Tron Legacy: Teaser Trailer

I know this came out days ago but Omg omg omg ... this looks amazing! I have to watch this trailer everyday!! I've loved Tron since I was a kid. The original is ahead of its time with CG. It took a group of artists to bring it to life. Now a new generation will get to see the world that many geeks can't wait to revisit.

Open December 12/17/2010

And the Oscar goes to...

Performance by an actor in a leading role:
Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart


Performance by an actor in a supporting role:
Christopher Waltz in Inglourious Basterds


Performance by an actress in a leading role:
Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side


Performance by an actress in a supporting role:
Mo'Nique in Precious


Best Orignal Score
UP by Michael Giacchino


Best animated feature film of the year:
UP

Achievement in directing:
Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker


Best motion picture of the year:
The Hurt Locker


And I nailed all these nominations, yey me. But it was a an easy year. :)
Now on to another year of movies!

Alice in Wonderland

I am huge fan of Tim Burton’s work. Actually some of my favorite films are his doing. He has had some missteps before, Mars Attacks and Planet of the Apes, to name the most obvious. Now, with Alice in Wonderland , he had the perfect material to exercise his directorial prowess but sadly, the movie does not succeed.

The opening world of the movie set against a stuffy Victorian wedding proposal was pretty genius to introduce the now grown Alice (Mia Wasikowska). She wants so much more than the world has allowed. She just wants to think for herself. When she first catches a glimpse of the white rabbit, I got giddy. It was a wondrous moment that made me anxious for things to come. Falling down the rabbit hole was pretty cool and then we hit our first snag. The door room. This scene lost something that I can’t quite figure out. When she finally enters Wonderland (actually Underland as the caterpillar later informs us), it’s, again, cool and somewhat underwhelming. We are rushed into meeting certain characters (The flowers, Dodo, Tweedles, Dormouse). And as quickly as they are introduced they are taken away by the Bandersnatch incident. It’s like we get these great moments of joy and heart that are then replaced by soulless storytelling.

Don’t get me wrong I didn’t hate this homage to Lewis Carroll’s books but it just doesn’t always come together. You have a teenage Alice back in Underland who has no memory of ever meeting any of these weird creatures or crazy people. Its fun thinking that she has to be re-introduced to the characters and much along the same path of her original adventure as a young girl. You get to experience some great character moments like with the Cheshire Cat and the Tweedle brothers all over again. That said, making the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) integral to the plot for the sake of the lead actor being director’s pet, just didn’t work (I love Johnny Depp but this character was a mess). This should be Alice’s story and we should be focusing on her quest yet it seems the Hatter is shoe horned in. I would have loved to spend more time with both queens, Red (Helena Bonham Carter) and White (Anne Hathaway), because their back-story seemed genuine and really the main cause of the plight in Underland.

Okay what did I love? The visuals are amazing! The fact that all the sets where created digitally is incredible. The costumes and set design were fantastic. I loved the dark touches Burton and writer Linda Woolverton added like the eye jab and the moat of heads. Danny Elfman’s score was perfection. He gave certain scenes much needed emotion and wonder with the music. Anne Hathaway is a stand out for having a confusingly small role. And Helena overacts to the right level for the Red Queen. I can’t say it enough but I loved the Cheshire Cat (voiced by Stephen Fry). Every scene he was in connected me to the story.

The bad. Hatter did not need this much screen time. I didn’t feel for his character nor did I need him in almost every scene. The dialogue needed work namely that some information was hard to understand. Maybe it was the audio in the theater or the thick British accents? Not sure but it needed work. Overall the film never gets as weird or quirky as it should. It gets to those points then just goes back to being blah. I will see it again just to catch some detail but not what I was expecting. When I got home I longed to watch the Disney animated film, hell even the 1986 TV version with Sammy Davis Jr as the Caterpillar. Burton’s wonderland needs more wonder and madness to make it truly spectacular. My grade: C+

Rich-It: The Oscar Predictions 2009 (Sunday, March 7th 5pm pst on ABC)

As always I'll only predict what categories matter to me. Although one can never tell which way the academy will vote. Will it be politics as usual cough*slumdog*cough or will there be surprise wins in store?


Performance by an actor in a leading role
* Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight)
* George Clooney in "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
* Colin Firth in "A Single Man" (The Weinstein Company)
* Morgan Freeman in "Invictus" (Warner Bros.)
* Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)

Jeff Bridges is sure to take this home. Everyone is basically counting on it.


Performance by an actor in a supporting role
* Matt Damon in "Invictus" (Warner Bros.)
* Woody Harrelson in "The Messenger" (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
* Christopher Plummer in "The Last Station" (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Stanley Tucci in "The Lovely Bones" (DreamWorks in association with Film4, Distributed by Paramount)
* Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)

Waltz was amazing in this role. He clearly stands out above the other nominees.


Performance by an actress in a leading role
* Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side" (Warner Bros.)
* Helen Mirren in "The Last Station" (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Carey Mulligan in "An Education" (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
* Meryl Streep in "Julie & Julia" (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Another clear winner in my opinion, Sandra Bullock. Although I found the movie to be lackluster, she transformed herself as an actress and really shined.


Performance by an actress in a supporting role
* Penélope Cruz in "Nine" (The Weinstein Company)
* Vera Farmiga in "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
* Maggie Gyllenhaal in "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight)
* Anna Kendrick in "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
* Mo'Nique in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)

More obvious choices, but Mo'nique's realness in Precious is something to behold. Much like when Whoopi took on the role of Celie, a comedian stripping away the funny to bring raw energy to a role, does not go unnoticed.


Best animated feature film of the year
"Coraline" (Focus Features) Henry Selick
"Fantastic Mr. Fox" (20th Century Fox) Wes Anderson
"The Princess and the Frog" (Walt Disney) John Musker and Ron Clements
"The Secret of Kells" (GKIDS) Tomm Moore
"Up" (Walt Disney)

Pixar's UP will undoubtedly win however, the idea of Coraline winning would be rather satisfying. The princess and the frog deserves the nomination and more of an audience. Severly under appreciated 2D animated movie.


Achievement in directing
"Avatar" James Cameron
"The Hurt Locker" Kathryn Bigelow
"Inglourious Basterds" Quentin Tarantino
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" Lee Daniels
"Up in the Air" Jason Reitman

If Kathyrn takes this, she'll the be the first female director to ever win an academy award. That said, her stiffest competition is James Cameron. The tech he has introduced into film making alone has changed the industry. This is gonna be interesting.


Best documentary feature
"Burma VJ"
"The Cove"
"Food, Inc."
"The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers"
"Which Way Home"

I really want The Cove to win. It was incredibly important to watch especially for animal lovers. Food Inc brought about some great points however there have been many doc's that have made us aware of these facts before.


Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox) James Horner
"Fantastic Mr. Fox" (20th Century Fox) Alexandre Desplat
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment) Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
"Sherlock Holmes" (Warner Bros.) Hans Zimmer
"Up" (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino

Michael Giacchino for the win!


Best motion picture of the year
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
"The Blind Side" (Warner Bros.)
"District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
"An Education" (Sony Pictures Classics)
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
"A Serious Man" (Focus Features)
"Up" (Walt Disney)
"Up in the Air" (Paramount in assoc with Cold Spring Pictures)

Now everyone is poising Avatar to win this however I believe Hurt Locker and even Inglourious Basterds has a shot.

The Wolfman

Perhaps I shouldn’t mention the trouble The Wolfman had in getting made but it may give some insight as to why it didn’t turn out fantastic. A few weeks before director Mark Romanek was to begin filming he left the production over budget disagreements. So Universal hired Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park 3, Jumanji) to take over and get the film made. However, Johnston’s take would also re-write some of the screen play and cut some of Rick Baker’s practical effect transformations. Then Universal rejected Danny Elfman’s complete score which borrowed heavily from Wojciech Kilars score from 1992’s Dracula. They hired Paul Haslinger to create a more pseudo-rock heavy contemporary score. After the final cut of the film it was decided to go back and use Elfman’s score. So throughout its production problems the film finally came out in Feb 2010.

So how is The Wolfman? It’s actually pretty good but with its share of problems. Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) must return to his childhood home in England after learning of his brother’s brutal death. He is greeted by his creepy and secretive father, Sir John (Anthony Hopkins) as well as his brother’s beautiful bride to be, Gwen (Emily Blunt). The filmmakers do an interesting thing with this story line. Del Toro is obviously Latino or “Spanish” and speaks with an American accent however this is explained by making his mother Latina or “Spanish” living in England and shipping Lawrence off to America. Hopkins really plays this whole role up. He’s constantly alluding to things but keeps the mystery going rather well. Blunt tries her best to be the ideal “damsel in distress” and predictably falls for Lawrence. The human element suffers greatly in the movie due to Del Toro’s bland performance. He just doesn’t convey emotion and depth the way you’d think the character would. Thankfully we are introduced to inspector Abberline (Hugo Weaving) who’s acting fits the atmosphere like Blunt and Hopkins. Sadly, what ends up happening is that every scene with the Wolfman becomes the most interesting thing in the film.

Believe me the werewolf stuff works so well. It’s violent, scary, thrilling and all together perfect. The gypsy massacre is breathtaking and very bloody and the horrific transformation scene in the asylum leads to an awesome rampage through the streets of London. Benicio in the wolf makeup is the only time I have any interest in his character. The creature CG effects are also really great. However, there are a couple of CG animals that look very CG.

The film feels choppy at times and disjointed. There are some beautiful shots and the lighting is gorgeous. Elfman’s score borrowed heavily from Kilar’s Dracula score that at times, when I heard the theme, it would take me out of the movie. The music was still effective if only because it was very familiar. Overall Johnston was able to make a pretty good movie but casting Del Toro was its major flaw. The movie is creepy, violent and bloody but kind of boring as a whole. My Grade: B-

Coming Soon

Okay, these trailers I've pulled for this post are pretty damn cool. Check em out.

Legend of the Gaurdians

Zack Snyder directs this animated feature based on the books by Katherine Lasky. I've never read them but this looks incredible. Animation is amazing. Sure to be a hit? I think it might! Opens 9/24/2010


Waking Sleeping Beauty

I love reading stories about the difficult times at Disney animation and here is the movie to bring that incredible story to life. Is it shameless self promotion, yeah but who cares I love it! Opens 3/26/2010

My 10 Favorite Films of 2009 plus some other crap...

My 10 Favorite Films of 2009 plus some other crap…
This list is in no particular order…read away!

Inglourious Basterds
Tarantino’s fictional take on the fall of the Third Reich stands out as the year’s best and my favorite. It was a horrible time in the history of the human race however to see history re-written like this was very satisfying. Tarantino’s characters are so well developed that you can’t help but connect with them. Bloody and disturbing with moments of humor make this a unique creation. Sadly, Mike Meyers cameo falls flat but the film succeeds on many levels and is definitely going to be nominated for Best Picture. See my review for more detail.

Up
Disney/Pixar continues its successful streak of beautifully written and rendered animated films. I can still remember the tears and laughs coming from the audience (and myself) upon first viewing. The movie was a sight to be seen in its 3D form. Living artwork and thrilling sequences made this a must for movie lovers. See my review for more detail.

Star Trek
Wow a lot of hardcore fans wanted this film to fail without even seeing it. And guess what, It became one of the biggest hits of 2009 with critics and audiences alike. It was spectacular, witty, emotional and all together a perfect resurrection to a dying franchise. Thanks J.J. for breathing new life into Roddenberry’s vision. Also thanks for bringing some of the hottest new talent to light (Chris pine anyone?) See my review for more detail.

Coraline
Director Henry Selick took a surprisingly dark children’s story by Neil Gaiman and made it digestible to the masses. Although it’s still a pretty eerie children’s tale, it has a lot going for it. Beyond the technical aspect of stop motion animation, the story reminds children to be careful what they wish for. Completely immersive in 3D and well worth the time at the movies.

The Hangover
This is one of the funniest and most unpredictable movies of the year. Todd Phillips creation just keeps building and building and ends on a surprisingly warm note… then bam!, more raunch! It’s an interesting construct which works because of its characters. The great thing is a lot of us can relate to similar stories of a drunken forgotten night in sin city. It’s just craziness!

Avatar
Writer/Director James Cameron returns to bring us a somewhat generic story about greed, inhumanity and love. Although the story has been told many times, its Cameron’s telling that changes the game. The use of technology, motion-capture, face-capture, CGI and 3D makes the film all the more special. All of it would be nothing without engaging characters and incredible sequences. Awesome job James.

District 9
Social commentary within a gritty Science Fiction film succeeds in this Neil Blomkamp film. Don’t get me wrong, its chock full of amazing effects, bloody violence and incredible CGI Prawns lol. The movie is grounded in the real world and its authenticity makes the entire story work. See my review for more detail.

The Road
A post-apocalyptic tale based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy about the survival of one man’s family. Viggo Mortensen and child actor Kodit Smit-Mcphee turn in amazing performances within this dark subject matter. As heavy as the film can be, it has moments of sincerity and truth that show humanity in its true light.

(500) Days Of Summer
One of the most romantic movies I saw this year. Its hits on all the right notes and shows the truth behind those subtle times with a new love. It’s the little moments that amount to so much in a relationship but are they enough to label it as “the one”. Zooey and Joseph deliver casual, likable, and believable performances. The soundtrack alone can transport you into many moments you’ve had yourself. A relatable film about creating a relationship in a young professional’s world.

Guilty Pleasures of 2009

2012- Don’t blame me for loving the destruction of Los Angeles but the effects and sound work were awesome. Cheesy dialogue be damned!

G.I. Joe- True to the over the top cartoon of the same name. A popcorn flick that doesn’t need to be taken seriously, and if you do, it’s your loss.

Jennifer’s Body- Diablo Cody Dialogue and Bloody boy eating Megan Fox add to this crazy cool movie. Also thanks Amanda Seyfried for playing the “straight” girl.


Worst Movies of 2009

Wolverine- Why in the world was this movie so full of crap? You have some great characters but let’s just throw in every single mutant we can. Wtf! Not good, not fun and an overall waste of a movie.

Terminator: Salvation- Effects aside this movie had so many awful boring moments. Bad acting and sub-par directing leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

New Moon- The most overhyped piece of cinematic garbage to ever make 300 million. Here’s hoping Eclipse will get New Moon out of my head.


Movies I have yet to see in 2009
Up in the Air, Precious, Brothers, A Single Man, The Hurt Locker


Movies I’m looking forward to in 2010

Clash of The Titans
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Iron Man 2
Inception
Toy Story 3
The Wolfman
DayBreakers
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 1
Alice in Wonderland
The Crazies
Rapunzel
Tron: Legacy
Twilight: Eclipse
Voyage of the Dawn Treader