Best Christmas Movie Marathon, Part 2

Here is the more holiday related half of my epic Christmas movie marathon.

6. Elf - I remember seeing this movie in the theaters and I love it just as much then as I do now. Elf will get you in the Christmas mood because of its Pro-Santa message and off the wall acting by Will Ferrell. Elf is a good family Christmas movie if you find your whole family is incapable of getting the spirit.

7. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - This is one of my favorite Christmas movies ever (hence why it made it on this list) and if you haven't seen it just go buy it right now. I shouldn't have to convince you to watch this you should just want to.

8. A Christmas Story - Yes they play this movie on Christmas day for 24 hours, but you could watch it for the entire day and laugh every time. A Christmas Story has plenty of humor for everyone and even more for us boys that have gotten BB guns for Christmas before.

9. It's A Wonderful Life - I first saw this movie when I was in 4th grade and fell in love with it. It's a Wonderful Life is the best movie at Christmas time you can watch with the whole family, and by whole family I'm including grandma.

And the BEST Christmas movie to watch to get you in the spirit, and my personal favorite!





10. The Nightmare Before Christmas - Yea the movie is barely feature length but you'll love ever minute of it. Yes it could be scary to some people, but lets not forget that it deals with how everyone even the inhabitants of Halloweentown want to be a part of it. The Nightmare Before Christmas gets my seal of approval as the best Christmas movie, and I promise you I'll be watching it very soon.

But tonight in celebration of the end of exams and the semester, I'll be watching The Dark Knight.

Best Comedies of 2008

Last week you read about the best horror films of 2008 this week I bring you the best comedies of the year.

5. Zach & Miri Make a Porno - Kevin Smith is in my opinion one of the funniest filmmakers of our time. Though he doesn't plan on making any more movies with the characters he's spent so much time establishing he hasn't lost his comedic edge. Zach & Miri brings the potty mouth humor and heart warming film making ability of Smith back onto screen.

WARNING: THIS TRAILER CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE


4.Wall-e -Besides being the best animated movie of the year Wall-e is REALLY funny. Don't think that because this is a cartoon that you'll lose your manhood, which is something I've heard people say, Wall-e is brilliant and you will love it.



3. Son of Rambow - No one saw this movie, I know it, and you all missed out because it was hysterical. The flick is already out on DVD and you SHOULD buy it because it is fantastic. I like the movie because I like movies about making movies, and thats what this is. Its also one of those "Screw the popular kids!" movies because I like those too.



2. Burn After Reading - The Coen brothers are comedic brilliance. The Big Lebowski, Fargo, Raising Arizona, and even The Lady Killers. BaR is fantastic, but sadly doesn't come out on DVD until about December 23



1. Hamlet 2 - I know none of you saw this (because there were 2 other people theater besides me) and you all missed out. Hamlet 2 is the funniest movie of the year and most people around here didn't like it because it made fun of Jesus. Get a sense of humor about everything please and then go watch Hamlet 2.


WARNING: THIS TRAILER CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE

12/9 DVD Releases

There are only two DVDs coming out tomorrow, and you should know that you SHOULD buy both of them (even though I know 90% of you are only going to buy one of them).

The two movies in question: The Dark Knight and Dr. Suess' Horton Hears a Who.

The Dark Knight without question is the biggest film of the year, and as the commercials really want you to think probably the biggest of the decade. I don't need to convince you to buy this movie, but Horton on the other may take some suggestion.

Horton Hears a Who is one of the best animated movies of the year, it in fact probably would be best if it were not for Wall-e. Horton is filled with tons of different types of humor and is loaded with a celebrity voice cast. Even if you don't enjoy the movie you could probably make a game out of attempting to figure out what celebrity is doing a voice.

Plus you get this in Horton:


Take my word for it, buy both of these on DVD tomorrow.

How you can tell when critics don't know what they're talking about...

I knew I was destined to like Punisher: War Zone before I even saw it. That is because I am a Punisher fan. So when I read reviews about the film that said things like "Are we supposed to be laughing at these things? Cause I don't think we were supposed to, but we did" or "This is the worst comic book movie ever made" or "This is the Batman & Robin of Marvel comics movies".

ALL of these are wrong. I'll take all of these things that have been said about Punisher: War Zone to prove that these critics don't know what they're talking about and that Punisher: War Zone is one of the most faithful comic book adaptations since Sin City.

1. "Are we supposed to be laughing at these things?" - Besides being grotesquely violent the Punisher comic books are often very humorous, and that type of humor is reflected in the movie but in a very dark comedic tone. In both the film and the comics they humor is often laugh out loud funny, and political at times. It is beyond me how a critic could find something funny in a movie, that is obviously supposed to be funny, and not recognize it as intentional.

2. "This is the worst comic book movie ever made" - Wrong again. Punisher: War Zone reflects the comic book to a T. The extreme violence and outlandish fight scenes are exactly what a Punisher movie has been dying for since they made the first film almost 20 years ago. You want a real list of worst comic book movies ever made, that don't treat their source material with respect? 1. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. 2. Elektra. 3. Son of the Mask.

3. "This is the Batman & Robin of the Marvel comics movies" Okay lets examine this claim to its deepest extent. Batman & Robin was made by a director that took as many liberties with the characters as he wanted. He added:

• Nipples to Batman and Robin's costumes
• Ice Skates to their boots
• So many puns its unhealthy to hear
• Batman credit card
• Enough product placement to make you vomit

No liberties were taken with Punisher: War Zone. It is faithful to the comic books with all of its characters, violence, and humor. The real Batman & Robin of Marvel comics movies is actually probably Daredevil or Howard the Duck.



So if you see Punisher: War Zone and don't like it, and then these are your complaints. It doesn't bother me at all to tell you YOU'RE WRONG.

12/5 Theatrical Releases

This weekend sees the release of three movies that I can guarantee won't break any box office numbers.

Cadillac Records - Cadillac Records is best on the true story of Chess records and their rise to power and fame in Chicago in the 1950s and 60s. The film, though loaded to the brim with stars, doesn't show promise from the trailer. If anything the movie looks like more of a waste of time than a good use of it.


The Nobel Son - Nobel Son shows promise to be good, since it has a good cast (better than Cadillac Records in my opinion) and a compelling plot line. The son of a Nobel prize winner is kidnapped on the eve of the father's acceptance of the award. The film is supposed to be a story of revenge and redemption, and the trailers make it look as flashy as a Guy Ritchie picture.


Punisher: War Zone - I have been waiting on this movie for four years, and I'm more excited now than I was then. This movie appears to be the definitive Punisher film and I'm hoping will be one of the more violent movies I've ever seen (which is a stretch since I have Cannibal Holocaust on DVD).


If you want my recommendation on what to see this week, it would be Nobel Son or Punisher: War Zone. But I will be going to see the Punisher kill the hell out of some bad guys, and I'm going to love it.

The Best Horror movies of 2008

As the year comes to a close, we start to look back at the things that we enjoyed. For the remainder of the year I'll be going through a list of what I deemed the best of in certain categories. Today's category: HORROR MOVIES.

In case you are not aware, I LOVE horror movies. I look forward to seeing horror movies in theaters more then most 'award winning' movies. And I'm talking about actually horror movies, not these PG-13 sequels to a Japenese remake. I would talk about my favorite horror films now, but I'll save that for later.

The BEST Horror films of 2008

5. Diary of the Dead - Granted I was a little skeptical when I heard Romero was hoping on the 'Cam-movie' band wagon, but its safe to say he pulled it off. The movie is 100% better than the Spanish film [REC], or it's American remake Quarantine, though they all share a common idea: People are running from zombies and they have a camera. Now Diary has the advantage in this situation because Romero knows how to handle a zombie outbreak, he also knows how to make people believable in these situations. Diary of the Dead offers a unique and commonly overlooked idea at how the modern college student would react to a zombie outbreak, and its great.
Scare Factor: 5/10



4. Mirrors - Alexandre Aja in my opinion is one of the top two modern horror directors that should be crowned king (the other being Rob Zombie). And yes 2 of the 3 movies Aja has done have been remakes (Mirrors and The Hills Have Eyes (2006), but they were REALLY REALLY good remakes. Mirrors, while still a remake, brings Aja's unique horror perspective to the table instead of simply Copy+Pasting everything from the remake but with a different cast (and a BRILLIANT cast in this case, I'm talking of course mostly about Kiefer Sutherland).
Scare Factor: 7/10



3. The Ruins - I really enjoyed this movie, I didn't know what to expect when I saw the previews because I didn't recognize ANYONE in the cast. But when the movie was going on I realized I KNOW EVERYONE IN THIS CAST! By presenting this movie with a cast of people that everyone knows and loves it makes their horrific experiances even more terrifying. The Ruins follows a group of kids on vacation in Mexico who decide to go and visit...some ruins. The story truely takes off after they reach the ruins because it is inhabited by canibalistic plants and an unruley bunch of locals that are preventing the kids from leaving the ruins. The Ruins is an absolutely terrifying movie and everyone should see it.
Scare Factor: 8/10



2. Teeth - Every man and woman on the planet should see this film. Teeth brings a new type of terror to the screen, and it is GURANTEED to make any man flinch and any woman shutter. The focus of the story is on Dawn, a teenage girl that teaches absintence to kids at the local schools. But Dawn has a terrifying secret. She has teeth....inside her uh....reproductive organs. Yea. Before you ask yes it shows things like severed male reproductive parts, and yes they're severed because Dawn's reproductive parts.....bit them off.
Scare Factor: 10/10



1. The Strangers - In my opinion there are few things scarier than 1. Home invasion, or 2. Someone moving your things around and you don't know who it is. The Strangers has perfect timing in all of its scares and doesn't hold back on brutality. This is why I crown The Strangers, the scariest movie of 2008.



Tune in to the next Best of 2008 when I go over the top 5 comedies of the year.

The Ultimate Christmas movie Marathon, Part 1.

Though I myself am not yet in the spirit of Chirstmas, though some people have been since November 1st. I decided I would compile a list for you of some of my favorite Christmas movies. The blog will be in two parts, one today and one a week from now. I've taken the time to put the movies in order of how well they'll put you in the 'Christmas Spirit'.

1. Batman Returns - Sure the movie has Danny Devito as a torpedo shaped Penguin, but it's still pretty good. I always enjoyed the Burton Batman films and this one even takes place during Christmas! By watching this movie I can gurantee you'll think twice before going to a big city to shop for christmas presents, in fear of being attacked by crazed circus preformers and catwomen.

2. Die Hard - The first installment of the epic action series, if you've forgotten, takes place during Christmas! If there is one thing that John McClain taught us its that we could have our life threatened every 5 minutes, but Christmas will still be there.

3. À l'intérieur (Inside) - Its a safe assumption that few of you have heard of this movie, but I'll tell you this: If you're pregnant, and want to watch a 'christmas' movie. Don't watch this, in fact skip ahead to the next movie while I explain. Inside is a french horror film that takes place on Christmas Eve, in the movie a pregnant woman is being stalked in her own home by a crazed woman who is trying to cut her baby out of her stomach.

4. Bad Santa - This movie is not only one of my favorite Christmas movies, its one of my favorite comedies. Granted the movie is very potty mouthy, its still very good, and almost guranteed to make you wish Christmas was here.

5. Gremlins - This was one of my favorite movies growing up, not because it took place during Christmas, but because it had little funny monsters in it. Out of all the movies I've listed today I would consider this one the best 'Christmas' movie to watch.

There you go, these movies should tidy you over until next week when I reveal the rest of the list, which you should know does contain some actual 'Christmas movies' by you normal people's standards.

12/2 DVD releases

Tomorrow will actually be a very good day for home releases, a lot of really good titles are getting sent on the shelves and some not so good ones.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - If you're like me, and thought the first Chronicles of Narnia was utter trash, you couldn't have been more appalled at the idea of a sequel. This film is really just a repeat of the first movie, but with more of the 'Jesus Kitty' overtones.
VERDICT: SKIP IT

The Day the Earth Stood Still - Just in time for the remake's release next week comes a 2-disc version of the 1951 classic. If you're reading this dad, I think I know something you'ld like for christmas....
VERDICT: BUY IT

The Longshots - There are about three different stories you can have for a sports movie. 1.Team isn't good, so they get a good coach, team becomes good. 2. Team goes to the championship and wins/loses. 3. A girl/animal wants to play the sport. If you've seen one you've seen them all.
VERDICT: SKIP IT

Step Brothers - I really enjoyed this movie, even though in my opinion Will Farrell's best movies are the ones like Elf and Stranger than Fiction. You can get it in single (rated and unrated) or 2-disc (unrated).
VERDICT: BUY IT

WANTED - Don't listen to what people tell you when they say that this movie was a Matrix clone, though in some aspects it is. Wanted has a certain charisma to it that is seldom found in modern action films. It is at least worth a single viewing if not the purchase.
VERDICT: RENT IT, BUY IT IF ENJOYED

The X-Files: I Want to Believe - Now I've never really seen the X-files tv show (something I intend on doing very soon), but I really enjoyed this movie. I know a lot of fans of the show and they enjoyed it too, so its very possible that you would like it too. That is if you're into X-fileish stuff.
VERDICT: BUY IT

Updates all around!

It's been a while since I updated so I thought I would include a post to cover all types of movie news.

New Moon - Yes the Twilight sequel got greenlit, and it even starts filming in March, but do most people care? Not really.

Wolverine - A photo has emerged of the character Gambit in the Upcoming Wolverine film. Here you go: http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=50901

The Hobbit - If you didn't know Guillermo Del Toro is directing The Hobbit and a second undisclosed Lord of the Rings related movie, and he recently said in an interview they will be filming the movies over the course of 370 days. Which still doesn't top Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut schedule of 400 days, and that was just one movie.

Prequel news - Apparently they're working on a prequel to Planet of the Apes I can't help but wonder if its the OG Planet or the Tim Burton travesty of recent memory. There is also a Direct to DVD prequel to Smokin' Aces in the works, which could actually be quite good if the rumors that it focuses on the Tremor Brothers are true.

Its been pretty quiet this week in Movie news, more as more develops.

11/25 DVD Releases

If you thought this theatrical weekend was boring, just wait until you see the line up for tomorrow's home video releases.

Fred Claus - Again, a Christmas movie from last year being released on DVD now (because no one would have bought it if it came out in June). This movie could have worked if it was made in one way. That way being that Fred Claus (Santa's Brother) tried to kill Santa, and the movie was as bloody and violent as possible. Much to the dismay of myself and my coworkers the movie isn't like this at all. The things it has going for it though is a very good cast, too bad the poorly thought out script doesn't deliver a worth while film.
VERDICT: SKIP IT

Space Chimps - The chances are very high that you never even heard of this movie because it came out the same day as The Dark Knight and I know (99%) of you guys were all like "ZOMG THE DARK KNIGHT IS THE BEST MOVIEEEEEE EEVERRRRRRRRRRRR BUT I CHANGE FAVORITE MOVIES EVER YEAR SO ITS OKAY" but just so you know this probably isn't worth seeing anyway since it wasn't made by Pixar.
VERDICT: SKIP IT

Hancock - I never saw this movie and frankly I don't really have to since the commercials for the DVD are GIVING AWAY THE ENDING (Amirite?). Plus when I saw the trailer for the first time I called the ending, and I was right. Plus it doesn't help this movie in my case if it was supposed to be a hardcore R rated flick but they turned it into Will Smith brings the family in for rip roaring good time.
VERDICT: RENT IT if you must, I would reccomend the UNRATED cut of the film being released since its closer to what this movie SHOULD have been.

Meet Dave - Must I say anything at all about this Eddie Murphy fiasco?
VERDICT: SKIP IT

Writers Stirke version 2.0

Rumors of a second Writer's strike have basically come true, as the guild has gone to its members for support of a strike.

Prepare to have your TV shows gone....again....maybe.

A Boring weekend ahead.

This weekend only two films come out into theaters. Twilight and the new Disney flick Bolt.

Twilight - If you're a guy, and you saw the preview for Twilight in the theater, and you thought "That actually looks pretty good". THEY'RE TRICKING YOU. They took every action scene from the film and put it into that 90 second spot so that men would think, maybe its not all about lovey doveys. Before you say "Oh but Spencer its got vampires in it, it might be cool."

WRONG. You want to see a cool vampire movie? Salem's Lot is a cool vampire movie. From Dusk 'til Dawn is a cool vampire movie. Blade & Blade II are cool vampire movies, and 30 Days of Night is a GREAT vampire movie.

If you want vampires you're going to see Twilight for the wrong reason.

I know it will take a little while for the Twilight phase to die out, and that day cannot come any sooner.

Bolt - The new Disney animated movie (in 3D!) is also being released. The only draw back to this movie is that Miley Cyrus (another worldwide fascination I'm still trying to understand).

Personally I'd rather sit in an auditorium full of children to watch a movie than a bunch of giggly fan girls, so if you want my pick of what to see this weekend, It's Bolt.

11/18 DVD releases

and Yes it is 11/19, sorry for the delay.

Wall-e - Considered by many (yours truely included) to be one of the best, if not the best, films of the year. This Disney/Pixar movie is incredible on so many levels, and should be viewed by EVERYONE. Don't make up a dumb excuse for not watching it, your manhood cannot be threatened by watching an animated film. Grow up. The DVD comes in a single disc, and 3-disc format. The 3 disc is actually false advertising since the 3rd disc is actually just a digital copy of the movie, so you can watch it on your iPod.
Verdict: BUY IT

Tropic Thunder - I still have yet to see this movie that many people thought was the funniest film of the year (which would be hard to beat for me, since I saw Hamlet 2). The movie has had great reviews, and does show promise.
Verdict: RENT IT

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 - Did you like the first one? If yes you can buy this DVD, if No politely skip and move on.
VERDICT: SKIP IT

Thats all for new releases this week, stay tuned for more!

Happy Feet......2?

It pains me to tell you that their making a sequel to the monstrosity that is Happy Feet.

We can only take so much of tap dancing/sexual innuendo from everyone's favorite arctic bird.

Quantum of Solace

As the majority of people did this weekend, I went to see the new Bond flick. I grew up watching James Bond films, and didn't actually see Casino Royale until about 2 months ago. I thought CR was a very mediocre James Bond film, but a fantastic action movie.

If you've seen CR you should expect nothing less than the same kind of formula for this movie. That formula goes something like this (Over Extended action sequences with minimal results + a not sinister/memorable villain + Daniel Craig).

Quantum of Solace uses this exact same formula as CR, but it does have one thing going for it. Olga Kurylenko. She is one of the most beautiful actresses around today, and isn't too shabby at actually acting. The movie tries to dazzle audiences with exotic locations and giant stunts, but fails to come up with a plot worth watching.

I'm okay with Daniel Craig playing Bond now. I used to have problems with it, but he's proved that he can handle the role to me. I'm actually very excited about Bond 23 now, since it won't be a direct sequel, and I think it has the potential to be one of the best Bond films ever.

Monopoly....THE MOVIE?

Though it doesn't seem completely unrealistic to have a movie based on a board game (Clue actually kinda worked), but how are you going to make a movie about Monopoly?

Pamela Pettler (Corpse Bride, Monster House) is penning the screenplay for Sir Ridley Scott to direct the "adaptation". Though this isn't nearly as mind boggling as the Facebook movie that is set to come out in the near future.

What will be the next unconventional adaptation to a film?

K-mart the movie? Operation the movie?


http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=50450

"Based on a True Story" How to guarantee your movie makes money

We've all seen the taglines for horror movies that say it. "Based on a true story" or "Inspired by Actual Events", and normally we go in the theater believing it. But how true are these true stories?

Some movies that have used this box office ploy before:

• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
• Hostel
• The Strangers
• The Amityville Horror
• The Exorcism of Emily Rose
  

Chances are if you've seen these movies and kept the idea in your head you might have believed it. Let's try and settle these stories for those of you that are confused.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - TCM is loosely based on the serial murderer Ed Gein, who also served as inspiration for the films Psycho's Norman Bates and Silence of the Lambs' Buffalo Bill. In truth the only similarities in TCM to Mr. Gein are that Ed Gein made a suit out of skin, and Leatherface does the same but with a mask. Also canabalism is a shared theme.

Hostel - Director Eli Roth has said the idea for this came from a website he saw where you could "pay $10,000 and go into a room and shoot someone in the head". He still says he doesn't know if the website was real, and it has since disapeared.

The Strangers - This movie is based on actually a few different events molded into one. One of which is a murder case which has never (and sadly may never) be solved. The other involves an experiance had by writer/director Bryan Bertino, in which a stranger (huhu) came to his and asked for someone that wasn't there.

The Amityville Horror- TAH is based on a book, which is based on supposed hauntings in a house where a mass murder occured. This case is one of the most debated.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose - This film is based on the story of Anneliese Michel, a girl who died after several unsuccesful attempts to cure her from "demonic possesion".

After reading this you should think twice about how truthful a horror movie is being to its basis after you see it.

11/11 DVD releases

Some of this summers best films are being released tomorrow and one of the worst. Here they are:

Kung Fu Panda - This movie was one of the best animated films of the summer, and didn't rely to heavily on any one character to bring the jokes. This one was actually released yesterday, but I'm sure no stores are sold out yet.
Verdict: BUY IT

Hellboy II: The Golden Army - I liked this movie, I thought it was a great way to continue the Hellboy story arc and keep it feeling fresh. It doesn't rely to much on the previous movie so it follows the succesful sequel code (more of the same + up the ante + a few new things = great sequel). The movie is getting s a 3-Disc edition loaded with bonus features for you, because who doesn't love hearing Guillermo Del Toro talk (even though you have NO idea what he's saying)
Verdict: BUY IT

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - This is one of those special movies in which you don't have to see it to know just how bad it is. Obsessive Star Wars fans might feel the need to purchase it, but that should be the only case.
Verdict: SKIP IT

Spielberg set to Remake Oldboy

Yes you read that correctly, the movie that is #117 on the IMDB top 250 is getting an American remake. If you're like me and have seen the Korean film Oldboy, you don't want any greedy unoriginal Hollywood producer getting his nasty hands on a remake. Now for me this comes as even more of a downer because I despise Steven Spielberg. My hatred for him isn't the point of this blog though, the point is what a stupid idea this project is.

The worst part about Spielberg wanting to do this remake? He wants Will "Gettin' Jiggy with it" Smith to play the lead character. That is right. The guy that couldn't even make Robert Neville seem tough is set to play one of the most violent characters in recent cinema.

Granted there are some things that should be remade (yea I said it), but not things that actually have a strong following and were only made a few years ago. Just because something is from a different country as America doesn't mean people shouldn't watch it. Does the population hate reading so much that they won't even go see a foreign film?

Now before you jump on my case because The Departed was a remake of Infernal Affairs, and since The Departed won Best Picture, let me say this. The Departed and Infernal Affairs were so different you almost couldn't tell it was a remake. There is NO WAY to remake Oldboy and change it like they changed Infernal Affairs.


http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=50332

November 7th theatrical releases

Tomorrow marks the first weekend of November, and November marks the beginning of Christmas fever. When people realize that Christmas music is playing on the radio, they have the urge to spend more money, and going to the movies is no exception. Openings this week are:

Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa- I enjoy cartoon/animated films (something not to be confused with kid movies, they’re entirely different things). Granted I’ve only seen a few parts of the first Madagascar, and found the only enjoyable part to be the penguins, but there is something about this movie that looks like it will have the exact same formula to it: B/C list celebrities voice animals + hysterical penguins + horrid animation = mediocre animated movie.

Role Models- A product of one of the funniest members of the Apatow crew, Paul Rudd stars in a movie written by himself and childhood friend David Wain (also directs). Sean William-Scott makes a comeback to sex-comedy (since the last thing I saw him in was Southland Tales, I liked it, so send me your hate mail). The early reviews coming back are decent enough to warrant a viewing, at the very least a wait til DVD.

Soul Men- By now we’re all familiar with watching an actor we know to be dead on the screen (RIP Heath Ledger), but now comes a project from the recently deceased Bernie Mac. Mac stars with Samuel L. Jackson (insert your own Sam Jackson is in everything joke here) as they take on the roles of former musicians who have decided to go on a farewell tour of sort. The movie doesn’t look promising, and isn’t Bernie Mac’s last starring role so you can not feel guilty about skipping it.

RIP Michael Crichton

Growing up I was one of those kids that was fascinated with dinosaurs. So naturally as a child when Jurassic Park came out, I was ecstatic. Well a few years passed, I started middle school, and discovered a lot of films I liked were based on books (Jurassic Park, 2001, Planet of the Apes). So I read these books.

Michael Crichton was the author of Jurassic Park, and its sequel The Lost World. After I read Jurassic Park, and realized how vastly superior the book was to the film, I began to journey through the rest of his novels. Michael Crichton was a staple in my appreciation for novels, and he was essential in the creation of one of the most technologically advanced movies of its time.

Though many of the adaptations of his works were never as similar to the books as fans could hope, Crichton was still an efficient story teller.

RIP Michael Crichton (1942 - 2008)
Your work in literature and films will never be forgotten.

2008 has not been a good year to famous people, as another great person has been taken.

Election Day DVD releases

If you vote that's great, if you don't that's your choice, but here is a list of some DVDs coming out that you should keep in mind while you go out to vote.

Get Smart - The Steve Carell movie based on the old tv show, which I never saw, is being released in single and 2 disc formats. I would think this movie is only a purchase if you were a big time fan.

Verdict: Rent it if you must see it, purchase only if a fan.

The Perfect Holiday - The Queen Latifah Christmas movie from last year is finally making it on home video.

Verdict: Skip it.

Waterworld: Extended Edition - Do we really want to see more from this movie?

Verdict: Skip it.

Kevin Smith made a Porno, and you should see it.

Fans of Kevin Smith will be pleased to know that he has once again, delivered. Granted this isn’t a View Askew movie, which is what everyone knows him for, but only his second foray into stepping out of that box. I’m going to put myself on the edge here and say I liked Jersey Girl, and will take whatever excuses you throw at me (my email is in my profile). Zach and Miri make a Porno creates a type of atmosphere that all people are familiar with the “Just a friend (of the opposite sex)”. Smith uses his realistic banter and perfect casting to bring the film from what people consider Smith’s “Potty mouth” humor to a more touching feel along the lines of Chasing Amy.

People that have no idea what View Askew is or have never seen a Kevin Smith movie (a feat a find unimaginable), but are considering seeing this film anyway should be aware three things. 1. This is a vulgar film, if you can’t tell by the title which has been banned from advertising in some cities due to the word “porno”. It does feature nudity, and a lot of the routinely accepted dialogue from Smith’s films. 2. This is NOT a Judd Apatow movie. The fear my brother and I had about this film was people would make a guess like this “Seth Rogen + sex comedy + movie about amateur porn = Product of Apatow”. Granted these are just fears of complete film nerds but you should still not make such an assumption, and we’ve worked at a movie theater I know what stupid connections people make to movies. 3. It was originally rated NC-17. This movie originally received the black spot of film ratings, but was changed in the appeals process of the MPAA. Now I’m all for someone beating the tyrannical Nazi system that is the Motion Picture Association of America, but there were minimal cuts made to the cut of the film you will see from the “NC-17 cut” of the movie. Now if you trust the MPAA, as apparently most parents do, this could dissuade you.

There are some reasons that people are contemplating not seeing this movie or seeing the movie that are completely ridiculous, as opposed to the ones listed above. 1. “I like Kevin Smith, but I don’t like Seth Rogen”. Okay, you like Kevin Smith (and I’m going to assume part of it is his dialogue) who writes very naughty jokes, but you hate Seth Rogen who also writes but acts out dirty jokes. These two compliment each other’s talents in a way that is almost unheard of in modern cinema. 2. “It has porn in the title, so they will show the porn.” If you want to see porn, don’t pay money to come to a theater to watch people make it.

Fans of Silent Bob’s movies will love the movie and the laughter doesn’t stop from start to finish. This is one of Kevin Smith’s funniest movies, which proves he can write beyond his New Jersey universe. The people that consider Superbad the pinnacle of contemporary American comedy, really need a lesson.

I present Exhibit A.

Casting changes in Iron Man 2

For those of you that saw Iron Man at the start of this summer, you're probably anxiously waiting on its follow-up (along with The Avengers movie). But if you haven't heard, there have been some minor changes to the cast in Iron Man 2.

Terrance Howard who played James "Rhodey" Roads has been replaced by Don Cheadle.

While there isn't a full understanding of why Howard was let go, a few whispers have been picked up. One such rumor is that Terrance Howard was the highest paid actor on the film, apparently he made more money than Robert Downey Jr. A second rumor is that the director, Jon Favreau, and the producers were not happy with Howard's performance in the film, and had to cut around it to make it fit what they wanted.

It's not like this is a terrible loss though, they dropped one award winner and picked up another one. Even if Terrance Howard was still in the film I would be excited about it, but I think I find myself more excited about War Machine with Cheadle in the suit.

Sequels are important

There are two reasons that movie studios decide to make sequels: the films were envisioned as a series or they (the studio) REALLY wants some money. Easily the most referenced sequel machine in recent days is Lionsgate’s Saw franchise. Granted as these films continue to be created they’re becoming more and more for the fans (as they’ve NEVER been about how well they’re received by critics). Every Halloween when the next Saw movie comes out, I always hear people say things like “Well I’ve only seen the first two, should I go see this one?” The Saw films depend on each installment before them to continue the plot of the series, so without viewing the previous films you could be quite lost if you skip ahead.

Which brings me to the point of this post: Why would you go see a movie in a series that you haven’t seen all of the other installments for? Or for that matter, agree to review one of these films under those circumstances? Imagine seeing Pirates of the Caribbean 2, without having seen the first one or seeing the first Harry Potter movie and then jumping to the fourth Harry Potter movie.

If one of your friends wanted to see The Return of the King without seeing the other Lord of the Rings films, and you had seen all of them….why would you let your friend do that? Film series should be viewed as a whole, unless the original creators don’t consider something canon to their story (Example: The Book Wicked to The Wizard of Oz series). Even under those circumstances the creation should still be viewed in its own right as a story.

No official sequel should be left out by a viewer just because they didn’t see it/like it.