Category Archives: movies

Hear the new “Man of Steel” Hans Zimmer theme here…

Ya know, at first I was pretty skeptical of Hans Zimmer scoring for “Man of Steel” because I didn’t think he would be able to top John Williams. Well, I guess I thought wrong. I’m loving the new Superman theme. Zimmer did a good job and it helped make me ignore the Richard Donner films. The new theme doesn’t really sound like a super-hero theme either. It sounds real. The song has emotion and passion in it. The new song is kind of letting you know that the new Supes flick could be a sad film.

Enjoy it, here.

Kev

Report: Tom Cruise finally signs on to, “MI: 5”, which is good!!!

It took him forever to do it but Tom Cruise has finally signed on to the 5th installment of the, “Mission Impossible”, franchise. Well, this is good news actually. I absolutely LOVED, “Ghost Protocol”, the 4th movie. “Ghost Protocol”, was actually a pretty amazing action movie and the best one of the series so far. That’s probably because I was pretty impressed with Brad Bird’s directing style like everyone else. Plus, Tom’s acting was actually really good in “Ghost Protocol” too! “Ghost Protocol” really is a fantastic film and if you haven’t seen it yet, it is available for Netflix streaming and I suggest you check it out. I have “Ghost Protocol” in my Netflix instant-que and I was meaning to watch it again soon. Probably this weekend.

No word on the plot and other cast signings but the director for “MI: 5” will be the same director who made the film, “Jack Reacher” (also starring Cruise). I haven’t seen “Jack Reacher” yet but I’ll rent it through Netflix sometime.

Tom Cruise maybe a whack job of a guy but love him or hate him; he still has the talent in acting and film.

Deadline, reports.

Kev

Happy Birthday, Audrey Hepburn…

Today is not only Star Wars day, today is also Audrey Hepburn’s birthday. She would have been 84 years old if she was still alive. She passed away at a young age of 63. Her final movie before her death was Steven Spielberg’s, “Always”, which I just saw not too long ago (great movie too, btw). Yes, I’ve been watching a lot of Audrey Hepburn films through Netflix. I’ve just became obsessed with her all of a sudden. It all started when I watched, “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” on Netflix for the first time. Then I watched: “Wait Until Dark”, “Roman Holiday”, “Love In the Afternoon”, “Funny Face”, “The Nun’s Story”, and “Sabrina”. Those were the ones I’ve watched so far. I’m trying to watch the rest of them.

Why am I so into watching all of these classic movie actresses from the past? I’m just trying to catch up with all the classics and trying to learn more history in film. Pretty important to do. I guess as I get older I get tired of watching new movies all the time, and have been more into watching classics a lot lately.

Thank god for Netflix. Yes, I love Audrey Hepburn and she’s my second favorite legendary actress right behind, Marilyn.

Kev

Happy Star Wars day…

While I am more of a “Star Trek” fan than “Stars Wars”, I can appreciate “Star Wars”. Sure, why not? I do like the original trilogy and the prequels. I think the prequels are actually pretty good but the writing on the prequels had some problems, plus I hated the Jar Jar Binks character which he wasn’t needed. I believe the only reason Lucas created Jar Jar ’cause he needed an entertaining character for the children.

I really hope the upcoming new trilogy: 7, 8, and 9 will be much improvements. Without Lucas having anything to do with Star Wars this time around, this could be the perfect opportunity to make the Star Wars better films. Yes, Luke Skywalker, Solo, Leia, Lando, Chewbacca and the rest of the original gang will probably reunite for the new series which is gonna be cool.

I’ve always believe that my favorite Star Wars movies have always been “Empire Strikes Back” and “Revenge of the Sith”; they were the best ones, in my opinion. The rest of ’em were just okay. I think the new trilogy will have the potential to top them all if the writing and directing can be good enough. I think J.J. has what it takes to make them good movies ’cause he knows Star Wars better than anybody since he’s a fan. JJ would know exactly what fans would want out of Star Wars and he would do the films justice, I hope.

I was expecting Lucasfilm to make some huge announcement for “Star Wars 7” on May 4th but so far, they’ve been silent. Star Wars 7 is still in the early stages so we still have got a long ways to go for them to start announcing the plot-line, the cast, etc. I am a fan of “Star Wars”, but I’m not that obsessed. Star Wars is cool, though, don’t get me wrong. I’ve always been a fan ever since I was a child. Even saw “Return of the Jedi” in theater when it first came out. I saw all three prequels in theater too.

I just find Star Wars a tad bit overrated. No offense. I am looking forward to seeing what JJ plans to do with the new films, though, it’s intriguing to me.

Kev

Report: Steven Spielberg to bring, “American Sniper”, to the big screen with Bradley Cooper set to star…

Bradley Cooper has been developing a project called, “American Sniper”, which is based on the book and it’s about the true life-story of Chris Kyle; the Navy SEAL who was tragically killed earlier this year. Steven Spielberg is set to direct and this will be considered his follow-up since his historical movie, “Lincoln”.

I think Spielberg is the perfect choice to direct a movie like this. If you seen the movie, “Munich”, Steven is great with sniper scenes and his unique camera work. “Munich” was a great film, and I would assume that they plan on making, “American Sniper”,  something similar.

The White House and the Obama administration may continue to ignore the death of Chris Kyle but at least he’s getting some acknowledgement by the movie industry. It’s very sad what happened to Chris, and his story can’t be ignored. I think that’s the point of this film is to help bring it to the world’s attention. It is insane how Obama continues to ignore Chris and not even give him a Medal of Honor when he clearly deserves it.  Chris is and was a true American hero. He did a great service for us. Sad that he was killed by some nut job at a shooting range. I don’t know why the White House continues to ignore Chris. Chris continues to get ignored by the government, yet they congratulate this black basketball player for coming out as gay. What’s wrong with that picture?

Anyhow, I’m looking forward to “American Sniper”, and looking forward to seeing what Spielberg plans to do with the film. I haven’t read the “American Sniper” book, but will get to it soon.

The Hollywood Reporter, reports.

Kev

Cool Photo: The official “Man of Steel” poster is finally released…

mansteel3

 

It’s been a while but the “Man of Steel” official poster is finally here. From what I’ve read by movie fans, this poster has been getting mixed reviews; some love it, some hate it. The reason some people hate it is that they don’t like the blur and it seems fan-made to some folks. I disagree. The poster wants to give a more realistic approach to Superman’s flying. The blur is there for a reason so it can make it look like he’s flying really fast. With that being said, I love the poster and would like to get a copy of it for myself.

As you all can probably tell by now, I am a Superman geek. Loved the character ever since I was a child and I will never stop loving the character. While I miss Christopher Reeve and the Richard Donner styled Superman, I believe “Man of Steel” has what it takes to be a good Superman movie we’ve been wanting for years. Hopefully, this film will make everyone happy for once; I think it will.

Kev

Thought: Why Dolph Lundgren deserves more recognition in Hollywood…

It seems that action-star Dolph Lundgren, only gets huge in Hollywood whenever he works with his long-time pal and friend, Sylvester Stallone. Dolph is only well-known for “Rocky IV” as Ivan Drago, and in “The Expendables” as Gunnar Jensen. He has done some big-screen movies without Sly with films such as: “Masters of the Universe”, “Red Scorpion”, “Universal Soldier” (the first one), “The Punisher” and maybe a few others; most of Dolph’s movies have been straight-to-video B-movies. Dolph has always been a struggling actor-director for years. He tries really hard to become successful and he does take his work seriously.

Why does he deserve more recognition? I can think of a few reasons. For starters, Dolph knows movies and behind-the-scenes directing better than everybody. He can do the tough-guy image really well in action movies. In films, he can play both the villain and the hero really well. He knows how to make violent action scenes and make them exciting and thrilling. Even some of his straight-to-video movies can be pretty violent and gruesome. I actually like some of his straight-to-video stuff ’cause I’ve been watching quite a lot of ’em on Netflix. The man works extremely hard.

I also admire Dolph for his martial arts training and fitness advice. In fitness, he’s one of the very few guys who don’t rely on bodybuilding weights to get ripped. He got the body with martial arts, which is what he is an expert at. I watched “Red Scorpion” on Netfilx last night and forgot how good that movie was. Dolph is a badass, and a true action star. He’s underrated and wish he would get recognized more.

I think he will get bigger roles after, “The Expendables” is done. He’s an interesting guy, I don’t get why Hollywood continues to ignore his talent. Dolph is great. I wish the nay-sayers will give the man a chance ’cause he can be something special. He is also a big inspiration to me right behind Sly and Arnold. I’ve been watching Dolph movies for years. I thought I would get this topic off my chest since I’ve been watching a lot of Dolph films through Netflix streaming and DVD rentals.

Kev

Edit to add: I also watched the new “Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning” on Netflix a few weeks ago and that was actually really good! Dolph only had a small role in that film, though.

“Man of Steel” soundtrack set for release on June 11th…

ManofSteelSoundtrack

I usually don’t pass along all of these press releases and spam-mail I’ve been getting in my inbox, but I thought this one would be worth posting. The Hans Zimmer score for the film “Man of Steel”, will be getting released for a Deluxe Version; two-disc soundtrack. This movie will be a John Williams-less score, so you will not hear the main theme for this movie at all. This will be completely new music for Superman. From what I heard so far, it is amazing. So maybe this movie can do good without John Williams, after all?

Here’s the press release of the Soundtrack below (I’ll also post the link for the pre-order, if interested):

—————————————————————————————————————————

MAN OF STEEL TWO DISC SOUNDTRACK FEATURING ORIGINAL MUSIC BY HANS ZIMMER SET FOR RELEASE JUNE 11th

Limited Deluxe Edition Soundtrack Also Available

 

Man of Steel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Available For Pre-Order

LOS ANGELES, CA – April 30, 2013 – On June 11, 2013, WaterTower Music will release two configurations of the Man Of SteelOriginal Motion Picture Soundtrack. The album will be available in standard form as well as a limited edition deluxe version at all physical and digital retailers. Academy Award®, Grammy®, and Golden Globe® – winning composer Hans Zimmer composed the music for this highly anticipated project, joining forces for the first time with director Zack Snyder.

“The challenges of creating a Superman score are daunting because Superman is so iconographic,” said Snyder. “I really feel like what Hans created is perfect. Subtle and stirring, epic and commanding. Honestly, Hans crushed it.”

Fans will have the ability to choose between the standard two disc, 18-song soundtrack, and a limited, deluxe edition of the soundtrack. This deluxe edition will be housed in a special embossed steel case, contain 24 score selections, and give fans the ability to access multiple videos showing an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the music. Both the standard and deluxe editions will include the epic track “Man of Steel (Hans Original Sketchbook)” which clocks in at over 28 minutes long. This exclusive track is performed solely by Zimmer, and allows listeners to experience firsthand his initial experiments with the film’s music, which ultimately lay the foundation for the film’s final score.

Those fans who purchase the CD version of the deluxe edition will have the opportunity to download all 24 songs in DTS Headphone: X, which reproduces a cinematic multi-speaker surround sound experience using only the user’s headphones. DTS Headphone: X presents a whole new way to hear mobile entertainment over headphones. The technology garnered rave reviews from the likes of The Wall Street Journal, and Cnet, among others at this year’s CES convention.

Additionally, a double, 180 gram vinyl configuration of the soundtrack is slated for a summer release.

In addition to his orchestral arrangements, Zimmer, no stranger to stepping outside the confines of traditional film scoring, has assembled two unique musical entities to contribute music to Man of Steel. The first, a “drum orchestra,” which was brought together for the album, is described by soundtrack co-producer Peter Asher as “some of the best drummers in the world all playing simultaneously in a space designed for a symphony orchestra – using not only rock drum kits but tympani and field drums as well.”

The membership of this elite assembly consists of many of today’s top musicians including John JR Robinson, Jason Bonham, Josh Freese, Pharrell Williams, Danny Carey, Satnam Ramgotra, Toss Panos, Jim Keltner, Curt Bisquera, Trevor Lawrence Jr., Matt Chamberlain, Ryeland Allison, Bernie Dresel, Vinnie Colaiuta and Sheila E. Their contribution, under Zimmer’s musical direction, creates a towering and powerful musical accompaniment to the film.

Another distinctive group the composer assembled was a gathering of eight of music’s finest pedal steel guitarists who play classical string section parts. This collective, consisting of Chas Smith, Marty Rifkin, Skip Edwards, Boo Bernstein, Peter Frieberger, Rick Schmidt, JD Maness, John McClung, was described by Asher as, “a uniquely new metallic orchestra” added its own distinct and soaring musical stamp to the soundtrack.

The Man Of SteelOriginal Motion Picture Soundtrack is currently available for preorder at Amazon and will be available for preorder on iTunes starting May 7.

 

SOUNDTRACK TRACK LISTING

  

Disc 1 – Flight

  1. Look to the Stars
  2. Oil Rig
  3. Sent here for a Reason
  4. DNA
  5. Goodbye My Son
  6. If You Love These People
  7. Krypton’s Last
  8. Terraforming
  9. Tornado
  10. You Die or I Do
  11. Launch
  12. Ignition
  13. I Will Find Him
  14. This is Clark Kent
  15. I Have So Many Questions
  16. Flight
  17. What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?

 

Disc 2 – Experiments from the Fortress of Solitude

  1. Man of Steel                                (Hans’ Original Sketchbook)
  2. Are You Listening, Clark?             (Deluxe Edition Only)
  3. General Zod                                (Deluxe Edition Only)
  4. You Led Us Here                         (Deluxe Edition Only)
  5. This Is Madness!                         (Deluxe Edition Only)
  6. Earth                                          (Deluxe Edition Only)
  7. Arcade                                       (Deluxe Edition Only)

Hans Zimmer has scored more than 100 films, which have, combined, grossed over 19.6 billion dollars at the worldwide box office.  He has been honored with an Academy Award®, two Golden Globes®, three Grammys®, an American Music Award, and a Tony® Award. In 2003, ASCAP presented him with the prestigious Henry Mancini award for Lifetime Achievement for his impressive and influential body of work. He also received his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December 2010.  Some of his most recent works include the History Channel’s miniseries The Bible; the Christopher Nolan-directed films Inception, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises; and Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Upcoming titles include Ron Howard’s Rush, Gore Verbinski’s The Lone Ranger and Steve McQueen’s Twelve Years a Slave.

Zack Snyder directed Man of Steel from a screenplay by David S. Goyer from a story by Goyer & Nolan, based upon Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster and published by DC Entertainment.  Charles Roven, Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas and Deborah Snyder are the producers, with Thomas Tull, Lloyd Phillips and Jon Peters serving as executive producers.  The film stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Christopher Meloni and Russell Crowe.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Legendary Pictures, a Syncopy Production, a Zack Snyder Film, Man of Steel.  The film will be released in 3D and 2D in select theaters and IMAX®, and is slated for release on June 14, 2013.  It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

About Headphone: X

DTS Headphone: X enables content owners (e.g., movie studios, music labels or retail) to capture the acoustics of a high quality audio production studio and control the manner by which they are reproduced at the consumer end. Content providers can rest assured that the sonic reproduction presented to the listener can match the mix they so carefully crafted.

About WaterTower Music:

WaterTower Music, the in house music label for Warner Bros., has been releasing recorded music since 2001.  Distributed through InGrooves Fontana, WTM has released over 150 titles, including the film soundtracks to “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Project X,”, “Rock of Ages,” “Hairspray,” “Sex and the City,” “Elf,” “The Notebook,” and “Love and Basketball” among others.  Its 2013 schedule includes “42,” “Pacific Rim,” and “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.”

Thought: Why “Rocky – The Musical” deserves to happen…

After Rocky – The Musical made it’s successful debut in Hamburg, Germany in 2012, Broadway has gotten the green-light to put the musical in production at the Winter Garden Theater in NYC for the year 2014 — which is obviously, next year! Of course, they had to get Stallone’s blessing, in which he seems to be all for it! While Sly has had a long movie career, it seems that he is most proud of his work with the Rocky movies more than everything else he has done in the past. The character Rocky means so much to Sly for so many reasons. One of the reasons is that the character reminds him so much of his real life. Before Sly’s fame & fortune, he too started off as a nobody just like Rocky in the first movie. Sly was homeless; living in the streets of New York City for a few weeks until he sold the script to “Paradise Alley” for a $100, and then he got his acting start doing adult-porn. Yes, it’s true. Just like Rocky, Sly himself went from zero to hero.

Rocky is not just a boxing movie and Sly always made that pretty clear. It’s about life and moving forward to bigger things. The character also means so much to all of us, which is how the movies got so big and successful. I’ve always loved the first movie. It’s one of my favorite films ever made, and I will never get tired of it — ever. To be quite honest with you, I always looked at the first Rocky movie as something theatrical. Like a play — almost. That’s what the first film felt like.

Bringing that story to the stage is just their way of keeping that legendary story alive. Keep it well known. It’ll help bring more people to the first film. Rocky deserves to be a part of everyone lives ’cause that character is so special. While Sylvester Stallone did so many great action movies, it was Rocky that mattered the most. That’s how I became obsessed with Sly’s movies to begin with. It all started with Rocky. The first Rocky film was Sly’s best acting out of all the films he has done. I wonder if the actor who plays Rocky for the musical will be able to make the acting style similar to Sly’s in the first movie. I’ll have to wait and see for myself.

This is a play I would like to go to NYC for to see. I think this deserves to happen.

More on the story, here.

Kev

Netflix Pick (DVD rental): Sinister (w/ Ethan Hawke)

Last night, I watched the new horror film, “Sinister” starring, Ethan Hawke.

It tells the story of the true-crime writer named, Ellison Oswalt, who moves his family into a home where a horrific murder happened in the backyard. Ellison’s family — who has a wife, a son, and daughter — doesn’t know about the crime. Ellison moved his family to the home to do research to write a novel about it. His novel writing career is in a career slump and he wants to write a book on the tragedy at this home, hoping that will make him a successful writer again. As he learns more and more about the crime that happened years ago at the home, he becomes even more obsessed with it and works on the research for hours & hours. Ellison finds footage of tapes that you would watch on an 8mm camera (pictured above). Each footage on the tapes has different murders that were disturbing and graphic; however, in each tape, he finds the face of a unique figure he never saw before. As a result, his family tries to talk him out of what he is doing, and things in the home get much worse after that.

That’s enough of the plot. On with my thoughts of the movie. Honestly, I thought this was one of the best horror films of the last 10 years.  I think this movie, “Sinister”, and the new, “Evil Dead”, movie were the best horror films ever made in over a decade. “Sinister” really was that good. It is true horror at it’s finest. True supernatural horror. The movie was well-filmed and well-made. It felt like a horror movie all the way through, and it didn’t rely on gore too much. There is gore but not a whole lot. The less gore, the scarier a horror film gets. “Sinister” was actually scary as hell and I was a little creeped out at some parts. Especially, the film’s ending which was a big shocker I never saw coming. This was Ethan’s best acting too.

I think I’m gonna get this film on Blu-Ray sometime ’cause it will be a great film to watch on Halloween. If you like creepy ghost movies, then this is the film to see. It really was a great movie, I was impressed with it.

Kev