roles in all of film) has stated that he hopes to reprise his role as Gandalf in “The Hobbit.”

Being that McKellen played the enigmatous wizard in all three episodes of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, it would only seem fit that he be cast for the prequel. We have all seen what happens when movie studios attempt to recast an iconic role (read as: Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore). New Line had better get off their high horse and give Peter Jackson what he wants, or there are going to be a lot of angry geeks out there.

In all fairness, using Pan’s Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro to helm this flick is a huge step in the right direction. However, why start something huge if you’re not going to go the distance?

*Note: I’m aware that Michael Gambon was cast as Dumbledore only due to the unfortunate death of Richard Harris…but come on…CGI is so far advanced nowadays. Anyone could be better than Gambon.

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New X-Files details emerging.

jason — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:16:22 +0000

Chris Carter and other members involved in the production of the new X-files movie announced some details about the upcoming film. Apparently the movie will not involve the main X-files story about alien abduction/etc but will take place in modern day and will take into account the established lineage of the show. Meaning that the shows events will be relevant to where Mulder and Scully are at this point and time.

Although the film is coming out this July 25th, Carter and Fox Television have not yet come to an agreement on what the title should be. Personally I propose one of the following:

The X-Files: Pretend like seasons 7 and 8 never happened
The X-McflyFiles: Fight Back to the Future
The XXX-Files: Gillian X-posed

I know which one I’m hoping for.

New bootleg trailer here.

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DVD Tuesday… wait… just one?!

jason — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:45:33 +0000

So this week is pretty damn anemic. As long as I can remember I have been checking IMDB to see the latest DVD releases and never have I seen such a light Tuesday. Usually the page is populated with re-releases, director’s cuts, box sets and a few dozen things you could not possibly imagine people wanting to own. As far as I am concerned this week has The Mist. The Best of the Price is Right?! WWE Triple H: King of Kings?! Magic:Fantasy Bellydance?! (ok, maybe that last one would be worth fast forwarding through)

The Mist – Adaptation of a Stephen King story that:

A. Doesn’t suck (the Stand)
B. Is less than 20 years old ( Carrie, Cujo, Firestarter, Maximum Overdrive, Christine)
C. Actually fucks with your head the way a good Stephen King story should

Some of the Iconogeeks had seen this when it was out in the theaters and we all found it to be tense and exciting. One of those movies that you walk out of and feel like you got the crap beaten out of you (in a good way).

Edit: Just read about the DVD 2 disc edition. Apparently it includes a black and white version of the film that many people are saying is even more unsettling than the theatrically released version. I’d have to say that sounds pretty damn cool.

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DVD Tuesday (includes previously unseen footage)

jason — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:25:29 +0000

I am Legend -Will Smith fights off hordes of things that used to be human. Includes a new cut of the movie that a lot of people are saying pulls the movie together better. I saw this one in the theater and enjoyed it, albeit it was a bit of a downer at times.

Southland Tales – Richard Kelly of Donnie Darko fame follows up with something that is all together confusing. I saw this in the theater about 5 months ago and I still have yet to decide if I loved it or hated it.. thought it was art or crap. I guess the fact that I still think about it says something. I’ll probably buy it in hopes of figuring something out… if you have any conclusions after seeing it, please let me know so I don’t go insane.

Revolver -Guy Ritchie (check) Jason Statham (check) Ray Liotta (check) Sounds good so far eh? Made in 2005? Uh-oh. Apparently it had some trouble getting released and when it was finally in theaters a few months ago it was quickly in and out of only a handful. Need to check it out for the aforementioned reasons, I’ll let you know where it lands on my scale*.

* I have determined that my own personal scale differs than the normal, some would say ‘sane’ individual.

Normal Scale:

1star=poor
2stars=fair
3stars=good
4stars=excellent

My Scale:

1star=excellent
2stars=exceptional
3stars=mind numbingly incredible
4stars=Magical Unicorn Starship Avalanche

(I have yet to see a 4 star movie.)

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Doomsday is a better movie than No Country for Old Men.

jason — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:40:55 +0000

Go ahead flame away. When your done ranting continue on and read my explanation.

First off, I love movies dearly. To me what makes a movie better than another is entirely subjective. What brings me satisfaction may be entirely different than what works for you.

I thought NCFOM was an excellent movie. I think it deserves its exceptional reviews and awards. I also agree with all of the people that said Doomsday was an over the top gorefest with a scattered story. I have the ability to check reality at the door when I sit down to watch a movie and Doomsday requires that. If you can manage that much and you can get into the excessive nature of it, you’ll enjoy it too.

The characters in NCFOM were rich and nuanced. Doomsday… not so much. The story in NCFOM was filled with suspense and drama. Doomsday… maybe a little? The script in NCFOM was exceptional. Doomsday… c’mon, seriously.

So why in the name of all that is holy would I say that Doomsday is the better movie? For me the Holy Grail is always entertainment. I saw two movies this weekend, one being Doomsday and the other No Country for Old Men. I simply was more entertained by Doomsday. When I sit down to watch a movie I want to be taken to another place. I am much more interested in seeing an apocalyptic outbreak and post apocalyptic society gone awry than watching an aging man lament about how the world has moved on. You can keep your well developed story and characters and give me Rhona Mitra** in black spandex chopping off the heads of Mad Max rejects.

I guess this boils down to the age old situation in Hollywood. Is it a ‘film’ or is it a ‘movie’. NCFOM is clearly the better ‘film’ but Doomsday is the ‘movie’ I would rather watch.

** As of late we have seen a lot of female protagonists heading up action movies. Milla Jovovich, Angelina Jolie, Kate Beckinsale, etc… but after seeing Doomsday I’m hoping to see Rhona Mitra leading the way. She was not just the requisite eye candy, but actually gave a sense of real strength to her role. She’s in awesome condition conjuring Linda Hamilton in her Terminator 2 days. When this woman hits some thundering lug, you believe it will hurt. This is in stark contrast to the too lady-like and dainty approach of many other actresses. She’s tough and fit enough to make it believable, yet still remains feminine and sexy even when battered, bruised and dirty.

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9:56 pm EST and all kicks ass (Thanks Hulk)

Chuck — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 02:16:21 +0000

Holy crap. Just finished watching the trailer for the new Hulk movie and I’m gabberflasted. This movie looks like it could chew fire and shit out cool. And is Tim Roth the Abomination? DAMN. This cast rocks, the CGI rocks, this movie is going to rock.

BTW, True Believers, take a look at this Dale Keown Hulk, huh? huh? That’s what I’M talkin’ ’bout.

Goddamn this flick is gonna be good. I love this new trend of getting seriously good actors in comic book themed flicks, keep ‘em comin’

Nuff Said

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SMASH! (bonus:301)

jason — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:33:29 +0000

Finally we’re seeing some marketing for the new Hulk movie. This is a “trailer-teaser” a preview of the actual trailer… yeah kind of weird but whatever. The full trailer can be seen tonight on MTV at 9:56pm. I was one of the few people that actually enjoyed the last Hulk movie, but I am also really looking forward to this one. Edward Norton is an incredible actor, and anything that involves good CGI and superheros is a win for me.

Also… could be some big news, or some big rumors. Mark Canton discusses the possibility of a new 300 movie. The wife and I were just talking about this the other day after seeing King Leonidas on a movie poster for some crappy looking kids movie. I know he’s got to pay the bills… but he set the bar pretty high for himself and to see him cheesing it up with Jodie Foster, some kid and a seal is somewhat disappointing.

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Fail. (me, not the movie)

jason — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:22:07 +0000

I was such a big fan of the first Appleseed and it totally slipped my mind until just now that the sequel came out today. I have failed myself, my family, my friends… excuses, I have many, an acceptable one…I have not.

The 3d and design alone of the original and the trailer for the sequel are akin to coming home to find Scarlett Johanssen and Jessica Biel making out on your bed. (if that doesn’t appeal to you head to your doctor, you may not be human.)

If you have not seen the original, go get it and it’s sequel… if you like animation, 3d, action, adventure, whatever… you’ll love it(them).

IGN has a stellar review of the new one here.

Trailer:

Forgive me.

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WWNPHD

Cesar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:52:47 +0000

I can’t wait to see this movie, I loved the first one for numerous reasons….

But NPH made it that much better. He’s also pretty funny in How I Met Your Mother.

Red-band trailer here.

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DVD Tuesday…it’s a good one.

jason — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:21:23 +0000

No Country for Old Men – According to the Academy this is the best picture of the year. I love the Coen Brothers (yes, in that way) so I’m really looking forward to picking this one up.

Hitman - Timothy the Elephant (sp?) plays Agent 47 in a movie based on a video game series. Not directed by Uwe Boll, so it actually has a chance of being something other than insta-crap™.

Bee Movie – Jerry Seinfield ! CGI from the makers of Shrek! It’s got Bees! … wait.. what? Pass.

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DVD Tuesduuggghhhhh…

jason — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:14:57 +0000

So I think it’s pretty well known that I like just about every movie I see. I think that’s a direct effect of me just ignoring things that don’t jump out and grab me. I’ve decided that with this weeks 3 DVD releases that I have no interest in, to rewrite the synopsis for each in a way that makes me want to watch them.

Into the Wild – This is a story about our friend Ben and how he sold his belongings to go live on a boat. It delves deeply into the mind of a madman. Penguins get involved in some way. It’s a horror flic.

Things We Lost in the Fire- Catwoman, Frankie Four-Fingers and Fox Mulder are part of an elite arson squad in inner city Detroit. They discover buried treasure and a magic lamp that grants wishes.

Awake- Darth Vader has a dream about Jessica Alba. Basically it’s just him crying and screaming NOOOOO! for 90 minutes after he wakes up to find it didn’t really happen.

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A Quick Review

Brett — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 01:30:40 +0000

I recently watched this installment to the Wes Anderson filmography and am providing a link to a full review by a much better writer then I ever will be.

Overall, this was a fantastic film. Anderson recieves a great deal of criticism for his lack of originality regarding plot content. Specifically, every movie involves some sort of broken family unit, but if works, I say roll with it (can I get an AMEN?!). The acting was top-notch, especially from new comer (to an Anderson flick) Adrien Brody. The three lead roles (Brody, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman) played quite harmoniously off each other, as well as with the always fantastic Angelica Houston.

As far as cinematography, this film provides some of Anderson’s typical camera work, but adds a bit of grandeur as the viewer is taken for quite a magestic ride over the gorgeous landscapes of India.

I’ll leave the plot for you to decipher for yourself, but I suggest you watch the short film Hotel Chevalier prior, which includes the stunning Natale Portman. If you bought the DVD it will give you the option to view the short prior to the full film. Interestingly, Anderson dubs this mini saga, The Darjeeling Limited: Part 1.

Imdb.com has a rating of 7.7 for this film. I’d go with the full 8/10 stars. So get your hands on this flick, and you won’t be dissappointed. Unless of course you don’t like cool stuff.

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Put the blaster down, and step AWAY from the TaunTaun.

Brett — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 23:39:12 +0000

For all you Star Wars aficionados who found the “Troops” videos as funny as I did. Here’s a blast from the past.

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New Ironman Trailer… Damn this looks good.

jason — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:24:45 +0000

New Ironman trailer floating out there and I have to say it looks incredible. It looks like Ironman could potentially be up there with the big boys after all.

From a pure marketing standpoint, this movie is already kicking all sorts of ass.

Watch and drool.

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