Looking Forward in 2014: Films (Part 2)

The second post of Looking Foward in 2014 includes all movies that do not have set dates.  As they are set, I will move them to the other post.

Tumbledown

Rose Byrne, Michael McKean, Joe Manganiello, Jason Sudeikis, Blythe Danner, and Beau Bridges star in this comedy that revolves around a widow who must confront the strange circumstances of her folk-singing husband's death.

Looking Forward in 2014: Films (Part 1)

It's that time again to look forward to the year 2014 in movies.  There are a lot of exciting blockbusters this year and not just from comic books.  Let's take a look!

Back in the Day (Formerly Old Days)

January 17

Directed and written by Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville), Back in the Day brings a class reunion filled with raunchy humor and messy consequences of returning to a hometown.  Back in the Day stars Rosenbaum, Morena Baccarin (Homeland, Firefly), Nick Swardson (Chozen, Reno 911), Emma Caufield (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, TiMER), Harland Williams (Dumb & Dumber, Superstar), Richard Marx, Isaiah Mustafa (Old Spice commercials), and Kristoffer Polaha (Life Unexpected).

Cross-Post: How Admission Breaks Many Molds

Admission isn't your typical book or movie.  It's not just a maudlin love story.  It's so much more.  Tina Fey's character Portia, now in her 40s, is just getting her coming-of-age story where she finally learns to live and to stand up for what's right.  It's about her ability to love and accept love, to connect with her estranged hardcore feminist mother, to balance work and her increasingly unstable personal life, and most of all it's about establishing and maintaining roots.  It's a complex story that aptly divvies out proportions of multiple people's lives in a mere two hours.  We feel like we know the entire characters' histories in this film (I can count five characters that adhere to this, despite Portia being the main character).  The movie's writing by Karen Croner is beautifully stellar, carefully crafted, and knowingly faithful, in essence, to its source by Jean Hanff Korelitz.

(Story originally from Anything You Can Do)

The Flash: Iris (A fantastic fan film)

Recently there have been a few crackdowns on fan-made films, especially those that have been raising money to make them.  The Wonder Woman fan film by photographer Adam Jay almost succeeded but was shut down by DC/WB.  There's been plenty of trailers, like the newest Wonder Woman incarnation, played by Nina Bergman and directed by Jesse V. Johnson.  But what does it take to make a great fan film, like the brilliant Lazy Teenage Superheroes or the Y: The Last Man fan short? It takes a talented cast of creators from New Orleans, including up-and-coming lead actor (who also served as co-writer) Patrick Flanagan, hair and makeup artist Natalie Shea Rose, and commercial/minor character actor Ada Michelle Loridans.  

Loridans and Flanagan as Iris and Barry/Flash

Looking Forward 2013: Movies, Pt. 2

Dates to be Announced

The following films do not have release dates yet.

Blue Jasmine

Everything about this is hush-hush except for the basics.  Woody Allen, you better not disappoint!  It would be hard not to with Cate Blanchett, Louis CK, Alec Baldwin, Michale Emerson, Sally Hawkins, and Peter Sarsgaard.

Drinking Buddies

Written and directed by indie-driven Joe Swanberg, Jake Johnson and Olivia Wile star as Luke and Kate, who work at a Chicago brewery and drink and flirt together, though they are both in committed relationships.  Anna Kendrick and Ron Livingston co-star as the significant others Jill and Chris.

Why Indiana is the In-Thing...I'm Serious!

I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but many TV shows and movies are taking place in or having characters from Ohio and Indiana recently.  What is the appeal of Indiana, then, to creators?

Perhaps the most notable example is Parks and Recreation, which takes place in a small city/large town of the great Hoosier state. And, being from Indiana, I can tell you, it's the most accurate example of Indiana. Believe me, Muncie is the WORST. Somehow the jokes about Jerry and his wife having a timeshare in Muncie are even better when you lived in Muncie for 4 years, going to college at Ball State. There's even a course at Ball State on how to troll Muncie. I'm positive there is a writer on staff that went there because they know way too much about how Indiana really is, raccoon infestation and all. The celebrity reality show Armed & Famous filmed there, after all. Parks and Rec brings to light that small town atmosphere, both good and bad. And, yeah, a trip to Indianapolis is a big thing! We're a state of a whole lot of nothing, so we have to travel a bit for some big city entertainment. I still call "The City" Cincinnati because I live closer to it than Indianapolis. It was where we had to go for our shopping needs. And believe me, small-town rivalries between both families and neighboring towns are entirely true. These characters on Parks and Rec are relatable on a whole different level than most comedies, partly due to their setting. I have a feeling that Leslie Knope would be completely different had it been set in California. She wouldn't have her small-town mannerisms and the love of community we often have. I'm sure there would also be different matters to take up in the government, rather than building a quality (decently terrible to others) park out of an abandoned lot used for a landfill by locals.

Looking Forward 2013: Movies, Pt. 1

It's time for the movie list!  I'll probably update it as I hear about wonderful movies to come out this year.  It's hard to catch them all!  Part 1 is all movies with set or tentatively set dates of release this year.  Part 2 will feature those movies set for 2013 without release date, which means they'll likely be 2014 (for Sundance) or really late 2013 (for award season).

Mama

January 18

Jessica Chastain and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau star as a couple whose nieces lived their for five years in the woods, abandoned but raised by someone.  That someone is not a good entity but wants custody of her children that were stolen from her.  this horror film might actually be good!

Movie 43

January 25

Sure, this is one of those ensembles that have every actor you know in one movie, where each separate story ends up being connected to all the other ones in their six degrees of separation game.  But this one seems like it will actually be funny, rather than romantic and gross and terrible.  Emma Stone, Kristen Bell, Hugh Jackman, Chloe Moretz, elizabeth Banks, Gerard Butler, Naomi Watts, Anna Faris, Kate Winslett, Chris Pratt, Justin Long, Jason Sudeikis, and many more star.  Elizabeth Banks, James Gunn, and Brett Ratner are three of the directors!

Quartet

January 25

I'm so happy that golden aged actors are getting quality roles that are engaging, not just having roles looking back on their lives as they die.  What a tired trope!  This looks to be in the same spirit as Marigold Hotel. 

Read on for more.

Site of the Week: moviebarcode

This tumblr moviebarcode is friggin amazing, you guys!  Look, look, look!  What's incredible about this is that you can see how a director uses color (or lack thereof) for dramatic and tonal effect.  You can even buy prints of these barcodes!  Let's take a look at the LOTR trilogy!

The Fellowship of the Ring is very interesting in that the colors truly represents the different areas visited.  Look at the beginning with the greens, russets, blues, browns, and purples.  It's very earthy but also light and spritely, just like the Hobbits!  The darkness is then set upon Frodo and the other Hobbits when the Ring comes to Frodo's possession.  Dark hues of night blues and mud browns makes us feel the dark mood.  And it isn't until Rivendell, corely bright wooden browns, that we see light and hope.  The browns are also highly representative of the Rivendell's natural way of life.  While we have hope for the tiniest sliver of time with the bright sky blue, we enter Moria, where once again we return to dark blues and browns.  

Movie of the Week: The Hobbit

I planned on doing a review of The Hobbit opening day, but I was too tired from seeing the midnight showing, and then I thought I should also see it in 3D before I did.  The Hobbit was an incredibly entertaining, but it was longer than it should've been for the theatrical version.

The beginning with Ian Holmes and Elijah Wood was for the most part unnecessary, but it was a reminder of its connection to The Lord of the Rings and what is to come.  There were many parts that serve as hints as to what's to come, but this was one that did not need to be there.  Rather, it should've just been Ian Holmes or Cate Blanchett (instant shivering orgasm when she narrates) narrating the taking of the Lonely Mountain by Smaug, much like The Lord of the Rings.

Movie of the Week: The Avengers

I attended the midnight showing of The Avengers, and it exceeded my own expectations of awesomeness.  I'm going to say it: Joss Whedon made a phenomenal film.  It's not your average superhero movie.  It's so much more.  Whedon adds a political psychological aspect to the reasons why Loki wants to subjugate humanity to his will and enjoys messing with the Avengers, rather than outright fighting them.  Enter the symbol of patriotism: Captain America.  It's just one way in which Whedon provides small character beats for every Avenger and a dynamic for the entire team.

Looking Forward 2012: Movies

I know I'm late on my usual business of examining interesting movies of the year.  So what all is coming up that would be interesting to those of a nerdy side?

Iron Sky

Already out in select theaters

Directed by Timo Vuorensola

Written by Johanna Sinisalo, Jarmo Psukala, and Michael Kalesniko

Iron Sky is the newest sci-fi comedy to hit the screens where Nazis who colonized the moon in 1945 return in 2018 to continue their purity cleanse.  Supposedly the film is fantastic, but the sci-fi comedy genre is very niche, so it might even be better than the 7.8 rating on imdb.

Flatland 2: Sphereland

May 1, 2012

Written and Directed by Dano Johnson

The sequel to Flatland arrives with Kristen Bell returning as Hex, Michael York as Spherius, and Tony Hale as King of Pointland.  Danny Pudi, Danica McKellar, and Kate Mulgrew join the cast for this mathematical adventure.

Movie of the Week: The Hunger Games

You've all heard of The Hunger Games, at least.  The hype is justifiable.  People of all ages are reading the trilogy because it is brilliant.  Its accurate portrayal of the psychological damages of killing and of war, its horror of pitting children against each other in "games" for the government's own entertainment as well as for keeping control of its remaining population, and its commentary on celebrity, loyalty, human nature, class, and history repeating itself come to light.  The moment the movie was announced, no fan could wait to see the films come to life.  And that day has come.  It fares well for fans who've read the book, but perhaps because they know more about the world and the characters than the screen actually portrays.

Lord of the Rings Drinking Game!

I find the only way to tolerate Sam and Frodo (if I don't fast forward through them) is to drink.  Now you don't have to watch LOTR alone!  It'll be enjoyable with friends!  Okay, you can still watch it alone and play this, but it probably won't be as fun, and I think people would worry about your addictions.  Click after the jump to see how to play!

My Holiday Celebrations, Movie Style!

Our family's Christmas Even tradition, as of 5 years ago, is to watch Elf together.  Last year, I was a wee bit too intoxicated to enjoy it and passed out after accidentally moaning when Zooey Deschanel started singing.  It was an awkward moment when the entire family looked at me.  I celebrate with other movies, though, leading up to Christmas.  I make a point to watch these movies every year, as I did in college.

1. Just Friends
Chris Brander is home for the holidays, and he hasn't been in 10 years.  Revolving this film around the holidays made it better, as there was so much more to deal with for physical comedy.  Anna Faris brightens my holiday spirit when she sings, "Mall people come and go, mall people they just don't know."  The brotherly relationship and motherly advice and friendships, that when you return, are still there, like you never left.  This is a classic that I've quoted every line of Anna Faris' with Auddie P during our college years.

Movie of the Week: Immortals

I know a lot of people have tremendous disdain or depreciation for Immortals, but here I am trying to defend this gorgeous and brilliant movie by Tarsem Singh (and Dhandwar now?).  From the dialogue to the cinematography to the acting to the sense of danger, the movie showcases Tarsem's true visionary (when I say this it means an actual visionary, not used loosely) nature.  The one thing it does lack, though, is the epic sense.  Read on for a not-so-spoilery review.

Kit Harington Casting News

Games of Thrones' Jon Snow actor Kit Harington has been signed to play King Arthur in the upcoming bromance action film Arthur & Lancelot.  Not sure how I feel about another King Arthur film, and another male-dominated film.

In related news, your preview for Season 2 is after the jump:

The Day Frances Bay Died...

Frances Bay, born January 23, 1919, has died September 17.  The 92-year-old has appeared in films such as Happy Gilmore as Happy's grandma and a slew of TV shows, such as Happy Days (as Grandma) Charmed (as old Phoebe), the marble rye loaf lady on Seinfeld, and The Middle as the family grandmother.  Here's to Frances, everyone's grandmother!  Yeah, I'm drinking at 11 am, so what?

This Just In: Bridget Regan in TV Movie

I'm stoked to announce that the love of my life (who doesn't know it yet) Bridget Regan will be in a TNT original film Hide, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.  Carla Gugino (of Watchmen, Night at the Museum, Sin City, and Sucker Punch) plays a detective on a case that leads her to Regan's character Annabelle Granger (and who doesn't love that name?!), who essentially has no identity.  Granger was moved around as a child with different names, and her life ties in with the case at hand.  Mark-Paul Gosselaar, a.k.a. Zack Morris, also stars in this highly-anticipated-by-me telepic.  Hide will air December 6.  BE EXCITED!!!!

Feminist Feature: Aung San Suu Kyi

"Please use your liberty to  promote ours."  -Aung San Suu Kyi

And so I will...

With the new film coming out next year, I thought it important that I bring about the awareness of all that is Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize winner and the symbol of the Democratic revolution in Burma.  Before November 13, 2010, Aung San Suu Kyi spent fifteen years under house arrest and other types of detentions.  Heroism runs in the family.  Her father Aung San was also an advocate of independence, who was killed when she was two.  She was highly educated, having graduation from Oxford.  In 1988, Burma called her back for her ill mother.  Approximately five thousand people were killed in the revolution she got caught up in on August 8.  Five thousand!  In one day!

Photo courtesy of Asian News

Movie of the Week: The Help

[teen tiny spoilers ahead] I had the pleasure of seeing The Help last week and it did not disappoint.I read the book earlier this year and couldn't wait to see its characters come to life. I rarely assume the film version will not "live up to" the book and go into adaptations with a positive attitude, and I usually leave with a good opinion. There are always exceptions, but I'm happy to include The Help among the list of those film adaptations that, I believe (and think others will agree), did its inspiration justice. Those who read the book may notice a few scenes were left out, but I don't think their absence hurt the overall story. Some elements were added and I think they only helped, especially the strengthening of two characters' presence.

For those who aren't familiar with the story, after the jump is the film's trailer.