AOL's Moviefone.com is a joke... Click here to know why. While it's understandable that Megan Fox would be called the Worst Actress (but Sexiest Female Actress) of 2009 and Transformers 2 the Worst Movie (but Best Action Film) of '09, calling Twilight: New Moon the Best Movie of this year is a friggin' joke. The next Twilight flick, Eclipse, was also voted as being more anticipated than Iron Man 2 and even Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 in 2010. What the f...



No doubt a bunch of teenybopper girls who drank the Kool-Aid (right after swallowing something else) voted over and over on that poll...

IRON MAN 2... Just thought I’d post screenshots from the Iron Man 2 teaser trailer, which was released online a week ago. Hopefully, War Machine is gonna kick major ass (along with Whiplash and Scarlett Johannson’s Black Widow. "Bow-chicka-bow-bow!") in next May’s anticipated blockbuster. Don Cheadle is a good actor, but it’s still unfortunate that Terrence Howard got booted out after the first film. Freakin’ Marvel... Anyways, here's the video itself:



And here are the screencaptures. Have a Merry Christmas, everyone!!









Images courtesy of Marvel Characters, Inc. / Paramount

AVATAR... Last Sunday, I watched James Cameron’s newest film on IMAX 3-D...and not surprisingly, it looked awesome! Cameron did an awesome job portraying an intriguing alien planet and species whose appearance popped right out through the wonders of 3-D. Floating mountains, exotic-looking plants and even an alien language that in real life was completely made up by a linguist who was enlisted from the University of Southern California... Cameron was very thorough in fleshing out the world of Pandora that was locked in his head for the past dozen or so years (as Cameron waited for special effects and camera technology to advance to the point where making Avatar would be possible...and also basking in the glory of making $1 billion at the worldwide box office and winning umpteenth Oscars for Titanic back in 1998).



Of course, some of you are probably wondering why I said that Avatar looked awesome...as opposed to being awesome. That’s because the film—as a couple of folks pointed out online in the months leading up to the movie’s release—had a storyline that wasn’t very original and was indeed derivative from other (Oscar-winning) films. Much as how some people pointed out that Titanic was similar to the 1939 Best Picture winner Gone with the Wind (both films had a love triangle set during a major historical event), Avatar was reminiscent of Dances with Wolves and Braveheart. It was also reminiscent of this year’s earlier well-reviewed sci-fi film District 9...in that the protagonist in that movie, Wikus van de Merwe (unintentionally) sheds his human skin to become just like the alien creatures he reluctantly has to protect in South Africa. In Avatar, Sam Worthington’s character Jake Sully (intentionally and permanently) sheds his human body to become one with the alien natives, the Na’vi, which he’s sworn to protect at the end of the film. If you haven’t seen Avatar yet, then ignore that last sentence (though I'm pretty sure you can guess this by watching the trailers). And yes, I’m 100% sure that the comparison to District 9 was definitely unintentional on Cameron’s part. I myself just found the fate of the main heroes in both flicks to be very similar.



In terms of the music, Avatar had a terrific film score by James Horner. However, I didn’t find the music as memorable as that in Titanic...or Apollo 13. Horner composed the score for those movies as well. Unlike Titanic’s music, which was on a CD album that was the bestselling film score since John Williams’ work on Star Wars in the late 70’s, I doubt Avatar will have any kind of presence on the Billboard music chart anytime soon. Oh well.



Lastly, will I watch Avatar at the movie theaters again? You betcha’! I saw it on a "fake" IMAX screen (which is nearly the same size as a regular movie screen but has an IMAX-quality sound system complementing it in the auditorium, and a digital print that has the same visual quality as an actual IMAX 70mm film reel) at an AMC theater on opening weekend, so I can assure you that I will be driving 20-30 miles to a "real" IMAX theater (specifically the one at the Irvine Spectrum’s Edwards 21 in Orange County) to watch James Cameron’s visionary work on the big screen again. Later.



Images courtesy of Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

REST IN PEACE Brittany Murphy (1977-2009). The only films I saw with her in it were Sin City and 8 Mile (and I've also watched several episodes of the now-defunct FOX TV show, King of the Hill...where she did the voice of trailer park daughter Luanne Platter)...but that obviously doesn't mean I can't pay my respect here. So um...rest in peace, Ms. Murphy (technically, it's Mrs. Monjack, but whatever). That is all.

AVATAR... I’m totally lookin' forward to watching this film over the weekend... I would’ve pointed that out earlier this week, but you know, I was at work.












Images courtesy of Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

IRON MAN 2... I’m totally looking forward to next May, when the sequel to 2008’s critically-acclaimed summer blockbuster comes out in theaters. Hopefully, the teaser trailer for Iron Man 2 will be released soon...presumably in front of James Cameron's Avatar on December 18 or most likely Sherlock Holmes (with Robert Downey Jr. playing the famous fictional detective) on Christmas Day. I’m looking forward to those films as well...especially Avatar.



Images courtesy of Marvel Characters, Inc. / Paramount

NINJA ASSASSIN... I saw the film yesterday, and on a positive note, it lived up to its title. For those of you thinking that Ninja Assassin is a superfluous name (haha), the movie is actually about an assassin who kills ninjas. And that assassin, named Raizo (who's played by Korean pop star Rain), kicks ass! I actually saw the film, or at least the last 20 minutes of it, at work when it was test-screened earlier this year. Needless to say, I was so impressed by the climactic action sequence that I had to see the rest of the movie when it officially came out in theaters. Ninja Assassin is what those live-action Mortal Kombat films during the 90's should've been! (Other flicks that I paid to watch despite already seeing their endings during marketing screenings were 300, Superbad and Zombieland. We also screened Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen too...but the only shot I saw, since I had to remain outside the auditorium for much of the movie, was that end credit scene where The Office’s Rainn Wilson calls Shia LaBeouf ‘Professor Einstein’ in that astronomy class.) After Ninja Assassin ended, I overheard a fellow moviegoer who attended the same screening as me compare this film to 300. It’s an appropriate comparison...seeing as how Ninja Assassin, like the 2007 Zack Snyder flick, also had lots of cool action scenes, neat CGI effects and gallons of fake blood...



There are two plotholes that I noticed in the movie though: Who was the lady who called Raizo on the phone prior to him rescuing Mika (Naomie Harris) from an assassination attempt at her apartment? And who rescued Raizo from that river after he was injured following his betrayal of master Ozunu (Sho Kosugi) and the rest of his clan atop that rooftop? Anyways... Ninja Assassin is directed by James McTeigue, who also helmed 2005’s V for Vendetta, and was also the assistant director for Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and The Matrix trilogy. That is all.

2012... So I saw the film after work yesterday, and it was entertaining—in the typical Roland-Emmerich-blows-up-national-landmarks-and-other-things kinda way. If you’re expecting a sci-fi film that is as thought-provoking as say, District 9, then you’re watching the wrong film. If you’re expecting a standard Hollywood blockbuster with lots of great visual effects and (extremely) ridiculous action sequences, then this is the movie for you.



I can’t recall any memorable scenes from The Day After Tomorrow, but I will point out that 2012 had a lot more emotional moments in it than Independence Day did (don’t get me started on Godzilla). But unlike 2012, Independence Day (or ID4) had a lot more scenes that made the crowd gasp and cheer...at least at the screening I went to back in July of ‘96. Of course, back then the shots of the White House and other (American) landmarks getting destroyed by giant alien ships in ID4 were fairly new...and the scenes showing F/A-18 Hornet jets engaging in aerial battle with small alien fighters (a la Star Wars, DUH) were awesome. What 2012 has going for it are repetitive shots of airplanes trying to lift off of runways that were breaking apart below them...and a kick-ass scene of Yellowstone National Park going BOOM as the supervolcano beneath it (yes, this volcano is REAL) erupts.



I’d say more about the movie, but I don’t feel like it. I’ll point out one more thing though: I find it interesting and fortunate (ahem, sarcasm) that the computers onboard Air Force One could show real-time images of what’s going on beneath the Earth’s crust, as well as what was happening to the planet's magnetic field as s**t was hittin' the fan across the globe. I guess these comps were modified by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey at the White House's request between 2009 and 2012...the time period during which the movie takes place.


That is all.

CONTRARY to what the TV commercials tell you, Twilight is NOT a saga...but a multi-film Abercrombie & Fitch (or Gap for that matter, haha) ad. You wanna watch a REAL saga? Check out those science fantasy films about that Galaxy far, far away that George Lucas made between 1977 and 2005. Yes, I also included the prequels.

LAST NIGHT, a couple of friends and I saw the horror/comedy flick Zombieland, and it was friggin’ awesome! Woody Harrelson kicks ass...and Emma Stone is hot. Jesse Eisenberg was hilarious, though let’s hope that he doesn’t get typecast in films whose titles end in ‘land’. (His previous film was Adventureland.) The best part of the movie was a scene inside a mansion—where a certain big-name actor/actress makes a totally gut-busting cameo! I’ll give you a hint about who this actor/actress is: This person somewhat regretted being in the Garfield live-action films a few years back. Then again... I think that was too big of a hint. Oh well. Now it’s time to NUT UP OR SHUT UP!

PS: Happy Birthday to me! I turn 30 today.

TRANSFORMERS 3 IS A ‘GO’! The movie will come out in 2011 and not 2012 as rumored...so says Michael Bay on his official website last Thursday. He also has some nice advice for Megan Fox regarding the film shoot for Transformers 3. Unlike Revenge of the Fallen, there’s no excuse for rushing production and postproduction on TF3...since the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild won’t have their panties in a bunch this time around.

REST IN PEACE Patrick Swayze (1952-2009). In case you guys needed a reminder, Swayze starred in such movies as Dirty Dancing, Ghost and Point Break, as well as the now-defunct TV show, The Beast, on A&E Network. All I can say is, the Academy Awards is gonna have a lot of actors and actresses (Farrah Fawcett, David Carradine, etc..) to honor during the "In Remembrance Of" segment of its Oscar telecast next year. That is all.

STAR WARS RECUT TO THE STAR TREK TRAILER... J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, that is. It’s kinda funny how much of the dialogue from the latest Trek film would fit with scenes in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, which either attests to milarc’s (the person who posted this video) shrewd selection of Star Wars moments to go with this trailer...or Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (who also wrote the scripts for the Transformers live-action films) not being very original with the screenplay to last May’s blockbuster. I’ll be nice and say it’s the former.

The link to this YouTube video was saved in my Favorites folder since last June. I have more YouTube links saved on my browser, so come back soon to check them out.

IRON MAN 2... Yes I know, these pics are soooo three months ago. Or somewhere around that time. Just thought I’d share them now. Robert Downey Jr. rocks as Iron Man. Mickey Rourke looks like he’ll kick ass as Whiplash...



...and Scarlett Johansson will be awesome as...my wife. I wish. Damn you, Ryan Reynolds. Seriously though, Johansson looks pretty cool as the Black Widow. Saying that she looks sexy too is a given. Might as well point out that she has red hair in these pics. Hah. Iron Man 2 comes out in theaters (here in the U.S.) on May 7, 2010.



Images courtesy of Marvel Characters, Inc. / Paramount

CHECK OUT this YouTube clip featuring music that combines the classic theme song from the 1980’s Transformers cartoon with the Steve Jablonsky score from the live-action films. Good stuff. What are the chances Jablonsky will finally get to include the theme in a track for Transformers 3? Assuming he does do the score for TF3... Which I hope he does. Yup.

THE FINAL DESTINATION... I saw the movie (for free) last Saturday, and all I have to say is... Horror movies = Epic Fail. It’s not a surprise that this film was given the 3-D treatment, seeing as how there was absolutely nothing in this movie, other than this gimmick, worth watching for a second time. Hollywood needs to lay off this 3-D craze, especially for horror flicks (since some of the death scenes in The Final Destination were pretty idiotic and unrealistic due to the fact those scenes were obviously catered to the 3-D effect...an example of this being what happens to that auto mechanic in the movie. Oh pleeeaase), and just stick with showing gratuitous nudity. Just kidding. However, The Final Destination didn’t even have enough boob scenes (just one) in it. Can it suck even more? One last thing about this film: I’m pretty sure NASCAR, Formula 1 or the Indy Racing League would be shut down if a car crash as, *smirk*, horrendous as the one in The Final Destination occurred on any of its tracks. RI-DICULOUS.

Now...about that other horror flick that came out last weekend (Halloween II), is it just me but the theatrical trailer for it pretty much showed everyone who dies in the movie? Can you say... ‘Thanks for spoiling the film, a**holes?’ Not that I myself care, since I obviously don't intend on watching it. Friggin’ Rob Zombie. And Sorority Row better have lots of topless chicks in it as well, since this movie looks like yet another badly-acted piece of trash that will fail to scare.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS... I saw Quentin Tarantino’s latest flick last night, and I must say, it was a pretty good film. As a whole, that is. Before I get to the positive aspects of the movie, here are a few gripes I have about it:



-Inglourious Basterds at times felt like it was a film history course disguised as a World War II flick. The gist of some of the scenes: "Hey guys, I'm letting you know that old movies were once printed on lethal, explosive material that was projected at theaters! Google 'silver nitrate film' to know what I’m talking about! Oh, and look up 'Marlene Dietrich' on Wikipedia while you're at it."

-I obviously understand that Tarantino's signature trademarks in his movies are long scenes with witty dialogue in 'em. However, the long scenes in my opinion were only interesting when they dealt with German SS officer Hans Landa (who was terrifically played by Christoph Waltz. More on him later). The opening scene with him and that French dude at the farm was pretty intense. For other scenes with other characters, though, I was thinking, "Get to the f***in' point!"

-I was waiting for Mike Myers to break out with a "Yeeaaah baby, yeeaaah!" during his brief cameo. Though I will admit he still did a nice job keeping a straight face as the British general.



Now onto the positive parts:

-Christoph Waltz = A recipient of the Best Supporting Actor award next year (for both the Golden Globes and the Oscars)? His character may have had an extremely sudden change of heart at the end of the movie, but Waltz sure did an AWESOME JOB playing this Nazi "Jew Hunter".

-Brad Pitt totally kicks ass. He was amusing in the Oceans film trilogy by Steven Soderbergh, though I never saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button last year. I was rooting for Pitt's Aldo Raine (a.k.a. "Aldo the Apache") to "kill some Nazis" whenever he showed up on screen. Carving swastikas into Germans’ foreheads was kinda cool too. And when he said he "wanted the scalps of a hundred dead Nazi soldiers", Raine wasn't joking.


-The guy who played Adolf Hitler should get props for his performance. Hell, everyone in the film should get props for making the movie feel more authentic with their all-out French and German conversations... They put the 'British-accents-on-Nazi-soldiers-'cause-Tom-Cruise-can't-speak-German-for-s**t' aspect of Valkyrie to shame.



And lastly...

-That was ONE COOL way of fictionalizing the end to the European front in World War II. Two Jewish "Basterds" blasting away at Hitler's corpse and hundreds of hapless German moviegoers inside that French theater = WIN. And what Aldo the Apache does to Hans Landa in the final scene of the movie = Another Win.