Top 15 of 2009!

Originally, I had planned on doing a mere Top 5 of 2009 but looking at all the films that have come in this year, it proved too difficult to narrow it down that much. So, I boosted it up to a list of my Top 15 favorite films of the year. This list might be controversial because it's not the BEST films of the year, it's my favorite.

Before we start, I must give a list of films I HAVE NOT SEEN but films that if I had, would have probably made it on the list. Those films are:
-Drag Me to Hell
-In the Loop
-Big Fan
-Fish Story
-Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
-Zombieland
-A Serious Man
-Bronson
-An Education
-Precious
-The Messenger
-The Road (I must read the book first)
-Invictus
-Crazy heart
-Fish Story

I know there are many movies on that list, but that should give you an answer to why some films are missing from this list.

Also, it's interesting to see coincidences on my list, which were purely accidental. Three science fiction films back to back, two teen angst films back to back, three "kids" films in the top ten, and two "war" films in the top five, and two George Clooney films SAY WHAT.

Also, some films I will list will have no explanation along with them, either I've already reviewed them, or they've shown up on some list or what have you.

15. Sherlock Holmes: One of the most entertaining movies I've seen, it would be higher if we didn't get the more entertaining films on the list.

14. Funny People: I still stand by this film as a great film, drama and comedy. I see the complaints people give it but I ignore them and will heavily enjoy owning it on DVD (thanks Max).

13. 500 Days of Summer

12.Lymelife: I'll probably give this film a full review but you should really seek this film out. It's an angst ridden film, but angst not just from teens but from adults. It's a film that shows the kids acting more adult than the adults. It's a little indie film that deserves attention.

11. Adventureland: I love this film. See it, but don't expect an uproarious comedy. This and Lymelife were swapping each others places for a while and I figured that this was just more entertaining, with Lyme being more disturbing.

10. District 9: If I see this film again I think I'll enjoy it more but as of now it's kind of distant with me, like I'm already remembering the sour parts. I still do love the movie.

9. Moon: SEE MOON.

8. Star Trek

7. Up

6. Fantastic Mr. Fox: Full review coming for this, it's a great Wes Anderson film. Inventive, charming, and quite entertaining.

5. Away We Go

4. Where the Wild Things Are

3. Inglorious Basterds: this had the number 1 spot for a while and it's a film I must see again because the film does have flaws but the more I remember it the more I love the hell out of it.

2. Up in the Air

1. The Hurt Locker: A film that I personally haven't given enough recognition. It's a fantastic, fantastic film that puts war films to shame and shows characters we haven't necessarily seen before.


HAPPY 2010!!!!

Movie Review: Up In The Air.

Jason Reitman has slowly been slowly creeping up on the front of directors to watch. With Thank You For Smoking and Juno, two films worthy of their praise, Reitman has shown us what he can do in a minimal body of work. With Up in the Air, Reitman has solidified the claim of one of the most important directors today.

Air focuses on Ryan Bingham, a man who's job it is to fly all around America and fire the people whose company doesn't have the stomach to fire. Spending the majority of his life on the road and on a plane may seem unappealing and unlivable but Ryan loves the life he leads; a life of solitude, loneliness, and without relations.

His life of isolation quickly becomes threatened when Natalie Keener (relativley newcomer Anna Kendrick) enters his companies life and suggests the idea of firing people via web cam. Now Ryan, and the audience, finds this method without dignity and a cold inhumane way to go about the expulsion of an employee. Ryan's boss (Jason Bateman) decides to send Natalie off with Ryan on the road to see what Ryan does. Along the way Natalie sees Ryan's disconnected life, his bizarre relationship with fellow frequent traveler Alex (The Departed's Vera Farmiga), and how Ryan's job affects the people he is firing.

What's interesting about the film's opening is that we see several people's reaction to being fired. They are all heartbreaking and real in an unsettling way. This is because all of these people are not actors, they are real people who really got let go because of the economic situation (another reason on why this film is so relevant). They were brought in by the filmmakers who posed as documentary directors and asked around America for people, who have been recently fired, to come in and talk to an "interviewer" as they would want to talk to the person who has let them go. This is why these segments are so powerful and raw and why it gives the film a whole other dimension.

When you leave the theater or turn off your DVD player (without spoiling anything) you will be most likely feel really depressed about the situation of the world and desperatley feel bad for Clooney's character. This is not an uplifting film. Nonetheless, seek it out.

Hopefully this review has shown why it got the number 2 spot on my best of 2009 list.

Martin.

Important Thing: Movie Review Updates.

I've been regretfully behind on reviewing some films that I've seen recently. This is unfortunate but also good for you because you get to receive a plethora of movie critiques all coincidentally around the holiday season!

I just got back from seeing Avatar however I don't want to review now until I see it in IMax (more on my reasoning in the review).
So until I see it in IMax we'll all have to wait.
In the meantime, some films that will be reviewed shortly are:
-Up in the Air
-Fantastic Mr. Fox
-Manic
-Top 5 of 2009
-Top 10 of the decade
-Top 5 Christmas movies of all time

Happy Holidays, I hope you spend it with the people you enjoy (or try to enjoy) and give to ye' ol holiday spirit.

Bah humbug.

Martin.

Geekdom: NEW TRAILERS, good and bad news.

On the Geeky side of trailers there's been quite a number. Two that have caught my eye have been the new Alice in Wonderland and the new Iron Man 2 trailer WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT IRON MAN 2?!?!??!??!??!?!?! That's right. Iron. Man. 2. Trailer. Oh. My. Holy. Lord.
These two come with good and bad sides.

The good side is (thankfully) the Iron Man 2 trailer because OH MY GOD does it look fantastic.
We see everything: Mickey Rourke as Russian villain Whiplash, S.H.I.E.L.D operator Nick Fury played by Samuel L. Jackson, Scarrlet Johansson (oh my god) as Black Widow, Don Cheadle as the new Jim Rhodes/War Machine, and some speculative soldier robot things that Iron Man fights. I have much faith in this film. Jon Favereau did a fantastic job with the first one and the cast looks outstanding. Take a look: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/ironman/

On the otherside...there's the new Alice trailer. And to be honest...its underwhelming.
The first one looked cool enough but now....ugh...Its difficult, because I really don't know how to react. On one hand the atmosphere looks cool, on the other, some of the animation (march hare, big dog thing) looks cartoonish. Also, his revisions tend to be very weak (see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Planet of the Apes).
Also with all the originality that comes with a Tim Burton film, also comes some unoriginality.
Oh, Johnny Depp is in a Tim Burton film? Oh, he's kooky and has an awkward, annoying, high pitched voice? I've never seen that before...




Anyway, yah, Iron Man 2, Awesome, Alice, Weak.

Martin.

Movie Reivews: Do Movie Critics Matter Anymore?

I thought about the idea of this post after seeing the New Moon boxoffice. New Moon, is the latest in the twilight (ugh) "saga", I say "saga" because four shitty books is hardly a saga. Anyway, the New Moon numbers were outrageously high, which was, to be expected. This was DESPITE critics bashing the movie and DESPITE critics bashing the first "film", I say "film because two abercrombie models complaining and playing vampire baseball and then having a contrived climax is hardly a film. I pose the question, do movie critics matter anymore? Well, yes and no. Mostly no.

No, is evident from not only the twlight "saga" but also from things like Tyler Perry movies, or Uwe Boll flicks, or Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer movie, movies (date movie, epic movie, disaster movie). All of these filmakers, no matter how universally hated by universal movie critics, continue to find money and reap money for the drool they put out on screens (with the exception of Uwe Boll, he hardly makes any money). I think the downfall of movie criticism started with the death of Gene Siskel. Siskel, was part of the famous movie review duo Siskel and Ebert. When he died of complications from surgery due to brain cancer, there were several review shows that tried to follow their infamous claim to fame. Sadly, none succeeded. Maybe people stopped caring what critics said, and they'd see it and see if they'd like it.

Yes, is evident by the fact that there are people like me. People, who review films on YouTube or other sites or on TV who review it because they WANT to. Because they love movies. And because they enjoy to show their opinions.

I do know that I don't write reviews because I want to show people how to think, I just write it because I love reviewing movies and I love film. If I didn't, I wouldn't be doing it.


Kisses.

Martin.

PS: Look out for the next film review: Fantastic Mr. Fox, as well as the next Top Five.

Important Thing: CALVIN HUTCHINS.

A while back my friend Calvin and I were having a conversation about, well I don't remember but it was a conversation. Calvin, along with very few other people, mentioned that he is a reader of the blog. I thanked him and he said in a joking manner that I should write a whole blog post specifically about him. I didn't take this seriously until he KEPT bugging me about it. So I told him-regular readers can stop reading this is just for Calvin-that I would write a post about him IF AND ONLY IF he made a blogger account and followed me. He did. This is me holding up my end of the bargain.
Calvin Hutchins, this one was for you.

<3

IMPORTANT THING: OH MY GOD 50 POSTS 50 POSTS OH MY GOD.

HEY!
So this post is a celebratory one in honor of Martin Dreams of Electric Sheep's 50th post! I will be posting more often and will try to add a little variety into the blog. I hope you (whoever is reading) have enjoyed your stay at Martin Dreams and I encourage you to keep on dreaming! Corny? Yes.

That is all.
*party blower*
*general jubilation*

Martin.

Life: 1000 ways to die/The Darwin Awards.

The entertainment industry are constantly trying to come up with a new form of entertainment or a new laugh. I have no problems with this constant quest for entertainment, however, I do have a problem when the powers at hand/creators cross a line of morality. Such is the case of the FX show 1000 Ways to Die and the internet phenomenon The Darwin Awards.

Both are public displays of the disregard for the fragility of our race and the blatant disregard for those who've past.

1000 Ways to Die is a nonfiction show centered around different stories from REAL life incidents where REAL life people have died in quirky or bizarre ways. Now, I've caught this show a few times and the deceases depicted are quirky and bizarre but what got me was when it boils down to it the show is based around making money and air time off of the often tragic deaths hundreds of people. I don't believe displaying the deaths of people is entertaining or funny and the fact that the show is STILL on the air and people are STILL watching it disgusts me.

The Darwin Awards is an internet based "project". I say "project" because it's not as much of a project as it is taking the odd deaths of people (much like 1000 ways) and showcasing them in such a way that ridicules the deceased person in subject and going further to say that the human race is better off without these people. Darwin Awards=Survival of the fittest, adaptation, so on so forth. It was all good and fine when the Darwin Awards was a little thing, until it became somewhat of a following. This is when the family members of the deceased heard about the DA and were highly offended and threatened to go to court. The founder of the site, a college girl named Wendy Northcutt, said she never wanted to hurt anyone and was just having fun with the site. She got away with it, and the site is still going strong. I believe that if you enjoy reading and laughing at the deaths of innocent people, people who may have made some bad judgments, than you have a mental illness of apathy and disregard. And to think that so many people enjoy the Darwin Awards makes me fear that our once healthy conscious' are being poisoned.

Here's a quote from the front page of the DA website: Honoring those who improve our species...by accidentally removing themselves from it!

Disgusting.

Martin.

Movie Review: Where the Wild Things Are.

This is not a kids film. This is not a film about a kid. This is a film about childhood. A film, made supremely well, and a film that captures the nostalgic wonder, freedom, growth, and emotions associated with childhood.

Needless to say, I loved Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are:

Spike Jonze's body of work is mostly music videos and skater videos. Besides this, he has directed two other feature films, both for the brilliant writer Charlie Kaufman. Those films being: Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. Two films which are on my top favorites of all time. So yeah, I love Mr. Jonze. What he has done here, is take Maurice Sendak's beloved book, and turn it into an intense, fantastic, melancholic, wild, and nostalgic look at the intense emotions of a child and what it means to be immersed in the childhood experience.

Let's kiss Spike's ass a little more and talk about everything involved in his creative direction.
1. The detail in this film is such a treat for the eye. There's always something little to pick up in every shot, and he clearly has such a distinct vision that he does not want to be messed with.
2.On the other side, the scope and cinematography is just awe-inspiring. This land of where the wild things are is beautiful, dark, vast, and a great imaginative surrounding.
3. His ideas are so precise and creative that you can tell that he loves making films and putting all of his creative juice into them, something, I highly look up to.
4.Watching "makings of" on the film shows me the effort he puts into getting things right. The little things he did for Max Records, who plays Max, are so touching and inspiring and to such a point that they built a strong relationship which, if they hadn't, I don't think the movie would've succeeded.

One of the things that Jonze talked about when starting this piece, is that he wanted to have the wild things to be mock ups of wild human emotions. We see these in the different characters who embody emotions Max and the people around him have. Before the film kicks off with Max going to where the wild things are, we're given only about twenty minutes of exposition seeing what Max's life is like in reality, at home. And in these short minutes we see just glimpses of what his life is like, however these glimpses show everything we need to see in order to draw parallels between the wild world Max imagines and the real one. We see his relationship with his mother, with his older sister, with school, with the older kids on the block, and the way he sees the "boring" world, and all of this in under twenty minutes. Looking at the way the real world is shot is also beautiful, but beautiful in it's own way, and not fantastical as is the wild world is. And this is all due to, once again, Jonze's directing.

Most complaints I've heard about this film are that when we get to the land of where the wild things are, it looses it's story, and looses it's narrative. I think that, that was the point. When Max get's to this land, it's a full escapism into childhood. It's incoherent, crazy, wild, sad, confusing, strange, new, and exciting. And that's what childhood is to many of us, and that's what I think Spike Jonze recognized with this. That's why the movie is mostly the wild things interacting with each other and dealing with emotions new and old, and that's why it ends up being a great mediation on childhood feeling and life.

I can't say enough good about this film. Some of the things I haven't touched on, but are to be recognized are:
-the great voice work by the wild things
-the superb work by Max Records playing Max
-the effects and how they worked with their amount of money and made it fantastic
-the amazing soundtrack by The Yeah Yeah Yeah's lead singer Karen O
-the amazing costume department for creating the wild thing suits and making them work

See this film and think about when you were younger and what a simple, confusing, and fantastic time that was.

Martin.

Life: Kirk Cameron (ass from growing pains) and religious propagation NOW WITH %100 MORE CONTRADICTIONS!!

This post is not me spouting hate or ranting about religion. The fact of the matter is, is that I do not care what you believe in. Do what you believe to be right and true and whichever god or whichever faith or whichever inevitability you believe in will judge you in that way. This is simply to show the BULLSHIT that is Kirk Cameron and people like him. Not people who believe in his beliefs, people who share the same "theories" and their way of going about preaching them to the world.

I am not religious. I was not raised religious, and have never felt a divine prescence or calling in my life. I was raised in a much spiritual back round however, that being said, I do feel there is maybe some spiritual connection between beings and the world. However I believe that this connection is the powerful human interactions and connections we share, and that is what gives us this spiritual connection throughout us all. Now that that's out of the way, let me talk about freedom of religion.
In this country, it is a right to practice and believe in any religion you see fit. Now unfortunately, this right does not stop prejudice and hate towards different religious and ethnic groups. Even slight differences under the branch of Catholicism. Hate is most evidently shown towards various Muslim beliefs and peoples. I don't see why people can't accept the way others think and choose to act, but this is not what this post is about. This post is about the preaching propagation and contradictions of Kirk Cameron.
This guy:


Okay, well, he's grown up now but I'm sure you recognize him from the sitcom Growing Pains. I loved that show when I was a kid. Do I love Kirk Cameron? Not so much.

Cameron was once an atheist, converting to become a Christian evangelist in his late teens. He now spends his days trying (and failing) to disprove the theory of evolution, Darwin's origin of species, and atheist/agnostic beliefs. It is not his beliefs that bother me, it is the way he goes about preaching them and the lazy, contradictory information he blurts out.

Bill O'Reilly had Cameron on his show, O'Reilly probably inviting him because they share the same beliefs and well that's just easy. Cameron and O'Reilly both agree that us "scientists", us "atheists" say we have no idea of how we got here, how it all started, we have no idea.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE BIG BANG THEORY IS. It is a THEORY but it is still an IDEA of how THIS all started. First there were chemicals and compounds and elements, WE KNOW THIS STUFF, GET YOUR SHIT RIGHT! IT'S YOUR SHIT!

Cameron says, and I quote, "nothing becoming something, blowing up and becoming an organized everything just doesn't fit logic with me." THAT'S NOT WHAT EVOLUTIONISTS BELIEVE. YOU'RE GOING ALONG WITH CREATIONISTS THEORY, SOMETHING COMING FROM NOTHING. YOU CAN'T TRY TO DISPROVE SOMETHING IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT SOMETHING IS!!!! Evolution is the natural progression of adapting species coming from other species. He goes onto say that to prove evolution you have to be able to see transitional forms and we just don't have that......
...
..
.
YES WE DO!!!! WE CAN SEE PLAIN BEFORE OUR EYES THE TEMPORARY TRANSITIONAL ANIMAL FORMS IN THE FOSSIL RECORDS. WE HAVE MOCKED UP WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE THE SKIN AND MAKE UP OF THESE FORMS TO GIVE THEM SHAPE AND APPEARANCE BUT WE STILL HAVE THE FOSSILS TO PROVE TRANSITIONAL PROGRESSION.
You can literally see the bone transformation and adaptation in fossil records. You can literally see the crossover "in-betweens" of certain species.

When we celebrated the Origin of Species anniversery Cameron and a friend published a 50 page long introduction to the book, added it on, and gave it out at universities. Apparently, this introduction includes such facts as: the similarities and cross overs from Darwin to Hitler, Darwin's racism and discrimination towards woman, and various other "facts" about Darwin hating God. Darwin, did not hate God. He did not believe in the theory that there is an omniscient being controlling everything. Just like Cameron and O'Reilly do not believe in the big bang THEORY. Also, he says that we shouldn't agree with Darwin because of his racist antics and discrimination towards woman. Oh, but the thousands of years of discrimination of woman in the church and christian philosophy is okay. Oh, and the discrimination and hate towards homosexuals is okay. Oh, and starting a fucking war based on religious convictions and an ethnicity is okay (see the Crusades). Good job guys, you really know your facts.

Cameron's propaganda and contradictions run as thick as the dramatic story lines in Growing Pains (possibly thicker?). I'm only scratching the tip of the iceberg and only dealing with Cameron's O'Reilly appearance but there is evidence of his BULLSHIT in his daily life.

Proof read your fucking ideologies.


Martin.

Movie Review: The Invention of Lying.

Lying is a funny thing, and so is truth. I could say The Invention of Lying is the funniest film of the year. But alas, that would a lie. The new film by British comedian Ricky Gervais deals with a parallel universe in which no one has ever told a lie. Not only that, but humans are incapable of lying. So, everyone tells the truth all the time. Then one day, a pudgy loser with a snub nose (as he's described in pretty much ever scene in the movie...we get it) discovers the invention of lying. So now that everyone excepts everything as the truth, they will believe anything this pudgy loser with a snub nose says.

That sounds like an awesome, original premise. Unfortunately, the film is bland, dull, not very funny, and pretty depressing. That being said, the film does have some funny moments. However they are mere chuckles, and most of which are found in the trailer. Also, the premise has plot holes: why are people honest about only uncomfertable, mean, and awkward things? If everyone tells the truth, shouldn't everyone be used to it? Because Gervais's character seems to be put down by anything anyone says to him.

Ricky Gervais is known for his UK sitcoms The Office and Extras, both, which I highly enjoy. However the film is more like Extras and less like The Office which isn't really a good thing. Extras is great, don't get me wrong, and even though it is funny, it can be insanely depressing as well (see the Christmas special). It seems like Mr. Gervais has taken the: this-guy's-life-sucks and look-at-these-crappy-situations-good-grief scenarios out of Extras and has left out the hilarity.

This is Mr. Gervais's directorial debut and that fact is very evident when looking at the film. There's hardly any color, the camera shots are bland, and everyone seems to be wearing these gray/brown colors that just depress your movie experience. Sure, some of these faults are due to the cinematography and costume design (or lack there of) but as a director, Gervais should be able to control the look of his movie. This would work...if it wasn't a comedy...Unless, this was the look he wanted and in that case, he's probably not the best director.

I hate ragging on the guy, I love his comedy, and I love him, but this is just a weak movie. They had so much going for it: a great concept, great comedic thinkers behind it, and an AMAZING cast, yet none of it is used to its potential. When I saw AMAZING cast, it's no exaggeration. Besides Ricky, we have the great comedian Louis C.K (check out his standup and specials), Tina Fey, Jeffery Tambour, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill, and cameos from comedic actors and serious actors like Jason Batmen, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Edward Norton. WE HAVE A MOVIE WITH CAPOTE AND THE HULK and yet they're all under played.

Overall, I DID get chuckles out of the film. It's not horrible. But they just use depressing situations and try to make them funny...but they're just not...Maybe rent it, maybe you'll enjoy it. Maybe I'm being too harsh, maybe I'm too cynical...but probably not.

Martin.

Movie Reveiw: Titanic

In several posts I have stated my hate for the 2000 film Titanic. I have never really backed my points up so now, I'll take the time to do that.

James Cameron, in my eyes, is a fantastic director. Terminator, T-2, Aliens, and True Lies are some of the best action pictures I have ever seen. And then he did this: This bland, predictable, shit storm that is Titanic.

Titanic is the highest grossing movie...ever...IT BEAT THE DARK KNIGHT. FUCK. I saw that it was on TV the other night, and because I'm a masochist and I wanted to procrastinate, I decided to watch a little. And it amazed me when I was finished and saw SEVERAL Facebook status's from girls 15-17 saying things like, "Omg Titanic is my fav movie everrrr!" Or, "Leo Decaprio is so sexy! Lolz." Or, "Is watching my fav movie Titanic with my loverrr Leonardo!"

...

IT'S NOT A GOOD FILM. IT'S JUST NOT! This film is weak sauce. It had potential, but fell flat on many levels.

First off, the film is called Titanic. Nothing more, nothing less than Titanic. So, shouldn't it be about the terrible disaster that was the sinking Titanic? Oh we're gonna focus on two people who we don't care about and watch them run around the ship and giggle? Then, oh no! The ship sinks threatening their love?! Fuck that shit. If a movie is called TITANIC it should be about the TITANIC. Not about too bland characters we DO NOT care about. She's rich, he's poor blah blah blah they over come their financial differences blah blah he's artsy he draws her blah blah they prance around the boat blah blah her parents don't approve blah blah Celine Dion. The script SHOULD HAVE focused on some real stories of the Titanic: maybe about the mail men who drowned while trying to fulfill their duties of hauling heavy mail bags or the workers in the engine room who drowned trying to keep the ship going. Now we do get non-fictional characters but they're there mostly to fill the scenery and for Cameron to say, "Look, Look! Non-fiction that's interesting but were not going to focus on let's cut to Jack doing a jigg and Rose laughing! That's romantic, right?"
So Instead of interesting plot we focus on these pretty douchebags:


Now, I like both Kate Winslet and Leo Decaprio but they both do such a mediocre job in this.
There's a scene involving the contrivance of some guy we don't spend much time on, chaining Jack up to a pole for some reason we don't really care about. He leaves, and Rose enters to see her lover in peril.
This is their conversation.
-Jack!
-Rose!
-Jack!!
-Rose!
-You're chained Jack!
-Get me out of these chains Rose!
-Jack oh no!
-Get the axe Rose!
-Jack Jack Jack!
-Rose! Rose!
-Jack!
-Hit the chain with the axe Rose!
-Okay Jack! (she hits the chain with the axe, freeing Jack thus making this scene entirely pointless).

The film was hailed for its effects upon it's release. Uh, why? The effects do not hold up a bit to today's standards and that would be fine if it wasn't made in the 2000's. Jurassic Park came out in the 90s and it's effects kicks Titanic's ass.

This film has been kind of the poster child for romanticism but I can't see why. The lead's romance never feels real, never organic. The dialogue is pushed and the characters are forced.
When Jack is freezing in the water and says, "Never let go." and Rose says, "I won't!" And she let's go isn't romantic. It's stupid. Maybe if he told her to let go And she said, "Never." Talking about their love...or some shit...uh...football....And she let him drift away MAYBE that would work. But probably not.

Anyway, this was a spontaneous post and I'm probably gonna get a lot of hate from it but, it really did not deserve the attention, Oscars, nor the acclaim it got.

Weak Sauce.

Martin.

Important Thing: No excuses here, I'm just lazy.

So, a couple things.
I posted something talking about how school would delay me from blog posts blah blah blah blah, which was true but not the main reason why I haven't posted anything in...two weeks? Go. Me.
I haven't even kept my promise of having the WEEKLY top five. Clearly, I don't know what weekly means.
There's no, a boo hoo family tragedy, or I got in a car accident and am now a vegtable, no no, none of that, I'm just lazy. So, for anyone who reads this and cares, sorry. Mainly, this was just for me so I can apologize and feel better about myself.

Also, there are many movies coming out soon as well as ones that I've seen but haven't gotten around to reviewing, again, lazy. So expect movie reviews of:
-The Invention of Lying
-Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
-Where the Wild Things Are
-Zombieland

Plus others seen on DVD and such.

That is all.

Martin.

Top Five Weekly: Batman and Robin WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?! Moments.

What the fuck-who the-fucking-what the fuck are you doing?! Is the mindset I have ever time I catch Batman and Robin on TV or decide to perform masochism and watch it by my own means. The what the fuck are you doing, refers to the cast, the director (Joel Shumacher), and everyone involved in the film.
There are plenty of WHAT THE FUCK?! moments in the film, these are my top five. Ice.

5. Bane:
Bane from the comics:


Batman and Robin:



In the comics Bane BREAKS BATMAN'S BACK. In the movie Batman and Robin? He's fat.
While still being over the top ridiculous when it comes to pulsating.

4. Costumes:
This movie is infamous for the infamous bat-nipples. Not only did the Batman and Robin Bat suits have nipples on the pecks, they also had ass imprints and a cock piece.
WHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?! Also, the Mr. Freeze suit is over the top and ridiculous, the poison ivy costume is silly, and even the extras in the back round beg the question what the fuck?

3. Casting:
Seriously? Arnold? As Mr. Freeze? Seriously? George Clooney? Seriously?
Despite having an A-list cast all who have done good acting in the past (excluding Arnold), yet they bring these guys together AND ALL of them do terribly. None of them fit the part, none of them act the part, all of them were just waiting for that big fat pay check.

2. Miscellaneous:
A few things that don't deserve their respected number, but when put together, they make number two.
-Batman's line: "This is why Superman works alone." FUCK YOU WRITERS.
-BatCard: Batman has a freaking credit card. AHHHHHHH.
-Robin yelling COWABUNGA when sky boarding through the air. Which also doesn't make any sense.
-The camera always tilting on an axis during the opening credits, and the majority of the shots not being set up well.

1. Ice puns. All of them.
Here are a few of Arnold's puns on the word ice as well as things he says that hold no actual relevance, he just says them because, well, he likes ice. Get it? Mr. Freeze? Yeah, these writers were lazy.
-Ice to meet you.
-Let's kick some ice.
-You'll become a nice, ice snow cone.
-What killed the dinosaurs? The ICE age! (okay that's not even true, just use Google.)
-Batman, you have to chill!
-Allow me to break the ice.
I am dead serious, Mr. Freeze actually says these lines. And now, Mr. Freeze is the ice Governor of ice California.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNaDZIrxh-0

That is all.

Martin.
.ice.

Life: le⋅gal⋅ize [lee-guh-lahyz] to make legal, to authorize.

*NOTE: This is going to be a change in pace from my usual posts*

This is a topic that maybe, I don't know the most about. But hey, I never know what I'm talking about, why should today be any different?

There is talk throughout the country about legalizing the illegal drug marijuana. I will say upfront that I do not, nor have I ever used marijuana or any drug for that matter but this topic, is something that I believe highly in, and feel it should be discussed.

The war on drugs has failed. I will say this right off the bat. We have only exasperated the the illegal drug trade and use, and we have no one to blame but ourselves. Now, when I say we should legalize marijuana I am talking about this one, particular substance. I am not suggesting legalization of all drugs, even though there would be certain benefits such as a decrease in crime and less use of shared needles resulting in less HIV positive Americans. However the cons out weigh the pros in the legalizing of all drugs.

When it comes to marijuana however, I believe it is a topic not to be taken lightly and to be heavily considered. I stress the point of the discussion being taken seriously because of what I have seen from our current president. Now listen, I am a liberal, and am thoroughly supportive of Obama and his presidency. However something that disheartens me is what he has to say on the subject of marijuana.

Listen to what he says here the topic, I believe this was when he was still running:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5rejhaYDOI

I find this an inconsiderate and an immature evasion of discussing the topic of legalization. I believe our president did this to win over certain conservative folk and higher up influences and to evade actually discussing the matter. He laughs at the question, alluding that certain web users are simple stoners. If you look at the people behind him they are laughing and nudging their associate and mocking the web users question who meant it as an actual question and a query to Obama. This is unfair and an immature way to go about real American's real thoughts and opinions.

Listen to what he says back in 2004 about decriminalization:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQr9ezr8UeA

Okay, now here he does not say he is for legalization, however, he does talk seriously about rethinking our strategy and decriminalization of our laws. This is what he should have went about discussing it in the first video. He takes the matter seriously with respect and brings it up as a serious topic of rethinking our failures.

But enough about Obama, that was one of few issues I have with our president.

Moving on, I would like to talk breifly about the educational system and how it affects the use and growth of the popularity of the drug.
If you don't know what D.A.R.E is, you're probably....old....
Started ini 1983 d.a.r.e was an organization specializing in the education of preventing drug habits in teenagers. Now I think it is a dandy organization and their efforts in controlling gang membership and violence has been helpful in the decrease of violence in today's schools.
However what started, I believe as an effect of d.a.r.e, was that schooling systems across the country started scaring kids, and forcing anti drug policies and no tolerance toward drug using. Drugs were starting to be used as sodomy or something that is the worst thing that's ever existed ever. Ever.
Check out this 1980's drug psa shown on cable and in schools:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giGkt5oAhT0
WHAT THE FUCK?! Not only is the video disturbing TO ME a fifteen year old, jaded high school student, but they showed this shit to kids, during Saturday morning fucking cartoons. There are several ones like this.
Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyXFN4ocN_o&feature=related
WHAT THE SHIT?!

The educational system was, and still is, using scare tactics to frighten kids out of drugs. Maybe their intentions were good, however I think that one of the reasons drugs and alcohol are such a part of today's teen culture is because of the way it's expressed through school. Sure, it's important to educate, however we should do this in a mature, serious tone, not in ways that will give kids nightmares.
Now that they have stressed the disturbing aspects of drug use, kids now use them because it's extra bad. They think, oh, it's bad. BAD, is a bad word. Kids and people, often do illegal things BECAUSE THEY'RE ILLEGAL, BECAUSE THEY'RE "BAD".

I'm done with the educational system, they are a system so fucked up I need to address all there flaws in a follow up post.


Okay, now the pros of legalization of marijuana.
-if we section it in small, controllable doses, we can tax it, thus, raking in money, thus, helping our economy get back up on track.
-our medical use for the drug is so small and rarely taken advantage of and if we legalize it, there will be numerous benefits such as: it increases appetite in AIDS and cancer patients, it eases the digestive system of AIDS and cancer patients also those who have digestion issues, reducing interocular pressure in people with glaucoma, it eases pain.
-depression is a serious and dark topic that hundreds of Americans deal with, marijuana is a stress reliever, it has less side effects than most anti-depressant medication.
-people absurdly arrested for possession or under the influence of pot will be released from prison and overcrowding will significantly decrease.

You cannot tell me, that you're against saving the economy. You cannot tell me, that you're against relieving pain for AIDS patients. You can not tell me that depression, oh isn't all that bad.


Another point that I want to address is what a lot of people against legalization of pot are saying. I've had discussions with a couple of people against it and one point that seems to come up in all conversations is, "oh well if pot is legal, everyone's gonna start doing it and there will be a huge death and intellectual tole."
No, no, NO.
Heroin does not appeal to me, just watch Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream, and if it were suddenly legal, it does not mean I will pick it up and shove a needle into my vain or snort a line. Same goes for most people. If they are against something, however that something is not available, and that something randomly becomes available, said person will not just pick it up because they can. Human opinion and thought doesn't just go out the window if something is easy or because an individual CAN.

Also, there is no compelling evidence that marijuana causes long lasting side effects, brain damage, or death.

This was a long post, there are other points I'm not going to get to, I just wanted to get that out there, to try to help inform people. People as in whoever reads this. Which is two people.

That is all.

Martin.

PS: If you have a rebuttal or argument against this topic, or anything I say, email me at melectricsheep@aol.com

Tits and Giggles: Geekdom: Geek stories.

This post is about the many situations I have been in, in high school, that contain Geeky subject matter. Usually, I'll say something Geeky, no one will get it, so I run home and cry.

The following are true events, names have been changed for confidentiality:

Ninth Grade, circa October-November:

In my bio class one day my teacher was arguing with Girl 1.
They were talking about something or other, I wasn't really paying attention to what they were arguing about.
Girl 1: (shouting at the teacher) What do you expect me to do?! Do you expect me to talk?!

Me: (loudly to the whole class) No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!!
*crickets*

Now, I didn't think this was particularly Geeky but APPARENTLY no one has seen Goldfinger in my high school...

Ninth Grade, circa April-May:

Girl in my class who often gets annoyed at my weird behavior but then when I explain, "No, I'm just like that in 4th period Art cause it's so early". I also had History with her. So, I lied:
Okay so the Confucius followers were peaceful, honest, brave and true.

Me: Oh okay, like the Hobbits.

Girl in my class who often gets annoyed at my weird behavior but then when I explain, "No, I'm just like that in 4th period Art cause it's so early". I also had History with her. So, I lied:
...what...?
Me: You know...the Hobbits...Shire...Baggins...?


First day of tenth grade:
In my Chemistry class, my teacher was practicing this fire-cotton-glycerin trick. When he put a ball of cotton on a hot plate it would burst into flame.

Teacher: Has anyone seen or read the Harry Potter series? I missed the last one but, what's the spell to start a fire?

I didn't know, neither did anyone else. I forgot that it was obviously Incendio.

Some ignorant kid: Lumos!

Me: NO! Lumos is to have a beam of light come from your wand! DUUUHHHH!!!

Now, obviously, this was a joke. And to my Geek redemption I got a big laugh from the class so, go me.


Martin.

Geekdom: A brief speculation of Avatar (I spelled brief wrong at first).

A little while ago I talked about the highly anticipated trailer for James Cameron's Avatar. This being Cameron's last movie since that other movie about that rich angst-filled teen and that poor angst-filled teen on that boat.

In that post I praised the film. And while I still am highly excited for it...I found some flaws...

If you haven't seen the trailer yet watch it so you'll know what I'm talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myoHDzre-Cw

Okay now Sam Worthington is the main character. He plays a paraplegic war veteran in a wheelchair going to the planet of Pandora. We see Sam's character getting off of a high tech spaceship wheeling himself in a wheelchair...now, in the same shot, we see this:



So uh...they have this...but they can't conquer this:



WE ALREADY HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT PARAPLEGICS (though it may be in primitive form). Also, HE'S A WAR VETERAN! UNLESS THEY LIVE IN SOME DICTATORSHIP, SOLDIERS ARE COVERED WITH HEALTH INSURANCE.
This means that THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO GIVE HIM SOME FORM OF LEG BRACE WHETHER ROBOTIC OR NOT AND THERE SHOULD BE NO EXCUSE TO WHY HE DOES NOT RECEIVE SAID TECHNOLOGY. IT'S A WHEELCHAIR. YOU'RE IN THE FUTURE!
Come on James...

Also, Cameron said that the technology used in the film is unlike anything anyone's ever seen and that the film will be revolutionary. Really, it looks as good as Revenge of the Sith. Maybe it's going to be in the 3D aspect of the film that will blow me away but as of now, I don't see anything revolutionary.

I still think the film looks great and am still excited for it. I guess we'll have to wait for it on the big screen.

Martin.

Important Thing: Life: *sigh* School.

Most unfortunately, I have started my Sophomore year of high school today. What this means is that I will have much more work to do and my schedule will be conflicting with my recent Blogging habits (once a day or every other day). I will also have a huge amount of stress to deal with. So, this means I'm not going to have a concrete schedule for new Blogs to come out. The one concrete post that I can tell you is that weekly there will still be the Top Five list. Other than that, I'm going to have to just Blog whenever I can if this means a couple days between posts then so be it.

It will not be as bad as it was when I went to L.B.I but just a warning to keep patient.

That is all.

Thanks.

Martin.

Top FIve Weekly: Movie Duos (I kinda cheat kinda).

Yes that's right! Top Five favorite duos!! A question pondered throughout the ages by scholars and fanboys alike!

LET'S DO THIS.

5. R2-D2: Star Wars (all of them):
What's great about this duo (alike with two others on this list) is that one of them can talk, one of them can't, yet one of them is able to translate for everyone else. This gives the two this endearing dependence. And even though they bicker and go separate ways in Tatooine, they always end up together and have their wacky adventures. What's great about duos, most especially with R2 and 3PO, is that they have such distinct personalities EVEN WITH BEING DROIDS! And even when they don't serve there kind here or they are not the droids you're looking for, they still make it on the list.

4. Kirk and Spock: Star Trek (all of them):
Starting in the original series, James T Kirk and Spock were loyal friends as captain and first mate. In the alternate universe that the most recent Star Trek movie created, they really did not get along all that well...we see their friendship bloom in a new way then it did originally, and I admit it, I got a little teary eyed when future Spock told Kirk, "I have been and always shall be, your friend." They are great characters when separate, but great friends and thinkers when together. In no matter what universe.

3. Jay and Silent Bob: The Kevin Smith movies:
I consider these two the foul mouth pothead versions of Han Solo and Chewbacca. In almost every written and directed Kevin Smith film, these two are like Han and Chewie and R2 and 3PO in that there is that communication barrier but they understand each other, however different in that Silent Bob usually has one final monologue at the end of a film dishing out wisdom and life lessons. Jay and Bob have crazy adventures and never cease to entertain and make me laugh. They are also on a poster hanging right above my desk where I am writing this right now.
Hey guys. Snoochie.

2. The Hobbits: Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy:
Okay, okay, okay this is a foursome of Hobbits (ew) HOWEVER after The Fellowship of the Ring they split up, Frodo and Sam going off to Mount Doom, and Merry and Pippin getting captured by the Uruk-Hai. After that, they both go their separate ways only to reunite in one of the 14 endings of Return of the King. I still count them as the Hobbits and group them together however. What I love about these four is that when they're in their two groups they both have distinct characteristics and adventures, Frodo and Sam having a more difficult and melancholic one where as Merry and Pippin have a more light hearted romp ending of course at Return at the battle of Minas Tirith. However when they are together, they have such a great friendship chemistry and are such good friends that I just want to kick back, smoke a pipe, and talk about strawberries and the simpleness of life on the Shire.

1. Han and Chewie.
Of course! My all time favorite duo of all time, Han Solo and Chewbacca. I love both of these characters so much that when together, they form a Geekgasm of fantasticness. Again, sharing the R2, 3PO characteristic, Chewbacca speaks in grunts and moans, the language of the Wookies, and only Han understands him. Together they pilot the Millennium Falcon and defeat Stormtroopers like they're being payed 20,000 credits for it. And even though Chewie doesn't wear pants, and has an over sized belt from around his shoulder to hip, Han doesn't discriminate. He is proud to be Chewie's friend, and they are by far, the greatest movie duo.

Top Five Weekly: Summer Movies.

*NOTE: this was supposed to be posted last Thursday but through complications it was not, kinda ruining the whole weekly thing. To make it up for you all, the next one will be up Tuesday*

Sadly...it is September 3rd...and even though summer doesn't technically end until school comes back in session, I like to think that the summer movie season ends right when August does.
And well, as far as summer movies go...it's been (I hate people who say this but) a mixed bag.

A few things to mention: The movies I count at "Summer Movies" have come out between May and August. Also I am going on the films I've seen, I have not seen every movie that's been released.

Really, it's been a stronger summer for independent films, and a weaker one for more BIG BUDGET IN YOUR FACE ones.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: This is important because 5 is such an oh so small number. Give some love to the films that didn't make it in the list: Inglorious Basterds, Moon, Funny People, and Up (a film that was SO close to getting the number 5 spot).

And now onto the big show!!!(big show?):

5. Away We Go:
Directed by Sam Mendes and starring Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski, two people you wouldn't expect to get great dramatic performances from, Away We Go was greatly written, directed, acted, but maybe just fell a little short because the chemistry between Maya and John seemed more like brother and sister than boyfriend and girlfriend. Check out this funny and poignant story about a couple going across the country to find a home, ready to raise a family.

4. 500 Days of Summer:
A hilarious romantic comedy romp starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as they tumble over such quirky and original obstacles as an inappropriate grandmother! Trouble with the family dog! And Craig T Nelson as an inept father :(!
At least...that's what they could have done here...
Instead, director Marc Webb has created a sweet story of boy meets girl...except it is much more than that. It avoids cliches, dull characters, and manages to stay true to actual, factual love.
SEE THIS FILM.

3. District 9:
It is rare when Sci Fi fanboys such as myself are treated to a decent, smart Science Fiction film. But oh boy does it look like Christmas came twice (ew). What I love about this film is that it stays true to true Science Fiction which is comprehensive fiction you can believe, with a Scientific touch that makes it more grander. And if you strip the Science or less believable elements of the story you still get an intense narrative. There are obvious messages in the film paralleling the situation in South Africa but it doesn't shove it in your face which is very refreshing.The less you know about District 9 the more you will get out of the film but I will say that it delivers one of the smartest, most original, most entertaining Science Fiction films in the past decade. Oh and this film is not at all for the squeamish, I did find myself queasy at some parts and let me just say if you like the way you feel about your fingernails intact...don't see this movie...well do, but shun your eyes.

2. The Hurt Locker
Definitely one of the year's best films, The Hurt Locker, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, is a gripping, adrenaline rush, character study about soldiers in Iraq who specialize in defusing bombs. The movie deals with the tolls these characters have to face after going day after day in these situations that force enough adrenaline into your veins to kill a baby gorilla. Something I quite enjoyed is that it is unlike other war or Iraq movies in that it has a message, but like D9 it doesn't shove it any where in your body at any point. Like a minimum security prison: there's the punishment of solitary and dealing with what you did, but there's no Lawrence Fishbourne esque man named Midnight confronting you at nap time. All jokes a side, it's a really great film and highly deserves Oscar attention for the stars, the writer, and director.

1. Star Trek:
Of Course! The BID BUDGET HIGH GROSSING Star Trek revamp (kinda)! For me, Star Trek was the funnest time I had at the movies this summer. It managed to be many things: a love letter to die-hard fans, a new way for people who have no knowledge of ST to get emerged in the mythology, and all the while being a great entertaining summer movie. Now there are films on this list that are BETTER FILMS however ST entertained me the most, and entertainment is the number one thing a summer movie should have. It is also not a perfect film. Some flaws being: questionable motives for the villain (a Romulan played by Eric Bana) and not answering what Red Matter is, what it does, or when it will do certain things (either you travel through time ooorrrr you implode, either one). It is still a great, fun movie making it the best summer movie of 2009. Oh and it's directed by J.J Abrams, someone who's deeply loved in the Geek community for creating Lost. Love you J.J....even for Mission Impossible III....that was...that was a little weak.

If you disagree with this list, or anything I say, email me at melectricsheep@aol.com

Stay tuned NEXT WEEK for Top Five Movie Duos!!!

Martin.

Geekdom(kinda)?: The Boondock Saints 2 TRAILER!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.
If you are a boy/man. And you like boy/man things. Please, please do yourself a favor and go out and rent The Boondock Saints.

Considered a cult classic, The Boondock Saints, went pretty under the radar when it was initially released. Now what happened afterwords was various scandals surrounding the director, Troy Duffy. I'm not going to get into that right now, but he tried to get Boondock Saints 2 off the ground for a while and FINALLY, we have a trailer! And...it looks...well judge for yourself, but personally I think it looks fantastic. With much of the original cast returning it looks just as badass as the first one.
Something that concerns me however is that they have Bender from The Breakfast Club as the villian here...now I love TBC but...really? He was THIS available? Who am I to judge he may to a good job..

Here ya'll go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vzynkteq1Y

OH MAN, am I SO PUMPED.

So go check out the first one if you haven't already, and get excited for The Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day.

Hell yeah.

Martin.

Tits and Giggles In my pants.

*Note. I heard the term Tits and Giggles as a play on the British saying Kicks and Giggles. I believe I heard if from a British man...they say tits a lot. Anyway, just clearing up the term.
Also, no I do not recall where I heard the saying. Also, do not Google tits and giggles to find said origin. It's regrettable.

One of my favorite (living) authors, John Green, once coined the term In My Pants. He learned a beautiful fact after getting cream cheese in the grooves of his pants to which a friend exclaimed, "You got cream cheese...in your pants." He learned that if you had in my pants to things not meant to be funny they become quite funny. Oh, and your is interchangeable for my. So, in my pants is the same effect.

Most effectively, books.
This is a list of books on my bookshelf or in my pants:
-the Hindu philosophy book: Courage and Contentment in my pants.
-Monster in your pants.
-Looking For Alaska in your pants (a John Green book!).
-An Abundance of Katherines in my pants (a John Green book!).
-When the Tripods Came in my pants.
-The Hard Goodbye in my pants.

Also, album names!:
-Take Shape in my pants.
-Sticky Fingers in my pants.ew.
-Big Ones in your pants.
-Strange Weirdos in my pants.
-Thick as a Brick in my pants. Okay that's a song...

Also, movies!:
-Grumpy Old Men in my pants.
-12 Angry Men in your pants.
-The Lost Boys in your pants.
-Milk in your pants.
-Zack and Miri Make a Porno in your pants.
-Sexy Beast in your pants.
-The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in my pants.

So try this to anything in everything and hopefully it will brighten up your day.

That is all in my pants.

Martin.

Important Thing: What you should be listening to. PART DEUX.

Hello friends.
This is a follow up music post about various recommendations of music that I love and that I want YOU to love!

Now this list ranges from different genres of music, some of which some people may not enjoy. Read the blurb, and if it appeals to you give it a try.

-The Dreadful Yawns: I recently discovered this indie band and I have been listening to them frequently since then. Their album Take Shape has songs often covering upbeat rock and more somber punk. My favorites on Take Shape are: Expecting Rain, Kill Me Now, and Catskill.

-Grizzly Bear: Oh just listen to them.
Check out: Veckatimest

-Pixies: Often very moody, very loud, and very different, Pixies is a band that experiments in different genres and sounds.
Check out: Hey, Debaser, Where is My Mind, and Here Comes Your Man.

-Wolf Parade: With different, often haunting vocals, Wolf Parade, is a band to listen to when maybe you're dealing with a variety of emotions.
Check out: I'll Believe in Anything (one of my favorite songs), Shine a Light, This Heart's on Fire, and Modern World. As well as the album all these songs are on Apologies to Queen Mary.

-Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!: This band...is a very acquired taste. They take the strange vocals of Wolf Parade to a whole new level...I don't know many people who like them but hey, maybe you'll be one of them. Probably not.
Check Out: Satan Said Dance, Over and Over Again, Gimme Some Salt, and Home On Ice.

-Matisyahu: A Hasidic Jew who voices ideas of Judaism and peace through Reggae, Rock, and Hip Hop sounds. He is someone not to be missed or overlooked. He also grew up right across the Hudson in White Plains. So, we're all practically famous.

-Kings of Convenience: Taking things down a notch, KOC is a quiet, melancholic, and personal group focusing on more jammin slow tunes.
Check out their albums Riot on an Empty Street and Quiet is the New Loud.

-Frightened Rabbit: Having just heard about this group yesterday, I don't have much to say for I haven't listened to them at great lengths. But from what I have heard I've liked. Check them out.
I've been listening to their album The Midnight Organ Fight.

Okay, that's enough for this post, hope you found some new artists to check out.

Thanks for reading.

Martin.

Movie Review: Inglorious Basterds, or if you graduated fourth grade, Bastards.

The name Quentin Tarantino has become synonymous with words like: violent, ultra violent,
nostalgic, and entertaining. And his newest film Inglorious Basterds is no exception.

The film is a totally recognizable Tarantino film however at the same time it's not a Tarantino film.

Let me explain. Much of the dialogue, although mostly subtitled, is recognizably Tarantino as well as the soundtrack. Sporting killer bass lines and huge over the top orchestra pieces, just hearing the soundtrack will make you realize that you're watching a Quentin Tarantino film.

However, what we get here is a more, I don't want to say mature, but sophisticated Tarantino. Not sophisticated in the sense that it is tame and clean but sophisticated in the sense that he focuses more on smart, drawn out dialouge scenes, the best ones dealing with Christoph Waltz's character Col. Hans Landa. Now that is not to say there arent classic, twisted, intense, Tarantino action scenes, there are, but what the migority of the film is, is several (almost over long) talking scenes. All of which I heavily enjoyed but the point I'm trying to stress here is that it isn't a typical Quentin Tarantino flick, which unfortunately is what it's advertised as.

I mentioned Christoph Waltz playing a character known as The Jewhunter. He BY FAR does the strongest acting here, and I would not be surprised if he got a Best Supporting Oscar nomination for his work here. Everyone else here is also quite good. Brad Pitt is funny and charismatic, all the basterds do a good job of scalping people, and most extras all do very capable jobs.

Oh yeah remember the Jewish nerd from Freaks and Geeks?:

He kills Nazis in this. No, not with a dummy.

Another quick note is that the twisted director of films like: Cabin Fever, Hostel, and Hostel 2, Eli Roth, plays one of the basterds known as the Jew Bear, who specializes in killing Nazis...with a baseball bat...Awesome.

Now, it's funny, because I say, "yeah! Kill those Nazis!", which I'm sure many people who watch this film will do. However there is a certain amount of irony in this film and even though Tarantino says he doesn't put messages or morals into his films, in this one, he certainly shows an ironic parallel. The irony comes into play with a German film within a film called Nation's Pride. The film consists of a German sniper shooting American soldiers as they scream and fall off of stuff. Now we see whilst this film is being shown, the Germans watching it, are laughing and cheering about Americans being murdered. HOWEVER that is the same thing WE are doing to the Nazis e.g "Nazis being killed by a baseball bat. Awesome".

The film manages to remain comically violent and funny throughout the entirety while still being serious throughout the entire thing. However when you're dealing with the subject matter of WWII, I can see how many people will be offended by this film.

All in all, it's entertaining, it's escapism, it's bloody, and it is a good time.
Is it as good as Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs? Not at all. Is it better than Kill Bill I and II? Yes.


Martin.

PS: One night, my mom once said, and I'm quoting, "Martin, you look like...you look like one of those Jewish nerds."

Tits and Giggles: YouTube, Now With More Time Wasting Goodness!

In today's day and age, we seem to be surrounded by the media. In advertising and television, in movies and the world wide interwebz. But now...we have advertising in television...and...could it be? Movies on the INTERWEBZ?!
Either this is a sign of the apocalypse or we just found a new way to rot our brains.
Probably both.

Now, I am not new to movies on the interwebz however what has just popped up, is movies on the video sharing YouTube. Various production companies are giving out their hit films for the YouTube community to enjoy.

Lionsgate, for instance, is sharing such hits as:

Top Dog.

Won an Oscar for the greatest. tag line. ever.

Kickboxer...3!


This guy clearly doesn't know the rules of kickboxing. Sweet tattoo though.

And...Hot Boyz.

Do I need to make fun of this one? It's directed by Master P. It stars Snoop Dogg and a fellow named Silkk The Shocker (graceful).

Some other titles include:
-Cry Sea
-Cannibal Man
-Fast Sofa
-Demon Witch Child
-Hittin' It
and
-Frightmare

That's ironic because those six names were the names I had picked out for my future six kids.

I am dead serious. These are all actual movies, actually on YouTube. Go to youtube.com/movies.

That is all.

Martin.

PS:Cry Sea go clean your room. Demon Witch Child don't put that in your mouth.

NEW WEEKLY POST SERIES: Top Five Weekly: Superhero Movies.

This is a new segment where every week I will post a new favorite Top Five dealing with different categories. They will start from #5 to #1. 1 being the best.

This week's category is:
Top Five Superhero Movies! Ever!

5. Superman II :
To me not only does it surpass Superman: The Movie, but it's the superhero movie that really jump started the superhero movie genre. Sure some of the effects and acting haven't aged well, and sure there are a plenty of weird moments: amnesia kiss?, stupid Niagara Falls kid? cellophane S symbol? But that does not make it any the less great. It's campy, it's fun, and it deals with Superhero dilemmas that have rarely been tackled since then.

4. Batman Begins:
Chris Nolan's first attempt at the relaunch of the Batman franchise. And what a first attempt it was. Equally balancing the origin of Batman with a complete new story, Batman Begins was dark, edgy, real, and a breath of fresh air from uh, this:


The one downside to this film is the editing. Most of the action scenes are so quick and randomly edited that it is hard to figure out what's going on, this weak point pushes it back to #4 however it does have Liam Neeson with a Samurai sword. Awesome.

3. Spider-Man 2:
In my opinion, Spider-Man 2 is one of the best movie sequels behind The Godfather 2 and The Empire Strikes Back. Showing the problems of being a superhero and the physical and emotional tole it has on our hero Peter Parker was brilliantly executed in Sam Raimi's second Spider-Man film. With great action, acting, humor, direction, and writing, Spider-Man 2 steals the #3 spot only to be out ranked by...

2. Iron Man:
Last years MEGA ULTRA FANTASTIC hit Iron Man proved many things. It proved Jon Favreau's directing ability, it proved Robert Downey JR could have a comeback, it proved you can tell an entertaining origin story while still having a central story, and it proved that superhero movies are starting to become a thing not just for geeks, but for the mainstream public, proved by its mammoth box office rake in. Like Batman Begins, Iron Man beautifully juggled the origin of Iron Man and the character ark of Tony Stark. Fun action, charismatic acting by all involved, and a great director gives Iron Man the title of the second best superhero film of all time.

And now...number one...

1. If you don't know what number one is you're a fool:
The Dark Knight is the second highest grossing movie...ever...just under, *sigh* fucking Titanic. CURSE YOU TITANIC. Anyway, what Batman Begins got wrong or did a shoddy job at, The Dark Knight perfected. Christopher Nolan took the nit-picky criticism he received from Begins and far surpassed anything anyone could have ever imagined. Me and every other fanboy had our expectations high for this film. And boy, did it ever deliver. The Dark Knight was not only seen as a great superhero film but a great film in general. It was accepted by audiences world wide and won an Oscar for the late Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker (anyone who says Nicholson's was better is wrong). The main criticism for Knight was it's length. As long as the length is not unnecessary I see no problem with getting more film for my 11 bucks. All these reasons and more makes The Dark Knight the best superhero movie. Ever.

Martin.

Geekdom: Avatar AND Wolf Man trailers!

Truly sorry for the amount of delay...I've been starting many posts and just haven't gotten around to finish any of them. I think it's the beach that's 20 feet away from the house I'm staying at. Or it could be my laziness. Probably both. Anyway, today, I have some heavy, heavy Geek/movie news.

James Cameron hasn't made a film in ten years (discounting various documentary projects). His last film being Titanic....*sigh*...I don't care what you say, Titanic is a very well made film, however also a very bad film.

For the past seven years, he has been working on, writing, and directing the new film entitled Avatar.

Starring Sam Worthington (a fellow that is sure to be a gigantic star soon), Avatar is based around a group of soldiers from earth journeying to a planet called Pandora. There they shoot, shoot, shoot, adapt, adapt adapt, shoot, shoot, cry, cry, shoot, adapt, and get eaten, among other things. This is one of the most anticipated films since...well...a while. And FINALLY we have a teaser trailer. Now, it is only a teaser but from the looks of it...well...it looks fantastic.

Check it:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/avatar/
Make sure to watch in HD.

ALSO, this morning we were treated to The Wolf Man remake. Now, generally I am against remakes as well as things directed by Joe Johnston. However, I have been excited for this film ever since I learned of the star studded cast. And now, we have a teaser trailer for it.
And it looks...okay...
Some of it looks amazing and some of it just looks really low budget. I am very disappointed that they chose to make the wolfman transformation scenes in CGI where as it would have been much more successful with practical effects. I kinda digg this trailer, but I guess we'll have to wait for it to come out to judge.

Recognize:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HteUYxycd5k

Hehe it's really stupid when he yells, "I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU." Stupid.

I shall try and have more posts soon in the future.

Martin.

PS: Titanic summary taken from http://www.rinkworks.com/movieaminute/
I did not wright this but boy is it funny:

Leonardo DiCaprio

Your social class is stuffy. Let's dance with the ship's rats and have fun.

Kate Winslet

You have captured my heart. Let's run around the ship and giggle.

(The ship SINKS.)

Leonardo DiCaprio

Never let go.

Kate Winslet

I promise. (lets go)

THE END
Titanic sucks.

Important Thing: Delays.

Currently, my family and I are in L.B.I which means posts will be less frequent than they already have been(I've been slacking). I'll try to post as much as I can and in about two weeks we'll be back to normal (even though I have not been posting that much recently).

Sorry, things will be back to normal eventually (anybody care?).


Martin.

Movie Review: Let The Right One In.

This is not a vampire love story:


This is:



This is not a vampire love story:



This is:



The Swedish film, Let the Right One In, is a vampire love story. A dark, gory, real, heartbreaking, vampire love story. This vampire does not sparkle in the sunlight or play "vampire baseball" and is not played by Robert Pattinson. This vampire is a twelve year old girl who forms a friendship with a fellow twelve year old Oskar. Thus is the premise of LTROI. Their relationship is innocent and enduring played by two Swedish minors who escape token bad child acting, and replace it with profound performances.

The less said about this film the better for you should really go into it not knowing much. There are shocking moments, cringing violence, and disturbing content all whilst remaining innocent and sweet.

This film is really two movies in one. To put it bluntly: You get a love story between two outsiders both feeling outcast from society. With lots of blood. Nice.

The cinematography here is just brilliant. Using bold reds and cool grays and blues in the back round really amps up the tone and gives it a feel of ominous darkness.

This movie is not for the squeamish, however, I would not consider it a horror film. I would also recommend this film to people who don't like vampires or blood because the relationship here is just that powerful. NO this film is not meant for tween girls wetting their pants over a fictional Cullen. NO not everyone will enjoy this film. YES it is certainly one of the best films of last year.

Check this one out but be warned that it is disturbing and might not appeal to wide audiences.

Martin.

Movie Review: A Predictable Getaway (see what I did there? tehehe).

In the day and age of PG-13 thriller/horror flicks, it is refreshing to see a halfway decent rated R one. A Perfect Getaway is such a rated R thriller. It entails a honeymooning couple, played by Steve Zahn and Mila Jokvafoiajowiejfoawkef(chick from resident evil, I was too lazy to look up the spelling), on a trail on an island in Hawaii. When word gets out that there has been a newlywed couple slain on a nearby island they get a little paranoid. On the trail they encounter two other couples who may or may not be the killers. Each couple expects the other one as the first two acts of the film build up to a thrilling Rambo-style third act. Unfortunately, the first two acts? Not so good.

They marketed this film as an action packed thrill-ride with twists at every turn, and after seeing it I said to myself, "uh, kinda?". The thing is, is that the thrill-ride aspect of this film happens in the last act and the two acts building up to that are slow going, predictable, and somewhat boring. Get to the bloodshed. Please?

Steve Zahn and Mila Jolkavichoifwjaoiej meet up with the wonderfully charismatic Timothy Olyphant and...some chick...Olyphant almost saves the first two acts, almost.

Judging by the trailer the third couple, played by two people we don't care about, seem to be a big part of the film. They have a cumulative screen time of about twenty minutes. So what we get is the other two dis-interesting couples making there way to the beach, and at no point do either couple turn back in fear of being murdered because that would be the smart thing to do.

What also happens here is that Steve Zahn plays a screenwriter and throughout the movie Olyphant and Zahn have witty banter about cliche movie happenings or just about plot devices in general. This is to tease the audience about red herrings and possible twists however what it does, is that it just makes things more predictable.

Anyway the main problem with this film, for me anyways, was the fact that the way it was advertised was that it had some MAJOR HUGE TWIST at the end. It was a major huge twist. However, I saw it coming in the beginning of the second act. But hey, maybe I've seen too many movies and I'm too desensitized and maybe most people will have a good time with this. However with this knowledge I found myself wanting to get to the thrilling third act to see some action. Maybe the third act is worth sitting through....on DVD....

Now, this film is rated R so we do get a few fucks here and there, some sexual references, drug references, and intensity. And the action that is here really makes you feel it and cringe. It's bloody, it's suspenseful, it's about twenty five minutes. The parts that I didn't want to end did, and the parts that needed to die did not.

Catch this one on DVD if it's a slow night but fast forward to see some intense, gory, action.

Martin.

Geekdom: OH MY HOLY LORD IRON MAN 2 FOOTAGE. Ahem.

I loved Iron Man. LOVED it. It has everything to satisfy my Geek appetite. With a solid origin story, good character development, and an excellent segway for a sequel, fanboys such as myself are squirming in there seats over anticipation for Iron Man 2. And those lucky enough to attend Comic Con this year (I was not) were treated to some 5 minute clippage of the new Iron Man.
And FINALLY, that footage is now leaked onto the interwebz for Geekboys and Geekgirls to wet their pants and dresses over anticipation.

Here we see Nick Fury (director of S.H.E.I.L.D), Scarlett Johansson as Black Widdow(holy god), the new Jim Rhodes played by Don Cheadle (a better choice than Terrence Howard), Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, and the big news Mickey Rourke as Whiplash. Now, what excites me most is obviously Scarlett as Black Widow (oh..my god) and Sam Rockwell playing weapons dealer Justin Hammer. Sam Rockwell is one of my favorite actors and I giggle just to see him in this (that does not make me less of a man).

The quality is not very good, and it is difficult to hear at times but the 5 minutes is well worth your time.

Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LznLeDkuoBk

Not sure how long that link will be up for, YouTube has a tendency to remove these things but if that does not work you should be able to search over the interwebz for another copy.

Iron Man Rules.

Martin.

Important Thing/Life: John Hughes.

The Breakfast Club.
Sixteen Candles.
Pretty in Pink.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

What do these movies have in common? Besides being all hilarious, all heartfelt, and all belonging to my favorite movies of all time (maybe excluding Sixteen and Pretty), they were all directed and written by one of the best creative minds ever. John Hughes.

There was a point in my middle school years when I discovered these films and the work of John Hughes. He brought us funny and poignant films while all being maybe a little cheesy, but all being entirely entertaining and meaningful. I truly believe that these films gave me the final push to become a creative writer and aspiring director. These films mean a lot to me and are ones that I still re-watch today. Are they great/perfect films? Not at all. Do I love them? With all my heart. Is John Hughes one of my favorite writers/biggest inspirations? Yes.

John Hughes died this morning of a heart-attack while on a morning walk in Manhattan. He was 59. Obviously this came as an enormous shock to me when I heard this a few minutes ago. Yes, it is devastating that he has passed and all his talent with him, but what really hits me is that he hasn't written anything successful in ten years and hasn't directed anything in eighteen.
I was hoping for another hit from Mr. Hughes, maybe something to affect my high school years just like The Breakfast Club did my middle school ones. He captured teen and adult angst like no other and made films which I really connected to. And I believe that if a human being can make a piece of art that connects or changes another human being, that human, has done a good job of being human. Not many people can say they have truly affected someone. John Hughes can.

This morning a legend, a genius, a creative genius, a brain, a criminal, an athlete, and a basket case died. Most suddenly, most horribly died, on a seemingly ordinary day.

Rest in peace Mr. John Hughes.

.silence.

Movie Review: Funny People.

Usually I won't review a movie here that has just come out or a movie that's more popular or one that's mainstream. I am making an exception for, Funny People.

Most movie watchers today know of the comedic writer/director Judd Apatow. Many films go with that name and it seems that his name alone has sparked its own genre. A genre consisting of the same humor, the same actors, and other coincidences. Now, this is not a bad thing. The two previous films Apatow has directed (The 40yearold Virgin, Knocked Up) I have loved and many other films that he has been involved with, either writing or producing, are usually ones I tend to check out. I enjoy this new "genre" of comedy mostly because today we have this type of comedy, and we have things like Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, and Meet the Spartans. Films that I simply despise.

I'm telling you this so you get to know where I'm coming from when I watched Funny People, for this review requires a lot of back round of my expectations, my tastes, and view points.

Funny People is about a successful, aging comedian George, played by Adam Sandler, who discovers he has a fatal blood disease. Upon knowing this he hires Ira, played by the great Seth Rogen, to be his assistant as well as write jokes for him when George goes back to doing stand up.

That's the central plot, what comes with that are various other story lines dealing with Ira's roommates, George's ex-girlfriend who George is trying to win back, Ira's female comedian love interest, along with underlying themes of death, regret, second chances, and friendship. Now, that may sound cheesy, but what Funny People manages to do is capture all these plot lines, themes, and characters in one film, changing the audiences emotion in mere seconds.

One thing that must be mentioned, before I go any further, is that most reviews I've read, and EVERYONE of my friends who have seen this movie have given it either an unfavorable or a mediocre review. However, all of these critics and all of my friend's opinions are all sharing all the same reasons why they disliked this film.
Now, I see EVERY single flaw they have with this movie, but the bottom line is that every single thing they have said, does not bother me the least. Which is why this review is going to be a bit unorthodox, for I'm telling you that I loved this movie, yet I would not recommend it.

This film is not what most people would expect. You do not laugh every minute and you do have to give this emotional connect to these characters. Something, that Apatow's audience is not prepared to do.

However, I had a feeling about what this film would be, and what it would mean to me, and when I walked out of the theater I was correct.

One of the main reasons of why I love this film, is not only is it hilarious in many parts, but it also shows a certain maturity which is very refreshing. I found myself being very depressed through so much of this, which most people will not enjoy, but Judd Apatow has really shown a more sensitive script even with the raunchy hilarious comedy that comes with it. He has also matured as a very capable director when it comes to set up, and following through with shots.

We also see a maturity in the actors, Adam Sandler playing a role very close to his own life, and showing a darker side of himself. Jason Schwartzman shows up playing a believable douchebag who you love to hate. Eric Bana also shows a comedic side playing George's ex-girlfriend Laura's new husband.

Another quick mention is the soundtrack which is very key to many scenes. It consists of folky James Taylor to classic rock to alternative and it really helped me get into the movie.

Overall, not for everyone, if you agree with most things I'm saying about film in general see this one, if not, it's still worth it to check it out on DVD for it still holds that Apatow raunchy comedy.


Martin.