Movie Trailer: MacGruber

This looks like ones of those film that could go either way. Either it is hilarious or it sucks, and hopefully not all of the highlights are presented here in the trailer. But as it is, this trailer does make me laugh.

Movie Review: Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans

Nicolas Cages stars as Lieutenant Terence McDonagh, a newly promoted officer who is tracking down the drug king that massacred a family of African immigrant. During the after math of hurricane Katrina, McDonagh hurt his back while saving someone’s life. Since then McDonagh has developed an addiction to a cocktail of prescription drugs and various narcotics. McDonagh doesn’t hesitate to abuse his powers as lieutenant so long as it helps him score more drugs or even sale large amounts of drugs in order to pay off his large gambling debt. And for the icing on the cake, his girlfriend is a cocaine addicted prostitute (played by Eva Mendes).

If you have a high sense of morals and can not distinguish movie violence from real life, then I suggest you skip this film. Cage’s Bad Lieutenant does just about anything and everything that is morally wrong; such as snorting cocaine in front of children and pulling a .357 magnum on an elderly woman. And strikingly it is all kind of humorous, like a dark and twisted Bill Hicks joke.

Nicolas Cage is really the best part of the movie. With his last string of films it almost seems weird to be commenting highly on his acting performance. However, here Cage demonstrates his wide acting range without going too over the top. It is reminiscent to his Oscar winning and nomination performances in Leaving Las Vegas and Adaptation, respectively. Cage does an excellent job of presenting McDonagh as having a stiffness and restricted movements that come with having back problems. McDonagh is a character whose bad deeds and addictions are a product of the injury he suffered while being a good cop.

Val Kilmer also stars in the film, though not much of it. However, the parts that he is in are well done and make me wish that he took on more adventurous theatrical productions. (Yet, look for Val Kilmer in the new SNL film McGrober).

One of the few down sides to the film is the story, or at least the events and how they unfold. It could be stronger, and the pacing of the film a little more sharp and finely tuned. New German Wave director Werner Herzog has put together a good film, but a quite a bit short of great. There are some interesting close ups of various animals, serving the narrative of Nicolas Cage hallucinating, that seem amateur at best, especially for a feature film by a director of Herzog’s stature.

None the less the film is still dangerous and fun at the same time.

Grade: B

This film was released last November and has also been showcased around various film festivals but still remains in limited release.

Movie Trailers: The Expendables

I don't know about the rest of you but this movie has got my blood pumping!After seeing Rocky Balboa and Rambo I once again believe in Sly Stallone. If you don't think this movie looks amazing you might not have a pulse. Like I said before the 90's action film is back with a vengeance. With the names attached to this I will be shocked if I'm disappointed. Expect over-sized muscles, guns and egos.

Movie Trailers: Kickass Red Band Trailer

I know I just posted the other trailer but this one has me even more excited for this film! Enjoy.

Jason's Movie Review: Avatar

I know everybody else has reviewed this film. Here is what I have to say about this film. It continues to sell out theaters across America. James Cameron has done it once again in creating an original movie that is revolutionary. Though the story and elements of the movie have a lack of originality the presentation of these ideas makes them feel fresh. I have heard some compare this movie to Ferngully but I will say there is no comparison. Ferngully never made me feel the way this movie does. The cinematography is breathtaking and brilliant.

Now on to the revolutionary part, the 3d is not cheesy and makes you feel like you are a part of the action. We have come a long way from the cheesy gimmick 3d of old. Also Sam Worthington proves that he can play leading man. In fact I was so impressed that I now cannot wait for the Clash of the Titans remake. One other thing that has me stressed out is people complaining about Sigorney Weaver's smoking in the film. I'm sorry but people find comfort and stress relief in cigarettes and it made the film realistic to me. By the way, she is not even the main character so get over it.

This movie is either one of a kind or a taste of things to come in the 3d realm. Oh, I'd be a fool to leave out the near flawless C.G. of the film. If you haven't seen Avatar yet, go! Unless don't like good film, in that case go see Translemania. Thank you James Cameron. Don't make us wait 12 years for another one.
Final Grade:
A+

Movie Trailer: Kick-Ass (Extended)

I don't know about anyone else but this movie has got me excited, and the casting is amazing to boot!

The New Late Night Wards - Conan vs. Jay?

By now you've probably heard about or read about the storm brewing over at NBC, in regards to figuring out what they're going to do with their late night line up. Today, Conan O'Brien released a statement to the press about his concerns. As a fervant member of what has now been born and called Team Conan, I present to you, loyal readers, his statement:

People of Earth:

In the last few days, I’ve been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I’ve been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I’ve been absurdly lucky. That said, I’ve been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.

Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn’t matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.

There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work. Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way.

Yours, Conan

So now having read that, do your opinions on the matter change, or stay the same. If they stayed the same, are you now more passionate about Conan remaining behind the desk of The Tonight Show? I for one would prefer to just see Jay Leno sail off in to a cosy retirement and to have Conan remain as permanent host of the show, at 11:35.

Movie Review: The Lovely Bones

From the brilliant mind of Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings, King Kong) comes the new feature film, The Lovely Bones, in theaters January 15th. Based on the best selling novel by Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones tells the story of a young girl murdered in rural Pennsylvania, who after dying watches her family from a sort of purgatory, where she tries to weigh her desire for revenge, against her desire to see her family heal and deal with her tragic passing. The main character, Susie Salmon, is just another notch of fine juvenile acting that young actress Saoirse Ronan can add to her belt. She's a bright, beautiful, lovely young lady, who through childlike naivety falls victim to a predator living right down the street in her very own neighborhood. Played by Stanley Tucci, the character of George Harvey is frightening and disturbing on a level I didn't expect coming in to the film. The Salmon parents, played by Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz are both complex characters and are in no way an afterthought like you'd expect. In fact, I'd go so far as to say this is Wahlberg's broadest performance as an actor to date. Those in the know will remember he replaced Ryan Gossling in the role. I like the guy, so it's hard for him to do wrong by me, but we all know he can turn in a cardboard performance, see: The Happening. The film also has a strong supporting cast, lead to charge by veteran actress Susan Sarandon, who plays Susie's chain-smoking alcoholic grandmother - the only real comedic relief in the film.

Fans of the book will be happy to see Jackson's adaptation is true to the book, and his skills as a director of epic films goes a long away in portraying the beautiful world in between Heaven and Hell that Alice Sebold so craftfully described in her novel. I was left awe-inspired many times by the visuals alone, but it was the deeply moving story at the heart of the film that left me most touched. Those going to see The Lovely Bones with expectations of feeling happy and fuzzy afterwards will be disappointed, as the movie is overall quite grim. However, with subject matter like the rape and murder of a young girl, how inspirational can a film be? That seems like a question Peter Jackson and co. worked hard to fix. You will, or at least I did, come out of the film feeling happy for the Salmon family, but at the same time you will also feel very alert to how fleeting our lives are, and how time spent with our loved ones is the most important thing any of us have. I suppose in the long run, it's a true sign of a good director, if the film can make you appreciate the simple things in your life so much more. That's certainly the effect it had on me.

I give Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones a 4 out of 5.

Movie Trailer: The A-Team

The trailer for The A-Team, based from the 80's television series, has hit the web. The film stars Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, and Sharlto Copley.

Personally, the trailer looks descent. It appears to have all the right elements of a blockbuster film, but yet still holds too many film cliche (or at least film trailer cliche's) for me. However, what has really peaked my interest is the film's director Joe Carnahan.

Carnahan's two previous films, Narc and Smokin' Aces, have been great films. I have long anticipated his next film, though I didn't realize that it was going to be The A-Team until writing this post.

This film opens June 11, 2010.

Avatar No. 2 in Worldwide Gross

According to boxofficemojo.com, James Cameron's new 3D film Avatar has crossed the one billion mark, making it one of five films to ever do so. Avatar also resides as the 2nd highest global gross of all time, knocking down Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: Return of the King from the No. 2 slot. Now the top two highest grossing films of all time both James Cameron's.

The Hollywood Reporter notes this as being very impressive being that the film has only been out for three weeks, and many speculate that it still has time to catch up to Cameron's No. 1 slot, Titanic.

However, theses numbers have not been adjusted for inflation, and further more the ticket prices to Avatar have been more costly because of the the 3D aspect of the film. According to EW.com as much as 75 percent of Avatar's gross has come from higher priced 3D tickets. The studios do not control the box office ticket price. The exhibitor does, and if people are willing to pay more money for a film, then they will charge more for it.

None the less, as many of us had assumed, Avatar is now the second highest worldwide grosser of all time.