Movies
Some Serious Gourmet Shit
I really have nothing much to say here except I really like this movie (Pulp Fiction, in case you didn’t know) and I really like coffee, so it all makes sense. Well, it does to me at least.
Plus, Samuel L. Jackson is cool. If you doubt that, we probably have nothing more to discuss. You can go about your business. Move along.
The rest of you, enjoy.
And because I like you (well, most of you anyway), here’s the clip from Pulp Fiction, just for the hell of it.
[youtube www.youtube.com/watch
(Kudos to The Good Films for the GIF)
Keanu Reeves and the Way of the Sword
I’m a martial arts fan and lapsed practitioner from way, way back. One of my favorite styles, if you will, was Kendo. Also known as the “Way of the Sword.” I very much enjoyed it.
It seems Keanue Reeves also enjoys using a sword and he does so to good effect in his upcoming movie 47 Ronin. Sure, there’s also a bunch of other stuff in this movie too (fantasy elements and more), but I’ll watch it mostly for the swordplay, which looks pretty cool.
There’s a trailer for the movies that’s come out recently and even though I like the trailer, I always get a bit concerned when the release of a movie is pushed back a couple times, as it was with 47 Ronin.
This is also the very expensive feature film debut of director Carl Erik Rinsch, which doesn’t always bode well either. Still, I think it looks pretty cool and I’ll be seeing it, even if they had to invent a character for Keanu Reeves to play in the otherwise rather well-known legend of the 47 Ronin and he is, again, the only “one” who can save us (or them, as the case may be).
That’s showbiz.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47_-pqoPDVQ?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
D&D Players Can Be Ruthless In This Trailer for 'Zero Charisma'
Long ago, when Dungeons & Dragons was just called D&D and about the time the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons arrived, I started playing the game. Back then it was a group of like-minded friends who gathered around the ping pong table in my parent’s garage and had adventures.
It was a simpler time and I don’t remember the games ever getting violent, or even very confrontational, except when we were engaged in epic battles for our band of adventurers very survival. In the game, of course.
So when I saw this trailer for the indie film Zero Charisma (a title which works for me on several levels), I had to think if I ever had these kinds of problems as a young D&D player. I was pretty sure I didn’t, but perhaps I was remembering it wrong? Or, was I just lucky that none of the people I played with back then were bona fide sociopaths as, unfortunately, the character of Scott (the terrifically creepy Sam Eidson) seems to be.
I like to think we were all just good friends brought together by our love of role playing games, the desire to use or imaginations and because we liked to have fun. I really hope it wasn’t that other stuff. I don’t like to think that I can’t remember things or that I could have misjudged people’s character so badly back then.
As I still keep in touch with most of the guys I played with “back in the day,” I guess I can just check with them and see if my recollection of events jives with their own. I’m pretty sure it will.
You can call a prison directly, right? I kid, I kid.
Check out this trailer for Zero Charisma and some scenes from the movie. It looks like a lot of fun and I look forward to seeing it when I get a chance.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRRCt0tbQvw?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgbLhDUqAXM?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
How 'Man of Steel' Should Have Ended
I’m not sure I agree with everything in this video. However, I do appreciate the time and effort that went into making it by the folks at HISHE.com and it does raise some very good points.
So, if you’re one of the people who thought Man of Steel should have gone a bit differently, this just might be for you. Okay, who am I kidding, it never would have ended this way, especially not for a big Hollywood blockbuster. It’s just for fun.
But heck, it’s still pretty funny.
Also, while we’re on the subject of comics and movies (as we often are), I’ll be in San Diego later this week for Comic-Con. So, if you’re going to be there, be sure to say “Hello” if you see me.
I will also be posting some stuff here and over at The Flickcast during the show so be sure and look out for that. You don’t want to miss it.
Enjoy the video.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjSNLmb0Ndw?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
A 'Blade Runner' Speedrun for a Sunday
If I was going to make a list of my all-time favorite sci-fi movies, on that list would have to be Ridley’s Scott’s 1982 masterpiece Blade Runner. As I mentioned in a previous missive, the film made quite an impression on me as a young man.
I first saw it at a screening in San Diego in May of 1992, after having won tickets from a local radio station, and was treated to a version somewhat different from the finished product released to theaters the following month. It was an amazing experience.
I’ve watched it many time since that day and each time I enjoy it more. It’s definitely a movie worth seeing again and again.
Of course, not everyone has the time to watch entire movies. People have lives and schedules to keep. For those with limited free time, the Speedrun was invented.
Simply put, a Speedrun is an animated version of a popular film told in sixty seconds made by the talented folks at 1A4 Studio. This one is Blade Runner, as if you couldn’t guess.
Enjoy. Oh, it has some adult language, so be advised it’s probably NSFW.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ILbDz7tTqU?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
Think 'Pacific Rim' Is Total Fantasy? Meet Atlas
Yes, the movie Pacific Rim is out today and yes, it features giant monsters called Kaiju who we humans fight with giant, mechanized, human-piloted robots we build called Jaegers. And sure, the idea that monsters come from wherever they come from (no spoilers here) and we need to build giant, mechanical creatures to fight them may seem far-fetched and relegated to the world of fantasy and the movies.
And really, I can’t vouch for the likelihood of giant, alien monsters coming to destroy humanity. That does seem rather unlikely. However, I do believe we’re not that far away from being able to create the mechanical robots that would fight them if they did come.
Don’t believe me? Meet Atlas in this video and maybe you just might change your mind.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkBnFPBV3f0?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
The First Trailer for Spike Lee's 'Oldboy'
As with many things in life, I don’t like change. Change to me isn’t something to embrace, it’s something to resist. That being said, change can occasionally brings good things.
In fact, I’ve had some changes of late that have been very good and very positive. So, perhaps, I may have to rethink my “No Change” policy. Maybe.
Until then, this brings us, in a roundabout way, to Spike Lee’s remake of Park Chan-Wook’s film Oldboy. At first, of course, I resisted the notion that Oldboy needed a remake at all. The original is a complex, gripping thriller that if you haven’t seen, is definitely worth watching.
I also wasn’t sure Spike Lee was the right guy for the job of bringing the film to mainstream American audiences. I don’t know why, exactly, I just didn’t think he necessarily had the requisite mindset to get the film right. Park Chan-Wook, on the other hand, that guy has a mindset, in spades.
Anyway, as I’ve heard and seen more of Lee’s vision for Oldboy, Ive started to become convinced he may, indeed, be on to something. This new trailer, a redband of course, helps push that hypothesis even further.
The short version is I like what I see so far and I want to see more. As with many thing, your mileage may vary.
Oh, one more thing, this trailer is a redband for a reason. Please exercise appropriate precautions before watching it at work or something. Unless you work at a really cool place which, let’s face it, you probably don’t. Not this cool anyway.
It's Saturday, So Here's a Trailer for 'Yakuza Weapon'
I can’t keep putting things away in the new house and not take a break. So, during one of said breaks, I came across this trailer for the movie Yakuza Weapon.
If you’ve followed this site for any length of time, you know my fondness for movies and TV shows out of the Hollywood mainstream. I think Yakuza Weapon qualifies.
I won’t bother trying to explain the movie except to say it involves transformation, the fight between good and evil and the question of what it means to be human. Oh yeah, there’s lots of action and stuff blows up too. Of course.
It was directed by Tak Sakaguchi (who also stars) and written by Sakaguchi and Yūdai Yamaguchi. It’s based on the manga by Ken Ishikawa. Check out the trailer below and enjoy.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTs-mM4A6TQ?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
'Great Gatsby' VFX Before and After
Helping to continue our irregular series of visual effects articles is this new video from visual effects supervisor Chris Godfrey. According to Godfrey, he’s been allowed by director Baz Luhrmann to show this video highglighting the before and after visual effects of his most recent film The Great Gatsby.
This video serves to highlight, once again, what a crucial role visual effects play in modern motion picture production. In truth, it’s hard to imagine a movie made these days (especially a period piece) that didn’t have at least some visual effects shots in it.
With all that it does for filmmakers, let’s hope that the visual effects industry will begin to get the respect it deserves. That would be nice.
Meantime, as I’m a fan of this movie, the director and behind-the-scenes movie secrets in general, this video is pretty interesting to me.
I hope you find it that way as well.
[vimeo 68451324 w=560 h=315]
These Japanese Posters for 'The Wolverine' Are Very Cool
In the old days (before the Internet) movie posters were considered a big part of how to market a movie and get people interested in seeing it. Back then, studios also spent a lot more time and money (most of the time) designing said posters.
These days, movie posters mostly tend to look the same. Giant heads of the main actors and maybe an explosion or something. At least in this country. Fortunately, the movies are a global business and we often get some really great posters from elsewhere.
These posters for The Wolverine are a prime example. Check them out below.
'009ノ1: The End of the Beginning' Looks Pretty Crazy
I’m a fan of movies from around the world, and this trailer for 009ノ1: The End of the Beginning is one reason why. Sure, it doesn’t have the high dollar production value of a Michael Bay “epic”, but it does have one important thing going for it: heart.
I know, I know, but I can tell these actors, and the rest of the team, are really having a great time here. And that, to me, is pretty important.
I think it makes for better, more entertaining, movies. Plus, I firmly believe loving what you do, and having a great time doing it, applies to pretty much all parts of life, not just work.
We’re all here a relatively short time so let’s try and not get so caught up in the BS and have a little fun along the way, okay? Good.
Turing back to the trailer, no, I can’t tell you what they’re saying or really, what the movie is about. I can tell you it’s based on a classic Manga from the late ’60s, early ’70s and that the movie is hitting Japan in September. Oh, and it has cyborg girls and other interesting bits too.
But all that doesn’t really matter at this point, does it? It just looks cool. Check it out below.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1zDPd10YIg?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
I'm Undecided About 'The LEGO Movie', Here's A Trailer Anyway
I loved, loved, loved LEGO as a kid (That’s a lot of love, I know). I’m pretty sure I’ve spent thousands of hours building things with those little multi-colored plastic bricks over the years.
I still have all of my sets too. They are currently in boxes in storage until H and I move into the new house. Then, I will be able to fully unpack all of my sets of bricks and marvel, once again, at the vastness of my empire.
That brings us, somewhat indirectly, to the upcoming LEGO movie. Yes, a LEGO movie. I don’t know about this. What do you think?
[youtube www.youtube.com/watch
The History of the Superman 'S' Logo
In honor of Man of Steel, Zach Snyder’s take on Superman (which opens tonight at midnight), I thought it would be fun to take a look at the evolution of Superman’s “S” logo over the years. Fortunately, someone has already thought of the idea and created a handy infographic showing all of the logos since the character was first introduced in Action Comics #1 in 1938.
Yes, there’s a lot of them. And yes, I think they’ve gotten better over the years. Of course, I do have a special place for the one from 1978. That’s the one worn by Christopher Reeve in Richard Donner’s classic Superman, which I saw in the theater with my parents on opening weekend.
That’s the logo, and the movie, that made a young boy truly believe a man could fly. As cliche' as that may sound today, after a heavy dose of Star Wars the year before and a whole host of other sci-fi, fantasy and comic book influences and input on a daily basis, I was ready to believe . . . And I did.
Let’s hope Snyder’s Man of Steel can work that same magic again on the much older and somewhat cynical (yet still a kid at heart) adult I’ve become. I don’t think it’s too late for me. I think there’s still a chance.
Because, dammit, I want to believe again.
Even An Alien Needs a Day Off Sometimes
Even though you’re an Alien from, you know, Alien you can’t spend all your time ripping arms off, crushing skulls with your explosively protruding jaw or impaling people with your barbed tail.
Sometimes, you just need to take a break. And heck, what better place to take that break than a nice park?
He likes the rides. How sweet.
While we’re on the subject of Alien, I want to mention how much I love this lamp. I love it for many reasons, one of which is it makes me laugh.
I will admit that it’s probably funnier if you’ve actually seen James Cameron’s movie Aliens. But if you haven’t, it’s still a cool lamp.
Although, you really should see Aliens too.
(h/t to Fashionably Geek for the Alien vacation photo)
Every Ray Harryhausen Creature Creation In One Awesome Video
I am a huge fan of visual effects master Ray Harryhausen, who passed away recently at the age of 92. During his lifetime he brought us all manner of creatures and pioneered the use of stop motion effects in movies and television.
He was a true visionary and his creations will live on and inspire countless generations of current and future filmmakers. To give you an idea of just how many amazing creatures the man brought us during his career, YouTube user Mat Bergman has put together a video highlighting every one of them.
Check it out below and be amazed.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9kmjW73-v4?rel=0&w=525&h=394]
Happy 30th Birthday 'War Games'
Sorry, it can’t be Star Wars 24/7 around here. Instead, let’s turn our attention to another movie from my youth I thoroughly enjoyed then and still do today.
That movie? Director John Badham’s 1983 cold war computer geek classic War Games.
In War Games, a young Matthew Broderick plays computer hacker David Lightman who tries to impress a girl named Jennifer (the equally young and cute Ally Sheedy) by hacking into the school’s computer to change her grade. He does it, she’s impressed and all is well. However, things then take a turn for the worse when David inadvertently hacks into a powerful NORAD defense computer known as the WOPR and almost starts World War III.
The feds, as you can imagine, are not amused and go looking for David. As they close in, and with the clock counting down until the start of an actual war by the computer that thinks its not a game, David goes on the run to find the only man who he hopes can make things right: the thought-dead inventor of the WOPR Professor Falken.
Sure, the movie’s technology is dated and yes, so are the hairstyles. But after 30 years War Games still holds up as a serviceable cold war thriller and provides some good insight into the mentality of an eighties teenager/hacker.
As a former eighties teenager/hacker myself, I can relate. Although, not to the almost starting World War III thing. That wasn’t me. I was out of town that day.
Check out the trailer for War Games below. If you haven’t seen it in awhile, or ever, it’s definitely worth a look.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbqMuvnx5MU?rel=0&w=525&h=295]
Over 1000 Behind the Scenes Photos From the 'Star Wars' Trilogy
The internet can be home to some pretty amazing things. Sure, there’s also a lot of porn too. Fortunately, the worthwhile bits outnumber the naughty ones.
A prime example of this is Imgur user JoinYouInTheSun who’s taken the time and made the effort to assemble over 1000 behind the scenes photos from the original Star Wars trilogy. As someone who grew up with this first (and some say only) trilogy of movies, these images brought back a lot of wonderful memories and were great fun to look at.
In fact, I liked them so much I clicked through each and every one of them. Slowly.
If you’re a Star Wars geek like I am, you’ll understand.
Here’s a couple more. Head over to Imgur for the rest.
'The Empire Strikes Back' Is 33 Years Old Today, So How About Some Bloopers?
It should come as no surprise to anyone that I am a huge fan of the original Star Wars trilogy. In fact, I’m such a fan that I know The Empire Strikes Back was released 33 years ago today. Yes, I was there to see it on opening day.
Although, opening day was actually the second time I had seen it. The first time was at a press screening a few weeks earlier my Mom had won tickets for by listening to the radio all day while I was at school.
Do I have a cool Mom or what?
I still have that press kit somewhere with all the awesome black and white photos from the movie. Must dig that up someday soon.
To commemorate this milestone in history, here’s some bloopers for the first (and only good) trilogy. Enjoy.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_XgTyBzWZ0?rel=0&w=420&h=315]
Geek vs. Nerd
Let this handy chart help you decide. Nerd? Geek? Maybe both? Let’s see.
(h/t to @e2thej for the link)
Fear is a Four Letter Word
This is one of those times where I don’t think I have anything to say, but I still feel like writing anyway. I was once told by a writing teacher that even if you feel you have nothing to say, you should just start writing anyway.
His opinion, and I’ve often found this to be true, was that if you start and keep on going, eventually words will flow. The trick is to start.
Thinking about that now I really feel it applies to almost any endeavor. Simply put: If you don’t start, you’ll never finish.
I’m sure most of you are familiar with the famous Wayne Gretsky quote where he says: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Again, I think that applies to most things in life.
Starting things, like a writing project, is often very difficult. But I don’t think it’s the act of starting that’s the problem. What we’re really talking about here is fear.
For a writer, that fear most often manifests along the lines of “What if it sucks?” or “What if nobody likes it?” or even “What if people are so enraged by what I write, they want to burn me in effigy?” Actually, that last one might not be so bad.
Well, nobody wants to get burned in effigy, of course, but writing something powerful enough and moving enough to get people that enraged could be kinda cool. Again, if you can avoid the whole being burned thing.
We all feel fear at one time or another and there’s always the potential that fear will drive us to do something or, more to the point, to not do something. But we can’t let it win. We can’t let it get to us.
One of my favorite movies of all time is Lawrence of Arabia. In the movie, T.E. Lawrence, played by the amazing Peter O’Toole, holds up a match and then extinguishes it with his thumb and forefinger, seemingly oblivious to the pain this must surely have caused him.
His fellow soldier, William Potter, then tries to do the same and as he does, he realizes just how painful it actually is. He exclaims that “It damn well hurts!”
Potter then askes Lawrence what the trick is. Lawrence replies that yes, of course it hurts.
The trick is not minding.