1-18-08

It's one thing to read about something, isn't it?
It's quite a different thing altogether to experience something personally.

For the past 6.5 months, I have spent way too many hours of my life preoccupied with researching, web-searching, and imagining what terrifying events January 18, 2008 might bring to us.

Tonight, I found out 1st hand.

It's called Cloverfield. By now most of America has seen a preview on television, the internet, or right before Transformers in July. Probably the most recognized symbol of this movie is the ominous graphic of the Statue of Liberty--without her head.


Now I know exactly why she is missing her head.

I just returned from seeing a pre-screening of Cloverfield with my wife and a friend. As the credits rolled less than 2 hours after the Paramount logo twirled onto the screen, I sat in my theater chair
motionless;
speechless;
almost smiling.

Producer J.J. Abrams is a genius. I will say nothing in this post about the movie's characters (any of them!), nor about the plot line. But quite frankly, I'm glad to know that Abrams and Matt Reeves (the movie's director and personal friend of J.J.'s) will enjoy amazing financial success from the upcoming nationwide release of this movie. I say this because Abrams (and Reeves, too) is a genius.

Without giving anything important about this movie away, Abrams is a genius not because of a completely original idea for movie (because, as you see, it's not!), but because of the way he has packaged this movie from start to finish: with the mysterious trailer at the beginning of one of the biggest movie releases of 2007 which kept geeks like me scowering for more info ever since, to the amazingly creative internet ad campaign which never seemed much like movie advertising as it did story-telling, to the entirely novel way the film was written, shot, and cut.

To tell you the truth, Cloverfield is quite a simple story--a story more about human relationships than anything else. But it's a simple story that pulls you in early, takes you for a tornado-of-a-ride, and then drops you back into your theater seat motionless, speechless, and almost smiling. While Abrams himself would admit that the generic idea of the story isn't at all original, the premise in which this idea is set absolutely is.

For your own good, I would implore you to see this movie on 1-18-08 (this Friday!). It could change your life.

And to Abrams, Reeves, and the rest of the Cloverfield team: Thank you for sharing your gifts.

-David


P.S.
For snapshots from the movie, visit http://www.1-18-08.com/.

P.P.S.
Flip the pictures over.

Bourne Ultimatum: Not Your Average Action Flick?

I saw The Bourne Ultimatum last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. For a thought-out review of the film, check out the link below.

Here's a sample from the review:

Some movies are fast paced, but are still full of filler of one sort or another. There is not an ounce of filler in this movie. Everything is important, and requires close attention-- not good for those who have tiny attention spans and are easily distracted. The Bourne Ultimatum does not rely on gimmicks, CG effects, or razzle dazzle. Even its chase scenes seem mostly tame compared to the one near the beginning of 'Casino Royale', for example. This is because you are watching a psychological drama--- Jason Bourne is searching for his true identity, by trying to remember his past. The issue has to do with character development, or in this case character revelation.

Continue reading...

Told You So!!...

Transformers set a new record for a non-sequel movie bringing in over $152 million in the first week! I knew it was a good movie and it definitely deserved its profit!

And to think that my $9.50 contributed to that milestone!
[Pats self on back and says to self, "Well worth it, Dave! Good job.]

A True Summer Blockbuster!

As I bought my ticket online approximately 9 hours ahead of time, I was already very excited about the movie. To tell you the truth, I bought into the terrific marketing hook, line, and sinker. 2 hours and ten minutes after Transformers began, I was ready to buy myself another ticket to see it again.

Transformers is what every movie that calls itself a summer blockbuster should be! Forget Jack Sparrow; I’ll take this cartoon-turned-action flick over a washed-up pirate tale any day!

[Secretary of Defense Keller]: We're facing war against a technological civilization far superior to our own! Our enemy can take any shape! They could be anywhere!

With some of the best visual and audio effects ever experienced, and action scenes too large to even wrap your mind around, this Michael Bay-directed movie transformed the 1980’s kid’s cartoon into an intense, over-blown sci-fi/action epic for boys and girls of any age, especially those now grown-up fans in their 20’s and 30’s.

Bay takes the viewer on a wild ride from the sands of the Mid-East to urban big-cities of America. With fantastical imagery, heart-pounding action, wonderfully timed comedy, and a familiar “high school dork has mega-crush on teen-aged babe”-love story, this film rouses a medley of emotions bound to leave any movie-goer pleasantly satisfied.

Frankly, I was surprised by the well-roundedness of the film. I expected the amazing CGI and in-your-face cinematography, as I likewise anticipated the Biggie-sized action sequences seen in many of Bay’s other movies (Bad Boys, Armageddon, The Rock, Pearl Harbor, The Island). But it was the acting that truly took me unawares, specifically Shia LaBeouf’s tremendous job playing the primary protagonist. He was funny, fast, and fun to watch. Additionally, his character’s parents gave me the most laughs by their chemistry as a couple with great idiosyncrasies. Kudos to the filmmakers for a job well done with the casting of all the characters!And while I'm sure some critics may fault the writers for the film's cartoonish dialogue (especially bewteen the robots), I argue, "That's the point--it's a live-action cartoon!"

[Optimus Prime]: Before time began, there was... the cube. We know not where it comes from, only that it holds the power to create worlds and fill them... with life. That is how our race was born. For a time we had lived in harmony, but like all great power, some wanted it for good... others, evil. And so, began the war. A war that ravages our planet until it was consumed by death. And the cube was lost to the far reaches of space. We step in across the galaxy hoping to find it and rebuild our home. Searching every star. Every world. And just when all hopes seem lost;message of a new discovery took us to an unknown planet called... Earth. But we were already too late.

These opening lines from the movie allude to the powerful and time-old “Good versus Evil” struggle. This theme is central to the film and is communicated effectively, especially in the movie’s finale when the Autobots and Decepticons battle it out between the skyscrapers. Apart from many contemporary movies produced by post-modern Hollyweird, Transformers contains a concrete conclusion satisfying to the whole audience.

It is also interesting to note the many familiar images from current pop culture and shameless plugs of well-known brands such as Microsoft, HP, Apple, GMC, and Panasonic that litter the movie and allow it to hit its audience dead-on in 21st Century reality.

Exploding with action sequences bigger than Independence Day and faster than Spiderman, and tough enough to make even John McClane wet his pants, Transformers will make my summer of 2007 memorable for years to come. If you haven’t seen it yet, go now! (And if you do, don’t forget to stay through the credits for an additional teaser!) Now please excuse me while I go to see it again.

Which Is Worse?...

Movies with all-out nudity and explicit sex scenes . . . OR . . . Movies with smoking and unhealthy food-eating?

Now the latter may receive a harsher rating than the prior.

Read it for yourself!

What strange, sad times these are. Welcome to relativism/non-absolutism/post-modernism at its best.

(Should I be laughing or crying. I do not know.)

Zodiac Movie Reviews

Typically I like to write my own reviews of movies that I've recently seen. However, I came across the following review of Zodiac and found it very insightful and close to my own thoughts of the film.

What would you do if you knew who a serial killer was, but the circumstantial evidence, however strong, was not enough to bring that person to justice? What if you were dealing with a case that had gone cold some time ago, with police exhausting all their leads and options? What if only you were obsessed and persistent enough to pursue this to the end? What if you would have to lose your marriage in order to bring this person to justice? What if your obsession doesn’t find resolution?

Such is the very remarkable story of Robert Graysmith, a cartoonist for a San Francisco newspaper beginning in the late 60s who would not let this matter drop and ended up writing two best selling books on the Zodiac killer. Jake Gylenhaal does a compelling job of portraying this truly obsessed man’s quest for the truth of this matter even after the police had long since given up hope.

The story begins in 1968 when there is a grisly double murder in Vallejo California, and carries on with numerous killings in San Francisco and elsewhere. The killer sends coded messages to the San Francisco Chronicle which Robert is able to decode. We are regaled with Marvin Beli the famous lawyer who goes on TV to try to talk the killer into giving himself up-- all to no avail. But an important clue is given one day when the killer calls Beli. A clue missed by the police is only much later picked up by Robert. In painfully slow fashion the evidence mounts and points in a particular direction.

Continue reading Zodiac review here.

Best Movies of 2006

Relatively speaking, I saw fewer movies in 2006 than I typically do in a year. (I'm still debating whether or not that fact is positive or negative.)

Nevertheless, I figured I would do a limited recap on the previous year's movies...or at least those movies which I did see!

These are my favorites in a few different categories from the movies that I saw in '06:

Overall Best Picture: United 93 (An extremely factual story about one of the fatal flights on 9/11/2001. This film by its very nature is bound to deeply impact every single viewer! I walked into the theater knowing that I would shed a few tears. When the credits rolled, there wasn't a dry eye or untouched heart in the room. It's a good reminder as to why America as a nation should be adamant about doing everything possible to find terrorists and kill them!)

Best Action: Casino Royale (Craig is definitely a tough guy!...the opening chase scene was the best Bond chase scene EVER!)

Best Comedy: Night at the Museum (Clean, laugh-out loud humor! Fun for any age!)

The following list represents some of the films that I saw and enjoyed in 2006 (some, I'll admit, don't rank very high on the asthetics scale; however, for whatever crazy reason, I was entertained or intrigued by them!). This list is not exhaustive of all the movies I saw in 2006, but just a sample of those 2006 films that I think are worth the time to watch.

Notables:
World Trade Center (A naturally moving story. I cried.)
The Prestige (Unsurprisingly magical!)
The Da Vinci Code (Not as good as the book. Despite most critics' reviews, I still enjoyed it.)
Inside Man (Twists, turns, and a clever surprise ending.)
Cars (Another good one from Pixar.)
Over the Hedge (The squirrel made me laugh out loud!)
Glory Road (Not quite Remember the Titans, but still good!)
The Break-Up (Finally! A movie with a realistic ending!)
Superman Returns (fun, though kinda cheesy at parts)
Click (I think almost every guy has wanted a remote control like that at some point or another!)
Deja Vu (Denzel in a cool, sci-fi/action flick. (Isn't that Jesus playing the part of the bad guy?))
Scoop (Woody Allen, Hugh Jackman, & Scarlett Johansson in a fun, murderous comedy)
Flyboys (clean & entertaining portrayal of WWI pilots)
Tristan and Isolde (Knights, swordfights, and a lovestory.)
X-Men: The Last Stand (Colossus was cool! Wolverine is still my idol.)

I welcome your comments on this list......even better, add your own "Best of '06."

On the Lot

Here's a new reality show that may be worth my time.

ON THE LOT

Just knowing that Spielberg is behind this grabs my attention! Check it out for yourself.

2007 Movies

The following is a list of movies that are anticipated to be released in 2007. Obviously, this list is not an exhaustive list of all 2007 releases, but instead, a list of movies that at first glance seem to interest me. I am sure that by the time I see the trailers to some of these movies, I will change my mind about wanting to see them, and I am also sure that there will be more movies than those on this list that will interest me as the year progresses.

For now, however, enjoy researching some of these flicks and decide for yourself whether or not you think you will see them in 2007! Have fun!

January
5 th Thr3e
19 th The Good German
27 th Seraphim Falls

February
16 th Ghost Rider
23 rd Amazing Grace, The Number 23

March
9 th 300
16 th Shooter
30 th Blades of Glory

May
4 th Spiderman 3
18th Shrek the Third
25 th Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

June
15th Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
22nd Evan Almighty
29 th Die Hard 4: Live Free or Die Hard

July
4th Transformers
27 th Stardust, The Simpsons Movie

August
3 rd The Bourne Ultimatum

November
16th Beowulf

December
21th National Treasure 2

Release Date TBA:
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Pride and Glory
The Brazilian Job

2008 Expectancies:
Iron Man
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The Dark Knight
James Bond 22
Halo
Indiana Jones 4
Speed Racer
Toy Story 3

Amazing Grace Movie...

Coming to theaters February 23, 2007, the story of God's Amazing Grace in the lives of John Newton, William Wilberforce, and countless others!

Check out the official movie website and spread the word about the film's release in 2 months!