Prometheus

Prometheus
(2012) [Trailer]
Director: Ridley Scott (IMDB)

I can definitely say that this movie was in the top of my most anticipated films of the year. When I heard Ridley Scott was making a prequel to Alien I got excited, then I saw the trailer and got a boner. This movie has a lot of hype around it, now I'll tell you the truth about it.

Synopsis: Astronauts leave earth to trace the roots of mankind which takes them to a planet where they get more then they bargained for.

Where to start, this movie is absolute shit... I'm kidding it's not shit. I liked Prometheus, but I didn't love it. If you're going into this excepting Alien, you'll be let down. It's a lot different then Alien, which isn't a fault I suppose, but I guess I was hoping it'd be more like it. My favorite horror movies are ones where a group of people are trapped in a space and there's evil critters, zombies, aliens, whatever waiting to get in and kill them. You take movies like The Thing, Alien/Aliens, Dawn of the Dead and you'll see that motif beautifully executed. I really was hoping that Prometheus would follow that track... it didn't. It's really focused on the plot and getting down to where we as humans came from. It's an interesting story, but one that unfolds slowly and in my opinion never really resolves itself. It's a lot of build up, with little pay off. I would go into more depth, but I don't want to spoil anything.

I did love the cast, especially Michael Fassbender, Stringer Bell, and Charlize Theron, all were great. The effects were really impressive, and I like that they threw in practical stuff too. The scene involving the first encounter with the aliens is rad, and the fetus scene is amazing.

This is in theaters now and I would recommend it if you're into sci-fi.

The Bourne Trilogy

I finally saw the trailer for the new Bourne movie coming out this year, it stars Jeremy Renner and is directed by someone who isn't Paul Greengrass... I'm not too sure how I feel about it. The trailer doesn't look horrible, but I have a hard time imagining anyone else other then Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. Regardless, I picked up the trilogy on blu-ray recently and decided to give em a re-watch.

 The Bourne Identity
(2002) [Trailer]
Director: Doug Liman (IMDB)

Synopsis: Secret agent Jason Bourne awakes from a coma with amnesia after being rescued at sea and has to try and piece together who he is and what happened to him.

This is the maiden voyage for the Bourne series and sets the tone for all the others. It's suspenseful, trilling and loaded with solid action. Matt Damon really owns the character and does a great job with it. The fight scenes in this are incredible and do a great job with not getting bogged down or overly inflated... they're just quick and punchy and get right to the point. I never read the books for the Bourne series, and like I've said in the past on this blog, why would I now that they're movies? I know when this film came out a lot of people said the book was better, who cares... this movie does a fantastic job of taking a great story and bringing it to the big screen. I can say with ease, this is an extremely entertaining film and a must for action fans.

 

 The Bourne Supremacy
(2004) [Trailer]
Director: Paul Greengrass (IMDB)

Sypnopsis: Bourne and his boo are half way around the world and trying to keep low key when a turn of events brings him out of retirement.

This time around Paul Greengrass steps in to direct and does a brilliant job keeping the suspense at an all time high. A ton of people complained about the shaky cam feel of this when it came out, but those people are idiots. This style, when done poorly, can be annoying, but Greengrass is a master at it. The shaky cam lends itself to this film and it enhances the actions scenes, giving a personal feel to everything... almost like you're there filming it yourself. There's not much to criticize here, it's intriguing and nail biting stuff with lots of "what the fuck" moments... definitely worth a view if you haven't seen it.

 

The Bourne Ultimatum
(2007) [Trailer]
Director: Paul Greengrass (IMDB)

Synopsis: Bourne is back and still looking to unlock the secrets of his past.

This is probably my favorite of the three. Greengrass has fine tuned the series and delivers 100% on all the elements that made the other two enjoyable. Tangier was the highlight of the series for me, everything filmed there was just the best ever. I love the rooftop stuff and the jumping through windows shots were awesome, especially the last jump where the camera follows Damon through the window. The shaky cam is back and is effective as ever. There's also a lot of cool zooms and over head shots which were impressive. The resolution to Bourne's back story was finally delivered and seemed a decent way to tie up the story. I can't really see where the new movie is going to take  this series, I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Planet of the Vampires

Planet of the Vampires
(1965) [Full Movie]
Director: Mario Bava (IMDB)

Vampires are pretty hot right now. You got Twilight and True Blood and let's not forget... Lost Boys: The Tribe. These blood suckers captivate and enthrall us, to the point where people are into this. So I decided to jump on the band wagon and check out Planet of the Vampires, Mario Bava's classic movie that has nothing to do with vampires.

Synopsis: A group of astronauts land on a mysterious planet.. they soon find out they are not alone.

I love Mario Bava and this film further solidifies that love. The direction on this is similar to other Bava movies and incorporates the use of lots of colors and great set pieces. This film is truly impressive for it's age and holds up nicely. As stated before, this isn't about vampires at all: it's more about space zombies, which are way cooler. The astronaut's costumes from this remind me of Ridley Scott's new movie Prometheus, I decided to give you a little side by side comparison HERE. I definitely enjoyed this movie a lot and hopefully they'll be bringing it to blu-ray soon so I can own a proper version, till then it's on Netflix instant for your viewing pleasure.

The Blob

The Blob
(1988) [Trailer]
Director: Chuck Russell (IMDB)

Another 80's horror film for you. I've been on a roll with these and have a lot more on deck in the future. Hope that's okay with you? It's not? Well...I'm sorry. Do you forgive me? Thanks.

Synopsis: A mysterious meteorite falls from the Heavens and unleashes a slimy little buddy that's just a real good time to play with.

This remake stars Johnny Drama with a sweet mullet and a girl I've seen in tons of stuff but couldn't remember exactly what, so I IMDB'd (yep, that's a verb) her... it's your favorite: Shawnee Smith! The film is pretty slow to get going but it gets good once people start getting eaten. The practical effects are really awesome but some of the regular effects don't hold up. This is a pretty good watch and decent enough for its age. Hop on it.

Moonrise Kingdom

Moonrise Kingdom
(2012) [Trailer]
Director: Wes Anderson (IMDB)

Here's a joke for you... How many hipsters does it take to screw in a light bulb? I don't know, but I guarantee at least one of them has seen a Wes Anderson film. I've been called a hipster and most people find it to be a put down... I don't give a shit... call me whatever the hell you want, you insecure fuck. All I know is that me and all my hipster brethren were out in full force tonight for Anderson's newest baby...Moonrise Kingdom.

Synopsis: Two kids fall in love on a Island in New England during the 60's, then plan to runaway after their parents don't approve.

If you're not into Wes Anderson's whole aesthetic, you're going to hate this film. It's cutesy overload and definitely showcases exactly what Anderson is all about as a film maker. Actually, this might be the most Wes Andersonesque of any of his movies. There's a lot of really interesting visuals, set pieces, and music... as a fan, I was pretty happy. The film stars Bill Murray (of course), Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, and Edward Norton... all do a fine job in their rolls. The other two stars are the kids... both are first timers, and I'm really luke warm to both of them. They weren't horrible, but they're not the best either. There were a few scenes where their acting stood out, and took me out of the movie.

Moonrise is still in limited release, but should go wide soon.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
(1969) [Trailer]
Director: George Roy Hill (IMDB)

Many movies are considered "classics". What makes a movie a classic and how long does it take to be bestowed that honor? I recently picked up a few blu-rays that are considered classics that I have not seen. I figured, they were cheap and everyone loves them, so why not. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was the first of that group of blus and now I will tell you if it's a classic or not.

Synopsis: Paul Newman and Robert Redford portray the infamous bank robbing duet, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid... they rob and shoot at people. It's a lot fun.

For westerns, this is as good as it gets. Newman and Redford are awesome together and their chemistry seems 100% legit on screen. I really enjoyed the opening scene, it's filmed with this cool sepia look and also uses lots of interesting close ups. After that, the film heads into a rough account of the real life robbers and it paces itself through that story line effortlessly. Other highlights for me were the chase scenes and the bike ride. The long and short is... this movie is cool and feel timeless to me. So there you go, it's a classic.

Grindhouse (Planet Terror and Death Proof)

There's a lot of regret in my life. I look back at the path I took and think of how I could have done things differently. Would better choices lead to better results... thus making a better person? Only time will tell. Of all my mistakes, the one I regret most is not seeing Grindhouse in the theaters.

Planet Terror
(2007) [Trailer]
Director: Robert Rodriguez (IMDB)

Synopsis: Part one of the Grindhouse experience finds Rose Mcgowen and the dude from Terminator battling mutant zombies after a mysterious gas is released upon the land.

My wife said to me last night "put on something exciting" so I came out of the bedroom in a zebra striped thong... then she said  "no, a movie you idiot, not a thong" so I grabbed Grindhouse instead... but I still rocked the thong regardless.. I like comfort while I movie watch. My second choice was the right one, Planet Terror is an extremely fun film and grabs your attention right away without letting go. 

Robert Rodriguez heads this valiant effort and boy does it deliver on the grind house B-movie excess. Tons of campiness, over the top action, and loads of gore. The practical effects are awesome, and they totally disgusted my wife... so I'd say they were successful.

I found the whole aged film aspect of the movie started to get old, but again, they're going for the whole 70's B-movie thing, so I'll give it a pass.

 The Grindhouse Trailers
The fake trailers consist of Machete (which was made into a real movie), Werewolf Women of the SS, Don't, and Thanksgiving. All of them are pretty cool, but I'd say the least effective would be the Werewolf Women of the SS, and the best one is Thanksgiving. They are all pretty absurd, but obviously that's the point.

Death Proof
(2007) [Trailer]
Director: Quentin Tarantino (IMDB)

Synopsis: Kurt Russell terrorizes young women and drives a bad ass car. That's all you need to know.

I will start by saying I didn't watch this after Planet Terrror, I turned off Grindhouse after the trailers... why you ask? Because I watched it a few months ago and my wife wasn't trying to watch it again... she was not a fan of Death Proof. I am and would have dived right into it, but I'm a team player and decided not to put her through it again.

If you're into Tarantino, who's one of my favorite directors, you'll more than likely love this film. If you're not, I'm sure you'll hate it. It's very dialog heavy and extremely slow to start, but that didn't bother me. The first act finds Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) the victor in his escapades to murder innocent females, the second act proves not to be so easy. I loved how the tables are turned, and the ending for this film is one of the best out there. I'll admit, I'm not the most studied in the genre of films this movie pays homage too, but if they're anything like Death Proof, I should start boning up.