25) Colors of the Wind, Pocahontas
Sung by Pocahontas (Judy Kuhn)
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Fun Fact: This has been covered in 13 different languages. Wow, overkill.
24) Don't Rain on My Parade, Funny Girl
Sung by Fanny Brice (Barbra Streisand)
Music by Bob Merrill and Jule Styne
Lyrics by Bob Merrill
Fun Fact: Robin Williams sang the song as Mrs. Doubtfire in the film Mrs. Doubtfire.
23) Gonna Fly Now, Rocky
Sung by Deetea Little
Music by Bill Conti
Lyrics by Carol Connors and Ayn Robins
Fun Fact: Spoiler Alert! He doesn't end up flying. Ever.
22) Part of Your World, The Little Mermaid
Sung by Ariel (Jodi Benson)
Music and Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken
Fun Fact: This song was cut from the film at one point, but at the strong insistence of the lead animator on the sequence, Glen Keane, it was put back in the film.
21) Springtime for Hitler, The Producers
Sung by various cast members
Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks
Fun Fact: Mel Brooks originally wanted "Springtime for Hitler" to be the title of the film. It totally should have been.
20) Good Morning, Singin' in the Rain
Sung by Don Lockwood, Kathy Selden, and Cosmo Brown (Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O'Connor)
Music by Nacio Herb Brown
Lyrics by Arthur Freed
Fun Fact: Cover versions include Kanye West (that's not right), Lionel Richie, Blackfoot, The Beatles, and The Alkaline Trio.
19) Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and the Beast
Sung by Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury)
Music and Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken
Fun Fact: No, this isn't the love song about Rihanna and Chris Brown.
18) You'll Be in My Heart, Tarzan
Sung by Phil Collins
Music and Lyrics by Phil Collins
Fun Fact: Promoting beastiality since 1999.
17) A Whole New World, Aladdin
Sung by Aladdin and Jasmine (Brad Kane and Lea Salonga)
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Fun Fact: Nick Pitera provides a cover version in which he sings both the male and female parts. Not a joke. It's on youtube.
16) So Long, Farewell, The Sound of Music
Sung by the von Trapp children
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Fun Fact: The most polite way to say "We out bitches."
15) You've Got a Friend in Me, Toy Story
Sung by Randy Newman
Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman
Fun Fact: It lost both the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song to another Disney song, "Colors of the Wind," which appears on this list at number 25. Lower than this one. Shows what we think about that stupid award.
14) Do Re Mi, The Sound of Music
Sung by Maria (Julie Andrews) and the von Trapp children
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Fun Fact: The song that brought together female deer, the sun, running, a household skill, a random syllable, and drinks with jam and bread through the majesty of song.
13) Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Mary Poppins
Sung by Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) and Bert (Dick Van Dyke)
Music and Lyrics by the Sherman brothers
Fun Fact: According to the song, it is defined as "something you say when you have nothing to say." According to the definitions of the roots of the word, it can also mean "atoning for educability through delicate beauty."
12) Eye of the Tiger, Rocky III
Sung by Survivor
Music and Lyrics by Survivor
Fun Fact: Stallone asked Survivor to write this song because he could not get permission to use "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen.
11) Can You Feel the Love Tonight, The Lion King
Sung by Timon (Nathan Lane), Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella), Simba (Joseph Williams), Nala (Sally Dworsky), and Kristle Edwards
Music by Elton John
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Fun Fact: It was a number one hit in France as well as in America.
10) (I've Had) The Time of My Life, Dirty Dancing
Sung by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
Music and Lyrics by Franke Previt, John Denicola, and Donald Markowitz
Fun Fact: This song topped the charts in America, the Netherlands, and Australia.
9) Under the Sea, The Little Mermaid
Sung by Sebastian (Samuel E. Wright)
Music and Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken
Fun Fact: Darling it's better down where it's wetter. Take it from me.
8) Tonight, West Side Story
Sung by Tony (Jimmy Bryant) and Maria (Marni Nixon)
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Fun Fact: Yes, this is the movie with the gang members doing ballet. You got a problem with that?
7) My Heart Will Go On, Titanic
Sung by Celine Dion
Music by James Horner
Lyrics by Will Jennings
Fun Fact: This is the only significant cultural contribution made by this film.
6) Circle of Life, The Lion King
Sung by Lebo M. and Carmen Twillie
Music by Elton John
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Fun Fact: Lebo M. was invited by composer Hans Zimmer to come up with the now famous opening chant for the song, supposedly improvising the entire opening chant in 15 minutes.
5) Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters
Sung by Ray Parker Jr.
Music and Lyrics by Ray Parker Jr.
Fun Fact: The song that finally answers the question "who you gonna call?" This song provides the answer we've been waiting for since the invention of the telephone.
4) Hakuna Matata, The Lion King
Sung by Timon (Nathan Lane), Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella), young Simba (Jason Weaver), and adult Simba (Joseph Williams)
Music by Elton John
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Fun Fact: "Hakuna Matata" is a Swahili phrase that literally translates as "there are no worries."
3) When You Wish Upon a Star, Pinocchio
Sung by Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards)
Music and Lyrics by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington
Fun Fact: It was cover by Gene Simmons (the guy with the long tongue from Kiss) on his solo album. Wait what now?
2) Over the Rainbow, The Wizard of Oz
Sung by Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland)
Music by Harold Arlen
Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
Fun Fact: And thus, the mandatory female audition song was born.
1) Singin' in the Rain, Singin' in the Rain
Sung by Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly)
Music by Nacio Herb Brown
Lyrics by Arthur Freed
Fun Fact: This song, as with most of the songs in Singin' in the Rain, was written in the 1920s and not for the film specifically.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Prometheus (R)
Directed by Ridley Scott
Written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof
Sorry about the hiatus, but we're back. Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator) returns to the genre that made him famous in this sci-fi epic. It follows the story of Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and her partner Dr. Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) in the year 2093 as they explore a planet to meet our makers. The theory is that humans were engineered by a faraway species rather than evolved from apes. Once there they discover a little more than they bargained for. They are accompanied by an android named David (Michael Fassbender) who has an affinity for Lawrence of Arabia, a pilot named Janek (Idris Elba), a robotic supervisor from the Weyland Corporation named Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), and several other barely important characters. The film itself has what you'd expect from a sci-fi film like this, which is marvelous special effects. The art direction strongly resembles the brilliant art direction of the original Alien. Michael Fassbender's robotic performance is the brightest light in the acting realm, with Noomi Rapace giving a strong central performance as well. Ridley Scott directs it wonderfully and the writing is strong as well. The film itself is an experience. There is one scene in particular that is one of the most unwatchable and yet watchable scenes I've ever seen on film. The most frustrating thing about this film is that it doesn't tie as tight a knot as you may want. It leaves many questions unanswered, and some of those questions are big ones. It decides to be a completely ambiguous film and leave it up to the interpretation of the viewer. Viewers who do not like to think may find this a negative aspect, but as I discovered on the car ride home, it promotes a lengthy discussion with questions flying everywhere and theories about what it means in the fictional universe that the film (as well as the Alien series) takes place in. It incites interesting discussion and that's exactly what an ambiguous film needs to do to go from frustratingly bad to good or great. Very little actually gets fully answered in the film, but there are enough half-answers and clues to make you think that the filmmakers have provided enough for you to get the answers yourself. Who knows if they actually have or if it's just an illusion, but it's wonderfully perplexing. And as for it's proximity to the Alien franchise, the cameo you're all waiting for does happen and received an ovation at the midnight premier I attended.
Scores (out of 10)
Acting: 7.5
Directing: 8
Writing: 7.5
Overall: 8
Written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof
Sorry about the hiatus, but we're back. Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator) returns to the genre that made him famous in this sci-fi epic. It follows the story of Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and her partner Dr. Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) in the year 2093 as they explore a planet to meet our makers. The theory is that humans were engineered by a faraway species rather than evolved from apes. Once there they discover a little more than they bargained for. They are accompanied by an android named David (Michael Fassbender) who has an affinity for Lawrence of Arabia, a pilot named Janek (Idris Elba), a robotic supervisor from the Weyland Corporation named Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), and several other barely important characters. The film itself has what you'd expect from a sci-fi film like this, which is marvelous special effects. The art direction strongly resembles the brilliant art direction of the original Alien. Michael Fassbender's robotic performance is the brightest light in the acting realm, with Noomi Rapace giving a strong central performance as well. Ridley Scott directs it wonderfully and the writing is strong as well. The film itself is an experience. There is one scene in particular that is one of the most unwatchable and yet watchable scenes I've ever seen on film. The most frustrating thing about this film is that it doesn't tie as tight a knot as you may want. It leaves many questions unanswered, and some of those questions are big ones. It decides to be a completely ambiguous film and leave it up to the interpretation of the viewer. Viewers who do not like to think may find this a negative aspect, but as I discovered on the car ride home, it promotes a lengthy discussion with questions flying everywhere and theories about what it means in the fictional universe that the film (as well as the Alien series) takes place in. It incites interesting discussion and that's exactly what an ambiguous film needs to do to go from frustratingly bad to good or great. Very little actually gets fully answered in the film, but there are enough half-answers and clues to make you think that the filmmakers have provided enough for you to get the answers yourself. Who knows if they actually have or if it's just an illusion, but it's wonderfully perplexing. And as for it's proximity to the Alien franchise, the cameo you're all waiting for does happen and received an ovation at the midnight premier I attended.
Scores (out of 10)
Acting: 7.5
Directing: 8
Writing: 7.5
Overall: 8
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Marvel's The Avengers (PG-13)
Directed by Joss Whedon
Written by Joss Whedon and Zak Penn
The hype was up on this one. Some reviews were calling it the best comic book movie since The Dark Knight. I really didn't think it lived up to its hype. Not to say it was bad, it was very good at points. Just not great. I really wish I was more impressed with this. It just never reached that wow factor that would have made it great. It starts with S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters being destroyed by Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and something called Tesseract being very important. We proceed to see how the superheroes we've come to know over the past 4 years assemble together for the first time. They butt heads at first, which was a nice touch. They come together over the course of a few impressive action sequences and find something to avenge, setting up a massive battle in Manhattan with all the superheroes bringing something to the fight. Captain America (Chris Evans) brings leadership and heart. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) brings wit, constant humor, and swag. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) brings some godliness (which to be perfectly honest isn't much in this story). And Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), he provides the smash. Various S.H.I.E.L.D. agents make significant contributions to the story and the action including the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), and of course Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). The action is great, if that's your thing. The humor is a very pleasant feature of the movie. It is downright hilarious at times. The problem with this movie is the lack of surprise. As with most superhero movies, you never doubt the outcome or the fates of the characters. You know good guys win, bad guys lose but are able to regroup for a sequel. The problem with this movie is that you never really reach that point as an audience where you doubt the ability of the good guys to pull through, which is essential to make a movie like this great instead of just good. Through the whole of the incredible end battle sequence, you never reach that point where hopelessness consumes you as a viewer and you begin to think this is the one comic book movie that will finally see a win for the bad guys. You always know they're going to pull out a victory and it isn't particularly hard to see how they will pull it out. That being said, it's still a good movie with the actors pretty much getting it right, having had at least one movie (with the exception of Ruffalo) to hone their respective characters. A very nice film with incredible action, but having been the culmination of 4 years of Marvel movies, you wish it would blow the others out of the water.
Scores (out of 10)
Acting: 7.5
Directing: 8
Writing: 7.5
Overall: 6.5
Written by Joss Whedon and Zak Penn
The hype was up on this one. Some reviews were calling it the best comic book movie since The Dark Knight. I really didn't think it lived up to its hype. Not to say it was bad, it was very good at points. Just not great. I really wish I was more impressed with this. It just never reached that wow factor that would have made it great. It starts with S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters being destroyed by Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and something called Tesseract being very important. We proceed to see how the superheroes we've come to know over the past 4 years assemble together for the first time. They butt heads at first, which was a nice touch. They come together over the course of a few impressive action sequences and find something to avenge, setting up a massive battle in Manhattan with all the superheroes bringing something to the fight. Captain America (Chris Evans) brings leadership and heart. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) brings wit, constant humor, and swag. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) brings some godliness (which to be perfectly honest isn't much in this story). And Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), he provides the smash. Various S.H.I.E.L.D. agents make significant contributions to the story and the action including the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), and of course Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). The action is great, if that's your thing. The humor is a very pleasant feature of the movie. It is downright hilarious at times. The problem with this movie is the lack of surprise. As with most superhero movies, you never doubt the outcome or the fates of the characters. You know good guys win, bad guys lose but are able to regroup for a sequel. The problem with this movie is that you never really reach that point as an audience where you doubt the ability of the good guys to pull through, which is essential to make a movie like this great instead of just good. Through the whole of the incredible end battle sequence, you never reach that point where hopelessness consumes you as a viewer and you begin to think this is the one comic book movie that will finally see a win for the bad guys. You always know they're going to pull out a victory and it isn't particularly hard to see how they will pull it out. That being said, it's still a good movie with the actors pretty much getting it right, having had at least one movie (with the exception of Ruffalo) to hone their respective characters. A very nice film with incredible action, but having been the culmination of 4 years of Marvel movies, you wish it would blow the others out of the water.
Scores (out of 10)
Acting: 7.5
Directing: 8
Writing: 7.5
Overall: 6.5
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Disney and Pixar Announce New Plans
Plus a new project for the director of Anchorman, a new scary movie, and more
The top story this week is that Disney and Pixar have announced their next three projects after this summer's Brave and next summer's prequel Monsters University. The first project is now titled The Good Dinosaur and will be directed by Up co-director Bob Peterson. It takes place in an alternate reality where no asteroid ever hit Earth and dinosaurs never went extinct. It is unspecified as to whether or not human beings exist in this alternate reality or if it will only be populated by prehistoric creatures. The current release date is May 30, 2014. Pete Docter (Up, Monsters, Inc.) is the director of the still untitled film that is described as:
"Pixar takes audiences on incredible journeys into extraordinary worlds: from the darkest depths of the ocean to the top of the tepui mountains in South America; from the fictional metropolis of Monstropolis to a futuristic fantasy of outer space. From director Pete Docter (Up, Monsters, Inc.) and producer Jonas Rivera (Up), the inventive new film will take you to a place that everyone knows, but no one has ever seen: the world inside the human mind."
The release date for this film has been moved back from May 30, 2014 (now the release date for The Good Dinosaur) to June 19, 2015. Finally, the directing/producing team behind Toy Story 3 are heading up a project that delves into the holiday of Dia de los Muertos. No release date has been set for that film but it is safe to assume that since this is the first anybody has heard of this project that the film won't be released until at least 2015 or 2016. Since Pixar has yet to come out with two films in a year and they are on a current pace of one a year every year since 2006, I'd expect a final release date to be placed sometime in the summer of 2016.
Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Star Trek, the first two Transformer films, Mission Impossible III, Cowboys & Aliens) have been hired to write the sequel to the unreleased The Amazing Spider-Man. All that is known about the premise is that the origin story of Peter Parker as Spider-Man is continued, suggesting that it will not be finished in this summer's film. On top of this, Alex Kurtzman's directorial debut (from a script by Kurtzman and Orci and Jody Lambert) is set to be released this June called People Like Us starring Elizabeth Banks and Chris Pine. Also, the duo is involved in production on Ender's Game and Now You See Me, both set to be released by Summit Entertainment in 2013. They are also producing and scripting the sequel to the 2009 reboot of Star Trek and All You Need Is Kill starring Tom Cruise and directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity). All this is in addition to their TV pilots set up at FOX, CBS, and ABC and their ongoing TV projects "Fringe" and "Hawaii Five-O."
Director/producer Adam McKay (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Step Brothers) is in negotiations to take control of a planned remake of the 1974 comedy Uptown Saturday Night which starred Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier (who also directed). The studio (Warner Bros.) hopes that Denzel Washington and Will Smith will accept the starring roles of a guy and his buddy who go on a desperate search to find the first guy's stolen wallet which contains a winning lottery ticket. Filming will most likely commence in 2013 sometime because of McKay's commitment to the recently announced Anchorman sequel.
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone, The Hunger Games, X-Men: First Class) is really on the verge of being typecast in a role that she is rapidly outgrowing. She has just accepted a role to star in The Glass Castle, an adaptation of the memoir by Jeannette Walls about growing up in a West Virginia mining town as the daughter of idealistic, nomadic parents. Another role as a poor girl growing up in an impoverished community. She needs to take different roles every once and a while. Besides, the script will be adapted by Marni Nixon who is best known for Fright Night and being the co-writer of I Am Number Four. Since neither of those were praised for writing, this one looks like it will be a dud too. It seems like the production will wait for Lawrence's schedule to open up since she is committed to the X-Men: First Class sequel as well as the three planned sequels for The Hunger Games franchise.
Taylor Swift now fancies herself an actress (Valentine's Day, The Lorax). I'm not sure she's much of an actress, but then again, I'm not sure she's much of a singer either. Or a looker for that matter. Regardless of my negative opinions on Swift, she is in negotiations to take one of the three lead roles in Girls Like Us. In novel form, the subtitle is "Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and the Journey of a Generation." It is safe to assume that Girls Like Us will be a three-way biopic about the three female musicians and the effects that their music had on the generation that they lived in. It doesn't sound particularly good to me. Especially now that Swift is being considered for the role of Joni Mitchell. Not that I have a particular fondness for Joni Mitchell's music, I just don't have a fondness for Swift as an actress, singer, or piece of eye candy. No news on what other actresses (or maybe just singers) are up for the roles of Carole King and Carly Simon but I, for one, am hoping that the producers look for talent on Broadway rather than on the music scene.
Scary Movie 5 is actually going to happen. Those of us that follow movie news closely know that this has been around since 2009, but now it has been announced that Dimension Films is moving ahead with the plans. The director will be Malcolm Lee (Undercover Brother, Soul Men, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins). No word yet on what movies will be spoofed, but David Zucker - the director of the last two Scary Movies - has expressed interest in parodying the franchises of Paranormal Activity and Final Destination as well as Child's Play (the Chucky movie). Series regulars Anna Faris, Anthony Anderson, and Regina Hall have all expressed interest in returning for another sequel but no official casting decisions have been made yet. A tentative release date of January 11, 2013 has been set.
Sony Pictures and Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment have acquired the film rights to an upcoming 2013 young adult book called Boy Nobody. It will probably end up being a starring vehicle for Smith's son Jaden. The author of the book has compared it to a teenage Jason Bourne, it's the story of a "brainwashed teenage assassin who starts to regain his emotions." So it is Jason Bourne, for teens. Isn't this plagiarism? Besides, I'm not really interested in seeing Jaden Smith in many more starring roles for a while. And if you have to, why continue to show off his athleticism rather than his acting?
Production has officially started on The Smurfs 2, already set to be released on July 31, 2013. Almost everyone of the live action and animated cast are signed to return for the sequel, which probably means it was pretty fun to make. I only wish it was as much fun to watch. New cast members will be Brendan Gleeson (as NPH's uncle), JB Smoothe, and Christina Ricci, who will voice Vexy, "a new, evil version of Smurfette." Katy Perry will still be returning to voice the non-evil Smurfette though.
The top story this week is that Disney and Pixar have announced their next three projects after this summer's Brave and next summer's prequel Monsters University. The first project is now titled The Good Dinosaur and will be directed by Up co-director Bob Peterson. It takes place in an alternate reality where no asteroid ever hit Earth and dinosaurs never went extinct. It is unspecified as to whether or not human beings exist in this alternate reality or if it will only be populated by prehistoric creatures. The current release date is May 30, 2014. Pete Docter (Up, Monsters, Inc.) is the director of the still untitled film that is described as:
"Pixar takes audiences on incredible journeys into extraordinary worlds: from the darkest depths of the ocean to the top of the tepui mountains in South America; from the fictional metropolis of Monstropolis to a futuristic fantasy of outer space. From director Pete Docter (Up, Monsters, Inc.) and producer Jonas Rivera (Up), the inventive new film will take you to a place that everyone knows, but no one has ever seen: the world inside the human mind."
The release date for this film has been moved back from May 30, 2014 (now the release date for The Good Dinosaur) to June 19, 2015. Finally, the directing/producing team behind Toy Story 3 are heading up a project that delves into the holiday of Dia de los Muertos. No release date has been set for that film but it is safe to assume that since this is the first anybody has heard of this project that the film won't be released until at least 2015 or 2016. Since Pixar has yet to come out with two films in a year and they are on a current pace of one a year every year since 2006, I'd expect a final release date to be placed sometime in the summer of 2016.
Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Star Trek, the first two Transformer films, Mission Impossible III, Cowboys & Aliens) have been hired to write the sequel to the unreleased The Amazing Spider-Man. All that is known about the premise is that the origin story of Peter Parker as Spider-Man is continued, suggesting that it will not be finished in this summer's film. On top of this, Alex Kurtzman's directorial debut (from a script by Kurtzman and Orci and Jody Lambert) is set to be released this June called People Like Us starring Elizabeth Banks and Chris Pine. Also, the duo is involved in production on Ender's Game and Now You See Me, both set to be released by Summit Entertainment in 2013. They are also producing and scripting the sequel to the 2009 reboot of Star Trek and All You Need Is Kill starring Tom Cruise and directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity). All this is in addition to their TV pilots set up at FOX, CBS, and ABC and their ongoing TV projects "Fringe" and "Hawaii Five-O."
Director/producer Adam McKay (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Step Brothers) is in negotiations to take control of a planned remake of the 1974 comedy Uptown Saturday Night which starred Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier (who also directed). The studio (Warner Bros.) hopes that Denzel Washington and Will Smith will accept the starring roles of a guy and his buddy who go on a desperate search to find the first guy's stolen wallet which contains a winning lottery ticket. Filming will most likely commence in 2013 sometime because of McKay's commitment to the recently announced Anchorman sequel.
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone, The Hunger Games, X-Men: First Class) is really on the verge of being typecast in a role that she is rapidly outgrowing. She has just accepted a role to star in The Glass Castle, an adaptation of the memoir by Jeannette Walls about growing up in a West Virginia mining town as the daughter of idealistic, nomadic parents. Another role as a poor girl growing up in an impoverished community. She needs to take different roles every once and a while. Besides, the script will be adapted by Marni Nixon who is best known for Fright Night and being the co-writer of I Am Number Four. Since neither of those were praised for writing, this one looks like it will be a dud too. It seems like the production will wait for Lawrence's schedule to open up since she is committed to the X-Men: First Class sequel as well as the three planned sequels for The Hunger Games franchise.
Taylor Swift now fancies herself an actress (Valentine's Day, The Lorax). I'm not sure she's much of an actress, but then again, I'm not sure she's much of a singer either. Or a looker for that matter. Regardless of my negative opinions on Swift, she is in negotiations to take one of the three lead roles in Girls Like Us. In novel form, the subtitle is "Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and the Journey of a Generation." It is safe to assume that Girls Like Us will be a three-way biopic about the three female musicians and the effects that their music had on the generation that they lived in. It doesn't sound particularly good to me. Especially now that Swift is being considered for the role of Joni Mitchell. Not that I have a particular fondness for Joni Mitchell's music, I just don't have a fondness for Swift as an actress, singer, or piece of eye candy. No news on what other actresses (or maybe just singers) are up for the roles of Carole King and Carly Simon but I, for one, am hoping that the producers look for talent on Broadway rather than on the music scene.
Scary Movie 5 is actually going to happen. Those of us that follow movie news closely know that this has been around since 2009, but now it has been announced that Dimension Films is moving ahead with the plans. The director will be Malcolm Lee (Undercover Brother, Soul Men, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins). No word yet on what movies will be spoofed, but David Zucker - the director of the last two Scary Movies - has expressed interest in parodying the franchises of Paranormal Activity and Final Destination as well as Child's Play (the Chucky movie). Series regulars Anna Faris, Anthony Anderson, and Regina Hall have all expressed interest in returning for another sequel but no official casting decisions have been made yet. A tentative release date of January 11, 2013 has been set.
Sony Pictures and Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment have acquired the film rights to an upcoming 2013 young adult book called Boy Nobody. It will probably end up being a starring vehicle for Smith's son Jaden. The author of the book has compared it to a teenage Jason Bourne, it's the story of a "brainwashed teenage assassin who starts to regain his emotions." So it is Jason Bourne, for teens. Isn't this plagiarism? Besides, I'm not really interested in seeing Jaden Smith in many more starring roles for a while. And if you have to, why continue to show off his athleticism rather than his acting?
Production has officially started on The Smurfs 2, already set to be released on July 31, 2013. Almost everyone of the live action and animated cast are signed to return for the sequel, which probably means it was pretty fun to make. I only wish it was as much fun to watch. New cast members will be Brendan Gleeson (as NPH's uncle), JB Smoothe, and Christina Ricci, who will voice Vexy, "a new, evil version of Smurfette." Katy Perry will still be returning to voice the non-evil Smurfette though.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol (PG-13)
Directed by Brad Bird
Written by Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, and Bruce Geller
I had wanted to get this review up while this movie was still in theaters, but sadly my noble intentions were undone. I decided to release this because it just came out on DVD and I will probably buy it.
I had wanted to get this review up while this movie was still in theaters, but sadly my noble intentions were undone. I decided to release this because it just came out on DVD and I will probably buy it.
The Mission just got more impossible. With the IMF disavowed due to an attack on the Kremlin, Ethan Hunt (played by Tom Cruise) and a few agents are all that remain to stop a Russian who has wonderful plans to blow up the world with nukes. Though this story may seem to be repetitive of other action flicks, "Ghost Protocol" achieves a higher standard of serious stunts and action scenes while maintaining a joking atmosphere throughout most of the movie. Tom Cruise reprises his role as the agent Ethan Hunt whom is known as one of the best agents in the world. Though his plans are not perfect they always seem to work, and when an actor wants to do his own stunts, it makes for a great spectacle. Simon Pegg is known for Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul and a few other assorted comedies, and he brings his light-hearted sense of humor to Protocol. He livens up the dialogue in between the explosions and gun fights. The one actor I really wanted to touch on is Jeremy Renner who plays William Brandt, an “advisor” to the Secretary of Defense. The character is similar to Hunt in that he has the skills, and has the secrets to go along with the skills. Renner’s performance was fairly impressive and he has played many roles in his career, many related with the military or another action-themed job. Acting in The Hurt Locker, 28 Weeks Later, The Town along with many others, the character Brandt was pretty good for Renner to take. He apparently did pretty well as Renner has picked up the role of Aaron Cross in the next addition to the Bourne series, as well as playing Hawkeye in The Avengers. Now because of the questionable quality of Mission Impossible III, I was somewhat skeptical of what GP would bring. What it brought were new characters that added new twists to the story of Ethan Hunt, but of the other agents as well. In accordance with the other movies, some parts of Ethan Hunt’s plans were awry, but comical in a way that caused me to enjoy the movie a lot more than the other three.
Overall Rating: 7/10
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
The 10 Most Anticipated Movies of the Rest of 2012
I regret not doing this at the beginning of the year. The Hunger Games would probably be pretty high on this list if I had. But too bad, here's the rest of 2012.
Honorable Mentions:
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (face it, teenage girls ARE anticipating this one)
Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
Dark Shadows (another Tim Burton Johnny Depp collaboration)
The Expendables 2 (with more Arnold baby)
10) Snow White and the Huntsman
Key Players: Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth
Release Date: June 1st
The trailer for this one is where all the hype is. It's an incredible trailer. Yeah, Kristen Stewart is playing Snow White, but if the movie ends up anything like the trailer, it should be worth seeing anyway.
9) Ted
Key Players: Seth MacFarlane, Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis
Release Date: June 29th
You may not have heard much about this, but it should be pretty hyped because the writer-director is "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane. Also, the film stars Mark Wahlberg and Fam Guy alum Mila Kunis, plus the voice talent of MacFarlane himself.
8) Django Unchained
Key Players: Quentin Tarantino, Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sacha Baron Cohen
Release Date: December 25th
Quentin Tarantino does the slave-owning South in this historical fiction. A star-studded cast including Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Sacha Baron Cohen should make for some great acting. The anticipation should build for this in the coming months.
7) The Dictator
Key Players: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley, John C. Reilly
Release Date: May 18th
Sacha Baron Cohen brings a new outlandish character to the screen with this comedy. Expect lots of terrorist jokes. Should draw quite a crowd.
6) Prometheus
Key Players: Ridley Scott, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace, Guy Pearce
Release Date: June 8th
I'm not really sure if this is a prequel to Alien or not. I don't think it is a prequel to Alien, but it takes place in the same futuristic, fictional universe as the Alien franchise. I don't know what the plot for it is yet, something about the origins of mankind on Earth, but I'm not really that fussed. The trailer and viral videos are endlessly intriguing. I can't wait.
5) Men in Black 3
Key Players: Barry Sonnenfeld, Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Emma Thompson, Alice Eve
Release Date: May 25th
Will Smith always draws a crowd and some hype even if the last film installment of Men in Black was utter disappointment. Besides, with the mobile mansion he demanded to live in on set, he better give one hell of a performance.
4) Brave
Key Players: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, John Ratzenberger
Release Date: June 22nd
When Pixar comes out with something original, it is worth it. Coming off their first perceived failure in Cars 2, I am anxious to see how they rebound here. Besides, I liked Cars 2; it wasn't great, but I enjoyed it for the most part.
3) The Dark Knight Rises
Key Players: Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Liam Neeson
Release Date: July 20th
It should be good at the very least. On the heels on The Dark Knight and Inception, people are expecting a lot from Christopher Nolan on this one. The trailer doesn't particularly thrill me though. I trust Nolan to make a good film though.
2) Marvel's The Avengers
Key Players: Joss Whedon, Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner
Release Date: May 4th
I've already stated how I used to feel about Joss Whedon (see my review for The Cabin in the Woods). I'm quickly turning into a believer. The trailer looks pretty sweet and the early reviews are calling this the best comic book movie since The Dark Knight and possibly even better. The bar as been raised due to that, the imminent competition as this year's best comic book movie with The Dark Knight Rises, and the success of Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods. It's on like Donkey Kong.
1) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Key Players: Peter Jackson, Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage
Release Date: December 14th
Most comic book nerds are going to be pissed. But when it comes down to it, if either Collin or myself had to choose between The Dark Knight Rises, Marvel's The Avengers, and this, we'd pick this every day of the week. Peter Jackson returns to the author who made him famous and we can't wait to see the results.
Honorable Mentions:
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (face it, teenage girls ARE anticipating this one)
Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
Dark Shadows (another Tim Burton Johnny Depp collaboration)
The Expendables 2 (with more Arnold baby)
10) Snow White and the Huntsman
Key Players: Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth
Release Date: June 1st
The trailer for this one is where all the hype is. It's an incredible trailer. Yeah, Kristen Stewart is playing Snow White, but if the movie ends up anything like the trailer, it should be worth seeing anyway.
9) Ted
Key Players: Seth MacFarlane, Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis
Release Date: June 29th
You may not have heard much about this, but it should be pretty hyped because the writer-director is "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane. Also, the film stars Mark Wahlberg and Fam Guy alum Mila Kunis, plus the voice talent of MacFarlane himself.
8) Django Unchained
Key Players: Quentin Tarantino, Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sacha Baron Cohen
Release Date: December 25th
Quentin Tarantino does the slave-owning South in this historical fiction. A star-studded cast including Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Sacha Baron Cohen should make for some great acting. The anticipation should build for this in the coming months.
7) The Dictator
Key Players: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley, John C. Reilly
Release Date: May 18th
Sacha Baron Cohen brings a new outlandish character to the screen with this comedy. Expect lots of terrorist jokes. Should draw quite a crowd.
6) Prometheus
Key Players: Ridley Scott, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace, Guy Pearce
Release Date: June 8th
I'm not really sure if this is a prequel to Alien or not. I don't think it is a prequel to Alien, but it takes place in the same futuristic, fictional universe as the Alien franchise. I don't know what the plot for it is yet, something about the origins of mankind on Earth, but I'm not really that fussed. The trailer and viral videos are endlessly intriguing. I can't wait.
5) Men in Black 3
Key Players: Barry Sonnenfeld, Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Emma Thompson, Alice Eve
Release Date: May 25th
Will Smith always draws a crowd and some hype even if the last film installment of Men in Black was utter disappointment. Besides, with the mobile mansion he demanded to live in on set, he better give one hell of a performance.
4) Brave
Key Players: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, John Ratzenberger
Release Date: June 22nd
When Pixar comes out with something original, it is worth it. Coming off their first perceived failure in Cars 2, I am anxious to see how they rebound here. Besides, I liked Cars 2; it wasn't great, but I enjoyed it for the most part.
3) The Dark Knight Rises
Key Players: Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Liam Neeson
Release Date: July 20th
It should be good at the very least. On the heels on The Dark Knight and Inception, people are expecting a lot from Christopher Nolan on this one. The trailer doesn't particularly thrill me though. I trust Nolan to make a good film though.
2) Marvel's The Avengers
Key Players: Joss Whedon, Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner
Release Date: May 4th
I've already stated how I used to feel about Joss Whedon (see my review for The Cabin in the Woods). I'm quickly turning into a believer. The trailer looks pretty sweet and the early reviews are calling this the best comic book movie since The Dark Knight and possibly even better. The bar as been raised due to that, the imminent competition as this year's best comic book movie with The Dark Knight Rises, and the success of Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods. It's on like Donkey Kong.
1) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Key Players: Peter Jackson, Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage
Release Date: December 14th
Most comic book nerds are going to be pissed. But when it comes down to it, if either Collin or myself had to choose between The Dark Knight Rises, Marvel's The Avengers, and this, we'd pick this every day of the week. Peter Jackson returns to the author who made him famous and we can't wait to see the results.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
New Director for Hunger Games Sequel
Plus Iron Man 3 casting decisions, new George Washington biopic, and more
The biggest news this week is that Gary Ross, co-writer and director of The Hunger Games, will not be returning to write or direct the sequel Catching Fire. This is good news for all those who, like me, found the direction of Ross sub-par and the writing so-so. Lionsgate, the studio with the film rights to the franchise, has made an official offer to Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend, Water for Elephants). Lawrence edged out Bennett Miller (Moneyball) for the job simply because he was more available (more about why Bennett Miller is unavailable below). Don't expect award-worthy direction for Catching Fire but hopefully the camera won't be placed in the middle of a tornado for dialogue scenes, which would be a massive improvement from Ross. The problem that arises from this is the script. While Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, The Full Monty) has been hired to adapt the novel, Ross - an Oscar-nominated screenwriter - had intended to spend two months honing the script over this summer. Francis Lawrence is not a writer and the script may suffer for it. This could be a major problem since filming for Catching Fire needs to wrap by early January since star Jennifer Lawrence has an obligation to the X-Men: First Class sequel which starts filming in January and that commitment supersedes her contract with Lionsgate. The release date for Catching Fire is set right now for November 22, 2013. Also, in recent examples set by the Harry Potter franchise and the Twilight saga, the third of the trilogy of novels will be split into two parts, giving the film franchise four movies.
Did you like The Hangover? What if, instead of twenty and thirty somethings, it was cast with sixty and seventy somethings? Well that seems to be the premise of Last Vegas. It's The Hangover for your grandparents. Don't get me wrong, old people can be hilarious and fun to watch (see Venus starring Peter O'Toole for proof), but old guys in Vegas doesn't really do it for me so far. The cast does intrigue me though. Michael Douglas (Wall Street, Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct), Christopher Walken, and Robert De Niro are in talks to star. This is after talks with Dustin Hoffman fell through. The fourth role is that of an African American ex-military man so don't be surprised if Morgan Freeman or Danny Glover gets cast in that final role.
In other news, Guy Pearce has been cast as Dr. Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3. This casting decision comes right on the heels of Ben Kingsley being cast as the unspecified villain (though it was specified that his character was not named The Mandarin). In the comics, Dr. Aldrich Killian is the creator of a nanobot virus that is then sold to terrorists. This sets Kingsley up as a terrorist who gets his hands on the virus. Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) takes over director's duties from Jon Favreau with Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Scarlett Johansson all set to reprise their respective roles from Iron Man 2. Production will begin next month and the release date is set for May 3, 2013.
Steve Carell has been attached to play John du Pont, the murderer of Olympic wrestler David Schultz (to be portrayed by Mark Ruffalo) in the upcoming Bennett Miller film Foxcatcher. Channing Tatum is set to play Schultz's younger brother Mark. The script will be written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman (Capote). This is an interesting role for Carell, since Carell seems slightly young at 49 to play du Pont who was convicted of the murder at age 59. A minor point. The big point is that it seems to be a serious dramatic role with little to no opportunity for comedy. Will this signal a shift in Steve Carell's career? Who knows.
Director Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, The Wrestler) has a lot to decide. Currently he is involved as the director of the biblical epic Noah about, you guessed it, the story of Noah's Ark with Russell Crow set to star as the lead. Beyond that, Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures made a deal with Paramount for a film entitled The General. General is said to be about George Washington more in the spirit of Clint Eastwood's award-winning western Unforgiven rather than a strict historical drama. The script will be penned by comedy writers Adam Cooper and Bill Collage (Accepted, Tower Heist) so I'm not sure how this one will end up turning out. Aronofsky himself is said to be eyeing the director's chair for the Weinstein Co.'s Judy Garland biopic, Get Happy, with Anne Hathaway set to star. Only time will tell which project the Oscar-nominated director will helm.
Warner Bros. is in development on a film featuring the DC Comics character Lobo. Lobo is a bad boy alien mercenary who has a penchant for imaginary swear words. This week, director Brad Peyton (Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island) has been attached to the project. Seeing as his only experience to date is family-friendly movies and none were well-received by critics or audiences, this doesn't seem to be a good fit. If you're a fan of the Lobo from the comics, be prepared for cinematic disappointment.
The biggest news this week is that Gary Ross, co-writer and director of The Hunger Games, will not be returning to write or direct the sequel Catching Fire. This is good news for all those who, like me, found the direction of Ross sub-par and the writing so-so. Lionsgate, the studio with the film rights to the franchise, has made an official offer to Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend, Water for Elephants). Lawrence edged out Bennett Miller (Moneyball) for the job simply because he was more available (more about why Bennett Miller is unavailable below). Don't expect award-worthy direction for Catching Fire but hopefully the camera won't be placed in the middle of a tornado for dialogue scenes, which would be a massive improvement from Ross. The problem that arises from this is the script. While Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, The Full Monty) has been hired to adapt the novel, Ross - an Oscar-nominated screenwriter - had intended to spend two months honing the script over this summer. Francis Lawrence is not a writer and the script may suffer for it. This could be a major problem since filming for Catching Fire needs to wrap by early January since star Jennifer Lawrence has an obligation to the X-Men: First Class sequel which starts filming in January and that commitment supersedes her contract with Lionsgate. The release date for Catching Fire is set right now for November 22, 2013. Also, in recent examples set by the Harry Potter franchise and the Twilight saga, the third of the trilogy of novels will be split into two parts, giving the film franchise four movies.
Did you like The Hangover? What if, instead of twenty and thirty somethings, it was cast with sixty and seventy somethings? Well that seems to be the premise of Last Vegas. It's The Hangover for your grandparents. Don't get me wrong, old people can be hilarious and fun to watch (see Venus starring Peter O'Toole for proof), but old guys in Vegas doesn't really do it for me so far. The cast does intrigue me though. Michael Douglas (Wall Street, Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct), Christopher Walken, and Robert De Niro are in talks to star. This is after talks with Dustin Hoffman fell through. The fourth role is that of an African American ex-military man so don't be surprised if Morgan Freeman or Danny Glover gets cast in that final role.
In other news, Guy Pearce has been cast as Dr. Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3. This casting decision comes right on the heels of Ben Kingsley being cast as the unspecified villain (though it was specified that his character was not named The Mandarin). In the comics, Dr. Aldrich Killian is the creator of a nanobot virus that is then sold to terrorists. This sets Kingsley up as a terrorist who gets his hands on the virus. Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) takes over director's duties from Jon Favreau with Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Scarlett Johansson all set to reprise their respective roles from Iron Man 2. Production will begin next month and the release date is set for May 3, 2013.
Steve Carell has been attached to play John du Pont, the murderer of Olympic wrestler David Schultz (to be portrayed by Mark Ruffalo) in the upcoming Bennett Miller film Foxcatcher. Channing Tatum is set to play Schultz's younger brother Mark. The script will be written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman (Capote). This is an interesting role for Carell, since Carell seems slightly young at 49 to play du Pont who was convicted of the murder at age 59. A minor point. The big point is that it seems to be a serious dramatic role with little to no opportunity for comedy. Will this signal a shift in Steve Carell's career? Who knows.
Director Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, The Wrestler) has a lot to decide. Currently he is involved as the director of the biblical epic Noah about, you guessed it, the story of Noah's Ark with Russell Crow set to star as the lead. Beyond that, Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures made a deal with Paramount for a film entitled The General. General is said to be about George Washington more in the spirit of Clint Eastwood's award-winning western Unforgiven rather than a strict historical drama. The script will be penned by comedy writers Adam Cooper and Bill Collage (Accepted, Tower Heist) so I'm not sure how this one will end up turning out. Aronofsky himself is said to be eyeing the director's chair for the Weinstein Co.'s Judy Garland biopic, Get Happy, with Anne Hathaway set to star. Only time will tell which project the Oscar-nominated director will helm.
Warner Bros. is in development on a film featuring the DC Comics character Lobo. Lobo is a bad boy alien mercenary who has a penchant for imaginary swear words. This week, director Brad Peyton (Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island) has been attached to the project. Seeing as his only experience to date is family-friendly movies and none were well-received by critics or audiences, this doesn't seem to be a good fit. If you're a fan of the Lobo from the comics, be prepared for cinematic disappointment.
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