There's something epic about a red-band trailer. All of the profanity, innuendo and general buffoonery only seen in the movie can be squeezed into a 2-minute snapshot of hilarity... And I love it. Another thing, or rather things, or rather people I love are Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari and Danny McBride. Not only are they all good actors, but they piss comedy in their sleep all over the place. '30 Minutes or Less' brings the three together in a slapstick adaptation of the not-so-funny collar bomb robbery of 2003. The plot centers around a pizza delivery man who gets coerced into robbing a bank by kidnappers, who fasten a bomb to him. If he takes the bomb off, it explodes and... well you get the picture. Jokes ensue. Ansari and Eisenberg play the protagonists and McBride is the dimwitted criminal. Yeah, they're character actors, but they do it well. Check the trailer, which is definitely NSFW (not that it would matter... It's Saturday) and tip your pizza delivery man. Word.
Ever wonder what it takes to really fund something? Ever find yourself debating how certain entities get their voices heard while others seem to fade off into a sea of obscurity? Ever think about why marketing, PR and advertising have become the go-to professions in almost every industry? Well, this is the movie for you. Morgan Spurlock, AKA Young Big Mac AKA 'I'm Sh*tting Out McDoo-Doo', otherwise known as the director and creator of the documentary Super Size Me is embarking on yet another journey of film-making genius in his new movie The Greatest Story Ever Sold. The work is, simply put, a movie about advertising, funded by advertising. *recovers from mind-blowing*
Sponsored by POM, Spurlock seeks to find other avenues with which to fund his movie, all the while pointing out the fallacies, half-truths and cutthroat techniques that advertisers use to get into your pants pockets. Spurlock essentially punks the media, showing how ever-so-minute product placement is creeping its way into everything, including his movie. It's almost like Inception, cranked up on consumerism. The documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and is set to hit theatres soon. Check the trailer, and keep your eyes open for more advertising overload...
Ohhhhh Davey... This summer's looking like another doozy for superhero movies. With the Spiderman franchise reeling from a lackluster third movie and a failed musical, and Iron Man 3 not seeing the light of day for a while, the Marvel universe needed a new superhero movie to blow open the box offices again. Speaking of Iron Man, at the end of the first one, we were introduced to the 'Avengers', a group of superheroes that fights "the foes no single superhero can withstand." This summer we get a look at the first Avenger, Captain America, played by Chris Evans (wasn't he the Human Torch, though). From the trailer, it looks like the dialogue is going to be very well-written and the action well-placed. Set during World War II, I'm interested to see how they tie in the rest of the Avengers, considering the Avengers movie coming out in 2012. Additionally, the Red Skull arc needs to be done well, given the flop of a Captain America movie from the early 90s. All in all, it looks promising. Hopefully, they don't kill the genre for good...
Prequels always make me nervous. Not because I'm afraid the directors will fudge up the story, because they always do. Not because I don't like having to rewind my cinematic memory of the story, because that's half of the fun. Prequels suck because you have to try and envision the characters at a different state of mind, something that the casual movie fan doesn't actually think about. The prequel in the X-Men movie series, 'First Class' shows how Professor X and Magneto went from best friends to sworn enemies based on their reaction to the world's stance on mutants during the Cold War. I'm really excited to see how each character develops, especially as a young adult, and to see who else is in the movie. From the trailer, you can see Mystique, Beast and maybe Nightcrawler (I'm not sure), but the rest seems up in the air. I hope they blow this one out of the water, because X-Men has been the best comic book movie series since Spiderman went loony on us. Check the trailer...
Can we stop using Kanye's 'Power' as the theme song for every movie, TV show and sports segment?
Have you ever wondered what you could do if you were the 'maximum' you? Maximum, as in using all of your potential and all of your abilities at your best. Optimization has been a goal of behavioral engineering for years. Technologically, of course, we're years from such a feat, but Hollywood has done the legwork for us. 'Limitless' is the story of a formerly coke-addicted writer coming across an experimental drug that maximizes the user's potential. Within a few days, Bradley Cooper's (who's becoming a favorite actor of mine) character finishes a book, predicts stocks, learns a language and becomes a more charismatic version of himself. Trouble comes afoot when he discovers that his 'miracle pill' is part of a greater plan. The movie looks like it's going to be interesting, if not because Robert DeNiro is in it, then because of the idea that there is a 'pill' to improve oneself. Somewhere in some underground laboratory, there's a team of scientists hitting their heads on a wall because Hollywood stole their idea. I guarantee their version wouldn't have been as entertaining, though...
There are some movies that just enthrall you because of the mere concept behind them. Sometimes they are so simple that you can't help but want to watch them and soak in all of the action, explosions and palpable tension caused by a seemingly routine act gone haywire. Such is the case in the new flick starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine, 'Unstoppable'. The thriller tells the tale of a huge, unmanned freight train, going at top speed that is... well, unstoppable. Add to that, it's rigged with a ton of chemicals, that upon impact, would create a nuclear holocaust wherever it does happen to stop. Chris Pine is destined for stardom after a great role in Star Trek, and you already know the deal with Denzel. Directed by Tony Scott, who directed 'The Taking of Pelham 123' (I guess he has a thing for trains), this might not be a great movie, but it will definitely be entertaining. It drops on November 12. Check the trailer out...
While I can never say that I'm uneducated, there were points in my life that I can look back on and say that the educational experience wasn't all it can be. And I'm sure a good amount of my peers can say the same thing, some to an extreme degree. That said, all we can hope for is that the system will improve for future generations. Also, we can aspire to create an environment where learning and not test scores are the goals. In 'Waiting for Superman', the educational system is put under the limelight as filmmaker Davis Guggenheim shows the moments leading up to a school lottery. In the struggle to attend the best schools in their cities, families are entered into a lottery for spots at a prestigious academy. That story is juxtaposed with an examination of how the United States' education system is failing and falling behind the rest of the world. Just speaking to kids younger than my generation, it's obvious that their educational prospects and overall academic intelligence is waning. Kids are being taught to be cogs in 'the system' rather than leaders and it's showing in all facets of American society. Why a movie has to be made to reveal these iniquities is beyond me, but I suppose whatever medium works, works. Check out the trailer, and GO SEE THE MOVIE! For every ticket, $15 will be donated to a school of your choosing. Seriously, people...
Everyone, their mom, aunt, cousin, and dog are clamoring about the Aaron Sorkin-directed 'The Social Network', which is improperly being dubbed the 'Facebook movie', when in all actuality, that movie is about Facebook's creation, not the phenomena stemming from it. I stumbled upon the trailer for 'Catfish' while watching 'The Last Exorcism' (terrible movie; don't waste the $12.50), and was immediately drawn to the movie's portrayal of what would be called 'computer love' these days. 'Catfish' follows a young New York City photographer who begins an online relationship with a woman he's never met, after her younger sister sends him a moving piece of art. The woman turns out to be everything short of a perfect dream, until he decides to try and meet his online love, with mysterious results. Apparently, the ending is nothing short of a mind-bending, heart-crushing revelation, indicative of society's obsession with online interaction. This movie looks to be one hell of a thriller. Maybe I'll check it out before I see 'The Social Network'...
If you've read Dear Whoever or followed me on Twitter at all (@elektrik788 for those of you not in the loop; SHEESH!!), then you know how I feel about the coonfest that Tyler Perry movies tend to be. That, however, doesn't mean I'm adverse to you, Mr. Perry, switching up his normal methods and perhaps trying your hand at making an accurate cinematic portrayal of black culture. For your newest work, you've decided to take on a subject that has been debated in African-American circles since we knew what an African-American was: Black women. Now, for the past 5 years or so, there's been this current bubbling about the role of Black women in our society and the ills that create the situations they get into. From the trailer for your movie 'For Colored Girls', which is apparently adapted from a critically-renown stage play, I can honestly see a bit more attention to detail in your work. I'm not going to sit here and place a crown on your head, Mr. Perry. Yet, this seems to be a valiant attempt at telling some sort of story sans ridiculously outmoded stereotypes and transparent characters. There seems to be a lot of depth to the characters that can't be seen through the trailer, unlike most of your movies.
Tyler, this might be your last opportunity, in my eyes, to put together something that sheds some type of light. I realize that may be unfair, but when looking at the dire lack of black directors and producers in Hollywood, juxtaposed with your gigantic stake in black cinema, you HAVE to deliver. I say that because you're the only director with the clout to deliver. What is black cinema left with after your legacy? Stomp the Yard 3D? Soul Plane 2? Tyler, I've vilified your work for the longest, yet I'm still willing to give it a chance in the hopes that it will open doors for other blacks in film. It has been so long since there has been a veritable face in African-American cinema. And though I disagree with a lot of your views and portrayals as they take place in film, I can't help but support you. Aaron McGruder made me laugh at your expense, but 'For Colored Girls' may very well bring you up to the standard that you deserve as a director willing to take risks with all-black casts and traditionally 'urban' (the use of that word makes me cringe) plots. Mr. Perry, I will be watching, as will the rest of Black America. Please don't do us dirty and make another dry, predictable movie that will have me wanting my $12.50 and 3 hours back...
Seriously, I'm signing up for 2011 Comic Con tickets TODAY. The San Diego Comic Convention has become something of a cultural experience, where movies, music, games, television, graphic novels, and of course, comics mash together to keep our inner nerds occupied for four days straight. Add that to the fact that the divide between different media interests has become parchment-thing, and you have my heaven. This go around, we've got adidas collaborating with the people behind Tron: Legacy to create a new line of Tron-themed, futuristic apparel. The first pieces we'll see drop are two pairs of the adidas Heat Check, the company's new signature shoe. Both feature reflective stripes, along with screen-printed graphics on the upper and toebox, reminiscent of the glitzy, high-tech feel in the of Tron. The hoodie below will be self-illuminated, just like the movie. Oh, and in case you were wondering, this collab is set to hit shelves in December, right on time for Tron: Legacy's release. Check out some flicktures of adidas x Tron: Legacy, as well as a new trailer for the movie, which is starting to look sicker and sicker by the day...
Sooo, now that Mel Gibson has racist and sexist-ranted his way out of Lethal Weapon 5, we've got to find other older actors to run wild in action movies. Fortunately, Bruce Willis is still on the scene, and Morgan Freeman has always been a sleeper in the genre. This particular offering has a predictable plot, but reeks of entertainment value, considering the host of explosions, guns, high-tech gear, and one-liners in the trailer. Plus, the interactions look hilarious!! Check out the trailer from Comic Con...
Ever wonder how exactly Facebook got to take over everyone and their mom's internet time? Or about the creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerbeg? Well, maybe not the 2nd one... But the first one is a question on everyone's mind. Facebook has become a second life for some people, while others detest it. Now, we get to see it in cinema form. 'The Social Network' is Hollywood's take on the internet phenomenon, complete with dramatized conflict between the creators, the people that get involved and everyone in between. It seems like a typical geek's rags to riches story, yet juxtaposed with the fact that Facebook still exists and people are using it every millisecond of every day, makes it all the more interesting. They couldn't have picked a better actor for Mark Zuckerberg, either. Jesse Eisenberg oozes nerdy swagger and insecurity, and takes the traditional 'awkward moment' to levels only seen by Michael Cera (those two should just do an awkward movie together). 'The Social Network' comes out in October. Keep your eyes peeled for more trailers or a Mark Zuckerberg suicide watch, as all of his dirty little secrets come to life...
EDIT: What the hell happened to Tom from Myspace?? If there was a crackhouse for social networking innovators who fell off, my guess is he'd be there... RIP Myspace!!!
Machete is a Robert Rodriguez-directed film about an ex-Federale (Mexican policeman) who gets put up as a hired gun to fight against a corrupt US Senator sending illegal immigrants out of the country. The movie features Danny Trejo (didn't know he had so many films under his belt; Wiki this man) in the lead as Machete, and a hell of a lot of swordplay, given the title. It's funny this movie is coming out right now. The racial, cultural and sociological undertones in this movie are going to be ridiculous, considering the way immigration is being handled by our friends in Arizona. As opposed to the much more peaceful solution of protests and lobbying and voting, Machete's premise is a sick little fantasy of mine: a rogue warrior fighting for the rights of the people with huge guns and unreal explosions. Whether you're watching for the action or the story, this looks like it's going to be a doozy. Check the trailer...
I remember exactly where I was when I saw the first Paranormal Activity. It was in a dark room, and my viewing partner and I were admittedly shook, trying not to frighten one another. Needless to say, the movie was a scary one, developing slowly but having you on edge by the end. In May, the director Oren Peli greenlit a sequel to Paranormal Activity. That means more 'found footage', more shaky cameras and more realistic horror. I think what made the first so good was how normal everything seemed in Micah and Katie's life outside of the fact that Katie was possessed by a vengeful demon. They lived the most normal of lives, but were getting yanked out of bed and scared shitless by said demons. I guess this time around, it's going to be more normalcy juxtaposed with supernatural experiences. The dog in the trailer was going nuts, and when animals start getting anxious, you know something crazy is happening. Okay, enough drooling. Check out the trailer and look out for Paranormal Activity 2, slated to release in October...
