The Lucky One Review: Meh

Is Nicholas Sparks' The Lucky One Worth a Trip to the Theater?

"When will they stop seeing me as a pretty boy?" Never Zac...never

For longtime Nick Sparks' fans, this will probably be a nice outing. If you aren't a fan of dramatic chick-flicks with cliche plot elements, then this is probably not for you.

Star Trek 2 Villain

Who Will Benedict Cumberbatch be Playing in Star Trek 2?

Warning: this article contains mild character spoilers.

Prometheus: Better than Avatar

Ridley Scott's Return to the Alien Franchise Looks to be the Prettiest Girl at the Ball

And will also eat your face off

Prometheus is the spin-off/prequel to the Alien saga, and we're going to take a look at the engaging story-line, the excellent cast, and above all, the insanely good visuals. Remember James Cameron's Avatar from 2009? This is a lot like that, only a lot different and much better. So really nothing like it at all...

Adult Comedies for Summer 2012

Love. What flick will be this year's Bridesmaids?

Sometimes, superheroes and mindless action flicks can be a bit boring. Step in the comedies. The summer of 2012 doesn't only feature films for the action junky, the geeks, or the kids. Yes, sometimes a movie-goer just needs to get out there and have a good laugh. Or rather an adult laugh...

Hurry to me...

While the films for the kids can be just as fun, sometimes the grown-ups need a night out. Instead of doing the same boring romance, try going for a silly film that's just a bit uncouth (or rather.... quite uncouth). Or if you're just straight up bored with the typical summer fair, these comedies should prove appealing.

Even though none of them project to be big box office draws, adult comedies are holding up surprisingly well in the last few years. While there doesn't seem to be a film that quite matches last year's Bridesmaids, a lineup of the latest romp with Sacha Baron Cohen, a horror-comedy, a talented comedy crew, a stoner flick, a Will Ferrell flick, and so many more.

Separate side note, looking up "adult" anything on Google just isn't that fun... sigh.

Now, let's take a look at these comedies, specifically for the "mature" (well, mature-ish). And don't worry, all the trailers below are Green Band. If you want the Red Band stuff, look it up yourself.

Fear the 48fps? Or Embrace It...?

I'm using it. What ya gonna do 'bout it? NUTHIN'!

When it was announced by Peter Jackson, that The Hobbit, Part I (HA! YOU HAVE TO BUY TWO TICKETS) is going to be shot in 48fps, film elitists went nuts. Normal people said, "Oh, cool, The Hobbit!" Still others said, "What?"

If you fall into the latter category, don't worry, the film jargon 48fps vs. 24fps vs. a ludicrous 60fps all means that one is the industry standard (24fps), one allows smoother movement (48fps), and the other features ridiculous fluidity (60fps). Well, just take a look at this visual comparison of the three. It should be noted that there is not 24fps and instead 30fps because once the film has been converted to video, it pretty much becomes 30fps (or rather... 29.97...). Just don't worry about it.

Their Rider? James Cameron. Obvi.

As Ben explained in his post about The Hobbit, Jackson's move to 48fps was a mixed bag, at best. Some saw it as the best thing since machines that sliced your bread for you, while others saw this as the 7th sign of the apocalypse (the other 6? ...all James Cameron).

Jolly, Giant Jackson's defense of the 48fps was that it gave a smoother look to the film, as 24fps can be less clear especially during fast camera motion. Now, a smoother, clearer, non-blurry motion picture seems awesome, right? So, why is everyone freaking out?

Kid Flicks for the Summer

Every family needs a photo like this...

This one goes out to all those Moms and Dads that read our blog. And by that, I mean... our own...

...and never one like this. Ever.

When deciding whether to let your kid see a movie, you like to have options, no doubt. Granted, especially if you have a little tike, these options are limited. It seems that the main complaint for parents of young children (under 13) is that there just isn't a whole lot of films they feel comfortable letting their kids go to. Sex, over-the-top violence, adult content, etc. seems to be the main attraction when it comes to the summer blockbuster.

Have no fear! When you just want to escape the summer heat and enjoy a nice cold (non-alcoholic) beverage with some popcorn with your kids, these films have you covered. This goes to babysitters, too...

While many of the kiddie flicks out there seem... well, just that, grown-ups may be pleasantly surprised leaving the theaters after seeing some of these movies.......

Cannes Film Festival 2012: Films in Competition

50th Anniversary of the Death of Marilyn Monroe

While Cannes is usually packed full of foreign language films, there is a strong presence of films from the United States for the 2012 festival. With six entries to compete for the prestigious Palme d'Or (or Golden Palm), the United States has as many films in competition as they have in the last three years combined. The class of 2012 should probably thank their predecessors, at least a little bit.

Can I have one...? My birthday's coming up...

Cannes 2011 featured three films from the United States, and all three ended up not only making a huge impact on Cannes but also on later film festivals and competitions. While only two of the entries from the United States were in competition, Terrence Malick's trippy dino romp Tree of Life won the Palme d'Or. The other two highly regarded films were Drive directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (who also won Best Director at Cannes) and Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris (which unfortunately wasn't in the running for the top prize). While these three films lost some steam heading into the "big time" award shows (specifically the Oscars), all of them generated a whole lot of buzz. Drive was featured on the top of many critics' best films of the year lists; Woody Allen took home Best Original Screenplay awards at the Golden Globes and the Oscars for Paris, and Malick's film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography. 

Even though many of the films that are highly regarded at Cannes don't usually make big splashes in the mainstream award shows (seriously, have you even heard of 2010's winner? Doubtful. Fun to say though), 2012 features many films that should be major players in competitions to come. 

While Paul Thomas Anderson's highly anticipated film, The Master, or Malick's latest and untitled project will not be unveiled at Cannes, the film festival still is packing a ton of power. It's not only the films from the United States that are going to make a splash either...

Big Budgets, Even BIGGER Box Office Returns

Marvel's Ca$h Cow.

UPDATE: The official numbers are in and The Avengers's three day total is... $207,438,708. Numbers should be updated.

Apparently, it seems that everyone saw Marvel's latest smash hit, The Avengers. Well, everyone but me... Whoops. Joss Whedon's latest project was highly touted even before Marvel whispered about possibly bringing together the hodgepodge of Supers. I guess that hype helped, along with critical acclaim. Yes, The Avengers have HULK SMASHED Box Office weekend records with a, ready for it? A whopping $207,438,708.

$207.4 million. 

Not only am I cooler than you, but
I'm waaaay richer than you too.

Say it again. $207,438,708. In three days. Suddenly, that "awesome" desk job you have while making $80k a year don't sound so fun. Heck, I'm not even going to think about that money, as a college student...

Granted it's just an estimate and final figures won't come out until later today, but. Um. Wow. When The Avengers burst into theaters, it had the second best opening day ($80.5 million) only finishing behind Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows, Pt. II (which raked in $91 million). However, The Avengers surged ahead the last HP film by almost $32 million. Now, that's just silly.

Another silly thing: The Avengers has already grossed more than Thor, Captain America: First Avenger, and The Incredible Hulk. Again, did I mention The Avengers has only been out THREE DAYS? What. It will most likely pass Iron Man and Iron Man 2 in the next coming days, too, "only" needing $100 million more. 

With no real competition in the next coming weeks, The Avengers could be sitting atop the top spot of the box office for some time. Does Marvel's latest superhero romp have a chance to catch James Cameron's Avatar, as "The Richest Film Ever"? Short answer, yes.

The Hobbit in 48fps

Hello gorgeous.

There have been 27 posts since April 16, when YAMB was half-rebooted. Of those 27, 23 have been either superhero (mostly Avengers) or Hunger Games-related. Of the remaining 4, 2 were housekeeping, 1 was Oscar-related, and 1 was about Django Unchained. It's time for at least a little bit of a change.


Over the course of the past couple weeks, there's been some controversy regarding a private 10-minute screening of The Hobbit, part one of which is due out on December 14. Director Peter Jackson made a bold move in the filming process, deciding to shoot the film at 48fps (frames per second) as opposed to the standard 24fps. There have been strong reactions among those who were present at the screening in both directions - some think it's the best thing since sliced bread, and others think it's the worst innovation in cinematic history.

The Avengers Spoilers

SERIOUSLY GUYS, SPOILERS AHEAD

The city did actually collapse from their combined awesomeness....

This article is purely spoilers. If you're looking for our review, look no further. If you're interested in the financial success of this movie, check it out here. We aren't going to talk about the great quality of the story, the depth of the characters, the awesomeness of the effects, or the fact that this movie just made box-office history. Oh wait... Anyways, here's a list of some major spoilers from the movie, so if you haven't seen it yet, beware. Then again if you read the title and heading thus far and haven't seen it yet, I'm sure you're going to keep reading...

If you have seen the movie, this is a great place to discuss the spoilers and what they entail. What we might see in future installments, who we'll see in them, who we won't see in them. Stuff like that. Feel free to comment after reading! The fact that we only get one or two comments a week notwithstanding, we love to hear your views and opinions!

The Avengers Review: Updated Box Office

Step aside, Christopher Nolan

Earth's Mightiest Heroes: And the theater collapsed under the weight of their awesomeness, but then they saved everyone, and were amazing whilst doing it

After getting home, taking off my Spidey costume, and relaxing, I sat down to write this, and after going through a few drafts, still am not quite sure how to put everything I just saw into words.  I've read so many of the reviews, and I agree with all the good stuff, and disagree with all the bad stuff.  Some people say it feels like a TV movie, but it doesn't at all.  People say that a certain character stands out above the rest, but no one does.  Everyone gets their time in the sun.  This review will be (mostly) spoiler-free, but if you want to save yourself a few minutes of reading, just don't even read this.  Instead go to a theater now, and watch The Avengers.

The Dark Knight Rises: Who is John Blake? No Really...

Proving once again, JGL is cooler than you.

Even though the monstrosity and absolutely terrifying character, Bane, has been grabbing most of the headlines for The Dark Knight Rises, there are a multitude of characters who remain key pieces to the film. Not only do they seem vital, but their characters are new and supposedly not based on any character previously seen in Batman lore.

With the latest trailer released, certain characters are a bit more fleshed out, while others remain in the dark. When Nolan was in the midst of casting for The Dark Knight Rises, a flurry of rumors and people became attached to the finale of Nolan's Bats trilogy. They were ridiculous, over-the-top, and downright sad. Seriously, Cher? Miley Cyrus? Philip Seymour Hofman as the Penguin? Johnny Depp as The Riddler? Catwoman? Oh wait. (For the record, I no longer have a beef with Bane and Catwoman...)

Thankfully, that mayhem and madness is over. However, again, many of the characters who have been cast are suspiciously lacking backstory...

Seriously, WHO ARE YOU???

While we have more than enough news on Bane, Catwoman, and the returning cast (Bats/Bruce, Fox, Alfred, Gordon, etc.), other newcomers such as John Blake, Miranda Tate, Juno Temple's character, and a certain mad scientist. There may even be two returning characters, but again, their place in the film is yet to be determined.

Read on if you care to be a bit spoiled... They won't be major spoilers because, well, there's not a whole lot to spoil about the film, yet. Nolan and crew are keeping their baby under lock and key. Plus, some of the spoiler news have come from forums and other untrustworthy areas.

We'll be covering the likes of Catwoman, this Miranda Tate character, and many others in the coming weeks, but for now, on to the mysterious character that will be played by 500 Days of Summer actor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt...