Creative Bones
I have this thing about the Fourth of July Summer Blockbuster Movie. I generally always see it at some point over what is considered the weekend. There have only been two of them though that I have seen opening night. The first was Independence Day… featuring Big Willie Smith and a buttload of aliens. I had zero regret about sitting in that packed theater… because it was a damn good movie. The second movie I saw last night… and once again it featured Big Willie Smith in Hancock. As a fan of the superhero genre, I walked in with really high hopes for this movie.
I left pretty disappointed. Without giving away anything major about the movie, I have to say that it starts out pretty much the way you expect from the trailer… and it was good. Smith delivers on a drunkard superhero with a complete disregard for public opinion. The effects take a bit of a tip from the physics behind The Matrix, and the incorporation of new media such as YouTube was a nice modern ode to the evolution of communication.
Then suddenly, midway through there is a plot twist. Now not all plot twists are bad… in fact, this one could have been the same twist but with a different person, and it would have been awesome. Instead, it changed the entire pace of the movie. It went from a super-hero action movie to uber-geek chick flick in about 3 seconds. It forever damaged the movie into a steaming pile of poo. Seriously.
There are just certain things I expect from a superhero movie:
- • I expect a hero, as faulty as he may be. Check
• I expect super-powers not too off the chart. Check
• I expect a decent background story. Vague, but check
• I expect a villain I will hate. Not even close
• I expect a storyline that will keep pace and stick to the storyline established. First 45 minutes, check… after that… it went all haywire
The absolute worst part? The santization of it. The movie was obviously scrubbed of such sequences as the super semen scene (where Hancock‘s ejaculation puts holes into his roof), and this ended up bringing the movie down to a measly 90 minutes. I found this to be a tragedy of great proportions… although it makes the movie a ripe candidate for an Unrated version.
I do have to say one thing… Jason Bateman who I generally can’t stand got some pretty good reviews. While I cannot whole-heartedly endorse him as the best thing since sliced white bread… he was actually pretty good in it… and for the most part the most believable character in the flick, so those reviews are well deserved. As for Charlize Theron… yeah… can someone say Sybil? She pulled off the emotional switch between loving the husband (Bateman) and hating Hancock (Smith) a little too well. If anything can be learned from her character… too much news turns you into a big crank.
Next year I have hope… hope for Transformers 2 to make the holiday weekend what it should be… super.
categories: Creative Bones Motion Pictures
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Yesterday was a crap day.
Totally a crappy day.
When I have such crappy days I usually look to the city food establishments to comfort me. I’m a comfort foodaholic. I can admit this… and I think that’s the first step in some 12-Step program on the road to no longer being a comfort foodaholic. Still… I like being a foodaholic.
Unfortunately today I was unable to indulge in my addiction.
So I’m doing the next best thing.
Now I know Miss Britt is a master at them.
Still, the one I come closest to imitating is Avitable. What can I say? He has good taste in topics… and I am feeling extremely unoriginal.
So… without further ado… I give you the lunch I wish I had eaten yesterday…
categories: Creative Bones Dog's Eye Views
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Dearest Juno Fans,
So last night was the 80th Annual Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards ceremony.
You probably know them as the Oscars (if you’ve wondered why the name ”Oscar”, see this article for two possibilities).
The movie with the biggest Oscar buzz for a win would have to be Juno. I mentioned seeing it previously, but didn’t elaborate on my thoughts of the film other than the fact that Jason Bateman having musical talent is pretty hilarious. There was a strong belief among the public that Juno deserved Best Picture. Most polls I saw, whether it be on AOL or Entertainment Tonight had Juno ahead of the pack. Yet, it was just not meant to be.
This reminds me of back in 2006 when everyone thought Brokeback Mountain would win Best Picture for 2005 (the awards in 2008 are for 2007… the year before dontcha know?). The winner was, surprisingly to most of America, Crash. `I think there were alot of upset people after that show. I think there will be alot of upset people today at the watercooler talking about how Juno was better than No Country For Old Men.
While I have not seen the actual film No Country For Old Men, I believe this choice by the Academy is that of a film that is more deserving for its film making than addressing a socio-political topic, just as it did with its choice of Crash over Brokeback Mountain… and that was a choice I wholeheartedly agree with purely from a cinematic point of view. So, before the world ends up on its ear over this perceived injustice… just remember this was the Academy Awards and NOT the People’s Choice Awards.
Oh. Those are over too. Guess your shit out of luck.
Love Always In Film,
-NYCWD
categories: Creative Bones Motion Pictures
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Any movie that stars Hayden ”I Have Killed The Greatest Trilogy Of All Time With My Shitty Acting” Christensen had better have a great plot to warrant me going to see it and paying full price. Jumper has an awesome premise… but it seems the plot went on vacation before shooting even started. Is this a possible writer’s strike casualty? I don’t think so.
The whole premise of the movie is that there are people out there with the ability to teleport or “jump” instantaneously from one place in the world to another. It seems in the movie that they do this using some sort of personal wormhole they are able to open… and it also seems the further the jump the longer the “jump scar” stays in place. Opposing the Jumpers are the Paladins, which have apparently hunted Jumpers since medieval times. The Paladins get the blame for the whole Spanish Inquisition amongst other things.
So the story followed Hayden Christensen‘s character, David Rice, as he steals money, lives the good life, has sex with countless women across the world who are all in different time zones, and finally gets caught up with by the Paladins. The Paladins want him dead because in their eyes, all Jumpers go bad. By the way the movie plays out… I believe them. In fact… I will say it now just in case there is a sequel… I am pro-Paladin. Besides the fact that the lead Paladin Roland is played by none other than Samuel ”I got cut down by this traitorous ass” Jackson with white hair… well yeah… I want him to kill David Rice for nothing more than the pleasure of watching Wace Mindu get his revenge.
Of course, David escapes and jumps home… then to his old girlfriend (played by the fabulous Rachel Bilson who also happens to be getting the end of the Sith lightsaber in the bedroom for real… if you know what I mean) who he hooks up with once again and then he takes her to Rome. Eventually he meets another Jumper named Griffin (played by Jamie Bell as a supporting character who was more interesting and believable than the main character) and the two of them agree to a limited “team up” on the Paladins.
Predictably the two Jumpers go at each other because Griffin is ready to sacrifice the girl, and David isn’t. Anyway… blah blah blah… big fight… blah blah blah… David‘s mom who left him at 5 turns out to be a Paladin… blah blah blah… sequel gets set-up and Mace doesn’t get avenged… yet.
Now while I do not need every single plot point explained to me… not only would a little bit more backstory have been nice, but a likable main character would have been good too. I walked in not caring about the characters… and walked out caring only how the Paladin was going to get down from the cave he had been dropped in. I also know that if there is a sequel… I’ll wait for the DVD.
categories: Creative Bones Motion Pictures
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So 01.18.08 has come and gone… and we here in New York City are alive and well. Of course, that is not so according to the uber-hyped movie Cloverfield.
Before I actually get to sharing my opinion on the actual film (which I’ll put below the fold because I will probably mention some spoilers and don’t want to ruin it for anyone) that I saw with my friend (who shall henceforth be known as Buttery for the amount of the shit she poured onto the popcorn) allow me to explain to you exactly what my feel about what type of movie this actually is. I have never viewed this as a true “monster” movie. The way I have always seen Cloverfield was more of a story of origin told from a certain point of view.
The point of view they chose, whether it be paying homage to The Blair Witch Project or ripping it off, serves for a purpose. The “mystery” surrounding the monster known as Cloverfield, kept secret and STILL being debated, proved that the Internet does not necessarily have to ruin the best parts of a movie… and in fact can often enhance it. The very basis of this movie was NOT to answer ANY questions about it. This movie was meant to be the foundation of a franchise. Having been made for $30 Million dollars it has reportedly made $46 Million dollars over the weekend.
Get ready for the series… I assure you.
Now onto the actual movie…
categories: Creative Bones Motion Pictures Personal Poppy
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