Trailer: The Awakening (2011)

Set in 1921 during the depression of World War I, a woman who exposes hoaxes travels to a somber boarding school to disprove claims that a childlike ghost has been witnessed on the grounds.  Her disbelief starts to shift to belief as she starts to experience the inexplicable.  Already released in the UK, critics are giving it promising reviews.  Although the plot may resemble 1408, I doubt that it could be any worse than that dud.  Check it out... just not right before going to bed:

(Faux) Trailer: Dora The Explorer: The Movie

Great stuff over at College Humor this week.  Imagine Tomb Raider meets Dora the Explorer... "Adventure goes bilingual".  Me gusta!

CollegeHumor’s Favorite Funny Videos

News: Katie Holmes Seeks Buyout of Marriage Contract

Almost six years ago when Katie and Tom got together after Cruise's bizarre screening for wives, it seemed "off".  It seemed "off" during the studio interviews (couch jumping) and strange in-home specials (where Katie looked like a brain-washed prisoner) throughout that time.  And it seemed "off" when they set up a bonus laden pre-nup agreement that entitled Holmes to $3 million for each year she stayed with Cruise.  Now after five plus years, Katie is tapping out.  Like a weird game show, she will walk away with 50% of what they both earned during their time together (consider Katie's duds: Mad Money, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and Jack and Jill against Tom's higher grossing Tropic Thunder, Knight and Day and Mission Impossible III), but also $15 million for gutting it out for 5 years... how could she quit so close to the six year mark?  Not a bad haul for the role of a lifetime, but the real question in people's minds is who Cruise will choose next as his shipmate for the terrestrial afterlife.

Humor: The S.O.B. Supercut: Part Deuce

YouTuber Ziccup has done it again.  This is pretty much the thought that has been going through my head today every time I realized it wasn't Friday.  Caution: curse words ahead...

Trailer: Looper (2012) #2 Domestic Trailer

The first teaser trailer for the time-tripping action flick Looper flew by flashy enough to catch our attention, but was light on plot.  Now that they've got your attention, the most recent trailer slows down a bit to tell you a little more about the story and to give you a better look at the visuals.  What say you?  I say cool.

Trailer: Alex Cross (2012)

Admittedly I'm not a huge fan of Kiss the Girls or Along Comes a Spider or James Patterson and definitely not Tyler Perry... but the trailer for the upcoming prequel Alex Cross actually looks somewhat watchable (as in DVD watchable), but it's the villain Matthew Fox who draws my interest.  And with all of Fox's recent legal troubles, maybe he channeled his own demons for this role.  Check it out and let me know what you think, but I have to say that Perry feels WAY out of his league and awkward in the character's skin:

Cool Ass Site: TheLivingBrick.com

The bad news (I'm a bad news first kind of guy) is that this Lego contest over at The Living Brick end tonight.  The good news is that a lot of pretty creative nerds submitted some awesome minimalist Lego recreations of famous sci-fi scenes.  Below are some of my favorites (try and guess which movies they are from), but you can check out the rest HERE.  Check it!

Tyler Perry Getting Serious...

Known for being a one-man show (actor, director, writer, producer, food services, assistant to himself, etc.), Tyler Perry is shedding his sassy, cross-dressing act for a more serious role in the upcoming Alex Cross.  The character was most notably played by Morgan Freeman in Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider, where this movie will serve as a prequel to the series.  To be honest, I think the money that Perry makes is not proportionate to his talent, so I've adjusted the recently released poster to convey what I will see when I watch the movie (upon it's DVD release):

Sadly, the "Don't ever cross Alex Cross" is not my handy work...

Trailer: The Prototype (2013)

Twice in the same week an amazing looking movie has jumped out that was previously completely off my radar.  With today's "do-it-yourself" special effects technology, more and more independent sci-fi movies are making a mark (though apparently no one has told this to the SyFy network yet).  Here is another promising movie with a simple plot (robot on the run) that uses special effects and cinematography to create something that looks pretty damn cool.  Check out the trailer below:

News: Joe Cornish to Direct Snow Crash Adaptation

It appears the flavor of the month in Hollywood is "futuristic dystopian societies controlled by power-hungry institutions" and I will be the first in line for two scoops in a waffle cone, please!  Joining a slew of similar projects, this book-turned-movie is set in the future where society is run by corporations instead of the traditional government we know today (some would say there isn't much difference there, but that's for a different kind of blog).  Those corporations compete against each other to dictate city & state borders while they create the laws of their "land".  The story revolves around the laziest named character in recent memory, Hiro Protagonist, who discovers a drug that effects the user both in their virtual world as well as their physical one and his attempt to stop it from destroying humanity.

Taking on this project will be director Joe Cornish who received a lot of praise for his recent hit Attack the Block about an underage street gang who single-handedly fensd off an alien attack.  Though I was not as wowed by this movie as many for the simple reason that glorifying thuggery is mighty dangerous, I do have to say that his visual style holds a lot of promise.  The underplayed special effects of his previous movie worked and should translate well to this project, as well.  Since I have not read this book yet, I don't know if there is any room for humor, but it can't hurt that he is buddies with Edgar Wright.  No casting as of yet, but will post more when I know more.

News: Equipped With A Great Cast Carrie Remake Starts Filming

In the middle of all the remakes and reboots and sequels (oh, my) this is one that I think has a real chance of actually being good.  The Stephen King story about a sheltered, shy girl whose telekinetic powers are unleashed after being pushed by her cruel classmates is both timeless and topical.  Timeless in that it deals with that awkward stage of puberty we all deal with in high school, heightened by her crazy Bible-nut mother, and topical for the fact that it deals with hot-button issue of bullying.  This will be the second telling of King's story with Sissy Spacek nominated for an Oscar after her portrayal of the titular character in 1976 (which also served as King's first work to be adapted to a movie, for you trivia buffs) and then the far lesser known TV version in 2002 lead by the also lesser known Angela Bettis.  This time around they have cast "it girl" actress Chloe Moretz (Kick Ass, Let Me In) to play Carrie White.  I'm not as enamored by Moretz as eveyone else seems to be after her breakout, but do think she is a good actress and will do the role justice.  Julianne Moore has been cast as Carrie's overbearing mother and am very excited to see her channel her inner bee-yatch again like she's done in many previous roles.  Rounding out the supporting cast is Judy Greer as the protective gym teacher as well as Portia Doubleday and Alex Russell as Carrie's main tormentors.  Directed by Kimberly Pierce who will infuse the female empowerment element that she brought to Hillary Swank's Boys Don't Cry and the TV series The L-Word with the only concerning piece being screenwriter Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa whose only credits to date are for the polygamous Big Love and the tween sensation... Glee.  But as long as there are no poorly covered songs in this movie, how hard is it to ruin one of Stephen King's best works?

(Bad) News: Rob Zombie Ready to Ruin My Life

Those close to me know that two of my biggest passions  in life are horror movies and hockey.  "Writer" and "director" (but mostly washed up musician) Rob Zombie has already managed to ruin one of those with his awful WT takes on the Halloween franchise and other greasy horror flicks.  Well, I just about crapped a puck this week when I found out that he is taking a break from making bad horror movies to put his horrible spin on what could have been a great telling of the infamous Broad Street Bullies, the rough-and-tumble group of guys who played for the Philadelphia Flyers in the early/mid 70's.  There is a very interesting story here of a young franchise that made it's mark with it's intimidating style of play.  So much so that after the first period of a brutal exhibition against Red Army the Russians didn't want to finish the game, but reluctantly did knowing they wouldn't get paid otherwise.  This could have been the Slap Shot-meets-Youngblood that would've gone down in hockey movie history.  Unfortunately, the way Zombie sees the world is not the way I (or most people) see the world.  Brace yourself for a bunch of stringy-haired greaseballs or circus freaks on meth heading from the trailer park to the hockey rink... oh, yippee.  And on top of it all, you can be assured that he will find a role for his talentless wife Sheri Moon Zombie, maybe as Mrs. Bill Clement?

News: Robocop Remake Adds An All-Star Supporting Cast

This remake of the 1980's robot cop actioner started off as a rumor... then Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream) was attached to direct and people went nuts.  Well Aronofsky later bailed to work on his Noah's Ark movie (which I'm sure will be good, but sounds completely boring to me) and the buzz around this movie quickly died down.  Earlier this year the project started gaining momentum again when they decided on the less known Jose Padilha (Elite Squad) to helm and hired the even lesser known Joel Kinnaman (The Killing TV series) as RoboCop.  I thought "Cool, a little indie version of the movie", but then they got to casting some veteran heavyweights to really get me excited.  Samuel L. Jackson (who is in everything already) will play a media mogul following the developments of this new breed of robotic police officer.  Gary Oldman (equally as busy as Jackson) will play the scientist who helps to build RoboCop.  And most recently (and my wife will get a kick out of this), Hugh Laurie has signed on as the movie's villain, the power-hungry CEO of OmniCorp who funds the RoboCop project.  Now with that cast, how can they go wrong?

(Red Band) Trailer: V/H/S (2012)

My competitors homies over at BloodyDisgusting.com have become so renowned as an online horror authority that they got into the movie distribution (and now production) biz themselves.  Last year they released the mind-boink YellowBrickRoad which I liked a little more than I thought I would as well as Lucky McKee's The Woman which I liked a little less than I thought.  Now BD is jumping right into the production game with their second feature V/H/S (the first being the fall less acclaimed Hellacious Acres) and after watching the first trailer am intrigued.  Told in five different stories, it appears they all revolve around a group of small time thieves sent to a mysterious house to steal an even more mysterious VHS tape, but are shaken by the footage they witness.  Check it out below, but be warned:  Red Band = blood, boobs & bad language.  PS - Keep visiting the site and maybe someday the world can be blessed with a MovieInYourFace production, too...

Why Didn't I Think of That: Book of the Dead Pizza

Some awesome culinary nerd genius named Elizabeth created a pizza to resemble the book of the dead from the cult classic Evil Dead.  Her recipe is posted HERE if you want to make your own.  Brilliant.

(Teaser) Trailer #2: The Master (2012)

The second teaser trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson's highly anticipated next movie The Master was released the week.  Again, it kind of just jumps into the ambiance of the movie instead of setting up the average narrative summary.  Like the first one, it features Joaquin Phoenix heavily, but also introduces the audience to Amy Adams' and Phillip Seymour Hoffman's characters.  Despite being light on plot, it still sets up the movie well - complete with the ill-fitting clothes of the 1950's.  Can't wait!



Check out the first teaser trailer HERE

News: Monsters Sequel Moving Forward with New Writer/Director... For Some Reason.

One of my favorite indie films of 2010, it has been hard for me to find others who share my enthusiasm with the movie.  Much like District 9, it was made for a relatively modest budget ($800k in this case) by newcomer Gareth Edwards with impressive results.  The story follows a US journalist who agrees to escort a young tourist across what has now been barricaded off as "the infected zone" after the alien invasion to make it across Central America into North America.  I found it to be an awesome blend of drama, thriller and (of course) science fiction.  But sadly Edwards has no new projects on the horizon (according to IMDB).  Instead the production company is planning on giving the anticipated sequel Monsters:  The Dark Content to another unproven newcomer, Tom Green (no, not THAT Tom Green).  I can't imagine why they would ditch the creative mind that made the original so good, but I'm still interested to see how this stands up against the original even if it will be a slap in the face to the predecessor's creator.

Happy Father's Day!

(Spoiler Free) Review: We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

Rarely does a movie come along that I find both amazing and un-recommendable.  As a movie, I absolutely loved this, but because of the dark nature of the story it is hard for me to say to anyone "Hey, you should really check this out."  The acting was superb all the way around and British filmmaker Lynne Ramsay brought author Lionel Shriver's harrowing book to life.  Tilda Swinton (who can seem to do no wrong) plays Eva a reluctant new mother who struggles to really love her new son, never seeming able to make an emotional connection with him.  As he gets older it is clear that Kevin suffers from some kind of social disorder that prevents him from making that connection with anyone, instead choosing to manipulate those around him for his own devious pleasure.  The teenage Kevin played by Ezra Miller (already quite the indie movie sensation and ready for a bigger breakout) fools his father (John C. Reilly) into thinking that he is a normal kid, while constantly at odds with his mother leading up to his ultimate revolt against his world.

This movie is by all rights a horror film for new parents (like myself).  Every fear that a parent has about their child not being "normal", not being able to show love, growing up wanting to inflict physical and emotional pain on those around them... wholly crap!  A wonderfully adapted script is executed equally so by a great cast of actors who feel like your average nuclear family... with the exception of Kevin, of course.  Many have complained about the "jumpy" editing of the narrative to show Swinton's character at different points in her life, but I found it to be a great way to "unpeel the onion" as they say in the writing world.  It is necessary to understand (and empathize) with Eva before we can really process some of the decisions she made in her life.  A lot of narrow minded people on message boards have also stated that all Kevin needed was a good beating to straighten him out.  I found those responses to a young boy's social disorder (albeit a fiction character) to be even more disturbing than the movie itself.

Without actually recommending this for a Saturday night date movie, I will say that if you are looking for a well-acted, well-executed dramatic/thriller and can handle movies that are on the darker side then this should certainly be on your "must see" list.  If you are easily bummed out, then you should pass on this one... although it would be a shame not to at least give this one a chance.  This movie has gotten under my skin and stuck with me for a long time, so be prepared for that if you watch this movie as well.

My Score:  8/10
IMDB Score:  7.6/10

News: Neill Blomkamp's Elysium Plot Revealed

At the end of writer/director Blomkamp's breakout sci-fi debut District 9, it left the audience with a calm anticipation that there was more of the story to come... but it wouldn't be for a long time.  I also sensed the same could be said for Blomkamp's sophomore effort, as well.  Now, nearly 3 years later we are finally getting some details around his super-secretive upcoming movie Elysium.  It's impressive (if not a little annoying) that they've kept this story under wraps for so long, but while the film is in the late stages of post-production it is also being test-screened for audiences... and they're talking.  It appears that the story is set in the year 2159 where the super rich are separated from the masses by living on a space station above the overpopulated, dilapidated Earth.  Jodie Foster plays Secretary Rhodes who is in charge of anti-immigration laws keeping out the "undeserving" (can you see where this movie is going, yet).  Matt Damon stars as average Earthling Max who falls into circumstances which force him to fight for his life while also attempting to create parity between the two classes.

Certainly sounds like an interesting plot and after seeing the way the director gently infused social commentary into a visually amazing action/thriller, that makes me all the more excited for this new movie.  

Trailer: Sinister (2012) MiYF's #27 Most Anticipated of the Year

Although the trailer for Sinister is pretty much as expected, I may be a little less excited for this movie, now.  It certainly falls into the "flavor-of-the-month" horror genre setup of innocent family in haunted house (as expected), but was hoping that writer/director Scott Derrickson would've shaped this into something more mature with his brand of slow boil suspense.  It appears that will not be the case just considering the amount of jump scares in the trailer alone... let's go editors, now is your time to turn this back around!

You can check out the plot of the movie below in the trailer below, but the log line would read something like:  writer Ethan Hawke moves his family into a new home and finds film from the previous residents that suggest it might be haunted.  As I am neither a huge fan of the production team's earlier efforts with Paranormal Activity or Insidious, I'm really hoping Derrickson's drowns out any creative input they may have had on the movie.  Let's hope so.

Trailer: Branded (2012)

One of the biggest joys I get as a movie nerd is finding really cool looking movies that I didn't even know were on the way.  This was the case today when I saw the trailer for the upcoming futuristic social commentary Branded.  It's a little bit Idiocracy meets The Matrix and tells the story of one man who is determined to find who (or what...) is behind the brain-washing advertising that is controlling the world.  Newcomers Jamie Bradshaw and Aleksandr Dulerayn have created a very visually interesting feel, though the "message" looks a little too obvious (we shall see):



PS - Lead actor Ed Stoppard would've made a great Bruce Campbell lookalike in the upcoming Evil Dead remake had they chosen to revive the Ash character... don't you think?

Spy vs. Spy: The Debt (2010) / Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

In sort of an espionage/thriller mood, I recently watched a couple that I had missed during their initial releases.  One of them was amazing, the other was utterly boring.  To save you from the same fate, here are two mini-reviews of both movies:

The Debt (2010)

The story starts in 1997, where we meet a trio of former secret agents Rachel (Helen Mirren), Stephan (Tom Wilkinson) and David (Ciaran Hinds) who are considered national heroes for a decades old mission where they hunted down and captured Nazi war criminal Dieter Vogel.  We then flashback to 1965 for the setup of the mission and see the younger version of Rachel (Jessica Chastain), Stephan (Maton Csokas) and David (Sam Worthington).  The three young agents work together and sometimes butt heads in their effort to track down Vogel.  But there was a loose end left in 1965 that begins to unravel for them in 1997.  The movie then expertly weaves both time lines together to tell this engaging tale of espionage.

The acting is top notch and especially enjoyed the performances of Jessica Chastain and Helen Mirren as the movie's focal character Rachel.  Director John Madden (Shakespeare in Love, Killshot) creates a movie the is visually appealing, engaging and balances the dramatic with the action scenes.  Overall, a very interesting movie with a mystery that unfolds naturally without all of the cliche twists or flashy editing tricks.  Highly recommended if you want to get your "spy" on.

VS.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

With an equally impressive cast and set similarly in 1970, this remake of the 1979 mini-series tells the story of the head of British Intelligence (John Hurt) who resigns after a mission in Budapest goes awry.  After his departure, agent George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is forced into retirement but believes the failed mission was an attempt to smoke out a Russian spy in the group and continues to hunt for the mole.  The movie also stars great actors Mark Strong, Colin Firth and Ciaran Hinds (hmmm, he sounds familiar).

At face value it sounds as interesting as the first, if not more so.  But the reality is, this movie is 90% talking heads scenes.  Some scripts are strong enough to rest on the dialogue alone, but sadly to say that is not the case for the script by Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan.  It didn't help that this was only the second English feature film from director Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) and it shows that there may have been a bit lost in translation.  Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad movie per se and the acting is great... but I would be lying if I said this wasn't extremely boring.


Verdict:  For my money, I will take The Debt every time!  Great story matched with an even balance of drama, thriller and action.

Cool Ass Site: Cracked.com

An online spin off of the old Cracked magazine, they have the advantage of much more (and much better) writers with what seems like an endless database of cool information.  Though I try to find inspiration from their site, I will never steal from them (or anyone for that matter), but wanted to pass along another awesome movie-inspired article titled "5 Famous Movies That Shamelessly Ripped Off Obscure Ones".  Movies include such favorites as Indiana Jones, Aliens and Monsters, Inc.  Click on over HERE to check out the full entry, which I highly recommend for a good movie read.  Enjoy!

News: Remake of Stephen King's "It" Finds A Director

In the very beginning stages of development, Warner Bros. (who have been pretty busy lately) have hired writer/director Cary Fukunaga (Sin Nombre, Jane Eyre) to helm the remake of Stephen King's It.  A young director known for his somber visual style he should be able to bring a dark feel to this movie, but no idea if the guy can actually do horror.  Luckily, he will have some help from one of the genre's breakout stars, Seth Grahame-Smith (Dark Shadows, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) who is signed on as producer.  Also joining Fukunaga on the script team will be David Kajganich (The Invasion, Blood Creek - both decent movies) and newcomer Chase Palmer.

For those unfamiliar with the story, this Stephen King book tells the story of a group of kids in the 1960's whose troubles don't stop at the relentless torment by a gang of "greasers"... they also must face off against a shape-shifting demon who infamously takes on the shape of a nightmare-inducing clown (Tim Curry as Pennywise) and preys on children by materializing their greatest fears before killing them.  (Spoiler Alert) The kids end up defeating him, but he rises up again 30 years later and the group must band together again as adults to kill him once and for all.

Although, I do not consider myself a fan of the original made-for-TV miniseries version (I've watched it as a kid and as an adult, but found it more corny than scary both times), I am excited to see how they approach this remake.  Since it is going into theaters and not TV (which forced a PG script on the adaptation), they can make this an R-rated movie and do justice to the book... but will they?  I also thought some of the special effects from the original were pretty weak, but with today's effects technology they should be able to fix all of that as well.  And lastly, 200 minutes was just too long for this type of movie to be watched all at the same time.  Warner Bros. intends to remedy that (while lining their pockets) by breaking this into 2 full-length feature films (as is the trend with Hollywood, recently).  It may provide the length to give King's book the treatment it warrants, but will audiences pay to go see both?

Obviously, no casting news yet, but if Tim Curry (the O.G. Pennywise clown) doesn't get a cameo in this, it will be a travesty.

Mrs. Doubtfire: The Horror Movie

I though the straight up version of Mrs. Doubtfire was a little creepy, but someone re-edited the trailer to really bring out the scary.  It is amazing how music and editing can change the tone of a movie.  The best part is that it works... as a horror fan I would watch this movie!

Nightmare Fodder: Part III - Return to Oz (1985)

Yay, a sequel to one of my childhood favorites... or so I thought.  The whole gang is back for another great adventure... or so I thought.  So the flying monkeys and Wicked Witch were pretty scary, but it can't get any worse than that... or so I thought.  I thought wrong.  This follow up based on many of Frank L. Baum's "Oz" books (first published in the early 1900s... and for kids, mind you), surely took some liberties with the original material as we find Dorothy (Fairuza Balk when she was little and cute) in a mental institution after her first adventure to Oz.  About to become part of a new psychiatric experiment (um, scary!) she escapes the institution to find herself back in Oz... but a rundown, decrepit version (I don't think I want to watch this anymore).  Searching the Emerald City for her friends, she finds them... turned to stone.  But that's not the worst part.  Still in shock, she is hunted down by Wheelers... strange dudes with wheels for hands and feet (the easier to roll through my dreams with). Dorothy then finds new friends for this adventure.  Robotic weeble-wooble Tik Tok and Jack Pumpkinhead (who is as scary as he sounds).  And did I mention that the evil woman trying to make sure Dorothy does not restore Emerald City to its glory can also take off her freakin' head and change it with the others in her head collection?  Because of its cult following, I swear this movie may be solely responsible for the "emo" trend as it darkened many kids' souls... including mine a little bit.

This fan-made trailer pretty much sums up the tone (and my memories) of the movie:



Check out my previous Nightmare Fodder blogs:

Part I - Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Part II - Labyrinth (1986)

Fan Trailer: Prometheus... In Paper

In honor of Prometheus' theatrical release today, one fan re-created the entire trailer out of paper.  At first I thought like early "South Park" paper animation, but turns out to be more like he Sweded it with construction paper and some artistic talent.  Pretty cool any way you slice it... or cut it out of paper, rather:

Humor: Andy Samberg C.A.N.N.I.B.A.L. PSA

I lieu of all the recent "zombie" attacks recently (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, check out this weekend's blog HERE), comedian and now ex-SNL'er Andy Samberg went on Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote his new cause... people not eating people.  It's... A GOOD THING.

Old Guy Reviews MTV Movie Awards... Those Whipper Snappers!

Yes, I realize that at plus-30, MTV is not marketing for me anymore and I'm OK with that.  It was dumb entertainment for my generation, it's dumb entertainment for the generation of today and will someday be dumb entertainment for their kids as well.  But there was something almost satisfying about the level of self-realization this year at how ridiculous this 2-hour advertisement awards show actually is (but don't tell that to Emma Stone who acted like she just won a Nobel Peace Prize...).  Host Russell Brand poked fun at faux celebs and also poked fun at his own idiot celebrity moments, but really nailed the spirit of the event (not sure if parody or praise) by yelling "Twilight" and "Hunger Games" just to get a reaction from the tweeny / teeny audience members.  Even despite MTV trying to mature a little bit by adding a couple of "real" award-worthy movies like The Descendants and (arguably) The Help, honestly it still felt like the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards with more dick jokes.  But still it's movies... and I write about movies... so here are the nominees and winners:

Movie of the Year:

Bridesmaids
The Hunger Games
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Part 2
The Help
Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (winner)

None of these movies were all that great as an all-around movie, but certainly no surprise that the kids went with Twilight... again.

Best Male Performance:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50)
Ryan Gosling (Drive)
Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games) (winner)
Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Part 2)
Channing Tatum (The Vow)

Just about every actor that didn't win did a better job of carrying a movie than Hutcherson, but hey at least Channing Tatum didn't win.  I truly don't understand his popularity.

Best Female Performance:

Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) (winner)
Rooney Mara (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - remake)
Emma Stone (Crazy, Stupid, Love)
Emma Watson (Harry Potter and the Blippity Bloppity - Part 10)
Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids)

No surprise here as fans find their new Kristen Stewart.  She couldn't make it, but was broadcast via satellite from where I assume she is recovering from a stroke or something... I'm I the only one who thinks the left side of her face is a little swollen?

Breakthrough Performance:

Elle Fanning (Super 8)
Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)
Rooney Mara (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - remake)
Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games)
Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) (winner)

Of course another Hunger Games win... wait, what?  Oh.  *soft clap*

Best Comedic Performance:

Jonah Hill (21 Jump Street)
Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids)
Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) (winner)
Oliver Cooper (Project X)
Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover II)

In movies, everyone loves the gross, creepy girl... in real life not so much.

Best On-Screen Transformation:

Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games) (winner)
Rooney Mara (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Remake)
Johnny Depp (21 Jump Street)
Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn)
Colin Farrell (Horrible Bosses)

Yes, good make up and costumes and all that congrats... and way to dry hump all of the greezy presenters.  But MTV, maybe you could have given us a spoiler alert warning on Johnny Depp's cameo in 21 Jump Street... dang.

Best Gut-Wrenching Performance:

Cast of Bridesmaids (Bridesmaids) (winner)
Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help)
Jonah Hill (21 Jump Street)
Ryan Gosling (Drive)
Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol)
Me (Sitting through the MTV Movie Awards)

Oh, ladies crapping and puking on each other... comedic gold.  And that barely won over eating a human feces pie.  Voted by people who think the Human Centipede movies are an affront to decency, which it is.

Best Kiss:

Channing Tatum / Rachel MacAdams (The Vow)
Jennifer Lawrence / Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games)
Robert Pattinson / Kristen Stewart (Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 1) (winner)
Emma Watson / Rupert Grint (Harry Potter - Part 15)
Ryan Gosling / Emma Stone (Crazy, Stupid, Love)

OK, men... our favorite category!  Yipee.  No surprise that Twilight won again, but what transpired was worth struggling through another K-Stew speech.  She was present to accept the award, but Pattinson was not.  She then pleaded for her Snow White co-star Chris Hemsworth to help her out on stage... no dice.  She called out to Charlize Theron... nothin' doin' sister.  Finally, she asked Taylor Lautner to come up... crickets.  Out of options, she wrapped her arms around herself and pretended to make out with an imaginary person (which most of her fans can probably relate to).  We can usually count on her annual weed-fueled ramblings at the MTV awards, but this was by far her saddest to date... how will she top herself next year?

Best Fight:

Daniel Radcliffe / Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter and the Healthy Dollars - Part 2)
Jennifer Lawrence & Josh Hutcherson / Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games) (winner)
Tom Cruise / Michael Nyquist (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol)
Channing Tatum & Jonah Hill / The Kid Gang (21 Jump Street)
Joel Edgerton / Tom Hardy (Warrior)

The Hunger Games continues its acceptance of the tween-movie throne as Harry Potter and Twilight swear them in.

Best Cast:

Bridesmaids
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Part 2 (winner)
The Hunger Games
21 Jump Street
The Help

I know how many kids were voting for The Help, but it must've gotten beat by a handful of votes.  Heartbroken, they must've run into their bedrooms adorned with The Help posters and cried into their The Help pillowcases.  Consoled only by their Minny Jackson doll, they once again fell asleep with disappointment in their hearts... and The Help pajamas on their backs. 

Best On-Screen Dirt Bag:

Jennifer Aniston - Horrible Bosses (winner)
Bryce Dallas Howard - The Help
Jon Hamm - Bridesmaids
Colin Farrell - Horrible Bosses
Oliver Cooper - Project X

A far more interesting category would have been "Best Off-Screen Dirt Bag"!  It certainly would have had a lot more competition and I think Colin Farrell would've still made the list. 

Best Hero:

Captain America (Chris Evans) - Captain America: The First Avenger
Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) - 21 Jump Street
Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) - The Hunger Games
Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) - Harry Potter... Hallows... 2 (winner)
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) - Thor

Officially, the last time we'll hear Danny Radcliffe's name at these "awards".  And even better news that Channing Tatum was shutout.  Maybe nobody really likes him that much as is just too afraid to say so in public...

MTV Generation Award:  Johnny Depp

OK, it was pretty cool when he played with The Black Keys, as was the movie montage, but all kind of went flat when they gave Depp the mic.  Method actors are all kind of devoid of their own personality when not channeling a character and he proves that once again with his meek, soul-dead acceptance speech.

MTV Trailblazer Award - Emma Stone

Blazing trails for upper-middleclass white girls everywhere!  I kid.  I don't really have an issue with Stone, just think that she isn't as funny or pretty as everyone else seems to think.  I also understand that success in Hollywood is based on the acceptance of your peers and obviously the ticket-buying masses, but to cry when you receive an award from MTV... maybe a bit much.

Well, that was a struggle... until next year, folks.

(Long Awaited) Trailer: Django Unchained (2012)

First shown on Entertainment Tonight... er, tonight... here is the first official trailer without all the jibber jabber.  I've been waiting for what seems like forever for some footage from this movie and the first viewing is does not disappoint, I assure you.  Although not in the 70's technicolor that I would have liked, Quentin Tarantino definitely keeps with the Spaghetti Western style in his flash-zooms, clothing design and character mannerisms.  I will stop wasting your time with this intro, watch this now:

Trailer: Wreck It Ralph (2012)

Disney's upcoming animated movie Wreck It Ralph looks as if it will appeal to both children and their 70's/80's generation parents.  Let's face it, pretty much anything appeals to kids, but entertaining the parents instead of holding them captive is rare.  This movie stars a Donkey-Kong-Esque video game villain that is tired of being bad and decides to leave his game to become a hero.  A pretty basic story concept, but with lots of old school video game references for the adults.  Check out the trailer below:

R.I.P - Ray Bradbury

A true visionary and major contributor to the modern science fiction genre.  Ray Bradbury had a unique imagination that was matched by few and resonated with so many geeks (like me) young and old alike.  Though his amazing works of literature were not often matched on screen, I still wanted to pay tribute to one of my all-time favorite story tellers with a list of the best movies based on his stories.  I can only hope that his mortal passing will increase the interest in his massive body of work and someday lead to the movie adaptations that his stories deserve.

It Came From Outer Space (1953)
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
The Martian Chronicles (1980)
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
The Ray Bradbury Theater (TV) (1985-1992) Episodes of this show made me want to be a writer... still not there, but it created the fire.

Dishonorable mention to 2005's A Sound of Thunder.  One of my favorite short stories was absolutely massacred by director Peter Hyams.

Google Celebrates the Drive-In Theater

Click on over to Google HERE to see their animated short celebrating the opening of the first drive-in theater all the way back in 1933.  For those born after 1990, a drive-in is (was?) a place where people would drive to and watch a movie (usually a series of movies) from their cars... let's see... it's like a giant iPad tuned to one media source.  Why, you ask?  Well, it was an excuse for most to get out of the house to make out, but it was also really cool to see a movie from the comfort of your automobile.  According to drive-ins.com there are still over 350 surviving drive-ins operating in the United States (including Cottage Grove and Lake Elmo for my local readers... who am I kidding, for my two friends reading this).  Maybe this weekend is a chance to revisit one or check one out for the first time.  Happy birthday, drive-ins!

Props: Mark Malkoff's Netflix Challenge

Online comedian (though, who isn't these days) and creator of My Damn Channel, Mark Malkoff, decided to make the most of his $7.99 per month unlimited streaming account by watching as many movies as humanly possible.  With some help from his Twitter Peeps, he built a play list over 250 movie long which equates to about $0.03 per movie.  What a steal, not to mention a great way to spend a month of your life!  Homeboy blew my monthly record of 155 clean out of the water, but in my defense I had a full-time job and girlfriend when I set my number... two things that are suspiciously missing from his vlog.  Entertaining, none the less and mucho props to Malkoff... I am truly not worthy:

(Bad) News: Brad Pitt Shooting Seven Weeks of Re-Shoots for World War Z

I read the awesome debut novel from Max Brooks a couple years ago and thought to myself:  this is a great story... but because of its style will inevitably make a horrible movie someday.  Sadly, it appears that I may be right.  After casting Brad Pitt and seeing some initial set pictures early in the production I was actually pretty excited for the movie.  Well, it was recently announced that after they thought filming was wrapped up, the filmmakers are calling for the return of many actors including Pitt back to Budapest for seven weeks of re-shoots.  It certainly isn't uncommon to see this, but the duration of time wreaks of "something really stinks" about this movie and they need to fix it quick.

For those unfamiliar with the story, World War Z (the book) tells the stories of various survivors of the zombie uprising against humans in a sort of vignette style.  World War Z (the movie) has instead morphed into a sole character focused story within the same atmosphere as the book, but I'm not sure it will be anything different than a typical big budget zombie flick.

I'm certainly still interested to see how this will turnout, but will reserve my true judgement until at least the trailer comes out.  We still have a lot of post-production and marketing to go as the film isn't due out until a year from right now, but it's never too early to start the speculation.

News: Guy Ritchie May Captain Newest Treasure Island Adaptation

Although Hollywood has already left pirates in the dust and moved on to vampires and killer kids, Warner Bros. has approached gritty filmmaker Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Sherlock Holmes) to helm their attempt to make pirates popular once again.  The Johnny Depp Pirates of the Caribbean series is played out (and yet we're still getting more of them), so it will be refreshing to get a swashbuckling film with a little less silliness (though, be assured that this will be PG-13).  More exciting is that it is based on the piece of classic literature that actually influenced the way we visualize pirates of that era (even still today) rather than a amusement park ride.  And with one of our generation's great storytellers behind the camera, we can expect a very cool movie.  Virtual unknown writer Alex Harakis will provide a script adaptation for the movie, but you can also be sure that if Ritchie is hired that he will have some major influence on that as well.  Obviously no word on casting yet until they finalize a director and have a completed script, but rumors are floating around that Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes - Robert Downey, Jr. - may be able to squeeze in another blockbuster movie between the foreseeable rash of Iron Man and Avengers movies in his future.  Other Ritchie actors who would make great pirates could be Jude Law, Tom Hardy, Gerard Butler, Vinnie Jones, and Mark Strong.  But if this becomes another cheesy Jason Statham vehicle, you can count me out... or at least in the "wait for DVD" group.

Nightmare Fodder: Part II - Labyrinth (1986)

Jim Henson played a pretty big role in my childhood entertainment, but this one kind of psyched me out thinking that it would be just another fluffy Muppet movie.  I guess I should have learned my lesson after his equally creepy The Dark Crystal that he did in 1982.  Labyrinth opens with a teenage Jennifer Connelly who plays a girl obsessed with fantasy.  So much so that she's late coming home from one of her solo larping sessions (sounds dirty, but just nerdy... Google it) and is then forced to watch her baby brother for the evening while her father and stepmother go out.  Upset at the situation she wishes her half-brother Toby away, a wish that some creeptastic goblin puppets happily fulfill.  By this point, most kids were smart enough to know if this was going to be too scary for them and bailed out.  I was one of the dumber ones who stuck around thinking that the worst has passed.  Connelly goes into the fantasy world to find little Toby, but has to go through an elaborate series of mazes to get to the center where Jareth the Goblin King (David Bowie) is holding him hostage and will get to keep him if she can't find them in 13 hours.  David Bowie's Got Your Baby is what this terrifying kids movie should have been called to really spell it out for the parents.  You can really pick your phobia poison with this movie:  lost in a maze, creepy puppets hanging out in my room waiting to kidnap me, David Bowie's too-tight pants.  It is actually pretty unintentionally funny watching it again as an adult, but as a kid... (shudders).

If you missed it, you can check out Part I of the blog series HERE.

Trailer: The Imposter (2012)

If you want to go into this documentary without any prior knowledge or spoilers then I suggest you stop reading right about... now.  If you're still with me, I won't give away more than the trailer, but this amazing looking documentary mixes the traditional genre style with stylish reenactment footage of a story that seems too crazy to be true.  In 1994, 13 year old Nicholas Barclay went missing without a trace.  His family spent the next three years looking for him without any leads until 1997 when they received a phone call from a boy claiming to be Nicholas who is somehow living in Europe.  They fly him home and are ecstatic to have him back, but something seems wrong.  This documentary examines the family's ordeal as they begin to question if this boy is actually their Nicholas and what his true motivations are for entering their lives.  Looks amazing!

Zombie Movie In Real Life: What a Week!

I'm not sure if it is like when the media finds one sensational shark attack, then reports on a bunch more making people think they are happening more than they actually are or if things are beginning to get a bit... bitey.  Either way, the rash of stories of people eating people or just going plain nuts have a lot of zombiephiles thinking that the end is nigh.  Here is a quick recap of the week that has to make you wonder a little bit (Warning: kinda graphic content):

Saturday, May 26th, 2012:

The catalyst for the crazy news week was obviously the horrific story in Miami, FL of a stark naked 31 year old man who was found attacking a homeless man by chewing his face off.  If you want to read all of the (really) gory details you can Google it, but trust me it is as bad or worse than almost every horror movie I've ever seen.  Upon arrival to the scene police say the attacker would not stop (even after the first shot) and were forced to shoot to kill.  The victim is alive, but has been maimed beyond the point of a normal recovery.  The police state that they believe that attacker was driven by a combination of a bad LSD trip and "excited delirium" which can turn certain types of drug users into raging super-humans.  But in Florida there is a large Haitian population who still believe in voodoo and the walking dead, so you can imagine how this story is playing out down there.

Tuesday,  May 29th, 2012:

In Hackensack, New Jersey, a 43 year old man with a long history of mental illness barricaded himself in his room with a knife, threatening to hurt himself.  When police arrived they had to break through the door which pushed the man over the edge.  He started stabbing himself in the abdomen and then (appetite spoiler alert) began throwing pieces of... um... himself at the officers, including some of his own intestines.  Although this could be categorized more as off his balls crazy, it sure does sound like something one might see a crazed zombie do in a movie.  But sadly, this was not a movie.  The man underwent emergency surgery at a nearby hospital and is somehow alive but in critical condition.

Thursday, May 31st, 2012:

It was reported on Thursday that the dismembered foot sent to Canada's Conservative Party headquarters on Wednesday was more than a sick prank.  The foot, it turns out, belongs to an unidentified man who was murdered and partially devoured (among other depravity) by Canadian Luka Rocco Magnotta - who is now on the run from police.  Though there seems to be little evidence to support his claims, Luka describes himself as a bisexual porn star who once dated another infamous Canadian serial killer Karla Homolka.  But either way, like Homolka's story, it seems inevitable that this bizarre act of murder, cannibalism and taunting of authorities will also (unfortunately) become a movie.

There was also an equally disturbing story out of Baltimore, Maryland of a 21 year old college student (electrical engineer and former ROTC, to boot) who killed a national from Ghana who was rooming with his family.  When arrested, the man admitted to police that after the murder (to which there is still no clear motive) that he went ahead and ate parts of the man's heart and brain (I warned you that this was pretty nasty).  Not sure if this one was fueled by drugs or mental imbalance or a little of both, but even more odd in the fact that the man had no criminal record prior to this... incident.

Friday, June 1st, 2012:

Certainly the least insane of this week's stories, a pizzeria owner in Staten Island, NY got into an altercation with a customer who decided to turn the restaurant's TV over to ESPN.  This did not sit well with the other patrons who started to argue with the man (doesn't this just sound like a scene out of Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing).  When things escalated, the establishment's owner steps out from behind the counter with a baseball bat (albeit a novelty sized Yankees souvenir bat) and the two start to tussle.  In the mayhem, the owner decides to go all Mike Tyson on the guy and takes a bite out of his ear.  He is now cooling off in lockup with a charge of felony assault, but I'm pretty sure this was just a case of bad decisions rather than zombified cannibalism.

Obviously I'm not of the zombie conspiracy theory group, but it does seem odd that many of these stories are coming out of the East Coast and all at the same time.  Although we are probably safe from zombies (definitely safe says the CDC), we certainly are not safe from the equally ravenous media outlets who will be scouring the ticker for more stories like these in the upcoming weeks.

News: Drive's Nicolas Winding Refn Stalking Button Man Adaptation

After the success of his cult hit Pusher Trilogy, Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn proved that he wasn't a one-hit wonder by continuing with the critically acclaimed Bronson, Valhalla Rising and most recently Drive with Ryan Gosling.  While his current project Only God Forgives (also starring Gosling) is in post-production, Refn is wasting no time by circling another story that seems to fit his style of violent, gritty, character-driven movies.  Although the name sounds ridiculous, Button Man: The Killing Game actually sounds pretty cool.  Based on a comic series, the story involves an underground sport created by the super rich were they hire assassins to participate in a game to the death while their bosses gamble on the outcome.  Ex-mercenary Harry Exton becomes very good at the game, but when he decides to retire, he finds that it's not that easy to get out.  Sounds like a great fit for Refn and if he signs on the dotted line I wouldn't be surprised to see his current muse Ryan Gosling follow suit.

News: Rise of the Planets of the Apes Prequel/Sequel Gets a Title & Date

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (though awkwardly titled) was definitely one of the best movie surprises of the year.  Expecting a generic actioner, director Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist) took this movie beyond its expectations with great cinematography, heartfelt drama and of course some apey mayhem.  And after grossing nearly half a billion dollars (on a $93 million budget), a sequel to this prequel was inevitable.  It was recently announced that Rise's successor will be (equally as awkwardly) titled Dawn of the Planet of the Apes with a May 24th, 2014 release date.  Returning with director Wyatt will be Andy Serkis who was notably snubbed from the Oscars for his motion-capture performance as Caesar, the starring ape.  No word on if James Franco's character will be back, but they've announced that Contagion writer Scott Z. Burns will be brought in to help Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (who wrote Rise).  No word on a plot yet, but the continuation of the story will have to be the primate's slow takeover of human society and probably the point of the human surrender.  It will probably play out as a whole movie in the vein of its predecessor's third act and will probably less drama and more monkeys kicking our less red, less hairy asses.  Should be a blast!