Weekend Movie News 10-24-14 to 10-26-14

        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)


        The next entry in the Fast & Furious franchise is officially titled Furious 7 and will see a trailer released one week from today as part of a live event to be streamed online Saturday, November 1 at at 12pm PST and released an official synopsis which reads: Continuing the global exploits in the unstoppable franchise built on speed, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson lead the returning cast of Furious 7. James Wan directs this chapter of the hugely successful series that also welcomes back favorites Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Elsa Pataky and Lucas Black. They are joined by international action stars new to the franchise including Jason Statham, Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey and Kurt Russell. Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel and Michael Fottrell return to produce the film written by Chris Morgan.

        The new title is a bit of a surprise given the confusion surrounding the title of the previous film. Although advertised as Fast & Furious 6, that film's actual onscreen title was Furious Six, a moniker that director Justin Lin confirmed to ComingSoon.net was the "actual" title. "It was always designed to be 'Fast Five' and 'Furious Six,'" Lin told us in an interview last year. "'Furious Six' was going to be a kind of culmination and wrap-up of 'Fast & Furious' itself. I had it that way and that's the way it's going to be."

        I really like this title. It gives a sense to the film that the main crew in the film is pissed and ready to take revenge for (SPOILER ALERT) Han's death (in the end credits scene in Fast 6). The film has a star-studded cast and I cannot wait to see the film and to see Paul Walker's last performance. Hopefully the trailer can continue my excitement.



        Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the writers and directors of The LEGO Movie have signed a deal to write the sequel for Warner Bros., according to Deadline. There's no word yet on whether they'll direct it as well again. The first film earned an impressive $468 million at the worldwide box office earlier this year on a budget of $60 million. Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman provided the voices.

        The sequel will be produced by Dan Lin and Roy Lee along with Lord and Miller, and Jill Wilfert, Matt Ashton, Chris McKay and Kara Lord Piersimoni are executive producing. Warner Bros.' Greg Silverman, Courtenay Valenti and Chris Defaria are overseeing the film for the studio. The studio had originally scheduled The LEGO Movie sequel for May 26, 2017 before announcing that The LEGO Batman Movie was being put on the fast track first for a release that year under the direction of Chris McKay. That movie will be written by Seth Grahame-Smith and feature the return of Will Arnett as the Dark Knight. The LEGO Movie sequel is now expected to hit theaters after 2017.

        This is really great news to hear. I feel that if Miller and Lord hadn't wrote/directed the first film then I don't think it would have been as successful as it was. To know that they'll be writing the sequel gets me excited and hopefully they come back to direct it.



        Although The Dark Knight trilogy helmer Christopher Nolan both provided the story and served as producer on Zack Snyder's apparent DC Cinematic Universe launcher Man of Steel, don't expect Nolan or his brother, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises screenwriter Jonathan Nolan, to be eyeing any of the films on Warner Bros.' massive upcoming slate. "I love those guys and my brother was involved in 'Man of Steel' with Zack [Snyder] and David [Goyer]," Jonathan told ComingSoon.net today during the press junket for he and his brother's latest, Interstellar. "I kind of feel like that chapter for us is closed." He does not, however, rule out one day returning to a big screen DC Comics film. "To be continued somewhere farther down the line?" he asks with a smile. "Maybe."

        These are not shocking comments. Christopher Nolan has gone on record saying that The Dark Knight Rises was his last comic book film. Now he could change his mind, but for now we as fans just have to move on and accept that for the time being there will be no Nolan directed superhero film in the near future.



        David Ayer's recently-confirmed DC Comics adaptation Suicide Squad has, according to recent reports, targeted high profile talent like Ryan Gosling, Tom Hardy, Margot Robbie and Will Smith. Now, Deadline reveals that Ayer is also looking to add Academy Award nominee Jesse Eisenberg, continuing the arc of his Lex Luthor, set to debut in next year's Zack Snyder-helmed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru back in 1959, the Suicide Squad team has included countless DC villains among its ranks, including Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Bane, Killer Frost, Poison Ivy, Count Vertigo, Deathstroke, and Harley Quinn. The CW's "Arrow" introduced their own version of the team in the most recent season of the series and the recent animated film, Batman: Assault on Arkham, offered another version of the team.The line-up for "Task Force X" in the upcoming film is rumored to include the super strong Blockbuster, the self-replicating Multiplex, the speedster Jaculi, the illusion-casting Mindboggler, the original Captain Boomerang George Harkness, the animal mimicker Vixen, and Floyd Lawton aka Deadshot.Suicide Squad is currently set for release on August 5, 2016.

        I honestly don't know what to think about this news, On one hand I'm excited by the fact that Lex Luthor could be involved with the Suicide Squad, but I'm also skeptical. I say that because I don't know if Eisenberg will be able to do the film. I mean the man has a busy schedule (currently filming Batman v. Superman and getting ready to start on Now You See Me 2)and since the film comes out in 2016 he would have to start production on the film very soon. There is a possibility that he could go ahead and start filming his scenes for the film, but I just find it highly unlikely that he'll be involved with the film.



        While attending the Abu Dhabi Film Festival to collect a lifetime achievement award, veteran producer Edward R. Pressman told The Hollywood Reporter that production on his long-awaited remake of The Crow will begin production "in the spring" and boldly referred to it as "the anti-Spider-Man." "It still has a big fan base even though it was so long ago," Pressman said. "But the generation today doesn’t even know 'The Crow.'" In addition to Alex Proyas's original Crow and its many sequels, Pressman is also responsible for bringing pop culture properties like Conan the Barbarian, Masters of the Universe, Street Fighter and Judge Dredd to the screen.

        As for who will fill the shoes of original star Brandon Lee, who was tragically killed during shooting of the 1994 movie, Dracula Untold star Luke Evans is currently attached to wear the iconic makeup, having talked about the part and its fidelity to James O'Barr's original source material back in January."We just want to be as authentic and loyal to the original comic as possible," Evans stated, "and that means the story will be different. It’s not about us ripping off the Brandon Lee movie, that stands alone as a brilliant piece of cult film and a great performance, but we’re going back to the book, the original book. And that’s exciting because we’re bringing to the screen a lot of parts of the story that were never really told. I’m just prepping, it’s all very physical at the moment."

        Evans will star in the lead role of Eric, who will become The Crow after meeting an untimely demise. Set to be directed by F. Javier Gutierrez, the film features a script by Cliff Dorfman. Series creator James O’Barr will also work as a creative consultant on the film. No release date is currently set.

        I'm really glad to hear this news. Look if you know me, then you know how much I love The Crow and how special the performance of Brandon Lee is to me. I've really been wanting to see a remake simply because I want to see how the film turns out in this new age of film-making. I personally love Luke Evans in the lead role (eventhough I would have preferred Jared Leto) and I'm just glad to hear that the film will finally go into production.

        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.

                                                                                                                                        Jonah Sparks

My Review of Ouija

        So I recently watched Ouija and I'm here to bring you my review. So without further ado..............







        A group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board.

       

        This movie is flat out stupid. Look I always bash horror films when they come out around in any other month, but October and end up being horrible. Now when a horror film does come out in October and around Halloween I expect them to be good and this film still sucks. The acting is just absolutely terrible and there are no big (or little) scares in the film whatsoever. I cna't honestly keep going with how horrible the film is. Overall the film met my expectations thoroughly... it's terrible and I just want to ask Hollywood to start giving us better quality horror films. I give Ouija a 0 out of 10.

        So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of Ouija, 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

My Review of John Wick

        So I recently watched John Wick and I'm here to bring you my review. So without further ado.....







        An ex-hitman named John Wick (played Keanu Reeves) comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him.

       

        This movie is flat out awesome. Now to be honest with you, I had no idea that this film was even coming out until the first trailer came out last month and since that first trailer I've really been looking forward to the film and it did not disappoint. This film is nothing but action-packed with some pretty solid acting by Keanu Reeves (gives his best performance of his career) as well as the supporting cast which includes Ian McShane, Willem Dafoe, John Leguizamo and Adrian Palicki. The story isn't eh greatest thing in the world, but it does enough to make you care and root for John Wick on his revenge mission. The dialogue in the film is sometimes campy and over-exaggerated, plus some of the action scenes are a little over-the-top, but the film made me have an enjoyable time at the movies. Overall if you are looking for a fun time at the movies, then this is the film to see. I give John Wick a 9 out of 10.

        So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of John Wick, 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

My Top 10 Favorite Political Thrillers of All-Time

        A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a political power struggle. They usually involve various extra-legal plots, designed to give political power to someone, while his opponents try to stop him. They can involve national or international political scenarios. Political corruption, terrorism, and warfare are common themes. With that being said I'm going to bring you my top 10 favorite political thrillers of all-time. So without further ado...





10. Patriot Games


        Just a fair warning you going to see a lot of Jack Ryan films and we'll start with this one. Jack Ryan (played by Harrison Ford) foils an attempted assassination, thereby incurring the wrath of a maniacal Irish radical (played by Sean Bean). After seemingly neutralizing the villains, and deciding to celebrate the occasion with his wife (played by Anne Archer) and daughter (played by Thora Birch), everything appears to be back to normal; then all hell breaks loose. Patriot Games has a a rating of 76% on rottentomatoes.com.




9. The Sum of All Fears


        Here is another Jack Ryan film this time staring Ben Affleck his third best role to date (Gone Girl and The Town). When the president of Russia suddenly dies and is succeeded by a man about whom little is known, tension increases as old fears ignite new paranoia. Director of Central Intelligence Bill Cabot (played by Morgan Freeman) recruits a young analyst from the Russia desk, Jack Ryan (played by Ben Affleck), to supply insight and advice. Then the unthinkable happens: the capital of Chechnya is leveled by a nuclear bomb. America is quick to blame the Russians, and mistrust escalates despite Ryan's certainty that other players are at work. He is right. Terrorists bent on provoking open war between the two nations are moving behind the scenes to manufacture and escalate a conflict. When they successfully detonate a second bomb outside Baltimore during the Super Bowl, the world is pushed inexorably towards war... unless Ryan can supply the needed proof to stem the tide of disaster in time. The Sum of All Fears has a rating of 59% on rottentomatoes.com.




8. Clear and Present Danger


        Another Jack Ryan film and this is by far Harrison Ford's best portrayal of the character.Jack Ryan (played by Harrison Ford) is assigned to a delicate anti-drug investigation after a close friend of the President (played by Donald Moffat) is murdered by a Colombian drug cartel. When Ryan discovers that the President's wealthy friend was in league with the cartel, the President's devious national security adviser (played by Harris Yulin) and an ambitious CIA deputy director (played by Henry Czerny) send a secret paramilitary force into Colombia to wipe out the drug lords. The force is captured and then abandoned by the President's lackeys. It falls to Ryan to enter Colombia and rescue them, aided only by a renegade operative named Clark (played by Willem Dafoe), with both his life and career on the line. Clear and Present Danger was nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Sound Mixing and Sound Editing and it has a rating of 82% on rottentomatoes.com.




7. Syriana


        This is an amazing movie and it really gives an insight into backdoor politics. As a career CIA operative (played by George Clooney) begins to uncover the disturbing truth about the work he has devoted his life to, an up-and-coming oil broker faces an unimaginable family tragedy and finds redemption in his partnership with an idealistic Gulf prince. A corporate lawyer (played by Jeffery Wright) faces a moral dilemma as he finesses the questionable merger of two powerful U.S. oil companies, while across the globe, a disenfranchised Pakistani teenager falls prey to the recruiting efforts of a charismatic cleric. Each plays their small part in the vast and complex system that powers the industry, unaware of the explosive impact their lives will have upon the world. Syriana was nominated for 2 Academy Awards including Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Screenplay while winning the award for Best Supporting Actor and it has a rating of 72% on rottentomatoes.com.




6. Enemy of the State


        I love this film, as it kept me on the edge of my seat and Will Smith gives one of the better performances of his career. Robert Clayton Dean (played by Will Smith0, is a devoted father, husband, and attorney shopping for a sexy gift for his wife Carla (played by Regina King). What he doesn't know is that he was given a videotape from a friend (played by Jason Lee) regarding the recent murder of a U.S. senator led by corrupt National Security Agency official Thomas Reynolds (played by Jon Voight). Now Reynolds is after Dean to cover his tracks and frame Dean an ex-girlfriend (played by Lisa Bonet)'s murder. Since Dean isn't up on his high-tech gadgetry, he needs the aid of ex-intelligence operative Brill (played by Gene Hackman) and helps Dean realize that in the modern world, there is no such thing as total privacy. Enemy of the State has a rating of 71% on rottentomatoes.com




5.The Hunt for Red October


        I absolutely loved the book and this film did the book justice eventhough is has the second best Jack Ryan. Marko Ramius (played by Sean Connery) sets the plot in motion when he murders his political adviser, burns his orders, and steers his sub Red October towards American waters, hoping to defect. The CIA, aware that the Red October was about to embark on an evasive mission to demonstrate its ability to avoid detection and fire its nuclear missiles upon U.S. installations, believes that Ramius is insane, and that he plans to start World War III. To cover their own behinds, the Russians back up the CIA's suspicion. Only Jack Ryan (played by Alec Baldwin) believes that Ramius' mission is not as apocalyptic as it seems -- and it is Ryan who is assigned to infiltrate the Red October to prove his theory. The Hunt for Red October was nominated for 3 Academy Awards including Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing and Best Film Editing while winning the award for Best Sound Editing and it has a rating of 96% on rottentomatoes.com.




4.Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy


        This movie is really intense and it showed just how good of an actor Gary Oldman is. George Smiley (Gary Oldman), a disgraced British spy, is rehired in secret by his government - which fears that the British Secret Intelligence Service, a.k.a. MI-6, has been compromised by a double agent working for the Soviets. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was nominated for 3 Academy Awards including Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score and it has a rating of 83%  on rottentomatoes.com.




3. Munich 


        This film is one of the more beautiful yet heart-breaking film Steven Spielberg has ever done. An Israeli squad is assigned to track down and assassinate 11 Palestinians believed to have planned the 1972 Munich massacre -- and the personal toll this mission of revenge takes on the team and the man who leads it. Munich was nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Director, Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score and Best Film Editing and it has a rating of 78% on rottentomatoes.com.




2. V for Vendetta

        It you want a film that unites a nation to fight against the government and is led by a revolutionist, then this is the film is for you. In the near future Dystopian society, V (played by Hugo Weaving) is a bold, charismatic freedom fighter, attempting to ignite a  revolution against the brutal fascist regime led by Adam Sutler (played by John Hurt) that has subjugated the United Kingdom.  Evey Hammond (played by Natalie Portman), a working class girl that has accidentally been caught up in V's mission and Detective Eric Finch (played by Stephen Rea) that is on a desperate quest to stop V. I love this film and its message can resonate with our government and what it is slowly becoming. V for Vendetta has a rating of 73% on rottentomatoes.com.

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
                                   

        Ok so this may not be a political thriller, but the way the movie plays out you feel like you are watching one. After the cataclysmic events in New York with his fellow Avengers, Steve Rogers, aka Capt. America (played by Chris Evans), lives in the nation's capital as he tries to adjust to modern times. An attack on a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague throws Rogers into a web of intrigue that places the whole world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson) and a new ally, the Falcon (played by Anthony Mackie), Rogers struggles to expose an ever-widening conspiracy, but he and his team soon come up against an unexpected enemy. Captain America: The Winter Soldier currently has a rating of 89% on rottentomatoes.com.

        So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of of my list and what are some of your favorite political thrillers of all-time? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice heard.

                                                                                                                           Jonah Sparks

10-23-14 Movie News

        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)


        It's official: Christian Bale will play the late Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs in a biopic based on Walter Isaacson's biography from director Danny Boyle, as confirmed by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin via Bloomberg."We needed the best actor on the board in a certain age range and that’s Chris Bale," Sorkin said, "He didn’t have to audition. Well, there was a meeting." Sorkin, known for his fast-paced dialogue in films like The Social Network and The American President, was candid about the verbal gymnastics Bale will have to perform in the biopic, as opposed to the actual gymnastics he displayed as Batman in "The Dark Knight" trilogy."He has more words to say in this movie than most people have in three movies combined," Sorkin said. "There isn't a scene or a frame that he's not in. So it's an extremely difficult part and he is gonna crush it." Bale was initially courted for the part back when David Fincher was attached to helm, and made himself available recently after Leonardo DiCaprio dropped out of the role in order to film The Revenant and take time off from acting.

        This is great casting. Like I've been saying for the past week or so whenever the rumor came out that Bale was in the running for the film, I knew he was the right choice. Bale is known for transforming into characters and he'll have to transform once again. Bale looks like Steve Jobs and I'm really excited to see Bale work with Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle.




        Focus Features has released the trailer for Insidious Chapter 3, written and directed by franchise co-creator Leigh Whannell. The May 29, 2015 release stars Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Lin Shaye, Angus Sampson, and Whannell.This chilling prequel, set before the haunting of the Lambert family, reveals how gifted psychic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) reluctantly agrees to use her ability to contact the dead in order to help a teenage girl (Stefanie Scott) who has been targeted by a dangerous supernatural entity.

     

        This wasn't that great of a trailer. I t was very predictable and not that scary. Look I loved the first two films but this one looks a little lazy and the fact that it is a prequel makes me a little less interested in the film.



        A new international poster for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is here and you check it out below. "The Defining Chapter" hits theaters December 17 and offers a massive ensemble cast that includes Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephen Fry, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, Orlando Bloom, John Bell, Manu Bennett, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Billy Connolly, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Lawrence Makoare, Sylvester McCoy, Graham McTavish, Dean O'Gorman, Mikael Persbrandt and Aidan Turner. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies concludes the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins, who joins the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.



        This is a pretty cool poster. It shows all of the main characters in action fighting against who knows what. I'm a huge fan of The Lord of The Rings and so far the past two Hobbit films haven't really lived up to the LOTR franchise and hopefully this last film can do just that.



        As you may have learned yesterday in the awesome teaser trailer (and our 75 screengrabs) for         Avengers: Age of Ulton, the title villain has no strings to hold him down, and like Pinocchio, his voice actor James Spader cannot lie about just how nutty the character is in an interview with Total Film."There's a humorous aspect to him, which is something that drew me in from the very first conversation I had with Joss [Whedon]," Spader revealed. "In many ways he's a child, this character, because he's a brand new being who's just come to be. And yet, through artificial intelligence, he has an incredible capacity for knowledge. So he's a very powerful, smart child."

        The cybernetic baddie enjoys the sound of "everyone screaming for mercy," but Spader is quick to deny too many similarities with his Golden Globe-nominated role as criminal-turned-FBI profiler Raymond "Red" Reddington on the hit show "The Blacklist.""Ultron takes abrupt turns in scenes," Spader explained. "Red isn't pyschopathic but Ultron is. Yes, he is psychopathic. He's really batsh*t crazy!"

        When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth's Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure. Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision. Avengers: Age of Ultron hits the big screen on May 1, 2015.

        I love these comments. When I first heard that James Spader was going to voice Ultron I was instantly excited because James Spader is such a talented actor. The trailer really backs up Spader's comments and to hear that he is crazier than Raymond "Red" Reddington gets me even more excited to see the film.



        The ensemble cast of Ridley Scott's The Martian continues to grow as EW today reports that Mackenzie Davis (What If), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave, and Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The Winter Soldier are joining Matt Damon, Jeff Daniels, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Kristen Wiig, Jessica Chastain and Sean Bean for the science fiction tale.The Martian is based on Andy Weir's 2012 e-book publication, which issued a print edition this past February. It is officially described as follows:Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

        This is really great casting. Now I'm not to familiar with Mackenzie Davis (I've only seen her in one film), but Sebastian Stan is a very talented actor (eventhough we've only seen him in a couple of films) and Chiwetel Ejiofor is an amazing actor (if you have not seen 12 Years A Slave then go watch it) and he's also an Oscar nominated actor so that helps out a lot. Let's just hope that this film doesn't turn out like the last big ensemble film from Ridley Scott (The Counselor, Exodus: Gods & Kings hasn't come out yet) and maybe it might be a return to form for him. 

        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.

                                                                                                                                        Jonah Sparks

Director Spotlight of James Cameron

        Continuing the Director Spotlight segment we'll spotlight the man who has brought us some of the greatest sci-fi films of all-time Mr. James Cameron. I'm going to give you his filmography, my top 3 favorite films of his and his future projects. So without further ado...

James Cameron's Filmography

Year	Film	Rottentomatoes.com Score
1978	Xenogenesis	NA
1982	Piranha II: The Spawning	7%
1984	The Terminator	100%
1986	Aliens	98%
1989	The Abyss	88%
1991	Terminator 2: Judgment Day	92%
1994	True Lies	72%
1997	Titanic	88%
2003	Ghosts of the Abyss	80%
2005	Aliens of the Deep	84%
2009	Avatar	83%

My Top 3 Favorite Films of His

1. Terminator 2: Judgement Day

2. True Lies

3. Aliens

James Cameron's Awards & Nominations

Year	Film	Award Type	Win/Nomination
1997	Titanic	Academy Award for Best Director	Win
2009	Avatar	Academy Award for Best Director	Nominated

Future Projects

2016- Avatar 2

2017- Avatar 3

2018- Avatar 4

TBA- Alita: The Battle Angel

TBA- Untitled Mariana Trench Documentary

TBA- The Informationist

        So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of James Cameron's career and who would you like to see me spotlight next? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.

                                                                                                                                         Jonah Sparks

10-22-14 Movie News

        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)


        Although it was supposed to premiere during next week's new episode of "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," Marvel Studios has gone ahead and officially released the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer following an online leak."Dammit, Hydra," Marvel tweeted in response to the rapid spread of the leaked trailer.Thankfully, you can now check out a wholly official version in the video below.

        When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth's Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

        Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision. Avengers: Age of Ultron hits the big screen on May 1, 2015.

       

        Wow this is an amazing trailer. When Marvel announced the trialer was going to be shown during Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., I knew that it would come out beforehand (like all big anticiapted announced trailers).  Anyways this trailer showed just enough to wet our appetite and Marvel has released the best trailer of the year so far. It was creepy with the song playing in the background and James Spader voicing Ultron is haunting. We're going to get a much darker film thatn we've seen form Marvel and I cannot wait for it to come out.



        Johnny Depp is a wolf in wolf's clothing as Entertainment Weekly gives us our first full-fledged peek at the actor in his latest eccentric guise with their cover series featuring characters from Disney's upcoming musical Into the Woods. Besides Depp's zoot suited Big Bad Wolf, the adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's 1987 Broadway classic has also scored such A-List talent as Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine and Meryl Streep, who reveled in getting to be a witchy woman worthy of the Eagles.

        "I’ve been offered many witches over the years, starting when I was 40, and I said no to all of them," the actress tells the magazine. "But this was really fun because it played with the notion of what witches mean. They represented age and ugliness and scary powers we don’t understand. So here’s my opportunity to say, here's what you wish for when you're getting old.""I didn't want this to look like a cartoon world," says Marshall. "It's not sunny, sunny, sunny - we wanted a sense of danger."

        Opening in theaters on Christmas Day, Into the Woods is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel—all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife, their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch who has put a curse on them.


(courtesy of Entertainment Weekly)

        Oh look it's johnny Depp playing another obscured and crazy character. Where has the really Johnny Depp gone. I mean the one in Donnie Brasco, Once Upon a Time in Mexico and What's Eating Gilbert Grape. He had so much diversity and talent, now he just plays the same character in every movie he does. The good thing is he's only in one part of the film so we won't get to see him much. I have given up of Johnny Depp until he goes back to doing some more serious acting.



        Following the UK trailer earlier today, Relativity Media has now also released the new domestic trailer for The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death which you can watch the trailer below. Seized by the government and converted into a military mental hospital during World War II, the sudden arrival of disturbed soldiers to Eel Marsh Harsh has awoken its darkest inhabitant. Eve (Phoebe Fox), a beautiful young nurse, is sent to the house to care for the patients but soon realizes she must save them from more than their own demons. Despite Eve’s efforts to stop her, one by one they fall victim to the Woman in Black. Directed by Tom Harper and written by Jon Croker, The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death also stars Jeremy Irvine, Adrian Rawlins and Helen McCrory, and will be released on January 2, 2015 in the U.S.

       

        This wasn't that great of a trailer. Sure we got more action and a few more jump scares than the original, but it was lazy and predictable. Look I enjoyed the first film and I honestly didn't want more form the franchise and I think this is just a desperate attempt by the studio. But let's wait and see and it may surprise us.



        Evan Peters' scene-stealing Quicksilver, who made his big screen debut in Bryan Singer's recent X-Men: Days of Future Past, is racing back to 20th Century Fox's X-franchise. According to second unit director Brian Smrz, there's a "fun" scene planned for 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse. "They want me to start pretty soon, on the storyboarding and stuff," Smrz tells Newsarama. "I’ll be working on the next X-Men for the next month or so part-time, and by the end of the year it’ll be full-time... There will be another Quicksilver scene, which I'm looking forward to. That'll be fun." Smrz, who was heavily involved in shooting Peters' impressive slow-motion action scene, even goes on to suggest that discussions have been raised about giving Peters' popular character his own solo film. "We talked about Quicksilver before," responds Smrz when asked what sort of film he'd like to direct. "I'd love to do a Quicksilver as a solo film because there's a lot to enjoy with that character." Singer will return to once again direct X-Men: Apocalypse, which hits theaters May 27, 2016.

        This is great news to hear. Now I like the rest of you had doubts about Quicksilver simply because he looked ridiculous (and still does). But he did have the best scene in the film and absolutely stole the show. I myself would also like to see a solo film and maybe we could see a film that takes before X-Men: DOFP or between the events of X-Men: DOFP and X-Men: Apocalypse, but who knows what we will get.



        Still in talks for the David Ayer-helmed DC Comics adaptation Suicide Squad, The Wolf of Wall Street star Margot Robbie is, according to a story today at The Hollywood Reporter, in talks for Paramount Pictures' upcoming comedy The Taliban Shuffle, already set to star Tina Fey. The film, which will feature an adapted screenplay by Robert Carlock (who previously worked with Fey on "30 Rock"), is based on Kim Barker's 2012 memoir of the same name, officially described as follows:

        When Kim Barker first arrived in Kabul as a journalist in 2002, she barely owned a passport, spoke only English and had little idea how to do the “Taliban Shuffle” between Afghanistan and Pakistan. No matter—her stories about Islamic militants and shaky reconstruction were soon overshadowed by the bigger news in Iraq. But as she delved deeper into Pakistan and Afghanistan, her love for the hapless countries grew, along with her fear for their future stability. In this darkly comic and unsparing memoir, Barker uses her wry, incisive voice to expose the absurdities and tragedies of the “forgotten war,” finding humor and humanity amid the rubble and heartbreak. Robbie, who will play a dangerously competitive news anchor who befriends Fey's character in Afghanistan, stars opposite Will Smith in the upcoming Focus, which, like The Taliban Shuffle, will be helmed by the Crazy. Stupid. Love. pair of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa.

        This is great casting. Like I said earlier in the week, Margot Robbie is a talented actress, but she's not been in a lot of films. So I think that the more we see her the better off she and us as the audience will be. It'll also be interesting to see her do a comedy with Tina Fey and how they play off of each other.


        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.

                                                                                                                                        Jonah Sparks