'Teaser' The Terrible

The Hunger Games teaser trailer just debuted at the MTV Video Music Awards, which I stopped watching 'oh about 16 years ago.'  The teaser trailer is on youtube though so check it out.  As far as teaser trailers go, it's not all that interesting.  I still think that Jennifer Lawrence has been miscast for the role.  I'm willing to be proved wrong and I've been wrong before.  I didn't think Daniel Craig would be a good Bond and boy did I eat my words. 

Creep Out

DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK

Directed by TROY NIXEY

Starring KATIE HOLMES, GUY PEARCE, and BAILEE MADISON

I had high hopes for this film and don't get me wrong it's still a good film, but it's not nearly as good as it could have been. Pan's Labyrinth was far more daring. The one great thing about Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is that it reminds me of how horror movies used to be--old Gothic manors; beautiful art direction; gray-haired caretakers; local librarians who know a little too much about one particular house; and of course, supernatural creatures.  

Ode to 'Excalibur'

Updated 2/12/2014.

I rewatched 'Excalibur' again last night. 'Excalibur' is a 1981 fantasy film about the iconic Arthurian tale and is perhaps the best film version. Other films have come before and after. Films like 'King Arthur,' 'The Last Legion,' 'Camelot,' and 'First Knight,' to name a few. In my opinion, none have matched the beautiful moodiness or the magnificent style of 'Excalibur.' Gosh, this movie was so freaking stylish. The set design and production values were shadowy and gorgeous. This movie had it all: the costumes were crazy good, the story was great, the sets were incredible, the music was fitting, and it had an all-star cast. Every time I watch this movie I'm reminded of what Patrick Stewart, Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrnes, Ciaran Hinds, and Helen Mirren looked like 30 years ago.

Have They Miscast The Hunger Games?

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen (Lionsgate)

Warning spoilers and persnickety comments below:

Admittedly, I'm being a shallow fan-girl.  Please feel free to call me on it.  It's just my opinion.

The popular novel The Hunger Games was destined to be a movie.  Written by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games is a young adult science fiction book about the brutal and post-apocalyptic world of 16-year old Katniss Everdeen.  Think, The Running Man meets The Most Dangerous Game with teenagers.

Ellie Garratt's Blogfest (Star Trek As We Know It)

Welcome to the Ellie Garratt Star Trek Blogfest.  Thanks to Ellie for putting on this blogfest.  Please check out Ellie's page to see the other blog entries.  Questions asked: Rank, favorite episodes, and favorite characters.  See below for my answers and please check out Ellie's blog.  Thanks.

Frighteningly Good

FRIGHT NIGHT
Directed by CRAIG GILLESPIE

Starring ANTON YELCHIN, COLIN FARRELL, 

IMOGEN POOTS, and TONI COLLETTE

Ok, I'm the first one to admit when I'm wrong and I was very wrong with regard to Fright Night.  If you refer to my recommended links you'll find my scathing take on the new Fright Night film.  I was sure that this was going to be yet another abominable remake, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Fright Night stuck to it's guns and in a post-Twilight world, Jerry the vampire (played flawlessly by Colin Farrell) isn't lovelorn or moody.  He's heartless, predatory, and a tad bit alluring.  The new Fright Night takes the best portions of the original film and amps it up.  Written by Buffy alum, Marti Noxon, the re-imagined Fright Night flies at a quickening pace and the thrills start right away. I would note that Marti also wrote the screenplay for the atrocious I Am Number Four, but this time she gets it right.  No doubt her Buffy experience came in handy.

The Dark Lady

This one looks pretty creepy--sign me up.  Woman in Black stars everyone's favorite wizard, Daniel Radcliffe, in a very grown up role.  Radcliffe plays a young lawyer who travels to a small English village to settle the affairs of a recently deceased woman. Unfortunately instead of antiques and treasures he finds a vengeful ghost.  The Woman in Black is based upon the 1983 novel by Susan Hill and has been previously been made into a tv-movie and stage play.  A February release is an interesting choice, but still a good month for a haunted house story.  The Woman in Black releases February 10th, 2012.

Is This Really All That Creative?

Photo by Shannon Cottrell

I was recently surprised that the gender-bender super hero costumers at Comic-Con won Best Cosplay.  Is this really creative enough to win the whole enchilada?  For those who don't know what Cosplay is, it's a play off of the words "costume play."  I've seen way more creative costuming.  I don't understand how this is so unique.  Check out the other costumes at Comic-Con this year.     

When Will Final Be Final?

I'm not a Bill Maher fan, but he said it best.  When will Final Destination be final?  This series started 10 years ago.  10 years ago I was much more tolerant of bad movies.  Now, I just don't bother. There are so many other ways I can waste two hours.  If I wanted to see young people in compromising situations, I'd watch the news, followed up with any show on the CW.  I'm so over it. Directed by Avatar's second unit director, Steven Quale, the most recent film is about a group of coworkers going to a corporate retreat.  The "lucky" ones escape the sudden collapse of a suspension bridge.  Of course once Tony Todd shows up it's "on."

Sorry, I'm sure there are some Final Destination fans out there. Are there any redeeming factors to this franchise?  Also, why are there so many blasted sequels this year?

AMC Slashes The Walking Dead's Budget

Everyone's trying to make a buck these days and sometimes even more buck than they should. Another great show may bite the dust.  According to the Hollywood Reporter, Frank Darabont did not resign, he was 'fired' by AMC's head of original programming, Joel Stillerman.  Allegedly the dispute was over, what else--money.  For some strange reason, after The Walking Dead's breakout 1st season, AMC decided to slash The Walking Dead's budget and pocket the 30% tax credit they received for filming the show in Georgia, instead of reinvesting the tax credit into the show.  Needless to say, Darabont raised Cain about this.  That's when they told him to hit the bricks.

SyFy Prematurely Cancels Eureka

I'm just flabbergasted.  SyFy reassured Eureka fans last week that we would get an additional 6 episodes of Eureka next year, supposedly to finish up the series finale.  My how things change.  Four days later SyFy announces that not only will it renig on the 6 additional episodes, it will cancel the series all together.  The writing team has to wrap up the series with just the last remaining episodes and Christmas Special.

Viva Le Ape

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Directed by RUPERT WYATT

Starring ANDY SERKIS, JAMES FRANCO, FRIEDA PINTO, BRYAN COX, 

TOM FELTON, DAVID OYELOWO, and JOHN LITHGOW

"Incredible" is the one word to describe Rise of the Planet of the Apes.  The other two words are "Andy Serkis."  Let there be no doubt that this Andy Serkis' film.  Despite the obvious formula: corporate science gone wild, abused lab animals, disastrous consequences for human kind, the film is impressive, due in no small part to Andy Serkis.  Serkis' motion capture performance as Caesar is Oscar-worthy.  Best-known for his role as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Serkis is a master physical actor.  The emotions Serkis brings with just his eyes and body language, speak volumes.

Dark As Night, Bright As Day

The preview for the new film The Darkest Hour was shown just before Rise of the Planet of the Apes on Friday.  The Darkest Hour seems to be a fresh take on an otherwise alien-drenched year at the movies.  This alien invasion has a twist--this time the aliens invade Russia and American tourists just so happen to get caught in the middle.  Unlike other alien invasion films, these aliens are not insect or squid-like, they're pure energy and not visible to the naked eye.  From the preview, the special effects for The Darkest Hour are dramatic.

Yahtzee!

What the heck is this?  I had no idea the children's game Battleship was about fighting aliens. Perhaps my recollection is rusty, but I remember a bunch of little gray ships and white and red pegs? As the game was invented in the late 1800s, I doubt this was what the inventors had in mind.

Taylor Kitsch and Liam Neeson in Battleship

Laurence Fisburne Is The New Perry White

Casting news - Laurence Fishburne is the new Perry White in Superman: Man of Steel, which I think is a good choice.  Unfortunately for CSI Laurence is being replaced by Ted Danson.  Isn't it time for that show to go off the air?  Who still watches it?

Unnatural Intrusion

Intruders is the new horror film by Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, director of 28 Weeks Later.  Fresnadillo's second English-language film, the Intruders is about two families (one in the UK and the other in Spain) dealing with unwanted shadowy presences plaguing their children.  Clive Owen stars as a father (in the UK) desperate to protect his family from mysterious figures-- real or imaginary.  This film appears to have similarities with Don't be Afraid of the Dark, Guillermo De Torro's new film, starring Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes (releasing August 26th) and Insidious, which released earlier this year.  Intruders releases October 7th.  Check out the trailer.  What do you think?