Game of Thrones

It's been a while since the term 'get medieval on that ass' has been usable without drawing stares, weird retorts or general confusion. This April, though, I'm going to break that one out, just because HBO is trying to do the same with its new series, 'Game of Thrones'. The show revolves around the fictional (or stylized?) region of Westeros, where the summers can last decades and the winters can last a lifetime, and the struggle of numerous noble families to acquire the Iron Throne. It's early, but I can definitely tell that HBO has another hit on their hands. The scenery looks just as dark, rustic and bubonic plague-infested as it can given out paltry knowledge of medieval society. Then again, who's looking for that with all of the sex and violence coming from the trailer? Either way, it's time to start boning up on your swordsmanship and jousting...

24 Hour Karate School - Release Date Confirmed

The wait is over. That's right. The wait is over. All of you underground heads that have been waiting for the Ski Beatz-headed collaborative project '24 Hour Karate School' can finally breathe a sigh of relief, as the album is now slated to drop on September 14th. Featuring Curren$y, Mos Def, Jay Electronica, Stalley, Jim Jones, Rugz D. Bewler, Tabi Bonney, Wiz Khalifa, The Cool Kids, Camp Lo, Jean Grae and Terri Walker, this figures to be one of the most hyped-releases of the year. What baffles me is how many of the tracks are already available on the interwebs. Does that take away from the value of the complete work? Not necessarily, though Ski may very well have to pull something crazy out of his dojo to keep all of the students happy. Again, 24 Hour Karate School drops on September 14th, just in time for you to bump it on that 'back to school' playlist. Check out the promo video DD172 and Creative Control released to go with the good news...

Red (2010)

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...

Wale - More About Nothing (Trailer)

Wale - Workin'

If you've noticed a sheer lack of Wale across the interwebs, don't adjust your Google Reader. The DC MC went on a mean hiatus for the past month, and explained why in this video. Wale is preparing to drop a follow-up to his critically-acclaimed, and surprisingly apt mixtape 'The Mixtape About Nothing'. The new work is going to be called 'More About Notthing'. Folarin even leaked a track from the new tape, called 'Workin', which describes exactly what he's been doing. Can't say I'm not pleased that the DC representer is back on his grind. Check out the promo trailer and the loosie to go along with it...

Curren$y - Pilot Talk (Trailer)

Besides a few paltry mixtape reviews, my music intake has decreased dramatically... And I finally realized why! 90% of rappers are BORING. No, that's not to take away from the music, lyrics and hard work of the artists I listen to. Yet, I'm not sure if I'd have fun conversing with a lot of these cats outside of the context of music. Curren$y provides an excellent example of a rapper who's mantra is the minutiae of everyday life. Spitta is preparing to release the album Pilot Talk (FINALLY), and rather than leak songs every day and do random, boring interviews answering the same questions, he's decided to go another route with his marketing. The New Orleans MC, and BlackRoc signee tapped Ferris Beuller's Day Off to delineate what the album is going to feel like. And if this trailer is any indication of his inclinations, Pilot Talk should be a piff sandwich with a hefty side of dope sauce. I suppose it doesn't hurt to have Creative Control in his corner, but you have to admit, Curren$y is a hilarious dude. I can't wait to hear Pilot Talk, which drops on the 13th. Check out the trailer and experience the constant musical high that is the Hot Spitta...

Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

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...

The Green Hornet (2011)

Let's face it. Seth Rogen is no action star. He doesn't have the Hollywood leading man look, like a Brad Pitt or Leo DiCaprio. That doesn't mean he can't pull it off. In the same way Will Ferrell made ridiculous scenarios and non sequiturs in comedy movies hot, Seth Rogen is going to bring back the unlikely hero in the buddy action movie back. He did it in Pineapple Express with James Franco and, though there were a hell of a lot of plot holes, the chemistry between the two made the movie hilarious. Hopefully that's the case in Rogen's new film, The Green Hornet. The story is an old comic book tale (are we seeing the the comic book to movie genre start to sputter?) about a spoiled brat whose father's death inspires him to fight crime. That plot is tried and true, but from the trailer, it looks like it's going to be pretty entertaining. Add the crazy explosions and the fact that The Green Hornet is going to be in 3D, and you have next year's first blockbuster. Yes, next year. The movie doesn't drop until January 14, 2011; plenty of time for 3D to become twice as incredible (and expensive). Check the trailer...

Mortal Kombat (Promo Video for E3)

If you're a video game fan (#shoutout to real fans; not bandwagon heads), you remember the game Mortal Kombat like it was yesterday. Between Jax, Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Johnny Kage, Liu Kang, Kano and Goro, the characters and plot were entirely too trill. And let's not get on to the finishing moves. This video was a promo given to Warner Brothers to convince them to greenlight a re-adaptation of the story (real fans know the last movies were crap sandwiches dripping with wack sauce). In the video, you see Jax and Sonia Blade interrogating a shadowy figure who turns out to be Scorpion. Note, that this isn't for the faint of heart. It's a lot grittier than the original movies and the video games, which were campy with their violence at times. Hell, this could be a horror movie with how bloody these 7 minutes are. Whatever your stance on video game violence (quit being a baby), the promo will be getting more airplay, especially as E3 (the world's biggest video game conference) draws closer. I hope they give us more to salivate on when E3 finally happens in one week...

The Expendables (2010)

It's a rarity that I would post a movie that's simply pointless and mindless action and violence, because you can see explosions and insurgents getting killed on CNN every day. However, when an action movie stars virtually every action star from the past 20 years in a super-movie of sorts, it somehow becomes blog-worthy. Such is the case with the movie 'The Expendables'. Yes, the movie looks to have the depth of a puddle, but where else will you see (breath) Sly Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jet Li, Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, and Stone-Cold Steve Austin on the same screen in a flurry of fire, bullets and terrorist scalps?? Nowhere. The Expendables' premise is that of every war action movie lately, a group of rad-tad foreigners go to a 3rd world country and try to overthrow their oppressive leader. Nothing more, nothing less. I suppose there won't be an ounce of estrogen in the theater, but who cares? It's summer blockbuster season...

ESPN x Allen Iverson

If you haven't seen it by now, ESPN's 30 for 30 series is crack. The series brings filmmakers together with sports to chronicle the lesser known and more controversy-riddled stories in the history of sports. The last one was a riveting highlight of the intense rivalry between the Pacers and Knicks in the early 1990's. Coupled with hip-hop music and first-person narratives from those involved (Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, Larry Brown, Pat Riley, John Starks, etc.), the movie showed younger fans what the NBA used to be like. Regardless, 30 for 30 is set to take on another basketball story tonight: that of Allen Iverson. Not too many people remember the trouble that plagued The Answer just 3 years before he took the NBA by storm. Filmmaker Steve James returned to his hometown of Hampton to document the bowling alley brawl that almost put Iverson behind bars, as well as the brawl's effect on the racial affairs of Hampton, and on Iverson himself. From the trailer, you can tell it's going to be a pretty heated affair. It's definitely going to spark some discussion and paint AI in a different light than many know him now...

Despicable Me (2010)

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I've been liking kid's movies a lot more recently. After watching 'How to Train Your Dragon' I started looking at more animated flicks coming out soon. One of them is Despicable Me, casting Steve Carell as the world's greatest villain. The movie's soundtrack features Pharrell. It's been a long while since we've heard from Skateboard P in the music department. He's been jetsetting and being a worldwide fashion icon, which you can't even be mad at. The new track, also titled Despicable me has P using autotune (a little late on the fad, eh?). Even so, the beat is bananas and Pharrell lays down some lyrics about being a bad guy. The movie comes out July 9th, and you can grab the track below...

Pharrell - Despicable Me

The Losers (2010)

I'm always looking for new shoot-em-up movies with pointless action and violence. For even 2 hours, it's great to suspend my disbelief of the laws of physics, human physiology, ballistics, and intelligence for mental junk food. This one look like it's going to crap testosterone. 'The Losers' is about a group of government special ops (yawn) that know too much (double yawn) and have to fight back at the government (yawn x 3). Of course there's the traditional eye candy role, by my queen Zoe Saldana. While the premise is overused, it looks like it will be just entertaining enough to drop 12.50 on...

The Most Generic Movie Trailer. EVER.

In my lifetime, I've seen my fair share of movies, some of which having easily predictable storylines. These storylines become even more predictable when you see the trailer. While some trailers more or less give up the premise, facts and jokes of the movie, other trailers are just plain old plain. Here's the most epic of generic, yet always compelling trailers. It features every archetype and paradigm from every inspirational movie you have ever and will ever see in your lifetime. No word on the release date yet, but I'm guessing somewhere around the 5th of Decembruary. Check the trailer...

Tron: Legacy (2010)

Only a true nerd or 80's fan will remember the movie Tron, where Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) essentially gets sucked into the video game world, complete with CGI-induced beams of light and cool suits through a dystopian lens. December 17th of this year, we'll see what happens to Flynn's son, Sam, as he explores the same world that trapped his father in 1982. The trailer for Tron: Legacy looks like it's going to be a Pokemon-esque explosion of CGI (who remembers those kids who had seizures in Japan?) and an expansion of an already great storyline. Honestly, Tron should have been revisited years ago, so seeing it come to fruition should be unbelievably DOPE. Check out the trailer...

The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)

Yeah, so apparently the new trend in Hollywood (or in the last decade, at least) is to take bits of pop culture from the 80's and 90's like other movies, TV shows, video games and music, and make new CGI-laced versions of them. The latest piece to get the Hollywood treatment is a childhood favorite of mine, Prince of Persia. For those of us fortunate enough to remember the video game, this movie should be a flashback to days on end spent in front of a TV and a Sega Genesis (SNES for some of you guys). The movie will be loosely-based (why are ALL movies loosely-based these days?) on 'The Sands of Time' storyline, hence why the movie is called 'The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time'. Along with having the Dagger of Time included in the movie, the film casts Jak Gyllenhall as Prince Dastan, though he bears no semblance to a Middle Eastern man aside from a long, flowing hair, a permanent 5 o'clock shadow, and a computer-generated tan. Whatever the case, the movie looks like it's going to be another Jerry Bruckheimer classic. Check the trailer and look out for the movie coming out on May 28th...

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child

Jean-Michel Basquiat was one of the first artists of African descent to make it big into the mainstream. While some of his Brookyln brethren were finding out about crack and hip-hop, Basquiat was a psuedo-celebrity in his own right, hob-knobbing with the likes of Madonna and creating art that would stand the test of time. Twenty-plus years later, one of his closest friends is releasing unseen footage of the artist, in a documentary entitled 'Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child'. The footage includes Basquiat talking about his art, motivation, and shows him living two years before his death in 1988. Check the trailer...

Green Zone (2010)

Matt Damon is officially an action star. Quote me on that. After dropping jaws left and right with his wildly successful appearances in The Jason Bourne series, Damon is back with another BANGER. Green Zone is based on the novel Imperial Life in the Emerald City by journalist Rajiv Chandrasekara, which deals with the United States' search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Damon plays a CIA officer who stumbles onto pivotal information in that search. Looks like it's going to be a hell of an action movie. Check the trailer...

Get Him to the Greek - Trailer

Let's get this straight: spin-offs usually SUCK. In fact, I'd rather most spinoffs stay unspun, so that the original story doesn't get thrown to the whims of idiocy by money-hungry Hollywood producers. Regardless, there are a few instances where spinoffs might very well be just as funny as the first. Enter 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall', a hilarious interpretation of the (a)typical breakup. Remember Aldous Snow, the drugged-out, hypersexual, societal norm-bashing rock star that took the main character's girlfriend? Yeah, well this new movie, 'Get Him to the Greek' is Aldous' spinoff, where a record company intern (Jonah Hill aka the fat kid from Superbad) has to transport the lawless rocker from London to Los Angeles in 72 hours. Judging from the character in the first movie, this should be epic. Hopefully the producers didn't write out all of the funny stuff from the first movie. If not, I'll have wasted two hours on OneClickMoviez $12 for a sub-par spinoff comedy. Then again, it's from the same team as Knocked Up, so it might be entertaining, at least. You be the judge. Check the trailer and look out for the movie on June 4th...

A.D. (2010) - Trailer

Sometimes animated movies do a better job depicting stories than do live movies. There's so much power that animation can wield because of the limitations of live acting. Such is the case with the movie A.D., which brings the zombie movie to the animated realm using CGI. The trailer is only a snippet of what looks to be a truly dope movie. Check it out and stay posted for a release date...

Babies (2010)

There are certain movies that you can't help but smile at. This is definitely one of them. I've watched the trailer at least 5 times now, and even my mother wants to see it now. Babies follows the first year of life for four babies around the world. They're located in Japan, Mongolia, Namibia, and of course the US of A. The social and economic implications of the movie will be incredible, as we see how in some countries (I'm not even gonna say which ones), the standard of living is low, and child-rearing is difficult. Raising a child might seem like it is the same everywhere, but Babies will serve to debunk that myth visually. This reminds me a lot of Earth, just with people. There's no word of a release date, so keep your eyes peeled for updates...

PS: Just researched a little more and the movie's coming out on April 16, 2010.