I have a beard and I love talking about movies. I do movie reviews that are short and sweet, top 10 lists from every genre possible as well as the latest movie news.
So I recently watched The Finest Hours and I'm here to bring you my review. So without further ado...
On Feb. 18, 1952, a massive storm splits the SS Pendleton in two, trapping more than 30 sailors inside the tanker's sinking stern. Engineer Ray Sybert (played by Casey Affleck) bravely takes charge to organize a strategy for his fellow survivors. As word of the disaster reaches the Coast Guard in Chatham, Mass., Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Cluff (played by Eric Bana) orders a daring rescue mission. Despite the ferocious weather, coxswain Bernie Webber (played by Chris Pine) takes three men on a lifeboat to try and save the crew against seemingly impossible odds.
This is one of the more decent, yet very average films ever made. The film is based on a true story and when it comes to true stories there are going to be scenes in a film that never actually happened or some scenes that did happen, but not in the way that they actually did happen and this film stays true to the story, but it does have your normal based on a true story mannerisms. Chris Pine is he leading man in the film and he does a fantastic job and he shows that he can carry a film relatively by himself. Casey Affleck, Ben Foster Eric Bana all are in supporting roles and they do a great job of helping move the story along and be serviceable to the film. The film's visuals are pretty outstanding and I can easily see the film competing for the best visual effects Oscar next year. The film almost feels like The Perfect Storm as it captures a boat crew on certain mission on very dangerous waters. The film has a lot of heart-pounding moments as you sit on the edge of your seat hoping the ship makes it in time and that the crew of the sinking ship survives. The one part of the story that is out of place is the love story between Chris Pine's character and the character Holliday Grainger played and while their relationship was key to end of the journey, the whole love story felt forced and unnecessary for a film like this. Overall the film has a lot of great performances and some great visual effects, but there were a few choices made within the story that just didn't make too much sense. I give The Finest Hours a 6 out of 10.
So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of The Finest Hours, what would you rate it and what did you think of my review? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard. Jonah Sparks
So I recently watched Kung Fu Panda 3 and I'm here to bring you my review. So without further ado...
Living large and loving life, Po (voiced by Jack Black) realizes that he has a lot to learn if he's going to fulfill the next challenge from his beloved instructor (voiced by Dustin Hoffman). After reuniting with his long-lost father (voiced by Bryan Cranston), Po must transition from student to teacher and train a group of fun-loving, clumsy pandas to become martial-arts fighters. Together, the kung-fu brethren unite to take on the evil Kai (voiced by J.K. Simmons), a supernatural warrior who becomes stronger with each battle.
This was a pretty fun and entertaining film. Now unlike it's predecessor, it doesn't follow the same formulaic plot as the first one and it actually deals with a lot more real-world issues and there are several emotional scenes to tug at the heartstrings. The voice cast is once again amazing and the additions of both Bryan Cranston and J.K. Simmons adds life to the film and it makes the film more entertaining whenever their characters are on screen. The comedy in the film is relatively repeated humor, but the audience likes it so why fix something that isn't broke although it would've been nice to hear more original jokes. Like both films before the animation in the film is beautiful and once again we get an amazing look at Ancient China in a world full of animals. The film introduces quite a few new characters and it times it's hard to keep track of everyone and it's even harder when the film moves a furious pace that you can't recognize and process what you are seeing on screen. Overall this film was a major improvement over Kung Fu Panda 2 story wise, but the this felt rushed an put together too quick just so it could be released and even the two new main characters can't overshadow the sloppiness of the pace. I give Kung Fu Panda 3 a 7 out of 10.
So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of Kung Fu Panda 3, what would you rate it and what did you think of my review? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
One question people always ask is what are the greatest films of all-time. There is a lot of different criteria that goes into coming up with a list and it all depends on your taste mainly due to all film being subjective and everyone liking or disliking the same/different things. I've decided to do a new series in which I try to decide what I think are the greatest films of all-time. One way to help do that is by deciding what the best films of each decade are. Each month until October I will choose what I think are the best films from each decade and in November I will take the number one films in each decade and put them into a top 10 greatest films of all-time list. Now the list will bot be based on scores or my own personal lists, but based off the popularity of each film and how much of an effect it has had or is having on film today. For example my favorite film of all-time is The Dark Knight, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I think it is the greatest film of its decade. For this month I'm going to bring you the top 10 films of the 1920's. So without further ado...
10. The Passion of Joan of Arc
This film is one of the more emotional films of the decade as well as one of the first bio-pics. Renée Jeanne Falconetti does a masterful job of capturing the emotion of Joan of Arc and what she was going through at the time. It provided a lot of low angle shots in which the judges of her trail looked down up her and it switches back and forth between those shots and close-ups to really get the emotion in every scene. It's one of the more authentic films to be ever made as director Carl Theodor Dreyer used the real court transcripts of the account. It's legacy on film is that it is the first bio-pic and its just so authenticate that it inspires filmmakers to really just make you as an audience member feel that you are living the character's story and understand everything that is going on.
9. The Phantom of the Opera
One of the reasons why this film is put on the list is mainly due to the fact that it has the magnificent Lon Chaney. Other than The Hunchback of Notre Dame this is the role he is most recognized for. Just like The Hunchback of Notre Dame he is able to commit to the role with all of the prosthetic makeup and he gives some of the best performances of the decade. As for the movie it was one of the first films based off of book which eventually led Andrew Lloyd Webber to create the Broadway play. Had this film not been made then the play may never had existed and we wouldn't have had the film adaptation as well.
8. The General Buster Keaton. Just saying that automatically makes you consider the film as one of the greatest of all-time. While this may not be the funniest film he ever did, it is the film where he risked the most. Keaton always did his own stunts and in this film he was forced to move across a fully moving train and there were stunts in which he could've and almost died. Not only did Keaton perform such dangerous stunts, but this was the first film to use a major set piece for a stunt. It involves a real-life train falling off of a collapsing bridge and it was one of the more difficult shots to complete as the filmmakers had only one shot to get it right and they did and now the shot is one of the most iconic shots in cinematic history.
7. The Kid
Like Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin is one if the most iconic figures in the silent era. In the silent era Chaplin was able to create one of the more iconic characters of all-time know as "The Tramp". The Tramp has appeared in a lot of different films and has done so many different types of roles and this was his first full length feature film with him as the lead (his first film appearance to the public was the short film "Kid Auto Races at Venice"). This film was a film in which Chaplin was able to both the show the physical humor, but also the emotional side of the character as he cares for this abandoned child which reminds him of himself.
6. Wings
You can't have a top 10 of a decade list without at least a few Best Picture winners and you can't do a best of the 1920's without the first ever Best Picture winner. Not only is it on the list due to it being the first film to ever win Best Picture, but due to all of the technical achievements that film garnered. The film was the first film to make aerial battle scenes seem real and films after this one have basically recalled back to this film and made their own movies based one what this film did. It was also the first film to show nudity and two men kissing so it was a pioneer for future films not only in the technical aspect, but in the character aspect as well. The ending battle scene is also one of the most beautiful scenes in the history of film.
5. Battleship Potemkin
In an era where quite a few people lived through two World Wars, this film was the first propaganda film. Now while it doesn't deal with an event during World War I, it does deal with Russia and one of the events that led to the Russian Revolution which eventually led to the country becoming known as The Soviet Union. One of the most iconic scenes is the Odessa steps scene. In that scene we get the first ever montage in a film and the sharp editing and fine cuts. Now while the the massacre on the Odessa Steps never actually ever happened in real life, director S.M. Eisenstein added the scene for emotional intent and with the montage edit of all of the various murders taking place makes the scene feel authentic. It also takes the storytelling route of a play as the film is broken down into 5 acts all dealing with various aspects of the rebellion.
4. Nanook of the North
Nanook of the North is a film that isn't a true documentary, but it does have a lot of elements of a documentary. It takes a look at some things the Inuit tribe does do as well as a few staged a events that make the film a little different than a standard documentary known as a docudrama. However the film does really follow Nanook and his life as an Alaskan Indian. It focuses on his family and how they survive on a daily basis in the cold arctic north. It was the first film of its kind to show a group of people outside of North America living off of the land making Nanook one of the most polarizing figures ever to be caught on camera.
3. The Jazz Singer
In an era in which the industry was dominated with silent films, this was the first film to introduce talking in a film which led to beginning of the end for the silent film era and the beginning of the "Talkie" era. Now the film isn't entirely full of sound dialogue, it does have a wide variety of music numbers mixed in with bits and pieces of dialogue. It's also one of the last of the more mainstream films to use blackface which at the time was becoming obsolete.
2. Nosferatu
This is easily one of the most iconic horror films of all-time. Now while it is a film that was made based off Bram Stoker's Dracula, the filmmakers actually never had the rights to make the film based off of the book, but they made it anyway. The film introduced a more intimidating version of Count Dracula and one of the more creepier looking versions as well. The filmmakers used a lot of different colors to film various scenes such as the standard yellow-brown, green and blue which all had various impacts on each scene throughout the film. While the film is based off the story of Dracula, the film has a unique feel to it mostly because of the various colors used, but due to Max Schreck as Count Orlok as he one of the most haunting figures in cinematic history and even more haunting than any other version of Count Dracula that came after this film.
1.Metropolis
I'm betting a lot of you have never seen this film and it's not surprising and if you haven't I highly recommend you do so. This is the first science fiction film in the history of film. It also was one of the first films to use visual effects and helping advance the technology used in films for years to come. It introduced wide shot cityscape shots to help get a sense of the world. It's a film with quite a few different themes mostly based on the social injustice of the time. It's a film that involves a lot of different moving pieces at once using miniatures in wide shots of the city. The most haunting scene of the film is in the very beginning when we see a group of workers marched out after their shift, but next to them is another group marching in slow unison going to work to replace the group leaving. This is easily the greatest film of the 1920's.
So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of the list, what films should be added or deleted and what do you think is the greatest film of the 1920's? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Hello ladies and gentlemen, here is some movie news with some of my thoughts and opinions (which will be in BOLD print). So without further ado...
(NOTE: All of these stories come from comingsoon.net)
Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures have released the new The Secret Life of Pets trailer, which you can watch below. For their fifth fully-animated feature-film collaboration, Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures present The Secret Life of Pets, a comedy about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day. Comedy superstars Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet and Kevin Hart make their animated feature-film debuts in The Secret Life of Pets, which co-stars Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Jenny Slate, Bobby Moynihan, Hannibal Buress and Albert Brooks. Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborator Janet Healy produce the film directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2), co-directed by Yarrow Cheney and written by Brian Lynch and Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio. The Secret Life of Pets will open in theaters on July 8, 2016.
This was a really great trailer. I don't know what it is about the trailer for this film but I am just having a ball and they are absolutely hilarious. I guess it's just where I'm a big pet lover especially with dogs and they remind me of my two dogs. This trailer also gave us a look at the plot of the film and while it does seem a little predictable, I think it is going to rely more on humor than anything which I think is the thing to do in a film mostly consisting of pets. This is a film I am really looking forward to and I cannot wait to see it.
20th Century Fox has revealed the first trailer for DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls, which is a big screen take on the ’90s collectable doll fad that’s making a comeback. You can check out the Trolls trailer below. Leading the cast is nine-time Grammy and four-time Emmy Award winner Justin Timberlake (The Social Network, Runner Runner, Inside Llewyn Davis) as the troll Branch, in addition to serving as executive music producer and performing multiple songs on the soundtrack. The film will also feature Academy and Tony Award nominee Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air) as Princess Poppy, “The Late Late Show” host James Corden (Into the Woods) as Biggie, comedian Russell Brand (Get Him to the Greek) as Creek, music superstar Gwen Stefani (The Aviator) as DJ Suki, YouTube personality GloZell Green as Grandma Rosiepuff, Kunal Nayyar (“The Big Bang Theory”) as Guy Diamond, comedian Ron Funches (“Undateable”) as Cooper, YouTube personality Meg DeAngelis as Moxie and Swedish electropop duo Icona Pop (Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo) as the Fashionistas. Directed by Mike Mitchell (Shrek Forever After), co-directed by Walt Dohrn (Shrek Forever After) and produced by Gina Shay (Shrek Forever After), the film for the first time tells the story behind the beloved Trolls and their gravity defying and colorful manes. Setting out on an epic adventure that takes Poppy and Branch far beyond the only world they have ever known, their quest will test their strength and reveal their true colors – with no shortage of musical mash-ups along the way! The Trolls movie will be released on November 4, 2016.
I really enjoyed this teaser. It sorta gave us an idea of the what the film might be about, but it was a nice little introduction to these characters. This a film I have been skeptical about for a long time mainly due to the fact that I was never a huge fan of the little troll dolls when I was younger, but they have lasted for a long time so audiences might enjoy this film. I like how the studio has a lot of confidence in the film putting it up against Marvel's Doctor Strange and even in the thick of Oscar season. I think this film can be a big hit and I'm really looking forward to seeing.
Academy Award winner Kim Basinger (L.A. Confidential) has joined the cast of the upcoming sequel to Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker. Variety has the news, reporting that Kim Basinger will play the novel’s Elena Lincoln. Also known as “Mrs. Robinson,” Lincoln is, in the E L James novels, both a business partner and former lover of Christian Grey’s. It is her character who introduced Grey to the world of BDSM. An erotically charged romance, the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise has capitalized on it’s naughty-but-not-too-naughty aesthetic to the tune of almost $570 million worldwide and counting. On-set conflict between author E L James and the first film’s director Sam Taylor-Johnson, however, led to Taylor-Johnson and screenwriter Kelly Marcel opting not return for the sequel. James Foley will instead direct Fifty Shades Darker, which will be penned by E L James’ husband, Niall Leonard. Kim Basinger can next be seen starring opposite Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe in Shane Black’s 1970s noir detective comedy, The Nice Guys. Look for it to hit theaters on May 20, 2016. Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson are set to return as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in both Fifty Shades Darker and a third film, Fifty Shades Freed. Expanding upon the events set in motion in Fifty Shades of Grey, the films will again aim to become the motion-picture events for Valentine’s Day 2017 and 2018. Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti, alongside E L James, the creator of the series, also return to produce.
This is pretty interesting casting. Kim Basinger is a tremendous actress and she hasn't been on the big screen a lot lately, but it'll be great to see her back on the big screen again. However, I don't like that she is coming back with this film. After the disaster of the first film this film might actually be worse and I don't want Basinger associated with the film. I haven't read the book so I don't know how her character plays within the entire story arch, but I'm not looking forward to seeing what she does become.
As reported shortly after the original film opened, plans are underway to turn Andres Muschietti’s Mama into a horror franchise. The Hollywood Reporter today brings word that the writing and directing pair behind 2014’s Starry Eyes, Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer, will both direct the Mama sequel and rewrite the current Mama sequel draft. The Wrap, meanwhile, reports that star Jessica Chastain is not expected to return. Whether that means that the film will recas her Annabel character or tell a wholly separate Mama story remains to be seen. The original Mama, produced by Guillermo del Toro, offered a supernatural thriller with the haunting tale of two little girls who disappeared into the woods the day that their parents were killed. When they are rescued years later and begin a new life, they find that someone or something still wants to come tuck them in at night. Five years ago, sisters Victoria and Lilly vanished from their suburban neighborhood without a trace. Since then, their Uncle Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his girlfriend, Annabel (Jessica Chastain), have been madly searching for them. But when, incredibly, the kids are found alive in a decrepit cabin, the couple wonders if the girls are the only guests they have welcomed into their home. As Annabel tries to introduce the children to a normal life, she grows convinced of an evil presence in their house. Are the sisters experiencing traumatic stress, or is a ghost coming to visit them? How did the broken girls survive those years all alone? As she answers these disturbing questions, the new mother will find that the whispers she hears at bedtime are coming from the lips of a deadly presence. The original Mama was a sizable hit, pulling in $146 million at the worldwide box office.
This is pretty interesting news. Now I have never seen Starry Eyes (I know shocking right) so I don't know these guys's writing style. However I have seen Mama and it was a pretty terrifying film even if the ending was pretty cheesy and stupid. I think the first film built a really interesting mythology and I'm really looking forward to seeing how the sequel will build upon it. I think these writers can do a great job and I'm looking forward to seeing how they contribute to the story.
The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty‘s Kathryn Bigelow is set to direct a crime thriller that is currently being dubbed “Untitled Detroit Project”. The feature will reteam the two-time Academy Award winner with screenwriter Mark Boal. Bigelow and Boal will also produce the Untitled Detroit Project alongside Annapurna’s Megan Ellison and Matthew Budman. The Untitled Detroit Project marks Bigelow’s tenth as a director. The film is being financed by Annapurna Pictures with casting set to begin in March. Principal photography is then slated to follow this summer. Although full details about the Detroit project are not being revealed at this time, the film is said to be a crime drama set against the backdrop of Detroit’s devastating riots that took place over five haunting summer days in 1967. Boal has been researching and working on the project, which explores systemic racism in urban Detroit, for more than a year. Although no studio is yet attached, a release date is being targeted for 2017, the 50th anniversary of the riots. The project marks Boal’s first screenplay centering around domestic conflicts. His The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, both directed by Bigelow, were set in the Middle East.
This sounds like an awesome idea. Kathryn Bigelow is easily the best female director working in the business and basically anything she does is something I want to see. This film sounds like it is right in her wheelhouse especially when you look at her filmography. This going to be an interesting story to tell and I think Bigelow is the right person for the job although I think Ava DuVernay would've been a good choice as well.
So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, which of these stories peaked your interest or was there another story that interested you? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
With Kung Fu Panda 3 set to hit theaters this weekend, I thought it would be fitting to review the other films in the Kung Fu Panda franchise. So without further ado...
Kung Fu Panda
Po the panda (voiced by Jack Black) works in his family's noodle shop and dreams of becoming a kung-fu master. His dream becomes a reality when, unexpectedly, he must fulfill an ancient prophecy and study the skills with his idols, the Furious Five. Po needs all the wisdom, strength and ability he can muster to protect his people from an evil snow leopard (voiced by Ian McShane).
This was a really fun and enjoyable film. Animated films are special in the sense that that can touch all different types of audience with a lot of different themes and stories and this film is one of the more special ones. It has a lot of tremendous humor that just works so well and it's mainly due to Jack Black and while he isn't a live action character, his style of humor just works for this film in so many different ways. The supporting actors in the film also lend their voices well to their various characters especially Dustin Hoffman and while the character of Master Shifu could've been done by anyone, Hoffman just has that voice that lends itself to the character so well. The story is also perfect in every single way and it has a great message for all audiences and it's one that people will remember for a long time. The animation is pretty gorgeous as well and that's one thing that basically makes or breaks an animated film and this one does a great job of giving a very gorgeous look at ancient China. There were a few moments were some things were too convenient and a couple of the jokes were too childish and it can take you out of the film pretty easy when you realize how bad the joke is. Overall this is a gorgeous animated film with a really talented cast and some pretty great humor. I give Kung Fu Panda a 9 out of 10.
Kung Fu Panda 2
Now known as the Dragon Warrior, Po (voiced by Jack Black) protects the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, the Furious Five. However, a dangerous villain threatens Po's awesome new life with plans to use a secret weapon to wipe out the martial art and conquer China. In order to defeat the new enemy, Po finds he must recall his past and unlock secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he find the strength to vanquish his foe.
This was a pretty disappointing film. Now that doesn't mean the film was bad because it wasn't, but compared to how good the first film was, this film was a disappointment. The humor in the film isn't as solid as the first film, but there are quite a few moments that can have you rolling in the floor, while some just fall flat. The story is somewhat of a rehash of the first film, but there are enough moments of originality that help the film stand on its own. The animation isn't as crisp and smooth as it was in the first film and it just shows us the same things we've already seen background wise and it would've been cooler to see more of Ancient China then just a small area. The voice in the film is really solid and the addition of Gary Oldman to replace Ian McShane is a terrific decision and you can really feel the passion Oldman gives when doing a voice character. Overall this film just wasn't as good as the first film and ti tries to repeat too many of the same things the first film did and it had almost no originality. I give Kung Fu Panda 2 a 5.5 out of 10.
Overall franchise average rating: 7 out of 10
So ladies and gentlemen what are you thoughts about the Kung Fu Panda franchise, are you excited for Kung Fu Panda 3 and what did you think of my reviews? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard. Jonah Sparks
In Hollywood there are a numerous amount of very talented actors and actresses that have great performances in just about every movie they are in. One of those Actresses is Lucy Liu and today I'm going to spotlight her career by listing the movies she has been in, my 3 favorite films she has been in, list of notable awards she has one as well as any future projects she has in the works. So without further ado...
Lucy Liu's Filmography
Year
Film
Role
1992
Rhythm of Destiny
Donna
1993
Protozoa
Ari
1995
Bang
Hooker
1996
Jerry Maguire
Former girlfriend
1997
Gridlock’d
Cee-Cee
1997
City of Industry
Cathi Rose
1997
Riot
Boomer’s girlfriend
1997
Flypaper
Dot
1997
Guy
Woman at newsstand
1998
Love Kills
Kashi
1999
Payback
Pearl
1999
True Crime
Toy shop girl
1999
Molly
Brenda
1999
The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human
The Female’s Friend (Lydia)
1999
Play It to the Bone
Lia
2000
Shanghai Noon
Princess Pei Pei
2000
Charlie’s Angels
Alex Munday
2001
Hotel
Kawika
2002
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever
Agent Sever
2002
Cypher
Rita Foster
2002
Chicago
Kitty Baxter
2003
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle
Alex Munday
2003
Kill Bill: Volume 1
O-Ren Ishii
2004
Kill Bill: Volume 2
O-Ren Ishii
2004
Mulan II
Mei
2005
3 Needles
Jin Ping
2005
Domino
Taryn Mills
2006
Lucky Number Seven
Lindsey
2007
Code Name: The Cleaner
Gina
2007
Rise: Blood Hunter
Sadie Blake
2007
Watching the Detectives
Violet
2008
The Year of Getting to Know Us
Anne
2008
Kung Fu Panda
Master Viper
2008
Tinker Bell
Silvermist
2008
Little Spirit: Christmas in New York
Leo’s Mom
2009
Afro Samurai: Resurrection
Sio
2009
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure
Silvermist
2009
Redlight
Herself
2010
Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue
Silvermist
2010
Nomads
Susan
2011
Detaachment
Dr. Dois Parker
2011
The Trouble with Bliss
Andrea
2011
Kung Fu Panda 2
Master Viper
2011
Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You
Hilda Temple
2011
Pixie Hollow Games
Silvermist
2012
Secret of the Wings
Silvermist
2012
The Man with the Iron Fists
Madame Blossom
2013
Pixie Hollow Bake Off
Silvermist
2014
The Pirate Fairy
Silvermist
2014
Magic Wonderland
Princess Ocean
2014
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Lady Sagami
2014
Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast
Silvermist
Top 3 Favorite Films
1. Kill Bill: Volume 1
2.Kung Fu Panda
3. Shanghai Noon Future Projects
Lucy Liu currently does not have any future film in the works
So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of Lucy Liu's acting career? Let me know in the comments section and let your voice be heard.
