Javi's Top Ten Movies of 2011

Javi here. So here are the big movies that I really liked this last year. Much like last year, I have some specific movies that really spoke to me or affected me in a way that a movie should. This year was a little tougher because while there were some expectational movies out there, there were also a lot of movies that were just borderline awesome, but with little things here and there bothered me. The way that I like to do my top tens is I will list all nine movies that were my favorites, but since they're all so vastly different, I cannot rank them. I only have my absolute favorite movie distinguished from the rest.

Are you curious now? Hit the jump to find out all of my favorites in no particular order!

Jonesy's Top Ten Movies of 2011

Jonesy here. This year I saw about 180 movies (including movies seen before, new to me, and 2011 releases) between the theatre and TV. There were some fabulous trends I noticed from the releases from this year such as character films making a big impact and smart family-friendly films not made my Pixar. All of my films on this list are from my gut. Some of them have many problems, but I still enjoyed them. These are the movies I either have recommended multiple times to people, or I couldn't stop discussing it.

So for better or worse, here are my favorites (in no particular order):

Netflix Instant: Cool Movie and TV Shows

Javi here. One last time before 2011. There's quite a number of movies that are expiring come New Year's Day, and the list is huge, but if you guys are at all  here is the list. Anyway, here are my recommendations. Some funny, some sad, but nevertheless definitely worth your time. Enjoy!

TUCKER & DALE vs. EVIL

Seriously, you have no excuse. Go see this now.

RABBIT HOLE

This is a harsh movie to see but it features one of the best performances by Nicole Kidman as a grieving mother along with Aaron Eckhart.

THAT THING YOU DO!

Fun movie starring Tom Hanks as the embodiment of all that is wrong with pop music both 40 years ago and today. It has a great soundtrack to boot!

Hope you enjoyed the selection. Look for more stuff from us in the coming year as we will be expanding operations. 

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Disappointments of 2011: Jonesy Edition!

Another year of movies have passed us by, and it's the time of year to reflect on the insanity that we put ourselves through whether it's seeing a matinee in an empty theatre or a packed opening weekend with friends. It's easy to pick out the atrocities of the year, but since most of those movies are universally loathed by the audiences, it's more fun to discuss the disappointments of the year. I always enjoy these because there's a visceral reaction I always have when thinking back. For me, if I have expectations because of this director or that actor or that premise sounds promising and those expectations are not even somewhat met, I get angry.

Disappointments of 2011: Javi Edition!

Javi here. With the close of the another year, we have a great chance to reflect on the past year of movies. Looking back on it, there were a lot of great surprises, and obviously there are some crazy bad disappointments.

Now, let's start off by defining disappointment for the purpose of this series. For me at least, I'm not sure about Jonesy, but a disappointment is having expectations for a particular movie and the end result ends up being less than promising. For example, one of the biggest and shittiest movies of the year, SUCKER PUNCH, is not in my list because I thought it looked nothing more than bad fan fiction ever since I saw the trailers. Enjoy this list, and I would love to hear other people's disappointments but beware of potential spoilers in any one of these titles.

AFI Top 100 Countdown: #86 Platoon

86: PLATOON

Directed by Oliver Stone

Written by Oliver Stone

Starring: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, and Forest Whitaker

Beast Wars Megatron AKA David Kaye Wishes You A Merry Christmas.

Javi here. I know lots of you kids out there celebrate Christmas, here's a fun little video for anyone that great up with the Transformers sequel BEAST WARS with the BW version of Megatron reciting It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas.



Hope everyone has a safe Christmas and other non-Christian holidays. Remember to be cool and not be dicks with each other. Next week we will have our Top Ten movies of the year, including theatrical movies, festival movies and complete and utter disappointments.


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Netflix Instant: Cool TV and Movie Picks

Jonesy here. I bring you a weird semi-eclectic mix this week, but each fit into my oddball taste in picks.

EDDIE IZZARD: DRESS TO KILL

My roommates in college introduced me to this hilarious special one night. I've tried watching his other specials, but nostalgia always brought me back to this one. It's smart, funny, and full of nerdy history. 

MEMPHIS: THE MUSICAL

I absolutely adore Broadway musicals, but unfortunately, not many playwrights allow their musicals to be filmed on Broadway. Thankfully many musicals are being filmed live so more and more people can see them. MEMPHIS is the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Musical. It's about a blossoming R&B singer who falls in love with a nerdy radio DJ. It's fun yet touches on deeper themes of prejudice during the 1950's era. And yes my cohort was correct last week in saying that I would put a musical in my Netflix picks. 

BALLERINA

There have been a some movies over the years that have tried to shed light on the insights of being a professional dancer. BALLERINA is a documentary about five Russian ballerinas from the Kirov Ballet. These girls have trained since they were very, very young and have given up everything in the hopes of becoming the elusive 'Prima Ballerina'. A fascinating look at the lifetime of sacrifice one goes through to accomplish a dream. 

And from all of us here at WDYMS, have a safe and wonderful holiday! 

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After All Of The Teaser Teasers, Comes The Teaser Trailer For PROMETHEUS

I'm glad that marketing departments are getting lazy to the point of releasing teaser trailers for teaser trailers. Today we got the release for the new Ridley Scott movie, PROMETHEUS. This non-Alien prequel has been the source of much speculation. Now that it's finally here, check it out after the jump.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Review: He said/She said

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

Directed by: David Fincher

Written by: Steven Zaillian

Starring: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, and Robin Wright.

Synopsis: A journalist and his savvy research assistant are hired to solve a 40 year old mystery of a missing girl of a wealthy family.

WAR HORSE Review: He said/She said

WAR HORSE

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Written by: Lee Hall, Richard Curtis

Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Tom Hiddleston, David Thewlis, and Benedict Cumberbatch

Synopsis: A horse is sold to the calvary during The Great War, and his young owner joins the war to find him and bring him home.

Javi: So Spielberg is a director I admire for being able to put on many hats rather seamlessly and still create a satisfying product. In a year where he has released a "back to form" action/adventure movie with THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN, we have a completely different project in the form of WAR HORSE. This movie has the problem of being a pretty big Oscar-bait in a lot of ways. You have the obligatory British actors, the World War setting, in this case the first one, and you had lots of dramatic tension in the form of a boy and his horse trying to reunite. So yes, this is one Daniel Day Lewis away from basically begging for those little golden fellas. But is it a good movie? The answer is yes.

Paint me a little biased, but as someone who has great affection for animals, this movie hit me in a spot that no human story could. There was just something about a person and the bond that they create with animal that is much more special than anything short of true love. When you've got a bond with an animal, you understand them without having to say anything to them. The fact that this movie deals with lots of people creating bonds with the one particularly awesome horse makes the movie all that more touching to me.

The cinematography and the landscapes were a big highlight for me as Spielberg decided to go to Scotland to properly recreate the setting of wartime Europe. You go from a farm all the way to the trenches for a climactic scene, and it all looks amazing and authentic. A personal highlight was seeing some of the "bigger" actors playing random characters drifting in and out of the story such as Benedict Cumberbatch and Loki himself, Tom Hiddleston.

But the real show here is seeing Jeremy Irvine's Albert and his relationship with Super-Horse, Joey. I'm not going to lie when I say that it's a really cheesy friendship. Albert sees Joey being born, and then he develops some crazy obsession with the horse. But man, you wouldn't doubt that by the time the horse is sold off to an army general, that Albert/Joey's friendship wasn't completely rock solid.

The big part where the movie lost me a bit was in its rather episodic format, and when you see the movie you'll know what I mean. Eventually, everything in each "episode" leads to the climax of the movie, but I couldn't help but feel a bit of a disconnect while watching the movie.

Don't let this completely turn you off as the movie itself is a grand testament to friendship and looks at the war from the point of view of yes a horse who for all senses and purposes has no political affiliation. There are good and bad people on both sides and in that regard, I found the movie elevate itself away from the boring Oscar bait non-sense. Ultimately, its message is one of love and understanding that can carry forward even through the War To End All Wars.


Jonesy: I'm so glad Speilberg is back to his old self. The last time we saw him, we were subjected to nuking the fridge in Indiana Jones 4. WAR HORSE takes him back to a subject he knows so well and has perfected through the years: war and relationships. However, we weave in and out of different parts of Europe during The Great War as we follow an innocent horse, Joey, as he tries to survive.

We're introduced to Joey through the eyes of his owner, Albert (Irvine). Joey isn't the best horse around, but Albert sees the potential and the spirit in him, and the duo develop a strong bond. Now I've never had an animal myself, but I've witnessed friends with their animals, and like my cohort mentioned, there's an intangible connect that a human and animal can develop. So, depending on how much you buy into Albert and Joey's bond, determines how powerful the movie is. For me, I completely was on board, thus had a powerful catharsis during the final act.

Since the movie follows Joey through the war, the plot is very episodic. Throughout each adventure, Joey finds someone to connect with, then through different circumstances, he's moved to the next person/place. There's not much time spent with any of the characters, even Albert disappears for the better part of the middle section, so it's difficult to get attached to most of the characters. Thus, Joey becomes our constant, and it's a difficult task to buy into an animal character unless it is animated or has a constant human companion. Spielberg was able to make Joey into an actual character where we could understand his feelings and emotions. (And with no Andy Serkis' Ceasar performance required). It's a risky move that paid off in my eyes.

Another strength is the absolute breathtaking scenery captured during the film. The movie takes us from sprawling French landscapes to the dirty trenches of the front lines. The whole sequence at the front lines was masterful, and now Spielberg, having mastered most of WWII, has mastered WWI.

The movie will be a crowd pleaser. Many may write off the movie as boring and schmaltzy; however, the real heart of the film explores the relationship between Albert and Joey and the lengths Albert would go to protect his best friend, and if you see this and it doesn't touch at least one heart string, I might worry about you.


We were lucky enough that after we watched this movie, Spielberg was featured in a live streaming Q&A session with was provided by MSN. Fans from around the world in over 120 countries/territories submitted questions through a live-chat function.  Check out the full interview:

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THE HOBBIT trailer drops! Grab Your Precious Rings and Head Back to Middle Earth

Peter Jackson's LORD OF THE RINGS was released ten years ago today. It's almost unbelievable that it has been that long. I remember those were my staple holiday movies for those three years, and I was elated when RETURN OF THE KING won best picture. So, it was only a matter of time before an adaptation of THE HOBBIT would happen. Thankfully Jackson took the reigns of director once again for Tolkein's work, and now we have our first trailer for the next Christmas.

Check the trailer after the jump.

THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN Movie Review: He Said/She Said

THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Written by: Steven Moffat with Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish

Starring: Jamie Bell, Daniel Craig, Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost

Synopsis: A young journalist and his perfect dog stumble on a mystery after they buy a model ship of questionable origins. 

AFI Top 100 countdown: #87 12 ANGRY MEN

87: 12 ANGRY MEN

Directed by Sidney Lument

Written by Reginald Rose

Starring: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, and E. G. Marshall

WE BOUGHT A ZOO Soundtrack Review: The Sigur Ros/Jonsi Mixtape You've Been Waiting For

Javi here returning with another soundtrack review. This time we have the soundtrack for the new Cameron Crowe wanna-be feel good movie, WE BOUGHT A ZOO, starring one Matt Damon. I have not been particularly interested in this movie, mostly because of how prominent Scarlett Johanson seems to be in the marketing, and she drives me up the wall. Regardless, the soundtrack was put together by Sigur Ros singer/solo artist Jonsi (pronounced Jonesy), which had a lot of people who usually don't care about Cameron Crowe movies very excited.

Hit the jump for the full review.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE- GHOST PROTOCOL- He said/She said

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL

Directed by: Brad Bird

Written by: Josh Applebaum, Andre Nemec based on the TV show written by Bruce Geller

Starring: Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner

Synopsis: Our team is back to stop the bad guy from blowing up a nuclear device.

Second THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Trailer Is Here

Javi here. So here is the big one, the second trailer for director Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, has arrived. It was attached to SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL at the midnight screenings but now has been released officially. Check out the trailer at the jump and check out the link since Apple's Quicktime site is has downloadable versions of the trailer. Many thanks to ComingSoon.Net for the high quality embed.

Check out a few of my observations after the jump. Beware of potential spoilers.

That Annoying Couple Is Leaving DOCTOR WHO

Not necessarily a big movie deal, but I figured I'd post some awesome news relating to Doctor Who.  TV Guide has put up on their site that after speaking with DOCTOR WHO showrrunner, Steven Moffat, and he dropped a few important news regarding the two companions of the Doctor.

Hit the jump to see what's going on.

Cool Netflix Instant Picks: Movies & TV Shows

Javi here. So two weeks in a row you have been getting awesome recommendations by me. This week's column has a theme with just focusing on kids/animation stuff. It's either nostalgia picks, or stuff that I'm probably too old to watch, either way enjoy!

PHINEAS AND FERB: ACROSS THE SECOND DIMENSION

Proof that even nowadays, Disney (not Disney-Pixar) can create something worthwhile. PHINEAS AND FERB is a fun cartoon series that harkens back to shows where the story arc is exactly the same but the situations are different. Think of it like a funnier SCOOBY DOO. The show has great songs and the imagination that the kids display reminds me of that summer my best friend Aaron and I tried to build a life-size AT-AT with scrap metal.

ROCK-A-DOODLE

I have not seen this movie in ages. The Spanish-dubbed version of this movie was one of my absolute favorites when I was growing up back in the old country (aka Mexico). I remember I loved the music, and I loved the fact that it wasn't just some Disney princess-centric movie. I'll be rewatching it this weekend to see
how it holds up, but I bet it's still pretty great.

YO GABBA GABBA!
Seriously, where else can you go for your dose of psychedelia, important life lessons, and guest appearances by Elijah Wood,  ?uestlove, and The Flaming Lips? Only with Yo Gabba Gabba!

So that's it for this week's selection for Netflix, next week Jonesy will be back with some of the equally nerdy she's watching. I bet it's some dance movie.

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Soundtrack Review: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Soundtrack

Javi here. As part of a way of bringing more (hopefully) interesting content apart from the movie trailers, reviews, and news, I'll be trying, to the best of my abilities, to write some soundtrack reviews. Talk to me, and you know I dig my music even if I don't like the music culture that has developed in the last year. Regardless, music scores are a point of contention among many music fans. I know that NPR All Songs Considered host, Bob Boilen, has called music scores cheesy and manipulative. He says that they cheapen the scene by playing strategically placed uplifting or somber strings. What it sounds like, to me, is that he heard a really cheesy low-brow score for some British Oscar-bait film.

I truly believe that there a good place for music to elevate a scene in a movie beyond  to make it memorable. There's a reason why the theme songs to so many older and iconic movies are now nothing more than pop culture cliches (I'm looking at you, 2001: SPACE ODYSSEY theme). It's because the images that they are paired with sync in a way that is transcendent. But enough introductions, hit the jump for the review.

New PROMETHEUS Poster Is Pretty Awesome

Javi here. So now that it's been properly confirmed, we have the teaser poster of the upcoming Ridley Scott movie, PROMETHEUS. The big news with this movie is trying to figure exactly what the hell it is. Apparently it's not a prequel to ALIEN, but it has Xenomorphs, and it has the Space Jockeybut. Either way, the poster looks awesome it has a big face that has popped up in a lot of the set photos that have been popping up. Thanks to Aint It Cool for posting this.

PROMETHEUS comes out on June 2012. It is directed by Ridley Scott, it stars Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron and Michael Fassbender.

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THE DICTATOR trailer shows us a crazy Cohen character in a "normal" movie.

You know, I actually kind of like Sacha Baron Cohen. He's a great physical comedian and character actor. I've enjoyed his serious acting attempts (HUGO and SWEENEY TODD), and when BORAT was released, I saw it opening night with a bunch of friends, and I remember leaving the theatre with my stomach hurting from laughing so much. Sure it was crude, but it was also such a smart and kind of daring movie.

Now I wasn't as much of a fan of BRUNO. In fact, there were some plot points that the movie could have expanded upon. For example, how does Bruno run into the Westboro Baptist Church crazy people and only spend 2 minutes with them? That was a comedy/social commentary gold mine. But I digress....

Cohen's newest endeavor, THE DICTATOR, is inspired by the novel Zabibah and the King by former Iraqi leader, Sadam Hussein. The film will "tell the heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed."

Check the trailer after the break.

ROCK OF AGES trailer drops...with a load of bad karaoke

There's a reason that certain shows are created for the stage and others are created for film. Musicals need a certain sense of disbelief to work. Do people usually break out into song and dance? Not normally, but on the stage, it's all part of the show. It's the same as believing you change "locations" in a show simply because a piece of furniture is moved or a backdrop is changed.

So, it takes a certain talent, script, and all the right things to make a musical work for the screen. There hasn't been much success nowadays with the trend of adapting musicals. ROCK OF AGES is the latest victim of this trend. Directed Adam Shankman (HAIRSPRAY), ROCK OF AGES is about a young couple falling in love during the 80's era of rock n' roll.

Check out the trailer after the break

AFI Top 100 Countdown: #88 BRINGING UP BABY

88: BRINGING UP BABY

Directed by Howard Hawks

Written by Dudley Nichols and Hagar Wilde

Starring: Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Charles Ruggles, Walter Catlett, May Robson, and Fritz Feld

PARANORMAN Trailer Is Probably The Best Trailer Of The Day.

Javi here. As you guys know, I'm a huge fan of animation. One of my favorite styles of animation is stop motion. The sheer patience needed to make a stop-motion animation feature movie is something that I envy and respect, mostly because I don't have that sort of patience. What we have here is the UK trailer, thanks to MSN, for what I'm thinking is the first animated zombie invasion movie aimed at kids, PARANORMAN.

We haven't talked about this movie much, but the talent behind it is impressive. The studio backing it created CORALINE, one of the few movies to not only be a pure delight to watch, but one of the only 3-D movies to actually make me want to see it in the format. Norman, the protagonist, is voiced by Kodi Smit-Mcphee(THE ROAD, LET ME IN), who is such an awesome actor, and there's also Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin), Leslie Mann (every Judd Apatow movie), Anna Kendrick (UP IN THE AIR, 50/50) and John Goodman. Check out the trailer after the jump.

G.I. JOE: RETALIATION Trailer Drops with A Lot Less Cobra Commander But A Lot More Ninjas

Jonesy here. Okay. I admit I did not see the first G.I. JOE in theaters. It looked silly and boring. However, I was proven wrong when Javi sat me down and made me watch it once it came on Netflix Instant.

So, we have been excited for the upcoming sequel from The Rock and Bruce Willis casting to being directed by one of our favorite darlings, Jon Chu (STEP UP 3D).....until the big casting news that Joseph Gordon Levitt would NOT be reprising his role as Cobra Commander (and really, he pretty much made the first film).

Now we have our first look at the upcoming sequel (via Machinima):





Okay. I am in no way familiar with the show, toys or comics; however, it appears the campy fun of the first movie is back! Ninja fight on a mountain side? I'm in! Since the first movie received less than stellar love from audiences, it seems the studio is banking Bruce Willis to draw in crowds for this film. With next summer being jam packed with "highly anticipated" movies, it'll be interesting to see how this will fair being released a week after BRAVE and ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER and days before THE AMAZING SPIDER MAN.

Javi: Just wanted to chime in real quick with some thoughts. To preface for those not cool and in the know, I loved the crap out of the first one for basically being a live cartoon. It was campy as all hell, cheesy, and I mean people called each other by their code names without an ounce of irony; you try calling someone Storm Shadow without wanting to laugh. But regardless, it was just ridiculous fun. With this trailer, my first reaction was that I was so bummed that Joseph Gordon Levitt and Christopher Eccleston would not be returning as Cobra Commander and Destro respectively, then while talking to Twitter's own @T16Skyhopp and @GeneralTekno, I realized that I was more attached to JGL being The Doctor "Rex" Lewis than I was for him being Cobra Commander.

But this trailer does have some fun stuff if you look carefully. Let's break them down!

1. Cheesy Dwayne Johnson being cheesy
2. Channing Tatum is back? But he disappears after the attack. Is he dead/kidnapped? How awesome would it be if every subsequent movie the entire Joe cast gets killed and replaced by a different one?
3. Zartan President is an awesome concept
4. Cobra Commander has much more recognizable costume this time around a much needed improvement over the last costume.
5. Apparently GI Joe is a publicly known entity? I didn't know that. RE: The "President's" speech.
6. More cheesy Dwayne Johnson being cheesy.
7. OK, so apparently Storm Shadow is back...nope, I still wanted Destro more. 
8. COBRA WHITE HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!
9. Ummmm... no to whoever remixed "Seven Nation Army"
10. Snake Eyes doesn't have that dumb mouth piece thing anymore.
11. Ninjas.
12. Lady ninjas, not sure who they are. I'm not 100% versed in GI Joe lore.
13. BFG!!!
14. Apparently Storm Shadow is still a dick, killing tons of dudes.
15. Who is that Jessica Rabbit-wannabe? She's with Cobra, right?
16. Ninjas.
17. Ninjas by a mountain.
18. Flying ninjas.
19. Is that Mortal Kombat's own Scorpion? Do I smell a cross over?
20. Seriously, no dub-step remixes of White Stripes ever again!
21. Willis seems to be playing the same character from RED. Great.

So there it is some random stuff I noticed, and honestly, I'm still wanting JGL and Eccleston, but unlike say, BATTLESHIP or another TRANSFORMERS movie, I'm actually not dreading this movie. 

G.I. JOE: RETALIATION will be released June 29, 2012 starring Dwayne Johnson, Channing Tatum, and Bruce Willis.

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They're back...in time! New MEN IN BLACK 3 Trailer

You remember those days when Will Smith was the end-all action hero of the 90s? We could always depend on a fun, cheesy action movie to get us through the Independence Day weekend (see what I did there?). Now, in an attempt to recapture his glory, we're treated to another sequel to the MEN IN BLACK franchise.

Check it out:





Granted it has been ten years since the last installment, and one would think that this series would just be put to rest. But how else would one keep as series going? You guessed it! Time-travel! The possibilities are now endless, and that makes me even less excited than I already was. However, the one fun aspect could be Josh Brolin's young Agent K. I mean how accurate was his impersonation of Tommy Lee Jones?

MEN IN BLACK 3 will be released May 25, 2012 starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin.
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The Legend Will End; New THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Teaser Poster Revealed

Javi here. So, yes we have refrained from posting about every set photo & "viral" marketing non-sense associated with THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. But today, Super Hero Hype has shown off a new teaser poster for the third and last Christopher Nolan Batman movie. Check it out after the jump.

Since Georges Méliès Is So Hot Right Now, Why Not Have Air Do An Entire Album Based On His Work?

Javi here. I'll admit, the title might be a bit misleading, but the French duo Air, of electronic music fame, will not be releasing a new album just because a certain recently released movie focuses so much on his work. According to NME, the French duo was commissioned to compose new music for a newly restored color print of the 1902 silent film, LE VOYAGE DANS LA LUNE, which is also the name of the album. This has been in the works for a while and it's just a cool coincidence that with the exposure of said movie; this project might just be getting more attention. Hit the jump for more info

Netflix Instant: Cool Movies & TVs

Javi here. Just wanted to share some of the stuff I've been watching lately. Let's hope these suggestions keep you in your comfy during chilly nights.

HOW BEER SAVED THE WORLD
I've only watched the first few minutes of the documentary, but if you're at all a an of beer and your favorite doesn't have "light" at the end of it, I'm sure you'll learn a thing or two about it.

SPACED
This is the often forgotten first series by "geek" favorite director Edgar Wright. This features the first collaboriation of the nerdy trinity of Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost who would later go on to do SHAUN OF THE DEAD, and HOT FUZZ. It deals with two roommates an artist and a writer move in together, and the slightly surreal series chronicles their exploits. There's lots of themes of people not wanting to grow up, or even just trying to make sense of life. Going along with the rest of Edgar Wright's filmography, you see where a lot of the editing and themes that would permeate in his later work. Highly recommended.

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
This is by all means a ridiculous show. The characters are prety insane, the first two seasons are a less effective (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, and they literally back out of every new situation/life experience that seems to be thrown their way. And dispute all of this, the show has its it's moments of actual drama and character moments. Plus, I've somehow watched 4 seasons in the time it's been available. Highly addictive.

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THE DESCENDANTS Review- He said

THE DESCENDANTS

Directed by: Alexander Payne

Written by: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash. 

Based on a novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings

Starring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, and Patricia Hastie

Synopsis: After his wife is in a boating accident that leaves her in a coma, Matt King 

must cope with her condition and the pressures of the impending 

sale of a patch of land his family owns.

As a member of the MAGNITED STATES OF AMERICA, this is crap!

Do you remember when this floated around the Internet from the Alamo Drafthouse?





I do, and I love it. Hell, even my mother asked a couple months ago if I had seen this video. Duh, Mom, of course I have. Well, I'm glad, she said, that this theatre is doing that because people using phones are so inconsiderate when you're trying to watch a movie. Now my mother really isn't a movie connoisseur; in fact, I think they last movie my parents went to was THE HELP, and before that was probably THE HANGOVER 2, so take that how you will. Point being is if my mother can find logic in the Drafthouse's message to put the damn phone away, then really, anyone should be able to.

So, have you seen this crap floating around?

That's right. A theatre in Washington is being built, which will open in 2014, with a "smart phone laissez-faire" policy. You want to tweet/facebook/text/get to the next level of Angry Birds during a movie? Go right ahead. In fact, the theatre is even building an antenna within its walls to improve cell service. Wow. I can't even get good cell service in the break room at my work, yet moviegoers will have full bars while they watch their rom-coms. I understand times are changing, and this new millennium generation has their smart phone attached to their hands at all times. However, if something is so important that you absolutely cannot be away from your phone for two hours, then you probably don't need to be seeing a movie.

Plus, what are we teaching them now? How to multi-task and stay connected? There's already been complaints how manners and face-to-face interaction is becoming a thing of the past, but this new theatre seems to be adding fuel to this faux pa fire. Obviously, if this experiment is successful ("god" help us all), then this might become a new fad. Now, I'm hoping that many of the bigger theatres won't cave in to such a idiotic idea. One problem still relevant today is the illegal recording of movies, and allowing phones to be on and active doesn't help that cause either.

I do propose a suggestion though. There are a few theatres around Dallas that have "cry-baby" matinees for parents with babies/small children. The draw is parents can come see a movie with their kids, pay a cheaper price, but with the full knowledge that there can/will be crys and screams from the little people. If theatres ever cross the awful bridge of allowing phones disturbing a movie, why not have certain times where phones are allowed. Say, maybe, one or two showings a night? People going to these screenings know what they're getting into, and therefore, in theory, everyone is accommodated.

However, hopefully it will never come to this. It's difficult now for people to stay quiet during a movie without the added fuel of a mobile device. If the Washington theatre wants to experiment with phone usage during movies, go for it; just don't bring that madness down here. And if theatres really want to get more people in the seats, in all reality, just lower ticket prices. I promise more people will flock to the theatres.

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Michael Bay Might Do Transformers 4, Nerds Everywhere Freak Out. UPDATED!

UPDATE:Thanks to TFW2005.com for aggregating the news, but there's some very interesting pieces of information regarding the TRANSFORMERS 4 rumors. First, there's the fact that Tyrese "Left Cheek" Gibson tweeted this earlier today around 8 hours ago  from this posting: "Transformers 4 ......................................................... In MOTION!!!!!!!"
Then, there's the quote taken from a random commenter at the Michael Bay forums that seems to be full of interesting tidbits. Check out the TFW2005 link above for the quote and join the discussion. Does this mean all the rumors are true and we'll be for certain getting another Michael Bay Transformers movie? 

Original Story: If there's one thing I've learned in my short time about writing about movies is two things: comedians might be the most money-whoring beings on the planet (see: GROWN UPS 2) and Michael Bay will always do TRANSFORMERS movie whether anyone that's not a studio suit wants him to or not. According to Vulture, it seems that Bay is close to signing a deal with Paramount to come back to the adventures of our favorite Cybertronians after filming his "small film," PAIN & GAIN about a group of dim-witted bodybuilders that kidnap a business man. Hit the jump for more details.

AFI Top 100 Countdown #89: THE SIXTH SENSE

#89: THE SIXTH SENSE

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

Written by M. Night Shyamalan

Starring: Bruse Willis, Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Soundtrack Pre-Sale and Sampler

Javi here. As I have posted before, I am looking forward to the upcoming David Fincher remake of the original Danish movie based on the book, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. I haven't gotten around to reading the books, and I honestly thought the original movie was all build-up with a horribly paced pay-off. The only highlight was Noomi Rapace as new icon, Lisbeth Salander, and even then she just reminded me of a smarter version of an ex-girlfriend from back in college.

Regardless, we have this new version coming. David Fincher has surprised me as a director as of late, plus I'm very fascinated by the transformation of Rooney Mara, who will now be playing the Lisbeth character. And because it's David Fincher, it is now necessary for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to be the ones that created the score for this movie. Now, we have full details of the release and even a link for an awesome 6-track sampler. Check them out after the jump.

ENDER'S GAME Casting News Galore!

The adaptation of Orson Scott Card's sci-fy classic ENDER'S GAME has been a tumolutous one. The book is about a futuristic Earth that has been attacked by aliens, The Buggers, and the military recruits young kids to be groomed into leaders to fight The Buggers.  Card had developed a script as far back as 2003 working with Warner Bros. and Wolfgang Peterson. The project fell through for many years, but now Summit Entertainment has picked up distribution rights. With the almost perfect timing with the new craze of young adult book-to-movie adaptations nowadays, production is finally starting to kick into gear with a finished script by director Gavin Hood with the producing duo of Kurtzman and Orci.

Netflix Instant: Cool TV and Movie Picks

Happy Friday everyone! Here are some critically acclaimed suggestions for your weekend to get you in the mood for the awards season:

WINTER'S BONE

The 2010 indie darling that put Jennifer Lawrence on the map. She stars as a young girl trying to keep her family together while going on a trail to find out what happened to her druggie father. The movie is bleak yet so smart, and proves how great Lawrence is on screen.

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One of the many documentaries I was lucky to see this year at the Dallas International Film Festival. An unprecedented look behind the scenes at the New York Times during the whole "newspaper is dying" epidemic. You can check out my review here!

ELIZABETH

I haven't seen this in years. I am somewhat of a history nerd (it's so dramatic!), so this fits right up my alley. Cate Blanchett is flawless as Elizabeth, and I forgot how gorgeous the movie was. Plus, a young-before-Bond Daniel Craig! 

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