Rugs and Movies - Set Design is Crucial

Rugs and movies. A bit too disjointed for your taste? It shouldn't be.

It is the goal of every movie (or should be the goal at least) to create a world for the viewers to immerse themselves in. Whether it be a comedy, mystery show set in a mansion (think "Clue"), or an extravagant flick during the Victorian era (like Keira's "The Duchess"), or even a simple comedy about two best buds ("I Love you, Man"), the set design is key in bringing out the message or establishing the premise.

For example, in "I Love You, Man", it was quintessential to the movie to show Jason Segel's laidback bachelor lifestyle vis-a-vis Paul Rudd's more domesticated outlook in life. The decor in Jason Segel's garage turned bachelor's pad / band practice room was accurate, as was Paul Rudd's more "homey" space. Could you imagine seeing an expensive oriental rug or a China vase in Jason's pad? On the opposite end of the spectrum, a cozy kitchen area rug on Paul's space would have been quite appropriate.

In period flicks, the importance of set design grows exponentially. It is almost unforgivable, for instance, to see a modern-era piece of furniture in what should have taken place in the 18th century. When the inaccuracy is blatant, it takes away a piece of the movie experience from the viewers. The devil is, as they say, in the details.

The next time you catch a movie, or have a DVD night, try to be more observant about these details - the paintings and posters that adorn the walls, those silly looking figurines, the pristine kitchen, the silverware, the design on the contemporary area rugs, even the color of the ceiling, and you will find yourself almost being transported away from reality and whisked into a vivid world.

Jason Bateman Explains What's Different About The Change-Up

Jason Bateman explains to Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, what's different about The Change-Up from other movies that feature people switching bodies.

After blasting his own movie in jest ("It's crap, the movie's garbage."), he remarks:

"...While it is a tired and, some would say, pleasantly familiar premise, our obligation is to please you post-switch... Entertain (you) after that - and that's what we do.  And we do the R-rated version. The other films are good - Like Father Like Son, Lindsay Lohan, etc. -  all good movies but they're all PG stuff. And when you switch bodies with somebody you're gonna get into some pretty dodgy situations and they're all under the R category..."

Later in the interview he also comments about the planned movie version of The Arrested Development.

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"What if?" Archie Movie Dream Cast

Steve and I were talking about comic book movies just a few days ago, and a "What if" scenario Archie comic movie suddenly came up. Not that this hasn't been done before. Back in 1990, Lauren Holly and a couple of other lesser known actors took on the role of Betty Cooper and the rest of the gang (in that order) as adults attending a high school reunion (it was called Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again):



Suffice to say that it was not a very big hit (not to mention, it was also just a made for TV movie). It's been over twenty years since then, and we feel it's high time for another attempt to transfer the fun and laughter on paper to the silver screen. The best part is always imagining who should play the characters, and so far we got this:

Veronica Lodge = Leighton Meester

Leighton Meester as Veronica Lodge
She's certainly had enough experience as a popular, rich brat in Gossip Girl. This role will be a piece of luxurious cake for her!

Archie Andrews = Michael Cera

Michael Cera as Archie Andrews
Archie isn't your typical cutie, he has a down-to-earth meets geek appeal and Michael Cera is perfect for such a role

Betty Cooper = Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell as Betty Cooper
Though I've always preferred the spitfire version of Kristen Bell (like her brilliant portrayal of Veronica Mars), she certainly does have the looks to pull off the nice girl next door look very well, and her recent roles have a bit of Betty Cooper in them.

On a side note, Halloween is just around the corner - why not don an Archie Comic Character costume this year?

The Amazing Spiderman Leaked Trailer

Sony Pictures has released the following trailer for "The Amazing Spiderman," scheduled for Summer 2012 and a reboot for the friendly neighborhood web crusader franchise.



As can be observed, the studios opted for a POV-perspective in filming certain scenes.  Indeed, this is a very interesting choice and Spiderman seems to be the perfect comic book character to utilize such a filming technique.  If they can successfully convey in first-person perspective the thrill of such scenes as Spidey's web-swinging and leaping across New York's skyscrapers, then they'll have taken a step closer to bringing movie audiences into the realm of comic book readers' (and writers') imaginations. What potential this film has.

Full link to the trailer.

The Avengers Trailer (Leaked)

Catch the trailer for the Avengers before it's gone:



Edit: Sadly, the video has been taken down. But check out our new blog post about the latest trailer for The Amazing Spiderman (2012).

Initial Reviews: Captain America Even Better Than Ironman 2008

Looks like the film is on the right track:

Late last week several critics from long-lead news outlets (movie magazines, newspapers and other print mediums) attended a screening of Captain America. Though no official reviews or opinions were shared publicly, word has gotten out that the film was unanimously approved. Surprisingly, the film was noted to be more akin to Marvel Studios' 2008 hit Iron Man as apposed to the company's other 2011 release, Thor; with some of the critics even saying The First Avenger's quality tops that of their Armored Avenger.

Early this year, we posted Poster Previews of Captain America, one of which illustrates the differences between retro Cap with the 2011 movie version. Marvel Studios itself has taken to adding a retro feel by printing special posters that were given away only to the cast and crew of "Captain America: The First Avenger". Here's what the limited edition poster looks like for your comic-fan viewing pleasure:

Top 5 Comic Book Movies - Our Picks

With comic book movies being released faster than a speeding bullet, we'd like to present to you our top 5 favorite comic book movies of all time. I'll be choosing 2 while Steve will be choosing 3.

Steve's List (in no particular order): 1. The Dark Knight Part of me wanted to throw a curveball and not pick a movie that seems to be the consensus pick for many but I’d be kidding myself if I didn’t start with The Dark Knight.  As many have probably done better reviews and more in-depth discussions, I’ll just try to quickly list the things that I liked most about the movie: incredible acting all around (includes the late Heath Ledger temporarily relinquishing his own persona and submerging into his Joker character), veteran actors with gravitas (Gary Oldman, Michael Caine), twisting plot, the Heat-like intro (Roger Van Zant, anyone?), the haunting feel of a comic book movie transcending its genre, epic soundtrack… Wait, let me stop right there because others could easily fill up that list for me. I feel like Hans Zimmer, despite his accolades, still does not get enough credit for all the soundtracks he has produced for blockbusters.  Soundtracks provide movies with that “epic feel” and can entice audiences as early as the teaser trailers.  I swear that if I ever see something like, “featuring music composed by the maestro Hans Zimmer…” in the trailer, I’d gravitate into the movie because I know I will have that epic experience throughout watching the film.  Heck, I could be eating potato chips while listening to his music and feel like kicking some serious arse (if you ever watched Death Note, I hope you appreciated this reference). “Do you wanna know how I got these scars?” 2. Batman Begins The story of Bruce Wayne’s scars was told in Batman Begins, TDK’s predecessor and unofficially the most successful reboot for a comic book franchise.  It’s as if Warner Bros saw Director Christopher Nolan’s early work, Memento, and told him, “Hey we really, really liked your movie. By the way, you know how Guy Pearce’s character forgets about stuff? Can you actually do that to our audience instead and make them forget about George Clooney’s Batman film, forever? You can have all the resources you want. Yes, we’ll pay for Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine, too.” One of Nolan’s understated achievements in Batman Begins is how he was able to portray realistic versions of characters, which were otherwise labeled too comic-bookish. If you don’t believe me, please wiki the comic book versions of Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) and Ra’s Al Ghul (Liam Neeson/Ken Watanabe).  No, I’m not saying Nolan should feature Robin in his films.  But on this front, he’s already made great strides ahead of the 1997 version of Batman (“Ice to see you!”).  The finished product basically secured the nail on the coffin of audience memories for Batman 1997 and granted those Warner Bros employees (assuming they weren’t fired) with one more story to tell on company holidays – this one starting with, “Hey, remember when we thought nipples on Batman’s costume was a good idea?” One last thing, then-detective Gordon’s conversation with Batman at the end is as good a setup for the next movie as it could get.  First, it hinted about TDK’s theme (“Escalation… we do something, the criminals come up with something better…”). Second, it introduced the arch-nemesis Joker, who had been dormant for 16 years since Jack Nicholson’s iconic performance. “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.” 3. Spiderman 2 In my mind’s picture, Spiderman 2 is like a pristine painting while Spiderman 3 is that same work of art painted over with hasty, convoluted brush strokes c/o the film studios desires.  It’s as if having a way better, even perfect, version of a film, but backwards! Here’s what #2 did right that #3 specifically overturned: 1) villains and their story arc; 2) occasional direct attempt at humor; 3) no Peter Parker dancing; 4) failing in making the movie “dark”. Comparing Spiderman 2 and 3 (and 1) doesn’t really do justice because film 2 stands on its own as one of the best comic movies.  It capitalized on its opportunity of being a sequel by branching off unencumbered and yet rooted from the origin story.  As iconic as Spiderman/Peter Parker is, one could easily relate to his struggles in film 2: job loss, financial problems, estranged best friend and love interest, loved one in debt, a overarching moral responsibility, and a burning secret.  Finally, my criterion for a favorite movie: a quote that I can remember. “…There’s a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most.  Even our dreams"

Merle's List (in no particular order): 4. V for Vendetta Not only is V for Vendetta my favorite comic book movie, it also happens to be on my top 10 favorite movies of all genres, perhaps partly because it does not present itself as a typical comic book movie. For one thing, instead of having an arch nemesis like most comic book formulas follow, V's enemy is the dictatorial government, the corrupt party that runs it, and the ideas that are associated with it. And while most movies of the genre focus on the idea of one superhero battling out one super-villain, V's goal of toppling down the government can only come into fruition with the help of the whole nation. Of course, the film also has its obligatory comic book elements; in particular, the mask and the "costume". Yet, despite the caricature-like nature of V's Guy Fawkes mask, he commands a tremendous amount of respect, more than I have ever found myself giving to other superheroes. It is not so much his eloquence, his diction, his old world chivalry... not even his prowess in fighting and knife-slinging (though action aficionados will be happy to know that this aspect is plentiful and in full cinematic glory); no, it is more because despite his seemingly invincible exterior, behind the mask lies not only the grandiose idea of freedom and of a people fighting for it, but also a human being in all his frailties and insecurities. And as the movie continues to unfold and expound on this by revealing V's past and unraveling his decisions for the present and the future, decisions which are substantially influenced by Evey, a woman he meets a year before his revolution, it is hard not to be completely riveted by everything this man represents - the man, the ideal, and the revolution. 5. Ironman There's something to be said about cocky, irreverent superheroes. Tony Stark (Ironman) doesn't really fit the cookie-cutter superhero type. He's a heartless (literally/figuratively) albeit charming man who's showy and not particularly obedient with the unspoken rules of costumed heroes everywhere. Unexpectedly however, he delivers on the "saving the world" rule. What we get as a result of this rather perplexing character, added to geniuses behind and on the scenes who know exactly how to portray him on a positive, like-able light, is a rather entertaining movie with witty lines, funny situations, and an all-around memorable depiction of what could have been another cliched story. It is also worth mentioning that the relationship between superhero and lead female is one of the most electrifying and captivating I have seen.

From Sherlock Holmes to Hobbit

We recently blogged about Sean Astin, the actor who played the hobbit Samwise Gamgee, so since we're in the topic of hobbits already, we'd like to talk about Sherlock Holmes.

If you're scratching your heads trying to understand the similarity between the master of deduction and the master of the hairy feet, then let me explain. In the upcoming, highly anticipated Peter Jackson flick, "The Hobbit", scheduled to be released on December 2012, Martin Freeman will be playing the main hobbit. We will also be catching Benedict Cumberbatch in this Tolkien film, but only if our ears are sharp enough. He will be lending his voice to two characters on the film - Smaug the dragon, and the Necromancer.

Still don't understand the correlation? Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman play Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (in that order) in the latest BBC hit TV series simply called "Sherlock", which is a very engrossing look at this wonder detective working his magic (or science as he calls it) of deduction in modern times. Yep, you read it right. Sherlock Holmes sending text messages, using his phone to browse through the Internet - quite a fascinating sight to behold isn't it? And while it is set in a completely different era, the characterizations of both the major characters are so spot on that Freeman even bagged a BAFTA for it.

So there you have it. The correlation between Sherlock and the Hobbit. Are you guys excited to see Sherlock and Dr. Watson in the movie? I know I am. I'm a tad disappointed we won't get to actually see Benedict in the film, but it will be interesting to have Freeman and Cumberbatch work together again.

Cars 2: Initial Reviews Threaten Pixar's Golden Streak

Cars 2 is currently rated at 39% in Rotten Tomatoes, threatening to blemish Pixar's record of films with near perfect critical acclaim (The Toy Story Franchise, Ratatouille, Up, A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., etc.).

Of course, technically, we have not even hit the opening weekend yet as of this writing so that figure could well prove to be temporary.  Stay tuned.

Avengers Movie: First Concept Art Poster

The first concept art poster of the Avengers Assemble has just been released.  Costumes c/o Stark Industries?

The Perfect Voices

Actors like Jeremy Irons and Alan Rickman are known to have incredibly good voices.





And in fact, their names figure prominently in a research for the perfect human voice. Jeremy Irons' is said to be the closest to the ideal male voice model. The ideal female voice? It's a mixture of Mariella Frostup and Judi Dench, among others.

Take a listen:
The "perfect" male voice.
The "perfect" female voice.

The mathematical formula used in this study is said to be "based on the combination of tone, speed, frequency, words per minute, and intonation." (Must the ideal voice have a British accent as well?)

A trivia for Harry Potter fans: Michael Gambon's (Professor Dumbledore) is also mentioned as a top voice in the study.  The Deathly Hallows reader should be especially amused about these references to both actors.  And if you've only been watching the movies, you don't have to wait much longer to know.

Toy Soldiers Review - Sean before Samwise Gamgee

From time to time, we'll be reviewing old movies as part of our "Blast from the Past" section. This month's feature is on a 1991 flick called "Toy Soldiers"

Long before Sean Astin was known as the hairy-foot hobbit best friend of Mr. Frodo in Lord of the Rings, he starred in this Action / Drama flick called "Toy Soldiers". Don't worry, there are no living toys involved in this show ala "Small Soldiers". Instead, it's about a group of rebellious rascals who save their boarding school from a terrorist attempt.

At the beginning of the movie, I enjoyed all the typical male high school pranks Billy (played by Sean Astin) and his group get into. I was not exactly pulled into the show in the beginning, but the acting and situations were interesting enough not to change the channel. When the dean catches them in the act of one of their misdeeds, he does not expel Billy, despite his egging him on to do so, something the dean will realize later on to be one of the best decisions of his life.

The movie then delves into the action/thriller portion of the show when a terrorist by the name of Luis Cali goes to the school searching for the son of the judge who put Luis' father in jail. Unlucky for him, the son of the judge had been removed from the school. Unlucky for the school, Luis Cali realizes just how many of the students in the boarding school were sons of very prominent people, so he just decides to put the whole boarding school under hostage until the president releases his father.

Billy, innately rebellious against ANY figure of authority, decides to throw a wrench on the terrorist's plans of blowing up the school, by finding a way to send important Intel about the terrorist group and their plans to the task force in charge of the hostage situation.

Now there are a couple of tiny details about the movie that makes the movie a bit more interesting and complex. One is Billy's best friend, Joey Trotta, who happens to be the son of the New York Mafia head. The other is the country's policy of never giving in to terrorists' hostage demands.


What you get as a result is quite an interesting flick - nothing groundbreaking, but still worth your time. Sean Astin played the rebel perfectly, and the relationship among him and his other friends was very dynamic. There's even a bit of believable drama weaved into the plot. I was also pleasantly surprised that the movie was actually relatively realistic; that is, Billy didn't suddenly morph into a Chuck Norris type and beat all the bad guys up singlehandedly.

Movie Cliches Series - Cool Guys Don't Look at Explosions

With summer just around the corner, Bindie Movies kicks off its Movie Cliches series - featuring movie cliches that filmmakers continue to feed viewers, who usually mindlessly consume them like popcorn and soda.

Here's a common one from blockbuster flicks, courtesy of the cool trio of Andy Samberg, Will Ferrell, and JJ Abrams:




Help us with the challenge of completing the list of movies featured in the video. Here's what we have so far:

• Desperado
• Lucky Number Slevin
• Man on Fire
• Ironman
• No Country for Old Men
• Hancock
• Shooter
• Syriana
• Robocop
• The Dark Knight
• Conair
• Xmen Origins: Wolverine
• Hell Ride

Transformers 3 Longer Trailer Out!

The longer version of the Transformers 3 trailers is now out:



I have to say that it actually looks promising. Loads of action, interspersed with that awesome pounding sound effect. Plus, a lot of face time for Optimus and the rest of the Autobots and Decepticons. When Optimus Prime says "From here, the fight will be your own", I actually went "ooooh".

I thought the second movie was total crap so I hope this one really redeems the franchise.

There's a lot of talk about Megan Fox not being in this new movie. Some are complaining, some are saying who the frak cares if she's gone or not. Just to set things straight: Megan said she left the movie of her own volition. How true that is, we don't really know but I wouldn't blame her if she did. She was treated like crap in Movie 2, almost like a prop herself. Then again, Michael Bay says she's a prima donna to work with so I guess it's up to you to decide what really went down.

Bottom line is though that Megan Fox, or the new eye candy girl they chose, is a super tiny part of the movie, and we shouldn't even be dwelling about that. The show should focus on the Transformers (because DUH that's the title of the movie anyway). This trailer seems to be an indication that they are doing that for the Transformers 3, so I'm pretty happy and hopeful.

Did 21st Century Technology Kill the Con Movie Genre?

Just a few weeks ago, I watched The Sting again for the umpteenth time. And the incredible thing is that I still enjoyed it. On the complete opposite end, however, I can never imagine myself staying in front of the tube and watching Ocean's Eleven again, even though I've only watched it once.

Before I even continue on with this debate, let me first state that I am not some old timer who starts all her sentences with "Back in the good, old days". The Sting was produced years before I was born so I would like to say that it is my unbiased opinion that the technologies we have in modern times have squashed the spirit of a well, good old con game movie.

Ideally, I think the con genre should focus more on wits rather than new-fangled inventions or super computer hacker geniuses but this ideology becomes increasingly harder to do because of said inventions. For instance, in The Sting, the scam was to fool a very rich man into thinking that he is in a legit horse betting place, with foolproof betting tips from the owner's (Paul Newman) assistant (Robert Redford). They were able to do so with little gadgets, and lots of clever acting.

Then again, one might say that a con in the old days was easier due to less security measures. For example, in The Sting, there was no TV yet, so horse betting updates were broadcast via radio. This meant they simply had to hire a con artist who can do a very good radio voice to dictate the results. Fast forward to today. With the TV and the Internet, the victim of the scam could have easily verified whether or not his bets were real! Not to mention it would be hard and expensive to tape horse races for their scam!

It's a double edged sword then. Due to 21st century technology, the con can either be harder to execute or painlessly easy to implement, if you had all the important machines with you. The challenge is to create a movie that walks through the thin line between both, and doesn't drown the viewer in technology jargon. Certainly, you wouldn't want the viewer to simply swallow the idea that you can realistically edit a security video footage under a short few minutes (Leverage), or that a drill that can move the earth can be easily acquired (Ocean's Thirteen).

Everybody's Fine... The Movie's More than Fine

When I first heard about this movie, and found out Robert De Niro was the one starring in it, I got the notion that the movie was going to be either a slapstick type comedy a la Meet the Fockers or a dry drama-comedy like The Royal Tenenbaums, both of which I wasn't jumping up and down about when they were released.

However, once Everybody's Fine started, I immediately realized it was going to be a poignant journey into the lives of a group of children and their relationship with their father, Franke Goode, played by Robert De Niro, who hoped and expected nothing but the best from his 4 kids.



When Franke Goode's wife passes away, he decides to hold a family reunion, but at the last minute, all of his children cancels on the reunion, prompting him to take a bus and go to meet each of his children, who live lives in different parts of the US - from the very successful Amy, who holds a very posh position in an ad agency (Kate Beckinsale) to bubbly Las Vegas dancer, Rosie (Drew Barrymore).

What happens thereafter is Franke's very touching realization about his high expectations and about learning to let go of them, and showing his kids that he loves them just as they are, with all their inadequacies and skeletons in the closet.

I cannot get over just how absolutely simple and yet deeply poignant this movie is. The movie turned a normal road trip into a series of life lessons, extremely emotional scenes, and a lot of tears. Whenever Franke meets up with one of his children, Franke lets out a trademark whistle, then smiles wistfully and nostalgically as the camera pans towards a younger version of his child before the scene fades back into the present time. It's a seemingly small video effect, certainly not worthy of any Academy Award nominations for cinematic effects, but it spoke in such volumes, and really set the mood for the movie.

Later in the movie, you'll see how the title really wraps the whole movie up. This is certainly a good movie to have as a DVD, if you would like to get in touch with your emotions. Make sure you have a large box of tissue beside you.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Joins The Dark Knight Rises

He will be playing Alberto "The Holiday Killer" Falcone, son of Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson; Batman Begins) in The Dark Knight Rises. (Update: No Holiday Killer in the film; JGL will instead be playing a character named, "John Blake.")


Juno Temple is also reportedly signed for a supporting role.  Other new cast members include Tom Hardy (Bane), Anne Hathaway (Catwoman/Selina Kyle), and Marion Cotillard (unconfirmed).


The Dark Knight Rises is set for release on July 20, 2012.

Sucker Punch Official Trailer - Thoughts after Watching

Thoughts after watching the official trailer for Sucker Punch:

• Oohh, Panic Switch by the Silversun Pickups!
• Is the movie inspired by the Powerpuff Girls?
• The lead character looks familiar.

Regarding the last bullet, she's Emily Browning, perhaps best known as Violet Baudelaire from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Voltron After Then

Rumors about a possible Voltron movie has got to excite those who used to watch Voltron during childhood.  Count me in as one of them.

(See more Voltron movie talks on our earlier post and here: http://screenrant.com/voltron-movie-bidding-war-schrad-105107/)

Coincidentally, I've managed to catch a few episodes of Voltron via Netflix over the past couple of weekends. See, two weeks ago I was assembling this elliptical machine off the box and while it was easy and fairly simple, it was also time-consuming.  My little brother was left at home with me since my parents had to go to a party.  It sure felt like an awesome opportunity to catch some 80's-90's cartoons as anyone else who'd see us in the living room would rather, I presume, think that this guy is kind enough to let his brother have the TV while he's religiously following the elliptical's assembly instructions.  (Actually, I always keep the blinds closed so I'm not sure why I even thought that way.  Maybe, I was thinking what my parents would think when they get back.)

At first, I tried Street Fighter but for some reason, my brother didn't like it even though he seemed to have awesome fighting/wrestling skills even at an early age. Come on brain! I must have been trying to randomly conjure some cartoon shows I liked back as a kid - the first ones that came up not necessarily being the ones I liked best, but for sure they weren't available for streaming in Netflix.  These were the ones I probably tried first: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, Voltes V, etc. I don't really remember.

And yeah, at one point I remembered Voltron.  I found that 5-robot-lion-version and thankfully, it's available for streaming and from then on, I got him glued to his seat.  I went to work on that darn elliptical to ironically make it primed to make me suffer with those cardio exercises.

I'm pretty sure that as a child, I wished for exactly what I was seeing on the screen.  I don't know about you, but for me, the worst part of watching TV is that annoying announcement that said cartoon show will be back after some commercials.  Dang I hated commercials!  The intro theme, I loved - no matter how good or bad the music was - I'd welcome them with open arms.  They're the signals you've always waited for that you're in for a new cartoon episode, just as you wished.  The ending credits, I didn't mind either.  I didn't care much what was written on the screen.  Just the graphics and if it had a catchy music, it'd be hummed by myself or one of my friends.  So now, apart from the superbone in the stew that is the show itself, we're left with the commercials.

In Voltron's case, it's Peter Cullen's voice I believe that portends the impending advertisement.  Even though he's awesome (Optimus Prime, anyone?) and his voice is epic, he's still telling you you have to wait AFTER the commercials.  Did you really care if your parents sang in a lovely melody to tell you that you're grounded?  Anyway, I said that what I was seeing then (a few weeks ago) was something that I must have wished for (15-20ish years ago) was because there were no commercials!

"Voltron will be back after these messages..." <less than one second> "...and now, back to Voltron!"

Isn't that awesome!? No commercials.  Whether or not you deserve it, I still give you credit, Netflix, for inadvertently granting a then-child's wish even though you arrived decades late.

I must have watched at least 5 episodes that afternoon and "showed my little brother" another one just the other day.  Today, just before blogging, I ran on that same elliptical machine I was assembling.  In that Zen-like moment of exercise, I was wishing that there'd soon be a way to regain that basketball-stamina I had without having to push my body so much it feels as if my lungs are burning.

Buzz Around Possible Voltron Movie

Fandango is reporting that there's currently a "bidding war going on in Hollywood" for the rights to a live-action Voltron movie.  With Transformers releasing what is perhaps a trilogy-ending Dark of the Moon blockbuster this summer, some parties believe that Voltron should ably fill the void for the giant robot summer blockbuster that Transformers will be leaving behind.

The Ultimate Big-Screen Frankenfighter

Indiana Jones' brains + Rocky's arm + (Karate Kid) Daniel LaRusso's leg + (more)...

Wired Magazine creates the Ultimate Frankenfighter based on action movie icons' best physical qualities. Check it out here: Spaghetti Brawler

Can this fighter beat out Chuck Norris?

Academy Awards 2011

Real-time Feed:

• James Franco and Anne Hathaway on opening skit.  Alec Baldwin in too.  Morgan Freeman also makes cameo as a narrator. They're in scenes of Inception, The Social Network, The Fighter, True Grit, The King's Speech, The Black Swan.  The DeLorean makes a cameo too as the hosts use a scene from Back to the Future!
• Tom Hanks presents Art Direction award, and briefly features past films Gone with the Wind and Titanic as the standards for this category.  Alice in Wonderland wins this award.
• Tom Hanks presents Achievement for Cinematography too. Wally Pfister wins award for Inception.
• Kirk Douglas introduced by hosts, makes funny jokes.  He's the oldest celebrity blogger at 94. He presents Best Supporting Actress award. Melisa Leo wins.
• Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis to present Best Animated feature and Best Animated Short.  The Lost Thing wins Best Animated Short.  Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich) wins.
• Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem present award for Adapted Screenplay.  Aaron Sorkin of The Social Network wins Adapted Screenplay.  David Seidler of The King's Speech wins Original Screenplay.
• Russell Brand and Helen Mirren present award for Foreign Language film.  In a Better World (Denmark) wins.
• Reese Witherspoon presents Best Supporting Actor award.  Christian Bale wins.
• Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman present award for Best Original Score.  Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for The Social Network win.
• ...
• Jake Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams present Best Short Film: Strangers No More.  Also present Best Live Action Short Film: God of Love.
• Oprah presents Best Documentary Feature: Inside Job.
• Multiple-time Oscar Host Billy Crystal talking about Bob Hope.
• Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law present Achievement for Visual Effects: Inception wins.  Achievement for Film Editing: The Social Network.
• Jennifer Hudson presents Best Original Song: Randy Newman for Toy Story 3.
• Hillary Swank introduces Katherine Bigelow.  Ms. Bigelow presents Best Director: Tom Hooper, The King's Speech.
• Jeff Bridges presents Best Actress award. Natalie Portman wins.
• Sandra Bullock presents Best Actor award.  Colin Firth wins.
• Steven Spielberg presents Best Picture award.  The King's Speech wins.
  

Thor - Official Trailer #2

Catch the second official trailer of Marvel's upcoming film Thor, set to kickoff this summer's lineup of blockbuster movies on May 6, 2011.


Chris Hemsworth leads the cast which includes Anthony Hopkinss, Tom Hiddleston, and Natalie Portman, who has been ubiquitous lately with her Oscar-nominated flick The Black Swan, and romantic-comedy No Strings Attached.

Stay tuned as we rank the best, the worst, the snazziest and the dreariest of trailers among this summer's highly-anticipated blockbusters.

X-Men: First Class - Official Trailer

Catch the official trailer for the much-anticipated summer blockbuster, X-Men: First Class - in theaters on June 3, 2011.

Top 5 Chick Flick Movies List - For Guys and Girls

Valentine's is just around the corner, so we thought we'd get into the mushy mood, and share to you our top 5 list of favorite romantic chick flick movies! We'll be commenting on each others' picks, and hopefully we'll end up with a couple of movies that suit both the guys and the gals :)

Steve's List (in no particular order): 1. Love Actually The ensemble of ensembles among romantic comedy films. This bona fide box office hit boasts of a predominantly British cast without the benefits of a Harry Potter label (think Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson, and Bill Nighy). The cast members are involved in different subplots and their stories intertwine to build a 136-minute running time. Its main flaw is also the source of its charms:  relying on all those convoluted stories to deliver the most laughs and warmth that a feel-good movie is supposed to do. That the film was set during Christmas makes it a favorite to be part of one's Holidays and Valentines viewing tradition. 2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind One of the most thought-provoking films of the past decade within and beyond its genre. Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) are former lovers who underwent procedures to erase all their memories about their relationship.  The story traverses along Joel's mind as he tries to revisit these memories while undergoing the procedure and proceeds with unexpected twists and outcomes. 3.  How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days This became an instant favorite of mine as soon as I watched it because of the chemistry between Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson in this film. Andie Anderson (Hudson), in the process of writing an article, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days", proceeds to find a man to date and to whom she'll do all the wrong things women do in relationships.  Almost simultaneously within the same metro, advertising executive Benjamin Barry (McConaughey) makes a bet with his boss and coworkers that he can make any woman fall in love with him in just ten days. Barry's coworkers, aware of Andie's search for a subject in her article sets her up to be Barry's "target" girl.  The film proceeds with the opposing quests of Andie (to make Ben break up with her) and Ben (to make Andie fall in love with him). 4.  The Devil Wears Prada Another favorite of mine mainly due to Meryl Streep's outstanding performance as the cold-blooded Miranda Priestly, a fashion magazine editor.  For this role, Streep earned various award nominations, including an Academy Award for Best Actress. Andy (Anne Hathaway) gets a job as co-assistant to the steely and uber-demanding Miranda Priestly.  Andy tries to manage the demands of her job and her relationships with her boss Priestly, co-assistant Emily (Emily Blunt), and beau Nate (Adrian Grenier). 5. Aladdin Yes, one year after Beauty and the Beast (see Merle's list), Disney delivered yet again with another quality fairytale movie, this time about two lovers overcoming the odds and circumstances surrounding them from birth to complete a happily-ever-after ending. "A Whole New World" and the idea of having your wishes granted - how lovely.

Merle's List (in no particular order): 1.  Pride and Prejudice (Keira Knightley Version) From the very beginning of the show, when the beautiful piano composition (by the brilliant Dario Marianelli) starts to play and weave into the picturesque rural scenery, the feeling that the movie was going to be a memorable one was already swelling inside me. And this feeling never faded. When Elizabeth Bennett (Keira) meets the haughty but extremely rich Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen), their stubborn characters immediately get into a proverbial sword fight. The movie explores this relationship and how the two finally begin to understand each other and rein in their pride and prejudice over the other. The movie's success depended highly on Keira and Matthew's chemistry and acting ability and both certainly delivered. Matthew Macfadyen embodied the Mr. Darcy that almost every girl dreams of. Along with a charming musical score and a fantastic supporting cast, this movie is pretty much perfect in my eyes. 2.  Penelope Penelope is a chick flick that revolves around a girl named Penelope (Christina Ricci) who was cursed with a pig-snout for a nose and who has been locked inside her home for the past twenty or so years. The only way to break the spell is to find someone of her own kind to love her truly, which spurs on all the matchmaking soirees the mother hosts in their home. In one of the soirees, Penelope meets Max (James McAvoy), a gambler who unexpectedly helps Penelope come out of her shell. Ultimately however, it is Penelope who affects more change in Max, when she runs away from home on an adventure, and begins to come into terms with herself and her curse. The movie has great cinematography, and a very eye candy production set that certainly brings a quaint fairytale charm to the show. Once again, the chemistry between the two central characters was undeniable. But more than anything, what I liked about the show was how they were able to turn what could have been a cliched plot into a unique movie with little surprising twists, and brilliant character developments of the whole cast, which had the movie steering away from the fairytale evil vs. good cliche. 3.  13 Going on 30 This is probably the obligatory "Be careful what you wish for" type of romantic chick flick movie every girl should have on her top chick flick list ;) And there's definitely a WHOLE LOT of these kinds of movies out there. Jennifer Garner was perfect as Jenna Rink, a 13 year old in a hurry to grow up, be successful, and be a beautiful, popular girl. When she gets her wish and turns 30 however, she realizes she's thrown away some things along the way, particularly her friendship with best friend, Matt Flamhaff (played by the very, very, very lovable Mark Ruffalo), who has loved her ever since. Mark Ruffalo played the part of the pining best friend character just as flawlessly - it was hard not to gush over him. 4.  Beauty and the Beast I absolutely love this film, and a lot of people must love it too, considering it was the first animated film to be given a Best Picture Oscar nomination. There's always something captivating about the idea that a man can change for the better because of his love for a woman, and this movie is perhaps the shining example of such a notion. The soundtrack is also praise-worthy, and fits perfectly with the fairytale. 5.  While you were Sleeping I included this film on my top 5 list mainly for 2 reasons. One - because I felt it would be a mortal sin not to include a Sandra Bullock flick in my top 5, considering that I'm a huge fan of hers and find that she is perfect for the chick flick genre. Two - because the chemistry between Sandra and Bill Pullman was just so wonderful and charming, that it was hard not to smile like an idiot throughout the film as you see their relationship unfold. Charming is perhaps the one word to really sum up this movie - its cast, the plot, and the backdrop (set during Christmas time).

Other Notes:

From Steve: "I'm surprised with Merle's pick for a Sandra Bullock movie - I always thought Miss Congeniality whenever Sandra's name comes up.  Need to watch Pride and Prejudice soon."

From Merle: "I'm ashamed I've never watched Love Actually yet, but from watching a few scenes and trailers from the movie over on YouTube, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna love it as much. Devil Wears Prada is in my top 10 list of fave chick flicks. I'm slightly surprised with your choice of Aladdin but yes, I do agree that was a good animated film as well :) Not in my top 15, but I certainly enjoy watching that one and wouldn't mind watching it again."

Captain America 2011 vs 1990 plus Poster Preview

We recently blogged about the Captain America teaser shown during Super Bowl. A poster of the movie is also out, and it seems to promise a lot of action. Chris Evan's facial expression in the poster is very compelling and I can't decide if he's sad, confused, overwhelmed perhaps?

In any case, I headed over to IMDB to check out some photos of the Captain America Movie, and saw this one, which features Captain America's whole ensemble. Out of curiosity's sake, I researched how the retro 1990 Captain America looked like and here's the difference:

Clearly (as expected), Captain America 2011's outfit is a lot cooler and more realistic. Let's just hope the movie is too.

When in Rome - A Movie Review (Stay away from the End Credits!)

Steve's Take: The disappointment starts in the lofty standard implicitly promised by the movie's three main ingredients, all of which are oozing with charm: Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, and the setting (Rome).  Unfortunately, as Merle mentioned, Bell and Duhamel lacked chemistry, and Rome and its elements were under-utilized. Indeed, it is hard to believe that the accessory characters (Bell's other suitors played by Will Arnett, Jon Heder, Dax Shepard, Danny DeVito) could manage to out-charm the movie's more prolific cast and romantic setting, and yet they did. Summary:  I'm still a big Kristen Bell fan, so I'll just watch her in other shows.

Merle's Take: If there is one word to sum up When in Rome, it's "underwhelming". This is one of those movies that rely on the romantic beauty of a European country to make up for the lack of character buildup and plot twists. However, even in this department, the movie fails because it only features a very short few minutes of scenes from Rome. I can forgive the movie for being predictable, as is the case for many chick flicks, but what I cannot forgive is the contrived progression of Beth (Kristen Bell) and Nick's (Josh Duhamel) relationship, and their lukewarm chemistry. None the less, the movie was passable and the other four guys (Will Arnett, Jon Heder, Dax Shepard, Danny DeVito) were novel enough, so I still managed to watch the movie until the end of the credits, which I immediately regretted thereafter. When in Rome completely fell flat on its face as soon as the credits rolled in and the cast started dancing like a bunch of crazies. Why they'd end the lackluster movie with a completely random and cringe-worthy set of dance moves is beyond me. Summary: Watch When in Rome only when it shows on TV and DO NOT watch the end credits. I beg you.

Super Bowl Sunday XLV Ads

This blog will be constantly updated for movie-related ads shown on Super Bowl XLV between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. A 30-second spot reportedly costs $3 million for what is consistently America's biggest sporting event.

Fast Five


Cowboys and Aliens


Transformers 3


Thor


Battle Los Angeles


Super 8


Captain America


Kung Fu Panda 2



Priest


Limitless


Rango


Rio


Just Go With It


Misc:
John Travolta and Ron Howard seen at the Cowboys Stadium.
Volkswagen with some little Darth Vader in its ad.
Chevrolet brings in Bumblebee.

American Superhero Roles Outsourced to Foreigners

The announcement that The Tudors actor Henry Cavill will play Superman in Zack Snyder's upcoming film about the Man of Steel only served to put fuel to the fire of discussions on how foreign-born stars are "invading" beloved American superhero roles.

For more of this talk see here, here, and here.

Meanwhile, here's a quick list of the talented, non-American actors along with their corresponding iconic superhero roles (either recent past or upcoming):

Henry Cavill (British), Superman

Christian Bale (Welsh), Batman

Andrew Garfield (Half-British), Spiderman

Hugh Jackman (Australian), Wolverine

James McAvoy (Scottish), Professor X

At least The Green Lantern is played by Ryan Reynolds, right? Oh, except that he's Canadian.

2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards

The 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards was held at the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles California on January 30, 2011.

Official Results:

Lifetime Achievement Award: Ernest Borgnine

FILM

Best Cast in a Motion Picture: The King's Speech

Best Actor: Colin Firth, The King's Speech
Best Actress: Natalie Portman, The Black Swan

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter

TELEVISION

Best Cast in a Drama Series: Boardwalk Empire
Best Cast in a Comedy Series: Modern Family

Best Actor in a TV Film or Mini-series: Al Pacino, You Don't Know Jack
Best Actress in a TV Film or Mini-series: Claire Danes, Temple Grandin

Best Actor in a Drama Series: Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Best Actress in a Drama Series: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Best Actor in a Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Best Actress in a Comedy Series: Betty White, Hot in Cleveland

Mark Zuckerberg and Jesse Eisenberg Meet on Saturday Night Live

Movie persona meets the real inventor of Poking.

Mark Zuckerberg appeared on Saturday Night Live last night with Oscar-nominee Jesse Eisenberg, who portrayed the former in The Social Network.  Jesse delivered the opening monologue, with SNL mainstay Andy Samberg briefly interrupting while wearing a curly-haired wig and Zuckerberg's trademark hoodie (might I add, he did look close to Zuckerberg).  The real Facebook founder then joined the two near the end of the monologue.  It was the first time that Jesse and Mark ever met.

"Awkward." joked Andy as he left the two on stage.

James Cameron gets a Twitter Account and talks about Sanctum

With the urging of Ryan Seacrest, James Cameron got himself a Twitter account just yesterday. Not surprisingly, he's already gotten 37,724 followers in that short span of time. He's been devoting most of his tweets to his new project, Sanctum, a 3D action-thriller flick using the same 3D magic employed on Avatar.

The film is due to be released in the US on February 4, 2011 in the United States. The plot was heavily inspired by the near-death experience James Cameron's co-writer, Andrew Wight experienced when a freak storm collapsed the entrance of the underwater cave his crew was exploring.

From the mouth (or tweet, more accurately) of James, it seems the movie got good reviews. He quotes: "Thank god the #Sanctum press junket is over At least they liked the movie. SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: They all said they couldn’t breathe."

A thriller movie on 3D is definitely a great way to go, because the scare factor of the movie will definitely elevate when you're more immersed in what is happening. I can almost imagine the claustrophobic feeling of watching this movie inside a relatively small, dark movie theater.

Survey Sunday - Who d'you think will Win Oscar Best Picture?

We thought we'd kick off our "Survey Sunday" with an Oscar-related question. Vote away!



Just a bit of trivia: To date, there have only been 3 animated pictures nominated for Best Picture - Beauty and the Beast, Up, and this year: Toy Story 3. The first two did not win the coveted award, so let's see if Toy Story 3 can be the first ever animated film to win best picture. Honestly though, Woody and the gang have a lot of stiff competition this year, so it definitely won't be an easy win.

2011 Oscar Nominations Announced Today

The nominees for the 2011 Academy Awards were announced today.  The award ceremony will take place on February 27, 2011 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California.

Best Picture

The Social Network

Nominees:
127 Hours
Black Swan
Inception
The Fighter
The Kids Are All Right
The King's
Speech
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone



Best Director

Darren Aronofsky

Nominees:
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
Joel and Ethan Coen, True Grit
David Fincher, The Social Network
Tom Hooper, The King's Speech
David O. Russell, The Fighter





Best Actress

Natalie Portman

Nominees:
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine








Best Actor

Colin Firth

Nominees:
Javier Bardem, Biutiful
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King's Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours






Best Supporting Actress

Melissa Leo

Nominees:
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom




Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale

Nominees:
Christian Bale, The Fighter
John Hawkes, Winter's Bone
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech







Best Animated Feature

Toy Story 3

Nominees:
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

Don Cheadle Positive on War Machine Spin-Off

Don Cheadle confirmed that a War Machine spin-off film is in the works.

Funny Moments with Matt Damon

After seeing him kick serious butt in the Bourne series, it may be hard to imagine Matt Damon doing hilarious stuff to make you laugh.  But through the years, Matt has shown snippets of his uncanny sense of humor and there's enough material to make us wonder if he should showcase this comedic side more in his choices of film roles.  After all, Mr. Damon's definitely got the range.

How he had a hand in making an Italian guy strip for George Clooney:


"Feud" with Jimmy Kimmel - Guesting at Kimmel's show:


"Feud" with Jimmy Kimmel - Getting bumped out of his own Bourne movie:


His first of many Matthew McConaughey impressions at David Letterman's:

Beauty and the Briefcase Movie Review + DVD Release

Beauty and the Briefcase is a made for TV movie about a magazine writer named Lane (Hilary Duff) who does some undercover magazine work at an office filled with potential male co-workers to see if she can, indeed, find her "magic man" in the workplace. The Beauty and the Briefcase DVD is set to be released this coming February 8, 2011, so it felt like the perfect time to review this movie.

Steve's Take: Gil Junger, who brought us 10 Things I Hate About You a decade ago (has it really been that long since?), directs this original TV film and efficiently sews an internally cohesive romantic-comedy story within the 85 or so minutes of film time. The brightest spot in the film has to be Jamie Pressly who was near-perfect in her role as Kate White, Lane's boss. It is just unfortunate that that Liam character's irreverently fake Brit accent proves to be too distracting. On the whole, you get a sense that the film doesn't promise you anything but just wants you to go along with the ride. Verdict: If you like collecting films that fall within its genre, Beauty and the Briefcase is a worthwhile addition. Even if it is made for TV, it still trumps the more cheesy and cliche-ridden big screen flicks of late.

Merle's Take: Uniqueness isn't one of the strong points of Beauty and the Briefcase, as is the case with many chick flicks, but that doesn't really matter. Hilary Duff is charming as Lane - a mix of blonde humor and that distinctive trademark persona the actress brings. But what perhaps catches my attention more than anything is who she ends up with. Usually, I can tell within the first 10 minutes of a chick flick who the leading lady is going to end up with, but in this case, it felt almost like an equal toss up among her potential beaus (played by Matt Dallas, Chris Carmack, and Michael McMillian). That she ended up with the guy I chose was surely plus points for the movie. Verdict: Overall, Beauty and the Briefcase is perfect to own as a DVD. It's the kind of flick you'd like to watch when you just want a good ol' straight-forward chick flick that will leave a smile on your face.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Singing

As good an actor as he is, Joseph Gordon-Levitt wants to entertain you in a refreshingly different way:

Bad Romance at Summer in the City Show


La Valse à Mille Temps at Summer in the City Show


Carole King's Natural Woman at Summer in the City Show


La Bamba while shooting the indie film "Uncertainty"

Look out for Elizabeth Olsen at the Sundance

The Sundance is always a great place to watch out for budding movie stars, and Elizabeth Olsen may be the one to look out for this year. Yes, she is, in fact, the younger sister of the Olsen twins, so it will be great to see whether her career will be shadowed by the twins, or whether she can make a name for her own. Her two films are dark, psychological flicks - In "Martha Marcy May Marlene" she is a young woman who escapes a cult, while "Silent House" focuses on her bout with sanity.


Her choice of films alone will certainly set her apart from Mary-Kate and Ashley, who are mostly known for candy teen chick flicks.