Category Archives: movies

movies

Report: Warner Bros. getting closer to winning full copyrights of Superman…

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The lawyer for Joe Shuster, and Jerry Siegel, Marc Toberoff, got a huge slap in the face in court during this long nasty battle on, “Superman” copyrights, against Warner Bros. The First Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit, ordered Toberoff to turn over stolen documents that were taken in 2008. The papers were stolen by David Michaels and delivered anonymously to Warner Bros.

Read more on the story, here.

I don’t think, this means that Warner Bros. has full control of Superman now, but it’s in the right direction to get there. They’re getting closer, I think. I don’t know a whole lot about this legal bullshit, but I want Warner Bros. to get the full rights.

This Marc Toberoff, sounds like a sleazy lawyer, anyway. While I’m sure some are siding with the Siegel’s, I’m siding with Warner Bros. on this one. Warner Bros. worked hard on Superman for years, so they don’t deserve to have the Superman rights taken away from them.

I love the Superman character and the stories. Big fan. It would be sad if the rights gets taken away after years and years of entertaining Superman fans.

I understand that the rights should go to it’s original creators, the Siegel’s, but they already agreed to sell the rights to WB’s years back. That’s what WB’s trying to prove, I think.

Kev

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Report: “Carrie” remake with Chloe Moretz will hit theaters March 15, 2013…that’s next year, folks!!!

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The Stephen King remake of “Carrie” which will star, Chloe Moretz, and Julianne Moore has been added to the casting. Julianne will be playing Carrie’s abusive mother.

More on the story, here.

I love the “Carrie” story. It’s one of my favorite King books too. I know a lot of people are wondering if this remake will be similar to Brian Depalma’s 1976 version, but this new version could be totally different than that. Maybe the remake wants to stay more faithful from the book?

Depalma’s version probably left out so much from the book and probably changed the story around some. In fact, I think the ending between Depalma’s versin of the film and King’s book are totally different. I’ll explain the ending to both with a spoiler warning at the end of this blog post.

I’m not sure of the plot for the “Carrie” remake but it might be slightly different than the Depalma version. “Carrie” is clearly a revenge story. A troubled young girl getting back at her high school who treated her terribly. So she uses her telekinetic powers for retaliation.

She probably will get splattered with pig’s blood but will it be real or CGI???? I hope they don’t use CGI blood.

Here’s the plot to the ending between King’s version and Depalma’s version ****************SPOILERS****************

The ending to Depalma’s version. After the prom scene, Carrie goes back home to her mother. Her mother thinks the devil has taken over Carrie, so she stabs Carrie in the back. Carrie falls down the stairs, so they fight in the kitchen. Carrie uses her powers to make their home collapse with them in it. Later on Sue, a survivor of the prom, has a dream where she is at Carrie’s house where it used to be. Sue places flowers on the ground, a bloody hand reaches and grabs Sues wrist.

Kings version of ending “Carrie” After the prom, Carrie goes home to confront her mother. Carrie’s Mother thinks she’s gone mad, and Carrie kills her own mother, by stopping her heart, using her powers. That’s where Chris and Billy were at the time, so they try to kill Carrie by running her over with a car, but instead, Carrie kills them using her powers. Carrie collapses due to the blood loss. Sue walks to the roadhouse where she finds Carrie laying in the parking lot. They talk telekinetic powers and Carrie blames Sue for it. The book ends with Sue writing a memoir titled, “My Name Is Susan Snell”. She also gets a letter by a woman from Tennesse who has a niece developing telekinetic powers.

***************************END SPOILER******************

You decide which ending they could use for the remake. I’d say they would use King’s version, but they could totally make their own original ending if they wanted as well.

Kev

movies

“Last of the Mohicans” on Blu Ray…

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Tonight, I just watched, “Last of the Mohicans” on Blu Ray. Starring Daniel Day Lewis and directed by Michael Mann. As usual the film still impresses me every time I watch it. It’s one of my favorite movies ever made, pretty high on my top 10. It’s actually my no. 1 favorite movie ever made, in fact. The film is just perfect and beautiful all around.

When it first came out in theater, I remember going for my high school field trip through history class. Part of learning about the French and Indian wars. Then I remember, seeing it in theater, three or four more times after that. The movie blew my mind back then, the movie still blows my mind to this day.

The picture and sound to this film on Blu Ray was pretty amazing as well. So the BluRay to this film was worth the purchase. No wonder BluRay is such a hot thing lately. This is why I want to start BluRay collection of my favorite movies only so I can feel the experience of good sound and picture of my favorite films.

What are my top 10 favorite films of all time? I know some of you may already know but for the new readers, sometimes the list changes as the newer films come out… here you are:

  1. The Last of the Mohicans
  2. Rocky (first one)
  3. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
  4. Raiders of the Lost Ark
  5. Citizen Kane
  6. Scarface (Al Pacino)
  7. The Godfather 1 and 2
  8. Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan
  9. Into the Wild
  10. Schindler’s List

I’ll try to get all those on Blu. I know Indiana Jones movies is not out on Blu Ray yet. It seems that Spielberg movies are always late on BluRays, not sure why.

Edit to add: I forgot to add, “The West Side Story”, to the list ’cause that’s one of my favorite movies as well.

Kev

Celebrity news, movies

A big congratulations go out to Brad and Angie! Wow!

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I’m sure many are accusing this couple of doing this for attention. I’m sure they are getting sick of celebrity marriages being “news”. I’m sure people won’t care, but the reason this news is a big deal ’cause these two are a pretty hot thing in Hollywood. Both, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are iconic actors. They both have acting talent. Yes, both are really good actors. I like them both.

I’ve been watching Brad Pitt movies for years, and I’ve been watching Angelina films for years. So I’m a pretty big fan of both of them.

I’m not into news about celebrity couples too much but I had to post this one. People would accuse them of being together for money and ego, but I don’t think so. It looks like true love to me.

The reason they were so late on the engagement ’cause they were taking it slow. Mainly because it might affect both of their careers in film, that’s why. Plus, I’m sure they’re doing it for their adopted kids too.

I’ll treat them with respect and give them support. When people like us talk all kinds of hate about these two, it’s most likely jealousy for sure. People like us don’t have the lifestyle they have, so most of you sit on the computer bashing them.

Something to keep in mind guys, that Angelina’s entire life has been surrounded by Hollywood. She was pretty much born into Hollywood, with her father Jon Voight, being a longtime actor himself. Her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, was an actress too but she died in 2007. With that being said, Angelina’s life revolved around Hollywood as explained earlier.

Angelina’s been in relationships with various actors over the years such as Johnny Miller and most notably, Billy Bob Thornton. She also had a brief lesbian relationship with an actress from her film, “Foxfire”.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that she is going to marry a big name actor, and it ended up being Brad Pitt. They met on the set of, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”. It is definitely true love for sure, and I can tell. Evidence of that, both Brad and Angie have been staying away from acting a lot more often. There were rumors on Brad retiring soon to focus on producing so he can stay with his family a lot more often. Both of them are rich people from their earlier career, so they don’t need to work so much anymore.

Congrats to them. Celebrity marriages usually don’t last a long time, but I see this one lasting forever. They seem really in love with each other. It’s definitely not fake for sure.

Kev

movies

I really want to see that documentary, “Bully”, the more I read about it…

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That documentary coming out soon, “Bully”, looks interesting to me. I read this review about the film in AICN. I’ll have to see it when it comes out.

Doesn’t matter if you’re gay, straight, and doesn’t matter your age, bullying is a huge problem in the U.S. I agree it has gotten worse lately especially online.

I was bullied throughout most of high school myself (I won’t go into details), which is one of the reasons why I got thinking about getting into either martial arts or bodybuilding. I ended up choosing bodybuilding instead of martial arts. I still want to do martial arts someday though. I do want to learn how to fight for self defense only.

I learned that the more muscular and bigger you get, the more people will leave you alone. “Bully” could be the best documentary of 2012 and don’t be surprised if it gets the Oscar nod for next year’s Academy awards. I’m looking forward to it. I think “Bully” hits theaters at the end of March.

It’s going to be a painful and depressing film to watch, but it’s going to be worth it for educational purposes.

Kev

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Report: Disney finally gives “Maleficent” starring Angelina Jolie, a release date…

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This could be a great movie if Disney does a good job with it. Disney just set an official release date for “Maleficent”, starring Angelina Jolie, for March 14, 2014. I’m pretty sure Angie will play this role pretty well (believe me, she can play everything well), but I have a feeling this film will be nothing all that great. I hope it’ll be a good script. Live action Disney movies haven’t been that great lately.

Kev

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“Martha Marcy May Marlene”, brief review…

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Last night, I finally gotten around to watching, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”, starring Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes. I was very impressed with the movie. It was definitely one of the best dramas of 2011, and I was very moved throughout the whole film.

It tells the story, of a young girl named, Martha, who disappeared from her sister Lucy’s home for a few years. Where has Martha gone after all these years? Well, Martha has been living with a hippie like cult that was led by Patrick (John Hawkes). She has been living with the cult under a different name. This cult had other young women living with him. These women were forced to help work around the house, and of course, the women were also raped and abused by these men that were in this cult.

Martha escaped from this cult, ran away, and went back to her sister, Lucy’s home, who lived with her boyfriend Ted. As the film goes along, her past would come back to haunt her and would make her a different person. The film would show flashbacks of her cult years as the present time would tell the main story.

Enough with the plot, on with my thoughts. This is a pretty good psychological drama. It can get pretty depressing, dark, and scary at times. It almost makes you want to feel sorry for this girl. The film wants to make you decide if she is crazy and insane or not.

Elizabeth Olsen did a great job in this film, and I thought she should have gotten an Oscar nod for this role. Of course, John Hawkes did another impressive performance. John Hawkes, an actor most famous for the TV show, “Eastbound & Down” for HBO, but he became a more recognizable actor when he did the film, “Winter’s Bone”, which he did get Oscar nominated for. I liked John’s character in this film more than his role in “Winter’s Bone”. John did not play a villain in “Winter’s Bone”, he was the good guy in that one, but John was the villain, in “Martha Marcy”.

You should definitely check this movie out. I liked the film a lot! Buy it or rent it.

Kev

movies

The reason for these Hollywood re-boots and remakes…

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I know remakes and reboots have been a huge trend in Hollywood lately. They keep coming and coming. Whether you like it or not, they are going to keep coming. I know most of us are getting kind of sick of ’em, but I’ve said it before, I have no problem with remakes. I’ve always defended them in this blog, and explained why a few times before. I wouldn’t mind writing about it again. Hollywood have been accused of doing it for the money and not having any original ideas in storytelling. I totally disagree!

To be fair to Hollywood and why they do what they do, read up:

  • They help bring more people to the original film – Like I said before, many young people of today’s generation never even heard of or seen the original films. So they remake the classics, hoping the new version will bring more people to the original. Simple, right?
  • Some film makers believe the original didn’t tell enough of the story – Maybe the original was poorly written. Should have been made better or what if the story could be told more?
  • The film deserved a modern day version – Back in those days, they didn’t have the technology like we all had, so they deserved a better upgrade. They just imagined what the original would be like if it was made today.
  • The director had a vision of his/her take on the film – Ever listen to bands & artists do cover songs of other people’s music? Well a remake of a film is kind of the same thing. Rob Zombie remade “Halloween” ’cause simply put, he had a vision in his head. His own take of what he would want the film to be like. The same with other directors that did remakes over the years.
  • Remakes gives the freedom of creativity – There is a reason that a lot of remakes don’t make ’em exactly like the original film. Copyright material is the big part of it. So that means it gives the film maker more artistic freedom.

I wish people wouldn’t be so harsh over re-boots and remakes. I like the different takes on peoples work. It’s art. Like I said before, not all remakes are bad, and there are some good ones out there.

Even some of the new remakes can be pretty good too. I liked, “Nightmare On Elm St.” remake with Jackie Earl Haley and the “Friday the 13th” remake is good too. The “Conan: The Barbarian” remake isn’t bad either. I also liked the, “I Spit On Your Grave” remake as well.

I believe in and trust Hollywood in what they do. You should too.

Kev

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Film Review: The Hunger Games

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Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz, Donald Sutherland, Liam Hemsworth, Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks
Directed by: Gary Ross

Today, I finally saw the movie, “The Hunger Games”, which is adapted from novel by Suzanne Collins. Here is my review:

Plot/synopsis: In a dystopian future, the totalitarian nation of Panem is divided between 12 districts and the Capitol. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal retribution for a past rebellion, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors while the citizens of Panem are required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss’s young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.

This film is getting mixed reviews. You either loved it or hated it. I’ve read the first novel, and I would take the time to defend the film, on why I loved it so much. Yes, it was a great film. You can’t compare this film to the “Twilight” franchise, ’cause this is a different story and style.

Other reviewers and fans are also comparing this film, to “Battle Royale” (which I haven’t yet seen), and Stephen King’s “The Running Man” (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger). I don’t see how you can compare, “The Hunger Games”, to those other films. The way I look at “The Hunger Games”, I see the story being heavily inspired by “Lord of the Flies”, the William Golding novel.

I think, “The Hunger Games”, was pretty faithful to the novel. Everything in the film was pretty dead on, I thought. Jennifer Lawrence was perfect casting for Katniss, and I can’t see anybody else playing that character. I also thought the other casts did a great job. I was most impressed with Donald Sutherland’s (also Kiefer’s father) performance. I also liked Woody Harrelson and Lenny Kravitz in the film. Who knew Kravitz, the rock star could act? I thought Elizabeth Banks’s character, Effie Trinkett, was pretty scary and evil looking, made you want to hate that character.

I thought the movie had some pretty good action, and there was a little blood & gore as well. Lot of explosions too! Anyway, I also thought the movie followed the story from the book pretty well.

My only complaints are the camera were pretty shaky throughout the action scenes, plus, there were some scenes that had some pretty weird camera effects that I found unnecessary. Other than that, I thought the movie was great. It pisses me off that people would want to compare, “The Hunger Games” to Harry Potter, Twilight or any other of the big franchises for kids. Suzanne Collins is no J.K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer people. Suzanne has her own story.

The whole point about “The Hunger Games”, is not only that it’s a dystopian futuristic story, about a bunch of kids competing in a game, it’s a story about “survival”, period. Suzanne wanted to give kids a story about survival. I thought it was a great movie, and there is nothing wrong with it.

Score for “The Hunger Games” = **** (4 stars as in “excellent”)

Kev

movies

Report: “Twins” sequel is on the way, yes, Arnold & Danny are coming back, but Eddie a third brother???

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The 1988 comedy film, “Twins”, directed by Ivan Reitman, also starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito could be getting a sequel. Yes, Arnold and Danny could be coming back, but this film doesn’t mean it’s green lighted, it’s just in the planning stages. They also want to throw Eddie Murphy, in as a third brother. There’s no plans of Ivan directing it again, he will only serve as producer as of now.

The Hollywood Reporter, reports.

Arnie needs  to get a hold of James Cameron, Tom Arnold, and Jamie Lee Curtis, to see if they can get a sequel to, “True Lies”. I would rather see a sequel of “True Lies”, instead of “Twins”.

Kev