Yet Another Movie Blog

Mindless Mumbling Musings: College Film Class

2011-12-12T22:06:00.002-05:00

Calvin College Media Production.

Well. The year is winding down, and I have neglected this blog hardcore...

It is not without reason, mind you! I have been working hard, well, okay, hard-ish on my college courses. Exams are this week, but after... freedom. And a tour to Asia with the Calvin College Capella Choir. Needless to say, I am looking forward to said tour.

But what exactly have I been doing in school, you wonder (you probably don't, but I'll tell ya anyway!)? What have I been doing?

Making movies.

Like this. But... not really.

Okay, that was way too dramatic.

Awhile back, I mentioned possibly starting an Education segment for this blog. Yeah. That still may come, but it's currently on the back, back, back burner.

However, I am using this post as a blatant self promotion of some of my short films that I worked on in my Communications and Sciences: Introduction to Video Production class at Calvin College. No, these were far from the "best of" the intro level classes, but they were fun, nonetheless. I had the greatest team of people to work with, which is a huge bonus!

For our very first project, even before classes started, we had to make a short intro video of yourself or a person you are familiar with. This was my submission:

Well, it was a worthy attempt at stop motion...

Here's another version of the intro... Why? Because.

Anyway, we had some work taking photographs of various objects for composition, lighting, etc. reasons. This is the first attempt our group had at making live action films:

Not too shabby for a first time. Also, we took some flak for, uhhhhhh... "violence towards women." Yeaaaahhhhh... whoops.

In between this project and the next, we made a film on movement, be it primary or secondary movement. However... that turned out to look awful. So, I will not show it here...

Moving on...

After getting pretty well acquainted with lighting, composition, and the camera equipment, we moved on to working with audio equipment. Argh. In short, that was pretty frustrating... This was also our first time using the editing software, Avid. Two frustrations in one project. So fun.

I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. The obstacles we faced during that project, such as our camera dying on us, the flash recorder running out of battery, the sun deciding to set early, etc.... well, I'm surprised we even finished it on time, let alone, actually finished it!

Then. The final. This short film was shown for roughly 300 people who were fellow film students, friends, relatives, etc. The scary part wasn't the sheer numbers alone, but rather, our peers were watching our work... aka judging our work... This was shown at the showcase...

I was quite pleased with the response we received from the audience. They laughed at the places they should have, and... other places. But, all-in-all, I am very pleased with what was shown. Hopefully... my prof. is as well, seeing as this is the exam...

We actually had a longer version of the prior video, but our professor told us to "put it in a blender." As you can see, it got seriously chopped up... Here's the original:

Well, thank you for sitting through these videos. After going to the Calvin College Media Production Showcase, I am both excited and ridiculously scared to get into the upper level classes. Excited because I see the talent and skill that is there, and ridiculously scared for the same reasons... I just hope that I can rise to the occasion...

Check out my Vimeo page for more!

Fish Sticks and Custard.

~Peter

Bold (Early) Oscar Rankings

2011-11-04T13:34:00.001-04:00

They are coming.

When predicting what film and whatactors/actresses/directors will be nominated, a sensible person would waituntil all of the contending films are released to the general public. Well, Iam not in said category of “sensible people.” Therefore, I give my rankings ofOscar worthy films in the six major categories: Best Picture, Best Director,Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.

Now, I realize that these rankingswill most likely drastically change, and there will most likely be a film ortwo that come out of nowhere to garner some Oscar buzz. So, the followingrankings are a complete crapshoot. Change is inevitable! That being said, it isincredibly fun…

Be sure to check out my featuredOscar Contenders for 2012, and Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV. As youwill see, many of the films listed there are left off the following rankings.

Find out which ones made the earlycut…

Best Picture

Moneyball
Idesof March
Shame
ExtremelyLoud and Incredibly Close
ADangerous Method
TheDescendants
Drive
WarHorse
MyWeek with Marilyn
YoungAdult

Best Director

Bennett Miller, Moneyball
David Fincher, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Steve McQueen, Shame
Jason Reitman, Young Adult
Stephen Daldry, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
David Cronenberg, A Dangerous Method
George Clooney, The Ides of March

Best Actor

Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Michael Fassbender, Shame
George Clooney, The Descendants
Joseph Gordan-Levitt, 50/50
Ryan Gosling, Drive
Johnny Depp, The Rum Diary
Gary Oldman, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Best Actress

Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Carey Mulligan, Shame
Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Best Supporting Actor

John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Tom Hanks, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Moneyball
Colin Firth, Tinker Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method
George Clooney, The Ides of March

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis, The Help
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Carey Mulligan, Shame
Chloe Moretz, Hugo
Anna Kendrick, 50/50
Judie Dench, J. Edgar
Sandra Bullock, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Well. Talk about crapshoots. Allthose categories are the epitome of a ‘crapshoot’. In reality… I haveabsolutely no idea where to exactly “rank” any of them… Once the award seasonstarts heating up, I’ll go more in-depth in each category, and explain theindividual choices. However, for now, you’ll have to settle for unexplainedrankings…

Feel free to grumble, addsuggestions, and converse about the choices in the comment section below!

Also, this article looks terrible, aesthetically... the pictures are really janky... my apologies.

2012 Oscar Predictions, Pt. IV

2011-10-14T10:42:00.000-04:00

While this won't be the last Oscar prediction post here, this fourth installment concludes my list of 12 contending films for the 2012 Oscars. I am quite pleased that most of these films are legitimately Oscar-worthy films. From the unlikely Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. II to the hands-down favorite, Moneyball, many of the films prove and project to be heavy hitters come the Award season.

This fourth post features a dark horse (literally!) full of new Hollywood's rising stars, a soppy, sentimental favorite led by seasoned Oscar veterans, and the necessary indie flick of heavy-hearted source material. While Moneyball is STILL my favorite at this point, these films have a chance to knock Bennett Miller's movie off its perch.

The Girl with theDragon Tattoo

Director: David Fincher (Se7en,Fight Club, Zodiac, The Curious Case ofBenjamin Button, The Social Network)

Starring: Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer,Robin Wright

Reasons It’s a Contender: While the original, Swedishversion came not but a few years ago, the English version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo shouldbe just as critically acclaimed as its predecessor. Boasting a solid cast, ledby the emerging star Mara, and an excellent director in Fincher, Dragon Tattoo should be a force to bereckoned with come the award shows circuit. With dark, gritty, in-your-facesource material that Oscar people eat up, DragonTattoo definitely has a legitimate chance at grabbing some awards.

Reasons It’s a Pretender: Well… It’s not exactly the typicalOscar fare… It may be too dark and drab for even the morbid-loving Oscarvoters. It’s been four years since a pretty depressing film won the top prizeat the Academy Awards (No Country for OldMen). Being promoted as the “Feel Bad Movie of the Season” isn’t exactlygoing to help this aspect either… While Fincher is a fantastic director, Oscarvoters tend to shy away from his films, as again, they’re not the typical Oscargo-around. Also, the fact that the ridiculously highly acclaimed Swedishversion was just out… The whole remake thing is probably going to hurt Dragon Tattoo’s Oscar chances as well.

Release Date: 21 December 2011

War Horse

Director: Steven Spielberg (Everything you’ve ever heardof…)

Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Benedict Cumberbatch

Reasons It’s a Contender: Touching story? Check. Touchingwar story? Check. Touching animal story? Check. Strong cast with up-and-comersmixed with veterans? Check. Gorgeous landscape shots? Check. Iconic director?Check. Epic music? Double check. WarHorse seems to have all the right ingredients to stir up some Oscar buzz.From Spielberg’s deft directorial touch, mixed with what should be a gorgeouslyshot film, War Horse is definitely amovie that should be a force to be reckoned with come Award season.

Reasons It’s a Pretender: While Dragon Tattoo is far from a stereotypical Oscar film, War Horse is dripping with Academy Awardsentiment that it may end up hurting the film in the long run. Seriously. Lookat the trailer. It’s just oozing Oscar goo all over you… With all the schmaltzand majesty, War Horse should be astrong Oscar favorite, but ultimately it falls short because, well, it’s justtrying too hard.

Release Date: 28 December 2011

We Need to Talk AboutKevin

Director: Lynne Ramsay (Ratcatcher)

Starring: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller

Reasons It’s a Contender: Obscure, indie films on darksubject matter are usually gobbled up by Oscar audiences (see Winter’s Bone), and We Need to Talk About Kevin is just that. Based on the book withthe same title, Kevin follows theperspective of a mother whose son shoots up a school. Yikes. Talk about acharacter study! While it did not take home the top prize at Cannes (that wentto Malick’s Tree of Life), Kevin did receive high praise from thecritics. Led by a strong cast, Kevin couldget its name tossed around by Award show voters.

Reasons It’s a Pretender: It might be too much of a fairlyobscure, indie flick. I see this one more like last year’s Winter Bone, an independent film that gets lauded by critics,gathers some Academy Awards, but ultimately, never really becomes a seriousplayer. I was actually tempted to drop it from my list back in July, and replaceit with Stephen Doldry’s Extremely Loudand Incredibly Close. (I should have………..) Regardless, Kevin is still a solid pick for this list, and I stand by mychoice. Look for Kevin to bementioned more from the hoity-toity critics and Oscar snobs, as they say,“What? You haven’t seen Tilda Swinton’s dynamic performance in We Need to Talk About Kevin? Why, youout of it!” When they do, kick them in the shins. Tell them, “This is fromPeter.” Side note: people who mention non-mainstream things specificallybecause their non-mainstream should be kicked in the shins. Side note on theside note: Hipsters do not fall in this category, but wanna-be hipsters do.That is all.

Release Date: TBA in U.S.; 12 May 2011 (Cannes)

Even though the 12 films are covered now, I do plan on elaborating a little bit more on the "Honorable Mention" section of the original post.

Also, expect some early Oscar rankings! Spoiler: Moneyball is probably the #1 on my list... Wow, I love that film too much...

Anyway, be sure to check out the original post, along with Part I, Part II, and Part III!

Fish Fingers and Custard

~Peter

Don't Forget!

2011-10-12T12:48:00.001-04:00

Find Yet Another Movie Blog on Facebook!

Follow @yetanomovblo on Twitter!

Subscribe in the bar (on the sidebar)

Tell your friends about us, blog about YAMB, in short, SPREAD THE WORD!

Since we're a small-ish blog, we don't really have the money to spend on advertising... We depend on our viewers to continue coming back and talking about YAMB with their friends.

I guess I'm telling you to spam your friends' walls about us, tweet about us to get our name out there!

We couldn't do this without you guys! Thanks so much for all the support!

The Avengers Trailer!!!

2011-10-12T10:05:00.001-04:00

In case you haven't heard, the next Marvel project, The Avengers, has released its first official trailer!

More will come on this later, but for now, ENJOY!!!

The (Somewhat) Amazing Spider-Man: DARK AND GRITTY!!!

2011-10-08T02:00:00.000-04:00

Swinging into theaters in 2012.

Okay, to be perfectly honest, I am not too keen of creating a whole new Spider-Man franchise so soon after Sam Raimi stepped down from making more Spidey films. However, the more news I get on Marc Webb’s (ironic name...) new, gritty Spider-Man world, the more excited I get. Raimi’s universe was fun, over-the-top, and in the end, disappointing. Props to that Spidey Trilogy for creating the whole superhero movies craze, but in the end, I am glad Raimi didn’t sign on to make a fourth installment in a franchise that peaked at the second film.

If I was him, I would be sad too, after Spidey 3.

When Raimi stepped down, Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and others pretty much disappeared from casting rumors for any future Spider-Man films.

The mildly-pathetically titled, The Amazing Spider-Man, will swing into theaters July 3 of 2012, putting it in the thick of what should be a dynamic summer of superhero blockbusters. Hopes are high for the summer of 2012, and Spidey 4 is no exception, regardless if the origin was seen in the last ten-ish years.

But, how will Webb’s Spidey franchise differentiate itself from Raimi’s series? How “gritty” is “gritty?” And who exactly is playing who, in the new saga?

First official photo!

Well, for starters, Andrew Garfield (The Social Network and Never Let Me Go) plays the titular character. His lean, lanky frame greatly differs from Maguire’s thicker, more muscular body take on the Web Slinger. How will this Spider-Man differ from Raimi’s world? Well, for starters, Garfield’s Spider-Man won’t have organic web-slinging abilities; he’ll need a mechanical gauntlet-type thing to conjure up the sticky goo. It’s not certain if the whole radioactive spider will bite him (of this, I’m sure fellow blogger, Ben, is thrilled); although, this would be an obvious inclusion, as it’s, well... kinda necessary for Spidey to get his “spider powers.” However, many web-heads are thrilled by the use of the mechanical gadget, as this is true to the comics.

Garfield’s Spidey’s love interest is not Mary Jane Watson, as in Raimi’s universe, but rather, Gwen Stacy, seen briefly (and used poorly) in the third installment in Sam’s franchise. Emma Stone (Easy A) will play the love interest in Webb’s reboot. I am very excited about seeing Stone playing Stacy, as Stone is a phenomenal, young actress. Most likely, a Mary Jane sighting will not be featured in the reboot. This is also pretty true to the comics because Peter Parker/Spider-Man doesn’t start off dating MJ as seen in Raimi’s trilogy, but Parker dates Stacy first. Spoilers: It will be interesting how quickly they choose to kill off Stacey, if they do it at all. In the comics, Gwen Stacy’s death was controversial and pivotal in the Spider-Man franchise. As this reboot by Webb will be the first of who knows how many installments... it will be interesting if the producers will include her death or choose to leave it out. This would definitely add a dark and gritty tone to the new series. Not to mention a segue to the introduction of Mary Jane would be probable in a Stacy dying story arc.

EMMMMAAAA STONE!!!

The whole new story line/origin story is attempting to differentiate itself from Raimi’s mainly by including the mystery of Peter Parker’s parents. In some canonical (or non... depending on who you talk to) comics, Spidey’s parents, Richard and Mary, are agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. This is a rather curious add-on, as this would create an excellent tie-in to the new Marvel films and perhaps a future, future Avengers film, once Columbia Pictures (a subsidiary of Sony) runs out their contract with Spidey. This would allow Marvel Studios to independently produce its own Spider-Man movies. If you’re hoping for a Spider-Man in an Avengers 2 or S.H.I.E.L.D. film, think again. Sony has the rights for at least two more Spidey films, with The Amazing Spider-Man sequel already staked its claim on the summer of 2014.

Another way this story is different from Raimi’s trilogy is that there are now mechanical web-shooters. Gone are the organic web-spitting of Tobey’s Spidey, Garfields’s Spider-Man attempts to give the Webb Universe a more realistic touch, well... as realistic as a teenager with spider-like abilities who swings around fighting crime in New York City. Y’know, a touch of realism goes a long way, apparently.

The screenwriter and primary storyboardist (a word? I doubt it...), James Vanderbilt has likened The Amazing Spider-Man to Chris Nolan’s Batman Begins. Huh. While that seems like a lofty comparison, the gritty, hard-nosed realism from the latest superhero films that is being slammed down viewers’ throats is somewhat expected. While Raimi’s trilogy opened the door for comic book movies in the 21st Century, Nolan’s soon-to-be trilogy redefined superhero films. It’s beginning to seem as though every superhero franchise is trying to be the next Nolan franchise. To that I say, “Good luck.”

Adorable. TEEN ANGST!!!

I have a hard time figuring out how the film will be grounded in reality, seeing as Dr. Curt Connors (played by Rhys Ifans) turns into the villain, The Lizard. A giant reptile terrorizing New York... yep, sounds just about as realistic as a teenager swinging around New York in a costume, or perhaps just as realistic as a multi-billionaire dressing as a bat and beating bad guys to a pulp. So... yeah.

Yep. Way more realistic with the mechanical shooters.

While I will remain skeptical of the latest reboot, after all it is in THREE DIMENSIONS!!!, it will definitely be a film of interest come the summer of 2012. If the film flops, that future project (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) looks pretty much doomed. You never want to have to reboot a new franchise right after the origin story took place (see The Green Lantern and the in limbo, but apparently still a go, The Green Lantern 2). However, a flop would probably allow Marvel Studios to get Spider-Man back in their fold, as it would seem pointless for Sony to hang onto a dying franchise. That being said, if the film is a hit, it will be interesting to see in what direction the franchise will head.

In this trailer, the POV shot of Spider-Man is a rather intriguing, albeit somewhat dizzying, addition. If that sequence is in 3D... I may throw up if it used extensively... Another curious thing that was brought up in the trailer is how dark the film looks. Not dark as in tone (which, in my humble opinion... it tries just a little bit too hard...), but dark as in I CAN HARDLY SEE WHAT’S GOING ON! If it’s dark in the 2D version, it’ll be nigh impossible to see it in 3D, as once a film is converted into 3D, the image becomes darkened. (Yet another reason I hate 3D...)

After viewing the trailer, the brooding, inward battles of Parker definitely take front-and-center. This would allow the whole Lizard story arc to be in the background, thank goodness, a la the first Iron Man. Character pieces and bildungsroman are quite good fun (see Batman Begins and Iron Man). Overall, The Amazing Spider-Man will be a curious film come the summer of 2012. But hey, even if it sucks, at least it won’t be as bad as the Broadway “musical” Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark (Because Our Stuntmen are Falling). Well. At least... I hope.

Geronimo.

~Peter

Post- Daniel Craig James Bond

2011-10-03T18:14:00.000-04:00

Who will follow Daniel Craig and be Bond...?

Forget "Being Bond", who will BE Bond...?

While the currently titled Bond 23 hasn’t even been in post-production yet, it’s never too early to wonder about the prospects about Bond 24. Specifically, who will play the seventh incarnation of the iconic British MI6 agent?

Back in 2006, Daniel Craig took over after the reign of Pierce Brosnan. While the choice of a “blonde” Bond caused quite a stir (or… shake, perhaps…), Craig quickly showed why he was chosen to the play the suave secret agent for the beautifully created Casino Royale. Then… Quantum of Solace… Let’s just say… well… It was bad. It had its moments, but it was pretty stupid. Solace pretty much threw Craig’s future as Bond into jeopardy. When studio MGM filed for bankruptcy, the whole Bond franchise was thrown into disarray. Production for Bond 23 stalled, and the whole project was pretty much scrapped. Intending to continue the Quantum story arc, Bond 23 was speculated to follow Sebastian Faulk’s 2008 Bond book, Devil May Care (which, personally, I enjoyed). However, the entire production switched gears, post-MGM bankruptcy, and Craig’s third Bond role is on its way to hit theaters sometime next year.

Yeeeeaaaahhhh... They had to sell the Lion...

Now, Craig originally signed up for three Bonds, with an option for a fourth. With Craig’s star burning bright in Hollywood, it is rather doubtful he will commit to a fourth go-around with the Bond franchise. If Bond 23 tanks Craig will definitely jump ship. While I enjoy having Craig play James Bond, I really wouldn’t mind a change in actors, as Craig needs to move on to bigger and better things.

However, who will take over for Craig and be the seventh Bond in the franchise? While many actors will undoubtedly clamor for the job, only a few should be actually seriously considered. Not just anyone can fill the role that has been passed on by the likes of Sean Connery, George Lazenby, (Connery again…), Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig.

Bond. James Bond.

7 Candidates for the next 007

Idris Elba

But…but…but……… he’s black……….. (follow-up: shouldn’t he be considered for Felix Leiter……?) While Bond has been portrayed as a white man only, Elba recently confirmed the rumors (or perhaps… rumours) that he was in talks to be the post-Craig James Bond. That being said, he doesn’t want to be forever remembered as the “Black Bond.” While skin colour (ha) probably won’t cause straight-up outrage, I would have to assume that Bond fans everywhere would be scratching their heads at a, yes, “Black Bond.” While Elba would be an excellent choice, and he proves he can play a hardcore, crime-fighter with his BBC show, Luther, Elba may pose too much controversy for producers to seriously consider Elba. It’s really a shame, too. Elba was caught in the middle of a “race” debate when he was cast in the superhero film, Thor, as a Norse god. Race aside, look for Elba’s name to continue to pop up for a post-Craig Bond, though. If a ethnic switch is wanted, Elba would probably be the first choice to play the never shaken or stirred agent, James Bond.

Clive Owen

The already established British actor was actually previously considered to play Bond before Craig was announced. Obviously, he really wanted the role, and the public really, really wanted Owen to play Bond. As you know, Craig took the role, and Owen went on to other projects, even one that spoofed the British spy (he played 006 or “one short of the big time” in The Pink Panther, but everyone knows 006 was killed in Goldeneye). While Owen is approaching the wrong side of 50, the rumours should continue to swirl around him when Craig departs.

Christian Bale

Another actor that has an established career in the film business, Bale was also considered to be the successor of Brosnan. Bale would certainly give the role his all, as he does with every project he’s attached to. While personally, I can’t see Bale as Bond, I would only have to assume that the general public would be simply elated at the idea of Bale as Bond. He has the youth, the looks, the acting chops, and the muscle to easily be Bond. The Batman star would also add a huge name as the British agent to a Bond film, something that a rookie Bond has never had. He may also even garner Oscar attention to the blockbuster franchise, as Bale is such a phenomenal actor. While some ~~stupid~~ people may be confused by the fact that he is actually English (but… but… he doesn’t have an accent when he’s Batman!), Bale would definitely be considered as the British spy.

Henry Cavill

While not nearly as established as Owen or Bale, Cavill was seriously considered to play 007 after Brosnan. Instead, Cavill was considered too young for the role (22 at the time). Instead of the Bond blockbuster franchise, Cavill gets his chance to shine in the rebooted (again…) Superman franchise, playing the Man of Steel himself. While this may cause future scheduling conflicts, Cavill would no doubt jump at the chance to play the iconic spy. As he was when Brosnan left the role, Cavill would undoubtedly be a contender to succeed Daniel Craig as 007.

Sam Worthington

Before Daniel Craig took over for Brosnan, the then-unknown English-Australian actor was screen-tested for the role of the iconic spy. When the Bond franchise was put on hold in 2010, Worthington’s name came up as the successor to Craig, should the hiatus last indefinitely. Since Bond 23 is being produced, Worthington-Bond rumours have fallen away; however, look for the Australian to possibly be a front-runner for the British spy. It is interesting to know that Worthington was reluctant to take over the role back in 2006, and it is unknown if that feeling has stayed with him.

Tom Hardy

He’s got the brains. He’s certainly got the brawn. And he can be suave, smooth, and charming, while single-handedly beating a small army to a pulp with his bare hands. Hardy would be extraordinary as Bond; however, he will most likely have massive success with his Bane character in The Dark Knight Rises, which would cause him to have a ridiculous film schedule. While playing Bond would be a role I’m sure Hardy would love, I would rather see Tom play a villain role, or perhaps a friend of Bond, turned evil (ala Sean Bean’s character Alec Trevelyan). Just a thought… But I do think that after The Dark Knight Rises Hardy will be type casted as a “villain” or anti-hero character.

Michael Fassbender

Currently, Fassbener is probably the most plausible and popular choice to play the next iconic MI6 agent in the Bond franchise. After X-Men: First Class, it’s hard to argue against Fassbender. As Erik Lenshurr (aka Magneto), Fassbender gave a stunning and truly great performance in a sub-par film. It would be amazing to see Fassbender try the role of Bond. Not only does he have the looks and the physical prowess, he can show a dark, brooding sort of Bond, while still being light-hearted and coy. When Craig ends his reign as Bond, Fassbender’s name will most likely be a the top of the long list of actors to be considered Craig’s successor.

Who will follow in these men's footsteps?

While I can’t see established actors, such as Clive Owen or Christian Bale, picking up where Craig left off, emerging, young actors like Fassbender and Hardy could be serious contenders. Cavill, Hardy, and Elba could be vaulted to mainstream success with their future projects, Superman: Man of Steel, The Dark Knight Rises, and Prometheus respectively. Like Hardy, I would rather see Worthington as a rouge spy or a nemesis of Bond, instead of the man himself.

Personally, Fassbender would be my choice to play the dashing, British agent. However, it remains to be seen if Daniel Craig decides to return for a fourth Bond flick. Either way, Fassbender will probably be the next Bond, be it in Bond 24 or Bond 25. Hopefully, both… Look for names such as James McAvoy, Goran Visnjic, Colin Farrell, Gerard Butler, some random American pretty boy, and even Ewan McGregor to pop up as well. Or David Tennant as James Bond. Just kidding… (It wouldn't work anyway...)

The next Bond...?

The debate will continue, and it will only intensify if and when Daniel Craig leaves the role (either after Bond 23 or Bond 24). Fassbender is already a favorite, at least around the interwebz, and I can’t see that changing anytime soon. You heard it from me (certainly not the first… as all the actors listed have various blogsites along the lines of “make the next Bond!!!!!!!”), my endorsement is for Fassbender to play the next incarnation of 007. While Hardy would be my second choice, Fassbender looks like he was born to play James Bond.

Fish Fingers and Custer

~Peter

2012 Oscar Predictions, Pt. III

2011-09-30T13:29:00.002-04:00

This next installment in the 12 for '12 Oscar Watch series, the article features three period pieces that are sure to garner a lot of Oscar attention. All three could be considered as biopics of various figures from history; however, two of the three do not look as strong as the other.

The second post in the series featured two heavy-hitters in the Oscar race, Moneyball and The Ides of March. The other film in the post, The Rum Diary, could be considered a dark horse in the race, as well.

Well... add one more to the Oscar race, and two more dark horses.

Should Brad Pitt and Moneyball be concerned
with the following...?

A Dangerous Method

Director: David Cronenberg (A History of Violence, EasternPromises)

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, KeiraKnightly

Reasons It’s a Contender: Cronenberg is due for an Oscarwin… Violence and Promises are both excellent, underratedfilms, both starring Mortensen. Once again, Cronenberg teams up with ~~Aragorn~~Viggo and Peter Suschitzky, who was Cronenberg’s cinematographer in Easter Promises, in this period pieceabout two of the greatest philosophical/analytical/psychological minds of the20^th Century. Mortensen portrays Sigmund Freud, who is battling thewits of his apprentice, Carl Jung, played by Fassbender. Fassbender burst ontothe scene playing Erik “Magneto” Lensherr in X-Men: First Class, in which he was one of the few bright spots.The acting chops of Mortensen and Fassbender, along with the psychologicalmaterial that Cronenberg has to work with, should be an Oscar lock. It alsohelps to have screenwriter, Christopher Hampton, on board with this ambitiousproject. Hampton not only wrote the play, TheTalking Cure, of which Method isbased upon, but he is probably best known for being nominated for his writingwork for Atonenment, anotherbeautifully presented period piece. So… Cronenberg + Mortensen + Fassbender +Suschuitzky = Potential Oscar Boom.

Reasons It’s a Pretender: Well, Cronenberg’s films have beensnubbed in the past… While Methodshould be a sure to attain an Oscar nomination or four, it faces stiffcompetition from other contenders. Other than that… I can’t really see any realflaws in A Dangerous Method, otherthan Keira Knightley… (that being said,Knightley was fantastic in Atonement, andplaying mentally unstable people are usually Oscar bait…) The source material may be a little too dark, as I would assume itexamines the darkness and carnal nature of humanity (mainly… “man”). However,that could also be very attractive to Oscar voters. Overall, A Dangerous Method should be one towatch out for come the award circuits.

Release Date: 23 November 2011

J. Edgar

Director: Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby, Flags ofOur Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima,Gran Torino, Invictus, Hereafter)

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Judie Dench, andNaomi Watts

Reasons It’s a Contender: One of the most controversialfigures in United States history finally gets his much anticipated biopic. Italso helps that said figure is played by one of the top actors in Hollywood.DiCaprio under Eastwood’s direction should garner plenty of Oscar attention.Look for Hammer (The Social Network)to share some of that limelight with Eastwood and DiCaprio. Even thoughEastwood denies it, J. Edgard couldvery well deal heavily with the allegations that Hoover was a closetedhomosexual. While it may not go as far as having DiCaprio cross-dress, thescript is written by Dustin Lance Black, who also wrote the script for Milk, which dealt with the openly gaypolitician, Harvey Milk, so I would have to suspect that Hoover’s sexualitywill be incorporated into the film. Judi Dench also lends a hand as Hoover’smother.

Reasons It’s a Pretender: Recent Eastwood works have beenunfortunately snubbed at various award shows, and J. Edgar could follow suit. While DiCaprio is a phenomenal actor,I’m not really buying into his New Englander accent… And it seems that he’sincorporating his Dom Cobb character into his Hoover character… The makeup forthe elder Hoover scenes also looks less-than-convincing. While J. Edgar should grab some Oscarattention, it may not have enough to separate itself from an already crowdedaward show race.

Release Date: 14 December 2011

The Iron Lady

Director: Phyllida Lloyd (Macbeth, Mamma Mia!)

Starring: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent

Reasons It’s a Contender: Meryl Streep playing, well, anyonewill be enough to grab Oscar headlines. Streep performing as the polarizingBritish politician, Margaret Thatcher, will definitely garner some Oscarattention. Let’s think of another period biopic that was on a Britishpolitician… Oh yeah, The King’s Speech.That one film that swept Oscar voters off their feet, and won huge.Coincidently, The Weinstein Company is distributing Iron Lady, as it did with TheKing’s Speech. While Speech washelped by Firth’s excellent performance, Streep isn’t what you would consideran acting slouch.

Reasons It’s a Pretender: Well, after the distributor, topactors, and their British-ness, the comparisons between The King’s Speech and IronLady end quite abruptly. Lloyd is no Tom Hooper, and as much as Iappreciate Broadbent, he is no Geoffrey Rush. While The King’s Speech burst onto the scene with a standing ovation atthe Toronto Film Festival, Iron Lady isalready receiving some flak from Thatcher’s family. The portrayal of Thatcherin frail health will also be interesting, as reactions will probably benegative. Oh, and Streep isn’t British. What…? Sure she’s a fantastic worldwidename, but c’mon. Really? But she’s won award in Britain! Okay, fine. But for afilm that needs to be as authentic and as evocative as possible (Oscar ingredients…),having a British actress playing a British PM would have been preferred. All-in-all,Iron Lady will probably help Streepreceive her 16^th Oscar nomination, and possibly even win her 3^rdOscar trophy. However, I cannot see TheIron Lady going in the same direction as last year’s big British (andOscar) winner, The King’s Speech.

Release Date: 16 December 2011

Still the favorite...

While I still have Moneyball and The Ides of March as my front-runners, A Dangerous Method should make some noise in that race. J. Edgar and The Iron Lady just don't seem to have the same potential as those three films. While they will make some noise, it will probably quickly fade into the background, leaving Moneyball, The Ides of March, and A Dangerous Method the films in the foreground.

Fish Fingers and Custer.

~Peter

Be sure to check out Part I and Part II! Part IV Coming Soon!

Update for The Dark Knight Rises: Grand Budget for a Grand Finale

2011-09-28T12:48:00.000-04:00

Gotham is crumbling... Will Batman be able to save it?
Duh. He always does.

Where to begin…? Since the last update of The Dark Knight Rises, so much hashappened that it would be nigh impossible to cover it all. Which is why I amnot. All the casting rumors and certainties will be gathered up in a laterpost.

First officially released image of Bane.

As the last article covered, TDKR cast both Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway as Bane and Catwoman(Selina Kyle) respectively. While I loved the choice of actors, I was none toothrilled by the idea of having either villain set in the Nolan Universe hecrafted for the Batman, to say the least. Not to mention my boy, David Tennant,is nowhere to be found on the cast list, even though I pleaded that he be included… I’m an astounded that a giant studio or an incredibly busy filmmakerdoesn’t read an incredibly small-time movie blogger, like myself. If the oozingsarcasm from that did not soak you to the bone, just to clarify, THAT WASSARCASTIC.

The genius.

Once again, Christian Bale returns as Bruce Wayne/Batman,and Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman reprise their respectiveroles. The Nolan brothers team up to write the script, and David S. Goyer takespart in the story, as they did for the previous two Batman films. The producersand co-producers largely remain the same as the prior two films, as well. If itain’t broke, don’t YOU DARE FIX IT!

Anyway, there has been so much more news than just Bane andCatwoman. The Internetz are all a-buzz about the latest news on The Dark Knight Rises…

She's on a Batpod... WHY IS CATWOMAN ON A BATPOD?!

Well, The Dark KnightRises, aka Chris Nolan’s third and final installment in his Batman trilogy,has been bustling along since May 3 of this year. Even though the team has shoton very public locations, which include Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, the MellonInstitute and Software Engineer Institute at Carnegie Mellon University,London, Glasgow, New York, Los Angeles, and parts of India, many elements of The Dark Knight Rises remain verysecretive. Let’s just say, Chris Nolan is playing this one “close to thechest.” And wow, I wish I could be part of that production team…

If all this travel sounds expensive, well, the film as awhole is estimated to have as much as a $250 million budget. If this is true, thatwould put The Dark Knight Rises inthe top five biggest budgeted films (not including the two parts of The Hobbit, which have a whopping projectedbudget of $270 million). Expenses of TheDark Knight Rises would also include the pricey IMAX cameras, of which onewas destroyed during a Catwoman stunt, the expensive and elaborate vehicles forBats and villains to drive, and the ever-growing number of A-List cast members.

Possibly the new Wayne Manor?

Again, where to start? Okay, well, the phenomenal news isthat THISFILM WON’T BE SHOT IN THREE DIMENSIONS!!! This makes me very happy(understatement of the day). Instead of Chris Nolan giving in to the obnoxioustrend of 3D, The Dark Knight Riseswill be shot with IMAX cameras. While the whole films will not be shot withIMAX cameras as initially thought, it is reported that Nolan will use thecameras even more than he did for TheDark Knight.

Allegedly the newest Batwing

Obviously, shooting in IMAX is an exhausting ordeal, notonly for the director, but also, for the budget. It also doesn’t help when astunt-gone-wrong ends up smashing one very expensive IMAX camera to itty-bittybits. Not only is the filming expensive, but so too are the things beingfilmed! It is reported that there were at least three camouflaged Tumblerspresent at Heinz Field, where the Pittsburgh Steelers football team played aseither the Gotham City Rogues or their opponent, the Rapid City Monuments. Itis also rumored that the Tumblers will not only be in the hands of the hero,Batman, but perhaps the primary villain, Bane, may get a hold of one or two, aswell. So the Tumblers are back, even though one was destroyed epically in The Dark Knight. The totaled Tumblerspawned the Batpod, which was also sighted during shooting. Catwoman/SelinaKyle reportedly rides one, which raises questions of if she teams with Batman….Also, a Batwing, yes, a Batwing, has been spotted chasing and shooting downsemi-trucks and a Tumbler.

Killin' da Tumblas!

A Batwing.

Huh. While that may seem cool, it also seems as if thisgrand finale is getting a little too convoluted and grand for its own good… Iwon’t even go into the ever-increasing number of cast members, as I will coverthat later. Between the IMAX grandness, the incredible locations, the somewhatridiculous vehicles, this will at the very least be an extraordinary film ofepic proportions. If there is one guy who can handle this very ambitiousshould-be blockbuster, it’s Chris Nolan.

Even though I remain a bit apprehensive as to what directionthis film is heading exactly, my initial vehement reactions to The Dark Knight Rises have quelledconsiderably. The pieces seem very disarrayed, but again, I know that theexpertise of Nolan can put together one heckuva amazingly grand finale.

Check out this trailer below! It is nice to see that Batman finally gets a physical adversary in Bane, instead of easily beating joe-shmoes to a pulpy mess. And yes, that last scene was Batman looking exhausted as Bane continues his onslaught.

Geronimo.

~Peter

New Segment! And it's EDUCATIONAL!!!

2011-09-23T11:24:00.001-04:00

Subliminal college recruiting...

You may have noticed that there is a new tab up above (probably not...), and if you were curious enough to click on it, you saw that there was a "Stay Tuned."

Now, some of you might be wary about a tab called "Educational," but don't worry, it's cool. Trust me.

Here at YAMB, we could be seen as "critics." As one of my professors have told me, "Critics are the eunuchs of the world. They can talk about it, but can't do it." Hmmmmm... While being a critic is fun, I mean, we just pretty much talk for a living, making what is being criticized on is even more exciting.

More subliminal college recruiting...

While I plan to be a business major at Calvin College, I hope to incorporate Media Production within that major. A double major possibly............. Whoo. More school...

Now, I said Media Production, with production being the key word. Not film studies. Not criticizing. Not eunuchs... But production.

So, in this new segment I hope to post some articles on some of the producing expertise I am currently learning in college. Hopefully, this adds a new dimension to this blog, which... to be honest has been on the slow decline.

...become a filmmaker...

Pointers on lighting, group collaboration problems, even just writing about the college setting, are some topics that I hope to post on this blog soon. Filmmaking is much more than "running a camera" or "directing." Gaffers, folley artists, production teams, etc. are also vital in the production process. I hope to spread my (albeit limited) knowledge that I am learning in my college classes to you, the viewer.

Please let me know what you think of this idea!

Dream. School.
Peter Stark Producing Program for
Grad School...?

Hopefully, you will enjoy reading about it, and maybe even try to apply it! The more filmmakers I can spawn, the better this world will become! Right...?

Check out these recent YAMB articles!

How Did the Summer of 2011 Superheroes Fare...?
Part II of the 12 in '12 Series
Being Bond: Life After Bond

And don't forget to subscribe (sidebar) and find us on Facebook and Twitter!

Geronimo.

~Peter

Being Bond: Life After Bond

2011-09-23T02:02:00.002-04:00

"The Name's Bond, James Bond."

Due to the recent rumblings and rumors of a potential Bond 23,

this post is back from the past...

Originally created from the mind of Ian Fleming back in 1953, the iconic and all-around dashing British spy James Bond has captured the imagination of young and old alike. From Bond’s witty one-liners to his suave escapes, managing all the while to keep his well-greased hair and pristine suits in perfect condition, the MI6 agent immediately won over audiences everywhere.

In the Bond film franchise, a franchise that has made as much as $5 billion US dollars, six actors have slipped into the role of the sophisticated Brit. From the original Sean Connery to the brief appearance of George Lazenby to the seemingly-never-ending tenure of Roger Moore to Timothy Dalton to Pierce Brosnan to the current Bond, Daniel Craig, all six men gave their own take on the charming spy. However, was “being Bond” a good thing for these actors? Or did it create an unwanted typecasting for them?

The Original Bond

With the overwhelming success of Dr. No, Sean Connery launched the long-running Bond film franchise in 1962. The casting was questioned by Ian Fleming himself, stating Connery was “an oversized stunt man” and not the “Commander Bond” he was looking for. However, the Scottish actor refined his skills, and Connery would stay on in the role as the sophisticated agent until 1967. However, after Lazenby left after one film (more on him later), the producers re-approached Connery to be recast as the title hero. He reluctantly obliged (well, I guess a $20 million salary after inflation helps too). His Bond career spanned six films (and one unauthorized Bond flick), all with staggering commercial success. Even with his huge success as the British agent, how was Connery’s post-Bond acting career? Well, I would say he has faired far better than his other Bond counterparts. He has taken roles in box-office hits such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Hunt for Red October, and The Rock. Connery has also garnered critical success in other leading roles, such as his portrayal of William of Baskerville in the Name of the Rose (in which he won a BAFTA award) and supporting roles in Highlander and The Untouchables (the latter won him the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role).

So, the Verdict: Connery’s post-Bond career definitely did not take a bullet for starring as Commander James Bond of the British Secret Service.

The Unlucky Bond

Oh, poor George Lazenby. The Australian born actor can probably described as one of the unluckiest men of all time. Originally signed on to star in seven Bond films, Lazenby left after one, which was On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, a good but rather forgettable Bond movie. Why, you ask? Well, Lazenby was just following the ill-fated advice from his agent to ditch Bond because the British spy was out of touch and that the success of Bond would not continue in the 70s. In short, Lazenby got screwed. Royally. His existence after Bond? Bleak. Probably his most “famous” role post-Bond would have to be his riveting portrayal as the Marlboro Man for TV commercials.

Verdict: Lazenby’s Bond career came to an abrupt end and the premature start to his post-Bond career was rather uninspiring.

The Whimsical,
Campy Bond

With seven Bond flicks under his belt in 12 years, Roger Moore has had the longest running tenure as the iconic hero. Taking over after Lazenby left, Moore donned the tux and Walther PPK for the racially edgy Live and Let Die. During his reign as Bond, Moore struggled to live up to the hulking shadow of Connery’s Bond. However, his light-hearted and jocular wit makes him one of the more popular Bonds in the franchise. Unfortunately, he could not use his Bond fame to his post-Bond career’s advantage. His life after Bond focuses more on his humanitarian work for UNICEF (he is an Goodwill Ambassador for them) and PETA. He also serves as a chairman of the Advisory Board of Red Carpet Film Fund.

Verdict: While his acting career was virtually nonexistent in his life after Bond, Moore used his Bond popularity to spread awareness of the poverty around the world. Certainly, that is time very well spent.

The Humorless Bond
(okay... so it's not Timmy D,
deal with it)

After previously turning down the Bond role in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, stating he was too young for the role, Timothy Dalton took over after Roger Moore (finally) retired. He starred in two critically successful Bond films, The Living Daylights and License to Kill. His portrayal of Bond differed greatly from Moore’s whimsical take on the character. Dalton’s dark, gritty Bond was praised, but fans and critics alike did not like Dalton’s lack of wit and humor. Initially in talks for three Bond films, Dalton only played the spy in two films due to various disputes on the third movie. In his life after Bond, Dalton’s career turned mostly to the stage and smaller television roles. Although not an illustrious post-Bond career, it definitely is not a lackluster one. His most notable works are his guest role in the hit British television show Doctor Who, and his voice acting in Toy Story 3 as Mr. Pricklepants.

Verdict: While he certainly could have used the gritty Bond momentum to his advantage, Dalton decided to avoid the typecasting and settle for smaller roles. He would have a pretty solid, yet average, post-Bond career.

The Suave,
I-Have-Ridiculous-Gadgets
Bond

Initially in line to inherit the Bond role after Moore, Brosnan (and Bond fans) had to wait until 1995 to get Bond back on the big screen. His Bond career spanned four films, but it is hard to gauge his post-Bond career. Many of his critically well-received films were released during the period he was Bond, such as Dante’s Peak and The Thomas Crown Affair. Brosnan’s post-Bond career is rather lackluster as well. However, one of the best performances of his career happened after Bond. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his work in The Matador and he garnered critical praise from his role in The Ghost Writer, but he would also play in the ill-fated film adaption of ABBA’s musical Mamma Mia! and Percy Jackson & The Olympians.

Verdict: Even though his critical reception is rather up-and-down, many of the films Brosnan has starred or taken roles in have been commercial and box-office successes. He has put together a nice post-Bond career, also without getting typecast.

Current, Gritty, and Chiseled
Bond

Like Brosnan, the acting career of the current Bond, Daniel Craig, is difficult to gauge. This is mainly due to the fact that, technically, he is still Bond. After a spectacular performance in Casino Royale, Craig’s career was launched. Even though his second Bond film, Quantum of Solace, was a disappointment, Craig still has the acting chops to branch out and have a successful post-Bond career. Talks of a third Daniel Craig Bond film have gone from strained to nonexistent.

Verdict: Due to his fairly young acting career and the fact that he is still technically Bond, the jury is still out on his post-Bond career. Whatever happens to the third Bond, though, Daniel Craig has a very bright future as an actor, a future that many of his Bond predecessors have struggled to achieve. After the summer of 2011's mixed reception of Cowboys & Aliens, Craig is due up in, what should be a critical and box office smash, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, aka the "feel bad movie of Christmas."

So, does being the iconic British spy, James Bond, help or hurt careers? Well, I think it is fair to say both. In the cases of Connery and Craig, Being Bond has helped them kick-start their acting careers. But for the rest of the pack, Being Bond was not so friendly to their post-Bond endeavors. And it comes as no surprise that after playing such a superstar hero in James Bond, the actors who played the character struggled to avoid the typecast of Being Bond. If you thought Life as Bond was dangerous, Life After Bond is equally perilous.

Geronimo
~Peter

2012 Oscar Contenders, Pt. II

2011-09-21T12:08:00.004-04:00

Two strong contenders... Only one prize...

In the next installment of the 12 for ’12 Oscar Watch series, two serious Oscar contenders and a dark horse are covered. This post features two legitimate contenders and a potential contender, unlike the first post...

To put a brief background on this series, in July, I presented a list of 12 films that I considered being legitimate Oscar contenders. I will be covering all 12 films in four posts (do the math, and that’s three films a post. Hurray math!).

Now… Keep reading to see the next films that could be big winners at the 84^th Academy Awards.

Moneyball

Director: Bennett Miller (Capote)

Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Robin Wright, Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Reasons It’s a Contender: When I first heard word that there might be a Moneyball film, I was beside myself with utter bliss. As an ardent baseball fan, I enjoyed the book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, so I was obviously very intrigued at the idea of the true story about the 2002 Oakland Athletic’s coming to life on the big screen. After seeing early reports and clips of Miller’s latest project, that feeling has not changed. At all. Brad Pitt looks fantastic as the charismatic and eccentric general manager of the Oakland Athletics, Billy Beane. As a huge baseball fanatic, this film could easily be my favorite “sports film” of EVER. But… could it be more than just another feel good sports flick (like that awful and incredibly overrated movie, The Blind Side)? Short answer: yes. Why? Two words: Aaron Sorkin. Sorken is known for penning A Few Good Men and, oh yeah, The Social Network, the latter of which burst onto the Hollywood scene last year, and gave the overwhelming favorite, The King’s Speech, a serious run for its Oscar money. While Moneyball may be written off as just another sports story, I can easily see it being a heavy favorite come award show season. Pitt’s performance could definitely carry him to an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. The acting chops of Hoffman will also carry this film. Hoffman reunites with Miller, who has a Best Director and Best Picture nomination under his belt for the Hoffman starring film Capote. All-in-all, my gut has Moneyball as the early leader in this Oscar race.

Reasons It’s a Pretender: Hmmmm… Well, it seems like it could be easily seen as a feel good, sports story. The clichés and prototypical tropes of said films could be detrimental to a deep award show run. I can’t see Pitt’s or Hoffman’s performance, Miller’s directing, or Sorkin’s writing being questioned at all. Jonah Hill could make or break this film, but… Like I said, Moneyball should be an early leader in Oscar talks, similar to Sorkin’s other film, The Social Network.

Release Date: 23 September 2011

The Ides of March

Director: George Clooney (Good Night, and Good Luck, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind)

Starring: George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood

Reasons It’s a Contender: Politics. Dirty Politics. Moral Ambiguity. Those themes tie into the premise of Ides and coupled with superb acting talents of Clooney and Gosling, this film should easily be a top contender for the Oscars. Clooney has displayed that he can not only be a terrific actor, but a skilled director as well. It also helps that he has the talents of Gosling, Giamatti, and Tomei along for the ride. Gosling and Clooney could both be nominated for Best Actor with a chance that Clooney could also grab a Best Director nod. Trashy political films that deal with the corrupting and questioning of the morals and ethics that happen during a campaign should make for an intriguing premise that Oscar folks love.

Reasons Its a Pretender: Perhaps this film could be a little too ambitious… Its premise could be its own demise, as the “politics corrupts” trope is something that audiences see as overly cliché. The cynical view on politics could also turn people off, mainly due to the fact that annoying political trash is happening right now. We don’t really need to go to a movie to hear or see it in action… That being said, I do not see many flaws in Ides just yet. The acting and directing should be exceptional, regardless of plot clichés, which in my opinion will not really be the issue. When it’s all said and done, The Ides of March will probably be a film that we will be hearing a lot about come the award show circuits.

Release Date: 7 October 2011

The Rum Diary

Director: Bruce Robinson (Withnail and I)

Starring: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Richard Jenkins, Aaron Eckhart

Reasons It’s a Contender: I had this Robinson film listed in last years Oscar Watch post, but due to a release date change, The Rum Diary, originally a novel by Hunter S. Thomson, would have been ineligible for the 2011 Oscars. With an end of October release, Diary will be thrust into the thick of the Oscar race. Depp’s performance, playing Paul Kemp, a disenchanted New York journalist, should garner a fair bit of Oscar attention. Thankfully, Depp drops the gimmicky, “Captain Jack” shtick. While this film will be no Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which is also material by Hunter S. Thomson, (and that could be a good thing…) The Rum Diary should have just enough outrageous and provocative substance to keep fans of Las Vegas and Depp thoroughly intrigued. Depp isn’t the only quality star in this film, Jenkins, Eckhart, and Heard help round out this talented cast. While I can foresee it might have difficulty staying in the Oscar race, The Rum Diary should definitely not be counted out of it just yet.

Reasons It’s a Pretender: It could be a little too outrageous and provocative for its own good. While it’s allegedly based on a true-ish story, the antics of and Johnny-Depp-playing-Paul-Kemp character will most likely have a lot of “oh dear, I shouldn’t have laughed at that…” humor. The premise could also be rather disjointed, much like other Thomson-based material. The whole “find your inner strength” type plot could also be a bit tedious as well. That trope definitely was not well received in the movie Eat, Pray, Love. Granted, these seem like totally different films, but I wouldn’t be surprised if The Rum Diary fizzles like Eat, Pray, Love.

Release Date: 28 October 2011

Right now, these little gold men are Moneyball's to lose...

While The Rum Diary is a bit of a dark horse, Moneyball and The Ides of March look to be serious contenders for top prizes at the Oscars. While these films will face some stiff competition, as of now, these two films are my frontrunners in the Oscar race. Not only should they garner Best Picture attention, but the acting and directing in both Moneyball and Ides could also earn some much deserved consideration for the top acting and directing awards. I can definitely see Moneyball taking a dominating award show run much like The Social Network. However, with no film like The King's Speech in its way (Iron Lady perhaps, but... we'll see), I can definitely see Moneyball taking it all. Bold, early prediction, yes, but a prediction nonetheless.

Geronimo.

~Peter

Be sure to check out Part I and Part III! Part IV Coming Soon!

How Did the 2011 Summer of Superheroes Fare…?

2011-09-19T17:25:00.001-04:00

Yeah. These guys. Well, only like three or four...

Going into the summer of 2011, I could only groan when I looked at the lineup. Sequels, remakes, reboots, and of course, the ever increasing number of superhero movies. Sick of the supers? Sorry folks, 2012 features another lineup packed full of comic book adaptions. And, well, as they continue to make money, expect this superhero trend to continue.

But enough about the future of these films, how did this summer of crime-fighters fare? To be perfectly honest, it was quite a lackluster performance in both the box office and critical acclaim. There are no Chris Nolan Batman-type movies, or box-office smashes like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. Sigh. Instead, we were forced to watch the hard-to-look-at Green Lantern film, a laughable Thor, yet another Avengers set-up in Captain America: The First Avenger, and a few others of unimportance. Oh yeah, also IN 3D!!! THREE DIMENSIONS GUYS!!! /facepalm.

Let’s take a look at how some of these super-ly un-super films did…

Oh, hi there, Natalie Portman.

Thor

It’s easy to forget that Thor kicked off the superhero summer of 2011. Sorry to remind you. Sure, it was pretty to look at, but it drowned itself in Kenneth Branagh’s pretention. Don’t get me wrong; I am a big Branagh fan. But seriously man, stick to Shakespeare… The cast wasn’t given much to work with either. Okay, so critically it wasn’t really a hit, but c’mon, at least it smashed some box office, right?

Well, kind of. Thor was definitely helped out by the fact that it could be that annoying commenter on YouTube and yell “FIRST!” It started off by taking the number 1 spot in the box office two weeks in a row, despite almost dropping 50% in the second weekend. Also, it’s not like it had a lot of competition going into its second week. Sure, Bridesmaids is critically acclaimed and hilarious, but it isn’t really a film parents allow their kids to see, or a family oriented movie (for good reason…). Priest also came out during Thor’s second week. Do I really have to explain that one?

But really, Chris Hemsworth’s hair totally made the almost 2 hour movie bearable. Ha. Oh yeah, and Natalie Portman. Again, will anyone really remember this as a stand-alone movie, or rather, OMG! THE AVENGERS! I am quite disappointed that this movie seemed to be a hastily (albeit expensively) thrown together film just to set up for the 2012 Joss Whedon directed film, The Avengers.

When it is all said and done, Thor garnered mixed reviews from critics and by making just over $180 million, Branagh’s film barely overcame its $150 million budget.

Props if you can name all these guys...

X-Men: First Class

I was actually super excited for this film. Early reviews gave a positive spin on First Class, and Fassbender and McAvoy looked very good as Erik “Magneto” Lensherr and Dr. Charles “Professor X” Xavier respectively. The original trilogy about the X-Men was entertaining enough under Bryan Singer, so I had high hopes for Matthew Vaughn’s (of Kiss Ass acclaim) origin story.

To be honest, First Class was rather disappointing. Fassbender and McAvoy were really the only bright spots in an otherwise mediocre film. Sure, the film is worth watching for those two performances alone, but the attempted plot and the bland acting of the other cast members made this film a rather big disappointment. Characters weren’t developed and audience members unfamiliar with the comic books were totally lost under the ridiculous number of obscure characters introduced. Fans loved watching Emma Frost, Riptide, Havok, Beast, Mystique, and their good and bad pals, but the rest of the audiences were left saying, “wait… who is that? What’s his power? Why doesn’t that guy have any lines? Is she really important? OMG! WOLVERINE!!!”

Critics continued to give First Class positive reviews upon its release. Marvel seriously needs to thank McAvoy and Fassbender for these positive reviews.

The box office wasn’t as kind, though. Despite the critical acclaim, First Class failed to hit the $160 price tag it took to make at the box office. Sad. It’s too bad as well, as this was one of the better superhero films of this summer. First Class could not hold onto its number one box office spot after week one, falling to J.J. Abram’s Super 8 during the following week. It fell in the second week, and fell hard (over %50 from the previous week). Marvel is probably a bit wary of future X-Men projects due to the paltry box office performance. However, Hugh Jackman’s cameo was priceless.

Mmmmm. I love me some Ryan.

Green Lantern

Unlike First Class, Green Lantern was not a film I was looking forward to spending money on, and I was definitely not going spend extra money to see it in 3D. Well, it seems like my hunch was correct. It just plain sucked.

Okay, the only reason I was excited for Lantern was just to see Ryan Reynolds. Mmmmm, Ryan Reynolds………… Whoa. Snap out of it, Peter! Well, not even my man crush could save this pathetic excuse for a film. The CGI looked like a high school production, in fact, I’ve seen better FX by high schoolers using Adobe After Effects. Heck, I’VE done better. Yeah, that bad.

The rambling plot, lack of wit in the script also doomed Lantern. Even though Thor had similar problems, unlike Thor, Lantern didn’t have the gaudy graphics to fall back on. Critics also blasted Lantern, giving the “film” very poor reviews.

Audiences weren’t too kind to the superhero film either. Even though it ranked number one on its opening weekend, Lantern tumbled down to number three behind Cars 2 and yes, Bad Teacher. That’s really sad. Lantern was down nearly %70 of what it earned in its first week. It would continue its decline, falling out of the top 10 by week five. How bad was Lantern’s box office draw? Mr. Popper’s Penguins, a film that came out on the same weekend, ranked higher than Lantern after the third week of running. Nothing against Popper’s Penguins, but seriously… Ouch.

Green Lantern barely collected enough money from the box office to pay its gigantic price tag of $200 million, proving only directors named “Chris Nolan” and “James Cameron” should be given budgets of $200 million or more. Director Martin Campbell claims that Lantern will be made into a trilogy. Huh. We’ll see how gung-ho DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures are about that…

She's not in it. Everyone mourns.

Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon

It was the third installment of Michael Bay’s craptastic trilogy. It was in 3D. Things went boom. Like really boom. Like more Bay-splosion-y that usual. Shia LeBeouf did stuff. Stupid people went to see this stupid film. It made a crapload of money. It was called the “best of the Bay trilogy.” It was as stupid and boring as this review of it. Did I mention stupid people went to see it? Well, even stupider people saw it in 3D. I mean, c’mon Megan Fox wasn’t even in it. That’s the only reason anyone watched the other two. Seriously. And it wasn’t because of her acting.

Next.

Lucas Lee! In a Captain America shirt!

Captain America: First Avenger

The last big/highly anticipated superhero film of the 2011 summer was by far the best superhero movie of this summer. Led by Chris Evans as Cap, this 1940s period piece is clever, entertaining, and sigh, yes, another set-up for the Avengers movie. Side-thought: Avengers better be good. Not only good, but the best @#$%! thing ever.

Anyway, critics received Captain America rather positively. It was an enjoyable watch to them. I would have to agree. It is currently the best Marvel film since the first Iron Man.

Unfortunately, it seems as though audiences are getting sick of superhero movies. Sure, Captain America opened with a bang, grossing more on the midnight showing than any other superhero movie this summer, and sure, it even overtook Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. II to take the number one spot at the box office during its opening weekend. But… again, like the other superhero films this summer, Captain America took a nosedive at the box office worse than Steve Rogers did at the end of First Avenger… It fell nearly %60 in its second week, and barely grasped onto a number three spot. Those two other films must have been pretty good, right? Um, if you thought The Smurfs or Cowboys and Aliens was good, please, do everyone a favor and disappear. Forever. Like Green Lantern, Cap would fall out of the top ten at the box office by week five. Too bad.

This. This better be good......

Well, the seemingly lackluster summer superhero films of 2011 was… well, lackluster. All of these films (minus the stupid Transformers) barely scraped enough money at the box office to pay for their extravagant budgets. These films were lacking in both the critical and box office receptions. Sure, all of them started off with a bang, but none of them had the staying power that a really good film should have at the box office. To call any of these (again, minus the ridiculously dumb Transformers) a box office success is rather debatable. The superhero flicks just flat-out disappointed this summer.

To be perfectly honest, it didn’t matter how good or bad the Marvel films did at either the box office or critics’ circles. The Avenger movie would happen regardless. DC’s outlook doesn’t look as fortunate…… They really needed Green Lantern to step up to the plate and hit a homerun. Unfortunately, it not only struck out, but it struck out swinging at a pitch that bounced two feet in front of the plate. And it wasn’t even a breaking ball.

Anyway, there is good reason that DC Comics and Warner Bros. Pictures should be nervous. The Batman franchise is really the only superhero series that is doing well. And the last installment is coming out next year. Uh-oh. Sure, there will be another Superman movie, but Bats is the only sure moneymaker for DC, unlike the plethora of films that Marvel has going for them. People want a Justice League movie. I doubt that will ever happen. Not in the next five to ten years, at least.

Well... there's always this...

...or this...

The summer of 2011 was disappointing for the supers, but 2012 has a more positive outlook, at least, if you’re not sick of superhero films. Until these movies stop making any sort of money, studios will continue to make them. Expect new, obscure superheroes in the future (Ant-Man? Really?), along with combo films, sequels, reboots, etc. All coming to you in the glorious post-converted money-hungry 3D. Sigh.

Geronimo.

~Peter

O Hai Dere.

2011-09-07T21:21:00.002-04:00

CRAYONS!!!

Well. School is back in session.

Hurray...?

As you may know, this blog has been slowing down to a near standstill since... well, pretty much since our second month of bursting onto the blogging scene (ha). All of us here at YAMB sincerely apologize for the lack of content. Really. But... Y'know, life happens.

College, lack of content, ~~lack of motivation~~, and other stuff just kind of got in the way. Mainly college. And now it's back.

That being said...

Wait for it... wait for it...

I (Peter) really want to keep this blog going.

Over time, the fellow writers of YAMB have dropped away due having less and less time to work on writing an article for a blog, let alone trying to find time to write a 16-page report on the fundamental techniques used by various directors to evoke meaning within the mis-en-scene...

Even though I myself will be very busy between mundane homework, music and concerts, and filming (for a production class. Huzzah!), I hope to find the time to keep this blog up and running.

Easier said than done.

And, even though my fellow bloggers are busy, they may want to pop in a few times with an article or two... Ya never know!

Thank you so much for your patience and your viewership!

Don't forget to find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

2012 Oscar Contenders, Pt. I

2011-09-04T00:09:00.004-04:00

Well, it's about that time again... Time to delve deeper into the films that could be the next big winner for the 84th Academy Award show.

Back in July, I listed 12 films I believed to be have a legitimate chance to be strong contenders during the 2012 Award season. Now, I explain those choice in further detail.

Four posts featuring three films each will be in this series of 12 for '12.

The first installment features a polarizing film, a long shot, and a dark horse for the 2012 award shows.

Keep reading on for the three films featured in this post...

The Tree of Life

Director: Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line, The New World)

Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn

Reasons It’s a Contender:

This was a film I had tagged as a possible Oscar contender for the 2011 Award show season; however, Malick’s picture was ineligible for the 83^rd Oscars. The anticipation was very high for this movie, too, as distribution issues constantly delayed it. Tree was finally able to premiere at Cannes Film Festival. Once the film finished, it was reported that it drew both cheers as well as boos from the crowd. Regardless, Tree took home the Palme d’Or, or in layman’s terms, the best film featured at Cannes. A humbling story exploring the depths of the human psyche, and reflecting on life, love, and loss definitely does sound like a strong Award show contender. The film led by Malick and helped by the usual strong acting from Pitt and Penn should help give Tree some steam come the Award show season. Tree is also easily one of the best films of the summer of 2011.

Reasons It’s a Pretender:

Tree is a rather polarizing movie, as non-linear, abstract stories like this one do not really do well during Award season. While it holds overall positive reviews, this film will most likely have a bit of difficulty garnering the attention it needs to be a strong contender when the Award race heats up. Being released in the summer really doesn’t help its chances either. In the end, I can see Tree getting lost in the rush for Award show glory.

Release Date: 27 May 2011

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. II

Director: David Yates (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 1)

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint

Reasons It’s a Contender:

I know, I know, this one’s a long shot. I realize this. As one commenter here so eloquently said that my Oscar contender list “loses any attempt at being correct with harry potter”. Hmmmmm. While Potter probably won’t be up for very few, if any, Oscars, it could be a dark horse for Best Picture. Why? Well, even though the Academy doesn’t usually give out “favors,” Potter could be given a nommy just out of desperation to one, get more viewers, and two, as a tribute to the contribution the Potter franchise gave to cinephiles everywhere. While this is a long shot, other “smaller” award categories, such as Visual Effects, Cinematography, etc., are not out of the question.

Reasons It’s a Pretender:

While Potter and pals have been a dynamo in Hollywood, the Academy has always shied away. Even though Potter is the highest grossing franchise of all time, money doesn’t buy awards… Only Half-Blood Prince has received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. I wouldn’t be surprised if the trend of being shut out come Award show season continues for the Boy-Who-Lived.

Release Date: 15 July 2011

Tinker, Tailor, Solder, Spy

Director: Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In- 2008)

Starring: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, John Hurt, Benedict Cumberbatch

Reasons It’s a Contender:

A riveting spy tale set in the 1970s during the Cold War and based on the acclaimed novel by John Le Carre, Tinker (wow, I hate using that as an abbreviation…) seems to have all the ingredients to be able to whip up some Award show fun-food. Alfredson has proved his directorial chops with the critically acclaimed film Let the Right One In, and Soldier, Spy should allow him the mainstream success he deserves. Oldman, Firth, Hardy, Strong, Hurt, and the rising star of Cumberbatch are an all-star cast that should also help this project.

Reasons It’s a Pretender:

Well, thrillers aren’t usually well received come Award show season. Although… this film does look to be a strong contender. It really depends on how this film becomes marketed. If it comes off as a money maker rather than a stylish drama, the Academy may avoid Soldier, Spy like the plague. Regardless, Soldier, Spy should be one of the better films of 2011.

Release Date: 16 September 2011

Well, thus concludes the first installment.

All three don't really project to be heavy hitters during the Award show season. So... the first installment is a rather lackluster one.

Thank goodness these aren't the "Big Ones."

I apologize for the bland post... I promise the others will feature more exciting, actual contenders.

Geronimo.

~Peter

Be sure to check out Part II and Part III! Part IV Coming Soon!

2012 Oscar Predictions: 12 for ‘12

2011-07-13T01:11:00.010-04:00

They're kinda creepy, if you think about it...

Getting sick of the summer lineup already? Well, I sure am. I can only take so many explosions, superstunts, robots, pathetic CGI, and that pesky 3D. Think it’s too early to think about Oscar films and the Academy Awards season? Phsh. No and no.

I plan to break the following list of films into four segments of three, assuming I actually get around to it…….. Those segments will go into more detail as to why I think they will be among the select few at the 84^th Academy Award in 2012.

Anyway, here is the never-too-early list of Oscar Contenders for 2012:

A Dangerous Method

Director: David Cronenberg (A History of Violence, Eastern Promises)

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightly

Release Date: TBA in U.S.; 10 November 2011

War Horse

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Benedict Cumberbatch

Release Date: 28 December 2011

The Iron Lady

Director: Phillida Lloyd (Macbeth, Mamma Mia!)

Starring: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent

Release Date: 16 December 2011

Tinker, Tailor, Solder, Spy

Director: Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In- 2008)

Starring: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch

Release Date: 16 September 2011

The Tree of Life

Director: Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line, The New World)

Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn

Release Date: 27 May 2011

J. Edgar

Director: Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima, Gran Torino, Invictus, Hereafter)

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Josh Lucas, Armie Hammer

Release Date: 14 December 2011

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Director: Lynne Ramsay (Ratcatcher)

Starring: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller

Release Date: TBA in U.S.; 12 May 2011 (Cannes)

The Ides of March

Director: George Clooney (Good Night, and Good Luck, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind)

Starring: George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood

Release Date: 7 October 2011

Moneyball

Director: Bennett Miller (Capote)

Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Robin Wright, Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Release Date: 23 September 2011

The Rum Diary

Director: Bruce Robinson (Withnail and I)

Starring: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard

Release Date: 28 October 2011

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Director: David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Social Network)

Starring: Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Robin Wright

Release Date: 21 December 2011

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. II

Director: David Yates (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 1)

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint

Release Date: 15 July 2011

Honorable Mention: Young Adult, The Descendants, Contagion, Drive, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Carnage, Like Crazy, The Eye of the Storm, Hugo Cabret, 50/50, Marcy Martha May Marlene, The Debt, Warrior

Stay tuned for more coverage of the Oscars! And... well, maybe coverage in general... It's been busy for us YAMB writers... to say the least.

Part One

Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
The Rest... (Coming Soon!)

Geronimo.

~Peter

Yes, We Are Still Alive, just barely...

2011-04-05T20:36:00.003-04:00

Hello faithful viewers... if you're still out there...

Anyway, as you probably noticed there has been zero new posts here at Yet Another Movie Blog since the beginning of February. Zip. Zilch. Nada. None.

A few explanations for the inactivity could crop up, such as an overwhelming college workload and lack of motivation..., but we prefer to think that we were too busy slaying fire-breathing dragons in some distant land. And they were big dragons. And we slay'd them. All of them.

But seriously, we are shutting 'er down for a wee bit. Unfortunately this blog is a bit of a side-hobby-project thing that takes a backseat over other priorities, like doing well in college, while getting sleep, and actually interacting with people. Weird.

It's a real pity too because there are so many awesome (and not so awesome) movies coming up! Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, Pirates 4: Same Johnny Depp Schtick as the other 3, amongst others. Not to mention all the crazy Dark Knight Rising rumors that are swirling around Chris Nolan's latest brainchild, and Zack "THINGS GO WHEEEEEE BECAUSE I SAY SO" Snyder's next mash-up of things that go ka-boom, the next Superman movie, Superman: Man of Steel.

But alas, it cannot be. We are just too busy.

We want to thank all of you who are actually viewing this site, and/or actually taking the time to read this far...

We may be back in action come summertime...

Stay Tuned, folks.

~YAMB Staff

Gettin' Linky after the jump...

Upcoming Film: Sucker Punch

2011 Golden Globes Stuff
Batman 3 News
Oscar Predictions... (Wow. These are now irrelevant... but see how close I came...)
Oscar Nominations
Movie Review: No Strings Attached

That's All Folks!

Thanks for everything!

Movie Review: No Strings Attached

2011-02-14T15:20:00.000-05:00

. . . not this.

Well, it’s official. I’m a girl. There are some movies that make me think, some that entertain me, and some that make me laugh. No Strings Attached, well, I guess you could call it laughing. Don’t get me wrong, I thought No Strings Attached was a horribly clichéd movie with no original thoughts whatsoever and a plotline that perpetuates all the typical myths about love you always hear (especially today on Valentine’s Day). But, oh man, this movie was so funny I didn’t even care.

This movie is basically the same as every other romantic comedy in the world: boy meets girl. Boy and girl are awkward. Boy and girl get together. Boy and girl break up due to misunderstanding. Boy and girl get back together. The plot is unoriginal and mechanical, which on the upside leaves you free to completely ignore it, but on the downside, well, is boring. I’m not particularly worried about spoiling this movie because, seriously, you’ve seen this movie before, just with different actors.

Seriously, what is with his face?

And the actors are, for the most part, nothing special. I’m a fan of Natalie Portman, for sure, but if you aren’t, then that won’t make much of a difference. The male lead is played by Ashton Kutcher and the only thing I really can say about Ashton Kutcher is that his face looks funny. In a good way. Probably. There aren’t really any other characters of note, besides all the typical characters you need in a romantic comedy just to drive the plot along. There are some entertaining actors though, including Kevin Kline as Adam’s (Ashton Kutcher) creepy dad, Cary Elwes as a totally random doctor and Ludacris as one of Adam’s obligatory guy friends. Seriously. Ludacris.

The only thing about the movie that seems to be worth watching is the relationship between Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman’s characters. At first glance, it seems wildly different than other romantic comedies: the guy is the one who wants a firm relationship, and the girl just wants sex with no emotional attachments. But after watching the movie, you realize that any attempt to upend gender stereotypes flops completely, assuming there was ever any attempt at all. The movie ends up just running like every other romantic comedy ever, with everything ending happily after a giant outpouring of feelings at the end.

Also, carrot flowers. Actually, those are just carrots.

But despite all of this, I still liked this movie. It was the humor that got me. This movie’s particular brand of quirky humor made me laugh really hard, from random lines like “you eat like a baby dinosaur” delivered in Ashton Kutcher’s ridiculously silly voice, to the creation of a “period mix CD” for when Natalie Portman is on her period, including songs like “Bleeding Love,” “Even Flow,” and (sacrilegiously funny) “Sunday, Bloody Sunday.” Far and away the best parts of this movie are the random one-liners thrown in, like “Someone call Charlie Brown, because we found the Great Pumpkin!” Hilarities like this may be the only reason to watch this movie, but if you have the same kind of humor as me, that might well be reason enough.

Rating: Like

Death and Glory,

Joseph

A Brief Update on our Big Break

2011-02-06T02:41:00.001-05:00

Yeah . . . about that.

First of all, I would like to do some explaining about our interview with KWQC News. Unfortunately, due to Skype difficulties we were unable to actually have our little interview, but we are working on rescheduling the interview for a later date. We'll keep you posted on our slow but sure march to international fame. Apologies to everyone who stayed up until six in the morning to watch us (some of you did . . . right? It wasn’t just us?) and didn’t see us. Never fear, our beautiful faces will one day grace the silver screen of Iowa local news. Further apologies for the lack of posts recently, we’ve sort of been in limbo (BAAAAUUUWWW) after the news thing (plus I personally stayed awake for 41 straight hours that day and following), plus we haven’t seen many new movies recently (and/or are lazy slobs). Good grief that was an excessive amount of parentheses.

In the Interest of Shameless Self-Promotion

2011-01-25T16:33:00.001-05:00

Exactly like this.

Step one: Start a fun blog to talk about movies.

Step two: Get on TV.

Step three: Interwebz domination.

With step one complete, and with some help from our friends over at KWQC TV in Iowa on completing step two, domination is near.

That's right, five of our very own will appear on TV for an interview tomorrow (Wednesday) morning at a glorious 4:45 AM CST. Peter, Joseph, Ben, Nate, and J Bernard will be interviewed live via Skype for our thoughts on the Oscar nominations and how we think various films will hold up.

If at all possible, tune in to hear our witty remarks, watch our beautiful faces, and laugh at our crippling sleep deprivation. It's sure to be a party for all involved. Seeing as how we'll be talking about the Oscar nominations, it's probably a decent idea to let y'all know about them too. Keep reading to find out, courtesy of ScreenRant.

Best motion picture of the year

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight), A Protozoa and Phoenix Pictures Production, Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
“The Fighter” (Paramount), A Relativity Media Production, David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
“Inception” (Warner Bros.), A Warner Bros. UK Services Production, Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features), An Antidote Films, Mandalay Vision and Gilbert Films Production, Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company), A See-Saw Films and Bedlam Production, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers
“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight), An Hours Production, Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
“The Social Network” (Sony Pictures Releasing), A Columbia Pictures Production, Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
“Toy Story 3″ (Walt Disney), A Pixar Production, Darla K. Anderson, Producer
“True Grit” (Paramount), A Paramount Pictures Production, Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions), A Winter’s Bone Production, Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers

Achievement in directing

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight), Darren Aronofsky
“The Fighter” (Paramount), David O. Russell
“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company), Tom Hooper
“The Social Network” (Sony Pictures Releasing), David Fincher
“True Grit” (Paramount), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Javier Bardem in “Biutiful” (Roadside Attractions)
Jeff Bridges in “True Grit” (Paramount)
Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network” (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company)
James Franco in “127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features)
Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole” (Lionsgate)
Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions)
Natalie Portman in “Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight)
Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Christian Bale in “The Fighter” (Paramount)
John Hawkes in “Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions)
Jeremy Renner in “The Town” (Warner Bros.)
Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features)
Geoffrey Rush in “The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Amy Adams in “The Fighter” (Paramount)
Helena Bonham Carter in “The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company)
Melissa Leo in “The Fighter” (Paramount)
Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”(Paramount)
Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best animated feature film of the year

“How to Train Your Dragon” (Paramount), Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
“The Illusionist” (Sony Pictures Classics), Sylvain Chomet
“Toy Story 3″ (Walt Disney), Lee Unkrich

Original screenplay

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Mike Leigh
“The Fighter” (Paramount), Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson, Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
“Inception” (Warner Bros.), Written by Christopher Nolan
“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features), Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Seidler

Adapted screenplay

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
“The Social Network” (Sony Pictures Releasing), Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
“Toy Story 3″ (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Michael Arndt, Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
“True Grit” (Paramount), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions), Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

Achievement in art direction

“Alice in Wonderland” (Walt Disney), Production Design: Robert Stromberg, Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1″ (Warner Bros.), Production Design: Stuart Craig, Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
“Inception” (Warner Bros.), Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas, Set Decoration: Larry Dias and Doug Mowat
“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company), Production Design: Eve Stewart, Set Decoration: Judy Farr
“True Grit” (Paramount), Production Design: Jess Gonchor, Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh

Achievement in cinematography

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight), Matthew Libatique
“Inception” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company), Danny Cohen
“The Social Network” (Sony Pictures Releasing), Jeff Cronenweth
“True Grit” (Paramount), Roger Deakins

Achievement in costume design

“Alice in Wonderland” (Walt Disney), Colleen Atwood
“I Am Love” (Magnolia Pictures), Antonella Cannarozzi
“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company), Jenny Beavan
“The Tempest” (Miramax), Sandy Powell
“True Grit” (Paramount), Mary Zophres

Best documentary feature

“Exit through the Gift Shop” (Producers Distribution Agency), A Paranoid Pictures Production, Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz
“Gasland”, A Gasland Production, Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
“Inside Job” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Representational Pictures Production, Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
“Restrepo” (National Geographic Entertainment), An Outpost Films Production, Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
“Waste Land” (Arthouse Films), An Almega Projects Production, Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley

Best documentary short subject

“Killing in the Name”, A Moxie Firecracker Films Production, Nominees to be determined
“Poster Girl”, A Portrayal Films Production, Nominees to be determined
“Strangers No More”, A Simon & Goodman Picture Company Production, Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
“Sun Come Up”, A Sun Come Up Production, Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger
“The Warriors of Qiugang”, A Thomas Lennon Films Production, Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon

Achievement in film editing

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight), Andrew Weisblum
“The Fighter” (Paramount), Pamela Martin
“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company), Tariq Anwar
“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight), Jon Harris
“The Social Network” (Sony Pictures Releasing), Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter

Best foreign language film of the year

“Biutiful” (Roadside Attractions), A Menage Atroz, Mod Producciones and Ikiru Films Production, Mexico
“Dogtooth” (Kino International), A Boo Production, Greece
“In a Better World” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Zentropa Production, Denmark
“Incendies” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Micro-Scope Production, Canada
“Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)” (Cohen Media Group), A Tassili Films Production, Algeria

Achievement in makeup

“Barney’s Version” (Sony Pictures Classics), Adrien Morot
“The Way Back” (Newmarket Films in association with Wrekin Hill Entertainment and Image Entertainment), Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
“The Wolfman” (Universal), Rick Baker and Dave Elsey

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

“How to Train Your Dragon” (Paramount), John Powell
“Inception” (Warner Bros.), Hans Zimmer
“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company), Alexandre Desplat
“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
“The Social Network” (Sony Pictures Releasing), Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

“Coming Home” from “Country Strong” (Sony Pictures Releasing (Screen Gems)), Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
“I See the Light” from “Tangled” (Walt Disney), Music by Alan Menken, Lyric by Glenn Slater
“If I Rise” from “127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
“We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3″ (Walt Disney), Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Best animated short film

“Day & Night” (Walt Disney), A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Teddy Newton
“The Gruffalo”, A Magic Light Pictures Production, Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
“Let’s Pollute”, A Geefwee Boedoe Production, Geefwee Boedoe
“The Lost Thing”, (Nick Batzias for Madman Entertainment), A Passion Pictures Australia Production, Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
“Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)”, A Sacrebleu Production, Bastien Dubois

Best live action short film

“The Confession” (National Film and Television School), A National Film and Television School Production, Tanel Toom
“The Crush” (Network Ireland Television), A Purdy Pictures Production, Michael Creagh
“God of Love”, A Luke Matheny Production, Luke Matheny
“Na Wewe” (Premium Films), A CUT! Production, Ivan Goldschmidt
“Wish 143″, A Swing and Shift Films/Union Pictures Production, Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

Achievement in sound editing

“Inception” (Warner Bros.), Richard King
“Toy Story 3″ (Walt Disney), Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
“Tron: Legacy” (Walt Disney), Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
“True Grit” (Paramount), Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
“Unstoppable” (20th Century Fox), Mark P. Stoeckinger

Achievement in sound mixing

“Inception” (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company), Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
“Salt” (Sony Pictures Releasing), Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
“The Social Network” (Sony Pictures Releasing), Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
“True Grit” (Paramount), Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland

Achievement in visual effects

“Alice in Wonderland” (Walt Disney), Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1″ (Warner Bros.), Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
“Hereafter” (Warner Bros.), Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
“Inception” (Warner Bros.), Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
“Iron Man 2″ (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment, Distributed by Paramount), Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

Questions, comments, concerns about the nominations? The internet is already furiously clamoring over the lack of Christopher Nolan's direction in Inception, and apparently there are some people who think TRON should have gotten a few nominations in the visual categories. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, in a completely unsurprising move, has absolutely no nominations, regardless of its high standing in... certain circles.

The King's Speech has 12 nominations, True Grit has 10, and The Social Network and Inception both snagged 8.

The Academy Awards will air on ABC on February 27th. We may or may not be live-blogging it, depending on the current workload of our classes.

Oscar Predictions!!! (Pre-Nominations. . .)

2011-01-23T00:33:00.002-05:00

On January 25 at 8:30 A.M., the Academy Awards will announce the nominees for every and all categories for the 83rd Oscars. However, I will gaze into my crystal ball, and attempt to foresee not only the nominees, but also the winners. It's early, yes, as the nominees aren't even official, but it's still fun to try to guess!

Sure, I could be way off, but hey, who knows?

Who will win big? What way will the Academy lean?

Keep reading. . .

Best Picture:

The King’s Speech

Dark Horse: The Social Network

The Rest: 127 Hours, Black Swan, Blue Valentine, The Fighter, Inception, Toy Story 3, True Grit, and Winter’s Bone

Reasons: I realize that The King’s Speech is a pretty safe pick for the Academy; however, I can easily see The Social Network overtaking Tom Hooper’s film for the top prize at the Oscars. Even though The Social Network is already hauling in many trophies and awards, I still see The King’s Speech as the favorite for the Academy. I wouldn’t even be surprised if David O. Russell’s movie, The Fighter, gains enough momentum via the Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globes and various Critic’s Choice Awards to push itself into the (currently) two-horse race. 127 Hours and Black Swan are bit behind the formerly listed three, and while they could have a late award season push, I don’t see them becoming major players, at least in this category.

Best Director:

David Fincher (The Social Network)

Dark Horse: David O. Russell (The Fighter)

The Rest: Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), Christopher Nolan (Inception), and Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech)

Reasons: Now, I know it’s a very unusual for a director to win the Best Director award and not win the Best Picture prize, as I have listed, but for now, I don’t see Hooper winning this award. Nolan would be a long-shot in actuality, and Danny Boyle would probably be a better pick (for his film 127 Hours), but I think Nolan should be recognized for the summer blockbuster that stirred audiences and critics alike. If The Social Network becomes the favorite to win Best Picture, Fincher would be a shoo-in for the Best Director award. As priorly noted, The Social Network is definitely motoring right along. Aronofsky’s Black Swan was excellent; however, once again, he creates such a bizarre tale that I can’t see him getting more than a nomination. Black Swan is just too much of an acquired flavor for the Academy’s usual reserved tastes. David O. Russell creates a brilliant, emotional boxing film that features an incredibly talented cast. His directing is gorgeous in The Fighter, but I don’t see much competition to Fincher, who already nabbed a Golden Globe (amongst other trophies) for Best Director.

Best Actor in a Leading Role:

Colin Firth (The King's Speech)

Dark Horse: James Franco (127 Hours)

The Rest: Javier Bardem (Biutiful), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), and George Clooney (The American)

Reasons: Once again, this pick is rather conservative, and I can easily see Eisenberg taking this award from Firth. Both are highly deserving of this award, as is James Franco for his poignant performance as Aron “I-cut-off-my-arm-oops-that-was-a-spoiler-sorry” Ralston. Firth’s performance as the stuttering, self-doubting King George VI is amazing to say the least, but this pick is highly dependent on if the “momentum” swings from The King’s Speech to The Social Network. Firth started what should be a big award season for him with a Golden Globe in this category.

Best Actress in a Leading Role:

Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Dark Horse: Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right)

The Rest: Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone), Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine), and Lesley Manville (Another Year)

Reasons: The safest, “mainstream” pick would easily be Portman for her spine-tingling performance as Nina Sayers in Black Swan. However, if the Academy wanted to branch out of to the less conventional, Bening for her portrayal of Nic, the other half of a rocky same-sex couple in the highly acclaimed family dramedy The Kids are All Right, would be a solid pick. Lawrence is equally deserving for her performance as a teenage girl going through very un-teenage girl problems in her life (such as supporting her siblings and tracking down her meth-head papa, all with the fate of her family resting in her hands). However, Winter’s Bone may be a bit too “indie” for the Academy’s tastes, and it very well may be too dark of a story for Lawrence to win the Best Actress award. It should be an interesting to see which way the Academy sways, as both women won a Golden Globe in the Best Actress categories (Drama and Comedy, respectively).

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:

Christian Bale (The Fighter)

Dark Horse: Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech)

The Rest: Andrew Garfield (The Social Network), John Hawkes (Winter's Bone), and Jeremy Renner (The Town)

Reasons: You have no idea how badly I want Bale to win an Academy Award... The fiery passion and crazy obsession he conveys in his craft is simply incredible. This fire does not wane in his performance as drug-head Dicky in The Fighter. As much as I loved Rush’s performance in The King’s Speech, I think that Bale’s performance is a bit more deserving. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if Rush goes home with the Golden Naked Statue Man. Of this, I would not be disappointed at all. As of now, this category is another two horse race, as I don’t see Garfield, Hawkes, or Renner (a weird, far out pick...) becoming serious players. Bale also started what should be a nice award season run by taking home the globed, golden statue.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:

Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech)

Dark Horse: Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)

The Rest: Amy Adams (The Fighter), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Mila Kunis (Black Swan)

Reasons: I’ve been waffling back and forth with this category. Who to pick and who to win? As of now, the list is exactly the same as the Golden Globes nominations, which makes me feel like I’m not being authentic enough... however, it’s a difficult category, as it is rather under appreciated, and hard to gauge who was a “star” behind the other “leading star.” I’m undecided if Kunis should be on the list, and I don’t get how Steinfeld isn’t in the “Best Actress in a Leading Role” category (seeing as how she’s the main female character in True Grit...). It would be awesome if she won though, and this would be the easiest category to take, as it is fairly up for grabs. Melissa Leo could become a frontrunner, but I’m not sure. Leo won the Golden Globe award.

Best Animated Film:

Toy Story 3

Dark Horse: How to Train Your Dragon

The Rest: Tangled, The Illusionist, and Despicable Me

Reasons: As much as I loved How to Train Your Dragon, can you really top the incredibly emotional joyride that was Toy Story 3? The answer is no. Pixar creates yet another unbelievable film, and I would be not only disappointed if Toy Story 3 didn’t win this category, I would probably doubt my existence for the rest of time... The rest of the animated crowd is just a rather annoying squeals and squawks of attention seeking half-baked pop culture references, and I don’t see any of them overtaking Dragon or Toy Story 3. If Shrek 4: 3 Too Many gets nominated, I would- well... you don’t want to know what I would do... The Illusionist is the only other worthy film in this category, and I wouldn’t doubt that the Academy only nominates three films again (a la every year but 2009). These three would most likely be Toy Story 3, The Illusionist, and How to Train Your Dragon.

Best Original Screenplay

Inception

Dark Horse: The King’s Speech

The Rest: The Fighter, Black Swan, and The Kids are All Right

Reasons: Wow, so many phenomenal films that feature Hollywood originality. Inception is probably a long, long shot to win, but it would be a nice award for Nolan’s completely insane project. Black Swan would really be an interesting choice in this category, as it really is a creepy adaption of Swan Lake, but all the award shows have it under the “Original” title. I would love for Black Swan to get some recognition for the wonderful film it is; however, I would not be surprised if The King’s Speech wins this award.

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Social Network (based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich)

Dark Horse: 127 Hours (based on the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston)

The Rest: True Grit (based on the novel by Charles Portis), Winter’s Bone (based on the novel by Daniel Woodrell), and Toy Story 3 (based on... well, I’m not really sure... some awards have it under “Original” and others have it as “Adapted.” so very confuddling.)

Reasons: This category isn’t really as close as it would seem... The Social Network is just that incredible. It doesn’t really matter what Toy Story 3 falls under (either “Original” or “Adapted” if it’s included in either...) because The Social Network is such a phenomenal adaption of the book The Accidental Billionaires. I would be highly surprised if it did not go home with the win.

In Short. . .

Best Picture: The King’s Speech

Best Director: David Fincher (The Social Network)

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Christian Bale (The Fighter)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech)

Best Animated Film: Toy Story 3

Best Original Screenplay: Inception

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network

Yes, I realize a lot of these are similar to the Golden Globes, and yes, I realize I pretty much said that those awards were pretty useless in this article...

However, as I said, it's early, and well, the Golden Globes are really the only major award to give an indicator what films are gaining momentum.

And don't worry, we'll keep you updated for when the nominees are named!

Geronimo,

~Peter S

Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth (The Dark Knight Rises Update)

2011-01-19T15:29:00.005-05:00

Bats, the Third. aka The Dark Knight Rises.

Deep breaths, me, DEEP BREATHS.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat process.

Okay, now I'm sitting down.

Sigh.

Why so upset?

The Princess and that guy from Inception.

Well, as some of you may have heard (and you probably have because the Interwebz are all abuzz with the latest movie nugget.), Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy will be playing Bane and Catwoman. Let me switch that... Catwoman and Bane; although, it doesn't really matter to me because either way two talented actors are getting two ridiculously pathetic characters to play.

Okay, more deep breaths needed.

Sigh.

Well. . .

As fellow blogger, Ben, posted on my Mark "Not a Douche, but Maybe a Little Bit Douchey" Zuckerberg created Facebook wall, linking me to the news, he said, "This is just silly."

Agreed.

Why, you ask? Well, friends, keep reading.

Where to start, where to start?

Perhaps I'm slightly annoyed that my dreams of The Riddler being included were not seen to fruition, even though I wrote this glamorous article, pleading Nolan to add him to the Nolan-verse. Huh. Who whudda thought that a ~~really~~ small-time blogger about movies wasn't heard by the Big Guys? Go figure.

Ego aside, I'm just not that into the idea of having Selina "Catwoman" Kyle incorporated into the story, and I am certainly skeptical of Tom Hardy's Bane. (But as one of my friends told me, "Tom Hardy! He's so hot!" So. . . yeah.)

Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love (there I said it three times, so it has to be true) Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway. Great young, upcoming actors, who should have illustrious careers ahead them, to add onto their already phenomenal credentials. I love the acting choices.

I just have a problem with who the actors are acting.

Although the press released stated that "Selina Kyle" will be include into the Nolan trilogy, most inferred this meant that Catwoman would be making an appearance, one way or another. Even though they could just leave her as said "Selina Kyle," that would just be an annoying ploy to leave it open for a spin-off for a "legit" Catwoman movie. The more likely would be to include the character's alter ego, Catwoman. However, Catwoman's backstory would be really hastily thrown together, which in turn, severely stunts a potentially nice character development.

The character of Bane does not seem to fit in with the Nolan universe. And, I guess we're all trying to forget that one Bane in that one movie with George Clooney. /SHUDDER. He's a hulking, yet intelligent rival to The Dark Knight, mostly known for being featured in the Knightfall story arc. In Knightfall, Bane breaks Batman's back, causing Bruce Wayne to question his ability. It's a rather dark and grim storyline that could fit, but it seems to not fit well with where the second film, The Dark Knight, left off. Could Azrael be included to the third Bats film? Could that totally fit? Yeah and sure. Does Catwoman fit in that story arc? No.

As those of us who have seen the second installment to the Nolan Trilogy, Batman is being chased by the police, and probably going to be hated by the general public. He becomes a "savior" figure, by bearing the brunt of the crimes committed by Harvey "Two-Face" Dent.

Now, how does that work with the inclusion of Bane and Catwoman? I'm not quite sure... I guess it gives Bruce Wayne/Batman a love interest and an emotional enemy, but still, that's a cheap ploy for an attempted love interest that won't really go anywhere (or it shouldn't work) in only one movie. Bane gives Bats a physical rival, FINALLY. Fellow blogger, Blackthorne, Esq., told me that Catwoman could work, if they tie it in by using her to point out that Batman loves his life as a vigilante, too much. Wayne may also learn to understand that a criminal could be a person just like him, not some random guy he routinely smashes to a pulpy mess. Both of us (and I'm sure my other blogmates would agree) question the connection that will have to be made between Catwoman and Bane. And, again, hastily thrown together characters totally kill the movie. Example A: Spider-Man 3. I believe one example is enough.

Okay, so this is pretty neat-o.

Even though I am overjoyed that the The Dark Knight Rises not only has a title (albeit a really obnoxious one) but also tangible cast members and characters, I rather liked the ambiguity and guessing who would be who. Now that's gone, and I'm slightly miffed, even more perturbed at the choices.

However, if there is anyone who can make the ridiculous into the fantastic, it's mastermind Chris Nolan. And let's be honest, to put it bluntly, this movie isn't going to suck.

Geronimo,

Peter S