Happy New Year's Eve!

I am feverishly working on some very cool (or so I think) articles wrapping up 2011 and looking forward to 2012, which is why I have been incommunicado recently.  In the meantime I thought I would save all you suckers some money who are planning on going to see the ultra cheesy chick-flick (don't call it a date movie) New Year's Eve (2011) tonight.  Instead, for those lucky enough to still live near a brick-and-mortar video store, go out and rent 200 Cigarettes (1999) which is a much better movie that is based on the eve of 1981 with some much more entertaining actors (Paul Rudd, Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Christina Ricci, Janeane Garofalo, Kate Hudson and Dave Chappelle).  It will be 100% funnier and a decisively better end to your 2011.  For those who will be away from a TV screen tonight, have fun, drink responsibly and party-rock the last hours of this year away!

See you in 2012!

Check This Cool Thing Out: Lego Shaun of the Dead

Some dude on Flickr named yatkuu recreated the Shaun of the Dead poster with Legos... that is all.

Amazing 2011 Movie Mashup

Although I haven't seen many of these 2011 movies yet (and many I may probably never see *cough* Gnomeo & Juliet *cough*), I came across this awesome movie mashup from YouTuber "HatInHand" and had to share.  Enjoy!

News: Killer Klowns from Outer Space Returning to Earth

I just read today that the insane cult horror/comedy from 1988 is returning to scare a whole new generation of kids.  According to their Facebook page, the movie is in the later stages of development and that we should see the movie by the end of 2012.  Described as a "requel" it will be part remake and part sequel... and all crazy ass clown stuff!  For those unfamiliar with the original, it is a cornball movie about a small town that is invaded by aliens who look like circus clowns, but only the children are aware of their devious plans and must race to save their town... and the world!  This movie effectively provided many nightmares in the early 90's for those with an affliction to clowns, including my college friends who got me to watch this movie for the first time.  Well kiddies, get ready to have those psychological wounds reopened.

Review: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

Like an SI2 diamond, this movie is all sparkly and pretty, but has a few minor flaws that only a trained eye will notice - or even care about.  Guy Ritchie directs this enjoyable sequel and continues to prove that Madonna was his albatross.  He brings back his blue-hued scenery, gritty characters and trademark action, but it feels very much like a continuation of the original, if not a bit faded.  Despite the objections of the Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts, I still love Robert Downey Jr.'s sarcastic take on the titular character and although Jude Law's Dr. Watson never really feels like the original, it creates the perfect on-screen balance.

A Game of Shadows was supposed to be the highly anticipated introduction to Holmes' arch nemesis Professor James Moriarty, but this movie doesn't really do enough to emphasize their feud.  For those unfamiliar with the books or older movies, trust me... this is supposed to be a bigger deal.  First off, they were originally planning on having multi Oscar Award winning actor Daniel Day Lewis play Moriarty, then Brad Pitt, Gary Oldman, Sean Penn and Javier Bardem were all considered for the role.  But they eventually went with character actor Jared Harris who is in his own right a very good actor (don't get me wrong here), but he's just not a name that sells tickets, which was a bit surprising.  And neither Ritchie nor the writers did much to build up Moriarty's appearance in the film.  This is Luke vs. Vader, Rocky vs. Apollo, Dorothy vs. The Wicked Witch... but they gloss over their history and their tension in the movie suffers because of it.

Also new to the sequel is Noomi Rapace (the original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) as the Gypsy fortune teller whose brother may be the key to Moriarty's diabolical plan.  Noomi is pretty enough to just be in a film to make it good, but her character isn't really fleshed out enough which prevents her from showing her true acting prowess.  Although I do appreciate that they didn't just turn her into another one of Holmes' random love interests.  Sherlock's brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry) is also introduced in the sequel, but has a very removed supporting role only popping up a few times to provide a little advice and taking care of Watson's fiancee during their adventure.  Both entertaining roles, just not very meaty.

Apart from my issues with Moriarty and a few small editing flaws (which I can't explain without a couple small spoilers, but PM me and we can chat about it), the movie is a very enjoyable "popcorn" movie!  I've been a Guy Ritchie fan since day one and am very happy to see him continuing to get recognition.  If you haven't seen Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) or Snatch (2000) do yourself a favor and rent them this weekend... better yet, stop reading this and go get them right now.  A Game of Shadows features Ritchie's trademark thugs, gypsies and fast-then-slow camerawork which make it evident throughout that this is his movie.  He keeps the pace of the story fast which makes the audience unaware of the 130 minute runtime.  Awesome special effects and of course the script by Michele and Kieran Mulroney is effectively funny.

So as you can see, my ragging on this movie is pretty nit-picky.  Overall, a wonderful and enjoyable movie that is worth your $10 for the action and humor alone.

My Score:  7/10
IMDB Score:  7.8/10

Happy Holidays In Your Face

Have a great holiday weekend, whatever you do to celebrate!  MiYF will be down for a few days as I'll be occupied with something a little more important than movies.  Check back on Monday when I'll be dropping some post-Christmas movie presents for your face.

Sci-Fi Movie In Real Life: Mysterious Metal Ball Falls from the Sky in Namibia

This unidentifiable 13-lb metallic ball was found in the South African country of Namibia and is thought to have fallen from the sky based on the crater it made in the ground.  Authorities tracked it down after hearing several small explosions a few days prior, but have determined it is not an explosive device.  They are trying to contact NASA and the European Space Agency to see if they can help identify this unknown object.

The sphere has been since tested and confirmed it is made from a metal alloy known to man, but as it turns out this find is only one of many that have been discovered in South Africa, Australia and Latin America over the past 20 years with no known origin of them.  Is it an elaborate hoax?  Something falling off spaceships or satellites?  Or something otherworldy?  What say you?

While you're mulling it over, here are some great It-Fell-from-the-Sky sci-fi flicks:

Cloverfield (2008) - Although it isn't revealed until the very end (so, minor spoiler alert) during the leftover footage on the "found" camera - and you must have a good eye to spot it - there is something seen in the distance that falls into the ocean.  Presumably this is the spaceship or the actual creatures that take over New York during the movie.  An excellent, tense movie in its own right that I'm hoping is not related to these metallic spheres.


The Blob (1958) - Steve McQueen stars in this classic drive-in movie that makes for a whole lot of laughable fun.  In the beginning a meteorite falls from the sky and when an old curmudgeon goes investigating, the alien blob found inside crawls up his arm... devouring him.  The blob then continues to eat everything in its path as it gets larger and stronger.  Of course no one is listening to the teens who know the truth so they have to take it upon themselves to stop it.  No blobs reported in this Namibia find... yet.



Iron Giant (1999) - Set in the late 50's, this animated movie is about a young boy who befriends a giant robot that falls from space.  But when a paranoid U.S. Government agent shows up in town to find and destroy the robot, the boy must find a way to save him.  It is very unique for an animated movie to show sincerity throughout the entire story, rather than a bunch of fart jokes with a subtle moment of heart (Shrek, I'm talking to you).  So sincere, in fact, that it is part of a very short list of movies that can actually choke me up.

Superman (1978) - A small spacecraft falls to Earth, Kansas to be precise, and in it is a small alien baby named Kal-El whose own world is dying.  Taken in by an elderly couple, they would instill the values in him growing up that would make him the world's superhero, Superman.  The first feature film adaptation of the classic comic hero story and to date the greatest (both the movie and the actor portraying him).  Something that our world could desperately use, it does not appear that the metallic balls held any sort of babies with superhuman strength and a strong moral compass.


Night of the Creeps (1986) - In 1959 an alien experiment crashes to Earth turning those it comes in contact with into murderous zombies.  One of the infected is captured and frozen by the government for research.  Now in the present (1986 present), some college kids steal the body during a fraternity pledge and unwittingly unleash the alien slugs spreading the infection across campus.  A great horror/comedy send up of drive-in movies, like the aforementioned The Blob.  Greatest line in the entire movie, "There's good news and bad news.  The good news:  your dates are here.  The bad news:  they're dead."

Teaser Trailer: Prometheus (2012)

Director Ridley Scott has been away from the fantasy/sci-fi genre for nearly 30 years - spending the last 7 years making  4 so-so Russell Crowe movies in a row - but is making his comeback with a vengeance.  The man behind revolutionary movies Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982), his new movie Prometheus is described as a "companion piece to Alien", but is vague on its connection to the original.  A team of explorers far in the future attempt to discover the origins of mankind on Earth, but find something else instead.  Their discovery may, in fact, threaten all remaining human life.  Awesome special effects and stellar cast.  

This teaser trailer is only about a minute long, but successfully shivered the hell out of me timbers!  Check it:

News: Bill Murray is Officially a Prick

Ghostbusters III looks to be officially dead.  Bill Murray, who originally agreed to a sequel/reboot of the cult classic comedy series, has been fighting his co-stars and writers for years, but has finally made his intentions clear by sending back the script... shredded to smithereens with a note stating "No one wants to see fat, old men chasing ghosts" - A simple 'no' would've sufficed.  And this coming from the guy who made two (count 'em, two) Garfield movies.  Unfortunately some genius gave Murray final script approval which could be the biggest hurdle to getting this project back off the ground.  Ex-friends and co-stars Dan Akroyd and Harold Ramis still think they can do the movie without him... but we'll see.

Humor: Ryan Gosling & Eva Mendes in Hilarious 'Funny or Die' Christmas Skit

Ever wonder what it would look like if your drunk uncle's Christmas stories would come to life?  Well, wonder no more!  Funny or Die, as part of their Drunk History series (if you haven't seen these, watch them immediately), have brought us some holiday cheer in the form of an inebriated storyteller reciting T'was the Night Before Christmas (kind of) and visualized by Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes and Jim Carrey.  Warning:  spirited language.

Your Christmas Coal: 8 Bad Christmas Movies

Of all the holidays, Christmas is certainly the most cinematized.   And for every must-see Christmas classic, there are some really bad ones that end up in the stockings of the naughty boys and girls.  For those naughty kids (you know who you are and you know what you did), here is your Christmas coal:

Santa Claus (1959)

This WTF Mexican movie dubbed in English involves the age old story of Satan vs. Santa... and Merlin the Wizard, too, for some reason.  With the devil himself trying to shut down Christmas, Santa must rely on his cutting edge technology (mind you this is 1959... and Mexico) to defeat him.  It is so crazy-bizarre that it still makes for a great watch in spite of its badness.  For a little inspiration pop in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version, sit back and take in this movie with all its cornball glory.

Santa with Muscles (1996)

Another hilariously-bad entry, this story involves an evil millionaire (Terry "Hulk" Hogan) who gets amnesia and thinks that he's Santa Claus.  A real heartfelt story of a man who... holy crap is that Mila Kunis?  I guess she applied to the Samuel L. Jackson school of take every MF'in role that comes your way... which actually seems to have paid off.  Unfortunately her child co-stars were not so lucky as they've both gone mostly into voiceover work.  As for Hulk Hogan, well his life couldn't be much more depressing either.  At least he proved that pro wrestling isn't ALL fake; Hogan couldn't act his way out of an inverted figure-four ankle lock.

Santa Conquers the Martians (1964)

Much like the aforementioned Santa Claus, this movie has also been lambasted by the MST3K crew.  But instead of Satan trying to foil Christmas, it's Martians who kidnap Santa Claus because Mars doesn't have their own jovial fat man to give presents to their own children.  The year after this movie was made, spacecraft Mariner 4 was the first probe to land on Mars, but sadly did not find any little green men... or Santa for that matter.  Considered the 80th worst movie of all time by IMDB, this movie will provide some laughs to fans of really bad movies... but that is it.

Jingle All the Way (1996)

Ahhh-nold stars as a devoted father who tries to get the season's hottest toy for his son.  You know, back in the good ol' days when kids still wanted toys instead of $400 iPads.  Co-starring 80's comedian Sinbad, as another father who wants the same toy, in his last (and first?) memorable movie which only happens to be remarkable because of how utterly bad it is.  Shot in my home state of Minnesota, I thank the production company for the income... but chastise them for unleashing this movie on humankind.


Black Christmas (2006)

Now don't get this confused with the original 1974 version of this movie, that one was actually good!  This unnecessary remake takes the same plot of a group of girls stuck at their sorority house over Christmas break and the psycho who is stalking them.  Honestly the two movies aren't that far off in quality, but it's a lot more forgivable in the 70's than it is in 2006... plus the original gets points for, well... originality.  Though it revolves around Christmas, this is NOT your typical Christmas movie, so be twice warned.


Christmas Evil (aka You Better Watch Out) (1980)

Another Christmas horror about a little boy who is traumatized when (spoiler alert) Santa is not real.  He becomes obsessed in adulthood with bringing the Christmas spirit that he lost to the innocent boys and girls, but is met with cynicism by the public which sends him into a murderous rampage.  Poor film quality and sloppy film-making make this nearly unwatchable... which explains why writer/director Lewis Jackson only has one other lonely associate producer credit in his movie career.

I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998)

Remember when Jonathan Taylor Thomas was in the same league as Jessica Biel?  Yeah, me neither.  Near the end of his stint on Home Improvement and as a kickoff to his illustrious (?) movie career, Thomas stars as a college student who finds himself at the butt-end of some college hazing and must now find a way home in time for Christmas.  Leaving his girlfriend (Biel) stranded he must save her from the arms of a rival on his way home.  And it's as BAD as this premise is cheesy.  Not even good-bad.  Just bad.


Four Christmases (2008)

Ok, so not the worst on this list, but it is just so hard to suspend disbelief long enough to believe that a bloated Vince Vaughn is dating the smokin' Reese Witherspoon.  Not stuck in a marriage, mind you, but dating.  In the movie they spend the holidays visiting each of their divorced parents while learning more about each other through the experience.  Yeah.  It's a boring, generic story with one flat joke after the next.  A lot of people like it for its simplicity, but I prefer my movies (especially comedies) a little more thoughtful.