Since we are closing in on 2009, I hereby make my New Year's Resolution to write everyday on my blog. I promise you. With that, I got a chance to browse through some of the trailers for the new movies coming out next year and came across the one for Terminator Salvation. I must say...I am pretty pumped for this movie.
I was huge fan of the first two Terminator movies and the TV show spin-off is starting to slowly grow me on. The third Terminator I think should have never been made and Arnold should not have come back for that. It was a good action movie yes, but no where near the caliber of the first two. I think Arnold should have waited to come back for this one; although, from what I've seen in the trailer, I think Arnold would actually take away from the film.
I'm not saying that I like this movie just because I'm a Christian Bale fan even thought him being in it does add to my opinion. I, for one, think Christian Bale is the bomb. I really dig his acting, and his portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Nolan's resurrected Batman franchise has just solidified in my mind how awesome he is. I do not know why he was not in these Terminator films earlier, but nevertheless he is in the fourth one.
I think this movie can have it all based on the trailer, action, suspense, some bad ass acting. I am really looking forward to this movie. I'm back in the Terminator-feel with this film.
"I understand now what I would have to become to defeat men like him."
~Bruce Wayne/Batman
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Saw V: Yah or Nah?
I know it has been a while since I have posted, been busy with the job and all. But I will make a conscience effort to make sure that I post everyday for here on out. With that being said, I got a chance to go to the movies for first time since Dark Knight this weekend with my girlfriend. The movie of choice...Saw V. That's right, you know that it is Halloween time when the boys from LionsGate and Twisted Pictures dish out their latest in this horror franchise. My girlfriend and I happen to be very big fans of these films; so, you can expect that we were very much looking foward to seeing this movie.
So, when the ending credits rolled, there was only one word that came to mind: disappointed. I went into this movie having such high expectations and with the hopes that most of the questions that were left unanswered in the fourth one would be answered. Needless to say, nothing really was answered, but let me start from the beginning.
From a tone and cinematography stand point, I thought David Hackl's debut was spot on. I thought he really captured that essence of the previous films. With each shot, you knew that you were watching a Saw movie. Although, there were some instances where you knew there was somebody new behind the camera than the other films but in a way it did the film some justice.
Now for the story itself. I was hoping to be blown away with this film, and boy was I wrong. The only thing this film answered was how Hoffman began to help Jigsaw which is what I was expecting. But come on, there is soooo much more that needs to be addressed in this franchise. I, for one, need to know JUST EXACTLY WHAT IS JILL'S ROLE IN THE WHOLE THING!!! You know that she has to know something. They build her up to possibly have such a big role in the franchise and then her screen time in the fifth one is equal to her screen time in the third one. This needs to be answered in the sixth...no questions asked.
Another thing that the writers need to address is Kerry's backstory with the FBI. You know that something else went on before the fourth that needs to shown. You can't just say that a major character through the first three films was helping the FBI and just dropped after the fourth one. You need to continue on that, there can be some good scenes with that that can help make some sense of the "bigger picture" as Jigsaw would say it.
I need to address the "twists" of this one. (WARNING: If you have not seen the movie, please do not read any further.) Coming into the film, I had read a few interviews with the director and he said that there would be two major twists in the whole film. Well, I'm still waiting for them. Strahm discovering that everyone involved in the Jigsaw case was meant to die in order to make Hoffman look like the hero was "eh." It does tie together why those particular characters were important, but I think the writers could have come up with something a little bit better.
The one twist I did like was Hoffman killing Seth in the beginning, under the notion that it was Jigsaw who did it. I was totally under the notion that Seth was a Jigsaw picked victim and it was just Hoffman carrying out the game. I was surprised to see that Hoffman set it up to make it look like a Jigsaw murder. That was cool in my book.
The whole 5-person game lack build-up but by the time we got to the end and learned what connected them all together I wanted more. Their connection was burning down the house from Saw 2 with the 8 people in it. They even had Strahm walk through the house at the end of the movie, looking much nicer than it did in Saw 2. I wanted more back story on this whole connection. I mean I have an idea but that's just my idea, I need concert facts baby. Really hope this gets explored more in the sixth one.
And finally we come to the end twist which I was really disappointed with. Hoffman just lying in the glass box from Saw 4 and watching Strahm get crushed to death...what kind of ending was that. I truly couldn't believe how it ended. I was expecting so much more from this ending. What would have really made the ending to the fifth one a great one would be to have played the autospy scene again. I say this because you would think that the fifth one happens after the autospy scene but that's never confirmed once in the entire film. I think by replaying this scene would have set up very nicely for the sixth and final installment.
Overall, I did enjoy the movie, but on the grander scale of things I was hoping for so much more and it was just missing something that I needed this film to have. Oh well, I guess I will have to wait until next Halloween to see how it all ends.
"You think it is over, but the games have just begun."
~Jigsaw/John Kramer
So, when the ending credits rolled, there was only one word that came to mind: disappointed. I went into this movie having such high expectations and with the hopes that most of the questions that were left unanswered in the fourth one would be answered. Needless to say, nothing really was answered, but let me start from the beginning.
From a tone and cinematography stand point, I thought David Hackl's debut was spot on. I thought he really captured that essence of the previous films. With each shot, you knew that you were watching a Saw movie. Although, there were some instances where you knew there was somebody new behind the camera than the other films but in a way it did the film some justice.
Now for the story itself. I was hoping to be blown away with this film, and boy was I wrong. The only thing this film answered was how Hoffman began to help Jigsaw which is what I was expecting. But come on, there is soooo much more that needs to be addressed in this franchise. I, for one, need to know JUST EXACTLY WHAT IS JILL'S ROLE IN THE WHOLE THING!!! You know that she has to know something. They build her up to possibly have such a big role in the franchise and then her screen time in the fifth one is equal to her screen time in the third one. This needs to be answered in the sixth...no questions asked.
Another thing that the writers need to address is Kerry's backstory with the FBI. You know that something else went on before the fourth that needs to shown. You can't just say that a major character through the first three films was helping the FBI and just dropped after the fourth one. You need to continue on that, there can be some good scenes with that that can help make some sense of the "bigger picture" as Jigsaw would say it.
I need to address the "twists" of this one. (WARNING: If you have not seen the movie, please do not read any further.) Coming into the film, I had read a few interviews with the director and he said that there would be two major twists in the whole film. Well, I'm still waiting for them. Strahm discovering that everyone involved in the Jigsaw case was meant to die in order to make Hoffman look like the hero was "eh." It does tie together why those particular characters were important, but I think the writers could have come up with something a little bit better.
The one twist I did like was Hoffman killing Seth in the beginning, under the notion that it was Jigsaw who did it. I was totally under the notion that Seth was a Jigsaw picked victim and it was just Hoffman carrying out the game. I was surprised to see that Hoffman set it up to make it look like a Jigsaw murder. That was cool in my book.
The whole 5-person game lack build-up but by the time we got to the end and learned what connected them all together I wanted more. Their connection was burning down the house from Saw 2 with the 8 people in it. They even had Strahm walk through the house at the end of the movie, looking much nicer than it did in Saw 2. I wanted more back story on this whole connection. I mean I have an idea but that's just my idea, I need concert facts baby. Really hope this gets explored more in the sixth one.
And finally we come to the end twist which I was really disappointed with. Hoffman just lying in the glass box from Saw 4 and watching Strahm get crushed to death...what kind of ending was that. I truly couldn't believe how it ended. I was expecting so much more from this ending. What would have really made the ending to the fifth one a great one would be to have played the autospy scene again. I say this because you would think that the fifth one happens after the autospy scene but that's never confirmed once in the entire film. I think by replaying this scene would have set up very nicely for the sixth and final installment.
Overall, I did enjoy the movie, but on the grander scale of things I was hoping for so much more and it was just missing something that I needed this film to have. Oh well, I guess I will have to wait until next Halloween to see how it all ends.
"You think it is over, but the games have just begun."
~Jigsaw/John Kramer
Monday, September 29, 2008
Where you stand in Politics
I was having a conversation with my dad during dinner tonight and the topic of the election came up. The conversation had started after I had brought up the fact that the $700 billion bail-out was not passed. This began the discussion about taxes and the stances of both McCain and Obama.
The way my dad explained it is that Obama wants to tax people who earn more than $250,000 income a year more than those who don't. I immediately replied that "isn't that communism?" He came back with yes. Now, if you ask anyone who knows me, politics is not my number one choice for a conversation, but I actually found myself really engaged in this conversation with my dad. I don't know if it is because I am growing up (yes, we growing up, funny fact) or because of everything that just happened in the stock market, but I've never been into a political conversation like I was tonight.
While my dad is die-hard Republican, I on the other hand am still trying to first understand both sides' policies and views before I make a decision on who I will vote for. I guess I finally realized that everyone is affected by who we elect to put into office. I think I just wanted to know more about the people on the ballot than I have in the past. I guess this is just part of becoming a full-fledged grown-up.
"Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today."
~James Dean
The way my dad explained it is that Obama wants to tax people who earn more than $250,000 income a year more than those who don't. I immediately replied that "isn't that communism?" He came back with yes. Now, if you ask anyone who knows me, politics is not my number one choice for a conversation, but I actually found myself really engaged in this conversation with my dad. I don't know if it is because I am growing up (yes, we growing up, funny fact) or because of everything that just happened in the stock market, but I've never been into a political conversation like I was tonight.
While my dad is die-hard Republican, I on the other hand am still trying to first understand both sides' policies and views before I make a decision on who I will vote for. I guess I finally realized that everyone is affected by who we elect to put into office. I think I just wanted to know more about the people on the ballot than I have in the past. I guess this is just part of becoming a full-fledged grown-up.
"Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today."
~James Dean
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Change in direction
I know that I haven't written anything in a week because I have been thinking about changing the direction of my blog. Originally I had the expectation of writing news and information in the Film/TV industry. And then I had a conversation with my girlfriend about how bad her gym is where she is going to school. This got me to think...this would be a great idea for a blog (actually it was her idea).
So, I have decided to revamp my blog and titled "What You Notice In a Day." The focus will now be on just occurrences in everyday that either anger, make you pay attention to, or simply something that is interesting. As much as I like movies, I know that I keep a lot of things that I notice during the day inside, and what better place to let it all out than on my blog.
So, I have decided to revamp my blog and titled "What You Notice In a Day." The focus will now be on just occurrences in everyday that either anger, make you pay attention to, or simply something that is interesting. As much as I like movies, I know that I keep a lot of things that I notice during the day inside, and what better place to let it all out than on my blog.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
World Championship of....Movie Watching?
I was just reading an article and Netflix is apparently hosting the Movie Watching World Championship in Times Square. The rules for the contest are that contestants are required to to watch films non-stop without averting their eyes from the screen for as long as possible. You can sit, stand or stretch during the movie but your eyes cannot be taken off the screen. The contestants are given 10 minute breaks to do what they have to, but for the most part they are simply sitting in front of the screen, watching movies. The winner receives $10,000, and a lifetime subscription to Netflix. To make the victory even sweeter, the Guinness Book of World Records will be on hand to see if the world record for movie watching (currently standing at 120 hours and 23 minutes) can be beaten.
I thought I have seen it all, but I think this may top the cake. A world championship for watching movies? This will make every film buffs dream come true. I almost feel like people may think this would be the easiest $ 10 grand you would make. Yet, I think that this would be a lot harder that one would think. I mean I love watching movies, I could watch movies all day, but to watch movies for 120 straight hours? Even I think that would be quite challenging, and the fact that you can avert your eyes from the screen makes everything even more difficult.
Being an aficionado of movies, you need to be at the top of your movie-watching game in order to even come close to breaking that record. Obviously I would assume that person who lasts the longest would be considered the winner but still if you are in a contest with a world record, almost every one's initial goal is to beat that record. It will be interesting to see how this contest pans out.
"Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Most men just want to watch the world burn."
~Alfred Pennyworth
I thought I have seen it all, but I think this may top the cake. A world championship for watching movies? This will make every film buffs dream come true. I almost feel like people may think this would be the easiest $ 10 grand you would make. Yet, I think that this would be a lot harder that one would think. I mean I love watching movies, I could watch movies all day, but to watch movies for 120 straight hours? Even I think that would be quite challenging, and the fact that you can avert your eyes from the screen makes everything even more difficult.
Being an aficionado of movies, you need to be at the top of your movie-watching game in order to even come close to breaking that record. Obviously I would assume that person who lasts the longest would be considered the winner but still if you are in a contest with a world record, almost every one's initial goal is to beat that record. It will be interesting to see how this contest pans out.
"Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Most men just want to watch the world burn."
~Alfred Pennyworth
Monday, September 15, 2008
His Gift is Life....through the Art of Torture
I'm pretty sure that I may be the only person who is excited about Saw V coming out at the end of October. I feel like the first two in this series help rejuvenate the horror franchise by not only giving you that element of horror but throwing in the mystery surrounding the entire story of Jigsaw. However, with the third and fourth installments in the franchise, viewers may be getting tired of seeing the same old torture to teach a lesson.
However, that is truly what I like about this franchise. The violence and gore in these movies is not just for the sake of doing "blood and guts." It all plays into Jigsaw's message about truly appreciating your life and making sure that you do not take life for granted. It is very rare that a horror movie will have this kind of theme attached to it.
Despite the fact that these movies seem to be fading amongst movie-goers, I, for one, am excited to see what the writers have planned for the fifth and sixth installments. Personally, the fourth was lacking a bit in the story development as well as some continuity. Yet, I do think that it accomplished what it set out to do, bridge the gap from the third and set the stage for the final two films.
The producers say that this fifth one will revisit much of what made the first one so successful, and I am excited to see what this one will bring to the table.
"Time is an illusion that cannot be given."
~Jigsaw
However, that is truly what I like about this franchise. The violence and gore in these movies is not just for the sake of doing "blood and guts." It all plays into Jigsaw's message about truly appreciating your life and making sure that you do not take life for granted. It is very rare that a horror movie will have this kind of theme attached to it.
Despite the fact that these movies seem to be fading amongst movie-goers, I, for one, am excited to see what the writers have planned for the fifth and sixth installments. Personally, the fourth was lacking a bit in the story development as well as some continuity. Yet, I do think that it accomplished what it set out to do, bridge the gap from the third and set the stage for the final two films.
The producers say that this fifth one will revisit much of what made the first one so successful, and I am excited to see what this one will bring to the table.
"Time is an illusion that cannot be given."
~Jigsaw
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The Dark Knight Returns....sort of
I was reading this article today, and it was explaining that Warner Bros. has decided to re-release The Dark Knight sometime in January. I, for one, think that this could be a very smart move for the studio. My reasoning is two-fold. The first part is to keep the movie fresh in not only us the viewers, but in the minds of the award committee members. Let's think about it, the movie came out in July 2008, the Oscars are not until mid to late 2009. As much as the movie was a success, the one thing holding it back from making an impact at the Oscars is the original release date. By having the movie re-released in January, you give the voters another chance to see it, and they can truly appreciate how great the movie as a whole really is. With this re-release, the movie will be fresh in the minds of these committee members when voting comes around.
The second part is that with this re-release the movie can be the odds-on favorite to surpass Titanic as the highest grossing movie of all time. I did like Titanic but come on, The Dark Knight blew the movie out of the water. It had everything you can ask for in a summer blockbuster: action, suspense, humor, incredible acting, a great story. I was absolutely blown away at how well-made of a movie this was.
Only time will tell how this move fairs for both the studio and the movie itself.
"It's not about the money...it's about sending a message."
~The Joker aka Heath Ledger (RIP)
The second part is that with this re-release the movie can be the odds-on favorite to surpass Titanic as the highest grossing movie of all time. I did like Titanic but come on, The Dark Knight blew the movie out of the water. It had everything you can ask for in a summer blockbuster: action, suspense, humor, incredible acting, a great story. I was absolutely blown away at how well-made of a movie this was.
Only time will tell how this move fairs for both the studio and the movie itself.
"It's not about the money...it's about sending a message."
~The Joker aka Heath Ledger (RIP)
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
The Beat Sheet Has Started
Just a newbie in the world of blogging. The Beat Sheet will give anyone who wants to know some of the scope and/or gossip in the world of movies or TV. I also just may throw my opinions in there as well, stir up the pot of debate.
I studied film in college, so rest assure I do have knowledge on the subject as well as watch as much movies and TV that I can possibly fit into one 24-hour period. So don't worry, I will give you my personal take on say how JJ Abrams plans to end LOST in 2010 or how Christopher Nolan plans to top himself after The Dark Knight grossed close to $500 million dollars at the box office this summer.
All that and more can be found right here at...The Beat Sheet.
"Watch the behaviour of the actors"
~JJ Abrams
I studied film in college, so rest assure I do have knowledge on the subject as well as watch as much movies and TV that I can possibly fit into one 24-hour period. So don't worry, I will give you my personal take on say how JJ Abrams plans to end LOST in 2010 or how Christopher Nolan plans to top himself after The Dark Knight grossed close to $500 million dollars at the box office this summer.
All that and more can be found right here at...The Beat Sheet.
"Watch the behaviour of the actors"
~JJ Abrams
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